Week 2 Thoughts Picks and Predictions

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Category: The Godfather's Picks

Created: Friday, 30 August 2019 12:42

Published: Friday, 30 August 2019 12:42

Written by Patrick McGovern

Hits: 15815

 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the TSL Universe:

 

We’re off! The Race for Social Co-Ed Football Immortality is officially started and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. There’s nothing better then watching the best of the best Co-ed football teams square off against one another. Every season is like its own movie. There’s twists and turns. The plot gets some unexpected heroes, some expected villians, and there’s always that M. Night Shamalyan “HOLY CRAP” moment at the end that really gets you when you THOUGHT you knew how things were going to go.

 

This is why we come out, season after season, to see how each story is going to unfold. It’s on me to be your narrator, to guide you through a whole bunch of silly nonsense and help you along the way. If you’ve ever paid attention, you should know that I already know everything, and with that, I’ll be able to tell you exactly what’s going to happen this season. So here you go:

 

D1:

 

The Contenders: Marketing Mayors, Public Enemy

 

The Next Best: Eyes Downtown, Tight Ends In Motion

 

Gryffindor: Gryffindor

 

Last Week’s Scores

Marketing Mayors 42, Eyes Downtown 16

Public Enemy 33, Gryffindor 13

Tight Ends In Motion 35, Gryffindor 0

Marketing Mayors 39, Energy Buff 19 (D1/D2 Crossover Game)

 

Joey Batts gets all of the credit in the world for finally going back to D1 with a Gryffindor team that, 4 years ago, was in D4. Unfortunately, his return didn’t go as well as he had planned. A 20 point loss to Public Enemy and a beat down by TEIM isn’t the best start, but it’s a young season so he’ll have time to figure things out. At least he went up to “The Show”, which is more than we can say for some teams. (Hi Matty!) As for the rest of the division, something feels off with Eyes Downtown. I felt it last season too. I just have this feeling there’s some inner turmoil and I’m not sure if its Bobby related or not. It’ll be interesting to watch this division unfold, but I feel like we’re on the way to Marketing Mayors vs Public Enemy, which at this point might be what the people want anyway.

 

This Week’s Games:

 

Gryffindor (+17) vs Public Enemy - The downside to us only having 5 D1 teams is that you get to play each other a lot. Hopefully Gryffindor can put up a better fight and show us that they’ve learned something from last week. PUBLIC ENEMY BY 15

 

Tight Ends In Motion (+8) vs Eyes Downtown – Just because I’m feeling like the internal downfall of Eyes Downtown might be on the horizon, doesn’t mean that they’re a bad team. They still know how to play, and while I expect TEIM to be a much better team this season (as is usually the case when a team settles on one QB instead of three), there’s still a matter having to see them prove it on the field. EYES DOWNTOWN BY 6

 

D2:

 

The Contenders: Peachy Platoon, A&A, HOFBRAHAUS BUFFALO (this is Topper’s team)

 

The Next Level: Dilf’s, Slytherin That End Zone

 

It’s a Good Thing Everyone Makes Playoffs:  Bullet Club, Energy Buff, We Back

 

Last Week’s Scores:

Dilf’s 27, Energy Buff 18

Peachy Platoon 61, Bullet Club 20

Slytherin That End Zone 32, Bullet Club 26

HOFBRAHAUS BUFFALO 58, We Back 8

Peachy Platoon 43, SITE 30

 

The offseason for D2 became quite the arms race. A&A added Jay German as they were expecting to go to D1 before Matty pulled a “Joey Batts” and got scared and stayed down longer. (To be fair, once they won D2, Joey HAD to go up after many seasons of hiding). Team Topper prepared for this a season ahead of time, went to D1, signed Pete, and then snuck back down to D2 with a name change. There’s ZERO way Lenny would’ve let Topper take Pete to D2 by the way. This lawless land with no Topper restrictions is a scary place now. Peachy Platoon, who was moved up to D2 early on in the offseason, added Dave Wilbern and his sidekick, Mo Saleh. Energy Buff went out and added Coach Jay! The Dilf’s weren’t really a team, but they’re basically a form of #XTC (RIP) with Val Bernal, Travis, and Katie Keller added to the squad. Bullet Club’s response to all of this? Lose Paul Nieman and Travis to free agency, and Sarah Donogher for a season due to pregnancy (congrats!). Just kidding, they added Ricky Austin at QB and in a sneaky good move added Chris Nelson to the team as well. I have no idea how all of this is going to play out, but currently it doesn’t feel like anyone can stop Peachy. They’re just so fast. Bullet Club didn’t stand a chance when they were (not surprisingly) missing people. Slytherin gave Peachy a much better game however. The Dilf’s used their combined 4,023 years of experience to give them the edge over Energy Buff. Topper absolutely SHREDDED We Back, who might have picked the wrong division to start “back” in.

 

This Week’s Games:

We Back (+7) vs Bullet Club – It’s Week 2, and already we see our first “must win” game of the season. Granted, all of these D2 teams will make the playoffs, but considering just how poorly both teams looked last week, they need the good vibes. It’s been said that both teams were missing players so hopefully Joe K and Sal can get their rosters to actually show up to the fields this week. But based on what I’m seeing and hearing, I can only go this route: BULLET CLUB BY 4

 

Energy Buff (+10) vs HOFBRAUHAUS BUFFALO  - I’m already sick of typing that name. And why is Topper putting his own team’s name in all capital letters? Is it to make it easier to see on the schedule? It’s those types of tricky veteran moves that keeps that man alive in this league. Team Topper might have had a rough go in D1 last season, but they’ve learned a LOT in that division. They’re going to keep applying what they learned in a competitive D2 this season for sure. Energy Buff is a team that always plays hard, and I know they have a few reinforcements coming this week as well. The thing that matters the most is this: DON’T LET BOTH TEAMS BRING ONLY GRAY. HOFBRUHAUS BUFFALO BY 12

 

A&A (+3) vs Peachy Platoon – This is purely a line driven out of respect for Peachy’s Week 1. A&A didn’t play since Matty was off jet setting around the country as he does. That may mean there’s a bit of rust for them to shake off, since the roster is a bit different from last season. PEACHY PLATOON BY 10

 

Dilf’s vs Slytherin That End Zone (EVEN) – I wasn’t sure what to put this game at. Last week, Slytherin looked very good. The Dilf’s weren’t looking too bad either, cruising to their win (WITH JOHNNY F’N DIO!). I just think SITE is a bit more locked in right now, and Newman really looks to climb up the QB Rankings this season. SLYTHERIN THAT END ZONE BY 3

 

Energy Buff (+10) vs A&A – I have a feeling A&A might “wake up” when they have to go against Peachy earlier in the day, and I don’t think that will be a good thing for Energy Buff. I just see A&A doing everything they can to score 50 points this game and walk away with a win. A&A BY 10

 

There’s actually two D1/D2 Crossover games this week as well:

 

Gryffindor vs Dilf’s (EVEN) – I have no reason to give Gryffindor any credit after last week’s melt down. The Dilf’s have a team full of players that have played in D1 before and as a result, these teams are a lot more even that it seems. DILF’S BY 3

 

