A Fantasy World

August 24, 2010 1 Comment

It’s finally here. Football is less than a few weeks away and that means fantasy football is even closer. From something that started as a novelty game has now grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. No offense to the other sports but when it comes to fantasy, football is king. Take it from me, I have been a fantasy player since 2000, and football is the highlight of my fantasy season.

Fantasy football has most definitely put football in the spotlight like never before. As seen by increased TV ratings, ticket sales, and more media coverage than the presidential election, football is back on top. Search fantasy football on Google and you get 108 million hits. Heck that’s more results than Justin Bieber (which is saying something). Nothing dramatic has changed in football since the 1960’s so the sudden spike couldn’t be from just the game itself.

Fantasy sports are more than just a game… it is a part-time job. From days and days of analysis, the mock drafts, even the TV shows, there is always knowledge to be learned. You could ask any fantasy player how long they spend preparing and researching their drafts and almost all of them will say more than a day (or at least for the good players.) It is every man’s dream to be a sports general manager, and fantasy sports makes that happen.

Just like poker, fantasy football success isn’t necessarily guaranteed. You may have the best odds, but the cards don’t usually fall as expected. Every year, new players make a name for themselves in fantasy, and there is hardly ever such a thing as a sure thing. Undoubtedly, a team’s third-string running back may emerge as the star of your team. Try saying that for other fantasy sports. Like most players, I have had plenty of experience with fantasy misfortune. Sometimes you just have to face the facts that you might be playing Chris Johnson the day he gets 300 yards… that’s just how it works.

But we know one thing for sure… fantasy football makes Sundays relevant again. No longer are they the day of rest. DirecTV anticipated this first. A few years ago, it didn’t make sense to get NFL Sunday Ticket. Being a Cowboys fan, why would I care if Tom Brady threw a TD pass in a 42-0 rout of the Dolphins? I’ll tell you why, in fantasy every point matters. I have had many weeks where a win or loss came down to the final plays of a game.

Also, Fantasy Football has finally hit the mainstream. In fact, it has gone so mainstream that Hollywood is even getting involved. FX’s new hit show, “The League”, evolves around the lives of middle-aged men and how their one bond is fantasy football. Folks, if you haven’t seen this show, I strongly recommend it.

This wouldn’t be a fantasy football article if I didn’t share my fantasy tips for the upcoming season. Entering my 10th fantasy season, I feel like I learn something new every year. For example, this year I would say it is best not to draft a Quarterback too high in your draft. Unless you have Drew Brees or Peyton Manning at your disposal, I wouldn’t use a valuable pick on a QB. In fact, this may even be the year that running backs are losing their value as well (except for the Petersons and the Johnsons). In a recent draft, I managed to snag five of the top 20 running backs and still have a decent team. It goes to show you how significantly things change each year when I’m getting Ladainian Tomlinson in the 14th round. Wasn’t this my first round pick last year (Yes, yes it was)? More than ever before, elite wide receivers are at a premium. With the abundance of above-average QB’s and RB’s available, if you have a chance to draft a top 5 WR, I would strongly recommend it. Another draft tip I would give is to draft the lone wolf. A lone wolf is a player who is “the guy” at their respective position. Despite my bias, drafting Felix Jones or Marion Barber isn’t a good value pick because they would end up splitting carries and touchdowns resulting in splitting points. I want the guy who could get 40 carries or 10 receptions a game. At least I know when his team doesn’t perform, he still is going to produce. And my final rule is don’t draft a tight end, kicker, or defense until all your other positions are filled (including backups). Don’t fall for the guy getting Dallas Clark in the fifth round, or the Jets Defense in the sixth round (its just a rookie move). These are the positions that you can pick up on a weekly basis and not miss a beat.

On to my sleeper pick. Last year I spent a good amount of time thinking of possible sleeper picks for the upcoming season. For a job interview, I was asked to give my sleeper pick and explain why. I came to a conclusion that Cedric Benson was going to have a breakout year, and 1251 yards later, he did (no joke). An improved Bengals offensive line, a change of scenery, and a good passing game was all I needed to make my sleeper pick. This year, I’m putting my money on Clinton Portis. Ever since Portis became a Redskin, his production has been awful. But I believe that with the addition of an elite QB (Donovan McNabb) and a run-first head coach (Mike Shanahan) that things are looking up for Portis. Portis has had his best seasons under Shanahan, and I believe he will exceed expectations this year. Portis isn’t going to cost you much in your draft… I just selected him in the 10th round in mine.

