Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - An NFL Counterfactual - The London Monarchs (1976- )

Rawhide · 03-22-2015, 12:55 AM

[Background Music]
[Distant Scenes of Players Warming Up]

NARRATOR: Two hundred years ago, the American colonies rose up in revolution against their English masters. Now, the roles are reversed, and it's a different kind of revolution.

[Players performing starjumps]

NARRATOR: One fought not with muskets, but with x's and o's.

[Head Coach KC Beckam examines a board with strategies, adds several lines with a thick marker]

BECKAM: Tiger-shoot-left-45-zee, let's see if they can pick it up tomorrow.

[Cue to the practice field]

QUARTERBACK MITCH BLUNDIN: Right, the play is tiger-shoot-left-45-zee, on three. [Claps hands]. Leggo!

[Blundin stands behind centre, calling the play]

BLUNDIN: Tiger! Shoot! Tiger tiger! Aw shit! [Editor's note: edit swearing in final release]

[Blundin drops the snap and the defense recovers, KC Beckam throws clipboard to the ground]

BECKAM: Aw goddamit Mitch!

NARRATOR: The revolution may take some time to ferment, but there seems little doubt that the Monarchs plan on being the Kings of the National Football League one day.

[Closeup to General Manager Jack Hayden, sitting in his office]

HAYDEN: We've been dealt a tough assignment this year but we're confident of finishing the season with at least 2 wins. It will take us a while to build a quality NFL roster but we're confident of bringing success to this side of the Atlantic.

[Close out with music, transition to next scene in Mexico City...]

=====

MONARCHS WIN!
Eagles falter in final drive

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The London Monarchs struck a blow against the critics of the newly-internationalised National Football League by winning their first ever game in franchise history, upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles at Veterans Stadium 17-16.

Trailing 16-3 in the final quarter, the first Monarchs touchdown was scored by running back Tom Brennan on a 5 yard rush. The London team then took the lead with an interception return touchdown by cornerback Ray Jenkins.

The Eagles had their chances to win, missing a 43 yard field goal, and then turning the ball over on downs during their final drive. Philadelphia's notorious fans booed the team off the field, irate that they lost to a bunch of scrubs.

Earlier in the day, the Washington Redskins beat Barcelona Dragons 42-10 in the first NFL game played outside of the United States. Joe Thiesmann threw for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fellow expansion brothers Toronto Huskies lost their home opener 27-17 to Cincinnati. Two other expansion teams got a maiden win in their first outing: Seattle beat Green Bay 31-14 at home, while Tampa Bay beat Mexico City 27-10.

----

Excerpt from Head Coach KC Beckam press conference at RFK Stadium, September 19 1976:

REPORTER: What were the positives of today's loss, Coach?

BECKAM: Nobody got killed. That's a positive, I suppose.

REPORTER: The rushing game?

BECKAM: Diabolical. We can't rush at all. Eleven yards? That's generous from the statisticians.

-----

Everything from this point on is non-canon - as explained in a future post, I failed to save the game after Week 2 of the 1976 season, and essentially lost a whole season of writing. I don't feel like deleting everything though, so will put the "lost game reports" from 1976 into its own threads and start afresh in 1977. Hope this suits!

03-22-2015, 12:55 AM	#4
Rawhide High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia	[Background Music] [Distant Scenes of Players Warming Up] NARRATOR: Two hundred years ago, the American colonies rose up in revolution against their English masters. Now, the roles are reversed, and it's a different kind of revolution. [Players performing starjumps] NARRATOR: One fought not with muskets, but with x's and o's. [Head Coach KC Beckam examines a board with strategies, adds several lines with a thick marker] BECKAM: Tiger-shoot-left-45-zee, let's see if they can pick it up tomorrow. [Cue to the practice field] QUARTERBACK MITCH BLUNDIN: Right, the play is tiger-shoot-left-45-zee, on three. [Claps hands]. Leggo! [Blundin stands behind centre, calling the play] BLUNDIN: Tiger! Shoot! Tiger tiger! Aw shit! [Editor's note: edit swearing in final release] [Blundin drops the snap and the defense recovers, KC Beckam throws clipboard to the ground] BECKAM: Aw goddamit Mitch! NARRATOR: The revolution may take some time to ferment, but there seems little doubt that the Monarchs plan on being the Kings of the National Football League one day. [Closeup to General Manager Jack Hayden, sitting in his office] HAYDEN: We've been dealt a tough assignment this year but we're confident of finishing the season with at least 2 wins. It will take us a while to build a quality NFL roster but we're confident of bringing success to this side of the Atlantic. [Close out with music, transition to next scene in Mexico City...] ===== MONARCHS WIN! Eagles falter in final drive PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The London Monarchs struck a blow against the critics of the newly-internationalised National Football League by winning their first ever game in franchise history, upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles at Veterans Stadium 17-16. Trailing 16-3 in the final quarter, the first Monarchs touchdown was scored by running back Tom Brennan on a 5 yard rush. The London team then took the lead with an interception return touchdown by cornerback Ray Jenkins. The Eagles had their chances to win, missing a 43 yard field goal, and then turning the ball over on downs during their final drive. Philadelphia's notorious fans booed the team off the field, irate that they lost to a bunch of scrubs. Earlier in the day, the Washington Redskins beat Barcelona Dragons 42-10 in the first NFL game played outside of the United States. Joe Thiesmann threw for 421 yards and 4 touchdowns. Fellow expansion brothers Toronto Huskies lost their home opener 27-17 to Cincinnati. Two other expansion teams got a maiden win in their first outing: Seattle beat Green Bay 31-14 at home, while Tampa Bay beat Mexico City 27-10. ---- *Excerpt from Head Coach KC Beckam press conference at RFK Stadium, September 19 1976:* REPORTER: What were the positives of today's loss, Coach? BECKAM: Nobody got killed. That's a positive, I suppose. REPORTER: The rushing game? BECKAM: Diabolical. We can't rush at all. Eleven yards? That's generous from the statisticians. ----- Everything from this point on is non-canon - as explained in a future post, I failed to save the game after Week 2 of the 1976 season, and essentially lost a whole season of writing. I don't feel like deleting everything though, so will put the "lost game reports" from 1976 into its own threads and start afresh in 1977. Hope this suits! __________________ Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, That, if I then had wak'd after long sleep, will make me sleep again; and then, in dreaming, The clouds methought would open and show riches ready to drop upon me, that, when I wak'd, I cried to dream again. Last edited by Rawhide : 03-23-2015 at 05:39 AM.