Tuesday Morning Hangovers

Dan: “Just in case we got ripped off, you still owe me $50 bucks…” #weekfour

JB's Pick 6; Week 4

There's a point in every NFL player's career where, as fans of the game, we unfortunately cast them aside when they get to a certain age. We deem them as 'done' in their careers. Steve Smith was one of those guys at the beginning of this season. Yet, I should've known better.

 

I remember as a teenager not liking this guy simply because he would catch a ton of passes and score touchdowns on my Packers. Yet, there was a certain aspect of his character that I could always relate to. It was the two-sided coin of his short fuse combined with his small size. I'll open my own personal, vulnerable door in the next paragraph. Get ready to learn something extra about JB.

 

Ever since I was little, I've always had a short fuse. As I got older, I learned to deal with it in certain, peaceful ways. Ever since I was little, my peers thought I wasn't the right size to be a beast in sports. It's no official record, mind you, but it is a track record all the same. I was always in and out of trouble in elementary school because of my relentless temper. But once a game of capture the flag started at recess or PE periods, I tuned the temper into the game. And there was something about proving myself on a field that would quiet the angry demons inside of me. Off the fields, I would be a little demon on my own; throwing hot wheel cars, screw drivers, and various other objects at my brothers and parents. This caused my parents to get me on the field more often; meaning that they got me into little league football as soon as possible. This is where I faced the all too familiar phrase, "You think you can beat me? I'm bigger than you."

 

Only Owen will know these stories but I will tell them as examples anyways. In 6th grade I would enjoy diving for footballs in pick up football games at Midland Adventist Academy. What you don't know, but Owen does, is that we would usually play these pickup games of football in the parking lot on pavement with occasional parked cars that would get in the way of our games. I specifically remember when diving for those balls, catching almost every single one. The unfortunate part is that with those catches came a fair amount of cuts and bruises. Who knows, I might have had a concussion or two in sixth grade from head-on collisions with parked cars, vans, and trucks just going for the catch. In 7th grade, I fought another boy by the name of Brett Griffith in the boy's locker room and gave him a bloody lip because he was talking about my friend, Charlie Maddux's younger sister in a dirty way. After that, I got Brett's full respect. In 8th grade, same friend of Charlie was being bullied by another boy by the name of Israel. Israel ended up getting expelled for urinating in front of other girls, so he wasn't that bright in the first place. But at the time he was shoving Charlie. So, I came up and somehow flipped him completely over onto his head like some improv WWE head slam. Then, in my first two years of high school I would have the occasional outburst in West Lenexa SDA Pathfinders or when I slammed Mitchell Seltman into a wall in a JV basketball practice because I had lost my temper. I'm sure Owen remembers that one. As I got older, though, I was usually pretty good with it. I specifically remember in my last couple years of high school when my family had moved back to the state of Washington that I would gear my anger more and more into sports, resulting in triple double basketball game performances, scoring pick six after pick six in flag football games, and dominating in various other sports. I tell these stories because I still do this in sports to this day. I mean, it usually starts off fun. Whilst I am having fun in sports, everything's fine. But the moment somebody says the words, "You? Beat me? HA! At your size?"...the buttons have been pushed and I feel as though I have to prove something once again. And in proving that, scores just might abound as well.

 

When I saw the play where Steve Smith grabbed the Cincinnati Bengal defensive back from behind him and threw him off, around, in front him, and continued to score...it made things final for me. Adding that play with the many wise words Steve Smith has said in various interviews, my respect was earned by this man. I mean, I would love playing alongside this guy! He brings a whole 'nother level of mentality to the game of football.

 

So, why focus on this player this week? Because of Steve's facing of his former team, DUH. No matter how much he may play it off in the media, it is going DOWN today. And Hery better start this bad boy in his lineup. Many have often compared Steve Smith to a rattlesnake. He warns you before striking. Should the Panthers have cut him? I guess we'll find out today.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears:

My Packers win it.

 

Carolina Panthers @ Baltimore Ravens:

Steve Smith RAVAGES the Panthers D. Ravens win.

 

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans:

Bills take this one.

 

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers:

Eagles scorch Niners in this. Philly wins.

 

New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys:

Cowboys continue with the running game & beat the Saints.

 

New England Patriots @ Kansas City Chiefs:

Pats continue the decline and lose in Arrowhead in a primetime matchup. Chiefs take it.

 

 

And this is where I pass the Pick 6 torch to you. Can you feel the angst inside you to win this week with your picks?

This is not a joke...

We look at players injuries sometime and say, "man up and keep playing, I only need five yards!" but this is no joking matter boys.

