Tuesday, August 31, 2010

My Fantasy Football Team

Well folks, the winning team was just drafted. Unfortunately, I also was drafting in his league. The system is you get $260 fake dollars to bid on players.

Here is my team, with valuable football related comments.


QB: Matt Schaub, will throw crazy numbers for the best 8-8 team
in the NFL.
RB: LeSean McCoy, the reason I always do "pretty good" is that
I get 4-5 backs that are all "pretty good", instead of 1 or 2 studs.
RB: Jon Stewart, teams with Stephen Colbert for the best
(and funniest) backfield in football.
WR: Marques Colsten, Hofstra stud
WR: Calvin Johnson, the first and last names of the best 20th
century democratic presidents (minus Kennedy, Truman, and
perhaps Clinton...and Roosevelt, and Wilson, well, you get the picture)*
WR: Roddy White, got stuck with him trying to make someone else
overpay. Will probably be my best player
TE: Vernon Davis, I think Mike Singletary is a great coach.
D: Philadelphia Eagles, really didn't want them, but their special teams should be good.
K: Nate Kaeding, he stinks in the playoffs, but fantasy is about the regular season.

Bench:
QB: Joe Flacco: Go Delaware Joe!
RB: Fred Jackson, really enjoy tough players like him
RB: Thomas Jones, really enjoy tough players like him
RB: Clinton Portis, see democratic comment above
WR: Wes Welker, should put up good numbers
WR: Dwayne Bowe, KC has some really good offensive players
TE: Brent Celek. I have the best tight end duo in the league. GO IT'S ALL GOOD!


So, all in all, I am pretty happy with my team. I had $13 left over to bid on a kicker, which no one ever pays more than a $1 for. But that is ok. It's All Good should finish with a solid 11-5 season. If only the Eagles could do that good!


*by the way, Calvin Coolidge was a republican. And don't tell me you knew that. You didn't know that.

Tom Napatano, I'm pulling for you

One of my students last semester was a proud Jets fan. And I was very happy for him when the Jets went to the championship game. Tom had enjoyed my baseball predictions (which I will review at seasons end) and I told him that I also would make football predictions (which I will also review at season's end).





AFC EAST

Jets 9-7, I'm not sold on Sanchez yet.

Patriots 9-7, Will the defense be there?

Dolphins 9-7, Heading in the right direction.

Bills 6-10, I wish they were heading in the right direction*



AFC NORTH

Ravens 10-6, Better offensive team than defensive?

Bengals 9-7, hot pick, but like the Reds this past spring, prove it (which they are!)

Steelers 8-8, I think Ben's 4 game suspension hurts them.

Browns 7-9, I think they are getting better.



AFC SOUTH

Colts 11-5, should be fine.

Titans 9-7, Vince Young does win. We'll see.

Texans 8-8, should be .500, again

Jaguars 5-11. Probably will win the super bowl.



AFC WEST

Chargers 10-6, Leader in talent and crazy troubles.

Chiefs 8-8, getting better.

Raiders 8-8, getter better.

Broncos 6-10, not getting better.



*I used to live in Western NY and know how important the Bills are to that region. I hope I am wrong. Every year there is at least one or two suprise teams.



Playoffs:

1. Colts 2. Chargers 3. Ravens 4. Jets 5. Bengals 6. Patriots



Ravens crush Patriots. Again.

Jets crush Bengals. Again.



Chargers beat the Ravens 13-12.

Colts beat the Jets, 31-28.



Chargers beat the Colts. 38-31.



NFC EAST

Cowboys 10-6. Can't honestly pick my Eagles above them.

Eagles 9-7. I liked McNabb. But I am also ready for Kolb.

Giants 8-8. Could be better...can't look at them objectively.

Redskins 8-8 McNabb helps, but they need another year.



NFC NORTH

Packers 10-6. Heading in right direction.

Vikings 9-7. Favre misses 4 games to injury.

Lions 7-9. heading in right direction.

Bears 5-11, see Broncos.



NFC SOUTH

Saints 10-6, won't be as good, but won't be bad either.

Panthers 8-8, they are good every other year, just like the jints.

Falcons 7-9, see Bengals.

Buccaneers 4-12 who knows? Literally, who is on this team?



NFC WEST

49ers 10-6, I like Mike. Singletary.

Seahawks 8-8, I don't know.

Cardinals 8-8. I don't know.

Rams 3-13. I know.



1. Saints 2. Packers 3. Cowboys. 4. 49ers 5. Vikings 6. Eagles



Eagles pull the upset (Look for a Cowboys win in playoffs the following year)

49ers get payback for crazy favre throw last year.


Eagles get creamed by the Saints. 31-14

49ers lose to Pack, my wife cries. 21-20



Saints beat the Pack in a thriller, 37-34



Superbowl: Chargers over the Saints 27-24.



I think that the NFL is so unpredictable. In fact, sometimes I really get annoyed with the NFL because of that. But I'll go a little safe this year, nothing crazy.



So don't be suprised when the Jaguars beat the Redskins 42-28 to win the Superbowl.

I Love That Story

I Love That Story
I Samuel 1:3-20, John 8:1-11, Acts 20:7-12

Who is the best story teller that you know?

I am grateful for two family members...
My Uncle David used to gather my three cousins and I when we were young and tell wonderful stories. They often would include some bathroom reference about my cousin Ryan, which, when you are seven years old, is very funny.

My dad was the story teller of the Indian Guides tribe I was apart of growing up. I would imagine he must have gained that job because he missed an organizational meeting or something like that, but I am grateful that he did the job.

Starting in the Fall, we are going to focus on story telling:
During our Friday Bible Study: We will learn the stories of the world's major religions, and how they relate. or are different from Christianity.

During our monthly LIGHT House gatherings, we will focus on the stories of our upbringing, while looking at the Family life cycles of leaving home, becoming married, raising children and living alone.

During Sunday Worship, my sermon series this year (from Sept. to July) will be the Story of Scripture, the most important story of all.
Story of Scripture

I picked three stories for today’s sermon: admittedly random selections. Until I saw the theme that binds them together, that of the ultimate story teller: God.

Samuel: Belonging to God
John: Forgiven and set free
Acts: Go and serve

In Samuel we have the story of the birth of the prophet, and of his strong and couragous mother Hannah: out of great struggle, an answer to prayer, which was promised in a very random way, Samuel was born.

The great good that came out of this story. Hannah learned what we all need to learn: we belong to God. As Scripture reminds us again and again: you are not your own. You belong to God.

In John, we see the woman caught in a sinful act who encounters the forgiveness of Jesus. We see religion combined with selfishness is sick. Jesus offers a different way. And with Jesus, once you meet him, it can’t be back to normal. Forgiveness sets free with new life, Christ’s life.

In Acts, we read a crazy story of a man falling down 3 flights of house after listening to Paul go "on and on and on" during a late night teaching with the believers of Ephesus. I was thinking about how boring Paul must have been to this young kid who fell asleep in the window sill. But whether or not something like this happened to us (my money is on it not having happened to you or I), the point of acts is that the Gospel story is so compelling it drives those who embrace and believe it. Paul taught because he believed. He went to serve because of his faith, a faith that had transformed him.

Ultimately, God is the story teller: of history, of the cosmos, and also of our lives.
God is the beginning.
God is sovereign: present and working for the world.
God takes the end and gives it a new beginning.

Today, we belong to God. Today is a chance to be forgiven and set free. Today’s call is to go and serve.