2010 Week 6: By Will Riney
We are just about half way through the PFL season (ok, so it's 46.15% through) and we are starting to see a bit of separation in the divisions.
In the Continental division, the Mudcats (5-1) and Hawaiians (4-2) are looking good. The Mudcats have big games vs the Hitmen and the Hawaiians, but look good for the rest of their schedule. The Hawaiians meanwhile have the Nighthawks and Mudcats, but sub .500 teams the rest of the way. The Knights, Ice and Claymores are all going to find it tough to get back in the hunt.
The Cityhawks (5-1) hold a healthy 2 game lead in the Liberty division over the Coyotes and Creatures (both 3-3). The Cityhawks don't play anyone better than 3-2-1. Meanwhile the Coyotes and Creatures both have a little tougher rows to hoe. The Invaders and Wolves need big second halves to turn the season around.
The United Division is still up for grabs. The Hooters have the early lead at 4-2, but the Thunderbolts are right behind them at 3-2-1. Neither has a particularly tough schedule, so their big week 10 match-up looms large. Even though both are only 2 games out, both the Dragons and Red Dogs (2-4) need to get hot and have the two teams in front of them stumble a bit to have a shot.
The Freedom Division is still wide open. The Xtreme lead things with a 4-2 record, but right behind them sit the Sharks at 3-2-1. The Alouettes and Hornets are right behind them at 3-3. The Argonauts are only 2-4, but can make up ground with 4 second half division games. The Xtreme don't have an opponent over .500 in the second half of the season, which could set them up to pull away.
In the Frontier Division, the Nighthawks (5-1) have a 2 game lead over the Galaxy and Sting (both 3-3). The Nighthawks have never won more than 6 games, so they are entering rare territory. The second half of the season is make-it or break-it for the Galaxy with 2 games vs the Nighthawks and 1 each vs the Speed, Sting, Thunderbolts and Hitmen. The Beef and rookie team Stallions are starting to slip back at 2-4.
The Spirit division has the Hitmen (5-1) out to an early 2 game lead over the Speed (3-3) A week 13 game between these two could be a decider or not. The Hitmen can test themselves with a week match-up vs the Mudcats. The Speed need some help to get back in things. The Raptors and Crush are only 1 game behind the Speed at 2-4, but both have pretty tough schedules to finish out the season.
2010 Week 4
The National Conference wins the first half of the annual Interconference Battle by a slim margin of 7-6-1. Two teams in the NFC remain unbeaten in the process as the Hitmen beat the struggling Kreatures and Night Hawks dismantled former NFC member Red Dogs. In probably the most surprising story of 2010, the Sharks moved into first place of the Freedom Division with a high-scoring tie against the Thunderbolts. Prior to this year, the Sharks have had only 1 winning streak in its history. Right now, they have a 3 game unbeaten streak. The NFC is now loaded with 2-2 squads..there are currently eight.
Meanwhile the American Conference had keys wins with the Mudcats surviving overtime to beat the Speed and the Knights outscoring the Montreal Alouettes. Unlike the NFC, there are no unbeaten teams, but there are also no winless teams after the Mohegan Wolves upset the Beef. The AFC might of had a chance to win this weekend had one of its strongest teams, New York Dragons, did not forfeit its showdown game with the Frankfurt Galaxy.
The two conferences will play the second half of the Bash four weeks from now.
2010 Week 3
Things tend to occur in threes. There is no exception to NFL Week #3. There are exactly three teams with perfect records- each with a record of 3-0. We would of expected Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans, Indianapolis, or San Diego to be one of those. But no, all 3 are surprises.
Kansas City Chiefs- Matt Cassell has about 500 yards passing- for all 3 games COMBINED. How are they 3-0 still? Week 1 was about pouring rain, a punt return for a TD, and a late goal-line stand against the perennial AFC West Champs. Week 2 had 3 field goals, a pick-six, and playing the lowly Browns. Week 3 the Chiefs just whipped the Niners.
Chicago Bears- Many people expected this team to be around .500 considering they were winless in the preseason. With a tough opening schedule with games against Dallas and Green Bay- the Chi-town folks have a lot to cheer about. The Bears are averaging just 5 more points than their opponents.
Pittsburgh Steelers- Normally this would not be a surprise. However, their top quarterback is busy sitting for his offseason escapes. Then the #2 and #3 guys get hurt. So just bring in the old Lion, Charlie Batch, to lead the Terrible Towels to the top of the tough AFC North. Of course a defense that allows 11 points a game helps, too!
2010 Week 2
Two week into the season and we already know that the Bills, Browns, Panthers, and Rams stink. We also discover two "elite" teams struggling- Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. Of course, I am sure Packer and Eagles fans are crying over that. How about those Chiefs? Sure they just squeaked by the Browns, but a win is a win. And that win came off an impressive one last Monday night in San Diego. So let's analyze some of the games in Week 2:
Miami 14 Minnesota 10- It looked like the Dolphins were doing everything in there power to help the Vikings steal this game. Chad Henne completed just 9 passes and barely crossed the 100 yard plateau, but had no interceptions. Meanwhile, "Oh I don't know if I want to retire because I don't want to go training camp" Favre had 25 balls caught- unfortunately 3 of them were to the players in neon green. Mr. Brett looked his age and showed the obvious rust of joining the team late. I wonder what Tavaris Jackson is thinking now.
Houston 30 Washington 27 (OT)- Here is a game that I did not see until the overtime period. Boy, it was an entertaining 10 minutes or so! Washington had a huge lead, and seemed locked into starting a surprising 2-0 against the Lone Star State. However, Schaub threw for nearly 500 yards and was able to help the Texans go into the extra session. Houston received the opening possession and drove to about the 37 yard line. Coach Kubiak passed on a 50+ yard field goal try and punted- of course it went as a touchback. Then Washington had the exact same scenerio- but went for the win. Field goal was good- but oh those tricky Texas coaches called time-out just before the kick. Of course the second kick went wide, and Houston capitalized on the next drive. I hate that time-out rule and should be eliminated ASAP. Looks like Houston has finally broken through and looks like serious playoff contenders- as long as Schaub stays upright.
