Week 1 Match-ups

	Marauders (0-0)  vs. Chargers (0-0)
	In a re-match of last year's consolation game, the Chargers take on the Marauders.  The key match-up to watch here will be the Marauders running backs Ahman Green and Edgerin James who will both be facing top 5 defenses in Carolina and New England and the Chargers Wide Receivers Marvin Harrison and Derrick Mason who also go up against top 5 defenses.  As a mater of fact, both teams will be playing against top 10 defenses this week, with the Marauders having only one offensive player playing against a defense that did not finish in the top 10 last year while the Chargers have only four players.  Should be a low scoring week for both teams, with the edge to the Chargers.
	Rynos (0-0) vs. StiffArms (0-0)
	This is a rematch of last year's CFL title race as the Rynos try to defend their championship replacing Marshall Faulk with Travis Henry.  Both teams will likely be watching the Cle-Balt game as the Rynos will be looking for their significantly upgraded defense (the Ravens) to stop Lee Suggs in his tracks.  The StiffArms will once again be relying on workhorse running back Clinton Portis to carry their team along with the big man Daunte Cullpepper
	Assassins (0-0) vs. Ketchup Hotdog (0-0)
	The Assassins leave the auction with a very solid team again this year with some great value players.  Their Running Back tandem of Jamal Lewis and Fred Taylor are the strength of their team, as they go up against the team with the best Wide Receiver in football in Randy Moss, along with the Cinci-pair of RBs Corey Dillon (now with NE) and Rudi Johnson (Dillon's replacement in Cincinnati).
	Phatbacks (0-0) vs. JYDs (0-0)
	A match-up from opposite philosophies.  The Phatbacks will bring their star QB Peyton Manning and solid WRs Burress, Ward and McCareins against the JYD Fanatasy Powerhouse RBs Priest Holms and Marshall Faulk.  JYDs have a chance to score more than 40 points with their two RBs alone, so the Phatbacks have to hope for a slow week from the rest of JYDs team.
	Hitmen (0-0) vs. Hooligans (0-0)
	Let-down team of the year the Hitmen will be going against the re-built Hooligans.  After losing Ricky Williams in the off-season to drugs, the Hitmen have replaced him with two RBs who will be sharing the workload - Staley and Jones.  But it's the rest of the Hitmen's team lead by rising star QB Matt Hasslebeck and solid receivers Holt, Smith and Robinson that may lead the Hitmen to a XFL title.  The Hooligans took a neglected team (the old Gryphons) and built a solid team around QB Michael Vick and WR Terrell Owens.  The only question remaining is if the RB duo of Curtis Martin and Ron Dayne can carry the running load.
	Quiet Storm (0-0) vs. SmackDownSister (0-0)
	The worst two teams from last year go head-to-head this year in the first game of the season.  The Quiet Storm returns with a virtually unchanged roster, but one that now has a healthy Chad Pennington and a "non-RBBC" Kevan Barlow that will add significantly to the team.  Add in Lavernous Coles, and although QS didn't add a ton of high-priced free agents, the team is looking much better than at the start of last year.  SmackDownSister has also revamped his team, and hopes a healthy Donovan McNabb who will finally have a target will be able to put up the points he's been expected to.  The upgrades at RB are significant after adding Domanick Davis and Brian Westbrook.

2004 Auction Results & Awards

After a solid 3 hours plus break time, we finished the auction.  There's a poll at the bottom of the page asking you how you think you did.

• "Move of the Draft" goes to PG who faked out Sean into wasting a roster spot on Mr. Tailgate himself Sebas Janikowski.  

• All "Fat" RB team goes to the Hooligans with both Ron Dayne & Jerome Bettis.

• Biggest Risk goes to Ketchup Hotdog for the buck he put on Ricky Williams kicking the habit.

• Best value goes to Chargers for picking up Steve McNair (#2 in MVP votes last year) for $5 - significantly cheaper than over half a dozen QBs who scored fewer points than him last year in points and points per game.

• Who Needs Wide Receivers award goes to the StiffArms who have 3 WRs on their roster totaling $5  They may be able to trade with the Hooligans who have six WRs for $40 (and only 3 RBs for $16).

• Running With the Running Backs award goes to JYDs who spent $73 on four running backs.  Of course, two of those are Priest Holms and Marshall Faulk - if both of them are healthy, the rest of the team really doesn't need to do much.

Upcoming Schedule of events

Friday August 27 - deadline to submit Round 1 waiver requests.  

If you want to make a waiver transaction, send me an e-mail stating who you want to drop and who you want to pick up, and what your bid is.  If you want options, let me know as clearly as possible (e.g. pick this guy first, if he's not available, Mr. X then Mr. Y).  Remember that any player dropped will have a cap penalty of half his contract value for the rest of the year.

Friday September 3rd - deadline to submit Round 2 waiver requests

Mon Sept. 6th - Wed. Sept. 8 - First come first served free agents (all are $1).

Thursday Sept. 9 - NFL SEASON STARTS:  COLTS vs. PATS.

In-season schedule of events

Just to remind everyone what happens in-season...

