Goodbye Ben, Jim, Tyler and John

It is with a huge heart and as much respect and admiration I can fake, that I officially say goodbye to teams Ben, Jim, Tyler and John. As it doesn't look like we have a consolation bracket this year, this actually is a goodbye to those four teams. They are done, their fantasy season is over, and the off-season has begun.

But before we say our goodbyes, let us figure out just how we got to this point.

The Playoff Teams: Probably the biggest reason we are saying goodbye to these four guys was the managerial skills, craftiness, and fortitude of the six teams currently in the playoffs.

1. Scott and Everett. Even though Everett's playoff birth didn't come until the final week of the season, he and Scott clearly had the two most dominating teams throughout the year. Everett put up a couple bad weeks, but he was by far the scariest team to play all year. I don' think Tyler ever fully recovered from the beating suffered at the hands of Everett and Chris Johnson. Scott really had a mediocre stretch throughout the season, but I think we all saw the talent from top to bottom on his roster, and his ability to work the waiver wire this year and then trade for talented pieces was really impressive. It's a shame these guys will play in the second round, because I'd love to see these two in the championship.

2. Jason and Brandon. Really a tale of opposite story lines with these two clubs. Jason started out dismal, and at many points in the season I thought he had the worst team in the league. Surprising, as he has been a top two player the previous two years. Jason shook some stuff up in a famous locker room scene where he and Forte almost came to blows. Forte left town and Jason went on an unprecedented winning streak breaking a lot of hearts on the way. Brandon started strong out of the gates, and limped into the playoffs. I doubt anyone is scared of his or my team at this point.

3. Steve. An enigma of a team all season. He is capable of putting up impressive scores, but can also have Randy Moss lose a point a week before the playoffs. Kurt Warner has once again proven to be a reliable fantasy option at quarterback, MJD has done what's been expected of him for the past three years, and Thomas Jones has probably been the biggest surprise of the season. Steve has an incredibly dangerous team, and I fully expect him to make the championship game.

4. Taylor. Were every one of my players on the Madden cover this year? The guy taking the most hits was actually the most durable for my team this year. Turner, Williams, Stewart, and Williams have all been banged up and missed time during the year. When healthy my team looked like a contender, but the lack of depth and poor draft really began catching up with me as injuries plagued my running back corps. The regression of Sproles really took a toll on my team as he was a perfect start in the flex for the first third of the season. The Williams/Moreno trade did not pay off, and I was unable to get any type of consistent production from my receiving corps. Luckily, my stretch during the middle of the season when Turner, Williams and Rodgers carried me was enough to get me in the playoffs by point total over John and Ben. As a result of my third straight trip to the playoffs, my board of directors, has offered me a five-year contract extension which I have agreed to.

Secondary Reasons: Despite the six teams still playing, each of the bottom four is also to blame for their failure, and each drank a different poison.

1. Ben. Ben had the most talent of the bottom four. Manning had a great season and he got great production from Fitzgerald and Jackson. His call on Jackson was excellent. However, Jackson's production tailed off at the end of the year and it likely cost Ben some W's. His running back corps was tied up in the Saints and Cowboys, and it was anyone's guess who would be the fantasy hero. None of the backs produced great fantasy stats because the numbers were often split three-ways on each team. Plus both teams threw the ball with great effectiveness, and by the end of the year did not rely on the run. Ben also stuck with the Steelers D for too long. That is a tough spot, because I admit it wasn't until the last week of the season that I really began thinking of the Steelers D as a weak play. I abandoned the Giants much earlier in the season, but I think that is an easier move. I would have had trouble getting away from the Steelers too.

2. John. A talented receiving corps, and a two-headed monster at quarterback. John failed to turn his stable of receivers into a productive running back. We all know this story. John also had a problem with his two-quarterback system, because he often seemed to make the wrong play between Big Ben and the Mexican. John's team took a blow with the loss of Owen Daniels midway through the season, but he was also blessed with the injury to Ronnie Brown. Brandon Jacobs regression was impossible to see, and cost him a ton in the beginning of the season. However, John brought in Forte and really seemed to find a way to motivate him in a way Jason could not. Though he missed the playoffs, John has some nice keeper options and his improvement this year is something that has to give the fans some hope.

3. Tyler. What can I say? Honestly, his owners have to be growing tired, his fans have to be growing tired, and I'm sure Tyler is rethinking his entire choice of profession right now. It's going to be a long off-season for this club as they have a lot of decisions to make before the 2010 season. For the first time in his career, Tyler beautifully worked the waiver wire. However, he traded away his franchise player for a fumble-prone change of pace back who is likely to spend a lot of time on the bench. He's locked into an aging Brady and a Patriots offense that is in a heap of trouble. He traded away Sidney Rice for a much lesser talent, and failed to use his depth at wide receiver to improve his club. And again, he made misplay after misplay. Tyler's club seems to run into a sea of bad luck each year and never really recovers. Whatever the case, this club is in trouble. The fans know it. The owners know it. Tyler knows it. For the third straight year, they are on the outside looking in.

4. Jimmy. Dug himself into a hole early in the season, lost Ronnie Brown, never had quarterback production, and traded away LT just prior to his resurgence. It was a tough year for Jim during his return to the league after a one-year hiatus, but he does still have all-world talents in Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne. Those two guys are automatic starts week in and week out. If he can turn one into a stud running back, or keep both and draft the hell out of running backs next year, he can turn things around quickly.