2009 Regular Season Records & Interesting Facts

+ As of this moment, we at least know the first six draft spots (although Ben owns about half of the picks in the first round) in each round for next year's draft. They are, as follows.....

1. Beatubad
2. First or Last
3. Texas Thundermonkeys
4. Wrong Answer
5. Vince Young
6. I'm a Texan

+ In his second season as a manager in the LOTC, Gavin Espinoza improved his First or Last franchise's sinle-season win total from two in 2008, to three in 2009. I'm not sure there should be such a thing as an 'expansion team slump' in fantasy football, but it seems to be what's happened in this case. Here's to you Gavin. I hope you can at least double your five all-time wins next season.

+ David Onyon's The Undisputed franchise had the biggest improvement from one year to the next, improving his win-total by six games in 2009. The second-greatest improvement this season was Jorge Parrales's Djibouti Crust, which had a four-win increase. Conversely, both Texas Thundermonkeys and Beatubad experienced six-game declines in 2009, and defending champion Wrong Answer declined by five games.

+ Stephen Dinger is probably happy to know that an LOTC all-time record that he owned has no been broken by another manager. Ben Weiss set a new mark for the longest losing streak in a single-season by starting this season 0-10.

+ This is the first time in seven seasons that no manager turned out a double-digit final score. The lowest scoring output of the season was Dinger's 129-point score in his opening-week loss to Aaron Diehl.

+ With Aaron Diehl's Vince Young missing out on the playoffs this season, the league-record for most consecutive seasons in the playoffs stands at three, an achievement held by Vince Young ('06-'08), Texas Thundermonkeys ('03-'05), Djibouti Crust ('03-'05), Tenacious D ('07-09), Deion Found Jesus ('05-'07), and The Undisputed ('04-'06). If Tenacious D make the playoffs in 2010, they will hold the new record of four consecutive seasons. Tenacious D, Djibouti Crust and Texas Thundermonkeys hold the record for the most overall playoff seasons, with five.

+ Wrong Answer is the fourth of six champions to miss the playoffs the year after their championship season. The only two league champions to make the playoffs in their title-defense season are The Undisputed and Vince Young.

+ Speaking of league champions, the LOTC has seen six first-time league champions since its inception in 2003. This year's top-two seeded teams, The Undisputed and The Big Breesy have both previously won a championship. In the four seasons that we have had a bye game in the first round of the playoffs, a bye team has won the championship twice. So history tells us we have a 50% chance of seeing our first repeat champion in league history.

2009 Regular Season Wrap-Up

Well, it was yet another successful regular season of fantasy football in the LOTC, and I'm very grateful to all twelve managers for being active and competitive all season long. In the coming weeks, there will be several updates and news regarding what you can expect in the offseason and next season, including some changes (mostly minor) that will be incorporated into the settings in the future. In the meanwhile, I thought I would recap some of the highlights from the regular season and also take a moment to preview this week's matchups. So without further ado.......

It was highly unlikely. In fact, to my memory, it was the least-likely win-and-in scenario I had ever seen. Jorge Parrales's (yes, me) Djibouti Crust franchise was holding on to a one-game lead over I'm a Texan and Vince Young as we headed into the final week of regular season games. But I was playing The Big Breesy, who would end up earning the #2 seed and first-round bye. The loss was imminent. If Djibouti Crust lost, all I'm a Texan needed was a win, because they had scored 100+ points more throughout the season, giving them the tiebreaker over the Crust. And, if Djibouti Crust and I'm a Texan both happened to lose, Vince Young needed a win AND 40 more points than Djibouti Crust to earn the final playoff spot.

Headed into Monday night's game between Green Bay and Baltimore, Djibouti Crust had clearly lost their game this week, I'm a Texan needed only 32.5 points between Ryan Grant and Derrick Mason (averaging 46 combined ppg to that point) to win their game, and Vince Young had successfully outscored Djibouti Crust by 43 points and held a 52-point lead against Texas Thundermonkeys, who had Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings (averaging 69.5 combined ppg to that point) left to play. The Vince Young franchise was eliminated by the first minute in the third quarter, as Aaron Rodgers turned in a spectacular performance. But the real shocker came in the mere 18 points that Ryan Grant and Derrick Mason combined to score for I'm a Texan, giving them the loss and giving Djibouti Crust the final playoff berth.

Djibouti Crust might have scrapped their way into the playoffs, but the magic seems highly unlikely to continue as they take on East division rival and winner, Deion Found Jesus, whom they have already lost to twice this season. Until this 2009 season, Djibouti Crust had enjoyed tremendous success against Deion Found Jesus, having only lost to Robby Grunwald's franchise once in five meetings. But Robby now has an opportunity to even things out at 4-4-0 if he can win one more time against Jorge. This marks the first meeting between thes two teams in the playoffs.

The #4 vs #5 matchup features North division winner Tenacious D and West division runner-up Hybrids, who just played each other last week in the final regular season game. If the results from that game (Hybrids won by 104.5 points) are an indication of what we should expect in this one, Hybrids should easily coast their way into the second-round. This is actually the second meeting between these two teams in the playoffs. The first was last season, in the #4 vs #5 first-round matchup. Hybrids also won that game, but lost in the second round to eventual champion Wrong Answer. My guess is that Ryan Hennesy is looking to make a change to his recent history against Tim/Michelle/David Ferguson.

Week 13 Matchups & All-Time Records

In an unlikely turn of events, Stephen Dinger's I'm a Texan franchise lost their week 12 game to the Texas Thundermonkeys which, coupled with a Djibouti Crust victory over Vince Young, put Djibouti Crust back into the driver's seat for the sixth and final spot for this year's playoffs. In any case, pretty much all of the playoff-relevant teams are playing for something.

The Undisputed have essentially clinched the top overall spot since they have a full-game lead over Ryan Hennesy's Tenacious D AND have outscored them by 250 points this season. Even if The Undisputed managed to lose to Beatubad (1-11), there is no chance Tenacious D can overcome that kind of point differential in a single game.

The number two seed and second bye game is a whole different scenario. If Tenacious D can defeat a very tough opponent in The Hybrids, that spot goes to Tenacious D. But a loss to Hybrids and a win by either The Big Breesy or Deion Found Jesus will cause Tenacious D to play in the wild-card round.

