Christmas 2006: All Photos

You can view all my Christmas photos here:

AAFL: Flapjax Hobble Harrison!

From the Commish:

Congratulations to the Flapjax on winning their second AAFL Championship. Perhaps for many of the Homers it also bodes well because it is the the first time Petton Manning is on the winning end as well.

Christmas 2006, Part III: Brazil and Back Again

Rachel had to work Christmas Day, so I was on my own for my trip to Brazil. My immediate family had brunch (pancakes, Krispy Kremes, and other assorted brunchy foods) and then exchanged presents. My nephew Brian received the bulk of these, mostly related to Cars. Afterward, my sister, brother-in-law, and I hung around the house while mom prepared dinner. I may have also taken a nap, although I insist I was just resting my eyes. Later the extended Wegner family came over for a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, and other such holiday foods. I left, stuffed as usual, for home to meet Rachel for our exchanging of gifts. As already mentioned here, Rachel got me the very awesome gift of a Drew Brees Saints jersey which I immediately put on (I'd still have it on, but my employer frowns on football jerseys as business appropriate attire). All in all, a very satisfying Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all!

Christmas 2006, Part II: The Bedford Experience

For part two of Rachel's and my Christmas holiday, we headed down to Bedford in Southern Indiana. We made a brief pit stop in Martinsville (or "Martintucky" as I heard it called by a friend once). The gas station we stopped at warned us with two giant posters that shoes and shirts were required. I've never been to a gas station without my shirt, and certainly not my shoes (who drives barefoot???), but apparently this is a problem if the two prominent signs were any indications.

After passing through the evil city, we arrived in Bedford before the rest of my wife's family members. We decided to waste some time and drive through town. I'd make a list of things we saw with snarky comments, but honestly I don't remember seeing anything that made an impression on me. I guess that's a snarky enough comment.

Once everyone arrived in Bedford, we assumed our usual positions in the living room (the furniture has remained in the same exact position for at least the last three years I've been going there) before indulging in that holiday tradition of Captain D's chicken. Apparently Rachel's grandmother, sweet as she can be, had made us all lasagna. On Thanksgiving. And stored it in the garage. During an Indiana "heat wave" that saw temperatures in the 60's. Despite her attempts to convince us the lasagna was edible, we boycotted the lasagna and Rachel's Uncle Bret found chicken fingers for us a Captain D's. Odd choice for a holiday meal, but it worked.

Following a mid-afternoon round of Scattergories (the two non-past/future IU attending adults won the most), we got to open presents. The presents largely centered around Rachel's cousins Kate and Mary. The latter is usually given mass quantities of toys and video games that I can play with. Alas, she's in sixth grade now, and is now only receiving clothes. This does me absolutely no good. Fortunately, Rachel and I did receive some nice gifts including a couple of games to keep me busy in the days to come.

Coming tomorrow: Christmas 2006, Part III: Brazil and Back Again

Obsessed?

This will be covered more in part III of my Christmas 2006 saga, but I thought I put up a quick sneak preview of one of my Christmas gifts.












I'm still confused why people think I'm obsessed with Drew Brees though.

Christmas 2006, Part I

Celebrating Christmas this year was not just a single event, but a trilogy of events. Over the next few days, I'll post pictures and comments from everything from turkeys to presents to road trips.






Rachel and I started Christmas out by hosting our first ever Christmas dinner. Rachel cooked her first ever turkey (to be fair, I did help by taking it out of the oven) and everyone seemed to agree that it tasted wonderful. We weren't quite sure how you carve a 20 lbs. turkey, but fortunately Martha Stewart was able to help. She has a website where you can not only read how to carve a turkey, but watch her show you how to carve it. Of course, her turkey was perfectly evenly browned, each piece came with a sliver of skin, and none of the pieces broke off in chunks. Ours may not have been fit for TV, but the turkey sure tasted good.


My parents and paternal grandparents, Rachel's maternal parents and grandparents, Rachel's aunt, and Rachel's brother and sister-in-law were the guests. After stuffing ourselves, we turned our make shift dining room back into a living room (our formal dining room not be existent yet) and exchanged presents. Everyone seemed happy with their gifts. Rachel, who was receiving all of her gifts that day since she had to work Christmas Day, received the bulk of the gifts. In fact, she had so many presents, that you almost couldn't see her behind the stack of boxes. Also of note was the fact that almost everything was packaged in Christopher & Banks and Victoria Secret boxes. The C&B boxes weren't a surprise since Rachel and her mom have saved every box since the early '90s. However, we're still trying to figure out why Rachel's mom has so many VS boxes???

