IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen [Archive] - Page 5 - Front Office Football Central

MIJB#19

08-11-2005, 06:05 AM

Merchantmen Hire New Defensive Coordinator
The closet is getting cleaned from dead bodies, the Merchantmen seem to have big plans for next season. Just a day after replacing their lead scout they hired Thomas Dotson as their new defensive coordinator, despite having Bernie Hicks still signed multiple years. Hicks was suprised by the news, but in the meantime said his wife was relieved so they can move back to the USA. Dotson was smiling ear to ear and called this a great opportunity. Is this the last personnel change in Maassluis?

Thomas Dotson is new in the IHOF and makes the second unproven signing by te Merchantmen for their staff this off-season. General manager M.IJ.B. explained: "Bernie Hicks has done a tremendous job here. He's made our linebackers group so much better. I doubt Bernie Surry and Mike Kershner would have been the players they are now without him. But Hicks is mainly a linebackers guy, we needed someone who can teach our defensive backs and linemen something new."

Linebacker Carl Meier responded on behalf of the players and said he was shocked. Meier: "I didn't see it coming. We know the team tried to replace Hicks last off-season and he looked disappointed by it. He took it professionally and I think we've had our good streak of games in the second half of the season. But I guess the management wanted a fresh guy."

Thomas Dotson himself looked happy: "Great opportunity. I'm gonna work with a talented group of defensive players. Charles Gomez and Cody Cluff are big names around the league, Bernie Surry's star is rising. The secondary is solid, the defensive line is good and the linebackers group one of the best in the league. And with the promissed changes in the offense, we should be able to build a top 5 defense here."

Bernie Hicks commented on the situation with disappointment: "Last season they talked me into staying around. I decided to stick around for a third season, but now they ditch me for a 55-year old." The 68-year old Hicks had only one good thing to tell: "The mss. Hicks has been homesick from the start. She never liked the Netherlands and this probably means we can head back to Georgia. We had a good living in Tucker and like it there. But maybe some other team might come around. I believe the Merchantmen management has been dropping my name around the league. I got to give them credits for that, but I'm still not amused. I think I helped a lot with building a strong defense in Maassluis."

The Merchantmen management said they were not done replacing faces: "We are still watching out for upgrades everywhere. Leroy Van Der Woude and Antonio Francis have been doing a great job, but they should be warned now." Leroy Van Der Woude heard the rumors about the Merchantmen trying to hire North Plainfield Plague headcoach Matthew Van Pelt, but said he feels comfortable in Maassluis. Van Der Woude: "Sure, Van Pelt has a ring on each hand, but who says we can't copy that? 2009 and 2010 will be our years."

MIJB#19

08-11-2005, 07:11 AM

General Manager Notes
Two down...

Yeah, I leave it at that. A new lead scout and a new defensive coordinator give us the freedom to move on. Our old staff members were getting, well, old. Our new members have a good reputation in the areas we need.

Our roster is still the same and there are no trades done. We're working the phone lines to get an offensive tackle right now. The plan was to get Wilson Grimaldo back after the Vicksburg Vipers put him on the trade block, but they took an offer from Paris Musketeers. I let Vicksburg know my offer still stands in case the Musketeers can't find the cap room for Grimaldo, which isn't all unlikely. Paris is currently $24 million over the cap. And I'm still looking around, talks have started, but nothing is sure yet.

The potential trade of defensive tackle Charles Gomez is still on hold. I'm going to wait until free agency officially starts and until the draft class is revealed. On further review it seems that trading Gomez won't be a good salary cap move, so if I make that move, we need to get significantly big compensation. The departure of defensive tackle Andrew Rasmussen is more likely right now, but then, I could use the cap space that Gomez is eating up for contract extensions with quarterback Louie Flannery and left tackle Ivan Jacques.

I'm not getting any biters on the players we put up for potential trade so far, except for the quarterbacks Thad Pilkington and Justin McDavid duo. Both are mentors and could be useful to a team with a young new playcaller. I'm not expecting anything to happen there, unless I get a blow-me-away offer.As far as I can tell, we're headed into free agency with the same 54 players as we had the past season.

The draft is going to be tricky. Yours truly has some important stuff to do in the weekend of the draft. :rolleyes: That means that for drafting purpose I'd need either a replacement or a very good idea on who to get. That means exesive preperation for the draft, despite holding only one draft pick in the middle of the third round. A pick I'm even trying to trade to get a couple of fifth round picks. Besides, where should we add a rookie or two? The only options I see are quarterback (due to our mentors), the secondary (we can't have too little zone defenders) and offensive tackle (do we really need another project player who will never reach his potential?

Renegotiations day is coming up and that day will be crucial to our plans. Most likely I'm going to be doing more important stuff that day. :rolleyes: That means it's going to be a very important to make sure the players we have are going to be willing to take a little cut in their salary figure to get rid of the $5.07 million red figures on the salary cap balance.

On a side note, the 2008 season was pretty succesful in some areas afterall. The attendence grew into 73,500 spectators per game, which is higher than in the past two season and the second highest figure in the league. Our bank balance was also good. Me made over $26.5 million in the 2008 season, which was an increase of over $23 million compared to 2007. The change was mostly to be found in the income area. Tickets revenue went up about $10 million, while suite revenue went up about $7.5 million. That all helped to make the franchise value increase to $593 million, making the Maassluis Merchantmen the tenth highest valued team in the IHOF. Not bad if you ask me...

Expect me to be pretty lazy this off-season though. I just want this team to stick together and see how far the cohesion in the team can bring us the coming two seasons. After that it may be rebuilding mode a bit, but we'll be able to manage it. We've come a far way from being 1-15 to being two-time European champs, but we're not gonna drop hard back to the cellar dwellars that easily, right? Right!? And then I quickly realize it happened to the Orlando Knights, who went from lock for the playoffs to six wins combined in the past two seasons. The tide can turn fast and with our nickname, we should be prepared for heavy storm...

Alf

08-11-2005, 10:17 AM

Just so you all know, MIJB as set the over-under at 5 on the numbers of trades done this offseason.

MIJB#19

08-11-2005, 10:32 AM

Just so you all know, MIJB as set the over-under at 5 on the numbers of trades done this offseason.That can't be stressed enough I guess.

MIJB#19

08-14-2005, 01:49 PM

Merchantmen Back In Healthy Cap Situation
After a big number of renegotiations with players, the Maassluis Merchantmen are back under the $93 million salary cap. By restructuring the contracts of 32 players, the team went from about $5 million over to $5.4 million under the cap and still the same 54 players signed. Rumors of Charles Gomez being traded and the success of the team the past two seasons have been rumored to be te key elements in the size of the list of names with renegotiated contracts. The Merchantmen now hope to build the roster up to 60 players and hope to add 10 rookies for training camp to challenge the stars.

Despite the healthier cap situation and a full roster signed, the Merchantmen are still not happy. General manager M.IJ.B. explains: "We guaranteed the services of the enitre team through 2010, but after that the team is bound to fall apart. The contracts of some key players like Louie Flannery, Ivan Jacques and Jim Reiser are going to end after 2010 and we need to extend their deals. We hope that Tai Wayne and Lincoln Gilmore set the trend with their signature under a much longer deal."

Upcoming is free agency and the draft, but 2009 doesn't seem to be the Merchantmen's season in those areas. The Merchantmen have little pressing needs aside from a backup offensive tackle. The search for one might end soon as the team has been busy talking trade with several teams. In the draft the team has one draft pick at #79 overall. It could mean the Merchantmen will be quiet in the draft, however everbody knows they always trade up or back into the draft. M.IJ.B.: "Not this season, we have other stuff to do, like figuring out how to get this team together past 2010 and how to improve our game plan."

MIJB#19

08-14-2005, 02:04 PM

Merchantmen Trade For Tackle Louis Bell
Louis Bell was today announced as the newest addition of the Maassluis Merchantmen organization. Bell is coing over from the Paris Musketeers in a trade. The Merchantmen give up a third round pick in 2009 and 2010 and get a fifth rounder in the 2010 season. Bell should address the Merchantmen's pressing need for a backup tackle, preferrably left tackle. The move has several interesting notes too.

The official papers haven't been run through the league office, but the Merchantmen management is confident the trade will be done. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We're hoping to sign Louie Flannery to a nice contract extension tomorrow, so that has a preference, but with $5 million of cap room we should be able to manage it." On the addition of Bell: "Bell will give us an upgrade over Harold Hurtado as our premier tackle backup. Hurtado will battle it out with Brian Hammond at guard. I'm confident this move will help us over the run of a season."

The trade brings up several interesting tidbits. First of all, the Merchantmen and Musketeers are clearly rivals, but apparently that is no issue. M.IJ.B.: "Paris is in cap trouble and in a dead lock situation. They needed to trade Bell to be able to absorb the salary of Wilson Grimaldo, if they couldn't, Grimaldo could have possibly traded to us. In the end getting Bell could be better for the long term situation, but short term Grimaldo could have been nice."

Louis Bell was unavailable for comment, but it seems he understands the situation and it should be common sense to expect him to be interested in playing for a rival of a team that gave up on him. Bell wanted to wait until the trade is official.

MIJB#19

08-15-2005, 01:44 PM

General Manager Notes
Quick Update!

Yes, only a quick update, because with 54 players signed, 1 draft pick and being 5M under the cap, we don't have a lot to do. Or do we?

Today we extended the contracts of nine players. Most prominent was the deal for Louie Flannery, who said yes to a $21.15 million deal. The other imported players with new deals are receiver Bryce Ewald, cornerback Winford Endicott, defensive ends Omar Gougeon and Erwin Baranowski, and linebacker Bernie Surry.

Our roster figure went up to 56 today as two new players arrived. Linebacker Omar Carpenter joins us as a free agent and will get training camp and maybe pre-season to prove he's worth a roster spot. We are still working the phones with several other players and hope to add a couple more free agents before the draft starts.

Left tackle Louis Bell is our second addition. The fans may remeber seeing Bell in a Paris Musketeers uniform, protecting Mario Hudson or 'The Great' Lumpkin. In four seasons, Bell played 56 games, started 53 of those, made 49 key run blocks and allowed 32 sacks. That sack figure looks a bit big, but given Paris' pass oriented offense and Bell's significantly better stats in 2008, he seems to be the perfect backup offensive tackle.

Our 2009 draft situation has gone to zero picks in the pocket now. The trade that brings us Bell also costs us the 3.17 pick we had. Despite that, I'm preperring three draft day trades to get three players I want to see in a Merchantmen uniform next season. I feel it is a football team's duty to pick up rookies, despite my desire to stick this team together through the 2010 season.

After the draft we will add up to 70 players for training camp and see where we get from there. For once, the off-season can't be over soon enough for me. The 2009 season will be tough and we're going to need our team to be fully focussed. There is another trade in the works, which would move one of our backups out for another team's backup player. That player might not even make our 53-men roster, but he should survive pre-season and stick around in case of injuries to one of our players at the same position.

Let's see what the future will bring us...

MIJB#19

08-16-2005, 04:12 PM

Merchantmen Make Little Trade
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at their trend of doing little trades. Today they announced the acquisition of cornerback Adrian Wynn from the Miami Sharks in exchange for guard Jasper Call. Second year pro Wynn is on a two-year contract and expected to battle for a roster spot in pre-season with other secondary players. Call's role in Maassluis looked done after the team acquired left tackle Louis Bell and hadn't been able to extend the aged veteran Call's contract at the end of the 2008 season.

MIJB#19

08-18-2005, 04:15 PM

Merchantmen Sign Two To Boost Backfield
The Maassluis Merchantmen today presented two new faces to the team. Running back Winfred Hartfield and fullback Robert Watkins put their signatures under one-year deals to make them wear the orange-white-and-blue jerseys during training camp and maybe even longer. Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude was happy to hear the hiring of the two players, who will battle for a regular season roster spots in the pre-season. The Merchantmen roster is now up to 58 players and with two players being offered contrats looks ready for pre-season already.

Winfred Hartfield is the oldest of the two new faces. Hartfield will turn 32 midway the 2009 season. He played running back for the Telluride Outlaws the past three seasons. In 2006 he made his mark with 8 starts in 16 games. He ran for 492 yards and 4 scores that season to highlight his best year. Last season he didn't play a down on offense, however he was active most of the season to mentor the other running backs. Hartfield returns to Europe after having left Orlando for Paris during the 2005 season following activity in 16 games in 2004. For Paris, Hartfield ran 7 times for 48 yards in Oranje Haven, marking his only activity in Maassluis before.

Robert Watkins is joining his second European time in his pro football career. The 26-year old fullback was active in all 16 games for the Gothenburg Giants the past season. Gothenburg was Watkins' third team in the IHOF. He started his career with the Anaheim Matterhorns in 2004 and then was active in all their games for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. IN 2007, Watkins joined the Orlando Knights, but didn't see much on field action. His career highlight is a 1-yard touchdown pass he made for the Gothenburg Giants. That score ironically came versus the Maassluis Merchantmen in a 12-23 loss at Oranje Haven.

Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude looked happy by the addition of the two players. "We seen them both do good things in our house and the fans should get to know them soon enough. We expect Hartfield to take a good role of mentorship on him in pre-season. Guys like Kyle Montoya and Scot Bagley can use that. Watkins will battle with Henry Poston for the backup job at fullback, which could be a close one. Poston will get pre-season to once and for all show he's that great receiver we thought he would be."

Despite the signings adding up to 58 players under contract, the Merchantmen are still talking with two other players for addition as free agents. General manager M.IJ.B. was clear about the names: "Left tackle Alfonso King spent the 2008 pre-season on our roster and we were happy with his performance. We will give him another shot at making the 53-men roster, but his main role will be to mentor Louis Bell and Norman Holliday." The other option is a big name receiver. M.IJ.B.: "We are in the market for big-play receiver George Riendeau. He's received our upgraded offer and has to decide what to do. I think our offer is good, but might not be the best. If we can get him, that would be great for Louie Flannery, but we know the current receivers corps can get it done if he doesn't."

MIJB#19

08-19-2005, 06:06 AM

Merchantmen Prepare For Draft Without Picks
The Maassluis Merchantmen are getting ready for draft day. But isn't that strange, they have no draft picks left and the general manager has been vocal about being unavailable to attend the draft area. Indeed, but the management did prepare and there might be some rookies joining the Merchantmen in time for training camp. Read on to find out about the Merchantmen's draft day plans. General manager M.IJ.B. explains what's going on.

First of all, the team has no picks, but does the team have any prospects they want to get? M.IJ.B.: "We do. We've scouted this year's class and noticed several interesting players. There are three players on our list, no more, no less. I won't give too much details on two of them, but I will on the third. We scouted cornerback Bryce Foster and I must say, I like him. But after Adrina Wynn arrived and ourt ongoing trade talks to add a seventh cornerback, Foster can only make it if he goes undrafted."

But who are the two other players? Are there positions and how would the team acquire them? M.IJ.B.: "We're the masters of trade. You'll know were always working the phones. In fact, the two players we have our eyes on will be acquired, if they fall a bit in the draft. I agreed terms with two other owners in the IHOF to have them draft the player we want (at a pick of their choice) and us then trading for him. The league office will be informed so the trades can be confirmed in a timely fashion."

So, the Merchantmen have two trades set up and thus hope to land those two players and cornerback Bryce Foster. Are there more players of interest? M.IJ.B.: "Sure there will be, but the three guys we listed now are top priorities. The rest depends on post draft availability. We didn't hire a scout for offensive linemen for nothing. We'll probably hire a guy or two to challenge Norman Holliday, Harold Hurtado and Louis Bell for the backup spots. We're also always looking for defensive backs, linebackers, a fourth quarterback and wide receivers. Tha last position could be a need area if we lose the bidding war on George Riendeau. I expect that our offer won't stand as best, so it's a need area too."

Okay, the Merchantmen seem to be ready afterall. Is there anything else to mention? M.IJ.B.: "I'll give the names of the five players I will think be the steals of the draft. They will be: left tackle Amos Bradford from Kent, running back Jessie Vielma from Southern California, cornerback Trent Orchard from South Dakota State, tight end Harold Halverson from Ball State and defensive end Wally Mattingly from Central Florida. Write these names down, fans."

MIJB#19

08-20-2005, 10:11 PM

Merchantmen Trade To Pick Quarterback Josh Webb
The Maassluis Merchantmen have hired a new quarterback. On draft day, the Maassluis Merchantmen have swapped their 2011 second round pick for this year's 21st overall pick in the second round with the Ann Arbor Anachronism. Josh Webb is the new face and the team hopes he can be a #2 quarterback in the future after being mentored by the infamous quarterbacks Justin McDavid and Thad Pilkington. In a quick respons, the Merchantmen management called Webb: "He's was our top priority to get. We wanted to pick a young passer who we can develop into a nice reserve or even future starter." They also hinted about this not being their last trade, so keep your eyes open for more surprises.

MIJB#19

08-21-2005, 10:43 AM

Merchantmen Trade To Pick Running Back Jesse Vielma
For the second year in a row, the Maassluis Merchantmen have drafted a running back. In a quick trade, the Merchantmen traded their 2011 third round pick for the 3.26 pick and gave a 2010 fourth round pick for a 2011 sixth round pick to the Anaheim Visigoths. Jesse Vielma is the name of the running back they hired. Vielma played his college football at Southern California. Vielma was rated as a top 10 running back in this draft class. His specialties are his elusiveness, his kickoff return ability and his receiving skills. Rumors are the Merchantmen management will ask Vielma to move to wide receiver and turn out in camp at that position.

MIJB#19

08-21-2005, 02:17 PM

Merchantmen Trade To Pick Defensive End Wally Mattingly
And they strike again. Defensive end Wally Mattingly was added to the Maassluis Merchantmen roster after a draft day trade. The Maassluis Merchantmen send a 2010 third round pick to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums for the #104 overall selection. Mattingly was quoted saying: "It'll be great to join the Merchantmen!" Defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson said he was looking forward to Mattingly joining the team: "It's going to be great to have five sack machines to choose from. If Mattingly shows up in camp, he may challenge the starters."

MIJB#19

08-22-2005, 05:47 AM

Press Release: Merchantmen End Succesful 2009 Draft
The Maassluis Merchantmen management is happy to announce that the 2009 draft was a success. With the selection of quarterback Josh Webb, running back Jesse Vielma and defensive end Wally Mattingly, the team has acquired three players from the list of five players to get. The team will soon start negotiating term with the rookies and prepare for training camp.

Quarterback Josh Webb was selected in the second round, 53rd overall. Webb played his college football at Texas A&M, at the Commerce department. Webb is expected to challenge Justin McDavid and Thad Pilkington for the backup role in 2009. Hopes are that Webb will be ready to do backup duties in 2011. General manager M.IJ.B. about Webb: "Our scouting staff told us Webb was in potential the third best quarterback in the class. His skills reminded them of a younger version of Thad Pilkington, which made it easier to pick him. We hoped to get him in the fourth round, but in the end we picked him a bit higher and are happy about it."

Running back Jesse Vielma was the second addition. The Southern California graduate was selected in the third round, 90th overall. Vielma stood out at the scouting combine in the agility test. Vielma might be moved to wide receiver to fill a pressing need there, even though the running game has been the team's weakest element in 2008. General manager M.IJ.B. about Vielma: "We didn't have Vielma on our initial list of four names, but after we saw he was still there, we decided to trade back in. Vielma looks like a potentially good wide receiver and also brings kick returning skills."

Defensive end Wally Mattingly was the third and last addition. Mattingly played at Central Florida. At 6'8" and 285 lbs., Mattingly is one of the biggest defensive ends of this class. Mattingly is the fourth defensive end drafted by the Merchantmen in four consecutive drafts. General manager M.IJ.B. about Mattingly: "We have drafted defensive ends more often than not, but we just had to take him. Mattingly was the best defensive end in the draft in our book. Getting him in the fourth round is a steal and we'll be happy to give him playing time next season."

The other two players the Merchantmen hoped to get were drafted by other teams. Linebacker Gino Gaylor was picked by the Columbus Architects in the third round, while conrerback Bryce Foster was picked in the fifth round by the Anaheim Visigoths. General manager M.IJ.B.: "We gave up on Foster after trading for Adrian Wynn in the off-season. Gaylor would have been a great replacement for Josh Weisberg or Ellsworth Thelen, who is still on our trading block. But in the end we should be fine with the players we wanted."

The preperations for traning camp are not over yet in the minds of the Merchantmen management. General manager M.IJ.B.: "The plan is to have 70 players signed when heading into training camp. With our draft picks and the addition of cornerback Melvin Shelton we have room for seven new players. Expect them to be rookies who should be picked up after the draft as undrafted free agents. Our scouting department is working on it and should come up with about suitable players for our team soon enough."

MIJB#19

08-23-2005, 04:26 AM

Irregular Interviewing: Al Bettis and Charlie Martins
Football is a team sport. In the International House of Football teams consistent of 53 players, of which 46 are active on gameday. All have their roles, whether they are big or small. But the Maassluis Merchantmen have two players with very specific roles on the team. Today we'll have a double interview with the Merchantmen's two least know players: kickoff kicker Al Bettis and longsnapper Charlie Martins.

Questioner (Q): Today, we're interviewing two Merchantmen players with a role on special teams. Both seem to be a lock to make the 53-men regular season roster, still not many fans can match their names and numbers. So, Charlie Martins, what's your jersey number and what's your role on the team?
Charlie Martins (CM): I play with 84. My position is tight end, but usually my only task on the field is long snapping.

Q: And since this is a double interview, we have a second guest. Al Bettis, what are your task and which number should the fans match you with?
Al Bettis (AB): My football position is kicker. Usually I only handle kickoffs, but if Cary Coles gets hurt, I will do the field goal and extra point kicking as well. My jersey number is eight.

Q: Charlie, you two are playing in a limited role on the Merchantmen team. Do you two feel as much responsible for the back to back European division titles?
CM: I can only speak for myself, but I've been around for four years with this team and it's fun to be here. We're really a team and this organization cares about the special teams unit. I feel appreciated and part of all success we had so far.

Q: A year or two ago, the team traded in center Christian Reichel, a guy who was also a good longsnapper, didn't that hurt?
CM: Well, I was surprised at first, but later on realised the team did it because they really care about the role I play. Which team keeps two longsnappers around? Some teams even think they can get away with guys who never made it their specialty.

Q: Al, like Charlie your role is limited. How's the chemistry with the rest of the team?
AB: We've got a great group of players. You can see the core has been together for pretty long now.

Q: But do you feel like being part of the team?
AB: I sure do. Everybody knows what my role is. The guys thank me if I can get a touchback or manage to give the gunners enough time to tackle the kickoff returner in his own red zone.

Q: What the fans probably don't know is how you two joined the team. You two have both been undrafted free agent additions. Charlie, what was it like to join the team that way?
CM: Well, during the draft it didn't seem like teams were showing interest. My agent kept telling me I was a top ten tight end in the draft and should keep faith. In the end it kept me focussed, I kept working out. And then, just before training camp, I heard the Merchantmen were interested.

Q: How'd you feel about it?
CM: Well, you have to know, at that point the Merchantmen were the league doormat. The were coming off a horrible 1-15 season. But they were quickly building a team and when they told me they wanted me to be their longsnapper for years to come, I was amazed. You got to see, at that point Jerry Aubrey was still with the team. He was coming of All IHOF first team honors and did dthe long snapping as well.

Q: It turned out to be Aubrey's last season, while you have been around for four seasons now. You missed only one game and even made some plays for the team.
CM: Well, it's my job to work hard for the team. We've come a long way and try to keep improving year after year. We've been told we're going to have the toughest schedule in years. I say: "Bring it on".

Q: Al, you joined the team a season later than Charlie, how'd your first step in the IHOF go?
AB: Unlike Charlie, my agent told me I should expect much in pro football. I think I wasn't even in the top ten of kickers. But then, during the sixth ot seventh round, my agent called me. He told me one team was interested in me as kickoff kicker.

Q: How'd you react? Were you disappointed?
AB: To be honest, at first I was. You want to do all there is in the job and making that crucial last second game winning field goal is every kicker's dream.

Q: What happened when you were introduced to the other special teams guys?
AB: Cary Coles immediately stepped up to me and wished me to do well with the team. Coles had been told we were going to share the load and we would both make the team. It was weird in a way, I was used to doing it all at Mississippi, but we talked about it and Cary said wed manage it.

Q: And you two haven't looked back since.
AB: Yeah. The management has given me the opportunity to do points-duty in pre-season and in a road game at the Boulder Blizzard. I still remember that game as we were actually playing in some kind of blizzard. It was cold and a bizar environment.

Q: Okay, we now know a bit more about how you two joined the team. Do you two feel that the undrafted rookie free agent is undervalued?
CM: Well, that depends. Myron Stevens is the only other guy who joined the team as "URFA".
AB: I agree with Charlie, we both got lucky with having our specialty. It's that kind of guys who have a shot. Myron Stevens got lucky because the team was addapting to a zone defense and Myron had played that a lot in college.

Q: Okay, so, since you two think it's only possible for players with a specialty to join the league as "URFA", do you two have somebody in mind?
CM: Well, I have my money on Winston Van Pelt. Tha guy has been in the news a bit in Maassluis, with his Dutch name and all. I hear he's a guy like me, sorta.
AB: I think you should be worried, Charlie, that kid might steal your job.

Q: Al, did you see any kickoff guy kickers in this class?
AB: I think Kurt Lyon has a shot. The guy played with Notre Dame and might luck into kickoff duties somewhere.
CM: Well, that guy has an accurate leg too. I heard he was the most efficient extra points kicker in the entire class of 2009. I think you should be worried, Al.

Q: You two seem to be up to date a bit, what do you guys think of the three rookies the Merchantmen drafted?
CM: Well, what's jumping out to me is how both Josh Webb and Jesse Vielma are special teams guys. I hear Webb did a lot for his college football team. He might be the new holder.
AB: I think Webb could do that, but it's no guarantee with Louie Flannery doing a good holding job. I personally like Vielma's kickoff returning skills. I heard he's one of the best return guys of the class of 2009.

Q: Looking a bit further, do you two expect the three rookies to make the team?
CM: Well, rookies used to be a lock here, but we all know how all went with Brendan Henderson and Doug Nelson.
AB: Yeah, Henderson was released after training camp and what happened to Nelson? Wasn't he released mid-season?
CM: Well, I think he was.

Q: Enough about the draft. Training camp is coming up. Do you two expect some surprise releases after camp?
AB: I do. Henderson was a surprise last season. We've all been kept up to date about the recent roster moves. With the rookies, the team has 63 names. It's not going to be easy to make the final 53-men roster.

Q: Long time punter Roscoe Corrales looks like the odd man in the punting duel.
CM: Well, Roscoe has been a good punter. Roscoe is popular with the fans and that can help. But Sean (Smalley) has been impressive in the two games he played.
AB: Roscoe has a super hang time, but Sean has a powerful leg. It's going to be an interesting battle in pre-season, providing they get that battle.

Q: What about the four quarterbacks?
CM: Well, we all know the management is openly advertising they want to trade either Justin McDavid or Thad Pilkington.
AB: I hope they both stay. Justin is a charter member of the team. And Thad is Thad. He's got an interesting image around the league, but with reason. Thad is an interesting player. Try finding a better quarterback for a short passing game, you'll have a hard time finding one.

Q: But Josh Webb has been added to the team as a second round pick.
CM: Well, the media is already expecting him to bust. The Merchantmen have fallen victim to the second round pick curse that haunts the IHOF.
AB: I don't believe those ghost stories. But it is a fact that all second round picks in Maassluis have struggled a bit. Only Shaun Shiroma broke the curse with his defensive player of the week honors in the playoffs.

Q: The playoffs, thanks for bringing those up Al. What are your expectations for 2009? Al?
AB: It's going to be a tough season. We hear Paris is getting better, but it's always a questionmark how much better they really get. Getting Wilson Grimaldo back is huge for them.
CM: Well, Paris hasn't lived up to the hype before. Gothenburg is clearly rebuilding. And Bordeaux is in cap trouble I hear. That should be great to be in a position to win the division for the third time.

Q: How many games will the Merchantmen win and how deep into the playoff will you guys get?
AB: Ten wins is our goal. I don't think we can sneak into the post-season with nine wins this season. In the playoffs, we'll show we can beat any team. I hope we can return to the AOC championship game.
CM: Well, I'm aiming a bit higher. I say we go 12-4 and go to IHOF Bowl VI. One can dream, no?

Q: Okay guys, thanks for your time, it's time to see the last few picks in the draft unfold.
CM: Well, it was all my pleasure.
AB: What "C." said, all his pleasure.

Q: Good luck guys!

MIJB#19

08-23-2005, 11:09 AM

Fans Vote Charles Gomez Player Of The Year
Charles Gomez was the fans' choice as Merchantmen Player Of The Year over the 2008 season. In an internet poll, defensive tackle Gomez was one of nine candidates and won the voting with an overwhelming margin. Gomez received 64 percent of the votes, beating linebacker Bernie Surry and quarterback Louie Flannery, who came in second and third.

Gomez was happy with the honors: "It's always nice when the fans appreciate you. Getting All IHOF honors is nice, but if the fans like you, that's what really counts. It was a long and exciting season. I hope I can live up to the expectations the fans have now." Gomez received a 3D replica of the Merchantmen logo painted in the team colors and sealed in a glas jar.

The vote of confidence comes as a welcome booster to the team. The defensive players reacted shocked after hearing rumors the team would trade Charles Gomez away. General manager M.IJ.B. denies the rumors: "Gomez is the anchorman of our defense. Yes, we opted to trad him and had feelers with many teams. In the end we found out the cap trouble would be worse when trading him. And aside from that, most teams interested were playoff teams from our conference, teams we don't want to improve through trade."

MIJB#19

08-24-2005, 06:30 AM

General Manager Notes
Worst draft ever...

Okay, I got to be honest, I liked the three guys we picked, but things don't look as bright after our scouting staff took a closer look to the players. I'm not shocked to hear QB Josh Webb isn't as good as advertised. We're used to that with quarterbacks. RB Jesse Vielma was downgraded more significantly and all of a sudden isn't so sure of making the 60-men pre-season roster, let alone the 53-men regular season roster. DE Wally Mattingly's potential was downgraded too, but in potential he's still ranked higher than all the other defensive linemen, except Charles Gomez. He'll survive, no question about it.

Changes in numbers:
pst dr - pr dr - chng - player
11/50 . 11/54 . 00/-4 . QB Josh Webb
24/36 . 24/42 . 00/-6 . RB Jesse Vielma
19/45 . 19/48 . 00/-3 . DE Wally Mattingly

What's next? We're going to sign seven free agents. Rookies and former restricted free agents, get your cell phones ready, we're going to hire seven of you for training camp! Seriously, we're going to give seven kids a shot at making our pre-season roster, but there isn't much more hope for them. Just face it, we've got 63 players signed once we signed the rookies to their contracts, we'll have to say goodbye to upto 10 players anyway soon!

For those wanting to know who the suspects are for leaving, they are:

QB Thad Pilkington - He could be traded to be battling for a #1 role elsewhere and/or to mentor a youngster elsewhere.

QB Justin McDavid - I love this guy, but he's no qb who will win games for us, simple. He's still a mentor though, so he could stay or leave to mentor a youngster somewhere.

QB Josh Webb - He has to show up in camp and pre-season or face getting released or traded soon. I know, he was a second round pick, but that's no guarantee to make the team.

RB Kyle Montoya - With the addition of Jesse Vielma, either as receiver or back, Montoya's time looks done with us.

RB Scott Bagley - If Vielma turns out to be better han Bagley as a back, we might go on without our backup kickoff returner. Yes, it's possible.

RB Winfred Hartfield - If somebody is definately going to leave the team it's Hartfield. We hired him to mentor our youngsters in training camp and pre-season, but the only way he makes our team after that is on injured reserve.

FB Robert Watkins - We need a backup fullback, but Watkins will have to step up to show he's that backup we want to have.
FB Henry Poston - Had he been a wide receiver, he'd been starting for a year or two now, but he's a fullback and has to show he can block and run. His potential won't bail him out this time to make the team as inactive guy.

C Heath Ferebee - I know we have only two centers, I truely want to keep one, but Ferebee is complaining and we can't use that.

G Brian Hammond - He's not likely to go, but if he does, it's in a trade to mentor youngsters elsewhere.

LT Harold Hurtado - What? Good Old Harry is likely gone? Yes, he is, the only way he makes the roster is as OL leader and potential backup guard.

RT Norman Holliday - No way back for Norman, it's do or die. Show up in camp and pre-season and you might survive the roster cuts.

LT Alfonso King - Welcome back, Fonzie. He should know he's only here to mentor Holliday and new guy Louis Bell through pre-season.

P Roscoe Corrales - We've drafted his replacement and only the kid's unwillingness to sign a contract kept us from releasing Corrales a season ago.

P Sean Smalley - Smalley will have to show he's been worth that second round pick, or face being released soon.

DE Aaron Sherrill - We have only four spots for defensive ends I fear and our 2007 starter may be the odd man in the bunch.

DT Andrew Rasmussen - The kid is soo good in potential and yet we keep him on the bench. Sorry Rasm', we'll give you a shot somewhere.

LB Omar Carpenter - Hi, welcome to the team, I hope you'll enjoy training camp with us. If you're lucky, you might play here in pre-season too.

LB Josh Weisberg - Josh the wise linebacker has been the great mentor of Bernie Surry and Mickey Kershner. We'd like to keep him, but you know, the numbers game.

LB Ellsworth Thelen - What? Elly is on the block? Yes, he is, Elly doesn't fit in our pass defense. Still, he's a great backer and will only leave in a blockbuster trade.

CB Adrian Wynn - Only recently joined the team, but he's not safe of making our roster. Thing is: he took the place of aguy who would have left us anyway.

CB Myron Stevens - No, not Myron! Yes, sadly, he could be the odd man in the big bunch.

SS Lamar Singleton - The green safety is slowly making progress. If he's lucky, he'll still be here in the 2009 regular season.

That's it for now, more news will come when the first free agency stage is over and the second free agency period starts. Keep reading. ;)

MIJB#19

08-29-2005, 05:56 AM

Merchantmen Players Report For Training Camp
Training camp 2009 is coming up. Today the Maassluis Merchantmen players reported back from their summer breaks for the upcoming training camp. The Merchantmen have a couple of days to add players and negotiate with their three draft picks, but after that the preperation for the 2009 season really begins. As the players reported at the league office, all players were taking physical tests to see whether they are in shape for the season. Some turned out okay, some turned up as disappointments.

The main talk at the physical reports was about defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma, who showed up out of shape. Early reports from the coaching staff are that Andrew Rasmussen will hop over Shiroma on the depth chart if Shiroma doesn't step up in camp. This news comes as a surprise as both Rasmussen and Charles Gomez has been put on the trading block for a couple of weeks. General manager M.IJ.B. commented: "Shiroma's lack of discipline is going to cost him dearly. Rasmussen has been waiting for this opportunity and I bet he'll step into it."

Other disappointing performances at the physical testing were by some of the older players on the team. Left tackle Harold Hurtado turned 35 this spring and didn't look like the player that once won All IHOF second team honors. But general manager M.IJ.B. still sees a role form him: "Good old Harold has been a key player. He's still the leader of the bunch and will still make the perfect backup player at left guard. However, the tackle position is out of reach now, we've hired Louis Bell to play there."

Also downgraded on the depth chart could be Randy Harris. The long time starting running back was splitting carries with Joseph Schoen last season. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Randy is still rumblin' Randy. He can get the job done, although he's clearly lost some of his speed and power. But then, he was arguably the best east-west running back in the league, he can still play that role for us."

Good news came from a couple of youngsters. Especially running back Scott Bagley and right tackle Norman Holliday were praised. But as both players will likely have to fight for their 53-men roster spots, it only kaes sense for them to work out in the spring break and show up in good shape. Holliday is still regarded the weakest of the tackles in experience and could only make the roster as fifth tackle. Bagley understands he has to focus on his kickoff return skills to make the roster. The addition of Jesse Vielma makes the competition there big.

Punter Sean Smalley was getting the biggest accolades. The second year pro was reported to have worked out hard in the off-season. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Apparently Smalley is determined to be our punter come season start. We'll be working the phones to get Roscoe Corrales a job elsewhere, because Smalley is clearly going to win this pre-season positional battle. Providing we decide to keep Corrales through pre-season."

After the physical test, the Merchantmen management made some comments on te three rookies joining the team. Quarterback Josh Webb was called "green, but servicable" and is expected to "play in pre-season and make the team as #3 quarterback". Webb was offered a four-year contract today. Running back Jesse Vielma wasn't offered a contract yet. The management asked Vielma to play wide receiver for the team and the management is waiting to hear back from the scouting staff how thatwill work out. Defensive end Wally Mattingly is expected to make the roster as fourth end. He was offered a four-year contract.

With 63 players signed, including the three unsigned rookies, the Merchantmen have seven roster spots open for training camp. The management has been working the phones to send out offers to seven free agents. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We're eyeing four rookies who could make our pre-season roster if they stand out in camp. Aside from them, we've also made offers to three veterans who can battle for backup roles."

On the question whether Dutch named tight end Winston Van Pelt would be offered a contract, M.IJ.B. said: "We've been talking with him, that's all you need to know." The Merchantmen are said to be happy about long snapper Charlie Martins, but some sources claim the team is looking to the rookie to take over as third tight end and long snapper. Charlie Martins was recently quoted saying: "I have my money on Winston Van Pelt. [Van Pelt] has been in the news a bit in Maassluis. I hear he's a guy like me." In a couple of days, we'll know who the 70 names for training camp are.

MIJB#19

08-30-2005, 07:19 AM

Merchantmen Sign Three Rookies
Surrounded by journalists and cameras, the Maassluis Merchantmen yesterday announced the signing of three rookies to the Merchantmen roster. Second round pick Josh Webb, fourth round pick Wally Mattingly and undrafted free agent Gene Dewit were presented in their new orange-white-and-blue jerseys. Third round pick Jesse Vielma will be offered a contract today, while six other free agents, including some rookies have been approached to fill out the 70-men training camp roster.

Quarterback Josh Webb looked happy when he put his signature and received the #4 jersey. Webb: "I'm thrilled to be picked by the Merchantmen and look forward to working with Justin McDavid. He's from Utah, just like me, and played college ball in Texas, just like me." Asked about the small age gap, Webb wasn't worried about it: "McDavid has been doing great things. His comebacks... I couldn't keep it dry when he was announced starting against Asheville last season. Me and my roommate cried when he threw that second touchdown, it was so intens. Just wow."

Wally Mattingly had different reasons to be wanting to go to Maassluis. Mattingly: "If been a follower of Wally 'World' Wilcox." Mattingly was offered to play with Wilcox' #99, but he turned it down and decided to play with #70, saying: "It wouldn't be smart to set high expectations." Mattingly is expected to play the kind of role Wilcox had in his one season in Maassluis. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "Wally will start as one of the guys in the rotation. If he plays well, he might become a starter. I hope he'll listen well to 'Big Al' (Albert Bernardo) to learn the tricks of the game."

Gene Dewit was a bit of a surprise signing. Dewit received offers from two teams and decided to pick Maassluis over Gothenburg. Dewit: "I know it will be a tough competition here to make the pre-season roster, but I will work hard and hope I get a shot. Plus, given my roots, playing in the Netherlands looked cooler to me." Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude claimed that Dewit has a serious shot at making the pre-season roster: "The scouting staff rates Dewit as being a future starter in our system. He's still got a lot to learn, but we've given guys like Myron Stevens and Omar Gougeon time too, look where they are now."

The other news in Maassluis was surrounding Jesse Vielma. He was drafted as being a running back, but the Merchantmen management decided Vielma should fit in as a wide receiver. Vielma is trying to addapt to it and the team is going to offer him a contract today. General manager M.IJ.B.: "We expect Jesse to fit in as our #3 receiver. High expectations? We don't draft players to be released after camp, you know. We only want guys who have a shot at making the roster."

The names of six pursued free agents leaked into the news too. Top free agent running back Dana Stenstrom tops the list of players pursued. General manager M.IJ.B.: "We expect a big competition for Stenstrom. We don't really need another running back, having four capable runners, but it's worth a try." Next on the list is center Daryl Jordon, who has been a backup with the Boston Rhinos for four seasons since being drafted in the seventh round as a rookie. Other names are tackles Steven Stanislaw and Irving Rivera, cornerback Andy Mathews and tight end Winston Van Pelt.

Alf

08-30-2005, 07:35 AM

The RB to WR move for Vielma looks like a very wise move by th GM here. At least that's what my scout says.

MIJB#19

08-30-2005, 03:22 PM

Merchantmen Sign Three Players
In a brief press conference, the Maassluis Merchantmen today presented three new players to the media. Jesse Vielma was the highly anticipated third round pick, who was said to shock the world with his receiving skills. Cornerback Andy Mathews and center Daryl Jordon complete the trio. Vielma is expected to challenge for a starting role, while the two others will be challenging for a roster spot in training camp.

Jesse Vielma, once a running back, today tagged as a wide receiver. Offensive coordinator Antonio Francis will have to do a lot, but Vielma looks to be in good hands. Francis: "Vielma is going to be the receiver we hoped to get in a long time. He'll know to get open and rack up some yardage after the catch." Vielma was still stunned by the position move, but said he is looking forward to his new position: "I hear Francis is the best coordinator in the league working with receivers. I hope I can live up to the hype."

Center Daryl Jordon is going to battle for a roster spot. Offensive coordinator Antonio Francis said: "We've got a good group of linemen, but we think Jordon can challenge Heath Ferebee for the backup role." Jordon was optimistic about his changes to make the 60-men pre-season roster: "Let's play ball and see where we get."

Cornerback Andy Mathews is the third new guy in town. Mathews played his college ball at Arkansas and has a good reputation as ballhawker. Mathews was happy about this opportunity: "Andy Weliczka tipped me. We played together at Arkansas and Andy told me I'd fit in the Merchantmen system. He prepared me to tell me the competition will be big, but I'll be ready."

The Merchantmen also received bad news as running back Dana Stenstrom turned down a one year contract. Stenstrom signed with the IHOF champions, Fairbanks NorthStars for the big money. Left tackl Irving Rivera decided to sign a contract with the Telluride Outlaws. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. said: "The Outlaws offered Rivera more guaranteed money. And to be honest, Rivera would be unlike to make our 53-men roster, while the Outlaws can give him playing time."

The Merchantmen will still try to add the roster up to 70 players. M.IJ.B. said: "We're looking at our options and offered some other players a contract. We might get lucky and convince both Winston Van Pelt and Steven Stanislaw into signing with us, as well as the two players who's names we can't give away at this time."

MIJB#19

08-30-2005, 03:33 PM

The RB to WR move for Vielma looks like a very wise move by th GM here. At least that's what my scout says.Only time will tell how smart this move was. For now, I think Vielma is making a serious chance to move into being our #3 or #4 receiver.

MIJB#19

08-31-2005, 08:48 AM

Press Release: Get Your 2009 Merchantmen Season Tickets Now!
Alright football fans, get ready for a great season. The Maassluis Merchantmen are on a mission and the stakes are high. The 2009 season won't be a success without a championship. So hurry and get your season tickets now, because Oranje Haven will be the place to see the Merchantmen face very interesting teams in the 2009 season. The usual European rivals will come to town, but there will also be the visits of the Rochester Lake Monsters, the Chesapeake Chitterlings, the San Antonio Volunteers, Frederick Red Menace and Boston Rhinos.

The first home game of the season is in week two against the Frederick Red Menace. The Menace were 13-3 last season, but once again failed under the pressure of showing their ability to win games in the playoffs. In 2009 they'll bring their usual stars like quarterback Jackie Percy and running back James Call, who are supported by one of the best offensive line in the IHOF. With cornerback Harold Worsham, middle linebacker William Nicholas and defensive tackle Lamont Volk, their defense will be a tough opponent. The Merchantmen lead the head-to-head series 1-0 after an upset win at the Menace in 2005, so expect a tough and close game.

Next up will be Futility Bowl VI. The Rochester Lake Monsters will return to Maassluis for the first time since the disaapointing playoffs exit the Merchantmen had in 2008. Quarterback Jackie Williamson saw his team improved more than ever as the Lake Monsters have gotten into win-now mode. Familair ex-Merchantmen faces will be defensive end Deon Chapa, who has become one of the best players at his position, and Amos Collins, Jackie Williamson's most loyal wide receiver. The Lake Monsters are 3-2 in head-to-head games, but the Merchantmen will be determined to tie the series.

The week after Futility Bowl VI it is the Boston Rhinos turn to visit Oranje Haven. With quarterback Robby Gonzalez passing to wide receiver David Marquis, the Rhinos will bring a threatening passing game. On defense, te likes of Francis Griffin, Barton Garcia, Richard Lozano, Emanuel Keever and Hal Kaan will be seen on their front seven to make the Merchantmen's pocket break. And with their strong offensive line they hope to keep Charles Gomez and co away from their rookie of the year running back Brian Patten.

What follows in weeks 10 and 11 will be the important home games against the two European rivals. The Bordeaux Vineyards will visit Maassluis first, the Gothenburg Giants will follow a week later. The Merchantmen have won their last four games against Bordeaux and by that time hope to be able to extend that series to six straight after a potential week one win on the road. The game against the Giants will be the first of the season and the Merchantmen hope to extend their winning streak at home against the Swedes to four in a row.

The last three games of the season won't be easy games either. John McMasters will bring his San Antonio Volunteers into Oranje Haven in week 13. This will be a great re-match of the first Merchantmen playoff game and victory in te 2007 post-season. Week 14 the Chesapeake Chitterlings will visit Maassluis to tie the head-to-head series. The Merchantmen managed a humiliating beating in the Chits house in the 2005 season with almost forgotten Leonard Lyon under center.

Week 15 will be the last home game of the season and will be regarded as the must-win game to make a third European division title reality. The Paris Musketeers have improved like they never have before, including the unexpected return of offensive tackle Wilson Grimaldo. But the Merchantmen have won the last four games against the Musketeers in Oranje Haven and will be expected to extend that to five wins in a row at home.

Get your tickets now, people, the pre-season is coming up and the Merchantmen will be hosting two very interesting teams, with the tickets being sold together with coupons for all kinds of goodies. The first pre-season game will bring the 2005 IHOF champions to Maassluis, as the Ann Arbor Anachronism will comes to town. If you're lucky, you might see the likes of Donald Woods, Matthew Board and John Q. Ballhawker in live action. In pre-season week four, the San Luis Obispo Burn will visit with quarterback 'Aces' Glenn, running back 'Chief' Wiggins, pass rusher 'Bull' Halsey and tackle machine 'Bones' Sherry in their ranks.

MIJB#19

09-01-2005, 04:32 AM

Merchantmen Add For To 70-Men Roster
With great pleasure, the Maassluis Merchantmen today presented the full 70-men roster for training camp 2009. With the addition of four new players, the team filled out the to the maximum player total. Tight end Winston Van Pelt, wide receiver Ruben Deck, guard Brian Pritchett and tackle Steven Stanislaw are the new faces on the team. But although the four have been added together, they will have different roles during training camp.

Tight end Winston Van Pelt was the biggest addition of the day. At least that's what general manager M.IJ.B. said: "We liked Van Pelt, but couldnt afford giving up another draft pick. Van Pelt looks like he can be our longsnapper and third tight end. It'll be a bummer for Charlie Martins, but it looks like Winston is going to win that battle in pre-season." Pre-season, does that mean both player will make the 60-men roster? M.IJ.B.: "Nine players will be released after camp and we've pretty much decided on who it will be. I want to give Charlie (Martins) another shot at making our 53-men in pre-season."

Wide receiver Ruben Deck was a surprise addition. The 32-year old veteran has been the third receiver for Anaheim the past four seasons, but was let go as a free agent. The Orlando Knights had picked him up as a free agent recently, but they decided to let him go again after the draft. General manager M.IJ.B.: "Deck looks like a decent receiver. He'll definately have a shot to make our roster. The downer is him being on a one-year contract. But that doesn't mean the job of the young receivers is safe." Is that another sign of former second round pick Jerry Beyer being kicked from the team soon?

Guard Brian Pritchett won't be seeing much action in 2009. Pritchett tore the ACL in his right knee in a 13-6 win over the Telluride Outlaws last season. Nevertheless, the Merchantmen offered him a two-year contract to see whether he can live up to his old level of play in 2010. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Pritchett will be put on injured reserve, but if he comes back good in 2010, we'll be happy to have him. He fits perfectly in the profile of what we seek in a guard." The Boston Rhinos let Pritchett go as a free agent after five seasons of service, but the Merchantmen have some faith in recovery for the unlucky player.

Tackle Steven Stanislaw is the least likely of the four newbies to make even the pre-season roster. In three seasons in the IHOF, Stanislaw bounced around a bit, but never managed to start a game. Stanislaw said: "I've been in Oranje Haven twice in my career and I have to say I was impressed by the big fan base. These guys have 75 thousand crazed Dutchman sitting in the stand every game. It's great to play for such crowds." But Stanislaw will have to outdo third-year pro Norman Holliday for the tenth offensive line position on the 53-men roster and will have to show up in camp to make the 60-men pre-season roster.

With 70-men signed, the pre-season preperation has begun. With 17 new players, and 53 remaining players, there will be some heavy battling for the roster spots. The Merchantmen management expects over 45 of the 53 players from last season will stick around, but you never know what happens. Especially at fullback, wide receiver, offensive tackle and in the secondary, the challengers for roster spots look promissing and may make the team say "goodbye" to long-time appreciated backups.

Alf

09-01-2005, 05:21 AM

Just let Van Pelt go back to FA, and that will be OK for me.

MIJB#19

09-01-2005, 05:29 AM

Just let Van Pelt go back to FA, and that will be OK for me.Van Pelt chose the 900K offer over the 910K offer to play for Maassluis instead of Bordeaux.

Some of these undrafted rookies sure have the right preference of which European team they want to play for. For safety Dewit taking us over Gothenburg, now Van Pelt. I guess it helps to be the European champs. ;)

Alf

09-01-2005, 05:43 AM

He also choose the $200k signing bonus ahead of my no bonus backloaded contract offer :)

MIJB#19

09-01-2005, 04:08 PM

General Manager Notes: Training Camp Review
Bummer.

Yeah, I thought something else when I witnessed training camp fly by, but so be it. Let's run down the results of training camp by position group and list the potential casualties of the roster cut days to 60 and 53 men.

Quarterbacks
Louie Flannery looked like the end of 2007 Flannery that guided the Maassluis Merchantmen to 11 wins in 12 games. Thad Pilkington looked good again and should serve as the #2 quarterback in 2009. Sure, in 2008 we gave Justin McDavid a shot at starting, but Thad should be our #2 this season. McDavid made some progress in camp and was our third best passer Rookie Josh Webb made some progress in experience, but we also witness how much lower his potential is than advertised. All will stay through pre-season, unless we trade one of the tree backups for good value. Webb isn't guaranteed a 53-men roster spot though, even when the current calculations give us room for four quarterbacks.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: QB Josh Webb?

Running backs
Randy Harris is getting older and it shows. He's still one of the fastest backs in the east-west running game, but north-west we should look at Joseph Schoen from now on. 'The Shoe' is the best we have now and there's no reason to not call him our starter. Scot Bagley made some progress and with his kickoff return specialty makes a fine #3. Kyle Montoya once again showed he's got his elusiveness but nothing else. Winfred Hartfield showed his breakaway speed, but we basically hired him to tutor Bagley and Montoya. Hartfield will be gone once the season starts, Montoya is still on the bubble to even make the pre-season roster.
Casualty 60: RB Kyle Montoya?
Casualty 53: RB Winfred Hartfield, RB Kyle Montoya

Fullbacks
Jamel Rosenberry was impressive as always all around. His running skills were amazing again and I think we should give him more carries in 2009 to boost our running game. Robert Watkins showed some fine run blocking skills and looked all around better than Henry Poston. The two got a shot at battling for the backup role and Watkins' experience might make him win. If Poston wins the pre-season roster spot, he's still not safe of a 53-men roster spot though.
Casualty 60: FB Robert Watkins or FB Henry Poston
Casualty 53: FB Henry Poston?

Tight Ends
Jim Reiser was impressive again and showed he's the number one guy in getting open on the team. With Reiser's decent blocking skills, ability to catch balls deep and work hard on special teams, he's still the starter. Arnold Ramirez' run blocking is still very good and makes him a loyal number two with good receiving skills. Charlie Martins got really worried. He's seen rookie Winston Van Pelt and noticed Van Pelt is the better blocker, but also the better long snapper.
Casualty 60: no
Casualty 53: TE Charlie Martins

Wide receivers
Bryce Ewald and Gregory Monti are the charter members of the team and look like te top two receivers once again. Newbie Ruben Deck was looking good in deep passes and racking up the yardage after catch. Jerry Beyer looked almost as good as Deck in those areas and hopes to win the battle of the two players. Jesse Vielma doesn't look readyto start games and his potential didn't look quite as good as before, but he's still looking like a potential very good possession receiver. Devin Henson will focus on kickoff return duties again, but might stick around as fourth receiver too. Deck, Beyer and Vielma battle it out for the two roster spots as fourth and fifth receivers.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: FL Ruben Deck or FL Jerry Beyer

Centers
Brant Heinrich was the best run blocker of the centers and sealed up another season as the starter. Heath Ferebee looked very good in pass protection, while newbie Daryl Jordon was looking good in run blocking. Jordon is the stronger guy of the two, but who stays might depend on potential trades. Either Jordon or Ferebee will have to go soon.
Casualty 60: C Heath Ferebeen or C Daryl Jordon
Casualty 53: none

Guards
Don't bother looking here, the survivors are pretty easy to identify, or aren't they? Butch White and Timothy Lacy will simply stay, easy. Bruce Pritchett will be placed on injured reserve, which means there are still only two guards active. Three with Brian Hammond included, a guy who should stay, but I'm not 100% confident I want him to stick around until his cotract ends at season's end.
Casualty 60: RG Bruce Pritchett to IR
Casualty 53: RG Brian Hammond?

Tackles
Okay, have we ever had as many as seven tackles on roster at the same time? Ivan Jacques has become the league's best pass protecting left tackle and makes him the safest bet to stay. Louis Bell makes a reliable backup left tackle, while Cornelius Rice was once again looking like a good all around blocker. Harold Hurtado is still the fourth best run blocking lineman on the team, but will likely stick to being the backup guard. Norman Holliday made good progress and will be mentored by Alfonso King for another pre-season. Steven Stanislaw took advantage of King's pressence, but won't stay much longer.
Casualty 60: RT Steven Stanislaw
Casualty 53: LT Alfonso King, RT Norman Holliday?

Punters
Sean Smalley had an impressive training camp and secured the punting job that was haning in the air for him. Roscoe Corrales' popularity with the fans won't bail him out this time. Corrales' departure is now only a matter of time.
Casualty 60: P Roscoe Corrales?
Casualty 53: P Roscoe Corrales

Kickers
Cary Coles and Al Bettis will once again be the field goals kicker and kickoff kicker respectively. The duo worked fine in the past and 2009 will be their fourth season in this duo role.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: none

Defensive Ends
Five in, four out. Erwin Baranowski is the best guy all around and will stick around in that role. Omar Gougeon has proven to be a reliable pass rusher as well. Albert Bernardo has a good name in Maassluis and will be once again in a rotation backup role. Rookie Wally Mattingly is currently the least experienced, but with the mentoring of Bernardo, Mattingly should surpass Aaron Sherrill as fourth end soon. Mattingly's potential is like Gougeon's and that would make than a good duo for the future. Sherrill's best shot at making the final roster is on injured reserve now.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: DE Aaron Sherrill?

Defensive Tackles
We have Charles Gomez. And then there's a whole new battle for the second starting role. Andy Welickza is still a reliable run stopper and should play a lot. Andrew Rasmussen once again made a case for getting playing time, but having the more experienced Shaun Shiroma in front of him, it's once again tough for him. Weliczka and Shiroma as time shares should do much better than Rasmussen alone. End of story, all four should be able to stay.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: none

Inside Linebackers
Cody Cluff is the best run defending inside linebacker in the league, and so he wants to be recognized as being that. Carl Meier still makes for a very good backup and should hang around for another season or two as the leader of the front seven. Omar Carpenter was hired for pre-season to play ball, but right now he's a longshot at making the pre-season roster. Carpenter's potential is only good and his experience is still lacking.
Casualty 60: ILB Omar Carpenter?
Casualty 53: ILB Omar Carpenter

Outside Linebackers
Mike Kershner is on a mission. 'Mickey' had a great training camp and is now fully ready to reclaim his starting role as weakside linebacker. Second year pro Bernie Surry is still the pass defense expert we wanted and should stick around on the strong side. Ellsworth Thelen is a very good run defender and makes a nice pass rush supporter, but 2009 doesn't look like being his season as a starter. Josh Weisberg is busy on his last stint in Maassluis. The mentor of the youngsters is losing it and knows his stay will likely be over after pre-season.
Casualty 60: none
Casualty 53: WLB Josh Weisberg?

Cornerbacks
We brought in many guys to compete for the roster spots and most of them showed they can be good or better zone defenders. Tai Wayne of course jumped out as the best of the group. Winford Endicott is still the second best zone defender. Myron Stevens is third best, but knows that Xavier Clyburn has his interception skills to fall back on. Sammie Kennedy had a very good training camp and should make the active roster more often in 2009. Melvin Shelton hopes to stay as his mentor, whichrole he had in San Luis Obispo before, but it's no guarantee after pre-season. Adrian Wynn was brought in to challenge the rest, but is likely to fail. Andy Mathews showed his interception skills, but is really lacking in zone defense skills and will be out soon.
Casualty 60: RCB Andy Mathews, LCB Adrian Wynn?
Casualty 53: LCB Adrian Wynn, LCB Melvin Shelton?

Safeties
Here's another big group of players with several players having to go. Lincoln Gilmore is the perfect strong safety for this team and showed that. Broderick Schultz is still a god looking zone defender, but his other skills are lacking. That makes Emile William a great backup player to step in when needed. John Cole is still making progress and is good enough to be the fourth safety. Lamar Singleton isn't going to ever be better than Cole and should fear for his job once again. The same counts for rookie Gene Dewit, who enjoyed a short but good training camp stint in Maassluis.
Casualty 60: SS Gene Dewit, SS Lamar Singleton?
Casualty 53: SS Lamar Singleton?

MIJB#19

09-03-2005, 11:55 AM

Merchantmen Get Down To 68 Men
In a quick trade, the Maassluis Merchantmen moved down to 68 players under contract a couple of days before the pre-season opener against the Ann Arbor Anachronism. Center Daryl Jordon and safety Gene Dewit were traded to the Conyers Condors for a 2011 seventh round pick. With three days to go, the Merchantmen are figuring out which eight players will be losing out and won't make the 2009 pre-season roster.

Gene Dewit was disappointed by the move, but realised he had little chance to make the Merchantmen roster. Dewit said: "This secondary is so good, all these guys have plenty of zone defense experience, there was no way I could make the roster. The Condors had a roster spot for me and so I'm happy with the move." Daryl Jordon was even happier as he said: "In Maassluis I was battling for a roster spot, in Conyers I'm pretty much guaranteed to be the backup center."

But with 68 players signed, the Merchantmen are not done making moves yet. Several players are on the trading block and look like they are headed out. General manager M.IJ.B. explains the situation: "Bruce Pritchett is headed for the injured reserve list, which leaves us seven players over the pre-season limit. A day before the game against the triple A's we'll announce the names, but some should be obvious. One of the fullbacks (Henry Poston, Robert Watkins) has to go, we've got two or three defensive backs too many and one of the offensive tackles will have to go too."

The story of long time punter Roscoe Corrales is also going to have a bad ending in Maassluis soon. M.IJ.B.: "We drafted Sean Smalley to replace him, but the process was halted when Sean decided to holdout. Right now, the time is there to give Sean the keys to our punting game. Roscoe has been a good guy for us and I think the fans will miss him. We are trying to give Roscoe a new home to guarantee he'll play somewhere in 2009." In a recent poll, Corrales ranked seventh on the list of most popular Merchantmen players, but still far behind the top three of Randy Harris, Louie Flannery and Justin McDavid.

The roster spot battle between fullbacks Henry Poston and Robert Watkins reached a new lowlight as the Merchantmen scouting department said neither is good enough to be an active roster member. The team is seriously opting to go with one fullback signed during the season, with tight ends Arnold Ramirez doing the backup duties. offensive coordinator Antonio Francis said: "Ramirez is our best run blocker of the non-linemen. He should do a fine job there." Especially the career of Poston has been disappointing in Maassluis so far, in two years on roster, he was active in only 16 games with 5 ball touches.

The saga of the secondary should be obvious. newbies Andy Mathews and Adrian Wynn were clearly the weakest of the zone defenders and didn't show the potential of becoming better than the rest of the players already are. But since the team is likely to releas another defensive back after pre-season, cornerback Melvin Shelton and disgruntled Lamar Singleton are the suspect of who might have to go. As Shelton has worked himself up to the leader of the gang and the peacemaker in the group, not to mention his friendship with Sammie Kennedy, Singleton's career in Maassluis might end after 25 games in three seasons as a backup.

The offensive linemen battling for the tenth roster spot in the group seem to be all offensive tackles. Alfonso King knows his faith, he's been released after pre-season before and is expected to see that happen again in 2009. Norman Holliday is the inexperienced backup who the Merchantmen have been high on for two years already. That should mean Steven Stanislaw's role is over in Maassluis. Still, Holliday is still green as grass and with the addition of Louis Bell, he'll be watching games from the stands on the inactive roster more often than not.

The most intersting name on the players who have to go is arguably Kyle Montoya. The fifth year pro running back has spent three season on the Merchantmen roster, yet has zero ball touches to show for it. His season in Bordeaux has been the one with carries and catches. Despite Jesse Vielma's move to wide receiver, Montoya has no change on making the active roster, barring injuries. Joseph Schoen, Randy Harris and Scott Bagley are the top three runners, with Schoen and Bagley having the asterix for being return specialists. Experts can see Montoya return to Maassluis at some point, after his second stint being over in most likely only a few days.

Last but not least, rumors about Maassluis trading a quarterback away are still up in the air. Both backups Thad Pilkington and Justin McDavid are still officially on the trading block, while Josh Webb could change teams after pre-season. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We want to keep Webb to start our pre-season games for us, but after that we'll be looking for the options to trade one of the three backups. Honestly, we already build-in four quarterback spots on the 53-men roster, but one guy being traded away helps us keep players at other positions in a bigger role than fourth string quarterback." To be continued?

MIJB#19

09-05-2005, 02:50 PM

Merchantmen Trade Popular Punter Corrales Away
Roscoe Corrales is no longer a Merchantmen player. In a quick trade, the Maassluis Merchantmen sent Corrales and a future seventh round pick to the Syracuse Mohawks for a fifth round pick. Ther only losers are the Merchantmen fans, who were high on Corrales.

Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. was happy: "Roscoe has been a charter member of the team. We knew his day of depature would come and we acted accordingly to draft Sean Smalley. It feels good to give him the opportunity to do punting duties elsewhere."

Corrales will now battle it out with Richie Andrews in Syracuse. Andrews was a fourth round pick in the 2006 draft for the Boulder Blizzard. After two seasons, Andrews was replaced and was picked up in the 2008 season to play for the Syracuse Mohawks. With a career average of 39.9 yards per punt, his stats don't stand out, but his last two seasons in Maassluis have been his two above 40.

