Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Week 3 Results and Standings

And another one bites the dust. But only one. Pick 3 of Roundy/Galacki/Leb's 483 picks went down in flames along with the Texans. Well, the Texans didn't exactly go down in flames. In fact, I think it's been a while since I've seen a game more evenly matched, statistically speaking. Jacksonville narrowly edged Houston in first downs (24 to 23), total yards (398 to 397), total plays (61 to 59), third-down efficiency (5 for 11 to 4 for 10), and time of possession (30:52 to 29:08). The issue was turnovers. Jacksonville: 1, Houston: 2. You can't win if you turn the ball over. 

But anyway. King of the Hill moves on to Week 4, one man (or group of men...sort of) lighter. We're now down to 27 remaining in Pool A. Below, the current standings.

Name                                                   W    L
Alicia Shafer 3 0
Andrew Jacobs 3 0
Andy Harmon 3 0
Brian Scherer 3 0
Dan Brooking 3 0
Dave Soberman 3 0
Jim and Nancy Gumina 3 0
Joe Kanakaraj 3 0
Jonathan Santos 3 0
Jose Kalaw 3 0
Justin Davis 3 0
Katie Durrant 3 0
Liesel Steines 3 0
Linda 3 0
Nicole Noel 3 0
Pat Steines 3 0
Perry Pao 3 0
Rich Haddad 3 0
Rodney Weiss 3 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 1 3 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 2 3 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 5 3 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 6 3 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 7 3 0
Sonny Visco 3 0
Steve Kaplan 3 0
Tim Durrant 3 0
___________________________________

Beth Sickelka 2 1
Bill Durrant 2 1
Chris Daily 2 1
Chris Wright 2 1
Evan Tobias 2 1
Jay Hoppie 2 1
Joanna Canlas 2 1
Jon Cavadi 2 1
Kevin Bright 2 1
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 3 2 1
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 4 2 1
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 8 2 1
Seth Liebowitz 2 1
Stephen Bright 2 1
Adam Carberry 1 2
Sue Christensen 1 2

Week 3 Picks

Here are the picks for Week 3. By far the most popular was the Ravens, who were chosen by 17 people. The second most popular pick was the Giants (7), followed by the Packers (6), the Cowboys (5), and the Eagles (4). The Saints, Bears, Texans, and Titans were each picked by one person.

Adam Carberry   Titans
Alicia Shafer Bears
Andrew Jacobs   Ravens
Andy Harmon Ravens
Beth Sickelka   Ravens
Bill Durant Giants
Brian Scherer   Cowboys
Chris Daily Ravens
Chris Wright   Ravens
Dan Brooking Ravens
Dave Soberman   Packers
Evan Tobias Ravens
Jay Hoppie   Cowboys
Jim and Nancy Gumina Eagles
Joanna Canlas   Giants
Joe Kanakaraj Eagles
Jon Cavadi   Eagles
Jonathan Santos Cowboys
Jose Kalaw   Packers
Justin Davis Ravens
Katie Durrant   Giants
Kevin Bright Giants
Liesel Steines   Saints
Lulu Giants
Nicole Noel   Ravens
Pat Steines Cowboys
Perry Pao   Ravens
Rich Haddad Packers
Rodney Weiss   Packers
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 1 Ravens
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 2   Packers
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 3 Texans
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 4   Ravens
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 5 Packers
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 6   Giants
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 7 Ravens
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 8   Eagles
Seth Liebowitz Giants
Sonny Visco   Ravens
Stephen Bright Ravens
Steve Kaplan   Cowboys
Sue Christensen Ravens
Tim Durant   Ravens

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Crabtree's Endgame

Did anyone see Suzy Kolber on the sidelines during the Colts-Dolphins Monday Night Football pregame? Her hair was huge, and her jacket '80s. She looked like Jennifer Gray in "Dirty Dancing," an instant classic when it came out in 1987.


