Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

Another football season done. Another disappointment. For the fifth year in a row, my fantasy football team will not be taking home any championship hardware. I have been to the Jetnuts-Fantasy-Football Superbowl three out of the previous four seasons but came up short in all. This year I didn’t even make the post-season.

I had it after last year’s loss in the finals. The team I assembled in 2007 was arguably the greatest in fantasy football history. The record setting pair of New England Patriots Tom Brady and Randy Moss led the way to a 13-1 regular season. But the list of superstars didn’t end there. Number one overall pick LaDainian Tomlinson led the rushing attack. Top-rated tight end Kellen Winslow sured up the lineup. I also had KC RB Larry Johnson and Chad “before I changed my name to “Ocho-Cinco” Johnson.

I had created a monster. A devastating machine that rolled through the regular season tearing teams apart and crushing owners hopes for playoff glory. The regular season was easy. The early rounds of playoffs a snap. But alas, all that talent couldn’t pull off the big win.

Again, I lost the Superbowl.

I had no choice but to rename my team. The team once known as the Movie-Reatrd (based upon my ridiculous knowledge of cinema trivia) has been renamed the 90’s Bills (referring to the great ability the Buffalo Bills had in the early 1990’s to reach the Superbowl only to be obliterated by whichever team was lucky enough to play them).

The 2008 incarnation of the 90’s Bills never even seemed to have a chance. My first round pick, 2007 MVP Tom Brady, was lost for the season in the very first week. I would have no choice but to turn the team over to Jet castoff Chad Pennington  and rookie QB Joe Flacco. Things were bleak for the Bills and the season was lost or so I thought. 

Something strange began to happen mid-season. I hadn’t realized it but somehow my undermanned team managed to compile points. A lot of points. Despite racking-up losses, I was also scoring enough total points to be in contention for the overall points title. It’s more of an honorary title even though their was a small prize allotted for winning that contest. 

So my hopes at coming away with some sort of consolation came down to last Monday night. Panthers versus Buccaneers. I needed 16 points out of Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams against the highly rated Buc defense. In the end, Mr. Williams hit three milestones.

1) He broke the single game Panther rushing record- 186 yards.

2) He finished the season as the best RB in fantasy football – 207 points.

3) He won me the points title – $150

In the end, it wasn’t enough. I missed the playoffs. But I vow to you now I will return to my rightful place of finishing second. It’s a pity too and I’ll tell you why. I had the best team – again. I’m just bitter.

Community Board 3 last month unanimously approved the placement of a home for disabled persons despite protests from several South Shore residents. But the verdict was not unanimous among those in the community.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

After the board made their decision, other residents showed their disappointment.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tripodi knows that her own child, a 15 year-old  handicapped boy, will ultimately live in one of these group homes.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Board member Daniel Ajello defends the board’s decision.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Rays are in the playoffs. The Yankees are not.

The Phillies are in the Playoffs. The Mets are not.

The Rays are in the World Series. The Red Sox are not.

The Phillies are in the World Series. The Cubs and Dodgers are not.

Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. Not New York, Boston, Chicago or Los Angeles.

Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are two cities not know for their winning sports team. Of the four major sports, the two cities teams combine for two titles in the past 25 years. Both by Tampa. In 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Superbowl and the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2004.

While Tampa has had success in this decade, Philadelphians are championship starved. Philly hasn’t had a champion in it’s city since 1985 when Rocky Balboa defeated Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and no real life champ since 1983 when Dr. J and the 76ers won the NBA title. The Flyers haven’t won the Stanley Cup in over 30 when they defeated the Buffalo Sabers back in 1975 and the last time the Phillies won the World Series, 1980 when they beat the Kansas City Royals.

Even though Tampa has had recent memories of championships, the town is more synonymous with losing rather than with winning. For years the Bucs were looked upon as the doormats of the NFL. The Lightning were nothing more than another 90’s expansion team until their surprise to the cup run in ‘04. And now the team formally referred to as the Devil Rays has joined the lineage of underdog Tampa teams rebuking their inept past and quickly turning their fortunes around.

The Rays, a team who had never won more than 70 games in their 11 year history now finds themselves in the World Series. The Rays, a team who have more than twice the amount of victories, 97, than they do millions spent on salary, 43, in an age when the highest paid team, the New York Yankees had less than half as many wins, 89, than they did in millions spent on salary, 207.

Despite the lack of championships in Philadelphia, for years fans have still packed stadiums, filled arenas and cheered for-or booed at-their teams. Famous or notorious for their passion and fervor, Philly fans have always turned out in droves.

Tampa fans are less enthusiastic. 

A full crowd at a Rays or Lightning game is a rarity. Tropicana field, home to the Rays, in 2008, a season where they finished in first place for the first time in team history, averaged only 22,000 in attendance-less than half of the 45,000 capacity.

No matter what happens over the next two weeks, one of these cities will be celebrating a championship. It will be either a town just getting use to idea of being a winner or a city whose realization of a championship dream is long over due.