World Bowl XII Roster/RP Thread - Meet Your New Champion!

[Bluth Corporation]

Despite an offensive and defensive meltdown in the second half, Bluth Corporation managed to hang on to defeat German Zerabithea by an overtime field goal, and in doing so maintain an unbeaten record, sole possession of first place and Group D, and top seed for the playoffs going into the second half of qualification. What's more, they did it against a fired-up team with nothing lose, desperate to keep playoff hopes alive; and once again, cool precision beat out nervous emotion.

Bluth Corporation jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the first half, thanks to the laser, rocket arm of Cain Wells and the flawless route running of Bluth Corporation's receiving corps. The receivers had no trouble beating the coverage, and Wells was able to throw for three touchdowns and, indeed, post a perfect passer rating for the first half. The defense was just as successful, with a disciplined pass rush that seemed not to overpursue to the extent that it had in past games and the patience to see how the play was developing before committing.

In the second half, though, it was all turned upside down. Sure, Matthew West's sprained ankle slowed down the pass rush a bit; but German Zerabithea brought an intensity that would not have been matched even with West still in the game. Suddenly, the corners couldn't cover and the linebackers couldn't stop the run. On offense, Bluth Corporation could still move the ball between the twenties, but once they got in the red zone they were absolutely stupefied. It wasn't that German Zerabithea was doing anything different; they were just doing it harder. The Zerabitheans were literally trying to will their way to victory, and it almost worked as they ran for nearly two hundred yards and scored twenty-four points in the second half while only allowing a pair of field goals on Bluth Corporation drives that stalled in the red zone. By the time Gonso Shoemaker completed a four-yard touchdown pass with five seconds left to (after the extra point) force overtime, it seemed like all the momentum was on the German Zerabithean side.

Then Bluth Corporation won the coin toss.

Cain Wells wasn't going to give German Zerabithea another chance, with the way they had stomped all over the Bluth Corporation defense. "It's teamwork," said Wells after the game. "Nothing against the defense; sometimes the offense is on fire and the defense struggles, but sometimes the defense is on fire and the offense struggles. This time, they were the ones struggling so it was on us to pull us out, just like when we struggle they come through big for us." And pull through he did, as he used his arm and his head to engineer a perfect 82-yard drive down to the three yard line, setting up Shipley for the winning 20-yard kick.

SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter:

• Bluth Corporation: Wells 13-yard pass to Hayes (Shipley kick)
• Bluth Corporation: Wells 48-yard pass to Anthis (Shipley kick)

Second quarter:

• German Zerabithea: Koradi 18-yard kick
• Bluth Corporation: Wells 7-yard pass to Hayes (Shipley kick)

Third quarter:

• German Zerabithea: Cafeno 8-yard run (Koradi kick)
• Bluth Corporation: Shipley 19-yard kick
• German Zerabithea: Koradi 27-yard kick

Fourth quarter:

• German Zerabithea: Shoemaker 31-yard pass to Valintely (Koradi kick)
• Bluth Corporation: Shipley 22-yard kick
• German Zerabithea: Shoemaker 4-yard pass to Samuelson (Koradi kick)

Overtime:

• Bluth Corporation: Shipley 20-yard kick

[Osarius]

With two losses in the last two outings for the Firebirds, Robert Garbongo is predictably coming under fire from the fans. While he has a few reasonable excuses, he is yet to use any, simply pointing out that the team had underperformed. This refreshing level of honesty has placated all but the most hardcore supporters of the national side.

"Of course I am disappointed. I know the team is much stronger than they have shown, and perhaps I should take some of the blame. [...] My focus on the passing game meant that there was too much on Robbie [O'Sullivan]'s shoulders when Leon [Saint] was ruled out. Its not so easy to suddenly change focus like that, as good a runner as Rashad Jackson is. [...] Yes, Leon Saint will definitely be back for the next game. Also, I can tell you the whole team is fired up, knowing how disappointed the fans are at the moment. I have no doubts that they will bounce back and progress to the World Bowl playoff rounds."

- Robert Garbongo, Osarius Head Coach

Garbongo is right to take the blame, and protect his players - some of whom are still scarred from the events of the last two World Bowls - from the barrage of criticism they are certain to face in the media. Now that gridiron football has a larger profile in Osarius, and popularity is growing, the national team are better known. With this knowledge comes understanding that their rank dictates they are one of the strongest teams in the world, and the expectation that they should beat most opposition.

The Firebirds sit at 2-2 in third place in their group. With four games to go, and Tarrentum racking up four straight wins so far, there may need to be a rebirth of mythic proportion for the Osarian team to qualify. The victory over Jepstonia in the Benevolence Bowl aside, the Firebirds have looked a little off the pace to say the least in their games so far. Despite large yardage, their red zone efficiency is poor, and they are giving up far too many penalties. If Garbongo hopes to see his side advance beyond the level to which his predecessors have managed to take them, he'll need to at least iron these kinks out of the Osarian game. It is certainly possible, but much easier said than done.

