Football in Sacramento
 

This is an FOF4 dynasty that will prove nothing. I'm not applying any house rules - I don't care if my team wins an dozen consecutive Super Bowls. My only goal is to re-locate a team to Sacramento and make it successful (finacially, and on the field).

To start the game, I wanted to pick a team that was already in a western division of either conference - one with an old ballpark so I could submit a re-build plan (and have it rejected) right after the first season.

I selected the Kansas City Chiefs. They're not really that far out West, anyway. They have an old park, and low support for a new stadium.

It gets even lower as I trade away all their talent for future draft picks and start crappy undrafted free agents. Year one ends with us at 2-14. Amazingly, two other teams finish with the same record, and we go into year two with the #3 pick overall in the draft. Not to worry - fan apathy is sufficient to get my request for a new ballpark denied, and after this year I can attempt to move to Sacramento.

The funny thing is, I draft a really nice QB and RB in the first round (I had two picks - mine at #3, and another at #8). I also manage to pick up some decent talent at WR and OL in the rest of the draft.

The stadium plan fails (hooray). I go ahead and spend some money on a few decent free agents before training camp - no sense in losing if I don't really have to.

I sim through year two. Make it to the playoffs as a wild card team at 11-4-1. I end up winning the Super Bowl (go figure) on the stellar play of my rookie sensation QB and RB.

Year three starts, and I submit the plan to move. The only problem is, Sacramento is in the 33rd percentile for "desire to have a new team." This is going to be a tough sell. I propose a cheap ballpark to make it less expensive - I'll have to expand later, if I can get them to go for it. Low quality. Outdoor. Natural grass (just couldn't do artificial turf - philosophical reasons). I set the seating capacity as follows:

Capacity: 50,000
Club Seats: 1,000
Luxury Boxes: 5

Yeah, I know - miniscule. The expected cost is $269 million. I offer to pay half. We'll see how it goes.

It goes bad. The issue fails 57.7% to 42.2%

From what I understand, the regional settings are randomly generated every game - maybe I should start over?

I'll sim a few more years and see how it goes...

Well, I simmed one more year, submitted another obnoxiously expensive proposal to Kansas City, then simmed another year, and got lucky in 2006 - Sacramento approved the measure (a somewhat larger stadium proposal this time) by 6/10 of a percent.

A win's a win. Now I'll focus on building my team for long-term success - I've got five years left in KC which are guaranteed to be poorly attended, so I might as well build for success in 2011. I'm going to trade or let go any player who currently has more than 4 years experience. I'm keeping the team young until we get to Northern California.

Looking forward to more posts ...from the dynasty .

Alas... my hard drive crapped out over the weekend. My Sacramento NFL Dynasty died with it. I'll have to start over once I get FOF reinstalled.

That sucks. I'll be watching.:(

Well, it's been a while, but I've always wanted to come back to this little project, so here it is.

Same strategy as before... I select the Chiefs, fire or trade the entire roster, and play year one (2002) with UFA's.

I finish 2-14, dead last in the league.

Those poor, hapless Chiefs.

2003 Pre-Season

Fan loyalty is still relatively (and surprisingly) high, but support for a new stadium is low enough to ensure rejection of any proposal. I submit a plan for a $783 million monstrosity, and will await the results after the draft.

Neither my coach nor my scout are under contract any longer, so I've got to hire new ones. No sense in skimping here. I hire Jay Albrecht away from Baltimore - a solid offensive coach with good skills all around. I miss out on my first-choice scout, and take Brady Silverstein (not previously employed), a 45 year old scout who is basically "average to good" all the way around.

I bump up ticket prices and have a look at the "Wants Franchise" information in the City Rankings. Unfortunately, Sacramento is at 25%. It's not very promising, but I'm going to press on and give it a shot, anyway.

I don't need to protect any free agents, as they're all (A.) Lousy, and (B.) Restricted anyway. I start the free agency period and have a look at the draft preview. I have the #1 pick overall, but at first glance, it appears that it would be better spent trading it for a horde of future picks, as there are no stud QB's or RB's on the board. I skip through the free-agency period (as there's no point in making immediate improvements to the team until I get a confirmed move date) and start the draft.

I trade the #1 overall to New Orleans (who drafts #2) for their 1st and 2nd round picks in 2004 and 2005, as well as their 3rd round pick for 2005.

With the first pick of the second round, I select QB Skip Geiger from Hawaii (great last name for a QB who may someday play in N. Cal.) He's 6-3, 205, and has great "upside." He's a fan favorite, dumb as a post, but seems suited for an accurate, short passing game (West coast offense, anyone?)

In round three, I select the pornographically named RB from Oklahoma, Rusty Harding. He's "idolized by fans" already... go figure.

Staying with the theme, I select WR Bill Long from Louisiana State in round four. I should nickname him "Willie."

With my fifth round pick (and my last of the draft - as I traded away the 6th and 7th early last year) I go for the innuendo trifecta, and select DT Mario Hoover from Oregon.

After the draft, I get the expected result for my local stadium proposal (denied) and begin to scour the UFA market for any leftovers. The pickings are slim, and I end up just re-signing most of the cannon-fodder from last year (figuring they're nearly as cheap, and maybe the cohesion will help).

I'm off to camp with a new coach, new scout, an improved QB, RB, WR, and DT, and not much else to brag about.

Yeah, but they'll be better off in the long run. ;)

Fair enough.

good to see it come back:)

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!

I'm an idiot.

I'm in the middle of looking at my post-camp roster, and I decide to clean up the 6 or 7 saved game files I have. I accidentally whack my current game... and I try to re-save it, but FOF goes into convulsions after I try to sim the season.

So, my second attempt at this dynasty is now kaput.

Is this a sign?

Anyhow... I'm going to try ONE MORE TIME. This time, I'm going to sim thru as quick as possible until I get approval to move to Sacramento. At that point, I'll "empty the cupboard" and start really building the team from scratch. It should be challenging, because I doubt I'll get a very big stadium in Sacramento, and at that point, with the move approved, fan apathy in K.C. will be chronically bad.

Sorry for the inconvenience, for anyone who's reading this. I promise the quality of this thread will improve. ;)

My first attempt was a failure... KC actually accepted my obnoxious stadium bid in 2008...

Starting over... grrr...

Finally… in 2006, after posting a league-worst record of 10-54 over the last four years, the Chiefs made a successful bid to move the team to Sacramento. The winning proposal was a outdoor natural grass stadium (built by a low-quality construction firm) with a capacity of 65,000, including 5,000 club seats and 100 luxury boxes. The total cost was $382 million, of which the team will pay exactly half.

I expect attendance to suffer greatly over the next five seasons, and with the added stadium expense, finances are going to be tight. Obviously, there’s little hope of turning a profit at this point, so I’m going to play by a “misfit toys” set of rules until the move is complete – no high-priced free agents, no high draft picks. I may go ahead and draft in the lower rounds (they’re cheap anyway), but for the most part, I’m going to try to stay as far under the salary cap as possible.

