January 5, 2012 Gas House Gorillas : Best Ever? - Just like his favorite team the Packers, the Gas House Gorilla kept putting the pedal to the metal all the way to the end. He arguably recorded the best season in the history of the ACFFL. His 242 point margin over second place was the highest ever, even with a watered down scoring system. Not bad for a rookie (or was he a ringer?). Congratulations on whuppin' the old guard.
While First Place has been set for some time, there was still a lot to be decided in an exciting last week. Scoring was up. Places changed throughout the day, but when the dust settled, the top four remained the same for the last three weeks. Buddha's Bandits held on to the runner-up spot, besting Moon's Dogs by a mere 9 points in the final tally. There was a little angst at the T-Men house as the Cowboys made a partial comeback Sunday night. In the end, there was no Romo garbage time TD and the Thinman, after having visions of big cash, happily held onto the last money spot by a half dozen points. The payouts are below (NOTE: With all the Drop/Add activity, Fourth Place won more than the entry fee). The Firecats had to settle for the Week 17 prize and the realization that sometimes too many changes can backfire on you. Big Red's Drew Brees continued his late season onslaught and was the high scorer for the third time in the last six weeks. All told, the rookies won 43% of all the weekly cash. Hey Osprey! You couldn't find any inept replacement players?
| 1st Place | $578.70 |
| 2nd Place | $353.65 |
| 3rd Place | $225.05 |
| 4th Place | $128.60 |
It was equally exciting at the bottom as the Jetsons needed scoring on Sunday night and got two TD's from Bradshaw to pass JB Rex who becomes the First Foo Fighter Cup winner. Don't know who's going to take the blame but I think she would do better if she left the cell phone off during the draft. Good News: Equality has hit the ACFFL and JB Rex will be the first female to buy the beer. Bad News: It will probably be Girl's Light. At least it will be "super cold".
In the spreadsheet, all the tabs at the end for League, Player and Position Scoring have been updated. Some comments:
Buddha had three Top 10 QB's and played the middle one. Cam Newton finished second behind Rogers but no one got any of those points.
Top value picks of the year (all top three scorers at their position): Newton (Round 13 - Buddha), Darren Sproles (Round 13 - Moon Dog) and Jordy Nelson (Round 12 - Gorillas).
Safest early round picks are QB, then RB with REC being a crapshoot. For QB, 4 of the 5 picked in Round 1 finished in the Top 10 for the position. For RB, 6 of the 12 picked in the first two rounds finished in the Top 10. For REC, only 3 of the 14 picked in the first three rounds cracked the Top 10. There were two free agents (Cruz and Robinson) that had Top 5 REC points.
Same holds true for year to year consistency. Five QB's have been in the Top 10 for the last three years (Rogers, Brees, Brady, Rivers and, wait for it...., Eli) while Ryan is Top 10 the last two years. Then there is a drop. For RB's, only Peterson was Top 10 for 3 years (and that streak is probably over next year) with McCoy, Foster and Turner being Top 10 the past two seasons. For REC, no one is Top 10 for the last three years and only Megatron, Wallace and Jennings cracked the Top 10 the past two.
Although the Gas House Gorillas were stellar across the board, he really kicked butt with his Receivers. GHG scored 158 more points than the next highest team compilation (T-Men at 264) and had Top 5 scorer Victor Cruz on his bench most of the year. Fantasy Football Savant or Beginner's Luck?
As we wrap up the 2011 season, I think the scoring changes worked to keep the teams (except for the Gorillas) more evenly matched. I think that is what the Osprey was after. A few more minor tweaks are needed to keep the value of QB's higher than Kickers and Defense. Then it will be the best teams winning and not a few players carrying a club to the money. It won't help the rest of us if all the best players are on one team like this year but we can all hope it was a fluke for the new guy.
Thanks again for listening to my crap for another year. Can't wait until next year. And finally, since all your teams missed the playoffs, you need to ban together and pull for the G-Men to repeat their 2007 run. GO BIG BLUE! Take care and have a great 2012.
