Football in Sacramento

[Franklinnoble]

2018 - Post Season

The Cannons finish out the regular season with another impressive 15-1 record. QB Renaldo Osbrne leads the league in passing again - with a rating of 115.2. RB Harold Kok has 1424 yards rushing at 4.3 ypc, with 16 TD's. He also has 53 catches for 469 yards and 11 TD's. WR Calvin Bowman has a breakout season, catching 72 passes for 1104 yards and 9 TD's. Bulldog Cortez has 10.5 sacks.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, the Cannons host the Patriots. New England suffers a 34-0 shutout.

For the AFC title, Sacramento hosts Tennessee. The Titans make a small dent in the Cannons defense, but in the end, the result is the same; 44-10 Sacramento.

It's Sacramento versus Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. As expected, the Cannons continue their complete and utter dominance over the league, dispatching the Eagles by a score of 42-12. MVP Renaldo Osborne passes for 329 yards and 4 TDs, and rushes for another.

With the win, the Sacramento Cannons become the first team in NFL history to "Three-peat," and have now won the title 7 of the last 9 years.

[Franklinnoble]

2019 - Pre Season

Sacramento lost another $80 million last season. Fan loyalty is just over 50%, and at risk of screwing it up, there is going to be a major hike in ticket prices. I've already made this club a winner, now it's time to pay the bills. The new ticket price breakdown is as follows:

Upper Deck: $75
End Zone: $100
Mezzanine: $150
Sidelines: $200
Club Seats: $500
Luxury Boxes: $300,000

A huge increase, but still not the most expensive in the league, and the team is worth it.

I have 2 1st round picks in this year's draft - and there's really no one worth spending them on right now, so they'll get traded out. I do see a decent QB prospect that I might grab in round 2 if he's still there (he's not - Seattle likes him at #12). Here's who I do pick:

Round 2: Nolan Anderson - C - Pittsburgh: Awesome OL that should have gone in round 1. Can't pass him up.

Round 2: Mack Tubbs - DT - Fairfield: Very solid DT - last pick of the round; good value.

Round 3: Aaron Ross - CB - Virginia Tech: Solid cover man and special teams player.

Round 4: Neil Clemons - WR - Memphis: May not make the roster, as the WR corps is pretty solid from 1 through 5, but he has talent.

Round 5: Adam Echevarria - DT - Fresno State: Don't really need another DT, but he's a talented local boy - and that's a rare thing it seems.

Round 6: Les Browning - S - Iowa: Already idolized by fans - guess they'll have to cheer for him on the bench - I plan on making him a backup.

Round 7: Reggie Stephan - G - Texas Tech: Mr. Irrelevant.

Tons of contracts to renegotiate after the draft. Basically, my entire defensive line and two starting WR's to sign (expensive!), plus a bunch of other guys. Many older veterans whos skills are diminishing will have to be left unprotected next season, as I sign as many as I can, but am left with no cap space at all heading into training camp.

Apparently, the ticket price increase went over like a fart in church. Season ticket sales dropped to 35,300.

[Franklinnoble]

2019 - Post Season

It's another year at 15-1 for the Cannons. Attendance has been lower due to more expensive tickets, but hopefully the price increase will more than make up the difference (I can't see the balance sheet until the season ends).

QB Renaldo Osborne has a hyperextended elbow, but is expected to be back in time for the divisional playoff game. Good thing we earned a bye. He earned a rating of 115.4 this season, with 3938 yards and 35 TDs.

RB Harold Kok rushed for 1115 yards and 8 TD's.

The Cannons DL was incredibly brutal against opposing QB's this year. All four starters had at least 7.5 sacks apiece, combining for 36 total. The LB's an DB's contributed 10 more sacks for a total of 46. Bulldog Cortez is now second on the all-time sack list.

The Cannons faced the San Diego Chargers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Osborne showed clear signs of injury, throwing for no TD's, one INT, and getting sacked twice. Harold Kok carried the load, with 30 carries for 189 yards at 6.3 YPC. Sacramento advanced by the score of 30-10.

For the AFC title, the Pittsburgh Steelers came to Sacramento, and were summarily dispatched by a score of 30-7. Kok had another big day, with 28 carries for 146 yards, 5.2 YPC and 1 TD.