The Hybrids join division rival The Undisputed as the only other team whose playoff spot is pretty much certain. Regardless of how the other divisions play out, Hybrids will finish second in their own division, but have the better record or tiebreaker over whoever gets the sixth playoff spot, so they will be facing off against the lowest ranked division winner, likely to be either Tenacious D or Deion Found Jesus.

The final spot will belong to Djibouti Crust (7-5, 2482 points) , I'm a Texan (6-6, 2595 points) or Vince Young (6-6, 2444 points). If Djibouti Crust can defeat The Big Breesy, they will have earned the last spot. If Djibouti loses and I'm a Texan beats Deion Found Jesus, I'm a Texan will get the last spot. And lastly, if Djibouti Crust and I'm a Texan lose and Vince Young wins AND outscores Djibouti Crust by 40+ points, Vince Young will get the final spot.

Week 13 Matchups

Djibouti Crust (7-5-0) vs The Big Breesy (8-4-0)
Joe leads all-time 2-1-0

Hybrids (8-4-0) vs Tenacious D (9-3-0)
All-time 4-4-0 (Ryan leads regular season 4-3-0)

Deion Found Jesus (8-4-0) vs I'm a Texan (6-6-0)
All-time 2-2-0

Wrong Answer (4-8-0) vs First or Last (3-9-0)
Paul leads all-time 1-0-0

Vince Young (6-6-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (2-10-0)
JMB leads all-time 3-1-0

Beatubad (1-11-0) vs The Undisputed (10-2-0)
Ben leads all-time 3-2-0

Week 12 Matchups & All-Time Records

Well if anybody has reason to hate the yardage-bonus structure that I added to the settings three years ago, that person is myself. As Matt Schaub led the Texans on what turned out to be a futile final drive against Tennessee on Monday Night Football, his last completion was a four-yard dump to Kevin Walter. That short pass was enough to push Schaub over the 300-yard mark for the game, which added three bonus points to I'm a Texan's final score, giving Dinger the two-point victory over myself and Djibouti Crust. The loss for me essentially ends all hope of a spot in the playoffs, considering my final two matchups are against Vince Young and The Big Breesy. For Dinger, the second-consecutive win marks what seemed an unlikely turnaround for I'm a Texan, as he now holds the rights to the sixth and final playoff spot with only two more games to play. With Dinger also holding the division-record tiebreaker and playing the lowly Texas Thundermonkeys this week, it all-but-guarantees that Aaron's Vince Young franchise will need to win out just to have a chance to get in.

Week 12 Matchups

Djibouti Crust (6-5-0) vs Vince Young (6-5-0)
All-time 2-2-0 (Jorge leads regular season 2-1-0)

Hybrids (7-4-0) vs Beatubad (1-10-0)
All-time 5-5-1 (Tim leads regular season 5-4-1)

The Big Breesy (7-4-0) vs Deion Found Jesus (8-3-0)
Robby leads all-time 3-2-0

I'm a Texan (6-5-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (1-10-0)
All-time 3-3-0

Wrong Answer (4-7-0) vs The Undisputed (9-2-0)
David leads all-time 4-3-0 (Regular season tied 3-3-0)

Tenacious D (9-2-0) vs First or Last (1-10-0)
Ryan leads all-time 1-0-0

Week 11 Matchups & All-Time Records

The extremely improbable took place last week, as Dinger's I'm a Texan managed to upset Joe's The Big Breesy, despite being a 70-point underdog going in to the match. Most of us were laughing at Dinger as he traded away his 4th, 5th and 6th round picks to Gavin simply to acquire Derrick Mason for this week's game against Joe. The difference was 7.5 points, which just happened to be enough for Dinger to get the 6-point victory. Nobody's laughing now. Kudos to Dinger, who stays alive in the playoff race for at least another week.

Week 11 Match-Ups

Djibouti Crust (6-4-0) vs I'm a Texan (5-5-0)
Dinger leads all-time 6-4-0

Hybrids (6-4-0) vs Wrong Answer (4-6-0)
Paul leads all-time 4-2-0

The Big Breesy (6-4-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (1-9-0)
JMB leads all-time 3-1-0

Deion Found Jesus (7-3-0) vs Vince Young (6-4-0)
Robby leads all-time 3-2-0

Beatubad (0-10-0) vs First or Last (2-8-0)
Gavin leads all-time 1-0-0

The Undisputed (8-2-0) vs Tenacious D (9-1-0)
David leads all-time 5-4-0 

Week 10 Matchups & All-Time Records

Well, Tenacious D defied all odds and did the impossible. Despite both star running backs (Steven Jackson and Thomas Jones) being on a bye, he managed to get by with Derrick Ward as his best starting running back. Nine weeks into the season, Ryan has a division title and the first playoff spot. That leaves five spots for the rest of us to fight for. Mathematically, Beatubad and Texas Thundermonkeys are the only two teams out of the running, but First or Last and Wrong Answer will both be out next week, win or lose. That means there are seven of us vying for the last five spots. If Big Breesy can beat I'm a Texan, it almost ensures that Dinger will be the next one of out of the playoff race, so that's the game I'm watching for.

Week 10 Match-ups

Djibouti Crust (6-3-0) vs Tenacious D* (8-1-0)
Ryan leads all-time 5-4-0

Hybrids (6-3-0) vs The Undisputed (7-2-0)
Tim leads all-time 3-2-0

The Big Breesy (6-3-0) vs I'm a Texan (4-5-0)
Dinger leads all-time 3-1-0

Deoin Found Jesus (6-3-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (1-8-0)
JMB leads all-time 5-3-0 (All-time regular season tied, 3-3-0)

Wrong Answer (3-6-0) vs Beatubad (0-9-0)
Paul leads all-time 6-2-0

Vince Young (5-4-0) vs First or Last (2-7-0)
Aaron leads all-time 1-0-0

Week 9 Matchups & All-time Records

A convincing win over Deion Found Jesus, coupled with a last minute loss for Wrong Answer in week eight has given Ryan Hennesy's Tenacious D a four-game division lead with six games left in the season. But it gets even juicier than that. Tenacious D and Wrong Answer are facing off against each other in week 9, meaning that if Hennesy can beat out Paul Ferguson this week, he will have officially clinched a playoff berth......already. Even if Tenacious D lost their last five games and Wrong Answer won theirs, Tenacious D would have won the divisional record, giving him the tiebreaker. So this is clearly the game of the week as we kick off the last six weeks of the regular season.

