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- Written by Jeff Krol
- Category: The Godfather's Picks
- Published: 26 May 2023
- Created: 26 May 2023
- Hits: 857
Ladies and Gentlemen of the TSL Universe, we’re somehow just a few days away from June football. That’s right, after this weekend, we’re at one more month of TSL football. We’re in the stretch run, a time where teams that haven’t figured it out just yet probably won’t, and those that have are looking to keep it together. Speaking of keeping it together, the TSL went through another medical emergency during play, and once again the league came together and helped save a life. The amazing work of those on hand will never go unnoticed, and I wanted to take a second to shout out Amanda Scholz and Ashley Bower for their selflessness during this event. I know for sure that there were more out there that helped during the situation, and I apologize for not having your names, but I can only go on what was told to me.
The point is that everyone was amazing once again, and you all prevented a much bigger tragedy from occurring. Thank you. This league is chock full of amazing people that often go unnoticed or are underrated with their contributions. In fact, every single Division has a team that is going completely overlooked or ignored. So it got me thinking: Who are the most overlooked teams in each division? Well, I’ll tell you:
In D1, the answer is easy. It’s Scared Hitless. The oddsmakers basically left them for dead (100-1 odds before last week), and for good reason. They weren’t scoring, and they sure weren’t stopping anyone. But as it's been said before, they had the HARDEST POSSIBLE SCHEDULE to start the season, and it's even more of a surprise they didn’t actually do worse. So how did they respond last week? They won, 26-23 against a 1-6 Grey Hair Don’t Care, and all of a sudden SH is 1-3 with games against Frodo, Eyes Downtown, Tight Ends, and Grey Hair one more time to go. Don’t be surprised to see them sitting at 4-4 going into the playoffs.
In D2, well, it's hard to pick someone that hasn’t gotten a lot of credit, because quite frankly there’s only 5 teams here. I’ll go with Freeballers though. Most people were writing them off after Dylan went down with his season ending injury, but early reports (and a 27-23 close loss to NPI) show that maybe the new QB won’t be that bad at all.
In D3, ironically, I wanted to say the team getting the most overlooked is actually the team sitting in first place. The Jabronies haven’t gotten the publicity of a Wanderers, Bullet Club, or even the just as hot Can’t Touch This. But they aren’t the answer. The real answer is the last place 0-4-1 Vaspian. I know what you’re thinking: How? Well, if we throw out the 37-12 loss to Bullet Club to start the year, here are the rest of Vaspian’s games: loss by 2 to Wanderers, loss by 5 to Can’t Touch This, loss by 1 to Jabronies, tie LGR 27-27. Yeah, they went 0-3-1 in those games, but with a point differential of -8. Vaspian could very easily be 4-1 and the talk of the league right now. Don’t sleep on them.
In D4, Buffalo Vice finds themselves a little overlooked. When you’re in a division that has the juggernaut that is Puckett, the constant drama of THK, two iconic gender teams, a very good PWI team, Darryl Carr QB Superstar, and a team with Mullet Guy, it's understandable to be the forgotten team. A long time franchise that has their big armed QB back, and a plethora of talented females can do JUST fine in D4. I think they’re fine being under the radar though.
In D5, the answer is very clearly the Long Balls. They’re sitting at 2-2-1, fourth in the division. They’re a bit newer to the league, and you really only know Buddy Lee on the roster. But they just tied the Tater Tots, and last week they beat TMA, so they’re on the rise. Long Balls, nobody knows who you are, so why don’t you introduce yourself to me? Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or something. Who ARE you?
In D6, Balls Deep is just casually hanging out at 3-2. The former Punt Cakes added some Spinelli’s talent, and they’re the only team to beat super power Southside this season. They played the McMuffins VERY tight (a 12-6 loss), beat Pit Harade and the Mighty Drunks, and got blown out by the Tuddies as well. They’re having a pretty good season, and with a remaining schedule of Back That Pass Up, Grass Eaters, and Blitzkrieg on the way, they COULD end up 6-2, though 5-3 feels more likely. Even still they’re right in the thick of things.
