North Plainfield Plague - an IHOF dynasty

[cthomer5000]

Prologue

I'm a little late getting into the fray on this. When the International House Of Football (http://www.fof-ihof.com) was set to begin play a few months ago, I hemmed and hawed about whether I could easily get back into full-blown dynasty mode. Firstly, I have reservations about the potential quality of this dynasty. There will be lots of sensitive information and behind-the-scenes moves I won't be able to reveal, and this sort of stuff is usually the real basis of a dynasty. When any of the 31 other owners can simply take a look here, I'm obviously not going to give away my blueprint for success (at least, I hope that's what I'm working from). Secondly, my last real dynasty just sort of died off (entirely my fault). I'd rather have never started a dynasty than have one fade out with no real conclusion.

After some thought (and a few weeks of play), I'm confident I'm instilled with enough IHOF-mania to make this dynasty, and hopefully my team, a success.

I hope I'll enjoy writing this, and more importantly I hope you'll enjoy reading.

here we go...

[cthomer5000]

Present Day

First off, I'm excited to be maintaining a dynasty in the WYSIWYG editor era. I should have a boatload more options for posting material and screwing around with formatting than I've had in previous dynasties. It should make upkeep of this a great deal quicker, much less painful, and hopefully more rewarding.

As of the time of posting, our league has just finished Week 7 of regular season play. I'm going to do my best to get things up to date within 2 weeks, and I vow to try to explain my prior actions objectively. I'll try my best to take off the 20/20 hindsight glasses while describing events that have already taken place.

So my first set of posts will be looking back, but pretty soon i'll be writing this dynasty in real time, watching the events unfold just as you do.

[cthomer5000]

What is 'IHOF'?

IHOF = International House of Football

The IHOF is a FOF2004 multiplayer league, with 32 well-known owners and an independent comissioner. The teams are entirely fictional, giving the league a very unique flavor. We started the league with a preference draft - enough input to let us shape our team, but much quicker than a full 53-round draft. Everyone expected the preference draft to be fairly sloppy, and it definitely had some mixed results. Divisions are set up regionally (within reason), and we even boast 1 entirely international division.

Atlantic Ocean Conference

Northeast Division (AOC North)

North Plainfield Plague - cthomer5000

Rochester Lake Monsters - Kodos

Boston Rhinos - primelord

Syracuse Mohawks - Chubby

Southeast Division (AOC East)

Tucker Tigers - SkyDog

Georgia Gridlock - Celeval

Conyers Condors - KWhit

Orlando Knights - Dutch

Deep South Division (AOC South)

Fort Worth Fury - HornedFrogPurple

San Antonio Volunteers - Senator

Vicksburg Vipers - Buzzbee

Stillwater Dynamite - TroyF

European Division (AOC West)

Gothenburg Giants - 3ric

Paris Muskateers - Darkiller

Maassluis Merchantmen - MIJB#19

Bordeaux Vineyards - Alf

That's the AOC for you. Obviously, I'm going to be paying particular attention to my own division, so you probably won't hear all that many of these other names mentioned again.

things of note: Of the two conferences, I would have to say this is the quirkier. We have 4 European players (and teams) in the west, a ton of smash-mouth football advocates (lead by ultimate smash-mouth evangelist SkyDog), and a very well-liked FOFC dynasty (and poll) poster, Kodos. Also, MIJB is incredibly touchy about the spelling of his city. Shorty is to Cincinnati as MIJB is to Maassluis (still not certain that's correct. seriously).

[cthomer5000]

Ok, I'll wrap up the "who's who" and then we can get moving onto the real meat of things.

North American Conference

(so named because unlike the AOC, all teams are on the same contient - although Fairbanks just barely)

Midwest Division (NAC North)

Ann Arbor Anachronism - Jim (a.k.a. Solecismic)
Columbus Architechts - TRO (The Royal One)
RayCo Raiders - FBPro
Minnesota Miners - mckerney

Mid-Atlantic Division (NAC East)
Frederick Red Menace - cuervo72
Astoria Heroes - Hell Atlantic
Chesapeake Chitterlings - QuikSand
Brooklyn Fightin' Bums - SackAttack

Atlantic Coast Division (NAC South)
Springfield Isotopes - Samdari
Leesburg Generals - Subby
Asheville Axeman - Vegas Vic
Outer Banks Osprey - WSUCougar

Western Division (NAC West)
San Luis Obispo Burn - Vince
Fairbanks Northstars - albionmoonlight
Anaheim Matterhorns - Chief Rum
Boulder Bulldogs - Blackadar

Anything of note: I couldn't be happier that I am not in the same conference as Jim (the creator of the game!) and QuikSand, who based on his piles of dynasties here - must be among the top percentile of FOF players. The NAC is also home to Cuervo, the maker of nearly helmet/logo you will see in relation to this league - the man does fantastic work.

[Kodos]

Alright! Another IHOF dynasty! Good luck against the Mohawks!

[cthomer5000]

So now you're hopefully getting a bit of a feel for things. I'll try to make this my last "set-up" post, and then get to talking about my team and the actual content of the league.

More IHOF Reading

If you're interesting in reading about the league from beyond my own biased view, please refer to the following:

Official League Website: http://www.fof-ihof.com
An objective, offical overview of the league. Stats and standings are updated regularly. Team Press Releases are automatically updated up-to-the-minute.

Official IHOF Forum: http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/
This is also linked on the main page of the league itself. This is where you'll find all the smack talk, league discussion, and official votes.

Helmet Gallery: http://cuervo72.majecc.net/helmets/IHOF.html
The gorgeous helmets of each team in the league, logically laid out by division. All praise to Cuervo on these.

