Thank God That's Finally Over: Another Fantasy Update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

It's been, like, eight months: Another fantasy update

In years past, I did a more regular update of my fantasy team's progress throughout the year. So you might be forgiven for immediately assuming that I didn't write anything about this year's fantasy football teams until now because I had a couple of duds. Still, you'd be wrong.

As it turns out, I ended up with what I can only call a fairly "idiot-proof" lineup in both leagues. And while I would like to boast about how this demonstrates my own genius, in truth, this year I just ended up being lucky more weeks than not.And remember, being lucky is always better than being good.

So for posterity's sake, I'll be posting the usual screencaps of my dominance (and the one week of really, really bad luck) below the fold. Join me if you're the least bit interested in this sort of stuff, but as I've indicated in the past with this category, I certainly understand if you don't.

Hooray: Another fantasy championship

I'm forgoing the usual "nobody cares" graphic that's typically gone along with these sorts of posts, but I don't plan on requiring a fold for this summary either. If you've actually been following the only fantasy team I've been running ever since football ended, you might recall that I was also responsible for running my girlfriend's basketball team this year too.

I was optimistic about her chances against the top-seeded ex-boyfriend of another friend who, like the four other teams in the league, stopped paying attention shortly after the season began.

Unfortunately, Steve Nash sat out a game and there were a few other unfortunate missed games from some of her players and the lady's team ultimately had to settle for easily taking a third place game.

While I didn't get the championship match with ™'s team that I'd been hoping for, it was pretty satisfying to essentially thump the only other guy who'd been signing in and, during most weeks, dominating the league every week. He resoundingly beat me the first two times we played during the year, although I took the third meeting and we both finished 18-3 on the year. I had far and away the most transactions in the league with 55 moves (my girlfriend's team had 38, and this year's runner-up had 20), with a huge amount coming in the final few days. While I ran out to an early lead in the championship and led by 1000+ points at the end of the week, the numbers kept going until the season ended on Wednesday. With no player on my team scheduled to play that Tuesday and four of his guys (including Kobe Bryant and the same Luol Deng I had dropped so early in an otherwise fabulous year for him), I scooped up seven guys for Tuesday and then replaced most of them for Wednesday.

The result is that I've now won fantasy titles in three of the four major sports, with only football (which admittedly is the only one that would be worth mentioning ever again ... maybe) eluding me.

Despite what I'd say is an otherwise respectable fantasy résumé,  I'd like to point out that my girlfriend is given the higher rating on overall performance:

Whatevs. Maybe they'll correct it when they put my latest trophy in the case.

Twice as meaningless: Successfully running your girlfriend's fantasy team

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Otherwise Meaningless Championships: Another Fantasy Update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Keep on scrolling: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

You couldn't care less: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Moving right along: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Zzzzzzzzz: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

So what, who cares: Another fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Yawn: A fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no? 

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Blah, Blah, Blah: Another obligatory fantasy update

Your author is hard-pressed to think of something that can cause an immediate loss of interest quite like hearing about someone's fantasy team. Having friends and co-workers recite their rosters with no real purpose other than to gloat about conquering leagues you're not involved in seems quite banal and pointless, no?

That said, the author knows full well that you the dear reader probably also couldn't give two shits about whatever fantasy team he's gone and created after so many years of taking that road less traveled where non-participation seemed cooler. Now the author has multiple fantasy teams, and while he tries mightily not to bring those into the other posts here on BMC that you might actually read, every once in a while, if for no other purpose than to help him remember who he had on such teams in a given year, he likes to keep a recorded entry of how he's done.

This is one of those times. Your non-interest in the remainder of this post is understood.

Things you couldn't care less about: Obligatory fantasy update

If you take over first place in a fantasy league where nobody's really participating, does it make a sound? Does it resonate with anybody at all? Or is everybody in this league really that bad? And how bad am I for having spent a majority of this season struggling to catch a guy who hasn't made a single adjustment to his roster since the draft day when he picked his team?

