My Golf Game sucks less Thursday, Jul 8 2010 

Well a few weeks ago, and rightly so, I mentioned my game stinks. Well, it stinks less since I realized I hadn’t been shifting my weight to the front on contact. Now it is shaping up. Last week I won low gross in the league and in the past 2 weeks I’ve won skins that total $120.

Winning skins is new to me. I’m used to winning some low gross and nets but I never take enough risks to capitalize on winning skins. I’m more of a risk avoidance, score maintanence guy. But this year I’ve increased my risktaking and it has paid off. Now to find that balance so that I can rake but still score well.

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2009 FFB Champion of the World! Friday, Jan 8 2010 

Yes, I have re-acquired the coveted Dick Butkiss Tropy as the champion of the Monday Morning QB Fantasy Football League. It has been three years since the trophy has resided in my home. And the timing couldn’t be any better. The last time I won it, Olivia was the same age as Christien, and she had a blast putting poker chips inside the cup.

This is the 4th championship in 10 years that my franchise has won the trophy. Twice with the former owner, and twice myself. The first time I won was a back-to-back for the franchise where I would say 75% of the team was inherited from the previous owner. This time however, only 3 players remain from the previous owner….and NONE of them were in play on championship Sunday. (more…)

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Playoff Week #2 Tuesday, Dec 22 2009 

So let’s recap what I thought were the Key Factors leading into this week’s matchup against the #1 team in the division:

he has 3 NE players: Brady, Moss nad RB Lynch. In Buffalo. Weather may play a huge factor for yet another team that has the ‘overload on one team and ride them to victory’ approach. Plus, Moss is pouting. I do have Welker that will alleviate some of the damage that Brady might do.
Well, the RB was actually Maroney….anyway, the weather was not a factor. No wind, perfect conditions. Fortunately, Buffalo has a stout secondary and so this triple threat fared ‘good’ but not ‘great’. Brady: 115 Pass Yards and one TD. Poor. Moss: 70Yd, 5 Recpt, 1 TD. Average. Maroney: 81RuYd, 1 RuTD : above average. I was more than happy to sacrifice my Welker to this mediocre outing: 40ReYd and 4Recpt – by far the worst of the season. But a small price to pay. Chalk this factor up to Ruddigers.

he has Dallas Clark, who I traded to him earlier this season. He is having a monster season – but Indy has clinched homefield. So will he play a full game? Or just enough to still do damage?
This player went on Thursday night to open the week. I went to my buddy Ian’s house to check out his newly finished basement and watch the game in HD on his 50″ Panasonic (you had to outdo me!) along with Pat. This game was a worst case scenario for me and was a very poor way to start things off. Poor enough that I was preparing myself for inevitable defeat. Clark came to play for the whole game and it was a close one a high scoring. He was involved to say the least: 95Yd, 2TD, 7Recpt. That is a 15.1 pt monster. And as this is the guy I traded to him earlier this year, you might was well call this a 30pt swing in the scoring. Ouch. Even though I fared well in that trade at the time, it is a clear reminder to me that I should think twice before trading within division. Besides, now that V.Y. is back, I don’t even need the QB he traded to me, I don’t even play the TE he gave me, and the only value I see in his draft pick he sent me is that he is forced to drop 4 players next year to satisfy the agreement. But wait, this might be more value than I initially thought: I’m certain he is going to have a very big problem trying to find 4 players to drop without giving up a great player. He probably doesn’t want to draft next year. I’m thinking I can probably offer him back that draft pick so he can avoid this altogether. Since his pick is going to be 10th, I can either offer to delay the pick for a year hoping he does worse next year and/or trade that pick for a couple of guys I see on his team that could go before I would get a chance at them with his 10th pick (my personal draft pick will be no higher than 11th for reasons to be revealed shortly)

he has Andre Johnson, the primary receiver for my QB Schaub. This may limit the damage I can do to him. But since they’re up against the lowly Rams, I have to ride my QB.
Well, I rode my QB and he played to his average, which is top 3 QB scoring caliber so not complaining. Unfortunately, as expected, everything was offset by the fact that he threw most of his yards and his only TD pass to Johnson. We effectively negated each other. Which in the end was probably a plus for me since my Welker effectively did the same to his Brady. I’m loving the fact that his 2 best players were offset by these two players. The remainder of my team is by far better than his.

