Last Place Wisdom: Tales from the Football Realm
So after my post on fantasy archetypes, things we're just getting rolling in terms of how the concepts actually relate to fantasy football. For that reason, it might come as a bit of a surprise that I'm going to be switching things up this week and go off the rails. After how deep last week's post went, I feel like we're probably in need of something a little bit lighter. Also, after Aaron psychoanalyzed John so successfully on the podcast, I'm a little intimidated at pulling off a Jordan Peterson impersonation after Aaron's performance worthy of Freud. Also, if I'm going to make my theme last a whole season, I need to stretch things out. Finally, as Aaron also said in the podcast, we're all in need of a little more fantasy in our lives, so this will be the most fantasy-centric edition of the fantasy football blog post yet.
I actually had this idea last week, as I was waiting impatiently for Stranger Things 2 to release; doing an in depth blog post about fantasy monsters and tying it into fantasy football somehow, but that went nowhere for a while (writing this on Halloween added to the idea). I'm going to get the football talk out of the way off the bat, so I can instead nerd out and share my real fantasy thoughts with the rest of you.
Clarke beat me in the battle for first place thanks to his Chiefs on Monday night. I was thinking I might be able to give myself the Mr. Manager of the Week Award for starting Washington at the last minute, but it wasn't to be. I'm not surprised that I lost, Clarke's team is just a little more consistent than mine (and the rest of the league) right now, so it's clear I have some work to do to try and make up that gap if I want to repeat.
In the most surprising game of the week, Aaron managed to pull out an insane win against Stan in the highest scoring game. It was going to be bad luck for one of the teams, as both clearly deserved a win this week, but I'm happy that Aaron managed to break through for win #1. This game likely puts Stan into the position where he is a seller and can look to improve for next season, which shouldn't be too hard if he wants as he has a number of interesting pieces to move before the trade deadline.
Mr. Manager of the Week Award
It was smart for Steve to take some speculative shots on John Ross and Dede Westbrook, it never hurts to make these kind of moves that have a decent payoff for relatively little downside. But for this week, I'm going to give the award to Aaron. I give him a little crap for trading away his first round pick, but not everything is hopeless for the Over Mitts. Picking up and starting JuJu Smith-Schuster was a smart move, and it will be interesting to see if he can become a consistent fantasy weapon.
Our Fantasy Party
Whenever people refer to fantasy football as just "fantasy", my mind goes into funny places. In my one other fantasy football league, my team has been called "The Dark Elfs" for that reason and so I can use a picture of Chang as my team logo. I also maintain that Gandalf should be the first pick in any Fantasy Draft.
The idea of Dungeons & Dragons is a lot better than the actual implementation, as trying to watch some of my favourite e-celebs go on a quest has been too painful for me to accomplish. However, I think it's an interesting and fun task to undertake, and in a sense ties in to the ideas of archetypes. Dungeons and Dragons classes are basically archetypes unto themselves, and I'm sure there is some great psychological work that could be done looking at the underlying archetypes behind your standard DnD party (fighter, rogue, mage, cleric).
Anyways, take this with a grain of salt and enjoy, and really do let me know if you think I'm wrong in terms of any of my characterizations.
Keith - Mage - I feel like this is a pretty straightforward character to play in the party. I'm the dispenser of fantasy wisdom, a steadying influence on the group, but occasionally overconfident in my own power and ability.
John - Lapsed Paladin - In the most recent podcast, there was a long conversation about John being a corrupting influence upon others. I don't think that is the case at all, as I see John more as someone who can inspire, although with the occasional ability to bring chaos. He's the one who brought our party together in the first place and acts as our heroic leader much of the time.
Clarke - Dark-Elven Rogue - Has upset a few members of the party due to what some may perceive as underhanded dealings or lopsided trades, but his strength and importance to the group is unquestioned. Was originally underestimated when joining the party, some have begun to wonder if this was a deliberate strategy for other to let down their guard.