Before you begin pondering that litany of questions, however, let me remind you what my roster originally looked like back on the eve of April. And this was my attitude less than three weeks into the season. And now? Well ...:

Sweet, Sweet Fantasy, Baby: It's Good To Be King

You'll have to go here if you want to see the Tom Petty video, because I need to allocate my space properly in this post where I inevitably gloat about my recent dominance in these fantasy endeavors that I probably swore I'd never take too seriously. And believe me, what follows is about as thorough a recap as I can offer for my recent accumulation of small victories. (I know, I know: I can't believe I'm having this much difficulty getting laid either.)

Anyway, to complete the update on how those three seasons finished from that last fantasy update of mine, you might notice that I've got two nice little trophies there from first place finishes in both the fantasy hockey leagues. Again, one was scored using an overall points total (six different offensive categories and four goaltending) while the other was head-to-head throughout the season with a tournament to determine the champion.

2010 MLB Predictions: This will be our year, took a long time to come

While the definite anticipation for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is once again destined to be my defining interest for the next couple months, Major League Baseball's 2010 season does have to get started at some point—seeing as each team plays as many regular-season games as an NHL team and an NBA team combined (oh, unless there's a rainout that doesn't get made up, I suppose).

And my appetite was somewhat whetted by my entering the same Fantasy Baseball league sis and bro-in-law are in, so I'll obviously have to be paying some attention—which is more than usual, since it typically takes me a good month or two to really start caring.

I didn't do all that hot last year, getting a mere two of the six division winners right and only eight of the 30 teams' final standing correct. So any sort of improvement shouldn't be too difficult—especially since (judging by most other outlets' predictions) a Yankees-Phillies rematch in the World Series is all but guaranteed. Even Joe Morgan's picking that, so if there was ever a sign ...

All I know is that I'm not picking the Indians again—which almost certainly means they'll win the whole thing. Still, let's see if I can improve upon my .267 average from last year:

Sweet, Sweet Fantasy, Baby: Where one contest ends, another begins

We've finally reached the conclusion of the Beyond the Blue Line 2 league tournament, and luckily for me, I will not have to honor Steve-O's demands to publish a full screencap with an accompanying essay lavishing praise upon his squad had his second-ranked team defeated my third-ranked team. Thankfully that did not happen, as Steve-O's goalies essentially got outplayed across the board by my pair of netminders and we're left, appropriately enough, with my Ovie-led team meeting Ms. Bette's squad that boasts Sidney Crosby.

And if I'm looking at the upcoming week's games correctly, then Ovechkin should have an extra game in comparison to Sid the Kid, so advantage me—for now.

Sweet, Sweet Fantasy, Baby: Falling from 15th to ... Hey—I won a playoff game!

I've actually been signing into my Yahoo account with the most frequency I've had since the NFL season. The NBA and NHL fantasy leagues I was in this year got updated with about a once-a-week frequency when football concluded, maybe once every two weeks at times when I was busy being, you know, employed. But now that I've got a little more time on my hands during this lull on the job front, I guess I'm allowed to dwell on how I'm spending my time online when not sending out the resumes.

NCAA Tournament Predictions: To care or not to care?

Again, I'm far from being a real die-hard about any collegiate sport. I mentioned this last year in that lone post I had for the month of March (I'm guessing that "climax to one story" involved me dumping my girlfriend, which I ended up doing in May—and then letting get dragged out until ... it wasn't that great of a story, I guess is the point). I'm not going to repeat myself, but I did wake up early this morning and while checking to see how I was doing in those other fantasy endeavors, I inevitably had to see if I could do better than Obama. I immediately realized how much I hated the idea of ending up with all four top seeds in my Final Four, and so this is my supposed version of "playing it safe." The title for my set of picks, by the way, refers to my all-time favorite NBA player and an odd page that came up when searching for an image of that goofy bastard for my avatar. Whatevs. I like it. Updates will be forthcoming, I assume, but I don't even know who I want to root for.

Another fantasy trophy would be sweet though.

Fantasy Playoffs: At least I'm a participant

I can't remember when or where I promised updates on my forays into fantasy basketball and hockey—seeing how hot I did in fantasy football last year and all (READ: DEAD LAST, 12TH OF 12). But I guess that just goes to prove how right I was about lacking "the fire and the passion" so many others seem to have when it comes to this stuff.

