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The Bill Gates Challenge, Part V: Big Trouble In Little Texas...
"What the hell is this, Bill?!?" I demanded, tossing the morning edition of the USA Today onto his desk.
"Calm down," he told me. "This is nothing to get all worked up about." I took back the sports section and read Bibi Gunn's headline to Bill: "'Kodos To Be Shipped Back to Rigel IV?' Now how could I possibly find that to be upsetting?" "Kodos, I don't know where she got that from..." "Is that so? Well then how come Mr. White, our friendly janitor, told me he saw our heroine Miss Gunn going into your office last night after I left?" "You're going to believe anything that Danny White told you?" "Just tell me if it's true." Bill sighed. "Okay, Kodos, as a matter of fact, I did talk to Bibi last night, but you're blowing this all out of proportion." "Am I? She says here that you will fire me if we don't start turning a profit within 5 years, or if our total losses exceed $9.2 billion dollars. Bill, we've already lost just under $9 billion! That leaves me with a little over $220 million dollars to work with!" "Kodos, listen. I've been letting you do your thing without interference for 14 years now, and in that time you've cost me almost $9 billion dollars. Do you realize how foolish that makes me look to my friends?" "Bill, you're the one who decided it would be a good idea to spend $6.6 billion to rename Waco! I think that name would have been perfect for you just as it was!" "Let's not get into who's to blame, all right? Look, I know I told you not to worry about money at the start; that's why I'm giving you a chance to right the ship instead of firing you right now. You aliens are good at the whole conquering thing, but you seem to have absolutely no clue when it comes to finances." "I'm sorry, Bill, but I thought Mr. Moneybags didn't care about the money. I must have been mistaken in thinking that you just wanted your petty little revenge and that you wanted me to go to any lengths to get it! In case you haven't noticed, we lose around $160 million a year here. We have a puny stadium that we can't even come close to filling because we are in the middle of B.F.E.! Where do you expect this extra income to come from? Hey, I know! Maybe we built the stadium on top of an oil well! I saw some big oil spots on the parking lot walking in this morning!" "Maybe you should look into cutting costs somehow." "Or maybe I'll be able to find a nice coupon in the paper!... Nope! -- I guess that section must have fallen out in my rush to come wish you a good morning! Well, that's Kodos the moron for you: He's always screwin' up somehow!" "Look Kodos, I know you're pissed off right now, so here's the bottom line in all of this: I need you to turn this franchise into a profitable operation. Since you're my friend and I'm a reasonable man, I am giving you 5 years or $220 million in leeway to accomplish that goal. Now if you don't mind, I have a meeting that should have started 5 minutes ago. You can come on in guys. Me and Kodos are done here." "You bet your fat hairy ass we are," I muttered as I left. ========= Thus began the offseason following our first Super Bowl victory. With a good mind to quit on the spot, I began Part Five of The Bill Gates Challenge: Big Trouble In Little Texas... :mad: |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Jeez, who put the stick up Bill's butt? He wins one Super Bowl, and all of of sudden he wants to make more money? You fix 'em, Kodos! You can do it! Watch out for Bibi though. She's nothing but trouble! |
If you are a newbie to the Challenge, you may want to check out the previous installments of The Bill Gates Challenge! before reading Part V. And if you like happy endings, you might want to stop right here... :(
Part I: In The Beginning... Part II: Don't Mess With Texas! Part III: A New Hope Part IV: The Lords Of The Rings? |
Our 2013 Financial Performance: A Case Study In How To Lose Gobs And Gobs Of Money
Here's how we managed to lose $131,510,000 last year, broken down in gory detail below. I should warn you upfront, it's not a pretty sight. But it should give you a good idea of what I am now up against. Bill is definitely cramming all the "Challenge" he can into this thing. Why I am staying, I don't quite know. I guess after investing 14 years of my life into this, I would like to see it through to fruition.
Looking at these figures, it's obvious that we will have to go with a cheaper coach and a cheaper scout. Coach Gibson and lead scout Cory Wells are great at what they do, but we have been paying through the nose to keep them. Of course, Coach G is now on the free market and he looks to be way out of our new, more humble price range. Cory is still under contract, but he will almost certainly have to go too. Obviously, the best thing for our team from a pure football perspective would be to keep these guys in place (especially if we would like to repeat as champions), but financially, that would be tantamount to suicide for me. I now have just a $220,800,000 margin of error to work with. In other words, if I continue to lose money at the current rate, I will be out as GM of the Silicon Pirates just in 2 years. :( This just sucks. I tell ya, after a decade-and-a-half, you think you know somebody... :mad: |
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P.S. - Blitz, to misquote my old friend "Super Nintendo" Chalmers, "The stick up that man's butt has a stick up its butt." :D I guess it's a good sign if I can laugh about this... |
Originally posted by DataKing:
I guess this solves your little dilemma about re-signing those high-priced starters whose contracts come up during this off-season and next. Oh yeah, somebody remind me to pelt Bill with peanuts the next time I am down in Gatesville to catch a game. |
Originally posted by Alf:
Why is it you chose 9.2 billion and not 10. That would be a more rounded and/or pretty good number. |
Unfortunately, I didn't have any say in the number. That was Billy's choice.
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Originally posted by Stan G:
Good to see that the USA Today is still around. Guess the Al Quida didn't win their holy war. Why doesn't Bill G help you out by selling Windows NG (next generation) at a super discount to season ticket holders? |
Bill doesn't seem to be inclined to help me out right now. Maybe the Super Bowl victory has gone to his head, but he wants me to start making some cash, and he doesn't want to help me do it. So, I will have to cut expenses where I can and hope for the best. I may only have a couple years left if I can't turn these finances around...
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Originally posted by jfbbis:
I lost track of time : can you build a new stadium (one with luxury boxes) ? Maybe it would help... |
Not until 2022, alas. I would love to build a new stadium, but we can't even sell out what we already have, so maybe it wouldn't be that great anyway.
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Bring In The Scabs...
In an effort to cut our expenses down to a more manageable size in 2014, and perhaps in the process save my worthless job, I opted not to even bothering trying to re-hire Coach Jerry Gibson, who was way out of my new price range. Coach G ended up signing a 2-year deal with the Bills worth $12.62 million per season. Newcomer Irv Saxon signed a 5-year, $3.2 million per season deal with us. This little move should save us somewhere in the neighborhood of $47.6 million this year when compared to last year, if my calculations hold up. Comparing The Coaches: After a painful search for a new coach, it was out with the old (Jerry Gibson), and in with the new (Irv Saxon). While Irv's credentials are admittedly a bit less impressive than Jerry's, you should keep in mind that Irv is a year younger than Jerry and he will probably be able to make up the difference in one year's time. :rolleyes:
Comparing The Scouts: Send In The Clown? The switch to a new scout actually proved to be the more painful downgrade of the two that I was forced to make. Cory signed a 3-year deal with Green Bay worth $1 million per season, while I signed Randall Parra to a 4-year deal worth a relatively paltry $330,000 per season. This should end up saving us somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million when compared to our 2013 season. As I would soon find out, though, Parra was a huge mistake for us... :(
These two moves should cut our 2014 expenses down by approximately $78 million. However, even after that, we should lose somewhere around $54 million in 2014, unless we can find a way to increase our revenues through increased ticket sales or something. Right now, it is really hard to see how I can make this team profitable by the end of the 2018 season. On the other hand, if I do in fact lose the projected $54 million a year each of the next 4 seasons, I'll be almost gone after the 2017 season (with just $4 million to spare). To quote Goose from Top Gun: "This is not good! This is not good!!!" :eek: |
Originally posted by cthomer5000:
hey, you are super bowl champs...so here's some advice: Can you say Personal Seat License? And jack up the prices on luxury boxes/club seats BIG time. Corey |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Ew, that "poor" on young talent has got to hurt for old Irv there. And your scout is pretty much a crap shoot, I would think. This should be an interesting season! Good luck! Nice twist you've added! |
cthomer: One small problem. No luxury boxes. Just seats. Lots and lots of empty seats! I would do the PSLs, but I can't fill my stadium as it is. I fear to use them now would only hurt my poor attendance further. My strategy is to try to get the rest of the seats filled, and then jack up the prices.
GB: Thanks for the compliment! Basically, I didn't want this thread to become too boring or predictable. After all, there's lot of competition out there in the dynasty reports these days! ;) (A good thing!) I would rather kill off this thread while it is still strong than let it linger on well past its prime (like The Simpsons, for instance). As long as I can keep it interesting, I will keep it going. The money problem assures my continued interest for a few more seasons... :) Oh, and don't worry too much about letting me die in X-Com Defense. I think you'll find that we aliens have amazing powers of regeneration... ;) |
Originally posted by Vince:
Like Godzilla said, great twist...this should prove to be quite a challenge. Although I'm not too familiar with FOF results (I'm more of a TCY guy), how much of an effect will that Super Bowl win have on your attendance next year? Realistically I'd think you would be selling out by now... Looking forward to the future of this dynasty, as always :) |
I'm hoping that it will boost attendance quite a bit, but I don't really know. We'll find out soon, I guess. Thanks for your support! And thanks for killin' that bastard alien who killed me! Don't worry though - we haven't seen the last of good ol' Kodos just yet. ;)
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2014 Ticket Prices
Dallas raised their tickets a few dollars here and there for the upcoming season, and we matched them. Some day, if we start getting sellouts, I will raise my prices above what the Cowboys charge (we are a superior team, after all), but until then, I will match them. I figure raising prices too much would only result in even lower attendance than we had last season.
