The Scott Fish Bowl (SFB) draft season is upon us. If you’ve never heard of the SFB like I hadn’t last summer, you may be asking, “What is the Scott Fish Bowl?”
Rather than summarizing my understanding of the event, we can get that information directly from the man himself. Here is the description from his website:
“SFB is the premier pro-am tournament in the fantasy football industry, bringing together every fantasy football analyst in the industry, many famous celebrities, former professional athletes and hundreds upon hundreds of fans. It’s about community, networking and of course raising money for worthwhile causes. SFB has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. This tournament, which drafts in early July, has become known as the unofficial start of fantasy football season for many.”
The tournament is on its 11th season this year. Every year has a theme on which all divisions are based. The 2021 theme is music. Everyone lucky enough to be invited to SFB11 picks one of their favorite bands to represent.
My division in my inaugural year is Taylor Swift. Those who know me would think there are a hundred other performers that would be in line before Taylor Swift. And you would be correct, except I had the influence of my daughter to guide me into the ways of the “Swifties.”
Origins of the Taylor Swift Fandom
The year Swift’s album “1989” debuted, my daughter was just starting to find and listen to her own music without the influence of parents. I had heard of Taylor Swift but did not know any of her music outside of the songs that would be on the radio.
My daughter had never been to a concert, and she really wanted to go to Swift’s show that was set to play in Kansas City at the Sprint Center. The concert talk started after tickets had been on sale for a while, and it was sold out locally. Instead of telling her “sorry, maybe next tour,” we started looking for cities within a 3- or 4-hour drive from where we live.
We struck gold in Omaha, NE, with some of the last available tickets for the show. They were upper-level tickets, but at this point, we were just lucky to have anything. We were able to fulfill her dream of seeing her idol play live.
The first concert was amazing. Lots of dancing, costume changes, laser lighting and everyone received a lighted bracelet that was controlled by the lighting engineers. Those bracelets would flash on and off according to the music, and they went absolutely bonkers during the final song “Shake It Off.” It was a spectacle to behold. We all had a great time and created a lifelong memory.
The incredibly astute reader probably noticed I wrote the “first concert” in the last paragraph. Taylor was scheduled to play again the next night, and we got a crazy idea while walking around the Omaha Zoo. I told my daughter we would see her again if we were able to get reasonable tickets to the next show.
Take-Two
The stage for that tour had a long moving walkway to the middle of the arena. I noticed the night before a good part of the performance was played at that middle platform. We targeted that area and were lucky enough to score some tickets in a general admission section on the side of the platform.
Taylor Swift performing at a concert I attended in Omaha, Nebraska.
The general rule of concerts is the closer you are to the stage, the better the experience. We ended up with the equivalent of front-row seats for half of that show. I have so many amazing pictures that you would think I found them on the internet and did not take them myself.
We were able to take her to her first and second concert on back-to-back days to see her favorite performer. Not to mention the premium tickets to the second show. Sometimes things just work in your favor.
I have been a Taylor Swift fan ever since. Who knows if it was the concert or the perfect, mostly unplanned weekend with the family. I like the spontaneity of making decisions on the fly without having every detail spelled out months in advance. Whatever the reason, I will proudly be representing the Taylor Swift division in SFB11.
Got a “Blank Space” at RB in your lineup? How about “The Man” with “Style?” Just as Swift can put on a great show, NFL rookie Javonte Williams also knows how to entertain. Let’s dig in and get to know him before the dynasty fantasy football season gets started.
Dynasty Rookie Spotlight: Javonte Williams (RB, Denver Broncos)
North Carolina running back Javonte Williams was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft this year by the Denver Broncos. He has the balance, speed, power, vision and size (5-10, 212lb) of a star-caliber NFL back.
The clip below showcases almost all those abilities. The first thing he noticed was that the middle of the line clogged, so he popped it to the outside. Next, he reads his block, goes further outside, then cuts back just in time to jump over a cornerback. He tops it off with a leveling of the safety while staying on his feet to spin out of the arms of two other defenders.
Vision, speed, power and balance.
Check. Check. Check. Check.
Javonte Williams ????@KyleBrandt that’s an ANGRY run
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 12, 2020
In order to get playing time, especially as a rookie, a player needs to be able to block and protect the quarterback. Here is a beautiful pass block where he picks up the blitzing linebacker (#32) and puts him directly on his back.
Normally I'd say scout at least 3-4 games of every prospect before grading them, but with Javonte Williams I really only needed one play pic.twitter.com/BGmheg7thg
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) February 27, 2021
Williams has the tools and skills to be a day-one starter for the Broncos as a rookie. He is currently behind only Melvin Gordon on the depth chart. Gordon is on the last year of the two-year contract he signed last season. So, from a dynasty perspective, Williams is sitting pretty for next season. Although, he might be sitting pretty this season if he is given the opportunity.
Williams is being drafted as the RB3 and a top-five pick in non-superflex rookie drafts. An argument could be made for him being the top back of this class with his situation. Denver has an underrated offensive line, and he is behind only a veteran in the last year of his contract. Najee Harris is the undisputed starter in Pittsburgh, but they have a suspect line. Fantasy Pros consensus No. 2 RB is Travis Etienne, who has questions himself with a capable James Robinson on the roster.
Draft Williams with confidence.
A little empathy goes a long way. Try to make someone smile every day with an act of kindness. Find me on Twitter @GaryZam01 to chat about football, music or really anything.