IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Versus Brooklyn Recap
People who want to witness turnarounds should watch the game tape of the Merchantmen versus Fightin' Bums game. Where the Bums were on fire, the home playing Merchantmen, who were written off by their own management, bounced back and recorded their biggest win in franchise history with a 24-9 victory.

At the kickoff, Merchantmen fans got the opportunity to see a live broadcatsed interview with Justin McDavid. McDavid returned to the U.S.A. to have surgery there and is not expected back in Maassluis for a long time. McDavid spoke to the fans and asked them the root for Leonard Lyon and stirred up patriotic sentiments.

McDavid explained how Leonard Lyon has a name that just screams for the nickname "The Lion". With the Merchantmen fans coming from a country that calls itself "The Lion" and has a lion as symbol, McDavid said Lyon is bound to become a fan favorite.

So far he's not that fan favorite yet, but today was a big step forward in his career is the Merchantmen number one. Lyon played like how the people love to see McDavid play. Lyon fumbled the ball, completed half of his passes, but connected to the right people in the right time to keep the chains moving. Helped by the fans' idols Mark Burger and Jim Reiser as the new fullback and tight end, the Merchantmen rolled over the Fightin' Bums.

Supported by a great rushing defense (55 yards allowed) and the always fearsome pass rush (14 of 46 plays ruined), the Brooklyn offense was hopeless, despite seeing their defense win the turnover battle 4-2. Keith Willey was shown every piece of turf in Oranje Haven, as he had no idea where to throw the ball with his running back Monty Avent shut down.

Key element in the Merchantmen offense's success were their third down plays. On nine of eleven plays, the Merchantmen moved the chains, where Brooklyn had success on just four of seventeen third down plays. Even their outstanding special teams unit couldn't help the Bums out in this game.

Looking back, perhaps the live interview, pictured on the big screens in Oranje Haven, inspired the players the most. General thought in Maassluis was that McDavid was the man behind the success, quarterback the team to all previous franchise wins. Today, the future quarterback Leonard Lyon and the other active players increase faith in the whole team, not just the best players.

Where Lyon replaced McDavid, fullback Mark Burger and tight end Jim Reiser are the other faces of the new success. Both replaced older veterans with big names. Victor Lopez is a role model on the team for running backs, Aubrey was the Merchantmen's top receiver and earned All IHOF honors in 2004. Today, their replacements excelled like never before.

Mark Burger scored a nice running touchdown on a shirt yardage situation at the goal line and ran for 31 yards on tree other carries, but mainly opened the way for Randy Harris to have his second 100 yard rushing game. Jim Reiser got the MVP honors as he caugth 6 balls for 60 yards and a receiving touchdown.

The game was a special day for Carl O'Hara. O'Hara was recently signed to replace Gus Alston, who broke his hand, while Dennis Preciado was still inactive out of precaution. O'Hara made an interception with the Merchantmen leading 14-9 and returned the ball 53 yards into the endzone for a 12-point lead.

Another key player who was inactive, left tackle Harold Hurtado, praised his fellow linemen. "Russell [Malave] is twice as good as last year. Wilson [Grimaldo] helps him so much and everybody seems to have the will to step in and protect Lyon, or open up gaps for Harris. Today proved that the line can produce without me."

For the Bums, a series of good scores end in a somewhat desillusioned scene. A lowly ranked team that played without their All IHOF stars and their popular quarterback taught them a lesson in efficient football. A good example was Leonard Lyon's interception pass, which took place when his team already clinched the "W".

Brooklyn's odds to win will be there next week as the play at home against 2-9 Springfield, though they are 3-8 themselves. The Merchantmen stay home to play Futility Bowl II against Rochester. Yes, the Merchantmen are an example of a turnaround team, but Rochester have become playoff contenders. The AOC surprize teams will play a great show called football.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Okay, I am convinced, this team is for real, we are in the race for an 8-8 season. The 24-9 win showed me we can win games and big time too. Really, I felt that the Bums are one of the great teams for the coming seasons. It's good to play them now in stead of (for example) 2007.

What really put a smile on my face is that my steps to put FB Burger and TE Reiser in for FB Lopez and TE Aubrey to give them time to develop didn't backfire. If we can win without McDavid, Hurtado and Aubrey, who seem to be the stars (not mentioning basically inactivating WR Monti, inactivating CB Preciado and benching SS McGhee).

As crazy as it may sound, the latest power rankings are really amazing for us. We rank above Orlando (7-4) and Tucker (6-5) for 10th in the AOC. In the NAC, only 5 teams are better. That's right, we are rated amonsgt the top half of the league, how amazing is that? Well not enough when I tell you that fellow supposed-to-be-punchbags Rochester are 10th overall.


Week 12 European Division In Action
Bordeaux did what they had to. Without QB Joe Johnson, Bordeaux leaned on RB Rashad Burse's legs, who ran for 117 yards to lead them to a 27-13 victory. Amazing stats: Bordeaux was 0 for 11 on third down conversions and out-yarded 3 to 2 by Frederick, but won the turnover battle 4-0.

Gothenburg chocked at Astoria with the top spot in sight. The Giants lost 10-16 as they were out-yarded 3 to 2. Even good showings from QB Duane Davis, RB Jerry McGee and DT Chris Nagle didn't help. If those guys can't help it, who can?

Maassluis played with Brooklyn's offensive line and shut down their rushing game, while rushing their quarterback to a hopeless showing. With 24-9, the Merchantmen wrote down their biggest win ever at the absence of a handfull of supposed to be key players, like QB McDavid and LT Hurtado.

Paris we're totally hopeless against Chesapeake, losing 14-38. The coach even took QB Mario Hudson of the field to make the score a bit bearable as Eugene "Westcoast" Westcott double Paris' points total. It's worth mentioning that Paris played well, but just had no chance against a team on fire and ready for the playoffs.


European Division Standings
8-3 Bordeaux
6-5 Gothenburg
5-6 Maassluis
1-10 Paris


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux go to a fellow 8-3 in San Antonio. The two are pretty equal teams, yet the absence of QB Joe Johnson could cost them more then against the already discouraged Frederick Red Menace.

Gothenburg go to 2-9 Vicksburg. Piece of cake? No way, Vicksburg won last week, Gothenburg lost. Still, if QB Duane Davis, RB Jerry McGee and DT Chris Nagel are as normal, the Giants are the favorites to win even with the Vicksburg Vipers having a far better team then their record tells.

Maassluis play host to 7-4 Rochester. For both teams, the season is already a success, but this game can increase the good fealing with another win. Rochester have a promising QB Jackie Williamson and RG Gene Simmons as their star to protect him against the Merchantmen's fearsome pass rush.

Paris play host to Boston. On paper, Paris has the better players, yet Boston are suppose dto have the better quarterback. That is QB Fabian Parker, who was traded away by Paris to make room for Qb Mario Hudson. Parker has something to play for, but we think he'll choke against his former team.


Projected Standings After Week 13
8-4 Bordeaux
7-5 Gothenburg
5-7 Maassluis
2-10 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.


Week twelve stars
5 TE Jim Reiser - 6 catches for 60 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 key run block (50%)
4 OT Wilson Grimaldo - 3 key run blocks (75%), no sacks allowed
3 DT John Bryant - 1 sack, 2 hurries, 5 tackles, 1 assist
2 CB Carl O'Hara - 1 interception for a touchdown, 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1 catch allowed
1 DT Charles Gomez - 1 blocked pass, 2 hurries, 2 tackles, 2 assists
0 FB Mark Burger - 33 yards rushing, 1 touchouwns, 2 catches for 8 yards, 2 tackles
0 SS Lincoln Gilmore - 1 sack, 1 pass defended, 5 tackles, 1 assist, 2 catches allowed
0 DE Harold Wells - 1 blocked pass, 2 hurries, 2 tackles
0 DE Albert Bernardo - 1 blocked pass, 2 hurries, 1 tackle, 1 assist
0 LB Cody Cluff - 1 hurry, 10 tackles, 1 assist, 2 catches allowed
0 RB Randy Harris - 100 yards (4.5 average), 3 catches for 22 yards, 2 fumbles
0 CB Desmond Craig - 1 interception, 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 catches allowed
0 OG Devin McDaniel - 2 key run blocks (100%), no sacks allowed, 1 tackle


Overall standings
14 RB Randy Harris
11 DT Charles Gomez
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
9 DE Harold Wells
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 DE Albert Bernardo
5 LB Cody Cluff
5 OT Harold Hurtado
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 DT John Bryant
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
2 CB John Cole
2 QB Leonard Lyon
2 CB Carl O'Hara
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave
1 CB Tai Wayne

[MIJB#19]

Statistical Analysis: Are There Trends Per Division?
One of the things I always remember is that the old NFC Central Division in the NFL was called the black-and-blue division. This repuation got me wondering if there are areas where one division jumps out.

I decided to get all the 2004 stats, let excel calculate averages per division and I compared all divisions per stat category. I went through a selection criteria per division to see what statistic is the most extreme compared to the #2 and I calculated the difference in percentage. To back up the reputation, I went to the 2005 season after 11 games and took a look at how well the division lives up to their "name".

To my surprise, I was able to find a telling statistic for every divison, except one. What surprised me more is most of those 7 really keep that reputation going in a way by two or 3 standout teams, but usually one team doesn't help to keep the reputation up.


Northeast Division
Teams: Boston, North Plainfield, Rochester, Syracuse
Reputation: Can't recover fumbles division
2004 stats: 42% less opponent fumbles recovered
2005 show: North Plainfield (1-2) and Boston (3-5) keep the name alive, but Syracuse (17-18) and Rochester (24-28) don't play along well.


Deep South Division
Teams: Fort Worth, San Antonio, Telluride, Vicksburg
Reputation: Effective rushing game divison
2004 stats: 44% more rushing TDs per carry
2005 show: San Antonio (1) and Telluride (3) keep the name going, but Forth Worth (18) and Vicksburg (26) don't live up to it that much.


Southeast Division
Teams: Conyers, Georgia, Orlando, Tucker
Reputation: Love to run division
2004 stats: 9% more rushing attempts
2005 show: Orlando (4) and Tucker (6) and Conyers (15) keep his going, but Georgia (26) is a bit of a misfit.


European Division
Teams: Bordeaux, Gothenburg, Maassluis, Paris
Reputation: Fair play division
2004 stats: 8% less penalties
2005 show: Maassluis (1), Gothenburg (4) and Bordeaux (5) strengthen the image, only Paris (30) hardly fits in this picture.


Midwest Division
Teams: Ann Arbor, Columbus, Minnesota, RayCo
Reputation: Run defense division
2004 stats: 10% less rushing TDs allowed
2005 show: Minnesota (2-5), Columbus (6-7) and Ann Arbor (8-13) keep it living, RayCo (18-26) is a little misfit, but not in an extreme way.


Atlantic Coast Division
Teams: Asheville, Miami, Outer Banks, Springfield
Reputation: Can't complete passes division
2004 stats: 9% less passes completed percentage
2005 show: Springfield (1), Outer Banks (6), Asheville (11) and Miami (13) really do their best to keep this reputation alive.


Mid-Atlantic Division
Teams: Astoria, Brooklyn, Chesapeake, Frederick
Reputation: Love to pass division
2004 stats: 12% more passing attepmts
2005 show: Brooklyn (2), Chesapeake (5), Astoria (6) and Frederick (17) keep this reputation alive, big time.


