Major League Football (Second Season)

Carman Bulldog · 03-04-2014, 03:32 PM

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE ANNOUNCED

February 3, 2014

A press conference held in New York today has sent shock waves through the football world with the announcement of Major League Football (MLF), a four year developmental league that aims to groom players for the NFL. With the backing of a number of wealthy investors, primarily those with no strong links to any American universities, the league is looking to challenge college football as the place where players groom their skills before moving on to NFL stardom.

Former college quarterback (and FBI agent) Johnny Utah has been announced as the first ever commissioner. All players will be paid as professionals and be signed to guaranteed four year contracts.

"It's time these athlete's start getting paid," stated Utah. "Colleges aren't willing to do it and that has provided us an opportunity to step in. I was one of the guys that lost the opportunity to cash in playing in the NFL when I blew my knee out in my very last game in the Rose Bowl. Thankfully, I had my law degree and an FBI career to fall back on but many guys aren't as lucky."

The league believes that the opportunity to start being paid (over the table) right out of high school will be a big draw for many players. While all contracts are four years, meaning players must spend one extra year in MLF before making the jump to the NFL than if they were to go to college, the league did not feel this would be an impediment to securing the services of the best high school players in the country.

"A guy out of high school signs a guaranteed four year contract for a significant amount of money. In those four years, he's still making more money than many people make in a lifetime. There are no guarantee's of anything when a guy goes to college," added Utah.

Not only will the MLF be challenging college football for players, but they will also be going head to head with them for viewers as the league announced that they will kick off their inaugural season this September with all games being played on Saturdays throughout the fall. The league will feature eight teams in its first year and all teams will play a ten game schedule.

"We plan on having the 400 best college-aged football players in the country on our rosters," stated a confident Utah. "If the scouts and the fans want to see the stars of tomorrow today, they will have their eyes on the MLF."

The announcement comes just days before National Signing Day and already one major prospect has announced his intention to join the league.

"I'd like to be the first player to throw my hat into the draft pool for the MLF," stated Dillon Panther star quarterback Jared Newsome, generally considered the consensus top player in the country. The MLF announced that they will have a dispersal draft at the start of May and Newsome will undoubtedly be considered the consensus number one pick.

There are also some early rumblings that some top college stars may sign on with the MLF as well, including Eastern State University Timberwolves defensive end, Donovan McIntosh, Blue Mountain State Mountain Goat tackle Jerome Wooden, and Minnesota State University Screaming Eagle Terrance McGee amongst those rumored to be jumping ship.

Stay tuned for further developments as this story is clearly just beginning.

Carman Bulldog · 03-04-2014, 03:48 PM

OOC: For those unfamiliar, Second Season Pro Football Board Game is a game in a similar vein to APBA, Strat-o-matic, Statis Pro, etc. and is available at Plaay.com. I'll probably only get a single game in per week, which equates to one "league week" over the course of a month and essentially one season per year.

bbgunn · 03-09-2014, 07:58 PM

Interesting concept - one I would like to see in real life. Good luck!

Carman Bulldog · 03-17-2014, 03:32 PM

ATLANTA BLAZERS

July 14, 2014

With the MLF draft in the books and training camps set to get underway shortly, we here at Major League Football weekly will be previewing each team once a week as we countdown towards the opening kickoff on Saturday, September 13th. This week we take a look at the Atlanta Blazers

Team: Atlanta Blazers
South Division
Coach: Trent Bullock

Offense: Coach Trent Bullock surprised many people when he passed on consensus top pick Jared Newsome in favor of running back Pete Lynch with the first overall pick in the MLF draft. From there, Bullock made his intentions even more clear that the Blazers will be a heavily run focused offense by adding elite run blocking tackle Jerome Wooden and the draft's best run blocking tight end in J.T. O'Connor. Overall, expect this offense to be amongst the best in the league when it comes to the ground game, which is a good thing considering that the Blazers were the seventh team to select a QB when they took 4th year veteran Hunter Brooks off the board, and that their passing attack is likely to be pedestrian at best.

Defense: Third year inside linebacker Jared York is the heart and soul of this unit and should be one of the top linebackers in the league for the next two seasons. Safeties Jon Gonzalez and B.J. Shaw are both solid although the rest of the secondary is average while the defensive line also leaves something to be desired. Overall, this group projects to be slightly below average at best against both the run and the pass. The Blazers will need to rely on the run game to keep their own defense fresh and off the field otherwise it could be a long year for this group.

Key Players
Pete Lynch - RB - 1(1) - 1st
Harris Sanders - WR - 8(64) - 4th
J.T. O'Connor - TE - 2(16) - 1st
Jerome Wooden - T - 3(17) - 2nd
Jared York - LB - 4(32) - 3rd

Projection: 4-6 (3rd in South)

The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

Carman Bulldog · 03-17-2014, 03:57 PM

BOSTON PIONEERS

July 21, 2014

With MLF training camps opening today, we continue our series looking at the eight franchises that will compete in this inaugural season. This week, we feature the first of four north division teams, the Boston Pioneers.

