With the last pre-season sim being completed today, I have done my customary look at the league's teams and am ready to weigh in on just which teams are the ones to watch, and which teams you can simply ignore. Of course we are all wondering just who will be promoted to Gold this season, and I will narrow things down on that front as well.
A bit of history for our new teams; This league is regarded as one of the toughest Silver leagues so be prepared each and every week. S7 has put two teams in Gold every season -- the league champion, and another team. In Season 11, we sent league Champion Bangkok Breeze and Andromeda Strain. In Season 12, we sent Champion GLB Headhunters and Georgia Assault. Last year, it was Champion '85 Chicago Bears and Deep Throw It. Of these teams, only two have been moved out of Gold and both due to ownership changes. So if you win this league, you will likely be in Gold for awhile.
With that in mind, we should take a look at each conference. With each passing season a strong team gets promoted and that spot is invariably taken by another strong team, and that trend continues this season.
West
The West has 4 legitimate contenders for the league title this year, just as it was last year. There will be some surprises as usual, but if you have any of these teams on your schedule, mark the date and unleash the hounds because these are teams designed to win from top to bottom.
1. Final Thought Each year they are on this list, and one day I am actually going to be correct. Stud agents, excellent coaching, fantastic AI's, and no shortage of boosters. That is a recipe for success in any league, and FT is as good as anyone at making it work. Last year they looked ready to go all the way, but just as the Strain did years ago, the Bears were the only team to figure out how to beat FT so they remain here.
2. Montpellier Wildcats New to our league last season, but not new to PeeWee dotball. This ex-Gold team beat everyone except the Bears and FT, and they did in convincingly enough to get the early season nod. They should be even more dangerous this year now that they have had a chance to evaluate the talent here, and you can count on fakie having his team ready to go out of the gate.
3. Rome Praetorians The one Copper team that will get some serious attention immediately is Rome, and it has nothing to do with their Copper trophy. Let's be real here, the gutters of this league are filled with Copper trophy winning teams that couldn't cut it but Rome will not be one of them. They are as complete a team as you will find and their lack of tournament or big time scrimmage games are misleading.
4. Crib Midgets A team with a storied past suffered some big losses last season; accustomed to being a top team and always battling for the top spot they were humbled with 4 losses during the season....seemingly minor, however they had previously only lost a total of 3 times since Season 8. With their trophies starting to collect dust, this needs to be a statement season for a veteran team if they want to get to Gold.
Outside of the above top teams, there are multiple other teams that have showed promise last season (and season's past) and are taking all the right steps to continually improve. Should any of the top 4 teams struggle early it could open the door for these teams.
- Charleston Clippers -
They have a full roster and based on their play last year, their outlook is good. They could be another SBI type team that looks good in the preseason but fails to measure up, but we should know this by midseason.
- Michigan Blue Wolves -
McNasty has been combing the PW world over looking for advice and help on turning this team into a winner, and that alone will take them very far. They struggled against the better teams last season, but I truly beleive they will be much improved.
- Langdon ND Waterboys and Montclair Cobras -
A good roster and some encouraging results in the preseason may have opened some eyes to these former Copper team. I think their head to head matchup will be an interesting one, as these teams will likely be competing for a playoff spot.
I also think teams like Nakhodka Wolfpack, Brooklyn Swillers, Texas Road Boards, and Four Winds Bar will be fighting for a playoff spot. But some of their preseason results are worrying and whether or not this is indicitive of their regular season performance will be determined over the coming weeks.
East
The East has played second fiddle to the West for awhile, and this year should be no different. The East has essentially become a 2 team race, with neither team being of the same quality as the top Western teams. This should be one of the best opportunities for one of these two teams to make Gold, as they should finish the season with 1 loss coming in their head to head game.
1. Twin City Alligators It has been a long time coming but they have stuck with it and are now getting some well earned respect. Since season 12 they have been a good but never great team, and now they get the chance to be the top dog. Good roster, good team management, and what should follow is a great season.
2. CrackerTown Juniors The only other 55 man rostered team in the East, and they will battle Twin City for the title all season. They will look to build on a good first season in Silver last year, and take advantage of the drop in competition.
Just outside the top 2 we have a couple teams that will easily make playoffs, and really blow put some huge numbers but it is more a result of poor competition than anything else. They say anything is possible so I leave the door open for these teams to write their own history and challenge for the title.
- Minnesota Lumberjacks -
I was suprised at how well they did last season, and think they can be a darkhorse candidate and push the top 2 hard. Revis will not be a factor however once playoffs start, they will have a chance to do something special as the third seed.
- Gabon Dragon Whelps -
The Whelps have been here for many seasons, usually finishing out of the playoffs and below .500 but this could their year. They have a nice roster and could have a breakthrough season.
- Death Valley Dragons -
They won their Copper league and have a chance to win a lot of games. It will be a challenge to upset the top teams but they should make the playoffs with ease, and however far they go from there is up to them.
Teams that will try to earn a playoff spot include Crystal Lake Psychos, TwinTown Gofers, Rhode Island Tiny Pirates, Hartfod Shocks, and Brooklyn Bonecrushers. It's surprising not to have mentioned Eugene Cobras, but they appear to be a team in disarray and will fall hard this season.
Prognosis
The West will win the league, and it won't be close unless the top Eastern teams spend some flex on scrimmages with top PW teams. Those challenging games, close wins, and big losses allow teams to fine tune and adjust their strategies. Without being battle tested the Eastern conference champ won't stand a chance.