Speaking of early '90s, I did receive a copy of Beverly Hills 90210 - The Complete First Season - on DVD. In college I was watching 90210 four times a day in reruns (if mom and dad see this, this was after I completed laborious hours studying). This show for me is really like a part of the family, or at least a roommate. It seems I could recall much of my high school and college experiences by what was going on with 90210 at the time. I've told stories before about some girl I dated or place I was visiting by labeling it as "about the same time Brandon was dating the ice skater and Brenda worked at that fancy clothes boutique." Ah, memories. Yes, it's quite possible I need professional help.

Coming Soon...Christmas 2006, Part II: The Bedford Experience.

Christmas Party

Here's a picture of Rachel and I at my work Christmas party. Actually they call it a "holiday" party as if we can't figure out by the holly and pine trees what holiday is actually being celebrated.

NFL: MVP - Brees vs. Tomlinson

My friend Jason has asked me if I could make the case for Drew Brees over LaDainian Tomlinson for MVP. I'm sure it will not surprise anyone that I do indeed have an opinion on this, so (at the risk of furthering my wife's opinion that I am in love with a certain NFL QB) here are my thoughts as well as a plethora of stats to back up my assertions.

1. Most VALUABLE player. LaDainian Tomlinson puts up great numbers and scores seemingly multiple times ever single game. However, he also plays with a talented QB (Phllip River's numbers compare favorably to Drew Brees' in SD last year) and a dominant defense (giving up less than 100 yards rushing is just one of their impressive statistics). LT also plays for the always conservative Marty Schottenheimer for whom the term "Marty Ball" was coined to describe a coach who gets a small lead and then runs the ball to avoid turnovers and run the clock down. This means that there are games where LT is frequently piling up yards long after games are over and in situations where most coaches would not dare run the ball, giving him much inflated stats. Despite all of this, LT only contributes 41% of his team’s offensive yardage. Drew Brees is vastly more valuable as he contributes over 75% of his team’s total yards despite not having any of the factors that inflate how good he and his team are. It's hard to make an argument that a player that makes up three-quarters of his teams offense is not more valuable than a guy who makes up less than half of his team's offense. Plus, Brees has been responsible for nearly two thirds of this teams first down, while LT is apart of less than half of first downs for his team.

2. Vast improvement. Brees has increased NO's yardage 27% over the year before (SD's yardage per game has only change less than 5%) over the previous year. But all that would be meaningless without improvements in wins. Brees has taken a team that won 3 games last year and has not made the playoffs since 2000 and led them to a NFC South Division championship. Making that fact more impressive is the fact that the NFC South was said in the preseason to be one of the toughest in football and was the home of Sports Illustrated's pick for Super Bowl Champion, the Carolina Panthers. Individually, Brees has improved his completions, completion percentage, yards per game, and TDs while decreasing the number of turnovers he has thrown.

3. The preseason poll factor. Every year in college football is a preseason poll. The poll is based on nothing but opinions (no game have been played to have concrete data!), but anyone not in the top 10 will certainly have a hard time moving up. Consider undefeated Boise State which started so low in the preseason polls that it was impossible to gain enough respect to crack the top two. Now in the NFL, LT was obviously going to be considered a MVP candidate before the season even started. He was coming off an impressive year and was virtually unanimous in being a top three fantasy pick. So LT has always been front and center in the race. Drew Brees was almost an afterthought; not just of NFL players, but of the free agent class. Daunte Culpepper and Terrell Owens were seen as much bigger free agent signings than Brees. They both got considerable attention in the preseason. Overall, Brees was barely ranked in the top 15 of most sources fantasy picks, not overall, but of quarterbacks. This inattention has always surrounded Brees since his college days at Purdue where he broke multiple Big 10 records, but could only manage a top four finish for the Heisman trophy. Despite all of this lack of knowledge about Brees, media, players, coaches and fans have elevated him into the top two of the MVP discussion. He has impressed virtually everyone with his play this year and is largely seen as one of the main reasons that this New Orleans team has been turned around. The fact that Brees' name is even in the MVP discussion is a testament to how well he has played because so often MVP discussions center around "big name" players, not who is playing the best or is actually the most valuable to his team.