Logo Gallery: http://ihof.lovetohate.us/ihoflogo/logopage.html
A display of the in-game logos for each team. These are what you'll likely see me use here (to save a little space).

Rochester Dynasty: http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=21467
The accounts of my divisional rival Kodos, in his own words.

Maassluis Dynasty: http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=21067
Follow allong as MIJB#19 takes on the AOC West. The Merchantmen are on this season's schedule, so we can at least see both sides of that matchup.

San Luis Obispo Dynasty: http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=21193
Vince gives us the only day-to-day look into the North American Conference.

Just a few more things

VPI97 is our awesome commissioner. Without his work, we might still be trying to figure out how to get started. He's taken a lot of ideas and made them a reality.

Cuervo72 is the North American Conference President. I am the Atlantic Ocean Conference President. We don't really have any grand powers, nor have we found the need for any yet. Presumably we're here to keep the owners in line, and occasionally try to get the ball rolling on some stuff.

"Thank You"

• • VPI97 for getting the league going quickly.
  • cuervo72 for making our teams look so pretty.
  • Fritz for his helmet/uniform/logo contributions early in the league's genesis (I'm certain he was responsible for the Paris helmet, and perhaps some others I'm not aware of).
  • Solecismic for producing the newest version of a classic gaming series.

last words: Ok, I feel like I've gotten all the background info out of the way. Tomorrow I plan on taking you through the first few days of the North Plainfield Plague (which by the way, is located in central New Jersey).

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Alright! Another IHOF dynasty! Good luck against the Mohawks!

We can only hope that our two dynasties are eventually chapters in the book:

"Scalped: the absolute failure of the Syracuse Mohawks"

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

We can only hope that our two dynasties are eventually chapters in the book:

"Scalped: the absolute failure of the Syracuse Mohawks"

Some dreams are almost too beautiful, aren't they? **sniff**

[3ric]

Didn't SkyDog start an IHOF dynasty too? Anyway, great to see another one - I'll be reading...

[Young Drachma]

As a native Plainfielder (though I left six years ago), I'll be following the team to the North..

Go Stony Brook! Er...Canucks! Umm....Plague?

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Didn't SkyDog start an IHOF dynasty too? Anyway, great to see another one - I'll be reading...

Yeah, but it lasted about as long a QB who wants to pass a lot on one of SkyDog's teams.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Yeah, but it lasted about as long a QB who wants to pass a lot on one of SkyDog's teams.

I was wondering what the hell happened to his dynasty... Maybe he just didn't want to give anyone an edge?

[cthomer5000]

The Preference Draft

Since the preference draft is over, and we won't see another one, I don't feel any real need to protect my strategy. Here were my main goals and thoughts heading into the draft:

• • Acquire an above-average quarterback
  • set running back and defensive line as very low priorities
  • favor pass defense vs. run defense
  • set the secondary as a very high priority
  • build for the future

This led me to max out my sliders for Quarterbacks and Secondary. Offensive Line and Linebackers came next, everything else was set very low. My thinking was that this strategy would allow me to come out of the allocation draft with a moderate number of players (4-8) who would not only be solid players for the team, but long-term members of the squad. In FOF, I honestly feel the best player values are found at:

quarterback: you simply need a good one, and you have to pay the big money

secondary: great safeties can drastically change the effectiveness of a defense, and are relatively inexpensive to hold onto long-term. A couple of shut-down corners can also keep you in a lot of games, as well as make game-breaking plays.

linebackers: a couple "good" linebackers (as opposed to maxed-out studs) can be both effective and cost-effective.

I assigned no value to loyalty or popularity, but did focus on starters (as opposed to depth) and most importantly potential. I figured that this was a fairly safe strategy, as my worst case scenario would likely provide at least 4-5 long-term quality starters.

[cthomer5000]

ok, I'm having some formatting issues that I need to resolve. This is definitely going to limit what I get done tonight.

[cthomer5000]

My original 53 players, immediately after the preference draft:

Unif	Player	Pos	HT	WT	Exp	OnTm	Until	Cap Cost	Save Release	Status	College
1	Ricardo Franz	K	5-10	183	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Ohio State
3	Lawrence Watters	QB	6-4	214	9	2004	2006	$720,000	$660,000		Louisville
4	Thad Pilkington	QB	6-4	220	7	2004	2005	$530,000	$530,000		Toledo
7	Jon Middleton	P	6-0	185	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Tennessee
11	David Conti	QB	6-2	181	1	2004	2005	$8,400,000	$4,800,000		Arkansas
20	Winford Endicott	RCB	5-11	180	5	2004	2005	$830,000	$710,000		Georgetown (Ky.)
21	Dusty Brees	FB	5-9	238	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Wyoming
24	Jordon Murdoch	FS	6-1	180	4	2003	2004	$4,780,000	$2,390,000		Virginia Tech
25	Kendall Bakken	RB	5-11	194	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Utah State
26	Don Larose	RB	5-10	228	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Alabama
30	Jimmie Strawn	LCB	5-10	180	3	2004	2008	$5,990,000	$3,600,000		East Carolina
32	Eddie Deckard	RB	5-11	254	2	2004	2005	$300,000	$300,000		Rice
34	Douglas Oakley	SS	6-1	210	1	2004	2005	$950,000	$830,000		Mississippi
35	Scott Benge	LCB	6-0	210	1	2004	2005	$3,590,000	$1,910,000		Emporia State
38	Bradley Goolsby	FB	6-0	240	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Eastern Michigan
44	Antonio Goddard	FS	5-11	210	8	2004	2006	$3,950,000	$2,160,000		Utah
45	Shaun Steven	SS	5-10	200	3	2003	2004	$2,100,000	$1,200,000		Baylor
46	Mel Mueller	RCB	5-10	190	3	2003	2004	$5,390,000	$3,000,000		Louisiana State
48	Dean Harden	RB	6-2	230	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Georgia Tech
49	Kendall Thibodeaux	LCB	6-2	190	3	2004	2007	$3,290,000	$1,790,000		New Mexico
51	Jack Miller	SLB	6-5	260	1	2004	2005	$1,680,000	$1,080,000		Central Florida
52	Xavier Ward	WLB	6-2	230	2	2003	2004	$1,200,000	$960,000		Texas Tech
53	Vernon Sprouse	WILB	6-3	250	3	2004	2005	$1,800,000	$1,200,000		Earlham
54	Ethan Mills	SLB	5-11	230	2	2003	2004	$1,680,000	$1,080,000		Alabama
55	Alfonzo Cornelison	C	6-3	300	1	2004	2006	$230,000	$230,000		Arizona State
57	Armando Gelinas	C	6-3	296	1	2004	2005	$1,430,000	$1,020,000		Duke
59	Wendell Anderson	MLB	6-4	250	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		San Diego State
61	Adrian Rainwater	RG	6-3	306	2	2003	2004	$300,000	$300,000		Western Michigan
62	Jimmy Parrillo	LT	6-2	293	1	2004	2006	$830,000	$710,000		Kansas
65	Nate Prater	LG	6-3	291	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		North Texas
68	William Aviles	RT	6-4	296	1	2004	2005	$2,750,000	$1,550,000		Baylor
69	Isaias Lewis	RT	6-4	308	1	2004	2005	$2,280,000	$1,320,000		Washington
70	Rod Fox	RDE	6-4	287	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Penn State
71	Shaun Parker	RDT	6-3	280	4	2003	2004	$450,000	$450,000		Rutgers
72	Stephen Lavender	RG	6-6	305	4	2004	2005	$1,430,000	$1,020,000		Memphis
74	J.J. Levine	RDE	6-1	272	1	2004	2006	$660,000	$600,000		California
75	Sid Banks	LT	6-7	305	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Idaho
76	Joe Covington	RG	6-4	280	3	2004	2005	$1,200,000	$960,000		Arizona
77	Charles Layfield	LDT	6-4	290	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Washington
78	D.J. Krug	RDT	6-1	279	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Minnesota
80	Jewell Simpson	FL	5-11	194	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Illinois
81	Charles Burley	TE	6-3	268	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		California Lutheran
83	Paul Wine	SE	6-1	181	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Oregon
84	Judson Sotelo	TE	6-4	263	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Loras
85	David Duncan	FL	6-3	205	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Louisiana - Monroe
87	William Webster	SE	6-2	195	2	2004	2005	$300,000	$300,000		Vanderbilt
88	Shane Mulligan	TE	6-3	264	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Georgia Tech
89	Newton Jeffers	FL	5-11	194	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		North Texas
90	Vernon Clegg	SILB	5-10	220	1	2004	2005	$950,000	$830,000		Temple
93	John Joshua	SLB	6-1	240	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Syracuse
96	Rick Fulcher	LDT	6-0	285	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Kansas
97	Don Ingraham	RDE	6-6	305	1	2004	2005	$230,000	$230,000		Michigan State
98	Freddie Tuinei	RDE	6-5	296	1	2003	2004	$230,000	$230,000		Virginia

Salary Cap	$75,000,000
Cap Room	$9,490,000
Maximum for New Player	$9,720,000
Lost Cap Room (Old Picks)	$0
Lost Cap Room Next Year	$0
Cap Room Required Next Year	$54,210,000

[cthomer5000]

Preference Draft Aftermath

I came out of the preference pretty happy, with my team largely meeting my expectations. Some highlights:

QB David Conti - sitting right atop the 'green page,' Conti appears to be the future of the franchise, as well as one of the league's future greats. As a rookie, it's obviously going to mean sailing some rough waters - but in the long term it will be worth it.

Tackles William Aviles and Isaias Lewis - hopefully our bookend tackles for years to come, we find ourselves with two very promising rookies. While I don't think either of these two will ever be thought of as truly elite, they will be above-average starters and solid overall players when mature.

SILB Vernon Sprouse - a nice well-rounded inside backer who should lead the front seven until retirement. This was a pleasent surprise indeed, since I wasn't expecting much in the way of linebackers through the preference draft.

Secondary - We were absolutely loaded with defensive backs. Strong Safety Jordon Murdoch is the type of perfectly balanced safety who can either pull down a few errant passes or absolutely blow up a running back coming through the hole. He has all-pro written all over him, and will likely be our defensive leader until his playing days are over. Free Safety Antonio Goddard compliments Murdoch incredibly well. While not quite the force Murdoch is in run defense, Goddard really has a nose for the ball, and is likely to shut down any tight end or receiver he has to cover. At cornerback Jimmie Strawn and Mel Mueller are a shut-down duo who can play just about any which way. Like our safties, these two also like to lay some major hits.

Those are just our starters. Shaun Steven is a versitle solid 3rd safety (who would probably start on nearly any other team in the league). He'll be a perfect nickel back for us, and may even see some time at outside linebacker (due to weakness there). Cornerback Kendall Thibodeaux is another victim of our incredibly wealth, and will be the primary backup at safety, as well as our dime back. He again would likely start for most IHOF squads.

The talent does not end there though, as rookie CB Scott Benge is a promising man-to-man shut down corner as well as one of the league's fastest men. Despite his considerable talents, he pushes over the edge into a "one too many" situation in the secondary, and is our first player to be traded (more to follow).

[cthomer5000]

Shaping the Roster

I'm not really going to spend much time covering the pre-season. I'll sum it up this simply: we got our youngsters very valuable playing time, and avoided any major injuries. We are a young, healthy roster heading into the regular season.

