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Kristen McNamara plays football in the backyard with the guys, loves the Vikings and watches 10 or 12 hours of football every weekend, but when she tried to jump into the world of fantasy football leagues, she was greeted with a no-girls-allowed sign.

“My reaction was that I can . . . belch just like the rest of them,” the 28-year-old Rockford resident recalled. “But they told me I couldn’t (join) because I was a girl.”

Now that she’s found a couple of male-dominated leagues of the virtual games that she could join, she’s holding her own and determined to go to the top.

“There’s something about whupping the boys that’s appealing to me,” McNamara said.

Showing up men isn’t necessarily their motivation, but many women are passionate about playing fantasy football, a game that puts you in the position of “owning” your own National Football League team.

It’s fantasy in that you draft players from throughout the NFL to form your team. Then you decide which of your team members will play in a given week. Your team scores points based on how those players perform – touchdowns, yards gained, etc. – in actual NFL games.

Fantasy games are played in various sports, but the 21 million Americans who play fantasy football make it the most popular fantasy sport, according to a 2008 survey.

About 20% to 25% of those fantasy football players are women, estimated Paul Charchian, the association president of the FSTA.

Fantasy sports are appealing to fans because the gaming gives them a greater stake in sports they already love, said Erica Halverson, a fantasy football player who has made fantasy baseball part of her research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“It’s kind of an intellectual fandom,” said Halverson, an assistant professor of educational psychology who won the first fantasy football league she played in.

On one level, fantasy players become more invested in football because they care about players on many different NFL teams, not just their hometown team, Halverson said.

Then there’s the strategic and competitive element – an owner can pick and manage the best fantasy team, she said.

“It’s closer to the stock market than it is to a video game,” Halverson said. “I think that mixture is just really tantalizing to people.”

Invite the ladies to join and may the best man… er, person.. win.

Contrary to rumors for much of the past several days, Roger Goodell has announced his decision not to suspend Michael Vick and to conditionally reinstate him.  The news comes as positive, but unexpected for Vick, who for much of the week was rumored to be facing a suspension of four games. 

Vick will be allowed to participate in training camp, and the final two preseason games.  He will be allowed to participate in all team activities, except the games, until week six.  That’s the catch. 

Essentially, this is a five game suspension.  Don’t let the headlines of reinstatement fool you.

Some will greet the news of Vick being “conditionally reinstated” as some sort of favor or good deed by the commissioner.  I disagree. 

While Goodell reserves every right to set conditions on the reinstatement of Vick, the decision to not allow him to play until week six is troubling.  Since he was incarcerated, Vick has done everything he was required to do and behaved as a good citizen.  He faced and completed his 23 month sentence with excellent behavior. 

The decision to withhold Vick from playing until the sixth game of the season doesn’t make sense.  It doesn’t give him an adequate chance of seeking a starting role.

I fail to understand the need for the five game suspension.

Bear in mind that Vick was already serving a suspension while he was in jail; a suspension that lasted 23 months.  It was not his fault that it ran congruent to his time behind bars.  Either way, he was still suspended from employment by the league and lost all the money that he could have made during that time.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens, no stranger to controversy himself, felt that any additional sanction on Vick would be “unfair”. 

Former NFL Coach Tony Dungy agreed, saying on the Dan Patrick Show, “I tend to agree with Terrell Owens on this.  I feel like he’s missed 32 games already and missed a ton of money.”

I am all for Goodell doing whatever is that he can do, within the limits of his power, to help the NFL achieve the goal of a cleaner image. 

I am for him suspending players, such as Chris Henry and Adam “Pacman” Jones, who repeatedly break the law and show utter disregard for any rules or regulations placed upon them.  But there has to be some line or distinction made between those types of repeat offenders and someone like Vick, who went to jail for the first time. 

Up to the point of the dog-fighting scandal, Vick was the poster boy of the NFL and Nike.  His face graced the likes of Madden, the popular video game, along with covers for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and several commercials. 