Before the 2006 regular season, I start to actually pay attention to the roster. I drafted two promising QB’s last year, Tommy Shelton and Butch Hopper, (I expect Shelton to start) and I have a 3rd year veteran RB that is fairly talented by the name of Dwight Samuels. Unfortunately, the offensive line and WR corps is pretty weak, and there’s not a lot of talent available to bolster it with. I don’t expect to win more than 6 games this year, but I don’t mind – I’m not really trying to win until after the team moves.



I was close – the Chiefs finish 7-9 on the season. Tommy Shelton posts a QB rating of 80.5 in his first year as a starter, with 21 TD’s and 18 INTs. Dwight Samuels rushes for 822 yards in 13 games – he misses three to injury.

I lost $82 million in 2006, and that’s before the stadium payments kick in. Ouch. I’m $27 million under the cap – I can trim more salary, but not enough to make up that sort of deficit. The franchise is going to be pretty broke for a while. I’d like to hire a better coach, but there’s just no money – the one I wanted just got hired for $8.2 million a year – my current coach (who isn’t bad – just not stellar) makes $4.5 million.

I can’t do much with ticket prices, so I leave them be, and start the free agency period. I’m hoping to re-structure some expensive contracts, and I’ll cut or trade the ones I can’t make more affordable. Unfortunately, I cannot justify keeping any veteran talent – even the minimum salaries for older players are too high. The only exception I’m making right now is with regards to my QB and RB. Everyone else plays cheap, or seeks work elsewhere. So I immediately cut everyone with 7 years or more experience.

After the purge, and a few other contract re-negotiations, I’m left with $44 million in cap space. I plan to trade away my draft picks this year, and fill out the roster with “misfit toys” after the draft. After training camp, I’m $35 million under the cap, but I’ve got $20 million in “dead money” that isn’t going to hit this year’s balance sheet... so basically, I’m fielding a team for less than half of this year’s $109 million salary cap.
I finish the 2007 regular season at 9-7; not bad given the restrictions I have, but not quite enough to make the playoffs. Statistically speaking, the offense is below average in every category – it appears that my rushing defense (best in the league somehow…) was what made the team competitive at all.

I managed to turn a profit of $21 million in 2007 – I guess the stadium payments don’t kick in until later. The reduced spending has kept me in the black – for now.

There will be no changes in the coaching or scouting staff – I can’t afford it. The free agency period goes by quickly – I’ll save contract re-negotiations for after the draft.

After training camp, I’m $24 million under the cap, with $20 million in dead money (next season this should be less of an issue, as I have only $500,000 dead money projected). My prediction is another 9-7 season, maybe 10-6 if the ball bounces the right way for me this year.


No lucky bounces… 9-7 it is. It’s funny… you play enough FOF, and you can pretty well predict how good your team is going to be, barring any major injuries or other unpredictable events. What I could not predict is that 9-7 would be good enough to earn a wild-card spot.

I have reason to be cautiously optimistic. QB Tommy Shelton has started to get it together in his third season, posting a rating of 93.6, and passing for 27 TD’s. His favorite target is breakout FL Terrance Vertescher, who caught 13 TD’s.

Sadly, the improved passing game isn’t enough, and the Chiefs are ousted at Baltimore by a score of 13-6.

I posted a loss of $100k in 2008… basically, I nearly broke even.

It’s 2009… two more years until the move. I had to re-hire my scout… he got a substantial raise, but I can’t risk lower quality talent at this point.

I don’t acquire any free agents, but I do use my full compliment of draft picks – I want to stockpile as much young talent as I can so that this team is ready to peak when it gets to Sacramento. My draft comprises of:

QB Renaldo Osborne – 1st round, 15th overall – Stephen F. Austin: Has awesome potential. Tommy Shelton is in his 5th year, and, in my experience, is due to peak by year 7. If he doesn’t, I have a capable replacement… in fact, I expect Osborne to challenge for the job by the time we get to Sacramento.

SS Bubba Andrews – 1st round, 22nd overall – Georgia Tech: His only weakness right now is man coverage and endurance, but he’s going to make my secondary better right away, and he’s also a quality special teams player.

SE Quinn McCarthy – 2nd round – Texas Tech: Diminutive at only 5’9”, he’s got the makings of a fearless, over-the-middle “possession” receiver. Enjoys punt returns.

FL Jose Weiner – 2nd round – Indiana: Classic name… figures to provide a respectable downfield threat. Yes, I’m trying desperately to bolster my receiving corps.

RB Andray Alloy – 3rd round – Lock Haven: I’ve never even heard of Lock Haven, but the kid’s a solid back all the way around, and you never know when a spare will come in handy.

FB Earl Upshaw – 4th round – Oklahoma State: Prototypical fullback, at 6’0”, 241#. Already an awesome blocking back, and could see time as a special teams player. Very solid all around. Went to high school in Napa, CA, so the locals will like him when the team moves.

TE Pat Ferris – 5th round – Georgia: A lot of teams are going to regret letting this guy fall all the way to the 5th round. This kid can do it all – he blocks like a demon, and at 6’4”, I pity the LB that has to cover him over the middle.

WLB Tracy Page – 6th round – Temple: This is where the talent drops off. Page can blitz, and will tear your head off when he does it, but otherwise, he’s mediocre. Could play special teams.

TE Skip Goldstein – 7th round – Oregon State: This kid’s from South Bend, IN. I’m guessing Notre Dame didn’t want him for the same reason why he’s a 7th rounder – he’s a one-dimensional blocking TE. Could be useful on rushing downs and special teams.

Well, there’s the 2009 draft class. Most will make the roster, just because the rest of the roster still sucks. I’ve got to re-sign some key players that are in the last year of their contracts (primarily FL Terrance Vertescher and RB Dwight Samuels), and then it’s off to training camp - $27 million under the cap, with $1.2 million dead money – my most expensive roster to date.

Apparently, drafting a rookie QB was all the motivation Tommy Shelton needed. After starting 7-1, the Chiefs finish the 2009 regular season as AFC West Champions at 11-5, and earn a first-round bye. Shelton has his best year of his career to date – 38 TD’s (1st in the league), 4540 YDs (2nd in the league), and a QB rating of 103.5 (5th in the league). RB Dwight Samuels rushed for 901 yards at 4.2 YPC and 9 TDs – respectable, but not fantastic. WR Terrance Vertescher led the league in receiving TD’s with 14. He had 81 catches for 1327 yards, and also was third in the league in KR average, at 30.7, with one TD. Another year like this, and he’s gonna have to have a clever nickname (and with that cumbersome last name of his, he needs one) – I’ll post a dynasty poll on that one later.

The Chiefs are 3 point favorites at home in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Houston Oilers (yes, they’re the Oilers in my leagues). They cover the spread comfortably by a score of 38-14. In the conference championship game against Denver, they defeat the Broncos by a score of 26-17, and earn a spot in the Super Bowl. They are 2 point underdogs in the title game against the St. Louis Cardinals (yes, they’re the Cardinals in my leagues). They beat the spread, but lose a heartbreaker by the score of 18-17.