Week 9 Match-ups


Djibouti Crust (5-3-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (1-7-0)
Jorge leads all-time 5-4-0 (Regular season tied @ 4-4-0)

Hybrids (5-3-0) vs First or Last (2-6-0)
All-time 1-1-0

The Big Breesy (6-2-0) vs Vince Young (4-4-0)
Aaron leads all-time 3-2-0

Deion Found Jesus (5-3-0) vs Beatubad (0-8-0)
Robby leads all-time 4-3-0

I'm a Texan (4-4-0) vs The Undisputed (6-2-0)
All-time 3-3-0 (David leads regular season 3-1-0)

Wrong Answer (3-5-0) vs Tenacious D (7-1-0)
Ryan leads all-time 7-0-0
 

Week Eight Match-ups & All-Time Records

We just passed the halfway mark for the 2009 season. Even seven seasons into an established league, we are seeing new things, such as two teams (Beatubad and Texas Thundermonkeys) that have yet to register a win after seven games. Before this season no team had ever started worse than 0-6 (The Wrath of Korea, 2004, John Jemison - NLIL and I Really Have a Bush, 2007, Joe Harper), but we're always open to new things. Unfortunately for one of these managers, the streak will be extended at least one more week, as the two winless managers face off in week 8.

Week 8 Match-ups

Djibouti Crust (4-3-0) vs Wrong Answer (3-4-0)
All-time 3-3-0 (Jorge leads the regular season record 3-2-0)

Hybrids (4-3-0) vs I'm a Texan (4-3-0)
Tim leads all-time 5-3-0

The Big Breesy (5-2-0) vs First or Last (2-5-0)
Joe leads all-time 2-0-0

Deion Found Jesus (5-2-0) vs Tenacious D (6-1-0)
All-time 3-3-0

Vince Young (3-4-0) vs The Undisputed (6-1-0)
Aaron leads all-time 2-1-0

Beatubad (0-7-0) vs Texas Thundermonkeys (0-7-0)
JMB leads all-time 5-3-1

2009 Week 3 Outlook

Mind you, it has happened before. Teams have lost their first two games of the season and still had success. In fact, in the previous six seasons, two of the eventual champions started out at least 0-2 (Carmen Sutera, 2003 & Drew Brees, 2006). But the fact that it has happened before doesn't make the feat any easier to accomplish.

36 teams have made the playoffs in the league's history. Four of them started out 0-2. Two of those actually lost a third game, and for Joe Harper, it was the last time he lost that season. But let's face it; what happened to Joe in 2006 was a freakish coincidence. His team was clearly dominant, but in those first three games, he just happened to play the ONE team that scored the most points in their given week. No one really believed his team wasn't good, just unlucky. For the four teams yet to win a game through the first two weeks, circumstances have not been so similar.

Still, the Wrong Answer, Beatubad, Texas Thundermonkeys and First or Last franchises can take that little slice of history and use it to obtain whatever kind of hope comes with it. But there's virtually no hope if they can't take a victory in week 3, especially for a league title. TT and FOL will be facing off this week, so we're already assured of seeing at least one winless team by the time Monday Night Football is over.

Week 3 Match-Ups

Djibouti Crust (1-1-0) vs Hybrids (2-0-0)
All-time Regular Season: 3-3-0

• This game could very well be decided by some real-life injury decisions that likely wont be made until the last minute. Felix Jones (Djibouti Crust) could see an expanded role this week if Marion Barber (Texas Thundermonkeys) is held out. Additionally, Bryan Westbrook (Hybrids) is expected to be listed as 'Questionable' on the Eagles' injury report and could be losing quite a bit of playing time in this week's game against the Chiefs.

I Have a Bush (2-0-0) vs Beatubad (0-2-0)
All-time Regular Season: 2-2-0

• This game can comfortably be projected to get this weeks 'Toyota Biggest Fantasy Blowout' award, in favor of I Have a Bush, who also won it last week with a 78.5 point victory over Tenacious D. I Have a Bush has the luxury of being led by Drew Brees and Marques Colston, who have combined to score 191.5 points in the first two weeks alone. Meanwhile, Beatubad looks set have one of the worst seasons in league history, with Laurence Maroney being the best running back on their roster.

Deion Found Jesus (1-1-0) vs The Undisputed (2-0-0)
All-time Regular Season: 4-2-0, DFJ

• The Undisputed were lucky enough to get a record-breaking performance out of second-year running back, Chris Johnson, who managed to shatter RB fantasy records with 83 points in a single week. They are considerably lucky to be undefeated to this point, but still a quality team, reliant on Philip Rivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Johnson to do most of the heavy lifting. Deion Found Jesus is hoping Tom Brady's dismal week two effort will not be repeated this week when the Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons. They are hurting at running back (Darren Sproles and Michael Bush are starting this week), but you can never count a team out when they have Brady at QB.

I'm a Texan (1-1-0) vs Wrong Answer (0-2-0)
All-time Regular Season: 2-2-0

• I'm a Texan finally saw their mostly-Houston Texan lineup strategy pay off with huge dividends last week as Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels all turned in monster fantasy numbers in week two. The real questions for owner Stephen Dinger is whether his team is going to play like they did in week one or week two. The answer to that question will likely determine the outcome of this game against defending champion Wrong Answer, who are the most probable winless team to end up in the playoffs. Wrong Answer has to face one more week without the contributions of suspended RB Marshawn Lynch, but they won't be looking past I'm a Texan this week. This match-up is particularly intriguing with the frequent back-and-forth banter that these two managers have taken part in against each other in the recent past.

Vince Young (2-0-0) vs Tenacious D (1-1-0)
All-time Regular Season: 3-1-0, VY

• This game is especially intriguing to me, because Tenacious D are clearly trying to find some kind of identity with the players on their roster. Jay Cutler was easily one of the top five fantasy quarterbacks in the offseason until he was traded away to Chicago. Cutler is not going to repeat his superb 2008 season, but if he can increase his production just enough to give consistent quality numbers, Tenacious D might still be a title contender. But his opponent this week, Vince Young, has an absolutely lethal running back tandem (Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore) that makes them nearly impossible to beat every week. The Yahoo! projections have these two teams evenly matched, but Vince Young's questionable receiving corp is really the only factor that could give Tenacious D the edge.

