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LTP, Degenerates to battle for league crown

Jones looks for second title, Tanski looks to win in debut

Heading into the playoffs, not many people thought LTP, the All-American Conference's fifth seed, had much chance to get past the defending champion Midnight Vigilantes in the first round. They did.

Likewise, very few thought that the Horn-Headed Degenerates, the Browns' Conference's fifth seed, would be able to make it out of a field that included two teams - the Godfather and Shadow Bandits - who were averaging over 100 points. They did as well.

By virtue of LTP's one-point upset of Jody Barth's second-seeded Team Bud and the Degenerates solid thumping of Paul Labonte's all-time regular season points scored champion Shadow Bandits, two unlikely owners - LTP's Don Jones (pictured left) and the Horn-Headed Degenerates Paul Tanski (pictured right) - will do battle this week in Fantasy Bowl 13.

As a preview for this year's championship game, Sports Page editor Kirk Pavelich took the time to interview each of the participants in this year's Fantasy Bowl.

Pavelich: Coming into the season, did you expect to be where you are right now?

Don Jones: "Coming into every year, we (Tyler and I) expect to win. You do not enter into a competitive situation without an expectation of success or you are just bound to lose! Some individuals enter the draft looking for a mega-star, I just look for a well rounded team. Pick a few guys up along the way and then just try to go compete. Joe Nunney told me, 'It is all luck with injuries and match-ups throughout the year.' And I tend to believe in what he says! There were so many teams that were better than my team, but they are sitting home and I am playing in the 'Big Game.' Take Vince's team, they were awesome but he is sitting home watching my scores, when in a perfect world he is in the Fantasy Bowl."

Paul Tanski: "My plan is to always have a team that makes the playoffs. After that, anything can happen. So yes, I expected to be in the playoffs."

Pavelich: Talk about what this year has meant to you.

Don Jones: "This year has been a very meaningful year because I have done this without the use of a computer for most of the weeks. It just goes to show you that the old school ways still work in our techno society. I just read the newspapers and listened to talk show, and of course listened to Tyler (Jones' five-year-old son) when I needed his advice. He was the one that told me to trade Stallworth for Garner when Keith came calling. Keith was worried about next year... I was worried about winning this year. Tyler also said to play Gardner not Smith last week vs. Jody! I took his advice and won by ONE point!! Jody should have called Tyler because Tyler might have told him to play Quincy Morgan instead of Galloway."

Paul Tanski: "I'm just happy to have made a good showing in my first year."

Pavelich: What do you consider to be the keys to your success?

Don Jones: "TEAM BALANCE and positive attitude. I never run shit, talk down my opponents (unless it is Storm, was he in the league this year??) My team just tries its best every week!"

Paul Tanski: "You always refer to me as a rookie, but I was a founding member of the Great Lakes One League and that's been going for 10+ years. I've won 3 championships, finished 2nd twice, and third once over there. Last year I was in 3 leagues, finishing in the money in all of them, a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th.  Plus, I've been battling the likes of Profio, Bell, Frank, and Long for many seasons. So while I'm new to the Erie league, I'm hardly a fantasy football rookie. It's tough being new to this league. The fact that other owners got to keep some good players at a low value, increased the bidding price for the remaining good players. This leaves the Rookie owner in a bind, take more lesser players and hope for the best, or overpay for some players and sacrifice the bench with hopes of a few good pickups early on. In my case, picking up players off waivers early on was difficult, I wasn't scoring well, but yet kept winning. By the time I'd get to add a guy the top six or seven prospects each week would be gone and my roster didn't prosper much trade interest.

My keys to success were, sticking with my core drafted guys and letting them emerge late, guys like Bennett and Coles both started slow but have finished strong. Also, late additions to the squad of William Green, Quincy Morgan, and the Atlanta team are a HUGE reason for my success. Plus, the box of rabbit feet, gross of four leaf clovers, the dozen horse shoes, along with the smoke machine and all the mirrors has really paid off."

Pavelich: By winning your conference, you've already won a nice chunk of change. You will double that figure with a win this weekend. How do you plan on spending the money?

