In 1974 (the year of my birth), an American disco band that went by the name of Shirley & Company released a hit single called “Shame, Shame, Shame.”
The refrain to the lyrics went something like “Shame, shame, shame, hey shame on you. If you can’t dance too I said shame, shame, shame, shame, shame, shame, shame. Shame on you, if you can’t dance too.”
Well, on my most recent trip to San Diego, California, competing against 99 others in the 2018 FanDuel World Fantasy Baseball Championship, I proved I could dance with my opponents, finishing 27th with 117.30 points. (The overall champion finished with 182.50.)
…. But … shame, shame, shame … shame on me for not taking Boston Red Sox super slugger and MVP contender J.D. Martinez.
Had I taken Martinez and swapped out one of my lesser-known outfielders, I would’ve been forced to take a “cheaper pitcher” like Joe Musgrove over Madison Bumgarner and … (sigh) … would’ve won second place and boatloads more money.
Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.
The contest featured people from all walks of life – a young, homeless woman who was fighting to earn money so she could afford a place to live; a sister and her sister-in-law representing their brother and husband, respectively, who died tragically in a car accident shortly after qualifying for the championship; heavy gamblers that looked like they could have walked off an episode of the Sopranos; savvy daily fantasy baseball players; and, others … not so.
I enjoyed conversations with opponents from all over the country, but surprisingly had pleasant conversations with Philly and Giants fans. Hmmmm…
I’d like to say it was a trip of a lifetime as I also enjoyed the sights and sounds of the region with family during my stay on the west coast but I am now eyeing New York City this winter for the FanDuel World Fantasy Football Championship.
While the Patriots have been unable to conquer the big city, I am ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? Speaking about the pigskin, we are just two week away from the start of our highly-anticipated pro football contest, Beat The Putz. Look for the first official entry form in The Westfield News on Sat., Sept. 1.
Entry forms will be available weekdays in print editions of The Westfield News and weekly in the PennySaver.
Gift certificates will be up for grabs weekly and a grand prize will be awarded at the end of the regular season. Entry forms must be postmarked by midnight Friday prior to the weekend games or dropped off at our 62 School Street location by the end of the business day Friday.
My picks will be revealed in Saturday’s edition of The Westfield News. Weekly winners will be announced the following week in our daily newspaper.
Shame on you if you don’t take part in this fun contest filled with all sorts of prizes.
ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: Putz’s Ultimate Sports Challenge just wrapped up completion of our year-long competition that challenged the public’s baseball, college basketball, NASCAR, golf and horse racing skills.
There were no winners in the final event contest, the PGA Championship as winner Brooks Koepka went unselected. I had second-place finisher Tiger Woods, eliminating all of the entries.
Seven lucky contestants managed to record victories this year in our 13-event Sports Challenge. The grand prize winner will be announced early next week. – CP