In the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, things started off bad for the Cannons. Osborne went down with broken ribs early in the first quarter, and the Giants scored ten points early. Tommy Shelton came off the bench, nursing a strained patellar tendon, and rallied Sacramento to a 30 unanswered points, giving the Cannons their fourth straight Super Bowl victory.

[Franklinnoble]

2020 - Pre Season

Attendance was lower last season, but revenues increased, and the Cannons posted a loss of $13 million.

One player retired - G Quentin Wolf. Last year's "Mr. Irrelevant" is his backup. There's not a lot of cap space to play with, so he might be the starter this year.

Coach Brent Singleton's contract is up this season. He is re-signed for 5 years at $7.1 million per.

Ticket prices will increase a bit again - more modestly this time, but as long as we're winning titles, we're going to try to be profitable about it.

There is a total stud RB in the draft this year - and guess who picks first? F*cking Oakland. Sacramento has the last two picks in the first round - it's probably not enough to trade up to steal him.

Surprisingly, Oakland passes on him... in fact, he falls all the way to #5, where Arizona picks him up. THAT I can live with.

I stick to my "no early draft picks" policy, and I see nothing late that I like. I take one token local guy in round 3 - G Greg Ebbitt from Cal, just to fill in for the guy that retired. I trade away the rest, and re-sign my veterans.

[Franklinnoble]

2020 - Post Season

Although they finished with a very solid 14-2 record in the regular season, injuries have plagued the Sacramento Cannons this year. Currently:

Injury Report:

Renaldo Osborne, QB - Pulled Groin, Doubtful, full strength in 2021.

Quinn McCarthy, SE - Knee Bursitis, Probable, full strength in about 1 week.

Winston "Bulldog" Cortez, RDE - Broken Jaw, Out, full strength in about 3 weeks.

Mark Lorenzen, RDT - Reconstructive Knee Surgery, Out, full strength in late 2021.

Willie Riley, LDE - Ruptured Adductor Muscle, Out, full strength in 2021.

Harold Kok, RB - ACL Knee Surgery, Out, full strength in 2021.

Morris Kemp, RB - Strained Patellar Tendon, Probable, full strength in about 1 week.

Jessie Surdyk, RDE - Strained Achilles Tendon, Probable, full strength in about 1 week.

The loss of RB Harold Kok is probably the most severe. ACL injuries have a tendency to drastically diminish the careers of players stricken with them in FOF4. His backup, Morris Kemp, is a third-year undrafted free agent. He's banged up, and after that, it's rookie UFA's. Not good times.

Osborne's injury may not keep him out of the playoffs, but we have a solid backup there.

The losses along the defensive line are pretty chronic - every starter but one is out. Should make the playoffs more interesting.

Sacramento rests during the bye week, and hosts the Houston Oilers in the divisional round of the playoffs. The battered Cannons can't get anything done on either side of the ball. Kemp makes a valiant effort, rushing for 107 yards on 15 carries, but Osborne plays horribly, throwing 4 INT's - one returned for a TD. After the game, coach Singleton is justly criticized for not starting Tommy Shelton instead. The Cannons streak of championships is over, as Houston ousts them from the playoffs by a score of 23-16.

The New Jersey Jets would emerge as the eventual Super Bowl Champions, defeating Tampa Bay 26-20 in the title game.

[Marmel]

Your Harry Kok is out?

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Marmel
Your Harry Kok is out?

You know, I've been waiting for someone to make a Harry Kok joke for weeks with this thread... thanks for taking up the slack, Marm.

[Marmel]

How do you think I racked up this mass amount of posts here? With FOF analysis? Hahhaha!

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Marmel
How do you think I racked up this mass amount of posts here? With FOF analysis? Hahhaha!

I think it's safe to say that FOF analysis represents less than 1% of all the posts here at FOF Central.

By the way, what the hell is a "President of the General Partner" anyway?

[Marmel]

It is short for 'Cocky and Funny'.

[Franklinnoble]

2021 - Pre Season

More attrition along the offensive line - my starting center and a backup tackle retired. I expect to see more of this in the coming years as the Cannons get older. I don't intend to do any major re-building until most of the key players have retired.

Missing the extra playoff games was costly - the balance sheet shows a $26 million dollar loss last year. Fan loyalty has dipped a little bit - better leave the ticket prices alone for a while, or maybe even cut back a hair.

