IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen

[MIJB#19]

First, I'm not sure wheter I will be updating regularly, but I'll try to do an update after the stages.

I won't give too much details on stages that are yet to come, since my rivals could read this, even knowing I'm the laughing stock of the league at the start.

Note that we are a little bit further in progress the this post suggests, some teams have made big roster changes, like Tucker Tigers, to become playoff contenders now.


Foreword
Well, I haven’t written a FOF dynasty in a long time and basically it all has to do with we not upgrading from FOF2 to a newer version. Well, with some French help, that has changed and the MIJB returns with a new dynasty. And this dynasty won’t be a normal dynasty, this story will tell about my first game in FOF2004 and it’s my first multi player experience as well.

Prologue
It was about three months ago, or maybe longer – or shorter, I can’t remember that well – I was asked by the International House of Football to become general manager – and basically owner as well – of one of the thirty-two teams to play in this new football league.
As the teams and owners were getting shape, it was my goal to find a location and team name for my team. Thinking over the success of my fantasy football team – the Maassluis Anglers – I decided not to pollute the good name and pick up a tourist like dictionary to find the proper nicknames.
Sparing the details of my brain cramps of finding a proper nickname, eventually the Maassluis Merchantmen rolled out of my head as a winner. For those interested, Maassluis is my hometown and the Merchantmen nickname is supposed to refer to the golden ages of the Netherlands, the time Dutch “pirates” explored the world by ships and colonized places like New York, Cape Town and Indonesia.
With the name in place and the division taking shape, the league was about to start and it was time for me to analyze the opposition division wide, conference wide and league wide.

My sidekicks
Well, I'll do not much detail on them yet, especially since I haven't had the option to hire them myself.
You'll have to believe me that my team has a head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and a lead scout.

Divisional Alignment
The Merchantmen are placed in the European division of the Atlantic Ocean Conference (AFC). We face the French teams from Paris (the Musketeers) and Bordeaux (the Vineyard), respectively run by Darkiller and Alf, and a team located in the Swedish city Göteborg – the Gothenborg Giants – run by 3ric. Notice that these four teams are the only teams from oustide of the United States of America.
The other division in the AFC are the Northeast, the Southeast and Deep South. Obviously familiar faces run these teams, but to me the most fun can probably be found in facing the Orlando Knights, managed by Dutch.
In the other conference, the North American Conference (NFC), teams are divided into the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Atlantic Coast and West divisions. Personally, I’m looking forward to the year when my team meets the team in the Mid-Atlantic division, as all the owners there bring up various sentiments.
For your interest, the conference names where my suggetion and they seemed to have enough support to become the official names, go me!

League Draft Instructions
Without much of a discussion, almost unanimously the league owners voted to have a preference draft, meaning the lead scouts will meet some day and do the drafting for the initial 53-men rosters. Of course, these scouts will go there with instructions, and so will my lead scout.
I haven’t quite made up a plan to build up my team, yet I decided to instruct my scout to focus on player potential, primarily draft offensive linemen, focus players who do better in the running game and build the defense around linebackers and a decent secondary.

League Draft Result
After a huge blunder, I found out I sent my scout out with preferences being the opposite of what I want him to come home with. Oh well, some instructions did work out as planned: my defense is run defense, and the roster is young. What does amaze me is the low intelligence and high loyalty around the roster. Besides that, the receivers corpse has turned out to be amongst the top 5 in the league, but in about 7 positions we’re the league’s worst. Did I mention the high number of popular players?
Going through the roster, a few players jump out:
Justin McDavid, one of three rookie QBs, who might turn out to be a 2nd RB, he is the expected starter
Randy Harris, our RB, potentially a top dog if used properly, which he likely won’t
Vincent Lopez, FB, leader of the offense and amongst the best FB in the league
Frederic Vargas, WR, tied for the league’s fastest men, receiver’s leader and one of the top 20 WR league-wide
Charles Gomez, DT, our first round pick, the projected anchorman on our defense for the coming 6 seasons
Harold Wells, DE, potentially a top pass rusher, or maybe he’s an all round DE, only time will tell
Cody Cluff, LB, the guy behind the line, he might make a profit out of the DL and score 100 tackles a year
Percy Francis, S, our free safety and leader of the secondary, just another fan favorite who should boost the D

The more I look at the players, the better I manage to cope with the disastrous draft. With Harris and Lopez coming from behind our terrible offensive line, our chances are slim, yet our receivers might be good enough to get up field on passing plays, hoping McDavid isn’t sacked ten times a game.
The defensive front could be able to stop the run at times, though with our terrible secondary, receivers will run around us.
I’m looking forward to this opportunity to get this team started in this league. If I can keep the talented players around for the coming 5 seasons, we might have a shot at the playoffs in a year or 3 and who knows what?
Realistically, I spread the word around the league that my team will be serious contenders for the first pick in the 2005 draft, meaning perhaps two of my European friends in this division might have a shot at reaching the playoffs.
Other than this, I’m interested in the big question how the players of my team (and the opposition) will cope with trips of 3000 miles for a single road game, sometimes at places where the clock is 8 hours ahead or behind.

Divisional Rivals
The Bordeaux Vineyards are said to have a quality secondary and a decent defensive line, at least that’s what my lead scout writes. Other then that, they have a team with potential rather then experience and an offense led by QB Joe Johnson and his close friend and RB Mike Marcano.
The Paris Musketeers are anchored by an amazing offensive line, arguably the best in the league and have a veteran QB in 35yo interceptions throwing Fabian Parker with a nice set of receivers. The defense shouldn’t be a worry, except the secondary with only average starters.
Gothenburg Goblins is led by 36yo RB Jerry McGee and has a young QB in Duane Davis, who’s weakness is his inability to read defenses, but lacks an offensive line to support them well. The charm of the team is the secondary, which is boosted by a bunch of gifted linebackers.

