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TB is pleased to present its fourth edition of its "Ten Game Review"
We've been away for a couple of seasons and thought this would be a welcome traditional post from the past.
All of you know the drill from the past: TB has taken a liking to this particular junction in the season (after week 11 is completed) where the bye weeks are kaput and each team has played a full ten games.
AND ... from here on out, the playing conditions are the same for each team’s GM:
:arrow: You have ten games are under your belt and there are only six left that will determine your destiny in the playoffs.
:arrow: You have played four of your six division games, so not much wiggle room in that category.
:arrow: Trading has long past you by and you are stuck with what you got because there is absolutely nothing, and we repeat, notta, in the FA pool.
:arrow: There are no more bye weeks to heal an injury or two.
Turning the corner the the playoff promise land, all GM's can finally visualize the finish line in the distance (granted some have a better view than others). The plan is simple ... nut up for the privilege to make a statement in the playoffs. With a six game schedule, a team can get hot and on the other hand, can cool down and let another pass it up on the rail.
American Conference Observations:
A Good Surprise: Throughout its franchise history Boston has gone unrecognized behind the power house teams of the AC EAST (the AC -East in the likes of Norfolk, West Virginia and Hartford has impressively dominated the representation for the American Conference in 7 of the 14 Imperial Bowls). But this year the Dragons have a team that can play with the best of them and despite playing a tough schedule, they now sport a record of 7-3.
:?: Biggest Controversy: Will the cartoon postings of "Wile-E" continue to have its magical impact for Montreal?
:shithappens: A Death Spiral: Usually, this distinction is reserved for one team, but this year the AC SOUTH (with the lone exception of Murfreesboro) deserves the notoriety. Houston, Louisiana and St. Louis have COMBINED for a dismal record of 5 wins and 25 losses. Only one of those wins were outside of their division. Our research believes that this is the worst performance by three teams in the same division in any year of the league.
:jedi: Most Dangerous Team: In our opinion, Portland edges out Montreal with its 9-1 record for the most feared team after 10 games. The Seals' only loss was to Boston and they had a quality win vs. West Virginia. The perfect 10-0 record of Montreal failed to sway the opinion to award them this distinction because of their much weaker strength of schedule (4 of Montreal's wins came from the above noted AC South).
:!: Projected wins needed to reach the playoffs as a wild card: 11
So, we believe that a team should feel comfortable to control its own destiny with twelve wins.
:shoot: Most exciting division: AC-EAST -There is no clear cut favorite to win the AC East – West Virginia and Boston are making legitimate claims to win the division and Norfolk still lurks in the shadows with a 5 game winning streak. We think that West Virgina will come out of the current log jam and Boston will earn a wild card berth. Norfolk and Hartford will do their best to play the role of spoilers.
:scratchhead: Teams out of the hunt: This is our least favorite thread in this write up but we call them like we see them. The black list includes: Wichita, Houston, St. Louis, Louisiana, Hartford, Fresno and Los Angeles.
Locks for a playoff spot: Montreal, Murfreesboro and Portland. This leaves six teams vying for the remaining three slots - Cleveland, Iowa City, West Virginia, Boston, Norfolk and Anchorage.
THE INFAMOUS TB PREDICTION (barring any critical injuries):
AC North Champion - Montreal
AC South Champion – Murfreesboro
AC East Champion - West Virginia
AC West Champion - Portland
Wild Card – Cleveland
Wild Card – Boston
National Conference Observations:
A Good Surprise: What a blessing ... the league will no longer need to listen to the bellyaching of Oakland's GM, at least for the time being. Jave, the controversial but well liked GM of the Oakland Devils, has his team back on track. And despite an unfortunate injury to his starting QB, the Devils still seemed positioned to reach the playoffs.
:?: Biggest Controversy: The offseason moves of Dakota George have left a few puzzled faces around the league with open comment about the the soundness of the strategies for the franchise? His curious strategies are finally having some curious results - just ask Pennsylvania. But just as a dragon is slayed, Dakota finds itself ambushed by a struggling Little Rock. Whatever, the team is playing much tougher these days but the questions remain. If Dakota has its first winning season since 2010, will these discussions come to an end?
:shithappens: A Death Spiral: Orlando won the very first Imperial Bowl but things have turned for the worse since those early years. Orlando has posted the worst franchise won-loss record in the league. Last year the Pirates were 1-15. This year, they are 1-9.
