CB Posse Fantasy Football League: June 2019

Saturday, June 15, 2019

The Year of Trophies

The 2017-18 sports season was the greatest of my life.

I managed to capture my 5^th CBPFFL title, and the first in six years. The Caggiano is a hard trophy to win, and it felt good to see it back on the mantel; some people have waited 23 (and counting) years for that feeling.

Also, my Villanova Wildcats claimed their second NCAA Basketball Championship in three years. They were a fun team to watch and I’ve never felt more confident about one of my teams in the finals as I did as they rolled over Michigan.

My own beer-league hockey team won back to back seasons. It was the first time I managed to pose for a title picture in that league and was the greatest group of teammates I’ve ever lucked into. Go Shade!

Finally, after 44 years, my beloved Capitals drank, and drank, and drank from Lord Stanley’s Cup. They partied so hard the NHL instituted new rules for protection of the oldest trophy in sports, including banning the “Cup Stand,” credited to Ovechkin and his teammates.

I would’ve traded my fantasy win, ‘Nova’s title, and my own hockey team, and even agreed to never see these fantastic feats ever accomplished again, for this single Caps victory. Lucky me, I got them all…

Most CBPFFL titles are won with a virtually flawless draft, but I won my 2017 title with the waiver wire. Smaller pieces came my way, as I found the leg of Greg Zuerlein and the punishing Baltimore D off the wire: they finished as K1 and D/ST2 overall. Murat abandoned Zach Ertz too early, and he finished as a WR2 for the season, despite missing time with an injury. Most importantly, I snagged the free agent of the season: Alvin Kamara, who finished as RB3 overall. As a former Tennessee Vol, and current New Orleans Saint, Kamara fast became my favorite NFL player as he led my team to victory.

But time passes…I kissed the trophy one more time and mailed it to NYC for its new owner…Villanova saw four started drafted into the NBA and busted out of the NCAA early…my heel is giving me problems and making me nervous about playing hockey…and, finally, the Caps resumed their choking ways and saw St. Louis become the newest first-time Cup champions. It’s all over…but at least I tasted it, and it was unforgettable.

History of the League

In the fall of 1991, six young boys entered the hallowed halls of the Banfield Academic Center to embark upon a journey that would make them into men. They were lead by the eponymous Carl Brown and his obsession with Dennis Hopper. His group, which gathered each day in their private, brick-walled alcove, consisted of Steven Caggiano, James Pickard, Sahil Tak, Hank Zakroff, and Murat Zincir. Though other people drifted in and out, this was the core of the entity that would come to be known as the CB Posse.

CB Posse FF officially began in 1993. The early years of the league would be dominanted by Murat and Pickard, who took the trophy three time each. It wasn't until the seventh year of CB Posse FF that this dynamic duo of NFL knowledge failed to capture first place. Sadly, in 1999, as the Posse members finished college, only four owners played, and, due to lack of interest, the league would begin a decade long hibernation.

In 2009, Pickard asked Hank whether he would be interested in getting the league back together. After an emphatic "YES!" from his friend, Pickard made some phone calls and the league was reborn like a glorious phoenix from the ashes. The 21st Century has revolutionized FF into a more competitive monster. CB Posse FF went completely digital, and unless you can navigate the nearly endless amounts of NFL information available on the internet, you don't have a chance. Sahil would emerge as the dominant force, and he destroyed the league for back-to-back championships.

21st Century CB Posse FF has seen significant expansion. Murat and Pickard have lured several local friends into the ranks. Murat's New York crew has been dominant, consistently finishing near the top, and even claiming several championships. CB Posse FF has also become multi-generational, as young Jack Caggiano has boldly followed his parents' footsteps. Even the trophy underwent massive expansion, and is renamed The Caggiano.