Like anything with success, there must be change every year. This year I am thinking of taking on the challenge of an auction draft. This is as simple as it sounds; instead of drafting players round-by-round, you just bid on each player individually. This involves a lot more research, but that’s how you play the game. Anyways, back to work, my team isn’t going to draft itself.

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Sticks Pick: at the Movies

August 16, 2010 2 Comments

Ok, before the football madness gets underway, I wanted to post my first non-sports article. August is one of the most boring sports months of the year, so I might make this an August tradition. I have always been quite the movie connoisseur, so what better than to give my reviews of the summer movies. A quick disclaimer: these are the movies that I wanted to see (so I will not be reviewing Twilight Eclipse.)

Inception- the most anticipated movie of the summer. Chris Nolan had been working on this movie pre-Dark Knight, so my expectations were obviously through the roof. First of all, if you see movies to relax, then this isn’t the movie for you. We’re talking a plot within a plot within a plot. Now, if you like more of the intellectual movies, then this is right up your alley. Starring Hollywood heavyweight Leo DiCaprio, I was expecting good things. The movie’s central theme involves whether or not it is possible to plant ideas in someone’s dreams. Like the matrix, this movie will make you look at things from a different view. It had great action scenes, good plot, and great director, what could go wrong? My only objection to this movie is that in order to fully understand it, you must see it twice. In a time where going to see it once takes a great deal of effort, seeing it twice is just unreasonable. With that in mind, I’d strongly recommend this movie. I just wouldn’t want to miss anything. Sticks Pick: A-

Toy Story 3- growing up in the “Toy Story” era; it was my civil duty to see this movie. And Pixar knew its target audience too, tying in college to the movies main plot. Introducing new characters, Pixar has not skipped a beat. The third Toy Story is as good as the rest, and depending on your taste, maybe even a little better. Warning: the ending of this movie may or not bring a tear to your eye. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. Sticks Pick: A

The Other Guys- I had the opportunity to see this movie at the luxurious Gold Class Cinema. Now, I will say I was more impressed with the theater than the movie (not always a good sign). An Adam McKay and Will Ferrell movie, how could this not be great? Well, it wasn’t. This was nowhere close to Step Brothers and miles away from Anchorman. While there are some laugh out loud moments, the movie’s plot drags on and on and on… It seemed that they tried way too hard to think up jokes, and it just didn’t seem like natural dialogue. Sad to say, but this is the worst movie of the Ferrell-McKay duo. Wait till it comes out on DVD. Stick’s Pick: B-

The Expendables- the Ultimate Action movie. I’m to the point where I will see anything written and directed by Sly Stallone. At least you know what you’re getting (great action, terrible dialogue). Not to mention, this movie has enough star power to make even the biggest action movies seem under cast. For those who are familiar with Stallone’s Rambo, think of this movie as Rambo V. Same plot, same action, just added some new characters. And arguably, one of the better cameos of the decade by the Govenator himself. Stallone has a great one-liner to Arnold, but I wouldn’t want to ruin it. My opinion is very biased due to my love for action and star power. Stick’s Pick: A

Dinner for Schmucks: This is one of the movie’s that looks great on paper, but fails to perform. Starring two great comedians, Rudd and Carrell, the previews had some promise. Then word got out that it was awful, and my stubborn self didn’t want to believe it. How could Jay Roach (director of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents) deliver a rotten movie (or in movie terms a rotten tomato)? However, I loved the rock star role played by Jermaine Clement (Russell Brand, you can take some notes from Clement). Besides that, the movie was decent but not up to my expectations. Stick’s Pick: C+