The 2009 season, capped by an improbable playoff run to the Super Bowl, is bittersweet for the few remaining football fans in Kansas City. They realize the team is just getting good with only one season remaining before they move to Sacramento. Team ownership is thrilled however; as a dynasty will be born just in time to win over the support of the new home town.

Team ownership is not, however, too thrilled about the price of victory. The Chiefs posted a $66 million loss in 2009, mostly thanks to big signing bonuses to key players. Shelton’s contract is up this year, so thing’s aren’t going to get much cheaper. Coach Brett Singleton is due for a new contract as well, and he’ll need a raise if we’re going to keep him – no better talent is available.

2010

The last season before the move.

I've posted a poll - what should I name the team? Go vote now... please? :D

I have $32 million under the cap, and 3 first round draft choices. I am going to lose money this year, especially if I use all of them (I likely will not , from a first glance at the draft preview).

I rush through the free agency period as I always do - I rarely sign free agents (unless their my own) in FOF... it's just more satisfying for me to build from the ground up. Now it's time to draft, and I have a look at my roster and see where my glaring needs are:

QB - I'm loaded. Shelton is at the top of his game. Butch Hopper is potentially just as good as a backup - if not better, and Renaldo Osborne is the long-term solution.

RB - Dwight Samuels is solid, but not super-heroic. I'd draft a stud if one were available - otherwise, there's little need here. The backups are good enough to do.

FB - Again, solid, but not superhuman. Doesn't matter anyway.

TE - Pat Ferris started just one game last year, and will improve. Not much need here.

WR - Verteschler is a stud. Weiner and Quinn will be decent in a year or so. The #4 and #5 WR's are nothing to write home about - this is a position that has room for some improvement.

OL - I have one stud RT, a good LG, and a good C, everything else is mediocre. Needs improvement.

P & K - My punter is good, the kicker isn't so great - but that's not a priority.

DL - Depressing. Needs help everywhere.

LB - Same as above.

CB - I have one solid corner. Could use another.

S - Average.

So, basically, my defensive front seven is desperately bad, the secondary isn't much better, and my OL could use help.

I have the #2 overall selection, and there's a couple of promising DL prospects worth having, but I may be able to get them later if I trade down. I swap the pick for Arizona's 1st and 2nd round picks (4th overall).

Sadly, the DE I had in mind went at #3. Dammit. I take DT Mark Lorenzen at #4. He's potentially a great run-stopper and pass-rusher; he could be the perfect DT, and a solid anchor for my defensive line.

With the #11 pick overall, I select SE Rick Mills, another good WR project that might take off in a few years.

At #31 overall, I can't resist taking SS Howard Bueno - a punishing hitter that should be lethal in a zone defense, and on special teams.

The talent drops off sharply in the second round. I select RB Kennedy Farr and DT Willie Riley, but I don't expect either to make an immediate impact of any sort. I pick RT Oscar Downs in round 3, and SLB Will Price in round 4.

The rest of the draft is fodder, except for the colorfully named Hep Cat Hesse, a center from Clemson taken in round 6. He might actually be backup material.

And then, for reasons unknown, the game crashes as I take my final pick.

At first, I'm pissed... but then I think to myself... you know... now I have a perfectly good excuse to go back, re-do the draft, and get the players I really want.

After some wheeling and dealing, I take DE Winston Cortez at #3 overall, and select Lorenzen again at #4. Now I'm happy.

Oddly enough, the remainder of the draft works out pretty much the same... I had traded my 3rd round pick, but managed to get the same talent one round later, with the exception of a LB I had picked in round 5 (can't remember his name).

After the draft, I re-negotiate some contracts. Of note:

* QB Tommy Shelton signs for $15.2 million over 4 years. It's a very balanced contract - no back loading - so his cap number after this year remains constant.

* Backup QB Butch Hopper signs for a much more affordable $4.7 million over 3 years.

I'm $14 million under the cap, with $3 million dead money, as I head off to training camp.

2010 - Post-season Report

What If You Had A Super Bowl Victory Parade And Nobody Showed Up?


What? Does the title give away too much?

The Chiefs, in their last season in Kansas City, posted a regular season record of 13-3. Some statistical highlights:

* QB Tommy Shelton passed for 4118 yards and 40 TD's. His rating was 104.9.

* RB Dwight Samuels was, dare I say, super-heroic this season, rusing for 1080 yards at 5.0 yards per carry

* FL Terrance Vertescher was not as dominant as last year, but caught 64 passes for 1126 yards and 6 TD's. SE Quinn McCarthy had only 34 catches for 527 yards, but 7 were for TD's.

* Rookie DE Winston Cortez had 11.5 sacks. CB Vinny Gerstler led the team with 6 INT's.

Unfortunately, the Chiefs didn't win a first-round bye, but it didn't seem to matter. They dispatched the Bengals by a score of 30-15 in the wild card round. Their divisional opponents were the much more formidable Tennessee Titans, whom they beat 37-30 on the road. In the conference title game, they were at home against Buffalo, and won 24-14.

In the Super Bowl, the Chiefs faced the Seattle Seahawks, and it was the sort of game that companies who buy second-half advertisements hate - the final score was 43-3, Chiefs.

In light of the pending move, no parade was held in Kansas City. Football fans in Sacramento are expected to line up to buy season tickets for next year as they anticipate the arrival of a world champion.

Vote Now!
 

Ok... before I do anything with the next season, I need a new team name. Go to the poll and vote now! Please?

Click here to vote

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Sacramento Recall
Sacramento Blackouts
Sacramento Grays
Sacramento Democrats
Sacramento Politicos
Sacramento Sequoias
Sacramento Heat
Sacramento Steam
Sacramento Quakes

2011

Football in Sacramento – At Last

In recognition of the team’s move, management has decided on a new nickname and team colors. After polling the public (and, for the most part, ignoring the popular vote) the franchise has been re-christened the Sacramento Cannons. The team colors have been changed to scarlet and silver. No word on the helmet logo yet (if anyone reading this is PhotoShop savvy, well, have at it – I’ll name my next stud RB after you).

Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, there are not a lot of moves to make this off-season. The coaching and scouting staff is under contract. The one issue to look at is ticket prices. Here’s the current stadium breakdown:

Upper Deck – 21,100 seats - $45
End Zone – 15,200 seats - $70
Mezzanine – 8,800 seats - $85
Sidelines – 13,500 seats - $110
Club Seats – 4,000 seats - $275
Luxury Boxes – 100 - $200,000

Total Capacity is 65,000
Stadium Type – Outdoor/Natural Grass
Stadium Condition – Very Good
Turf Condition – Very Good
Parking Lot Condition – Average

My “Fan Loyalty” is exactly zilch. I don’t expect to sell a lot of tickets this year (despite the recent title run), no matter what I charge. The ticket prices I have are pretty well in line with the rest of the league (with possibly the exception of the premium seating). The average income in Sacramento is one of the highest in the league, at just over $40,000. Unfortunately, the poverty rate is also high, at over 14%.

Any suggestions here are welcome – I don’t know the secret formula for calculating ticket prices in FOF.

2011 - Pre-Season

The free agency period begins. I blow through it as usual.