Now, the 53 players that will suit up in week 1 are a very different group than the 53 we started with. Here are the changes:

Gone:

• CB Scott Benge was traded to Chesapeake (owned by QuikSand) along with a 2005 3rd round draft pick for Chesapeake's 2005 1st round and 2005 2nd round selections. We pick up some future ammunition, and the Chitterlings get an immediate starter and future star.
• Guard Joe Covington (a so-so older guard) was traded to Bordeaux (Alf) for a 2005 6th round draft pick
• TE Judson Sotelo (a moderately promising player) was traded to Outer Banks (WSUCougar) for a 2005 6th round pick
• LB Xavier Ward and WR David Duncan were sent to San Antonio (Senator) for a 2005 7th round draft pick.

Aside from Benge, a lot of trades were made to clear up locker room issues, or move out players who wouldn't get enough playing time here. We picked up some lower round picks, which we can either use to plug holes next year - or to help us move up in the draft.

New Faces

• Our boldest move of the off-season was the acquistion of Tight End Brendon Drumm from the offensively loaded Fairbanks Northstars (albionmoonlight). Drumm is a serious impact player. In his 6th season, Drumm is nearly completely developed - and should immediately be amongst the front runners for all-pro. The conditional trade that was agreed upon proved to be a landmark deal - conditional trading was soon outlawed througout the league. The price? Our 2005th first round pick (unless the pick was in the top 16). If our draft pick does fall in the 1-16 range, then Fairbanks will receive our 2nd and 4th round selections.
• RB Jerome Kidman (Free Agent) - a 3rd running back and punt returner
• WR Francis Vogt (F.A.) - a 7 year veteran and nice 3rd/4th receiver. He is among the best receivers on our team already - but likely will see less playing time to give our youngsters more p.t.
• WR Delmer Cummings (FA) - a rookie with potential to be a solid #3 or #4 receiver. A nice grab in the after market.
• DE Jackie Halley (FA) - a gritty vet who hits like a brick wall and plays the run alright. He'll immediately step into our starting lineup, and will be a nice holdover until we can address this position long-term.
• WILB Mark Eden (FA) - another immediate starter, Mark provides a nice pass rush burst and solid tackling. If he plays he well, he could find a home here for a few seasons.
• RB Mercury Watkins (FA) - another 3rd/4th running back who has some kick/punt return skills. It's unclear whether he'll be here beyond this season.
• DT Otto Stanfill (FA) - enough skills to start now for us, and enough upside to think he might be here a few years.
• DT Trevor Marchetti (FA) - a fair young lineman with alright potential. It will take time, but he could develop into a functional member of a rotation.
• FB Peter Ulloa (FA) - a nice utility player, Peter will likely see moderate time at fullback and tight end. Hopefully he can be a nice mentor to our future FB, Brad Goolsby.
• QB Van Sherman (FA) - likely just roster filler, Van is our 4th QB, giving us a tad more flexibility in the event of injury there. (note: by that I mean not having to cut a player to sign an extra QB if the need arises).
• WLB Greg Russell (FA) - Greg will be an immediate special teams gunner, as well as a developmental OLB. If he works hard, he may be able to latch on in a reserve role for a few seasons.

And that sums up our pre-season moves. We acquired one impact player, a couple of veteran stop-gaps, and a couple of youngsters I am legitemately excited about. Overall, I feel I have made some definite improvement to the depth of our 53 man roster.

[Vince]

And here I was hoping to get some gameplan insight

Keep up the good work cthomer...I like your style so far.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Vince

And here I was hoping to get some gameplan insight

Keep up the good work cthomer...I like your style so far.

Heh. I'm lagging a few weeks behind... so we're still not close to any info which could help you out. Thanks for the kind words, and good luck on the field tonight. I hope for an injury-free affair.

[Vince]

I'll second the injury-free hope. I mean, I want a bit more than just no injuries...but you have a strong squad. I'm hoping that Conti has some 'growing pains' tonight...otherwise it could be a long day for me.

[cthomer5000]

Week 1

vs

Maassluis Merchantmen at North Plainfield Plague

It's just Week 1 and we're already facing an international team. Hailing from the AOC (Atlantic Ocean Conference) Europen division, Maassluis is a team of questionable talent. Predicted to go just 2-14 by IHOF analyst SkyDog we hoped to get off on the right foot at home. 58,600 fans come out for our innagural contest. The fact that this was also a conference game had us that much more eager to bring home the win.

the game

We came out moving the ball well in the first half, but were very disappointed when two sustained drives resulted in nothing but missed field goals (from 38 and 22 yards). Kicker Ricardo Franz offically became the first Plague player to be booed mercilessly after his second shank of the day. The missed kicks seemed to work against us mentally, as the offense would do almost nothing for the remainder of the half.

Fortunately, the defense was playing pretty well. We held the Merchanment to 3 downs and a punt most times, but did allow an 80 yard drive for a touchdown. A field goal to end the half put the Merchantmen up 10-0 heading into the locker room.

The start of the second half didn't seem much better, as our offense again came out rusty. Just when the Merchantmen appeared to be driving for a controlling 3rd score, we lucked out with a missed field goal. We hung in there, and added a field goal near the end of the 3rd quarter. It was 10-3 heading into the 4th quarter, but we were still in the game.

After again holding Maassluis to minimal gain, our offense took over at our 20 yard line. A few plays moved us out to our own 41, where the game would dramatically change. Backup fullback Peter Ulloa took the handoff, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and rumbled 59 yards for the tying touchdown - the very first in Plague history! The crowd was deafening, the score was tied, and we now held a very important advantage: momentum.

