Spencer Watson

Spencer Watson

Football fortunes

Posted September 17, 2007

So, my first blog entry and I'm already behind. I guess that's typical, however disappointing it may be. To you, my dear reader, I apologize, though I suppose without prior entry, no one's been on the edge of their seat or anything. And that's probably for the best.

At any rate, despite running a couple weeks behind, I thought some folks might be wondering how I've been faring in my first outing at fantasy football, which I wrote about in our fall sports issue (Aug. 22). Then counting down the seconds to the draft, I was terrified.

Well, we're already two weeks into the season, and I can't say I've shaken the jitters entirely, but I can't complain with my results, either. Though I confess things looked dire on Day 1.

Rewind to the last week in August. Our draft was Friday night. I spent most of the week fine tuning my plan -- and most of Thursday night changing it again.

And then in the first round, after picks one and two went LT and Steven Jackson as expected, the blitz came. The guy with the 10th pick traded up, and we all presumed it was to take then-recently signed fantasy powerhouse Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead he took Colts sophomore RB Joseph Addai. With 49er Frank Gore and Seattle Seahawk Shaun Alexander going four and five, there I was with LJ in my lap at six. But my plan was to take the electrifying Reggie Bush! And I knew he wouldn't fall to my round 2 pick at 15. I caved, went with LJ, and had to change my whole plan on the fly.

In the end, I think I did okay -- was even told I drafted very well for a rookie. I've got Marc Bulger at QB, and the Bears' Cedric Benson and Houston Texan Ahman Green backing up LJ. My starting WRs are cheat sheet topper Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward. Alge Crumpler rounds out the team at tight end. My defense and kicker I swapped before the season even started and ended up with Oakland and Arizona Cardinal Neil Rackers, respectively.

Maybe it's not a championship team, but it's not a terrible one either.

Ironically, the guy with the eighth draft pick ended up taking Bush -- and a lot of other players I had my eye on. I took comfort in the fact that, as the reigning champ, he obviously knew what he was doing, and that boded well for me, even though I ended up with entirely different folks.

Then came game day, and the irony grew. I watched the Saints opener against Indy in week one with the aforementioned champ and saw how poorly Bush performed for him. It didn't help that he was up against both Addai and Reggie Wayne. It was ugly.

Meanwhile, thanks to benching Benson in favor of Raider LaMont Jordan, I won in week 1 -- despite facing the team with LT and being a 10 point underdog.

Then in week 2 it was my turn to face the team I envied, the one I've been talking about with Bush. Again he put up weak numbers, and again thanks to a smart coaching move -- this time benching Bulger for backup QB Brett Favre, who lit up a banged up Giants D on Sunday -- I'm in good shape to win, 70 points up with only his WR2 to beat Monday night. Hopefully the Eagles' Kevin Curtis has an off night -- or at least not a career one.

Maybe I'm getting the hang of this football thing after all. Then again, there's still a long way to go.