Team: Boston Pioneers
Division: North
Coach: Donnie Ward

Offense: By the time it came to their pick at the 6th spot in the player dispersal draft, the big name rookie talent was already off the board. But rather than select a veteran player, coach Donnie Ward opted to pick rookie QB Heath Peluso to guide his franchise for the next four years. The Ridgemont High star has arguably the best arm in the league with a solid combination of strength and accuracy but his decision making and ability to raise the play of his teammates around him means that he is a notch below fellow rookie QB Jared Newsome. The Pioneers brass built a solid pass blocking line around their rookie QB and gave him some solid weapons in receivers Sammie Johnson and Johnny Blades along with tight end Earl Marshall. Their run game is going to struggle but expect this group to be one of the highest passing teams in the league.

Defense: Defensive end Lester Fletcher opted to forgo his final year of college at Texas State University to enter the MLF and will be amongst the best defensive players in the league. Fletcher is a beast against both the pass and the run and should anchor an otherwise average line. Rookie Dexter Manning is a solid outside linebacker who has a propensity to raise his play when the game is on the line but his fellow linebackers are nothing to write home about. Safeties Chris Lake and Drew Monroe are both slightly above average but overall this defense will may struggle against the pass but should be slightly above average against the run.

Key Players
Sammie Johnson - WR - 5(38) - 4th
Earl Marshall - TE - 3(22) - 3rd
Lester Fletcher - DE - 4(27) - 4th
Dexter Manning - LB - 2(11) - 1st

Projection: 6-4 (2nd in North)

The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

Carman Bulldog · 03-22-2014, 12:53 PM

CHICAGO WARRIORS

July 28, 2014

As we creep closer to the first MLF season, we move our focus this week to the midwest where we preview the Chicago Warriors...

Team: Chicago Warriors
Division: North
Coach: Doug Long

Offense: Chicago had the fifth overall pick in the player dispersal draft and opted for offense with standout wide receiver Donny Drake from the Bayside High Tigers out of California. While everyone agrees that Drake was a solid selection, their picks beyond that left a lot of question marks. With their 3rd pick, they opted for running back Luke Halverson, who projects as a decent back but likely should not have come off the board nearly as early as he did. Chicago was clearly enticed by the fact that Halverson is one of the better first year backs available. At quarterback, the Warriors opted for experience, taking Soutch Central Louisiana State Mud Dog Brenden Peterson, who is entering his final year of eligibility. Peterson shouldn't expect much help from a very poor offensive line, although they are marginally better against the run.

Defense: It would be nice to at least be able to say that the Warriors forewent offense in favor of a solid D but that does not appear to be the case. Much like with their top pick on offense, it is tough to critiscize the selection of second year safety Jessie Cheng, who should anchor a fairly solid. Defensive end Skip Sawyer is a solid pass rusher but he is entering his last year and should be heading for the NFL next season. Beyond that, much like the offense, this group is average at best with very little star power. Coach Doug Long is known as a strict disciplinarian and firm believer in solid special teams. If the Warriors to exceed their expectations this year, they will need to excel in both categories.

Key Players
Donny Drake - WR - 1(5) - 1st
Skip Sawyer - DE - 6(44) - 4th
Jessie Cheng - FS - 2(12) - 2nd

Projection: 1-9 (4th in North)

The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

03-09-2014, 07:58 PM	#3
bbgunn College Benchwarmer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama	Interesting concept - one I would like to see in real life. Good luck! __________________ U of Hawaii \| U of Alabama \| Montreal Impact \| Montreal Canadiens \| West Ham \| West Indies cricket \| Portland Trail Blazers

03-04-2014, 03:48 PM	#2
Carman Bulldog College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canada	OOC: For those unfamiliar, Second Season Pro Football Board Game is a game in a similar vein to APBA, Strat-o-matic, Statis Pro, etc. and is available at Plaay.com. I'll probably only get a single game in per week, which equates to one "league week" over the course of a month and essentially one season per year.