Remaining Teams
With 32 teams, it's hard to evaluate all teams very well, especially since this is before the additional free agency before the exhibition games start. Following is a rundown of the 28 teams outside of Europe, order alphabetically by location.
Anaheim has a talented OL, anchored by standout FB Cole Coleman, and a 37yo QB in Richard Mahon.
Ann Arbor basically has a secondary, some linebackers and QB Donald Woods, but no league super stars.
Asheville has league star LT Vince Taylor, but other then the OL there are only young players.
Astoria is a team with a good OL with extremely talented RB Billy Jamerson running from behind them.
Boston combined a great 3-man DL, anchored by all earth Jose Carrington, with talents at several positions.
Boulder has a DL, two talented CB, but furthermore only young players needing time to get better.
Brooklyn sees rookie RB Monty Avert, taught by FB Randy Saavedra, as their top guy on a young roster.
Chesapeake has the league’s top QB in Jamie Canter and a quality defense run by a LB trio of average age.
Columbus is loaded with decency, only surpassed by some OL and RB Gerald Harris.
Conyers luckily drafted NT Barton Garcia to anchor a 3-4 defense, while Everett Glenn is their franchise QB.
Fairbainks leans on receivers with skill, fed by QB Joey Allen, while the defense is build on a good secondary.
Fort Worth focuses on their OL and secondary, where CB Preston Quezada stands out.
Frederick invested in the future, though middle-aged LTs Dan Koehler and Christopher Perdomo jump out a bit.
Georgia leans on a quality front seven, hoping that RB Joseph Schoen “Joe the Shoe” will anchor the offense.
Leesburg has old DTs Barrett Yancy and Jim Ransom, while LT Jonathan Svoboda’s ego tears the offense apart.
Minnesota has rookie QB Richard Stewart, a quality secondary and DT Walt Spangler to spank to opposition.
North Plainfield is a team of the future, led by top25 fastest CBs Mel Mueller, Scott Benge and Jimmy Sprawn.
Orlando combine an excellent OL with great receivers to make average QB Wayne Christopherson look good.
Outer Banks lacks potential talents and only has some above average OL to get G Richard Osorio noticed.
RayCo is a contender with a good defense, RB Rodger Howery and 37yo QB Brian Hartsock leading the team.
Rochester went for a future-is-more-important approach, with rookie QB Jackie Williamson as their captain.
San Antonio mixes a great OL with a good secondary and QB in John McMasters, but forget their front seven.
San Luis Obispo is a contender, with a tough front seven, if RB Phil Dorsett and QB Victor Whyte stop fighting.
Springfield sees RB Huey Gervais running behind a good OL, while the defense could stop any offense any day.
Stillwater has 38yo QB Norm Rizzo to combine a good front seven with some firepower on offense for one year.
Syracuse is a team with potential when QB Brent Peterman, his receivers and the secondary start maturing.
Tucker has the leading OL duo with Ron Pereza and #1 pick Mervin Pollock, yet the others need time to grow.
Vicksburg managed to get a fine DL, a quality RB with Edward Stelly and troubles on the OL and the secondary.

As I can see at this point, there are so many teams with issues in the league. It makes me think the team to win the first IHOF title will come from a group of seven favorites containing Ann Arbor, Chesapeake, Paris, Springfield and three teams from the Southeast division being Conyers, Georgia and Orlando.

Our Schedule
Our regular season starts at North Plainfield Plague and then we move back to Europe for our first set of divisional games at Paris Musketeers and in Maassluis against Gothenburg Giants. Our season starts with 3 home games in the top 8, but in the following 7 weeks we’ll only travel to relative nearby Gothenburg, finishing it all off with games at San Antonio and RayCo.
Of the top 7 teams I can oversee, we’ll have a tough month of November coming up with games at home against Conyers, Paris and Ann Arbor in weeks 9, 11 and 12. These are the only games against these top teams, except our week 2 divisional starter in Paris.

Team Names, Owners, Locations, Divisions and Coferences
Atlantic Ocean Footbal Conference
Northeast (North)
Chubby Syracuse, NY Syracuse Mohawks
cthomer5000 North Plainfield, NJ North Plainfield Plague
Kodos Rochester, NY Rochester Lake Monsters
primelord Boston, MA Boston Rhinos
Southeast (east)
Celeval Atlanta, GA Georgia Gridlock
KWhit Conyers, GA Conyers Condors
SkyDog Tucker, GA Tucker Tigers
Dutch Orlando, FL Orlando Knights
Deep South (south)
Buzzbee Vicksburg, Miss Vicksburg Vipers
HornedFrogPurple Fort Worth, TX Fort Worth Fury
Senator San Antonio, TX San Antonio Volunteers
TroyF Stillwater, OK Stillwater Dynamite
European (west)
3ric Gothenburg, Sweden Gothenburg Giants
Alf Bordeaux, France Bordeaux Vineyards
Darkiller Paris, France Paris Musketeers
MIJB#19 Maassluis, Netherlands Maassluis Merchantmen
North American Football Conference
Midwest (north)
Daimyo Columbus, IN Columbus Architects
FBPro Tennessee RayCo Raiders
mckerney Minnesota Minnesota Miners
Solecismic Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor Anachronism
Mid-Atlantic (east)
cuervo72 Frederick, MD Frederick Red Menace
Hell Atlantic Astoria, NY Astoria Heroes
QuikSand Cheasapeake, MD Chesapeake Chitterlings
SackAttack Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Fightin' Bums
Atlantic Coast (south)
Samdari Springfield, VA Springfield Isotopes
Subby Leesburg, VA Leesburg Generals
Vegas Vic Asheville, NC Asheville Axemen
WSUCougar Nag's Head, NC Outer Banks Osprey
West (west)
albionmoonlight Fairbanks, AK Fairbanks Northstars
Blackadar Boulder, CO Boulder Bulldogs
Chief Rum Anaheim, CA Anaheim Matterhorns
Vince San Luis Obispo, CA San Luis Obispo Burn

[MIJB#19]

Pre Season Update
A small update, the Merchantmen have won bidding wars on 9 free agents, meaning we might improve our OL, secondary and returning game a little bit.
Further more, the key players WR Vargas, RB Harris, QB McDavid and MLB Cluff rejected initial contract extensions from 1-year deals to multiyear deals.

And, behind the scenes, the Merchantmen front office is busy with trade talks to improve the secondary and OL a bit more, but we can asure none of the mentioned key players will be traded.
The Merchantmen managament will not comment on the rumors that there are negotiations going on with aliens.

Season start
The season is about to start next week with the exhibition season, so the management hopes to improve the team in time to make sure the first season won't turn out to be an 0-16 season.

Other news
One of the IHOF teams publiced divisional previews in the IHOF Sports Journal, marking the Merchantmen as potential punchbags, to go 2-14 for the season. The journalist in question marked the game against the Rochester Lake Monsters as the crucial "Who will pick #1 in the 2005 draft?"-game.

Last but not least
The management announced the stadium name, the Maassluis Merchantmen will be playing their home games in "Oranje Haven", which is Dutch for Orange Harbour. The name should refer to the fact that the Merchantmen should be fine at their own harbour, yet key to success for the Merchantman is a well done job overseas...

[sachmo71]

Can you be sure to recount every single thing the league votes on? I'm sure it will set some sort of record.

Seriously, good luck. That's some tough competition you are going up against.

[3ric]

Hey cool, an IHOF dynasty! I'll be very interested in reading your notes!

[MIJB#19]

Breaking news
The management has agreed to trade backup LDT Richard Duong all the way to Alaska to play for the Fairbanks Norhtstars.
In return, Fairbanks gave up secondary leader and backup LCB Dennis Preciado, who should be one of three veterans to teach the young kids how to play and become an anchorman on the secondary. Rumors are that Preciado made himself impossible after a fight with his main rival for the LCB position, but both players deny that.
Preciado is expected to arrive in 3 days at Schiphol Airport, nearby Amsterdam.