A solid defensive stand again held the Merchantmen to a punt after 3 plays - the feeling in the air was now palpable - we were going to win this damn game! A shanked punt and moderate return left is in amazing position - at the Maassluis 29 yard line. We needed but a few yards for a go-ahead field goal, but did manage to get the ball down to the 6. Ricardo Franz wouldn't dare miss this kick...would he?

Luckily, the answer was a resounding no. Franz split the uprights, and we took the lead. The Merchantmen's desperation attempt to score on their last posession was stopped, and we found ourselves at 1-0!

10
13

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

things of note: Of the two conferences, I would have to say this is the quirkier. We have 4 European players (and teams) in the west, a ton of smash-mouth football advocates (lead by ultimate smash-mouth evangelist SkyDog), and a very well-liked FOFC dynasty (and poll) poster, Kodos. Also, MIJB is incredibly touchy about the spelling of his city. Shorty is to Cincinnati as MIJB is to Maassluis (still not certain that's correct. seriously).

Well done, you spelled it correctly eight out of eight times!
[thumbs up]
With the chances slim we'll meet again before year 4, let's see how well you'll do by that time.

[cthomer5000]

Unfortunately, our Week 1 win does bring some bad news.


Plague make difficult decision, place Jeffers on IR

The North Plainfield Plague have decided to officially place WR Newton Jeffers on injured reserve, ruling out a late-season comeback from his hamstring injury.

General Manager cthomer5000 had the following to say:
"It's a type of injury you definitely don't want to rush, because there's a real strong chance he'll re-injure himself. Our doctors had targeted week 17 as his likely return, and we felt we would be better off playing it safe and shutting him down for the year. While we'd ideally love to have him back on the field this season, the reality is we'll either be out of the playoff race or playing well enough without him that we'd be taking an unnecessary risk in playing Newt. This young man has a very bright future with the club, which gave us all the more reason not to take any risks here."

Filling his spot on the roster is return specialist/receiver Ivan Swearingen. It's believed that Swearingen will see kick and punt return duties, and that vetaran reciever Francis Vogt will be relied on to fill Jeffers void on the receiving depth chart.

[Alf]

Prepare yourself for a tough game vs Bordeaux Vineyards next Monday !

[cthomer5000]

Week 2

vs

North Plainfield Plague (1-0) at Gothenburg Giants (0-1)

We're now headed across the Atlantic Ocean to Sweden and our first ever road game. GM 3Ric likely hopes our jetlag will provide his team the extra edge on the field.

the game
Gothenburg wins the coin toss and elects to receive. A deep kickoff and ill-adivsed return leave the Giants at their own 17 yard line. Despite the long flight, our defense show now signs of fatigue and we stop them 3 and out. A 35 yard punt and 4 yard Jewell Simpson return put is in great field position - at our own 47 yard line.

Our offense looks alright out of the gate. Some sharp David Conti passing and soem adequate running by Kendall Bakken pull us into field goal range. When the drive stalls, Ricardo Franz lines up for a 39 yard field goal - and hits it. 3-0 Plague.

The game itsel proceeds in an interesting manner. While our offense is doing a terrific job statistically, 4 turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles) and 2 missed field goal attempts contstantly shoot us in the foot. Gothenburg manages to scrounge together 2 field goals, and actually leads 6-3 heading into the 4th quarter.

Much like last week, a late Ricardo Franz field goal gives us life - this time knotting the game at 6 with less than 5 minutes remaining. Both defenses seem to clamp down at this point, and the game heads to overtime.

We recieve the ball in the extra period, and our offense again starts out well. What was a promising drive stalls on the 8th play near midfield. We have no choice but to punt, and give the Giants the opportunity to drive to victory.

The Giants offense appears to be a mirror image of ours, and a potential game-winning drive falls flat around midfield. A booming punt reaches the end zone and puts us at our 20 yard line midway through overtime. Just like last week, David Conti shows us the leadership that made him our #1 overall draft pick. A well engineered 15 play drive eats up the clock - if we don't win this game, at least we won't lose it. If we fail to score, Gothenburg probably won't have enough time to either. But, as we near the endzone we again just feel that this game is ours. RB Kendall Bakken soon plunges over the goaline from 3 yards out, and we walk off the field with another close victory!

12
6

[duckman]

cthomer,

Like the format for your dynasty. Very good read. I'm looking forward to next installment.

[3ric]

Good summary of our game! I could live with that loss rather than the, ahem, simulated game we had... at least this time we were somewhat competitive.

[cthomer5000]

Week 3

vs

Rochester Lake Monsters (1-1) at North Plainfield Plague (2-0)

Our first ever divisional matchup brought us the Lake Monsters, a similarly talented, equally young squad GM'ed by Kodos.

the game

The youth of both teams showed early. On the first posession of the game, we managed to drive past midfiel - but an errant pass by David Conti resulted in an interception and the end of the drive. For both teams the first quarter would essentially look like this. The defenses were holding the offenses most of the time. And when the defenses weren't containing them, the offenses would either fumble or throw an interception. In fact our 4 first quarter posessions resulted in 2 interceptions, 1 fumble, and a punt. We were fortunate to be tied at 0 at the end of 1.

Early in the second quarter, our luck didn't seem to be changing. For a third time David Conti threw a pass to the wrong team. Carl Cancel of Rochester made us pay, and took it to the house - 64 yards for the touchdown. 7-0 Lake Monsters. This sort of ineptitude continued for the rest of the half. Rochester would add a field goal and take a 10-0 lead into the half.

Midway through the 3rd quarter, our fortuned changed. CB Jimmy Strawn intercepted a Jackie Williamson pass at the Rochester 42, and returned it to their 25 yard line. A couple of plays later we were inside the 5 yard line. QB David Conti managed to throw it to his own player (WR Francis Vogt) and we pulled within 3, at 10-7.