What will be accomplished by the additional five game suspension?

Making an example out of people for the betterment of the entire league is a noble concept.  But has Michael Vick not suffered enough in the eyes of the public?  Has there ever been a person who has been more severely penalized for the crime that they committed than Vick has? 

I challenge you to find an individual convicted of dog-fighting who has served more time, lost more money, and been more embarrassed in the eyes of the public than Vick has.  Granted, he is a public figure, but that doesn’t mean his penalty should be any greater, or any less, than any other citizen of this country. 

Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams served less time for manslaughter stemming from driving under the influence.  Donte Stallworth served 24 days in jail for killing a man while also driving under the influence. 

The fact of the matter is that Vick committed an egregious and heinous act.  He has since apologized for his acts.  He was found guilty in the court of law and sentenced to serve time in prison.  He completed  his sentence. 

While serving his sentence, he was also suspended by the his employer, lost any salary and benefits that he could have received during that span, and has essentially gone bankrupt (reportedly, over $20 million in debt). 

His name is forever linked to the sick act that he participated in and no matter how much public service or outreach he participates in, Vick and “dog-killer” will always be synonymous, until the day of his death. 

Is that not enough of a penalty?  Will an additional five games really make anyone say, “Yes.  NOW I really feel like he has gotten what he deserves.”

The answer is “No.”  And that is why I am disappointed with the conditions that Goodell has set for Vick’s reinstatement. 

After all, even a steroid using Shawne Merriman got to play more games that season than Vick will in 2009-10.  What does that say about league priorities?

Well, I went ahead and bought that time machine from Napolean Dynamite’s Uncle Rico and we are heading back to the year 1989. We will all remember a simpler time, a time when all you needed was two passing and two running plays to dominate the competition. And who can forget the droning music and the “hut hut hut hut hut hut hut”. Enjoy the memories.

Before first-person football, play-maker controls, and even robust playbooks, there was Tecmo Bowl–a re-creation of professional football so simplistic and yet so incredibly fun that it easily has stood the test of time as one of the greatest sports games ever created. Just to give an idea of how basic the game was, each team had a playbook consisting of only four offensive plays. There were some slight variations on these plays depending on the team. What’s even more mind-boggling is that there were no defensive plays to choose from, but at the same time, that’s exactly part of what made Tecmo Bowl so entertaining.

It was almost like a simple representation of video game chess. If you happened to select the same play as your opponent, then the defense could automatically smash through the offensive line and go for the sack, or at the very least, cause a large number of yards to be lost. You were constantly guessing what play the opponent was going to pick as opposed to worrying about adequate run or pass coverage–it was all about going right for the player with the ball.

But Tecmo Bowl had a layer of depth that came to light only after you had played the game for a good amount of time and had a running back with the speed of a cheetah. When your opponent selected the same play, there was always a slight chance that you could still get some yards out of it, especially if you had a running back like Bo Jackson, Walter “Sweetness” Payton, or even Roger Craig. It was possible to weave your way past tackles and literally smash through defensive backs as they rushed toward the ball carrier. It was possible to perform a similar feat on defense with starting defensive players like Lawrence Taylor or Mike Singletary, who had enough speed to hit a player behind the line of scrimmage even if the same play wasn’t selected.

In the end, the best way to describe Tecmo Bowl is to say that it was NFL Blitz before Blitz was even a faint glimmer in the eye of Midway. Like with Blitz, its over-the-top hits, simple play mechanics, and fast-paced gameplay made Tecmo Bowl a football game that everyone could enjoy, and to this day it remains one of the most enjoyable re-creations of professional football.

My Top Ten Tecmo Bowl players

1. QB Eagles

Passing skills plus one of the best running backs in the game. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

2. Bo Jackson

Bo knows speed running. Bo knows power running. Bo knows TOUCHDOWN!

3. Joe Montana

The game’s best pure passer.

