Glenbard West Holiday Classic Final Recap

Since I was at North Central College last night, I didn't get to see the championship game of the tournament I had seen all the pool play games for. Finals from the last games:

7th Place
Addison Trail 65, Fenton 42
Addison Trail (1-3, 7th) played better than its 7th place finish, but was stuck in a tough pool. Fenton (0-4, 8th) had heart, but unfortunately was overmatched by much of the field. I wish them the best of luck the rest of the season.

5th Place
St. Charles East 73, West Chicago 64
St. Charles East (3-1, 5th) looked like a lock for the title before the big upset yesterday, and came out for revenge, beating a tough West Chicago (1-3, 6th) team that was also stuck in a tough pool.

3rd Place
Leyden 52, Timothy Christian 43 (OT)
Leyden (3-1, 3rd) only really had trouble with Glenbard West in their pool, yet needed overtime to knock off Timothy (2-2, 4th), who played consistently well throughout the tournament.

Championship Game
Glenbard West 67, Wheaton Academy 48
The Hilltoppers (4-0, 1st) were the favorites to win, and did so against a tough Wheaton Academy (2-2, 2nd) team that really didn't have the size to match up with Glenbard.

Congratulations to the Hilltoppers on winning the tournament for the 5th time in its 10 year history. And Thursday, since it was my last day in Glen Ellyn, I started picking an All-Tournament Team early on. I worked closely with Geoffrey Clark, who called the title game yesterday. There was an official All-Tournament Team given to Geoffy by the athletic director at Glenbard West, but based on our observations from 3 days, here were our picks:

All Tournament 1^st Team

G- Alex Hererra, Leyden*

G- Lars Olson, Wheaton Academy

G- Danny Leach, Timothy Christian*

F- Michael Mache, Glenbard West*

F- Cameron Harvey, Wheaton Academy*

All Tournament 2^nd Team

G- Jonathan Woolf, Leyden

G- Dominic Adduci, St. Charles East

G- Jeff Levesque, Glenbard West

F- Johnny Hondlik, St. Charles East

F- Pat Mazza, Glenbard West*

All Tournament 3^rd Team

G- James Pupillo, Addison Trail*

G- Collin Roy, Wheaton Academy

F- Kendall Stephens, St. Charles East*

F- Luke Ludke, St. Charles East

F- Justin Mundt, West Chicago*

Honorable Mention

-Collin Wallace, Fenton

Asterisks indicate picks made in the official All-Tournament Team.

Geoffy and I also settled on the three major individual awards.

• 6th Man: Jonathan Woolf, Leyden. Was a consistent threat off the bench every game for the Eagles. Helped get them 3rd place.
• Defensive Player: Pat Mazza, Glenbard West. Had to have averaged 2 or 3 blocks a game, and altered many more by his presence alone. Credit to Matt Morrison of Timothy and Lars Olson of Wheaton who were in the running as well.
• MVP: Michael Mache, Glenbard West. Played extremely well in pool play, and scored 25 points in the title game. No brainer.

A big thank you to Geoff for a fun three days, and for helping decide on these awards. Thanks as well to Linda Oberg, Athletic Director at Glenbard West and Kevin Sander from iHigh.com for the opportunity to work this tournament.

Game Notes: Benedictine University @ North Central College (12/30/11)

Final Score
Benedictine 62, NCC 60

Summary
This was another bipolar-type game for North Central (6-5). They jumped out to a big lead early, leading 31-17 at one point in the first half, but the Eagles (4-8) came roaring back to within 3 at the half. In the second half, the Cardinals were able to hit a few 3's to stay in front, but the Clogged Toilet Offense caught up with them. 18 turnovers (10 in the 2nd half) tend to bite you, as Benedictine took advantage of the constant miscues to take the lead for good with less than 2 minutes to go.

Key Stats

• Michelle Gaede (BEN): 8-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-1 FT, 18 pts, 8 reb. She came up with what turned out to be the game-winning basket late, but hit a bunch of big shots over the course of the game. Player of the game for sure.
• Helen Muleya (NCC): 1-8 FG, 2 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 to. Played a good game on defense, but continues to be nightmarish at the offensive end. Forces a lot of bad passes and bad shots. She had a look at the game-tying layup, but spun it out. She needs to go straight up with her layups, and the numbers will improve. She has a lot of talent, but needs to improve her decision making.
• Lauren Hernandez (NCC): 3-5 FG, 3-4 3PT, 9 pts. She's a great scorer off the bench and someone to take pressure off of people like Jenny Swanson (1-7 from deep, an off night). She had some of the big 3's to keep the Cardinals in front before the final collapse. A freshman with a great future on this team.