Here's the draft:

Round 2: Sam Reed - FB - Butler: Awesome FB - should be around a while.

Round 2: Jeremy Cooper - K - UCLA: Nobody ever drafts kickers very high, but he's a lock to be on the squad for the next 15-20 seasons, and my current kicker is getting old.

Round 2: Dixon Daniels - DE - North Carolina: Willie Riley's ratings plummetted after returning from injury. Daniels will be his eventual replacement.

Round 4: Dana Jamison - RB - Tulane: My last pick of the draft. Violates the "local boy" policy, but things got too thin at RB last year to not address the matter sensibly.

Time to resign some vets. Of note:

QB Tommy Shelton: Entering his seventeenth season. His skills are beginning to deteriorate, but he signs for a modest deal, and he's earned the right to play out his career for the Cannons. $9.7 million for three years.

DT Tyrus Chin: The only DL that stayed healthy last year. Now he wants insane money to re-sign. He's asking for $103 million over 6 years. I'm not even going to be in the ballpark with this guy. Rather than let him walk for nothing, I trade his greedy ass to Cincinnati for a 1st round pick.

I fill out the roster with UFA's and just barely squeeze under the cap before training camp.

[Franklinnoble]

2021 - Post Season

Indignant over the persistant questions over whether or not they were growing too old to continue their reign of league-wide domination, the Cannons exploded to a 16-0 regular season record.

QB Renaldo Osborne led the league in passing with 4517 yards, 38 TD's, and a rating of 111.7.

RB Harold Kok recovered from his ACL injury and rushed for 1526 yards and 12 TD's. He average 5.0 YPC. He also caught 43 passes for 348 yards and 9 TD's.

In the divisional round of the playoffs, Sacramento had a rematch against the team that had ousted them last year - the Houston Oilers. Renaldo Osborne went out early with a hyperextended elbow, but "old faithful" Tommy Shelton came off the bench to throw for 4 TD's and lead the Cannons to a 41-27 victory.

Indianapolis came to town the next week for the AFC Championship game. Osborne was healthy enough to start, and threw for 2 TD's. Harold Kok rushed for 104 yards at 6.5 YPC with 1 TD, and the Cannons earned a berth in the Super Bowl by the score of 34-0.

Undefeated, Sacramento was a two point favorite heading into the title game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Osborne re-aggravated his elbow injury in the first half and had to sit. Shelton came off the bench again and passed for 155 yards and 3 TD's. Harold Kok earned MVP honors with 30 carries for 113 yards and 1 TD.

The Cannons regained their title with another perfect season.

[Franklinnoble]

2022 - Pre Season

A Legend Retires

Actually, several legends retired in the offseason.

First among them was QB Tommy Shelton, who had been the cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning of the Cannons' title run (back while they were still the Kansas City Chiefs). He doesn't figure prominantly on any career statistical lists because of his unfortunate tendency to get injured (having his job taken by Renaldo Osborne didn't help either), but he figures to be a first-ballot hall-of-famer due to his uncanny knack for getting the job done when it counted the most.

Two of the Cannons' OL's retired as well, G Eddie Vance and T Scottie Okeafor. The OL will be a lot more porous now than it has been in a long time.

CB Vinny Gerstler also decided to hang 'em up. He finishes 3rd on the all-time interceptions list with 77, and first on the all-time passes defensed list by a wide margin, with 297.

Finally, DE Winston "The Bulldog" Cortez was compelled to retire. Despite his desire to finish atop the all-time sacks list, injuries over the last few years kept him from being able to perform at anything close to his previous level of domination. He finishes second with 128.5 sacks.

There are a ton of core players in the final years of their contracts now, not a lot of cap room to play with (retiring players often cause a huge hit with dead money), and no cash to spend to replace those that have ended their careers. Last year's balance sheet showed a loss of $7 million. Many in the media are predicting an end to the Cannons dynasty, as their roster only gets older and more expensive. Team management insists that there is still plenty of competitive football left in this team, and vows to keep it together for as long as possible. (BTW - team cohesion is at "100" across the board.)

Unfortunately, lead scout Britt Griffin has decided to seek his fortune elsewhere - as soon as his contract with the Cannons expires, he signs with Cleveland. New scout Gabe Douglas is brought on board for 5 years at $550,000 per.

Ticket prices are left alone this season to encourage greater fan loyalty - it's at about 77% now.