[F1-Insanity]

If you don't score touchdowns, you can't win games
It can be said to be one of the most basic rules of football, you gotta score to be able to win, and touchdowns get you the most points, quickest. Against Mytannion the Mulcaheys failed to do just that. Five field goals and a safety, that is what our Mulcaheys ended up with. Mytannion, a team that so far has failed to communicate in any way about its matches. But that's their prerogative. They won the game, thanks to a dubious penalty called against the Mulcaheys, but these things happen in football, though as most teams we feel it happens more against us than for us.

The results in the group mean that all four teams are tied at 2-2. One decent win could effectively clinch second place, that much is certain. And Cosumar are up next.

Match report
Mytannion scored their second touchdown from 6 yards out with 55 seconds left after a dubious holding call against the Mulcaheys defense and Mytannion managed the win, 23-17.

On fourth-and-1 at the Mulcaheys 36, Mytannion's attempt to heave the ball into the endzone seemed to fail when the ball, past the goalline, fell incomplete leaving our Mulcaheys to think the game was in the bag, despite the poor performance. But an official threw a flag and called William Tarkin for holding, giving Mytannion a fresh chance at victory. And they used it. Furious protesting and even a challenge were all ignored by the officials. The question is, what will happen to coach Massey who was seen to shove one of the officials who tried to calm him down. A fine and a ban seem certain.

Our Mulcaheys had led the entire match, scoring two field goals in quick succession before Mytannion replied with one of their own. Two more field goals made it 12-3 at half time. Then in the third quarter, Mytannion made a touchdown and closed in to 12-10 but another field goal and a safety when Mytannion's quarterback failed to get rid of the ball soon enough, made it 17-10. Two more field goals, this time for Mytannion set up a tense fourth quarter at 17-16 for F1-Insanity's own Mulcaheys. Both teams consistently failed to get a first down, right until the moment the officials decided to step in and help Mytannion win the game. And so it was.

Final score: Mytannion 23, F1-Insanity 17

Group G

Cosumar               4   2   2   0   91   76  +15    0.500
F1 Insanity           4   2   2   0  107   93  +14    0.500
Allumnic States       4   2   2   0   90  102  -12    0.500
Mytannion             4   2   2   0   90  107  -17    0.500

Qualification a must
Coach Massey said it before the Mulcaheys first ever World Bowl, "we aim to win it sometime in the future". The last two times the Mulcaheys were eliminated in the quarter final round and the progress seemed to confirm Massey's bluster and confidence.

But these latest two defeats leave questions to be asked, are his methods still effective? Because a team that consistently is so inconsistent, one match gets loads of touchdowns and the next doesn't even get in the red zone more than a few times, cannot seriously expect to go all the way. Some fans are beginning to question wheter Massey is mentally up to the challenge. Todays incident when the coach shoved an official certainly confirms something is wrong.

But one thing is for sure, as long as coach Massey has the personal backing of our dear leader, Father Mulcahey, he isn't going anywhere. And so it should be for Mulcahey is wise and munificent. And if Massey leads the team to at least the next round, he must be safe.

And of course, the government of F1-Insanity wishes to express its sorrow to the relatives of the 'dissidents' that have recently turned up dead. Father Mulcahey is said to have offered his personal condolences to the families. What this has to do with football, we'll never know.

[The Fanboyists]

Oh Yikes...

The Vols organization announced yesterday that Haanryk Stahlburg would be able to return, and was expected to jump right back into practice and the game against Mytannion.

For those who don't know, Stahlburg has served as the team's starting halfback since World Bowl 9, and he has become one of the game's leading rushers since then with a mix of raw power, quickness, and strong acceleration. He's also had several extremely productive games since he joined the team, with hundred-yard and two-TD days being a common occurance with the explosive running-back.

Stahlburg went down in the team's first game against Consumar with an ankle injury. His rapid recovery is encouraging.

"He probably won't be getting the majority of the carries, though," Coach Smart told us. "We're not going to pile a huge workload on him yet. He's still recovering. He's well enough to play, but we don't want that to change because we asked him to do too much on his first game back."

The Vols play tonight in their only away game of the second-half of qualifiers at Mytannion. In the first half of qualifying, the Vols dropped the game, and Mytannion is coming off a surprise victory over the Mulcaheys of F1-Insanity.

"They're not bad by any stretch of the imagination, so we need to be well-focused on this game," Stahlburg told us. "It's great to be back, but we've got to focus hard on this, or qualifying may not happen for us."

It's probably pretty damn likely that the Vols are going to run the ball a lot against Mytannion, as the rushing game never really got going in their loss last time.

"That's the trick, now, isn't it?" Ole Nurdson said. "If we get the rush going, it opens up the pass, and a whole new slew of possibilities open up with it."

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

This is your friendly RP cutoff. Bluth's RP counted.

Cutoff brought to you today by Yumbo Jumbo in conjunction with Zap Energy Drinks.

Todays Flavor: Schockingly Eccentric Energizer - Inspired by Voltronica's shocking end to the Krytenia domination of Group H.

