Champaign Celebration(formerly Carolina on My Mind) 2030- [Archive]

FishFan

12-20-2000, 05:22 PM

2030 Season Stats

Week 1 vs Tampa Bay(W31-20, 1-0)
Week 2 at Detroit(L9-10, 1-1)
Week 3 vs Iowa City(W27-9, 2-1)
Week 4 at Minnesota(W23-16, 3-1)
Week 5 vs New England(W20-10, 4-1)
Week 6 at St. Louis(W34-17, 5-1)
Week 7 at Tampa Bay(L23-28, 5-2)
Week 8 at Indianapolis(W22-16, 6-2)
Week 10 at Philadelphia(W13-7, 7-2)
Week 11 vs Minnesota(W12-6, 8-2)
Week 12 at Chicago(L10-20, 8-3)
Week 13 at Green Bay(W24-14, 9-3)
Week 14 vs Detroit(W21-10, 10-3)
Week 15 vs Chicago(L24-27, 10-4)
Week 16 vs San Francisco(W21-16, 11-4)
Week 17 vs Green Bay(L17-27, 11-5)
Wild Card Game vs St. Louis(W31-19, 12-5)
Divisional Playoff at NY Giants(W26-21, 13-5)
NFC Championship at Chicago(L21-24, 13-6)

The offense is inconsistent through the first four games, but the defense plays well enough to win three out of four. Jesse Hill is off to his worst start - just 310 yards and 2 TDs in four games. Hill responds to my criticism with 333 yards and 4 TDs in the next two games as the Corks improve to 5-1. The team splits their next two to head into the bye week at 6-2.

Our offense disappears in the first two games after the bye week, scoring just 25 total points. But, the defense allows 13 total and the Corks win them both to improve to 8-2 and remain tied with the Bears for the division lead. A loss to Chicago in the following week knocks us out of the 1st place tie. I also lose DT Jerald Jeffires and CB Ryan Stargell for the year during the loss.

The Corks rebound with two straight wins to get back to 10-3, but still remains a game out of the division lead. Another loss to Chicago in week 15 drops us two games back as the Bears clinch the division. I need just one win in the last two games to reach the playoffs. A win in week 16 clinches the spot. Clary starts the finale at QB and

In the Wild Card game against the Rams, Jesse Hill scores on runs of 32 and 80 as the Corks rout St. Louis 31-19. Hill finished with 214 yards and 2 TDs after a season that saw him collect a career low 1245 yards and 12 TDs. QB Jack Kipp is hurt in the Divisional Playoff game against the Giants, but Claude Clary steps in an engineers a late 4th quarter drive that secures the Corks' 26-21 win. They will advance to the NFC title game against Chicago. Clary will get the start. Tim Kiss smacks a 24 yd FG with :13 left to give the Bears their third straight win over the Corks and they advance toe Super Bowl XXXI. The defense kept Champaign in the game, but an ineffective Claude Claray could not get the job done.

New England beats the Bears, 20-14, to win the championship.

2030 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 269-450-15-3311 15 TDs 79.7 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 283-1245 12 TDs (10742 career yards - 20th alltime after 7 seasons)
WR Irving Twyner 77-961 5 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 64-958 4 TDs
TE Jamal Gomez 46-600 4 TDs
K Neil Price 29-33 FG 51 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 41.4 Avg 30 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 45 T 18 A 6.5 Sacks 8 Blk 5 Hurr
DE Lamont Cook 26 T 12 A 4 Blk 2 Hurr
DT Shane McConnell 53 T 16 A 6.0 Sacks 4 Blk 5 Hurr
DT Jerald Jeffries 24 T 10 A 3 Hurr
LB Stephen Holcomb 100 T 22 A 2 Hurr 6 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 82 T 22 A 7.0 Sacks 3 Hurr 8 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 47 T 17 A
CB Jon Buss 44 T 20 A 3 INTs 10 Dfns 34.6 PDQ
CB Kent Wick 34 T 8 A 2 INTs 4 Dfns
FS Joey Montgomery 91 T 28 A 4 INTs 6 Dfns
SS Cris Sapolu 72 T 30 A 5 INTs(1TD) 4 Dfns 32.3 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 37.5 BPct 0 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 28.3 BPct 6 SkA
C George Garibaldi 26.4 BPct 3 SkA
RG Duane Francis 6 SkA
RT Bennie Barrett 28.3 BPCt 7 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Dale Landry, HOU
OFF POY: Dale Landry, HOU
DEF POY: Cornelius Hardy, SEA
OFF ROY: Jose Paz, NE
DEF ROY: Deion Walz, HOU

TE Jamal Gomez All-Pro 1st Team
LT Jermaine Sims All-Pro 1st Team

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:21 PM

A couple of retirements to report - T Jimmie Walton and DT Jerald Jeffries both hung up their football cleats following the 2030 season. Walton played his first six seasons in Indianapolis before donning the Cork uniform. During his nine seasons in Champaign, Walton started and played in every single game but one until he was relegated to backup duty in 2030. Walton was solid, but never got the press that fellow tackle Jermaine Sims received. However, he did collect 268 key blocks and a 30.6 block percentage. He also allowed just 60 sacks in 211 games. DT Jerald Jeffires was also a sign of stability. Injuries limited his action in just two of his 13 seasons. After playing in Austin for five years, Jeffries became a Cork and played in Illinois for the last eight seasons. He made 435 tackles and 158 assists while getting to the QB 47.0 times. He also added 17 blocks and 31 hurries.

There is no scout/coach news, so it's on the the free agent period...

Unrestricted

QB Claude Clary
LB Stephen Holcomb
S Joey Montgomery
WR Bobby McCrory
WR Irving Twyner
CB Ryan Stargell
G Vernon Norton

Restricted

QB Reggie Howe
FB Roger Becker
DE Hunter Friend
QB Skip Singleton
WR Walt McElroy

I franchise Montgomery again and will try to resign McCrory and/or Twyner. I'll also try to bring Holcomb back to finish his career. If CLary slips through the FA period again, I may resign him as well. I begin my offering Twyner 44 mil over four years and Holcomb 20 mil over three years. Holcomb accepts my offer, but Twyner ends up with Tennessee. With Arpaijian and Buchanan at WR, I will not go after McCrory. He is not worth the 11 mil a year. I submit a 34 mil, 3 year contract to a stud DE. If I can land him, I will play one of the other two DE at the 2nd DT spot. This is unless I land a DT in the draft that can start right away. I nail down the defensive end, Jimmy Peterson, in week 4. I am now down to 23.5 mil to spend on my rookies and a few others. G Vernon Norton signed a contract with Buffalo in week 7 and WR Bobby McCrory signed with Arizona in week 13.

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:21 PM

Draft Results

CB Mercury Mahoney, Florida (54/85)
TE Rick Rigby, St. Peter's, NJ (54/78)
G Terry Cox, Auburn (32/39)
WR Graham Sherry, Washington (42/42)
FB War Angel Carlisle, Syracuse (26/42)
WR Hardy Hollingsworth, Iowa St. (38/55)
QB Marvin Bensen, Adams St. (24/61)
RB Riddick Ogden, Baylor (29/42)

Following the draft, I trade TE Jamal Gomez and a 5th round pick to San Fran for a 2nd round pick. I also resign QB Claude Clary to a one year, 2.9 mil contract. I end my activity with the following players coming aboard:

WR Mitchell Ljunghammer
T Lee Ryan
DT Rufus Meadows

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Chester Bradley
TE Rick Rigby
WR Ernest Arpaijian
WR Xavier Buchanan
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C George Garibaldi
RG Duane Francis
RT Bennie Barrett

K Neil Price
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Grady Huang

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Shane McConnell
DT Lamont Cook
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Lance Lowe
LB Josh Hampton
CB Jon Buss
CB Mercury Mahoney
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:21 PM

2031 Season Results

Week 1 at Minnesota(W17-0, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Austin(W17-7, 2-0)
Week 3 at Green Bay(W14-6, 3-0)
Week 4 vs Detroit(W54-19, 4-0)
Week 5 at Tampa Bay(L23-38, 4-1)
Week 6 at St. Louis(L15-20, 4-2)
Week 7 at Baltimore(L0-13, 4-3)
Week 8 vs Tampa Bay(W17-6, 5-3)
Week 9 vs Chicago(W24-17, 6-3)
Week 11 vs Philadelphia(W16-12, 7-3)
Week 12 at Cleveland(L17-21, 7-4)
Week 13 vs Tennessee(W30-3, 8-4)
Week 14 at Chicago(L7-20, 8-5)
Week 15 vs Minnesota(L23-43, 8-6)
Week 16 vs Green Bay(W30-3, 9-6)
Week 17 at Detroit(W48-13, 10-6)
Divisional Playoff vs St. Louis(W32-21, 11-6)
NFC Championship at Los Angeles(L20-26, 11-7)

The first three weeks, the defense carried the team to a 3-0 record, only allowing 13 total points. Then in week 4, the offense exploded for 54 as Grady Huang returned three punts for TDs in one game! A fourth of the way through the season and the Corks are 4-0. After a couple of losses, the team refocuses their offensive scheme, wanting to go back to a more run-oriented offense.

The team loses Jesse Hill in a week 7 loss. He may not be back this year and may never be the same, unfortunately. He was the quickest RB to 10,000 yards in NFL history. The team rebounds to head into the bye week at 6-3. Dana Burks has turned in a couple of 100 yard games in place of Jesse Hill. However, Jack Kipp goes down and will miss a couple of games.

Clary wins his first game, but then goes down himself with an injury and won't return until the playoffs. Kipp will step back into the starting QB role with the team sitting in 2nd place at 7-5. In what is probably their most complete game this season, the Corks whip previously 9-2 Tennessee, 30-3. Third string RB Riddick Ogden runs for two scores and 134 yards in place of the injured Dana Burks. I'm starting to feel like Mike Shanahan, rotating RBs in and out with much success.

The team falls to 8-6 after two consecutive losses. Injuries have taken their toll, but there is still no excuse for some of the poor play I have seen. However, the Buccaneers have also stumbled and the Corks are tied for the division lead.

A win in week 16 puts the Corks in the division lead by a game, but with 11 teams in the NFC at 8-7 or better, they are not even guaranteed a playoff spot. They can go from #1 seed to not in the playoffs in the final week of the season. The team responds with a 48-13 win over Detroit to give them a first round bye in the playoffs.

Facing the St. Louis Rams in the divisional playoff game, Jack Kipp and Dana Burks help power a second half comeback. After being down 14-7 at the half, the Corks rattle off 22 straight points en route to a 32-21 win. They advance to the NFC Championship game against Los Angeles. Jesse Hill will return to the lineup after being out since week 7.

In the conference championship, the Corks can not get anything going on the ground and fall into a 20-7 1st half hole. They mount something of a comeback, as Jack Kipp scores on a 1 yd run to cut the lead to 20-13. Two 4th quarter Neil Price field goals are not enough as the Los Angeles Gold Rush survive 26-20.

LA goes onto win Super Bowl XXXII by a score of 24-21 over the Tennessee Titans.