Bullet Club (+14) vs Eyes Downtown – If Bullet Club trots out the same roster as last week, Bobby should eat them apart. If they trot out the roster they claim to have, Bobby might eat them apart. EYES DOWNTOWN BY 12

 

D3:

 

The Contenders: All We Do Is Quinn, Frodo Swaggins

 

The Next Level: Sticky Bandits, No Punt Intended, Vaspian, Jabronies

 

That Interesting Level That I Can’t Really Figure Out How It’ll Go In This Season: Puckett All-Stars, End Game, Ultimate Warriors

 

The Honeymoon Is Over Maybe: 3^rd And Schlong

 

Last Week’s Games:

Ultimate Warriors 49, Jabronies 49

Frodo Swaggins 30, Puckett All-Stars 20

All We Do Is Quinn 45, End Game 36

Vaspian 43, 3^rd And Schlong 37

All We Do Is Quinn 55, 3^rd And Schlong 31

Sticky Bandits 25, End Game 8

 

To be clear, I HATE putting 3AS at the bottom of the rankings here, but lets face it: They haven’t been good for a while now and something’s missing. I don’t know if they’re in need of another good player, or if Katie’s googly eyes at certain handsome Dilf’s have distracted her from remembering how to properly defend the field with her FAMILY. AWDIQ is chock full of bitterness with their “WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT ABOUT RAVEN?” attitude because the powers that be moved up Peachy Platoon and ignored them completely. Quinn was good last season, but with a chip on their shoulder? Look out D3. Frodo Swaggins has a fantastic QB in Scotty Drosendahl (word is he’s cool as hell too), and as long as Garrett doesn’t ruin thing with calling his own number too much (He got old, it happens), this Swaggins squad is top notch. Sticky Bandits can never be counted out, and while Alex has a broken hand of some sorts (He’s always injured now it seems), Rags has come back from injury to throw the ball for the team. Or is it Mike Thomas now? Perhaps with things like weddings, injuries, medical school, and other nonsense out of the way, they can get back to doing what they do best: winning football games. No Punt Intended added Glenn and Chelsie Bird and Rachel Parker from the defunct GLBS squad, which may have been exactly what was needed for them to be true contenders instead of the up and down team we’ve seen the past few seasons. Vaspian, I think, isn’t a completely new team, but I didn’t do my proper homework on them. I’ve heard that they’re going to be a solid team, and I look forward to hearing more about them. The Jabronies have made a Quinn/Peachy leap directly into D3. Why? The addition of a few Klecklers. Joe Miano has made strides as a QB since he started to throw the ball, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed. The Ultimate Warriors have awesome new jerseys, and they have Sam slinging the ball the way she always should. The more notable acquisition here, however, is QB Scott Pinto, who played last season with the now defunct Money Ball. The Warriors were on the wrong end of too many close games last session, but getting set at QB is going to be HUGE for them. Puckett All-Stars deserves all of the credit in the world. They were a low seed in last year’s D4 playoffs after a rough season, and won it all. Instead of hiding back in D4, they went right up to D3, like a champion should. End Game deserves some credit here too. Despite losing the title game last season, they still went up (they were probably going to be made to regardless) and they never once complained. Both of these teams have already faced the ‘top tier’ and gave them both good games this season, so they look right at home.  

 

This Week’s Games:

 

Puckett All-Stars (+8) vs Jabronies – This game is going to be a heck of a game. Right now, the only reason I’m giving the Jabronies a bit more credit is because of what their roster looks like. How they end up using those players is a different thing altogether. While I wouldn’t sleep on the reigning D4 champs, I’m still going with my gut here. JABRONIES BY 7

 

Ultimate Warriors vs End Game (EVEN) – Both teams had good showings last week. I know that End Game went 0-2, but they kept it close with Quinn, and then to have to play a fresh Sticky Bandits right after wasn’t fair. The Warriors need to keep doing what they’ve done for a while now, and play smart. They know better than anyone the gender TD game, and if they keep their cool, they should be looking at a 1-0-1 record to start this season off. ULTIMATE WARRIORS BY 10

 

Puckett All-Stars (+10) vs All We Do Is Quinn – Quinn is HOT. I know they are. They should be on a mission to prove to everyone that they’re not Peachy’s little brother. They boast fantastic players like Rawdog and Cat (Kat?) Peters, and their mission is fixing last season’s D3 championship loss. Puckett is good, but Quinn is on another level. AWDIQ BY 15

 

Vaspian vs No Punt Intended (EVEN) – It’s hard for me to really make a line on a game when I don’t full know how both rosters are going to look this season. This game will really tell me how things are going to go for both teams this season. Can one of these squads look to make a leap into the D3 title picture? NO PUNT INTENDED BY 3

 

All We Do Is Quinn vs Sticky Bandits (+3) – I really hope that I’m not doing what I did last season, where I’m giving Sticky a bit too much respect. I still think they’re a great team and they have one of the game’s most brilliant football minds in Jeff Krol (Dave Baker is no slouch either). Can Sticky figure out how to properly slow down Quinn? I’m not so sure. AWDIQ BY 6

 

No Punt Intended vs 3^rd and Schlong (+3) – I really hope the injury to 40 Year Plan Guy isn’t significant. He was seen limping around the bar last week, and may have been a big reason things didn’t go so well for 3AS last week. Perhaps it’s time for 3AS to find a third girl? Nicole and Katie are great, for sure, but being able to add that third girl near the end zone could do wonders for them. NO PUNT INTENDED BY 3

 

Vaspian (+7) vs Frodo Swaggins – Scotty Too Hotty is looking ready to sling it and is a dark horse D3 MVP candidate this season. If Frodo struggles anywhere, it’s with consistency. Sometimes they look like world beaters, other times they look like D4 might have been a better option. It usually more of the former than the latter, but if they can figure out a way to stay consistent, they pose a big threat to Quinn. Vaspian needs to come ready to fight this game. A win here really puts them on the map, and perhaps I can learn someone’s name from this team (Save for Vaspian, I guess, which is the Captain’s last name). FRODO SWAGGINS BY 13

 

D4:

 

The Contenders:  Matty’s Angels, Cunning Stunts

 

The Next Level:  Uncle Rico’s Time Travelers, Buffalo Solar Solutions

 

Keep On Truckin’: Mountain Dew Me, Full Throttle

 

Last Week’s Game:

Full Throttle 28, Mountain Dew Me 14

 

There just isn’t a TON to say about D4. They’re in this weird awkward stage where the best teams went up to D3, or folded. Now Full Throttle, Buffalo Solar, and Uncle Rico’s are looking around going “What?”. What was a strong 10 team division has become a weird six team division this time around. Mountain Dew Me joins the ranks, and while I don’t know much about them, I know they lost to Full Throttle, who was the 9^th best team in D4 last season. That may not bode well. On top of it all, those beautiful buzzsaws that are BOTH gender teams in Cunning Stunts and Matty’s Angels moved up to D4 to continue their constant rivalry. I haven’t heard much from who left/joined those teams either. I don’t have a good feel on this division because of it, but it looks like we’re going to see how the non-gender teams deal with the gender teams. Good luck out there.

