World Bowl XLIX [49] Everything Thread

by **HUElavia** » Sat Sep 28, 2024 6:44 pm

Sarzonia 13–10 HUElavia
(3-3, 10-3, 10-10, 13-10)
Founders Field, Quinnaber, Drawkland

With Grit, but Much to Improve.

HUElavia loses late to favorites Sarzonia in a defensive battle that had little scoring.

Entering matchday 3, HUElavia came off feeling good with two shutouts that showed the defense was serious in performing well in this tournament and the offense began showing sparks of life with how strong they were playing. But, those were unranked opponents that Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were facing off against. Now, they had their first genuine test and opponent: No. 3 Sarzonia. One of the best Football teams in the multiverse, HUElavia could not take this opponent lightly and needed to play strong defense and get the offense going in order to pull off an upset.

As it seemed, Sarzonia was playing the same tactics as HUElavia was playing. Both defenses were on their a-game, with Duarte Lobo getting sacked twice in the opening drive, with Cunningham and Dent getting him respectively. HUElavia's defense also got a good hit on Stallworth, with Mallqui Aucapuma forcing a fumble that was recovered by Obama. Still, Sarzonia would eventually march down to get a 45 yard field goal by Andersen to make it 3-0 with 4:20 left. HUElavia marched down themselves and Schultz kicked a 43 yard field goal to make it 3-3 as the quarter expired. The second quarter saw Sarzonia play more methodically, marching down with passes and runs to eventually get into scoring range, where Stallworth gave a 9 yard pass to Langston for a touchdown to make it 10-3 with 7:52 remaining. HUElavia would try three more possessions, but would get three-and-outs after some sparks of a good drive, with Katterfeld getting good, deep punts in. At the half, it was still 10-3, with tension in the crowd for what had been a strong performance by the defenses.

The second half saw both teams still play strong, forcing the offense to punt the ball. Early in the 3rd quarter, Duarte Lobo threw the ball towards Hase, only to get intercepted by Longoria for a 22 yard gain from the pick, giving Sarzonia good position to start the drive. But, the defense stood strong and Andersen missed a 40 yard field goal by mere inches to give HUElavia the ball back. They marched down the field and eventually Duarte Lobo threw over the line of scrimmage for a quick 7 yard touchdown to Lourenço Boaventura to make it 10-10 with 3:58 left in the 3rd quarter. From there, neither team wanted to give up points, playing strong defense, with Duarte Lobo also fumbling the ball thanks to a sack from Jacks. Stallworth got passes through to get into 1st and goal at the 9, going for a pass, only to get deflected off the hands of Swain and into the hands of Oogami for an interception, giving HUElavia life. Still, neither team could get anything going and it seemed as if Overtime was approaching. Sarzonia marched down the field and got into a 50 yard field goal position with 0:03 remaining. With the kick taken by Andersen, it went up and just narrowly made it through the uprights, falling down just past the bottom bar, ending the game, 13-10.

Despite the pain of defeat, there was much optimism in the team for their performance. Especially the defense, who was playing fantastic, but it was a shame that the offense could not string enough momentum to go for a good score. Coach Schneiderman was quoted: "It was a difficult match, but the guys showed a lot of resilience against Sarzonia. The defense was fantastic despite the loss, but they love making those big plays and I'm content with the work. The offense is still needing adjustments, and it was a rough game for Duarte Lobo today. We can at least hold our heads up high that we competed with Sarzonia and we came to the very end fighting for the win. It's a tough experience to lose it on such a narrowly-made field goal but that's how the game goes. We gotta continue improving and move on to our next game back at home. We hope to count on our fans to make it loud and unbearable for Ranoria." With the loss, HUElavia sit in 4th place in the East Division with their 2-1 record, but they have one of the better offenses in the tournament, and one of the best defenses in the tournament so far. Anyways, on to the next one!

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Sarzonia** » Sat Sep 28, 2024 6:57 pm

[OOC: I just want to clarify that what I'm saying/doing here is strictly IC. OOCly, I have confidence in Drawkland as President.]

The mood around the gridball offices at the Dave Wilson Athletic Complex was sour, made all the more so by the Sarzonian national gridball team's loss to Ko-oren.

Incorporated Gridball Federation chairwoman Hannah Pearlman scowled when the intern nervously shuffled into her office bearing an envelope. She'd seen the logo on it from a distance and could tell straight away it was from the Drawkian International Sporting Council.

"Huh-here you go, Ms. Pearlman," he stammered. She looked up, still flashing anger but when she looked at the intern, she realised he thought her anger was directed at him. She forced her tight expression to soften as she put her hand out for the envelope. She grab/snatched the envelope, then said "thank you" in as measured a tone as she could manage. He felt his eyes widen and his face get hot, then he quickly turned around and all but power-walked out of Pearlman's office.

Pearlman put the envelope face down on her desk for a moment. She played back the exchange with the intern in her mind. She was no psychologist, but she recalled seeing that he was undergoing treatment for high anxiety.

Poor guy, she thought. He must think I'm upset with him about something. And my snatching the letter didn't help matters. She knew she'd have to go talk to him before her next meeting. She was going to be late already because she was reading the letter. She decided a few more minutes wouldn't hurt.

She read the missive from Drawkish Director of Housing Reuben Turnbull in response to complaints about the World Bowl format.

"We're not buying what you and the rest of you Drawks are selling, Mr Turnbull," she wrote in part in response. "No amount of 'profit-sharing' could adequately replace the lost revenue that each individual side would have earned had each team been allowed true home matches at our own stadiums.

"I also note with dismay that our own team were assigned a rickety dump of a stadium out in the middle of nowhere. So, on top of the additional costs associated with hotel, travel, and sleep deprivation involved with the travel from Arrosia to Sonnel, you claim 'profit-sharing' will bridge the gap between gate revenues our side in particular would have received in matches st home? Even if that were even remotely true (it isn't, as our most optimistic forecasts project a 44 percent loss of revenue based on not having home matches), this decision deprived us and our fans of a rare opportunity to hoist our World Bowl 48 championship banner at Joe Gibbs Stadium.

"We are calling for two things: One, we seek a constitutional amendment that prohibits future hosts from EVER completely eliminating home fixtures from World Bowl group or qualifying stages. Two, we request opening impeachment proceedings against Drawkland for this monstrous decision and the mealy-mouthed word salad they employed in an effort to justify this."

She hit the button to save the missive as a draft. She knew she'd need some considerable time to cool off first before she took a blowtorch to Sarzonian-Drawkian relations. Besides that, she had an intern she needed to inform that her reaction wasn't at all about him.

As she walked toward the office where the shaken intern was staring blankly at his screen, she saw that Sarzonia defeated HUElavia 13-10. Not only were those the first points scored against Los Armarillos in three matches, it would be the first defeat they would take

That's comforting, she thought. She looked at the name plate and said, "Craig?"

Craig froze for a moment.

by **Banija** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 6:19 am

GFLB Rosters

GFLB Season Preview

Week 1
Mukeruzi Hyenas 37–33 Sisonke Leopards
Hoima Zebra 27–24 Busembe Timberwolves
Busukuma Athletic Club 0–10 Mar Sara Night Elves
Busukuma Suns 20–33 Dukuma Dragons
Isipongo Wild Boars 20–10 Igulu Bush Elephants
Lwanga Rhinos 49–19 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Duntho Oilers 24–14 Mynda Gorillas
Bunyoro RSC 10–0 Askatasuna Wildcats
Bwubanza Ostriches 35–17 Jinja City Springboks
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 32–19 Aissa Crocodiles
Kosactus Red Vultures 23–33 Rukunbi Wizards
Herzegovina City Cobras 30–14 Istria Black Mambas

Week 2
Sisonke Leopards 23–26 Umbazi Metropolitan SC
Igulu Bush Elephants 28–14 Lwanga Rhinos
Dukuma Dragons 40–37 Isipongo Wild Boars
Mar Sara Night Elves 46–14 Busukuma Suns
Busembe Timberwolves 13–13 Busukuma Athletic Club (20–13 OT)
Mukeruzi Hyenas 34–21 Hoima Zebra
Mynda Gorillas 40–37 Istria Black Mambas
Rukunbi Wizards 17–21 Herzegovina City Cobras
Aissa Crocodiles 44–17 Kosactus Red Vultures
Jinja City Springboks 3–16 St. Jakob Honey Badgers
Askatasuna Wildcats 28–38 Bwubanza Ostriches
Duntho Oilers 28–22 Bunyoro RSC

Week 3
Hoima Zebra 40–17 Sisonke Leopards
Busukuma Athletic Club 13–22 Mukeruzi Hyenas
Busukuma Suns 37–23 Busembe Timberwolves
Isipongo Wild Boars 17–58 Mar Sara Night Elves
Lwanga Rhinos 37–36 Dukuma Dragons
Umbazi Metropolitan SC 30–20 Igulu Bush Elephants
Bunyoro RSC 17–54 Mynda Gorillas
Bwubanza Ostriches 34–20 Duntho Oilers
St. Jakob Honey Badgers 48–3 Askatasuna Wildcats
Kosactus Red Vultures 26–33 Jinja City Springboks
Herzegovina City Cobras 60–37 Aissa Crocodiles
Istria Black Mambas 20–16 Rukunbi Wizards

West Division                   Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Mar Sara Night Elves          3    3   0   114   31  +83
 2 Dukuma Dragons                3    2   1   109   94  +15
 3 Busembe Timberwolves          3    1   2    67   77  −10
 4 Sisonke Leopards              3    0   3    73  103  −30

  South Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 5 Mukeruzi Hyenas               3    3   0    93   67  +26
 6 Hoima Zebra                   3    2   1    88   75  +13
 7 Busukuma Suns                 3    1   2    71  102  −31
 8 Busukuma Athletic Club        3    0   3    26   52  −26

  Central Division              Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Lwanga Rhinos                 3    2   1   100   83  +17
 2 Umbazi Metropolitan SC        3    2   1    75   92  −17
 3 Isipongo Wild Boars           3    1   2    74  108  −34
 4 Igulu Bush Elephants          3    1   2    58   64   −6

   East Division                Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 St. Jakob Honey Badgers       3    3   0    96   25  +71
 2 Bwubanza Ostriches            3    3   0   107   65  +42
 3 Duntho Oilers                 3    2   1    72   70   +2
 4 Bunyoro RSC                   3    1   2    49   82  −33

   North Division               Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD 
 1 Mynda Gorillas                3    2   1   108   78  +30
 2 Aissa Crocodiles              3    1   2   100  109   −9
 3 Jinja City Springboks         3    1   2    53   77  −24
 4 Askatasuna Wildcats           3    0   3    31   96  −65

   Moravica Division            Pld   W   L    PF   PA   PD
 1 Herzegovina City Cobras       3    3   0   111   68  +43
 2 Istria Black Mambas           3    1   2    71   86  −15
 3 Rukunbi Wizards               3    1   2    66   64   +2
 4 Kosactus Red Vultures         3    0   3    66  110  −44

Lots to unpack from our opening 3 weeks! Per usual, let's dive into some of our best games of the first 3 weeks, eh?

Game of the Early Season

Mynda Gorillas 40–37 Istria Black Mambas

We're off to Kawesa Stadium in Mynda for Week 2, where the freshly bought out Mynda Gorillas took on the Istria Black Mambas in this Sunday late afternoon matchup. The Black Mambas came in favored by 5.5 points- they've got Kadesh freaking Odika, one of the most raw, talented QB prodigies this league has ever seen- hell, potentially the greatest prodigy that this league has ever seen. Against, well, a rookie QB making his second start. The Gorillas were coming off of a rather rough 24-14 loss to the Oilers in week 1, where their rookie QB threw three interceptions in the GFLB's first ever game in Duntho. Ergo, it would make sense that the Gorillas couldn't keep up with the Black Mambas.

And after Istria's first two drives, that's what everybody kind of expected. Odika having first quarter TD passes to both Russell Farmer and Godwin Tamuka gave the Black Mambas an early advantage. It was Dukku Banyuse- if you haven't heard of him before, the South Kitara grad certainly was going to make sure you would hear about him on this day. He would throw three TD passes in the second quarter- one to his Chromatik TE, Osman Pyatt, and two to the NT WR on this squad- Kori Jabayo being basically uncoverable by what is understood by many to be a piss poor Black Mambas defense. Istria got two FGs of their own in the second quarter, so they went into the half with Mynda leading by 1, 21-20.

A rookie from South Kitara going throw for throw with Odika? Ain't no way. And to start the third quarter, again- we repeat. The Black Mambas offense too good, right? Joshua Okombo had a rushing TD, while the Black Mambas kicked a FG in the quarter. But it was the Gorillas who would keep things going. The Black Mambas defense was struggling big time after the opening quarter, as they allowed a couple of field goals in the 3rd quarter. That meant the two teams were locked in a tight battle heading into the final frame, with the Black Mambas leading by just 3, 30 points to 27.

But the Gorillas, riding their home field advantage, would strive to drive a stake into the Black Mambas. A nice, 5 minute drive in the fourth gave them the lead, when Banyuse hit his fellow rookie, WR2 Sainey Jewaro, for an 11 yard touchdown pass. And then, after forcing a turnover, the Gorillas went quick play strike- with HB Alejandro Garrina having a 64 yard touchdown run. They missed the PAT, meaning that they were up, 40-30, with just under 8 minutes to go, at home. Was the upset on??

The answer was, yes. The Black Mambas did end up scorign with under 3 minutes left, to make it 40-37- via a 15 yard Odika scramble. They recovered the onside kick- with Russell Farmer getting his hands on the ball. But, Odika simply could not play superman on this night.

Mynda Radio Commentator wrote:It's third and 10 for Kadesh Odika and the Black Mambas at their own 49 yard line- with 1:12 left, all they need to do is to get into field goal range in this insane, beautiful, amazing football game. We're so close from what would be a statement win in so many ways- showing those damn big city folk from Istria that just because they've got the glitzy, NT QB, doesn't mean that they're just gonna steamroll anybody. But getting a win in this scenario, obviously, is much easier said than done...

They probably need 15-20 yards to really get in a place where they are comfortable kicking. The Gorillas are showing blitz, and they do- there's one more blitzer than blocker! Odika steps forward, and with the oncoming blitz, tries to throw it to his hot on the out route... AND IT'S PICKED OFF! IT'S PICKED OFF! HE WAS LOOKING FOR BAILO DUHABA, BUT OLE BAKKER COMES IN WITH THE DIVING INTERCEPTION TO SEAL THE DEAL FOR OUR GORILLAS! AND WE ARE GONNA WIN THIS GAME- OUR ROOKIE HAS OUTDUELED THE KADESH ODIKA! Job well done to both teams- but job better done by YOUR Mynda Gorillas! Let's GO baby!

A great game, a sensational finish. This is what gridiron is all about, is it not?

GFLB International Series- Cardenao Edition
Played at the Stadi Nacional(cap. 58,885) in New Cardonia, Cardenao

Bwubanza Ostriches 35–17 Jinja City Springboks

Throwing it back to Week 1 for the GFLB International Series! The first of 5 games that are being played outside of home stadia this year, abroad- and the GFLB has sent the Ostriches and the Springboks to Cardenao. Neither team is exactly rife with expectation this year- but the excitement was still palpable in Cardenao. A sellout, with all sorts of big names at the game. Mihaly, of course- the man with his hands in all jars in Cardenao, the big man with a plan, king on the block, head of state, etc... There in attendance. Alanso Isa, the Alexandria U HC(and former Loyola-Istria HC), was in attendance as well. Toyuwa Okafor, a WC winning striker with Banija who is the former Ambassador to Cardenao, and is presently an elected member of the Lukiiko, was there as well. And on behalf of the Royal Family, Princess Muirne was there with her small children, including the heir to the throne. If you all can recall, Mihaly stood in her wedding on the side of her late husband.

All sorts of ceremony- national anthems sung, dances done, the whole 9 yards. And then, bam- back to the game on the field. Diamond Rhine has had a rough few years in Banija- despite being given the biggest sports contract in Banijan history, he has underperformed his expectations dramatically. But in this game, we saw, at least for this day, all the stuff that made him so ridiculously good in college, and what made him such a good QB in the RFL. He probably had his best game in an Ostriches uniform. What was his statline? Well, he went 22/29 throwing the ball, for 310 yards and 3 TD passes. How many years in the GFLB? This was just his third 300 yard passing game. And the 38 year old even had a 12 yard touchdown scramble as well. Enough to earn player of the week honors.

This is the first time the Ostriches have won a week 1 game in forever. Can they build on the success of their Anaian excursion? It remains to be seen- but maybe, just maybe, he can get rid of what non-Ostriches fans (and tbh, what quite a few Ostriches fans call him as well) call him, Rock Rhine?

