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Forum > USA A Leagues > USA A #7 > A#7 West Digest Preview (ya, I know it's late)
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Mattbuffs6
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Hey guys, sorry it took a little too long. This was time consuming (10 pages on Word and two days of my computer being down) but it is finally here. Thanks for those of you who voted and helped me out. I know it's not the best content since it took me so damn long but here it is without further waiting...

Pre-Season Poll (How the coaches, gm's, owners see it.)

1.) Waco Davidians
2.) Silverymoon Elves
3.) Great Plains Reapers
4.) Buffalo Rangers
5.) Las Vegas Stunners
6.) Spicewood Longhorns
7.) Dallas Red Raiders
8.) Oakland Wizards
9.) New Brunswick N00bs
10.) Miami Cyclones
11.) Portland Hitmen
12.) Scottsdale Sun Demons
13.) Hartford Hellhounds
14.) Grand Haven Mist
15.) RGB Berzerk
16.) Carolina Bar Stars


Waco Davidians
After looking like a juggernaut throughout the first half of last season, the Davidians ran out of gas, that’s fine with them.. they think this is their year.

Season 2 Record: 15-1 (Lost in Western Finals)

Key Gains: Mike Thompson CB
Key Losses: No major losses.

For the first half of last season, the Davidians simply looked like men amongst boys. They toyed with teams that had actual solid talent. It appeared as though Waco was the team that could go 16-0 and challenge Margaritaville for the title… Then they met Bel-Air. The Bulldogs stepped in front of Waco’s perfect year in week 8 with a 12-3 win, then they took away their title aspirations with a 25-0 score.

It appears Waco has licked their bruises. This is the same team back from last year. Hungry might not do justice in describing what this squad feels coming into season 3. Now that Bel Air is gone, is it all there’s? They have 2 teams that looks better or just as good as them on paper (Great Plains ain’t far behind). They know in order to beat the best they must take care of the ball. In their two losses last season, QB Hugh Laurie threw all 4 turnovers. Their backs held on to the ball for the most part, but they even struggled with the concept at times, even playmaking Marty Motallico coughed the ball up now and then.

Simply put though, this is a team with swagger, although they should have it. Although they come off as a grateful good game type of bunch, they get in your face, cause turnovers, put up tons of points and you will take it whether you like it or not. Bevo D, Doc Smooth and Jerry Rice Jr. is as good as any WR corps out there, they will beat you off the ball just like that,, you better hope your CB’s have speed and agility or it will be a long day. The question is which Waco team will we see this year? The Davidians of the first half of last season or the Davidians of the second half?


Silverymoon Elves
The Elves achieved perfection last season, can they do it with tougher competition?

Season 2 Record: (16-0, won championship in a BBB league)

Lets face it, the Elves are the favorites coming into this season. Not only do they have talent in each and every facet of the game, they are all moderators which make them extremely experienced and know what to do in every situation. Where to start? Well I suppose the signal caller isn’t a bad place, he is Alex Johnson, level 18, he might be the best QB out of all 32 teams, his 27 TD’s to 12 INT’s will prove just that. He is behind a spectacular O-Line that allowed just two sacks all last year, right tackle Alpha Dog (lvl. 20) deserves the most recognition on the corner. Silverymoon has extremely good depth in the tight ends and wide receivers, Jeffry SpicStar is probably the most distinguished WR while Juggerkarl Ayotte is a level 22 TE. Hugh G. Gayn and Jerry Gonzalez will both split time at RB, they possess all the mechanics needed.

The defense isn’t as highly rated, so if you are looking for a weakness, I suppose this could be it. But boy, these guys are fast. The secondary could be picked on perhaps, Iron Curtin and John Finch are level 16 and 15 respectively, but their depth is ridiculous. They have seven possible cornerbacks to choose from. They will be able to maintain all year long without too much of a dropoff. A lot of these back-ups would be able to start at many places, no doubt. I will say that Huckleberry Hound needs a shout-out at DE, you will hear and say his name early and often each game.


Great Plains Reapers
After a year of inconsistency, this team believes it has shored up its weaknesses. Next stop-Championship?