4. Community impact. Everyone knows of the devastation that New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area have suffered. Brees and his wife decided when he came to New Orleans that they would move into the heart of the city, near places hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Brees, despite not being from the area or even having ties to the Gulf Coast, has been seen out in the community meeting people, giving donations and has set up his own charity for the people of the area. ESPN sportswriter Bill Simmons even commented that Brees probably deserved Sports Illustrated's Man of the Year because of all his contributions to the city and surrounding neighborhoods. While other professional athletes are giving their sports a black mark with suicide attempts, gun charges, shootings at strip clubs, spitting on players, and brawls on the field, Brees has become a national example of how athletes should act in their community.

5. History. Major League Baseball has the same discussion every year: How to compare a DH or pitcher to an everyday player. Pitchers only pitch every three to five days, DHs don't play offense, but position players are on the field for usually nine innings, everyday of the season. That is one reason why only one non-everyday position player has been a league MVP in the last 20 years. The same logic could apply to football. Drew Brees has taken over 900 snaps this season whereas LT has only touched the ball 366 times. Brees' position is far more complex than LT's. Quarterbacks must make quick reads, call audibles, and make sure the ball gets to the correct player. No one doubts the performance LT has put on this year, but the quarterback position has a built in degree of difficulty that makes what Brees has done even more impressive. That is why, like baseball considering everyday position players as more valuable a player than pitchers and DHs, historically more QBs have been named MVP than any other position.

6. Drew Brees has a degree in Industrial Management from Purdue University ('01). I have no statistics to back this up, but it's pretty common knowledge that Industrial Management majors from Purdue are among the best at their professions and all around great guys.

Troy
BSIM, Purdue '99

NFL: Generous Comments on Brees

I swear I neither made up this article, nor did I cry while reading it. But's wonderful to read someone beside me talk about how great Drew Brees has represented his new team and (by prior association) his university.

Bill Simmons, ESPN.com:

"Anyway, I thought Drew Brees should have been named Sports Illustratred's Sportsman of the Year and would have been more upset until I realized that it's not 1977 and SI's opinion doesn't matter that much anymore. Brees exemplified everything you'd ever want from a sportsman in a given year: He took an enormous gamble by signing with the Saints last spring when they were in shambles; he fought back from a serious injury and ended up playing his position about as well as it could be played; he gave himself to a wounded city, played a huge role in its ongoing recovery process and turned a below-average team into a playoff contender; and his consistency from week to week was remarkable. With the possible exception of Roger Federer, was there a more memorable, inspirational, talented and influential sportsman in 2006 than Drew Brees? I say no."

This is Halloween.

Yes, this is Halloween around the Stiffler household. Don't get scared now.

NFL: Worst decision of the year

Bill Simmons: "The Dolphins are 0-7 against the spread. They've lost to a 2-4 team and three 1-5 teams. And Drew Brees has emerged as an MVP candidate in New Orleans. Yup, it's safe to say that Culpepper-over-Brees has officially passed Williams-over-Bush as the single-worst NFL decision of 2006."
I'm giddy.

NFL: Getting Breesy in The Big Easy

Random Drew Brees Notes:

- I'm not saying it's the greatest website ever, but I'm not saying that it's not either.
www.drewbrees.com

- Peter King of Sport Illustrated wrote in an article that Drew Brees had dinner at Emeril Lagasse's restaurant and the crowd there broke into applause. Pretty soon everyone in the restaurant was standing giving him a rousing ovation. New Orleans fans: We Purdue alum know how you feel.

- Fortunately the auction for this was over. Otherwise I may have had to mortgage my house and sell all of my possessions to bid on it:

A New Orleans Saints Football Fantasy Trip*
--  Two seats in quarterback Drew Brees' private luxury box at the
    Superdome for any game in the '06-07 season (excluding playoffs); a
    visit to the Saints locker room; photos and autographs with Brees,
    including a signed football and game jersey; and dinner that evening
    with Brees prepared by legendary New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse.

NFL/Purdue: Brees vs. Culpepper

No, I didn't write this article, but it certainly sounds like something I would write, doesn't it?

"Brees making Miami regret QB choice
By Ken Thompson
Lafayette Journal & Courier

If I'm Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban, I'm looking for new team doctors.

The physicians' concerns about Drew Brees' shoulder led Saban and the Dolphins to shy away from the former Purdue great, unwisely cut loose by the San Diego Chargers. Instead, Miami sent a second-round draft pick to Minnesota for Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper was available because of a severe knee injury, which apparently didn't bother those same doctors.