West Division
Teams: Anaheim, Boulder, Fairbanks, San Luis Obispo
Reputation: Fairbanks versus the rest division
2004 stats: Only stats butchered by Fairbanks misfitting passing game
2005 show: Fairbanks remains to dominate this division and be way off in statistical areas compared to their rivals.

[Kodos]

We must BREAK you.

[MIJB#19]

Time to write the Futility Bowl II Preview.
And in the plans is an article about the roster strenghts of each division.

Stay tuned...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Versus Rochester Preview
Futility Bowl II is here, get ready for a game of football loaded with mistakes and bad play? Well, not really, who ever invented that name must have not been following the IHOF lately. The game's nickname makes it look like a game between the league doormats.

It was the start of the 2004 season, owners around the league evaluated the teams in the league and Maassluis and Rochester were unanimously called the two weakest in the league, by far. In that season Maassluis defended that name well and ended up 1-15 as the worst team in the league.

Rochester, however, were the early surprise team. A 4-2 start after beating Maassluis and a 6-5 record six weeks later called for a big upset. Then the Lake Monsters folded, lost five straight and even ended up last in the Northeast Division with the 6-10 record. At least it meant a Futility Bowl II would take place.

We're here, the 2005 season is twelve weeks going. Last season, neither of the two teams won a game after this point, but one will today. And not to a surprise, Rochester are 7-4 and battling for a wild card and even the division title. Maassluis are a big surprise team at 5-6 in stead of the expected 2 or 3 wins.

Rochester have a young team. quarterback Jackie Williamson, running back Joe Boulwere, top receiver Ike Poole and left tackler David Jackson, all are second year players. The offensive line is led by all league guard Gene Simmons, who has been doing great work all year and should again be an All IHOF selection.

Joe Boulware isn't highly ranked on the rushing charts, but that has to do with the starting role battle with rookie Archie Trantham. Both have been producing and the rivalry keeps them both sharp, it seems. Williamson doesn't rank in the top passing charts, he's still very green, but is 7-2 in the last nine games.

Is Rochester all offense, well not really. The Lake Monsters have standout defenders as well. Cornerback Antoine Hall and safeties Carl Cancel and Gary Bartels are top players. Bartels went to injured reserve early this year, but the others remain as star players to stop Maassluis' receivers.

But, there's more on defense. The Lake Monsters deploy a 3-4 defense with four talented linebackers, who all have more then 40 tackles so far this season. And then there is their defensive rookie of the year, with no doubt. defensive end Earnest Sanford totals 31 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 14 hurries.

Merchantmen rookie quarterback Leonard Lyon should worry, because his line is playing without Harold Hurtado. Hurtado came from Rochester and won't play. However, last week Hurtado was not there either, yet the Merchantmen recorded their biggest victory in franchise history. Hurtado's substitute Russell Malave played well.

On defense, the Merchantmen hope to see cornerback Dennis Preciado and safety Wiley McGhee return to the mix, yet their replacements played amazingly well. Maybe the team was inspired by the good words from quarterback Justin McDavid, who is out for likely two seasons. McDavid starred in last season's match up.

In 2004, these teams played Futility Bowl I in Maassluis. The Lake Monsters won a by 27-25 as the Merchantmen didn't convert a two-point conversion in the last seconds of the game. Randy Harris failed to run the two points in and should be eager to avenge the mistake. But so is Boulware, he fumbled three times last year.

All in all, this game is one between two AOC teams with similar profiles. A young team, led by a young quarterback and with a young running back who is making the scores. Except a game of much rushing on long drives, because that's what these teams are good at. Whatever will happen, this game won't be a game of futile football.

[Kodos]

Nice preview! We expect a hard-fought game tomorrow, and Joe promises me that he won't fumble 3 times this year. If he does get the dropsies again, look for Trantham to get the call. Of course, Trantham leads the team in fumbles with 5 this year, but can't rival Boulware's 12 fumbles from last season. To his credit, Boulware has only lost 2 thus far.

Good luck tomorrow, but not enough to beat us!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

In the plans is an article about the roster strenghts of each division.

Research tells me this article would be a longshot of making missplaced generalizations, unlike with the divisional stats trends article.

Next up, Rochester game review, writing will start in 15 minutes, positing will be done somewhere in the next 14 hours.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Versus Rochester Recap
Futility Bowl I was exciting until the last seconds, Futility Bowl II was no difference. The Rochester Lake Monsters and the Maassluis Merchantmen performed a heart warming show of mainly defensive good football and nailbiting until the last seconds.

The Lake Monsters were the best defense on the day and despite not forcing a single turnover, they made big plays when needed to defend an early 12-0 lead for a 15-10 victory. The Lake Monsters advance to 8-4 and into the lead of the Northeast Division.

Against Maassluis, Jackie Williamson was struggling all day, complted just over 50% of his passes for 154 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Despite that, Williamson got the MVP honors as the awarding jury overlooked the stars on defense.

The Merchantmen offensive line missed their anchorman Harold Hurtado and, unlike against Brooklyn last Thursday, the Lake Monsters took advantage and dominated. Rookie Earnest Sanford recorded two sacks to support his rookie of the year candidacy.

For Maassluis, Leonard Lyon provided his best passing game of his career. Lyon completed 18 of 32 for 214 yards and a score to keep his men dreaming of joining .500 land. At McDavid's absence, "The Lion" is copying McDavid's heroic play and merges it with stats.

Part of Lyon's success was the fact he had five quality target to throw to. Rusher Randy Harris gained 54 yards, tight end Jim Reiser 38 yards, while flankers Gregory Monti and Lonnie O'Reilley added about 50 yards each. Yet it was Bryce Ewald who scored today.

What makes it a loss with a bad taste is the fact that the Merchantmen avoided turnovers and won that battle 1-0. But the real game breaker was a safety early in the second half, Harris ran and got tackled in the endzone to extend the Lake Monsters lead to 12-0.

Earlier in the game, Cary Coles missed a 38-yard field goal that could have kept the Merchantmen in the game with more ease, but didn't. The only reason why the home team came back was a late unnecesary interception thrown by Williamson.

Coming Thursday, the Merchantmen play their last road game of the season at the 10-2 Chesapeake Chitterlings. Hopes for a playoff ticket are over as the current cut is at 8-6 and the Dutch are trailing by three. That, and they still play division leaders Bordeaux.

Today, the Lake Monsters invaded the Merchantmen's harbour and won. The rest of the year, don't expect them to polute eachothers water again. The Lake Monsters leave the New Waterway swimming to their own waterway into the playoffs. The Merchantmen have delt away their last chances.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Well, that was it, at 5-6 things looked over, at 5-7, the playoffs are a bridge too far. Maybe the Lake Monsters didn't play that well, but their third down efficiency manoeuvred them through Oranje Haven. Our goal to go 6-10 is, of course, still in reach, but it will be tough.

Good news is the return of leaders CB Dennis Preciado and LT Harold Hurtado to strengthen our offensive line and secondary. Carl O'Hara is surprising and Tai Wayne had a great game, but Sammie Hernandez suffered a concussion and won't play.

Next up, a road game at Chesapeake. The hard facts are they have a better player at every position, except maybe our offensive line, which has two quality tackles, and our left side of the defensive line. A win there would be as big an upset as the win in Orlando and win over Conyers.

In other news, Andrew King, our defensive line leader, is complaining about his backup role. He rather wants to play himself then see John Bryant play. Good news for him, Bryant is on our trading block for the offseason.

Last, but not least, we received a trade offer for one of our star players, who is expected to change teams as soon as trading is allowed. No details on which teams and which player, but a signal that the Merchantmen are always active in negotiations.

Oh, and an additional note: Losing is a bad thing, but over time the one team we are not crying out loud is when Rochester beat us. Though, to get into Futility Bowl III, we need a miracle or a playoff matchup this or next post-season.


Week 13 European Division In Action
Bordeaux put down a great show, beating co-division leaders San Antonio 24-3 in Texas. It's fair to point out the intercepetion and kickoff return touchdowns for the Vineyards, but winning the turnover battle 8-0(!) makes you well deserved winners.

Gothenburg have dropped the pace and got lost in the woods of .500 land. A 22-26 loss at Vicksburg on a late touchdown run from the Vipers Grady Sherriff and a big passing show from quarterback Caleb Dinger (437 yards!) put this 10-6 potential in the fridge.

Maassluis battled out a good defensive football show against the Rochester Lake Monsters in Futility Bowl II. The Lake Monsters won 15-10, even though Leo "The Lion" put up his third 200 yards game in five starts. Especially rookie Earnest Sanford was on fire with 2 sacks.

Paris played a game of non-offensive touchdowns as a kickoff and interception return spoiled their shutout, they lost 9-14. Fabian Parker's return in Paris saw him getting sacked 4 times and intercepted once, yet the Rhinos contained Mario Hudson while being out-yarded 3 to 2.


European Division Standings
9-3 Bordeaux
6-6 Gothenburg
5-7 Maassluis
1-11 Paris

European Division Scenarios
Bordeaux can clinch the division with a win and a Gothenburg loss.
Paris can clinch last place with a loss or a Merchantmen win.


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux get a visit from the not so popular Astoria Heroes. Both teams really need a victory to keep their playoff spot going, yet a healthy Bordeaux shouls win this game.

Gothenburg play their last home game against Frederick Red Menace. Both teams have fallen to two wins behind the wild card teams and need a win to remain in the race. 5 of Gothenburg's 6 wins came at home.

Maassluis go to Chesapeake for their last road game of the year. The Chitterlings are on fire (6-game winning streak), yet it wouldn't be the first time the Merchantmen upset the favorites.

Paris play an important game for the order of the draft. The Brooklyn Fightin' Bums (3-9) are still in the race for the #1 pick and Paris would gladly leave their current pole position in Brooklyn when they fly home.


Projected Standings After Week 14
10-4 Bordeaux
7-6 Gothenburg
5-8 Maassluis
2-11 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.


Week thirteen stars
3 QB Leonard Lyon - 56% complete for 214 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions
2 CB Tai Wayne - 3 passes defended, 3 tackles, 1 assist, 2 catches allowed
1 RB Randy Harris - 73 yars rushing (3.1 average), lead team with 54 yards receiving
0 DE Harold Wells - 1 sack, 1 hurry, 2 tackles, 1 assist
0 DE Albert Bernardo - 4 tackles, 1 assist, 1 blocked pass, 2 hurries
0 CB Carl O'Hara - 5 tackles, 1 assist, 1 pass defended, 1 catch allowed
0 WR Lonnie O'Reilley - 51 yards receiving (17.0 average), 23 yard kickoff return, -8 yard punt return
0 FS Richards Muller - 1 interception, 5 tackles, 5 assists, 4 catches allowed


Overall standings
15 RB Randy Harris
11 DT Charles Gomez
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
9 DE Harold Wells
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 DE Albert Bernardo
5 LB Cody Cluff
5 OT Harold Hurtado
5 QB Leonard Lyon
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 DT John Bryant
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
3 CB Tai Wayne
2 CB John Cole
2 CB Carl O'Hara
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave

[Kodos]

Good game, MIJB. Could have gone either way. We will try to represent the proud Futility Bowl contestants in the playoffs (if we make them)!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Good game, MIJB. Could have gone either way. We will try to represent the proud Futility Bowl contestants in the playoffs (if we make them)!

