The Postseason Report
Gentlemen – Another regular season in the books. Going into the final weeks of the season, more than two-thirds of the league was still in striking distance of the playoffs, more than in past years. However, two of the divisional races were clear runaways (even at the midpoint of the season), while the other two were closer battles. We ended the year with the final postseason spot at $400, which is on par with previous seasons, save for last year when -$700 would have given you a playoff berth.
Here’s a breakdown of how the league did as a whole each week:
Week 1: -$7,400
Week 2: +$400
Week 3: +$5,200
Week 4: -$2,800
Week 5: -$1,400
Week 6: -$1,900
Week 7: +$1,200
Week 8: -$1,200
Week 9: -$500
Week 10: +$4,200
Week 11: -$3,100
Week 12: -$1,600
Week 13: -$5,400
Week 14: +$3,200
Week 15: +$4,900
Week 16: -$2,700
Week 17: -$1,900
The final 2014 cumulative total was -$10,800, which is more proof why the sportsbooks won’t be filing for bankruptcy anytime soon.
Disclaimer: The following is a completely biased report of the 2014 FMFL season. The views, opinions, and observations that follow are those of the Executive Director and are completely subjective.
East Division
Art Schlichter
Current Total: $300
Winning Percentage: 0.486
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 7 – Dallas – Won
Recap: Despite an up-and-down second half, Art was in the playoff mix down the stretch and finished just outside the postseason field. He was one of many franchises one or two picks away from having a very different season.
Grade: B-
Babe
Current Total: -$1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.457
Fines: $200
Wild Card Bet: Week 4 – Atlanta – Lost
Recap: Babe showed signs of life in the second half of the year after an arduous first half of the season. However, it wasn’t enough to make a run in the East, where he occupied the basement for most of the year.
Grade: D+
Don Mattingly
Current Total: $100
Winning Percentage: 0.461
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – New Orleans – Won
Recap: The Donald peaked at $1,600 and then plummeted down the standings during November. One might question his aggressive betting strategy when he had a decent-sized lead over the rest of the division.
Grade: C+
Gordon Bombay
Current Total: $400
Winning Percentage: 0.578
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 11 – New England – Won
Recap: Gordon is always one of those franchises who finds a way to be in the conversation come December and this year was no different. He won his wild card in Week 11 and stayed the course until the end of the year, grabbing one of the final playoff berths.
Grade: B
Karl Farbman
Current Total: $1,800
Winning Percentage: 0.568
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Did Not Use
Recap: Karl was even at the midpoint of the season, and then came on strong in the second half, getting hot at the right time. He won the East Division, but wasn’t able to track down the league leaders for the overall title.
Grade: A-
T-Ferg
Current Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.436
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Seattle – Won
Recap: T-Ferg made a run after his wild card win in Week 10, but then faltered in the last few weeks and crawled across the finish line to end the season. This is a big improvement on his 2013 performance, but obviously a season without making the playoffs is a disappointment.
Grade: C+
The Big Hurt
Current Total: -$900
Winning Percentage: 0.411
Fines: $200
Wild Card Bet: Week 12 – Seattle – Won
Recap: September was kind to The Big Hurt, but the rest of the season was quite rough. There were flashes of brilliance but the late bets and miscues down the stretch ultimately spelled doom for TBH.
Grade: C-
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Current Total: $1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.542
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Week 9 – Pittsburgh – Won
Recap: WGF had a stellar second half of the season, which began with his Week 9 wild card win. His winning percentage is solid, and really the only thing that prevented him from a division crown was one week of not making bets. Waldo will be a player to watch in the postseason.
Grade: B+
North Division
Abe Froman
Current Total: -$1,800
Winning Percentage: 0.462
Fines: $200
Wild Card Bet: Week 13 – Cincinnati – Lost
Recap: A disappointing rookie season for Abe in the FMFL, which basically ended when his Bengals wild card bet went kaput. He also bet two teams every week down the stretch hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, but it was not to be.