And speaking of things that came out around 1987 (that aren't Ian McKellen), how about that Kelly Stouffer fellow? He came out of college in 1987, and was taken in the first round of the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals—and boy did he have quite a career! A 51.5 percent completion percentage, 7 touchdowns, 19 interceptions, 12 fumbles, and 50 sacks in 22 career games for the Seattle Seahawks. 


Yep, that's right. The Seahawks. Because, you see, Stouffer never played for the Cardinals. Instead, he decided he didn't want to play for Arizona and chose to sit out the entire year. On the eve of the 1988 draft he was traded to the Seahawks, where he had the illustrious career outlined above.


And, man, does this sound familiar. In fact, it sounds exactly like what Michael Crabtree is stupidly trying to do right now. Apparently, Crabtree thinks that by sitting out an entire season and not only not playing football but also not participating in any team drills or workouts, his draft stock is increasing. With that kind of knowledge of the relative value of things, how is he not employed by AIG?


He's betting his entire career on a team somewhere in the top nine of next year's draft deciding to take a gigantic risk on a whiny, me-first, out-of-practice player at a position that has a higher rate of failure than Kevin Costner. The thing is, at least five (maybe six) of the teams that didn't want him last year are very likely to be picking near the top again next year. It makes me wonder if Crabtree didn't hear the news that Matt Millen is no longer the GM of the Lions. There's no sucker at the top of the draft who takes receivers "just because." And even if there was, does he really want to model his career after Mike Williams?


Crabtree also can't attend the NFL combine or work out for any other team until midnight on the night before the draft. Somehow I don't see any team (except maybe the Raiders) taking a chance on a guy who's been out of football for a year and who they haven't seen do anything during that time. It's like a guy buying a Delorean sight unseen because he remembers that they used to look cool. Good luck with that investment.


My hope for how this whole thing plays out is that Crabtree does sit out the whole year. I hope he pouts and complains and refuses every offer the Niners make. I hope he re-enters the draft next year and thinks he's got the world by the grapes. I hope he laughs in the face of the Niners for making a huge mistake and not paying him the money he thinks he's worth. And I hope the Niners draft him again. In the second round. And pay him accordingly.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Week 2 Results

Well, that didn't take long. (That's what she said.) For a fleeting moment, it seemed like we might avoid a re-creation of the early-season bloodbath of last year. But then the Packers O-line forgot how to block and gave up 37 sacks to Antwan Odom (who?), and their defense gave up 31 points to a team that was able to muster only seven points against the Broncos. The Broncos! 

So here we are, 14 people lighter in Pool A (13 people picked the Packers, and last year's winner, Jay Hoppie, picked the Titans) just two weeks into the season. But hey, at least the Skins didn't lose to the Rams again!

Without any further ado, here are the standings through Week 2. I think it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: The teams above the line are still alive in Pool A (also indicated by the 0 losses); the teams below the line have been knocked out of Pool A, but continue in Pool B.

Name                                                W    L
Alicia Shafer 2 0
Andrew Jacobs 2 0
Andy Harmon 2 0
Brian Scherer 2 0
Dan Brooking 2 0
Dave Soberman 2 0
Jim and Nancy Gumina 2 0
Joe Kanakaraj 2 0
Jonathan Santos 2 0
Jose Kalaw 2 0
Justin Davis 2 0
Katie Durrant 2 0
Liesel Steines 2 0
Linda 2 0
Nicole Noel 2 0
Pat Steines 2 0
Perry Pao 2 0
Rich Haddad 2 0
Rodney Weiss 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 1 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 2 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 3 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 5 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 6 2 0
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 7 2 0
Sonny Visco 2 0
Steve Kaplan 2 0
Tim Durrant 2 0
________________________________

Adam Carberry 1 1
Beth Sickelka 1 1
Bill Durrant 1 1
Chris Daily 1 1
Chris Wright 1 1
Evan Tobias 1 1
Jay Hoppie 1 1
Joanna Canlas 1 1
Jon Cavadi 1 1
Kevin Bright 1 1
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 4 1 1
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 8 1 1
Seth Liebowitz 1 1
Stephen Bright 1 1
Sue Christensen 0 2

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Week 2 Picks

The fix is in! Week 2 picks are posted below. As expected, the three most popular picks this week were the Packers over the Bungles (14), the Redskins over the Rams (13), and the Vikings over the Lions (12). 