Well, the Merchantmen are fans of the Lake Monsters, there must be something in the water about that, we'll be rooting for you to go all the way!
(Not having Rochester draft picks really helps in that matter)

By the way, where was Gene Simmons?
Rochester OL allowed 1 sack, credited to: G.Simmons.
G.Simmons was 3 of 10 on key run blocks, which is not bad.

And who was the Lake Monsters' leading receiver?
Amos Collins, 6 catches, 66 yards.
Yes, that's the guy I traded away because I had faith in Monti and Ewald before they suffered big skill hits due to injuries. (Monti lost 50 skill points in several categories like getting downfield, route running; Ewald lost about 15 points in similair categories)

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News: Wiley McGone And Other Roster Rumors!
It's early, but we have picked up signals that the Maassluis Merchantmen will bench their free agent pickup Wiley McGhee in favor of last year's starter Lincoln Gilmore. Gilmore was playing strong safety in the 24-9 victory over Brooklyn as McGhee was injured. With McGhee's return, the Merchantmen lost once again and the management has put 1 and 1 together.

The Merchantmen signed McGhee as an upgrade and injection of experience to the secondary to make the mistakes from the younger cornerbacks and safeties manageble. Sort of by mistake, the Merchantmen also signed Richard Muller and now the team has four potential starters and fifth guy who looks like a playable backup.

With the playoffs out of sight, chances are that the Merchantmen will bench all the relative older players, except tackle Wilson Grimaldo and the soon to be returning guard Alvin Causey. Playing time for talented players is crucial to their progress and the Merchantmen have dealt away their top draft picks, making own losses worth nothing in compensation.

With the potential benching, a couple of players who complain about playing time could be leaving Maassluis in the offseason. Right now, we've read names from guard David Burdett, defensive tackle Andrew King, one of the starting safeties Wiley McGhee or Richard Muller, starting defensive tackle John Bryant, fullback Vincent Lopez and last-but-not-least tight end Jerry Aubrey. Mentor defensive end Albert Bernardo has complained about playing time recently, but currently plays with Deon Chapa injured.

The story behind Bryant is a salary cap versus skills story, Bryant has proven he can produce when working together with the stars Harold Wells and Charles Gomez. Aubrey and Lopez could be dealt to turn them into something more valuable then a backup role before their retirement.

Other rumors include a possible trade of sack machine Harold Wells for salary cap reason. Charles Gomez was mentioned as well, though his bonus money figure secures his pressence in Maassluis until at least the 2008. Wells has been very consistent, made 9 sacks in 12 games with usually 1 sack in a game combined with a so called quarterback hurry and 2 or 3 tackles. The defensive line is very cohesive, so dealing one player would hurt the pass rush, but this move won't be concidered until the start of the 2007 season, we think.

And then there is the story of Alvin Causey. The Merchantmen picked him up to be a star player on the offensive line, but the shoulder injury and a year of inactiveness really hurt is play. He is said to be of starting caliber, but we also hear rumors about his bad endurance being concidered as a reason to not offer him the big contract he wants. Negotiations are at an impasse and Causey could be a free agent soon.

Concidering who the Merchantmen could add next offseason, we heard that the Merchantmen have dropped interest in Gene Simmons. The Rochester guard's play in Futility Bowl II put a big questionmark on his excellent season so far. The Merchantmen think they can't afford Simmons and also think that right tackle Russell Malave is for real. Malave has learned a lot from Wilson Grimaldo and is quickly emerging as the offensive surprise of the season.

And a last scoop, we picked up a scenario for the Merchantmen's approach to the 2006 draft. As of now, they rank with the most hated teams Astoria and Syracuse as the teams with the least value in draft picks. Still, the Merchantmen have picked up a lot of 2007 selections and now we hear they could turn their 2007 picks into 2006 seletions after all. The Merchantmen are not done trading, their first trade is expected the day trades may be officially announced again.

[wade moore]

Just wanted to point at that you should not be discouraged about this season if you are. You have made a great turnaround, and really could have won a few of the games that you lost.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Just wanted to point at that you should not be discouraged about this season if you are. You have made a great turnaround, and really could have won a few of the games that you lost.

I'm not discouraged, I think, except for the loss of McDavid.

5-7 is good, my goal was 6-10, it's still in touch if we win one of the home games against Astoria (7-5, Hell Atlantic's team) or either one of the French rivals. An upset at Chesapeake (10-2, QuikSand's team) would be even better, but unlikely.

And I now have increased confidence in my game plan now.
I started an OPU career and had the #1 rusher and #2 receiver in the first season. We lost in the bowl game due to absence of our 1400yd RB.

Remember that my Gossip News articles are just things I think of could be done, but half are just made up, the other half is possible and only one fourth will be really happening.

WM, I think I should get more into your CFL Tampa Bay dynasty, right now I visit FOFC for dynasty updates (50-66% of the time) and looking for the new IWS (results) as the number two reason.

[Kodos]

For a while, it looked like Simmons would not yield a sack this year, but that was lost a couple weeks ago. Still, he's having a good year.

Collins hasn't exactly lit things up for us on offense, but that may be because he is our only good receiver and thus commands a lot of attention from opposing defenses.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Chesapeake Preview
Comparing this game to David versus Goliath is a bit far fetched, but the difference in talent and scores is nevertheless big. The Chesapeake Chitterlings only lost two of twelve games this season and those losses came to two other NAC division leaders (Columbus and Fairbanks). It's simple, it takes a top team to beat the Chitterlings and, face it, the Merchantmen aren't exactly in that class.

But there's more on the David and Goliath theme. When Justin McDavid ( what's in a name) was starting, the Merchantmen upset Frederick, Conyers and Orlando, and they were very unlucky against Bordeaux and Tucker. That's a list of playoff teams from last year and/or locks for this year. McDavid is sadly out for a long time, but rookie Leonard Lyon's recent play soften the pain. Ready or not, the road game at Chesapeake is on the schedule, it's time for "The Lion".

Question: what's the strength of the Chitterlings? A better question is: what's not? This team has an experienced and talented quarterback in Jamie Canter, who is lucky to have two great receivers with All League David Marquis and rising star Jeffrey Banta. Running back Phillip Hough is interesting, he makes touchdowns rather then long runs. Hough scored 12 times in 12 games, yet averages just 67 yards per game. And then you'll easily overlook the solid leader at tight end, Denver Ortega.

The Chitterlings deploy a so-so offensive line. That is if you only look at their talent, because they play better then rated. Key element, they have specialists in all areas who cancel out eachother's weaknesses. This offensive line is a team and allows 2 sacks per game, which is below the league average of 2.5 to 3 sacks. Part of that is credited to fullback Aaron Napier, an excellent pass protection specialist.

On defense, the Chitterlings rank number one in rushing yards allowed. A general assumption is that stopping the run goes along very well with winning games, it shows here. On passing plays, they are amongst the best teams in avoiding pass completions and simultaneously keep the least yards per attempt allowed figure in the top 10 of the league. The Chitterlings defense is good and the only way to beat them is converting long passes on third downs.

The Merchantmen are mediocre at best, the only thing they seem to do well this season is stopping the run. That's a big improvement because that's were they lost games last season, the upgrade from 1-15 to 5-7 is easily explained. But Chesapeake are a passing team, which makes the run stopping quality pretty worthless, until you understand the Chitterlings offense. They move the chains with passes, but score on runs. The Merchantmen's fourth ranked red zone defense could be crucial.

For the Merchantmen, all the usual defensive starters are completly healthy, except defensive end Deon Chapa. But Chapa is replaced by veteran Albert Bernardo, who seems to improve the pass rush when he's playing. Cohesion on the front seven is a key to success for the Merchantmen run stopping and fearsome pass rush. And that's very well needed when you play with three new players in your secondary.

Good news in Maassluis is the return of Harold Hurtado on the offensive line. The left tackle is considered to be the anchorman, despite his limited skills, but he makes up with his leadership. Flanker Gregory Monti is also fit once again, so Leonard Lyon's favorite target is back to make plays. And if he's not open, guys like Jim Reiser and Randy Harris will make the plays, like they did in other recent games.

The Vegas point spread is set at ten points. For the gamblers, picking Maassluis is popular after their earlier stunts, but Chesapeake is on fire after their 41-3 victory over Miami. Even though it came on crucial opponent turnovers early in the game that set up all their scores. "David" misses McDavid, but with their Lyon quickly learning, the Chitterlings are expected to win by a narrow margin. Or will the Merchantmen pull just one more stunt this year?

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

I'm not discouraged, I think, except for the loss of McDavid.

5-7 is good, my goal was 6-10, it's still in touch if we win one of the home games against Astoria (7-5, Hell Atlantic's team) or either one of the French rivals. An upset at Chesapeake (10-2, QuikSand's team) would be even better, but unlikely.

And I now have increased confidence in my game plan now.
I started an OPU career and had the #1 rusher and #2 receiver in the first season. We lost in the bowl game due to absence of our 1400yd RB.

Remember that my Gossip News articles are just things I think of could be done, but half are just made up, the other half is possible and only one fourth will be really happening.

WM, I think I should get more into your CFL Tampa Bay dynasty, right now I visit FOFC for dynasty updates (50-66% of the time) and looking for the new IWS (results) as the number two reason.

You should get into my CFL Dynasty! ...

But yeah... glad you see this year as a success... the gossip news is fun, because it can also be used as misinformation.. I wish I had more time to do it myself..

[Kodos]

I'm torn. Root for our friends the Merchantmen, or root for the team that is upsetting Hell Atlantic so much...




Good luck!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I'm torn. Root for our friends the Merchantmen, or root for the team that is upsetting Hell Atlantic so much...




Good luck!

Week 16: Maassluis vs Astoria.
You've have plenty of opportunity to root against Astoria.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

You should get into my CFL Dynasty! ...

As soon as I can get it inot my daily routine, it's a matter of being loyal for a week, I might pickup replying there. I've been following around and it's fun to see how a new guy is doing so well.
Concider me a fan from a distance as of now.

Also, I wonder what you reaction is at the PM I sent at the IHOF forum...

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

As soon as I can get it inot my daily routine, it's a matter of being loyal for a week, I might pickup replying there. I've been following around and it's fun to see how a new guy is doing so well.
Concider me a fan from a distance as of now.

Also, I wonder what you reaction is at the PM I sent at the IHOF forum...

Yeah, I'm surprised at the success I've been able to have..

Well, it is nice to have a fan!

I think you've seen my reaction by now...

[MIJB#19]

Press Release: Merchantmen from Maassluis, not Maasluis
To avoid further confusion in the IHOF amongst owners, fans, journalists, players, coaches and others involved, the Merchantmen management decided it's time to explain why Maassluis is spelled with two a double "s", rather the a single "s". To do that, we first have to explain the meaning of three words in the Dutch language.

"Maas" is the Dutch name for a big river in Europe. The river is also know as the Meuse. Fact is, Maassluis was originally founded on the shores of the Maas. Today, the canal next to Maassluis is called "Nieuwe Waterweg" or New Waterway in English.

"Sluis" is the Dutch word for lock or sluice. Combined with the name of a river, this should be self-explanatory, Maassluis is created earl in the 14th Century by guards who had to watchout over the lockin the Maas.

"Luis" is the Dutch word for louse. Combined with the name of the river, this would imply this city has a history of lice living in or around the Maas, which is not confirmed by written history.

We hope this clarifies why there is a double "s" in Maassluis, rather then a single "s". The Merchantmen management realizes what this could cause, the use of one "s" could actually be used to make fun in the future rather then being misspelled. Then, we want to point out the nature of lice, an annoying little insect which can cause a lot of damage when it's underestimated.