Iron Man 2: I’m not sure if this counts as a summer movie, but might as well throw it in. Coming off one of the greatest superhero movies since Dark Knight, this sequel was much anticipated. You can’t go wrong when you have a billionaire playboy as the superhero (see Batman and Iron Man). Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell play excellent bad guys, and I also liked Scarlett Johansson’s addition to the cast.  Robert Downey reprises his role as the great Tony Stark, and Favreau delivers another great movie.  Just like the first one, you must watch until the credits are over in order to see the bonus scene. With that in mind, looking forward to the Avengers next summer. Stick’s Pick: A

MacGruber: Oddly enough, this movie wasn’t bad. In fact, it was quite good. SNL has been struggling to put out a quality movie since Night at the Roxbury, so I was glad to see this had decent reviews. Val Kilmer plays a great bad guy (and seemed to put on about 80 pounds too). Overall, this movie revolves around Will Forte’s shock humor, and is worth the watch. Stick’s Pick: B+

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: I didn’t expect much from this movie, and was pleasantly surprised. This is the best movie I have seen all year (you can mark that down). Although the plot isn’t groundbreaking, the film is very entertaining. Not once did I look at my watch which is extremely rare for me. The film’s fight scenes are enough to please even the die-hard action fan, and there’s enough humor and romance to please all kinds of audiences. The thing that stood out the most for me was the way Edgar Wright (director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) made this movie like a video game. This new style of film-making was almost revolutionary, keeping you entertained even at the most mundane parts of the film. So if you like a good graphic novel, good action, or even good romance, this is the film for you. It is safe to say that I was very impressed with the film, and this could be the sleeper movie of the summer. Sticks Pick: A

You might notice that I didn’t give many bad reviews. Unlike movie critics, I see only the movies that interest me, and therefore am rarely disappointed. I know I’ve left a few movies off the list, so I guess you will have to judge those yourselves. You just can’t watch them all. Hope you found these movie reviews to be useful, and stay tuned for more articles soon.

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Midnight Madness

August 4, 2010 2 Comments

On a day when A-Rod hits his 600th homer, Favre unretired for the 100th time, it is the Texas Rangers that win most bizarre story of the day. As some of you may know, the Texas Rangers’ auction took place today (actually it is still ongoing). A quick rundown, the Texas Rangers are bankrupt and were bought by the courts. Just like anything else seized by the government, they have been put up for auction to the highest bidder.

In this case, the two bidders are very well known. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and current Rangers president and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. To be clear, they are not buying the team on their own but are part of different groups. The Cuban/Crane group are said to be the frontrunners in the auction, outdueling the Ryan/Greenberg group. On the 17-year anniversary of the infamous Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura brawl, it looks like Cuban may have Nolan in a headlock this time.

Lets just start off by saying Nolan Ryan’s group is extremely bitter about this whole situation. They initially were to purchase the team in mid-July shortly after the Rangers declared bankruptcy. However, Major League Baseball weren’t impressed with their initial offer (due to the Rangers $500 Million debt), and decided to leave it to the courts to proceed with the auction.

Ryan isn’t the only one bitter about this situation. Recently, Mark Cuban had made it quite clear that he was interested in purchasing the Chicago Cubs but was later denied by Major League Baseball. I even heard Cuban outbid the highest bidder by nearly $100 million. Is Major League Baseball really that afraid of Mark Cuban? In light of George Steinbrenner’s recent passing, the MLB has made it known they do not want anyone following in his footsteps. Being the only sport without a salary cap, a MLB owner truly has full reign to make his team as good as he pleases. And, what a better opportunity for Mark Cuban to do both himself and baseball a favor and bail out the team in his own backyard.

I know there are those people out there on Team Ryan and on Team Cuban, but honestly are either a bad choice? If Nolan Ryan’s group wins the bid, the Rangers continue what they have been doing… pitching (and winning of course). And if Cuban’s group wins, look out baseball. This is the same Cuban who brought the Dallas Mavericks out of the gutter on a fixed budget… imagine what he could do without a salary cap. What I don’t get is the stubbornness of Nolan Ryan. Would he really quit the Rangers just because he wasn’t able to become part owner? News flash Nolan, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

The auction began early this morning with the Judge proclaiming, “This is going to be awhile.” Well, he was right on that one. I am currently writing this article at about 11 pm Wednesday night, and both parties are still arguing in the courtroom. I would also like to take a minute to thank Anthony Andro for his in-depth coverage of this whole bizarre process. And quite frankly, I can’t get enough.

