[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: For the 6th time in team history?
Who cares about sample size and the perceived easy schedule?

Five times in Merchantmen history did we start the regular season with 5 victories. Today was our chance to achieve it for the 6th time. Let's dig into the history books first and then find out whether we lived up to the hype and did it again.

2012
It was in the middle of the Louie Flannery era, a Merchantmen offense with nearly two 1,000-yard rushers (Courtney Osgood 1,037 yards, Quentin Hatchette 960 yards), the first season of wide receiver Alfredo Bass on our offense. The defense had the same backbone as it had been since the inaugural 2004 season with defensive tackle Charles Gomez, middle linebacker Cody Cluff and strong safety Lincoln Gilmore. It was a weird season as we started the season with 5 wins, then dropped to 5-5, improved to 10-5 and then chocked the division title in week 17 at home against the fourth place Gothenburg Giants. We avenged it with a win at the Bordeaux Vineyards in the wild card round, then got crushed by R.J. Ellard's 214 yards rushing for the Tucker Tigers en route to their 37-12 victory.

2040
The season after our first IHOF Bowl participation, where we lost and eventually released quarterback Jay McGee in the off-season. As a result it became the infamous quarterback controversy season: Harry Osborne versus Harvey Corbett. I've written a chapter about Osborne before, do look it up. The crux of things, we started the season 8-0, dropped a game, continued winning, then had the chance in week 13 to grab the virtual #1 seed at the Tucker Tigers, but lost there and eventually settled for #2 with a 13-3 record, only to get crushed 24-0 after the bye by the hands of the Atlanta Vipers.

2058
The season after our second IHOF Bowl loss in our second bowl game. 2057 was the season after Lester Lowe had taken over for Bryson Chow, still sitting around as the backup quarterback, this was Lowe's first season starting from opening weekend. We were hard to stop, starting the season 8-0, albeit helped by a lot of home games early on. We then lost big at home against Paris and then close ones at Tucker and Fairbanks to eventually finish 13-3 and #2 in the conference. This time no humiliation, but we did go one-and-done losing 17-14 in a snow game at home against the San Antonio Tidal Force.

2059
Yes, the season after, we outdid ourselves, winning the first 10 regular season games, including a 38-14 pounding of the Tucker Tigers. We then lost at the Chicago Norsemen 29-24, but finished the season with five more wins, highlighted with a 63-3 demolition of the Bordeaux Vineyards. 15-1, #1 seeds, #1 offense with 562 points scored (second best was 468), #1 defense with 254 points allowed (second best was 268). And then the Atlanta Vipers came and popped our bubble. 31-17, it wasn't even really close. Most unsatisfying season in team history.

2071
The comeback season of Alfred Hickman, our IHOF Bowl winning quarterback (or as some fans keep claiming: in spite of Hickman's interceptions; hold that thought) returned after spending a season with the North Plainfield Plague. We won the first 6 regular season games, then barely won one in five and finished the regular season with 5 more wins to close it out at 12-4 and losing the #2 seed on conference record tie-breakers. Hosting the #6 seeded Houston Mustangs, we felt we should win here. But then Alfred Hickman three 6 interceptions, paving the way for Houston's 23-7 victory. Our last four drives of the game all ended in a pick. We were trailing 13-7, so basically still in the race, before that stretch.

In Summary
All that said, it must come as no surprise that starting the season 5-0 sounds awesome, the Merchantmen have a distinct way of disappointing their fans (and in particular their owner) by hinting that good things are to come, only to see it all fall apart come playoffs time.


2097, week 6
So back to today's game, a much anticipated defensive clash with the Atlanta Vipers. They had a strong 2096 campaign, falling apart late in the season, falling from 11-2 to 11-5 and one-and-done as #2 seeds, losing all of the last four games by huge margins. Their 2097 campaign has started tough with a 38-17 trouncing of Houston, followed by close losses at Oakland (currently 6-0) and Tucker (currently 5-1) and after their bye a 30-3 loss at home against the Bordeaux Vineyards, a complete deception.

Well, the first quarter was a confidence booster for Atlanta, coming out of it leading 14-7 and in possession. Their first touchdown drive was a screen pas turning into a 26-yard gain and on their second possession short tosses turned into 32-yard and 24-yard gains, the later for the touchdown and a 14-7 lead. In between, we had scored after Earnest Ashley had found Ed Schulz for 48 yards on our first play from scrimmage to set up the eventual dump pass to Clay Gaynor for a touchdown.

The second quarter was highlighted by Earnest Ashley finding Ed Schulz wide open for an 80-yard touchdown pass, soon after replied by Atlanta's 45-yard field goal, which we eventually responded to with Adam Harmon's interception near their red zone that set up a the first half ending 30-yard field goal for a 17-17 tied score.

The third quarter the balance tilted into Merchantmen favor, as Jon Brotzman accounted for pick number two, which ended up in Earnest Ashley running for a short gain to take a 24-17 lead. On the very next play, ignoring the kicking stuff, Adam Harmon made his second pick of the day to set up a 33-yard field goal for the 27-17 lead. Defenses dominated for the remainder of that quarter.

Then in the fourth quarter things went from bad to worse for Atlanta. On their drive that looked to at least give them 3 points, Caleb Domis pulled off a rare strip sack followed by returning the fumble the full 71 yards for a touchdown and the 34-17 lead. On Atlanta's next drive we stripped their running back from the ball and recovered the fumble near midfield. After converting on fourth and one, Earnest Ashley used his legs to get into the red zone and his arm to find Ed Schulz in the end zone for the 41-17 lead. The drama continued for Atlanta, as penalties pushed them into a 4th and 27 situation and as their decided to go for it with, Richie Piotte floored their quarterback at their own 4-yard line. Ashley's attempt to run for the touchdown failed, but the 21-yard field goal increased the lead to 44-17. A missed 49-yard field goal attempt from the Vipers added even more to the drama, finishing the game as we ran out the clock.

Gothenburg beat Paris 23-19, while Bordeaux fell 31-26 to Fort Wayne, our next opponent.

European Division
1. Maassluis 5-0
2. Gothenburg 4-2
3. Bordeaux 1-4
4. Paris 1-5

So, there, we're still in the lead, having faced the easiest schedule (our opponents combine for 6-21-2). And now have a monkey on our back the size of a silverback gorilla, because if history repeats itself, we're in for a heartbreaking end of this season after the team has teased us all to think we're actually good. Well, let's keep that hope and fantasy alive for now! We'll be visiting the Fort Wayne Fury next and although I'm fully expecting it to be a trap game, we do have to believe that we can pull of a victory at this 2-4 team in their third home game of the season. But it really depends on whether the team shows up that crushed Toronto 52-20, or the one that was clobbered 44-9 by Gothenburg and Mercury Pierce's third 6-touchdown game. I hope the latter, but fear the former. We'll have to wait and see what happens...