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Is it really Fantasy Hockey?
I signed up for fantasy hockey on Wednesday night. That was a mistake. Call it my continued indoctrination into North American culture if you will. Or my way of fitting in better, maybe. All I know is, the next six months are a complete write off.
Although I've played (even competed in) fantasy sports leagues for a number of years, it was either the free Premier League game, or the five quid newspaper one. Everyone has Wayne Rooney, or this year Sergio Aguero, and it soon becomes monotonous, boring, dull. Take your pick.
Now I'm in America, the world of fantasy sports has suddenly opened up. The scale of the “industry” is mind-blowing. I thought I was handling the transition well after signing up for two (American) football leagues. Everything can be handled on a Sunday/Monday. No need for too much procrastination. Then I discovered the hockey version, and events took a different turn.
I'm sat on my sofa Sunday watching a box score of Pittsburgh Edmonton. It's nearly midnight. Even our cat has given up the ghost and turned in for the evening. But I'm intent on seeing the game out. The Penguins are ahead. My fantasy league opponent has Devan Dubnyk starting in net for the Oilers. It's looking good for me. Then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had to spoil everything. Half an hour later, I'm lying in bed wondering what I'm going to do. I'm down in all but one scoring category. The euphoria of what I saw as a good draft on Wednesday is evaporating quickly.
I'd been allocated the ninth pick in a 12-team league. Not great I thought. But then I had a plan. With Sidney Crosby still struggling with his concussion, surely nobody will be daft enough to take him in the first round. Well, nobody except me that is. Best player in the league, still available at pick nine, thank you very much. Everything else fell into place (Ryan Miller, Patrick Marleau etc...), and I was rather pleased with myself. I even had an endorsement of my Crosby pick when someone tried to con me out of number 87 and Erik Johnson in a trade by offering Jason Spezza and Sergei Gonchar (his argument being Crosby will be out forever, then when he comes back he won't be the same).
Then the games started, and everything, apart from my netminding tandem, fell apart. Two defencemen injured, Teemu Selanne refusing to shoot the puck and Dustin Brown struggling in plus/minus. Crosby can't return soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Apologies to everyone in “America's Hockey Capital” for that comment.
I should point out to those of you questioning my loyalty to the Capitals at this point, I have Dennis Wideman on my team. One thing's for sure. I'll be one of the few people at Verizon Center on Monday wanting number six to play on every shift.
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
- Adam Walker
- Alex Birch
- Andy Pierce
- Chris Gent
- Christopher Beal
- Craig Simpson
- Dave Simms
- Elliott Stanley
- Gareth Chalmers
- James Broughton
- James Gordon
- Katy Madgwick
- Luke Catterson
- Mark Briggs
- Mark Duell
- Mat Young
- Patrick Smyth
- Promotion
- Russ Morrell
- Seanna Murdock
- Stephen Dowson
- Stewart Roberts
- Tom Forster
- Vicki Smart
- William Lyon