Season 2 Record: 12-4 (lost in Western Semis)
Key Gains: CB Saber Stelco, RB Carlos Johnson, LB Adalius Toemass
Key Losses: RB’s Lucas Christoffer and Robert Downey Jr.

In most people’s minds, the Reapers finished in a spot they were supposed to be in all year long. They didn’t overachieve or underachieve, just stayed neutral. Perhaps it was lapses in the secondary and an inconsistent red zone offense that ever allowed them to emerge as a true title contender. “The biggest weakness of the Reapers was our secondary. Because teams had difficult rushing on us, they took to the air with increased frequency, many instances throwing it 50 or more times. Our secondary had difficulty matching the aerial assault,” said Reapers Owner/Coach Dead_Poet “This has been improved by the acquisition of two additional players, a re-allocation of points in one to strengthen build and the boosting of another. It is our hope that teams now find it as difficult to pass against us as it is to run.

The true anchor of this whole team last year was the run defense, they simply did not let anyone get loose last year. A lot of that credit goes to the D-Line which improved all season long, whether it was the tackles tandem of Miss Piggy and Tubby Tank, or the ends Antonin Czjarkowski, Quinton Storm and second half addition, Nick Shultz also with help from run stuffing linebackers which included Jay Mordon and Husker Kaiser this front seven was as good as it gets, and the scary thing is is that they are all back.. and better. The kicking game played a huge part in the 12 win season, Goal Post was able to comfortably hit 45-53 yard field goals towards the end of the year, which played huge in the field position game and was the primary reason why Great Plains won at least 3-5 games.

This team really has gotten only better, while they will miss the services of RB’s Christoffer and Downey Jr. who gave the Reapers about a combined 10-15 carries a game, they really have upgraded in most positions. As the owner said, they needed to shore up the secondary, Saber Stelco will help do just that, they got a good run stopper at LB in Toemass, and Carlos Johnson might actually be the starting RB over Ironhead James who struggled at times last season. –MB6


Buffalo Rangers
Meet the “other” good team, the Rangers. They aren’t as flashy but they will beat you in many ways, and it might be what takes them to the title.

Season 2 Record: 15-1 (lost in BBB# 14 Championship game)

The Silverymoon Elves already made a splash in A#7 before they played a game. Perhaps, it’s because they stats they throw up and the incredibly high levels have something to do with it. The Rangers, though, is a good candidate to win it all. Trent Meatwards is the signal caller, he threw only 4 INT’s last year, so he gets good time in the pocket from his studly O-Line (he didn’t get sacked once last season). His wide receivers are darn good, in Victory Jones and Nick Miller. Don’t forget DreReed Hallofamer either, he is a playmaker. Jack Bruce is the RB, he is trying to assert himself as a go-to-guy. On the other side of the ball Jason O’Brennan is the leader at the DT position he has a fine outside linebacker with Mac andJacks playing behind him. He is a multi-dimensional back in both passing and running game. The secondary looks good, but not overly impressive, this might be a weakness to exploit.


Las Vegas Stunners
This playmaking bunch might be the most fun team to watch. But a little defense might be what leads them to take the next step.

Season 2 Record: 11-5, (lost in Western Semis)

Key Gains: DE Sunder B, DL Trip Fantastic
Key Losses: No Major ones.

The Stunners can make plays, period. The deadly playmaking tandem of Hooker McHookerson and Brad Mercer is back, we all know every time the ball gets in their hands. Cheeks Vargas is back under center, he is one that needs to improve. He has not proven that he can lead his team on a drive when needed. Yes, big plays are nice, but you can’t win championships based on big plays, they must learn to grind it out in the passing game and fatigue the defense. He must limit his turnovers too. Cade Johnson should get tons of time this year. At RB, they deadly tandem of Duke Nuke’em and Harry Sedatesties return and they have a chance to break out at anytime. This offensive line might be the most underrated in all of the league, they are the soul of the offense, even though they don’t get the props. In a word, expect balance this season. “We will be able to have a much more balanced attack and make it tougher for teams to gameplan against us,” said owner Sunder B.

