[MIJB#19]

Season review
Well, I summed up pretty much most of what happened in the week 13 season stattistical review. Let's see if I can give a little recap of what happened of the course of the season, including the off-season.

After going 1-15 in the 2004 season, we were rewarded with the #1 pick in the 2005 draft. Before knowing who would be available in the draft, I decided to cash the pick quickly and get several picks for it through Astoria. Eventually, we went into the draft holding the #6 and #12 picks.

In the several trades, we acquired OLB Ellsworth Thelen to upgrade our front seven, super star RT Wilson Grimaldo to easy LT Harold Hurtado's back and LG Alvin Causey, who was expected to miss almost the complete 2005 season. Additionally we acquired SS Wiley McGhee and FS Richard Muller as free agents and picked up DE Albert Bernardo to mentor the young DL group.

Getting at #5, the only player worth the #6 was gone, being QB Mario Hudson, and we already had a deal ready in case Hudson would fall to that pick with another team. Eventually we traded the #6 to Astoria as we couldn't strike a deal with Rochester for G Gene Simmons.

We used the #12 overall on CB Tai Wayne and hoped to see C J.J. Burroughs drop deep enough to get him around pick #20 by trading up. It turned out to be almost impossible to trade up and eventually we traded our 2006 1st rounder (likely the #15) to get Burroughs at #28 overall. In the same time we struck a deal with Fairbanks to get pick #32 as well as the #31 we already had.

Burroughs got selected at #27 overall, yet I decided we'd still go for it, grabbing the second or third best options with G Butch White, C Brant Heinrich and making QB Leonard Lyon the #31 overall pick. This ment we upgraded the QB spot with two legimate future starters, still having our 2004 starter Justin McDavid.

The draft basically ended there for us, though we did acquire WR/KR Devin Henson and RB Kyle Montoya in the remaining rounds. We tried to deal away TE Jim Reiser and FB Mrk Burger, but interest never reached a high level.

In the preseason, QB McDavid excelled, but the main reason to pick between him and QB Lyon was the level of play by the offensive line. Lacking a decent right guard, we experimentred with RT Russell Malave at the position and it turned out to be a good line already, with LT Hurtado and RT Malave joined by newcomers C Heinrich, RT Grimaldo and LG White. It paved the way for QB Lyon.

We started with a dissapointing big loss at home against Gothenburg, in which QB Lyon suffered an injury an handed QB McDavid a shot at regaining the job. By miracle, we beat Frederick and a win over Fort Worth put us at 2-1 going into the open week. With Lyon still recovering, we started McDavid, but saw him struggle and we went back to 2-2 after losing to Tucker on a missed 21-yard field goal and a missed extra point kick.

Lyon got the nod again, but an overtime loss against Georgia and a big 3-31 beating at until then 0-5 Paris cost him the starting job. McDavid guided the team past the AOC's top playoff contenders Conyers and Orlando, while in between European leaders Bordeaux escaped on last second field goals on both halves. The team was 4-5 at that point and had to win in Gothenburg to keep into the division title race.

At Gothenburg, McDavid slipped at the end of the second quarter and tore the ACL of his knee. McDavid's career was said to be in danger after the game, in which Lyon relieved pretty well, though couldn't avoid a loss. In the next game, Lyon inspired the team to the biggest win in franchise history and his first in the IHOF, beating Brooklyn 24-9.

The next game against Rochester was lost, but on the road at Chesapeake, the defense kept the home team from scoring for most of the game to maintain an early lead for another upset victory. losses at home against Bordeaux and a big loss against Astoria almost put a negative tone to the season, but a close win at home over Paris ment a 7-9 end of the season.

It ain't much, but it does mean we've improved by 6 wins since the 2004 season, the runners-up in this table are teams with 3 victories added. I am not counting on becoming manager of the year, I think at 7-9 I don't deserve it, though the rumors were there at the midway point. If you ask me, based on playoff success, the managements from Bordeaux, Chesapeake, Conyers, Fairbanks, North Plainfield and Rochester deserve more credit.

For the playoffs, it would be cool to see our divisional foes Bordeaux advance to the Conference finals. But without their QB Joe Johnson it will be a longshot. Otherwise a league final between Chesapeake from the NAC and either Conyers or Orlando as AOC representatives would mean a game between teams we've beaten. That would make the taste of this season's end even sweeter.

Next up will be the start of the 2006 off-season period, for which the trading block will be set up to sit ready for the first minute after IHOF Bowl II. The 2006 season will be promising with all decent teams on the schedule, but also no real power house teams if Telluride's QB Norm Rizzo calls it quits.

Expect to say goodbye to up to five familiar faces on the team and welcome the addition of two or three impact players or high prospect rookies for the new season. And expect some active trading, as we have to maintain the name of Masters of Trading. But like I said earlier, this off-season, quality will go over quantity. The expected over/under for total trades will be set at ten for us and I doubt we'll go over it.