Team Owner Profile: Jason Wong

 Here at the LFP offices we try to get our interview subjects when they're having their worst struggles or they're on a high, just so we can say we turned it around if they should win or lose really.  Who better to profile under such circumstances than Jason Wong, our second straight member of the AZN Invasion of LFP Fantasy.  Mr. Wong is going into the eighth week of the season as a third year member of the league trying to defend two straight division titles, which is unheard of in our league.  A renowned trash-talker, an infamous chest kicker, and a man I'm proud to call my friend, he wandered through the doors here in LFP with a sinister look on his face so we sat him down for an interview to talk about his five-loss season so far...

LFP FFB:  Hey Jason, thanks for stopping in to talk to us.

Jason Wong:  I'm going to kill you.

LFP:  Haha I know...

JW:  ...

LFP:  That is a horrifying look on your face.  Can you tell me, is it really easy or really hard to have as bad a start as you have had?

JW:  Fuck you.

LFP:  So it's pretty easy then?

JW:  Yeah!  Really easy, all I have to do is play my fucking worthless roster and they have been able to lose every fucking game except the new guy, because I'm more Asian, and Jakubiak because he's a bitch.

LFP:  So you beat Tony because you're more Asian and J-Jak because you're a bigger bitch?  That's an interesting strategy to take in fantasy football that I've never heard of.  What are you going to do to win the rest of your games under that thought process?

JW:  First I'm going to reach in your chest and pull your heart out and shove it down your throat.

LFP:  Haha... ha... Jokes are fun.  Does J-Jak every remind you of that dude "Baby GAP" who you kicked through the doorway?

JW:  Yes.

LFP:  So would you plan on "BOOM"ing him this week when you play him for the second time?

JW:  Yes.  Fuck you.

LFP:  I mean seriously, L.T. with the 12th overall pick?  Talk about your all-time backfires...

JW:  Fuck you, I'm leaving, and then I'm going to kill you in your sleep.

LFP:  Great talking to you too...

Knowing the amount of anger that's packed inside that little guy I would not want to be J-Jak this week, just because Wong is likely to actually try and kill someone if he loses again.  Either way there's a lot of East Division status at stake in that game so stay tuned as we roll towards Week 8's games!

-Commish

Football Movie Marathon #7: Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? (2009)

While many leauges have tried to capitalize on America's love for football, arguably none of them have drawn as much interest as the USFL, a spring leauge for professional football in the 80s.

Michael Tollin helms this film in the ESPN 30 for 30 series, and of the 3 I have seen thus far, it is certainly the best. The documentary tells the story of the 3 year run of a leauge that was seemingly miles ahead of say, the XFL or Arena Football. For it's brief history, the USFL was home to coaches like Jim Mora and Steve Spurrier, and also to players such as Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Herschel Walker, Rick Neuheisel, and Doug Flutie. So why did it fail?



The movie delves into the attempt by the USFL to compete with the NFL, a push spearheaded by the owner of the New Jersey franchise, Donald Trump. Throughout the film, there are intercut snippets from an interview between Trump and Tollin. Trump's statement are then opposed by heartfelt interviews with former players, and this is where the movie really draws my interest. The USFL had such a great thing going, but the desire to play at the same time of year as the NFL was its undoing. Some of the players and personalities look back with bitterness, but they ALL look back with fondness.

Tollin displays a great potarit of what was essientally "The Little Spring Leauge that Could". The documentary somehow made me feel nostalgic for a brand of football that I have never seen. Anyways, this thing is all over the Internet...Youtube, iTunes, etc. It also shows on TV fairly frequently. If you get the chance to see it, I give a hearty recommendation.

Next week I'll get away from documentaries for awhile. Get something a little bit more well known out there.

Football Movie Marathon Rankings

1. Brian's Song (1971)
   
2. Knute Rockne All American (1940)


3. Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? (2009)


4. Varsity Blues (1999)


5. The Band That Wouldn't Die (2009)


6. Invincible (2006)


7. Two For the Money (2005)

Week 8 Breakdown

X's & O's: A Team-by-Team Breakdown

Breaston My Face (7-0)
MJD is back at the RB1 position, and after a week off remains the second leading scorer for running backs in LFP Fantasy.  With the cheap addition of Ricky Williams at the RB2 slot, it looks like Jared's squad has become that much better after an undefeated start, a scary prospect to be certain.  Strategically speaking, this should be business as usual in Week 8, with no key players out on bye weeks and decent match-ups across the board there shouldn't be any need for a QRW Utility usage (QB, RB, or WR in the Utility slot), and I'd bank on seeing two defenses pending free agent moves.  Jared is going for the league record of 8 consecutive wins, currently held by Craig's 2006 squad who did it twice that season.

My Team Blows Again (5-2)
Coming off of a week where he had to deal with a ton of bye weeks, Jason now has to deal with another four of them.  After burning a QRW Utility usage in Week 7 look for some movement on the TE/K/DEF department in Free Agency this week, as he fills holes at TE and Utility caused by the aforementioned bye week issue.  The Peyton/ADP duo is a no-brainer, but it's a tossup at the RB2 position.  Baltimore and Nate Burleson should return to action in Week 8, and there won't be too much mystery as to what we'll see from this squad lineup-wise.  J-Jak is looking to distance himself from the pack this week in the East.