[3ric]

Wow, I had missed the fact that I had such a bad record on away games. Hopefully I can rely on home team advantage in the Frederick game...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Chesapeake recap
The Chitterlings were warned and today they learned the hard way how amazing the Merchantmen can be against their stronger opponents. The score and stats make you think the game was close, but at half time, the 14-0 lead tells you all there needs to tell. The Merchantmen pulled the biggest upset of the week with a 17-10 victory on the road.

Looking at the game stats, you see similair rushing totals (Chesapeake 86, Maassluis 84), similair passing totals (Chesapeake 263, Maassluis 237) and sack and interceptions totals look similiar as well. Even the first downs totals (Chesapeake 21, Maassluis 19) and time of possession (Maassluis 31 minutes) make you think the game was close.

The Chitterlings were taught a lesson in third down efficiency, but also setting up covertable third downs. The Merchantmen had 6 yards to go, compared to Chesapeake's 13 and all of sudden you understand why Maassluis converted 53% and Chesapeake only 31% of third down plays. Question then arises, why did Chesapeake have to make up 7 yards more?

First, there's an intersting figure on penalties. Over the lenght of the game, the Chitterlings were penalized 10 times versus 1 time and had to give up 70 yards more. devide it by the total number of plays (roughly 70 on both offense and defense) and you give up half a yard on every play of the game. Add three turnover compared to one and you have your reasons.

Or was it? Let's recap some of the drives. First drive of the game, the Merchantmen slowly advance into the Chesapeake red zone, fake a field goal and lose possession. Two penalties push the Chitterlings back to their own four yard line and the eventual punt is caught at the 41. Maassluis has a big 32-yard pass and Gregory Monti scores on a short pass from Leonard Lyon.

On their second possession, the Chitterlings get flashbacks. Three penalties draw them back and on third and fourty from their own three, they advance six yards, punt and Lyon immediatly respons with shortening the 43 yard distance to 21 on a 22-yard pass to Jim Reiser. On two of the next four plays, Lyon and Reiser fumble, but team mates save the day and Randy Harris scores a rushing touchdown.

The following drive, Chesapeake fails once again and, as Maassluis marches into Chesapeake's red zone again, with beatiful 23-yard and 180yard passes to Bryce Ewald and Harris, Lyon makes a mistake and his pass is intercepted at Chesapeake's six yard line. Of course, Chesapeake is drawn back again, a 63-yard punt get the ball far away from their endzone. But the half ends shortly after.

On the first drive of the second half, Chesapeake strarts moving, but they are stopped at the Maassluis 39 yard line. Deangelo Royston attempts the 56-yard field goal, but misses. A three-and-out later, Jamie Canter marches his men forward in no time. Then, a great 16-yard rush from Phillip Hough is nullified on a holding penalty and before Canter realises what happened, He tosses an interception.

The guy who pulled the stunt was a familiar face. Ellsworth Thelen played for Astoria Heroes last season, but never had an impact against division rivals Chesapeake. Thelen started running and returned it to the line of scrimmage. The Merchantmen offense failed on the next drive, but the tome was set, this game was in the pocket, no matter what Canter would try in the coming drives.

As expected, the Chitterlings were forced to punt and the Merchantmen took advantage with Lyon completing a set of passes to rookie Lonnie O'Reilley to eventually set up a 31-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead. Canter seemed to get the control back, starting the next drive with a 12-yard pass to David Marquis, but on the next play he got sacked, fumbled and Maassluis got the ball at the 28.

The Merchantmen failed to take advantage of the mistake, Cary Coles missed a 36-yard kick and the Chitterlings tried to get back into the game. Canter set up a fast drive, but when Hough fumbled and possession was lost again, even the most optimistic Chitterlings' fans must have given up. Lucky for them, the Merchantmen gave the ball back on a punt, and Canter was given the opportunity to avoid a shutout.

Jamie Canter looked more focuses and completed pass after pass. On a magnificent drive, he completed eight of nine passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, scored by Darrell Spears. The onside kick failed, but possession came back with a minute left. Canter tried to copy the stunt and the game ended when Albert Bernardo first pressured Canter on third down and on fourth he blocked a pass to end the game.

The Merchantmen defensive line was the unit that got most of the credit, despite Leonard Lyon's MVP honors. The fearsome pass rush broke up 16 of 46 passing plays and had their share in the heavy pressure on Chesapeake with their back against their own end zone. As a unit they took advantage of the weakened offensive line and Jamie Canter's passing excellence looked invisible in the first half.

Sure, the Merchantmen got lucky at times, but with the big 17-0 lead, all they had to do was avoid big plays and wait for the Chitterlings offense to make a mistake, and they did at least twice. Amazingly, an Astoria Heroes loss elsewhere ment a little party afterall for he Chitterlings as they did clinch the division title. The second seed spot in the NAC is in jeopardy, but this looked like a fluke.

In the meanwhile, the Merchantmen go home at 6-7 and have three home games left to try to end up as a winning team or at least at .500 percent at 8-8. Winning record or not, the earlier set goal of winning 6 games all season has been reached and the victory makes the Merchantmen 3-1 against teams in a playoff spots. Until next week, when the two-time European Champions from Bordeaux come to town.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Wow.
17-7.
Against Chesapeake.
One of only three serious contenders to kick the Fairbanks Northstars from their NAC throne.

This victory felt even better than our first or any other before in this season. One would start to think that all our previous victories were a fluke, but now, I am conviced we can beat the best teams on a good day. Even on a normal day on offense, but that's what basically happened too.

For next week, we're still lucky to be pretty injury free, of course excepting our popular quarterback Justin McDavid. At center, whe have two guys black and blue and I'm not quite sure what to do about it yet. And the recent surprise at dime back, Carl O'Hara, sprained his knee, but will play.

Next up is Bordeaux. We never beat them before and with our recent succes against top teams, I hope we can turn the tide and get our first ever victory against a French team. Or else it will have to wait for week 17 against Paris.

On a side note, our friends from Rochester have lost at Minnesota (Jason Gott played like a football god once again), but still hold the division lead. Two of the four other teams in a playoff spot in the AOC are Conyers and Orlando. Yes, against teams at 9-4 or better, we are 3-1 so far this season.

Other teams to watch, our week 16 opponents Astoria are 7-6 and are still in playoff contention when they visit us next week. But, beating them then wouldn't even qualify as an upset, their are afterall just 1 win ahead. No, if we want our 5th and final upset to take place, it's got to be Monday against Bordeaux.


Week 14 European Division In Action
Bordeaux excelled at the return of QB Joe Johnson and as Rashad Burse ran for 147 yards, the Vineyards clinched the European Division title with a 33-10 victory. Congratulations Bordeaux and next season we hope to be a serious contender for the division title.

Gothenburg clearly missed RB Jerry McGee, as they gained only 41 yards on the ground. Campare it to RB James Cull's 122 yards for Frederick and you have a clue why the Giants lost 10-17 at home. However, Cull's game winning touchdown run came with 40 seconds left on the clock and the Giants almost tied the score on a long reception from WR Alfredo Bass, almost.

Maassluis took an early 14-0 lead to build it up to 17-0 and never get into danger against Chesapeake as they won 17-7 on the road at the second ranked team in the NAC. It puts the conferences into perspective if he twelveth best team beats the number two of the other conference.

Paris missed RB Kevin Wiggins, as Mario Hudson passed for only 126 yards and couldn't help the team to defend an early 7-0 lead. The Brooklyn Fightin' Bums saw RB Monty Avent rule the day, gaining 163 yards on the ground to be the offensive hero in a 10-7 victory at home.

European Division Standings
10-3 Bordeaux
6-7 Gothenburg
6-7 Maassluis
1-12 Paris
Gothenburg hold tie-breakers over Maassluis beased on head-to-head at 2-0

European Division Scenarios
Inside the division, nothing can be clinched next week, but for Bordeaux, currently ranked #1 in the AOC, the #4 seed could still be their playoff spot after a 3-game losing streak. Gothenburg still have a shot at the #6 seed, as does Maassluis, but it's very unlikely.

Upcoming Games
Next up is another set of divisional games.

Maassluis host Bordeaux as they hope to keep the slim chances in reaching the playoffs going. For Bordeaux, the #1 seed in the AOC is in their hands and they'll defend it with plessure.

Gothenburg start their streak of three road games at Paris. The Giants are still a potential playoff team, though with Jerry McGee likely out for the year, they seem to have given up a bit. Paris just wants to avoid being the second 1-15 team in league history.

Projected Standings After Week 15
11-3 Bordeaux
7-7 Gothenburg
6-8 Maassluis
1-13 Paris

[Kodos]

Nice win, Merchantmen!

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.


Week fourteen stars
5 DT Charles Gomez - 7 tackles, 2 assists, 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovered, 1 hurry
4 DE Albert Bernardo - 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles, 2 assists, 3 hurries, 1 blocked pass
3 DE Harold Wells - 1.0 sacks, 1 tackle, 2 assists, 4 hurries, 1 blocked pass
2 QB Leonard Lyon - 55% completed, 237 yards, 1 touchdowns, 1 interception, 1 fumble, a 5-yard rush, MVP honors,
1 OT Harold Hurtado - 2 key run blocks (100%), 0 sacks allowed
0 WR Gregory Monti - 5 catches, 72 yards, 1 touchdown
0 LB Ellsworth Thelen - 1 interception, 1 assist, 0 catches allowed


Overall standings
16 DT Charles Gomez
15 RB Randy Harris
12 DE Harold Wells
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
7 QB Leonard Lyon
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
6 OT Harold Hurtado
5 LB Cody Cluff
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 DT John Bryant
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
3 CB Tai Wayne
2 CB John Cole
2 CB Carl O'Hara
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave

Rookies in this list
7 QB Leonard Lyon
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 CB Tai Wayne
1 OC Brant Heinrich

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Nice win, Merchantmen!

Thanks.
Now we can set a new goal for the season as my early goal was to go 6-10 (at best!), now I hope we can turn 3 home games into 2 victories and an 8-8 record.

As lowly as it may sound, when you're coming of a 1-15 season, mentally it's a huge improvement to be 6-7.

Don't forget to reach the playoffs, Kodos, or else our loss in week 13 was worthless and ruined our own playoff chances...

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Statistical proof of our progress?
Well, we're 13 weeks into the season and have 3 home games to go against team with 10-3, 7-6 and 1-12 records. When you're 6-7, people would expect you to go 2-1 in that series. Right now, I only dare to hope on 1 win and make us at least 7-9 for the season. 9-7 would be really cool, but it's not likely, though we don't have draft picks to compensate our losses.