4. Lawrence Taylor

Defensive and Special Teams MVP. Most consistent field goal blocker.

5. Jerry Rice

He’s the greatest reciever of all time, video game or no.

6. Christian Okoye

Remember this guy? Almost untacklable.

7. David Fulcher

No one intercepts more.

8. Keith Jackson

The games best TE takes on a special importance with the Pro T Flare, the games best play. That is, when you’re not using QB Eagles as a running back.

9. Derrick Thomas

LT Lite

10. Shane Mack

Another back that is tough to tackle

If you are not willing to host that wild, messy and loud group of friends in your home, take your fantasy football draft out on the town. TenYards.com has and will continue post local venues that welcome you and your league. Take a look at what we have found so far and tell them TenYards.com sent you.

Dave & Buster’s 763.493.9815 www.daveandbusters.com

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Dave & Buster’s and get:

10% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages

$20 Power Card for Event Host

FREE Wings and a $10 Power Card

FREE Draft Kit and Fantasy Magazine (limited qty)

Scratch & Win card from CBSSports.com

Joe Senser’s 952.835.1191 www.sensers.com

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Joe Senser’s and get:

FREE Senser’s wing platter for groups of 8 or more

FREE pitcher of beer for groups of 8 or more

Dedicated big screen TV for your draft party (based on availability)

Champps 612.335.5050 www.champps.com

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Champps and get:

Happy Hour specials from 3pm – 6pm

Mac’s Industrial Sports Bar 612.379.3379 www.macsindustrial.com

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Mac’s Industrial and get:

Your fantasy league fee will be paid in full by Mac’s (limited sponsorships available, make contact early, staff@macsindustrial.com)

Enjoy Happy Hour specials from 3pm – 7pm

Check their website for food and drink specials every night of the week

Park Tavern 952.929.6810 www.parktavern.net

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Park Tavern and get:

FREE private room to conduct your draft

FREE wireless internet access

Happy Hour food and drink specials Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm

Majors Sports Cafe 952.835.8308 www.majorssportscafe.com

Host your Fantasy Draft Party at Majors and get:

$9 draft pitchers of Miller Lite or Coors Light

Monday-Friday 4pm-6pm  2-for-1 drink specials

Monday-Saturday 8pm-10pm $2 You call its

FREE bucket of 20 bone-in wings. You pick the flavor! 

$10 Majors gift card for each member of your league

FREE mug – use it for specials during NFL games throughout the season

Team Roster
The number of players on a fantasy football team varies from league to league, but generally includes at least two quarterbacks, three running backs, three wide receivers, two tight ends, one kicker and two defensive units.

Lineups
Each week, owners submit a starting lineup taking into consideration injuries, match-ups, and players on bye weeks. Lineup changes must be made prior to the start of each game in which the players in question are involved. If an owner fails to make adjustments in his starting lineup, it will remain the same as the previous week.

The number of players on a team’s active lineup varies from league to league. One of the more commonly used combinations of players includes one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker, and one defensive unit.

Scoring
There are variations in scoring systems, but many use the following system or something close to it:

A touchdown results in six points for the scoring player. If the touchdown is the result of a passing play, the quarterback is also awarded the same.

Field goals count as three points for the kicker. Some leagues offer more points as the field goals get longer. Generally, anything more than 40 yards counts as four points and anything more than 50 yards is awarded five points.

Kickers also receive one point for extra points after touchdowns, and a player scoring on a two-point conversion receives two points.

Offensive players can also pick up points based on receiving, passing, and rushing yardage. One of the more common formulas awards one point for every ten yards rushing, one point for every ten yards receiving, and one point for every 25 yards passing.

Offensive players can also lose points by throwing an interception (-2) or fumbling the ball (-1).

On defense, a team’s score is based on how many points they give up, combined with bonus points for sacks, turnovers, and defensive touchdowns scored. There are a number of variations in scoring based on the number of points given up. Sacks generally add one point each to that score while turnovers provide two points each.

