Are You Ready For Some (fantasy) Football?

"My two favorite days of the year are Christmas and fantasy football draft day." -- The Daddy, 2006 Commissioner of the "Buncha Crazed Dogs" Fantasy Football League

Last week marked the 10th year that I have taken place in a fantasy football draft. All ten of these years I have been in a league with Brent and The Daddy. For a few years while I was living in Fresno, Brent, The Daddy and I took part in a league with guys who lived in Oakland, Fresno, L.A. and Hawaii. This year, the league is comprised entirely of Bay Area residents: Icy J, GuruWoo, Castro, the Rhoads Bowl (he lives in Santa Cruz, but close enough), D Roth, Brent's brother Todd, and Paul Fig who hosted the draft in his garage. This was probably the first draft that I have been a part of where all the owners were present and nobody had to call in or send their picks in via a chat room.

Ours is a "keeper league" where everyone gets to keep 2 of their players from the previous year and then the rest go back into the pot, along with any rookies like Reggie Bush. The aforementioned Bush went #1 overall to Rhoads, who is banking on him becoming a superstar. I protected Larry Johnson and Cadillac Williams and got Anquan Boldin with the 4th pick overall. Overall, I was happy with the team I ended up with, but feel that Castro with his core of Ronnie Brown, Clinton Portis, Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt and Antonio Gates has the strongest team.

Why do I "waste my time" on fantasy football you may ask? Well, first and foremost I do it for the camraderie. Nothing beats snickering at your friend after he has unknowingly drafted a player who is already injured and out for the season.

Here is a list of my Top 5 favorite moments from previous drafts:

5. 2006 -- P Fig leans back a little *too far* on his chair and goes down to the delight and guffaws of all the other owners

4. 1998 -- When Maddy inherited Hulk's team, it was so bad he had to protect the fantasy monster Vincent "Ultimate" Brisby and world-reknowned A Pupunu

3. 1997 -- GuruWoo offers Maddy this post-draft doozy of a trade: "I'll give you some J Pathon for Randy Moss!"

2. 2002 -- Brent, ever the gangsta, writes "C Peezy" on the board meaning "Clinton Portis". Two rounds later, my friend KC who is from Fresno and entirely unaware of Oaktown slang, tries to draft Portis thinking "C Peezy" was the name of a real guy in the NFL.

1. 1998 -- "I'll take Eddie George". Dan Fig thinks he is getting a steal when one of the best RB's in football at the time slips to the 15th round. Oh, what's that? Paul got him in the first round? My bad.