The breaks were now coming our way! On Rochester's very next posession, they fumbled the ball. We took over on their 33 yard line, but only managed a field goal. Still, we were now tied 10-10 at the end of the 3rd quarter, and we felt very confident about being able to keep a lid on their offense.

After an exchange of punts, we took over at our 20 yard line. The following drive was truly a thing of beauty. Picking up first down after first down, we strung together a clock-draining 16 play, 7:52, 80 yard drive. It ended with a wacky touch when our coach opted to call an end-around from the 6 yard line. WR Paul Wine slipped into the endzone, and we had successfully defended our home turf.

10

17

[Kodos]

Damn fumble.... grumble grumble grumble...

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Damn fumble.... grumble grumble grumble...

heh. Those two turnovers on your end of the field basically handed us the tying 10 points. I also can't believe you guys did next to nothing despite picking of my QB 4 times. Still, a win is a win!

[Kodos]

Dead IHOF dynasty numero 2?

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Dead IHOF dynasty numero 2?

definitely not. The problem is the serious computer issues I've been having with my "main" computer. (you can find my thread about virtual memory issues in the general discussion).

I will have this caught up by the end of the 1st season - although it may mean zipping through some things I really would have preferred to cover in detail.

[Kodos]

Well alrighty then. Just go into detail when you cream Syracuse in matchup number 2.

[cthomer5000]

Plague ship Pilkington south

The North Plainfield Plague are happy to announce the trade of veteran quarterback Thad Pilkington to the Asheville Axemen for a 3rd and 5th round pick in next year's rookie draft. General Manger cthomer5000 explained the deal:

"We truly respect Thad's skills at quarterback, but we felt the value we were getting, combined with the opportunity to give Thad a starting job elsewhere was worth it. The whole organization wishes him the best, and we hope to one day face off in the IHOF Bowl."

Critics will point out that this leaves the Plague without a viable spot-starter in the event that David Conti is injured, but this is apparently a risk the Plague are willing to take. Pilkington is considered among the brainiest QB's in the league, an attribute that makes up for some of his lacking physical skills. Pilkington should immediatley step into the starting lineup in Asheville, and will likely remain there even after the Axeman's wave of QB injuries subside.

The Plague have been dealing since day 1, and that trend is not expected to change. Rumor has is that the Plague are already speaking with Leesburg about acquiring a running back currently on the Generals' roster.

[cthomer5000]

Week 4

vs

North Plainfield Plague (3-0) at Syracuse Mohawks (0-3) [Chubby]

Week 4 saw us travel to upstate New York to face the evil Syracuse Mohawks. With Syracuse GM Chubby (a.k.a. Ol' Cheating Bastard) renound for his dubious dealings in labor, I was not surprised to find the entire stadium staff was composed of under-age indentured servants. I hope the league and NY State Labor Board received my letters of protest.

We saw in the Mohawks, a poor man's version of ourselves. Good secondary (not as good as ours, solid linebackers, and suspect D-line. The offenses of both squads are passable - not necessarily capable of winning a game for you.


the game

Despite some success moving the ball early in the game, the score was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. A missed Ricard Franz field goal was the closest we came to scoring. Syracuse hadn't even sniffed the endzone, and never moved past their own 40 in the opening period.

Again - Despite absolutely shutting down the Mohawks and moving the ball fairly well - we would only go to the half up 3-0. We were really letting the Mohawks hang around - a pretty dangerous thing.

Our first posession of the 3rd quarter was disastrous. An errant pass from QB David Conti sailed over the head of his receiver and into the waiting hands of Strong Safey Ralph Koziol. That bastard returned the INT 29 yards for the touchdown, hot-dogging all the way. It was 7-3 Mohawks early in the 3rd.

Later that period we would force a Syracuse safety to make it 7-5. A 4th quarter field goal gave us the lead with just minutes remaining. But sadly, this story does not have a happy ending. Our rock-solid defense wilted in the final minutes, allowing Syracuse to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Despite thoroughly dominating the Mohawks... we came away 10-8 losers.

Team Statistics
	NPL	SYR
First Downs	18	10
Third Down Efficiency	7-18	2-14
Fourth Down Efficiency	0-0	1-1
Total Net Yards	325	176
Total Plays	73	57
Average Gain	4.45	3.09
Net Yards Rushing	165	63
Rushes	32	22
Average Per Rush	5.16	2.86
Net Yards Passing	160	113
Completions-attempted	20-36	12-31
Yards Per Pass	3.90	3.23
Sacked-yards lost	5-47	4-22
Had Intercepted	1	0
Punts-Average	6-44.17	10-34.90
Return-Yardage	10	36
Punts-returns	1-10	1-7
Kickoffs-returns	2-46	3-49
Interceptions-returns	0-0	1-29
Penalties-Yards	9-65	3-14
Fumbles-Lost	2-2	0-0
Time of Possession	36:56	23:04

8
10

[cthomer5000]

Week 5

vs

North Plainfield Plague (3-1) at Tucker Tigers (3-1) [SkyDog]

Fresh off our first loss and just a week from our bye week, we did not want to head into the off-week on a 2 game slide. We traveled to Tucker eager to get back on track after last week's embarrising loss to Syracuse.

the game

As I'm trying to get caught up here... I can't afford to go into detail on all this already-played games. This was a bad game for us. We got behind early, and this were forced into the "when trailing" game plan. I admit this was a tough lesson in game planning - and I vowed to make some changes after this one.

Still - this wasn't a blowout. Tucker was up 10-0 at the half, and gleefully ran th ball like crazy all second half. Note the huge disparity in my rushes vs. Tuckers'.

