2009 Imperial League Season Preview

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R00k: Norfolk Vipers

Following 3 straight Imperial Bowl appearances and 2 titles, a lot of people consider this a make or break season for whether this is a dynasty. Do you feel any added pressure to add a 4th American Conference and 3rd Imperial Bowl crown?

I would first like to say that there never should be any pressure to make a goal that is not self generated.
So to answer your question, I sat down with Howie (Mooberry) at the beginning of the off-season just like I do after every season. We compare notes on the last season, discuss the scenario of the new season, and mutually agree to a team season goal. Then we set forth to achieve it. This year’s team goal: to play in our fifth consecutive conference game, in which we now have a record of 3-1. Our stretch goal is to win the Imperial Bowl.

Dynasty – that is a word that sportswriters like to use and it is a word that should be used sparingly. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very nice word, and one that all franchises would like to be referenced as, including this one. But dynasty is a word that describes the past and this organization lives in the present. We set our expectations based on present circumstances and firmly believe that by remaining focused and true to that philosophy, we will achieve the goals that we set for ourselves. People like you will write about our success or failure and use words that describe the events.

In a baseball analogy: a batter cannot hit the long ball by looking at the scoreboard; home runs are hit when the batter keeps his eye on the ball. In our minds, Norfolk will be happy for the consideration of a dynasty description, but only when we stop winning and need something to look back on.

You've clearly built the most consistently dominant team in IFL history so far, what are the keys to your success?

Not to give away any trade secrets of team strategy for cohesion, training camp strategy, & player negotiation strategies, we can talk about our strong roots in maintaining a balanced attack on offense, fielding a solid defense at every position and assuring that there is plenty of depth all around. Like all teams, we make a conscious effort to avoid injuries. We even go to the extreme and will not play someone listed as probable. (We made an exception last year, in the playoffs, with G Michael Wright. He was seriously reinjured early in the first game that we used him and he has now suffered a significant decrease in ability. That is not typical of what the Vipers do, but we got hung up in the moment and now he will be lost as a major contributor for this season. But the system works … third year G, Dusty Stewart, will now start in his place after backing up Wright for two years and with little or no downslide. Having a depth chart is very important, especially to have a plan on who will need to play out of position and who will replace the player that has a new responsibility. We prepare depth chart expectations for a three year window and we think that effort is the foundation towards excellence and consistency.

You have 3 teams in your division who are clearly improving and taking aim at you, of the 3, which do you fear most this season?

That sort of puts me on the spot … all teams are making some great moves … but the most active seems to be Hartford. For starters, I am not at all pleased that they stole T.J. Palmateer from Salt Lake City. We welcome T.J. to the division and his contributions to Hartford will be immeasurable. He is the wild card, the unknown. It will be a challenge for us to prepare. We will need to start from the beginning and be prepared to dump all of the past history we have collected over the years about their tendencies. Unfortunately Hartford already fields a team that gives us fits. Perhaps T.J. will need a season or two to install his system.

Harold Lozier is great, no doubt about it, but he did throw 20 interceptions last season, a career worst by far. Are you worried that the lack of a deep attack is starting to take it's toll on him?

This is something that we are painfully aware … but what isn’t being said is that in both of our championship years, Fingers had interception-rich seasons. That is not an excuse for him, the offensive game plans or to misdirect you from the fact that twenty interceptions are clearly over the top in anybody’s book. It has the attention of our Offensive Coordinator Kris Howard and Head Coach Mooberry and I think it is safe to say that our west coast offense will be adjusted to let the long ball fly a little more than in the past … to whom should be a twist, we hope.

Which was sweeter, the 1st or 2nd Imperial Bowl crown?

Both were very different experiences.

It is very difficult to duplicate the excitement and the adrenaline of the first time. I guess that goes for a lot of things, can you remember your first exploit of lust. The game with Oakland was that special feeling. There was a lot of hype and anticipation. There was outstanding play from both teams and there was a story book finish that didn't disappoint.

But on the other hand, it is equally difficult to duplicate the pride one feels after receiving the confirmation that indeed, “you have something very special”. When the opportunity comes again, and so close to the first one, it tells you and the world that the first one was not a fluke. The game with Madison was a setting to prove to ourselves that we could be a team of greatness and with the Lord’s help, we were successful in that challenge.




Kingfc22: Boston Dragons

You spent a fair amount of money to beef up your offensive line and added some nice veteran players, is it gonna be ground and pound in Boston this year?

This team is built around the defense and the best way to keep them fresh throughout a full 60 minutes of football is to grind it out on the ground and kill the clock. Having said all that, we do have some decent weapons for Fogarty to throw to which should keep opposing defenses on their toes. Arrowood was a big pickup for us to solidify our right tackle position and Griffin looks to have a shot a becoming a starter as well.

Head Coach Sammy Harvey had been here all thru the building of this team, now that you seem to be on the doorstep of contention you went out and replaced him with Amos Harrigan, can you explain your thought process behind this move?

Harvey and I never really saw eye-to-eye. His play calling at certain times during the game didn't make much sense to me and I even had a few closed door meetings with veteran players who wanted a change. Everybody in Boston is tired of losing and we wanted to bring in a fresh face with a clean slate. Who knows, Harrigan might be the first rookie coach to lead a team to the IFL bowl.

DT Maximo Abshire wound down his career last season. All though not a huge name in IFL lore he had been a stalwart on your Defensive Line since the inception of the league. How much will Maximo be missed both on and off the field. Also, how cool a name is Maximo?

Lucky for us, Maximo decided to join our staff as a Defensive Lineman coach. Maximo saw his production fall off the last couple of seasons as the younger guys took his spot. Earl Hood and Levon Joslyn were able to learn a lot from him and they will be looked upon to anchor the middle of our line for years to come. And Maximo is one of the top names ever seen in the IFL.

With the heartbreak that the Patriots and Celtics have given to the city the past few months, alot of Beantown sports fans are starting to focus on the upcoming Dragons season, do you feel any added pressure being in such a hot sports town?

I definitely feel the pressure. When I took over the franchise I promised the fans I would bring a winner to the city. I really hope what we saw at the tail end of 2008 is a sign of what we will see in 2009. I feel like I have the put together the necessary pieces in order to contend in the AC East. Now it is just a matter of time to see if I am right.

Do you expect 1st round pick Karl Sanford to step in right away or are you content with him learning from the sidelines?

My plan for Karl was for him to get 90% of the snaps in the preseason and then utilize him as a backup to Laird and Arrowood. Unfortunately, he has sprained his quad and will not get the amount of snaps I wanted him to get. So I will have to see how the O-line is playing and play it by ear. If we are in contention then he will most likely sit, but if we are out of the playoff picture then you can probably safely bet that Sanford will be on the field.




Warhammer: Hartford Grizzlies

Alot of people were surprised that you parted ways with head coach Donnell Mills, what was behind your decision for the move? Secondly, how important was it to replace him with someone who has the pedigree of TJ Palmateer?

We really wanted TJ back when he signed with Salt Lake. I think we were the second high bidder for his services then, we wanted to be top dog this year. The other part of that is the defense had fallen off under Mills. Now it wasn't as bad as it appeared to be, but our defensive rankings had fallen under Mills. We have playmakers on defense, so we wanted a more defense minded coach to take the reigns.

Palmateer is a quality young coach who will give some up in the realm of the offense and motivation parts of the game, but we gain on the defense and discipline side of the equation. I think he is a good fit here in Hartford.

I know you felt like you were on the verge of overtaking Norfolk last year for the AC East crown. How strong is the desire to step up your game this season and surpass the Vipers?