Of course, as opposed to the NFL version where seemingly everybody and their entire family tree participates in fantasy football, I don't have any IRL friends who try either one of the NHL or NBA versions. And considering two of the three leagues I'm in aren't the head-to-head weekly style that makes the fantasy football better parallel the sport a little better, it's hard to focus on a certain night when in the end, it's all going to come down to points. Still, one of the two fantasy hockey leagues I'm in did involve regular week-long head-to-head contests that determined these brackets you see there (my team is the No. 3 seed, the name obviously using hockey terminology as a parable for my relationship status these days). And since I said I'd talk about this stuff, now seems the best time to write this stuff down.

Week 17 Power Rankings: At least I was alone in second this year

As you might recall, last season I finished in a tie for second place in the one confidence pool I was in. So as I reflect on another year of NFL predictions, most of the news is positive. I competed in two confidence pools this season and finished in second in both of them.

In the main pool that I was competing in for the second year in a row, I briefly overtook first place after my first win of the season in Week Five but then subsequently fell into second and lost ground each week until my second victory of the year in Week 13 (AGAIN). There was a wee bit of controversy when I went back-to-back and won Week 14 as well, but last week's awful 10-6 record on my picks was only worth 86 points and led to a last place finish for the week. As a result, I finished 40 points out of first and 20 points ahead of third:


The Yahoo pool was more or less the same story, as I won all three of the same weeks. The only difference, I suppose, would be that I spent most of the season in third place for the year and was helped largely by the guy who ultimately finished last failing to submit his picks after being up near the top for most of the year. I missed first place by a little less than the other pool (34 points), but also held off third place by a far slimmer margin of only nine points:


As I said, last year was also a second place finish for the year, although that was a tie. The 1507 points I accumulated this season is an improvement over the 1445 I scored last year, and my 170-86 record was a six-game improvement over the 164-92 mark I had for the 2008 season.

While I certainly dogged it somewhat in the final week (that new formula had been so good to me for the past four or so weeks), the bro-in-law as well as Chris Mortensen and Mark Schlererth of ESPN all had the high scores of 13-3 for Week 17. Jason Cole and Michael Silver of Yahoo, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, and Merrill Hoge all went 12-4, while Charles Robinson, Eric Allen, Mike Golic, and Ron "I finally got to pick all 16 games!" Jaworski had marks of 11-5. Seth Wickersham didn't leave me by myself in going 10-6, while Adam Schefter brought up the rear at 9-7.

And at last, here are the final numbers for how all the boys did on the year (numbers in parentheses still indicating where the dude stood in the rankings last week):

1. (1) Merril Hoge, ESPN: 175-81 (.684)
2. (2) Michael Silver, Yahoo: 174-82 (.680)
3. (3) Chris Mortensen, ESPN: 173-83 (.676)

4. (7) LEV, crazy colored glasses: 171-85 (.668)
5. (3) YOURS TRULY: 170-86 (.664)

5. (6) Charles Robinson, Yahoo: 170-86 (.664)
7. (3) Adam Schefter, ESPN: 169-87 (.660)
7. (9) Jason Cole, Yahoo: 169-87 (.660)

7. (11) Mark Schlereth, ESPN: 169-87 (.660)
10. (8) Ron Jaworski, ESPN: 158-82 (.658)
11. (10) Mike Golic, ESPN: 167-88 (.655)

12. (11) Seth Wickersham, ESPN: 166-90 (.648)

13. (13) Eric Allen, ESPN: 165-91 (.645)

14. (14) Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 159-97 (.621)

What's that sound you hear? Correct! It's me groaning at Merrill Hoge finishing with the best record for the second year in a row.

Anyway, last year I was pretty tired by the end of the season and I limited my final thought to just a single word about how the team performed. But now that I have something to compare last season's final numbers to, I'll elaborate a little bit more by seeing how each team did in comparison to the numbers they earned me last year. I'll preface these final numbers by noting that I had double the number of teams with 100+ points, but I also had twice the amount of teams in the negative:

1. (1) ST. LOUIS RAMS

• Last week: Lost to San Francisco, 28-6 (+13)
  
• Actual Record: 1-15
• My predicted record: 0-16
• My record at predicting their record: 15-1
  
• Points scored for me with wins: 0
• Points scored for me with losses: +182
• Points taken from me with wins: -6
• Points taken from me with losses: 0
• Plus/Minus: +176
  

As I said a couple of times this year, I did not pick the Rams to win a single game over the past two years. And because St. Louis actually won one less game this season than last, they of course finished one spot higher. I find it hard to believe the team can continue to wallow as much as they have these past two years, but I'm not making any promises about picking them to win until some drastic moves get made.

