A Tale of Two Teams

In late August, when it's too hot to go outside and you've drank every drop of anything left in the fridge, there's only one thing left - Fantasy Football! I slave over many FF magazines each year, and I'm sure many of you do too. The draft is the quintessential piece to FF. If you screw it up, you're deader than the Jets in January.

After weeks of melting decisions, each of which can lead to a completely different team, you get your prized possesion that you get for those ever-so-glorious fall and winter months. I was lucky enough to get a team of stars: Terry Allen, Herman Moore, Jake Reed, Terrell Davis, Jerome Bettis, and Scott Mitchell. All those names cluttered my shelves. Soon after the draft, I made a trade for Young, Grbac and Galloway, for virtually nothing. All was in place. I was going to have a monster year. Or so it seemed.....

My team went on to a 5-3 start, and then perished to 6-7 when Young and Mitchell bombed out. "How could this happen? I have 2 top 10 QB's, 3 top 10 RB's, and 3 top 10 WR's. With this talent, I should have 2 teams not just one," I thought. I can't explain it myself. I had made proper decisions. Listened to every advisor. Listened to myself. Listened to the coaches. And some times I even listened to the cat (which may have caused my downfall). The worst of all cliches for FF players is, bad breaks. And that's just what I got.

In late August, when I started "Anyone Who Wants a League" league, other players joined. Including the owner of the Cedar Hill Longhorns. He was also ready to play in the new FFL season. Or so it seemed.... From the time he enlisted in the league, he did not make one switch (my theory, is that he sold it back to ESPNET). That's not important though. What is important, is that he did not change his draft board - instead he let it run its course. He didn't make a roster change - instead he let his players play through byes and injuries. Didn't make a waiver swap or a trade.

Nothing.

This untouched team, of course, was almost untouchable. He had on his starting roster, some good names. Emmitt and Elway both were on his team and so was Pickens. But he was stuck with Harvey Williams and Michael Irvin. How could this be? He played with Irvin every week of the suspension? Yes, he did. This team got good breaks. Heavenly breaks. His team ran its course by itself, with no help from its owner.

It seems as though some mystical force was helping this ragamuffin squad. The Longhorns went on to be 8-5. They squeezed their way into the 4th seed slot. He faced a team rarely beaten. A team with Favre, who alone, carried this team. The Longhorns didn't stand a chance, right? Wrong. They jumped out to 45 point lead and never looked back. They are now in the Super Bowl.

Isn't it ironic? I prepare long and hard, keep track of all the news, burn the midnight oil, and everything else to help my team win. I built a great roster. And yet, I didn't even make the playoffs, while a team who didn't touch its roster may win the championship next week.

Next year, I'm buying two teams. One I'll pay a lot of attention to - and one not at all.

13-year old Derek Slater is the co-owner of the Slater Crushers, who despite scoring more points per game than any other team in their league did not make the playoffs.