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Palmateer's Stallions
(from stallions.com)
A year ago he inherited an offense that thrived on the power running of James "Swweeet" Tart that flamed out when it went into Columbia off a wildcard place in the playoffs. Last year, T.J. (Thomas Jonathan) Palmateer challenged his offense to become the best in the IFL and they responded admirably.
Once a one-dimensional smash mouth club, the Stallions jumped to the forefront of the league and made overnight stars of Nigel "Deuce" Booker and his ground-to-air missile "Money" Gomez and it surprised everyone except TJ.
"I know I was hired based off what I did in Cleveland with their running game, "explained Coach Palmateer. "I didn"t know Booker was as good as he is until our first mini-camp". "One the first play of mini-camp Deuce dropped back 7-steps and chucked the pill 70+ yards to a wide open #86. I turned to Coach Barber (Offensive Coordinator C) who joined my staff from Columbia and he winked at me, saying that he thought the kids" arm was just as strong as Cartagena"s." "I knew then we where going to challenge some defenses in this league," exclaimed Palmateer with a mischievous grin.
With everyone expecting the horses to pound the rock, Salt Lake opened the season with a 3 WR look and Booker torched division rival Reno with 321 yards and 3 scores. "I think we lined up Tart everywhere in that game as he was really excited about the offense," "Think he caught 9 passes that day and rushed for about 65 yards on 12 carries".
Booker threw for over 300 again on the road against a very physical Hartford team before losing to Newark and Little Rock because the running game was not yet on track. Tart quickly turned to the media and spoke out about the team"s new philosophy. Coach Palmateer responded his public outbursts by placing the star running back in the trading block. "I needed to let him know that this is a team and that no one player is more important than the whole," said Palmateer.
Tart responded to his coach by leaving his rumored girlfriends at the time (Porn star turned sports analyst Bobbi Dallis and Felicia Tan"then wife of Hartford"s Bryce Tan) and turning 3 straight 100-yard rushing games. Tart confided in teammates that he couldn"t imagine life as anything other than a Stallion. James signed a $65 million dollar extension this off-season and signed the deal at a press conference where he said he"d play for coach Palmateer anywhere and anyway he wanted him to. That"s speaks volumes as Tart has rarely been known to respect anyone.
Salt Lake lapsed mid-season as Tart recovered from a sprained MCL but quickly regained form down the stretch and captured its first NC West Title. In the postseason Burlington ended its franchise (they are now the Mountaineers) with a loss to the horses in the Wildcard round. This set the Stallions up for a rematch of the game that sent them home a year earlier.
The Stallions defeated the Fire 48-42 in a come-from-behind victory that still has the Fire scratching their heads for answers. Coach Palmateer finally met his match in the team that would go on to win it all (Madison Demons) but knows that his team learned some valuable lessons last season.
"We can be as good as we want to be, says Palmateer looking at his team practice through his new office (unexpected gift from Vito Stallione this off-season). "We got to stay level-headed with both Vancouver and Oakland coming of age this season." "But, I think we"ve got just as much a chance as anybody this year."
With a strong draft and some solid additions in free agency this team is a lot better than it was last year. Coach is right about Oakland and Vancouver. Both teams made significant steps to becoming contenders this season. It"s going to come down to whom has the better coaching in the NC West and if that"s the case, my money is on T.J.
--JS
(from stallions.com)
A year ago he inherited an offense that thrived on the power running of James "Swweeet" Tart that flamed out when it went into Columbia off a wildcard place in the playoffs. Last year, T.J. (Thomas Jonathan) Palmateer challenged his offense to become the best in the IFL and they responded admirably.
Once a one-dimensional smash mouth club, the Stallions jumped to the forefront of the league and made overnight stars of Nigel "Deuce" Booker and his ground-to-air missile "Money" Gomez and it surprised everyone except TJ.
"I know I was hired based off what I did in Cleveland with their running game, "explained Coach Palmateer. "I didn"t know Booker was as good as he is until our first mini-camp". "One the first play of mini-camp Deuce dropped back 7-steps and chucked the pill 70+ yards to a wide open #86. I turned to Coach Barber (Offensive Coordinator C) who joined my staff from Columbia and he winked at me, saying that he thought the kids" arm was just as strong as Cartagena"s." "I knew then we where going to challenge some defenses in this league," exclaimed Palmateer with a mischievous grin.
With everyone expecting the horses to pound the rock, Salt Lake opened the season with a 3 WR look and Booker torched division rival Reno with 321 yards and 3 scores. "I think we lined up Tart everywhere in that game as he was really excited about the offense," "Think he caught 9 passes that day and rushed for about 65 yards on 12 carries".
Booker threw for over 300 again on the road against a very physical Hartford team before losing to Newark and Little Rock because the running game was not yet on track. Tart quickly turned to the media and spoke out about the team"s new philosophy. Coach Palmateer responded his public outbursts by placing the star running back in the trading block. "I needed to let him know that this is a team and that no one player is more important than the whole," said Palmateer.
Tart responded to his coach by leaving his rumored girlfriends at the time (Porn star turned sports analyst Bobbi Dallis and Felicia Tan"then wife of Hartford"s Bryce Tan) and turning 3 straight 100-yard rushing games. Tart confided in teammates that he couldn"t imagine life as anything other than a Stallion. James signed a $65 million dollar extension this off-season and signed the deal at a press conference where he said he"d play for coach Palmateer anywhere and anyway he wanted him to. That"s speaks volumes as Tart has rarely been known to respect anyone.
Salt Lake lapsed mid-season as Tart recovered from a sprained MCL but quickly regained form down the stretch and captured its first NC West Title. In the postseason Burlington ended its franchise (they are now the Mountaineers) with a loss to the horses in the Wildcard round. This set the Stallions up for a rematch of the game that sent them home a year earlier.
The Stallions defeated the Fire 48-42 in a come-from-behind victory that still has the Fire scratching their heads for answers. Coach Palmateer finally met his match in the team that would go on to win it all (Madison Demons) but knows that his team learned some valuable lessons last season.
"We can be as good as we want to be, says Palmateer looking at his team practice through his new office (unexpected gift from Vito Stallione this off-season). "We got to stay level-headed with both Vancouver and Oakland coming of age this season." "But, I think we"ve got just as much a chance as anybody this year."
With a strong draft and some solid additions in free agency this team is a lot better than it was last year. Coach is right about Oakland and Vancouver. Both teams made significant steps to becoming contenders this season. It"s going to come down to whom has the better coaching in the NC West and if that"s the case, my money is on T.J.
--JS