For Thomas, it’s time to turn the page

CANTON, Ohio — There wasn’t a whole lot Louie Thomas could have done to damage his stock in the Tiger Township Fantasy Football League much worse than what it already was. Then, the 2017 season happened. Thomas, who finished 5-8 on the year before eventually placing eighth in the final league standings, again found a way to steal the show despite rostering another non-competitive club. Whether it was his stunningly poor roster management or his grotesque trading strategy, Thomas rose the bar on his incompetent ways last fall. Oh, he missed the draft, too. “It does get to me,” Thomas told Chibby’s Corner in regards to his offseason flak. “When I’m in the middle of the season, all I’m trying to do is do what I can to do well.” The headlines began for Thomas before the season ever began. His absence from the 2017 TTFFL Draft in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, allowed Kyle Rakotci, now one-half of the league’s newest co-ownership, to cut his teeth in an auction-draft setting. Thomas, via Raks, picked up the core he wanted — that being quarterback Aaron Rodgers, running back Le’Veon Bell and receiver Stefon Diggs. The rest of the roster, however, was less than ideal. Rookie running back Dalvin Cook appeared to be well on his way to making a big impact for Thomas’ squad, but he suffered a season-ending injury in early October. Other than that, Thomas struggled to find production on a consistent basis. Looking back, he says much of that had to do with his bold draft strategy. “Raks got every guy that I wanted, and I gave him complete control after that,” Thomas said. “I told him to take Diggs, Cook, Rodgers and Bell, and he did that. Everything else just depended on the market. But he did everything that I needed him to do … At the beginning of the year we were 3-1, but when you take that big of a risk (in the draft), it just doesn’t always work out for you.” Then came the miscues. Rodgers picked up a long-term injury, which led to Thomas dropping him off the roster. Months later, the Packers’ gunslinger returned to action — for Grant Seanor. However, the move that sent the most powerful shockwaves through the league came in a trade with defending champion Casey Irwin in Week 11. Thomas sat at 4-6 and was itching to make a move to try to save his season. Thomas bought Bell, along with tight end Delanie Walker, a ticket out of town in exchange for running back LeSean McCoy and receiver Sterling Shepard. The result, of course, immensely helped Irwin snag his second consecutive league title, while showing little-to-no impact on Thomas’ club. It’s a move that’ll surely live in TTFFL infamy. “I needed bodies for points,” Thomas explained. “So, when you put it on paper, you’re trying to benefit both parties. I tried to reach out to a bunch of people about giving me depth, and (Irwin) gave me what I needed. I reached out to Cee Jay (Julian), I reached out to Grant (Seanor), who, of course, was sitting on his hands and wasn’t doing anything. I tried; I gave it my best effort to make the playoffs. It just didn’t work out.” Thomas has now missed the playoffs in seven of the last eight years. Additionally, he’s still looking for his first modern-era postseason win, and he’s had a hard time finding a way to produce a strong finish to a season. The Walsh University graduate has lost four of his last five games to close a regular season in three out of the last four years, including in 2017. That, Thomas says, is a big focus going into the new campaign. He admits he’s gotten a bit too obsessed over winning in the first half of the season, rather than in the back half. “I keep trying to come up with different ways to win, but obviously they aren’t working,” Thomas said. “Last year, I went big, but one of my big guys got hurt and I had nothing left in the tank and that was it. You also can’t bleed your (free agent) money in the first three weeks. At the end of the day, you have to get down to the details and make decisions for yourself. You can’t rely on Dave (Devine’s) software that he uses.” Thomas is well-aware of his current reputation around league circles. He’s certainly a polarizing figure in the TTFFL, something that has little chance of changing any time soon. What he can do, however, is try to move forward. Success has largely eluded him due to many self-inflicting wounds, as well as constant trouble in avoiding injuries. The beauty of this game, though, is that a new year can belong to anyone. This fall, an opportunity to cash in the sins of yesterday in exchange for a glorious tomorrow again will await Thomas. In the meantime, the TTFFL can only sit back and watch what he’ll do next. “One of my business teachers once told me that you can’t take risks,” Thomas said. “He said it in a nice Lebanese accent. If the risk is too much for your value, then you’re not going to be able to do it. I’ve had so many things happen to me over the years. … This year, regardless of my situation, studs make the league and I can’t trade studs.”