Raspberries Fantasy Football

[Raspyrock]

OK!!! Where's all my FFL league mates?!? Time to sign Up!

[Mood Indigo]

I'm having the same issue, LC's emailed the invite to me twice, but I have a new laptop and it's not letting it thru, I'd contact him if I were you.

[Mood Indigo]

never mind I see now you are signed up and were wondering where everyone else was

[Paulie Mississippi]

The League currently has 11 teams... Draft is Monday night... gotta be an even number so... we need 1 or 3 more... LOL

I'm looking forward to draft day... and to having a good season as I have secured the day off... last year I fought the battle of "computer picks" when I had to work and missed the draft... This year if I suck, it will be on me!

Get hold of LC if you ain't got an invite yet...

[angelina]

I am SO much better at football than baseball.........now if only my Jets weren't mental cases!!!!!!

[blackhawkpat]

Laura is in, so we are frozen at twelve teams.

[LC]

DRAFT ORDER! Selected by Muzza, Kiwi, and Julie.... Thanks, gang.

A note from Muzza:

Here they are. This draw was done in Emmetsburg in Iowa with the help of JulieT.

1) Bundles against the current

2) Zap

3) Hothouse flowers

4) Bono berries

5) Cross eyed Mary

6) Spotlights

7) Crunch berries

8) Go all the ways

9) Ericagles

10) Great Expectations

11) Cleveland Rockers

12) Jatt

[LC]

Fantasy Football lives on! Our Raspberries league is rolling toward the new season with two new teams added to our last year's 12. The two new owners: Seth Swirsky (songwriter, filmmaker, author, major baseball fan) and Simeon Lipman (Antiques Roadshow appraiser, former Christie's director, and expert in the areas of sports memorabilia and pop culture). Returning from last year, besides my Go All the Ways, are defending champ BeatleJay, Vice-Commissioner Blackhawk Pat, Paulie Mississippi, Lew Bundles, Booyah John, Joe and his ZAP squad (Raspyrock here), Mitch, Laura, Tom and son Spike of Vox Pop (Keith Nivan here), Rick (Mood Indigo here), and Harry (aka Tiggsherby).

 

As is our custom, Muzza and Kiwi select our draft order in a random drawing halfway 'round the globe (New Zealand). Draft is Monday night.

 

Our league has a little history -- this is our eighth season! The league launched in 2006 out of a group of us who met via Raspberries reunion shows and EricCarmen.com (plus RaspberriesOnline.com). We had eight teams that year, and six of us are still playing: Blackhawk Pat, Harry, Mitch, Laura, Paulie, and me.

 

Here's our year-by-year summary:

2006: 8 teams. Champ: Harry (Let's Pretenders). Runner-up: Paulie (Sunrisers)

2007: 12 teams. Champ: Ernie ("Road Crew," because he was one of Raspberries' roadies). Runnerup: me (Go All the Ways).

2008: 14 teams. Champ: Jay (Crunchberries). Runnerup: Harry (Ericagles)

2009: 14 teams. Champ: me (GATWs, featuring Brett Favre at QB). Runnerup: Joe (ZAP)

2010: 12 teams. Champ: Harry (Ericagles, his second in five years). Runnerup: Rick (Cross-Eyed Mary). This was a notable season because I went from first to worst: 2-11. Ugh.

2011: 12 teams. Champ: Mitch (Cleveland Rockers). Runnerup: Jay (Crunchberries)

2012: 12 teams. Champ: Jay (Crunchberries, his second. Like Harry, he snagged two in five years). Runnerup: Tom and son Spike (Hothouse Flowers).

