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Curt Schilling:
Returns as starter today. Couldn't ask for a better
warm-up opponent than the Royals. Inflates hype over
return with comments about Raffy (see below).
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
FANTASY. WORLD.
Fantasy is the new reality.
Has your fantasy team become more important to you
than your "real" team?
Indisputably, fantasy increases a fan's overall NFL
interest. But how does it impact fans' rooting
interests in their favorite team?
Let me throw this hypothetical at you, because it gets
to the heart of the issue of the increasing prominence
of fantasy football among fans:
It's Week 16. Your favorite team is out of playoff
contention, but your fantasy team is on the verge of a
title.
In order to clinch your league title, your fantasy
team's stud has to have a huge game -- at the cost of
your favorite team losing the game.
Would you be willing to take a "meaningless" (but very
real) loss for your real-life favorite team to win
your fantasy league title?
Would you even find yourself rooting for your
team to lose?
There it is: If you can find ANY scenario where
you'd rather see your fantasy team win than your real
team, welcome to fantasy as reality.
While you and everyone you know prep for your fantasy
league draft(s) and ESPN devotes 90 minutes to fantasy
tonight (6:30, ESPN), consider:
An increasing number of fans who play fantasy have
developed as much of a vested interest in (and
allegiance to) their fantasy team as they do their
real-life team.
Take today's poll. The numbers might be small, but
consider how they compare to what they would have been
a decade ago.
There's no shame in it, by the way. It's simply part
of the new reality of being a football fan.
Lance Update
"Preposterous" is the word Lance used
to describe comments from Tuesday from the TdF honcho
who said "We were all fooled."
Even though his fans in the U.S. are ready to discount
any/all accusations and allegations from France, Lance
is smart to take a p.r. offensive.
Huggins Resigning
Cincy coach agrees to buyout. Because
you can't pay the rent with the dignity that comes
from putting up a fight and being fired.
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Tony LaRussa: Ties Sparky for 3rd on MLB all-time Ws list
John Madden: Named finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Fenway Park: Sox apply for nat'l historic landmark status
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| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
Mike Mussina: Rocked for 8 runs in the 5th in Yankees' L
Milton Bradley: Dodgers OF needs 05-ending surgery (knee)
KY: Ex-FB coach Mumme says school knew of violations |
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More Schilling
"I don't know that there's any way to prove
that anything [Palmeiro] did was not under the
influence of performance-enhancing drugs."
Curt: Please. Stop. Talking.
Cy Young Watch
AL: Why not Bartolo? Johan has mo', but Colon
leads the AL in wins (17 after last night) and his
Angels are in 1st (for now).
NL: Carpenter wins 18th. And he's going to need
every single extra W to fend off the popular sentiment
for Roger Clemens.
NFL Camping
Birk wants guarantees: The
one-sidedness of NFL contracts have been a hot topic
this month. Vikings C flips it and says he'll play in
pain in '05 for locked up cash in '06. Otherwise,
he'll have surgery.
(But if he plays in '05 in so much pain, isn't it
likely he'll need surgery in '06 to finally fix the
problem? And what's the guarantee he can finish '05?
Tough call for new owner.)
TE Franks re-signs with Pack: 7 years, $28
million for Brett Favre's favorite target. Keep him in
mind for the fantasy late rounds.
Buckhalter done for '05: Eagles backup RB will
miss second straight season with knee injury. Watch
mini-sized rookie Ryan Moats.
U.S. Open Draw
Looking "down the road," the most
intriguing pairing is that the Williams Sisters could
meet in the round of 16. But I can't look that far
ahead; not when there's that blue court surface to get
used to first.
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NFL Pre: ATL/JAX
Marketing advantage aside, I'm
wondering how many GMs and coaches would take immobile
Byron Leftwich over hyper-mobile Michael Vick as their
QB, if the goal was sustained success over a
season.
Quickie 50/50: FL
Impressions of Florida:
Dolphins '72, The Swamp, "The U," Daytona, Bucs'
orange, Shaq and Penny, Marino, Marlins' TWO titles,
Bowden and Spurrier (and Urban).
Vote Best of Florida
here!
Quickie Pick 'Em!
Following the wild popularity of the
Daily Quickie's NCAA Tournament Challenge group
(6,000-plus entered!), here's your invite to be part
of the first-ever Daily Quickie Pigskin Pick 'Em group!
Group: Daily Quickie Readers
Password to join: None needed
Play along each week of the NFL season. If it's
anything like it was in March, it'll be the biggest
single office pool in the world!
(Already in another group? So what! Use the "Create
Another Entry" function; you get to play in up to
three leagues!)
See Q It Up for a link, enter, then join me in the
Morning Quickie every weekday from 9-10 a.m. ET on
SportsNation to discuss/mock/gripe.
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Marlins batboy:
6-game suspension for taking dare from Brad Penny to
drink a gallon of milk in under an hour without
throwing up. Penny's analysis is right: 6 games?!?!
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Quickie: Live! |
| Quickie Pick 'Em! |
| Fantasy Football |
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| Consensus FFL Top 5 |  L. Tomlinson
| No-brainer at the top
|  S. Alexander
| And it's a contract year
|  P. Holmes
| 3rd: Worst. Slot. Ever.
|  P. Manning
| Take QB 4th at own risk
|  W. McGahee
| | New hotness? Or pan-flash? |
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LLWS: Rancho Buena Vista (CA) reaches US final on
controversial non-HR; today: Quickie fave West Oahu
(HI) vs. Quickie fave Lafayette (LA)
AL Wild Card: Back to a 3-way tie after the A's rout
the Tigers, but the Yankees and Indians find
themselves on the losing ends of them.
NCAA tacks a third year onto South Carolina's
self-imposed probation, but the team can still play on
TV and in bowls (Spurrier-related omission?)
NHL Free: Lightning lock up 2006 free-agent (and '04
NHL MVP) Martin St. Louis for 6 years ($31.5
mil).
Zach Duke update: Says he'll likely miss his next
start due to Tuesday's ankle injury running the
bases.
Where is Doc Gooden?
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