Huff - Mysterious Stranger - He joined the party late. No one really knows who he is or where he came from, but so far he's managed to fit into the party well without disrupting our previous relationships. Whether he ultimately a force for order or chaos remains to be seen.
Shayne - Surly Dwarven Warrior - Always looking for a good trade, Shayne constantly gets frustrated when denied his opportunity to acquire fantasy gold. He doesn't speak a lot, but when he does he is know for his legendary tirades and pronouncement of fantasy doom for himself.
Dawson - Cleric - Every party needs a healer, and Dawson with his calm demeanor and quiet wisdom is ideal to fill this role. No matter how tough the fight or how dire things are looking, he is always among the last ones standing, and anyone who has ever been on a raid will tell you how positive an attribute this is to have in your healer.
Andrew - Half -Orc Barbarian - Andrew not afraid to do things his own way, consequences be damned. His recklessness and stubbornness is often a strength, but can also get him into trouble if things don't manage to work out completely. Swings for the fences with every strike, frustrating those who would like to see him focus on defense as well.
Aaron - Elvish Bard - As the star of the podcast and a core member of the party, Aaron dishes out his own brand of fantasy wisdom and entertainment, just like a Bard of old. His hijinks help bring joy and relaxation to the party, and he's always a source of inspiration and merriment.
Mike - Undead Alchemist - Chose this class so that he could keep his classic catchphrase intact. Always a source for fantasy experimentation, while he has not always been successful at turning lead into gold, he has managed to create potent concoctions through his hard work and through re purposing fantasy scraps.
Stan - Grizzled Ranger - The veteran of the party, Stan has seen a lot of the world and it has affected him in deep and dramatic ways. Will disappear for months at a time, frustrating those who wish to get in touch with him, but will always show up when he is needed the most.
Travis - Gnomish Tinkerer - The technical force behind the podcast, well known hoarder and full-time roster tinkerer, this character describes Travis to a tee. He's been on an effort to prove himself to the rest of the party, and one day will piece together an ultimate invention.
Steve - Knight - The hardest character to lock down, I really had a hard time coming up with Steve's DnD counterpart, so I'm open to alternative suggestions. I see him as a salt of the earth type guy, gone from farmer to sturdy, dependable warrior. He might not be the flashiest, but he makes up the cornerstone of any successful party.
On the next Last Place Wisdom
I actually had this idea last week, as I was waiting impatiently for Stranger Things 2 to release; doing an in depth blog post about fantasy monsters and tying it into fantasy football somehow, but that went nowhere for a while (writing this on Halloween added to the idea). I'm going to get the football talk out of the way off the bat, so I can instead nerd out and share my real fantasy thoughts with the rest of you.
Clarke beat me in the battle for first place thanks to his Chiefs on Monday night. I was thinking I might be able to give myself the Mr. Manager of the Week Award for starting Washington at the last minute, but it wasn't to be. I'm not surprised that I lost, Clarke's team is just a little more consistent than mine (and the rest of the league) right now, so it's clear I have some work to do to try and make up that gap if I want to repeat.
In the most surprising game of the week, Aaron managed to pull out an insane win against Stan in the highest scoring game. It was going to be bad luck for one of the teams, as both clearly deserved a win this week, but I'm happy that Aaron managed to break through for win #1. This game likely puts Stan into the position where he is a seller and can look to improve for next season, which shouldn't be too hard if he wants as he has a number of interesting pieces to move before the trade deadline.
Mr. Manager of the Week Award
It was smart for Steve to take some speculative shots on John Ross and Dede Westbrook, it never hurts to make these kind of moves that have a decent payoff for relatively little downside. But for this week, I'm going to give the award to Aaron. I give him a little crap for trading away his first round pick, but not everything is hopeless for the Over Mitts. Picking up and starting JuJu Smith-Schuster was a smart move, and it will be interesting to see if he can become a consistent fantasy weapon.