Final Thoughts
Before getting into these last thoughts, congratulations to Benedictine's Tracey Walsh, who with 1:57 left in the first half became the sixth Eagle to score 1000 points in her career.

One of the people at the scorers' table said it best (quote is paraphrased): "This team has played 10 games, they shouldn't be doing this stupid stuff!" This is a team that plays well on defense, and is a good rebounding team (especially for their size), but the offense... ye gods. The ball movement is not good most of the time, there's a lot of catching passes and waiting before passing onwards. There's minimal movement inside, when you could potentially have the Emily's (Collins and Murphy) averaging double figures if you have them set some screens for each other.

This team is picked to finish 7th in the CCIW (play starts Wednesday). That said, I think they can overachieve and maybe sneak into the CCIW Tournament, but they need to stop getting beat by their own worst enemy: themselves.

Game Notes: Manchester College @ North Central College (12/30/11)

Final Score
NCC 62, Manchester 38

Summary
My first men's game of the year turned out to be a great pick as I filled in for Jim Godo as their PA guy. The Cardinals (6-5) got out to a great start especially at the defensive end. The first few minutes of this game were absolutely fascinating to watch with great switching and several steals. Manchester (3-8) has a lot of height, but just couldn't really shoot or get anything going offensively. For my first men's game, I am extremely impressed and figure that these guys will give every CCIW team fits.

Key Stats

• Aaron Tiknis (NCC): 6-8 FG, 2-2 3PT, 14 pts, 8 reb (3 off), 4 stl, 2 ast. Wow. He missed a bunch of time early last season, and in his first full year has emerged as a major component of this lineup. He can shoot from outside, but he has the size (6'6") to battle down low with the best of them. He'll be a big asset when the Cardinals start CCIW play next week.
• Vince Kmiec (NCC): 6-10 FG, 5-7 3PT, 17 pts, 6 reb. I took a basketball PE class last year, and Vince was in it. One thing I saw constantly during those 10 weeks was that Vince can shoot the three. And boy, did he do it tonight. I leaned over to Clark Teuscher (NCC's Sports Information Director) and told him after Vince hit the 5th three that he needed one more for a free shrug. At that point, the Cardinals were up by 34, so Todd Raridon called off the dogs. Alas.
• CJ Goldthree (NCC): 5-15 FG, 2-4 3PT, 12 pts, 8 reb. Most of his misses were on layups. The coaching staff told him to not do a finger roll on his layup attempts. I figure he can do that, he'll be fine. He's a good offensive player, and played excellent defense tonight as well. The amazing number is the rebounds. CJ is 6'0", and outrebounded a bunch of big guys.

Final Thoughts
This team was picked to finish 2nd out of 8 in the CCIW, and the only major loss from last year is Brian Evans' defense and energy. I see Kmiec as a taller Reid Berringer, and this team has a chance to host the CCIW Tournament for the second year. Todd Raridon is a great coach, and he once again has a great team. I hope to get to see some of their conference games this year, should be fun!

Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 3

Final Score

Timothy Christian 53, St. Charles East 50

Summary

Finally had a scorers’ duel we’d been waiting for all tournament long. The Saints (2-1) once again had tie games after 2 and again after 3, with offense coming from an unlikely source (see below). Meanwhile the Trojans (2-1) played great defense all game, as they had the hero with a game winning shot. St. Charles East gave away its shot to play for the title today.

Key Players

• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. He was huge again today, hitting some big threes throughout the game, but none bigger than a go-ahead bomb with 2 seconds left. It was the culmination of a couple tough missed shots but great offensive rebounding, finally finding him a good enough look. Leach as of this game's conclusion was the front-runner for tournament MVP.
• Matt Morrison (TC): 11 pts. Finally came up with some offensive heroics today, scoring 7 in the first, but it was solid defense again that earns him a spot on this list. He came up with a couple more steals in key moments to help the Trojans preserve the win.
• Kendall Stephens (SCE): 30 pts. Ankle injury? What ankle injury? Stephens surprised both Geoffy and me by coming off the bench in the 2^nd quarter and draining a torrent of threes to make this arguably the most fun game of the tournament.