I have Grant going against Pitt. Not a great matchup. Could be a bust, but I don’t have viable alternatives because…..
Well, I played Grant, and it was looking like a serious bust with only 5 carries with 6min left in the game. 13 yds rushing = 0.4 pts. The Pack was constantly trying to keep up with Big Ben’s record 500+ passing yds. By the time this was playing out, I had the towel in my hand and was about to throw it in. Then, and truly it is one of those miraculous fantasy moments: even though behind in the game with 6 min to go (i.e. not ever likely to be another running play), they hand off to Grant and he busts through the #1 rushing defence known as ‘The Steel Curtain’ and breaks out a 24 yd Rushing TD. That, my friends, was THE pivot to the game. After being down all day by 20-25 pts (thanks to Dallas Clark), I finally clawed over the top and took a slim 3 pt margin. A couple of late game passes to S.Holmes (same game by the way…next drive in which Pitt took the ball down to the endzone and made a game ending/winning TD) and I was 5.1 points ahead going into Monday night.

Steven Jackson may not go this week. This is the most critical point. Without him going, I’m in serious trouble. Already scrambling for alternatives and deciding if my backups are viable.
I lost the most sleep with this one: I flip-flopped between Hightower and Jackson right up to game time. But when Jackson was listed as starter avoiding both H1N1 and playing through herniated discs, I opted to roll the dice on my stud and let the gods decide. Hightower unpredictably ended up with more points, but S.JAX did not disappoint and finished with a strong 82RuYd and 41ReYd on 4 catches. A very respectable outing that made a difference.

My kicker has a dream outing against DET. Unfortunately, he has a groin issue and will likely be a game time decision. Which means I may need to scramble minutes before the game.
Well, that kicker was actually held out so I had to scramble for an alternative. I ended up picking the right one off the waiver: the one who is kicking in a dome against a poor defence. Tough to say no, even though he is having an awful season. True, he ended up missing a 52 yarder, but he more than made up the miss with 3 FG and 1 XP. A very strong outing for a kicker.

So, in the end, every key factor was a winning choice for me. And then, well, there were key factors that I hadn’t even thought about that played an even bigger role in winning:
1) Even though my Packers defence had a better matchup on paper, I swapped them out last minute for my Eagles defence (both are #1 and #2 fanasy wise BTW, nice problem to have) and avoided certain demise. The Pack were smoked by Big Ben and ended up -0.5 while the Eagles enjoyed a robust 14 point outing agains the surprising 49ers.
2) What will likely be talked about as the luckiest move of the week: at the last minute I sat my TE from the trade and started an unknown Fred Davis from Washington that I grabbed from the waiver. Owned by <40% of leagues and started by few, I made a gut call and sat my proven #1 for this apparent wildcard. This brought about the biggest drama of all…..

So after clawing all Sunday to absorb the Dallas Clark debacle, with the help of a dream last minute TD from Grant, I was finally in a lead. A slim lead of 5.1 points. a very magical number indeed.

With his kicker yet to go, 5.1 points covers even a 50+ fieldgoal (5pts). My last second TE replacement also yet to go. Very uncomfortable security. I was anxious the entire day for this game to go. Thinking about all the hard-luck loss scenarios that I might encounter. It would suck to lose by mere tenths of points.

Pregame: weather ideal for both kicking and passing….narrowly avoiding a blizzard that just came through. Game in WAS gives me some hope that my hometown TE can produce enough to stave off whatever his kicker will produce: 9-10 points is a typical outing.

What proceeds to happen over the 1st half I would consider to be on the verge of WORST-CASE-SCENARIO: By half time, the kicker’s team has accumulated 24 points: 1FG and 3XPs = 6 pts. Enought be .9 ahead of me with 30min to go. My TE MUST produce and improve upon the 0 points thus far. Aside: My other TE that I swapped out had ended up with 2.3 pts…enough to be still on top if I had stayed pat. At the end of the 1st half, to add insult, I was a hare’s breath away from a TD score. I’ll never forget the feeling: a dropped pass that brought me from exultation down to ‘what could have been’. This, of course, is the reason for Fantasy Football. The feeling of winning pitted against the agony of defeat. If you don’t know what I mean, watch ‘The League’.

This game was going poorly. Washington’s offence was ridiculously inept and I was certain I was toast. I had studied this TE and felt he had other wordly catching skills. Useless skills if the QB cannot get the ball out of his own hands, or, at least on target. The only positive thing to take from the 1st half is that he was the primary target for most inept pass attempts.