Schedule
w01 vs Gothenburg (L 12-27) - Giants are 6-7 and have little hope for the playoffs
w02 at Frederick (W 27-24) - Red Menace are 6-7 and hope to stay in the race for NAC #6 seed
w03 at Fort Worth (W 20-14) - Fury ar 6-7 and have little hope for the playoffs
w04 open weekend
w05 vs Tucker (L 9-10) - Tigers are 7-6 and hope to stay in the race for AOC #6 seed
w06 at Georgia (L 24-27 OT) - Gridlock are 4-9 and still building up their team good 2006 draft positions
w07 at Paris (L 3-31) - Musketeers are 1-12 and this game could have saved their pride
w08 vs Conyers (W 21-17) - Condors are 9-4 and favorites for the #2 seed in the AOC
w09 at Bordeaux (L 13-16) - Vineyards are 10-3 and the best team in the AOC
w10 at Orlando (W 17-10) - Knights are 9-4 and still in the race for a division title
w11 at Gothenburg (L 9-19) - Giants are 6-7 and have little hope for the playoffs
w12 vs Brooklyn (W 24-9) - Fightin' Bums are 4-9 and their young players are improving
w13 vs Rochester (L 10-15) - Lake Monsters are 8-5 and still hold the division lead
w14 at Chesapeake (W 17-7) - Chitterlings are 10-3 and still hold #2 seed in the NAC
w15 vs Bordeaux (not played) - Vineyards are 10-3 and the best team in the AOC
w16 vs Astoria (not played) - Heroes are 7-6 and in the lead for the last NAC playoff ticket
w17 vs Paris (not played) - Musketeers are 1-12 and earlier win against us saved their pride

I think we had a tough schedule so far and for a mediocre team at best, being 6-7 is good. What strikes me is that we are 3-1 against 9-4 or better teams, but just 2-4 against 6-7 to 8-5 teams and 1-2 against teams of 4-9 or worse. If I look to how the games went, the Conyers game should have been a loss, the Tucker game a victory and so should the Georgia game. The road game at Gothenburg included the loss of QB McDavid at half time, which puts that game in some other daylight as well. Cancel these four games and we'd still be 5-4, thus mediocre. Still, going from 1-15 (league punch bag, doormat, toilet paper, whatever) to possibly the weirdest mediocre team in the league, it's a big improvement.


Team Stats

passing game
50.3 comp% (30) -> 52.3 comp% (28)
189 yd/game (18) -> 180 yd/game (21)
1.3 td/game (10) -> 0.9 td/game (22)

rushing game
102 yd/game (27) -> 108 yd/game (20)
4.0 yd/carry (16) -> 3.7 yd/carry (26)
0.3 td/game (28) -> 0.6 td/game (15)

offensive analysis
Looking at the stats, the progress on the rushing or passing game are cancelled out by downfall in the other game. Of course, this all has to do with last season's catch up pass heavy offense. Our major improvement on offense is that we cut on turnovers and mainly on lost fumbles. Still, the reason for improvement in wins is hardly to be found on this side of the ball.


pass defense
62.6 comp% (31) -> 56.6 comp% (22)
170 yd/game (4) -> 224 yd/game (27)
1.0 td/game (16) -> 1.1 td/game (18)

run defense
139 yd/game (32) -> 103 yd/game (9)
4.2 yd/carry (23) -> 3.7 yd/carry (9)
1.0 td/game (32) -> 0.5 td/game (10)

defensive analysis
What happened here? We went from arguably the worst run defense to a top10 run stopper across the board. Our #4 ranked pass defense in yards last season was a bit of a fluke as opponents could easily run for clock management as we were often trailing most of the game. Our pass rush improved enough to make the opposing passing game one of risks. We have moved up in the fumbles forcing categories and the yards per game has been hurt by a couple of late pass heavy games and three player of the week passing performances.


Overall Thoughts
One, our run defense increased a lot and that helped us to keep opponents from scoring in the red zone. Sure, we allowed 50 yards passing more, but we've seen a couple of games where the opponent had a very good quarterback passing a lot and gaining yards. We stopped them in the red zone. Passsing yards totals don't tell you what happened there.

Two, we are a team with the least penalties in the league and have a decent special teams unit who help us to get into good positions and make the opponent have to work a little bit harder. The game against Chesapeake was a very good example of what it does. Our average third down distance was 6 yards, the Chitterlings' average was 13 yards.

Three, turnovers make a difference. It's always been my #1 philosophy to football and as much as people try to convince me with stats and correlations, the gut feeling says turnovers make or break a game. Face it, me moved from the last ranked team in turnover margin to the middle of the pack and, voilá, our winning percentage made the same jump.

Four, cohesion is important. Well, not everybody believes in it, but my team is said to be the most cohesive in the league in both the backfield and the defensive front. Our offensive line is also ranked very high, even though we have 3 new starters this year, not counting Alvin Causey. Our secondary is obviously not so cohesive with three new starters, but recently we sacrificded Wiley McGhee in favor of Lincoln Gilmore and that should help there.


Future Prospect?
Well, we'll be able to keep the 2005 roster together with possibly 5 to 10 changes, all being improvements in talent, except maybe the release of some unneeded overpaid players. Our young players are starting and continue to improve. In 2006, guys like Wells, Gomez, Lyon, Harris and Reiser could be big names in the league. Not to mention that we'll have a more and more improved OL.

I can give you a lost of players who could be dealt away next season, but I'll keep it to the usual suspects: FB Vincent Lopez, TE Jerry Aubrey, DT Andrew King, LB Matt Sellers, FS Pery Francis and SS Wiley McGhee. Lopez and Aubrey are overshadowed by younger players and are still startable elsewhere in the league. Francis and McGhee are startable too, yet have the bad luck of having competition at their position. King is a leader, but is unhappy and either he or John Bryant will have to go. Matt Sellers has great potential in run stopping, but with Cody Cluff in front of him, he's not getting the time to develop here.

2006, the season to be? I hope so, but I fear that we won't be there yet in 2006. Thing is, for 2007 I expect a bigger turnover in players. So with this team, 2006 has to be the season to become a winner. In 2007, I fear we'll be saying goodbye to up to three key players and fitting in a couple of rookies once again. And those wondering how we'll do in the 2006 draft, you know me. For the 2005 draft, I've been dealing with first round picks like with Pokémon trading cards and I will have the time to be very active. Masters of Trading, we'll be once again, though quality will go over quantity this time.

[wade moore]

GREAT analysis!

I feel like this year was a huge stride for the merchantmen, and that it will continue into next year. Possibly more so than any other IHOF team, you have a core of young players that really developed throughout this season.

I think with the right off-season you should be able to make the playoffs next year. To me, the main thing that you have to make sure you do this off-season is get some value for the skilled veterans that you have sitting the bench. You don't have draft picks, but you could stack some up with these guys. Aubrey in particular should provide a good value on the open market. You need to make sure he does not just dwindle away until his contract runs out with him on the bench, but instead get something out of him.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Bordeaux preview
The 2005 season is fourteen weeks old, every team played thirteen games. Only few teams already reached their regular season goals and two of them are playing each other in an European match up. The Bordeaux Vineyards hope to keep in pace for the number one seed in the AOC after clinching the desired division title last week, while the Maassluis Merchantmen hope to improve their win total to above the preset goal of six wins.

In the past, these two teams played each other three times and the last two were field goal decision games. Last season, the Vineyards won 10-7 on the road as both teams saw their kicker missed two field goals in a very even game. However, the Merchantmen game hero Fredric Vargas is no longer playing in Maassluis, so someone will have to stand up and make a touchdown. More importantly, the Merchantmen have an other quarterback making the calls.

Earlier this season, the Vineyards won their home game 16-13 with late field goals in both halves. However, as close as the score looked, the Merchantmen were the chokers, giving up a 10-3 and 13-10 leads as they couldn't stop the pass heavy offense from Bordeaux to comeback into the game. That's something the Merchantmen defense has to work on, because the Vineyards will again play with their good kicker Fernando Ramsey.

Right now, the Bordeaux Vineyards are hot. In the past four games, they won every single game by two or more scores. The one game lead the Vineyards have on Telluride and Conyers is something they absolutely want to defend. Rashad Burse was their big man as he rushed for 400 yards in the last three games combined and hopes to keep a 100-yards game streak going. Earlier this season the Merchantmen held him to 52 yards, Burse knows it ain't easy.

Hottest man for the Merchantmen is probably their new quarterback, Leonard Lyon. The rookie has been starting three straight and the Merchantmen were victorious twice. Lyon showed 200-yard performances in the last two games and has thrown a touchdown pass in each of the last four games. Of course, it helps that he can spread his passes over five players who all have made more then 2 receptions per game so far.

The Vineyards never lost a game against the Merchantmen before, but looking at the Merchantmen's record against other 9-4 or better teams, quarterback Joe Johnson and his crew know it won't be easy. Some sources claim that Johnson dared the coaches he will throw for 300 yards for the first time in this game, but the Merchantmen would love to avoid that to happen. However, Johnson is still sore on his elbow, the team might rest him to heal.

What will be really interesting is to see how the current starters on the Vineyards offensive line will cope with the Merchantmen pass rush. Against the Chitterlings, they ruined one third of the passing plays and it was easily blamed on the so-so talented offensive line. Bordeaux's line misses two starters and faces the same faith. And the way the Merchantmen stop the run, especially in the red zone, passing will be needed to win.

Maybe the Merchantmen are lucky, because the top two defenders on the Vineyards roster are not expected to play due to injuries. Safety Cecil McIver and defensive tackle Joey Hammer are crucial to the pass defense and run defense respectively. However, it's widely know that Bordeaux strength is on their offense, not their defense. So unless the Merchantmen defense steps up, the offense won't be able to take advantage of this weakness.

Still, as amazing as it sounds, the Merchantmen are still in the playoffs race. It will take a couple of miracles, as to see things go their way, a couple of favorites to reach the playoffs have to start choking. As strong as the Vineyards look in their victories, they lost three games this year and all three losses they were completely shutdown for 45 minutes. The Merchantmen defense did it last week against Chesapeake, can they do it again?

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Bordeaux recap
The season is over, the playoff hopes are gone. The Maassluis Merchantmen kept it a tight game but three interceptions thrown by quarterback Leonard Lyon were pretty crucial to the 10-12 loss to the AOC top seed Bordeaux Vineyards.

The Merchantmen went into the second half leading 7-6 as Fernando Ramsey pulled his trick with a last second field goal to shorten the lead from four to one just before half time. Tight end Jim Reiser had scored on a 26-yard pass from Leonard Lyon to put the home team up with a minute left in the first half.

For he game, the Merchantmen defense was very split. The defensive front kept the opponent busy with holding stud running back Rashad Burse to 52 yards and sacking quarterback Joe Johnson 6 times, while breaking up 13 of 39 passing plays. The pass defense allowed no less then 30-4 yards by the same Johnson.

Still, the Merchantmen pulled their trick once again, the Vineyards visited the red zone four times, but every single time they were forced to settle with a field goal. Especially defensive tackle John Bryant excelled with 11 tackles and 2 sacks, while Harold Wells had 6 tackles, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Player of the game was definatly Bordeaux wide receiver Toby Williams, who caught 9 passes for a total of 195 yards gained and added three punt returns for 21 yards as well. Yet, the Bordeaux defense was crucial as well as they allowed just 59 yards rushing on 17 carries, all from Randy Harris.

The Merchantmen lost promising right tackle Russell Malave during the game due to injury and his season seems over with a strained deltoid muscle. Good for them, guard Alvin Causey has just recovered from a torn deltoid muscle and will be replacing him on the line, as Butch White moves from left to right.

For Bordeaux, the top seed position in the AOC has gotten a little bit closer at 11-3. They still have two tough test to go with a road game at 11-3 Chesapeake and then at home against Gothenburg. It will be a tough streak, but the division is in the pocket, so there is little to lose.

The Maassluis Merchantmen will try to do one last trick as playoffs spoilers as the host the Astoria Heroes in an exciting matchup. Before the season, the Heroes management dared to call the Merchantmen a weaker team, but next Thursday, the Merchantmen are favored to win by three and get even in wins at seven.

