League News Archives: Winter 2010 to Autumn 2010

Shonn Greene acquired by bbashers

The bbashers have acquired New York Jets running back Shonn Greene from the Cheeko Chiefs in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2011 UFFL draft. Greene, 25, had 106 rushing yards and no touchdowns through his first three games. He had been expected to be the Jets' No. 1 running back, but the strong play of LaDainian Tomlinson has reduced Greene's playing time.

UFFL News Ticker: There are still five spots available for the Fantasy Hockey Challenge and the live draft will be held Wednesday evening on the Fleaflicker website. In order to register, follow this link:

http://www.fleaflicker.com/nhl/league?leagueId=920&invite=true

League name: Fantasy Hockey Challenge
League password: bettman

Information for a fantasy basketball league will be posted within the next week.

Around the UFFL: Week Three Edition

Pulverizers 131.08, A-Peterson Fan Club 119.50 - Something had to give in this matchup of teams that entered the game with a combined 0-4 record. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (30.90 points) outscored New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (30.60 points) on the fantasy ledger, but it wasn't enough to give Jay Klinkhammer the victory in his first home game. A-Peterson Fan Club has dropped each of their last five regular season games dating back to last year.

The Steel Curtain 95.81, Deltaman 71.56 - Tony DelSignore got back on the winning track, thanks to a 23.72-point effort from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall had 20.30 fantasy points for Craig Hoffman, who has dropped two straight. Deltaman's offensive output in the last two games combined (138.64 points) is actually less than their point total for the season opener (138.91 points).

Football Gal 132.42, The Catch 112.46 - Mozelle Meyers remained undefeated thanks to the efforts of Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who racked up 32.86 fantasy points for Football Gal. Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (19.50 points) was the top contributor for The Catch, who fell to 1-2 on the season.

TH Best Bets 174.57, Henne Given Sunday 81.93 - Through the first three weeks of the season, the winless Henne Given Sunday franchise is last in the UFFL in fantasy points scored (a somewhat controllable category) and first in fantasy points allowed (a completely uncontrollable category). This game was a classic blowout, with Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis (29.20 points) leading the way for the Best Bets as they went on to become the highest scoring team in the league for Week Three. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall posted 24.60 points for Jason Wedgwood's squad.

Steph Infections 122.90, bbashers 106.81 - Buffalo Bills rookie running back C.J. Spiller's 25.96 fantasy points were enough to knock the bbashers from their perch as leaders of the Southern Division, as they tasted the bitter pill of defeat for the first time this year. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (25.64 points) was the top scorer for Calvin Brown's team.

CheeseWhiz 145.19, N2deep 98.84 - Jim Douglas remained undefeated, thanks to 28.68 fantasy points from New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace had 19.90 points for N2deep, as they dropped to 1-2.

Craigntx 146.86, Cheeko Chiefs 137.16 - San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (30.40 fantasy points) had another big day for Craig Lechner, who improved to 3-0. Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner posted 19.95 points for the winless Chad Fuller in his team's home opener.

Tim Hightower, Josh Freeman swapped
In need of a quarterback due to the injury (and eventual benching) of Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Kevin Kolb, the Cheeko Chiefs acquired Josh Freeman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from The Catch last week, in exchange for Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower.

Freeman, 22, has completed 49 of 83 passes for 544 yards through his first three games, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He will compete with recent free-agent signee Bruce Gradkowski (Oakland Raiders) for the Cheeko Chiefs' No. 1 quarterback job.

Hightower, 24, has carried the ball 35 times for 209 rushing yards and two touchdowns. However, with Beanie Wells finally healthy for the Cardinals, his playing time is expected to be considerably reduced.

Around the UFFL: Week Two Edition

This was a week where many of the losing teams would have fared much better - and in some cases, would have even been victorious - if they had decided to start some of the players that were benched instead.