 

Muzza and Kiwi, feel free to post the draft order here. :-)

 

Best,

LC

[LC]

 

Fantasy Football lives on! Our Raspberries league is rolling toward the new season with two new teams added to last year's 12. The two new owners: Seth Swirsky (songwriter, filmmaker, author, major baseball fan) and Simeon Lipman (Antiques Roadshow appraiser, former Christie's director, and expert in the areas of sports memorabilia and pop culture). Returning from last year, besides my Go All the Ways, are defending champ BeatleJay, Vice-Commissioner Blackhawk Pat, Paulie Mississippi, Lew Bundles, Booyah John, Joe and his ZAP squad (Raspyrock here), Mitch, Laura, Tom and son Spike of Vox Pop (Keith Nivan here), Rick (Mood Indigo here), and Harry (aka Tiggsherby).

 

As is our custom, Muzza and Kiwi select our draft order in a random drawing halfway 'round the globe (New Zealand). Draft is Monday night.

 

Our league has a little history -- this is our eighth season! The league launched in 2006 out of a group of us who met via Raspberries reunion shows and EricCarmen.com (plus RaspberriesOnline.com). We had eight teams that year, and six of us are still playing: Blackhawk Pat, Harry, Mitch, Laura, Paulie, and me.

 

Here's our year-by-year summary:

2006: 8 teams. Champ: Harry (Let's Pretenders). Runner-up: Paulie (Sunrisers)

2007: 12 teams. Champ: Ernie ("Road Crew," because he was one of Raspberries' roadies). Runnerup: me (Go All the Ways).

2008: 14 teams. Champ: Jay (Crunchberries). Runnerup: Harry (Ericagles)

2009: 14 teams. Champ: me (GATWs, featuring Brett Favre at QB). Runnerup: Joe (ZAP)

2010: 12 teams. Champ: Harry (Ericagles, his second in five years). Runnerup: Rick (Cross-Eyed Mary). This was a notable season because I went from first to worst: 2-11. Ugh.

2011: 12 teams. Champ: Mitch (Cleveland Rockers). Runnerup: Jay (Crunchberries)

2012: 12 teams. Champ: Jay (Crunchberries, his second. Like Harry, he snagged two in five years). Runnerup: Tom and son Spike (Hothouse Flowers).

 

Muzza and Kiwi, feel free to post the draft order here. :-)

 

Best,

LC

 

[The Kiwi Connection]

Here's the 2013 Draw!  I guess some will be happy...and some not so!!

 

B-against-C

Ericagles

B-Berries

Rocket 88

Hothouse Flowers

The Jatt

Cleveland Rockers

Zap

New York Rams

Cross-Eyed Mary

Spotlight

Crunchberries

Go All the Ways

Great Expectations

[blu]

Am I too late to do this? I really love watching y'all do this for years. I'm out of the closet and ready to rock and roll!

[LC]

Aw, Blu! Sorry! We have to have an even number of teams, and we got to 14 and set up the draft. I'm sorry! Can we get you in for next year? And even before that, we have several other fantasy leagues that sprung out of EC.com: including baseball (which got enough participants that we splintered it into two leagues) and NASCAR. Coming up very soon will be our basketball and hockey leagues, both of which Blackhawk Pat started up for us. I'm in all of 'em! In fact, I asked Pat to start the hockey league two seasons ago because I wanted to follow the game, and Pat's a hockey expert, so he did and we've had two great seasons so far. You don't need to be an expert by any stretch; Yahoo can even draft for you, and then run your team all season.

 

Anyway, let Pat or me know if you want in for the next two leagues (I would guess basketball will be starting sometime in September and hockey a few weeks behind it). We'll get NASCAR going again in late December or January (current season is headed down the stretch). And baseball signups are in Feb/March. We have both a money league (only $20 per team) and a free league.

 

Best,

Larry

[LC]

PS: Thanks, Kiwi and Muzza, for your annual draw... our nice little tradition.

 

I got Lucky 13, but that's cool.

[LC]

Hard to believe, but we're entering our ninth season of the Raspberries Football League. The RFL's 14 owners from last season are all back, so... we didn't have room for more this year. If a slew of people wanted to play (at least 8 or so), maybe Blackhawk Pat would start a complementary league?

