Fantasy Football Friday: Christmas Super Bowl Edition

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Well, first off Merry Christmas to all of you loyal Fan Fanatic Sports readers. We thank you all for your support throughout the year. Now down to business. For the vast majority of all fantasy football leagues this is the grand daddy weekend of them all. Yes, this is the Fantasy Football Super Bowl! Despite the fact that I gave up on my team at least twice this season, I somehow found my way into the Super Bowl! Since this is the Super Bowl, and most of you aren't playing, I am going to change up the article this week. Instead of looking at the best game match ups of the week, I am going to highlight the best match ups for each position and the worst for each position.

Best Positional Match Ups of the Week:

QB - Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Kurt Warner

The Seahawks are quite possibly the worst road team in the NFL, even worse than the Patriots. Look for all of your Packers to have big games. The Chargers are rolling right now. It's not that easy to run against the Titans, but you can certainly pass. Tony Romo and the Cowboys take on a Redskins team that has quit. Kurt Warner at home against the Rams. Sounds good to me

RB - Ryan Grant, Frank Gore, Maurice Jones Drew

Ryan Grant is a Packer, right? Frank Gore for the score. I actually think he'll go for two against the Lions. MJD takes on the Pats D, sounds like 3 scores to me in what should be a good, tight game.

WR - Mike Sims-Walker, Randy Moss, Wes Welker

Well, my best match ups for the WR position are all in the same game. I just don't trust the Pats D at all, and I really look for both Moss and Welker to go off. There's no way you hold Welker down for another game.

TE - JerMichael Finley, Vernon Davis, Brett Celek, Fred Davis

We really have 4 good, young tight ends in that list. Finley has emerged as a major talent at the position, Vernon Davis is showcasing why he was the 6th overall pick, Brett Celek is a great stopgap for Donovan McNabb and Fred Davis has been outstanding the past few weeks.

DEF - Cowboys, 49ers, Packers

Like I said above, the Cowboys are taking on the Redskins. I really like Mike Singletary's defense this weekend against the Lions. Oh yeah, the Packers are playing the Seahawks at home.

Worst Positional Match Ups of the Week:

QB - Matt Hasselbeck, Brett Favre, Jason Campbell

The Seahawks are terrible on the road. Don't start anyone. I really don't like Favre's match up against the Bears this weekend. Throw in the little spat he's having with Childress and this all doesn't look good. Of course, the "aged wonder" has proven me wrong before. Jason Campbell, while not nearly as bad as most people think, are playing the Cowboys and they really need the win.

RB - Jaamal Charles, Quinton Ganther, Matt Forte

Ok, I am starting Charles this week, but I don't like the match up. The Bengals have a stout run defense, but I don't have anyone better I want to play. I know Ganther has scored 3 times in the past 2 games. Normally I'd put him up top because he's a young player who's trying to showcase himself. I still don't like him against the Cowboys run defense that ranks 6th in the NFL.

WR - Chris Chambers, Reggie Wayne*, Roddy White

Not only do the Bengals have a good run defense, they have a superb pass defense. The asterisk for Reggie Wayne is because I don't know how much he'll play. He's also going toe to toe against Darelle Revis. I am also going to be starting Roddy White, but the Bills are very good against the pass.

TE - Dallas Clark*, John Carlson, Kevin Boss

Same thing for Clark. How much will he really play. John Carlson is terrible and he'll never be owned by me again, and Kevin Boss is just too inconsistent. I need something better for the Super Bowl.

DEF - Jets*, Broncos, Patriots

The Jets Defense could be a great play if the Colts rest a lot of their starters. If not, then they could be a very bad play. They could also win the game outright, and I'd look like a fool. The Eagles are on a serious offensive roll right now, and the Broncos will not be able to stop them. Did you get the idea that I don't like the Patriots Defense? I don't.

Good luck and Merry Christmas to you all!

How Ten Minutes at a Checkout Counter Saved My Christmas

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I'm going to break from the usual format because something happened on Christmas Eve that I probably will always remember. Though it could be considered a minuscule thing to most, it touched me deeply and I hope it can act as the same kind of reminder for you that it was for me.

It's the holiday season and like a lot of folks, I picked up a retail job to help supplement the income and finance the holidays. And for some reason this year especially, my dealings with people had left me very jaded. People seemed to forget what the holidays and Christmas are really all about. Instead, people were very selfish, very ignorant and very greedy.

Working retail at Christmas time means working hours you don't want to work and sure enough, I was working Christmas Eve until closing time. Between my lack of desire to be there and everyone else's frantic craze to get the last minute gifts, there was not much Christmas spirit going around. People had little regard for each other as they bustled around and the interactions I had with customers were terse and cursory. People seemed to find each other more of a nuisance than anything else.

The store was closing at 6:00 promptly and my managers instructed us to shoo everyone out the door exactly at closing time. At 5:59, a man came to my register with arms loaded with gifts. He plopped them down and said, "I'm so sorry to be doing this to you. I know that you are trying to get home to your family, but I just landed a couple hours ago and this is the first opportunity I've had to shop."

I asked him where he was coming from and he told me he was in the military and had just come from Indiana where he had been stationed. I welcomed him home and commented that it must be nice to be home just in time for Christmas. He said that it was, but added that it would be a short stay. He was getting sent to Afghanistan the day after Christmas.

I totalled up the purchases and bagged them. At this point, it was about ten past the hour and one of the managers said over the walkie talkies that she was going to lock the doors as soon as everyone was gone. The man took that as his cue to leave, but before doing so thanked me again for helping him even though we were closing, and apologized to me for taking more time away from my family. He then shook my hand and wished me a merry Christmas.

I shook his hand, wished him a merry Christmas, thanked him for everything he does and asked him to be safe over there.

This man had less than 48 hours to spend with his family before going overseas and possibly not being able to talk to his family for weeks at a time, yet he took the time to thank me and apologize to me for my time. It had been a while since I had seen anybody thinking selflessly this holiday season and it reminded me that there are so many good people in this world, many of which aren't blessed with the ability be with their families because they are busy protecting us and our freedoms. This man is putting his life in danger in a couple of days and still was thinking of others and how his actions affect them.

His actions, as small as they might seem to most, affected me and saved my Christmas. I pray I never forget that short conversation and that any time I'm feeling the way I was this year, I can think back to that and remember.

Thank you sir, wherever you are. Merry Christmas and may you and all who serve our country return safely home.