The departure of Corrales sets the tone for a semi-rebuilding process in the Merchantmen's special teams unit. Reports are that rookie Winston Van Pelt is likely to replace Charlie Martins as the team's longsnapper. Josh Webb might take over holding duties from Louie Flannery and now Corrales has been officially replaced by Sean Smalley.

MIJB#19

09-06-2005, 01:32 PM

Merchantmen Release Singleton, Five Others
The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced the release of six players. The Merchantmen had to get down to the roster limit of 60 active players. Six players were released, including Lamar Singleton, while one player was put on injured reserve. The move come on the day the before the first pre-season game against the Ann Arbor Anachronism.

Lamar Singleton was the most prominent name amongst the released players. Singleton was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 draft and had been on roster ever since. In three seasons, Singleton never became a fulltime starter. Hopes were that Singleton would develop into a starter, but despite his on-going progress, his role only got smaller over time with the addition of more talented and experienced other defensivebacks. Singleton played xx games with the Merchantmen.

Guard Bruce Pritchett was placed on injured reserve. This move had been anticipated since training camp, but only now it became official. Pritchett is recovering from ACL knee surgery and is expected to not be fully recovered until about a month after the IHOF Bowl. But as Pritchett signed a two-year deal, he's expected to play in a backup role in 2010, providing his recovery goes well.

Cornerback Adrian Wynn's release may raise eyebrowse around the league. Wynn was recently acquired in a trade forguard Jasper Call. General manager M.IJ.B. explains: "It was a tough decission, but it was pretty quickly apparent that Wynn wouldn't make the 53-men roster. The competition in the secondary is big here. And Jasper Call was expected to be released in stead had he still been on roster."

Running back Kyle Montoya was another long-time member of the team who was released today. Montoya saw it coming after the drafting of Jesse Vielma, although expected to have a shot after Vielmawas moved to wide receiver. In three seasons with the Merchantmen and one with the Bordeaux Vineyards in between, Montoya didn't have a single carry for the Merchantmen.

Fullback Robert Watkins' release wasn't fully expected either. In their decission between Watkins and the green Henry Poston, experience wasn't the main factor. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We don't expect to have our backup fullback to be on the active roster during the season. Keeping Poston was better for our cap situation in the present. But that doesn't mean Poston has clinched a 53-men roster spot."

Tackle Steven Stanislaw was expected to be released. The tackle battled with Norman Holliday and Alfonso King for the last two pre-season roster spots at the offensive line. Holliday's youth and King's role as a mentor cost Stanislaw hos job. King and Holliday now will strive to make the 53-men roster, which will be tough.

Cornerback Andy Mathews was the least surprising release. Mathews' interception skills were highly praised, as was his ability to support the run defense. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Mathews has his unique skills, he might play nickelback or dimeback some day in the league, but he lacked the zone defense experience and potential to survive."

With these moves, two players who spent the 2008 season moving back and forth between the active and inactive roster have been released. This should warn the other players who spent most of the 2008 season as an inactive player. Fullback Henry Poston, tackle Norman Holliday, safety John Cole and defensive linemen Andrew Rasmussen and Aaron Sherrill will really have to show up in pre-season.

Last but not least, there are still on-going talks with several teams to trade one of four quarterbacks during or after pre-season. Thad Pilkington, Justin McDavid and Josh Webb are battling for two roster spots on the 53-men roster. General manager M.IJ.B.: said "We can keep all four of them, but I'd rather have us spent the roster spots elsewhere."

MIJB#19

09-08-2005, 04:10 PM

Genera Manager Notes
0-2.

Oh and two. Thank the football gods this is just pre-season. After close losses to the Ann Arbor Anachronism (14-17) at the Fairbanks NorthStars (9-10), we're into a open weekend. Our last two pre-season games are coming up and will be interesting. How are our players doing so far?

QB Josh Webb hasn't impressed me yet. Well, maybe I'm biased, but the scouting staff says he didn't make progress in the learning proces. Still, with 26 of 42 passes completed (62%) for 2 td and 1 interception, he didn't do bad. But, in the relative short passing system we played, Webb threw for only 162 yards in about six quarters. But as Justin McDavid played his worst pre-season football ever, Webb is still in the race for making the roster as our #3 quarterback.

RB Scot Bagley has been doing great so far. With 79 yards versus Ann Arbor, Bagley made a case for being our #3 running back. His pre-season total now adds up to 110 yards rushing (5.5 per carry) and 58 kickoff return yards (29 per return).

FB Henry Poston is choking his last shot at making our final roster. With 2.1 yards per carry and 3.6 yards per catch, he's not even in the race. Well, aside from his receiving touchdown...

TE Winston Van Pelt hasn't impressed much, but as Charlie Martins isn't doing much better, Van Pelt might end up as our longsnapping number three tight end after all.

WR Jesse Vielma os our receiving leader so far. With 13 receptions for 88 yards, his yardage average isn't huge, but he's making a case with 16 yards after catch and msotly his touchdown. Jerry Beyer is looking over his shoulders, fearing for Vielma. With 3 dropped passes, Beyer isn't doing himself a good job. And Ruben Deck, the third guy in the race for two roster spots, has only 4 catches for 31 yards so far, which isn't earth shattering at all.

LT Harold Hurtado shows his run blocking skills once again. On the other side of the line it's RT Norman Holliday who's finally making a case for being somewhat decent. Holliday is still needing significant progress and good stats to make the 53-men roster.

On the defensive line, DE Aaron Sherrill, our fifth end, has made a case for staying. Leading the team with 1.5 sacks, Sherrill is still in contention for the last roster spot. And in all fairness, rookie Wally Mattingly has been far from impressive with 1 hurried pass and 1 tackle in 63 plays. In contrast, fourth tackle Andrew Rasmussen is playing well, with 1 blocked pass, 3 hurried passes, 4 tackles and 1 defended pass.

Bernie Surry showed his trade again withan interception in pre-season. He hasn't made any progress in developement though. But it is still unlikely that he will lose his starting job to Carl Meier or Ellsworth Thelen soon.

In the secondary, the ten roster spots are already given away to all the current players. Sammie Kennedy is still doing a terrible job, while the cornerbacks he knows from his San Luis Obispo Burn period, Melvin Shelton and Xavier Clyburn, are both dojng a good job of defendeding passes.

Last but not least, Sean Smalley is averaging 43.1 yards per punt, but has only 2 in-twenties on 17 attempts. Al Bettis scored on 3 of 4 field goal attempts and on both extra points.

That's all for now, except that I still have to tell about how our defensive game plan has kept pass heavy Ann Arbor and Fairbanks both down. We've allowed only 175 passing yards per game and 68 rushing yards per game. Yeah, sure, those were their backups playing. But look at our playing backups and the best players on the field have been the opposing quarterbacks.

MIJB#19

09-10-2005, 02:15 PM

Gossip News: Fumblin Justin About To Leave Maassluis
You say Maassluis Merchantmen and the first player people think of is not four time All IHOF selection Charles Gomez, not their winning quarterback Louie Flannery, not four-time 1,000-yard back Randy Harris and not left tackle Ivan Jacques. Nope, it's Justin McDavid, better known as "Fumblin' Justin". And there's big news about McDavid: he's headed out of Maassluis.

Our sources report that at least five teams in the IHOF have recently contacted the Merchantmen to acquire one of their three backup quarterbacks after pre-season. Orlando, Boulder, Minnesota, Anaheim and Georgia have all been linked with Maassluis. By the recent rumors of the Williamsburg Colonials being close to a deal with the Merchantmen make this an easy rumor.

Justin McDavid once was an infamous starter in Maassluis. He beat the competition named Leonard Lyon for the starting job back in 2005 and then turned into a winner with the stats of a loser. In recent years, He's been a standout pre-season passer and last season managed an upset win in his comeback game as a starter. And Williamsburg has a familiar face running the team, the first president of the Fumblin' Justin Fan Club.

The icky part in the whole story is that the Merchantmen have advertised or at least talked trade about all three quarterbacks. In fact, our reliable source claim that three teams are talking, each for a different quarterback. Williamsburg is clearly in the mix, but who the other two teams are is a mystery. A strange situation arose and make the rumor mill in Maassluis work 24/7.

McDavid responded saying: "I like being in Maassluis. The fans have been great and that comeback was awesome. I realise Louie Flannery will start, but the backup job is up for grabs and I'm not going to fumble it away." With a sense of humor, McDavid strikes first. He knows Thad Pilkington struggled in limited time last season and the Thad might be headed out.

Rookie Josh Webb was quoted saying: "I doubt the Merchantmen used a second round pick on me to put me on inactive." But as one IHOF owner claimed the Merchantmen draft players to trade them, Webb is also in the mix. But as after seeing Lamar Singleton, Kyle Montoya and Roscoe Corrales getting canned the past off-season, McDavid realises his job is more in jeopardy than ever before. Webb and Thad are the best number two and number three the Merchantmen ever had.

MIJB#19

09-12-2005, 01:46 PM

Merchantmen Enjoy Open Week
The IHOF pre-season continues to move on, but the Maassluis Merchantmen have little news to report. The Merchantmen didn't play in week three. The second and last pre-season home game is against the San Luis Obispo Burn. All fans should not forget to go to the game to attend autograph sessions with top player Louie Flannery, Charles Gomez and other starters, who will wlak around in Oranje Haven during the game. On the field, Josh Webb will get another shot at quarterbacking the team to victory, while on defense the likes of Bernie Surry, Arnold Ramirez and Myron Stevens will try to hold of the Burn offense.

MIJB#19

09-13-2005, 05:14 PM

Merchantmen Lose Third Pre-Season Game
Oranje Haven was loaded with fans, but they didn't get what they wanted. The Maassluis Merchantmen lost 16-17 to the San Luis Obispo Burn. Three quarterbacks saw action for the home team, but they couldn't avoid the loss. Rookie Josh Webb connected with rookie tight end Winston Van Pelt for the only Merchantmen touchdown of the day. Al Bettis converted three short field goals to fill out the points.

While the game was going on, the 14 inactivated Merchantmen players walked around in the stands to sign autographs to the fans. Louie Flannery said: "We have the biggest fan base in the league, we have to show they their money's worth. The fans here are amazing and they deserve this."

Cornerback Tai Wayne spent most of the night in the family area. Wayne said: "It's amazing how much these kids know about football. Back in the States, I wondered how this team could get so many fans. But it's like an epidemic. It quickly caught around, if there are 70,000 fans in this stadium it's disappointing."

Linebacker Cody Cluff complained about a sore wrist: "Mickey (Mike Kershner) and I walked around the hard core fans zones. We've been shaking hands and handing out autographs for three hours. The game was a bit disappointing in score, but the second half play showed that the reserve players are determined to make the final cuts. Aaron Sherrill and Myron Stevens looked good and I hope for 'em they make it."

Aaron Sherrill is one of the players fighting for a roster spot. The Merchantmen drafted rookie Wally Mattingly and the newby hasn't been doing so bad at all. Sherrill added a sack versus the Burn to add upto 2.5 in three games. Sherrill said: "I'm trying to show I'm worth it. And if it means I have to leave Maassluis, at least I can show some stats to convince other teams to pick me up. But for now, I just work hard and try to get back into the Merchantmen line up."

Quarterback Josh Webb once again did his best to convince the Merchantmen management about him being the future #2 guy. Webb completed 10 of 14 passes for 117 yards and a score, without interception. Webb said: "Things went well. All the guys work hard to protect me or to get open. Too bad we didn't win." Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude was skeptic: "Webb plays well in games, but in training sessions he doesn't show he's that future #2 guy. Webb will have to show some progress soon, or he might even be looking for a new home before the season start."

Fullback Henry Poston is another player in the in-or-out talks. With 42 yards on the ground, Poston lead the Merchantmen and showed some speed. With 3 receptions, Poston was a tied leader in another statistical categorie, but he failed to rack up the yardage. Andc Poston also haf a recovered fumble. Poston said: "I think I played well. The Burn defense looked good, but I'm glad I managed to make some plays and show I should be on the active roster this season."

At the end of the day, the fans decided to honor Justin McDavid once again. McDavid came on the field after Webb completed a 33-yard pas to Jerry Beyer early in the third quarter. McDavid completed all four of his passes, ran for 9 yards and saw his team score on both drives he was active in. Early in the fourth quarter, McDavid was replaced with Thad Pilkington. Thad almost guided the team to a fourth quarter comeback win, until he saw a pass intercepted with a minute to go.

The Merchantmen went thourgh the game injury free and still see no injured players, aside from long-term injured Bruce Pritchett. The last pre-season game is at the Minnesota Miners. The Merchantmen hope to win that last game to boost their confidence a bit after losing the first three pre-season games. The total score was close at 39-44 in three games, but points don't lie. But then, getting through the last game injury free as the biggest wish the team has. Everybody's longing for the regular season...

MIJB#19

09-15-2005, 05:07 PM

General Manager Notes: 53-men roster cuts day
Finally, pre-season is over!

Okay, it's been a fun ride, but now it's time for the real things, the regular season. With four losses in as many games (We lost at the Minnesota Miners 16-19 in week five), our scores looked bad, but given that we lost by a combined 8 points, there's no reason to feel bad. A couple of youngsters made good progress, most notably tackle Norman Holliday. And some player lost their jobs, but don't know yet. It's not official, but here's the early preview on what will be happening to get down to 53-men.

First of, we traded Alfonso King to the Syracuse Mohawks. The Mohawks showed interested in a veteran Merchantmen player, but after alks broke off, we returned the favor by offering King and another player. The Mohawks management was happy to offer us a 2011 sixth round pick for King. Without trade,King would have been placed on injured reserve.

Second, we're moving two players to the injured reserve list. Defensive end Aaron Sherrill is the most promenent name. The 2007 campaign starter has sunk into the fith role and will be missing the first five weeks of the season with an elbow injury. Without injury, Sherrill would hae been released. Cornerback Melvin Shelton will join him. Shelton suffered a broken toe and has been strategically placed on the injured list.

The four remaining moves are the releases of four players. Tight end Charlie Martins is the most emotional cut. Martins has been a reliable long snapper for the past four seasons, but the addition of Winston Van Pelt made Martins dispensable. The three others were off-season additions who were alreadyunlikely to make the 53-men roster. Linebacker Omar Carpenter, running back Winfred Hartfield and wide receiver Ruben Deck. Deck looked good enough to survive the cuts, but his pre-season stats didn't look so great afterall.

With that, we say "Goodbye." to five players from the 2008 roster and say "Hi!" to seven new players, of which two are on injured reserve. This marks the smallest turnover in player names in Merchantmen history and potentially the smallest turnover in league history by any team. So, what are the overall effects of players in and out?
Out: RB Kyle Montoya, TE Charlie Martins, G Jasper Call, P Roscoe Corrales, S Lamar Singleton
In: QB Josh Webb, TE Winston Van Pelt, WR Jessie Vielma, G Bruce Pritchett (IR), LT Louis Bell, DE Wally Mattingly, CB Melvin Shelton (IR)

MIJB#19

09-17-2005, 03:37 PM

2009 Week One Preview: Let The Games Begin!
Enough with that pre-season stuff, it's time for the real thing. The Maassluis Merchantmen went 0-4 in pre-season, but the management doesn't worry. The first test of he new season brings the Maassluis Merchantmen to one of their biggest rivals, the Bordeaux Vineyards. The two-time European champions are visiting the three-time European champs, sitting on a four-game winning streak against the Vineyards. The Merchantmen roster has hardly changed, so things should be all okay, right?

Bordeaux is still Bordeaux. Studly quarterback Joe Johnson, highly touted runner Billy 'Bam Bam' Jamerson (135 total yards career versus Maassluis) and wide receiver Martin Mathias on offense. The defense is still anchored by defensive tackle Joey Hammer and defensive end Harold Wells. Especially the name of Hammer makes the Merchantmen fear this game, Hammer is the hearth of their defense, the Vineyards' own Charles Gomez, sans the pass rush pressure, of course. The addition of cornerback Antonia Nygaard might bring along the needed shutdown corner the Vineyards lacked. Maassluis didn't get worse, but Bordeaux might have gotten better.

The Merchantmen are going to test their team in a rough schedule this season. Lucky for them, the entire division will be tested, but the goal is once again simple. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude explains it: "The management told us we need to do anything we can to go 5-1 inside the division. In other games, they'll decide who's playing, but against European opponents, the best players will play at all cost. It worked the past two seasons and apparently they think this group can manage it again."

This group? Have the masters of trading stopped trading and gone to a new strategy? Well, the analysis team is working on it, but with only five new players on the 53-men roster, the Merchantmen might be the least change team in IHOF history. And that only few years after two huge rebuilding seasons that made the team quickly turn from a 1-15 doormat to a 13-3 cinderella story.

Quarterback Justin McDavid said he looks forward to 2009: "Everybody knows we got the same group that went to the AOC game. Last season's playoffs game was a dissaster, but we trained on a new game plan and the management is confident it will work against teams like Rochester and North Plainfield. Only time will tell, but it's gonna be a fun ride." McDavid will likely be back to fourth string, what does he think about it? McDavid: "Well, Josh (Webb) is the future #2 guy, that's the plan. I wish I could have kept that role, but 'Webby' was amazing in pre-season and I sucked. PLain and simple. The kid is having troubles to pick it up so far, but he should be fine by 2011."

Defensive end Albert Bernardo is still around, but 'Big Al' once again saw a new face jump over him on the depth chart. Bernardo: "It's the faith of a team player. The management likes to invest in young guys and so far it worked. Bummer for Aaron (Sherrill) for being on IR, but we'll still have four great guys to pressure the quarterbacks. Erwin (Baranowski) is a world class guy, 'Goug' (Omar Gougean) has proven himself and Wally Mattingly."

Good old Harry (Harold Hurtado) is confident about a new great chapter in the book about he Merchantmen. Hurtado explains: "Last season, we never complained about injuries, but on the line, things were worse than everywhere else, even Paris. We missed three starters week in week out, with one or two others playing on painkillers. This season, with Louis Bell around, we should be able to survive through 20 games. Yeah, we're going all the way now, only life without Louie can be tough."

Louie Flannery has faith in his offense, just like lots of others. "2008 was a down season for us. But we'll get over it." About potential injury, Flannery said: "I'm not irreplacable. Justin McDavid did a good job against Asheville and the game against San Antonio we lost on a misprint in the game book. We got confused and gave away a 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter. The new game plan looked good versus Ann Arbor and Fairbanks in pre-season, I think we should be doing well with it. Josh Webb was amazing in pre-season with it too, he's either a wonder kid, or the plan works. Or both. Or it's all coach's fault!"

Last but not least on the list of commenting players was Myron Stevens. The fourth year cornerback has been a regular contributor in the past three seasons, with 16 starts and activity in 47 of 48 games. 2009 could be a different story. Stevens: "The secondary is getting really good here. When a guy like Lamar Singleton is released, you know it's gonna be tough to make the active roster. We've got nine very good to excellent defensive backs. I mean, Sammie Kennedy is coming up strong, John Cole improved in pre-season, and those were the number eight and nine guys last season."

The Merchantmen are ready for a new season, but with the competition named Bordeaux looking stronger, winning in week one is no guarantee. In the past five seasons, the Merchantmen twice started with a win and both those seasons they reached the playoffs after winning the European division. The seasons with a loss in week one, they missed the playoffs. But then, this is the first road game start since 2004. Bordeaux is 4-1 in season openers. The win over the Merchantmen in 2006 was Louie Flannery's first competitive pro game. The same Flannery that's 4-2 all time against Bordeaux. Let the games begin!

Alf

09-19-2005, 03:56 AM

I predict one INT by Nygaard and on SACK by Wells. As for the score, well, a Bordeaux victory indeed :)

MIJB#19

09-19-2005, 04:47 PM

Editor's Note: 2009 Season Coverage
The first game has been played, but I haven't taken time to write a game recap yet. GIven that my personal schedule is completely different until mid January, I might be time strapped to less, previews, recaps and other articles during the week. In the meantime, grab a copy of IHOF Monthly Volume 2, Issue 1 (http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5377).

Alf

09-20-2005, 02:34 AM

I predict one INT by Nygaard and on SACK by Wells. As for the score, well, a Bordeaux victory indeed :) Ding, ding :) Guess who was right. Well, actually Wells got 3 sacks, Palyer of the Game and 7 weeks of injury on the last play of the game. But a win vs the division rival Merchantmen for the title is always a good way to start a season.

MIJB#19

09-22-2005, 05:18 PM

Editor's Note: 2009 Season Coverage
I still haven't had time to write some recaps of games. I wish I had the time, but I just don't have it right now. I'll try to get something up on Sunday to recap the first two weeks. Not that it will be great news to read, we haven't scored a single touchdown yet. And you can always visits the IHOF (www.fof-ihof.com) site to get up to date!

MIJB#19

09-24-2005, 06:57 AM

Merchantmen Have Worst Season Start Ever
Things are looking bad in Maassluis. The 2009 IHOF season started with two losses for the European champions. In two games, they couldn't even score a single touchdown. Around the league people are pointing their fingers towards quarterback Louie Flannery, who seems to sturggle. All in all it resulted in the second 0-2 start in franchise history. The first and only previous time the Merchantmen finished the season at 1-15, it doesn't bode well right now.

Two games, two losses. With the other European teams being in good shape, the Merchantmen are already two games behind the Bordeaux Vineyards and Gothenburg Giants, while the Paris Musketeers also look good after a 10-7 win over the Williamsburg Colonials. With 9 points scored and 45 points allowed, the score board looks bad for the Dutch team. What's going wrong?

"Nothing," said headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude, "we've just had some bad luck." Isn't Van Der Woude a bit naive there? Van Der Woude: "We knew this was going to be a tough season, but there are no excuses for the losses. Everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. But we've always bounced back. This team loves to come out of an underdog role and upset the opposition. We're determined to make sure we won't start the season 0-3. It would be Merchantmen unworthy. And if we win the next three, we will tie a best season start ever."

Louie Flannery is currently heavily critisized in the local media. Flannery completed 31 of 70 passes for 372 yards and 6 interceptions. The first touchdown has yet to come. Flannery pointed to injuries: "I'm missing Devin Henson. He's the perfect target in touchdown situations. Devin makes key places and helps other receivers to get open as he runs his patterns."

Jerry Beyer is the other offensive player critisized. The third year pro was expected to break out, but with 1 catch and 1 dropped pass in two starts, Beyer doesn't look good. And the running game isn't so great either, as Randy Harris and Joseph Schoen so far combined for 118 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Tai Wayne is getting the media attention. In two games he allowed 14 catches, while defending only 1 pass. Wayne said: "It's freaky. We gambled on the pass against the Frederick Red Menace, but they kept making plays, kept making plays. It's probably a cohesion thing, that offense has been together for so long, even blindfolded Jackie Percy can connect with his receivers."

Charles Gomez has escaped the missery so far. The all world defensive tackle made 15 tackles and 2 sacks. Gomez said: "It's too ealry to panic. We've always lost a game or two a season in an old fashion steamwalzing. We'll right the ship and get things going soon enough. But with the tough schedule, the fans should be happy if we can be 4-4 at mid-season."

The 0-2 start makes the loyal fans think back to the horrible 2004 season. With one win in sixteen games, the Merchantmen clinched the #1 overall pick back then. The roster is basically the same that went 13-3 and 9-7 the past seasons, with two division titles, but the first two games made the Dutch team not look good. Some clame the Merchantmen were a fluke, but headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude put that into perspective: "Since I've been here, the team has gone 38-35. If that is all a fluke, then I'll be damned if the three-time conference title for the North Plainfield Plague isn't a fluke."

Chubby

09-24-2005, 09:42 PM

3 fgs and 0 tds, eek

cthomer5000

09-24-2005, 10:13 PM

will the Merchantman trade for a QB before the trade deadline? :)

MIJB#19

09-25-2005, 05:30 AM

Gossip News: Merchantmen Talking Trade
The Maassluis Merchantmen are working on an impact trade. Gossip News' spy reporter D.E.Viser picked up part of conversations about the Merchantmen working the phones for a trade. Some say the team is looking for a quarterback, others say it could be just another offensive linemen. And some claim they could be trying to get another cornerback after the struggles of the secondary against the Frederick Red Menace.

It's not like they have a choice, the Merchantmen are ranking last in the AOC power ratings after two games. Not a surprise after not having scored a signel touchdown and ranking last in scoring. The last Merchantmen touchdown was Bernie Surry's fumble recovery against the Paris Musketeers in week 17 last season. The team has been without an offensive touchdown for the last 14 quarters of football, ever since Louie Flannery connected with Joseph Schoen against Paris in the second quarter of the week 17 game.

But Louie Flannery isn't getting things done this season. With 6 interceptions versus no touchdowns in two games, he's looking worse than in his rookie years. Opponents can simply wait for him to make a mistake or three and turn them into points. Thad Pilkington has yet to show his winning football skills in Maassluis, while Justin McDavid is a living legend, but no IHOF starter. Rookie Josh Webb looked good in pre-season, but that doesn't count for making him a good quarterback.

The first suspect is Vinnie Simmons. Simmons is still starting for the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums, but after an 0-2 start, the fans are screaming for Mario Hudson. Hudson was the 2008 IHOF comeback player of the year and Maassluis is said to be interested in Simmons. But cap troubles could make that impossible. Impossible, unless the Merchantmen can talk defensive tackle Charles Gomez into a pay cut.

The second option is a new offensive lineman. The Merchantmen are in a win-now mode and could use some upgrades on the line. Aside from left tackle Ivan Jacques, the line is looking shaky and unable to protect their passer or make the running back threesome of Randy Harris, Joseph Schoen and Jamel Rosenberry rack up the yardage.

The biggest need in Maassluis could be a new cornerback. Tai Wayne has allowed 14 catches in two games and is far from happy. But things are not as usual in Maassluis. Winford Endicott and Myron Stevens have hardly played a down in the secondary, while they used to be the #2 and #3 corners in the 2007 season. Others blame it all on safety John Cole, who used to be the locker room.

Our local reporter thinks he figured it all out. D.E.Viser: "Forget Vinnie Simmons. He's having the same problems as Flannery, he's prone to interceptions and won't be your guy to make a great two-minute warning rally. Given the interception struggles, Thad Pilkington would still be the best fit to take Flan's place. Cyril Cheung from Syracuse would be the best fit, he's smart and on the trading block."

D.E.Viser added: "I hear the Merchantmen are working the phones for a cornerback too. Xavier Clyburn hasn't been looking good as the starter opposite Tai Wayne. Myron Stevens seems to be passe in Maassluis, he hasn't even been activated yet. And Winford Endicott has been riding the bench and only been on the field on special teams. My money is on RayCo's Joseph Jones. I've heard the Merchantmen tried to get him before and will do so again."

Cyril Cheung and Joseph Jones. Those are the names y'all should write down. Expect one of the two, or maybe even both to be playing in a Merchantmen uniform soon. As soon as we know more, Gossip News will be all over it and let y'all know.

Alf

09-25-2005, 05:58 PM

other sources said : Bordeaux QB Earnest Barlow is available for trade

MIJB#19

09-26-2005, 01:28 PM

other sources said : Bordeaux QB Earnest Barlow is available for tradeThat would be hilarious. On the other hand, we could use a new 5th string quarterback. ;)

Alf

09-26-2005, 03:01 PM

Barlow had a 2-1 TD Int ratio on his 2nd season. Now he enters his 3rd, just coming into prime time ^^

MIJB#19

09-30-2005, 04:50 PM

Editor's Note
My fellow loyal readers,

The adjustment of lifestyle has severly cut my inspiration to write pieces for this dynasty. Time is there, but getting my mind to writing has been a problem the past four "real life" weeks. My beloved Merchantmen have gone 0-3 so far, with two big losses and without scoring a single touchdown this season. Louie Flannery is the center of all attention, having completed less than 50% of his passes, with 8 interceptions and zero (sigh...) touchdowns.

The good news? We can still stop the run. Well, to be honest, I wouldn't expect anything else from a defense featuring Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff, Mike Kershner, Bernie Surry, Lincoln Gilmore and Andy Welizcka. The rest is all terrible. From our turnover margin -8, through our red zone offense (16 points in 11 visits), to 65 yards rushing per game. There's no good news. None! Okay, except for the fact that Jerry Beyer, Jesse Vielma, Wally Mattingly, Sammie kennedy and Josh Webb are slowly making progress, while Sean Smalley reached his potential after having played only 5 professional games. But other than that, no good news.

Something else? Well, I'll be investigating my game plan and I might, I repeat, might revamp the offensive game plan for our next game on the road at the Syracuse Mohawks. What have we to lose? Not much. I mean, we have the toughest schedule of all teams imaginable. You don't believe me? I've checked out our 16 opponents this season all are 3-1 after four games except for two teams being 2-2, one being 2-1 and one being 4-0. It's going to be a tough season, as expected. I'm gonna dig some stuff up and hope to present a game plan soon enough that should work.

For now, I can't promiss being an active writer. As it is, I have been lacking the time to do my other writing stuff as well, it's not just with this dynasty report. I hope to get back to it soon and get back into my writing mode as of the team's highlight season, when I was presented with that awesome Golden Scribe for this dynasty.

Maybe Sunday...

Your favorite writer :cool:,

Matthijs / MIJB

MIJB#19

10-01-2005, 05:12 AM

Merchantmen Stick With Current Starters Against Syracuse
The rumors were there, as were the names, but no trades have been done so far. The Maassluis Merchantmen have two days left to trade, but it's unlikely to happen. The team seems to need fresh blood to fix almost facet of football except defending the run. Owner/general manager M.IJ.B said: "If we get a trade done, good for us, if not, it ain't the end of the world..."

Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude looked down recently and doesn't seem to be able to righten the ship. Van Der Woude has the reputation of a genius in play calling, but lacks the ability to give motivational speeches in the locker room. Van Der Woude: "I haven't learned for being a pshycic, I'm a coach, I make the calls, that's what I do."

Chemistry and cohesion are said to be sky high, but the players are not coping with it either. Offensive coordinator Antonio Francis said: "It seems leik we've been seperated for five years and dropped together the last second before gametime. The passing game is bad, the offensive line is making unusual mistakes and all we can do is hope for things to get better." The team hasn't scored a touchdown in 18 quarters of official games and some are starting to point to Josh Webb as the new quarterback. Francis: "That can't be the case, right now Flannery is still our best option. Webb played will in pre-season, he fits the system, but is still raw and a third stringer at best."

On the defensive side the team was looking for a new cornerback. "Yes, we tried to find a second shutdown corner recently," M.IJ.B. said: "but the other team has been unlucky in their timing to give feedback. We still hope to get a deal done, but it will be a game day deal and would mean the new player would be a fourth stringer against Syracuse, at best." Cornerback Tai Wayne was critisized recently, but was defended by Charles Gomez: "Give him some slack. Wayne has been playing his butt of since his first game in Maassluis, he works hard, just like everybody else. He can't help it he was a first round pick, which makes the expectations high on him. We've got a lot of talented corners, but Wayne is our shutdown guy. He can still play ball, we just had some bad luck so far."

With an influenza epidemic haunting the Merchantmen lockerroom, things look even worse. Thanks to the bye week, half of the sick players will be back to normal next game. But the team still has some players sick. As it looks now, defensive tackle Charles Gomez, linebacker Bernie Surry and tackle Cornelius Rice are the most prominent names. But they're not alone. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn, kicker Cary Coles, linebacker Ellsworth Thelen, defensive end Wally Mattingly and left tackle Louis Bell have prominent roles on the team too. Tackle Harold Hurtado said: "We'll have to live with it, getting sick is part of life."

Defensive end Omar Gougeon and left guard Butch White are ruled out for the next game. Gougeon has an elbow injury and will sit out until week eight. For now Erwin Baranowski is promoted back to starter, while Albert Bernardo gets more playing time as the change of pace end. With rookie Mattingly sick, Bernardo might even start. Butch White's knee is hurting again. He'll be replaced by Harold Hurtado at left guard. Hurtado is a left tackle, but has the experience and skills to take White's role as a premier run blocker. Hurtado said: "We'll get the job done."

Center Heath Ferebee is complaining about playing time, but won't be starting for a while. Owner/general manager M.IJ.B. said: "'Bee' ain't getting younger and the staff told me he's not as good as he used to be anymore. With Brant Heinrich we have a hardworking center and 'Bee' should know he's here to step in when injuries strike. Besides, he didn't play will in limited time in 2008, he'll have to show he can get things done in a backup role before we'll increase his playing time."

The road game at the Syracuse Mohawks is going to be a tough game nevertheless. The management is working on a new game plan, but that might not be worked out to the fullest until mid-season. Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Last season we waited until mid-season to implement the new defensive schemes and then it worked for a while. We bounced back into the division title, we hope to do it again this season. But this time with some offensive changes."

The biggest questionmark lies in the short passing game the team has been showing. All quarterbacks on team are said to be capable of displaying a short passing game, but Flannery has been struggling with it recently. M.IJ.B. said: "Flan' loves to throw deep and we know that. We know he can do it well, but right now we just don't have the receivers for it. We're stuck with a short passing game and opponents might see that. I mean, they expect Flan' to throw an interception when he looks deep. But we'll get something worked out to surprise the Mohawks in two days." Let's hope so, the Merchantmen 0-4 would be a huge disappointment to the huge fanbase...

Kodos

10-03-2005, 10:32 AM

Futility Bowl VI looms... :)

MIJB#19

10-03-2005, 04:13 PM

Merchantmen Notch First Win At Syracuse
The Maassluis Merchantmen look back. Or at least the defense does. With a 16-13 victory at the Syracuse Mohawks, the Merchantmen recorded their first win of the season. The Merchantmen defense allowed 180 total yards to record their second best defensive performance ever. The offense still failed to impress, but with Louie Flannery passing for the first touchdown of he season against a stout defense as the Mohawks', the fans should be hoping for more wins soon.

"It's all about defense," Mike Kershner was quoted saying, "we give the offense a good field position and they'll get su on the scoreboard." Kershner anchored the Merchantmen defense with 8 tackles, 3 assists and 1 sack in the victory. The defense held big name running back Kurt Basso to 41 yards, just enough to reach a 1.5 yard per carry average.

But the defense did more. With 7 hurried passes and 7 defended passes, the passing game of the Mohawks was disoriented from the start. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude explained: "We tried something new on defense and apperantly it worked. We didn't give Peterman the room to pick a receiver and our front seven managed to pressure him on more than a third of the passing plays"

Quarterback Louie Flannery got the player of the game honors. With 174 yards, a completion percentage of 66 percent and passing for the first touchdown of the season, Flannery looked better than the previous weeks. Flannery did fumble twice, but that was easily to be credited to the offensive line, that allowed 5 sacks.

Flannery was the center of attention after having thrown 8 interceptions in the first three games combined. Flannery looked happy: "The defense and spec ial teams units cam up big today, giving our unit the opportunity to score point. The touchdown felt like freedom. Had we played for another quarter, I'm sure we would have scored more touchdowns."

The touchdown was there, but it required a big play from two second-year pro's playing punter and linebacker. Sean Smalley had an amazing punt that landed out of bounds at the Mohawks' one-yard line. On the second play, Bernie Surry tackle running back Kurt Basson at the line of scrimmage and after batting the ball loose, he also recovered it. Fullback Jamel Rosenberry was the easy target in the endzone form Flannery.

The biggest stat of the day were the receptions of the top two receivers in Syracuse. Nick Jennings and Virgil Branum were both held to one reception each for a total of 23 yards. Tai Wayne bounced back with 2 defended passes and no catches allowed after having allowed 6 catches per game in the first three games. Wayne only said: "We're back at it."

The offensive line is still the center of all worries. Right guard Timothy Lacy injured his knee and is expected to sit out the next game. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "We're opting to move both Harold Hurtado and Louis Bell inside from tackle to guard. We should be okay." But that doesn't fix the problems, the Merchantmen line ranks last with 3.5 sacks and 71 rushing yards per game.

Next up is the second home game of the season. The Rochester Lake Monsters are coming to Oranje Haven for Futility Bowl VI. The fans still remember Futility Bowl V, in which the Lake Monsters cakewalked to a 27-3 victory. The head-to-head series is 3-2 in Rochester favor in what has become one of the traditional interdivisional rivalries in the IHOF.

Kodos

10-04-2005, 10:04 AM

You're going down!

MIJB#19

10-04-2005, 12:57 PM

You're going down!Yeah, like 30 times we'll get a first down. Okay, 25, we'll score 5 touchdowns as well... :cool:

MIJB#19

10-06-2005, 04:23 PM

Merchantmen Trash Rochester In Futility Bowl VI
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back in the race. With a tremendous 44-17 victory over the Rochester Lake Monsters, the Dutch IHOF team is back in the race for the European division title. With losses by all three rivals, the Merchantmen took back more terrain than expected. Louie Flannery was the architect of the victory with a league record six touchdown passes.

Louie Flannery had something to set right after the first three games. With zero touchdown and eight interceptions, the critics had their aim on him. The 1-yard touchdown pass in the win at the Syracuse Mohawks was hopeful, but the performance against Rochester was outstanding. Flannery completed 27 of 36 passes for 335 yards and 6 touchdowns.

"It was a blast!" Flannery said. "I enjoyed every minute of this game. We were afraid the fans would take it against us on how bad we've played recently, but they screamed, yelled, sang and supported us in the best way possible. Tying the touchdown record is just a dream come true. I mean, who would have placed me on the same page as Joey Allen?"

The Merchantmen struggled a bit in the first quarter of the game, but the defense kept coming up with big plays and the offense kept rolling. The 21-10 lead at half time was well deserved, but the game was far from over. Charles Gomez said: "At hat point, we expected them to crash out of the locker rooms with a super drive. But Cody (Cluff) made the play and the game was ours."

The Lake Monsters came close to a score when they were 10-27 down. A 26-yard field goal attempt from Dwayne Calfee was blocked by Merchantmen cornerback Winford Endicott, but the Lake Monsters scored on their nexy drive. Down by ten, they had the fourth quarter to comeback. But Louie Flannery didn't feel like spoiling the fans' fun and racked up the score to 44-17.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude prasied the team: "A good game. Flannery was great, we new the defense was clicking again and now the offense is back on track too. Maybe we're going to see a fun season afterall."

Linebacker Cody Cluff forced three turnovers and recorded 9 tackles, but felt he wasn't the star of the game. Cluff: "Of course not! Flannery was amazing. He kept shredding that secondary apart. It was fun to watch from the sidelines."

Coming up is another tough game against a Northeast division team. The Boston Rhinos are 4-2, but haven't won a game on the road yet. Oranje Haven will be expected to be close to sold out. The Rhinos are tough and just come of a 30-27 win in overtime after scoring the game tying field goal with 2 seconds left. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "We have to win this game, because in just a couple of weeks, we will get our asses kicked by the mighty Musketeers... Yeah, in the Parisians dreams!"

MIJB#19

10-09-2005, 03:30 PM

Player Of The Year Race
Editor's Note: With my time more limited to write, I've been failing to write all the stuff I used to. But no worries, the Merchantmen Player of the Year race is back. Here's a quick update on who excelled in our wins and who were least embarrissing in our humiliating losses.

In the week one loss to the Bordeaux Vineyards (6-15), there was little good news from the offense. Exceptions on that day were wide receiver Bryce Ewald, who had 3 catches for 62 yards. On defense, free safety Broderick was part of the reason we didn't allow 30 points. Schultz had 1 interception and 1 defended pass, with 3 tackles and 2 assists to look good. Shaun Shiroma did his share of doing well with 1 blocked pass, 2 hurries, 1 tackle and 1 assist. Receiver Gregory Monti (4 catches, 67 yards) and left tackle Ivan Jacques (3 key run blocks) completed the top five players.
Points: 3 to Schultz, 2 to Ewald, 1 to Shiroma.

The embarresment of the loss at home to the Frederick Red Menace (3-30) was huge. It made the selection of players who didn't look bad very tough. Running back Joseph Schoen racked up 57 total yards to form the biggest offensive threat of the day. On Defense, Charles Gomez got lots of opportunity to make plays, and he did. With 7 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 hurried pass, he excelled. Rookie defensive end Wally Mattingly paid back the confidence in him with 2 blocked passes, 1 hurried pass and 3 tackles. Linebacker Cody Cluff (11 tackles, 1 assist) and safety Broderick Schultz (1 defended pass, 3 tackles, 3 assists) filled out the quitet of decentness.
Points: 3 to Gomez, 2 to Cluff, 1 to Mattingly.

By tradition, the game against the Conyers Condors (9-34 loss) saw a fumble recovery touchdown. But since the score was on the Condors' end, it wasn't part of the Merchantmen's good plays. Kicker Cary Coles scored all points with his three field goals, including a 47-yard kick. Wide recevier Bryce Ewald was once again the top offensive player with 3 catches for 65 yards. On defense, Erwin Baranowski looked good with 1.5 sacks, 1 hurried pass, 5 tackles and 3 assists. Linebacker Cody Cluff forced 1 fumble to make his 7 tackles and 3 assists look good. The fifth decent player was punter Sean Smalley, who punted 6 times for an average of 45.3, with one inside the 20-yard line.
Points: 3 to Baranowski, 2 to Coles, 1 to Smalley.

The defensive showdown against the Syracuse Mohawks (16-13 win) obviously brought out the best in our defensive players. Quarterback Louie Flannery can't go by unmentioned though, as he completed 19 of 29 passes for 174 yard and the first touchdown of the season. Punter Sean Smalley had a crucial role for the team too, with 45.8 yards per punt and 3 of 7 landing inside the 20-yard line. Linebacker Bernie Surry had a crucial forced and recovered fumble at the Mohawks goal line, the 3 tackles and 1 assist were less important. Linebacker Mike Kershner had 8 tackles and 3 assists. Cornerback Tai Wayne recorded 1 assist, but also had 2 defended passes, while shutting his receivers out. Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff and Winford Endicott were other top performers, but missed the shortlist.
Points: 5 to Kershner, 4 to Smalley, 3 to Flannery, 2 to Surry, 1 to Wayne.

The star of Futility Bowl VI was clearly Louie Flannery. In the 44-17 win over the Rochester Lake Monsters he completed 27 of 36 passes for 335 yards and a league record 6 touchdowns. His top target was tight end Jim Reiser, who had 4 catches for 93 yards and 1 touchdown. Linebacker Cody Cluff played a big role on defense, with 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 9 tackles and 1 assist. The offensive line looked good again too, with no sacks allowed. Center Brant Heinrich (4 key run blocks) and Cornelius Rice (3 key run blocks) also supported the running game.
Points: 5 to Flannery, 4 to Cluff, 3 to Reiser, 2 to Heinrich, 1 to Rice.

With five games down, the overall standings show the balanced between the offensive showdown against Rochester and defensive supremacy against Syracuse. Louie Flannery was the center of attention for the lack of succes in weeks one to three, but the super game in week six hlped him into the early overall lead. Linebackers Cody Cluff and Mike Kershner are on his tail, while punter Sean Smalley is currently the biggest surprise on the leaderboard.
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 8, Cody Cluff 6, Mike Kershner 5, Sean Smalley 5, Erwin Baranowski 3, Charles Gomez 3, Jim Reiser 3, Broderick Schultz 3, Cary Coles 2, Bryce Ewald 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Bernie Surry 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Shuan Shiroma 1, Tai Wayne 1.

MIJB#19

10-13-2005, 04:41 PM

Merchantmen Lose In Paris To Sink To 2-5
The 2009 season continues to be a drama for the Maassluis Merchantmen. A week after an almost comeback lose against the Boston Rhinos, the Paris Musketeers turned out to be better. In a game without touchdowns, the home playing Musketeers won 12-6. With that, the Merchantmen have scored only nine touchdowns for the season, of which six were in one game.

The 17-20 loss to the Rhinos was still doing it's damage to the Merchantmen players. The absence of cornerback Tai Wayne was a problem, but no disaster. The unlucky comeback of falling short after coming back from 20-0 down was. The mentality is gone, just two weeks after the amazing six-touchdown performance by Louie Flannery.

In the French capital the Merchantmen looked terrible. The offense managed to finish the game with 155 total yards. If it wasn't for the defense keeping the Musketeers to 364 yards in almost 38 minutes, the Merchantmen would have been slaughtered. Cody Cluff had a big role in it as the middle linebacker set a franchise record with 16 tackles to move up to first place in the league in tackles. Cluff is on pace for 153 tackles, which would be a league record, and also leads all players with 4 forced fumbles.

"I'd sell it all for wins," Cluff said, "we've got a mission and going 2-5 means we're far away from it." Cluff and his linebacker buddies Bernie Surry and Mike Kershner seem to be a great trio, but they can't do it alone. Cluff said: "We don't want to critisize the offense, but four games without a touchdown is just unacceptable. All 53 players want to work on it and we've proven against Rochester we can do it."

Louie Flannery looks revided, but couldn't pass for a touchdown. Flannery said: "It's good to be over the hump, we'll get into the winning mode soon enough." After a bad start, Flannery has completed 80 of 122 passes for 853 yards, 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the four games after the bye week. But like most of the player, Flannery wants other things: "Wins would make this revival so much better."

The biggest struggle for the Merchantmen is still on the offensive line. Despite all the attempts to boost the line, the running game and pass protection are at an all-time worst. Tackle Harold Hurtado couldn't explain it: "Cohesion is at an all-time high, the team brought back everybody and Louis Bell joined the team, but it's not going well. I think we can play better, but right now it's best to work hard in the training session to get the chemistry back, protect Flan' and getting the running game back moving."

The faces are still looking in the same direction, but the schedule isn't getting easier. And next up is a game on the road at the North Plainfield Plague to warm up for two home games inside the division. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "At 2-5, we can't allow to lose any game the rest of the way if we want to defend our European title. Next up are the Plague and we're going to try a bit of a new game plan. We're missing a couple of important guys, like Tai Wayne, Butch White and Erwin Baranowski, but we've got the depth to replace them."

Looking at the standings, things don't look bright in Maassluis, with Paris at 5-2, Gothenburg 5-3 and Bordeaux at 4-3, even third place in the division is far away. With a top special teams unit and a decent defense, which still manages to stop the run and be effective in defending the pass, the offense should get the opportinity to get back into scoring ways. The teams is still 24-15 in the past one and a half seasons, with a 11-3 record in divisonal games.

But next up are the North Plainfield Plague. In four previous meetings, the Merchantmen combined for an averge score of 10-31. It only makes sense to sit at 2-6 after having visited the three-time defending AOC champions. But there's always hope that the tide will turn. The Plague are coming of an amazing 19-37 loss to the Boston Rhinos. Who knows, perhaps the Merchantmen can take advantage of the loss and hand the Plague their first losing streak since weeks 5 and 6 of the 2006 season? Yeah, in their dreams...

MIJB#19

10-13-2005, 04:51 PM

Player Of The Year Race
After two losing efforts, it was hard to find two sets of three players who played well. In the loss to the Boston Rhinos, Louie Flannery escaped te missery as he completed 19 of 34 passes for 211 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez looked good with 9 tackles, 2 assists, 2 hurries and 1 forced fumble. Linebacker Mike Kersher also played well with 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 defended pass and 1 forced fumble.
Points: 3 to Gomez, 2 to Flannery, 1 to Kershner.

In the loss to Paris, the secondary was the charm of the team. Cornerback Myron Stevens had 1 interception and 2 defended passes with 5 tackles and 2 assists. Safety Broderick Schultz defended 3 passes and added 3 assists. Linebacker Bernie Surry helped out with 2 defended passes, 1 interception, 3 tackles and 2 assists. Linebacker Cody Cluff's 16 tackles and 1 assist were not good enough to be in the top three.
Points: 3 to Surry, 2 to Schultz, 1 to Stevens.

So, what are the overall standings after seven games?
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 10, Cody Cluff 6, Charles Gomez 6, Mike Kershner 6, Broderick Schultz 5,Sean Smalley 5, Bernie Surry 5, Erwin Baranowski 3, Jim Reiser 3, Cary Coles 2, Bryce Ewald 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Shaun Shiroma 1, Myron Stevens 1, Tai Wayne 1.

MIJB#19

10-15-2005, 06:57 AM

Merchantmen On Pace For a Losing Season
The do or die moment is coming. The Maassluis Merchantmen are one loss away from seeing their hopes to defend their European title pop like a bubble. A 3-38 loss at the North Plainfield Plague put some perspective into what's yet to come. It marked the fifth game of the season the Merchantmen went without a touchdown. And the season won't get easier.

As said before, it's do or die time. The next two games are home games versus European rival Bordeaux and Gothenburg. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. was clear in the mission: "It's pretty simple, we lose those two games and the season is over. Heck, we lose one game and we're only mathematically alive..."

At 2-6, the season is pretty much over and the word "experimenting" has been heard in the locker room. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was heard calling out the offense for their lack of success and it's become clear that the offense and defense are no longer good buddies. it's up to head coach Leroy Van Der Woude to motivate his players again, to get this team back in the winning mood. Or he might be busy on his last season in Maassluis...

Kodos

10-15-2005, 09:27 AM

You should have told Flannery to spread those touchdowns out a bit!

MIJB#19

10-20-2005, 04:07 PM

Merchantmen Notch Win Number Threep
It was do-or-die and the Merchantmen are still alive, although still gasp for oxygene. After a 14-9 win over the Gotehnurg Giants, the Merchantmen improved to 3-7, following a dramatic 10-13 loss at home to the Bordeaux Vineyards. Randy Harris broke his curse and had his first 100-yard game since week 17 of the 2007 season.

A week after seeing a last second field goal being blocked, the Merchantmen took their revenge. Supported by a crowd of 74,300 fans, the Merchantmen rushed into a 14-0 lead and managed to defended the lead until the end.

Randy Harris was the happiest player on the field after the game. With his first 100-yard performance in a long while and his first rushing touchdown of the season, Harris looked like his former self. "It felt like being back indeed," Harris said, "the line played well and that 38-yard score was a nice confidence boost."

Next week Harris will have to carry a bigger load than usual. Joseph Schoen got hurt during the game and is ruled out for a couple of weeks. Second year pro Scott Bagley and fullback Jamel Rosenberry will step in. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "They'll get it done, we know they can do it."

Jamel Rosenberry did look ready today. With 3 key run blocks and a receiving touchdown he accounted for a lot of good plays. Add in 59 total yards and he made a case for being the number two tail back against Brooklyn next week. Rosenberry said: "It doesn't matter who plays that role, I work hard and do what I can."

Myron Stevens was another player who helped out everywhere he could. With a forced fumble and a late interception to secure the win, Stevens was one of the heroes of the day. Stevens said: "We work hard and know what to do. When Endi (Winford Endicott) got hurt, I knew I had to step up and just did that."

Cody Cluff didn't lead the team in tackles, but with 6 he had just enough to move up to first place in the IHOF. Cluff said: "I don't count the plays, we just have to make them and make sure we make the quick turnaround. The playoffs are still our goal."

Louie Flannery took the player of the game honors. As Flan' completed 18 of 28 passes for 246 yards and 1 score, the Merchantmen offense looked like the old Merchantmen offense. FLannery wasn't sacked, although some claim it was due to the use of four offensive tackles. Flannery said: "The line played well and kept the Gothenburg defense busy, that's what I like."

As Flannery produced, it was mainly Gregory Monti who was his target. The veteran of the receivers grabbed 6 catches for 128 yards, meaning a nice average of 21.3 yards per catch. Monti said: "I was pleased to hear I was starting again. I figured the best way to pay back was with yardage. Well, I guess the management should be happy." Sadly, as Monti picked up a knee injury, he migt be sidelined for about a month.

Next up is a road game back in the United States. The New York state area brough the Merchantmen a win this season and they get there again next week as they face the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums. The Bums are struggling with a 4-6 record and are desperate to go 5-1 the rest of the way to mark their first winning record season. But with a quarterback controversy going on, things could be ugly for the home team against the back to winning football Merchantmen.

MIJB#19

10-20-2005, 04:21 PM

Player Of The Year Race
The humiliating 3-38 loss to the North Plainfield Plague didn't bring any heroes at all. Except maybe Randy Harris, who ran for 59 yards with a 4.9 yards per carry average. Mike Kershner record 7 tackles, 2 assists, 1 defended pass and 1 forced fumble. Charles Gomez record 1 sack, 6 tackles and 2 assists.
Points: 3 to Kershner, 2 to Gomez, 1 to Harris.

The dramatic loss to the Bordeaux Vineyards did go along with a couple of good performances. Louie Flannery completed 20 of 25 passes for 243 yards without interception. Randy Harris ran for 78 yards and added 4 catches for 11 yards as a safe receiver. Ivan Jacques had 4 key run blocks, while anchoring the offensive line to allow only 1 sack in total. Mike Kershner had 5 tackles, 6 assists and 1 defended pass. Charles Gomez had 4 tackles and broke up 4 passing plays.
Points: 3 to Flannery, 2 to Jacques, 1 to Kershner.

Randy Harris had a comeback game in te win over Gothenburg. With 117 yards rushing, a 6.8 yards per carry average, 1 touchdown and a 12-yard catch he was one of the better players. Gregory Monti had 6 catches for 128 yards to help out. Louie Flannery completed 18 of 28 passes for 246 yards and 1 score. Jamel Rosenberry had 59 total yard, 1 touchdown and 3 key run blocks. Myron Stevens had only 2 tackles, but also forced a fumble and made a crucial last minute interception.
Points: 5 to Flannery, 4 to Harris, 3 to Monti, 2 to Stevens, 1 to Rosenberry.

The overall standings after ten games:
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 18, Mike Kershner 10, Charles Gomez 8, Cody Cluff 6, Randy Harris 5, Broderick Schultz 5,Sean Smalley 5, Bernie Surry 5, Erwin Baranowski 3, Gregory Monti 3, Jim Reiser 3, Myron Stevens 3, Cary Coles 2, Bryce Ewald 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Ivan Jacques 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Jamel Rosenberry 1, Shaun Shiroma 1, Tai Wayne 1.

MIJB#19

10-21-2005, 01:00 PM

Irregular Interviewing: Bruce Pritchett
The Mad Man. It's the new nickname for football player Bruce Pritchett. The guard from the Maassluis Merchantmen has reported at the training facilities this week after spending most of the off-season in his hometown Bozeman. Pritchett was signed by the Merchantmen as a free agent, but is not going to play a game for them this season. And yet he's the mad man, what's going on?

Questioner (Q): Bruce, thanks for joining us for this interview.
Bruce Pritchett (BP): You're welcome. I've got so little to do on my hands here in the Netherlands, an interview comes as something nice.

Q: Usually players are not interested in interviews, can you explain our readers why you are?
BP: Well, i'm injured and only recently moved to Europe for the second part of recovery from knee surgery.

Q: But isn't the medical help in the States better than overhere?
BP: Perhaps. But the team management said Justin McDavid recovered well with the same doctors and they wanted me around for team building. They told me I make a very good chance to be one of the guys battling for a starter role.

Q: Being a starter would be neat.
BP: Yes, but first I need to recover.

Q: The Merchantmen were not used to having a great offensive line. Over the past seasons, guys like Wilson Grimaldo, Butch White, Ivan Jacques and Harold Hurtado gave them a better reputation, but this season is a down year.
BP: Yeah, I noticed. Louie (Flannery) has been under heavy pressure during games...

Q: The Merchantmen allowed a league high 27 sacks. And that is with guys who are supposed to be able to play some ball.
BP: Yeah, I know, but things haven't clicked in a couple of games, it seems.

Q: Butch White is hurt more often than not, Brian Hammond is expected to walk away a free agent and Timothy Lacy has been the weak link on the line. Your chances to be a starter are big next season.
BP: Again, it's too early to talk about playing time. And besides the guards, the team has five tackles with plenty of experience, skills or potential. It's going to be tough to make the roster anyway.

Q: In your recovery, you are alone most of the time.
BP: Yep. It hasn't been all fun, but I try to stay focussed. I look forward to the moment I can get back to the field for some training.

Q: After a week, the Merchantmen head coach Leroy Van Der Woude was positive about your mentality, but also called you "A Mad Man."
BP: (laughs) Well, that needs some explanation. Van Der Woude is almost fluent in Dutch and as he asked me how things at home in Bozeman were, he told me Bozeman was Dutch for mad man.

Q: It isn't a great nickname to have, is it?
BP: Well, they give every player a nickname around here. Usually they pick your first name, but apparently my name has been reserved for Butch White. They'll be giving me a Mad Man training jersey. I have no complaints, but it fits better for a defensive player, I think.

Q: You witnessed the game against your old team, the Boston Rhinos as being part of the scouting staff.
BP: Yes. The management said they wanted me to sit with the scouts to provide additional info where possible. I'm not sure it's something to pick up after playing ball, but it is something to think about.

Q: The Rhinos are the surprise team of the league with a 8-2 record, yet Merchantmen owner M.IJ.B. was said to be sceptic about the Rhinos' chances to go all the way.
BP: When I played in Boston, things always were hazy. One week we could beat the Evil Empire (North Plainfield Plague), the next we would lose to Paris, or Fort Worth, or any other team with a losing record.

Q: But this season they keep winning.
BP: Correct. They've been doing well so far and I'll be rooting for them to go deep into the playoffs, if the Merchantmen don't make it of course.

Q: Isn't that basically sealed now? I mean, at 3-7, the playoffs are far away.
BP: Probably. I hear the Merchantmen made the playoffs last season at 9-7. So it might still be a posibility.

Q: But last season they held the tie-breakers...
BP: Oh, I know that, but the season isn't over yet. Everybody is talking about the usual breakdown in Gothenburg and Paris around here. Both lost last week and the positive thoughts are all around.

Q: Are there players you've been able to talk with so far?
BP: Well, Carl Meier has played for the Rhinos too, so he's been trying to cheer me up from time to time. Justin McDavid has been hanging around a lot too. He's still contacting the doctors from time to time. Apparently he's still having some mental issues with the knee injury, which is holding him back from reaching his old level of play.

Q: Does that scare you?
BP: Yes, it does. Justin tries to point out to me that I might be able to play ball again. But on the other nd of the spectre is Gene Simmons. Once the best guard in the IHOF. Today he's just lucky to have a team. I believe he's been without a team for two full seasons.

Q: And now he's sitting on the Williamsburg Colonials injured reserve list.
BP: Exactly. I know my career could be over, but the doctors just can't give me a guarantee on what will happen...

(silence)

Q: Bruce, let's talk a little bit about something else. The Merchantmen players have started a charity organization called the Mad Men. No coincidence with your nick name?
BP: (laughs) Not at all. In good fun we decided that the Merchantmen need to scout more for cheerleaders. We want to see 100 cheerleaders in every home game. Maassluis has an amazingly big crowd, but they don't get enough cheerleaders to motivate them.

Q: But won't the fans start looking at the cheerleaders even more?
BP: Well, that could happen, but if more cheerleaders means selling out ten home games and maybe a playoff game or two, it's probably worth it.

Q: Alright then. Last question for this interview, which two teams do you see make IHOF Bowl VI?
BP: The Plague and Red Menace looked impressive against the Merchantmen. The Conyers Condors could be the Plague's AOC game opponents once again, but I don't see any team beating the Plague. Except for the Rhinos, but for them making the playoffs would already be cool. The NAC champion could be the Menace, but they never won a playoff game before. I think I'll put my money on Chesapeake. We're going to play them later on this season, so maybe we can upset the eventual champions?

Q: Okay, Bruce, thanks for your time. Good luck in your recovery process!
BP: Thanks! God bless you.

MIJB#19

10-27-2005, 03:21 PM

Merchantmen On A Three-Game Winning Streak
The Maassluis Merchantmen are winning again. After a nail biting 27-26 win over the San Antonio Volunteers, the Merchentman took their third win in a row. The follow up after beating Brooklyn Fightin' Bums 28-24 on the road last week and Gothenburg Giants 14-9 two weeks ago. Louie Flannery smiled ear to ear after scoring his first touchdown ever on the ground.

The Merchantmen looked done for the game, as they were trailing 13-0 after the first quarter and 23-14 after the Volunteers first drive in the second half. With an amazing pass from Louie Flannery to Bryce Ewald for 59 yards, the Merchantmen returned into the game. With two short field goals, the home team took a four-point lead going into the final 10 minutes of the game.

The Volunteers moved upfield, but were held to a 49-yard field goal on their first try. As the Volunteers defense stepped up, John McMasters and his men got the ball back with two and a half minutes left. He looked ready to send his men upfield, but on a screen pass the ball was intercepted by linebacker Bernie Surry. The win was secured as Randy Harris converted a crucial third down run to set up the knee drop.

With a three out of three score, the Merchantmen are slowly climbing their way back into the divison and playoffs race, yet they are still requiring a miracle. The Gothenburg Giants reached 8-4 and can only lose on tie-breakers to Maassluis if they lose to Bordeaux in week 15. The Bordeaux Vineyards at 7-5 then already clinched tie-breakers over Maassluis, so they have to lose all their remaining games to help Maassluis. The Paris Musketeers are 5-7.

Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude is happy with the game plan change: "This new game plan gave us 5 wins and 4 losses. Given the tough schedule, we're doing not so bad." Beating the San Antonio Volunteers came as a bit of a surprise, but as Van Der Woude said: "Our defene knows McMasters through and through. Our D contained one the most reliable quarterbacks for the third game in a row."

Louie Flannery took the player of the game honors, but big kudos went to young defenders Bernie Surry and Myron Stevens. Surry made 7 tackles and a crucial interception and fumble recovery. Myron Stevens was praised for shutting down the receivers he faced. With 2 defended passes and no catches allowed, the fill-in starter for injured Winford Endicott once again shined for the Merchantmen.

Next up is a tough home game against the Chesapeake Chitterlings. The Chitterlings are 9-3 and have the second best record in the North American Conference. Their quarterback Ron Lyle is suffering from knee tendinitis, but is expected to play anyway. Even though it might be safer to give Lyle a bit of rest. The Merchantmen have won the only previous head-to-head game in Chesapeake during the wild 2005 season. The 17-7 win marked the only time the Chitterlings were held to one score in a home game. But this game is in Maassluis, so who knows what it's worth?

MIJB#19

10-27-2005, 03:48 PM

Player Of The Year Race
Wit two more wins in the pocket, the Merchantmen player of the year race saw a truck load of points gives away. Who were the top performers of the past two weeks?

In the narrow margin win over the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums, all sides of the ball did well. Devin Henson had a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. On defense, Tai Wayne had a big day, as he recorded 2 interceptions, 5 tackles and 1 assist. Mike Kershner earned the player of the game honors with 11 tackles, 2 assists and 1 sack. Lincoln Gilmore had 6 tackles and 1 interception. Jesse Vielma had 2 receptions, one for 33 yards, the other a 46-yard score. Louie Flannery completed 19 of 30 passes for 269 yards. But the 2 interceptions versus 1 touchdown severly hurt his image for he day.
Points: 5 to Wayne, 4 to Kershner, 3 to Gilmore, 2 to Henson, 1 to Vielma.

Louie Flannery was the big man in the win over the San Antonio Volunteers. With 245 yards passing and 24 yards rushing with a score in both the air and on the ground, he earned the player of the game honors. Bryce Ewald was his main target with 79 yards receiving and the receiving touchdown. Bernie Surry played well on defense as he had 7 tackles, 1 recovered fumble and a crucial interception late in the game. Charles Gomez was limited due to injury, yet he still racked up 7 tackles, half a sack and forced 2 fumbles. Myron Stevens defended 2 passes and didn't allow a reception. Lincoln Gilmore defended 2 passes and made 2 tackles. Ellsworth Thelen made 10 tackles, while Carl Meier had 7 tackles and 6 assists.
Points: 5 to Surry, 4 to Stevens, 3 to Gomez, 2 to Ewald, 1 to Flannery.

