'What's That Guy Been Up To?' with NFC Champion Kevin Pyle

Fourteen years have passed since we first sat at Snow Hall and learned that the 1st Battalion of the 158th Field Artillery regiment was being called up for service in Iraq. A lot has changed during that time, so let's take some time to catch up, beginning with NFC champion and Lucky Enuf manager Kevin D. Pyle. 

Pyle and his son (not in Shawnee)

Are you still in the 158? If, not when did you get out?

KEVIN PYLE: No, I am no longer in the military. I ETS'd in July 2007 with a total time served of 10 years.

What did you do post-deployment?

PYLE: I went back to work as a loan officer in Anadarko. I had gotten the job shortly before we learned we would deploy. It's my hometown, and I stayed there for the next 11 years.

Where do you live now? 

PYLE: Shawnee. My family I moved here in August 2017 when I accepted a job as a loan officer for First United Bank.

What are your hobbies outside of FF?
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PYLE: Among other things, playing golf and softball, shooting firearms, and flying drones.

What's your fantasy background?

PYLE: I've now played fantasy football for 13 seasons (2006 was my first), and my my teams are now spread across four different leagues.

How many championships have you won? How many have you finished second in?

PYLE: I've won the OIL three times, and I haven't won the championship in any other leagues, although I have finished second a couple times.

You won the OIL Bowl in 2018 (congrats, by the way). How did that come about? How did you feel about your draft?

PYLE: I wasn't overly excited about my draft, but I felt I at least had a playoff team. That's all you can hope for, making the playoffs and being in a position to make a run.

What was the key to your success?

PYLE: The key to my success was just staying on top of the waiver wire and continuously watching for break out performers.

Did you feel like a favorite?

PYLE: I didn't feel like a favorite or even top three until about halfway through the season, and my team was consistently scoring around 160 per week.

Who did you think was going to win your conference?

PYLE: All season I felt like Morgan (Whackers) had the best team. They were the most complete and most balanced team in my mind.

What is your general strategy in FF?

PYLE: My strategy is mostly conservative. I want my strength to be at my RB and WR positions. I want to be solid at TE so I usually choose a TE between rounds 5-7. I rarely ever pick a QB until later in the draft.

What was different about this year for you?

PYLE: I had a more consistent "supporting cast" if you will. My second and third tier players stepped up when I needed them.

How much preparation did you do? 

PYLE: I typically do at least a month of preparation leading up to the draft, but this season I wasn't very motivated to even play fantasy football, so I only did about a half of a week to a week of preparation.

Do you find you draft better at the cabin with the guys or at home online?

PYLE: Recent results would suggest that I draft better at the cabin with the guys. I certainly enjoy drafting at the cabin with the guys a lot more.

Will you be at the draft cabin next year?

PYLE: Yes, I plan to be at the draft cabin every year.

Who was your team MVP?

PYLE: Despite a late injury, Todd Gurley was clearly my team MVP.

What was the best move you made post-draft?

PYLE: Tough to narrow it down to just one, but I will say trading Kenny Stills and Marlon Mack for Nick Chubb and Marvin Jones Jr. (one day before Chubb was named the starter) would have to be my best overall move. Certainly the acquisition of Sam Darnold and C.J. Anderson (an hour before kickoff) were championship moves, but I may not have made it to the championship had it not been for Nick Chubb.

Do you know who you're going to pick at 1.01 next year?

PYLE: No. In alphabetical order: Barkley, Gurley, McCaffrey, possibly Ju-Ju depending on what happens with AB84 and Big Ben.

Where will you display the trophy?

PYLE: It spent a week displayed on my mantle at home, but it will be displayed in my office at work for the remainder of the year.

How did it feel winning in 2018? 

PYLE: Winning the championship in 2018 made me feel many emotions. Relief was the first thing I felt, like a huge weight had been lifted off of me. That was followed by immense excitement. I felt like I was about to jump out of my own skin. I also felt humbled because I had been so close the previous two or three seasons, and if either one of my two last minute replacements doesn't play out of their minds, this season would be a repeat of the previous two or three. 

How did it feel compared to your first championship in 2006?

PYLE:  It is a little difficult to compare 2018 to 2006. The one feeling that I don't remember feeling in 2006 is the relief. 2006 was my first time to ever play fantasy football and I didn't really have any serious expectations for myself (other than I've always been wired to be ultra competitive in everything I do). I most definitely have higher expectations for myself now as compared to 2006. I do distinctly remember having a strong sense of pride and maybe a little bit of arrogance after winning in 2006. 

What about 2008, when you got credited with a win four years after the fact due to a commissioner-led fractional scoring recount?

PYLE: In 2008, I was emotionally volatile at that time. I was still ultra competitive, but due to situational circumstances, I wasn't very dialed in or focused. I believe I limped into the playoffs with a mediocre record and my squad just got hot at the right time. Because my team was not elite throughout the season, I really didn't have high expectations in the playoffs. My confidence in my team did grow with each playoff win. The tie was extremely frustrating, and the tie breaker going to SoonerJack was just salt in the wound. As I went and studied the results, I noticed that several players were within one or two yards of getting me that one additional full point, whereas SoonerJack's squad had a couple of players that just barely got him the full point. During the initial conclusion of the season I just felt disappointment and frustration. The 2008 result did provide me with a since of accomplishment. Because of that tie and my conversations with the commissioner (Cliburn), our league would be changed forever. The 2008 result led to our league implementing fractional scoring. As far as "The Recount" in 2012, I knew that, had fractional scoring been used in 2008, I would have won by a comfortable margin. I personally didn't want to reopen old wounds, so I never went back and recalculated it using fractional scoring. Thankfully, we have a Justin Cliburn that just cannot leave shit alone and let it die (haha!). The recount just confirmed what I already knew; although, I didn't realize that I would have won by more than 10 points had fractional scoring been used in 2008. The recount and asterisk did provide a sense of closure, but ultimately in my mind, I still did not win the championship in 2008 and that one belongs to SoonerJack.