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2005
Baseball King of the
Jungle |
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The 2005 King of the Jungle for Fantasy Baseball came
down to the wire again, and Ted Cohan came out on top. "The Professor" had a few
minutes to sit down and talk with us about his championship season.
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 FJ:
Tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from, how old are you, what do
you do for a living, family, etc?
Ted: I Live in the southeast corner of
Washington State in Walla Walla, 35 years old, married with 3 sons.
FJ: How long have you been playing fantasy
sports, and how did you get started?
Ted: Been playing fantasy football for about
10 years since starting out in local leagues and then moving up to the jungle
when it started 2 years ago. Last year was the first year in fantasy baseball
with money on the line, had done of a couple of free leagues in the past
FJ: What is the story behind the "Professor"
franchise, aka your team names?
Ted: I wanted something that related to
football so came up with the pigskin name first and then added professor as it
went well together, and then added rawhide later for baseball.
FJ: Who are your favorite pro sports teams?
Ted: Grew up in Minnesota so I still root
for the Vikes and Twins the most
FJ: How much time do you normally spend
preparing for your fantasy teams each week?
Ted: Couple of hours each week on average
FJ: What were the key highlights that helped
you become the King of The Jungle this season?
Ted: In the draft some of the picks that
worked the best were Andruw Jones in the 6th, Jason Bay in the 7th , Pettitte in
the 17th and Baez in the 15th, and then was able to pick up Jason Giambi early
in the season before he went on a couple of tears. Also, having 2 other closers
in Lidge and K Rod along with Baez kept my pitcher points pretty consistent all
year.
FJ: What strategies did you have going into
this season, and did you stick with them?
Ted: In the draft my strategy is always to
grab the player with the most value regardless of position which worked out
well, and also I knew I wanted at least 2 good closers so I took Lidge and K Rod
in the 2nd and 3rd rounds and then Baez worked out great from the 15th. I knew I
was not going to take any stud starters and just try to grab some decent middle
guys like Pettitte, Radke and Lackey.
FJ: Where did you hear about the Fantasy
Jungle?
Ted: I stumbled across it on the web when
searching for online fantasy football leagues
FJ: What has your experience been like in
the Fantasy Jungle compared to other contests out there?
Ted: Been great, both Mike and Scott respond
quickly to any questions or suggestions and certainly the quickest payout of any
leagues I play in(although yet to see my $15,000!!) Had to add that!
FJ: When did you start feeling that you had
a realistic chance to win the whole thing?
Ted: During the last 4 weeks of the season
when I had an incredible run and I think was 14-0 each week and cemented 2nd
place in my league and moved from around 30th overall to 10 th.
FJ: How did you prepare for the national
finals part of the contest? Tell us what your game plan was going into that part
of the contest that was different than the regular season?
Ted: No different than the regular season
except to make sure I had enough backups for all positions in case of injury
FJ: We have a unique format that differs
from a lot of other contests. What is your favorite thing about Fantasy Jungle
baseball?
Ted: I like it much better than a roto style
format in that you don?t have to worry about each category, just that your
overall team can score points. It gives you a lot of flexibility with your
lineup, especially with your pitchers
FJ: What would you like to say to the rest
of your fellow contestants in regards to the season?
Ted: It was a great season that came down to
the end as usual with lots of good teams. The end of the season tourney always
comes down to who has the hottest team and it worked out for me this year.
FJ: Who are your favorite players?
Ted: Whoever is on my fantasy teams!!
FJ: How many different fantasy teams do you
have and how many contests do you play in?
Ted: In Baseball I only play in the Jungle,
and in Football I play in the Jungle and the WCOFF.
FJ: Do your friends and family think you are
nuts for playing fantasy, or do they understand it?
Ted: My wife used to, but since I have made
money each of the last 3 years she doesn?t seem to think it is so strange
anymore.
FJ: What other interests do you have outside
fantasy sports?
Ted: Playing with my sons is my biggest
interest, also like playing sports, reading and movies.
FJ: What advice would you give to anyone
that considers playing in this particular contest next season?
Ted: It is a great contest, I really like
the format over a traditional roto contest in that you have so much flexibility
with the lineup.
FJ: What advice would you give to anyone
considering playing in the Fantasy Jungle?
Ted: Well run contest with lots of good
players so make sure to do your homework.
FJ: Lastly, and the most fun question, how
do you plan on spending your prize winnings?
Ted: No big plans, my wife has already done
some shopping and may do a few projects around the house with the money.
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