Periodic lengthy updates and funny columns on a variety of topics. Plus sometimes I post pictures of myself, and I'm damn sexy, so you don't wanna miss out.

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Okay, here we have 'em, this week's BCS rankings for the Thing in a Bag Fantasy Football League (TIABFFL)! Okay, nobody will care but the 12 people with teams on this list. Who am I kidding? Nobody will care but me, and perhaps Kyle. (Scroll down past the table of random-ass numbers for explanation and analysis.)

BCS RankTeamOwnerOverall PointsAPRVYahoo RankingAYRVCoaches' PollACPVComputer RankingsACRVSchedule RankLossesALVBCS VALUE
1Bugger Da HearnFitzy761.180.2510.510.2520.50.8410.452.79
2The BurninatorsHearn716.080.531.52.50.62530.750.631.355.325
3Z-Man's IronmenMary668.061.25212.330.5825411.2620.95.9925
4Whistle TipsB-lo683.30.75424110.251.0831.356.43
52004 ACC ChampsKyle669.2152.54161.50.4831.357.83
6Matt is GayMilo655.161.56361.551.250.331.358.9
7A-ron's FoosballersA-ron6351.7573.571.7571.751.2631.3511.36
8The StankrockersDoug597.462846.331.5825820.8431.3511.7725
92much4uCraig584.182.2594.58.662.165102.50.1241.813.335
10Balls Deep in MenKas554.962.51058.662.16592.251.4441.815.155
11ESPN InternsBo520.222.7512610.662.665112.750.373.1517.615
12(HundreDolla) BillsUnga493.63115.510.52.6251230.8462.717.665

KEY:
APRV: Adjusted Points Ranking Value
AYRV: Adjusted Yahoo Ranking Value
ACPV: Adjusted Coaches' Poll Value
ACRV: Adjusted Computer Rankings Value
ALV: Adjusted Losses Value

A few interesting things about this week's rankings; Mary, despite having 5 wins, actually sits in 3rd place in the BCS rankings. This is mainly due to having a weak schedule (so far), and simply not throwing up a lot of points. She scores just enough to beat opponents, which of course is all you really need to do. Her close wins also mean she doesn't do well in the computer rankings (which are almost the exact opposite of the real BCS computers; all my computer model takes into account is how badly you whoop your opponent's ass).

On the other hand, the Whistle Tips score way high in the computer model because of a number of blowouts. Without the bonus he gets from the computer he'd be in a neck and neck race with Kyle, who started slowly but is gaining momentum. He's facing a hard schedule, which hurts his overall standings but improves his BCS score.

Fitzy, of course, is cruising along nicely, getting all the first place coaches' votes, plus tops in Yahoo ranking and number of losses. Over the next few weeks he plays nobody ranked higher than 6th, so look for him to grab at least two more wins and clinch the playoffs by week 10 at the latest, earlier than this pundit has ever seen in fantasy sports.

As for my team, I started strong with a 3 straight wins, and then got handed three straight losses. My win in week 7 will hopefully get me some momentum back, which I'll need to get through the next few weeks: I meet Loewen in week 8 and Mary in week 10, with a nice break to demolish the ESPN Interns. The Loewen-Hearn matchup this weekend is a make-or-break game for both teams; winner goes to 5-3, with a good chance of moving past Mary in the official standings.

The Interns have a great squad, but seem to have a lot of trouble predicting which players will do well in a given week. I predict that Bo will get out of his run of bad luck and rally to win 4 or 5 of the final 7 games, just enough to miss the playoffs by a whisker, along with Craig, who just seems to be lumbering along in mediocrity for some reason. I think a few poor draft decisions have kept Craig from really shining this year.

Speaking of poor draft decisions, Kas has done well to manage his team to 10th place, considering his draft. Picking last in the first round, he had an opportunity to snag 2 top-15 players; he went with Tiki Barber and Trent Green. I have no idea what he was thinking, but his plan seems to have backfired so far.