[Bluth Corporation]

Bluth Corporation's national football team took full advantage of its second bye week to rest and recuperate, and come back stronger than ever to close out World Bowl XII qualifying. Those who were healthy were relaxing on the beach, eating pastrami on rye under an umbrella and watching the surfers and kayakers. Those who had injuries were being treated, or in bed relaxing with an all-time classic novel.

For Matthew West, his novel of choice was Doctor Morago. He was often teased for being one of the less-educated members of the team, having ended his time in academia with a M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Newport Beach, but his literary preferences were second-to-none. "It's a fascinating read," said West. "I mean, the coincidences between the two main characters meeting each other, just says so much to the utter lack of control one had over one's life during the old Collective days."

Randall Ridgway, on the other hand, preferred Paula of the Villeyfields. "Paula is such a strong and assertive woman, sometimes it's hard to believe she let herself be taken in by Villeyfield's promises," mused Ridgway. "What's more surprising is how she just surrenders at the end, doesn't even attempt to defend herself or her lover. I mean, I know she does it because she's finally happy, finally satisfied--but still, something about it just doesn't sit well."

Though their tastes varied, the Bluth Corporation players could all agree on one thing: the bye week was a time for intellectual enrichment. Arthur Miller was so excited he couldn't contain himself. "We've got the smartest players on the planet, and reading and critically analyzing great literature exercises their minds, makes them even better. Seriously, how many other teams read?"

And where were the Merry Pranksters throughout all this? Mostly skulking in the shadows, biding their time until their next big prank. It was sure to be a doozy...

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

Group A 
Trivval 9, Sarzonia 20
Boronina 16, Dorian and Sonya 23

Sarzonia              5   4   1   0   205   129   +76   0.800
Qazox                 5   4   1   0   160   105   +55   0.800
Boronina              6   3   3   0   133   147   -14   0.500
Dorian and Sonya      6   2   4   0   120   176   -56   0.333
Trivval               6   1   5   0   112   171   -59   0.167



Group B
Saint-Alexandre 17, Osarius 16
Jepstonia 16, Tarrentum 10 OT

Tarrentum             6   5   1   0   111   86    +25   0.833
Lycrabon              5   3   2   0   120   100   +20   0.600
Osarius               5   2   3   0   118   110   +8    0.400
Saint-Alexandre       6   2   3   1   123   130   -7    0.333
Jepstonia             6   1   4   1   81    136   -55   0.200



Group C
Missourian Rebels 10, Delaclava 17
Orlkjestad 27, Freelsio 24

Delaclava             5   5   0   0   177   86    +91   1.000
Rennidan              5   4   1   0   127   96    +31   0.800
Freelasio             6   3   3   0   148   145   +3    0.500
Missourian Rebels     6   1   5   0   115   160   -45   0.167
Orlkjestad            6   1   5   0   101   181   -80   0.167



Group D
Tarsas 0, Bluth Corporation 28
Ganjapolis 0, German Zerabithea 19

Bluth Corporation     5   5   0   0   205   77    +128  1.000
Karita                5   3   1   1   129   120   +9    0.750
German Zerabithea     6   4   2   0   121   96    +25   0.667
Tarsas                6   1   4   1   92    183   -91   0.200
Ganjapolis            6   0   6   0   76    147   -71   0.000


Group E
Estnorden 3, Cassadaigua 22
Buffalostan 32, Churchma 26 OT

Buffalostan           6   5   1   0   182   100   +82    0.833
Cassadaigua           5   4   1   0   125   68    +57    0.800
Sibirsky              5   2   3   0   116   137   -21    0.400
Estnorden             6   2   4   0   79    159   -79    0.333
Churchma              6   1   5   0   97    135   -38    0.167

Group F
Wonderchicken 20, Whittoria 23 OT
Al-Mumtaz 12, Mossulia 25

Whittoria              5   4   1   0   175   109  +66    0.800
ASMV                   5   4   1   0   160   137  +23    0.800
Mossulia               6   3   3   0   111   116  -5     0.500
Wonderchicken          6   2   4   0   97    154  -57    0.333
Al-Mumtaz              6   1   5   0   126   150  -24    0.167


Group G
No Matches Today

Cosumar                4   2   2   0   91    76   +15    0.500
F1 Insanity            4   2   2   0   107   93   +14    0.500
Allumnic States        4   2   2   0   90    102  -12    0.500
Mytannion              4   2   2   0   90    107  -17    0.500


Group H
No Matches Today

Krytenia               4   3   1   0   114  93    +21    0.750
Voltronica             4   3   1   0   113  93    +20    0.750
Tocrowkia              4   1   3   0   99   87    +12    0.250
Sucrati                4   1   3   0   58   111   -53    0.250

[Scandavian States]

..::Imperial News Network::..

All The News You Need

The Unifiers are facing German Zerabithea again tonight after their second bye and defeating Ganjopolis 19-10 the previous match day. Scoring only two touchdowns, a field goal, and a safety (the second for the defense in this World Bowl) raises serious questions about how this team is going to perform against German Zerabithea, given the latter's performance against Bluth Corporation. There is no question that this is a must win game, as it would put the Zerathiean team 2.5 games back and wrap up the head-to-head tie-breaker in favor of the Imperial national team; it would also statistically eliminate Ganjopolis and Tarsas from contention.

