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View from the Cheap Seats 7/17
by Jeff Vernetti
Welcome back again for another look at fantasy sports through my, at times, jaded eyes. I love it – only mid July and football is upon us again. Training camps starting, draft picks signing, and the Brett Favre saga continues. You gotta love the pig skin.
The thing that excites me almost more than anything else is that my fantasy football draft is right around the corner. Many of our visitors here at FootballDiehards.com play in multiple leagues and multiple formats. Some play at a high level, in events such as the World Championship of Fantasy Football, others play for pride in a random online league.
I would say I am more in the middle of those two but trending towards the high stakes level. Here are two reasons why. Number one – it is just so damn fun. I think what is great about fantasy football is the draft. The live experience, especially with friends, can’t be topped.
In this day of technology, online drafts are easy to run and maintain and often times better for our individual schedule. Some leagues are played by individuals in various parts of the country and the online draft is the only way it would work. However, I contend that nothing beats the face to face league. The smack talking, the chicken wing sauce sticking to the pages of my draft board, the combination of an adult beverage or twelve and a selection of a tenth round kicker. Nothing beats it.
I am the commissioner of the FGFFL – the Fat Guy Fantasy Football League. We play for a few bucks but most importantly the Candy Cup – named after one of the all-time great fat guys – John Candy.
The group has stayed together for the most part and in seven years we have had seven different winners. The draft takes place in a local bar and the trash talking begins the second we arrive. Each year we wait for someone to draft an injured player or a guy that just retired – there is always one owner who got an early fantasy football magazine that is a little out dated. I can’t wait for someone to draft Travis Henry this year.
Then the almost violent talk continues to the online message board, where shots at someone’s weight or their wife are as common as comments about a bad fantasy football roster. We argue over bad trade proposals, debate the rules at every turn and enjoy every moment of it.
That is why we play. Sure the money and the trophy are nice. Of course we like to show how smart we are by finding the hot player before he becomes a first round selection. But we play because it is just so much fun.
Oh yeah, the second reason why I am trending towards the high stakes level. Because I do the books in my house and my wife will never know. Let’s just keep this between you and me shall we.
That’s all for now. Email me questions or comments at vern@footballdiehards.com Make sure you check out our weekly podcasts for all the latest football news. Until next week, this has been my “View from the Cheap Seats.”
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Our latest Cheat Sheets updated constantly through September.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr1')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Hopeful Chris Henry Wouldn't Mind Returning To Bengals
(7/17 3:32 PM PT)
The Facts:
Now that Henry's legal issues are behind him and he could possibly be reinstated, the question is: Where will he land next? According to Henry and his agent, Marvin Frazier, a return to the Bengals is a possibility. "We have interest in several teams, including Cincinnati," Frazier said Thursday.
Diehards Line:
It's still early in the process, but Frazier told ESPN.com's James Walker the Bengals, who released Henry after his fifth arrest, have shown preliminary interest since his assault charge was dropped earlier this week. And Henry told Walker he doesn't hold any grudges against the organization. In fact, he would welcome a return to the Bengals with open arms. The Bengals, in a prepared statement, said they could not respond to Henry's comments about a potential return. Henry still has to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell to seek a lifting of his suspension. A date has not been set, but a meeting could take place within the next two weeks.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr2')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">GM: Joe Jurevicius Likely To Open Season On PUP
(7/17 9:53 AM PT)
The Facts:
In an interview Thursday morning with Cleveland radio station WTAM, GM Phil Savage said Jurevicius' most recent knee surgery performed on June 30 will cause him to miss extended time. If he is placed on the PUP list, Jurevicius will have to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season.
Diehards Line:
Although the Browns are only confirming two surgeries, the procedure was at least the third performed on Jurevicius' knee in the past seven months after he contracted a staph infection following his initial surgery. "Obviously every time he's taken a step forward, it's been two steps back," Savage said. "So it's a bit up in the air right now. ... He's going to be looked at again obviously next week before we get started and probably will start on that PUP list." No real surprise there. The real question seems to be whether he'll make it back at all -- and who replaces him as the team's No. 3 receiver (an item addressed in Sunday's Fantasy Notebook).
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr3')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ricky Williams Best Player On Miami's Roster?
(7/17 8:10 AM PT)
The Facts:
According to Herald staffer Armando Salguero, Williams looked every bit the best player on the field the last time the Dolphins were together for one of their off-season practices. He ran with authority, he showed quickness and he never let himself shift out of top gear, even in drills that didn't mean much.
Diehards Line:
Salguero isn't alone in his assessment. "I have to say, watching him practice, I was very impressed with his quickness, his explosion, his effort," CBS television analyst Charley Casserly, the former general manager in Houston and Washington, said after watching Williams work. "The guy jumped out at you, watching him out there. ..." We'll remind you the workouts in question came in June -- in shorts. But it will be worth watching to see if Williams continues to impress once the pads go on later this month.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr4')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Jets Agree To Terms With Rookie QB Erik Ainge
(7/17 7:36 AM PT)
The Facts:
The Jets haven’t made it public yet, but they’ve also agreed to terms with Ainge, a source tells Daily News staffer Rich Cimini. Ainge, a fifth-round pick from Tennessee, received a four-year contract and a $165,000 signing bonus.