Texas Thundermonkeys (0-2-0) vs First or Last (0-2-0)
All-time Regular Season: 1-0-0, TT

• The Texas Thundermonkeys have made the playoffs more than any other LOTC franchise in history, but that success appears about ready to run dry in 2009. On paper, the Thundermonkeys should be good enough to contend, but they fell short in both of their first two games. Now, it's all or nothing. They need a win to have any real shot at making the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, and it looks like they're going to have to do it without the legs of Marion Barber. First or Last seemed certain to avoid the last-place 2-11 finish they had in 2008 after making some seemingly great trades at the end of last season, as well as having a solid draft this year. But two weeks into 2009, manager Gavin Espinoza still can't seem to 'win at life'. If Matt Forte can get out of this apparent sophomore slump, First or Last might still be able to salvage their first winning season, but doing so from an 0-3 hole would make the achievement highly unlikely. Forget the playoffs: for the sake of their history, no one is facing more of a must-win situation than First or Last.

LOTC teams to make the playoffs after starting at least 0-2:

- Carmen Sutera, 2003, Phil Massine (No Longer in League)

• Started: 0-2-0
• Finished: 8-5-0
• Final Outcome: 2003 League Champion

- Da Boyz, 2004, David Onyon (Now 'The Undisputed')

• Started: 0-3-0
• Finished: 8-6-0
• Final Outcome: Lost 1st Round to eventual runner-up In Carr We Trust (Now 'I'm a Texan')

- Drew Brees, 2006, Joseph Harper (Now 'I Have a Bush')

• Started: 0-3-0
• Finished: 10-3-0
• Final Outcome: 2006 League Champion

- Vince Young, 2008, Aaron Diehl

• Started 0-2-0
• Finished: 8-5-0
• Final Outcome: Lost 1st Round to eventual runner-up Beatubad

**UPDATE**
As per Aaron's question, there have been a few teams to start 2-0 and miss the playoffs.

In the past six seasons, 19 teams have started 2-0 or better. Of those 19 teams, 15 went on to make the playoffs. The only person still in this league who has missed the playoffs after a 2-0 start is Ben (Beatubad), and he's done it twice. To be fair, the first time it happened was in 2003, which was the only season where we only had four playoff teams.

2003 - Beatubad
 Started: 3-0
 Finished: 7-6, 5th place

2004 - Garden Gnomes (Phil Massine, No Longer in League)
 Started: 2-0
 Finished: 6-8, 10th place

2005 - The Greatest (John Jemison, No Longer in League)
 Started: 2-0
 Finished: 4-9, 9th place

2007 - Beatubad
 Started: 4-0
 Finished: 6-7, 8th place

So now here's the fun stuff. If history is any kind of indicator of odds, you have a 78.9% chance of making the playoffs by starting 2-0. So one of you four teams are probably going to miss out. Starting out 3-0 (12 times in history) gives you an 83.3% chance of making the playoffs, and yet, a 4-0 start (7 times in history) barely improves your odds, at 85.7%.

Only twice has any LOTC team started 5-0 or better. Dinger did it in 2004, with In Carr We Trust. And the best start in league history was 6-0 by David, with The Undisputed in 2005. David finished out that regular season 3-4, but managed to get back on track in time for the playoffs to win the championship. So apparently, a 6-0 start gives you a 100% chance of winning the title.

But if you're Ben Weiss, a 3-0 start apparently gives you a 67% chance of missing the playoffs.

League History Corrected

I was finally able to completely correct all of the league history errors that resulted from me mixing up Paul's (The Tigers) and David's (Da Boyz) teams in 2004.

The overall records have been corrected, dropping Paul from 6th all-time to 9th, while David jumped up from 10th to 8th.

Also, the all-time head-to-head records have been corrected, which was the most tedious part of the fix. The most notable thing from this correction is that it means Paul has never beaten Ryan in the six match-ups they have had against each other, which makes their week 4 meeting all-the-more interesting.

League History

Commissioner's Note - Rivalry Week and Division Changes

Ok, so I basically decided to go ahead and assign the rivalry week match-ups myself. For one thing, I didn't get everyone's preferences and for another, it's easier this way. I made the decisions by finding a way to make everyone's match-up be against someone with whom their all-time record was either tied or just one game apart. The one exception is JMB vs Tim, where Tim holds the all-time record, 6-3-0. But it works out that way anyway, because a) they're in-laws and b) their nine games against each other is tied for the most head-to-head meetings of anyone else in the league.

Most of you don't quite have a 'rivalry' with your match-up, but it'll develop over time.

First or Last vs Deion Found Jesus
1-1-0 Regular Season

1-1-0 All-time

I Have a Bush vs Beatubad
2-2-0 Regular Season
3-2-0 All-time [I Have a Bush]

Vince Young vs Djibouti Crust
2-1-0 Regular Season [Djibouti Crust]
2-2-0 All-time

The Undisputed vs Tenacious D
4-3-0 Regular Season [Tenacious D]
4-4-0 All-time

I'm a Texan vs Wrong Answer
2-2-0 Regular Season
3-2-0 All-time [I'm a Texan]

Texas Thundermonkeys vs Hybrids
4-2-0 Regular Season [Hybrids]
6-3-0 All-time [Hybrids]

Lastly, I decided to go ahead and split the league into four divisions of three teams. One, I like the format better. Two, it makes it much easier to set the 13-game schedule (one game against every team in the league and two against your division foes). So here's how the division make-up now.

NORTH

• Wrong Answer
• Tenacious D
• I Have a Bush

SOUTH

• Beatubad
• Vince Young
• The Undisputed

EAST

• Texas Thundermonkeys
• Deion Found Jesus
• Djibouti Crust

WEST

• Hybrids
• I'm a Texan
• First or Last

The other two teams in your divisions will be the team you play twice every season. Get to know them.

Cutting through the NFC North like fine 'Cutler'-y

I believe we can all finally stop everything for a moment and let out a collective sigh of relief.