Philadelphia 35 Detroit 32- How can you not root for the Lions this year? Last week, victory was stripped after an apparent touchdown pass was overruled. This week, the Lions were so close, but could not execute the on-side kick. Back-up QB, Shaun Hill, had a good game passing over 300 yards. The Lions have road games in Minnesota and Green Bay coming up, so is 0-4 staring them in the faces? Meanwhile, Philly continues to have a quarterback controversy despite what Andy Reid says. The ASPCA's newly crowned mascot, Michael Vick, played a respectable game- though he dropped the ball on the carpet twice. What will happen if Kolb struggles in game 3? At least they are on the road and won't have the home fans booing.
2010 Week 1
So the new NFL season opens up with a yawn-at least from the games I witnessed on Sunday. Too bad I could not see the Texans end their long losing streak to the Colts- maybe the AFC "South" is not a given this year. Ochocinco put up great numbers but could not suit up for the Kitty Kat defense as New England piled up the points. The Lions showed some spunk and lost on a controversial call in Chicago. Many experts predicted the Raiders would improve a lot this season- they quickly dispelled that myth in Week 1. Vince Young only completed 13 passes, but the Houston Oilers, oops Tennessee Titans, racked up 38 points. Kevin Kolb lasted exactly one half in Philly, and is there now a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love? Who is the ASPCA rooting for? Buffalo's new future star from Clemson, CJ Spiller, average less than a year per carry against the Fins. The Dolphins must be happy to be playing in the Lake Erie town in Week 1 instead of December.
Things we learned from week 2 in the PFL...
After a week 1 barrage of 50 point games and over we only had one team make it over 35 points for the week
We had another forfeit for the week
Green Bay and Tennessee cost many teams a lot of points this week
Although everyone selected a tie breaker game – none came into effect this week
2 teams scored 27 points this week – and won
Lesson’s we learned from week 1 in the NFL... Adrian Peterson in an ANIMAL... Even with 10 seconds left and 90 yards to go you always have a chance if you’re playing the Bengals... In the last 3 years Buffalo has lost 2 games on Monday Night Football by the score of 25-24 – both because of 4th quarter comebacks... Tony Romo does not miss Terrell Owens at all... Jay Cutler picked up where he left off last year and will lead the league in interceptions again – unless Jake Delhomme keeps his starting job... St. Louis and Detroit will be playing week 8 for the Number 1 overall draft pick... The Jaguars do not know how to run the Wildcat Formation – isn’t that an oxymoron?... Houston HAD one of the best home field advantages in the past 2 years – and then they go and lay an egg against the Jets... Pittsburgh will miss Polamalu more than the Bears will miss Urlacher... Drew Brees is on pace to throw for 96 TD’s...
Lesson’s we learned from week 1 in the PFL... Never underestimate the importance of 1 point games – it cost the Kreatures a victory and a chance at a perfect score... How do you possibly have a forfeit on your week 1 picks – I have had mine done since July... Arizona was the team most selected team that lost this past week... 1 team selected Detroit this week to win – seriously?!!?... The tie-breaker came into affect this week giving the Ice a victory and costing the Fire Dogs a chance at a tie... With the amount of scores in the 50 this season looks like the most competitive ever in the PFL
The Bills could not muster any point, but how about the Buffalo wind? It knocked two goal posts around like Mike Tyson's ex. Then the field goals were like watching a bowling bowl with an incredible spin. The Pats won in those freakish conditions with Cassell just throwing 8 passes. Oh yeah, you are going home anyway New England.
While the Lions went 0-16, it seemed like they were in just about every game this season. Once again, they had their opponent sweating it out in the fourth quarter-although it was in the frozen tundra of Green Bay.
The Broncos' D forgot to make the trip to San Diego as LT and his understudies ran all over the Orange Crushed Up squad. The Chargers came back from a 4-8 start. The Broncos' three game lead with three games to go reminds me of the New York Mets.
Finally, let's not forget about Andy Beirow and Marcus Schwartz. No! They are not the next two quarterbacks the Lions are trying out. They are the PFL and PFL2 Champions. Andy and his Omaha Beef became the first PFL2 graduate to win the Golden Grail. His match with the Hammerheads was not decided until San Diego's victory. Andy did it the hard way, winning 4 games in the postseason: Speed, Alouettes, Galaxy, and Hammerheads. Meanwhile, Marcus becomes the first repeat PFL2 winner. In another first, the New York Dragons became the first PFL franchise to play in the PFL2 Cup. However, Lou's loyalty to the New York teams cost him the few points he needed to overcome the Gladiators.
How 'bout them Cowboys! Last game at the old dump in Big D (I've been there) and the boys allow the suddenly hot Ravens to almost punch a ticket into the playoffs. I am sure the AFC East teams are sending Christmas presents to Coach Phillips.
Why can't the Jets win on the left coast? They changed the way they traveled this week-and you saw the results. Yes, a whopping 3 points against the JV team in the Emerald City. I suggest the next time the Titans want to see the Pacific Ocean, that they fly east over Asia first. Maybe they can handle the time differences that way better!
Then there's the Lions- the first ever team to go 0-15. A year after the Patriots had a perfect regular season, the Kitty Cats have a chance to match it-albeit in the opposite spectrum. Good thing Marinelli is not coaching in the NBA, he would of been fired after the 0-2 start. The Lions would of been on their third coach by now.
With the Colts' sorry performance Sunday night, the Chargers losing to the Panthers and Tom Brady's injury, the AFC is suddenly wide open. I want to caution everyone not to ignore the Patriots. Seems every newspaper columnist, TV analyst, and blogger has said the Patriots are finished. Let's keep in mind the Pats have won with a lot less talent than they have now. Let's not forget that Tom Brady had the same resume as Matt Cassel when he took over. They still have Bill Belichick and Randy Moss, still have a great front office. The Patriots have a way of turning backup and young players into quality performers and stars. There is no dominant team in the AFC right now which will help the Patriots' chances. They cannot afford another big injury but if they can stay healthy from here on, I can see the Pats back into the playoffs and maybe the Super Bowl. So for you Fantasy Football fans go grab Matt Cassel off the waiver wire and don't trade Randy Moss.
