DOC TODD REIGNS, FELLOW COMPETITORS LICK WOUNDS

It would seem as if Doc Todd was put on this earth for one reason...to take golf ball donations from his friends. Some might criticize his style, others may say his picks are conservative and predictable. There were even rumors he was sending incentives in the mail to his fantasy picks encouraging them to win for his cause. Say what you will, call him what you like (Doc Nod, Dick Todd, Tick Toc Dodd) his retort is irrefutable and just. He simply points to the score board and grins. Yes Doc Todd's performance was dominate and a collective "nice balls" will once again be heard.

Some recognition should however be given to Team Alan's astonishing late charge. Alan's unprecedented four straight wins is something we are unlikely to ever see again. His picks were consistently erratic and often included at least one player not even in the current field. Yet his perseverance and stick-to-itivness ultimately lead to a last minute move in the leaderboard. Alan's season ending performance kept him out of the last place spot held now by Gorss who began the season as our intimidating front running leader.

Gorss' and Bienko held similar spots throughout the season, but Gorss' play seemed to take a nosedive around his vacation. He was incontrovertibly building momentum, but the distractions of life ultimately derailed this steaming engine. The race for second third and fourth place is reminiscent of the PGA Tour, where Doc Todd plays the roll of Tiger and we fill in the ranks of (fill in blank with endless list of broken hearted hopefuls wiping tears in Tiger's dominate shadow).

Gorss threatened Bienko's consistent play for a short while around mid-season but Bienko's wounds run deep. It was the Traveler Championship, where Doc Todd achieved the highest one week point total in Newman Fantasy history (1,859,867) that keeps Bienko awake at night. Without this astonishing win, Bienko comes out on top. Of course Bienko's entire golf career is filled with..."Without that string of triple bogies on 4,5,and 7, I would have scored a 39 or maybe a 38..."

So there you have it. The story lines have been written and the rivalries are in place. The approaching season holds new potentials. Will Alan continue to be the hottest Fantasy golfer in the league or will Gorss rebound and return with vengeance. Will Bienko do what it takes to compete at the next level, or will Doc Todd coast through another season unchallenged. Perhaps a rookie with unprecedented skill and grace, will shock the league and lead the way into the future, indeed time will tell.

The Newman Fantasty Fed Ex Challenge begins Aug 21. The season is only five tournaments long (and will somehow include the Ryder Cup, I think), but the stakes are huge. There is a great deal of money to be won and a great deal of pride to be lost. Good luck to all and congratulations to Doc Todd on another dominate performance!

Final Stats

1ST PLACE • DOC TODD
Average point total • 836,746
First place finishes • 3
Missed cut picks • 3
Largest one week total • 1,859,867

2ND PLACE • BIENKO
Average point total • 683,686
First place finishes • 2
Missed cut picks • 10
Largest one week total • 1,644,877

3RD PLACE • ALAN
Average point total • 637,985
First place finishes • 4
Missed cut picks • 8
Largest one week total • 1,576,683

4TH PLACE • GORSS
Average point total • 620,847
First place finishes • 2
Missed cut picks • 10
Largest one week total • 1,650,222