My 2023 Fantasy Football Draft

Beginning in June, I started reading the Fantasy Football magazines to research the various players.  Then I enjoy doing mock drafts for different picks.  I get excited for draft day and then usually get disappointed because guys I want get picked before my turn comes around.  This year I had the first pick.  That sounds like a good thing; however, that means I have to wait really long, like 19 turns, before another pick comes back to me in our snake league.  Yes, I do get two picks in a row though, but that means I have to pick guys earlier than I planned if I want to make sure I get them.  

I just had a general draft strategy this year:  (1) make sure I got at least two elite players, including a quarterback; (2) If Kelce was gone by the second round, which he was, then wait till near the end to pick a tight end; (3) wait for the end to pick a kicker and defense; (4) pick at least one or two sleepers or young guys with upside; (5) avoid picking guys from the Browns division (except for Browns)--I don't want to cheer for guys that are playing against the Browns.  

So, draft time comes and I get my "A" mock draft lineup for pick 1 ready to follow:

Round 1, I take Justin Jefferson (the overall best player according to most experts)

Rounds 2 & 3 (two picks back to back), I had Josh Jacobs, but had second thoughts because of him being disgruntled so took Tony Pollard instead.  (already deviating from my A line up).  Round 3, since Mahomes and Josh Allen were already gone, I took Jalen Hurts for my elite QB.

Round 4 & 5, Keenan Allen was gone by the time it got back to me in Round 4, so I went with Cal Ridley here.  Round 5, Yea!  Got Amari Cooper, and I'm back on track!

Round 6 & 7, Yea again!  Got Cam Akers as planned.  Round 7, here's where it really goes off the rails.  Wanted James Connor, but he was gone so took a chance on Breece Hall who should be good a bit later in the season according to the fantasy shows.  He was already practicing and doctors say he should be fine.

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Getting Ready for Fantasy Football

Bear wanting some attention while I try to read.

I started reading my Fantasy Football magazines this morning and taking notes on what players I want to draft by position in order.  I try to stay away from picking players from teams in the Browns division because it's hard for me to root for them, but I will make an exception for JaMar Chase.  If I have an opportunity to take him, I will if there's no other player available I want that is as good (in my mind).  Last year I had Mark Andrews on Baltimore, but he turned out to be kind of a bust for me.  I wanted Travis Kelce, but he got picked by someone else earlier than I thought he would!  This happened several times when my next pick got picked before my turn came around.  

I am determined to get at least two elite players this year.  The QB's always get picked really early in the league I'm in so last year I wound up with Russell Wilson who turned out to be a big bust.  He wasn't terrible, but there were quite a few better than him.  I dumped him pretty early for Gino Smith.  I must remember to pick my QB earlier this year!

There are so many really good players, it's hard to decide who my first pick will be!

My First Fantasy Football Draft - Disappointing

Let's Go, Parma Pandas!

I was so pumped and excited about draft day!  I had made up my strategy for auto picks based on my 9th round pick in a 14-team league and had set my grade A strategy.  Then, an hour before the draft started, I found out I had pick 11, not 9.  They were set randomly, not by team no. so that really threw me for a loop.  I did not have time to figure out a new grade A strategy, so decided to just wing it and pick as I went trying to get the top players available in the rounds.

Unfortunately, I was also switching browsers back and forth for my husband to pick his team as well and he had the 9th pick, which made it difficult since there was only 1 pick between us!  At one point, I think I must have got confused and was on the wrong browser because the options all showed as "queue" instead of "draft" but I didn't realize it.  I got bit flustered to say the least.  It was stressful, especially when my husband was putting in specific names and they'd already been drafted.

At one point, my husband was trying for Greg Little but it didn't say "drafted" but nor did it say "draft."  I think it said queue and then I was able to get that guy.  I don't know, maybe I was in the wrong browser then too?

Anyhow, at the end I was extremely disappointed because I had several injured RB and a bunch of dud players.  My best ranked RB, M. Gordon, is questionable and probably going to miss the first 4-6 weeks!  The good news is, the next morning I went on and made some did drop/adds and was able to make a good trade with my husband that made us both happy.  I think I'll be able to salvage it.  I think it will be fun even though I still have some question as to how the defense is going to work.


