1. Lake Opeta Legionnaires - 226 (6)
2. Windhoek White Rhinos - 210 (3)
3. Doinitin Djibouti - 206 (3)
4. The Last Gunfighters of Texas - 164
5. Sierra Leone Stallions - 122
6. Dar es Salaam Warrior Kings - 100
7. Seychelles Island Sea Wolves - 88
8. Angola Spider Monkeez - 68
9. Angola Dream - 46
10. Rwanda Royal Knights - 38
First place votes in Bold
Teams also receiving votes: Angola Blood Diamonds - 18, Somalia Pirates - 12, Ghana Buffalos - 8, UN Peacekeepers - 4, Zambia Lions - 4, Congo Cripplers - 2, Cairo Emperors - 2, Red Sea Wave - 2
12 Teams voted this week!! Thanks
Game of the Week 1: LOL #1 vs. ASM #8
Game of the Week 2: TLGoT #4 vs. RRK #10
LOL: (4-0) Preseason Record, (15-1) Season 8 Record
Last year's APL runner up begins this season at the top of the Coaches Poll after getting half of the 1st place votes. LOL has been in the championship game 5 out APLs 6 years of existence, but they haven't held the gold aloft at the end in 3 seasons. Will the big offseason acquisitions be the final piece of the puzzle?
WWS: (3-1), (14-2)
The defending APL Champs start off season 9 at #2 on our poll, most likely due to their preseason loss to LOL. But everyone knows that a preseason win and $1.50 won't even buy you a bus ticket. The Rhinos blasted through the Lion Conference like a hot knife through butter last season, and most likely caused the folding of 2 top Lion teams as a direct result. Like Ric Flair says, "To be the Man, you gotta beat the Man." Until proven otherwise, this team is The Man.
DD: (4-0), (13-2-1)
If you are going to put a lot of weight into preseason results, then this team has to scare the shit out of you. They have been absolutely destroying people this year. After making some huge offseason moves themselves, DD is ready to take their place at the top. After getting bounced in round 2 of the playoffs last year by LOL you can guarantee they have bloody revenge on their mind. Lake Opeta will be ground zero in Week 10.
TLGoT: (2-2), (14-2)
Another perennial powerhouse in Elephant. The Gunfighters have stumbled out of the gate a bit this preseason, but whether they were testing new things or are a team in flux remains to be seen. One thing for sure, any team that takes them lightly based on their preseason record is in for a world of suffering.
SLS: (2-2), (15-1)
The Stallions were the hottest team in the league for most of season 8. They were ranked #1 on the Coaches Poll more than anyone else last year and seemed a sure bet to go far in the playoffs....before losing in the 1st round to Ghana. Will they bounce back in what many people consider an even tougher Elephant Conference? They have the talent and skill. Time will tell if that's enough.
DeSWK: (3-1), (13-3)
Last year's Lion Conference runner up was one TD away from going to the league championship game last year. They don't talk much trash on the boards so they are overlooked more than they should be by the voters. But year in and year out The Warrior Kings put up solid numbers and are there battling at the end in the playoffs. It's only a matter of time before they bust through, is this that year?
SISW: (4-0), (10-6)
Most seasons begin like this year, we have several very solid new teams in APL who each have potential to make some noise right away and probably deserve to be ranked in the top 10, but they have to earn their way onto the poll after a few wins. There are very few teams who come up to the Pro level from AAA and get recognized right away. I can only think of 3 off of the top of my head...DD, SISW, and the now defunct Cape Verde Kings. The difference is DD and CVK were very active on the APL forums from day 1. The other coaches got familiar with them before the season started and as a result they were both on the preseason Poll their rookie seasons. The Sea Wolves didn't say a word last year. They didn't have to, their reputation preceded them. I had owners telling me to watch out for them even before they got officially promoted. Now THAT my friends is respect. The Sea Wolves now have their rookie APL season under their belts and know how the game is played up in the Pros. I expect them to be a major player when the dust settles on this season.