Gossip News
Wheter Richard Duong will arrive in Fairbanks is yet to be seen, as Duong made himself home with the local soft drugs laws and might sneak some much wanted stuff in his bags to Alaska....

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Can you be sure to recount every single thing the league votes on? I'm sure it will set some sort of record.

Seriously, good luck. That's some tough competition you are going up against.

No kidding!
And it's not a lie that this multiplayer game is my first serious experiance with FOF2004.

[Kodos]

From the AP Sportswire: Reports out of Rochester are that any trade negotiations are at an impasse at this point.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

From the AP Sportswire: Reports out of Rochester are that any trade negotiations are at an impasse at this point.

I heard rumors that the Merchantmen GM has another job as volleyball coach and had other commitments...

[MIJB#19]

Roster News
The Merchantmen management is thrilled to announce the conclusion of the trade for LCB Dennis Preciado. Preciado is expected to be the anchorman on the secondary and has stepped up as the secondary leader already.

Roster News
The Merchantman management is proud to announce the extension of contracts with 4 key players. QB Justin mcDavid and MLB Cody Cluff agreed to a 2-year contract, WR and league's co-fastest man Frederic Vargas agreed to a 5-year deal, and RB Randy Harris agreed on a 6-year contract.
With these extensions, the backbone for the offense is sealed, while the services of prospects McDavid and Cuff are extended, awaiting their progress.

Roster News
The Merchantmen management is proud to announce the conclusion of the signing of 9 free agents, being: QB Antoine Shepard, QB Jerrold Sipes, RB Seth Kinney, WR/KR Arnulfo Arnett, C R.J. Miller, DE Junior McKeehan, DT Andrew King, CB Johnnie Stidham and S Jose Haggard.

Roster News
To make the roster legal for he exhibition season, the Merchantmen front office has yet to release two players from their roster. It's generally expected that the victims will be found at QB and CB.

Roster Overview
With the exhibition season about to start, the Merchantmen front office is going to announce the current roster, including the expected trade of WR Amos Collins for LT Harold Hurtado.
QB 3 J.McDavid 14 J.Sipes
RB 28 R.Harris 30 J.Smith
FB 48 V.Lopez 24 M.Burger
TE 81 J.Aubrey 86 J.Reiser
FL 80 G.Monti 88 R.Marshall
SE 83 F.Vargas 87 B.Ewald
LT 0 H.Hurtado 67 W.Dudley
LG 65 D.Burdett 62 A.Young
C 54 R.Miller 53 T.Schwartz
RG 61 D.McDaniel 62 D.Young
RT 73 R.Malave 67 W.Dudley

LDE 98 H.Wells 71 C.Doney
LDT 78 C.Gomez 74 A.King
RDT 96 J.Bryant 74 A.King
RDE 70 D.Chapa 71 C.Doney
SLB 91 B.Silvan 94 O.Lashley
MLB 50 C.Cluff 51 M.Sellers
WLB 95 M.Kershner 94 O.Lashley
LCB 27 D.Preciado 21 Z.Kinney
SS 46 L.Gilmore 41 J.Haggard
FS 25 R.Smith 34 P.Francis
RCB 33 J.Stidham 31 C.Schwartz

P 12 R.Corrales
K 18 C.Coles
H 14 J.Sipes
PR 25 R.Smith 88 R.Marshall
KR 89 A.Arnett 83 F.Vargas
LS 81 J.Aubrey
ST 50 C.Cluff

Gossip News
Rumors are that some analists have questioned the Merchantmen trade of DT Richard Duong for CB Dennis Preciado. Duong, a 3rd round league draft selection, was supposed to become the DT run stopping duo with Charles Gomez, yet the management preferred to upgrade the secondary and give John Bryant the time to grow.

Gossip News
It seems the arrival of DT Andrew King has caused a big fight during a recent training session. King is reported to have critized the linebacking corpse, especially the weak linebackers, leading to a big conflict between WLB Les Norton and King.
Yet, neither of the two cockfighters are assured a roster spot after the first wave of cuts to a 60-men roster, let alone the 53-men roster cuts.

[Vince]

Keep up the good work, buddy It'll be interesting to see a fellow IHOF-ers views.

[MIJB#19]

Roster news
Sad news for the fans awaiting the arrival of Harold Hurtado. The league commisionair declared that all recent trades will not have effect until after the 2nd week of the preseason, meaning Hurtado will miss the Maassluis Merchantmen's first pre-season game. It also means that WR Amos Collins could play, yet the Merchantmen management is trying to contact the Rochester Lake Monsters' front office to make an agreement to inactivate both players.

Roster news
With the announcement of 2 cuts being prepared for tomorrow morning local time, the players of the Maassluis Merchantmen are thrilled to find out who the first unlucky players are. It is expected that one quarterback and one defensive back will be cut before the first preseason games. Questions about which players will be inactivated for the first preseason game are still unawnsered, yet chances are big the top 7 players of the team will not play.

[Kodos]

Reports out of Rochester are that Hurtado has turned in his playbook and has been put on the inactive list in anticipation of his move to Maassluis.

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News
Left Tackle Harold Hurtado will not be active for the Maassluis Anglers' second preseason game at the Ann Arbor Anachorism. Our sources report that the Merchantmen are not flying home between the road games at Fort Worth and Ann Arbor, meaning Hurtado will join the team one week late. Wide receiver Amos Collins was also vicitimized over this decission, meaning he won't leave to play the Rochester Lake Monsters for at least another week.

[MIJB#19]

Preseason News
As the preseason got heated up, the Merchantmen went through the first two games with little injuries, though the worst might still be to come. In games at Fort Worth (20-10 loss) and Ann Arbor (3-point loss). Most inspiring was that fact that neither opponent surpassed the 200 yards passing, even though the Merchantmen secondary is rated as being amongst the worst in the league. Four players on the roster are injured, yet all are expected to be available for the seasonal starter at North Plainfield Plague.

Roster News
Harold Hurtado arrived at Maassluis, injecting some life to the offensive line. Hurtado is expected to lead the OL and already finds himself supported by most of his position mates. The upcoming games, Hurtado is unlikely to play in the remaining preseason games against San Antonio and Boulder.

Roster news
After leading the Merchantmen to the longest scoring drive of the league in pre season, Calvin Snider seesm to increased his chances to make the roster cut. Snider went 8-8 for 75 yards and a touchdown on a 15-yard drive for 99 yards. For th game, Snider went 9-12, yet he hopes to have made a point. Rumors are that other teams are showing interest in the rookie quarterback, yet this could all just be a lie for commercial reasons.

[Darkiller]

Great to read buddy !
can't wait for our Europeans games...it'll rock ;-)

[MIJB#19]

Press Release
The Maassluis Merchantmen management wishes their divisional rivals good luck in fourteen of sixteen games this season.

