We all have that football team we love to hate. Maybe the team you hate has fans who dress up in goofy black and silver costumes. Maybe the team you hate is from the far Northeastern region of the United States; the screeches of its smug, unrelenting fans echoing throughout the nation. No matter who it is for you, everyone has at least one team that plays the villain. Now…I’m taking the idea of a villainous football team quite literally.
 
Below, I’ve chosen a nefarious squad of the biggest and baddest Marvel and D.C. supervillains to fill out a football roster. They are matched to their respective positions based on their skills, strengths, and intangibles. You think you’ve seen some tough, mean football players before? Wait until you see this team!

Quarterback: Bullseye - I’ve seen this guy kill folks by throwing paper clips with alarming speed and accuracy. Might need to take a little zip off of his throws, but he’ll put the ball where it needs to be.
 
Running Back: Reverse Flash - Upon hearing that the Superheroes were trotting out The Flash, the Villains had to counter with Reverse Flash. Brings that same blistering speed to the table.
 
Fullback: Juggernaut - An unstoppable force. Once he gets going, he’s hard to bring down. Excellent for converting in short-yardage situations.
 
Wide Receiver: Doctor Octopus - He’s got good hands. Lots of them. Should be able to haul in passes from all angles.
 
Wide Receiver: Loki - Deceptive speed. Manipulative moves. Can cast thoughts to let his QB know if he’s open. Might fool his opponents by shapeshifting into a member of the defense or a ref. Covers the field well; seemingly in multiple places at once.
 
Tight End: Sandman - Size and strength. Can hunker down and solidify if he needs to block or can get sandstormy and slip through defenders to get open for a big catch, making him an ideal two-way TE. Roster risk, as he will need to be subbed out for rainy or snowy games.

Left Tackle: Rhino - Big, athletic, and fast. Can push the defensive line back with ease. Needs to win the battle right off the snap, however, as his lack of agility and poor turning radius can cause him to miss his target and get beat. 

​Left Guard: The Blob - So big he has his own gravitational field. Essentially immovable. Provides great interior protection and is a key piece of the o-line.
 
Center: Bane - The perfect balance of smarts and strength. Centers need to be able to scope out the defense’s alignment and adjust accordingly. Bane is cunning and strategic, so he should be able to do that well. Size allows him to neutralize the nose tackle. Big hands, so snapping the ball won’t be a problem.
 
Right Guard: Abomination - Hulk-like size, strength, and speed. Very durable. He rounds out a very impressive and capable interior offensive line.

Right Tackle: Apocalypse - Has total control over the molecules in his body, allowing him to bend and shape his body as needed. That time of flexibility will come in handy for protecting the right side of the line.
 
Head Coach: Thanos - Who wouldn’t want a head coach who is essentially an all-knowing super genius? With vast knowledge of many universes, Thanos will create the ultimate playbook. His past in combat brings scrappiness and fire to the leadership role. As a bonus, he’ll probably cruise around the sidelines 

Left Defensive End: Killer Croc - One of two ferocious predators on the line, along with King Shark. Locks onto the QB’s scent and pursues him with superhuman reflexes and speed.
 
Defensive Tackle: Kingpin - Weighing in at 450 pounds, he’s a sturdy component and is sure to slow the opposing run game. Ruthless demeanor and strength provide him the added benefit of a pass-rush upside. If he gives up a big play, you can be sure he will consider that a personal affront and will work to correct his mistakes by punishing the ball carrier.
 
Defensive Tackle: Gorilla Grodd - Can’t go wrong when you have a 600 pound beast clogging the middle. Another super strong animal along the villains’ defensive line. Not just brawn, but brains too. He and Kingpin alone account for half a ton of run stoppage.
 
Right Defensive End: King Shark - Holds down the other end of the line with his aquatic predator partner, Killer Croc. Speedy and physical; circles the proverbial waters when he smells blood.
 
Left Outside Linebacker: Sabretooth - Animalistic senses that make for an ideal linebacker. Uses his super hearing to listen in to the offense’s huddle. Enhanced reflexes aid his ability to stalk and literally pounce on the ball carrier.
 