A safety results in a two-point bonus for the defense.

Some leagues include special teams play in the defensive score while many do not.

Trading Players
Teams are allowed to trade players as long as the deal is submitted before a predetermined trading deadline. Most leagues offer a system that allows other owners to protest trades that are too lopsided in one team’s favor to prevent team owners from working together to build one super team.

Waivers and Free Agency
Any player that remains undrafted is classified as a free agent and can be signed by any team on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, if the addition puts a team over the roster limit, the owner must release one of the players on his roster.

A player who is released is then put on waivers, generally for a period of three to four days. Until a player passes through waivers, he can be claimed by any other team in the league. If a player on waivers is claimed by more than one team by the time the waiver period ends, he is awarded to the team sitting the lowest in the standings at the time the claim was made.

Playoffs
A playoff tournament is generally held the final two or three weeks of the regular NFL season, depending on how many teams are in the playoff field. Scoring is determined exactly as it is during the regular season with the winner of the contest moving on to the next round while the loser is eliminated.

The league championship is held when the playoff field has been narrowed to two teams, with the winner being crowned as league champions.

The most recent reports around the sports universe show that barring some unforeseen incident with Brett Favre’s shoulder, he will play in the NFL this season and he will do so as a Minnesota Viking. Oh, the irony. I remember advertisements with Vikings defensive tackle John Randle chasing around a chicken in a tiny Brett Favre Packer uniform. Will the advertisements this year show Aaron Kampman chasing around a chicken in a tiny Brett Favre Viking uniform? It seems quite possible.

So if Favre goes to the Vikings, what are the benefits for them? As I see it, the Vikings have very little to lose. They currently have two quarterbacks who would undoubtedly be inconsistent at best as starters in the NFL in Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Both would rely heavily on the power running game of Adrian Peterson and the Vikings’ defense, which may be a touch worse than 2008 with the departure of another former Packer, Darren Sharper, who signed with the New Orleans Saints. I wonder if Sharper staying in Minnesota would have provided a bit of mediation between Favre and the rest of the locker room as another so-called Packer traitor. As it stands, Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell will serve as that buffer.

The Vikings have a good team without Favre, a team that has improved consistently over the past three years under head coach Brad Childress. They will still be a good team if Favre doesn’t sign with them or turns out to be a disaster. Even if they end up dealing Rosenfels or Jackson, they’ll most assuredly have one of them on hand in case Favre implodes.

Over the past few seasons, Favre has shown his age in the months of November, December, and when he has had the opportunity, January. The solution for him is the same as it is with any kicker who is at his age or above, move south or get indoors. Moving from Green Bay to New York helped a little bit, but not enough to curb Favre’s age completely. Inside the Metrodome, Favre will be able to command his game far better in the later months than in previous seasons.

The Vikings are truly a contender to be in the Super Bowl with a healthy Favre. If his problems in November and beyond are not due to the cold, expect an early exit or a meltdown similar to the New York Jets of 2008. But if it is weather-related, pray (if you are Vikings fan) that the Vikes can clinch home-field advantage and keep Favre inside the 70-degree Metrodome.

But what does Favre have to gain or lose? Well, if he melts down this season, he is done. Not even the Detroit Lions would sign him if Matthew Stafford retired and signed with the Detroit Tigers. If he stays retired, signing with the Jets will appear as nothing more than a blip in his career for most of his fans. But if he signs with the Vikings, he may very well be hated by the entire Packer universe. He lost a lot of respect by signing with the Jets, signing with the Packers’ biggest (or second biggest depending on who you ask) rival would incur a wrath not seen in the NFL perhaps ever, whether Favre succeeds or fails in Minnesota.

If he succeeds and brings the first ever Super Bowl victory to Minnesota, he has nothing to fear, the Minnesota fans will praise him and herald him as a hero until the end of time, but if he fails, he will have no fans left in the entirety of the universe. The Minnesota fans will go on hating them as they have for nearly two decades, even more so for ruining a perfectly decent potential season for them and the Packer fans will hate him all the more for attempting to get revenge on a franchise that worshipped him as long as Vikings fans hated him.

