Football Challenge 2011 - The Players

16 guys lined up for this year - here's what I know about each one to help give you an idea of what you are up against. One other quick note before I get into the players, all the communicado you get from me is posted at a blog for the league which you should be able to link to through any of the emails. Check it out if you accidentally miss or delete something - or just send me a note and I'll get you what you need. Alright, on to the players!

1. JR (James Rollins)
- Alligences: GOPHERS, VIKES
- Blindly optimisitic about the Maroon and Gold every year
- Hawkeye HATER, Badger disliker
- Never done well in this contest before, but continue to run it year in and year out because it's too much fun to quit now. I think it might finally be my year!
- LeRoy, MN native...go ahead, be jealous.


2. JG (Jared Groehler)
- Alligences: GOPHERS, PURPLE
- Picks are predictable, for Gophers, against IOWA and WIS...for MIN against GB...that's 5 of his picks every week!
- 49.8% career player, 2nd worst all-time better than only JR
- One of the original 4 to start in the Football Challenge long ago
- Vices are Captain, Vanilla Vodka, and Jeremiah Weed
- Non-beer drinker who went to beer drinking festival this year
- Hutch Tiger

3. MR (Mike Roe)
- Alligences: GOPHERS, PURPLE (although he's quick to jump off the boat on both!)
- Man to beat year in and year out...lifetime 54.2% player, The Best Around
- Turns in picks late every week squeezing out every extra second he can
- Didn't take 1st last year for the first time since the Football Challenge began
- One of the Original 4 (only 3 of us are left)
- Half man, half chimney
- LeRoy native, so he's awesome

4. AW (Bomb)
- GOPHERS/PURPLE
- Very few actually know his name is Adam...he is Bomb
- 49.8% player, in the JG/JR range of bad
- Close to joining PGA Tour
- Crown is a separate food group for him
- Hutch Tiger

5. GR (Greg Rollins)
- GOPHERS/PURPLE
- My Dad, LeRoy native...we won't count those first fews years of your life when you were over the border
- 50.6% career player
- Has too many Iowa loving friends
- Provides balance too the force when in Vegas and the rest of us get retarded
- CC, Crown, Jamison

6. MH (Mark Heinert)
- GOPHERS/PURPLE
- BBY compadre
- Champion of the World for last year's Football Challenge
- spent all his winnings on diapers
- 52.1% career player...55.6% last year!
- Northfield native
- One of the lucky ones who got in on Gopher Tix before the inevitable shortage that's coming soon

7. MC (Mike Corcoran)
- GOPHERS/PURPLE
- Loves the MAC and SBC, and rocks at these picks!
- Never saw a mid-week game he couldn't win
- 51% career player
- Gopher season ticket holder
- former BBY guy

8. SS (Steve Schuft)
- Gophers / PURPLE
- Driving force behind picking more NFL games this year
- Hutch Tiger
- 52.4% career player (only 1 year)
- Eventual successor to Les Frazier

9. RO (Rob Olson)
- GOPHERS/PURPLE
- Gopher Grad
- Beat me down in matchplay in Brainerd
- 53.2% career player (1 year)
- Won way too many games last year for his first time

10. TN (Tait Nelson)
- 1st year player
- Tait, I honestly know nothing about you. Got referred to us by SS. From everything I hear, I think you'll fit in well.
- Feel free to provide any other relevant info that we might need in order to harass you in the future

11. MT (Mike Thomas)
- 1st year player
- BBY
- SPARTY/LIONS lover...finally a change-up!
- Expert PGA Tour tournament picker
- Witnessed the highlight of the Brew regime in person (Halloween Sparty victory)
- Michigan Native

12. GT (George Thomas)
- 1st year player
- former BBY guy
- SPARTY/LIONS lover as well
- Mike's brother

13. MS (Mike Setnicker)
-1st year player
- Mike, I got nothing on you...yet. Feel free to send across anything we all need to know.

14. CP (Cole Peyton)
- 1st year player
- USC TROJANS
- Oregon native, so he has Duck ties as well
- BBY guy
- NCAA lover, NFL hater
- Wife went to Iowa...you're lucky I even allow you in to this contest!
- enjoys $1 mini Coors light bottles

15. LW (Luke Wendlandt)
- 1st year player
- Gopher allegiance I think
- Brother to Bomb, forming the fearsome golf twosome "The Brothers Bomb"
- Hutch Tiger
- former UFC Champion of the World...or at least for a weekend in Vegas he was

16. MO (Matt O'Groske)
- 1st year player
- LeRoy native!!
- Hit 375 yard drive this summer
- Mentor is Craig Knight, former LeRoy hoops coach
- Enjoys Tequila as much as I do


That's all I got - I don't know some of you as well as I'd like to...but we can change that. The best way to do it is for you to join us on the Annual Vegas Trip. This year we're going OCT 7-8-9, leave on FRI morning and return on MON morning. It's 2 1/2 days of pounding drinks and watching and betting on football games, baseball games, playing cards, and seeing where the evening takes us. 4 of us are booked in for this year, but if you are interested in joining us we're staying at Harrah's and gambling at the Mirage across the street. We'll be there Friday morning. Make some arrangements if you want to come out - we'll be easy to find.

I hope you're all informed now of what you're up against. Enjoy the weekend fellas - we'll be getting down to business very soon.