Steph Infections 153.59, Pulverizers 91.70 - Stephanie George won her first game of the season, thanks to 42.50 points from Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best and 33.50 points from San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the winless Pulverizers with 23.51 points, although Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (38.75 points) and the San Diego Chargers defense (24.24 points) posted huge performances on the bench.

bbashers 121.47, Deltaman 67.08 - Wisconsin resident Craig Hoffman ended up being defeated by his favorite team's quarterback, as Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers posted a 30.20-point performance for the bbashers. Deltaman was led by New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (16.04 points), who performed less effectively than backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks (20.42 points).

TH Best Bets 124.94, A-Peterson Fan Club 120.22 - For the second time in as many weeks, Jay Klinkhammer found himself on the short end of the closest game of the week. Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (34.40 points) helped Mark Bender earn his first win of the year, while Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (27.90 points) was the scoring leader for A-Peterson Fan Club.

Craigntx 124.88, Henne Given Sunday 86.34 - The defending champions improved to 2-0 as a result of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers' 29.36 fantasy points. Houston Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones (15.77 points) led Henne Given Sunday, who would have benefitted greatly from the performances of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (29.38 points) and Texans receiver Kevin Walter (24.20 points).

The Catch 155.05, N2deep 80.63 - Andrew So's squad led the UFFL in scoring for Week Two, thanks to 37.08 fantasy points from Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub. Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte was the top scorer for George Thomas, with 15.75 points. However, Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (23.78 points) and the Indianapolis Colts defense (25.56 points) were both benched by N2deep.

CheeseWhiz 130.36, The Steel Curtain 89.95 - Jim Douglas handed Tony DelSignore his first ever UFFL loss, thanks to 27.55 points from Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had 26.60 points for The Steel Curtain, who ironically decided to keep the Pittsburgh Steelers defense (45.92 points) on the bench; if they had been in the starting lineup, they would have won the UFFL Horse Trailer award for most points scored. Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Aromashodu's zero-point performance didn't help matters either.

Football Gal 98.31, Cheeko Chiefs 85.39 - Mozelle Meyers' team remained undefeated thanks to 23.04 points from Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. Chad Fuller's team was led by 16.56 points from the Kansas City Chiefs defense, and could have used the 19.95 fantasy points from Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower, who remained on the bench.

Around the UFFL: Week One Edition

Let's check out the results of games from the opening week of the 2010 season:

Craigntx 128.68, Steph Infections 103.01 - Philip Rivers' performance (24.42 points) wasn't enough to give the San Diego Chargers the win in their season opener but it was enough to give the defending UFFL champions a solid victory that was neither a nailbiter nor a blowout. Rookie running back Jahvid Best (19.80 points) was the leading active scorer for the Steph Infections, due to wide receiver Austin Collie (22.55 points) being on the bench.

Football Gal 109.85, A-Peterson Fan Club 109.16 - After a strong performance by Football Gal in the early Sunday afternoon games, A-Peterson Fan Club bounced back in the late Sunday games and appeared to be on their way to victory. However, the performances of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (7.25 points) and Anquan Boldin (12.50 points) on Monday Night Football were enough to push Mozelle Meyers' squad over the top, although two late carries by Rice for negative yardage almost gave Jay Klinkhammer the win. When all was said and done, Football Gal emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins - only 0.69 points separated the two clubs. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning posted 35.32 points in a losing effort.

The Steel Curtain 95.79, Cheeko Chiefs 76.78 - Rookie head coach Tony DelSignore earned the victory in his UFFL debut, powered by a standout performance from the Arizona Cardinals defense (24.52 points). The Cheeko Chiefs were led by recent trade acquisition Jamaal Charles (16.60 points) and Cardinals running back Tim Hightower (15.40 points). This was the only game on the league scoreboard where both teams were unable to top the 100-point plateau.

N2deep 121.15, Henne Given Sunday 85.32 - George Thomas' squad won the game but suffered a devastating blow when they discovered running back Ryan Grant would miss the remainder of the regular season with an ankle injury. Luckily for him, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (30.55 points) picked up the offensive slack. The top scorer for Jason Wedgwood's team was the Baltimore Ravens defense (15.08 points), whose efforts were not enough to keep him out of the loss column in his first UFFL game since 2006.

