Ask Your Fantasy Football Expert: Cecil Lammey

"Had a guy next to me last night that was yelling 'scoreboard bitches!!' in preseason game."

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There are lots of self-made stories in the relatively new industry of fantasy football. Then you have Cecil Lammey, the irreverent host of the footballguys.com podcast The Audible and a fixture of Denver sports radio. While Footballguys.com has plenty of great writers, they have a primary voice, and it's the man who refers to himself as Big Mex.

All fantasy writers name-dropped will get a link to their Twitter feed. We'll keep with the theme of my questions/comments in Titan blue and Cecil's in non-Titan blue.

How'd you get started with footballguys.com?

I was a frequent poster on the message board The Shark Pool at Footballguys. I had been working in radio for a couple of years and had written for sites like Fantasy Football Journal and Gridiron Grumblings. Footballguys did a contest in 2004 where message board members got to compete against members of the Footballguys staff in a Survivor style fantasy league. I lobbied to be selected, was selected, and then promptly started running my mouth.

I said that I would win the league and get hired by Footballguys as a staff member after that. I had lobbied both Joe Bryant and David Dodds to hire me for about a year but to no avail. Well, because of guys like Billy Volek and Drew Bennett I actually beat everyone involved and won the Footballguys board vs staff league. Soon after that I was hired by Footballguys as a part-time staffer. The next year (2006) I was charged with starting a podcast for Footballguys. The Audible was born in March of 2006 and the rest is history.

All right, mister Steeler. Tell me all about your love for the black and gold.

I grew up very poor in the country as a rancher/farmer. I didn’t have many nice clothes, but through a second hand store I was able to get three Steelers jerseys - Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and a long sleeved Lynn Swann jersey. My favorite color is black and I loved running around rodeos with my Steelers jerseys on. In the late 70s the Steelers won 4 Super Bowl titles in 6 years and thus my passion for all things Steelers was born.

Have you been in Denver all your life? How's Mile High living?

I grew up on the state line and my family had land in both Colorado and Wyoming. Our house was actually 20 yards inside the state line on the Wyoming side. However, our mailbox was 3 miles south in Colorado. Because of that I grew up with a Wyoming phone number and a Colorado address. I’ve always lived in Colorado or Wyoming and couldn’t imagine a better place to live. I live in Southwest Denver near Red Rocks and at the base of the foothills to the great Rocky Mountains. I’m not much of an outdoorsman but do enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and skiing/snowboarding from time to time.

I enjoy your work on Denver's The Ticket. How's the sports radio biz treating you?

Great! I started in this business as a regular caller. I did not go to broadcasting school, but instead wanted to be a comic book artist. I did work for Legend Comics back in the early 90s but the company quickly went out of business and my time as a professional artist came to a close. I bounced around from odd job to odd job. I worked at 7-11, was a farmer, and then worked as a machinist making firefighting equipment in Denver.

Working as a machinist, I loved listening to sports talk radio all day. I had no experience in broadcasting and did not go to college for that. I didn't graduate college, but was comfortable doing a job (machining) that I was good at. However, I wasn't happy.

I would call in to Jim Rome, Irv and Joe, Drive Time Sports (Mark Schlereth and David Diaz Infante's show), etc. One day they were talking fantasy football on AM 760 the zone and the guy that was talking was full of it, spitting out bad information.

I called (again) and dropped some knowledge about guys like Musa Smith (LOL). I hung up the phone and went back to work. My best friend was a landscaper up in Ft. Collins who listened after I was off air and the caller behind me said "Wow, that's guys good...you should hire him!" I didn't hear it, but my best friend did. He called me on my way home from work to tell me and I thought "Yeah, they DO need to hire me!"

I remember telling my wife what happened and I said I was going to contact the producer of the show and see if I could make it happen. My philosophy in life is simple: It doesn't hurt to ask.
I thought 'Am I working in radio now?' the answer is no. So if I ask and the answer is still no what does it change??? It changes nothing and is not disheartening as nothing is being taken from me.
I contacted Andy Lindahl, who was the producer at the time and he agreed to have me on as a weekly guest. I did not get any money, but I got something much more important – opportunity. I did everything I could to get my name out there. The work gets you noticed. If you're talented you will get noticed if you work hard.

