Harris: Sorry, I'm Not Sorry -- Never Regret A Fantasy Roller Coaster
By Adam Harris-
(CBS) This past weekend was one of the most emotional weekends of my fantasy football career, and it ended with a bang Monday night.
I will now share this 48-hour journey with you, certain that many will relate in a positive, joyful way or on the frightful and improbable later side. In that case, use these words as therapy.
The fantasy semifinal week has never been kind to me, so I went into Sunday expecting the worst. Already down in my two most important leagues because of Rams running back Tre Mason and the St. Louis defense's rough performances from Thursday night, I settled on the thought that making it to just one of my two important finals would be acceptable.
Sunday began as planned, thanks to the Houston defense holding Andrew Luck (670 The Score columnist Tim Baffoe's quarterback) and T.Y. Hilton to mediocre numbers, giving me the edge against Baffoe. As I switched focus to my other team, the fumes began to ignite inside as I saw that Knile Davis had two scores and 20 points on my bench. Davis was on my bench because he was the handcuff to Jammal Charles, my RB1. Charles had a mere five points.
"Curse Andy Reid," I yelled, as I smashed a sleeve of opened Chips Ahoy! Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cookies all over my friend's apartment rug. It was at this moment that I realized what type of mood I was going to be in until 11 p.m. Monday, so I removed all valuables from my pockets and within my reach in case my arms decided to get a little "throwy."
Once Jake Locker -- my "genius" sub for a struggling Colin Kaepernick -- went down with three points, my opponent lightly tapped me via Twitter with harmless comments. I wasn't really in the mood, but I slightly played along despite my true anger boiling over.
Then came the roller coaster that was Sunday night. I was down 30 in The Score's league with DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant and LeSean McCoy to play against Matt Forte, who would go on Monday. In the other league, I trailed by 12 with Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery going on Monday while facing Murray that night. I had too much to wish for, and no hope that it would all come true.
The most frustrating thing that can happen did happen throughout Sunday night's game for McCoy owners. A potential McCoy touchdown was vultured three times, twice by Chris Polk and once by Darren Sproles, all inside the 10-yard line! I was fuming and took to Twitter yet again to let my frustrations out. It didn't help.
Luckily, Bryant scored that late touchdown to give him three on the night, snapping me straight out of my comfy bed, screaming and yelling joyful words to God and whoever else was helping with that performance. I now had a chance in each league to go to the championship.
Entering Monday night, my goal was to win both matchups, but I would realistically be satisfied with just one. Up 27 against Matt Forte, I was comfortable with the idea that I would send top-seeded Baffoe home. I did just that, securing one chance at a title in Week 16 against The Score's very own offensive tackle, Rick Camp.
The other matchup was a little more tricky, as I was down 28 with Cutler and Jeffery going in a non-PPR, six-point-per-passing touchdown league.
Cutler had negative points entering the fourth quarter, and Jeffery had about two, so I conceded this loss and turned my attention to another league that goes all 17 weeks. I had a chance to secure a regular-season championship, but only with the purest fantasy irony standing in my way. I was now rooting against Jeffery.
That wish was on track with just under three minutes left, with the Bears getting blown out and the Saints running the ball to milk the clock. Then New Orleans running back Mark Ingram found some space.
If he would have just fallen down before entering the end zone, the Saints would have iced the clock. Game over, Week 16 over.
But the semifinals didn't end that way. In my experiences, the semifinals historically end with a buzzer-beater, last-drive, bottom-of-the-ninth, two-strikes, Hail Mary attempt. As it did here.
Ingram gave the fantasy world what they should have expected all along, as he ran into the end zone to extend the game and give Jeffery one last shot to hand me another loss.
Jeffery didnt' disappoint, catching a 35-yard pass from Cutler in garbage time to secure my loss in the less important matchup. I then started to mentally deal with the fact that I was only going to win one of three possible week 16 matchups.
I got up, brushed my teeth and then returned to the TV in time to see Cutler throw a beautiful back-shoulder throw to Jeffery in the end zone for a touchdown.
"Great, I probably now lost the semi final matchup by just a few points," I thought, adding salt to my open wound.
I clicked refresh, just to make sure, and saw that the touchdown gave me a 1.4 point lead! I won and am now in the two finals I hoped to be in.
I'm not sorry it happened like that, and I doon't feel bad for my opponent. I don't regret my range of emotions this past weekend, and I won't think twice this week when an irrational, over-reaction is stewing up just after the noon kickoffs Sunday.
This is what fantasy football is, and this is why we all play. We want to be taken on a ride for 16 weeks of the NFL season, and win or lose, it's worth our time and money.
No matter how many times someone says they aren't going to play fantasy football next year, they always come crawling back. Whether you like the distraction from the winter, your job, the early sunset, etc., fantasy is here for you in every form you wish and need. Embrace the ride each week and pony up next year.
This Sunday I will be parked at my friend's apartment in the same chair with those same cookies in front of me. Get the vacuum ready, Dennis Gambino, because it's championship Sunday.
Adam Harris is a producer for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @aharris670 and feel free to ask fantasy questions.