Week 1 Recap
Studs (+$500)
East: Yaz
North: T-Ferg
South: None
West: None
Duds (-$500)
East: Blossom Russo
North: Don Mattingly
South: Bayonnaise
West: Babe, Donnie Jeffcoat
Other Notes:
– Yaz with the best week of the FMFL former champions
– Most popular bet this week, Green Bay (14 bets), lost outright
– No wild card bets this week
Welcome to the 2021 Season from Neon Boudeaux
(Editor’s note: The 2020 winner, Neon Boudeaux, has penned some words of wisdom as we kick off the 2020 season. His message is below.)
As a kid, Neon and his dad attended dozens of New York Jet home games between 1990 and 1996, including the preseason. This included every home game in the 1996 season when the Jets finished 1-15. They lost every game at home that year. The journey to the game was always entertaining. At times– harrowing. To avoid paying for parking, we would park across Route 3 at the Hilton Hotel. From there we would run across a service road and then walk across the Turnpike bridge. It wasn’t an experience for the faint of heart. And then we would stroll through the old Giants stadium parking lot. It was a scene from a Hunter S. Thompson novel.
Once inside, anything could happen in section 330. There were a few die-hard fans consistently there in that section. Mostly, it consisted of a lot was police, firemen, NJ transit employees and some families. Some great people, but it certainly wasn’t a family atmosphere.
And then there was always a multitude of fans from whomever the Jets were playing. Typically, there would be fights in the third quarter. The four o’clock starts were always a treat. Like I said above, anything could happen. It was good exposure and life preparation.
Most of these games had a tempo. Sometimes they would just get blown out. But many times, the Jets would do as they often do, and disappoint you. Break your heart. Let you down. I was there for the fake spike with Marino. And like many perpetually hopeful Jets fans, we wanted Pete Carroll out after the team stumbled down the stretch. Yowzer. And then we brought in Rich Kotite. We know how that ended. I can still hear Ira from the Long Island calling in to WFAN radio. He still calls in. That’s the whole thing.
On one of these cold drives home during this era, my father remarked to me that having a team to root for is a wonderful distraction. I still remember the conversation. What he said precisely was that “in this world, it’s important to have coping mechanisms”. It was his way of saying it’s important to have passions or hobbies or really anything that reduces anxiety and creates community. For a while, I didn’t connect the dots back to how sage that advice was. We often don’t until we go through certain experiences- such is life.
In 2020, we couldn’t go to a Jets game. They finished 2-14. But at some point early in the season after a brutal defeat, my father told me and my brother via text message that the whole experience of going to all those games was just an excuse to spend time together. It was a very profound admission from a man who I deeply admire and love.
Therefore, we should be grateful to the Executive Director and our FMFL community. FMFL is a coping mechanism. And it’s an excuse to spend time together, albeit virtually. Or at least some time chasing your weekly Sunday dopamine or cortisol hit, depending on how your picks play out. So thanks for directing your thoughts, time, and monies into this league. We should be grateful to the Executive Director for the time he puts into fostering this community. That’s time he could be spending doing something else, including being a husband and a dad. But being a friend is also important. He knew that over a decade ago when he created this league. Everything takes time.
So as another season begins, I wish you all the best of luck. Bet how you’d like to bet. Get your bets in on time. Try not to lose money. Find your coping mechanisms. Celebrate your wins by talking trash. Have fun. And stay safe.
2021 Divisions
Below are the 2021 divisions, as chosen by the 2020 division winners:
East Division
Blossom Russo
Boss Hardigan*
Chalky Studebaker
Chris B. Corey
Kiko Garcia
Shecky
The Beard of Zeus
Yaz
North Division
Bud Fox*
Don Mattingly
Judge Smails
Kenny Powers
Neon Boudeaux
Patrick Bateman
T-Ferg
The Big Hurt
South Division
Bayonnaise
Biff Tannen
Gordon Bombay
Karl Farbman
Karl Hungus
Luther Lavay
Rick Moranis*
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
West Division
Babe
Donnie Jeffcoat
Larisa Oleynik
Mr. Marbles
OJ
The Notorious ABT
The People’s Champ*
Thine
*2020 Division Winner
2021 Divisional Draft Recap
The following is an edited transcript from this year’s divisional draft, which was held on August 30, 2021.