 

This Week’s Games:

 

Full Throttle (+10) vs Buffalo Solar Solutions – Buffalo Solar had a pretty good year last season. They started out hot, lost it a bit in the middle of the season, but got things together and ended up losing the championship game to Puckett. Full Throttle had a nice start, but I’m going to continue to base things off of last season here. BUFFALO SOLAR SOLUTIONS BY 14

 

Uncle Rico’s Time Traveler’s (+13) vs Matty’s Angels – I apologize to Jon Senn now, but “the show” is coming into town. Don’t be disrespected by the 13 point spread, but quite frankly the Angels are hopping mad after last season’s disappointing loss to the Stunts in the session’s final game. Matty has gotten over his heatstroke, and the girls are ready to avenge that loss. This is a hell of a litmus test for Uncle Rico’s right out of the gate, but if they can hang, they’ll know they can take this D4 title. MATTY’S ANGELS BY 13

 

Mountain Dew Me (+17) vs Cunning Stunts -  No offense to our new team, but the Queens are here, and this will be their first appearance since winning the D5 title a few months ago. I’m positive that they want to put on a clinic right away to remind everyone just who the dominant ladies’ team is. CUNNING STUNTS BY 14

 

D5:

 

The Contenders: En Fuego, Practice Squad

 

The Next Level: Hung Buffalo, Over Compensators, Hope N Ruin, Pink Pteratacos

 

D6 isn’t THAT bad: Cobblestone, Come From Behind

 

Last Week’s Games:

Over Compensators 59, Hope N Ruin 35

Over Compensators 36, Cobblestone 20

En Fuego 43, Come From Behind 14

Practice Squad 35, Pink Pteratacos 18

 

First off, THANK YOU BLASÉ LADUCA. It hurts to say that, but he was smart enough to realize how stupid being called the “Ugandan Warriors” was when we had the “Ultimate Warriors” already in the league. He did us all a solid and changed his name. Now, I get to mess with him. Because let’s face it Blasé, you guys walked through this division last season, as long as there were more than one male on the field. The only thing you had left to prove in D5 was that you could beat one of the gender teams, and you couldn’t. So while BOTH of them moved up to a SIX team D4, you’re still hiding in D5? WHY? You want to bark at the QB Rankings team about how you should be so much higher, yet you’re running from your competition? Interesting. With that said, En Fuego is good, and this is their division to lose. Some people may think I have Practice Squad a little too high here, but the D6 champs have a great blend of talent and skill. Renee will always have her team ready to go. Hung Buffalo is always a tough out, and I didn’t hear about them playing last week, so we’ll have to see if they added any new wrinkles to the team. The Over Compensators are my dark horse in this division. After starting last season out really rough, they started to catch fire! They were one of the league’s hottest teams down the stretch last season, and it seems that they’re already building on that! I don’t mean to rain on Cobblestone’s parade so much. They’re AWESOME people, and they DO have the living legend in Darryl Carr QB Superstar. The problem for them has be that maybe, just mayyyyybe Darryl *might* not be as Superstary as he has been in the past. Hope N Ruin is another solid team that, from what I know, is the same group of people that always makes a run at this title and can never be counted out. Come From Behind is always a ton of fun, but it seems they’ve been winning more than losing as of late. Finally, the Pink Pteratacos are a good team when they have everyone on the same page and have a winning attitude. The problem is that Mark and Joe tend to argue like, well, father and son, and it derails the team way too much. Do they still have the #55 girl? She was a monster last season. Mark never emailed me to give her the proper respect so I could know her name. I blame him.

 

This Week’s Games:

 

Hope N Ruin (+10) vs En Fuego – Until someone stops En Fuego, they may be double digit point favorites every step of the way. This is a very good test for Hope N Ruin to see how they’re going to be this season. EN FUEGO BY 13

 

Come From Behind (+7) vs Practice Squad – I just got done talking up Practice Squad a bit, but you know what this game reminds me of? It’s like in Mike Tyson’s Punch Out where you had to work your way up the ladder in your new circuit. Come From Behind isn’t “Glass Joe” (Cobblestone), but they’re a very solid Piston Honda, and if PS blinks, it’ll be lights out. PRACTICE SQUAD BY 1

 

Hung Buffalo (+3) vs Over Compensators – The OC is becoming one of my favorite teams and I don’t have a really great answer to why. But who cares? I say this EVERY TIME I talk about Hung Buffalo but they’re a very good team that knows how to win games. Sometimes, knowing how to do something and actually doing it are two different things though. Assuming HB doesn’t have an ace up their sleeve, I like the OC here. OVERCOMPENSATORS BY 7

 

Hung Buffalo (+7) vs Practice Squad - Okay, if Come From Behind is Piston Honda, then Hung Buffalo is Bald Bull. They’re going to give you hell if you let them. Another interesting matchup that will really tell us if PS can hang in D5 or not. The difference here may be that PS will have two hours off to rest while HB is playing two in a row. PRACTICE SQUAD BY 3

 

D6:

 

The Contenders: The Bi-Polar Express, TMA, pAssless Chaps

 

The Rest:  Seriously, everyone else.

 

Last Week’s Games:

Zack Attack 34, Wild Oak Beard Co 15

The Bi-Polar Express 36, Blitzkrieg 33

Graves Bros 35, TMA 8

 

I’m pretty confident in saying that 7 of the 10 teams in D6 are some sort of brand new team. It appears that The Replacements are run by Payton Spinelli of “Cellino Sewer Rats/Five Star Generals” fame, so perhaps that’s who they are under a new name? No idea who Wild Oak Beard Co is but they already sound awesome! I imagine all of them have sweet beards. Blitzkrieg deserves some credit, having your first game against a gender team is never easy, and they really hung in there. Bi-Polar Express is really coming along, and with a good chunk of the teams that gave them fits leaving the division, there’s nowhere to go but up. Add into the fact that Gordon added Cat Peters, who is a legit star, and the BPX roster looks better than ever. Their main question remains at QB, but he’s the first to tell you that. TMA shouldn’t fool you. I know that Week 1’s loss made it seem like things weren’t going to be good again, but the rumor is that TMA has a QB now! Reports indicate that he played very well at the wine tourney, AND they added Steph Czaja to the roster to really shore up the girls. TMA can trot out 4 amazing girls at any time, and if they figure out which ones to use and when? Look out. pAssless Chaps are back (after rumors that they were going to fold) and that means Coach Jay is ready to take them to the next step. They really got things together en route to the title game last season and they have to be considered among the favorites. Tater Tots are a new team that are run by Dave Marcus, who’s better known around the league (for now) as “Drunk Meg’s Boyfriend with the cool beard.” Shattered Dreams are bunch of fun loving dudes that apparently used to play on Sweet and Sour Inc. back in the day with Joe K and Gordon (per Topper). Joe K says they’re pretty awesome when I asked for some info, and he claimed he can “get them to have fun at the bar except for the curly headed one.” Graves Bros showed up to defeat TMA in their first game, so that’s a good sign there too. Last but not least, we have Zack Attack, who is run by Zack Elphick. Elphick was a star for GLBS last season, so there’s a decent chance he dominates the division. So far so good for the Attack, since they’re 1-0.

