The TPM Fantasy Football League - Season Three!

[kainashi]

enjoy the playoffs guys.

[Drago]

That is the last time I will ever trust the ludicrous advice that someone is 'hot'. It was my gut instinct that landed me Kurt Warner, it was my gut instinct that made me pick up Ronnie Brown, it was my gut instinct that made me avoid trading away Tony Gonzalez. Michael Jenkins can go roll in his money for all I care; all I need now is to grab that last win.

...And I'll do it on gut instinct.

[mr_pikachu]

Two spots down, two to go! With just one week left, the playoff picture is as follows:

Clinched
The Pikachus
Poison Myst Returns

In the Hunt
Vancouver Cougars
rawr
Riemann Zeta
New York Thunder

See You Next Year
i'm on a roll-a gay
Castleford Tigers
Detroit Firebirds
Wild Karrdes

The Cougars are playing rawr this week, and Zeta squares off against the Thunder. Any of these four teams clinches the playoffs with a win; the Cougars can also get it with a tie, as can Zeta (barring a tie in both games, which would instead put the Cougars and rawr in the tourney).

Do or die. This is it! Get set for week 14!

[DarkTemplarZero]

Hahah this is so exhilarating, my 3rd straight must-win. Thunder's going down. I am Riemann Zeta, fear my non-trivial zeros on the line Re(z)=1/2.

[Drago]

It's funny, of all the losses I've suffered this one was the second-most painful. I now know how Mr.E felt when Kurt Warner single-handedly won me the game against San Francisco; it just pisses you off incredibly when it's just the one player who excels, while the others were rather mediocre. Couple that with Donald Driver's game-winning 10 points sitting on the bench, and yeah, it sucked. A lot.

The only loss that was worse? The one where Ronnie Brown's points over New England were sitting on the bench. That one drove me bonkers.

[DarkTemplarZero]

It's funny, of all the losses I've suffered this one was the second-most painful. I now know how Mr.E felt when Kurt Warner single-handedly won me the game against San Francisco; it just pisses you off incredibly when it's just the one player who excels, while the others were rather mediocre. Couple that with Donald Driver's game-winning 10 points sitting on the bench, and yeah, it sucked. A lot.

The only loss that was worse? The one where Ronnie Brown's points over New England were sitting on the bench. That one drove me bonkers.

Mediocre? Hey dude, don't talk shit like that, that's not cool. Need I remind you that if the Titans hadn't decided to be nice to you and kick 4 40 yard field goals while winning by more than 30 you'd have been blown out? Don't be hating just because DeAngelo The God Damn Juggernaut Bitch Williams is a monster.

[Drago]

Mediocre? Hey dude, don't talk shit like that, that's not cool. Need I remind you that if the Titans hadn't decided to be nice to you and kick 4 40 yard field goals while winning by more than 30 you'd have been blown out? Don't be hating just because DeAngelo The God Damn Juggernaut Bitch Williams is a monster.

Put the claws away, kitten. I was referring to some of the other players on your squad's dubious efforts of 1.80, 0.10 and 2.25. No need to take it personally when some of your players sucked this week. Jeez, some of mine did too, otherwise I would have won now wouldn't I?

Besides, when I've got smack for you directly, I've got better terms to use than mediocre.

[DarkTemplarZero]

Put the claws away, kitten. I was referring to some of the other players on your squad's dubious efforts of 1.80, 0.10 and 2.25. No need to take it personally when some of your players sucked this week. Jeez, some of mine did too, otherwise I would have won now wouldn't I?

Besides, when I've got smack for you directly, I've got better terms to use than mediocre.

I just got caught by a cougar XD. Yeah so my receivers consistently suck balls, nobody knows that better than I do. Just watch, now that I've dropped Braylon Edwards he's going to catch 10 TDs in the next 3 games. I'm just saying that don't say that my entire team minus DeAngelo was mediocre, minus my receivers and TE my team put up quite solid numbers. Just saying, no hating on other people's teams, that's not cool.

And Mr E, that's DeAngelo "Undrafted but I have more points than Turner the Burner over the last 4 weeks" Williams to you bitch

[Clark]

time for my raiders to shine. rawr isn't wild card. we are playoff bound.

[kainashi]

pretty sure he was talking about his players, not the people in the league.