ASM: (3-1), (11-5)
Talk about making some noise!! Outlawz is the grand master of stirring up controversy haha. He saw the APL boards were too quite at the beginning of this year and took it upon himself to spice things up a bit and get people talking. Boy did it ever work. He masterminded the whole Evil Empire story and people bought into it hook line and sinker, after his coaching days are over I see a bright future for him as a boxing promoter. The Monkeez had a rough start to last season but righted the ship and ended the year on an impressive run. They bounced the highly rated Bugeaters in round one of the playoffs and sent them off to permanent vactionland. They then lost in round two to DeS in OT, in what was possibly the greatest playoff game of season 8. They now have everyone's attention and are in position to start the season off with a BANG if they can take out the #1 ranked Legos.
AD: (3-1), (13-3)
The Dream are a perpetual enigma in APL. Every year they start off great and are always one of the last Lion teams to lose a game. And every year once that loss comes in week 9 or 10, the wheels come off the bus and they go careening into a ditch just in time for the playoffs. They make the playoffs every year but have made it past the 1st round only once. People have blamed them for paying too much attention to their USA Pro team when crunch time comes and their APL team suffers as a result. They have even admitted as much themselves in the past. But this league is getting stronger every year and if they wish to contend they can't mail it in anymore. If they do this year what they have done in the past, don't be surprised if they are on the outside looking in come playoff time.
RRK: (4-0), (8-8)
These guys are the polar opposite of The Dream. The Royal Knights fight and scrap every minute of every game every single year and earn their way into the playoffs every season on guts and grit. In the past they didn't match up so well with the top teams on paper but they didn't care. You knew going into a game against RRK that win or lose, you were going to come out missing some teeth. This is a team you want to win, a team after my own heart. Well look out Lion, after a nice offseason this team means business. They ran off 4 impressive preseason wins against 4 very strong Elephant teams. They now begin the season against #4 TLGoT and have an early chance to send APL a message that this is the year they make their run for it all.
Good Luck to everybody!!! I raise my beer in salute to all of you!! Let's make Season 9 the best yet in APL.
Toad out.
2. Windhoek White Rhinos - 210 (3)
3. Doinitin Djibouti - 206 (3)
4. The Last Gunfighters of Texas - 164
5. Sierra Leone Stallions - 122
6. Dar es Salaam Warrior Kings - 100
7. Seychelles Island Sea Wolves - 88
8. Angola Spider Monkeez - 68
9. Angola Dream - 46
10. Rwanda Royal Knights - 38
First place votes in Bold
Teams also receiving votes: Angola Blood Diamonds - 18, Somalia Pirates - 12, Ghana Buffalos - 8, UN Peacekeepers - 4, Zambia Lions - 4, Congo Cripplers - 2, Cairo Emperors - 2, Red Sea Wave - 2
12 Teams voted this week!! Thanks
Game of the Week 1: LOL #1 vs. ASM #8
Game of the Week 2: TLGoT #4 vs. RRK #10
LOL: (4-0) Preseason Record, (15-1) Season 8 Record
Last year's APL runner up begins this season at the top of the Coaches Poll after getting half of the 1st place votes. LOL has been in the championship game 5 out APLs 6 years of existence, but they haven't held the gold aloft at the end in 3 seasons. Will the big offseason acquisitions be the final piece of the puzzle?
WWS: (3-1), (14-2)
The defending APL Champs start off season 9 at #2 on our poll, most likely due to their preseason loss to LOL. But everyone knows that a preseason win and $1.50 won't even buy you a bus ticket. The Rhinos blasted through the Lion Conference like a hot knife through butter last season, and most likely caused the folding of 2 top Lion teams as a direct result. Like Ric Flair says, "To be the Man, you gotta beat the Man." Until proven otherwise, this team is The Man.
DD: (4-0), (13-2-1)
If you are going to put a lot of weight into preseason results, then this team has to scare the shit out of you. They have been absolutely destroying people this year. After making some huge offseason moves themselves, DD is ready to take their place at the top. After getting bounced in round 2 of the playoffs last year by LOL you can guarantee they have bloody revenge on their mind. Lake Opeta will be ground zero in Week 10.
