The Midseason Report
Gentlemen – We are at the halfway point. So far, we are at a record-low for amount of dollars fined (only $600 so far) and wild card bets used (22 of 28 still are on the shelf). The lowest of the low aren’t even -$1,000, so there is a plethora of franchises that are on the bubble for playoff contention. There’s a long way to go, but usually the murky playoff picture starts to become more clear once we get to Thanksgiving, so this month is crucial.
Disclaimer: The following is a completely biased report of the first eight weeks of the FMFL. The views, opinions, and observations that follow are those of the Executive Director and are completely subjective.
East Division
Karl Farbman
Current Total: $1,200
Winning Percentage: 0.625
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Farbman spent most of the first half of the season with the lead in the East, but hasn’t been able to separate himself from the rest of the pack. He hasn’t had a -$500 yet, and still has his wild card bet available.
Grade: A-
Kimmy Gibbler
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.526
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: It’s puzzling that Gibbler hasn’t been more successful so far. She’s hitting on over 52% of her games, and hasn’t bet her wild card yet. She needs to avoid droughts (like this past week), to get back into the playoff chase.
Grade: C
Teddy KGB
Current Total: -$900
Winning Percentage: 0.375
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: 2011 has been a disappointment for Teddy, who is in last place overall. But this year is like no other, with not a ton of separation between the bottom feeders and the playoff teams, so he’s not out of it yet. Look for him to pull the wild card bet trigger soon to get back into relevancy.
Grade: D
The Notorious A.B.T.
Current Total: $300
Winning Percentage: 0.480
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The A.B.T. showed flashes of excellence last season, and now looks on the brink of taking the leap towards a respected contender. However, 48% is not going to get it done. If he can hit his wild card bet, he’ll be dangerous down the stretch.
Grade: C+
The People’s Champ
Current Total: $1,000
Winning Percentage: 0.540
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: After a few weeks, it looked like another lost season for TPC, but he rallied and is making a strong push for the East Division crown. In recent years he has been all sizzle and no steak, but he’s looking to change his reputation in 2011.
Grade: B+
The Phoenix
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Phoenix was near the top of the standings for the first month of the season, but recently fell back to the middle of the league. He’s only $1,200 out of the division race, and $600 out of the playoff race. The big surprise is that he has not been fined yet this year.
Grade: C-
The 21th Precinct
Current Total: -$700
Winning Percentage: 0.455
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The Precinct went into a hole early, and hasn’t been able to get back on the positive side of $0. He’s another franchise that shouldn’t be shy to bet his wild card early in the second half of the season.
Grade: D+
North Division
Babe
Current Total: $0
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Boring across the board. No wild card bet. No fines. 50/50 on bets (two teams each week). $0 to show for it. The glass is either half full (with Babe ready to roll in the second half) or half empty (with Babe behind most of the league by failing to impress in the first eight weeks).
Grade: C-
Kiko Garcia
Current Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.452
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Won – Carolina – Week 7
Recap: Kiko made a name for himself with a strong playoff run in 2010, but he hasn’t been able to recapture the magic. He’s $500 in the hole despite winning his wild card bet, so it’s a uphill battle the rest of the way.
Grade: D+
Larisa Oleynik
Current Total: $1,600
Winning Percentage: 0.625
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Won – Detroit – Week 4
Recap: Last year’s overall champion stumbled out of the gate, but quickly shot back up the leaderboard, aided by a huge wild card win in Week 4. She’s created some separation from the rest of the North, and now has her beautiful blue eyes on the overall regular season championship.
Grade: A
Mr. DeBlasis
Current Total: -$400
Winning Percentage: 0.438
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: It’s been an uncharacteristic off year for DeBlasis, who has been inconsistent since Week 1. All things considered, he’s only -$400 after an awful start, and has the potential to get on a hot streak as the season wears on.
Grade: C-
T-Ferg
Current Total: -$700
Winning Percentage: 0.406
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Another of the league’s mysteries, T-Ferg has been abysmal. He’s just over 40% and keeps falling farther behind the leaders. In the past, he has been the master of the three or four-team system, winning two of three or three of four in a given week. T-Ferg has had the opposite luck this year.
Grade: D
The Beard of Zeus
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.579
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Last year’s regular season champ was the big dog in the North for a few weeks, but was overtaken by Larisa. He definitely has the stamina to chase her down, but time’s a wasting and he has a $1,000 deficit to make up.