I have no first or second round pick this year, as they were traded away as part of the deal I made during last season's draft. It's too bad - because this looks like a strong draft class. I'm not going to make any attempts to move up, however - the team I have was good enough to win it all last year - no need to be greedy. Here's a breakdown of the picks I made:

Round 3: SLB Vincent Shelton - Washington State: Has the same birthday as me. Might help an weak but improving defensive front 7.

Round 4: MLB Deion Henderson - West Virginia: Born on the 4th of July (why do I care about birthdates all of a sudden?). A tenacious player, good on special teams, and a fan favorite.

Round 5: LDE Irv Blufer - Washington: Not much offensive talent this late in the draft. This guy looks like training camp fodder.

Round 6: C George McGuinness - Kansas: Lost my backup center in free agency. This guy will do.

Round 7: SE Bob Dawson - Stanford: I'm starting a new tradition. From now on, I'm going to use my 7th round pick on a player from a Northern California school, unless I've already drafted someone earlier from a N. Cal school. This year, it's a gawd-awful wide receiver that probably won't survive training camp. This will be a tough tradition to keep, as there are very few universities in the area, and none are renowned for producing NFL-quality talent.

After the draft, I re-negotiate the contracts of players in the last year of their deal. Of note:

RT Scottie Okeafor - the only real stud on the OL - and apparently, his agent is well aware of this. Signs a new deal worth $16.9 million over 6 years.

CB Vinny Gerstler - Earned all-league honors last year. A fan favorite, and arguably the best player on defense. $20.5 million over 5 years.

FB Jerome Inoue - Are fullbacks really worth much in FOF? I don't know - but this guy's a fan favorite. $7.7 million over 4 years.

TE Pat Ferris - Hasn't become a full-time starter yet, so I'm able to extend him cheap. $3.9 million over 3 years.

C Donovan Garcia - All-league last year. $9.5 million over 4 years.

SE Quinn McCarthy - Performed well last year - solid 2nd WR. $9.5 million over 4 years.

After the re-negotiations are complete, I sign undrafted free agents to fill out the roster. Heading into training camp, it looks like salary cap management is going to become more of a concern in the coming years - I'm $14.3 million under the cap, with $3.2 million in dead money, out of a total salary cap of $136.2 million.

Sacramento Cannons, eh?

Where did you build the stadium? Hopefully near Arco Arena III in downtown. :D

Hmm... hadn't thought about that... how about El Dorado Hills? ;)

Oh, and I sold a whopping 11,700 season tickets after training camp... ugh.

2011 - Post-Season

The Cannons finish at 13-3, best in the league, with home field advantage assured throughout the playoffs.

Statistically, the offense has an off year. Shelton posts a rating of 98.7 in 14 games. Samuels rushes for 899 yards at 4.3 per carry. Vertescher is hurt bad in week 7, and is out for the season with a torn deltoid.

On defense, second year LDE Winston Cortez ties for second in the league with 15 sacks. CB Vinny Gerstler ties for third with 7 INT's.

Sacramento hosts Buffalo in the Divisional Round as 10 point favorites. They beat the Bills 26-20. They host Pittsburgh for the AFC title, and win 32-27.

In the Super Bowl versus Atlanta, the Cannons defend their title with a 30-20 victory.

2012 - Pre-season

The balance sheet is looking ugly.

I lost $100 million in 2010, and another $99 million in 2011.

My attendance for the first year in Sacramento was 34,700. Fan Loyalty is still showing zero. Public support for new stadium is at 25% (doesn't do me much good right now).

I have no idea how to address the economic problem, aside from waiting for fan loyalty to increas (and, hence, ticket sales).

I usually blow right through the free agency period, but a glance at the draft preview gives me pause... There's a stud RB on the board by the name of Harold Kok (classic name! :-D) His hometown is South Lake Tahoe (local boy!). He's pretty much a "can't miss."

And I start to think... Samuels is a 9 year vet... pretty much toast as an RB in FOF terms... and he was never a superstar anyway. Backup QB Butch Hopper is an 8 year vet - in his prime, but will never get a shot on this team because Osborne is the current heir to Shelton... his deal is up this year... I could package Samuels, Hopper, and my #1, and probably get the #1 overall from Tampa Bay, and draft that RB... it would at least make the off-season a bit more interesting.

So, I propose the trade to the Buccaneers. I figure it's a pretty fair deal for them - Hopper will be an excellent starting QB, and they have one pathetic QB on the roster.

Tampa Bay rejects the deal. I sweeten it with next year's first round pick, and this year's 5th round pick, and they go for it.

So, here's how this year's draft goes:

1st Round (#1 overall) - RB Harold Kok - Northwestern - Nearly perfect in every category. Well liked by fans, and very high leadership. A bit short at 5'9" and 202#, but he's fast and elusive.

3rd Round - SLB Shane Aikens - Alabama - Another fairly mediocre LB to add to the defense.

4th Round - SE Eugene Maumau - Michigan State - Might catch on as a punt returner.

5th Round - RDE Mack Emerson - Texas A&M - Could compete for the spot opposite Cortez.

6th Round - TE Jeffrey Burke - Washington State - Fodder

7th Round - FB Leonard Paraiso - San Jose State - Traditional local boy. Unlikely to make the roster, even more so to ever play.

Now, off to contract renegotiations. Of note:

QB Renaldo "The Heir" Osborne - Hasn't played a down. Signs for $5.8 million over 3 years.

WR Jose Weiner - Had a decent year - averages 18 YPC. $15 million over 5 years.

Off to training camp again - $14 million under the cap.

Hey, I have family there! :)

[grumble]...and I still think that the Californicators would have been a better name...[/grumble] ;)

Excellent dynasty thus far man, keep it up!

2012 - Post Season

The Cannons finish 12-4, winning the AFC West and locking in home field advantage for the postseason.

Notable statistics:

QB Tommy Shelton passed for 4693 yards (most in the league) and 34 TD's (3rd in the league). He had a rating of 98.1

Rookie RB Harold Kok saw limited playing time. Apparently Coach Brent Singleton preferred to let the less talented but more experienced tandem of Brett Waschke and Andray Alloy get most of the work.

Sadly, former stud WR Terrance Vertescher has apparently become injury prone. He blew his ACL in week one. His skills are already diminished after his deltoid injury of last season, and there are rumors out of the Cannons' front office that he (and his enormous salary) may be jettisoned after the off-season.

WR Jose Weiner led the team in receiving with 87 catches for a league-leading 1409 yards. He had 11 TD's. Quinn McCarthy had 67 catches for 1045 yards.

LDE Winston Cortez was third in the league with 18.5 sacks. He already has 45 career sacks in three seasons. He's earned the nickname "Bulldog" amongst teammates and fans.

In the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, Sacramento hosts Baltimore at home (the Cannons' stadium has been dubbed "The Proving Grounds"). The Cannons are 38-31 victors, and advance to the AFC title game against Northern California and Western Division rival Oakland.

Sacramento is a prohibitive one-point favorite going into the game, and tickets to the contest are the hottest commodity on the West coast.