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2014 Free Agent Period:
2014 Free Agents: We entered the 2014 offseason with three important players no longer under contract. Al Ingram Rickey McGregor Kyle Diaz While I considered placing the franchise tag on Ingram, in the end I opted to let him test the waters of free agency and hoped for the best. I also let Diaz and McGregor test the waters, but was fairly confident that Diaz would not sign anywhere else. If all went well, I would be able to re-sign one of my favorite players (Diaz) after the draft for a fairly modest price. The players below were all entering the final year of their contract, and, with the exception of Lazetti, who I now viewed as expendable due to Matthews' performance in 2013, I very much wanted to extend them all with new contracts. While this was a risky strategy considering my newly-imposed financial problems, I decided that the best way to survive was to continue to field a top-caliber team to help boost attendance. At some point, a fire-sale may be necessary, but for now I am planning to stay the course with the team I have built. Devin Bergeron Chuck Farley Levon Wallace Michael Lazetti Darren Cruise Joel Harden Dave Sanders Edgar Justus Wham, Bam, Thank You, Man! In order to clear some cap room, I traded our former starting RB, Michael Lazetti, to the Colts for their third round pick in 2015. Net savings: $6.65 million. While I liked Lazetti, I just couldn't justify his salary as a backup, and if I didn't trade him now, I would get nothing in return next season when he left through free agency. 2014 Re-Signings & Renegotiations: With a little more money to throw around, I quickly set about extending the contracts of our most valuable players whose contracts would be up after this season. Joel Harden, our starting left corner, signed a 4-year deal worth $30.37 million, including an $8 million bonus. Many folks will be glad to know that Chuck U. will be sporting the crimson and pewter* for at least 3 more seasons. We renegotiated a 3-year, $11.75 million deal with a $2.3 million bonus with him. * (Note: We changed our uniform colors for 2014! Pewter has replaced the blue, as our previous blue/red combo was just too ugly! I don't know what Bill and I were thinking! Some in the press have been saying that our new logo looks suspiciously like Bill in a Pirate costume wielding a mouse...) Starting fullback Levon Wallace agreed to a new 3-year deal worth $9.03 million with a $1.38 million bonus. Starting right guard Darren Cruise signed a 3-year, $12.39 million deal with a $2.76 million bonus. All-pro free safety Dave Sanders signed a 4-year, $20.35 million deal with a $4 million bonus. And finally, we signed last season's league MVP to a 5-year, $68.68 million deal with a $10.5 million bonus. Stay healthy, Berg - please!!!! We were unable to get Edgar Justus to sign a reasonable deal, so he will be playing 2014 without a new deal in place for 2015. Cowboy Huntin': In an effort to replace Ingram should we not be able to re-sign him, we went after the Cowboys' Terrance Fuller, their starting WILB from 2013. We offered Terrance $16.05 million over 3 years with a $3.4 million bonus, and he signed with us after the first week of free agency. Backup QB Morris Ellison, who was in the final year of his contract, was cut to help free up some money to sign Fuller. Shockingly, no other Cowboys were worthy of a pilferin'. ;) Ingram, Diaz, and McGregor in Free Agency: In the 11th week, the Jags made an offer to Ingram, but soon ran out of money and couldn't sign him. No other offers were forthcoming, and in the end, none of our guys were signed by another team. We'll just have to see if we can't sign them after camp! |
The 2014 Draft Disaster:
I made one crucial mistake when I signed Randall Parra to be our scout this season. At the time when I signed Randall, I was thinking that I pretty much knew what I had on offense, and could just re-sign the guys I had, thus keeping the offense intact while helping boost my team's cohesion as well. Therefore, I thought getting a scout who was weak on offense wouldn't be that big a problem. Parra, who just happens to be an abysmal judge of talent on offense, was well-rated as a judge of defensive talent, except for defensive lineman. I figured that he would be good for helping to shore up our defense a little. But I forgot one key thing: unless they are from Texas, I can't draft 'em, and unless they are undrafted, I can't sign 'em as a free agent. CRAP! Basically, I can see who is good on D, I just can't draft them. Combine this with the fact that our first pick is at the very end of the first round (when all of the good defensive prospects have been taken anyhow), and what you get is a totally blind draft! I have no idea who is good on offense, and there is nobody worthy of drafting from the state of Texas on defense! Damn it! A totally wasted draft because of my oversight. :mad: I just hope it doesn't end up costing me too badly. Arrrrrrrrrrrrghh! :mad: :eek: :mad: Anyhow, here's who we drafted. Who knows if any of them are worth a darn... Worst. Draft. Ever. Rnd 1 - Gene Flannery, C, Miami, Florida Rnd 2 - Kyle McAfee, T, Kansas Rnd 3 - Luke Birk, QB, Maryland Rnd 3 - Everett Schwarz, RB, Vanderbilt Rnd 4 - Bill Carr, P, North Carolina State Rnd 4 - D.J. Gunn, LB, Texas Rnd 5 - Lincoln Flannery, TE, Pittsburgh Rnd 5 - Ross Corbett, TE, Florida Rnd 6 - Tony Stazer, LB, Southern Methodist Rnd 7 - Ernest Conner, S, Texas |
Post Draft Note:
Backup center Bubba Linquist was shipped to Pittsburgh for their third round pick in 2015 in order clear some room to sign the rookies. 2014 Training Camp: After signing our fine crop of rookie draftees, it was off to camp. We maxed out training on the following formations: I Strong Singleback Goalline 4-3 Nickel Here's what Randall Parra thought about our team after camp, not that I particularly care... From the desk of Randall Parra of the Gatesville Silicon Pirates
Cory, come back!!! :( |
Post Camp Signings / Releases:
As you can see from above, we were able to re-sign Ingram and Diaz after camp. Ingram's deal was for 1 year at $1.47 million with a $390,000 bonus included. Diaz signed a 1-year deal for $1.08 million with no bonus. McGregor was still asking for too much, so we couldn't re-sign him. Good luck, Rickey. We also let starting strong safety Billy Joe Shannon go to save $1.89 million. If Parra is right, we have other guys who are just as good and much cheaper at safety. We shall see... |
2014 Season Ticket Sales:
In a sign of some progress, we were able to sell 30,700 season tickets for 2014, up 4,500 from 2013, when we sold 26,200. While the increase was okay, I was frankly hoping for more. I mean, a lot more. |
2014 Exhibition Season:
We managed to go 3-1 in the exhibition season, but we didn't exactly win in convincing fashion for the most part. Luckily, Dallas didn't fare too well either.
2014 Exhibition Standings: Like I said, we finished ahead of the Cowboys, but it was hardly impressive how we did it.
Key Injuries: Heading into the regular season, Darren Cruise, our starting right guard will miss a couple weeks due to a concussion. Terrance Read's injury is unfortunately much more serious, as our starting left tackle will miss 2-3 months with a dislocated knee. :( |
2014 Schedules:
Gatesville: We will be done playing the Cowboys by midseason, by looks of the schedule. Hopefully we will have extended our lifetime series advantage by two games come Week 9 of the season. Week 1 NEW YORK JETS Week 2 DALLAS COWBOYS Week 3 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Week 4 Des Moines Timber Wolves Week 5 WASHINGTON REDSKINS Week 6 Arizona Cardinals Week 7 OPEN Week 8 Dallas Cowboys Week 9 MIAMI DOLPHINS Week 10 GREEN BAY PACKERS Week 11 Richmond Wranglers Week 12 Philadelphia Eagles Week 13 ARIZONA CARDINALS Week 14 Washington Redskins Week 15 Indianapolis Colts Week 16 ATLANTA FALCONS Week 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dallas: Week 1 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Week 2 Gatesville Silicon Pirates Week 3 CHICAGO BEARS Week 4 ARIZONA CARDINALS Week 5 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Week 6 Washington Redskins Week 7 Des Moines Timber Wolves Week 8 GATESVILLE SILICON PIRATES Week 9 WASHINGTON REDSKINS Week 10 Detroit Lions Week 11 OPEN Week 12 MINNESOTA VIKINGS Week 13 New England Patriots Week 14 Arizona Cardinals Week 15 Philadelphia Eagles Week 16 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Week 17 Carolina Panthers |
2014 Starters
Offensive Starters: Other than Herb Matthew starting at RB in place of the departed Michael Lazetti, our entire starting offense from 2013 has returned to start in 2014, if you ignore the current injuries to Cruise and Read. Hopefully, this is good news. Rookie tackle Kyle McAfee will start for Read until he is able to return, while second year guard Rob Stanton will replace Cruise until he returns. QB - Devin Bergeron RB - Herb Matthews FB - Levon Wallace TE - Chuck U. Farley FL - Earl Thornton SE - Ralph Randle LT - Terrance Read LG - Rusty Pleasant C - Jonathan Farmer RG - Darren Cruise RT - James Pond Defensive Starters: Our d-line returns intact from last year, not that anyone but Rhoades was really a star. The linebackers have been shuffled a bit to include the newly-acquired Terrance Fuller, and the secondary has lost Billy Joe Shannon at strong safety. LE - Patrick Sanders NT - Joey Rhoades RT - Eric Cash RE - Frankie Farley WOLB - Terrance Fuller WILB - Al Ingram SILB - Maurice Rousseau SOLB - Allen Whitfield LCB - Joel Harden RCB - Edgar Justus FS - Dave Sanders SS - Percy Stewart Let's play some football, men! |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Here's to a repeat season! And a profitable one at that. I'll be away from FOF for a while, but will read through everything when I return! Good luck! |
Originally posted by revrew:
Welcome the return of the Pirates! Glad to see provisions were made for Chuck. As was said of another future hall-of-famer, "All he does is catch touchdowns." That's a good thing. In fact, let's calculate: in a good year, a QB throws for 30 TDs. The running game produces another 15. Defense and special teams contributes another 5. Total=50. If Chuck catches 10, that's 20% of the team's tuddy production. Given margins of victory, 20% is good for 5-6 wins. Chuck U for MVP! |
That's some fine math you got goin' there, my friend. Here's some more math to enjoy: "Chuck U. = MVP!"
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2014 Regular Season
Week 1 New York Jets (0-0) at Gatesville (0-0) ============================================= Attendance: The rematch of last season's Super Bowl contestants drew a crowd of 44,700 people on this fine fall day. You see that, folks?! You win a Super Bowl, and it pays off with a big leap in attendance. Why, our home opener last season drew just 44,600 folks! Well, I guess this just shows what winning the pinnacle game of the season convincingly with a record-tying 17-2 record (only 2 other teams have achieved that mark in the last 15 years) and a record-smashing offense featuring the League MVP can do for a franchise's popularity. We gained 100 (count 'em!) fans over last season! My job is safe! I just know it! Why, you ask? Because the people here in Texas just worship this team! The Game: We built a 20-0 lead in the first half with the help of a 9-yard Ralph Randle touchdown grab and a 14-yard Herb Matthews TD reception. In the second half, Rufus Steel, starting in place of the injured Chad Pennington at QB, threw touchdowns of 41, 85, and 20 yards to make things a little more interesting, but we held on with the help of 2 Matthews rushing touchdowns to win 34-21. Key Performers: Herb Matthews won the Game MVP and Offensive Player of the Week awards based on his 17 carry, 167 yard, 2 TD performace, which he supplemented by pulling in 4 catches for 59 yards and another score. Berg went 21/31 for 245 yards and 2 TDs to commence his bid for a second consecutive League MVP award. Ralph Randle made 6 catches for 69 yards and 1 TD. Al Ingram recorded 9 tackles, 3 assists, and 1 sack. Key Injuries: In more bad news for our offensive line, starting right tackle James Pond suffered a stretched knee ligament and will need 3-5 weeks to recover. ============================================= Indianapolis (0-0) at Dallas (0-0): The Cowboys started off their 2014 campaign with a 34-18 victory over the Colts. They will travel to Gatesville in Week 2 for a battle of undefeated NFC East powerhouses. Be there if you enjoy watching the Cowboys lose! :p |