Backup 5th year UFA QB Mel Shannon is re-signed during free agency for a two-year minimum deal. He's basically emergency insurance now that Shelton is gone.

In the draft, the Cannons select:

1st Round (9th overall): Karl Hartman - QB - Rutgers: Potentially the next franchise QB. Very smart, good leadership, and already a fan favorite.

1st Round (14th overall): Brett Beede - RB - Louisiana-Lafayette: Another potential superstar. Harold Kok isn't getting any younger...

1st Round (32nd overall): Johnny Kelley - FL - St. Francis, Pa.: If you're going to draft a new offensive core, why not do it all at once? Kelley is a gutsy, sure-handed receiver.

2nd Round: Marshall Boyle - DE - Cal: Local boy, and a replacement for the Bulldog.

3rd Round: Joseph Spring - CB - Hawaii: Aloha to my new shutdown CB.

4th Round: Dave Hendricks - T - Fresno State: Another local kid - and I need offensive linemen badly.

5th Round: Gino Knoll - G - Houston: Slim pickings now, but I've got to have someone to block for all my shiny new offensive toys.

6th Round: Eric Reglin - C - Texas-El Paso: Probably could have gotten him as a UFA...

7th Round: Cornelius Watson - RB - William and Mary: Mr. Irrelevant, and probably the steal of the draft.

The draft is complete, and it could potentially be the best in Cannons history. Surely it was one of the most expensive. Now it's time to re-sign the aging veterans.

This is where the tough decisions get made - with this many aging veterans in their final years, it's a unique opportunity to save the team from taking a huge salary cap hit should they retire before the end of their contracts.

14th year QB Renaldo Osborne wants a $21 million signing bonus and an $8 million annual base salary. That contract alone would eat up the rest of my available cap space. RB Harold Kok wants a similar deal to re-sign.

Osborne has to stay - there's just no way that Hartman can play as a rookie, and the team would suffer immensely without a solid QB. Kok is another story. Rookie RB's do fine in FOF, and Beede is already just as talented as the aging Kok.

So I trade Kok to Jacksonville for a 3rd round pick. That's all they're willing to give up for him. I decide not to re-sign Osborne. He'll finish his contract this year, and be an unrestricted free agent next year. I can always franchise him if I change my mind, but right now, there's not enough cap room for him to get a new deal.

Now I just have to hope I can get as much production from Beede as I did from Kok - it's a huge gamble, but if it pays off, I've secured the future of the team without killing the salary cap in the future. If not, well, it was a nice run while it lasted...

[Franklinnoble]

2022 - Post Season

Osborne breaks his clavicle two games into the season. He's done for the year.

Rookie QB Karl Hartman gets most of the work, but it's a rough season, and by week 14, 10th year journeyman Irving Harley gets the nod, as Sacramento is just barely in the playoff hunt, and the veteran gives the Cannons the best chance to win.

Harley gets the job done, and Sacramento wins the division with a pathetic 9-7 record. Even more astounding is the fact that the only record that was any better in the AFC this year was Buffalo's at 9-6-1. Tennessee won their division at 8-8. The Cannons were one conference victory away from a first round bye, and will play in the Wild Card round for the first time in, I dunno, a dozen years or so.

For the record, QB Karl Hartman plays 12 games in his rookie campaign. He passes for 2900 yards, 15 TD's, 19 INT's, and a rating of 72.2. Fourth worst among all qualifying QB's in the league.

Former Cannons All-Pro RB Harold Kok averages just 3.8 YPC for Jacksonville this year, and rushes for a total of 947 yards.

Rookie RB Brett Beede rushes for 814 yards at 3.9 YPC. He's not nearly the receiving threat that Kok was. He has 14 catches.

In the Wild Card round, Sacramento hosts Miami. They squeak by with a 20-17 victory, surviving Harley's 3 INT's on the day.

In the Divisional round, the Cannons have a playoff road game (another rare occurance). To make matters worse, it was a road game in Cincinnati. Fortunately, the Cannons were able to avoid total humiliation, and managed to pull out a 27-21 win. Beede had 23 carries for 140 yards at 6.0 YPC. Harley passed for 260 yards and 2 TD's.