It's patently obvious that for the Unifiers to win this game, the passing game needs to find a spark and the defense absolutely has to continue its stellar play (ignoring the blowout loss to the #1 ranked team). The offense has been spotted working heavily on read-option plays and play-actioning off of them, as well as running grueling simulated games at an obscenely fast-tempo no huddle. While this is normal for the weeks of practice leading up to each and every World Bowl, Coach Sorensen has generally laid off such activities during the weeks of match play. The fact that all of the coaches' vocabulary has tended towards decidedly family unfriendly and that the players are showing more aggression (including quite a few fights), speed, and precision during practices lends hope to the idea that the Unifiers are finally rededicating themselves.

Remember, this evening's game can be seen live on INN Sports 1.

[German Zerabithea]

This is the ZSN here as we get ready for what may be the game that determines if the Rams will make the playoffs this year.

After beating Ganjapolis 19-0, the Rams must now face Karita, a team which have beaten our team earlier this season, and are currently tied with the Rams for second place. If the Rams can beat these guys, they will have the best chance of getting second place and their first trip to the playoffs since WB IX.

"I think we can do it." Said Gonzo Shoemaker in a interview this week on Zerabithean Sports Radio. "We have the talent, and we have proven that we can even make the worlds #1 team break a sweat for a min there, everyone in the team is ready to give 110% in this next game and this team is ready to redeem itself from its last two seasons."

This is sure to be an excellent game with so much on the line, and we can only hope that this year will be the year of the Rams. And if it isn't...

Then we here at the ZSN would like to say that we will still have your back, because this team has improved itself in so many ways, and the better you get, the more you help to keep the dream of Jerry Rogers alive, a dream where Zerabithea stands around as one of the foremost Football nations, and children can look up to you players and say "I want to be like that when I grow up." And a nation where its people can rise up from its setbacks, and have something to be proud of.

ZSN out.

[The Fanboyists]

Victor dropped back in the pocket, feet stuttering and tapping nervously on the ground as he surveyed the field and watched for an open man. Dunn...Theodore...Darcyk...Gain--

Then things hurt, as he felt the ground rush up to meet him.

"Shit," he groaned as the large lineman pulled himself up off the flattened quarterback.

"Need a hand up?" Theo asked, extending a massive hand.

"Yeah," Victor groaned, taking the hand, and pulling himself up off the ground using the anchor of an appendage. He shook his head, trying to clear it of the fuzziness and stars that filled it with the sack. He looked around at the recievers and at the offensive line, who were shaking their heads.

"Too long, man," Wurfytur said. "Gotta get rid of it."

"Can't expect us to hold 'em off forever. Three seconds is as much as anyone can expect to have," Fuqua observed. "That, or get a-ready to run," he drawled.

Victor nodded. It was a lot for the young man, who was still breaking in the starting job. "A'right, then. I'll keep tha' in mind," he said, nodding, as the linemen and recievers began resetting their formation. He walked behind Suldurmunn, and placed his hands to take the snap.

"SEEEt....HIT!" he barked.

[Qazox]

QSPN.com/World Bowl 12

With 3 games left, Qazox needs but 1 victory to clinch a playoff berth and the first oppertunity to do so comes tommorrow night when 2-4 Dorian and Sonya comes to town. With a win, Qazox would be assured of a trip to ASMV. The best news is Boronia plays Sarzonia tommorrow as well. If Sarzonia wins, Qazox is in regardless of the result vs. D&S; while a Boronia victory would give tehm the H2H tiebreaker over the Stars, if those two teams finish tied. While we cannot offically root for either team, the Stars could make the Sharks' job a bit easier with a win at home.

Looking at the other groups, Tarrentum is 5-0 in group B and could all but clinch the group title with a win @ Lycrabon. If Osarius loses at home to Jepstonia, a Tarrentum win would be enough to clinch Group B.

In Group C, it looks like a 3-way race between 4-0 Delaclava, 4-1 Rennidan and 3-2 Freelasio as Missourian Rebels and Orlkjestad are all but eliminated. Rennidan and Delaclava would all but clinch playoff berths if Rennidan defeats Freelasio and Delaclava beats Orlkjestad tommorrow.

In Group D, Bluth Corporation is atop the group at 4-0 with Karita 3-1-1 on their heels. Tarsas and Ganjapolis are almost eliminated while German Zerabithia at 3-2 are still in the hunt. Tommorrow Bluth Corporation shoudl beat Ganjapolis, with Karita and GZ battle for 2nd.

In Group E, Buffalostan and Cassadaigua are 4-1 and 3-1 respectively; and they meet tommorrow. If Buffalostan can avange their only loss and Churchma defeats Sibirsky, Buffalostan would have a playoff berth.