A bit of history for our new teams; This league is regarded as one of the toughest Silver leagues so be prepared each and every week. S7 has put two teams in Gold every season -- the league champion, and another team. In Season 11, we sent league Champion Bangkok Breeze and Andromeda Strain. In Season 12, we sent Champion GLB Headhunters and Georgia Assault. Last year, it was Champion '85 Chicago Bears and Deep Throw It. Of these teams, only two have been moved out of Gold and both due to ownership changes. So if you win this league, you will likely be in Gold for awhile.
With that in mind, we should take a look at each conference. With each passing season a strong team gets promoted and that spot is invariably taken by another strong team, and that trend continues this season.
West
The West has 4 legitimate contenders for the league title this year, just as it was last year. There will be some surprises as usual, but if you have any of these teams on your schedule, mark the date and unleash the hounds because these are teams designed to win from top to bottom.
1. Final Thought Each year they are on this list, and one day I am actually going to be correct. Stud agents, excellent coaching, fantastic AI's, and no shortage of boosters. That is a recipe for success in any league, and FT is as good as anyone at making it work. Last year they looked ready to go all the way, but just as the Strain did years ago, the Bears were the only team to figure out how to beat FT so they remain here.
2. Montpellier Wildcats New to our league last season, but not new to PeeWee dotball. This ex-Gold team beat everyone except the Bears and FT, and they did in convincingly enough to get the early season nod. They should be even more dangerous this year now that they have had a chance to evaluate the talent here, and you can count on fakie having his team ready to go out of the gate.
3. Rome Praetorians The one Copper team that will get some serious attention immediately is Rome, and it has nothing to do with their Copper trophy. Let's be real here, the gutters of this league are filled with Copper trophy winning teams that couldn't cut it but Rome will not be one of them. They are as complete a team as you will find and their lack of tournament or big time scrimmage games are misleading.
4. Crib Midgets A team with a storied past suffered some big losses last season; accustomed to being a top team and always battling for the top spot they were humbled with 4 losses during the season....seemingly minor, however they had previously only lost a total of 3 times since Season 8. With their trophies starting to collect dust, this needs to be a statement season for a veteran team if they want to get to Gold.
Outside of the above top teams, there are multiple other teams that have showed promise last season (and season's past) and are taking all the right steps to continually improve. Should any of the top 4 teams struggle early it could open the door for these teams.
- Charleston Clippers -
They have a full roster and based on their play last year, their outlook is good. They could be another SBI type team that looks good in the preseason but fails to measure up, but we should know this by midseason.
- Michigan Blue Wolves -
McNasty has been combing the PW world over looking for advice and help on turning this team into a winner, and that alone will take them very far. They struggled against the better teams last season, but I truly beleive they will be much improved.
- Langdon ND Waterboys and Montclair Cobras -
A good roster and some encouraging results in the preseason may have opened some eyes to these former Copper team. I think their head to head matchup will be an interesting one, as these teams will likely be competing for a playoff spot.
I also think teams like Nakhodka Wolfpack, Brooklyn Swillers, Texas Road Boards, and Four Winds Bar will be fighting for a playoff spot. But some of their preseason results are worrying and whether or not this is indicitive of their regular season performance will be determined over the coming weeks.
East
The East has played second fiddle to the West for awhile, and this year should be no different. The East has essentially become a 2 team race, with neither team being of the same quality as the top Western teams. This should be one of the best opportunities for one of these two teams to make Gold, as they should finish the season with 1 loss coming in their head to head game.
1. Twin City Alligators It has been a long time coming but they have stuck with it and are now getting some well earned respect. Since season 12 they have been a good but never great team, and now they get the chance to be the top dog. Good roster, good team management, and what should follow is a great season.
2. CrackerTown Juniors The only other 55 man rostered team in the East, and they will battle Twin City for the title all season. They will look to build on a good first season in Silver last year, and take advantage of the drop in competition.
Just outside the top 2 we have a couple teams that will easily make playoffs, and really blow put some huge numbers but it is more a result of poor competition than anything else. They say anything is possible so I leave the door open for these teams to write their own history and challenge for the title.
- Minnesota Lumberjacks -
I was suprised at how well they did last season, and think they can be a darkhorse candidate and push the top 2 hard. Revis will not be a factor however once playoffs start, they will have a chance to do something special as the third seed.
- Gabon Dragon Whelps -
The Whelps have been here for many seasons, usually finishing out of the playoffs and below .500 but this could their year. They have a nice roster and could have a breakthrough season.
- Death Valley Dragons -
They won their Copper league and have a chance to win a lot of games. It will be a challenge to upset the top teams but they should make the playoffs with ease, and however far they go from there is up to them.
Teams that will try to earn a playoff spot include Crystal Lake Psychos, TwinTown Gofers, Rhode Island Tiny Pirates, Hartfod Shocks, and Brooklyn Bonecrushers. It's surprising not to have mentioned Eugene Cobras, but they appear to be a team in disarray and will fall hard this season.
Prognosis
The West will win the league, and it won't be close unless the top Eastern teams spend some flex on scrimmages with top PW teams. Those challenging games, close wins, and big losses allow teams to fine tune and adjust their strategies. Without being battle tested the Eastern conference champ won't stand a chance.