Brett Favre signing with the Vikings is a great deal for the Vikings. They have very little to lose. But for Brett Favre, this is perhaps the most dangerous move in the history of the NFL. The man who should be considered at the very least as one of the three best quarterbacks of all-time may go down in history not being loved by a single NFL fan.

Good luck to Favre and SKOL Vikings!

With your draft not too far over the horizon, you should be thinking of how get the best out of your draft day party. If you’re not, shame on you. Your Fantasy Draft Day should really rival Thanksgiving, The Super Bowl, and St. Patrick’s Day as the most anticipated holidays of the year. This is the day you’ve been planning and prepping for – don’t let it go to waste and make sure you’re prepared. Someone in your league needs to be the event planner and it looks like it’s going to be you. So strap in and get ready to make your league the envy of all onlookers.

Location, Location, Location.

First choice you have to make is – indoors or outdoors? If you choose outdoors, make sure you have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. You need to be able to take this sucker mobile if Mother Nature decides to do her version of “stepping in front of the TV while you’re watching the playoffs” by dumping 14 inches of rain on your hopes and dreams of a winning season. If you luck out with the weather, a nice big deck or a patio will be your base of operations. Make sure there is a good looking grill handy as you will need it.

Wherever you decide to have your party, you need to make sure there is ample space for everyone involved in order to have enough personal room for each manager and their resources. A boardroom style table is probably the best, however do what you can. When having everyone sit around the table, try to get them to sit in draft order as this will cause less confusion as the draft goes on and you all get a little more half in the bag. If you are hosting your league online (and who isn’t nowadays?), try and have some Wi-Fi capabilities available as you draft so you and all the other managers can utilize the internet whenever necessary information is needed (injury updates, etc.).

If you’re doing your draft indoors but don’t want to use someone’s house, then perhaps reserving the back room at one of your favorite local bars is the call. You could even rent out some space at a local Firehouse or Legion Hall if your league is up for it. You really just need a great place to sit back and relax when the drafting is through, in order to really let loose and party.

Atmosphere

When your guests arrive, have everything already laid out for them: Notebook, index cards, pens, and seating assignments all ready to go. As they walk in they should also be greeted by the sweet sounds of Football glory. Either a TV in the background playing highlights from the past season or my personal favorite – The Power and The Glory…. Oh you’ll recognize it when you hear it… gets me all teary-eyed just thinking about it again.

Man’s Gotta Eat

When talking food, there really is only one option… BBQ. Try to emulate a tailgate party as much as possible. Cold beer, hot grill, and plenty of meaty goodness to go around. If there are any vegetarians in your league… honestly… I don’t know what to tell you… maybe find some new friends. Pizza just won’t cut it in my book. You really need to slap down a slab of something on the charcoal and loosen the notches in your belt when you’re done eating. Ask everyone in the league to bring with them the best tailgate recipe they own. Maybe someone can make a chili that after digestion will upset your downwind neighbors. Perhaps one of the guys can get some Omaha Steaks and fire those bad boys up to perfection dripping with juice and love. And if you don’t have any of those options, here is recipes for some never fail burgers that everyone will salivate over. They are called “Fenza Burgers” as I got the recipe from an old college buddy:

 
Devil Is In The Details

So now you have a killer draft location and some perfect food and drink to go around. Great… sounds like every draft party I’ve ever been to. So what else is there? This all depends on how nuts you want to get. To set you apart from the rest of the boring leagues you hear about, you are going to want to add something extra. Something that will really get everyone psyched about throwing down that entry fee. Not only that, but if you create enough buzz, other people will be begging to get into your league year after year wanting to be a part of the fun. Here are a couple of cool things you can add:

Fantasy Draft Board – Probably the greatest 30 bucks you’ll ever spend. It makes your league seem professional, it’s great eye candy, AND it will help everyone be as organized as possible during the draft. For me, it’s pretty much a necessity every year now.