CheeseWhiz 120.03, Pulverizers 105.95 - It was purely coincidental that a Packers fan faced an Eagles fan during the same week Green Bay and Philadelphia were battling it out on the NFL gridiron. The results of both contests were similar, with Wisconsin taking an early lead in both games and never looking back. Quarterback Tom Brady (28.32 points) showed no ill effects from the car accident he was involved in earlier in the week, as he led all scorers. The New England Patriots defense led the Pulverizers with 26.52 points.

Deltaman 138.91, TH Best Bets 98.55 - Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco's 25.95 fantasy points led all scorers as Craig Hoffman's squad opened the 2010 season with a victory in a game where the outcome was never really in doubt. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne led Mark Bender's team with 17.95 points.

bbashers 140.38, The Catch 77.28 - Even if bbashers head coach Calvin Brown had decided to bench Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (231 rushing yards, 42.45 points), his team's performance was so dominant in the season opener that they would have won by more than 20 points anyway. With Foster in the lineup, the difference between the two teams was 63.10 points. Roddy White's 18.55 points led The Catch, who were hurt by poor performances from Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker (no points) and the Cincinnati Bengals defense (-1.20 points).

UFFL now on Facebook!

By popular demand, a Facebook group for the Ultimate Fantasy Football League has been created. This is a place where league matters can be discussed, along with NFL issues and fantasy sports issues in general. Much of the information posted in the group will also be available through the Fleaflicker and Yahoo! Groups message boards, so owners who do not have Facebook won't be left out it in the dark.

Invites to the group (whose page can only be viewed by members) have already been distributed to several owners. If you are on Facebook but did not receive an invitation, please contact commissioner Jared Byrd at jared259@alumni.upenn.edu.

At this point, there are no immediate plans to establish a Twitter account for the same purpose.

In other fantasy sports news, the second seasons for the Ultimate Basketball Challenge and Ultimate Hockey Challenge keeper leagues will get underway this fall. More information on these leagues will be released within the next week.

Highlights of the 2010 UFFL Draft

The ninth annual Ultimate Fantasy Football League draft is in the books! Here are some of the highlights:

- The draft kicked off with Football Gal owner Mozelle Meyers selecting quarterback Donovan McNabb, which came as no surprise to most in attendance because she is a huge Washington Redskins fan. It was easy for her to resist drafting Tony Romo due to her intense hate of the Dallas Cowboys. That being said, she still managed to draft two Baltimore Ravens and three Pittsburgh Steelers, despite her alleged dislike of these teams.

- The entire drafting process was completed in approximately 75 minutes. All but two of the league's owners were present - Craig Hoffman (Deltaman) was unavailable due to a last-minute scheduling conflict and Jay Klinkhammer (A-Peterson Fan Club) continued his streak of avoiding the live draft, although it is uncertain if this was done intentionally.

- Tony DelSignore (The Steel Curtain) participated in his first-ever UFFL draft, while Jason Wedgwood (Henne Given Sunday), one of the league's 12 original owners, took part for the first time since 2006.

- For the second consecutive year, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre rejoined his NFL team during the middle of the preseason several hours before the UFFL draft began - apparently despondent over the possibility of not being drafted if he wasn't in Eden Prairie, Minnesota working out alongside Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe. The flip-flopping Favre fell to the fourth round, where he was scooped up by Henne Given Sunday. "Maybe we should move the UFFL draft to the day after the NFL draft, so we won't have to go through another whole summer of Brett waffling back and forth between playing and retiring," league commissioner Jared Byrd said.

- While no free agent players were selected during this draft (unlike 2009), several owners were not deterred from using picks on players facing multiple-game suspensions to begin the season. N2deep head coach George Thomas chose New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes with the 10th pick in the fifth round and Andrew So of The Catch chose Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with the ninth pick of the seventh round.

