Hegs Being Hegs

Naval Officer Takes Fantasy Football Memories to New Reality

pathegewald — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:13:00 GMT

Ensign Richard Kerr is just a few short weeks away from embarking on the next chapter of his naval career. Kerr is currently assigned to submarine basic officer school in Groton, CT. and will soon become the supply and logistics officer for the ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky, based out of Bangor, WA. In between his schooling, training and the preparation for his departure to begin his new position, he also took the time to take his dad on the “trip of a lifetime”.

Richard Kerr won a trip for two to the Super Bowl in Miami by winning the RapidDraft Fantasy Football Game that was offered to all navy personnel through the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Department of the military. The 23 year-old Kerr took his father Bob Kerr along for the ride. They stayed at the Courtyard Marriot in Coral Gables and were treated to the many amazing sights and sounds of Super Bowl XLIV. By all accounts it was super.

Kerr had never really played any type of fantasy football game online, so he was in uncharted territory when he saw the ad for RapidDraft hanging on the gym wall at the naval base in Athens, GA. “The odds seemed like a million to one, but I logged in and it was one of the coolest sites I have ever seen. So I figured what the heck”. He played the entire season and found that early picks Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees were winners, but he also scored big with his late round pick-ups of Percy Harvin and Ahmad Bradshaw.

In the near future, Kerr will embark on an exciting new venture that will enhance his military career, help defend his country, and most likely change his life forever. “I think I’ve got the best job in the world”, said Kerr “and it was great to be able to give this trip to my dad before I take that next step…it was the trip of a lifetime”. Without doubt, Bob Kerr has had many reasons to be thankful and proud of his brave son. Now he has their trip together to South Beach to add to the list.

All of us here at World Fantasy Games and RapidDraft would like to extend our deepest thanks to all of the members of the branches of the US military for their personal sacrifices that ultimately allow all of us to continue to do what we love to do. None of us could ever put a price tag on freedom. Richard Kerr is willing to put himself at risk in defense of that freedom, and for that we are all truly grateful. It was a pleasure to bring this game to those who serve and protect our country. It was also a real pleasure getting to know Richard, and it is our honor to be associated with the greatest military on the planet.

Bob and Richard Kerr at the Super Bowl

Situational Lefty

pathegewald — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:34:00 GMT

So football season is officially over, and with the exception of the NFL Draft and some soon-to-be well-placed banter regarding NFL labor relations, we have a pretty decent stretch of time to fill with other sports. For the record, I am no baseball expert and would never even attempt to portray one. I am equally marginal at anything related to fantasy baseball, but I do enjoy the sport. The best way to describe me is to liken me to that one person on a baseball team that best represents me, the situational lefty.

Aside from actually being left-handed myself, I find the situational lefty to also be the person that I would most want to swap places with if such a situation were to arise. The situational lefty is the guy you should all want your left-handed sons to grow up to be. He is always going to have a job. He is making more money than he could ever spend. He’s got a beautiful wife and three great kids going to the best schools. He’s got a killer house near where he grew up and another sweet condo in Phoenix. He hasn’t had to trade his privacy for gluttonous fame and he’s got the biggest bank account on the whole team.

Take a look at a guy like Brian Shouse. He made 2 million dollars in 2008 with the Brewers, and he made 1.35 million dollars in 2009 with Tampa. You just know that he’s going to end up on the roster and get paid in Boston to come in to about 25 games for the Red Sox and face about 80 batters, most of whom are left handed hitters. He will succeed more than he will fail, and every night he gets to decide whether or not he wants to be recognized. He can choose to call and get a reservation at the coolest high-end restaurant in Boston and be recognized by the on lookers that are there to eyeball celebrity. Or he can hit a smaller place, off the beaten path, and get in and out potentially unnoticed. Either way, it is his choice.

The major leagues are littered with guys like Brian Shouse. Scott Eyre has made around 3 million dollars a year since 2006 just coming into situations and having some success. You never hear about guys like this getting arrested or showing up on the front page of the funny papers. They get to play a kid’s game for tall money. And they also get to keep their souls while doing it. I don’t mind it for one second if I am seen as Bush League because I can more relate to Scott Schoeneweis than I can to Cliff Lee, but I can assure you I’ll be taking Cliff Lee plenty on my Sports Buff Baseball Challenge rosters. I highly doubt if I will be seeking out Schoenenweis to fill my team when the chips are on the table….and Scott is OK with that I’m sure. He gets it.

So now you know what you can expect from me when it comes to talking about baseball. I can’t compete with a front-line starter so I won’t even try. I can hopefully chime in to a given situation regarding baseball and have some success. My Blog Talk Radio co-hosts Matt Schauf and Big Daddy Wood are well versed in fantasy baseball and they will help to keep the Fantasy Lunch current and informative. I’ll just try not to throw gas on the fire.