Diehards Line:
The 6-6, 225-pound Ainge comes of a solid career with the Volunteers; he ranks third in school history in pass completions (516), pass attempts (854) and touchdown passes (51). He is fourth in school annals with 6,308 passing yards and 6,107 yards in total offense. ... He is viewed as a long-term developmental option should Kellen Clemens fail to emerge as hoped.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr5')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Chad Johnson Taking Cautious Approach With Recovery
(7/16 10:41 PM PT)
The Facts:
Johnson is going to make sure he won't rush back from that June 18 arthroscopic ankle surgery. The Bengals Pro Bowl receiver said Wednesday that he can run in a straight line but he's holding off doing cutting and routes. "My ankle wouldn't be able to take the pounding yet," Johnson said from Miami. "I'll be OK. I'm not worried. This is a marathon, not a sprint."
Diehards Line:
According to Bengals.com online editor Geoff Hobson, the Bengals have spent training camp unsuccessfully trying to get Johnson not to take so many snaps in drills and practices since his rookie season. Johnson said that won't be an issue this time around. He's not sure if he'll be full-go ready for the first training camp workout on July 28, "but I'm going to make sure I don't come back too fast," he said. ... Nothing wrong with a cautious approach in July and August.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr6')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Ravens Sign Rookie QB Joe Flacco
(7/16 7:38 PM PT)
The Facts:
Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that the Ravens and first-round pick Flacco have agreed to terms.
Diehards Line:
According to Caplan, it's a five-year deal worth a maximum of close to $30 million with $8.75 million guaranteed. Profootballtalk.com reports the deal also includes escalator based on playing time. Flacco, the 18th pick overall in April's draft will now get a full training camp and preseason to compete for the starting job.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr7')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Report: Packers Say Vikings Tampered With Brett Favre
(7/16 5:33 PM PT)
The Facts:
As the days roll by, the Favre saga seems to get stranger and stranger. Now the soap opera has shifted to a new level. In the latest twist, the Packers have filed tampering charges with the league office against the Minnesota Vikings for alleged communication with Favre, still technically a member of Green Bay, FOXSports.com has learned. The league, according to a source, is currently in information-gathering mode, speaking to members of both teams.
Diehards Line:
According to FOXSports.com insider Jay Glazer, the Vikings were informed late last week that the allegation is that Favre has had inappropriate dialogue with Minnesota OC Darrell Bevell, a close Favre friend and former assistant coach with the Packers. Favre has sought his release from Green Bay and several rumors have swirled that Minnesota is his targeted landing place, largely due to his relationship with Bevell. League sources tell Glazer the Vikings vehemently denied any wrongdoing and are awaiting the league's next step in the process. The Packers, meanwhile, have supplied the league with their version of wrongdoing. Should the league find the Vikings guilty of tampering, they could lose draft picks and/or face fines.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr8')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Brandon Jacobs Will Have To Wait For Raise
(7/16 5:11 PM PT)
The Facts:
It appears Jacobs will not be getting the contract extension he desires before training camp opens on July 24. According to a league source familiar with negotiations between the two sides, the Giants have had several conversations with Jacobs' agents, but "nothing is close and nothing is expected to get done before camp starts."
Diehards Line:
According to Daily News staffer Ralph Vacchiano, negotiations are expected to continue, though and it's possible something could get done either later in training camp or during the season. So far there is no deadline on the talks and no apparent animosity between the two sides. They're just not particularly close to bridging the gap between what Jacobs wants and what the Giants are willing to give. Vacchiano went on to suggest the only thing that could hamper the future of the negotiations is if Jacobs gets hurt – something he did several times last year while playing in only 11 regular-season games. He missed three games with a sprained knee and another two with a hamstring injury. He also had offseason surgery on his left wrist.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr9')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Agent Denies Brett Favre Reinstatement Imminent
(7/16 12:59 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on the ongoing saga. ... If Favre is really going to force a showdown with the Green Bay Packers, it won't happen right away, his agent told ESPN's Chris Mortensen. "We have no definite plans to ask for reinstatement," Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, said of the former Packers quarterback, who has asked the team for his release. "Right now we have until the sixth week [of the regular season] and Brett has made it pretty clear that he is not willing to come in as a backup."
Diehards Line:
As previously noted, reports out of Green Bay this morning suggested the letter was imminent. But as Cook explained: "If he asks for reinstatement and they start fining him $15,000 a day [for not reporting to training camp], well that just doesn't make sense. ... "We're going to let Green Bay decide what they want to do. It's their move." Packers GM Ted Thompson has said the Packers do not plan to grant Favre, who announced his retirement in March, his release. ... Stay tuned.
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class="headline" onClick="expanddiv('tr10')" style="cursor:hand; cursor:pointer" onmouseover="window.status=' ';return true">Josh McCown Says Finger Is Fine
(7/16 12:57 PM PT)
The Facts:
Following up on a previous item. ... McCown said he's ready to compete for the starting quarterback job, despite suffering a cut on the index finger of his throwing hand two weeks ago that required six stitches. "Everything's fine. It's a non-issue," McCown said today. "I could have played the day it happened. Now, it’s like it never happened."
Diehards Line:
McCown admitted he "was a little concerned" about his right index finger at the time of the injury. McCown, 29, has a decided edge in experience over second-year pro John Beck and rookie Chad Henne. In 31 NFL starts, McCown has 35 touchdown passes. From our perspective, Beck looks like the favorite to win the starting job -- but nothing would surprise us.
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