But Saban doesn't get a free pass. An experienced coach should know that a mobile quarterback will have a more difficult recovery from a knee injury than a pocket passer like Cincinnati's Carson Palmer. Not coincidentally, Palmer's comeback has been far more successful.

Sunday, Culpepper wasn't even active for the Dolphins' game against the New York Jets, benched last week in favor of Detroit Lions castoff Joey Harrington.

Brees? He merely threw three touchdown passes for the New Orleans Saints and led an eight minute game-winning drive against NFC East leader Philadelphia.

With Brees, New Orleans owns the second-best record in the NFC behind the Chicago Bears at 5-1. Miami? Last place in the AFC East.

Brees is 138 of 207 for 1,509 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He entered Sunday fifth in the NFC in passer rating (91.6).

Culpepper: 81 of 134 for 779 yards, two TDs, 3 INTs, passer rating of 77.0.

Oops.
"

Original Story.

Pumpkin Works

Pumpkin Works has become a tradition to take my nephew to, so Sunday afternoon Rachel and I joined Brian, Mandy, Andy, and my mom in Paris (Illinois, not France). Our activities included

- Picking pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. We were informed the pumpkin crop had been hit by some kind of bacteria, but we managed to find some good ones after picking through acres of vines.

- Hayride complete with unneeded commentary on Illinois nature history by our driver ("We used to camp out here and drank right from the crik!")

- A nine acre corn maze in the shape of a jungle scene with monkeys. This maze was definitely more difficult than last years. We were a little worried we might have to stay there until harvesting time. Funniest ongoing joke: "I think we went this way before...I remember seeing corn."

- Pumpkin slings where you can take a miniature pumpkin and attempt to hit targets hundreds of yards away. Great way to relieve stress; we so need one of these in our backyard.

- Smaller hay/straw mazes for Brian-sized people.

You can see all the pictures here.

Boo!

Rachel has been busy decorating the house for fall and Halloween. Here are some pictures of our now spooky house. You can see all of the pictures here.

ACL Update: The brace is off.

I went to the doctor this morning and he told me I can officially take my leg brace! So look for me wobbling and stumbling down the street next time you're out.

Indy Traffic Report

I noticed that traffic on I-65 was backed up on my way to work today. Hoping to find out what the problem was and hopefully avoid it, I turned on the radio and waited for the traffic report. Finally,the report came that there was a wreak on I-65 North and that the left lane was closed. That was it. They failed to mention where on I-65 North the accident was. So be warned that someone on I-65 there is a wreak. It could be anywhere from KY to Chicago, but there is a wreak somewhere on I-65.