Fantasy Trophy – For the hardcore enthusiasts, it’s time to invest in a piece of bragging rights hardware. A firm warning however – DO NOT brag about your trophy to the opposite sex. They will look at your funny and you WILL be going home alone. Just trust me on this.

Draft Day Clock – For the best way to keep the draft moving along, invest in a draft clock (with remote control!) Laugh now… but get ready to be amazed come draft day when you hustle along the slow motion pickers into making up their minds on their stupid 12th round pick… Come on man! There is beer to drink!

Draft Day Emcee – If you are organizing the draft as well as participating in it, the best idea for you is to get a neutral person to be the draft day emcee. This person will play the part of commissioner during the draft. They will read out the picks, post them on the draft board, and be in control of the draft clock. They also should be well versed with your league’s rules and regulations, as they will be clarifying any scoring questions or settling any meaningless rule debates you may come across during the day. You want them to be in control as much as possible.

After the 2009 draft is in the books, sit back and bask in the glow of a promising new season. But don’t relax too much. Because if you’re smart, the rest of your crew should be showing up moments after the draft ends to start in on this whole other keg that you haven’t even touched yet. If you have anything you want to add that you think makes a draft party even better, feel free to post it. Football season is near my friends… and it deserves the warmest of welcomes.

The words “Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers” don’t roll off the tongue easily. After all, Brett Favre gave Packer fans 17 glorious years, setting records and building a Hall of Fame career in Green Bay.

Some fans haven’t come to grips with Favre’s initial departure from the Packers, and they certainly won’t handle it well when Favre ends up spending the 2009 season with the rival Minnesota Vikings. While all that is going on, however, Rodgers continues to handle his job with grace and dignity.

As he arrived at the taping of the ESPYs Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Rodgers faced the obvious questions about Favre’s comeback. Rodgers has said all the right things since his arrival in Green Bay back in 2005, and these answers were no different.

On whether Favre should return: “If he still feels he could do it, there’s no reason he shouldn’t.”

On whether Favre will return: “I would bet you’ll see him as long as John David Booty gives him the number four.”

On the inevitable Favre vs. Rodgers storylines: “I know that will be the big story. You guys have a job to do. That probably sells a few more papers than the usual matchup. We’ll try to stay focused that week if that does happen.”

You can label these as “canned” responses, or claim that Rodgers is only saying what the Packers public relations team wants him to say.

However, no matter your feelings on Favre, it’s hard to deny that Rodgers handled himself with the utmost class through all the adversity in 2008. He played through an injury, showed toughness, was a good leader, and put up numbers that any first-year starter would love to have.

There’s no question that Aaron Rodgers is not Brett Favre, and it’s hard to imagine him putting up the kind of Hall of Fame career Favre has. That said, Rodgers has an opportunity to carve out his own image in Green Bay, and he’s done very well so far.

For all the talk about Favre wanting to prove Packers general manager Ted Thompson wrong by playing well for the Vikings this season, people are forgetting about one distinct possibility. Aaron Rodgers may want to prove a few things about himself and about the Packer team, namely that it wasn’t all about Brett Favre.

The Associated Press reports Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson has granted Pat and Kevin Williams a temporary restraining order in the Star Caps case, meaning the Williams Wall will be allowed to play in the first four games of the regular season.

The case will be extended yet again. This doesn’t mean Pat and Kevin are off the hook for the entire season. It simply means they cannot be suspended by the NFL until the case is decided.

According to the report, Judge Larson scheduled a hearing for July 22 to decide whether he should put the state court proceedings on hold while a federal appeals court considers other issues in the case.

Of course, Pat and Kevin tested positive for a banned diuretic during training camp last season. They dodged suspensions at the end of the 2008 season, and now they dodge suspensions again. For now. Stay tuned.