It's time!! Year 7 of the Wane McGarity Bowl!!

Man does time fly! But here we are...again...a couple of months away from Year #7 of the Wane McGarity Bowl! I figured I better get the ball rolling because draft day will be here before you know it! When we last left off, Leland beat Mark to become the 2nd two time champion in our league (along with Albert). Also Eugene finished me off by less than a point to win 3rd which was a feat within itself. So the only changes this year are tinkering of keeper prospects (you can keep them in the round you drafted them in) and the buy in has double to $100! Should make things very interesting. Also for the first time in a couple years, we do have a new but familiar face joining the league after the departure of Kenny Bybee. So let's meet our wild and wacky crew!!

The Players and Teams

The Reigning Wane McGarity Bowl Champion

Leland Lawrence (No Soup For You)

6th Season

Playoff Appearances-3
Previous Season Finishes- 4th in 2011
                                           1st in 2012
                                           9th in 2013
                                          11th in 2014 

                                           1st in 2015

It's been a crazy rollercoaster ride for the guy we used to affectionately call "Internet Guy". Leland claimed his second championship last season in dominant fashion thanks to some great drafting (Todd Gurley being a huge get) and excellent waiver wire pickups (David Johnson). A great comeback after a couple of rough seasons the two seasons before. Due to keeping picks where they were drafted, there's no doubt Leland will once again be a favorite to win it all and quite possibly become the first 3 time champion in our league's history.

Mark Freeman (Shock The Monkey)

4th Season
# of Playoff Appearances-2
Previous Season Finshes- 6th in 2013
                                         10th in 2014

                                         2nd in 2015

Mark kind of came out of nowhere to upset me in the semi finals and get to his first Wane McGarity Bowl where he fell to Leland's squad. Mark might not have won it all, but 2nd place isn't too shabby either as it was the first time in 3 years he placed. You never know with Mark where he's teams are gonna go. There are times his squad's look great only to flounder (like in his season when he started 6-0) and there are times where he doesn't look to have a great roster only to surprise people (like last year). Mark's come super close to the grand prize...I'm sure he's hoping this year he'll climb the top of the mountain.

Eugene Lawrence (Rocket Man)

4th Season
# of Playoff Appearances-2
Previous Season Finishes- 7th in 2013

                                           3rd in 2014

                                           3rd in 2015

 

I must say, for what Eugene had to work with last season, this was one of the most impressive finishes I've ever seen in our league history. I don't know how he managed to not finish last much less place 3rd considering he had so little to work with. Half of his roster was comprised of 12th-14th round picks due to the previous year's draft pick trades. Thanks to Julio Jones, Doug Baldwin (who EXPLODED the 2nd half of the season) Michael Crabtree, Dion Lewis, and a couple others (including a good but not great Aaron Rodgers) Eugene pulled off what I consider the upset of all upsets by placing with his team. The question is, how can he build off of last year's cinderella story for this season?

 

Chris Puente (Bay Area Tanners)
7th Season
# of Playoff Appearences-4
Previous Finishes-3rd in 2010
                             2nd in 2011
                             9th in 2012
                             1st in 2013
                            12th in 2014

                                 4th in 2015

Ugh....what a disappointing thud of an ending to what started as a potential championship winning season. I started 7-0 and was cruising towards the playoffs, when my team just ran out of gas and went to total crap. I ended up going 2-6 in my last 8 games and I'm actually riding a 4 game losing streak going into the season. Total letdown in what was supposed to be my "comeback" year after the disaster that was 2014. Because I finished high, I get a shitty 1st round pick, and because I drafted ultimately shitty, my keeper prospects aren't as good as everyone elses. I'm not feeling to good about getting title #2 this year, but I'll do my best to make the most of it and try to be as competitive as can be.

Robert Puente (The Bad Robofies)
6th Season
# of Playoff Appearences-4
Previous Finishes- 5th in 2011
                               6th in 2012
                               3rd in 2013                                

                               9th in 2014 

                               5th in 2015

What a shame it was for Dad's playoff hopes to be derailed by injuries because I truly believed he had a darkhorse of a team to win it all as his Thomas Rawls and Jeremy Langford pickups came exactly at the right time and combined with the stupid trade I gave him (Brandin Cooks/Michael Floyd for shitty Randall Cobb) and Cam Newton have the season of his life, Dad had all the momentum in the world. Unfortantely Dad lost both Rawls and Vincent Jackson to early game injuries in his playoff match against Mark and was bounced in round 1. The good news is Dad's going to start his team off with a bang as he has multiple keeper prospects that he can keep in later rounds. He's consistently made the playoffs 4 out of his 5 seasons, but has finished placing only once, could it finally all come together this year?

Andrew Mata (Sons Of The Harpy)
6th Season
Playoff Appearances- 3
Previous Finishes: 2nd in 2010
                              DNP in 2011
                              8th in 2012
                             10th in 2013  

                      6th in 2014

                             6th in 2015

 

Drew barely made the playoffs by the skin of his teeth thanks to a half a point loss Alex suffered in the last game of the season. It had been between Alex and Drew for the last playoff spot. Drew, like my dad, also had a super scary talented team on paper with the likes of Adrian Peterson, Amari Cooper, Allen Robinson,Demaryius Thomas and Tom Brady but ultimate came up short in the first round against Leland finishing 6th just like in 2014. Drew has yet to place since finishing 2nd in our inaugural season, but this year, he's got some prime keeper choices and there's no doubt Drew will be a contender for the title this season as always.

