UPBA SUPER FOUR – WEEK 13

#1 – Break Away (GM Jason Gauthier) (11-2): Kevin Garnett returned this past week, and he may not be the Kevin of old, but whatever he can give to this team is better than what he was giving when he was injured.

#2 – Mayn Event (GM Derrick Maynard) (10-3): A big trade week for Mayn Event transforms this team into a solid threat to the crown of Break Away.

#3 – Shakers Pizz Plan (GM Jeff Jacobson) (10-3): A big win over previous #2 PLA, and the trade that brought Nowitzki to this team, makes this team another threat to the crown of Break Away.

#4 – peace.love.afros (GM Jared Lawson) (10-3): Some major shake-ups with this team has allowed the team to acquire more depth, but a loss with that new team last week drops this team from the Top 2.

UPBA SUPER FOUR – Week 12

#1 – Break Away (GM Jason Gauthier) 10 – 2: Just keep rolling along, without question the favorite come playoff time, and they are doing all this winning without Kevin Garnett.

#2 – peace.love.afros (GM Jared Lawson) 10 – 2: A major line-up shake-up is going to decide this team’s fate in a negative or positive way.

#3 – Mayn Event (GM Derrick Maynard) 9 – 3: Have been hot since dealing Kobe in a deal that brought some extra weapons to their arsenal…

#4 – Shakers Pizz Plan (GM Jeff Jacobson) 9 – 3: Rajon Rondo is really, really good, and if Gasol can stay healthy this team will be a very tough out come playoff time.

UPBA SUPER FOUR – Week Eleven

#1 – Break Away (GM Jason Gauthier): 8 – 2: Now that they finally have Andris Biedrins back in the fold, this team could reach its high potential.

#2 – Shakers Pizz Plan (GM Jeff Jacobson): 7 – 3: Have been playing great fantasy basketball, but will need to hold steady as some nagging injuries sideline their stars a few games (Rondo, Gasol)

#3 – peace.love.afros (GM Jared Lawson): 8 – 2: Kevin Love has been on a tear since returning from his injury and has help lead PLA to a first place position in their tough division.

#4 – Deering Tornadoes (GM Kevin Carlson): 7 – 3: LeBron and Kobe, just having those two players gives this team the capability to knock any team off in any given week.

YOOPER BOWL VIII

GM: BRANDON JUNE – IOwensU (10 -5) vs. GM HEATH ELIASON – New Glarus Spotted cows (11-4)

TAGLINE: As of 12/22/2009: NO SIMILAR PLAYERS ON EITHER TEAM: STARTING

In the end the YOOPER BOWL involves two teams who have been streaking at the right time, and it also involves two teams who have been there since Season Two of the UPFL. They have seen all the rule changes, they have seen all the player changes, in the end the only thing that matters are two things: Do they out-think themselves or do they luck out?

Looking at the current match-ups I feel that both teams sport solid teams that deserve to be in the YOOPER BOWL at the right time. Lets start with IOwensU.

IOwensU is led by the very potent attack of Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson. Both these players need to be questioned as we head into the final week of the UPFL. Peyton could be rested as so could Adrian. Does that mean IOwensU benches both players? In my Commish opinion I do not think you bench them. I think both play significant minutes and have an impact on the YOOPER BOWL.

IOwensU also sports the talented WR crew of Anquan Boldin, Mike Sims-Walker and Steve Smith, they probably only start two of these WRs but it will be crucial which two they are. IOwensU has been here before in the 2007 YOOPER BOWL and lost on the last field goal attempt of the actual NFL season, so they know what success tastes like, will they finally be able to taste the sweet taste of the UPFL Championship or will they be denied yet again?

New Glarus Spotted Cows are a team managed by a GM that I have known for a long time, and finally after 8 years of UP Fantasy Leagues, GM Heath Eliason is tasting the big time, if is was an actual contest he would be appearing on the TV6 news with Mike Ludlum and not for a Dream Team basketball circa 1999..

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This team is led by the talented RBs of Steven Jackson, Ricky Williams, and Maurice Jones-Drew, and they have led this team this far. In the end though this team relies on their QB, which is Aaron Rodgers. He had a huge game last week, which propelled this team to YOOPERBOWL VIII.

When I look at both teams, I see a very equal distribution of points, and I feel that when all is said and done, and Kris Kringle has come and gone, this team will finally taste the sweet victory that is:

QUICK PICKS:

TOILET BOWL CHAMP, and #1 in 2010: Wildcats

3rd Place Champ, and $50 richer: Playoffs!!??!!

YOOPER BOWL VIII CHAMPION:

IOwensU: 142 ** NGSC: 116

**IOwensU**

UPFL FINAL FOUR PREVIEW

I need start this preview with stating I wish I had the time to still do a review for every round of the UPFL Playoffs, but I have found with a second kid my time has diminished for fantasy previews. Also, there really is no defense when the wife gets mad at you for being on the PC, and the reason is you’re reviewing games for an imaginary league.

With that said onto the Final Four Preview.

UPFL FINAL FOUR PREVIEW

Playoffs!!??!! (GM Glenn Luke) vs. IOwensU (GM Brandon June)

Now that teams are playing against each other from other conferences we will start to see teams with similar players, and that is certainly the case hear. Both teams as of this preview are starting the same players: Frank Gore, Ray Rice, Vernon Davis, and the Eagles D/ST. Meaning this game comes down to five players.

Playoffs!!??!! Have been the dominant team in the UPFL this year, and have been led by the potent running attack of Ray Rice and Chris Johnson, I expect both again to have huge games. The question for this team is how good will McNabb be and will Larry Fitzgerald be affected by his current injury at all?