*SIGH*

It is finally over. I think there are a thousand things we could say about this trade that sends Jay Cutler (Tenacious D) from Denver to Chicago for several valuable draft picks. I'm less inclined to try to figure out who won in the transaction, because both teams gained something and both lost something. Only time will tell who made the right decision. But be certain of this: one of these teams just made a huge mistake.

I am just glad it's over.

So give credit to the Denver Broncos. The longer it took for them to get rid of Cutler, the lower the asking price would have become. Not to mention, the unrest and division within the locker room would have grown too great to overcome. Give credit to Chicago as well. The Bears haven't had a pro-bowl QB under center since Jim McMahon in 1985. Now, they've got Cutler, a pro-bowler who hasn't even reached his full potential yet.

Now let's be realistic. This blog might be dedicated to the LOTC, but it would be foolish to not consider the impact that this trade has on the NFL first.

The Broncos gave up a stud franchise quarterback. No team can do that without getting set back at least a year or two. But they did get Kyle Orton, who isn't getting enough credit for his growth over the last couple of years. People tend to forget before his injury against Detroit last season, Orton had thrown for 1669 yards, 10 TDs and only 4 interceptions. And this was with Devin Hester and Brandon Lloyd catching the passes! Now, he's going to be throwing to Brandon Marshall (Deion Found Jesus) and Eddie Royal (Beatubad). Granted, Denver has virtually no running game anymore and the o-line has a lot of questions, but with four 1st-round draft picks over the next two years, those questions can certainly be answered. Still, most experienced NFL coaches would tell you that when you have a sure thing at QB, there is no price you can put on that kind of security. This is especially true when you replace him with draft picks, an unknown commodity. So we're going to find out very soon, just how much Josh McDaniels has learned from Bill Bellichick. Keep in mind, the Broncos are still in the dreadful AFC West, playing twice a year against San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City. Even with a major downgrade at QB, the division is still winnable.

The Bears might very well have just picked up the best quarterback in the long history of their franchise. The only problem is Cutler REALLY needs to be exactly THAT (the best in their history) in order for the cost to be worth it. Chicago has essentially mortgaged its future on Cutler. If it pays off, the Super Bowl is within reach once again. If not? Well, they're screwed for another decade. Does this change the fate of the NFC North? Consider the non-statistical benefit of having Cutler in Chicago.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. says it best.

"You need a big, strong-armed guy to cut through the wind and the elements. I know it sounds simple, but the average fan tends to overlook that. Whenever you're shopping for a quarterback to play in Chicago, New York, Cleveland or somewhere like that, you better have a cannon and throw a spiral that can cut the wind. Cutler can do that in a big way. The defense has to guard the whole field, and that hasn't always been the case in the past 10 years or so in Chicago. Arm strength like that can make a lot of other problems go away."

Additionally, Jay Cutler is now going to be throwing the ball to a familiar face. Earl Bennett, who didn't catch a single pass in his rookie season last year, played for Vanderbilt in Cutler's last season for the university. Bennett is expected to compete for the starting job opposite of Devin Hester in 2009, and having best friend Jay Cutler under center can only make that a greater possiblity.

Enough of that now.......

How does this affect the LOTC?

The most obvious impact will be on Tenacious D, since Manager Ryan Hennesy was counting on Jay Cutler to be his franchise fantasy quarterback for the foreseeable future (alliteration, anyone?). Cutler is losing some quality weapons and is heading to a city whose team is historically formatted as a run-first team, and this one is no exception. Second-year RB Matt Forte (First or Last) emerged as a star in his rookie season and considering the weapons the Bears have at receiver, one would have to think they aren't going to become a passing team, at least not right now. In 2008, Cutler was 2nd in the LOTC with 49.5 FPPG. Kyle Orton was 20th, with 33.9 FPPG. While Cutler will likely have more production than Orton did with the same weapons, it would be naive to think Cutler will remain a top-5 fantasy QB until the Bears equip him with a stud receiver.

When asked if he was concerned with Cutler's destination, Hennesy answered, "I feel as though he would have been better, fantasy-wise staying with Denver, but with the signing of Pace and hopefully picking up a receiver in the draft, it could be a really positive experience."

Elsewhere around the league, Cutler's departure significantly impacts the fantasy value of Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, both whom were designated keepers last year.

Marshall (25.7 FPPG, 5th LOTC) was arguably the best receiver on DFJ Manager Robby Grunwald's roster. But with an impending suspension looming over his head, along with the departure of Jay Cutler, that value is quickly dissipating. The good news for Grunwald is that he had some good foresight, designating two other quality receivers (Antonio Bryant and Reggie Wayne) as keepers at the end of the '08 season.

Cutler's absence doesn't seem to concern the DFJ manager at all.

"Brandon Marshall is a playmaker, no matter who is at QB," Grunwald said. "Kyle Orton is gonna blow it up."

Eddie Royal (24.9 FPPG, 6th LOTC) had a tremendous rookie season in 2008, particularly during Marshall's suspension. But no amount of success can change the fact that he is now the number two receiver on a team with no running game that just lost its star quarterback. This change probably drops Royal's fantasy value down all the way to a third option, and that is in a best-case scenario.

BEAT Owner/Manager Ben Weiss had simply this to say about Royal's likely fantasy decline.

"There isn't much I can do about it now."

On a more positive note, Cutler's arrival in Chicago is a definite plus to TE Greg Olsen (Hybrids) and RB Matt Forte. Neither Owner/Manager of these players was available for comment.

Also Noteworthy:

• Cutler's entire family, including Cutler, has been a hardcore Bear-fan family for Cutler's entire life.
• Cutler lost his only game in Chicago, an OT loss in 2007. It was by no fault of Cutler's though. He threw for over 300 yards in the game and Denver lost primarily thanks to Devin Hester's two returns for touchdowns.
• Chicago's offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, was the head coach at the University of Illinois when Cutler was in high school. Cutler had committed to Illinois until Turner rescinded the scholarship at the last minute, forcing Cutler to scramble for another school to play for, Vanderbilt emerging as the beneficiary. One has to wonder if Cutler is still whining about that too.
  