Middle Linebacker: Ultron - Flight, subsonic speed, and intellect. Makes a good, agile defender. Can calculate how to approach each play very quickly. Reads opposing offenses instantaneously. If he shows up in an Adamantium shell…watch out!
 
Right Outside Linebacker: Darkseid - Standing at 8’9” and weighing in at just under 2000 pounds, Darkseid has a prototypical linebacker frame. Can easily overpower any opponent. Legality of Omega Beams is in question. 

Cornerback: Green Goblin - Fast and agile cruising around the field on the ‘Goblin Glider’; should find good routes to the ball on that apparatus. Time will tell if he draws pass interference penalties from tossing ‘Pumpkin Bombs’.

Cornerback: Hobgoblin - Hobgoblin and his partner Green Goblin make a dynamic duo. They’ve put their rivalry aside to patrol the secondary, locking down receivers from their glider. Both have great range
 
Free Safety: Doctor Doom - The FS has one of the most important roles on the defensive side of the ball. A FS must sit back in coverage, observe the play unfolding, and be smart enough to react accordingly, monitoring and pursuing receivers, tight ends, running backs, and even the QB. Doom is a genius and will serve as a worthy last line of defense. His armor allows for crushing hits.
 
Strong Safety: Tombstone - Rock-solid, merciless, hard-hitting safety. Plus, he joins Denver Bronco great Rich ‘Tombstone’ Jackson in sharing an awesome/intimidating football nickname.
 
Kicker: Deadshot - Superhuman accuracy. A guy who ‘never misses his shot’ is the kind of guy you want making kicks.
 
Punter: Calendar Man - Nobody cares about punters. Nobody cares about Calendar Man, except me. Good fit.
 
Menacing and powerful, the Villains should prove to be worthy foes to the Superheroes. Do they have what it takes to win when it matters? Or will they find a way to be thwarted, as they often are? Who has the better team on paper? Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter (@NerdsThatZeke). Stay tuned for Twitter posts and polls matching up players from each team to see who comes out on top!

​Football season is well underway, and with that, so is fantasy football. As many have stated, fantasy football toes the line between nerdiness and sports fanaticism. Assembling the best team, meticulously comparing stats, strategizing for the fictional victory; it’s no different than D&D in some ways. So I’m going to embrace the nerdiness! Maybe even take it a step further. I’m creating a fantasy team of my own; one comprised of superheroes.
 
NFL players are almost heroic in their own right. They’ve got abilities that the average human does not. They can run faster, lift more, and hit harder. They display feats of great acrobatics regularly. But what if the players all had actual superpowers? Below, I’ve put together a football roster composed of the best and boldest Marvel and D.C. heroes. They are matched to their respective positions based on their skills, strengths, and intangibles. Teams don’t get more superheroic than this one.
 
Hero team… ASSEMBLE!

Quarterback: Captain America - Natural leader. Raw talent and athleticism. Has an interesting side-arm throw, almost as if he’s tossing a shield, but great QB skills despite the windup.
 
Running Back: Flash - Blistering speed. 40 yard dash time at the combine was off the charts. It’s almost as though he runs faster than time itself.
 
Fullback: Luke Cage - He has so much power, man! Very hard to bring down; matches up well with defenders. Durable player thanks to his dense skin. Can withstand plenty of hits.
 
Wide Receiver: Mr. Fantastic - Size is valuable in a wide receiver and he has plenty to spare. Stretches out to make big plays. There shouldn’t be many (or any) passes that aren’t in his range…
 
Wide Receiver: Wonder Woman - A true athlete; she can do it all! Well balanced. Her hand-to-hand combat skills are useful for fighting off coverage at the line. From there, she has immense speed and power to get up field. Known to lasso in passes, left and right.
 
Tight End: Martian Manhunter - Like a Swiss army knife in terms of his powers and abilities. His superhuman strength, durability, and invisibility should come in handy as a blocker, while his flight and telekinesis benefit him when receiving. Shape-shifting is an asset in either role. 

​Left Tackle: Colossus - An impenetrable force on the line’s blindside. Very level-headed and composed, reducing the risk of unnecessary penalties. Provides the type of armor-like defense the QB needs.
 
Left Guard: Thing - Kicks off the team’s nasty interior offensive line, a.k.a. ‘The Thing Trio’. Brings rock-solid power to the left side. Clobbers defensive linemen when the time is right.
 