Twin surprises of the Early Season
... I must have sat on my glasses this morning before I look at the division standings. You're telling me who started this season at 0-3?

This magazine picked the Sisonke Leoaprds to win the Simba Bowl this season. I mean, look at that roster. They've got the MVP favorite, Vallienté Wagner-Young, starting at QB. They've got Essa Kayode as their WR1, and Angela Sauber as the WR2. Isaga Duhaga at HB. They've got Mykhajlo Vyacheslavovych Kozlov and Kang Joseph as their EDGE rushers. How have the Simba Bowl favorites managed to put themselves in such a deep hole to start the season?

In Weeks 1 and 2, they lost a pair of naibiters to start the season. Wagner-Young threw for 300+ yards in a losing effort in Week 1, where they fell, 37-33, to Mukeruzi away from home. The Hyenas are pretty damn good- a lot to clean up on D, but you know, not the end of the world. Then, in week 2, Umbazi came to Keystone Stadium and got a massive upset. 26-23- neither offense could finish drives, and Umbazi kicker, Muna Baneo, hit a game-winning 51 yard field goal on the game's final play.

0-2, less than ideal. But a Sunday Night Football trip to Hoima ended in disaster- down 14-0 after just 3 minutes, following a 71 yard TD catch by Jannik Nadine, and a 31 yard pick six by Hoima rookie CB Teijeh Nieddu. They just got smoked. The Leopards coach minced no words in his postgame press conference. "We've got to turn shit around, and fast. If we don't? Well... Everything's going to get far too real, far too quickly- and nobody's gonna like it." The only good thing for them is that they haven't played any divisional games yet. Those head to head games, if they win some of those, can climb them up the West Divisional standings in a hurry.

The other huge surprise? Well, we've got 5 undefeated teams after 3 games- a pretty healthy number. Let's go with the St. Jakob Honey Badgers. We expected them to finish last in the division- but, once again, while we are only 3 games into a 17 game season, they are crushing the game. While everybody else zigs in this offensive dominated league, they zag- they are the only defense to allow less than 10 points per game. Ergo, they are crushing it. Hell, they've only allowed one touchdown all season long- a 33 yard touchdown reception by Kawsu Gaye in week 1. These Teuslander fans must be really getting into it.

All three of their games, they've had balance. Week 1, a 32-19 win over Aissa- the Crocs got into the red zone three times, and each time, they kicked a FG. Bend, but don't break. Madikeh Konta ran all over them- a stunning 212 rushing yards, and 3 TDs of his own, as the Honey Badgers won in week 1. From that point on, it's been all defense, all the time. They only allowed 3 points in each of their next two games- obviously, both wins. Week 2 was an ugly, 16-3 road win over the Jinja City Springboks. The game's only touchdown was scored by Siovanija & Teusland native, Albert Altermann- who had an electric 63 yard punt return for a touchdown. Otherwise, the game was just field goals- St. Jakob hit 3, Jinja City 1, and the Honey Badgers went to 2-0.

And then, the Askatasuna Wildcats. Admittedly, the Wildcats are probably the worst team in football. But still, what are you supposed to do against the teams you are supposed to beat? Beat them, and do so convicingly. A 48-3 win by the Honey Badgers was the biggest margin of victory for any team in any this this season (so far). I mean, they even hit the 250/250 holy grail- the first game in 7 years in the GFLB where a team had both 250 yards passing, and 250 yards rushing, as a team, in the same game.

Now, the schedule isn't that impressive- not a single team they've beaten has a winning record- but 3-0 is 3-0. "Nobody expected us to be here, and look at us- flying high, top of the East." Said the team's HC. "Nothing's been won yet though. We're showing these fans in Teusland that they've got a killer team to root for, and that we're going to be a factor come January."

The GFLB Commissioner, in Waxton the morning after Banija's Week 3 victory over Lisander in the World Bowl

The GFLB Commissioner had been at the game yesterday, Banija's first at their 'home away from home' in Waxton. The Serpent Eagles had showcased a level of dominance that many were not prepared for- racing out to a 31-0 lead at the half, and eventually winning by a score of 44-15. A blowout victory in Week 3 of the World Bowl was a blowout victory at the World Bowl- those were not to be taken for granted. It had been, perhaps, a perfect start for the Serpent Eagles. 3-0, of cousre- literally perfect in one sense. But also, it was a confidence building, eye-popping, path to 3-0. Their offense had scored 40+ points twice, and they led the competition in scoring after three games, as they were averaging just a hair over 38 points per game.

THey would be heavy favorites in Week 4 against an unranked, but spunky and talented, New Umoja squad, before the two biggest games of the group stage. It would take everything in the team to not overlook a New Umoja more than capable of pulling off an upset. They had two top 10 teams looming after the New Umoja matchup- the #2 team in the multiverse, TJUN-ia, would come to Waxton in Week 5, and then that would immediately be followed up by a matchup against world #9 The Kytler Peninsulae- if you remember, we just beat them in soccer in the World Cup Round of 16. And, of course, as of this moment- they were the only other team in the South Division that remained unbeaten.

But the Commissioner wasn't thinking about that right now- well, briefly yes, but ultimately, the NT, while his focus here, wasn't his main concern. He was the league commissioner- and he had plenty of responsibilities with his day job. He had been successful in getting the GFLB out of their current exclusive video game contract, and the next edition of the Jack Hoy game would have the GFLB- a big coup for him. But that was only a partial coup- he had made it his mission to ensure that not only could they get the Jack Hoy game, but they wanted Jack Hoy the man, in the GFLB.

He had been talking to his owners about pursuing Jack Hoy. Of course, this would mean likely the biggest RB contract in the history of the league- so not everybody would be willing. But while there were plenty of owners who wanted him, considering the importance of the mission, there were two who stuck out- the Lwanga Rhinos and the Hoima Zebra. Both quality teams, with high-powered offenses, who could use a running back next season. Hoima might be a better cultural fit in terms of city to live in- but the Commissioner was going to do all he could to help both teams get in a room with Jack Hoy. He didn't care which of the GFLB teams Hoy signed with- he just wanted him to sign with one of them. Because one, of course, was better than none.

"We have to make a pursuit- how the hell else were we chosen for Waxton? It must have been anointed by God." The Commissioner said. Hoy had played here for many years before moving to the Redwolves in the RFL, and so the Commissioner made sure that he had representatives from the Rhinos and the Zebra in town with him. "At a moment's notice... If this opportunity comes, damnit, then we have to be ready to fire." He had told both sets of ownership. Would they get their chance? Who knew? But the Commissioner would leave no stone unturned in his pursuit for this superstar of superstars...

by **TJUN-ia** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 6:32 am

To say things were interesting with the Jaguars of TJUN-ia would be an understatement. The first two games on their campaign would both be tight games, one ending in victory and the other embarrassing defeat and even after all of that, we still don't know much about this team. Are they truly good or are we a Top 2 team that is too high for their own good? That is the question that needed to be answered and fast before things potentially spiralled out of control...so what happened next?

Vaishnavaria at The AnvoDome in Yokare was our next test and in this new environment, we knew exactly what we had to do. Sunny Sharma managed to do well in this game with two TDs, one each to Alan Solo and Nathan West, with their kicker adding 2 PATs and a FG, but we knew what we were doing and managed to pull away just about in the end. Leon Gallas managed to find all three of Lucky Sithole-Sita, Fremont Whitehorse and Gilbert Nyamutsamba while Xander Tiovannen went 2/3 on PATs and added a FG too for the 23-17 win. Our biggest win so far, if that is a stat to be proud of.

So we are back to 2-1 and hoping to push on from here. Up next will be #15 South Americanastan in a very tough game. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (South Division) - based at Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD1: vs Juvencus (23) - Callcom Stadium, Masteser W 44-41 (5th/1-0)
MD2: vs Kamijiro (UR) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax L 12-16 (6th/1-1)
MD3: vs Vaishnavaria (UR) - The AnvoDome, Yokare W 23-17 (5th/2-1)
MD4: vs South Americanastan (15) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD5: vs Banija (6) - Waxton City Dome, Waxton
MD6: vs Lisander (24) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax
MD7: vs New Umoja (UR) - Ferris-Deltore Stadium, Waylook
MD8: vs Abanhfleft (12) - Sector 6 Stadium, Corinth City
MD9: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (9) - Stad-Stallion, Raikennax

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 8:15 am

“No more money?!” Kelly Profit said in disbelief. “What do you mean, there’s no more money?”

“There’s no more money, Kelly,” Arkady Ivashchenko, owner of the Bratsk Dolphins franchise of the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League, said with a shrug. “No more broadcasting money, at the very least. The PTsNA has decided not to renew their broadcasting contract with the PGSL, and so far, we don’t have any new takers.”

“But why?” Kelly asked again. “Gridiron hasn’t been as popular as it is right now! Why would Central News decide not to renew right when the game is the hottest it’s ever been?”

Ivashchenko stood up from behind his desk and walked towards Kelly. “What I am about to tell you should not leave this room,” he told her. “If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t even think about telling you any of this. But you have been with this team since the beginning, and therefore I believe that you should know the truth. You are, I believe, familiar with my background, yes?”

“I’ve heard people saying things,” Kelly replied carefully. “Sir, you’re not about to have me killed, are you?”

“Of course not, Kelly, don’t be afraid,” Ivashchenko shook his head. “There’s a reason why I am a businessman and a former intelligence officer, but let’s not get into that. Again, what I am about to tell you must never leave this room. The reason that the Central News Agency has decided not to renew the PGSL’s broadcasting rights is because we have won.”

“Wait, what?” Kelly asked, completely confused by the situation. “What do you mean, we won? We didn’t win anything. We didn’t even make the playoffs this season!”

“By we, I do not mean the Bratsk Dolphins organization,” Ivashchenko explained. “What I mean to say is that Pridnestrovia has won the war.”

“What war? I thought you guys got your asses handed to you by the Anglatians in Nordskania,” Kelly said. “And what the heck does that have to do with the PGSL getting dumped by Central News?”

“Yes, you are correct in saying that Pridnestrovia was forced to withdraw from the Nordskanian theater courtesy of the Anglatians and their puppets in northern Nordskania,” Ivashchenko nodded. “But, as one of your sayings goes, we may have lost the military war, but in the diplomatic front, we have achieved total victory.”

“I don’t understand,” Kelly admitted.

“You are familiar with the Nordskanian War, yes?” Ivashchenko asked again. “The principal parties of the conflict, the reasons why they fought against each other, you know about this.”

“Only what I’ve heard from the news,” Kelly shrugged. “Anyway, it’s been literally ten years since you guys lost. Is this some sort of new propaganda thing that I have to get up to speed on?”

“Is it propaganda if the rest of the multiverse can see that it was the losing side in that war that has managed to make itself a respected member of the international community while the victor has slipped back into isolationism and internal strife?” Ivashchenko queried. “Yes, Anglatia won the Nordskanian War and the war for Nordskania’s people and resources. That is what happens when you send the equivalent of an army group’s worth of men and equipment against two divisions and one brigade. But while Anglatia may have achieved victory on the military front, the cost of deploying their expeditionary force to Nordskania has exposed a lot of the faults in their system that their previous isolationist stance had managed to paper over. The Anglatians are not used to people fighting back against them, so when Pridnestrovia punched back, their territories and colonies saw that those three purple stars were not as invincible as they had made them believe. Whatever illusion of unity and togetherness that Anglatia had conjured for itself and its empire has now been shattered. Just this week, dozens of separatist protests have sprung up all over their Territory Nine and its major cities, and the crackdowns have been heavy-handed to say the least. Anglatia may have won the war in Nordskania, but their victory has pushed them back into their own shell, a shell that is collapsing into itself. Meanwhile, Pridnestrovia has taken the loss in the chin and kept its head down, all while establishing itself as a major player in the regional stage. That is why Pridnestrovia has won, and that is why the PGSL has lost its media rights.”

Kelly stood there silently for a few minutes while Ivashchenko looked at her with a blank look on his face as the former tried to digest all of the information that had just been given to her. Eventually, she shook her head and said, “I did not understand a single word you’ve just said, sir. All I really got is that you think that because Anglatia is back to being isolationist, Pridnestrovia actually won. And what does all of that have to do with the PGSL not getting renewed?”

“Remember when I said that all that I told you today should never leave this room?” Ivashchenko asked. “That doesn’t apply to what I’ve just said. That information is easily available to anyone who keeps an eye on the news. But this, everything I’m about to tell you now, is what you should keep to yourself. Just weeks after Pridnestrovia’s withdrawal from Nordskania, my… former colleagues discovered that there were plans to establish a “Kontinental Football League” in Nordskania and some Anglatian-friendly territories. It is that Kontinental Football League that was the primary reason why the PGSL was created in the first place. The PGSL was already in the works, yes, but these rumors about the KFL made them accelerate those plans. We had to beat them at something, at least. That was all that we were thinking at the time. We needed to save face, reclaim our pride after having it damaged by the war, and starting the PGSL before they can start their KFL was one way that the country saw to do such a thing.”

“KFL? I’ve never heard of such a league before,” Kelly shook her head.

“Exactly my point,” Ivashchenko said. “And exactly the entire point of the PGSL. My friends in my former line of work believed that there was a chance that the KFL could help restore some semblance of balance in Anglatia and its affiliated territories should it succeed, so we had to, as you say, nip it in the bud.”

“But how can the PGSL do that? A lot of leagues have been set up to compete against each other, but by the look of things, this KFL never really got off the ground,” Kelly said. “A league can’t force another league into the ground, can it?”

“That is something that even I cannot tell you, Kelly,” Ivashchenko replied. “Now, all that you really needed to know is that the Gridiron Super League was established to counter what could have been rising Anglatian influence in sports, and in that end, the league has succeeded. And because the league succeeded in its objective, the central government now sees no reason to promote it via the Central News Agency’s broadcast deal.”

“So this is how the PGSL ends then,” Kelly muttered. “Because it’s finally served its purpose.”

“It’s not really the end of the PGSL,” Ivashchenko assured her, hollow though even he knew it sounded. “The league will still be here, along with the teams. But there won’t be as many eyes on us as there used to be. Now, remember that nothing that we have discussed here today can ever make it out of this room. I know that there is no one that can really make use of it, but please Kelly, just keep it to yourself.”

When Kelly left her meeting with the owner of the Bratsk Dolphins, she didn’t feel like a player that had tried (and failed) to negotiate a new contract with her boss. Instead, she felt like a secret agent who had just been handed information that could potentially save or destroy an entire nation. The knowledge of the fact that the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League had been nothing more than a propaganda effort to keep Pridnestrovian pride up in the immediate aftermath of their defeat in the Nordskanian War was probably not going to send the entire country over the edge; in fact, given how long Kelly had been there, she felt that the Pridnestrovian people would take that information in stride and maybe even laugh at the fact that a single gridiron league was enough to wreck their rival’s international reputation. However, that was knowledge that could potentially destroy the league itself should it become public. And as she was about to see in the next few years, even though she had kept her mouth shut, the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League would still end up on a lifeline.

by **Katzeburg** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 1:30 pm

"Gentleman, a brief view of the past..."
A history of Gridiron in Katzeburg, Part IV

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

News of the first game of gridiron spread across east Katzeburg like wildfire - the broadcast of the match, and the controversial circumstances it ended in, was the most watched programme on KBC in Aberstadt by a wide margin, beating out a re-run of hit sitcom Two Girls, A Cat, And The Bourgeoisie.

This led both ASU and UoA to formalize the creation of gridiron teams to play against each other on a regular basis in the name of sweet, sweet barins, all while representatives from both universities reached out to nearby academic institutions to see if they had interest in forming a team themselves.

Of the four universities contacted - Nordock Industrial College, Braunburg City University, Bauerburg Agricultural University, and Hundsend State University - only Bauerburg and Nordock accepted the invitations to form a team, keeping gridiron solidly in the state of Aberstadt for the moment.

This would however, lead to the creation of the first ever college football conference in Katzeburg - the Aberstadt Valley Athletic Conference - allowing the four institutions to collaborate on sporting events (and more importantly, beer drinking contests) within the region.

Both UoA and ASU would also announce to the media the creation of gridiron-specific stadiums to be built on campus in what marked the first major investment in athletics at a collegiate level. UoA’s ground would be built on Cester Field - where the first ever game was held - but renamed Circle Park in an attempt to rile up ASU supporters whenever they visited the campus.

ASU meanwhile would carve out space to the west of their campus in Abersee to build a 7,500 seater stadium called Aberstadt Stadium - receiving funding from the state and city governments to fund the ground in what would become the shining jewel of stadiums in Katzeburg’s east.

