Post
by Greg Ambrosius » Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:48 am
We're glad to welcome Tony Windis to the NFFC with this Q&A:
This was your second year in the WCOFF. Did you win your league title and the overall title?
I lost my first game last year and then won 10 in a row to finish 10-1. After I won my league title, I was No. 1 in the Championship Round with three weeks to go. I think going into Week 16 I was down about 17 points. My birthday was the day after Christmas, which was the final Sunday and we had family up for the holidays. I had a dilemma to make because Adrian Peterson was banged up and I didn't know if he was going to play. Then on Sunday they got 20+ inches of snow and the game was postponed to Tuesday. I thought, of all things, I can't believe this is happening. But I had Toby Gehrhart and I was covered. I was 12 points down heading into the Monday Night Game and my opponent had Marques Colston and I still had Vick and Peterson. Colston was held to like two catches for 25 yards and right then I knew I could win this thing. Sure enough in the Tuesday night game I was down 17 and by the half I was down by 10, but with four minutes to go Vick ran the ball in for a touchdown and AP came right back and got some more points. The funny thing is, Greg, is that I never watched that game. I was watching a movie with my girlfriend and I was just checking my iPhone for updates and she was checking her iPhone. That’s what I do. It was incredible. It’s still surreal to think that I won that after so many great players had participated.
Describe your emotions knowing that you beat some of the best players in the country.
You know, I’ve participated in fantasy football for 22 years playing in local leagues and it was overwhelming to think that I won this. When people came over and congratulated me, it really did feel like I climbed the mountain and now I can just enjoy the sport. But I’ll be back this year and I look forward to competing. I’ll do the best I can and hopefully I can win again.
Can you describe your mixed emotions about not being able to compete in the WCOFF this year?
It’s been a bittersweet experience. I’ll do whatever I can to help WCOFF and keep it going. It’s been good to me. But at the same time I want to play fantasy football and I’m not sure what’s really going on there now. I’ve joined the NFFC and I look forward to playing there and winning. I do feel like this off-season I should have been talking about winning this title and everything fantasy football and instead we were talking about all of this other stuff. I don’t feel like I was able to celebrate this title like I should have. I haven’t been able to enjoy it as much.
Who were your top players that carried your team last year?
I had the second pick and took Adrian Peterson. I wanted Chris Johnson and I thought about taking Ray Rice there. In the second round I took Arian Foster, who I really wanted. Then I took Jermichael Finley, who I thought was going to be special. I still was going to take another TE later and I grabbed Jason Witten in the sixth round. People thought I was crazy doing that, but it turned out to be key with so many injuries to the TE position. Other guys who were key included Pierre Garcon, Santonio Holmes, and of course Michael Vick, who I got in Week 2 for $221. I got him before the Eagles made him their fulltime starter. I’m very humble, I got some breaks, but you need to get breaks to win these things.
Do you have any players you are targeting this year?
I do like Jimmy Graham, the tight end from New Orleans. I do like TEs still. I like to see where I’m going to draft, then target 5 or 6 players, and build around that. But the thing that wins these things are the guys you get from Round 8 on. If you can find those sleepers late, you can win it.
The NFFC has Third Round Reversal and KDS, which is new to you. With that do you have any favored preference right now on where to draft?
Right now I kind of like the sixth pick, being in the middle. Maybe 6,7,5,4 and be in the middle. After I get past the first four rounds, the draft is going to fall into place after that. But you have to get off to a fast start and those early picks are key.
Do you think you can win a second national title this year?
I’m not thinking I’m better than anyone else because there are a lot of great players out there, but you have to have some luck and you have to have the right players. Last year I had a lot of injuries and you don’t normally win a national title with so many injuries. You need that perfect season. So now do I think I can do it? Yeah. But do I realize that it might not happen again? Yeah. You try to be realistic, but obviously you have to believe you can win it or why fight? I’ll give it the best I can and I know I’ll have a lot of fun this year.
Do you have any advice to all of the other players who have to make tough decisions about the upcoming fantasy football season?
I think we should all stick together, continue playing and maybe this will make the industry stronger. I still will do whatever I can to help them. I’m a fantasy player and I want to do whatever I can to help all of the players in that league. I hope they work it out. I’ll do whatever it takes. But hey, we’re all just players and we want to play. This is the fun time of the year and it’s a great sport. It’s only going to get bigger and bigger. So I hope everyone joins me and plays again this year. I’m ready and I’m here to win.
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
Tom, it's time for us to enter and win!!!