Cheers!: Distillers win Finger Bowl 18

Nelson, Brees lead Cassidy to title

LOCKPORT, Ill. -- Week 2 free-agent pickup WR Jordy Nelson GB nabbed MVP honors with 25 Finks points to lead rookie owner Dan Cassidy to the Finger Bowl 18 title in Week 17. Cassidy's Lockport Distillers defeated Mike Miazga's Ham N Eggers 66-61 in a battle between owners in their first Finks League title match.

The Thorpe Division champions went 10-5 in the regular season and won the Finger Bowl behind QB Brees NO's 24 points and help from two other free-agent pickups: RB Lynch SEA (three points) and PK Nugent CIN (14 points).

Nelson becomes the second GB player to earn Finger Bowl MVP, following RB Levens for Traczek's Helena Handbaskets in Finger Bowl 6.

The two Finger Bowl teams tied the league record for the highest scoring title match, equaling the 67-60 championship in 2004 between Steve Cline's Ghost of Sweetness and Jeff Newton's Go For 2.  

Cassidy becomes the league's fourth rookie owner to win a Finger Bowl, following Mike Wilcox in the inaugural 1994 season, Cline in 2004 and the late Jeff Ponczak in 2006. Cassidy wins the Abe Gibron Traveling Trophy ending the two-year reign by Goff's Serkus Act.

The Eggers were led by 16 points each from QB Brady NE and PK Akers SF, who also earned three points for a TD pass. The Distillers led 66-49 heading into the Monday Night Football game. The Eggers' RB Bradshaw NYG scored two TDs, but could not close the deficit with any bonus points.

Cassidy earned $378.75 for the championship win. Miazga takes $126.25 as runner-up.

Dah Commish was the winner of the 2011 Harvey-Ponz Award. 

BOXSCORE

DISTILLERS 66, EGGERS 61

Distillers
QB Brees NO 24
RB Lynch SEA 3
RB C. Johnson TEN zero
WR Welker NE zero
WR Nelson GB 25
PK Nugent CIN 14

Eggers
QB Brady NE 16
RB Bradshaw NYG 12
RB Benson CIN zero
TE Gronkowski NE 17
WR Wallace PIT zero
PK Akers SF 16

 
Fumble pulls away for third


LONDON -- Dah Commish's Love's Labour's Lost Fumble earned a match-high 19 points from RB Rice BAL to take third place in the 2011 Finks League with a 68-53 win over Kris Herigodt's Dublin Brawlers.

BOXSCORE

FUMBLE 68, BRAWLERS 53

Fumble 
QB E. Manning NYG 16
RB Rice BAL 19
RB Helu WAS 6
TE J. Graham NO 9
WR S. Smith CAR 9
PK Crosby GB 9

Brawlers
QB Flacco BAL 3
RB Spiller BUF 6
RB McGahee DEN 5
WR Cruz NYG 13
WR Robinson DAL 12
PK Rackers HOU 14

From Eggers owner Miazga...

A end-of-season concession from longtime Eggers owner Miazga, who was the runner-up in Finger Bowl 18:

"Where as Janikowski did me in in our second regular season meeting (I put in Akers at the last second Thanksgiving day and Janikowski then kicks 6 FG against Bears on Sunday), Nicks did me in here. I am currently staring at a written out lineup card that had Nicks' name on it originally. If I play him over Wallace, I win by one. However, I am not a fan of starting two guys on a team if I don't have to (Gronkowski being a big exception). That would have given me four of six guys on two teams. Nicks had been inconsistent of late and with the emergence of Cruz, I didn't have the greatest feeling. I didn't have a great feeling about Wallace, but figured with Ben in the game early maybe he could snare a 6 and get out of there, plus Cleveland is no good. However, I should have checked the weather in Cleveleand (extremely windy) and paid more attention to the previous meeting between the two (very low scoring Thursday night game). I went back and forth for a good hour Sunday morning on Nicks-Wallace and Gerhart, Benson, Wells (all turned in zeros and one was inactive).

Anyway, great win and another great game between us. You had guys that were red-hot the last half of the season and Brees was instant gold most of the season. Half of your starters were off the waiver wire (Nelson, Lynch and Nugent), and all played key roles for you. Hard to combat two players with 20-plus point totals in one game.

Where as I was the only Finks owner to score more than 60 in a game during the season and lose (to Distillers), I am only the second Finks owner to score more than 50 in the title game and lose (there was a 67-60 result one year). 

Looks like we have the makings of a fantasy rivalry here. That being said, I'll probably go back to my normal ways and go 3-12 next year.

Looking forward to next season."

Week 17: Finger Bowl 18 preview

FINGER BOWL 18

First-timers meet for Finks League title

HAM N EGGERS (11-5) AT LOCKPORT DISTILLERS (11-5)
At Lockport High School, Lockport, Ill.

Playoff records: Eggers owner Mike Miazga (2-4); Distillers owner Dan Cassidy (1-0)

Previous meetings: Eggers 43, Distillers 36 (Week 2); Distillers 75, Eggers 62 (Week 12)

The skinny: Finger Bowl 18 features the the top two teams in the Thorpe Division with champion Distillers and runner-up Eggers. The two owners appear in their first Finger Bowl while Distillers' Cassidy is in his rookie season.  Miazga is in his 13th Finks League season and is making his fourth trip to the playoffs. His last appearance was 2004.

