[MIJB#19]

The rising star Theodore Bondy

In and around Maassluis, football fans are unanimous: Theodore Bondy might be the best offensive player to put on the orange-white-and-blue. Merchantmen management and staff are outspoken about Bondy being the best skill position player in the IHOF, but it's easier said than done. For a while, they just thought the potential was there, but in recent weeks, Bondy has started to deliver. With five consecutive games at 100+ yards receiving, Bondy has become that productive leader of the offense.

"It's been a struggle," says offensive coordinator Neal Murack, "last season Theodore [Bondy] was still learning the game." In game situation practice sessions, Bondy was often paired up with Kirk Hitchcock, the best cornerback in football. Reports out of Merchantmen training facilities are they've been a competitive duo, they make each other better players. With 1,469 yards in his rookie season, Bondy did well, ranked tenth in the league. But this season, the greenness is wearing off. Additionally, the team is adjusting the game plan every week, even went as far as completely redoing their playbook in the last off-season after nearly 2 decades of 'good is good enough'. All in an attempt to make the best use of this generational top talent.

In recent games, Bondy has started to excel. Quarterback Ellis McAlister's strong arm is suddenly getting the job done, but mostly, he's just making sure the ball goes into the right hands, Bondy's. 10 games in, Bondy is leading the IHOF with 1,308 yards receiving, with his 102 catches being only second to Hanalei's Taylor Clayton. The road game at the Orlando Talons in particular was an eye opener to the neutral football fans. Bondy caught 8 passes for 249 yards and 2 scores. He was no longer a potential superstar, he arrived in his 26th game in the IHOF.

Glimpses of his ability were noticed time and time again before, but now that the Merchantmen are starting to find the right balance between being unpredictable, throwing short and throwing deep, Bondy is becoming the player everybody hoped and thought he could be. It's too early to throw him out there with the all-time greats, but with 6 games to go, in good health, it's not unheard of to project Bondy to become the second Merchantmen receiver to reach 2,000 yards in a season. In fact, he needs 76 yards per game to place himself in the second best Merchantmen season in between J.R. Mills' great 2078 and spectacular 2077 campaigns.

Be not mistaken about the Merchantmen being just about Bondy. Their receivers unit includes three proven 1,000-yard receivers, with All-IHOF first team tight end Monty Elliott currently being the second most frequent target. Speedster Artie Blazewicz and Dennis Nadell, the guy that always gets open, give the opponents plenty of reason to think twice about double or triple teaming Bondy. Meanwhilst, second year sixth round running back Leonard Belin is giving opposing defenses another reason to not overdo on covering Bondy. Belin has ran for 85 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry, despite getting about 70 percent of backfield carries.

Team effort and all, it's undeniable that Theodore Bondy's star is rising. In Ellis McAlister's seven-touchdown game, Bondy was on the receiving end 3 times. The quarterback had his day in the spotlights (only to miss out on offensive player of the week honors to Kansas' Hugh Gaines' 504 yards and 6 touchdowns passing), but Bondy was there to make it happen.

Today, Bondy (11 catches for 144 yards and a score) had a leading role in the crucial 27-14 victory over the Gothenburg Giants, completing the head-to-head sweep and trimming the gap to 1 game behind the 6-4 division leaders. The Paris Musketeers are also still in the mix, whom the Merchantmen will face in week 17 in what could be an all or nothing game.