AAFL: Draft Results

Pick	Pos	First_Name	Last_Name	Team	Team
1	QB	Peyton	Manning	IND	Flapjax
2	RB	Shaun	Alexander	SEA	Steeldogs
3	RB	Larry	Johnson	KC	Creepers
4	RB	LaDainian	Tomlinson	SD	Renegades
5	QB	Matt	Hasselbeck	SEA	Puntmonkeys
6	RB	Tiki	Barber	NYG	Knobs
7	RB	Rudi	Johnson	CIN	Mudslingers
8	RB	Ronnie	Brown	MIA	Hobbits
9	QB	Daunte	Culpepper	MIA	Da Shizzle
10	RB	Edgerrin	James	ARI	Men of Troy
11	RB	Steven	Jackson	STL	Men of Troy
12	RB	Willis	McGahee	BUF	Da Shizzle
13	QB	Carson	Palmer	CIN	Hobbits
14	WR	Marvin	Harrison	IND	Mudslingers
15	WR	Chad	Johnson	CIN	Knobs
16	RB	Carnell	Williams	TB	Puntmonkeys
17	RB	Julius	Jones	DAL	Renegades
18	TE	Antonio	Gates	SD	Creepers
19	RB	Clinton	Portis	WAS	Steeldogs
20	RB	Willie	Parker	PIT	Flapjax
20	QB	Marc	Bulger	STL	Knobs
21	WR	Steve	Smith	CAR	Creepers
22	RB	Reggie	Bush	NO	Puntmonkeys
23	WR	Larry	Fitzgerald	ARI	Da Shizzle
24	WR	Reggie	Wayne	IND	Steeldogs
25	WR	Randy	Moss	OAK	Hobbits
26	WR	Torry	Holt	STL	Mudslingers
27	QB	Tom	Brady	NE	Renegades
28	WR	Hines	Ward	PIT	Flapjax
29	WR	Chris	Chambers	MIA	Men of Troy
31	RB	Warrick	Dunn	ATL	Knobs
32	QB	Jake	Delhomme	CAR	Hobbits
33	QB	Drew	Brees	NO	Men of Troy
34	QB	Eli	Manning	NYG	Mudslingers
35	WR	Darrell	Jackson	SEA	Renegades
36	WR	Anquan	Boldin	ARI	Puntmonkeys
37	RB	Brian	Westbrook	PHI	Flapjax
38	WR	Terrell	Owens	DAL	Creepers
39	QB	Donovan	McNabb	PHI	Steeldogs
40	RB	LaMont	Jordan	OAK	Da Shizzle
41	WR	Roy	Williams	DET	Da Shizzle
42	TE	Jeremy	Shockey	NYG	Renegades
43	TE	Randy	McMichael	MIA	Steeldogs
44	QB	Jake	Plummer	DEN	Puntmonkeys
45	WR	Plaxico	Burress	NYG	Flapjax
46	RB	Jamal	Lewis	BAL	Hobbits
47	WR	T.J.	Houshmandzadeh	CIN	Creepers
48	QB	Ben	Roethlisberger	PIT	Knobs
49	TE	Tony	Gonzalez	KC	Mudslingers
50	QB	Drew	Bledsoe	DAL	Men of Troy
51	K	Lawrence	Tynes	KC	Men of Troy
52	TE	Todd	Heap	BAL	Flapjax
53	RB	Corey	Dillon	NE	Mudslingers
54	TE	Heath	Miller	PIT	Hobbits
55	RB	Thomas	Jones	CHI	Creepers
56	RB	DeShaun	Foster	CAR	Renegades
57	TE	Vernon	Davis	SF	Knobs
58	TE	Alge	Crumpler	ATL	Da Shizzle
59	RB	Deuce	McAllister	NO	Puntmonkeys
60	RB	Joseph	Addai	IND	Steeldogs
61	RB	Kevin	Jones	DET	Steeldogs
62	QB	Michael	Vick	ATL	Creepers
63	WR	Santana	Moss	WAS	Puntmonkeys
64	WR	Donte'	Stallworth	PHI	Renegades
65	WR	Derrick	Mason	BAL	Knobs
66	WR	Joe	Horn	NO	Flapjax
67	K	Shayne	Graham	CIN	Da Shizzle
68	TE	Chris	Cooley	WAS	Men of Troy
69	WR	Joey	Galloway	TB	Hobbits
70	QB	Brett	Favre	GB	Mudslingers
71	WR	Deion	Branch	NE	Mudslingers
72	RB	Chester	Taylor	MIN	Knobs
73	K	Neil	Rackers	ARI	Hobbits
74	RB	Dominic	Rhodes	IND	Flapjax
75	QB	Steve	Mcnair	BAL	Da Shizzle
76	K	Adam	Vinatieri	IND	Creepers
77	WR	Lee	Evans	BUF	Men of Troy
78	QB	Kurt	Warner	ARI	Steeldogs
79	K	Jeff	Wilkins	STL	Renegades
80	K	Josh	Brown	SEA	Puntmonkeys
81	WR	Javon	Walker	DEN	Puntmonkeys
82	RB	Ahman	Green	GB	Da Shizzle
83	TE	Dallas	Clark	IND	Renegades
84	RB	Frank	Gore	SF	Creepers
85	RB	Chris	Brown	TEN	Men of Troy
86	K	David	Akers	PHI	Knobs
87	WR	Donald	Driver	GB	Steeldogs
88	K	Jason	Elam	DEN	Mudslingers
89	RB	Mike	Bell	DEN	Flapjax
90	WR	Braylon	Edwards	CLE	Hobbits
91	RB	Marion	Barber	DAL	Hobbits
92	WR	Rod	Smith	DEN	Men of Troy
93	WR	Laveranues	Coles	NYJ	Flapjax
94	WR	Terry	Glenn	DAL	Knobs
95	K	Jay	Feely	NYG	Steeldogs
96	WR	Andre	Johnson	HOU	Da Shizzle
97	RB	Reuben	Droughns	CLE	Mudslingers
98	TE	L.J.	Smith	PHI	Puntmonkeys
99	QB	Chris	Simms	TB	Creepers
100	WR	Eddie	Kennison	KC	Renegades
101	RB	Duce	Staley	PIT	Renegades
102	RB	Tatum	Bell	DEN	Mudslingers
102	WR	Isaac	Bruce	STL	Steeldogs
103	TE	Jason	Witten	DAL	Creepers
104	RB	Fred	Taylor	JAX	Da Shizzle
105	QB	Trent	Green	KC	Mudslingers
106	WR	Matt	Jones	JAX	Men of Troy
107	RB	Laurence	Maroney	NE	Puntmonkeys
108	TE	Ben	Watson	NE	Hobbits
109	QB	Byron	Leftwich	JAX	Knobs
110	QB	Aaron	Brooks	OAK	Flapjax
111	K	Matt	Stover	BAL	Flapjax
113	TE	Kellen	Winslow	CLE	Knobs
114	K	John	Kasay	CAR	Men of Troy
115	WR	Muhsin	Muhammad	CHI	Puntmonkeys
116	QB	Brad	Johnson	MIN	Steeldogs
117	QB	Philip	Rivers	SD	Hobbits
118	WR	Keenan	McCardell	SD	Renegades
119	WR	Keyshawn	Johnson	CAR	Da Shizzle
120	RB	Mike	Anderson	BAL	Creepers
121	QB	Matt	Leinart	ARI	Creepers
122	QB	Chad	Pennington	NYJ	Puntmonkeys
123	QB	Mark	Brunell	WAS	Da Shizzle
124	WR	Jerry	Porter	OAK	Steeldogs
125	RB	Kevan	Barlow	NYJ	Hobbits
126	WR	Drew	Bennett	TEN	Mudslingers
127	QB	Jon	Kitna	DET	Men of Troy
128	QB	David	Carr	HOU	Flapjax
129	QB	Brian	Griese	CHI	Renegades
130	WR	Brandon	Stokley	IND	Knobs
131	RB	DeAngelo	Williams	CAR	Knobs
132	WR	Ashley	Lelie	ATL	Hobbits
133	K	Sebastian	Janikowski	OAK	Renegades
134	TE	Alex	Smith	TB	Mudslingers
135	TE	Ben	Troupe	TEN	Men of Troy
136	TE	Marcus	Pollard	DET	Puntmonkeys
137	TE	Jermaine	Wiggins	MIN	Flapjax
138	K	Mike	Vanderjagt	DAL	Creepers
139	TE	Ben	Utecht	IND	Steeldogs
140	TE	Bubba	Franks	GB	Da Shizzle
141	K	Olindo	Mare	MIA	Da Shizzle
142	QB	Rex	Grossman	CHI	Renegades
143	K	Jason	Hanson	DET	Steeldogs
144	K	Josh	Scobee	JAX	Puntmonkeys
145	K	Jeff	Reed	PIT	Flapjax
146	K	Ryan	Longwell	MIN	Hobbits
147	WR	Cedric	Wilson	PIT	Creepers
148	K	Nate	Kaeding	SD	Knobs
149	K	Phil	Dawson	CLE	Mudslingers
150	RB	Mike	Alstott	TB	Men of Troy