2031 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 224-389-15-2621 13 TDs 73.1 Rtg
QB Claude Clary 28-43-2-337 2 TDs 85.0 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 139-518 7 TDs
RB Dana Burks 194-852 7 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 62-901 4 TDs
WR Xavier Buchanan 71-812 6 TDs
WR HArry Ford 61-674 3 TDs
TE Rick Rigby 33-343 2 TDs
KR Grady Huang 41 PR 14.2 Avg 4 TDs
K Neil Price 23-31 FG 51 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 41.5 Avg 25 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 46 T 11 A 3.0 Sacks
DE Jimmy Peterson 28 T 13 A 25.5 Sacks 2 Blk 6 Hurr
DE Justin Horton 16 T 7.0 Sacks 3 Hurr
DT Lamont Cook 34 T 12 A 4.0 Sacks 4 Hurr
DT Shane McConnell 30 T 16 A 4.0 Sacks
LB Stephen Holcomb 79 T 27 A 5 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 72 T 30 A 2 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 70 T 18 A 5 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 49 T 9 A 5 INTs 5 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 31 T 10 A 3 INTs 4 Dfns
CB Kent Wick 1 INT 8 Dfns
FS Joey Montgomery 82 T 20 A 7 INTs 10 Dfns
SS Cris Sapolu 72 A 23 A 7 INTs 5 Dfns
LT Jermaine Sims 21.0 BPct 2 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 27.6 BPct 7 Ska
C George Garibaldi 28.7 BPct 1 SkA
RG Duane Francis 24.2 BPct 6 SkA
RT Bennie BArrett 32.8 BPct 9 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Mark Crutchfield, PIT
OFF POY: Mark Crutchfield, PIT
DEF POY: Eric Emmons, MIN
OFF ROY: Gus LeBoeuf, IAC
DEF ROY: Dave Patton, IAC

DE Jimmy Peterson All-Pro 1st Team
C George Garibaldi All-Pro 2nd Team
FS Joey Montgomery All-Pro 2nd Team

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:22 PM

A couple of retirements: QB Claude Clary and K Neil Price. Clary began his career with me in Carolina in the year 2014. I left him there when I came to Champaign for the 2023 season, but Clary and I joined again in 2030 for a couple of seasons. Clary was a two-time NFL MVP in 2024 and 2025. He threw for 47,020 yards and 276 TDs. His career passing rating is a respectable 80.9. Neil Price's retirement is a little bit of a surprise. He only kicked eight years, all of them in Champaign. He was one of the better kickers, connecting on 208 of 269 field goals and 303 of 310 extra points. His career long was just 55 yards, though. He had a season nest 31 in 2027.

Again, I am content with my scout/coach situation, so on the the FA period. I had some cap room left over from last year and used it up by extending a lot of contracts towards the end of the season. That leaves little in the way of FAs and cap room this year:

Unrestricted

QB Jack Kipp
WR Xavier Buchanan

Restricted

DE Albert Jefferies
LB Kenny Davidson
S Lincoln Headley
DT Nathan Floyd

Of course, I designate Kipp the franchise player, although he is coming off a couple of bad years and really hasn't matured like I thought he would. I think the injuries in 2027 and 2028 really affected his development. This may be his last contract with the Corks. I think I'll give him three years. I'll also try to resign WR Buchanan and that should be all the activity this year. On a side note, the franchise has gone back into the red due to lack of fan support despite recent success(still no championship, though). I think as soon as the lease is up, I'll try to build a new stadium and get out of here if I need to.

Buchanan's opening demands are too high and I will have to wait and hope he is not snatched up by someone else. Buchanan gets a trio of offers all worth 20 mil and higher. I cannot afford that and Kipp, so I will have to say goodbye to the young WR. Buchanan racked up 3140 receiving yards and 18 TDs in his 4 seasons with the Corks. Buchanan signs with Atlanta in week 6. I will look for a young WR in this year's draft.

I agree on a contract with my franchise QB Jack Kipp worth about 10.5 mil a year for four years. This may be his last chance to win a title in Champaign.

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:22 PM

Draft Results

WR Paul Beyer, Oregon (52/59)
LB Skip Stuart, Tulsa (37/62)
DT Heath Girard, Colorado St. (32/49)
QB Eugene Richard, Washington St. (28/57)
S Irving Frederick, Arkansas Tech (31/58)
LB Casey Gash, UNLV (26/44)
K KC Harper, Temple (21/35)

Following the draft I trade DE Albert Jefferies, a 3rd round pick, and a 5th round pick to Jacksonville for their 1st round pick next season. Richard and Frederick are complete busts from the draft. Both are totally worthless.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Rick Rigby
WR Ernest Arpaijian
WR Paul Beyer
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C George Garibaldi
RG Duane Francis
RT Bennie Barrett

K KC Harper
P Lawrence Jewell
KR Grady Huang/Cris Sapolu

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Shane McConnell
DT Lamont Cook
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Stephen Holcomb
LB Lance Lowe
LB Josh Hampton
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Jon Buss
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Cris Sapolu

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:22 PM

2032 Season Results

Week 1 at Seattle(W16-12, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Minnesota(W38-3, 2-0)
Week 3 at Green Bay(W14-13, 3-0)
Week 4 at Tampa Bay(W17-0, 4-0)
Week 5 at San Diego(L32-42, 4-1)
Week 6 vs Green Bay(W28-21, 5-1)
Week 7 vs NY Giants(10-6, 6-1)
Week 9 at Minnesota(L9-17, 6-2)
Week 10 vs Detroit(W37-31, 7-2)
Week 11 vs Houston(W30-7, 8-2)
Week 12 vs Tampa Bay(W42-13, 9-2)
Week 13 vs Chicago(W31-21, 10-2)
Week 14 at Detroit(W26-16, 11-2)
Week 15 vs St. Louis(W10-9, 12-2)
Week 16 at Los Angeles(W16-15, 13-2)
Week 17 at Chicago(W34-17, 14-2)
Divisional Playoff vs NY Giants(W24-14, 15-2)
NFC Championship vs New Orleans(L13-20, 15-3)

In the season opener, I lose Jack Kipp to injury for a few games to go along with DT Copeland and S Huang. QB Marvin Bensen will start in Kipp's place. The Corks won the opener, however, 16-12. Bensen throws two TD passes in his first start and FS Joey Montgomery returns two picks for scores as the Corks win 38-3 over the Vikings to improve to 2-0. Bensen goes down in the third game and Eugen Richard steps in and throws a pair of TD passes as the Corks remain undefeated with a 14-13 win over the Packers. Kipp, although not 100%, will start in week 4.

The Corks make a statement in week 4 with a 17-0 shutout of previously unbeaten Tampa Bay, but suffer a letdown the following week with a 42-32 loss at San Diego. However, the Corks rebound with two straight wins and enter the bye week at 6-1. After a week 9 loss to the Vikings, Jesse Hill has yet to reach 500 yards. Dana Burks replaces him in the starting lineup. Burks responds with a 22-179 2 TD performance as Hill gains 55 yards and a score himself in s 37-31 shootout over Detroit.

In week 11, in what was billed as a possible Super Bowl preview, the Corks pound the Houston Lone Stars 30-7. The win improves the team to 8-2 and three games ahead of Tampa and Minnesota in the NFC Central. They follow that up with a 42-13 win over Tampa. Following a 31-21 win over Chicago, the Corks have averaged 35 points a game since Burks replaced Hill at the starting RB position. The Corks claim the division in week 14 with a 26-16 win over Detroit.

When the offense sputtered in week 15, the defense was right there to help claim a 10-9 win over St. Louis. That win clinched a 1st round bye in the playoffs. The Corks wrapped up their best regular season ever with two more wins and a 14-2 record. Not bad.

In the divisional playoff, the Giants return two Kipp passes for scores early to build a 14-0 lead. The Corks rebound however as Kipp finds a groove and goes on to complete 30 of 40 passes for more than 380 yards. Burks adds 100 yards and Jesse Hill scores the winning TD as Champaign prevails 24-14. Up next is fellow 15-2 team New Orleans.

The Saints jump out to a 17-3 1st half lead as Jumbo Nissly throws two TD passes. The teams exchange field goals in the 3rd quarter and the Corks add a Kipp to Sherry pass in the 4th, but the Saints come out on top 20-13.

In Super Bowl XXXIII, 15-3 Baltimore faces 16-2 New Orleans. New Orleans proves to be the better team, routing the Ravens 33-6.

2032 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 254-420-11-3126 21 TDs 89.2 Rtg
RB Dana Burks 207-990 9 TDs
RB Jesse Hill 212-750 5 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 77-1225 7 TDs
WR Harry Ford 70-737 7 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 60-662 4 TDs
TE Rick Rigby 37-450 2 TDs
K KC Harper 23-26 FG 47 Lg
P Lawrence Jewell 42.7 Avg 32 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 48 T 14 A 5.5 Sacks 2 Blk 9 Hurr
DE Jimmy Peterson 32 T 20 A 13.0 Sacks 8 Blk 10 Hurr
DT Shane McConnell 40 T 11 A 10.0 Sacks 2 Hurr
DT Lamont Cook 23 T 14 A 2.0 Sacks 3 Hurr
LB Lance Lowe 84 T 30 A 10 Dfns
LB Stephen Holcomb 82 T 23 A 2.0 Sacks 4 Dfns
LB Josh Hampton 58 T 19 A 1 INT 4 Dnfs
CB Jon Buss 42 T 13 A 4 INTs(1TD) 8 Dfns 37.6 PDQ
CB Mercury Mahoney 38 T 13 A 4 INTs5 Dfns 32.6 PDQ
CB Kent Wick 24 T 9 A 4 INTs 6 Dfns 50.0 PDQ
FS Joey Montgomery 76 T 17 A 9 INTs(2TDs) 8 Dfns 47.4 PDQ
SS Cris Sapolu 57 T 24 A 6 INTs(1TD) 6 Dfns 37.8 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 40.0 BPct 2 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 30.6 BPct 3 SkA
C George Garibaldi 30.8 BPct 2 SkA
RG Duane Francis 25.3 BPct 4 SkA
RT Bennie Barrett 30.0 BPct 10 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Jumbo Nissly, NO
OFF POY: Jumbo Nissly, NO
DEF POY: Sedrick Burroughs, SEA
OFF ROY: Dexter Burger, LA
DEF ROY: Kenny Webster, AUS

C George Garibaldi, All-Pro 1st Team
LT Jermaine Sims, All-Pro 1st Team
LG Chuck Reilly, All-Pro 1st Team
TE Rick Rigby, All-Pro 2nd Team
DE Jimmy Peterson, All-Pro 2nd Team
FS Joey Montgomery, All-Pro 2nd Team

A couple of notes:

This was our best year in quite some time. I was pleased to see my whole left side of the OL make 1st or 2nd All-Pro team, including the center and tight end. S Joey Montgomery just continues to be a great defensive leader. Also, QB Jack Kipp had his best season since 2029. This is the first time that this team performed well since Jesse Hill and Kipp suffered injuries that may have kept this team from being a dynasty. Had Hill stayed healthy, I think this team would have at least 3 bowls under their belt. I now have to decide what to do with Jesse. Let him go, or keep him around another year or two to see if he improves any. We shall see...

[This message has been edited by FishFan (edited 12-26-2000).]

FishFan

12-26-2000, 01:24 PM

2033

Unfortunately, nobody retired in 2033 forcing me to make some decisions on some veterans, including most of my o-line. The first thing I do is rehire scout Ross Hepburn. He will be around for five more years at 1.95 mil per.