For the AFC Title game, Sacramento went on the road again to Buffalo. As a testament to the weakness of the entire conference, the Cannons were able to emerge victorious by a score of 19-7. Beede proved his worth, with 16 carries for 107 yards at 6.6 YPC. Kicker Jeremy Cooper showed why he was a 2nd round pick a year ago, going 4 for 4 in field goal attempts, giving the Cannons their margin of victory.

So, a jorneyman QB, a rookie RB, and a patchwork offensive and defensive line have taken the Cannons back to the Super Bowl. Suddenly the most dominant team in NFL history finds itself in the role of long-shot underdog in the biggest game in sports.

Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles wanted nothing to do with a happy ending for this story. The Cannons luck runs out at last, and the Eagles are Super Bowl champions by a score of 27-20.

[Franklinnoble]

2023 - Pre Season

For the first time since moving to Sacramento, the Cannons turn a profit. The balance sheet shows an income of $51 million last season - partly due to increased revenues, but mostly due to lower scouting costs and less money paid as signing bonuses.

There's also a ton of cap space to play with this year. For a young team that was able to make an unlikely playoff run last season, that's a very good thing.

Because there's so much cap room to play with, QB Renaldo Osborne will get the franchise tag. This gives me the option of keeping (potentially at a good price, as he did not play full-time last year) or trading him - and prevents him from leaving without any compensation at all.

Fan loyalty is at about 90%. I decide to leave ticket prices alone until it's maxed out.

Sacramento has three picks in the first round, including the #1 overall - and this year's draft is loaded. Cannons fans begin to salivate at the possibilities for their team.

During the free agency period, I offer QB Irving Harley a 2 year, $4.3 million contract. It's basically a minimum-wage deal, but I figure he's earned at least that much, if he doesn't get an offer somewhere else.

Osborne still wants an insane amount of money, and I'm thinking the Cannons are ready to go in another direction. There's not much interest for him on the market. I send him to Atlanta for this year's second-round pick.

I make one other offer during the free agency period. The offensive line is my most glaring weakness right now. I have a great center, and not much else. There's a 6th year veteran guard from the New England Patriots on the market that is all-pro material. I make him an insane offer of $121 million over 7 years. It's heavily backloaded during the last three seasons of the deal, and only includes a $7 million bonus. Unfortunately, his agent is smarter than that... he signs a 5 year, $76 million deal with St. Louis instead.

QB Irving Harley re-signs, however, which gives the Cannons a bit of added stability at quarterback.

Draft Day arrives, and the Cannons get loaded:

Round 1 (1st overall): Darrell Abrams - SE - Nebraska: Apparently, in the future, Nebraska is a passing school and produces top-notch WR prospects.

Round 1 (20th overall): Eugene Lasica - LT - Oklahoma State: If he pans out, my QB's blindside is covered for a long time to come.

Round 1 (31st overall): Reggie Lyons - RG - Duke: Has low intelligence. Why was he at Duke? Certainly not for the football program...

Round 2: Sedrick Dearth "Vader" - RT - Pittsburg State: The force is strong in this one...

Round 2: Kent McDaniel - LG - Wyoming: That rounds out my offensive line... I expect a few to turn out poorly, but, best case scenario, I'm set for a while up front.

Round 2: Bryant Jackson - RDT - Indiana: The defensive front needs help. He's not all pro, but he'll do.

Round 2: Blake Alderman - SLB - South Carolina: Awesome hitter. Will definately improve the front 7.

Round 2: Neal Clem - RB - Colorado State: Last of my seemingly endless supply of second-round picks. He's a solid backup RB.

Round 3: Kyle Emmons - LDE - Clemson: More beef for the defensive line.

Round 3: Jose Bucher - LDT - Ohio: Jose the Butcher, if he's any good.

Round 3: Lamont Rogers - SS - Oklahoma State: Brutal hitter. My defensive secondary is now Mr. Rogers Neighborhood...

Round 4: Terry Madison - FL - New Hampshire: Best talent available, but probably not good enough to make the team.

Round 5: Ralph Kelly - WLB - Missouri: Nice backup material.

Round 6: Shawn Owens - TE - Cal: Solid TE, I could use one, and he's local.

So there you have it. 14 new draft picks. In two years, my roster has gone from one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest - and the team should remain competitive.

I have over $40 million in cap space remaining, so I check the available free agents. There's an incredibly good QB and LG on the market. I sign them both.