Then, as it happens after many halftimes, Washington changed strategy and went to a playaction strategy and lo’ they started clicking….and Fred Davis was the focus of the attack. Just as I had planned it! Soon into the 3rd quarter, he received a 5 yd pass on the 5yd line and, what felt like an eternity, he dodged two apparent tackles and dragged 2 defenders into the endzone. One of those moments where you can’t believe what your seeing as it unfolds in your favour. To a limited few in the world, that play was as exciting as any sporting play ever to have happened. To the rest of the world, it was a meaningless TD in a meaningless game where the game was already way out of reach.

This score placed me back up in front with a 4.5 point lead. Enough to cover a 30-49yd FG. With 1.5 quarters to go. Without going into gorey details, the next 1/2 hr was a see-saw of emotions where situation after situation unfolded where there was a great possibility that a FG was likely to happen. And this is when watching football gets weird. You start hoping for certain plays to succeed or fail depending on the situation. Sheer confusion for somebody who watching with me but not vested in the game….sorry Pat, but I’m sure you enjoyed watching the agony. One minute your praying for a reception. The very next play, at the same yardline, you are praying for the exact opposite. You want whatever scenario to unfold that minimizes points.

And, when all is said and done, it unbelievably worked out in my favour. The Giants continued to score TDs instead of FGs which resulted in my team preserving a lead that was never less than 3pts. Everytime an XP was scored, I countered with a reception. It was always tight, but I never relinquished the lead. Fantastic!

Now I’m off to the finals….and, I think I may have my TE for the future. Fred Davis has skills and is only in his 2nd year. Definitely softens the *mistake* I made trading away Clark.

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Playoff Week #1 Tuesday, Dec 15 2009 

Well, against my instincts – I ended up demolishing my week 1 opponent. Even though his big three in Baltimore went nuts against a weak Detroit defence. It was frustrating at the time to turn to that game and see bizarre play after bizarre play that resulted in huge outings for him.

Thankfully the pain was offset by my team coming out strong. Within the 1st 20 seconds of the games, Schaub had already thrown a 64 yd TD and Ryan Grant ran off a 62 yd rushing TD.

The final score was 107.7 – 80.3. I’ve been on the other end of these outings where you score enough to beat EVERYONE ELSE but the guy you went up against. I gather he, along with many other owners, is infuriated by the display put on by Brandon Marshall. I had the pleasure of owning this WR who set an NFL record by catching 21 passes. And then to add 200 yds receiving and 2 receiving scores results in a monster to beat all monsters. He netted 35.3 points. Without that outing, I lose.

My friend Pat was over so I didn’t have the computer on until after halftimes. After seeing Baltimore go crazy on Det, I figured I was a goner. Very nice surprise to boot up and see the huge margin I had. Coming into last nights MNF, I was 38 pts up. He had TE and ARZ DEF/ST to go. So it was not out of reach.

A little anxiety early on in that game as his TE quickly gets a TD and his DEF a couple of picks. By half he narrowed the margin to 18 pts. That’s the closest he got as his DEF crumbled and my kicker made 1 FG.

So now I play the #1 position in the division. I squeaked one out earlier this season. Some keys to deciding this match will be:
- he has 3 NE players: Brady, Moss nad RB Lynch. In Buffalo. Weather may play a huge factor for yet another team that has the ‘overload on one team and ride them to victory’ approach. Plus, Moss is pouting. I do have Welker that will alleviate some of the damage that Brady might do.
- he has Dallas Clark, who I traded to him earlier this season. He is having a monster season – but Indy has clinched homefield. So will he play a full game? Or just enough to still do damage?
- he has Andre Johnson, the primary receiver for my QB Schaub. This may limit the damage I can do to him. But since they’re up against the lowly Rams, I have to ride my QB.
- I have Grant going against Pitt. Not a great matchup. Could be a bust, but I don’t have viable alternatives because…..
- Steven Jackson may not go this week. This is the most critical point. Without him going, I’m in serious trouble. Already scrambling for alternatives and deciding if my backups are viable.
- My kicker has a dream outing against DET. Unfortunately, he has a groin issue and will likely be a game time decision. Which means I may need to scramble minutes before the game.

So, if everybody were healthy, I would be a slight favourite. Because they are not, I’m certain I’ll be going in as an underdog. This is going to be a tough one. But now that I’ve defeated that one team I thought to be undeserving of a playoff berth, everything is pretty much gravy from this point on.

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The inevitability of finishing strong Tuesday, Dec 8 2009 

In the first season and only season that I won the H2H football league, I won the championship. Even though I managed to sneak into the playoffs. The plus side was that I had a healthy team and *probably* had really good matchups for my players. I can’t remember. Ignorance is bliss.