It was no surprise to see the Alouettes in the title game. After all they won the PFL2 cup 3 years ago and have made it to the PFL National Conference Finals the last two seasons. The Fire Dogs were extinct since 2004 after posting a combined .355 winning percentage in 2003-2004. 2007 was a different year for the Bayou Dogs as they won the Continental Division and the #1 seed in the American Conference. Mississippi beat two solid teams in the playoffs and were 1 point favorites coming into Golden Grail IX.
Week 16: There is no doubt that the PFL has gained solid franchises via PFL2 promotions. However, this will be the first year that we had a former PFL2 team advance to the Golden Grail. In 2004, the Alouettes won the PFL2 Cup. In 2007, they will try to win it all in the senior circuit after knocking off the Galaxy.
There opponent will be from the Bayou region. The Mississippi Fire Dogs have suffered through some losing seasons prior to taking a few years off. In the first year of this franchise's revival, Coach Chad has clinched his first playoff spot, division title, and now Golden Grail birth.
This will be the first time ever that these two teams will face on the gridiron. Not only is the PFL title up for grabs, but the winner will take the top prize in the Money Bag Competition.
Week 14: The playoff season has arrived. This week we had two wild card games while the divisional winners got to take the week off. In the first matchup, the Galaxy defeated the Wolves by a 55-44 score. Like many teams in PFL/PFL2, Frankfurt was able to knock off another perfect week thanks to the lack of upsets in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Wolves got off on the wrong foot by losing the Thursday night game and never recovering after that. The Galaxy will travel to New York to play the City Hawks in the Divisional Round. In the other wildcard matchup, the Renegades stop the Miami Hooters 52-49. Both teams lost their Tampa pick, but the Hooters picked the Buccs for more points. That turned out to be the difference. Rome will never travel to Mississippi to play the top seed Fire Dogs.
News: Congrats to Will Riney for finishing on top of the Power Standings for 2007. The Power Standings rates each team based on: head-to-head record, points scored, and picking record.
News: Congrats to Andy of the Omaha Beef. Although he barely missed the playoffs, Andy can take comfort in knowing that he will receive a free year in Total Sports for winning the 2007 Monday Night Challenge!
Week 13: There were some good games this week in the NFL. Arizona won because of what appears a bad call by the referees. Cleveland had a chance to win on a hail mary to Winslow. Replays show the defenders pushing him out, but the play was not ruled that way. The Giants overcame a terrible first half and conquered the Bears in Chicago. The loss occured for two reasons: the Bears settling for many field goals and the Giants kicking away from Hester. Jets keep the Dolphins winless with 30 consecutive points scored. Minnesota is hot after beating the Lions. Detroit's goal of 10 wins is fading away. Buffalo wins- spoiling the Redskins' first game without number 21. The Patriots were in a nail-biter with the Ravens. New England is due to lose soon.
Week 12 Preview: This upcoming week is PFL's annual rivalry week which always falls on Thanksgiving week. Thanksgiving is all about family, and in PFL, we pair up relatives as best as possible. This upcoming week, we have 3 games on the slate that feature wife vs husband: Hawaiians vs Knights, Wolves vs City Hawks, and Xtreme vs Galaxy. (The husband is leading in the life-time series in all 3 of those matchups.) Then we have two parings involving friends: Hooters vs Wranglers and Outlaws vs Purple Rage. PFL History is involved in some of our matchups: Federals vs Thunderbolts (long-time members), Beef vs Sharks (the original 2 PFL2 members to get promoted) and Kreatures vs Renegades (2 PFL2 members from last year). Then geography helped determine 2 other rivals: Alouettes vs Argonauts (Canadian teams) and Hornets vs Speed (North Carolina teams). Finally, we have a few matchups that have no apparent connections. Maybe, they will begin their rivalry here: Fire Dogs vs Nighthawks and Spartans vs Red Dogs. Let the banter begin!
Week 11: Congrats to everyone in PFL for winning the third and final installment of the Confederation Clash. Each week 5 teams are randomly selected from PFL and PFL2 to battle each other for bragging rights. PFL started off strong the first half of the battle, thanks to several forfeits by PFL2 teams that were eventually replaced. Once PFL2 inherited its new teams, it ripped off a few wins to make things interesting. However, PFL won the last 2 weeks to clinch the series 7 weeks to 4. Andy Beirow has something to smile about. He has clinched the 2007 Monday Night Challenge Title with an impressive 10-1 record with 2 weeks still remaining. With this title, Andy wins a free year of membership in Total Sports. Tony and Roy were the previous winners of this contest.
Week 10: Week 10 showed that the Packers and Cowboys are indeed the class of the NFC. The Boys beat a tough Giants team on the road and the Packers smashed the Vikes.The Vikes got a scare as AP tore a ligament but will not require surgery. Peyton Manning showed that he is human, throwing 6 picks as the Chargers won a ugly one in San Diego. The Lions were back to their usual tricks losing on the road to the Cards. The best game of the week may have been the Steelers rally to beat those pesky Browns. Its been weeks since we heard anything about Brady Quinn. Derek Anderson will be a free agent at the end of the season, do you think the Ravens would like his services?
Week 9: All the hype leading up to the Colts-Patriots game finally lived up to it. Although, the defenses showed up too for this game! Will Arizona finally ever break through, despite a terrible division?- probably not. Packers win again. Is there anyone else sick of hearing about the Favre Retirement talk? Falcons win a game, and no mention of Vick the past month. Cowboys beat Eagles, setting up a showdown next week in the Meadowlands. The Lions are 6-2, what????