If the Merchantmen pull of the home victory, they will accomplish an unique feat by beating all four opponents from the other conference. So far, not a single IHOF team managed to do that and victories from Rochester over Ann Arbor and Chespaeke over Bordeaux will make keep the Merchantmen as the only ones.

Despite the loss, the Merchantmen moved up in the run defense charts and third down defense charts. Their defensive is becoming more and more one to fear, especially after now becoming the best red zone defense in the IHOF. Today, Bordeaux had no message to it and kept their perfect record against Maassluis.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Today, I learned what "to jinx" means. If we had pulled of the upset, we'd still be alive for the playoffs, but by checking out what had to be done, the team failed itself and all the counting and calculating was for nothing. Thank you very much indeed, players!

Leonard Lyon had another set back, passing three interceptions and for just 1760 yards. The good thing is that he tossed just another touchdown to extend his hot streak to five games with at least one score. Losing to Bordeaux isn't a shame, especially if the pass defense can't show up.

Yes, the pass defense was horrid. The defensive line broke up 1/3rd of the passing plays, compare it to Bordeaux's 1/6th, and you wonder why our pass defense can't show up the other 2/3rd of the time. Well, at least they did in our red zone to force field goals rather then touchdowns.

Next up are our good 'friends' from 7-7 Astoria. Personally, I've had some nice trash talking with the Astoria Heroes management and the league spotlights will be on this game more then in any other game before. So far, we pulled the upset win of the week four times and have nothing to lose. The Heroes were supposed to be so much better, yet a loss in Oranje Haven puts us above them.



Week 15 European Division In Action
Bordeaux beat Maassluis in a game dominated by the Vineyards effective passing game and Merchantmen's lack of effective passing. The Vineyards won 12-10 on the road where their victory was never in jeopardy in the second half, while the Merchantmen had the early edge at 7-3 and 7-6 on the long break.

Gothenburg saw their promising quarterback Duane Davis step up in the absence of star running back Jerry McGee. Paris' rookie Mario Hudson did his best, but Davis' 81% completed passes for 288 yards and 4 scores without an interception were the biggest reason for the 34-15 victory.


European Division Standings
11-3 Bordeaux
7-7 Gothenburg
6-8 Maassluis
1-13 Paris


European Division Scenarios
Inside the division, Gothenburg clinch second place with a win or a Maassluis loss. Bordeaux are in pole-position for the #1 seed in the AOC and Gothenburg are still in the plaoyffs race, though it is a long shot.


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux move to Chesapeake in the IHOF game of the week between two 11-3 teams. Chesapeake are the favorites, but the Chesapeake-Maassluis game tapes can be used for analysis for the second consecutive game. It will also be a big game between two elite quarterbacks with Joe Johnson for Bordeaux and Jamie Canter for Chesapeake.

Gothenburg move to Brooklyn and probably see star Jerry McGee back on the starting lineup. Brooklyn are in a happy mood after beating archrivals Astoria on the road and Gothenburg have recently built a reputation of choking against relative weaker opponents.

Maassluis go into an emotional home game against Astoria. The owners have been smack talking after two draft pick trades ended up going to the Merchantmen as winners. The Heroes keep holding on to the little odds to reach the playoffs.

Paris play host to Frederick and in a way, these two teams are similair. Both teams saw a big drop in wins compared to last season as Paris dumped from 8-8 to now 1-13 and Frederick from division winning 11-5 to 6-8 so far. The visitors are favoured to win as Paris announced to give their rookies who are future starters more playing time.


Projected Standings After Week 16
11-4 Bordeaux
8-7 Gothenburg
7-8 Maassluis
1-14 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.


Week fifteen stars
3 DE Harold Wells 2 sacks, 2 hurries, 1 fumble recovered, 4 tackles, 2 assists
2 DT John Bryant 2 sacks, 11 tackles, 3 assists, 1 hurry
1 LB Ellsworth Thelen 1 hurry, 1 fumble forced, 8 tackles, 1 assist, 2 passes defended, 3 catches allowed
0 DE Albert Bernardo 1 sacks, 1 blocked pass, 1 hurry, 2 tackles, 3 assists
0 TE Jim Reiser 5 receptions for 54 yards, 1 touchdown
0 RB Randy Harris 59 yards rushing (3.5), 37 yards receiving
0 DT Charles Gomez 1 sack, 1 hurry, 1 tackle, 2 assists
0 OC Brant Heinrich 2 key run blocks (67%), 0 sacks
0 OT Wilson Grimaldo 2 key run blocks (50%), 0 sacks

Overall standings
16 DT Charles Gomez
15 RB Randy Harris
15 DE Harold Wells
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
8 LB Ellsworth Thelen
7 QB Leonard Lyon
6 OT Harold Hurtado
5 DT John Bryant
5 LB Cody Cluff
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
3 CB Tai Wayne
2 CB John Cole
2 CB Carl O'Hara
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave

Remaining candidates for best player of the year
16 DT Charles Gomez
15 RB Randy Harris
15 DE Harold Wells
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
8 LB Ellsworth Thelen
7 QB Leonard Lyon
6 OT Harold Hurtado

Top five new players
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 LB Ellsworth Thelen
7 QB Leonard Lyon
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley

Rookies in the list
7 QB Leonard Lyon
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 CB Tai Wayne
1 OC Brant Heinrich

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Astoria preview
The trash talking has been going on for a long time, but the long awaited game between the Heroes and Merchantmen is finally there. The preseason talk about trades has lost it's value. Now is the time to show who's the best, or the least pathetic as these teams are both mediocre for league standards. Astoria are 7-7 and still in the playoff race, Maassluis are 6-8 and have their pride to play for.

The history with the two teams is one of two big trades regarding the 2005 draft. First, the Maassluis Merchantmen dealt away the #1 pick in the draft to Astoria to get some value for the top pick before the draft class was revealed. When the class was announced, in the highly touted trade the Merchantmen were called early winners. Astoria were called big losers and eventually Astoria traded the pick to Georgia.

During the draft, the Merchantmen had the earlier acquired #6 pick to get quarterback Mario Hudson, but saw him selected at #4 by rivals Paris and had no prospects left worth the #6. Two teams got in contact. While trade talks for Rochester's All IHOF guard Gene Simmons failed, the Heroes gladly acquried the pick to get safety Derrick Villagomez, not knowing that Boulder would trade up with Georgia to #5 and to grab Villagomez.

The preseason clouds are gone and the regular season is just 2 rounds of games away from the end. The Astoria Heroes haven't been the expected challengers for a division title. Lately the Heroes have dropped a lot of games as they won just two of their last four games. Especially mediocre quarterback Julius Irvine seems to have lost it and tossed just three touchdowns versus seven interceptions in his last five starts.

In the trade with Georgia the Heroes did pickup a duo of defensive line stars. End Cris Richardson and tackle Albert Simone are top players at their position and especially Simone is heading for All IHOF conciderations. However, a locker room battle between Simone and mid tackle Weldon Milner attracts the attention from what's really going on with the Heroes defense. Even draft defensive tackle Grant Major can't help there.

With them, the Heroes have been decent against the run, but against the pass they are amongst the worst defenses in the league. The pressence of a hot defensive line seems to be no help there. You'd almost compare them to the Merchantmen defense. There is one big difference though, the Merchantmen stop their opponents in the red zone while the Heroes let the opposition walk over them and hope for the offense to tie the score.

Lucky for the defense, the Heroes' offense has been very good so far, being amongst the top passing offenses in yardage. Combine it with one of the most effective rushing games and you have an offense capable of winning every game. Or losing every game, because the Merchantmen have specialized in stopping efficient rushing teams and let the opposing quarterbacks play catch up. Go ask Jamie Canter about that.

Still, the Heroes are never going to learn from the mistakes the Chesapeake Chitterlings made, they just laughed about it and lost against the even lower rated Brooklyn Fightin' Bums the next game. The Heroes will have to get back into winning fast, or they will end up above the Merchantmen in the draft order. If there's one thing that would humiliate the proud heroes, it would be ending up below a Dutch 'guaranteed win'.

[MIJB#19]

Press Release: Return of strongest man Alvin Causey to IHOF action
The Maassluis Merchantmen managament are proud to announce the return of guard Alvin Causey to the IHOF as a starter. The past months Causey has been recovering from a torn deltoid muscle. Causey has fully recovered and will play his first game in more then a year against Astoria Heroes in Oranje Haven stadium.

Causey gathered the repuation of strongest man in the league, while recovering from the mentioned injured. Some experts say that Causey's desire to test agrevated the injury and has really hurt his play. The Management staff is fully aware of Causey's significant drop in play, but with his experience he remains as an above average starter for league standards.

Whether Causey will be a Merchantmen in the 2006 season is still a big question. Offensive tackle Russell Malave emerged as a good starter this season at right guard, while rookie Butch White is seeing good progress at left guard. As of now, Malave is recovering from a strained deltoid muscle injury, giving Causey two games to show he's been worth the gamble to trade two third round and one fourth round draft picks for.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Just a little update on the Alvin Causey story. With Russell Malave out with a softer version of Causey's career threatening injury, he will indeed be starting for the first time as a Merchantmen. We're not sure about who to play on Malave's right guard spot, Butch White or Causey, but one of them will and the other plays at left guard.

Additionally, I did some research on what Causey would cost as a franchise player and it seems that if we franchise him at the 2006 offseason start, he will be earning 4.28 million dollar in 2006 and be a free agent in 2007. That means that we'll need to open up not just 10 million, but about 15 million dollars to keep him around. Signing him now to a deal that would pay him around 4.5 million next year would be doable, I think, but I doubt he's worth that money. Good thing that we have a couple of weeks to negotiate.

With that said, I also fear that we will be very inactive in the free agent market, despite the desire to upgrade a handful of roster spots. What I will do with the five draft picks, I am not sure about, but we might be able to deal them away in trades with some unneeded players.

Perhaps not necessary, but we've been sparing Causey all year to make his comeback against the Astoria Heroes, since the early preseason our number three desired opponent to beat. That is after Chesapeake and Brooklyn, for different reasons and that we managed to do already.

Last, but not least, we'll be rooting for our Futility Bowl and Dutch Bowl opponents to end up in the AOC championship game. Our dream finale would be Chesapeake versus Orlando, a game between two teams we've beaten. It's always good to have some friendly contacts inside the conference and outside the division. I'd love to see us end up second in the European division and see Rochester and Orlando surprise as wild card teams. Reason is simple, as much as I root for them to win games, it would mean we'd be playing the two 'bowl' games once again in 2006.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Astoria recap
The Merchantmen played another classic game. In a 20-7 loss, Maassluis never got grip on the Astoria Heroes running backs and were handed a big loss at home. It marked the fifth loss at home for the Merchantmen in seven games. Last week is their last home game against Paris.

As the fans are used to, the Merchantmen started of scoring on their first possession. Randy Harris scored on a short yardage rush. The score was setup by Astoria's xxx Watterson, who fumbled the ball on the kickoff return. Former Heroes player Ellsworth Thelen tackled Watterson to make his mark against former teammates.

In the remaining time of the first half, the Merchantmen defended the lead with ease, allowing only a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The fans were full of expectations for a win against the last opponent from the other conference of the season and a possible sweeping of all four NAC Mid-Atlantic opponents.