Look, we haven't been to the playoffs since 2004. We had one of the best teams in the league after 2004, having to that point the third best league record, since then, we've gone 6-10, 7-9, 8-8, and 9-7. In that 9-7, we blew three 4th quarter leads of 7 or more points. If we go 2 of 3 in those games, we're 11-5 and considered a favorite in the playoffs. Instead, we're 9-7 and people are questioning how good of a team we were.

We had Norfolk licked! We had them beat. We're up something like 14 points with 2 minutes to go! The damn IFL champions were about to be swept by the Hartford Grizzlies, they haven't been swept in divisional play in something like 4 years! Look at it this way, Norfolk might have been the best team in the IFL last year, by winning the championship, but they were 2 minutes away from being the second best team in their division.

Yeah, we're going to step up our game.

Jim Hickman was lights out for you last year while he was on the field, how stoked are you to have him primed and ready to go for a full season?

Our big problem last year, was once he went down, we didn't have anyone else on the roster to take over. Look at how many starting QBs in the league have been taken by Hartford, and we didn't have anyone backing up Hickman. We had to scale the offense back for a bit, until Hickman came back. But think about this, even with Hickman out for the majority of the season, we still had the best offensive production in team history last year. We expect to break that record this year.

This year, we should break into the top 8 offensive teams in the league, anything less with a healty Hickman is a disappointment.

RB's Stanley Jamison had a bit of a down year last season and you drafted RB Grant Hernandez in the first round. Is Grant your go to guy from the get go or it still Jamisons job as you head into the season?

We saw the immense benefit that having a top backup to Jamison was last year. I didn't expect Jackson to leave so quickly, and we really wanted to resign him. We didn't have any other holes to fill in the draft at that point, we really wanted Adamov, so we decided to take Hernandez.

Some would suggest that WR Larry Ostrowski was underwhelming last year in his first season in Hartford, are you at all concerned about his productivity or do you feel that he will rebound with a healthier and more glamorous season?

Let's see, the team produced more offense than we ever had before, he tied a franchise record with 5 TD receptions and was one off the franchise record for receptions by a WR with 43 (coincidentally, Gary Ferreira set the record last year with 44). We set franchise records for passing yards per game, points per game, total yards per game, and we were still running for 136 yards per game, which is third best in franchise history, 2 yards away from being second best in franchise history. We were happy with his acquisition.

Our offense is geared around forcing teams to pick their poison. Do you want us to beat you on the ground, or in the air? We can do it both ways. Now, whether or not that means Ostrowski sets individual records, I don't know.



Luis: West Virginia Beasts

You've made quite a few moves this offseason that have sped up your rebuilding process. Do you consider your team a contender yet or are you still in the rebuilding phase?

I think we are possibly one or two key pieces from being a contender. Competitive, definitely. We as a team believe that the growing pains of last two seasons has allowed the Beasts to become leaner and faster. We're a relativly young team. But we'ere gelling.

Do you consider Julian Cartagena a stop gap with trade value or do you forsee him as the QB of this team for the long haul?

Don Majic Juan is a solid veteran QB. He has a great repertoire as a mentor to teach and school the rookie QB's in making reads, progressions, timing etc. Snodgrass as you know is poised to take the reigns of directing our offense in the years to come.

QB Gerald Sanders called it a career at the end of last season. As we all know, he spent his first few years in the league leading those early powerhouse Beasts teams. Give us some thoughts about Gerlads reign here in West Virginia?

I could never say it enough. West VA is the Colonel country. We as an organization would have loved for Gerald Sanders to retire as a Beast. Gerald is a fantastic human being, a hell of a quaterback, and most importantly a winner. He put this team on his back and carried us through out the years. He will sorel be missed. I really wished he could have retired as a Beast.

Last years 1st overall pick RT Raymond Rodriquez had a little bit of underwhelming season last year, do you see it as a case of growing pains or are you a little concerned?

Hot Rod is a tough kid. He's worked deligently in the offseason with the OL coach. Working on the weights and doing Pilates. There's reason to believe that he will definitely blow up DE's and Blitzing LB opening holes up for Kersey and May.

For the first time in his career, Nicky Kersey has a bona fide top flight QB in front of him, do you expect the addition of Cartagena will help open up the ground game for your squad?

Definitely. With the field general Majic Don Juan piloting this offense, Kersey will now have the freedom of not having 8-9 people in the box with the sole purpose of knocking him to the ground. They now have to respect the pass with Simpson, Lee, Weaver and Gardner who all have big game potential.

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Hawkster: Albuquerque Matadors

For the 3rd straight year last season it was you and Anchorage battling for the AC West crown. WIth California and Portland making so many moves on and off the field this season, are you starting to feel added pressure from what had been the also rans of the division?

Portland is a team on the rise, and they'll definitely be in the running for a playoff spot this season. They were one game out this year, and I think they'll only improve as long as Jay Caro is at the helm. California always gives us great games, but I think they're at least one more year away from being on the rise. Other than California, I think the 3 other teams in the AC West have a very good shot at the division this year.

The trade of David Humphrey to Dakota has left Donald Hanks as your incumbent. Despite Humphreys successes here, he was never able to get this team over the hump, do you feel that Hanks can do what David didn't?

David was a great icon in this city, and we wish him the best in Dakota, but as you said, it got to the point where we simply couldn't win the big games. To put all that on David would be unfair, but we're hoping our offense sparks with Donald at the helm. He'll enter this year as the full starter and we'll see how the team responds.

Kelly Wheat had a nice rebound season last year but was not given a very high workload. Is fully prepared and physicaly able to carry this team on his back this season if need be?

Kelly keeps showing that he has talent, but he's only made it through one season without missing a start. We think he's prepared to carry the load, and if our offensive line stays healthy this year, he could be in for a big year. He was very productive despite us missing two or three starters on the line for most of the season. I think he feels like he has something to prove when he's on the field.

Jeremy Ellison is a player whom alot of people think has very big potential, what was the thought process behind your decision to trade for him from Tulsa?

It's been tough the last two seasons. After Rudolph Michell had his career ending injury a year ago, we were forced to let the heart and soul of our D-Line, Clement Oakley, go this year. Burt Dukes has filled in well for Michell, but we needed another solid player opposite him. Ellison will be an excellent addition. It was disappointing to have to part with S Herman Almeida in order to bring Ellison here, but we feel in the long term it will be more than worth it.

Augustine Murray had a big rebound season last year. Does he need to repeat that this year for your defense to succeed or do you feel you've added some pieces around him to lessen the need to rely on him as heavily?

Augustine has been the unquestioned leader of our defense since the league began. He's one of 6 starters who've been here since Day 1. We think the youth up on the D-Line in front will take some pressure off of him in the run defense. DT Doug Biederman was a pleasant surprise as a rookie and has even more upside going into this year. Next to Murray, WLB Champ Shelton has shown a lot of promise and talent. Murray's impact will be seen in helping these new guys develop, and keep the tradition of solid Matador defense alive.




BuddaKINGII: Anchorage Lynx
He aint no trick, and he aint no question answerer either, apparently.





Jeff: Portland Seals
Alot of people were surprised by your decision to replace Rueben Allen as head coach, give me your thoughts on his dismisal and your thoughts on new Head Coach Donnell Mills.

Personally, I'm very fond of Rueben Allen and all that he has accomplished in this league. I just thought it was best to start fresh and make sure everyone was on the same page as we move forward in 2009.

Donnell Mills is highly regarded in this league, both by his players and his peers. You can't really fault him for not taking a stagnant Grizzlies team to great heights.

Is Jay Caro ready to lead this team to the promised land? And just how good do you think he can be?

Jay Caro can be the best in this league, no doubt. I think this team as a whole is ready for a whole new level of competitiveness and Jay will be our key in getting there.