Group F sees ASMV and Whittoria in positions to all but clinch with victories in their games against Mossulia and Al-Mumtaz respectively. Wonderchicken would still be alive if an upset occurs, but it is not likely, given the way Mossulia and Al-Mumtaz have played so far.

Groups G and H, the two 4-team groups are coming off a bye date and we'll start with Group H (the easier of the 2 groups). At 3-1 Krytenia and Voltronica have split their 2 meetings and with wins over Tocrowkia and Sucrati, respectively; would clinch playoff berths.

Group G sees all 4 teams tied at 2-2 each. Depending on who wins in the Cosumar-F1 Insanity and Mytannion-Allumnic States matches, this group will come down to the final games. If Mytannion and F1 Insanity both win, they would have slight advantages due to sweeping the H2H meetings of the teams they are facing tommorrow.

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

A friendly RP cutoff brought to you by Yumbo Jumbo

Today's Flavor Profile: Spiced Apple Crumble. Inspired by F1 Insanity and their tumble from the top of the group.

Group A 
Sarzonia 43, Boronina 27
Qazox 34, Dorian and Sonya 15

Sarzonia              6   5   1   0   248   156   +92   0.833 Q
Qazox                 6   5   1   0   194   120   +74   0.833 Q
Boronina              7   3   4   0   160   190   -30   0.429 E
Dorian and Sonya      7   2   5   0   135   210   -75   0.286 E
Trivval               6   1   5   0   112   171   -59   0.167 E



Group B
Osarius 24, Jepstonia 24 OT
Lycrabon 16, Tarrentum 17

Tarrentum             7   6   1   0   128   102   +26   0.857 Q
Lycrabon              6   3   3   0   136   117   +19   0.500
Osarius               6   2   3   1   142   134   +8    0.400
Saint-Alexandre       6   2   3   1   123   130   -7    0.333
Jepstonia             7   1   4   2   105   160   -55   0.200 E



Group C
Delaclava 50, Orlkjestad 0
Rennidan 20, Freelasio 19

Delaclava             6   6   0   0   227   86    +141  1.000 Q
Rennidan              6   5   1   0   147   115   +32   0.833 Q
Freelasio             7   3   4   0   167   165   +2    0.429 E
Missourian Rebels     6   1   5   0   115   160   -45   0.167 E
Orlkjestad            7   1   6   0   101   231   -120  0.143 E



Group D
Bluth Corporation 49, Ganjapolis 12
Karita 22, German Zerabithea 6

Bluth Corporation     6   6   0   0   254   89    +165  1.000 Q
Karita                6   4   1   1   151   126   +35   0.800 
German Zerabithea     7   4   3   0   127   118   +8    0.667 
Tarsas                6   1   4   1   92    183   -91   0.200 E
Ganjapolis            7   0   7   0   88    195   -107  0.000 E



Group E
Cassadaigua 21, Buffalostan 16
Sibirsky 38, Churchma 24

Cassadaigua           6   5   1   0   146   84    +62    0.833 Q
Buffalostan           7   5   2   0   198   121   +77    0.714 
Sibirsky              6   3   3   0   154   161   -7     0.500
Estnorden             6   2   4   0   79    159   -79    0.333 E
Churchma              7   1   6   0   121   173   -52    0.143 E

Group F
Whittoria 16, Al-Mumtaz 30
ASMV 27, Mossulia 23

ASMV                   6   5   1   0   187   160  +27    0.833 Q
Whittoria              6   4   2   0   191   139  +52    0.667 
Mossulia               7   3   4   0   134   143  -9     0.429 
Wonderchicken          6   2   4   0   97    154  -57    0.333 E
Al-Mumtaz              7   2   5   0   156   166  -10    0.286 E


Group G
F1 Insanity 23, Cosumar 9
Allumnic States 38, Mytannion 35 OT

F1 Insanity            5   3   2   0   130   102  +28    0.600
Allumnic States        5   3   2   0   128   137  -9     0.600
Cosumar                5   2   3   0   100   99   +0     0.400
Mytannion              5   2   3   0   125   145  -20    0.400


Group H
Tocrowkia 17, Krytenia 26
Voltronica 27, Sucrati 22

Krytenia               5   4   1   0   140  110   +30    0.800 Q
Voltronica             5   4   1   0   140  115   +25    0.800 Q
Tocrowkia              5   1   4   0   116  113   +3     0.200 E
Sucrati                5   1   4   0   80   138   -58    0.200 E

[F1-Insanity]

Spiced apple crumble is good, and where is our Q?

Apple crumble: the team needed a bit 'spicing' up so to speak, after dropping from 2-0 to 2-2. And the hosts were kind enough to provide it. A serving of spiced apple crumble rekindled the offense and tightened up the defense.

Erratic results: previous game saw no touchdowns scored, now our team didn't concede a single touchdown, and scored two.

400 yards: Quarterback Damon Mable managed it again, for the third time in this group stage 400+ yards passing. Mable went 27/32 for 412 yards with 2 touchdowns

Purges: it has become clear that the ruling Tyrefitter Party of F1-Insanity has been purged, brutally. The government gave clarity on this earlier today, and warned future dissidents. No future 'splitters' will be tolerated.