 

This Week’s Games:

 

The Replacements vs Blitzkrieg (+3) – I’m giving BK the points here only because if the Replacements are who I think they are, they’re a pretty good squad, where all I have to go on with Blitz is that they almost beat Bi-Polar. THE REPLACEMENTS BY 7

 

Zack Attack vs Tater Tots (+10) – The Tots get a shout out for showing up to the fields this week to practice even though their game was cancelled. It looks like they’re just starting out though, and in this case, I’m not sure they’ll figure out just how to stop Elphick. ZACK ATTACK BY 13

 

Wild Oak Beard Co (+6) vs The Bi-Polar Express – Let’s see how this new team fares against a gender squad. Like I said, Gordon and the Girls have been getting better with each session, and with a full team they should be able to keep the good time rolling. THE BI-POLAR EXPRESS BY 8

 

Shattered Dreams (+10) vs Zack Attack – I’m going with Zack Attack again mainly because I know who one person on that team is, and I’m not sure who any of the people are on Shattered Dreams just yet. ZACK ATTACK BY 7

 

Shattered Dreams (+10) vs TMA – The back end of a double header for Shattered Dreams brings them to TMA. Word is that the TMA QB will be there this week, and we’ll get to see how the division is going to unpack for them when he’s there. TMA BY 7

 

pAssless Chaps vs Graves Bros (EVEN) – I know that the Chaps were very good at the end of the last season, but Graves Bros looks REALLY good in their win over TMA last week. Since the Chaps (and Coach Jay) may need to shake off some rust, I feel this game may be very close. PASSLESS CHAPS BY 1

 

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SATURDAY

 

1.      Who will emerge as the standout NEW team to the TSL? There’s a lot of new names and faces around the league, and when that happens we get a LOT of new TSL stars out of it. Get out there and make some friends! Put the Social back in Social Co-Ed Football!

 

2.      Why are A&A and Team Topper in D2 again? Both of those teams should be in D1. This “We’re sick of D1” thing is getting a little annoying. Get up there and perform. We should have 8 teams up there next session. A&A, Team Topper, and Peachy Platoon. (No Joey Batts, you’re staying.)

 

3.      How soon can we get these rivalry games going at 3:00? I think the interdivision games that would see Peachy Platoon take on All We Do Is Quinn, En Fuego taking on Matty’s Angels, and A&A taking on Public Enemy would be just fantastic.

 

4.      Do you want some publicity for your team? All you have to do is talk to me! Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Seriously, give me a heads up on why YOU are going to win your division.

 

5.      What’s up with people in the league latching onto stars and demanding those two play together so they can get on better teams? I’m looking at the Rameer/Jay German and Mo/Dave Wilbern combos. Go start your own teams so you can’t get kicked off of it like we did in the old days.

 

 

TEN FINAL THOUGHTS FOR SATURDAY

 

1.      The podcast is back!! Joe K made good on his Spring session long promise and got us back in the podcast game. It’s not as polished as it used to be, but its awesome that it’s back. I got sick of people asking me about it.

 

2.      Shout out to my new favorite pen pal, Josh Thompson of Peachy Platoon. He sent me just an awesome email about his team before the season started, letting me know who they added and what they were thinking heading into the league. He’s a well-spoken, nice guy, and he’s somebody that should DEFINITELY be a face of this league. Peachy is the future of the TSL kids.

 

 

3.      Seriously, Mountain Dew Me, Tater Tots, Zack Attack, Shattered Dreams, Wild Oak Beard Company, Graves Bros, Vaspian, The Replacements, Blitzkrieg and whoever else I don’t really know, email me! Let’s get some conversations going. Rep your team!

 

4.      I’m glad someone finally said what needed to be said: Gray is the absolute WORST choice for a team color and it should be outlawed.

 

 

5.      HOW ABOUT UNCLE TOPPER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN?!?! DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WASN’T GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE AGELESS WONDER WALKED ONTO THE FIELD WITH NONE OF HIS ALL STAR CAST OF FEMALES AND DEMOLISHED WE BACK? NO INTERCEPTIONS AND IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE GAME.

 

6.      Shout out to the TSLers that are banding together to be a part of the 24-team Leonard T. Alba III Memorial TSL Fantasy Football Championship. It sounds like it’ll be a really fun time, and its just another example of how this league has really become a family.

 

 

7.      Here are my official picks for this season’s champions: D1: Marketing Mayors, D2: Peachy Platoon, D3: Frodo Swaggins, D4: Matty’s Angels, D5: En Fuego, D6: The Bi-Polar Express.

 

8.      I received a message from a player in Game On! during the offseason. I don’t want to put them on blast at all, but they said they were growing tired of that league because apparently the “Wanderers just keep winning all of the time and it isn’t fun.”. Well, I’d like to cordially invite the Wanderers to come up to the Rose Garden if they’re looking for some different competition. Hell, we could have a scrimmage this session if we wanted, right?

 

 

9.      And on that note, I’d like to personally send my condolences to Game On! and the rest of the WNY Social Co-Ed football community. During the offseason, Len Synor passed away unexpectedly. I was lucky enough to know Len when I lived in Buffalo and he was truly an awesome guy. So sad to see a good one leave us so soon.

 

10.   The word is that the bar is actually going to have specials for us this season. Apparently, they’ll toss an extra Truly in when we buy a bucket, among other things. Eyewitness reports suggest that’s a pretty smart deal for this league. Will it happen? I’m not one to talk. But let’s hope so.

 

 

And with that, let’s get to Week 2. Welcome once again to all of our new teams. Download the telegram app to talk with your TSL friends. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Email me. Be a guest on the podcast. GET INVOLVED. Its so much better for everyone when you do.

Finals Wrap Up

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Category: The Godfather's Picks

Created: Friday, 05 July 2019 17:20

Published: Friday, 05 July 2019 17:20

Written by Patrick McGovern

Hits: 7966

 

And, with that, the Race for Social Co-Ed Football Immortality has ended.

 

The smoke has cleared, the blood has been spilled, the alcohol has been finished and the patios have been closed off to us for reasons. Beneath it all, we had some amazing finishes and a few surprises along the way.

 

If you didn’t know who won yet, here are our Official Topper Sports League Spring 2019 Champions:

 

D1: Marketing Mayors

D2: Gryffindor

D3: Slytherin That End Zone

D4: Puckett All-Stars

D5: Cunning Stunts

D6: Practice Squad                

BREAKFAST CLUB: Schilling ‘Em Softly

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

Let’s take notice, however, of the complete lack of #1 seeds standing tall at the end of the day. Only ONE top seed in the divisions took home the championship, as Gryffindor stood tall in D2/C2 when they defeated Bullet Club. The #3 seeded Marketing Mayors became World Champions after taking the throne away from Public Enemy, breaking the win streak when it mattered the most. #2 seeded Slytherin That End Zone had a crazy double OT win last week, before running the gauntlet and beating Peachy Platoon AND All We Do Is Quinn in back to back games. It wasn’t an easy feat, but SITE are your D3/R1 champions and they EARNED it. The numbers didn’t lie: Puckett All-Stars were a MUCH better team than their #8 seed ranking. And they showed it, defeating the #1 seeded End Game, #3 seeded Uncle Rico’s and finally the #4 seeded Buffalo Solar Solutions in the D4/R2 title game. Great last few weeks for them, proving they’re very dangerous when the whole team shows up. The #2 seed Cunning Stunts met Matty’s Angels in the D5/R3 title game that ended the day and finally the Stunts defeated the Angels like they always knew they could. The last game for the entire session let us put our talented ladies on display for everyone, and it was a fitting end to everything. Finally, in D6/R4 #2 seeded Practice Squad never got to play Jabronies, because Coach Jay and the white hot pAssless Chaps made the finals instead. That’s awesome, and it makes me excited to see their progress come Fall 2019! Practice Squad played great football and took home a much deserved championship!