Much to the amusement of the hordes of visiting Raider fans, and the chagrin of the infant group of Cannons supporters, Oakland stomped Sacramento by a score of 28-14. The bitter seeds of a brutal local rivalry are sown...

Making matters worse, the Raiders face the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Most fans are left to cheer for a wayward asteroid to strike midfield sometime during the game...

Oakland wins, 35-10, and Al Davis, at this point crippled, bound to a wheelchair, and on a respirator, gets to hoist another Lombardi Trophy.

Too bad we can't force the game to move Oakland to mars or something.....

Well, I may draw some inspiration from Kodos' Bill Gates dynasty, and make it my mission in life to crush the Raiders in every way imagineable. ;)

2013 - Pre-season

Cry Havoc, And Let Slip The Dogs Of War

- or -

It's Time To Unleash The F*ckin' Fury!

Team ownership is not amused.

The Cannons already have to contend with the legions of Sacramento-based Raider fans. Now we've given them bragging rights after choking in the AFC title game. At home, no less.

No expense will be spared, and no quarter will be given. The Oakland Raiders are going down.

Stage one is staff hiring. Lead Scout Raymond Heurtin is fired. He is replaced by Britt Griffin, who is hired away from the New Orleans Saints.

Head coach Brent Singleton stays, only because there's no better talent available.

Fan loyalty still sucks. This will not do. Ticket prices are slashed. We're going to bleed money, but butts will be in the seats, one way or another.

The free agency period begins. I can't get much better right away with the draft, as I have no first round pick. I begin to consider the free agent market. I need a new WR, as Vertescher is done. His latest injury has rendered him worthless. I may keep him this year (his last year under contract) as he's a fan favorite and a receivers leader, but if I need the cap space bad enough, he's toast.

I sign the best player available - LDE Paris Wallentine. He costs a whopping $66 million over 4 years (it'll be re-negotiated next season), but he's even better than Winston "Bulldog" Cortez (who will shift to RDE). Best of all, he comes from divisional rival Denver. The Cannons now have two of the best pass rushers in the game.

I also pick up a decent LT named Ronald Kerr (also pilfered from Denver) for a reasonable price, and standout RDT Gus Glover from the Washington Redskins for $40 million over 4 years. My defensive front has gone from "soft" to "solid" in just a few weeks.

With those signings, and the expected cost of draft picks, I'm pretty much done shopping, as the cap is getting tight.

Here's an overview of the draft:

Round 2 - ILB Darren Simmons - Oklahoma: Another attempt to strengthen the front 7.

Round 3 - SS Darryl Jessup - Lenior-Rhyne (what the hell college is that?): Safety is the weakest part of the Cannons secondary right now.

Round 4 - FL Edgar Boggs - Eastern Tenn. St.: Sadly, an improvement over Vertescher at this point.

Round 6 - DT Fred Tapley - Nebraska: Has potential, but basically a cheap backup.

Round 7 - SS Mitch Cooley - Stanford: The honorary local cannon fodder.

2013 – Pre-season (cont’d)

Contract re-negotiations this year are tricky, as I’m not left with much salary cap room to maneuver with. Of note:

QB Tommy Shelton signs a new deal. $92 million over 7 years – although it’s really a four year, $15 million deal that will have to be re-negotiated later on. Just like the real NFL! :D

RG Eddie Vance won’t re-sign. I had to slap the franchise tag on him, because he’s the best guard on the team right now – the guy he’d been backing up for years just retired. Now I’m stuck with a huge one-year salary until he gets in a few games and is more willing to sign a cap-friendly extension. What a pain in the ass. I could probably trade him elsewhere for a replacement, but I wouldn’t get fair value in return.

I have to release a lot of veteran backups and replace them with “misfit toys.” This is to be expected – you either have top-notch starters and weak backups (no depth – you’re up a creek with a few key injuries), or you have solid depth but less-than-stellar talent overall.

This strategy gives me a little more room to work with, and I check the wire for any good free agents that didn’t get picked up before the draft. I snag a solid FS named Percy Chuang, and, guess what?

QB Butch Hopper is available.

Now, I know I don’t need him. I just re-signed Shelton, and Osborne is the designated backup… but I traded Hopper once to move up in the draft… if I sign him now, I can trade him again next season for any considerations I might require.

I get him for $13 million over three years.

Vertescher stays on the roster for now. If he makes it through the season, I should be able to re-sign him cheap next year as a free agent. I’m kind of hoping he takes the dignified way out and retires.

My roster is set, and the Cannons are off to training camp.


2013 – Regular Season

Week 1 – At Oakland
Great way to start the season – against the hated Raiders. Shelton has pulled a hamstring, and figures to be out for 11 weeks, so Butch Hopper gets the start. He lights up Oakland for 3 TD’s. Vengeance has just begun.
W – 37-14
Week 2 – Vs. New York
I give Osborne the start. He sucks – but that’s to be expected. Kok has 2 rushing TD’s.
W – 21-13

Week 3 – At Pittsburgh
Osborne improves. 2 TD passes.
W – 27-3

Week 4 – Bye

Week 5 – At Tennessee
Osborne throws 4 TD’s. He’s heating up… and Shelton is beginning to worry about getting his job back when he recovers.
W – 41-10

Week 6 – Vs. Houston
Apparently the Sacramento aerial attack doesn’t work too well in the rain. Kok rushes for the lone TD, but is also tackled for a safety. Still, a win’s a win.
W – 16-2

Week 7 – At Indianapolis
This early season schedule is brutal – four road games, two home games. An awful showing, as Osborne is sacked 6 times.
L – 20-6

Week 8 – Vs. Jacksonville
Harold Kok is unleashed – 21 carries for 153 yards. That’s 7.2 yards per carry.
W – 44-14

Week 9 – Vs. Oakland
Oakland is 5-2 going into this game; we’re 6-1. The weather is 62 degrees and fair. The rivalry is heated. And we can’t sell out a 65,000 seat stadium for it. Someday, when fans are on a 20-year waiting list for season tickets that cost a small fortune, I’ll remember this. Butch Hopper gets the start (sorry – no breaking in the new guy when the Raiders are in town). He throws 3 TD’s. The vengeance continues, and we have a regular season sweep.
W - 24-19

Week 10 – At Denver
Kok has another big day – 22 for 120, 5.4 ypc, 2 TD’s. Osborne has 2 TD’s.
W – 38-17

Week 11 – Vs. San Diego
Kok rushes for just 57 yards, but has 3 TD’s.
W – 40-13

Week 12 – At Philadelphia
Osborne passes for 359 yards and 2 TD’s. Kok has 5.7 YPC for 110 yards and 1 TD.
W – 45-20

Week 13 – Vs. Buffalo
Another huge day for Kok. 21 carries, 148 yards, 7.0 YPC, 1 TD. Sadly, a vain effort.
L – 27-26

Week 14 – Vs. Dallas
Any day you beat the Cowboys is a good day.
W – 32-14

Week 15 – At San Diego
QB Tommy Shelton has recovered. Predictably, he stays on the bench. Osborne steps up and throws three interceptions. Kok goes down with a severe wrist sprain – expected to be out 3 weeks.
W – 24-0

Week 16 – At Washington
Obviously, Osborne’s not ready for prime-time without his featured back in the lineup, so Shelton gets the start. No offensive touchdowns are scored during the game. Shelton looks rusty after the layoff – 2 INT’s.
L – 10-0

Week 17 – Vs. Denver
We’ve clinched home field advantage through the playoffs. This game is meaningless, but Shelton gets the start – he needs the work. He looks a little sharper, with 2 TD’s and one INT.
W – 28-16


2013 Post-Season

The Cannons finish the year a league-best 13-3. The defensive line suffered numerous injuries, but overall, the unit was 3rd best in the league against the run, and 2nd best against the pass.