Uncertainty ahead for Cutler and Burress

As any sports fan who even breathes would know by now, the Denver Broncos announced through an email last night that they were officially going to begin shopping Jay Cutler (Tenacious D). Blockbuster trades of this magnitude are delightfully rare in today's NFL, and this one could be one of the most impacting transactions in league history. We all (except the Broncos, apparently) knew this was the likely outcome, but now that it is officially inevitable, one can't help but twitch with excitement at the thought.

Cutler's final destination could have dramatic impact on the League of the Crust, but especially for Owner/Manager Ryan Hennesy's Tenacious D. After 4500 yards and 27 TDs in '08, Hennesy had to be looking forward to a 2009 season with Cutler. But a trade to the wrong team could certainly serve as a setback for their hopes of returning to the playoffs for a third straight season. As many as ten teams are reportedly in the runnings for Cutler, including the Jets, Bears, Vikings, Browns, Buccaneers, Lions and Redskins.

When asked if he had a preference, Hennesy said, "I would say the ideal situation for me would be Cutler going to Washington. They already have a solid running game and great weapons to throw the ball to. But their defense isn't great, so he'll have to be scoring points. I would also be happy if he went to New York [Jets] or Minnesota."

In other news, First or Last's Owner/Manager Gavin Espinoza is going to be facing some troubles of his own as more develops in the gun case against Plaxico Burress. Despite his best attempts to avoid jail time, it seems almost certain the star Giant's receiver will have to spend at least 6 months behind bars. Regardless of what happens (sentencing-wise), there is zero chance he will be playing the first half of the 2009 season, and that's a best-case scenario.

First or Last, who finished dead last in the LOTC last year with a 2-11 record, is going to be facing some certain receiver trouble in '09. With Burress likely out for the season, Bernard Berrian facing an uncertain QB situation in Minnesota and an aging TJ Houshmandzadeh playing for a new team, Espinoza will probably need to pick a receiver with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Espinoza was unavailable for comment.

We interrupt the madness.....

The NFL never stops moving, not even for the big dance, which tipped off today and, as of this point, hasn't had any exceptionally riveting or interesting games. American University might change that......

Just wanted to write a quick post updating the three of you (I have faith there will be more. A voice told me, "If you build it, they will come.") on some of today's stirrings around the league.

Guess who's first.......

After former Georgia QB Matt Stafford 'blew away' all the scouts today, word has it Jay Cutler (Tenacious D) is less likely to end up in Detroit. In fact, it is seeming all the more possible that he could land in New York with the Jets. Ironically, the Jets' hopes of acquiring Cutler could potentially hinge on former (fired) head coach Eric Mangini, who is now running things in Cleveland.

Of course, Eric Mangini obviously has some much larger fish to fry right now, with reports now surfacing that oft-inured #2 WR Donte Stallworth was intoxicated during the car accident last week that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. After letting go of Kellen Winslow (Deion Found Jesus) in the offseason and Donte Stallworth facing some possible manslaughter charges, the Cleveland Browns' respectable passing game is on the verge of extinction. This would make a three-way trade with Denver and New York [Jets], which would bring some valuable draft picks to Cleveland even more beneficial for all parties.

Josh McDaniel's start as head coach in Denver has got to be one of the worst in history. With the franchise player demanding a trade, he's already facing a nearly impossible task in finding a potential replacement to follow Cutler's stellar season of over 4500 pass yards and 27 TDs. Now, reports are surfacing that recently signed RB Correll Buckhalter is involved with an alleged drug dealer in Philadelphia who is currently standing trial. Buckhalter just signed a 4 year, $10 million deal and was expected to challenge for the starting job. If there ends up being any substance to the allegations, Buckhalter will most certainly be facing a suspension, in which case, McDaniel would have to consider some other options. Maybe Cutler wants to get out for more reasons than just his head coach.........

Not all the news in the NFL is depressing.

Matt Cassel (Wrong Answer) has got to be happy about everything that is going on with his new team. Things were already looking up in KC, but now with the new signing of veteran receiver Bobby Engram, Cassel becomes an even greater passing threat next season.

Kerry Collins isn't fooling anyone into thinking he would be a No. 1 fantasy quarterback, but the fact that he is going into the upcoming season as the sure-fire starter in Tennessee could significantly elevate the fantasy value of favorite receiver Justin Gage. Gage isn't really a stud, but when Kerry Collins is throwing the ball, Gage's numbers double in nearly every statistical category. At the very least, Gage could be a quality third receiver on anybody's roster.

Lynch to be latest victim of Goodell's mob

Multiple sources predict a near certain suspension for Marshawn Lynch (Wrong Answer) following his guilty plea to a misdemeanor weapon's charge. We know Commissioner Roger Goodell shares a similar view point towards guns as deer in Pennsylvania; anytime one creeps up, he gets skittish. This incident is compounded by Lynch's plea of guilty to traffic violations less than a year ago.

The length of the suspension is the only aspect of this incident being debated. CBSsports.com reports that sources close to the situation claim to be looking towards a one-game suspension, while The Professor, John Clayton, suggests the report could be as long as four weeks. Lynch (and his entourage of lawyers and Buffalo Bills team personnell) met with the commissioner on Tuesday.

Goodell's final decision regarding the length of the suspension given to the first round draft pick will be announced before the beginning of the preseason.

Marshawn Lynch's suspension could have significant impact on Wrong Answer!'s chances to win the championship in LOTC for the second consecutive year. Lynch was Paul Ferguson's leading scorer at the RB position in 2008 with 409 points, and with the addition of the flex position in 2009, his absence during the suspension will be magnified. However, the RB's overall numbers may decline this coming season. In anticipation of Lynch's possible suspension, Buffalo has brought in Kevin Jones and DeShaun Foster for visits and will almost certainly sign one of them. And, it would seem that either RB would not be hired simply for 1-4 games.


Also, some new information has surfaced in the stalking of Broncos QB Jay Cutler: Washington Redskins not interested, NY Jets should go hard after Cutler.

What's gonna happen with Cutler?

Now that Jay Cutler has decided to make absolutely no effort to kiss and make-up with new head coach Josh McDaniel, it's really hard to imagine the Denver Broncos being too stubborn to let him go. I mean, how many times have you seen NFL teams succeed when the head coach and star QB hated each other like this?