TLGoT: (2-2), (14-2)
Another perennial powerhouse in Elephant. The Gunfighters have stumbled out of the gate a bit this preseason, but whether they were testing new things or are a team in flux remains to be seen. One thing for sure, any team that takes them lightly based on their preseason record is in for a world of suffering.
SLS: (2-2), (15-1)
The Stallions were the hottest team in the league for most of season 8. They were ranked #1 on the Coaches Poll more than anyone else last year and seemed a sure bet to go far in the playoffs....before losing in the 1st round to Ghana. Will they bounce back in what many people consider an even tougher Elephant Conference? They have the talent and skill. Time will tell if that's enough.
DeSWK: (3-1), (13-3)
Last year's Lion Conference runner up was one TD away from going to the league championship game last year. They don't talk much trash on the boards so they are overlooked more than they should be by the voters. But year in and year out The Warrior Kings put up solid numbers and are there battling at the end in the playoffs. It's only a matter of time before they bust through, is this that year?
SISW: (4-0), (10-6)
Most seasons begin like this year, we have several very solid new teams in APL who each have potential to make some noise right away and probably deserve to be ranked in the top 10, but they have to earn their way onto the poll after a few wins. There are very few teams who come up to the Pro level from AAA and get recognized right away. I can only think of 3 off of the top of my head...DD, SISW, and the now defunct Cape Verde Kings. The difference is DD and CVK were very active on the APL forums from day 1. The other coaches got familiar with them before the season started and as a result they were both on the preseason Poll their rookie seasons. The Sea Wolves didn't say a word last year. They didn't have to, their reputation preceded them. I had owners telling me to watch out for them even before they got officially promoted. Now THAT my friends is respect. The Sea Wolves now have their rookie APL season under their belts and know how the game is played up in the Pros. I expect them to be a major player when the dust settles on this season.
ASM: (3-1), (11-5)
Talk about making some noise!! Outlawz is the grand master of stirring up controversy haha. He saw the APL boards were too quite at the beginning of this year and took it upon himself to spice things up a bit and get people talking. Boy did it ever work. He masterminded the whole Evil Empire story and people bought into it hook line and sinker, after his coaching days are over I see a bright future for him as a boxing promoter. The Monkeez had a rough start to last season but righted the ship and ended the year on an impressive run. They bounced the highly rated Bugeaters in round one of the playoffs and sent them off to permanent vactionland. They then lost in round two to DeS in OT, in what was possibly the greatest playoff game of season 8. They now have everyone's attention and are in position to start the season off with a BANG if they can take out the #1 ranked Legos.
AD: (3-1), (13-3)
The Dream are a perpetual enigma in APL. Every year they start off great and are always one of the last Lion teams to lose a game. And every year once that loss comes in week 9 or 10, the wheels come off the bus and they go careening into a ditch just in time for the playoffs. They make the playoffs every year but have made it past the 1st round only once. People have blamed them for paying too much attention to their USA Pro team when crunch time comes and their APL team suffers as a result. They have even admitted as much themselves in the past. But this league is getting stronger every year and if they wish to contend they can't mail it in anymore. If they do this year what they have done in the past, don't be surprised if they are on the outside looking in come playoff time.
RRK: (4-0), (8-8)
These guys are the polar opposite of The Dream. The Royal Knights fight and scrap every minute of every game every single year and earn their way into the playoffs every season on guts and grit. In the past they didn't match up so well with the top teams on paper but they didn't care. You knew going into a game against RRK that win or lose, you were going to come out missing some teeth. This is a team you want to win, a team after my own heart. Well look out Lion, after a nice offseason this team means business. They ran off 4 impressive preseason wins against 4 very strong Elephant teams. They now begin the season against #4 TLGoT and have an early chance to send APL a message that this is the year they make their run for it all.
Good Luck to everybody!!! I raise my beer in salute to all of you!! Let's make Season 9 the best yet in APL.
Toad out.
Last edited Apr 26, 2009 15:18:17
