I mentioned in a previous blog that no owner in our league has ever won with Peyton Manning, since Manning burst on to the scene in 1999. Manning has never guided a FFB team to the finals in our league, despite his remarkable career.

Manning holds NFL records for consecutive years with over 4,000 yards passing, as well as most total NFL seasons with 4,000 plus yards passing. But, he remains a curse to anyone who proudly strolls out of our annual draft with Manning in toe.

This year, the team who drafted Manning is 3-6 and will surely end with a similar fate. Five QB’s have outperformed Manning. QB’s Jay Cutler, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and Aaron Rodgers have all done better. Only Drew Brees was drafted early out of that bunch. Manning is only two points ahead of RB Clinton Portis, the first non-QB top performer in our league.

Not once has Peyton Manning put up more than 30 weekly FFB points this year. The other five aforementioned QB’s have managed that 15 times combined. Six times they have posted over 35 points. The Manning curse continues in 2008.

Many owners in our PPR league this year went top heavy with WR’s in the draft. The feeling was that WR’s have caught up with RB’s in value, in recent years. Not so fast. In our league, 11 RB’s have outperformed the first WR on the list, Anquan Boldin. Only then does it begin to balance out. That is a notable trend, and one that this writer predicted pre-season. RB’s Clinton Portis, Marion Barber, Matt Forte, Frank Gore, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Steve Slaton, Brian Westbrook, Michael Turner, LaDanian Tomlinson, and Ronnie Brown have all outscored the first WR. Three of them are NFL rookies.

WR Reggie Wayne is #63 on the top performers list. You must go to #74 on that list to locate Terrell Owens, and to #84 to locate Randy Moss. It really has been the year of the mid-round quarterback…

“I’m shocked, I’m devastated, I’m humiliated, I’m battered.”
In my other league, I voted for PALIN/ McCain. Sarah Palin so excited my base. She was the beam of light in my tired, worn-out, generally negative, infantile, past century Grand Old Party. Where can I go now? Where have all the flowers gone? There’s nobody left in New England. No Tom Brady, no Randy Moss, no Red Sox, no Yankees, no senators, no representatives. What century can I dwell in now?
I only see a mountain of debt. I only see a constant bread line for major companies, for financials. Didn’t our president tell us it was just a few “dark economic clouds in the sky?” Didn’t McCain tell us that the “fundamentals of the economy are sound?" I only knew how to stay within the lines in my other league. I never knew how to venture outside the lines. I remember that movie…’The Village’…
I always voted for fear over hope in my other league. I understand fear. ‘Hope’ is too fearful of a word. I’m afraid of hope in that league. I proudly voted for fear twice. It’s all I know. I’m too set in my ways to ever change. They are all making fun of me now in my other league. I’ve never won in my other league. The stock market keeps dropping in my other league. How can so many voters be so wrong? Can’t they see what they just did?

I might have to uproot to Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, or Texas to play FFB now. In the red-state South, they will eat all the tired old red meat that I like to swallow. They aren’t vegetarians or silly vegans, like up in the Northeast.

I’m not doing well in my other league right now. I’m so grateful for this league, though. I helped elect Barack Obama in this league. It feels fresh, it feels healthier in this league. I won the trophy last year in this league. I’m 6-3 and in second place in this league. I think I’ll be just fine in this league. I might just quit that other league.

The nine game interim head coach audition began last week for Mike Singletary in San Francisco. I’m following this because I followed Singletary’s entire career. Drafted by the Chicago Bears out of Baylor in 1981, he was soon nicknamed ‘Samauri Mike. Singletary became the intimidating and intense force behind the dominating 1980’s Bears’ defense. Television cameras would zoom in on those ’Samauri’ eyes behind his helmet. Analysts would comment on those piercing , focused , driven eyes. 12 years and 172 games later, he became Hall of Fame Mike Singletary. He became motivational speaker Mike Singletary.
I saw those same eyes in that press conference after last Sunday’s 49’er loss to Seattle. This was San Francisco’s fourth straight loss, and they keep getting uglier. Those eyes can only make decisions now. That drive, that intensity, that passion, that warrior grit, is woven into the fabric of just a few.
Mike Singletary is that kind of coach who would test a player’s metal by putting the player in a room with a fly swatter, a sledge hammer, and a fly. He wouldn’t want the player who would kill the fly with one flip of the fly swatter. The player who busted up the room with the sledge hammer, trying to kill that fly, would be Singletary’s kind of guy.
Singletary is only the second defensive Hall of Famer to ever become a head coach in the NFL. That is amazing in itself. 21 Hall of Fame players have become head coaches in the NFL. Their combined record is under .500. Mike Ditka’s 121-95 overall record is by far the best. Singletary helped Ditka to that success.
“ I’m not looking to re-invent the wheel, “ Singletary offered the media , his first day on the job, “ but expectations will be high.”
Most sports have demonstrated that, with few exceptions, the elite on the field don’t have enduring coaching careers. I will put Mike Singletary in that mix. He has thrown TE Vernon Davis and QB J.T. O’Sullivan directly to the doghouse, or was it the S.P.C.A.? Publicly, to the media..
Bill Walsh, the master motivator who turned the sickly 49er’s organization around in the 1980’s, never sacrificed his lambs in public. He had Joe Montana, and later, Jerry Rice .RB Frank Gore won’t get it done by himself. I will follow these next eight games with interest. I don’t think it will be pretty.