2. (2) DETROIT LIONS

• Last week: Lost to Chicago, 37-23 (+11)
  
• Actual Record: 2-14
• My predicted record: 2-14
• My record at predicting their record: 14-2
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +6
• Points scored for me with losses: +171
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -8
• Points taken from me with losses: -6
  
• Plus/Minus: +163
  

It's somewhat remarkable to me that after picking the Lions to win five games during their winless run of last season, my predicted record matched their actual record this season and they still slipped out of their top spot. The point total this year, however, was a dozen points higher than 2008.

3. (5) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

• Last week: Beat Washington, 23-20 (+15)
  
• Actual Record: 13-3
• My predicted record: 11-5
• My record at predicting their record: 14-2
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +104
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +13
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -6
  
• Points taken from me with losses: 0
• Plus/Minus: +111
  

The Bolts were far more reliable for me this year than last, moving up 17 spots and earning 75 more points for me. They got hot faster than I had anticipated, but ultimately proved to be one of—if not the most reliable bets as a winning team this year.

4. (3) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

• Last week: Lost to Atlanta, 20-10 (+6)
  
• Actual Record: 3-13
• My predicted record: 0-16
• My record at predicting their record: 13-3
  
• Points scored for me with wins: 0
• Points scored for me with losses: +144
• Points taken from me with wins: -38
  
• Points taken from me with losses: 0
• Plus/Minus: +106
  

As my predicted record for the Bucs would indicate, the team suffered a severe drop-off from their 9-7 record of last season. And whereas I had them winning more games than they actually did in 2008 when they choked away a playoff berth, I didn't give them any credit this season. The result was that they shot up 14 spots and earned me 64 more points.

5. (6) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

• Last week: Lost to Tennessee, 17-13 (+10)
  
• Actual Record: 5-11
• My predicted record: 8-8
• My record at predicting their record: 13-3
• Points scored for me with wins: +36
• Points scored for me with losses: +85
• Points taken from me with wins: 0
• Points taken from me with losses: -16
  
• Plus/Minus: +105

Well, I got all their wins right, but I also picked them to win three games they ended up losing. I blame that on holding out hope that they'd prove me right by winning the NFC West, but it obviously didn't work out that way. Still, it's another Top 10 finish in the Power Rankings for Seattle and the Seahawks earned 37 more points than last year.

5. (8) WASHINGTON REDSKINS

• Last week: Lost to San Diego, 23-20 (+15)
  
• Actual Record: 4-12
• My predicted record: 6-10
• My record at predicting their record: 13-3
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +29
• Points scored for me with losses: +100
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -11
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -13
• Plus/Minus: +105
  

Quite possibly the biggest turnaround in my Power Rankings, as the Redskins scored nearly 100 more points for me this year than last and went from 30th to a tie to make the Top Five.

7. (4) CLEVELAND BROWNS

• Last week: Beat Jacksonville, 23-17 (-9)
  
• Actual Record: 5-11
• My predicted record: 1-15
• My record at predicting their record: 12-4
• Points scored for me with wins: +1
• Points scored for me with losses: +122
• Points taken from me with wins: -34
  
• Points taken from me with losses: 0
• Plus/Minus: +89

They won one more game than they did in 2008, but scored 32 more points for me this season and moved up seven spots.

8. (10) ATLANTA FALCONS

• Last week: Beat Tampa Bay, 20-10 (+6)
  
• Actual Record: 9-7
• My predicted record: 8-8
• My record at predicting their record: 13-3
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +52
• Points scored for me with losses: +46
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -5
• Points taken from me with losses: -5
• Plus/Minus: +88
  

Another pretty drastic improvement, as the Falcons were 29th in the Rankings to end last year. And only having cost me 10 total points this year puts them right behind the Rams for the least costly teams this season.

