Fantasy Football Now: Nov. 4, 2014

Welcome to week 10 of the fantasy football season. By this time in the year you are either dominating the league and have a guaranteed spot in the playoffs or your team is the scum of the fantasy football world and you desperate for a change! if you are the first player then congratulations and best of luck in the playoffs, though if you are the second player and are scrambling your roster then I am here to give you a few pointers on what to look for.

I will start with players you should avoid towards the end of the year. Avoid picking up all Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receivers, the reason being that there star touch down throwing Quarterback Nick Foles is out for 6-8 weeks with a broken collar bone. In to replace him is the old New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez, who we all know for being more of a cover model for any men's magazine then actually playing the position. I would not trust him to throw to the Eagles WR's unless its Jeremy Maclin, because in that case he catches any ball with in five yards of him! One other player to avoid is Jacksonville's wide receiver Allen Hurns who all though is coming off a great game scoring two touchdowns and going over 100 yards is not a steady player. If you are looking to make a comeback in your league and do so by picking up a good flex player, then Hurns is not your man. He will be a wild card each week and will only cause trouble as you try to gamble on him.

Now that I have told you who to avoid, I'll let you know who would be a good filler in place of players like Sanchez and Hurns. A fantastic quarterback to think about is Kyle Orton, the veteran player for the Buffalo Bills. He has been throwing for 300+ yards and multiple touch downs ever since he took over the starting job form EJ Manual. Orton has a ton of offensive weapons to throw to, including the break out rookie Sammy Watkins. Kyle Orton has the experience level that you can trust, and he has the potential to give great points to your team in the closing weeks. A consistent wide receiver who will give you a steady number of points each week at the flex position is Malcom Floyd, wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. He has been a PPR machine since week 2 of the season and yet only 42.5% of owners have him on their teams. I tell you to pick him up as a current owner of him because since week 3 Floyd has giving me a good dose of 10+ points a week. Don't be fooled by his injury report and be sure to pick up this hidden gem.

I hope that you can make a comeback in your league and make a run for the SHIVA BOWL (inside joke is you watch the FX series The League) Thanks for reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor my fellow fantasy players!

Fantasy Fooball Now: Oct. 19, 2014

Welcome to week 7 of the NFL. Fantasy owners are scrabbling right now to make pick ups to add to their rosters. With all the big name injuries in the league right now, I don't blame them. Players like Calvin Johnson (WR), Jimmy Graham (TE), A.J. Green (WR), and Victor Cruz (WR) are all out and most likely not playing this week. Other players have some big shoes to fill!

The first player who I believe is a definite play this week on your team is Mohamed Sanu (WR) of the Cincinnati Bengals. Sanu will be the number one wide receiver this week for the Bengals with A.J. Green out for another week. Expect Sanu to have most of the passing attempts come his way because of Quarterback Dalton's trust in him. I predict Sanu to have at least a 2 touchdown week in the red zone play. He could be a huge help to your team in week 7. Another player on my radar for week 7 is Golden Tate (WR) of the Detroit Lions. He is also having to step up this week as his partner wide receiver Calvin Johnson is out with an ankle injury. Tate has the most catches over all for the Lions this season, with means you should count on him to have even more now that he isn't splitting looks with Johnson. Be ready to watch Golden Tate work his magic this week against a New Orleans Saints defense that is allowing the 2nd most points in the league.

One player who we all know of  is the Veteran Tight End of the San Francisco 49ers, Vernon Davis. Davis has been rather displeasing so far this season since he suffered a back injury in week 2. As a Fantasy owner of him right now it is an sticky situation on wheather or not to play him this week against Denver. I'll tell you this this, He is back... from his hurt back, and that means play him. With Davis being such a touchdown threat in the red zone, you have to expect he will have a couple opportunities to add to his touchdown count to raise the already impressive number in his career.