As the winter months turned into spring and then summer following the first ever game, new students coming into the four AVAC colleges in the fall were treated to a wave of advertising about the sport - from how to get involved as a player to what the sport itself was - and after the first week of orientation for students across Aberstadt, the inaugural schedule for AVAC play was announced.

All eyes naturally turned to see when UoA and ASU would play again, only to learn it would be the final game of the season for both sides - a match the UoA satirical newspaper The Lampoon would call ‘The Katzeburgian National Championship’.

by **Chromatika** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 1:52 pm

THE CHROMATIKA IRON LEGION
World Bowl 49 - MD3: Chromatika 6–0 Nova Calania

First down and Goal. Ball on the Iron Legion three yard line.

It had been a tough game for the Iron Legion Offense. Sarai Gwenderyn was only eighteen-of-twenty-seven for 171 yards, the running game was being held to less than eighty yards, and they had only managed two long Field Goals off the left foot of Dwayne Markseon. Park Mi-Hyeon had her defense playing very well, though, as they'd never let the visitors cross midfield - until now.

Nova Calania had been methodical in this last drive, and with just over a minute left, the Iron Legion were going to have to make a stand if they were to win.

Bellerose-Deslongchamps rolled to his left, but was forced to the sideline and a rushed throw, leading to an incompletion.

Second down and Goal. Ball on the Iron Legion three yard line.

With both Jere Rinaldi and Park Mi-Hyeon clogging up the middle, the Safeties were responsible for helping both Corners. Of course, if Nova Calania tried to run the ball, they'd fail; Guirguis tried up the middle, and Rinaldi got to him, no problem.

Third down and Goal. Ball on the Iron Legion two yard line.

Jill Lia crashed down from the left, forcing Bellerose-Deslongchamps to move once again. He was lucky to just throw the ball away.

Fourth down and Goal. Ball on the Iron Legion two yard line.

After a time out, Bellerose-Deslongchamps rolled to his right, and threw it toward Rachel Lavigueur. The Tight End got her hands on the ball, but Park hit her square in the middle of the chest - forcing the ball to pop out.

They'd done it.

Chromatika would run out the rest of the clock, and prevail. It was a wake-up call for the Offense, but the Defense showing that they were the real deal.

Chromatik Gridiron League - Matchdays Three and Four

Matchday 3

Chromia Cyan 20–17 Qet Lynx

Recap: A classic between two rivals, Eddie Ryun made Jesse Jackson's life a living hell for the first Three Quarters, forcing the Cyan Quarterback into three turnovers. Then, Jackson turned his game around and dominated the Fourth Quarter, leading the Cyan on back-to-back Touchdowns that iced the game. For Qet, Running Back Steve Ashwater continued his stellar play with 151 yards and two touchdowns, while Quarterback Anderson Joseph, Jr. struggled to a tune of 141 yards on 9-of-14 passing. A tense affair, won by one of the favorites.

Tihon Tridents 20–10 Rainbow Triad

Recap: In a matchup between two teams looking for their first victory, the Tridents' Defensive Front harried Camille Meer all day long, forcing her into three turnovers that led to ten of the team's twenty points. It isn't good for Tihon's offense to only be scoring twenty points, but they'll take their first win as a franchise after having a hard time against the Cyan and the Lynx; for the Triad, they will be hoping this is just growing pains.

Knetyohai Icebreakers 35–26 Heartland Harvesters

Recap: Give Heartland credit - they became the first team to solve the Icebreakers' defense as Patrick Friar did throw for two Touchdowns. However, the lack of punching the ball into the end zone - four Field Goals the result - became a problem as the Harvesters had no answer to Knetyohai's rushing attack with Gyles Munaloff. Munaloff had three touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on the day as the Icebreakers scored on their first three drives and never looked back, completing their first Round-Robin with a perfect record.

Staramara Angels 16–0 Myana Waveriders

Recap: There's that defense of Staramara stepping up - holding Myana to 161 yards of total Offense and never letting them in. Kicker Lance Lalian, one of the best in the CGL, nailed all three Field Goals beyond forty yards, Trayvon Mixon had 120 yards and a touchdown, and the Angels never looked uncomfortable. After the shock loss to Knetyohai, Staramara has recovered nicely in the last two weeks.

Matchday 4

Heartland Harvesters 25–33 Chromia Cyan

Recap: Two miscues on Special Teams make the game interesting for Heartland, but Chromia's quality ultimately proves to be too much as Jesse Jackson throws for two more Touchdowns in the Fourth Quarter to put the game away. A blocked punt and a fumbled punt return resulted in two Touchdowns for the Harvesters, but the Cyan's passing attack was too much the later the game went. Credits to Heartland to makings things interesting, but Chromia remains the class of the CGL so far in the season.

Staramara Angels 41–20 Rainbow Triad

Recap: The good news for the Triad? They scored on the Angels, not an easy feat. Tobias Gyart had himself a day with 141 yards and two touchdowns receiving. The bad news for the Triad? Trayvon Mixon ran like a person possessed. 181 yards and four touchdowns saw the Angels use their feature back to dominate time of possession, and with the added pressure, young Camille Meer threw two Second Half interceptions that proved to be costly. Rainbow were never meant to beat one of the best teams in the CGL anyway, right?

Knetyohai Icebreakers 9–20 Qet Lynx

Recap: It was going to be a massive test for the Icebreakers to host the Lynx, and the matchup didn't disappoint. The score was 9-7 at halftime - both defenses playing physically, the Icebreakers having to settle for Field Goals, and the Lynx struggling to put together drives. Qet's Second Half performance was astonishing, outgaining their opponents 151-27 and shutting them out 13-0 as Anderson Joseph, Jr. showed why he was drafted with a Passing Touchdown to Tight End Clarence Bell. Knetyohai's vaunted running back Gyles Munaloff was held to only eight yards in the Second Half, handing the Icebreakers their first defeat of the season.

Myana Waveriders 54–33 Tihon Tridents

Recap: In a highly entertaining affair that saw five turnovers, the Waveriders relied on a dual rushing attack with Xan Jones and Lars Harold to roll over the Tridents. The duo combined for over 300 yards rushing as the Waveriders put up six scores on the ground; Tihon's Nicholas Mette did have over three hundred yards passing, but the Tridents could not keep up with the scoring effort of the Waveriders.

Standings after Week 4

National Division        Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Chromia Cyan             4    4   0   104   70  +34   3-0   1-0
2 Qet Lynx                 4    3   1    81   50  +31   2-1   1-0
3 Tihon Tridents           4    1   3    88  131  −43   1-2   0-1
4 Rainbow Triad            4    0   4    44   89  −45   0-3   0-1
Chromatik Division       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Div   CrD
1 Knetyohai Icebreakers    4    3   1    70   49  +21   3-0   0-1
2 Staramara Angels         4    3   1    73   47  +26   2-1   1-0
3 Heartland Harvesters     4    1   3    83  106  −23   1-2   0-1
4 Myana Waveriders         4    1   3    79   80   −1   0-3   1-0

by **New Umoja** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 2:11 pm

Let The Thunder Roll! Okonkwo Helps Power Bears Past Mountain Lions

The high of a first win didn’t last long for the Mountain Lions, as New Umoja left their home-away-from-home in Waylook for perhaps their longest road trip, all the way to Brammel to meet the South Americanastan Bears. The game was pitched as a potential battle of the big backs, between Hakeem “Thunder” Okonkwo and Mlamuleli Mwelase, but in truth that contest was particularly one-sided. Okonkwo led all rushers as the Bears’ triple option offense pounded away at the Mountain Lions’ defensive front, while Mwelase barely got going, anonymous in the first half and injured in the second. His hamstring injury rules him out against Banija and will be a worry for the remainder of the tournament.

Jekeil Bridges lies prone after being laid out by Micheal Levitsko, and Ahmad Triannon beats Jasen Small to the fumble

It was a game whose box score didn’t tell the whole story. The Mountain Lions might be proud to hold seasoned World Bowl veterans the Bears to within a score, but the margin between the two teams was wider than the six points on the scoreboard; had the Bears converted their third downs better, they might have punched in more scores, but as it was had to settle for three field goals in addition to Okonkwo’s power run to score from the 1 yard line with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. A long 6 minute drive down the field started the fourth quarter, and with 9 minutes remaining the Bears took a two-score lead when Tommy Gunn darted a 2 yard pass into traffic for Tom Malhop to grasp. That left the Mountain Lions needing to score, recover the ball, and score again: they did the first part, with Ashkira Fisher kicking her longest field goal of the tournament to date from 44 yards out; the did the second part, getting the defensive stop, but at the expense of time run off the clock; and they fell short of the third, as they couldn’t connect on a series of desperate passes.

Oman Malone can only watch as "Thunder" Okonkwo celebrates his touchdown

Injury report:

C Ishaq Mohammed – Hip – Probable
OLB Rontay Jordan – Groin – Doubtful
RB Mlamuleli Mwelase – Hamstring – Out
SS Jamyron Butler – Hamstring – Out
PR Dejerius Pope – Ankle – Out
DE Somondre Hampton – Back – Upgraded to Probable
S Abidemi Oluwasegun – Knee – Out

Santrell Wilkins won’t look back fondly on a 15-of-33 passing performance for just 208 yards and a touchdown, but he wasn’t that bad; the real issue was the inability of the offensive line to give him a clean pocket against an aggressive Bears’ pass rush that knocked him on his ass no fewer than five times, and wiped 23 net yards off those passing yards. He wasn’t as turnover prone as in the first game, fumbling once and falling on the loose ball immediately, though Jekeil Bridges, who had a terrible game with just 18 yards on 2 receptions despite 10 targets as Mack Johnson was all over him, coughed up a fumble turnover to put the Bears into early scoring range, though they ended up settling for the chip shot.

The defense was a little better. Olufunmilayo Ayokunle performed creditably in the continuing absence of Rontay Jordan, and had 1 of 2 sacks registered on Gunn, the other split between Dannell Fleming and Jowuan Knox. Arkell Owens was again a leader, with 10 tackles – 8 solo, 3 for loss. And both Oman Malone and Kaiman Battle Jr. covered their corners pretty well. But the defense couldn’t generate turnovers and with the offense going three-and-out so often didn’t have much time to rest, leading to tired bodies that couldn’t slow down the run game long enough to make the big stops.

Despite the disappointing result there’s a lot of excitement for the coming match-up with Banija, and New Umojan fans are flocking to Waylook in their thousands. Once again the Djeme Corps of the People’s Liberation Army Academy will perform, and pre-game entertainment will include stars of music and film. But it’ll be the performance on the field that really matters, and without Mwelase, the pressure on Wilkins and Chamaun Burgess to get the offense moving, having scored just 40 points in 12 quarters of football now, becomes even more potent.

by **Valanora** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 2:31 pm

"Well, it is not going the greatest, but it is notmgoing terrible either losing to Nova Calania though might come back to bite us later if we end up on a battle for a playoff position with them."

"Yeah, with as top heavy as the group looks to be, not winning the games against the teams in the lower pots can br a recipe for disaster. The Sabres can ill afford another performance against that against the other lower seeded teams or else the dream of a playoff berth will already be over."

"Well, it was a bad time for Schau to freeze up and have an off game, like he was still a freshman back at University and getting ready for his first NSCF start. Really need him and the rest of the offense to step up in the remaining games or our stay in Drawkland shall be short lived."

"Speaking of Drawkland, and Sonnel in general, any idea why they seem so caught up in the number seven? They seem to ha e quite the unreasonable obsession with that number from what I have been able to notice in passing. Seems like the weird rubber chicken thing other places have to me."

"We are not here to pass judgemental on other people and their cultural differences that might seem weird to our own, we are here to enjoy the gridiron and see the Sabres play. They have a few more games and I really hope that Magnusson can get the team pulling in the right direction together and string together some high quality performances, the strength of this group demands our best. Would be a disservice to the group and the team if they do not go out there and give it their best shot, even if it might come up short."

by **Langenia** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 4:54 pm

Noticias: Deportes

First Langenia World Bowl Win After Tough Game

Los Azules would win their first game at the World Bowl off a 0-3 away victory against 25th-ranked Crpostan. Both teams' offensive struggles would be put on full display as neither side failed to score any points for three straight quarters or any touchdowns at all. A last-minute, fourth-quarter Langenian field goal would narrowly avert an unusual scoreless draw. In contrast to the offensive woes both teams faced, defenses would shine as both sides prevented each other from nearing the red zone and recorded numerous sacks and interceptions.

Crpostan would open up the game with a drive towards the Langenian end zone, however, they would see it unceremoniously ended with an interception by Los Azules outside linebacker Joaquin Moya. The Langenian offense would take the field, however, they would be unable to advance beyond the 40-yard line before the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was similar, with both teams preventing each other from advancing beyond the 30-yard line. Surprisingly, neither side opted to attempt a field goal despite getting within range numerous times, perhaps indicating a desperate wish to score touchdowns for more points. In what was perhaps a bad night for the teams' offensive lines, Langenia's Angel Murillo and the Crpostan quarterback would be sacked multiple times, repeatedly nipping plays in the bud before they could start.

At last, Langenia would attempt to gain some points in the third quarter of the game off a Sergio Cruz field goal from 50 yards. Unfortunately for them, Cruz would miss the kick, leaving the game scoreless. Crpostan would attempt a similar play, also seeing their kicker send it wide.

Finally, as the clock ticked down towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Langenian offense would set up another field goal for Sergio Cruz, who would kick for 47 yards to put Los Azules up by three. Crpostan would be unable to tie the game before the fourth quarter came to an end, handing Langenia the win.

Even with the win, Langenia remains ninth in division standings after having scored 29 points yet conceded 40 for a difference of -11. Head coach Aaron Barrios commented on the lessons of the game against Crpostan at a press conference, stating that "After watching this game we can observe our greatest strength right now is our defense, and even that requires improvements if we want to compete with the teams here at the World Bowl. Speaking on the offense, there's a lot of work that needs to be done to make it better considering we haven't been able to score a touchdown other than a punt return since our first game. Again, we're learning, and aspiring to get better by the lessons at this tournament."

by **Drawkland** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 5:24 pm

DrawkStar Studios presents ...

JACK HOY'S FOOTBALL WORLD 49

The highly-anticipated sequel to the multiversal hit!

Game cover, featuring Jack Hoy in some of the uniforms he wore most often.
Top left: Ducentu Glassmen. Middle right: Drawkland's Grid Corps.
Bottom left: Fiston Redwolves (RFL). Bottom right: Waxton Pilots.
Images were generated with Midjourney AI then edited/assembled in paint.NET

After the international release of the original Jack Hoy's Football World game, the fanbase for the budding video game franchise skyrocketed. No longer constrained to Drawkland and the particularly interested Ranorians, now the entire international footballing community got to enjoy the top-quality digital football experience presented by DrawkStar Sports. The new game featuring immortal cover boy Jack Hoy sold like hot cakes, even outdoing DrawkStar's initial projections for their international Deluxe Edition release.

Thanks to the increased sales, DrawkStar's plans for a tentative sequel quickly rocketed from tentative to concrete. The rumors of Drawkland putting together a host bid for World Bowl XLIX only accelerated the timeline for DrawkStar Sports. The coincidence was easy to spot early on - the 49th World Bowl was approaching, and Jack Hoy had worn number 49 throughout his collegiate and professional career. Rather than going with the typical "2" title for the sequel, DrawkStar elected to focus on Jack and the World Bowl by marking this second entry as the franchise as #49. Thus, Jack Hoy's Football World 49 was born. But beyond the name, what makes this title different than the first?

NEW FEATURES

DrawkStar heard your pleas. "We want the World Bowl! Give us the national teams!" With the game now being distributed to an international audience, and the festivities of the World Bowl surrounding the game's release, it was a no-brainer. DrawkStar's #1 priority going into this development cycle was to bring the World Bowl to consoles across the multiverse. They are proud to announce that Jack Hoy's Football World 49 will feature multiple modes centering around the World Bowl.

The featured mode is World Bowl XLIX Campaign, which is pretty self-explanatory. Using the information from the real-life World Bowl XLIX group draw and stadium assignments, players can take control of any of the 30 teams participating in World Bowl 49 and attempt to lead them to glory. Will you try to repeat glory with recent champion powerhouses like Drawkland and Sarzonia? Will you try to return to relevance with a historic nation like Delaclava or Ranoria using a less impressive roster? Or will you try to lead an unranked team to the promised land? Both singleplayer and multiplayer options are available for this mode.