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I'm Actually Doing Something I Always Thought Would Be Fun!

What, you ask?  Fantasy Football!  Yes, that's right.  I think it would be fun to manage a team and I like football.  The only reason I haven't played before was because I thought it cost money, but I got an open invite to join a league that is free!  Our Pastor is the administrator and other players are mostly, if not all, from my church.  I do find it odd though that I am the only woman.  We have 12 teams and I am excited to participate in this new experience. 

When I told my husband about it and asked if he would help me choose my players on draft day, he said he would like to play too and have his own team!  So, I signed him up as well and he has helped me by pointing me to some sites that rank the players according to how valuable they are to a Fantasy team (since scoring is based on individual accomplishments).  He also bought a magazine that gives lots of advice and information about the players and even some example draft teams by "experts."  He is nice and is sharing it with me! 

I have much to learn before draft day.  We are doing our draft online which gives me some anxiety, but I'm sure I will catch on once it starts.  It just seems it would be more fun and easier to do it all together somewhere face-to-face. 

My team is called Parma Pandas and my husband's is the Boston Barkers.  I'm sure by having a fantasy team it will widen my interest to include players and teams besides the Browns.  I will still root for the Browns every game even if some of my fantasy players are playing against them. 

I'm excited about this!  Let me know if you have any good advice for a beginner like me.  I'd like to hear the name of your team if you are playing Fantasy Football this year.

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Tired of Browns Bashing On Radio Every Week--Here's Some Positives!

Every Monday morning and even sometimes later in the week, The Ken Carmen Show with Anthony Lima sports talk show 92.3 The Fan hosts always pick on the Browns. I know they are have a very terrible season going 0-10; however, it’s like this radio show is beating a dead horse! No matter what, I think it is time to find some good in their games and start encouraging them a little bit. The least the hosts could do is acknowledge the good things such as:

• They do not get blown away and have actually been competitive with a chance to win into the fourth quarter in at least four games. Seven of the games were lost by two TDs or less.

• Last week against the Jaguars (a first-place team in their division by the way), the Browns defense played extremely well!

• Usually the Browns hurt themselves with tons of penalties but Sunday, they finished the game with zero penalties for the first time in 55 years against the Jaguars!

• The last TD was a fluke coming off a fumble by Kizer. Unfortunately, Kizer still had two interceptions (at least not in the Red Zone this time) and two costly fumbles. I feel bad for him. I think he tries very hard and has a fairly strong arm and quick legs with some good running moves. He is courageous and still learning. I wish the talk shows would give him some credit!

• It also was nice to see our receivers holding on to the ball for the most part.

• More good news was that our kicker made the extra point! This can never be taken for granted.

The Browns get to play the Bengals and Charges who are both 4-6 (not so great a record) but I really look forward to seeing them play the Bears who are 3-7 and seem to have similar problems as the Browns when it comes to winning.

The way I look at it, if Kizer can stay healthy and finish the season out as the Browns No. 1 quarterback, it will have been a successful season. He is very young and a hard worker. He will only improve if he gets to play.

I’d love to hear what other Browns fans think. I know it is hard to watch them because it seems every week they come up with new ways to lose, but I still have hope for the future with Kizer. I wonder what would happen if Hugh Jackson actually got an offensive coordinator instead of insisting on calling all the plays himself.

I just finished reading Relentless (Julian Edelman's memoir) and couldn't help but notice the big difference between the Browns and the Patriots organizations when it comes to coaching, attitude, work ethic and expectations.  I highly recommend this book to the Browns coaches and players!

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Super Sunday!I

Church was very good Sunday, a good sermon, good Sunday School class with a boy who was new to me joining our class, and an enjoyable Bible study.

In the afternoon, of course I watched the Browns-Steelers game that was so fun!  The Browns were rolling after the first quarter and it was fun seeing all the fans yelling their heads off.  It was LOUD!
I am happy and excited the Browns played so well and look forward to lots more wins yet this year.  I actually stayed calm through the whole game and wasn't worried they would blow it in the end.  The only bad thing was that we had some bad injuries--our center broke his leg so will be out for the rest of the season. 