Hey boys! Yesterday I unfortunately got a concussion (I think). And boy does it hurt! It happen on my first day of MMA class(MMA or any contact sport is hard especially if you haven't eaten or trained for it). And thats what happen to me. I did not eat before the workout. You are talking to a triathlete here! I always eat! Thirty minutes into my workout I feel lightheaded so i tell my instructor and go outside. I vomited. Then I vomited again. And then one more time. A couple of second later I'm on the floor and have tons of people around me saying if I was ok. I don't know what happen. 

They said I blacked out, but hit my head hard! And there goes my first mild concussion. Ringing in the ear, blurry vision with dots everywhere and splitting headache. I did not stand till it all resolved and it did except the headache. I was able to remember everything that happen and what caused me to black out. I was also able to state my name, city and date, So I knew I didn't need an ambulance. I apologizing a thousands of times to my instructor. My roommate came picked me up and took me home. I am now resting in the coach doing nothing. Taking ibuprofen and tylenol with ice pack in my head. 

whats the point of the story? well I didn't literally get hit and blacked out like in the NFL, but just hitting my head  and having this headache is scary and hurts! So when we see Welker on the floor after a hard hit don't scream at him and tell him to give you five more yards. Or if Charles has a high ankle sprain don't tell him to man up(this one for me) injuries are no joke my friends. I am feeling a little better after 24 hours of rest and sleep. If my headache persist for 4 days I will go to the hospital and get an MRI. But imagine waiting 2-3 weeks before hitting the field again! 

I apologize for my grammar and story telling. I am no JB lol

Have a good day guys! Need to go and eat! hahaha

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

My NFL and fantasy team had the same score for most of the day... #week3 

The JB Podcast; Week 3

Meditations

JB's Pick 6; Week 3

Bose. This is the company that sponsors the NFL with ground-sound breaking technology. I can just picture both Julio Jones & Roddy White listening to this brand whilst suiting up for game night tonight. The tightening of the shoe laces, the fresh smell of plastic shoulder pads, and the overall sense of game night, I love it.

Out of my two NFL game day experiences, one of which being at Arrowhead stadium for a Chiefs-Falcons match up whilst the other was a Seahawks-Packers matchup at the 12th man's home turf, I gotta say that not only would I love to see a Falcons game in their current stadium but also in their new stadium. Has anybody else seen the architectural masterpiece they are planning on building? Whew-wee!

For some odd reason I am very excited to watch tonight's game. I don't know if it is all of the red, white, and black flashing around or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am starting a waiver wire pickup in tonight's game. Whatever it is, I cannot wait for week three to start! How about you? Bah, let's pick some games!!

Current Pick 6 Record after Week 2:

Reece: 10-1

Jonathan: 6-6

Owen: 4-8

Steven: 4-8

Hery: 3-3
Justin: 2-3

Maucus: 1-4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons:

I say that Matt Ryan comes out guns blazin' & shuts down the Bucs. Falcons win it.

San Diego Chargers @ Buffalo Bills:

Boy, do the Bills look good! I look forward to them challenging the Chargers and coming away with the win.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns:

Along the same lines as the Bills I like the Browns just as much and see them pulling out another win here against the Ravens.

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions:

I gotta stick with Aaron Rodgers & my Green Bay Packers. I also think that Eddie Lacy will do a lot better in this game, although it probably is going to be a shoot out.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals:

I just don't see the Niners coming into the Cardinal's home turf and winning. It will be close but the Cardinals come away with the win.

Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks:

Honestly? The Seahawks SHOULD man-handle the Broncos again in its sequel. BUT, I say that the Sheriff, aka Peyton Manning, will drag in some bitter memories of the Super Bowl and get his payback on the Seahawks in this game. Broncos win it.

Instead of Reece & the Patriots going 0-2, I instead went 0-2 in my bold predictions. This week, along with my Broncos upsetting the Seahawks bold prediction, I say that the Jets topple the Bears this week with Geno Smith throwing 4 touchdowns in a Monday night upset.

And now, this is where I hand my pick 6 torch over to you. What say you?

The JB Herald; Week 2

To the victors of week 2 go the spoils...

- Justin of The Gotham Knights sits a top the league at #1 @ 2-0 & he posted a story about it. But in case you missed it due to the waiver pile:

http://tenmentalk.blogspot.com/2014/09/just-cuz.html

I'm not sure if I'd be proud of that post, my friend. But hey, you're 2-0; do what you will.