Scoring Summary
2Q	02:49	TUC	Steve Waters 20 field goal.
2Q	01:32	TUC	Desmond Barnes 2 run.
2Q	01:32	TUC	Steve Waters extra point.
3Q	04:06	NPL	Trent Sams 43 field goal.

Team Statistics
	NPL	TUC
First Downs	10	17
Third Down Efficiency	4-15	9-19
Fourth Down Efficiency	1-1	0-0
Total Net Yards	172	250
Total Plays	57	69
Average Gain	3.02	3.62
Net Yards Rushing	108	177
Rushes	23	45
Average Per Rush	4.70	3.93
Net Yards Passing	64	73
Completions-attempted	10-32	9-22
Yards Per Pass	1.88	3.04
Sacked-yards lost	2-11	2-14
Had Intercepted	2	0
Punts-Average	8-47.13	8-36.38
Return-Yardage	0	48
Punts-returns	2-0	3-10
Kickoffs-returns	3-90	2-47
Interceptions-returns	0-0	2-38
Penalties-Yards	8-60	3-15
Fumbles-Lost	2-1	1-0
Time of Possession	24:46	35:14

North Plainfield

Passing
		Cmp/Att	Yds	YPA	TD	Int
QB	David Conti	10/32	75	2.34	0	2

Rushing
		Att	Yds	YPC	Lg	TD
RB	Eddie Deckard	18	85	4.7	11	0
RB	Kendall Bakken	3	11	3.7	5	0
FB	Bradley Goolsby	1	7	7.0	7	0
QB	David Conti	1	5	5.0	5	0
Totals		23	108	4.7	---	0

Defense
		Total	Tckl	Ass	Sck	Int
WILB	Mark Eden	11	7	4	0.0	0
FS	Antonio Goddard	9	5	4	0.0	0
RDE	Jack Miller	9	3	6	1.0	0
RCB	Mel Mueller	8	6	2	0.0	0
LDE	Jackie Halley	7	4	3	1.0	0
SS	Shaun Steven	6	5	1	0.0	0

3
10

[cthomer5000]

Plague Ink New Deal with Mueller; Hit Impasse with Drumm

Mueller's demands well covered by new pact

North Plainfield Plague General Manager cthomer5000 announced the team has reached an agreement with veteran cornerback Mel Mueller on a 3 year contract extension. Mueller, who was playing in the final year of his original deal, will receive a 6 million dollar signing bonus and base salaries of 3 million in the 3 upcoming years.

Mueller and his agent were please with the deal, and Mueller was outspoken and enthusiastic the following day at practice: "Plague management has shown a strong committment to keeping me here in North Plainfield, and I appreciate that effort. Even when negotiations hit a few snags in prior weeks, they never failed to keep an open line of communication with me. I'm excited to know I'll be here next season, and even more excited when I look around and see all these other guys who will be here as well. I've got some friends up in Syracuse, and a lot of them are really unhappy with the management situation there, and some of the shady dealings with their GM. It's all made me realize I am truly blessed to be a part of an organization who values every member of the roster, and realizes the importance of the team."

Mueller makes reference to the Plague's solid contract situation, where nearly every player of importance is under contract through next season at the least. It's expected that North Plainfield undertook this negotiation in order to leave themselves soley focused on re-working the contract of starting quarterback David Conti. Conti has one year remaining on his original contract, and it is likely the Plauge will need to shell out some serious green in order to lock him up long-term. Based on the QB's 4th quarter heroics in their first 3 games (all victories), this decision appears to be a no-brainer.

Still Playing the Drumm

Contract talks with starting tight end Brendon Drumm are reportedly not proceeding well. Drumm was acquired to be the anchor of a weak receiving corps, and has delieverd on that promise so far. Part of a controversial conditional trade, Drumm is in the last year of his original contract, and his agent seems to be steadfastly determined to land his client a 2 year extension, rather than the 3 or 4 year extension Plague management prefer.

Drumm's last rejection was supposedly of a 4 year, 15+million dollar deal - the second contract offer that has been turned down by the standout tight end. While the Plauge front office is likely to keep working, they may eventually have to concede to Drumm's demands - which include sizable base salaries in the next two seasons. We'll keep you posted...

[cthomer5000]

Week 6

We use our bye week to rest up and re-focus.

[cthomer5000]

Upgrade at Kicker
As has been rumored for weeks, the Plague completed their goal of upgrading the kicker position - a spot that has been of some concern over the first 4 weeks. Ricardo Franz, who missed 2 field goals in this past week's 2 point loss, was sent packing across the Hudson river to join the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. Giving up a 3rd round pick (previously acquired from Asheville) and Franz, the Plague acquired Trent Sams and a 6th round selection in the upcoming draft. Sams is 7 of 8 on the season, and provides both a stronger leg and more accuracy.

Kidman placed on IR
Punt returner and reserved running back Jerome Kidman was placed on injured reserved this Thursday, ending his season. Considered replaceable as a returner, and buried on the backfield depth chart, it's believe this move was made in order to free up a roster spot for a new player.

New Faces
With two available roster places (made available from the trade of QB Thad Pilkington and RB Jerome Kidman being placed on injured reserve) the Plague have announced the signings of two new players.

ILB Darrell Cintron will be brought in and moved to SLB, where he is considered a bit of a project. It's unlikely Cintron will see the active roster this season.

DB Charlie Yellig has also signed a 1 year contract, and will be moved to cornerback. The Plague appear to view Yellig as a long-term nickel or dime back.

[cthomer5000]

Note: That trade for the kicker actually took place before the Tucker game, hence Trent Sams kicking a field goal in our loss. I just forgot to post it here.

