The 2018 season gave us another Neatock championship. His fourth career title. Add in my four and Bob’s four and 12 of the 20 championships fell into the laps of three people. Only one former team has won a title, so that gives us four others who occupy the remaining seven championships. This leaves us with five mug-less folks. However, before we get to those who have yet to win a championship, let’s be sure to honor those who have. That list includes…
THE CHAMPIONS
Matt Neatock – 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018 Bob Castrone – 2004, 2010, 2011, 2014 Robio Murray – 1999, 2000, 2002, 2012 Rich Calderon – 2013, 2016 Griff Coomer – 2005, 2015 Don Vozzola – 2006, 2008 Richard Burrier – 2003
THE MUGLESS
Note: This is not a ranking.
COLBY HALL
SO CLOSE Colby has reached the title game twice, in 2005 and 2015, and both times he couldn’t escape Griff Coomer. Back in 2005, he was a hot seven-seed, having won four of six down the stretch, shaking off a rough 2-5 start to the season. Led by Tiki Barber and Warrick Dunn, he upset 2-seed Neatock in the quarters and beat me in a classic semifinals match up, 1,880 – 1,540. However, in the title game, Dunn failed to show (98 points), Steve Smith did next-to-nothing (34 points) and tight end, Ben Troupe did actual nothing (zero points) and Colby was crushed, 1,882 – 739. His point total remains the lowest for a championship game.
This leaves us with his 2015 squad. That team struggled with consistency all year, as they managed only one three-game winning streak, as Colby tinkered with the lineup throughout the season. In fact, they actually dropped four of their last five in the regular season, despite finishing fifth in points scored.
Yet, as the six-seed, Colby upset 3-seeded Eric, before stunning the world, taking down defending champ and 1-seed, Bob, by just 81 points. However, in the title game came 2-seed and favorite, Griff, who had been riding David Johnson since week nine. In the finals, Colby’s squad again failed to show. All-Robio back, Doug Martin, produced just 110, Mike Evans scored only 122 and Mason Crosby was shut out. Colby would end up losing, 1,333 – 1,049.
BEST TEAM(S) There are a few good Colby teams that probably should have been contenders. His 2004 squad dominated the scoring, producing over 20,000 total points (14-game schedule), but that team could never catch a break. They won just six games all year and were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
Last year, Colby again produced a scoring crown and not just any scoring crown. He broke the record for most points scored in a regular season, averaging 1,584 points per game. While he crushed the previous record of 1,584 PPG and he had the league MVP, Patrick Mahomes, he wasn’t really the favorite heading into the postseason. Fact is, four other teams averaged over 1,500 last season and Colby had gone just 1-3 against them. He was the 3-seed, finishing the regular season at 7-6. However, with Mahomes failing to put up his customary 500, Don took down Colby, 1,357-1,291. It was the fourth time that year, Colby had lost by less than 100.
So in my mind, Colby’s best team was his 2014 squad. He had the league’s top running back, DeMarco Murray and the league’s best defense (Bill DST). He also had Drew Brees and Mike Evans, who would earn rookie of the year honors.
After a week one loss to his nemesis (Griff), Colby steamrolled the league, winning seven straight (a career high). Down the stretch, he did drop three of five, but we couldn’t blame him. In all three loses, his opponents had the weekly high score, while he ended the year scoring over 1,500 in his final three.
At 9-4, Colby was the 2-seed and the second highest scoring team in the league. Bob was the clear favorite and it seemed like the only person who could really challenge him was Mr. Hall. Unfortunately, fucking Griff. Yep, for the second straight year, Coomer ended Colby’s championship dreams, beating him in the quarterfinals, 1,626 – 1,208.
NOW WHAT Colby retains the title over Rob Masterson as the “best team to not win a title” thanks to his two scoring crowns and two trips to the finals. With the return of Patrick Mahomes, a second trip to the postseason should be something he easily accomplishes in 2019.
ROB MASTERSON
SO CLOSE Officially, Masterson has never been close, as he’s never reached the finals. He has made it to the semifinals four times, including his first two seasons in the league, but in both those cases, he was blown out of the playoffs by a pair of Coomers.
Back in 2006, Rob reached the semifinals after knocking off the 1-seed, Burrier, but then lost to me, 1,464 – 1,073. However, the closest he ever really came was in 2013. as the #3 seed. He crushed Molly with a 2,000-point effort in the quarterfinals, but the momentum failed to carry over, as he lost to the 2-seed and eventual champ, Calderon, by only only 333 fantasy points.
BEST TEAM Speaking of that 2013 squad, one could argue they were Rob’s best ever. Led by first-team wide receiver, Josh Gordon and second-team quarterback, Drew Brees, Masterson won eight games, earning the two-seed and averaged a solid 1,500 points per contest. He cracked 1,500 in eight of his 13 regular season games, but in the end, they struggled down the stretch, losing three of five. Like I pointed out above, that team flamed out in the semifinals.
