GWBL 2025 SEASON RECAPS – VICE GABE, 9th PLACE (KEV)
Tale of the Tape:
Coming in 9th place, the 2025 VICE GABE is Osh-Kosh B-Josh, owned and managed by Kevin O’Connell. Kev finished with 1,762 points for (8th), 2,006 points against (MOST, because it’s kev) and a record of 3-11.
Synopsis:
This was an especially cruel season for Kev. He drafted a good team and came out and won Week 1. A statement win over DMO by a score of 143-127. We all thought that maybe this season would be different. Maybe Kev would cruise to the playoffs and be a contender. Then fantasy decided to fantasy. I don’t know what Kev did in another life to deserve this, but his team suffered another in-season collapse on it’s way to the Vice Gabe.
The points-against Dementor struck early and often. In Week 2 Keetz put up 152 against him and Kev lost with a respectable 132. Then in Week 3 it was Dylan giving him a tough luck loss (167-127).
Week 4 was the apocalypse though. A cataclysmic goat fuck of a week. It started with Tyreek Hill (4th round), who went down for the season with a knee injury. Hill had scored 10 or fewer in every game before suffering the injury. Then came Malik Nabers (2nd round). Nabers had gotten off to a better start (~14 per game) before going down with his own knee injury. In the snap of a finger Kev lost his top 2 WRs, just 4 weeks into the season. To make matters worse, Kev lost his week 4 matchup 166-182. More on this soon…
I’d keep going with the points against, but we have to focus on the injuries. It was an absolute blood bath for Kev this year. The Battle of Gettysburg would blush. Let’s pull out the bone saw and get to it:
James Connor (5th round) suffered an injury in Week 3 and missed the rest of the season. Meanwhile Omarion Hampton (4th round) played 5 weeks before suffering an injury of his own. He missed Weeks 6-13 while recovering.
All in all, 4 of the first 7 players Kev drafted suffered season ending or season altering injuries.
Continuing on because there are too many injuries to ignore….Aaron Jones (7th round) missed 5 weeks in the heart of the season as well. JK Dobbins (10th round) was a big steal for Kev and looked to be a potential keeper. Until he got hurt in Week 10 and missed the rest of the regular season. Najee Harris (14th round) is another one – played 3 weeks before going down for the season.
WORSE?? HOW CAN IT GET ANY WORSE?!?!? Brock Bowers. Bowers was a great story for Kev. He drafted him in the 9th round last year and kept him for this season. A huge win until….he gets injured in WEEK 1. He gutted it out for a few weeks at less than full strength before missing 4 weeks. When he finally came back healthy? A 43 point performance in Week 9. What could have been….
Alright let’s move on before we get too depressed.
Signature Win/Loss:
Circling back to Week 4 of the season. It was early in the season, but that was the signature loss. The injuries were bad as noted above. But even worse - Kev put up a sturdy 166 points, only to be outdueled by the Lightskins. Wanna know the actual worst part? It wasn’t even due to Lamar Jackson, who only scored 14 points. Nope, it was Kenneth Friggin Gainwell and the 37 points that really hit Kev in the nuts. Right in the nuts like when you pick up one of your kids and they flail around for no reason and end up kicking you square in the nuts. That’s what this loss was like. In the first three weeks of the season Gainwell had 28 combined points. So of course Jaylen Warren gets ruled out and Lamone plugs him in against the Vikings vaunted D – and gets 37 points. That would only happen to Kev.
This loss dropped him to 1-3, but more importantly it signaled that we were in for more of the same with Kev this year.
Miscellaneous Draft Results & Personnel Moves:
I went through most of Kev’s draft above in the injuries/clinical depression segment. So what else? Saquon (1.03) was fairly disappointing this year and is RB13. Kev took him over Jahmyr Gibbs which in hindsight was a pretty big mistake.
Alright let’s look at some positive news: Josh Allen in the 2nd round – QB1 overall. DK Metcalf in the 4th was solid, he’s WR17 despite missing this past week. The best pick though, in my opinion, was George Pickens in the 6th. He exploded this year and is WR3 on the season (1,400 yards and 9 TDs).
Free Agents: Kyle Monangai was a nice pickup, $20 of FAAB on 10/21. Despite doing next to nothing the first month of the season he’s a top 30 RB. Keeper potential….
As with Tone we’ll gloss over the trades for now. Kev has two 1sts and two 2nds next year which is a nice return. When life gives you lemons…..
Keeper, I barely Know Her:
We talked about Bowers above. What should have been an awesome keeper for this year turned out to be “just okay”. He’s TE8 despite missing at least a third of the season.
So what about 2025? Pickens in the 6th round is a good choice. Monangai in the 8th could work. He traded for Skattebo and could use that 10th round draft slot if he wants. Couple of good options here.
Final Thoughts:
Kev’s experience in this league reminds me of that Jets fan who went viral earlier in the season. It’s a must watch internet video. They approach this random kid after the game and he’s totally despondent, utterly forlorn. He’s got the 1,000 yard stare, on the verge of tears, the works. What he proceeds to say is viral gold. “I hate this team. I was born into this and I uh I’m not gonna ever uh I’m always a Jets fan but like….(shaking head, muttering incoherently). I hate this team.” Before he storms off. Seems like a fitting comparison, sadly.
My final thought will also be a plea – please don’t quit the league Kev. Don’t pull a Guy. Don’t force us to find a new 10th man at this stage of our lives. Be the beacon of strength and perseverance that this league needs. This situation reminds me of the Book of Job in the bible. I won’t get into the details or quote anything aside from the preface of the book which says something along the lines of: “The lesson is that even though the just may suffer, their suffering is a test of their fidelity. They shall be rewarded in the end.” Yes, Kev’s trials and tribulations in this league make me think about Old Testament scripture, fire and brimstone. And we’ll wrap things there, hoping Kev doesn’t leave the group chat and delete Sleeper.