 

As for the RFL, we've had some pretty good parity over the years, with five different champions in eight seasons. But after last year, we may have the makings of a little dynasty. Mitch topped Blackhawk Pat in our Super Bowl to win his second title in the past three seasons. The known in our fantasy circle as "The Quiet Assassin" (he doesn't say much on our boards, but he does kick a lot of a$$) calls his team The Cleveland Rockers. And last season, yes, they did rock, thanks in part to Mitch's Browns contingent: WR Josh Gordon (who is suspended for the whole 2014 season), TE Jordan Cameron, and the Browns defense. Yes, it's always more fun to win when you have at least a couple of your favorite team's players. This year, however, we dare you to load up on Cleveland Browns, Mitch!

 

Muzza and Kiwi are (I hope) getting our draft order taken care of, and will post the results here. 

 

When is draft night? Monday, Sept. 1 at 8:45. (I might be auto-picking for at least the first part, gang --- Sept. 1 is my first daughter's 15th (!) birthday!) 

 

Commissioner LC

[Mary Ellen]

What is fantasy football about anyway?  Isn't actual football enough for you guys? 

[AnneNR]

Good point, Cayennegirl, but my oldest loves playing the "fantasy" version. 

 

She actually does quite well in the line ups and collected wins.  It's kinda weird hearing her talk about different players being traded about among the team holders in the fantasy leagues.  I'm not much of a fan of football, mostly because I have trouble keeping track of where the ball is.  I'm a baseball fan.  Go Oakland As !! 

 

AnneNR

[LC]

Well, girls, I guess actual football isn't quite enough.... Actually, fantasy football is really just a more interactive way to follow actual football. You asked what it's about, so the quick down-and-dirty explanation would go like this:

 

• A group of 10 or 12 or 14 (give or take) owners in a fantasy league get together (either in person or, as in our Raspberries league) online, and we draft our own teams of real players.

 

• Typically, each team has a quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, a kicker, and a defense, and maybe a couple of "flex" positions (extra receivers or running backs, usually).

 

• And then... every week during the NFL season, your team of hand-picked players competes against another owner's team.

 

• Scoring is determined by touchdowns scored, yards gained via passing, receiving, and rushing), and (for kickers) field goals and PATs (points after touchdowns). For defense, most leagues use an entire team's unit --- so, for example, Mitch might take the Browns' defense, and I'll take the Packers, and Pat will take the Bears... whatever happens at the draft. You get points from defense (typically) via interceptions, sacks, fumbles, and the rare TD scored by the defense.

 

• During the season, you'll see fantasy owners constantly cutting cold or injured players and picking up "the hot hand," or players who suddenly get a starting job. Trading is allowed (and encouraged), too --- that's a lot of the fun. Just ask Tommy Tunes, our most active trader in baseball.

 

• The NFL season is 17 weeks long, and our fantasy season is usually 16 weeks long (our playoffs and "Super Bowl" are Weeks 14, 15, and 16).

 

All in all, it's a great way to follow football... it gives you entirely different things to root for. I'm a Packer fan, for instance, but there have been times where I had to root against Green Bay (at least a little) in a real game because they were playing against the quarterback or receiver who happened to be on my fantasy team.... 

 

Also, at the various websites that host (free) fantasy league games, you can customize your league to make it as simple or as complex as you want. 

 

Aren't you sorry you asked?  

 

(Or, maybe you're dying to play in a league... If so, round up a gang of Carmen girls and we'll help you set up a league, just for fun. :-) 

[Mary Ellen]

I appreciate the clear explanation LC. 

 

I love football and in my case it's LSU and the Saints.  Watching this stuff and trying to follow what is going on, even after many seasons of football watching, is still mentally and emotionally exausting to this Carmen girl. 

 

A man definitely created FF. 

 

Carry on, gentlemen. 

[The Kiwi Connection]

LC. We assume you received the latest Draw we sent you.