The Lombardi ThreeLast season I offered a free Bench Swap to the team that convinced last year’s trophy-winner, Reservations For Six, to choose their design as his new logo. RFS is not qualified for this offer. More to come on this. In the meantime, check out the new Bench Swaps page. Forms for weeks 1, 2 and 3 are up and available.
I know, I know…it’s way too early for you to be hearing from me in May. But the 2014 NFL Draft is only a week away so Season 3 will be upon us before you know it. That’s really just a bullshit excuse for me to roll out the red carpet on TheLombardiThree.com!
I hope this finds everyone as anxious and excited for Season 3 as I am. As you can see, I’ve been busy. We have managed to step up our game each season so why not have a slick, new website. A virtual one-stop-shop for all your Lombardi Three needs.
Did someone say “shop”? Lombardi Three swag??
Don’t worry; I’m not there…yet. Maybe next year.
Jesus, now I’m wondering how I can get The Swallops’ horse-bird logo on to a wife-beater or flannel shirt. I digress.
I have backfilled the first two season’s correspondence to date and uploaded a surplus of league materials. Check out the League History page for a detailed, statistical look at our first two seasons. I have also linked various resources to aid in this year’s weekly analysis. These will be updated throughout the year as the season progresses.
We’ve given it two good trial runs and fleshed out the bullshit. Time to play for cash like the big boys. Check out the final breakdown of League Dues and how to pay. Paying your dues confirms your intent to play this coming season and guarantees your current position in the Draft Order, or better. If you do not intend to play this year, please let me know soonest. I have had lots of interest from new teams looking to join and I’d like to solidify the League Roster over the next few months.
DRAFT LOCATION: The Regal Beagles have transitioned to San Diego this year and offered to host the live draft over Labor Day weekend. With a few left-coasters in the vicinity, this could make for a fun draft location. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves though as this is all still TBD.
DRAFT ORDER: Assuming the same 14 teams return this season, the draft order would look something like the below, per the rules laid out in the Constitution. The random drawing for 1st overall pick will be held prior to the beginning of the NFL preseason and announced on this site. Again, this is all TBD as the fantasy season approaches and we lock down the league roster and draft logistics.
*Once the 1st overall draft pick winner is chosen, the above order slides up to fill the empty position.
Take a look at the site at your leisure and please make sure you sign up to follow the site postings. This will replace all email correspondence. As always, I’m looking forward to everyone’s feedback, comments and suggestions.
Trophies have been awarded. See the attached images for this year’s winners. Hopefully we get some Instagram pics with the winners. #TL3
Thanks again for a great season.
-The Commish
Another season in the books, another newssheet, more stats, more charts, more tables, and like Lieutenant Dan, I’m rollin’! This season’s final issue is packed with this crap. Oh… and there is a little puff piece on our 2013 League Champion
Dude went on a 7-game streak of terror to close this thing out and did it only scoring the 6th most points this season. Not to mention he did it without a single top-ranked player. For full coverage of his extraordinary run check out Faceless.
Congrats are in order to my personal favorite squad who vociferously “Schooledya’gain” over our second season. The Stepdads and Bagel Time donned 3rd and 4th place finishes, after barely making the playoffs seated 7th and 8th, respectively, sharing the trophy for Playoff Comeback. A listing of all the 2013 League Trophies, as well as a peek at the 2014 Draft Landscape, and a statistical look at our first two seasons in League History, all accompany this final, 2013 season issue of the Lombardi Newssheet.
League Commissioner,
The Stepdads
See Newssheets Archive for this Issue.
Apparently, some of you think that I have way too much time on my hands. I’ve got a little secret for all of you – I was born for this shit. This comes as naturally to me as snow falls on the east coast in early December. In this issue of The Lombardi Three Newssheet, Bagel Time delivers his report on The Great Snow Storm of Week 14, I breakdown the pay-to-play structure I have been forecasting the past few weeks in Money Talks, Bullshit Walks, and we explore the past, present, and future of The Lombardi Three as we head in to the final week of our second season.
Issue 4 offers a detailed preview of the Final Matchup in Week 16, and introduces some Score Tuning I’d like to incorporate next season. I have also attached your updated, working copy of the TL3 Constitution.
By this time next week the season will be over. Both underdog, and crowd favorite, Schoolya’gain, will either have derailed the unstoppable freight train that is Reservations For Six, or she will be inevitably crushed in the forceful grip he has on the league title. Whichever fate awaits these two fantasy gladiators, next week we will have crowned a new champion.
League Manager,
The Stepdads
See Newssheets Archive for this Issue.
The playoffs are…here.