I have to thank several people, most notably Adam Schefter, Scott Hastings, and Mark Schlereth for helping me out along the way. They're super nice guys who opened doors for me and I will forever be grateful to them.

How'd the audible get together? It seems like you've been working with Sigmund Bloom for a while but Matt Waldman is the relative newcomer.

I was working for Footballguys for a year when Sigmund Bloom was hired. He and I had several great discussions in the ‘Shark Pool’ before he was hired and I knew the guy knew football. When he was hired I called him to congratulate him and finally put a ‘voice’ with the name. We talked like teenage girls for about three hours and had an instant connection. [Zach note: It's a groovy kind of love.] At the end of the phone call I asked ‘Can we do that again and record it?’ The first episode of the Audible we did on speaker phone, recorded to tape, which I then transferred to CD, which I then put on the computer in .mp3 format, then on the server where Itunes could pick it up. That was back in 2006, today it’s much more streamlined. Every show is a joy to work with Sigmund. We interviewed Matt when he worked for another site, and were always big fans of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Both Sig and I were elated when he was hired by Footballguys, and soon asked him to join the booth on our Thursday night Live! show.

You talk about your son Liam and his progress as a QB. Does he have the fantasy football bug yet, or does he keep it on the field?

Liam is now in Junior High and they actually have a ‘Fantasy Football Club.’ He’s starting to get the bug, but spends most of his time working on his game. High school teams are already interested in what he can do, and he’s getting tutored from former CU QB Joel Klatt. It’s been a joy to see him grow and evolve as a player. Many ask me ‘does he love football for himself, or because you love it so much?’ The answer is easy: Liam loves the game himself. I would not force the game on him if he didn’t love it. Your body takes a beating in football, and if you don’t love hitting/getting hit then this game is not for you. I was a fantastic roper as a kid/teen and could have pursued a career as a professional cowboy. I was very good at it, but I didn’t LOVE it. If my son wanted to be the best cello player in the state I would do everything in my power to support him. Too many football parents ask me ‘can my son play in the league?’ It’s a silly question, as nobody knows what the future holds. I want my son to have fun, learn life lessons, grow as a player, and grow as a young man. Football teaches you so much about life, and that’s where the value is. Whether or not he plays D1 football, makes it to the NFL, or stops after high school it doesn’t matter to me. I just want him to have fun and enjoy himself, while giving him all the opportunities I can.

The spouse question: Does your wife/gf/sig other have any issues with your obsession?

I’ve always been like this. My wife and I have been together since 1995, married since 1997. Even when I wasn’t getting paid to talk/write about football, when I was a farmer in the country I still followed the game as closely as I do today. I’ve been recording games/preseason games since 1992 CHI v NO. I wanted to see Vaughan Dunbar in his first preseason action and still proudly have that game on tape. Unfortunately Dunbar never lived up to expectations (I loved his game at Indiana). Stacey met me, and has always accepted my love/obsession for football. She’s not a fan, but does watch the Super Bowl with me every year. On Sundays she’ll go shopping while I’m doing pregame and postgame shows.

Football or sex: which do you think of more?

This is a tough one. It’s literally 50/50. I have a healthy appetite for sex and used to refer to myself as a ‘Sexual Tyranosaurus.’ That was until I said that to Bloom, and he said "does that mean you’re a scavenger?" Needless to say I don’t say that anymore. LOL.

How much fun is your annual College All-Star Game road trip? Any stories you'd like to tell?

The All-Star Game road trip is a blast! It’s why I call it ‘The Ultimate Road Trip.’ For three weeks in January I travel to the Shrine Game, Senior Bowl, and NFLPA Game to watch practice and see some of the nation’s best senior prospects. I also get to hang out with my friends like Doug Farrar, Charlie Bernstein, Mike Schottey and others. Several great stories, some I can share, some I can’t (LOL). First off, it’s always humbling when someone recognizes me in the airport or at a restaurant. Still kind of a trip that someone would ask for my autograph. Makes me feel blessed every time it happens. Favorite story I can share was from my first Senior Bowl trip in 2007 with Sigmund Bloom. We had a great time in Mobile, but stopped by New Orleans on our way back to Houston airport (Bloom drove from Austin, I flew into Houston). Bloom was my tour guide and we went to Pat O’Briens to drink a couple of Hurricanes and ended up singing at the top of our lungs to some Billy Joel at the piano bar inside.