December 27, 2011 D&Z finds a little extra in his stocking - In what can only be considered a Christmas Miracle in this 2011 season, D&Z Express stare down the Gas House Gorillas and holds on to win the Week 16 cash. Pulling off an "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" when the Packers finally put in the backup QB nets D&Z his first winnings of the year. For the second time this season, the new scoring system cost someone the weekly title (this time D&Z and the Gorillas would have tied). The lower QB points also bit GHG in the high scorer money as Rodgers' 5 TD's scored the same as Ray Rice's 1 TD for the Firecats. Nice of the Gorilla to share with us less fortunate during this holiday season.
The Gas House Gorilla has won the money but that may not be enough. In his best Drew Brees rubbing it in impersonation, the Gorilla is going after Captain Orange's scoring record from Season 1 of the ACFFL. If QB's are scored on the same format, GHG is at 1136 while C.O. posted the untouchable 1174 points back in 1998. Records must be meant to be broken.
As far as the rest of the cash, Buddha's Bandits "stretch" their lead from one point to three points over Moon's Dogs. The T-Men hang tough at 17 points from second. Probably only the Snapper can possibly crash the party and claim some unexpected winnings. Still a lot of ways for this pie to be sliced with one week to go. At the back end, JB Rex did not get any Christmas Karma for her fine work as Christmas Eve coordinator and only scored 10 points for the week. She now trails the Jetson by 9 points for the right to purchase the 2012 barrel. The Osprey may have soared far enough away to clear this mess but he has crashed back to earth a few times this year so you never know. At least it won't be the Firecats and that is always a good thing. Glad so many teams are playing to the end and good luck the final week.
I must be an old fart because I was very upset that the Saints were passing at the end of that game to get Brees the record but it didn't seem to bother anyone else on the TV. I still shake my head and think it was bush since there is still a whole game to play. I guess I'm out of touch but I hope the Falcons get to play the Saints and we get to see what the football gods think about it.
Have a Happy New Year. Be safe! I'm glad they moved the Giants game to the night so I'll have a better chance to watch it without a headache.
P.S. - Sorry about the Dream Team but I'm glad it was the Giants that knocked them out. Love that they'll be 8-8 and Andy will be back. Nice to hear the constant "If only ..." list of excuses here in Philly which will guarantee nothing changes and they'll be stuck with the same inconsistent team.
December 20, 2011 King Kong ain't got shit on ... Buddha! - He's got the same profile and the same timing but it's not Santa, it's Buddha's Bandits!! Joe breaks the Gas House Gorilla streak of winning at least every other week throughout 2011. The Gorilla must have just gotten in the Christmas spirit and is letting someone else have a little joy this season. I guess Buddha has been a very good boy as he is rewarded with the Oakland Raiders against the Stafford to Johnson combination that propels him to the Week 15 prize. The weekly winnings are shared with Big Red (no, again not Santa) with Drew Brees and his 5 TD's (I am personally OK with two TD's as long as they're round and firm). That is the third high scorer for Big Red who is a suitable and festive winner during the Christmas season.
(NOTE: Although it isn't anywhere close to holiday appropriate, can you name the movie that today's headline is taken from? Answer below.)
Even though he came in a lowly 10th for the week, the Gas House Gorilla stretched his lead to over 200 points. I hope he has my name for the Secret Santa because the cash is his. The Buddha train rumbled from out of the money all the way to second place, one point ahead of Moon's Dogs, who holds firm in third. The surge is at the expense of the T-Men, who end their nine week stint as GHG's bridesmaid with only 14 points in Week 15. Two through four are separated by only a dozen points so a lot can change in the last two weeks. The Snapper and Captain Orange are still clinging to hope about 30 points out of the money. The Battle for the Basement and the Foo Fighter trophy got a little tighter as the Jetson had his best week in a while doing nothing. JB Rex and the Osprey are still within his sights, so the fight is undecided as we come down to the wire.
The Sunday Football Extravaganza turned out to be a day in Pigskin Hell. Between the Giants sucking, the gambling losses on late, meaningless touchdowns and the lack of fantasy football points, the trip to Delaware was as much fun as a trip to the proctologist. Eeeeyow!