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Final Score

Wheaton Academy 61, Addison Trail 46

Summary

The Blazers (0-3) continued their “never say die” tournament by staying close to Wheaton in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, even taking a couple leads here and there. But the Warriors (2-1) proved to be too much in the 4^th quarter, as Addison Trail kept turning the ball over. With the win, the Warriors took advantage of the Timothy Christian win to sneak back into the title game.

Key Players

• Collin Roy (WA): 18 pts. Roy came up big in the 4^th quarter with a couple big shots from all over the field (3’s, layups, you name it).
• Lars Olson (WA): 10 pts. Olson was huge on both ends of the floor once again, a close competition with Matt Morrison for Defensive Player of the Tournament, but he has hit a few big 3’s in pool play, none bigger than a buzzer beater at the end of the 3^rd quarter that doubled Wheaton’s lead and effectively killed the Blazers.
• Vince Beltrano (AT): 13 pts. He had another solid game on offense, but was outmatched by Cameron Harvey in the post (14 points). He did enough early to keep the Blazers in the game, but was ineffective in the 4^th quarter as Addison Trail saw its chances slip away.

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Final Score

West Chicago 57, Fenton 29

Summary

It was a close game earlier in the game, but the Wildcats (1-2) stepped up their game in the 2^nd quarter to jump to a 31-15 halftime lead. The Bison (0-3) made a lot of mistakes and just couldn’t seem to get going on offense. They really haven’t been that remarkable a team aside from Collin Wallace’s scoring. It became garbage time by the fourth quarter with West Chicago jumping to a 20 point lead a few minutes in.

Key Players

• Dylan Hedmark (WC): 16 pts. He finally had a breakout game with no one to contain him. He probably had a double-double today by the time all was said and done.
• Justin Mundt (WC): 11 pts. Mundt continues to be the best player on this West Chicago team, getting to the line a little bit and hitting big shots. Worthy of consideration for all tournament honors. 
• Adam Kadlec (FEN): 11 pts. Had a couple early buckets, really didn’t step up as the game went on. He also got called for a technical late in the game. He led the team in scoring as Collin Wallace only had 8 tonight.

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Final Score

Glenbard West 56, Leyden 35.

Summary

Another one that started as a great defensive struggle, but the Hilltoppers (2-0) stepped up their game in the second quarter. The Eagles (2-0) really didn’t have an answer for the balanced offense of Glenbard West, combining an inside game with some timely threes. They proceeded to blow it open in the third, setting a date with Wheaton Academy for the title.

Key Players

• Michael Mache (GBW): 12 pts. Front runner for MVP right now, based on his being the leader on the team with the best record in the tournament. Got a lot of easy looks down low.
• Pat Mazza (GBW): 8 pts. At least 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Probably now the favorite for Defensive Player of the tournament. Also had a nice authoritative dunk tonight. He’s tied with Mache for the tournament lead in dunks.
• Alex Hererra (LEY): 15 pts. 4 of those came on technical free throws, but he did not have many driving lanes tonight. Credit the Hilltopper defense, but especially Justin Taylor for sticking on him like glue.

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This has been a great tournament, and I want to take the opportunity to thank Glenbard West and iHigh.com for the opportunity to get back behind the mic for basketball games. Tomorrow I will be missing out on the finals (Geoffy is calling the title game), as I will be at North Central for the return of women's basketball to Merner. I also get the one-game recap instead of a jumbo pack of 4 games.

Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 2

Final Score:

Timothy Christian 53, Addison Trail 52

Summary

The Blazers (0-2) led for most of the game keeping Timothy Christian (1-1) an arm’s length away. The Trojans could not stop the dribble penetration and easy inside buckets by Addison Trail. Down by as much as 7, the Trojans worked away, chipping into the lead, going in front for good with less than a minute to go.

Key Players

• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. We noticed yesterday that Leach took over in the 4^th quarter to make it an interesting game, and he did so again here. He only hit a pair of threes, but he got to the hoop and to the line. He scored the final 4 points for Timothy, willing them to victory.

• Matthew Morrison (TC): 5 pts. Wasn’t much of an offensive factor, missing a bunch of layups, but came up huge on defense. He had at least 3 steals in the 4^th quarter, and forced a lot of bad passes. I wish defense was shown a little better in a box score, because he deserves a lot of credit.

