Just in: BuckWheat Luvin won a game!

BWL will be 3-9 tonight. Beating BrewDog 145-70. Thanks Drew, I appreciate your hard work. Geaux Saints!

Matthew Stafford

I know the Lions are not any good this year, but I have to say it is fun to watch Matthew Stafford. Hope they build a good team around him.

Happy Thanksgiving

Watching the Packers - Detroit game now. Keurig K-Kop (Me) is having a great day with Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson and Donald Driver.

Happy Thanksgiving, I sure have a lot to be thankful for in my real life. My fantasy teams, not so much, but hey there is always next year.

FOX NFL Sunday from Afghanistan

I usually do not watch the pre-game shows for Sunday. I got too much going on to sit there try to see what is going on. The exception was this Sunday when I took some time to watch the Fox Sports NFL Sunday Pre-Game show from Afghanistan.

As I was watching the show from Afghanistan, I felt a smile on my face.  I was really pleased with the way the crew interacted with the troops. The show was well done, and it seemed like these guys wanted to be over there with our military.

Even when Terry Bradshaw broke into "God Bless America" I felt like he meant it from his heart and that he was not doing it for laughs.

Say what you will about Fox, but you don't see the other networks reaching out to our troops like this, and after the attack at Ft. Hood I really believe a little went a long way.

Thanks FoxSports for putting on a great show. BWL

Done for the year Buckwheat Luvin 09

I lost by 7 points last night. Roddy White did me in with his 76 yard TD reception. I could point to alot of things but I think Frank Gore getting hurt along with the two weeks that Brees did not throw a TD were the signs this was not my year.

I am not going to punk out by not putting in a line up, but if I do the math there is no way I can win or place this year wth Buckwheat Luvin 09.

The only thing I have to play for is a burrito bet with Black Mamba. I need to beat him one more time to get a lunch.

I will write about th

The League on FX

Did anyone see The League on FX last Thursday? I forgot to set my DVR and I wanted to know if it was any good. it certainly looked funny.

State of the Stack - NFL 2009 League

I am 2-5 going into this week. Drew Brees not throwing a TD for 2 weeks and RB problems have led to this record. If I lose this weekend, I will be simply playing for pride and position.

4th and inches call - I agree with it

I agree with the call. Why not, I just wish we had scored the TD.

Wait we just got the ball back. Way to go Saints D!!!

Weak QBs

I am sick and tired of QBs being treated like china dolls. You call that roughing the passer? Seriously? What a load of horse manure.

Should have started Brees - Coulda, but didn't

I started Jake Delhomme over Drew Brees because of the Giants D. Made a mistake obviously. Doesn't matter because we are up 20-3!

Ist Quarter: 14-3 Saints vs Giants

1 down and 3 more to go. Let's hope the Giants D gets tired soon. I really liked the way both sides of the ball were playing for the Saints. The Giants just seem a little off in the passing game. It should be 14-7 if I am being honest. Right now, I don't care.

Just give Colston the TD

Are you kidding me Tom? Just put the red flag back and work on your offense. 19 yards of offense and the Ist Quarter is almost done. Stick a fork in it. Who DAT!

Blogging Saints Game 1:15 PM EST

I love it. The Saints had the opening kick off and took the ball down the field. 4th and inches on the 1, they go for it and Mike Bell leaps for a TOUCHDOWN!!! After all these years, it is nice to see. More to follow.

Rush Limbaugh and the NFL

     For the record, I do not listen to Rush Limbaugh. Not because I do not agree with him, but because my Iriver H340 gets FM stations and WTKK 96.9 has great hosts. I even like Jim Braude even though I think he is the proto-typical liberal blowhard.

    I wanted to write about the deal with him buying into the RAMS. My point is very brief. How can an organization that lets thugs, spouse abusers, drug users, and killers (Donte Stallworth) into and back into the league and shut out someone like Rush Limbaugh who has the money to buy into a franchise?

    I thought his comments on Donavan McNabb silly and uninformed, but not made with racists intentions. If I am to understand the situation it is these comments that caused many owners to declare that they would vote against him.

     I understand that many people have been rubbed the wrong way by Rush, but again I ask, you can let criminals play in your league, but you can't let a big, white guy who runs his mouth for a living into your league?  I am not sure I understand. BWL

Guest OP-ED - No Football

No Football

I did not watch one second of football this weekend. I did catch a few highlights, but I am not counting that. I will watch Monday night football. I can honestly say that I did not miss anything on Sunday. Was football even played? What the hell happened Sunday? I am at a loss.



First, I knew exactly what was going to happen when I found out Oakland was going to New York. I was right. That was the only game televised in the morning here on the west coast. I did not even come close to thinking about watching it. It would have been more exciting to watch paint dry. Oakland like St. Louis are complete embarrassments to the league.