So there you have it, some of the most underrated teams in the TSL right now that come June could surprise a lot of teams. If you’re looking for teams to bet on to pull an upset or two in the playoffs, I think this is the list. It’s going to be very interesting to see what happens over the next 3 weeks. But let’s just focus on Week 6 for now.
D1:
Last Week’s Games:
Legends 22, Losing Streak 19
Scared Hitless 26, Grey Hair Don’t Care 23
Eyes Downtown 19, Tight Ends In Motion 8
Losing Streak 37, Grey Hair Don’t Care 16
The Legends sneak by Losing Streak, who would go on to dismantle Grey Hair Don’t Care later on. Scared Hitless gets in the win column with their own victory over GHDC as well. Eyes Downtown wins a dogfight against TEIM as well.
This Week’s Games:
Sticky Bandits vs Tight Ends In Motion (+10) - I remember when this used to be a marquee rivalry matchup. However these two teams find themselves in different stages of the franchise right now, with Sticky the one as a top contender for the title, and TEIM on the outside looking in. TEIM keeps it within a score. STICKY BANDITS BY 6
Sticky Bandits vs Frodo Swaggins (+13) - Frodo finds themselves at the bottom of the standings after the Scared Hitless win last week. A game against Sticky Bandits isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered for this team that’s still figuring it out. STICKY BANDITS BY 20
Frodo Swaggins vs Scared Hitless (EVEN) - Here’s a fun matchup! Scared Hitless, finally getting a win last week, against a Frodo team that’s in a similar spot to them. I know, they’re both 1-3 right now (with Frodo probably 1-4 going into this one), so it doesn’t LOOK exciting on paper, but they’re both going to be playing for some respect. Scared Hitless has been here before. They’ll get it done. SCARED HITLESS BY 9
Legends vs Eyes Downtown (+7) - The Legends are still playing really good football, and now that they’re clicking, they’re going to be hard to shut up on the field AND off the field yet again. Eyes Downtown continues to lurk behind the division leaders, and a win here would vault them into the top tier of championship contenders. They can’t hang with this All-Star team though. LEGENDS BY 14
Eyes Downtown vs Scared Hitless (+10) - This is SH’s real winnable test, and I believe they’ll perform well. Just not well enough. EYES DOWNTOWN BY 8
D2:
Last Week’s Games:
No Punt Intended 27, Freeballers 23
Mavericks 30, No Punt Intended 20
The Untouchaballs 35, Practice Squad 0
No Punt Intended fights off a very game Freeballers squad before losing their first game of the season against the Mavericks. The Untouchaballs absolutely demolished Practice Squad, in a game that had B contemplating retiring forever on the spot, or so I’ve been told.
This Week’s Games:
No Punt Intended vs The Untouchaballs (+3) - The Untouchaballs are the hotter team coming into this game after the stomping they put on PS last week. NPI finally lost a game, which is fine since they weren’t going undefeated anyway. These two played a fantastic Week 1 game where NPI won 32-31. This is the only D2 game being played this week, and it's easily the best game we could have from this Division. Get ready for another shootout. THE UNTOUCHABALLS BY 2
D3:
Last Week’s Games:
Degeneration Sexy 23, Bullet Club 21
Can’t Touch This 49, Itches and Ohs 19
Jabronies 38, Wanderers 27
Let’s Get Reccked 27, Vaspian 27
Degeneration Sexy helps Bullet Club’s slide continue (0-3 after a 3-0 start) with their first win of the season. Can’t Touch This continues to be one of the TSL’s hottest teams, winning AGAIN, destroying the Moser-less Itches and Ohs by 30. The TSL's other hottest team, the Jabronies won their 4th straight, taking a victory over the Wanderers and claiming 1st in the division. Finally, Vaspian gets its first non-loss of the year in a 27-27 tie with Let’s Get Reccked.
