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Feast or Famine: Having Fun with Politics
By John Huss | October 9, 2008
If there is one thing I like almost as much as college football, it would be election year politics. Sure, playing a rival in football can make you a screaming lunatic (ala me at the UCF vs USF game). However, I’ve seen people get pretty charged up when they don’t agree with a statement made by the presidential candidate from the other party. Let’s face it, people can get pretty worked up about issues like the economy, healthcare, national security and personal freedoms. With that as the backdrop, let’s look at the season thus far from a political context.
Nailing Jello to the Wall : In the most recent debate, John McCain stated “You know, nailing down Sen. Obama’s various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall”. I got a laugh out of that statement and then I thought about how to best apply it to college football. Of course that led me to give this title to the Tulsa offense. Playing defense against that juggernaut is just like nailing jello to the wall…can’t be done. Tulsa is averaging 56.4 ppg and is the home of many fantasy studs. The main cog to the machine is QB David Johnson who is leading the charge with 23 TD passes (plus one TD on the ground). With all those TD passes, there are 3 WRs who help fill out this Jello snackpak of fantasy talent.
Lipstick on this Pig : It would be easier to talk about a fantasy pitbull sporting Covergirl Hooker Red lipstick out of tribute to Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech. Of course that would be just too simple so lets focus on Obama’s lipstick on a pig reference. At the halfway point, I’d give the pig title to Tim Tebow. No matter what shade of lipstick, lip gloss or chapstick you use, he’s a QB that many owners took with their first pick, expecting similar stats to his short career average. His combination of passing and rushing stats should have made him a fantasy cornerstone. Instead, his pedestrian numbers are beyond disappointing with stats that will fall well short of being significant. With only 1,025 yards and 8 TDs thru the air combined with 157 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, owners have likely already switched over to turkey bacon in order to bring health back to their lineup.
I can see Russia from my House : Ok, it wasn’t Sarah Palin who said this…it was Tina Fey.
The SNL personality has done a great imitation of the VP candidate and there are many people hoping for more. The catalyst for the joke is that the pundits question if Palin has the experience to lead. In college football, the questionable coach selection goes to Bill Stewart of WVU. The talent was there for this season to be competitive. However, after an embarrassing blowout to East Carolina (who after 2 losses is not the darling many thought they were) and the upset by Colorado, it is clear that things will not get any easier for Bill. In one word…hotseat. Which SNL cast can mock this the best? My bet is on Darrell Hammond doing a swell Bill Stewart. And for all you Joe 6 Packs tailgating at your next event, playing drinking games….Maverick (pop beer and drink).
The Surge has been Successful : McCain has been adamant that the war in Iran has gone from disaster to victorious in a few years time. The college parallel is that not so long ago, the Big 12 was weak for fantasy college football owners. However, the surge in stats reflects why there are 6 teams from this conference ranked in the top 25 polls. It has also built this conference into a fantasy hotbed. 5 of the top 10 QBs based on passing TDs come from this conference. 3 of the top 8 RBs show up from the Big 12. 4 of the top 8 WRs based on TDs also hails from here. The same principles used in the Big 12 can be used in other conferences too…just ask General Petraeus.
This is not a bailout, its a recovery package : Bailout sounds desperate and smacks of socialism. No wonder the Congressmen talking about it switched gears by calling it a Recovery Plan. Our vote for the event that best matches a bailout plan was Nick Saban’s hire to Bama. The Tide faithful were beyond critical of the losing. The college football equivalent of a run on the bank took place as fans became angry and despaired. The Alabama boosters (is there really any difference between some of these boosters and politicians?) put pressure on the school to make it too enticing for Saban to pass. Of course, we are all hoping the economic recovery goes the same way Bama’s has gone. They are currently ranked #2 in the AP poll and could have a shot at the national title.
We don’t need four more years of the same : Obama has banked much of his campaign in aligning McCain with the George Bush administration. He has pointed at the last eight years and states we can’t afford four more of the same. Not since the days of Urban Meyer has Utah really been a viable consideration for great football. However, this season shows signs of a return to the glory years. Go Utes!
Maverick : McCain and Palin’s slogan for shaking things up in the Capitol. This year’s BCS buster team that could mix things up is BYU. They are currently ranked #9, remain undefeated, sport a powerful offense and have a defense that ranks #11 on the Blitz Index. There are a quite a few undefeated teams still left but then again, we are only halfway thru the season.
Greatest crisis since the Great Depression : This is what fantasy owners are going thru if they aren’t in the hunt for a league title. Nobody likes to lose a game in fantasy football…let alone finding yourself at 1-5 or 0-6. If you find yourself in this situation…MAVERICK (pop beer and drink).
BTW, for those of you who enjoy sabermetrics, our good friends at BP (specifically Nate Silver) have a site that applies statistical viewpoints to politics. Take a look .
Topics: College Football, Feast or Famine, John Huss |
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