That declaration just about sums up how thrilled I am about it. I really do focus my newssheet coverage on the prominent highlights each week, and I prefer to limit any narratives vis-à-vis my own team and my own players, but The Stepdads’ implosion, while quite pleasant and rewarding for the rest of you, is deserving of some light analysis in this week’s issue. I do take a look back at Week 11, which was a defining week for a handful of teams and had its share of controversial Bad Calls. Week 11 was the turning point for The Stepdads and the Hickory Swallops, as they both dropped the last 3 games of the regular season, barely surviving the playoff cut. In turn, Schoolya’gain and Reservations For Six went on terrifying 3- and 4-game win streaks, respectively, to capture 2 of the top spots in the playoffs and make their presence known. Meanwhile, the Regal Beagles dropped a dollar on a sweet steroid shot and Armstrong’d their way to 3-straight wins to close out the regular season and gain the top spot in the consolation bracket. Dream big Beagles – this was a hell of an improvement from last season’s 2-12 record.
Felicitations are in order. Genetic Black Jesus won the regular season trophy and won the award for most points scored. At an average of 180.18 per week, GBJ averaged 24.91 points more than the next strongest average in the league, LockinUWL. Through 13 weeks GBJ scored less than 159 points only once, and holds the single game record at 241.55 in Week 9. Stats, stats, stats…I’m so sick of seeing that luckster’s name next to all these stats.
Truth is, all those stats mean jack shit! The awards are virtual and these accomplishments earned him a #1 seed in the playoffs. That’s it. It’s anyone’s trophy at this point (well, any of the 8 of us in the playoffs). Lincoln Co Chavez took this stroker down in Week 6, so anything’s possible.
There’s so much to look at this week, it’s overwhelming. I sat down Monday night, post Week 11, and took my notes for Bad Calls. I’ve been going through the playoff scenarios since. I hope you enjoy the notes I’ve included in this week’s issue.
League Manager,
The Stepdads
See Newssheets Archive for this Issue.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…I said this would be quarterly, but this is way too rad and way too much fun for me to not send another Newssheet out before Week 12. And technically, quarterly is defined as 4 per annum. This is officially Issue 2 so I am way behind. As far as you know.
Let’s get the administrative crap out of the way and address the minor racket raised over a “vetoed” trade this week. Without going into the depth I did for the teams involved, this was not my call. As disputed as the trade was, and as much as we all wish that GBJ’s team plane would violently crash in to a shallow ocean of dull-toothed, shark-infested waters, the reality is the trade was accepted in error. I vetted that error and cancelled the trade. I did the same exact thing in Week 5 for two other teams without question. NFL.com does not have a ‘Cancel’ button for you or me to administer this type situation. The officially labeled ‘Veto’ button is our only way to rectify and cancel a trade. I have squashed any beef between the parties involved and continued truckin’.
All that said, this business really brought to light a couple of interesting topics for discussion. Check out the ensuing notes on Trades, Acquisitions, and the emergence of the Lombardi Three Constitution in this week’s issue of The Lombardi Three Newssheet.
League Manager,
The Stepdads
See Newssheets Archive for this Issue.
Attached is the inaugural TL3 Newssheet. This will replace my draft and regular season memos/correspondence each season. My plan is to send these out quarterly – once after Week 4, once after Week 8, once after Week 12 (prior to the last week of the regular season), and one final issue with a recap of the season.
Nothing would be more radical than to get contributing input that I could publish along with it each week. If you’ve got something to say, or would like me to add something specific for everyone, please let me know. This is a very rough draft and will obviously be better tailored as we move along. Hope you enjoy it.
Good luck this week. I wish it was possible for all of you to lose, but I dream big.
LM – The Stepdads
It’s been another month and another 4 weeks of play. Only 5 weeks remaining of regular season play. Only 5 weeks to make or break your playoff standing, and there are still 9 teams only a game apart. If you don’t think there is still a chance to win this thing, find another league to play in.
Our two frontrunners, Genetic Black Jesus and Lake Hickory Swallops, are averaging 176 and 162 per week, respectively. GBJ has had a heavy dose of good fortune (low injury, high consistency) while The Swallops have kept their nose to the grindstone and made some smooth pickups each week, building on an already imposing roster. The Swallops, riding a league-leading, 5-game win streak, were able to pinch Woodhead and the Colts this weekend after previous owners had to grudgingly release them to fill BYE spots in Week 8. I have a feeling this will catch up to some teams in Week 9.