The next two years I continued to strengthen my team depth enough to stave off injuries and again sneak into the playoffs (all 3 past years I’ve managed 7-6 records). But those two years were 1st week eliminations. Due to poor decisions made on my part along with good matchups for my competition.

This year it’s a different story, but I am expecting a heartbreak. I finished 2nd in an extremely strong division this year: 10-3 to the leader, 9-4 for me, 8-5 for 3rd and 6-7 4th. So not much difference between me and my 1st round competitor. I narrowly missed 1st place and a much easier 1st round matchup due to the leader squeaking out a narrow narrow win this week. I

The sad news is that because of this, I’m up against an owner who has 3 players pitted against THE weakest defence. And they are 3 of the more significant players on his team….in fact, they are basically the reason why he is where he is. A team that lives and dies with the matchups. A team therefore that I simply cannot respect as the strategy is very limiting. But, alas, it just so happens that this week bodes well for him if it unfolds as it’s supposed to. A team, also, that ‘doubly’ annoys me because he has snatched up two castaways that I had drafted in previous years but dropped for various reasons.

The good news is that although finishing a strong second as pertaining to record, I have the fortune of owning a very productive team that runs very, very deep. I have a very young roster that is not even entering its prime. And some strong dynasty keepers waiting in the wings. So my future is bright and I can withstand significant injury issues. Which is probably why I finished with the highest power rating: a combination of record (2nd overall), points for (1st overall) and competition breakdown (1st overall)….competition breakdown means toughness of schedule, which I had the pleasure of owning.

I outscore everybody on average which means, that given the likelihood my opponent will likely score better than his average, that number may not even reach my average. Add that to the fact that my projected roster has decent matchups means I should score well.

So, some mixed feelings: on paper this will not be a walkover for me. Which adds a level of anxiety. But, if the alternative were that I were a serious heavy favourite (as opposed to the slight favourite I am currently) – I may be overconfident and set up for the big fall.

Barring any of my players hitting the injury report and missing next week ( my QB and #1 RB are both banged up, my #2 receiver is already listed as doubtful), I expect a tight match. And I usually don’t end up on the winning side of tight matches. If I do lose one of my key players, that may be enough to tip the scales. I do have depth as I mentioned, but that depth introduces a bit of a wildcard in predicting my score.

The playoff format of H2H inheritly produces sudden heartbreak. That’s what makes it exciting. Even though I had a spectacular season that was dominant, it all comes down to who’s hot. The parity in the league is such that I can and have lost to almost every team at some point over the last couple of seasons. So on any given Sunday….

But I’m due for some playoff fortune. Two previous close and tough losses. Can’t have 3 in a row. At any rate, the regular season was much fun. I have 2 1st round draft picks next season due to a wiley trade I made, and I like the looks of my team for many years to come. So losing won’t be the end-all be-all.

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The end of the season Thursday, Dec 11 2008 

After starting the season 6-2 and posting on this site the overwhelming win in week 8 where I topped the century mark, the remainder of the season took a nosedive.

Just when the team was looking unbeatable, I took injuries to my top QB and my top RB and there was no way to stop the plummet.

I proceeded to lose the remaining 5 games of the season and backing my way into the playoffs thanks to tie-breaker policy. Most of these games were heartbreakers where I was passed by my opponent on the final game of the week.

The final humiliation came during the last 3 games: the remaining 2 in the season and the 1st playoff game. All three games were against the same opponent due to bizarro scheduling and playoff rules for determining matchups. Each of those games were lost because of the performance of his remaining player on the final game of the week. The most humbling of all being my elimination last week. His no-name of a WR decided to have a career game and a fantasy windfall: 23 points. By a WR that equates to 200Yds receiving, 2 TDs and 11 receptions. That is unheard of! The result was my opponent topping the century mark to my 84.5 pts. 84.5 pts will win games 95% of the time! No other player in the pool last week topped 80 pts….except for my opponent.

H2H is a fickle master. You can put your best guys out there, post a great score and still lose. It leaves me thinking what could I have done? There’s no blame I can place on myself in this instance. Not like last year where playing a different WR would have made the difference.

The good news is that I can let it go. There’s nothing I could have done outside of the bizarre notions. For example, I owned his no-name WR in week 3. Back then he had potential but was not showing it. After dumping him he turns his game around and becomes a WR2 type receiver. If I had kept this guy, it is likely that he would not have defeated me. But that is such a stretch that I can’t even use this as an excuse to place blame on myself.

