Just for comparison's sake - here is last year's top twelve (remember we contracted):
1. Brent Farf - Bull City Bears
2. Terrell Davis - Bethesda Brothers (Syracuse 44's)
3. Steve Young - Dean & Simmons, I Can't Lose (Losers (Good Cookies))
4. Randall Cunningham - County Coroners
5. Jamal Anderson - St. Paul Parishoners (Dumb, Sad Brents)
6. Steve McNair - Pear McNairs (P-Miss Envy)
7. Fred Taylor - San Francisco Cubists
8. Randy Moss - Minneapolis monsoon
9. Vinny Testaverde - Allentown Chippies
10. Marshall Faulk - Key West Jerrytown Smokers
11. Drew Bledsoe - Cville Wookies (Peaks Island Wookies)
12. Chris Chandler - Cambria Otters (Walnut Creek Mountain Devils)
As you can see, it is pretty hard to determine draft winners and loser just from the first round. Only Davis, McNair and Faulk repeated the first round effort this year.
Now a special service of the press. Each week's bye teams - No, the Cambria Otters are not on
this list:
1. Bengals
2. Steelers
3. Cardinals, Titans, Colts
4. Bills, Panthers, Vikings
5. Saints, Jets, Raiders (lucky Rob)
6. Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams
7. Lions, Dolphins, Bucs
8. Peckers, Giants, Chargers
9. Bears, Broncos, Patriots
10. Jaguars
11. Redskins
12. Seahawks
13. 49ers
14. Ravens
15. Falcons
16. Eagles
17. Browns
There are some scoring changes in this year's league. Some teams were very disappointed by
these changes (read - Brents) because turnovers are going to cost an extra point. A team will lose
three points this year for every fumble and interception. The Cubists might see some big negative
numbers from the QB slot. Also, the league has done away with the strategy points. No one
seemed to like rounding points up and down for how many DB's and DL's were playing.
Confusion is a bad thing, so the league ratified a simpler scoring system. Here are how the points
will be doled out:
TD = 6
PAT(rushing, receiving or passing) = 2
PAT(kicking) = 1
Safety = 2
Field Goal = 3
Field Goal (Over 50 yards) = 4
Every 15 yards Rushing/Receiving = 1
Every 50 yards Passing/Returning = 1
Fumble = -3
Interception (thrown) = -3
Interception (caught) = 3
Fumble Recovery = 3
Sack = 2
Solo Tackle = 1
Forced Fumble = 2
Blocked Kick ( punt, field goal or PAT) = 2
Pass Defended = 1
Now, for the new section of the recaps: Previews. Since there are only 5 games each week, I have a bit of extra space to look toward the next week. There the media can get the buzz started on marquis match-ups and possibly make some interesting notes about the some of the lesser games. For example, Week 1's clear game of the week is the great match up between the Dumb, Sad Brents and the Dumb, Sad Brent-led Cubists. How will the inbred, hill-billy moron Farf perform against an owner who had the gall to name his team after him, then not draft him? We can only hope that it even registers on Farf's peanut brain, but the odds are against it. He'll probably sit out with some wussy ailment. This game will also feature the second line story of Brent LB Barry Minter holding out for his release. It is clear that neither Minter nor Brent Owner Steve Johnson is going to back down on this one. Another good match up is between long time rivals Perry Missner and Dan Weitz. The past two seasons, they have split their match ups with some memorable results. Two years ago it was the awesome 6 TD effort of Duce Staley and Donnell Bennett (no, I will never forget that one). Last year there was a one point victory by the McNairs on a Deion Sanders TD. In the past, the Cookies were never stocked with Brad Johnson, Marshall Faulk, Marcus Robinson and most of all, Emmitt Smith. The Envy bring back a familiar cast with Pear, Keyshawn and Curtis the P. Week 1 will also offer the league's first look at the Einar and his rag tag bunch of Losers against the new look (and much meaner) Mountain Devils. The Einar will have to wait until Monday to get his big guns, Warner and Bruce, on the field. Meanwhile, Rob Ouaou hopes that Drew Bledsoe can regain some of his lost magic by teaming him with all-everything (and mentioned at the top of almost everyone's top ten list) Edgerrin James. The Wookies and Bears only met once last year with the Bears beating the Wookies 93-71 in their Week 10 match up. This year Owner Will Mitchell will have to do without his main man, Drew Bledsoe, but Coates is back in the fold. Last year, Owner Josh Wilk let his impressive wide receiving corps lead him to the title and Owner Randy Chambers hopes to ride Moss and Harrison as well. Moss has been on the league champion the past two years. Finally, there is the match up of the Coroners and the 44's. Last year the 44's swept the two games, but the Coroners are using a new Raider-based attack. We'll have to see how Owner Chad Nuss's heart plays on the fantasy field, while Owner John Stoer hopes history repeats itself.
---------------------Let's Start with the Coin Flip Press----------------------------------------------------