Second, can someone tell me how one of the best defenses in the league allows 45 points to a visiting team. Yes, I am talking about the 49ers. I think everyone but Coach Singletary was looking forward to the upcoming bye week. They started the bye a week early. I think coach will have a few words for them. How do you let someone do that to you in your own house.



Third, how come it took Dallas overtime to beat KC. Did they forget who they were playing? Even as bad as Dallas is (and they are bad), they should have had no problems giving KC a beat down. Predictions; Wade Phillips gets fired by the end of the season, Jason Garrett (Offensive Coordinator, and the so called incumbent coach) gets fired. Roy Williams exits Dallas and Tony Romo loses star power in that city and fans call for his replacement. Jerry Jones spends as much money as the United States' deficit for a stadium and puts THAT product onto the field. Heads are going to roll in big d.



Fourth, Cleveland @ Buffalo. Browns win by the score of 6-3. Buffalo fan should demand their money back. I thought this could be a good game. I know Cleveland does not have a hockey team and Buffalo does not have a baseball team and neither have a soccer team so what the hell happened. How does Buffalo allow the visiting team to come into their house and beat them with a replacement kicker. Hey Buffalo fan, Mount T.O. is about to erupt. But do not worry the Sabres are still in the playoff race for the Stanley Cup.



Fifth, I thought I was in bizarro world when I saw that Seattle shutout Jacksonville 41-0. I understand they were in Seattle, but it is the Seahawks after all. Plus, the Jags put 37 on Tennessee the week prior. How does Seattle accomplish this feat, especially with the team that they have. Can anyone name a receiver that Hasselbeck throws to. When did they get a defense. How did they shutdown MJD? Where did the Jags D go? Weird!



Sixth, Josh McDaniels and the Broncos are 5-0. They are the luckiest team in the NFL this year. I have heard people say in the past that you are as good as your record. In this case I could not disagree more. Denver is not even close to being a good team let alone being undefeated. Have you watched this team play? The only smart thing that Orton does is get the ball to Marshall and he seems to score every time. They have no running game, and no one else to throw the ball to. What happened to Eddie Royal? The defense actually seems to be OK. They the Bengals on a crap play. The Bengals are better than people thought they would be. They beat the Browns, who are worse than people thought they would be. They beat the Raiders, duh. They were evenly matched with Dallas and got by them. Then they beat New England (McDaniels' old team). Besides luck, how does this team win?



In other words, I did not miss a thing this Sunday.

Guest OP-ED - The Four Busts

The Four Busts

Sacramento Knight: Commissioner NFL2009 FF League

There are four players that I keep tabs on just to see if the light goes on. So far, not even close. I wonder if they even have a light socket to put a bulb in. I know they all have talent, but it is best suited for the NCAA. Out of the four, the one who has been in the league the longest is Reggie Bush. Granted he has had the most success out of the four, but that is not saying much. The Saints want him to play 3 or 4 different positions like he did at USC. That experiment is not working. He is not good enough to be the starting running back (Pierre Thomas beat him out). He can't be a starting wide receiver (Devery Henderson, Marquis Colston, Lance Moore and even Robert Meachem beat him out). So that leaves him with being a returner. Saints pay him a lot of money to be an inconsistent returner. He will either have 2 touchdowns or 2 fumbles. I see this all too often from him. Do the Saints and Reggie realize this is the NFL not USC. A lot money and a waste of a draft pick. His stats are not great and they should be. Reggie is over hyped and underachieving. I know there are people who will disagree, but please remember that he was the third overall pick and is getting a big paycheck from football alone, not to mention all his endorsements. I thought endorsements were for stars. He definitely is not one. I think he more famous for dating Kim Kardashian than playing football. Reggie Bush is a bust.



The next player Darren McFadden. Some of what I said about Reggie Bush can be applied to Darren as well. They are the same type of player. Darren has talent, but it is for the college game. He does not do any return duties. He plays wide receiver a little, but mainly he is a running back. The Raiders have realized (unlike the Saints) that he can't play several different positions and improve his game. Like Reggie, Darren has had a couple of 100 yard rushing games but that is it. Also, he does not know how to stay healthy. He too is over hyped and underachieving, plus the Raiders have a lot money tied up in him. The overall stats are not there. Maybe he should date someone famous. Darren McFadden is a bust.



Number three is Darrius Heyward-Bey. I still cannot believe that the Raiders drafted this guy and made him the top wide receiver chosen in the draft. Crabtree and Maclin were available and acceptable picks. There is way too much money tied up by this guy. Someone needs to tell him that when the ball hits his hands he is suppose to hold onto to it. I have never seen so many dropped passes by one player before in my life, and he is only 5 games into his rookie year. He has (at this point) 2 catches for 36 yards. He is the number 7 overall pick and is making millions of dollars and that is all he has done. I could retire right now if I was making money off of his dropped passes. Attention Al Davis, you have a plethora of problems with your team. However, drafting a guy because he is the fastest one in the draft does not work anymore, especially if he can't catch the ball. I do not think stick-um would help this guy. I know it is early in his career but just watching him play makes you nauseous. Darrius Heyward-Bey is a bust.