[Mr.E]

More like DeAngelo "I didn't do anything the first half of the season" Williams

[mr_pikachu]

*sighs* Unless I'm made some rather large miscalculations, I've lost my semifinal. It's largely because of that Houston game, especially the disproportionate WR performance. 207 yard for Johnson... what am I supposed to do about that? (As a result, Walter had all of 8 yards.) New England's 49-26 win also hurt... two TDs for Moss = more WR pain.

The ironic thing is that this was one of my best WR weeks, as that tends to be a weakness in my lineup. D-Knight's WRs, though, were just absurd.

[Clark]

ladies. don't break any nails bickering here. just deal with rawr being the best.

[Mr.E]

Did you mean DeAngelo "Still doesn't have more points than Turner over the course of the season" Williams? Yeah, that's the guy. Not that it concerns me anyway, I'm really hurting at that position when my third-best RB is better than the top RB of six other teams. (Could say it helps make up for my underachieving WR corps...)

[Ghost]

Unbelievable. I won my game by less then a point.

[mr_pikachu]

I'm going to have a 1-6 record for the second half.

...

See you in the playoffs!

[DarkTemplarZero]

Lost by 0.87, and that's made even more painful by Carney's missed field goal, Peyton Hillis' injury halfway through the game, and DeAngelo Williams' 21 points and Ryan Grant's 12 points sitting on the bench. Eh, unfortunate, but minus my kicker choice which I couldn't have known about because I slept in and didn't see that conditions were windy for the Giants game, I started the right players and just had some bad luck with most of them underperforming. Oh well, see you guys next year.

[mr_pikachu]

Hey, there's still the consolation tournament... and there's a lot of space between 5th and 8th. Don't plunge to the bottom of the pack!

As for me, I'll be in the championship tournament for the third time in three years. Gotta love that first half.

[Mr.E]

DeAngelo Williams... sitting on the bench.

I started the right players

lolwut

[DarkTemplarZero]

lolwut

Well, hindsight's 20/20. At the time, the right choice was to bench DeAngelo because despite how on fire he was, his matchup was about as bad as humanly possible and his streak of monster games was against weaker teams.

[Ghost]

Lets go D-Ward, better have a big game tonight in Jacobs' absence...

[Drago]

Though the Pikas have clearly been the better team this week, thanks to herculean efforts from AJ vs. Bironas, I'm only down a little...
Need for Arizona to quit dinking around, though!

[Drago]

Looks like it's just been made official Bri, the Pikas will not be championship-bound this year. And as per usual buddy, you sure as hell didn't go out without a fight. Pending the results of tomorrow's game, you would have beaten any other team this week. Congrats on a fine season, and a strong final game. If you told me I'd come out on top despite as many strong individual performances as your boys had, I would be hard-pressed to believe you.

But as it stands, it looks like it'll be the two top-ranked teams vying for fantasy gold this season (assuming Westbrook isn't worth -8 points)... In short, Mr.E... IT'S ON!!

[Mr.E]

If Westbrook had any shot of -8 points (that's what, four fumbles with minimal yardage?) I'd just sit him, but I gotta rack up more points. $$$ I gotta look to him for about 15 in another league of mine anyway, so I better have some faith in him.

more like The Weakachus amirite olol

[mr_pikachu]

more like The Weakachus amirite olol

Oh, I guess I'll just have to console myself with the knowledge that I outperformed you by double digits this week. What does that say about your ragtag band of benchwarmers?

[Ghost]

LETS GO MP! TIME FOR MY REDEMPTION GAME

(i have a feeling i'm going to lose by atleast 30)

[mr_pikachu]

Nah. With the run of luck I've been having, you'll beat me 98-97 and no one else in the league will crack 70.

[Ghost]

Thank you for third place mr.pikachu. Once again, I prove you wrong in your fantasy selections and outclass you by finishing higher

[Mr.E]

In one of my other leagues, the guy I played the week before playoffs sat his night players out and gave me the win as he was more afraid of the consistent 100+ effort of my opponent than the sometimes-big-game of the other guy. I lost my match-up by two points (fookin Akers aaaaaaah) but we both only scored in the low 100's. Him? He scored 140... and lost to his opponent scoring >170. That's what he gets.

Oh, I guess I'll just have to console myself with the knowledge that I outperformed you by double digits this week. What does that say about your ragtag band of benchwarmers?

I do believe that I once again have the lead in season total, that's what counts!