In the second half, the Merchantmen starter of with a good drive. Devin Henson had returned the kickoff tho the middle. A 21-yard pass from Leonard Lyon to Jim Reiser moved the Merchantmen within nine yards, but a tripping penalty moved them back. Cary Coles missed the 39-yard field goal attempt and a seven-point lead.

The Heroes responded with a so-so drive, marked by a big 43 yard rush from fullback xxx Gleason on a third and eigheen situation at the Astoria 21-yard line. Julius Irvine spread the ball around and eventually found Jack Potter for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Heroes 10-7 up.

On their next drive, Julius Irvine inspired his offense again to keep moving and early in the fourth quarter, Stan Girard ran around the Merchantmen defensive line and scored from 10-yards out. The Heroes were 17-7 up and could lean back to remain in a good position for their playoff hopes.

The Merchantmen offense looked lost and the Heroes front four haunted the Merchantmen backfield. Leonard Lyon and Randy Harris left the field after three plays, black-and-blue of the tackles under their gear. The Merchantmen got the ball back as Ellsworth Thelen had a crucial defended pass, but their possession again produced nothing.

Ellsworth Thelen kept making crucial plays against the Heroes, making a tackle and a quarterback hurry, making his role crucial in getting the ball back. The Merchantmen moved up field, but as Leonard Lyon suddenly scrambled, he fumbled and the Heroes got the ball. Eventually John Burch kicked in a 44-yard field goal with a minute left.

The game was over as the Merchantmen had no shot at scoring two touchdown in the last drive. Julius Irvine was handed the MVP honors, though the rushing game was more crucial with 150 yards. Leonard Lyon kept in pace with Irvine, yet Lyon's fumble turned out to be game ending. Of course, the Merchantmen fans are used to this way of losing.

For the Astoria Heroes, the victory means that a victory at Chespaeke will clinch a playoff ticket. If the lose there, they need the Miami Sharks to lose. For the Merchantmen, their goal will be to end a losing streak against their French rivals. The loyal fans want to see a third win at home, a loss against 2-13 Paris would really hurt.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
As much as I hoped to see our team beat Astoria, we lucked out as the Heroes forgot to fill the correct papers to reactivate their star running back Billy Jamerson in time to run over our defense. With or without Jamerson, one single 43-yard run totally screwed our seasonal run defense stats.

I can see little reason to be positive going into the last game of the year. Leonard Lyon played another good game, completing 59 percent of his passes for 173 yards and no interception. His touchdown passes streak ended, but as a team we scored one, which is important.

For the first time in ten games we allowed 20 points. Our run defense has been crucial in that, as is our top five red zone defense. The time to evaluate our secondary is there, despite our three new starters, our pass defense has been the main reason for almost every loss.

The season isn't over, but we're already looking forward to next season. For the last game against Paris, we're possibly going to acquire a handful of new faces to replace our injured players. Also, David Burdett has been a bad influence to the team and his time to pack his bags has come.

Next up is Paris, again at home. The road game was a complete dissaster, but Leonard Lyon has made steady progress since the loss. As close as McDavid had come to Lyon at the mid season point, Lyon has gained my confidence of being a good starter.

Still, I haven't been convinced of Lyon being the real #1, but that could change dramatically if he defeats Mario Hudson to end the season with a victory and a 7-9 record. 7-9 isn't quite top half of the league, but based on victories, we already clinched the unofficial title of most improved team in the IHOF.

Talking about Paris, it's very likly their draft pick will turn out to be the #2 overall in the 2006 draft. only if the Boulder Blizzard manage to get away from tying the worst ever record (1-15, set by us), the Musketeers can still end up the #1. But it isn't likely with a game against Anaheim, even at home.

Fun part of it, Paris traded their first round pick to a non-divisional rival, being North Plainfield. With the rumor mill starting it's rotation, as the Masters of Trading, we're already top favorites to trade for the Paris draft pick. Question is, how true will that be, am I willing to give up a lot to get that pick?

One person to watch in Oranje Haven will be Mario Hudson, he's got slim hopes on breaking two rookie records set by Justin McDavid. Hudson needs 573 yards to tie the passing yards record and 5 touchdowns to tie the touchdowns record. Sure, it ain't likely, but it's good to know we'll have it in our own hands to defend the records.

And one last thing, the good friends from Rochester have lost and need a week 17 win over North Plainfield to reach the playoffs, a loss will likely eliminate them from the post-season. Also, a bowl game between Chesapeake and either Conyers or Orlando is still a possibility. Wouldn't that be cool?


European division in action week 16
The Bordeaux Vineyards took a big hit in their race for AOC top seed, losing 6-23 at Chesapeake as Jamie Canter passed for 356 yards for the Chitterlings. Obviously the NAC top team inspected the recent game tapes from our last two games a lot better then our French rivals did.

The Gothenburg Giants keep alive their slim chances of reaching the playoffs as they beat Brooklyn 24-0 on the road. The returning Jerry McGee inspired his men with 117 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown.

The Maassluis Merchantmen provided a traditional choking show, turning a half team 7-3 lead into a 7-20 loss. The Astoria Heroes were victorious and stay into pole-position for the NAC's sixth and last playoff ticket.

The Paris Musketeers recorded their second home win of the year, beating the Frederick Red Menace 21-13. The Red Menace saw their playoff hopes go up in smoke as Mario Hudson passed for 198 yards, 1 score and no interceptions.


European Division standings
11-4 Bordeaux
8-7 Gothenburg
6-9 Maassluis
2-13 Paris


European Division scenarios
Inside the division, all spots are given away. Bordeaux are still hoping for the #1 seed in the AOC and Gothenburg are still in the plaoyffs race, though it is a long shot.


Upcoming games
Bordeaux goes on the road to Gothenburg. The Giants will be handed a shot at reaching the playoffs with a victory here and very likely then facing Bordeaux on the road in the wild card round.

Maassluis host Paris for a game dominated by the second version of Mario Hudson versus Leonard Lyon. Paris are in the winning mode, Maassluis dropped their last two and have being dissapointing so far in front of their own fans.


Projected standings after week 17
11-5 Bordeaux
9-7 Gothenburg
7-9 Maassluis
2-14 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM best players award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.


Week sixteen stars
3 OG Alvin Causey - 2 key run blocks (40%), 0 sacks
2 DE Harold Wells - 1 sack ,2 hurries, 1 tackle, 1 assist
1 QB Leonard Lyon - 59% of passes completed, 173 yards, 0 interceptions, 1 lost fumble
0 DT John Bryant - 5 tackles, 2 assists, 1 hurry
0 DT Charles Gomez - 6 tackles
0 RB Randy Harris - 63 yards rushing, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions for 11 yards
0 CB Tai Wayne - 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 catches allowed
0 WR/KR Devin Henson - 68 kickoff return yards (23.0 average), 1 reception for 14 yards

Overall standings
17 DE Harold Wells
16 DT Charles Gomez
15 RB Randy Harris
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 QB Leonard Lyon
8 CB Dennis Preciado
8 TE Jim Reiser
8 LB Ellsworth Thelen
6 OT Harold Hurtado
5 DT John Bryant
5 LB Cody Cluff
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 OG Alvin Causey
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
3 CB Tai Wayne
2 CB John Cole
2 CB Carl O'Hara
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave

Remaining candidates for best player of the year
17 DE Harold Wells
16 DT Charles Gomez
15 RB Randy Harris

Remaining candidates for best new player
9 DE Albert Bernardo
9 OT Wilson Grimaldo
8 QB Leonard Lyon
8 LB Ellsworth Thelen
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley

Remaining candidates for best rookie
8 QB Leonard Lyon
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 CB Tai Wayne

[MIJB#19]

Individual statistical top performing scenarios
Going into the last round of games, I though it would be interesting to show which players can still end the year with a markee statistical figure. I only listed those things that looked interesting to me and only if they are doable.

Leonard Lyon needs 2 tounchdowns to reach 10 for the season and is likely to end the year with alslightly higher passer rating then Justin McDavid. He needs a decent game to at least end in the 60's, he needs a super game of 400 yd, 4 td and a completion percentage of 85% to get into the 70's.

Randy Harris needs 15 yards against Paris to break the 1,000-yard mark for the second year in a row, he also needs 1 touchdown to go into the select group of double-digit touchdown scorers.

Not a single receiver will break through the 50 receptions mark, unless Jim Reiser has 10 catches, but Bryce Ewald's 5 receiving touchdowns are top 20 league wide, yet injury keeps him from scoring one more. Lonnie O'Reilley recorded 1 dropped pass, ending his chances to be one of very few qualifying receivers with no drops.

Ellsworth Thelen needs 9 tackles to go into the 100 tackles elite.

Harold Wells' 13 sacks rank him tied for 5th and 6th in the league.

A couple of players can still break into the 20 key run blocks total, needing 1 (Wilson Grimaldo), 2 (Harold Hurtado) and 3 (Butch White) key run blocks to do so. Russell Malave is likely to end up in the top 5 of the league in key run block percentage, injured with a 42.3% figure.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen roster moves
Bryce Ewald and Russell Malave were put on injured reserve for the last game if the regular season. Both starters were injured and the Merchantmen management decided it would be a good move to acquire fresh and healthy players as replacements.

Additional to Ewald and Malave, recent addation as dime back Carl O'Hara and backup defensive tackle Stanley Jacke were put on injured reserve. Just like with Ewald and Malave, the management decided to add fresh and healthy players.

Veteran guard David Burdett was released. Burdett was a starter for the Merchantmen in the 2004 season, but with the additions of rookie Butch White, Alvin Causey and the move for Russell Malave from tackle to guard, Burdett became unneeded. Burdett was a locker room trouble and would have been a free agent going into te 2006 off-season.

As replacements, the Merchantmen acquired five players, most notable cornerback Angel Tong. Tong was recently released by the Vicksburg Vipers and will be in Maassluis for one game. Whether he'll be given a new contract in 2006 is yet to be seen.

The four other additions are tight end Jack Ohare, wide receiver Mario Halas, left tackle Hunter Myers and nose tackle Bryan Fyie. Depending on their play in training sessions, they will be put on the inactive roster and at least Halas will be activate to play as fourth receiver.

Besides these roster moves, the Merchantmen management again couldn't come to an agreement with Alvin Causey and his agents. The coming weeks, the Merchantmen management hope to finally come to terms with Causey, or else Causey will become a free agent next offseason. If that happens, chances are slim on the Merchantmen to retain the services of the experienced guard.

[Kodos]

And one last thing, the good friends from Rochester have lost and need a week 17 win over North Plainfield to reach the playoffs, a loss will likely eliminate them from the post-season.

We'll do our best. Losing our best CB for a year sure doesn't help our near or long-term prospects.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager notes
Well, I've been announcing a big move coming up for the free agency period, but today I was notified by the league commishioner that I am advised not to make my big move. Even though it sounds as a little bummer, I will go with the advise and spend the coming weeks on working out my off-season plans to improve the Merchantmen roster and write scenarios of what to do with the upcoming draft.

One thing on today's addition of five players, I have good hopes that some, if not all will be willing to remain on our roster for the 2006 season as backups, which explains the reason for signing them now. Of the five signed, Tong will be likely playing as our #3 cornerback, Halas will be the #4 receiver. DT Fyie, LT Myers and TE Ohare look like playable backups, but with them being unfamiliar with the system, it's too risky to play any of them now.