Some of you may recall that the Redskins losing at home to the 1-4 Rams in Week 6 last season knocked out 5 of the remaining 8 people in the league. Hopefully history doesn't repeat itself. Fun fact: The only other pick that week was the Vikings over the Lions—a game the Vikings would have lost had Dan Orlovsky not wandered out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Lions lost by 2. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Two people picked the Falcons over the Panthers, and one person each took the Titans over the Texans and the Colts over the Dolphins. 

Seth Liebowitz   Packers
Steve Kaplan Redskins
Kevin Bright   Packers
Jon Cavadi Packers
Andy Harmon   Vikings
Jamie Gorkow
Sonny Visco   Vikings
Dave Soberman Redskins
Alicia Shafer   Vikings
Sue Christensen Packers
Lulu   Vikings
Chris Daily Packers
Stephen Bright   Packers
Jim and Nancy Gumina Vikings
Rich Haddad   Redskins
Beth Sickelka Packers
Evan Tobias   Packers
Dan Brooking Redskins
Perry Pao   Vikings
Joanna Canlas Packers
Brian Scherer   Redskins
Nicole Noel Colts
Rodney Weiss   Vikings
Adam Carberry Packers
Justin Davis   Vikings
Pat Steines Redskins
Liesel Steines   Vikings
Andrew Jacobs Redskins
Jay Hoppie   Titans
Joe Kanakaraj Redskins
Jose Kalaw   Redskins
Jonathan Santos Redskins
Chris Wright   Packers
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 1 Redskins
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 2   Redskins
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 3 Vikings
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 4   Packers
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 5 Redskins
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 6   Vikings
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 7 Vikings
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 8   Packers
Tim Durant Falcons
Bill Durant   Packers
Katie Durrant Falcons


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Week 1 Picks

Here are the picks for Week 1. The totals actually came out differently than I expected. I really thought the Saints were by far the most popular pick, but it turns out that more people picked the Ravens -- 13 -- than any other team. The Saints were picked by 11 people, the Chargers and Pats by six each, the Seahawks by three, the Vikings by two, and the Cardinals and Cowboys by one each. 

I'm definitely rooting for the Ravens and Saints this week; I'd really rather not have a repeat of last season. Stupid Dante Rosario. Unfortunately, I can't root for the Chargers. I can never root for the Chargers. I hate them with a passion typically reserved for Nazis and Michael Bay movies. But anyway, folks. Here are this week's picks.

Seth Liebowitz   Vikings
Steve Kaplan Ravens
Kevin Bright   Ravens
Jon Cavadi Ravens
Andy Harmon   Saints
Jamie Gorkow
Sonny Visco   Chargers
Dave Soberman Saints
Alicia Shafer   Saints
Sue Christensen Cardinals
Lulu   Seahawks
Chris Daily Saints
Stephen Bright   Saints
Jim and Nancy Gumina Ravens
Rich Haddad   Ravens
Beth Sickelka Chargers
Evan Tobias   Chargers
Perry Pao   Saints
Joanna Canlas Patriots
Brian Scherer   Saints
Nicole Noel Saints
Rodney Weiss   Ravens
Adam Carberry Saints
Justin Davis   Patriots
Pat Steines Ravens
Liesel Steines   Cowboys
Andrew Jacobs Chargers
Jay Hoppie   Ravens
Joe Kanakaraj Ravens
Jose Kalaw   Saints
Jonathan Santos Ravens
Chris Wright   Vikings
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 1 Patriots
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 2   Patriots
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 3 Patriots
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 4   Patriots
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 5 Ravens
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 6   Ravens
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 7 Seahawks
Roundy/Galacki/Leb 8   Chargers
Tim Durrant Seahawks
Bill Durrant   Ravens
Katie Durrant Chargers
Dan Brooking   Saints