- Mr. Irrelevant was a quarterback for the second straight year. Last year, bbashers head coach Calvin Brown selected Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles; this year, Mark Bender of the TH Best Bets picked rookie Jimmy Clausen of the Carolina Panthers.

- Due to an increased amount of trading over the past year, some teams were left without any picks after the 12th round. The draft had 13 full rounds, with an additional round included for teams that still needed to fill out their roster.

- The 24th overall pick in the draft was originally owned by Bender but he traded it to the bbashers July 12, 2009, in exchange for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne. The pick was sent back to Bender July 2, 2010, along with Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, in return for a first-round pick - meaning the TH Best Bets basically got Reggie Wayne and LeSean McCoy for a first-rounder.

- At one point between the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round, the bbashers selected three players in the span of six selections (No. 12, No. 16 and No. 17). The picks were used on Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice and Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek respectively.

- The extra franchise player made the draft process shorter but also meant that there were slim pickings earlier on. "One of the things I love about three keepers is it really makes you strategize your draft picks," Brown said.

- As usual, most owners were critical of their own selections in retrospect and disappointed with how their team ended up. "Not my best work," said Steph Infections head coach Stephanie George, minutes after the draft's conclusion.

Charles in charge
Fuller trades for Kansas City running back

In an attempt to bolster his team's running game (and perhaps to also stock up on Kansas City Chiefs), Cheeko Chiefs head coach Chad Fuller recently pulled the trigger on a deal with Craigntx for running back Jamaal Charles.

In return, Craig Lechner's squad received a third-round selection in the 2010 UFFL draft. Lechner had no plans to protect Charles as a franchise player, making him expendable.

The 23-year-old Charles rushed for 1,120 yards in a breakout 2009 season. He reached the end zone eight times (one receiving TD, seven rushing TDs) and caught 40 passes for 297 yards.

Charles joins Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner as keeper players for the Cheeko Chiefs. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was left unprotected for the draft as a result of the deal.

UFFL News Ticker: With the league draft taking place Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, a temporary ban will be put on trades Monday, Aug. 16 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Trading can resume immediately after the draft has ended ... Mark Bender has changed the name of his franchise from PC Best Bets to TH Best Bets, to represent his move from Prairie Creek, Indiana to Terre Haute, Indiana ... Steph Infections head coach Stephanie George has posted pictures on the Yahoo! Groups message board of the New York Jets from training camp workouts in her hometown of Cortland, New York.

British invasion

Jason Wedgwood has returned to the UFFL as the owner of Henne Given Sunday (formerly Exit Strategy). He replaces Grace Cloud, who decided not to return for the 2010 season.

Wedgwood was one of the league's original 12 owners, compiling an overall record of 24-45-0 from 2002 to 2006 (23-43-0 in the regular season and 1-2-0 in the postseason). He retired following his only postseason appearance in 2006 but decided to make a comeback this year. Coincidentally, the English-born Miami Dolphins fan took over the same exact franchise he gave to Cloud when she rejoined the league in 2007 following her own first retirement several years prior.

Cloud, another of the league's original 12 owners, posted a 44-35-0 overall record from 2002 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2009 (36-30-0 in the regular season and 8-5-0 in the postseason. She was the winner of UFFL Bowl I, defeating The Mad Dawgs (coached by Kenneth Ortiz).

Henne Given Sunday will be placed in the Northern Division, with the Pulverizers moving back to the Southern Division following a one-year stint in the North. The move was neccssitated to maintain geographical accuracy between the divisions. Wedgwood's keeper players will be Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall and the Baltimore Ravens defense.

UFFL News Ticker: The requirements for the flex position in the starting lineup have changed. Wide receivers, running backs and tight ends are all eligible to be used at the position; prior to this season, teams were not allowed to use more than one tight end at once (unless one of the tight ends had a secondary position). "With the movement around the NFL to make tight ends a greater focal point of offenses, we felt the time was right to make this adjustment," league commissioner Jared Byrd said.