[MIJB#19]

Pre season news
In the first home game ever, the Maassluis Merchantmen thrashed the San Antonio Volunteers in an exhibition game 41-24. Jerrold Sipes threw for 2 tounchdowns, but the man of the game was tight end Jim Reiser, who caught 6 passes for 85 yards and 1 score. The game was marked by San Antonio quarterback Donaldson, who tossed 5 of his teams' 6 interceptions.

Pre season news
In a game of low rated teams, the Merchantmen sent the Boulder Bulldogs home as losers. Free agent pickup Junior McKeehan made the day as MVP, sacking the Bulldog quarterbacks 4 times. With a pass from Justim McDavid to Mark Burger and a run from Jonathan Smith, the Merchantmen beat the 'dogs 14-7.

Final Exhibition Standings
After 5 weeks of exhibition games, the Maassluis Merchantmen finished fourth in their division with a 2-2 record, marking the European Division as one of only two division with all teams at .500 or better.

Roster cut down day
With the absence of the general manager, the scouting staff of the Maassluis Merchantmen surprised with the the 7 names of unlucky players.
FS Jose Haggard, signed as a free agent as a prospect
LCB Johnnie Stidham, signed as a free agent ment to play as nickelback
RCB David Armstead, a 31st round draft pick with little potential
WLB Oren Lashley, a 47th round draft pick whse arguments with DL Andrew King were the main problem
LT Seth Hirsch, who became unneeded after the signing of Harold Hurtado
C R.J. Miller, signed to a 1-year deal to play as starting center, yet lost the battle and has moved on to the Bordeaux Vineyard
Jerrold Sipes, who was expected to become the #2 quarterback

Week 1 review
In a fourth quarter comeback game, the Maassluis Merchantmen lost 10-13 at the North Plainfield Plague, despite a 10-0 lead at half time. At the absence of the general manager, the scouting and coaching staff had a hard time making the depth chart up, marking Calvin Snider the starting quarterback. Snider went 12 for 35 with 114 yards, 1 score and 3 interceptions. Outstanding performances were shown by Randy Harris, who ran for 83 yards on 16 attempts. With the return of the GM to town, the hopes for better results are here, as the Merchantmen go to Paris next week to play their first European matchup. The Merchantmen now rank second in the division over bigger losses by Paris against Bordeaux and Gothenburg against Vicksburg.

Statistical leaders
RB Randy Harris put up fine numbers against the Plague, rushing for 83 yards to take 6th place in the league.
FS Randall Smith had 1 interception and 1 pass defended in 22 passing plays, leading to a 27.7 pass defense percentage, making him fourth in the league amongst players who played at least 10 passing plays on defense.
The Merchantmen backfield ranks eight in the league in rushing yards, with 137 yards on 29 attempts, while the average of 4.7 per play is fifth in the league.
The defense against the run is amongst the worst in the league, with 210 yards and an average of 5.7 per run, the Merchantmen rank first and third respectively.
The passing game is terrible at the moment, with a completion percentage of .342 and 3.3 yards per attempt, the Merchantmen rank last in the league. The 114 yards make the Merchantmen single-to-last in the league.
The pass defense ranks fourth in the league with 132 yards allowed. Averages of 8.8 per completion and 4.1 per attempt rank the Merchantmen sixth leaguewide. Amazingly the talented defensive line failed to make a single sack.
With just 2 penalties for 10 yards, the Merchantmen are the least penalised team in the league.
The Merchantmen red zone defense leads the league in points per visit, allowing just a fieldgoal in two visits.

Gossip news
Guard Albert Young was caught yelling at the coaching staff in the game at North Plainfield. The 6 foot 5, 343 pounds lineman was not pleased with his backup role for the season opening weekend. Young has competition from Devin McDaniel, who seems to fit better in at right guard for now.

Injury Report
DE Cecil Doney will miss the first half of the season. A severe hamstring injury has him sidelined. Doney is a key member on the line on rushing plays, yet for pass rush purpose he makes space for teammates.
FB Mark Burger suffers from an abdominal strain, making him questionable for the game in Paris. Burger is a talented backup fullback.
RG Devin McDaniel sprained his ankle, making him probable for sunday. If he's found not fit by the staff, Albert Young might take his place as right guard.

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News
After a bad performace by Calvin Snider at North Plainfield Plague, Justin McDavid is expected to start in the Merchantmen's first divisional game of the season at the Paris Musketeers. Hopes for a good result are there as the Merchantmen will see their best players start for the first time this season. The expectations are high, especially from Randy Harris and the receivers Jeff Aubrey, "Full" Monti, Bryce Ewald and Frederick Vargas. Yet, all should come down to how the defense manages to stop the Musketeers offense, which is leaguewide rated amongst the top5 in the league. When guys like Charles Gonzalez, Cody Cluff, Percy Francis and Dennis Preciado step up, or if Junior McKeehan can copy his preseason performance, the visitors could be involved in the upset of the week, and who knows, for the season.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantman At Paris Musketeers Recap
With an excellent performance of 17 of 24 completed passes for 99 yards and a score, Paris quarterback Fabian Parker led his team to a thrilling 10-7 victory. It marks the Merchantmen's second loss by a fieldgoal. The Merchantmen tried to fight back from being 10-0 behind, but came never close to even attempting a game tying fieldgoal. For the day, the Merchantmen defense allowed just 223 total yards on 64 plays, marking an excellent defensive performance, yet worth nothing if the offense can't come up big.

Individual Statiscical Performances Week 2
Randy Harris excelled once again, rushing for 63 yards on only 11 attempts. Even better were Bryce Ewald's 6 receptions for 96 yards and a score, while tighte end Jeff Aubrey caught 6 for 60 yards. Quarterback Justin McDavid made his debut in the IHOF, completing 17 of 36 for 176 yards and a score without an interception and running for 22 yards. On the defensive side, Cody Cluff recorded 10 tackles, while Deon Chapa marked the team's first sack of the season. Defensive tackl Charles Gomez excelled with 6 tackles and 1 assist. Left tackle Harold Hurtado made a promising debut with 3 key run blocks and no sacks allowed.

Merchantmen Statistical Performance For The Season
The rushing game ranks 10th with 117 yards per game and 4th with 4.9 yars per attempt.
The rushing defense ranks 31st with 160 yards per game and 27th with 4.3 yards per attempt.
The passing game ranks 32nd with 41% completed, 29th with 145 yards per game and 31st with 4.1 yards per attempt.
The passing defense ranks 20th with 57% completed, 3rd with 123 yards per game and 3rd with 4.2 yards per attempt.
The Merchantmen tie for last with a -3 turnover margin with 4 give aways and 1 take away.
The offense ranks 28th with 22% of third downs converted, the defense 14th with 34% third down conversions allowed.
The Merchantmen are the least penalized team in the league with 9 penalties.
The red zone offense ranks 12th with 4.6 points per visit with 2 touchdowns and no fieldgoals in 3 visits.
The red zone defense ranks tied for 3rd with 3.2 points per visit with 1 touchdown and 2 fieldgoals in 4 visits.