LFP Phreaks (4-3)
Two glaring aspects for this team in Week 8:  RB2 and WR1.  Pierre Thomas has been very inconsistent behind DeAngelo Williams, so this may need to be addressed in the form of adding another running back to a short stable.  Beyond that, the best WR on the team Randy Moss is sitting down for his bye week and leaves a big gap with the inconsistent play at the position for this team.  It will be interesting to see if Terrell Owens will be trusted to fill in or if more help will be required.  Kevin Curtis remains injured and on the active roster, likely running out of time as a fantasy player, so there is certainly space to be filled.  Starters look fairly clear for the week, with a two-TE situation looking likely at the Utility slot since Gostkowski sits with Moss.  Harris needs to come back strong after another division loss in Week 7, barely hanging on to the West Division Wild Card at the moment.

Fister?  I hardly know her. (4-3)
Kyle's team has no bye week issues as he faces a division opponent, allowing him complete freedom to play the match-ups in front of him.  The biggest question mark for Week 8 will be whether or not Megatron is ready to go against a pathetic St. Louis team, and that would be a shame for the #7 overall pick to miss this one.  Kyle's riding a nice win back into a tie for second place in the West.

Hail to the Chefs (4-3)
Tony is hurting a little on account of byes heading into Week 8.  Tom Brady, Dwayne Bowe, Jeff Reed, and Pittsburgh all sit down in a crucial divisional game against the team right behind him in the standings.  Favre should get his first start appropriately against the Packers back at Lambeau for the first time, and the RB situation is wide open for the four healthy backs on his roster.  Donald Brown's injury  in Indy shouldn't play much of a role in this week's decision-making, but he might use that to fill a potential hole in his receiving corps this week with Pierre Garcon's production diminishing.  Look for a kicker search in Free Agency, and don't be surprised to see a QRW Utility usage of a third running back in an important game.  Tony comes off of a loss which took him out of first in the East Division.

Party Animals (3-4)
The WR situation will be the one to watch for Vicki's team this week, as she loses both Wes Welker and Hines Ward to their bye weeks, not to mention Cedric Benson at RB and Heath Miller at TE.  Drew Brees is the no-brainer key for this offense the rest of the season, and the RB situation seems fairly obvious with Westbrook's concussion lingering after Monday Night Football.  With Carlson at TE and Crosby at K, the team looks pretty well intact despite the bye weeks, and free agency should be focused on potentially filling the WR slot if there are any bargain players to be had (ala Miles Austin in Week 7).  Vick is looking to ride a two-game winning streak and huge point outputs back into the wild card lead if she can win in Week 8.

I Stiff Armed Your Mom (2-5)
Craig is hoping that things will start coming together, and counts heavily on Frank Gore flourishing in the second half thanks to a potentially renewed passing game.  As Santonio Holmes heads out on his bye week, T.J. Houshmandzadeh looks to return to the lineup against Dallas, clearing up any issues at WR.  RB is where it may get interesting based on match-ups though.  Matt Forte has a good match-up with Cleveland and could see the RB2 spot behind Thomas Jones because of Mendenhall's bye week and San Francisco's trip to Indy.  Cooley's bye week/injury leaves a hole at the TE spot, but Free Agency should clear up the situation, if not a trade with a TE heavy team.  Craig comes off a big walloping at the hands of the Party Animals, and looks to knock off Jared's squad before he can tie the old 2006 record for consecutive wins set by none other than Craig himself, and a big win it would be for the Stiffies.

Lynnhood Curbstompers (2-5)
J.J. has a couple of big play-makers on the bench with bye weeks in Clinton Portis and Santana Moss,  but the only glaring hole will be that RB2 spot vacated by Portis.  Felix Jones hasn't produced much since returning from injury, so it will be interesting to see what route is taken for the week in trying to fill the spot.  Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin provide enough depth at the WR3 position, but Free Agency will undoubtedly be used to fill the DEF spot that Tampa Bay proved incapable of filling before their bye week.  I would expect to see both Hasselbeck and Warner in the lineup using a QRW Utility usage to try and win an important divisional match-up with Kyle and stop the three game skid.

Show Me Your TD's (2-5)
Gas comes off a nice division win against J.J. and has no bye week issues to deal with.  I wouldn't anticipate seeing a QRW Utility usage with only three remaining for the season, but his style hasn't necessarily been conventional, or informed, to this point.  Depth is good at just about every position, so it will be interesting to see if Chris Johnson comes back in at RB, as well as to see what combination of WR's make-up the starting line-up in Week 8.  Good week to look forward to as Gas need only play the match-ups and watch his team put points up.  The TD's are looking to break 100 for the second time this season in an important division game to get back into the mix in the West.

Angry Asians (2-5)
Statistically the worst team in the league, Wong plays an important game against the first place team in the East, but has only Roethlisberger on a bye in Week 8.  The biggest spot to address will be the RB2 position behind S-Jax who has a great match-up against Detroit.  Tomlinson and McGahee have not taken the reigns on a starting spot, but my guess would be to see what McGahee can do after LT's inability to get in the end zone was highlighted last week.  There is enough depth at WR to find a starting three that will compliment Rodgers against Minnesota, and I'd venture a guess that we will see Wong's first QRW Utility usage here in Week 8.  Wong hasn't won since Week 4 against this very same J-Jak team, and looks to re-enter the race in the East with a win.