Last but not least, the biggest bust of all is JaMarcus Russell. I know his offensive line is one of the worst in the league. I also know that he missed his first year because of a hold out. Have you ever seen a deer caught in headlights before. The deer looks more comfortable and poised, than Russell does playing quarterback. The Raiders have not even given him the entire playbook and he has not shown any signs of improvement. Yet, here is another player the Raiders are paying an ungodly amount of money to. My question is why. Is it because he can throw a pass 80 yards in the air from his knee. That does not help in the NFL. Since he cannot hit an open receiver, I am sure he has a horrible problem just trying to warm up. Every time the center snaps the ball I want to turn away and watch a train wreck, it would be less painful. He may have been good at LSU, but again this is the NFL. I can't think of anything good to say about his play. I would love to see Brad Gradkowski play then watch Russell take another snap. It is just plain ugly. JaMarcus Russell is a bust.

United Football League: My first impression

Just finished watching the Dodgers beat the Cardinals in the bottom of the 9th so I flipped over to Versus to watch the United Football Leagure or UFL. The Las Vegas Locomotives hosted the California Redwoods. I will start with the good first.

It was nice watching Dennis Green and Jim Fassel work on the sidelines. Both coaches had success in the NFL and it was good to see them again.

Seeing the game in HD made it seem legit, and my favorite part was watching Kordell Steward do sideline reporting with the players after big plays. I liked that better than watching Suzy Kolber chasing some guy down for a sound bite. I felt like I was part of a "real" experience. It's obvious they do not have a large production budget; however, the UFL and Versus put on a polished show with a few minor audio glitches.

Whoever was paid to design the uniforms for this league should give their money back. For one thing, the color scheme for the two teams were so similar that I had a hard time telling them apart. Also, who names their team after a tree (Redwoods)? If I was a team owner in California I think I would pick the Prospectors, Grizzlys, Sea Lions, or something like that, but a tree? If you are going to name a team after a tree then the uniform ought to look like a tree with red trousers and a dark green top with a helmet to match. Instead I saw some silver and lime green ensemble that almost blinded me in HD.

I won't comment on the game play except that your expectations should not be high when you watch this league. It is going to take a while to get some quality players, so if you want to see better execution watch NCAA for now. Still it appeared that the teams had put in effort so while the product was not NFL quality it was not bad either.

I think I am going to give it a couple of weeks and try it again. I am going to see if anyone else watched any of the UFL games. Let me know what you think,

BWL

State of the Stack: Not Good

For the last two weeks, I have had my starting QB, Drew Brees not throw a TD and Frank Gore being out has really put a damper on my team. My idea for subs has not worked out in the RB department.  Reggie  Bush and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for a grand total of 6 points last week. I lost by a total of 17 points last week.

Basically for this week, I need to start over with fresh batter and rebuld the stack. I need a QB, because Brees (God love him) is on a Bye this week, Marques Colston is on a  Bye this week and my running backs and defense stink. Tennessee, who I started this week thinking they would bounce back, allowed 37 points from Jacksonville. That cost me at least10 points and mad

I have good tight ends (Jason Witten and Todd Heap) and I decent kicker. I do not think I am out of this, I just need to see what is out there and select the best player for the open position.

I am back.... sort of

It is amazing how reality can totally screw up your perfect fantasy world. Suffice to say that I have not been able to escape reality long enough over the last couple of days to really tend to my fantasy teams, or blog for that matter.

Things have calmed down a bit, and I hope to get back at it starting today. BWL

Week 2 picks and stuff

     I made my week 2 picks and just need to post them. I will do that before the end of the week. I need to set up my 3 interviews I am going to do this year for the blog. I am hoping to squeeze in some time for Halo ODST this week if my boys decide to share my game and my XBOX 360 with their dad.

    As far as football goes, I am going say this and stick by it. Last week is the first real step in the decline of the New England Patriots. A couple more losses like that and it will be hard to ignore the facts with smoke and mirrors. The Patriots are not as good as they used to be.

    I could wax poetic about the Saints, but I think I will start getting excited when we exceed our win total from last year. 2-0 is something I can not complain about so that is all I am going to say about them this week.

    Peyton Manning is something else. I can not say anything else because what I saw Monday defied an explanation. I saw a football clinic being put on for the Miami fans. He is simply that good.

    Thanks for stopping by, BWL

The best deal is the one you do not make - Jason Campbell

     My finger was hovering over the submit button on my Yahoo Fantasy Football site. I was getting ready to lock in Jason Campbell for my starting QB for Buckwheat Luvin. The numbers looked good and I liked the matchups. A pathetic Rams team against an Washington team that needed to show that they knew where the endzone was located for the Redskins faithful. I had visions of touchdowns from Redskins receivers and interceptions from a fired up defense at home. I had started the Washington defense as well.

