Fantasy Football in a Nutshell

Bill Simmons just posted the following analysis of Fantasy Football...

My big epiphany: Really, the fantasy football season isn't fun. Winning is OK; losing is agonizing. You constantly feel awful about your choices and your bad luck; it's the only exercise that causes arguments with friends you normally never would argue with; and you spend roughly a kazillion hours managing your team for the 10 percent chance that you might win your league. There's just not a ton of upside. It's almost like smoking cigarettes -- it started out with good intentions, and it's something to do, and it can be fun in the right moments, but ultimately, there are an inordinate amount of moments when you find yourself leaning out a window in 20-degree weather to puff out a quick cig as your nose gets frostbitten, or bumming a cig from a group of horrible girls and then feeling obligated to talk to them, or waking up in the morning and coughing up your right lung. Really, it's more harm than fun. And yet, we continue to do it. And love it. This entire paragraph made me want to smoke.

I couldn't agree more.  My Monday mornings over the past few years have been so depressing after a weekend loss that I deemed this year my year of FFL Zen.  I refuse to let bad luck (and I've had my fair share) ruin my ability to enjoy the sport.  But doesn't that say something if it takes a concerted effort to maintain my zen?

Like he said though, I still love it.

Why I Don't Bet on Sports

Let's take a quick look at how my Redskins season prediction is going...

Prediction: 6-10

Through Week 8:  Uh, 6-2!!!!

Never would have predicted this kind of performance.  I like to think of myself as being objective when it comes to the Redskins but it's possible I'm just pessimistic.

On top of that, not that I have any way of proving this but I mentally predicted Rays in 6 games over the Phillies in the World Series.  That prediction isn't doing so hot right now either.

Headed to Thailand

A little earlier this year, my buddy Jeff sent me an email on something of a whim asking if I wanted to join him on a trip to either Spain or Thailand.  I've done a ton of travelling over the past couple of years but mostly between DC, NYC and Austin.  Aside from two trips to Canada that don't really count, I haven't been outside of the country in just over 10 years.

Since I've been to Spain before, I decided to take the plunge and suggested to Jeff that we make our way to Thailand.  He booked the tickets last week and has us taking off on December 26th for two weeks in Thailand followed by one more in Vietnam before returning home on January 16th.  It took a little arm twisting on Jeff's part but I'm really looking forward to my first extended, non-Habitat for Humanity vacation in 6 years.

I owe Jeff a great deal of thanks for making all of the travel arrangements up until this point.  He's quite the amatuer photographer as well so in addition to my own sub-amatuer efforts, I hope to come back with some amazing photos of the experience.