Posts by author: Augustine

EL SUPREMO CHAMPIONSHIP T-SHIRTS that are no longer accurate!

While most of you slept last night, my Fantasy Football league, the SJPFFL, was playing itself out in the most dramatic ending in our history. My team, FUTLER, was down a single point to Mike Finegan’s EL SUPREMO in the fourth quarter with 0:23 left on the clock. Sidney Rice was my last active player and needed only ONE POINT, (ten yards in our scoring) to make me a winner. Unfortunately Rice was out of both time, and field. (Vikings were at the 6.)

So, as Favre and company lined up, the ONLY thing that could make me a winner was a touchdown to Sidney Rice. Miraculously? That is EXACTLY what happened.  Favre dropped back put the ball up and let Sidney Rice make the same great TD catch he has been making all year.  Oh, and I won my entire league on that final play of regulation. Incidentally, I was only in the finals because I beat Jeff Butler’s CROOKED SHILLELAGH squad by a single point, also in the waning moments of a Monday Night Football game. Both Mike and Jeff were gracious in defeat, and the children of Nicaragua and other third world countries are enjoying the EL SUPREMO CHAMPIONSHIP T-SHIRTS that are no longer accurate! Dewey Defeats Truman?  Supremo Stomps Futler… HA HA HA…

So, in the most unlikely of unlikely fashion, I won my first Fantasy Football title. I will say that again. I won my first, ever, fantasy title. I have been in my league since the mid to late 1990’s. It’s a league made up of family, old friends, and guys I have become friends with one draft day at a time over the last decade plus. Every one of these guys know how to play, every one of them plays 14 weeks, regardless of record, and everyone puts up a hefty $300ish to be involved. That makes the Championship Pot? A Cool $1000.00  bucks! ( Oh, and ps…  This is a very timely and welcome jackpot based on the expenses I incurred LAST MONTH!)

I had the best regular season record, by a lot, a stud starter at every position, (before the injury to my TE, Owen Daniels then I “got by” with TE by committee.) Below are the studs that carried me the entire way. Brees, Jones, Jones-Drew, D. Jackson, S.Rice. Prater, and Owen Daniels (replaced after injury by Fred Davis.) The number next to them is where they rank by position overall by our scoring.

The 2009 Futler Championship Squad!

Next up? I will be visiting my good friend Wolf to get that coveted SJPFFL trophy. When Wolf helped me move my couches into my new house a few years back, he pointed out that the top of my entertainment center would be an excellent place for that trophy… he’s right! I will be sponsoring a keg sometime this winter so my league mates can come look at it!

Thanks to Jim Beach, my league’s Commish (who already has check in mail as that is how this league rolls and has for a decade!), that ran another great year. Every picky piece of bitching minutia I brought up over the regular season blasting the rules, the scoring, and web site we use!? I formally, respectfully and whole-heartedly take back….

FOR THREE WEEKS! Then it’s on! See you next year ARSE CLOWNS!!!!!   I dedicate this victory to the Scarlet Mites, FingerBang, Taints, and McDaigo squads over the years that came close but couldn’t win it!

Good Luck…

So my first World Series game at Citizens Bank Park was a loss.  Still that does not detract, at all,  from the excitement of being a part of the media for a World Series game.   I was so happy when I took that shot of Jeter, above, because it seemed to foreshadow what I was sure was going to be the beginning of a three game home stand sweep by the Phillies. I was wrong.  Still love the shot!

The Yankees are pretty good, let’s face it.  I heard grumblings last night about calls that turned the game.  But the Yankees are just good.  (Honestly I thought Game 2 was the more “winnable” game of the two losses so far.)  I was on the field to see the Phillies warm up throughout the playoffs and if I said it once, I said it a million times.  The Phillies are a loose bunch that looks like they are having a blast and really enjoy each others company.  The Rockies and Dodgers seemed much tighter.  Joe Torre was reminded me of the somnambulist in the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.   After spending a pre-game with the Yankees?  Turns out the Yankees  are every bit as loose, confident and upbeat as the Phillies. 

During warm ups, former Philly, Michael Jack Schmidt came down to the field. (See Galleries).  Schmidt spent several minutes talking with both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.  He spent the most time talking to former Yankee great Reggie Jackson.  Jackson is a member of the Yankees staff.  To see the two with over 1000 homeruns talk on the field of a World Series game close enough to flip a Topps baseball card at them was a highlight of my evening.

The second highlight came during the rain delay.  And truth be told, I did not know it was a highlight until someone explained it to me later.  I spent the lengthy rain delay in the interview room you see on Comcast SportsNet.   What you can”t see from TV is that it is lined with about 100 chairs.  As the game was in delay I sat there with camera people, national media, various baseball writers etc.  As we sat there, a group of 5 or 6 very goofy teenish kids in bright red WORLD SERIES jackets descended upon the podium that is used for post game interviews.  They mock interviewed each other, cracked jokes, beat-boxed, sang a cappella, and giggled.  I thought some of the older folks from the BBWA’s heads would explode.   It smelled like teen spirit to be sure!  Later in the evening I learned they were the cast from GLEE that was singing that national anthem.  I was the closest one to the podium, I wish I knew it was them to take a picture for my friends kids!  Damn you Fox!!!

Related Items:

Here is my Yankees Gallery

Here is my Phillies Gallery

So my dream World Series matchup is finally going to happen…It’s the Evil Empire v. The Phightin Phils, Bronx Bombers v. Red October.  It seems like we’ve been waiting for this to come to fruition forever.  I keep hearing Phils fans saying “Bring on the Yankees.”  Well, what about “Bring on the Phillies?”  They’re the defending champs, have rolled through the first two rounds again, and look very formidable.  The Yanks haven’t won anything in 9 years.  When I look at the matchups its amazing how similar these two teams are:  1) After the #1 starter your not quite sure what you’re going to get…Hamels, Burnett, Blanton, Pettitte can be dominating or give up 7 runs; 2) Neither team has seen a lineup like this…both lineups can rake from top to bottom and score a ton of runs; 3) The bullpens are unpredicatble…the yanks pen was good all year but looked beyond shaky in the ALCS while the phils pen shutdown the Dodgers.  So settle in for a fantastic series and hopefully next week we’ll be celebrating championship number 27.

Big win…impressive.   Last night was obviously a must win situation for LA and now they’re toast.  I just like that they have to sit around Philly for another day before being eliminated (just like Tampa last year).  This series was never in doubt because of the curse of Don Mattingly.  Let me explain…..Donny Baseball was my favorite player growing up but has never been on a team that won jack balls.  His first year in NY was 1982 which was the year after they get to the world series (and lose in 6 to LA).  His last year in pinstripes was 1995 when they get to the playoffs and lose to Seattle in the ALDS.  So, he played in pinstripes for 14 years and the Yanks don’t get to the series at all, in fact, they are pretty bad.  They get to the WS the year before he gets there and they win it the year after he leaves (96).  Now, Torre takes him to LA as his hitting coach after they both get f*&#ked by Hank Steinbrenner…..and they’re about to lose again to the phils in the NLCS.  Just remember this….no team that has Mattingly in uniform will ever get to or win the WS….book it…. its a mortal lock.

With that being said, I’ve been waiting for Phils v. Yanks in the WS for a long time and its never been closer to happening than right now.  As likeable as the phils are and being my favorite NL team…..I’m thoroughly looking forward to the yanks ripping the heart out of every phils fan in the Delaware Valley.  I’m really going to enjoy it as we celebrate number 27.  In fact, I’m gonna be absolutely giddy when I see grown men crying and that forlorn look on the faces of the women and babies.

So where are we watching the games?

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