Yes, it's an exploit, but this QB, Bob Alcott, is too good to pass up. And he's cheap. At the very least, I can keep him around to groom Hartman. I resolve to keep him around as a late-season ace in the hole, an head off to training camp.

[Franklinnoble]

2023 - Post Season

Cannons Shooting Blanks

For the first time in over a decade, the Sacramento Cannons will not play in the post-season.

The Cannons finished at 9-7 again, but this year, mediocrity wasn't quite good enough. The San Diego Chargers won the division with a record of 9-6-1, and less than 10 wins didn't make the Wild Card cut this year in the AFC.

For philosophical reasons, QB Bob Alcott stayed on the bench all season. Second year QB Karl Hartman was given the opportunity to develop, and passed for 3468 yards, 20 TD's, 16 INT's, and a rating of 81.2 - a solid improvement over his rookie season.

Second year RB Brett Beede rushed for 709 yards at 4.4 YPC. He'd probably do better behind a more solid offensive line.

The Cannons were due for a re-building period. I guess it just started.

The San Diego Chargers ended up defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl by a score of 35-27.

[Franklinnoble]

2024 - Pre Season

The Rebuilding Continues

The Cannons' balance sheet went back into familiar red territory last season, showing a loss of $37 million. Ticket prices will remain unchanged until there are consistant home sell-outs.

I have residual guilt over signing QB Bob Alcott. Despite the fact that I could desperately use him, I trade him to Chicago for two future first round picks.

The draft looks pretty weak for QB's this year. Karl Hartman isn't working out as well as I had hoped - he looks destined for mediocrity. I may well enter training camp with him and journeyman Irving Harley competing for the starting QB job.

Of course, Renaldo Osborne is an unrestricted free agent. But he's a 16th year vet, and he wants over $17 million a season. I'll pass.

In the draft, the Cannons select:

Round 2: Donovan Chaffee, WR, Virginia Tech: Will it matter if I don't have a decent QB to throw to him?

Round 3: Adrian Kuhlmann, DT, Stanford: Local kid that might actually make the roster.

Round 4: Dwight Greer, T, Colorado: The pickings have already gotten slim...

Round 5: Mitch Seamster, ILB, UCLA: Fills a need.

Round 6: Mordecai Knorr, ILB, Kentucky: Will compete with Seamster to fill open MLB spot.

Round 7: Melvin McConnell, ILB, Cincinnati: Why not make it a threesome?

All in all, a pretty weak draft class.

I pick up an undrafted free agent QB named R.J. Hummel to fill out the roster spot. The Cannons are heading to camp with their weakest group of quarterbacks ever.

[Franklinnoble]

2024 - Post Season

Figuring that Karl Hartman was going to be a late (if ever) bloomer, the Cannons decided to start yourneyman QB Irving Harley, as he perfomed better in pre-season, and gave Sacramento the best chance to win.

Harley put up decent numbers. He passed for 3999 yards, 29 TDs, and 11 Ints, for a rating of 98.5.

RB Brett Beede had a disappointing year, rushing for a mere 633 yards at 3.3 YPC.

The Cannons were a mediocre 9-7 again, but managed to squeeze into a wild card spot. To the chagrin of fans and team management, Sacramento was swept by Oakland in the regular season. The Raiders won the division with a record of 13-3.

The Cannons went on the road to Indianapolis for the wild card game, and emerged with a 20-10 victory. Harley passed for 313 yards, and Beede had 2 TDs, even though he only rushed for 44 yards on the day.

In the divisional round, Sacramento had to travel across the country to play the top-seeded Bills on a cold, rainy day in Buffalo. Beede had another slow day rushing, and although Harley passed for 352 yards and 2 TDs, he also had 3 INTs. The Cannons were eliminated by the score of 34-24.

To make matters worse, the eventual Super Bowl Champions were the Oakland Raiders - deafeating Washington by a score of 29-6.

[Franklinnoble]

2025 - Pre Season

Coach Brent Singleton's contract was up. He was the best talent available, and it cost the Cannons $12 million a year to keep him around. Ouch. That's twice what he was making.

The balance sheet was negative again - this time by $12.5 million. Tickets still aren't selling out, and fan loyalty remained unchanged (at about 90% right now). The Proving Grounds are in bad shape - especially the parking lot - and there are already rumors that team ownership will seek options for a new stadium after the initial 15 year lease is up following this season. At the very least, improvements will have to be made. Fortunately, the Sacramento economy is the fourth-best in the league.