Center: Man-Thing - Definitely got some brains in there, as he was formerly a biochemist. Pair that with his strength and durability and you’ve got yourself a fine center.
 
Right Guard: Swamp Thing - Another essentially immovable mass on the line. His strength is tied into his connection to the Earth, so when he has the time to connect with the football field, he’ll definitely hold things down.

Right Tackle: Cyborg - His mechanically-enhanced metallic body makes him impervious to chop moves and other maneuvers defensive lineman might use against him.  
 
Head Coach: Nick Fury - Has an uncanny ability to bring folks together. Fury will excel at unifying this team of heroes. 

​Left Defensive End: Black Widow - On the small side for a DE, but has the sort of stealthy finesse moves coming off the edge that will allow her to slip in the backfield easily. Can be lethal sneaking up on the QB’s blindside.
 
Defensive Tackle: Hulk - You’ve surely heard a lineman referred to as ‘hulking’ before. Well, here you go. No trouble stopping things at the line. Comes with major pass-rush upside too. Will likely get angrier as the game goes on, only leading to more carnage.
 
Defensive Tackle: She-Hulk - See above, but with more mental and emotional stability.
 
Right Defensive Tackle: Thor - Skilled at combat, he can fight off and maneuver past offensive linemen to bring the hammer down on the quarterback. After tearing through an army of Frost Giants, going one-on-one with a lineman should come easy.
 
Left Outside Linebacker: Iron Man - Powerful and speedy with great awareness. J.A.R.V.I.S. will help him diagnose and anticipate the play early, allowing him to decide in a split-second whether to rush or drop back into coverage. Can fire repulsor rays at the ballcarrier.
 
Middle Linebacker: Superman - His well-rounded abilities lend him to the MLB position. Seriously, what can’t he do? Has size, superhuman strength, speed, ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Mix in great senses, you’ve got a great quarterback of the defense.
 
Right Outside Linebacker: Batman - Undrafted due to his lack of powers, Batman compensates with exceptional athletic prowess. Seems to have exactly what is needed at the right moment.
 
Cornerback: Spider-Man - Whether in man or zone coverage, his Spidey-senses allow for great play recognition and reaction time to the ball. Web shooters can snatch the ball away in the rare instances that he does get beat by his receiver. 

Cornerback: Silver Surfer - Swift and agile. Ability to glide around the field and cover opposing wideouts. His sharpened senses allow him to detect objects from lightyears away, so 10 or 20 yards should be no problem. Full field coverage ability.
 
Free Safety: Daredevil - Heightened senses make him a great fit at the FS position. Daredevil compensates for his visual impairments with an ability to anticipate the ball. Always one step ahead of his opponents, The Man Without Fear is a prototypical ‘ball hawk’ safety, but he can lay down a solid tackle too.  
 
Strong Safety: Punisher - Safeties are known for big hits. The Punisher tends to have one thing on his mind: doling out pain. Won’t stop until he brings the ball carrier down. Based on their past relationships, the team will need to monitor how Punisher and Daredevil work together in the secondary; could be volatile.
 
Kicker: Green Arrow - Extremely accurate. Although his skills are in archery, they were honed through years of practice. Mix a little effort with his martial arts background and he should have a strong enough leg to excel as a kicker.
 
Punter: Stan Lee - Stan’s gotta make a cameo somewhere! Why not let him punt?
 
Might. Bravery. Justice. And a powerhouse football team. It was hard to narrow down, and there are plenty of folks who would make the roster of 53, but I feel confident in my starters. What do you think? Anyone you would’ve swapped out? Is Stan Lee a glaring weakness that can’t be overcome? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@NerdsThatZeke).
 
Also, every superhero needs a villain…it stands to reason then that every superhero football team needs a rival team comprised of villains. Stay tuned for my all-bad-guy football team, coming soon on NerdsThatGeek.com! 

There are very few things I love in this world more than I love Halloween. It’s my Christmas. Which sounds so weird to say, right? I truly love this holiday and all it has to offer. That being said, many of you may be going to a party soon, or throwing one, and with that, I bring you, some easy and fun Halloween ideas. Why? Why not!