The real question for the LOTC is, "How does this affect Tenacious D?"

With a player of Cutler's caliber, practically every team that needs even the slightest bit of help at QB is going to be rumored to have interest. Some of the more prominent teams in the discussion are the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and oddly enough, the Cleveland Browns.

While all four of those teams (49ers less so than the others) have at least one quality receiver on the roster, Detroit's Calvin Johnson (Vince Young) is the only one who could even breathe the same air as Brandon Marshall (Deion Found Jesus) in Denver. So what would moving Cutler do to his current fantasy value? Should Ryan Hennesy be worried?

Also briefly rumored: Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans.

ESPN Video on Cutler.

Keeper Designations

Vince Young

QB - Kurt Warner - ARI
WR - Calvin Johnson - DET
WR - Kevin Curtis - PHI
RB - Adrian Peterson - MIN
TE - Chris Cooley - WAS
K/DEF - Rob Bironas - TEN
MC - Carson Palmer - QB - CIN
MC - Frank Gore - RB - SF
RS - Joe Flacco - QB - BAL

Wrong Answer

QB - Matt Cassel - NE (Traded to KC)
WR - Anquan Boldin - ARI
WR - Desean Jackson - PHI
RB - Reggie Bush - NO
TE - Dallas Clark - IND
K/DEF - Tennessee Titans
MC - Marshawn Lynch - RB - BUF
MC - Darren McFadden - RB - OAK
RS - Andre Caldwell - WR - CIN

Texas Thundermonkeys

QB - Aaron Rogers - GB
WR - Greg Jennings - GB
WR - Terrell Owens - DAL (FA to BUF)
RB - Marion Barber - DAL
TE - Tony Gonzalez - KC
K/DEF - New York Giants
MC - Brandon Jacobs - RB - NYG
MC - Matt Jones - WR - JAX (Released)
RS - Robert Meachem - WR - NO

Hybrids

QB - Donovan McNabb - PHI
WR - Wes Welker - NE
WR - Chad Johnson - CIN
RB - Bryan Westbrook - PHI
TE - Greg Olsen - CHI
K/DEF - Indianapolis Colts
MC - DeAngelo Williams - RB - CAR
MC - Clinton Portis - RB - WAS
RS - Shaun McDonald - WR - DET

Tenacious D

QB - Jay Cutler - DEN
WR - Randy Moss - NE
WR - Roddy White - ATL
RB - Stephen Jackson - STL
TE - Kevin Boss - NYG
K/DEF - Pittsburgh Steelers
MC - Thomas Jones - RB - NYJ
MC - Santana Moss - WR - WAS
RS - Early Doucet - WR - ARI

Beatubad

QB - Peyton Manning - IND
WR - Steve Smith - NYG
WR - Steve Smith - CAR
RB - Laurence Maroney - NE
TE - John Carlson - SEA
K/DEF - Ryan Longwell - MIN
MC - Eddie Royal - WR - DEN
MC - Earnest Graham - RB - TB
RS - Josh Cribbs - WR - CLE

Deion Found Jesus

QB - Tom Brady - NE
WR - Brandon Marshall - DEN
WR - Antonio Bryant - TB
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson - SD
TE - Kellen Winslow - CLE (FA to TB)
K/DEF - Stephen Gostkowski - NE
MC - Brady Quinn - QB - CLE
MC - Reggie Wayne - WR - IND
RS - Chris Perry - WR - CIN

I'm a Texan

QB - Matt Schaub - HOU
WR - Andre Johnson - HOU
WR - Ted Ginn Jr - MIA
RB - Steve Slaton - HOU
TE - Owen Daniels - HOU
K/DEF - Kris Brown - HOU
MC - Ryan Grant - RB - GB
MC - Vince Young - QB - TEN
RS - Kevin Kolb - QB - PHI

I Have a Bush

QB - Drew Brees - NO
WR - Marques Colston - NO
WR - Hines Ward - PIT
RB - Maurice Jones-Drew - JAX
TE - Jeremy Shockey - NO
K/DEF - Baltimore Ravens
MC - Lance Moore - WR - NO
MC - Willie Parker - RB - PIT
RS - Carnell Williams - RB - TB

The Undisputed

QB - Philip Rivers - SD
WR - Larry Fitzgerald - ARI
WR - Donald Driver - GB
RB - Joseph Addai - IND
TE - Jason Witten - DAL
K/DEF - Dallas Cowboys
MC - Greg Camarillo - WR - MIA
MC - Robbie Gould - K - CHI
RS - Chris Johnson - RB - TEN

Djiboutti Crust

QB - Tony Romo - DAL
WR - Roy Williams - DAL
WR - Dwayne Bowe - KC
RB - Jonathan Stewart - CAR
TE - Dustin Keller - NYJ
K/DEF - Minnesota Vikings
MC - Vincent Jackson - WR - SD
MC - Pierre Thomas - RB - NO
RS - Donnie Avery - WR - STL

First or Last

QB - Matt Ryan - ATL
WR - TJ Houshmandzadeh - CIN (FA to SEA)
WR - Plaxico Burress - NYG
RB - Michael Turner - ATL
TE - Antonio Gates - SD
K/DEF - Jason Elam - ATL
MC - Matt Forte - RB - CHI
MC - Bernard Berrian - WR - MIN
RS - James Hardy - WR - BUF

2008 - We Have Our 12

After five years of constantly-changing teams and managers, the League of the Crust became complete. Gavin Espinoza joined, creating First or Last, and committing to the newly-instituted changes. Perhaps symbolic of the monumental achievement, the league settings went through some dramatic transformations as well. The LOTC converted to a dynasty league and also instituted a redshirt designation. Draft day trades became allowable and managers (three or four of them) paid an entry fee to help Jorge upgrade the league to a PLUS.