Is this the end of the road for you Jeffrey? Don't you have enough frequent flyer miles already?

You spelled my full name correctly - I'm impressed. Yes, Portland is my final destination. Just the other day I joined the Big Brother program and learned that I'm going to be watching over the entire Trailblazers basketball team.

If I told you one year ago that you'd be in the same division with Hell Atlantic, with him running the Fresno franchise, what would you have said?

Hell Atlantic? You mean Goob? I would've told you that you were fat as a kid and that you should go !@#$ yourself if you would have said that.

Is this team a bonafide title contender or do you feel like some work needs to be done with the personal?

This team can and will contend now. The window for a championship starts now and we plan on getting better in each of the next few seasons at least.




Hell Atlantic: California Heroes

You brought in Head Coach Cris Kelly from Little Rock, for the first time in team history alot of people feel you have a top flight coach, how big is that in the grand scheme of what your trying to accomplish here in California?

First off, i won't even pretend that Kelly was our 1st option. we're happy we landed him, and he's an obvious upgrade from our previous coach (see, he had such an impact i can't even remember his name). still, offensively we should be able to compete. is this a playoff calibre team? signs point to no, but at least from year one when i took over i can say i've made steady improvements to the franchise and this year one of the areas i wanted to upgrade was coaching. on paper i just couldn't believe this team was as bad as our record indicated. if, as a GM, you think your players were good enough then the only other place you can point your finger at is the head coach so we decided it was time for a new change. it helps our credibility to have a coach who won a championship.

You've been a wheeler dealer since the moment you entered the league. Are you afraid that despite the amount of talent you've assembled that this team just might not gel in time for the season?

again, the expectations for this team this year is to not be as bad as we were in 2008. that shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. my goal is to identify a weak starter and replace him with a better player. that takes time. offensively, we're set for the next 4-5 years in terms of key players. QB Collela, RB Deason, my two WRs (Caffrey & Mullin), my entire inner O-line - those guys aren't going anywhere. anything else is game for improvement. how many other teams can look at their offense and pencil in the same 7 guys for the next 4-5 years? even defensively speaking, we know who our main dogs are. DE Gilpin is a complete bargain for his salary - there is no scenario in which he would be traded. LB Callahan, CB Bruner and SS Filmore round out the group of guys who can call Cali home for the next 5 years. so it might seem that i'm constantly shuffling things up but considering this team was crap when i got here i had a lot of work to do to gradually improve the overall quality of the starting players.

QB Dennis Colella arrives from Vancouver with huge talent and huge expectations, how big is it to finaly have a big time signal caller leading your team?

how big? this is by far, outside of us getting DE Gilpin for essentially a pair of cleats and some popcorn, this biggest aquisition this team has had in my time here. this is the deal that will determine my legacy in IFL. it all starts with this trade. i got a 75 rated QB, rated as having a perfect 100 in several passing categories and is only a 7 year vet. those do not grow on trees. his stats don't match up with his ratings, but you have to take into consideration the talent level he was surrounded with in Vancouver. it may or may not have been the best supporting cast. i don't let the fact
that he may have been playing in a poor gameplan override the fact that ratings-wise he has the tools to get it done. sometimes a change of scenery really is all that's needed. all i know is that QBs like him don't come around a lot, and if there's even a small chance someone like him could be had you have to pounce. between Steiner and Caro, the West division just has too many great QBs for the Heroes to try to compete without a franchise QB of our own. we would have been left on the outside looking in. and since Jeff walked into a great situation in Portland, having the best QB in the game handed to him on a platter, i feel great knowing i got my franchise QB the hard way. i earned Colella with my GMing skills. he wasn't handed to me.

1st overall pick Nathan Mullin is expected to energize a receiving corps that has woefully underperformed the past few years, how much pressure is on Nathan to be the focal point of your offensive attack?

in 2009? no pressure. he needs only to develop. in 2010 and beyond? he's gonna be our main go-to guy. i aquired him to improve our offense. Caffrey was our main guy last season, but statistically he didn't get it done. i think he'd make an excellent #2. he was double teamed perhaps the most out of any WR in the IFL when our other starting WR went down for half the season. opposing teams took one look at our team and basically decided there was no reason to not double team him. Mullin has the entire year to develop and learn his craft. we're still on the lookout for a WR mentor so help speed the process. but yeah, in about 2 or 3 years he's gonna be one of the 3 guys you think about when you mention our team. we think he's gonna be one of the great ones at his position in the league. we wouldn't have aquired him otherwise.

You and Jeff are now in the same division, how weird is that?

it's weird, i had no problems with jeff when he was in the other conference. it didn't take long after he skipped Oakland to be on the team with the best QB in the game for me to start not liking the Seals. i mean, i really don't like them. my 1st season we competed for the right to not finish in last place in the division, so there was a mutual respect between our teams. now? one of the things that we'll consider a good season will be us finishing ahead of the Seals. i don't like jeff. he's smarmy. how many people do you know epitomize the word "smarmy". i just want to win the 2 games we play against the Seals every year. we if don't make the playoffs but win those 2 games i'll still be pleased. i don't like the fact that he jumped ship to aquire Caro, and was quick to leave the financial mess that was Oakland for the green pastures of Portland. now when he has some success he'll try to say it was all him, and will be sure to not mention spunky for leaving him a great team. i almost aquired Caro when spunky was stupid enough to put him on the trade block. had i aquired Caro i guarantee you jeff wouldn't have wanted to control the Seals. bum.

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Listmania!
A Comprehensive List Of Lists.

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6 Biggest Stories Of The Offseason

1. Murfreesboro Purchases Housing Development, Fills It With New Players.
Deadset on moving on up, the Mules pulled the trigger on some key moves that suddenly send them from pretender to contender. Raiding the NC South for DE's Shawn Hernandez & Myron McCartney, WR Justin Whitaker & CB Oliver McKenzie, the Mules acquired 4 bonafide stars to add to an already burgeoning, young team.

It's hard to argue with adding such a talented list of players, especially at these key positions. The Mules and their fans have legitimate playoff hopes now and that's not something we thought we'd be saying at the end of last season.

Many people expected the AC South to be a two team race between St. Louis and Houston, but the Mules have thrown their hats into the mix and need to be taken very seriously now.

2. Columbia Trades Away It's Stars In Return For Paper Bags For Their Fans To Wear.

Ok, thats not fair. They got young players and picks in return and the deals weren't horrible, but still, if you live in Columbia you have to be upset. You knew the Fire were leaving for Atlanta after this season, but you porbably hoped this team would burn out, not fade away.

Julian Cartegena, Myron McCartney, Justin Whitaker and Oliver McKenzie were all shipped out of town in exchange for the future. The Atlanta fire will have a slew of picks of young players when they debut in 2010, the Columbia Fire will have QB Deron Markel, advantage Hotlanta.[/size][/b]

3. Killer Whales Set Free Off The Coasts Of Orlando And California.
Dennis Colella & Wesley Connell were a staple of a perrenial contender that was more perrenial than contender, but still, these two guys paid for the cap carny that the previous owner put this team into. Ownership had a decision to make. Try and build around these 2 or begin the rebuild right away, they chose the latter.

Nobody here is judging Vancouvers decision to get the ball rolling on the rebuilding process but arn't there better places you could have sent your outgoing stars? These poor guys have at least been in the hunt for the past few years, but now they're stuck in situations that almost nobody can see them winning in.

I'm not a "rich should get richer" kind of guy, but oy vey, it's gonna a long road for Collela and Connell if they hope to get a championship.

