I truly believe that in every one's life there are circles of influence, or layers of understanding. That each persons reality or world view, their political leanings, their attitude in life is bent by these different circles. The closer they are to a person's core, the greater the bending of the world around them. It also dictates how we spend our day, the kind of media we consume, and how we act on a daily basis.
Just as a rough example I will use food and printed word.
1. gammies meat loaf, your mother's diary
2. round rock donuts, your church bulletin
3. hamburgers, USA Today
The things in the inner layer are all personal. They are only shared by a handful of people over the course of your whole life.
The things in the next layer are all unique to your community or town. A few hundred to ten's of thousands of people get to share these with you.
The outer layer are things that you share with everyone. There isn't really anything special about these until you are out of the country (ever wanted that hamburger when you are in Europe? its the best McDonalds you ever tasted).
Of course there are many more layers than three. But it makes it much easier to understand by simplifying it. I believe it works kind of like a whirlpool, the closer you get to the center the higher the magnitude of the pull and the greater the influenced on your world. Which explains why you can feel closer with some people over others even when it seams like they should be the same.
That's why you are closer to some of your friends than others. Even if to outsiders it seems like they have flaws (don't we all), it doesn't matter to you. They understand the moments that shape your life.
cool, no worries, it is what it is.
-G-
Showing posts with label fantasy football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy football. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Thursday, September 8, 2011
FOOTBALL is now!
Just finished up work and turned on NFL FOOTBALL! That's right it's back. So, I decided to blog during the game about fantasy football while I watch. There will probably be breaks in between if something awesome happens live. Like the flag the Green Bay fans made holding up colored cards, turning the whole stadium into a red, white, and blue circle of glory.
I am not a pro fantasy footballer. This is only my 4th season, and I play in a 8 person league. But, I really enjoy analyzing my team week to week, and I have placed 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the last 3 years, which means I have been lucky a lot. It also means I will probably finish last this year since I maybe giving away my strategy.
First, I really like my team this year and I will underline a player if I drafted them. Second, I have a very basic strategy: draft value, play based on match ups, don't fall in love with anybody. I usually have 2-3 times the amount of swaps off the waivers as anyone else in my league. So here we go... wait turn over, first one of the year, Packers should go up 14-0, just hope its a run, Tyler has A Rod and we are matched up this week.... here we go.
QB's
There are only 3 qb's that I think are great pickups:
Rodgers
Breese
Rivers
Not that Brady and P. Manning (out for the first time ever) aren't the best, but they usually have their divisions and games wrapped up, which means lots of runs and being benched late in the year when it really hurts you. I like my qb's to play all year. I had Vick last year, but he has injury written all over him this year. The rest of the league is serviceable, with Matt Ryan being the best of the rest.
RB's
There are 2 backs above the rest:
Foster
Peterson
Then take the next 6 and put them in a hat and mix it up. They are all good backs and can have huge weeks, but its more situational. Any back that doesn't have a solid back up, and his team is good enough not to get blown out can be really good.
WR's
This year we are playing with 4 wrs, which means we will be drafting deep into the ranks and who knows about your 3-4 wr each week. Wow! A Rod has 3 TD passes in the 1st quarter, I may be done... anyway. I have 4 at the top:
A. Johnson
C. Johnson
Fitzgerald
R. White
Then there are about a dozen great wide outs. WR is a great place to pick up "cheap" points. If you can get a Ochocinco as your 3 or 4 do it, I like "washed up" wide outs that go to teams with above average QB's. I also like young guys in the 3-4 slots if they have a legit star to pull the best DB's off of them. I drop and pick up WR's almost every week. I don't keep them if they get cold, too many available, not that much difference between them.
TE's
They are all the same, all of them. If they start they get 60 yds and a touchdown every other game. Good luck figuring out which game. Just pick one and move on.
DEF
Defenses that cause turn overs are more valuable than "solid" defenses that keep the score low. You don't care if they lose by 10 if they get 3 Ints. There are just too many points in sacks and turn overs. Points don't matter. A team can have a "average" D that will score you more points than a really good one. This is really.... wow Darren Sproles, TD punt return. Good time to mention that some leagues let you count return TD's in your total which makes a team with a great returner worth a look. Don't draft a DEF till your last 2 picks. I also don't usually like having a back-up D since there is always a good one in FA.
K
If your league values field goal distance, you may want to make this your third to last pic, if not, this should be your last pick. Just get an old faithful, or someone who has home games in a dome.
Well, that's about everything, please excuse any player name mis-spells, I'm not that much of a nerd to know how to spell all their names. I'll keep everyone posted on how I'm doing this year. Also, heading into fall, so I may have more time to post. Thanks for the read.
I am not a pro fantasy footballer. This is only my 4th season, and I play in a 8 person league. But, I really enjoy analyzing my team week to week, and I have placed 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the last 3 years, which means I have been lucky a lot. It also means I will probably finish last this year since I maybe giving away my strategy.
First, I really like my team this year and I will underline a player if I drafted them. Second, I have a very basic strategy: draft value, play based on match ups, don't fall in love with anybody. I usually have 2-3 times the amount of swaps off the waivers as anyone else in my league. So here we go... wait turn over, first one of the year, Packers should go up 14-0, just hope its a run, Tyler has A Rod and we are matched up this week.... here we go.
QB's
There are only 3 qb's that I think are great pickups:
Rodgers
Breese
Rivers
Not that Brady and P. Manning (out for the first time ever) aren't the best, but they usually have their divisions and games wrapped up, which means lots of runs and being benched late in the year when it really hurts you. I like my qb's to play all year. I had Vick last year, but he has injury written all over him this year. The rest of the league is serviceable, with Matt Ryan being the best of the rest.