How devastating was it to you when Matt Jones, aka Dr. Rockso, left the league?

I sure do miss Dr. Rockso – he became an Audible legend. [Zach note: I miss the little "kakakaka...yeah" that Sigmund used to do after the clip.]

It's time for a more serious subject. When did you discover that you had a weakness for the large running backs? Who were your favorite old-school guys and who in the league now is going to take the mantle?

I wore the #34 in high school for the Pawnee Jackrabbits. The number had special meaning to me because of Walter Payton. I loved Sweetness as a kid and would pretend to be him (or Eric Dickerson) when running with the football on the farm. I even used to carry the ball like Sweetness, which pissed my coach off. I never fumbled the ball though. Final 6-man football note: my best friend Eric Hoffman was my lead blocker and the guy he blocked never tackled me – ever! We’ve gone through the game film, and quickly noticed that Big E always had my back. We were also played Outside Linebackers together. Anyway...back to the question. I loved Earl Campbell as a young kid. William Andrews for the Falcons, Christian Okoye for the Chiefs, Jerome Bettis for the Rams/Steelers. It’s such a sight to see such big men with nimble feet in addition to the power! Football is all about imposing your will, and nothing hammers that point home like a power Running Back. Seeing the replay of Bettis running over Urlacher in the snow still gives me chills.

In three years, what's more likely: Tim Tebow is the starting QB for the Broncos, or will he be working with Kirk Cameron?

Tebow will start in this league. I’ve actually become a Tebow defender even though I’m not a huge fan of his game. I think the Tebow hate is ridiculous. Guys like Merril Hoge declaring him a ‘disaster’, etc. The football gods will make you look silly for such proclamations. We can go back through history and point out several QBs who were longshots, or had ugly throwing motions, the non-traditional QBs who still ended up making plays as starters in the league. Tebow is a project, he always has been. There’s some things to work with and some things he needs to work on. Tebow is a great guy, actually a sweet demeanor, and TMZ won’t ever catch him doing something out of line. Some people have a problem with that, or think he’s a phony. Tebow is authentic, like it or not. By the way, can we please stop making fun of him because he’s Christian??? Why is it that every headline about Tebow has to include something about halos or clipped wings? It’s ridiculous and certainly wouldn’t happen if he were Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist. His religious beliefs are his own. What matters to me is how he plays on the football field.

What's a non football-related hobby of yours? Did I hear that you have a ranch? I know, not quite a hobby.

I get back to the ranch when I can. The kids love to ride horses and be outdoors. I like to fish when I can. I also like to ride my chopper. If I had more time I would draw more than I do now. I also have written some treatments for superhero movies I would love to shop around Hollywood. One of my favorite characters I’ve created is Suimmortal. An ancient ninja from feudal Japan who is both suicidal and immortal. He’s trying to save the outside world while battling inner demons himself. I also play Gears of War as much as I can. I can’t wait for Gears of War 3 which comes out on my wedding anniversary (sorry honey!).

Which fantasy writers are on your must-read list?

Sigmund Bloom, Matt Waldman, Jason Wood, Gregg Rosenthal.

Of all the fantasy leagues you're in, tell me about the one you want to win the most.

The one I want to win the most is the one I started in 1993. The Colorado Pigskin League. An auction league that is best described as a dynasty hybrid. We have Franchise Players, Restricted Free Agents, and Practice Squad players. I won it last year and want to defend my title this year.

Tell me about any plugs that you'd like. Podcasts, sites that you write for, expert leagues, anything.

Check out Footballguys.com and DenversSportsStation.com – listen to The Audible on Itunes, and listen to my show ‘Ridin’ Shotgun’ on 102.3 The Ticket.

Thanks to Cecil for answering my questions. Follow him on Twitter.

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