The movie in the opening was Training Day with Denzel Washington. Didn't think I'd get to use the line since the Gorillas kept winning every week.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and safe travels wherever the weekend takes you.
December 13, 2011 Moon's Dogs move to the Head of the Class- The students were all in a nice line heading into Monday night with five teams within 6 points of each other (including league bully the Gas House Gorilla). The teacher's ace in the hole Steven Jackson came through late in the game and moved him past Buddha's Bandits for his first cash of the season. Big points by Matt Ryan and Colston led Moon's Dogs. I'm sure there were many what if's this week that played in Moonie's favor (I can think of three from the Giants/Dallas game - Austin overthrow, Bailey block, Manning to Manningham drop) but he was destined to finally hit paydirt. Hope all flat screen TV's survived. Buddha wasn't left empty handed as MJD scored 4 TD's to help him claim his third high scorer of the season (with all different players).
GHG stretched his overall lead to 200 points. There hasn't been a beatdown this bad since the early days of Captain Orange. Moon's Dogs closed to within 20 points of the T-Men who is scramblin to keep his advantage. It's like that liquid metal terminator: no matter what you do, he just keeps on coming. Three more weeks to hold him off. The battle for fourth remained tight but the Snapper's pursuer went from one Hoser (CO) to the other (Buddha). The Captain needs to rebound or it will be a five team chase for four spots. In a big upset, the Jetson strengthened his grasp on last overall. The Osprey did not spit the bit as has been his MO this year and actually rose up to 10th place, ahead of JB Rex. I wonder if Jimmy made a deal with the devil and we'll be seeing a J-E-T-S Super Bowl in exchange for this embarassment.
Saw a great high school game with John Egghead, West Catholic vs Lancaster Catholic. Big comeback by West, four posessions in the last 2-1/2 minutes, Lancaster fumbles at the one yard line then scores after a bad snap on a punt to take the lead back and then holds on for dear life as West gets to the 20 yard line and throws into the end zone. Best game I saw until the Giants the following night, although I think the high schoolers played better defense.
There are Thursday and Saturday games the next two weeks, so make sure you have your partial line-ups entered in time. No postie, no playee.
League members are invited to attend the 2nd Annual ACFFL Beer, Football and Gambling Extravaganza at Delaware Park this Sunday, 12/18. Watch all the games, bet parlays and talk Fantasy Football trash while enjoying your favorite beverage. Contact the Commish or Scorekeeper for details.
December 6, 2011 Ahhhh, I got nothin'. Gorillas win (and win, and win and win ...). - As predicted, the Gas House Gorillas have started a new streak to take all the odd numbered weeks from now until the season's end. So far, as Kosler would say at the pinochle table "GHG has won the bigger half" (7 of 13 weeks). Unprecedented domination. Mighty Mark Young!! You know it's your year when your third TD of the game by a stinkin' tight end gets changed to a run for double points which nets you the extra 10 bucks for the week (see R. Gronkowski, 30 points). No more of the Osprey's family are allowed in the ACFFL. More fishing buddies would be OK, they seem to blend in with the rest of us losers (except for the noxious fumes).
The battle for the remaining cash got a little tighter. Moon's Dogs' continued steady scoring netted him a bump to third overall and a slight reduction in the T-Men's lead. Buddha's Bandits return to the money was shortlived as he must have been loagie from the Turkey Day feast and finished 10th for the week. The beneficiary was the Snapper who returned to the money slots for the first time since Week 7. Captain Orange and Buddha are still right there, all within a mere 50 points of the T-Men and second place. At the rear, Kosler's pinochle partner the Jetson has fallen on some bad times at QB and has been passed by the Osprey, who came in second for the week. I don't think Jimmy has ever been in last place (although since the Foo Fighter left all kinds of new occupants have made it to the cellar). Can the Osprey stay above grade or is this another one week wonder? Everyone still has something to play for with four weeks left.
First and 10, let's do it again. Let's Go Lehigh!! The Mountain Hawks advance in the Div 1-AA playoffs to go on the road to ... freakin North Dakota! Who schedules a game in North Dakota in December? If they win, I think they play at Juneau State.