9. (7) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

• Last week: Lost to Buffalo, 30-7 (-12)
  
• Actual Record: 14-2
• My predicted record: 14-2
• My record at predicting their record: 12-4
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +106
• Points scored for me with losses: 0
• Points taken from me with wins: -4
• Points taken from me with losses: -23
  
• Plus/Minus: +79
  

They pissed away an opportunity to finish above 100 points for the second year in a row and by dropping their final two games, they slipped down from the No. 3 spot they finished at last year. I'm still quietly irritated that their Week 17 loss to Buffalo proved to be only blemish in 12-point games this season.

10. (9) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

• Last week: Lost to Carolina, 23-10 (-8)
  
• Actual Record: 13-3
• My predicted record: 13-3
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +115
• Points scored for me with losses: 0
• Points taken from me with wins: -7
• Points taken from me with losses: -30
  
• Plus/Minus: +78
  

By being undefeated for so long, the Saints scored me far points with victories than they did last year although their limp across the finish line also helped them to cost me more points than they did in 2008. Still, they end this season eight spots higher than last year and with 36 more points as well.

11. (15) BALTIMORE RAVENS

• Last week: Beat Oakland, 21-13 (+14)
  
• Actual Record: 9-7
  
• My predicted record: 11-5
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +85
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +8
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -4
• Points taken from me with losses: -18
• Plus/Minus: +71

I bought into the hype early in the year and as a result, the Ravens slipped from the No. 4 spot they finished at last year and scored 18 less p

12. (12) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• Last week: Lost to Houston, 34-27 (-2)
  
• Actual Record: 10-6
• My predicted record: 15-1
• My record at predicting their record: 9-7
• Points scored for me with wins: +99
  
• Points scored for me with losses: 0
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -3
• Points taken from me with losses: -33
• Plus/Minus: +63

One spot higher with five more points than 2008, which is sort of surprising when I consider how much more often I had them winning this year and the Pats, in fact, finished with one less win than last season.

12. (16) MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Last week: Beat New York Giants, 44-7 (+7)
  
• Actual Record: 12-4
• My predicted record: 13-3
• My record at predicting their record: 11-5
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +96
• Points scored for me with losses: +4
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -8
• Points taken from me with losses: -29
• Plus/Minus: +63
  

Much like New England, the Vikings are fairly close to where they finished last season (No. 15) and had a small improvement in points, eight more than 2008. This year, however, I actually had Minnesota winning more games than they ultimately did.

14. (18) CHICAGO BEARS

• Last week: Beat Detroit, 37-23 (+11)
  
• Actual Record: 7-9
• My predicted record: 10-6
• My record at predicting their record: 9-7
• Points scored for me with wins: +57
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +34
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -18
• Points taken from me with losses: -11
  
• Plus/Minus: +62
  

A pretty big improvement over the No. 25 finish they had in the Rankings last season, attributed mostly to me putting my fandom to the side much earlier than last year when I had them going 13-3.

15. (13) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

• Last week: Lost to Dallas, 24-0 (+1)
  
• Actual Record: 11-5
• My predicted record: 11-5
• My record at predicting their record: 12-4
• Points scored for me with wins: +76
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +10
• Points taken from me with wins: -6
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -19
  
• Plus/Minus: +61
  

Although they only moved up seven spots, they more than doubled last season's points total. And at least this year they didn't end up fucking tying anybody.

16. (11) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• Last week: Beat Denver, 44-24 (-16)
  
• Actual Record: 4-12
• My predicted record: 3-13
• My record at predicting their record: 11-5
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +1
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +101
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -37
• Points taken from me with losses: -5
  
• Plus/Minus: +60
  

That upset of the Broncos to finish the year really changed things. As a result of that finish, the Chiefs dropped out of the Top 10 finish they had last season and scored 11 less points.

17. (20) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

• Last week: Beat St. Louis, 28-6 (+13)
  
• Actual Record: 8-8
• My predicted record: 4-12
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
• Points scored for me with wins: +37
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +48
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -19
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -7
  
• Plus/Minus: +59
  

Amazingly, that 4-12 mark is the exact same record I ended up predicting them to have last year. But just like Kansas City, the Niners drop from their 2008 Top 10 finish and presumably because they won one more game than last year, they scored 13 less points.