The Executive Director: Welcome all to the 2021 FMFL Divisional Draft
The Executive Director: Some of you have been here before – welcome and congrats on winning your division last year. This is a snake draft, with the order Bud Fox, Boss Hardigan, Rick Moranis, The People’s Champ – then the reverse for the next round.
The Executive Director: Bud Fox is on the clock
Bud Fox: Good ole Judge Smails
The Executive Director: The venerable Judge Smails goes first
The Executive Director: Boss Hardigan, over to you
Boss Hardigan: Shecky
The Executive Director: Over to Rick for his first pick
Rick Moranis: Bayonnaise!
The Executive Director: Rick takes the Naise and now The People’s Champ with two picks
The People’s Champ: Easy picks for me- The Notorious ABT & Mr. Marbles
The Executive Director: Be careful what you wish for…
The Executive Director: Back to Rick for his next pick
Rick Moranis: Biff, welcome!
The Executive Director: Biff Tannen the expansion franchise is taken. Over to Boss Hardigan.
Boss Hardigan: Blossom Russo
The Executive Director: Back to Bud Fox for two picks
Bud Fox: Don Mattingly & Big Hurt
The Executive Director: Two beleaguered franchises are now off the board. Back to Boss Hardigan
Boss Hardigan: Chalky Studebaker
The Executive Director: Back to Rick for his next pick
Rick Moranis: Lex Luther
The Executive Director: Ha Luther Lavay, I presume?
Rick Moranis: Indeed
The Executive Director: Over to The People’s Champ for two
The People’s Champ: Let’s keep the Greyhound theme going and take OJ…..and then I’ll snap up Donnie Jefffcoat
The Executive Director: Sounds good – back to Rick
Rick Moranis: Simply…Hungus
The Executive Director: Karl Hungus off the board. Boss, you’re up
Boss Hardigan: Yaz
The Executive Director: Back to Bud Fox for two picks
Bud Fox: Kenny Powers and T-Ferguson
The Executive Director: Kenny and T-Ferg gone — back over to Boss Hardgian
Boss Hardigan: The Beard of Zeus
The Executive Director: Rick is up – 10 franchises left
Rick Moranis: Is Thunder Lips available?
The Executive Director: Long gone after the 2008 season
Rick Moranis: If not, Waldo Geraldo Faldo
The Executive Director: Waldo is available and he’s yours. Back to The People’s Champ for two picks
The People’s Champ: Let’s go with Babe and Larisa Oleynik
The Executive Director: Back to Rick
Rick Moranis: Gord’s Gold
The Executive Director: Gordon Bombay is gone – over to the Boss
Boss Hardigan: Kiko Garcia
The Executive Director: Kiko is gone and Bud Fox make your last two picks
Bud Fox: Bateman and Neon
The Executive Director: Patrick Bateman and the 2020 winner are off the board
The Executive Director: Boss your final pick?
Boss Hardigan: Chris B. Corey
The Executive Director: And Rick – your choice between Karl Farbman and Thine
Rick Moranis: Oh this is juicy
The Executive Director: Sophie’s Choice one would say
(dramatic pause)
Bud Fox: Do it
Rick Moranis: Farbman, thus making Thine – Mr. Irrelevant
The Executive Director: Thine goes to The People’s Champ
The Executive Director: Any parting words?
Boss Hardigan: Good Luck to all and may we all meet again same time and place next year!
Bud Fox: See you next year
Rick Moranis: In the words of the ED, “Good luck.”
The Peoples Champ: Well done boys- T.E.D or “ED”- thanks for organizing
The Executive Director: Thanks all
Welcome to the 2021 Season
Welcome to the 15th season of the Funny Money Football League!