Injury Report
Defensive end Cecil Doney is still unavailable over his hamstring injury. Doney is aiming to a return after the open weekend.
Mark Burger's abdominal strain shouldn't avoid him from being able to play in the first home game of the Merchantmen this season.
Devin McDaniel and Jeff Fontenot are reported to be 100% fit again.

Individual Seasonal Stats
QB Justin McDavid ranks 14th leaguewide with a passer rating of 71.0 amongst players with at least 30 attempts.
RB Randy Harris ranks 8th with 146 yards and 3rd with 5.4 yards per attempt amongst players with at least 20 rushes.
TE Bryce Ewald ranks 15th with 151 yards and ties for 1st with 2 touchdowns.
DT John Bryant ranks 7th in tackles amonsgt defensive linemen.
LB Cody Cluff ranks 5th in tackle percentage amongst players with at least 40 plays played.
DE Deon Chapa ranks 5th in the league in pass rush percentage amongst players with at least 40 plays played.

Week 3 preview
In week 3, the Merchantmen will play their first home game of the regular season as the Gothenburg Giants come south to play in one of only two battles between two 0-2 teams. Anchorman for the Giants is running back Jerry McGee, who's 13 receptions rank him 4th in the league. Cornerback Harley Gowan stands out on defense with 2 interceptions and 5 passes defended. The Giants are 3-point favorites, yet the Merchantmen have beaten the spread in both road games this season.

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

The Merchantmen tie for last with a -3 turnover margin with 4 give aways and 1 take away.

The turnovers have made the difference so far...turn that stat around and you'll be seeing wins. The Merchantmen played good enough to win in both their games.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by VPI97

The turnovers have made the difference so far...turn that stat around and you'll be seeing wins. The Merchantmen played good enough to win in both their games.

Can't deny that.
But at this point, I shouldn't complain, being competitive with the only 5(?) players with experience doesn't sound bad to me.

[MIJB#19]

Late Coming News
Before the season start, two teams have changed from ownership. Buccanneer took over the Stillwater Dynamite, while TRO took command of the Columbus Architects.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Versus Giants Recap
Randy Harris improved his reputation in the league, leading the Merchantmen to a 31-27 victory by running for 3 touchdowns on his 95 yards day. But MVP honours went to quarterback Justin McDavid, who completed 19 of 27 passes for 234 yards and a score. Another fine show came from Bryce Ewald, who's 123 yards on 7 catches marked a top performance and Dennis Preciado, who defended 7 passes from the opponent, including 3 in consecutive plays, and who returned 5 kickoffs for a total of 120 yards. On the day, the Merchantmen defense stept up once again, allowing just 1 offensive touchdown and 2 fieldgoals, the remaining 14 points came from interception and fumble returns. This victory marked the first in the team's history leaguewide and at home. Amazingly enough, the Merchantmen are now favoured to beat Columbus next Sunday by 1 point, but the management urges fans not to be optimistic too early in the season.

Injury Report Week 4
DE Cecil Doney is the only player listed as injured. His sore hamstring seems to heal as scheduled.

Week 3 Statistical Performances
RB Randy Harris ran for 95 yards on 18 carries and scored 3 touchdowns.
QB Justin McDavid completed 19 of 27 passes for 234 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, which was returned for a touchdown.
WR Bryce Ewald had 7 receptions for 123 yards.
WR Gregory Monti scored 1 touchdown on 3 receptions for 39 yards.
DE Harold Wells made 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 assists.
DT Charles Gomez had 2 tackles and 3 assists.
DE Deon Chapa had 3 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.
LB Mike Kershner had 4 tackles, 2 assists and forced 2 fumbles.
FS Randall Smith made 1 interception, 3 tackles and 1 assist.
SS Lincoln Gilmore made 1 interception, 2 tackles and 1 assist.
CB Dennis Preciado defended 7 passes and made 6 tackles.
The offense ran for 117 yards (4.1 per attempt) and passed for 234 yards (8.6 per attempt).
The defense allowed 132 yards rushing (4.7 per attempt) and 223 yards passing (5.3 per attempt).
The turnover margin was 3 versus 3.
The defense allowed 8 of 16 third downs to be converted.
The offense converted just 2 of 9 third down attempts.
The Merchantmen had an average of 11 yards of terrain less to make to the endzone.
Key statistic was that the Giants only scored a touchdown on their first drive.

Statistical Show After 3 Weeks
QB Justin McDavid ranks 6th in passer rating amongst quarterbacks with at least 45 pass attempts.
RB Randy Harris ranks 7th with 241 rushing yards, 1st with 3 touchdowns and 2nd amongst players with 30 or more rushes.
WR Bryce Ewald ranks 4th with 274 yards and is one of many players ranking 2nd with 2 touchdowns.
CB Dennis Preciado ranks 1st in the league with 7 passes defended.
The rushing offense ranks 14th in yards per game and 3rd in yards per attempt.
The passing offense ranks 24th in yards per game, 24th in yards per attepmt and 28th in completion percentage.
The rushing defense ranks 32nd in yards per game and 25th in yards per attempt.
The passing defense ranks 13th in completion percentage, 4th in yards per attempt and 5th in yards per game.
The offense ranks 31st in 3rd down conversions and 20th in on defense in 3rd down conversions.
The red zone offense ranks tied for 4th in points per visit with 5 touchdowns and 1 fieldgoal in 7 visits.
The red zone defense ranks tied for 7th in points per visit with 2 touchdowns and 2 fieldgoals in 6 visits.
The Merchantmen are amongst the least penalized teams in the league, yet they do get too many penalties of 10 yards or more.

Week 4 Preview
The Architects are coming to town. Columbus are 2-1 after beating San Luis Obisop and Minnesota at home and losing 3-30 at RayCo in between. The Architects are amongst the weakest teams on offense, yet that shouldn't provide too much expectations as the Merchantmen are no front runners either. On defense, the Architects show their skill on passing plays while on rushing plays their statistics are as mediocre as they can be. Columbus are, like Maassluis, a young team with lot of upside. Quarterback Robby Gonzalez is prototypical for his team, he's supposed to have a bright future. Running back Gerald Harris is the backbone of the offense as he 3 of the Architects 5 offensive touchdowns.

Other News
R.J. Miller, once singed as a free agent and introduced as the center of the Merchantmen offense has been released by the Bordeaux Vineyard after they acquired wide receiver Toby Williams in a trade for their 2005 first round draft pick with Fairbanks Northstars.

