The Regular Season Champion

One of the tedious jobs of being commissioner is figuring out the final payout structure.  You send out constant emails and post several messages on the league board and usually get no response.  What has happened in years past is once someone is guaranteed a payout it’s AMAZING how vocal they all of the sudden become.  This year of course was no different.  This year the question was, would the person with the best record during the regular season and the #1 seed win anything?

 The number one team in the Detroit Pigskin Dynasty league started out the season with an EIGHT GAME WINNING STREAK.  He was 8-0 going into the bye weeks.  His team ended up being 9-2 and had clinched a playoff spot BEFORE Thanksgiving ever came around.  This was obviously the first time this has ever happened and I don’t see this ever being repeated.  I know you’re wondering what players his team consisted of, and trust me, it was absolutely STACKED.  Take a look for yourself:

QB:   Tom Brady

WR:  Wes Welker

WR:  Steve Smith

WR:  Brandon Marshall

RB:   Michael Turner

RB:   Arian Foster

TE:   Jimmy Graham

And he actually had a hard time setting his line up from week to week because he had Victor Cruz on his BENCH.

So this all leads to that fateful phone call one day that I all so vividly remember:

“Hey do I get anything for having the best record this year?”  - Regular Season Champ

“You know I have sent out constant emails about this, and are you ADMITTING DEFEAT ALREADY? Loser.” – Commissioner Fahey

“ I know, I know, but I think the best record should get something, maybe something from the free agent transaction fund.” – Regular Season Champ

“That’s actually not a bad idea and sounds fair...I will send out one final message, and if it is not met with any objections, I will finalize it.”  - Commissioner Fahey

And oh boy, for once, this idea was shot down IMMEDIATELY.  Here are some actual quotes taken from the league message board. 

“As a deadbeat, I know I don’t have a lot of clout in this argument, and neither do I pretend to. But as the inaugural first place regular season winner, I was upset early in the playoffs and my only compensation was a s#@tty a$$ tenth pick the next year. I say that's the luck of the game. You’re team finishes in first place at the end of the regular season, it should at least win ONE game in the playoffs “

“....But back to the important matters:

I agree with the decision for the waiver money just being part of the percentages. After all, 3 people getting paid out of 10 is enough for the league - don't want to dilute the winnings too much.

Also, don't go to Puerto Rico for vacation -- it would be a major rip off.”

The final decision had been made and we ending up just paying the top three finishers.  $100 buy in...first went with $600, second went with $300, and third ended up with $100.  The free agent fund (in this league we established that you get ten free moves, every move after that costs $1) be split up the same way, 60%, 30%, 10% to the top three finishers.  That seemed to be the most popular and widely accepted pay out structure.

But there was still the idea -- should the person with the best regular season record win anything?

Then came the birth of the regular season champion:

Wait a second, now you're thinking, "If that team was so good, then how did it end up losing?"  Well, it took a five-touchdown, 44.88-point performance from Drew Brees to defeat him, and his team still only loses by the score of 114.88 to 110.90.  We're talking less than four points here.  AND THE BEST PART ??
(or the worst part, however you look at it)

I was with the regular season champion watching the New England vs. Denver game (with live fantasy scoring) when Tom Brady had THREE -- count them, THREE -- chances at a QB sneak to get into the end zone, and was stopped every time.  The regular season champion literally lost going to the Superbowl by LESS THAN A FOOT.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=311218007&period=4

I recommend clicking on the link and start reading at "New England Patriots at 8:41"

Then go to the part were it was 2nd and 4 at Den 13..............

There is no point of this picture other than the fact we mentioned the GoDaddy brand in our social media class and it reminded me that I got my picture taken with the Original Go-Daddy Girl Candice Michelle along with WWE Diva Maria.