Grade: D+
Bayonnaise
Current Total: -$2,000
Winning Percentage: 0.473
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Week 5 – New Orleans – Lost
Recap: After multiple seasons in the playoffs, the ‘Naise stumbled in 2014. Losing his wild card and not making his bets one week were too much to overcome in the second half of the year, as Bayonnaise sat at the bottom of the North Standings for most of the season.
Grade: D
Kenny Powers
Current Total: $2,600
Winning Percentage: 0.600
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Houston – Won
Recap: Kenny was head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the FMFL in the regular season. He hit on 60% of his bets, won his wild card, and was consistently adding to his bankroll the entire season. Now he travels into uncharted waters – the postseason.
Grade: A
Larisa Oleynik
Current Total: -$1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $300
Wild Card Bet: Week 9 – San Diego – Lost
Recap: Larisa focused on betting mainly big time favorites in the 2014 season, with nine bets on New England and nine bets on Green Bay. Unfortunately this strategy led to a 0.500 record, so that coupled with a wild card loss leaves Larisa out of the playoffs this year.
Grade: C-
OJ
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.518
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Did Not Use
Recap: OJ was a model of consistency this year, never going too high or too low. However, he never seriously challenged for the division since Kenny was so far ahead. For an inaugural campaign, he’s done quite well, but the postseason is a different animal.
Grade: B+
Shecky
Current Total: -$3,800
Winning Percentage: 0.341
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Pittsburgh – Lost
Recap: Shecky’s lead balloon second half included a three week stretch in which he lost $2,000. After that, it was all over. He’ll look to turn things around in his sophomore season.
Grade: F
The People’s Champ
Current Total: -$2,100
Winning Percentage: 0.408
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 16 – Detroit – Lost
Recap: The People’s Champ made some moves late in the season and was on the brink of a miraculous comeback until his Week 16 wild card loss. You can’t ignore his 41% record as something that held him back in another lost season.
Grade: D+
The Phoenix
Current Total: -$600
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $400
Wild Card Bet: Week 13 – Cincinnati – Lost
Recap: After leading the way for much of the first half of the season, The Phoenix fell back into his losing ways in the second half. He made late bets, lost his wild card, and couldn’t pick a winner.
Grade: C-
South Division
Bud Fox
Current Total: -$400
Winning Percentage: 0.489
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Pittsburgh – Lost
Recap: Bud had a miserable finish to the 2014 season. He lost $1,000 over the last two weeks and instead of coasting into the playoffs, he’s on the outside looking in. Considering that he was challenging for the division title in the South for most of the year, December was definitely a disappointment.
Grade: B-
Chris B. Corey
Current Total: -$2,100
Winning Percentage: 0.372
Fines: $200
Wild Card Bet: Week 9 – Kansas City – Won
Recap: Chris is back and the rest of the league is happy for his donation to the league. He only hit 37% of his bets and aside from a Week 9 wild card win, 2014 had few highlights for him.
Grade: D-
Face
Current Total: -$2,100
Winning Percentage: 0.431
Fines: $400
Wild Card Bet: Week 12 – Atlanta – Lost
Recap: Face never seemed to get it going this season, and his chronic late bets held back any chance he had for turning things around in the second half of the year.
Grade: D-
Kiko Garcia
Current Total: $1,400
Winning Percentage: 0.552
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 2 – New England – Won
Recap: Kiko rode his early wild card win to an easy divisional title. Each of the other franchises in the South fell off, and betting three and four games each week allowed him to keep his lead and get back into the playoffs. He has an axe to grind, too, after last season’s tiebreaker loss in the Super Bowl.
Grade: A-
Kimmy Gibbler
Current Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.486
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 5 – Seattle – Won
Recap: Gibbler was the franchise who knocked Kiko out in the final game last year, but it was not to be for her in 2014. She couldn’t get back above even money until the final week of the season, and by then it was too little, too late.