If you’re like me, sometimes you forget that these parties you’re throwing require food. I’ve got a few quick tricks to take any party from frightfully dull, to terrifyingly tasty. Okay, that was a bit cheesy. So! You’re having a party, guests are arriving, what do you do? They’ll want something to nibble on. Go to the store, grab some pre-made guacamole, a little pumpkin, and some tin foil. Carve that pumpkin into a tiny jack-o-lantern. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, set your newly, adorable baby carved pumpkin on the tray, and place that guacamole around. What’s more fun than dipping your chip into ‘pumpkin barf’? Nothing. I’ve done this before, and it is pretty tasty and makes for good conversation.

If you have a bit more time before the party starts, or you’ve been invited to something requiring some food, this is a treat I admittedly have stolen from my mom. Make (or buy) deviled eggs. Season to your liking; place an olive on top and boom! Eyeballs. Is it a cheat? Yes. Is it tasty? Yes. Am I making them this year? No, mostly because I am allergic to eggs and would really just eat the entire batch myself. Another fun treat is to make homemade caramel or candied apples. Upside, they’re tasty. Downside, they’re messy to make and take a bit of time. So, slice some apples, melt some caramel (or make your own sauce) and you have that fun festive treat without having to dip entire apples into caramel. Plus, some people may not even like caramel apples (Monsters!).

But, my number one Halloween go to is candy. It’s simple! A bag of candy goes a long way, and who doesn’t love candy!? It’s Halloween, after all, and candy can be found anywhere. So, we’ve settled food, what about costumes? There’s always Spirit or any store around selling costumes. But I’ve got a few quick and easy ideas that are cost effective and you most likely have in your closet.

Throw on a plaid shirt, a scarf, some yoga pants or skinny jeans, and some fake glasses and you are now, officially, a Hipster for Halloween. Likewise, if you have some converse and any jeans to go with any college endorsed jacket, you can now be a college student. I have to say, Halloween is amazing, but I had a tough time coming up with an idea of what to dress as this year. A costume can be as intricate or as simple as you’d like. Personally, I’ll wear a costume for a bit and then just change into my PJ’s. It’s Halloween! It doesn’t matter what you wear, all that matters is that you have fun.

And eat Candy.

​When you hear the word Sidekick your mind instantly goes to what? For me, it’s Robin from Batman, why? Because he was the first sidekick I was ever really exposed to. Well, that and that late 90’s early 2000’s flip phone thing. Yeah, you all know what I’m talking about. We all wanted one, but it was really expensive at the time, and to top it all off, it was the quintessential phone for texting. Enough about phones that no longer exist!

Sidekicks taught me a great deal in life….while they were always playing second fiddle, they were a critical part to the hero's success. Sidekicks never were in the spotlight solo, in fact they hardly got credit for anything, really. That’s probably why a lot of them grew up to become their own badass heroes. Case and point, Robin became Nightwing, and I know, by now, how much you all know of my love for him. Yes, it seems that sidekicks eventually tire of living in their mentor's shadow. But, before they can get their own cool names, they have to be a tagalong. Sidekicks always know how to cause trouble, or get into trouble. Robin saw his fair share of kidnappings and whatnot. Jason Todd was even murdered, ish…so really, the life of a sidekick isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Regardless of the storyline, a sidekick serves an important purpose. He, or she, helps to balance out the hero.

Robin made Batman less murder-y. Is that a thing? It is now. In a way, he also gave Batman more of a grounding. Robin was also there to have his own belt of tricks and knew how to fight and save people. Maybe not as well as Batman, but hey, he held his own. Or did he? That’s really a matter of interpretation. Being a sidekick, though, means corny one-liners and snarky remarks. By this logic, I’m the perfect sidekick. Just kidding, I work alone…from time to time the sidekick has to save the hero, or be saved, or…be brainwashed into trying to kill the hero…which isn’t cool, but also awesome.

Sidekicks aren’t always human either, as Krypto the Superdog shows us. He got his own cartoon series for a bit there…which, I’m not sure how animals as sidekicks works, but they end up working out pretty well because many a hero has one. A sidekick can also not be directly involved in the action, like Alfred or the Oracle. Either way, a Sidekick's main job is to help the hero no matter what…sometimes that’s costly. Sometimes it means wearing spandex, and other times it just means looking cool. Like I said before though, sidekicks eventually grow up and many become their own heroes.  