     I had a nagging feeling though. Kind of like the one I get when I want to make sure all the buckwheat pancakes in my stack are properly buttered. Something was not right. Would I really sit Drew Brees in favor of Campbell? Would I really doubt my NFL team, the New Orleans Saints, to start someone from the Redskins? You see I was worried about the 4 interceptions the Eagles defense had against the Panthers last week and was a little nervous about the Saints being on the road.

     I said the fantasy footballer's prayer looked at my numbers and put Brees back in as my starter. I had to do some stuff with my family so I was not near anything for the first hour of games yesterday, but when I got back I was estatic. Brees was hitting anything that moved and for some reason the Washington team as a whole let me and alot of other teams down.

     This happens often in life and fantasy football. Usually there is nothing more than bragging rights at stake in fantasy football; however the same holds true in both areas. Sometimes not making the commitment is the best choice you can make. Hopefully I can continue to have some luck and instinct during the year.

    
   

NFL 2009 Fantasy Football Game of the Week - JC Jacquels vs Black Mamba

This is my pick for the fantasy game of the week. Black Mamba is counting on Tom Brady to seal the deal this time. I like JC Jacquel starting Clinton Porits going up against St Louis this week. It is going to be a good one, but I have to pick Black Mamba. See Matchup Below, BWL

Week Two Starting Lineup for Buckwheat Luv'in - Drew Brees or Jason Campbell

I picked up Jason Campbell (QB Washington Redskins) this week and I was thinking. The St. Louis Rams are going to be bad this year. Those sheep need to be sheared and put out to pasture to grow in some new wool or something because they reek.

The Redskins are playing the Rams at home this week. Seattle put up 446 net yards of offense on the Rams(279 net yards passing, 146 net yards rushing). Matt Hasselbeck threw 3 TDs and 2 INTs against the Rams.

This has me thinking......... What could Jason Campbell do against the Ram at home? I have Drew Brees. He is playing at Philadelphia and had a great week last week, I am not sure that he is going to throw 6 TDs for week 2 against a team that picked off Jake Delhomme from Carolina 4 times last week.

This is a common problem when you play Fantasy Football. How should you value your talent based on the conditions for the week? Should I look at past numbers? If so how far back should I go? It is too early in the season to really tell what I have so it is difficult to properly structure my analysis.

I am really on the fence and if I do not make the right choice I am 1-1 instead of 2-0. Also I run the risk of losing the points battle of one of these QBs have a bad day. Gotta run, BWL

Guest Writer - Sacramento Knights - Week 1 Crap

Sacramento Knights, Commissioner for the NFL2009 Fantasy League, wrote this piece and asked if I would post it. I have posted this piece without any edits. I think he speaks for a lot of NFL fans so read this piece and let me know if you agree. Thanks commish for offering this up for review.

Week 1 Crap

Sacramento Knights

I watched 4 games on this the opening weekend for the NFL. I watched Minnesota @ Cleveland, Denver @ Cincinnati, Buffalo @ New England, and San Diego @ Oakland. All these games have one thing in common...crap. The first two games the NFl cannot do anything about. It is what it is. The Minnesota game was the first regular season start for Brett Favre as the Vikings QB. Like nobody knew that. Kind of like Jerome Bettis is from Detroit during Pittsburgh steal of that Super Bowl against Seattle played in Detroit and was Jerome final games of his career(for all you Jim Rome fans). Yet all I heard from the broadcast team was how good Brett is and how well he managed the game and how Minnesota should be in the Super Bowl because now their team is complete now that Favre is there. What a bunch of crap! He managed not to throw an interception, he managed to not fumble the ball when he was sacked on several occasions. He managed the game well because he did not know the playbook and his team was winning most (not all) of the game.



The second game I watched was Denver @ Cincinnati. I can tell you that Denver is a crap team and played like it. The Bengals actually seem to play fairly decent. Back to Denver. Kyle Orton played like crap, Denver ran the ball like crap, McDaniels even seemed to coach like crap, but that was not the crappiest thing of all. Yes, I am speaking of the Stokley play at the end of the game to seal the win for Denver. That was crap! Denver still has some luck on their side after all. Stokley completely quits on the play and yet he still manages to be in the right place at the right time. So he makes his mad dash to the end zone for the win and the Bengals bad luck continues.i picked Denver to win that game but that should be a Bengal victory. denver and Stokley are completely undeserving of that win. I hate Denver anyways and I hope their luck runs out completely very soon. I miss the days when they were fighting with KC an S.D. for last place.



