How do you turn an MVP candidate into a four interception throwing, 57.1 rated quarterback? Put him on my fantasy team. Drew Brees, who just last season was one of the league's elite quarterbacks, has turned into a paltry fantasy waiver rider. And the reason for this is because I drafted him on my fantasy team.
Let me explain. I believe I am a jinx. Two years ago, I was the champion of my league. But last season, my first two fantasy draft picks were Shaun Alexander and Trent Green, respectively. Both arguably at the top of their game in the 2005 season, poised to be in the top five at their position on draft day in 2006. My bad luck began the very first game of the season. Green had a frightening head injury which kept him out for eight games. Alexander played terribly for the first few weeks on what he called "a sore foot" which was announced to be a broken bone after his poor performance Week 3 against the Giants. My top two draft choices had to ride the bench for the majority of the season and even when they recovered, their play was rusty and mediocre at best. How do two of the best players in league both fall in one season? At first I didn't want to believe it could be my fault.
Being the optimist I am, I decided this season was an opportunity for a fresh start. However, the curse followed me to 2007. This year I have Larry Johnson and Drew Brees. Now although I have yet to cause them to receive possible career-ending injuries, these two top fivers are now playing as if they had. After Week 3, Johnson had just 140 rushing yards over the three games and no touchdowns, earning me a whopping 20 total points in three weeks. In week three, approaching MNF I was down by just two points to my opponent, who had no remaining players in the Monday night game. I had Drew Brees who I assumed could easily earn me a victory against a weak Titans D. Boy was I wrong. The Titans defense looked like the 1985 Bears and Brees looked like a rookie fifth rounder. Needless to say, he threw four interceptions and actually lost me a point, obviously earning me the loss.
So what happened between 2005 and 2006 to bring on this curse? I really have no definitive answer, but I can speculate. Perhaps I rubbed the football Gods the wrong way when I rooted for the Titans at a Giants home game. Maybe they didn't like when my allegiance to the Jets fizzled slightly after a sub-par 2005 season. Maybe a higher force is trying to send me a message to stop playing fantasy football during office hours and focus more on my work. Regardless of the force behind this I'm not going to throw in the towel just yet, but this season my fantasy team is appropriately named "Jinxed".
And as a side note, I AM a Mets fan and I was at the game Friday night watching Perez uncharacteristically hit three batters, walking two Marlins home. Perhaps my jinx is spreading outside the realm of fantasy football — watch out world.
Rebecca is a New York based entertainment and intellectual property attorney, an agressive fantasy player and an avid Knicks and Jets fan. Got a question for Answer Gal? E-mail her at: answergal@fantasysportsupdate.com
