Our next visit brings us back to Portland, ME to visit with relative unknown, Josh Coulombe. Josh is a 28 year old bred, born, and breastfed in Maine. Attending the University of Southern Maine and the Southern Maine Technical College, Josh graduated in 1998 with an AS in Technical Graphics and Design. Josh hopes to eventually work as a licensed land surveyor. However, currently he works at Woodard & Curran as a CADD designer with another FLBer, Brent Powers. He resides in Portland in a 2 bedroom apartment which he shares with a “Chinese woman.” Not sure if there’s any romantic involvement but we’re always happy to see fellow owners scoring when it does not impact the rotitsserie standings.
Being a lifelong Mainer it is no surprise that Josh enjoys many outdoor activities such as kayaking, mountain biking, camping, and golf. He tries to stay in shape by attending the local fitness center 3-4 times a week but he smugly admits that he is luckly to make it once or twice a week.
In terms of fantasy experience, Josh admits to being a little green. He’s had only one full year of fantasy experience, and although he’s a little nervous about playing in a league full of “Brent Powers” fantasy freaks, he feels up to the challenge. Co-worker, Brent employs acts of intimidation at the office manifested by frequent trash talking. Brent’s even been known to become somewhat crazy-eyed and shouts insults to the effect that Josh will be the whipping boy and bitch of the league. Mr. Coulombe realizes that as a league rookie and relative lack of roto experience, hazing will not wane during his inagural year in the league unless he is able to paralyze his detractors with results. Josh is optimistic and preaches “no pain, no gain.” Josh also believes that the lack of respect may give him even more motivation. There would be nothing sweeter than his Worm Burners sitting atop the league at the end of the year, or at least above his colleague Brent in the standings.
Josh enters the league in obscurity. He’s not the only owner from Portland nor the only employee of Woodward & Curran; good friend Brent Powers is more flamboyant, intimidating, and experienced. Hell, he’s not even the only Josh in the league. With Josh Mondshein’s rare combination of raw humor and an unforgettable hit, run, or win away from the 2001 league title, Mr. Coulombe no doubt will have difficulty unceding Mr. Mondshein as THE Josh of the league. He will instead have the generic title of Josh #2. But could this be his intention? “The less you know about the enemy the more difficult they are to defeat.” I am sure this quote must have been reiterated by countless soldiers, generals, and heads of states after realizing that they had drastically underestimated their opponent. Were we not shocked, surprised, and dumbfounded last year when darkhorse Chris Taylor carried his Taylor Mades to the league championship. Taylor proved a tough egg to crack. We knew nothing about him and this made it difficult to anticipate or predict his moves. Taylor was able to surprise us at season’s end with many shrewd and eventual season-winning managerial decisions. Josh #2 may try to ride that same wave of anonymity to the league title. Hell, Josh appears to be instituting another Taylor trick, going logoless! (or at least thus far) Vegas has not set the odds on the 2002 winner of the Gammonsonian Diamonds League Championship but no doubt a league title by Josh #2 would rank up there with the 1980 “Mircale on Ice” USA hockey team classic Cold-War victory against the Russians, the 1969 New York Jets over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, and of course the miraculous 2002 Superbowl Patriots defensive thumping of the offensive juggernaut St. Louis Rams.