4. Tag, You're It.
Jeff left Columbia to raise sheep. Jave left Oakland to play video games. Jeff came to Oakland to win a title. Jave beat the dungeon king on the 134th level, got bored and wanted back in. Spunky left Portland. Jeff gave Jave a copy of Pac-Man to entice him back to Oakland and then drove up the coast, sheep in tow, to take over Oakland. Do we have that all correct?

One can only hope that Warcraft Ultra Diablo 2nd Life is not released anytime soon or Oakland could be out an owner again, at which point maybe HammeringJohnson could return, take over the Devils, and rename the Dildos.


5. Little Rock Of Horrors
The Toads were licked last year. In every possible sense. A drop so steep that even Evil Knievel wouldn't be able to overcome it. They responded by kicking Cris Kelly in the ass on the way out, just a year removed from a championship and back to back coach of the year honors.

We have no idea what went wrong in Arkansas last season but we know the pressure is on that team to start strong, because god forbid they get off to a slow start there could be a mutiny in that locker room.

6. Dakota Gets Frisky With It's Johnson
The scandal behind the J.J. Johnson dealings has come and gone, and in the end it was just a mixup of front office misinterpertation. But still, Johnson, the 3rd overall pick in the draft, was signed to a deal deemed inapropriate and then released by act of commisioner.

Sources say that Dakota wasn't happy with how Johnson looked in camp and were never prepared to pay him what the 3rd pick overall in the draft would command, but they couldn't have been happy with the way things ended up going down.

Johnson has ended up in Cleveland and it will be interesting to see how he develops for the Clawz.

One things for certain, there weren't many teams lower on the totem pole than Dakota for this genius to end up, but he may have found one. Bravo young mensa member, bravo.

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4 Team On The Rise

1. Murfreesboro Mules
As noted above, the Mules added a ton of starpower to their team. The only drawback is already having two solid Imperial Bowl contenders above them, but this team should improve exponentialy over last season.

2. Portland Seals
New owner with a mind for offensive gameplaning, all world QB, great defense and an injury riddled main foe. Portland will have every opportunity to make a huge splash this season.

3. Boston Dragons
Every year they get closer and closer. A few plays here or there and some key contributions and the Dragons could shock alot of people in the AC South.

4. Tulsa Cows
How can a team coming off a division crown be in this category? Well it's our opinion here in the home office that Tulsa doesn't get near the credit they deserve. Alot of pundits point to Little Rocks falter as the main reason Tulsa exceeded expectations last year. Hogwash and Bullywarts we say. Tulsa was good last year and they're better this year. Don't be shocked to the Cows make their opposition eat mudpies this season.

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3 Teams Slip, Sliding Away

1. Columbia Fire
Literaly and Figureatively the Fire are slip, sliding away. Top stars traded away and bags packed, this team is just going thru the motions this season as they prepare to move to Atlanta.

2. Vancouver Killer Whales
You can't lose a top QB and RB and expect to compete in a division as tough as the NC West.

3. Albaquerque Matadors
They arn't speeding down a slippery slope, but the Matadors are slowly being moved by by a slew of young and hungry teams in the American Conference. In past seasons we've had their playoff ticket stamped in August, now we're taking a wait and see approach.

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6 Most Important Free Agent Signings

1. WR Boyce Groth, Tulsa
Groth comes over from Reno and adds a major impact to a team that already won it's division in 2008. Coming off a down year shortened by some minor injuries, we expect Groth to have a HYUGE season for the Cows. He's got a legitimate stud QB to get him the ball and he'll be in the middle of a playoff battle all season long. This was a huge move for the Cows and one that we foresee paying major dividends.

2. TE Ismael Munguia, Hartford
This signing didn't get alot of press coverage, but make no mistake, this is a huge signing. Munguia can do it all, and will give QB Jim Hickman a safety valve over the middle of the field. Munguia can do it all, and is just the type of player that can help both the running and passing game in so many different ways. If Hartford makes a push for the AC East crown, this guy will be a major factor in it.

3. C Richard Mahler, Houston
Murfreesboro picked the Columbia cherry tree hard, but Houston didn't do to bad for themselves either. Mahler returns to the Renegades after 2 very good but injury shortened seasons in Columbia and will do a big time job for the Renegades. Entering his 11th season, Mahler seems to only get better every season and if he can stay healthy, will be a huge anchor for their offensive line and is a great, unsung addition for Houston.

4. RB Shaun Schutz, St. Louis
The Cardinals have never had a consisten back, and while Schutz's numbers don't elicit fear, he is a durable, steady back who is an exceptional receiver and should thrive in the Cardinals scheme.

5. LB Jamie Wortham, Hartford
Wortham has always been considered sort of an underachiever in Louisiana, but he has talent.
Praisers say that all he needed was the right team and the opportunity to play for something, well he's got it now, and he better start making that talent correlate to numbers.

6. DE Derek Nelson, Anchorage
Nelson has spent the past 4 seasons living off of reputation due to a lax attitude and injury. Now it's time for him to step up. He was signed for 1 reason, to increase a dreadfull Lynx pass rush. He got alot of moolah to leave Oakland, who was so fed up they didn't even bother to negotiate with him. He's got alot of eyes on him all around the league and the Lynx are hoping that this gamble pays off.

[Suicane]

4 Sort Of Important Free Agent Signings

1. TE Joseph Flores, Reno
Flores is a stud, no doubt. But what does his signing mean in the grand scheme of things for Reno? He essentialy replaces WR Bryce Groth and the team doesn't have a QB will ever be confused for Johnny Unitas.

Flores will get his numbers and be a key part of the offense, but Reno is not yet on the level to where they can contend, and until they are he's just another good player on an average team.

2. WR Glenn Bess, Tulsa
This one could be bumped up into the previous category very easily depending on what Bess looks like when he returns from ACL surgery. Doctors give week 6 or 7 as a timeframe for his return and if we see the old Glenn Bess, than this is the signing of the year. Unfortunately, not many players, especially Wide Receivers, ever return to their previous speed and explosiveness after ACL surgery.

3. FB Casey Boehm, Boston
Boehm comes with a slew of signed Offensive Linemen who has a group, may signal a desire for the Dragons bring the old souther "3 yards a pile of dust" style of football up north. Boehm is very good at every aspect of the game and provides the Dragons with a blocker, change of pace back, and receiver.

4. CB Jon Houston, Portland
Houston is another former Voodoo who never seemed to live up to his talent in Louisiana. He comes to Portland with a fresh start and a clear focus to help their CB position. It'll be interesting to see if the change of scenery and 2nd chance provides a spark under him.

[Suicane]

15 Matchups We're Looking Forward Too.

1. Week 17, Hartford At Norfolk
2. Week 17, Oakland At SLC
3. Week 17, Portland At Anchorage
4. Week 17, Tulsa At Little Rock
It would not shock us one bit if all 4 of these games had major playoff implications.

5. Week 12, California At Orlando
Collela vs Connell. Sure the game probably wont mean much, but this is an interesting subplot.

6. Week 2, West Virginia At Columbia


7. Week 2, Cleveland At Dakota
The JJ Johnson Game, woohoo.

8. Week 1, Boston At Hartford
Before they get to Norfolk, one of these teams has to knock the other one back.

9. Week 15, Houston At Murfreesboro
Could mean alot more than anyone ever anticipated.

10. Week 15, Iowa City At Wichita
The final matchup of the season between the 2 teams, one would expect it to have major divisional implications.

11. Week 15, Lawrence At Newark
The final matchup of the season between the 2 teams, one would expect it to have major divisional and conference implications.

12. Week 11, Oakland At Salt Lake City
The first meeting between these 2 doesn't come till almost 3 months into the season, thats alot of built up agression.

13. Week 17, Lansing At Pittsburgh
The Power have a habit of playing it loosy goosy late in the year, and Lansing is good enough to make them pay.