For a national team experience with more replayability, World Bowl Custom Campaign is the way to go. Players have the opportunity to Create-A-Nation for this mode, coming up with basic nation details and creating a roster from scratch (or using from a list of pre-generated roster styles with randomized names). Alternatively, players can take control of an existing World Bowl national team like in the XLIX Campaign mode. When setting up the Custom Campaign, one of four legendary host nations (Drawkland, Ranoria, Banija, or Quebec and Shingoryeo) can be selected to serve as tournament host, along with options for selecting group stage formats, or even going straight to a knockout format with no group stage. Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions, DrawkStar was unable to provide options for historical World Bowl nations or home venues for non-hosting national teams. However, due to most active national gridiron associations being present in Drawkland for this current World Bowl, DrawkStar is willing to enter negotiations with any national team that wishes to have historic rosters and/or their home venue(s) added to the game.

Eagle-eyed fans of the first game may have raised their eyebrows at the inclusion of Banija and Quebec & Shingoryeo in the potential host nations. After all, in the first edition of Jack Hoy's Football World, only GLD and RFL teams and stadiums were available. For Jack Hoy's Football World 49, DrawkStar managed to secure licensing rights from both the GFLB of Banija and the QFL of Quebec and Shingoryeo. Now players engaging in the League Champion game mode have four of the multiverse's top gridiron leagues available to play in! Similar to the first edition, you can choose to limit yourself to one league of play, or choose to add two, three, or even all four leagues in play, allowing cross-national free agency, drafting, and career paths. The fan-favorite fictional "Hoy Bowl" exhibition between the GLD and RFL champion will have an equivalent between the other leagues. Players can also choose to have a super-league type mini-tournament between the league champions, or turn off the exhibitions altogether.

With all these new additions, Quick Star Draft now has a big upgrade. For those unfamiliar, this mode allows players to quickly draft a roster of players to make a national-team caliber roster in just a few minutes in order to play a quick game or tournament among friends. The roster limit of 25 has been raised to 30 (11 starters + 3 subs on both offense and defense, plus 2 special teamers). In addition to the full domestic rosters of the GLD and RFL (plus GFLB and QFL new this edition), national team rosters from World Bowl XLIX are also available to pull from! Show off your favorite players in head-to-head combat in this short-form mode.

Naturally, Quick Play for one-off exhibition games offline and online gets a fresh coat of paint. All teams from GLD, RFL, GFLB, and QFL are in play, in additional to some national team rosters from World Bowl XLIX. You can even pit national teams against random domestic league teams, if you're a real sicko.

Face of Football also got a slight refresh. The RPG-esque single-player experience where gamers guide a single player through a career as a gridiron superstar (or middling role-player, if that's what they find interesting) now has twice as many team options thanks to the expanded league licensing. New this game comes the ability to be called up to the national team of whatever nation you're from (an attribute which has been added new for this edition as well), if you play well enough to warrant it. Pro tip: choose to be a QB from South Newlandia and you're almost guaranteed a call-up after your rookie season! Unfortunately, college gameplay could not be secured for this game, with your career journey beginning with the combine and draft for whichever league you decide to start in.

New this edition is a truly unique gamemode that some gamers may find fun: Hoy vs Player! People have said for years that Jack Hoy has put up "video-game" numbers in the leagues he's played in. Now's your chance to put that to the test! Starting in Ducentu, can you match or even beat Jack Hoy's real life stats in each year of his career? Players can choose whether to railroad themselves to Jack's career path as he moved from team to team, or forge a new path (ever wish Jack played for your favorite team instead?) throughout the years. Contrary to popular belief, Jack Hoy did not provide information about the quest for immortality, so that chapter of his life will not be included in gameplay. Instead, focus on the gridiron and see if you can outrun the greatest running back of all time! Yeah, he paid us extra to say that.

DrawkStar also slightly adjusted the challenge of their five difficulty levels, Bench, Starter, Star, MVP, and Immortal. Player feedback was essential to these adjustments, ensuring that players of all skill levels can find a mode that provides a good balance between challenge and fun. Nerds that said Immortal difficulty was "too easy" in the first game ... GOOD LUCK. The game engine was kept the same between titles, with some slight fine-tuning (especially on the foreign console ports) done to ensure the smoothest possible experience. Critics and fans praised the realism and ease of use for the original game engine, so DrawkStar felt it was fair to keep it going for this edition (mostly due to the quick turnaround between the first release and this sequel).

RELEASE

As of MD3 of this World Bowl, Jack Hoy's Football World 49 is officially available in stores across Drawkland, in addition to online retailers! Fans of football in Drawkland for the World Bowl are encouraged to check out their local game store or supermarket to pick up a copy while you're here. However, fans with domestic consoles may have to rely on online sales to get a version of the game that'll work on your system. If you have the money to spare, we recommend purchasing the xPerio, the highest-regarded console in Drawkland. Yes, we're paid to say that, but it's a great investment for the avid gamer.

There's no better time than the World Bowl to promote a new football game featuring the World Bowl itself. With the entire tournament being held in Drawkland, the opportunities for promoting the game are virtually endless. Jack Hoy himself has been scheduled for multiple press dates throughout the country over the next few weeks to celebrate and show off the release of the game. The grand release announcement held in Ducentu prior to the MD3 game between Aurevbush and Ranoria. It felt like the best possible place to do it - the city where Jack Hoy's pro career began, and with the fanbase of his current domestic team's nation present in town. Jack Hoy gave a press conference, a short demonstration of the new game features, and made the first official "sale" of the game to himself, which he immediately passed to one random lucky fan in the crowd.

Jack Hoy will make a few more appearances to promote the game. He'll be at home in Metropolon ahead of Drawkland's home match against Valanora in MD4. Then for MD5, he'll travel to Waxton the day before the Banija vs TJUN-ia match in his old home of Waxton City Dome where he won 3 MVPs. Finally, MD6 he'll brave the horrors of travelling to Cavsar to show off the game to a primarily Quebecois crowd prior to their clash against Nova Calania. These pressers will feature gameplay demonstrations, giveaways, and inevitably plenty of Jack Hoy antics. Come and join the fun, and maybe walk away with a free copy of the football game that's about to sweep the multiverse!

by **Cardenao** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 5:49 pm

In hindsight, it is pretty ridiculous that such a clearly false rumor would come to dominate the pre-game airwaves but that’s the nature of sports fandoms, it’s seven levels of insanity. Without the benefit of hindsight though, it’s clear to see how seemingly a whisper on one of those magical corners of the internet where experts and philosophers tune in from their armchairs ultimately wound up being all anyone could talk about. What started as late night marijuana induced hypothetical question ‘if elephants could read, what would their playbook look like?’ morphed into a headline that boldly blazed across the morning papers:

‘Holy shit South Newlandia has a copy of Cardenao’s playbook!’

No time for anybody to fact check this, no time for anyone to think critically about this, absolutely not it is hot to the press and this rumor spread like wildfire. By the time it reached the Blue and Golds themselves, the story was everywhere–all the blogs, radio stations, shoot kids at school were discussing the ethics of gaining an unearned advantage over a competitor to increase their probability of victory only for their teacher to reply “rng lol”. All of a sudden the players are being bombarded by reporters, family members, concerned bettors, fantasy gurus, all questioning how South Newlandia has been studying every play, every motion move, every formation, everything. After a hot 3-0 start where pretty much everything had gone their way, things were now poised to go very much not their way in a must-win game against the #19 team in the multiverse.

For Bobby Dials, his concern was less that they might have a copy of the playbook as he was confident in his and the team's ability to simply outplay their opponents, and more that this bullshit was already affecting the team in little ways. Some of the players were rattled, dropping passes they normally catch 10 out of 10 times, or second-guessing themselves before going into a tackle, or just feeling the additional stress in general. They didn’t need any of that crap, they already had enough on their plates trying to qualify for the playoff stage, nevermind getting back to the semi-finals or beyond. Now they had to deal with this. It could be nothing, it could be everything. So what do you do about it? You gotta get them motivated in the locker room.

Oreme Field, what a beautiful stadium to do battle in. Being in Drawkland, it was typically Drawkian which worked perfectly for the Cardenaoan’s purposes, which was to play football. The team was definitely looking a bit different, a bit stressed. Conversations were brief and held in hushed tones. Eyes shot around the room nervously. Marquis Ingram, normally loud and full of swagger, sat by himself with his headphones in. Mack King, always walking around chest puffed up slapping the boys on their backs, now paced the room with his jaw clenched. The vibes were not great.

Enter Bobby Dials, I mean let’s be real who else would it be. All eyes on him, Mr. Cool, and he’s as cool as cool could be. The captain takes the pulse of the room in a second and knows he needs to get the anxiety out of the room, can’t let that take further root. All eyes on him, time to run it.

“I know what you’re all thinking, I’ve been thinking it too. We all heard the rumors so let’s cut through the shit and get our game plan dialed in. Maybe they’ve got our playbook. Maybe they don’t…I don’t think they do. Does it even matter though? Seriously, does it matter?”

“We’ve all been scouted. There’s 1093 websites that’s got footage of our games. A playbook just gives them stuff they really already know. But that’s not why I think it doesn’t matter. I think it doesn’t matter because they aren’t ready for the plays to be run by us. They might know the plays we’ll run but I guarantee they don’t know how we’ll run them. They don’t know how hard DVick hits those gaps, they don’t know how fast Marquis is gonna torch them on the sideline and they definitely don’t know how much it hurts to get hit by Alabaster Red. They don’t know how hard we’ve been working for three World Bowls now, we’ve got that fire in us, La Furia Azule, they know nothing about that. Yeah yeah you know our plays……good luck stopping them.”

“Oh fuck yeah,” Alabaster ‘Big Red’ muttered as the Cardenaoans felt that familiar feeling of confidence return to their chest, the players nodded in agreement as the room started to fill with excitement.

“I’ll tell you one thing for damn sure, if they think they’ve got us all figured out, well we just gotta pop them in the nose and take the fire to ‘em. Mix things up, go left instead of right, throw in some curveballs for them, all we need to do is play the game the way we do, the way that’s gotten us three Ws so far, that’s it.”

Dials locked eyes with Elton El-Amin, the 6’8 311 pound monster who roamed the defensive line. “Elton, they think they know our defense. You think they know what it feels like to get hit by you when you’re coming full speed off the edge?

Elton felt a grin creep across his face, “No chance, Bobby.”

“You’re damn right. Hey, we’re here because we’re fucking nice at football okay? So let’s just get out there and be fucking nice at football.”

Passing:
Bobby Dials 25/16/221 yards/1TD–8.8YPA/50yd long–3 sacks/-23 yards–105.6 QB Rating

Rushing:
DeAndre Vick 24 rushes/89 yards/2TD–3.7Y/A–13yd long
Reno Thai 2 rushes/9 yards–4.5Y/A–7yd long

Receiving:
WR Deacon St. John 4REC/93 yards--23.3Y/A--50yd long
WR Marquis Ingram 3REC/20 yards--6.7Y/A--9yd long
TE Nejc Graciano 4REC/21 yards--7Y/A--9yd long
WR Saivion Ware 3REC/28 yards–9.3Y/A–15yd long
RB DeAndre Vick 2REC/27 yards/1TD--13.5Y/A--15yd long
WR Telesforo Muhammad 1REC/32 yards--32Y/A-32yd long

Passing:
Bobby Dials 22/30/236 yards/2TD/1INT–1 sack/5 yards–102.9 QB Rating

Rushing:
DeAndre Vick 14 rushes/116 yards/1TD–8.3Y/A–29yd long
Reno Thai 5 rushes/20 yards–4Y/A–13yd long
Marcial Pritchet 4 rushes/16 yards–4Y/A–8yd long
Bobby Dials 1 rushes/6 yards
Deacon St. John 2 rushes/5 yards–2.5Y/A–3yd long

Receiving:
WR Saivion Ware 4REC/62 yards/--15.5Y/A--25yd long
WR Deacon St. John 4REC/39 yards--9.75Y/A--16yd long
WR Marquis Ingram 3REC/37 yards/--12.3Y/A--20yd long
RB Jake Watson 2REC/30 yards--15.0Y/A--22yd long
WR Telesforo Muhammad 3REC/22 yards/1TD--7.3Y/A-8yd long
TE Hayden Williams 5REC/22 yards--4.4Y/A--8yd long
RB DeAndre Vick 3TGT/2REC/19 yards--4.0Y/A--7yd long

by **New Rotterdam City** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 7:03 pm

KALEIDOSCOPE
Winter Storm, First Part | Winter Storm, Second Part
—

New Rotterdam Harbor

Van Tilberg looks up through the sheets of rain battering his floppy hat at a corner window of the Governor-General's House, where one window is lit by a pale yellow. The sky is gray and its clouds grow thicker.

Van Tilberg stands in the slush set awash by the cold rain sleet which has become a thin film slick on the cobblestones; the heavy raining drives dirt and stone crumblings and thatch detriment into the growing stream and other worse things leak out from a primitive sewer and the runoff of the shit of horses. Van Tilberg's donkey flicks its tail, standing in the rain, becoming wet.

"Okay!" he yells. Yank on the lead: "Move now!"

The harbor is a scurry of workers whose work the rain has made very inconvenient. The things they scurry about are massive ships; not three or four generations ago the harbor of New Rotterdam was a smattering of piers round an elbow of the bay but in this time since the Harbor has emerged and the stone customs house and wooden port inns speak to this; now the ships that arrive are multi-decked and they bear their passengers and Old World metal and cloth into a harbor of froth and bustle; but in this rain the scurry is soaked and subdued.

One ship bobs a thousand meters from the harbor. The Gelderland is quarantined for dysentery. Rain rocks it back and forth upon its keel; its sails are pulled up and the deck is empty. This is a ship of settlers. Her poor cargo, undoubtably, have been soaked.

For poor Wout Wimders locked in the stocks, he can yawp all he wants but the rain is drowning out his cries anyhow. Another case of public drunkenness and disorder; maybe he should have had better timing.

On the Rotterdam Common, now waterlogged and as much muck as grass, coach Joop Jager isn't giving a breath of rest to New Rotterdam's all-colony gridiron team in this winter storm, just as he couldn't catch a breath of rest when he had to escape the British by crawling through the swamp-bogs with only a buck knife and a loincloth.

The hills behind that city

And some Native Amerijkans in the hills watch the storm make landing over the bay from their smoldering campfire in front of a huddle of wigwams; for them, they can’t help but feel like the winds are changing. These are the people of Chief Tuppahannock.

Mesqahipwic is a tall and thin man with a wispy scalplock of black hair. He leans on a wooden lacrosse stick.

"I saw a contingent of them across the creek Wessagusset the other day," speaks Poquiantup, a fur trapper. Mesqahipwic nods.

"That's quite far north for them," says Mesqahipwic.

"It's too far north."

"You say?"

Poquiantup squints into the quickening rain. "That's not their territory to settle."

Mesqahipwic laughs. Poquiantup shrugs. "There will be war here before our children grow."

Mesqahipwic walks off and playfully taps the head of Poquiantup as he leaves. "You're too solemn," he says. Poquiantup flattens his mouth into a serious line. Mesqahipwic laughs again. "This is why you're not married!"

A beaten dirt trail

A black-cloaked rider races down a forest path, cut through the trees, with sleet rain falling in occasional beads, but they're gathering; the rider kicks the sides of his horse again. He does not want to be caught on this road at nightfall, nor in the rainstorm—both are very close.

This has been a ride of an hour and forty minutes from New Rotterdam, past where the city fades into rolling farms and town-clusters, which themselves become hamlets in thicks of trees and bends of creeks, and then they pass into long and quiet dirt paths like this one. The cloaked rider only saw one soul on this road past Boer Town, 50 miles from the city, and it was a ruddy Frisian farmer hauling his hay cart with an overburdened ox. Then silence all the way.

Light cuts through the trees. He stands in the saddle and slows his horse. This town is ringed with a wooden palisade; it's mostly a relic of a more violent time. The rider dismounts. He rings a bell. He waits several minutes. The gate opens and a bearded man leads him in.

They embrace. "Hello papa—"

"Hello Pieter—"

"Just before the storm—"

"My university boy!—"

"How have things been—"

"I..."

This town is sleepy and a couple windows of the slooped thatch houses are lit soft and orange.

"Follow, Pieter."

They walk through the town's commons. This village abuts a river—the Wessagusset, or as denominated by the New Rotterdam colonial authorities, the river Prinses Amalia. (Nobody calls it "Prinses Amalia).

At the farthest opposite bank of the river stands twinkling lights.

"This is new—"

"It is new."

"The Natives?"

"No."

A beat passes.

"Things have changed while you were gone."

"I thought they didn't settle this far south."

His father turns around and walks away, leaving Pieter in the dark.

by **Drawkland** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 7:27 pm

WORLD BOWL 49
XLIX - MD4

Match 4 incoming! We're nearing the halfway point.