From: Randall Parra
To: Bill Gates & Kodos Subject: Dallas Cowboys Injury Report: Michael Robertson, G - Questionable Irv Lanier, C - Out Rufus Meadows, CB - Doubtful Starting Quarterback: Roosevelt Murray 13 for 25, 103 yards, 1 TDs, 2 interceptions this season. Very good at throwing short passes. Starting Running Back: Lester Reynolds 22 carries for 147 yards, 2 touchdowns this season. Excellent overall runner. Starting Flanker: Gino Burroughs 3 receptions for 37 yards, 1 touchdowns this season. Excellent hands. Starting Split End: Dale Corbett 3 receptions for 36 yards, 0 touchdowns this season. Very good third down receiver. Defensive Overview: Starting Left Defensive End: Herb Page 1 tackles, 1 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Good pass-rusher. Starting Right Defensive End: Marlon Linquist 2 tackles, 0 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Very good defender against the run. Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Sean Ross 4 tackles, 0 assists, 1.0 sacks this season. Very good pass-rusher. Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Cory Mallory * Former Silicon Pirate 3 tackles, 1 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Fair pass-rusher. Starting Weak-Side Linebacker: Eric Blades 4 tackles, 4 assists, 1.0 sacks this season. Excellent defender against the run. Starting Middle Linebacker: Randal Caldwell 9 tackles, 3 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Good zone pass defender. Starting Strong-Side Linebacker: Timothy Meadows * Former Silicon Pirate 3 tackles, 0 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Good defender against the run. Starting Weak-Side Cornerback: Joel Flannery 8 tackles, 0 assists, 0 interceptions this season. Very good zone pass defender. Starting Strong-Side Cornerback: Jerome McCarthy 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 interceptions this season. Excellent pass intercepter. Starting Free Safety: Greg Drayson 3 tackles, 3 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Excellent man-to-man pass defender. Starting Strong Safety: Shawn Treadway 4 tackles, 2 assists, 0 interceptions this season. Very good pass intercepter. |
Week 2
Dallas (1-0) at Gatesville (1-0) ============================================= Attendance: 44,700. The Game: This game was going just peachy for the first 3 quarters. A long Justus interception return for a TD, a short Douglas run, and an 18-yard Randle receiving touchdown had us well out in front, 24-3, heading into the fourth quarter, despite 2 Berg interceptions in the first quarter and another to start off the third quarter. That's when the horror began. With 5:50 to go in the game, Roosevelt Murray hit Everett Weiner with a 13-yard touchdown pass to make it a 24-10 ballgame. Oh well, so our margin of victory would be smaller. We were still gonna win. With just 2:20 to go in the fourth, Murray hit Peter Duvall for a 14-yard touchdown to make it a one-score affair, 24-17. Still, it appeared that we would be able to just run out the clock on our next possession and leave the field with yet another win over the Cowboys. On the ensuing kickoff, rookie WR Antoine Dugans managed to fumble the ball, and Dallas WR Oliver Carnahan managed to recover it. Oh no. Oh no-no-no! Twenty-nine seconds after their second TD of the day, the Cowboys got their third, as Murray found Weiner once again for an 8-yard TD with 1:51 left to go. What just four minutes ago had been a cushy 24-3 lead was now an unbelievable 24-24 tie. Still, with a strong offense and one of the league's best kickers, we felt that we would be able to drive down the field and kick a field goal to win the game by the skin of our teeth. Or, in a worst-case scenario, we would at very least be able to run out the clock and take the game to overtime. Not so much. An illegal block on the kickoff return negated Dugans' 21-yard return and gave us the ball on our own 1 yard line. Three straight incompletions by Berg gave us a three-and-out that burned just 14 seconds off of the game clock. Following the Bill Carr punt, the Cowboys had the ball on our 42 with 1:09 left in regulation. One Murray pass and a couple of short runs set up a 37-yard Perez field goal attempt as time expired. It was good, of course. Game over. Dallas 27, Gatesville 24. What just happened here, folks? :confused: We held them to 24 rushing yards on 20 carries, yet we still managed to somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? This is really starting off as the season from hell, folks... Key Performers: Turnovers were our downfall in this game, and Berg was responsible for 3 of them. He finished our opening drives in both halves with interceptions, and ended the day having completed just 20 of 37 attempts for 271 yards, 1 TD, and 3 interceptions. Crap. Matthews had 16 carries for 55 yards, as well as 6 catches for 53 yards. No TDs. In contrast, Cowboy QB Roosevelt Murray completed 21 of 39 passes for 3 TDs and 1 interception. Jackass. :rolleyes: |
Originally posted by revrew:
Obviously, the problem is that Berg forgot about his go-to man, thee man, Chuck Ulysses Farley. Now he's paid for this blunderous oversight with a loss to the Boys. Didn't score too high on the SAT now, did he? |
It's true. So far Chuck has been a total non-factor. How could Berg forget him like that? ;)
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Originally posted by revrew:
20% of your offense is a terrible thing to waste... |
Originally posted by DataKing:
Quote:
All right! You're destined for a Super Bowl repeat now that you have a Jayhawk on your team Kodos! DataKing makes a mental note to recruit Kyle McAfee in 2009 or so. Depending on how 'Big Kyle' does, he might just be able to challenge Chuck U. as my favorite Silicon Pirate. Tough break in the Dallas game. Hopefully this is the sort of thing that can wake a team up, and make them realize that they can't just walk their way into another Super Bowl berth. |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Wow! That Dallas loss was some kind of ugly. I don't think I've ever seen a comeback like that. That was painful to read. Let's hope it's a good wakeup call! |
DK: Well, McAfee got thrown into the fire immediately with the injury to Read, and so far he hasn't let Berg get killed, so that's a good sign I s'pose.
As for the wakeup call theory, we'll just have to see I guess. I'd hate to start sucking again just because of staff changes. Especially since my job seems to be on the line. P.S. - I talked to Bill today, and he told me something that was reassuring to some extent. He said that he would never fire me in an offseason following a Super Bowl victory, even if I keep losing money. So there's one loophole, I guess. |
Week 3
Philadelphia (0-2) at Gatesville (1-1) ============================================= Attendance: 42,900. The Game: We came into this game wondering if the late fourth-quarter collapse against the Cowboys in Week 2 had been just a hiccup, or if it was a more dire sign of a franchise going downhill fast. The Eagles game would be a barometer to see just where we stood. A solid victory for us, and we could perhaps write off the loss as bad luck. A defeat at the hands of the perpetually-bad Eagles, and it would be time to seriously worry about our team. As the teams took to the field, the thermometer fell just two degrees short of 100. Factor in the driving rain, and we had the makings of a sloppy game. Early on, Dave Sanders intercepted Philly QB Buddy Liu and returned it for a score to highlight a 10-0 first quarter. A Levon Wallace touchdown plunge in the second made it 17-7, and with the help of a 13-yard Thornton TD reception in the fourth quarter, we went on to a fairly solid 31-14 victory over the hapless Eagles. Key Performers: Dave Sanders apparently got the Game MVP award for his interception return, since he only had 3 tackles and an assist on the day. Herb Matthews ran the ball 15 times for 49 yards. He also made 4 catches for 53 yards. No TDs. Berg completed 18 of 30 passes for 251 yards and 1 TD an no interceptions. Unfortunately, in the driving rain, he coughed up the ball twice. Ty Robbins had a good day with 5 catches for 94 yards. ============================================= Chicago (0-2) at Dallas (2-0) The Cowboys won for the third straight time, 31-13, to maintain their one-game advantage over us in the NFC East standings. |
Week 4
Gatesville (2-1) at Des Moines (2-1) ============================================= The Game: Chuck Farley came out of his slump in spectacular fashion in this game, as he scored three times to outscore Des Moines 18-6 all by himself! At the end of the day, we had won a laugher by the score 39-6. Key Performers: Chuck U. only caught 5 balls for 28 yards, but made the most of those catches with 3 scores from 6, 1, and 6 yards out respectively. What a red-zone weapon he gives us! Berg had a fine day, as he completed 25/41 for 407 yards, 4 TDs, and zero interceptions. Though he won the Game MVP award (Chuck was robbed!), he did fumble twice. Matthews had toted the ball 10 times for 41 yards while also catching 3 passes for 23 yards. Ralph Randle had a great day too, as he caught 9 balls for 209 yards and 1 TD. I guess we know who set up all of Chuck's TDs! ;) Dave Sanders had 4 tackles, 1 assist, and 2 interceptions on the day. Three other guys each had one pick, for a total of 5 on the day. :D I guess it'd be fair to say that Des Moines QB Artie Nicholas had a bit of an off day... ============================================= Arizona (3-0) at Dallas (3-0) While Arizona looked like a legitimate threat to end the Cowboys' lucky streak, it was not to be, as the Cowboys won 28-21 to push their record to 4-0. What the heck is going on over there in Dallas? |
Week 5
Washington (2-2) at Gatesville (3-1) ============================================= Attendance: 44,100. The Game: For the third straight week we rolled to an easy victory, this time by the score of 42-10 over our divisional rival Redskins. Farley caught his fourth TD in 2 games, but was outshone by Berg, who threw for 6 TDs on the day. Key Performers: Berg garnered the Game MVP award, as well as the Offensive Player of the Week award, by completing 18/27 passes for 277 yards and 6 touchdowns! :eek: He also carried the ball 12 times for 69 yards, while having no turnovers on the day. Farley had 3 catches for 104 yards and one 80-yard TD (I guess he is good from outside the red zone too!). Dave Sanders had another solid outing with 12 tackles and 1 assist. Injuries: Veteran WR Kyle Diaz suffered a broken foot and will miss 3-5 weeks. ============================================= Philly (1-3) at Dallas (4-0) The Eagles gave the Cowboys more of a fight than I expected, but in the end it was not enough, as the Cowboys extended their record to 5-0 with a 13-7 decision over Philly. |
Week 6
Gatesville (4-1) at Arizona (4-2) ============================================= The Game: The Cardinals looked to be a tough assignment coming in. Berg threw a pick to end our first drive of the day, but later redeemed himself with a touchdown draw play. Levon Wallace caught a TD in the second quarter to put us up 14-3. In the third quarter, the Cards drew to within 14-12 after a touchdown and a failed 2-point conversion, but Matthew soon ran for a score to increase our lead to 21-12. In the fourth quarter, our rookie third-round pick Luke Birk used the force to hit Earl Thornton for a TD after Berg left the game with a minor injury. In the end, we had triumphed over the Cards, 28-12. Key Performers: Percy Stewart, our starting strong safety won the Game MVP award, though I don't know why, since I forgot to write down any stats after the game. I do know that Berg threw 2 picks in the first half. Injuries: In a turn of events sure to upset DataKing, rookie tackle Kyle McAfee, who was starting in place of Terrance Read, managed to get his knee dislocated, and is now looking at 2-3 months of recovery time. :( ============================================= Dallas (5-0) at Washington (2-3) The Cowboys won once again, this time 21-3. This is not helping me out, guys! :mad: |