 

Matt Gonzales (Dr. Light's Robots)

7th Season
# of Playoff Appearances-3
Previous Season Finishes- 4th in 2010
                                           9th in 2011
                                           4th in 2012
                                           8th in 2013

                                           1st in 2014

                                           7th in 2015

 

There was nowhere to go but down after Matt's unbelievable championship run of 2014. Unfortunately the curse that has plagued champions since 2012 lives on. Matt became the 3rd straight champion to not make the playoffs the following year (Ironically, Leland, who started the trend, can be the one to break it this year). Injuries, injuries, injuries. Even before the season started Matt was hit with injuries (Jordy Nelson) and throughout the year he lost player after player (including Jamaal Charles to a season ender). It just wasn't Matt's year. Luckily for Matt though he drafted Jordy Nelson really low as a possible keeper for this season, and still has OBJ too. If Matt can avoid the injury bug, he's sure to regain some of that championship form from two seasons ago. 

 

Alex Kronberger (Winter is Over)

3rd Season

Playoff Appearences-1

Previous Season Finishes- 5th in the 2014

                                           9th in 2015

 

The absolute worst way to get bounced of your playoff spot, Alex looked like he'd be sailing to his 2nd straight playoffs in as many years, before Leland got a unbelievable performance by Martavis Bryant and edged out Alex in the last game of the season by half a point, which resulted in Alex losing his playoff spot to Drew. Terrible break. Alex has some questions to ask himself about his keeper situation. Brandon Marshall looks like a lock considering where he was drafted, but is it finally time to hang it up on Drew Brees? Can you really trust Eddie Lacy to bounce back from such a putrid embarrassing season as a highly touted first round pick last year? He'll have to think long and hard on what he wants to do so he won't repeat this past year's situation.

 

Albert Rodriguez (Channel 4 News Team)
7th Season
Playoff Appearances-4
Previous Season Finishes- 1st in 2010
                                           1st in 2011
                                           2nd in 2012
                                          12th in 2013

                                           4th in 2014

                                          10th in 2015

 

After such a hot start to his Wane McGarity Bowl career (3 straight finals appearances, 2 titles), Albert's kinda fallen off the radar the past three years including dead last in 2012. Last year was another disappointment. Will he trust in his A.J. Green/Gronk combo another year? Or maybe keep a combination of one of those with either Doug Martin and Sammy Watkins? Or keep the lower drafted Martin/Watkins and start from scratch in the 1st two rounds? Definitely a to think about as Albert looks to regain that hall of fame form he had the first three years in the league.

 

Ryan McKinnis (Hoosier Daddy)
7th Season
Playoff Appearances-2
Previous Season Finishes- 8th in 2010
                                           3rd in 2011
                                           3rd in 2012
                                          11th in 2013
                                            8th in 2014

                                          11th in 2015

 

After back to back 3rd place finishes in 2011 and 2012, it has been a rough go for Ryan. The highest he's finished the past three seasons is 8th and for the 2nd time in those three seasons he's finished 11th. Last year was supposed to be the year, with the extra draft picks, unfortunately he struck out big time with Andrew Luck, and Melvin Gordon and Justin Forsett didn't come close to living up to their expectations. He did get a diamond in the rough though in Devonta Freeman. The ability the keep him in the 9th round is very promising for Ryan. He's had a ton of bad breaks these past couple seasons, let's see if this is the year he breaks through.

 

Mayra Lopez (Bigger Balls)
 5th Season
# of Playoff Appearences-2
Previous Season Finishes- 10th in 2012
                                             5th in 2013

                                             2nd in 2014 

                                            12th in 2015

 

Well, after a nightmarish end to her 2014 season where she decimated everyone until the final game, Mayra bottomed out in 2015 finishing dead last. The combination of losing Le'veon Bell to both suspension at the beginning of the season and then to a season ending injury plus Carlos Hyde's ineffectiveness and own injury problems derailed Mayra's chance at making the playoffs last year. The good news, Bell should be good to go this season and combined with Antonio Brown, once again Mayra should have the most lethal keeper combo on paper. I don't think bad luck will strike twice again, I see Mayra with those two guys in tow, having a huge bounce back season, leaving last year's finish in the dust.

 

Well...it wasn't just an idle threat, Kenny did indeed leave the league after 6 years. He says it's not fun anymore, and though I hate to see him leave the league as he's been here since the beginning, I'm not going to force anyone to play who doesn't want to. Anyways, it was an easy to spot to fill, so without further ado making his triumph return to the league after a 2 year sabbatical....

 

Mike Posey (Woe is You)
5th Season
# of Playoff Appearances-2
Previous Finishes: 6th in 2010
                              8th in 2011
                              5th in 2012
                              4th in 2013

                             DNP in 2014

                             DNP in 2015

Yep...our good ol' buddy Mike Posey is back after a two year hiatus. The last time Mike was in the league, he made the infamous Jason Campbell over Tony Romo at QB decision that cost him (and helped me) a chance at the finals. He then proceeded to lose to my Dad in the 3rd place game. It'll be interesting to see what Mike will do with the team Kenny left him. Welcome back Michael.

And that'll do that! Welcome back everyone and hope everyone is as excited as I am for year 7!! Next step the draft lottery!