The Midseason Report
Gentlemen – We are at the halfway point. It has been a lackluster season at best. Aside from the last few weeks, most of the league struggled to avoid losses. However, a ton of franchises are within striking distance and 18 guys still have their wild card bets left. No division is a runaway by any means. Nevertheless, no one is getting an “A” on their Midseason Report Card. No one deserves it.
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
Bayonnaise
Amount: $700
Winning %: 0.525
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 7 – Seattle – Won
Comment: The ‘Naise came on strong the last few weeks, +1,500 in Weeks 7 and 8 to be exact. The most alarming stat of the first half of the season for him is $0 in fines. If Bayonnaise goes an entire season without any fines, it would be on par with Wilt Chamberlain having a year of celibacy.
Grade: B+
Karl Farbman
Amount: $800
Winning %: 0.548
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Much like his career winning percentage dictates, Farbman always seems to hover around the 0.500 mark, never breaking away but never falling behind. Right now he leads the East but by a slim margin. His wild card bet could be the key to his season.
Grade: A-
Kenny Powers
Amount: $300
Winning %: 0.529
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Powers has flexed his muscles here and there in the 2010 campaign. He’s also had some bad weeks of betting. But he’s within a shout of the division lead and in the thick of the playoff hunt. A strong showing thus far.
Grade: B
Larisa Oleynik
Amount: -$600
Winning %: 0.429
Fines: $600
Wild Card: Week 3 – Tennessee – Won
Comment: Larisa disappointed early with a wagering gaffe that cost her a $600 fine. Without that, she’d be rolling. However, she had to pull out the wild card bet early in order to get back into things. She’ll need a solid second half to make a push for the playoffs.
Grade: C
Mr. DeBlasis
Amount: $300
Winning %: 0.593
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Mr. DeBlasis once ate the Bible while waterskiing. I once saw him scissor-kick Angela Lansbury. With a high winning percentage (almost 60%), DeBlasis is showing why he was an early season favorite to win it all. It might be a Mexican standoff between DeBlasis and the rest of the East: who will pull out the wild card bet first?
Grade: B-
The Phoenix
Amount: -$1,100
Winning %: 0.375
Fines: $100
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: The Phoenix is a perfect example of a franchise that hasn’t done particularly well this year, but still isn’t out of it. If he can put together a couple bets in the second half, is it too much to say that the Phoenix might be in playoff contention?
Grade: C-
The 21th Precinct
Amount: -$1,400
Winning %: 0.326
Fines: $100
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Hard times for the Precinct. He has steadily declined the last few weeks and now finds himself last in the division. If there is one franchise that needs (and can) turn it around quickly, it’s the Precinct. Look for his wild card to come out in the next few weeks.
Grade: D+
North Division
Babe
Amount: -$300
Winning %: 0.500
Fines: $100
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Babe has gone right down the center line in the first half of 2010. Two bets each week: eight wins, eight losses. Still shaking off the Week 17 collapse in 2009, Babe hasn’t been able to get any momentum from week-to-week. He’s another franchise whose wild card bet will make or break his playoff fate.
Grade: C+
Face
Amount: -$600
Winning %: 0.413
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Going into the season, there were high hopes for Face. A seasoned veteran, he has slipped up in the last few weeks, but don’t count him out. He’s averaging about three bets per week, but might have to go to a two-team strategy to get back in it.
Grade: D+
Kiko Garcia
Amount: -$100
Winning %: 0.364
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 6 – Pittsburgh – Won
Comment: Kiko’s record is quite deceiving. Only $100 in the negative, he has one of the lowest winning percentages in the league. But, he’s managed his money, won his wild card bet, and remains a playoff contender.
Grade: C+
Kimmy Gibbler
Amount: -$500
Winning %: 0.400
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 5 – Indianapolis – Won
Comment: No matter what Kimmy tries to do, she can’t seem to get over the hump. For ever week where she bets well, the next week she takes a step back. Gibbler has the potential, but has disappointed so far.
Grade: C-
T-Ferg
Amount: $-900
Winning %: 0.412
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: After a strong rookie season, T-Ferg has left a lot to be desired in 2010. He was crippled by a few push games in the first half. If they would’ve gone his way, he’d be right in contention. But if they would’ve gone the other way, he’d be way out of it.
Grade: D+
The Beard of Zeus
Amount: $600
Winning %: 0.595
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: With solid, methodical betting the Beard seems to have risen up this season. He has built one of the highest winning percentages in the league and leads his division at the halfway mark.