The overall standings after ten games:
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 19, Mike Kershner 14, Charles Gomez 11, Bernie Surry 10, Myron Stevens 7, Cody Cluff 6, Tai Wayne 6, Randy Harris 5, Broderick Schultz 5,Sean Smalley 5, Bryce Ewald 4, Erwin Baranowski 3, Linclon Gilmore 3, Gregory Monti 3, Jim Reiser 3, Cary Coles 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Devon Henson 2, Ivan Jacques 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Jamel Rosenberry 1, Shaun Shiroma 1, Jesse Vielma 1.

MIJB#19

11-04-2005, 01:57 PM

Merchantmen Beat Paris, Gone From 2-7 To 7-7
The Maassluis Merchantmen are still alive. With a 20-10 victory over the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen gave their fans a nice gesture in their last home game of the regular season. The win follows on an amazing 24-17 win over the playoff bound Chesapeake Chitterlings. With a five-game winning streak, the Merchantmen are still alive for the playoffs, including the divison title. However, it's going to require some help from other teams.

Louie Flannery was a happy man. The fans called him the player of the game, as Flannery completed 22 of 33 passes for 222 yards and a score. As Flannery stayed away from turnovers, he was the perfect leader of the offense. Flannery said: "It was a good game. We got the ball going and took advantage of what the defense set us up to."

As well as Flannery played, head coach Leroy Van Der Woude praised the defense: "This was one of our better defensive showings. There was a pass rush, there was a pass defense, there was a run defense. We could even get away with a below average day for the special teams unit."

The season is only two weeks away from te end and the Merchantmen are still alive for the division title and the second wild card. General manager M.IJ.B. tempers the expectations, but deep inside he's still having good hopes on a miracle. M.IJ.B.: "The wild card is out of the question, there's so much that needs to happen, it requires a mathgenius to figure it out. Good thing I'm one myself..."

The division title is easier to reach, of course providing the Merchantmen can finish the season at 9-7. It will require a Gothenburg loss next week against Brooklyn, on top of Bordeaux not winning one of their two remaining games. Bordeaux at 7-7 looks alive as well, but there is no scenario where Bordeaux can win tie-breakers against Gothenburg. The standings in Europe after 15 weeks are:
9-5 Gothenburg
7-7 Bordeaux
7-7 Maassluis
6-8 Paris

Next up are two games on the road. The Merchantmen will first visit the Williamsburg Colonials. It will mark the first head-to-head game between Louie Flannery and Seth Dwight, the two winningest quarterbacsk who joined the IHOF in an amateur draft. Flannery has 37 wins versus Dwight's 36. The two were both selected in the 2006 draft and so far Dwight has had the better stats, but Flannery had the division crowns. It should be an interesting first head-to-head game between the two.

MIJB#19

11-04-2005, 02:25 PM

Player Of The Year Race 2009
Another set of victories, another reason to reward the players for their performances on the field. Who played well enough to get the points in weeks 14 and 15?

The 24-17 victory over the Chesapeake Chitterlings was a welcome surprise. Beating the second best team in the NAC isn't something our team does every week. Randy Harris was the offensive bright light with 100 yars and 2 touchdown on the ground. Wide receiver Bryce Ewald had 7 catches for 124 yards, but didn't score, so he was only the second best star. Guard Timothy Lacy looked back to his best days with 4 key run blocks and 10 opportunities. Cornerback Tai Wayne defended 6 passes and added a team high 7 tackles. Mike Kerhsner had 4 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. Charles Gomez had 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries.
Points: 5 to Wayne, 4 to Harris, 3 to Ewald, 2 to Gomez, 1 to Kershner.

The 20-10 victory over Paris was a defensive masterpiece. Well, maybe it doesn't look that way when we allowed 297 total yards. But that's what we have Louie Flannery for (222 yards passing, 22/33 completed, 1 touchdown). Randy Harris ran for 68 yards and had 9 catches for 61 yards with a score to lead the team in yards from scrimmage. Charles Gomez was once again the leader of the defense, as he made 5 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks, 4 hurries and 1 forced fumble. Bernie Surry was the pass defense hero with 3 defended passes, on top of his 2 tackles and 3 assists. Myron Stevens played like a top cornerback, with 1 interception, 1 defended pass, 3 tackles and 1 assist. And Carl Meier was a nice middle linebacker with 4 tackles, 1 defended pass and 1 interception returned for a touchdown. And then we haven't even mentioned rookie Wally Mattingly and his 2.5 sacks.
Points: 5 to Gomez, 4 to Stevens, 3 to Harris, 2 to Meier, 1 to Flannery.

The overall standings after ten games:
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 20, Charles Gomez 18, Mike Kershner 15, Randy Harris 12, Myron Stevens 11, Tai Wayne 11, Bernie Surry 10, Bryce Ewald 7, Cody Cluff 6, Broderick Schultz 5, Sean Smalley 5, Erwin Baranowski 3, Linclon Gilmore 3, Gregory Monti 3, Jim Reiser 3, Cary Coles 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Devon Henson 2, Ivan Jacques 2, Carl Meier 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Jamel Rosenberry 1, Shaun Shiroma 1, Jesse Vielma 1.

MIJB#19

11-12-2005, 04:08 PM

Merchantmen 2009 Season Ends With 8-8 Record
The Maassluis Merchantmen ended the 2009 season in style. With a defensive dominant win at the Gothenburg Giants, they notched win eight in what was the toughest schedule any IHOF team faced in league history. It followed up a tough 14-27 loss a week earlier at the Williamsburg Colonials. The win came a week after the Giants had clinched their first European championship.

The 2009 season is over for the Maassluis Merchantmen. Despite a strong 6-1 finish, they Merchantmen came at least two wins short for a playoff ticket. Their European dominance ended after just two seasons. In a season of two faces, the Merchantmen fell behind too early and never recovered from an 0-3 start and 2-7 mid-season record.

In the Palace of Ice and Frost, the Merchantmen decided to show for once and all why they are the best team in Europe. With a defensive dominant performance, they beat the Giants, despite the absence of the star players Charles Gomez and Cody Cluff. The Giants were shutout until just over two minutes left in the game.

The Merchantmen kept the Giants score less with their first two drives stopped by interceptions. Safety Lincoln Gilmore and Merchantmen comeback player of the year Mike Kershner accounted for the big plays. Followed up by seven three-and-outs, the Giants had no chance. Their ten points in the final minutes were hardly by the Merchantmen defense, as they allowed only nine first downs all game.

In return, the Merchantmen played their old fashioned balanced offense. Louie Flannery completed 25 of 35 passes for 236 yards and remained mistake free. he didn't pass for a touchdown, but instead let running back Joseph Schoen score twice on the ground. Schoen and Randy Harris shared the time well, with Schoen running for 66 yards and Harris for 67 yards.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude praised the offense, but knew the defense came up big: "With our two best guys inactive with knee injuries, you think we'll have a tough game. But the guys told me to me faithful. Everybody on defense played well and did their best to beat the Giants in their house."

The 2010 season looks promising as the Merchantmen management is expected to be able to keep this team together. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "The core of the team is still young. Sure, guys like Hurtado, Harris and Gomez get older, but only five guys won't be 33 or older at the start of training camp. And two of them will likely leave us. The schedule will be easier, with no North Plainfield, Frederick or Coyners next season."

Final 2009 European standings:
1. Gothenburg Giants (10-6 record)
2. Bordeaux Vineyards (8-8 record)
3. Maassluis Anglers (8-8 record)
4. Paris Musketeers (8-8 record)

The Vineyards took second place based on a superiour head-to-head-to-head record (3-1), while the Merchantmen took third place over the Musketeers on divisional record (3-3 versus 2-4). It marked the third instance in IHOF history of all four teams in the same division have no losing record. In contrast, the NAC Atlantic Coast division teams all had a losing record.

MIJB#19

11-12-2005, 04:24 PM

Player Of The Year Race 2009, Final
The last two games were a mix of a come-short catch up game and a defensive dominating win. Who took the points and made a late season run for the top spots in the player of the year race?

The 27-14 loss to the Williamsburg Colonials looked bigger than it was. The game was pretty even until Louie Flannery had to go for it late in the game and got intercepted. The Colonials wrapped up the game and stayed alive to mark a crucial win in their eventual wild card taking effort. The three top players on Merchantmen side were identifiable though. Tight end Jim Reiser had 6 receptions for 69 yards to show why he's been the #1 target for Louie Flannery so far in his career. Cornerback Tai Wayne defended 2 passes, wile allowing 2 catches and making 3 tackles and 1 assist. Linebacker Mike Kershner had 7 tackles, 3 assists and 1 defended pass.
Points: 3 to Kershner, 2 to Reiser, 1 to Wayne.

The 20-10 victory over the Gothenburg Giants was mainly based on defensive supremacy in the first 57 minutes of the game. Louie Flannery completed 25 of 35 passes for 236 yards, and deserves recognition. But despite several good candidates, the rest are defensive stars. Like Myron Stevens, who made 2 tackles and defended 2 passes. Like Erwin Baranowski, who had 2 tackles and 2 sacks. Like Lincoln Gilmore, who had 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 interception and 1 defended pass. And a guy like Mike Kershner, who made 2 tackles, 2 assists and 1 interception.
Points: 5 to Gilmore, 4 to Flannery, 3 to Stevens, 2 to Kershner, 1 to Baranowski.

The final overall standings:
Point Totals: Louie Flannery 24, Mike Kershner 20, Charles Gomez 18, Myron Stevens 14, Randy Harris 12, Tai Wayne 12, Bernie Surry 10, Lincoln Gilmore 8, Bryce Ewald 7, Cody Cluff 6, Jim Reiser 5, Broderick Schultz 5, Sean Smalley 5, Erwin Baranowski 4, Gregory Monti 3, Cary Coles 2, Brant Heinrich 2, Devon Henson 2, Ivan Jacques 2, Carl Meier 2, Wally Mattingly 1, Cornelius Rice 1, Jamel Rosenberry 1, Shaun Shiroma 1, Jesse Vielma 1.

Sub-Categories:
Best Rookie: 1. Wally Mattingly and Jesse Vielma
Best Newcomer: 1. Wally Mattingly and Jesse Vielma
Best Defensive Player: 1. Mike Kershner, 2. Charles Gomez, 3. Myron Stevens
Best Offensive Player: 1. Louie Flannery, 2. Randy Harris, 3. Bryce Ewald
Best Special Teams Player: 1. Sean Smalley, 2. Cary Coles and Devin Henson

MIJB#19

11-12-2005, 04:28 PM

Merchantmen Preview To 2010
Quarterbacks
It shouldn't be a surprise who the 2010 projected starter is. Louie Flannery may have looked bad in multiple games (five without touchdown drives), but made up with some good efforts in the second half of the season and a six-touchdown showing. Flannery is screaming for better receivers and that may just be the thing for him to break into the elite. Josh Webb is our future #2 project. He made some progress in his rookie season, but he's going to need some more progress to convince me. Thad Pilkington will once again be shopped around, because I'm afraid he's going to lose a bit of his tricks soon. But if Webb proves to be no future #2, Thad is still very welcome in Oranje Haven. Justin McDavid is going to stay around to mentor Webb, in case Thad moves along.
Needs: holding onto having a decent #2 quarterback.

Running Backs
A tough situation. I'm starting to think that we have three decent backs, but none good enough to be the untouchable #1. Randy Harris is getting older and older. Joseph Schoen ain't so much younger. Last season he was a good #2, but the 2009 season wasn't his best. Scott Bagley looked good in limited playing time and I've got some great expectations from our backup kickoff returner. Jamel Rosenberry is a perfect workhorse fullback and won't be going anywhere, while Henry Poston's future looks bright in potential, but I'm far from convinced that he'll ever be good enough to start for us, aside from being a third down back.
Needs: Upgrade at backup fullback, a young running back who can be a good enough #2.

Receivers
I'll start with our tight ends as that's where our passing game starts. Jim Reiser once again leads the team in receptions, which is a bad sign. With Arnold Ramirez as his backup and Winston Van Pelt as the #3, we're in great shape. The situation at the flanks is troublesome. Our passing game needs a
guy who can make 5 catches per game, and we don't have one. Bryce Ewald is the closest thing, but he just ain't getting open enough, he's a perfect #3 guy. gregory Monti is hurt too often and is no real #1 at all. Youngsters Jerry Beyer and Jesse Vielma have been tried out, but unless they make good
progress, neither will be the long term solution. And Devin Henson is still mainly here to return kickoffs.
Needs: A wide receiver who can make 75 catches.

Offensive Line
Oh boy, where to start after a first half of the season where this line totally sucked? The line recovered a bit, but it isn't all so great yet. Ivan Jacques has once again proven to be irreplacable. But the rest is just average. Our run blocking guards Butch White and Timothy Lacy are decent guys, but not consistenly good. Right tackle Cornelius Rice was close to losing his starting role to Louis Bell, had not there been so many injuries. Brant Heinrich has secured his role as starting center, for now. Leader Harold Hurtado is still our best run blocker, which is sad, especially since 2010 might be his last season, and a season in a 7th stringer role. The unhappy backups Brian Hammond and Heath Ferebee are expected to leaves as free agents, while injured Bruce Pritchett will join the ranks, providing he'll be good to go. And Norman Holliday is still making slow progress as a potential pass blocking expert backup.
Needs: Backup center, backup guard.

Defensive Line
Finally a line where I can't be happier. Charles Gomez is the best defensive tackle in the league and proves that week after week. Andy Weliczka and Shaun Shiroma have been effective as his time-sharing side kicks, while Andrew Rasmussen was unlucky to get hurt, or else he would have ended the season as Gomez' side kick. At defensive end, we'll have five startable guys, providing Aaron Sherrill will be back at his pre-injury form. Omar Gougeon worked his way up to being a top10 end in my book, while Erwin Baranowski and Albert Bernardo have proven to be top10 quality ends in the past. And rookie Wally Mattingly has shown enough that he deserves to be in the mix.
needs: none.

Linebackers
Another solid group. Bernie Surry, Cody Cluff and Mike Kershner are one of the best linebacking trio's in the IHOF. With Ellsworth Thelen as the often playing backup, we can rotate an keep the guys fresh. Factor in Carl Meier and we also have depth in case of injuries. Mentor Josh Weisberg is unhappy and might be leaving us in 2010. if that happens, we'll need a new sixth linebacker.
Needs: replacement for Josh Weisberg.

Secondary
Good but not great. I love this group of players, but they're still not owning opposing receivers as I'd like them too. At cornerback we're in great shape with Tai Wayne and future star Sammie Kennedy. With guys like Myron Stevens and Winford Endicott playing as top10 cornerbacks, we should be happy. As should we be with Xavier Clyburn and injured mentor/leader Melvin Shelton. At safety, Lincoln Gilmore is quietly turning into a top5 guy at his position. With Borderick Schultz and Emile William sharing time as his side kick, Gilmore plays very well. And in John Cole we have a perfect number four for the safety position.
Needs: none.

Special Teams Unit
I have nothing to complain here either. Sure, we could use more productivity from punt returner Joseph Schoen and could use a better backup for him, but that's all. Cary Coles is doing great kicking work with Josh Webb or Louie Flannery as his holder and Winston Van Pelt as his long snapper. Al Bettis still does the kickoff duties and he's showing time after time he's arguably the best in the league at that. Punter Sean Smalley is still young and picked high in the draft, but the kid made good progress and we can only be unhappy about his lack of accuracy. And I don't need to talk about kickoff returners as Devin Henson and Scott Bagley are arguably the best duo in the league at it.
Needs: upgrade at punt returner.

MIJB#19

11-13-2005, 10:02 AM

Merchantmen Player of the Year Poll 2009 Opened
Opened for the coming 21 days is the Merchantmen Player of the Year Poll 2009 (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=44466)! I'd recommend all the readers and fans of the Maassluis Merchantmen dynasty thread to put in their votes. The nine selected candidates are in alphabetical order: Cody Cluff, Louie Flannery, Lincoln Gilmore, Charles Gomez, Ivan Jacques, Mike Kershner, Wally Mattingly, Jim Reiser and Myron Stevens. As usual there is room for a write-in candidate for those who like someone else as their choice.

MIJB#19

11-17-2005, 01:55 PM

Press Release: Merchantmen Go For Five Trades Max
The Maassluis Merchantmen have a history of trades. Take a look at the current roster and half of the stars have been acquired through trade, or have been drafted by traded draft picks. Louie Flannery, Tai Wayne and Ivan Jacques jump out as the most prominent names. But the time of trading sprees is coming to an end. As the New Year has come, the Merchantmen's thing to do in 2010 is trading less.

General Manager M.IJ.B. has looked silly in the past by making "Put the over/under at ten trades" comments. But in 2010 things really will be quiet in Maassluis. M.IJ.B.: "We have the roster we want. We could arguably use some upgrades, but I really don't see us trade a dozen times. Five trades would likely be a lot."

As the 2009 playoffs are going on, the Merchantmen are looking forward to 2010. With offensive linemen Brian Hammond and Heath Ferebee becoming free agents, the team has 54 players signed for the new season and is projected to be about four million dollars over the salary cap.

"We are in good shape for a playoff run," M.IJ.B. said optimistically, "2009 was a tough season, but we keep faith and hope that this team can relive their 2007 form." Copying the 2007 performance seems to be an illusion, but regaining the European title should be a viable option.

The 2010 off-season will be a silent one, just like the 2009 off-season. With a lot of players signed and little retirements looming, the management expects to see only few new faces. The team already spent most of their 2010 draft picks and has to settle with three fifth round picks. "But those can be valuable, we've gotten starters out of fourth round picks and below."

All in all, the Merchantmen are unlikely to go on a trading spree and thus will stay away from the century mark. The Merchantmen have made around 85 trades to date. Followers of the IHOF like the easy link between the nickname and the management's roster building strategy to trade for players and picks and expect the team to trade a lot again. And looking at the past, they could be right after all...

MIJB#19

11-17-2005, 01:57 PM

General Manager Notes: 2009 Season Recap
Welcome back to .500 land.

The story of the 2009 campaign can be told, our season has been over for a while now. As four remaining contenders try to slash their paths through the jungle of the playoffs, we are preparing for the upcoming season. The 2010 season, when things ought to click again.

The 2009 campaign was painful. After a bad start (0-3) and a terrible mid-season report 2-7, we managed to bounce back with a five-game winning streak and ending up at 8-8. At least I know what we should and shouldn't do in the future. Let's take a look at what our schedule looked like:

wk01 L 6-15 @Bordeaux (8-8)
wk02 L 3-30 Frederick (12-4)
wk03 L 9-34 @Conyers (11-5)
wk04 open
wk05 W 16-13 @Syracuse (6-10)
wk06 W 44-17 Rochester (10-6)
wk07 L 17-20 Boston (13-3)
wk08 L 6-12 @Paris (8-8)
wk09 L 3-38 @North Plainfield (14-2)
wk10 L 10-13 Bordeaux (8-8)
wk11 W 14- 9 Gothenburg (10-6)
wk12 W 28-24 @Brooklyn (5-11)
wk13 W 27-26 San Antonio (12-4)
wk14 W 24-17 Chesapeake (10-6)
wk15 W 20-10 Paris (8-8)
wk16 L 14-27 @Williamsburg (9-7)
wk17 W 20-10 @Gothenburg (10-6)

Looking at our scores, the first thing jumping out are the three big losses. To tell you the truth, I expected to lose those three games as I wrote those three teams (North Plainfield, Frederick and Conyers) as the top3 teams in the league. As it showed, I was right there. But what caught my eye is how we lost those games. Those games we gambled by letting them run and relying on the pass defense, which clearly backfired. I tell you what, the game plan we used will be in the garbage soon.

What also jumps out is the Rochester win. The Six-touchdown show from Louie Flannery has left a huge scar on the Lake Monsters and our fans tease the Monsters' about it. It lives up the Futility Bowl rivalry, which will be continued with a regular season game in 2010. What does our schedule roughly look like next season?

home & road Gothenburg (10-6)
home & road Bordeaux (8-8)
home & road Paris (8-8)
road San Antonio (12-4)
road Vicksburg (8-8)
home Telluride (5½-10½)
home Fort Worth (4½-11½)
home Boulder (9-7)
home San Luis Obispo (8½-7½)
road Fairbanks (8-8)
road Anaheim (3-13)
home/road Rochester (10-6)
home/road Georgia (9½-6½)

Yeah, it isn't as tough a schedule as the past season's (none of the thirty-nothing threesome), but it won't be easy enough to go 16-0 without effort. Especially as long as the offense won't be potent enough to score more touchdowns than we have done the past season. The offense will be the point of focuss in the off-season. Five games without a touchdown scored is just unacceptable.

The off-season plan will be pretty small, concerning player moves. I'm confident this roster is capable of regaining the European title and making a run for the playoffs. It's more a question of making the offense score. The moves to be expected are the departure of three veteran backups in center Heath Ferebee, mentor/guard Brian Hammond and mentor/linebacker Josh Weisberg. Wizz is still signed through 2010, but it makes sense to shop him around as Mike Kershner and Bernie Surry are done developing.

Other things to do are making sure we can get under the cap and make sure we have a competitive roster in 2011. The core of the team is signed long-term, but tight end Jim Reiser and left tackle Ivan Jacques are on their last year of contract in 2010. We'll look to a couple of long time veterans to restructure their deals, like the 10-million dollar man Charles Gomez, Reiser himself and backup quarterback Thad Pilkington. An early indication is that we try to free up just enough room to sign rookies.

Draft day will be quite quiet in Maassluis, actually, we only have three fifth round picks. I'd like to look forward by saying we'll do this or that, but I need to see the class first before making clear statememts. Over the years we drafted a lot of contributing players, most have become starters, but the 2007 draft proved to be a lost draft, with zero full time starters out of ten players. If an interesting prospect comes around, I mght try to trade up into the third round, but that'll probably be it.

The free agency market could be interesting, but will not be a big issue. Our needs are a new sixth linebacker, offensive line depth and grabbing seven pre-season roster fillers who could fit on the team if injuries take out one of the top 53 players. Worst case, we'll be heading into the 2010 season with 53 players who all spent the 2009 season on our roster, either active, inactive or injured reserve.

That's it for now, I'll try to keep y'all up to date, but other stuff keeps me occupied most of the time.

MIJB#19

11-18-2005, 03:14 PM

League News: IHOF Bowl VI: San Antonio versus Frederick
The 2009 conference champions have been crowned. In the Atlantic Ocean Conference, the San Antonio Volunteers upset the North Plainfield Plague on a last minute field goal with a 19-17 score.The Frederick Red Menace defended their house from the Ann Arbor Anachronism with a 23-17 victory, to claim the North Amercian Conference. Both teams are first time conference champions, meaning IHOF Bowl VI will be played between two first time entrees.

The Volunteers were the surprise of the day. Boosted by two interceptions from Jared Delassio, the Vol's defense kept it close all game and gave All IHOF first team quarterback David Conti brain cramps. The Volunteers gambled late in the game, by going for he field goal when down by four points, but in the end it paid off. With a well placed 42-yard kick, Steve Waters converted his fourth field goal of the game to win his team the game.

The Red Menace had less difficulties. The Menace held all IHOF first team running back Ray 'Ray Ray' Lyle to 101 yards, which is concidered to be good. Anachronism quarterback Zach Downing replaced future Hall of Famer Donald Woods and looked good at the start, but later on choked. Downing completed only 13 of 33 passes and saw a late attempt to win the game fall six yards short. Harold Worsham was the Menace's big man with two interceptions to keep Downing worried all game long.

For the Merchantmen fans, the IHOF Bowl VI matchup will see two teams who visited Oranje Haven this season. They might remember the heroic 27-26 win over the Volunteers after having been down 16-0 after the first quarter. The game against the Menace might be the one the fans wanted to forget, but couldn't. The Menace won 30-3 and accounted for the Merchantmen's biggest home loss in franchise history.

The Red Menace are the favorites to win, but the Volunteers have beaten the Plague and the Conyers Condors on their way to the big game. Vegas puts two points on the NAC champions Frederick, but you never know when the mean machine will implode. Four defensive starters are hurt for the Menace. On the other end, the Volunteers have nine players listed as out, with six already on injured reserve. They'll need some magic to get a 46-men roster healthy for their biggest game in franchise history.

MIJB#19

11-19-2005, 11:10 AM

Merchantmen Memories: The Return Specialist From Utah
In Merchantmen Memories we'll go back in time and relive one of the highlights in Merchantmen history, or other interesting events. In today's episode, we'll take a look at the short careers of two 26-year old men, born in Utah. The only two men who share a record with the biggest return specialist in IHOF history. Their names are Lonnie O'Reilley and Matt Offord. And their careers as football player have been over for a while. Where are they now?

"Lonnie, Lonnie, Lonnie!" We go back to the 2005 season. The Maassluis Merchantmen were coming of a dramatic 9-10 loss at home to the Tucker Tigers. First round pick Leonard Lyon was returning to the starting line up in the road game at the Georgia Gridlock. Big names like All IHOF first team tight end Jerry Aubrey, like Randy Harris, Bryce Ewald and Gregory Monti were playing. But an undrafted rookie was the leading receiver that day.

Lonnie O'Reilley parks his red Honda on the drive lane of a small home in Highland, southern Utah. As he helps the two-year old Melissa out of her special little people's seat, he welcomes us. "Hi! I'm sorry I'm a bit late, we had to pick up a bag on doggy snacks on the route home." After Lonnie unlocks the door, two tiny little cats jump into his legs. Little Melissa picks up the one with the white spot over the left eye in his brown face. "Leo been bad?"

As we enter the living room, a white football jersey hangs over the small television. The number 85 is printed on it. As we try to think of who's number it was, we can't think of anyone who wore the number. The name "Lonnie" is printed over the number. "Everybody called me Lonnie, I don't think anyone ever knew my last name. I didn't mind having it that way. I hear my number hasn't ever been used in an official game before or after I played in Maassluis. Ain't that something?"

We hear a car honking outside. Lonnie stands up, opens the front door and walks outside. As he returns about a minute later, a 6'2" man wearing a recognizable Merchantmen jersey follows him. A big blue number two sits on the front of the jersey. Again, we can't put a name with the number. As the man turns around to pick up Melissa, we see the name. Offord.

Matt Offord joined the Maassluis Merchantmen as an undrafted rookie. "I still remember sitting in a press conference, together with 'Ronny'." We stare blank at Offord. "Myron Stevens," he says, "that guy who's been starting for most of the season. Man, did Ronny do well this season." Offord was one of a handful of undrafted rookies signed by the Merchantmen prior to the 2006 training camp. "I still remember the day the final 53-men were made public. I jumped in the air and called my mom. She was so proud."

Lonnie O'Reilley remembers that day too. "Yeah, I was watching the press conference over Merchantmen TV. I was pulling for Matt to make the roster and he did." As we ask Lonnie why he wasn't on the 53-men list,we quickly remember how Lonnie was released a day before pre-season 2006 started. "It was painful, but the management told me it was either Matt or me."

Lonnie O'Reilley was released after having played in every game of the 2005 season. His statistics tell us he started in four games. With 30 receptions for 357 yards, he was the #3 receiver that season. Matt Offord won the role as second returner specialist in training camp and O'Reilley's role was over. "I was devastated, I went from #3 guy to not even 60-men roster worthy." Offord nods as he went through something similar.

Going up to the eventual very succesful 2007 campaign, Matt Offord was battling for his roster spot. Offord went through pre-season just fine, until the Merchantmen decided to trade in running back Rodger Mowery. Lonnie says he was shocked: "I heard that news and immediately thought Matt's days in Maassluis were over. Mowery is a legend, argualbly the best punt returner in league history."

Offord never came over the devastation and wasn't signed by any team during the season. Offord decided to step away from football in spring 2008. Lonnie by that time already had built his new home in Highland and told Offord to move back to Utah like he did. "I was sick of the pro league, one day you're a hero, the next you're unwanted." And Offord was a hero one day, he's still credited for having a key role in the first overtime win in Merchantmen history.

Offord tells the story of the game. "It was a weird day. I think the defense allowed almost 600 yards to the San Luis Obispo Burn, but we kept hoping for good things. The special teams unit played great and midway the fourth quarter, it was my time." Offord caught the punted ball and returned it 88 yards for a score. "A bummer how the Burn tied the score in the following minutes, but a brilliant fumble return tocuhdown from Charles Gomez won us the game."

Offord that day had 88 yards punt returning and 58 yards kickoff returning. 50 or more in both categories seems to be pretty unique. Only three men ever managed that in a regular season game. Lonnie tells us who they are: "Two of them are sitting in this room, Matt and I were second and third to do that. The first guy was Domingo Luevano, but you have to see, he's doing both duties for six seasons now and has about 60 more returns than anyone else."

O'Reilley's 50-50 day came in another monumental victory. "Yeah, it marked the first time the Merchantmen had a winning record." The Merchantmen overcame trailing 14-0 and beat the Fort Worth Fury on the road 20-14. O'Reilley had to return 7 punts and did fairly well. With 79 yards punt returning and 50 yards kickoff returning he barely made the cut of the elite. "I still remember head coach calling me the better receiver. it was in the days when Mouse Tail Perry was te hype of the league."

As we leave the house of the O'Reilley family, we wonder about the jersey hanging over the television. Standing in the opening of the door, Lonnie brings us back to the game at Georgia in week five of the 2005 season. "Leonard Lyon thought I was the new real thing and passed me the ball 5 times. I racked up 72 yards, but he gave the touchdowns to other guys, but I did lead the team in receiving yards that day. Being a rookie, that was huge. Sadly I retired without a touchdown.." Matt Offord only smiles, knowing he did score.

As IHOF Bowl VI is on te horizon, both 26-year olds live in Utah and have been living there for over two years now. They still visit each other a lot and cherrish their short stints as pro football players. In a way, they did their share in the steps forward the Merchantmen made the past seasons. Deep inside, they wish they had been part of the succes. As Lonnie describes: "We're Merchantmen forever."

MIJB#19

11-24-2005, 12:45 PM

No Retirements For Merchantmen
With the start of a new season, teams await the list of retirements. Players are free to fill retirement forms the day after the season final. The San Antonio Volunteers were hit hard after the 14-28 loss to the Frederick Red Menace in IHOF Bowl VI. In return, the Menace saw people's MVP running back James Cull retire after arguably the biggest game in his career.

For the Maassluis Merchantmen, the official start of the 2010 season didn't bring any retirements. Although around the league some ex-Merchantmen did end their careers. Former All IHOF offensive linemen Wilson Grimaldo (Maassluis 2005-2006) and Jasper Call (Maassluis 2007-2008) decided to quit the game. No other ex-Merchantmen players on a 2009 roster retired.

The list of free agent retirements was long as usual. There were some relative big names for the Merchantmen there too. Quarterback Shane Bower remained unsigned throughout the 2009 season and called it quits.

Three players who were released in the 2009 pre-season period also quit the game. Tight end Charlie Martins was an undrafted rookie in 2005 and spent four season with the Merchantmen as the long snapper. Safety Lamar Singleton was a fifth round pick in 2006 and spent three seasons on the Merchantmen roster.

Running back Kyle Montoya spent the 2005, 2006 and 2008 season on the Merchantmen roster, but never played a single down. His last active game was ironically against the Merchantmen. Other retiring ex-Merchantmen (seasons on roster in brackets) are quarterback Antoine Shepard (third string in 2004-2005), center Ernie Taylor (2006) and guard Lane Stedman (2006).

MIJB#19

11-25-2005, 04:13 PM

Gossip News: All Too Quiet In Maassluis
Zero trades. That's the score so far for the Maassluis Merchantmen. Once called the masters of trading, basically named by themselves, but the 2010 off-season is quite un-Merchantmen like so far. But Gossip News wouldn't be gossip news without some rumors going on. What's going on?

First of all, the Merchantmen seem to have lost on one player already. They spread the word of wanting cornerback Antoine Hall. They even pursued Hall behind the backs of the Rochester Lake Monsters owner Kodos. The Lake Monsters management immediately traded Hall to the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums when they found out about the interest. Gossip News found out Hall wasn't interested anyway, as he was told to be playing a nickelback role. being called Anthony didn't help either it seems.

The second rumor is about Fredric Vargas. The North Plainfield Plague wide receiver started his IHOF career in Maassluis, but the Plague showed interested and picked Vargas up in a trade. After five seasons, Vargas became too expensive and the Plague are trying to sell Freddy to the Merchantmen. Chances are still slim that the Merchantmen will have the cap room to bring him back.

Despite the lack of cap room, the Merchantmen are about four million dollars over the cap, they are looking for a wide receiver. Rumors are that they are trying to weaken one of their European rivals, but we are not sure which one. All are suspect: Gothenburg has listed all their wide receivers available for trade, Paris is in serious cap hell and Bordeaux still has the mind boggling Martin Mathias in their receivers corps.

The name of Josh Weisberg has been linked with the Anaheim Visigoths. Weisberg is on the block and the Merchantmen are trying to sell him as a defensive coordinator's right hand inthe locker room. Weisberg's resume includes the names of Bernie Surry and Mike Kershner, who grew into the perfect sidekicks of Cody Cluff in Maassluis. other potential new homes could be rebuilding Rochester, mentors loving Conyers and Weisberg's old home on the west coast, San Luis Obispo.

The last, but not least, rumor is the continuing story of Justin McDavid. Fumblin' Justin is once again linked with the Williamsburg Colonials to join the team of the former president of Justin's fan club. The Merchantmen are likely to part ways with either Justin or Thad Pilkington. Both are league wide regarded as mentor type passer, where Thad has the advantage of having the repuation of a decent backup quarterback. Josh Webb should feel safe about his job, unless the Merchantmen try to trade him to the Gothenburg Giants, who are in search of a new quarterback after Duane Davis dramatic loss of skills following injury.

Gossip News will keep you updated as much as possible on what goes on around Oranje Haven. Including the rumors about the continued search for a new offensive coordinator. Antonio Francis should be worried about his job!

MIJB#19

11-25-2005, 05:05 PM

Short News Snippets Around the League
* Quarterback Duane Davis' future with the Gothenburg Giants looks dim. Following a torn lateral knee ligament, Davis fought back to the playing field, but couldn't avoid seeing his knee destroyed and limiting his ability to play football. ironically, Davis picked up the knee injury in the Giants' own stadium, the Palace of Ice and Forst, the same arena where Maassluis Merchantmen quarterback Justin McDavid picked up a knee injury that turned him from starter into fourth stringer. The Giants have already announced their willingness to sell the franchise for a new quarterback.

* Paris Musketeers two-time All IHOF second team cornerback Steven Randall returned to France out of shape. Randall suffered a torn quadriceps muscle in the game against the North Plainfield Plague last season. The medical staff of the Musketeers reported that Randall will still be a fine football player, but no longer should be regarded as one of the elite players at his position. The Musketeers have started their pursuit for a new shutdown cornerback.

* The Bordeaux Vineyards have hired Lonnie Chopper as their new headcoach. Chopper was head coach of the Astoria Heroes and later on of the Williamsburg Colonials after name change. Chopper coached the franchise to four playoff appearances in five season, with the worst regular season record being 8-8. Chopper signed for five years. Chopper will be asked to bring back Bordeaux to the top of the European divison after having missed the playoffs three times following three consecutive European Championships.

* David Conti has been named IHOF's 2009 League MVP. As the quarterback of the North Plainfield Plague, Conti has grown into a league of his own. Conti completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 4,770 yards, 41 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, with a passer rating of 105.8. To show how big and important Conti is, the Plague have won 45 of their last 49 regular season games with Conti starting. Conti is the all-time IHOF leader in passing yards (22,241) and touchdowns (158).

* Cris Richardson is once again the free agent with the biggest demands. The Conyers Condors defensive end has been an All IHOF first team selection in the last two seasons. Richardson is likely to be franchise by the Condors. But if the team decided not to, Richardson's agents will demand for a 65 million dollar deal over five years. Second biggest free agent is Vicksburg Vipers' two time League MVP running back Ronnie Kemp.

MIJB#19

12-01-2005, 03:22 PM

Gossip News: Merchantmen About To Dump Jim Reiser
It's over. The long lasting love between the Maassluis Merchantmen and tight end Jim Reiser is finished. The Merchantmen management and Reiser's agent have yet to start talks about a contract extension, but the hopes on getting together are slim. Reiser is on the last year on a lucrative three-year deal he signed prior to the 2008 season.

Reiser has been an important player to the Merchantmen. In his first and a half season, Reiser backed up 2004 All IHOF First Team tight end Jerry Aubrey. In the past four seasons, Reiser took over from Aubrey after Aubrey was traded in the 2006 off-season. Reiser quickly became quarterback Louie Flannery's #1 target. And as Reiser missed only 3 games due to injury in six seasons, he's been a reliable player.

Reiser wasn't a top player at first, but in 2006 he broke out with 79 catches. He ranked in the IHOF's top ten in just his first season as a full-time starter. But as his role kept growing, his demands got bigger. Prior to the 2007 season, Reiser clearly told people about how he was the best tight end in the league and was robbed from All IHOF honors in 2006.

At first, the Merchantmen management was able to tone down Reiser and his agent's demands. The team told Reiser that a cap figure greater than 2.5 million would be over the top and unfitting for a player of his position. Reiser didn't complain, but the backloaded deals he signed are now backfiring. Reiser is due a four million salary in the 2010 season, while he's also accounting for 1.7 million of bonus money towards the cap figure.

Our reliable sources report that Reiser is still wanting the moon. It is reported that Reiser is asking for a new four-year contract with an eight million dollar bonus and salaries averaging around four million. The Merchantmen front office finds these figures unacceptable, especially given what they pay their wide receivers, who gain more catches, more yards, but get half the money. But following the retirement of the IHOF's #1 tight end Brendon Drumm, Reiser feels he's the clear #1 now.

It's ask and demand these days. Reiser wants six million a season and the Merchantmen have only three options left. The easy option seems to be giving what he wants. But the problem there, in a salary cap time, is the overall cap situation. The team is currently four million over the cap. Reports are the team will be about three million under the cap after renegotiations and completing a trade for a big name offensive lineman.

The second option is the Merchantmen's option: trade. As of now, the team is better with Reiser on the field. But if the struggles continue, riots in the locker room are around the corner. And then, what team could use him, one with a green quarterback perhaps? The asking price could be big, but it's doubtful the Merchantmen can get a first round pick for him.

Option number three is the franchise tag. Reiser's cap figure will be huge this season, but if they tag him next season, they are expected to save about four million in cap space. That cap space could be used to extend the contracts of left tackle Ivan Jacques, who is in the last year of his contract, and Mike Kershner, who the team would like to lock up through the 2013 season.

As of now, the team seems to lean to option number one, although the success will rely on their luck in asking others to take a paycut. It won't be good for the locker room, but Reiser is a great football player and has been good. And Louie Flannery really loves Reiser. The team has Arnold Ramirez and Winston Van Pelt in the wings, but neither looks like the new Reiser. Ramirez had 5 catches for 42 yards when Reiser was injured in 2007, Van Pelt's resume add up to 3 catches.

Gossip News' take is that Reiser will be traded soon. The Merchantmen management has made fun of Reiser's demands in the past. They seem him as a top ten tight end, who overrates himself. They know he's one of the league's best players in getting open, but his yards per catch of 9.9 in 2009 tells the rest of the story. As do the lowsy two touchdowns he scored. Not to mention his run block percentage of 7.7 last season. He's not on the block yet, but it can't take much longer...

MIJB#19

12-01-2005, 04:12 PM

Merchantmen Acquire Center Ned Cozart In First 2010 Trade
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at it. In a trade with the Outer Banks Ospreys, the Merchantmen acquired center Ned Cozart. The Merchantmen give up their 2012 second round pick and a 2011 sixth round pick, but also trade up from mid fifth to mid fourth round. Cozart fills the void at center as the Merchantmen only have Brant Heinrich left with the expected departure of Heath Ferebee as a free agent.

Cozart had been a reliable starter for the Ospreys. In his first four seasons, Cozart missed only 4 regular season games. The last two seasons, Cozart started in only 18 games as injuries started to haunt him. Cozart has been franchised four times by the Ospreys. In six years, Cozart made 182 key run blocks and allowed just 18 sacks in 2430 passing plays.

MIJB#19

12-02-2005, 01:06 PM

Merchantmen Overpay For Receiver Jewell Simpson
Trade number two is in the books. The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced the addition of a new wide receiver in Jewell Simpson. Simpson had been a regular starter for the Springfield Isotopes the past four seasons. The Merchantmen give up their 2012 first round pick and two 2010 fifth round picks, but get also two fourth round picks. Still, league wide eyebrowses were raised and the Merchantmen were told they overpaid.

Jewell Simpson had been on the wishlist for quite some time in Maassluis. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Back in 2006, we opened our eyes in search for a wide receiver with big-play ability. David Henkel didn't work out well, but we see good things in Simpson. Louie Flannery has a strong arm and needed a receiver who can get open downfield. Plus, Simpson gives us a a second punt returner after Joseph Schoen."

Simpson doesn't have the numbers to defend the value in the trade, but the Merchantmen feel safe. Simpson had 106 catches for 1588 yards in Springfield, with 7 touchdowns. Most of his yardage came in 2008, when he had 708 yards receiving. Biggest day in his career was ironically in Oranje Haven. Simpson caught 6 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Springfield Isotopes beat the Merchantmen by the guidance of former Merchantmen first round pick Leonard Lyon.

Despite having played most of his time with the Isotopes, Simpson already has receptions in two different playoff games on his resume. Simpson was part of the North Plainfield Plague's 2004 Northeast championship team. In the 2005 off-season he was traded to the Outer Banks Ospreys. With the Ospreys he reached the playoffs for a second time. The Ospreys let Simpson walk as a free agent the next off-season. The Isotopes picked him up during the regular season and gave him a lot of playing time.

Simpson will now join a crowded Merchantmen receivers corps. The past seasons the Merchantmen spent draft picks on Jesse Vielma (third round 2009) and Jerry Beyer (second round 2008), but neither pleased the management enough. Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald are sure-handed, but lack the agility to get open and rack up the yardage after catch. Devin Henson is mainly a return specialist.

MIJB#19

12-02-2005, 01:26 PM

General Manager Notes: 2010 Begins!
yep, we overpaid.

The pain of missing the playoffs was there. Looking at our needs, one thing glanced at me. Okay, maybe two. One: we need a wide receiver who can get open downfield. Two: we need a better center. And to address them, we surely overpaid.

Let's get to number, because that's what we fixed first. Center Ned Cozart is his name, he's been a stud, consistently a top five center, yet he missed the All IHOF honors season after season. Cozart will become our best run blocker and is also a better pass blocker than Heinrich. Not to mention that Cozart is a natural born leader. So far so good, no?

Number two then. It's a bit more complicated. At first I approached the Springfield Isotopes for receiver John Foster. The Isotopes management advertised Jewell Simpson and immediately I realized he was the missing piece to our puzzle. Big play receiver with the ability to get open. Perfect.

Of course, I paid a lot to get the two. In the end I gave up the 2011 first round pick, 2012 second round pick, a 2011 sixth round pick and three 2010 fifth round picks (19, 22 and 30 overall). In return I get two starters and three fourth rounds picks that could into two useful players. Yes, I'm already counting on an additional trade.

THe rest of the plans for the off-season are simple: consolidate. We have cap room after renegotiations (14 million with 54 players signed), but need to extend and upgrade some contracts. Left tackle Ivan Jacques, tight end Jim Reiser and linebacker Mike Kershner, just to new a few.

Okay, maybe we'll acquire a couple of startable players with te remaining cap room, but hey, I think we're a couple of good moves away from being back in the conference championship race. Okay, okay, back in the division title race. It's not like we'll be able to beat the North Plainfield Plague or Conyers Condors...

MIJB#19

12-02-2005, 05:04 PM

Breaking News: Merchantmen Acquire Tommie Canon
The Maassluis Merchantmen just announced the acquisition of cornerback Tommie Canon. Despite having enough cornerbacks on roster, the team couldn't turn down the Rochester Lake Monsters' trade offer. Canon will join the Merchantmen in return for fourth and fifth round picks in 2011. The Merchantmen also trade up from the #120 to #94 overall draft pick in the upcoming draft. Canon played for Rochester the past two seasons, following his first four seasons with the Fairbanks NorthStars. Canon won a championship ring in 2004 and only missed the playoffs last season, despite the Lake Monsters' 10-6 record.

MIJB#19

12-06-2005, 02:37 PM

Charles Gomez fans' choice as player of 2009
Charles Gomez was once again selected the people's choice. Merchantmen fans en mass voted for Gomez to be the 2009 player of the year. With 57 percent of the votes, Gomez held of cornerback Myron Stevens and left tackle Ivan Jacques, who finished second and third respectively.

"A nice gesture," Gomez called it, "the fans are loyal and it's an honor to be their choice of player of the year again." Gomez was honored All IHOF first teamer for the third time in his career, following a season with 82 tackles, 28 assists, 7.5 sacks and 24 hurries. Most impressive was his league leader figure of 6 forced fumbles.

MIJB#19

12-06-2005, 02:37 PM

Josh "The Wizard" Weisberg Leaves Merchantmen
"The Wizard"'s magic is over. After three seasons of mentor young linebackers Mike Kershner and Bernie Surry, Josh Weisberg left the Maassluis Merchantmen. Today he was traded to the Springfield Isotopes for a future fourth round pick.

Weisberg played 46 games for the Merchantmen in four season. Wizz recorded 18 tackles, 8 assists and 1 assist. Weisberg joined the Merchantmen in 2006 through trade from the San Luis Obispo. Weisberg had been unhappy with his role recently and was unwilling to sign a contract extention. The Merchantmen wish The Wizard good luck back in the USA.

MIJB#19

12-06-2005, 02:47 PM

Merchantmen Bring Back Linebacker Omar Carpenter
A familiar face to the Maassluis Merchantmen organization will return. Middle linebacker Omar Carpenter today signed a one-year contract. Carpenter was in Maassluis during the 2009 training camp and played well in pre-season (14 tackles, 8 assists), but failed to make the 53-men regualr season roster. With the trade of Josh Weisberg, Carpenter hopes to be the sixth linebacker in 2010. "It's nice to be back," Carpenter said, "but I have no guarantee to make the roster. I'll have to focus in training camp and pre-season to show what I'm made of."

Carpenter's chances to make the roster are still slim. General manager M.IJ.B. earlier on hinted the team will likely draft an inside linebacker. And that comes on top of the ongoing attempts to sign free agent Albert Boggess. M.IJ.B. said "Boggess fits our kind of linebackers. We'll definately try to get him to become our number four linebacker. With Kershner and Surry lacking stamina, we need a third outside linebacker. Yes, we have Thelen, but we all know he fits better in a bump and run defense."

MIJB#19

12-06-2005, 03:09 PM

General Manager Notes: 57 signed and 11M of cap room: Huh?
Wow.

Yeah, I know, that's what I thought too. Apparently we've got some cap room this season and how. Despite having 57 players signed, we have 11.3 million dollars of cap room. So, what are we going to do with all that money? The answer is simple: Nothing.

Nothing? Well, not really, I've got two outstanding bids for free agents. Defensive tackle Frank Bernard and linebacker Albert Boggess would be nice additions to our team. They should account for about seven million. That leaves us with four million. And that money we will need to extend the contract of left tackle Ivan Jacques.

Jacques has been a key player and frankly, I don't want him to run off a free agent next off-season. With center Ned Cozart, we have a second highly paid lineman on our team. Cozart has demands in the area of six million dollars for 2011 and 2012, something we won't pay him. I'll likely offer him a cheaper one or two year deal and keep the franchise tag in my mind. Afterall, Cozart is used to the tag, he's been given it multiple times with the Outer Banks Ospreys.

What about our draft plans, don't we need cap room there? Well, not really. Rigt now we have the #94 and #99 overall picks. Once signed, these guys won't even count to the top 53 cap figures until the regular season kicks off. What do we want? Well, right now I'm leaning to five options: A new quarterback project, a new backup fullback, a new inside linebacker project, a new kicker and another defensive end.

Josh Webb, our third string quarterback ain't looking so hot anymore. We picked him in the second round last season, but he's not looking much better than good old Justin McDavid. With Thad Pilkington still as the decent backup to Louie Flannery, I see no reason to defend Webb at all cost. If we can get a better project player, we won't hesistate to trade Webb. A release would be a shame, but not impossible either.

How about fullback? Well, Henry Poston looks nice and all, but he's still got a long way to go. Poston is mostly a receiver type and I'd rather have a run blocker who can pave the way for Randy Harris, Joseph Schoen and Scott Bagley.

Inside lienbacker isn't a big need, but I figure we could use Carl Meier's mentorship. Meier won't be around forever and we'd better start developing a backup caliber player in case Cody Cluff is hurt again. And we all know he's a bit fragile at times, despite never being below 90 tackles for the season.

Defensive end isn't a serious option, but I toss it out there anyway. Guys like Aaron Sherrill and Albert Bernardo are either going to be backups or too expensive to sit on inactive. On the other hand, we're full at the defensive line. If we need to, we can always put defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma or linebacker Ellsworth Thelen at the end of the line.

Kicker is the fifth option. Yes, Cary Coles has been good, but not much better than good. Sure, he converted over 80 percent of his kicks the past four seasons, which is pretty good for IHOF standards. But his annual missed extra point bothers me. There are a couple of good looking kicker prospects and it might be interesting to grab one of them. At worst, we can always trade the guy away, like we did with Alvin Ladner back in 2007.

That's all for now, I'll try to keep y'all updated on how things go in Maassluis. The free agency period is hot going and the league is preparing for the draft, which starts in three days. And I'll also try to update with the 2009 All MIJB selection. The traditional list of 53 stand out players of the IHOF season has been delayed a bit, but don't worry, it will be here at some point. I'm bascially halfway done doing that list...

MIJB#19

12-08-2005, 02:21 PM

Merchantmen Sign Defensive Tackle Frank Bernard
The Maassluis Merchantmen have a new player and didn't have to trade for him. Defensive tackle Frank Bernard is the 2010 off-season's biggest addition both in size and in name. Bernard signed a two-year contract, turing down longer offers from several other teams, most notably the Bordeaux Vineyards. The Merchantmen defense is shaping up to be even stronger than it already was the past seasons.

Frank Bernard isn't the most prominent of names, but he's had his share of good play. Bernard had been with the Columbus Architects since the 2004 season. His best seasons were the last two. In 2008 Bernard broke out with 65 tackles and 6.5 sacks, last season he was on the same pace with 61 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Bernard is physically strong and is regarded as one of the top twenty defensive tackles in the IHOF.

With Bernard, the Merchantmen have now added five players to their team this off-season, four of them are expected to be starters. general manager M.IJ.B. smiled when he said: "We're almost there." The Merchantmen found unexpected cap room this season after renegotiations and decided to cash it with second tier players. M.IJ.B. said: "We don't need more super stars, we've got our Gomez and Flannery. The likes of Ned Cozart, Tommie Canon, Jewell Simpson and Frank Bernard will help us step to the next level."

With Bernard on board, the Merchantmen now have deep depth on the defensive line. At defensive end, the team has five pass rushers hired. At defensive tackle, Frank Bernard will compete with run stopper Andy Weliczka and pass rusher Shaun Shiroma for playing time. Andrew Rasmussen will likely ride the bench all season again. And then we haven't even mentioned big man Charles Gomez himself yet.

General manager M.IJ.B. not only was pleased to report the news, but still wanted to comment on the pressing needs of the team: "We're still looking out foa sixth linebacker. And on top of that, we still hope to find a rookie worth of the 53rd regular season roster spot in the draft. Or two" Four new starters. The Merchantmen fans should be happy and expected to be the biggest crowd in the league for another season.

MIJB#19

12-09-2005, 03:57 PM

Merchantmen Quietly Celebrate Trade #100
The century mark has been reached by the Maassluis Merchantmen. Today they traded up both of their draft picks, moving into #74 and #81 overall. The Merchantmen give picks #94 and #101 to the Syracuse Mohawks. The trade marks the Merchantmen's trade number one hundred. To make this trade, they also gave up a fifth round pick in 2011.

MIJB#19

12-11-2005, 08:23 AM

Merchantmen Draft Picks About To Be Made
The tension is rising in the draft room of the Maassluis Merchantmen. With two picks in the mid third round, there was little reason to scout for all star players, but more need to look out for middle round potential. With the 10th and 17th overall picks in the third round, it's almost the Merchantmen's turn as the third round just started.

"Our guy is still here" general manager M.IJ.B. said, "no, we can't tell who it is yet, but the true Merchantmen fans should know what our biggest needs are." The plan is to pick the desired player and then wait and see what happens at 3.17. "If our 3.10 target is gone, we have some other players to look at, but I think they will still be available at 3.17."

Rumors have it the Merchantmen have fallen in love with cornerback Jon Givens. M.IJ.B. said: "I can't deny that. Some other GM and I talked about Jon. It's simple: had we not traded for Tommie Canon, Jon would be a given to be our top target. But cornerback is one of our smallest needs. Right we could use depth at other positions, like guard."

All in all, the Merchantmen didn't make a big list of names. The team revealed that only six players are on the list. There were seven at first, but linebacker Adrian Conley was taken of the list. M.IJ.B. said: "Adrian could be a fit in our system, but he's not the best run stopper and that's the main need for a linebacker. Besides, his combine scores weren't so great, Conley wasted his chances there."

Six names remain and the rumors link to the revealed needs. A linebacker would make sense, but the addition of Omar Carpenter nullified the planned departure of Josh Weisberg. Still, a new linebacker seems like a possibility. Other options are said to be a new third quarterback, a backup fullback, a fourth running back, a guard and another defensive end project. "Defensive end Harvey Levine looks like an awesome fit to our team. But we're just so loaded at that position, we don't need an eleventh defensive lineman. The same can be said about defensive tackle George Pierce."

More to come later.

MIJB#19

12-11-2005, 10:03 AM

Merchantmen Get Top Prospect Fullback Quentin Malicki
Happy faces in the Maassluis Merchantmen's draft room. With the 74th selection overall, the Merchantmen selected fullback Quentin Malicki. Malicki had been the top prospect on the Merchantmen's draft board. Malicki played his college football at Maryland and was regarded as on of the top fullbacks of this year's draft class. He had the highest Solecismic Test score amongst fullbacks and is expected to become a very good run blocker.

With Malicki, the Merchantmen drafted a fullback for the third team in team history, but the previous selections haven't been succesful. Doug Nelson played only half a season in Maassluis, spending all that time on the inactive list, before being released and retiring two off-seasons later. Henry Poston has been on roster since the 2007 draft, but never became a long-term active roster member. Poston played in 21 regular season games, of which only 6 were in the past two seasons. Malicki will challenge Poston for the backup role in pre-season.

MIJB#19

12-11-2005, 04:40 PM

Merchantmen Grab Linebacker Terrance White
More happy faces in the Maassluis Merchantmen's front office. With the 71st overall pick in the 2010 IHOF draft, the Merchantmen selected Clemson's Terrance White. The 6'4" 258 lbs linebacker will be expected to become the sixth linebacker on the regular season roster. The management already revealed that White will be asked to move from trhe outside to the inside. The scouting report on White was generous about his run stopping skills and knowlegde of the zone defense.

MIJB#19

12-11-2005, 07:11 PM

Merchantmen Trade To Pick Kicker Myron George
Cary Coles and Al Bettis, watch out, the Merchantmen drafted a new kicker! With the 103rd overall pick, the Merchantmen took Myron George. The selection came shortly after the Merchantmen and Telluride Outlaws announced their trade. The Outlaws receive a fourth and sith round pick in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The 6'1" 217 lbs kicker from Virginia is selected to challenge top10 all-time scorer Cary Coles for field goal and extra point duties.

George was taken third in a surprising run on kickers. As the Merchantmen traded up, they found out the North Plainfield Plague did the same thing to get the 99th overall pick and expected the San Luis Obispo Burn to take kicker Richard Joon in between at 102 overall. Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. said: "We knew the Plague wanted Part Wells and we were almost 50-50 between Wells and George. They offered us to trade us Wells for an additional pick if we could get Joon. That obviously blew off and we took Myron George, who should have a bit more accuracy that Wells anyway."

Whether George will make the final 53-men roster is still a questionmark. In 2007, the Merchantmen took kicker Alvin Ladner in the fifth round, but Ladner didn't work out well in pre-season and got traded to the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Ladner broke the rookie scoring record, but as of today is retired after just one season of football with Chesapeake. A solution could be the Sean Smalley trick. Punter Smalley spent the 2008 season unsigned until very late in the season. The Merchantmen management already revealed it will be an option if they can't find the willingness to sign George in time for training camp.

MIJB#19

12-12-2005, 01:55 PM

Albert Boggess Latest Merchantmen Acquisition
While the 2010 draft goes on without them, the Maassluis Merchantmen keep working the phones. Today they announced the signing of linebacker Albert Boggess. Boggess signed a two-year contract worth seven million dollars. His last team was the Fort Worth Fury, where Boggess played since the start of the 2004 seasons. In 82 games, he made 379 tackles and 155 assists. With 93 tackles and 38 assists in 12 games, Boggess played exceptionally well last season. Boggess is expected to become the premier backup at the outside linebacker positions.

MIJB#19

12-13-2005, 09:37 AM

General Manager Notes: Another Quiet Draft
Bo-oring.

The Maassluis Merchantmen went through the 2010 IHOF draft without acquiring a chique hold-the-presses player. In fact, the positions we drafted at are the dullest in the league: a fullback, an outside linebacker and, shiver, a kicker!

Well, the draft wasn't all that hot, but if the players hold up pretty well, I think we acquired three interesting players who really have a shot at making our 2010 regular season roster. Factor in how active we were in free agency (we signed defensive tackle Frank Bernard and linebacker Albert Boggess) and trades (center Ned Cozart and cornerback Tommie Canon) and we had an exceptional off-season, without losing any important team member!

Okay, seven new faces, what do I expect from them?

Ned Cozart should be ourt new starting center. He's said to be fragile, so we still have Brant Heinrich to jump in when we need to. Heinrich has proven to be decent enough. With Cozart, we upgrade our pass protection a bit and inject our run blocking with some much wanted additional weight.

Tommie Canon will be our new starting cornerback opposite Tai Wayne. I hear you think: "But what about Winford Endicott, Myron Stevens and Sammie Kennedy?" It's simple: Canon will be here for one or two seasons, Stevens will be around much longer and Kennedy will be playing a lot anyway. Only Endicott's future is still uncertain, as we had trade talks with another team for him and he might be traded before the season starts.

And then there was Frank Bernard. Say hello to our two in one tackle. Well, not really, he does what Andy Welizcka does best (stop the run) and what Shaun Shiroma does (rush the passer), but he's no all downs player. Bernard will be an upgrade, but how much is yet to be seen. With Weliczka, Shiroma and Andrew Rasmussen, we have great depth here and could actually afford (and might even need to!) trade one of the three youngsters away.

Albert Boggess is our new backup outside linebacker. Yeah, we pay him $3.5M a year, so what? We have the spare cap room and could really use a backup who can defend the pass too. Ellsworth Thelen has been awesome, but always was fulnerable against the pass. We hope Boggess will resolve that problem.

Quentin Malicki is our third fullback project in five years time. Doug Nelson got busted. We kicked him out midway the 2006 campaign, his rookie season. Henry Poston survived so far ever since the 2007 draft, but he's hanging on thin wires. Malicki has the potential of a very good run blocker, which is what I'm gonna ask from a fullback more often in the coming season or seasons. I hope he'll be that, because there's not much else our scout thinks Malicki can do.

Terrance White will be our new backup inside linebacker. I know, he's originally an outside linebacker, but we could really use an inside 'backer soon, just in case Carl Meier decided to retire. Meier became a mentor this off-season and I'd like to take advantage of it. Don't point out Josh Weisberg was a mentor. We got good value for him and he was too angry to even talk with my anymore.

Myron George is our new kicker project. Bummer for Cary Coles, who ranks tenth all-time with 581 points. I guess you all think I have a special place for players named Myron, but you're wrong. Whether Myron sucks, or blows it, he'll be turned in for Gatorade tanks in an instant second.

Other plans this off-season? I'm having some plans for a sightly changed game plan, on offense. And maybe on defense too, but I can't disclose the details, can I? What I will disclose is my strategy of signing some players long-term. Left tackle Ivan Jacques, center Ned Cozart and some others with only this season remaining on their contract, they will be offered a new deal at the end of the season. And with mister I want 5 million for being hurt, Ned Cozart, I'll probably rerseve something he's familiar with: the franchise tag. For Omar Carpenter the restricted free agent status awaits, provided we keep him. And for Harold Hurtado and Bruce Pritchett it'll be a battle for a roster spot first. I'd love to keep Hurtado, while mister I-was-hurt-but-still-want-more-money Pritchett has yet to prove himself. They stay if I find the money for them.

MIJB#19

12-15-2005, 01:31 PM

Merchantmen Sign Eight Free Agents
The Maassluis Merchantmen had a busy couple of days. Today they announced the signing of eight free agents. All are expected to survive through training camp an then be released before pre-season kicks off. All signed a two-year contract at the veteran minimum salaries. The eight players are running back Shane Neufeld, running back Ernie Johnstone, wide receiver Junior Lee, guard Jorge Hutton, guard Vernon Meier, punter Antonio Rasnic, defensive end Daryl Webster and linebacker Blaine Toppe.

Neufeld has been hanging around the free agent market ever since the 2009 draft was complete. Neufeld isn't a real receiver type, but has the elusiveness to break through the defense. With decent speed to the outside and hole recognition he could be an interesting play for the Merchantmen. His direct competition will be Ernie Johnstone. Johnstone spent the 2008 training camp and pre-season with the Tucker Tigers. After that he was released and didn't get a look until this off-season. Johnstone is more of an all-round runner that Neufeld.

Junior Lee joins the Merchantmen in two potential roles. Lee seems to be a punt return specialist and also a potential playable wide receiver. Lee was drafted 131st overall in the 2008 drft by the Orlando Knights. This off-season, Lee was released and hoped to find a new home. He'll have a shot at making the pre-season roster.

Guard Jorge Hutton has one IHOF game on his resume. After being drafted by the Vicksburg Vipers 208th overall, Hutton played in the last ame of the 2009 season. This off-season the Vipers released the all-round guard. Vernon Meier is more of a run blocking specialist. Meier wasn't signed ever before, despite being out of college since 2008. As far as known, Vernon is not related to Carl Meier, the Merchantmen's linebacker.

Punter Antonio Rasnic has been a familiar face around the IHOF already. Rasnic was drafted 213th overall in the 2006 draft. The San Antonio Volunteers liked him and gave him a season to show his skills. Rasnic missed the 2007 season and then got released prior to the 2008 season. The Anaheim Visigoths gave him a second chance for the 2008 season. But as Rasnic' contract ended after that season, he became a free agent and didn't receive a new contract offer until now.

Defensive end Daryl Webster is given a second chance around the league. Webster signed a two-year deal after the 2009 draft with the Springfield Isotopes. But despite getting some playing time, Webster recorded only half a sack and 3 tackles and 4 assists. It wasn't enough to win a 53-men roster spot. Now Webster hopes to make the Merchantmen's pre-season roster and win a 53-men spot.