14. Week 16, Norfolk At Tulsa
Both teams will be in the the title hunt, making this a primetime special if there ever was one.

15. Week 14, Portland At Newark
Another interconference dream matchup.

[Suicane]

5 Most Impactfull Rookies

01. Rd 1 (5), RB Roy Ramsey, Cleveland
He already may be among the top 4 or 5 backs in the league, that's how good this kid is. He could win a rushing title this season and it wouldn't shock us to see him carry Cleveland close to a playoff spot than most people think. If the people around him can compliment his game and keep teams from focusing on him too much he could have a massive season.

02. Rd 1 (7), DE Andrew Kinney, Little Rock
Replacing Shawn Hernadez is no small feat, but this kid has all the tools to do it. He's got a great foundation around him that should allow him to blossom and become a major threat to QB's all over the league.

03. Rd 1 (1), WR Nathan Mullin, California
He's got a great QB, a solid line and world of ability. He's also got a big head. Mullin is a star, just ask him. But his ego doesn't take away from his ability, which is immense. Lets just hope that he's as interested in running routes for a 3-6 team as he is hitting the Viper Room and chatting up Lindsey Lohan.

04. Rd 1 (4), DT Glen Terry, West Virginia
A ton of talent and all the heart in the world to go with it. Terry stepped into West Virginia on a mission to bring this team back to glory and he is as dedicated as they come. Nobody will want to run over the middle with him on the other side and though his pass rush is still developing, he will improve the Beasts defense greatly in his rookie season.

05. Rd 1 (6), DT Al Armanda, Columbia
The Al Armada will be in full force for many years for the Fire. Expect Armada to lead a young defense this season and take on whatever opposing teams throw at him. He's a bull.

[Suicane]

ESPN Interviews Continued.

[Suicane]

BOSS: Madison Demons

After weaving your way thru the vicious NC Playoffs last season, you came up short in the Imperial Bowl against Norfolk. Did you take a moral victory out of last seasons performance or is it all or nothing?

Of course we would have liked to win the game but Norfolk was a better team. Hopefully, we learned something from that loss that will carry with us into this new season.

A loss in the Imperial Bowl will stick with you. No team likes to come out on the losing end in a game that has so much meaning. I hope that loss will keep our players hungry.

When i went into the locker room after the game i could in their faces how disappointed the fellas were in their performance. We have a great group of guys here and all they want to do is win. Don't count this team out, we'll be back for another shot.

QB Will Irby has yet to give you a big time season despite leading you to 2 Imperial Bowls. What are your thoughts on him? Is he on a short leash or are you set with him as your QB for the forseeable future?

This was actually Irby's first Imperial Bowl appearance. Johnie Loving was our QB the year we won. I talked to Will prior to the game and he said he felt fine, no butterflies. He wasn't the fault we lost the game. The whole team did not play very good that day. Norfolk was the better team that day and they took care of business.

Will Irby is our QB no question. I am very happy with his progress and he should be with us for a long time. He is only gonna get better.

Rookie RB Charles Bell had a very impressive campaign last year, how happy are you with him as your teams featured back?

We were estatic to draft Charles last year. Charles was really our MVP last year. He allowed us to become more of a balanced team. If it wasn't for him i doubt you see us playing Norfolk in the Imperial Bowl. He did a fine job for a rookie. Were excited about his future.

Even though you only play 1 game a season there, you have to be excited that Pittsburgh actually has turf now instead of parking lot cemtent.

Everytime we traveled to Pitt the turf was always on my mind. We were one of the lucky teams that got out of there with no major injuries. I'm glad the new turf is down for everyones sake, it was long overdue.

2nd round pick LB Brian Fulcher has looked very impressive so far in camp. Do you have big expectactions for him this season and in seasons ahead?

We were glad Fulcher was still there in the 2nd round. We moved him to the weakside in camp and he has adjusted well. He has a shot of starting this year. Its up to coach Cristal who starts but i think Fulcher is gonna make it hard on the coach to keep him on the bench.




MrBigglesworth: Pittsburgh Power

Which do you crave more, the warm touch of a womans caress, or the soft feel of new turf?

Scott Vannoy. Seymour Carter. Charles Weil. Darrin Koss. Kelley Little. Tristan Vigil. Will Blackwell. All starters that had their careers ended over the past 5 years. Statistically speaking, if you were a starting Power offensive lineman in 2004, the odds were better that you believed 2007 would mark the second coming of Christ than the odds of your not having a career ending injury in the next five years. But I gotta go with the woman.

How much did it stick in your crawl when Madison won the National Conference last season? And were you a little happy to see them lose in the Imperial Bowl?

Madison is an intense rival who has gotten the better of us the past couple of seasons. Them making it to the Imperial Bowl was bittersweet, because although I liked to see the division represented, it was still Madison. Part of me was happy that they lost, those Madison fans can be hard to take after winning a championship. But I wasn't rooting for Norfolk either, because rooting for them at this point is like rooting for the house at the Borgata.

[b]Was the drafting of DT Damon Harding in the first round a direct response to Madisons addition of RB Charles Bell the season before?

I don't like to get caught up in what other teams are doing, because you can often lose sight of the big picture. The big pictures still says you have to stop the pass in order to win. We need to stop Irby to beat Madison. He threw over 60% with 5 TD's against us last season. We are 2-3 against Irby since his rookie year, and in those wins he has completed less than 50% of his passes. Right now Harding is a reliable back-up, and by the time he becomes a starter he will allow the team to play more pass oriented defenses, relying on him to plug up the middle on runs and also to get a little push in the pass rush.

Is Mann now the man in Pittsburgh?

[i]By process of elimination he has to be. He looks amazing some games, then throws in a stinker. Last season he started out with 5 TD's and 2 interceptions his first 6 starts, then finished with 0 TD's and 5 int's his last two starts. He comes in this year with a better #1 WR, a better #2 WR, a better FB, and a better back-up TE. He has frequently been hit by the injury bug though. Cavazos has looked impressive so far this preseason for a rookie (14 completions in 18 attempts), so we have some options when/if he goes down.

Your 38 sacks as a team led the National Conference last season. Whats the key to building such a dominant pass rush?

It's really quite simple: of the $24 million cap space that you set aside for your 11 defensive starters, spend about $17 million of it on your 4 defensive linemen. And then blitz a lot.




Morellomre: Lansing Ogres
Are answering questions a NO-gres for the O-Gres?





Argot: Dakota Spirit

You spent a ton of money on a Center. We know Wayne Rogers is a good Center, but what is your thinking behind such a huge contract for a player at a position that has alot of talent depth?

Actually, we don't think it's a huge amount of money for that kind of player. His signing bonus is minimal, which means two things, one he is a tradable commodity if things go south for the Spirit, and two, if he can be replaced by a younger, more talented player for less, he can be let go. That being said, we don't think either of those to options will happen. Rogers will help our Offensive Line tremendously. We have really been week in this area, especially providing holes for Carmack.

Whats the deal with rookie DT JJ Johnson. Alot of people around the league called shennanigans on that one. Did you make a boner?

Heh, interesting question. There was no way we were going to sign Johnson that kind of money once we got a closer look at his skill level. Our desire was to play hardball with him, but there weren't any options. We felt that we had to release him. After doing so, I made an off-handed remark to his agent that we would still like to have him if he signed today. Apparently there was some miscommunication resulting in a faulty contract. I was a bit miffed at the commissioner accusing me of negligence or even worse ethical culpability. His agent agreed to the contract, but apparently it had to be cleared through league officials first. I even checked with our lawyers who gave us the OK. Anyhow, I think its punishment enough to lose a #3 overall pick without any compensation. If people want to call foul, let them, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Basil Neace believes he was going to be a distraction in the clubhouse. That being said, I would have like to have him clogging up the middle.