Week 8 Betting Lines
801 Breaston My Face -25.1
802 I Stiff Armed Your Mom +25.1


803 My Team Blows Again -27.01

804 Angry Asians +27.01



805 Hail to the Chefs +6.51

806 Party Animals -6.51



807 Fister?  I hardly know her. -6.4

808 Lynnhood Curbstompers +6.4



809 LFP Phreaks -16.28

810 Show Me Your TD's +16.28

Good luck to everyone in Week 9!

-Commish

Week 7 Wrap-Up

Umm, anybody laughing at the the only woman in the league this week or last week?  No, I don't mean Kyle, I mean my mom Vicki.  Yeah, my mom, she's put up a two week total of 312.25 points, which if I'm not mistaken is a league record for points over the course of two weeks.  Holy balls.  On to the week in review...

Fister?  I hardly know her. 91.45 vs. Angry Asians 87
I may have misspoken last week about which team was hapless in this league, as Wong's two-time defending East Division champion Angry Asians fall once again, this time to Kyle's friendly Fisters.  Steve Slaton paced Kyle's squad with 19.9 points on an otherwise unspectacular day by both sides.  The only competition put up by the Asians was Aaron Rodgers' 26.6 and Stephen Jackson's 13.3 points on a huge rushing day, but with nobody else but the New Orleans defense (17 pts) breaking double-digits you can't expect too much and that's just what they got.

Hail to the Chefs 119.7 vs. My Team Blows Again 124.75
In a great game with first place in the East Division at stake, J-Jak blew Tony away by just 5.05 points.  Arguably the most deadly duo in the league, Peyton Manning (23.65) and Adrian Peterson (18.9) got big contributions from Vincent Jackson (20.2) and Chad Ochocinco (23.8) at the wide receiver spot to out-duel Tony a spirited battle.  Tom Brady (25.9) couldn't gun-sling his way past his sworn rival, despite big help from Ryan Grant with 21.1 points and a huge defensive effort by Pittsburgh and Green Bay combining for 32 points.  Great game with big division standing implications heading in to week 8!

I Stiff Armed Your Mom 72.6 vs. Party Animals 154.3
Well Craig, it looks like my mom stiff armed you...  I take it back from earlier in this post too, the Stiffies just looked hapless again!  Vick posted another huge number, outscoring everyone else on the week behind four players that scored 26.6 points or more, including a NY Jets defense that threw down the gauntlet with 27.  Miles Austin rewarded the big $4 price-tag with a fat 28.1 points, not too shabby.  Craig countered with Thomas Jones who impressed for the second straight week, posting 17.4 points, but things need to improve in the Stiff Arm camp if they are going to right this ship and get back in to contention.

Lynnhood Curbstompers 72.55 vs. Show Me Your TD's 99.5
In a battle at the bottom of the West Division, J.J.'s gangsters enthusiasm was curbed for sure as Gas put together a winning effort thanks to an explosion by Vernon Davis (27.3) at the TE position.  Combined with four others in double-digits, Gaskill's crew fought hard for their second win of the season and crept out of last place, active defensive unit or no!  Lynnhood seemed severely underrepresented as Kurt Warner and Reggie Wayne were the only two who showed up to play, scoring 14.25 and 14.3 respectively.  Both teams will battle to right the ship and get right back in to the wild card mix while it's still within reach.

LFP Phreaks 100.1 vs. Breaston My Face 147.35
For the second straight week it's been Breaston My Face dominating the division competition, extending a near-record winning streak to seven games!  Philip Rivers and Ricky Williams each put up 27.2 points to start the fire on Sunday, and then DeSean Jackson extinguished any hope for an LFP Phreaks team that looked completely outgunned in Week 7.  Despite a 100+ point performance for the Phreaks, highlighted by Matt Schaub, DeAngelo Williams, and Donald Driver combining for 56.4 points (over 50% of the team total), it was never a terribly close match-up.

Week 8 looks to hold a lot of interest for a lot of teams, so let's head forward as we close the book on Week 7.

-Commish

Week 8: A Look Ahead

Week 8 Matchups:
  Breaston My Face @ I Stiff Armed Your Mom
  My Team Blows Again @ Angry Asians
  Hail to the Chefs @ Party Animals
  Fister?  I hardly know her. @ Lynnhood Curbstompers
  LFP Phreaks @ Show Me Your TD's

Monday, October 26th:
  Monday Night Football - Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins, 5:30pm PT

Tuesday, October 27th:
  Free Agency Opens on Forum - 12:00pm PT
  Blog - Week 7 Wrap-Up by Mike


Wednesday, October 28th:
  Blog - Week 8 Breakdown by Kyle

Thursday, October 29th:
  Blog - Football Movie Marathon by Jared

Friday, October 30th:
  Blog - Team Owner Profile: Jason Wong by Mike

Saturday, October 31st:
  Free Agency Closes on Forum - 5:00pm PT
  Blog - Some semblance of order... by Mike

Sunday, November 1st:
  Roster Submissions Due - 9:30am PT

Week 7, ready, set... GO!

Rosters are up on the Week 7 Scoreboard, here we go!

Football Movie Marathon #6: The Band That Wouldn't Die

ESPN's currently running "30 for 30" series of documentaries should provide me with quite the amount of material for this little marathon project. The first football movie brought forward is The Band That Wouldn't Die, directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Diner, The Natural).