With the release of Jack Hoy's Football World 49 in Drawkland, football fans from everywhere are encouraged to give the game a try! If this game sells as well as the first, then another addition to the franchise may be in order ... but there's no telling whether that'll be linked to next World Bowl cycle, or further in the future. Nations with their own domestic football leagues may be interested in having their leagues added to whatever sequel may come down the line ... DrawkStar Sports would be glad to have discussions to that end.

For clarity, Ranoria's RP below was posted before scorination, so the bonus was counted for this cutoff.

North Division

Quebec and Shingoryeo 36–11 Langenia
Nova Calania 29–16 Crpostran
New Rotterdam City 6–26 Chromatika
Drawkland 53–13 Valanora
Delaclava 37–27 Natkr

 # North Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Drawkland               4   4  0  151  56 +95
 2 Chromatika              4   4  0   93  22 +71
 3 Quebec and Shingoryeo   4   3  1  109  63 +46
 4 Nova Calania            4   2  2   92  75 +17
 5 Delaclava               4   2  2  112 130 −18
 6 Valanora                4   2  2   77 116 −39
 7 New Rotterdam City      4   1  3   72  90 −18
 8 Langenia                4   1  3   40  76 −36
 9 Natkr                   4   1  3   83 138 −55
10 Crpostran               4   0  4   26  89 −63

East Division

Ko-oren 13–30 HUElavia
Ranoria 13–24 Sarzonia
Kinqueven 16–33 Aurevbush
Terefuxe 3–56 Katzeburg
South Newlandia 10–3 Cardenao

 # East Division         Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Sarzonia                4   3  1   86  56 +30
 2 South Newlandia         4   3  1   37  36  +1
 3 HUElavia                4   3  1   92  26 +66
 4 Cardenao                4   3  1   71  54 +17
 5 Ranoria                 4   2  2   71  51 +20
 6 Katzeburg               4   2  2  101  59 +42
 7 Ko-oren                 4   2  2   85 104 −19
 8 Terefuxe                4   1  3   81 116 −35
 9 Aurevbush               4   1  3   50 106 −56
10 Kinqueven               4   0  4   39 105 −66

South Division

Abanhfleft 21–14 Lisander
New Umoja 0–41 Banija
TJUN-ia 15–6 South Americanastan
The Kytler Peninsulae 7–0 Vaishnavaria
Juvencus 13–27 Kamijiro

 # South Division        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD 
 1 Banija                  4   4  0  156  56 +100
 2 The Kytler Peninsulae   4   4  0  110  52 +58
 3 Kamijiro                4   3  1   63  56  +7
 4 TJUN-ia                 4   3  1   94  80 +14
 5 South Americanastan     4   2  2   74  76  −2
 6 Juvencus                4   1  3  115 124  −9
 7 Abanhfleft              4   1  3   89 124 −35
 8 New Umoja               4   1  3   40  86 −46
 9 Lisander                4   1  3   52 109 −57
10 Vaishnavaria            4   0  4   46  76 −30

by **Ranoria** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 7:29 pm

Meant to post this after MD2, Oop

Welcome To North Frost Stadium:
Krauts Introduce Themselves To Cove Port, Bulldoze Katzeburg In Home Debut

Rylan Rodgers Jr bounced back from a horrendous week one to lead the team in scrimmage yards

After losing their first international contest after a two-cycle hiatus, the Krauts made sure to let everyone in Cove Port know they hadn't been assigned some deadbeat squad in their home debut. Plenty of Ranorians managed to make the trip to Drawkland to see the contest and the pride and joy of Ranorian sports didn't disappoint, taking a commanding lead early and never letting it go. And they even let loose a bit - gotta give the fans something to put on the highlight reel, right?

After none other than Gideon Kearse forced a third down throw away on the opening drive, Vallienté Wagner-Young got the ball back after a tough week one. He only dropped back once on the drive, but that's all it took to flip the field. With a clean pocket, Wagner Young looked first over the middle, then flicked his eyes over to Jannik Nadine deep. And even the camera picked up his grin when he saw just how outmatched Wildcats corner Chandler Ryland was. He intentionally threw the ball a bit behind to make sure to avoid a disaster, and Nadine snagged it at the twenty two, shrugging Ryland off on the initial tackle before reinforcements managed to bring him down. Ryland was helped up by his teammates, shaking his head, but Nadine had no such modesty, flipping the ball to the official and pumping a fist after the huge gain.

Mind you, that would be the longest gain of the day, but it was more than enough - four plays later, Ragnar Sampson hammered in a touchdown from three yards out to take a lead that was never challenged.

With both teams employing a run-heavy scheme to keep the opposing offense off the field, the game flew by relative to the other contests kicking off at the one o'clock window, and it never looked like Ranoria was in too much trouble. The Wildcats offense was stifled again and again by a front four that past its prime or not, had more than enough physicality to hold up against the run. Whether it was Abram Fairbanks chasing from behind, Vollmacht blowing it up, or Najee Isidora leveling the runner, the Wildcats struggled to get any real traction going while the points just piled on.

Rylan Rodgers Jr made his presence known with a thirteen yard rushing score in the second quarter, and a third quarter field goal made it 17-0 with under twenty minutes to play.

with Rylan Rodgers Jr and Maximillian Marie running in touchdowns of their own in the third and fourth quarters to stretch the lead to an eventual 24-7 margin.

by **Ko-oren** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 6:25 am

Season 54 Previews

Greencaster Godspeed
Stadium: Surbourneshire Square (65000) in Garihnkatar (Greencaster), Shahrigarihn (Surbourneshire)
Titles: 3
Record in final: 3-0
Playoff appearances: 4
Historical Championships: 4
Rivals:

QB Khutlires Khrushikhathiden (20), BQ Guanyu Long (24)
FB Jack Shorelett (24), HB Harold Steelling (23), RB Uhezhu Nihruden (19), WR Booker Chisel (30), XR Roe Fineman (33), YR Roman Belsea (24), ZR Conor yTaeganmac (28), TR Joshiaki Vino (32), TB Charlton Chilley (32)
RT Levi Lightcroft (26), RG George Lee (30), CE Aaron Penn (33), LG Rohbes Zhihguhdhen (20), LT Trevor Gredhpelogun (21), OL Leonard Renfall (28)
LE Llawglhwn yDaddmhwr (33), LD Auite Aonadi (24), NT Srithnakak Klombaruden (20), RD Stantin Delaunay (28), RE Frederick Clockbrough (28)
OB Samuel Dargrove (31), WB Newmrhaf yFawschawf (34), IB Theophilus Anthard (24), MB Inigo Ilway (26), SB Tom Nantfield (24), BZ Zadhemas Ardehninen (24)
LC Max Devilliers (33), FS Byron Kadwell (31), SS Shin Munemori (23), RC Arvid Knight (33), NB Cuthbert Callader (23), DB Allen Roshikhathothen (20)
PK Nat Etherquand (24), PU Trevor Ragane (25), LS Aomapu Aubtella (23), PR Bruno Barcia (24), KR Cyrus Wybrier (25), JM Aobue Aipara (23), GU Uhdahfuth Shuhkehshen (23)

Willowbourne Saints
Stadium: Willowbowl (55000) in Ilohbonu (Willowbourne), Ubakhim Maengiu (Corridor)
Titles: 2
Record in final: 2-3
Playoff appearances: 5
Historical Championships: 4
Rivals:

QB Matthew Amplewin (25), BQ Southwell Callakins (29)
FB Hartley Noluhten (20), HB Planchet Chaumont (29), RB Walton Hooligan (31), WR Basile Erbland (27), XR Egge Gasbeek (30), YR Whitfield Easlemouth (26), ZR Thierry Bernot (29), TR Kechish Narlash (27), TB Emelas Sodorlugindhen (20)
RT Nathan Schildwacht (33), RG Martial Dautrich (21), CE Richard Paley (23), LG Ro Berthelot (35), LT Jo Altink (33), OL Payo Sotolongo (23)
LE Doran Gajaradhen (20), LD Wilbert Burke (32), NT Ciran yMohanmac (25), RD Vihnas Shihwothen (20), RE Arthur Burton (34)
OB Calisto Bahamonde (24), WB Edward Darknoll (33), IB Jérôme Guertin (28), MB Karlas Aunendhen (23), SB Molrak Kinportinden (36), BZ Alio Aelasea (24)
LC Ber Hafkamp (30), FS Urinan Gathoregadhen (19), SS Agamek Pesenthengun (27), RC Bernlef Vedervriend (22), NB Brawley Wifehthen (22), DB Shutes Bodhira (22)
PK Wolfe Sollett (24), PU Tehwas Pihledhen (22), LS Githinu Aodorlugindhen (24), PR Go Bronsvoord (31), KR Lucas Wheelwright (35), JM Lucian Cedarridge (27), GU Lom Brightforth (32)

Schemerdrecht 65ers
Stadium: 65ers Arena (48000) in Shemurdar (Schemerdrecht), Mahrkioren (Intermare)
Titles: 0
Record in final: 0-2
Playoff appearances: 6
Historical Championships: 2
Rivals:

QB Hayao Tsujimura (23), BQ Tsuneharu Tsuchie (28)
FB Kakichi Shilaki (25), HB Jonuk Barganulden (26), RB Yūshi Yokoi (23), WR Frank Redcay (33), XR Onne Lindeberg (28), YR Arend Schemer (22), ZR Ryōma Ishiwara (27), TR Yoshimoto Shima (25), TB Maxence Mangin (24)
RT Kesao Miyashita (25), RG Mardhun Relathingun (31), CE Vakinjories Seradhen (19), LG Harunobu Tseidjizen (21), LT Aenieme Arenna (32), OL Taketoshi Tominari (32)
LE Gabe Payne (31), LD Oldrik Zilvervijg (22), NT Kenshin Kuwamoto (25), RD Senoro Rjarjetein (22), RE Osamu Hedjezen (19)
OB Tjuzhubu Tseidjizen (23), WB Louw Hagendoorn (28), IB Eward Vanurwizunen (23), MB Reuben Ramsbottom (34), SB Dieboud Smit (23), BZ Lambijn Lepelaar (28)
LC Roedolf Navowoden (19), FS Berend Sekogafan (20), SS Ron Hulsbergen (33), RC Hubert Pluimvrucht (21), NB Reimert Monter (27), DB Bernhard Oostwilg (31)
PK Alphonse Mire (23), PU Aleid van Nieuwgraaf (27), LS Onemah Coogellong (29), PR Bé Budde (30), KR Napoléon Chez (31), JM Shapana Arahathenandhen (28), GU Jūshirō Yanagihara (24)

Mawryshire Centaurs
Stadium: Hertfield (33000) in Marapsathi (Mawrystwyth), Mauroren (Mawryshire)
Titles: 0
Record in final: 0-0
Playoff appearances: 2
Historical Championships: 0
Rivals:

QB Eogan yBybradan (25), BQ Ronan yLlwydythol (28)
FB Iogan yTregw (25), HB Aaron Cheltcherry (21), RB Gaé Leloup (28), WR Xavier Marineau (27), XR Paul Nihruden (19), YR Tim Porden (34), ZR Gideon Crossket (28), TR Yoshimitsu Kamitanida (24), TB Larkin McDermot (31)
RT Fynli Sriwohoden (20), RG Lehdhek Avijuden (19), CE Niniaw yAftonmac (26), LG Auhonen Haustedhaungen (31), LT Llwgypen yNargwrwdd (33), OL Sese Hector (31)
LE Reuben Fitzgerald (29), LD Cinpewg yMonras (34), NT Leon Ahern (31), RD Duzes Ahsolihgun (20), RE Tozathishak Plothirithithen (21)
OB Aeramo Aosonara (24), WB Poffoll yNewffas (32), IB Colm yBarrafon (27), MB Pellchis yFferohan (30), SB Jado Kiffer (31), BZ Benvito Castelan (32)
LC Elwood Guillan (34), FS Tirnan yBycolm (21), SS Ruggirra Yegish (24), RC Ennis yAwbar (24), NB Leendert Schachter (26), DB Eldon Anglebridge (22)
PK Kretliran Slegalihushen (22), PU Cwin yByconor (23), LS Jacob Eric (25), PR Bernardiño Barcia (27), KR Cornelis Argielregen (24), JM Dwftach yDalaid (28), GU Cerys Needleworth (25)

Mayara Destroyers
Stadium: Exhibition Centre (41000) in Majara (Mayara), Matali (KCT)
Titles: 2
Record in final: 2-1
Playoff appearances: 7
Historical Championships: 2
Rivals:

Mayara Wolves,

QB Sozuthel Gulthithen (25), BQ Edtek Aibsorelanden (30)
FB Doninak Soserindhen (32), HB Xermán Thuizhanun (20), RB Imes Toredaindin (24), WR Ghislain Arquette (27), XR Twan Nekker (30), YR El Crozier (34), ZR Rubozak Arathennen (28), TR Gurethen Tharadhen (34), TB Semeluth Maulaganthindhen (24)
RT Aulethan Tohanadigendhen (24), RG Danas Gajaradhen (19), CE Teluo Uozumi (24), LG Terpu Shazenregaudhen (24), LT Nolau Tathinden (35), OL Aidici Aeulen (27)
LE Hampton Purcell (32), LD Thainjas Huishonun (20), NT Amaro Viveiros (28), RD Virxilio Andrade (21), RE Hermek Aidedhonigunden (22)
OB Caces Dhitukun (22), WB Wilbert Burns (34), IB Juliette Traver (23), MB Evert Noorddal (31), SB Esuth Dauzithen (27), BZ Megu Shisonnen (28)
LC Archer Penleigh (23), FS Manoel Cales (22), SS Ninau Jaruninthen (31), RC Bizhina Modharennen (23), NB Zaifuk Thuizhanun (22), DB Bizhan Aidirunen (28)
PK Thekluk Tudhanudin (24), PU Zadhumes Gagepkudhen (21), LS Sergaskun Mithulinden (35), PR Dinuth Maulaganthindin (27), KR Pezhopu Gaulthisorudhen (28), JM Aurélien Rossignol (33), GU Arximiro Monteverde (27)

Mayara Wolves
Stadium: Wolves' Lair Stadium (37000) in Senoren (Senoren), Matali (KCT)
Titles: 1
Record in final: 1-0
Playoff appearances: 5
Historical Championships: 4
Rivals:

QB Zoruthau Kosmauthaunden (30), BQ Orinas Ganehuthen (32)
FB Jonas Wilson (32), HB Hermane Pargalgunnen (19), RB Emsan Majargun (24), WR Uriah Batward (28), XR Dwrwst yFirthion (22), YR Sonates Torkhegandhen (23), ZR Zenru Aholangaunten (28), TR Max Maret (33), TB Lisuk Dahrenden (22)
RT Khares Ekaregnau (20), RG Paranak Lambotherindhen (29), CE Xaneiro Ferreira (26), LG Robas Behdigehldhen (21), LT Medu Gaunlondhen (24), OL Madalena Toca (27)
LE Shapas Sadhrengun (22), LD Melton Hoddle (31), NT Xenaro Carreiro (24), RD Virxilio Ghuishumun (21), RE Julthorul Kaunorerinthen (33)
OB Keshenes Mauthrenadhen (28), WB Estevo Zauthathin (22), IB Shutek Gaulthisorudhen (27), MB Boaventura Levoitin (22), SB Naajabang Witzie (32), BZ Damonak Pauguthen (28)
LC Amrek Anethanthen (23), FS Parak Tukurudin (25), SS Pinauken Puraunthaunthen (33), RC Lisikas Toredaindin (25), NB Bernlef Lindal (25), DB Akihito Ōkawa (28)
PK Masafumi Hase (27), PU Kazhame Mojerannen (22), LS Eratel Barganulden (25), PR Raudhas Tehahanjeragdin (25), KR Akran Panonnen (27), JM Agsas Aorennen (20), GU Hekas Eidikuramauthen (30)

Aminey Caspians
Stadium: Stade sur la Baie (70000) in Amahne (Aminey), Amahne (Aminey)
Titles: 0
Record in final: 0-0
Playoff appearances: 3
Historical Championships: 8
Rivals:

QB Khwaugei Mjeozan (20), BQ Jean-Étienne Chaumont (30)
FB Hngimou Gheoghin (21), HB Ernest Justin (25), RB Shunmyo Suzukaze (30), WR Nwulou Dauden (21), XR Chillarie Yowarie (28), YR Théagène Eric (25), ZR Thibaut Gallet (22), TR Gaëta Lafaille (31), TB Romuald Duchesne (28)
RT Warren Easleings (25), RG Robin Verninac (33), CE Stéphane Joly (22), LG Robin Toupin (24), LT Florent Bandemer (24), OL Nato Asselineau (28)
LE Hnwuigou Fouden (22), LD Japeau Bassot (34), NT Émile Lacroix (23), RD Marc Gérald (35), RE Ghyslain Adrien (22)
OB Lou St. Claire (35), WB Roel de Waard (26), IB Marcellin Rottier (27), MB Henry Barbier (25), SB Patak Shareragnau (24), BZ Christopher Mjeozan (20)
LC Néo Basile (23), FS Tokichiro Chiba (28), SS Hilaire Swigun (21), RC Roelf Hoefman (27), NB Manoel Mella (27), DB Mirabeau Foret (33)
PK Euric Bourque (24), PU Arnaud Daquin (22), LS Filip Bergman (32), PR Ulf Lindeman (31), KR Adolphus Sprucebourne (26), JM Roman Hylnut (33), GU Lucius Rochham (28)

Sterrenwolde Dragonflies
Stadium: Het Planetarium (46000) in Seterbohdu (Sterrenwolde), Mahrkioren (Intermare)
Titles: 2
Record in final: 2-2
Playoff appearances: 6
Historical Championships: 2
Rivals:

Aminey Caspians,

QB Oldrik Touwer (25), BQ Sōtalō Jokotani (23)
FB Afton yLleamwig (27), HB Eita Molinaka (23), RB Ray Robineau (31), WR Amelius Heerceder (32), XR Tsanje Tugesen (21), YR Atsuo Tomii (22), ZR Oldrik van der Linde (27), TR Chamchawdd yMaellceoff (30), TB Eward Schemering (28)
RT Lambijn Grootceder (23), RG Frans Gerrenplataan (23), CE Mert Molemans (34), LG Antonius Grootbes (23), LT Benoît Longtin (24), OL Romuald Bedard (22)
LE Hurjoro Wapasen (21), LD Arend Smit (23), NT Wijnand Nuljuten (21), RD Morgan Vusuhdhen (20), RE Lúa Castelan (24)
OB Gommert Westerkastanje (29), WB Etbak Pauguthen (29), IB Vajao Ōtsubo (27), MB Bernard Voordewind (24), SB Toshiyoshi Hirate (27), BZ Frank Medwivan (22)
LC Jalu Vigouroux (34), FS Magne Binnenmars (33), SS Dhauthenu Turaundhinthen (35), RC Evert Monaghan (31), NB Eugene Fabble (33), DB Cornelis Corenman (28)
PK Bennet Lightcroft (25), PU Llanwll yPenmheos (35), LS Paulus Genpeer (27), PR Vicenzo Deras (24), KR Lyonall Kusal (28), JM Meshach Fallfield (24), GU Karel Verwer (28)

Schemerdrecht Admirals
Stadium: Orange Bowl (54000) in Shemurdar (Schemerdrecht), Mahrkioren (Intermare)
Titles: 0
Record in final: 0-0
Playoff appearances: 1
Historical Championships: 0
Rivals:

QB Reinaard Eendspopulier (27), BQ Didier Lutz (22)
FB Eddy Desjardins (27), HB Sijirla Hyotirra (29), RB Mees Mannussen (33), WR Fulke Leyberg (30), XR Reinare Spechtkornuit (23), YR Alulura Aidivan (35), ZR Eshuth Dauzigun (35), TR Otbak Shanigunten (23), TB Sachio Ichihara (31)
RT Merten Merseman (25), RG Lent Hoenderman (29), CE Bodei Waodhen (21), LG Cyugash Rilagana (19), LT Ngjeale Peosan (20), OL Mwoafe Shwuzan (23)
LE Ruben Linger (25), LD Dillal Gamagana (20), NT Myocya Lucharla (27), RD Daniël Roosspar (23), RE Jage Leemkuil (28)
OB Cederic Bethings (27), WB Athanase Vallery (25), IB Armel Bandemer (27), MB Hervé Adrien (23), SB Philip Hunniford (33), BZ Takevito Mukōda (28)
LC Fifi Philippon (32), FS Gyonnya Wirruni (21), SS Ennis yCynalar (23), RC Camille Duterrre (34), NB Sorrou Hachal (19), DB Regarla Koggerla (25)
PK Dielof van Hooival (22), PU Petrus Breedvrucht (23), LS Bernhard Methara (22), PR Symeon Keizerkers (27), KR Bento Varon (29), JM Ahimi Audas (32), GU Dany Rison (24)

Eaglebury Emperors
Stadium: The Palace (34000) in Gillberra (Eaglebury), Tarrashalli (West Strand Riding)
Titles: 1
Record in final: 1-0
Playoff appearances: 5
Historical Championships: 2
Rivals:

QB Bartley Stratham (23), BQ Tadanari Hanada (31)
FB Maynard Wodethal (27), HB Abraham Readhallow (27), RB Jurre Hinken (31), WR Fanny Hertwild (21), XR Projuhek Gredhpelogun (21), YR Zhefel Tujadhen (20), ZR Conrat Pluimplataan (24), TR Bruce Suthmeer (34), TB Gilbert Kropibazuten (20)
RT Humphrey Drayton (34), RG Higgagul Wyolleo (24), CE Harrison Groshiruthen (20), LG Pledhgalek Slanijarugun (20), LT Taizō Minatoi (25), OL Hussagun Herrald (27)
LE Pranga Nanmin (32), LD Jeremy Billbury (24), NT Ofehdhes Golhahshen (21), RD Elijah Farrier (36), RE Maynard Critchsworth (25)
OB Amand Lecerf (33), WB Darthmouth Sollett (25), IB Hudson Barkwald (28), MB Dan Dusketon (22), SB Nanko Bruinink (29), BZ Courtney Ruhzuhdhen (19)
LC Nobumasa Valada (25), FS Kong Zhihao (28), SS Takatsugu Nagasu (23), RC Ennis yByciran (24), NB Dizoskun Horaudhen (31), DB Kaiji Tsuchie (27)
PK Cilion yBydwftach (25), PU Noël Ducommun (23), LS Nicolau Solar (33), PR Calvin Hylhemp (23), KR Ofahtan Opojagun (22), JM Jean-Henri Adrien (23), GU Eustacius Deemstering (23)

Aerellen Explosions
Stadium: Northern Arena (32000) in Ehbanna (Aevanna), Aerellen (Aerellen)
Titles: 2
Record in final: 2-3
Playoff appearances: 6
Historical Championships: 4
Rivals:

QB Hubrecht van April (27), BQ Adala Aosbure (23)
FB Steven Seradhen (20), HB Aogega Alod (27), RB Aoddi Aobsibel (20), WR Katsunari Kizu (28), XR Ainia Aolise (32), YR Liriaf Varafin (34), ZR Asna Aimigenna (28), TR Aireme Aimocinia (24), TB Adupe Aimmalin (31)
RT Japa Girault (28), RG Aohevi Aogabella (25), CE Enieris Akailis (29), LG Ishejui Sezejevunau (21), LT Ravel Brahe (30), OL Aerefi Aubben (22)
LE Nutowiuk Higogaugun (21), LD Ala Ahocalin (23), NT Aesoba Alelella (28), RD Vavil Verian (35), RE Aivupi Ainve (25)
OB Adiro Aerumara (33), WB Aebopu Aomidinia (25), IB Aerete Aogifenna (27), MB Eustacius Smit (30), SB Aogbo Aibial (26), BZ Mitsuomi Hirate (27)
LC Aei Aebipure (25), FS Aome Amun (20), SS Ausoru Aemuros (26), RC Aerio Aemino (33), NB Aosidu Aemedise (27), DB Akhel Mauthrenara (22)
PK Ama Gachet (32), PU Aeogo Aofelin (21), LS Aedaba Alomial (27), PR Ainirinda Aiaphaguna (32), KR Aihipo Egitenna (28), JM Alban Cayer (27), GU Seigo Higashida (28)

Noordrug Astronauts
Stadium: The Glacier (28000) in Launathi (Launott), Sahmanaubahl (Nordoren)
Titles: 0
Record in final: 0-2
Playoff appearances: 6
Historical Championships: 4
Rivals:

QB Andy Belross (24), BQ Sebastiaan Gaaidal (28)
FB Inasa Azegami (26), HB Ryōga Shirai (22), RB Sidney Paterson (33), WR Flora Voordewind (31), XR Bryan Welsh (31), YR Tormod Karstensen (31), ZR Gerald Winterburgh (23), TR Achi Abadie (34), TB Alle Gagnon (34)
RT Ngotsom Rokesen (23), RG Stephen Ilikins (25), CE Ingvar Hofstad (33), LG Jonas Reishuis (28), LT Morten Isaaksen (34), OL Adelbert van der Heuvel (27)
LE Mahito Okakura (23), LD Odwerwauk Navowoden (19), NT Shōtarō Tjemazen (20), RD Wanorra Neenyah (33), RE Yōji Narahara (25)
OB Masakuni Morinoue (27), WB Takaki Mjatjozen (20), IB Godfried Amandinspar (28), MB Hakaru Jineiten (20), SB Woutre Pelzer (25), BZ Barnard Foxburton (23)
LC Aegana Aegerin (32), FS Sudhowiu Momokwolafan (20), SS Eduard van Straudum (25), RC Lomeoch ySarrwdd (33), NB Rodjudwizeak Girjefen (19), DB Harm Deemstering (25)
PK Mitsushige Fukumoto (25), PU Gewffnhwd yFochcal (33), LS Oldrik Gaaiberk (25), PR Alastair Thorebourne (33), KR Drew Hawstar (23), JM Aegidius Riemaker (32), GU Ninian Wybrier (22)

by **United States of Nova Calania** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 7:19 am

Nova Calania beats Crpostran

Drawk City, Drawkland - On matchday 3, Nova Calania played an away game against fellow Anaians Chromatika and lost 6-0.Head Coach Pierre-Alexandre Guirguis told me he feared Chromatika's offense so much that he focussed his game plan and preparation on defense and preventing Chromatika from scoring. It worked but the offense was neglected combined with Chromatika playing well defensively too. Dwayne Markseon made a 56 yards field goal late in the 2nd quarter and a 51 yard one in the 4th quarter. Nova Calania never walked into Iron Legion territory until our final drive in the 4th quarter where we were stopped on a 4th and goal at the 2nd yard line.The final score was 6-0 Chromatika.

NOVA CALANIA   0   0   0   0  -  0
CHROMATIKA     0   3   0   3  -  6

GAME SUMMARY

1st quarter
No score

2nd quarter
1:16 FIELD GOAL CHROMATIKA - Dwayne Markseon's 56 yards kick is good

3rd quarter
No score

4th quarter
11:28 FIELD GOAL CHROMATIKA - Dwayne Markseon's 51 yards kick is good

Sadeg, Drawkland - On matchday 4, Nova Calania received a good upcoming nation, Crpostran, in their temporary home of Sadeg. Kyle Wintermeyer (ankle) and Charles-Henri Noiseux (ankle) both missed the game. Crpostran won the coin toss and choose to receive the ball first. However they were unable to score on their 1st drive. Nova Calania, in turn, scored a 5 yards rushing touchdown on their fisrt possession. The touchdown goes to François-Pierre Guirguis. On their next drive, Crpostran were once again unable to score. Jean-Pierre Dubois punts the ball and it goes out of bounds at the 2 yards line in Nova Calania territory. On a 3rd and 8 at the 4 yards line, Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps was sacked into the end zone by Nicolas Lefevre and Crpostran gets 2 points on the board. Ji-yoo Han makes the kickoff and Crpostran returns the ball to the 47 yards line in Nova Calania territory. It didn't took long for the Eagles to score their first touchdown of the game when Antoine Martin caught Jean-Luc Dupont's 21 yards pass into the endzone. The score after one quarter was 9-7 Crpostran. Midway in the 2nd quarter, Nova Calania made a 29 yards field goal early in the 2nd quarter. The Tapirs have the ball at the 37 yards line on a 2nd and 10 late in the 2nd quarter and halfback François-Pierre Guirguis threw into the endzone to his little sister Anne-Élisabeth Guirguis for the touchdown on a tricky play. The score at halftime was 17-9 Nova Calania.

Nova Calania starts off with the ball in the 3rd quarter and made a 42 yards field goal on their 1st drive. Midway in the 3rd quarter, Michel Dubois escaped Nova Calania's defense and scored a 19 yards rushing touchdown and the score after 3 quarter is 20-16 Nova Calania. Early in the 4th quarter, Nova Calania was stopped and Sébastien Piquette punts the ball. Special teamer Catherine Bibeau-Babeux prevented the ball from entering into the endzone and it was downed at the 1 yard line. On a 1st and 10, halfback Michel Dubois was tackled in his own endzone by James Wollschlaeger for a safety. On their next drive, Nova Calania scored when François-Xavier Malboeuf caught Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps ' 16 yards pass into the endzone. Crporstan was unable to come back and Nova Calania won 29-16.

With 4 games played Nova Calania has 2 wins and 2 losses and is tied in the standings with former champions Delaclava and one of the best sporting nation, Valanora. Drawkland and Chromatika remains undefeated while Quebec and Shingoryeo has a 3-1 record. On matchday 5, the Tapirs will travel to Hellenmack to play against Langenia, a nation that is unranked but they've been playing well so far despite their 8th place in the standings. Kyle Wintermeyer (ankle) will be upgraded to probable while Charles-Henri Noiseux (ankle) will be doubtful and François-Pierre Guirguis (shoulder) will be questionnable. Meanwhile, our group rivals Valanora and Delaclava will meet in Drawk City.

CRPOSTRAN       9   0   7   0  -  16
NOVA CALANIA    7  10   3   9  -  29

GAME SUMMARY

1st quarter
8:29 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - François-Pierre Guirguis runs for 5 yards. Extra point good
4:22 SAFETY CRPOSTRAN - Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps sacked into her own endzone by Nicolas Lefevre
1:58 TOUCHDOWN CRPOSTRAN - Jean-Luc Dupont passes to Antoine Martin for 21 yards - Extra point good

2nd quarter
7:46 FIELD GOAL NOVA CALANIA - Ji-yoo Han's 29 yards kick is good
1:17 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - François-Pierre Guirguis passes to Anne-Élisabeth Guirguis for 37 yards - Extra point good

3rd quarter
12:12 FIELD GOAL NOVA CALANIA - Ji-yoo Han's 42 yards kick is good
5:28 TOUCHDOWN CRPOSTRAN - Michel Dubois runs for 19 yards. Extra point good

4th quarter
10:38 SAFETY NOVA CALANIA - Michel Dubois tackled into his own endzone by James Wollschlaeger
6:52 TOUCHDOWN NOVA CALANIA - Arielle Bellerose-Deslongchamps passes to François-Xavier Malboeuf for 16 yards - Extra point good

Jean-Alexandre Guindon

by **Ranoria** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:55 am

Coaching Points - Some Random Tips I Wanna Jot Down - Part 2

How quarterback pressures affect the game:

It's easy to get caught up in numbers and ignore the impact a pass rusher has outside of the most basic box score. Get angry at your general manager for breaking the bank for a dude who isn't posting elite sack totals. Maybe even for taking a guy with minimal college production at defensive end. But that's why general managers get paid millions of dollars and I'm working at the local gas station for minimum wage. Has nothing to do with my science teacher failing me for putting "I'm not high enough for this" in all my short answer bubbles. Whatever, bruh.

First and foremost, I'll explain what a quarterback pressure is. First and foremost is a sack, of course - that's the easiest one to see. The quarterback drops back and they suffer the consequences of that poor decision when they get tackled behind the line of scrimmage by a defensive lineman who's probably taking out pent up aggression from his childhood on the poor guy. Second would be a "hurry" which can be defined a few ways. For advanced stat nerds like me, it's when a defender encroaches in a three-foot "halo" around the quarterback, but really it's just any time that a defensive player gets too close and forces a quarterback to throw the ball before they'd like to. Then you've got a QB hit or a QB knockdown, which can be used interchangeably, but are ultimately near-misses where the quarterback got the ball off just before they were sacked. In Banija's GFLB where they play a softer brand of football that leads to them folding against the Krauts, this means defenders will try their hardest to peel off and just bump into the quarterback. In our glorious RFL, it means that Gideon Kearse or Abram Fairbanks are going to try to take your head off for costing them a shot at the single-season sacks record. The Ranorian Football League and its subsidiaries are not liable for any damages, mental or physical, to your person as a result of these rules.

So that's established. And you have to consider, quarterbacks aren't linebackers, they're not fullbacks, they're not even wide receivers! They're soft and when they get hit they crumble. Kidding, unless of course you're Sarai Gwenderyn's hand or John Garrett's back.

