Previously, on This Week in Africa AA#3:
What started off as a sixteen-team race to the finish has been trimmed to a realistic nine with four games to play. And this week, we start some monolithic games. So, while I could pontificate profusely and posture for pages on the profundity of the proceedings, I think we'll get right to it today.
As always, the predictions are real but any added snark is solely for entertainment value. You've been warned. Onward.
Tanzania Lumberjacks vs. Durban DesertHawks - Game of the Week, right out of the box. The two oldest rivals in the league, whose head-to-head matches the past couple seasons have negatively predicted the head-to-head winner in the playoffs. We're about to find out if the Dessert Carts will roll the Woodys or whether there's going to be some snacking behind the wood shed. This should be a barn-burner.
Prediction: Woodys in a finger-licking-good game
South African Ratels vs. Ghana Ashanti Empire - Make your own pick here.
African Fever vs. Zambezi Silverbacks - Hotheads are on the trail of their second consecutive perfect season; Big Monkeys are fighting for their playoff lives. It's an interesting reversal for a pair of former A5 rivals. With the scrum for the top spot, this game means just as much for both teams. We'll see what kind of tactics and strategery both teams use here.
Prediction: Hotheads keep turning up the heat
Quiçama Park Rangers vs. Namibia Wildehond - Jellystoners just keep getting it done, almost as if they're under the influence of a higher calling. Or maybe I'm just getting a contact buzz from what's going on over there. Bad Doggies are kind of running with their tails tucked the past few games, having dropped four in a row to not only fall out of that first-place tie but all the way into seventh place in a hurry. It's getting late for both teams, and both need this game to make a move. If we didn't have so many good games this week, this would be the Game of the Week. Maybe it's Part Deux.
Prediction: I'd be stupid to pick against the Jellystoners
Madagascar Serpent Eagles vs. Pullman Sinsations - All the &trades; and "s will need all their super powers at their highest level to prove that math is right and I am wrong about their playoff chances. It's an outside chance right now, but there's room to move - but it has to mean, at the end of Week 16, that the STR next to their team says W5. Tuggers - keep on working it. If you quit I'm going to cry, because I hate that.
Prediction: Snakes™ make it to two
Zambia Zombies vs. Djibouti Booties - Not the season either envisioned after promotion from their beloved A6. Bummer. This could be entertaining, though - they're pretty well matched teams, and arguably have the two best team avatars if you discount the Most Favored and Blessed Ashanti Empire of Ghana. This should be a good game.
Prediction: Ungrateful Dead take a bite out of Da Booty's hinder
Monrovia Blood Diamonds vs. Gabon Glocks - I don't think the Bloody Mess will tilt the scoreboard, either.
Prediction: Unnecessary.
Comoros Lions vs. Comoros Killer Whales Both the newcomers from Comoros have had less-than-stellar seasons. The Shaved Kitties have had a really rough go of it defensively; the Free Willys have struggled on O. So you've got a stoppable force against a movable object when the Willys are on O. Will it get interesting? Running it past the Magic Eight Ball, All Signs Point To No.
Prediction: Good defense beats good offense, except when the inverse is true. In either event, Free Willy uses Kitties for bait.
That's it this time out, folks. Short and sweet, but I can only be so earth-shatteringly great two out of every three, or I'm going to set a precedent or something.
Play nice.
What started off as a sixteen-team race to the finish has been trimmed to a realistic nine with four games to play. And this week, we start some monolithic games. So, while I could pontificate profusely and posture for pages on the profundity of the proceedings, I think we'll get right to it today.
As always, the predictions are real but any added snark is solely for entertainment value. You've been warned. Onward.
Tanzania Lumberjacks vs. Durban DesertHawks - Game of the Week, right out of the box. The two oldest rivals in the league, whose head-to-head matches the past couple seasons have negatively predicted the head-to-head winner in the playoffs. We're about to find out if the Dessert Carts will roll the Woodys or whether there's going to be some snacking behind the wood shed. This should be a barn-burner.
Prediction: Woodys in a finger-licking-good game
South African Ratels vs. Ghana Ashanti Empire - Make your own pick here.
African Fever vs. Zambezi Silverbacks - Hotheads are on the trail of their second consecutive perfect season; Big Monkeys are fighting for their playoff lives. It's an interesting reversal for a pair of former A5 rivals. With the scrum for the top spot, this game means just as much for both teams. We'll see what kind of tactics and strategery both teams use here.
Prediction: Hotheads keep turning up the heat
Quiçama Park Rangers vs. Namibia Wildehond - Jellystoners just keep getting it done, almost as if they're under the influence of a higher calling. Or maybe I'm just getting a contact buzz from what's going on over there. Bad Doggies are kind of running with their tails tucked the past few games, having dropped four in a row to not only fall out of that first-place tie but all the way into seventh place in a hurry. It's getting late for both teams, and both need this game to make a move. If we didn't have so many good games this week, this would be the Game of the Week. Maybe it's Part Deux.
Prediction: I'd be stupid to pick against the Jellystoners
Madagascar Serpent Eagles vs. Pullman Sinsations - All the &trades; and "s will need all their super powers at their highest level to prove that math is right and I am wrong about their playoff chances. It's an outside chance right now, but there's room to move - but it has to mean, at the end of Week 16, that the STR next to their team says W5. Tuggers - keep on working it. If you quit I'm going to cry, because I hate that.
Prediction: Snakes™ make it to two
Zambia Zombies vs. Djibouti Booties - Not the season either envisioned after promotion from their beloved A6. Bummer. This could be entertaining, though - they're pretty well matched teams, and arguably have the two best team avatars if you discount the Most Favored and Blessed Ashanti Empire of Ghana. This should be a good game.
Prediction: Ungrateful Dead take a bite out of Da Booty's hinder
Monrovia Blood Diamonds vs. Gabon Glocks - I don't think the Bloody Mess will tilt the scoreboard, either.
Prediction: Unnecessary.
Comoros Lions vs. Comoros Killer Whales Both the newcomers from Comoros have had less-than-stellar seasons. The Shaved Kitties have had a really rough go of it defensively; the Free Willys have struggled on O. So you've got a stoppable force against a movable object when the Willys are on O. Will it get interesting? Running it past the Magic Eight Ball, All Signs Point To No.
Prediction: Good defense beats good offense, except when the inverse is true. In either event, Free Willy uses Kitties for bait.
That's it this time out, folks. Short and sweet, but I can only be so earth-shatteringly great two out of every three, or I'm going to set a precedent or something.
Play nice.