Packer Cave, The Stepdads and LockinUWL were able to put together 3-game win streaks through the first 8 weeks but have been generally inconsistent in the W-L column. With 7 players on BYE, and having to redecorate the locker room, The Stepdads were especially fortunate after last week’s freebie delivered by the comatose Goonies. The Goonies – maybe they were being held hostage by the Fratellis, who the fuck knows.
We should all send our sincerest sympathies to Bagel Time after tragically having the two hottest players in the NFL for Week 8 on the bench. Andre Ellington and Marvin Jones were scoring machines in Week 8 and accounted for more than 73 fantasy points between the two of them. This only codifies the aforementioned grand fortune that GBJ has enjoyed. Stay positive BT – you are averaging more than 167 per week over the last three.
See Newssheets Archive for the full Issue.
The opening 4 weeks of regular season league play is complete and, as most of you would assume, I’ve been itching to send out a league memo. I assure you the timing on this has nothing to do with the fact that The Stepdads have just taken down the undefeated, league-leading returning champ in good fashion. Gloating – check.
Player performance indicators have surfaced. Your draft picks should be showing some consistency in one direction or the other, injuries are playing out, and undrafted free agents and league rookies have been staking their claim in the lineup. We are also witnessing perhaps the greatest regular season performance by a QB in NFL History, and the complete collapse of those special teams that nobody likes…the Giants, the Steelers. Trash talk – check.
Through Week 4 our league is showing signs of two powerhouse leaders, the aforementioned returning champion, Genetic Black Jesus, and IJamAllDay. Both squads have imposingly amassed more than 700 points through 4 weeks. IJamAllDay has been outscoring his opponents by an average of 56.8 points per week and holds the top score in Week 4 at 235.65 points, inflating the previous statistic. Bagel Time and Packer Cave are also 3-1 but both teams have had the least points scored against them in the league, indicating scheduling has played a minor role in their wins to date. There is only 1 winless team left, and coincidentally, The Goonies have had the most points scored against them through week 4. The Goonies have indicated that they think my memos are too lengthy and that they rarely read them. 0-4, go figure. All that said, 11 out of 14 teams in the league are separated by a single win, demonstrating tremendous evidence of variation in the league and that this is still anyone’s game. Don’t get discouraged early. Don’t rely on NFL.com’s projections. They are shit. Do your homework. Be good or be good at it. Brief analysis / pep talk – check.
Don’t forget to utilize your two Reserve (RES) positions if needed. Basically, this allows for you to take any injured players and place them in a ‘Reserve’ spot in order to not have to drop them. This frees up that available space on your roster for a free agent. To bring that player back out of ‘Reserve’ you will obviously have to drop someone off your roster to make room for them. Only officially listed injured players can be placed in Reserve. It’s two free spots, use them. Friendly reminder – check.
*Bye weeks are in play so pay extra attention to your lineups and don’t make the epic mistake of playing someone who is off that week. This is a cardinal sin in my opinion and could get you replaced on next year’s league roster. Don’t be a deadbeat coach. Scolding – check.
Looking forward to everyone’s feedback, questions, commentary, and/or general bitching about your shitty draft return on investment. I feel you dog.
LM,
The Stepdads
Postscript (PS or P.S. for you numb nuts out there)
Very interesting statistic of note – Week 4 of last season was the week that perfectly separated the top half of the league and the bottom half of the league. The 6 winners in Week 4 went on to be the top 6 teams and compete in the playoffs. The 6 losers in Week 4 went on to eventually miss the playoffs and muddled their way through a meaningless consolation playoff. This was the only week last season that was perfectly split like that.
It’s on! What a first game showing by Manning! That performance did tie an NFL record. Makes you second guess those early QB picks in the draft…..
Just wanted to send out the attached Scoring Cheat Sheet for scoring this year, as I’ve had some interest from some of the teams. I had trouble figuring out off hand how Wes Welker got his points on Thursday and did a quick break down of his points at the end of this sheet. Turns out, on top of his receiving yards and 2 TDs, he added some kick return yards and a tackle. He flubbed a kick on the 2-yard line adding a fumble to his stat sheet. This scoring was all over the place, hence the initial confusion on my part. But I broke it down and it clearly shows how he netted his 20.05 points.
Remember, we use fractional points. For example – he had 27 kick return yards. You get 1 point for ever 20 return yards. 27 return yards = 1.35 points. You can follow how he got the rest of his points based on the sheet provided if you are interested. Otherwise, you have a go-to scoring sheet if you are ever interested in how your player got the points he did.
You can click on the FULL BOX SCORE tab in the Game Center window to see the breakdown of each player’s game stats.
Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you all choke in Week 1. GFYs.
LM – The Stepdads
The Lombardi Three