Some running backs to keep in mind this week are Jamaal Charles, Lamar Miller, and Ben Tate. Jamaal Charles who had a spectacular season last year has had a rough start so far do to a high ankle sprain early in week 1. Looking into week 7 know though, Charles is more than ready to make up for the time lost. Play, play, play the work horse this week against the Chargers. Lamar Miller is another name that we are familiar with but most likely not trust-worthy of after last season major fantasy disappointment. Miller has change, he has evolved into a premiere running back in the league as he is averaging a touchdown a game. He has made up for his mistakes and is a RB that you should trust to lead your team to victory. Lastly there is Ben Tate of the Cleveland Browns who is also coming off an injury, and with the passing game hurting in Brown country he is having a major welcome back. Expect Ben Tate to rush for about 100 rushing yards this week and squeeze into the end zone at least one time.

To wrap up this week 7 outlook I will give you the top wavier wire pick ups. I'll start with Malcom Floyd of the San Diego Chargers. No one has been giving him respect this season, and I'm not exactly sure why. He is putting up great numbers even as a number two wide receiver and is a great pick up for the rest of the season. Niles Paul of the Red Skins is another player who could help your team for this week and probably only this week since his partner is coming back next week and will be taking over. This week however play Niles Paul because it seems that Quarterback Kurt Cousins really likes to throw to his tight ends. Other names to keep in mind this week are Jace Amaro (TE), Brian Hartline (WR), Jarvis Landry (WR), and Devonta Freeman (RB).

Thank you for reading, and may the odds be ever so in your favor my fellow fantasy football players.

Fantasy Football Now: Oct. 7, 2014

My blog will be changing its content starting this week. I am sorry if any of you are bummed that the Crazy Camper will not be resuming, but the information unfortunately I thought I could write about is too inside joke like to explain in great detail. So from now on I will be writing about Fantasy Football each week. Which will include topics like who to start if you are in a league, who to sit, who to pick up on the waiver wires and who I personally like as a player over all. I hope that those of you with a Fantasy Football team will find these post to be a good source of information, and I guess for those of you were this topic doesn't affect your life, well heck, maybe you have a crush on the New York Jets wide receiver (WR) and wouldn't mind hearing how he's doing.

To start of week 6 of the season I would like to talk about what running backs (RB) you should start or sit. The first player that I really like is Justin Forsett of the Baltimore Ravens in his matchup against a every week Tampa Bay defense. If you are playing in a points per reception league or otherwise known as PPR, Fosett is a guarantee start. Look for him to have at least 10 catches and a handful of rushing downs. Other players you may want to keep in mind this week are Eddie Lacy, Ahmad Bradshaw, and the return of Ben Tate, all have good matchups in week 6.

Running backs you may want to avoid this week are Doug Martin who faces a strong defensive line in Baltimore, Zach Stacy who is coming off an injury and has to go against the #4 ranked 49ers defense, an finally the running back who I dislike the most this week is Darren Sproles. I know he has started the year off strong but lately he's been lacking in the unique passing game we are used to seeing him in, he is also running behind a weak offensive line and has to split many carries with his teammate LeSean McCoy. If you have Sproles I'd advise you to avoid playing him unless you are counting on lucky points from a punt return like he is known for.

Moving into to the Quarterback (QB) position now I have some interesting players that you may want to consider starting over you number one QB this week if he has been less than pleasing to your team. The first name I want to throw at you is Eli Manning of the New York Giants, who has come out of know where as a quality quarterback. He plays an awful defensive back field this week from the Philadelphia Eagles and I predict he will throw for at least 2 touchdowns and over 300 yards, and who wouldn't with players like Larry Donnell and Victor Cruz. One other player who has been on my radar lately is Austin Davis of the St. Louis Rams, he has established himself as a touchdown throwing, fire ball passing machine. I know you may be iffy of the rookie and only his third game as a starter, although when you are throwing to a WR like Brian Quick who has been his favorite target, its hard not to trust him. Look to add these players to your roster and possibly even start over your current quarterback for this week.