[3ric]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Merchantmen Versus Giants Recap
Randy Harris improved his reputation in the league, leading the Merchantmen to a 31-27 victory by running for 3 touchdowns on his 95 yards day. But MVP honours went to quarterback Justin McDavid, who completed 19 of 27 passes for 234 yards and a score. Another fine show came from Bryce Ewald, who's 123 yards on 7 catches marked a top performance and Dennis Preciado, who defended 7 passes from the opponent, including 3 in consecutive plays, and who returned 5 kickoffs for a total of 120 yards. On the day, the Merchantmen defense stept up once again, allowing just 1 offensive touchdown and 2 fieldgoals, the remaining 14 points came from interception and fumble returns. This victory marked the first in the team's history leaguewide and at home. Amazingly enough, the Merchantmen are now favoured to beat Columbus next Sunday by 1 point, but the management urges fans not to be optimistic too early in the season.

That was an exciting game. I thought I had turned it around with that fumble return by my defensive end.

[MIJB#19]

Euorpean Division Standings Week 3
2-1 Bordeaux
2-1 Paris
1-2 Maassluis
0-3 Gothenburg

[MIJB#19]

Gossip News
After the amazing 31-27 victory over the highly rated Gothenburg Giants, Maassluis Merchantmen defensive end Geoff Lake outed his concerns over his involvement in the victory. Lake, at 6'8" the tallest player on the team, who started in the first game of the season hasn't played a down since that road game at North Plainfield Plague and demands to see more action. All comes as a surprise to the staff, especially at the longterm absence of Cecil Doney over an hamstring injury. The management seems to prefer Junior McKeehan over Lake as the premier backup to starters Harold Wells and Deon Chapa, who both seem to do a great job stopping the opposition. Wells ranks second in tackles amongst defensive linemen leaguewide, while Chapa had key stats in the win over Gothenburg, including a forced fumble and an assisted sack. A note from the management red: "Geoff has been a bit unlucky not seeing action in the past two games, Deon is doing a great job on the right side of the line so far and has the stamina to keep playing. For Geoff it is important to make sure to be ready if one of the other guys goes down." Perhaps the leadership of Andrew King is coming short on this matter, though with the little to no action King sees, he might have other things on his mind...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen Logo, Helmet And Banner
After reading Vince's IHOF dynasty regarding the San Luis Obispo Burn, I found it a good idea to advertise Cuervo72's great work on logo's, helmets and banner for the IHOF.

The Merchantmen In Game Logo


The Merchantmen Helmet


The Merchantmen Banner

[cuervo72]

Well....the logo here wasn't of my creation, just the color scheme and arrangement. But thanks.

[MIJB#19]

R.J. Miller Update
Following an injury wave at Chesapeake Chitterlings, R.J. Miller has been signed to get the favourites for a playoff ticket in shape for their week 4 game against Conyers Condors. Miller could already be the most moving player in league history, being cut earlier on by the Maassluis Merchantmen and the Bordeaux Vineyards.

[MIJB#19]

Week 4 Preview
The fans are confident, the players are and the management is trying to keep things cool in Maassluis. The Merchantmen haven't lost a home game in the first season of the IHOF, yet the Columbus Architects are coming to town, tagged as underdogs. The Merchantmen have been underdogs al year thusfar, especially veterans like Harold Hurtado, Dennis Preciado and Vincent Lopez have a tough job keeping the players focused. Lopez: "We're lucky to have so little injuries, were lucky against Gothenburg, and very unlucky on the road. If the defense keeps stepping up like they have done until now, I think we have a chance to improve to 2-2, but everybody has to focus on their job." Preciado, coming of an amazing game with 7 passes defended, praises the offense: "Sure, we lost due to some bad timed turnonvers. But what are the odds that every single fumble or interception leads to a score, we've been unlucky, but are glad to be competitive with this young team so far." Harold Hurtado has another opinion: "We have a big group of potential stars, yet thusfar it came all down on the legs of Randy Harris. It's amazing how well he's been converting the little opportunities we've given him. Not to mention how well Justin (McDavid) has been anticipating on the weakness of our line on passing plays. Let's hope we can get another upset victory added to our record." The Merchantmen will play the Architects later today in Oranje Haven, which is expected to be about 1,000 seats close to sold out.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

R.J. Miller Update
Following an injury wave at Chesapeake Chitterlings, R.J. Miller has been signed to get the favourites for a playoff ticket in shape for their week 4 game against Conyers Condors. Miller could already be the most moving player in league history, being cut earlier on by the Maassluis Merchantmen and the Bordeaux Vineyards.

I didn't cut him. The AI did when I couldn't import Week 3 file. I would have loved to keep him and cut a scrub RB instead...

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

I didn't cut him. The AI did when I couldn't import Week 3 file. I would have loved to keep him and cut a scrub RB instead...

Still, I'm sticking with the facts here. The AI cut him for me too, I projected him as starting center for my team, but I was mentally unavailable to submit roster cuts and my scout decided to get rid of him. Funny to see the guy has been cut by the AI twice now, I'm wondering when the Chitterlings will have enough of him...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchantmen Versus Columbus Architects Recap
Despite holding the Architects to 25 yards rushing and a total of 186 yards on offense, turnovers and lack of scoring cost the Merchantmen the unbeaten streak at home, losing 3-13. Justin McDavid completed 13 of 27 passes, tossed 2 interceptions and was sacked 5 times, as the offensive line couldn't perform like they did in the first three games. Yhe Merchantmen drop back to a 1-3 record, for still third place in the European Division. Next week is a road game at Bordeaux, where a victory can keep the Dutch team close to the playoff race after 5 weekends.

Statistical Performance At One Fourth Of The Season
QB Justin McDavid completes 54 % of his passes for 191 yards per game and 6.4 per attepmt, with 0.7 touchdowns and 1 interception per game
RB Randy Harris ran for 303 yards and 4.8 yards per attempt and 3 touchdowns, ranking him 8th, 5th and 2nd leaguewide
WR Bryce Ewald has 19 receptions for 312 yards and 2 touchdowns, ranking him 13th, 6th and 6th leaguewide
TE Jerry Aubrey has 16 catches for 135 yards to rank him 4th and 5th amongst tight ends
The rushing offense's 112 yards per game and 4.5 yards per attempt rank 15th and 4th leaguewide
The rushing defense's 119 yards per game and 3.6 yards per attempt rank 22nd and 13th leaguewide
The passing offense's 49% for 172 yards per game and 5.5 yards per attempt rank 29th, 25th and 24th leaguewide
The passing defense's 56% for 160 yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt rank 18th, 6th and 3rd leaguewide
The Merchantmen rank last in turnover margin with 10 giveaways and 4 takeaways
The Merchantmen rank 30th in 3rd down converting with 24% on offense and 19th on defense with 38%
The red zone offense ranks 5th with 5 touchdowns and 2 field goals in 8 visits
The red zone defense ranks 9th with 3 touchdowns and 4 field goals in 9 visits

Injury Report
DE Cecil Doney will remain out of action as expected with an hamstringinjury
OT Willie Dudley's sore ribs force him out of the Bordeaux game, making Jeff Fontenot return to the active roster

European Division Standings
3-1 Paris
2-2 Bordeaux
1-3 Maassluis
0-4 Gothenburg

[MIJB#19]

Week 5 Preview
The Merchantmen management was without internet access for the duration of almost the entire weekend, making unclear what Maassluis will do in the road game at Bordeaux Vineyards. The Vineyards and Merchantmen owners have had hands in eachothers ownerships, making this a friendly, yet crucial game early in the season. The Vineyards are 1 victory ahead of the Merchantmen, meaning a win by the visitors would cause a switch of the #2 and #3 positions in the European Division. The Merchantmen management also announced that only one player will be unavailbale, being the long term injured defensive end Cecil Doney.

