During a long year, it is always important to have distractions to take the mind off the frustrations of a regular nine-to-five job. For the second year now, Dynamo players can focus some of their competitiveness off the field in the team’s fantasy football league.
“We set it up last year, and it allows us to talk about something other than soccer,” noted league commissioner Richard Mulrooney, who finished runner-up to Erik Ustruck last year. “Soccer is on our minds more than most people realize, so it breaks the monotony, and it is a fun way to get guys together to talk some smack in the locker room.”
In most fantasy football leagues, it is not always who knows the most that wins; sometimes, it is more important to figure out who knows the least and to take advantage of that person via trades. For the Dynamo fantasy football league, the person who other players believe they can manipulate the most is Danny Cruz.
“Danny is the worst,” noted co-commissioner Ryan Cochrane. “He already has trades going that are ridiculous. Danny thinks he knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t. He’ll be done by the fourth week. He’ll have no shot.”
While Cruz, ironically a former high school football standout, may be thought of as the proverbial league punching bag, he quickly pointed the magnifying glass back upon Cochrane for making the worst pick in the league’s draft.
“The worst pick in the draft was Plaxico Burress,” said Cruz in his defense. “[Cochrane] drafted a guy in jail.”
Cochrane owned up to the horrible draft pick, stating that he had read Burress could be released soon and adding that he has already cut Burress. Conversely, Cochrane cited his pick of Wes Welker as the best of the draft solely because of the entertainment value it provided.
“We had a draft party, and Geoff [Cameron] and Corey [Ashe] were downstairs, and I could hear [Cameron] talking about how badly he wanted Wes Welker,” noted Cochrane. “So a couple of picks before he picks, I snagged him, and I could hear him yelling how upset he was because he wanted some Patriot players.”
Like Cameron’s obsession with Patriots from his native Massachusetts, Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric talks up his hometown Texans. So whether shooting for their favorite players or the best available, Dynamo players in the league have an opportunity to talk some smack to each other and channel some of their competitiveness off the field.
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to dwaincapodice@gmail.com.