RB's
There are 2 backs above the rest:
Foster
Peterson
Then take the next 6 and put them in a hat and mix it up. They are all good backs and can have huge weeks, but its more situational. Any back that doesn't have a solid back up, and his team is good enough not to get blown out can be really good.
WR's
This year we are playing with 4 wrs, which means we will be drafting deep into the ranks and who knows about your 3-4 wr each week. Wow! A Rod has 3 TD passes in the 1st quarter, I may be done... anyway. I have 4 at the top:
A. Johnson
C. Johnson
Fitzgerald
R. White
Then there are about a dozen great wide outs. WR is a great place to pick up "cheap" points. If you can get a Ochocinco as your 3 or 4 do it, I like "washed up" wide outs that go to teams with above average QB's. I also like young guys in the 3-4 slots if they have a legit star to pull the best DB's off of them. I drop and pick up WR's almost every week. I don't keep them if they get cold, too many available, not that much difference between them.
TE's
They are all the same, all of them. If they start they get 60 yds and a touchdown every other game. Good luck figuring out which game. Just pick one and move on.
DEF
Defenses that cause turn overs are more valuable than "solid" defenses that keep the score low. You don't care if they lose by 10 if they get 3 Ints. There are just too many points in sacks and turn overs. Points don't matter. A team can have a "average" D that will score you more points than a really good one. This is really.... wow Darren Sproles, TD punt return. Good time to mention that some leagues let you count return TD's in your total which makes a team with a great returner worth a look. Don't draft a DEF till your last 2 picks. I also don't usually like having a back-up D since there is always a good one in FA.
K
If your league values field goal distance, you may want to make this your third to last pic, if not, this should be your last pick. Just get an old faithful, or someone who has home games in a dome.
Well, that's about everything, please excuse any player name mis-spells, I'm not that much of a nerd to know how to spell all their names. I'll keep everyone posted on how I'm doing this year. Also, heading into fall, so I may have more time to post. Thanks for the read.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
fantasy football finance
It hit me this week, if you are good at fantasy football, you should be equally good at your investments.
If Peyton Manning has a bad game, that doesn't mean you're going to trade him or drop him on Monday. We know well enough that he is one of the best QB's in the history of the league and he more than likely will make up for it over the course of a season. So why do we get worried when a multi-billion dollar company has a bad quarter? Part of being a long term investor is being able to ride the waves. We all know this, but we can't help it.
Something else to think about. Every league has "that" guy who is always playing some one you have never heard of because he got a hot tip on a fantasy message board. He is annoying and it only works 1 time in 10. But he will rub it in your face when it works. "See I told you Seattle's back up running back was a lock, the starter has gotten injured 4 out of the last 6 Octobers, and they were playing in his mother's home state, too bad for you!!!" I mean seriously? It sounds so dumb, but how many of us buy into some hot stock or mutual fund with the same amount of credibility? When is the last time you heard Warren Buffet is buying a pharmaceutical penny stock that may be on the verge of curing restless leg syndrome? Never.
The guys (and girls, just using guy generically) who finish in the top quarter of their leagues every year are the ones who do a couple of things. They go with proven stars for their first few pics, the players with multiple seasons of great results who will end up scoring 80% of all your points. Then they go for value. This year Mark Clayton of the Rams was a good value depending where you could draft him. Nobody was talking about him, but he was playing with his college quarterback who as a rookie was going to start week 1. Who do you think Bradford was going to throw to as the Rams offensive line collapsed over and over? Or if you picked up LT further down in the draft. A hall of fame running back on a team with a good line and a young QB, could have been big time value. The guys/gals who finish at the upper end of investing do it the same way. A solid base of big time companies with long track records, no Ryan Leafs or Alex Smiths, and a keen eye for value companies that make logical sense.
I guess the irony in all this is that we will spend 10x as much time worrying about who to start on Defense this week than we will be thinking about the new fund options in our 2011 401ks. If only Schwab and Merrill Lynch would let us design our own logos.... Then maybe we would check it out more often.
Thanks for the read.
Wish me luck, just took over first place with 4 games to go. Gedubs all the way this year.
Something else to think about. Every league has "that" guy who is always playing some one you have never heard of because he got a hot tip on a fantasy message board. He is annoying and it only works 1 time in 10. But he will rub it in your face when it works. "See I told you Seattle's back up running back was a lock, the starter has gotten injured 4 out of the last 6 Octobers, and they were playing in his mother's home state, too bad for you!!!" I mean seriously? It sounds so dumb, but how many of us buy into some hot stock or mutual fund with the same amount of credibility? When is the last time you heard Warren Buffet is buying a pharmaceutical penny stock that may be on the verge of curing restless leg syndrome? Never.
The guys (and girls, just using guy generically) who finish in the top quarter of their leagues every year are the ones who do a couple of things. They go with proven stars for their first few pics, the players with multiple seasons of great results who will end up scoring 80% of all your points. Then they go for value. This year Mark Clayton of the Rams was a good value depending where you could draft him. Nobody was talking about him, but he was playing with his college quarterback who as a rookie was going to start week 1. Who do you think Bradford was going to throw to as the Rams offensive line collapsed over and over? Or if you picked up LT further down in the draft. A hall of fame running back on a team with a good line and a young QB, could have been big time value. The guys/gals who finish at the upper end of investing do it the same way. A solid base of big time companies with long track records, no Ryan Leafs or Alex Smiths, and a keen eye for value companies that make logical sense.
I guess the irony in all this is that we will spend 10x as much time worrying about who to start on Defense this week than we will be thinking about the new fund options in our 2011 401ks. If only Schwab and Merrill Lynch would let us design our own logos.... Then maybe we would check it out more often.
Thanks for the read.
Wish me luck, just took over first place with 4 games to go. Gedubs all the way this year.
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