Qualification: considering our team owns the head to head against both the 2-3 teams, and the hosts announced that head to head and head to head points differential would be the main tiebreakers, we think we are through to the next round (2-0 vs Cosumar and 1-1 PD +14 against Mytannion).

Misspelling of nation names: the hosts are reminded its F1-Insanity, and not F1 Insanity or even worse, F-1 Insanity. But that is nothing compared to the treatment the Vols from the Allamunnic States get, continuously referred to as 'Allumnic States'.

Red zone: was clear of enemies for 58.21 of the total playing time.

62 yard touchdown: a classic Mable-Mazzucco collaborative effort, after exposing the defense. Excellent protection gave quarterback Mable oceans of time and the defense disintegrated leaving Mazzucco the wide receiver wide open.

Coach suspended: coach Massey was banned from the touchline, by himself. Coach told us he wanted to set an example. The team delivered. Unity was restored afterwards in a fine restaurant.

Allamunnic States: our final group stage opponents, and unlike us they must win.

Group G

F1-Insanity            5   3   2   0   130   102  +28    0.600
Allumnic States*       5   3   2   0   128   137  -9     0.600 *note: misspelling by host, not by F1-Insanity media
Cosumar                5   2   3   0   100   99   +0     0.400
Mytannion              5   2   3   0   125   145  -20    0.400

[Bluth Corporation]

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Bluth Corporation    14  21   7   7   49


Bluth Corporation

• As expected, the Bluth Corporation offense completely devoured Ganjapolis. After 35 first-half points, the second-stringers came in but they were still able to outscore the Ganjapolitan first-string 14-9 in the second half. Cain Wells shredded the secondary for four first-half touchdown passes and 584 yards, while Richard Anthis and Sean Blakely combined for 224 rushing yards, plus a 3-yard rushing touchdown for William Williams.
• Bluth Corporation's defense had a field day as well. No scores, but plenty of takeaways: three fumbles and four interceptions, as well as two more forced fumbles that Ganjapolis recovered but for a loss. Other negative plays included eight sacks (five by Matthew West, roaring back from his foot injury) and nineteen tackles for a loss on running plays.
• The Bluth Corporation team took full advantage of its last game against an easy opponent to secure a playoff spot. First place in Group D is not yet secure, though a win next week over Karita would take care of that; and if they can stay undefeated the team is also in excellent position to secure the top overall seed. It's shaping up to be yet another dominant World Bowl performance by the world number one.

Ganjapolist

• The Ganjapolitan offense was simply no match for Bluth Corporation's cover-2 defense. The play-action fake was no good, as Charles Woodruff (possibly the fastest--and smartest--middle linebacker in the history of the game) had no trouble getting into coverage even when he was initially fooled; there was no room for the tight ends to run their routes, and the safeties were so keyed in that the corners were able to give the wideouts literally no cushion. On the ground, despite Ganjapolis's size advantage the Bluth Corporation front seven was able to penetrate time and time again simply because plays were so slow to develop.
• On the other hand, the Ganjapolitan corners were giving the Bluth Corporation receivers plenty of cushion after being burned for a 72-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage of the game. But that made it too easy, as Cain Wells used a series of short passes to force the corners into closer coverage before going deep again. They totally played right into Bluth Corporation's hands offensively.
• No one expected Ganjapolis to win this one, but after five games of experience everyone figured they would be in better shape than this. Playing Bluth Corporation is an education in football, and they obviously didn't learn anything from the first session.

[Buffalostan]

Game Review - Weeks Seven, Eight

LINE  1   2   3   4  OT   F
CHU   6   3   7  10   0  26
BUF   7  13   0   6   6  32
BOX                                                                      CHU  BUF
  1 Dale Stern 51 yard field goal                                         3    0
    Dale Stern 38 yard field goal                                         6    0
    John Dunn 1 yard rush (Tom Harris kick)                               6    7
  2 Samaguki Matsuboyoshi 18 yard interception return (kick failed)       6   13
    Dale Stern 43 yard field goal                                         9   13
    Ron Dahlstrom 6 yard rush (Tom Harris kick)                           9   20
  3 Devonte Ramon 9 yard pass from Carl Trenton (Dale Stern kick)        16   20
  4 Joel Roberts 5 yard pass from Carl Trenton (Dale Stern kick)         23   20
    Dale Stern 19 yard field goal                                        26   20
    Ron Dahlstrom 1 yard rush (kick failed)                              26   26
 OT Mike McCreary 20 yard pass from Tom Harris                           26   32

LINE  1   2   3   4   F
BUF   0   3   7   6  16
CDG   0  14   7   0  21
BOX                                                                          BUF  CDG
  2 Kristen Marshall 4 yard run (Emily Rutland kick)                          0    7
    Tom Harris 27 yard field goal kick                                        3    7
    Ashley Condon 31 yard pass from Stacie Powers (Emily Rutland kick)        3   14
  3 Kourtney Dahlman 1 yard pass from Stacie Powers (Emily Rutland kick)      3   21
    Jack Snyder 55 yard pass from John Dunn (Tom Harris kick)                10   21
  4 Ron Dahlstrom 17 yard pass from Tom Harris (pass failed)                 16   21

A week after an exciting overtime win against Churchma, it was back to earth the next week for the Buffalostani national team as Cassadaigua ground out a 21-16 win to solidify their lead on the World Bowl qualification group. A win against Estnorden in Week Nine would guarantee the team a playoff berth, but a defeat coupled with wins for Sibirsky could spell doom.