Kidding of course, my mom says I'm just bitter because coach never gave me a chance to start at quarterback. Like yeah, I'm five four on a good day, but I could slang it! Anyway, if you're looking at the GFLB, league-wide you're looking at an averaging of 7 1/2 to 8 yards per attempt when passing. In Ranoria it's a bit lower, more in the 6 to 7 range. Want a fun tidbit? - but Derek McNair, John Garrett, and Deondre Rhine are the only quarterbacks to post multiple seasons of over 8 yards per attempt, and Rhine somehow pulled off over nine once - that's a record. Imagine if that dude didn't share my off-the-field-habits.

Anyway, wants crazy is that when a passer is under pressure on a play, that yards per attempt mark drops drastically, nearly cutting it in half. In Banija, you're looking at 4-5 yards per attempt there where in Ranoria it's more like 3 to 4.5. That's tough even if you're running the ball - with passing, you have to have a higher amount of yards per pass to make up for the general inconsistency (negative plays, incompletions, turnovers, etc) that come with it. There are some guys who are unphased with pressure in their face, but for most quarterbacks, it's going to change the game. Moreover, turnovers are almost twice as likely - so that's why generating pressure is so vitally important, be that via a blitz or with your front four. Cuz if a quarterback's getting seven yards an attempt and completing most of their passes, you're probably going to lose. Consequently, quarterback rating can drop by 20-40 points. On a scale that tops out at 158.3 and where 100 is considered elite, that's clearly a drastic difference.

That in and of itself can explain why some pass rushers get so much love even when they're not racking up sacks. But that isn't the end of it. Most quarterbacks also take significant hits to their passer rating on the pass following a pressure of any kind, and that's why a sack can be such a drive killer. Stack a negative play, a loss of a down, and a rattled passer together, and you're probably getting the ball back for your offense. You're looking at two plays being affected for the price of one - again, aside from a few quarterbacks who are simply unphased. That's a nice impact on a game where offenses plan on getting 50-70 snaps, typically.

Krauts Fall To Defending Champs, Still On Track For Postseason Play

Ranoria's head coach, Isaac Dieter, contests a roughing the passer call in the fourth quarter

It wasn't exactly a banner matchup, but it had to feel good for the Stars to take down the most dominant team of the World Bowls' 40's in convincing fashion, even if the Krauts aren't quite the gold standard of football at this point.

After back-to-back wins against unranked opponents, the Krauts got a litmus test against the reigning champion Stars. It wasn't a great showing, a defense that allowed seven points over the prior two contests allowed 24 and the offense continued to look spotty, but that's to be expected with both Eric Modin and JT Everhart being down with injuries and the rest of the line's older disposition meaning they aren't quite the ferocious front they were in the past.

Regardless, Ranoria's still snuggly in playoff contention at #5 in the group. Just under halfway through the tournament, it's becoming pretty clear that five wins will be enough to make it out of the group stage. That's not exactly new, given over half the teams involved will earn a playoff spot, but that's the way this is shaping up. That means Ranoria's going to have to win three of their final five...and with this roster being led by an inexperienced head coach, that's up for grabs.

So here's where it gets tricky. One has to remember that these Krauts aren't what they were - there isn't a "gimme" on the schedule as a result. Ranoria's next two matches come against HUElavia - ranked 14th in the world - an Ko-oren, a known juggernaut in the space. They'll get Kinqueven after that as the final match against an unranked side before finishing with Terefuxe and our elephant friends - ranked 16th and 18th in the world, respectively.

Unfortunately, the Krauts are underdogs in all but one of those matchups, somehow. And they're going to have to find a way to win three of them in order to advance - or just to have a solid baseline for World Bowl 50. And news flash - 1-3 Ko-oren is going to be on a warpath trying to make up for a slow start, they'll win by as much as their dedicated to touchdown-less football allows them to. HUElavia will certainly love to put a beating on a Krauts team that did them no favors in its earlier renditions, and Terefuxe is a steadily climbing contender. South Newlandia?

Sure, they're better known for their baseball accolades, but the elefriends have plenty of World Bowl postseason experience and their presence in the Ranorian Football League is notable. The Berlin Snow Bears and Mariana Tigers have both made championship appearances recently and are led by South Newlandian stars like former MVP Thomas Fantikos or Dustin van Halfensen.

It all may come down to that matchup in week nine to determine a playoff spot - but for now the Krauts are at least in solid position to make it into the second stage, which would at least hopefully generate enough excitement and revenue to put out a stronger team next season... and keep Isaac Dieter's spot as head coach secured.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 4:52 pm

The scenario: Ranorian punter Billy Kidd launched a 53-yard punt that pins the Sarzonian national gridball team at their own four-yard line. Sarzonia have a tenuous 17-13 lead with 9:34 remaining in the fourth quarter of the fourth match of the World Bowl XLIX group stage.

Tyler Paige walked up to Stars quarterback Cameron Stallworth to give him some instructions before the media timeout ended.

Paige is a defensive-minded coach, so he knew better than to try to call plays or be specific about what formations he wanted the Sarzonia signal caller to utilise. Besides that, offensive coordinator Trent Beaucamp would've killed him if he tried that. Well, not literally killed. But you know.

"Their offence was moving the ball on us pretty well on that drive," Paige said later when asked what he told Stallworth. "I told Cam I wanted us to play some ball control and give our [defensive] guys some rest.

"Our guys were a little bit gassed," Paige admitted. "They'd been out there a lot during the third quarter, and we did well to hold them to a couple of field goals. But I wanted to keep their offence off the pitch for a few minutes. "

"Got it, coach," Stallworth said he told Paige. Got it, he did. Stallworth scrambled for a seven-yard gain on first down to give Sarzonia a little bit of breathing room. He wanted to call a trap over the right tackle on second down, but noticed defensive tackle Bill Brady cheating over to his right. He audibled to a slant pass to wide receiver Steve Swain for a three-yard gain. The officials called for a measurement and it came up inches short.

Stallworth heard the call come through his headset for a tush push to the left, but he figured based on the cheating safeties that he'd be able to hit a play action pass for a decent gain.

"He's audibling! What are you doing? No!" Paige yelled out at his quarterback. He saw the snap happen before he had a chance to call timeout. Stallworth faked a handoff to running back Ty'Relle Clinton, then threw a pass intended for wide receiver Matt Largent. Krauts cornerback Jared Ragnow knocked the ball down and began exalting whilst Paige glowered out in the direction of his quarterback.

Until, that is, the Quebecois referee threw a penalty flag and signaled a personal foul against Ranoria. He looked at Paige, who was breathing an almost imperceptible sigh of relief and gave the signal with a questioning look. Paige nodded vigourously.

"Personal foul, roughing the passer, number 53 defence " the referee said. "Fifteen-yard penalty from the previous spot. Automatic first down!" The infraction not only kept the Sarzonian drive alive, it allowed the Stars to move the chains to the Sarzonian 29.

Paige caught a glimpse of Ranorian head coach Isaac Dieter arguing the roughing the passer call.

"I'm not much on reading lips," defensive coordinator Lonnie Hertschlager told Paige, "but I think Dietsie's saying [right outside linebacker Raleigh] Jones only took one step before he hit Cam."

"Doesn't matter if he's right," Paige said. "We've still got the ball and we've got a chance to eat up some clock."

The call seemed to demoralise the Krauts, as Sarzonia began to once again assert itself with Clinton picking up 64 yards on nine carries on the drive. It culminated in Stallworth hitting Swain for a 10-yard touchdown on a play action pass on first and goal. The Matt Andersen extra point gave Sarzonia an 11-point lead at 24-13. More importantly, however, it allowed Sarzonia to bleed the clock down to 1:58 remaining and force Ranoria to burn their timeouts.

"Let's don't play prevent," Paige said. "Let's get back to how we played 'em in the first half." Sarzonia held Ranoria to 66 yards in the first half, and only a Clinton fumble on the Stars 24 that Ranoria recovered helped the Krauts get a touchdown courtesy of quarterback Vallienté Wagner-Young to tight end Russell Farmer. Meanwhile, Sarzonia got a 46-yard touchdown pass from Stallworth to Largent and a 17-yard touchdown run from Clinton.

With the defence now rested and psyched up by the time-consuming touchdown drive, Paige decided to call a corner blitz on first down, sneaking in Will Donnelly in the safety spot. Wagner-Young didn't see it and he got drilled as he was throwing the pass. It ended up in the massive hands of defensive lineman Pete Downey, who wisely cradled it into his ample belly and flopped to the turf.

That left Paige to call the only offensive formation Beaucamp would allow: Victory formation. Three kneeldowns later, and Sarzonia emerged victorious by a 24-13 final score.

The win would give Sarzonia a 3-1 record and at least momentary possession of the top spot in the Eastern Division table. They would have a "home" fixture next against unranked Kinqueven, the only winless side remaining in the division with the worst point differential in the competition thus far.

However, Paige said he would not allow his team to take their foot off the petrol pedal.

"I don't believe it's possible to turn on and turn off intensity and focus," he said. "We want to make sure we're hitting on all cylinders and we do the little things right. All these other teams are bringing their proverbial 'A games' against us. We can't afford to sleep-walk."

by **HUElavia** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 6:32 pm

Ko-oren 13–30 HUElavia
(3-7, 3-7, 0-10, 7-6)
The KayoDome, Kayo, Drawkland

This Team is Hungry!

HUElavia dominates favorites ko-oren in a historic beatdown to take an important victory!

Coming off a tough, gritty loss to Sarzonia on matchday 3, HUElavia came into Matchday 4 facing off another football giant: Ko-oren. Despite the task, most people felt that it was much closer in terms of skills than what the rankings had to suggest. Still playing once more on the road, a large chunk of HUElavians did make the trip to Kayo to cheer on Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in this big game. Much like their opener against Katzeburg, Ko-oren was a run-heavy offense, and the HUElavians looked to play strong to stall them.

The opening drive saw Ko-oren march down with some passes but mainly runs from Soredhinnau to get down the field. The HUElavian defense did eventually stop the Ko-orenite offense and Bennett got a 41 yard field goal to start of the game, 3-0. On the subsequent drive for HUElavia, a kick return saw de la Cruz get a decent starting position for Duarte Lobo starting at the 31 yard line. On the first play, Duarte Lobo sent a dart to Usucachi Mayhuasca, who ran unopposed to the endzone for a 69 yard (nice) touchdown to make it 3-7. The HUElavians were in glee and joy for the fantastic to quickly respond to Ko-oren for their opening score. Both defenses would stand strong for the rest of the first quarter as the scoreline stayed the same, but Obama and Miranda did get big sacks over Masman for loss of yards each time. The second quarter was similar to the first, with once again good runs from Soredhinnau giving Ko-oren good yardage and eating up time, but the defense stood strong and Ko-oren had to settle for an easy 18 yard field goal from Bennett to make it 6-7. HUElavia this time around would march down with passes from Duarte Lobo to his wide receivers and tight ends to get down as close as they could before the half ended. With 0:03 left on the clock, Coach Schneiderman called for a wildcat formation, where Guimarães got the ball and ran up the middle for a 5 yard touchdown, making it 6-14 at the half, with the HUElavians present cheering loudly for the score and the extended lead.

The 3rd quarter was more involving domination from the HUElavian defense. The first Ko-orenite drive ended in a fairly quick 3-and-out, and the second drive (after HUElavia got to midfield before punting) saw a pass from Masman get picked off by Oogami for an excellent field position for the HUElavian offense. The team quickly got plays in, and eventually found themselves in the redzone, ready to score. Duarte Lobo got the ball and gave a darting pass through the middle for Hase to catch the ball through two defenders for the touchdown, making it 6-21. While the teams would trade punts for the next few drives, late in the quarter, a field goal was taken by Schultz, who bombed a 53 yard field goal to make it 6-24, really putting the game away at that point. Early in the 4th quarter, Ko-oren began to go for passes more, with a 44 yard pass from Masman to Longtin, who got past Tassi to run into the endzone to make it 13-24. Despite the attempts by Ko-oren to stop the HUElavian offense, the team would manage to convert some crucial 3rd downs and march down enough to get into field goal range. While stopped at both times, Schultz would send down a 50 yard field goal and a 45 yard field goal to make it 13-27 and eventually 13-30. After a failed 4th and 4, HUElavia had the ball and kneeled the game out, with the HUElavian fans cheering loudly in joy, with HUElavia pulling the upset victory and getting back on the right track.

Coach Schneiderman was quoted as saying "The team played fantastic today, offense and defense was phenomenal and they really were resilient after the loss the other day. Offense was hitting the right marks, we had those good conversions on 3rd down and the ball was just spread around well during our drives. Our defense has been lights-out so far and I cannot ask anything better from them. This is the team we were meant to be four years ago and now we're showing the multiverse we mean business. We got Ranoria next now and we really want to give it our best to one of the historical greats of Football in the multiverse. We can't take them lightly and underestimate them. We want to go out there and give our fans a great show." Currently, HUElavia sits in 3rd in the East Division, feeling comfortable with their performances, and have the 2nd best defense in the tournament still, only being bested by a few points from Chromatika. Still, a win over Ranoria can give good confidence and motivation for the team to get closer to returning to the knockout rounds of the World Bowl.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:02 pm

If the prospect of an upset loss for the Green Machine hinged on the team looking ahead to that big one against Banija... well, exactly one side of the ball did that against Vaishnavaria.

Unfortunately for the rest of the South Division, the other side extremely didn't, taming the Tigers to nullify the effects of a toothless offensive performance from the men in Margaret green as a contest without a single offensive scoring play finished 7-0 Green Machine on a scoop-and-score from edge rusher Luke Blackridge (and a Dafydd Nevins PAT). That score broke a tense deadlock midway through the second quarter, taking advantage of the vulnerability of speedy Tigers RB Owen Cross to the occasional fumble; two plays after breaking open with a classic 24-yard counter run, the Tigers went with the same play mirrored, but Magnus Arnórsson was in the right place to jar the ball loose and Blackridge did the rest. At the time, it felt important, as it was hard to imagine this defensive-led flow producing many more scoring plays, but no more scoring plays wasn't in anyone's script. After all, there were 37 minutes of game clock time to play.

Yet drive after drive from both teams continued to stall, and even when the Tigers got into FG range on both their second-half drives, they went for it on fourth down - either because they figured they had to come away from a rare opportunity with six rather than three or because it's not entirely clear who's on kicking duties for them - and came up empty each time. For their part, the Green Machine were also denied a double-digit lead at the end of the third quarter when Nevins doinked a 50-yarder, but ultimately they clung to that lead like a limpet, burning the final 8:53 off the clock in one messy, penalty-strewn drive. The offense may not have scored, but they at least delivered on their clock-chewing ways in the second half, and a strange game ended with another win. Michael Simpson is probably bored of saying variations of this in his postgame interviews at this point. "That was a new one," he told KBT after this one. "Never won a game without an offensive point before, anywhere in my gridiron life. But hey, 4-0. We keep doing what we have to do and we might already have done enough to get into the bracket. But every win gets us more respect and more fear going into that, I know it didn't work out that way last time (at WB58 where the Green Machine went 9-1 in group play before octofinal defeat) but hey, that sort of thing should only happen once. End of the day, every game counts for something."

It certainly does for the Green Machine's next opponents, South Americanastan. The Bears are 2-2 and fifth in the division, the last automatic qualification spot for an octofinal berth, after losing a scrappy game of their own 15-6 against the TJUN-ia Jags. After that, of course, come Banija, the other team in the South with a 4-0 start. With the Serpent Eagles facing the Jags next, it's entirely possible the Green Machine enter that one as the division's last unbeaten team. Regardless, it's sure to be a barnstormer.

But the Bears come first. "They're not going to just sit there and be cuddly," mused Simpson. "They're not that kind of bear."

True. But, like that sort of bear, it sure would be good to squish them.

by **Chromatika** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 8:44 pm

THE CHROMATIKA IRON LEGION
World Bowl 49 - MD4: New Rotterdam City 6–26 Chromatika

Eighteen of Twenty-Two. Two hundred twelve yards. Two Touchdowns, Four Field Goals.

Sure, having to kick four Field Goals was a problem, but with the defense playing so well, it was okay. Sarai Gwenderyn and the Offense didn't need to play hero ball when the Iron Legion played such good defense - they could afford to just take the points.

So, they improved to 4-0, tied with Drawkland atop the group. Which led to the next matchup.

Drawkland. Chromatika. A home game that would feel not very much like an away game instead. Drawkland having the top offense in the Group, and second overall in the World Bowl. Chromatika having the best defense overall in the World Bowl. It will be a classic matchup between two nations that have had a lot of experience between each other - especially at the Collegiate ranks.

"It's just a Group Stage game, yes, but it's a chance for us to test ourselves," explained Sarai Gwenderyn, "There's a reason why they're the #1 team in the multiverse, and it will be a challenge for us to keep up with their scoring."

