And Another One Bites the Dust

It happens every year about this time, that team or teams who surged to the #1 ranking so unexpectedly, hit a speed bump and open the door for the usual suspects. Last night, that team was Fat, Drunk and Awesome (a once "usual suspect" themselves). After soaring to the #1 spot in the rankings, FDA met reality and it's name was the Dragon Slayers.

While FDA's losing was plenty of story, the Slayers who beat them are a story in and of themselves. Losing a coach and star player over the offseason, this rising power has had an up and down go if it. Losing to Moderately Sober left them hungover two weeks later when they got bombed by the Suspicious Packages, setting the stage for their 3rd loss of the year to DGS. Desperate for a quality win, they dug their heels in and got it in grand fashion, 15-13 over the #1 team, a sign that these folks should still demand respect.

As for FDA, their life doesn't get any easier, but they can jump right back into first place next week with a win over now #1 DGS. This is hands down the Game of The Week, but if your going off of in common opponent scores, history says DGS runs away with this one.

On another note, two old guard power took to the field with Vito Power making a statement by beating the Liberty Square Insliders. Talk on the street is that the Sliders fielded a weaker than normal team, and it could be argued that's been the case all year for the defending champs. Don't go to sleep on either of these teams come tourny time, you'll be sorry.

We're headed into the final stretch now, time for teams to buckle up and put the pedal to the metal.

Official GOTW Hard to Argue

Anytime you get a rematch of the tournament Championship game, it's apt to be a pretty solid game. This week its the game of the week, and rightly so. For my money, the only other really competitive matchup with major playoff impace would potentially be Scared Hitless v. Moderately Sober, but the Liberty Square "in"Sliders v. Texas Republic is about as good as it gets. PREDICTION: Texas Republic 15, Sliders 9

In a Beeriffic match up this week, Channel 4 News Team will play Thomas Paine, both teams having previously been given the honor of being the most beeriffic, this ought to be an entertaining matchup for both teams. PREDICTION: Channel 4 18, Thomas Paine, 6

A battle of the 20's hits the books when Big Riggin takes on Capitol Punishment. Big Riggin has always been a solid team, though not exactly great, and Capitol Punishment has been revamping their team to make a serious playoff run. This game should give a glimpse as to the skill level of both squads. PREDICTION: Big Riggin 16, Capitol Punishment 15

In a matchup with the biggest gap between ranks, #1 Fat, Drunk and Awesome will play #101 The Gretzkys. Probably won't go a long way toward helping FDA maintain a strong RPI, but you can't control your opponents rankings when you schedule them at the start of the season. PREDICTION: FDA 25, The Gretzkys 2

There is one more close game that I think should be very interesting, Cap City Flyers v. the Destroyers. Both these teams are borderline elite, and both make waves every year during the regular season. Whoever loses likely won't be a Top 10 team, but the winner just might. PREDICTION: Destroyers 17, Flyers 11

Week Recap

Well, as expected, #1 Fat, Drunk and Awesome were all of those things and more, beating #17 Vito Power by 11 in the official league Game of the Week. No score posted for my game of the week but my two honorable mentions lived up to the billing with Keystoners and Thomas Pain beating Penn State and The Ogres by respectively by 1 run in each game.

A big upset came courtesy of Suspicious Packages, who stuck it to the nay-sayers by trouncing a very strong Dragon Slayers team. What Exit got a big win over Big Riggin, that will go a long way toward their playoff hopes.

At the end of the week, without all the scores posted, my rankings got a little bit of a shake up:

1. Fat, Drunk and Awesome - there til someone beats em.
2. Big Lebowskis - softish schedule, but I'd like to see them lose one before I drop them.
3. Texas Republic - Still dominating.
4. Scared Hitless - another strong showing, next weeks match up against Moderately Sober will be a tough test.
5. Suspicious Packages - that win got some heads to turn.
6. DGS - consistent and always good.
7. Destroyers - gonna be a Top 10 for awhile.
8. Big in Japan - quietly winning their way back into the Top 10
9. Hired Guns - not a particularly tough win this last week, but their 9 wins are impresive.
10. Potomac Fever - still waiting for them to play more games.

