[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: And then the season ended, before the playoffs started

When you thought we played at our worst on the road in Gothenburg, well, you were wrong. The Maassluis Merchantmen 2106 season has come to an end in Bordeaux, where we lost 20-0. A fumble return by a Bordeaux defensive tackle on the first drive of the game put them 7-0 up. And from there on, we never really gomt into the game. Despite our defense holding ground pretty much throughout, the offense was incapable of getting points on the scoreboard. At half time, QB Evan Drake was replaced by rookie QB Monty Truitt, which I won't take lightly on my staff as being 17-0 down is never cause to raise the with flag.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Gothenburg Giants came back from 11 points down to beat the Paris Musketeers 37-31 and as a result leapfrog us for the division title based on division record tie-breaker. The Harlem Apollos snuck into the playoffs as the final wild card team despite a 35-6 clobbering by the hands of and at the Toronto Lake Monsters. The Houston Mustangs' 30-24 loss at the San Antonio Tidal Force eliminated Houston, putting Harlem and Maassluis level at 10-6 each. By virtue of their head-to-head win in week 13, Harlem got the ticket for the playoffs and with that a trip to Gothenburg.

European Division
1. Gothenburg 10-6
2. Maassluis 10-6
3. Paris 5-11
4. Bordeaux 5-11

So, after an 8-0 start, we became the first team in the 102-season history of the IHOF to miss the post-season after a 7-0 and 8-0 start. I'll run down the team later on, but for now, you can imagine, I'm shocked about the choke of the century that we pulled off.