With so many players that spent their collegiate career playing for Chromatik Universities, a home game that feels like a road game won't be anything new.

"We've played in hostile environments in Drawkland before," explained Gwenderyn, "We'll be ready for the contest."

by **Katzeburg** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 5:06 am

"Gentleman, a brief view of the past..."
A history of Gridiron in Katzeburg, Part V

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

Just under a year from the first ever game of Katzeburgian gridiron, the first ever round of conference play opened with the University of Aberstadt hosting Bauerburg Agricultural University in the Aberstadt Valley Athletic Conference, to be played in the brand new Circle Park stadium.

Adam Rathbone, retaining his position as UoA head coach, led the side out for the clash, which was absolutely dominated by the hosts - utilizing their extensive one game experience to get out to and hold a well deserved lead - kicking two field goals either side of half time to claim a 6-0 win and secure the first ever AVAC victory.

Not to be outdone, Aberstadt State University travelled to a small field just outside the campus of Nordock Industrial College to play their first match and picked up a resounding victory, scoring a touchdown a quarter to pull well ahead of NIC - who only managed to get on the scoreboard in the final moments thanks to a late 27-yard field goal from kicker Gordon Fischer.

Interest in the first round of games of AVAC play were surprisingly high, thanks in no part to the media deal for the conference the teams were able to secure with ATV - Aberstadt TV.

A regional broadcaster, ATV snapped at the rights to broadcast every game of the conference’s first season to both get ahead of any interest from national broadcaster KBC, but also to try and expand their own footprint within Aberstadt and surrounding states.

Both games per week would be broadcast on Saturday afternoons, with the inaugural game between UoA and BAU being ATV’s highest rated broadcast in years - drawing a huge 892 people watching the action.

However, after one round of conference play, it was clear that the extra experience held by both UoA and ASU was going to come in handy during the first season, but with both sides still needing to navigate a game against the two new institutions before facing off against each other, there was still a sense of caution in the air on both campuses.

Over on the BAU and NIC campuses though, there was a positive sense of achievement from the sides for just being in the mix and more importantly, giving students something to do on weekends which was more than just drinking in their dorm rooms - now having the ability to drink out on the open bleachers while football went on in the background.

In the small town of Nordock in particular, this pride quickly swelled after Fischer scored the first points for the college, with town mayor Mark Whaler proclaiming the day “Fischer Day” in honour of the achievement. Being a small town on the edge of Katzeburg’s east coast, they didn’t have much to celebrate, but to this day, Fischer’s kick is still talked about in revered tones by anyone who will visit the shores of Nordock.

SUPPORTERS CALL FOR SYDNEY’S HEAD AFTER KATZEBURG RUN UP THE SCORE

By Richard Rider

Furious supporters of the Katzeburgian national team have lined up outside of the University of Aberstadt’s athletics department to demand the sacking of head coach Cameron Sydney following the side’s second consecutive win.

The Wildcats stormed to a 56-3 victory over world number 16 Terefuxe in their fourth match in the World Bowl, leaving the side coming off the back of two straight wins - an unheard of run of positive form.

Katzeburg never looked like falling behind, starting bright with a run of three field goals to open up an early 9-0 lead in the first quarter before running in three unanswered touchdowns thanks in part to two fumbles deep in the Terefuxe half.

Already dismayed by the offensive skills on display, Katzeburg fans started chanting for less attractive football to be played by the side, who after four games now sits at the top of the division scoring charts.

However this was plainly ignored by head coach Cameron Sydney, as the side continued to pile strong defensive pressure on the Terefuxe side, running up the score over the second and third quarters before allowing the side’s kickers to get a little more practice in the final quarter.

With more than 10 scoring drives from the Katzeburgian offence, fans were disgusted by the show of competence on display and started leaving the stadium early after their chants for more punts went unheard.

After word of the result spread back to campus, fans started to camp outside the UoA athletic department to demand the sacking of Sydney for bringing such enjoyable football to Katzeburg.

“It’s sickening,” said Brad Borman, third year geology student. “I’ve never seen so many points scored in my life and to think we had children over there watching that? What kind of sick ideas is Sydney planting in their heads, thinking its acceptable to score more than 50 points in a game. That’s a season total, not one match!”

“As a former footballer, it’s horrible seeing the impact Sydney has brought on our once proud national team,” said senior medical student Wally Wallander. “The Katzeburgian tradition is playing terrible football and not scoring any points - to play good football AND score points? I can’t stand to watch it any longer.”

Contacted for comment by The Lampoon after the side’s win over Terefuxe, coach Sydney defended his controversial methods.

“Look, I’ve not accepted this role and the concept of payment just to pick up loss after loss,” Sydney said.

“In the context of the division, we need to be building out and running up the score where ever we can - especially against so many teams that are quality and more prepared and financed than we are.

“Yes, we are trying something new, but it’s clear it seems to be working, so why not explore it a little? Who knows? Maybe we might even be able to bring some of these new talents back home and really pick up the popularity of the sport.”

A poll ran by The Lampoon asking more than 1,000 UoA students the following question - Do you think Katzeburg shouldn’t not play good football? Or should they not not play good football? - returned a huge result, with 63% saying they should not play good football, 10% saying they should play good football, and 27% confused by the overall wording of the question.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:37 am

For the rest of her time with the Bratsk Dolphins, Kelly Profit had to play on with the knowledge that the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League had been nothing more than an exercise in propaganda, and how far a country was capable of going to pretend that it had won when it had actually lost. All of that said however, it did seem as if while Pridnestrovia had lost the Nordskanian War, it was the country still dominated by the Communist Party that had managed to establish itself as a regional player, in Rushmore at the very least, while Anglatia had seemingly gone right back into its own shell despite having been the one to successfully expand its sphere of influence even further. How a single gridiron league was able to do that, Kelly couldn’t really figure out, but at the same time she realized that she didn’t really care all that much. She could still remember her history lessons, how Pridnestrovia had cultivated a reputation for being an underhanded opponent that loved to use espionage and stuff like that to level the playing field as much as possible. Pridnestrovia had to have used its spies to cause all sorts of trouble in their rival, but that was something that was way, way above Kelly’s own pay grade. Besides, she had much more pressing concerns closer to home; well, her second home anyway.

It had never really crossed Kelly’s mind before that fateful meeting with the Dolphins’ owner that the PGSL’s popularity was based entirely on the fact that the Pridnestrovian government was promoting the heck out of the league. Pridnestrovia was not a country known for its gridiron fanbase, at least not until the past few years, and even then Kelly was pretty sure that there hadn’t been enough interest in the sport for anything more than a couple of FNLAF games to be played in some of their stadiums. But overnight, gridiron had suddenly become the sport with the fastest rising popularity in the country, and after a couple of World Bowl appearances, suddenly the country was ready for a gridiron league of its own. And for the ten years that Kelly had been playing in the PGSL, gridiron was popular enough to draw crowds that were comparable to attendances in football, the most popular sport in Pridnestrovia. Heck, gridiron games were being played in the same stadiums that top tier football clubs owned or occupied, mostly because the gridiron teams were owned by the same people who owned the football clubs. But once the PGSL’s broadcasting contract with the Pridnestrovian Central News Agency ended, those large crowds went along with it. Seemingly overnight, gridiron had gone from the sport fastest rising in popularity in Pridnestrovia back to being in its own niche. Within two years, gridiron had gone from being regularly played in the likes of the New Tiraspol Stadium to having to settle for the grounds of smaller football teams, the ones with capacities numbering only in the thousands.

For some of the teams in the PGSL, especially the ones owned and operated by the big football clubs such as CSKA and Dinamo, the loss of the league’s broadcasting rights and the associated massive dropoff in attendance didn’t really affect them all that much. Sure, they had to move their gridiron team’s games to their football team’s training pitches, but they could afford to do that. A handful of teams with rich owners, which included the Bratsk Dolphins, was on a tighter budget, but the likes of Arkady Ivashchenko could still afford to hold on to the team even if they had to come to an agreement to close off some of the higher tiers of their respective home stadiums to account for the attendance drops.But not other teams were as lucky or as financially secure, and the first to fall victim was the Vladikrav Red Death. The Red Death was owned by a prominent Pridnestrovian rock band of the same name who had attained their fame in the 1990s during the country’s original democratization process, and they had been awarded the rights to a PGSL team as part of a deal in which they would be the half-time performers in the first ever Pridnestrovian Bowl. The Red Death (the band) themselves liked gridiron, but their choice to put the Red Death (the team) in a small-market city like Vladikrav was not a good one in hindsight, and after attendances dwindled due to the loss of the PGSL’s broadcasting rights for the most part, the team closed its doors in the offseason after Season XI of the league. On one hand, Kelly was very much saddened to see the Red Death, but on the other hand she had played against them numerous times, and there had never been a time when the Vladikrav team had been even remotely close to even challenging for a place in the playoffs.

The second PGSL team to fold after the Vladikrav Red Death was the Antakya Hawks. The Hawks were based in the Hatay Socialist State, the northernmost part of Pridnestrovia which used to be part of a neighboring sultanate before communist separatists took over these border areas and, after gaining independence, voted to become part of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia way back in the 70s. The Hawks were one of the older expansion teams in the league, and Antakya had been one of the cities in which the PGSL had wanted to put a team from the start. However, based on what Kelly had seen, gridiron was never really that popular in Antakya and Hatay even despite the efforts of the PGSL and the central government to promote the heck out of the sport in the region. The PGSL could do everything that they wanted to push gridiron to the people of Hatay and Antakya; the Hatayese would just continue supporting the sports that they actually liked, namely football and basketball.

There was nothing more defeating, more demoralizing to an athlete than to see the league in which they had been playing for practically the entirety of their career go from being one of the hottest and highest attended products to something that could barely draw in a thousand, and that was on a good day. Kelly Profit could still remember that exhibition game between CSKA Tiraspol and Dinamo Bender’s gridiron teams at the New Tiraspol Stadium that she had seen as part of the PGSL’s attempts to draw her and a couple of high-profile FNLAF free agents to play in Pridnestrovia. She could still remember the cheers, the boos, the near-constant chanting of the ultras in support of their own team and insulting the other. Heck, she could even remember the smell of the flares being set off when one team or the other had scored a touchdown. There was none of that atmosphere in the PGSL anymore. The mood in every game she had played after the loss of broadcast rights had felt more like a local flag football game back home in Abanhfleft, and even then at least flag football sometimes had overenthusiastic parents cheering on their children and then giving the referees an earful should a decision not go the way of their little ones’ team. The mood in the PGSL felt more like a funeral than anything else, and it could very well be a funeral for gridiron’s chances of taking root in Pridnestrovia and becoming a regular sporting fixture alongside football and basketball.

Kelly couldn’t help but feel betrayed in all of this. She had been brought to Pridnestrovia with the promise of regular gridiron as well as being part of the vanguard of a sporting revolution that would have established this sport into the psyche of the Pridnestrovian people and give them something to support other than the likes of football and basketball. Instead, after a decade’s worth of trying to grow the sport, she had been hit by the bombshell that everything had been built on a lie, or more accurately selling a lie. Pridnestrovia, its pride wounded by the defeat in Nordskania, wanted to beat Anglatia at something, anything, and the PGSL became their opportunity to present themselves as a responsible member of the international community. In any case, the Pridnestrovian Gridiron Super League had finally served its purpose, and the Pridnestrovian government had tossed it aside like a worn out toy. And as for the people, gridiron for them turned out to be nothing more than a fad, something that was popular for a brief period of time before something else took their attention away and it became the new fad.

For their part, Bratsk never got anywhere near the Pridnestrovian Bowl after their victory in the eighth edition of the Pridnestrovian gridiron championship game. Sure, they were still getting into the playoffs occasionally, but everything that had gone wrong for the team before was going wrong for them once again. Olaf Ivar Bjarnason had received a substantial offer from the FNLAF, specifically the Olistan Longhorns, to trade the PGSL for his home country’s league, and only a fool would turn down such a move. And Olaf Bjarnason was not a fool, so he moved to Olistan, and once again when Kelly was inevitably injured during the regular season, the Dolphins’ new backup quarterback couldn’t help the team over the line. Kelly already knew that she was fighting a losing battle in terms of maintaining Bratsk as a championship threat in the new PGSL, and at the same time she had the knowledge of how the whole situation had come to be gnawing at the back of her mind. Eventually, she decided that she could no longer keep playing for the Dolphins, and when she was offered a new four-year contract by Arkady Ivashchenko, Kelly refused the contract and instead asked to be traded away to another team, any other team.

That other team turned out to be the Kesselburger Kestrels, a team based in the Ixanian Socialist State, home of Pridnestrovia’s German and Romanian-speaking minorities. There were other PGSL teams that had wanted to make a trade for Kelly, but at the end of the day it was the Kestrels’ offer which Arkady Ivashchenko took, which was Kelly Profit and a future second and third round draft pick for a wide receiver, a middle linebacker, and a free safety. She was never going to admit it publicly, but Kelly found herself feeling relieved when she found out that she was headed for Kesselburg as it was the one place in which she had played where she had felt like the people were still mad for gridiron. She didn’t really know quite why that was; maybe the Ixanians actually liked gridiron and didn’t care that their country had already made a point and practically abandoned their league once it had served its purpose. Whatever the case may be, the Kestrels at least still had the support of a large portion of its city, and was even beating the likes of Dinamo Bender and CSKA Tiraspol in terms of attendance. If Kelly was going to rediscover her love and passion for gridiron, what better place for her to do it than in a place that also still loved gridiron despite the rest of the country moving on from it?

Unfortunately, as with most other things, this was much easier said than done.

by **Kamijiro** » Tue Oct 01, 2024 12:29 pm

Gridiron of Kamijiro, Part Three: Regression to the Mean

[OOC]: I got smacked by Hurricane Helene. Missed MD3's deadline because of it. Should be good now.

After beating #2 TJUN-ia, it was time for the Lightning to gear up for their next opponent: the Green Machine of The Kytler Peninsulae. It's important to note that this game held more meaning for the Kamijiroan sports fan. This, of course, is because of the loss to The Kytler Peninsulae in the final matchday of the World Cup qualifiers that sent Kamijiro to the Cup of Harmony once more. That said, this match was far and away not the ideal match to get "revenge" in. Because not only is this a different sport, but it's a sport that, quite frankly, is nowhere near as established in Kamijiro as it is in the Kytler Peninsulae. This much was obvious when a member of their coaching staff came over to express concern about the lack of depth on our roster.

The game kicked off and despite the fact that the Kamijiroans were coming off of a huge upset, they were quickly out-matched by a very similar offensive style to their own. The Green Machine have been running an option-heavy offense since before any Kamijiroan had even thought to put together a national gridiron team and it showed. The game was essentially over by half-time and a great kick return by Rui Nishigaya was truly the only consolation. A real kick to the teeth and crash back to reality in this one. 31-7 the final, with the Green Machine holding the ball for most of the second half and preventing any form of Kamijiroan comeback.

Gridiron of Kamijiro, Part Four: Alive and Kicking?

After a blowout loss to the Kytler Peninsulae, the idea of going up against another established side so soon looked much more daunting than it did following the TJUN-ia match. Juvencus ranks 23rd in the world for gridiron - not as high as TJUN-ia (#2) or The Kytler Peninsulae (#9), but still a ranked side with a much more established gridiron football scene. And it looked like they'd cruise right over the Lightning in this match - Samir Israel threw a deep ball right over the Kamijiroan defense on the first drive to open the scoring. All Francesco Sanguini had to do was not trip on his jog into the end zone, and the extra point was tacked on. From there, the Lightning answered back with a field goal, making it 7-3.

Back on defense again, a disguised blitz caused confusion on the Juvencus line, leaving Leo Oliviera bearing down on the quarterback. One huge hit later and the ball had been knocked free, scooped up by fellow linebacker Rhys Carter, who was able to run it in for six. Daniels made the PAT to move the score to 10-7. The Lightning kept on from there, and by half-time, the score was 17-7, with Alex Daniels running in a touchdown off the patented quadruple option play.

Juvencus forced a turnover off a bad read from Daniels on the first drive of the second half and turned the good field position into a scoring drive to re-open the game's scoring account. Another made PAT and the game was 17-14. However, that would be the last of the scoring from the Brutes. The Lightning sat on the ball for most of the second half, running the clock down. A touchdown right before the end of the third moved the score to 24-14 and then a forced turnover followed by a field goal moved the score to 27-14, which would end up being the final score.

A huge bounce back win for the Kamijiroans that saw them move up to third in the division (based on head-to-head over TJUN-ia), sitting at 3-1. However, the next match would be against Abanhfleft, another high-ranked side. Even if things don't go well there, sitting where the Lightning are now is impressive for an unranked team that came in with little expectation. Go Lightning!

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