Nonetheless, the team will enter the Estnorden game with the upper hand following their first round victory by 46-3, and with the knowledge that they at least control their own destiny: even a tie would be good enough to ensure progression. Many predicted the Buffalostanis to wash out early of their competitive Group, but they remain unbeaten against everyone except Cassadaigua and can boast better stats thus far than many established World Bowl powers.

An increasingly important, if mercurial, figure in the team's set-up is backup quarterback/receiver/special teamer Tom Harris, who has taken more snaps in the last two games and passed for two touchdowns to zero interceptions. His 20 yard strike to Mike McCreary clinched the overtime win against Churchma, and his fourth quarter pass to Ron Dahlstrom gave brief hope in the dying moments of the Cassadaigua game - though the team were unable to complete a 2 point conversion to bring themselves within 3 points, and failed to score a touchdown on their final possession.

Younger than Dunn and lacking experience at the pro level, most of Harris's packages have been option offences, but with Ron Dahlstrom increasingly lining up in the backfield instead of as a tight end, it is an avenue the team may pursue in the future. Meanwhile, the offensive line gave up only 3 sacks in the course of the two games, showing renewed improvement, while the defensive backs remain the team's biggest asset.

One serious pause for thought, however, comes in the decision not to bring specialist kickers and punters; Harris and Jack Snyder have taken over these duties, but with Harris kicking field goals at only a 61% rate and missing the crucial PAT that would have spared overtime after Dahlstrom's fourth quarter rushing touchdown against Churchma, the team is throwing away points it could find itself sorely in need of against higher powered offences.

[Scandavian States]

..::Imperial News Network::..

All The News You Need

The Unifiers have all but locked up their playoff spot, but that doesn't mean they're not eager for their next game against Bluth Corporation, to whom they have their only loss. A win not only avenges a loss, but give the Unifiers a fairly high seed. The key to this game is going to be the defense of both teams. The Unifiers must use more zone blitz looks to confuse Cain Wells and the Unifiers quarterbacks must use the time they'll have in the pocket to pick apart Bluth Corporation's Cover 2 defense.

One thing of note, the Unifiers have recorded a sack for a safety for the second straight game; another sack for a safety would set a World Bowl all-time record for most by a single team and most consecutive games with a safety for a defense. As always you can catch tomorrow night's game on INN Sports 1 live.

[The Fanboyists]

Well, That Was Entirely Too Close

Mytannion has been a big surprise this year in this group, and they nearly stole another one from the Vols as the desperate teams scrambled to hold onto a chance to qualify.

Well talk about clutch playing; the Vols emerged from hostile territory with an overtime win that they secured after Elias Mourner picked off a pass thrown under pressure, setting the Vols up to end the game with a field goal from the opposing 24.

Haanryk Stahlburg made his contributions from the word go, as he and Ole Nurdson rushed eleven and fourteen times respectively for 107 and 100 yards respectively, with Stahlburg managing one touchdown (off a 16-yard down-field charge) and Nurdson managing two (one off a 24-yard run, one punched in from the 2-yard line). Victor Dunbar was efficient, going 10/14, accounting for 243 yards and two touchdowns (one on a screen to Myra Dercyk, and one on a 14-yard bullet to Mikel Dunn).

And, most importantly, after Mytannion took a 29-7 lead going into half-time, the Vols' defense stepped up and forced (and recovered) two fumbles, one interception in regulation, and another interception in overtime to give the Vols' their chances. Mytannion's QB was also harried mercilessly, being sacked eight times on the night, six of those coming in the second half.

"It was closer than we would have liked," Coach Smart stated after the game, "but luckily, they got things done out there, and managed to come off of an opponent's home turf with a win. A win's a win. It counts for something, unless we fail to follow it up with a win against the Mulcaheys. At home, I think we can do it. It won't be easy, because they're a very good team, but I think it's certainly doable."

The Vols' lone first-half touchdown came off Dunbar's screen to Dercyk, which she took in for a 28-yard gain late in the second quarter and added the touchdown, swinging the game's momentum going into the half.

"We need to not play like that first half again. We gave up too many points, in too little time. We had a half to recover, but if we keep doing that, there'll be a time when our luck runs out, and we'll find ourselves down so far that we can't come back," Theo Laansur observed. "You can bet the defense is going to be flying around at practice this week, so we can make sure we don't give up that many points against F1-Insanity. We just can't afford it."