- Owen of The Dunwall Assassins sits at #2 @ 2-0 & I will FINALLY answer the well-known question of, "what the HECK is a dunwall assassin?!" with this:

http://dishonored.wikia.com/wiki/The_Knife_of_Dunwall 

 Everything you ever needed to know is right at your finger tips, who knew?

- The Elite League sponsored & brought to you by Ryan's Orange Crush at #3 @ 1-1:

What's with the bunny, Ryan? New mascot?

- Next up? You got it, Hery at #4 @ 1-1! And the struggle for wins & emotions with SSG continues:

I feel for you, homey. Being bipolar & playing fantasy football is rough!

- And last but not least I save the best for last for Reece's Heartbreak Kid at #7 @ 1-1 with the unveiling of HBK's new & improved victory dance:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/washington-redskins/0ap3000000395282/The-Heartbreak-Kerrigan?campaign=Facebook_videos_kerrigan 

The Heartbreak Kerrigan? Must be a spelling error cuz I could've sworn it originally read The Heartbreak Kid! Ah, well.

 And there we have it, folks; the week 2 spoilers! And it only took me 10 minutes to write this piece. What’s your excuse?

Just 'Cuz...

I may or may not have reenacted this scene at home after I saw the standings this morning...

Just 'cuz I'm 2-0 and Number 1 in the league right now. Maybe it'll all change in a week, but for today, I'm gonna enjoy this. Lol.

~Bishop

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

Maucus: I rarely find myself hating this game… Me: Define rarely? Maucus: Frequently. #weektwo

The JB Podcast

JB's Pick 6; Week 2

As the Baltimore Ravens interlope their bodies with pads and lace up their cleats tonight, one fact holds true: there will be no Rice in the backfield. I mean, tonight there wasn't going to be any such Rice anyways due to his suspension but at least the ideal was still there. But now there isn't even the ideal that Ray Rice will be there at all; never again.

It is moments like these that are honestly awkward. When you really think about it, you can't help but feel empathy for the whole team of players. Here you are expected to focus on opponents week to week but what about friendships through the fire of business? We as fans talk so much about NFL teams as though it were the historical artifact of gladiators in coliseums. We often even relate as much to war as though it were some form of call of duty video game; far from the realist reality.

The truth is this: friends die, yes. But friends also make mistakes when they are alive. It is what drags the spiritual side of us into an honestly meaningless game. The real truth will be, will we either support those friends through the hard times or will we let them go by the way side because they reap the sins that they sew? I get it, losing jobs is a part of making those mistakes and reaping the consequences. But I want you gentlemen to seriously consider the extra mile. Would YOU be there for Ray Rice if you were his friend, no matter the level of mistake you considered to be dirty of all dirtiness?

And hence, this is what we will see from Baltimore's offense this season. Friends or so-called friends stepping up their game in the absence of a Rice well-known...or supposedly well-known. Tonight begins the first on-field play without that ideal of ever Ricing it up again. As the age old quote says, "the show must go on". Let's play ball, shall we?

Current Pick 6 Record after Week 1:

Reece: 5-1

Jonathan: 4-2

Owen: 4-2

Steven: 4-2

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens:

Being a rivalry game, this one should be close. But I see the Ravens struggling to focus, except for that of Steve Smith, always a beast! Steelers will put the hurt on them Ravens and come out with their second win of the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Washington Redskins:

The Redskins are too unstable for me to pick them. They're equivalent to the knee of RG3. The Jaguars looked very, very impressive last week despite the common cold in coughing up the game to the Eagles. I give it to Hurns and the bunch in retrieving their first win of the season. Jaguars get it.

Dallas Cowboys @ Tennessee Titans:

Uh...did anybody see the Cowboys last week? Yeah, I say Titans win this one.

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills:

Miami impressed me BIG time against the Patriots last week but the Bills impressed me even more with that win in Chicago on the road. Therefore, I gotta give it to EJ Manuel & the gang. They look diced fresh!

Detroit Lions @ Carolina Panthers:

Megatron was mega INSANE last week! But against a solid Panthers defense? Maybe just one touchdown and two hundred yards for Calvin, but NO MORE. Panthers win with Cam.

Atlanta Falcons @ Cincinnati Bengals:

It is the Hard Knocks Bowl! Although this game WILL be a shoot out, I would rather put all of my chips on Matt Ryan & his weapons. Therefore, the Falcons get their second impressive win and both Palmer & Ryan put up the most numbers this week to be the top two fantasy QBs of week two. Yes, I said it!