Also, check back to RapidDraft often for two upcoming releases. Our 2010 RapidDraft Hoops Madness will be released soon as well as our 2010 Football Mock Drafts….now football and the Big Dance are two things I feel that I am a front-line starter in, but that is another story for another time.

Viking Fans: Now You Know

pathegewald — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:30:00 GMT

Growing up in Wisconsin and being a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan, it would be safe to assume that I watched Sunday’s NFC Championship Game with mixed emotions. "Our guy" Brett Favre was out there trying to get the much-hated Minnesota Vikings back into the Super Bowl after years of close calls. Ever since their nasty public "divorce", the debate surrounding "Favre or the Packers" has raged on. For two football seasons now! I’ve always been on the side of the organization, but that did not stop a part of me from wanting to see the old man do it just one more time as the game came to a close.

Last Sunday night, Brett Favre took a ferocious beating and stood strong in the face of a borderline "Chicken $hit" assault by the Saints on his 40 year old body. In typical Brett Favre fashion, a physical beating would most certainly not deter him from being Brett Favre. Much like two seasons ago in his last game as a Packer, he made the only throw that he couldn’t make and threw an interception that would eventually seal his team’s fate. And now all of those purple #4 shirt wearing Vikings fans know exactly what it is that we Packer fans went through for years.

You see, loving Brett Favre is like loving an old care-free uncle. He’s great to have around. He can make your kitchen come alive with laughter, and sometimes you wonder how come you don’t spend more time with him because of his amazing insight on life. But once it's said and done and the old man has gone home, you realize that your whiskey supply is destroyed, there are pee stains on your wife’s best bathroom rug, and you know it will be six weeks before you get the funky smell out of your couch. Vikings fans, you can take comfort in the fact that (so far) you have only had "Uncle Brett" staying with you for a weekend. We Packer Backers had him for an entire summer! And trust me when I say that we were ready for another member of the family to take their turn with him.

Aaron Rodgers would have tucked that ball and ran for five yards, or he would have thrown the ball to the receiver in the flats and took those five yards and lived to fight another day. Brett Favre would never do that. Can Aaron Rodgers make the plays that Favre made to even get his team in that position in the first place? The jury is still out on that one, but he is 15 years younger and is inherently better at taking care of the football and taking fewer risks. And as a Packer fan, I can live with that. That is not to say that my heart didn’t break when Favre made that throw because it did.

In closing, let me say to Favre's loyal followers; how can you possibly blame the organization for ushering out an old warrior who was still able break your heart while playing on a team you’ve spent your entire life hating? And to the true Vikings fans out there, I have five words for you. Twelve men in the huddle. You had the quarterback and the talent to win it all; you simply don’t have the coach and the organization to win it all. And now that organization has awarded that coach with a contract extension and you know that it's probably all going to end badly. I predict that you will have to endure two or three horrible seasons before they root him out of there.

So to Brett I say.....happy off-season to you great warrior. You never fail to turn an NFL playoff game into a life-changing experience, and this past effort was one for the ages. Thank you for some of the most amazing football we have ever seen. Thank you for giving the Viking faithful a taste of what it takes to love you. Thank you for being a quarterback that our game RapidDraft can embrace. And mostly, thank you for just being yourself and letting the rest of us decide how much we can take. Let the speculation begin!

Grading My Fantasy Predictions

pathegewald — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:09:00 GMT

Now that the regular season is over, I could not wait to take a look back at all my bold predictions regarding the 2009 fantasy season. Overall I’d give myself a solid B. I was on the money with a few things, in the neighborhood of a few others and completely clueless on a few more. Here is my version of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good:
From 8/17/09
In trying to forecast the “who’s gonna be who” for the 2009 fantasy football season, I’ve come to one realization and that is to not undersell the New York Jets. I’ll say it now and I’ll back it with facts once the season starts, Mark Sanchez is going to be a superstar quarterback in the NFL for as long as he is healthy. And the Sanchez era is already here (sorry Kellen).

The Jet’s have it right because they lead with the most important tool of any championship team and that is an amazing offensive line. All of the runs, all of the pass protection, all of the play-action, it all starts with the big boys and in New York, they are big, they are good and this is the second year that this group will be together. Simply put the rest kind of falls into place after that.

From 9/11/09
For as long as we have been involved prepping RapidDraft for the 2009 fantasy football season, there has been one underlying theme from countless pros and industry experts: This is the year of the Wide Receiver. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the names that may not be in the top ten at the position, but are players that will score and may be available on the Free Agent wire.