The defense though is what takes this team down. Their offense can score at anytime, but this defense can be scored on at anytime. As Sunder will admit, the secondary is a struggle. It doesn’t look like it improved over the off-season either. Teams do know where to get this team when gameplanning. The front four has gotten better with the addition of Sunder B who is always capable of a sack with his speed off the end, the two tackles in Kardell and Hakajanaba are solid and will eat up the running game up the middle.


Spicewood Longhorns
Sure, they look very good at times, but they can’t maintain it for some reason. They search for the answer as to why.

Season 2 record: 11-5 (lost in 1st round)

The Longhorns couldn’t quite breakthrough last season. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but whatever it was it did them in as they fell to a disappointing 7 seed and got crushed by eventual Western champion, Bel Air. The R.J. Stew/ Karl Roberts connection will be back in full force. Immensely underrated tight end Majia Vilkkumaa is back with 44 receptions and 4 TD’s as well as his thankless blocking on the edge for RB Adam Dusty, he has power and he is behind a beastly FB by the name of Dallas Morning who is there to punish people, not just block them. JR West is stud at the DT position, the secondary is so-so with Iwanna Beyurcorner (creative name, I know, he has some brothers on this team. I.e. Iwanna Beurbacker, the linebacker) and mike huff. Huff will be a guy that will get his hands on more than a couple footballs this season.


Dallas Red Raiders
Simply put, they laid an egg in the playoffs. Lets just say these guys are pissed.

Season 2 Record: 11-4-1 (Lost in 1st round)

Key Gains: WR Nashou Hatzinerantzis
Key Loss: WR Ronny Blaze

The Dallas Red Raiders were as unpredictable as your girlfriend. Just when you think she is going to be happy and fun she starts getting pissed because it’s that time of the month (performs bad). When you think it’s going to be a shitty night of arguing and being miserable she is very nice (performs well). Lets just say I am afraid of commitment with this team, as well as folks around the league. What team will we see this season?

It’s mostly the same team, except Hatzinerantzis who replaces Ronny Blaze who dropped way too many passes, as GM John Barber pointed to “accountability”. A question that might be accounted for going into the season is what will the Red Raiders do with the QB situation? Graham Symons started to find a groove but you can tell his rhythm was a little bent because he shared time with John Mazo. It’s no secret this team likes to pass with the likes of Wes Crabtree and Tony Gates as targets. A key to Dallas’ success might be to just give Symons the job, although Mazo isn’t a bad QB at all it comes down to finding a rhythm. You can’t forget Taurean Williams the quick RB, he doesn’t get too many carries, but he’s a threat to score everytime.

No big changes on defense but they must find consistency. They were badly exposed at times last season and you can look no further than their playoff game versus Las Vegas. Where the secondary gave up four TD’s through the air of at least 47 yards. Jamar Saul and Tracy Wall are both still around but expect them in a reduced role, John Barber will bring much needed help at one corner position, and the bend don’t break Complete Lockdown has the other side. This team doesn’t look to great on the stat sheet but as GM John Barber so eloquently put it “There may be teams that look like demons from hell on paper but until I see them in person, and see their eyes burning red, I'm not scared of any of them."


Oakland Wizards
They had a disappointing last couple weeks after looking like a serious contender to win it all, where do they go from here?

It all seemed too perfect for the Wizards. They were sitting at #2 with a couple of weeks left in the season, they had a very good team, but certainly didn’t seem like they were THAT good, like they were overachieving, then it all fell down. They finished as a 5 seed and were knocked out in round 1. They look to comeback this season with a vengeance and find the groove they had going for themselves in the first 12 weeks of the season. Cody Wilson is the main man at QB, he struggled towards the end of the year, but he has a solid target in Freddie Weathers. Jimmy “Boy” James is a 1,000 yard rusher and had 10 TD’s last season. Sometimes, though, this offense finds themselves making too many mistakes/turnovers at pivotal times, this must change. This defense is good at times but they lack the big play hitters. Bearded Clam and Sid Li are fine ends. Li had 72 tackles last year, he is one of those players that get in the picture every time. Simply put, this team must turn around their turnover differential in order to get their swagger back, and overachieve yet again.

