Monday Night Wishes

On a weekly basis, Monday Night Football travels with two companions: Hope and Despair. Burdened with “what if’s”, last-minute calculations, SSG’s preemptive waiver wire un-jockeying (Add/Drops), and a healthy dose of superstition, the mind of a typical General Manager is as settled as a poorly-stacked game of Jenga - located on a well-oiled California fault line. Each GM has their preparation rituals that range from listening to Fantasy Football Podcasts, in-depth analysis on opponents remaining strength of schedule, to binging on Easy Mac and hot sauce (I see you HBK) only for all to come undone by the inevitable “dud.”  Marian-Webber defines dud as:

Dud (/ded/)

Noun

1. A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless
        "Eddie Lacy was drafted 6th overall! What a dud."

2. Clothes
        "Buy yourself the latest Cam Newton Signature red duds."

Synonym: Buster (See: Educators)

Week 13, I find myself in the enviable position of recognizing my weekly dud(s) – 1a. Dez Bryant, 1b. DeMarco Murray – yet declaring myself “Dud-Proof”. Nonchalant? Maybe. But for the first time in the history of the Elite, the Sith reigns as the champion of the East. Some might claim that the Sith’s rise from the ashes should be considered lucky due to season altering injuries (Charles, oh Charles… Foster, oh Foster… Dez, oh Dez, shall I continue?) attributing his team’s success to the Star Wars release (C'mon, I'm the Sith) coming soon to a theatre near you. Others might contend that if the divisions were vanquished, that the Sith would be 3^rd overall in standings barely avoiding the dreaded regular season participation trophy (see James Harrison).

However, Dear Reader, consider that the source of the Sith's success stems from consistency (say that 5 times fast), consistency inspired by one Mr. Timothy Theodore Duncan. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, there has been only one season that Mr. Duncan did not win 50 or more games ('98-'99) where he proceeded to win 37 of 50 due to the NBA lockout. Duncan’s winning ways have rightfully earned him the title as the greatest professional sports player of his generation (yes, that includes Teddy Bridgewater, sorry Demps). As a result, if I claim Duncan to be my favorite player, I should strive to reflect his best qualities both on and off the court.

As a rookie, number 21 showed incredible promise, athleticism, and a high basketball IQ yet he refused to make a "Kwame Brown" of himself. Duncan went on to win 5 championships in 3 separate decades due to his ability to recognize how the game of basketball developed and his ability to adapt his approach in order to maintain his dominance. By no means do I seek to imply that I have been dominant during my time spent in the Elite. Nevertheless, I have an unquenchable passion to harvest both my potential and near-miss opportunities and convert them into sustained excellence.

The fantasy football nickname, Darth Waiver (formerly Rocket Scientists, formerly the Maven), came from a GM who despite drafting poorly never gave up on the season. Waiver wire victories became the staple that continually fed my teams a diet of .500 - that is, until I learned how to adapt. I spent my off seasons learning how to research, how to properly draft a team, and how to offer quality and respectful trades. Similar to Duncan, I relentlessly sought opportunities to improve which eventually yielded a first-round playoff bye.

With each new year of Fantasy Football a new lesson is presented. Last year, by altering my draft approach, I celebrated my first championship victory (different league). This season, I learned to appreciate the value in the word: Fortitude. Had anyone told me that I would have secured the first round bye in week 4 (1-3), I would have laughed with them; by week 10 I was using Gotham’s annual hash tag “#iHateFooball”. Yet, fortitude, not luck is the reason that I have found regular season success in 2015. Choosing hope rather than despair may occasionally garner you the title of a dreamer, but look at Joseph, things turned out pretty all right for him. As I conclude, if you remember only one thing from the message above remember this: "Never underestimate the power of the dark side."

-Sith

I’m out like Killa Cam Cam’s losing streak.. #CAMVP #CamERA

Sunday Morning Carryovers

This time of  year people will tell you “Christmas time is here” In the Elite we say, “Playoffs are here.”  

Saturday Evening Rollovers

As we get ready to start a new week (and almost new year), I’ve got some resolutions to finish...