<blockquote>Quote from TerryinBangkok on July 18, 2011, 14:45 Ah, life at the top is full of interesting twists and turns. No scores under 2k for our league this week, so we should be good. Our ladder is looking a bit cramped in the top 8, very little % splitting them. James will be doing his darndest to deny Simon a top 4 while trying to sneek a place in the 8 for himself. Beans has a tough ask facing bjaensch, can't afford to slip. Same can be said for the Husslah. Have they left their run too late? Squiddy and anthak look to have got their teams together and are making a charge at the 8. Squiddy has the tough task of VVV (a neat 100 dif. this week), while ant has to try and get past ELev. Two games to go folks, so warm up your Mzungus.</blockquote> I have definitely left my run too late... not even a mathematical chance now!
TiB, by my reckoning if I don't win at least one of the next two games I'll out of the top four (probably correctly based on average points performance for the season) and then almost certainly out in the first round of the finals. And even if I manage to win both of those two games, there is only minimal chance (I think) that I can win the first final and a snow flakes chance in hell of winning a second. This is a very tough league. For example, James is 325th overall and through bad luck is sitting outside out top 8. Amazing!
It has been clear to me for some time why they have 16 teams to a league. The role of the bottom 8 is to make life as tough, difficult and miserable as possible for those gracing the top 8. You can analyse your opponents until you get the dull thud in your temples, but on the day, the SC gods will decide. And you never know, they might just be smiling on you.....
<blockquote>Quote from J_in_Japan on July 18, 2011, 01:46 Nice Write Up TiB.</blockquote> Agreed, J. Enjoying the weekly Expats League preview/state of play/review - keep it coming, Tib @Bill - from Heater's $10 bet debacle to Lower pulling out a 146, you just don't know what's around the corner in SC so hold on and ride the wave home A big effort from Buck's Fizz and Veni Vidi Vici this week with both topping 2500 - well done
Hi fellow expats, I dont post much on here but seeing as I have been mentioned a few times thought I would jump in for a bit. Yes its true, 325 and out of the top 8, just some bad luck hitting high scoring players each round. Can I make the 8? I might but it will take a good turn of luck with winning both final games and hoping someone drops a couple. It can be done but not holding out much hope. Having said that, its been a good challenge and my other leagues I have been breezing so its nice to have some stiff competition. Nice work fellas.
I too agree this is a great League to be in. I'm in other leagues, one ranked higher than ours, but this is the most competitive. There are 9 teams that avg within 50 point of each other so it can swing pretty easily Bill & James. I'm not even sure I'll make the top 8 with the last two games I have.
Welcome Linear, good to hear from you. Snoz is in the Champions League GF next week, so hopefully for you he is focused on that. Agree this league is a great place to hone your skills. I'm doing well in a couple of other leagues to the point where you could be tempted to give Captain choice, MPP swaps and bench cover a cursory. Not with this league though, one slip you get eaten (and you guys have been feeding on me all season!). Maybe it's the desire to always want to do better in this league. I get a genuine lift out of seeing Neil now has a better team than me, when at the start there was only passing interest. And J. - having Dirty Whorks amongst those 9 teams within 50 of each other next year will probably lift their scores even higher as the bar is raised.
Yep, it's a great league. Did Dreamteam last year but wasn't really into it. With this league I have learnt a lot from everyone but still maintained the overall direction of my own team (hence the fact I held on to Westhoff for so long). Tibby, am I right in thinking we play each other this week? A bit like Plato and Socrates?
Yes Neil, looks like being a very 'Pythonesque' weekend: "Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle. Plato, they say, could stick it away. Socrates himself will be permanently missed, A clever little thinker, but a bugger when he's pissed." And now for something completely different.....
Welcome aboard, James - it's good to have another member of the league here in chat. @TiB - Dirty Whorks will be a prize recruit, and "Canada Blues" in Ontario is potentially another waiting to be added to Expats Div.1/Div.2
Hi folks Just read some of this thread for the first time. Love being in this league as it is the benchmark of all the ones i am in. I am sitting 6th (husslah) but not feeling overly comfortable. Hope we can all have a strong finish to the year and boost up our league ranking. Diki, hold off on trades please i need a win this week! -Stephen
Love your bio husslah! Rolf Btw, First time I've ever felt the need to type Rolf, and I reckon this occasion well deserves it.
Welcome Stephen. Emerald is my hideaway when I have the chance to visit Australia, assuming that is where you had your historic match with the Bombers. Agree on GA snr and Jarman. Not sure how far back you've gone in this thread, but we are hoping we can keep this league together next year and maybe even add a second one. So, hope you will stick around, even if we have more than our fair share of Hawks and sometimes they briefly get carried away. Good luck this weekend.
@easty Just tripped across your contribution under Adrian Anderson and it seems you have kick-started something I was waiting to discuss with walesy when he picks up, and that is having a separate 'friends' account just to cover our league(s). I am stoked that someone else is thinking along the same lines and already taken the initiative by chasing canada_blues. Can I leave it to you to be our recruiter and contact coordinator for our little circle of expats? I am sure our Ambassador can help out as well as he knows the inner workings of TS better than most of us. If so, I would suggest the first thing is everyone in our current league sign on as a friend with easty. PS. What will eventually do your head in is that everyone has a name, a team name and TS name.
@Husslah. How old are you mate? I remember playing against Emerald when I used to stride billigerantly across the half back line of Olinda Under 14s. I would really love to think it was me who filled you with that fear that you still haven't recovered from (but I guess it's slim chance). Good to see another Hawk in the league. We haven't got enough. @Tibby. Nice quote. The only Python one that springs into my head is 'He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy' - could be talking about half of all AFL players there.
Husslah, I have to trade. If I don't win this week I'll be dead in the water too. I just noticed that over the 13 rounds of the League competition, our points differential is only 12 points.
We have a potential KOD this week gentlemen. Shaw for Fisher is on the cards. Will be waiting until the last minute just in case there is another Shaw like incident this week...... No Murphy or Suckling this week hurts and has me considering whether to bring in Mumford for Z Smith as well to make up some points. But then the Zackster could go big with no Jolly to ruck against. 'Tis but a conundrum BTW, I figured out how I managed to make Mzungu my C last week: was on the SC iPhone app just before lock out and must have fat fingered the C for him by accident.
bjaensch, Thanks for the warning. Also with Murphy and Suckling out (but have swung AJ in from FWD to cover Murphy - better than a donut I guess, but not much). Fisher is my point of difference this round, so if he spuds it, I am gone. As long as Apple can keep bringing out newer and smaller versions, there is every chance I might win a SC round one day.