Week 7
Bye. ============================================= Dallas (6-0) at Des Moines (2-3) Somehow, the pathetic Des Moines squad, who we crushed back in Week 4, managed to hand the Cowboys their first loss of the season, 15-7. All right! :D Next week, we will travel to Dallas and try to avenge our Week 2 defeat. We will not be swept by the friggin' Cowboys! :mad: |
From: Randall Parra
To: Bill Gates & Kodos Subject: Dallas Cowboys Injury Report: It looks like the Cowboys have some owwies!! :D Roosevelt Murray, QB - Out Walt Reilly, QB - Probable Gino Burroughs, WR - Probable Ethan Thornhill, T - Probable Eric Blades, LB - Doubtful Joel Flannery, CB - Questionable Tracy Mazurek, QB - Out Rico Weaver, FB - Out Deon Knox, TE - Questionable Leo McCullar, FB - Probable Offensive Overview: Starting Quarterback: Walt Reilly 27 for 56, 254 yards, 1 TDs, 4 interceptions this season. Good at throwing very long passes. Does not like to run the football. Starting Running Back: Lester Reynolds 145 carries for 467 yards, 5 touchdowns this season. Excellent overall runner. Starting Flanker: Gino Burroughs 20 receptions for 268 yards, 1 touchdowns this season. Excellent hands. Starting Split End: Dale Corbett 31 receptions for 380 yards, 1 touchdowns this season. Very good third down receiver. Defensive Overview: Starting Left Defensive End: Herb Page 14 tackles, 5 assists, 1.5 sacks this season. Good pass-rusher. Starting Right Defensive End: Marlon Linquist 17 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks this season. Very good defender against the run. Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Sean Ross 15 tackles, 6 assists, 5.5 sacks this season. Very good pass-rusher. Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Cory Mallory 9 tackles, 6 assists, 1.0 sacks this season. Fair pass-rusher. Starting Weak-Side Linebacker: Timothy Meadows 29 tackles, 9 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Good defender against the run. Starting Middle Linebacker: Randal Caldwell 39 tackles, 23 assists, 1.0 sacks this season. Very good zone pass defender. Starting Strong-Side Linebacker: Archie Younger First start of the season. Very good man-to-man pass defender. Starting Weak-Side Cornerback: Jerome McCarthy 22 tackles, 3 assists, 5 interceptions this season. Excellent pass intercepter. Starting Strong-Side Cornerback: Joel Flannery 19 tackles, 2 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Very good zone pass defender. Starting Free Safety: Greg Drayson 34 tackles, 13 assists, 3 interceptions this season. Excellent man-to-man pass defender. Starting Strong Safety: Shawn Treadway 39 tackles, 13 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Very good pass intercepter. |
Week 8
Gatesville (5-1) at Dallas (6-1) ============================================= The Game: The good news coming into our second match against the Cowboys was that James Pond was able to return from his injury. Terrance Read was also listed as probable, and thus returned to the starting lineup. On our first drive, Earl Thornton was injured, and had to leave the game. After a Cowboy field goal early in the second quarter, we went on top with a 19-yard Percy Stewart interception return that made it 7-3. Herb Matthews' 13-yard TD run extended our lead to 14-3 before halftime. Chuck U. caught a 1-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, and soon after, Ty Robbins caught a 46-yard touchdown that put us comfortably on top, 28-3. This time, the Cowboys could muster no miracle finish, and we won by a final score 28-6! With this victory, we regained the lead in NFC East, and evened our series with the Cowboys for the season. Unfortunately, we're used to sweeping them, so the tied-up series came as somewhat of a disappointment to us and our fans. Perhaps, if we meet them in the playoffs, we can still win the season series outright. However, we have never met them in the playoffs thus far, so I wouldn't hold your breath. If I know Jerry Jones, they'll probably choke down the stretch and miss the playoffs entirely... ;) Key Performers: Strong safety Percy Stewart won the Game MVP with his interception touchdown, which he supplemented with 3 tackles and 1 assist. Herb Matthews had 17 carries for 86 yards and a TD. He also caught 3 passes for 33 yards. Berg had a decent outing, completing 14 of 26 attempts for 198 yards, 2 TDs, and no interceptions. Chuck Farley had one catch for 1 yard and 1 TD. Ty Robbins made 2 grabs for 58 yards and a score. Big Al Ingram recorded 11 tackles, 1 assist, and 1 sack. New Injuries: Starting right guard Darren Cruise broke his hand and will need 3 to 5 weeks to heal. |
Week 9
Miami (2-5) at Gatesville (6-1) ============================================= Attendance: 44,700. The Game: Perhaps we were still feeling a bit too high after the Dallas victory when we welcomed the Dolphins to town and blew a 17-3 second-quarter lead. The downtrodden Fins came back to tie it up after a 69-yard Alfred Vincent to Lamont Buckner bomb in the second quarter and a 2-yard Clifton Elliott touchdown in the third quarter. An interception late in the third quarter set up a Ralph Randle score that put us back on top, 24-17. The fourth quarter saw little scoring as both teams bogged down on offense. When Hidalgo missed a late field goal that could have given us a 10-point lead, the defense was called on to save the game for us, and they did, allowing a 20-yard Henderson field goal that made it 24-20. From there, our offense was able to run out the clock, and we escaped with a narrow 24-20 victory. Key Performers: Berg won the Game MVP award by going 21/35 for 267 yards, 3 TDs, and no interceptions. He also carried the ball 5 times for 25 yards. Matthews had a quiet day, as he gained just 38 yards on 14 carries, while fumbling one time. He also made 2 grabs for 19 yards. Randle had a good day with 7 catches for 68 yards and 2 scores. Thornton caught 6 passes for 81 yards and 1 TD. Dave Sanders made 11 tackles and 1 assist. New Injuries: To continue the string of injuries along our offensive line, Rusty Pleasant broke his nose and will need a couple weeks to heal. ============================================= Washington (2-5) at Dallas (6-2) Dallas ended their 2-game skid with a 33-17 victory over the Redskins. |
2014 Midseason Report:
Halfway through the 2014 season, we found ourselves enjoying an 89 power rating, which was tops in the NFC. Dallas, our sworn enemy, was rated as second with a 77. After trailing Dallas most of the way in the division, we finally were enjoying a slight lead in the race to win the NFC East, and were also in decent position to win the #1 seed in the NFC. However, the second half of our schedule contained many road games, and we would have to stay healthy and on top of our game if we wanted to repeat as the #1 seed overall. Here is how the standings looked after 9 weeks of action:
Team Leaders: Hmmm. I think our team compares favorably with Jerry's, don't you agree? :)
Let the march to our second consecutive Super Bowl title continue! |
Originally posted by cthomer5000:
Chuck U. ...baby! The man has made a statement. Whether having 1 catch for 1 yard and 1 TD or taking a dump pass and going 80 yards, he does it all. :D Having caught 5 of 20 TD passes from Berg aint bad either. If he can finish with 9 or 10 TD's i smell a Pro Bowl trip, and more importantly, a second Gatesville title! Corey |
Originally posted by revrew:
homer! Welcome to the Chuck U. Fanclub! Your post doesn't say where you're from, but if you come down to Gatesville, we'll save you a seat at the table in the compound. By the way, if you come, it can be a little tricky to find. But go to Sherman Tank Manufacturers. They can give you directions. Apparently, they used the compound for target practice some years ago, and... When you get there and knock the guard will ask, "Who's there?" Respond, "A golden girl." When he asks, "Whatcha sellin'?" Respond, "Viagra for women." That'll get you right in. |
Originally posted by DataKing:
Kyle's hurt?!?! How could this happen??? I knew implementing the Kill Drill for offensive linemen was a bad idea. I just knew it! :mad: Glad to see Chuck and the rest of the team has rebounded nicely from the Cowboys loss. Looks like that game served as a bit of a wakeup call after all. :) |
Originally posted by Raven Hawk:
Chuck U! MVP! Chuck U! MVP! Chuck U! MVP! |
Originally posted by revrew:
Raven, despite your membership in ATFP Racing, I nonetheless welcome you to the Chuck U. Fanclub. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you understand, the folks at the compound are more than a little nervous about anyone with "ATF" associations actually visiting the compound (again). We'll just have to mail you your membership information. |
Week 10
Green Bay (2-6) at Gatesville (7-1) ============================================= Attendance: 47,700! You see, ya go to playoffs for 6 or so straight seasons, go to consecutive Super Bowls, win the second one, go 7-1 the following season, and **BLAM!!!** you get a little spike in the attendance column... It's as easy as 1-2-... Errr. Little help here...? The Game: Darren Cruise, Rusty Pleasant, and Joey Rhoades all sat out for our date with the Packers. Fortunately, these are not the glory years for Green Bay, and it appeared coming in to the game that we would have an easy win on our hands. A Joel Harden interception early in the game set up Berg's 9-yard keeper that put us on top, 7-0. However, Kelly Keil connected with Rufus Madison for a 75-yard strike shortly thereafter to atone for his earlier mistake, and the game was knotted at 7 all. Late in the first quarter, Chuck U. caught touchdown number six on the season to cap off a drive in which he caught 4 passes for 60 yards. Way to dominate, Chuck! 14-7, Pirates! The second quarter passed by without any scoring, and the third quarter started off rather inauspiciously when Antoine Dugans muffed a punt return which was quickly gobbled up by the Packers' special teams unit. Despite starting with a 1st & 10 on our 43, the Packers ended up settling for a 51-yard field goal that made it 14-10. That would be as close as the Packers would get, as Hidalgo tacked on three field goals in the second half to give us a 23-10 victory over Packers. Key Performers: Berg got the MVP by going 18/30 for 276 yards and 1 TD. His 9 carries for 38 yards and a score didn't hurt either. Second-year RB Herb Matthews had 17 carries for 56 yards and 3 catches for 45 more. Right now, Matthews is in a bit of a funk. It seems like we always get young RBs who do good things during their rookie season, but then slump in their second season. Maybe our pass-happy offense makes them lose interest... My man Chuck U. did all his work in one drive today, as he ended the day with 4 grabs for 60 yards and a TD. Ralph Randle continued to shine with a 6-catch, 95-yard performance. New Injuries: Dave Sanders bruised his shoulder and will need a couple weeks to recover. Ty Robbins has turf toe, and will also need a couple weeks. ============================================= Dallas (7-2) at Detroit (6-3) Detroit helped Dallas return to their losing ways by defeating the 'boys 23-10. Good job! We will travel to Richmond to take on the Wranglers in Week 11. Hope to see you there! |
Originally posted by DataKing:
Anybody who beats the Packers is hall of fame in my book. Good job Kodos. Show Bill (and Bibi) what our Pirates are really made of! |
Originally posted by wade moore:
Good job Kodos! I think Mr. Davis and Mr. Gates must be long lost cousins :)... |
Week 11