• James Pupillo (AT): 15 pts. Was huge throughout the game, hitting several big shots, driving the lane with ease, and playing tough defense. But he made a bone-headed decision on the final play. The Blazers called timeout with about 8 seconds left down 3. Pupillo was playing the point. You figure he’d pass off to Varinder Kalsi, right? Instead, he passed inside to center Ricky Diaz for a layup. Terrible basketball IQ that could have cost his team a shot at overtime.

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Final Score:

St. Charles East 47, Wheaton Academy 46

Summary

The Saints (2-0) led 8-0 early before Wheaton (1-1) started to wake up offensively. It was a tie game at the half and after the 3^rd quarter, with Wheaton getting leads before the Saints came back to tie. Wheaton looked poised to take the game in the 4^th, but the Saints came up with late heroics (see below). St. Charles is now in prime position to go to the title game.

Key Players

• Luke Ludke (SCE): 6 pts. But he had the biggest 2 points of the game. St. Charles called timeout with 2.9 ticks left after Wheaton went up 46-45 on a free throw. The inbounds went to Ludke, who went from the halfcourt line, ran all but unopposed to the elbow and banked home a game-winner [insert Gus Johnson-esque finish here].
• Dominic Adduci (SCE): 15 pts. Adduci didn’t rely on the three as much today, instead driving to the basket, though he did hit a crucial 3 in the 4^th quarter before the heroics. I thought for sure he was going to get the final shot, but I’m sure he’ll take the win.
• Drew Sandberg (WA): 11 pts. Geoffy and I figured he’d be more of an offensive factor yesterday, but it wasn’t needed. He needed it today, getting to the line multiple times, plus some layups. It should be noted that it was Sandberg at the line with 2.9 seconds left. He missed the first, drastically altering the game, making it possible for Ludke’s heroics.

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Final Score:

Leyden 66, West Chicago 55

Summary

Leyden (2-0) jumped out to an early lead they would never relinquish. They led by 11 at the break after another great game by their backcourt. The Wildcats (0-2) were able to stay closer tonight compared to yesterday (24 point defecit at half), but couldn’t get closer than about 8 points.

Key Players

• Alex Hererra (LEY): 32 pts. He went off for 17 in the first half, 11 coming in the opening quarter. He went probably 5-7 from beyond the arc, all makes coming before the half, including a buzzer beater in the 2^nd. In the second he drove the lane, getting points almost at will.
• Jonathan Woolf (LEY): 13 pts. Definitely the favorite for 6^th man of the tournament. He hit one three, and came up with a few big free throws near the end. He’s a major guy to watch out for.
• Justin Mundt (WC): 20 pts. He kept West Chicago close throughout, hitting a bunch of free throws again, and getting to the basket. It’s just been too bad he hasn’t had enough help to give the Wildcats a win yet.

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Final Score

Glenbard West 48, Fenton 30

Summary

This was a defensive struggle throughout, with both teams struggling to score early. Then the Hilltoppers (2-0) went on a little run, leading 11-4 before the Bison (0-2) got back to within 2, but they wouldn't get any closer. It was 16-9 at the half, and 21-14 after 3, but then the Hilltoppers finally started getting shots to fall. Both teams had a lot of turnovers, but Fenton couldn't take advantage, while Glenbard did.

Key Players

• Michael Mache (GBW) 14 pts. No dunks for him tonight, but he did what he needed to do: get inside and get some easy buckets, and hit some free throws. He was the leading scorer (possible I'm off on the number of points by a couple either way), but he was the leading scorer.
• Vernon Harris (GBW) 11 pts. Did so off the bench. Will challenge Jonathan Woolf for 6th man of the tournament, and made his case today by getting to the basket in the 2nd half.
• Colin Wallace (FEN) 19 pts. Led his team, but when you score almost two-thirds of your team's points, you won't win many games. He was hounded much of the day, yet showed some signs of life early in the second half before the turnover bug really started to bite. Nonetheless, he's a good player.