And then there were fourteen ...

Tony DelSignore has joined the Ultimate Fantasy Football League as owner of the franchise previously known as A Fake Football Team. He replaces Roy Bellamy, who resigned last month. DelSignore has decided to rename the club as The Steel Curtain in honor of his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Because he lives in Virginia, the club will remain in the Southern Division and no other franchises will need to be shifted between divisions to maintain geographical accuracy.

UFFL News Ticker: The Yahoo! Pickem Challenge and One (Loss) and Done Survival Football games are back for another season. Registration for both leagues will remain open until Thursday, Sept. 9.

Pickem league: The object of the game is to select the winners of every NFL regular season contest. Whoever has correctly picked the result of the most games is the champion. In order to join the pickem group, head to http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/pickem. The league ID number is 3689 and the password is swami.

Survival football league: The object of survival football is to pick an NFL team that you feel total confidence in, with regards to their chances of winning that particular week. As long as you keep correctly picking winning teams, your team stays alive ... otherwise, your entry is finished for the year once you suffer your first loss. The catch is that you can only pick a given NFL team once during the season. To join the survival football group, go to http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/survival. The league ID number is 1484 and the password is goodell.

Bellamy announces retirement
A Fake Football Team owner Roy Bellamy, who won the 2003 UFFL championship with the Miami Silver Mullets, has announced his retirement effective immediately. In six years, Bellamy posted a 37-42 regular season record and went 7-6 in the postseason. No replacement has been named to take over his team ... Owners who haven't submitted franchise player lists (or who have handed in incomplete lists) have been requested to submit names to the commissioner by Monday, Aug. 3.

McCoy headed to PC Best Bets

PC Best Bets head coach Mark Bender and bbashers head coach Calvin Brown have just completed a trade involving Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and a pair of draft picks.

The PC Best Bets obtained McCoy, along with the tenth pick of the second round in the 2010 UFFL draft (24th overall), in exchange for the fifth overall selection in the draft. The 21-year-old McCoy rushed for 637 yards and four touchdowns last season and is expected to be the Eagles' No. 1 running back following the team's decision to release Brian Westbrook.

Bender had recently expressed his desire to make a trade for a running back, as his original list of preliminary franchise players featured three wide receivers.

UFFL News Ticker: The UFFL live draft is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, August 17, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, on the Fleaflicker website. Owners will have up to 90 seconds to make their selections. Anyone who is unable to be present for the draft will have the opportunity to pre-rank players ... Commissioner Jared Byrd will be competing in KFFL.com's internal fantasy football league. The KFFL draft will get underway Monday, July 12, and everyone will be able to follow the action online at http://www.kffl.com ... A preliminary list of UFFL franchise players for the 2010 season is being compiled prior to the draft; to view the updated list, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page ... If any league-related issues come up during the month of July (particularly on weekdays), please feel free to contact assistant commissioner Mozelle Meyers. Her e-mail address can be found on her biography page.

Fantasy sports update: Winter 2009-2010
BASEBALL: The Fantasy Baseball Challenge, a 12-team keeper league on Fleaflicker that is about to enter its second year, has three vacancies at the moment. If you are interested in playing, send an e-mail to the commissioner at jared259@alumni.upenn.edu, and you will receive an invitation. Alternately, you can visit this page and register on your own (if prompted, the password is "phillies"). The draft is expected to take place on or around Friday, March 19. Good luck to everyone who chooses to participate!

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The Ultimate March Madness Pickem contest is back for another year. Click here to access the group website, and if prompted, the league ID number is "2953" and the password is "vitale."

BASKETBALL AND HOCKEY: Click here to view the historical websites of the Fantasy Basketball Challenge and the Fantasy Hockey Challenge, a pair of Yahoo! keeper leagues created during the 2009-2010 NBA and NHL seasons respectively. Both websites are currently under construction and updates will be posted here when more features are added.