Owner Robert Isray moved the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in March of 1984. Absent from all of the equipment taken to the new city were the band insturments and uniforms. The Baltimore Colts band stayed together for years after the movement of their team, playing pretty much anywhere that would have them as a statement of desire to have the NFL back in their city. The movie chronicles the trials and tribulations of both the band and the football fans of Baltimore, including interviews with band members, politicans, and people in both the Colts and Ravens organization.

Ironically for me, this movie came out the same day as the documentary Sonicsgate, a detailed synopsis of the recent loss of the Sonics here in Seattle. Obviously, I am very biased in comparing the two, but for me, where Band falls short is in capturing the despair and the anger. Don't get me wrong, it is a great story, but it needs to be reinforced. Sonicsgate features in depth interviews with Brian Robinson (co-founder of Save Our Sonics) and Sherman Alexi (novelist and ex-season ticket holder) that are really the heartbeat and the voice of the fan in the movie. Perhaps because Baltimore now has a top notch franchise, it was more difficult to capture that aggrevation in the ESPN flick. Bring NBA back here and I know I will feel a hell of a lot better.



Despite my somewhat mixed reactions to The Band That Wouldn't Die, it is a very good story and a documentary that is worth watching. If you aren't following the "30 for 30" thing on ESPN, I think you should be.

Football Movie Marathon Rankings
1. Brian's Song
2. Knute Rockne All American
3. Varsity Blues
4. The Band That Wouldn't Die
5. Invincible
6. Two For the Money

Week 6 Wrap-Up

Week 6 came, went, and kicked the ass of every other week we've had in the history of the league!  Nine out of ten teams in the league broke 100 points like it was no effort at all, and eight players on starting rosters posted more than 30 points this week.  With that kind of production around the league it makes for an exciting Tuesday morning review.

Angry Asians 116.2 vs. LFP Phreaks 149.4
Scoring a shade over 116 points is usually a pretty good indicator that you had a winning week, but when Matt Schaub, DeAngelo Williams, and Randy Moss all decide to put together good games it is hard to keep up.  You know, if Stephen Jackson and Mike Sims-Walker weren't on awful teams, this game could have been awfully close, and maybe contended for the all time combined scoring record.  However, as it stands the third leading scorers for the week, the LFP Phreaks take home a win without any complaints, and on the other end Wong and co. can't help but dream about the defensive touchdowns that both New Orleans and Minnesota had called back... It's a cruel cruel world.

Party Animals 157.95 vs. Show Me Your TD's 76.15
It's pretty amazing to look at this score and see that my own mother more than doubled the score of a friend of mine, but to use the often imitated line, "that just happened."  Yes, it did.  Gas managed to have the only team in the league that missed out on the 100 point train that ran through with a vengeance, and what a rough spot to fail against my mother.  Drew Brees returned to the rarefied air he sniffed against Detroit by posting a 40.05, plus Wes Welker and Hines Ward combined to tack on 47.9 more points, meaning that those three players alone beat the TD's by themselves.  It was ugly, it was interesting, and more than anything it was a brutal beat down.  The good news is, the record for biggest blowout didn't get broken, so the shame won't go on the books forever.  Congrats to both of you.

Lynnhood Curbstompers 111 vs. Hail to the Chefs 161.5
Ummm, wow Tony, nice game.  J.J. nor anyone else saw this one coming, as Tom Brady took a snowstorm and made it into his bitch during the second quarter of his game against Tennessee, and 48 fantasy points later he helped make Mr. Le's team the leading scorer for the week in his profile week.  Add a ridiculous performance by Green Bay's defense against the Detroit Lions good for 28 points, compare that to the top player on the Curbstompers, Sidney Rice (22.6 points), shake it up and pour it over ice and we're all Hailing the Chefs.  Thanks for taking the hit J.J., you poor man.

I Stiff Armed Your Mom 128.8 vs. My Team Blows Again 103.65
The battle of roommates proved to be an intriguing one, right up until Thomas Jones decided to run for over 200 yards.  Joe Flacco and the aforementioned T.J. led the hapless Stiffies to their second win of the season, fending off an incredible performance by Ray Rice, who came in to the week as ADP's understudy until the dust settled.  Division positions stay relatively the same, but the pride in the household has shifted in favor of the resurgent Stiff ones.


Breaston My Face 129.1 vs. Fister? I hardly know her. 117.3
In the most interesting game of the week to follow, Jared's Breaston Kyle's Face stayed undefeated after week six of the season.  Though Kyle took a lead into Sunday, the combination of Philip Rivers and Nate Kaeding came through on Monday night to counter the efforts of Brandon Marshall.  A close game with what seemed to be a foregone conclusion that came true after all, but who doesn't love watching the last game of the week with something on the line so they can worry and get that much more intense about it.

T'was a wonderful week for football, and who wouldn't want to see scores like those every week?!