Grade: B
Yaz
Current Total: $500
Winning Percentage: 0.531
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Yaz is having one of his typical years, up one week, down the next – never falling too far behind, but never jumping out to the lead. Two years ago, he had a mediocre season until the last month, when he went on a flawless run. His second half could hinge on his wild card bet, which he usually saves until the bitter end.
Grade: B-
South Division
Bayonnaise
Current Total: -$700
Winning Percentage: 0.447
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The ‘Naise looks as if last year’s strong showing was a flash in the pan. He’s back to his old way: making late bets, -$500 weeks, and never gaining any momentum. He should bet his wild card bet sooner rather than later, especially in the ho-hum South, where he is somehow still only a grand out of the lead.
Grade: D+
Boss Hardigan
Current Total: -$200
Winning Percentage: 0.450
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Hardy is only hitting 45%, but in the South that means you are a true contender. He has a few years under his belt and is in it for the long haul, but the next three weeks are critical for his playoff chances.
Grade: C-
Don Mattingly
Current Total: -$400
Winning Percentage: 0.429
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Don looked like a rising star a few weeks ago, but then quickly dropped $500 last week and moved back down the divisional ladder. Now with two owners rather than one, the results have been the same: Don’s betting big favorites and losing most of the time.
Grade: D
Mr. Marbles
Current Total: -$800
Winning Percentage: 0.375
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Marbles is another franchise that was right in the thick of it in the division, but has lost $500 each of the last two weeks, leaving him in the basement. The bright side is that if he could string together a few good weeks, the leaders aren’t too far out of reach…..yet.
Grade: D-
Rick Moranis
Current Total: $300
Winning Percentage: 0.432
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: How is a franchise that has hit only 43% of his bets leading his division? Welcome to the South. Rick’s lead isn’t comfortable by any means, but he does have the experience of winning the regular season under his belt, so he might be the odds-on favorite to take the division crown. But then again, it’s a crapshoot.
Grade: C+
Slovy Maximus
Current Total: -$300
Winning Percentage: 0.423
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Won – Cincinnati – Week 5
Recap: Slovy won his wild card bet, but failed to capitalize, and sits $600 back in the division. His main hope is that many of the other franchises lose their wild card bets and drop back, because if not, he’ll need a big turnaround to make the playoffs.
Grade: C-
Will Cover
Current Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.471
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Last year, Will was on the brink of breaking through, but had to get out of the kitchen when he couldn’t take the heat in the last two weeks. Now, a playoff berth is his for the taking if he can get his act together in the second half.
Grade: C+
West Division
Art Schlichter
Current Total: $100
Winning Percentage: 0.471
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Won – New Orleans – Week 4
Recap: Art can’t seem to catch a break this year. He can’t string together a winning week, but has been resilient and is by no means out of it. However, he already used his wild card bet, so he’ll need to be more consistent if he wants to get back to the playoffs.
Grade: C
Blossom Russo
Current Total: $500
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: After half a season, Blossom hasn’t been remarkable one way or the other, yet has gradually forced his way into the wild card race. Though recently he has been quite underwhelming, Blossom has experience on his side if it comes down to the final weeks.
Grade: B-
Bud Fox
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: The only rookie in the league this year, Bud has weathered the early-season storm of highs and lows to sit at $600. We are only halfway home, so it will be interesting if he can hang into the last month of the season.
Grade: B
Face
Current Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Won – Green Bay – Week 5
Recap: Face has had an up-and-down season so far, dipping down low into the negative and then rising as high as $1,000. He’s a contender and will likely be in the playoff picture down the stretch. His streakiness might help him or cripple him come season’s end.
Grade: B-
Gordon Bombay
Current Total: $1,800
Winning Percentage: 0.696
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Bombay has been on fire for all eight weeks, crushing the competition and picking winners at nearly 70%. He’s varied his betting between two and threes from week-to-week, and has a nice cushion with nine weeks to go.
Grade: A
Ron Mexico
Current Total: $500
Winning Percentage: 0.600
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Lost – Philadelphia – Week 5
Recap: Despite losing his wild card bet (the only FMFL franchise to do so thus far), Ron is right in the mix. He’s minimized the damage when he’s lost and also has a track record of being able to go on a run. Time will tell if Ron can give Gordon a run for his money.
Grade: B+
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Current Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Still Available
Recap: Waldo has underwhelmed so far, and is among the many franchises that have toed the equator for the first half of the season. His wild card bet could dictate if he’s a contender for the playoffs or sinks back into the cellar.
Grade: C