Final regular season standings:

Team *Wrong Answer				W 10	L 3	T 0		Points 2431.5
*Texas Thundermonkeys				9	4	0		2491.5
*Vince Young				8	5	0		2540
*Hybrids				8	5	0		2445.5
*Tenacious D				7	6	0		2602
*Beatubad				7	6	0		2287.5
Deion Found Jesus				7	6	0		2102
I'm a Texan				6	7	0		2409.5
I Have a Bush				6	7	0		2360
The Undisputed				5	8	0		2224
Djiboutti Crust				3	10	0		2095
First or Last				2	11	0		2210.5

Vince Young became only the second defending champion to make the playoffs the following season, but they quickly dropped out of contention, losing their quarterfinal game to Beatubad. Tim Ferguson moved his Hybrids on to the semifinals for their first ever playoff meeting against his son's team, Wrong Answer. Dominant all season long, Wrong Answer moved on to the final with ease, but Texas Thundermonkeys failed to advance after earning a first-round bye for the second-straight season, losing to sixth seed Beatubad. In a battle of '1 vs 6', Beatubad was no match for the superior roster of Wrong Answer, as Paul Ferguson earned his first league title.

Interesting Facts:

Since the playoff field became six teams in 2005, the sixth seed had never won in the first round. Beatubad did that and more, advancing all the way to the championship before finally losing. If Beatubad had won, Ben Weiss would have become the first manager to win two league titles. Instead, the LOTC yielded its sixth first-time champion.

No team won more than four consecutive games in the entire season. Vince Young won four in a row once and Wrong Answer did it twice. The longest win streak in the previous seasons were 8, 6, 9, 10 and 8.

Additionally (and probably indirectly correlated), First or Last had the longest losing streak of the season, with six. This was the shortest long-streak since the first season in 2003, when The Regulators did the same.

2007 - The Alphabet Creates Riot

Looking to fill the twelfth vacancy left by Jaydan, Jorge reached out to the original league champion, Phil Massine. Phil was adequately involved, though not enough to satisfy Jorge's tastes. Furthermore, he was wildly uncompetitive.

But it was posts written by Dinger that included 'acronyms' like FU, WTF and LMAO that were the non-football highlight of the season, as the Houstonians became defiant and Commissioner Jorge took his role too seriously.

On the fantasy field, Vince Young picked up where he left off last season, determined to not lose another opportunity to play for the title.

Final regular season standings:

Team *Texas Thundermonkeys				W 11	L 2	T 0		Points 3094.5
*Deion Got Saved (Deion Found Jesus)				9	4	0		3060.5
*Vince Young				9	4	0		3055
*Tenacious D				8	5	0		2857.5
*Wrong Answer				8	5	0		2741.5
*Djiboutti Crust				8	5	0		2710
The Hybrids				6	7	0		2700.5
Beatubad				6	7	0		2503
The Undisputed				5	8	0		2835
I Really Have A Bush (I Have a Bush)				3	10	0		2465.5
Brain Trust (Phil Massine - NLIL)				3	10	0		2452
I'm a Texan				2	11	0		2222

Keeping with the times, the top four seeds advanced to the semifinals yet again, as Vince Young and Tenacious D won their quarterfinal games. Playing in the semis, Texas Thundermonkeys and Deion Got Saved weren't able to take advantage of their byes, allowing VY and TEN to meet in the championship. In the 16th week, Vince Young kept his begin-of-season promise to bring the trophy home to his fantasy children.

Interesting Facts:

Things went back to normal in 2007, as I Have a Bush became the third of four defending champions to miss the playoffs only one season after winning their championship.

Texas Thundermonkeys became the first team to have the longest win-streak in the season AND score the most points in the league.

2006 - Houstonians Wreak Havoc

Desperate to get 12 managers that would commit to remaining active for the entire season, Jorge raised his standards for who could be in the league. After welcoming Dinger back into the fray, he needed only three active managers to yield a truly competitive 12-team league. So he invited Joseph Harper, with whom he had watched the entire first day of the NFL draft while attending Houston Baptist University. Surely someone else who was enough of a fan to watch the draft all day would be an active fantasy player. Then Dinger suggested Aaron Diehl, another HBUer who he swore would be committed to the league. Finally, Jorge invited Jaydan Gumm to fill the last spot.

It worked. For the first time in its four years of existence, the LOTC had twelve managers who competed from start to finish. But those Houstonians.........Dinger had been enough by himself. But he was empowered by having two more of his cohorts in the league, and the trash-talking reached levels never-before seen. The competitive element of the league combined with the exponential growth in entertainment value transformed the LOTC into something to truly look forward to being a part of. To make matters worse, the new guys were dominant in their first year as members.

Final regular season standings:

Team *Drew Brees (I Have a Bush)				W 10	L 3	T 0		Points 3104.5
*Vince Young				9	4	0		3148.5
*Deion Got Saved (Deion Found Jesus)				8	5	0		3187
*BeatUBad				7	5	1		2972.5
*Im Just Better (I'm a Texan)				7	6	0		3037
*The Undisputed				7	6	0		2998
The Hybrids				7	6	0		2994
Djiboutti Crust				6	6	1		2884.5
XCon4Christ (Jaydan Gumm - NLIL)				5	7	1		2669.5
Texas Thundermonkeys				5	7	1		2439
Dueling Brothers (Wrong Answer)				3	10	0		2686.5
Tenacious D				2	11	0		2548

The constant bickering and controversial smack-talk would prove to be too much for Jaydan, who asked not to be invited the following season. Drew Brees, who had lost their first three games of the season, took the top seed into the playoffs, therefore earning a bye along with fellow expansion team Vince Young. In the quarters, Deion Got Saved and Beatubad moved on, marking the first time (other than 2003, when only four teams made the playoffs) that the top four seeds where in the semifinals. Drew Brees proved to be too much for Beatubad, but Deion Got Saved managed to upset Vince Young to reach the title game. Despite the support from 75% of the league to pull of the upset win, Deion Got Saved couldn't outscore the overwhelming numbers from Drew Brees, as Joe received the [imaginary] trophy in his first season as a member of the LOTC.

Interesting Facts:

Drew Brees represented a variety of firsts in the league. They were the first team (and now officially, only) to win the title in their first year in the LOTC. The were also the first to make the playoffs (as well as win a championship) after losing their first three regular season games. And finally, they were the first to win 10 consecutive regular season games. This stands as the longest regular-season win streak in history. Drew Brees (now, I Have a Bush) also holds the record for most consecutive games won at 12, which he accomplished in 2006 as well.

The Undisputed became the first defending champion to make the playoffs the following season. Ironically, it was also with the closest margin in history that they made the playoffs, earning entry by scoring merely four points more than Hybrids.