In honor of the great agerm73, I'd like to attempt a preseason write up. I don't know much about most of you yet, so I'll be working off of what information is available to me. If you feel I've undersold your team, you're probably right and I will be glad to see you succeed above my expectations. Still, I find these fun and I'd rather try and err than not write one at all! So here we go.
Going in reverse order.
Honolulu Heartbreakers: This is my team. We eat paste and cardboard, but we do alright.
Cleveland Caged Elephants: Run by a very experienced owner with a strong record, the Elephants performed well last season and made the playoffs in Rookie, albeit with the caveat that the league was less competitive (partially CPU). They have a highly esteemed line of coaches and while they have not revealed their roster yet, I expect at minimum a winning record from this team.
Deadpool's Mercs for Money: I honestly don't know what to expect. Rch3's Death Valley Deadites were one of the less competitive Rookie teams for the two seasons I've played, but now I wonder if maybe it isn't because he put all his effort into his Mercs instead. As a Veteran team they managed an average record, which is already impressive considering the competition, and posted magnificent performances against powerhouse teams like the Mountaineers and Rabid Lizards, the latter of which they beat. If he knows how to compete so well at Veteran, I suspect my experience with the Deadites is not a true reflection of Rch3 and this team is a sleeper playoff contender. Plus, they have a few of those same esteemed coaches as the Elephants.
Deadman Awakening: Another prolific owner resetting to Rookie from Vet, except I expect this team to be an overt playoff contender rather than a sleeper. They split 1-1 with Deadpool in Vet but beat more of the other teams, and TyDavis has a stronger owner record and much more experience overall. Still, statistics never tell the full story, and I only reluctantly place them as a playoff favorite. Excited to be a part of what I think is the hardest division (just like last league, damn you GLB gods).
Buffalo Bills: Run by a fairly new owner who has had growing pains in previous seasons, I'm interested to see the development of this team. What he lacks in star power he makes up for by having complete control of his entire team, since all players are run and made by him alone. Expect dramatic changes from one week to the next if he has an epiphany, and be careful judging this team by its past performances.
Practice Squad: A perennial powerhouse, Bo's Dream Team almost always makes the championship game and his Practice Squad barely missed last season's playoffs by the closest of margins. Won the offensive MVP last season in Rookie and had 5 players in MVP contention in Journeyman as well. Another playoff contender, even if the team stays mostly CPU.
Outback Crackerz: Being a team that struggled against the stacked Vet league is not the end of the world. If you subtract their record from Vet, C-Dew's record in lower leagues is actually a very respectable 73-49. An owner who has proven themselves in lower leagues and has been forged in the fires of Vet is a recipe for good things. I expect a winning record, and maybe some interesting innovations along the way to bolster their next run to Vet.
Whoville Whos: Another perennial powerhouse, Whoville is owned and staffed by even more of the best coaches in GLB history. Even if this team goes full CPU (which it often does), expect them to be a playoff contender. Last season, our Rookie league champion lost 29-3 to this full CPU team in the regular season, even with the advantage of 10 superstars. Our second place team also failed to beat them with their 9 superstar advantage. If anyone ever felt that they couldn't win because the other team had superior players and elite coaches, well... this team shows you that you were wrong.
Nascar Hall of Fame: No idea what to expect at all! Unique4 took over a CPU Rookie team halfway through last season, so there's no real expectation for his coaching or ability to build his own team (he kept the CPU players). I do know that there's a huge knowledge barrier in this game regardless of how naturally good anyone is with x's and o's, and combined with the level of competition in this league I'd say a true rookie owner likely finishes with a losing record. The good news is that this is also a league with some amazingly helpful people - OSIRIS, agerm, BoDiddley, jay, bjax to name a few, and I'm sure more who I haven't met yet - so if Unique4 has any questions, this is definitely a friendly place to ask.
Rock n Roll Damnation: Any Blizzard gamers here - am I the only one who misread his name as ETC because his team is rock n roll themed? Anyways, seems like TJC's Rock n Roll Damnation is in the same boat as Nascar - a new owner who took over a CPU team midseason and is now starting off on their own journey. If so, welcome to GLB!
Dartmouth Indians: Despite having struggled last season, No Flex Room means some serious business. This is a team of fully boosted dots entirely controlled, and paid for, by one man. However, as much as I'd like to be a game review website (cough, IGN) and give everyone a 9.5/10, the presence of so many powerful teams means that not everyone can have a winning record. Based on previous performance I have to predict the Indians fall slightly short of .500.
Daltonville Donnybrooks: Full disclosure - despite knowing little to nothing about this team, they are my favorite to take the #1 seed... under two conditions. One, they fill the roster as seriously as they did for their last run and two, Whoville stays full CPU. Kingcolock's owner record is excellent, winning about 5 games for every 2 losses and taking home 4 championships in a very short period of time. However, it's his dominant performance in Vet that suggests he understands how to optimize a team. I've never been to Vet, but I would wager that sustained excellence at the highest level is a sign of excellence in all areas of team ownership, something that should translate into excellence at the Rookie level. That being said, Rookie is in so many ways a different beast, and it will take a shift in thinking to transition from gameplanning around maxed out stars to a league made up of mini Mark Sanchez's. If that last part doesn't make sense to anyone, just know that my QB fumbled 8 times in his last Rookie game.
