Week 17: Finger Bowl 16 preview

SERKUS ACT (9-7) at BELLAGIO CARD SHARKS (9-6-1)
At Sam Boyd Silver Bowl, Las Vegas, Nev.


Previous meeting: Sharks 35, Serkus 30 (Week 2); Serkus 53, Sharks 30 (Week 9)
Playoff records: Serkus owner Goff 3-8, Sharks owner Wanberg 1-3
The skinny: Serkus owner Stan Goff is the longest active Finks owner without a Finger Bowl championship (15 years). Goff lost Finger Bowls in 2000 and 2002... Sharks owner D.J. Wanberg makes his first Finger Bowl appearance in 13 years as an owner... This will be the second consecutive Finks League playoff game played at the Silver Bowl in as many weeks.
Probable starters: Serkus -- Romo, Barber, Mendenhall, R. Moss, V. Jackson, Kaeding. Sharks -- Brees, T. Jones, Buckhalter, Fitzgerald, Holmes, K. Brown.
The pick: Serkus 42, Sharks 38.

Week 16 Semifinal boxscores

Division runner-ups ruled the day in Week 16. Congrats to Finger Bowl 16 teams Sharks and Serkus.

SEMIFINAL
Serkus (44)
QB Romo DAL 8
RB Barber DAL 6
RB Mendenhall PIT 6
WR R. Moss NE 18
WR V. Jackson SD zero
PK Kaeding SD 6

Newt (29)
QB P. Manning IND zero
RB C. Johnson TEN 11
RB Wells AZ 6
WR Wayne IND zero
WR Welker NE 5
PK Bironas TEN 7

SEMIFINAL
Sharks (45)
QB Brees NO 8
RB T. Jones NYJ 11
RB Buckhalter DEN zero
WR Fitzgerald AZ 6
WR Holmes PIT 9
PK K. Brown HOU 11

Posse (34)
QB Brady NE 17
RB R. Williams MIA zero
RB R. Rice BAL 5
WR H. Ward PIT zero
WR Austin DAL 3
PK Carpenter MIA 9

Posse owner: "Rice, Rice, Brady"

LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas Posse captain Tom Brady demanded a new team after an 0-3 start and got a completely rebuilt roster, as he is the lone holdover from Week 1 heading into the Finks League playoffs.  Posse owner Matt Simo listened to Brady's request and not only wheeled and dealed throughout the season to bring in RB Ray Rice, RB Mike Bell and WR Hines Ward via trades, but he also grabbed key contributors like WR Miles Austin and WR Sidney Rice off the waiver wire.

 

"Our motto down the stretch was Rice, Rice, Brady," Simo said in comparing his team to an old Vanilla Ice song.  "Tom wanted a new team, and I gave it to him.  If a guy like Mason Crosby missed field goals, he was gone.  Now Brady's just got to step up and help us to win a championship." 

 

The Posse ended up winning the Madden division despite back-to-back 3-point games from Brady to wrap up the regular season.  Regardless, he figures to hold off Alex Smith for the starting spot in the semifinals.  However, Simo warned that nobody's job is safe right now, and there could be some lineup surprises in store when his team suits up against the Bellagio Card Sharks at the Las Vegas Silver Bowl.

 

"I've heard some people compare me to Jerry Jones," Simo said.  "But instead of building a $1 billion stadium, I rolled the dice on acquiring an entirely new team around Brady, and now we're in the playoffs.  We've built a winner here in Vegas, and I couldn't be any prouder of any team."

Week 15 review

Goff: "My mediocre team seems to save its best for taking on Chris' Barrels...
I'm reporting a 64-41 win thanks to 30 points from my 2 Chargers (17 V. Jackson, 13 Kaeding)...if it's any consolation Chris, I suffered a Yahoo-3rd tiebreaker gut-wrenching semifinal playoff loss in another league...thanks to Andrian Peterson's TD I tied my opponent (but a little more out of him would have been nice)...then Yahoo went into its computer formulas and eventually determined I lost and am now playing for third place...Merry Christmas all Finksers and families."

Simo: "I just checked and found that the Posse is the only team in the league to score at least 30 points in every game this season."

Week 16 Semifinal previews

SERKUS ACT (8-7) at EYE OF NEWT (11-4)
At Russell J. Halloran Sports and Recreation Complex, Newton, Mass.

Previous meeting: Newt 48, Serkus 37 (Week 8)
Playoff records: Serkus owner Goff 3-3, Newt owner Newton 3-3.
The skinny: Newt finished with the league's best record, a career-high 11 wins for owner Jeff Newton. Newton has won 10 games in a season three times. Newt's season total of 693 points was the most since Quags' 759 in 2007... Newton is eyeing a third Finger Bowl appearance after losses in 2004 and 2006... Newton previous won division titles in 03, 04 and 06. In his eighth year, Newton has made the playoffs four times, previously in 2003-04, 06... Goff's seventh playoff appearance ties Traczek for second all-time among Finks owners. Simo is in the playoffs for a record-setting eighth time this season. Goff's previous playoff appearances were in 95, 99, 01, 02, 05, 06.
Starting lineups: Serkus -- Romo, Barber, Mendenhall, R. Moss, V. Jackson, Kaeding. Newt -- P. Manning, C. Johnson, Wells, Wayne, Welker, Bironas.
The pick: Newt 55, Serkus 35.