[mr_pikachu]

It's time for our yearly wrap-up. Thanks for participating, everyone! I look forward to facing you again next season!




10TH PLACE ~ Wild Karrdes
The first season of the Wild Karrdes was fraught with catastrophe, as their manager forgot to attend his team’s draft. The franchise quickly fired him after a severe loss in week 1, yet inexplicably failed to add a replacement. Nonetheless, the uncoached ragtag squad managed three victories, narrowly avoiding the same level of helplessness as 2006’s BYE.


9TH PLACE ~ Castleford Tigers
The rechristened Cas Tigers struggled all year to avoid elimination but fell short of the playoffs despite winning four of their last five games. After nearly duplicating their 6-7-1 record in 2007, the Tigers hope to reach greater heights in the TPM Fantasy Football League next season.


8TH PLACE ~ rawr
In the incredibly close home stretch, rawr held a coveted top-four spot until a painful loss in week 14. They never did recover, underperforming and suffering successive upsets in the consolation tournament despite starting the year’s top quarterback.


7TH PLACE ~ Riemann Zeta
Like rawr, the renamed Sultans of Swing also fell in the last week to miss the championship tournament. And again like rawr, they lost their semifinal matchup to complete the collapse. Whether relying on a backup quarterback or lackluster receivers was their undoing, Riemann Zeta will have to avoid such untimely stumbles in order to extend its future title runs.


6TH PLACE ~ Detroit Firebirds
Many wrote off the Firebirds after they started the year with three consecutive losses – including one against the leaderless Wild Karrdes – but key upsets of several top competitors vaulted them back into contention. It wasn’t enough, however, as one too many losses kept them from surviving to the finish. The defending champions ran out of gas, missing the top three for the first time in their history.


5TH PLACE ~ i’m on a roll-a gay
The new Team Awesome narrowly escaped an embarrassing fall from the consolation tournament, breaking a three-game losing streak against the playoff-bound Pikachus in week 14. Their run continued with dominating victories of almost 20 points each in the playoffs, cementing their legitimacy in the league. Next season they hope to make the final push into the championship tournament and fight for the title against the league’s best.


4TH PLACE ~ The Pikachus
In what some consider the most bipolar season in league history, the Pikachus began with a dominating 7-0 start only to lose eight of their final nine. Only a week 10 triumph over the Karrdes kept them over .500 for the regular season; consecutive losses in the championship tournament closed a six-game losing streak. The champions of the inaugural season finished their second straight year in a disappointing fourth place.


BRONZE ~ New York Thunder
Hailed as one of the most overrated teams by many due to some fortunate matchups, the Thunder stunned their competitors by shoving their way into the playoffs in the last week. Their first playoff game ended in failure against the Poison Myst, but they easily trashed the Pikachus to claim the bronze. With sharp management, the Thunder recovered well from a season-ending injury to their star quarterback in week 1 and a baffling temporary name change, proving that it takes much more than luck to make a contender.


SILVER ~ Vancouver Cougars
The former Tennessee Torpedoes repeated their 2006 performance, once again falling a single game short of the title. They were consistent all season, winning with a castoff quarterback and overcoming their shaky running backs, but a devastating 64.49 point loss in the final showdown brought their fairy tale to an end. As the Cougars discovered, it takes more than one or two surprise stars to take home the championship; they’ll have to remember that lesson if they hope to take the final step next year.


GOLD ~ Poison Myst Returns
The powerhouse Myst outscored the rest of the league for the second straight year, claiming the league’s top spot at the end of the year and never letting go. Strong drafts and quick prospect pickups have turned last years’ newcomers into perennial powerhouses. With a lineup full of stars like Michael Turner and Brian Westbrook and surprises like the Tennessee defense, even self-inflicted gunshot wounds couldn’t stop their rampage. Can any of their competitors wrench the championship from the Myst’s grasp? Find out in the next season of the TPM Fantasy Football League!

[Ghost]

BRONZE ~ New York Thunder
Hailed as one of the most overrated teams by many due to some fortunate matchups

[Mr.E]

I never owned Barber.

[DarkTemplarZero]

Whether relying on a backup quarterback or lackluster receivers was their undoing, Riemann Zeta will have to avoid such untimely stumbles in order to extend its future title runs.