Here are my free agents:

Unrestricted

G Chuck Reilly
T Jermaine Sims
DE Lamont Cook
S Cris Sapolu
LB Josh Hampton
G Duane Francis
P Lawrence Jewell
WR Harry Ford
LB Lance Lowe
LB Reggie Wilcox
LB Mitchell West

Restricted

RB Dana Burks
T Zach Ingram
DT Zack Copeland
CB Derek McWilliams
QB Marvin Bensen

I get to franchise one of these guys - probably LB Lance Lowe, although I'd ahte to lose one of my linemen. I will also go after Reilly, Sims, Sapolu, Francis and maybe Ford, Cook, and Hampton. Of the RFAs, I'd like to retain Burks if I can afford him. Sapolu signs with Atlanta before I can say interception and other teams put in huge offers on my other targets. Sims resigns with a three year, 31.5 mil deal, but I lose P Jewell to Atlanta in week 7 and Lamont Cook goes to Miami in Week 8. I submit a four year, 42 mil contract to LB Barry Harper and I nail him and G Reilly down in week 9. Of course, it cost me 15 mil to accomplish. In week 10, I offer G Francis a 21 mil, 3 year deal, but he spurs me for Minnesota. That ended my activity for this period - a period that left me with two big holes at RG and SS. After the period, I locked LB Lowe into a 3 year, 21.16 mil contract.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 10:10 AM

Draft Results

S Vernon Jurevicius, Duke (59/80)
G Derek Mason, Ohio St. (34/68)
DT Lamar Marsh, Purdue (36/77)
LB Brendan Corbett, Missouri (24/50)
CB Darrin Elliott, Louisville (18/48)
WR Timothy Donaldson, Vanderbilt (32/49)

Following the draft, I had to fill out my roster with five free agents. I went and got the following:

LB Calvin Carpenter 2.24 mil - 1 year
DE Thurman Paeth league min
T Lester Hebert league min
QB Dean Elliott 2.55 - 1 year
WR Bernie Houck 5.14 - 1 year

I also released WR Mitchell Ljunghammer and signed P Larry Manning.

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Rick Rigby
WR Ernest Arpaijian
WR Paul Beyer
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Chuck Reilly
C George Garibaldi
RG Terry Cox
RT Bennie Barrett

K KC Harper
P Larry Manning
KR Grady Huang

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Shane McConnell
DT Justin Horton
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Lance Lowe
LB Barry Harper
LB Stephen Holcomb
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Jon Buss
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Vernon Jurevicius

After three straight seasons of losing in the conference final, the Corks are looking to take it to the next step this season and win the Super Bowl. The franchise has gotten over the all-time .500 mark for the first time in history and is looking to add to their recent success(reached playoffs in eight of last nine seasons).

A 4-0 preseason created even more pressure for the Corks to succeed this season. However, the venerable Jesse Hill lost his starting spot to Dana Burks before the season started. He will still see some action, but his once very bright career may be fading.

[This message has been edited by FishFan (edited 12-27-2000).]

FishFan

12-27-2000, 10:11 AM

2033 Season Results

Week 1 vs Chicago(L7-34, 0-1)
Week 2 at NY Giants(W9-6, 1-1)
Week 3 at Detroit(W32-3, 2-1)
Week 5 at Green Bay(L10-24, 2-2)
Week 6 vs Minnesota(L17-23, 2-3)
Week 7 at Chicago(W22-16, 3-3)
Week 8 vs Tampa Bay(L13-20, 3-4)
Week 9 at NY Jets(L17-19, 3-5)
Week 10 vs Green Bay(W27-17, 4-5)
Week 11 vs Detroit(W59-29, 5-5)
Week 12 vs New England(W27-25, 6-5)
Week 13 vs Arizona(W17-10, 7-5)
Week 14 at Tampa Bay(L30-33, 7-6)
Week 15 at Minnesota(W31-3, 8-6)
Week 16 at New Orleans(L3-24, 8-7)
Week 17 vs Iowa City(W24-10, 9-7)
Wild Card Game at Philadelphia(L10-16, 9-8)

The Chicago Bears begin the season by pounding the Corks 34-7. The preseason must have been misleading as the offense sputtered through the season opener. Champaign followed this performance up with a 9-6 win over the Giants. This team better figure out how to score quickly. We also get nailed with injuries in week 2. Jon Buss, Lance Lowe, Roosevelt Cochrane and Lamar Marsh will all miss time.

After all of these injuries, the Corks rebound with a 32-3 win over the Lions to improve to 2-1. Jack Kipp threw three TD passes and Dana Burks ran for 156 yards in the romp. After the bye week, the Packers upend the Corks 24-10. Another loss to the Vikings and suddenly the Corks find themselves with a 2-3 record and 3.5 games behind the undefeated Bears. However, in week 7 the Corks show signs of life with a 22-16 win over the Bears in Chicago. The team follows-up that big win with two consecutive losses to fall to 3-5.

At the halway mark, the defense is not making the big plays that they have the past several seasons. We have a lot of new faces, but we should still be able to make plays. The offense is not clicking on all cylinders, either. A second half run can still salvage the season. Dana Burks is hurt in week 9 and Jesse Hill will get the start for the next few weeks.

Hill nets 104 yards and scores twice in a 27-17 win over the Packers. But we lose DE Jimmy Peterson to injury. In a surprise performance, Hill gets 239 yards on 39 carries during a 59-29 win over the Lions. Maybe the old man still has a little left in those legs. Hill keys another 27-25 win over the Patriots as the Corks move above .500 for the first time since they were 2-1. Hill gets 158 yards and two more scores. He needs six more TDs to tie the all-time record for rushing TDs.

A 93 yard kickoff return by Grady Huang, his 6th kick return for TD in his career, carries the Corks to 1 17-10 victory over Arizona. They now stand 7-5 and two games behind the Bears. The four game win streak comes to an end with a disappointing 33-30 loss at Tampa Bay. Hill did his job with 100 yards and 2 scores, but the defense could not stop Charles Thrash and Kennedy Donaldson. Hill collects another 144 yards and a TD as the Corks get back to 8-6 with a 31-3 beating of the Vikings. If they can squeak into the playoffs, they should be able to compete with anyone.

A loss at New Orleans in week 16 dampen their playoff hopes, but the Corks can still get in with a win and a Minnesota and Carolina loss. The Saints help me out by crushing the Panthers 31-3 and the Bears pound the Vikings 42-10. Then the Corks leave it all on the field against the Iowa City Caucus, coming away with a 24-10 victory that vaults them into the playoffs. Hill gets 86 yards and a score, leaving him tied for 2nd all-time with 119, three shy of Andy Lanning's 122.

The 13-3 Eagles are he Corks' first opponent. RB Richie Huffman gives the Eagles an early 7-0 lead with an 11 yd scoring run and the Carl Briggs pushes the lead to 10-0 with a 25 yd FG. Just before halftime, the Corks get on the board with a 43 yd FG from KC Harper. Briggs nails one from 52 yards and it's 13-3. Late in the 4th quarter, Timothy Donaldson catches a 21 yard pass from Jack Kipp for a TD that cuts the lead to 13-10. The Corks cannot recover an onside kick, but stop the Eagles on three consecutive plays. They elect to attempt a 53 yard FG and Briggs nails it, giving the Eagles a 16-10 lead with 1:00 left. The Corks can not get anything going and Jack Kipp turns the ball over after an intentional grounding call on 4th down.

The Eagles lose to the Bears the following week, but the Saints represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIV and are the heavy favorites against 12-7 Kansas City. As expected, the Saints rout the Chiefs 51-16 to win their 2nd straight championship.

2033 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 264-444-8-3025 19 TDs 86.7 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 213-1009 10 TDs
RB Dana Burks 136-618 5 TDs
WR Bernie Houck 79-931 5 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 75-857 4 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 57-689 9 TDs
TE Rick Rigby 19-170
K KC Harper 24-31 FG 56 Lg
P Larry Manning 43.4 Avg 30 In20
DE Jeff Beattle 41 T 6 A
DE Jimmy Peterson 20 T 15 A
DT Justin Horton 11 T 3 A
DT Shane McConnell 35 T 18 A
LB Barry Harper 93 T 31 A 1 INT 4 Dfns
LB Stephen Holcomb 87 T 23 A 1 INT
LB Lance Lowe 64 T 14 A
CB Jon Buss 38 T 11 A 1 INT 6 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 46 T 11 A 3 INTs 3 Dfns
CB Kent Wick 35 T 8 A 1 INT 2 Dfns
CB Roosevelt Cochrane 26 T 4 A
FS Joey Montgomery 72 T 21 A 2 INTs 5 Dfns
SS Vernon Jurevicius 63 T 34 A 1 INT 9 Dfns
LT Jermaine Sims 39.0 BPct 5 SkA
LG Chuck Reilly 39.3 BPct 7 SkA
C George Garibaldi 28.8 BPct 4 SkA
RG Terry Cox 33.7 BPct 5 SkA
RT Bennie Barrett 37.5 BPct 3 SkA

2033 NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Jumbo Nissly, NO
OFF POY: Jumbo Nissly, NO
DEF POY: Eric Emmons, MIN
OFF ROY: Rufus Scott, SD
DEF ROY: Richard Brockman, PIT

No Champaign player made either All-Pro team this year.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 10:11 AM

G Chuck Reilly retired from the game after 15 seasons in the NFL. After playing for the Redskins his first four seasons, Reilly found a home in Champaign and stayed there for the duration of his career. Reilly missed just three games to injuries and started in 221 games overall. He collected 396 key run blocks and compiled a 32.3 block percentage. He allowed just 81 sacks in his 15 years. A two time 1st Team and two time 2nd Team All-Pro, Reilly should be a future Hall of Famer.

The team lost 80 million this past year - that's a concern, but we handed out 84 mil in bonuses. Ticket revenue was down about 12 percent. I rehired coach Leonard Gowins for five seasons for a cool 20 mil.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted

LB Stephen Holcomb
WR Bernie Houck
CB Roosevelt Cochrane
C Norman Coles
LB Calvin Carpenter
S Grady Huang
QB Dean Elliott
FB Chester Bradley
TE Derek Zimmerman
G Brent McElroy

Restricted

RB Riddick Ogden
FB War Angel Carlisle
WR Graham Sherry
WR Hardy Hollingsworth
K KC Harper
P Larry Manning

A lot of free agents, but replaceable ones. Holcomb will be tough to lose, but I may designate Elliott my franchise player, as he could be a starter in a year or tow to replace Kipp. Huang has proven himself as a returner and should get a chance to play with another team. Houck and Carpenter would be nice to have back, but both played just one year contracts and will be tough to retain.

I will also try to keep Harper, Carlisle, and Manning from the RFAs. I also get intriguing trade offers involving T Jermaine Sims, Jack Kipp, and Dana Burks. If I pull the trigger on all three, I could end up with 4 or 5 1st round draft picks over the next three years. I may deal with those later.

Beginning the FA period, I submit just one offer to LB Kim Cooper for three years, 22.08 mil. I'll try to land a younger LB before I go after the 15-year vet, Stephen Holcomb. In week two, I make a 8.97, three year offer to G Brent McElroy, who may need to replace Chuck Reilly. He signs right away in week 3. I also raise my offer to Cooper to 23.95 mil over three years in the third week. CB Kent Wick signed with Buffalo in week 7 - he was demanding a trade and was not coming back to Champaign anyway. I withdraw my offer to Cooper in week 9, I can now get Holcomb cheaper and Cooper was only a few years younger than Holcomb, anyway. WR Bernie Houck signs a three year deal with Seattle in week 9, as well. I offer Holcomb a 13.36, 2 year deal that will probably last the remainder of his career. The 38 year old has to be feeling it. He jumps on the offer in week 12. That leaves me 33.5 mil to spend on
16 more players. FB Chester Bradley signs with Cincinnati in week 13.