Gatesville (8-1) at Richmond (5-4) ============================================= The Game: This game started off a bit rough for us. Multiple turnovers gave way to easy scores for Richmond in the first half, and early in the second half, we found ourselves in a 17-3 hole. An Antoine Dugans fumble on a punt return had led to a Craig Fantozzi touchdown reception in the second quarter, and a Berg interception had set up a Percy Sampson to Sam Washington touchdown early in the third quarter. With just 11 ticks left on the clock in the third quarter, Broderick Hidalgo hit a 34-yard field goal to trim the Wranglers' advantage to 17-6. In the fourth, things started to look a little less bleak when Berg connected with Earl Thornton for a 24-yard touchdown with 11 minutes left to make it a 17-13 ballgame. After a quick Richmond 3-and-out, Hidalgo was able to cut their lead to one point with a 46 yarder that sailed true. The Wranglers, to their credit, did not just roll over in light of our 13-0 run. On their next possession, they just flew down the field, and for the second time of the game, Sampson was able to hook up with Washington for a score, this time from 9 yards out, to move their lead to 24-16. Not to be outdone, Berg led our offense down the field at a rapid clip, this time getting the ball to Ralph Randle for a 14-yard touchdown that pulled us to within 2 points of Richmond, 24-22. Now it was time for the conversion attempt! Working out of a 3-receiver set, Berg hit the cagey veteran Kyle Diaz in the corner for 2 to tie the game at 24 with 9:23 to go. In a span of just one minute and 44 seconds, we had scored 18 points, and they had scored 7. Wow! :eek: After the flurry of scoring, things quieted down for a while, until Herb Matthews ran one in from 24 yards out with just 1:02 left in the game. With 59 minutes elapsed, we finally had our first lead of the day, 31-24! The defense took the field looking to contain the Wrangler offense, and that they did. Following a failed fourth down conversion attempt, the ball was ours, and Berg took a knee to seal the victory. 31-24, Pirates! We were now 9-1! Key Performers: Herb Matthews had a solid if unspectacular outing, gaining 77 yards and 1 TD on 13 carries. Berg also played just well enough to win, completing 18 of 34 attempts for 286 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 interception. Berg also had 1 fumble. Antoine Dugans had 2 fumbles (4 so far this season) on punt returns, which helped Richmond to their early lead. Next week, strong safety Percy Stewart will take over the punt return duties. Kyle Diaz had 4 catches for 57 yards and 1 fumble recovery. Earl Thornton had 3 catches for 77 yards and 1 TD. New Injuries: All-pro FB Levon Wallace hyper-extended his knee and will be out 3-5 weeks. Tommy Douglas will get the start in his place. All-pro free safety Dave Sanders aggravated his bruised shoulder and will be inactive for Week 12 when we travel to Philly. ============================================= Dallas (7-3) had a bye in Week 11. |
Week 12
Gatesville (9-1) at Philly (5-5) ============================================= The Game: A 35-yard Buddy Liu touchdown throw to Nobert Poole in the third quarter cut our lead to 17-14, but that was as close as the Eagles (who only gained 17 yards on the ground all day) would get. Final score: 34-21, Pirates. At 10-1, we were now sitting pretty with the best record in the league. Key Performers: Matthews had 20 carries for 55 yards and 1 TD. He also had 3 catches for 59 yards. If we are looking to go deep into the playoffs, we are going to need Herb to step it up a notch or two. Berg went 22/32 passing for 320 yards and 2 scores. He also ran the ball 9 times for 39 yards and 1 TD. Ralph Randle continues to be our top receiver, as he caught 5 balls for 105 yards and 1 TD today. He seems to be enjoying the double coverage that our second-year flanker Earl Thornton is getting after his breakout rookie season. ============================================= Minnesota (3-7) at Dallas (7-3) Coming off of their bye week, the Cowboys drubbed the Vikings, 36-13. Oh well. :( Could the Cowboys be heading for the playoffs for the first time in years? Don't touch that dial, folks! :eek: |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
How do you spell "repeat"? I spell it P-I-R-A-T-E-S. |
Originally posted by Kodos:
I spell it R-O-L-A-I-D-S. Roger Rolaids would be so proud! |
Week 13
Arizona (5-6) at Gatesville (10-1) ============================================= Attendance: 48,200! Our popularity is just skyrocketing!!!! :eek: The Game: We welcomed the Cardinals to town looking to continue our 9-game win streak. However, Terry Zink's 2-yard touchdown pass to Ted Pierce put us in a hole early, 7-0. After the remainder of the first quarter went scoreless, Ledyard hit a 46 yarder early in the second quarter to extend the Cardinals' advantage to 10-0. On our ensuing drive, Chuck U. took matters into his own hands, as he scored on a nifty little 11-yard toss from Berg to make it a 10-7 ballgame. Unfortunately, Arizona struck back quickly with a 57-yard bomb to Ted Pierce that caught our Dave Sanders-less secondary napping. Just like that, we were down by 10 points again. Ralph Randle provided the fireworks on our next drive, as he pulled in a 35-yarder that put the score at 17-14, Cardinals. A 46-yard Ledyard field goal with 2 seconds left sent us into halftime trailing 20-14. Things got worse midway through the third quarter, when Ted Pierce scored for a third time with a spectacular 96-yard punt return. Lucky for us, the Cards got greedy and went for the 2, which failed when Bruce Klemm got stuffed at the line. 26-14. The rest of the third quarter passed with no further scoring, while the fourth started off with another Ledyard field goal, this time from 33 yards away. It was now 29-14, and it was beginning to appear that our win streak would be coming to an end. Berg and the offense were not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Earl Thornton's 58-yard touchdown grab gave our whole team a huge emotional boost, and with plenty of time left on the clock, we only trailed by 8, 29-21. After the Cards failed to do anything with their next possession, our offense once again charged down the field. This time, it was Herb Matthews who caught the TD out of the backfield from 2 yards away to draw us within 2 of the Cards. We ran the exact same play on the 2-point conversion, and got the exact same results. The score was now knotted up at 29 all. Once again, Arizona failed to respond on offense, and once again, they paid for it. Chuck Farley caught his second big TD of the day to cap off our scoring drive, this time rumbling in from 38 yards out! Just before the 2-minute warning, we had taken our first lead, 36-29. The Arizona offense seemed resigned to their fate as they took the field. Zink tried to go to the well once too often, and our newly-signed backup safety, Dorsett, stepped in front of Ted Pierce to make the game-sealing interception. Broderick Hidalgo hit an insurance field goal as time ran out to make the final score 39-29 in our favor. Whew! What a wild game! When all was said and done in the fourth, we had scored on every possesion: 3 TDs and 1 field goal. Key Performers: Berg captured the Game MVP and Offensive Player of the Week awards with his 20 of 31 passing performance that netted us 415 yards and 5 TDs, along with 1 interception. Matthews had 13 carries for 52 yards, but shined more as a receiver, catching 5 balls for 78 yards and a score. Ralph Randle continued to impress with a 6 catch/128 yard performance that included 1 score. Chuck U came up big with 3 receptions for 54 yards and 2 scores. Earl Thornton had 3 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD. New Injuries: The win proved costly to us in terms of injuries. Terrance Read, our starting left tackle, hyperextended his knee and will need 3 to 5 weeks to recuperate. Starting right cornerback Edgar Justus sustained a dislocated knee, and will hopefully be able to return in the playoffs. Starting strong safety Percy Stewart dislocated his shoulder and will not return until the playoffs. Basically, our entire starting secondary is out of action, with the exception of our all-pro LCB Joel Harden. Not good, people, not good... Here is a laundry list of injuries to significant players right now. It's gonna be hard to win if these guys don't heal up pretty soon. Darren Cruise - RG - Broken hand, 2 weeks. Active, but likely won't play. Levon Wallace - FB - Hyperextended knee, 2 weeks. Active, but won't play. Terrance Read - LT - Hyperextended knee, 3-5 weeks. Inactive. Kyle McAfee - backup T - Dislocated knee, 3-5 weeks. Inactive. Dave Sanders - FS - Bruised shoulder, 2 weeks. Active, but won't play. Percy Stewart - SS - Dislocated shoulder, playoffs. Inactive. Edgar Justus - RCB - Dislocated knee, playoffs. Inactive. One bright spot is that nose tackle Joey Rhoades will finally be back from his injury for our next game. ============================================= Dallas (8-3) at New England (2-9) The Patriots, despite being in the middle of a miserable season, managed to come out on top of the Cowboys, 14-12. Good job, boys! ============================================= The Playoff Picture: It'd be great if the Cowboys could sink to number 6, or miss the playoffs entirely!
Next week, we'll travel to Washington to take on the 4-8 Redskins. |
Week 14
Gatesville (11-1) at Washington (4-8) ============================================= The Game: Ty Robbins was the only bright spot for us in this game. He scored 2 receiving touchdowns on the day. Nobody else did anything. Both Herb Matthews, our starting RB, and Tommy Douglas, our backup RB, went down with injuries early. In the end, Jimmie Berstein's 3 passing TDs were enough to beat us, 27-14. Key Performers: Berg completed just 14 of 37 passes for 205 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 interceptions. He also gained 57 yards on 9 carries to lead our team in rushing yardage. Ty Robbins caught 6 passes for 112 yards and 2 TDs, which turned out to be 2 fewer TDs than we needed. Key Injuries: The injuries continued to pile up this week, as our starting center, Jonathan Farmer, tore a thumb ligament and will not recover fully until sometime during the offseason. Herb Matthews, our leading rusher, suffered a dislocated shoulder, and will miss 3 to 5 weeks. Tommy Douglas, our backup RB and FB, sustained a pulled groin and will also miss 3 to 5 weeks. Beautiful. Just beautiful. :mad: ============================================= Dallas (8-4) at Arizona (5-7) Arizona, fresh off of last week's narrow loss to us, managed to hold the Cowboys to just one field goal, and defeated them by the score of 16-3. ============================================= The Playoff Picture: Our loss proved to be costly, dropping us from all alone at number 1 to a three-way tie at number 1. After tie-breakers, I believe we would not get the bye week if the playoffs started today. At least Dallas dropped a notch too.
|
Originally posted by illinifan999:
I finally found enough time to go through this whole thing. Great job with the team. It took me two days to finish. When it said that you were renaming Waco, to Gatesville I wondered why. Well two days later I finnaly figure it out. :eek: Bill Gates, Gatesville, I got it now. Im a little slow. ;) |
Quote:
So, uhhh, how are you doing in school? Gettin' good grades, are ya? ;) Just kidding! Welcome aboard! |
Somewhere, deep in the Heart of America, shunned former Silicon Pirates QB Dexter McNeil sat in a darkened room and watched game films of the Pirate secondary in action. There were weakness there that could be exploited by the right quarterback. Especially if that quarterback had a big chip on his shoulder...
:eek: |
Week 15