Ownership News
The Stillwater Dynamite general maganer/owner TroyF returned from a short absence over personal reasons to his office. The move means the IHOF league commish announced temporary Stillwater manager Buccaneer as the first-to-be-called when teams lose their owner for whatever reason.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen At Vineyards Recap
Despite an early 7-0 lead, hte Merchantmen were totally outplayed by the Bordeaux Vinyards. The French home team won 28-7, anchored by quarterback Joe Johnson's three touchdown passes, while runnig back Cedric Rubio ran for 122 yards and a score. With this loss, the Merchantmen have returned to last place on the power ratings.

Seasonal Stats
QB Justin McDavid completes 52% of his passes for 179 yards per game, 5.9 yards per attempt, and tossing 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 4 starts, for a rating of 64.7.
RB Randy Harris ran for 344 yards, 4.8 yards per attempt and 3 touchdowns, ranking him 8th, 5th and 4th league wide.
TE Jeff Aubrey has 21 receptions for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, making him a top5 tight end in all categories.
WR Bryce Ewald has 21 receptions for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns, ranking Ewald 7th in yards league wide.
DE Harold Wells has 23 tackles, 8 assists, 2 sacks and 4 hurries in 5 starts.
DE Deon Chapa has 17 tackles, 3 assists, 1.5 sacks, 1 blocked pass and 4 hurries in 4 starts.
DT Charles Gomez has 17 tackles, 8 assists, 0.5 sacks, 1 blocked pass and 3 hurries in 4 starts.
LB Cody Cluff has 31 tackles and 10 assists.
CB Dennis Preciado defended 7 passes, made 22 tackles and 7 assists for a pass defense precentage of 20.6.
LT Harold Hurtado ranks 6th in Offensive Percantage amongst tackles with 21.1%, making 5 key run blocks on 19 oppurtunities an allowing 1 sack in 134 passing plays.
The rushing offense has 102 yards per game and 4.4 per attempt, ranking the team 23rd and 6th.
The passing offense completes 48% for 166 yards per game and 5.3 per attempt, ranking the team 29th, 26th and 27th.
The rushing defense allows 127 yards per game and 3.7 per attempt, ranking the team 24th and 13th.
The passing defense allows 61% completed for 167 yards per game and 5.1 per attempt, ranking the team 27th, 6th and 5th.
With 11 give aways and 5 take aways, the Merchantmen rank 30th in turnover margin.
The offense ranks 32th on 3rd downs with 26%, the defense ranks 23rd with 41%.
The red zone offense scores 6 touchdowns and 2 fieldgoals on 9 attepmts for 5.3 points per visit, ranking 3rd in the league.
The red zone defense allows 6 touchdowns and 4 fieldgoals on 12 visists for 4.5 per visit, ranking 14th in the league.

Single Game Top Performances By Merchantmen
The 31 points against Gothenburg mark a top 10 performance league wide.
The 25 yards rushing allowed against Columbus mark the 2nd best performance league wide.
The 195 total yars allowed against Columbus mark the 5th best performance in the league.
Randy Harris still holds the single game rushing touchdowns record untied with 3 touchdowns.
Bryce Ewald's 123 yards against Gothenburg mark the 11th best individual receiving performance.
Dennis Preciado's 7 passes defended against Gothenburg mark a league best thusfar.

Injury News
DE Cecil Doney will be out of action due to his hamstring injury.
RB Jonathan Smith strainded his elbow, making him unavailable for about a month.
FB Vincent Lopez suffers from a knee injury, making Mark Burger the #1 fullback.
LT Willie Dudley still suffers from a bruised ribcage, yet should play as normal, him being a second stringer.

[Alf]

I can say I am quite pleased by my QB performance so far this year ! I think Joe is #1 in Passing Rating in the IHOF !

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

I can say I am quite pleased by my QB performance so far this year ! I think Joe is #1 in Passing Rating in the IHOF !

By far, really.

[MIJB#19]

Week 6 Early Preview
Maassluis versus Rochester, before the season start marked as a game between the main rivals to finish with the worst record in the Atlantic Ocean Conference. After five weeks of play, the Lake Monsters have moved up to a playoff position at 3-2, while the Merchantmen have won just 1 of 5 games. The friendship between the teams has been shown by the preseason trade of offensive line leader Harold Hurtado for the best wide receiver of the other team. But next Thursday, gloves are burried and the long before battle for the first pick in the draft is whiped from the players minds, it's time to show which team is not the weakest. The Lake Monsters are early favourites in some power rankings by 10 points, where other systems show a marginal advantage for the home team. Key element for the Merchantmen is how many turnovers on offense will cost the team there chances. Key for the Lake Monsters offense is how they will cope with the talented defense from Maassluis and how effective they will be in the red zone. The Maassluis Merchantmen put their team in the underdog position, especially after last week's beating at Bordeaux, where Rochester surprised the Vineyards earlier this season. Crucial for the Maassluis offense is the absence of veteran fullback Vincent Lopez. The staff has faith in future star Mark Burger, yet Lopez seems to be doing a great job keeping the younger kids quiet. Lopez: "Mark can get it done, he's 100% fit again, he'll lead Randy (Harris) and Justin (McDavid) the way." Harold Hurtado, the other offensive anchorman: "I've seen the Lake Monsters system. We can beat it, though it will be tough." Amos Collins was unavailable for comments, his disloyalty to the Merchantmen caused him to reply "No comment" on any question from a Dutch reporter.

[MIJB#19]

Introducing The Staff
After five weeks of play and four preseason games, the Merchantmen management found it the right time to introduce the head coach, lead scout and offensive and defensive coordinators of the team.
Head Coach is Arnold Blackburn. Blackburn is 56 years old and on a one-year contract. Blackburn's true skills are those of an offensive coordinator, yet he's a quality head coach too. Motivating the players and coping with injuries are his specialties.
Offensive Coordinator is Jerome Hodges. Hodges is only 35 years old and signed a one-year contract. Hodges' preference lies in the defensive area, but has the skills to be a fine coordinator on offense at this point.
Defensive Coordinator is Floyd Seba. Seba is on a one-year contract and 40 years old. Seba's main assesment is developing young talent, while his primary position skills are found at linebacker.
Lead Scout is Brad McGarity. McGarity was signed to a one-year deal with the Merchantmen at the league start. McGarity is 60 years old and his specialties are running backs and young talent.