-Commish

Week 7: A Look Ahead

Week 7 Matchups:
  Fister?  I hardly know her. @ Angry Asians
  Hail to the Chefs @ My Team Blows Again
  I Stiff Armed Your Mom @ Party Animals
  Lynnhood Curbstompers @ Show Me Your TD's
  LFP Phreaks @ Breaston My Face

Monday, October 19th:
  Monday Night Football - Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers, 5:30pm PT

Tuesday, October 20th:
  Free Agency Opens on Forum - 12:00pm PT


Wednesday, October 21st:
  Blog - Week 7 Breakdown by Kyle

Thursday, October 22nd:
  Blog - Football Movie Marathon by Jared

Friday, October 23rd:
  Blog - Team Owner Profile: Jason Wong by Mike

Saturday, October 24th:
  Free Agency Closes on Forum - 5:00pm PT
  Blog - Some semblance of order... by Mike

Sunday, October 25th:
  Roster Submissions Due - 9:30am PT

Brady Finishes First Half with a Respectable 37.75 Points

Holy Shit

Quarterbacks Gone Wild!

The 5-point passing yardage bonus threshold was crossed by FIVE Quarterbacks this morning:
Drew Brees
Ben Roethlisberger
Joe Flacco
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Schaub



Tom Brady and Kurt Warner seem to be on their way as well. I'm sure as fuck rooting against Warner right now.

Hey Jared

Fuck you

Week 6... Locked, cocked, and ready to rock!

Here we go again!  Week 6 is here and the scoreboard is updated!  Lots of Utility usage this week, should make for some close games and maybe even some high scoring affairs.  Bad luck to all of you!

Some semblance of order...

Hear me out, because you have to.  The latest debate here at LFP FFB headquarters has to do with the often unused trading process which has to pass through the anonymous "Trading Committee" that nobody has ever seen.  A small group of interested parties feel that the trading committee leaves too much up to people that have no involvement in the league and has no place in making decisions that are important to all of the owners.  Instead these dissenting minds think there should be a trading regulations charter drafted that will spell out exactly what makes up a passable trade, leaving the decision solely in the hands of the owners involved based on predetermined factors.  Not only are competing team owners not involved in deciding their competition this way, but there are no third parties that would have a say in the way our league is made up and ultimately decided.  The trading committee currently has the power to tell us as team owners that we're being unfair in our trading, even though they don't have to compete in our league and don't know how each of us as owners value our different players at different positions.  To give these strangers that kind of power is irresponsible and cannot continue if we're to take the trading process in this league seriously.  What have we had, like three or four trades in the history of the league?!  Maybe if we didn't have this mysterious trading committee people would be more willing to actually try and make this league exciting on days other than Sunday and Monday!  So I guess in the spirit of fair-play I would like to have some input on this via blog response, so let's hear it.

Team Owner Profile: Tony Le

It seems only appropriate that after highlighting an original owner in LFP FFB we focus in on one of our newest owners, and specifically one who has enormous shoes to fill.  We all remember the incredible story of Jesse "Juice" Martin's wild card playoff run last year, taking the Super Bowl down to the last offensive play run where a Pittsburgh sack and fumble recovery would etch "Hochuli's Gun Show" on to the league trophy forever by a mere 1.75 points, the closest margin of victory imaginable.  Now Tony Le's "Hail to the Chefs" looks to assume control of the franchise that won the third season of LFP FFB's existence.

Tony kicked his Juice-like season off by phoning in his draft via Skype, exactly the way Jesse would have done it were he still in the league.  Next, Tony went ahead and drafted the key pieces of Hockuli's Gun Show that won the title last post-season in Larry Fitzgerald and the Pittsburgh defense, bold moves but proven ones to try and set the franchise up for continued success.  After five weeks in the league the Hail to the Chefs owner sits with a 3-2 record, 2-1 in his division, and holds a one game lead on the East Division wild card in second place.  We were lucky enough to find Tony wandering the LFP FFB headquarters, apparently lost, looking for the taco bar, and stopped him to get his impressions heading in to week 6.

LFP FFB:  Hello Tony, great to have you at the LFP HQ.
Tony Le:  Who know how to stir up the taco beef?!
LFP:  Excuse me?
TL:  Let do the next week Taco Tuesday lunch on the 20th.  I bring shredded chess and lecture!
LFP:  That sounds wonderful Tony, I'm sure we will all mark that on our calendars.  But let's move on...  What kind of pressures are on you in your first season in the league?  Not only are you taking over the franchise of last year's championship team, but you also now become only the second Asian team owner in league history... and start an interview like that...
TL:  Well taking over Juice's team isn't a big deal, because I'm better than him at pretty much everything.  Being Asian though I really get to see what a racist asshole you really are.
LFP:  Clearly something's lost in translation there, it sounded like you said I'm a racist asshole.
TL:  You are.
LFP:  I'm sorry, can you speak English?
TL:  I'm going to Bruce Lee, one-inch punch through your chest if you don't shut up.
LFP:  Right...  You're off to a very strong start in the league, over .500 and in second place in your division behind Adrian Peterson's team.  That's incredibly impressive for a first time player and a first year owner, what do you expect from your guys in the coming weeks?
TL:  My team hasn't done well every week, but we're still doing well so I feel good about them.  I think we'll continue to improve and start dominating everyone in the league, if only because Brett Favre is the greatest player in the history of football.
LFP:  On that note, will you ever start the aforementioned "greatest player in the league," or is he destined to miss every fantasy start while never missing a professional start?
TL:  He will start!  I'm just waiting for the right time.
LFP:  That's very martial-artsy of you.  Speaking of which, what was it like to lose the first every "Ninja Bowl" to Jason Wong?  That's what we've called it around the league office, the "Ninja Bowl," clever huh?
TL:  I hate you.
LFP:  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult your honor.
TL:  ...
LFP:  Thanks for coming in.

Mr. Le is clearly a proud team owner and confident in his team, if not his ninja star throwing ability.  This week he squares off with J.J. Didier and the Lynnhood Curbstompers, an original league owner, but Tony promises to sneak up from the shadows and kill them with precision and no mercy.  Just kidding, but seriously.

See you all next week, over and out from LFP HQ.

-Commish

Football Movie Marathon #5: Knute Rockne All American (1940)

Of the major American team sports baseball probably consistently produces the most quality movies. Until the 80s brought us The Natural, Eight Men Out, Major Leauge, Field of Dreams and Bull Durham, the gold standard for baseball movies was probably The Pride of the Yankees (1942). I bring this up because this week's marathon movie is perhaps the football equivalent of the classic Lou Gerhig biopic. Whatever you thought about one of them, you'll probably think about the other. Both feature a complete lovefest for what are now completely insufferable teams, both paint about as flattering potrayal of their subjects as possible, and both offer one of the best "big speech" moments in sports movie history.

Knute Rockne All American basically is a telling of the legendary sports figure's life and career as the Notre Dame football coach. Rockne is credited with popularizing and innovating several tactics. As a player in his younger days, he was the recipent of several forward passes in the Notre Dame offense that utilized the play better than anyone. As a coach, he is often credited as the first to put "men in motion" prior to the snap (he did it with his whole backfield until rules limited teams to only have one man allowed to move before the snap).

Perhaps the primary draw to the film now is the supporting role of George Gipp, played by none other than future President Ronald Reagan. Gipp is considered one of the better college football players of all time (ranked the 22nd best ever college player on ESPN's list a couple years ago, by people who are undoubtably experts that have watched a ton of 90 year old football games). If you were ever curious where the "Win one for the Gipper" quote came from, well, here it is.

Overall, this is a decent football movie and a fun watch, although it feels incredibly dated, even by the standard of 1940s movies. Seemingly today, a biopic can't be made unless the subject was once drug using womanizer (Ray, Walk the Line) or somewhat mentally unstable (The Aviator, A Beautiful Mind). Put simply, you might see a Roger Clemens movie someday, but probably not a Greg Maddux one. Knute Rockne is potrayed about as good of a guy as you'll ever find for 100 minutes, and that's the movie. I didn't find it all that off putting, but can certainley see why many would.

Note: You probably should not watch this anytime soon if you're a UW fan bitter about the recent game against Notre Dame. This movie loves the school more than Rudy does.

Football Movie Marathon Rankings
1. Brian's Song
2. Knute Rockne All American
2. Varsity Blues
3. Invincible
4. Two For the Money

Week 6: A Look Ahead

Week 6 Matchups:
  Angry Asians @ LFP Phreaks
  Party Animals @ Show Me Your TD's
  Lynnhood Curbstompers @ Hail to the Chefs
  I Stiff Armed Your Mom @ My Team Blows Again
  Breaston My Face @ Fister?  I hardly know her.

Monday, October 12th:
  Monday Night Football - NY Jets @ Miami Dolphins, 5:30pm PT

Tuesday, October 13th:
  Free Agency Opens on Forum - 12:00pm PT
  Blog - Free Agency Review by Craig


Wednesday, October 14th:
  Blog - Week 6 Matchups by Kyle

Thursday, October 15th:
  Blog - Football Movie Marathon by Jared

Friday, October 16th:
  Blog - Team Owner Profile by Mike

Saturday, October 17th:
  Free Agency Closes on Forum - 5:00pm PT
  Blog - Some semblance of order... by Mike

Sunday, October 18th:
  Roster Submissions Due - 9:30am PT

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

The topic of our Week 5 player profile, and previously winless team owner Craig Peterson is playing the little blue steam engine from our childhoods this week, all set up to take out the defending East Division champion Angry Asians just one week after one of the greatest Monday night comebacks in league history.  With a $20 effort from Rashard Mendenhall, and a huge Utility usage of Donovan McNabb, the little Stiffies that could stopped thinking it and just did it like a Nike commercial.  This result will leave some questions for both Peterson and the angriest Asian in the league, Jason Wong.  CP goes to 1-4 but has his first big W under his belt and can start gaining momentum.  Meanwhile the Asians land at 2-3, with a split in division games at 2-2.   In an East Division that has a logjam at the bottom of the standings, J-Jak's squad of supposed non-cross-dressers is trying to lock in a win against the other J.J.'s Lynnhood Curbstompers.  Should Jakubiak's Blowfest finish off Didier's Hoodrats, everyone in the East will be looking up and trying to answer some questions.  There should be a couple of interesting finishes, so be sure to tune in to Monday Night Football as Week 5 comes to a close!

Week 5 is on!

Week 5 hits right now, games are just starting and the website was updated around 9:40 with all updated rosters and match-ups!

Some semblance of order...

Hear me out, because you have to.  The latest debate here at LFP FFB headquarters has to do with the excessive use of free agency "contingency" bidding.  It is the consensus by a small group that contingency bidding somewhat waters down the entire process of auction bidding, and that it is no longer necessary with the revisions that have been made.  Since there is a five minute window after the last bid, and the free agency deadline has been voted on and moved to 5:00pm on Saturdays, I see no reason that people can't just focus in on their primary bids, and guess what, if you lose your auction, tough luck, that's how auctions go.  The forum looks ridiculous with people bidding on 42 kickers and 18 defenses just to be sure they don't have to actually pay attention to anything, and I think this needs to be addressed as soon as possible.  So I guess in the spirit of fair-play I would like to have some input on this via blog response, so let's hear it and we might get to a vote in the coming week.

Team Owner Profile: Craig Peterson

In LFPFFB history there has been no more enigmatic an owner than the one we will profile heading in to Week 5 of the 2009 season. Craig Peterson tasted greatness in the league's inaugural season by boasting a 16-1 regular season record in the first campaign for any team owner, a mark that has yet to be challenged or even come close to by another team. However, after such an incredible run of regular season dominance the likes of which we may never see again, his Stiffies finished dead last in the playoffs and it seems that to this point the franchise has never recovered from such a let down. Following up that 2006 campaign Craig's squads have gone 8-9 and 6-11 in 2007 and 2008 respectively. With an 0-4 start after another heartbreaking loss no other team has seen such a reversal of fortune in the league's history, and it seems only fitting to kick things off with one of the original four owners that remain in the league.

Craig stands not only as an original member of LFPFFB, but he remains the only team owner to maintain the same team name year after year in a nod to true tradition. We were lucky enough to catch Mr. Peterson just after a heated team meeting with his squad and he agreed to sit down with us at the league office for a chat.

Craig Peterson: So do I get some extra free agency money for doing this? Because Glen Coffee's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.
LFPFFB: Unfortunately that's not going to happen, but we will validate your parking.
CP: I walked here.
LFP: And we appreciate you coming in to talk with us.
CP: Fuck you.
LFP: Thank you for the warm greeting. Obviously this has been a rough first quarter of the season for you, starting 0-4 and losing an absolute heartbreaker in your division basically because Green Bay went for a two point conversion instead of taking an extra point on Monday Night Football... Point nine points, wow that's gotta sting. What, if any adjustments are you looking to make heading into week five, knowing that it's now or never if you want to turn things around?
CP: Well, if everyone I play against would stop having the game of their fucking life I won't have to make any adjustments.
LFP: Can you target any one thing that may have cost you the games here in the early going?
CP: Yeah, I can actually target four things. Adrian Peterson, Matt Schaub, the New York Giants defense and fucking Steve Smith on the Giants... He's not even Steve Smith on the Panthers who is fucking good, he's on the Giants and he's not Plaxico Burress, who I really blame because if he didn't shoot himself in the leg I would have fucking won my game.
LFP: I'm sensing some animosity, how frustrating has this season been so far?
CP: I'd say very... Yeah, very is pretty accurate.
LFP: What's it like sleeping with a division rival?
CP: What?
LFP: You and Jakubiak living together, which of you is Reggie Bush and which is Kim? I mean she has a great back-end if you know what I'm saying, so I'm tempted to say Jason, but you never know what it's like behind closed doors.
CP: Ummm, I'm uncomfortable with this, I don't sleep with Jason, we just live in the same house.
LFP: Yeah, but is he a good kisser?
CP: This interview's over.

Clear frustration both in the league and in the bedroom for Craig Peterson and I Stiff Armed Your Mom, and things look as difficult as ever looking ahead to his week five matchup with the reigning division champion Angry Asians and Jason Wong.

We'll be back next Wednesday with another team owner profile, and until then bad luck to you all and enjoy the blog content all week!

-Commish

Football Movie Marathon #4: Invincible (2006)

The fourth movie of the marathon is Invincible, a Disney movie starring Mark Wahlberg as a 30 year old walk on special teams player in the NFL during the 70s

Invincible is the football equivalent of a nice punt. Nothing too thrilling about it, and its nice and safe. The film strictly adheres to sports movie formula and doesn't really strive for a whole lot more. Wahlberg is a substitute teacher who is laid off and goes to work as a bartender to make ends meet. When Eagles coach Dick Vermeil (played by Greg Kinnear) holds open tryouts, he is encouraged to join by his friends. Papale's speed and work ethic gets him onto the team, and much like Rudy or Rocky, he gets a chance to live his dream.

The way some of the characters are written is pretty odd to me. Wahlberg plays Papale in a dark and brooding fashion. You get the feeling that all the punches life has thrown at him may be the reason, and this is fine. But where is the JOY when he steps onto the field? This guy has overcome the odds and you just never really get the feeling that he is all that excited to be there. Before the final credits, they show some real life footage and Papale looks happy as a clam. Interesting that Wahlberg chose to play the character the way he did. The other character that just seems out of place is Janet Cantrell (played by Elisabeth Banks). This character is supposed to be interesting because she's the love interest and because she's the girl who knows about sports. The movie needs roughly a half dozen scenes to show that she is "one of the guys". Gets annoying and repetitive fast. Lastly, the movie really seems to strive to bring Philly to life and make it a "character" in the film, the way a Woody Allen or Spike Lee film/joint would with New York. Doesn't do it so well. For some reason, the sky is bronze (like in the picture above) for like 1/3rd of the film too. Weird.