Week 8: Not too many upsets in the NFL this weekend, hence high scores for our PFL players. We had perfect scores for 3 teams: Federals, Knights, Hawaiians. Ironically, those are teams that sported non-winning records. The Tbolts came up with an impressive win over the Fire Dogs. These two teams could be battling to the end for the conference's number 1 spot. What happened to the Renegades? After opening up with a 5-0 record and a large lead in the division, they have quickly fallen into second place. With the Beef's win, Coach Andy impressively lead the MNF standings with a 7-1 record. Looks like he might earn the prize for a free year in Total Sports.
Week 6: This week there were plenty of pivotal divisional match-ups. In the Continental Division, we has the always fun Macaluso Bowl. this time the Hawaiians pulled out a one point victory to even their record at 3-3. Thanks to the Spartans' victory over the Kreatures, everyone in the Liberty Division has at least a .500 record. Hooters beat the suddenly struggling Tbolts to pull into a tie in the United Division. The Freedom Division ended up with a total of 3 ties this week. The Alouettes have the same number of wins as their other divisional counterparts have combined. Its a two team race in the Frontier Division, as the Speed and Galaxy won this week to boost impressive 4-1-1 records. The City Hawks reclaimed the top spot in the Spirit Division after beating the Beef.
Week 5: It was a very close matchup between the American Conference and National Conference with the former winning the showdown 5-4-1. American Conference had important wins by the Renegades over the City Hawks and the Kreatures over the Wolves. The National Conference countered with the Galaxy's win over the Fire Dogs and Beef over the Hawaiians.
This upcoming week is known as Interconference Bash. 10 of the 12 games will feature matchups between the American Conference and the National Conference. Up to this point, there has been no interconference games. Week 5 will be a major part of determining which side has bragging rights.
Week 3 Summary: Cardinals make nice comeback but cannot overcome Ravens. Pats keep rolling. Raiders win their first game in a long time. When will Leftwich start for the Falcons? Skins fall apart in the second half. Eagles may wear those ugly uniforms after putting up 56 points. The Rams' offense is offensive. Steelers have not missed a beat with their new coach.
Week 2 Summary: Saints' feel good story last year is turning into a horror story this year. The Lions' prediction of 10-6 does not seem as laughable after an overtime win over Minnesota. Denver wins in OT after Raiders made a field goal nullified by a last-second timeout. Rams need to find their all-star tailback. Are the Chiefs really the Chefs? Falcons trade Schaub to Texans- Falcons are 0-2 and Texans are 2-0. Colts keep rolling. Giants stink.
The All Star Competition is held every two years. In 2004, the National Conference swept the match 4 games to 0. Unlike 2004, the All Star Competition will be held during the NFL postseason.
Red Dogs vs Generals-There has only been 2 games between husband and wife so far. However, with both teams playing well this year, the winner has a shot at a playoff spot. Xtreme vs Argonauts- Former Roselle Park classmates meet again for the eighth time. Despite the Argos' overall PFL success, he only owns a 4-3 edge vs struggling L.A. Beef vs Alouettes- This was created as a rivalry because these are the first 2 teams to win PFL2 Titles in its history. Many playoff implications with this game.Hooters vs Wranglers- Two of the older franchises in PFL. The Hooters had a five game winning streak vs Wranglers until it was snapped earlier this year. Galaxy vs Outlaws- The league's top 2 executives battle again for the 13th time. Galaxy are 8-4 in the series and has won the last 4 matchups. Hawaiians vs Knights- Lots of Golden Grail trophies in this household. Despite the Hawaiians better overall success, its the Knights that own this series 5-2-1. Thunderbolts vs Federals- Two long time franchises that have not played since 2003. Tbolts lead the series 4-0. Sharks vs Blizzard- Two teams that experienced great success in PFL2 but has struggled in PFL. Wolves vs Kreatures- Two graduating members from last year's PFL2 class. Enforcers vs Spartans- This rivalry was originally created because the teams these 2 replaced played in the same non-football league. Fireants vs Purple Rage- There really is no rivalry here other than being a divisional game.
Now that our league has passed the problems that plagued us a few weeks ago, it is time to start thinking about the upcoming postseason. It has been interesting watching some of the divisional races this fall. In some divisions, the first place team is so far ahead of the competition. In other divisions, the teams are very close together. Then there is the United Division, who seems united to qualify a team into the post season with a losing record. However, there still 5 weeks for one team to emerge from that pack and put together a respectible record.
The Continental Division started out with a bang, with three teams going undefeated early on. Things have cooled off for some of those teams while the Hawaiians vie for a fourth Grail. The Liberty Division has seen a shake-up with its leader being replaced by the Spartans. Should be interesting to see if Tim keeps up with the record he inherited. The Spirit Division has been owned by the Beef since week 1. The Freedom Division saw the Alouettes win 6 in a row, but their arch rival, Argos, have kept up the pace. The Frontier Division has been the most competitive with each team sporting at least a .500 record. Early on, it looked like a 2 team battle, but the New Jersey teams have fought back.
With some divisions already being determined, the wild-card battle should be more interesting as the season progresses.
The PFL Commissioner and Bureau would like to introduce our newest expansion team to the league. The team name is the Carolina Spartans and is owned by Tim Kirby. Tim lives in North Carolina and is a big Panthers fan. Tim was approved to join about 3-4 weeks ago, but there were some mitigating factors that postponed this announcement. Tim has signed up to play through the 2008 season. Please welcome him aboard!
Another member in our league just had their first child. Congrats to Gary of the Jacksonville Sharks for the birth of his son Tyler (a name I have on my list too) Jack- aka T.J. He was born on the evening of October 4. Tyler was just under 8 pounds and will soon look to take over his father's PFL franchise.
I have been thinking a long time to reserve this spot for news from our players themselves. If you have any good news about something going on in your lives you like me to share with the league, I can place on here.