Yet, I believe Rob’s best was actually his 2011 team. That squad finished 9-4 and averaged a stunning 1,530 points per game, which remains the 6th most ever scored in a regular season. Even more crazy, that total didn’t earn Rob his first career scoring title, as Molly’s 1,536 PPG snaked him. Still, he was the two-seed and along with Molly, was one of the clear favorites to win it all. Then Bob got in his way. Yep, in the quarterfinals, the 7-seed and eventual champ, took down Masterson by only two points, in the most stunning weekend of fantasy football ever.
NOW WHAT Here’s the cold hard truth. Rob Masterson, despite all he’s done in this league, remains the only person to never earn the top seed, never win a scoring title and never reach the title game. That’s amazing. Yet, outside of Bob, no one has been more consistently good lately in the regular season. He’s made it to the playoffs the past eight years (only Bob can also make that claim). Just as impressively, he’s produced seven straight winning seasons and has won at least eight games in four of those eight years. That’s good. Yet, none of it has translated into playoff victories. Rob is just 1-9 in his last ten postseason games, dating back to 2007. We always talk about turning the corner, but Rob has been standing on that corner for nearly a decade now.
ERIC VOZZOLA
SO CLOSE This one is easy. Back in 2012, Eric put together one hell of a team. He was a early preseason favorite, despite history telling us he would fail. Eric started off hot, winning his first five, but after dropping three of five down the stretch, he missed out on the top seed and settled for the three seed. However, in the post-season, his team heated up. He crushed #6 Masterson in the quarterfinals and then escaped with a low scoring, 1,163 – 677 win over #8 Burrier.
In the finals, his team went off. It was a balanced effort that saw seven players score over 200, led by the Bears’ 376 points, Eric scored a total of 1,871 points. Yet, it wasn’t enough, as I scored 102 more points and scored a stunning 1,973 – 1,871 victory. His 1,871 remains the most points ever scored in a title game defeat.
BEST TEAM Eric produced a solid squad in 2015, led by three first-team All-Robio players (Tom Brady, Antonio Brown and Stephen Gostkowski). He won nine games (tied for a career high), finishing third in scoring, thanks to three weekly high scores, including the season’s final week. Yet, this team failed to show in the postseason, as Eric fell to 6-seed Colby.
Thus, Eric’s best team is obviously that 2012 team. Led by a trio of second-team All-Robio players (Drew Brees, Ray Rice and Demaryius Thomas), along with a first-team All-Robio defense (Bears DST), Eric won nine games and earned his first ever scoring title. He reached the title game and lost, despite hitting that 1,871 point total.
NOW WHAT After consistently missing the playoffs year in and year out, Eric has made the playoffs the past four seasons. That doesn’t seem like much, but for Eric, who has made it to the post-season three years in a row just once before, he’ll take it.
For him to take it to the next level, he needs to become a playoff threat. In 18 years in this league, Eric has failed to win a playoff game in 16 of them. Two of his three career playoff wins came in 2012. At some point, he needs to become the guy you don’t want to see in the post.
JEFF GREENBLATT
SO CLOSE Like Eric above, Jeff’s best team and the closest he got to a mug are one in the same. After lackluster eight solo seasons in Robioland, Jeff finally accomplished something in 2016 when he reached the finals as the 1-seed.
In the quarterfinals, he caught a break and escaped with a 905 – 840 win over 8-seed Burrier. However, in the semifinals, he cracked 1,800 and crushed 6-seed, me.
Yet, despite being the top seed, Jeff entered the title game as the underdog. Calderon was the scoring champ and heavy favorite and Jeff had no chance, losing 1,846 – 1,180.
BEST TEAM Clearly it was his 2016 team. Led by Drew Brees, LeSean McCoy and Melvin Gordon, it was a year of firsts for Jeff. He earned his first top seed, winning a career high 11 games. He also cracked 19,000 points in the regular season for the first time, averaging a career high 1,494 points per game.
NOW WHAT After earning a playoff birth in three straight seasons, including back-to-back years where he reached at least the semifinals, Jeff found himself back outside, looking in. Since he barely missed the postseason (losing a total points tiebreaker), here’s hoping it’s not about to become a habit again.
Marc Pattini
SO CLOSE He’s only been in the league two years, but he made his second season a good one. He easily made the playoffs last year as the top seed, hitting 2,088 in a quarterfinals win. However, like so many weekly high scores in the first-round of the playoffs, he failed to reproduce in the semifinals and fell to eventual champ, Neatock, 1,438-1,0326.
BEST TEAM After winning just three games in his first season replacing Molly, Marc rebounded nicely in 2018. Behind a pair of homers (Big Ben and Juju) to go along with All-Robio Todd Gurley, a second half of the season star, Amari Cooper, Marc averaged 1,511 points per game, earning 10 wins and taking his first career top seed. Like I said above, he dominated in the quarterfinals, before faltering in the semifinals.
NOW WHAT At this point, just prove that the real fluke was that first season. Let that 10-win 2018 be the launching pad to Bob-like dominance.
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