Gatesville (11-2) at Indianapolis (6-7) ============================================ The Game: In Week 15 of the 2014 season, we traveled to Indianapolis coming off of a 27-14 loss to the Redskins that had dropped us into a 3-way tie with San Francisco and Tampa Bay atop the NFC at 11-2. Before the game, I tried to go over to the Colts' sideline and chat with former Pirates Dexter McNeil and Michael Lazetti, but neither one of them acknowledged my presence. So much for no hard feelings, I guess. I don't really blame them though. We won the toss and elected to receive. Devin Bergeron, who replaced the departed Dexter McNeil at quarterback, trotted onto the field with the offense for the first possession of the game. Right off the bat, Berg's first pass went to Ralph Randle for a quick 19-yard gain. Cedric Wagner, starting in place of injured running backs Herb Matthews and Tommy Douglas, netted us two yards on the next two plays, so Berg went to the air again facing third-and-8, and found Randle again for 14 yards. Next, Berg got the ball to cult favorite Chuck Farley for a 17-yard gain. Just when it seemed like we were moving the ball pretty well, the offense sputtered, and we sent our all-pro kicker Broderick Hidalgo on to attempt a 41-yard field goal. The ball left his foot at a low trajectory and was blocked at the line by defensive end Jared Russell. In an instant, Colts linebacker Tracy Moulton grabbed the ball and scrambled 20 yards down the field before finally being brought to the ground. Crap! Dexter McNeil took the field looking to extract his pound of flesh from our defense, despite the fact that he was still recovering from a dislocated shoulder. Michael Lazetti, who was dealing with a torn thumb ligament, would not play at all on this day. Starting from our 38, McNeil completed a 6-yard pass to veteran tight end Marcus Pollard on first down. An offensive holding call on second down moved the Colts back to the 42. After a short run on second, McNeil's 12-yard completion to Marco Fitzgerald on third down was not enough, and on came Wayne Joyner for a 47-yard field goal attempt that sailed true. 3-0, Colts. On the third play of our next drive, Colts defensive back Patrick Weimer broke in front of Berg's pass and came up with the interception. Starting with great field position once again, and looking to show us just what we let go, McNeil directed a 10-play, 45-yard drive that he capped off with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Marco Fitzgerald. 10-0, Colts! A bad start for the Pirates! Undaunted, our offense took the field with just 25 seconds to go in the first quarter. Once again, Wagner was ineffective on the ground, but Levon Wallace had a nice 10-yard run on second-and-8 to get us a first down. Berg decided it was time to take to the air following another Wagner run that was stuffed in the backfield. Throwing with great precision, he completed his next four passes in a row, with the final completion going for 34-yards to Ty Robbins for a touchdown! We had pulled to within 10-7 early in the second quarter! On the fourth play of the Colts' next drive, McNeil re-injured his dislocated shoulder on a handoff to Bill Badillo, and was forced to leave the game. He would not return. Peyton Manning, playing in what would be his final season in the NFL, stepped in at QB. The 17-year veteran was able to guide the offense to one first down, but that was all, and soon the punting unit was brought in. Our next drive was a quick 3-and-out. This time, Manning led the Colts on a long drive that ended with a 24-yard field goal by Wayne Joyner that sent us into the half trailing 13-7. Most of the third quarter passed with little in the way of action. Hidalgo missed a 40-yard field goal wide right midway through the quarter, but that was pretty much it for the quarter, until safety Larry McCoy intercepted another Bergeron pass to give the Colts the ball on their 32 with 9 seconds remaining until the fourth. However, the Colts fans' excitement soon died down again when the Colts' drive failed, and we got the ball back. On the first play of our next drive, Berg threw another pick, this time to Marshall Bruce, who promptly returned it 30-yards for a back-breaking touchdown. On what would be his final play in the NFL, Peyton Manning lobbed a completion to Marcus Pollard in the back corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion, but left the game with a broken finger, which he had banged on Joey Rhoades helmet in his follow-through from the pass. Berg took to the field once more looking for a measure of redemption, and promptly hit Ralph Randle down the right sideline for 26 yards on first down. The next play, Berg found Ty Robbins across the middle for another 20 yards. Unfortunately, a sack on the next play killed our momentum, and after 2 incompletions, we settled for a 42-yard Hidalgo field goal with just over 10 minutes left to draw within 21-10. As fate would have it, the score would get no closer on this day, as the offense was largely ineffective down the stretch, and Berg threw another pick in the end zone from 16 yards out to seal our fate. The networks all ran a shot of McNeil running into the tunnel after the game with a self-satisfied grin on his face... Key Performers: Berg, operating the offense without even a semblance of a running game, had one of his worst days as a pro, completing just 17 of his 42 pass attempts for 283 yards, 1 TD, and 4 interceptions. Cedric Wagner, in for the injured starter Herb Matthews and his backup Tommy Douglas at RB, gained an embarrassing 6 yards on 12 carries. Ty Robbins tried to do it all for us today, as he caught 10 passes for 170 yards and 1 TD. Ralph Randle pulled in four passes for 74 yards. Place kicker Broderick Hidalgo converted on just 1 of 3 field goal attempts. ============================================ Dallas (8-5) at Philadelphia (5-8) The Cowboys edged the Eagles by the score of 20-19 to advance their record to 9-5 and to stay in the thick of the playoff race. ============================================ The Playoff Picture: The loss dropped us to third place in the NFC playoff race, behind the 49ers and Bucs, who both won this weekend to improve their records to 12-2. Here is how the NFC would be seeded if they started today. Horrifyingly, the Cowboys can still win the NFC East if we lose our final two games and they win their final two! :eek: That simply cannot happen! :mad:
Stay tuned, folks. Things have gone a bit haywire here in Gatesville... |
Week 16
Atlanta (5-9) at Gatesville (11-3) ============================================ Attendance: 48,200. The Game: We welcomed the Falcons to Microsoft Stadium hoping to end a two-week skid that had seen us go from the first seed in the NFC with the homefield and a bye to the third seed with no bye. A loss to the lowly Falcons would keep Dallas' chances of winning the NFC East alive, provided they managed to defeat Atlanta's division-mate New Orleans Saints, who were enduring a wretched 3-11 season. In light of Cedric Wagner's woeful performance of a week ago, we decided to give fourth-stringer Everett Schwarz a crack at the starting RB slot while Matthews and Douglas continued recovering from their injuries. Our confidence in Schwarz was low, as he was a Randall Parra pick, and Parra is known to be a miserable judge of pretty much anyone on the offensive side of the ball, with the possible exception of the QB position (I think he stinks there too, but it just isn't commonly recognized yet). After a sluggish start by both teams' offenses, Berg stirred things up with an interception in the end zone on our second drive. Sadly, this has become his "thing" as of late, and me and Coach Saxon have yet to figure out just how to cure him of it. Thankfully, the Falcons were unable to do anything with this gift, and Berg hooked up with Earl Thornton for a 25-yard touchdown later in the quarter to give us a 7-0 lead. Berg kept plugging away in the second quarter, and eventually a 33-yard touchdown strike to Ralph Randle put us up 14-0. A Berg interception in the third quarter set up a Pete Cash (who was our second round draft pick way back in 2005, some of you may recall) to Brandon Greer touchdown that tightened things up a bit, 14-7. Later in the third, we set up an easy field goal attempt from 29-yards out, which Broderick Hidalgo obligingly split the uprights with to once again give us a two-score lead, 17-7. Early on in the fourth quarter, Berg ran the ball in himself on a busted play from 6-yards out to make it 24-7. That's when Pete Cash, who threw 18 TDs for us back in 2005, decided to come alive. Two more Cash touchdown strikes to WR Brandon Greer, Greer's second and third scores of the day, made things a little too close for comfort, 24-21, with 5 minutes left to go in the game. Berg and the offense took the field hoping to get a few first downs, eat up some clock, and hopefully punch one into the end zone. They fared pretty well with first two goals, and Broderick Hidalgo's 46-yard field goal with 8 seconds left was enough to preserve a close-call, 27-21 victory over a very feisty Falcons squad. Whew! It was an ugly win, sure, but it was one we needed! Key Performers: Everett Schwarz, in his first NFL start, proved to be not as bad as we had feared. He managed to gain 58 yards on 14 carries, which was a Herculean effort when compared to Wagner's 6-yard day last week. Berg, despite his interception problems, garnered the Game MVP award based on his 19 of 27 passing for 292 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 interceptions. He also gained 53 yards and 1 TD on 10 carries. Ralph Randle had another fine game as he made 7 catches for 105 yards and 1 TD. Earl Thornton, not to be outdone by Randle, gained 106 yards and 1 TD on just 6 catches. ============================================ New Orleans (3-11) at Dallas (9-5) With our victory over the Falcons, we secured the NFC East crown, which may have deflated the Cowboys a little bit, as they dropped this game to the dreadfully bad Saints, 20-16. Such a shame - they're such nice fellas and all... :D ============================================ The Playoff Picture: Things tightened up a little bit in our race with San Francisco for a bye week in the NFC, as the 49ers were upset by the 6-8 Panthers, 32-26. Tampa Bay tightened their grip on the top seed with a 21-14 victory over the Raiders. Here's how the field looks with one week left to go in the season:
Uh-oh. Looks like the Cowboys' loss dropped them down another notch this week. Such nice boys. Why do bad things happen to such good people...? :p ============================================ The Road Ahead... Next week, we will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the NFC-leading Buccaneers. With a win, and a 49ers loss, we would reclaim the the first seed in the NFC. However, the 49ers are traveling to face the 3-12 Browns, so a more realistic goal is just to win the bye week. Our team is literally hobbled with injuries right now, and a bye week could very well mean the difference between another Super Bowl run and an early exit from the playoffs for these Silicon Pirates. Stay tuned, folks. This should be interesting... :eek: |
Parra's memos usually find their way to the shredder right off the bat, but this one is of some interest:
From: Randall Parra To: Bill Gates & Kodos Subject: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injury Report: Eddie Carpenter, C - Probable Renaldo Apolonio, DE - Out Brandon Cook, CB - Out Brady Dillon, RB - Questionable Irving Thompson, CB - Questionable Junior Martinez, S - Questionable Zach Quigley, LB - Probable Starting Quarterback: Dwight Norris 171 for 265, 1926 yards, 13 TDs, 7 interceptions this season. Excellent at throwing very long passes. Loves to run the football. Starting Running Back: Jon Adams 372 carries for 1914 yards, 18 touchdowns this season. :eek: This guy might crack the 2000 yard mark against us! Excellent overall runner. Starting Flanker: Donovan Burroughs 54 receptions for 736 yards, 8 touchdowns this season. Excellent runner after the catch. Starting Split End: Barry Jamison 13 receptions for 97 yards, 2 touchdowns this season. Very good third down receiver. Starting Left Defensive End: Carl Bjornson 21 tackles, 4 assists, 3.5 sacks this season. Fair defender against the run. Starting Right Defensive End: Randal Jennings 22 tackles, 5 assists, 6.0 sacks this season. Fair pass-rusher. Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Luther Monroe 40 tackles, 15 assists, 5.0 sacks this season. Very good defender against the run. Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Will Henson 32 tackles, 12 assists, 3.5 sacks this season. Good pass-rusher. Starting Left Linebacker: Gene Crowley 43 tackles, 12 assists, 4.5 sacks this season. Fair defender against the run. Starting Middle Linebacker: Oscar Harmon 38 tackles, 14 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. Fair zone pass defender. Starting Right Linebacker: Antonio Cooper 10 tackles, 1 assists, 0.0 sacks this season. No real strengths to speak of. Starting Weak-Side Cornerback: Danny Carty 13 tackles, 2 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Very good pass intercepter. Starting Strong-Side Cornerback: Wesley Castleberry 20 tackles, 1 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Very good pass intercepter. Starting Free Safety: Adrian Strong 87 tackles, 24 assists, 6 interceptions this season. Excellent man-to-man pass defender. Starting Strong Safety: Leonard Dawson 33 tackles, 12 assists, 1 interceptions this season. Fair pass intercepter. Starting Left Defensive End (Passing): Marty Card 12 tackles, 7 assists, 2.0 sacks this season. Good pass-rusher. |
Injuries 'r' Us...