End of the line

Jared Byrd's reign as defending champion of the UFFL: Postseason Edition contest is over, with Calvin Brown emerging victorious for the first time ever. "[It] took me a couple of weeks to figure out the strategy," Brown said prior to the start of Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, Feb. 7. "There's a couple of things I might have done differently - but then if my strategy had worked, I'd be thinking I'm brilliant." At the time, it appeared as though George Thomas had a good chance of overtaking Brown, but Thomas finished with 98 fewer overall points.

Despite a finish that was too close for comfort, Brown was in the lead for the duration of this year's contest, with very little change taking place from week to week among the contestants jockeying for second through sixth place.

"The salary cap really changes how you have to think," he said. "This is the first time I've done it, but I like it.

To view the complete standings, as well as the weekly rosters for each squad, click here.

Unfortunately, the end of this contest also means the end of pro football for several months. Hopefully, many of the participants from the Ultimate Fantasy Football League will continue to compete on Fleaflicker during the offseason via the Fantasy Baseball Challenge, a keeper league that is about to enter its second year. If you are interested in playing, send an e-mail to the commissioner at jared259@alumni.upenn.edu, and you will receive an invitation. Alternately, you can visit this page and register on your own (if prompted, the password is "phillies"). Good luck to everyone who chooses to participate!

Mid-January offseason update

(1) 2010 season update: Of the 14 franchises that competed in the league during the 2009 season, 12 have stated that they will return for the 2010 campaign. The only owners whose futures appear uncertain at this point are Roy Bellamy (A Fake Football Team) and Grace Cloud (Exit Strategy). However, Cloud's recent announcement that she is coming back to the UFFL's sister league for a second season (the Fantasy Baseball Challenge) appears to be a good sign that a fantasy football return is imminent.

On March 2, the revamped Fleaflicker website will re-open so that rule changes, scoring changes and other adjustments can be made for the upcoming season. At that point, owners should be able to see the entire league's draft order on the website - not just the round-by-round draft order for each individual team. Fleaflicker has also promised that several new features will debut during the offseason, although they have not yet publicized what those changes will be.

To see a list of upcoming rule changes and other proposals, click here.

(2) UFFL: Postseason Edition update: After one round of the NFL postseason, Calvin Brown is in the lead with 1,942 points, followed by George Thomas (1,482 points), Andrew So (1,209 points) and Jared Byrd (910 points). Mozelle Meyers and Craig Lechner did not score any points during the first week of the contest because they had illegal lineups - in other words, they did not have players listed at every position. The players that were in Meyers' lineup would have combined for 1,559 points, while the players in Lechner's lineup would have combined for 800 points. Meyers claimed that she had forgotten about the contest until the second day of the playoffs, limiting the number of players she could have used. For more information, click here.

(3) Website update: The UFFL record book has been updated in order to reflect developments from the 2009 season. For other site news, check out this link.

Jay beats Jay
Southern Division All-Stars win second annual UFFL Pro Bowl, thanks to Cutler's performance

For the second year in a row, Southern Division All-Stars head coach Calvin Brown traveled to the home city of his starting quarterback on the date of the UFFL Pro Bowl, in order to cheer him on to victory. Last year, his quarterback was Drew Brees of the Saints, so he headed to New Orleans; this year, it was Jay Cutler of the Bears, so he made the trek to his hometown of Chicago, from Baton Rouge, La.

The superstition has worked both times, as Cutler's 35.29 fantasy points led all players in the second annual UFFL Pro Bowl, with the South defeating the North, coached by Jay Klinkhammer, 132.63-106.43. He went 22-for-36 with 276 passing yards and four touchdowns in his best game of the year. Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles led the North with 26.10 points, as he rushed for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite playing for Craigntx (a Southern Division team), Charles ended up on the Northern Division team to a clerical error by commissioner Jared Byrd. Fortunately, the mistake did not affect the outcome of the game.