Grade: B-
Mr. Marbles
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.444
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Denver – Won
Recap: Considering how the season started for Marbles, his second half turnaround was quite remarkable. Yet, he couldn’t put together two winners in December when it counted and was one win from making the playoffs.
Grade: C+
The 21th Precinct
Current Total: -$1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.475
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 11 – Detroit – Lost
Recap: A wild card loss buried the Precinct this year, and he will look to turn things around next season. He will need to improve on his winning percentage, but he’s not far off.
Grade: C-
The Beard of Zeus
Current Total: -$2,200
Winning Percentage: 0.412
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 11 – Cleveland – Lost
Recap: A strong finish is somewhat masking how putrid the Beard’s performance was in 2014, including a three week stretch in which he lost $1,600.
Grade: D
West Division
Blossom Russo
Current Total: $700
Winning Percentage: 0.574
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 11 – Denver – Lost
Recap: Blossom’s season was a few plays away from being brilliant. She won 57% of his bets, but lost her wild card and had some bad luck in the middle of the year, but managed to back into the postseason.
Grade: B+
Boss Hardigan
Current Total: $400
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 15 – Denver – Won
Recap: A Week 15 surge vaulted Boss Hardigan above all of the contenders and got him into the playoffs. He had a ho-hum year when you look at his stats, but he got hot at the right time and is invited to the postseason dance.
Grade: B
Dr. Oge
Current Total: -$400
Winning Percentage: 0.482
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 17 – Baltimore – Push
Recap: Oge bet many, many games in 2014, and a slide in December put him below 0.500 after a consistent start to the season. His playoff fate was determined by a Week 17 push. A win would have put him into the playoffs. It’s a game of inches.
Grade: C+
Rick Moranis
Current Total: $1,800
Winning Percentage: 0.558
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 13 – Buffalo – Won
Recap: Rick put the pedal to the metal in the second half of the year and went down to the wire with Ron for the West title. Those tricky Arizona Cardinals have proven to be his kryptonite this season. Yet, he’ll march triumphantly into the playoffs.
Grade: A-
Ron Mexico
Current Total: $2,200
Winning Percentage: 0.629
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 12 – Philadelphia – Won
Recap: Speaking of strong second halves, no one was hotter than Ron when November hit. He jumped to the top of the West and though Rick challenged him down the stretch, Ron prevailed and won the title.
Grade: A
Teddy KGB
Current Total: $300
Winning Percentage: 0.556
Fines: $300
Wild Card Bet: Week 12 – Dallas – Lost
Recap: The long and short of it is that without three late bets, Teddy would be in the playoffs. A rough way to end an otherwise strong season.
Grade: B-
The Notorious ABT
Current Total: -$2,100
Winning Percentage: 0.455
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 14 – Indianapolis – Lost
Recap: After guaranteeing a playoff appearance, The ABT picked losers over and over again and enjoyed staying in the cellar for the majority of the 2014 run.
Grade: D-
Yaz
Current Total: -$200
Winning Percentage: 0.471
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 17 – Baltimore – Push
Recap: Much like Dr. Oge, Yaz’s 2014 season came down to a push in the final week of the season. If that was a win, he’d be in the postseason. But Connor Shaw thought otherwise.
Grade: B-
Final Wager Count
Winning Percentages Update
Winning percentages through Week 16. A reminder that winning percentage serves as the tiebreaker for all ties at the end of the regular season.
Playoff Picture & Wild Card Bets
In lieu of Winners & Losers this week, here’s an updated look at the playoff picture, starting with the divisional races:
East: Karl Farbman holds a $700 lead over Waldo, but still has his wild card bet available, so Gordon Bombay is still technically in play as well.
North: Kenny Powers has clinched the division since he has a $2,000 lead on the rest of the competition.
South: Kiko Garcia has also clinched, since he leads Bud Fox by $1,200 with only one week to go.
West: The tightest divisional race is between Ron Mexico and Rick Moranis, with Ron $200 ahead of Rick entering Week 17. It’s a two-horse race for the division crown.