Linebacker Blaine Toppe was drafted 176th overall by the North Plainfield Plague in 2008. Toppe played in two regular season games in each of the 2008 and 2009 season. This off-season he was released and had to wait for a phone call for a new opportunity. The Merchantmen give Toppe that chance as they already dared to reveal he will have a better chance than Omar Carpenter to make the pre-season roster.

MIJB#19

12-17-2005, 06:31 PM

Merchantmen Players Report For Camp
Training camp is coming up and IHOF players around the United States and Europe report for camp. In the Netherlands, fans crowded together as the Maassluis Merchantmen players returned from their homeland to report for training camp. All players reported for an early examination by the medical staff and the scouting department made reports on the players. Here's a position by position breakdown from the front office. Scouted overall ratings are rounded to the 5's for all 70 players signed. In brackets are overall rankings compared to all players in the league, (r) denoted unsigned rookies.

65/65 QB Louie Flannery (19th QB)
45/45 QB Thad Pilkington
20/25 QB Justin McDavid
15/40 QB Josh Webb

55/55 RB Joseph Schoen (19th RB)
45/50 RB Randy Harris
30/35 RB Scott Bagley
25/30 RB Ernie Johnstone
15/20 RB Shane Neufeld

65/65 FB Jamel Rosenberry (12th FB)
30/45 FB Henry Poston
25/50 FB Quentin Malicki (r)

75/80 TE Jim Reiser (1st-2nd TE)
50/50 TE Arnold Ramirez
20/45 TE Winston Van Pelt

55/55 SE Bryce Ewald
40/50 FL Gregory Monti
40/40 FL Jewell Simpson
30/40 FL Jerry Beyer
30/35 SE Devin Henson
30/35 FL Jesse Vielma
20/30 FL Junior Lee

75/75 C_ Ned Cozart (6th-7th C)
55/60 C_ Brant Heinrich
50/55 RG Timothy Lacy
50/50 LG Bruce White
35/40 RG Bruce Pritchett
10/30 LG Jorge Hutton
05/30 RG Vernon Meier
70/75 LT Ivan Jacques (9th-10th OT)
45/55 LT Louis Bell
45/50 RT Cornelius Rice
30/30 LT Harold Hurtado
25/50 RT Norman Holliday

70/70 P_ Sean Smalley (11th-12th P)
40/40 P_ Antonio Rasnic

50/55 K_ Cary Coles
40/45 K_ Al Bettis
30/65 K_ Myron George (r)

85/85 LT Charles Gomez (6th DT)
65/65 NT Frank Bernard
40/45 NT Andy Weliczka
35/40 RE Omar Gougeon
35/35 LE Erwin Baranowski
30/50 LT Andrew Rasmussen
30/35 LE Albert Bernardo
30/35 RT Shaun Shiroma
25/40 LE Wally Mattingly
20/30 LE Aaron Sherrill
15/35 LE Daryl Webster

75/75 MI Cody Cluff (7th-8th ILB)
50/55 WI Carl Meier
20/30 MI Omar Carpenter
70/70 WO Mike Kershner (17th OLB)
55/55 SO Ellsworth Thelen
55/55 WO Bernie Surry
50/50 SO Albert Boggess
15/40 SO Terrance White (r)
15/40 SO Blaine Toppe

65/70 LC Tai Wayne
65/65 SS Lincoln Gilmore
55/60 RC Tommie Canon
45/50 SS Emile William
40/40 FS John Cole
35/50 RC Sammie Kennedy
35/40 LC Xavier Clyburn
35/40 FS Broderick Schultz
35/35 RC Winford Endicott
30/30 LC Melvin Shelton
20/20 RC Myron Stevens

MIJB#19

12-19-2005, 02:16 PM

Merchantmen Sign Guard Wesley Howard
The Maassluis Merchantmen signed a new player. Despite the training camp roster being pretty much set, the management decided to sign guard Wesley Howard as a free agent. Howard started his career with the Gothenburg Giants. After stints with the Giants (2004-2005), Orlando Knights (2006-2007), Syracuse Mohawks (2008) and North Plainfield Plague (2009), Howard is expected to make the regular season roster for the Merchantmen. To make room for Howard, recently signed guard Vernon Meier and punter Antonio Rasnic were released.

Merchantmen Sign One Of Three Rookies
The Maassluis Merchantmen today signed one of their three rookies. Kicker Myron George agreed to a four-year contract and will join a crowded kicker corps. The team is still trying to persuade veteran kicker Dwayne Calfee to join the crowded special teams unit for training camp and pre-season to mentor George. But where George joined the team, third round picks fullback Quentin Malicki and linebacker Terrance White turned down the four-year contracts they were offered. The Merchantmen are taking their chances and will likely give them another contract offer just before training camp.

MIJB#19

12-22-2005, 06:05 PM

Training Camp Done, Rookies Hold Out, Melvin Shelton Traded
The Maassluis Merchantmen concluded training camp with 67 players. Cornerback Melvin Shelton was traded after camp to the Miami Sharks for a 2012 sixth round pick. Rookies fullback Quentin Malicki and linebacker Terrance White are holding out for a three-year contract and missed camp. The Merchantmen carry on, but are altering their pre-season and regular season plans.

Melvin Shelton was traded to the Miami Sharks. The cornerback had become a prominent player on roster. But as he got hurt in pre-season, the Merchantmen decided to put Shelton on injured reserve, as he had little promise to be on the active roster during the season. Shelton had played in every game for the San Luis Obispo Burn from 2004 to 2008. In Miami, he'll be asked to play a backup role and mentor rookie Antoine Frisch and ballhwaker Amos Moore.

The rookie situation got a bit more troublesome. Fullback Malicki decided to turn down a four-year contract, which was an increased deal compared to the earlier offer he turned down. Malicki wants a three-year deal and as the Merchantmen offered him a four-year deal, a dead lock situation is arising. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "Today I got a warning from the Boston Rhinos management. Malicki held out for the 2009 season there and re-entered the draft. Malicki seems to be stubborn and it he's putting his IHOF future in serious jeopardy."

Linebacker Terrance White got even more bad words from the management. M.IJ.B. said: "White showed up for another medical examination and looked out of shape, more so than before camp, even far worse than at the draft combine. We still like White's potential, but he's put his potential role as Cody Cluff's execor in trouble." White, like Malicki, decided to turn down a better contract offer, but unlike Malicki hasn't been working out much. White decided not to comment on the situation and said he hopes to see the problems resolved in the near future.

The Merchantmen management is putting weight to their options now. M.IJ.B. said: "Malicki was drafted to battle with Henry Poston, but right now I'm not sure whether we'll let Poston go. Poston had a good training camp and is quietly becoming a respectable backup to Jamel Rosenberry. For White, things look even dimmer. Albert Boggess had an amazing training camp, while the trade talks on Ellsworth Thelen haven't lead to where we hope it would get. Four teams showed interest, but we haven't been able to strike a deal we like yet."

The kicker situation is also getting out of hand. With four kickers signed, the Merchantmen have a tough decission to make. 39-year old Dwayne Calfee proved to be the best field goal kicker with his strong leg. But his recent history in the league gives all-time Merchantmen top scorer Cary Coles the edge. Rookie Myron George, drafted to replace Coles, looked bad in training camp and the scouting department toned down George's potential to be just as good as Coles'. Al Bettis made good progress and is a lock to make the 53-men roster as the IHOF's best kickoff kicker.

Wide receiver Jesse Vielma received accolades from the coaches. Vielma was said to have made good progress is was said to be pushing long time Merchantmen player Gregory Monti for the #3 role behind expected starters Bryce Ewald and Jewell Simpson. Ewald was once again the best receiver, while Simspon was acquired in a big trade for a 2011 first round pick. That means Vielma and Monti are the challengers for the #3 role. Kickoff returner Devin Henson is making the final roster, while Jerry Beyer is listed as the #6 option right now.

The crowded defensive line situation got a bit clearer. Especially at defensive end, the situation is blurry with six players signed. Newby Daryl Webster is unlikely to even make the pre-season roster now, after the other youngsters made soom progress. Especially Wally Mattingly was praised for his progress. At defensive tackle, Shaun Shiroma and Andrew Rasmussen are heating up their rivalry for the #4 role. Shiroma's future looks dimmer today after the signing of Frank Bernard and Rasmussen's more all round potential.

At cornerback Sammie Kennedy moved up to #3 on the depth chart following training camp. The former first round pick by the San Luis Obispo Burn had a good camp and gained terrain on Winford Endicott, Myron Stevens and Xavier Clyburn. Tai Wayne is the clearcut #1, while Tommie Canon is expected to be the #2 cornerback for the 2010 season. With at least one team having showed interest in Winford Endicott, it could mean the Merchantmen will go into 2010 with five cornerbacks.

With 67 players signed, the Merchantmen will have to release or trade at least seven players before the first pre-season game. Right now, the most likely departures are from running back Ernie Johnstone, running back Shane Neufeld, guard Brian Pritchett, tackle Norman Holliday, linebacker Omar Carpenter, defensive end Daryl Webster and linebacker Blaine Toppe. Other potential departures in the near future are for Ellsworth Thelen (trade), Justin McDavid or Josh Webb, fullback Henry Poston or Quentin Malicki, two of the four kickers, one of the ten remaining defensive linemen and wide receiver Jerry Beyer.

MIJB#19

12-23-2005, 07:32 PM

Gossip News: Merchantmen Close To Trading Justin McDavid!
Merchantmen fans arise, a team icon is about to be traded: your very own Fumblin' Justin. Gossip News' reliable sources report that the Merchantmen organization is in deep negotiations to trade Justin McDavid back to the USA. And not to the worst of all teams, we believe the 'Evil Empire' of the North Plainfield Plague are about to strike a deal. Two other teams are said to be in the mix, obviously including the Williamsburg Colonials. One of our reporters claims it's a diversion tactic to keep the fans looking elsewhere while other team members since the start as 2004 All IHOF second teamer Harold Hurtado and IHOF top ten all time scorer Cary Coles are about to be released going into the new season. And the departure of two other long term members, Ellsworth Thelen and Albert Bernardo, is also about to happen.

Justin McDavid, the face of the franchise. The management never denied the rumors of trade talks going on, but negotiations always stranded on the demands of the Merchantmen. McDavid has been acting as a quarterback coach the past season and said he wasn't happy about it. McDavid got lazy and showed up out of shape for training camp. The team told him he's no longer in the mix for even the third string role. How cruel to the former starter.

The North Plainfield Plague are the front runners to acquire McDavid this off-season as the demands got more reasonable. The Merchantmen are said to be demanding a first refusal to trade McDavid back in, but we believe that a traded Justin will never return in a Merchantmen uniform. The Plague are said to be looking for a quarterback able to mentor Wally Shelton, a Rutgers alumni. The Plague's ownership is pretty high on Shelton, especially ever since the team has been unable to get a long term contract worked out with the IHOF's best player, David Conti. Conti will become a free agent next off season and likely receive the franchise tag to either work out a deal or be traded.

The Plague's owner/general manager Cthomer5000 was spotted in Oranje Haven, which should be a sign. The Merchantmen have been the Plague's punchbag in the league and it seems unlikely owners from US based franchises will make a little trip to Europe to chit chat about football. Some sources report that Merchantmen owner/general manager M.IJ.B. was spotted coming home from negotiations at 4 am two days ago.

But there's more. As the former president of the Fumblin' Justin fan club, Williamsburg Colonials owner Wademoore showed up as well. Our reporters saw him leave home with two big suitcases today. We think he's headed for Maassluis to bring his beloved quarterback to his franchise. He still regrets that he had to turn down the presidency of the fan club as the league office was unwilling to see the same person as the owner of a team and the fan club president of a player on a team in the same football league.

A third team also seems in the mix as the Merchantmen owner openly suggested that the Telluride Outlaws should contact him for the possibilty to acquire either McDavid or Thad Pilkington. As the ownership and the roles in the front office still look hazy with the Outlaws having two men running the show in 2009, trade talks could take a while. But the rumors are there, they can't be denied. And today we also found out that Thad Pilkington was almost traded to the Fairbanks Northstars about a week ago.

With Justin McDavid hot in the news, the Merchantmen management can quietly plan the releases of two long-time members. Left tackle Harold Hurtado, All IHOF selection in the innaugural 2004 season, has been demoted to being the nineth best offensive lineman on roster and could be released after pre-season. Nobody likes it around Maassluis, Hurtado is a well respected member of the team, but failed contract negotiations already were making Hurtado a potential free agent for the 2011 off-season.

Another prominent player on the bubble is kicker Cary Coles. The Merchantmen drafted Myron George to replace him and also hired ex-Lake Monsters kicker Dwayne Calfee. Calfee is expected to mentor George through pre-season and get him ready for the regular season. Coles ranks tenth all-time in scoring in the IHOF and has been a reliable kicker, topping the 80 percent mark in each of the past five seasons. But George is young and was said to have the stronger leg and to have more potential. Lucky for Coles, George looked terrible in training camp, not even able to beat kickoff expert Al Bettis.

Like Coles, linebacker Ellsworth Thelen seems to be lucky to see a rookie rival for a roster spot struggle. Thelen has been critised to not being able to fit in the pass defense schemes the Merchantmen play. Thelen saw the team sign free agent Albert Boggess, who had a great training camp, and also saw Terrance White get picked up in the draft. Lucky for 'Elly', White is holding out for a three-year contract and now the Merchantmen might go the Sean Smalley route (leaving the rookie unsigned until late in the season).

That won't save defensive end Albert Bernardo. 'Big Al' saw youngsters like Omar Gougeon, Wally Mattingly and Aaron Sherrill come and take over his role on the active roster. Bernardo is still on the list of 60 pre-season names, but the team has already told him they're trading him after pre-season if injuries don't haunt the team as they go into the new season. Bernardo has been complaigning about playing time in the past and the love between him and the management seems to be over.

What will happen remains to be seen as the IHOF league office called for a ten-day stoppage. The league office will be closed and team owners are urged to take their time, take care of their families and get their needed rest in preperation for the 2010 season. But we all know the Merchantmen management will never sleep and always be on the look out for trade possibilities. Five big names are likely to be gone soon and Gossip News will make sure it won't fly under the radar. Especially if it concerns franchise icon Fumblin' Justin McDavid. Keep reading...

MIJB#19

12-23-2005, 07:48 PM

Editor's Note: Holliday's Break
The IHOF is on hold for 10 days and the dynasty won't be updated much, if at all during the hollidays. I might come up with some flashbacks to past season's highlights and lowlights, but I won't promise anything. For now, I'll keep you all hanging on the edge of your seat with the cliffhangers of the upcoming 2010 season:

Can the Merchantmen regain the European crown by dominace in divisional games?
Can Charles Gomez continue to dominate as the most honored player in the league?
Will Louie Flannery get rid of the interceptions and become a consitent quarterback?
Can the highly touted new wide receiver Jewell Simpson and center Ned Cozart help the offense score at least one touchdown every game?
Will the addition of Tommie Canon, Frank Bernard and Albert Boggess reinstate the Merchantmen as the league's best defense?
Is Myron Stevens really an elite cornerback, or was 2009 a mirrage?
How long can Rumblin' Randy Harris hold 'Joe the Shoe' and Scott Bagley off from making him a backup?
Will 'Good Old Harry' Hurtado, 'Big Al' Bernardo, Cary Coles and 'Elly' Thelen make the 2010 regular season roster roster?
Is the rebuilding Rochester Lake Monsters franchise due another serious beating in Futility Bowl VII?
Can they finally beat the North Plainfield Plague and go to the IHOF Bowl?
And last but not least: Will the Merchantmen trade Justin McDavid?

You'll get your answers in 2006.

Happy Hollidays, all!

MIJB#19

12-30-2005, 07:50 PM

Charles Gomez in 2009 All MIJB Selection
While the season is about to kick off, Maassluis Merchantmen owner/general manager M.IJ.B. presents his traditional list of 53 stand out players of the past season. On the list of 53 names, Charles Gomez is the only representation of the Merchantmen. Gomez made the list after a season in which he made 82 tackles, 28 assists, 7.5 sacks, blocked 3 passes, made 24 quarterback hurries and recovered 1 of 6 forced fumbles. It marks Gomez' fifth selection all time, making him the first player to accomplish that.

The whole list of 53 names, if appliciable with years of previous selections:
QB1 David Conti (North Plainfield) - 2nd time (2006)
QB2 Nate Sutter (Georgia)
QB3 Jackie Percy (Frederick)
RB1 Ray Lyle (Ann Arbor)
RB2 Ronnie Kemp (Vicksburg) - 3rd time (2007, 2008)
RB3 Gerald Harris (Anaheim V) - 2nd time (2004)
FB1 Nick Nightingale (Rochester)
FB2 Cole Dean (Georgia) - 3rd time (2006, 2007)
TE1 Mo Lollis (Boulder)
TE2 Josh Whitehurst (Bordeaux)
TE3 Welsey Lewis (San Antonio)
WR1 Toby Williams (Williamsburg)
WR2 Alfredo Bass (Minnesota) - 3rd time (2005, 2006)
WR3 Adrian Groff (Miami)
WR4 Forrest Cape (Brooklyn) - 2nd time (2008)
KR Fernando Weaver (Georgia) - 2nd time (2008 as WR)
PR Harris Jefferson (Fort Worth)
C1 Marvin Goforth (Telluride)
C2 Charles Caufield (Paris)
G1 Eric Church (Vicksburg) - 3rd time (2007, 2008)
G2 Genaro Reynolds (Ann Arbor)
G3 Luke Hayes (San Luis Obispo) - 2nd time (2006)
G4 Al Joseph (Springfield)
T1 Randall Dunkin (Vicksburg) - 3rd time (2004, 2006)
T2 Maxwell Vice (Asheville)
T3 Alvin Murray (Boulder)
T4 Marcus Morgan (Boston)
P Charles Cutright (San Luis Obispo) - 2nd time (2005)
K Mickey Worlow (Orlando)
DE1 Jack Miller (North Plainfield)
DE2 Cris Richardson (Conyers) - 4th time (2004, 2007, 2008)
DE3 Bennett Ruano (Telluride) - 3rd time (2005, 2006)
DE4 Daniel Moore (RayCo) - 2nd time (2008)
DT1 Charles Gomez (Maassluis) - 5th time (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
DT2 Robert Duong (Fairbanks)
DT3 Ivan Sparks (Orlando) - 2nd time (2007)
DT4 Myles Halliburton (Columbus) - 3rd time (2004, 2005)
ILB1 Frank Judson (Asheville)
ILB2 Tyrone Breunig (San Antonio)
ILB3 Javier Duarte (Syracuse)
ILB4 Steven Marshall (Gothenburg)
OLB1 Daniel Hope (Minnesota) - 3rd time (2005, 2007)
OLB2 Andreas Liddell (Orlando) - 2nd time (2006)
OLB3 Harvey Rose (Chesapeake)
OLB4 Frederick Garmon (Rochester)
CB1 Jimmie Strawn (North Plainfield) - 3rd time (2005, 2008)
CB2 John Q. Ballhwaker (Ann Arbor)
CB3 Ben Greer (Fairbanks) - 2nd time (2008)
CB4 Jack Romero (Syracuse) - 2nd time (2007)
S1 Milo Epperson (Outer Banks) - 4th time (2004, 2005, 2006)
S2 Jason Winkle (San Luis Obispo) - 2nd time (2005)
S3 Kerry Horner (Vicksburg)
S4 Loren Goodman (Tucker)

MIJB#19

01-02-2006, 12:54 PM

Merchantmen Sign Rookies Malicki and White
In preperation for the pre-season, the Maassluis Merchantmen today announced the signing of rookies Quentin Malicki and Terrance White. Both players missed training camp in an attempt to hold out for a three-year contract, in stead of the offered four-year deals, but both signed a four-year deal afterall today. Malicki will battle with Henry Poston for the backup fullback role in pre-season, White is expected to fight with Ellsworth Thelen for the sixth active linebacker role.

MIJB#19

01-02-2006, 02:11 PM

General Manager Notes: Here Comes Pre-season!
Almost there.

It's coming closer, the 2010 regular season. Tomorrow pre-season will kick off and we're in preperation for the first pre-season game, which is in the second pre-season week. Right now the tough decissions to get down to 60 men have to be made. Mulling over our options, we have to release nine players, I'm hopeful to get something in return for trading a couple of backup players who can have a starting role elsewhere. Contact has been made with several teams and three players who are potential starters elsewhere are involved in talks.

Who are going to be released? Well, six of nine players are no-brainers, as they say. Running back Ernie Johnstone, punt returner Junior Lee, guard Jorge Hutton, defensive end Daryl Webster and the linebackers Omar Carpenter and Blaine Toppe will not make the 60-men roster. That leaves three more releases, being most likely a kicker (or two!) an offensive lineman and a running back (fullback?). You'll find out soon enough.

MIJB#19

01-05-2006, 07:30 AM

Merchantmen Trade Ellsworth Thelen, Release Eight Others
Ellsworth Thelen is leaving the Maassluis Merchantmen. After five seasons on the Dutch IHOF franchise, Thelen's stint looked over. Thelen will be traded to the North Plainfield Plague for a future third and fifth round pick. The trade helped the Merchantmen to get down to the 60-men pre-season roster limit. Eight others were released, with guard Bruce "The Mad Man" Pritchett as the most notable.

Bye bye 'Elly'. Once a starter, but recently demoted to being the seventh linebacker on team. Thelen was originally acquired from the Astoria Heroes. In the infamous trade that made the Merchantmen trade out of the first overall pick in the 2005 draft. In the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Thelen started every game and made 95 and 109 tackles respectively. In the following three seasons, Thelen lost the battle to Carl Meier, Bernie Surry and Mike Kershner for a starting role. Thelen started only 19 games. In the succesful 2007 season, Thelen saw the least action.

Overall, Thelen played 92 IHOF games, making 417 tackles, 127 assists, 14.0 sacks, 3 interceptions and 24 defended passes. The main problem the last three seasons was a shift of the defensive game plan. Bordeaux Vineyards defensive coordinator Bernie Hicks always said: "He's a complete player, but sadly for him, the Merchantmen chose to run a pass defense scheme that doesn't suite Elly." Rumor has it that Hicks advised the Vineyards to trade for Thelen this off-season, but in the end lack of cap room made Thelen move to the Plague.

Aside from Thelen, eight other players were said good bye to. Most notable was Bruce Pritchett. Nicknamed the "Mad Man", referring to the Dutch to English translation of his home town, Pritchett became a persona-non-grata. Pritchett had suffered a career threatening knee injury and was let go by the Boston Rhinos. The Merchantmen signed the injured Pritchett to a two-year deal, expecting him to recover in 2009 and play again in 2010. But after Pritchett came with higher salary demands, the Merchantmen signed free agent Wesley Howard. Pritchett stayed around for training camp, but his time to leave had come afterall.

The seven others released players included no big names. Running backs Ernie Johnstone and Shane Neufeld never made a regular season roster before. The same is true about defensive end Daryl Webster. Guard Jorge Hutton has only two games on his resume for the Vicksburg Vipers, both against the San Antonio Volunteers in 2009. Linebacker Omar Carpenter has been there before, he was released after the 2009 Merchantmen training camp as well. Linebacker Blaine Toppe played for the Plague the last two seasons. Wide receiver Junior Lee lost the battle for the two punt returner roles.

MIJB#19

01-05-2006, 03:27 PM

Merchantmen Lose Exhibition Game To Boulder: 3-7
The action is back, the success isn't. In a low scoring pre-season game, the Maassluis Merchantmen couldn't please their 71 thousand fans. The Boulder Blizzard came and went home victorious. With a 3-7 loss, the game didn't look good from the offensive perspective. Quarterback Josh Webb made a case for being the future #2 quarterback. Fullbacks Henry Poston and 'Q' Malicki faught a serious position battle. And the best news: nobody got injured.

It was second and seven. The last two minutes of the first half had just began and the Merchantmen were trailing 7-0. It was the moment Josh Webb stepped up and showed some glimpses of being capable to run a two-minute offense. With a 24 yard pass to Jerry Beyer and an 11-yard run on the next play, Webb set up the 41-yar field goal, scored by rookie Myron George to shorten the Blizzard's lead. And that was the end of the first half.

At the end of the fourth quarter Webb tried to do it again. With two minutes and twenty seconds left, he needed to march his team 91 yards forward to win the game. With just barely fourth and third down converting passes, Webb's favorite target Jerry Beyer and Gregory Monti kept the chains moving. A Hail Mary pass from the 50-yard line then ended the game as Blizzard cornerback ... Ingram ended the game. The Blizzard won, Webb couldn't make his team win.

Webb didn't pull the comeback, but at least he looked decent enough, playing all game. Take out the logical Hail Mary, that resulted in interception, and you have good looking numbers. Webb played a short passing game, but it seemed to work. Completing 26 of 39 passes for 175 yards, his performance was far from bad, it was pretty good. Add in 27 yards on the ground and the only thing missing was a score.

In the backfield, a position battle heated up. The Merchantmen announced pretty much that fullbacks Quentin Malicki and Henry Poston are fighting for one roster spot. Both got a lot of touches and looks to show what they're made of. Malicki won the running battle, with 33 yards versus 25 yards on 9 carries each. In the receiving stats, won, with 5 catches for 24 yards versus 3 for 10 yards. Poston also converted a run block, while Malicki was the one not fumbling. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "Both guys tried to do their best, but right now neither has the edge."

Fighting a battle of his own was rookie kicker Myron George. The fans saw George struggle with the punting duties (George was given all the kicking and punties roles), but admiring his stride and scoring of a 41-yard field goal. George has been given the tough task to unseat all time Merchantmen top scorer Cary Coles. Head Coach Van Der Woude said: "George knows what we're expecting and it ain't little. There are 53 roster spots and he'll have to show the management he's worthy one of those spots. Beating Coles ain't the main issue, if George shows to be potentially ready in 2011, the management will save a spot for him."

The third of three rookies, linebacker Terrance White, looked good in his first minutes as a Merchantmen player. In 15 plays, White made 5 tackles and forced a fumble. The scouting department in Maassluis called White a green player, but one with the potentials to become a starter down the road. With Carl Meier around to mentor White, the team management and coaching staff thinks it could come real if the team would be forced to let one of the starters go at some point. Carl Meier said: "White played well, but he's still got a long road ahead."

MIJB#19

01-06-2006, 09:52 AM

General Manager Notes: Nine Down, Seven To Go
Bye Bye Elly.

After five seasons of .500 and above ball, Ellsworth Thelen has been traded. It was a tough decission and he didn't need to go, but even since implenting the zone defense scheme, 'Elly' became a potential nth stringer. He had no experience or potential at all in zone defense. It was tough, though, given he had a 100-tackle season with us and was still an excellent run stopper, very good pass rusher and has the intagibles to be an above average starter. Write this down: Thelen is already a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. With the North Plainfield Plague, he'll be used the way he should be.

Another tough decission was the eighth release. Really, the first seven (Johnstone, Neufeld, Lee, Hutton, Webster, Carpenter and Toppe) were no-brainers, they had no shot at making the 53-men roster, barring injury disaster at their positions. Bruce Pritchett was the victim and I kinda feel bad about it. Bruce, 'The Mad Man', had been working hard to recovered from knee injury that sidelined him for part of the 2008 season, when he still played for the Boston Rhinos, and the entire 2009 season with us. It wasn't nice to release him now, but his salary demands were too high and I found a comparable backup player in Wesley Howard. I even think Howard will make the 53-men roster in stead of tackle Norman Holliday or Harold Hurtado.

What!? 'Good Old Harry' Hurtado is on the chopping block? It's an option, yes. Right now we have 60 players signed, including four kickers. That means we'll most likely let two kickers go. And with just ten offensive linemen, it doesn't make sense to let any of them go, but there are no guarantees in this world. Seven players will have to go and I'm doing the head count already, what do we have and where are we likely to let some one go?

<table border=1><tr><td>position<td>Current<td>Desired<td>Potential casualties<tr><td>Quarterbacks<td>4 QB<td>3+ QB<td>QB Webb or QB McDavid<tr><td>Running backs<td>3 RB, 3 FB<td>3 RB, 2 FB<td>FB Malicki or FB Poston<tr><td>Receivers<td>3 TE, 6 WR<td>3 TE, 5 WR<td>WR Beyer or WR Vielma<tr><td>O-Linemen<td>2 C, 3 G, 5 T<td>10+ total<td>LT Hurtado or RT Holliday<tr><td>Kickers<td>1 P, 4 K<td>1 P, 2 K<td>K Coles, K George, K Caffey<tr><td>D-Linemen<td>5 DE, 5 DT<td>8+ total<td>DE Sherrill, DE Bernardo, DT Shiroma, DT Rasmussen<tr><td>Linebackers<td>3 ILB, 3 OLB<td>3 ILB, 3 OLB<td>none<tr><td>Defensive backs<td>6 CB, 4 S<td>9+ total<td>CB Endicott or CB Clyburn</table>

Barring injuries leading to Injured Reserve, seven players have to leave the Merchantmen after pre-season. As you can see there are 17 candidates for it. And some case look easier than others.

The fullback situation is pretty clear: It's Malicki or Poston. No way both make it, but no way neither makes it either. This pre-season, both will be given a lot of playing time and have to fight it out. Malicki should be the better blocker down te road, which has my preference right now. Neither is a great runner, while Poston's receiving skills is kind of a negative in my opinion.

The kicker situation is pretty clear too. Caffey won't make it, he's just here to mentor George. That leaves George versus Coles. Coles is our all-time scoring leader and has become one of the IHOF most reliable field goal kickers. Only his lack of a strong leg makes him on the block. George looked good in the rookie combine and we hoped to see him threaten Coles. So far he's far from there and that strong leg doesn't seem to be there at all. I might try to keep George as a backup, he's better than Al Bettis in extra points and field goals, but he won't take the roster spot of the IHOF's best kickoff kicker.

The defensive line situation is pretty clear too. I hope to give end Albert Bernardo a new home, which should be possible for a guy of his calibre and with his mentoring skills. That said, only one team has been a bit interested. I don't want to release him, but if we have to, we have to. Others on the block are either Rasmussen or Shiroma. The long time rivalry is heating up after we signed Frank Bernard. One of them might have to go in the 54 to 53 process. And then there's 2007 starter Aaron Sherrill, who came back after a year on IR and is showing his starter potential again. I'd hate to release him, but he's the #10 right now.

In the secondary, it's going to come down to whether or not we suffer injuries. Ten players seems to be too much. All ten are potential starters for us, but we know they won't. The arrival of Tommie Canon makes past starter Winford Endicott and the so far non-impressing Xavier Clyburn the nineth and tenth player. Endi' played well in 2009, but due to his age is the most likely casualty. We used to have a team sitting ready to take him in a trade to make him a starter there. It would be cool for him, give us something in return, but could comeback to hurt us as the other team is on our schedule and a foe for the playoff tickets.

At the offensive line, two players, could be released. 2004 All IHOF second teamer Harold Hurtado has been a great team player, but his contract ends after the season and I don't feel good about giving him a new two-year deal, that would cost us more than he's being paid now. Not to mention that he might retire after the season, because his role is waning, he's our #8 lineman right now, #9 even if Howard impresses. #10 is still Norman Holliday, who at least can pass block at bit better after three seasons as a backup. I'll most likely want us go into the season with 10 linemen. Injuries always hurt us there and some of our guys have an injury prone reputation (center Cozart, guards White and Lacy, tackle Jacques).

In the quarterback area, things are pretty much depending on pre-season. Josh Webb has three more games to prove himself. If Webb does well, he'll be our number three for another season, with the promise of becoming our number two down the road, when Thad Pilkington retires or is traded because Webb is ready. Justin McDavid has been a hot trade target by teams in search for a quarterback mentor. I honestly feel that McDavid belongs in Oranje Haven, so if he's traded abroad, I'll demand that McDavid should return to Maassluis at some point, when his job as mentor is over with his new team. Right now, I project us going into 2010 with 4 quarterbacks, but Webb or McDavid might be out of here soon. Really, Webb was close to being traded right after training camp...

Last but not least, we have two highly drafted wide receivers battling for a single roster spot. Jerry Beyer and Jesse Vielma were second round picks in the 2007 and 2009 drafts. Vielma has the edge right now, but as I traded our 2011 first round pick for a no-name guy in Jewell Simpson, and us still having long time starters Bryce Ewald and Gregory Monti, neither Vielma or Beyer stands a good chance to even be our #4 receiver. Afterall, Devin Henson has locked himself into the #4 role with his past performance and his reputation as the IHOF's best kickoff returner.

That's all for now, we've got some interesting exhibition games at the 2005 champions Ann Arbor and the 2004 and 2008 champions Fairbanks NorthStars coming up. We'll visit the triple A's and then return home to host the Alaskan team. Our pre-season will end with a road game at the RayCo Raiders. A nice rendez-vous with running back Jonathan Smith, who ran for 1,223 yards and 11 touchdowns there last season. Stats our three running backs can only dream of...

MIJB#19

01-08-2006, 03:25 PM

Merchantmen Beat Anachronism In Second Test Game
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back into winning football. With a 15-10 score, the Merchantmen transalted their keeping hostage of the Ann Arbor Anachronism offense into points. Myron George scored three field goals on route to player of the game honors. Thad Pilkington finally looked good in a Merchantmen pre-season game after struggles in the previous two off-seasons. It's only pre-season, but the Merchantmen defense is looking very good so far.

"Things are going well," claimed head coach Leroy Van Der Woude, "it's only pre-season and the backups versus backups, but things look marvelous on defense." Depth can't be the Merchantmen's foes in 2010, their backups are doing a fine job controlling the ball and stopping opponents. After all IHOF teams played two games, the Merchantmen rank third in points allowed, first in yards allowed and third in time of possession. And they faced two 2009 division champions.

Kicker Myron George earned the kudos and 'mvp' honors in the win. Going three on three in field goals, George did the kicking job well. Given punting duties too, George had 41.1 yards per punt and one of six punt inside the twenty. George said: "I think I played well today. They told me I have to do well to make the regular season roster and I do my best to make it." In the stands, Cary Coles seemed to have mixed feelings about George's progress. The two know it will be unlikely they will both make the final roster.

A player not worrying about the final roster is quarterback Thad Pilkington. The veteran playcaller is sketched into the number two role, but so far failed to play well in limited action for the Merchantmen. Even pre-season was never frieldy to Thad. Until this game. Thad didn't throw for a score, but in a new offensive game plan, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 129 yards from late in the second quarter. All points came on the board with Thad on the field.

After two pre-season games, the Merchantmen defense are looking like the world beaters they were three seasons ago and want to be again in 2010. Despite the likes of Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff, Lincoln Gilmore and all those other stars missing in action. Gomez watched the backups of his unit and couldn't help but praise them all: "I see good things here. "Wally 'World II' (Mattingly) plays well, The Pearl (Aaron Sherrill) is back and newb "Bogus" (Albert Boggess) fits well in the shoes of 'Elly' (Ellsworth Thelen)."

Upcoming is another home game, as the Fairbanks NorthStars are coming to Oranje Haven. The fans should expect to see Joey Allen or any of the three ex-Merchantmen Fredric Vargas, Robert Duong or Raul Marshall active. But Scot Dick could be played for them. Dick returned after a season of being suspended. Dick is trying to resurrect his career as a defensive tackle. Coming back to Maassluis in the next pre-season game and the with four games against the Europeans in the regular season, it could be his ultimate revenge. Let's hope the Merchantmen offensive line will keep him from doing that!

MIJB#19

01-10-2006, 05:08 PM

Merchantmen Win Game, Lose Monti and Boggess
The Maassluis Merchantmen clinched having their best pre-season ever. With a last second field goal, the Merchantmen beat the Fairbanks North Stars 9-7. Another defense masterpiece makes the fans of the orange-white-and-blue optimistic for the upcoming season. Injuries to wide receiver Gregory Monti and linebacker Albert Boggess, brought the bad news of the day. Both players with expected important roles will miss a big portion of the regular season.

Defense wins championships. It's just a saying in the football universe, but the Merchantmen are starting to hope it's true. As the defense allowed 246 total yards, they now rank first overall in points allowed (8.0 per game) and yards allowed (227 per game). "We continue to play well and everybody is confident," said cornerback Myron Stevens, "but we all realize the real games have yet to come."

Part of the defensive success has been linebacker Albert Boggess. Hired to backup Bernie Surry and 'Mickey' Kershner, Boggess was expected to have a big role. But it will have to wait until the mid-season as Boggess picked up a high ankle sprain and is ruled out to play for a month or three. Linebacker Carl Meier said: "He won us all over in just 2 and a bit games. Albert is a winner and when he'll play, we won't even see the difference between Surry, 'Mickey' or him." Boggess is excpeted to return in November.

On offense, a long time member of the team got seriously hurt. Gregory Monti tore a lateral knee ligament and won't be back to game day health until mid-December. And then, it remains to be seen how well he'll recover from this nasty injury. With second year player Jesse Vielma also hurt with a broken arm, pre-season starter Jerry Beyer all of a sudden is promoted back to the #3 role for the regular season. Vielma should be back mid-September, but Monti could be placed on injured reserve.

While injuries hit hard in Maassluis, a couple of roster spot battles have ended now. Fullback Henry Poston got hurt and is expected to be placed on injured reserve, in favor of Quentin Malicki. Poston fumbled three times, while Malicki had the better rushing stats. Malicki said: "The staff told me I have to get through the next game healthy and I'll be the #2 fullback. A bummer for Henry to get hurt, but I can't help it. They urged me to work on my pass blocking, though. I'll have to work on that."

Another rookie is also still hoping on a roster spot. Myron George once again took the player of the game honors, accounting for all nine points for the team. George said: "It was a good game again. Seven on seven, baby! One game to go, but if I can stay healthy and kick well against the Raiders, I think I'm in for 2010." Despite George's kicking game, the Merchantmen management placed George on the trading block. George said: "Yes, I know about it, but it's no additional pressure to me. 'Big Al' (Albert Bernardo) told me to see it as a vote of confidence."

Moment of the game was probably the overwhelming applause near the end of the second quarter. Justin McDavid replaced Josh Webb from that point on, marking his first activity in Oranje Haven since the 2009 pre-season. McDavid completed 15 of 21 passes for 145 yards and didn't fumble. McDavid said: "It's always great to play at home. This fanbase is so supportive. I know my time as a starter is over here, but I can't hide the desire to start in this stadium in every home game."

MIJB#19

01-11-2006, 09:48 AM

Press Release: Merchantmen Place Gregory Monti On Injured Reserve
The Maassluis Merchantmen management is moved and disappointed having to announce that wide receiver Gregory Monti will be placed on injured reserve. Monti twisted his knee on a rushing play mid way the fourth quarter of the exhibition game against the Fairbanks NorthStars. As Monti was trying to make a block up field, he slipped and his knee collapses. First diagnosis is a torn lateral knee ligament and a recovery period until December. With the lengthy recovery, the Merchantmen will most likely place Monti on injured reserve on the 53-men roster cut day.

Despite doesn't seem to warrant the injured reserve status, but the management sees only few reasons to have second thoughts about it. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Only if all of our remaining receivers get hurt, we might stick Monti around as a late season revival guy, but it's unlikely." During the 2006 season, the Merchantmen did the same with hot prospect cornerback Tai Wayne. Wayne recovered well from a high sprain injury. With the injury to 2009 starter Jesse Vielma, Jerry Beyer is going to make the final roster after all as the #3 behind Bryce Ewald and off-season acquisition Jewell Simpson.

This injury marks the second career threatening injury for Monti. Late in the 2004 season, Monti picked up a severe neck injury that has caused him to never fully reach his potential as a young wide receiver, that made the Merchantmen keep him in stead of today's good to very good receivers like Amos Collins, Raul Marshall and Fredric Vargas. Monti has played in 82 games, with 67 starts for 219 catches, 3,235 yards and 16 touchdowns in Maassluis. His best season came in 2007, when he had 44 catches for 696 yards and 5 touchdowns as his team were Atlantic Ocean Conference runners-up.

With his resume, the decision comes as a surprise to some. Monti was written down as the number three receiver on the depth chart and has been a regular starter throughout his career in Maassluis. In the past seasons, Monti has seen multiple new receivers join the team to take over his role as the premier flanker opposite Bryce Ewald, and fail. Lonnie O'Reilly, Jerry Beyer, David Henkel, Jules Benedict, Ruben Deck and Jesse Vielma are all on the list. Monti always came back strong. The team hopes he can do that again in 2011.

MIJB#19

01-13-2006, 04:55 PM

Merchantmen Lose Last Pre-Season Game
With a 28-10 score, the pre-season ended with a loss for the Maassluis Merchantmen. With 279 yards allowed, the defense once again showed up, but a couple of bad timed turnovers and failed fourth down plays ran up the score. Justin Webb completed 17 of 21 passes for 150 yards to most likely save his roster spot. As the team went through the game injury free, the pre-season ends with the waiting for roster cut day. The management revealed a short list of players who could be released, traded or placed on injured reserve.

The shortlist:
Quarterback Justin McDavid, quarterback Josh Webb, fullback Quentin Malicki, fullback Henry Poston (injured), wide receiver Gregory Monti (injured), Jesse Vielma (injured), tackle Norman Holliday, tackle Harold Hurtado, kicker Myron George, kicker Dwayne Calfee, defensive end Albert Bernardo, defensive end Aaron Sherrill, defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma, defensive tackle Andy Welizcka, linebacker Albert Boggess (injured), cornerback Xavier Clyburn, cornerback Winford Endicott and cornerback Myron Stevens.

MIJB#19

01-14-2006, 04:49 PM

Merchantmen Release Hurtado and Bernardo, Trade Clyburn
Roster cut day, the most hated day by football's general managers. The Maassluis Merchantmen management called the 2010 decissions the harest in team history, dispite them saying that every season. Of this season's seven casualties two were placed on injured reserve (wide receiver Gregory Monti and fullback Henry Poston), one was trade (Xavier Clyburn) and four were released (tackle Harold Hurtado, defensive end Albert Bernardo, and kickers Myron George and Dwayne Calfee). In contrast, eight new players made the regular season roster. Who are leaving Maassluis, why, and what did they do here?

Harold Hurtado played six seasons with the Merchantmen. After having been a starter for most of the first five season, 'Good Old Harry' wasn't expected to be an active roster member for the 2010 season. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Hurtado has been a crucial element in our rebuilding process. He's been a leader on offense and showed the skills to regroup his men and make them fight." Left tackle Hurtado joined the Merchantmen in a 2004 pre-season trade and played 82 games, starting 62 of those. Hurtado is the franchise leader with 115 key run blocks. Hurtado once made the All IHOF selections as a second teamer in 2004.

Albert Bernardo played five seasons in Maassluis. Nicknamed 'Big Al', Bernardo was a key member on the defensive line for many seasons. Bernardo mentored today's youngsters and also added many sacks from the bench. Bernardo made 8.5 sacks in 2007, contributing to the best defense in sacks and points allowed that season on route to a lost conference final. Defensive end Bernardo was the Merchantmen's first free agency period acquisition and played 70 games with 36 starts for the Merchantmen. Bernardo's statitics for Maassluis add up to 95 tackles, 44 assists, 25.5 sacks, 17 blocked passes, 52 hurries, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recovery touchdowns.

Xavier Clyburn leaves Maassluis after just two seasons, to play for the Georgia Gridlock. Acquired through a trade from the San Luis Obispo Burn, Clyburn was expected to become a starter following a season as the nickelback. Clyburn never impressed much, except for the road game at the Orlando Knights in 2008. Clyburn made 2 interceptions, returning 1 for a score as he contributed to the biggest margin of point victory in league history and tying the single team team interceptions record. Cornerback Clyburn played 27 games for the Merchantmen, with 9 starts. Clyburn made 4 interceptions (all in 2008), defended 12 passes, made 68 tackles and 8 assists.

Myron George leaves the Merchantmen without playing a single game for them. Kicker George played a very good pre-season as he converted all eight of his field goal attempts and a single extra point. In the end it wasn't impressive enough to unseat the Merchantmen's all-time leader scorer Cary Coles. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "George had good promise when we drafted him, but following training camp and pre-season, we were not convinced he'd ever be able to replace Coles." George was drafted in the fourth round of the recent amateur draft.

Dwayne Calfee's release came as no surprise. Calfee was mainly signed to mentor rookie Myron George through pre-season. Following a good campaign by George, the rookie didn't make the final roster afterall and Calfee has been forced to join him into free agency. The past six seasons, kicker Calfee always found a new team as he has shown to be a pretty reliable kicker. Maybe the Rochester Lake Monsters will pick him up for the third straigt season.

Gregory Monti and Henry Poston were placed on injured reserve. Poston was forced as the team would otherwide released him in favor of keeping his pre-season position battle rival Quentin Malicki. Monti wasn't expected to return before week 15 and the team is taking its chances with five other receivers. Monti should return to the regular roster in 2011, providing the knee injury doesn't turn out to be career threatening. Poston was IR-ed with a bruised ribcage.

Eight new players made the final roster. Wide receiver Jewell Simpson, center Ned Cozart, defensive tackle Frank Bernard and cornerback Tommie Canon should all be starters on opening day. Guard Wesley Howard is the eight lineman. Fullback Quentin Malicki is the new backup to Jamel Rosenberry. Linebacker Terrance White is a project for the future, but will be active for the first half of the season as the other new linebacker, Albert Boggess, will be inactive due to a high ankle sprain. Boggess should become the primary backup to the outside linebackers.

MIJB#19

01-15-2006, 02:56 PM

Big Al Joins Vicksburg Vipers
'Big Al' has a new home. Albert Bernardo will be joining the Vicksburg Vipers in time for the first regular season game of the season. After bing released by the Maassluis Merchantmen, Bernardo moved back to his hometown Scottsdale, 5500 miles away from his temporary home in the Netherlands. The Merchantmen management complimented the Vipers management for the signing. The Vipers were linked with a Bernardo trade, but in the end they get the veteran as a free agent.

Dennis Cressio Joins San Luis Obispo
Cressio hires Cressio. The rumors had been there, but following roster cut day, it became reality. Dennis Cressio was released by the San Antonio Volunteers after pre-season. Five teams went into the market and made one-year contract offers. But four teams didn't stand a chance as San Luis Obispo Burn general manager Vince Cressio talked Dennis into a Cressio reunion. The Burn's offer was much bigger than the other teams', but in the end the familiarity with each other seems to have finished the deal.

Southeast Division Presents Top Drafted Quarterbacks
And then they all had top three pick quarterbacks. After the Tucker Tigers selected Shaun 'Donut' Duncan first overall, it completed an interesting quartet of starting quarterback in the AOC Southeast division. Duncan joins Ted Wolf (Orlando Knights, second pick in 2009), Chris Donaldson (Conyers Condors, second pick in 2007) and Nate Sutter (third pick in 2007). The quarter of youngsters will be chasing the 2006 drafted rookies Seth Dwight (Williamsburg Colonials) and Louie Flannery (Maassluis Merchantmen) as the winningest quarterbacks selected in an amateur draft. Dwight leads that list with 39 wins, closely followed by Flannery (38 wins) and Michael Prescott (Orlando Knights, 28 wins). Donaldson ans Sutter have 27 wins each. Wolf and Duncan haven't played a game in te IHOF yet.

MIJB#19

01-17-2006, 11:24 AM

Merchantmen Start 2010 Season In Paris
Are you ready? The International House of Football is kicking off its seventh season. The Maassluis Merchantmen are starting with a game on the road. Their foes are the Paris Musketeers. Last season, Paris won 4-2 in field goals. The seasons before that, the Merchantmen recorded their only two wins in the French capitol. All time, the Merchantmen are 2-4 in season openers, Paris is 0-6 in season openers. You start to wonder whether this game should even be played in week one.

The Musketeers are basically still the same team as in 2009. They have six new players, of which four are rookies one is injured (projected starting cornerback Edward Peterson) and one is Terence Jones, a guard who excells in pass blocking, but does nothing to support the running game. It's the same old again: Quarterback E.G. 'The Great' Lumpkin, running back Joe Boulware, the only player to record 100 yars against the Merchantmen more than once, and wide receiver Tyrus Shaye on offense.

The Merchantmen offense is said to be improved with a new starters at center (Ned Cozart) and wide receiver (Jewell Simpson). On defense, defensive tackle Frank Bernard and cornerback Tommie Canon will make their first appearance in orange-white-and-blue, as they sat out pre-season. They hope to be perfect additions to what the dutch fans think is one of the IHOF's best defenses. Let's see what the Merchantmen are made of in 2010!

MIJB#19

01-17-2006, 02:25 PM

Merchantmen Recovers Paris Fumbles To Victory
The Maassluis Merchantmen are off to a hot start. Wit a 26-21 victory at the Paris Musketeers, Maassluis is the home of optimism. The defense came up big, forcing four turnovers on a day the Paris offense racked up 364 yards on offense. The Merchantmen offense scored touchdowns for a change, but eventually had their main role in setting up Cary Coles' field goals. The all-time leading scorer for Maassluis scored 18 points in a player of the game performance. But the mental winner was running back Randy Harris, who ran for 104 yards.

"A welcome surprise," Randy Harris said, "we hoped to win here, but we always have trouble in their house." With 104 yards on the ground and a marvelous 6.9 yards per carry, Harris had an unexpected good performance. Joseph Schoen has become the starter, after taking over that role midway the 2009 season, but in Paris the two backs shared duties, having 15 carries each. Schoen fell short with only 37 yards on the ground. But then, Schoen gets the touches on obvious running downs and does short yardage duties.

Despite the good game from Harris, it wasn't all because of him that the Merchantmen won. Quarterback Louie Flannery wasn't the center piece of happy faces either. Flan' completed only 17 of 35 passes for just 185 yards. His 2 touchdowns probably outweighed the 3 interception just barely. Flannery complained about the instructions: "They want me to play a short passing game, but that way we can't score. Gimme some room to throw deep."

Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude explicitely praised the newcomers, saying: "Tommie Canon made a bang of a debut. One interception, two defended passes and zero catches. Excellent. Ned Cozart was a bit up-and-down. He was crucial in our running game, but also looked vulnerable on passing downs. Frank Bernard and Jewell Simpson were less of a force, but both of them have big players playing next to them. Charles Gomez and Jim Reiser make a lot of plays and rob their opportunites."

Gomez was happy about the win, but once again looked mad when the offense was struggling. Gomez said: "Yeah, I looked mad. But it's only natural. Today all sides of the ball made bad plays. If not for the special teams unit, we might have lost this game. That 95-yard touchdown pass was unacceptable."

Special teams, a key unit for the Merchantmen, Gomez said, and it was. Cary Coles was perfect on field goals, while punter Sean Smalley nailed two balls near the Paris endzone, including a ball at the Paris one-yard line withthree minutes left and the Musketeers needing a touchdown to win the game. Linebacker Cody Cluff said: "That punt. It was brilliant. It eventually ment that they had to go all the way. We could sit back and make sure they wouldn't gain too much territory as the clock ran out." Paris stranded at the Maassluis 26-yard line.

On the downside was a hamstring injury to two Merchantmen defensive ends. Erwin Baranowski only strained the leg muscle and is expected to play a backup role next week, but Omar Gougeon pulled the muscle and will be out for two or three months. Roster cuts survivors Aaron Sherrill and Shaun Shiroma are expected to take on their roles in the pass rush rotation with second year pro Wally Mattingly. Charles Gomez said: "Sherrill and Shiroma were great pass rusher in the 2007 run. They're more mature and twice as good today, we'll be okay."

Next up are the San Luis Obispo Burn, who kicked off with a 16-48 beating at the Fairbanks NorhtStars. With a road game in Maassluis coming up, the Burn will be flying a lot. Back and forth from California to Alaska and then the long travel to Europe, to face off with the Merchantmen. Charles Gomez has good memories about the only other game against the Burn so far. Gomez returned a fumble for eight yards and a touchdown in overtime to give the Merchantmen a 36-30 win in week 2 of the 2006 season. Sweet memories.

MIJB#19

01-17-2006, 04:01 PM

General Manager Notes: 2010 has kicked off
One down, eighteen to go?

We're 1-0 and we managed that only twice before. Guess what, both times we won the European division. All other seasons we finished the year at 8-8 or below. The jinx is probably on now, but it's a good premise.

While Duane Davis shined in a Minnesota Miners victory over the highly touted Ann Arbor Anachronism, the Gothenburg Giants didn't stand a chance against the Bordeaux Vineyards. The Joe Johnson brigade marched to an impressive 37-10 to become the first division leaders of this season. In the thirteen other games there were no real upsets. European Standings:
1-0 Bordeaux
1-0 Maassluis
0-1 Paris
0-1 Gothenburg

Player of the year race? The nominees of this week are:
* Rumblin' Randy Harris, with 104 yards, 6.9 yards per carry and 2 tackles (what the?)
* Cary Coles, with 4 on 4 in field goals and 2 on 2 in extra points
* Sean Smalley, for his punt that landed on the Paris 1-yard line
* Tommie Canon, with 1 interception and 2 defended passes versus 0 catches allowed
* Charles Gomez, the man of 2 tackles, 2 assists, 3 hurries and 1 recovered fumble
* Erwin Baranowski, who recorded 2 blocked passes and 2 hurries
* Mike 'Mickey' Kershner, for his 7 tackles, 2 assists and 1 recovered fumble
* Cody Cluff, with 4 tackles, 4 assists and 1 forced fumble

And the points go to:
1 for Cody Cluff, 2 for Charles Gomez, 3 for Randy Harris, 4 for Cary Coles and 5 for Tommie Canon for his excellent pass defense game

Now starts, kind of, the easy part of the schedule. Face it, the next five weeks, we have four home games and an open weekend. Sure, the list of teams doesn't include pushovers (San Luis Obispo (8-7-1 in 2009), Rochester (10-6), San Antonio (AOC champs) and Vicksburg (8-8)), but to make the playoffs, you need to win more than you lose. And winning goes a little bit easier at home. We're gonna need to be 3-1 going into that Vicksburg game behind the bye week to stand a chance this season, I think.

For now, we'll relax on the plane back home, beating Paris on the road is an excellent start to the season. Our next game is at home, possibly in a rainy atmosphere. We're 13-9 in rainy games at home. I don't know what that's worth, but it ought to say something, right? Right!? Afterall, we're 24-24 all-time at home.

Oh, one last thing: Louie Flannery is catching up with Seth Dwight again. Dwight lost and has a 39-26 career record, Flannery is 39-27 now.

MIJB#19

01-20-2006, 01:35 AM

Merchantmen Beat Burn Towards European Lead
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at the top. Following a 37-20 victory over the San Luis Obispo Burn, the Merchantmen are the new leaders in the AOC European Division. Jewell Simpson shined in his first game wearing orange in Oranje Haven. A strong defensive performance kept the Burn scoreless in the second half. And the Merchantmen took another injury blow as 'Mickey' Kersher is out for the season.

The San Luis Obispo Burn turned out to be a tough opponent to beat. As the visiting team picked off Louie Flannery's first pass attempt of the game, The Burn ran to a quick 10-0 lead, silencing the 72,200 heads counting crowd. With a brilliant 102-yard kickoff return, the IHOF's all-time leader in kickoff return touchdowns, Devin Henson brought the Merchantmen back in the game and the game was quickly becoming a wild one.

Boosted by a 34-yard reception for a score by Jewell Simpson late in the second quarter, the Merchantmen tied the score at 17-17 thinking it would be the half time score. Burn rookie kicker Richard Joon scored a 47-yarder in the dying seconds to give his team a 20-17 lead. The tone was set for a shootout as the teams went into the locker rooms. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude apparently inspired his team to the max as the Merchantmen decided to not let this game become a close one.

In the second half, the Merchantmen defense took control of the field. With interceptions by Lincoln Gilmore and Tai Wayne, supported by fumble recoveries from Aaron Sherrill and Shaun Shiroma, turnovers were all over the place. The offense scored two touchdowns, passes from Flannery to Jim Reiser and Bryce Ewald, while Cary Coles also added two field goals in between. The Merchantmen defense held ground and allowed only 39 yards on 28 plays by the Burn.

The defense showed up strong, but the Merchantmen offense is looking strong as well this season. Louie Flannery struggled with interceptions, throwing five of those, but he's responding with as many touchdowns to even it out. Jewell Simpson is his new favorite target, as Simpson set a new Merchantmen record with 16 targeted passes in the first home game for his new team. With 121 yards and a score on 7 receptions, Simpson had his second career 100-yard game. Ironically his first one came also in Oranje Haven in a road game for the Springfield Isotopes.

The Merchantmen are back at it. Following the disappointing 2009 season, the Merchantmen are back in the division lead for the first time since the week 17 clinched division title in 2008. With losses by all three division rivals, things look good in Maassluis, but the season is long. The running game is still far from efficient, while the passing game ranks at just above 50 in completion percentage. If not for the strong defensive and special teams performances, the Seafares of Holland would likely sit at 0-2.

Another issue are injuries, as they are becoming a problem at the linebackers position. Mike Kershner picked up a severe knee injury and experts fear for his career. With Albert Boggess ruled out until November, the team is looking at Carl Meier to step up, although the team is opting another route. Head Coach Van Der Woude said: "We're looking into our options to play a 4-2-5 defense. That would mean using a nickelback in stead of a weak side linebacker. With Tommie Canon, we have a guy who can play that position. Or maybe we can shuffle a bit with our safeties."

Next up is another exciting home game for Futility Bowl VII. The fans will give a warm welcome to the biggest rival from across the Atlantic Ocean, the Rochester Lake Monsters. The all-time series is tied at 3-3, with the Lake Monsters being 3-2 in Oranje Haven. Last season Louie Flannery threw for six touchdows to tie the all-time single game record set by living legend Joey Allen. The 44-17 final score gave some justice in the end to avenge the 2008 playoff loss. The Lake Monsters missed the playoffs last season by one game and they blamed it on the Futility Bowl VI loss. Get ready for another great game in a classic rivalry.

MIJB#19

01-20-2006, 06:07 AM

General Manager Notes: Prepare For Futility Bowl VII
Two and oh!

Only once before we've started the season with two wins. Yeah, the die-hard fans remember that, it was in the 2007 season. You know, that one season where we kept winning after the 3-2 start (except for the guaranteed Georgia Gridlock loss) until the worst 15 minutes of IHOF football. 2-0... Still eight or nine wins away from the playoffs, but we're at least on track for something good.

We got a little bit of help too this week. The Bordeaux Vineyards managed to choke a 24-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, as they lost on a last second 40-yard touchdown pass from living legend Joey Allen to Sherman Brewer. Allen's teammate Chuck Zeringue gave the Fairbanks NorthStars the 27-24 victory with a 20-yard field goal. Don't count Bordeaux out yet, the NorthStars are very strong this season. Joey Allen got a new target this off-season in Fredric Vargas. Yes, our ex-Merchantmen guy, who became a IHOF Bowl winner with the Plague.

The Paris Musketeers were also involved in a fourth quarter barnburner. Going into that last 15 minutes, they were trailing 6-0 at the Boulder Blizzard. A 46-yard scoring reception from rookie Jamaal Owens set them up for a lead, but in the end the Musketeers lost 19-13. Don't fail to mention that the Blizzard defense picked off three of E.G. 'Edmundo the Great' Lumpkin's passes.

The Gothenburg Giants managed to get some offense going this week, yet managed to lose their second home game in a row. This time the Anaheim Visigoths came out victorious with a 27-24 score on a late field goal by Edward Wilkes. It marks the first time the Anaheim based franchise sits at .500 or better under the new management. A win at the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums will result in the second time in franchise history they will have a winning record. The first time came after a 2-1 start in the 2005 season, until the then Matterhorns lost three in a row and played .500 ball win-one-lose-one the rest of the season.

Other important scores? The Ann Arbor Anachronism missed their veteran quarterback Donald Woods and saw his apprentice Zach Downing lead the team to a 40-14 deficit. The victorious side was the Georgia Gridlock team, boosted by a five-touchdown performance from quarterback Nate Sutter. Meanwhilst, the Minnesota Miners take the sole lead in the NAC Mid-West as they follow up last week's beating of the Anachronism with a 20-19 win over the Orlando Knights. At 2-0 it marks the second season in which the Miners have a winning record. They were went from 2-1 through 5-2 and 6-4 to an 8-8 franchise best record in 2008.

Also worth mentioning was a traditional sweep by the AOC Northeast Division. The North Plainfield Plague, Boston Rhinos, Syracuse Mohawks and Rochester Lake Monsters all won in a division versus division clash versus the NAC Atlantic Coast Division. Following that sweep, all four of them rank in the top ten in scoring so far. Last but not least was an impressive showing by the San Antonio Volunteers, who beat thre Seth Dwight-lead Williamsburg Colonials 40-17. In the last minutes, Leonard Lyon was given three pass attempts, two of those were intercepted, including one being returned for a touchdown. Way to go Leo!

European Standings:
2-0 Maassluis
1-1 Bordeaux
0-2 Paris
0-2 Gothenburg

A nice win in the books and it calls for the tradition list of heroes of the day. Today's candidates for player of the year points were:
* Louie Flannery, who completed 22 of 41 passes for 232 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions
* Jewell Simpson, who made 7 catches resulting in 121 yards gained and 1 score
* Devin Henson, who returned a kickoff for 102 yards and a score
* Sean Smalley, who nailed 4 of 8 punts in20, including 1 on the SLO 1-yard line
* Cary Coles, who was 3 for 3 in field goals and 4 for 4 in points after touchdown
* Charles Gomez, who made 5 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble
* Tommie Canon, who defended 2 passes, allowed 0 catches and forced 1 fumble
* Tai Wayne, who had 1 interception and 2 defended passes
* Lincoln Gilmore, who shined with 1 interception and 4 defended passes
* Mickey Kershner, who made a team high 7 tackles before he got hurt

And the winners for this week are with 1 point for Tai Wayne, 2 points for Tommie Canon, 3 points for Jewell Simpson, 4 points for Lincoln Gilmore and 5 points for Charles Gomez. In the overall standings, the lead with 7 points is for Canon and Gomez, being followed by Gilmore and Cary Coles with 4 points, Simpson and Randy Harris with 3 points, and Wayne and Cody Cluff with 1 point.

Coming up, Futility Bowl VII. This game doesn't need much introduction to the real fans. In my mind this game is even more of a rivalry as are te divisional games. Face it, we're 15-4 recently in Europe wit most games being big wins or hopeless losses. The games versus Rochester all have been instant classics. Listed below are the recaps and links to the boxscores at the IHOF website.

Futility Bowl I - recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=401732&postcount=44) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=143)
Futility Bowl II - recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=534066&postcount=310) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=585)
Futility Bowl III - short recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=606370&postcount=529) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=816)
Futility Bowl IV - recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=701011&postcount=714) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=1103)
Futility Bowl V - recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=854202&postcount=989) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=1648)
Futility Bowl VI - recap (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=922089&postcount=1056) - boxscore (http://www.fof-ihof.com/games/boxscore.php?gameid=1807)

MIJB#19

01-21-2006, 05:56 AM

Merchantmen Sign Two Linebackers To Replace Kershner
The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced the hiring of Nicholas Seymour and Randal Davison. The two weakside linebackers are signed to try out for one roster spot. The Merchantmen are going to place Mike Kershner on injured reserve following his severe knee injury. Davison is a former Fort Worth Fury backer as he's been a teammate of injured Merchantmen backup Albert Boggess the past three seasons. Seymour played 86 games in 6 season in the IHOF. Seymour played for Astoria (2004), Minnesota (2005), Bordeaux (2006-2008) and Asheville (2009). Both are decent zone defenders, but especially Seymour is a run defense specialist. For the next game, the final decission will be made on whom will make the roster.