QB Renaldo Osborne posted a respectable rating of 91.4 in his first season of play. Despite the late-season injury, Harold Kok rushed for 989 yards at 4.3 YPC with 12 TD’s. Quinn McCarthy led the team in receiving, with 58 catches for 938 yards and 7 TD’s. Free-agent acquisition DT Gus Glover had 14.5 sacks. RDE Willie Riley had a breakout year with 12.5 sacks. The Bulldog had a modest 6.5 sacks.

The fates could not have scripted a better divisional round opponent for the Cannons. Once again, the Oakland Raiders made the brief drive inland to The Proving Grounds to meet their divisional rival. Sacramento is a 3 point favorite heading into the game. Team management is astounded over the fact that local fans only purchase 51,600 of the available 65,000 seats.

Tommy Shelton completes his comeback with 4 TD’s and no INTs on the day. Harolk Kok annihilates the Raider defense for 139 yards on 19 carries – an average of 7.3 YPC. The Cannons reclaim their honor, and dispatch the Raiders by a score of 38 – 10.

The stage is set for an AFC title game against none other than the mighty…

… Cincinnati Bengals?

Sacramento heads into the game as 10 point favorites. To the Bengals’ credit, they fare better than the Raiders, but not by much. Sacramento earns a trip to the Super Bowl by a score of 30-16.

The Cannons are favored by 9 points over the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. The game is played in Chattanooga, TN, and nobody must care, as only 61,000 of the available 71,100 seats are sold (somebody please explain this to me).

Harold Kok rushes 24 times for 146 yards, at 6.0 YPC, and wins game MVP honors. Shelton passes for 212 yards and 2 TD’s. The Cannons are champions again, by a score of 34-7.

2014 - Pre-Season

Three years in Sacramento - two Super Bowl wins. Still no Fan Loyalty.

The balance sheet of last year is the worst yet. $196 million in the red. If it weren't for three straight victories over Oakland, I'd say it hasn't been worth it.

I leave ticket prices low - I'm not going to raise them until the stadium sells out.

No need to use the franchise tag this year. Looks like LDE Paris Wallentine has repetitive concussion syndrome. Out for 61 weeks. Ouch. His contract is huge, and I'm stuck with it for now... maybe he'll re-negotiate. For the time being, it's off to the injured reserve list with him. No sense having him take a roster spot.

Vertescher appears to have retired. It's just as well - he was done.

I don't have a lot of salary cap room, and a lot of contracts are up this year, so there will be no free agent signings. As my most glaring need is new WR talent, and none is available in the draft, I'm also trading away all my draft picks for picks in next year's draft.

Time to re-negotiate a few deals. Of note:

QB Renaldo Osborne's deal is up. Naturally, since he played most of last year, he wants big money. $22 million over 4 years.

SE Quinn McCarthy earned his money last year - he signs for $28 million over 5 years.

I decide it's not profitable to re-sign backup RB Andray Alloy. I trade him to Atlanta for next year's 4th round pick.

Off to camp again... no cap space at all.

Go Raiders!!! :D

Love the Al Davis remark. Of course, you're lucky you got your team into Sacramento.

Knowing Al, he'd kick and scream, claiming territorial rights.

Fellas, the problem isn't the Raiders, it's the jackass that owns them.

I can't stand the freakin' Raiders - even in real life. Ever since they thumped my beloved Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII I have held nothing but contempt for them.

I'm gonna continue this dynasty as soon as I have time - I was on vacation last week, and have spent most of this week cleaning up after the Blaster worm here at my office.

Ahhh black Sunday......the bad memories abound....

2014 - Post Season

The Cannons finish the regular season with an impressive 15-1 record, their only loss coming at Denver by a score of 23-20 in week 9. Their record is the best in the league by far, and worth home field advantage and a first-round bye.

QB Tommy Shelton may miss the playoffs due to a strained patellar tendon. There is a chance he'll be back for the Super Bowl, should the team make it that far. He had a career year, even with only 13 games played, throwing 34 TD's and only 3 INT's for 3732 yards and a rating of 124.2.

RDE Winston "Bulldog" Cortez led the team with 16 sacks, followed by Willie Riley, with 13.

After the bye, the Cannons welcome the Oakland Raiders to the Proving Grounds for the divisional round of the playoffs. Butch Hopper will have to get the start at QB, and Sacramento is favored by 8 points.

Hopper gets the job done - he throws for 308 yards and 4 TD's, as the Cannons blast the Raiders by a score of 30-6.

Sacramento faces Jacksonville in the AFC title game. Once again, Hopper gets the start, and the Cannons are heavy favorites (this time, by 9 points). Hopper comes through again, this time with 3 TD's as the Sacramento defense holds the Jaguars to 3 field goals for a 34-9 victory.

Shelton has yet to recover sufficiently for the Super Bowl, so Hopper gets the start against the NFC Champion Green Bay Packers. The Pack is outmatched in every aspect of the game, and smart gamblers have no problem giving them 9 points while betting on Sacramento.

The Cannons offense is less potent than expected, but two rushing TD's by Harold Kok and one TD pass from Butch Hopper are enough to cover the spread and give Sacramento a 24-12 victory and their second consecutive Super Bowl victory (and their fourth in five years - third since moving to Northern California).

2015 - Pre Season

Winston "Bulldog" Cortez had a voidable year in his contract (oops) and is now a free agent. Guess who's getting the franchise tag this year?

Still no fan loyalty. What the hell is wrong with these people? The luxury boxes sold out last year, so the prices there will increase... everything else stays the same. The Cannons lost $164 million last year.

Right now, I'm $1.5 million under the cap, with $19 million in "dead" money. I have 3 first round picks this year, and there's no way I can afford to sign them.

Financially speaking, this team is in bad, bad shape. This is my fifth year in Sacramento. If the stadium doesn't start to sell out after this season, drastic measures will have to be taken - I will have lost three-quarters of a billion dollars (that's American currency, folks) in five years, with a full trophy case to show for it but no love from my home town.

Butch Hopper is in the last year of his deal. I can't keep three top-notch QB's on the roster, so I'm going to trade him (again). The draft this year looks pretty shallow - I may package Hopper and my picks for a good WR.

