Tag Archive: Free Agency

NFL Free Agency in a Nutshell

March 10, 2015 Adam Thomas

2014: the Buccaneers sign Michael Johnson to a 5-year, $43.75 million deal with $24 million guaranteed. Declared a great signing as he was the number 5 free agent available.

2015: Profootballtalk is reporting that in an attempt to get out of paying Johnson $7 million, the Buccaneers might cut him. After a year.

2013: The Dolphins sign linebacker Philip Wheeler to a five-year, $26 million contract.

2015: The Dolphins are trying to trade or will release Wheeler.

So remember, when your team signs a player to a contract worth millions today, it might be best to temper your expectations. He might not be on the team a year from now.

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We’ve Got the Coolest Fantasy (and Weddings) Around

September 6, 2011 Randy Neil

First, I gotta talk about this guy. Way to be, fellah. If you didn’t see it, my man in the Phillies jersey over here decided to lean over the railing to catch what was going to be Hunter Pence’s double. Marlin’s outfielder Bryan Petersen complained that it interfered with his catch (which it did) and the umpires got together to review the play.

All the while, our friend in the stands sits on his cell phone, radiating with glee because of the amazing event that just happened to him! He couldn’t have had a bigger smile. Does he not remember Steve Bartman?

Then, umpire and former frog Joe West comes out from the dugout, points at Hunter Pence, gives him the boot, points at Ryan Howard, and puts him back at first. According to the rulebook, if at any point an ump feels a fan interfered with the ball, it is then ruled dead and the batter is automatically out.

Baseball, unlike football, may be the only sport that has video review and still manages to create controversy. You’re supposed to review the video IF and ONLY IF you think it was a home run. Apparently, you can’t review fan interference if the umps originally determined the ball to be a double. Charlie Manuel got ejected for arguing this.

OH MY CONTROVERSY ABOUND!! Of course, the Phillies lost this game, which was fitting. Arguing about whether reviewing the ball was correct or not seems meaningless to me. That’s like a defense attorney getting evidence thrown out in court because their defendant murdered the victim with a rent-a-car instead of his own car. If it happened, it happened. Get it right.

And nameless fan…. you got it wrong.

The boring, long, dull task of managing fantasy baseball is almost over. Theheadrush’s league was a great success this year. Adam and I are both in the playoffs (no surprise there.) In a last minute effort to scrape by with a win, I’ve dipped into the free agency pool. My team has been pretty solid all year (Konerko, Cano, Granderson, Ortiz, Francoeur) but I decided to grab a few “wildcards” to put me over the top.

The hardest stat to conquer in fantasy baseball may very well be the “Save” category. Who gets more than 2 saves a week, honestly?? Well, from August 24th-Sept 4th, my man Bobby Parnell from the Mets got 6. Nevermind that I’m risking a whole point on a guy who just got called up from the minors to perform on a dismal team with no future. I saw the numbers, I picked him up.

Then, I look through some of the hitters to see James Loney is available?? Check-mate. Loney has been a meager hitter to have all year, but in the past 14 days, .365 average, 12 runs, 12 RBIs, 3 homers. That’s all I care about. Who’s hot right now? Who can I add to my consistent line-up to give me that extra something?

You can see how well that works out for me here. It’s Tuesday, and I’m losing 2-5. Loney makes his start tonight.

Enough about baseball, though. She’s had her fill. Football is less than a week away!! That’s great and all, but really what we are saying is : FANTASY FOOTBALL IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY!!

We just finished the draft and I have to admit my team is utterly stacked. Bad news is, so is everyone else. We narrowed it down to an 8-man league, mostly because very few people wanted to play for money. The Lincoln Logs and Tonka trucks are down the hall, fellas. This here for the big boys.

I had the honor of first pick. Michael Vick? Yes, please. Our league sits apart from others in that it has 2 quarterbacks, so a QB was a no-brainer. Even with more traditional scoring leagues, I’m not opposed to a QB first pick. He’s going to be your bread and butter. Ain’t nobody winning a Superbowl with Rex Grossman… just saying.