Here's a look at the injuries we are dealing with right now. The guys with *'s by their name are our regular starters. *Jonathan Farmer, C - Torn Thumb Ligament, full strength in 3-5 Weeks *Terrance Read, T - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks *Edgar Justus, CB - Dislocated Knee, full strength in 2015 *Ty Robbins, WR - Hip Pointer, full strength in 3-5 Weeks Tommy Douglas, RB - Dislocated Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks *Herb Matthews, RB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks *Frankie Farley, DE - Turf Toe, full strength in 0-2 Weeks *Patrick Sanders, DT - Broken Hand, full strength in 3-5 Weeks Butch Johnston, LB - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 0-2 Weeks *Percy Stewart, S - Dislocated Shoulder, full strength in 3-5 Weeks Kyle McAfee, T - Dislocated Knee, full strength in 3-5 Weeks *Bill Carr, P - Concussion, full strength in 0-2 Weeks |
Week 17
Gatesville (12-3) at Tampa Bay (13-2) ===================================== The Game: We traveled to Tampa Bay during the final weekend of the regular season with the hope of pulling off an upset and reclaiming the bye for the first round of the playoffs. To do so, we would need to overcome not only the numerous injuries that had taken out many of our starters, but also we would need to contain the Buc's punishing running back, Jon Adams, who was looking to join the highly exclusive 2000-yard club in just his 4th year in the league. Our top RB, Herb Matthews, was unable to go with a pulled groin, so backup RB Tommy Douglas started in his place, despite his not-yet-fully-recovered dislocated shoulder. Tampa Bay won the coin toss, and, looking to establish their dominance from the outset, elected to receive the ball first. On their opening play, Jon Adams ripped through our defensive line and was finally brought down 16-yards up the field. On the next play, we managed to hold him to 4 yards. Looking at second-and-6, Buc's QB Dwight Norris went to the air on the next two plays, but was unable to connect with his receivers, thus bringing up fourth-and-6 from our 42. In a show of utter disrespect for our defense, the Bucs went for it, but Norris once again couldn't connect with Donovan Burroughs (Dallas WR Gino Burroughs' brother), and the ball was ours in good field position. After a false start call before we could even get off our first play, Berg immediately went to the air, hitting on his first 5 passes of the day. On the eighth play of the drive, Levon Wallace went around the right end for 14 yards and rumbled through the Buc defense for the touchdown! 7-0, Gatesville! The Buccaneers got great field position to start their next drive, thanks to Adrian Strong's 38-yard return. Wasting no time, the Norris hit Burroughs for a 12-yard score on the fourth play of their possession to quickly snuff out our brief lead. 7-7. Our next possession ate up the rest of the first quarter, but yielded no points, and we were forced to punt from the Buc's 40. With their next possession, Jon Adams went to work, gaining 21 yards on the ground over the course of their next three plays. As they had done on their opening drive, the Bucs went away from the run when it was working, and the drive stalled, just as it had done the first time. Pinned at our own 6, Berg calmly took the offense down the field using a steady barrage of passes with the occasional run thrown in to keep the defense honest. On second-and-15 from the Tampa Bay 28, Berg went for Farley in the back of the end zone, but the ball found cornerback Scottie Craig instead. Not another pick in the end zone! Tampa Bay took their time moving down the field, and eventually Ronald Ingoglia kicked a 48-yard field goal when their offense stalled at our 31. 10-7, Bucs. With just 54 seconds left to go in the half, Berg ran a draw on first down for a short gain. On second down, he went for Kyle Diaz down the right sideline, but cornerback Danny Carty was there to break up the pass. On third-and-10, Berg put one up for grabs deep in the Tampa secondary, and Earl Thornton made a spectacular leaping grab for a 46-yard gain. With a fresh set of downs on the Tampa 14 with 32 seconds left, we tried to fool the Bucs with a run, and Wallace made it 8 yards before Carl Bjornson brought him down. Not wanting to risk a sack, or perhaps another Berg pick in the end zone, Coach Irv Saxon opted to go for the safe 23-yard field goal with 22 seconds left. I guess Irv doesn't totally believe in Berg yet, but I do. I would have let Berg throw a couple of quick passes to the end zone, but Saxon was the one who made the call, and the field goal was good, sending us into halftime tied up at 10 all. We began the second half with the ball, and the offense was able to move from our 20 to the Tampa 32 with the help of a 19-yard Tommy Douglas run and a 17-yard Randle reception. However, on the next play Berg was sacked and the ball came loose. Fortunately, Rusty Pleasant was alert enough to recover the ball, but the offense had lost its momentun, and we were forced to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt. Broderick Hidalgo, once one of the league's most reliable kickers, missed the long attempt wide left, and the score remained knotted at 10-10. On first and second down, we stuffed their workhorse RB Adams for losses, and it was quickly a 3-and-out for the Bucs. Starting from our 19, Berg quickly found Earl Thornton on a screen, and from there Thornton ducked and dodged his way for a 39-yard gain. Next, Tommy Douglas knocked out runs of 10 and 9 yards to move us to the Tampa 33. Chuck Farley was called upon on our next play, and Chuck crashed his way through the Buc's secondary for a 23-yard gain that stopped just shy of the goal line. On the next play, Farley took one step forward, turned around, and pulled in a laser from Bergeron. Touchdown, Gatesville! We were on top once again, 17-10. The Buccaneers took over deep in their own territory after the kickoff, and over the next 10 plays worked their way almost to midfield before being forced to punt the ball at the end of the third quarter. Our next drive started off on a sour note with an offensive holding call. Two plays later, Berg left the game with an injury, and things had suddenly gotten much worse. Backup QB Luke Birk came in and promptly found Chuck Farley for a 15-yard gain across the middle to keep the drive alive. An ineligible receiver downfield call 2 plays later proved to be too much for the offense to overcome, and we punted from our 49. Tampa Bay took over from their 14 trailing 17-10 with just under 12 minutes left in the game. Norris went to the air with limited success early, so the Bucs shifted gears and started giving the pill to Adams, who punished our defense for 21 yards over the next 5 plays. With the defense looking for the run, the Bucs went to the air once more, and 5 plays later Norris hit Ethan Hevey for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game once again at 17-17 with 4:42 left. Thanks to a nice kickoff return by Sean Kaplan, we took over from our 48 yard line. Immediately, Birk hit Thornton deep on a 43-yard bomb to move us deep into Buc territory. From there, Birk hit Ralph Randle on a fade for a 9-yard touchdown! We were leading 24-17, with 3:46 left! A holding call on the kickoff return once again had the Bucs pinned deep at their own 6. Things were starting to look pretty good! On first down, Tampa backup RB Leroy Borders broke through the heart of our defense for an 11-yard gain before free safety Dave Sanders could drag him down. Jon Adams took it around the left end for 26-yards on the following play to move the ball out to the Buc's 43. Next, Norris dialed up Hevey for 21 yards, and it was starting to look like we had team of matadors on the field. The defense stiffened a bit, and Dave Sanders' sack from Norris's blind side set up third-and-8 from our 34. If we could hold them for one more play, the game would probably be ours. Oblivious to the pressure, Norris took a short drop and fired the ball to Hevey for 8-yards and the first down. No! After the Hevey first down, the defense visibly sagged, and on the next play, Norris hit Burroughs for 20 more yards. Three plays later, they connected again for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 24-24 with 1:02 left. Ace return man Rodney Dorsett was able to return the kickoff to our 39. We figured we needed about 30 yards to get Hidalgo a good shot at a game-winning field goal, but it was not to be, as Birk fumbled the ball during linebacker Gene Crowley's sack, and Tampa Bay defensive end Marty Card fell on the ball at our 33. Not good! With 39 seconds left and their full allotment of timeouts, the Buccaneers fed the ball to Adams, who gained 18 yards on first down to move to the Bucs to our 15. Adams got it again on the next play, and this time he leveled 3 or 4 guys en route to the end zone. Adam's touchdown put the Bucs up 31-24 with just 21 seconds left. Any thought of a last-second miracle disappeared when Birk fumbled again on first down and Tampa Bay DT Luther Monroe recovered it. To quote one of those fabulous boy bands from the turn of the century, it was "Bye-bye bye." :( Key Performers: Tommy Douglas, still not completely recovered from his injury, gutted out a 12-carry, 85-yard performance. Berg completed 19 of 26 passes for 239 yards, 1 TD, 1 Interception, and 1 fumble. He also ran the ball 4 times for 22 yards. Luke Birk, playing in relief of the injured Bergeron, completed 4 of 4 passes for 72 yards, 1 TD, but his 2 fumbles were absolute game-killers for us. Earl Thornton had a mammoth 8-catch, 175-yard performance that all went for naught in the end. Chuck Farley caught 7 passes for 67 yards and 1 TD. Ralph Randle caught 6 balls for 57 yards and 1 score. Al Ingram made 11 tackles and got 2 assists. Jon Adams joined the 2000-yard rusher club with 24 carries for 130 yards and 1 TD. Dwight Norris completed 24 of 33 pass attempts for 292 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 picks. ================================= Dallas (9-6) a Carolina (7-8) The Cowboys were totally unimpressive in a 28-17 loss to a very average Carolina squad. ================================= The Playoff Picture: The 49ers managed to lose to the 3-12 Browns to drop to 12-4. Had we prevailed today, we would have miraculously recaptured the bye week and the home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Instead, we will be playing host to the Rams in the Wild Card round...
Summing up, if we want to repeat as Super Bowl champions, we will be forced to do it the hard way: On the road... :( |
2014 Final Standings:
Here is a look at how the divisions stacked up at the conclusion of the 2014 regular season. They had quite a race for the final playoff spot over in the AFC...
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Originally posted by DataKing:
Tough break on a tough loss there, Kodos. Sounds like you need to have a little "chat" with your defensive coordinator. The Berg injury isn't a big one, is it? I hope not. If you do have to go with Birk, I have one word for you. "Stickum" :D It might make throwing the ball a little tough, but at least he won't cough it up. Looking forward to the playoffs. You know my man Chuck's gonna step it up come showtime. |
Thanks, DK! Berg is fine and will be available for our Wild Card game vs. St. Louis.
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2014 Playoffs: Wild Card Round
St. Louis (8-8) at Gatesville (12-4) ============================================= Attendance: 48,200. The Game: On a cold, drizzly day in January, we played host to the visiting Rams, who were the sixth and final seed in the NFC. Despite a myriad of injuries on both sides of the ball, we figured to win because Berg, Chuck U, and our receiving corps were all still intact. We opened up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 7-yard Thornton receiving touchdown and a 16-yard touchdown grab by Tommy Douglas. The second quarter started with yet another Berg interception in the end zone, but all the Rams could get out of it was a field goal. 14-3. A 96-yard return by Sean Kaplan on the ensuing kickoff immediately crushed any momentum for the Rams. Late in the first half, shortly after Kurt Warner left the game with bruised ribs, a 63-yard Cole Rood run set up a 4-yard touchdown for Rood, but we still went into the break leading 21-10. Sean Kaplan did it again with the opening kickoff of the second half, as he found a seam and took it all the way for a 93-yard touchdown. Wow! :eek: The kid is on today! Another Berg interception in the fourth quarter set up a 37-yard touchdown pass from Lamont Andersen to Kevin Castillo. However, Lamont Edmond was stuffed on the 2-point try, and the score remained 28-16. Responding quickly, our offense marched right down the field, and Berg found Wallace for his third passing touchdown of the day to extend our lead to 35-16 midway through the fourth quarter. Not ready to give up yet, the Rams answered with another Andersen touchdown pass, this one going to Rich Jenkins from 19 yards out. Once again, the 2-point conversion attempt failed, as Cole Rood was dropped by Al Ingram just short of the line. With 6:40 to go, we were leading 35-22. Berg and the offense put the game away for good with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Randle with just 1:17 remaining. Final score: Gatesville 42, St. Louis 22. Next week we will travel to the West Coast to face the 12-4 49ers. Key Performers: Berg won the Game MVP and Offensive Player of the Week awards despite the 2 interceptions, as he amassed 395 yards and 4 TDs while completing 30 out of his 40 attempts. He also carried the ball 7 times for 33 yards. Everett Schwarz made good use of his 11 carries, as he gained 67 yards to finish the day averaging over 6 yards a pop. Ralph Randle continued his best season with 13 catches for 177 yards and a score. Chuck Farley caught 6 passes for 94 yards. Earl Thornton caught 5 balls for 62 yards and 1 TD. Joel Harden made 7 tackles and 1 interception. Key Injuries: Starting left guard Rusty Pleasant sprained his back and will miss the rest of the playoffs. Damn all these injuries! :mad: Starting left end Patrick Sanders broke his hand and will need a couple weeks to recover. Backup DT Paul Everett broke his foot and will miss the remainder of the season. ============================================= Here is the lowdown on how the other games in the Wild Card round went. I can tell you right now, none of the games were pretty... NFC: The Cowboys embarrassed the Detroit Lions on the road to advance to the Divisional Round, where they will face the 14-2 Buccaneers. Good luck, 'boys! :p
AFC: Shorty was no doubt turning cartwheels as he watched his beloved Bungles dismantle the visiting Des Moines squad. Kansas City rounded out a Wild Card weekend of blowout victories by defeating the Jags 23-3.
Looks like we'll be seeing you in the Divisional Round! Go Gatesville! |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Hey! Gatesville is back! Just caught up with everything! Nice rout of the Rams! Hope your injuries don't kill you too much. Of course you realize that you are heading straight for a Dallas-Gatesville NFC Championship Game, don't you? Now that's a game I'm looking forward to! Outstanding stuff as always! Go Gatesville! |
Well, the Cowboys will have to get past Jon Adams and the Bucs first, which seems like a pretty tall order. And we are no lock to beat San Fran. It would be pretty cool to meet the Cowboys with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line...unless, of course, we lost. But we're getting ahead of ourselves a bit. We'll just have to see how things play out in the next round... :)
Notably our two previous Super Bowl opponents are also still alive on the AFC side. There could be some paybacks in order for us (against the Bengals) or for the Jets (against us). |
Originally posted by cthomer5000:
Man, you're going to need some heroic performances this week tp get to the title game...That self-destruction in week 17 was ridiculous, and the week off would have helped heal some injuries. Oh well, i have faith in Chuck U. i smell a big game coming up, or am i just smelling Kodos' cooking again? cthomer |
It's probably best is you don't ask just what I'm cookin'!
