Last Place Wisdom: Last Wisdom
I wouldn't blame you all for thinking this column was already over; considering the only thing I have written this year was defending the honour of a 20+ year old comic strip. It's not for lack of interest in fantasy football; I was probably as interested as I have ever been for 2021 and the future mere hours before the rest of the news started breaking. It's not for lack of time anymore than all of my time has required prioritizing since having my 3rd kid. It's probably just a lack of passion for putting my thoughts down in writing some where; as much as it is still my preferred and comfortable medium, it's felt harder and not as fulfilling to connect this way. What that says about me and the situation we're in is still unclear to me.
However, in terms of closure and honouring the hours I have spend writing Last Place Wisdom over the decade, I figure something needed to be done. I usually have a hot take on everything, for good or for ill, but since the news started breaking I've kept any thoughts I've had about the TFLOEG to one-on-one talks. This will function as my public musings however.
(It was always my intention to get this out before the "big game" (is it still a "big game" without much of the trappings that have traditionally gone along with it? Maybe I'm the only one who had no interest in the event this year)
How to take this column has been swirling around in my head for some time. Initially, I was thinking I'd write about the meaning behind the TFLOEG, but after thinking about it some more I decided that wouldn't be right. Not because the League has been ultimately meaningless, but because I came to the conclusion that there are probably too many too many meanings held by the different members at different times for me to do it all justice, and to try and put myself into other's shoes wouldn't feel right. The TFLOEG has consumed an incredible amount of time, spawning blog posts, podcasts, championship belts, and league events to be listed among people's defining hobbies. The TFLOEG is a time-waster and distraction on Sunday's during the fall, an entertaining addition to a weekend of watching football (or not watching football if the primary reason you care is just the fantasy aspect). The TFLOEG brings stability and regularity to our calendars; helping create a regular rhythm to our lives that might otherwise be disconnected from these types of activities. Maybe the TFLOEG has been a place to chat with the boys and spend one day a year (the best day of the year) drafting a team and being filled with hope. Or maybe the TFLOEG has just been something that people stick with out of a sense of obligation or because it's what our friends are doing.
If I had to answer the question for myself, it would be that the TFLOEG has been something that we could do together. People have grown and changed dramatically in the 11 years since we started the league (let alone the 20+ years that we have all been friends), and I don't know about the rest of you, but it feels increasingly harder to truly understand and to be understood. For what it's worth, the dumb game of fantasy has helped counteract this, and for that I am grateful. Being able to "do" something with each and every one of you, even if that thing is only analyzing fake football for half the year, has been welcome and appreciated. For those of you who I won't get to do that anymore, I really will miss it.
Mr. Manager of the Year Award
Travis might be tired of hearing how people feel bad his championship has been overshadowed by everything that has occurred since, but I'm going to repeat it here. My biggest regret at the lack of festivities yesterday was the lack of a belt presenting ceremony. But hopefully it has still been enjoyable to him as it was well deserved.
Along with Travis, I feel the need to highlight Aaron here. Maybe no teams in TFLOEG history have had as many emotional swings as Aaron and Travis, and the two managers bound themselves together with their early season blockbuster swapping early draft and rookie round picks. Ultimately it worked out for Travis better than it did Aaron, however I appreciated Aaron's renewed passion and willingness to take big risks. I'm glad it worked out for him in his other league.
Musical Interlude
2020 in Film
Like the entire film industry, 2020 involved me watching a lot fewer movies than I typically would. Although I was on the train of "films should be released to Premium On-Demand" pretty early on, I never expected it would be a pandemic that would get us there. Now that it's here however, I have no real desire to spend $30 to watch a new film from the comfort of my basement. Maybe it's more the nature of what's been created than anything however. I do have a brief ranking of the top (and only) 5 new films that I watched in 2020.
5. Mulan - Disney's live action remakes have consistently ended up at the bottom of my list for many years, and this year's was perhaps the worst one yet. With what seems to be only a few years worth of recycling content like this left, I am left wondering where the industry will go from here.
4. Soul - I found it ironic given the title that I felt the movie was lacking a lot of the actual soul that so greatly characterized much of Pixar's earlier work. Basically I thought what was there was done better by Inside Out, which felt very similar in a lot of ways. Other writers better than I have expanded on the greater meaning of souls and the bureaucratization of the Machine Elves who guide them so I won't go into that here.
3. Eurovision Song Contest: the Story of Fire Saga - Not a lot to say here, it was a fine mildly entertaining movie.
2. Tenet - This was a film filled with interesting ideas and so I really appreciate that it was made. It was also not the most narratively coherent or fleshed out of Nolan's films so it has a lot of flaws. That being said, I was pretty engrossed the entire time I was watching it in the theatre, so I'd take a lot more films like this if Hollywood could put them out.
1. Onward - In my opinion, the better of the two Pixar films that came out this past year. I greatly enjoyed the setting and world that the film created, so that was right up my alley. Plus the themes of brotherhood and fatherly loss resonated with me a lot more than the more abstract theme in Soul.
Where do we go from here?
I've had numerous conversations with many of you about what 2021 will look like for the TFLOEG, but to be honest, I don't know what the end result will be. I greatly enjoy playing fantasy football with all of you, and will be willing to put in the work to help make that a reality whatever form it ends up looking like. It's also greatly against my personality to try and drum up excitement or enthusiasm where it is lacking however; I'm a competent organizer but a poor hype-man.
All I've ever really wanted for the league is for everyone to receive as much joy from it on balance as I have, and for that reason I'm happy to support whatever changes or future plans people think would keep things fun and keep fantasy a positive part of their lives. I feel bad that whatever drama was caused by my response to the stat correction kerfuffle made things less fun at the time; although I know in the grand scheme of things it was a very small role in whatever happened.
There's plenty of time to sort the future out, but just know whatever that looks like, I'm up to help ensure we can keep doing things together, even if it's something as dumb as fantasy football.
On the Next Last Place Wisdom
- I rebrand for whatever new venture the league gets talked into.
- There is no "next" Last Place Wisdom. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read my thoughts these 94 posts.
- 202X Draft Day Recap!
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