MIJB#19

01-23-2006, 09:36 AM

(Delayed) 2010 Merchantmen Players Introduction
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back with an improved roster. Yes, that's what the management thinks, but the off-season movements should speak for themselves. Of all the new players, four are going to be starters, while the leaving players were all backups in 2009. Due to the timing, the newly acquired Nicholas Seymour is also listed. Who are the 53 men on roster?

<table>
<tr><td>player<td>FS<td>GP<td>GS<td>nickname<td>top skills
<tr><td>QB 14 Louie Flannery<td>2006<td>64<td>62<td>Flan'<td>two-minute offense
<tr><td>QB 15 Thad Pilkington<td>2008<td>05<td>00<td><td>avoid interceptions
<tr><td>QB 04 Josh Webb<td>2009<td>00)<td>00<td><td>holding
<tr><td>QB 03 Justin McDavid<td>2004<td>25<td>24<td>Fumblin' Justin<td>sense pass rush
<tr><td>RB 21 Joseph Schoen<td>2008<td>28<td>06<td>Joe the Shoe<td>third down running
<tr><td>RB 28 Randy Harris<td>2004<td>96<td>89<td>Rumblin' Randy<td>running around ends
<tr><td>RB 44 Scott Bagley<td>2008<td>30<td>00<td><td>kickoff returning
<tr><td>FB 49 Jamel Rosenberry<td>2006<td>59<td>39<td><td>hole recognition
<tr><td>FB Quentin Malicki<td>2010<td>00<td>00<td><td>run blocking
<tr><td>FB 34 Henry Poston -IR-<td>2007<td>21<td>02<td><td>receiving skills
<tr><td>TE 86 Jim Reiser<td>2004<td>93<td>68<td><td>getting open
<tr><td>TE 89 Arnold Ramirez<td>2007<td>48<td>14<td><td>run blocking
<tr><td>TE 82 Winston Van Pelt<td>2009<td>16<td>01<td><td>long snapping
<tr><td>WR 87 Bryce Ewald<td>2004<td>90<td>81<td>The Brilliant<td>making the catch
<tr><td>WR 80 Gregory Monti -IR-<td>2004<td>82<td>67<td>Full Monti<td>making the catch
<tr><td>WR 85 Jewell Simpson<td>2010<td>91<td>30<td><td>getting open downfield
<tr><td>WR 22 Jesse Vielma<td>2009<td>15<td>12<td><td>third down conversions
<tr><td>WR 16 Jerry Beyer<td>2007<td>48<td>20<td>Jelly Belly<td>yards after the catch
<tr><td>WR 83 Devin Henson<td>2005<td>78<td>06<td><td>kickoff returning
<tr><td>LT 63 Ivan Jacques<td>2007<td>44<td>44<td><td>pass protection
<tr><td>G 79 Butch White<td>2005<td>64<td>64<td>Bruce<td>run blocking
<tr><td>C 55 Ned Cozart<td>2010<td>87<td>77<td><td>run blocking
<tr><td>G 65 Timothy Lacy<td>2006<td>53<td>52<td>Tiny Tim<td>run blocking
<tr><td>RT 71 Cornelius Rice<td>2007<td>31<td>30<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>LT 67 Louis Bell<td>2009<td>15<td>09<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>C 54 Brant Heinrich<td>2005<td>72<td>72<td><td>his stamina
<tr><td>G 62 Wesley Howard<td>2010<td>48<td>14<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>RT 60 Norman Holliday<td>2007<td>15<td>05<td><td>pass protection
<tr><td>P 11 Sean Smalley<td>2008<td>17<td>00<td><td>deep punts
<tr><td>K 18 Cary Coles<td>2004<td>95<td>00<td><td>short field goals
<tr><td>K 08 Al Bettis<td>2006<td>64<td>00<td><td>kickoffs
<tr><td>DE 74 Omar Gougeon<td>2006<td>50<td>37<td>Goug<td>pass rushing
<tr><td>DE 70 Wally Mattingly<td>2009<td>16<td>12<td><td>pass rushing
<tr><td>DE 77 Erwin Baranowski<td>2008<td>30<td>16<td><td>pass rushing
<tr><td>DE 94 Aaron Sherrill<td>2007<td>31<td>19<td>The Pearl<td>pass rushing
<tr><td>DT 78 Charles Gomez<td>2004<td>91<td>90<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>DT 72 Frank Bernard<td>2010<td>68<td>60<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>DT 98 Andrew Rasmussen<td>2007<td>23<td>05<td>Rasm<td>all-rounder
<tr><td>DT 59 Andy Weliczka<td>2006<td>60<td>52<td><td>run defending
<tr><td>DT 90 Shaun Shiroma<td>2007<td>38<td>07<td>My Shiroma<td>pass rushing
<tr><td>LB 56 Bernie Surry<td>2008<td>32<td>30<td><td>run defending, zone defending
<tr><td>LB 50 Cody Cluff<td>2004<td>93<td>77<td><td>run defending
<tr><td>LB 95 Mike Kershner -IR-<td>2004<td>89<td>55<td>Mickey<td>run defending
<tr><td>LB 52 Carl Meier<td>2006<td>56<td>19<td><td>all-rounder
<tr><td>LB 97 Albert Boggess<td>2010<td>82<td>66<td>Bogus, Bogge$$<td>run defending
<tr><td>LB 53 Nicholas Seymour<td>2010<td>85<td>26<td><td>run defending
<tr><td>LB 99 Terrance White<td>2010<td>00<td>00<td><td>run defending, zone defending
<tr><td>CB 47 Tai Wayne<td>2005<td>56<td>56<td><td>zone defending
<tr><td>CB 45 Tommie Canon<td>2010<td>85<td>65<td><td>zone defending, run defending
<tr><td>CB 38 Sammie Kennedy<td>2008<td>27<td>08<td><td>zone defending
<tr><td>CB 33 Winford Endicott<td>2007<td>38<td>31<td>Endi<td>zone defending
<tr><td>CB 32 Myron Stevens<td>2006<td>58<td>25<td><td>zone defending
<tr><td>SS 46 Lincoln Gilmore<td>2004<td>91<td>82<td>The Comeback Kid<td>zone defending, run defending
<tr><td>FS 36 Broderick Schultz<td>2008<td>28<td>28<td>Broodje Schultz<td>zone defending
<tr><td>SS 43 Emile William<td>2006<td>60<td>19<td><td>zone defending
<tr><td>FS 23 John Cole<td>2005<td>59<td>19<td><td>zone defending
</table>
FS = first season in Maassluis
GP = regular season games played *
GS = regular season games started *
* = for new players the entire IHOF career is listed

MIJB#19

01-24-2006, 06:51 AM

Merchantmen Lose Futility Bowl VII
The Maassluis Merchantmen have taken their first loss of the season. In a classic game against the Rochester Lake Monsters, the home playing Dutch team lost 23-17. A more efficient Lake Monsters offense and a lost turnover battle shifted the game from a 14-3 Merchantmen lead to a two-field goal loss. Myron George scored 11 points for the Lake Monsters to give him sweet revenge.

It was bound to happen, a loss would come at some point. But Rochester has become a bitter rival and some say these two teams prefer winning this game over making the playoffs. Jackie Williamson completed 15 of 22 passes for 200 yards to lead his men to victory.

Louie Flannery failed to return the favor. Granted, he completed 20 of 30 passes for 232 yards and 2 scores, but he also threw three more interceptions. Although the last one came on a last minute hail mary attempt, the first two came at crucial moments and gave the Lake Monsters a free pass to scores. If the defense hadn't held the visitors to field goals three times, the game wouldn't have been close.

Rookie kicker Myron George was one of the main heroes of the day. George had been drafted my the Merchantmen in the fourth round, but after a perfect pre-season he was released in favor of other position players and Cary Coles. Coles missed a 56-yarder in this game, while George was perfect on three field goals and two extra points.

Injuries piled up again too. Center Brant Heinrich left the game early and is ruled out until mid-November. The timing is especially bad as newly acquired Ned Cozart isn't expected to return until week six. In relief, guard Wesley Howard also got hurt, meaning only six linemen are fit for the next game.

Upcoming is the third home game of the season. Coming to Maassluis are the San Antonio Volunteers. In the previous meetings, the Volunteers won three games, two of them in Oranje Haven. The last meeting last season, the Merchantmen won 27-26 in a close game. Louie Flannery ran for a 25-yard score that game, which is unique as Flan' is considered a textbook example pocket passer.

MIJB#19

01-24-2006, 10:05 AM

General Manager Notes: At Least We're Still In Charge
Kudos Kodos.

What an aweful ending... I think we shoulds count our wins and be happy to sit 2-1 a top the European division and 2-0 in common games, as non of our division rivals will play Rochester. Louie Flannery once again made a show about his skills and paid back with interceptions. I'll discard the third pick, I'd say it's a 50-50 shot to score the touchdown or be picked off in a Hail Mary pass attempt.

Losing to Rochester isn't the biggest worry, but as they have turned from friends into freindly foes, winning this game can save the season, or destroy the other team's. It doesn't help either that some kid named Myron George scored 11 of the Lake Monsters' 23 points. "Myron George? Never heard of that name. He's a rookie? drafted by the Merchantmen? Really? Why'd he get released? To have the team keep a fullback on inactive? Well done, management." No, we released him to keep Justin McDavid, but the score isn't less bitter.

As we lost, the other European teams got a shot to take back some terrain, but they hardly did. With a seemingly close score of 21-16, the Paris Musketeers beat the Tucker Tigers to claim their first win of the season. The truth is, the Musketeers mishandled the Tigers' rookie quarterback and first overall pick Shaun Duncan into a 21-6 half time lead. They Tigers were never back into the game. At all. The same can be said about the Gothenburg Giants, who after a 34-6 beating at home to the North Plainfield Plague are preparing for an ugly season.

The Bordeaux Vineyards seem to be the top dogs to win the division this season, but they lost a nice nailbiter for the second week in a row. Against the Orlando Knights, the Vineyards showed a decent fourth quarter comeback, yet failed the two-point coversion to tie the score and failed to use the remaining three minutes well.

In other news around the league, the defending IHOF champions, the Frederick Red Menace suffered their first loss of the season. The Outer Banks Ospreys won a defensive game with a 14-9. The 2009 NAC runners up, the Ann Arbor Anachronism, continue to struggle and are 0-3 now. The triple A's lost 34-17 on the road at the Boulder Blizzard. The Colorado based team struggles through injuries, but is one of six unbeaten teams. Accompanying them are their division rivals Fairbanks NorthStars, the top two from 2009, the Boston Rhinos and North Plainfield Plague, the Chesapeake Chitterlings and the San Antonio Volunteers. Exactly, our upcoming opponents.

The Volunteers are not unbeatable, but right now they're allowing less than 13 points per game and had impressive wins over the Forth Worth Fury (35-12 on the road) the Williamsburg Colonials (40-17) and the Conyers Condors (17-9). In these games they once again showed they can win both the shootouts as the defensive slugfests. The good news is that... Well, there isnt good news. The Volunteers just are a rock solid team, who look like a selection of average players, but we all know they're a easily a top three team in the AOC. They've been since 2004 and still are. I think we're lucky to have two wins against them already.

European Standings:
2-1 Maassluis
1-2 Bordeaux (1-0 division)
1-2 Paris (0-1 division)
0-3 Gothenburg

Merchantmen Player of the Year:
Despite our first loss, we were not completely hopeless and actually had a couple of players doing well. Who were the candidates for player of the race points this week?
* Jewell Simpson had only 2 catches, but they surely counted with 61 yards and a score
* Louie Flannery completed 20 of 30 passes for 232 yards and 2 scores (yes, and 3 int's)
* Randy Harris ran for 47 yards (4.7 per carry) and had 4 catches for 24 yards
* Sean Smalley planted 3 of 5 punts inside the 20, averaging 42 yards per punt
* Timothy Lacy made 3 key run blocks and recovered a fumble on offense
* Cody Cluff forced a fumble on top of recording 9 tackles and 3 assists
* Lincoln Gilmore recovered a fumble, defended a pass, made 5 tackles and 1 assists
* Charles Gomez made 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1/2 a sack and had 2 quarterback hurries

The points for the race go to Timoty Lacy, who gets 1 point, Cody Cluff, who gets 2 points and Charles Gomez, who will get the lost-game maximum of 3 points. Overall, Gomez increased the lead (10 points), being trailed by Tommie Canon (7 points), Cary Coles (4 points), Lincol Gilmore (4 points), Cody Cluff (3 points), Randy Harris (3 points), Jewell Simpson (3 points), Timothy Lacy (1 point) and Tai Wayne (1 point).

MIJB#19

01-27-2006, 10:34 AM

Merchantmen Lose A Nailbiter To San Antonio Volunteers
Welcome back to .500 land. The Maassluis Merchantmen lost to the San Antonio Volunteers 15-10 to sit at 2-2. Despite the loss, the Merchantmen hold the lead in the European division, although just barely now. While the defense stood ground for most of the game, the offense struggled. Some fans in the stadium starting booing Louie Flannery and yelling for Justin McDavid to return. Despite the loss, positive thought remain in Oranje Haven.

"So close and yet so far away." Merchantmen head coach Leroy Van Der Woude was not amused after the game. "The offense is struggling so much, it's slowly becoming dis-heartening. Kudos go to the defense, amazing how they defended our endzone and made us win the touchdown battle 1-0. I'm starting to think this offense is afraid of falling behind."

Like it or not, but the offense was plain aweful. Their average to go on third down was 11.7 yards. The only thing that looked decent was the red zone offense. With 10 points out of two visists, they almost tied the red zone score from the Volunteers. The Merchantmen defense held ground very well, allowing four field goals from five visits. That's 12 points on a potential for 35. It's all about defense right now.

Louie Flannery was the center of negative chants more than before. Flannery threw three interceptions in the game, making some part of the fans scream for Thad Pilkington or the return of Justin McDavid. General Manager M.IJ.B. expressed that there is no need for that: "Louie is our franchise quarterback. Everybody knows that, Thad (Pilkington), (Josh) Webb, Justin (McDavid) and Louie. A bunch of interceptions won't scare us. This is still the same guy that brought a team to the IHOF semi finals in his sophomere year." But those 11 interceptions in four games don't lie.

The Merchantmen go into their bye week and more than before they will use it to lick their wounds. Five players are listed as 'out' for week five. Center Ned Cozart and guard Timothy Lacy might return in the next game, but it remains to be seen whether either player will start. Linebacker Albert Boggess, center Brant Heinrich and defensive end Omar Gougeon won't return until after the mid-season point. Defensive end Erwin Baranowski is still suffering from a hamstring injury and will be used as a backup. Wide receiver Gregory Monti and linebacker Mike Kershner are on injured reserve and will only show up in black-tie for games this season.

MIJB#19

01-27-2006, 10:53 AM

General Manager Notes: A Frickin' Nightmare
I had a dream...

You know that feeling? You wake up and think: did that just happen or was it all a dream? I had that the other day. In my sleep, I went through our game against the San Antonio Volunteers. I saw good things, a strong defense, a reliable Louie Flannery and 28-10 victory in an impressive fashion. Then, my eyes opened and I realized it was a dream. We had a strong defense, I saw a stressed Flannery and we lost 15-10 to the Volunteers. I hoped I was dreaming again, but I wasn't. Sigh...

Well, things got worse. The Paris Musketeers won 20-17 against the Fort Worth Fury on a 32-yard field goal with 24 seconds left. The Gothenburg Giants nothced win number one for the season with a fourth quarter comeback win at the Telluride Outlaws. Final score 24-14, the Giants can still win, even if it was against a win-less opponent. Imagine how bad it would have been if the Bordeaux Vineyards wouldn't be on their bye week.

European Standings:
2-2 Maassluis
2-2 Paris
1-2 Bordeaux
1-3 Gothenburg

Here we go, again, a four-horse-race with all teams just one win apart. Things can be so different. The Miami Sharks, for example, lead their division with a 3-1 record over the 2-2 Outer Banks Ospreys. The rest of that division is 0-4. A similar situation is going on in the Deep South. Telluride and Fort Worth sit at 0-4, the Vicksburg Vipers are 2-1 and the San Antonio Volunteers are 4-0.

Merchantmen Player of the game race
Players of the game, did we have some? Well, Cody Cluff, who had 7 tackles, 2 assists and an interception. Broderick Schultz, who defended 3 passes and made 4 tackles. And the third points-worthy player was Andrew Rasmussen, who added 1 sack, 1 blocked pass and 1 hurried pass to his total of 4 tackles. In the overall standings, Cluff moves up a bit. Players and points: Charles Gomez (10 points), Tommie Canon (7), Cody Cluff (6), Cary Coles (4), Lincoln Gilmore (4), Randy Harris (3), Jewell Simpson (3), Broderick Schultz (2), Timothy Lacy (1), Andre Rasmussen (1) and Tai Wayne (1).

Blech.
I need a drink.
No wait, I don't drink.
Blech.

MIJB#19

01-31-2006, 09:00 AM

General Manager Notes: Still In Charge!
Who's number one? We are!

The Paris Musketeers had a chance to move to the top of the division, but saw no answer to the San Antonio Volunteers. Unlike us, the Musketeers got whooped and even pulled quarterback Edmundo the Lumpkin when trailing 38-6. The Musketeers got back up to 38-20, but couldn't get rid of the feeling of being flushed through the toilet. Voila!

The Bordeaux Vineyards got their shot at taking the divison lead now. In a pass heavy game between two teams with big name running backs, the Vineyards bounced back from 13-0 behind and thought they were winning 14-13. They held big name Ronnie Kemp to 2.6 yards per carry and knocked out the Vipers quarterback. But no such luck, they lost for the third game in a row after a last minute collaps. A 39-yard field goal with ten seconds left gave the Vipers the victory. Encreable!

On the other end of that kind of story were the Gothenburg Giants. With a last second 18-yard field goal and a 41-yarder in overtime, Damien Deming showed his money's worth. The Giants won 30-27 and are currently the hottest team in Europe, despite and 0-3 start. But that also means the fourth team in Europe is still in sole possession of the division lead: the Maassluis Merchantmen!

Standings:
2-2 Maassluis
2-3 Paris
2-3 Gothenburg
1-3 Bordeaux

I have no idea why Paris is second over Gothenburg right now, but I'll take it for granted as the mathemagicians in the world tell us they are.

Our next opponent will be the Vicksburg Vipers. The Vipers are 3-1 and allow only 15.5 points per game. I'm expecting a defensive slugfest and y'all know we've got a quarterback pretty fulnerable in such games... Good for us, Vicksburg's superstud running back Ronnie Kemp is on a slump right now, while starting quarterback Gabe Macaluso is out (thank you Bordeaux). I'm tossing my mind to abandon our normal game plan and have the defense anticipate on a potential run-heavy offense. Afterall, Kemp here has the single-game rushing record versus the Merchantmen at 182 yards. Should I mention that Charles Gomez was inactive that day? I doubt it would have made a big difference though. It'll be an interesting game in Oranje Haven, I can tell you that!

Kodos

01-31-2006, 12:47 PM

Merchantmen Lose Futility Bowl VII

It was bound to happen, a loss would come at some point. But Rochester has become a bitter rival and some say these two teams prefer winning this game over making the playoffs.

Whoa whoa whoa! You can win the next Futility Bowl and we'll take the playoff spot with a big thank you sir! ;)

MIJB#19

01-31-2006, 01:35 PM

Lake Monsters Fight For Futility Bowl Tradition
As the Maassluis Merchantmen are leading the European division at 2-2, the Rochester Lake Monster know they're doing something wrong at 3-1. To keep the Futility Bowl rivalry alive, they need to win the Northeast division. So far the Lake Monsters had been failing, with a disappointing 3-1 record and in third place after four games. In week five, they played at the Syracuse Mohawks to keep their dreams alive.

A guy names Amos Collins scored two touchdowns as the Lake Monsters did a huge redecoration of the 'hawks stadium. With 511 total yards on offense, the so-called good defense from the Mohawks was humiliated. With a 35-21 score, the Lake Monsters even looked disappointed as they weren't allowed to run up the score by the head coach.

But as the North Plainfield Plague and Boston Rhinos posted wins over the Southeast's top two teams (Orlando Knights and Conyers Condors respectively), the 4-1 Lake Monsters still sit in third place and at the second wild card ticket spot. The Vicksburg Vipers are just 1/2 a game away at 3-1. A Merchantmen win next week could sweeten their playoff hopes, but no such luck.

Rochester Lake Monsters General Manager Kodos was quoted saying: "[Maassluis] can win the next Futility Bowl and we'll take the playoff spot with a big thank you sir!" Maassluis Merchantmen General Manager M.IJ.B. explains the words: "Right now we're rooting for Futility Bowl VIII to take place in the 2010 season. In the current standings, it would mean both teams will reach the AOC Championship game. Kodos is so generous to already tell us they'll give that game away and let us secure our first IHOF Bowl berth in our own Oranje Haven."

MIJB#19

01-31-2006, 01:54 PM

Gossip News: Merchantmen Replacing Flannery?
The Maassluis Merchantmen are 2-2 and a top the European Division. But they could have been 4-0 and three losses less away from the competition. Quarterback Louie Flannery has been living up to his infamous image and threw 11 interceptions in 4 games. But Gossip News has the latetst news from Oranje Haven: Flannery is going to be replaced.

What? Right now? Yes, it looks like it. In the past two weeks of training and preperation for the game against the Vicksburg Vipers, the Merchantmen were caught training new passing schemes as Gossip News correspondent I. K. Zegmaarwat reports. Josh Webb and Thad Pilkington were getting a lot of snaps today. Yesterday Justin McDavid was seen working out with the first string offense. Flannery was just talking and talking with head coach Leroy Van Der Woude.

The signs are there, the marriage with Flannery could be over. It wouldn't be the first time though. Fans still remember how Leonard Lyon was shoved aside and shipped off to the Springfield Isotopes. When Lyon's new team visited Maassluis in 2008, he had a career game and destroyed the dutch playoff hopes, if not for the miracle escape a week later. Last season, Lyon gave his new team, the Williamsburg Colonials great hints on how to beat the sailors and the Colonials really destroyed the Merchantmen's playoff hopes.

With the Vicksburg Vipers as the next opponent, it seems the Merchantmen are looking for different ways to play football. With a Thad or Webb, the Merchantmen can try to play more ball control, run oriented football. It's best to keep a Ronnie Kemp off the field and keep the score close so the Vipers will keep running. Charles Gomez is eager for his first meeting with Kemp and has looked ready for him. The entire defense has soemthing to set righ after Kemp's 182 yards outingin 2007, despite the Cinderellar story season the Merchantmen had.

The Merchantmen defense has been high on turnovers with a league best 2.5 per game, but the overall turnover margin is still negative. Take out Flannery's 11 interceptions and the team is +2.5 per game. Justin McDavid is know for his fumbles, thus either Webb or Thad is likely to get the nod. Only time will tell, but Gossip News never lets you down, does it?

Kodos

01-31-2006, 01:55 PM

Kodos is so generous to already tell us they'll give that game away and let us secure our first IHOF Bowl berth in our own Oranje Haven.

Yes. That is definitely what we meant.

Don't make us hand you another nasty playoff setback. We'll do it!

MIJB#19

01-31-2006, 02:14 PM

Yes. That is definitely what we meant.

Don't make us hand you another nasty playoff setback. We'll do it!
;)

But really, I think it would make for an awesome AOC Championship game. I'd love to see my team get back there at some point. Rochester as our opponents would be really fun and would help the rest of the league respect the two teams even more.

Kodos

01-31-2006, 02:43 PM

We have earned no respect. We have done nothing of consequence. We're almost as futile as Syracuse!

MIJB#19

02-01-2006, 04:02 AM

We have earned no respect. We have done nothing of consequence. We're almost as futile as Syracuse!
Syracuse? At least both of us managed to win a playoff game. That should be worth something!

Kodos

02-01-2006, 09:44 AM

That's why we're only almost as futile as Syracuse. ;)

MIJB#19

02-03-2006, 07:43 AM

Merchantmen Beat Vipers, Lose Flannery
The ship is sailing again. Following a bye week, the Maassluis Merchantmen recorded their third win of the season over the Vicksburg Vipers. The game was in the pocket after the third quarter. The final score of 21-13 was representative of the on-field strenghts. Quarterback Louie Flannery left the game with a calf injury, but Thad Pilkington did very well in relief.

Happy faces all over in Maassluis. The Merchantmen anticipated for a strong running game From Ronnie Kemp and addapted well to it. After forcing the Vipers to three and out, the offense got going and quickly marched to the 7-0 lead. The Vipers never got back into the game again. With two field goals in the first half, they thought they were back in it, but two more touchdown passes by Thad Pilkington secure the victory.

Thad Pilkington. In his third season in Maassluis he finally looked like a game saver when coming on the field. Thad completed 9 of 14 passes for 83 yards, not the best numbers imaginable, but they counted with two touchdowns. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude was happy: "It's good to see Thad do well. Some people were afraid we'd be done if Flannery would ever go down, but Thad proved he can still play ball."

Defensive tackle Charles Gomez was probably the happiest Merchantmen player. "We got him!" Gomez screamed on the first play of the game. Ronnie Kemp looked ready to burst through the Merchantmen defense, however, Gomez and Cody Cluff stopped Kemp for a three-yard gain. Gomez missed the previous meeting between the Vipers and Merchantmen, when Kemp ran for 182 yards. In the re-match, Kemp was held to 60 yards, only once running for a first down.

The Merchantmen defense focussed on stopping the run and decided to play cautious on pass defense. It worked out well as, despite just one play broken by the pass rush, the secondary and linebackers deflected 11 passes and intercepted another. Especially cornerback Tai Wayne was praised as he defended four passes and didn't allow a single catch.

The injury to Louie Flannery tempered the enjoyment of the win a bit, but first medical examinations say that Flannery should be sidelined for just three games. Diagnosis: strained calf muscle and not fully recovered until begin November. Flannery said: "I have faith the team can survive without me. They did it before, you know. Thad is an experience quarterback who make this offense work." The Merchantmen are 1-1 all time without Flannery and 8-24 before he joined the team.

MIJB#19

02-03-2006, 08:25 AM

General Manager Notes: Woohoo, Three And Two.
Run Ronnie run, but not against us!

News of the day:
One - Joseph Schoen out ran Ronnie Kemp.
Two - We won without a pass rush.
Three - Thad replaced Flan' and will be asked to do so a bit more.
Four - The Bordeaux Vineyards lost 20-17 on a last second field goal.
Five - The Paris Musketeers defended their home 23-17 to the Gothenburg Giants.
Six - We still lead the division!

A good game, very good when looking from the defensive point of view. Stopping Kemp was one thing, not turning the ball over was another. We managed both and went on to beat the Vicksburg Vipers. An important victory as they are not just a good team, they are potential rivals for the wild cards. At least right now we still hold the top spot in the division and next week we can expand the lead while Paris and Gothenburg are on their byes.

Standings:
3-2 Maassluis
3-3 Paris
2-4 Gothenburg
1-4 Bordeaux

While the Vineyards are losing week after week by a field goal, they're still looking like a dangerous opponent in our division. A road game for them at the San Antonio Volunteers could set them back, but we've seen the Vols in our house and we should know that Bordeaux could be able to upset them. It means we have to continue with what we're doing so far: play good defense and hope we can win. Our next opponent is the Fort Worth Fury, who played last minute field goal games the past three weeks against our European rivals.

Outside of the European division, the AOC conference isn't looking so strong as it usually does. The AOC Northeast has all teams at .500 or better, but of all the other divisions only the Volunteers have more than 3 wins. Face it: right now we are arguably the fifth best team in the division at 3-2. In the NAC all eyes are on the Mid-Atlantic, where the Chesapeake Chitterlings (5-0), IHOF champions Frederick Red Menace (5-1) and WIlliamsburg Colonials (4-2) are setting up for their second season in a row of sweeping the wild cards.

Player of the year race.
Oh yeah, we played so well, I almost forgot about my own player of the race rankings. The nominees today:
* Thad Pilkington, who completed 9 of 14 passes for 83 yards and 2 scores.
* Louie Flannery, who completed 16 of 19 passes for 149 yards and 1 score.
* Joseph Schoen, who ran for 70 yards and added 25 yards and a score on 2 receptions.
* Jamel Rosenberry, who had 8 catches for 72 yards and 1 score.
* Bryce Ewald, who made 7 catches for 51 yards and 1 score.
* Tai Wayne, who defended 4 passes, allowed 0 catches and made 3 assists.
* Cody Cluff, who made 11 tackles, 4 assists, 1 interception and 1 defended pass.
* Tommie Canon, who defended 2 passes, allowed 2 catches, made 5 tackles and 1 assist.
* Charles Gomez, who defended 1 pass, had 1 pass hurried, made 4 tackles and 1 assist.

The points this week are going to Thad Pilkington (1 point) for his excellent relief duties, to Louie Flannery (2) for his excellent play in just half a game, Joseph Schoen (3) for out-running Ronnie Kemp, Cody Cluff (4) for tackling and tackling and tackling, and Tai Wayne (5) for his role in shutting down the passing game.

Players and points: Cody Cluff (10), Charles Gomez (10 points), Tommie Canon (7), Tai Wayne (6), Cary Coles (4), Lincoln Gilmore (4), Randy Harris (3), Joseph Schoen (3), Jewell Simpson (3), Louie Flannery (2), Broderick Schultz (2), Timothy Lacy (1), Thad Pilkington (1) and Andrew Rasmussen (1).

MIJB#19

02-06-2006, 01:22 PM

Go Thad!
His career passer rating is 73.5. His career record is 24-28. And he hasn't started a game in almost three years. The North Plainfield Plague never started him. The Asheville Axemen traded him away. But today it's his day. The Maassluis Merchantmen management confirmed that Thad Pilkington will see his first start in orange, white and blue.

"It's a bummer for Louie, but it feels good to be back," Thad said, "I'm nervous like a girl scout going out to sell chocolate chip cookies for te first time." But it's unnecessary, Thad played last week in relief of Flannery. A 119.9 quarterback rating later, Thad had guided the Merchantmen to two touchdown drives in the 21-13 win. Both scores came from his arm. There's nothing to worry about.

Justin McDavid and Josh Webb were both a bit disappointed by the decission, but decided to support Thad. Recently, Josh Webb had been touted as the future number two, but despite decent pre-season play, the second-year pro will be sitting the game out. McDavid started the only two previous games where Louie Flannery was unable to start. Back then, Thad was already playing 'ball in Maassluis, but McDavid was the popular choice and guided the Merchantmen to a win over the Asheville Axemen, Thad's former team.

"That hurt, but I'm all over it." Thad gets a chance to show he's still a startable quarterback. "I heard the team got a lot of attention for trades this off-season. It flattered me, but it flattered me even more to hear the management sees me as the unquestionable number two behind Flannery. Sure, I can win games like Flan', but the guy already surpassed me in wins, by far."

But that doesn't mean Thad won't try to stir up the controversy. Flannery had been throwing 11 interceptions in the first four games. The management, coaching staff and the fans were clearly not happy. And with Flan' hurt, Thad is quietly hoping he can stir up the discussion with last week's play and good play the upcoming games. And to be honest, what team doesn't want two quarterbacks who can guide teams to victory?

MIJB#19

02-07-2006, 02:03 PM

Merchantmen Fall Back To .500
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back to .500. Following a 21-14 loss at the Fort Worth Fury, the Merchantmen are facing a 3-3 record. Incredibly it's still good enough to sit a top the Eruopean Division on head to head record over the Paris Musketeers. The Merchantmen played without quarterback Louie Flannery and eventually blamed the loss on the turnover battle. But that doesn't do justice to the Fury, who just played some fine football.

"Thad played well." said Merchantmen head coach Leroy Van Der Woude. Thad Pilkington completed 20 of 34 passes for 178 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Fine numbers, but that pretty much ignores the fact that most of his yardage came on the last drive of the game which cut the Fury's lead in half. Thad struggled early in the game and guided his offense to two good drives in the second half of the game.

On the other end, the defense failed to stop the Fury. The defense didn't play bad, but wasn't the game winning unit the fans are used to see. Cody Cluff, Charles Gomez and Lincoln Gilmore played like the usual solid backbone, but the rest of the unit failed to provide the required support. Still, with 3.9 yards per carry, 6.1 yards per pass attempt, a completion percentage of .502, 11 turnovers, a .392 third down conversion percentage and 4.3 points per red zone visit, the Merchantmen defense ranks in the league's top ten in a lot of categories.

"With 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, you don't win more than half your games," Justin McDavid said. "We've got a good team, the management invested in the offense by acquiring players like Jewell Simpson, Ned Cozart, Joseph Schoen, do I need to say more? This could be the season to go all the way, but we can't allow to lose games like we've done so far this season."

Upcoming is the second game of the season against the Paris Musketeers. It's needless to say that the Merchantmen will miss Louie Flannery once again and saw three off-season additions get injured. Cornerback Tommie Canon, defensive tackle Frank Bernard and linebacker Nicholas Seymour all joined the list of injured players. A win would secure tie-breakers over the Musketeers, who currently seem to be the leading contender for the Merchantmen for the division title. A premature division title final or will both teams fall back in November and December?

MIJB#19

02-07-2006, 02:22 PM

General Manager Notes: Still On Top, But Just Barely
Paris, we're wating for ya!

Ugh, another loss, but this time it wasn't as close as the scores makes you think it was. In a game where we could have slain a bigger gap with the Paris Musketeers, we choked. With the Paris Muskteers and Gothenburg Giants on their byes, neither got a chance to gain terrain and lucky for us, the Bordeaux Vineyards have lost another game. Although this time it wasn't a nailbiter, they were with their backs against the wall following 21 unanswered points by the San Antonio Volunteers early in the second quarter.

Standings:
3-3 Maassluis (1-0 head-to-head)
3-3 Paris (0-1 head-to-head)
2-4 Gothenburg
1-5 Bordeaux

Next up is a round of games where the division can see one team walk away a bit. The Gothenburg Giants are facing the San Antonio Volunteers in their own Palace of Ice and Frost. So far, the Vols are playing winning football and have gone unbeaten in their first seven games. The Bordeaux Vineyards are hosting the winless Telluride Outlaws and should be expected to win for the second time this season. And in the meanwhile, the Maassluis Merchantmen and Paris Musketeers will fight for the division lead in Oranje Haven.

The rest of the Atlantic Ocean Conference shows two competitive divisions and one division where the cards already look shuffled. In the Northeast all teams have a winning record, with the 6-0 North Plainfield Plague have two losses less than the rest. In the Southeast all teams have a 3-4 record. All but one, because the Georgia Gridlock are 4-3. And in the Deep South, the San Antonio Volunteers have ran away already, at 7-0 being far away from the 4-2 Vicksburg Vipers.

The North American Conference has all faces looking away from the Mid-West division. The Minnesota Miners are two wins clear from the Ann Arbor Anachronism and have three losses less than the rest. Of course, the Miners are only 3-3 and have only the eight best record in the conference (just like us). Especially the Mid-Atlantic is turning into a three-horst race between the Frederick Red Menace (6-1), Chesapeake Chitterlings (5-1) and Williamsburg Colonials (5-2). The Miami Sharks lead the Atlantic Coast Division, while the Fairbanks NorthStars are running away with the West Division in a traditional 7-0 fashion.

Player of the year race.
Three players tried to escape the missery and I'll credit them accordingly. Bernie Surry, Charles Gomez and Jamel Rosenberry sucked a little bit less than the rest of the team. Overall standings: Charles Gomez (12 points), Cody Cluff (10), Tommie Canon (7), Tai Wayne (6), Cary Coles (4), Lincoln Gilmore (4), Randy Harris (3), Joseph Schoen (3), Jewell Simpson (3), Bernie Surry (3), Louie Flannery (2), Broderick Schultz (2), Timothy Lacy (1), Thad Pilkington (1), Andrew Rasmussen (1) and Jamel Rosenberry (1).

MIJB#19

02-09-2006, 05:13 PM

General Manager Notes: Planning Against Paris...
What shall we do with the drunken sailor early in the morning?

It's that time of year again: we're 3-3 and the game plan is up for discussion. This season we used three different game plans and there's a case more any to use. Against the Paris Musketeers, you'd think we should play like we did at their house, but I'm afraid Thad Pilkington can't handle it. And I'm also interested to see what one of our special game plans can do against pass happy Paris. What are our game plans?

The standard game plan is our normal game plan. On offense we're balanced and try to surprise teams with some trick plays here and there. To use Flannery's strenght, he's allowed to make deep throws from time to time. On defense we play a basic zone-two defense with the main idea having the front seven stop the run and rush the passer, while we rely on the secondary in the pass defense. We play a lot of nickel and dime formations. With this game plan we beat Paris this season, beat San Luis Obispo and lost barnburners against Rochester and San Antonio. 2-2, but not a shabby success so far.

The Run Defense Geared Game Plan was designed for the game against the run-oriented Vicksburg Vipers to stop former IHOF MVP Ronnie Kemp. We have the personel on defense to gamble a bit and it worked out. We saw Flannery go out injured, but see Thad Pilkington do well in Flan's absence. Last week Thad was in full control with a special short passing game plan which is better for Thad and #3 Josh Webb. But we lost with it. So now I'm puzzled with these three options.

Thad struggled a bit with his personal game plan and I'm tempted to abandon it for the all-important game against the Parisians. I think the standard game plan should work, or at least on defense. We played great ball with it, but I'm not fully convinced Thad can run it, we never saw him handle that offense. Well, sort of he did, in the game against Vicksburg, but the defense played a different game there. We can play that against the Musketeers since Joe Boulware is traditionally good against us. Five 100-yard games make him the second guy to have multiple centuries against us. Long time retired Jerry McGee did it twice for the Gothenburg Giants.

With the players we have, I know I can shift a bit on the defensive line to add run stopper Andy Weliczka to the starters and bench a pass rusher guy like Aaron Sherrill. I still have the possibility to shuffle with the secodary to make sure the Musketeers won't take advantage of our weakside linebacker or nickelback. I'm actually tempted to rush Albert Boggess into action, who's listed as probable, following his high ankel sprain. But I know we need him down the road and can't risk a more serious injury with Mike Kershner already on injured reserve. I'm torn and about to send the players onto the field with a different strategy from what I had us set up to do...

Don't you just love second guessing?

Darkiller

02-11-2006, 02:53 PM

just tremendously...thrilled, relieved, happy, whatever (lol) to have AT LAST defeated the Merchantmen in their backyards and taken the lead in the Euro division.

:-)))

MIJB#19

02-13-2006, 08:49 AM

just tremendously...thrilled, relieved, happy, whatever (lol) to have AT LAST defeated the Merchantmen in their backyards and taken the lead in the Euro division.

:-)))
I shall post an update later today. Busy weekend and live coverage speed skating are holding me up. :P

MIJB#19

02-14-2006, 10:19 AM

Editor's Note
Well, ehr...

I shall post an update later today. Busy weekend and live coverage speed skating are holding me up. :PScratch that.

Unless I get into a writing rush in the next 24 hours, I'll delay updates until February 27th, when I'm back from a 10-day vacation in Austria.

Coming up by then:
* Recap of the Paris Musketeers home game
* A historical game at the Telluride Outlaws
* Back-to-back crucial games against Bordeaux and Gothenburg
* And more!

MIJB#19

02-28-2006, 07:54 AM

General Manager Notes: I'm back!
Okay, the skiing vacation was nice and all, but I have a dynasty report to update. Thanks to George W Bush for filling in, the team kept rolling in my absence. I'll be quick in looking back to the things going on the past weeks. Last update the Merchantmen were still leading the division and going into a crucial game with the Paris Musketeers to extend the lead to basically two wins.

Week 8 - lost 16-14 to Paris
Despite missing Louie Flannery due to injury, the game was in our hands and we bascially had the division in our hands too. Then, with Paris needing a touchdown to win the game, they went for it. A 74-yard touchdown pass later, the Musketeers took the lead and won the most crucial game of the season so far. Paris 4-3, Maassluis 3-4, Bordeaux 2-5, Gothenburg 2-5.

Week 9 - lost 20-0 at Telluride Outlaws
Just aweful. For the first time ever we were shutout and it happened on the road to a winless team! The biggest story of the game was Josh Webb. Or Louie Flannery maybe. Flannery had completed 21 of 25 passes going into the second half. We were trailing 7-0, but it was a matter of time to explode and take the win. No such luck, I had decided to instruct the head coach to pull Flannery midway the game, to have him not aggrevate his injury and me expeting kid Josh Webb able to play the Thad Pilkington game plan (Thad got hurt against Paris and sat out the game). No such luck, Webb was disastrous and the game turned out that way too. Paris 5-3, Bordeaux 3-5, Maassluis 3-5, Gothenburg 2-6

Week 10 - lost 21-3 against Bordeaux
The game of the gamble. Bordeaux' Billy 'Bam Bam' Jamerson had run for 150+ yards in the previous two games. I had two options: gamble on stopping the run and hoping our secondary with give Joe Johnson and receivers a tough game as usual. Or go with our normal defensive game plan. I expected Bordeaux to pass and went for that. The Bordeaux GM admitted that he planned on passing, but his head coach didn't hear him and decided to let Jamerson run. And he did. 160 yards later, it was Bam Bam's first 100-er against us, the first by anyone against us all season. Flannery added enough interceptions to lose the game, including one on second and goal when we were trailing 7-0. Score there and we probably win the game. Oh well... Paris 6-3, Bordeaux 4-5, Maassluis 3-6, Gothenburg 2-7

Week 11 - 31-10 win at Gothenburg
Louie Flannery set something right. With a four-toudown performance he led the offense to 365 total yards. Joseph Schoen (60 yards) and Randy Harris (76 yards) turned out to be a perfect running back tandem, with Schoen adding two of the touchdowns with catches. The defense gave rookie Ben Randolph a tough day at quarterback, keeping him to 12 of 32 passes completed, with 3 interceptions. A Bordeaux victory of 20-17 against Paris also helped to keep the division title in touch. Paris 6-4, Bordeaux 5-5, Maassluis 4-6, Gothenburg 2-8

Week 12 - 14-10 loss at Anaheim
How to choke a 10-0 lead. No, the defense wasn't the fault, they did a tremendous job holding the highly touted Anaheim Visigoths offense to 259 yards. The Visigoths field the leading rusher in Gerald Harris (we held him to 54 yards, 2.4 per carry) and breakout player of the year in quarterback Shawn 'Jahr' Jahr. With a 398 yards outing on offense, you think we win this game. Wrong. Another Flannery interception in the end zone kept the score close, Randy Harris lost two fumbles in Anaheim territory and we allowed a 74-yard punt return to give the Visigoths a four-point lead, us thus needing a touchdown and needing to go for it in Visigoths' territory. And of course the French all won. Paris 7-4, Bordeaux 6-5, Maassluis 4-7, Gothenburg 2-9

Week 13 - 20-15 loss at Georgia
If you think the week 145 loss was bad, this one might even beat it. As Louie Flannery passed for 294 yards, the offense racked up 426 yards. And as the defense kept the Georgia Gridlock to 290 yards, there's no way you lose this game. Well, we found a way. If it wasn't for a Tai Wayne fumble return touchdown, we wouldn't even have been within a score. We had a 15-14 lead going into the closing minutes, but for once the defense broke down and allowed a touchdown. Flannery had to go for it and as usual failed at that. Add a fumble on the Georgia 8-yard line and you can see where we lost the game. Despite the rest of Europe also losing, the division title is now out of the question.

Standings
7-5 Paris
6-6 Bordeaux
4-8 Maassluis
2-10 Gothenburg

What now?
Well, it's easy, the wild card in the Atlantic Ocean Conference will go to teams with a winning record, that's already a fact. What remains is the division title and we know it will require a miracle. Why? Well, because we need a four-game winning streak. We also need Paris to win one game at most, which would immediately gives us the tie-breakers over them. Bordeaux is the bigger threat, as they are also allowed to win one game at most. Unless the Vineyards win their two games outside of Europe. In that case, strenght of victory will determine the tie-breakers. In that scenario, our win over Vicksburg (7-5) versus Bordeaux' win over Telluride (2-10) will be decission makers, not to mention that we still have to beat Fairbanks (9-3), while Bordeaux has to beat Anaheim (6-6). All in all, we need a miracle once again. If Bordeaux and Paris both win next week, the season isn't over, but it'll be very close.

Week 14 schedule
Maassluis at Fairbanks (9-3) - Sure, the are on a slump following a 7-0 start, but we're not in a position to think we're better as we've gone 1-6 recently, with the only win coming against a 2-10 team. The NorthStars are traditionally strong and just say their quarterback come of a offensive player of the week performance.

Paris versus Anaheim (6-6) - The Visigoths are coming off a 35-14 loss following a four-game winning streak, the longest in franchise history. The 'goths are not a team to underestimate and the Paris Musketeers traditionally are losers in final month of the season.

Bordeaux versus Boulder (8-4) - The Blizzard have been fighting against injuries, but a recent winning streak has kept them in the division title race with Fairbanks. The winning streak includes a 13-10 win over the IHOF champions last week, so it's clear they arew no cupcakes.

Gothenburg at San Luis Obispo (3-9) - Okay, forget this game, neither team is in the playoff race anymore after last season being the best ever for both franchises. The 2011 off-season goggles have been put on already.

Bottom line, we're gonna need a miracle like in the 2008 season to finish as disivion winners. We'll hope for it, but given how we've given games away, the strongest Merchantmen team ever (we're arguably the best defense this season), is very likely to have the single worst season win-loss-wise...

MIJB#19

03-01-2006, 06:49 AM

Gregory Monti and How Knee Injuries Destroy Careers
Gregory Monti, wide receiver for the Maassluis Merchantmen for the past six and a half years. But not this football season. Monti has been on injured reserve since the end of pre-season and chances are slim he'll ever play a game for the Merchantmen again. A torn MCL in his knee in late 2004 limited his ability. The Merchantmen showed faith in Monti, kept the man around, but a torn knee ligament might have destroyed his career forever. How one of the most talented wide receivers in the world can see his career destroyed.

February 2004. A new american football league was announced. 22-year old Gregory Monti liked the plans and signed up for the allocation draft. Monti was back then regard as one of the hottest wide receivers in potential. Eventually the Maassluis Merchantmen selected Monti in the eight round, 234th overall. Monti was part of a great group of receivers. Frederic Vargas, Raul Marshall, Bryce Ewald and Amos Collins were his partners.

After training camp, the Merchantmen tagged Monti as their leading receiver. Bryce Ewald was tagged as the #2, while Amos Collins was traded to the Rochester Lake Monsters. Monti statrted in 13 games, making 31 catches for 491 yards and 3 touchdowns. In a game against the Syracuse Mohawks, the alarm bells started ringing. Early in the game, Monti got hurt on a play were he wasn't even involved in the action. Diagnosis: MCL damage to his knee. Experts feared the worst.

Training camp for the 2005. Monti reported for duty and early signs were clear. Monti had lost some agility and speed, but still had the hands of a world class receiver. Once again Monti was tagged starter and future IHOF Bowl ringers Fredric Vargas and Raul Marshall were traded. Monti played in all 16 games of the 2005 season and set new personal highs in receptions (40) and yards (503).

In the following season, Monti had trouble with his knees more often than not. Six times Monti got hurt in the 2005-2009 period, but never too serious. Still, out of precaution, Monti was benched or even inactivated, meaning Monti never started 16 games in a single season. Replacements were hired over time, but David Henkel, Jerry Beyer and Jesse Vielma all failed to write Monti off.

In the 2010 off-season, the Merchantmen went overboard. In a surprise move, the Merchantmen traded their 2011 draft pick to acquire the Springfield Isotopes' Jewell Simpson. Monti feared the worst after having played only 9 games in the 2009 season. Monti worked his butt off. His pre-season production wasn't bad, but he worked hard as a receiver and blocker. And then, faith once again didn't like Monti. On a running play, Monti once again injured his knee. Diagnosis: Torn lateral knee ligament.

The Merchantmen placed Monti on injured reserve, fearing the worst and not wanting Monti to rush his rehabilitation. It's December 2010 now and the scars of Monti's second big injury are showing. He's not back to 100% yet, but it's already clear that Monti's speed and agility once again took a serious drop. He's still got great hands, but his knee is wasted and his career might be over.

2011 is looming. Monti has a leader role on the team, admired by his former buddy on the starting lineup in Bryce Ewald, but it'll probably won't be enough. The Merchantmen have shown loyalty to their past starts and potential stars. But things are changing fast. Justin McDavid is still around, but Harold Hurtado and Albert Bernardo were kicked off the team without mercy. Monti's career as football player looks done. Only a miracle will continue his career. If he doesn't already decide to retire.

MIJB#19

03-01-2006, 07:23 AM

Merchantmen Player of the Year Race
Without going into detail about the points scores for the past games, the new player of the year race standings are: 1. Cody Cluff (18 points), 2. Charles Gomez (14) and Tommie Canon (14), 4. Louie Flannery (10), 5. Lincoln Gilmore (7), 6. Ivan Jacques (6), Joseph Schoen (6) and Tai Wayne (6), 9. Randy Harris (5), 10. Cary Coles (4), 11. Jewell Simpson (3) and Bernie Surry (3), 13. Jamel Rosenberry (2), Broderick Schultz (2) and Butch White (2) 16. Timothy Lacy (1), Thad Pilkington (1), Andrew Rasmussen (1) and Aaron Sherrill (1).

MIJB#19

03-03-2006, 08:22 AM

Merchantmen Playoff Hopes Come To An End
The long wait for the 2011 season starts today. Following the 28-25 loss at the Fairbanks NorthStars, the Merchantmen playoff hopes are over. At 4-9, the Merchantmen are out of touch with the 8-5 Paris Musketeers. The upcoming two games, the team will likely miss Louie Flannery as he strained a triceps muscle in a catch up attepmt that came short. Flannery passed for 351 yards and 3 touchdowns, but still got the critics from the management over him for his third consecutive game with two interceptions.

"It's hard to blame Louie," head coach Leroy Van Der Woude said, "but that interception return touchdown at the end of the second quarter was a bad play. i should have called for the knee drop and hope for the best." With 33 seconds left in the first half, trailing 21-7, the Merchantmen decided to take a last shot at scoring. On third and seven, Flannery tried a short pass with 14 seconds left. 8 seconds later, the NorthStars had extended their lead to 21 points with an interceptions return by Rodney Woods.

In the second half, the Merchantmen defense held ground and didn't allow a single point. Helped by a missed long field goal following an interception in Merchantmen territory, nevertheless, but they held ground and gave Flannery the time to set his interception early in the game right. Flannery went all out and completed 72 percent of his passes for a big performance and an almost succeeded fourth quarter comeback. A late touchdown and onside kickoff came short to give the Merchantmen a serious shot at scoring though.

Stat of the game were probably the two 100-yard receivers for the Merchantmen. Since the start of the season it had been Jewell Simpson, the new deep threat receiver, and Jamal Rosenberry, fifth in the IHOF in receptions, to be the main targets for Flannery. Against the NorthStars two other players stepped up and gave the team its first 100-yard duo. Bryce Ewald (106 yards) and Jim Reiser (105 yards) made it happen.

With Flannery hurt, the upcoming two home games against the Gothenburg Giants and Boulder Blizzard could see the Merchantmen look to Thad Pilkington again. So far Pilkington got two and a half game this season in charge, but didn't guide the Merchantmen to a lot of success. However, it seems unlikely the management will give Josh Webb another shot after the shutout debacle at the Telluride Outlaws, or Justin McDavid, who hasn't been showing flashes of his former self all season long.

MIJB#19

03-05-2006, 08:15 AM

General Manager Notes: What Will 2011 Bring?
See ya all back next season.

No wait, not just yet, we've got three games to go! The loss to the Fairbanks NorthStars was heart breaking, in my tainted eyes and I'm torn between praising Louie Flannery's 351 yards and 3 touchdowns, or blaming his 2 interceptions, including one returned for the game winning touchdown. The defense was horrible in the first half, but in the second half they did a tremendous job. Maybe I'm biased, but I still think this is the best team we ever fielded, despite already having clinched the worst season since the 1-15 campaign six years ago.

European Standings
8-5 Paris
6-7 Bordeaux
4-9 Maassluis
2-11 Gothenburg

Around the continent, the Paris Musketeers' fans are getting ready for a party. Upcoming is a home game against the Bordeaux Vineyards, where a win, or even a tie, will clinch their first winning season and the division title. It would make for a unique moment in the history of te International House of Football, as the European Division would be the first to have all four teams win the division at least onces. Even more interesting, all four would be at least once in the past five seasons. Only the Merchantmen jump out in that time span with two wins. Of course, Bordeaux still ranks the all-time table with three division titles and could be back in the race with a victory at their archrivals.

In Oranje Haven, the fans should get ready for a meaningless game. The Gothenburg Ginats are coming to Maassluis and a couple of key players for us are having some injury problems. Most notable is Louie Flannery, with a sore triceps muscle, but others include Jewell Simpson (broken nose), Winford Endicott (thumb), Lincoln Gilmore (knee), Myron Stevens (knee) and Louis Bell (hamstring). And of course 'Mickey' Kershner is still out with knee damage.

Our list is apparently nothing compared to Gothenburg's injury list, who have four players in injured reserve following knee surgery, including defensive starters Hubert Cox, Lloyd Pedersen and Eloy Broughton. Defensive stars like cornerback Harley Gowan, defensive tackle Chris Nagel and linebackers Steven Marshall and Andrew McDaniel are unlikely to play either. If Thad Pilkington can't beat that defense, I'll write him off as our number two quarterback. No kidding!

In the USA, things are interesting as well. The San Antonio Volunteers (remember our nightmare 15-10 loss to them?) are a tie to their divisional nemisis Vicksburg Vipers away from clinching the division. But at 11-2, they have more to play for, like home field advantage throughout the playoffs in their defense of the Atlantic Ocean Conference title. Their competition for that consists of two teams, the North Plainfield Plague (no shock) and the Rochester Lake Monsters! Yes, the Futility Bowl VII winners are 11-2 and in fact leading the IHOF's strongest division. The winner of the Southeast Division will probably end up as fourth seed for the playoffs, with the Georgia Gridlock, Orlando Knights ans Conyers Condors all having a serious shot at it.

Over at the North American Conference, the Fairbanks NorthStars are a win over the Boulder Blizzard away from regaining their division title. Their 2009 campaign was a disaster, missing the division title for the first time ever, and following their 2008 championship, but they are on pace to reclaim their dominance. Looking around, our showing against the NorthStars was pretty good compared to their other games, but a loss is a loss. The NorthStars are back at it and aiming for becoming the first IHOF team with three league titles.

The reiging IHOF champions the Frederick Red Menace have their traditional battle with the Chesapeake Chitterlings for the division title. At 10-3 each, their week 17 clash could be the most important game of the season, being most likely the difference between a bye or playing on the road in the wild card round. Also, the Outer Banks Ospreys go into Miami to clinch the division if they beat the Sharks, while the Ann Arbor Anachronism clinch their division with a win and a Minnesota Miners loss.

Oh crap, I almost forgot about the player of the year race. In this down season, it's not so motivating to figure out who played well despite our losses. I decided that Jim Reiser (7 catches, 105 yards, 1 touchdown), Cornelius Rice (5 key run blocks) and Louie Flannery deserved the kudos. Standings: 1. Cody Cluff with 18 points, 2. Charles Gomez and Tommie Canon 14, 4. Louie Flannery 11, 5. Lincoln Gilmore 7, 6. Ivan Jacques, Joseph Schoen and Tai Wayne 6, 9. Randy Harris 5, 10. Cary Coles 4, 11. Jim Reiser, Jewell Simpson and Bernie Surry 3, 14. Cornelius Rice, Jamel Rosenberry, Broderick Schultz and Butch White 2, 18. Timothy Lacy, Thad Pilkington, Andrew Rasmussen and Aaron Sherrill 1.

Okay, see you back in 2011. But not until the 2010 season is officially over. Three games left and I desperately want to make sure the Sprignfield Isotopes, who have our first round pick following the Jewell Simpson trade, will end up with a pick not in the top ten. I think I owe that to the rest of the league...

MIJB#19

03-07-2006, 07:08 AM

Merchantmen Lose Again Without Flannery
Heads up for Louie Flannery. In his third game inactive, the Maassluis Merchantmen lost for the third time without him. After a defensive game, the Gothenburg Giants left Oranje Haven victorious. With a 9-3 score, it marked their second win on Dutch soil, the previous one coming in week 1 of the 2005 season. Running back Joseph Schoen, left tackle Ivan Jacques and linebacker Albert Boggess left the gake with knee injuries.

"Everybody is already thinking about 2011," said head coach Leroy Van Der Woude said "it's sad, as we got two games left to defend our pride. A home game against a playoff bound team and a road game at a division rivals. Under normal circumstances, these would be great games to brush up the pride and make a 6-10 finish, rather than a 4-12 finish in a complete disaster season."

Quarterback Thad Pilkington was given the key to the Merchantmen offense with everybody available to him, but he couldn't get the engine running. Thad had completed only 7 passes (of 16), his second lowest figure in his career as a starter, for 91 yards. With two completed passes for an average of 18.5, Jewell Simpson was the only receiver who played at least up to his normal standards, while Randy Harris got 4.7 yards per carry out of the 11 ball touches he was given.

Linebacker Bernie Surry was the defensive 'star' with an interception to keep the Merchantmen hopes alive. With 2 defended passes, 5 tackles and 4 assists, Surry escaped the team's off day. Surry said: "We got to righten the ship now, or face a very long off-season of worrying about missed opportunities. We need to show we're a good football team and make the best out of the last two games." It marked Surry's first interception of the season, while in the first two seasons of his football career he combined for 7 picks.

Upcoming is the last home game of the season, against the Boulder Blizzard. At 9-5, the Blizzard are no cupcakes and still alive for a wild card in the North American Conference. The Blizzard struggled through the first half of the season with dozens of injuries, but currently players are one by one returning to the active roster. If things go well, they can go into the playoff with everybody back, aside from the five players placed on injured reserve. With Louie Flannery and several other dinged up starters expected to sit out the game, the Merchantmen fans shouldn't expect an easy victory.

MIJB#19

03-07-2006, 07:29 AM

General Manager Notes: When Is 2011 Going To Start?
Meh...

Another loss, and now we're facing a very likely 4-12 finish to the season. I mean, this was supposed to be our best team ever, yet we are closer to the 1-15 campaign than the 7-9 season that made people open their eyes and realize the Merchantmen could be a factor one day. Kudos to the Giants, they'll probably cherrish this win with so many starters out and holding us to a lowsy 3 points. Elsewhere, the Bordeaux Vineyards saw 'Bam Bam' Jamerson run for 152 yards in an all-important 17-7 victory at the Paris Musketeers. The division title race is far from over.

European Standings
8-6 Paris
7-7 Bordeaux
4-10 Maassluis
3-11 Gothenburg

Paris needs to win out the rest of the way or hope that we will upset Bordeaux in the last weekend. Now, tell me, in this disaster season, would you put a dime on us upsetting the Vineyards and help Paris into their first division title? I wouldn't, and you shouldn't.

Things to do next is determining what we'll do in 2011. Retirements are looming all around. Defensive end Erwin Baranowski, cornerback Tommie Canon, linebacker Nicholas Seymour, quarterback Thad Pilkington, center Ned Cozart and cornerback Winford Endicott are my suspects based on their age. From the injury crippled group, I wouldn't be shocked if wide receiver Gregory Monti would chose retirement. And I'm holding my breath for linebacker 'Mickey' Kershner, who's still four months away from being fully recovered.

Three contracts are ending after this season, meaning renegotiations will have to start soon. Well, Nicholas Seymour won't be part of it. We signed him during the season to a one-year deal. Center Ned Cozart does qualify, as he's currently playing under the franchise tag rules. Renegotiations will likely see us give him a salary increase of one million dollars and also making him more expensive than the franchise tag in 2011. Guess what? Cozart will be our franchise player in 2011.

Unless Ivan Jaqcues turns out to be a problem. Our left tackle and best pass protector in the league at that position is also due free agency. In the coming weeks we'll be working the phones with his agent to make sure he'll be on the Merchantmen for a longer time. The franchise figure is $4.4M dollars for a tackle, but I don't want to upset this key player. He's asking for a five-year deal worth over $38 million dollars. I can't say he's not worth it, but it's probably out of the realm of what we can offer him. I'm going to offer him a slightly lower bucks four-year contract first and hope he'll be pleased with it.

Concerning player of the year points, I think the top three were clearly defensive players, even though Randy Harris really played well. The top three of the week are Bernie Surry (1 int, 2 defended passes, 5 tackles, 4 assists), Omar Gougeon (1 fumble forced and recovered, 1 defended pass, 1 tackle, 2 assists) and Andrew Rasmussen (1 sack, 1 blocked pass, 4 tackles, 1 assist) Standings: 1. Cody Cluff with 18 points, 2. Charles Gomez and Tommie Canon 14, 4. Louie Flannery 11, 5. Lincoln Gilmore 7, 6. Bernie Surry, Ivan Jacques, Joseph Schoen and Tai Wayne 6, 10. Randy Harris 5, 11. Cary Coles 4, 12. Jim Reiser and Jewell Simpson 3, 14. Omar Gougeon, Andrew Rasmussen, Cornelius Rice, Jamel Rosenberry, Broderick Schultz and Butch White 2, 20. Timothy Lacy, Thad Pilkington and Aaron Sherrill 1.

Please, make this season stop soon...

Kodos

03-07-2006, 09:11 AM

General Manager Notes: What Will 2011 Bring?
In the USA, things are interesting as well. The San Antonio Volunteers (remember our nightmare 15-10 loss to them?) are a tie to their divisional nemisis Vicksburg Vipers away from clinching the division. But at 11-2, they have more to play for, like home field advantage throughout the playoffs in their defense of the Atlantic Ocean Conference title. Their competition for that consists of two teams, the North Plainfield Plague (no shock) and the Rochester Lake Monsters! Yes, the Futility Bowl VII winners are 11-2 and in fact leading the IHOF's strongest division.

We lost to Boston yesterday, but the Plague lost to Syracuse, so we're still atop the Northeast and still have a shot at the #1 seed. Go Lake Monsters!

MIJB#19

03-09-2006, 04:28 PM

We lost to Boston yesterday, but the Plague lost to Syracuse, so we're still atop the Northeast and still have a shot at the #1 seed. Go Lake Monsters!I *was* going to mention it.
Eventually.
Or maybe not as early is my next update.
Which could actually have been written by now, but will be postponed until tomorrow.

MIJB#19

03-10-2006, 10:58 AM

Merchantmen Win Last Home Game Of Season
The Maassluis Merchantmen fans finally had to something to cheer about. In a defensive battle, the Merchantmen notched a 19-7 victory over the Boulder Blizzard. Defensive end Erwin Baranowski earned Defensive Player of the Week honors as tied the Merchantmen single-game sacks record. Moment of the game was the unexpected start of Louie Flannery, who had been on inactive for the previous game and was not listed on the depth chart going into the game.

The losing streak is over. After three unlucky losses and a disappointing performance against the Gothenburg Giants, a four-game losing streak has been snapped. The Merchantmen once again failed to impress on offense, but as Cary Coles converted four field goals and his Blizzard collegue Denagelo Royston missed two three-pointers, the game was decided. Devin Henson made the lonely touchdown, a two-yard catch after a pass from the critized quarterback, Louie Flannery.