This Week’s Games:
Can’t Touch This vs Vaspian (+6) - Yes, CTT is the hottest team in the league right now. But heavy is the head that wears that title. I just spent a whole paragraph earlier talking about how sneaky good Vaspian has been, even though they don’t have the wins to show it. Right now, it feels like nothing can go wrong for CTT though, which for some reason makes me feel like they’re due. This is probably dumb, but it's hard to beat a team twice. VASPIAN BY 2
Let's Get Reccked vs Degeneration Sexy (+3) - D-Sex finally got in the win column last weekend, and they’re looking for more. LGR is all over the place as usual, tying Vaspian. Both teams are really figuring things out for themselves more and more each week, and for whatever reason I just feel that the Keller clan is about to get hot. DEGENERATION SEXY BY 7
Jabronies vs Itches and Ohs (+12) - This would’ve been a cooler matchup if everyone was going to be there, but instead the Jabronies get an easier game to hold onto the #1 seed in the division. I’m looking forward to when these two meet up in June. JABRONIES BY 10
D4:
Last Week’s Games:
Buffalo Vice 44, Creekers 14
BAADies 41, Cobblestone 13
Just a couple of blowouts in D4 last weekend. Buffalo Vice continued making it a long season for the Creekers, and the BAADies easily handled Darryl’s team that was cobbled together last weekend. The marquee matchup of PWI - Puckett was, of course, canceled and will be played at a later date.
This Week’s Games:
Puckett All-Stars vs Buffalo Vice (+13) - The line isn’t really indicative of anything Buffalo Vice is doing, it's just more about how dominant Puckett has been. These two get to play each other twice in the last couple of weeks, so we’ll really see just how underrated Buffalo Vice might be. Puckett has looked awesome, averaging over FIFTY points per game. But, other than a thrashing of THK, they’ve beaten the “worst” teams in the division with monster wins over a BAADies team that was just learning to play together, the Stunts which only have 3 games this season, and the Creekers, who are “The Replacements” level of “in the wrong division”. PAS was actually losing to PWI before the game was called. Perhaps they’ve just had an easy schedule so far? This game will tell. PUCKETT ALL-STARS BY 6
Passing While Intoxicated vs Cobblestone (+10) - I don’t envy PWI. I’m sure it’s going to be some level of difficult to play in this one after last week. But the one thing this team has shown since they started here has been perseverance. They’ve played in a lot of games where they were thought to be a huge underdog and won, they had a title perhaps stolen from them with an eye injury, they came back and won it the next season. They’re performing in D4. If there’s any group that can bounce back quickly, it's them. They get first ballot Hall of Famer Darryl Carr QB Superstar though, so they better be as focused as possible. Last week was an aberration for Darryl, and Cobblestone should be much better this week. I don’t think it’ll matter. PASSING WHILE INTOXICATED BY 12
Cunning Stunts vs Creekers (+10) - The Creekers’ -111 point differential is easily the worst in the league, and things aren’t going to get easier playing the Stunts. Or will it? The Stunts have only played THREE games together this season, and they were uncharacteristically beaten soundly by Buffalo Vice and Puckett. They handled business against Cobblestone, but they don’t feel very “Stunty” right now. This is a hell of a “get right” game for the ladies. CUNNING STUNTS BY 20
Travis Henry’s Kids vs BAADies (+8) - THK is sitting in 2nd place, a marked improvement from last season. They’re 3-1, and other than a bad loss against PAS, Langley’s gang has done everything right this season. Now THK gets a BAADies team that’s finally rolling, in the first part of a THK vs the gender teams double header. The BAADies can score, but they also have to figure out a defensive plan for “Langley throws it deep to Pistol Pete”. I think they’ll make enough stops to do it. BAADIES BY 8
Travis Henry’s Kids vs Cunning Stunts (+10) - …but I don’t think that the Stunts will be able to do the same. TRAVIS HENRY’S KIDS BY 17
D5:
Last Week’s Games:
Tater Tots 20, Not So Sticky 13
Long Balls 18, TMA 15
Interdimensional Lightning Falcons 43, Goatsack! 23
GUCCI 35, Come From Behind 34
The Tater Tots take a win over Not So Sticky that gets them back on the winning track, Long Balls get a signature win over TMA, ILF really looks like they’re starting to figure things out offensively in a win over Goatsack!, and GUCCI nails down their claim to the D5 championship with a big win over Come From Behind.