Congratulations are in order not only for the champions, but for everyone.

 

It’s not a secret that this league was turned upside down a few weeks before the season when we lost our Commissioner Lenny Alba. For a lot of groups, losing someone that means so much to their success can be devastating. But not the TSL. Within hours of the news of Lenny’s passing, the league and its members started coming together almost instantly to make sure that “The Show Must Go On”. Many league members started to step up and volunteer their time and services, and just about everyone in the league had reached out to Topper, Rameer, Joe K, Emily Curry, Val Bernal, anyone on Public Enemy, or whoever else that knew Lenny close to simply say “If there’s ANYTHING you need from us for this league, please let us know ASAP.”.

 

The hole left by the loss of Leonard T. Alba is immeasurable and no matter how many people stepped up to help the TSL out, we’d NEVER be able to fill that void.

 

But damnit, we tried.

 

This season was, from all accounts, fantastic. Save for one little bit of drama, things ran smoothly. General complaining was down 17%. People offering to referee was up 28%. Topper happiness went up 5.7%. Great numbers and metrics, quite frankly. But jokes aside, this was the season that you could SEE the members of the TSL constantly stepping up and taking ownership of their league. People were cleaning up garbage, people were helping with referees, people weren’t trashing the bar or the property. All of that matters.

 

Lenny used to tell me during our long weekly conversations that if he ever DID leave the TSL, he wasn’t sure which way the league would go. He was convinced (as only he can be) that once he was gone, the league would either become a lawless wasteland or everyone else would step up and keep each other honest. Of course he assumed “wild wild west” where people convince Drunk Uncle Topper to let them do whatever they wanted. But if the last 11 weeks have shown us anything, its that it’s becoming the latter.

 

The Topper Sports League has always been the best Co-Ed Social Football league in WNY because of the people. It’s not because we have the most competitive football, or because we play behind a bar. It’s that weekly “awesome family reunion” feeling that we all get as we descend upon the Rose Garden on Saturdays. We are there mostly to see each other and have some fun. Then, occasionally, we play some football for an hour. The relationships we’ve created from this league, for some of us, are life changing. The TSL family is so much more than football, and the more stories I hear of people who met in this league becoming intertwined with each other’s daily “regular” lives keep proving it. In this league, people consistently go from “person I played football against” to “friend that I need to text on a random Thursday to go get a drink and hang out”. People who don’t stay long after their games with the league, need to start, trust me. If you let this league accept you into its fabric, you’ll be rewarded with so many more awesome people in your life. This league gives back and its always accepting new members.

 

And that’s what Lenny always wanted.

 

He’s told me he loves that our league is great football, but he loves even more how it’s a living, breathing organism that proceeds to make us all family. He felt like the glue that held it all together, and in so many ways he truly was exactly that. As soon as we lost him, we all felt that glue missing, and that’s when everyone as a collective stepped up and kept this league chugging along. Every single one of you are the TSL, and we’re ALL the glue that holds this together. We have each other, and we proved that this season by banding together and keeping thing on track “for him”.

 

So, thank you.

 

Thank you to Topper for keeping this thing running smoothly.

 

Thank you to Rameer for busting his ass weekly to Referees lined up for us. Believe me, it’s a lot harder than you think it is.

 

Thank you to Val Bernal for taking all of our pictures.

 

Thank you to every single person that stepped up to ref a game, give some advice when it was needed for league matters, to our Universal Sub List people that played for teams in need, to the people who are writing articles for this website, to anyone that’s ever picked up some empty cans, to anyone who left their car and DIDN’T drive home drunk, to those that drove others home in that scenario, and thank you to just anyone that showed up, played, and left, but didn’t cause a ruckus in doing so.

 

Thank you, from me, to my informants from the league that have regularly called me or emailed me things that are going on with the TSL during the week. Thank you, to those that keep guessing that those same people are The Godfather. We have a running tally between the informants of who gets accused of being Me this season, and it’s fun to see them all get called out. When your main source of information passes away, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to continue doing this article without him. Lots of people stepped up to make sure that I could, and I’d say it worked out pretty well.

 

Again, if you’re going to tell people in the league that we don’t talk about you enough, just email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Let me know about your players and your team and who’s who. If you can’t go the extra mile to get yourself noticed, maybe you don’t deserve to be talked about?

 

Just a few last things here:

 

First off, THE WINE TOURNAMENT IS AUGUST 3^RD, 2019. It’s incredibly fun to hang out and drink wine all day while playing football in a very unique location. There’s only a few spots left for it so sign up now!!!

 

Secondly, AUGUST 17^TH is the current date for the start of the Fall 2019 season. While it may get bumped to the 24^th, and it isn’t set in stone, prepare as though we’re starting the 17^th. It’s a much quicker turnaround than usual, in an effort to not play our fall championships in the snow.

 

 

The first season of the “New Era” of the TSL is over. While the middle of March brought us to our lowest point, and for a moment, the future of this league felt uncertain and dim, this season has shown us that our future is brighter than ever. We have each other, we got through it together.

 

We’re only six weeks away from the next chapter in TSL history being written. I, for one, can’t wait to see how it’s going to unfold.

 

Be safe this summer. Until then, I’ll be in the cut.

 

Wait, no. I don’t even know where that is.

 

I’m always watching.

 

No, not that either.

 

That’s fine, I don’t need a catchy ending anyway. See you soon TSL Family. Take care of each other.

The Godfather Fall 2019 Kickoff Article

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Category: The Godfather's Picks

Created: Friday, 23 August 2019 12:48

Published: Friday, 23 August 2019 12:48

Written by Patrick McGovern

Hits: 4667

 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the TSL Universe:

 

On Saturday, August 24^th, in the Year of Our Lord 2019, the sun will be shining. The wind may blow ever so slightly from the Northeast, and in Partly Cloudy weather the Race for Social Co-Ed Football Immortality will once again begin!

 

Just a few short months ago we saw Marketing Mayors, Gryffindor, Slytherin That End Zone, Puckett All-Stars, Cunning Stunts, and Practice Squad walk away with championships. Some of them were a bit of a surprise, and some of them were not. But on August 24^th none of those past accomplishments will matter as we hit the proverbial “reset button” and everyone in the league begins with a 0-0 record and hopes are renewed!

 

This season, 47 of the finest Co-ed football teams in Western New York will descend upon the Rose Garden to do battle once again. This season brings a lot of questions to the TSL. Gone are some stalwart teams in the league (We’ll miss you #XTC), but what’s more exciting is that we’re growing.

 

Yes, the usual TSL teams have taken the Fall session off, HOWEVER, they’ve been replaced by an astounding TEN brand new teams that have joined the TSL! Granted, a few of these teams are some retread teams with a few new players and a different name, but quite a few of them are completely, brand spanking new. And to those teams I say: Welcome to the TSL!