Grade: A-
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Amount: -$1,500
Winning %: 0.471
Fines: $600
Wild Card: Week 7 – Denver – Lost
Comment: Waldo’s wild card bet was on Denver. The week they gave up 59 to the Raiders. It’s a microcosm of his season.
Grade: D-
South Division
Art Schlichter
Amount: -$1,300
Winning %: 0.438
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 7 – Baltimore – Lost
Comment: Art is the anti-Kiko Garcia. He has a pretty good winning percentage, but seems to always lose his biggest bets. It will take a big surge to get him back into the running for the playoffs.
Grade: D+
Blossom Russo
Amount: -$2,700
Winning %:
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 4 – Indianapolis – Lost
Comment: Oh Blossom. In my opinionation, the sun is gonna surely shine.
Grade: F
Mr. Marbles
Amount: $700
Winning %: 0.583
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Marbles is keeping pace in the South and still has his wild card bet. It looks as though the quest for the division title could be a two-horse race. But if Mr. Marbles fades in the next few weeks, the Champ could run away with it.
Grade: A-
Teddy KGB
Amount: -$200
Winning %: 0.528
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Teddy has been up and down and still has a shot at making a postseason run. That’s the good news. The bad news is his pattern of falling off in the second half of the season. We’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end well.
Grade: C+
The People’s Champ
Amount: $1,000
Winning %: 0.625
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Strong showing from the Champ, especially over the last four games. He owns the highest winning percentage in the league, has avoided fines, and overcame a slow start. But, he doesn’t have a big cushion in his division or overall. For now, he’s leading the pack.
Grade: A-
Will Cover
Amount: $0
Winning %: 0.429
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: After falling way back in the first few weeks, Will rebounded and now sits at even money going into the second half. He still has his wild card and has been trending towards the top of the standings. Can he keep it going?
Grade: B+
Yaz
Amount: -$1,000
Winning %: 0.406
Fines: $200
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Yaz has been way up (leading the division) and way down (now slipping to the bottom of the division). His legendary run at the end of the 2009 campaign showed that he can come from out of nowhere to win, but he has already dug himself a big hole with only nine weeks left.
Grade: C-
West Division
Boss Hardigan
Amount: -$100
Winning %: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Another franchise that has been slow and steady, the Boss is exactly 0.500 on his bets. He’s got the wild card in his back pocket and will need to play it to rise up in the West. Three of the other teams in the division have already used their big bet, so if he can cash it in, the Boss will be in contention.
Grade: C+
Don Mattingly
Amount: -$1,200
Winning %: 0.368
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: He has done so much better since he started betting the Giants and Chiefs.
Grade: D+
Gordon Bombay
Amount: $700
Winning %: 0.474
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 7 – Kansas City – Won
Comment: Bombay brought the noise in Week 7, winning his wild card and taking over the division. He has a slim lead, but has more experience than the other contenders in the West. If this race goes the distance, he should have the upper hand.
Grade: A-
Rick Moranis
Amount: -$1,400
Winning %: 0.357
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: Hell has not frozen over again. Rick is back to his losing ways, though he did win $500 to close out the first half. It looks like it’s going to be a season-long cellar battle between Rick and lifetime rival Don Mattingly.
Grade: D-
Ron Mexico
Amount: $600
Winning %: 0.556
Fines: $100
Wild Card: Week 5 – Philadelphia – Won
Comment: The strongest rookie to date, Ron won his wild card and briefly had the lead in the West. He followed this with a -$500 week and then a +$500 week. He’s only $100 back, but needs to be a little more consistent if he wants to be in the mix for the division – or even the overall – title.
Grade: A-
Slovy Maximus
Amount: $0
Winning %: 0.481
Fines: $0
Wild Card: Week 6 – Pittsburgh – Won
Comment: Slovy crawled back to even money after winning his wild card in Week 6. He’s built a so-so winning percentage by betting tons of games. He’s had some success, but might need to change his wagering pattern to gain momentum in the second half.
Grade: B-
The Notorious A.B.T.
Amount: -$700
Winning %: 0.435
Fines: $100
Wild Card: Still Available
Comment: The A.B.T. couldn’t seem to get it going in the first half of 2010. He had shades of greatness but would be flattened the next week. His scientific approach to wagering has failed him so far. He might turn into a man of faith in the second half.
Grade: C-
