1999 Week 8 Letter from the Commish

OFFL	`Omaha Fantasy Football League` "Go deep, I'll throw it!"
fantfbl@yahoo.com	web:http://www.oocities.org/Colosseum/Pressbox/7274

Week 8 has passed and, with it, the halfway point of the season already. November has nosed its way into our lives, the days are shorter and, so too, are chances for victory and a post-season berth. Each game becomes more contested, more heated, more important. Like a boxer going 15 rounds, each new Sunday eventually takes a greater toll than the last for teams struggling to gain a toehold into the playoffs. This OFFL league of ours will separate out the heavyweights from the flyweights. For some, it's remaining schedule or matchups. For a few, it's personnel; for others, it's just personal. Today's playoff teams are the Clams, the Iguanas, the Highways, and Grande To The Party. That alone is sufficient to give one cause to pause. Definitely, Coach Widtfeldt is surely salivating like the boy in the closet with latent Iguana tendencies at the mere thought of being paired up with any of those other three teams. While eight weeks may be in the book, there's that next, oh so important, seven weeks between autumn leaves and winter winds to stoke the fire, crack that nut, and win your way into the playoff wonderland. Just how do the teams appear to shake out at this point:

Flyweights: The King of Dogs. Easy enough said. So, too, PMS. These teams, however, could still be the teams that playoff chances are vanquished by. Let's not forget that Grande To The Party was the one team to lose to PMS. That game could yet haunt the Party playoff chances at the end.

Lightweights: The Stanley Steamers have managed to score just enough points every week to have a chance to win but seldom enough to get the job done. As such, they'll probably finish with four or five wins. One of those wins could always jar someone else's playoff hopes too. Montezuma's Revenge is really here more because of its record than because of its talent. The fact remains, however, that this talent has played to a 3-5 result which leaves it very little room for error. Should the Revenge be able to pull off such a trick, it would be a very hot team, indeed, entering the playoffs. Excluding a Week 15 game with the King of Dogs, the Revenge's reamining schedule is eight games over .500 while every team is at .500 or better currently.

Cruiserweights: The NFC Norris (4-4) have been all over the field this season, going from high points to low points in a matter of a week. With Brett Favre, they're always a threat. But Favre's been inconsistent himself. Typically, the Norris swoon like the leaves around this time of year. It's become a fall tradition to watch Coach Nerz's team; sort of Groundhog's Day in reverse....will it be an early or late stumble this year?! The Pocket Knives have been wracked by injuries a second straight season. This year, they may not have the horses to duplicate 1998's improbable squad. A Week 10 division game against the Iguanas will be huge for Coach Pedersen's boys to stay in the hunt. If they win that one, they're blessed with the presence of the King of Dogs twice on the schedule before a possible Week 15 make or break versus the Party. Plus, the Retreads loom in Week 12. Surprised to see the Natural Fish-stics here? Don't be. The Swami knew. Since the beginning of the season, he was saying the Mystics were playing above their heads. Now they've dropped 3 of 4. Don't get the Commish wrong; the Mystics are still in the thick of things and could yet prevail. But they have the Clams twice, the Highways and Retreads among remaining division games and a game against the dangerous Revenge, winnable games but losable games as well.

Heavyweights: Probably the most surprising team here is the Benignly Calms. Nary a word is ever heard from the Benignly Calms. While their second QB wobbles, they've have not lost since Week 2. Lineups are submitted via fantfbl@yahoo.com address, the only team to do so. Those same lineups are routinely submitted by late work week. But solid production from around the lineup has put them at 5-2-1 entering a Week 9 game against the Mystics. They play Coach Wassem's team again in Week 13. Also on the agenda are the Retreads and Iguanas back to back Weeks 11 and 12. Grunk To The Party has the temperent to either explode or implode. Such has been the storied history of this team. The explosions have been early, sometimes often, but the implosion has always been saved for last. The Party plays the Highways twice and closes against the Iguanas and Swords. But in between, they also have a three game stretch against PMS, the Steamers, and the Revenge. The Greenback Iguanas have won despite a rash of injuries and a power ranking that defies their 6-2 record. They face the Stanley Steamers twice down the stretch to their benefit. They also have back to back games against the Strange Highways and Bearded Clams Weeks 11 and 12 and a Week 14 confrontation with Grande To The Party. Along with the Clams, the other hottest teams going at the moment are the Retreads and the Strange Highways. The Retreads have ridden 13th round draft pick Kurt Warner to four wins in a row and 5-3 overall. They have Fred Taylor back and healthy for the 1st time all season. They'll see Montezuma's Revenge twice yet and also face division contests against the Strange Highways and Natural Mystics. On top of that, Weeks 11 and 12 are set aside for the Bearded Clams and Palace of Swords. Finally, there's the Strange Highways. They've found scoring to be much easier since the trade for QB Brad Johnson. They will play two against Grande To The Party. They also meet the Natural Mystics and Retreads in division games. A Week 11 showdown versus the Greenback Iguanas also looms. The Highways also have the King of Dogs and Stanley Steamers, teams the Highways can ill afford to trip against.

It has been noticed that teams are becoming more lax with the manner transactions are being submitted. To some degree, that's the result of teams not remembering or not abiding by the code. Also, to some degree, the Commish has become lax and lenient in enforcing this. Fortunately, to this point, there have been no negative ramifications. However, to avoid the possibility of one team submitting it's second transaction prior to 10:00pm on Wednesday whereas a second team might follow the rule and wait until 10pm to submit, please begin submitting any transactions intended for after 10pm at that time. I hope that made sense. In other words, wait until after 10pm to make your 2nd pickup. By posting to the board or emailing me, I still have them time stamped. And, yes, you may continue to put 2nd and 3rd choices on all transactions. That part's easy on the Commish. Additionally, if you need to submit your 6-10pm prior to 6pm, that's really no big deal either since the order is determined by points scored in any event. Just hold off on that 2nd transaction until 10pm and posting is best, either by BB or by emailing me. If two transactions come through with an identical timestamp, it will be determined by points scored for the season just like it is between 6-10.

The Commish apologizes for having not gotten out a Letter last week. Occasionally, other duties beckon and, so too, there are simply times where there seems very little to say that hasn't already been said. The Commish perhaps takes lightly the time given over by league owners to puruse his idle ilk. But, above all, the Commish wishes to have a fresh take each and every time out. It's next to impossible to go 15-0. Pop!!...that sound you just heard was the sound of the champagne bottle being opened up by the '72 Dolphins to celebrate another year of their record not being matched. You can be Warfield, I'll be Griese.....