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Tomorrow decides the fate of the teams for who plays for the title. A quick rundown is as follows:

White Pool

• St. Charles East (2-0) clinches 1st place with a win over Timothy Christian.
• Timothy Christian (1-1) clinches 1st place with a win over St. Charles East AND Wheaton Academy loss to Addison Trail OR Wheaton Academy win plus Wheaton gives up 12 more points than Timothy Christian.
• Wheaton Academy (1-1) clinches 1st place with a win over Addison Trail AND Timothy Christian win over St. Charles East plus Wheaton gives up no more than 11 points more than Timothy Christian.
• Addison Trail (0-2) is eliminated from contention.

Green Pool

• Glenbard West (2-0) clinches 1st place with a win over Leyden.
• Leyden (2-0) clinches 1st place with a win over Glenbard West.
• West Chicago (0-2) is eliminated from contention.
• Fenton (0-2) is eliminated from contention.

The Green Pool is simple, the White Pool not so much, but that should cover it. St. Charles East-Timothy Christian is at 3 tomorrow, Wheaton Academy-Addison Trail at 4:30, Fenton-West Chicago is at 6:30, and Leyden-Glenbard West is at 8.

Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 1

Final Score:

St. Charles East 69, Addison Trail 68

Summary

The Saints (1-0) jumped out to an early lead today with a barrage of threes, leading by as much as 14 early. Over the course of the rest of the game, the Blazers (0-1) worked their way back, closing the gap to as little as 5 during parts, with the Saints keeping distance. But a 13 point lead after 3 dwindled quickly, seeing Addison Trail take a 63-62 lead with 3 minutes to go. But the Saints got the last laugh, hitting key shots down the stretch.

Key Players:

• Dominic Adduci (SCE): 6-10 FG, 2-3 3PT, 10-12 FT, 23 pts. He became the focal point of his team after Kendall Stephens went down with an injured ankle. He was hitting from everywhere, and did a great job getting to the foul line. Easily the Player of the Game.
• Johnny Hondlik (SCE): 7-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-3FT, 19 pts. He was the inside-outside threat for the Saints. Capable of knocking down threes, but wasn’t afraid to do a little dirty work inside. Someone you have to keep an eye on at all times.
• Varinder Kalsi (AT): 8-14FG, 6-103PT, 1-2FT, 23 pts. He went off in the 4th and was a key cog in the comeback, hitting several threes in the effort. He’s someone the other teams will have to gameplan for.

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Final Score:

Wheaton Academy 58, Timothy Christian 46

Summary

In a battle between former members of the now-defunct Private School League, the Warriors (1-0) jumped out to an early lead thanks to great ball movement and lethal shooting. The Trojans (0-1) took a lot of bad shots in this one early on before trying to mount a late comeback. They came within probably about 6 points before Wheaton finished them off.

Key Players:

• Cameron Harvey (WA): 6-13FG, 2-5 3PT, 7-11FT, 21 pts. He slowed down after a hot first quarter, but was effective everywhere on the floor. Very athletic, and will be a nightmare to guard.
• Lars Olson (WA): 4-9 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 14 pts. He’s a gamechanger with his ability to hit the three. Hit a couple early, then hit a couple late. Someone you have to watch out for at all times.
• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. I don’t have the exact shot attempts in front of me, but in the 4^th quarter Leach also went off, making me hope for another St.Charles East-Addison Trail game. Didn’t happen. But he did enough to impress, hitting a few key threes to give Timothy hopes of a come from behind victory. If he is consistent throughout the game, Timothy will be a pain for any team.

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Final Score:

Leyden 62, Fenton 49

Summary

Leyden (1-0) came out with a half court trap at the start and jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, then led 17-8 at one point. The Bison (0-1) did step up defensively the rest of the way, though they never get closer than about 10 points. The Eagles also brought Lob City to Glen Ellyn, seeing Brian McNamara throw down an alley-oop.

Key Players

• Alex Hererra (LEY): 9-12 FG, 1-1 3PT, 19 pts. Easily the player of the game. He got to the hoop again and again against an otherwise pretty stout Bison defense. He made it look easy, and should be watched closely on passes to open teammates.
• Jonathan Woolf (LEY): 5-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 13 pts. Up there for Sixth Man of the tournament. Came in off the bench and scored everywhere as well. When you have a guy like him off the bench, it takes pressure off the starters to do all the work. He’s someone to watch out for as well.
• Colin Wallace (FEN): 6-14 FG, 4-8 3PT, 5-5 FT, 21 pts. Wallace went off in the 4^th in a comeback effort, part of a theme tonight. If he can get involved early, he’ll be a dangerous man in every game.