This Week’s Games:
Tater Tots vs Goatsack! (+7) - The Tots season is finally looking to balance itself out and get on the right path as they’re 1-0-1 in the last couple games. It’s a start. They get a Goatsack team that is still finding their own way in the division. This feels like a team trending upwards vs one that’s just treading water right now. TATER TOTS BY 10
TMA vs Goatsack! (+3) - Maybe we should pump the brakes on TMA a little bit. After beating GUCCI in the rain, and demolishing the Tots, TMA has since been smacked around by ILF and lost to the Long Balls last week. They’ve only scored 22 points in those games, and the offense has looked rather lost. They’re ripe for an upset. GOATSACK! BY 6
Come From Behind vs TMA (+8) - And things don’t get any easier for TMA after that, as they get a CFB squad that’s coming off a loss to GUCCI. CFB still sports one of the top offenses in the division, but they also have a nice defense too. I don’t think TMA can keep pace with CFB. COME FROM BEHIND BY 14
GUCCI vs Not So Sticky (+10) - GUCCI has been playing some excellent football as of late, and they’re averaging just over 32 points per game so far. NSS hasn’t been great on offense at all this season, averaging just over 18 points per game this season. NSS seems to need a “Division 5.5” to compete the way they want to. Never scoring more than 23 points in a game this year is a problem. GUCCI BY 10
Interdimensional Lightning Falcons vs Long Balls (+7) - Well, here’s another test for the Long Balls. If they’re going to be taken seriously at all in this division, they need to start racking up a couple more signature wins. A win over the Falcons would do exactly that. ILF has been righting the ship after losses to NSS and CFB, and they’re looking more in sync than ever. This is going to be a good one. INTERDIMENSIONAL LIGHTNING FALCONS BY 7
D6:
Last Week’s Games:
Blitzkrieg 27, Back That Pass Up 16
Two Tuddies 40, Grass Eaters 20
Sausage McMuffins 39, Pit Harade 18
Southside 27, Mighty Drunks 18
Nothing shocking happened in D6 last weekend. The teams you expected to win won. Blitzkrieg handled BTPU, the Tuddies beat up on the Grass Eaters, the McMuffins walked to 5-0 over Pit Harade, and Southside handled the Mighty Drunks. There’s a clear talent line in D6 between the contenders and the pretenders forming.
This Week’s Games:
Southside vs Grass Eaters (+8) - It’s going to be hard to see how the Eaters stack up against Southside without their QB this week. Southside hasn’t looked as strong the last two weeks, losing to Balls Deep and then only beating the Mighty Drunks by 9. They’re going to look to get back on track this week. SOUTHSIDE BY 13
Balls Deep vs Back That Pass Up (+8) - If Balls Deep truly is going to be a contender this season, they’ll need to make sure they handle business against a not very good BTPU team. I want to think that Balls Deep can be a contender. They have the talent for sure. BTPU is the only team that hasn’t scored 100 points yet in the division. They also struggle on defense as well. Never a good combination. BALLS DEEP BY 14
Two Tuddies vs Blitzkrieg (+6) - Blitzkrieg just seems to be a bit off this season. Something isn’t clicking right, and their on field results show that as well. They’ve struggled with the contenders of the division so far this year, and it's not going to get easier with the Tuddies. Meanwhile, the Tud Buds have settled into contender status, as they’ve secured easy wins over Balls Deep, BTPU, and now the Grass Eaters. This game could represent a “changing of the guard” in D6. TWO TUDDIES BY 12
Sausage McMuffins vs Mighty Drunks (+16) - The Drunks have been playing teams tough, but not tough enough. They’re closing in on their first win, but it isn’t going to be this week. This is a classic trap game for the upstart McMuffins, who need to make sure they’re not caught looking ahead to next week’s double header against Southside and the Two Tuddies. The #1 seed matters in D6, as they’ll end up playing the 8-9 seed play in winner. Alex will keep his team focused. SAUSAGE MCMUFFINS BY 14
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SATURDAY
- How will the Memorial Day weekend affect the games? Usually pretty substantially. A lot of teams will be shorthanded with players out of town or camping. That usually means it’ll be a wild week for games.