Buffalo @ New England. I absolutely hate the Patriots(and their fans). Now that is out of the way, When will the NFL finally kick this team back to the curb again. Ever since 9/11/01, the "Patriots" have been Americas team. What a coincidence. Wink, Wink. Why is it that the hoody and the Pretty boy get EVERYTHING their way. Their team is never penalized when the game is on the line, but there opponents are. How about that? Tuck rule, let not even go there. Yes, Raider fan is still bitter about that and rightfully so. The Patriots had a TD count and the Raiders in their game had one taken away. WHY? It was the same exact play! It just shows that it is OK for the Patriots but not for anyone else. That is crap! Anyone can have an incredible career and be consider that best QB when the refs and the league hand it to you on a silver platter(Lombardi Trophy). I am beyond fed up with this team and the preferential treatment they get. It will be a glorious day when they go back to last place and winning 3 games a year with nobody caring. That game, that win belongs to Buffalo. The Patriots were even given a first down without them getting the necessary yardage. They were a minimum of a yard short and the refs just gave them a first down. At the end of their drive was, of course, a touchdown. Buffalo got robbed and the refs helped. What crap.



Finally, I come to San Diego @ Oakland. I picked S.D. to wipe the floor with Oakland. It did not happen. It just shows that Norv Turner can run one of the most talented teams into the ground. The Raiders played very well, surprisingly. The game was ripped from the Raiders and given to the Chargers. The TD at the end of the first half that was taken away, is crap. The Patriots, as I stated above, had the same exact play count for a touchdown. Not the Raiders, heaven forbid. Murphy catches the ball with possession and not only does he have both feet land in the middle of the end zone, he even has his knees and hip hit the ground and still have possession. His arm that is holding the ball hits that ground and he still has possession. But, because he does not hang on to it as he is trying to stop and get up the pass is ruled incomplete. That is the biggest bunch of crap since the tuck rule game against the Patriots. How two teams can stay at opposite ends of the spectrum fro so long is unbelievable to me. Everything has to go against the Raiders and everything has to go right for the Patriots. Now, you can call me an extremely bitter Raiders fan and you would be right, but the facts are there and there are to many to list. You know I am right. It is a bunch of crap!

Week One Pick Results

I missed 6 games and Sac Knight missed 5. I don't think Oakland counts because of the clear touchdown that was taken away. Here is what I missed.

1. NY Jets over Houston. - Houston did not look ready and it showed.
2. Philadelphia over Carolina - Big win, I did not think Jake Delhomme would throw 4 picks on the first game of the season. Saints will have to play Philly tough next weekend.
3. Denver over Cincy - Cmon are you kidding me, you will never see something like that again in your lifetime. Brandon Stokley got that game ball for sure.
4. Giants over Washington - Totally missed that one, don't know what to say.
5. 49ers over Arizona - Love it, bet Michael Crabtree is feeling real good now.
6. San Diego over Oakland - I don't think this counts. Raiders got robbed of a touchdown. If I were Tom Cable I would be filing a complaint right now.

Could have been better, but I should improve over the course of the season. BWL

Buckwheat Luv'in vs Black Mamba

Almost a real scare, Black Mamba started Tom Brady and for the first half I thought I had nothing to worry about. Then in the last 5 minutes of the game, Brady can't miss a pass and throws 2 TDs!.Black Mamba scores 56 points with Tom Brady!

 All the sudden my lead shrinks to a point where I know I am going to lose with Black Mamba starting San Diego's defense. I lost Anthony Gonzalez at WR so I am remembering the fantasy footballer's prayer as the game starts with Oakland.

Long story short, I won my first week by 2 points (143 - 141). I need to do the following things for next week.

• Drop Anthony Gonzalez, WR - Hurt for Indianapolis
• Drop Reggie Bush, RB - Ineffective
• Drop Matt Schaub, QB - Ineffective
• Drop Leon Washington, RB - I think I can upgrade
• Drop New England's Defense - Should be able to pick up better defenses.

I would like to pick up another WR and 2 RBs for next weekend. Week 2 is the Sacaremento Knight who is ranked 3rd after week 1. I got to get to work. BWL

NFL picks for the week: Sacramento Knights and BuckWheat Luv'in

Week 1: NFL Picks - Can you do better?

     Last night The Sacaremento Knights and BuckWheat Luv'in started off the season with the fantays footballer's prayer and weekly picks. It is our tradition to go through the NFL2009 Fantasy League and pick who is going to win or the put up the most points. Then we move to the NFL and pick the winners for each week followed by our Game(s) of the Week.

     As for NFL2009 Fantasy League both Sac Knight and I believe that there is too much parity in our league to pick a high scorer or winner for this week. Here are our NFL picks for Week 1. Comment with your picks before game time (1:00 PM EST) and if you beat us or pick better the 75% at the end of the year, I will do an interview with you, and post it here on the blog.

Week 1

Game Our Pick

Steeler - Titans Game Recap

     I am sure Rob Bironas feels real good right about now. His two missed field goals that cost the Titans the game. I drafted him for one of my leagues but started Nick Folk from Dallas instead for week 1.