I will start off by announcing something some of you already know and others found out from Frank spilling the beans on the boards. My wife, RoseAnn and I will be having our first child. Its been a long time coming and things are getting hectic and stressful at times around here. RoseAnn, who also plays in this league, is expected to deliver in late February. Of course this child will inherit our love for sports, knowledge of making websites, and eventually succeeding me as Commissioner whenever I retire.
1. All teams must make the state playoffs, and all will win the
championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation
until they are the champions and coaches will be held accountable.
2. All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time
and in the same conditions. No exceptions will be made for interest in football,
a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities. ALL KIDS
WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL.
3. Talented players will be asked to work out on their own without
instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their
instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have
limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like football.
4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in 4th, 8th
and 11th games.
5. This will create a New Age of sports where every school is expected to have
the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimal goals. If no
child gets ahead, then no child will be left behind.
Pretenders vs. Contenders
After 3 weeks in the NFL it is becoming clear that there are some clear cut pretenders and some definite contenders abounding in the NFL.
Contenders:
Indianapolis Colts - If I would have told you at the beginning of the year that Peyton Manning would have only thrown 2 touchdowns in the first 3 games and the Colts were going to be 3-0 in the process you probably would have laughed in my face, however Tony Dungy, being a defensive guru, has quietly built his defense into a legitimate threat. Peyton will rebound and find his groove eventually - but until then the Colts just might find out that defense wins championships.
Oakland Raiders - I know, I know - how can an 0-3 team be considered a contender - after all - they haven't won a game yet, however, lets look at their schedule up until now - the Raiders had to go on the road to open the season at the defending Superbowl Champion New England Patriots, then they lost a game at home against an improved KC team, and then had to go back on the road to play the OTHER team in the Superbowl last year, the Philadelphia Eagles - talk about brutal. I am not a Raiders fan - but I can look at things rationally and say that the toughest part of their schedule is behind them and they should be able to start racking up the wins.
New England - The defending Superbowl champs and winners of 3 out of the last 4 Superbowls should be a no brainer right? Well considering that they lost some key cogs with their coaching staff many people wondered if they would be able to continue their amazing dynasty this year - and right now - especially after the huge win up in Pittsburgh - all signs point to yes. Their biggest test will come week 9 when they host a much improved Indianapolis Colts team. Most teams would let the recent injuries distract them - but the Patriots are a very unselfish team and adjustments will be made to fill in the gaps.
Pretenders:
Philadelphia Eagles - This is obviously not the same team that went to the Superbowl last year - they seems very out of sync offensively - with the exception of a huge game against an awful 49er team they haven't done much along the lines of scoring points. Week one against the Falcons they came out very flat and uninspired and week 3 McNabb had to throw the ball 50+ times in order to get the win. Westbrook had a great game against the Raiders and needs to be a main contributor to the offense every week in order for the Eagles to turn them from pretenders to contenders once again. The NFC is definitely a weak conference and should be a cake walk for a team with as much talent on it as the Eagles - but they need to get their offensive game plan straightened out in order to make the return trip to the Superbowl.
Cincinnati Bengals - This was a tough one for me - I like the Bengals - and think that they have really improved both offensively and defensively and they have the stats to back it up - but in looking at the schedule - their 3 victories game against the Browns, a very bad Viking team, and the Bears. I do not think the Bengals have to experience to pull out the "must win" games against the likes of a Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, or Patriots. I think the Bengals could make the playoffs with the wild card because of the favorable schedule that they have - but they are still a couple years away from making it to any sort of Conference Championship games.
Washington Redskins - The Redskins are 2-0 and in 1st place in their division and everyone is calling Joe Gibbs a genius once again - and that really disturbs me. The Redskins have scored 2 offensive touchdowns in their wins - and were held without a touchdown for the first 116 minutes of their football season - if not for a defensive brain fart from Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys - they would still be shut out offensively. The Redskins are a bad football team and will be lucky to finish the season at 7-9.
The great thing about football is that on any given Sunday any team can be beat if the heart and desire is not there - football is much more than a game of skill - it is also a game of emotion. No one gave the Patriots much of a chance to beat the Rams in the Superbowl in 2001 - but the emotion, desire and will to win of the young Patriots was much greater than the offensive talent of the Rams - that's why we love this game.
Nate Bishop (Kreatures Owner)
I am going to take a different spin on the never ending TO saga. Yes TO has not handled himself in the best way these last few months but have the Eagles? Are we surprised by TO’s actions? No. It’s the Eagles who could have squelched this saga early on by just guaranteeing more of the contract. That way everyone would save face, they didn’t have to give him more money just guarantee more money in the contract. I know the Eagles have a policy of not renegotiating contracts but I refer back to Jimmy Johnson philosophy, " You treat superstars different than everyone else". The Eagles also don’t want to give a long term deal to Westbrook. The Eagles are slowly getting a reputation of being cheap. What free agents are going to want to come to a place with that label? Lets not kid ourselves the Eagles must have a happy TO if they want a championship. With Todd Pinkston going down they are in desperate mode at WR. The Eagles knew what they were getting when they acquired TO. Let us not forget that last January TO had one of the greatest comeback story ever when he came back from the broken leg weeks earlier than expected. I think that showed his commitment to the team and the fans.
Article written by Shawn Jackson, owner of the Las Vegas Outlaws
Let’s pretend big time here. Let us suppose the modest Terrel Owens becomes a public school teacher. For simplicity, I will pretend I am him and use the word “I”-since he is good at using that word….
I have decided to quit football and join the ranks of the teaching industry. It all started out well as I got a job teaching Physics to Honors kids. I have no idea what I am talking about in class, but the kids all seem to like my style and listen. For only $5, I autograph their textbooks. The first day went so well, that I knew I was the best teacher Ron Jaworski High School had to offer. I was so happy that I ran over to Danny White School during an assembly and slammed my plan book on their school logo in the gym. I was so proud of my school. I don’t know why everyone booed. I also don’t know why one of their staff grabbed me and threw me out-that was so selfish of him.