It's another weak draft for QB's, and it looks like the Cannons might suffer again in mediocrity, as there's pretty much no recipe for success in FOF4 that doesn't include an all-pro quarterback. After trading out of the first round, the Cannons select:

Round 2: Johnny Hickman - QB - Texas Tech: Very popular with the fans. At least a decent backup, could contend as a starter on the current team. Harley is in the last year of his deal, and will likely want too much money to extend the contract.

Round 2: Harvey Thomason - K - Alabama St.: Yeah, a kicker, but a near-perfect, can't miss kicker, and with the Cannons suffering from some sort of recent touchdown allergy, he'll earn his keep.

Round 6: Clifton Doyle - CB - Fresno State: Local charity case. Fills an open roster spot.

That's it. The rest of the draft was so weak, no attempt was made to take anyone from it.

Harley actually seems willing to renew for a modest price, but I'm not going to bother - if he gets a fat contract as a free agent next season, good for him... otherwise, I'll keep him around cheap, one way or another.

[Franklinnoble]

2025 - Post Season

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

QB Karl Hartman beat out Irving Harley in preseason, and Harley was released before the regular season at his request (no team was interested in trading for him). He played four games for the Jets - his 5th team in 13 years.

The logic was that Harley isn't getting any better, and he's not good enough to take the Cannons deep into the playoffs. Hartman may not be as good right now, but at least still has potential for improvement, and that's better than sitting idle.

Hartman passes for 3559 yards, 24 TDs, 19 INTs, and a rating of 85.2.

RB Brett Beede has a better year, with 843 yards at 4.1 YPC.

The Sacramento Cannons finish at 10-6. Unfortunately, the AFC is a little stronger this year, and that's not enough for a playoff berth. The Cannons young defense is playing well, and the offense has enough to get the job done, but if improvements aren't made at quarterback and running back, the seasons of disappointment will continue.

The Oakland Raiders won the Super Bowl. Again. They defeated Atlanta 19-17.

[Franklinnoble]

2026 - Pre Season

Nostalgia and New Beginnings

The following former Sacramento Cannons were inducted into the hall of fame:

QB Tommy Shelton (95%): Four-time All-Pro. Two-time Super Bowl MVP. 34,471 yards passing. 252 TD's. Career rating of 97.0. Played for the Cannons from 2005-2021 (although only started from 2006-2014). What Cannons fans wouldn't give to have another one like him right about now...

RDE Winston "Bulldog" Cortez (89%): Three-time All-Pro. 400 tackles. 128.5 sacks. 59 blocked passes. 268 hurries. Played for the Cannons from 2010-2021. Easily the most feared pass-rusher of his time.

RCB Vinny Gerstler (87%): Three-time All-Pro. 77 interceptions, 14 for TD's. Played for the Cannons from 2006-2021. Missed only two games in his entire career.

Ahh, but those days are long gone. Sacramento has problems to deal with now - starting with the stadium issue. The original 15-year lease on the Proving Grounds is up. The Cannons need new digs, or, at least, a complete overhaul of their current stadium. Fan loyalty is steady at about 90%, and support for a new park has been peaked for years.

The economy is good, so the Cannons order up the big enchilada. Plans are submitted for a brand-new retractable roof and grass ballpark on the shores of Folsom Lake. It will include 97,000 seats, of which 18,000 will be club seats, and 385 luxury boxes. Given the team's heavy losses since moving to Sacramento, the Cannons are asking the public to foot the entire bill this time around. An election is scheduled for sometime in July, just after the draft.

The Cannons also decide that a change is due at the head coaching position. Brent Singleton has coached the Cannons to a record of 288-92, with a winning percentage of .757, 16 playoff appearances, and 9 Super Bowl titles. Unfortunately, most of that was four years ago.

Sacramento cleans house. Darryl Cox is hired as lead scout, and new head coach Juan Donovan is introduced.

In other news, QB Karl Hartman exercises the voidable final year of his contract. Outraged, management places the franchise tag on him (at a cost of over $19 million). He's not worth franchise money, but he's not getting away for nothing. Coach Donovan expresses interest in bringing in someone new to learn his offensive system from scratch...