My franchise player, Dean Elliott, signs a 4 year, 48.00 mil deal. He will cost me 10 mil the first year and may not get off the bench. However, if Jack Kipp falters, he may get a chance. I sign FB War Angel Carlisle(love the name) to a three year, 11.79 mil deal. I also give K KC Harper a one year deal and P Larry Manning a three year deal. After those deals, I am down to 17.5 mil that I have to stretch over 12 players. My expected draft cost is 10.5, so who knows.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 10:12 AM

Draft Results

T Kennedy Marshall, Miss. Valley St. (29/70)
WR Cornelius Hicks, Michigan (41/72)
C Nicky Frogatt, Northwestern (32/77)
FB Cris Hammond, Florida (40/46)
TE Fred Prioleau, Notre Dame (46/62)
RB Steve Dunn, Georgia (35/35)
WR Lee Phillips, Oklahoma (26/32)

Not a bad draft, overall. If they all make it through training camp, Marshall and Frogatt could anchor the o-line in a few years and Hicks could be a big time receiver. The FB and TE are capable starters, as well. Following the draft, I sign these guys to league min deals:

WR Levon Snyder
S Eric Spencer
LB Ricardo Stuart
LB Britt Givens
CB Winston Durham

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB Wat Angel Carlisle
TE Rick Rigby
WR Ernest Arpaijian
WR Paul Beyer
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Terry Cox
C George Garibaldi
RG Derek Mason
RT Bennie Barrett

K KC Harper
P Larry Manning
KR Winston Durham

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Shane McConnell
DT Lamar Marsh
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Lance Lowe
LB Barry Harper
LB Stephen Holcomb
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Jon Buss
FS Joey Montgomery
SS Vernon Jurevicius

On a side note, the Baltimore Ravens have completed the move to Ft. Wayne, Indiana and have changed their nickname to the Pistons, in honor of the old basketball franchise that was housed there until it moved north to Detroit.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 10:12 AM

2034 Season Results

Week 1 vs Green Bay(W31-23, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Tennessee(W24-17, 2-0)
Week 3 at Chicago(L19-30, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Tampa Bay(W17-11, 3-1)
Week 6 at Pittsburgh(W24-14, 4-1)
Week 7 at Green Bay(L13-21, 4-2)
Week 8 vs Cincinnati(W17-10, 5-2)
Week 9 at Minnesota(W30-17, 6-2)
Week 10 vs Atlanta(W28-14, 7-2)
Week 11 at San Francisco(W21-14, 8-2)
Week 12 vs Chicago(W34-20, 9-2)
Week 13 at Detroit(W21-17, 10-2)
Week 14 at Arizona(W47-7, 11-2)
Week 15 vs Minnesota(W40-10, 12-2)
Week 16 vs Detroit(W42-14, 13-2)
Week 17 at Tampa Bay(L23-30, 13-3)
Divisional Playoff vs Austin(W41-10, 14-3)
NFC Championship vs Carolina(W37-17, 15-3)
Super Bowl XXXV vs Fort Wayne(L21-24, 15-4)

Both Jesse Hill and Dana Burks get banged up a little in the season opened, but Steve Dunn fills in nicely and nets 245 yards and scores three times in a 31-23 win over the Packers. Hill returns in week two can gains 131 yards and scores twice to move within one TD of the all-time record of 122. The defending division champs, the Bears, hand the Corks their first loss - a 30-19 beating in Chicago. However, Jesse Hill ties Andy Lanning's TD record with a 77 yard run in the 2nd quarter.

The Corks face their second straight undefeated team, but this time they prevail over the Bucs, 17-11. Jesse Hill collects his 123 TD of his career, surpassing Lanning's mark of 122. The 2nd quarter 13 yd run also gave Champaign the lead for good. After a win in Pittsburh, the Corks suffer a humiliating 21-13 loss at Green Bay to fall to 4-2.

The team rebounds to win their next two to improve to 6-2 at the halfway mark. Hill has gained 700+ yards in seven, but Kipp has not played very well so far. As if he heard me, Kipp somes back with two great performances in wins over the Falcons and 49ers to improve to 8-2. In a battle of division leaders, the Corks put it to the Bears 34-20 to take sole possession of first place. Hill gained 162 yards in the win.

The Corks' 7th straight win, a 47-7 win over the Cardinals, clinches a playoff spot and a 1st round bye in the playoffs. After a 40-10 win over the Vikings the local press is starting to talk about Super Bowl. The Corks score 40+ points for the third straight game with a 42-14 win over the Lions. We rest some primary players and lose our finale 30-23 to Tampa, but still win the division and grab homefield through out the playoffs.

The Ft. Wayne Pistons are the only team that betters my 13-3 mark. They achieve a 14-2 record in their 1st year in Ft. Wayne. The Austin Bush defeats the NY Giants 26-13 to get the chance to play my Corks. Austin jumps out to an early 7-3 lead, but the Corks get their offense going in the 2nd quarter. War Angel scores on a 2 yd run and Kipp finds Ernest Arpaijian for a 19 yd score. Austin adds a field goal to cut Champaign's lead to 17-10 at halftime. That would be the last points Austin would score. Mercury Mahoney returns an INT 43 yards for a score and Dana Burks finds the end zone twice in the 4th quarter as the Corks run it up on the Bush, 41-10. Up next for the Corks are the Carolina Panthers....how fitting.

The Panthers were out of this one after a late 2nd quarter scoring binge. With the score tied 3-3 with 5:55 remaining in the first half, this game had all the makings of a defensive struggle, but the Corks got a 16 yd scoring pass from Kipp and a 16 yd scoring run from Hill to go up 17-3. After the Panthers fumbled the kickoff after the 2nd TD, the Corks tacked on another FG with :01 remaining to go into the lockerrooms up 20-3. The Panthers tried to mount a comeback with a 9 yd Duane Douglas TD pass, but Jesse Hill and War Angel Carlisle each scored 2nd half TDs to ice the game, 37-17. Ft. Wayne, as expected, rolled through the AFC playoffs to reach the Super Bowl against the Corks.

Ft. Watne started the Super Bowl XXV scoring with a 53 yd bomb from Keith Neeley to Lewis Juarez. A KC Harper FG makes it 7-3 at the end of the 1st quarter. Keith Neeley strikes again in the 2nd quarter - this time on an 8 yd scoring strike to Juarez again. Harper is able to tack on another FG for the Corks before halftime, down 14-6. The Corks put together a long scoring drive to start the 2nd half, which resulted in a Paul Beyer 2 yd TD reception from Jack Kipp. Beyer also caught the two point conversion attempt to tie this game up at 14. Neeley throws his third TD pass of the game with 5:48 left to play. Up 21-14, the Pistons were looking for a knockout punch. It was the Corks, however, that would answer. Kipp found Arpaijian on a 9 yd TD pass with 1:54 reamining to tie the game at 21. From the FTW17, the Neeley completed passes of 23 and 30 yards to get to the CHM30 with :58 left. Three runs totaling 12 yards got the ball to the CHM18 with :06 left, where the Pistons attempted a game winning 35 yd FG. Chris Worth connected from 35 yards as time ran out, giving the Pistons a 24-21 win in Super Bowl XXXV. In the loss, Hill ran for 109 yards and Kipp(27 of 40) threw for 310 and a couple of scores. The defense could not come up with enough stops, however. Maybe, we can keep this team together and make another run in 2035.

2034 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 264-433-11-3159 20 TDs 88.0 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 320-1638 15 TDs
RB Dana Burks 69-345 5 TDs
WR Ernest Arpaijian 56-776 3 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 59-702 5 TDs
WR Cornelius Hicks 54-674 7 TDs
TE Rick Rigby 38-463 3 TDs
K KC Harper 18-30 FG 52 Lg
P Larry Mannin 43.5 Avg 26 In20
DE Jimmy Peterson 38 T 10 A 17.5 Sacks 8 Blk 6 Hurr
DT Shane McConnell 36 T 9 A 8.5 Sacks 3 Blk 3 Hurr
DE Justin Horton 31 T 7 A 4.0 Sacks 2 Blk 4 Hurr
DE Jeff Beattle 28 T 11 A 3.0 Sacks 4 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 23 T 7 A 3.5 Sacks 1 INT
LB Barry Harper 86 T 36 A 10 Dfns
LB Stephen Holcomb 61 T 26 A 6 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 50 T 25 A 2.0 Sacks 4 INTs 3 Dfns
CB Jon Buss 49 T 11 A 2 INTs 3 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 46 T 13 A 4 INTs 7 Dfns 33.0 PDQ
CB Darrin Elliott 31 T 7 A 1 INT 5 Dfns
CB Winston Durham 28 T 4 A
FS Joey Montgomery 95 T 29 A 6 INTs 8 Dfns 37.3 PDQ
SS Vernon Jurevicius 52 T 22 A 5 INTs 7 Dfns 38.1 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 43.7 BPct 8 SkA
LG Terry Cox 30.3 BPct 5 SkA
C George Garibaldi 31.1 BPct 4 SkA
RG Derek Mason 37.1 BPct 6 SkA
RT Bennie Barrett 28.1 BPct 5 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Jesse Hill, CHM
OFF POY: Gary Brennan, OAK
DEF POY: Monty Gary, CHI
OFF ROY: Pat Frohbieter, ATL
DEF ROY: Erik Ford, FTW

DE Jimmy Peterson, All-Pro 1st Team (3rd Selection)
FS Joey Montgomery All-Pro 1st Team (9th Selection)
RB Jesse Hill All-Pro 2nd Team (4th Selection)
LT Jermaine Sims All-Pro 2nd Team (7th Selection)

A couple of notes....

RB Jesse Hill was left for dead after a couple of subpar year and injuries that diminished his ratings. He returned in 2034 to regain his starting spot and gain 1638 yards and score 15 TDs. During the course of the season, he set the all-time record for rushing TDs with 134, eclipsing the old mark of 122. He also moved up to 6th all-time in rushing attempts and 3rd all-time in rushing yards(14,657). He capped a brilliant season by being named NFL MVP as he led his team, the Champaign Corks, to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.

FS Joey Montgomery also set an all-time record. His six interceptions gave him a career total of 89, whcih bested the old mark of 86. He was also named to his 9th All-Pro team. A couple of old vets helped lead this franchise to a Super Bowl appearance.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 05:48 PM

Following the 2034 campaign, the Corks suffered three key retirements. The one that hurts the most is FS Joey Montgomery. Monty is coming off a year in which he set the all-time interception record with his 89th pick. He returned eight of those for TDs. After spending for seasons as a New York Giant, Monty joined the Corks in 2025. In his first season, he picked off four passes on his way to winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. His best season total was 11 back in 2024. He was named to one of the All-Pro teams an amazing nine times - three as a 1st Team selection. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 2027 when he picked off nine passes and collected 96 tackles. Over the course of his 14 year career, Monty collected 1158 tackles, 368 assists, 4.0 QB sacks, 98 defensed passes, and a PDQ of 38.1, making him a lock for the Hall of Fame in five years. LB Stephen Holcomb also hung up the football spikes in 2035. Holcomb played 15 years in the league with the last 11 with Champaign. Holcomb was a two time All-Pro player - once in 2023 as a 1st team selection and once in 2029 as a 2nd teamer. To go along with his 1379 tackles, Holcomb amassed 408 assists, 23.0 sacks, 5 blocks, 14 hurries, 5 interceptions, and even dropped back to defend 83 passes. Lastly, WR Ernest Arpaijian also retired after just eight years in the league. Arpaijian was a 1st round draft pick of the Corks back in 2027. He never blossomed into the big-time receiver we were looking for, but still put up respectable number year in and year out. Over the course of his short career, Ernie caught 466 balls for 6556 yards and 36 TDs. He started in 122 games and missed just four games due to injury - a very reliable receiver. All these guys will be tough to replace.

The franchise rebounded to gain 76 million as ticket revenues skyrocketed by nearly 45%. My costs also dropped about 6%, but that will change after signing some big free agents this year.
Free Agents:

Unrestricted

CB Jon Buss
RB Jesse Hill
RB Randall Schindler
T Bennie Barrett
DE Justin Horton
TE Rick Rigby
G Terry Cox
CB Mercury Mahoney

Restricted

K KC Harper
DT Heath Girard
LB Casey Gash
S Irving Frederick

Lots of guys to bring back. I would like to land both CBs, Buss and Mahoney, T Barrett, and G Cox. I'll franchise Jesse Hill. Horton was a nice injury replacement, but he deserves a shot at a full-time gig. I'll also try to resign LB Gash and K Harper, maybe. I'll have about 75 mil to play with this year.

