Day: December 21, 2015

For most of us ‘fantasy players’ the season is over and now we can turn our attention to teams vs. individuals. I had a rough season x2, losing the championship in my partner league and losing all but one game in my solo league. I wasn’t alone in regards to blowing it in big moments. Watching the Giants trying to keep their playoff hopes alive was an exercise in emotional torture. Beckham was unhinged, at one point openly targeting Josh Norman after what had to that point been a chippy, physical confrontation. Short of the targeting helmet to helmet shot, I’m okay with the physical play. This isn’t baseball, folks. Football players hit.

Football players win too, when it counts. For example, the Seattle Seahawks woke up and found their rhythm. I have a theory about that. I think the team suffered from some key injuries (Okung for one) in a time where they were really trying to get the O-Line together. Strangely, the loss of Jimmy Graham seems to have helped the team. I think Wilson might’ve been trying a bit too hard to include him in an offense that really isn’t about the TE being a receiver.

Shout out to the Steelers for really getting their act together. This is another squad with key injuries that seems primed for a super bowl run. Heck, in the beginning of the year Madden 16 was pushing the theory that Steelers v. Cardinals would be the Show. For their part the Cardinals are taking advantage of their opportunities and really playing well down the stretch.

Back to the Giants for a minute: They lost that game. The Panthers were exposed. Nobody slept on the Giants. The Giants just did what they’ve done all year–play up to the skill of their players and beyond. By that I mean to say that the Giants lack the talent and depth to be a top NFL team this year. That is really hard to say as a fan, but it is real. At least I have the Jets.

How ’bout them Jets? 4 picks this week to go along with arguably the best receiving stats in the NFL (check the numbers). Those numbers took a hit this week, with the team dropping to 9th overall, but the message is clear: the Jets are here to play.

It has been getting harder and harder to string together ten minutes of writing on a consistent basis without it devolving into a rant or some sort of odd commentary on the world at large. On occasion I do slip into some dark thoughts about my favorite teams (Lawd, Giants what have you done!) Perhaps a simple resolution for the new year will be to be more aware of lapsing into these things and try to bring more positiveness or at least inquisitive thought to the page.

I’ll start with a brief gleeful squee about Star Wars: Daisy Ridley was great! Boyega was solid as well, but Ridley just leaped off the screen. Girl’s got a career ahead of her. Beyond the trio of Star Wars films she will have under her belt before long she can expect to get a lot of offers once she is allowed off set for anything more than a premiere or interview.

Some Thoughts:

1. I’m starting to understand that I’m out in the weeds on some of these opinions about how crazy and polarized people are getting. It feels a bit like that moment in The Hanging Stranger where the dude starts screaming about a hanging man and people just walk by. Okay. Live to fight another day then.