Gerard was happy too because the Patriots won which I think puts them first in their division.

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Browns Get Comeback Win But at what Cost?

Yesterday the Browns set a record for the greatest comeback ever in Browns History and for the greatest road comeback in the NFL!

I watched the Browns vs. Titans game yesterday but it was a game filled with penalties, to the point where both teams were getting penalties on the same play so they offset, rendering neither team penalized.  The biggest brouhaha came after Jake Locker (the Titans QB) ran the ball into the end zone scoring a touchdown.  Our player, Kirksey, hit him in the head with his forearm, making him woozy!  Fortunately, he came back in the game after being checked for a concussion. This was unsportsmanlike, and completely unnecessary roughness.   To top it off, the Browns didn't even lose any yards because the Titans started fighting sticking up for their QB and penalties offset.  Fighting continued after the extra point and on the next kickoff. 

Later, in the 2nd quarter, Jake was hit on a blitz and taken out of the game.  The Browns were behind 28-3 but came back to win 29-28.  The Titans didn't score anything the whole second half.  I just wonder if they would have won had Jake Locker remained in the game.  Players get hurt enough in football just because of the natural roughness of the game.  There has to be respect for the opposing team and I hope the Browns do not become a team known for bullying.  To me, this win is bittersweet. 

I liked Hoyer's concern for the fans when he said:
“Hopefully none of the [the fans] are in the ER right now,” Hoyer quipped.

His coach might be headed there, though.

“I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow,” Mike Pettine said, “because my heart can’t take many more of these.” 

I know Browns fans would be in an uproar if things were reversed, and this had happened to our QB, Brian Hoyer, instead.  Yet in the coverage, it seems this episode is being completely overlooked.  From the players celebrating in the locker room, to the post-game interviews with the head coach, to the Twitter comments from Browns fans, no one even mentions this.  I seriously hope this kind of behavior does not fall into an acceptable "just part of the game" category.  Intentionally hurting other players should NOT be "part of the game."   

Related Articles:  Jake Locker Receives Dirty Hit After Scoring Against Browns
Brian Hoyer's Poise, Talent Author Browns' Greatest Comeback 
Browns Pull Off Historic Comeback Against Titans

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What! Can't See The Browns Game? (UPDATED)

I never heard of Raycom Media until this week when they pulled Channel 19 from DirecTV so I can't watch the Browns/Steelers game tomorrow at home.  Now they also pulled it from Dish and Cox!  This is really mean and greedy of Raycom Media, owner of Channel 19.  Boo on Raycom Media!

I am upset about this but I guess I won't be watching many Browns games this season unless DirecTV can come to some sort of agreement.  Maybe one of my friends will be able to get the game, and invite me over to watch with them.  I can only hope!  Hint!  Hint!

As of Sept. 1 when this article was posted, Raycom is supposedly trying to reach an agreement with DirecTV but it doesn't look good:  Raycom Media Continues Negotiating With DirecTV.


UPDATE:  They reached an agreement the day of the game!  I was able to watch the Browns come from 27-3 at half time to tie the game and lose it in the last 10 seconds with a field goal by the Steelers.  Too bad they didn't start playing until the second half. 

There were some bright spots though:

1)  They actually had a running game going even with the first string running back hurt and out of the game early.

2)  QB Hoyer played very well the second half (except for that last series when they went 3 and out.)

3)  They did much better than I expected.  I thought they would get blown away.



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This Gives Me Hope

When my husband shared this video with me of the backup quarterback of the Browns, I must say I am encouraged. Even if you aren't a football fan, I think you can appreciate his phenominal ability to throw a football accurately.  This is truly entertaining and I hope you take the time to watch, especially if you are a Browns fan. 

The Browns (my team) play the Patriots (my hubby's team and one of the best) this Sunday.  The Patriots are favored to win by 11 points, but we beat them before when no one thought they could so we'll see what happens.  That's what makes football so exciting to watch, things change quickly.  I hope Alex Tanney gets to play because I really think he would be fun to watch. 