"On the day I designed the ballots, I was reading the Fleaflicker message board after Craig (Lechner) won it all ... and I remember he had mentioned Chad (Fuller) and Jamaal Charles, so I accidentally put Charles down as being on Chad's team (the Cheeko Chiefs, a Northern Division team)," Byrd explained. "I didn't even notice the mistake until after the late afternoon games had ended, and I went to Chad's page looking for Jamaal Charles' stats ... only to find out he played for Craigntx and should have been on the Southern Division All-Star team. I was worried that the mistake would affect the game's outcome, but Calvin ended up winning anyway."

Brown is already looking ahead to next year's UFFL Pro Bowl. "If I'm lucky enough to get to the Pro Bowl next year, I hope my QB is Chad Henne, so I can spend the weekend in Miami," he said.

UFFL News Ticker: Registration for the UFFL: Postseason Edition contest on the Sporting News website will remain open until kickoff of the first NFL postseason contest on Saturday, Jan. 9. Five contestants have already registered, and if you'd like to join them (or find out more information about this game), click here … Three cheers for N2deep head coach George Thomas, who was the winner in this year's Yahoo! Pickem Challenge. He correctly picked the winners of 168 out of 256 NFL regular season games (66% accuracy). This is the highest score since we officially began keeping track of these results in 2007 … The recipients of the 2009 UFFL Awards have been unveiled. To view the list of these winners (as well as winners in previous years), click here … Don't forget to check your e-mail for the current league questionnaire, which was distributed to owners Monday, Jan. 4. If you did not receive the questionnaire – or misplaced it – check the Yahoo! Groups message board, and search for message #916.

"Three-peat" was trademarked by Pat Riley anyway

In rematch of UFFL Bowl III, Lechner finds himself on winning end

A-Peterson Fan Club head coach Jay Klinkhammer had grand plans of establishing a fantasy football dynasty, with an expectation that he was going to cruise easily to his third consecutive UFFL championship, thanks to a combination of extraordinary luck and skill, marked by countless hours of scouring the waiver wire.

Then along came Craig Lechner to ruin those plans, as Craigntx defeated A-Peterson Fan Club in UFFL Bowl VIII by the score of 130.87 to 110.07. It was a rematch of the 2004 championship game, where Klinkhammer won his first UFFL title. A-Peterson Fan Club was also victorious in a regular season matchup between the two clubs, but that particular contest had no bearing on this game.

"I forgot how it feels to lose in this league," Klinkhammer said shortly before the loss became official, Dec. 28, when his team still had Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte active, while Craigntx still had Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin and running back Marion Barber available. At the time, A-Peterson Fan Club had a cushion of approximately three fantasy points, but the dynamic duo combined for 28.10 points against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, while the recently-acquired Forte only accumulated 4.35 points of his own. With the defeat, Klinkhammer is now 15-5 in the postseason and 3-1 in the championship round. He will now turn his focus toward coaching the Northern Division All-Stars in the second annual UFFL Pro Bowl.

In a statement released after his first championship, Lechner wrote, "I would like to thank my mom and dad for bringing me into this world, the commish for allowing me to be in the league, Miles Austin for becoming a fantasy stud, [Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan] Boldin for sucking it up and playing like the stud he is ... Chad [Fuller, head coach of the Cheeko Chiefs] for trading me [Cincinnati Bengals running back] Cedric Benson, [running back] Larry Johnson for messing up and K.C. for letting him go, allowing Jamaal Charles to shine as the RB, my stud QB [Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers] for being consistent and not getting hurt."

UFFL News Ticker: Registration for the UFFL: Postseason Edition contest is now open on the Sporting News website. If you are interested in participating, visit this link and sign up before NFL playoff games get underway Saturday, Jan. 9 ... The aforementioned UFFL Pro Bowl will take place Sunday, Jan. 3, and will feature the same coaching matchup as last year: Klinkhammer for the Northern Division All-Stars and Calvin Brown (bbashers) for the Southern Division All-Stars ... Numerous records which were previously thought to have been gone forever have been unearthed. Click here for more information ... George Thomas is in the lead with one week to go in the Yahoo! Pickem Challenge contest. He has correctly picked 156 of 240 NFL regular season games (65% accuracy rating) ... UFFL awards for the 2009 season, along with the annual owners' questionnaire, are tentatively scheduled to be distributed next week.