     This was a defensive game with both sides slugging it out until the third quarter when the passing game opened up. Kerry Collins still has it and I thought the rookie WR for the Ttians, Kenny Brit had a good night. He ran good routes and used his hands to catch the ball.

    While Big Ben did not throw alot of touchdowns tonight, he threw for alot of yards. He was 33 out of 43 for 363 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. Depending on how your fantasy league is setup, Ben could have made you some hay tonight. Whatever is going on for him personally, he did not bring it to the field.

     This game should not have gone into OT, but everytime you think Kickers are not really important to the team you find out otherwise. Overall, this was not a bad way to start the season. BWL.

    

Keurig K-Kop vs Quincy Patriots Week One - Who do you think will win?

This my work league. I am going up against the guy who got the first pick of the draft. Who do you think will win this week?

If you can't see the image on facebook go to http://footballfixx.blogspot.com/ and cast your vote. You can click on the image to make it bigger. Thanks

BuckWheat Luv'in vs Black Mamba - Who do you think will win.

This is the week one match up for BuckWheat Luv'in (Me) versus Black Mamba from the NFL 09 League. Who do you think will win?

If you can't see the image on FaceBook go to http://footballfixx.blogspot.com/ to cast your vote!

Get your lineup(s) in by tomorrow

If you own a fantasy football team and you have not done so already, get your lineup in before kickoff tomorrow. I know people say that will not forget, but do not leave it to chance. Put a line up tonight and tweak it tomorrow when you get home from work. Good Luck, BWL

Teaching my wife to do some fantasy football.

     Look, now that almost all workplaces ban fantasy football sites, or anything related to fantasy football, times can get kind of crazy. What is a guys supposed to do when a practice injury hits one of his players and he needs to make a move quick.

     Work was the perfect place to manage your team. If your boss came by and asked what you were doing, you could simply say, something about performance trends and valuation metrics. That was usually met with a smile and a pat on the back for being a smart worker. Those were happier times indeed.

     This calls for a solution I never thought I would take seriously. Getting my wife to do some work for me while she was at home. To me it would mean that she could get a glimpse into how hard I have to work to manage a team and we could grow closer together. RIGHT????

    So check back for LESSON 1: Logging into Yahoo Fantasy Football. I am sure it will be blast.

I am going to post my playoff and Super Bowl pick tomorrow.
    

Fantasy Draft - Not my best day

I was going to write something smooth and witty about my awesome draft and how found sleepers and smoked the competition. Yes, I was thinking about it this morning.

It would have been great too. Except for one small thing: I did not bring my draft folder and I did not email myself the draft sheets I made. I totally dropped the ball. I winged it the entire draft because I can't access home email and yahoo fantasy at work.

I am so mad at myself that all I can say right now is good night.

My NFC South Rankings

Here is my view on how the NFC South (Bucs, Falcons, Panthers, and Saints) will turn out.

Tampa Bay Buccaners

I don't care who you are. You can't fire your offensive coordinator less than two weeks before the season starts and expect to have great success. I feel like the Bucs should go back to their old uniforms because it seems like we have rolled back the clock to the bad days. I don't know what is going on with this team and I am not too confident of their prospects in an improved division from last year.

Carolina Panthers

After watching Jake Delhomme's miserable performance in last year's playoff game against the Cardinals, I thought there would have major cleaning of the kitty litter box for the Panthers. Instead it seems they have taken a calm approach while realizing the window of oppurtunity may close this year. The Panthers have always played the Saints tough so while I think the Saints are better on paper, I consider the Panthers to be an early dark horse to go to the NFC Championship Game this year.

Atlanta Falcons

This team was a complete surprise last year. Hats off to Matt Ryan for being a Ist round pick that lived up to the hype and expectations. He handled himself real well and there is no indication right now that he can not do the same this year. Tony Gonzalez will give the Falcons and experienced Tight End who is not expected to carry the whole team. I like how Michael Turner runs the ball. I love it. If they can repeat last year's success then this is a dangerous team.

New Orleans Saints

As a Saints fan I can tell you that I was not happy with the way the season went last year. I felt we were trending toward the Jim Haslett years where we started out good and got consistently worse. All I can say is for the first time in a long time it appeared that the Saints were serious about fixing problems in the off season. Gregg Williams has been allowed to re work the defense and I have to think Saints Fans will see results this year as our defense was painful to watch last year.

We had no major injuries to our starters this year and we have a full receiving corps starting for our opening game at home versus the Lions. If you are a fantasy team owner and have Drew Brees, this is a must start situation.

My expectations are playoff this year for my team. If the Saints do not make the playoffs then I will not be happy. It is not an unrealistic expectation given the talent we have.

Final Rankings: Low to High

4. Tampa Bay

3. Caronlina

2. Falcons

1. Saints

Draft Question - 7th pick, Ist Round

I am in another league and I get the 7th pick in the first round. I am at a loss to see who I should pick first. For some reason, I am thinking QB. I think all the high profile running backs will be gone. Any suggestions?