Mike Sims-Walker Jacksonville – A man that has registered over 100 yards receiving in an NFL game, Sims-Walker has been plagued by injuries but is seemingly ready to take on more responsibilities in the Jags aerial attack.
Pierre Garcon Indianapolis – The departure of Marvin Harrison and the promotion of Anthony Gonzalez leaves a lot of balls up for grabs in Indianapolis, and Pierre Garcon could get in the way of many of those passes. An All-American in Division III, Garcon has caught up to the speed of the professional game and could be a viable option for Peyton Manning.

The Bad”
From 8/24
Now usually when we speak about fantasy busts we are talking about the newest version of Pam Anderson’s chest, but this fantasy bust is a gray-haired old warrior who is going to raise the hopes of the Viking Nation and then fail to deliver. Let me give you the reasons why.

To begin with, he is never going to be ready for game one on September 13th in Cleveland. Considering how bad the Browns are you would think that Favre would be a fantasy dream-come-true, but there is simply no way that in this time frame the old man is going to have the necessary relationships with his receivers and offensive coaches to do anything but move the chains a few times and hopefully win the game. This situation will continually repeat itself for weeks two and three. And I predict that just when the necessary familiarity starts to develop, the Green Bay Packers will come calling.

The revamped Green Bay Packers defense will not worry one bit about what Brett Favre is capable of doing because they already know what he is capable of doing. Guys like Charles Woodson and Al Harris and Aaron Kampman will bait him into being…well, being Brett Favre. They won’t be running stunts to stop Brett Favre, they’ll be running stunts to take him right where he’s dying to go. The first time he faces his old teammates, who are running a completely new defense these days, the Packers will record no less than three interceptions and one of them is going to the house! This sounds a lot like something about an old dog and new tricks. They will bring pressure from one end and have a defensive back standing in the very position that they know Favre is going to deliver the ball. He may catch them once for a long TD, but overall they will win that battle going away.

The Ugly:
From 5/26/06
Now you wouldn’t think that a player who has done federal time would stand a chance to actually become a "renaissance player", one who can grasp a “breakout” role in the NFL. But Michael Vick can be exactly that player. He could “wow” the Madden crowd and still make Jim Brown proud. He could still be the future of the sport while representing the amazing durability and adaptability of the past. Simply put, Michael Vick could potentially be someone unique. He could be that elusive “all inclusive” player. He can be the "vacation resort you never have to leave" or the "holiday buffet that never closes".

Michael Vick needs to be the first two-way starter at TE/Wildcat QB and Outside Linebacker. He needs to be on the punt and kick-off teams as a gunner, and he can return kicks as well (returning punts is too dangerous). Michael Vick needs to be that tough. If you spend a distinguishable amount of time locked down and you want some forgiveness, you have to come across with something stronger than an “I’m sorry”. If you are going to front something as bad-ass as dog fighting, then you had better come with something more than “hey, I think I can still play QB”. Mike Vick can redefine Mike Vick if he is tough enough to be as bad as he was acting before all this went down. Otherwise he’s just a cruel punk.

Maybe I’ll get my renaissance player in Tim Tebow. I give myself a B on my overall body of work and I give my loyal audience an A for continuing to read my stuff. Check out RapidDraft Fantasy Playoff Draft-Style Game. It is never too late to win money from RapidDraft.

RapidDraft…”still havin’ fun when the others are done”.

A Championship Decided on a Dropped Touchdown

pathegewald — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:01:00 GMT

The inaugural season of RapidDraft has now come to a close, and a remarkably close finish hinged on one very big dropped touchdown pass. Snakeinthegrass David Girard beat Pump Mark Pumphrey by six points and claimed the first ever $250,000 Grand Prize awarded by RapidDraft. It was a close call in the end. The $250,000 could have ended up in the hands of the runner-up had Baltimore Ravens WR Derrick Mason been able to catch a wide open touchdown pass from Joe Flacco!

The winning of $250K or $25K in a national contest is something that we all look at from a distance with a certain amount of detachment. There goes someone other than me pocketing some big cash. However, the manner in which this payout happened is something that fantasy football players can relate to. Missed opportunity! To have a quarter of a million dollars within your grasp, and then to watch it slip away in the form of a dropped ball by a fairly sure-handed receiver who happened to be wide open in the end zone is tough to take. Then again, there are times when we are on the receiving end of a gift from the football gods. A few years ago the fact that Jason Witten went without a catch in the second half of a Sunday night game worked out quite well for me. That is why we love this game, and that is why this game also drives us crazy. In the end, that is certainly why we keep coming back every year, in greater numbers, with better games and ever increasing cutting edge technology (see www.rapiddraft.com).