Bold prediction, bold prediction, bold prediction? Hmm...if I had to go with a bold prediction, I'd say that I would not put it past the Vikings to possibly shut out Tom Brady & the Patriots this week at home in Minnesota to put the Pats at 0-2. And speaking of an upset...can somebody say 0-2 for Reece this week? Yes, now that is BOLD!!

And now, this is where I hand my pick 6 torch over to you. Care to light 'em up?

Tuesday Morning Hangovers

 

“We lost, but I made it on the big screen so all in all…I’m going to count that as a win…” #weekone

The JB Herald

*Note: This is not a replacement to Reece’s Tuesday Morning Hangovers, this is just bonus coverage. So, Reece; feel free to post your story over this one.

In case you were on an island or in a mental institution somewhere over the weekend (which some of you may have been & there is no shame in that; we’re here for you to talk about it, really), here are some quick bullet points of fantasy football news that you may have failed to cover:

- Ray Rice extra video released. Really? I mean...really? Does this really surprise anybody? First off, you already knew he punched her lights out from the original video evidence. So now that you can actually see him punching her lights out, he’s doomed in his career? Really? Out of all of the people that get paid in PR to know about this evidence, nobody saw this coming? Really? And really, Ray Rice? Did you really think you were going to get away with nobody seeing this extra elevator video? Really? And really, Ray Rice’s now wife? My assumption is that the top reason she went through with getting hitched to Ray Rice was for his money. Well, now all of the hush hush has lost him his job. So, now what? Divorce? Really? All I can say to all of this has already been said by Hery, “Sad…” Sad, indeed. In all unseriousness though, here’s what I had to say to Reece’s tweet on the matter:

Reece ‏@ReeceValentine 12h

All of my elevator videos would show me getting on and forgetting to push a floor...

JAnyathan ‏@janyathan

@ReeceValentine All of mine would show me picking my nose.

- Nathan’s Limited Edition fails to bench an inactive Cam Newton. Here’s to a drunk 0-1! Hey buddy, as mentioned at the top, do you need to let some feelings out? Talk about some inner demons? Or better yet, did you hop on a plane to an island somewhere and miss the whole weekend? I mean, Thursday’s news had Cam Newton as questionable due to his ribs. Then come Saturday night, it was national news that they were going to sit him on Sunday. Then, come 4:25 eastern time zone the next day...the game started. I was literally sitting on a couch next to Francois telling him that he was going to win his first game due to a handicapped, dumb mistake on the part of Nathan. So, basically Francois beat a handicapped man in a figurative first week wheelchair. You proud of that, Francois? Beating handicapped teams? Seriously, though. How the heck do you mess that up? It’s literally three clicks! I’ll break it down for you: 1) You click Cam newton’s tab, 2) You click Alex Smith’s tab, 3) You click submit. And BOOM!...you win your first week against Francois & The Sons of Thunder. I almost, ALMOST texted Nathan to let him know of this roster error, if that counts for anything or discounts for everything. But again, seriously; if this is any sign of your future participation in the coming weeks, Nathan...all I have to say is I guess we should make you your own parking spot with blue painted signs and everything (no offense to the real-life handicapped).

- The Bane loses to first year GM & The Dunwall Assassins by .26 points. As lady luck would have it...lady luck stood Steve up. Sorry, bro. But as the name implies, assassination really is never expected. What made things worse was the staying up until 1:30 in the am on a school night to see the demise, as previously stated on the league page by The Bane, himself. Then again, as a reminder to everybody else...these .?? point games DO happen more often than not. This is why our league is called The Elite; it’s a whole ‘nother level of competition. Just know, Steve, that at least you know beyond a shadow of doubt that the odds are ever in your favor not to go hungry in games that lead to an ever defeated season. You have a legit squad that can potentially take you deep into the playoffs. But then again, you didn’t need my words of sympathy or support to understand that.

- The Sith upsets SSG. The only word that can explain this news is, “Megatron”. Come on, we all knew he was worth a first round pick. Now we really, REALLY know.

And now for some future tidbits:

- Waiver wire. Boy, am I excited to see the moves everybody makes! Now that “Redundant Ray” or “Microwaved Rice” (too soon?) will no longer be a seasonal prospect & has been already dropped, who will take over that Ravens backfield, among other NFL team backfields? Who are the young guns that every other GM thinks will provide their teams with extra bench points? Because, let’s be honest gentlemen...unless you have real balls, you won’t be starting them.

- Every matchup this coming week will be great to see, barring any drunk or handicapped roster moves. I am excited! Let’s go, SSG!!

p.s. It only took me 10 minutes to write this piece. What’s your excuse?

The Big Ten Celebration

The Chiefs GM visiting various leagues draft rooms.