With Coles' remarkably pitiful 2 catches for 2 yards against the Broncos defense in my week 13 0.74 point loss? My bet's on the latter XD. I will never draft a receiver before round 7 again, damn Braylon Edwards.

[Clark]

his viagra ran out. couldnt keep it up.
my seasons over for good now.

[Mr.E]

I also believe I win the game, unless Driver can put up 70+ points.

*victory pose*

[Drago]

And for the second time in three years, I go down in the championship game in a blaze of futility. I mean damn, man.

[DarkTemplarZero]

That's what you get for starting Arizona's defense against the Pats.

And in other news, DeAngelo Williams now leads all RBs in rushing TDs and total fantasy points. Eat it Michael Turner XD. Now if only Carney had made that FG 2 weeks ago I'd probably be in 3rd instead of 7th, bah.

[Drago]

Congrats Mr.E on a well-deserved win; it's good to know that no matter what I had done, I likely wouldn't have been able to eke out a win there - much better than falling victim to a team that shouldn't have won itself.

Also, if the last two years are any indication, things look good for New York Thunder to claim the championship next season; both the Firebirds and Myst went from third to first the next year.

[Drago]

And with another season in the books, comes updated records to go along with it! Take a look and see for yourselves...

Single Game Records
Most Points
130, Poison Myst vs. Tennessee Torpedoes (Dec 4 – Dec 10), 2007
Most Combined Points
196, Detroit Firebirds (100) vs. Cas Tigers (96) (Nov 27 – Nov 3), 2007
Fewest Points
16, New York Thunder vs. Tennessee Torpedoes (Sep 19 – Sep 25), 2006
* 0, BYE, many games, 2006
Fewest Combined Points
67.8, i’m on a roll-a gay (31.58) vs. New York Thunder (36.22) (Sep 2 – Sep 8), 2008
* 32, Michigan Dragons (32) vs. BYE (0) (Oct 3 – Oct 9), 2006
Largest Margin of Victory
86, New York Thunder (106) vs. Michigan Dragons (20) (Oct 17 – Oct 23), 2006
* 110, Tennessee Torpedoes (110) vs. BYE (0) (Nov 14 – Nov 20), 2006

Season Records
Best Record
11-3, Detroit Firebirds, 2006
Worst Record
3-11, Team Awesome, 2007
Wild Karrdes, 2008
* 0-14, BYE, 2006
Longest Win Streak – Single Season
7, Detroit Firebirds, 2006
Detroit Firebirds, 2007
The Pikachus, 2008
Longest Loss Streak – Single Season
5, Poison Myst, 2007
Wild Karrdes, 2008
Castleford Tigers, 2008
* 14, BYE, 2006
Most Points
1118, Tennessee Torpedoes, 2006
Fewest Points
561, Michigan Dragons, 2006
* 0, BYE, 2006
Most Transactions
65, rawr, 2008
Fewest Transactions
0, Wild Karrdes, 2008

League Records
Most Wins
27, Detroit Firebirds, 2006-2008
Longest Win Streak – Multiple Seasons
9, The Pikachus, (Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007) – (Oct 14 – Oct 20, 2008)
Most Losses
24, New York Thunder, 2006-2008
Longest Loss Streak – Multiple Seasons
5, Poison Myst, (Oct 9 – Oct 15, 2007) – (Nov 6 – Nov 12, 2007)
Wild Karrdes (Oct 7 – Oct 13, 2008) – (Nov 4 – Nov 10, 2008)
Castleford Tigers (Sep 3 – Oct 6, 2008) – (Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2008)
* 14, BYE, (Sep 5 – Sep 11, 2006) – (Dec 5 – Dec 11, 2006)
Most Points
2921.09, Vancouver Cougars/Tennessee Torpedoes, 2006-2008

Facts
• Of the eight charter franchises, four remain – The Pikachus, Detroit Firebirds, New York Thunder and Vancouver Cougars (Tennessee Torpedoes 2006/2007)
• The most tied games occurred in 2007, when there were two.
• For the first two weeks of the 2008 season, New York Thunder were known as ‘Pineapple Express’.
• The Detroit Firebirds and Poison Myst both improved from ranking third in the league to winning the championship the next year, in 2006/7 and 2007/8, respectively.

[DarkTemplarZero]

Damn, that 1 tie last year robbed me of both best record and longest single season win streak. Alas. Props for the interesting info DragoKnight