I free up some more cap room by trading RB Dana Burks, who was to receive 10 mil this season. With bringing Jesse Hill back, I cannot afford to have 2 RBs and 2 QBs making 10 mil plus. I package him with three draft picks and send him to Cincinnati for a 1st and 2nd round pick this year.

To begin the FA period, I offer Mahoney 50 mil over three years, probably meaning I cannot resign Jon Buss, as well. I throw 51.71 mil over four years at Barrett and 39.76 mil over four years at G Tyrell Boatwright, who is probably better and cheaper than my man, Terry Cox. I also offer S Burt Bryant 23.5 mil over 3 seasons as I try to find a replacement for Monty. With LB Lance Lowe suffering that gruesome ruptured Achilles tendon, I offer LB Patrick Upshaw 38 mil over four years. Lowe's injury, coupled with Holcomb's retirement spreads me thin at LB.

Bennie Barrett signs right away, but Mahoney receives a huge 84 mil contract from Atlanta. I'll try to be competitive there. I take it one step further and offer Mahoney 110 mil over 5 years, the richest contract I have ever offered. It screams of renegotiation. He will make 27 mil in his 5th season, if not. That is also the highest offer of this FA period so far. I also up my offer to 46.5 mil for LB Upshaw. Botch Upshaw and Mahoney sign in week 4, costing me a cool 28 mil. As this was going on, TE Rick Rigby left for Kansas City - he'll make 36.53 mil over four seasons, an amount I coul not match after this spending spree. Bryant and Boatwright spurn my offers and head to Tennessee and Iowa City, respectively. I turn my safety needs to Eugene Lilly and offer him 27.0 mil over three years. Lilly turns down a bigger offer with Oakland to play for the Corks in 2035, but I lose Cox to Detroit as he signs a 31.13 mil, 3 year deal. DE Justin Horton gets the money he deserves from Iowa City. He'll be a member of the Caucus for the next three seasons and earn over 40 mil. Jon Buss also leaves, headed for San Fran. He nets a 25.5 mil, three year deal.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 05:55 PM

Draft Results

CB Brenden Gillespie, Utah (48/78)
G Shannon Ward, Louisiana St. (41/73)
LB Winston Giles, Elizabeth City St. (56/63)
RB Marshall Booker, Rutgers (21/46)
DT Jorge Mayes, Maryland (16/48)
CB Clarence Dotson, Boston College (19/37)
S Charlie Blair, Georgia Tech (22/40)

After the draft we sign the followinf free agents:

RB Shane Tauscher 1 year, 3.6 mil
TE Colin Meadows 1 year - 1.89 mil
WR Leon Herman 1 year - 1.84 mil

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Fred Prioleau
WR Paul Beyer
WR Cornelius Hicks
LT Jermaine Sims
LG Derek Mason
C George Garibaldi
RG Shannon Ward
RT Bennie Barrett

K KC Harper
P Larry Manning
KR Winston Durham

DE Jeff Beattle
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Shane McConnell
DE Jimmy PEterson
LB Barry Harper
LB Patrick Upshaw
LB Winston Giles
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Brenden Gillespie
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

A lot of new faces in the starting lineup this year. Coheison should take a hit and it'll be interesting to see if this group can return to the Super Bowl. LB Patrick Upshaw, LB Winston Giles, CB Brenden Gillespie, and SS Eugene Lilly are newcomers on defense, while TE Fred Prioleau, WR Cornelius Hicks, and RG Shannon Ward are new to the offense. The team goes 3-1 in preseason and scores 127 points in the four games. We should be alright this year.

FishFan

12-27-2000, 05:55 PM

2035 Season Results

Week 1 vs Seattle(L10-16, 0-1)
Week 2 at Detroit(W22-17, 1-1)
Week 3 vs Green Bay(W37-10, 2-1)
Week 4 vs Chicago(L14-17, 2-2)
Week 5 vs Denver(W20-17, 3-2)
Week 6 at Green Bay(L21-34, 3-3)
Week 7 at Arizona(W10-6, 4-3)
Week 9 vs Detroit(L34-45, 4-4)
Week 10 at Minneosta(W26-20, 5-4)
Week 11 at Kansas City(L21-24, 5-5)
Week 12 at Chicago(L20-24, 5-6)
Week 13 at Tampa Bay(L14-20, 5-7)
Week 14 vs Minnesota(L0-21, 5-8)
Week 15 at Carolina(L19-31, 5-9)
Week 16 vs NY Giants(W29-14, 6-9)
Week 17 vs Tampa Bay(L6-10, 6-10)

CB Brenden Gillespie debuts with 2 interceptions, but the Corks lose their opener 16-10 to the Seahawks. They even their record at 1-1 as Vernon Jurevicius picks off two passes late to seal a 22-17 win over the Lions. The offense get it going in a week 3 37-1o win versus the Pack. Kipp throws four TD passes. Against undefeated Chicago, the Corks fall 17-14 to fall back down to .500 and two games behind the Bears for the division lead. 100 million dollar man, Mercury Mahoney comes up with a hip pointer and will miss a few games. Injuries have taken their toll on the Corks so far this year.

A humiliating 34-21 loss to Green Bay drops us back to 3-3. We need to get some of our guys back on defense, particularly Marsh and Mahoney. The Corks rebound with a 10-6 at Arizona to head into the bye week at 4-3. A shootout against Detroit ends in a 45-34 Cork loss. Marsh returns to the starting lineup in week 10, bringing everyone back. Marsh get hurt again and I lose him and BEattle for the year. My d-line is hurting. I sign DE Rufus Hughes for the stretch run. Three straight losses kill my chances as the team falls to 5-7. The team suffers a fourth straight loss, a dispicable 21-0 shutout against the lowly 3-9 Vikings.

The Panthers eliminate the Corks from the playoff picture with a 31-19 thrashing in Carolina. We split out last two games to finish the year a disappointing 6-10. The Saints lose to the NY Jets in Super Bowl XXXVI, 22-17.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 278-485-13-3164 17 TDs 77.5 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 278-988 11 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 73-825 2 TDs
WR Cornelius Hicks 60-825 3 TDs
WR Timothy Donaldson 60-795 3 TDs
WR Leon Herman 43-593 4 TDs
TE Fred Prioleau 25-241
K KC Harper 22-34 FG 51 Lg
P Larry Manning 41.2 Avg 29 In20
DT Shane McConnell 44 T 22 A 2.5 Sacks 2 Hurr
DE Jimmy Peterson 39 T 8 A 15.5 Sacks 4 Blk 11 Hurr
DE Thurman Paeth 39 T 12 A 2.0 Sacks 2 Blk
DE Jeff Beattle 25 T 6 A 3.5 Sacks 1 Blk
LB Patrick Upshaw 105 T 38 A 1 INT 8 Dfns
LB Barry Harper 85 T 24 A 3.0 Sacks 1 Blk 6 Dfns
LB Winston Giles 67 T 37 A 1 INT 3 Dfns
LB Lance Lowe 23 T 6 A 2 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 47 T 11 A 2 INTs 5 Dfns 27.5 PDQ
CB Brenden Gillespie 24 T 12 A 5 INTs 3 Dfns 37.1 PDQ
CB Darrin Elliott 26 T 6 A 2 INTs 28.0 DPQ
FS Vernon Jurevicius 83 T 32 A 5 INTs 5 Dfns 33.8 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 64 T 32 A 5 INTs(1TD) 7 Dfns 35.0 PDQ
LT Jermaine Sims 20.0 BPct 4 SkA
LG Derek Mason 33.3 BPct 8 SkA
C George Garibaldi 30.5 BPct 3 SkA
RG Shannon Ward 31.1 BPct 6 SkA
RT Bennie Barrett 33.8 BPct 8 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Vernon Fuller, NYJ
OFF POY: Vernon Fuller, NYJ
DEF POY: Jumbo Uwaezuoke, PHI
OFF ROY: Tyrus Otis, NO
DEF ROY: JJ Slayton, CHI

DE Jimmy Peterson All-Pro 1st Team

FishFan

12-28-2000, 11:00 AM

Longtime tackle, Jermaine Sims, who had become a mainstay at left tackle retired after the 2035 season. A seven time All-pro player, Sims started and played in 264 games, missing just eight to injuries back in 2021. As a Cork, he blocked for the ageless one, Jesse Hill, helping him gain over 15,000 yards in his 12 year career. Sims collected 491 key blocks and compiled a 37.1 block percentage. He allowed just 88 sacks in 17 years.

Free agents:

Unrestricted

LB Lance Lowe
QB Eugene Richard
RB Shane Tauscher
TE Colin Meadows
WR Leon Herman
WR Paul Beyer
K KC Harper
DE Rufus Hughes
LB Skip Stuart

Restricted

DT Lamar Marsh
WR Timothy Donaldson
LB Brenden Corbett
CB Darrin Elliott
RB Steve Dunn
WR Lee Phillips

I designate Paul Beyer my franchise player and am not real interested in the others. I may try to trade Dean Elliott, as he is pissed about playing time now. In fact, San Diego is interested, so I send Elliott, a 4th round pick in 2036, a 2nd round pick in 2037, and a 3rd round pick in 2038 for their 1st round picks in 2036 and 2037. Their pick this year is the third overall. The deal also frees up about 8.5 mil in cap room.

To solve my o-line d-line problems, I offer G Xavier Hastings(38.0 mil, 4 years) a rich contract. I also offer LB Rex Stai a 4 year, 45.37 mil contract. If I land Stai, the linebacking corps of Harper, Upshaw, and Stai would be the best in the league. To create a more pass oriented offense, I offer WR Lance Covington a 3 year, 43.05 mil deal. Stai signs with Chicago in week 2 and I raise my offer to Covington to 61.84 over four years. I offer LB Bubba Ford 30 mil over three years, less than his current team, the Colts. Covington takes a 50 mil deal over three years with Philly in week 3. Ford signs with Indy, as expected, leaving the Corks with Xavier Hastings as their final target. In week 6, I submit a 2 year, 6.35 mil offer to K Jose Elam. KC Harper has been ineffective the past couple of years, so a veteran kicker would be quite a change. Elam signs with the Giants the following week, so I throw 8.75 mil over three years to Arti Carter, the veteran Oakland placekicker. Hastings finally comes aboard in week 8, but Carter resigns with the Raiders. Lance Lowe signs with Dallas in week 9 - i was scared off because of his horrible injury two years ago - and TE Colin Meadows heads to Kansas City. KC Harper goes to Cleveland for 3.7 mil over two years. After the FA period I ink a 43.91 mil, 4 year deal with my franchise WR, Paul Beyer.

FishFan

12-28-2000, 11:00 AM

Draft Results

RB Frank Van Pelt, Michigan St. (64/86)
DE Tracy Alston, Kansas (41/75)
TE Lawrence Utley, Tennessee St. (46/72)
K Roger Panos, Boise St. (27/44)
QB Leo Patterson, Florida St. (25/62)
LB Chris Miller, Boston University (28/52)
WR Martin Sanders, Valdosta St. (41/41)

After the draft, I resign DT Lamar Marsh, who missed much of last year with injuries, to a 37.25 mil, 4 year deal. I shell out 74 million over six years for my first pick in the draft, Van Pelt. He better not turn out to be a bust. He comes with a 37.5 mil bonus. I also sign the following players:

QB Alonzo Dennis 3.37 - 1 year
WR Colin Rivers 5.17 - 1 year
WR Terry Ivory league min
LB Chris Brooks league min
CB Walt Wolf league min
RB Xavier Kerouac league min

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Jesse Hill
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Fred Prioleau
WR Colin Rivers
WR Paul Beyer
LT Bennie Barrett
LG Xavier Hastings
C George Garibaldi
RG Derek Mason
RT Kennedy Marshall

K Roger Panos
P Larry Manning
KR Winston Durham

DE Tracy Alston
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Shane McConnell
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Barry Harper
LB Patrick Upshaw
LB Winston Giles
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Brenden Gillespie
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

A 3-1 preseason heightens expectations for this squad. Look for RB Van Pelt to unseat Jesse Hill if Hill looks like he is going to perform like he did last season.