IOwensU has been carried by Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson all year and I look to those two to continue to have good games for this team. The bigger question is if Manning will be rested once a game is decided since the Colts want to avoid and injury to their star player before the NFL Playoffs start. I also think Anquan Boldin will benefit from the Fitzgerald injury.

Come Tuesday morning I expect IOwensU to upset Playoffs!!??!! And move onto their second Yooper Bowl appearance.

Playoffs!!??!!: 123 ** IOwensU: 146

New Glarus Spotted Cows (GM Heath Eliason) vs. The Sean Taylor Experience (GM Matt Beauchamp)

No similar players on these teams to report, which means all nine players will have an impact on this game.

Both teams have been surging at the right time and will look for that hot streak to continue this week.

Spotted Cows will look for Aaron Rodgers to have a bounce back game, and will ride their talented trio of RBs: Ricky Williams, Steven Jackson, and Maurice Jones-Drew to a possible first ever Yooper Bowl appearance.

TSTE is led by Philip Rivers at QB and a talented WR crew that contains: Andre Johnson, Sidney Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, and Miles Austin.

Will these WRs be enough for the TSTE to overcome the workhorse RBs of the Spotted Cows? Simple answer: Yes.

The Spotted Cows should prevail this week and appear in their first ever Yooper Bowl.

New Glarus Spotted Cows: 141 ** The Sean Taylor Experience: 115

TOILET BOWL QUICK PICKS

AquaSplash over Wildcats
Mayn Event over I LOVE MY CAT

UPBA SUPER FOUR – WEEK SIX

#1 – Break Away (GM Jason Gauthier) (5-1): Back on top and looking very strong as the favorite. Jason Kidd has finally come on as a #1 guard.

#2 – Knight School (GM Derek Gardner) (5-1): Winning games without Kevin Martin, which means this team could get even better when he returns soon.

#3 – Loompaland Oompas (GM Caleb Streur) (5-1): A new name and one trade later this team is still one of the best teams in the league, we’ll see how acquistion of Ron Artest and Caron Butler pay off in the coming weeks

#4 – The Untouchables (GM Griffin Lawson) (4-2): Welcome Chris Paul back and hope he can lead them back to their early season dominance.

RED ALERT: Team DeVETO (0-6), Blumkins (0-6), Blue Chips (1-5)

UPFL SUPER FIVE – WEEK TEN

#1 – Playoffs!!??!! (GM Glenn Luke) (9-1): Just keep rollin’, just keep rollin’…Team is set for the playoffs, just needs to wait two weeks before the games will mean anything again for the best team in the UPFL

#2 – Blumkins (GM Zach Gauthier) (8-2): This one time champ of the UPFL, looks very strong and needs one more win to clinch their division title.

#3 – Team DeVeto (GM Brandon Lawson) (7-3): Have been unstoppable since acquiring Maurice Jones-Drew, but must now deal with the loss of Michael Turner to keep winning.

#4 – peace.love.smuck (GM Jared Lawson) (9-1): The Commish clinches the division title with a big win over Jlaws Crew in Week 10.

#5 – No Mercy in the Dojo (GM Jon Kovach) (7-3): A big trade a few weeks ago has paid off quite well for the Dojo, who look to get back to the UPFL title game after a three year absence.

Player of the Week: Tom Brady/Randy Moss: Yup, there back.
Bum of the Week: Anyone who owns a Cleveland Brown player.

UPBA SUPER FOUR – WEEK THREE

#1 – Statutory Defendants (GM Caleb Streur) (3-0): His mantra: Miss the draft!, Miss the draft!, Miss the draft! I can not talk about this enough, it goes to show a little time spent pre-ranking players is as good as attending the live draft sometimes.

#2 – The Untouchables (GM Griffin Lawson) (3-0): They knock off the two-time defending champs, but lose Chris Paul for maybe a month, so maybe they drop next week.

#3 – Knight School (GM Derek Gardner) (3-0): After a forgettable year last year, the School of Knight is in the Super Four for two weeks in a row!

#4 – Break Away (GM Jason Gauthier) (2-1): They lose, but are suffering from injuries, and there GM is more worried about deer season anyway, will check back next week with this team.

UPFL SUPER FIVE – WEEK NINE

#1 – Playoffs!!??!! (8-1) (GM Glenn Luke): They keep rolling as the best team in the UPFL. Right now the favorite to win it all.

#2 – Blumkins (7-2) (GM Zach Gauthier): Former UPFL champion has all the pieces together to make a long playoff run.

#3 – Team DeVeto (6-3) (GM Brandon Lawson): No other team in the UPFL can sport the talent they have at RB.

#4 – peace.love.smuck (8-1) (GM Jared Lawson): Hoping to ride the Dree Brees train all the way to their first UPFL title.

#5 – New Glarus Spotted Cows (6-3) (GM Heath Eliason): Four straight wins has this team riding high, with Aaron Rodgers leading the team.

Player of the Week: Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Bum of the Week: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (No one owns him, but good grief he was horrible, which makes things a lot worse for Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson)

UPBA SUPER FOUR – WEEK TWO

#1 – Break Away (2-0): The two-time defending champs make a big trade during the week and also move to a non-surprising two win start to the year

#2 – Statutory Defendants (2-0): Missing a fantasy draft again pays off for GM Streur.

#3 – The Untouchables (2-0): Chris Paul. Chris Paul. Chris Paul. He is amazing.

#4 – Knight School (2-0): The injury to Kevin Martin hurts, but this team packs a lot of depth at each position.