 
Mattbuffs6
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PART 2



New Brunswick N00bs
They gave Waco a scare in the playoffs last year, now they must fight for their lives just to get to the playoffs.

Season 2 record: 10-6 (Lost in West 1st round)

Key Gains: Kyle Gaughan SS
Key Losses:

New Brunswick searches to find more consistency in their offensive attack.. The whole world knows about Greg Martin now, and what he can do, but at times it looked like it was him against the world, or at least 11 defenders. In order to open things for him this year, QB’s Colts Kid and Hairrrp Me Pleeeeag must find accuracy and show some threat of a long bomb to stretch the safeties. When playing the N00bs, the defense knew what they were going to get, there was no disguise, it was zone in on Martin and don’t let anyone behind you. The most they scored last year against a playoff team was 17 points. And if they had any resemblance of a passing attack in the playoffs, they would have easily upset Waco for a powerhouse upset, I’m sure that’s been on their minds all off-season.

The front 7 on the defensive side of the ball is a tough group to get past. Running lanes aren’t really open. As Mr. Everything Scarletmbb said “We are looking to grind out games (on both sides of the ball)” so that is what they will do. They are a physical, Big 10 sort of squad, probably not the most fun squad in the whole world to watch but they will get the job done. It is some sort of suprising that this team finished with 10 wins last year, that is a homage to the coaching of scarlettmbb. This season though, they competition has raised to another level, and they will need much more than good game planning to be successful, they must figure out their problems through the air, on offense and defense.


Miami Cyclones
A mediocre season last year led to many changes to the team in this rich football state. Now, they are ready to stun some people.


Season 2 Record: 5-11 (Did not qualify for playoffs)

Key Gains: QB Joao Vermelho LG Tubby Boselli
Key Losses: QB Kyle Cannon, CB Brandon “Ice” Harris

Perhaps the most active team this off-season, the Cyclones are back to pitch in on a great Miami football tradition. Mediocre was the name of the game last year, they had trouble filling seats and make anyone in the league take any interest in them. They weren’t awful, yet they were one of the gimme wins in season 2.

That was then.

Now, they have the BEST offensive line in the league, anchored by LOT Jason Fox (one of the few holdovers from last season) and new guy Tubby Boselli at LG, both are lvl 18’s. Now they have a solid running back in Go Jackson, who is quite the speedster. Add that with a much more accurate QB and a better leader in Joao Vermelho (who had 19 TD’s to 2 INT’s last season).

Not only is the offense the only place that got revamped. An “inconsistent” defense as stated by early candidate for owner of the year, TheIbis was certainly the case. They had too many missed tackles. They have a fresh slate of good linebackers that can get from sideline to sideline in Prichard Jackson, Train Morgan and Alan Rodriguez, they wont blow you away, but they will wrap up on tackles. A name for everyone to get to know is Strong Safety Julius Marble, he’s a hard hitter and should help this secondary with consistency issues.


Portland Hitmen
They have talked about how much they have improved, well, lets see what they got.

Season 2 Record: 5-11

The Portland Hitmen enter this season with high expectations-from themselves. They believe they have figured out their problems from a tough 5 win campaign where they never seemed to have found their groove. Dick N. Balzonia is back after his leading receiving yards in the conference from last year. He has the same guy back in the pocket with Johnny Danger who has a rocket of an arm. Sure, they could pass, but they were too one dimensional last season. They say this much has changed. Thor Facetrample is the main RB, he is the thunder, Ricky Flash II is the lightning. The rushing game will be the big barometer to see how far they have come. The two offensive tackles are as good as it gets Uther Konstantine at Left tackle (level 18) Pork Chop Jurgenson at right tackle (level 17).

The defense shows the look that it has improved. They got some fresh talent up front in the gritty trenches. Staples McJesus is quick, and with the new playing time he is looking for his first career sack, he is all potential and he looks forward to taking advantage of his playing time. Brien Orakpo is the on the other end, he has the look like he has gotten extremely better in the off-season and he’s ready to breakout and become known throughout the league. The two starting corners: L Advised Pass and Joseph McVey are talented, Advised Pass is more of the INT guy, but McVey can be a playmaker.