THIS IS A MUST READ…

JB's Pick 6; Week 1

Various places in Seattle are currently on lunch break. T-minus five hours until game time. In fact, knowing the city of Seattle many have already taken the day off if not the whole afternoon from work. Seattle tailgating is a bit different than most other tailgates because the scents don't just come from the parking lot, they come from the whole city spectrum; hard to believe considering that ocean stench is the only usual scent that emanates from Seattle.

Meanwhile, the 12th man flag drifts in and out of the ocean's breezes, waiting to be hoisted upon the pole in front of thousands of noisy fans. This mental picture looms in the heads of each Green Bay Packer player. More so than the above picture comes the fainted memory only known today as the fail mary. 

Many a spectacles, many a moments, there then comes the fantasy football player's standpoint: how many points will I get tonight? Heck, the majority of fantasy GMs do not even care that much about points, let's be honest. They just can't believe football is FINALLY back!

And thus comes kickoff, thus comes another season of fresh grass (if you ever actually play football or go to the games), the funny feeling in your stomach when you see the kicker's cleat FINALLY kick that pigskin to gunshot the opening play of the NFL's 2014 season. 

But with the obvious, detailed statements come some often overlooked facts. These facts I shalt try to compile and then proceed to make bold predictions as well as my picks for this first week. For if anything gets me excited as heck, it is a pick six. Let's begin, shall we?

Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks:

First, let me state the determining factor in who wins tonight. This factor comes down to the offensive and defensive lines. Whomever wins the battles in the trenches will win the game. More so is this factor stressed for the Packers than the Seahawks because the Packers have a rookie starting at center tonight. You can't throw amazing laser-beams, run through the gut of the defense, or even run out the clock if your center cannot even get the ball off correctly. And last time I checked, if you struggle even a little bit as an individual player in this league...you lose games. Therefore, I have to pick against my homer team and say that Seattle comes away with the win.

Minnesota Vikings @ St. Louis Rams:

Here is a bold prediction: you remember how bad the Vikings defense is & how good the Rams defense is? Polar opposites, right? Well, my prediction is that this game is close but that Mike Zimmer comes out with a blazin defense that shuts down the Rams. Thus, Vikings take it.

Oakland Raiders @ New York Jets:

This one is simple: Derek Carr. If Derek Carr struggles, New York takes it with their on-par consistent defense. Yet, there is a small possibility that Sir Carr plays well. I am going to predict that he comes out consistent and impressive, thus leading the Raiders to their first win of the season.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens:

"Andy Dalton is overrated!" As I've heard, as I've heard. But I predict that he hushes the critics this season and this game will be chapter one of many boat racing chapters to come. Dalton and his orange is the new black dalmations come away with the win & somebody will pick Dalton up off fantasy waivers by week three, guaranteed.

Washington Redskins @ Houston Texans:

Hard game, really? Nah, it is really simple, actually. RGIII torches a supposedly dynamic Texans defense. Now, here's the surprising factor, though. Somebody is going to pickup the Texans defense because they will tally up SO many sacks and fumbles. But I still don't think it will be enough to get the win. Redskins take this one by running it right down the Texan's throat.

San Diego Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals:

Philip Rivers & Co. will be amazing but the Cardinals defense and special teams will be even more amazing. Can Carson Palmer really get them through this game? I don't see why not. Low scoring game & the Cards win.

I just have to point out one thing: I have never beaten Reece in fantasy football matchups head-to-head. Here is another bold prediction, no guarantee: I win this matchup. Nough said. See you all on the other side of 1-0, well...half of you anyways! Enjoy tonight. Even though my beloved Packers will probably lose, I will try to enjoy tonight as well.

And now, this is where I hand over my Pick 6 torch to you. Care to take a crack at it?

-JB

The Elite Mock Draft 2014

Last night exceeded my expectations and I was already excited for last night. I love fantasy football and I love our league. Last night Draft was set to start at 8:00 PM CST. By 7:35 PM, I logged in to find 7 GMs already online. My guess is that if we could have opened the draft room an hour prior, some of you would have been online by then, too.  

Last Friday, I thought it would be great to create a "Mock Draft" for the Elite's 2014 draft. I've seen it done over and over on ESPN...why not in our league, too? Another reason I enjoyed seeing our picks prior to draft is because I've played this game for nearly a decade with most of you...I think I can figure out (ideally) what most of you typically do in the first round of draft. 

The only reason I didn't post this sooner was because I thought it might give others an advantage (as an opponent, I can't afford) if GMs were not previously aware of what another GM above them might do. I got many wrong, but here's how I thought every one's first picks would play out: