Ryan Tufts: Maybe the premier fantasy sports player in all of our leagues. He was a perfect 2 for 2 in our fantasy leagues in the last calendar year. He took the 2007 fantasy baseball season by storm and left everyone in the dust. He went on a playoff run in last years' fantasy football season to dominate Keegan in the final week. And this year he appeared poised to take another baseball championship as he finished second in the regular season by a mere 1 game to yours truly and then dominated his way to the championship game again. However, as Sunday's games came and went, there was uncertainty in the air as to who took the 2008 trophy. Ryan and I were left tied at 6-6 with no games left to play. When the smoke cleared I had won the matchup and the title by an unknown tie-breaker. While I am ecstatic about my first title in these Hudson fantasy leagues, I would like to take a look at what led to the final result...
With two days left in the championship matchup between Ryan and myself, Ryan had a solid lead in most of the categories. However, two categories in particular would be the cause of Ryan's trophy streak being snapped; Home runs and Wins. Saturday night Ryan made a monumental mistake that can only be comparable to a situation such as Billy Buckner letting the ball through his legs. On his bench sat an infuriated Johan Santana, who had been forgotten for his Saturday night start. How does Johan repay Ryan for being forgotten? He pitches a complete game shutout that would have given Ryan an 8-7 lead in the wins category. Instead, we stayed even at 7-7. As Sunday rolled around Ryan made me aware of the mistake that had befallen the Tyler Durdens and I was suddenly filled with hope. I had thought he was going to best me once again in the realm of fantasy sports, but I was given one last chance, and one last pitcher, to finally get over the hump.
Sunday night I had finally overtaken Ryan in the Home Runs category after Team Jim Gaffigan had it's best day of the matchup with 4 homers. Ryan led overall 6-5-1, leaving me with one solid option to tie the match and leave it up to an unknown tie breaker. Sitting at the top of my pitching lineup was my last starter of the year; a Mr. Tim Lincecum. Being a Cy Young candidate, Tim was out to show why he should win the award in only his second pro season. He hurled 7 innings of 1 run baseball while fanning 13 and leading the Giants over the Dodgers and earning me the W. This performance, along with the Buckneresque mistake of leaving Johan on the bench, put me up 8-7 in wins and tied Ryan and myself 6-6. I was awarded the championship today by an unknown tie-breaker.
I am proud of the way my team fought back and I cannot be happier about winning it all, but the lack of a clear tie-breaker must be discussed. Ryan finished just 1 game behind me in the regular season standings. He tied me after two weeks of battling for the title. He even beat me by a slim 7-5 margin in our regular season meeting late in the year. Ryan deserved this title as much as I did in every way. So for me to be awarded the championship with no clear tie-breaker seems wrong to a certain degree. I consider Ryan my biggest foe in fantasy sports and he has my utmost respect. Although the record books will have me written down as the 2008 Champion, I consider Ryan a co-Champion and that is how it should be. So everyone who reads this, congratulate Ryan and myself on our Championships this year as we are both the champions.
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3 comments:
We all know that if fantasy sports didn't involve so much luck (or lack thereof), I'd win every year. It's a proven fact of science.
But seriously, way to cheat your way to victory by winning a tiebreaker that you probably made up. I think it was "Number of Comedians Mentioned in Team Name," but I may be wrong. And yes, I know Ben is Commish for baseball, but I also know that you are a hacker and probably got his password.
You're a classy guy Choor. It was nuts how close our matchup was, and how every at bat towards the end of Sunday could have affected the result.
How might Johan Santana, my best pitcher, find himself on my bench the final weekend of the season you ask? I have no idea. Matt Garza managed to find his way into my Saturday lineup, but Johan Santana, a clear top 5 pitcher in the MLB- nope.
You've got to be lucky to win fantasy sports, right? Tim is the prime example. He continues to be F-ed in the teeth by his "all star" players, and has seldom (if ever) made a playoff appearance in any of our leagues. The man knows sports, so what gives?
The past two years I've been absurdly "lucky" winning basically every league I've come across. 3.5 out of 4 baseball leagues, 1 of 2 football leagues last (and a promising start this year), and random trash hockey league, well that one was luck.
Will my luck run out this fall with football? Don't bet on it.
Tim- If the I'm Tappen That's make the playoffs this year I will be thoroughly impressed, and you will be deserving of some kind of team-that-overcame-the-most-debilitating-injury-possible-to-lead-his-owner-to-his-first-fantasy-playoff-birth-in-recent-memory-award or as we call in Argentina the TTOTMDIPTLHOTHFFPBIRMA (or just the Birma)
Choor- As much as I love that you are tied for last place in our league, I look forward to watching you climb out of a 1-3 hole and seeing you in the playoffs.
ps. Alexei Ramirez, my fantasy second baseman, hit a grand slam last night for the White Sox... so close.
Touche, Ryan. Touche. Obviously luck is a part of it, but I think I tend to value youth and promise over proof...and they usually blow it (plus, Keegan stole Pedroia from me in baseball this year...jerk).
See my running back situation in FFB right now (granted, I could have Gore had I not wanted Tom Brady). Run DMC and Steve Slaton all have legitimate chances to start for me every week--and at least one of them will, no matter what, since it is those 2, Willis "The ACL" McGahee, and his counterpart Le'Ron "The Misplaced Apostrophe" McLain.
In good news, to everyone who was hating on Greg Jennings (not you Ryan, I know)...I might ask you who leads the NFL in receiving yardage, and I might also smile when you give me the correct answer. How about that for a 10th round pick (it was probably actually a 12th, but I let you guys get off). He might be the key to earning me the Birma this year.
In conclusion, of course fantasy sports take luck--but it's not all luck. Clearly, we all know Ryan and Choor know sports, which is the reason they're perennially 1 and 2 in our leagues.
Might I also add that had Tom Brady not gotten injured, my team name would still be "Check Out My Bulger," which is still my favorite to date. "Kings of the Cassel" wasn't bad, either. I think I'm going to change my name right now, as a matter of fact, since I'm 0-2 since changing my name to "I'm Tappen That," of course after Kathryn Tappen of NESN.
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