 

Since there’s so many new teams to this league, allow myself to introduce myself. I am The Godfather. I write a weekly article where I talk about league happenings and make picks for the next week’s games. I was once a TSLer just like you, but life and fate took me all the way to Des Moines, Iowa, where I sit back and hear all about the TSL and give my opinions. I used to get a lot of my information from our dearly departed Commissioner Lenny Alba, but since then multiple sources from the league have popped up to give me intel from the Saturday games.

 

To the new teams, I say this: If you want to be recognized, just email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and tell me why you’re going to be the next big thing in the Topper Sports League. I look forward to speaking to you guys.

 

Same goes for you “Teams who have been in the league for a while and don’t get enough credit and publicity”. Let me know why YOU matter. Or why someone on your team matters more. We love our TSL All-Stars, and perhaps the next one could be you!

 

Let me give the new guys an explanation here. The TSL, well, we’re a family. Everyone who crosses those fields, whether they know it or not, immediately become a part of that family. It’s up to you to decide just how deeply you want to get into things. If you just play your game and head home? Well, that’s perfectly alright. But if you want to play your game and hang out at the bar for while? That’s even better. When you’re there, you’ll see a LOT of awesome people. I know you might suffer from a case of social anxiety, but put yourself out there and say hello to some new friends. You’ll see a ton of great people, starting with Topper himself (seriously, he doesn’t know who you are so introduce yourself!), and it trickles down to a lot of awesome people like Rameer, The first lady of the TSL Val Bernal, Val Testa (Yes, we have two Vals), 40 Year Plan Guy, The league Icon Darryl Carr, Joe K, Travis, Katie rhymes with Heller, the Clarke twins, Ferger, Brent!, Second Shift Dave Walter, Emily Curry, Emily 2.0, Coach Jay, the Jabronies, the plant that Eric Klecker murdered one year, B’s Brother, Jeff Krol, and a HOST of other amazing people that are all waiting to welcome new people into the family to hang out and have a great time each and every Sunday.

 

Like I said, this is a family. Sometimes we fight, sure, but for the most part we hang out and have fun and we do it so much more often than just on “Football Saturdays”. But Saturdays at the Rose Garden are where it all begins. The family is always looking for new members and we accept everyone. Please reach out, and get involved!

 

Each week, on this website, you should be seeing various fun articles. The Rant comes straight from the Director of Officiating Rameer Green himself. He has NO problem calling people out for their nonsense. The Sentinel, whoever they are, proceeds to recap the weekend’s games. The QB Power Rankings is a lot more than just ranking the QBs! The team over there (however many there are, I don’t know) will also give you a bevy of stats just waiting for you salivate over. And then there’s me, The Godfather. There’s literally no telling what I’ll write about. And on top of it all, word is flowing that Joe K is definitely bringing back the TSL Podcast, where he’s going to need many of you to guest and star on. So if you want to be heard and call out the league? That’s the place to be! Email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. I believe.

 

I know for a fact that we’re incredibly excited to have all of you around for another fantastic edition of the TSL. Shout out to Topper for having the wonderful foresight to move the season up a few weeks in order to lessen the risk of the championships being playing in the snow in November. For the next 10 weeks, its game on as teams try to go the extra mile to win the most prestigious co-ed football titles in WNY.

 

But what’s really going to matter is the friends we’re about to make along the way.

 

So go out there to the fields, make some new friends (Seriously, make it a point to talk to one new person each week. Your life will be better for it.), wear some sunscreen, and have fun out there. Remember that as intense as the games can get, this is ALL FOR FUN. Treat the refs with respect. Treat your teammates and your opponents with respect. Have fun. It’s all about to go down. Now get out there, play some games, and have some excellent dance competitions or something. Be excited! I know I am, and I’m not even at the fields each week.

 

Welcome back everyone, I’ve missed you.

 

Go get ‘em.

The Spring 2019 Final Predictions, and some Thoughts, Insights and usual banter

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Category: The Godfather's Picks

Created: Thursday, 27 June 2019 21:02

Published: Thursday, 27 June 2019 21:02

Written by Patrick McGovern

Hits: 12524

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen of the TSL Universe, on Saturday June 29^th, in the Year of Our Lord 2019 the race for Social Co-Ed Football Immortality will finally come to an exciting end for the Spring 2019 session. We made it. We got this far together and now the finish line to this race is within sight. Our 25 remaining teams have survived the season, and the dangers of the First Round of the Playoffs (with the exception of The Bambs and the Bi-Polar Express, who moved their game from last week to this week. Smart.) to make it to this point. These teams have made it through the trials and tribulations that one can, and usually does, experience in the average season of the TSL. Who will stand tall and forever etch their name into the history books as Spring 2019 champions?

 

Before we get into that, let’s take a look at the fallen and say our final goodbyes:

 

D1/C1:

 

1 Todd Too Many – A 31-16 loss to the Marketing Mayors did in Team Topper. They made the jump to D1 when nobody else would, and they should be respected for it. Word is they’re staying in D1, and that’s awesome to hear that not everyone is afraid (Hi Jeremy Burr!).

 

#XTC@Angry Buffalo – They lost 36-28 to Tight Ends In Motion. Once Sooch started to click with his team this season, they were completely different, and should be proud of the steps forward that were taken.

 

D2/C2:

 

Money Ball – A 46-18 defeat at the hands of Bullet Club left them with more questions than answers at the end of a frustrating season. New teams usually tend to work through some growing pains. Hopefully they stick around to give it another go.

 

Title Shot – A 42-22 loss to Energy Buff put a big bow on a 7 game losing streak. Once 3-0 and thought to be contenders for the title, roster issues plagued them all season. When everyone actually showed up, they were deadly. Need to get that commitment from everyone though.

 

D3/R1:

 

Ultimate Warriors – Lost to All We Do Is Quinn 37-21. A frustrating season for sure. The hope of course is that Sam and T will retool in the offseason and come back better than ever in the fall. Could they even come back with somehow cooler jerseys?

 

Frodo Swaggins – A 45-30 defeat at the hands of Sticky Bandits. As I said last week, Captain Beesing declared that he didn’t want to face Sticky and this is why. Even with the Bandits missing a few key players, they reminded everyone just why they’ve been so good for the last decade. Frodo has tons of upside, and Scotty D is the next big thing in the TSL. Looking forward to seeing them in the Fall.

 

Morning Wood – Double overtime! A 34-32 loss to Slytherin ended the hopes of MW, who truly came to play last week. They have nothing to hang their heads at, except for Mo, who was too busy galivanting instead of being there for his team. We’ll let Dave slide because the girls of the league told me I had to.

 

3^rd and Schlong – lost 46-16 to the Peachy Platoon. Perhaps we’ve reached their ceiling. Perhaps they needed Kevin Keller all along. Perhaps that cadaver of a quarterback they’ve been using is finally ready to fall apart. Katherine Keller has lost her smile and just doesn’t seem to care anymore. Bootz is fielding offers from other teams. And 40 Year Plan Guy is still talking smack to any other team within earshot about how 3AS could beat the 1993 Dallas Cowboys. They need to get it together. We hope they will.