At least Browns fans get a variety with different quarterbacks in there.  I hope they are able to pull a rabbit out of the hat with this guy. 

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Great Sports Weekend For Us--Even the Browns Won!

What a fun game to watch yesterday!  It seems the Browns not only executed a fake punt, a fake field goal attempt, but also a fake 3rd string Quarterback in Hoyer!  Why have they been hiding this guy?  It was a wild game but I was happy to see they improved in several areas I had pointed out last week in my post, "Browns Need Encouragement, Not Criticism--Go Browns!"   They cut way down on the penalties and for the most part, went in the right direction.  Hoyer's throws were right on the money during the first half, but the second half threw a couple interceptions and was sacked twice I think.  (This is normal for the Browns to have a good first half and not-so-good a second half.)

They also got a huge break on the muffed kickoff return.  What a crazy rule this is.  The Benjamin Travis touched the football but didn't actually catch it and the Vikings picked it up and ran it in for a TD . . . only it didn't count because it wasn't actually a fumble since the Browns guy didn't actually catch it in the first place.  But wait, it gets better!  Then the Vikings coach challenged it and got a 15 yard penalty for poor sportsmanship because a muffed ball play is not challengable.  The announcers said they should have just lost a challenge instead of getting a penalty for it, but that was really something.  Finally the Browns got a break--usually these things go against us! 

It was an exciting game though because although the Browns led again at halftime, the Vikings came out the second half scoring and making a comeback.  In the end, our defense was able to stop them before they had time to score again.  A field goal wasn't enough, they needed a TD and I was holding my breath when they were throwing that ball down field.

My cat, Manny Boy and dog, Abby watched the game with me.  Abby barked her head off at the end when we won, joining in with my celebrating!

It was a wonderful sports Sunday with all our teams winning:  Indians, Red Sox, Brown and Patriots!  The Buckeyes also won big on Saturday!

Don't you just love the excitement of football?  It's definitely my favorite thing about fall!

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Browns Need Encouragement, Not Criticism--GO BROWNS!

Watching the Browns-Ravens game was painful and although the one word that came to mind as a Browns fan to describe that game was "pathetic" I will try to refrain from picking them apart.  God wants us to show love to one another and build each other up, not tear them down so . . . I am going to give that a shot in this post concerning the Browns.

There were some bright spots such as:

• Our kicker did his job--he really was great!  The Ravens would have had even more points if their kicker did as well as ours did.

• Greg Little had a good start, holding on to his first to passes.  It's a beginning.  Now try to get three completed in a row next game!

• You can hang with the best of them--after all, you even had the lead at halftime and the final score wasn't too bad!  When you lose a game that close, there is hope.  Had a few things gone our way (like making that first down which doesn't get any closer than that), who knows?  We could be 2-0 right now.  Play as if we are 2-0, not 0-2 because that is what we should be.  We need to stay positive and don't give up!!!!

• Brandon Weeden made some major improvements from game 1 to game 2--had three interceptions against the Dolphins, none against the Ravens! Now, if you could only run a bit more instead of getting sacked so much.

• Kudos to the defense!  Holding the Ravens to just 14 points was amazing!  We should have won with that.

Here are a few suggestions I have to help the Browns improve:

Get a good mascot!  The Ravens actually have a live raven!  How hard would it be to get a BIG live dog for the Browns?  It could run around the field at halftime and maybe during the pregame time.  Teach it to bark at the opposing team!  It could be a lot of fun and really be a great help to the team in the clubhouse. 

Avoid the penalties.  If you are a football player, then you need to learn the rules of football and don't make the same mistakes again, and again.  I congratulate Cousins on his play Sunday who showed great improvement over the week before against the Dolphins when he cost the team many yards because of holding not once, not twice, but three times!  You did much better against the Ravens, good job!

However, the penalty that hurt us last week was for "delaying the game" which happened three times!  These kinds of things really make you look bad.  Here's a thought, why not plan ahead what play to do in different situations so everyone knows ahead what to expect and perhaps could get lined up and ready to go within the time limit?  This is such an easy area to improve on--try really hard this week not to repeat the same penalties over and over!