And I will end my week 6 fantasy outlook like I plan to every week with the wavier wire pick ups of the week. These are the guys who could potential change you team around and add some significant points to your overall score. My first man that I see has a need to pick up player is Branden Oliver of the San Diego Chargers, he is coming off a great week where he ran all over a NYJ defense who is one of the top in the league right now, and with all the injuries the chargers has faced this year at the running back position he is considered a number one on the depth chart and has earned that spot after a fantastic outbreak this week. Another player you should look for is Mohamed Sanu if he is available. Granted he is a number two WR to a terrific player like AJ Green, but lately he has been seeing a lot more snaps all over the field. Whether he is catching passes, lining up as a RB, or even throwing touchdowns, it has become clear that Cincinnati likes to use him in multiple roles, and when a team that is 3-1 is doing that you should plan to at least add him to your bench and wait to play him  in his break out week. To finish I leave you with these names to look up, Andre Williams (RB) of the New York Giants, Michael Floyd (WR) of the Arizona Cardinals, and finally if you are in deeper formatted leagues where players are hard to come by, Benjamin Cunningham (RB) of the St. Louis Rams.

Thank you for reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor this week my fellow fantasy football owners

The Crazy Campers Guide: Colman or nothing

When it comes to camping supplies, try to avoid any brand names that compare to Big Daddy Gear. Our group has went through every type of camping equipment that you could think of. Whether it be something as little as marshmallow sticks to outdoor camping bars. Over the years we have went come to a standard regulation when it comes to shopping for gear. Always but Coleman!

If you don't know the company Coleman, then you are missing out. If you do know them... money well spent my friend. When you are in the store you will see all sorts of brands, and let me tell you, they never last! Those brands are kind of like that place that keeps getting new Chinese restaurants,  but they never stay. One of the worst cases I have personally had with a brand was called Big Daddy Gear. The store was advertising this huge sale on giant chairs made by Big Daddy. In the store I took a seat in one and thought it was the best thing ever! I felt like a king on his throne. So I begged my mother and she finally gave up and bought me one. The next camping trip I was ready to show it off, so that night at the camp fire I got it out and staked my calm and sat proud. If you have ever been around a camp fire you know that embers fly through the air and land on you or your chair as the wood crackles in the fire. Anyways as the night went on embers flew past me and I was leaning forward so didn't really take any consideration on where they were landing. After I while I leaned back in to the sit and fell straight on the ground. It turned out there was no back to my chair, it had been burned away, almost like it denigrated in to thin air. Which may have explained the plastic smell. My throne had been conquered and my dreams diminished. Mr. Leibs began laughing aloud, making fun of the chair, and stating that it was nothing like the Coleman chairs that all the dads had sat in for years. And that was the truth, nothing was as great as those Coleman chairs, our group praised them like trophies. They had lasted us 10 years at that point and are still kicking around the fire to this day. They fit your but snug, suit as a bed when the stars come out, and fit two easily. Nothing like a Coleman!

A Coleman made product may cost a fair share more, and may have your wallet crying. But in the long run you will have a quality item that will last you for years. Do not trust the grips of Big Daddy, you will be less than pleased. Go with a Coleman, and sit with a smile on your face.

Crazy Camper: Post 4

Some times you come across a noise that will stock the world. This is not one of those game changing sounds. In our camping group there is noise that echoes through the trees of the woods and causes camp rangers to go insane. It is known as the "pterradacle", much like the name of the dinosaur, a pterodactyl. Although when 4 drunk men make up the name at 2:00 am it becomes much more slurred.

First to explain to you on how one creates this noise. By cupping your hands over your mouth to funnel the noise, you begin to breath in heavily. Then with all that you have, you put a sharp screech in your voice and release a sound that could be comparable to a gorilla with a garbage disposal for vocal chords.

I  am sure you are wondering how this awful sound came to be, and to be honest the answer is simple. Give four men a 40 pack of beer and let the childish games begin. The first time this noise was introduce was the summer of 2006. It was late at night and the camp ground was as quiet as mouse. Our group had already been warned by the camp staff that it was quiet hour and we had to keep it down. This didn't comprehend well in the minds of the under the influenced adults. One of the dads named Don had a voice equivalent to a rock being thrown down a metal tube. His volume was always on level 10. After he was told to keep it down, he waited ten minutes or so, chugged his beer and cracked open the birth of the "pterradacle" which echoed the camp ground stirring all the birds fom the trees. The staff rushed over and were steaming from the ears, threatening to kick us out from the park. Luckily this screech had also awaken the mothers and the set manners straight sending all the children and "kids" to bed.