I asked our runner-up, Mark Pumphrey, to put into words what it felt like to be that close to the big money and then lose it all because of a dropped ball. His answer was surprising:

"I have a different take on this one play costing me $250,000. I have been playing fantasy football for many years, and I know that for you to win a contest like RapidDraft many things have to happen. You can say if Derrick Mason catches that TD pass I win. So, you can also say that if Chad Ochocinco doesn't make a great TD catch in the last minutes of the Cincinnati game, I would have won. To be honest, I didn't feel like I was the strongest team going into the final weekend. The other 2 top teams had much better match ups then I did. So, I figured that I had to have some good things fall my way to win. And it almost did! I do feel fortunate to get second and $25,000. I feel for the third place team, since I beat him by 2 points, and he had Kris Brown not score a single point in the 2nd half after scoring 12 in the first. Dallas Clark getting pulled in the third quarter and DeSean Jackson getting shut out in the second half. So, it could have turn out differently for all of us. Bottom line, I was more fortunate to get second, than I was unfortunate to get first. Finally, the team that won had a better season average than my team, and also had a higher score in 4 out the 5 weeks in the playoffs than my team. So, his team was well deserving of winning the RapidDraft championship and I congratulate him on his win. I enjoyed playing Rapid Draft and look forward to next year."

That, my friends, is class…pure and simple. I’d still be pissed at Mason.

Prediction: Who Will Win the $250K from RapidDraft?

pathegewald — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:49:00 GMT

In the poker world, the rule is to avoid betting against a made hand. I’m going to follow that rule and say that I believe the current leader in the race for the $250K will go on to become RapidDraft’s first “Quarter-Millionaire”.

Team Pump 6 has the narrowest of margins heading into this last week of play and I like his chances to take the Grand Prize. I would assume that he will stay with his core of Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, Marques Colston, Andre Johnson, Antonio Gates and Nate Keading. That leaves David Garrard, Derek Mason, Philadelphia’s D/ST and Jamaal Charles as his variables. Charles has looked to be the real deal in Kansas City and Garrard and Mason play on teams that are fighting for their playoff lives and Philly’s D/ST has a solid match-up at home against the struggling Broncos. I’m going with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” routine and saying that Team Pump 6 will win it all.

Here is a capsule about all of the Top 10:

Team Pump 6….see above.

Team SnakeInTheGrass….the best shot at catching the leader; I like Romo and OchoCinco both this week but he might be a bit light in the Flex department.

Team Swing Crew II…I like Brees and DeSean but he has Clark with Shiancoe as an option at TE and Fred Jackson at Flex (and the Bills are starting Brian Brohm this week) so he will have to make the right calls there.

Team Gladiators XXXXVI….I’d like him to win it if he didn’t have so far to close (33.9 points). Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith (NYG) and Justin Forsett are all capable of having games that can help one close gaps.

Team Florida Fanatics….Cedric Benson, Ahmad Bradshaw, John Carlson and Brandon Marshall make this team my “all or nothing” pick. If that very volatile crew can go off this weekend, this team could potentially make up a lot of ground.

Team Pump 4….this team has Peyton so that is a huge question mark right off the bat, but it does have wild-card guys like Gore, Welker and Vernon Davis. I don’t think he’ll have enough to catch his other team.

Team Dud…Romo and Dwayne Bowe make this team an interesting study and he made strides with the Giants D/ST who looked like the ’85 Bears against the Redskins this past Monday night.

Team Krushers….this team has Dallas Clark and Percy Harvin and also has Larry Fitz who hasn’t looked much like himself lately. He would need a huge game from DeSean and Bradshaw to make a big move.

Team Ragers 4…Matt Schaub or Vince Young could be his biggest question. He also has Bradshaw and three decent defenses to choose from, but is a little light in the Flex position.

Team Cocktails and Dreams XIII…Coughlin’s Law: Bury the dead; they stink up the place (sorry, just had to say it). He’s got a long way to go and a short time to get there. Boldin, Witten, Forsett and Sidney Rice are his life-support.

That is a look at the Top 10 in the race for the $250K. Every one of these participants will be locked into the NFL this upcoming week….every decision will be huge and every correct move celebrated with every wrong decision magnified. I wish everyone the best of luck and as always, we here at RapidDraft World Headquarters thank you for your continuing interest in our games.

Remember to try out RapidDraft USA Today Weekly where you can draft up to 12 Free Teams per week to compete for $2,000 in Prize Money and take a shot at winning $50,000 for drafting the “perfect team” this week.

In-Fidelity

pathegewald — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:59:00 GMT

The recent firing of the four Fidelity Investment employees is well documented and currently much debated. In fact, one might say that the amount of productivity that Fidelity Investments may have gained by firing those four employees has been long lost on other repercussions including a lack of public faith. Fidelity has taken the stance that they want all of their employees to be focused on their customer base at all times. What is missing in this logic is that their customer base consistently relies on Fidelity employees to make their bottom line.

