20/20 Interview with John Hogue
This week, the Superflex dude himself, John Hogue, took some time to let you get to know him better. Enjoy!
Where are you from?
A small, flat cowtown on the eastern plains of Colorado, about an hour east of Denver and five minutes west of the edge of the earth.
What do you do for your regular job?
I own and operate a swimming pool maintenance company in Denver (yes, we have swimming pools. No, it doesn’t just snow here). So I’m a pool boy… though I prefer pool MAN.
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Stocking the magazine shelves in the gift shops at Denver International Airport. You would be amazed how many people have zero problems buying a copy of Hustler to “read” on the plane.
What is the best job you have ever had?
My current job. I don’t have a stupid boss yelling at me, I work (but not too hard) outside in the sun, set my own hours… pool boy – err… pool MAN – might be the world’s most underrated job!
What do you consider your dream job?
I would love to talk about sports for a living. Radio, podcast, whatever. I could talk football, fantasy football, dynasty football, Superflex, etc., all day every day!
How long have you been in the industry?
I’m just about to start my 5th year. My first article was a collaborative post-combine mock NFL Draft in 2017. I drafted for the New York Jets… and they would have been in much better shape if they drafted the way I told them to! And, you know, never hired Adam Gase.
How did you get your break into fantasy football?
Shane Manila (@ShaneIsTheWorst) brought me on at Dynasty Football Factory… either because of, or despite, the player profile I wrote and submitted to him about Marqise Lee.
What tool do you use the most on DLF?
There are so many great tools, and I use a lot of them frequently. But the two that I have bookmarked are the Superflex ADP and the Trade Analyzer. Value buys production, so understanding player values are the most important part of this game.
What tool do you use the most outside of DLF?
Pro Football Reference’s Defense vs. QB/RB/WR/TE data, by far. A player’s scoring deserves context, and the weekly matchup tells us a lot about what happened in a given week and if we could/should have predicted it.
Who was the best sleeper you pegged that broke out?
Probably Phillip Lindsay and “The Electric Playmaker” Chris Carson, though I’m really tempted to say 2020 Aaron Rodgers. It was a lonely island prior to his MVP season.
Who was your biggest whiff?
Marcus Mariota. I have been making excuses for that guy for years now, and all he ever does is make me look bad in front of my SuperFriends.
What is the worst trade you have made?
I traded James Robinson+ to Ryan McDowell for Journey Brown about two weeks before Journey retired from football.
Who is your favorite underfollowed Twitter account?
Zac Reed (@tacitassassin) is an absolute genius, and I’m shocked that he isn’t an A-list celebrity for his dynasty football analysis yet.
Who is your favorite NFL team?
The Denver Broncos. That collection of football players from all over the country/world gathers together and plays half of their games the closest to the space I am physically occupying.
Who is your favorite college football team?
The Colorado University Buffaloes, for essentially the same reason.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
John Elway, as the star quarterback of my favorite team. But Barry Sanders was 1B, with his only flaw being his team affiliation.
Who is your favorite player of all time?
Champ Bailey. He made it look so effortless and smooth, both on and off the field.
What other hobbies or passions do you have outside of fantasy football?
I’m a singer. I sing lead vocals and play rhythm guitar in a pop-punk band called Fatty’s Big Chance (anyone who gets the reference gets an immediate Twitter follow from me!). I also mentor entrepreneurs, which is often as fun and strategic as building a true dynasty roster!
What are some of your favorite movies?
“The Big Lebowski” is the absolute GOAT. “Anchorman,” “Step Brothers,” “Old School”… really anything with Will Ferrell is going to be high on the list. And let’s just say my Netflix queue has an embarrassing number of cartoons and Disney movies.
Who are some of your favorite bands?
On a deserted island, Social Distortion is all I would need. They’re the Pat Mahomes of music, in a tier by themselves. Foo Fighters, Flogging Molly, Alkaline Trio, Less Than Jake, Something Corporate, Goldfinger, Offspring, Green Day, and many, many others feed my punk rock spirit as well.
