The International Fantasy League: Team Mexico wins it all

Truth is, I CAN believe that my season documenting the first international fantasy league is over. What I can't believe is how horribly my own team fared: Worst record, 70-point scoring average, yadda yadda. Team USA's first foray into international fantasy competition was as hapless as our country's flaccid stabs at competing in the Winter Olympics.

And just like USA snagging a bronze in a consolation event like curling, Team USA outscored everybody in the final week of the fantasy season. After four months of egg-laying, a ramshackle backfield (Darren Sproles and Maurice Morris) notched some solid yardage and a TD; Visanthe Shiancoe put together a game that tight ends dream about during blocking drills (two TDs, over 100 yards); and Jay Cutler came out like it was Week 2, which gave Team USA 114 points. No other team broke 100. So, yes, when a tree falls in the forest, there are times you hear it. It sounds faint and needlessly prideful, like "USA" being whispered from under 30 feet of snow.

Now, onto scores that matter: Team India secured third place despite benching Philip Rivers in favor of Donovan McNabb, which left 20 quarterback points on the bench (McNabb had 7, Rivers 27). India's victory came over Prince Abdullah's Team Saudi Arabia, which had to gamble on Frank Gore and got zero points. Final score was 98-68; my prediction was an 88-84 India victory. Prince Abdullah's team had been sliding for several weeks, so this one was foreseeable. The Prince can take some solace knowing that, even if he'd started Derrick Ward instead of Gore and added those 21 points to the tally, it still would've been a loss to Denie Mathew's solid squad.

Now, for the trip to Saudi Arabia. The World Bowl, Chile vs. Mexico. Jonathon Aledda's Team Chile, 11-2, an extreme favorite, riding a winning streak that stretched back months, got stopped cold by Team Mexico, which lumbered into the playoffs with a losing record and the musty whiff of a well-drafted squad whose season dipped downhill after a stretch of early wins.

Alberto Levet, Team Mexico's skipper, breaks down the 96-76 victory: "What really delivered me the championship was both our Ds. While I had Tennessee scoring 20 points, Team Chile had Tampa with negative six. Tough break, because both of them had delivered a lot of points through 12 weeks, but were very shitty in the last month. But I just couldn't change it, I had to ride with it till the end. And it paid BIG!"

Team Chile's leader, who couldn't seem to make a wrong lineup decision the whole season, concurs: "Then, there were my Bucs … I went with the team I love and was left feeling under the weather with their negative six points." The weather affected much of Aledda's decisionmaking and the outcome of the final, he says: "I benched Cassel (snow) and Thigpen (25 mph winds and -15 temp), because I figured the weather would negatively affect their performance. I was right, until the second quarter when both played as if they were in the weather we have here in Miami." (Aledda could've added at least 16 points to his total had he started either of those QBs over Matt Schaub, who totaled nine points.)

Alberto Levet will fly to Saudi Arabia to meet Prince Abdullah, real fantasy royalty. (In addition to being an actual Saudi prince, he made the playoffs in all but one of his 14 leagues this year.) Congratulations, Alberto, for keeping after it and taking it home. Prince Abdullah sends his congratulations, and says that he's looking forward to meeting you and showing you Saudi Arabia.

We'll give the full scoop about Albert's journey to the Middle East when it happens. Thanks to all the International Fantasy League participants for a great season.

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