- With all of the rain this season, can we trust what the current standings are right now? No, we can’t. But that’s not even because of the rain itself. Lots of teams end up missing players and not really finding their stride during the regular season, and then they get it together for the playoffs. It’s part of why it’s a wild ride every Playoff Saturday.
- So, does the Regular Season even matter? Since all teams are making the playoffs this season, the regular season matters a little less for sure. But teams love winning their division and getting a game against the bottom seed. Or what about in D2, where winning the division gets you a bye to Championship Saturday? In D4, the #1 seed gets you the Creekers, which is basically a bye week. In D6, the #1 seed gets to play the winner of the two teams that are currently both 0-5. So, it matters a little bit for those looking to finish first in the Race for Social Co-Ed Immortality.
- Who needs a good week this weekend? The doubleheader teams. I think TMA needs to go 2-0 and get back on track or the season could spiral. The Cunning Stunts need to remind everyone who they are. Going 2-0 would do that. If Blitzkrieg wants to be taken seriously again in D6, they need to beat the Tuddies.
- Who are we really forgetting about this season? Tight Ends In Motion. They can’t actually be THAT bad, right? They feel like a good team that’s just been caught by teams at the right times this year, and when they’re at full strength in the “games that matter”, they’ll be upsetting someone in the 4-5 playoff game en route to giving whoever wins the #1 seed fits on Championship Saturday.
TEN FINAL THOUGHTS FOR SATURDAY
- After suffering through another rainy week, this weekend looks PERFECT for football in Buffalo. Sunny and 76 degrees.
- Top Games to watch this weekend:
- 10:00 - No Punt Intended vs The Untouchaballs
- 11:00 - TMA vs Goatsack!
- 12:00 - Can’t Touch This vs Vaspian
- 1:00 - Blitzkrieg vs Two Tuddies
- 2:00 - BAADies vs Travis Henry’s Kids
- 3:00 - Itches and Ohs vs Jabronies
- Breakfast Club Predictions:
- Steph Infection 44, The ASS 37
- BDSM 38, Komosexuals 31
- Liddle Dubs 30, The VaJennas 17
- Speaking of Breakfast Club, did you know that playing in BC is the only way to get onto the sublist? So if you want to be on the sublist, sign up for Breakfast Club in the fall!
- Shout out to long time TSL Legend Jim Hearn who has been reportedly always rocking at the bar this season and keeping the party going.
- Every week on the TSL Podcast, the guest’s final thoughts usually center around people not picking up their garbage at the fields every week. Be better people. Pick up your trash. Thank you to everyone that takes a second to pick up the fields, even when it isn’t your mess.
- Extra shout out to the referees this week. They stuck it out in awful conditions last weekend to make sure you guys could play your games.
- With that said, stop screaming at the refs. I’ve gotten too many reports of teams or individuals getting a little too “mouthy” at the fields again. The referees are being instructed to kick people out of the games if they keep it up. Repeat offenders will be suspended.
- Three teams that aren’t as good as they look right now: Puckett All-Stars, Sausage McMuffins, The Untouchaballs.
- Three teams that aren’t as bad as they’ve looked lately: Practice Squad, Bullet Club, Blitzkrieg.
Happy Memorial Day weekend TSL! Go out and have yourselves a great Week 6.
-GF OUT