:jedi: Most Dangerous Team: Newark is the class of the NC by all measurements. The Bulldogs' only loss was to Anchorage and they have three quality wins vs. Tulsa, Oakland and Lawrence. If the Bulldogs persist, they can possibly help the NC EAST become the first division to have all of its teams participate in an Imperial Bowl ... and if they get that far, and win, the NC East will be the first division with all teams having a Bowl victory. Not putting any pressure on you Matt.
:!: Wins needed to reach the playoffs as a wild card: 9 Any team with 10 wins should have a lock for a playoff berth. But unlike the AC, we think that there will be a hell of a fight for both wild card spots and that tie breaker rules will come into play.
:shoot: Most exciting division: NC WEST – This is the only division in the conference that has not prematurely crowned its champion for the year. Oakland is leading the division but is without the services of their starting QB. Vancouver and Reno are in the wings to take advantage of their weak remaining schedules (thanking the AC South). In fact, we think that Reno has an excellent chance to win the division based on the fact that its remaining schedule has five teams that have not won more than 2 games and their only big test is versus Oakland.
:scratchhead: Teams out of the hunt: Don't kill the messenger. Dakota, Lansing, Little Rock, Orlando, Salt Lake City.
Locks for a playoff spot: Pennsylvania, Tulsa & Newark. This leaves eight teams still in the hunt for a playoff berth. Oakland is 7-3; four of the teams are now 6-4, Texas, Lawrence, Vancouver and Madison; and the remaining three are 5-5. Of more importance is how those eight teams line up vs. the strength of their remaining schedules (listed in order of weakest schedule to hardest schedule): Reno, Vancouver, Vermont, Georgia, Oakland, Texas, Madison, Lawrence.
THE INFAMOUS TB PREDICTION (barring any further critical injuries):
NC North Champion – Pennsylvania
NC South Champion - Tulsa
NC East Champion - Newark
NC West Champion - Reno
Wild Card – Oakland
Wild Card – Vancouver
UPCOMING GAMES READY FOR PRIME (teams that currently have 8 wins and will want to secure a home field advantage in the playoff seedings):
Cleveland at Pennsylvania (week 12)
Boston at Montreal (week 13)
Newark at Pennsylvania (week 13)
Newark at Portland (week 14)
West Virginia at Tulsa (week 14)
Montreal at Pennsylvania (week 14)
Montreal at Cleveland (week 17)
__________________
... devoted to the study of meaningless information ...
... and obviously with too much time on one\'s hands ...
We've been away for a couple of seasons and thought this would be a welcome traditional post from the past.
All of you know the drill from the past: TB has taken a liking to this particular junction in the season (after week 11 is completed) where the bye weeks are kaput and each team has played a full ten games.
AND ... from here on out, the playing conditions are the same for each team’s GM:
:arrow: You have ten games are under your belt and there are only six left that will determine your destiny in the playoffs.
:arrow: You have played four of your six division games, so not much wiggle room in that category.
:arrow: Trading has long past you by and you are stuck with what you got because there is absolutely nothing, and we repeat, notta, in the FA pool.
:arrow: There are no more bye weeks to heal an injury or two.
Turning the corner the the playoff promise land, all GM's can finally visualize the finish line in the distance (granted some have a better view than others). The plan is simple ... nut up for the privilege to make a statement in the playoffs. With a six game schedule, a team can get hot and on the other hand, can cool down and let another pass it up on the rail.
American Conference Observations:
A Good Surprise: Throughout its franchise history Boston has gone unrecognized behind the power house teams of the AC EAST (the AC -East in the likes of Norfolk, West Virginia and Hartford has impressively dominated the representation for the American Conference in 7 of the 14 Imperial Bowls). But this year the Dragons have a team that can play with the best of them and despite playing a tough schedule, they now sport a record of 7-3. :?: Biggest Controversy: Will the cartoon postings of "Wile-E" continue to have its magical impact for Montreal?
:shithappens: A Death Spiral: Usually, this distinction is reserved for one team, but this year the AC SOUTH (with the lone exception of Murfreesboro) deserves the notoriety. Houston, Louisiana and St. Louis have COMBINED for a dismal record of 5 wins and 25 losses. Only one of those wins were outside of their division. Our research believes that this is the worst performance by three teams in the same division in any year of the league.
:jedi: Most Dangerous Team: In our opinion, Portland edges out Montreal with its 9-1 record for the most feared team after 10 games. The Seals' only loss was to Boston and they had a quality win vs. West Virginia. The perfect 10-0 record of Montreal failed to sway the opinion to award them this distinction because of their much weaker strength of schedule (4 of Montreal's wins came from the above noted AC South).