Let me attempt to define the word fidelity.

Admittedly, for better or for worse, we are currently residing in the Wikipedia Generation, so let’s take a look at their “layman’s” definition of the word:

Fidelity is the quality of being faithful or loyal. Its original meaning regarded duty to a lord or aking, in a broader sense than the related concept of fealty. Both derive from the Latin word fidēlis (A III adjective), meaning "faithful or loyal".

In light of what happened at the company, I think it's safe to say that there is not much loyalty at "Fidelity". All of the employees that were fired would appear to be members in good standing of the organization and would allegedly still have their jobs if not for the capitol offense of organizing and playing fantasy football while at work and using it as a means of promoting company unity. How about a warning shot first before you deploy the firing squad? These folks still have families to support.

In the fields of scientific modeling and simulation, fidelity refers to the degree to which a model or simulation reproduces the state and behavior of a real world object, feature or condition. Fidelity is therefore a measure of the realism of a model or simulation. Simulation fidelity has also been described in the past as 'degree of similarity'.

Here is the fantasy football connection as I see it. We all need a little fantasy in our lives. It helps to get us through the day. If I can log in at lunch time and find out the playing status of Maurice Jones-Drew this week, then I can better work the long hours required by most employers.....and still make it home in time to alter my line-up if necessary. We all win.

Fidelity also denotes how accurate a copy is to its source.

Now think of this in terms of a potential investor. I really don’t have the cash necessary to invest in long-term parking let alone real-time investments, but I don’t know if I want to put my money in the hands of someone that acts so aggressively with the stated purpose of trying to better the workplace. For my money, if this copy of procedure is accurate to its source, I’m probably going elsewhere.

I guess my biggest gripe regarding the Fidelity Investments fantasy football scandal is this. Why did you have to pick on my industry? If you wanted those employees gone, I’m sure you could have found a different reason to escort them to the door with box-in-hand. And to those who did the actual firing, can you honestly say that you have never done any of your personal business on company time? Never done something “for the good of the company” that also happened to be good for you?

I think everyone logically knows the answer.

The Touchdown That Wasn't

pathegewald — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:26:00 GMT

Early in the Packers v Bears game on Sunday, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw a long pass for an apparent touchdown to Greg Jennings. The 36 yard hook-up was ruled incomplete and was subsequently challenged by the Green Bay sidelines. After taking a look under the hood, the referee ruled that the pass was indeed incomplete, even though it appeared that Jennings actually had three feet in bounds with control of the football before going out of the end zone and having the ball slapped away.

How does this happen? How can we have instant replay and still get it wrong? Does NFL referee Mike Carey have any idea how many fantasy football teams were impacted by this seemingly incorrect call? Will fantasy football fans ever react to blown calls like they do at soccer games in Europe? With the end of the fantasy football season approaching and many teams competing in the last week of the regular season or the first week of the playoffs, I can tell you for certain there are some pissed off fantasy owners.

If you take into account just the owners of Greg Jennings, generally speaking, that blown touchdown call cost most owners 10 fantasy points at least…some owners much more. Now take into account that 10 fantasy points is anywhere from 5-15% of all scoring done by fantasy football team on any given week. Lastly, assume that a fantasy league has entered the first round of their playoffs, which would make it safe to assume that the combatants of this game are equally matched with solid line-ups from top to bottom. The margin for error and the difference between winning and losing could easily, and most likely did, lie in that one decision. I have no “official” numbers, but I’d be willing to bet that a fantasy football playoff game between rivals would come down to a very narrow margin…and allowing a 10 point mistake, at the most critical time for a fantasy owner, is completely unacceptable.

If you happen to take into account fantasy owners that had both Greg Jennings and Aaron Rodgers, one could assume that virtually every one of those teams lost this week and much of it had to do with that call. For RapidDraft.com scoring, that play was a 17 point swing…easily 10% of our weekly scoring average and obviously 10% that the owner with Jennings and Rodgers can ill-afford to have missing off his weekly total. Now, the Packers covered the minus 4 betting line coming out of Vegas so the gamblers don’t really have a gripe, but the fantasy football world has been greatly affected.

I just have a problem with this play being essentially “glossed over” when it had a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of fantasy football teams across the nation. I say it is time for the fantasy nation to stand up and be heard. “We can’t have mistakes like that…make the right calls so some poor sap that has poured his heart and soul into this fantasy football season doesn’t jump off a building because an NFL ref got it wrong…twice”. We here at RapidDraft.com make our living in the fantasy world and it is the fantasy football player that we look out for. For the sake of every fantasy football player out there…and there are way more of us than there are of you…please get it right so the best team wins on all accounts.

