Power Position Betting Quick Hits: Week Eight Football Review

I feel like the Jets. Cheated. Chris Baker was in, that was a touchdown just like the sky is blue and water is wet—judgment call my…

Well, you know. But this is the NFL, did we expect anything else? It’s not just the players and games that are crazy, but the refs too—as we all know I’m sure. It begs the question though, in all the pro or anti arguments pertaining to human cloning that I have heard, why has no one mentioned Ed Hochuli? The benefits would clearly outweigh the negatives, and I think all of us would watch games easier. p>

Oh. So how do I feel cheated? It’s a new fantasy season, but I’m having the same old problems. I assemble one of the better teams in my league, but each week, the team I’m going up against decides to ratchet it up a notch and quite frankly speaking it’s getting a little old. Plus, it doesn’t help that I continue to make stupid moves and refuse to listen to my gut. This week I wanted to sit McNabb so bad, but how could I do it? The Texans just destroyed the Jaguars, and they were playing in Philly. How could I sit him? Why was my gut telling me to do this? And of course…

McNabb, 161 yards passing and that’s all on a day when the Eagles did not come out to play. Thank you gut. And did I tell you that I hate you?

How about the Steelers? Was that a punch in the gut or what? This is why the NFL remains such a wild sport. The Steelers hold the Raiders to 98 yards, but lost by a touchdown. Not only that, they gained 360 yards. It makes no sense for them to lose this game, not on paper before the game or on paper after—but they did.

Seneca Wallace stepped up and threw for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns in KC, but Larry Johnson exploded for 4 tds, just too much to handle. Tomlinson, our preseason number one fantasy draft pick, matched LJ as he destroyed the Rams. Any time you hold Holt to 48 yards, you get a pat on the back and so the Chargers, this pats for you.

Vince Young deserves a pat on the back. The Texans passed him over for Mario Williams, and while not having the greatest of game, he got the W with a nice little run, a nice little pass, and some help from David Carr. Funny that Rosenfels wasn’t sacked once while he was in there, but you never know…

And Vick. The greatest (and by greatest I mean the most fun in my opinion) Madden quarterback. Two games, 38.58 for 523 yards, 7 tds and 2 ints, the best stretch of his life as he led the Falcons to close victories over the Steelers and Bengals. It’s a long season still, but in our preseason draft guide, we expected this from him this year. Just a little pat on the back after a tough week on me...

Not as tough as the 49ers though. On our podcast, James said Gore would hit 80, I said 50, 55. You take away his 53-yard run and I’m right on the money…but that’s this league for you. It’s tough. One week monster, next week chump. You try and ride a wave, and it just eats you up—always next week though, in fantasy and reality.

Bucs should take that advice to heart, after their game against the Giants. Not good. Or the Cardinals, even worse. Leinart didn’t even have a bad game; it’s just that things are not right in the desert out there. Better stadium, better team on paper, but the same old result.

Same old result, like me making a bad fantasy play that cost me the week. I tend to overestimate the Ravens secondary, and thus I sat Colston for Braylon Edwards against the Jets—Jets have a weak D, I love the team, but let the facts be facts. So of course, that only doesn’t just bite me in the ass, but tear a huge chunk out of it, going for 2 tds and 165 yards to Edwards’ crap. You know what else, of course—my gut said, do it. Put it Colston. You’ll see, and I said shut up gut. You shut up…and the Ravens did win. But stats are stats, and my gut is gut and I hate it. Cuz next week when I listen to my gut…

Hopefully I’ll have a week like Romo had, against an admittedly hurt Panthers D but still. When are the Panthers not hurt, and for Romo to go out there and have the game he did, more pats on the back. 9 catches for Owens, not bad…one td catch from him and I win the week, but nah. Let’s not do that. Just kidding.

Can you tell I’m a little bitter? The worst thing is I put in Maroney this week instead of Addai because get this—I want to cheer for Maroney on Monday. Is that not the stupidest logic in the world? And my gut was on top of that too, calling me names, telling me how stupid I am—but I don’t listen to what I should listen to, and how much can I bet that Maroney will go for 30 yards rushing and maybe 20 receiving? Can I bet my soul? Is that a possibility? Cause then I can get two souls and be twice as bitter.

But that Colts game, everyone knew it was going to be the game of the week and it lived to its hype. 4 field goal from Adam Vinatieri, including the game winner with two seconds left—is that a sign of what’s to come in the playoffs? All of us will be watching very carefully here at PPB, guarantee you that much.

A final word on fantasy sports here. I apologize for sounding bitter, but I’m really not. That bitterness is part of life, and while I know no one wants to hear me bitch and moan about how I keep on losing by 5 points or less, I do have a point for saying it. Remember, it’s just a game. Enjoy it. Curse it, love it, hate it, and rejoice in it— it’s all in good fun. We all want to win, but only one person can. And if we lose, why, there is always next week.

Until next week, peace.