This was not the last of the "pterradacle" by any means though. It had instantly become a group favorite an was repeated many times after. The best time was during a bet placed around the camp ground in 2009. One of the boys named Ash was on his 6th hotdog and was cooling down with a packed stomach.  Everyone was trying to get him to keep going to reach more, finally Don had said that if Ash ate 10 hotdogs with the bun he would run through the woods naked and call out the "pterradacle". The camp ground was already on curfew hour so this would cause a big uproar. Ash knew this was something that had to be achieved. So with all of our encouragement behind him we helped to stuff him like a mounted deer and push down the 10th hotdog. At this point Don didn't think itd was going to happen but realizing a bet was a bet, h made his way towards the woods. Moments later, with a silent campground behind us we heard the sounds of the "pterradacle". The greatest thing we had ever heard in camp history. This of course stirred  up the hopeful to catch us staff. But this time we had got away. To this day we still say that the soul of the "pterradacle" lives in the forest of Higgins Lake State Park and to this day, there it rest.

The Crazy Campers Guide: Post 3

Starting from a young age, almost all of us have experienced an activity or event that becomes somewhat of a family tradition and reoccurs every year. For my family and our fellow camping families in our group it had become the annual trip to the Cadillac State Park. This was our groups favorite park to camp at each year and the one we looked forward to the most. Though it wasn't just the confines of the park that made it so great. It was mainly the surrounding places and the memories we shared there that made it our favorite.

One of the best places we looked forward to going to every year was Adventure Island, which was located right across the road from the camp ground. It had everything us kids could ask for, starting as basic as the arcade room and the putt-putt golf, all the way to the hot spots of the go-karts and bumper boats. But the attraction that made this park so fantastic was its two waters slides. The one slide in particular though was a crowd favorite. It was the steep and wild green slide. This slide was a dark tunnel that only allowed a haze of green tint to be inside. When kids rode down it you could hear their screams echo all the way to the bottom where they would plunge into the wadding pool. We would run up the stairs so fast after each ride and zoom right back down the slide with joy and excitement. The trip to the slides was always a high light of the trip for all the kids of the group, but could be a rather tiring day for the parents trying to keep a watchful eye and still enjoy their time in the sun.

There was one time that the parents let there tiredness get the best of them. It was a day that all of the mothers of the group decided to pawn the kids off on the dads and go shopping. This was no easy task for the fathers to handle, especially after a long night before of bon-fire and poker games. The 4 of them were in charge of watching over 12 children who all varied in age and different interest of activities. The day had been a long one but the dads managed to conquer and keep us herded in the water park area. They began packing up all of their cards and helped us get dressed and ready to leave. We were all stuffed into the two mini-vans and departed back to the campers. Upon arriving we all sat around the fire and waited for the moms, who were on their way back to start dinner. All of a sudden one of the dads asked where his son Jack was. Jack was the youngest of all the kids at an age of 5 and was tiny, so he was very easily hidden in the crowd.

The dads knew they had to act fast before Jack's mom got home and had a primal fit over her lost cub. Three of them jumped in the car a raced back to the park. They searched and searched, looking high and low for little Jack. What was really only 5 minutes, turned into hours as they thought he would be right in the open. Finally they discovered him sitting in the corner at a racing game seat watching a older kid play. Snatching him up quickly rushed back home just pulling in right behind the mothers. Jack's mom asked her husband why Jack was the only one in the car with them, and to eager to reply he said they had went to get ice cream. Jack's young brain quickly took note of what his dad said, and asked "When did we get ice cream?", and lets just say that Jack's dad felt the wrath after that!

So whether or not a memory of a place or day is good or bad, Just remember this. Those make for the best camp-fire stories down the road.

The Crazy Campers Guide: Part 2

One of the main rules in camping is to always vacation in large groups. One of the most boring times my family ever had camping was when we went alone. My mother booked a trip to stay at the "glorious" campground of Alger, West Branch. When my family and I pulled into the grounds we had big eyes as we all saw something we would enjoy doing. My father, brother, and I were like kids in a candy store as we gazed upon the crystal clear lake looking at all the largemouth bass sitting in their beds. We were sure they would be on our dinner plates by the end of the weekend! My mother already in her tanning gear ready to sprint towards the beach and claim the perfect spot with her chair as if she were one of the first pioneers heading westward to mark their property. My whole family was certain that we would have the greatest weekend ever as we embarked on our first camping trip alone as a family.