GM Notes
Amazing how the league forced Blackburn to be the head coach in stead of offensive coordinator and put Hodges on the wrong side of the ball, while Seba could be as good a head coach as Blackburn, I think.

[Kodos]

It should be an interesting showdown. A loss by Rochester would suggest that our early success was mostly based on luck. A win wouldn't do much to prove that Rochester should be considered a playoff contender, but also wouldn't do anything to suggest that we are not. In any case, good luck, and may the worst team lose!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

It should be an interesting showdown. A loss by Rochester would suggest that our early success was mostly based on luck. A win wouldn't do much to prove that Rochester should be considered a playoff contender, but also wouldn't do anything to suggest that we are not. In any case, good luck, and may the worst team lose!

Likewise.
I wish we could both overshadow the league and reach the playoffs, but at 1-4, I'll need a couple of 5-game winning streaks...

[Northwood_DK]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Likewise.
I wish we could both overshadow the league and reach the playoffs, but at 1-4, I'll need a couple of 5-game winning streaks...

Dont give up. The Eagles was 3-7 and on a 6 game loosing streak before turning things around an reaching the very first eNFL Super Bowl.

[Kodos]

Without giving anything away, all I can say is: WHAT A BARNBURNER!!! Great game, MIJB!

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Merchentman Versus Rochester Lake Monsters Recap
Randy Harris runs wild on every down, but his last action fell short to win tie the game at 27-27, as the Lake Monsters go home victorious after a 27-25 victory. Cary Coles scored 4 field goals, 2 in the fourth quarter to get the home team from behind. The Monsters almost collapsed after a 20-3 half time lead, yet were lucky enough to stay going. Maybe the difference between winning teams (Rochester, 4-2) and losing teams (Maassluis, 1-5) was shown perfectly today. Justin McDavid found himself battling his tears. "Three interceptions are too much, I think I now know what Randy felt like after his game losing fumbles." The Merchantmen have become front runners for the #1 pick, yet next week they're going to 1-4 Minnesota to find out how bad they really are.

Statistical Performances Week 6
RB Randy Harris ran wild again with 84 yards and a 5.6 average.
QB Justin McDavid completed 18 of 37 passes for 224 yards, 2 scores and sadly 3 interceptions.
WR Bryce Ewald made 6 receptions for 88 yards.
TE Jerry Aubrey had 4 receptions for 58 yards and a score.
FS Randall Smith made 1 interception and 5 tackles.
SS Lincoln Gilmore made 9 tackles and 1 assists.
LT Harold Hurtado made 2 key run blocks on 4 opportunities and allowed no sacks.
DT Charlie Gomez made 4 tackles, 1 sack and blocked 1 pass.
DT John Bryant made 5 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack, 1 hurry and forced 1 fumble.

Seasonal Stats By Merchantmen
QB Justin McDavid completes 52% of his passes for 940 yards, 5 scores and 7 interceptions in 5 starts, giving him a QB Rating of 61.8.
RB Randy Harris runs for 428 yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging 4.9 per carry, ranking him 6th, 4th and 3rd league wide.
WR Bryce Ewald's 27 receptions for 427 yards and 2 scores rank him 10th, 4th and 12th league wide.
TE Jerry Aubrey's 25 receptions for 232 yards and 2 scores rank him 3rd, 4th and 3rd amonsgt tight ends in the league.
FS Randall Smith is amonsgt 12 players with 3 or 4 interceptions league wide.
LB Mike Kershner is amongst 8 players with 3 or 4 forced fumbles.
The passing offense's 48%, 176 yd/game and 5.4 yd/attempt rank 27th, 25th and 22nd league wide.
The rushing offense's 104 yd/game and 4.4 yd/attempt rank 23rd and 6th in the league.
The passing defense's 63%, 171 yd/game and 5.3 yd/attepmt rank 30th, 8th and 8th in the league.
The rushing defense's 126 yd/game and 3.7 yd/attepmt rank 25th and 12th league wide.
14 giveaways and 8 takeaways rank the Merchantmen tied for 31st in turnover margin with -1 per game.
On third downs the Merchantmen rank 31st and 27th on offense and defense respectively.
With 7 touchdowns and 5 field goals in 13 visists, the offense's 4.9 pt/visit ranks 10th league wide.
With 9 touchdowns and 6 field goals in 17 visits, the defense's 4.7 pt/vists ranks 20th league wide.
The Merchantmen rank 24th in both points scored and allowed with 13.8 and 19.6 averages respectively.

Injury Report
Backup RB Seth Kinney suffered a hamstring injury, but is expected to be available against Minnesota.
G Albert Young agrevated his shoulder injury and is out for 4 weeks.
Backup RB Jonathan Smith remains unavailable with an elbow injury.
Backup S Percy Francis strained a deltoid muscle forcing out of next weeks game.
DE Cecil Doney will not play, despite being given the green light by the staff.
Starting C Tom Schwartz has a minor injury.
FB Vincent Lopez is probable.
LT Willie Dudley remains a questionmark.

European Division
After a week in which all active European teams lost, the Paris Musketeers returned at the top. With the playoff cut sitting at 2 losses at this point league wide, all four have theoretical chances to reach the terrific twelve.
3-2 Paris Musketeers
3-3 Bordeaux Vineyards
1-5 Maassluis Merchantmen
0-6 Gothenburg Giants

Preview To The M&M's Game
Two teams in the league hold the same initials in M.M. The Maassluis Merchantmen and Minnesota Miners will face eachother in week 7 at Minnesota in a game between two teams with only 1 victory. How good are the Miners?
Minnesota has an experienced, but limited talented quarterback in Jason Gott.
Larry Martell is a so-so running back with just 223 yards in 5 starts so far.
The offensive line is below average.
The Miners deploy a 3-4 defense with a great defensive line and linebackers.
The secondary is not as good as the front seven, but great enough to make it really tough.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Without giving anything away, all I can say is: WHAT A BARNBURNER!!! Great game, MIJB!

Randy Harris has put up such good numbers over the year, but seems to not get it done when he really needs to get us a victory in close games...

[MIJB#19]

Roster News
Following Geoff Lake's continueous arguments over his playing time, the Maassluis Merchantmen management deactivated Lake in favor of defensive tackle Andrew King, to give the defensive front leader possibly his first playing time this season. King should boost the well performing defensive line, hoping personal arguments with Michael Kershner won't overshadow his official entree.

[MIJB#19]

Hmm, 510 views in 34 days, is that good?
Or is that just me dropping into FOFC every day through this tread?

[Nyarlahotep]

Don't know if the view count is good or not, but I check in every time there is a new post.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Nyarlahotep

Don't know if the view count is good or not, but I check in every time there is a new post.

I wasn't wondering whether the view count is correct, I was more interested in finding out if I have readers. Obviously, I have.

That #1 is getting closer and closer people...:o

[3ric]

Of course you do. I read every word posted in this thread.