:!: Projected wins needed to reach the playoffs as a wild card: 11
So, we believe that a team should feel comfortable to control its own destiny with twelve wins.
:shoot: Most exciting division: AC-EAST -There is no clear cut favorite to win the AC East – West Virginia and Boston are making legitimate claims to win the division and Norfolk still lurks in the shadows with a 5 game winning streak. We think that West Virgina will come out of the current log jam and Boston will earn a wild card berth. Norfolk and Hartford will do their best to play the role of spoilers.
:scratchhead: Teams out of the hunt: This is our least favorite thread in this write up but we call them like we see them. The black list includes: Wichita, Houston, St. Louis, Louisiana, Hartford, Fresno and Los Angeles.
Locks for a playoff spot: Montreal, Murfreesboro and Portland. This leaves six teams vying for the remaining three slots - Cleveland, Iowa City, West Virginia, Boston, Norfolk and Anchorage. THE INFAMOUS TB PREDICTION (barring any critical injuries):AC North Champion - Montreal
AC South Champion – Murfreesboro
AC East Champion - West Virginia
AC West Champion - Portland
Wild Card – Cleveland
Wild Card – Boston
National Conference Observations:
A Good Surprise: What a blessing ... the league will no longer need to listen to the bellyaching of Oakland's GM, at least for the time being. Jave, the controversial but well liked GM of the Oakland Devils, has his team back on track. And despite an unfortunate injury to his starting QB, the Devils still seemed positioned to reach the playoffs. :?: Biggest Controversy: The offseason moves of Dakota George have left a few puzzled faces around the league with open comment about the the soundness of the strategies for the franchise? His curious strategies are finally having some curious results - just ask Pennsylvania. But just as a dragon is slayed, Dakota finds itself ambushed by a struggling Little Rock. Whatever, the team is playing much tougher these days but the questions remain. If Dakota has its first winning season since 2010, will these discussions come to an end?
:shithappens: A Death Spiral: Orlando won the very first Imperial Bowl but things have turned for the worse since those early years. Orlando has posted the worst franchise won-loss record in the league. Last year the Pirates were 1-15. This year, they are 1-9.
:jedi: Most Dangerous Team: Newark is the class of the NC by all measurements. The Bulldogs' only loss was to Anchorage and they have three quality wins vs. Tulsa, Oakland and Lawrence. If the Bulldogs persist, they can possibly help the NC EAST become the first division to have all of its teams participate in an Imperial Bowl ... and if they get that far, and win, the NC East will be the first division with all teams having a Bowl victory. Not putting any pressure on you Matt.
:!: Wins needed to reach the playoffs as a wild card: 9 Any team with 10 wins should have a lock for a playoff berth. But unlike the AC, we think that there will be a hell of a fight for both wild card spots and that tie breaker rules will come into play.
:shoot: Most exciting division: NC WEST – This is the only division in the conference that has not prematurely crowned its champion for the year. Oakland is leading the division but is without the services of their starting QB. Vancouver and Reno are in the wings to take advantage of their weak remaining schedules (thanking the AC South). In fact, we think that Reno has an excellent chance to win the division based on the fact that its remaining schedule has five teams that have not won more than 2 games and their only big test is versus Oakland.
:scratchhead: Teams out of the hunt: Don't kill the messenger. Dakota, Lansing, Little Rock, Orlando, Salt Lake City.
Locks for a playoff spot: Pennsylvania, Tulsa & Newark. This leaves eight teams still in the hunt for a playoff berth. Oakland is 7-3; four of the teams are now 6-4, Texas, Lawrence, Vancouver and Madison; and the remaining three are 5-5. Of more importance is how those eight teams line up vs. the strength of their remaining schedules (listed in order of weakest schedule to hardest schedule): Reno, Vancouver, Vermont, Georgia, Oakland, Texas, Madison, Lawrence. THE INFAMOUS TB PREDICTION (barring any further critical injuries):NC North Champion – Pennsylvania
NC South Champion - Tulsa
NC East Champion - Newark
NC West Champion - Reno
Wild Card – Oakland
Wild Card – Vancouver
UPCOMING GAMES READY FOR PRIME (teams that currently have 8 wins and will want to secure a home field advantage in the playoff seedings):
Cleveland at Pennsylvania (week 12)
Boston at Montreal (week 13)
Newark at Pennsylvania (week 13)
Newark at Portland (week 14)
West Virginia at Tulsa (week 14)
Montreal at Pennsylvania (week 14)
Montreal at Cleveland (week 17)
__________________
... devoted to the study of meaningless information ...
... and obviously with too much time on one\'s hands ...
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