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Hockey and stuff Monday, Nov 24 2008 

Last Saturday I spent a VERY rare moment watching a bit of the hockey. There was a big hub-bub in both Montreal and T.O. around the retirement of 2 jersey numbers: 33 and 17 respectively.

It’s funny, I was a HUGE fan back in the 80’s and into the early 90’s. Patrick Roy was a god and huge reason why I’ve been able to brag about those years and the 2 cups Montreal brought home during that span. He was truly an exceptional goaltender.

But age and wisdom can tarnish any image. As I’ve matured and entered my middle age, I clearly see that a great athlete does not by default deserve adornment. Patrick’s antics off the ice over the past few years (fights, altercations) and the encouragement he gives his children to win at no cost have exposed him as a less than stellar role-model.

The irony is, back in the day, in order to be a Habs fan required a passionate hatred towards the Leafs. Thus, as much effort was spent ‘dissing’ Wendell Clark as was spent promoting the glorious might of Patrick Roy. As their careers came to a close, I grew to appreciate Clark. He wasn’t a ‘phemonal’ hockey player. Not a superstar like Roy. But he scored more points than most others. What he brought to the table was a presence. An ability to lead his team by example. Nobody played harder than Clark. He would do all the things that needed to be done on the ice. It took their retirements for me to see that.

Oddly, I felt the Roy ceremony a little stiff and forced in my eyes. The Clark ceremony seemed much more passionate and sincere. One of them is Hall of Fame bound. The other one probably won’t make it. Seems a little strange to me.

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Benchmark set Friday, Oct 24 2008 

In 2006, I won the fantasy football pool. Still trying so hard to win the baseball pool, but that’s a different story. It’s clear to me that I’m a little better judge of football talent as it pertains to fantasy. Correction, I think I’m better in a dynasty environment were I can pluck out the talent early and balance it accordingly. I can’t wait until the baseball pool evolves into dynasty.

Oh yes, fantasy – a geek’s closest shot at managing a sport’s franchise. But hey, it’s fun, competitive and rewarding when one is successful.

Anyway, since 2006 I’ve had to retool my team by phasing out or trading off older talent that still has value and in return receiving young talent with upside that still has some current day value. It’s a hard task to not sacrifice too much of today to insure your team will be competitive down the road. I see too many owners in my league constantly tooling for the future at the expense of never having that team that will win in the now. After all, winning today is what really matters. What’s the point of always having that potential team that never achieves victory?

In 2007 I came OH so close to defending my title. A matter of mismanagement more than anything else. But the mismanagement comes from the fact that I had to make so many right decisions to squeak out the tight wins. My team simply wasn’t strong. A question of having too much young talent and not quite enough consistency to win.

This year is different. I have a great balance of youth and experience. And it is paying off. I am 1st overall at the halfway point. I know how precarious that can be, but for a single point in time I can say I’ve gone to places never before. Even though I won in 2006 and was close in 2007, I was never in the top 5 or 6 in the standings throughout the season. An underdog as you will. This year I am top dog and I got there last weekend by achieving something I’ve never done: top the century mark in points. Good thing too considering my opponent posted a healthy 73.5 which would win 95% of the time:

Now, always thinking about the future, I have a subtle weakness that I want to resolve: I have 2 WRs on the same team: Holmes and Ward. It is a weekly agonizing task to figure out which of the 2 to play on any given week. It is virtually impossible to determine who is going to perform better than the other as they are fairly equal.

It makes sense to peddle Ward on the market to a team contending for the championship this year. He is 10 years into his career and won’t really be part of anybody’s rebuilding effort. Therefore I would only get the most value out of somebody who appreciates his worth to help them TODAY. I have found one such candidate who not only is contending this year but is a HUGE Steelers fan. In return he has offered me Anthony Gonzalez (2nd year WR out of INDY) and a 2nd round draft pick. In my dynasty rankings I have Ward and Gonzalez virtually the same in value at this point in time. So on the surface the trade seems pretty good. Gonzo is a #3 reciever right now but if/when Harrisson goes bye-bye that will change since Manning believes in this young talent. This would certainly help my rebuilding at the minor expense of weakening my current WR strength. But the problem is that as a Steelers fan, he should be willing to give up more for the #1 WR and heart and soul of that team. A 2nd round pick is not that lucrative especially if he wins this season and ranks last in the draft order.