Hark! Those Steelers Losses Sting

pathegewald — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:16:00 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oqzFlltCk

Hark! Those Steelers losses sting,

The League will crown its own new King

Peace to Ben, it’s been a while,

Since the Steelers laid a pile

Steeler nation’s joy beguiled,

They will never reconcile.

Losing games to Oakland hurts,

But that Browns game was the worst

Hark! Those Steelers losses sting,

The League will crown its own new King.

Hines has guts, he plays while hurt,

That won’t spare this Red Alert.

Troy can’t play, find one who can,

Or we’re working on our tan.

Tomlin’s answers sound the same,

There ain’t no one left to blame

Add “wins” to our Christmas list,

Steelers fans are really pissed.

Hark! Those Steelers losses sting,

The League will crown its own new King.

Happy Holidays to all from RapidDraft. Try RapidDraft USA Today Weekly Draft game FREE. The best thing about doing a FREE RapidDraft today is that you don't have to draft any Steelers (or Browns). Thanks to all for an amazing first season of RapidDraft.

RapidDraft USA Today Weekly.....still havin' fun when the others are done!!

The Ruling on Meachem's Touchdown

pathegewald — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:08:00 GMT

And no, I’m not talking about the bomb he caught from Drew Brees, I’m talking about the interception, turned fumble, turned touchdown. Just before the end of the first half in the Saints/Redskins game, Saints QB Drew Brees threw a pass that was intercepted by Washington’s Kareem Moore. Moore advanced the ball about 15 yards and was then stripped of the ball by Saints WR Robert Meachem who then took the fumble recovery 44 yards for a touchdown. So who gets points?

Once the ball was intercepted, the Redskins would now be considered the offensive team because they have possession of the ball and are attempting to advance it for a touchdown. The Saints would now be considered the defensive team because they are attempting to stop the advancement of the football and preventing a touchdown. So, at the time that Robert Meachem stole the ball from Kareem Moore, he was a member of the defensive unit that was on the field at that time.

For RapidDraft Fantasy Football scoring, the Saints D/ST is awarded 2 points for the fumble recovery and 9 points for the touchdown (we award 3 bonus points for touchdowns of 40 yards or greater). The Redskins D/ST is awarded 2 points for the initial interception. Robert Meachem is awarded no points on his personal stat line because RapidDraft does not award points of individual defensive players and at the time of the touchdown (we consider Meachem to be part of the Saints defensive unit).

There are a handful of plays like this in the NFL every year and they have some pretty major affects on the outcome of many fantasy football games. We have some of the nation’s best fantasy football players competing for a $250,000 Guaranteed Grand Prize so we felt it necessary to make sure that all of our customers are well aware of our official position on this very unique play. Any further questions can be directed to Assistant@worldfantasygames.com.

My Thanksgiving List

pathegewald — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:28:00 GMT

In keeping with the spirit of the Thanksgiving Holiday, I’d like to present you with my Thanksgiving list.

I’m thankful that I am not a Cleveland Browns fan. There is not enough room left in this blog to document the “wrongs” that make up the Cleveland Browns; I just feel sorry for their fans.

I’m thankful for Brett Favre. He is GREAT for football and even though he is now wearing the colors of my sworn enemy while kicking my team’s ass, he is still the greatest to ever play the position.

I’m thankful that I don’t ever have to listen to Matt Millen again. Oh, I’m sure I’ll hear him but I will never listen to him. Nice work in Motown dufus…and your opinion means what to me?

I’m thankful for Sunday Night Football. All those years of awkward silence after I stagger home from the bar after the first two sets of games, are now gone thanks to Faith Hill and Al Michaels.

I’m thankful for Monday Night and Thursday Night Football. They simply add 8 more hours of enjoyment to an otherwise average life. And Saturday’s during the stretch-run are a gift from the football heavens.

I’m thankful for the two teams with 10-0 starts. I would love to see someone put a stop to the champagne toast by those old-ass '72 Dolphins. Records are made to be broken.

And I’m thankful to everyone that has helped make RapidDraft an amazing success so far this year. No Billy Mayes pitch here, just a token of my appreciation to everyone who has read my stuff and participated in our game. This promo code is good for one free RapidDraft USA Today Weekly draft and is good until 8 AM EST on Sunday November 29th. Promo Code: gobble

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

RapidDraft's Racaps, Rankings and Regrets

pathegewald — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:39:00 GMT

The NFL saw its stretch run begin with a boatload of teams wetting the bed. The Steelers lose to the Chiefs, the Bengals prove to be average and lose to the Raiders and the Cowboys won by scoring their second touchdown in two games to beat the woeful Redskins. Wild Card contenders like the Packers, Giants, Falcons and Denver seem to be locked in a race to determine the “best of the worst” to qualify for the playoffs. Week 11 also saw its share of the cream rising to the top with New England, the Saints, the Colts, the Vikings and Arizona all gaining momentum for a run deep into the playoffs, and Lions and Browns fans were treated to a football game between two bad football teams that was actually a pretty decent game to watch.