Wild Card Race: Rick Moranis has clinched a playoff berth regardless of what he does in the final week. The others that are currently holding wild card spots are all vulnerable. OJ currently has the fourth spot (out of six), and also still has his wild card bet. There are ten franchises on the outside looking in that are within range ($1,000) of the final two spots. Both Yaz and Dr. Oge can make big moves with their wild card bets in Week 17 and jump up in the standings.
Overall Title: After a big week by Kenny Powers, he’s $400 ahead of the rest of the field and the overall crown is now between four franchises: Kenny, Ron, Rick, and Karl. Karl still has his wild card bet on the shelf.
Wild Card Bets – The following franchises still have their wild card bets available:
East – Karl Farbman
North – OJ
South – None
West – Dr. Oge, Yaz
Winning Percentages Update
Winning percentages through Week 15. A reminder that winning percentage serves as the tiebreaker for all ties at the end of the regular season.
Winning Percentages Update
Winning percentages through Week 14. A reminder that winning percentage serves as the tiebreaker for all ties at the end of the regular season.
The Midseason Report
Gentlemen – We are just about halfway done with the 2014 season. Last year at this point the league was at a historic low point. This season, we are collectively doing much better, but no one franchise is totally breaking away from the rest. There are a handful of familiar names from last year’s playoffs in contention right now, but also a few surprises and newcomers (Don Mattingly, Dr. Oge to name a few).
Here’s a breakdown of how the league did as a whole each week:
Week 1: -$7,400
Week 2: +$400
Week 3: +$5,200
Week 4: -$2,800
Week 5: -$1,400
Week 6: -$1,900
Week 7: +$1,200
Week 8: -$1,200
That’s a cumulative total of -$7,900. Not as bad as last year, but Vegas is still winning. Now, onto the grades.
Disclaimer: The following is a completely biased report of the first eight weeks of the FMFL. The views, opinions, and observations that follow are those of the Executive Director and are completely subjective.
East Division
Art Schlichter
Current Total: $100
Winning Percentage: 0.412
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 7 – Dallas – Won
Recap: Art struggled out of the gate in 2014, but has rallied over the last few weeks, sparked by his wild card win on the Cowboys in Week 7. He’s in good position to make a playoff run and challenge for the division.
Grade: B
Babe
Current Total: -$900
Winning Percentage: 0.455
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 4 – Atlanta – Lost
Recap: Considering how disappointing Babe’s performance has been this season, he should be happy with where he stands right now. He lost his wild card bet and struggled to figure out which way was up early in the year, but a recent perfect week could build him some momentum for the second half.
Grade: C-
Don Mattingly
Current Total: $1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.529
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – New Orleans – Won
Recap: The two-headed monster that is the Donald see-saw between contender and pretender for most of the first seven weeks of the season. Then a big wild card win last week has created some separation from him and the rest of the East. There are nine weeks left for him to blow this lead, and given this franchise’s history, the smart money is on a meltdown.
Grade: A-
Gordon Bombay
Current Total: -$200
Winning Percentage: 0.522
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: There weren’t many signs of life from the veteran Bombay in the early parts of 2014, yet he is on the cusp of the playoff bubble (as usual). He’s a franchise to fear for the rest of the season.
Recap: Enter
Grade: B-
Karl Farbman
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.469
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: After eight weeks, Karl is back at even money, but his winning percentage and inconsistency this year have been far from intimidating. At the very least, he’s handsome.
Grade: B
T-Ferg
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Much like Karl, T-Ferg sits at even with nine weeks to go. Last year, T-Ferg threw in the towel with a month left in the season. Some have said he doesn’t have the staying power to handle the marathon that is the FMFL.
Grade: B
The Big Hurt
Current Total: -$100
Winning Percentage: 0.460
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Big Hurt enjoyed several weeks near the top of the East standings, but a series of miscues has him $1,200 off the lead. Sources say there is dissention among the ranks of this partnership, with one co-owner desiring to subscribe strictly to Costanza’s “Law of Opposites” when making picks.