Remember Which Way To Go!  Seriously, when they got to the Red Zone, only a few yards from the goal line, they actually lost yards on the next three plays!  This is not how you win.  We must forge AHEAD, preferably around the pack of opposing players right in front of the ball carrier and not through them.  That play seldom works for us.  Just sayin'.

No Fighting!  Fighting really makes you look bad and does not contribute to helping the team win the game which is the goal.  Play nice but be tough, show some class.
  

Don't Broadcast Your Plans. Can't anyone else run with the ball besides Trent Richardson? It's so obvious what the Browns will do next. All the other team has to do is look for Trent Richardson, if he's on the field, it will be a running play. If he's not, it will be a passing play. Try to be more devious.  Now that Trent has been traded to the Colts, guess this problem is solved.  We should really have two running backs in at the same time so there's some mystery as to who will be the ball carrier.

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Football Weekend At Our House

Ohio State Buckeyes

We love the Buckeyes!

We are Ohio State Fans at our house and enjoying watching them win, win, win every week! They have been in some very close games as well as some blowouts, but last week was miraculous!

Gerard DVRd the game to be sure we could see it.  We had a busy day, first visiting the nursing home with Abby, and then Gerard took her to the groomer.  I was watching at home and giving him the play-by-play report over the phone.

The Buckeyes were down by 8 points in the last few minutes of the game and their first string QB was out injured. Their backup QB did a tremendous magic trick, by getting them down the field and into the end zone, but then they needed a 2-point conversion just to tie the game--they got it! The fans went wild and with just 3 seconds left, the game went into overtime. The Buckeyes got the ball first, went down and scored a TD right away! Then their defense came through, keeping Purdue from scoring. What a game!  Go Bucks!  Thanks for the great entertainment!

Where's the dogs?

Cleveland Browns

I enjoyed watching the Browns game but once again was disappointed.  They lost 17-13 to the Colts.  Yes, they missed an extra point which was very sloppy, the snap was good but the holder let the ball fall.

IF they made that, they could have tied the game with a field goal.

IF the player who got called for holding twice on a good kickoff return by Josh Cribbs didn't do that, the Browns would have had two good field positions.

IF the Browns rookie didn't go false start when the Colts were ready to punt, that may have saved a score--I really don't remember if the Colts scored on that or not, but they got a first down out of it.

If the sun didn't get in the eyes of the Browns receiver who almost caught a TD pass, the Browns would have been ahead 19-17.

I have to give the Colts credit though for managing the time at the end very well.  By the time the Browns got the ball, there was only 1 second left on the clock.  They had a fun last play though, tossing the ball laterally and back several times until Weeden finally missed it, but the time had run out.

Once again, it was a game the Browns could have, should have won but did not.  After last week's win over Cincinnati, I let my hope rise up again, only to be crushed.  It's tough being a Cleveland fan.  I'm still hoping we can win some more this season.

I asked Gerard what the term "play action" meant.  To me it seems like every play is play action, right?  Wrong.  He said it is when the QB fakes a hand-off to the running back but throws it instead.  OK.  It still seems like a dumb term to me.

Pats make it exciting!

New England Patriots

Once again, the Patriots game against the Jets was another nail biter for Gerard. Overheard shouting from the basement as Gerard watched:

"Catch the ball!"
"Feel free to tackle someone!"
"UNBELIEVABLE!"
"HOLD 'EM ALREADY!  Every stupid time they give it to them.  IDIOTS!"
Two minute warning, game tie, Patriots get the ball and fumble.
"How stupid.  They're going to blow another one!"
Jets are held to a field goal and the Patriots answer back with one of their own sending the game into overtime.
Patriots get a field goal so go up by 3.
"COME ON DEFENSE, HOLD THEM NOW!"
That's a fumble!  Call it right!  
YES! WOW!
Patriots win 29-26!

As for our little football pool between my hubby and me, hubby picked 4 out of 5 games right, I had only 1 right--Gerard wins again so gets to choose where we go for breakfast this Saturday!