That being said, I can't tell you how disappointed we are to blow a top 5 pick. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't kick myself for passing on Terry or the running back.

TE Deangelo Alverez was shipped off to California at the beggining of last season and suffered a severe knee injury. He has returned to the Spirit fold, but is there any regret in the way things went with him last season and your decision to trade such a popular, workmanlike player?

There was some regret in trading Alverez and Camp. Hooten really had no one but McCellion who is more of a #2 guy actually. Leal and Bates were developing, and Jeanlouis stayed on for one more year to help us through. We miss having a go-to TE like Alverez and were sorry things didn't work out for him in California. We are glad to have him back though, scouts think he lost a step but he has great hands, and we get an additional 2nd round pick in next year's draft for trading him in the first place. Gotta be a win-win right?

You have stuck with Head Coach Kent Silvanic thru thick and thin. Is there anything specific he needs to accomplish this season to keep his job or are you happy with the job he's doing in rebuilding this team?

Quite honestly, I think he's done a good job with the talent he has available. If you look around the league, scouts have us ranked pretty low. We've tried to have more depth than star power and Silvanic has had some injuries to key people to deal with. I'm not a big fan of changing coaches because they've had success somewhere else. Everything is different, and we are counting on Silvanic piecing together what he has on hand. I'm not sure we have the talent this year to compete for a title, especially without Neace and Brito for 10 weeks. We hope though with a little luck we can surprise some folks.

Attendance jumped last year almost 30,000 a game. Do you feel like you're reclaiming Spirit fans and laying the groundwork for a solid future here in the Sioux State?

Well, again, we underestimated our fan base. The year before last, we had no one sitting in the upper deck because the price was just way to high. This year, the upper deck was crowded because we brought the price down to $10 a seat. Now that we've got the handle on the finances, I think we can make a profit here in Dakota==especially if we can improve our talent base.

Is that it? I thought I was going to have to field questions about Humphrey? Patterson has actually looked good here in pre-season, but we believed we needed a veteran considering the offensive tools he has around him. We are hoping that Humphrey will stabilize this team over the next couple of years.

[Suicane]

Cringer: Little Rock Toads

Is this team in full rebuilding mode or do you see last season as an abberation and believe that you can be competetive in the division this year?

I actually have no idea where this team stands at the moment. I am sure the fans love hearing that, but it's not as bad as it sounds. What I mean is that we still have many of the pieces that we had in our Imperial Bowl year, and I don't see those guys going anywhere soon. What went wrong last year was not really the fault of our players either. Given, Dixon, Kennedy, and the rest of the offense was pretty strong. Our defense was a little weaker and that is a big reason we dropped off in the rankings. We hope to see our once strong defense rebound some this year and perform better. As for rebuilding, I don't think this club will be in full rebuilding for several years, if something that full scale ever needs to be done at all.

Head coach Cris Kelly waves adieu after 6 very succesfull seasons in Little Rock, tells about your decision to depart with Cris and bring in Sammy Harvey from Boston.

Letting Cris Kelly go was very difficult. Aferall he was the original Toads coach, and he brought us an Imperial Bowl title to Little Rock. When it came down to it, and Cris agreed with us, is that it was time for a mutual parting of ways. As a team, we accomplished a lot, but it was time for both of us to get some new energy and life into us. A new coach for the Toads accomplishes that for us, and a new challenge provides that for Coach Kelly.

Does Cris Kelly deserve all the blame for last seasons abymsilality?

No, Coach Kelly doesn't deserve all the blame at all. Kelly has a certain style, and perhaps when players lost some of that drive to win, his style was not the best to get their butts in gear and keep them focused. With a coach who drills home the fundamentals a little more, we hope Coach Harvey is that guy for us.

DE Shawn Hernandez had 2 underproductive and injury plagued seasons the past 2 years, how much did that factor in your decision to move him?

First off, the Toads in no way feel Shawn Hernandez was under productive for the Toads. He did miss some games, but over a long career that will happen. Shawn was a big part of our defense the last two years, and helped greatly with the emergence of Karl Cronin by taking some of the focus off of him. The reason for letting Shawn move on was strictly financial. We needed the 10 million in cap space, and even resigning him for a lesser amount was not the best thing for this franchise this year or in the near future. We would have loved to see Shawn retire as a Toad, and it was honestly the hardest cut this team has ever had to make.

WR Randolph Kennedy is the fastest man in the National Conference, whats the secret behind his fleet feet?

From what Randolph has mentioned to me about certain players in this league, I would guess his secret to his speed is that he has to run fast to get away from all the NFC South cornerbacks who have man-crushes on him. Randolph sees no problem with guys who 'play for the other team', but he likes the ladies and doesn't want them trying to touch him.




Iceman99: Columbia Fire

How much impact do you expect 1st round picks Al Armanda and Tyrus Boyles to have this season?

Armanda was the player we target early in the offseason, We are hoping that pairing him up with DT Goad will give the fire a solid run stuffing capability in the new 4-3 scheme. Boyles was brought in to replace McCartney, and we feel that he can fill those shoes quite well. With Goad, Armanda and Boyles we feel we have a solid front 4 for years to come.

With the departure of Julian Cartagena, who do you see as the next cornerstone player for the Fire?

Trading JC was one of the hardest things we ever did, He is a legend and we would have loved to have kept him, but we felt now was the right time to move on. Personally I feel we have a great asset in Mercury Buckner. He had a great season and we are hoping that he will continue his growth into one of the top backs in the league.

With the move to Atlanta on the horizon and the rebuilding process you've entered, give the fans of Columbia a reason to care about this team.

We love the fans in Columbia and we are going to miss them after this season. We do feel that we are fielding a solid team that should be able to put a few wins on the board. We are not just going to let the season blow by us. We are going to everything we can to win....

Your trade with Murfreesboro was certainly one of the bigger ones in IFL history, what went thru your mind during those negotiations?

We knew we were moving Whitaker to give more playing time to Mercury Halbert and David Norris, and McCartney was an injury waiting to happen. The hardest part of the move was losing McKenzie. Oliver was a great player for us, but his contract demands and his concerns over the direction of the team tilted our hand in favor of moving him. There was alot of stress and second guessing in the front office that was for sure. But in the end we feel we benefited.

Give us your fondest memory of your time spent in Columbia.

This is were it all started, I mean I remember when we purchased the franchise. It was just an amazing feeling walking into the stadium and soaking all of it in, simply amazing. The IFL is a wonderful experience and we are proud to be a part of that.




StillSeekHim: Texas Trojans
I'm still seeking answers!




Tarcone: Tulsa Cows

You take over a team that has been succesfull but very one dimensional. How do you balance the two things to try and get this squad to the next level and into an Imperial Bowl?

When i took over their were 2 glaring holes in this team. One was at the safety position. The other falls into the category you are talking about, Wide Reciever. I signed the best WRs I could find. I looked over this team and saw very little offensive talent outside of QB Devon Taylor. Getting him weapons at WR was priority one. I don't know how the previous GM got so much production from the RBs. I am going to focus the offense around Taylor. I believe in passing the ball. And having the run compliment the pass.

What are some of the more important things you believe you've accomplished in your first IFL offseason?

I believe the inportant things i achieved are as follows:
a) signed one, possibly 2 outstanding receivers. I say possibly because one is coming off a severe knee injury.
b) Improved the defensive backfield. Adding The Hittin' Hermans and Landon Sobel will make it very difficult to pass against the Cows.
c) Added depth to the offensive line. the line is getting old. It may not stay healthy for the entire season. Depth was a must.
d) Changing the offensive gameplan. Wow is all I can say about last seasons plan.

