Issue #238: I Wanna Talk About Me

By Derrick Ernst

December 28, 2025

Entitled

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and have been enjoying some R&R! For those on the receiving end of TDF’s Christmas issue for the first time, I hope it was a bright spot to your day. I re-read it every year and it’s a good reminder to take a breather and admit how much joy fantasy brings me. It comes at a good time too for us all given it aligns with the end of the fantasy season. For me, despite the frustrating playoff losses, I found myself at peace with the season as I was reading. There’s also some holiday nostalgia with it that hits a lot closer to home the more I age out of my childhood, but a nudge to not entirely lose touch with that time of my life. If any of this sounds a lot like how you felt/feel reading it, I’ve done my job. If you’re not quite there yet, give it time. I can guarantee that you’ll be joining us soon.

Perhaps it’s petty of me to say, but I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t the most well-written piece of mine. I’d say my writing has greatly improved throughout the years and with the Christmas piece being a few years old, it’s a good reminder too at how far we’ve come. I refuse to modify it in any way. It will always be a copy/paste and I hope you all find the appreciation in its authenticity because of it.

Switching gears pretty hard, I have a bone to pick with the youth of today’s NFL. Here’s what grind my gears the other day:

This might be the old-school in me coming out, but I didn’t grow up in way where things were handed to me and because of that, I knew I needed to earn my seat at the table. In part, I was this way because of my parents, but I also looked up those who exhibited similar characteristics, Tim Tebow being one of them.

This next wave of young talent is something else. And I don’t think it’s going to get any better either. I’m sorry, but I don’t care if you’re the #1 pick, C. Ward hasn’t proved he’s worthy to be a part of a process that is franchise altering. Heck, there’s a good chance Ward is out of TEN in three years. Now, the argument by some may be that he should be involved as to ensure his success, but I’m in the camp of you needing to prove yourself with those you don’t mesh with first to earn the chance to jive with those you do.

Not to mention C. Williams wanting a share of the Bears. These requests, man. It’s not like we have these headlines with J. Allen and L. Jackson paired with them. At least those would make some sense. I don’t know what these 20 year olds think they have on the rest of the NFL, but it sheds a negative connotation against them that removes from my willingness to be a fan of theirs. This is simply my opinion, but one I felt strongly enough to share. Maybe it’s the contradicted nature of this headline to this time of year, but I get a bit heated when those a decade or so younger than me believe they deserve the things others have worked for without doing the same. I digress.

Facemasks

Who’s the first player you think of when it comes to having the coolest facemask in the NFL, current or former? I realize I reference Madden a lot here, but when I think of facemasks, I think of when P. Hillis fronted the ’12 release:

Source: Hog Database

Reminds me of a raging bull:

Source: Chrome DM

Albeit, not entirely facemark driven, Jack Lambert’s “missing teeth” SI cover from back in the day also came to mind. For me, it’s the pinnacle of NFL toughness. You think anything was just handed to him? Or did he work for it more than anyone else? Exactly.