[cthomer5000]

PLAGUE OFFENSE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS, ENDZONE
North Plainfield, NJ

After two tough road losses, the North Plainfield Plague had an extra week to re-focus their efforts. Coach Matt Van Pelt promised some changes in the two upcoming home games, but he's kept his lip tight (and his practices closed) during the Plague's by week.

While fans would be hard pressed to say they expected to be any better than 3-2 at this point in the season, two losses in a row - both winnable games - should never sit well with any franchise. The Plague are presumably focused on their dismal offensive game, where touchdowns have been incredibly rare. QB David Conti, once the toast of the town after a 3-0 start, has been ripped by critics in recent weeks. Despite the 3-2 record, the young gun is the worst rated starting quarterback in the league, throwing a lone touchdown while handing out a 10-pack of interceptions.

WILB Mark Eden catches his breath between tackling drills.

Defensively, the team has yet to allow an opponent to score over 10 points in a single game, and is the best in the league in pass defense. Tension between defensive coordinator Duane Nixon and offensive coordinator Donnell Burroughs is mounting. The D.C. was reportedly steaming during the 10-8 loss to Syracuse. The Plague defense held the Mohawks scoreless for most the game, but the game quickley changed direction on an errant David Conti pass - one that was returned for a touchdown. The defense only surrended 3 points on the day, but the Plague still came away 10-8 losers.

Only the coming weeks will tell whether North Plainfield has gotten their offense on track. With two consecutive home games, the Plague need some wins to keep themselves in control of the AOC Northeast Division, which has suddenly turned into a 3-way race between the Plague, Boston Rhinos, and the surprising Rochester Lake Monsters. The Plague host the Rhinos this week in a critical intra-division matchup, and then the struggling Boulder Bulldogs the following week.

[cthomer5000]

Week 7

vs

Boston Rhinos [primelord] (4-1) at North Plainfield Plague (3-2)

While we'll probably be saying this a few times this season, it's true right now: this is the biggest game yet in Plague history. Our two game slide and bye week have left us trailing two divisional rivals. Boston sits atop the Northeast Division at 4-1, and Rochester (now on their bye week) are right behind them at 4-2. A win today would create a 3-way tie, while a loss would leave us traling two teams for the divison lead.


the game

All the talk about examing the offense during the bye week must have been true, as we came out hot. After receiving the opening kickoff, we started at our own 33 yard line. A 10 play, 6 minute drive took us all 67 yards. QB David Conti found TE Brendon Drumm in the endzone, and we were up 7-0 after our first posession.

Our defense also looked well-rested and well-prepared as we shut down the Rhinos on their first two posessions. A weak punt gave us solid field position, we started the next drive at our own 40 yard line.

Another 10 play drive again put is in the endzone, an 8 yard run by RB Kendall Bakken finishing it up. 14-0 Plague. Our defense again took the field, and just a few plays later things got even better. Safety/linebacker Shaun Steven interecepted George Edson's underthrown pass and took it 33 yards to the house. With the score now 21-0, the game was as good as over. Our defense held it grounds the rest of the game, an we climbed into a three-way tie for first with an impressive win.

Scoring Summary
1Q	08:39	NPL	Brendon Drumm 11 pass from David Conti.
1Q	08:39	NPL	Trent Sams extra point.
2Q	05:10	NPL	Kendall Bakken 8 run.
2Q	05:10	NPL	Trent Sams extra point.
2Q	04:14	NPL	Shaun Steven 37 interception return.
2Q	04:14	NPL	Trent Sams extra point.
3Q	10:15	NPL	Trent Sams 41 field goal.
3Q	03:10	BOS	Damien Deming 29 field goal.
4Q	09:37	BOS	Damien Deming 23 field goal.
4Q	00:58	BOS	Manuel Erickson 12 pass from George Edson.
4Q	00:58	BOS	Everett Gamez run for conversion.

Team Statistics
	BOS	NPL
First Downs	12	20
Third Down Efficiency	4-13	10-17
Fourth Down Efficiency	0-0	0-1
Total Net Yards	221	307
Total Plays	55	61
Average Gain	4.02	5.03
Net Yards Rushing	131	133
Rushes	26	32
Average Per Rush	5.04	4.16
Net Yards Passing	90	174
Completions-attempted	11-26	21-28
Yards Per Pass	3.10	6.00
Sacked-yards lost	3-20	1-5
Had Intercepted	2	0
Punts-Average	6-47.33	5-44.80
Return-Yardage	0	65
Punts-returns	0-0	3-7
Kickoffs-returns	4-85	2-47
Interceptions-returns	0-0	2-58
Penalties-Yards	3-15	8-103
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	2-0
Time of Possession	25:45	34:15

Individual Highlights

Passing
		Cmp/Att	Yds	YPA	TD	Int
QB	David Conti	21/28	179	6.39	1	0

Rushing
		Att	Yds	YPC	Lg	TD
RB	Kendall Bakken	12	45	3.8	16	1
QB	David Conti	5	29	5.8	8	0
RB	Eddie Deckard	7	22	3.1	6	0
FL	Francis Vogt	1	17	17.0	17	0

Receiving
		Rec	Yds	YPC	Lg	TD
TE	Brendon Drumm	7	54	7.7	16	1
SE	William Webster	4	36	9.0	18	0
FL	Paul Wine	3	28	9.3	12	0

Defense
		Total	Tckl	Ass	Sck	Int
WILB	Mark Eden	12	7	5	0.0	0
SILB	Vernon Sprouse	11	8	3	0.0	1
SLB	Ethan Mills	7	5	2	0.0	0
SS	Shaun Steven	7	6	1	1.0	1
LCB	Jimmie Strawn	6	6	0	0.0	0

14
24