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Early Dementia For Retired NFL Players (Guest Post by Hubby)

I just read a very good article in the September 10, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated: “The Other Half of the Story” by Melissa Segura. The article states that according to a 2009 University of Michigan study, retired professional football players may be five times more likely than other men their age to suffer from Dementia. Three wives of former NFL players who watched the men they loved slip away from them due to early on-set Dementia share their stories in the article. The players used to be very good, but the pounding they took affected them—one even killed himself!

I thought this article was very sad for the players and the wives and made me think. From now on, when I want to yell and get mad at the stupid plays and mistakes players make (and I do this very often, ask my wife), I will stop and think about how these men are paying a high price for my entertainment. Do you still really care about these guys after they stop playing for your team? I do, but I should care more!

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Football is Back--My Thoughts on the Browns

Friday night I watched the first half of the Browns-Lions preseason game and was disappointed as the Browns had lots of penalties, and four injuries including one of our key receivers in just the first half.  They ended up with a total of six! They trailed at halftime and I had no hopes of them winning after what I'd seen. Then, today I look up the score and see they actually came from behind to win 19-17!

Once again our QB situation is up in the air. This year our rookie Quarterback is Weeden. He played the first quarter Friday night and ended it with an interception. I was not impressed with him, but like Colt McCoy. I really think Colt McCoy could become an excellent quarterback in the NFL and hopefully the Browns will stick with him. I suggest before the season starts that they focus on conditioning and learning the rules. The penalties really kill us!

I think people should be thankful for the replacement referees too and give them a break. I'm sure they will do their best and call things accurately--it beats no football, doesn't it?

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New Orleans Saints Screw Up Big Time!

When I first heard about the New Orleans Saints football team paid players $1,500 for knocking a player out of a game, and $1,000 for a "cart-off,'' or a player helped off the field I was shocked, angry and upset to say the least.  For playoff games, the incentive increased.

A team source familiar with the investigation told SI.com that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any defensive player that knocked Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.  (Source:  ESPN-NFL at New Orleans Saints Defense Had "Bounty" Fund

I think this is just terrible and it's apparently been going on for the last three seasons!  The Saints defense called it a "pay for performance" program but was actually a "bounty" pool that players contributed to. 

This is real life folks. not a book or movie.  Football is NOT war--it's a game!  It's bad enough when players get badly injured accidentally and that's the risk they are willing to take when the play; however, to have players intentionally inflict game-ending injuries is animalistic.  To play with a total disregard for the rules is inexcusable!  Where is the personal integrity?  Where is the human decency?  Where is the sportsmanship?  Where is respect in this?  Does greed and the love of money really become the motivation above all else? 

I think the coaches who implemented this practice and condoned it should lose their jobs and be kicked out of the league as well as the players who contributed to the "bounty" fund.  Furthermore, the players who intentionally hurt their opponents should pay all medical bills incurred.  Fortunately, the NFL commissioner is trying to clean up football by banning their coach Sean Petyon and their defensive coordinator is suspended indefinitely.  It is thought that some of the players will be suspended too to send the message that this practice is not going to be tolerated.    

I understand football is a contact sport and those who play expect to get hurt, but it should be within the confines and rules of the game.  To intentionally play to injure someone is just not right.  Those players who do that should switch to boxing or full metal jousting instead!  I think the Saints and the players who did this deserve everything they have coming to them. 

What are your thoughts on this?  Do you think the players are getting a bad rap and being made to look like thugs as the cornerback said?  I think they made themselves to look that way!

Read more: The Fallout of Saints Suspensions and New Orleans Saints Defense Had "Bounty" Fund

(50 cents per legitimate comment during March goes to The American Cancer Society by sponsoring Mrs 4444 and Lucky Lady in The Race For Life.)