If David and Goliath had computers ...
Trash talk flying fast and furious prior to the big game

A-Peterson Fan Club head coach Jay Klinkhammer will be playing for his third consecutive championship (and fourth title overall) in UFFL Bowl VIII. His opponent will be Craig Lechner of Craigntx, whom Klinkhammer defeated in 2004 to win his first championship. If the trash talk in the week leading up to the game is any indication, this should be a very close, hard-fought gridiron cyber battle.

"How could an unknown like myself be in a position to beat a seasoned pro, a three-time champion, a fantasy stud, a god among disciples?," Lechner said in a recent post on the league's Fleaflicker message board. "What shall I do to prepare my team against Manning, Smith, and Jackson? I hand the trophy to you, Jay. I am the weaker owner - you, Jay, are my hero. You're superior in knowledge, drafting players, doing your homework, making 200 transactions during the year. Oh how oh how will my team of Rivers, Austin, Boldin ever compete? EASY - I will do the same I have done each and every week. Drink beer, click a few buttons and for a split second I will be Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells. I will be a legend in my own mind. And in the end, I will be the UNDERDOG champ of this league and proudly wear the crown to all parties I go to. And say I beat the unbeatable Jay - [I will] raise my glass to you and say 'TO JAY, MAY HE ALWAYS FEEL THE WRATH OF CRAIGNTX!!!!!'"

In response, Klinkhammer replied, "Good first try ... I remember when I was the underdog two years ago, as the #6 seed, winning it all. I am Tom Brady. Once beloved as an underdog, but now the hated veteran. I will Gisele you in these finals."

Being able to make it back to the finals for the first time in five years came as a complete surprise to Lechner. "Who would have thought I would be in the final game," he said. " ... It's odd - I only scored 17 more points than 2008 and get to the finals. Last year, I didn't even make the playoffs." Klinkhammer seemed less stunned to be playing in the UFFL Bowl once more. "Only I can prevent my fourth championship and third straight," he said.

In the other championship bracket contest, the Pulverizers (second seed) host Exit Strategy (eighth seed) in the third-place game, in a game which is meaningful for both bragging rights and draft positioning. In the consolation bracket, the ninth-seeded Cheeko Chiefs host 11th-seeded Deltaman, while the 10th-seeded PC Best Bets host 13th-seeded Football Gal. The league's other six franchises are idle.

Following the championship game, Klinkhammer will face Calvin Brown of the bbashers for the second consecutive year in the UFFL Pro Bowl, pitting the best players in the Northern Division against the best players in the Southern Division. These coaches were selected based on the fact that they led their respective divisions in points scored during the 2009 season. The Pro Bowl will take place Sunday, Jan. 3, and the results of the game will be posted on this website.

The UFFL: Postseason Edition contest (in its fourth year) will begin the following week. Details will be posted on this site (as well as on both league message boards) when registration opens.

Fantasy sports update: Winter 2009-2010
In order to fill the cavernous fantasy sports void that occurs during the autumn and winter months on days without pro football, I have created a fantasy basketball and a fantasy hockey league.

The Fantasy Basketball Challenge is a 10-team head-to-head league that recently held its live draft on Saturday, Oct. 24, on the Yahoo! Sports website.

The Fantasy Hockey Challenge is an eight-team league that held its live draft on Monday, Sept. 28. Like its similarly named basketball counterpart, it is a head-to-head keeper league hosted by Yahoo!

A historical website for the Fantasy Baseball Challenge keeper league is currently under construction. Click here to see the site, and more updates will be posted as more features are added.