Then during our faculty meeting, Principal Mary Oochie said some things that were mind-numbing. She told us that we had to work on our plan books harder. I questioned her team loyalty. Then the principal chose a few teachers to run the Home-Coming Committee, and left me out. “But the Committee doesn’t involve me! I will get lost among this staff.”
Despite the problems, I continue to be the best teacher in the building. They all love me! I am a total team guy. During Home-Coming, I even joined the cheerleaders and played with the pom poms.
Then one day, my science supervisor comes to observe my awesome teaching methods. He had the nerve to tell me that I did not know my material well enough for the lesson. I told that idiot, “It’s my job to teach the kids in my classroom. It’s your job to find smarter kids in my classroom so we can do well on the state exams.”
Then the state tests come along, and our school did terrible. They did great in Physics, but man those math scores blow! I told Principal Oochie that the math teacher should be fired immediately! After all, that guy looks gay to me. “If it looks like a rat, it must be a rat!” I can’t teach with gay people around me, so I decided to work for another school.
I went to Randall Cunningham High. They were a pretty good school, with some solid scores. But they could never reach the top of the state with science scores, that’s where I came in. At R.C. High, there is this popular teacher named Mr. Chunky. The whole town loved him. So I made sure to hang out with him over the summer and exchange lesson plan ideas. Things were great! I am a team guy!
Then the year started, things were great. I was now selling autographs for $10, despite pressures from the Teaching Union that this was unethical. I don’t even know how to spell unethical. Then Mr. Chunky got sick and had to be away for a while. And I had to take on his kids too! That ain’t right! But as a team player, I kindly followed him down the hallway, when he came back, and gently blamed him for the mess that he created the past few weeks. For some reason, he was rude and ignored my comments.
However, other than that, the year was going great. Everyone loved me, even the parents. During parent conferences, one white woman jumped into my arms and thanked me. I could not help she was half-naked.
The next year comes along, and I am thinking,” I can’t live on a $40,000 yearly salary. What’s up with my teacher’s union?” After all, I did work hard and had to cover for Mr. Chunky’s sorry ass when he went away. I also came in sick on the last day of school, because I am a team player. I hired Mr. Rose N. House to look into my local union’s inability to negotiate a fair contract. They said our contract was for 3 years, and will be renegotiated after that period. Screw that! I came into school sick that last day and I deserve more. I told R.C. High and Principal Reed that he can forget the idea of me coming into the school during the summer to set up my classroom and attend any meetings prior to the first day of school. I have rights!
Then on the first week of school, the principal suspends me! The best teacher in the school?-it makes no sense, I am a team player. Some parents come to my home and ask me what is going on. I was just minding my business writing lesson plans in my driveway with no shirt on. Why were these parents hounding me? I am a team player!
I am going to take a different spin on the never ending TO saga. Yes TO has not handled himself in the best way these last few months but have the Eagles? Are we surprised by TO’s actions? No. It’s the Eagles who could have squelched this saga early on by just guaranteeing more of the contract. That way everyone would save face, they didn’t have to give him more money just guarantee more money in the contract. I know the Eagles have a policy of not renegotiating contracts but I refer back to Jimmy Johnson philosophy, " You treat superstars different than everyone else". The Eagles also don’t want to give a long term deal to Westbrook. The Eagles are slowly getting a reputation of being cheap. What free agents are going to want to come to a place with that label? Lets not kid ourselves the Eagles must have a happy TO if they want a championship. With Todd Pinkston going down they are in desperate mode at WR. The Eagles knew what they were getting when they acquired TO. Let us not forget that last January TO had one of the greatest comeback story ever when he came back from the broken leg weeks earlier than expected. I think that showed his commitment to the team and the fans.
Article written by Shawn Jackson, owner of the Las Vegas Outlaws
Although the Purple Rage were in the midst of a terrible losing slump, this week's matchup against the hot Maulers meant a lot. In the Monday Night competition, most players picked the favorite Maulers to win. With the Purple Rage picking themselves, a win would vault them into a tie for first in the MNF competition. And that is what happened. Now the Purple Rage find themselves tied with the Alouettes in the final standings. A tie breaker will now be utilized. They will pick all the PFL playoff games until one team comes out on top. The winner gets a free year of registration in the Total Sports Network.
Pretenders vs. Contenders
After 3 weeks in the NFL it is becoming clear that there are some clear cut pretenders and some definite contenders abounding in the NFL.
Contenders:
Indianapolis Colts - If I would have told you at the beginning of the year that Peyton Manning would have only thrown 2 touchdowns in the first 3 games and the Colts were going to be 3-0 in the process you probably would have laughed in my face, however Tony Dungy, being a defensive guru, has quietly built his defense into a legitimate threat. Peyton will rebound and find his groove eventually - but until then the Colts just might find out that defense wins championships.
Oakland Raiders - I know, I know - how can an 0-3 team be considered a contender - after all - they haven't won a game yet, however, lets look at their schedule up until now - the Raiders had to go on the road to open the season at the defending Superbowl Champion New England Patriots, then they lost a game at home against an improved KC team, and then had to go back on the road to play the OTHER team in the Superbowl last year, the Philadelphia Eagles - talk about brutal. I am not a Raiders fan - but I can look at things rationally and say that the toughest part of their schedule is behind them and they should be able to start racking up the wins.
New England - The defending Superbowl champs and winners of 3 out of the last 4 Superbowls should be a no brainer right? Well considering that they lost some key cogs with their coaching staff many people wondered if they would be able to continue their amazing dynasty this year - and right now - especially after the huge win up in Pittsburgh - all signs point to yes. Their biggest test will come week 9 when they host a much improved Indianapolis Colts team. Most teams would let the recent injuries distract them - but the Patriots are a very unselfish team and adjustments will be made to fill in the gaps.