I was about to submit my weekly starting lineup on my FFB web site today, when my phone rang. So, I answered it. It was one of those seemingly endless political robocalls. ‘Robocall’ is a word that never existed in my brain until this 2008 endless political season. It is indelibly ingrained there now.

This phone call happened to be from the McCain/Palin campaign. It informed me of a clandestine, terrorist web that Barack Obama became entangled with when he was just 8 years old. It involved Terrorist Weather Underground co-founder William Ayers. Ayers had flown little 8 year-old Barack, from his home in Hawaii, to help the Weather Underground plot the explosive demise of several landmark buildings. Also, in that meeting, was a little baby-faced girl named Michele Robinson, the robocall continued. Little Michele had volunteered to become the first young lady suicide bomber.

Little Barack, little Michele and William Ayers plotted to blow up the Pentagon, Pearl Harbor, the Waikiki Hilton, the Empire State Building, the Inquirer Building, Franklin Field, the Liberty Bell, Geno’s Steaks, Pat’s Steaks, the Norristown Art Theater, Brandywine Race Track, and the Troc Burlesque Theater.

Most of the Weather Underground were killed when a nail bomb they were assembling for their nefarious plans, blew up in their faces. Little Barack, little Michele, and William Ayers survived that blast. William Ayers disappeared, little Michele remained in Chicago, and little Barack found his way back home to Hawaii.

Many years later, the robocall concluded, Barack, Michele, and William resurfaced in a living room in Chicago. Obama married Michele and they plotted to run for President and blow up the White House.

This robo phone call really got me to thinking….I’m more confused than ever now. Should I start QB Kurt Warner on American soil this Sunday, or should I go with Philip Rivers across the pond in London, England.? How come I have so many byes this week? Should I dare start WR Roddy White vs. the Philadelphia Eagles? I absolutely have to pick up a kicker. Is WR Chris Chambers still injured this week? Is my 5-2 record good enough to get into the playoffs?

I’ll be so glad when these political campaigns are finally over….

Oh, Oh! My phone is ringing again… OMG! It’s Joe the plumber!

Wembley Stadium in London, England will host the second ever regular season game outside of the U.S. Last year, a sold-out crowd of over 81,000 saw the New York Giants hold off the winless Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the London rain. Both teams struggled offensively in the foggy, slippery conditions.

Giants QB Eli Manning became the answer to the trivia question…Who scored the first regular-season NFL TD ever outside the U.S. ? Manning’s scramble to the corner of the end zone, just before half time, made NFL trivia history. Try that one out at your barber shop.

This year, the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints prepare to battle before another sellout. Wembley Stadium turnstiles open at 3PM London time, with kickoff set for 5PM. For FFB teams that include players from the Saints or Chargers, that will still mean a 1PM Sunday start here on the east coast. London time is 5 hours ahead of EST, but the British are set to turn their clocks back one hour Saturday Night.

Wembley Stadium bills itself as the ‘largest roof covered seating capacity in the world.’ That got me to thinking, why did the Giants and Miami play in total rainy slop in 2007 ? So, I went to FAQ’s in the terrific Wembley Stadium web site. The seats are all under cover in the event of rain, but the playing surface is always uncovered, allowing for maximum sunlight. There’s not much of that in England. This is to grow the natural grass. There are no artificial surfaces in International ‘football’ ( soccer).

A 30% chance of rain is forecast for London on Sunday. But, the feeling here is a shootout for all British NFL loyalists to enjoy. BBC and Sky Sports will be broadcasting this interesting match-up of former QB team mates, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees. San Diego Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith all but offered Brees his walking papers when the team drafted Philip Rivers. Brees will want to prove something. I look for an ambitious passing attack from both teams in ‘jolly old England’. As Philip Rivers and LaDanian Tomlinson offered the British press, “ This game will really have a college feel to it. Everybody is excited about us being here. We just don’t have a clue who they are going to cheer for. But, everything and everyone have been first class!