18. (16) DALLAS COWBOYS

• Last week: Beat Philadelphia, 24-0 (+1)
  
• Actual Record: 11-5
• My predicted record: 11-5
• My record at predicting their record: 12-4
• Points scored for me with wins: +76
• Points scored for me with losses: +7
• Points taken from me with wins: -11
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -15
  
• Plus/Minus: +57

While Dallas is only four spots higher than where they finished last year, they did nearly double the 30 points they earned me last year.

19. (21) TENNESSEE TITANS

• Last week: Beat Seattle, 17-13 (+10)
  
• Actual Record: 8-8
• My predicted record: 9-7
• My record at predicting their record: 11-5
• Points scored for me with wins: +44
• Points scored for me with losses: +40
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -8
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -21
• Plus/Minus: +55

Again, the move up the Rankings wasn't too big a leap (one spot higher), but the Titans did earn me 19 more points than 2008.

20. (14) BUFFALO BILLS

• Last week: Beat Indianapolis, 30-7 (-12)
  
• Actual Record: 6-10
• My predicted record: 3-13
• My record at predicting their record: 11-5
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +15
• Points scored for me with losses: +77
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -38
• Points taken from me with losses: -7
• Plus/Minus: +47
  

It's hard not to make progress after finishing last season's Rankings second from the bottom with only three points, but the Bills still end on a sour note for me because of that damned 12-point game they cost me.

21. (23) OAKLAND RAIDERS

• Last week: Lost to Baltimore, 21-13 (+14)
  
• Actual Record: 5-11
• My predicted record: 1-15
• My record at predicting their record: 11-5
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +4
• Points scored for me with losses: +88
• Points taken from me with wins: -51
  
• Points taken from me with losses: 0
  
• Plus/Minus: +41
  

The Raiders move up a mere one spot, earning 11 more points this season than last.

22. (19) CAROLINA PANTHERS

• Last week: Beat New Orleans, 23-10 (-8)
  
• Actual Record: 8-8
• My predicted record: 5-11
• My record at predicting their record: 9-7
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +29
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +60
• Points taken from me with wins: -40
• Points taken from me with losses: -10
  
• Plus/Minus: +39

My refusal to give them more credit cost me toward the end of this season, as their .500 finish resulted in them scoring 35 less points from me and dropping 11 spots.

23. (22) GREEN BAY PACKERS

• Last week: Beat Arizona, 33-7 (-3)
  
• Actual Record: 11-5
• My predicted record: 11-5
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
• Points scored for me with wins: +76
• Points scored for me with losses: +6
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -13
• Points taken from me with losses: -31
  
• Plus/Minus: +38
  

Believe it or not, this spot's an improvement for the Pack as they finished this year with nearly double the 20 points they earned for me in 2008 although they only moved up three spots from last year's finish.

24. (25) NEW YORK GIANTS

• Last week: Lost to Minnesota, 44-7 (+7)
  
• Actual Record: 8-8
• My predicted record: 14-2
• My record at predicting their record: 8-8
  
• Points scored for me with wins: +66
• Points scored for me with losses: +7
• Points taken from me with wins: -6
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -38
• Plus/Minus: +29
  

Yeah, the G-Men were certainly one of the biggest drop-offs this year, scoring 60 less points for me and falling 20 spots. My 14-2 predicted record does, however, match what I had them at the conclusion of last season. Too bad they ended up winning four less games in actuality.

25. (27) MIAMI DOLPHINS

• Last week: Lost to Pittsburgh, 30-24 (+4)
  
• Actual Record: 7-9
• My predicted record: 5-11
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
• Points scored for me with wins: +14
• Points scored for me with losses: +36
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -16
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -9
  
• Plus/Minus: +25
  

Once again, they won two more games than I had predicted for them, but this season the Fins didn't even accumulate half the 60 points they earned me in 2008 and as a result dropped 13 spots lower.

26. (24) HOUSTON TEXANS

• Last week: Beat New England, 34-27 (-2)
  
• Actual Record: 9-7
• My predicted record: 9-7
• My record at predicting their record: 10-6
• Points scored for me with wins: +42
• Points scored for me with losses: +17
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -22
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -16
  
• Plus/Minus: +21
  

Much like Miami, Houston failed to score even half what they did last year (+45), although their drop from No. 17 was somewhat less drastic.