Pretenders:
Philadelphia Eagles - This is obviously not the same team that went to the Superbowl last year - they seems very out of sync offensively - with the exception of a huge game against an awful 49er team they haven't done much along the lines of scoring points. Week one against the Falcons they came out very flat and uninspired and week 3 McNabb had to throw the ball 50+ times in order to get the win. Westbrook had a great game against the Raiders and needs to be a main contributor to the offense every week in order for the Eagles to turn them from pretenders to contenders once again. The NFC is definitely a weak conference and should be a cake walk for a team with as much talent on it as the Eagles - but they need to get their offensive game plan straightened out in order to make the return trip to the Superbowl.
Cincinnati Bengals - This was a tough one for me - I like the Bengals - and think that they have really improved both offensively and defensively and they have the stats to back it up - but in looking at the schedule - their 3 victories game against the Browns, a very bad Viking team, and the Bears. I do not think the Bengals have to experience to pull out the "must win" games against the likes of a Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, or Patriots. I think the Bengals could make the playoffs with the wild card because of the favorable schedule that they have - but they are still a couple years away from making it to any sort of Conference Championship games.
Washington Redskins - The Redskins are 2-0 and in 1st place in their division and everyone is calling Joe Gibbs a genius once again - and that really disturbs me. The Redskins have scored 2 offensive touchdowns in their wins - and were held without a touchdown for the first 116 minutes of their football season - if not for a defensive brain fart from Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys - they would still be shut out offensively. The Redskins are a bad football team and will be lucky to finish the season at 7-9.
The great thing about football is that on any given Sunday any team can be beat if the heart and desire is not there - football is much more than a game of skill - it is also a game of emotion. No one gave the Patriots much of a chance to beat the Rams in the Superbowl in 2001 - but the emotion, desire and will to win of the young Patriots was much greater than the offensive talent of the Rams - that's why we love this game.
Nate Bishop (Kreatures Owner)
In hindsight:
Lock of week 1
Surprise of week 1
You should have seen it coming in week 1:
Nate Bishop (Kreatures Owner)
Week 1 is in the books and judging from my own bruises and wounds it was a pretty brutal week - and I'm sure I'm not the only one who came out of this unscathed. Week one was full of many surprises and upsets - and then there were the white washes that proved almost unbearable to watch. But I think the game that everyone was the most curious about was the contest between the New Orleans / San Antonio / New Jersey / Louisiana Saints and the Carolina "I'm the trendy pick" Panthers. People were curious to see how the Saints would fare against their division rivals only a few weeks after "Katrina". The game opened up on an awesome gesture - the people of Carolina giving the Saints a standing ovation - that's class - one has to wonder if the Saints were playing in Philadelphia if such a gesture would have been made. The game ended in story book fashion for the Saints - a game winning field goal to give them an emotional victory. The game and the victory helped the people of New Orleans set aside their troubles even if only for a few hours and have a bit of excitement in the midst of their chaos - and the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief because all was well in the U.S. for a few hours.
New England over Oakland - it's the World Champs - 'nuff said
49ers over the Rams - give me a break
Cowboys over the Chargers - it's the fricken Chargers for cryin' out loud.
The Tallahassee Thunder were a late addition to the 2005 season, after the Fire Dogs left abruptly. After 2 losses to open the season, the Thunder has forfeited the last 2 weeks and has not paid league operation fees. Therefore, the Commissioner's Office, with the advice of the Bureau, has closed shop on the Floridian team.
To replace the Thunder, the Pittsburgh Maulers of the PFL2 were promoted. The Maulers were off to a great start this year and should provide some competition for the National Conference. The Maulers will not inherit the Thunder's 0-4 mark and will start Week 5 at 0-0. They are playoff-eligibile, but the odds of that happening are small. Nate, owner of Pittsburgh, will use 2005 as a learning and getting aquainted year.
Nate will be our first ever player from the state of Kentucky.
You think Chad would be worried about Hurricane Katrina at this point, and not some silly exhibition between two internet leagues. One day after PFL officially withdrew from the Showdown, Chad pulled his Fire Dogs out of PFL effectively ending all association between PFL and Braggin Rights. "We are obviously disappointed by this decision," said the Commissioner, "but we've been through worse." One week before the regular season, the Commissioner has promoted the Tallahassee Thunder from the PFL2. "Turnover is never good. However, we don't want people who don't want to be in or appreciate our league."
From what I can see the PFL only promotes friendly trash-talking and you can see the results in the articles posted and the messages going back and forth on the message board. The PFL seems to be a tight group of people who enjoy various sports and the inevitable trash-talking that comes with them. I am currently a PFL2 owner and would like to see us build a relationship like the ones in the PFL - I believe we all joined to have a good time during football season and to make the games a little more enjoyable - but even more than that - I think the goal of everyone in the PFL2 is to make it to the big leagues of the PFL - and the way to do that it to have fun without making a spectacle of yourself. So remember to have fun - but do it sensibly.
Nate Bishop (Kreatures Owner)
(reported by the AP)
The NFL this past weekend held its annual college draft for the first time at the Jacob Javits Convention Center,which will have a new neighbor in 2009, The New York Jets. The place was packed with at least 5,000 football crazy fans to witness the start of the football season. I strolled around the convention center and asked my fellow football fans about what makes them come to the NFL draft.
Bruce in Bayside N.Y. -"I come to see who my Jets are going to pick."
Cliff from Bayonne NJ -"I have to see what the Giants pick."
Dave from Easton PA - "Ever since I saw my Eagle brothers boo Mcnabb, I have to come to boo our next pick"
Sandy from Jersey -"I just come to see how Mel Kiper keeps his hair straight for 12 hours"
I caught up with our beloved commissioner Paully T and was able to get some questions in before the pepper spray took effect.
"Paully, just a couple of questions and I'll be on my way. What were you thinking awarding Detriot the Superbowl with the third highest Muslim population in the US only 15 minutes away?"
"Well, Steve first of all good to see you wearing pants again. I think the NFL has an excellent policy of awarding cities the Superbowl when they bow down to us and give us new Stadiums.
"What do you think of the Giants spending their own money on building the new Giants Stadium?"