Despite all the talk about Flannery sitting out the game, the Merchantmen surprised the fans and possibly their opponents when the starting lineup was announced. Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude explains: "Together with the management, we decided to put Flannery in there for the first half, to brush his reputation, despite being hurt. It worked out well and Thad Pilkington did well in relief." Flannery wrote down a decent performance and kept away from interceptions for the fourth time this season.

Center of attention after the game was defensive end Erwin Baranowski. The 34-year old veteran had been sitting most of the games so far this season, although he didn't perform much at all, given his total of just 0.5 sacks in 14 games. Baranowski was nevertheless given a starting role against the Blizzard and paid back with 3.0 sacks and 6 tackles. "Things don't always go as planned, but today we did what we could," said Baranowski, who guided a defense that made 6 sacks and allowed only 216 total yards, "Breaks went our way today and we're all happy. We're trying to prove we're one of the top defense in the game."

With the victory, the Merchantmen clinched third place in the division for the second year in succession. Upcoming is a road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards, who are sitting a top the European Division to claim their fourth title all-time, of which their previous one came four years ago. Running back Randy Harris said: "We'll go into their house and doing what we can to help the Paris Musketeers. No, we're no Musketeers' fans, but there's no way we're going to finish the season 5-11." If the Vineyards lose, the Paris Musketeers can still win the division, providing they beat the Gothenburg Giants at the same time. But the week 17 isn't what everybody in Maassluis thought it would be, a head-to-head game to determine the 2010 European Champion. Harris: "It's gonna be neither of us, that's what we're aiming for."

MIJB#19

03-10-2006, 11:28 AM

General Manager Notes: Sweetness, We Can Still Win
Finally.

Go figure, we went 1-8 since our post bye week victory that put us into the division lead. Now, we've won our fifth game of the season. Fifth. Oh well, maybe it's a set up of things to come. We're going to Bordeaux next week and I'm determined to instruct the guys to beat them in their house. If it's worth something, we only lost our week 17 game once before (in 2004) and have won our last three European road games. Our defense has been clicking and the offense is fixable. Let's do this!

European standings
8-7 Bordeaux
8-7 Paris
5-10 Maassluis
3-12 Gothenburg

As you can see, us beating Bordeaux would help the Paris Musketeers. The Musketeers go into Gothenburg's Palace of Ice and Frost to claim their first division title ever. It would mark a unique moment in IHOF history, with all four teams in the same division winning the division at least once. Looking around, chances are very slim any other division will come close to that. Only one other division, the NAC Atlantic Coast Division, had three different winners over time, while their fourth team, the Springfield Isotopes are currently 0-15.

Elsewhere in the AOC, the Northeast has three candidates to win the division. The Rochester Lake Monsters are in pole position, but have to beat the Syracuse Mohawks to win. If they lose, the Mohawks will move past them. And the North Plainfield Plague will then have a shot at winning the division for the seventh year in a row, providing they win, or else the Mohawks will complete one of the most unlikely comebacks in league history, with an amazing 10-1 finish. All three teams already clinched a playoff ticket, by the way.

The defending AOC champions, the San Antonio Volunteers, also clinched a playoff ticket, in fact, even claimed a bye week already. After a 10-0 start, they have slowed down a bit, losing three of their last five games, but they should be in playoff shape in time again. A potential opponent will be the AOC Southeast champion, which will be the winner of the week 17 game between the Conyers Condors and Orlando Knights.

Another division championship game will be played in the NAC. The reigning IHOF champions, the Frederick Red Menace will face off with their traditional nemesis, the Chesapeake Chitterlings, with the winner taking the division, the other team taking a wild card. The second wild card in the AOC will likely go to the Boulder Blizzard, who are second in the NAC West behind the Fairbanks NorthStars. The NorthStars have clinched a bye and are expecting to meet the Blizzard again, unless they lose and the Miami Sharks win. The Outer Banks Ospreys already clinched #3 seed in the AOC.

Another close finish will be seen in the NAC Midwest division. The Ann Arbor Anachronism go into week 17 leading at 7-8. Despite that, they need to win their last game to win the division. If they lose, all eyes will go to the game between the RayCo Raiders and Minnesota Miners, where the winner will then claim their first division title ever. Awaiting will be a home game against a 12-4 Frederick or Chesapeake team, so the odds to follow up with a playoff run seem to be very unlikely for this division winner, whom will have an 8-8 record at best.

Merchantmen Player of the Year
A win means five players will get points for the standings. Defensive player of the Week Erwin Baranowski gets the 5 points. Behind him, Cody Cluff (10 tackles, 1 interception), Frank Bernard (2 sacks), Cary Coles (4 field goals), Bryce Ewald (77 yards receiving), Randy Harris (67 yards rushing) and Tommie Canon (3 defended passes) battled for the remaining points. In order, Cluff, Canon, Bernard and Coles received my kudos.

Standings
1. Cody Cluff with 22 points, 2. Tommie Canon 17, 3. Charles Gomez 14, 4. Louie Flannery 11, 5. Lincoln Gilmore 7, 6. Bernie Surry, Ivan Jacques, Joseph Schoen and Tai Wayne 6, 10. Erwin Baranowski, Cary Coles and Randy Harris 5, 13. Jim Reiser and Jewell Simpson 3, 15. Frank Bernard, Omar Gougeon, Andrew Rasmussen, Cornelius Rice, Jamel Rosenberry, Broderick Schultz and Butch White 2, 22. Timothy Lacy, Thad Pilkington and Aaron Sherrill 1.

Bordeaux, you're going down!

MIJB#19

03-12-2006, 04:40 PM

Kodos

03-14-2006, 09:41 AM

Looks like the chain has been broken. And not in the best way for my Lake Monsters. :( Stupid fumblin' Ray England and a five seed...

MIJB#19

03-14-2006, 10:02 AM

Looks like the chain has been broken. And not in the best way for my Lake Monsters. :( Stupid fumblin' Ray England and a five seed...
C'mon, Kodos, we fixed it before with a playoff game, we can do it again. See you in the 2011 playoffs! :cool:

MIJB#19

03-14-2006, 10:19 AM

Merchantmen Beat European Champs
The Maassluis Merchantmen like their spoilers role. Last week they beat the wild card fighting Boulder Blizzard, this week they beat the Bordeaux Vineyards big in their own house. But where the Blizzard miss the playoffs due to that loss, the Vineyards were helped out by a Paris Musketeers loss in Gothenburg. The 31-13 score was meaningless to some, but the Merchantmen now even more wonder what could have been if-this and if-that.

"We did it!" Merchantmen running back Randy Harris screamed it out after the big victory in France. It marked the Merchantmen's third victorious divisional game on the road of the season. Harris said: "We knew we could win here, the defense has been amazing all season and if we [the offense] would step up, a victory could make this season a little bit less worrying."

Despite the win, the Merchantmen finish the season at 6-10, their second worst season ever in terms of wins. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude had a hard time fighting it: "The numbers don't lie. We've been losing too much and too often by stupid mistakes. In a season with the number two defense in the strong Atlantic Ocean Conference, you'd think a playoff ticket would be a given."

Quarterback Louie Flannery once again took the MVP honors for the game, but praised the defense just as much as the rest of the offensive players: "With Indestructable Ivan [Jacuqes] sitting the game out, we didn't expect much of it. Louie [Bell] did a good job and it was a fun game. The defense came up big again, it's a shame we've been struggling to win games for them."

Cody Cluff was claimed to be the defensive player of the season for the team and he showed it with a big game. 15 tackles, 4 assists and a forced fumble. Cluff said: "I've had less productive games in the past. But I really wanted to keep [Billy] Jamerson below 100 yards. It failed and I'm disgusted about it. Charles [Gomez] told me to relax and enjoy the win. When we heard Bordeaux won the division afterall, we graduated Jamerson and went back to Maassluis. It's gonna be hard watching all those teams we played close games with in the post-season..."

The absence of Ivan Jacques was officially due to a hyperextended knee, but it's a known fact that the Merchantmen management and Jacques agent have started talks for a new contract. Sources report that the Merchantmen only want to offer a flat four year contract with salary figured of around five million. Jacques is said to be wanting a five year contract with a twelve million dollar bonus and backloaded salaries. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "We won't comment on it, but it should be known that right now we're far off, but the fans should know that re-signing Jacques has been one of our main priorities this season."

As soon as the contract talks with Jacques are finished, the Merchantmen will start looking to the 2011 season. Manager M.IJ.B. said: "It was a season of mixed feelings. We've lost games we shouldn't have, we've seen Louie Flannery throw more interceptions than we like, but also saw how bad we are without him. I'd love to stick this team together for a new attempt at a championship run, but it remains to be seen whether all players stick around, how bad 'Mickey' Kershner's knee injury is and whether we can resign Jacques and Ned Cozart. it's gonna busy off-season again."

MIJB#19

03-14-2006, 10:40 AM

General Manager Notes: So we beat Bordeaux...
Great.

Yeah, I've been bragging that we'd destroy Bordeaux in their house. It happened, don't get me wrong, 31-13 was their second biggest loss at their house ever. But despite that, we finished the season 6-10. Also, I was kind of rooting for Paris to complete the all teams win the division at least once option. But the failed. A disappointing 13-6 loss at the Gothenburg Giants tore their dreams apart. We spoiled, but the Giants spoiled it even more. Oh, so you know, we finished the season as the Atlantic Ocean Conference's best defense with 16.9 points per game allowed. The only previous time that happened, we made it to the AOC championship game...

Final European standings
8-8 Bordeaux
8-8 Paris
6-10 Maassluis
4-12 Gothenburg

The Bordeaux Vineyards win the division and will now represent Europe in the 2010 playoffs. Their next opponent are our friendly Futility Bowl rivals, the Rochester Lake Monsters. The Lake Monsters choked a division lead in week 17. Despite a loss by the North Plainfield Plague, the Monsters lost their game against the Syracuse Mohawks and the most hated team in the league after the renaming of the Astoria Heroes, the Mohawks win their first division title and end the Plague's supremacy in the Northeast division.

As I said, Rochester will be visiting Bordeaux in hopes to continue their dreams on the championship. Potential opponents can be the Mohawks, who are the AOC's second seeds, but the San Antonio Volunteers as first seeds are also an option. It all depends on the game in Orlando, between the homeplaying Knights and the visiting North Plainfield Plague. When victorious, the Knights will go to Syracuse, while the Plague will go to San Antonio.

In the North American Conference the Chesapeake Chitterlings were one unlucky 12-4 team. Despite hat record, a loss to the Frederick Red Menace ment that they will be the fifth seeds and visiting the Ann Arbor Anachronism (8-8 division champs). The Outer Banks Ospreys will host their bitter rivals, the Miami Sharks in the wild card round. The Fairbanks NorthStars are the NAC top seeds and will play Miami or the other game winner. The Frederick Red Menace are already preparing for a visit from the Chitterlings, although it is more likely to be Outer Banks' Ospreys.

Merchantmen Player of the Year
Another win means five players will get points. Cody Cluff (15 tackles, 4 assists, 1 forced fumble), Louie Flannery (3 td passes, 17/31 for 205 yards), Bryce Ewald (6 catches for 82 yards, 1 td), Charles Gomez (1 sack, 2 blocked passes, 3 tackles, 1 assist) and Broderick Schultz (1 interception, 1 defended pass, 1 tackle) were the candidates. In order they ranked (first to fifth) as: Cluff, Flannery, Schultz, Ewald and Gomez. Rookie Terrence White gets the honorary sixth place as he recorded a forced fumble on a crucial sack in his second start for the Merchantmen.

Final Standings
1. Cody Cluff with 27 points, 2. Tommie Canon 17, 3. Louie Flannery and Charles Gomez 15, 5. Lincoln Gilmore 7, 6. Bernie Surry, Ivan Jacques, Joseph Schoen and Tai Wayne 6, 10. Erwin Baranowski, Cary Coles, Randy Harris, and Broderick Schultz 5, 14. Jim Reiser and Jewell Simpson 3, 16. Frank Bernard, Bryce Ewald, Omar Gougeon, Andrew Rasmussen, Cornelius Rice, Jamel Rosenberry and Butch White 2, 23. Timothy Lacy, Thad Pilkington and Aaron Sherrill 1.

2011, It's got to be our year... Yeah, who am I kidding, we're the Merchantmen, the biggest fluke in IHOF history. Good luck Bordeaux in the playoffs, bring Europe it's first IHOF Bowl berth!

MIJB#19

03-14-2006, 04:59 PM

Charles Gomez IHOF Most Awarded Player
Charles Gomez became the IHOF's most decorated player in terms of All IHOF honors. After a somewhat down year in production, Gomez was awarded All IHOF second team by the FOF commitee. Gomez made a career low 4.5 sacks, but compensated with 78 tackles, 26 assists, 21 quarterback hurries, 5 blocked passes, 1 defended pass and 2 forced fumbles (including 1 recovery). It marks Gomez' sixth All IHOF honors in as many seasons, making him the untied all time leader in All IHOF honors. Gomez was a first teamer in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

"A disappoint season, but apparently people think I played well," Gomez said in a first reaction, "I was rooting for Cody (Cluff) to make it, but apparently it's also based on reputation or something. I'll just say that it's been a team effort and we worked really hard to become the best defense in the A-O-C. We'll be back, bigger, better and badder than before in 2011."

In seven seasons with the Merchantmen, Gomez has been the foundation of one of the most fearsome defenses in the IHOF. With 524 tackles, 184 assists. 51 sacks, 150 quarterback hurries, 26 blocked passes and 17 forced fumbles, he's a career leader in every meaningful statistic for defensive tackles. Gomez is 36th in tackles, 13th in sacks, 6th in hurries and 2nd in forced fumbles in the IHOF.

Ivan Jacques Signs Five-Year Contract
Ivan Jacques will stay a little bit longer in Maassluis. The 30-year old left tackle today signed a new five-year contract, worth $36.5 million US dollars. The deal includes a $10 million dollar bonus and makes Jacques the best paid player of the team. The agreement comes after negotiations that had been going on since prior of the last regular season game in Bordeaux. Jacques missed the game with a sprained knee, but today looked like a happy man.

"It wasn't exactly what we aimed for, but it's a good compromise," Jacques said. "The management wanted a four-year deal, but we told them it was five or none. I guess that means I'll retire a Merchantmen player in 2015 or something."

It seems the Merchantmen effectively locked Jacques up through the 2014 season. But in the modern era, contracts tend to be back-loaded and the 2010 salary was basically an attempt to front load the contracta bit too. For now, Jacques is the best player on team, but as soon as the official 2011 off-season starts, there's no doubt the two sides will sit around the tables once again.

In four seasons with the Merchantmen, Jacques has proven to be a reliable player. Touted as the most talent pass blocker in the league playing left tackle, Jacques is a key element for the team. In 58 games for the Merchantmen, Jacques allowed only 11 sacks in 1944 passing plays. Jacques also added 96 key run blocks to make him a key support for the running game.

MIJB#19

03-15-2006, 04:09 AM

2010 Merchantmen Player of the Year Poll
As a traditional gift to the readers, I present the 2010 Merchantmen Player of the Year Poll (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=48050)! Just like in past years, there have been nine players selected, while a tenth option is open for write in candidates. The more votes the better to make the results noteworthy. In alphabetical order, the selected candidates are: Erwin Baranowski, Cody Cluff, Tommie Canon, Bryce Ewald, Louie Flannery, Charles Gomez, Randy Harris, Ivan Jacques and Jamel Rosenberry.

MIJB#19

03-17-2006, 07:41 AM

Deadlock Contract Talks Cozart And Merchantmen
Contract talks between the Maassluis Merchantmen and center Ned Cozart's agent once again stalled. Cozart turned down a three-year contract worth $12.5 million US dollars. Cozart's agent Louie Fulton called the offer "Below Cozart's standards, we're asking for a reasonable deal for a player with his skills." In 13 games, Cozart made 28 key run blocks and allowed 5 sacks. Additionally, Cozart has become a charismatic leader and seems to have good chemistry with star player Ivan Jacques.

General Manager M.IJ.B. wasn't amused: "We made Cozart a good offer. We're willing to show him the money, but right now we're $1.3 million per year apart. That's too big of a gap. We're not convinced Cozart will still be around in 2012." Cozart has been producing this season, but also started a fight with the management when he was benched during a period of injury. Brant Heinrich, starter from 2005 through 2008 took over and didn't play well.

Heinrich isn't happy with the current situation and demands more playing time. It wouldn't be too unrealistic to see Heinrich become a backup guard, or start again with Cozart moving outside one position. Left guard Butch White has missed an average of 6 games the past three seasons and has been a weaklink in the pass protection during those seasons. Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "There's always room to discuss about shifting players around on the line."

If the Merchantmen and Cozart do not come to agreement before IHOF Bowl VII, Cozart will become a free agent in the off-season. It's likely that the Merchantmen will use the franchise tag on Cozart if he doesn't retire since he's one of only two players on roster without a long-term contract. Cozart would then be signed to a one-year contract worth about $4.5 million dollars, which is lower than the $6.3 million he's requesting. With that contract, the Merchantmen would be more than $10 million over the salary cap and possibly would force the team to trade Cozart after just one season. Manager M.IJ.B. said: "Trade isn't very likely right now, but in a worst case scenario, that's definately an option."

MIJB#19

03-19-2006, 05:35 AM

League News: Four Down, Seven To Go
The cream of the crop of the 2010 IHOF season continues to play. In the wild card round, four teams were eliminated from contention. In the Atlantic Ocean Conference, the Rochester Lake Monsters invaded the Bordeaux Vineyards and returned home victorious. In other games, the Outer Banks Ospreys, the North Plainfield Plague and the Ann Arbor Anachronism reached the elite eight. Four lost, seven others will join them on their journey to a 2010 IHOF championship.

In Bordeaux the Lake Monsters were unstoppable. Especially wide receiver Chris Jason had a fantastic day. In the absence of star receiver Amos Collins, Jason stepped up and had a career day. With four receiving touchdowns, Jason set a new playoff record in touchdowns scored to boost his team to a 35-27 win. Before this game, Jason had scored 3 touchdowns for the Lake Monsters in as many seasons. Apparently the playoffs are not like the regular season.

Over in Orlando, Florida, the home playing Knights had the tough mission to play the two-time IHOF champions North Plainfield Plague. In a bit of a shootout, the Knights looked like they were making it happen with 104 seconds left to play and leading 30-24. But the Plague have David Conti. With one time out left, Conti drove his team from their own 38-yard line into the red zone. With a shatering 18-yard pass to Dustin Tyson, the score flipped and the visitors left the Knights with 30 seconds left on the clock. The playoff inexperienced Knights looked lost and lost afterall.

In the North American Conference it was Ray Ray Lyle versus Ron Lyle. Ray Ray Lyle is the league's top running back and took his second rushing title in as many seasons with the Ann Arbor Anachronism. Ron Lyle is the Chesapeake Chitterlings quarterback and has been mentioned in a long list of MVP worthy quarterbacks. In the triple A's house, Ray Ray ran all over Ron's team. With 459 yards versus 228 yards, the Anachronism dominated the game and actually failed to run up the score. With a 27-17 scoreboard, the triple A's move on to the divisional round, in which round they have played four times before and never lost.

The fourth and last game of this round was a classic division rivalry. The Miami Sharks sneaked into the playoffs with a last weekend loss for the Boulder Blizzard and were scheduled to play their heated rivals, the Outer Banks Ospreys. In the regular season, the 'Dirty Birds' had won both head-to-head games and today they were once again the stronger team. The final score of 31-24 might make it look like a close game, but the Ospreys were leading 31-10 going into the last 8 minutes of the game. Crucial was probably the opening of the game, where the Ospreys turned 2 Woodrow Taylor thrown interceptions into a 10-0 lead to never look back.

In the next round, the four best teams of the regular season join the mix. The 13-3 defending IHOF champions, the Frederick Red Menace will host the Outer Banks Ospreys. Two years ago the Ospreys upset the Red Menace in this round and stadium with a 10-0 victory. The Menace are out for revenge and will do anything to get rid of he bad taste that game left behind.

The other NAC game is between the 13-3 Fairbanks NorthStars and the Ann Arbor Anachronism. These two former IHOF champions played twice before in the playoffs, both times in the NAC championship game. Both times the visiting team won, but it seems unlikely that history will repeat. Unless the Anachronism keep their name up and continue their unbeaten record in divisional round games.

In the AOC, the Rochester Lake Monsters visit the Syracuse Mohawks in a game of inexperienced playoff teams. The Mohawks never won a playoff game to date, while the Lake Monsters have been in this round once before and lost 45-12 to the North Plainfield Plague back then. In the regular season the Lake Monsters won in at the Mohawks, but the home team could be conciered favorites after winning the division title in a week 17 game at the Lake Monsters house. Whatever happen, the winner will be the only team this season to play in a conference final for the first time.

Last by not least is a clash between the defending AOC champions, the San Antonio Volunteers, and the team they unseated after three consecutive conference titles, the North Plainfield Plague. The Vol's play at home, but have a black and blue offensive line and the regular season game between these two doesn't bode well. The Plague defended their house in a brilliant fashion, humiliating the AOC champions with a 37-0 score. But for the Plague, only a playoff win can make up for the loss in the 2009 playoffs to San Antonio.

MIJB#19

03-19-2006, 05:35 AM

Merchantmen Will Franchise Cozart
There's no doubt about it anymore. After Ned Cozart turned down a lucrative four-year contract, the Merchantmen have decided to stop trying to luck the center op long-term. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "There's no use to continue talking. Cozart wants too much money for our liking. We'll try again when the 2011 off-season officially starts, but not until after we've designated him as our franchise player."

Ned Cozart was unavailable for comment, but his agent Louie Fulton is furious about the Merchantmen's decission: "They've never tried to come up with a serious bid. They acquired Ned in a trade and never dared to make him a serious offer. They apparently don't know what the market is these days." Fulton is also the player agent of star linebacker Cody Cluff, which could have serious implications for Cluff's willingness to stay around in Maassluis.

Meanwhilst backup center Brant Heinrich continues to criticize the situation. Heinrich's agent Josh Zukolwski said: "Heinrich has always been loyal to the team, but the current situation isn't good for his future. Brant wants to play football and has proven to be a starting calibre lineman. We're willing to see Cozart's talent, but the way he's acting, it's not good for team chemistry and we're seriously option to ask for trade." Heinrich was a first round pick for the Merchantmen in 2005 and played 72 games in five season before Cozart took his role. With 34 key run blocks in the Merchantmen's 2007 success season, Heinrich holds the single-season franchise record.

General Manager M.IJ.B. added: "We'd like to keep Cozart, but his attitude is driving me nuts. We know Heinrich can play and the situation should be resolved or else we're going to have two unhappy centers going into the 2011 season. I realize that Heinrich could still be around five years from now, while Cozart will most likely be retired by then. Right now, I'm seriously discussion with the coaching staff to move Cozart to guard next season. It might pay off."

MIJB#19

03-21-2006, 02:51 PM

Rochester Knocked Out Despite Signing Harold Hurtado
Eight teams were left and only four would be able to reach a conference final. In the Atlantic Ocean Conference, the Rochester Lake Monsters played on the road at the Syracuse Mohawks. Days before the game, the Lake Monsters signed their former first round pick in the innaugural draft, Harold Hurtado. Hurtado was traded to the Maassluis Merchantmen for wide receiver Amos Collins and played his games in Maassluis from 2004 through 2009. In the 2010 pre-season, Hurtado was released. Hurtado started, but couldn't help the Lake Monsters survive, the Mohawks dominated and with a 24-14 victory, the Mohawks move on.

In Texas, the San Antonio Volunteers defended their AOC title against the North Plainfield Plague. For the Plague, quarterback David Conti was wild again and thre for 5 touchdown passes in a 42-35 victory. The Plague now will invade the Mohawks house to end a two-game losing streak against their Northeast division rivals. The Plague play their fifth consecutive AOC championship game.

The defending IHOF champions fought out a barnburner. The Frederick Red Meance were hosting the Outer Banks Ospreys and had a hard time defending their lead. But as the Ospreys' kicker Kyle Everett missed three field goal attempts, the game went into overtime and the defending champs defended their house well. With a 20-17 score, the clinched their tickets to their defense of the NAC Championship.

The Fairbanks NorthStars had become the favorites to represent the NAC in IHOF Bowl VII. With a defensive seprememacy of the Ann Arbor Anachronism offense, the NorthStars held ground and can start preparing for another home game. Potential league MVP Joey Allen hopes to set a couple of things straight as the last two games against the Frederick Red Menace were lost. But it won't be easy leading his offense against what has turned into the league's best defense.

Kodos

03-21-2006, 04:18 PM

Hurtado sucked ass.

MIJB#19

03-22-2006, 08:37 AM

Hurtado sucked ass.
I noticed. 0 for 3 in key run blocks, 1 sack allowed. I still wonder why I let him play a few seasons ago in the conference final and left Cornelius Rice on the bench...

MIJB#19

03-22-2006, 08:45 AM

IHOF Media Rewards Gomez, Cluff, Canon
Following a disappointing season, three players were rewarded for the defense's strong play. Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff and Tommie Canon were all selected as All-Pro Second Teamers. The Associated Vulture All-Pros was held for the first time. Gomez received 21 points, Cluff 22 and Canon 21. Cluff received one first place vote, Canon two. Big winners in the honorary selections were running back Ray Ray Lyle (Ann Arbor Anachronism) and defensive tackle Thomas Whitehouse (Boulder Blizzard), whom both received the maximum of 35 points and 7 first place votes.

MIJB#19

03-23-2006, 10:45 AM

IHOF Bowl VII: Frederick Versus Syracuse
Thirty down, one to go. That's what the players of the Frederick Red Menace are thinking in their attempt to become repeat IHOF champions. After a nailbiting 23-17 victory at the Fairbanks NorthStars, the Red Menace go forward to their second IHOF Bowl. Their opponents in San Diego, California will be the 2010 surprise team: the Syracuse Mohawks. In their almost sold-out stadium, the Mohawks completed a three-game seasons sweep over their bitter rivals, the North Plainfield Plague. It was a close game, but a crucial fumble by Ronald Reinke turned the tide and set up the Mohawks conference winning touchdown: 20-17.

MIJB#19

03-27-2006, 06:04 AM

Syracuse Mohawks 2010 IHOF Champions
The greatest game in league history. The Syracuse Mohawks and the Frederick Red Menace laid down one heck of a game in IHOF Bowl VII. With a 54-yard filed goal by Bill Vickers, the Mohawks beat the defending IHOF champions 34-31 in overtime. The Mohawks choked an early 21-13 lead and came back strong after trailing 31-24 with 100 seconds left to play. The next 43 seconds will forever be remembered as 'The Drive' as the Mohawks went upfield from their own 3-yard line to tie the score. Brent Peterman took the MVP honors with a playoff game league record 402 passing yards.

MIJB#19

03-27-2006, 06:41 AM

Retirement Day Hits Home, No More Randy Harris
The day after the IHOF Bowl is traditionally a big day in the league. Players have one day to fill their retirement papers. At the start of the 2011 season, the Merchantmen lost two stars and saw other former Merchantmen players call it quits. Randy Harris was most notable to the Merchantmen as the franchise leader in games played, rushing yards and total touchdowns hang up his running boots. One year stop gap Tommie Canon joined him after a season that made him Associates Vultures All Pro Second Teamer. Who retired and what did they do?

Randy Harris. Rumblin' Randy. 112 games, 7,151 yards rushing, 224 receptions, 46 touchdowns, 276 points. Harris was a fan favorite in Maassluis after having ran for 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons. His best season was in 2007 when he ran for 1,306 yards and 8 touchdowns in his help to guide the Merchantmen into their first divison title. After the championship dreams collaps in the AOC Championship game, Harris never managed to live up to it. The last three seasons Harris shared carries with Joseph Schoen. Despite that, last season Harris fought back with 930 yards and an amazing 4.58 yards per carry average, but he couldn't overcome the downfall of the team. Harris never missed a game in his seven seasons and is likely to be franchise leader for a long time in rushing yards and touchdowns scored. Harris retires as the 9th leading runner in IHOF history.

Tommie Canon leaves the Merchantmen after just one season. Despite that he played only 16 games for the team, Canon was an achorman to the best pass defense in team history. With 5 interceptions and 12 defended passes, Canon had a career year and everybody expected him to comeback for another season. Canon leaves the IHOF with one championship ring as a member of the 2004 Fairbanks NorthStars.

Harold Hurtado won't return to Maassluis anymore. The franchise leader in key run blocks called it quits after being released by the Rochester Lake Monsters on IHOF Bowl day. Hurtado was originally drafted by the Lake Monsters, but was quickly traded to the Merchantmen to become their anchorman. In six seasons in Maassluis, Hurtado made 115 key run blocks. Becoming older and older, in 2010 Hurtado was released after pre-season by the Merchantmen. Hurtado was signed by the Lake Monsters for the divisional round game at the Syracuse Mohawks, but it turned out to be his first and only game for his original team. He retires with All IHOF second team honors from the 2004 season.

Roscoe Corrales hung up his kicking boots after a season of non-activity. Corrales was a popular player in Oranje Haven as he did punting duties from the 2004 through 2008 seasons. His best season cam in 2007 when he averaged 40.6 yards per punt and put 33 of 81 punts inside the 20. At the end of the 2008 season, Corrales was replaced with rookie Sean Smalley. Corrales was traded to the Syracuse Mohawks for he 2009 season, but left them after just one season.

Other notable retirees are cornerback Dennis Preciado, single game record holder in defended passes (with 7 in the Merchantmen's first ever victory). Preciado started 27 games for the Merchantmen in 2004 and 2005, making 4 interceptions and 16 defended passes. Preciado cycled through four other teams in backup roles before he called it quits.

Safety Wiley McGhee played only one season in Maassluis, being the big turnaround 2005 season. McGhee played all 16 games, but was traded in the following off-season to the Georgia Gridlock. Defensive end Scot Dick played the 2006 season in Maassluis and never impressed. Dick was sent to Paris in the following off-season, marking his third European team after Bordeaux and Maassluis. Dick was suspended for the 2009 season and following a position switch to defensive tackle played an anonymus role for the Fairbanks NorthStars in 2010.

Seventeen others who have had short stints in Maassluis retired. On alphabetical order they are: defensive tackle Andre Cofield, linebacker Randal Davison, left tackle Edgar Dunkin, center Heath Ferebee, guard Jorge Hutton, running back Ernie Johnstone, left tackle Alfonso King, cornerback Andy Mathews, guard Vernon Meier, running back Shane Neufeld, linebacker Terrence 'Terror' Norris, left tackle Darrin Olive, punter Antonio Rasnic, fullback Charles Reuter, linebacker Blaine Toppe, defensive end Daryl Webster and cornerback Adrian Wynn.

MIJB#19

03-27-2006, 09:00 AM

General Manager Notes: 2011 Plans
At last!

Finally, the horrendous 2010 saga has been closed and a new story begins. It's called 2011 and it's gonna be a whole new story. We've lost Randy Harris and Tommie Canon, two of the best performers last season. It leaves a huge gap at running back and a smaller gap at cornerback. We are currently almost $10 million over the cap, not including the expected $4.68M for Ned Cozart's franchise tag. We have 52 players signed, so basically we only need to sign Cozart, clear some room and we're set! Well, not entirely. We have four draft picks (#97, #141, #173 and #192) and could use them here or there. Let me run down the roster.

Quarterbacks - 4 signed - 1 FA in 2011
We're in decent shape here, we're not having the worst starter and backup situation, but Louie Flannery isn't going to win a lot of games for us. He's always been a guy in need of having the defense set him up for good things. Thad Pilkington is getting older and I'm not sure how much longer he can be our #2 guy. Josh Webb got some time last season against a then winless team to prove his abilty. He failed. He's got to step it up to be a long-term #2. And Justin McDavid is our mentor guy. If for some reason I decided to ditch both Thad and Webb, Justin will stick around to mentor the new potential #2 for a year or three. Thad is up for a new deal after 2011, so we'll likely offer him a new contract through the 2012 season.

Backfield - 5 signed - 0 FA in 2012
And then we lost our all-time leader rusher. Bye Rumblin' Randy, we had fun with you around! It's time for Joseph Schoen to step up. Well, to be honest, he's 29 and not going to be the long term solution. With Scott Bagley, we have an elusive backup, but nothing more. It should be obvious that running back is our #1 need right now. Maybe our #2 need as well. At fullback Jamel Rosenberry could get a double role. I'm opting to put him into a more run based role and give Quentin Malicki the run blocking duties. Henry Poston is still around, but chances are slim he'll make our 2011 regular season. Unless he gets hurt again. All in all, it's very likely that I'll bring in two (three?) running backs to become our new ball carriers.

Receivers - 9 signed - 1 FA in 2012
Alright Jewell Simpson, it's time to step up. We paid a lot to get him, but with 38 catches for 635 yards he didn't even beat his own records set on a run-heavy offense. I hope he'll be used to our system a bit more now and be a great guy opposite Bryce Ewald. Jesse Vielma and Jerry Beyer are fighting it out for the #3 duties as Gregory Monti is very unlikely to stick around. The long time starter Monti is destroyed by knee injuries. Devin Henson is a special teamer and will likely have #4 duties in most games. At tight end we're still in excellent shape. Jim Reiser still serves the role as safe throw for Flannery well. Arnold Ramirez is a great team player and should stick around as our #2 and potential backup fullback. Winston Van Pelt has been longsnapping well and will be signed to a new contract as he's due free agency in 2012. Even though we can go the restricted free agent route with him.

Offensive Line - 8 of 9 signed - 2 FA in 2012
People, we've got work to do! No, not in terms of stepping up production. The line is decent and should be kept together. Therefor, we could definately use the return of Ned Cozart. At the age of 34, he's still one of the IHOF's best run blockers and helped improve the running game last season. left tackle Ivan Jacques and guard Timothy Lacy are locked up long-term. The trouble is there at right tackle as I'm still not sure whether Cornelius Rice or left tackl Louis Bell should play there. And at guard Butch White has been disappointing lately. I'm opting to put Cozart there and let Brant Heinrich return as our center. of the 2012 free agent candidates guard Wesley Howard deserves an extension, while tackle Norman Holliday is still a project.

Defensive Line - 9 signed - 1 FA in 2012
A great unit that doesn't need fixing. Charles Gomez is the best defensive tackle in the league and we're happy to have him. Around him, newby Frank Bernard played well and made the signing a good decission, however, he's due a new deal as it ends after the season. With Andy Weliczka and Shaun Shiroma we can go the good old time-sharing route, while Andrew Rasmussen is slowly turning into a potential starter. At defensive end we're good to go with Omar Gougeon, Wally Mattingly and good old Erwin Baranowski. And Aaron Sherrill is still a servicable pass rusher in a rotation system, if one the others is down.

Linebackers - 6/7 signed - 2 FA in 2012
Mike Kershner's back. Following a devastating knee injury, 'Mickey' hopes to come back strong. As it looks now, there's no reason to write him off yet, he's still a skilled 'backer, but not in the top3 anymore. The top three are now Bernie Surry on the string side, Cody Cluff up the middle and Albert Boggess on the weakside. Carl Meier should stick around as a emergency starter, while Terrance White has the looks of a potential future starter. Nicholas Seymour is a free agent and unlikely to return. Note that Boggess and Kershner are free to go after 2011, so we'll sit around the table with both for new deals.

Secondary - 8 signed - 0 FA in 2012
Canon out, new guy in? It's quite possible, although we have the guys to step in. Winford Endicott and Myron Stevens played very well before Tommie Canon took over from them. Sammie Kennedy has been making good progress too and looks ready to start opposite Tai Wayne in 2011. Between those two, Lincoln Gilmore and 'Broodje' Schultz will be the safeties again. With Emile William as the super sub, we're good to go there. And if we need to, John Cole can be a very good replacement. Chances are that I'll bring in two young corners to fight it out for one roster spot.

Speacial Teams - 3 signed - 0 FA in 2012
Okay, that figure of 3 signed only includes kickers, but it should obviosuly go beyond that. With Sean Smalley we're set at punter for the next four seasons. With Al Bettis we don't even need to think about hiring a new kickoff guy. Cary Coles has been shaky from time to time as our points kicker, but last season he was perfect on PATs (finally!) and posted his fifth conescutive 80%+ field goals season. Coles' success is part based on us hiring lon snapper Winston Van Pelt and good holders. We can use any of Louie Flannery, Josh Webb or Sean Smalley there. For return duties, we're in good shape, but I'm willing to invest in a new guy. Devin Henson and Scott Bagley are a very good kickoff return duo. Joseph Schoen is a good enough punt returner, but it's not smart to keep using our main runner there. Jerry Beyer and Sammie Kennedy don't seem to cut it, so I'm opting to acquire a couple of running backs for this role as well.

MIJB#19

03-30-2006, 04:58 AM

Pulliam New Merchantmen Offensive Coordinator
The Maassluis Merchantmen have a new offensive coordinator. J.T. Pulliam was yesterday hired as the replacement of Antonio Francis. With this move, the Merchantmen hope to improve on the somewhat disappointing performance of the offense in the past three seasons.

Pulliam is young and unexperienced, but the Merchantmen nevertheless decided to give him a big five-year contract. General manager M.IJ.B. said: "J.T. knows a lot about every position group on offense. He's good with youngsters and as we know he could be a head coach in the future, we thought he'd make a great fit as our OC." Pulliam was surprized about the contract he was offered, but siad he was happy to sign: "I had one other standing offer, but in the end Maassluis looked like a great challenge."

Antonio Francis looked disappointed as he wasn't hired by another team. Rumors are that teams are afraid of his age (61), but Francis' resume isn't one of the worst. After two seasons with the Rochester Lake Monsters, where he made Joe Boulware a big name running back, he managed to tutor quarterback Louie Flannery very well and was part of the staff in the amazing 2007 season. General Manager M.IJ.B. said: "The last three seasons were a farce. I know these guys can do better, but Francis couldn't get it out of these guys. It's sad, but he was end of contract and we went with a younger guy."

albionmoonlight

03-30-2006, 09:04 AM

In case I have never said it before--what a great read.

MIJB#19

03-31-2006, 06:30 AM

Gossip News: Where's The New Merchantmen Running Back?
Randy Reagor. Raymond Flowers. Mark Halley. Just a selection of the league's best running backs. And all three of them have been placed on the trading block by their respective team managements. After the retirement of Randy Harris, you'd think the Maassluis Merchantmen, self proclaimed Masters of Trading, would have struck a deal by now. The truth is different, despite a reasonable healthy cap situation they haven't even started talks. or have they?

When Randy Harris retired 'Oh's and 'Ah's were heard all around the Netherlands. The iron man of the team, Rumblin' Randy, he called it quits shortly after his 31st birthday. With Harris gone, the Merchantmen have only one running back left. Scott Bagley doesn't count since he's only used as a special teamer, while fullback Jamel Rosenberry lacks the breakaway speed to play tailback. Leaves Joseph Schoen, who played three seasons in Maassluis, but never topped the 4.0 yards per carry mark and scored only 8 rushing touchdowns. No way 'The Shoe' will carry the load and the entire offensive with it.

Thus arises the opportunity for an unwanted big name running back to cross the big pond and revive his career with the Merchantmen. Home games for a crowd of 75K, an offensive line with run blocking guards, top ten all time blocker Ned Cozart up the middle and one of the best left tackle in the game. But without a trade offer, there's nowhere to start!

Rumor has it that the Merchantmen have sent out a message to other owners that they want a running back. Need a running back. They won't pay the franchise, but they sounded pretty desperate. Forget the $13 million of being over the cap. Everybody knows about the cap magic they can do. It's a matter of days before they're $10 million under the cap. So what are they still waiting for?

Our inside reports found out the Merchantmen have been talking, but are holding the boat off. Especially 2008 league leading rusher Raymond Flowers could be interesting, but as he's a Springfield Isotopes player, the Merchantmen are clearly afraid to overpay for a 'tope once again. Remember, last season they sacrificed a draft pick for wide receiver Jewell Simpson. 38 receptions and 8 dropped passes later, Simpson is on the pile of failed receivers, while the 'topes are carrying the 9th overall draft pick.

Randy Reagor then? One the top pick of the 2006 draft, today concidered one of the big busts in league history. In four seasons with the Conyers Condors, Reagor topped the 1,000 yard mark only once. Last season was the worst year in his short career so far. After 450 yards with a 3.06 average, Reagor is on the block. If only the Merchantmen had 3 million to spare and they'd be all over Reagor. Rumor has it that Reagor is bitching about the lack of confidence and the offense being geared towards the pass. But after a disappointing 8-8 campaign, that can't be all there is.

Remains Mark Halley, who started the 2010 season as a backup to Dana Stenstrom. Of all people, Dana 'Dynamite' Stenstrom! 'Dynamite' had a huge training camp and came out of the pre-season to run for 870 yards with a 6.05 yard per carry. A career ending knee injury for 'Dynamite' put Halley back in charge and he ended the season with 1,263 yards and 9 scores on the ground. Rumors have it that the Merchantmen don't like Halley's $3.7 million salary, despite his willingness to tone down to about $1.5 million.

No trade, means searching for a different kind of running back. North Plainfield Plague's leading rusher Ronald Reinke became a free agent, despite having been a starter the past three seasons. The Merchantmen are not too fond on Reagor's player agent, Louis Fulton, but Gossip News' insiders report that the Merchantmen are already talking about a two-year, $5 million contract. Reagor's demands are on the streets and at $22 million for five years exceeding what the Merchantmen can afford.

On to Plan D: the draft. Or not, the Merchantmen's best pick is the first pick of the fourth round. Top prospects Will Davidson, Floyd Walton and Harry Welch are by no means first round caliber backs, but when the Merchantmen are on the clock, both will be long gone. There's no way they will find a starting caliber runner in the lower rounds. Unless they're going to gamble on volatile backs like fumblers Floyd Cummings and Herb Williams, or the smart C.J. Stone.

Either way, the Merchantmen will be paying through their nose or will be forced to trade another future first round pick away to get a new starting running back. Or they should be willing to go with Joseph Schoen and yak up the passing game even more. And we know that isn't the answer. Louie Flannery is a one hot wonder. So far things are looking dark in Maassluis. The 6-10 campaign last season was a trend setting season, not a fluke. Prepare for doom, Maassluis.

Kodos

03-31-2006, 08:37 AM

Prepare for doom, Maassluis.

I like the way you think!

MIJB#19

03-31-2006, 09:55 AM

Prepare for doom, Maassluis.

I like the way you think!
Just make sure you make the playoffs so we can keep the Futility Bowl tradition alive okay? :D

In case I have never said it before--what a great read.Thanks!

MIJB#19

04-02-2006, 07:00 AM

Merchantmen Memories: "Maassluis Is For Real"
In Merchantmen Memories we'll go back in time and relive one of the highlights in Merchantmen history, or other interesting events. In today's episode we go back to mid December 2007. The IHOF Times headlined in big letters "Maassluis wins their first Europe Title". But what was going on was translated best by the words of one other IHOF owner: "I was amazed by that score. Maassluis is for real." We go back to one of the most impressive wins in Merchantmen history.

"Flan' flames the flabbergasted phantoms once again: touchdown Maassluis! There's no reason to doubt it anymore, these guys are the rightful European champions." These were the words of Roy Kesler. He used to be a pro football player. The 29-year old former running back had a short stint with the Merchantmen, but following his release after training camp, he found out there was too little interest from the IHOF in him. Kesler hung up his running shoes and was asked by the Merchantmen to become the co-announcer during home games.

"They used to call me 'Dutchy' in camp." Kesler takes a nip from his coffee and continues how he got the new job. "Somehow the management wanted to keep in touch with me. They wanted to return me for 2006 camp, but I didn't expect to make the roster. When I told that, the management figured that a guy with a Dutch name like me would fit well into the greater picture of expanding the fan base. It's a great job to do. And if I'm lucky, I get a chance to play some 'ball with the guys."

Kesler has been working for the Merchantmen for three seasons, but in February 2009 he decided to move back to the States. But one game he'll never forget, that game in mid-December the last home game of the 2007 regular season. It was a cold and rainy day. Everybody knew that a victory would clinch unseating the Bordeaux Vineyards as the dictators of European football. And the big rivals from up North came to Oranje Haven.

"The Giants won the toss, but the Merchantmen didn't fear them. Their defense was so strong that season and quarterbacks feared the pass rush. The first play of the game set the tone of the game. The Merchantmen had been swapping cornerbacks in and out all season opposite Tai Wayne and that day Desmond Craig was the nickelback. In a pass-heavy game that would mean playing a lot and it was one of those games. I remember Craig well from the 2005 training camp and it's a shame the Merchantmen shipped him off for Clyburn and Kennedy, guys who never lived up to their hype."

First and ten at the Gothenburg 22-yard line, Duane Davis picks up the ball and looks downfield. The number 89 Saul Delgado looks open and Davis fires the ball. Incomplete! Desmond Craig saw it coming and batted the ball down. Three plays later, the Merchantmen are in a good position to open the score after one of Rodger Mowery's big punt returns. Louie Flannery and his offensive tools enter the field and the crowd gets louder.

"Flannery had a rough time in Maassluis at first," Kesler explains, "People around the league have a hard time to believe it, but Justin McDavid was and still is a living legend. They adore his heroic efforts and the disastrous knee injury only strengthened it. For Flannery it wasn't easy to live up to it, but after a strong start in his first few games, the fans were sold. His popularity peaked in 2007, despite that the team had lost three home games going into that crucial game."

Flannery went four out of four on his first drive and after five minutes of game time the score was seven to nothing. After the defense did their job, the Merchantmen offense was placed in a tough spot. They had to start at their own 4-yard line, but that season Flannery could do everything. Supported by two big runs by Rodger Mowery, Flannery guided his men up field and the 14-0 score was around the corner. On a brilliant third down pass to Jim Reiser the score was there and things looked great for 'Oranje'.

"At that point the crowd started to realize that the European title was close," Kesler says, "the team gave the impression that they were unbeatable that day.You have to see, they came off a huge 32-0 victory and were disgusted by the tone in their home land. These are all American guys, but until that season these guys were fighting a lost battle to get recognition."

The Giants got the ball back, but instead of moving forward, they once again failed. The Merchantmen defense came up strong again and the offense looked ready to finish the Giants off, just minutes into the second quarter. Snap, handoff, Fumble! Rodger Mowery, the punt return hero, led te ball drop after a big tackle by Hubert Cox. Mowery was acquired in a big trade during the pre-season and the player who accompanied him in the trade, Jules Benedict picked up the loose ball and dodge tackler after tackler. 81 yards later it was 20-0. The extra point was missed, but the game was wrapped up.

Kesler: "Benedict's run is a play I'll never forget. Just like with Craig, I'm still shocked the Merchantmen traded him away. Jerry Beyer never lived up to the expectations and should have been released in stead. After Benedict's run, at that point the first half was pretty much dead. Both teams added field goals, but you could feel that the game was over. Well, until the start of the second half."

The Giants defense had woken up and managed to stop the Merchantmen train. Despite trailing 23-3, the Giants decided to run the ball and it turned out to be a successful tactic. The visitors burst into the Merchantmen half of the field on a run by Claude Maxwell. Or not, Cecil Maxwell fumbled the ball and 'Big Al' Bernardo got out of the pile of bodies as the ball carrier. Flannery moved his men and with his third touchdown pass of the game extended te lead to 27 points.

Kesler: "What people will never remember is how big Brian Hammond was that day. No, I don't mean his 357 pounds frame, I mean his brilliant run blocking that day to keep the offense unpredictable. Anyway, at that point the partying broke loose in Oranje Haven. The Giants needed four scores in 20 minutes, an almost impossible task. At that point, the fans hadn't gone through the most one-sided 14 minutes of football in IHOF history. Pretty shocking to realize that the best Merchantmen team to date was ter one to go through the 30 unanswered points in the conference final, only a month later..."

The Giants hadn't given up hope and Duane Davis guided his men to their first touchdown of the game. Looking now it was the only touchdown the Merchantmen allowed in the last four games of the season, an amazing achievement. The Merchantmen replied with a field goal and a big three and out that was clinched by a Charles Gomez sack on third down. Flannery moved his men up field again and saw Gregory Monti run one of his passes in for the score from 23 yards out. The Giants would add another field goal, but at 40-13, the first 40-pointer in team history was on the scoreboard.

Kesler: "That day the Merchantmen proved to be serious contenders. The playoff exit was humiliating, but they got over it and won another division title the next season. It was awesome to hear the Giants fought for their lives. They needed that week 17 win and us to lose, while we needed them to win and needed to win on our own. It's still pretty amazing to see that the Merchantmen won tat last game with only 195 yards on offense and 315 yards allowed. I guess it was a trend setting event."

The last two seasons this team went from big games to terrible games. The constant line of the 2007 season that peaked into the huge win that day in December wasn't continued. With an 8-8 record in 2009 the team lived up to the hype a little bit, but the recently finished 2010 season was a total disaster. Role players with big performances that day have been long gone. Jules Benedict plays for the Georgia Gridlock, Desmonds Craig has been a San Luis Obispo Burn starter for two seasons. Brian Hammond has been a backup with the Conyers Condors last season, following a year in which he played only 2 game for Maassluis.

Kesler: "Maybe the Merchantmen should go back to their roots, give role players a chance and maybe they'll relive the big day in mid December 2007 again." And that could be right. The retirement of Randy Harris has been an eye opener, the team is aging and sooner or later the core of the team will fall apart. The guys who think they're stars will leave in the coming years. Don't trade for a big name running back and give Scott Bagley a chance next season. It were guys like Benedict, Craig and Hammond who made the difference four years ago, not the big mouth, big bucks star players.

MIJB#19

04-03-2006, 10:21 AM

Merchantmen Acquire RB Osgood, CB Spears
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at it. With a big trade announced yesterday, the Merchantmen have filled two roster spots. Coming over from the Boston Rhinos are running back Courtney Osgood and cornerback Brian Spears. Both had been important backups there, but hoped to get a chance to start somewhere. In Maassluis they will get that chance.

The Merchantmen management today revealed that both players have been on a shortlist of potential off-season acquisitions for a couple of years. The retirement of Randy Harris and Tommie Canon were decisive to pull it through. The Merchantmen gave up four future draft picks, most notable their 2012 first round pick. Also trade were a 2013 second round pick and 2012 third and fourth round picks that belonged to other teams.

Courtney Osgood leaves the Rhinos after just one season. Osgood averaged 5.12 yards per carry as he ran for 553 yards and 5 touchdowns last season in a backup role to Brian Patten. Osgood was originally drafted by the Fairbanks NorthStars to be the successor of Mark Halley. In three seasons, Osgood ran for 1722 yards and 13 touchdowns there. Rhinos general manager Primelord said of Osgood: "I'll be shocked if he doesn't run for 1,500 yards." Osgood should be expected to become the primairy runner in Maassluis, with Joseph Schoen and Jamel Rosenberry in relief.

Brian Spears joins an already strong secondary. But as the Merchantmen secondary lacked a ballhawker, Spears brings along pass intercepting skills. In almost four seasons, Spears played 68 games for the Rhinos. The past three seasons he had a pass defense percentage of 20 or above. Before the Rhinos, Spears played two seasons and the first two weeks of the 2007 season with the San Luis Obispo Burn, following the inaugural 2004 season with the Rochester Lake Monsters. To date, Spears played two games in Oranje Haven and was on the winning side in both of them. Let's hope he continues that trend.

MIJB#19

04-06-2006, 02:38 PM

Merchantmen Acquire Veteran Running Back Marquis Ong
The Maassluis Merchantmen continue to revamp their running game. Today the team announced the acquisition of running back Marquis Ong. The 31-year old left the Frederick Red Menace after seven season, including an IHOF Bowl championship two years ago and a second IHOF Bowl berth last season. The Merchantmen gave up a 2012 sixth round pick to get Ong. The Merchantmen sees a major role for Ong as he's got a strong locker room presence. Plus, he's expected to mentor the younger running backs on team.

MIJB#19

04-09-2006, 03:48 AM

Merchantmen Trade John Cole To Draft Two New Players
The Maassluis Merchantmen are back at it. In two draft day trades, the Merchantmen moved into and up to the third round. End result being the selection of safety Eddie Cole out if Indiana at #70 overall and guard J.J. Reilly from Arizona State at #75 overall. In the moves, the Merchantmen sent safety John Cole to the Williamsburg Colonials and gave the Georgia Gridlock the 4.1 pick while the team also traded a 5th round pick in 2012 away to get one in 2013.

John Cole joined the Merchantmen in the 2005 season. After going undrafted in the innaugural draft, Cole stuck around and was picked up by the Merchantmen late in the 2005 season. A season later he became a starter, but was put down on te depth chart after the worst pass defense season in team history. The last four season, Cole was a backup and had been having a bit of trouble to remain motivated. The Williamsburg Colonials liked Cole and hope he'll be able to mentor their recent first round pick Keith Collins.

Eddie Cole was drafted minutes before John Cole was traded as his replacement. Eddie ranked as a top ten safety in the draft. Ha he good scores in the running events and the Solecismic test, making Merchantmen management think he'll be a potential starter over time. The scouting staff reports that Eddie is a perfect fit for the Merchantmen defense and is very experienced for a player out of college.

J.J. Reilly was a bit of an unexpected pickup. The Merchantmen had only three guards on roster and are likely to let Wesley Howard go after the 2011 season, but Reilly is known as a pass blocking expert. Reilly had the 7th best agility test time amongst offensive linemen and the 10th best 40-yard time. Reilly isn't known as a good run blocker, but the Merchantmen think he'll surprise some people there. The scouting staff also reported that Reilly is the second most developed guard coming out of college this year.

The Merchantmen still hold the 5.13, 6.13 and 6.32 picks and hope to address a couple of needs and pre-season roster spots there. The team currently counts 57 players, not including John Cole and including Eddie Cole and J.J. Reilly. The team still hopes to sign a couple of free agents, including wide receiver Drew McConnell and one of two linebackers being Johnathon Wenger or Matt Sellers. Sellers played 30 games in two seasons in Maassluis before (2004 and 2005).

MIJB#19

04-10-2006, 10:33 AM

Merchantmen Draft Class 2011
Below is the assemsment of the Maassluis Merchantmen management about the 2011 class of rookies. In the end, the team traded away safety John Cole, traded away a 2013 6th round pick and traded a 5ht round pick in 2012 for one in 2013 to get these players. Well, of course they 2011 picks (4.01, 5.13, 6.13 and 6.32) were used too.

3.06 FS Eddie Cole
Cole wasn't on our list of draft day targets as we didn't need a safety at all. Until the Williamsburg Colonials approached with their interest for John Cole. J.Cole was a locker room problem and E.Cole could develop into a future starter. And if he doesn't, we just wasted a 3rd round pick on a career backup like we always do.

3.11 LG J.J. Reilly
Okay, I like my guards to be able to block for the runners. "Hi, I'm Jayjay and can't run block." Great... Then I realised that Reilly is very developed and with his good combine might surprise us in training camp. He should be our #3 guard pretty soon anyway.

5.13 QB Harvey Nimmons
Instead of wasting a 2nd round pick on a quarterback, this time it's only a 5th round pick. Nimmons will go into camp as Josh Webb's challenger for the #3 role during the season. If Nimmons has a decent camp, he'll likely make it.

6.13 RB Hunter Stelmack
Okay, he can return kickoffs, but then what? Stelmack was an emergency name on our draft list and I must have been sleeping when we picked him. But then, if he can challenge Scott Bagley as our kickoff return backup guy, he might even survive the pre-season roster cuts.

6.32 DE Edward Wolflick
What was I thinking? Wolflick is smart and could challenge for a pre-season roster spot. Or maybe not. All I can hope for is that he'll end up being better than advertised. Which is like a 1 in a 100 shot.

7.08 RB Herb Williams
So, we finish a crappy draft and decide to cash a future pick for another running back... Herbie looks like a short guy (5'6"!) who can surprise as a #3 back. Breakaway speed, hole recognition, elusiveness, he's got it all. Well, at least he's got it a bit more than last season's #3 named Scott Bagley.

Let's wait and see what they'll be able to do for us in pre-season...

MIJB#19

04-11-2006, 03:07 AM

Merchantmen Sign Paris Receiver Drew McConnell
The Maassluis Merchantmen once again hired a new wide receiver. Drew McConnell joins the receivers corps filling that group up to seven roster spots. McConnell was signed as a free agent after having spent the last two seasons with the Paris Musketeers. It isn't McConnell's first intra-division move in the IHOF, in the 2008 off-season he signed with the Chesapeake Chitterlings following four seasons with the Frederick Red Menace.

McConnell has only 56 receptions for 721 yards and 3 touchdowns in 63 career games, but he's mainly hired to have a leadership role. Starting receivers Jewell Simpson and Bryce Ewald seem to have some issues and the team was looking for a new strong leader in the locker room. Gregory Monti used to be that strong leader, but there is a modest posibility he'll be leaving the team after pre-season. This signing likely means the departure of Jerry Beyer as well on the 53-men roster cut day, or maybe even earlier.

McConnell is 28 years old and his best trait is gaining yardage after the catch, an ability that's not seen much, if at all, on the Merchantmen roster. Head coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "We've been struggling in the passing game due to a lack of guys who can break tackles are are willing to go for the extra yardage. Jerry Beyer played a decent role, but he's by no means a good receiver. McConnell will likely take over that role." McConnell is the fourth new player on the team, not counting the six incoming rookies.

MIJB#19

04-12-2006, 07:17 AM

General Manager Notes: Thad Is On The Block
http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_thad.gif

The drafting of Harvey Nimmons in the fifth round might have a major impact to our quarterback situation. Granted, he's not going to be our long-term starter, but in the challenge for the #2 role, he'll be in the mix with Josh Webb and Thad Pilkington. When we acquired Thad, it was a two-fold reason: his skills to be a #2 quarterback and his ability to mentor younger quarterbacks.

After Justin McDavid in 2008 joined Thad in the ranks of quarterback mentors, I realized I had two players able to help young quarterbacks to learn the game and had good trade value with both guys. Sadly (for me) the past off-seasons the market for mentors collapsed. The initial 2nd round pick price plummeted and now I'm stuck with the same situation for the third off-season in a row: potentially going into the season with 4 quarterbacks and not a good enough offer for either of them.

Well, time changes. In three seasons time, at least a third of the league has sent a feeler out about acquiring either Thad or Fumblin' Justin. As you can see, no offer ever appealed to me enough to give up my #2 quarterback or the fans' idol. After last season, I feel that Thad failed in our system and I think that we're not going to win when Louie Flannery is out, with or without Thad. Nimmons might end up being a bust like Josh Webb, but I'll always be looking for a #2 quarterback and Justin is the younger guy, who will stick around for 5 more years to mentor that new guy.

I understand that as mentor, Fumblin' Justin is more appealing given his age and salary (half of Thad's). I assure you, that's the exact reason why I'd prefer keeping him and would demand more for him. I value him as much as trade value as Thad, but the sentimental value drives the price up. Teams are free to offer something for Justin instead, but they shouldn't count on that going through.

Right now, I am not willing to hurry things and that this trade goes through after training camp, not before. Afterall, it's not a "must go" situation, I'm fine with giving Thad a contract extention at season's end.

MIJB#19

04-13-2006, 05:07 AM

Merchantmen Sign Guard Daniel Decastro
In an attempt to improve depth on the offensive line, the Maassluis Merchantmen signed free agent Daniel Decastro. The 31-year old from over the Outer Banks Ospreys and signed a one-year contract. Decastro was originally drafted by the Ann Arbor Anachronism, but following the innaugural IHOF season he moved on to the Ospreys. There he was a starter for four seasons, until a torn ligament sidelined him at the end of the 2009 season. Decastro struggled to get to his old form and spent the 2010 season on injured reserve with a torn calf muscle. In 2011, Decastro is expected to challenge Wesley Howard for the backup duties and will be asked to mentor incoming rookie J.J. Reilly.

MIJB#19

04-14-2006, 05:02 PM

Merchantmen Hire Seven Free Agents
The Maassluis Merchantmen signed seven free agents to a contract right before the drafted rookies report for mini-camps. They are quarterback Richard Bell, fullback Desmond Reeves, center Todd Serra, defensive end Jose Carrington, linebackers Nicholas Seymour and B.J. Monroe, and safety Gene Dewit. Seymour played 11 games for the Merchantmen last season, but the rest are new to the roster.

Richard Bell was originally a first round pick for the Boston Rhinos in 2006. After four seasons and only 141 pass attempts, the Rhinos traded Bell to the Georgia Gridlock. There, he played in only one game during the 2010 seasons. This off-season Bell moved to the Outer Banks Ospreys in a cap saving trade, however he was traded by the Ospreys soon after. In Maassluis, Bell will battle with five others for the three or four quarterback spots for the 2011 campaign.

Desmond Reeves was originally a third round pick for the Anaheim Matterhorns in the 2007 IHOF draft. He had to wait for the 2009 season to get significant playing time. In the past two seasons, Reeves was a blocker for Gerald Harris as he started in 16 of 31 games played.

Todd Serra moved around the NAC West a lot. In seven seasons, he played for the Boulder Bulldogs (2004), Boulder Blizzard (2005), San Luis Obispo Burn (2009) and Anaheim Visigoths (2010). In between, Serra spent three seasons with the Tucker Tigers, although he sat out the 2006 season on injured reserve. Serra never saw significant playing time and in Maassluis it will be tough enough to make the 60-men pre-season roster.

Jose Carrington is another former Boston Rhinos first round pick. Carrington was the Rhinos' top pick in the innaugural draft. After four game he got badly injured on his knee and had to spent the rest of the 2004 and the entire 2005 season on injured reserve. He played a total of 53 games for the Rhinos, but for the 2010 season he was again put on injured reserve with a minor injury. This off-season he got released and he'll fight with 5 other defensive ends for a roster spot in Maassluis.

B.J. Monroe is a second year pro. He went undrafted, but the Merchantmen management have always had their eyes on him. He signed with the North Plainfield Plague after the draft, but failed to make the 53-men roster. The Georgia Gridlock signed him for their week 13 game, after which he was released again. He's got a training camp and maybe a pre-season to show he's good enough for the Merchantmen roster.

Gene Dewit is not new to Maassluis, but he wasn't a member of the team last season. After the 2009 draft, the Merchantmen signed Dewit as a rookie free agent and gave him a training camp to prove his skills. After camp he was traded to the Conyers Condors, who released him on the 53-men roster cut day. The Ann Arbor Anachronism signed him mid-season and let him see action in 6 games. Before the 2010 season he was traded to the Georgia Gridlock, but he failed to make the 53-men roster. In 2011 he hopes to set things right in Maassluis.

MIJB#19

04-16-2006, 01:54 PM

Merchantmen Fans Say: Cody Cluff Player Of The Year 2010
The polls are closed, results are in. Middle linebacker Cody Cluff won the Merchantmen fans player of the year 2010 poll. Merchantmen fans were given a month to cast their votes and Cluff won with a grand total of 50% of votes. 'Cluffy' was honored: "We had a disappointing season, but it's always good to see the fans appreciate your work." Charles Gomez and recently retired Tommie Canon ended up tied for second in the vote. The internet poll had a record low turnout. The Merchantmen management thinks the disappointing 6-10 campaign is the main reason for the fans staying away from honoring their players. It's Cluff's first Merchantmen fans' player of the year title.

