Traditions.
They’re one of the most nostalgic parts of life. They’re one of the few things that give you that warm feeling inside.
For instance, I know a couple that every Thanksgiving while putting up their Christmas tree, they take shots of Goldschlager.
Why Goldschlager, and why take shots while decorating the Christmas tree?
The tradition dates back to when the couple was in college. One of them had an awful roommate, the type who would steal your stuff even when they were financially stable from Daddy’s credit card and you’re just struggling to eat.
Anyway, the couple stole a bottle of Goldschlager from the awful roommate and drank the bottle while decorating for Christmas, and it’s been a tradition for nearly 20 years now.
Other common traditions around this time of year for many are carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples and devouring pumpkin rolls, pumpkin seeds and apple cider.
For me, with my life being full of flux and change since I was young, I didn’t have many traditions, and the ones I did have faded over the years.
Except for one.
“Halloweentown.”
You know, the late ‘90s/early 2000s Disney Channel movie that starred Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell.
The plot is fairly simple. Gwen Piper (Judith Hoag) left behind her magical roots of Halloweentown, a world filled with goblins, ghosts and magic. The once-witch now lives in the mortal world with her three kids, Marnie, Dylan and Sophie.
The kid’s grandmother, Aggie, comes to visit every Halloween.
After the kids do some eavesdropping, they learn of the magical world. And after following their grandmother to Halloweentown, they encounter an evil warlock, Kalabar, who they spend the rest of the movie trying to defeat.
The franchise expanded into four films, following the kids’ experiences with Halloweentown up to the conclusion of Marnie’s freshman year of college.
Sure, the movies are corny at times, but it’s that corniness that brings back so many nostalgic memories for me.
When I was a kid, October always seemed to be the month I became sick for a few days.
I can remember back to when I would spend the entirety of the day on my step-grandmother Nancy’s couch watching “Halloweentown” while home sick.
Throughout the years, even when I became older, I continue to throw it back to one of my favorite childhood movie franchises.
Even this year, my junior year of college, my girlfriend and I have continued the tradition.
We watched both of the first two movies of the franchise and only have “Halloweentown High” and “Return to Halloweentown” left to watch before Halloween.
Sure, I must be pretty lame to watch a children’s movie when I’m 20 years old, but it’s a tradition – one of the very few I have.
So I’ll keep watching “Halloweentown,” and hopefully one day I’ll be lucky enough to watch it with my kids.
That’s tradition.
Fantasy football is also one of my only traditions, and it’s one that I hold very close.
Draft day still gives me butterflies in my stomach, and those 16 weeks of the year are probably my absolute favorite.
And even if the season may not be going the way you wanted it to, don’t let that nostalgia go away.
Don’t let the tradition fade.
Keep after it, keep informed and keep giving it your all. We have only half a season left to go.
So let’s get to it.
Quarterback I’d Start this Week:
Mitchell Trubisky (Chicago): If you told me in the preseason that in Week 8 Mitchell Trubisky would be a top-10 quarterback, unlike many, I would have believed you.
While much of the credit should go to the strategic play-calling of Matt Nagy, Trubisky is averaging 7.6 yards per pass, more than traditional powers like Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and Andrew Luck.
On the road, the Jets defense is giving up more than seven percent more yards per attempt than at home, Trubisky should keep things slinging this weekend.
Quarterback I’d Sit this Week:
Matthew Stafford (Detroit): Believe it or not, Seattle’s defense is the No. 1 defense against opposing quarterbacks, allowing only 13.33 fantasy points per game. Matthew Stafford is currently ranked 19th in fantasy on the season, putting up lower numbers than usual.
I don’t see things getting easier for the Georgia product and former first-overall pick this week.
Running Back I’d Start this Week:
Kerryon Johnson (Detroit): In a game where I don’t expect Stafford to be able to throw well, Detroit is going to have to move the ball somehow. And with the Seahawks also likely to run the ball and the clock Sunday, I anticipate the Lions to fight fire with fire.
Expect a heavy workload this week from Kerryon Johnson, who has scored double digits in his last five outings.
Running Back I’d Sit this Week:
Isaiah Crowell (New York Jets): Even though backfield mate Bilal Powell went down with an injury last week, don’t take it as a sign for good things to come from Isaiah Crowell.
Going up against the Bears defense, which has been the fourth-best against the run, and with the emergence of rookie running back Trenton Cannon in the Jets’ backfield, I have Crowell as a hard pass this week.
Wide Receiver I’d start this Week:
Emmanuel Sanders (Denver): Emmanuel Sanders is surprisingly the third-best fantasy wideout of the season, thus far. He should be slotted into lineups every week, regardless of the matchup.
Even though I usually like to discuss borderline fantasy plays in this column, I am begging everyone to start Sanders, especially this weekend against a Chiefs’ defense that you can attack through the air.
Wide Receiver I’d Sit this Week:
Nelson Agholor (Philadelphia): Let’s try to get it right this time. The last time I told you to bench him, Nelson Agholor grabbed three receptions for 91 yards, making him viable.
And even though Agholor saw the most receptions all season with Carson Wentz back under center last week, the Jaguars defense is the No. 1 defense against opposing wide receivers. Playing in Jacksonville with an underperforming Eagles offense makes Agholor a very risky option this week.
This column was originally featured at ThePenn.org October 25, 2018.
If you have a feel-good story that you would like to share for an opportunity to be featured in an upcoming edition of “Start, Sit & Seth,” please reach out.
And for more fantasy football and uplifting content, you can find me on Twitter @Between_SethFF.