AAFL: Men of Troy

The roster for the Men of Troy:

QB Drew Brees, NO
QB Drew Bledsoe, DAL

RB Edgerrin James, ARI
RB Steven Jackson, STL
RB Chris Brown, TEN
RB Mike Alstott, TB

WR Chris Chambers, MIA
WR Lee Evans, BUF
WR Rod Smith, DEN
WR Matt Jones, JAX

TE Chris Cooley, WAS
TE Ben Broupe, TEN

K Lawrence Tynes, KC
K John Kasay, CAR

AAFL: ESPN Draft Results

I ranked my players in an ESPN fantasy league using the same rankings I've been working on for the AAFL draft. My first 4 draft picks were wide receivers. Someone please stop me if I do this on Saturday.

Quote of the Day: Mike Ditka

The Raiders signed Jeff George today. When asked if George was ready to play after being out of football, Mike Ditka replied, "Jeff George wasn't ready to play when he was in football."

NFL: Roster Trends

Thought I would point out some trends I've noticed while compiling my cheat sheet for the draft.

1. Four different web sites list four different place kickers for the Atlanta Falcons. It seems like less than two weeks before the first game would be a good time to at least have narrowed down the kicker job to one or two people.

2. Although most of the common names (Smith, Brown, Jones) have players at various positions, if your last name is Clark in the NFL you are a Tight End. No exceptions.