 

D4/R2:

 

End Game – Rest in Peace. Lost to Puckett All-Stars 35-16. We’ve seen it before, the best team in the division has their worst game at the worst time. Props to John Von however. Topper showed me the email John sent to the league, and it was very gracious, thanking everyone for their hard work. It took all season, but I finally learned someone’s name on this team. See you next season.

 

No Punt Intended – Lost to Uncle Rico’s 42-33 in a hard fought game. They came close to upsetting Uncle Rico’s again, but this time UR did the late score to win the game thing. They had a lot of ups and downs this season, but I think they’re inching closer to the ups.

 

Hung Buffalo – A 30-25 loss to Buffalo Solar Solutions finished off everyone’s favorite team that wears brown. They’ve been a mainstay in this league for some time, so we better see them in the Fall.

 

GLBS – a 27-21 loss to Indecent Exposure is nothing to hang your heads at. You’ve got a great defense, and you lost your QB midseason. Yet you still ended up 2^nd in your division. You’re only going to get better. D4 needs to be on notice.

 

D5/R3:

 

Five Star Generals – Running into the freight train that is the Angels (lost 45-22) is never fun in the playoffs. You ended the season starting to get it all together, keep that going. Good luck!

 

Hope N Ruin – They almost pulled off upsetting the Stunts before succumbing to them 51-42. I told you to look out for these guys, they’re just a different team in the playoffs. It wasn’t their year, but next season very easily could be.

 

Come From Behind – a 39-22 loss to the Pteratacos ended a pretty good season. One of the leagues’ favorite teams, it’s a shame we won’t see them play Saturday, but hopefully they can still show up and drink with everyone. (I’m looking at YOU Molly and Leslie).

 

Over Compensators – Lost on the last play of the game to the Ugandan Warriors 24-19. They truly pushing Ugandan to their limit and played a great game. They had a hell of a run to end the season, and there’s a lot to build on here. Keep your heads high.

 

D6/R4:

 

TMA – a 47-14 beating from the pAssless Chaps ended what turned out to be just a rough season from our heroes. Sometimes things just don’t go right all year, and that’s kind of what we saw from this squad. Its just an anomaly though, and they’re going to be back better than ever, I can feel it.

 

 

And there you have it. The long list of TSL failures across all of our divisions. Its tough to read about the loss of some our friends like we did above. It’s almost like seeing all of the frozen bodies on the way to reaching the summit of Mt. Everest. Not everyone can reach their goal. But on Saturday, 6 teams will. Who will those teams be? Let’s try to figure this out.

 

D1/C1:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

Public Enemy 2-1

Eyes Downtown 3-1

Marketing Mayors 4-1

Tight Ends in Motion 12-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

Public Enemy: 1^st on Offense, 4^th on Defense

Eyes Downtown: 4^th on Offense, 1^st on Defense

Marketing Mayors: 2^nd on Offense, 3^rd on Defense

Tight Ends In Motion: 3^rd on Offense, 2^nd on Defense

 

It appears we have the four best teams remaining in this division. Public Enemy’s record setting winning streak is on the line against Tight Ends, who have finally figured out “Oh damn Seth really SHOULD be our quarterback”. I’m assuming they’re going to send Seth scented body lotions and fruit baskets to make sure that he shows up this week. I can’t imagine a world where TEIM beats PE with Alex or even Ricky at QB. Marketing Mayors get another crack at Eyes Downtown in what should be another amazing game. These two teams just met and ED won 33-32, so expect more of the same. If you’re not playing at 10:00, go watch this game.

 

PREDICTION: Public Enemy meets Marketing Mayors for the championship. In a hard fought game, Public Enemy uses the power of Lenny (who more than likely has crazy ghost powers he’s just figuring out how to use now) to overcome and keep the streak alive. It’s hard for me to bet against the team that hasn’t lost in a long time and has such a powerful reason to play for right now.

 

 

D2/C2:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

 

Gryffindor 3-1

Bullet Club 6-1

A&A 7-1

Energy Buff 10-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

Gryffindor: 2^nd on Offense, 1^st on Defense

A&A: 3^rd on Offense, 2^nd on Defense

Bullet Club: 1^st on Offense, 6^th on Defense

Energy Buff: 4^th on Offense, 3^rd on Defense

 

I still have no idea which teams will win these games. Gryffindor is the hot team right now, for sure, but how will a week off treat them? Luckily for them, I’m hearing that Energy Buff is going to have some attendance issues this week. Allegedly, so is A&A. Gryffindor has beating Bullet Club twice, but lost to A&A and Energy Buff. A&A was 2-1 against EB this season. Bullet Club beat A&A and Energy Buff. This division is VERY close. The one rank that stands out is Bullet Club’s 6^th on Defense, the only ranking that wasn’t “Top 4”. That could end up being the issue for them this week. Not to mention that when we rekindle the Matty Ice and Gordon Kus friendship and unity festival this week on Field 4 (there’s a reason Topper is keeping them away from everyone else) anything can happen. The last time A&A met Bullet Club in the playoffs, they beat them like 50 something to 16.

 

PREDICTION: Gryffindor gets by a depleted Energy Buff and meets Bullet Club in the finals, setting up a rematch of the 49-8 whomping from two weeks ago. Considering how Gryffindor has dominated BC for 3 of the 4 halves they played this season expect Gryffindor to pull it out, and for everyone in the league to have to hear about it.

 

 

D3/R1:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

All We Do Is Quinn 4-1

Slytherin That End Zone 6-1

Peachy Platoon 6-1

Sticky Bandits 9-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

AWDIQ: 3^rd on Offense, 1^st on Defense

SITE: 2^nd on Offense, 2^nd on Defense

Peachy Platoon: 5^th on Offense, 3^rd on Defense

Sticky Bandits: 6^th on Offense, 4^th on Defense

 

Defense. Wins. Championships. Or so it’ll seem here, as all 4 of the Top defenses in the division remain here. Quinn has been the clubhouse leader in the division since the first tee, and they show no signs of slowing down. They take on Sticky, who dismantled Frodo Swaggins last week and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Quinn definitely has the athletic advantage on Sticky like Frodo did, but Sticky was able to easily outsmart Swaggins. That won’t be as easy here against Quinn. Slytherin had to slide by Morning Wood in double OT last week. Either some holes in their armor have been discovered, or Morning Wood just knows how to play them. They play a Peachy team that has been waiting to get a bit of revenge after SITE’s week 1 win against them. Lots of great games to be had here.

 

PREDICTION: The speed of Quinn proves too much for the Sticky Bandits and Peachy Platoon gets their revenge on Slytherin That End Zone to set up All We Do Is Quinn vs Peachy Platoon II. This game will be a barnburner yet again, and when the smoke clears I think we’ll see Quinn standing tall.