RapidDraft nation has anointed Wes Welker of New England a PPR Fantasy Hall-of-Famer. When you can rack up 35 fantasy points without the benefit of a touchdown, you are a first ballot PPR Hall-of-Famer and Welker will help countless RapidDraft teams throughout the playoffs. Guys like Sydney Rice, DeSean Jackson and Mike Sims-Walker may not be RapidDraft Hall-of-Famers but they sure are Pro Bowlers. And Larry Fitz is simply Larry Fitz and is the cornerstone of any fantasy football team he is on.

The defenses showed up this week with New Orleans and San Diego both registering double digit RapidDraft fantasy weeks and New England led the charge with 22 RapidDraft points. Hey Teddy Bruschi, how’s that whole “New England’s defense will never trust The Hooide again” thing working out for you? They had two sacks, one fumble recovery and four interceptions including a pick 6 and it would appear to me that the now infamous 4th and 2 at the 28 call has served as motivation for the Pats D and not the stab in the back you were so sure it was.

And just when you thought it could get no stranger, Terrell Owens goes off for 37.5 RapidDraft fantasy points the same week that his replacement Roy Williams fails to register a catch dropping his average catches to 2.6 per game. And some guy named Grabowski or Kawalski or Gradkowski or something delivers a Super Bowl type win to Oakland fans and tosses the all ready jumbled AFC North into a race to the finish line. And finally, the good people of Cleveland and Detroit were treated to something that actually resembled an NFL-type performance. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Mohamed Massaquoi and Brady Quinn (of all people) were RapidDraft fantasy studs this week and the Lions and Browns faithful got the weekend off from being terrible.

So now it is on to the RapidDraft playoffs and the haves and the have not’s are working overtime to find the right mix and match-ups to start in the quest for the $250,000 Grand Prize. All we can say for certain is that it has been an amazing 11 weeks and the playoffs promise to be equally amazing. Remember to try RapidDraft USA Today Weekly starting Wednesday morning at 8AM EST. Draft your starting team against our 11 fantasy professionals and take your shot at our weekly prizes including $50,000 for the RapidDrafter that can draft the perfect team. “When the others are done, RapidDraft is still havin’ fun”. Cheers.

Wrapping Week 10 Like Fish Guts

pathegewald — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:03:00 GMT

The end of Week 10 in the NFL season marks the end of the bye week and the start of the playoff run. Week 10 was loaded with the good, the bad and the NEVER’s so let’s recap:

Will somebody please let the Browns know that Brady Quinn will NEVER be an NFL quarterback! Did I actually see that guy setting his feet and shoulders to each of his reads in his progression? Son, that is high school stuff and you are now in the NFL and facing Ray Lewis on Monday night, please end this comedy. I know I could throw for as many yards as Quinn did Monday night and I’m damn sure more willing to take a hit. Just let it be over.

Teddy Bruschi all but broke into tears on ESPN telling everyone how the Patriots defense will NEVER respect Bill Belichick again because he went for it on 4th and 2 from his own 28. I say turn off the water works Teddy, the Hoodie is beyond reproach and I happen to agree that the only way to beat Peyton Manning in that circumstance is by keeping his ass on the sidelines wearing a baseball cap…anything less and it is game over and you should know that Teddy.

My only problem is that siding against Bruschi and Trent Dilfer (and don’t even get me started on how freakishly clean that dude looks on High Def) is that I’m now in agreement with Matt Millen…and that is simply unacceptable. I can NEVER side with Matt Millen again because everything that comes out of his mouth should be prefaced with “oh yea, I’m Matt Millen and I set the Lions back a decade in my tenure there”. Matt, the Lions were a sub-500 team if they were playing in the SEC when you got there and you still crippled them. I will change everything I stand for if that stance mirrors your opinion on anything.

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams got fined for flipping some folks off…so what? A billionaire NEVER worries about a quarter million dollars and the “play Vince Young” directive has resulted in a three game winning streak so Bud Adams is the prize winner in Week 10 for my money. The Tuxedo’s play in Houston on Monday night so play RapidDraft USA Today Weekly starting on Wednesday and draft all the way up until Sunday morning. I’m betting that Monday night’s game is going to make or break a few fantasy games. It could NEVER be as piss-poor as this past Monday night.

