The season is approaching it's final weeks and so far all that's been established is that playing Kiev is more dangerous than sharing a needle with Lindsay Lohan. The rest of Elephant are not slouches though as Sahara heads a group of 8 or 9 quality teams. The Lion division can't seem to decide who's the dominant team there as Pretoria, Ironton, Thompson and Bamako are jockeying for position and if Wallachia can figure out how to play defense in the 2nd half then they're lurking on the outside. I'd just like to say how enjoyable it is being in a conference where there is so much parity and any given week anything can happen. Wish the boards were more active but from a competitive standpoint this has been a very fun season.
1) Kiev (11-0) - The only chance I see that they'll be tested is when the Little Fish host them week 16. They'll make some more solid teams look bad until then.
2) Pretoria (10-1) - They get the 2nd spot mainly b/c they've come through the Lion Murderer's Row with only a blemish to the Tanks and will not be challenged again until the playoffs. Taking 3 of 4 from the upper tier of the division earns them the nod.
3) Sahara (10-1) - I recall saying earlier that they could be the 2nd best team in Elephant which goes to show how strong Kiev really is. Couple of tough games upcoming but the only game I think they should worry about is the Badness in week 16.
4) Ironton (10-1) - Flipped a coin between them and Thompson here. Thompson whipped them but then the Tanks are the only team to beat Pretoria. Really could put the top 4 in Lion in a bag and draw out a random order. Their rivalry game with Wallachia could be an interesting one to watch though.
5) Thompson (9-2) - They are clicking on all cylinders right now and each week makes me a little more sure their opening week loss to the Fish was more of a wakeup call. They almost beat Pretoria and then jumped all over Ironton. They proved their mettle this past week outscoring Wallachia 35-13 in the 2nd half to overcome a 15 pt halftime deficit.
6) Taipei (9-2) - Ok already....I'M SORRY!!! Ever since I sort of passed the Fish off as an afterthought, they decided the best way to prove exactly how dumb I am was to just start whipping ass. They did beat the Hunters who are directly above them and only gave the spot to the Hunters b/c of a couple of recent impressive victories.
7) Bamako (9-2) - Could easily be sitting at 2 or 3. They gave Pretoria all they could handle. The only knock on them is they have not played the rest of the Lion elite. However, they'll get their chance to make a statement as they face the Hunters and the Tanks back to back.
8) Wallachia (8-3) - Seem to be on a tier by themselves just a rung below the top 4 in Lion. Apparently there's too many kegs in the locker room at halftime b/c they look like the second coming of the 1972 Dolphins in the first half but in the 2nd half they more closely resemble the alternates on the Haitian synchronized swim team. Can they manage to seal the deal this week vs. the Tanks.....somehow I doubt it.
9) Darfur (6-5) - Wow these guys weren't even on the radar a few weeks back and now they're playing some excellent dotball. Quality team here that could make some noise come playoff time. Big time matchup this week with......
10) Zimbabwe (8-3) - After starting off looking more powerful than Paris Hilton's pelvic floor musculature, Stu has cooled down a bit. They could get back on the right track with a win over the Depopulators but that's not looking as easy as it did earlier in the season.
On the Bubble:
Lake Opeta, Fat Jaws, Appalachicola, Somali
Dark Horse: Once again I gotta point out the Madness....their chemistry is improving and they are looking like a lock to make the playoffs. Could challenge Wallachia in a few games.
What the Hell Happened?? - I had Port St. Johns pegged to be the up and comer in Elephant. I think there's just so much competition in Elephant that any given week you could lose unless your team mascot rhymes with Whiny Hos
1) Kiev (11-0) - The only chance I see that they'll be tested is when the Little Fish host them week 16. They'll make some more solid teams look bad until then.
2) Pretoria (10-1) - They get the 2nd spot mainly b/c they've come through the Lion Murderer's Row with only a blemish to the Tanks and will not be challenged again until the playoffs. Taking 3 of 4 from the upper tier of the division earns them the nod.
3) Sahara (10-1) - I recall saying earlier that they could be the 2nd best team in Elephant which goes to show how strong Kiev really is. Couple of tough games upcoming but the only game I think they should worry about is the Badness in week 16.
4) Ironton (10-1) - Flipped a coin between them and Thompson here. Thompson whipped them but then the Tanks are the only team to beat Pretoria. Really could put the top 4 in Lion in a bag and draw out a random order. Their rivalry game with Wallachia could be an interesting one to watch though.
5) Thompson (9-2) - They are clicking on all cylinders right now and each week makes me a little more sure their opening week loss to the Fish was more of a wakeup call. They almost beat Pretoria and then jumped all over Ironton. They proved their mettle this past week outscoring Wallachia 35-13 in the 2nd half to overcome a 15 pt halftime deficit.
6) Taipei (9-2) - Ok already....I'M SORRY!!! Ever since I sort of passed the Fish off as an afterthought, they decided the best way to prove exactly how dumb I am was to just start whipping ass. They did beat the Hunters who are directly above them and only gave the spot to the Hunters b/c of a couple of recent impressive victories.
7) Bamako (9-2) - Could easily be sitting at 2 or 3. They gave Pretoria all they could handle. The only knock on them is they have not played the rest of the Lion elite. However, they'll get their chance to make a statement as they face the Hunters and the Tanks back to back.
8) Wallachia (8-3) - Seem to be on a tier by themselves just a rung below the top 4 in Lion. Apparently there's too many kegs in the locker room at halftime b/c they look like the second coming of the 1972 Dolphins in the first half but in the 2nd half they more closely resemble the alternates on the Haitian synchronized swim team. Can they manage to seal the deal this week vs. the Tanks.....somehow I doubt it.
9) Darfur (6-5) - Wow these guys weren't even on the radar a few weeks back and now they're playing some excellent dotball. Quality team here that could make some noise come playoff time. Big time matchup this week with......
10) Zimbabwe (8-3) - After starting off looking more powerful than Paris Hilton's pelvic floor musculature, Stu has cooled down a bit. They could get back on the right track with a win over the Depopulators but that's not looking as easy as it did earlier in the season.
On the Bubble:
Lake Opeta, Fat Jaws, Appalachicola, Somali
Dark Horse: Once again I gotta point out the Madness....their chemistry is improving and they are looking like a lock to make the playoffs. Could challenge Wallachia in a few games.
What the Hell Happened?? - I had Port St. Johns pegged to be the up and comer in Elephant. I think there's just so much competition in Elephant that any given week you could lose unless your team mascot rhymes with Whiny Hos
Congrats on the excellent game Stat. Hopefully we can make some Gnomes cry next week as it definitely will be frustration release time
Give me some time...
