Fair Game

Carter learned the hard lesson in Fantasy Football this week. Some times the guys you leave on your bench are going to score a gazillion points and the ones playing might get squat. As a result, you lose to a girl!

Hey, I don't mind. I was glad to chalk up another win and I'm not too proud to gloat over beating a 12-year-old! (I should say defeating not beating. I didn't lay a hand on him.)

He insists it's not fair but that's how the game goes. He should know by now that you never know what to expect from your opponent so you just do the best you can at the moment -- whether that's making lineups for your fantasy team or defending the soccer goal. Though I wish tonight's soccer game would have gone better than this fantasy game.

We played down in Nekoosa. This is the team we tied a few weeks ago so we figured we would be somewhat evenly matched. And we were, again. For 45 minutes into the game anyway. Then they scored on our goalie. (Some kid who happens to live in this house. Dang.)

I was so proud of all his incredible saves -- one-handed grabs and diving blocks. I even heard another parent comment to him about it. He did great -- except for that one moment when he dove but it wasn't far enough and it got past him. That's all it took. The game ended with another loss for the Royals, 1-0.

This was our closest game so I wasn't sure how Carter would be on the ride home. He was upbeat, though. "We don't take it that seriously, Mom," he told me. "I mean we try to win but if we don't, we're just disappointed for a little bit and then we're fine. We don't go home and cry about it." Well, that's a relief. Then I won't bother screaming from the sidelines until I'm hoarse. (Honestly, I haven't done that. Yet.)

I had tried to bribe him into a win, too, and now I see where that got me. I said if he won, we'd pick up the new Iron Man 2 DVD on the way home. It just came out today. Either he forgot about it or didn't dare mention it. Either way, I got it since it was on sale. I'll see when I can let him in the secret. He has games on Thursday and Friday yet. I can try it again.

And, if anyone from KFC (the Kellner Fantasy Club) is reading, I can be bribed to WIN again, too. I think you know what I like!