eSFL Insider, Week 16, 2011 Championship Week

Championship Week

Lets first take a look at past Ballistic Bowl games from a point perspective. It shall be noted Ballistic Bowl I was unique in this chart because teams started more players at each position than
following years (2 QB, 3 WR, 3 RB, 3 TE, 2 K, 3 DL, 3 DB). The following year the expansion of teams from six to eight resulted in starting lineups being reduced to 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 2 DL, 2 DB. In 2007 (BB VIII)  lineups were changed to increase the RB and WR position by one each and remains this way today.

BALLISTIC BOWL 2011

In an epic finish last week, we saw both Ballistic bowl bracket matchups separated by less than 2 points and we saw a Gunner cup finalist get in by less than 2 points as well. 

Pardue held off Zima, with only one defensive player remaining on Monday night as Lamarr Woodley got injured and failed to post the four points needed to get into the Championship.  Pardue has historically been unlucky in these types of situations with the exception of last season.  Pardue returns to the Ballistic bowl for the second year in a row, a feat only accomplished by two other teams in league history. Last year his unit entered the contest as the odds on favorite to take the title from the "horseshoe wearing" Whitmore Workhorse, but failed to get the job done in a monumental upset.  This season, Pardue flew under the radar in the Global and managed to get in the playoffs with a 4-way tie for second place but owned a tiebreaker over the Crownholder.  His team has been hammered with injury this year all season, including losing the teams #1 draft choice Jamaal Charles in week two of the regular season.  He has been labeled a fantasy guru by some, and looking at this season, his depth has provided the opportunity to once again represent the Global Division in the grandest of fantasy events, the title game known as the Ballistic Bowl. 

Igama held off the Kavanators last week, with the 'nators #1 draft choice Rashard Mendenhall failing to find the end zone and phenom wideout Antonio Brown having catches nullified from his performance due to penalties and replay challenges.  Coach Kav put up enough points to win with 175+ last week, but Igama found the lucky pot of gold, and found a way to get it done with placekicker David Akers getting enough to hold off the Kavanators charge on Monday night.  Igama, a team not long ago on the outside looking in as the playoffs were taking shape mid season got hot late and finished the season at .500 to beat out the bottom feeders in the Appalachian for the final playoff spot.  A couple injuries combined with poor general manager decisions early in the year held this team below expectations, but it appears those types of issues are in the rear view mirror now.  Star running back Arian Foster was listed on the injury report for almost half the season but has really started to heat up along with quarterback Matt Ryan and defensive leader Jason Pierre-Paul.  He heads into his first Ballistic Bowl as the favorite and is really excited about the opportunity and his teams chances this week.  Although he is the favorite by other owners and the media, that could be used as fuel for the Pardue locomotive. 

This Ballistic Bowl matchup is the first meeting between the Pardue Bruisermakers and Igama Sweaty Palms in eSFL history, but not for the coaches.  Coach Pardue is undefeated against coach Igama with a 2-0 record when Igama was with the Igama ACKRD back in 2005.  This is Igama's first trip to the playoffs while Pardue has been a playoff contender 5 of the last 6 seasons.  No team has ever made it to consecutive Ballistic Bowl finals and lost them both. 

FanVegas odds makers released the odds for this one Wednesday evening and they have the Sweaty Palms as a 13 point favorite with the over-under marked at 307. 

The Igama Sweaty Palms will hoist the Ballistic Bowl trophy, wearing the first ever eSFL championship ring, and mark his name in the record books of the greatest fantasy football league ever, THE eSFL!!!

GUNNER CUP 2011

In a six team showdown last week with only two head to head matchup winners being awarded a spot into the Gunner Cup final, the Perdew Pulverizers knocked off the Vial Vigilante early and had to wait till late Monday evening to see who they would face for the Gunner Cup title.  The powerful D Crownholder knocked off the Rhodes coached McKinney Redneck squad and Temp's Texas Boys knocked off cousin Chaz and the Texan Bruisers.  The highest scoring winner of these two matchups would move on to face the Pulverizers and the Temp's Texas Boys got the job done with a 146.44-144.7 win over the Crownholders. 

The regular season Appalachian champs, 11-3 Perdew Pulverizers, will face off with the Global Division regular season champ matchup, you also must produce a high enough score to advance as well.  A unique but effective system that surely eliminates most luck and produces the top quality teams to play for the cup named after a little dog brutally murdered by a neighbor collie.

Perdew, the early season favorite to win the Ballistic bowl, hit a rut late in the season and a couple of big injuries have knocked this team on their ass.  The Pulverizers have not been able to find a replacement at the running back position due to those injuries, but got enough good fortune and a little luck to win last week vs Vial.  The Perdew wideouts are not performing well and the defense has a few anchors at linebacker, but the defensive back play has been pathetic with mediocre tight ends at best.  Who would have though anyone would have been talking about Vial in week 15 of the eSFL, a testament to the available options to succeed in this league.

Temp has had a few injuries as well, losing star running back Adrian Peterson to injury mid season, and now wideout Greg Jennings is dragging around a bum knee.  The fill in of Michael Bush has been phenomenal, but wideout Mike Wallace is not looking like the 3rd round selection Temp hoped for.  With a defense that has been up and down all year, lineman Connor Barwin and backer Aldon Smith have really stepped up for this team. 

This will be a close game to the final snap, but the Temp's Texas Boys will hoist the Gunner Cup and add another trophy to an already pretty case along side two Ballistic Bowls and two Global Division regular season titles.

eSFL Insider written by correspondent Josh Perdew

Comments or questions should be sent via email: joshperdew@estandoutleague.com