FishFan

12-28-2000, 11:00 AM

2036 Season Results

Week 1 at Green Bay(W31-14, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Tampa Bay(W31-29, 2-0)
Week 3 vs Green Bay(W38-9, 3-0)
Week 4 at Minnesota(W25-20, 4-0)
Week 5 at Indianapolis(W30-0, 5-0)
Week 6 vs Chicago(W27-10, 6-0)
Week 7 vs Minnesota(L12-13, 6-1)
Week 9 at Tampa Bay(L10-24, 6-2)
Week 10 vs New England(W21-12, 7-2)
Week 11 vs St. Louis(L10-44, 7-3)
Week 12 at Arizona(W34-6, 8-3)
Week 13 vs Detroit(W30-7, 9-3)
Week 14 vs Dallas(W24-10, 10-3)
Week 15 at Chicago(W24-10, 11-3)
Week 16 at Miami(L10-13, 11-4)
Week 17 at Detroit(W31-17, 12-4)
Wild Card Game vs Tampa Bay(W24-10, 13-4)
Divisional Playoff at Minnesota(W22-15, 14-4)
NFC Championship at Austin(W29-24, 15-4)
Super Bowl XXXVII vs New England(

The offense comes out storming, putting up 30+ points in the first three games, all wins. The RB duo of Jesse Hill and Frank Van Pelt have produced 382 yards rushing and six TDs. Here are their three game totals:

Van Pelt 38-202 3 TDs
Jesse Hill 35-180 3 TDs

Two more wins, including a 30-0 shutout at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, give the Corks a 5-0 record, their best start in some time. In a battle of unbeatens, the Corks down the Bears 27-10 to take a game lead in the NFC Central. However, we lose Patrick Upshaw and Mercury Mahoney, leaving the defense a little vulnerable. Hopefully, we will have Upshaw and T Bennie Barrett back after the bye week. We lose our first game 13-12 to the Vikings to fall to 6-1 heading into the bye week.

We lose a 2nd straight game before rebounding with a 21-12 win over 6-2 New England. Jack Kipp breaks a nose and will miss a couple of games. It seems when we have a good team together, injuries hit us hard. We get pounded by St. Louis 44-10 without Kipp - he will be back for the next game. Minnesota has tied us at 7-3 for the division lead.

With everyone back, we rout Arizona 34-6 to improve to 8-3. We win the next two to keep pace with the Vikings at 10-3. If we both win out, we would have the tie breaker with our division record. We lose in Miami to fall a game behind the Vikings in the division lead. We crush Detroit 31-17, but the Vikings win to finish 13-3 and get the division title and 1st round bye. Tampa Bay will be out first opponent of the playoffs.

Roger Panos gives the Corks an early 3-0 lead with a 26 yd FG. The lone FG is the only 1st quarter scoring for either team. In the 2nd quarter, the Corks blow the game open. Van Pelt scores on an 8 yd TD pass from Jack Kipp and Jesse Hill runs one in from 28 yds out. The Corks go into haltime with a 17-0 lead. The Bucs mount a comeback with 10 straight points, but the Corks seal the game on a 4 yd Jack Kipp run following a Mercury Mahoney interception. The Corks win 24-10. The Vikins are up next.

The Corks' defense started the scoring in this one as Winston Durham returned an interception 38 yds to give Champaign a 7-0 lead. Minnesota counters with a pair of FGs and it is 7-6 at halftime. Early in the 3rd quarter, the Vikings' Sean McGregor picks off a Jack Kipp pass and returns it 52 yards to give Minnesota a 12-7 lead. Jesse Hill gives the lead right back with a 1 yd TD run. A two-point conversion made it 15-12. A Trent Ward 28 yd FG ties the game up at 15 heading into the 4th quarter. The Corks score early in the 4th on a Jack Kipp 2 yd run and go up 22-15. The defense holds the rest of the way and the Corks advance to the NFC Championship against Austin.

In the NFC Championship, the Corks once again jumped out early. War Angel Carlisle scores from a yd out to give the Corks a 7-0 lead, but Lonnie Loomis takes the ensuing kickoff 86 yards to tie the game. The Bush then scores again to take a 14-7 lead on a 12 yd TD pass from Lincoln Marsh. After a Roger Panos 49 yd FG, the Bush get another TD pass from Marsh. Going into halftime it 21-13 Austin ahead. Panos connects on another FG, this one from 50 yds, and Van Pelt scores from a yard out to take a 22-21 lead. With 2:21 left to play, Joel Kelly kicks the Bush into the lead with a 49 yd FG. 24-22 Austin. Champaign get the ball back and go to work. From the CHM16, Kipp gets 4 on the ground before connecting on a 37 yd pass to Colin Rivers. On the very next play, from the AUS43, Kipp throws a 15 yd pass to Cornelius Hicks who sprints down the sideline for a 43 yd score. 29-24 Champaign with just 1:17 left! Lincoln Marsh has a little bit left, though. From the AUS20, he scrambles for five yards. On the next play, he gets hurt on an incomplete pass and has to come out. The backup, Schoonover, connects with Strobel for 33 yards, down to the CHM42. Three plays later, he finds Barbee for 25 yards, down to the CHM13. With :09, Schoonover cannot find anyone and throws it away. Time for one more play and again perfect coverage downfield. Schoonover decides to scrambles, but Vernon Jurevicius comes up and makes a great play at the 8 yd line. Game over, the Corks are going to the Super Bowl. Bring on the Patroits.

New England and Champaign met back in week 10 and the Corks prevailed 21-12. Let's hope for a repeat. As has been the case throughout the playoffs, the Corks score first. Jesse Hill scores from 2 yds out for a 7-0 Cork lead. New England answers as David Harding scores from 13 yds. The teams then get into a FG battle. They each hit one before halftime and we have a 10-10 tie going into the lockerrooms. The teams exchange field goals in the 3rd quarter, but
New England adds another with 5:20 left to play for a 16-13 lead. On the ensuing drive, Kipp completes passes of 5, 8, and 4 before Hill runs for 12 and 16. Suddenly, the Corks are at the NE41. Kipp then throws for 7 and Hill runs for 6 as we reach the two minute warning. From the NE28, Kipp runs for a yard before Hill runs for the first down to the NE18. On the next play, Hill breaks free and finds the endzone, giving the Corks a 20-16 lead with 1:23 left. New England takes the next kickoff 26 yds to the NED37. Not bad field position. Barrett connects on a 17 yd pass after he had ran for 5. Two incomplete passes later, the Patriots find themselves facing a 3rd-and-10. Barrett scrambles for six yards to bring up a fourth down play. Little used CB Eric Spencer defends the pass thrown to Reeves and the ball goes over on downs. Kipp can go into victory formation and the Corks are the 2036 World Champions! Jesse Hill takes home MVP honors with 123 yards on 17 carries. He also found the endzone twice.

2036 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 295-471-11-3583 22 TDs 91.7 Rtg
RB Jesse Hill 157-726 9 TDs
RB Frank Van Pelt 192-823 7 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 85-1024 4 TDs
WR Colin Rivers 83-998 6 TDs
WR Cornelius Hicks 54-790 5 TDs
TE Fred Prioleau 47-580 4 TDs
K Roger Panos 20-27 FG 49 Lg
P Larry Manning 41.5 Avg 33 In20
DT Lamar Marsh 37 T 11 A 1.5 Sacks 2 Hurr
DE Jimmy Peterson 35 T 14 A 12.5 Sacks 15 Blk 13 Hurr
DT Shane McConnell 35 T 11 A 2.0 Sacks 1 Blk 2 Hurr
DE Tracy Alston 32 T 10 A 8.5 Sacks 2 Hurr
LB Barry Harper 71 T 24 A 3.0 Sacks 1 Blk 1 Hurr 9 Dfns
LB Patrick Upshaw 65 T 33 A 4 Dfns
LB Winston GIles 62 T 17 A 1 INT 5 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 36 T 7 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 36.6 PDQ
CB Winston Durham 26 T 7 A 1 INT 3 Dfns 25.5 PDQ
CB Brenden Gillespie 41 T 10 A 1 INT 8 Dfns 26.2 PDQ
FS Vernon Jurevicius 70 T 23 A 4 INTs 6 Dfns 32.1 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 79 T 33 A4 INTs 11 Dfns 34.4 PDQ

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Mark Crutchfield, PIT
OFF POY: Mark Crutchfield, PIT
DEF POY: Dwayne Tafoya, PIT
OFF ROY: Stan Andrews, TEN
DEF ROY: Christian Ostwald, KCY

DE Jimmy Peterson All-Pro 2nd Team

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:10 PM

We are in desperate need of a new stadium. The franchise lost 114 mil last year, despite winning the Super Bowl. This happened mostly because our current stadium holds just 66000 spectators. We need to get that number up. We are going into our 14th season with this new stadium, so our Bowl win could not have come at a better time.

Following the Super Bowl championship, I thought a lot of my veterans would retire - guys like Jack Kipp, Jesse Hill, and Jeff Beattle. Apparently, everyone wants to win another one and not one player retired. I also have very few FAs this season:

Unrestricted

DT Shane McConnell
G Brent McElroy
DT Rufus MEadows
QB Alonzo Dennis
P Larry Manning
WR Colin Rivers

Restricted

FB Cris Hammond
TE Fred Prioleau
CB Clarence Dotson
DT Jorge Mayes

Not much here. I'll probably franchise Colin Rivers to give Kipp a 3rd decent WR to throw to. I may try to resign McConnell and Dennis. Out of the RFAs, it'll be Prioleau.

To strengthen my o-line, I throw 50 mil over four years at a stud T named TErry Ramon. If I land this guy, I will trade Bennie Barrett's 14 mil salary. After the first week, I raise the offer to Ramon to 61.5 mil for the same four years to be more competitive with other offers. He accepts my offer in week 5. After that signing, I trade Barrett to the Cowboys for their 1st round pick this season, the 9th overall. P Larry Manning signs with San Diego in week 14. After the FA period, I sign my franchise WR to a 4 year, 37.0 mil contract.