College Football Recap: Virginia Tech and LSU

     Usually, I don't go bonkers during the first week of college football. I feel this way because in my experience is it some no name team getting the stuffing beaten out of them by a high caliber team (USC, Penn State, LSU, Norte Dame, etc.) This week was no exception with some teams ringing up a half a hundred or more on their opponents. YAWN. I liked the following games

1. OSU vs Georgia - I thought the Bulldogs were going to romp. I was mistaken, and it proved to be good game with the Cowboys playing some inspired football.
2. Virginia Tech  vs Alabama. Again, I thought the Tide was going to roll big over Virginia Tech . In the first half both teams were playing hard, and Vanderbilt took the oppurtunities Alabama gave them in the first half. As a former Nick Sabban disciple, I can tell you that adjustments were made at half time and Alabama decided to play football. As an LSU fan, I don't think I have ever rooted that hard for Virginia Tech .

     I have not watched the LSU game yet (I DVRed it) so the only thing I can say right now is I thought the score was going to be alot higher. It is all good to me because with Georgia losing LSU should stay at 11 or move into the top 10. We will see when the rankings come out.

     I tend to start paying attention to NCAA when week 3 hits and the puffballs are out of the way. Until then, it is hard for me to get excited. Norte Dame over Neveda? Huh? Just can't do it.

Fantasy Football Prep and First Interview

     My wife is making me apple cinnamon pancakes. I don't have any buckwheat pancake mix. While she is making some Luv'in goodness I wanted to go over my checklist for my upcoming fantasy season. I also am getting ready to do my first interview from another team owner from another league.

BuckWheat Luvin's Fantasy Football Checklist

1. Enable Live Scoring for my three leagues
2. For this week, I am looking at the match ups for the NFL games to determine my starting lineups.
3. Check injury reports. If there is a last minute scratch have sub ready.
4. Check waiver wire on Monday and see if there is anyone I would like to grab for extra points.
5. Make sure I have the gentleman's wager with Black Mamba in writing.
6. Have notebook, pens, markers, and highlighters ready for post game analysis.
7. For the blog, try to determine the best matchup for week one to do a write-up.
8. On 09/13/09, it will be on like Donkey Kong. I have to do the easiest thing and make sure all my lineups are in and submitted! It would not be good if I forgot this most important step. Commish will remind us, but he should not have to at this point.
9. Last but not least, I need to order some buckwheat pancake mix.

I will be on everyday until kickoff going over NCAA, NFL, CFL and league stuff. Later BWL

NFL2009 Fantasy Football League - Teams

The football season opens on 09/13/09. Which means Wednesday night and Thursday millions of men will at their computers tweaking their lineup and going over the waiver wire. Without further ado, here are the teams that make up the NFL2009 Fantasy Football League.

1. Defensor Fortis
2. brewdog
3. kram nation
4. SACRAMENTO KNIGHTS
5. CB's Rebels
6. Black Mamba
7. JC Jacquels
8. BuckWheat Luvin 09 - Me

One of the best things about the internet and fantasy football is geographic boundaries are no longer and issue. For instance, brewdog is from the west coast, JC Jacquels is from far up north while Black Mamba hails from New England. It does not matter where we live, we all love football. I will do profiles on each team during the season so keep reading.

Retirement: Bruschi and Favre

Retirement: Bruschi and Favre

     I am not a Patriots fan, but I cannot help but contrast how Tedy Bruschi and Brett Favre did the whole retirement program thing for the NFL. By the way, even though I am not a Patriots fan there was several times I wished he was in a Saints uniform. I was impressed that he was still playing at 37, but wondered how effective he would be when Chris Cooley burned right by him for a 70+ yard gain in pre-season. I did not have to wonder. Tedy is retired and he made it clear that he was done with football. Tedy assessed the situation and decided to hang up his football cleats. He went out on top and for that he has my respect.

     I watched the Houston/Vikings preseason game and my opinion is this. I just don't see Favre being effective for 16 games. I am not buying it. Even though the ESPN Monday Night crew were singing his praises, I did not see him as an upgrade over Sage Rosenfels who the Vikings spent money and draft picks to acquire.



     I wish Tedy the best and if you are a Vikings fan you need to look no further than last year to get an idea of where you team will be in December. I could be wrong, but I do not think so this time.

    

Michael Vick: My View - Who is at fault for his comeback.

Michael Vick: My View - Who is at fault for his comeback.

Why am I writing about Vick? As a Saints fan, I always felt better when we played the Falcons because if we made Vick throw it was a sure thing to get a win. I believed that until he became a better passer he would never reach his full potential.


I am writing about Vick because I think the responses to his recent situation interesting. I have a couple of points I want to make then I am pretty much done thinking about Vick.