BELLAGIO CARD SHARKS (8-6-1) at LAS VEGAS POSSE (8-7)
At Sam Boyd Silver Bowl, Las Vegas, Nev.

Previous meeting: Posse 41, Sharks 27 (Week 8)
Playoff records: Sharks owner Wanberg 0-3, Posse owner Simo 8-4.
The skinny: Simo is the winningest Finks owner in the postseason despite taking the last three years off from the league. Simo ranks third all-time in wins with 116, behind Traczek's 127 and Goff's 117.... After starting the season 0-3, Simo changed over his roster with free-agent pickups and trades. His only original player from the preseason auction is QB Brady NE. Simo won Finger Bowls in 1997 and 2002... He makes a record-setting eighth playoff appearance... Wanberg's only previous playoff appearances were in 2001 and 2004.
Probable starters: Sharks -- Brees, T. Jones, Buckhalter, Fitzgerald, Holmes, K. Brown. Posse -- Brady, R. Rice, R. Williams, H. Ward, S. Rice, Carpenter.
The pick: Posse 40, Sharks 32.

Week 15: Around the league

Simo's Posse:
"I had a 47-37 win for the HNE with former Posse & Henry QB Aaron Rodgers winning Player of the Week honors with a 24-point performance.Simo's Posse: "

 

Fortunately, I still scored 30+ points yet again and should be able to sneak into the playoffs.  I should win any tie-breaker scenarios based on most points scored in the division.  Anyway, kudos to the Eggers since I think they were the only team to beat me twice..."

Week 14 review -- "You've got to be kidding me."

As expected, it's an unbelievable toss up to determine playoff teams this year from the Madden Division.

Week 15 games to keep an eye on:

• Eggers (4-10) vs. Posse (8-6)
• Newt (10-4) vs. vb5ds (8-6)
• Serkus (7-7) vs. Barrels (7-7)

The loser between Serkus-Barrels is eliminated from playoff consideration. A Posse win and vb5ds win would give those teams a playoff berth.

Congrats to Sharks owner D.J. Wanberg on clinching the runner-up playoff spot from the Cosell Division. Just a reminder, does everyone know that Wednesday is the final day from free-agent pickups and that Thursday's kickoff ends the trading deadline? Good luck to our playoff teams.

Week 13 Around the League

Comments from owners around the league in Week 13:

Eggers' Miazga: "I believe I lost 50-47 to Wanberg.(Needed another TD pass from Rodgers, or starting Roy Williams at WR would have helped)...that would be five losses of 4 or fewer points and 6 losses of 9 or less points this season for the 4-9 Eggers."

 

Serkus' Goff: "Very tough Cowboys outcome for me...but Romo did at least carry the Serkus Act to a 48-30 win over the Hurricanes withis 3-TD, almost-400-yard effort....I'm waiting for Marion Barber to do anything since my trade for him...while I was not using Welker prior to the trade...I wish I had him the last three weeks as Vincent Jackson has recorded three straight goose eggs once he was no longer being pushed in my lineup by Welker.

Oh well...at least I am now able to pencil two starting RBs into my lineup each week, even if one of them is no longer productive."

 

--30-- 

 

 

Week 13 review

Congrats to Newt owner Jeff Newton on clinching his fourth division title, all of them for playoff berths, despite losing 42-25 to the Barrels in Week 13. Newt holds a two-game lead over the Sharks with two weeks remaining, but holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Sharks.

Rookie owner Joanna Terracciano holds a one-game lead over the Posse and Serkus in a Madden Division race that seemingly will be decided in the final week. Please check the Web site home page for the new note on deadlines for free-agent moves and trade deadlines.

All-decade Fantasy Football Team

The Mac Bros. at Fantasy Football Forecast threw out their selections for an All-decade fantasy team. Any suggestions you would like to see? I know I'd put RB Alexander SEA higher up. I'm not sure about PK Wilkins STL when PK Elam DEN was so good for me for so many years.

Week 12 review

Shout out to Posse owner Matt Simo, who has asked what the tiebreakers are heading into the playoffs. I have now listed them at http://sites.google.com/site/finksleague/home/stands-2. I can tell Simo is worried in a Madden Division pack with at least two teams at 6-6, one of them the Posse. I'm still awaiting a Week 12 result from vb5ds vs. Quags. There could be a three-way tie in the Madden with three matches remaining. Yikes.

Newt needs one more win to clinch the Cosell Division title. It's still a toss up for second place.

No Week 12 Around the league this week. I'll share the following from the Eggers:

"I've lost four games by 4 or less points (22-18; 36-33; 43-39; 37-33) and five games by 9 or less points (60-51 loss).....one player does something more for me in those four or less games and I'm in the driver's seat in the division, two of those games are different and I'm right in the thick of it....at least this week's win gives me more wins than the 08 and 07 seasons (back-to-back 3-win campaigns)."