Draft Results

DT Shane Abrams, Tennessee (37/69)
WR Danny Alexander, Morehead St. (54/60)
LB Quentin Page, Missouri (37/80)
FB Robbie Borders, Syracuse (28/55)
DT Brock O'Toole, Florida (12/40)
TE Fred Marr, Southern Methodist (31/36)
G Lance Norris, Miami(FL) (18/42)

Abrams turned out to be a complete bust (10/18) so I am very thin at DT. He will have to stay on the roster for a few years, or he will kill my cap. I sign the following players to league min salaries:

QB Tommy Tatum
DT Ronnie McKinney
CB Cole Reeves
P Arnie Newsome

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:10 PM

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Lawrence Utley
WR Colin Rivers
WR Paul Beyer
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C George Garibaldi
RG Derek Mason
RT Kennedy Marshall

K Roger Panos
P Arnie Newsome
KR Winston Durham

DE Tracy Alston
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Brock O'Toole
DE Jimmy Peterson
LB Barry Harper
LB PAtrick Upshaw
LB Winston Giles
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Brenden Gillespie
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:11 PM

2037 Season Results

Week 1 at Detroit(W31-13, 1-0)
Week 2 vs Austin(L16-24, 1-1)
Week 3 at Green Bay(L17-20, 1-2)
Week 4 vs Tampa Bay(W17-3, 2-2)
Week 5 at Chicago(W34-6, 3-2)
Week 6 at St. Louis(W24-17, 4-2)
Week 7 at Cincinnati(W13-10, 5-2)
Week 8 vs Chicago(L13-19, 5-3)
Week 9 vs Minnesota(W19-7, 6-3)
Week 11 vs Los Angeles(W24-14, 7-3)
Week 12 at Tennessee(L40-43, 7-4)
Week 13 vs Fort Wayne(W36-6, 8-4)
Week 14 at Minnesota(W17-7, 9-4)
Week 15 vs Detroit(W24-20, 10-4)
Week 16 vs Green Bay(W42-14, 11-4)
Week 17 at Tampa Bay(L12-17, 11-5)
Wild Card Game vs St. Louis(W37-26, 12-5)
Divisional Playoff at New Orleans(L31-37, 12-6)

The Corks begin their title defense with a 31-13 beating of the Lions. Kipp threw 4 TD passes, showing the world that the 35 year old still has a little left. Dreams of an undefeated season are squandered with a 24-16 loss to the Bush in week 2. The Corks lose another one before evening their record at 2-2 with a win over the Buccaneers.

In week 5, we face the undefeated Bears and put it to them, 34-6. This is a huge win after a slow start, especially with it coming on the road. Van Pelt gets 172 yards and a pair of scores. They follow up the big win with anoteher 24-17 win over 3-1 St. Louis. Their third straight win is a 13-10 squeaker over 3-3 Cincinnati. This win keeps them a game behind the 5-1 Bears for the division lead. The Bears get a measure of revenge in week 8, beating the Corks 19-13 to send them to 5-3. A 19-7 win over the Vikings puts the Corks at 6-3 heading into the bye week.

A Cork win and a Bears loss leave Champaign a game behind the Chicago for the division lead. A disappointind 43-40 loss in Tennessee hurts badly. It drops us to 7-4 with five to play. We need to put something together here. Fortunately, the Bears also lost, and after week 13, we are still just a game behind.

Two more wins and the Corks are still a game back with two to play. One more win clinches a playoff spot for Champaign. They get it with a 42-14 win over the Packers, while the Bears are shutout in Arizona, 34-0. We still have an outside shot to win the division and get a 1st round bye.

Chicago wins their game to clinch the division, leaving our game virtually meaningless. We lose it 17-12. Jack Kipp got hurt early in the Wild Card game against St. Louis, but Leo Patterson came in and went 22-31-1-251 and threw one TD pass. The defense returned two interceptions for scores and Van Pelt ran for 100 yards as the Corks won a shootout, 37-26. The Saints are up next.

In another shootout, Corwin Mickens throws four TD passes for New Orlenas, but Champaign sends the game into overtime with 2:52 left, as Kipp finds the rookie WR Danny Alexander on a 7 yd scoring play. Despite Van Pelt's 178 rushing yards, the Saint prevail in overtime as they win the coin toss, take the ball, and march right down field for the score. The loss ends the Corks' bid for a repeat championship.

The Saints go onto Super Bowl XXXVIII, where they lose to the NY Jets, 12-3, in an uneventful meeting.

2037 Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 265-458-9-3295 18 TDs 85.1 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 303-1505 13 TDs, REC: 41-437 6 TDs
RB Jesse Hill 101-381 4 TDs
WR Paul Beyer 74-1006 7 TDs
WR Colin Rivers 58-761 1 TD
WR Cornelius Hicks 50-618 3 TDs
TE Lawrence Utley 24-278 2 TDs
K Roger Panos 24-37 FG 49 Lg
P Arnie Newsome 39.4 Avg 38 In20
DE Tracy Alston 48 T 16 A 7.5 Sacks 5 Blk 9 Hurr
DE Jimmy Peterson 16 T 14 A 14.5 Sacks 5 Blk 14 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 47 T 12 A 3.5 Sacks 1 Blk
DT Brock O'Toole 18 T 5 A 2.5 Sacks
LB Patrick Upshaw 102 T 27 A 3 Hurr 6 Dfns
LB BArry Harper 92 T 32 A
LB Winston Giles 56 T 18 A 6 Dfns
CB Mercury Mahoney 54 T 15 A 4 INTs 10 Dfns 35.5 PDQ
CB Brenden Gillespie 34 T 10 A 2 INTs 9 Dfns 35.2 PDQ
CB Winston Durham 24 T 6 A
FS Vernon Jurevicius 72 T 29 A 4 INTs 12 Dfns 40.4 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 75 T 31 A 10 INTs(2TDs) 14 Dfns 54.9 PDQ

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
OFF POY: Victor Cobb, DET
DEF POY: Dan Razo, KCY
OFF ROY: Corey Willey, KCY
DEF ROY: Neil Wooden, DAL

C George Garibaldi, All-Pro 1st Team
RB Frank Van Pelt, NFL MVP and All-Pro 2nd Team
G Xavier HAstings, All-Pro 2nd Team
SS Eugene Lilly, All-Pro 2nd Team

Frank Van Pelt put up Marshall Faulk-type numbers with over 1500 yards rushing and over 400 yards receiveing. He also scored a total of 19 TDs this season. Those numbers helped elevate him to NFL MVP, only the second Cork to be honored(Jesse Hill being the first). He may go on to have a better career than Hill.

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:11 PM

Jesse Hill retired from the game after 14 season in the league. Hill, the number one overall pick in 2024, played his entire career with the Champaign Corks. The running back made an impact from the moment he stepped on the football field. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after he gained 1403 yards and scored 14 TDs, the first of many. He followed up that performance with 1589 and 1775 yards the next two seasons. He also scored 27 TDs in those 32 games. In 2027, Hill had a chance to make history. Through 12 games, he had compiled 1478 yards and 16 TDs. An injury would take him out of the last four games. He was nearly unstoppabel that year, averaging 6.2 yards a carry. He would not have another year like that one. Over the next three years, he gained 1594, 1658, and 1245 yards and collected 40 TDs. He was quickly becoming the game's best running back ever. Unfortunately, another RB by the name of Gary Brennan came along a year after Jesse Hill and put up similar numbers. Then, halfway through the 2031 season, Hill came up lame again. A tendon injury kept him out the remainder of the season and the team feared he would not be the same ever again. In that season and the next, Hill totaled just 1268 yards and 12 TDs. Dana Burks had emerged as the team's leading rusher those years and looked to unseat Hill as the #1 back. The 2033 season proved to be pivotal. Burks struggled through the first half, and Hill was given another opportunity. He responded by gaining over 1000 yards in the last eight games and scored 10 TDs. He was given the starting job back the next year. In 2034, all he did was gain a second breath and helped lead the Corks to their first ever Super Bowl. He gained 1638 yards and scored 15 TDs while being named the league MVP, his highest honor to date. His 15 TDs helped elcipse the all-time rushing TD record of 122 held by Andy Lanning. He struggled in 2035, gaining just 988 yards and the Corks missed the playoffs. Frank Van Pelt came along in 2035 and split time with Hill at RB in the next tow seasons. Hill gained 726 in 2036 and just 381 on 101 carries in 2037, his final season. However, in 2036, the team turned to Hill down the stretch and into the playoffs. Hill laid it all on the line and led the team to another Super Bowl - this time the Corks won it all and Hill was named the Super Bowl MVP. A great honor to end a great career. Hill finished 2nd all-time in attempts with 3673. Only Brennan had more with 3952 and counting. Again, Hill finshed 2nd to Brennan in rushing yards. Hill's total of 16,752 was better than any previous mark, but Brennan has collected 18757 to date and could very well be considered the greatest RB of all time. Hill still holds the rushing TD mark with 158, seven ahead of Brennan's 151. Brennan probably has one or two years left and could eclipse this mark as well. When you add in his receiving yards, Hill totaled 18450 yards from scrimmage and scored 168 TDs, the most by any non-QB in the history of the game. Hill was named to the All-Pro team 4 times and the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP once each. He is certain to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in five years.

Jeff Beattle also called it quits in 2038. Beattle, another first round draft pick by the Corks in 2024, played his entire 14-year career in Champaign. Over the course of his career, Beattle collected 500 tackles, 147 assists, and 72.5 sacks. He also blocked 23 passes at the line and hurried the opposing QB 48 times. He was named to the All-Pro 2nd Team in 2026 and 2027 when he had at least 44 tackles and 11 sacks in each season. He went in a sharp decline in 2034 and never returned to form. He did not start in 2036 and 2037 after a horrific injury cut his 2035 season short. However, Beattle started 181 games for the Corks and played in 196.

Back to business...

We made a change in our administration by electing tot to rehire Ross Hepburn as lead scout. Instead, we turned our attention to Terrell Thagchar, a 39 year old trying to get his foot in the door. He is at least GOOD everywhere except Receivers, so he should only get better. I get him for three years at 1.25 mil. Also, the team lost just 5 million this past year, so the finances were much better. We have one more year on our stadium lease and if the city of Champaign does not go for a new stadium, we will look to move to Greenville, Grand Rapids, El Paso, or even Honolulu. I would like to move to my hometown of Bloomington, IN eventually, but they are not interested in a franchise at this time. Right now fan loyalty is at 98 and support at 100, so a new stadium, fully publicly funded, is not out of the question.

Free agents:

Unrestricted

QB Jack Kipp
T Lee Ryan
WR Cornelius Hicks
C Nicky Froggatt
P Arnie Newsome

Restricted

RB Marshall Booker
G Shannon Ward
LB Winston Giles
S Charlie Blair
WR Martin Sanders

I franchise Jack Kipp and will probably let the rest of these guys go. I'd like to keep Hicks around, but he'll command too much. I resign my punter, Arnie Newsome to a two year, 4.49 mil deal. That;s the extent of my activity, but I sign Kipp to a 3 year, 71.5 mil deal that will cost me 18 mil the first season, 23 the next, and 30 in the third, if it lasts that long. Kipp is entering his 16th season.

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:11 PM

Draft Results

DT Rusty Whiting, South Carolina (30/57)
C Levon West, Texas Tech (21/82)
S Adam Peters, USC (12/58)
WR Brett McDaniel, Vanderbilt (8/55)
G Justin Dworak, Alabama-Birmingham (6/30)
T Tyrell Tartabull, Baylor (3/52)

Whiting turns out to be another DT bust for the Corks. I get pissed and release both Whiting and last year's bust, Shane Abrams.

I resigned LB Winston Giles to a 3 year, 20 mil contract after the draft. I then signed the following to league min deals:

DT Bo Phenix
RB Darrell Farr
RB Warren Guajardo
WR Roman Bernard
DE Rob Martinez

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB War Angel Carlisle
TE Lawrence Utley
WR Colin Rivers
WR Paul Beyer
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xavier Hastings
C George Garibaldi
RG Derek Mason
RT Kennedy MArshall

K Roger Panos
P Arnie Newsome
KR Winston Durham

DE Tracy Alston
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Jimmy PEterson
LB Barry Harper
LB PAtrick Upshaw
LB Winston Giles
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Brenden Gillespie
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:11 PM

2038 Season Results

Week 1 at Detroit(L17-20, 0-1)
Week 2 vs Minnesota(L7-22, 0-2)
Week 3 at Tampa Bay(W34-10, 1-2)
Week 4 vs Chicago(L12-35, 1-3)
Week 5 at Green Bay(W10-9, 2-3)
Week 7 at Minnesota(W10-3, 3-3)
Week 8 vs Green Bay(W26-20, 4-3)
Week 9 vs Tampa Bay(L16-24, 4-4)
Week 10 at New Orleans(L13-16, 4-5)
Week 11 vs St. Louis(W30-0, 5-5)
Week 12 at Chicago(L7-20, 5-6)
Week 13 vs Detroit(W23-9, 6-6)
Week 14 vs Denver(L14-16, 6-7)
Week 15 at Los Angeles(L7-31, 6-8)
Week 16 at Kansas City(L16-22, 6-9)
Week 17 vs Oakland(W40-17, 7-9)

A rough 0-2 start due to poor offensive play is offset by a win in week 3 at Tampa Bay. However, I lose Frank Van Pelt, leaving me without a true RB. I weak 10-9 victory over the Pack keeps me from giving up on the season after 5 weeks. Thank god for defense - I win another 10-3 decision over the Vikings to claw back to 3-3. This may be the worse 3-3 team ever. The offense finally scores more than 10 points in a 26-20 win over Green Bay.