On to the auction. The first major unfolding of this courtroom drama began with opening bids. The Ryan/Greenberg group opened with $520 million, immediately to be followed by Cuban’s bid of $545 million. This quick outbid seemed to stir the Ryan camp. In fact, after about a two hour recess, the Ryan group came back by raising their cash bid from $318 to $320 million. Needing only five minutes, Cuban then raised that up to $335 million. This was the first warning sign for the Ryan/Greenberg group that Cuban wasn’t going away. Shortly after this sudden raise, Cuban’s camp ordered pizzas into the courtroom (the second warning sign). After lots of arguing between each side and FOUR hours later, Cuban then raises his own bid to $355 million cash. For those who are familiar with poker, this is like raising the big blind to all-in. There was a point in the auction process where Cuban’s lawyer, Jessup, proclaimed that Cuban will outbid the Ryan/Greenberg group by $10 million every time. If that isn’t intimidation, I don’t know what is.

At this point, the Ryan/Greenberg camp must be flustered. Their lawyer, Lauria, immediately goes on a rant about how Major League Baseball might not even approve Cuban as an owner. This obviously doesn’t sit well with the Cuban camp. Lauria continues his desperate attempt to keep the auction going by saying that Greenberg’s money is better than Cuban’s because you can access it now. This brought a smile to Cuban’s face. Not sure where he was going with this, but if the court needed to be paid $350 million on the spot, I would have my doubts of the legitimacy of this transaction.

For those Nolan supporters. Nolan would make a great owner, but last I checked Chuck Greenberg would be the one signing the checks. Greenberg was approved by Tom Hicks, which is enough to doubt his qualifications. As displayed in the all-day auction, he seems like one of those guys who will pay exactly what is necessary but not a penny more. I’m sure he would make a great owner, but at least you know what you’re getting with Cuban. Greenberg has had great success in the minor league ranks, but they call it the pros for a reason. And to most Rangers fans, Nolan is the hometown favorite. But remember, Nolan was as much of a Ranger as A-Rod. Having played only five seasons of his 26-year career, he isn’t necessarily the Rangers franchise player.

My case for Cuban: he is rich/invests in his teams and has had previous success in owning a professional sports franchise. Plus, you have to admit he is more entertaining to watch then most sports owners. In 2000, when Cuban bought the Mavericks, they were coming off some of the worst seasons in NBA history. Ten years later, they have failed to miss the postseason and have a NBA Finals appearance. Giving Mark Cuban free reign to spend his money in baseball is exactly why Bud Selig and the MLB didn’t approve his bid of the Cubs. I can tell you one thing, if I was a player I would love to play for Cuban. Facilities, team travel, and the overall quality of life would be significantly improved.

As the auction nears a close, it has been widely speculated that if Cuban wins, the Ryan/Greenberg group would immediately appeal. This, to me, seems kind of childish. If somebody pays more money than you for something, they should get the prize. As the famous Latin phrase goes, “Ad victorem spolias (To the victor goes the spoils).” And, Ryan and Greenberg aren’t helping themselves by thinking they are entitled to own the Rangers. Sometimes you need to accept your losses and move on. My main criticism of Nolan in this whole situation is the notion that he will quit the Rangers if he and Greenberg don’t get their way. This is very unprofessional, and kind of alters the reputation and credibility of the Hall of Fame pitcher. But don’t get me wrong, Nolan Ryan is the best Rangers president of all time: it would just be a shame to see him take his marbles and go home. Did Mark Cuban fire Don Nelson when he became Mavericks owner? No. So chances are he wouldn’t have fired Nolan either (especially with their recent success). It’s a shame to watch. Worst case scenario, Ryan and Greenberg can always buy the Houston Astros. After losing Oswalt and Berkman and getting enough money for a Happy Meal, they might be on the market pretty soon too.

Update: in a turn of events, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg are the new owners of the Texas Rangers for an approximate $593 million. This came down to Nolan Ryan’s passion. He wasn’t giving up easily.

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