The other downside to an 8-man league is I don’t know who to drop!! Just to list some of the people I drafted : Roddy White, Jeremy Maclin, Darren McFadden, Peyton Hillis, LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Tim Hightower, Mario Manningham…. I still don’t have a Defense or Kicker, lol.

Two things I will note: 1) Tim Hightower is going to have an incredible fantasy year. I’m calling it right now. Great pre-season, new team, new offense, sole responsibility. No more Arizona front-line setting him up. 2) LeGarrette Blount is on Yahoo!’s Do Not Cut list? I can’t drop Blount? How did this guy get in the ranks of Peyton Manning and Calvin Johnson after one year?

Check out the draft results and league here. I’ll have the banner and football predicts coming later this week. Get ready.

 

My man Adam is getting married this week. Congratulations, brother. We’re going to party it up this week to what may be the most awesome-sauced 80’s throwback event of all time.

If there’s one thing I can do, it’s the electric slide. Ladies gon’ feel me.

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So Long and Thank You for the Lack of Memories Part 2

August 3, 2011 Adam Thomas

You know, when I was in 3rd grade, we had a big water gun fight at my elementary school.  I had a hold of a pretty solid Super Soaker 50.  I was lighting kids up left and right, all was well with the world.  But then I saw this sweet looking contraption lying on the ground: it was a HUGE water canon connected to a back pack that held an ungodly amount of water.

I threw down the Super Soaker, sprinted to the canon, put it on my back, strapped up and was ready to tear the roof off the sucka when all of a sudden something dawned on me: the back pack was empty. There was no water. I looked back and my Super Soaker was gone.  My gambit failed and I endured the wrath of running out of water at a water gun fight.

Why do I bring this up?  Because I feel like Zach Miller just traded in his nice Super Soaker 50 for a shiny looking water canon/backpack that is out of water.

Actually, scratch that.  Miller traded in his Super Soaker for a broken water balloon.

The Seahawks?  THE SEAHWAKS?  Are you F-ing kidding me!

This free agency period has left me pretty freakin’ disenfranchised with football players. Look, I poke fun at the Eagles for having never won a Super Bowl (which is true), but they do routinely make the playoffs, so I can understand Nnamdi wanting to play there.

The Seahwaks are a disgrace of an NFL franchise. They have never won a damn thing (yes I know, ONE super bowl appearance, congrats).

Here are some facts for ya:

Fact: Zach Miller made the pro-bowl one year (as an alternate) and it was last year when Hue Jackson was the Raiders Offensive Coordinator. Now that said Coordinator is head coach, Miller decides it’s time to leave. Makes sense.

Fact: The Raiders beat the Seahawks 33-3 last year. Yep, that seems like a team headed in the right direction. (By the way, in that win Miller put up a steller one catch for 8 yards.)

Fact: Tavaris Jackson…TAVARIS JACKSON is going to be throwing passes to Zach Miller, and when I say throwing passes, I mean throwing them into the dirt or directly into the back of an offensive linemen’s helmet.

Fact: Tight Ends grow on freaking trees.  I think I started three different TE’s last year in fantasy football and they all played for the Patriots. There is no shortage of good tight ends. And paying one who missed time last year with injuries (i.e. concussions) 17 million dollars does not make sense.

Fact: In all of the Raiders’ 8 wins last year, Zach Miller caught two TDs. Not exactly irreplaceable numbers.

Fact: Despite wall the doom and gloom pundits out there saying that Tom Cable is stealing all of Al Davis’ free agents, the Raiders had like 17 free agents this year and two of them went to the Seahawks.  One (Robert Gallery) will be injured by week 4 (he is ALWAYS injured) and the other will be playing shortstop for Tavaris Jackson’s passes.

Smart choice, guys.

Nnamdi, I forgive you.  Miller, you are dead to me.

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