Mail Call!

You asked for it, so here it is. It's your chance to sound off. Your questions/comments/snide remarks can now be directed to my mailbag at nfl_ant@hotmail.com. Disagree with one of my "Expert" picks (very likely)? Want to commend me on an upset I predicted that nobody else had the stones to pick (not as likely)? Need another opinion on a fantasy football trade? Either way, now you can hit me up and maybe find yourself in a future post. I envision mixing in a few e-mails each week, or maybe publishing an entire post of your e-mails (a la ESPN's Bill Simmons). Now it's your web site, too!

As for the off-season, it's been pretty slow, especially since I haven't had Flyers playoff hockey to occupy my time. At least the Fightin' Phils have played some good ball. But the bottom line is, it's Memorial Day weekend, which means that summer is officially here. Training camps and exhibition games will be here soon, and it's never too early to start looking ahead to the upcoming seasons, both real and fantasy.

Speaking of which, every summer I go on a trip or two which invariably become fantasy football planning sessions. Two years ago, I spent a long weekend on the outer banks of North Carolina and gambled my troubles away in Vegas for four days. In fact, I named my team "Try My Nuts," as an homage to a restaurant we saw at the beach. As luck would have it, I won the championship (and some $$$) that season. Last year, a business trip landed me in Fort Lauderdale, followed by a snake-bitten season and a last-place finish for "No Soup For You." No soup for me, apparently.

This year's planning began a couple of weekends ago in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina and will continue in July on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. I've already started compiling the Big Board, and once our league commissioner establishes the rules (including expansion, a pared-down roster, and a new head-to-head format), I'll start to strategize about the draft. However, I have yet to settle on a team name...

See where I'm going with this?

You got it. To usher in the new mail address, I'm soliciting suggestions for my team name this year. Shoot me an e-mail at nfl_ant@hotmail.com with your name, city, and your idea. I'll select my favorite, and that will be the name for this season.

A couple of things you should know: 1) our league was formerly known as the CTC, short for 'Camel Toe Coalition,' so you're not going to shock anyone with obscenity or vulgarity; 2) this isn't a crappy reality TV program, so the names will not be open to a vote. I am judge and jury; 3) this isn't like a stadium-naming deal, where you pay me to advertise for you. It's free, so enter as many times as you'd like; 4) on the flip side, there is no prize coming to you if your suggestion wins.

There you go. For this season, I've upped my standards. So up yours!