Scottsdale Sun Demons
A near miss last year, they struggled down the stretch, they are back and ready to join the playoff party.

They certainly had their chance to make the dance. But losses to Grand Haven and Hartford down the stretch derailed their plans. The Sun Demons must come with some sort of consistency (our magic word in this preview issue) most definitely on the defensive side of the ball. One of my favorite players Dexter Matsukado is a darn good corner but it doesn’t look like he has improved much of late. Him and his counterpart Mad Warrior (both at lvl 12) could be a strong detriment to this squad. NT Nepumuk Zeus will be a solid run stopper, and DE Frank Anthony has a nice combo of speed and power but he didn’t make enough plays as he should of, he will need to rush the QB and limit his pocket time with a secondary that is prone to get beaten early and often.

QB Jack Howitzer is a proven thrower who won’t make too many idiotic decisions. He seems to have a lot of poise and be a leader of this team. He gets help from WR’s James Rothstein in between the 20’s and Lonnie Spence is Mr. Touchdown for this team (7 TD grabs last year). Nuke Laluche is a 1,000 yard runner and he is behind a machine of an offensive line led by the VOLTRON boys at the guard positions (BLACKLION at LG and REDLION at RG, respectively). This team really shows good balance in all facets and makes for a tough team to game plan against, this is their calling card.


Hartford Hellhounds
A lack of depth led to this team’s uncontrollable downfall, they have improved that area a little, but how much?

Season 2 Record: 8-8

Last season tested the mettle of everyone in the organization. Starting 6-2, and rising up to #3 at one point in the rankings, everything fell apart. A five game losing streak basically knocked them out of the playoff race all of a sudden. They had a nice win towards the end of the season by beating Scottsdale and knocking them out of playoff contention, but Hartford had a tough loss to Miami. Simply put, they were too inconsistent last year and they basically choked. A lot of that falls on a lack of depth. All year people were pointing to the amount of CPU’s as their backups. They still have CPU’s in that position but a little bit less.

Johnny “Blue Label” Walker is a solid QB, he wont kill you but he doesn’t help you too much, he needs to be more assertive. He’s got a nice target in Kevin O’Connell but he only had two touchdown receptions. TE Jason Witten gives a big target and is expected to be a solid contributor again this year. RB Jon Joseph was advantageous of the one dimensional offense (an offense that skel1977 said will be balanced this year). Joseph had 307 carries for 1,171 yards. Not only does he have good speed, but he can cut very well and shake tackles. The defense will probably get beaten up a little this year, the lack of depth will kill you in this game, particular on the D side of the ball. They don’t have a big time, breakthrough player and frankly they might have one of the worst defenses out there, and it will get worse as the season wears and these limited bodies get extremely fatigued.


Grand Haven Mist
Everyone’s little Cinderella doesn’t want to be so cute anymore. They think they are equipped to make a serious run at the playoffs.

Key Gain: NT Hitman Dorsey

Season 2 Record: 4-12

Everyone’s favorite team last season, is tired of your sympathy. They know it’s time for them to step up. This team wont blow you away looking at the roster, but they have added that one key that stops good teams from being great and mediocre teams from being good and that is depth. They do have a 3 way battle and QB that needs to be sorted out. Lex Johnson is the front runner (lvl 13) Michael McCloud will get serious time (lvl 12) that might make Dave Hemkin the odd man out (lvl. 11). Hemkin was the one who was traded for the much publicized Ricky Cannon who became a locker room distraction which undoubtedly hurt this team.

In a discussion with Valhalla, he has pointed at the speed factor and what that brings as well as the athleticism. Expect FB halbrain sux to be much more than just a blocker to Richard Stevenson, sux will get his carries too. The overall team speed has improved immensely with this past season.