27. (25) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

• Last week: Lost to Cleveland, 23-17 (-9)
  
• Actual Record: 7-9
• My predicted record: 9-7
• My record at predicting their record: 8-8
• Points scored for me with wins: +27
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +31
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -24
• Points taken from me with losses: -21
• Plus/Minus: +13
  

The always enigmatic Jags finished with seven less points than last season and slipped one spot. I remain somewhat pleasantly surprised by the fact they avoided being completely at the bottom they spent most of last season at.

28. (29) CINCINNATI BENGALS

• Last week: Lost to New York Jets, 37-0 (+5)
  
• Actual Record: 10-6
• My predicted record: 7-9
• My record at predicting their record: 7-9
• Points scored for me with wins: +52
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +21
• Points taken from me with wins: -37
• Points taken from me with losses: -28
• Plus/Minus: +8
  

After being reliably bad last season, the Bengals spent most of this season near the bottom of the Power Rankings by winning games hardly anybody gave them a chance in. They finish this year a dozen spots lower and with 45 less points, but after how long they were in the cellar of the Rankings for so many weeks, I'm just grateful they ended the year in the positive.

29. (28) ARIZONA CARDINALS

• Last week: Lost to Green Bay, 33-7 (-3)
  
• Actual Record: 10-6
• My predicted record: 9-7
• My record at predicting their record: 7-9
• Points scored for me with wins: +52
• Points scored for me with losses: +6
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -33
  
• Points taken from me with losses: -24
• Plus/Minus: +1

I had completely forgotten that the Cards finished sixth in the final Rankings last season, but my belief that they'd suffer an inevitable Super Bowl hangover did not pan out and as a result, they finished this season with 1/88th of the points they earned me last year.

29. (31) NEW YORK JETS

• Last week: Beat Cincinnati, 37-0 (+5)
  
• Actual Record: 9-7
• My predicted record: 9-7
• My record at predicting their record: 8-8
• Points scored for me with wins: +33
  
• Points scored for me with losses: +19
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -28
• Points taken from me with losses: -23
  
• Plus/Minus: +1
  

Not all that much of a fall from where they finished for me last year, only having 10 less points and one spot lower.

31. (32) PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• Last week: Beat Miami, 30-24 (+4)
  
• Actual Record: 9-7
  
• My predicted record: 15-1
• My record at predicting their record: 8-8
• Points scored for me with wins: +52
  
• Points scored for me with losses: 0
• Points taken from me with wins: -1
• Points taken from me with losses: -58
  
• Plus/Minus: -7

Wow. If my predicted record for the Steelers isn't indicative enough, I obviously had much higher expectations from the defending Super Bowl Champions. Instead, they drop from No. 7 in 2008 to second-worst with a difference of nearly 80 points.

32. (30) DENVER BRONCOS

• Last week: Lost to Kansas City, 44-24 (-16)
  
• Actual Record: 8-8
• My predicted record: 10-6
• My record at predicting their record: 8-8
• Points scored for me with wins: +25
• Points scored for me with losses: +23
  
• Points taken from me with wins: -19
• Points taken from me with losses: -45
  
• Plus/Minus: -16
  

And in a remarkable twist of fate to end the year, the one team that duplicated their 2008 Power Rankings finish was none other than the frustration that is the Denver Broncos. Exact same spot and exact same score. I'm willing to say that they will end up on the lower side of the bets next season.

While my flawless record with 12-point games fell through in the final week, I can take a little bit of solace in the fact that victories in the eight- and nine-point games of Week 17 put me over .500 on the year in both of those spots. As a result, there once again were only two spots on my list where I had losing records on the year. (The records in parentheses are last year's marks):

16-point games: 7-3 (9-0)
15-point games: 8-3 (7-3)
14-point games: 12-2 (13-3)
13-point games: 15-2 (12-5)
12-point games: 16-1 (12-5)
11-point games: 12-5 (13-4)
10-point games: 15-2 (13-4)
9-point games: 10-7 (11-6)
8-point games: 10-7 (10-7)
7-point games: 9-8 (11-6)
6-point games: 9-8 (10-7)
5-point games: 11-6 (6-11)
4-point games: 13-4 (10-7)
3-point games: 6-11 (9-8)
2-point games: 9-8 (10-7)
1-point games: 8-9 (8-9)

I will have further reflections on the season that was and probably more comparison of numbers as the playoffs play themselves out.