The new Penn State bowl tradition begins with a game that didn't even make regualar ESPN channels. I don't know if I even get ESPNU. BS (before Sandusky), PSU vs Houston might have been the Sugar Bowl. Now, it's not even on TV. They better get a coach quick or they might lose all their recruits. Maybe the Houston guy can get hired and coach both teams.
November 29, 2011 Firecats clean up Turkey Day Table Scraps - With a less than stellar performance, the Firecats take advantage of a down week from the Gas House Gorillas. They claim the Week 12 prize with a mere 55 points. GHG's streak of winning every even numbered week has ended but since he won last week, I'm sure he is now planning to win the rest of the odd weeks. The Cats got a Monday Night score from Jacobs to pass the Snapper and Buddha's Bandits for the only highlight of a dismal football evening. Drew Brees' annihilation of the wee men won the $10 for Big Red, nipping Buddha's Janikowski by a point. That's the first cash of the year for the Firecats and the second top player payoff for Big Red.
The Gas House Gorillas finally stumbled, finishing in the bottom three for the first time since Week 1. Even with the poor week, the lead looks insurmountable going into the final stretch (unless you think the Giants will stop the Packers. Yeah, right.) The T-Men remain a strong second but the other money slots have shifted. Buddha is back in third ahead of Moon's Dogs at the expense of Captain Orange. The Snapper has his sights set on one of these meaty specimens once he decides to pull the trigger. In the cellar, the Osprey tripled his output from Week 11 which only got him a next to last place finish for the week. JB Rex scored a baker's dozen in their attempt to make a race of it with Big Daddy for the barrel. One word of warning: Coach JB said the beer of choice would be Coors Light if she continues on this downward trend. George will probably volunteer to be on call so he has an excuse not to drink. I'm OK with it as long as a mini Mike Ditka is included.
The Giants are starting their fade early this year. I'd like to see them pull a NASCAR move and swap crew chiefs with the Eagles for the last five games to see who is the "best" bad coach. Not sure either team will win another game with these guys in charge.
Another taste of NC in PA: Spent the Monday after Thanksgiving mowing grass and putting up Christmas lights in shorts and a tee shirt. Must have been one fun time trying to hunt deer. Do they make flourescent orange gym shorts?
November 22, 2011 Guess What? It ain't that pretty at all as the Gorillas do it again. - What's left to say? He just wins (and wins) baby. Gas House Gorillas triumph for the sixth time in eleven weeks and now expand their dominance to odd numbered weeks also. I guess the kids will go without gifts this year as there is no money for anyone else. Two TD's by Super G(ronkowski) on Monday night were the icing on the cake of another $20 payday. Hopefully the IRS isn't keeping tabs of this website or there may be an audit to ensure this extensive extra income is reported. GHG's table scraps of $10 went to Buddha's Bandits who would have won the money with either QB but chose Stafford in Week 11.
Now that everyone knows what they're playing for, the battle for second place is heating up. The T-Men and Captain Orange both sputtered allowing Moon's Dogs to take over third and Big Buddha to close the gap. Seven teams within a 100 points of second with six weeks left. At the bottom, the Ospreys fears were realized as he fielded a dreadful lineup and got a worse than expected 8 points for the week. So after seeing the light of day for two short weeks, the Osprey has returned to his underground nest. I know what JB Rex and the Jetsons are thankful for this year: Big Daddy's lack of attention. Let's see if he has enough left to claw out of the basement for a second time.
Special thanks to the Thin Man and C.O. for entertaining the Scorekeeper at an excellent Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens. Great game and great tailgate. Too bad the good memories were shortlived by having to endure a Giants game upon arrival home. Ugh!
Flipping the channels and heard the name "Sinisalo". What was his number?
Is it too early for Sandusky jokes? Courtesy of the T-Man: What is Sandusky's favorite branch campus? Do Boys (Dubois).
Here are the exploits and escapades of the most recent Canada Trip we like to call - Osprey, Buddha and Firecat in "What the T-Man Saw". In future weeks you'll get Buddha, Firecat and T-Man in "What the Osprey Saw", etc. For this week's bonus prize: Name the three females who were in the classic movie with the parrot.
JB REX
FIRECATS
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