I thought Doug's team would be ranked higher at this point, but he just doesn't seem to be able to throw the points up there. His 4-3 record is the same as 5 other teams, but the low point totals keep him in the basement. A win against Kas this week would be huge for him, as many of the other 4-3 teams are playing each other. I look for Kyle and Doug to move up to 5-3 this week, with Aaron losing hard to Mary and Smith hitting the brick wall that is "Bugger Da Hearn."

A-ron has, so far, ridden an easy schedule to a high ranking, although his point totals are pretty high. This team could go either way, and a lot rides on this weekend. If he beats Mary, he goes to 5-3, and could have enough points to jump 3 or 4 spots in the standings. A loss sticks him at 4-4, and the following weeks' games could go either way; the only gimme-game he gets the rest of the season is a week 9 contest against Kas.

Unga's squad needs help; his low point totals are keeping him out of the race, even with that 57-55 point squeaker against Bo in week 3. I don't see him getting more than 1 or 2 more wins this season, although if he really comes on strong in the second half and wins 5 or 6 of the 7 games, he could possibly squeeze into the bottom run of the playoffs. He'd have to be REALLY really lucky, though.

None of that analysis tells the real story, though, which of course is that I'm going 7-0 to finish the season at 11-3 and run through the playoffs like Mo Vaughn through a plate of chicken wings. Count on it.


Queries? Problems? Your brain leaking from your nose? I don't care. Ah, just kidding. Shoot an email to spam(at)matthearn(dot)com.

Monday, October 20, 2003

Someday, at my first AA meeting, they'll ask me, "Well, Matt, why would you think that drinking scotch at 9 am is a normal pastime?" And I'll have to simply reply, "Homecoming." And everyone will smile and nod, and possibly a few will take a quick nip from a hidden flask.

Most folks think that the end-of-year holiday season kicks off with Halloween. They are wrong. Halloween is just an excuse for people to try to eliminate annoying children through diabetic coma. Homecoming is the perfect way to begin the holidays: with a bang! And quite possibly police action!

This year's University of Delaware Homecoming Spectacular was the first in recent memory that didn't involve a bunch of my friends arriving at my house for an all-day party. This year, Sarah put the kibosh on another Hearn Homecoming Extravaganza, partly because she didn't want another case of morons getting drunk and running around the yard screaming expletives at the neighbors, and partly because she was embarrassed when our friends would arrive at 9am and I'd already be trashed and naked.

This year, we actually got tickets for the game, and drove down to tailgate. We parked at the Chrysler plant across the street, using the logic that the UD cops break up all the tailgating as soon as the game starts, but the Chrysler plant is not UD property, so we could hang out after the game, drink some more, wait for the crowd of cars to clear out, and leisurely get on the road. We sat around, saw some people, drank some beers, downed some scotch, admired some sorority whores, and just before noon went over and got our seats for the game. The game itself was a blowout, 55-10, with Delaware leading 35-0 by halftime; by the end, they had their third-string QB in. We did have thunder sticks, though, so our dorky enjoyment was magnified.

After the game, we headed out. I realized I had to pee, so I ran over to the field house where we had drained a few times earlier. UD, in its infinite wisdom, had closed and locked the building. Why? I don't know. Probably because UD is run by idiots. Anyway, no problem, I just pissed on the building and went to meet my posse at the truck.

Except that for some reason, roughly 200 cops of various organizations were there. When I found my friends, they told me that apparently a riot had started, and mace was involved. Nothing but good times, particularly the stupid woman who hadn't done anything wrong, but insisted on screaming profanity at a cop until he just arrested her and threw her in the car to shut her up. Moron, party of one!

There's really nothing that brings you out of your post-game hangover than some pepper-spray and a nightstick to the throat, I'd reckon. Too bad I missed out on the fun. Oh well, there's always next year!


Queries? Problems? Your brain leaking from your nose? I don't care. Ah, just kidding. Shoot an email to spam(at)matthearn(dot)com.

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