Our Fantasy Party
Whenever people refer to fantasy football as just "fantasy", my mind goes into funny places. In my one other fantasy football league, my team has been called "The Dark Elfs" for that reason and so I can use a picture of Chang as my team logo. I also maintain that Gandalf should be the first pick in any Fantasy Draft.
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| Hey guys, this is gonna be awesome, yo! |
Anyways, take this with a grain of salt and enjoy, and really do let me know if you think I'm wrong in terms of any of my characterizations.
Keith - Mage - I feel like this is a pretty straightforward character to play in the party. I'm the dispenser of fantasy wisdom, a steadying influence on the group, but occasionally overconfident in my own power and ability.
John - Lapsed Paladin - In the most recent podcast, there was a long conversation about John being a corrupting influence upon others. I don't think that is the case at all, as I see John more as someone who can inspire, although with the occasional ability to bring chaos. He's the one who brought our party together in the first place and acts as our heroic leader much of the time.
Clarke - Dark-Elven Rogue - Has upset a few members of the party due to what some may perceive as underhanded dealings or lopsided trades, but his strength and importance to the group is unquestioned. Was originally underestimated when joining the party, some have begun to wonder if this was a deliberate strategy for other to let down their guard.
Huff - Mysterious Stranger - He joined the party late. No one really knows who he is or where he came from, but so far he's managed to fit into the party well without disrupting our previous relationships. Whether he ultimately a force for order or chaos remains to be seen.
Shayne - Surly Dwarven Warrior - Always looking for a good trade, Shayne constantly gets frustrated when denied his opportunity to acquire fantasy gold. He doesn't speak a lot, but when he does he is know for his legendary tirades and pronouncement of fantasy doom for himself.
Dawson - Cleric - Every party needs a healer, and Dawson with his calm demeanor and quiet wisdom is ideal to fill this role. No matter how tough the fight or how dire things are looking, he is always among the last ones standing, and anyone who has ever been on a raid will tell you how positive an attribute this is to have in your healer.
Andrew - Half -Orc Barbarian - Andrew not afraid to do things his own way, consequences be damned. His recklessness and stubbornness is often a strength, but can also get him into trouble if things don't manage to work out completely. Swings for the fences with every strike, frustrating those who would like to see him focus on defense as well.
Aaron - Elvish Bard - As the star of the podcast and a core member of the party, Aaron dishes out his own brand of fantasy wisdom and entertainment, just like a Bard of old. His hijinks help bring joy and relaxation to the party, and he's always a source of inspiration and merriment.
Mike - Undead Alchemist - Chose this class so that he could keep his classic catchphrase intact. Always a source for fantasy experimentation, while he has not always been successful at turning lead into gold, he has managed to create potent concoctions through his hard work and through re purposing fantasy scraps.
Stan - Grizzled Ranger - The veteran of the party, Stan has seen a lot of the world and it has affected him in deep and dramatic ways. Will disappear for months at a time, frustrating those who wish to get in touch with him, but will always show up when he is needed the most.
Travis - Gnomish Tinkerer - The technical force behind the podcast, well known hoarder and full-time roster tinkerer, this character describes Travis to a tee. He's been on an effort to prove himself to the rest of the party, and one day will piece together an ultimate invention.
Steve - Knight - The hardest character to lock down, I really had a hard time coming up with Steve's DnD counterpart, so I'm open to alternative suggestions. I see him as a salt of the earth type guy, gone from farmer to sturdy, dependable warrior. He might not be the flashiest, but he makes up the cornerstone of any successful party.
On the next Last Place Wisdom
- I go completely off the rails in describing my new fantasy world.
- We nearly lose Travis while fending off an attack of marauding kobolds after a series of unfortunate low rolls.
- Infighting threatens to tear the party apart after we stumble upon a +3 Cloak of Underworld Exploration
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