MIJB#19

04-18-2006, 05:32 AM

Gossip News: Merchantmen Management Blunders Again
Zero rookies signed. On the first day of rookies contract talks, the Maassluis Merchantmen got none of their six picks to sign with the team. One way a surprise, the other way not. The Merchantmen management failed to send the players the contract offers, so there was nothing to sign. More signs of the Merchantmen going into the tank, or a small incident?

Gossip News reporter F. Antasy reports that the Merchantmen general manager M.IJ.B. has been applying for a job at other teams. There were reports of him working in California lately for the Huntington Beach Capitals of the Continental Football League (CFL). Other rumors are that M.IJ.B. has been applying for a role in the North Plainfield Plague management. Either way, it calls for research.

Our correspondent with the CFL, C. Rap reports that M.IJ.B. has been spotted in California, but that was in the 2010 off-season, not this year. Rap reports that he was there to serve as a draft manager, however foul tongues report he's picked bad players in an attempt to weaken a division rival of his favorite team. But what his favorite CFL team has been undisclosed.

Rumors about applying for a job in the Plague management got bigger as M.IJ.B. was rumored to be working with the Plague scouting staff in the days after the draft. Our reporter Antasy claims that he was so busy there that he forgot there was a team overseas to run. A bad precedent we think. However, since the Plague management was recently found guilty to unsportsmanlike behaviour, maybe M.IJ.B. thinks he can take over the GM role there soon?

Despite that the Merchantmen have plenty of time left to sign their rookies in time for training camp, we serisouly doubt things will be fixed. The recent signing of seven veterans shows that they're not interested in the new kids. If all drafties are signed, the Merchantmen roster will count up to 70 names, 10 more than the pre-season roster limitations. Knowing them, they'll attepmt to trade some bodies back to the USA, but we say: no chane, buddies! Gossip News will keep you updated on the situation.

cthomer5000

04-18-2006, 10:22 AM

Rumors about applying for a job in the Plague management got bigger as M.IJ.B. was rumored to be working with the Plague scouting staff in the days after the draft. Our reporter Antasy claims that he was so busy there that he forgot there was a team overseas to run. A bad precedent we think. However, since the Plague management was recently found guilty to unsportsmanlike behaviour, maybe M.IJ.B. thinks he can take over the GM role there soon?

We've got to watch our every move now. http://www.fof-ihof.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_tinfoil.gif

MIJB#19

04-19-2006, 07:27 AM

Five Of Six Merchantmen Rookies Report For Camp
The Maassluis Merchantmen today saw five new faces reportfor mini-camps. Guard J.J. Reilly and safety Eddie Cole were the most prominent names, but also reporting were defensive end Edward Wolflick and the running backs 'Herbie' Williams and Hunter Stelmack. Quarterback Harvey Nimmons turned down a contract offer and was reported to be 'not welcome' in the Merchantmen training facilities until the hold-out situation is resolved.

The Merchantmen management was happy with what J.J. Reilly put down. Headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude was optimitic: "J.J. showed some great promise in his pass blocking talent. He's pretty small at 6'2", but the defensive linemen reported that J.J. is already better than our veteran guards." Left tackle Ivan Jacques reported: "J.J. is gonna be a big one. Most linemen coming out of college are pretty raw, but J.J. is already good enough to play a pass protection role for us."

Free safety Eddie Cole also surprised people. With his ballhawking skills, he was pretty equal to the starters Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz. Defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson said: "Cole is a bit raw. He's got to improve his run stopping and pass defense skills, but we're thinking we have a future starter with him." Veteran cornerback Winford Endicott confired: "Eddie is a good addition. I think he'll start in a year or two."

Defensive end Edward Wolflick showed a somewhat disappointing performance. 'Wolfie' tried to show what he's got, but the Virginia graduate seems very unlikely to make the 53-men roster in September. Veteran sack machine Erwin Baranowski said: "Wolfie's gonna need a great training camp. He's got potential, but right now he's not even close to what we've got here. Wally Mattingly, 'Goug' (Omar Gougeon), (Aaron) Sherrill and Jose Carrington are much better in providing pass rush pressure."

The two rookie running backs are also having trouble to show their promise. 'Herbie' Williams showed some skill with his ability to find holes in the defense and his pure speed, but he had trouble holding on to the ball and is very unlikely to unseat Scott Bagley as the #3 behind Joe Schoen and the new starter, Courtney Osgood. Veternam Marquis Ong said: "He's fast, but still needs a lot to learn. He's much greener than management reported he would be. I'll take him under my wings, but he's gonna work hard to make the team."

Hunter Stelmack is a Virginia Tech graduate and was reported to be a potential special teams standout. Marquis Ong was not impressed: "We've got a lot to do with Hunter. He's got the promise of a good special teamer, but he's far from being there already." Stelmack is battling with Williams for a pre-season roster spot.

Quarterback Harvey Nimmons turned into a persona non grata very quickly. The fifth round quarterback reported for mini-camps out of shape and was quickly sent back to his hotel due to his unwillingness to sign the offered three-year contract. General manager M.IJ.B. explained: "Harvey is a smart guy, but he's not showing us that. With five others challenging him for roster spots, with at quarterback only four, five at best, he's got to show up as fast as he can." Expectations are still that Nimmons will outperform Webb in training camp, while Richard Bell should be the new #2 quarterback and Thad Pilkington is reported to be traded after training camp. M.IJB.: "It's up to Harvey: Report for training camp or sit out the season until injuries hurt. I hope he realizes we've done it before."

MIJB#19

04-20-2006, 01:08 PM

Merchantmen Release Monti, Trade Thad
Shortly after training camp, the Maassluis Merchantmen said goodbye to nine players. In their attempt to get down to 60 players signed, the Merchantmen released eight players and traded one. Most notable was the release of receiver Gregory Monti, who had been with the team since the innaugural 2004 season. Quarterback Thad Pilkington was sent to his first IHOF team, the North Plainfield Plague.

Gregory Monti had a tough career. After 82 games, excluding 3 in the playoffs, Monti was released by the Merchantmen. Monti used to form a starting receivers duo with Bryce Ewald since the start of the IHOF. Last season Monti spent the season on injured reserve after a second ACL knee injury pretty much destroyed the rest of his already scarred career.

Monti leaves the franchise ranked fifth in receptions (219), third in receiving yards (3,235) and third in receiving touchdowns (16). He's the second long time member of the team who's not returning for 2011 following Randy Harris. Only three players of the initial Merchantmen backfield and receivers remain (Justin McDavid, Jim Reiser and Bryce Ewald).

Thad Pilkington was sent back to his old team. The Merchantmen took a trade of draft picks, getting a 2012 second round pick from Bordeaux over a good offer from Bordeaux. Pilkington played only 10 regular season games with the Merchantmen, with three starts last season due to Louie Flannery's injury woes.

Fullbacks Henry Poston and Desmond Reeves were both released from a crowded backfield battle. Poston had been with the Merchantmen the last four seasons and was part of the 2007 and 2008 European Championships. In 2010 he sat out the year on injured reserve. Poston lost out to Quentin Malicki once again for the backup role. Reeves lost the same battle.

Guard Wesley Howard leaves the Merchantmen after just one season. Despite 4 starts in 9 games in 2011, Howard wasn't happy with his role on the team. The management acquired rookie J.J. Reilly and free agents Todd Serra and Daniel Decastro to make Howard expendable.

Gene Dewit failed to win a pre-season roster spot with the Merchantmen for the second time in his career. In 2009 off-season he lost the battle for the first time. The coaching staff still sees Dewit as a potential fit to the team system, but he turned out being too unexperienced compared to rookie Eddie Cole and the cornerbacks on roster.

Hunter Stelmack was the Merchantmen's early sixth round pick. In an attempt to give Devin Henson and Scott Bagley some competition for the kickoff return duties, Stelmack was drafted. His lack of ball control and experience in the special teams roles cost him a pre-season spot.

Edward Wolflick was the Merchantmen's other sixth round pick. Wolflick joined a crowded defensive linemen corps with 10 other names, of whom nine had been with the Merchantmen last season. Wolflick turned out to be too raw to challenge the veterans for a 53-men roster spot.

B.J. Monroe was a somewhat regretted release. Monroe is regarded as a linebacker with enough potential to become a good backup someday, but he couldn't outdo Terrance White for the backup role behind Cody Cluff. To save players elsewhere, Monroe was released as being the eight linebacker on the team.

MIJB#19

04-21-2006, 09:25 PM

Merchantmen Change Tailbacks: Hatchette In, Schoen Out
The Maassluis Merchantmen today announced a surprising trade. The Merchantmen decided to switch running backs with their division rivals, ther Gothenburg Giants. Second year pro and second round pick Quentin Hatchette joins the Merchantmen, Joseph Schoen goes up North to the Giants. The Merchantmen also receive a fourth round pick in 2012 as compensation.

Schoen played three seasons in Maassluis. He was acquired in a trade from the Georgia Gridlock minutes before the 53-men roster cut day in the summer of 2008. Schoen went on to become the #2 runner and primairy punt returner for three seasons. Schoen played 42 games for the Merchantmen, starting 18 times, to run for 1,438 yards and score 18 touchdowns. Schoen was part of the 2008 team that won the European division in a three-way tie with the Bordeaux Vineyards and his new team, the Giants. Most interesting is that Schoen will be reunited with his Georgia Gridlock fullback Cole Dean.

Quentin Hatchette is a second year pro. He was drafted 57th overall last season and went on to become the Giants #2 runner. He played in all 16 games, accumalating 487 yards and 5 touchdowns. In two games against the Merchantmen he averaged 5.8 and 5.9 yards per carry with 118 yards on the ground. Hatchette is expected to become the #2 running back and a reserve option for kick off return duties. Hatchette was reported to have some locker room problems with fullback Cole Dean and the management seemed determined to find a solution.

MIJB#19

04-22-2006, 08:24 AM

General Manager Notes: Pre-Season Roster Overview
First Harris, then Thad and Monti, now Schoen; who's next?

With the 2011 pre-season on the horizon, I felt it was time to write down how the roster is looking compared to last season and what will likely be our opening day depth chart and roster. As you might have noticed, we've said goodbye to several long time members the past few weeks. Randy Harris retired, as did one-year signing Tommie Canon. Gregory Monti was released after his career had been destroyed by knee problems. And more recently we decided to send away Thad Pilkington and Joseph Schoen. Busy times again in Maassluis!

Quarterbacks
Nothing new on the horizon? Not at all, it was time for a change. Louie Flannery remains as our clear cut starter, but the backup roles got reshuffled. Thad Pilkington wanted a raise in salary for his #2 role and I decided that it was time to shop him around to become a mentoring #2 or #3 elsewhere. The signing of Richard Bell gives us a good enough #2, while Justin McDavid will be the full time mentor for Josh Webb or Harvey Nimmons. The latter is still holding out for a better contract, but the way it looks now we'll keep him unsigned until we can afford the roster spot.
Joining: QB Bell, QB Nimmons
Leaving: QB Pilkington

Backfield
Welcome to the new Merchantmen backfield! Seriously, the retirment of Randy Harris made us aware that running backs age a little bit faster than players at other positions. In an attempt to get younger, we acquired Courtney Osgood as our new starter. In relief, we picked up Marquis Ong to mentor a #2 guy. Rookies Hunter Stelmack (already released) and Herbie Williams didn't look like the solution, so we decided to acquire Quentin Hatchette as our change of pace back, in return for Joseph Schoen. At fullback, we'll be looking more and more to Quentin Malicki as Jamel Rosenberry seems to slow down as he gets older. Henry Poston was finally released after four seasons of vulturing our bank account.
Joining: RB Osgood, RB Hatchette, RB Ong, RB Williams
Leaving: RB Harris, RB Schoen, FB Poston

Receivers
Not much of a change of faces, except one. Gregory Monti reported for camp and clearly turned out to be a whole different player than he once was. Drew McConnell was picked up as our new leader of the group to avoid a locker room fight between Jewell Simpson and Bryce Ewald, our projected starters. Behind them, Jesse Vielma, Devin Henson and Jerry Beyer try to get the #3 and #4 roles. Beyer will once again be on the bubble for departure on roster cut day. At tight end there was no change at all as Jim Reiser, Arnold Ramirez and Winston Van Pelt will remains as the clear #1, #2 and #3 respectively.
Joining: WR McConnell
Leaving: WR Monti

Offensive Line
With the signing of Ivan Jacques long term and the non-retriement of Ned Cozart, I think we've got a good line to make some noise. With the addition of Todd Serra we have another starting caliber player. Jacques is the clear left tackle. Louis Bell and Cornelius Rice fight for the right tackle role. Timonty Lacy is the obvious right guard. Butch White is slowly losing it and I'm opting to bench him in favor of either Cozart or Serra at left guard. Brant Heinrich could play center if we play Cozart at guard. And Norman Holliday will get one more pre-season to show he's worth keeping. His time is coming as we drafted J.J. Reilly as our future left guard and we even hired a mentor for him in Daniel Decastro. Wesley Howard is outta here after complaining about his playing time.
Joining: C Serra, G Dacastro, G Reilly
Leaving: G Howard

Defensive Line
Nothing new here, except the addition of Jose Carrington. The veteran defensive end is here to see whether one of our linemen gets hurt, or else he'll be a free agent again soon enough. Charles Gomez and Frank Bernard are a super duo up the middle. In relief, Andrew Rasmussen will be backing them up again. Andy Weliczka and Shaun Shiroma are servicable, but won't be on our initial active roster. At the outside, Omar Gougeon, Wally Mattingly and Erwin Baranowski will rotate again. Aaron Sherrill should be our #4 for another season.
Joining: DE Carrington
Leaving: -

Linebackers
More of the same in the middle of the defense. Cody Cluff is clearly our middle linebacker. Bernie Surry is once again the strong side 'backer, leaving only one starting role undetermined. Mike Kershner missed most of 2010 due to injury, but came back strong enough to hold Albert Boggess out of the lineup for now. If needed, we can put young Terrance White or old Carl Meier there. Nicholas Seymour is once again our emergency linebacker, but will clearly only make the 53-men team if injuries hit hard.
Joining: -
Leaving: -

Secondary
With Tommie Canon gone, I was afraid we were going to have a slight drop in performance. But that ended after we saw how well Sammie Kennedy developed and how good the new addition Brian Spears is. With Myron Stevens and Winford Endicott as proven starting caliber backups, Tai Wayne should feel good about whom his new partner is. In betwee the corners, Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz seem to be the logical starters. Eddie Cole turned out to be better than we hoped and he might grow into the backup role this season. If not, Emile William has proven for years he's a great fit on this defense.
Joining: CB Spears, S E.Cole
Leaving: CB Canon, S J.Cole

Special Teams
Not much new in the special teams area. Sean Smalley as punter, Cary Coles for the points, Al Bettis for the kickoffs. Louie Flannery is our holder again, while Winston Van Pelt will be long snapping. The returning duties are a bit different though. Devin Henson will be the top kickoff returner, but it's not clear who will be his partner-in-crime yet. Scott Bagley should be, but with active roster spots being thin, Quentin Hatchette could be the new #2, or Jesse Vielma could be. At punt returning, Joseph Schoen has left, so Jewell Simpson will have to take over. Behind him, Sammie Kennedy and Jerry Beyer will be the backups.
Joining: -
Leaving: PR Schoen

This should be the roster for pre-season. I find it very unlikely that we'll make some trades or signings the coming weeks. One player on roster is potentially traded heading into roster cut day, but it depends on injuries to the rest of the unit he's part of. All in all, we got younger at some areas where we need to get younger, while at other areas we kept the players who played so well in the past. The defense doesn't need a fix, the offense clearly did. I hope the moves we made will suffice and we'll be able to get that third European Championship and return to the AOC Championship Game.

MIJB#19

04-27-2006, 09:24 AM

Merchantmen Lose First Pre-Season Game
The 2011 season is really getting closer. The Maassluis Merchantmen kicked off their pre-season with a home game against the Williamsburg Colonials. In front of almost 70 thousand fans, the Merchantmen had the more productive offense, but came up short for a victory. The Colonials took the win with a 7-6 score. In the stands, the fans were able to get autographs from the team's biggest stars, who were inactivated for the game to do promotional stuff.

Some of the newly acquired faces got their first snaps in the orange-white-and-blue outfits. Running back Quentin Hatchette ran for 31 yards and looked good behind the second string offensive line. Wide receiver Drew McConnell grabbed 3 catches for 22 yards to help quarterback Josh Webb complete 14 of 25 pass attempts. On the defensive side, defensive end Jose Carrington made an interception, while Eddie Cole wrote down 1 tackle, 4 assists and half a sack.

All in all, the backups of the Merchantmen didn't quit produce with the somewhat new game plan. Aside from the two opening drives, which both resulted in field goals, the offense looked hopeless. With seven three and outs in 13 possessions, the Merchantmen had a hard time moving the ball. On the defensive side, the team looked stronger, allowing only one drive for more than 31 yards, which ended in the game winning touchdown.

Defensive end Wally Mattingly was regarded as the team's best player of the day. With 6 tackles and 3 sacks he ran havoc on the Colonials offense and showed why he's seen as a starter. Next to him, Andrew Rasmussen wrote down 5 tackles and 1 sack from the middle.

The rookies had mixed results. Running back Herb Williams didn't get any carries, which should be a bad sign for the upcoming roster cuts. Guard J.J. Reilly played a lot of downs, but didn't create many opportunities for run blocks and allowed one of the two team's sacks. Safety Eddie Cole was the bright light, as said earlier, with decent stats for a rookie.

The rest of the pre-season has three interesting matchups. Next week the Merchantmen travel to USA to play the Asheville Axemen in the opening game of the Axemen's new stadium. A week later, the team visists the two-time defending NAC champions, the Frederick Red Menace. The last warm up game will be in Oranje Haven, when the Outer Banks Ospreys come to town. Come all and you might be able to get the autographs of Charles Gomez, Louie Flannery, Cody Cluff, Tai Wayne or any other of the team's top player!

MIJB#19

04-28-2006, 02:15 PM

Merchantmen Win Game, Lose Players, Trade Holliday
The Maassluis Merchantmen notched win number one. In their second pre-season game, the Asheville Axemen were a welcome victim in their own new stadium. With a 26-18 score, the victory was for the visiting team. Injuries were the story of the game as the Merchantmen secondary saw part-time starters Broderick Schultz, Emile William and Brian Spears get hurt. After the game came the announcement that tackle Norman Holliday will immediately move to the Paris Musketeers for a fourth and fifth round pick.

MIJB#19

05-01-2006, 11:49 AM

Rookie Quarterback Nimmons Stops Hold-Out
Rookie quarterback Harvey Nimmons today signed a three-year contract with the Maassluis Merchantmen. After months of holding out, Nimmons was offered another shot and he signed the same contract he turned down twice before. The Merchantmen had an open roster spot after they trade tackle Norman Holliday to the Paris Musketeers. Nimmons, a fifth round pick, decided to report for camp after he heard the team was giving him a last chance. Nimmons is expected to fight for one of four quarterback spots on the final 53-men roster, with Josh Webb and Richard Bell being his contenders as Louie Flannery and Justin McDavid look safe for the final list.

MIJB#19

05-02-2006, 02:43 PM

Merchantmen Beat NAC Champs In Pre-Season
The Maassluis Merchantmen are on a winning streak. The tradehappy sailors notched a 23-6 victory at the Frederick Red Menace in the next to last pre-season week. Harvey Nimmons and Josh Webb battled for the #3 role like their lives depend on it. Jerry Beyer took most advantage with 7 catches for 107 yards, including a brilliant 50-yard reception. Sadly, injuries hit again as tackle Cornelius Rice, running back Marquis Ong and defensive tackles Shaun Shiroma and Andrew Rasmussen got hurt. Ong, Rice and Shiroma are likely to miss the seasons start, with Ong and Shiroma even potential Injured Resever targets.

MIJB#19

05-04-2006, 05:20 AM

General Manager Notes: Prepare For Doom, Roster Cuts Loom
Oh goody, that rhymes!

Pre-season is about to end and after today's game we'll be given less than 24 hours to figure out which 53 players will make our 2011 roster on active or inactive status. Some players might hit injured reserve, some others will be released. But as injuries have piled up, the number of releases might be pretty low. I'll quickly list those who are a lock to make our roster and then run down the potential casualties and injured-reserve targets.

Making the final 53:
QB Louie Flannery, QB Justin McDavid, RB Courtney Osgood, RB Quentin Hatchette, FB Jamel Rosenberry, TE Jim Reiser, TE Arnold Ramirez, TE Winston Van Pelt, WR Bryce Ewald, WR Jewell Simpson, WR Devin Henson, C Ned Cozart, C Brant Heinrich, G Timothy Lacy, G Butch White, G J.J. Reilly, LT Ivan Jacques, LT Louis Bell, RT Cornelius Rice, K Cary Coles, K Al Bettis, P Sean Smalley, DE Omar Gouegeon, DE Wally Mattingly, DE Erwin Baranowski, DT Charles Gomez, DT Frank Bernard, DT Andrew Rasmussen, LB Cocy Cluff, LB Carl Meier, LB Terrance White, LB Bernie Surry, LB Mike Kershner, LB Albert Boggess, CB Tai Wayne, CB Brian Spears, CB Sammie Kennedy, CB Myron Stevens, CB Winford Endicott, S Lincoln Gilmore, S Broderick Schultz, S Emile William, S Eddie Cole

Well, that was an easy list of 43 names, leaving 17 names for the final 10 spots. QB Richard Bell, QB Josh Webb and QB Harvey Nimmons are fighting for the #2 and #3 roles behind Flannery and in fron of mentor McDavid. Bell should be our new #2, but the choice between Webb and Nimmons is gonna be made after Nimmons' second pre-season game. It doesn't help that Nimmons missed training camp. In the end, Webb or Nimmons will stay as a project player. I'll be picking between the winner of the two and Bell as our #2 for 2011. I'd love to make McDavid our #2, but he's lost the ability to throw the ball. He's our #3 at best.

At running back we're crowded. RB Marquis Ong is currently injured, which could mean an IR status to save players elsewhere. Ong could be a mentor to Hatchette or rookie RB Herb Williams, but 'Herbie' is not likely to make our final roster. I didn't mention RB Scott Bagley as a lock, but he's nine-and-a-half toes in. FB Quentin Malicki is less safe, but as I still have good hopes he'll turn into our future run blocking fullback, he'll likely hang around.

From the six wide receivers, one will go. WR Jerry Beyer is the likely candidate since we've already got a team interested in his services. That said, if WR Jesse Vielma or WR Drew McConnell picks up a minor injury, that guy will end up on IR and Beyer will stay as our #5.

On the offensive line C Todd Serra and G Daniel Decastro are new and are not safe yet. I'll probably want to go into the season with ten o-linemen, but if we don't, one of these two will be cut. Decastro should mentor Reilly, however we'll probably lack the active roster spots to make both Decastro and Reilly active at all. Serra has a lot of talent and could be a long-term replacement for Ned Cozart.

On the denfensive line at least two players won't make the final 53-men list. DE Jose Carrington is likely to be released. DT Shaun Shiroma is currently hurt and would be our #5 tackle anyway. Don't be shocked if he ends up on IR. DE Aaron Sherrill and DT Andy Weliczka are guys I'd like to keep, but if injuries at linebacker run havoc, it'll be LB Nicholas Seymour making the final roster and one of the 2007 starters Sherrill or Weliczka being the out of Maassluis.

As it looks now, the likeliest turn of events will be: RB Ong on IR, DT Shiroma on IR, DE Carrington cut, LB Seymour cut, WR Beyer traded, QB Webb/QB Nimmons cut, RB Williams cut. The Webb vs. Nimmons case is still up in the air, but Webb is the more likely casualty.

MIJB#19

05-05-2006, 03:39 AM

Merchantmen Shutout Last Pre-Season Opponent
The Maassluis Merchantmen ended pre-season with an impressive win. Harvey Nimmons threw touchdown passes to Drew McConnell and Jerry Beyer to set up a 28-0 victory. Interceptions by Winford Endicott, Tai Wayne and Nicholas Seymour set the offense up for a shorter route to the endzone. Aaron Sherrill and Wally Mattingly ended pre-season with 5.0 sacks each, making them the only two players with that many sacks in the league. Guard Timothy Lacy got hurtto has neck, meaning his injury could change the roster moves to get the team down to 53 players.

MIJB#19

05-06-2006, 06:11 AM

Merchantmen Release Webb And Beyer, IR Shiroma
The Maassluis Merchantmen announced their 53-men roster for 2011 today. The team had to get down from 60 players on roster. Running back Marquis Ong and defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma were played on injured reserve. Quarterback Josh Webb and wide receiver Jerry Beyer were notable releases. Others released were running back 'Herbie' Williams, defensive end Jose Carrington and linebacker Nicholas Seymour.

Jerry Beyer was the most notable release. The former #35 overall selected wide receiver had been flirting with becoming the Merchantmen's new starting wide receiver for years, but never panned out. In his first three seasons, Beyer never missed a game and got to start in 20 of those games. Last season Beyer just barely made the final roster, due to a career ending injury to receiver Gregory Monti. Now, after 53 games with 79 catches for 1,130 yards and 6 touchdowns, Beyer's time to leave was here after all. The Merchantmen management expect Beyer to move on to a different team pretty soon and wish him the best there.

Quarterback Josh Webb was once tagged the future #2. After spending the 2009 learning from the uber-backup Thad Pilkington, Webb got a chance to prove his skills in the 2010 season a bit. In limited action he completed 5 of 13 passes for 35 yards, with 1 interception. Some say Webb never got a serious chance, but the past pre-season he was outplayed by rookie Harvey Nimmons. Webb is still young and has enough potential to become a good #3 quarterback somewhere, just not in Maassluis.

Defensive tackle Shaun Shiroma was a somewhat surprizing injured reserve placement. Shiroma was selected 48th overall in the 2007 draft. During the following succesful season, Shiroma was the pass rush specialist sharing time with Andy Weliczka. But as the years passed, it became clear that Andrew Rasmussen, also selected in 2007, had more upside. Shiroma wasn't allowed to be released due to his minor knee injury, but his injured reserve status should be a sign of what could happened.

Running back Marquis Ong was acquired to mentor the incoming rookie running backs. But after first Hunter Stelmack and later on Herb Williams failed to impress, Ong's role was somewhat done. The Merchantmen management decided to put Ong on injured reserve with a pretty minor injury.

Linebacker Nicholas Seymour was added to the Merchantmen roster in the 2010 season. Seymour was acquired as the replacement for Mike Kershner, who got a severe knee injury. After Kershner's recovery, Seymour became the seventh linebacker.

Defensive end Jose Carrington made a good impression during pre-season, when he played a lot at the linebacker positions. But in a crowded defensive line unit, he was clearly not going to get a roster spot over Aaron Sherrill, who lead the IHOF with 5.0 sacks.

Rookie running back Herb Williams was a popular figure in Maassluis. The 5'6" 214 pounds back quickly received the nickname 'Herbie' after the small, but fast car from the movies. In three games, Williams ran for 145 yards and a 4.3 average per carry in pre-season, making him arguably the best runner of the team. In the end, the management decided to go with Quentin Hatchette, Scott Bagley and fullback Jamel Rosenberry as the depth behind Courtney Osgood.

MIJB#19

05-06-2006, 06:36 AM

Merchantmen Announce 2011 Roster
Following the always tough roster cut day, the Maassluis Merchantmen want to announce the 2011 roster. 55 players made the final roster, with Marquis Ong and Shaun Shiroma on injured reserve. Including Ong, eleven new faces were added to the team. Here's a list of the players.

<table><tr><td>pos<td>#<td>name<td>age<td>since<td>yr in M.<td>role
<tr><td>QB<td>14<td>Louie<td>Flannery<td>29 yo<td>6th<td>starter
<tr><td>QB<td>10<td>Richard<td>Bell<td>25 yo<td>1st<td>2nd string
<tr><td>QB<td>7<td>Harvey<td>Nimmons<td>23 yo<td>1st<td>project
<tr><td>QB<td>3<td>Justin<td>McDavid<td>30 yo<td>8th<td>mentor
<tr><td>RB<td>30<td>Courtney<td>Osgood<td>27 yo<td>1st<td>starter
<tr><td>RB<td>21<td>Quentin<td>Hatchette<td>23 yo<td>1st<td>2nd string
<tr><td>RB<td>44<td>Scott<td>Bagley<td>24 yo<td>3rd<td>return specialist
<tr><td>RB<td>25<td>Marquis<td>Ong<td>30 yo<td>1st<td>on IR
<tr><td>FB<td>49<td>Jamel<td>Rosenberry<td>30 yo<td>6th<td>starter
<tr><td>FB<td>29<td>Quentin<td>Malicki<td>24 yo<td>2nd<td>project
<tr><td>TE<td>86<td>Jim<td>Reiser<td>30 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>TE<td>89<td>Arnold<td>Ramirez<td>31 yo<td>5th<td>2nd string
<tr><td>TE<td>82<td>Winston<td>Van Pelt<td>25 yo<td>3rd<td>long snapper
<tr><td>WR<td>87<td>Bryce<td>Ewald<td>30 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>WR<td>85<td>Jewell<td>Simpson<td>28 yo<td>2nd<td>starter
<tr><td>WR<td>88<td>Drew<td>McConnell<td>28 yo<td>1st<td>2nd string
<tr><td>WR<td>83<td>Devin<td>Henson<td>29 yo<td>7th<td>return specialist
<tr><td>WR<td>22<td>Jesse<td>Vielma<td>25 yo<td>3rd<td>3rd string
<tr><td>C<td>55<td>Ned<td>Cozart<td>34 yo<td>2nd<td>starter
<tr><td>C<td>54<td>Brant<td>Heinrich<td>29 yo<td>7th<td>2nd string
<tr><td>C<td>57<td>Todd<td>Serra<td>28 yo<td>1st<td>project
<tr><td>G<td>65<td>Timothy<td>Lacy<td>28 yo<td>6th<td>starter
<tr><td>G<td>79<td>Butch<td>White<td>29 yo<td>7th<td>starter
<tr><td>G<td>76<td>J.J.<td>Reilly<td>27 yo<td>1st<td>project
<tr><td>G<td>69<td>Daniel<td>Decastro<td>31 yo<td>1st<td>mentor
<tr><td>LT<td>63<td>Ivan<td>Jacques<td>31 yo<td>5th<td>starter
<tr><td>LT<td>67<td>Louis<td>Bell<td>29 yo<td>3rd<td>2nd string
<tr><td>OT<td>71<td>Cornelius<td>Rice<td>29 yo<td>5th<td>starter
<tr><td>P<td>11<td>Sean<td>Smalley<td>26 yo<td>4th<td>punter
<tr><td>K<td>18<td>Cary<td>Coles<td>29 yo<td>8th<td>field goals kicker
<tr><td>K<td>8<td>Al<td>Bettis<td>28 yo<td>6th<td>kickoffs kicker
<tr><td>DE<td>74<td>Omar<td>Gougeon<td>28 yo<td>6th<td>starter
<tr><td>DE<td>70<td>Wally<td>Mattingly<td>25 yo<td>3rd<td>starter
<tr><td>DE<td>77<td>Erwin<td>Baranowski<td>36 yo<td>4th<td>rotation
<tr><td>DE<td>94<td>Aaron<td>Sherrill<td>27 yo<td>5th<td>backup
<tr><td>DT<td>78<td>Charles<td>Gomez<td>32 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>DT<td>72<td>Frank<td>Bernard<td>30 yo<td>2nd<td>starter
<tr><td>DT<td>98<td>Andrew<td>Rasmussen<td>27 yo<td>5th<td>2nd string
<tr><td>DT<td>59<td>Andy<td>Weliczka<td>26 yo<td>6th<td>3rd string
<tr><td>DT<td>90<td>Shaun<td>Shiroma<td>27 yo<td>5th<td>on IR
<tr><td>ILB<td>50<td>Cody<td>Cluff<td>30 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>ILB<td>52<td>Carl<td>Meier<td>32 yo<td>6th<td>mentor
<tr><td>ILB<td>99<td>Terrance<td>White<td>24 yo<td>2nd<td>project
<tr><td>OLB<td>56<td>Bernie<td>Surry<td>27 yo<td>4th<td>starter
<tr><td>OLB<td>95<td>Mike<td>Kershner<td>29 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>OLB<td>97<td>Albert<td>Boggess<td>29 yo<td>2nd<td>2nd string
<tr><td>CB<td>47<td>Tai<td>Wayne<td>28 yo<td>7th<td>starter
<tr><td>CB<td>38<td>Sammie<td>Kennedy<td>27 yo<td>4th<td>starter
<tr><td>CB<td>24<td>Brian<td>Spears<td>29 yo<td>1st<td>nickel back
<tr><td>CB<td>32<td>Myron<td>Stevens<td>27 yo<td>6th<td>2nd string
<tr><td>CB<td>33<td>Winford<td>Endicott<td>34 yo<td>5th<td>3rd string
<tr><td>S<td>46<td>Lincoln<td>Gilmore<td>30 yo<td>8th<td>starter
<tr><td>S<td>36<td>Broderick<td>Schultz<td>29 yo<td>4th<td>starter
<tr><td>S<td>43<td>Emile<td>William<td>31 yo<td>6th<td>2nd string
<tr><td>S<td>35<td>Eddie<td>Cole<td>25 yo<td>1st<td>project
</table>

MIJB#19

05-07-2006, 05:44 AM

Season Preview: Merchantmen Face Easy Schedule
With the 2011 IHOF Season about to start, it's time to inspect the schedule and opponents. As always there are six games against the European rivals. Additional are four games against the AFC Southeast division, four against the NAC Midwest teams and two more games based on the ranking last season. All in all only two games against teams with a winning record last season. Time to inspect the European rivals and the rest of the competition.

The Gothenburg Giants will be the first opponent in the new season. In 2010 the Giants said goodbye to franchise quarterback Duane Davis after he suffered a devastating knee injury and management feared his physical discomfort would not fit with his salary cap figure. With Ben Randolph still learning, George Edson looks like the 2011 starting quarterback. The Giants always had a strong team, but especially on defense injuries took their toll. Starting the year with a victory is crucial and the Merchantmen should be able to sweep the Giants, like they did in 2007 and 2009. The all-time balance is in Dutch advantage at 8-6.

With the trades of the stars defensive end Harold Wells and wide receiver Virgil Branum, the Bordeaux Vineyards set the tone for their off-season. Salary cap moves got preference and a youth movement has been started. Fears of Joe Johnson getting older are there and the fans are already looking to first round pick Lincoln Manning. It's too early to write Bordeaux off, but a winning season could be far-fetched. The Merchantmen hope to at least split the series, like last season. All-time, Bordeaux has a 9-5 advantage in this matchup, which should tell all about Bordeaux' historical dominace in Europe.

After a disappointing 0-3 finish last year, the Paris Musketeers failed to join the rest of the division with at least one division crown. Even a big win by the Merchantmen against Paris' archrivals, the Vineyards couldn't avoid it. Paris saw some major departures in tackle Howard Bingham, defensive end Grady Kramer and former #1 pick wide receiver Tyrus Shaye. The last two seasons the Merchantmen split the series after years of sweeps. Paris is not to be underestimated, but even a split would be disappointing. The head-to-head series is 8-6 for Maassluis and the week 17 clash could be crucial for the divison title. Note that if Paris takes the crown, all teams will have won once in four years time.

The NAC Midwest was a strange division last season. The Merchantmen face three of these teams late in the season. The Ann Arbor Anachronism started out 0-5, but still managed to win out at 8-8. The Anachronism is still standing strong and will be a tough opponent with two time Offensive Player of the Year Ray Ray Lyle carrying the team. The RayCo Raiders will bring along quarterback Brady Holmes, who seems to be as hot-and-cold like the Merchantmen fans are used to see with their own quarterbacks. The Minnesota Miners are a traditional .500 ball team and the Muscatine Mosquitoes hope to make a shift back to playoff contenders following their name change. The Merchantmen should get out of the series of games 3-1, where 2-2 would be passable and below .500 would be a major disappointment.

In the mid-season period, the Merchantmen will face the AOC Southeast division teams. The Orlando Knights are the defending division champs following a 9-7 season, making them the only team with a winning record in the division. The Conyers Condors have switched personnel a bit, replacing former #1 pick Randy Reagor with IHOF Bowl winning Kurt Basso at running back. Reagor joined the Georgia Gridlock in an attempt to win it all before cap hell breaks loose. Behind the other teams, the Tucker Tigers have been easily the worst team in the conference the past three seasons. But that says nothing, the Tigers have been rebuilding and proclaiming they found their solution in quarterback Shaun Duncan. With historical difficulties to beat the Condors and Gridlock, the Merchantmen would be happy to get out of the series 2-2.

Remain two opponents. The Fort Worth Fury will be faced in week 13 on the road. Last season the Fury beat the Merchantmen to end a losing streak in the head-to-head series. The Merchantmen should be able to win this game, but the Fury could be a darkhorse to upset the league with their first winning season. And in week three the Merchantmen will host the North Plainfield Plague. At 12-4 last season, the Plague are by far the best team to be faces. The Plague lead the head-to-head series 5-0, with the average score of the last four games being 37-8. It would be fun to end that streak, but is far from expected.

All in all, the Merchantmen aim for another division title. Going 5-1 inside the division is crucial and well within their powers. Out of the remaining games they should get 6 or 7 wins, resulting in a 11-5 record. Maybe it's too optimistic to expect that, but it's not impossible. And that should make the division crown a cakewalk. Afterall, the European runners-up never finished better than 10-6...

Complete Schedule
week01 - at Gothenburg
week02 - vs Ann Arbor
week03 - vs North Plainfield
week04 - open
week05 - vs Tucker
week06 - at Georgia
week07 - vs Paris
week08 - vs Conyers
week09 - at Bordeaux
week10 - at Orlando
week11 - vs Gothenburg
week12 - at RayCo
week13 - at Fort Worth
week14 - at Minnesota
week15 - vs Bordeaux
week16 - vs Muscatine
week17 - at Paris

Kodos

05-08-2006, 12:37 PM

No Rochester on the schedule? It can't be!!!

MIJB#19

05-09-2006, 05:36 AM

No Rochester on the schedule? It can't be!!!
It ain't over until the Fat Lady sings!
There's still week 18. Or 19. Or even better: week 20!

MIJB#19

05-09-2006, 05:36 AM

Merchantmen Start 2011 With A Win
Happy faces on the plane flight back home. The Maassluis Merchantmen survived their visit to the feared Palace Of Ice And Frost. With a 27-19 score, the home playing Gothenburg Giants were beaten in an offenses dominated games. Running back Courtney Osgood had an amazing Merchantmen debut with two big touchdown runs. The bad news came from Linebacker Cody Cluff, who isn't expected to return until early November from injury, for the crucial road game at Bordeaux.

Courtney Osgood. There's a new running back in town and he made himself noticed. Despite getting only 13 carries from the coaches, Osgood made the best of it. Midway the second quarter, the Merchantmen defense recorded the first three-and-out of the game. On the very next play, the handoff went to Osgood, he turned around the left end and ran the ball 63 yards up field for the touchdown. Longest running play in Merchantmen history and immediately the showing of why Osgood was traded for.

But that wasn't all. With the Merchantmen leading 13-9, time was running out. There were only 35 seconds on the clock in the first half. Facing third and ten at the Gothenburg 40-yard line, Osgood surprisingly got the ball again. Run around the left end for another touchdown. Another huge play. Osgood was the player of the game, even though the objective media picked Louie Flannery as MVP.

On the down side was a streak of injuries. Linebacker Cody Cluff was the most prominent name with a broken ankle. Joining him are other starters in linebacker Mike Kershner (sprained ankle), defensive end Omar Gougeon (sprained ankle), tackle Louis Bell (broken finger) and backup defensive tackle Andy Weliczka (hyperextended elbow).

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude praised the team: "I know it feels wrong after allowing 424 yards on offense, but fact is that the defense played well. We allowed only two red zone visists and kept them to a field goal on one of them. If Damien Deming hadn't been so great today (Deming scored 56, 52 and 47-yarders), we'd have won by an even bigger margin. And all thanks to Courtney (Osgood)."

MIJB#19

05-10-2006, 06:16 AM

General Manager Notes: Freakin' Palace Of Ice And Frost!
"A win is a win is a win".

Nope, those are not my words. Those were the words of Bordeaux Vineyards' general manager Alf. They came after the Vineyards beat the Paris Musketeers 23-21. It marked Paris' seventh lose in eight attempts in Bordeaux. The points difference was only two, but following a 3-point losses loaded season, Bordeaux should be happy. And Paris has little to complain as this marked their best season opener ever.

Bordeaux is happy, Paris is happy. One big happy family in Paris. And their smiles grew a little bit more after hearing the news from the game at the Palace Of Ice And Frost. Damn that stadium! The die-hard Merchantmen fans will forever remember Justin McDavid's unfortunate accident, that destroyed his career as our starting quarterback. This time, we returned home with less devastating injuries, but nevertheless, ones that will hurt us short-term. The 27-19 victory has already been forgotten. Cody Cluff is out for half of the season.

Usually I don't worry too much about injuries, barring ones to Louie Flannery, but Cluff was so big last season and we haven't really been tested in the past in our ability to play without him. Charles Gomez has lost some of his power, while Mike Kershner has turned into a weaker, slower and more fragile copy of himself. In the secondary we're missing Borderick Schultz for another game or two. Omar Gougeon will not return until October. But those are things to cope with.

With Cluff out, we have two options. Okay, maybe three if you could in Albert Boggess, but he's replacing Kershner on the outside next week. That leaves good old Carl Meier and last game's emergency replacement Terrance White. By all means, neither is the run stuffer Cluff is. On passing downs Meier or White can live up to our star, but we're gonna need a run stopper te coming weeks. Coming to Maassluis are two strong teams.

Next week the Ann Arbor Anachronism are visiting. The triple A's feature the two-time defending rushing champion and Defensive Player of the Year in Ray Ray Lyle. With a production of 164 yards, Lyle ran all over the RayCo Raiders suspect run defense on week 1 to do his share in the 40-14 victory. The following week the North Plainfield Plague are coming in with superstar quarterback David Conti and Kendall Bakken, who ran for 144 yards as a reliever against the defending IHOF champions, the Syracuse Mohawks.

White will likely get the nod, but don't be surprised if Meier is involved in the mix as well. Looking to the standings, we're having a good start. We're leading the division, but it doesn't feel like we're leading yet. The big tests against our rivals Bordeaux await for week 9 and 15. Hopefully Cluff will be back by then. But first comes a streak of six tough games, of which five are at home.

European Standings:
1-0 Maassluis
1-0 Bordeaux
0-1 Paris
0-1 Gothenburg

Last but not least, here are the first five top performers of the season. Running back Courtney Osgood was clearly the leading story of the week. With his 63 and 40-yard runs for scores, he made the retirement of Randy Harris and trade of Joseph Schoen easy to forget. His total of 121 yards on only 13 carries marked a 9.3 yards average. Behind Osgood, the numbers two through five were quarterback Louie Flannery (21/32, 202 yards), defensive end Wally Mattingly (1 sack, 1 hurry, 4 tackles, 1 assist), linebacker Bernie Surry (2 defended passes, 5 tackles, 3 assists) and cornerback Brian Spears (3 defended passes, 6 tackles).

MIJB#19

05-11-2006, 06:53 AM

General Manager Notes: Never change a winning game plan?
Cluffy we need you!

Great. Just great. We're playing the best running back in the league and will be missing our top run stuffer. I've been working on a game plan for our game against Ray Ray Lyle and his Ann Arbor Anachronism, but so far I'm wondering what to do. I mean, we've got two plans.

Plan A has two options. Option one is Terrance White. This young middle linebacker is good, but not great (yet?) at all. He could help out, but he's by all means no Cluff. Option two is Carl Meier, the grizzled veteran backup linebacker. But with White being mentored by Meier, White could be the better player in key skills by mid-season. So, it might be time for Plan B.

So, what would that be? The other option is going to a base 4-2-5 defense, rather than the 4-3 front. I'm talking about a 4-3 front, but with the weakside linebacker replaced by our nickelback. Brian Spears looks like the best fit for that role, with his run stopping skills. In that option, we could move Bernie Surry inside and Albert Boggess to his natural strong side position. Or we could stick with Surry on the strongside and add a sixth defensive back in Myron Stevens.

But the more I think about it, how are we going to defend the best running back with only 2 linebackers? A Plan C could be to go 3-3-5. A 3-4 front, but with the weak inside linebacker replaced by the nickelback. We'd be moving Frank Bernard or Charles Gomez to the defensive end position, to take the place of injured Omar Gougeon. Mike Kershner would still be replaced by Albert Boggess and Cody Cluff by Brian Spears.

In the end, as many options as there are, I'm not very confident we can stop Ray Ray, with or without Cluff. Right now, the best thing might be letting him run a bit and just make sure his quarterback Zach Downing sticks below 50% so their offense becomes predictable and unefficient. It'll be a matter of time until they are facing 3rd and 7 a lot, or forced to run after a missed passing opportunity on 1st down. Given some of the upcoming opponents, AAA might as well be the most doable of the stronger ones.

Just make sure to get your tickets. It'll be the first home game of the season and you won't get much more chances to see Ray Ray Lyle in live action in Maassluis. Unless we trade for him. :D

MIJB#19

05-11-2006, 09:04 AM

Irregular Interviewing: Eddie Cole and Terrance White
An opportunity to get playing time. Most young football players have to hope for it. IHOF reporter IHOF_stats reported that only 28 rookies started on opening day. One of the was Eddie Cole, safety with the Maassluis Merchantmen. But he only started because of injuries to the two men in front of him on the depth chart. This week his team is facing the Ann Arbor Anachronism. Cole and second year mid linebacker Terrance White will be asked to stop league star Ray Ray Lyle.

Questioner (Q): Eddie, Terrance, thank you both for joining us for this interview.
TW: No problem.
EC: My pleasure!

Q: How's life in Maassluis? Eddie?
EC: It's windy. And there's a lot of rain. But the trips to the States make you feel you're not away from home a lot.
TW: And don't forget how the organization tries to keep the players and staf happy with all those American product.

Q: So playing football in Europe ain't much different than your respective college careers?
EC: I'm pretty new, so you'd better ask Terrance. But to me it's mainly the adjustment from doing the most fun thing to do all day long. Football!
TW: It really isn't much different, except for the people in the streets. The spring break most of the guys are working out at their hometowns in the States anyway. Only few Merchantmen players brought their wives over to Europe.

Q: How tough is it to go from college ball to IHOF action?
EC: The step was bigger than expected. I felt I was mature enough to break into a starting lineup quickly. I managed that, but the other guys all seem to be so much faster, stronger, intelligent, you end up going from being the best of the team to being what you are: a rookie.

Q: What was your experience in that, Terrance?
TW: Well, unlike Eddie, I didn't get much playing time in my first couple of games. I ended up starting the last two weeks due to injuries elsewhere.

Q: That brings us to the current situation: Cody Cluff is out for a month or two. It's up to you now!
TW: It's a game time decission, coach said.

Q: But the media has been informed that you're the starting middle linebacker against Ann Arbor.
EC: C'mon, are you new to the business? The depth chart is always a mirage to surprise the opponent.
TW: Especially in Maassluis.

Q: That's right, we've seen more of those tricks. But that aside, it looks like you'll be playing, Terrance.
TW: I hope so, but I also know we have a strong group and Carl Meier has so much experience... I want to play, but Meier is a big name here, he's important in the locker room, he's like a mentor to all the other linebackers.
EC: Yeah, I noticed that too. Carl and "Endi" (Winford Ednicott) are well repspected guys here. You don't mess with them or you could get in trouble?

Q: Such as?
TW: You don't wanna know.
EC: Well, stuff like...
TW: You better keep your lips sealed, Eddie, you know what happened to 'Herbie'.

Q: 'Herbie'? Herb Williams?
EC: Oh man, yeah that was cruel. Other subject please.

Q: You two were both third round picks. Most IHOF teams don't starters there, but both of you are starting this week. Who's responsible for that?
TW: Right now? Injuries, mostly.
EC: Maybe, but you can see it a lot more here. Maassluis has a reputation with second day draft picks. I mean, look at the team: Gougeon, Mattingly, Surry, Rasmussen, Sherrill, Weliczka...

Q: Some say it's good scouting, others say it's because the Merchantmen are cheap and don't want to spend money on free agents to sit on the bench.
EC: I wouldn't know about that.
TW: Nah, that's not true. Thad Pilkington cost a lot more than his salary to sit on the bench for three years. From my experience it's just really hard to make the roster here. They say you have to be a potential start or else you won't make it. The team released three drafted guys before the season started.

Q: Eddie, you're joining on of the best pass defenses in the league. The Merchantmen were second last season. What can you do to improve that unit?
EC: Play football. (pause) Seriously! What more can I do? It's awesome to work with guys like Lincoln Gilmore and Tai Wayne. Guys who can make double-digit defended pass can learn me stuff, but I can keep them fresh. And right now I'm starting. It's gonna be hard for Broderick (Schultz) to get his job back.

Q: Are you that confident too, Terrance?
TW: Uh, no. Cody Cluff is Cody Cluff. One of the best linebacker in the world. In Maassluis they say he is the best. The defense is built around him. Maybe also around (Charles) Gomez, but in the end it seems to have worked. I can only hope to be Cluff's long-term replacement.

Q: Because that's why the Merchantmen drafted you.
TW: That's what people told me. They even asked me to switch from the outside to the inside. It helps that we played a lot of zone defense in college. Without that, I wouldn't even be here.

Q: What are your goals for this season and the next, Terrance?
TW: Hard to say. I hope to get a lot of playing time. And winning a division title would be cool. The Merchantmen were pretty good when I played in college. It was disappointing to go 6-10 with the team we had last season.

Q: Eddie, what are your goals?
EC: Get as much action as I can. I hope to be as good as Gilmore at some point. But I'm not going to commit to the Merchantmen for ten years already. At the end of your career, it's things like a championship ring and all league honors that make or break it. This team is loaded with guys who did one or the other, but they all want to get to that ultimate goal: the last game of the season.

Q: Okay, thanks guys. I've got one last question for both of you, though: Why is Terrance called 'Terror II'?
TW: (laughs)
EC: Oh, this one I know. They explained it to me a while back.
TW: Go ahead, tell the story.
EC: Well, it's because of Terrance's name. A couple of years back the Merchantmen drafted Terrance Norris. Norris called himself Terror Norris. But after the draft, the Merchantmen quickly released Norris before training camp. When a new Terrance came around, again a linebacker, it was too good to be true and they put that tag on Terrance.
TW: I don't want to know what would have happened had I not survived roster cuts.

Q: Okay, thanks again. Good luck against Ann Arbor and Ray Ray!
EC: Thanks. We need all the help.
TW: My pleasure!

MIJB#19

05-12-2006, 04:13 AM

Merchantmen Win On Hail Mary Pass
The Maassluis Merchantmen defended Oranje Haven well. With a 13-12 score, they upset the Ann Arbor Anachronism. In a field goals loaded game, the only touchdown came on an amazing fourth down play with 41 seconds left. Jewell Simpson finally did what he was hired for a year ago: making big plays. The sad news were the injuries, most notable to cornerback Tai Wayne.

What a play. Trailing by six points, the Merchantmen had to go for it. Trapped on their own half, Flannery wanted to pass the ball. On third and ten, Ann Arbor defensive end Curtis Dinsmore broke through the line and forced the Merchantmen into a fourth and twenty situation. Fans started walking to the exits, but most decided to take a look at this last chance to win the game. Ann Arbor fielded a four-deep formation, things couldn't go wrong for them with the expected hail mary pass. Here's a transcript from the Merchantmen tv reporter.

"Snap. Louie Flannery steps back. The receivers up field all look covered. He's looking at Simpson I think. He does! But Simpson has two men around him. He catches it for the first down! What's this? Simpson turns around his defender. He escapes! But he's got like 50 yards to go. He's to the 40. The 30. The 20... Oh boy! Here it comes, he's going to make it! Touchdown Maassluis! What an amazing play! What an amazing play!"

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude had his own say on things: "Simpson is in his second year with us. You need to give players a year to learn the systen. Today the Flannery to Simpson combo click on a crucial moment. But the gain after the catch was all his work." Van Der Woude also praised the defense: "We knew Ray Ray Lyle could run for 150 yards on us. But the plan was to at least hold up on the pass defense. The guys did well, allowing less than 10 completed pass for about 100 yards. And keeping them out of the end zone."

Despite Simpson's big catch, people still criticize him. Being acquired for a first round pick, he's got big standards to live up to. After a strong start, with 7 catches for 121 yards in his second game, Simpson never had more than 4 catches in a single game. Today he fought back, but it's hard to deny that he's made only 4 catches for 38 yards, excluding his big play. Wide receiver Bryce Ewald said: "Simpson is fast, he's got the brains. Together we're a complete duo."

Injuries hit too again, but not so big as last week. Safety Emile William re-injured his thumb and will warrant some caution. Fullback Jamel Rosenberry is diagnosed with a strained calf muscle and will miss the next three games. Cornerback Tai Wayne hurt his knee and will sit out next week's game against the North Plainfield Plague. And Louie Flannery sprained his ankle. He looked a bit bruised from the six sacks he went through, but was able to walk off the field without much pain. And that's good, because he might be the only guy able to really carry this team.

MIJB#19

05-13-2006, 08:57 AM

General Manager Notes: We Need More Flannery-To-Simpson.
Us? Lucky? Nah...

And then we were 2-0. The top ranked team in the newly FOF Stats initiated IHOF Power Rankings comes to our house and we beat them. I know it all came down to one big play, but should we be less happy about it? A win is a win and after last season we'd better be happy with sneaky victories like the two we have so far.

Despite our win, we didn't gain any terrain on the rest of Europe. All our rivals decided to show off and win their games. Bordeaux needed an interception return touchdown early in the fourth quarter, Paris needed a fourth quarter comeback from three points down and Gothenburg was never in serious danger in their road game. Europe sweeps the NAC Midwest, who'd have expected that to happen? The standings at least should show us we're not lucky at all:

2-0 Maassluis
2-0 Bordeaux
1-1 Gothenburg
1-1 Paris

Other noteworthy stuff around the league? How about the San Antonio Volunteers sitting at the bottom of the AOC Deep South? While Vicksburg, Telluride and Fort Worth have all won a game, the Vols are 0-2 and are looking at a six game stretch with Orlando on the road and the four teams from the IHOF's strongest division, the Northeast.

And then there's Jared Brimberry. The Fort Worth Fury quarterback had a great game against the Springfield Isotopes. Brimberry completed seven passes for a touchdown, with the last one being a 55-yarder in the dying seconds of the game. Why it was so special? Brimberry kicked Joey Allen and our very own Louie Flannery off the listof record holders. Allen and Flan' held the record with six touchdown passes in one game. To show you how unexpected it was, Brimberry started 14 games in 2010 and recorded eight touchdown passes, one more than he had in this single game. As you could imagine, Flannery was not amused when he heard about it.

Talking of Flannery, he did well enough to sit on my top five of weekly names for the player of the year race. As he completed 17 of 32 passes, he did guide the team to a gain of 204 yards and threw the only touchdown of the entire game. That immediately makes Jewell Simpson mentioned, who had only 2 catches, but 48 of his 86 yards came after the amazing catch for the winning score. Lincoln Gilmore once again guided the secondary well. Gilmore defended 2 passes and added 1 tackles and 3 assists in run stopping support. Bernie Surry recorded team highs in tackles (6) and assists (3). And Sammie Kennedy played like a true shutdown cornerback, allowing 0 catches, deflecting 1 passes and adding 2 tackles and 2 assists.

Overall standings in my player of the year race, after two games, are: 1. Bernie Surry 6 points, 2. Louie Flannery, Courtney Osgood and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 5. Sammie Kennedy and Wally Mattingly 3 points, 7. Lincoln Gilmore 2 points, 8. Brian Spears 1 point.

So, what awaits next week? A week of opportunity? Not really. We're going to see the North Plainfield Plague come to Maassluis. The Plague are one of ten 2-0 teams and we know the drill, we're 0-5 against them all-time. But then there was some good news. The Plague have a quarterback with some thumb ligament problems. League star David Conti aggrevated the injury in week 2 and it clearly requires cautiousness. In the meanwhile, Bordeaux will be hosting the Syracuse Mohawks, the defending IHOF champions. They'll be without the injured Billy Jamerson. Paris and Gothenburg are playing road games against teams with equal or better records so far. All in all it sounds like we could follow up the sweep with us being swept. But Conti being hurt right now, that might help us end a bad streak against the Plague.

Us? Lucky? Nah...

MIJB#19

05-15-2006, 05:00 AM

The Plague, Historical Feared Enemy Of The Merchantmen
What's in a name? When the International House Of Football was established, names of franchises quickly started popping up. One team was founded by Dutch football fan M.IJ.B. and after initial stint with the city of New York located in his homeland. In fact the team was placed in his hometown Maassluis. And in a search for a nickname, people quickly realized that there was no way to deny the Dutch Golden Age as a source for a nickname. The Merchantmen were founded and looked ready to go overseas from time to time and pirate for loot. And in the meantime hold of their European enemies.

After the Merchantmen team was placed in New York, it didn't leave a void there. With the foundation of the Astoria Heroes, Brooklyn Fightin' Bums, Syracuse Mohawks and North Plainfield Plague, the people of New York had plenty of teams to choose from. The Heroes have moved along to Williamsburg as the Colonials, but the other three teams haven't left. The Mohawks are the current defending league champions, but they are sitting in the shadows of the league's juggernaut: the Plague.

The Dutchmen believe that they were the most powerful country in the world in the 17th century. Aided by the money flowing through trade with and colonization of overseas territories, the Netherlands turned into a wealthy country. Science and art were at an all time high. One of the remains of that era is Rembrandt's De Nachtwacht (The Nightwatch). And this was also the time when the Dutch started claiming their fame with the words: "God created Earth, the Dutch created the Netherlands."

But it didn't last long. The surrounding European countries got stronger and eventually the Dutchmen were forced to surrender New York. The 2007 playoff game between the Merchantmen and the Plague in New York resembled that a little bit. After a superb season, the Merchantmen thought to have conquered the world and sailed into New York, expecting to improve their might and power with silverware. No such luck, like the 'black death' in the 17th century could strike on a ship and slash around slaying the majority of the crew, the Merchantmen were slaughtered and couldn't find back after an early 30-0 deficit.

By now, the Netherlands is wealthy again, but not on top of the world wealthy. The plague is no desease to fear anymore, a cure has been found. But as the Plague from New York is looming on the horizon to invade Oranje Haven, precaution is desired. And after the last four battles between these two, the fear has struck hard in Maassluis. Excluding the Plague's 13-10 win in 2004, the average score of the last four head-to-head games has been 37-8. Despite the rumors that David Conti will sit the game out, the orange white and blue are shaking all over, in fear of what is likely to happen.

MIJB#19

05-16-2006, 08:26 AM

Merchantmen Finally Beat The Plague
It didn't reverse the outcome of the 2007 AOC Championship game, but a streak of four humiliating defeats was ended. The Maassluis Merchantmen defended their ground and beat the North Plainfield Plague. A Cary Coles kicked field goal with six seconds to go determined the outcome: 19-16, Merchantmen. Hero of the day was Myron Stevens, who made a crucial interception in Plague territory. But the real player of the game was Bryce Ewald, who shredded his own franchise receiving record.

After two games of big plays determining the outcome, this time it was consistent performing that was the key to success. Wide receiver Bryce Ewald had a monster game. He had a personal record 10 reception for 177 yards and the only Merchantmen touchdown. It marked tying the receptions record, set by Jamel Rosenberry last season, but most notably outdoing his own yardage record from a 2007 game by 40 yards. Ewald said: "I felt good today. Everytime Louie (Flannery) threw my way, I managed to get the ball and beat the defense. I never expected to do this against the Plague."

On the other end of the ball, Myron Stevens came up big. The Merchantmen management has always praised the young cornerback for his mentality and crucial plays. Against the Plague he made a big one again. Stevens said: "With Tai (Wayne) injured, I knew this would be my chance to play again. I made the best of it, but the interception was a lucky play. With the score tied, you expect safety. But no such thing, [Roy Keith] took a risk, trying for a pass towards the middle. I got in front of my receiver and knew this play could be the game winner. Courtney (Osgood) did some tremendous running and we get our much desired win over the Plague. The pain of 2007 is slowly going a way."

Kicker Cary Coles looked cooled than ever before. With a four on four, including an early 47-yarder and the game winning 41-yarder, Coles had a big influence in the victory. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude praised Coles: "Times like these he proves us right for keeping him around. Cary is scary good. It's no coincidence that he's co-record holder in most converted kicks in one game. And knowing you can rely on him makes play calling so much easier."

Despite all the praise to Bryce Ewald, the defense was the most notable unit all day. The defense held the Plague to 226 total yards on offense, despite the absence of five starters. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez said: "Today we showed we're not dependant on names, we're a unit. If Tai (Wayne) is out, Myron (Stevens) steps up. Omar (Gougeon) hurt? No problem, Aaron (Sherrill) will save the day. We've been together for so long, we know how to play defense."

And that unity will be tested after the bye week once again. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore is doubtful right now and is expected to sit out all games preceeding the crucial matchup with the Bordeaux Vineyards in week 9. Defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson said: "Until Bordeaux, we'll still be working without Cody Cluff and now Gilmore too. But Gougeon, Kershner, Wayne and Schultz will be back into the lineup after our bye week, that should help a lot. And we've got all confindece in the youngsters to step it up, Terrance White and Eddie Cole are making good progress!"

MIJB#19

05-19-2006, 06:27 AM

General Manager Notes: A Miracle, We Beat The Plague!
All Hail To Europe.

Would you look at that, the European division combines for the best record in the league right now. Following our amazing, but well deserved win against the North Plainfield Plague, the rest of Europe decided to keep the pride high too. Well, not entirely, the Paris Musketeers lost 23-3 at Vicksburg and the Gothenburg Giants beat the Telluride Outlaws 16-0, but followed up with a 40-9 loss to the Conyers Condors. Granted, they didn't play that bad, but all the early breaks went to the Condors way. Nope, it's all due to the Bordeaux Vineyards super start, especially following their impressive wins over the Syracuse Mohawks (27-17) and Orlando Knights (29-14). All in all, the 10-4 record is slighlty better than the AOC Southeast's 11-5 and much better than all others at .500 or worse.

Standings
3-0 Maassluis
4-0 Bordeaux
2-2 Gothenburg
1-2 Paris

Yes, that's right, 3-0 beats 4-0 right now. Don't ask me how, I have no clue to be honest. More importantly we're unbeaten ourselves as we prepare for the hard part of the schedule. Tucker (2-2), Georgia (2-2), Paris (1-2), Conyers (4-0), Bordeaux (4-0), Orlando (3-1) and Gothenburg (2-2) await in the coming weeks. I'm hoping we can go 5-2 in tis stretch, but I'm not counting on it. All are teams who seem to be equal to ours. And Georgia and Conyers are teams I fear. But in contrast, we feared the Plague and we did manage to beat them.

How is the rest of the conference looking? Let's start with the disappointments. The defending IHOF champions, the Syracuse Mohawks are struggling and rank third in their division at 2-2. But that's not quite as bad as some other strong teams. The Boston Rhinos are 0-4 in the Northeast. The San Antonio Volunteers are currently ranked last in the Deep South with a 1-3 record. And the highly touted Georgia Gridlock are not living up to their hype of potential division champs with a 2-2 record and sitting in last place so far.