Projected starters: Eggers -- Brady, Benson, Bradshaw, Wallace, Gronkowski, Akers; Distillers -- Brees, C. Johnson, Lynch, Welker, Nelson, Nugent.

The pick: Eggers 35, Distillers 30 

Week 16: Boxscores

WEEK 16 SEMIFINAL RESULTS

Brady, Akers carry Eggers

LONDON -- Tom Brady nabbed player of the week honors with 22 Finks points and record-setting PK David Akers added 19 points to lead the Ham N Eggers to a 59-26 victory over Love's Labour's Lost Fumble in the semifinals at Wembley Stadium. 

Longtime Finks League owner Mike Miazga advances to his first Finger Bowl in Week 17.

EGGERS 59
QB Brady NE 22
RB Benson CIN zero
RB Bradshaw NYG 12
WR Wallace PIT 3
TE Gronkowski NE 3
PK Akers 19

FUMBLE 26
QB E. Manning NYG 6
RB Rice BAL 9
RB Jacobs NYG zero
TE J. Graham NO 6
WR S. Smith CAR zero
PK Crosby GB 5

Brees' record-setter beats Brawlers

LOCKPORT, ILL. -- Drew Brees' 19 Finks points on Monday Night Football boosted first-year Lockport Distillers past the Dublin Brawlers with a 66-53 semifinal victory. Brees established an NFL single-season record for yards thrown in the game. Entering MNF, the Brawlers owned a 53-47 lead behind Aaron Rodgers' 20 points and Neil Rackers' 14 points.

Dan Cassidy will attempt to become the fourth rookie owner to win the Finger Bowl, following Mike Wilcox (1994), Steve Cline (2004) and Kris Herigodt (2008).

DISTILLERS 66
QB Brees NO 19
RB C. Johnson TEN zero
RB Lynch SEA 11
WR Welker NE 5
WR Nelson GB 17
PK Nugent CIN 14

BRAWLERS 53
QB Rodgers GB 20
RB A. Peterson MIN 6
RB McGahee DEN zero
WR Cruz NYG 13
WR Brown PIT zero
PK Rackers HOU 14

Week 16: Semifinal previews

HAM N EGGERS (10-5) AT LOVE'S LABOUR'S

LOST FUMBLE (10-5)

At Wembley Stadium, London

Playoff records: Eggers owner Mike Miazga (1-4); Fumble owner Dah Commish (2-1)

Previous meeting: Eggers 61, Fumble 34 (Week 3)

The skinny:  The Eggers make their first playoff appearance since 2004 while Dah Commish returns for the first time since winning the 2003 Finger Bowl with As You Hike It. Miazga is in the postseason for the fourth time while it is only the third trip for Fumble's Dah Commish, the only original owner left in the league.Miazga is looking for his first trip to the Finger Bowl. Dah Commish won a division title for the first time in his 18 seasons in the Finks League.

Projected starters: Eggers -- Brady, Benson, Bradshaw, Wallace, Gronkowski, Janikowski; Fumble -- E. Manning, Rice, Helu, J. Graham, Green, Crosby.

The pick: Eggers 45, Fumble 35

DUBLIN BRAWLERS (9-6) AT LOCKPORT DISTILLERS (10-5)

At Lockport High School, Lockport, Ill.

Playoff records: Brawlers owner Kris Herigodt (3-1); Distillers owner Dan Cassidy (0-0)

Previous meeting: Distillers 57, Brawlers 50 (Week 3)

The skinny: Cassidy is looking to become the fourth rookie owner to win the Finger Bowl, following Herigodt (2008), the late Jeff Ponczak (2006) and Mike Wilcox (1994). Herigodt's Brawlers advanced to the playoffs for the third time in four years. The Distillers won the Thorpe Division title.

Projected starters: Brawlers -- Rodgers, Greene, Spiller, Cruz, L. Robinson, Rackers; Distillers -- Brees, Lynch, Green-Ellis, Colston, Nelson, Longwell.

The pick: Distillers 48, Brawlers 30

Mongolia rioting

Khans owner D.J. Wanberg sent this picture. There was rioting in the streets of Ulan Bator after a Week 14 loss ended the Khans' slim playoff chances. And Vancouver thought it was in bad shape after the Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup.

More from Week 14

From Serkus owner Goff: "Dan, I believe your victory this week all but assures the Distillers are playoff-bound and the Serkus Act has no shot at a three-peat. After two years with the Abe Gibron Trophy residing in Naperville, looks like it will be making a move.
You and Ham N Eggers are each at 9-5 and I’m at 8-6. Think I split with each of you guys and am too far behind in points scored to pull out any tiebreakers. I believe getting swept by the Khans has proven too much of a hurdle to overcome.

Good luck...and George, it’s also nice to see you headed to the playoffs. This snaps a lengthy drought, correct? "


From Eggers owner Miazga: "I show Stan with a 59-55 win thanks to Bryant and Bailey in the Cowboys' game (20 points between them). If I start Nicks in that game, I win by three, however, I don't second-guess that decision for a minute (though I did go back-and-forth). My choice was between Wallace and Nicks. Wallace was at home against the Browns and had two scores the week before. Nicks had a good game the week before, but was playing on the road.

Looks like Week 15 will be quite interesting in Finks action."