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Injuries Update:
Here’s the Injury Report going in to San Fran. As you can see, we’re still pretty banged up. The good news is some of these guys are about ready to come back. * Rusty Pleasant, G - Sprained Back, full strength in 2015 * Jonathan Farmer, C - Torn Thumb Ligament, full strength in 2015 * Edgar Justus, CB - Dislocated Knee, full strength in 2015 * Ty Robbins, WR - Hip Pointer, full strength in 0-2 Weeks * Tommy Douglas, RB - Dislocated Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks * Herb Matthews, RB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 0-2 Weeks Paul Everett, DT - Broken Foot, full strength in 2015 * Patrick Sanders, DT - Broken Hand, full strength in 0-2 Weeks * Percy Stewart, S - Dislocated Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks Kyle McAfee, T - Dislocated Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks * = Starters |
Originally posted by Raven Hawk:
Stick it to the 49ers! I want to see Chuck U destroy the Cowgirls! Goooooooooooooooooooooo Gatesville! |
2014 Playoffs: Divisional Round
Gatesville (13-4) at San Francisco (12-4) ============================================ The Game: In the second round of the 2014 playoffs, we flew to the West Coast to face a San Francisco 49ers team that had edged us for the second seed in the NFC. With our best RBs, Herb Matthews and Tommy Davis, still ailing, we had little choice but to give our inexperienced rookie Everett Schwarz the starting nod at halfback and hope for the best. We won the coin toss and chose to receive. Right off the bat, right tackle James Pond let linebacker Victor Sandberg by for a 5-yard sack. We managed to get most of it back on our next two runs, but still found ourselves looking at fourth-and-3 from our own 49. Inexplicably, Coach Saxon decided to go for it, but Ralph Randle's short reception came up 1 yard shy of a first down. :( Starting with superb field position at their own 49, Daunte Culpepper led the 49er offense to our 28 before consecutive unnecessary roughness and offensive holding calls backed them up to where they had started, and they were forced to punt, having wasted a golden opportunity. During our next possession, Berg and the offense once again couldn't seem to find their rhythm, and we punted after moving 5 yards in the wrong direction. Disaster struck when Earl Thornton knocked the ball from punt-returner Thurman Mathers' hand, only to have linebacker Rich Shively scoop it up and race 63 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, we found ourselves trailing 7-0. Looking to strike back, the offense took to the field once more; Berg hit Thornton for 18 yards, Farley for 9 yards, and Randle for 5 yards to move us 32 yards on our first 3 plays. After a couple of decent gains on the ground, including a 7-yard draw run by Berg himself, Berg once again went to the air, and found Ralph Randle again for a 17-yard gain that moved us to the 49er 2 yard line. Left tackle Terrance Read allowed a 5-yard sack on second-and-goal from the 2, but Read sprung Everett Schwarz around the left end for a 7-yard score on third down to even the score at 7-7. Starting from their own 24, San Francisco embarked on a long drive that ended with a 23-yard Johnny McElroy field goal early in the second quarter. 10-7, 49ers. Our next drive was highlighted by a 20-yard completion to Ty Robbins, but ultimately the drive ended with yet another Berg interception in the end zone by safety Walter Raney. San Francisco moved backward from the 20 to their own 8 on the ensuing possession, thanks to a false start and an Allen Whitfield sack of Culpepper for an 8-yard loss. Going to work from midfield, Berg mixed in some runs with 4 straight completions, the last one going to Ralph Randle for a 7 yard touchdown. For the first time in the game, we owned the lead, 14-10, with just under 5 minutes to go until the half. The 49ers could only muster 2 yards before calling on their punter once again, and we moved from our 33 to their 4 with some good runs by Levon Wallace and Tommy Douglas. With first-and-goal from the 4, Schwarz ran for 0, -3, and -2 yards to set up a 26-yard Hidalgo field goal on fourth down that gave us a 17-10 lead on the road going into the half. Not too shabby, really, but I couldn't help thinking about how easily it could have been an 11-point lead. Johnny McElroy missed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide left on the Niners first drive of the second half, and Hidalgo followed suit with his own 42-yard attempt that also sailed wide left. Damned kickers! San Francisco's next drive was a quick three-and-out, and Sean Kaplan's 17-yard punt return set us up nicely at the 49er's 48. Berg's 36-yard strike to Ralph Randle provided the biggest fireworks of the drive, while Earl Thornton's 8-yard touchdown grab provided the exclamation mark. Gatesville, 24, San Francisco 10! A 3-yard draw by Culpepper that capped a 74-yard drive illustrated that the 49ers weren't going to give up just yet in the fourth quarter, but Hidalgo's 44-yard field goal on our next possession kept us ahead 27-17 with 8 minutes to go. A 48-yard completion from Culpepper to Peter Warrick set up Warrick's 10-yard touchdown grab that brought the Niners to within 27-24 with 5:43 left in the game. Evidently looking to build on their momentum, the 49ers lined up for the onside kick instead of relying on their defense to get them the ball back. McElroy sent a high-bouncing kick our way that reserve linebacker Bryan Groh just dove on. Gatesville's ball on the San Francisco 40! On first down, Berg scrambled for 5, and Everett Schwarz followed that up with a 12-yard dash right up the gut of the defense behind the blocking of backup guard Rob Stanton. Tommy Douglas punched through the defense for another 7 yards before Rich Shively was able to tackle him. On second-and-3 from the 16, Berg underthrew Ralph Randle to bring up third down, but luckily Berg was able to find Thornton on the next play for 12 yards to move the chains and give us first-and-goal on the 49er four. Once again, Berg tried to get it to Randle, but defensive tackle Randal Tallent made Berg throw before he really wanted to, and the ball fell incomplete. Wary of another pick in the end zone, Coach Saxon called Everett Schwarz's number on second down, and Schwarz rewarded him by dragging several 49ers into the end zone. Touchdown, Gatesville! Leading 34-24 with just 2:33 left on the clock, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. The final nail in San Francisco's coffin almost came on first down, when Joey Rhoades bowled over right tackle Jim Stapleton and knocked the ball out of Culpepper's hand, but right guard Burt Booker fell on it for the Niners to keep their drive alive. Still, they were looking at second-and-22 from their own 1 after a false start before their next play. Culpepper tried to make something happen on a busted play, but he only managed a 4-yard gain to bring up third-and-18 from their 5. Each of Culpepper's next two passes were knocked down before reaching their intended target, WR Frank Williamson, and the Niners turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory. Given the great field position, it took just two plays for us to score a touchdown, as Berg snuck it in himself for a 6-yard score to put it completely out of reach. 41-24, Pirates! To their credit, the 49ers still didn't give up. Culpepper launched one deep to a wide-open Peter Warrick, who took it 80 yards for a score after the cornerback fell down. They even managed to recover the ensuing onside kick. It didn't matter in the end. Final score: Gatesville 41, San Francisco 31. All we could do now was to wait and see how the Cowboys fared in Tampa Bay... Key Performers: Berg won the Game MVP award by completing 22 of his 33 passes for 269 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 interception. He also gained 40 yards and a TD on 8 carries. Everett Schwarz didn't gain a lot of yards, but he did get into the end zone twice on 12 carries for 39 yards. Ralph Randle had a relatively quiet day, with 5 catches for 67 yards and 1 score. Chuck Farley had 5 grabs for 59 yards. Earl Thornton pulled in 4 passes for 48 yards and 1 TD. Joel Harden made 10 tackles and 1 assist. |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Yahoo! Waiting with bated breath for the Dallas result... |
Originally posted by cthomer5000:
Man, that was excellent... im dreaming of Dallas coming to Gatesville next week for the biggest game in the rivalry's history! cthomer |
Originally posted by SplitPersonality1:
Way to go Pirates! Never thought I would say this, but I hope the Cowboys win. I would love to see you guys crush Dallas on the way to the Big Game. |
Divisional Round Update:
Three of the four Conference Championship participants have been decided so far, with the final game at the half right now. AFC: On the AFC side, the number one seeded Steelers walloped the Bengals, while the Jets won a closer contest at home against the Chiefs.
NFC: In the final game of the weekend, the Buccaneers are leading the Cowboys 17-14 at the half. However, Tampa Bay's kicker has left the game with a broken foot. That's better than a torn ACL, I guess. :rolleyes: |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
The Floaters have captured your avatar in X-COM II, Kodos. They said to tell us the final score of the Dallas/Tamp game and they will release you. Don't tell us and they will mind control you and have you strangle yourself with all eight tentacles, or testicles, as the guy on Ebay would say. :) |
Divisional Round Update #2:
This just in from the Skyranger satellite dish: Jon Adams, the Buccaneers' stud RB, has just run for a touchdown and the 2-point conversion to put the Buccaneers up late, 25-21. Repeat: The Bucs have gone ahead late in the fourth quarter... The Cowboys have the ball with just under 2 minutes to go and all three timeouts left...[/End Transmission] |
Originally posted by revrew:
You two are both bastards. ;) |
Update #3
The Bucs have intercepted backup QB Tracy Mazurek's pass in the end zone! It's all over! The Bucs win!... |
Update #4
Wait! Defensive pass interference was called. The Cowboys have it on the 1! Mazurek lines up in the goal line formation...and takes it in himself! There's no time left! The Cowboys win, 28-25! :eek: |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
VFF. :) Is there an update #5? Or is it really over? You're killing me. Is it really going to be the Cowboys vs. the Pirates? That would be so very cool. The ultimate turning point! |
That was indeed the final update. The Cowboys have won, and we have claimed the homefield advantage for the rest of the playoffs! Who'd a thunk it?!
There's gonna be Big Trouble in Little Texas next weekend... ;) |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
This is going to be a huge game. Huge! A pivotal moment in this dynasty's history. You just knew there would be a time when Dallas would try to come back. Stuffing them back in their hole once again should break their spirit for good. They'll shrivel up and move to Fargo. But if they win, and get a shot at a Super Bowl, yikes! They could be in Dallas for another 20 years! Oh my! :eek: Not to put any pressure on you or anything. Kick their butts. When's the game? |
GB: Yeah, it's a HUGE game as far as the overall challenge goes. A Super Bowl win for the Cowboys, and I can't see them going anywhere any time soon. It could wipe out years of progress... On the other hand, a second consecutive Bowl win (and third consecutive trip to the Bowl) for us could really help boost our attendance and help bail me out of the financial trouble we are in.
Not sure when I'll be able to post it. I'm dead tired today, and won't really have time to write it up tonight. I may be able to sneak something in tomorrow...but maybe not. I want to make sure I give it the big treatment it deserves, and that takes time (as you know from all your threads). I'd say it'll definitely be done by sometime on Saturday at the latest. :) Thanks to all the people who are chiming in again. I was afraid that most folks had lost interest in this thread for a while... :) |
Originally posted by illinifan999:
Kodos, I hate you. ;) Those updates were cruel. Go Pirates!! I swear if you lose to the Cowgirls......... |
Originally posted by Fonzie:
Fear not, Kodos. I haven't been posting, but I've been absolutely addicted to your dynasties. Keep 'em comin'! And be sure to mess them 'Boys up something fierce. |
Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz:
Take your time with it. Don't rush for us. The anticipation is half the fun! Looking forward to The Big Game. |
Originally posted by sterlingice:
Clearly Jerry Jones bought off the refs SI |
Thanks, guys!
Fonzie: Ayyyyyyy! (<--- sad little "Happy Days" reference.) Glad you are enjoying the show! Illinifan: We aliens can be known to be pretty cruel. Especially when we steal a page from the cruelest of the cruel: Godzilla Blitz! ;) But believe me, I want to beat those Cowboys more than anyone, with the possible exception of Bill Gates himself. Sterlingice: I wouldn't put it past Jones. Frogs don't like to touch him because he's too slimy. GB: I think if we win versus the Cowboys, the Super Bowl may seem anti-climactic afterward. Oh well... I'll still take a win over the 'Boys! |
Originally posted by Raven Hawk:
Sgt. Raven Hawk here from X-Com II. We have secured the perimeter. If Jerry Jones gets near these refs, my team has been instructed to shoot first and ask questions later. Although Patman II is having a little too much fun with the Stun Rod and the Cowboys fans. Raven Hawk out . . . |
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