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We have arranged for several feature
writers to provide their thoughts on a wide variety of fantasy-related
topics. These topics will include drafting strategies, commissioner
tips, rookie reviews, and free agent analysis as well as other
fantasy discussions.
* Mike is the
CEO and President of Fantasy Football Mastermind Inc.
He has 22 years fantasy experience including 17 fantasy championships
in 10 different leagues and is a member of the Pro Football
Writers of America. Most recently, he and Chris Rito won the FanEx Overall Championship in 2009, while finishing Runner-Up in the WebSites Fantasy Experts Challenge. He also won the SOFA IDP Experts league in 2008, while finishing Runner-Up in the SOFA Classic Experts league, FFWebMasters 14-team Experts
league, and the FanEx Online league. His primary claim to fame is the fact that he won
the SI.com Experts League title for
FOUR CONSECUTIVE SEASONS (2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007).
SI.com retired the league after 2007 for unknown reasons, making Nazarek the ONLY winner of that league in the four years of its existance. He finished Runner-Up in the FanEx Online league in 2007.
He finished Runner-Up in both the FFWebMasters 14-team Experts
league and the FanEx Alpha league in 2006. He won the
FF Index Magazine Mock Draft Best Ball league by 15.5 games
in 2005. He and Chris Rito won the FanEx Overall
Championship for the first time in 2004. He's also won the the very tough
14-team FFWebMasters.com Experts Fantasy League (2003), a high
stakes league title in the Fantasy Jungle (2003), the 1st annual
Site Owners Fantasy Association (SOFA) Experts League (2000
& first runner-up in 2005) and the Showcase Re-Drafter Experts
League (SRL-American - 1999). He led team FF Mastermind to league best records in SOFA and FFWebMasters.com Experts
leagues in 2001. Mike has been a contributing author for many
fantasy football magazines, including Fantasy Football Pro-Forecast, Power Ranking System Fantasy Football Report, and Fantasy
Football Draftbook II as well as a periodic columnist for
SI.com's Fantasy Central feature for five seasons. Mike's goal
for FFMastermind.com Services has never wavered... to provide
comprehensive fantasy football information via the Internet,
while having fun in the process. Although he is married with
no children, two dogs keep him quite busy at times. Look for
his "First Thoughts" series of articles on the 2010 season to
begin in early May.
Rookie Draft Specialist - Exclusive Senior Staff Writer (Rookie & Auction Specialist)
He has been involved with fantasy football for 22 years, overseeing
leagues, managing teams, and winning championships. He has
won more than 20 fantasy titles in several league formats: keeper,
dynasty, auction, and draft selection. In addition to being
the primary contributor to the FFMastermind.com Madness Rookie
Draft Kit, He is our Rookie Specialist, Auction Specialist,
and a major factor to the success of our Daily NFL Quick Bits
feature.
John
Holler - Exclusive Senior Staff Writer
John is a sports writer and sports talk radio host. He currently
works for, among others, Viking Update – a website and
monthly magazine devoted to the Minnesota Vikings. He is a beat
writer who covers both the Vikings and the rest of the NFL for
both the print and web publication. He also hosts a weekday
sports talk show on 1390 The Fan Radio in St. Cloud, Minn. The
show runs noon to 2 p.m. Central Time and can be accessed on-line
at the 1390 The Fan website. He spent six years as staff writer
for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times, where he was both a sports
and entertainment writer. He also does a weekly movie review
radio show Mondays at 10:40 a.m. on WJON 1240-AM Radio. He has
written one book “Minnesota Vikings Facts and Trivia”
and was a contributing writer to two other books -–"War
Stories From the Field” and “Hit and Tell: War Stories
of the NFL’s Wildest Players” from Foghorn Press,
San Francisco. John has written several magazine articles for
regional and national magazines, including several in “SLAM”
and “BLITZ” magazines out of New York and several
college fan magazines under the FOX Sports banner. John is our
NFL Tendencies Guru and also pens his weekly column “A
Holler From the Cheap Seats” seen exclusively in the FFMastermind.com
Weekly Newsletter, as well as regular off-season columns on
free agency, the draft and contributes articles and analysis
for our annual pre-season guide. John plays “officially”
in just one fantasy league – which he routinely dominates
because he never strays from his list of best available players
and has gained a reputation for putting together blockbuster
trades of his mid-round talent for one stud that annually makes
him feared among his veteran leaguemates. He has won his championship
four of the last six years (including 2007) and has led his
league in scoring five years running.
Tony
Ambrosini - Exclusive Staff Writer
Tony has been playing fantasy football for 17 years and is
currently commissioner of the Blood, Sweat, and Beers Fantasy
Football League, which is about to go into its eleventh year.
He has won three titles in two re-draft leagues since 2002,
including two league championships in 2004. Tony also creates
his own statistical projections prior to every season and will
occasionally use some unconventional methods of choosing weekly
starting lineups, such as incorporating NFL handicapping aspects.
He is an electrical engineer by degree, but holds a sales position
for an electronic components and systems manufacturer's rep
firm in the Philadelphia area, where he is consistently ridiculed
for being a New York Giants fan (even after they won the Super
Bowl). Tony enjoys following the NFL off-season just as much
as the regular season and playoffs, but still devotes plenty
of time to his wife Jo, new baby James, and pet beagle Lily.