Grade: B-
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Current Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.565
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Things were going well for Waldo until he failed to place his bets in Week 8. He blames a rare condition in which he must get twelve hours of sleep every night for preventing him to get up and make his bets.
Grade: C+
North Division
Abe Froman
Current Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.476
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: New to the FMFL, but no stranger to the format, Abe has been disappointing so far. He can make a run, but in the North Division will need to hit on his wild card to make any noise.
Grade: C+
Bayonnaise
Current Total: -$1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.529
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Week 5 – New Orleans – Lost
Recap: Many uncharacteristic mistakes were made by the Naise in the first half of the season, including not placing his bets and losing his wild card bet on the Saints in Week 5. There is time for him to catch up, but some fear that the Bayonnaise we came to know and love in the early (downtrodden) years of this franchises are back.
Grade: D
Kenny Powers
Current Total: $1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.550
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Houston – Won
Recap: Like a snake in the grass, Kenny slithered around for the first seven weeks, then came out to play with a $1,000 Week 8 profit. He’ just $100 off of the lead and now must prove he has the staying power to contend for a division crown.
Grade: A-
Larisa Oleynik
Current Total: -$900
Winning Percentage: 0.375
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: There was an era in which Larisa was feared, not only because of her confidence and wit, but also because of her ability to dominate picking games. That era seems to be over, unless she can turn things around in November.
Grade: D+
OJ
Current Total: $400
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Juice left his old life partner (Don Mattingly) behind in the offseason and went out on his own. He has shown moments of brilliance in 2014, but hasn’t put it together enough to give the division leader a run for his money. And he’s now even $700 worse off than the Donald. Did he make the right move? Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.
Grade: A-
Shecky
Current Total: -$600
Winning Percentage: 0.423
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Another greenhorn to our league, Shecky came highly touted as one of the great minds in football prognostication. We’ve yet to see much of that this season, but he might be someone to watch come December.
Grade: C+
The People’s Champ
Current Total: -$1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.333
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Champ has gone the way of Larisa yet again this season, not able to gain any traction to move up the standings. But hey, if the Giants cover eight games in a row, he’ll probably be back on top.
Grade: D
The Phoenix
Current Total: $1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.647
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Phoenix has been a model of consistency the first half of the year, spending just about every week as the king of the North. Now he has Kenny Powers nipping at his heels, but he looks like a safe bet to at least make the playoffs.
Grade: A
South Division
Bud Fox
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.591
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Bud has eked out money week after week in order to stay in contention in the South. This division definitely looks to be a two-horse race, and the big advantage for Bud right now is that he still has his wild card bet on the shelf.
Grade: A-
Chris B. Corey
Current Total: -$1,600
Winning Percentage: 0.375
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Many in the Funny Money Football League were anticipating CBC’s triumphant return to the league, some saying they haven’t been this excited since Ma$e’s comeback in 2004. However, Chris has been awful this season.
Grade: F
Face
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.361
Fines: -$1,300
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Face’s heart seems to be on the west coast, as he’s bet Seattle and San Francisco repeatedly this year, with the results speaking for themselves. Since his downward spiral began, he’s been eating only beef jerky, popcorn, and soft service ice cream, hoping to turn things around.
Grade: D-
Kiko Garcia
Current Total: $700
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 2 – New England – Won
Recap: Kiko made his move at the right time. He won his wild card bet in Week 2 and jumped to the top of the standings in the South. It could be a back and forth battle between Kiko and Bud the rest of the way.
Grade: A-
Kimmy Gibbler
Current Total: -$300
Winning Percentage: 0.421
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 5 – Seattle – Won
Recap: There was nowhere to go but down for Kimmy after her torrid 2013 campaign that included a double-dip. She’s been mediocre this year despite a wild card win, but is still within a shout of a playoff spot, and she’s been here before.
