Fantasy Update #4 - Highs and Lows

MLB: I trailed in my championship round most of the two weeks. I was ahead in the batting categories and my opponent led the pitching categories ... then it reversed and I was ahead in pitching, and he in hitting ... but I still trailed ... until the last couple of days when I pulled ahead 6-4, and ended up winning 5-4. The difference? Stolen bases. I had 5, he had 3, and that was the winning margin. My first year of Fantasy Baseball, I made the semi-finals in one league and won the other. I am the CHAMPION!

NFL: I went 2-4 again ... but my two winning teams were previously winless. After four weeks, I have one 2-win team, three 1-win teams, and two 0-4 teams. Pitiful.

College Football: Thank heavens for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones ... and Brandon Barnett. The Hogs barbequed North Texas and had over 400 yards rushing. I'm making good roster decisions. Still undefeated, 5-0, #1 in my league.

Fantasy (Nightmare) Update #3

MLB: The championship round lasts 2 weeks. We compete in 10 categories. I've trailed by 1 or 2 from the start. I edged ahead 4-3 last night, but so far tonight my hitters are 0 for 9, and now i trail 4-3. Need a strong finish over the next 4 days to win my first baseball championship.

NFL: Oh, man. I don't think I've ever had such a weekend. No wins, 1 tie, 5 losses. 0-1-5. How ugly is that? Drew Brees, who got me 1 point in week one, got me MINUS 1 point in week three. MINUS ONE! My unique rosters idea isn't going so well... so far.

College Football: Thank heavens for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Even though the Hogs took it on the chin from Kentucky -- Kentucky! -- the Dynamic Duo led my team to victory. Still undefeated, 4-0.

Fantasy Update #2

A mixed week in my fantasy leagues.

MLB: My CBS Sports team led most of the week, then my hitters stopped hitting when the weekend arrived and my opponent pulled away, so I lost in the semi-finals. My 6th-seeded Yahoo team faced the 2nd seed in the semi-finals and we tied 5-5 -- but I won on the tie-breaker, with a better ERA. I'm in the championship round this week against the 4th seeded team, which upset the top seed.

NFL: I went 1-5 for the weekend! A couple of close games, a couple of blow-outs. So I have one team that is 2-0, one that is 1-1, and 4 that are 0-2. I've deliberately challenged -- and handicapped -- myself by requiring that I have completely unique rosters on all 6 teams, denying myself the ability to have any great player on more than one team. So far, it's tough sledding. At least I got 15 points from Drew Brees this week instead of one -- but I still lost that game by 7. I need some plop plop fizz fizz!

College Football: Won again, thanks to Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Although the Hogs lost at Alabama, we still ran wild and piled up the RB stats. I'm 3-0.

And he's gone!

Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears had another amazing punt return for a touchdown in yesterday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. I was hoping there would already be a YouTube video of it I could post here, but it hasn't shown up yet. It was Hester's 8th TD return of a punt or kickoff in the NFL, including his first-play feat in the 2007 Super Bowl.

Describing it just doesn't do it justice, of course. If you see one of the numerous replays on TV, watch #22 (Dimitri Patterson) of the Chiefs, bottom left of your screen. He's one of the outside "gunners" and as he sees Hester cutting to the far sideline away from him, he makes a tremendous adjustment, reversing his field and taking an angle to cut Hester off. He makes one false step, readjusts his angle, and it looks like he will make a shoestring tackle. He bears down on Hester, who hasn't even glanced in his direction. Hester is intent on staying in-bounds, his eyes straight ahead, looking at the sideline, the players in front of him, the path to the end zone. As Hester approaches mid-field, Patterson moves in for the kill, diving full-out for Hester's legs -- incredibly Hester senses Patterson's diving tackle and alters his gait, lifting his feet higher, and jumping over Patterson's outstretched hands! And he's gone! Another 50 yards later, Touchdown!

Patterson made a great play, Hester made a greater play, an amazing flash of athletic excellence, reminding us again -- "it's a game of inches."

Wanna see it? You have to make a little effort. Go to the Chicago Bears website here: http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/multimediapopup.asp?mm_file_id=915&play_clip=Y#. Now use the search feature at the bottom and search for Devin Hester, then choose the September 16 highlights file. It's the 3rd play in these highlights. Watch the feet! Enjoy!