This will be an intriguing game from a FFB perspective. I have Philip Rivers, Chris Chambers and the Saints kicker, Taylor Mehlhaff. Will Chris Chambers grab a TD in England? He’s still banged up, so it appears Malcolm Floyd, Antonio Gates, and Vincent Jackson will do the most damage. LaDanian Tomlinson is a mere mortal now. Reggie Bush is out, and Deuce McCallister might as well stay in England. He faces steroid cover-up charges and a mandatory 4-game suspension upon his return from across the pond. The Saints backfield is in free fall, and that should not bode well for Drew Brees. Reggie Bush was under many of his dump-offs and turned them into serious FFB points. Drew Brees is going to take a hit.

We're hearing rumors that some dominating creatures, some legendary urban monsters might be unveiled all over the NFL next week. Our sources have focused in on some season-changing, beast-like prospects that should be available on the FFB waiver wires next week. All, apparently, have had recent NFL tryouts.

MOMO....similar to Bigfoot, reportedly seen in Missouri along the banks of the Mississippi River. Momo has a large pumpkin-shaped head. The St. Louis Rams have invited it to camp to offer Steven Jackson a blow. Momo could turn the Rams fortune around in a hurry!

THE MONTAUK MONSTER...a sea creature observed on the beach of Montauk, this instant internet sensation is being trained to dominate and replace Ricky Williams in the Miami backfield.. Ronnie Brown and the Montauk Monster should be unstoppable…

THE HONEY ISLAND SWAMP MONSTER.. The frisky Louisiana swamp sensation, described as 7' tall, with silvery gray hair and neon yellow eyes, has four toes and can bench press up to 800 lbs...The Saints are optimistic about it replacing Marques Colston...

OLD GREENY...Observed in New York's scenic Cayusa lake, approx. 12-15 feet in length, this legendary urban monster with a hot temper is in the New York Giants camp to replace Plaxico Burress. .It could see immediate and impressive action this Sunday.. No truth to the rumor that Old Greeny has pending waterfront domestic violence issues…

ORANGE EYES...11' tall, this elusive 1,000 lb. bigfoot clocked a 2.7 40 in the NFL combine before freaking out and disappearing into the wild. Reportedly, owner Al Davis located it and has signed Orange Eyes to a long-term ‘Raider Nation ‘contract..

SOUTH CAROLINA LIZARD MAN....Discovered by a Carolina Panthers scout in the Scape Ore Swamp, this 7' tall free agent with abrasive, green scaly skin and glowing red eyes should make an immediate impact on the Carolina Defense...take it off your bench…

OKLAHOMA OCTOPUS...recovered from lake Thunderbird in Oklahoma, the size of a Triple Crown horse, it reportedly has terrific suction cup, feeler hands. It could adequately replace Houston Texan’s lost WR Andre Johnson.

THE WINSTED WILD MAN...Rescued from the wild by the New England Patriots, this Winsted, Connecticut monstrosity remarkably resembles Randy Moss. The 8- footer with a huge wing span, is being frantically groomed to replace the missing Patriot WR...

We see a bright future on the FFB waiver wires…

Las Vegas ( Oct. 3) Crime News...Thirteen years to the day after being acquitted of bludgeoning his wife and Ron Goldman to death, OJ Simpson was found guilty of all armed robbery counts today. The judge in this case, Jackie Glass, however, made one disturbing final ruling before Simpson was carted off to jail..
" We are going to allow the "Juice" to run one final time for the Buffalo Bills this Sunday vs. the Arizona Cardinals. We understand that he was once a hero of Bills head coach Dick Jauron . Buffalo’s current starting RB Marshawn Lynch will approach the bench.”
" This is an awesome chain of events," Dick Jauron blushed..".He was flat out my hero at USC..I have programs, newspaper clips, OJ football cards, memorabilia. I used to run through airports with him. I'll dust off my Dingo boots, made of soft Corinthian leather. Myself and our offensive coordinator Turk Schonert are elated to have OJ with us in Glendale, Arizona. We have no problem benching RB Marshawn Lynch. Marshawn couldn't carry OJ's jock strap. Even 61 years old, in hand cuffs and heavy ankle irons, we can foresee 275 yards and 4 TD's behind our massive 2008 Buffalo Bills offensive line. After playing in Arizona, maybe the "Juice" can try to escape into Mexico. Our offensive linemen Demetrius Bell, Kirk Chambers, Jason Peters, Derrick Dockery, and Center Melvin Fowler are looking forward to this unique opportunity. We are worried, though, when OJ doesn’t have the Bills offensive line to protect him in the general prison population. We’re anxious that he might get cut and slashed, just like he’s going to cut and slash his way between the lines at University of Phoenix football field Sunday. Just to have O J in the Buffalo backfield, one final time, is a dream come true. It will be great to see that retired #32 jersey on the loose again.”
TV announcers for this 4:15 PM contest will include Kato Kalin, Denise Brown, and Fred Goldman.

Meanwhile, outside of the courtroom in Vegas, the Cardinals, once a one-point favorite, are now a 6 ½ point underdog.