Michael Vick with wisdom and knowledge aforethought willfully committed a crime. He did not make an error in judgment, he did not act in ignorance, and he did not make a mistake. He willfully and by choice did the things he did. He went to jail for his crimes and finished the punishment that was given to him.

Fast forward to present.

People's reaction varied in what I have read and seen on TV. Some people believe he does not deserve to play football again, some people believe that he simply made a mistake and deserves a second chance. Everyone has an opinion. Here is mine.



My View

I have nothing against Michael Vick and, I hope he will make something of his life. Here are my issues with this situation. Surprisingly enough, they do not involve Michael Vick at all.



My first issue is with Roger Goodell.

It is well documented that Roger and Michael met before this whole thing came to light to discuss his involvement. Michael lied to Roger Goodell. He had the opportunity to come clean before the whole thing came out and chose to lie.

Roger Goodell had the power to make sure Michael Vick was a non-issue in the NFL and chose to let him come back in the league. I do not know if any other CEO that had been lied to by a former employee who is a convicted felon would even of consider talking to that individual. I asked myself if I was a CEO of lemonade stand would I want to talk to someone who had lied the way Vick. Based on the way I conduct business, I would say no.

I have to question Mr. Goodell's judgment and how me makes his decisions. He could have made a choice to relegate Vick to a footnote in football history. It is not Vick's fault that Roger Goodell took him back.

My second issue is with the Philadelphia Eagles.

You have Donovan McNabb. You have an organization that is well respected and brings in alot of money each year. The Eagles have enjoyed a decade of success that makes them one of the most respected brands in football.

Then they pick up Vick. Why? I could see it if there were no other QBs available. I could see it if Vick had played in the UFL or CFL for year and then tried to make his return, but to take him now? Why would I want to bring the PETA people out in force to my place of business? Sure Tony Dungy went to bat for him, but what has Vick done since he got out of jail to show me that he could behave? The Atlanta Falcons organization wanted nothing to do with him when he got out of jail. The CFL said no way as well. The same team that let Brian Dawkins go picked up Vick!!!! Again, if I am a GM for a football team knowing what I know about Michael Vick, I tell Tony Dungy politely that we are not interested and move on. There are too many other guys who behaved and done the right thing to give Michael Vick another shot at this time. It is not Vick's fault that the Eagles paid him money to play football this year.

My last issue is with football fans.

In Atlanta new Michael Vick jerseys are being snapped up. Eagles fans cheered louder for Vick than they did for McNabb during the Jacksonville/Eagles preseason game. Are you kidding me? Donovan has had injury issues during his career, but I really enjoyed watching him play. He comes off to me as a class act that brings it to the field every time he takes the ball. I really wonder what would have happened if Eagles fans had protested the Eagles organization bringing Vick onboard? Would fans have boycotted the games? The fact that Vick (7) is the number one selling jersey in Philadelphia tells me no. I know I keep harping on this point, but if you knew a place where you did business for many years in your town hired this guy would you vote with your wallet and go somewhere else? I know there is the belief of forgive and forget, but Eagles fans are you serious? What does Michael Vick have over Donovan McNabb? In a way this makes me realize where we are as a society and I don't like what is looking back at me in the mirror.

My position is this. If Michael Vick had demonstrates somehow that he is a changed man and turns this situation into something good then great. The Scarlett letter should be removed and he should be held up as an example of redemption. I just do not see it happening right now. If I am operating like it is my company and my money I would say no. Again, there are too many other guys who made the right choice. I would rather go with them to represent me and my values.

The question you need to ask yourself is what are your values based on how you feel about Vick? I would be interested to see your answer.

I know this was a long one, but thanks for reading. Flipping the thick stack, Buckwheat Luv'in

Testing Facebook Import

If I did this right, this will import right to facebook saving me some time. Let's see if this works.

Here it is

I like football. I like the NFL (Saints), I like NCAA (LSU), I like the CFL (Argonauts, Shreveport Pirates - no longer in existence), I liked the AFL (Arizona Rattlers) and I like the AFL2 (Battlewings). I own two fantasy football teams. I talk about football. In fact my wife will tell that I will utter more words about football than anything else.

So like alot of other guys, I wanted to start writing down what I think about the sport I follow the most. This really came about when I became the proud founder and owner of the fantasy team - Buckwheat Luv'in.

True fantasy owners treat their team like a garden, or a child that needs constant love and attention. It is a labor of love to pour over stat sheets, injury reports and to keep other owners from poaching that free agent you have been checking out. It does not matter if you are playing for pride or money, if you love your team and you love football, you are going to put in the commitment to achieve victory. It is a state of mind only a select few can really understand, but is celebrated here. If you are nodding your head right now, then you have come to the right place. All I can say at this point is, welcome!

I also want to write about happening in the football world and I welcome comments, there is plenty to discuss as we go into the 2009 football season.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you will come back to get your fix.