That Friday afternoon was the highlights of our fishing careers, catching fish after fish. We were out on the boat for hours until dark storm clouds started to dance in the skies above us. Mind you this was years before you could have any radar on your phones. It was still the ages of the dinosaur flip phones. So we had no clue what was creeping up on us. Within seconds after feeling the first rain drops it began pouring buckets on us. We hauled our way back to shore and was quickly met by our drenched mother sitting inside of our little pop-up camper. Our perfect weekend was quickly turned into a nightmare.

We were in the middle of a "Michigan Hurricane", or the equivalent to a Seattle light drizzle. The weekend thunder storm turned us from vacationers to hermit crabs, stuck in our trailer which had now become a storm shelter. Our dreams of a camping trip full of fishing and sun bathing what cut short, way too short. As we all sat around the table our only option was to pull out a deck of playing cards and think of every game possible. Believe me when I say this, it is close to impossible to waste 48 hours when your only source of entertainment is euchre, go fish, and the ever so great company of your pouty family members while you are trapped in a 12X6 foot box. I'm not going to say I don't enjoy my families company but rain can put me and everyone else in a pretty cruddy mood and make for a lousy vacation.

My point to all this is since you never know what kind of weather is going to interrupt your trip. Always have a back-up plan. The best back-up plan of all is other families. Why you may ask? Well put it this way. When there are puddles outside the size of oceans to the eyes of kids there is always an adventure to be had whether it be swimming, riding through on bikes, or body boarding in the muddy mess. For the moms of the group they can easily go find a store to spend all their money, and trust me when I say they love, love, love to do that at the local antique shops. As for the dads of the group, let me just say that they enjoy playing cards all day and betting their money and never paying each other. So have other families join in your camping trips. You will not regret it because there will always be a equally time wasting companion for any age group.

The Crazy Campers Guide: Part 1 (Reason for My Topic)

The definition of crazy is "senseless; impractical; totally unsound" and the definition for camper is "a person who camps out for recreation, especially in the wilderness". Though when you put these two together you get a very interesting definition. The best way to describe it in my own terms is "someone who takes the ordinary idea of the outdoors and adds their own unique spin of doing things without necessarily thinking before they act".

I have dealt with a hand full crazy campers in my many years of experience. Granted in my 14+ years of camping I have also been and will most likely continue to be a crazy camping. So you can trust me when I say I know one or two things about the "art" of crazy camping.

Whether I am talking to you about the mysterious life-guard house of Tawas Point or the correct was to secure a trailer awning so that is doesn't catapult into the side of the next trailer. You can count on me giving you helpful information about how to survive in the camping world in the craziest way possible. Each of my post will be filled with two types of content. Although I don't know which week will consist of what material? I guarantee you that you will hear one of two things. The first will depicted both unique and creative ways to modify your camping experience, this could be ideas like where to camp in Michigan, what to wear, what to do that is free and much, much more! The other type of post will be more personal stories about my own experiences such as the deserted land of Mesick, the hidden taco stand, and other crazy adventures that can make or break your trip.

Case in point, this blog I will be giving you both the do's and don'ts of the camping world. In other words: a guide to help you succeed in the wilderness. Also enjoy the exciting and crazy life stories that come along with the ride.

Last but not least, I would like to share with you a little information on who I am. So that you can get to know your author. I was born and raised in Saginaw, MI and am currently still a resident of the area. I am 19 years of age and if you haven't been able to tell already, I am a male. I grew up mostly as an athlete type of kid, always playing football, lacrosse, hockey, and golf. But I was lucky enough to have parents with a little hint of red-neck in them to become an outdoors man. I enjoy hunting, fishing, and of course camping! My other hobbies include being a leader for middle school boys at my church, exercising, fantasy football (since I am too old to play for my high school any more) and welding. This is the very basic description of who I am, but hopefully you get more of a feel for my personality and life-style as I post.

Thanks for reading,
Crazy Camper