FANTASY FOOTBALL DISPATCH
POST WEEK FIFTEEN, 2005
DIVISION WINNERS ARE PLAY-OFF WINNERS
KC RIPPERS WIN 32-27 AND SKY PILOTS WIN 29-22
KC RIPPERS 32 MAGNIFICENT 7 27
The Magnificent 7 started the game on Thursday night as they sent Nate Burleson into the wind and rain in Seattle. Nate
was no mudder and no points were scored. The Magnificent 7 tried again on Saturday as they sent Michael Vick and Terrell Owens
on the field. They struck gold late in the first period with a 7 yard touchdown reception from Owens. Magnificent 7 had a 6-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Magnificent 7 went wild. Vick threw a 1 yard touchdown pass to make it 9-0. Then Owens scored on a
51 yard touchdown pass which was then followed up by another touchdown pass from Vick from 8 yards out. The Magnificent 7
were up 21-0 and the KC Rippers haven’t yet stepped onto the field. The Magnificent 7 slowed down after that, but managed a 5
yard touchdown pass from Vick in the third quarter. So, with the Sunday sun, yet to rise, the Magnificent 7 had a 24-0 lead and an
upset was brewing.
On Sunday, The KC Rippers were first on the board with a Robbie Gould PAT midway through the first quarter. The
Magnificent 7 tried to answer back, but a John Kasay filed goal attempt from 50 yards sailed left and no good. While still in the
first quarter of the noon games, the KC Rippers scored 6 points on a 12 yard touchdown run from Maurice Jones-Drew. The KC
Rippers were still trailing by 17 at 24-7. In the second quarter of the noon games, the KC Rippers added two more points on a
couple of late Gould PAT’s, but the Magnificent 7 nullified that with a 37 yard field goal from Kasay at the end of the half. At
halftime of the noon games, the Magnificent 7 were still ahead by 18 at 27-9.
In the third quarter, the KC Rippers scored 4 points on 38 yard field goal and a PAT from Robbie Gould. Before the noon
games ended, Gould missed a 37 yard field goal in overtime but capitalized later on a second chance in overtime with a 25 yard field
goal which put the KC Rippers back in the game at 27-16 as the Magnificent 7 were shut out in the second half.
With the Sunday noon games completed, the Magnificent 7 still had Isaac Bruce and Dominic Rhodes to help hold the
lead. The KC Rippers still had Jeff Garcia, Dante’ Stallworth and their big gun, LaDainian Tomlinson.
In the 3:00 games there were no points scored until late in the fourth quarter when Garcia managed to throw a 19 yard
touchdown pass that he followed up with a two point conversion pass that gave the KC Rippers 4 more points and got them to
within 27-20. There was no other scoring in the 3:00 games.
This now left two players, Tomlinson for the KC Rippers on Sunday night and Rhodes for the Magnificent 7 on Monday
night. With the score difference being 7 points, it appeared that the KC Rippers needed two touchdowns out of their record
breaking running back barring any halfback options or two point conversions. The KC Rippers had their mojo working as
Tomlinson scored on a 15 yard touchdown run on his first drive which included a fake punt converted into a first down to keep the
drive alive. The KC Rippers were now only one point down at 27-26. While the mojo was still working, Tomlinson ran for an 85
yard touchdown run late in the second quarter immediately following a play where they had a punt blocked but managed to recover
and keep possession for another first down. The KC Rippers were now on top 32-27. Although Tomlinson went on to rush for 199
yards, he did not find the end zone again and the Magnificent 7 were trailing 32-27, but still in the game.
Monday night. The Magnificent 7 needed one touchdown out of Rhodes to advance. Rhodes, used primarily as a backup
found out that the Magnificent 7 had some mojo of their own. Early in the third quarter, Rhodes became the primary ball carrier as
the primary back was injured. Rhodes came into the game with a first and goal at the six yard line. First down play, Rhodes carried
the ball up to the one yard line, but was stopped before he could get in. On second down, a pass was completed for a 1 yard
touchdown and the only thing the Magnificent 7 could do was mention what a nice block Rhodes made. Rhodes never came close
again and the KC Rippers went on to win by a final score of 32-27.
This will be the KC Rippers eighth Fantasy Bowl appearance, but they are still looking for championship number two.
They will face the Sky Pilots who have been to the Fantasy Bowl five times and have four championships from those five trips.
32 KC RIPPERS
27 MAGNIFICENT 7
Quarterbacks
Jeff Garcia
Michael Vick
Running Backs
4 M Jones-Drew
12 Travis Henry
6 La Tomlinson
0 Domin Rhodes
Receivers
12 Donald Driver
0 Isaac Bruce
0 De Henderson
0 Nate Burleson
0 Don Stallworth
0 Terrell Owens
Kickers
0 Robbie Gould
12 John Kasay
10
3
SKY PILOTS 29 IN-LAWS 22
The Sky Pilots started the game on Thursday night as they sent Matt Hasselbeck into the wind and rain in Seattle. It took
59 minutes and 51 seconds, but Hasselbeck finally managed a 22 yard touchdown pass at the end of the game to give the Sky Pilots
an early 3 point lead at 3-0.
They took that lead into the Sunday noon games where the In-Laws first took the field. The In-Laws saw a big opportunity
slip by when on a first and goal play from the one yard line, Willie Parker blocked for a quarterback end around instead of taking
the ball himself. A touchdown was scored, but it wasn’t Parker. Midway through the second quarter, Deuce McCallister walked
into the end zone for a 1 yard touchdown run and the In-Laws grabbed their first lead at 6-3. Late in the third quarter, the In-Laws
added to their lead with a 41 yard touchdown run from Willie Parker to go up 12-3. That is they way things ended after the noon
games with the Sky Pilots trailing by 9 points.