The true meaning of a sidekick is that bond between mentor and mentee. Or, maybe just hero and random kid that totally wanted to be a hero too. Or super-powered dog. From needing rescuing, grounding heroes, and giving them a little help, to even saving them in ways we readers/viewers don’t even know. The sidekick holds many roles and many things can be learned from them. The best thing, however, is that sidekick isn’t a demeaning position. It means you are part of a team. Part of something bigger, and you’re generally saving the world with your best friend. Really? What’s more fun than that? Still, the role of a sidekick shouldn’t be discounted. Even villains have them. Look at Harley? She’s a tad more popular than the Joker nowadays. But she’s another blog waiting to happen…

​Are you guys feeling a little stressed out lately? I know I am. I’ve seen many a friend struggling with it too. It’s like, between work, and/or school, and/or life it’s all piling up, right? I’m seriously starting to wonder about my life choices…so! I’ve got a few ways to help us all wind down, and since we’re already thinking about the weekend, let’s focus on relaxing and being our nerdy selves.

The first thing I always want to run to when I’m not feeling myself is food. Why? Guys! Food is delicious. I am Italian and a few other things, and it all boils down to my genetics just love food. Who doesn’t love food. It tastes great. And looks pretty. Unless I’m the one cooking, and then it doesn’t. But Shae, (you say) how can food be nerdy?! How can it NOT be nerdy. We’re all secretly foodies. It’s fact, I’ve decided it. Now, one of my favorite foods lately is something a friend of mine from childhood used to make. She called them Cheese-toasties. I’m pretty sure there’s more to this than my modern interpretation, but it’s something she got from her mom, and I stole, because stealing is only illegal if you get caught. So, you take bread, I prefer sourdough, you butter it, put your favorite cheese on top, which is provolone for me, and you put it in the toaster oven or oven, until the cheese is bubbly, but not browning. Then you get some tea, curl up in your PJ’s with your toast and put on your favorite Doctor Who episode.

Speaking of Doctor Who, you could totally make yourself some Fish Fingers and Custard, but let’s just not, because they’re kind of not appealing together. You could, however, have custard and a wafer, cookie, or biscuit, that’s acceptable. Of course, if it’s Doctor Who, you could also get jellybeans as a snack, but I also prefer bananas and peanut butter. Because, really, you should always bring a banana to the party. Just don’t bring pears, though, that’s not cool. Also, guys, if we’re on the topic of food, for just a second, I have to share that whenever I’m watching The Walking Dead, I feel hungry. I don’t know if that’s normal or not. I feel I need to nibble while this show is on, and some part of me thinks that I might be crazy.

Alright, so we’ve got our snack, and tea, and Doctor Who, but maybe we’re feeling just a bit more…I don’t know. Social? Being with friends is a great way to de-stress and hey, friends like to play games. Friends, like myself, like to get together and play Munchkin. What a better evening then plotting deviously against all your friends to win at this fantastical card game. It’s plotting. It’s scheming. And above all, it’s totally back stabbing. But, in a fun, friendly, environment. Want to be more active? Guys, listen up. Superhero laser-tag. Is that a real thing? I just made it up, so yes. Put on your favorite Superhero shirt, divide into teams, and go shoot each other with lasers. It’s a great way to blow off some steam. Really, if you want to cosplay for that, you can, but remember, you’re going to be running around, so choose your cosplay wisely.

When all else fails, and only a few of you want to get together, I say order a pizza, pop in your favorite nerd movie, mute the TV, and totally mad-lib it. Make up the words and match it to the character on screen. It’s hilariously fun, and really, it tests just how much you’ve watched that movie. I’m not saying I could quote a few of them from start to finish, I’m just saying, I probably could. After all, being stressed about life isn’t fun. We need to make time for us. And of course, I mean, there’s always drinking games nerdy edition, but that somehow doesn’t work so great for lightweights like myself. Either way, these are just some of my ideas, feel free to share yours in the comment field below or on our Twitter or Facebook, I'd love to hear what you all do to unwind!