Most Beeriffic: Master Batters - what can I say, it's a geat team name and they came up with a good win this week against the Orange Crush. These guys have played 9 games and have 8 more to go. That's an impressive amount of games for a team ranked in the 70's to play in one season, and they play everyone from the good, to the bad and the ugly. Gotta like that.

Softball Guys Games of the Week

Not sure how many of you folks out there have taken part of the Commissioners new GOTW voting process on the website. It's a pretty clever way to get some of the more active folks in the league to help take the burden off one guy every week. On most weeks there's a clear cut match up of Top 10 teams or rising powers set to face off, it makes it fairly easy. This wasn't one of those weeks.

The House Softball official GOTW is Fat, Drunk and Awesome v. Vito Power, a matchup that pits #1 v. #12 respectively. But, given Vito's recent loss to Scard Hitless, and the fact the FDA beat Scared Hitless, all things being equal, we probably won't see #1 fall in the standings this week. But more than anything, maybe we need to look at what makes a game of the week.

It can't be what game would you "want to see". Come on folks, it's slow pitch softball, no one wants to watch it. For me it's, what game has the greatest potential to be close or evenly matched. That game may not always have the flashy league leaders in it, but hey, this is the House League, there's over 120 teams and everyone deserves some credit.

Softball Guys Game of the Week Honorable Mentions

#102 Ogers v. #107 Thomas Pain - These two teams enter their match up with 2 wins and 8 losses combined. It's pretty obvious that these guys are more interested in the sideline activities and enjoying a little recreational beer league softball than they are in the outcome of the game. For me, this is a pretty even match-up. OUTCOME: Thomas Pain 13, Ogers 9.

#50 Penn State v. #53 Keystoners - Both of these teams are better than I think most folks would realize. Both teams play quality opponents and neither team has lost to a "bad team" yet. The Keystoners are coming off a very close 7-4 loss to DGS and Penn State is only 2 games removed from a 7-4 loss of their own to Potomac Fever. This ones gonna be close folks. OUTCOME: Keystoners 16, Penn State 12

Softball Guy's Game of the Week

#38 Raucus Caucus v. #39 No Talent AZ Clowns - in a showdown of Western teams, this pits a 6-3 RC team against the 5-3 Clowns. The Caucus three losses have all been to Top 15 teams and while 2 of the Clowns losses were to Top 15 teams as well, they are coming off a shocking 3-1 loss to underrated #71 Two Drink Minimum. Both of these teams are former Congressional League squads that have crossed over to the Dark Side, this game will go a long way in pushing the winner to the tournament and up the rankings. OUTCOME: Raucus Caucus 19, No Talent AZ Clowns 17

Coming up Big

Following a flurry of great match ups last night, two teams made big statements with blowout wins while two other teams made big statements with high profile wins.

The Libert Square Sliders dropped the Hired Guns in grand fashion 20-4, putting themselves back into the top 15 at #11. Meanwhile, Texas Republic knocked off a very good Moderately Sober team 15-10 to cement their place as one of the elite in the league. The Big Lebowskis showed the great divide between Top 10 and Top 25 but trouncing #22 Ugly Mugs by 25, and Scared Hitless got a very healthy quality win by beating Vito Power.

All 4 of these games got a lot of pregame talk on the Smack Boards with a few very close predictions by some of the board faithful, but a more interesting story from last night? A young team that's been trying to prove their good for a few years now topped a usually strong, perennial playoff team.

Capitol Punishment beat Owego Fire Department by 11 last night, and while that might not be a quality win by the rankings #'s, anyone who's been around knows that Owego has been a solid squad. The question: is Owego pulling and FDA and taking a year off, or is Capitol Punishment actually THAT good? We'll find out in 2 weeks when CP starts a 3 game series that includes matchups against Big Riggin, Vito Power and the Hired Gunz.

Also, in an unherladed, must win game for two usual suspects come playoff time, the Dukes of Haphazard beat Cold Hard Cash to set up a run back into the post season.

We'll see wat next week holds.