Something else to note, the game plan for the Paris game has been drastically changed to try some new pass defense schemes. The good things is that if it works, we've found something to build on for the future. If it fails, we'll be losing a game and end up 6-10 as planned, so there won't be much lost. Although, what's interesting to know is that for league standards we can still end up as high as #8 on the draft order or as low as #15. With all but one traded away, our draft picks will increase in value if we win.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Paris preview
The playoffs are out of sight, but honor is still at stake. Especially the home playing Merchantmen have something to show to the fans. The Musketeers won all three previous head-to-head games and the Merchantmen lost the previous three home games. Losing this game would really damage the feeling after a season of improvement from one to at least six wins.

Rookie quarterback Mario Hudson will be the main person to spoil the Merchantmen's party. Hudson lead his men to a second victory last week against the Frederick Red Menace and was a relative weak link in the home victory over Maassluis. Besides that, Hudson can take away injured Merchantmen's quarterback Justin McDavid's rookie passing records, yet he needs 573 yards and 5 scores to tie.

The Merchantmen pass defense will once again be the do or die of the team. So far this season, the Merchantmen have been going easy on giving away yards. Rumors are that the Merchantmen have drastically changed the pass defense schemes and will be using it on a team known for it's desire to throw the ball. The Musketeers also miss their normal top rusher Kevin Wiggins due to injury.

In recent games the Merchantmen defense showed their skill of stopping the run and then allowing opponents to get close, but not score the touchdown. The Musketeers problem hasn't been the scoring, but rather allowing points. Lucky for them, scoring points is one of the problems the Merchantmen have. That said, this game will be one of the Paris offense versus the Maassluis defense.

Mario Hudson is clearly a key player in that matchup, for Maassluis the defensive line seem to be the main reason of their improvement. Albert Bernardo is new and seems to inspire the younger star Harold Wells, Charles Gomez and John Bryant to big things. Hudson has a good offensive line to protect him, but rookie left tackle Louis Bell looks like a very weak link.

Wilson Grimaldo left Paris for Maassluis in an off-season trade and is the biggest man on the now complete Merchantmen offensive line. The injury of Russell Malave hurts the cohesion, but with Alvin Causey's comeback the top five talented linemen are finally together. Their job is to protect Leonard Lyon and last week they did a good job against the Astoria Heroes' strong defensive line.

The Paris Musketeers defense has been very bad all year. They have been terrible in stopping both the pass and the run. The loss of the lock for Defensive Player of the Year Joe Teeters (27.5 sacks and 143 tackles for Syracuse) really hurt. The addition of defensive backs Steven Randall, Joey Browning, Edward Boatwright and Randall Smith were all to create the secondary of the future.

Whether Leonard Lyon can again show his lionhearted nature is yet to be seen. The Merchantmen miss their top receiver Bryce Ewald due to injury, which means that rookies Lonnie O'Reilley and especially Devin Henson will have to play well. Or else all will rely on Randy Harris' rushing legs and Cary Coles' kicking. Leonard Lyon has to step up and beat the other round quarterback through the air.

Whoever wins this game ends a losing season with a good feeling. The Musketeers made drastic changes to become a contender with Hudson at the helmet in some years. Winning the last two games would be a nice finish. The Merchantmen have been the most improved team of the IHOF, but losing all of the last three games, all at home, after such an amazing season it will be a major dissapointment.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis versus Paris recap
With both teams season already a done deal, the Merchantmen and Musketeers played for pride. Where Paris never lost to Maassluis before, the Merchantmen set something right and ended the streak with a 16-13 victory. But it didn't come easy, the Musketeers looked determined to improve to three wins for the season. Maassluis had to please the fans after three straight home losses. And to save the planned after party.

The game started well for the Merchantmen. Paris quarterback Mario Hudson was confident about his play and on just his second pass of the day made a big mistake. In stead of his receiver, it was Merchantmen Dennis Preciado who intercepted the ball and added some ground to give good field position. Eventually, the Merchantmen offense came a little shot and settled for a 20-yard field goal, which Cary Coles gladly converted.

Big mistake or not, Hudson gladly took advantage of the still struggling pass defense in Maassluis. A minute into the second quarter, the Musketeers had taken a 6-3 lead on two field goals. Merchantmen playcaller Leonard Lyon had a hard time finding his men and was Randy Harris who kept the chains moving. A great run for 27 yards was the key play in a drive that set up Coles' second field goal, this time a 37-yard kick.

In the second half Leonard Lyon looked reborn. Lyon conneted for 26 yards with Gregory Monti on the first play, but a penalty called him back. No worries, on third and 20, Lyon connected with fellow rookie Devin Henson for 22 yards. A 17-yard combo with fullback Mark Burger kept things going. After two nice passes to tight end Jim Reiser, Randy Harris caught the scoring 3-yard pass from Lyon to put Oranje Haven on fire.

As Hudson and company kept struggling, nicely pictured with a sack from Albert Bernardo on third and seven, the Merchantmen got their shot to seal the victory. Randy Harris ran for 40 yards on a great play, being the lion-share of a 129 yard all game performacne. It turned out to be the key play of the drive as Harris couldn't get more then 5 yards on the next two carries. Coles scored from 34 yards for a 10-point lead.

Just as the fans expect the game to be pretty much over, Hudson connects with Brian Spradlin for 77 yards and a score to make it a nailbiter with 15 minutes of football left to play. Granted, this big play bascially saved Hudson's but for the day, but making a touchdown is what counts. The remainder of the game the defenses kept things closed until a roughing the kicker penalty on Paris cost them possession with 163 seconds left.

Leonard Lyon put his lion-heart back in and decided to go for it and get his men upfield to seal the victory. Good passes to Gregory Monti moved the Merchantmen up field, but a penalty pulled them back. As the Merchantmen tried to run out the clock, the Paris time outs kept them in the game. Down by three and at their own four yard line, the Musketeers had 54 seconds left to turn the tide and force going into overtime.

Mario Hudson was ready for it and for the second time in the game pulled a nice long 46-yard pass to Michael Spann. Hudson spiked the ball and the situation was clear, one play left, just out of field goal range. Hudson instructed his men and found Henry Gayle in the crowd. Gayle couldn't escape, got tackled by two Merchantmen cornerbacks and the game was over for Paris. Hudson had lost to Lyon to make the head-to-head 1-1.

The fans were happy, te Merchantmen ended a surprizingly good 2005 campaign with a victory at home. At six wins more then in 2004, the Merchantmen are by far the most improved team in the league. Their rivals today ended a tough campaign in a building proces as the Musketeers end the year as the team with the biggest set back in wins. At least the Musketeers avoided to tie the IHOF's all-time worst performance by not going 1-15.

After the game, fans, players and staff members joined a big party in the stadium. Justin McDavid was handed a petition with names of people who want him to reconcider his stints with retirement. Especially Leonard Lyon's heartbreaking speech for McDavid put Oranje Haven in mixed feelings. Both know it's Lyon's team now, but 'David' wants to return, if only to challenge 'The Lion' at least one more time for the starting job.

[MIJB#19]

General manager notes
Well, the season is over and I think we've had one of the weirdest campaigns in the league. 7-9 is not very good, but campare it to our 1-15 record in 2004 and you have a major improvement. Sure, we lost games against Paris and Georgia, the two weakest team in the AOC, but we also beat #1 Conyers, #5 Orlando and NAC #2 Chesapeake.

Beating Paris for the first time was a good feeling, but with the Musketeers GM on vacation, I had no shot at finally returning the favor of telling him how good it feels to beat the Musketeers for the first time. This win also puts Leonard Lyon ahead of Mario Hudson in career wins and that's something to note good when you actually concidered Hudson as the future franchise quarterback. Well, not enough, or otherwise he'd been ours now.

The game marked Randy Harris best game to date and that promises something. Harris is easily overlooked in the league with just 1114 yards and 6 scores on the ground, but he's also a reliable receiver with 4 touchdowns on 36 catches for 297 yards. Yes, he actually ties league legend Jerry McGee in total touchdowns at 10 and puts him in the league's top ten for the 2005 season.

Harold Wells failed to make another sack, but with 13 sacks and 24 hurries, he's top ten material in both areas and could be in the All IHOF second team conciderations. His buddy Charles Gomez choked a little, but 70 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 20 hurries are still very good for a defensive tackle. Even though they're far from the guys I wanted, they now are the backbone, no, the frontbone of the defense.

A transition year it was at many positions. We fitted in three new offensive linemen and added Alvin Causey to the mix at season's end after a long recovery from injury. All in all, the line played good and if we keep them togeter I have good hopes of improvement in 2006. What remains is the question whether Causey will fit into that mix as he's asking too much money as of now.

Justin McDavid was the early team MVP, I'd say, leading us to a 4-2 record in his starts. Beleive it or not, but of all our starters he's had the best win/loss record. Coincidence, I think not, but we have to move on. Leonard Lyon was drafted as the insurance policy we now need, yet he was rushed into play a little early. The offensive line held their ground and protected Lyon when needed, though he did suffer an injury in game one.

Other surprise players? Well, none of our rookies will be Rookie of the Year, but Leonard Lyon, Brant Heinrich, Butch White and Tai Wayne all showed glimpses of good to very good players. Lonnie O'Reilley was the surprise #3 receiver we always lacked, but in the last five or six games he dropped back to a lower level. Maybe Albert Bernardo and Ellsworth Thelen were the big new names, to improve the fornt seven.

What's up next? I don't know for sure yet. I'm going to make a plan for the 2006 off-season very soon, but a big issue will be how to create cap room to sign impact players or high drafted rookies. We won't pick as early as around 70 to 75, so it will be hard to be a factor in the draft. Besides, after our 2005 offseason, it will be harder to streak deals and if the recent rumors are true, the spotlights will be on Maassluis.

Will 2006 be a year of success, I am still very skeptic. We don't have the players to go much higher then 7-9, though we've humilated strong teams like Chesapeake and Conyers with efficient play. And the scariest part has been the parallel with the NFL's Carolina Panthers from 1-15 in 2001 to 7-9 in 2002. These Panthers followed up with a conference championship. Copying that would be cool, but this improvement was already amazing.

One last quick recap of the year! We started with little hope in new quarterback Lyon, but quickly reached .500 land at 2-1 with McDavid starting. We were called being in a 3-team division title race. Then we beat Conyers and Orlando, but lost McDavid in a loss at Gothenburg. We lost games we should have won against Tucker, Georgia and Bordeaux, upset Chesapeake and end the year as the most improved team with Lyon looking good.


European division in action week 17
Gothenburg did what they had to, beating Bordeaux to stay in the race. If Orlando had beaten Tucker, Duane Davis' big game could have postponed Jerry McGee's possible last game for at least one more week. The Giants 27-20 victory pulled the Vineyards down, but they French team still clinched a bye week at #2 seed. However, they'll have to do without star quarterback Joe Johnson, who tore a muscle in the shoulder of his throwing arm.

Maassluis ended the season of improvement with a 16-13 win over Paris, to dump the Musketeers in the opposite direction. The Musketeers won 6 games less and saw the biggest drop in wins of all IHOF teams.


European Division standings
11-5 Bordeaux (#2 in the AOC)
9-7 Gothenburg (#7 in the AOC)
7-9 Maassluis (#12 in the AOC)
2-14 Paris (#16 in the AOC)


European Division upcoming games
Bordeaux have a bye week and will face the highest ranked winning team from the wild card games. If the Telluride Outlaws win, they are the opposition, otherwise the winner of North Plainfield Plague versus Orlando Knights will be the opposition.