Going into the 3:00 games both teams still had their kicker left. The Sky Pilots also had Steven Jackson left and Reggie
Wayne on Monday night. The In-Laws also had Kevin Curtis remaining. There was no scoring in the first half of the 3:00 games,
but the Sky Pilots scored 6 points early in the third quarter as Jackson ran in for a touchdown from 4 yards out cutting the In-Laws
lead to 3 points at 12-9. Early in the fourth quarter, Jackson scored again, this time from 19 yards out and the Sky Pilots reclaimed
the lead at 15-12.
The Sky Pilots had their kicker, Nate Kaeding in the Sunday night game while the In-Laws had their kicker in the Monday
night game. The Sky Pilots also had Reggie Wayne in the Monday night game for insurance. Sunday night, Kaeding only managed
two PAT’s through the first three quarters and their lead was only 17-12 at that point. But early in the fourth quarter, Kaeding
connected on a 30 yard field goal and then followed that up with a 22 yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to push their lead to
11 points at 23-12.
Going into Monday night, the In-Laws need 12 points from their kicker, Shayne Graham, while keeping Wayne off the
board to win. Graham kicked a 27 yard field goal late in the first quarter and the lead was trimmed to 8 at 23-15. In the second
quarter, Graham added a PAT to trim the lead to 7 points at 23-16, but that was where things ended at the half.
In the middle of the third quarter, Graham nailed a 30 yard field goal and the game was interesting again as the Sky Pilots
now led by only 4 points at 23-19 with a quarter an a half to go. But, the other shoe dropped when Wayne caught a touchdown pass
from 18 yards out late in the third quarter and the lead was back up to 10 points at 29-19. Graham did add a late 28 yard field goal,
but it was too little too late by then. The Sky Pilots went on to win 29-22.
This will be the Sky Pilots sixth Fantasy Bowl appearance and they already have four championships. They will face the
KC Rippers who have been to the Fantasy Bowl seven times previously, but only have a single championship from those seven
trips.
29 SKY PILOTS
22 IN-LAWS
Quarterbacks
M Hasselbeck
Brett Favre
Running Backs
3 Steve Jackson
0 De McCallister
12 Sammy Morris
6 Willie Parker
Receivers
0 Hines Ward
6 Bernar Berrian
0 Todd Heap
0 Kevin Curtis
0 Reggie Wayne
0 Steve Smith
Kickers
6 Nate Kaeding
0 Shay Graham
8
10
THIS WEEK’S FUN FACT:
Both Division winners made it to the Fantasy Bowl. The league started with divisional play in 1985. Through the first 15
years (1985 – 1999), only twice did both division winners make it to the Fantasy Bowl. In 1985 and in 1994. Over the last seven
years (2000-2006), both division winners made it to the Fantasy Bowl five times including this year. Only four times, 1989, 1993,
1998 and 1999, did neither divisional team make it to the Fantasy Bowl.
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS
ACROSS THE BOARD POOL FOR WEEK ONE, 2007: $10.00 (75% = $8.00)
SCRATCH PAD:
⇒ Except for the play-off teams, all transaction money is due by Sunday of week 16. That happens to be Christmas Eve
Day this year. The following non-play-off teams still owe as of this printing:
Eliminaters 32.00
Indy Connection 60.55
Knights 32.00
All outstanding monies must be paid by Sunday, December 24 (Christmas Eve), or a late charge will be added.
Payments can be mailed to either address: 7400 Granada Alcove S., Cottage Grove, MN, 55016 or 1663 Waters Edge
Drive, New Richmond, WI, 54017
⇒ Winter Meeting is Saturday, January 7. We draft for the Winter Tournament 90 minutes before the first NFL kick-off.
⇒ The Winter Meeting will be at Joe Azzone’s house. The meeting is on Saturday, January 6 and begins one and a half
hours before the kick-off of the first NFL game that day. Joe’s address is 9632 84th St. Bay So. In Cottage Grove.
⇒ There is a Thursday game and a Saturday game each play-off weekend.
⇒ Each owner of teams that are in the division that does not win the Fantasy Bowl, will be responsible for 5.00. If an
owner cannot make it to the winter meeting, the 5.00 will just be added to next year’s entry fee as usual, so there is no
need to mail it or hire a courier.
WINTER MEETING TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
⇒ Allow a team to retract a transaction request if it is before the end of the transaction period.
⇒ For early games in the play-offs, such as the Thursday night, we need to either:
1) Do not allow a team to drop a player from a Thursday night game in the second transaction time period, OR
2) Allow a team to give a player that plays in a Thursday night game ‘drop’ status. That would allow the team
to drop the player, but if the player was ultimately not dropped, any score he would hav e had would not be
used as a starting player or an overtime player.
TRANSACTIONS:
# FFL TEAM
TYPE
PLAYER ADDED
POS NFL TEAM
Young Guns Pymt
114 Sky Pilots
Pick-Up Ron Dayne
Purple Gang Pymt
WEEK PLAYER DROPPED POS NFL TEAM
COST
PAID
696.32
297.07
15
RB Texans
16
22.00
Ben Watson
TE
Patriots
4.00
16
TOTAL
78.53
700.32
FFL HOT-LINE: 769-1137
Note: Press 2 to leave a line-up, press 3 to leave a transaction, press 1 or wait for the beep for anything else.
www.gonags.com/football
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