Fantasy Football Update - Playoffs

It's playoff time for the Engage PR fantasy football season, and as of this writing, Probation Nation is down by 27.26 to the Meanie Mathenys, courtesy of Peyton Manning and the fact that the Tennessee Titans are a dumpster fire. The Nation entered the playoffs as the #3 seed, narrowly missing out to the first week bye. Coincidentally, three of the newest Engage employees are leading the standings. The fourth...well...like a good captain, she went down with her 1-12 ship.

Seedings are as follows:

FIRST ROUND BYE

1. Hoya Paranoia - Molly Reynolds

2. CotonHeadedNinyMugin - Courtney Pecora Courtney Pecora's boyfriend

MATCHUPS

3. Probation Nation - me

6. Meanie Mathenys - Neila Matheny

4. Shake'n'Bake - Suzanne Panoplos

5. Bitzy's Bashers - Jeannette Bitz

So, here you go. In the quarterfinals of the EPR playoffs up against a tough team, with which the Nation split this year, the lineup is:

QB

Brady (vs. Bears)

WR

Johnson (vs. Ravens)

Fitzgerald (vs. Broncos)

Driver (vs. Lions)

RB

Rice (vs. Texans)

McCoy (vs. Cowboys)

Moreno (vs. Cardinals)

TE

Pettigrew (vs. Packers)

K

Bryant (vs. Panthers)

Def

Pittsburgh (vs. Bengals)

PLAYOFFS!

EPR Fantasy Football - Week 2

So I forgot to post a recap of week one, but Probation Nation took an L (despite a 103+ point output). Bummer.

However, this week, things are looking a little better. Forgot to post my lineup when I set it, but here it is.

QB

Brady

WR

Johnson

Fitzgerald

Driver

Naanee

RB

Rice

McCoy

TE

Shiancoe

K

Vinatieri

D

Pittsburgh

Things I've learned since last week:

- Projections are BS

- The Raiders defense sucks and had NO ANSWER for Chris Johnson

- Life sucks when you are the only dude in the office, and you lose week one of FF

- Life will be infinitely better tomorrow unless Frank Gore goes all Arian Foster on the Saints defense (which I don't see happening) on Monday Night Football.

EPR Fantasy Football - Week 1

With games starting tomorrow evening, the time came for me to set the lineup for Probation Nation, my first venture into the strange world that is fantasy football. Yes, as Benson noted, hell has indeed frozen over. Here's my lineup.

QB
Tom Brady

WR
Andre Johnson
Larry Fitzgerald
Donald Driver

RB
Ray Rice
LeSean McCoy
Jerome Harrison

TE
Visanthe Shiancoe

K
Adam Vinatieri

Defense
Pittsburgh

Yahoo has me projected to drop 97.5 points on my opponent...and lose. This is all very mysterious to me, as I have no idea where the projections come from (or even how the points are calculated), but since it is something that is going on in the office, it's going to be chronicled in the blog. Game one tomorrow night. Let's hope the Saints D gets torched and Shiancoe has like 5 TD receptions.

Apparently even Blogger wonders where I've been

Seriously...they went and changed the site, and added some widgets that will enable my armies hordes couple of readers to easily post and share. Mostly, though, I think it will just make it easy for me to post it to my Facebook page.

So it's been a while, and the reason it has been a while is that I have been without Internet for the last week. The reason I have been without Internet is that my new apartment doesn't have it yet. The reason I have a new apartment is that I moved for a new job. This new job is in Alameda. Yes, Alameda is a city. It is in the bay area--directly across the bay from San Francisco. It is adjacent to Oakland. (Yes, I know. No, it's not scary...at least Alameda isn't.)

That's right, kids. I'm an official NorCal resident. I have a BART card and everything. I never thought I would see the day either, but after four fantastic years learning the field of tech PR at the DJA down south, I've made the transition to the bay. I'm a senior account executive at Engage PR, here in Alameda. Bay area traffic sucks. I don't want to deal with it. It takes me 10 minutes to get to work in the morning if (when) I hit every red light on this island. (Yes, I live on an island.)

Other than the fact that moving into my second-floor apartment was a horrific experience that began with me dropping a box down my pretty, hardwood stairs (and shattering the hell out of everything that was in it) and the fact that it's apparently the coldest winter in the history of the bay area, it's been a great transition. Alameda is a cool little place, and you should come visit. I have a two bedroom apartment that is walking distance from a handful of bars. It's a little longer walk to the main drag in town, Park Street, but it's definitely walkable. As drunk as we will get if/when any of you come visit, it'll be a piece of cake.

Pictures and more updates to come soon...when I don't have to come to the coffee shop down the street to get Wi-Fi. Send me a text or drop me an e-mail if you want my address.

The David James Agency

The mission of The David James Agency is to "know technology and know the business of technology." While this is 100% accurate, it could just as easily be "know the people associated with technology."

While this obviously applies to clients and partners in the professional arena, that's not what I'm talking about right now.

I just finished four of the most critical years of my life--the beginning of my career--learning technology and the business of technology. When I came out of school with my (very expensive) degree, I had always envisioned that I would cruise into the workforce, handling consumer accounts and having a great time doing it. Then reality struck, and I couldn't find a job, so I worked at Crespi for a year while continuing to look. Then I caught a break.

David James Rodewald (and Erin) had worked at a large agency with Jennifer Floto, one of my professors (who became one of my references), before splitting off to start their own agency. As they grew from a simple partnership with a handful of clients, they built their business, and in the spring of 2006, they were looking to bring someone on board.

They could have held out for someone with more of that tech-focused experience, but because of that connection, they opted to bring me in for an interview. After a couple meetings and a writing test, they offered me the account executive position--their first hire and my first real PR job.

For the last four years, I have had the privilege of learning the field from Dave, a true professional and a faith-driven family man. He's taught me everything from the proper way to deal with clients and difficult media to the tricks you can use to rearrange your schedule to give yourself more time for work-life balance--that latter of which I am still working on :)

In short, the DJA has been my family for the last four years. I've grown as a professional and an individual under its watch, and I am forever indebted to Dave and Erin.

But new challenges await.

I've lived in southern California my entire life. That is about to change. I've accepted a senior account executive position at Engage PR in Alameda and will be moving to the bay in a week and a half. At Engage, I will start off working with telecommunications and wireless solutions providers--building from the experience I've gotten the last four years.

While it was difficult to pack up and leave the DJA for the last time today, I was reminded of encouragement I'd received about three years ago. "When you have an opportunity, you have to take it." True to his word to his still relatively new employee, Dave has been behind me 100% of the way--a consummate professional and dedicated mentor to the end.