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Betty White on the Super Bowl and Our Thoughts Too

One of my friends on Facebook posted this video which I love! I really like Betty White and her humor, don't you? We watched the Super Bowl and were disappointed that the Patriots lost, but they had a good season and did win two playoff games. I felt if they hadn't dropped those two passes in the last four minutes of the game that they could have come back to win. I thought the funniest thing was when the Giants scored that last touchdown and were NOT happy about it. They were trying to take time off the clock so the Patriots wouldn't have enough time to score. All the Giants needed was a field goal to take the lead right at the end to win. The Patriots let them score the touchdown so they'd get the ball and have time to score again. The Giants player was right at the goal line and tried to stop from going over, but fell into the end zone on his butt. I thought it was quite funny! It's the first I ever saw a team be sad about scoring a touchdown!

Gerard watched in the basement so if he lost his temper, he wouldn't bother me. The pets and I all watched upstairs and for the first time ever, Spunky Doodle came up on the couch and laid on me along with Manny. I think they were both very happy cats because I shared some little pieces of my salmon with them. Whenever I have that, they always come around me and beg. I'm going to have to ask Gerard to video my salmon supper one of these days--it's really funny how hard it is for me to eat it with the two cats there trying to get at it. (Sorry, I digress, a sample of how women "spider web.")

(50 cents per legitimate comment goes to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for February in honor of cat appreciation month!)

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WOW! Most Amazing TD I Ever Saw!

Jerome Simpson is was amazing in the game on Christmas Eve day as proved in this demonstration of his athleticism. I was watching the boring Browns game but they interrupted it to show us this play and my jaw just dropped, WOW! I could watch this over and over again. It's that fantastic!

First of all, the guy is running and jumps over the defender who is standing right in front of him! How can he even jump that high? Not only does he do that, but he keeps holding onto the football with just one hand all the way over and into the end zone. Plus, for style points, he adds a flip and lands on his feet! I couldn't believe it when I saw this! Gerard missed it because at the time he was out walking our dog, but when I saw it on Yahoo news, I called him to show him. His reaction was WOW too!

To top it off, when he was interviewed, he was actually humble about it and when the announcers were all giving him 10s and one even 11 for his gymnastic stunt, he gave himself a 9 because he did touch down with his hand on his landing. I never knew who Jerome Simpson was before I saw this play, but now I don't think I'll ever forget him. It was just amazing, you have to see this!   Even if you aren't into sports, you have to appreciate the beautiful display of athleticism on this one.


One reason I like watching football is the athleticism and knowing that at any time, someone could make a huge play so there's always hope--yes, even for Browns fans like me.  In my book, Jerome Simpson holds the record for the most amazing running touchdown ever!  This will be hard to beat! 

The Browns did have a big play too though but paled in comparison to this one.  Josh Cribbs had a long punt return that started on the right side of the field and crossed over all the way to the left side as he ran one in for a touchdown.  It kept the Browns in the game and provided some spark for us Browns fans.


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So That’s Why They Changed The Time

Thanks to the Browns-Ravens game being switched to 4:00 p.m. today, I will have to DVR it and watch it later because I have puppet practice from 4-6 p.m. 

The Patriots-Colts are playing at 1:00 instead of the 4:00 time previously announced.  Supposedly, the 4:00 time is the prime time for the better teams, but I like the 1:00 time better.  Anyhow, it seems that the powers to be try to put the more interesting games on at 4:00 and as the season progresses, they get a better take on what games will be most interesting so they have a flexible schedule. 

They must think the Browns-Ravens game will be closer than the Patriots-Colts game so I should be happy my team is finally getting some respect, I guess.  I’ll be anxious to see if we get better announcers this week as well.  I’ve been told that the best teams get the best announcers and the bad teams get the bad announcers.  In reality, the Colts have been terrible this year and will most likely get blown away by the Patriots. 

What time do you prefer?  What do you think about this flexible scheduling?

Other sort of related post you might like: Puppets Come to Life with Helping Hands

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Another Disappointment For Browns Fans

Abby asks:  Why do you watch football when it makes you so upset?

I thought for sure the Browns would win over St. Louis two weeks ago, but they lost.  Here is what I yelled:   “HOLD EM!  DON’T LET THEM SCORE!  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT—THEY ARE SO BAD!  HOW PATHETIC!  UNBELIEVABLE! (Which I said when the snap rolled along the ground and we missed a field goal)  PUT IT IN THE END ZONE!  THROW THE BALL!  NOOOOOO!  STOP THEM!  GO FOR A TOUCHDOWN!  GOOOOO!”   It was like they didn't even want a Touchdown.  They kept going for field goals and had lots of penalties.

