For once, I interviewed someone in person. This week’s interview is a “told you so” for anyone who considers me an expert. I’m interviewing my father, Bob Law to some and OBL (Old Bob Law) to my friends. He’s been in two fantasy leagues with me for almost a decade, and let’s just say that he’s had the upper hand. Last year was the worst as he defeated me in two leagues in the playoffs in the same weekend. He took home the trophy for winning our AUFL championship last year and our live draft was on Saturday. I talked to him on Sunday morning.
OBL accepts the coveted AUFL trophy from Paul aka Commish.
We’re going to talk to the champion, OBL. How’d you start with fantasy football?
My son talked me into playing fantasy football. He insisted upon it. He thought I would make a good designated driver.
What was your secret to winning (the AUFL championship last year)?
I spent lots of time taking naps. I really think the biggest part of my success was luck, pure unadulterated luck. It was luck that I got Wes Welker and it was lucky that I got Robby Gronkowskiski. I had Drew Brees. That wasn’t luck, that was intelligent drafting. But most of it was luck.
So is it most fun to beat me of everyone in the league?
I really like beating Paul (our Commish). You may not want to quote me on that. Paul will get mad at me and take my name off the trophy, which he never put it on in the first place. [Zach note: Paul won the championship two years ago. The previous year's winner has two jobs for the new champion. He gets the champion a drink to toast the trophy, which in OBL's case was prune juice, and he's supposed to get the new champion's name engraved on the trophy. The name was not engraved on the trophy, although the Commish did waive league fees and gave OBL money to do it himself.] I’ll put the name on the trophy, I’ll just have to do it myself.
How did you decide to switch between being a Steeler fan to being a Titan fan?
Oh, just because I live in Nashville. You tend to start pulling for those guys, plus I go to all the games. I do find that while I still like the Steelers and I am a fan, I find that some of their fans are arrogant and they’re not a lot of fun. I need to get them drunk like Damian. {Zach note: Damian is my cousin who lives in Houston but still roots for the Steelers and will be at the Titans/Steelers game in October.] Some of them take it a little more serious than I think it they should take it. It’s just football.
Tell me about your day job.
No comment. I’m retired! My day job is taking care of Jimi Hendrix. [Zach note: The dog's named Jimi.]
Do you think you’ll be in any more leagues than the two you’re in now with me?
No, I’m pretty leagued up.
Do you like playing in the dynasty/IDP Zealots league?
It’s interesting in a different sort of way. I don’t know all the people. I do think it would be better if they only had 40 roster slots. because trying to have as many as the NFL is fine but you end up with people having a lot of ridiculous roster picks. I don’t mind the league. They have some silly ideas and some czars and stuff but I get over it.
Ask Your Fantasy Football Expert OBL and Zach, now with 100% more morning hair.
Football or sex: What do you think of more?
{Zach note: I do this for my fans. After about ten seconds of loud laughter…] No comment, buddy. I’d embarrass you either way.
[Bonus comments from Wifey:} It's kind of like when you [OBL] called your team the Two Condom Knights.
Zach: It’s just the Knights to me.
Wifey: Oh, did you redact it for Zach?
OBL: No, I didn’t. Your mom named it.
[Zach note: That makes it even worse. Back to live action.]
Any comments about how the draft went?
It went pretty good. I noticed that everyone got to make a pick and everyone got to make a pick until all the picks were made. That I found to be unusual. No picks got ripped off the board except for the one that Don put in upside down. Being sober? I’ve never drafted when I was drunk.
Another question from Wifey: Have you [Zach] ever drafted sober?
Zach: We were more sober last year. My team didn’t start very well.
Wifey: But every year you say you drafted the best team.
Zach: I don’t think I’ve ever said that.
Wifey: Every year!
OBL: He does say that. But that’s from what everyone in the league says until they go home and sober up and see who they picked. There was an inordinate amount of alcohol left which meant that Steve wasn’t there.
Wifey: Do you have any good draft memories or stories?
The first draft I ever went to I sat next to Mike who I had never met before, when he decided that raspberry vodka was the best tasting stuff ever. He said “This shit is good!” This was about five minutes before he was outside throwing up. That was good. Then he won the league that year, which gave me an indication of how serious this league was.
I remember the year that Chuck wanted to get a fuji apple from Randy, and Randy said no. That’s still one of my favorite things.
There’s a lot of good memories because there’s a lot of craziness. The Tunica draft probably had the most drunken drunkenness. I remember looking at that table when they were drafting and there were eight, maybe ten large bottles, most of which ended up empty. Chuck decides to go swimming with his phone. He almost got arrested.
Wifey: What does it mean to be in a draft with your son?
It’s good. It’s good. It’s something we can talk about it all the time, and it’s a lot of fun.
Because there is no off season.
And I have won the title twice, and in both leagues I beat him in the playoffs, and other than that, I don’t remember much about it. But we have a good time and I don’t want to bring it up again but last year I beat him twice in the playoffs and on the same week in the playoffs and I won the championship. But I don’t want to bring that up. But last year, I beat him twice…
Zach: Do you read your son’s blog? Do you read his Web site?
No, I have a hard time finding it. So I found it once but I couldn’t get it to do what it was supposed to. I talk to him all the time so I know what he’s talking about anyway. I know all his stuff.
He’s my biggest fan.