 

D4/R2:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

 

Uncle Rico’s Time Travelers 5-1

Buffalo Solar Solutions 7-1

Indecent Exposure 9-1

Puckett All-Stars 9-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

Uncle Rico’s: 3^rd on Offense, 4^th on Defense

Buffalo Solar: 2^nd on Offense, 7^th on Defense

Indecent Exposure: 4^th on Offense, 6^th on Defense

Puckett All-Stars: 5^th on Offense, 5^th on Defense

 

Literally anything can happen in the insanity that is D4/R2! We have our #3, #4, #7, and #8 seeds remaining in the playoffs. You would think that may bode well for Uncle Rico’s, as having GLBS and End Game kicked out of the playoffs should give them an upper hand, but it doesn’t. They get to play Puckett All-Stars who just showed how good they can be at the right time. Buffalo Solar got by Hung Buffalo in a close game, and they’re looking a lot more like the team that led the division in the beginning of the year. Indecent Exposure put together a great game that we knew they were capable of and they can’t be counted out either. I wouldn’t place a bet on this division at all!

 

PREDICTION: Puckett All-Stars get their second upset of the playoffs, knocking out Uncle Rico’s as well. They’ll meet Buffalo Solar Solutions, who will get by Indecent Exposure. In a game very similar to their Week 8 contest where Puckett won 36-30, we’ll see the 8^th seeded Puckett All-Stars walk away with the title. A fitting end to a crazy division.

 

D5/R3:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

 

Matty’s Angels 2-1

Cunning Stunts 4-1

Ugandan Warriors 7-1

Pink Pteratacos 15-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

Matty’s Angels: 1^st on Offense, 9^th on Defense  

Cunning Stunts: 2^nd of Offense, 2^nd on Defense

Ugandan Warriors: 3^rd on Offense, 1^st on Defense

Pink Pteratacos: 8^th on Offense, 3^rd on Defense

 

No disrespect meant to the Pink Pteratacos, who have had a great season so far, but this division has always been a three-team race. Okay, it’s been a one team race, and two teams that have a chance to stop it. I can’t imagine a world where they upset the Angels. The Stunts are tired of playing second fiddle to the Angels, but they haven’t shown they can beat them yet. Ugandan is sick of gender teams and they have their eyes on the title as well, but last week’s almost slip up makes me wonder if they’re ready.

 

PREDICTION: Matty’s cruises by the Pteratacos to meet the Cunning Stunts in the gender team finals we all want to see. Ugandan will put up a good fight along the way, but this season has just been about the girls in this division. Matty’s has shown they have the advantage against the Stunts before, and I think we’ll be seeing the Angels poppin’ bottles once again.

 

D6/R4:

 

Odds To Win The Title:

 

Jabronies 3-1

Practice Squad 4-1

pAssless Chaps 10-1

The Bambs 15-1

The Bi-Polar Express 15-1

 

Season Divisional Ranks:

Jabronies: 1^st on Offense, 3^rd on Defense

Practice Squad: 2^nd on Offense, 2^nd on Defense

pAssless Chaps: 4^th on Offense, 6^th on Defense

The Bambs: 3^rd on Offense, 4^th on Defense

The Bi-Polar Express: 6^th on Offense, 1^st on Defense

 

Well, this division is all over the place. First things first, The Bambs and The Bi-Polar Express didn’t play last week, so they’ll essentially play a “play in” game this week. That means if either team were to win the championship, they’d have to win 3 straight games to do so. Neither one of them are really up to that challenge, so I wouldn’t worry about it. But, I’ve been wrong before. The pAssless Chaps might just be the hottest team in D6/R4 that’s peaking at the right time. They’ve recently beaten Practice Squad, and just dominated in their playoff win last week. They’re officially “a tough out” for this playoff run. The entire season has been about the Jabronies and Practice Squad, and this seems to be no different. They’ve been the class of the division this season, and both should  be playing in D5 next session.

 

PREDICTION: The Bi-Polar Express moves on in the play in game, but that’s all they’ll get from that. Jabronies and Practice Squad have been on a collision course since the beginning, and neither of them disappoint as both teams make the final. I’m picking Practice Squad to “win one for Kenny” and take home the coveted D6/R4 title.

 

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SATURDAY

 

1.      How many people will show up for the season’s last day? Historically, a bunch of eliminated TSLers still come out to the fields to watch the finals and celebrate the end of another great season.

 

2.      Will the weather be okay? Sadly, we’ve experienced the worst kind of weather at time for our championship games the last few years, and its allegedly supposed to rain a little bit on you guys in Buffalo.

 

 

3.      Will we get one last wheel spin? We should end the season on a high note with one final spin. Also, I think Boccio has to “stay sober” on the last day of the season as his punishment. It’s what Lenny would’ve wanted.

 

4.      Who likes wine? The wine tournament is almost full! GET YOUR SPOTS NOW!

 

 

5.      Who wants to join the party planning committee? There needs to be a group of TSLers that set up events and excursions during the offseason. If you’re interested, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

TEN FINAL THOUGHTS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

 

1.      Hot TaMolly’s 34, Schilling Them Softly 30 in the Breakfast Club final. Both teams have played excellently this season, and their only game against each other was this year’s best BC game.

2.      Not to toot my own horn too much, but my predicted champions for the season in Week 1 were: Public Enemy, Gryffindor, Sticky Bandits, Buffalo Solar Solutions, Cunning Stunts, and The Bambs. ALL of them are still alive. I’m betting I’ll go 3-3 with these this weekend.

 

3.      If you’re potentially going to play a team that wears the same color as you, just be smart and bring white jerseys as a fail safe. We don’t have time for this “Oh man can you guys change instead?” nonsense.

 

 

4.      Tensions will be high this week. Everyone knows this ahead of time. RESPECT THE REFEREES, THE FIELDS, AND THE BAR. I know how hard losing can be on someone, but DON’T BE THAT GUY, OR GIRL.

 

5.      Call back part two: my Week 1 article had the following as “lowest odds” heading into the season: Public Enemy 2-1, Energy Buff 3-1, Sticky Bandits 3-1, Puckett All-Stars 4-1, Matty’s Angels 3-1, and Everyone 6-1. That’s right, every single one of my picks then are STILL ALIVE AS WELL. Okay, I picked “everyone” in D6, but whatever. Still counts.

 

 

6.      Best games to watch:

a.      10:00 – Marketing Mayors vs Eyes Downtown

b.      11:00 – Standing between Fields 1+2 for the title games

c.       12:00 – Uncle Rico’s vs Puckett All-Stars

d.      1:00 – Standing between Fields 1+2 for the title games

e.      2:00 – Cunning Stunts vs Ugandan Warriors

f.        3:00 – The D5/R3 Title game.

 

7.      Thanks again to those of you that came out to Uncle Topper’s fundraiser last week. It was super appreciated by him!

 

8.      The champions that will probably happen, even though I didn’t pick them above: Marketing Mayors, A&A, Sticky Bandits, Uncle Rico’s, Ugandan Warriors, and Jabronies.

 

 

9.      Word is the podcast is coming back for the fall with Joe K! I think Topper is going to get him a podcast email (or give him the one Lenny used to use) as a way to help him get some guests!

 

10.   A special apology goes out to Josh Thompson of Peachy Platoon this week. In Week 5, he sent me an awesome email that somehow went to my spam folder and I’ve just recently seen it. I didn’t want him to think I was ignoring him. The information I get from teams about their players is invaluable to me, so I’m sorry Josh. Good luck this week!

 

 

We’re a few days away from one of the hardest sessions we’ve ever had to go through as a TSL family. Let’s make sure we send this one out with a bang. Have fun. Be Safe. Wear Sunscreen. We miss you Lenny.