A 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay drops us back to .500 at the midpoint. After another loss, the Corks shutout a good St. Louis team, 30-0. However, injuries begin to mount up and we may not be going anywhere this season. Van Pelt is still sidelined and we sit in 5th place with a 5-6 record. We get back to .500 with a 23-9 win over Detroit, but lose to a 2-10 Denver team 16-14. Ouch. We lose another one to LA, and we are out of contention at 6-8 with two games left. We avoid a 10 loss season by routing the Raiders, 40-17.

Kansas City and Los Angeles meet in Super Bowl XXXIX where Los Angeles uses a stifling defense to prevail 20-12 and win their 2nd Super Bowl title.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 303-525-16-3556 14 TDs 74.5 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 35-122
RB Darrell Farr 172-722 7 TDs
RB Warren Guarjardo 115-372 2 TDs
RB Xavier Kerouac 33-132
WR Paul Beyer 86-998 4 TDs
WR Danny Alexander 65-912 5 TDs
WR Colin Rivers 52-629 2 TDs
TE Lawrence Utley 29-233
K Roger Panos 25-32 FG 54 Lg
P Arnie Newsome 39.5 Avg 35 In20
DE Tracy Alston 44 T 15 A 9.0 Sacks 3 Blk 9 Hurr
DE Jimmy Peterson 26 T 11 A 12.0 Sacks 7 Blk 5 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 37 T 10 A 1.5 Sacks 1 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 25 T 3 A 3.0 Sacks 1 Blk
LB Barry Harper 104 T 30 A 5 Dfns
LB PAtrick Upshaw 103 T 36 A 1.5 Sacks 3 Dfns
LB Winston Giles 52 T 14 A 2 INTs 2 Dfns 31.5 PDQ
CB Brenden Gillespie 43 T 16 A 2 INTs 3 Dfns 24.9 PDQ
CB Mercury Mahoney 29 T 17 A 3 INTs 6 Dfns 35.1 PDQ
CB Winston Durham 18 T 1 A 2 Dfns 20.9 PDQ
FS Vernon Jurevicius 24 T 13 A 3 Dfns 24.5 PDQ
FS Eric Spencer 31 T 10 A 3 Dfns 20.4 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 82 T 22 A 4 INTs 11 Dfns 38.3 PDQ
LT Terry Ramon 35.6 BPct 1 SkA
LG Xavier HAstings 26.1 BPct 4 SkA
C George Garibaldi 24.3 BPct 6 SkA
RG Derek Mason 29.6 BPct 1 SkA
RT Kennedy Marshall 29.8 BPct 12 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Walter Henley, STL
OFF POY: Stan Andrews, TEN
DEF POY: Don Ackerman, BUF
OFF ROY: Bucky Dakota, SF
DEF ROY: Junior Watson, AUS

LT Terry Ramon All-Pro 1st Team

With many aging veterans at key positions(QB, LB, DE, OL, CB, and S), it may be time to rebuild. Kipp is in decline and may even retire after this season. I will look for a future QB in this year's draft and hopefully Frank Van Pelt will recover from his injury. I may be faced with many tough decisions this off season.

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:13 PM

I begin 2039 by proposing a fully public funded new stadium construction costing 3,578,000,000. I doubt the city sill go for it, but that will open my options in 2040. If they do, I'll have a kick ass stadium.

I get an offer from my old team, Carolina. They want DE Jimmy Peterson and are willing to part with their 1st round pick this season, 6th overall. They will also throw in backup tackle Isaac Wayne. Peterson has not been the same the past couple of seasons, and I committ to a rebuilding year by making the trade. I also released decling center, George Garibaldi.

Free Agents:

Unrestricted

LB Barry Harper
FB War Angel Carlisle
T Kennedy Marshall
DT Bo Phenix

Restricted

QB Leo Patterson
K Roger Panos
LB Chris Miller
FB Robbie Borders
TE Fred Marr
G Lance Norris

I franchie Phenix, but may not be able to sign him or any other FAs, with only 27.5 mil in cap room and two 1st round picks to sign this year. I could be hurting.

Kennedy Marshall is the first to leave, taking a 48 mil 3 year deal with Pittsburgh. LB Barry Harper accepts a 2 year, 16.7 mil deal with Austin leaving Quentin Page to fill the last LB spot. Then, Pittsburgh steal another Champaign player - one of my favorites - FB War Angel Carlisle. He takes a 4 year, 19.4 mil contract. After not resigning one player during the FA period, I sign my franchise DT, Bo Phenix to a 41.5, 4 year deal.
I am handcuffed by the cap hits of the two DTs that busted the past two years that I released. This forces me to watch many of my free agents leave without any offer from Champaign.

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:14 PM

Draft Results

WR Jesse Albert, Michigan (57/90)
CB Ronald Vasquez, California (40/72)
TE Howard Gillum, Austin Peay (28/82)
FB Carl Metcalf, West Virginia (41/41)
DE Bob Goodwin, Kansas St. (17/66)
DT Ian Carter, Colorado (16/51)
QB Victor Kragen, West Virginia (25/41)
K Carlton Kreklow, Arkansas (42/78)

The city approved the stadium, without any financial obligations from the franchise. What a gift! That means we stay in Champaign for the next 20 years. I then trade CB Brenden Gillespie to the Bills along with a 4th round pick for their 1st and 2nd picks next year.

I signed the following players to league min contracts:

C Alex Lewis
LB Bryan Isaacson

Should be an interesting year....

Starting Lineups

QB Jack Kipp
RB Frank Van Pelt
FB Robbie Borders
TE Lawrence Utley
WR Colin Rivers
WR Paul Beyer
LT Terry Ramon
LG Xvier Hastings
C Levon West
RG Derek Mason
RT Isaac Wayne

K Carlton Kreklow
P Arnie Newsome
KR Winston Durham

DE Thurman Paeth
DT Lamar Marsh
DT Bo Phenix
DE Tracy Alston
LB Winston Giles
LB Patrick Upshaw
LB Quentin Page
CB Mercury Mahoney
CB Ronald Vazquez
FS Vernon Jurevicius
SS Eugene Lilly

An unexpected, perfect 4-0 preseason hopefully gives us an indication of what is to come during the regular season. Van Pelt looks good, as does rookie WR Albert.

FishFan

01-01-2001, 06:14 PM

2039 Season Results

Week 1 vs Detroit(W26-21, 1-0)
Week 2 at Green Bay(W41-24, 2-0)
Week 3 at Detroit(W37-16, 3-0)
Week 4 vs Tampa Bay(L10-18, 3-1)
Week 5 vs New England(L7-34, 3-2)
Week 6 at Chicago(L6-41, 3-3)
Week 7 at Tampa Bay(L16-21, 3-4)
Week 9 vs Green Bay(W31-24, 4-4)
Week 10 at Miami(L35-36, 4-5)
Week 11 at New Orleans(L23-28, 4-6)
Week 12 vs Washington(W38-3, 5-6)
Week 13 at Minnesota(L10-41, 5-7)
Week 14 at NY Giants(L3-13, 5-8)
Week 15 vs Chicago(L7-13, 5-9)
Week 16 vs Iowa City(W41-7, 6-9)
Week 17 vs Minnesota(L13-25, 6-10)

This revamped Champaign team shows-off their offensive prowess and toughness with two big victories to start the season. After a 2nd win agains the Lions, the Corks lose their first game to the Bucs to fall to 3-1.

As with previous seasons, the first loss usually opens th floodgates. The Corks lose their second straight, 34-7, to the Patriots in Illinois. Another blowout in Chicago sends the team reeling to a 3-3 record. We go into the bye week at 3-4 after our fourth straight loss. We claw back to .500 with a win over the Pack, but we follow that up with a 36-35 loss in Miami to fall back under .500 at 4-5. We get embarrassed in New Orleans, 28-23, by a 2-7 Saints team. Kipp breaks his leg in this one and will miss the rest of the year and could end his career. The 38 year old QB had just passed the 47,500 yard mark and is 22 TDs away from that magical 300 number. Victor Kragen takes over.

In his first career start, Kragen completes 15 of 22 passes for 199 yards and throws 1 TD to zero interceptions. The Corks also win the game 38-3 over the Redskins. Chicago currently lead the division at 6-5, so the playoffs aren't out of the question yet. A 41-10 loss in Minnesota does not help matters. Two more losses take us out of consideration and we end up 6-10 and out of the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. The first time since 2022-2023 that this has happened in Champaign.

Philadelphia routs Miami in Super Bowl XXXX, 30-3.

Key Stats

QB Jack Kipp 148-268-7-1929 10 TDs 79.6 Rtg
QB Victor KRagen 128-229-8-1345 9 TDs 71.6 Rtg
RB Frank Van Pelt 354-1710 15 TDs
WR Colin Rivers 68-931 3 TDs
WR Jesse Albert 50-807 4 TDs
WR Danny Alexander 41-491 1 TD
WR Paul Beyer 36-402 3 TDs
TE Lawrence Utley 27-236 2 TDs
K Carlton Kreklow 23-25 FG 48 Lg
P Arnie Newsome 38.2 Avg 26 In20
DE Tracy Alston 29 T 10 A 8.5 Sacks 4 Blk 5 Hurr
DE Thurman Paeth 27 T 6 A 8.0 Sacks 1 Blk 8 Hurr
DT Lamar Marsh 28 T 19 A 4.5 Sacks 3 Blk 1 Hurr
DT Bo Phenix 26 T 9 A 5.0 Sacks 2 Blk 1 Hurr
LB Patrick Upshaw 90 T 33 A 1 INT 9 Dfns
LB Winston Giles 84 T 34 A 5 Dfns
LB Quentin Page 71 T 29 A
CB Ronald Vazquez 38 T 6 A 4 Dfns 20.5 PDQ
CB Mercury Mahoney 34 T 14 A 5 INTs 6 Dfns 38.2 PDQ
CB Cole Reeves 34 T 3 A 3 Dfns 18.2 PDQ
FS Vernon Jurevicius 91 T 19 A 5 INTs 3 Dfns 29.8 PDQ
SS Eugene Lilly 62 T 21 A 3 INTs 7 Dfns 30.3 DPQ
LT Terry Ramon 36.0 BPct 5 SkA
LG Xavier Hastings 30.7 BPct 4 SkA
C Levon West 37.5 BPct 7 SkA
RG Derek Mason 32.4 BPct 9 SKA
RT Isaac Wayne 37.0 BPct 6 SkA

NFL Awards

NFL MVP: Lincoln Marsh, AUS
OFF POY: Frank Van Pelt, CHM
DEF POY: Jim Amundson, GBY
OFF ROY: Jeff Burks, DAL
DEF ROY: Donnell Baxter, BUF

RB Frank Van Pelt, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and All-Pro 1st Team
LT Terry Ramon All-Pro 2nd Team