As is the formula in all the Disney sports movies, everything is heightened toward the main character(s), as if the story isn't good enough to breathe the way it happened in real life. The world has to fucking revolve around Mark Wahlberg. Dick Vermeil is sitting in his house with his wife just hoping making this guy the last player on his roster won't bite him in the ass. You'd think if your team sucks so bad, you'd be more worried about, you know, every other player on the team. In his first game, Papale misses a tackle on the opening kickoff. Of course, this leads to Dick Vermeil grabbing his facemask on the sideline and angrily reminding him "I STUCK MY NECK OUT FOR YOU!!!". Then, the top story on the sports news is essentially "Local boy Vincent Papale SUCKS!". Now I watch a lot of football, and roughly 90% of the time the kick returner, who is one of the best athletes on his team, makes the first would-be tackler miss. Hardly the end of the world. I hate when I movie feels like it has to spell it out for you. THIS CHARACTER IS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING ACCLIMATED TO THE NFL. Thanks. It's annoying as shit.

Despite the off-putting dumbing down of just about anything football, the movie remains entertaining enough all the way through. Not something I'd watch again, but worth the rental.

Football Movie Marathon Rankings
1. Brian's Song
2. Varsity Blues
3. Invincible
4. Two For the Money

Week 5 Matchups

Coming off an exciting week 4, week 5 looks to bring some normalcy back. A few early contenders will be exposed and the glut of teams at .500 in the West look to separate from the pack.

Hail to the Chefs (3-1) vs Breaston my Face (4-0)
Two first place teams clash, but they've gotten to their division leads in decidedly different ways. Jared has been the most dominating team in the league winning by an average of more thna 30 points per week. Tony is 9th(!) in the league in points, but far and away number one in points allowed (less than 75 per week...nice defense)
Jared will have some issues with Rivers on a bye and McFadden hurt,but Tony is without Ryan Grant and Greg Olsen. His RBs for this week (Buckhalter and Donald Brown) leave a lot to be desired

Jared 98 - Tony 83

Fister? I hardly know her. (2-2) vs Party Animals (1-3)
Vick burst onto the scene with a huge week 1 led by Drew Brees, but alas Jared was right...Brees doesn't play Detroit every week (hard to count on 360 yards and 6 TDs) and this week he doesn't play at all. She does however have a few Steelers who have the Lions this week. Kyle is forced to stick with a struggling Tony Romo because Cutler is on a bye and Marques Colston also sits. Romo has a favorable matchup to get back on track as does Slaton and the NYG defense

Kyle 95 - Vikki 87

Lynnhood Curbstompers (2-2) vs My team Blows Again (3-1)
JJ has his full roster at his disposal, but Jason only sits Vincent Jackson and has choice matchups for his running backs. AD vs the Rams = bad news for fantasy opponents. JJ could keep it close, but he has too much to overcome

JJ 94 - Jason 110

Angry Asians (2-2) vs I Stiff Armed your Mom (0-4)
Wong coming off a stunning comeback has to sit QB Rodgers, but his backup is playing the Lions so he should be OK. at the same time Craig has to sit Matt Forte, Greg Jennings, Mason Crosby and his defense. Wong has enough left to keep Craigs 0fer going

Jason 90 - Craig 83

Matchup of the Week
LFP Phreaks (2-2) vs Show me your TD's (1-3)
This should be the closest matchup of the week. Mike has been the better team thus far, but he is hurt by byes this week. Pierre Thomas, Antonio Gates, Donald Driver and the San Diego D all have to sit, while Nick/Gas have a full roster. Most weeks Mike would have the advantage, but this week Nick has a shot to steal a win

Mike 89 - Nick 90

Angry Asians do it!

In one of the best Monday nights in league history we saw a comeback by Jared, an 0.9 point decision go to Tony Le, and of course a massive comeback walloping by Wong's Asian squad over Jakubiak's blowfactory! What a Monday! Week 5 here we come. Oh by the way... Watch that ticker, it's got hand-updated scores that you can't get anywhere else!!!

Wow, what a pussy.

Brett Favre just cried for the second time in two weeks on national television.

Don't look now...

Jason Wong's Angry Asians are looking at a 50+ point Monday Night comeback the likes of which we've never seen. Aaron Rodgers, Bernard Berrian and the Minnesota Defense are storming Adrian Peterson's castle all night. Did we mention this would be the Asians' first win? DRAMATICS GALORE!!!

Adrian Peterson, Goat.

After the praise for potentially being the G.O.A.T. as far as runningbacks, Peterson plays the goat for Show Me Your TD's and their hapless management of kickers. Peterson's fumble returned for a touchdown clinch a fourth straight win for Jared and his Breaston My Face.

One to one...

A-Rodg just evened things up with the graybeard, the intrigue just won't stop!

Exciting Week 4 keeps rolling in LFP FFB!

Another good week will be capped off with a decisive Monday Night Football showdown. This time it will be Show Me Your TD's trying to hold on to the slimmest lead they could imagine against the strong Green Bay defense in support of Breaston My Face. With this many chesticle references in primetime I think we might just be in for something special! Stay tuned!

Week 4 is a go!

Here we go into Week 4 with one team trying to get their first win, and two teams trying to remain undefeated. Lots of interesting match-ups in the NFL this week, highlighted by Brett Favre's first division game against his old squad and protege Aaron Rodgers on Monday, so let's get this week started off right! I'll be at the Mariners game today watching the greatest man alive play what may be his final game, so hit up the blog yourselves and keep it real today gentlemen!

-Commish