What I’m trying to get in addition into the deal is Brady Quinn for Vince Young. I have the volatile Young who just doesn’t project well. Quinn is a prototypical fantasy-type passing QB that is on the verge of coming out once the Derek Anderson experiment is over in Cleveland. I need to get this player from him now before he starts and the owner realizes his potential. I want to take that risk on. Unfortunately the owner is not interested in this part of the deal. But if he gets desperate enough I think I can work it. This weekend he is in tough and will likely lose. I will likely win especially if I can keep Ward for this weekend’s matchup. So my plan is to respond after the weekend and hit him up when is in a somewhat more desperate situation. Quinn is the man that will make this deal slightly more favourable in my direction albeit with some risk attached. But that is what needs to be done to be successful.

Here’s hoping.

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An impulse buy Monday, May 26 2008 

I just bought 14 tickets to any Blue Jay game. Price about 420 total = $30 a ticket. The retail price for the seats are $49 so if I do use them up I guess it’s worth the up front transaction. We already have 4 tickets going towards the Cubs/Jays game on June 14. Not a big fan of interleague play but the Cubs are a very good team worth seeing in person.

Anyway, I’m back! Should start to see more regular blogs coming up. I’ve been busy with spring clean, garden, etc. along with work. Have lots to talk about including my sudden surge in my yearly fantasy pool and the NEW H2H pool that I signed up for. Let’s just say that it’ll be a lot more interesting if I can get the guys to buy into a dynasty H2H or even (alas) Rotisserie format. Keepers add way more interest and even keep the bottom dwellers interested in the season from start to finish.

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An NFL game in Buffalo Tuesday, Dec 11 2007 

Went to see the playoff hungry Bills (6-7) take on the lowly and history destined Dolphins (0-13) with my brother in law Joey. We loaded up the CRV with the Coleman, some propane, beer and jumbo hotdogs. Thermal socks, fleece and winter jackets as the temperature was expected to be a few degrees below freezing, windy and ‘precipitous’ (a mix of freezing rain and snow).

We left for the game at 8 am sharp with the hopes of being parked and tailgating by 11. We were bang on. There was little traffic and it’s unbelievable how easy it is to get to Orchard Park once crossing the border at Niagara Falls. It’s about 20 minutes from border to parking most of it on major highway.

Here’s a valuable trick for parking: When you get onto 179E/Milestrip Expwy, instead of following it to Abbot Road and finding parking in that mayhem, turn R onto McKinley Pkwy which is before Abbot Road. Then, turn left on Big Tree Road. Find parking on any one of the many houses that charge you only $10 (instead of $20) to park on their lawn. We parked on the right side of the road about 200m before Abbott Road intersection. I think it was 5287. Backed in so that the car was facing the road and ready to just boot it after the game. Benefits of this spot was: not a busy road after the game, close to a couple restaurants down the street in case you need to go the washroom. About 20 cars could park there so you get a mini-tailgate feeling. Or just meander over to one of the restaurant parking lots for a bigger experience.

We were able to pull out the rarely used picnic table that comes with the CRV and set up the Coleman to cook up the dogs. It was cold out but it was fun. Had a few beers and listened to the high-powered stereo they had set up on the porch to catch the pre-game.

About 12:30ish we packed up and walked to the game. About a 15 minute walk at the most. Unfortunately our gate was at the far back corner of the stadium so we had to navigate through all of the crowds to get there.

After entering the gates I found a quiet-ish spot and called home to confirm whether Galloway was playing for TB. I was in the playoffs and needed to make a change if he were listed as inactive. Unfortunately he was listed as active and I continued to play him instead of subbing in Marshall for DEN. I consider this THE mistake of my ‘07 run for the championship as it turns out this decision alone cost me a trip to the finals.

We had seats near the top of the stadium in a corner of the endzone. Not bad seats at all and well worth the price. The game was 24-0 for Buffalo by the end of the 1st quarter. Although Miami did score 17 pts, it ended up 31-17 and was never really in doubt. That gave me some time to watch the scoreboard and guess how I was doing in the pool. My guess was that after the 1st set of games, I had a fairly good lead.

On the way home (and yes it was that easy to get out of Orchard Park thanks to the primo parking location) we stopped at Jack Astors in Stony Creek to watch the remainder of the 4 games and then made it home by 9.

Yeah, it was cold and wet and windy, my toes were frozen but it was a fun day and can’t wait to go again. Earlier in the season would be nice but not necessary. Just looking for the matchups will be the deciding factor.

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