LVP's You Can't Sit

pathegewald — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:22:00 GMT

Don’t you hate it when you need a big week from an LVP? What is an LVP? Simply put, a LVP is that player that is simply the least value for the draft spot in which he was taken. Can you imagine trading Ray Rice and Cedric Benson for Matt Forte and Steve Slaton? That would be trading for two LVP’s and while 99% of fantasy players would make that deal in August, only 1% would pull the trigger today on the same deal. Here are this week’s LVP’s you just can’t sit:

QB      Matt Hasselbeck SEA………………………….Always hurt and spotty when he is healthy.

RB      Ryan Grant GB………………………….….“One Cut” runners are easy to game-plan for.

RB      Steve Slaton HO………Hold on to the football man…you can rack up numbers this week.

WR     Greg Jennings GB………………………….Has that contract extension made you soft?

WR     TJ Houshmandzada SEA….What gives? You were supposed to be “can’t miss”!

WR     Terrell Owens BUF………………………….…………..Must “Not-See” Reality TV.

TE      John Carlson SEA………….Guilt by association with the rest of the Seahawks.

D/ST Green Bay………Kampman would bring the pressure you lack if he wasn’t a LB.

PK      Jason Elam ATL………………..……….Who really cares about a kicker?…sorry Jason.

Flex    Justin Gage TEN……………………………..Maybe Vince Young can find this guy on the field.

I didn’t have to search very hard to find a workable list for the LVP’s of the season so far because I employ many of them in my fantasy world. I’ve lost so much I’d welcome a tie. The bottom line is, if you have these jokers, you still have to start them…I just hope the rest of your team can keep carrying them. Who knows, maybe the stars will align and T.O. will register a 100 yard game or Steve Slaton will string along 4 consecutive carries without putting it on the carpet. If you fight these inner battles…understand you are not alone.

Just for fun, I’m going to draft the closest version that I can to this team in a RapidDraft USA Today Weekly Draft. It should not be hard since no one wants these guys. Let’s see how this year’s LVP’s match-up against a team that is drafted to actually win fantasy football games. Stay tuned.

Just Be Straight With Me

pathegewald — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:55:00 GMT

I just want someone to be straight with me. What is the sports world coming to? I see that the Florida Gators have suspended linebacker Brandon Spikes for half of their upcoming game against Vanderbilt. Did they say half of a game? Are you serious? Why not just tell the dude that he can’t have the pregame meal and just let him play? I know all about the “you wouldn’t believe what goes on that the bottom of a football pile” theories, and I agree that it is no place for the faint of heart. I’m not disagreeing with that. My point is, you either suspend Spikes or you do not suspend Spikes. If the Gator brass feels that no suspension is warranted because Spikes’ only crime was getting caught, then say so and move on. Don’t give him a suspension for suspensions sake and make him sit for a half against a team that your third-string could beat. Simply say that it was a “heat of the battle” mistake and tell your detractors to kiss your National Championship ass. Just be straight with me.

I also saw where the University of Oregon is considering lifting the year-long suspension of running back LeGarrette Blount after he was given the hook for the entire season for delivering a sucker-punch to the chops of Boise State defensive end Byron Hout. The Oregon staff cites Blount’s excellent behavior and his “I’ll be a good boy” attitude for the reasons behind his potential reinstatement. I say hogwash! There are no do-over’s in football…there is no time off for good behavior. This isn’t the Federal Pen we are talking about here, it is the NCAA. Blount socked a guy in his face on national TV and the team responded with a season-long suspension. You don’t get to just decide that this guy has suffered enough because you are having a great year and wouldn’t a pre-season All-American be a nice addition down the stretch. Just be straight with me.

All of the talking heads were positive that Mike Vick would get at least a six game suspension before being allowed to participate in an NFL game again and they were foolish for wasting their breath. Not only did he only get two games, but the sissy-ass, politically correct NFL made an official statement saying that Vick would be eligible to play in Game 3. Why didn’t they call it what it was; a two game suspension? They didn’t call it a two game suspension because the number three is bigger number than the number two and somewhere, somebody is dumb enough to see the number three and figure “at least he got half of what we thought he would”. Somebody please be straight with me.

Maybe I’m a little bit salty because most of my fantasy football teams are taking a collective dump this season and the only good thing I got going for me is some recent success in the RapidDraft USA Today Weekly Draft game, but this sugar-coating crap has just got to stop. The NFL and the NCAA have the keys to the castle. They hold our sports entertainment soul in the palm of their hand and there is nothing we can ever do to change that. Make your lame rules adjustments, decide who plays and who sits, put who you want in your championship football games and I’ll watch it just like you want me to, just please be straight with me.