Over in the North American Conference surprises are arising as well. The San Luis Obispo got back to earth te hard way, following a 3-0 start. But aside from that loss, they still have a one-game advantage over the disappointing Fairbanks NorthStars, and two over the Boulder Blizzard. The Ann Arbor Anachronism are living up to expectations, sitting 3-1 and two wins clear from the rest of the division. The Chesapeake Chitterlings are also a major disappointment at 1-3. They've announced a rebuilding season already, in fear of being unable to catch the 3-0 Frederick Red Menace. Last but not least, the Outer Banks had a tough early schedule and are sitting 1-3 and far behind the 3-1 division leading Asheville Axemen and Miami Sharks.

Oh, I almost forgot, I still need to list my top five guys from the game against the Plague. Number one is easy, Bryce Ewald. Ewald set receiving records with his 10 catches for 177 yards and 1 score. He helps Louie Flannery into the top five, as Flan' passed for 276 yards as he completed 23 of 40 passes. Kicker Cary Coles deserves some kudos for his 4 converted field goals. Charles Gomez was back with 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 3 tackles and 3 assists. Myron Stevens misses the cut as I give more credits to Brian Spears' interception, as Spears also added a defended pass. Terrance White deserves some mentioning too, after his 2 defended passes, but with only 2 tackles he didn't live up to our mid linebacker expectations.

Standings: 1. Louie Flannery 7 points, 2. Bernie Surry 6 points, 3. Bryce Ewald, Courtney Osgood and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 6. Charles Gomez 4 points, 7. Cary Coles, Sammie Kennedy and Wally Mattingly 3 points, 10. Lincoln Gilmore and Brian Spears 2 points.

Upcoming for us is a home game against the Tucker Tigers. The Tigers are making some noise in the media and aren't doing all too bad at 2-2. They had a long way to come, after having been the AOC doormat the past three seasons. I wasn't looking forward to this game as a guranteed win at all, though. If it wasn't for the injury to 2010 #1 pick quarterback Shaun Duncan, it'd actually think the game would be an even matchup. They do field the league leading rusher in R.J. Ellard, who has been a breakout players as a former #66 overall pick. But you know us, we let guys run for 160 yards and still win, right, Ray Ray Lyle?

MIJB#19

05-23-2006, 05:36 AM

Merchantmen Still Undefeated After Beating Tucker
The Maassluis Merchantmen remain in pole-position for the 2011 European Division title. With a 37-13 victory, the Tucker Tigers were beaten. Louie Flannery left the game with a sprained knee and is questionable for the next game. Courtney Osgood showed more flashes of his running ability with his second century mark this season. But in the end, interceptions thrown by the Tucker backup quarterback decided the outcome of the game.

"It's going to be a big test," head coach Leroy Van Der Woude said after the game, "Louie (Flannery) has a great season so far. He's probably the only irreplacable player on the team." Flannery twisted his knee late in the game. Initially he decided to play on, but after a couple of snaps, hiseyes went to the sidelines and Richard Bell was thrown into the huddle. An important signal that things don't look good. Early diagnosis is that Flannery can play, but the best thing would be taking it easy for two weeks and be thrown back into the starting lineup for week eight against the only other unbeaten team, the Conyers Condors. Flannery is currently on pace for about 3,700 yards.

In contrast, on the defense everybody seems to be replacable. The entire unit continues to impress week after week. For the fourth time this season the passing game of the opponent was rushed and batted down. With interceptions by Brian Spears, Broderick Schultz and Bernie Surry the Merchantmen gave Tucker quarterback Ira Hanks something to keep awake on the plane flight back to the States.

Defensive coordinator Thomas Dotson doesn't want to take full credit, but does admit that his work is finally coming together: "Everybody kept talking about Bernie Hicks and how he made this defense one of the best in the league. Well, I got news for you: this defense is still one of the best." In recent games, most starters missed one or more games. In fact, six players have started all four games so far, including rookie Eddie Cole, who wasn't supposed to be starting. Dotson: "It shows that everybody can play ball, we're not dependant on the big names. That's what you need to play good defense for sixteen plus games."

Running back Courtney Osgood ran for two scores and moved up into the top six for rushing touchdowns. Osgood said: "The line was doing a great job again. They give me the abilty to run everywhere I want and they will still make the hole in the defense." Despite that, Osgood doesn't show the ability of being a 30-carries back yet. Osgood defends that: "In my first four years I had only five games with over 20 carries. The team said they want me to warm up slowly and share carries with Quentin Hatchette to keep us both fresh. You have to admit, 'Hatch' is doing a great job as the #2 so far and deserves to be in the mix." Hatchette averages 5.0 yards per carry so far.

Upcoming is another tough test. The Georgia Gridlock were early favorites to be the Southeast division champions. But with a somewhat disappointing start (three losses in five games), things don't look so good. But the Gridlock are the only AOC team that has never lost to the Merchantmen. Despite being 8-point underdogs, the Gridlock are the people's favorites, especially if Louie Flannery is sitting the game out.

MIJB#19

05-23-2006, 08:06 AM

General Manager Notes: Enjoying The Momentum
Punch my arm, please.

I must be dreaming. The Merchantmen, 4-0, only the Conyers Condors are with us in the unbeaten category. The victories keep coming and for a change we took a big one to boost our record. Granted, the Tigers kept pace for most of the game, until mister Ira Hanks tossed his first interception. They were forced to pass and couldn't use their league leading rusher. Most crucial was Brian Spears' pick at the Tucker 24-yard line setting up the touchdown to extend the lead from two to nine points. Not to mention Bernie Surry's pick at our 6-yard line on the Tigers' next drive that looked destined to make them score.

So, we won, but how did the rest of Europe do? The Bordeaux Vineyards looked terrible in their visit to the Gothenburg Giants. With a 25-3 humiliation, the Giants pulled the Vineyards down from the undefeated teams to those battling for the wild card spots. In fact, both hold a wild card position right now. Go Europe! And deep down in the division, the Paris Musketeers posted an impressive fourth quarter comeback with 17 unanswered points to move into a challengers role.

Standings
4-0 Maassluis
4-1 Bordeaux
3-2 Gothenburg
2-2 Paris

With Bordeaux, the Frederick Red Menace left the group of unbeatens. With 21 unanswered points in the second half of the game, the Boulder Blizzard pulled the upset and took a 35-28 win over the two-time defending conference champions. That completes an impressive sweep of the Mid-Atlantic top two of Frederick and the Chesapeake Chitterlings. Most notable was wide receiver Eldon Batts, who had only 4 receptions, being a 30-yard score, a 28-yard score, a 46-yard score and a 52-yarder.

Other news around the league are the undefeated Conyers Condors, who beat the Orlando Knights to take an early 2-game lead on their closest Southeast rivals. The Fairbanks NorthStars have bounced back in the Western Division, posting an interesting 40-21 win after an early 21-0 deficit, while the San Luis Obispo Burn posted their second consecutive loss. The Asheville Axemen took the sole lead in the Atlantic Coast division after their win and the Miami Sharks tie with the Minnesota Miners. Last but not least, the Northeast turns into a coin-toss division with Rochester, North Plainfield and Syracuse all at 3-2.

The Georgia Gridlock remain as one of he disappointing teams in the league. At 2-3, there's not much to see from the acquisition of Randy Reagor as their new running back to be a backfield duo with quarterback Nate Sutter. With us as their next opponent, they are bound to bounce back. I mean, we're 0-4 against them all-time. Sutter's average stats against us: 18 of 30 for 213 yards, 2.3 touchdowns and 0.3 interceptions. And given that we'll be gambling if we'd start Louie Flannery, I don't think we stand a chance to win without him, but throwing him in would be dangerous.

Flannery was part of the five best players of the week from our team though. Flannery completed 25 of 43 passes for 256 yards and 1 score, while he added another score on the ground. That's right, pocket-passer Flannery ran for a touchdown. Other stand-out performances came from Courtney Osgood (103 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns), Timothy Lacy (6 key run blocks), Broderick Schultz (1 interception, 3 defended passes) and Sammie Kennedy (2 defended passes, 0 catches allowed).

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 12 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 9 points, 3. Bernie Surry 6 points, 4. Bryce Ewald, Sammie Kennedy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 7. Charles Gomez 4 points, 8. Cary Coles, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 11. Lincoln Gilmore and Brian Spears 2 points, 13. Timothy Lacy 1 point.

Rookie update? Well, Eddie Cole has been one of six defensive players to start all six games. Granted, he got lucky for the injuries to our top three safeties so far, but our scouting staf reports that he's made some good progress and still ranks amongst the 10 best rookies in the league in terms of run stopping and zone defense talent. Thankfully teams don't throw into his direction, as can bee seen from the only 4 catches he allowed. With 10 tackles and 2 assists, he helps out.

Guard J.J. Reilly is making quick progress and due to Ned Cozart's injury he played 59 downs last week. Reilly brings some additional protection of our quarterback with his pass blocking talent. It looks like he's gonna unseat Butch White this season already as our left guard. Reilly at least formed a perfect supplement to run blocker 'Tiny Tim' Lacy.

Other things to note? The teams we beat combine for a 11-4 record in games not against us. So either we've been extremely lucky, or we are for real. And given that we never started 4-0 before, it must be the latter, no? Knock on wood.

Darkiller

05-23-2006, 08:28 AM

LOL @ "and deep down the division" ... [...] The Paris Musketeers ...

;-)

MIJB#19

05-24-2006, 06:37 AM

LOL @ "and deep down the division" ... [...] The Paris Musketeers ...

;-)
There was a bit of a sarcastic tone in there, because it's interesting that the #4 team in this division is 2-2 and on the tail of the two wild card holding teams in front of them. This could be that 4-horse race season we've all been waiting for. (Okay, maybe not, deep inside we all want a 1-horse race :D)

MIJB#19

05-30-2006, 05:21 AM

General Manager Notes: Byebye undefeated status.
It was fun while it lasted...

We're back to earth. After a game without Louie Flannery, we're back to the living. And it wasn't even Richard Bell to blame, he played a good game, posting a 90-ish passer rating. Nope, it might have been the run a lot early game plan we used to keep the pressure off Bell in te first half of the game. Or it must hae been the two lost fumbles in our own territory. But then, the defense allowed only 3 points on the Gridlock drives following the fumbles.

Despite our loss, we still hold the lead in the division. The Bordeaux Vineyards didn't play, while the Gothenburg Giants dropped to 3-3 following a heart breaking 12-10 last second field goal loss. The Paris Musketeers smiled, because they traded the game winning kick maker Keith Horne to the Giants' opponents. And on their own, the Musketeers posted an impressive 30-23 win over the Orlando Knights. Ignore the score, the Knights were trailing 30-9 going into the two-minute warning.

Standings
4-1 Maassluis
4-1 Bordeaux
3-2 Paris
3-3 Gothenburg

Despite our loss, I will be able to identify the top five players of the game. The candidates were Quentin Hatchette (85 yards rushing, including a 56-yard touchdown), Richard Bell (completed 21 of 33 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown), Jewell Simpson (a career high 7 catches for 79 yards), Omar Gougeon (2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 tackles, 1 assist), Tai Wayne (1 interception for 68 yards and a score, 2 tackles, 3 assists) and Charles Gomez (1 sack, 1 hurry, 1 blocked pass, 7 tackles, 1 assist). The top three for points eventually were Gougeon, Wayne and Bell.

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 12 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 9 points, 3. Bernie Surry 6 points, 4. Bryce Ewald, Sammie Kennedy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 7. Charles Gomez 4 points, 8. Cary Coles, Omar Gouegeon, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 12. Lincoln Gilmore, Brian Spears and Tai Wayne 2 points, 15. Richard Bell and Timothy Lacy 1 point.

Next up is Paris. We're playing at home and feel we need to win this game. Louie Flannery is probable, but given that he's got a sprained knee, he'll be a game time decission to start or not. But with Richard Bell also hurt, it's a risky decission anyway. Harvey Nimmons doesn't look ready to step in, so we might be running a lot in that game...

MIJB#19

05-31-2006, 06:06 AM

Merchantmen Roll On, Crush The Musketeers
The Maassluis Merchantmen continue to impress. With a returning Louie Flannery, the Paris Musketeers were beaten 31-3. Where Paris' E.J. 'The Great' Lumpkin threw 3 interceptions, Flannery threw 3 touchdown passes and could easily be replaced early in the fourth quarter. The Merchantmen humiliated Paris with a sequence of quarterback substitutions.

Flannery's back. Despite missing only one game, football critics start wondering how the Merchantmen are ever going to survive without their interceptions prone passer. Flannery completed 17 of 24 passes for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns. Still nursing a sprained knee, Flannery was replaced early in the fourth quarter, yet the fans decided to honor their star with the player of the game title.

Backup quarterback Richard Bell was sent in to replace Flannery, but after one snap he limped back to the sidelines. Bell said: "Last week at Georgia I bruised my heel and when coach said it was my turn, I thought I could play." Bell was immediately replaced by rookie Harvey Nimmons. Nimmons probably wants to quickly forget his first regular season game time, as he completed only one of his four passes, While he was intercepted once and sacked twice.

Despite the victory, the team took some hard hits. Wide receiver Jewell Simpson, who scored two touchdowns, strained an abdominal muscle and is doubtful. Left tackle Ivan Jacques aggrevated his triceps muscle injury, while Charles Gomez strainded a quadriceps muscle. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "They're all key players, but we should have enough depth to replace them and show what we're worth against the undefeated Conyers Condors."

MIJB#19

05-31-2006, 06:27 AM

General Manager Notes: Time To Get Ready For The Big Game
The Condors are coming to town!

With a splendid performance. Every time the Musketeers looked ready to score, one of our defenders intercepted a Lumpkin pass. 31-3 was a little bit over the top and using our rookie third string quarterback in the fourth quarter was a little bit of a humiliation. But we'll take the win.

The extra good news is that the Bordeaux Vineyards and Gothenburg Giants lost. Bordeaux got unlucky in a close battle with the Conyers Condors, losing by a meager field goal. The Giants looked lost against the Orlando Knights, losing 29-3. Their only field goal came after the two-minute warning, go figure.

Standings
5-1 Maassluis
4-2 Bordeaux
3-3 Paris
3-4 Gothenburg

A big week is coming for the division. We're in a heavy battle with the Southeast divison for the crown of the AOC as the best divison. Paris will be visiting the Tucker Tigers (3-3) in hopes to bounce back to above .500. Bordeaux will be visiting the Georgia Gridlock (3-3), who are better than theiur record. Gothenburg has a bye, leaving us. Yes, we're playing in what is arguably the game of the week, and so far the game of the season, as we're hosting the Conyers Condors, te only remaining undefeated team.

Right now, the team is doing a great job. On defense, we manage to disorient any quarterback that faces us. Nope, you got to run to beat us. Well, not entirely true, because history tells us that we're a tough team to run against. Except next week, when we're missing the entire backbone of our run defese in Charles Gomez, Cody Cluff and Lincoln Gilmore.

Star of the week for us were easy to identify. Louie Flannery gets the first kudos for his 3 touchdown passes. Courtney Osgood is an easy candidate with 126 yards rushing for a 6.3 average and a score. Timohty Lacy added 6 key run blocks to boost the running game. Jim Reiser played a great role, making 3 key run blocks, on top of his team high 5 receptions. On defense, Tai Wayne was big again, with a team high 2 defended passes. The interception makers Emile William, Eddie Cole and Brian Spears played well too, but won't make the top five of the week.

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Bernie Surry 6 points, 4. Bryce Ewald, Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 8. Charles Gomez and Tai Wayne 4 points, 10. Cary Coles, Omar Gouegeon, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 14. Lincoln Gilmore, Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 17. Richard Bell 1 point.

For those wondering, the Condors are the sole team at 6-0, but we're not alone at 5-1. The Vicksburg Vipers continue to impress and currently have a 3-game lead in the Deep South division. Next up is a big test for them as they'll be visiting the Northeast leading Rochester Lake Monsters, who are 5-2. The Lake Monsters hold off the defending IHOF Champions, the Syracuse Mohawks, on tie breakers. And two wins behind those two, the North Plainfield Plague are the shock of the season, being 3-4 and unable to win without quarterback David Conti. They last loss came to the also disappointing San Antonio Volunteers, who improved to 2-5.

Over in the NAC, the Federick Red Menace are on pace for threepeat. At 5-1, they look impressive as always. The Ann Arbor Anachronism are their main competition, after the triple A's held of the double A's. The Asheville Axemen fumbled their way to 5-2, while the Anachronism improved to 5-1 and to a virtual three and half game lead in their divison.

Pretty sweet that we beat those guys earlier. Almost as sweet as posting that big win over the Musketeers.

MIJB#19

06-02-2006, 07:17 AM

Merchantmen Spanked By Conyers Condors
A painful defeat. The Merchantmen are used to going through one game of total inability to play football. Apparently they decided to have one again in their own house. The Merchantmen lost 28-0 to the Conyers Condors. It was the second shutout in team history, the first in Maassluis. After the game the fans gave the players a long "boo", but the staff members were more worried about the injuries to pretty much every key player for the next games.

Kurt Basso is the name. Basso scored all four of the Condors touchdowns. His overall production wasn't even that impressive, but the scores camouflaged it well. It marked a nice pay back for Basso's first encounter with the Merchantmen defense, when he was held to 1.5 yards per carry on 27 ball touches. Basso had a 2.8 average on the ground, but with 89 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving he was the team's most productive player.

On the Merchantmen side, the running backs looked lost. Courtney Osgood and Quentin Hatchette combined for 58 yards. Osgood said: "It was a freaky game. We just didn't get much chances to do any damage. Every time we got the engine roaring, we managed to turn the ball over and give [the Condors] a cake walk to another touchdown."

All concerns in and around Maassluis were aimed at Louie Flannery. Flannery left the game early with a strained calf muscle. At that point, Flannery had completed 4 of 8 passes and was sacked 3 times already. Merchantmen manager M.IJ.B. was angry at his offensive line: "Everybody played like a bucnh of rookies! Except for the one true rookie on the line, it's pretty bad if J.J. Reilly is our best pass protector of the game. I hope 'Indestructable' Ivan is back soon, the line looked like melting chocolate today. They allowed Flannery to get beat up and got him hurt. Freaking unacceptable."

First diagnosis on Flannery is that he'll miss two games. The first being the all-important road game at the Bordeaux Vineyards. The next being a road game at he Orlando Knights. Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said: "Injuries are always badly timed, but this is Flannery's second hit of the season. So far we managed to survive through missing players, but it's starting to look like Flannery is irreplacable. But then, maybe Richard Bell will do his trick as against the Georgia Gridlock and again post a passer rating of 90." He'd better, because a loss to Bordeaux would make the race all open again, while a victory would basically give a three-game advantage to Maassluis.

MIJB#19

06-02-2006, 07:50 AM

General Manager Notes: Speechless
No comment.

We lost. Paris won. Bordeaux lost (thank you Georgia!). Gothenburg slept through the week.

Standings
5-2 Maassluis
4-3 Bordeaux
4-3 Paris
3-4 Gothenburg

I don't usually complain about injuries, but right now it's just a simple fact that we lost due to that more than anything. On defense, everybody seems replacable. Even those who always looked irreplacable (Cody Cluff, Charles Gomez, Lincoln Gilmore) have sat out games that we won. Even won some big time. But when I have to put Ivan Jacques on inactive, I feared the worst. He's the pass protection leader, without him, the line falls apart. It showed, Flannery got sacked 3 times early, left the game hurt and we were done. Final score 28 to zero. Zero. Ugh.

Player of the year race? Do I really need to hand out points? Okay, Omar Gougeon stood out with 1.5 sacks, 2 hurries, 7 tackles and 1 assist. Tai Wayne defended 2 passes and added 3 tackles and 2 assists. Backup defensive end Erwin Baranowski also gets some kudos for breaking up 4 passing plays and adding 2 tackles and 1 assist.

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Omar Gouegeon, Bernie Surry and Tai Wayne 6 points, 6. Bryce Ewald, Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 10. Charles Gomez 4 points, 11. Cary Coles, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 14. Lincoln Gilmore, Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 17. Erwin Baranowski and Richard Bell 1 point.

With Flannery out, I have to think hard about what to do against Bordeaux. Right now, I'm leaning towards a run heavy offense. Especially given the forecast of the weather, as the weather channel says it will be a stormy night in Bordeaux. But then, we're playing Bordeaux, the kings of running over teams. And as we know, we've beaten teams that ran all day. We even beat the Anachronism. But then, with Courtney Osgood and Quentin Hatchette we've got the most productive running back tandem we've ever had. 832 yards combined, 6 touchdown, over 4.4 yards per carry each. We have to use them. Especially with our top receivers Jewell Simpson and Jim Reiser banged up.

On defense, I won't worry anymore. Cody Cluff is back, Lincoln Gilmore is back, Charles Gomez will be rushed into action. Heck, even Myron Stevens is starting again, although that's mainly because Sammie Kennedy is still on the injury lists while Brian Spears is hurt too and hasn't been all impressive so far. Losing Mike Kershner hurts though, because Albert Boggess has been terrible against the pass so far. It'll be a bummer for rookie Eddie Cole, who is one of three defensive players to start every game so far, but we need to reunite Gilmore and Broderick Schultz. He'll get his playing time as a backup though. That kid has great potential.

That reminds me, in seven games time, only six players have started in every single game. Only six. They are running back Courtney Osgood, backup center Brant Heinrich, backup left tackle Louis Bell, defensive tackle Frank bernard (who played one game hurt), linebacker Bernie Surry and third string safety Eddie Cole.

MIJB#19

06-05-2006, 04:00 PM

Merchantmen March On, Beat Bordeaux
The Maassluis Merchantmen came a little bit closer to their third European championship. After a convincing 17-10 victory at the Bordeaux Vineyards, the gap has increased to two games and a superiour divisional record. Richard Bell guided the team to victory in his second start, while Harvey Nimmons finished it in the enclosing minutes. Drama of the day was Brian Spears, who's expected to be out for the remainder of the season.

No Flan', no fun. That's what the fans expected. But things went differently. Richard Bell performed well and connected well with his receivers. Well, mainly with Bryce Ewald, who accounted for 130 yards and the touchdown. But still, Bell completed 14 of 18 passes with 173 yards and a score, marking one of the best passing performances in franchise history.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude got all the eyes opened for a surprising move late in the game. With the Merchantmen leading 10-7, Richard Bell was suddenly pulled and replaced by rookie Harvey Nimmons for the final 10 minutes. Van Der Woude said: "It was a tactical switch. We pulled out the run-a-lot game plan and Harvey was the perfect guy to surprise the Vineyards with some passes."

Despite all the good play, the Merchantmen didn't look so sure to win. The game winning touchdown came in the last minute of the game by a 3-yard run from Quentin Hatchette. Hatchette said: "We trained on this play. The blockers ran their routes and I ran through the hole and scored. I was happy with the score, especially because it was the winning play."

Brian Spears didn't cheer on the winning play. The cornerback badly hurt his rotator cuff and the medical staff fears the worst. He's expected to miss the remainder of the season. Spears was replacing Sammie Kennedy, who got hurt earlier. Whether the Merchantmen will sign a replacement remains to be seen, but early signals are that Myron Stevens and Winford Endicott will move up to right corner and nickel back duties.

MIJB#19

06-06-2006, 05:48 AM

General Manager Notes: Europe Is Ours Again
Dutch Bowl IV, here we come!

Voila, we're at the mid-season point and took a big lead on the rest of Europe. As we beat the Vineyards, the two teams that beat us earlier this season did us a favor. The Conyers Condors improved to 8-0 with a welcome victory over the Paris Musketeers. The Georgia Gridlock handed the Gothenburg Giants their fifth loss of the season.

Standings
6-2 Maassluis
4-4 Bordeaux
4-4 Paris
3-5 Gothenburg

The standigs don't tell you the whole story. The current win total make you believe that the French teams are within 2 games, but due to divisional records (us being 3-0, them having 2 losses each), the gap is a little bit bigger. In fact, I have a strong feeling that head-to-head wins against both French teams will pretty much clinch the division title.

As we managed to upset our own expectations, we improved to 6-2 and tied for second best record in the league. The Ann Arbor Anachronism dropped a game at home against the now 2-7 Springfield Isotopes. The Frederick Red Menace also recorded their second loss of the season in their road game at the Fairbanks NorthStars.

Players of the game? Well, it's not all that hard to identify those who played well, but it's a lot harder to order them from one to five and below. Richard Bell deserves some consideration for his passing game (14 of 18 completed for 9.6 yards per attempt and a crucial touchdown). Bryce Ewald was important with his 6 catches for 130 yards and a score, marking his second 100-game of the season, his first season with two of those. Brant Heinrich posted 3 key run blocks and gets the mentioning for the entire OL.

On defense, Tai Wayne was big again, with no catches allowed, 2 defended passes and 3 tackles and 3 assists. Cody Cluff defended a pass and recorded 5 tackles and 2 assists in his comeback. Omar Gougeon made a crucial sack and added 2 tackles and 1 assist. Lincoln Gilmore was the tackle master again, posting 8 tackles and 1 assist.

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Bryce Ewald and Tai Wayne 11 points, 5. Omar Gougeon 9 points, 6. Bernie Surry 6 points, 7. Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 10. Charles Gomez 4 points, 11. Richard Bell, Cary Coles, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 15. Lincoln Gilmore, Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 18. Erwin Baranowski and Brant Heinrich 1 point.

Next up are the Orlando Knights. Historically, the Knights are the team we have the best results against. For Dutch Bowl IV we're heading across the ocean to show whatwe're worth. The Knights are 5-3 and have a unique combo of two strong running backs and two elite wide receivers. Two of their three losses came in France, meaning this game can be important for tie-breakers. Their victories haven't been impressive, aside from the 29-3 spanking of the Gothenburg Giants three weeks ago. Vegas puts the line at even.

Our main rivals are having home games against 3-5 teams. The Bordeaux Vineyards are hosting the Tucker Tigers. The Paris Musketeers are facing the Gothenburg Giants. I'm not even going to dream of their losses, but they could very well ease things even more. But really, I'd rather see two of our European friends sneak into the playoffs with wild cards than see teams like Syracuse, North Plainfield or Georgia make it.

MIJB#19

06-06-2006, 06:10 AM

Gossip News: Richard Bell Persona-Non-Grata In Maassluis
The alarm bells are ringing again, there's a quarterback controversy coming up. Sure, Louie Flannery is the obvious starter in Maassluis, but after Richard Bell's performance this season as a starter, he's pushing for promotion. But it isn't easy when rookie Harvey Nimmons is stealing playing time. Because why did Nimmons take over for the last ten minutes of the most important regular season game? And where does 'Fumblin' Justin McDavid stand?

A little refresher. Maassluis leadingthe division by one win over Bordeaux. A loss would mean falling to second place based on head-to-head record, a win slashing a huge gap. With Maassluis leading 10-7, it looked like a won game. But then, all of a sudden, Richard Bell is pulled from the field and replaced by rookie Harvey Nimmons. The same Nimmons who completed only 2 of 8 passes, with 1 interception to date.

Aside from Nimmons horrible passer rating of 7.6, the rookie did something better than Richard Bell. We've picked up snippets of discussions between head coach Leroy Van Der Woude and Bell about the pass/run ratio. Apparently the Merchantmen coaching staff wanted Bell to hand the ball off as much ans quickly as he could. But instead Bell decided to pass, and with success. Despite his success, Bell was pulled from the game and humiliated. Nimmons finished the game with over a dozen of hand offs and only four pass attempts.

While management and players were unwilling to respond, our inside sources are giving away a lot. Former Merchantmen quarterback Josh Webb commented on the situation saying: "[The Merchantmen management loves] Nimmons and try anything they can to promote him. If you ask me, it's pretty obvious. Richard (Bell) has too much personality for their taste, they want a robot at quarterback, a guy like Flannery,who has no personality at all."

Webb has been with the Merchantmen for two seasons and three training camps and told us more about the quarterback situation. "Why do you think Justin McDavid is still around? It's a public secret that someone in management had a relationship with McDavid. He's the fanboy, everybody loves him. Don't ask me why, all he can is run with the ball. And sell replica's of outfits."

Last but not least, Webb saw a trend with the intelligence of Merchantmen players: "Bell is too smart. The general manager is afraid of players who are smarter than him. I mean, look at Quentin Malicki, he's one of the smartest guys ever to put on the orange jersey. He played like 10 downs in 2010. I'm afraid Bell will be demoted to a #4 role soon, despite his performance. Correction, because of his performance. It's scary to have two potent quarterbacks. I should know, they didn't release me because I'm from Utah..."

Alf

06-06-2006, 09:36 AM

congrats on the win the the backup QBs Matthijs.

MIJB#19

06-06-2006, 01:52 PM

Brian Spears On Injured Reserve, Tom Richmond Signed
Cornerback Brian Spears' 2011 season is over. Following a ruptured rotator cuff, Spears is diagnosed to be out until February, meaning he wouldn't be fit in time for IHOF Bowl VIII. Spears had been a key player to force turnovers, leading the team with 3 interceptions. In mostly nickelback duties, Spears added 7 defended passes, 22 tackles and 5 assists so far. His roster spot has been given away to newly signed Tom Richmond. The fourth-year pro cornerback played 48 games for the Volunteers, in which he recorded 3 interceptions and 8 defended passes.

MIJB#19

06-07-2006, 10:01 AM

Futility Bowl Update
With Dutch Bowl IV coming up (Orlando versus Maassluis), it might be interesting to figure out the chances on Futility Bowl VIII taking place this season. As you might know, in every season since the IHOF started, the Maassluis Merchantmen faced the Rochester Lake Monsters once. The Lake Monsters lead the series 4-3. And just like in the 2008 season, the rivalry will have to continue in a playoff game. With the current standings, the Lake Monsters would make the playoffs as 5th seeds in the AOC, while the Merchantmen would make it as 3rd or 4th seeds. If the Merchantmen make it as 4th seeds, the wild card round matchup would see a head-to-head, while as 3rd seeds it would require both teams to reach the AOC Championship game. Given the remaining schedules, chances are good both teams will make the playoffs. And given current records, there's a good posibility the two will play head-to-head in the wild card round.

MIJB#19

06-11-2006, 05:17 AM

General Manager Notes: Another Shutout Lose
Blech.

Just when you think the team can win games without Louie Flannery, they get shutout for the second time in four games without him. Okay, technically he did play in the first shutout, but he was carried off the field early in that game with an injury. The closest we came to the end zone was the Orlando 29-yard line. Field goal range you'd say, but not after your quarterback gets sacked on third down at that position. It was our only chance to score and back then the score was still 0-0. Oh well...

The good news is that the Bordeaux Vineyards managed to lose to the Tucker Tigers. Joe Johnson completed only 11 of 21 passes to guide his team to the fifth loss in as many games. Meanwhilst, the Paris Musketeers beat the Gothenburg Giants, despite 3 intercepted passes from E.G. 'The Great' Lumpkin. It does mean Paris is still on our tail and that our week 17 head-to-head game could be the European Championship game.

Standings (in brackets the Euro record)
6-3 (3-0) Maassluis
5-4 (1-2) Paris
4-5 (1-2) Bordeaux
3-6 (1-2) Gothenburg

The good news is that Louie Flannery, Ivan Jacques, Ned Cozart and Sammie Kennedy are back to full health now, while Jim Reiser and Charles Gomez are fit enough to start against the Giants in week 11. A win at home against them would really ease things and I'll admit that I rested the injured star players to have them at full strenght today, is I value all divisional games as double games. Additionally Bordeaux and Paris will play head-to-head in the French capital, meaning one of them will fall to 3-3 in European games. That loser will be stuck with a terrible tie-breaker situation.

In a terrible game on offense, we were forced to punt on every drive except the one where Richard Bell was intercepted, it makes only sense that the offense doesn't get representation in the players of the week, right? Wrong, rookie J.J. Reilly played admirably well with 3 key run blocks, while the sacks were on the other end of the line. He'll be stuck behind Cody Cluff (10 tackles, 5 assists, welcome back!) and Tai Wayne (2 defended passes, 1 catch allowed) though.

Overall GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Tai Wayne 13 points, 4. Bryce Ewald 11 points, 5. Omar Gougeon 9 points, 6. Bernie Surry 6 points, 7. Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 10. Charles Gomez 4 points, 11. Richard Bell, Cody Cluff, Cary Coles, Wally Mattingly and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 16. Lincoln Gilmore, Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 19. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

Reilly is quickly turning into a the surprise of the season on our team. The rookie guard is performing better than former first round pick Butch White and already reached the pass protection skill level of the rest of the line, aside from stud Ivan Jacques. His run blocking isn't all that great, but unlike what our scouting staff said after the draft, Reilly did have potential for growth and he's made progress in that area too. I'm planning to give him the start against Gothenburg over 2005 first rounders White and Brant Heinrich. Not bad for a third round pick, I'd say!

MIJB#19

06-13-2006, 04:55 AM

Merchantmen Fail To Beat Giants
The Maassluis Merchantmen are falling. After a 13-10 loss to the Gothenburg Giants, the team is tied again with the runner up in Europe. Louie Flannery returned to the lineup, but struggled with only 183 yards passing, 1 interception and getting sacked 5 times. And never mind a fumble at the Gothenburg 3-yard line, which should have turned the tide of the game.

"Back to the drawing board," head coach Leroy Van Der Wounde said, "we're still giving the ball away. Maybe we should try to pry Louis Griggs (who recorded both turnovers of the game and 3 sacks) from the Giants." Excuses or not, the Merchantmen gave it away, but big plays from Griggs and a 55-yard field goal by Damien Deming gave the Giants revenge for the loss in week one, when the Giants were arguably the better team.

Louie Flannery returned to the lineup, but had to worry about the pass rush too much and never got the passing game going. Flannery said: "This loss will haunt us for the rest of the season. We pretty much forfeited last week's game and this is what you get for paying no respect to other teams. They beat you and bring you back to earth. We realize that we're not the best team in the league and winning the European division is not going to be a cake walk." Let's hope they can keep that realistic thought.

MIJB#19

06-13-2006, 05:10 AM

General Manager Notes: Earth To Maassluis: Welcome Back!
Yeah, good day to you too.

Okay, they beat us last season, they beat us this season. The Giants have a good team and we clearly underestimated them a bit. Okay, not concerning our personnel, we played everyone able to walk, unlike the game against the Orlando Kinghts a week ago. That said, this loss will count, because it will make the week 17 game so much more important now. That game is against the Paris Musketeers and guess what, they beat the Bordeaux Vineyars and moved back into contention for the division.

Standings:
6-4 (3-1) Maassluis
6-4 (2-2) Paris
4-6 (2-2) Gothenburg
4-6 (1-3) Bordeaux

Wally Mattingly, Cody Cluff and Lincoln Gilmore were my players of the game. Leading to the following GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Tai Wayne 13 points, 4. Bryce Ewald 11 points, 5. Omar Gougeon 9 points, 6. Wally Mattingly and Bernie Surry 6 points, 8. Cody Cluff, Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 12. Charles Gomez 4 points, 13. Richard Bell, Cary Coles, Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 17. Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 19. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

Upcoming is the so-called easy part of the schedule, leading up to the grand European finale versus Paris. First we visit the RayCo Raiders (3-7) and Fort Worth Fury (3-6-1) who both field a young talented quarterback. We don't fear them much, but we're no longer in a position to think any game is in the pocket before it's played. The Minnesota Miners (3-6-1) lack a good quarterback, but their defense is a typical bend-but-don't-break unit. Then the Bordeaux Vineyards (4-6) will visit us, followed by the Muscatine Mosquitoes (4-6), which team has some young quarterback and wide receivers, but they are getting better by the week. And after those five games, we fly to Paris for what could be the all-decisive game for the 2011 European Championship.

But before we get there, we have to beat the RayCo Raiders. We got the better team and should be able to matchup well with them. But qith quarterback Brady Holmes you never know what he'll do, he can tear apart any secondary at will. The Paris Musketeers are visiting the Ann Arbor Anachronism (8-2), which could result in Paris' fifth loss in six road games so far. Gothenburg and Bordeaux host Minnesota and Muscatine respectively, so both teams could move up to 5-6 and a little bit closer to the real divison title race. In this division anything can happen, so I'm not counting them out yet.

Kodos

06-15-2006, 05:40 PM

We'll try to knock Paris down a notch for you on Monday. In the interest of the Futility Bowl.

MIJB#19

06-16-2006, 04:55 PM

We'll try to knock Paris down a notch for you on Monday. In the interest of the Futility Bowl.Good plan!

And I'll try to update my dynasty report somewhere in the next 9 days of IHOF vacation time. These weddings, football games on tv and beach volleyball tournaments make a slacker out of me. No wait, I was that before I started this thing already.

MIJB#19

06-26-2006, 08:38 AM

General Manager Notes: Another Loss...
At least we're still leading the division.

Following a 20-10 loss at the RayCo Raiders, I'm really wondering what can be done to fix this team. The offense is just incapable to win games, it's all depending on the defense. And usually the special teams unit helps out, but after allowing a blocked punt recovery in our endzone, it's clear that we can't always rely on them either. We still choked a 10-7 lead, after the Raiders star quarterback Brady Holmes was substitued due to injury. Louie Flannery even returned to old habits with 3 interceptions, almost doubling his season total.

Behind us, the Paris Musketeers aren't really showing their desire to win the division. When they get a chance to catch up, they lose as well. Granted, the Ann Arbor Anachronism are becoming a juggernaut this season, but two fourth quarter touchdowns cost them a 20-10 lead and they even failed to force an overtime. But in contrast, the Bordeaux Vineyards and Gothenburg Giants did win and the division is turning into a coin flip division.

Standings:
6-5 (3-1) Maassluis
6-5 (2-2) Paris
5-6 (2-2) Gothenburg
5-6 (1-3) Bordeaux

Next up for us is a game against the Fort Worth Fury. Sure, they are 3-7-1, but they have a dangerous quarterback in Jared Brimberry, who broke the single game touchdown passes record already this season and leads the league in scoring passes. Their defense is similair to ours, using a zone defense system and leaning on a strong defensive line, including a familiar name in Harold Wells, ex-Merchantmen and potential future Hall of Famer.

Player of the year race? Albert Boggess, Charles Gomez and Bryce Ewald played well enough to get some points, creating the following GM player of the year standings: 1. Louie Flannery 15 points, 2. Courtney Osgood 14 points, 3. Tai Wayne 13 points, 4. Bryce Ewald 12 points, 5. Omar Gougeon 9 points, 6. Charles Gomez, Wally Mattingly and Bernie Surry 6 points, 9. Cody Cluff, Sammie Kennedy, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 13. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess, Cary Coles, Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 18. Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 20. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

I really don't have much else to report right now, we got to get back into winning football after the streak of three consecutive losses. Our schedule looks easy on paper, but you can never write a game down as a victory before it's played. We had a good start, but need to keep working on our play to hold that division lead so we can claim our third European title in week 17 of this season. Futility Bowl VIII and other potential playoff matchups will be for later, it's way too early to worry about could-be games.

MIJB#19

06-27-2006, 06:41 AM

Merchantmen End Losing Streak
Things are all good again in Maassluis. With a 21-7 victory at the Fort Worth Fury, a three-game losing streak was snapped. With a dominant victory, the orange-white-and-blue turned the tide and resumed sailing into the right direction. But despite the good showing, there's much room for improvement.

Louie Flannery looked back. The popular quarterback completed 27 of 39 passes for 298 yards and threw a touchdown without interceptions. Flannery said: "I thought I would miss Jewell Simpson's big play abilty, but Jesse (Vielma) picked it up well, while (Jim) Reiser and (Bryce) Ewald gave me more than enough passing options."

Despite Flannery's solid passing game, the offensive line struggled to protect him as he was sacked 7 times. The Merchantmen moved into a huge lead in sacks allowed with 42 sacks in 12 games, versus number two at 32 sacks. Flannery alone has been sacked 32 times this season, resulting in several minor injuries. Flannery said: "Ivan Jacques has been fighting with injuries all season. He's crucial, without him, the line misses experience."

Running back Courtney Osgood got more protection from the line. With a stellar 155 yards on the ground, Osgood set a new personal record and came only 2 yards short to tie the franchse record. Osgood said: "I had a good day. I had a couple of big runs, which is always cool and of course helps improve your numbers. Things are starting to click." Osgood was given a greater percentage of the carries and paid back with a good showing.

Most notable for the big win was the defense. That unit played a tremendous game, allowing only 11 yards rushing and holding Jared Brimberry to only 16 completed passes on 43 passing plays. Especially cornerbacks Tai Wayne and Sammie Kennedy were praised after they combined for 5 defended passes and holding the wide receivers duo Blades-Evans to just 2 catches.

Following results elsewhere, the Merchantmen slightly improved their lead in the division title race. Upcoming is another road game, this time at the 4-7-1 Minnesota Miners. With 16 point per game, they rank third from the bottom in scoring, but they field a stout defense and should be a dangerous trap game for the oft-struggling Merchantmen offense.

MIJB#19

06-27-2006, 07:16 AM

General Manager Notes: Alone At The Top Again
But it's still a four-horse race.

Telluride. In my upmost excitement to see my team win again, I insulted the Fort Worth Fury by calling them Telluride. Granted, they play in the same division and they are battling it out for the #1 draft pick, but confusing one team for another is a dumb mistake. Imagine someone mistaken us for the Paris Musketeers, wouldn't that be weird?

Talking of Paris, they are starting to choke again. With a 16-13 loss to the Rochester Lake Monsters, they're no longer level in wins with us. The worst news of the day was about their quarterback Edmundo Lumpkin. He severly hurt his shoulder and is diagnosed out for the remainder of the regular season. Byebye Paris?

Even if this would hurt Paris big time, the division is still a four-horse race. After the Bordeaux Vineyards (27-17 at the San Antonio Volunteers) and Gothenburg Giants (13-6 against the Boston Rhinos) posted impressive wins, all teams are within a single victory. We actually spoiled the possibility to have all four teams tied at 6-6!

Standings:
7-5 (3-1) Maassluis
6-6 (2-2) Paris
6-6 (2-2) Gothenburg
6-6 (1-3) Bordeaux

Paris holds second place on head-to-head-to-head tie-breakers with a 2-1 record, while Gothenburg ranks third due to a 1-0 record versus Bordeaux. Still, anything is still possible in this division. It's going to be a close race and the division winner will be at least 9-7, I'm sure about that.

As we visit the Minnesota Miners next week, we know the lead is on the line again. Sure, if we lose, we still have the tie-breakers, but I'd rather have us clinch the division as quickly as possible. Just like the Ann Arbor Anachronism, who clinched theirs in week 11. They are the Bordeaux Vineyards' opponents next week. The Gothenburg Giants wil lwelcome home Duane Davis, who recently signed with the RayCo Raiders. The Paris Musketeers hope to stay in the race with a win over the Muscatine Mosquitoes.

In the player of the year race I had another moment of tough decissions to make. Everytime we lose it's hard to even make a top three, but when we win, there always seem to be more than five guys worthy of points. Courtney Osgood has to be in it after he ran for 155 yards. Louie Flannery has to be too after his 298 yards passing game. Omar Gougeon posted 2 sacks, 2 hurried passes and 4 tackles. Tai Wayne defended 3 passes while Sammie Kennedy defended 2 passes.

GM player of the year standings: 1. Courtney Osgood 19 points, 2. Louie Flannery and Tai Wayne 16 points, 4. Omar Gougeon 13 points, 5. Bryce Ewald 12 points, 6. Sammie Kennedy 7 points, 7. Charles Gomez, Wally Mattingly and Bernie Surry 6 points, 10. Cody Cluff, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 13. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess, Cary Coles, Lincoln Gilmore and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 18. Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 20. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

Last but not least, according to the scouting staff, rookie guard J.J. Reilly has almost fully developed. With 11 key run blocks he's helping out, but with 6 sacks allowed, he's doing as bad as the rest of the line. That said, the scouting staff ranks him second on the team in pass protection abilty. And result of Reilly's progress is a disgruntled Butch White, our former first round pick. Additionally our right tackle Cornelius Rice isn't happy with backing up Louis Bell, while Daniel Decastro wants more than just mentoring Reilly. Let's hope a division championship will make they stop complaining.

Kodos

06-28-2006, 12:19 AM

You're welcome. :)

MIJB#19

06-28-2006, 04:23 PM

You're welcome. :)Thanks again! Now go make sure to get that #5 seed so you can keep that promise to lose Futiltiy Bowl VIII this season.:cool:

albionmoonlight

06-29-2006, 12:53 PM

Congrats on bringing my man Courtney Osgood his first 1,000 yard season.

MIJB#19

06-30-2006, 08:08 AM

Merchantmen Win As Osgood Runs Over Minnesota
The Maassluis Merchantmen continue their journey to a thrid European Championship. With a 23-15 victory at the Minnesota Miners, the Merchantmen improved to 8-5 and remain untied division leaders. Courtney Osgood set a new franchise record as he ran for 188 yards against the Miners. Scoring went to two connections between Louie Flannnery to Bryce Ewald, while Cary Coles converted three short field goals.

"A great showing" Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude said, "we knew Osgood could be a good one, but didn't expect him to be this good. He's been a great weapon for our offense the last two games." Osgood was happy about his showing and additionally clinched his first 1,000-yard season as he moved up to eleventh in the league with 1,046 yards. Osgood said: "If we keep this up, maybe we can clinch that division crown next week against Bordeaux. I'd love to be part of getting deep into the playoffs with this team." Osgood has one championship ring as a member of the 2008 Fairbanks NorthStars team.

Despite Osgood's great running, it was the defense once again that set up the victory. While wininng the turnover battle 5-1, the Merchantmen offense didn't have to work hard to score points. With 2 interceptions, safety Lincoln Gilmore made the lionshear of the takeaways. Cody Cluff and Broderick Schultz added an interception each, while Myron Stevens recovered a fumble.

But the defense did more. While allowing 42 yards rushing for a 2.6 yards average, the pass rushers broke up 10 of 43 passing plays and the pass defense added 6 defended passes to the 4 interceptions. Defensive tackle Charles Gomez said: "A stellar performance by everyone. Maybe the Miners don't field a strong offense, but we were focussed and want to prove week in week out we are the best defense in the league."

Upcoming are crucial games against the Bordeaux Vineyards and the Paris Musketeers. The Vineyards visit Maassluis next week, while the Musketeers will host the Merchantmen in week 17. In between, the Merchantmen will play host to the Muscatine Mosquitoes, but the division title will be determined in the games against the French teams. But general manager MIJB asured the fans: "We won't rest our stars in week 16, we're still aiming for a bye week in the playoffs and we need to go 3-0 to manage that."

MIJB#19

06-30-2006, 09:50 AM

General Manager Notes: All Hail To Courtney Osgood
Poor Randy Harris.

It was a record breaking day in the IHOF again. Retired legend Randy Harris must have had mixed feelings watching the games. First, Anaheim's Gerald Harris forever became THE Harris, as he broke through the 10,000 mark rushing. And at the end of the day, the single-game rushing record for the Maassluis Merchantmen switched ownership. Randy out, Courtney Osgood in.

Thansk to our victory our division title chances are getting bigger. The Bordeaux Vineyards stayed one win behind us with a 17-7 over the Ann Arbor Anachronism (9-4). The Paris Musketeers struggled without Edmundo Lumpkin at quarterback and lost 21-16. The Gothenburg Giants lost 28-10 at home in an amazing game. The RayCo Raiders fielder Giants' legend Duane Davis at quarterback, and despite Davis' struggling offense, two defensive touchdowns helped the Raiders go from 10-0 down to a victory.

Standings:
8-5 (3-1) Maassluis
7-6 (1-3) Bordeaux
6-7 (2-2) Paris
6-7 (2-2) Gothenburg

Next up comes a crucial week. As we host the Bordeaux Vineyards, we can actually clinch the division. With a victory, we do our share of the deal, but we will still need some help. As always, the Gothenburg Giants have to win to save our season, as the Giants have the weaker tie-breakers and can eliminate the Paris Musketeers, who have winning tie-breakers over us. An exciting weekend, but we're going for it. Still, since we are technically still in the race for homefield advantage or a bye, we're going to try to go 3-0.

Elswhere in the league, things are pretty close. The top five teams in the Atlantic Ocean Conference all show a 9-4 record going into week 15. Some of them beat us already, meaning our hopes for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs are very dim. Getting a bye will be hard enough already, but we'll try as long as we're not too injured and in the race for that. A wild card is out of the options already, I think, unless the Tucker Tigers manage to finish second in the Southeast division. Granted, at 10-6 we should still be able to make it, but with so many 9-5 teams, the wild card will likely go to 11-5 teams.

Over in the North American Conference things are closing down to six teams already. A bunch of teams have already been eliminated, while two teams clinched a playoff ticket through a division title, being the Ann Arbor Anachronism and Fairbanks NorthStars. The Frederick Red Menace, Outer Banks Ospreys and Asheville Axemen should follow shortly, while the Williamsburg Colonials and Chesapeake Chitterlings will likely fight it out for the last wild card in their week 17 clash.

Merchantmen player of the year race? What do you think? Cortney Osgood is undeniable with his 188 yards rushing as the top points receiver. Behind him, Lincoln Gilmore (2 interceptions), Wally Mattingly (4 hurried passes), Cody Cluff (5 tackles, 1 interception), Ivan Jacques (4 key run blocks) and Cary Coles (3 field goals, 2 extra points) get my "kudos".

GM player of the year standings: 1. Courtney Osgood 24 points, 2. Louie Flannery and Tai Wayne 16 points, 4. Omar Gougeon 13 points, 5. Bryce Ewald 12 points, 6. Cody Cluff, Sammie Kennedy and Lincoln Gilmore 7 points, 9. Charles Gomez, Wally Mattingly and Bernie Surry 6 points, 12. Cary Coles, Timothy Lacy and Jewell Simpson 5 points, 15. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess, Ivan Jaqcues and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 19. Jim Reiser and Brian Spears 2 points, 21. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

MIJB#19

07-09-2006, 06:28 AM

Merchantmen Claim Third Division Title
Following a thrilling 18-17 win over the Muscatine Mosquitoes, the Maassluis Merchantmen clinched their third European Division title in five years. Kicker Cary Coles converted a 50-yard field goal in the last minute to edge his team past the opponents. The win followed on a hard fought 17-12 win over the Bordeaux Vineyards a week earlier.

Head Coach Leroy Van Der Woude was very pleased: "We did it again! It feels good to be back in charge of the European continent. We've still got trouble scoring touchdowns, but the defense is amazing and pulls us through week in, week out. We're ready for the playoffs and still hope for that bye week."

Courtney Osgood was regarded the big guy once again, running for 135 yards against in Oranje Haven. Osgood recorded his seventh 100-yard game of the season and is on pace to break the Merchantmen singel-season rushing record. Osgood did record his first fumble of the season, saying: "It was a freak play. Good thing (Arnold) Ramirez was on it and bailed me out."

Louie Flannery got hurt for the fourth time. Pretty early in the game he sprained the thumb of his hand, but he played through the pain. Flannery said: "It didn't look all too bad, so I played on. The pain is there right now, but we've got another week until the playoffs start." Flannery is expected to sit the last game of the regular season against the Paris Musketeers, despite the team figthing for a bye in the playoffs. Flannery: "It's not within our power to make the Vicksburg Vipers lose. We're expecting a third seed and a home game in the wild card round.

MIJB#19

07-09-2006, 07:39 AM

General Manager Notes: The Best Of Europe
Another division title!

We're back at it. The die-hard IHOF fans will remember the amazing 2007 season, when we turned from a .500 team into a 13-3 juggernaut and reached the AOC Conference final. After that, we played .500 ball again for three years. Sure, we won the European crown in 2008 again, but we really eaked into victory, needing the Gothenburg Giants to bail us out by beating the Bordeaux Vineyards. This time around, the Paris Musketeers fell short in December and we took advantage, claiming the division back.

The division itself got less interesting after week 15. As we beat the Bordeaux Vineyards, the gap was two games to all of the rest. The Paris Musketeers won two in a row, but came short afterall. The Gothenburg Giants managed to upset the 10-5 Ann Arbor Anachronism and could end up at 8-8. The Vineyards have gone into youth development mode after falling short for the division crown and hope to set an interesting feat: having two 1,000-yard rushers.

Standings
10-5 Maassluis
_8-7 Paris
_7-8 Gothenburg
_7-8 Bordeaux

For the final European standings, not much can happen anymore. Maassluis clinched first place, Paris clinched second place. The Gothenburg-Bordeaux winner takes third place, knowing that a tie game will keep Gothenburg at third. Nope, the division outlook isn't interesting anymore, it's the playoffs we are looking at now.

In the Atlantic Ocean Conference the six contenders are known now. The Georgia Gridlock, Vicksburg Vipers, Syracuse Mohawks, Conyers Condors and Rochester Lake Monsters are the five teams we will have to beat. Well, two or three of them. With all at 10-5, aside from the 11-4 Gridlock, it's a close race for the seeding procedure. We can finish second at best and need a win and a Vicksburg loss to get there. Conyers and Georgia still fight for the division crown, with the head-to-head winner taking it. Syracuse and Rochester don't play head-to-head, but the division title is still on the line, with a potential bye luring if Vicksburg and Maassluis lose.

The current setup of things matches up with the Rochester Lake Monsters. Yes, unlike the expectations, Futility Bowl VIII is around the corner and we're destined to play at home again. This game would be the perfect pay back for the 2008 loss in our house and a win would tie the series at 4-4. Again, if this game will be scheduled in one of the playoffs rounds, it will continue the league's strongest inter-divisional rivalry of the IHOF. Well, maybe not the strongest, but it's been a real rivalry and one of few inter-divisional games played every season so far. And a 2012 edition has already been scheduled due to the Europe-Northeast divisions clash.

With two games to report from, the player of the year race needs some updating. I'll start with the stars of the game against te Bordeaux Vineyards. Jewell Simpson had 5 catches for 92 yards and 2 scores to get some serious consideration. Louie Flannery shined as he completed 20 of 33 passes for 199 yards and 2 scores. Ivan Jacques had 4 key run blocks and guided his line to 0 sacks allowed. Charles Gomez made the team's only sack and added 2 hurries, 6 tackles ans 2 assists. Lincoln Gilmore defended a pass and lead the team with 7 tackles.

In the game against the Muscatine Mosquitoes it was Courtney Is-so-good again. Running for 135 yards and a 9.6 yard average, he deserves the kudos. Bryce Ewald saved the game with a couple of big catches, including a 43-yard one, adding up to 71 yards on 3 catches and recovering a team fumble. Cary Coles converted 4 field goals, including the game winning 50-yarder. Cody Cluff was back to his old form with 12 tackles and 2 assists. Cornelius Rice returned in the lineup and paid back with 4 key run blocks and no sacks allowed.

GM player of the year standings: 1. Courtney Osgood 29 points, 2. Louie Flannery 20 points, 3. Tai Wayne 16 points, 4. Bryce Ewald and Omar Gougeon 13 points, 6. Cody Cluff and Jewell Simpson 10 points, 8. Cary Coles 9 points, 9. Lincoln Gilmore and Charles Gomez 8 points, 11. Sammie Kennedy 7 points, 12. Ivan Jaqcues, Wally Mattingly and Bernie Surry 6 points, 15. Timothy Lacy 5 points, 16. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess and Broderick Schultz 3 points, 19. Jim Reiser, Cornelius Rice and Brian Spears 2 points, 22. Erwin Baranowski, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.

With the team performance going well, it's time to look a bit at statistics. We're currently ranking as the league's top defense in least yeards allowed. With a gap of over 100 yards to the second ranked team, it looks like a secured title. But we want more, we want to finish the season first in least points allowed as well, which will require a shutout of Paris and a high scoring game for the teams in front of us.

On the personal front, our team is looking good too. People are pushing Courtney Osgood for the Breakthrough Player of the Year Award. Well, maybe he is a good candidates, but I'm not 100% convinced. Personally, I'm more impressed by Tai Wayne, who ranks second in the league with 21 defended passes, while allowing only 24 catches. His only interception endedup in a 68-yard return for a touchdown. Additionally, Cary Coles has converted 29 of 29 field goals. But after missing a second extra point he might be a bit less of a good candidate for a Special Teams Player of the Year award. But, you never know. Let's try to keep teamspirit high, win against Paris with some backups and see how far we can get this season.

MIJB#19

07-12-2006, 04:31 AM

Merchantmen Beat Paris, Miss Bye
The Maassluis Merchantmen are ready for the playoffs. With a convincing 23-13 victory over the Paris Musketeers, the Merchantmen extended their winning streak to five games. No serious injuries occured, meaning the team is relative healthy going into the wild card round. But it won't be easy, playing host to the IHOF champions, the Syracuse Mohawks.

Louie Flannery was a surprise in the starting lineup against Paris. In preperation for the game, Richard Bell was expected to start due to Flannery's sprained thumb. Flannery said: "In the end the doctors said it looked good. We really hoped to get a bye week in the playoffs and we needed to win this game." Leading 10-6, Flannery was replaced by Bell for the fourth quarter.

Courtney Osgood had a bit of an off day. Following a couple of big 100-yard games, the Musketeers defense held Osgood to 48 yards. All in all, it couldn't prevent him from breaking the 1,300-yard mark, but did keep him 5 yards shy of tying Randy Harris' franchise record. Osgood said: "I didn't think about that record. I mean, Harris is a legend in Maassluis, I can only hope to become as popular as him."

The Merchantmen defense completed their wanted feat. They had their seventh game in a row of holding the opponents to below 300 yards total offense. With 177 yards allowed today, it added up to enough to end the season with 284 yards allowed per game and in first place in the IHOF. They were 16 yards better than the second ranked defense, the Gothenburg Giants.

Upcoming is a very tough mission. The Merchantmen will play at home, but their opponents are the Syracuse Mohawks. Last season, following a late season rally, the Mohawks sneaked into the division title and fared all the way to the league title. In 2011 they lost the division on the last weekend of the regular season to the Rochester Lake Monsters. But as defending champs, the Mohawks are probably the toughest team one would have to play. And with that team pretty much fully healthy, chances to win look slim.

MIJB#19

07-12-2006, 05:07 AM

General Manager Notes: Syracuse It Is
Down with the champs!

What a disaster. Nobody expected this to happen. No, wait, I'm not talking about the Paris game. We won that game with once again an impressive defensive performance. Nope, our team looks ready, despite that Flannery and his receivers are ranked last in the league in yards per pass attempt and yards per completion. And I'm not talking about Cary Coles' first missed field goal of the season, meaning he won't go down as the IHOF's first perect field goal kicking season. A streak of 41 consecutive scored field goals ended today, dating back to week 11 of the 2010 season.

Nope, I'm talking about our first playoff game. We knew we'd be playing at home, but our hopes were on the Rochester Lake Monsters. With them, we'd get a fun team to play and about a 50-50 chance to advance. Then, we were also hoping for a bye, but needed the Telluride Outlaws to upset the Vicksburg Vipers. That didn't happen.

So, Syracuse it is then. The 2010 IHOF champions. Our chances to win look very slim, given the history of the league. To date, only one defending champion failed to reach the playoffs, but all other defending champs managed to return to the conference final. Well, take a look, we're still two rounds away from that game, we need to end a league trend to make it.

In return, we have a league trend to defend. Since the Rochester Lake Monsters won their division (congrats!), they managed to get the fourth seeds position. And that means that Futility Bowl VIII will have to wait for the Atlantic Ocean Conference final, or the 2012 refular season. We'd love to keep the annuality of the rivalry alive, and I bet they do too, but I don't think either of us expect it to continue.

Final European standings? It has been a weird season, to say the least. Bordeaux and Maassluis took the early lead with 4-0 starts. But as Bordeaux collapsed into a six-game losing streak and Maassluis struggled through injuries, Paris moved into the challengers role, right behind Maassluis. Gothenburg had a strong season finish, but in the end Maassluis stayed strong and managed to hold the division lead from the first week to the last.

Standings
11-5 Maassluis
_8-8 Paris
_8-8 Gothenburg
_7-9 Bordeaux

Maassluis claims their third division title. Paris claims their third second place, their second in a row. Gothenburg had only two worse seasons before, being last season's fourth place and the 2004 campaign, when they finished third with a 6-10 record. Bordeaux had a historical low season. Their record was better than in 2007, when they finished 6-10, but never before were they last in Europe.

Looking around in the playoffs, the names of the division winners see a remarkable trend. In the North American Conference, all four 2010 division winners managed to repeat. The Ann Arbor Anachronism, Fairbanks NorthStars, Frederick Red Manace and Outer Banks Ospreys all kept their title. Over in the AOC, all four defending division champs failed to repeat. The Georgia Gridlock, Rochester Lake Monsters and Vicksburg Vipers all claimed their first division title. How's that: Maassluis has as many division titles as the three other AOC division winners combined!

That said, there is no doubt that it will be an exciting playoffs race. It could be any team's title in the AOC as all six playoff contenders look pretty equal and every single one of them stands out in some area of football. Georgia and Vicksburg took the bye weeks, meaning Maassluis host Syracuse and Rochester hosts the Conyers Condors. A winning Maassluis will play at Vicksburg, a winning Syracuse at Georgia. The other wild card round winner will play the other bye week team.

Over in the NAC, the wild cards went to the Williamsburg Colonials and the Asheville Axemen. With Frederick and Ann Arbor as the top seeds, it will be Williamsburg at Fairbanks and an Atlantic Coast Division clash in game between Outer Banks and Asheville. If Outer Banks win, they play at Ann Arbor, if Asheville wins, they play at Frederick. The other winner will play the other higher seed.

Also note that every team with a winning record went into the playoffs this season, it's the first time to happen in the IHOF. Also for the first time is the feat that the eigh teams with the best records all won a division title. Oh, and the North Plainfield Plague missed the playoffs for the first time, meaning from here on no team made it into the post-season in every IHOF season. Also, no IHOF team managed to have a winning record in every season so far.

Oh, the GM Player of the Year race. Against Paris it was an all-defense day. Wally Mattingly receiver player of the game honors with 1.5 sacks, a blocked pass, a hurried pass and a team best 5 tackles. Terrance White recorded 4 tackles, 2 defended passes and 1 sack, which is very good for a backup player. Cody Cluff returned an interception 11 yars for a touchdown, on top of his 4 tackles and 4 assists. Frank Bernard added 2 tackles and 3 assists to his 1 sack and 2 quarterback hurries. But my star of the game was Tai Wayne, who had 3 defended passes, no catches allowed and supported with 2 assists.

GM player of the year standings: 1. Courtney Osgood 29 points, 2. Tai Wayne 21 points, 3. Louie Flannery 20 points, 4. Cody Cluff 14 points, 5. Bryce Ewald and Omar Gougeon 13 points, 7. Jewell Simpson 10 points, 8. Cary Coles 9 points, 9. Lincoln Gilmore, Charles Gomez and Wally Mattingly 8 points, 12. Sammie Kennedy 7 points, 13. Ivan Jaqcues and Bernie Surry 6 points, 15. Timothy Lacy 5 points, 16. Richard Bell, Albert Boggess, Broderick Schultz and Terrance White 3 points, 20. Jim Reiser, Cornelius Rice and Brian Spears 2 points, 23. Erwin Baranowski, Frank Bernard, Brant Heinrich and J.J. Reilly 1 point.