Don Jones: "Money will be spent in many ways. Probably to pay for whatever the wife wants. Tyler has already decided with his $10 share of the winnings he is buying Yui-Ge-OI Cards. As you can tell the split is not 50-50!"

Paul Tanski: "We're going to remodel the kitchen starting in early January and that project is already over budget, so every little bit will help."

Pavelich: You're on top of 22 other owners right now. Any words of wisdom for them?

Don Jones: "Keep working hard and get better!"

Paul Tanski: "Enjoy the view and get used to it!"

Pavelich: Anything else you want to say?

Don Jones: "This year has been a bittersweet year for me. In the best league in the country we have witnessed some very sad situations: We have watched the self-proclaimed 'daddy of smack' choke on his own smack. He should have pay more attention to his team than staying up all night thinking of his smack.  We have witnessed Storm entering the 'fantasy football owner protection program' due to the fact that he and his team have been missing from any contention for the last two years. We have witnessed the end of the 'era of the doormat!' (Joe Nunney's Black Diamond, talent-rich bunch of under-achievers -- They are not returning next year.)

We witnessed a 'mock draft' by the time all the no-shows did their 'NO SHOWS' we had teams being picked by everyone but their true owners! But then we also witnessed the greatest mid-season restructuring of a team in the history of the league -- Midnight Vigilantes!! Remember how much shit was run at Pav for those trades and then he runs off seven straight wins before being beaten by the ONE Point Total Team Effort of the LTP squad! Oh I could go on and on about this year but I am not sure that you want to hear my Year in Review. But I will leave my fellow owners with these final thoughts: 'Keep working hard, pay attention to the little things, and always Try your best!' As I told Tyler the other day,  'Tyler we weren't the best team in our conference, Midnight Vigilantes, B's, Team Bud, Atomic Punks... they all were better than LTP, BUT WE ARE THE RICHEST!!!' This is a great league and we need to appreciate all the hard work and time Pav puts into running this league.

I wish the best of luck to my opponent. I do not know top much about him or his team (I have heard he has a criminal background...Vince told me) and I do not care to know much about his team. We here at LTP are just focusing on what we do best... win matchups!"

Paul Tanski: "Paul Tanski might think he's a genius because he's 4-1. I've got news for you rookie - you haven't won shit in this league yet." (Quote from Kirk Pavelich several weeks ago). Don't look now Pav, but what I've won doesn't smell like shit, rather it smells sweet like money $$$! I've never claimed to be a genius, just lucky!"

In other news, congratulations to Hostile Omish GM Mike Kuratko, who defeated Bill Long and the Long Shots, 106-76, in the Consolation Bowl. The victory was Kuratko's second career Toilet Bowl championship.

Fantasy Bowl 13

CLICK HERE FOR BACK ISSUES OF THE SPORTS PAGE:

• Two more weeks will decide who takes home the Erie League crown (December 13, 2002)

• Two upsets in All-American; Browns Conference true to form (December 6, 2002)

• Field of 16 is set as Erie Leaguers prepare to play for the cash (November 29, 2002)

• With one week to go in regular season, post-season options vary (November 22, 2002)

• More bad blood among owners as regular season winds down (November 15, 2002)

• Psychedelic B's hammer Omish, allow Vince to run his mouth again (November 8, 2002)

• Psychedelic B's, Team Bud have best records in league at 6-2 (November 1, 2002)

• Division races heating up in both conferences; smack talk continues (October 25, 2002)

• Revamped Vigilantes explode (October 18, 2002)

• Flurry of trades highlights annual cross-conference matchup week (Oct. 11, 2002)

• B's quiet Collins, Penatrators (Oct. 4, 2002)

• Vince, Roush rivalry heats up; newcomer Collins joins the mix (Sept. 27, 2002)

• Two weeks in, smack talk begins (Sept. 19, 2002)

• Four teams break century mark, two others top ninety in Week One (Sept. 12, 2002)

• Auctions completed, Erie League ready to roll (August 31, 2002)

• Erie League set to kick off 13th season (June 24, 2002)