Ticket prices are left alone - no reason to give the voters any incentive to shoot down the stadium referendum.

The draft looks QB-deprived. Again.

Hartman is traded to Washington for a second-round pick. Good riddance. Even though there's enough cap space to sign a veteran QB free agent, Coach Donovan insists that he'd rather work with second-year QB Johnny Hickman and save the money for other improvements on the team.

Coach Donovan also insists upon signing players in the last year of their deals BEFORE the draft rather than after, stating that it's critical for him to know exactly who's going to be around for a while before he can make the best picks for the team. RB Brett Beede is re-signed; Donovan feels that with better offensive line play and a decent passing threat, he can be a feature back in this league.

During the free agency period, the Cannons address a weakness at right guard by signing Leon Franklin. He's not all-pro, but he's available at a good price, and provides an improvement to the interior of the line.

On draft day, Sacramento makes a blockbuster deal. They have 4 mid to late first round picks, and trade them all for the #1 overall pick. Coach Donovan says, "Great players don't come along very often; you've got to get them while you can."

With it, the Cannons select:

Round 1 (#1 Overall): Dixon Cox - WR - Washington State: No, I'm not making that name up. He's the perfect weapon, all the way around. Great numbers, and can return punts and kicks. Highly intelligent, and has very strong leadership qualities. He should be a featured part of the Cannons passing game for years.

Round 2: Louis Spector - RB - Air Force: The Cannons war room was giddy over seeing this one fall to the second round. Perhaps they didn't need to re-sign Beede after all. His only drawback is his apparent weaknes at catching the ball, but he's the fastest RB on the board, and has great power inside as well.

Round 2: Jimmie Adkins - FB - Temple: Believe it or not, Riddick "Hot Potato" Taylor has been the featured FB for the Cannons for 10 years. Adkins will be his eventual replacement. Needs a clever nickname - he's 5'9" and 257 pounds.

Round 3: Jackie Huffman - S - San Diego State: The Cannons may convert him to CB, as they need more help there than at safety right now.

Round 4: Bennie Adams - C - Ohio State: Might also move to a different position on the OL. Solid linemen are tough to find.

Round 5: Carl Rivera - RB - Southern Cal: Best talent available. Might also be asked to play another position, depending on his ability.

Round 6: Jessie Blankenhorn - RB - Fairfield: See above.

Round 7: Roderick Chopper - TE - Cal. - Northridge: When trying to decide on who the local fodder would be this year, lead scout Darryl Cox suggested this pick to Coach Donovan. Donovan's response: "I didn't think Cal - Northridge still had a football team..."

Undrafted free agents are signed following the draft to fill out the roster.

Just before training camp starts, the stadium election is held.

It fails miserably, by a vote of 59.5% to 40.4%. Apparently 9 world championships don't buy as much as they used to...

[Franklinnoble]

2026 - Post Season

Last year, 10-6 wasn't good enough for a Wild Card berth. This year, 10-6 won the Sacramento Cannons the AFC West title. Welcome to the NFL...

Coach Donovan's gamble at QB appears to be paying dividends already. Second year QB Johnny Hickman passed for 3154 yards, 23 TDs, 14 INTs, and a rating of 93.9. This is without any prior real-game experience in the NFL at all.

Donovan's confidence in RB Brett Beede paid off as well. Beede rushed for 1298 yards at 4.6 YPC.

The Cannon's leading receivers were:

WR Johnny Kelley - 74 Catches, 1004 Yards, 6 TD's.

WR Calvin Bowman - 57 Catches, 824 Yards, 11 TD's.

FB Sam Reed - 56 Catches, 413 Yards, 6 TD's.

TE Bryan Clark - 36 Catches, 373 Yards, 2 TD's.

WR Donovan Chaffee - 33 Catches, 572 Yards (17.3 YPC), 1 TD.

Rookie WR Dixon Cox was featured only as a kick returner, where he averaged 25 yards per return.

For the first time in five years, the Cannons host a playoff game - this time in the wild card round against Jacksonville. Unfortunately, Beede reverts to his weaker form, rushing for 47 yards at a pathetic 2.4 YPC. Hickman throws for 253 yards and a TD, but also has an INT. The Cannons are ousted early by the Jaguars by a score of 17-13.

The Pittsburgh Steelers would go on to win the Super Bowl, defeating Atlanta by the score of 30-24.