Then, last week they actually won to my surprise.  They played pretty decent against Jacksonville but just barely hung on at the end, but they did.  I was in shock!

The first time they played Cincinnati this year, they lost because they weren't even ready for the play.  They looked really foolish but today they actually played well.  They even scored a touchdown in the first quarter on a 24-yd. pass which was a first for this season!  We got an interception and actually scored a touchdown on it.  Too bad we gave one up and the Bengals did the same thing, but the Browns were actually leading the whole game until the Bengals tied it up in the 4th quarter with a field goal.  Once again, we were battling for the win in the last few minutes of the game and had a chance to pull ahead with a field goal.  Again, it was like the St. Louis game with the snap rolling along the ground!  The field goal attempt was close but no good.  The Browns kept the Bengals from scoring a touchdown but gave up the field goal and lost 23-20.

It was a heartbreaking loss just when we had a chance to start climbing back up. I took Abby for a short walk and came across some peperoni on a tree lawn which she was determined to get.  The only way I got her moving was to pick it up and lead her along with it.  I forgot to bring her treats along.  By the time we got home, I was calmed down.  I wasn't too upset because the Browns did play well today.  They didn't have many penalties at all and did score 20 points which was fun to see.  I'm sure it's even more frustrating for the players to lose games like this that they played so hard to win.

Related post:  We're Thankful The Browns Won A Game

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6 Things We Learned This Week 36 of 2011 (Twitter, animals, words, jobs)

Twitter and Football

Gerard likes Twitter now because I showed him how to get the up-to-the-minute updates on his high school football team' games. I found Benefootball on there for him.  They got a new coach this year and have a quarterback with a good arm.  It's going to be a fun season!  They are off to a good start!

September is Happy Cat Month

This video gives ways to keep your cats happy and also gives a great reason for owning a cat. I liked seeing all the different cats as the lady was talking. Hope you will take the time to watch it.

Looks like Manny might be a Pixie Bob cat! I always thought he was a Tabby but I guess "Tabby" is not a breed, but refers to the pattern. I know he is a happy cat because he blinks at me a lot!

I learned that my cat, Spunky Doodle, can chew through the plastic Science Diet food bag so now have to keep it in a closet instead of just out on the shelf. More about this coming soon!

G-O-L-F

(UPDATED 9/9/11 at 8 p.m.) I just learned last night from a lady at church during our Women Of Wonder (WOW) meeting that the name of the sport of golf is an acronym for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden." Did you know that? According to Scottish Golf History, this is a common misconception and not true. Thanks, Rebecca, for giving me this link in your comment! I do think the acronym is funny though.

 Roosters

Do not wake a sleeping rooster! One of my co-workers was moving her rooster to the indoor pen to protect it from the predators but didn't realize it was sleeping, I guess. It dug in its claws and scratched her up. The wound got infected and she had to go to the hospital. The first thing she says when telling people about this is that "It wasn't the rooster's fault." It thought she was a predator and was just trying to defend itself.

Job?

Congratulations to Jim Tressell (Former Ohio State football coach) on his new job with the Indianapolis Colts as "game day consultant." That certainly sounds like an easy job to me. I wonder what exactly he does. He won't actually start work until after the first six games because he's suspended. What a crazy situation! I think Gerard would be a good game day consultant. How does one get a job like this?

Bible Studies

I am beginning two classes at Parma Heights Baptist Church that I think will be very helpful and interesting and am very glad I signed up for them. They are "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands--How To Help Others Change" by Paul David Tripp on Sunday mornings with a small group of women and on Wednesday nights, "The Tangible Kingdom--an 8-week guide to Incarnational Community" taught by our minister of outreach. The goal of the second class is to become an apprentice of Christ and represent Him in our community.

Stop by Half-Past Kissin' Time for more Friday Fragments and link up yours!
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