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Final Score:

Glenbard West 60, West Chicago 48

Summary

The Hilltoppers (1-0) jumped out to a huge lead early on with the lid on the Wildcats' (0-1) basket. They went into the half down 37-13. How did they respond? They came out inspired in the 2nd half and while they didn't get closer than about 7 points, they didn't give up and gave Glenbard a great game.

Key Players

•  Michael Mache (GBW): 4-9 FG, 4-4 FT, 12 pts. Not a dominating scoring performance, but he did enough along with his twin brother Matthew (also 12 points). Normally you're lucky to see a dunk in a high school game. Michael had 2... on back to back possessions. One came on an open look on an entry pass, and the other was on a fast break.
• Jeff Levesque (GBW): 4-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-12 FT, 15 pts. Levesque was a consistent threat to drive and get to the line. He had at least one steal as well, and his aggresive play took attention away from bombers like Kevin Loftus.
• West Chicago shooting: 4-26 FG 1st half, 13-56 FG overall. They were certainly better in the second half, but it's hard to overcome that poor of a shooting night. Hats off to the Wildcats for staying with it late.

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It was a good first day, and Geoffy and I are getting back to it tomorrow. Addison Trail-Timothy Christian at 3, St. Charles East-Wheaton Academy at 4:30, Leyden-West Chicago at 6:30, and Fenton-Glenbard West at 8. You can once again catch the games on iHigh.com.

Reality or Fantasy: A Matter of Honor

Fantasy football has really taken off in the Internet era, and I started in 2005, a year after my dad did. In 2006 he started a league with a bunch of people he works with, and some people known through them. I was an inaugural member of what was dubbed the Casual Interest American Football League (CIAFL, so named as a joke because a friend of mine in the league is convinced my dad works for the CIA.) That first year I made the title game. Five years later the league still exists, though my dad opted out this year for personal reasons, removing my biggest rivalry game from the schedule. It's entirely possible I found a new one.


This season I finished with a 9-4 record, tops in the league, and made the championship game against another original owner and my dad's coworker George. He was the #2 overall seed in the playoffs, so it seemed only fitting that we matched up in the title game. George, ever the trash talker (the best in the league), started talking smack as soon as he knew he was in the title game. I talked back, and he offered to make a bet. I win, I get his winnings from the league. He wins, I had to write a blog post about him and this matchup. I wish I could say this post was a forum to rub it in his face. Alas.

George has constantly changed his team name over the years. Originally he was Fear the Turtle (Maryland alum if memory serves) and has changed it around over the years, this year settling on "Chicken Crossing" (something about having chickens in his backyard). His consistency has come in his trash talking, so much so that within probably 10 minutes of Falcons-Saints going final he changed his team name to "Champions!" On the field, he has had some up and down years. I don't remember if he's won a league title before, but he definitely earned it this year.

Through random draw, George lucked into the #1 pick in the draft, though I seem to remember he wasn't thrilled about it since we draft in snake fashion, but his first few picks were fantastic. He took consensus #1 Adrian Peterson first, then in the wraparound later he took Vincent Jackson and Larry Fitzgerald. He also overcame me stealing 3 of his guys before he could pick. Overall, 6 of his 9 players in the championship game were players he drafted (Willis McGahee, C.J. Spiller and San Francisco's defense were the 3 pickups.) San Fran was picked up before the start of the season, and McGahee and Spiller were later additions.

Spiller was someone I contemplated getting for a while and now I do regret it, given the result today and due to having some trouble at the running back spot all year. He took advantage and had guys step up this week. My biggest mistake was playing Torrey Smith over Jeremy Maclin, though it wouldn't have been enough. He clearly earned the win and made some big moves over the course of the season to pick up a title, overcoming the team with the #2 pick (I took Rodgers. Took some heat for it, but it turned out well). I'm proud of what I accomplished this year, mirroring the Baltimore Ravens a bit, seeing 3 of my 4 regular season losses coming to non-playoff teams, while leading the league in scoring. Unfortunately it's what happens in the final game that counts, and George brought his A-game, netting the highest score against me all year.

So congratulations to this year's best fantasy owner on his title. You can take my word for it. Or you can listen to my dad who, when I told him about the bet and this blog post, said "He's not a very good owner." Your call.