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NOTES FROM A KEEPER
 The Unconscionable Ups and Demoralizing Downs of Life as A Fantasy Keeper Leaguer
by Michael E Lawrence
10/9/2007
It was when I realised the battery on our car was dead that the full impact of an almost certain week 1 loss for the Holybourne Prophets really hit me.
At 3am in a car park in central London, fresh from witnessing my boys underachieve across the board in the Sports Caf, Haymarket, it occurred to me that the promise of my fledgling team amounted to too little, too late when confronted with an opponent featuring a reinvigorated Randy Moss and a deadly accurate Peyton Manning.
We were down 53-19. The car wouldn’t start. Marshawn Lynch, who looked awesome in his first start, was stuck irrecoverably on the bench. I had something on the sole of my left shoe that smelled like blue cheese gone bad.
There had been better Sunday nights.
Steve Smith, bless him, had done his utmost. He had toyed with the St Louis Rams’ secondary, made Jake Delhomme look like the elite quarterback he’ll never quite be. He’d torched them for a 68 yard touchdown, and whipped up 118 yards receiving overall.
But the rest of them had less life in them than our car battery.
LenDale: 66 yards rushing on 18 carries while Titans’ counterpart Chris Brown had 179 on 19.
Ronnie: 32 yards on 11 carries while Jesse Chatman stole valuable goal line touches.
Lee: 2 catches for 5 yards while a certain 50 yard touchdown pass from JP Losman sailed inches past his outstretched hands.
Mike Nugent: two extra points in total.
And then, just as the recovery truck pulled into Waterloo Place, SW1, to jumpstart our broken vehicle, we got wind of something remarkable: Romo was destroying the New York Giants’ secondary.
My brother, WAP mobile in hand, passed me the phone, and with it the news. Not just 300 yards passing, but 345. Not just several touchdown passes, but four of them. Not just four touchdown passes even, but a super valuable rushing touchdown to go with it.
And just like that, the quarterback about whom I’d agonised for so long, over whom I’d considered starting suave looker Matt Leinart, had us within 10, down only 53-43.
The final deficit, to my bleary eyed disbelief, would and still will need to be made up by Mark Clayton against Cincinnati tonight and he’ll need a touchdown and 100 yards to do it but by God we’re in it, and we’ll fight for it.
And above all, win or lose this week, there is to my relief a tangible pulse in this collection of former 1st rounders and perennial breakout candidates. There is, after all, a definite promise of bite in these puppy Prophets.
And once Clayton’s done his very best to pull out a come from behind win, I’m going to can that kicker.
Archive Articles:
Notes From A Keeper September 1st Qb or Not To QB
Notes From A Keeper August 10th Draft Day
Notes From A Keeper July 13th Draft Strategy
Notes From A Keeper June 17th Cutdown
Notes From A Keeper May 20th Off Season
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