My Twitter journey started not long ago. I always thought the social media platform was useless and just a hub for the “rich and famous” to spout nonsense. But it was August 2020 when I was presented with a seemingly simple question that changed my point of view.
“Jen, are you in?”
Whoa. What?
My husband had been writing for In-Between Media (IBT) for a couple of months, and we had developed a relationship with the owner and founder, Seth Woolcock (@Between_SethFF). We would spend three to four hours on the phone with him once a week. We shared our experiences, discussed football, talked marketing strategies and told general life stories. My husband, Nate, and I live in Colorado, and Seth lives in Pennsylvania, so the quickness in which we developed a relationship was a bit crazy since we had never (and still haven’t) met in person.
It was during one of our long phone conversations when Seth asked, “Jen, are you in?” Of course, it had crossed my mind. I love writing and considered majoring in English in college. I already felt like I was a part of the team, even though my bio wasn’t on the website and I hadn’t written anything. I was super involved with Nate’s content and thought, “Well, I guess I could give it a shot.”
As I began writing about my love of sports and giving some background to my life with stories of my son and my husband, I was having a great time, and I really started to feel like this was something I was supposed to be doing. I’ve been writing for IBT for almost a year now, and my/our lives are completely changed because of it. Nate and I discuss football every day, all day. I’m writing about my life and football. I’m guesting on different fantasy football shows. I’m recording podcasts. And now I’m embarking on a whole new challenge.
The Quick Commute Challenge
It was about seven or eight years ago when I had an idea. I had a short commute to and from work each day and was desperate to find a platform that would give me quick fantasy advice while I was driving. I was constantly annoyed at the lengths to which analysts would talk about one specific player or one specific team. Especially when those players and teams didn’t affect my fantasy football roster. I was only in one league at the time, so I really only cared about 20-ish players. I was just an “average Joe” who just wanted to win my home league.
As the years went on, it seemed hopeless. I resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted more information on my players, I would need to sit down and watch three hours of the “Will Cain Show,” followed by three more hours of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” to get the information I needed. But who has time for that?
When I quit my full-time job, I did, but that’s not everyone’s experience. I enjoyed watching both of them, but I didn’t care for about 50 percent of their content because I wasn’t playing in any other fantasy sports leagues besides football. Full disclaimer, I’m not a basketball or soccer fan, and I don’t follow college football that closely, so any time those sports were discussed, I would tune out.
The other option would be to listen to local sports radio, but they were only discussing the Broncos, Avalanche, Rockies and Nuggets. Not helpful for my situation. And, even when SiriusXM was invented, those shows were just like the shows I would watch at home. Again, not helpful.
A Breeze of a Breakthrough
And then it hit me. Why doesn’t anyone do a quick rundown of each team, spotlighting a couple of key players each week? Because they didn’t. It didn’t exist. Everyone from NFL Network to ESPN focused on a broad range of teams and players throughout a three-hour show. And they still do.
That’s when the idea for “32 in 32” was born.
It’s been a long pregnancy and birthing process for “32 in 32.” Up until now, my husband and I had no idea how we would be able to bring this idea to fruition. Thanks to COVID-19, we saw an explosion of podcasts, live shows and YouTube channels pop up. And so now we’re one of them!
The idea behind “32 in 32” is to discuss all 32 NFL teams in 32 minutes. We’ll highlight key fantasy players from each team in podcast form and occasionally on a live stream. Eventually, we also hope to write quick-hit columns each week that will give pertinent information pertaining to each NFL division.
That’s the initial plan, anyway. We hope that the average consumer will tune in and get the information they need in a quick, easy-to-understand format.
With Seth’s blessing, Nate and I started on this new journey and have had a ton of help along the way. Special thanks to @3rdandShort who created our logo, Twitter banner and our teaser video. Also, thank you to @HermsNFL who created our theme song.
From the minds of @JenPolvogt & @JeNateJackFF comes a brand new collective to help you win your FF leagues! Covering all 32 teams in 32 minutes, weekly in-season & breaking down important news all off-season!
Find us👇https://t.co/b95kMHACpx
Video courtesy @3rdandShortt pic.twitter.com/fC1lQYHItt— @32in32FF (@32in32ff) May 28, 2021
We’ve made so many great contacts since we started our fantasy sports journey a handful of months ago. And I sincerely hope you all join us on this new adventure with” 32 in 32″! Stay tuned for future announcements about when we’ll officially launch. In the meantime, please follow us:
- www.32in32.com (website is still parked and will launch soon)
- YouTube
- TikTok
Now, let’s talk some football! In honor of the information above, I’ll do this in the “32 in 32” format – nice and quick.
Jen’s Friday Night Insights
Julio Jones (WR, Tennessee Titans)
This week, we were hit with the news that Julio Jones was traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tennessee Titans. There have been some fear Tweets coming out about what this means for the Titans, and what it means for fantasy teams. I’m here to say that nothing is going to change. Here’s my receipt:
Jones is an incredibly talented receiver, and for some reason, people are fading A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry. I think it’s quite the opposite, really. First, Henry is a running back. No competition for the ball for Jones here. Second, Brown is still going to A.J. Brown. He’ll still be the No. 1 WR in that offense, and he’ll continue to produce for fantasy managers. And Jones will likely prove to elevate Ryan Tannehill as a quarterback and will just be another weapon in the line-up for Tennessee.
Todd Gurley, (RB, Free Agent)
Todd Gurley, the man, the myth, the legend and now the free agent. After being released by the Los Angeles Rams, Gurley was signed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons for the 2019-2020 season in which he rushed for 678 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries and added 25 receptions and 164 receiving yards on 35 targets.
He’s been on a rapid decline in performance since his back-to-back standout seasons in 2018 and 2019 where he finished as the Points Per Reception (PPR) RB1 and RB3, respectively. His knees are failing him, and he’s not the RB1 he was since 2018.
Recently, Gurley has met with the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens, but neither looks like his next landing spot. No matter what, it doesn’t matter which team he signs with if he signs anywhere. With his arthritic and injury-prone knees, he’ll likely be a backup option no matter what. I don’t see Gurley’s Average Draft Position (ADP) rising, and I advise fantasy football managers everywhere to look in another direction for their running backs.
I always end my columns with a game-day drink, and this one is no different.
I’m here to join the conversation, drink in hand and watch the upcoming 2021 NFL season unfold. Cheers! If you choose to make any of my recipes, I’d love to see them! Please take a picture and tag me!
Drink Recipe for the Month:
Watermelon Slushie for Four
- 8 oz vodka
- 12 oz club soda
- 4 cups diced watermelon
- 2-3 tbs granulated sugar
- Blend vodka, watermelon and sugar in a blender with 1 cup of ice until smooth
- Pour into a glass, leaving room for club soda, add club soda, stir and enjoy!
Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter for more motherly and fantasy sports advice @JenPolvogt.