The contract you handed out to WR Glenn Bess raised a few eye brows around the league. Whats your best case scenario regarding his contributions to the Cows both this season and in the future.

The best case scenario for Bess is that he comes back 100%. If he does, he will start at flanker and move Groth to split end. If this does happen the Cows will have a tandem that will be tough to defend. If he comes back 50%, he will be a top notch 3rd receiver. I feel this gamble has alot of upside. I think it is high reward, low risk. If he is horrible after his rehab, I can cut him next year lose out on 2 million dollars. Again low risk/high reward. Plus look at what I had. A Bess at 50% was better then what the Cows had.

Cows? Cows? Cows? When can we expect a new name and logo for this squad?

According to league rules I cannot change the nickname until my 2nd season as GM. Trust me, I plan on changing it then. I have sent out a request to all the Elementary schools in Tulsa to have their students think of a new nickname. When I get the results I will narrow it down to 4 and then have a run-off to determine the winner.

Sort of an addendum to question #1. The fans in Tulsa are in love with the chuck & duck offense that the previous owner employed, do you take that into account when coming up with your own offense or do you believe that continued success in whatever form it takes will keep your fanbase happy?

I will not let QB devon Taylor, who is idolized by the fans, be wasted another day. The new scheme brought in will let Taylor shine. When the fans see their favorite player winning awards and games, they will see the folly of the chuck and duck offense of previous reigns.

[Suicane]

Jester Blaze: Lawrence Phantoms

You struggled with Newark all the way down to the wire last season for the division crown, and in the end you both go knocked out of the playoffs in your first games. Do you feel like your battles with the Bulldogs negatively affected you come playoff time?

Every game in this league leaves players banged up. Perhaps moreso in a smashmouth game like Lawrence vs. Newark but that's just taking into account one of the many factors that decide an IFL contest. Our playoff loss to Tulsa certainly wasn't a result of playing Newark in week 17.

Is this the year you wrest the AC East crown from the Bulldogs?

It had better be. It's crazy that we've had so much talent for so long and no division title to show for it.

Bucky Beaver joins your squad this season from Cleveland, is he the type of back you see taking some of the load off of Stanfield and the passing game?

Absolutely! We've always loved Bucky Beaver but thought he was drafted way too high due to his inability to catch the ball and propensity to put it on the ground. He's lost some ability already since being in the league but we expect him to give us the type of back that we've never had here in Lawrence. If he can break a couple long ones then

Kley vs Crespo has become on the more marquee matchups in the IFL, how stoked do you get when you and Newark match up?

Each season is broken down to four parts: pre-season, regular season, Newark games, and playoffs.

The mood changes around Lawrence during "Newark Week". There's a very determined demeanor. The players lift a little more and talk a little less in the gym. There aren't many smiles during practice. Conversations in the street need no introduction as the topic is known ahead of time. "We gotta keep them to 3rd and long" says one stranger to another and it doesn't seem an odd opening statement at all.

Yeah, we get pretty stoked when we play Newark.

If this season were an Opera, would the Phantom get the ring at the end of the season or be stuck in the sewar?

I've no idea what this question references. Very Happy

In the spirit of giving an answer I'll say that we might just lift that ring and bring it down into the sewars of Broke as Fuck Field.




Matt: Newark Bulldogs

Hey Matt, Im in Las Vegas right now, and i've got $500 to put down on 1 team to win it all in the IFL this year, sell me on why I should pick the Bulldogs.

Only $500? You should hang out in Atlantic City. The Bulldogs are not a team with a sexy QB. People have been sleeping on our team since this league's inception, but when you look at all time records we've shown that we're in the 10 in that category. I'd like to think that we've got good depth at a lot of key positions. We work hard all year, and there's really no one player above the team. Offensively we were as good as ever last year. I'm hoping that we can get our problems on defense corrected, so that we can get even further in the playoffs, with the end goal of actually hoisting the trophy at the end of the year.

Crespos workload last year was the lightest it's ever been. Is there a concious decision on your part to continue that trend this year?

Crespo is a dominant force, and everyone knows that he's the key to our offense. It's not really a surprise that we try to use our passing game to help open up the field for Alan. We have to take what the defense gives us, and in this case it meant to pass the ball a little. Crespo has been a little banged up in his career, and although it's not a concious effort, we do want to keep the young man fresh for key games. However, if our opponent has holes in their run defense, we will give Crespo the rock 30+ times a game. Overall, we understand that some level of balance gives us our most success. We will continue to do what we need to do to be successful.

You suffered a very tough loss last year at home in the Playoffs to SLC. A) How does your team rebound from that and B) Do you feel any added pressure to make up for that effort this season?

That loss really stung. Plain and simple. I don't really want to dwell on that game as the measuring stick of our season, because I just thinnk that our team was better than what we put out on the field against SLC. We hope to rectify those problems and start out fresh this year with a new hunger. I don't really feel any added pressure this year. As I said earlier, I think most people don't really have us on their radar. I do think it will be more difficult to be as successful this year, compared to last because of the moves that our divisionmates have made this offseason. Lawrence has now had a taste of the playoffs, and I really think that they've assembled such a dominant team. They have a window for the next couple years to really do some damage. I'd be really happy if we were able to win the division for a 3rd time, but this year our entire division will be super competetive.

You didn't make alot of big moves in the offseason, are you content with your squad as built or do you feel that you still need to add a piece or 2?

If you consider 'big moves' as signing FA's, you're right. What we did do is sign some key players to long term extensions. We're trying to do our best to keep the core of this team together for a long time. We want to continue to be successful year after year. Our fans demand success from our football team, and we aim to please. We will continue to build our core through the draft over the next few years, and hopefully get that one or two guys that can put us over the top.

I know this is a question you're contstantly answering, but where does Crespo rank in the pantheon of all time greats?

I vision him up there with some of the great ones. Definatley, I vision him as probably the best RB ever, up there with Jacques Crosby, Dewit Flynn, and James Tart. When you look back at what he's accomplished over such a short period of time, it's truly amazing. I'm excited about what he'll be able to do over the next 6 years here in Newark. We built this team around him, and we'll continue to ride him until he decides he doesn't want to play anymore. To sum it all up, I'd take Alan over any player in the history of this league if I was going to start this team. To me, he's that good. So what if I have a bias.




Pirates: Orlando Pirates

The inury to Harrison Hynes really put a damper on your season last year. With the addition of Jerome Mueller, has Harrison officialy been replaces as the QB of this team or is their an open contest for the starting QB job?

Mueller is coming in as the starter. We paid a large contract to Hynes 2 seasons ago and he has never lived up to the amount we paid. He was already declining in performance before the injury and now he is a shell of his former self and a 14 year vet.

Mueller has been a journeyman his entire career and has never had the chance to show his talent. Orlando loves to give identity to those that have struggled to find one. This is Mueller's shot to prove he can be a starter in the Imperial Football League. Hynes will coach him from the sidelines and more then likey embrace retirement after this season.

How big is the addition of RB Wesley Connell to your franchise?

Well, I must say he is the running back we have been looking for. Dewitt was an icon after the IFL Bowl win. Ho was brought in to keep things rolling but our O line play really struggled as well as our defensive unit. Connell comes to us in just his 6th season so we have time to replace aging veterans and still compete at a maximum level at the running back slot.

Plus he is huge for a RB!! 6'3" and 237. He also, brings leadership and is a fan favorite. His Jersey has been selling out and he hasnt even played yet. We just changed his number to 40. A big back needs a big number so we have high hopes from his versatility and goal line presence.

Newark and Lawrence are the consensus class of this division. Give us a reason why Orlando can compete with them for the Division title this season.