In what is largely a one-sided deal to alleviate cap problems, I send Hopper and this year's 3 first round picks and 2nd round pick to St. Louis for the best WR in the league - FL Ray May, a 9th year veteran and 3-time all pro from Texas Christian - along with their 1st rounder for next year. I immediately re-negotiate May's bloated contract, and I'm left with a kick-ass WR corps and $21 million in cap space. While it cost me a ton of draft picks, I wouldn't have been able to use them anyway, and I still have two great QB's on the roster, so losing Hopper was no big deal.

I look at the list of available free agents. I probably shouldn't bother, as I'll need the cap money to re-sign my own guys. But at first glance, an evil thought crosses my mind. The Oakland Raiders stud RB Josh Chapman is available. He's a 7th year vet. Played in 16 games per season every year since he came into the league. Has 6946 yards and 65 TD's in 6 seasons. He's idolized by fans.

Obviously, it would be a huge blow to the Raiders if they lost him.

But I just can't bring myself to bid for him. I'm sure I could exploit the AI, offer him a sweet, backloaded deal, and leave my rival's rushing game in ruin, but the fact is, it'd be bad for my team. Kok is in his 4th year, and is potentially even better than Chapman. He's already a backfield leader, and I can't have two stud RB's - bad for team chemistry, and, more importantly, bad for my bottom line.

Besides, there's more honor in defeating a strong rival than a weak one, and for the last two years, even with Chapman, the Raiders have been beaten repeatedly by the Cannons.

So I let him be. Oakland wastes no time in signing him to a 6 year, $66.5 million dollar contract. Now I just hope I don't end up regretting it...

I have only three picks in the draft. They are:

Round 3 - Emmanuel Stephenson - WR - California: It occurs to me that Cal is in Berkley; clearly a Northern California school, and therefore this pick gives me a decent 4th or 5th WR, and fulfills my "local boy" draft pick rule.

Round 4 - Tyrus Chin - DT - Syracuse: A steal this late in the draft. I may trade off an expensive veteran and keep this guy around.

Round 7 - Marshall Stevens - DT - Arizona: A fair priced backup.

I re-sign the guys I can afford (I might lose my starting MLB and SS next year - but they have good backups, and I can't get them under the cap right now), and fill the rest of the roster with UFA's. Off to camp...

2015 - Post Season

QB Tommy Shelton went down in Week 6 with an injury. Renaldo Osborne stepped in to replace him, and never left. Osborne passed for 3661 yards, 32 TD's, and a rating of 114.

The Sacramento Cannons finish the regular season undefeated. Predictably, there were nearly 10,000 empty seats at their final home game of the season.

RB Harold Kok ran for 1303 yards at 4.5 YPC, with a league-best 14 TD's. He also had 8 receiving TD's.

"Bulldog" Cortez had 13.5 sacks.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, the Steelers are in town to visit. They're 10 point underdogs, and appear to be clearly outclassed. The 40-16 result proves it. While their secondary keeps the Cannon's air attack in check, Harold Kok rushes for 115 yards and two TD's. K Kennedy Price is 4-4 for field goals.

Miami visits for the AFC title game, and they look worse off than the Steeler's did.

The team is 17-0, going on 18-0. It's a conference championship. The few living members of the '72 Dolphins are on the sidelines, hoping that the current team can somehow protect their legacy as the only team to finish a season undefeated. It's quite simply the most compelling matchup that professional sports has seen in a long time, and easily the greatest sporting event ever to be held anywhere in Northern California.

Still no stadium sell-out. Apparently, the people of Sacramento have no interest in the game of football. If this were real life, and I were the actual owner of this football team, I might kill myself.

The Dolphins manage to keep it relatively close - still, Sacramento heads to another Super Bowl with a 23-13 victory.

It's a Nor-Cal Super Bowl, as the Cannons face the 49ers in the title game. The game is even played in Northern California this year - hosted by the town of... Salinas?!? (Explain this to me...)

Sacramento takes the opening kickoff down for an early field goal, but it's all downhill for the Cannons from there. On their next posession, Osborne throws an interception at the 'Niners 4 yard line that is returned 96 yards for a TD. Osborne's 3 TD's and 345 yards passing the rest of the day can't dig Sacramento out of the hole, and the San Francisco 49'ers win the game, 40-31.

It appears all of Northern California has conspired against the Cannons - the fans, the Raiders, and now the 'Niners.

2016 - Pre Season

For the first time, I actually have some indication of fan loyalty... it's only about 10%, but it's better than the total apathy I've been seeing.

Unfortunately, last year featured another whopping loss of $162 million.

So, what to do? Cut costs, risk lower performance, and potentially break what little momentum I have? Or keep throwing money away until the situation improves? There's a lot of other teams that would be amenable to my management... maybe I should move on?

Alas... I'm gonna stick it out. I'll cut costs in a few places, but I'm going to leave the core of the team intact. Nobody said making a football team work in a small market would be easy.

I start by replacing my scout. Sure, he's the best in the league, but he's also making way too much money. I get a suitable replacement at a third the cost.

I make marginal increases in ticket prices. They're still by far the cheapest in the league. I figure the fans I DO have won't mind paying a little bit more.

The free agency period begins - I have two players that I'm bound to lose. The first to go is my starting SS, Bubba Andrews. He signs with Atlanta for $20 million over 3 years. I can replace him for a lot cheaper than that. The next is MLB Deion Henderson. He's a really solid LB, but I just can't afford him right now - and my DL is solid enough that I'm hoping he won't be too sorely missed. He goes to Buffalo for 5 years and $62 million.

I have 2 first round picks this year, and I don't see anything worth using them on. I'm going to trade out and try to keep salaries down. No draft picks at all this year - which speeds up the process a bit.

I re-sign a few players before training camp. Of note:

LDT Mark Lorenzen - Probably the best at his position in the league. 4 years, $27 million.

RT Scottie Okeafor - The anchor of the OL. 3 years, $15 million.

After a few more "misfit toys" are signed, it's off to camp.

2016 - Post Season

Another Shot At Immortality

Once again, the Cannons have posted an impressive perfect regular season record. The only question that remains is, can they finish the job this year?

Tommy Shelton blew out his ACL in training camp and spent the season on IR. He might be done for good. His contract is heavily backloaded and will be unwieldy next season - and there are rumors that he's considering retirement. But enough of that... for now.

Renaldo Osborne has most folks saying "Tommy who?" He finishes the regular season with 4555 yards passing, 41 TD's, 6 INT's, and a rating of 115.3.

Harold Kok rushes for 1077 yards and 11 TD's. He also has 72 catches for 799 yards and 10 TD's receiving.

Bulldog Cortez has 14.5 sacks.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, the Cannons face the Baltimore Colts. They are favored by 12. They win by 30. Kok has 3 rushing TD's.

In the AFC Championship game, they face a very solid 15-2 Jacksonville Jaguars team. The Cannons win, 40-13, setting up a Super Bowl re-match with the San Francisco 49ers.

Once again, it's an all Nor-Cal Super Bowl, hosted at a small California town (this time it's a little further south - Ventura, to be exact). Is there some method to this madness?

The result is much different this time. The Cannons strike back with a vengeance, and crush the 'Niners by a score of 42-10. Osborne goes ballistic, with 315 yards and 5 TD's. He's named MVP, and the Sacramento Cannons have completed the elusive perfect season.