"I really don't recommend that since now other cities will say to us that hey the Giants use their own money why do you want us(the taxpayer) to pay for it.
Okay time to get to the mail box and open up some letters:
Richie a Cowboys fan from Clark writes in,
"What do you think of the 'boys draft and how are they going to do this season?"
I say that Parcells and Jones are very serious this year about returning to the playoffs. 6 out of 8 pickes were on defense and they got a steal in RB Marion Barber to back up JJ. Bill wants to shore up his front seven and try to compete this year with the Eagles. I see the 'boys weakness at the QB position and protecting him. I see the cowgirls making the playoffs.
Joseph in Los Angles,
"Steve big football fan here in la-la land, your predictions were so off last year and your picks were just terrible, why don't you go away?"
Joe it was my first truly rotten season and my predictions were close and much closer than the so called experts in the Sporting News. Joe how's the football team in LA going to do this year? I would say they are going to score more than you do.
Phil in North Jersey,
"Speaking of draft, what is your favorite draft on tap?"
"Great question Phil. I would have to go with Heavyweight's stick an jab. It's very hard to find so my fall back draft is always Sam Adams. If the bar doesn't have it, just leave.
Last letter is from Roseann(again),
"How do you think the Giants are going to do this year? and please tell me what am I going to do with my Kurt Warner Jersey?
I can see the Giants going 8-8 this year and be very competitive against the Eagles. Manning should be better but we are going to see some growing pains. I think you should keep the Jersey and somehow get it signed because one day it will be worth something.
Thats all for now.
The year 2005, Honolulu started off the year 2-5. 3 of those losses were within her division. However, they didn't lose another game after that. 6 straight wins in the regular season and 3 more in the playoffs. She bettered Safari's longest winning streak of the year by one game.
The Golden Grail game simply came down to the Pittsburgh vs Buffalo game. Buffalo was hot and had everything to play for. Pittsburgh was resting their starters and had nothing to play for. The Galaxy took the Bills for 7 points while the Hawaiians selected the Steelers for 7. So what happened? The Steelers crushed the Bills, and gave Coach Jenn a major 14 point swing. Final score was 41-31.
Will the Hawaiians win in 2005? Who knows?-but some other franchises are eager to have a fresh face in the championship game next year.
The Fort Wayne Safari, the team without a real helmet logo, was a strange franchise. Some years they'd dominate their competition, while other years they would finish near the bottom. Prior to the 2004 season, the Safari were the only team to have a perfect game-and did it twice. Last year, Fort Wayne had a terrific regular season, only to forfeit a playoff game.
From his Arizona home, Coach Rohit has announced this week that he will be pulling his midwest team out for good. According to sources, he left because he wanted to spend more time with the family. Who knows the reason?-but the PFL has lost a memorable team. The Original 2 that remains are the Galaxy and Xtreme.
The Safari showed the biggest improvement from 2003 where they finished 14th. Other turnaround include: Federals (from 15th to 6th), Knights (13th to 7th) and Wranglers (8th to 3rd). The biggest dropoffs include: Bandits (2nd to 12th), Argonauts (1st to 9th), Fire Dogs (6th to 13th) and Hooters (3rd to 8th).
So what happened, the NFC dominated all 3 matchups thanks to 2 perfect scores by the Argos and Galaxy. The Xtreme completed the sweep by surprising the once unbeaten Safari in the third match. The Bandits misplayed the week, forgetting to make his one point pick-which turned out to be the difference. The Thunderbolts were defeated thanks to the Jaguars loss to Tennessee.
The Commissioner had a few comments to make, "It is a shame that such a record setting week was ruined by forfeitures. There was not much of a buzz either going into the game. I think this may be the only all star game we have during the regular season for a long time. I think the players would prefer to keep exhibition either in the NFL playoffs or during the NFL preseason. Congrats to those who reached the magic number of 55!"
The magic number had only been reached twice in 5 years prior to 2004- both were done by the Safari, who ironically had the second lowest score in the field this week.
Noticably missing were some of the traditional powers of the PFL. Only 1 of 4 PFL champs even participated. The Galaxy lost a close high scoring affair to PFL2 veteran, Bobcats. The Hooters, Hawaiians, and Federals were all too busy doing book deals detailing their past successes. Other PFL powers lost in the first round: Argonauts, Outlaws, and Thunderbolts. PFL2 put on a good show in the opening rounds, sporting a 4-0 record against PFL. However, they lost 4 straight, thanks to some forfeits. The series ended up 4-4.
Okay, now to the mail bag.
Chad in Appleton, Wisconsin writes,
"Steve, do you think the Packers have any shot this year making it back to the Super bowl before Brett Favre retires?"
Chad, until the Packers upgrade that defense you are looking at the same team from last year. Brett can play another 3 years with a Batman at running back Ahman Green. It's 30's team now and Brett is along for the ride.
Roseann in Jersey had this to say.
"Steve, Really love the articles and I had a question that I knew only you could answer. I have these old jersey in good condition but they are Dave Brown and Jason Sehorn. Do you think I can sell these on ebay?
Roseann,
No!
And finally my last letter this week,
Frank a 20 year season ticket holder in Long Island sent this one in,
"Steve,
what do you think of the New Stadium on the West Side of Manhattan for the J-E-T-S!!!!
Frank,
get ready to bend over and feel what its like to be spanked by corporate welfare. First, they are going to hit you with the PSL's. We are talking NYC here so a lower level seat in the end zone should fetch about $2500-3000 per seat. Then, you'll have the highest price ticket price in the league at about $85-100 a seat. Last but not least, no place to tailgate. Can you imagine a Jets game where the stadium is sober before the game? No problem the beer stands have plenty on tap for $8 bucks a pop. So, I think its a great idea for the Giants to kick our NY brother back to NY where they belong. Frank, just to rub salt in the wound, the Giants will be playing in Super bowl 43 in NYC.
Until my next letter,
Steve
Captain of the Argo
Thank You,
Lou Demian
Dragons Owner