I think we are close to getting back in the mix. I believe we will have better play at the QB and RB position this year. I think we will be able to pound the ball much more effectively and control the clock. Our D is very young at the LB and CB position. Barring injury we should see a big improvement from Edwards at the CB spot and Clark and Gannon at LB.

Remember that from 2003 to 2005 we owned the division and have the only IFL Bowl title from our peers. The competition is fierce but we are building back into a championship team.

Allan Ho hung up his cleats this past offseason, give us a fond memory or 2 of one of the premiere RB's of the IFL's early years.

I actually have 37 of them. They were all the TD's he had for us over the last 3 years. Ho was just a great competitor. He came from a the small college of West Georgia and was a little undersized at just 196 lbs., but man did he have a knack for hitting the hole at the goal line.

I think the most defining moment of his persona was our 2007 season. We were struggling to be competitive and looking for any spark to lift us out of the losses. Ho started real slow that year and the losses began piling up. There was some division in the coaching staff so we handed the starting job over to Daugherty. Ho never said a word and kept on battling when his opportunity came to carry the football. With the season winding down and we are officially out of it, Ho was given his job back for the last 5 games. He jumped in and showed flashes of his youth. He compiled 527 yards and 9 TD's over that stretch. We never questioned his ability or desire again.

Unfortunately, for Ho he has had only one winning season between the two franchises he has been on. Hopefully his name will not get lost because of the situation he was in. He has 74 TD's in 6 IFL seasons. Never once did he rush for less then 10 TD's in a season. The man was a TD machine.

At over 72,000 per game, you have the highest attendance in the National Conference, how does the atmosphere at a Pirates game differ from other stadiums around the league?

You haven't been to a home game at Pirate Stadium? You need to get out more. It is a loud raucous passionate explosion of noise. We have the first IFL Bowl title and the fans and city carry it with an angry pride. If you come to our turf you have to earn it. The last 3 seasons have been tough so we are working hard to give the city a product it can relate too. They know we will always spend the money and go for players to improve the team. We do not penny pinch or cut corners on the roster. The fans appreciate this and show it in spirit and in attendance.

Get ready for a new year of Pirate mania. The ship has been re-outfitted and we are loading the guns with double shot. This year will be a return to past seasons where teams dreaded playing the Orlando Pirates. No prisoners!!!





Coder: Vermont Mountaineers

Following your Division crown peak season of 2006 you've suffered thru a pair of middling years, is this a rebuilding season, a contention season or somewhere in between?

This is definately a rebuilding season. Frederic Olivarez[ifl] came back from his serious leg injury and didn't look the same and at the same time [ifl]Reggie Greiner and Knox Thanh retired.

Add Virgil's eye-trouble to this and the organization decided we wouldn't be going to the playoffs this year anyway so basically it was a good time to take a step back and let in some new young talent. We were already an old team, so some new blood was going to be needed anyway.

We traded Sobel and Mackenzie for picks to get potential starting material from the draft that could develop into solid players to be used for the next couple of years while we get back into contention.

Whats the latest on Virgils eye troubles and do you feel comfortable with Rocco Hooten as your starting QB if Virgil can't start the season?

Had you asked me two days ago, I would have said "yes, I'm comfortable with Rocco", but with Virgil coming back earlier than expected, I have to say "I'm VERY comfortable with the Virgil and Rocco tandem". I know that if Virgil's eye trouble comes back, I have a fantastic backup, and meanwhile he's a great rolemodel and a terrific leader from the sidelines.

Same question we asked Orlando, Newark and Lawrence are the consensus class of this division. Give us a reason why Vermont can compete with them for the Division title this season.

Realistically we shouldn't be there, competing for the title.

However, we're healthy at the start of the season and that's a huge benefit. If we can get a head start to the other teams (they're all pretty banged up), we might be able to stay there depending on how our rookies adapt. With Virgil back, anything can happen.

What kind of role will 1st round picks WR Dennis Bakker and LB Brenden Estermeyer play on your team this year?

Dennis decision not to sign before camp was a big letdown and he didn't exactly look great when he showed up. He's looked much better on the field though and I'm quite positive about him. Thanks to the way he's played, we've moved Wilkins over to flanker and Bakker will be second in line after Tilley on the depthchart at split end. I expect him to see plenty of pigskin.

Estermeyer has looked great. He had a fantastic final pre-season game against Iowa, being just about everywhere. I think he'll be a major impact player in a year or so and will get every opportunity to take a starting spot this year.

What happens to this franchise if Virgil doesn't return?

Since he's back now, this question might not be included in the report I guess, but let me answer anyway. Virgil is pretty much synonymous with the Vermont Mountaineers. No player means as much to us as he does.

But a team is not just one player, and I felt we got a great replacement for him in Hooten so I wasn't overly concerned. If Virgil needed time to get better, he'd get that time.

We were already looking at rebuilding when his troubles started so our initial reaction was to draft a young QB for Rocco to mentor and depending on how Virgil looked when he came back, we might have a decent new starter or a capable backup.

As things turned out though, I'm extremely pleased with Virgil's quick comeback and as long as I run the 'Neers, he will have a place in our organization.

[Suicane]

Vito Stallion: Salt Lake City Stallions

Chris Chaplin had a career resurection last season. Is he now an elite QB or does he still have something to prove?

I personally think the guy has been overlooked for a long time. Our offensive philosophy is very QB-friendly so I expect Chris to do well with us again. People need to not look past his backup (Mcgwire). I'm very pleased with us quietly picking him up last year also.

Jave, Jeff, Jave. It's like a 2 on 1 tag team match where they take turns trying to beat up on you. What are your thoughts on Jeff leaving the division and Jave coming back?

I'd hate to be the owners getting him in their division. He's a great competitor.

Out goes T.J. Palmateer and in comes Rico Flannery. What was the impetus in your decision to bring in another coach and how do you see Flannery, who has a history of underachievment, fitting into your system in SLC?

TJ left for money. We couldn't retain his services but I think we got a fine coach in his stead. Rico has been winner in this league--he'll be one again this season.

Outside of a change at head coach you've had a pretty stable offseason. Do you think that this unit is the one that will finaly get you to the promised land?

Yes, and we believe that every year.

Chris Chaplins holdout caused a little bit of stir in the media, is everything with him smoothed over?

We'll see. We had no problem giving him a raise---he earned it and I think he's going to be a big part of this year's success.





Jave: Oakland Devils
He's off in a world of warcraft I bet.





Wolfpack GM: Reno Wolfpack
My Grandparents are in Reno this weekend, I should have them break his legs for not answering me!




RichardM: Vanocuver Killer Whales

What was the thought process behind moving Collela and Conelly?

Both of those players contributed to a huge amount of our cap room. So much so that it comprimised our ability to field a full team. In the case of Collela he was very underachieving considering the amount of money we were paying him. Connely accounted for around 15% of our cap cost. As talented as he is we just couldn't justify allowing a single player to account for that much of our salary cap.

Is this Xavier Armstrongs team from the get go?

We view Armstrong as our starting QB. We felt that way about him when we drafted him. We feel that Armstrong can take this team a long way.

Should Dennis Perez put his house on the market?

We view Perez as very important player on our team. We'd like to keep him for as long as he wants to be a Killer Whale.

Do you think RB J.B. Lincoln and Emmit Terry can flourish under your system in Vancouver?

We feel that both of these players have shown some great playmaking ability in limited action with their former teams. We expect them to be heavy contributors to our future success.[/i]

Your team is so young all of the sudden, how do you feel that you match up this season and maybe more importantly in the future with the rest of the NC West?

We feel that we can compete with anybody right now, but we forsee some growing pains with such a young team. In a year or two we anticipate having a solid nucleus for a perrenial playoff team and hopefully a Championship or two.