Gil
Brovar - Exclusive Staff Writer
Dr. Gil Brovar is a physician practicing in
New England but originally is from NYC. He has been an
active fantasy football and baseball player for many seasons
and has won numerous championships. One of his areas of
expertise is drafting in leagues that start 2 QBs. As
an avid New York sports fan, living in New England is a challenge
as he is tortured by constant ridicule from New England fans
that have not yet learned that when you win something you should
act like you have been there before!
John Cooney - Exclusive Staff Writer & Scout
* John Cooney entered the world of fantasy football in 1989, enjoying immediate success by winning a championship 2-out-of-3 years (1989, 1991). After a 3-year sabbatical from fantasy football (1992-94), John accepted an invitation to get back into fantasy football (1995) and garnered another title. Since jumping back into the sport in ‘95, Cooney has made the playoffs each and every season (15 consecutive seasons), and in-all has made 9 championship appearances, with an 8-1 title record and consecutive titles 2008-09. Compelled to channel his talent and passion for the game and posessing an education in communications and broadcasting (Temple Univ. in Phila, PA), Cooney worked-up a plan for a fantasy football radio program. The kick off of “Fantasy Football Breakdown” happened in 1998. In 1999, John’s co-host was former Boston Univ. QB Kevin Foley, the brother of former Jets/Seahawks’ QB Glenn Foley. The program ran for three years on 2 stations, growing each year. Life events (marriage, new business venture) necessitated a break from the studio with the intention of getting back on the air after two seasons. A battle with throat cancer in 2003 ended the broadcasting dream, but the passion for football and fantasy football in particular continued to burn brightly. Cooney is adept at identifying unknown players, bench guys and risky prospects that are ready to show their stuff, often recognizing the hidden gems weeks, sometimes months before they “breakout”. This “obsessed” football writer actually has a life outside the sport. He’s a loving husband and devoted father. In his “day job” he travels 5-States designing fine custom-clothing (J. Lucas Clothiers) for private clientele and is currently in the process of setting an affiliation with LifeLock to protect anyone he can from identity theft (being a 5-time victim himself). John is a cancer survivor who helps those in their battle against the disease whenever called upon. His to-live-by motto comes from the great Vince Lombardi, “You’re not gonna’ get perfection. But you’re gonna’ get excellence in the process.”
Brent
Lathrop - Exclusive Staff Writer
You won't find many, if any,
guys that have played fantasy football longer than Brent Lathrop.
He started playing in 1990 in a six-team, touchdown only league
that has turned into a keeper league. He's a fantasy fanatic,
but isn't one of those guys that joins 15-leagues every season.
He likes to keep it simple and concentrate on the 3-4 leagues
he's in, including a dynasty league. A Rams fan since their
days in L.A., Brent enjoys watching Steven Jackson run over
defenders and Torry Holt catch balls with ease and grace.
To Brent the NFL is the ultimate sport and loves nothing more
than sitting in front of several T.V.'s on a Sunday afternoon.
Brent is our Keeper Korner Dynasty league specialist!
Eddie Rex - Exclusive Staff Writer
Eddie Rex is a complex guy. The pseudonym masks a longtime radio journalist and former sports editor who has a dirty little secret -- an addiction to fantasy football. And in particular, an addiction to making late-round picks that prompt league ridicule AND a high winning percentage. He has flirted with Joe Montana's wife, got Jerry Rice to pose in the nude and kissed Willie Mays on the top of his stubbly head -- and yes, one of those three things is a lie.
Chris
Rito - Exclusive Staff Writer & Scout
Chris is a pharmaceutical research scientist
by day and a complete sportsaholic and fantasy football junkie
by night...and actually most of the day, too. He is happily married to
a beautiful FFL newbie who patiently tolerates his obsession.
He is occupied in his "free time" by six kids who all enjoy
watching the games with Daddy, and who all hope to be FFLers
some day! Chris is probably best known in fantasy football circles
as the fearless prognosticator on the fortunes of the Indianapolis
Colts for FFMastermind. He also is a member of the Pro Football
Writers of America and the FanEx experts' league, and serves
on FanEx's Executive Committee; in fact, Chris teams with FFMastermind
's Mike Nazarek in FanEx where they together won the 2004 overall
championship (finishing 13-4) and have made the finals in 3
out of the last 4 seasons. He is in his 16th year of playing
fantasy football (usually playing in 5-6 leagues each season),
and his 14th serving as commissioner of several local and national
leagues. Known in some circles as "Da Commish", his lifetime
records include twelve fantasy championships, many more
championship appearances, and a career .642 (443-246-1) winning
percentage with only five sub-.500 seasons ever.
Steve Yerger - Exclusive Staff Writer & IDP Specialist
Steve resides in Hershey, Pennsylvania with his new bride Lisa, a 15 year old son and a 4 month old son. In the real world, Steve is an accountant for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and is dreading his upcoming big 4-0 birthday this summer. He began playing fantasy football while deployed to Bosnia in 1998. He quickly became hooked and expanded into many different league types; IDP, dynasty, auction, etc. IDP leagues became a personal favorite by 2002, as he focused his efforts on learning all there was to know about IDP. These efforts quickly bore fruit, as he became a nationally published fantasy football writer and has contributed IDP content to several fantasy football sites. 2009 will be his first official season writing for FF Mastermind, and he is excited about getting to know the Mastermind community.
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