• Prior to the start of the first game of the week, ensure your lineup is set up in Yahoo.

• Sunday evening (around 7:00PM) - this website is updated with the scores of the games as of the end of the afternoon games.

• Tuesday morning (around 8:30AM) - This website is updated with the preliminary results including game recaps and MVPs.

• Tuesday by 5:00PM - Deadline to submit bids for free agents.  This is a sealed-bid (one shot only) and is done just like I described above.

• Tuesday evening (around 8:00PM) - This website is updated with any transactions and with the match-ups for the following week

• Wed morning - the day before the first game of the week (usually Saturday) - All free agents available on a first come first serve basis.  E-mail me to make the transaction.  ***NOTE:  Despite popular belief that my entire life is football from Sept-Dec, I do occasionally leave the house.  Because of this, it is SAFEST that if you want to make a transaction, get the e-mail to me before Friday Afternoon.  If I get it late Saturday, I may not make the transaction until Sunday morning, when it may be too late to set your lineup.  I will do my best, but I can't offer any guarantees after the weekend starts.

Transactions, post-Auction

Round 1

• SmackDownSister says goodbye to last year's "sleeper-bust-of-the-year" LeBrandon Toefield ($3) and adds Tony Hollings ($2 - RB - Hou).  Comment from the coach:  "Who would have thought that Fred Taylor could stay healthy for a whole year?". 

• In a double move, the Marauders say good-bye to short-time Bears Wide Receiver Marty Booker ($4) and drop Antonio Bryant ($1) and add Cleveland WR Andre' Davis ($1) and Bears RB Anthony Thomas ($1).  Comment from the coach:  "Last time I drafted a Bears player, he was immediatley traded to the Dolphins.  I expect the same with Anthony Thomas within a week."

• The StiffArms drop Sebastian Janikowski ($1) and add Nate Burelson (WR-Min, $1).  Comment from the coach:  "If I brought him up in the auction, everyone would just bump the price up 'cauz he's a Min player.... those other managers are so mean."

Round 2

• The Marauders make a second move cutting recently-released kicker Elling and pick up John Kasay of the Carolina Panthers.  Comment from the coach:  "If he's not good enough for the Vikings, there's no way he's good enough for me.". 

• The Chargers release Tai Streets and pick up the ex-Marauder Receiver Marty Booker for ($1).  Comment from the coach:  "Tough choice between the #3/4 receiver for the Lions and the #2 for Miami... but Streets has always dissapointed me"

• The Phatbacks drop Drew Bennett ($2) and add Troy Hanbrick (RB-Ari, $1).  Comment from the coach:  "I need to backup the only starting RB I have, which very sadly is Emmitt Smith right know.."

Open picks

• The Assassins quickly grab Lamar Gordon 90 minutes after it was announced he was traded to Miami.  They drop LaMont Jordan.  Quote from the coach:  "I grabbed LaMont to be my sleeper, and he never woke up.  At least Lamar is going to carry the ball more than 5 times a month".

Polls

Week 1 Results (Preliminary)

	Chargers 54 Marauders 52		Rynos 75 StiffArms 71		Assassins 60 Ketchup Hotdog 50
The Chargers hold on to win despite 28 points on Monday night by the Marauders.  The Chargers were lead by their Tight End Alge Crumpler who had 82 yards and a touchdown.   The Marauders were killed by Edgerin James' two fumbles (-4) including one on the goal line and Steve Smith's injury in the Monday night game.		The Rynos start the year off with a win over the StiffArms in week 1 with a huge performance by Shaun Alexander who had over 150 yards and scored THREE touchdowns.  The Stiffarms fell just short despite a fantastic performance by Daunte Cullpepper.		The Assassins start out strong again in 2004 with a win over KH.   They did it without a strong performance by their RBs Jamal Lewis and Fred Taylor who combined for only 118 yards of rushing.  Chad Johnson was their player of the week, although KH's Boo Williams and the Cowboys deserve a dishonorable mention (they combined for -3.4 fantasy points)
	JYD's 75 Phatbacks 43		Hooligans 96 Hitmen 39		SmackDownSister 70 Quiet Storm 42
The JYD's start off with a bang as they knock off division rival PhatBacks by 33 points.  As always, Priest Holms was their money player with almost 150 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The PhatBacks felt the hole at RB as their #2 RB (Troy Hambrick) garnered only 2 yards of rushing.		Welcome to the league Steve!  The Hooligans make a statement by posting the highest total in the league for week 1, thanks to Jerome Bettis' ONE YARD THREE TOUCHDOWN performance.  Never before has one yard generated 18 fantasy points...  The Hitmen have again lost Charles Rogers for the year for the second year in a row.  Maybe next year you'll get a yard out of him.		SmackDownSister beats the Quiet Storm for the first time since December 2002. Their stud RB Domanick Davis put up over 150 yards of offense and scored two touchdowns while Donnovan McNabb proved his worth by throwing for over 300 yards, 4 touchdowns and a few rushing yards as well.  Quiet Storm will have to wait until next week to see if the offense shows up then.