NHNP: 2010 League Awards

League Awards for 2010

No Helmets No Pads
League Champion: Minnesota Americans
Silver: No Homers
Bronze: Hey Beerman!!!

Regular Season Champion: Greenskins*
Second Place: Hey Beerman!!!
Third Place: Minnesota Americans
Fourth Place: No Homers


League High Scorer: No Homers (2nd consecutive scoring title)
Golden Doughnut: No Homers (Most high scores) (2nd consecutive award)
Most Improved: Greenskins (6th to 1st)
The Rodney King Beatdown Award: daddypoopypants (Most blowouts)
The Mummy's Hand: No winner in 2010*
Toughest Schedule: Girlz Rule
League MVP: Co-MVPs daddypoopypants and Greenskins

NHNP was once again an extremely competitive, dangerous league. This year we went back to the traditional league format after a 1 year experiment with the divisional format. As I wrote last year, while the divisional format was fun, it is prone to unpredictably lopsided distributions of power.  It was a great year with most of the GMs being returning GMs, and a very active league until the bitter end.  The watchword for 2010 was PARITY....although my second choice would have been INJURIES.  Heading into Week 13 every team in the league had a shot at the playoffs, something that I don't think happens every year (actually, I'm sure it doesn't). While I personally prefer going 14-0 whenever possible, I can't deny the excitement and sense of urgency that comes from knowing that every game is going to count, literally until the very end.  So maybe there is something to be said for parity after all.

This is the year that saw daddypoopypants once again flirt with playoff contention, only to run into a brick wall at season's end.  Hey Beerman!!! put in another solid performance with his second consecutive playoff appearance.  The only good news for the rest of us now is that Beerman won't be sneaking up on anyone in next year's draft. Greenskins started the year 5-0?! Yep, 5-0. He also squeaked through with the top regular season finish.  And then there's No Homers.  Geez Louise but this guy won't quit!  It's Week 12, this guy's 5-7, basically in the cellar, and somehow, on championship weekend...there he is! This was No Homers' third trophy in 3 years (he seems allergic to bronze), and his third consecutive appearance in the title game. Girlz and cantwinagame probably both caught the bug I had last year, as did benchwarmer who I expected to repeat in the playoffs.  Big Country made a pretty big splash in his first year in the league starting off 6-2...and if you had told me then that he wouldn't make the playoffs, I would have lost a LOT of money! And Devil Dogs would have made the playoffs, were it not for an improbable 4 game losing streak at the end of the season. We'll have to see who bounces back in 2011.


There was no Mummy's Hand Award in 2010 because everyone's records were so close together that it was impossible to decide whether an upset had actually taken place.  Now since I insist on some kind of Good Sportsmanship award, I replaced the Mummy's Hand this year with League MVP: a purely subjective award for the GM who was most active and contributed to a better fantasy football experience overall.  This year's winners tied for the most posts (and displayed a good sense of humor), did lots of roster changes, and used lots of their FAAB.

I'd like to thank everyone again for a great year. Next year I hope to do more in-season posts like I have in years past. Also, I'm considering doing away with the W/T slot (which would make the QB more important). Let me know what you think. I'm going to watch the Eagles now, but later tonight, I'll enter the 2010 Almanac-type material that I usually include in the award post.  You want a sneak peek?  Okay. My 2010 Fantasy Football MVP is:

Michael Vick!

*This year 3 teams finished 9-5: Greenskins, Hey Beerman!!! and Minnesota Americans.  The final standings weren't determined until after the last game was played in week 14!