See you guys in two days, and may the least bad man win.
Going in reverse order.
Honolulu Heartbreakers: This is my team. We eat paste and cardboard, but we do alright.
Cleveland Caged Elephants: Run by a very experienced owner with a strong record, the Elephants performed well last season and made the playoffs in Rookie, albeit with the caveat that the league was less competitive (partially CPU). They have a highly esteemed line of coaches and while they have not revealed their roster yet, I expect at minimum a winning record from this team.
Deadpool's Mercs for Money: I honestly don't know what to expect. Rch3's Death Valley Deadites were one of the less competitive Rookie teams for the two seasons I've played, but now I wonder if maybe it isn't because he put all his effort into his Mercs instead. As a Veteran team they managed an average record, which is already impressive considering the competition, and posted magnificent performances against powerhouse teams like the Mountaineers and Rabid Lizards, the latter of which they beat. If he knows how to compete so well at Veteran, I suspect my experience with the Deadites is not a true reflection of Rch3 and this team is a sleeper playoff contender. Plus, they have a few of those same esteemed coaches as the Elephants.
Deadman Awakening: Another prolific owner resetting to Rookie from Vet, except I expect this team to be an overt playoff contender rather than a sleeper. They split 1-1 with Deadpool in Vet but beat more of the other teams, and TyDavis has a stronger owner record and much more experience overall. Still, statistics never tell the full story, and I only reluctantly place them as a playoff favorite. Excited to be a part of what I think is the hardest division (just like last league, damn you GLB gods).
Buffalo Bills: Run by a fairly new owner who has had growing pains in previous seasons, I'm interested to see the development of this team. What he lacks in star power he makes up for by having complete control of his entire team, since all players are run and made by him alone. Expect dramatic changes from one week to the next if he has an epiphany, and be careful judging this team by its past performances.
Practice Squad: A perennial powerhouse, Bo's Dream Team almost always makes the championship game and his Practice Squad barely missed last season's playoffs by the closest of margins. Won the offensive MVP last season in Rookie and had 5 players in MVP contention in Journeyman as well. Another playoff contender, even if the team stays mostly CPU.
Outback Crackerz: Being a team that struggled against the stacked Vet league is not the end of the world. If you subtract their record from Vet, C-Dew's record in lower leagues is actually a very respectable 73-49. An owner who has proven themselves in lower leagues and has been forged in the fires of Vet is a recipe for good things. I expect a winning record, and maybe some interesting innovations along the way to bolster their next run to Vet.
Whoville Whos: Another perennial powerhouse, Whoville is owned and staffed by even more of the best coaches in GLB history. Even if this team goes full CPU (which it often does), expect them to be a playoff contender. Last season, our Rookie league champion lost 29-3 to this full CPU team in the regular season, even with the advantage of 10 superstars. Our second place team also failed to beat them with their 9 superstar advantage. If anyone ever felt that they couldn't win because the other team had superior players and elite coaches, well... this team shows you that you were wrong.
Nascar Hall of Fame: No idea what to expect at all! Unique4 took over a CPU Rookie team halfway through last season, so there's no real expectation for his coaching or ability to build his own team (he kept the CPU players). I do know that there's a huge knowledge barrier in this game regardless of how naturally good anyone is with x's and o's, and combined with the level of competition in this league I'd say a true rookie owner likely finishes with a losing record. The good news is that this is also a league with some amazingly helpful people - OSIRIS, agerm, BoDiddley, jay, bjax to name a few, and I'm sure more who I haven't met yet - so if Unique4 has any questions, this is definitely a friendly place to ask.
Rock n Roll Damnation: Any Blizzard gamers here - am I the only one who misread his name as ETC because his team is rock n roll themed? Anyways, seems like TJC's Rock n Roll Damnation is in the same boat as Nascar - a new owner who took over a CPU team midseason and is now starting off on their own journey. If so, welcome to GLB!
Dartmouth Indians: Despite having struggled last season, No Flex Room means some serious business. This is a team of fully boosted dots entirely controlled, and paid for, by one man. However, as much as I'd like to be a game review website (cough, IGN) and give everyone a 9.5/10, the presence of so many powerful teams means that not everyone can have a winning record. Based on previous performance I have to predict the Indians fall slightly short of .500.
Daltonville Donnybrooks: Full disclosure - despite knowing little to nothing about this team, they are my favorite to take the #1 seed... under two conditions. One, they fill the roster as seriously as they did for their last run and two, Whoville stays full CPU. Kingcolock's owner record is excellent, winning about 5 games for every 2 losses and taking home 4 championships in a very short period of time. However, it's his dominant performance in Vet that suggests he understands how to optimize a team. I've never been to Vet, but I would wager that sustained excellence at the highest level is a sign of excellence in all areas of team ownership, something that should translate into excellence at the Rookie level. That being said, Rookie is in so many ways a different beast, and it will take a shift in thinking to transition from gameplanning around maxed out stars to a league made up of mini Mark Sanchez's. If that last part doesn't make sense to anyone, just know that my QB fumbled 8 times in his last Rookie game.
See you guys in two days, and may the least bad man win.