Grade: C+
Mr. Marbles
Current Total: -$2,000
Winning Percentage: 0.222
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: When you are being talked about in the same company as Chris B. Corey, you know you’ve hit rock bottom.
Grade: F
The 21th Precinct
Current Total: -$1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.400
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Precinct hasn’t strung together many winners in the first half of the year, but history has told us that if he hangs around long enough, he could be a player down the stretch. We just haven’t seen that potential yet in 2014.
Grade: D-
The Beard of Zeus
Current Total: -$1,800
Winning Percentage: 0.313
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: A poor first half of the season. At this point, the Beard is better off picking teams out of a hat each week. I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.
Grade: F
West Division
Blossom Russo
Current Total: $400
Winning Percentage: 0.524
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Blossom is in the mix in the hotly contested West Division, and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. No one in the West has used his or her wild card bet yet, so this may be a matter of who blinks first.
Grade: A-
Boss Hardigan
Current Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.556
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The boss of all bosses is clinging to one of the final playoff spots right now. In the past, he has tailed off in the months of November and December. His stamina will be tested this year, if of course he can hang around.
Grade: B+
Dr. Oge
Current Total: $800
Winning Percentage: 0.548
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Oge has slowly climbed his way up the division and sits atop of the West right now. He’s bet on a lot of games, but keeps on trending in the right direction. One wonders if his mind will be bogged down by his other 24 fantasy leagues when crunch time rolls around in the FMFL.
Grade: A-
Rick Moranis
Current Total: -$400
Winning Percentage: 0.450
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Rick hasn’t had a terrible season, but he’s in last in the West and will need his future wife’s picks to start coming through for him in the second half. He also chalks up his lackluster performance in the first half to hearing the announcement about the all-female remake of Ghostbusters.
Grade: C
Ron Mexico
Current Total: -$200
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Historically, Ron’s winning percentage is solid and always makes him a contender, but he dropped off a bit after a strong start and has gone up $100 or down $100 for most of the first half.
Grade: C+
Teddy KGB
Current Total: -$200
Winning Percentage: 0.471
Fines: $200
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Coming off a division title, Teddy has been relegated to the bottom of the West for most of the year. He hasn’t helped himself, turning in bets late twice thus far. Anyone in the division (including Teddy) could make a leap with a wild card bet, but who has the stones to do it?
Grade: C+
The Notorious ABT
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.571
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Before the season began, The Notorious ABT registered with a note guaranteeing that he would make the playoffs. Critics laughed at the idea of the ABT franchise putting together a strong performance in the FMFL. Who will have the last laugh? He’s right on Dr. Oge’s heels for the division crown.
Grade: A-
Yaz
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Up and down for Yaz in 2014, but his in the middle of the pack in the division and just one good week from being in prime playoff position. He hasn’t yet fallen asleep watching old Andy Griffith episodes on a Saturday night, having forgotten to place his bets, so that’s a positive.
Grade: B+
Midseason Wager Count
Midseason Percentages and Wild Cards
Welcome to the 2014 Season from Kimmy Gibbler
(Editor’s note: The 2013 winner, Kimmy Gibbler, has graciously contributed some wisdom as we kick off the 2014 season. Her message is below.)
After a few rough seasons of bad luck and injuries, I knew I had to take a new mental approach coming into last season. I was at a loss as to how to regain the form and I had just a few years prior.
The Funny Money Football League had drained me, and just before I threw in the towel, I received a little advice from The Hero of San Juan Hill. Teddy helped me tune out all of the naysayers who said I know longer had what it takes, a quick inspirational speech helped me to refocus on the upcoming season, he told me…
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Motivated by these words, I was able to turn in arguably the greatest season in Funny Money history. I come into this season looking to maintain that focus and fend off the wily veterans and cagey newcomers.
All I can say is keep your head up and keep on grindin’, there is a payoff for all of the hard work.
Best of luck.
Almost forgot…to the victor goes the spoils!