Excellent, excellent dynasty. I stumbled on it last night, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Go Cannons!

Thanks! I should have some more updates this week.

2017 - Pre Season

Last year, I let lead scout Britt Griffin go and hired a slightly less talented (but much less expensive) replacement. Griffin is still looking for work, and agrees to come back to the Cannons for even less than the new guy is making. So, I save money, and get my top-notch scout back. Sweet!

My fan loyalty is now at a little less than 25%. I'm guessing that it increases about 10%-12% every year after the first five years in a new city if your team is successful, based on the current trend. This means I'm still not going to sell out, but I AM going to increase ticket prices. I still lost $89 million last year - an improvement, to be sure, but this team has a lot of debts to pay. After the bump in prices, my current price structure looks like this:

Upper Deck: $20
End Zone: $30
Mezzanine: $40
Sidelines: $50
Club Seats: $75
Luxury Boxes: $100,000

Still the lowest in the league, by far, and very, very reasonable. I had an attendance of 55,700 out of 65,000 last year.

No need to use the franchise tag this year, but I will need to re-negotiate some deals. I had backloaded Tommy Shelton's contract so that he's making an obnoxious $23 million this year - and at this point, he's a backup. This is compounded by the fact that starter Renaldo Osborne is in the last year of his modestly priced deal, and he won every award a QB can win last season. RB Harold Kok's contract is up, too. I'll save most of the re-negotiating for after the draft - I have enough cap space to get to that point, I just can't sign any free agents (and I'd rather not bother trying).

I have 2 late 1st round picks in the draft, and I don't see any super-talented skill players that I can't live without, so I decide to make a deal. WR Ray May hasn't worked out - he got hurt the year I traded for him, and he's lost all kinds of potential; he's an 11th year vet that isn't getting any better. I send May and the 2 1st round picks to Miami for 3rd year WR Calvin Bowman - a FL from Mississippi who's current abilities are already better than May's, and who still has room to improve. He's started in 14 games over his first two years, with a YPC average of 15.5.

I spend the rest of the draft as follows:

Round 2: Mike Wayne - ILB - Arizona State: Good upside; a bargain at the last pick of the second round.

Round 3: Riddick Taylor - FB - Boise State: Nicknamed "Hot Potato" because of his alma matter and his tendency to fumble. Best suited as a blocking back.

Round 4: Bryan Clark - TE - Texas A&M: A decent pass-catching TE.

Round 5: Tom Manning - C - Notre Dame: Cheap backup. Pickings are usually slim after round 3...

Round 6: Skip Pritchett - OLB - Kansas: Seems like a nice kid, but college game film shows he has a propensity for hitting backs so hard they get up looking out their earhole. Not much other talent aside from that.

Round 7: Bryce Erickson - DE - San Jose State: The local sacraficial lamb. He's a 5'11" defensive end. Maybe I should convert him to another position. Like waterboy.

Time to re-negotiate some deals. Here's the skinny:

QB Tommy Shelton: Yeah, I could trade him away, but history teaches us that it always pays to have a good backup quarterback. Besides, he's pretty affordable now - $9.5 million over 3 years.

RB Harold Kok: A sixth year veteran now, this will probably be his last big payday, as most FOF RB's are pretty much done after 10 years or so. Six years, $34.4 million.

QB Renaldo Osborne: A ninth year veteran - this contract will likely encompass the prime of his career. The last two years have to be heavily backloaded, but the first three are pretty cap-friendly. I hope to find and start grooming his replacement before this deal is up. Five years, $52.9 million - although it's really more like 3 years, $23 million.

RDE Winston "Bulldog" Cortez: Eighth year veteran, and has a shot at setting an all-time sack record (currently has 95.5). Won't sign for more than 3 years. $16 million.

RCB Vinny Gerstler: The best player in my secondary. Twelfth year player - might not last past this deal. Three years, $16.4 million.

After re-signing the players at the end of their deals, I'm beginning to notice that the Cannons are starting to get old. Several years of not being able to afford top draft picks might start to catch up to me - but I can't do anything about that now. I think the veteran core of this team is good enough to dominate for at least 3 more seasons, and that's as much as anyone has a right to expect in the NFL.

I fill in the gaps of the roster with undrafted free agents - I even pick up a sixth WR that I don't really need - Johnny Cash, from Kentucky. Couldn't pass him up...

I head off to training camp with $2.7 million left under a total salary cap of $169 million.

2017 - Post Season

The Cannons stumbled out of the gate, losing their first game of the season at home to the Chargers by a score of 20-14.

After that, they won 15 straight.

QB Renaldo Osborne had another stellar year - 4300 yards, 40 TDs, and a rating of 116.1

Harold Kok had his best year to date - 1710 yards rushing for 5.4 YPC and 12 TD's. He also had 67 catches for 656 yards and 7 TDs. That's 2366 total yards from scrimmage and 19 TDs. Kok kinda rhymes with Faulk...

This year, nobody else in the AFC won more than 9 games, and nobody in the NFC won more than 10. Parity abounds - except with regards to the Cannons, and they are heavily favored to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, they face the New Jersey Jets, and are favored by 10. Jersey keeps it "close," but the Cannons win 27-14. Attendance was 59,400. Still over 5000 empty seats for a home playoff game...

Buffalo visits for the AFC title game. Many fans expect that at least the Bills will be spared the humiliation of yet another failed Super Bowl appearance, and the Cannons are favored by 11. Sacramento secures their trip to the big game by a score of 34-3.

It's the Cannons versus the Vikings for the title, and Minnesota is a 7 point underdog heading into the game, which is hosted in Santa Barbara, CA.

Customers who bought advertising to air during the second half bemoan the matchup, as Sacramento takes it in a laugher, 41-7. Osborne throws for 4 TD's and is named game MVP.

The Cannons have won back-to-back Super Bowls three times in the last 8 years now, and look towards next season to win the elusive trifecta.

Come on, come on. Let's keep this dynasty moving. ;)

Yeah, yeah... I'll have an update today... got sidetracked with getting my "Superpower" dynasty started. :D

2018 - Pre Season

Another year in the red goes by... losses topped $118 million.

The strategy now is no draft picks before round three unless there is a remarkable talent at QB, RB, or WR available. Otherwise, it's expensive enough keeping the core veterans around. When they start to retire, we'll blow the team up and re-build... hopefully by then we'll have a lucrative fan base. The stadium is 7 years old - just under halfway until we can ask for a bigger one. With all the titles the Cannons have, a new ballpark is basically automatic - we just need to find a way to survive economically until then.

Ticket prices are going up again. Fan loyalty is at about 40-45%. The economy here is good enough for the fans to afford to pay a little more - even if the stadium is listed as "fair."

I trade everything in the draft except the 7th round pick... "Mr. Irrelevant." With it, I select RB Graham Daniels from Stanford. 5'9" and 194 pounds of fury...

After that, it's time to renegotiate deals, and pick up a few UFA's. That done, I'm off to training camp with a full roster and $5.2 million in cap space.