When asked about last season’s weaknesses, Val pointed to the inability for the DL to win in the trenches he felt the Line had been overpowered and made it easy for team to gain yards on the ground on them, the off-season conditioning should pay off or them this year. They do look better, especially with big Hitman Dorsey at NT he should anchor a lot of help for this team, don’t expect teams to run as wild. CB’s don’t look too talented and they may be beaten often, their speed is solid for lvl 11’s though. As for competing this season the Executive of the Year last year had this to say “We're looking forward to this season, there isn't a better league to be in than this one and I hope this year we'll be much better equipped to compete for a playoff position. We improved our talent level between each game last year, and until we're as talented as any team out there we plan to keep doing that, chemistry be damned...”



RGB Berzerk
They barely stayed in the league last season, now they will have to climb long odds to do it again.

Season 2 Record: 2-14

Well, they certainly took their lumps last year, didn’t they? So wouldn’t you think they would make a huge splash in the free agent market? Nah. A team with a lack of ownership has found themselves it a sordid position this year, and it begs a question of whether to just blow it all up, if it hasn’t been already. They have some talent. The whole league knows what RB Johnny Awooga does, but he just doesn’t have the help needed. A lot of the well-being of this squad will be placed on Chollie Ward, he can throw the ball very well, but he simply does not make good decisions. His 7 TD’s to 16 INT’s ratio will help tell that story. WR Jimmy Briscoe should come in and greatly help this struggling passing game.

The defense as well was torn apart at times last year. B U C K NA K E D is a promising DE for them at level 17 but he failed to score a sack last year, somehow. He will need to be much more of a force and make the QB uncomfortable and make quicker passes. It seemed that the passer had all day in the pocket last year and was able to pick apart this lackluster secondary due to all the time given. I Hit Hard is a solid safety but he has to make too many tackles, and every defense knows they don’t want their safeties making too many tackles.


Carolina Bar Stars
Season 2 record 1-15
Key additions: Louis Morris L.11 OG............ Bum Bum Gallum L.10 DE
Key Losses: The Big Foot L.17 P...........Ralph Morris L. 8 OG

The Bar Stars are a team that has been undergoing a transition since midway through last season. The team, formerly called the Orlando Earthquakes, was bought after a 115-0 loss and a 0-10 start to season 2. The new ownership promptly granted the request of most of the remaining active players on the team to leave. then the building began. It was a rough road as Carolina lost their final six regular season games by an average score of 64 to 1.7. the team did begin to turn the corner during the scrimmage season, winning it's only game over the Orlando Sunfire (now Carolina Wolfpack) 14-10 and having an average score of 38.3-3.5 over their final four games. The team has also managed to keep all their key players in the off-season, only losing on starter and upgrading several positions. The Bar stars have set modest goals for season 3 of just staying in USA A#7 and avoiding relegation. With an established and familiar group with defined roles, the team hopes to be more competitive in the upcoming season.
-Written by MeatBomb
 
Ubie
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Very nice. Two thumbs up.
 
worbs
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Hey, someone put us ahead of the ~~~***SiLvErY MoOn eLvEs***~~~ for once. I guess time will tell if we deserve it or not.

I love seeing everyone's opinions with these writeups. Good job.
 
Valhalla
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Excellent job Matt...
 
scarletmbb
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Nice, totally worth the wait
 
cbraider90
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Good job Matt. I know that took some time.
 
rj414
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Matt you're gonna do one of these every other day right
 
Mark Taylor
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Good job! Though I expect hourly updates actually.
 
Mufusumono
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Nice Job Matt! Although We did pick up a 19 lvl CB yesterday I think. Im sure we didnt have him when you wrote this. Hes a huge help to our secondary. Gonna be a fun year.
 
Tree
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lack of ownership on RGB? what exactly does *THAT* mean?
 
skunkguts
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nice work bud
 
sunder B
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Originally posted by Mufusumono
Nice Job Matt! Although We did pick up a 19 lvl CB yesterday I think. Im sure we didnt have him when you wrote this. Hes a huge help to our secondary. Gonna be a fun year.



And hopefully another suprise today.
 
rj414
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yeah yeah sunder I was gonna go after that guys stupid frickin tackle and I saw he had the corner on your team. Figured I wouldnt bother after the Tiger Tran debacle. Seriously guys - stop outrecruiting me. Please.
 
d1sregard
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Who are the Bulldogs? Never heard of that team in the A7 West.
 
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