03-17-2014, 03:32 PM	#4
Carman Bulldog College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canada	ATLANTA BLAZERS July 14, 2014 With the MLF draft in the books and training camps set to get underway shortly, we here at Major League Football weekly will be previewing each team once a week as we countdown towards the opening kickoff on Saturday, September 13th. This week we take a look at the Atlanta Blazers Team: Atlanta Blazers South Division Coach: Trent Bullock Offense: Coach Trent Bullock surprised many people when he passed on consensus top pick Jared Newsome in favor of running back Pete Lynch with the first overall pick in the MLF draft. From there, Bullock made his intentions even more clear that the Blazers will be a heavily run focused offense by adding elite run blocking tackle Jerome Wooden and the draft's best run blocking tight end in J.T. O'Connor. Overall, expect this offense to be amongst the best in the league when it comes to the ground game, which is a good thing considering that the Blazers were the seventh team to select a QB when they took 4th year veteran Hunter Brooks off the board, and that their passing attack is likely to be pedestrian at best. Defense: Third year inside linebacker Jared York is the heart and soul of this unit and should be one of the top linebackers in the league for the next two seasons. Safeties Jon Gonzalez and B.J. Shaw are both solid although the rest of the secondary is average while the defensive line also leaves something to be desired. Overall, this group projects to be slightly below average at best against both the run and the pass. The Blazers will need to rely on the run game to keep their own defense fresh and off the field otherwise it could be a long year for this group. Key Players Pete Lynch - RB - 1(1) - 1st Harris Sanders - WR - 8(64) - 4th J.T. O'Connor - TE - 2(16) - 1st Jerome Wooden - T - 3(17) - 2nd Jared York - LB - 4(32) - 3rd Projection: 4-6 (3rd in South) The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

03-17-2014, 03:57 PM	#5
Carman Bulldog College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canada	BOSTON PIONEERS July 21, 2014 With MLF training camps opening today, we continue our series looking at the eight franchises that will compete in this inaugural season. This week, we feature the first of four north division teams, the Boston Pioneers. Team: Boston Pioneers Division: North Coach: Donnie Ward Offense: By the time it came to their pick at the 6th spot in the player dispersal draft, the big name rookie talent was already off the board. But rather than select a veteran player, coach Donnie Ward opted to pick rookie QB Heath Peluso to guide his franchise for the next four years. The Ridgemont High star has arguably the best arm in the league with a solid combination of strength and accuracy but his decision making and ability to raise the play of his teammates around him means that he is a notch below fellow rookie QB Jared Newsome. The Pioneers brass built a solid pass blocking line around their rookie QB and gave him some solid weapons in receivers Sammie Johnson and Johnny Blades along with tight end Earl Marshall. Their run game is going to struggle but expect this group to be one of the highest passing teams in the league. Defense: Defensive end Lester Fletcher opted to forgo his final year of college at Texas State University to enter the MLF and will be amongst the best defensive players in the league. Fletcher is a beast against both the pass and the run and should anchor an otherwise average line. Rookie Dexter Manning is a solid outside linebacker who has a propensity to raise his play when the game is on the line but his fellow linebackers are nothing to write home about. Safeties Chris Lake and Drew Monroe are both slightly above average but overall this defense will may struggle against the pass but should be slightly above average against the run. Key Players Sammie Johnson - WR - 5(38) - 4th Earl Marshall - TE - 3(22) - 3rd Lester Fletcher - DE - 4(27) - 4th Dexter Manning - LB - 2(11) - 1st Projection: 6-4 (2nd in North) The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

03-22-2014, 12:53 PM	#6
Carman Bulldog College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canada	CHICAGO WARRIORS July 28, 2014 As we creep closer to the first MLF season, we move our focus this week to the midwest where we preview the Chicago Warriors... Team: Chicago Warriors Division: North Coach: Doug Long Offense: Chicago had the fifth overall pick in the player dispersal draft and opted for offense with standout wide receiver Donny Drake from the Bayside High Tigers out of California. While everyone agrees that Drake was a solid selection, their picks beyond that left a lot of question marks. With their 3rd pick, they opted for running back Luke Halverson, who projects as a decent back but likely should not have come off the board nearly as early as he did. Chicago was clearly enticed by the fact that Halverson is one of the better first year backs available. At quarterback, the Warriors opted for experience, taking Soutch Central Louisiana State Mud Dog Brenden Peterson, who is entering his final year of eligibility. Peterson shouldn't expect much help from a very poor offensive line, although they are marginally better against the run. Defense: It would be nice to at least be able to say that the Warriors forewent offense in favor of a solid D but that does not appear to be the case. Much like with their top pick on offense, it is tough to critiscize the selection of second year safety Jessie Cheng, who should anchor a fairly solid. Defensive end Skip Sawyer is a solid pass rusher but he is entering his last year and should be heading for the NFL next season. Beyond that, much like the offense, this group is average at best with very little star power. Coach Doug Long is known as a strict disciplinarian and firm believer in solid special teams. If the Warriors to exceed their expectations this year, they will need to excel in both categories. Key Players Donny Drake - WR - 1(5) - 1st Skip Sawyer - DE - 6(44) - 4th Jessie Cheng - FS - 2(12) - 2nd Projection: 1-9 (4th in North) The uniforms were created by Brent Leach and obtained from his Photobucket page. He has no involvement with my fictional league. Please note that the uniforms depicted are used merely to give the reader a feel of the uniforms of the designated franchise and do not necessarily reflect nor are held out to be any actual fictional uniforms of said franchise.

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