3. The better teams (Colts, Patriots, Seahawks, Panthers) seem to have little roster controversy. No matter what web sites or magazines I check, the depth chart is usually the same. Teams like Oakland, Arizona, NY Jets, and others seem to have a different lineup depending on what day someone posted their depth chart.

4. The Patriots have gone from Adam Vinatieri to someone named Stephen Gostkowski as their place kicker. Ouch!

5. Quick question: which of these is not an actual player on an NFL roster:
Hank Baskett
Davis Rashied
Visanthe Shiancoe
Illi Amman
Craphonso Thorpe

AAFL: Introducting, Men of Troy

The West Nile Scarabs owner/ president /coach Troy Stiffler announced today that the team will undergo a name change for the 2006 season. They will now be known as the Men of Troy. This name better serves to stroke the ego of the coach as well as cash in on the success that the USC Trojans have had. The team is currently preparing for the draft. Stay tuned for updates.

ACL Rehab Update

Well, it's been about a month since my ACL reconstruction. I started physical therapy last Friday because apparently my doctor didn't think I was in enough pain already. One of my first tasks was to lift my injured leg off the exam table while sitting. My knee twitched, but you couldn't have slipped a piece of paper between it and the table. The physical therapist asked me to start trying and which point I explained that I was. Finally, after almost a week, I can now get the leg off the table. A new rehab this week was riding an exercise bike for seven minutes. Now this would seem to be pretty easy since, pre-surgery anyway, it was common for me to bike for much longer than that. There is just one problem now: I can't bend my knee! So, the therapist suggested I just go halfway around on the pedals, then back pedal and start again. So there I am basically making the pedals make half a rotation and then starting over. Meanwhile a little old lady is on the bike next to me going about 3 miles per hour, but is clearly showing me up. Also, once on the backpedal I brought my leg too high and it DID complete a revolution. This brought on a "new definition of pain and suffering." The good news: my leg is now fully straight (it was bent at a 7 degree angle when I started rehab, now it's at zero) and can bend up to 110 degrees (not without pain, unfortunately). For the immediate future, I'm still on cruthes and using a brace (except around the house), but hopefully I'll be up and about soon.

Return of the Blog

In a desparate attempt to relieve my boredom at work, I'm reviving my blog. Look for updates on my injured knee and tons of fantasy football news in the next couple of weeks. Enjoy!

NFL Draft: Colts (predraft)

How about this:

Polian: We'll give you our 1st round draft pick, 3rd round draft pick, and Reggie Wayne.

Saints GM: Sounds great. We'll give you Reggie Bush and call the NFL to start inscribing COLTS on the Lombardi trophy.

NFL Draft: Reggie Bush

It's a colossal mistake to pick Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush. Williams may be a decent player, but Bush is a star in the making: a great football player with charisma and the IT factor that you need on a team. This will go down as one of the biggest blunders ever.

Just to show I'm right, here's Chuck Klostrman explain it: The wrong guy. Here's an except (done in all caps to show how emphatic he is):

"REGGIE BUSH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TACKLE. HE IS WAY, WAY BETTER THAN ALL OF THE OTHER DUDES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE DRAFTED. WHEN REGGIE BUSH IS RUNNING WITH THE FOOTBALL, THOSE ATTEMPTING TO KNOCK HIM TO THE GROUND CANNOT SEEM TO DO SO. THIS QUALITY IS ADVANTAGEOUS WITHIN THE GAME OF FOOTBALL, AS THAT IS PRETTY MUCH THE TOTALITY OF THE SPORT. "

Quick NFL Note

I don't really care what happens in the draft as long as a USC running back ends up with the Colts.

Mowing and mowing and mowing and...

I made my first attempt at mowing my yard on Saturday. Boy, did that wear me out! Maybe it was because my knee is sore and swollen from a previous incident or maybe it's because my workout routine consists of lifting the remote. The front yard went fine. The grass isn't growing was fast so I was basically just mulching some dead dandelions. The back was a different story. The grass is growing quite well, not to mention there's a nice incline coming up from a ditch. I have to admit, though, that it was nice exercise and it was a beautiful day to be outside. I just need to get used to manual labor!

Pictures

I have plenty of pictures store at Yahoo Photos. Check them out.

Our First Anniversary

Rachel and I celebrated our first anniversary by going to Eddie Merlot's. The food was absolutely terrific. The steak is like eating candy, you just want more and more!