Of course, with the pass-rushing prowess the team has displayed, that may be simpler than it is with other teams; the Mulcaheys leaned heavily on their QB, passing 32 times for 400+ yards and two of their touchdowns this week. If the Vols' defense can keep up the pressure on Mable that they did the last time the two teams played, they have a solid chance of bringing home the victory --literally; the Vols will also be playing with home-field advantage, which can never be written off. That said, it's important the Vols' avoid failing on their home turf; a loss to F1-Insanity now will basically eliminate them from the playoff picture.

So get out to Thomasburg to support your team, everyone; Get Your Blue-an'-Grey on!

[Qazox]

QSPN.com/World Bowl 12

Sharks Clinch at Home with 34-15 victory.

Despite the final score, this was not really a close game as Qazox jumped out to a 24-0 half-time lead and only a muffed punt by Ryan Ulmac allowed the Unicorns to score a touchdown. Ryan Jackson ran for a carrer high 256 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half as the Sharks devoured the D&S defense. Until the 4th quarter, the Unicorns only crossed into Qazox territory twice, one a 49-yd TD pass one play following a fumbled interception by Jason Halvoski.

Up next for Qazox is a trip to Sarzonia. If Sarzonia wins, they clinch the group title, while a Qazox win would see them in 1st place with 1-5 Trivval coming to Qazox for the finale.

BOX SCORE

Dorian and Sonya   0  0  6  9   15
Qazox             14 10  7  3   34

SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
QAZ- 28 yd TD run by Ryan Jackson; Frank Jackson PAT good. (7:13) 7-0 Qazox
QZX- 31 yd TD run by Ryan Jackson; Frank Jackson PAT good (0:42) 14-0 Qazox
Second quarter
QZX- 4 yd TD run by Ryan Jackson; Frank Jackson PAT good (6:55) 21-0 Qazox
QZX- 40 yd FG by Frank Jackson (0:03) 24-0 Qazox
Third quarter
D&S- 39 yd FG by Calladhya Orlond (10:16) 24-3 Qazox
QZX- 32 yd FG by Frank Jackson (5:03) 31-3 Qazox
D&S- 49 yd TD pass by Milaniel Birloth to Herlathiel Lanéslhûn; PAT Blocked (3:17) 31-9 Qazox
Fourth quarter
D&S- 26 yd TD pass by Milaniel Birloth to Herlathiel Lanéslhûn; 2-pt conversion run failed (7:15) 31-15 Qazox
QZX- 46 yd FG by Frank Jackson (1:42) 34-15 Qazox

[Voltronica]

Voltronica Firestorm Headed to its 1st Ever World Bowl Tournament Entry!!
Vizern Chronicle, October 20, 2010, Peter Harding

VIZERN, Sanji Province, Voltronica- The Firestorm clinches Group H

The Voltronica Firestorm after beating Sucrati for the second time 27-22 found itself 4-1-0 and qualified to be in the World Bowl XII Tournament. Where will they be seeded? The middle? The top end? or the bottom end? Its still hard to tell at this point considering that the Krytenia Aces are just barely ahead of the Firestorm by 5 less Points Against. Everything else they are tied on. Voltronica is also looking for the very first Group title in WB history. "It took Four Tourneys to get here and were not just going to let it slip away." Stated Chad Jasso the number one receiver on the team. We are going into the next game against Tocrowkia with all guns blazing just to make up for those five points we need to get ahead of the Aces. The other way is to have Sucrati win against the Aces assuring the Voltronica Group H trophy.

"When we started this season off we predicted the outcomes of each group based on experience and past flukes...we now find that we were 35% wrong"
-VSNWB Prediction Staff

Statements like these show the true testament to the unexpected chain of events in the World Bowl 12 season.

In group B we can see Tarrentum qualified at 6-1-0 after MD 7. Last year Tarrentum was in a group with Voltronica and nearly got hammered in the group because of three high profile teams at the time. Yet Osarius, one of those teams, is 2-3-1 in the group and finds themselves dropping nearly out of chances.
In Group E we see Cassadaigua at the top with Buffalostan in second and practically guaranteed entry to the tourney unless they lose the next game. Sibirsky is in 3rd at 3-3-0 and virtually have no chance unless Buffalostan loses the next games and they win the next two.
In Group G there is no true winner here yet. All the teams are pretty much dead even at having a shot with F1 Insanity probably having the greatest but not assured.

Voltronica Firestorm Foam Finger (released to promote a Voltronican Group Trophy and possibly a good run at the Tourney.)

[Bluth Corporation]

Some observers predicted that in their second meeting with Bluth Corporation, Ganjapolis would be a tough, gritty, battle-tested team that would put up a fight. They probably wouldn't win, but they would be able to close.

Some observers, clearly, were wrong.

Ganjapolis never even had a chance as it only managed to register four field goals against Bluth Corporation's seven touchdowns--and three of those came in the second half, in which the Bluth Corporation starters were pulled after a 35-3 halftime lead and in which Ganjapolis was still outscored 14-9.

The first play from scrimmage should have provided a hint of what was to come. After Donald Deputy took a kick from four yards deep in the end zone out to the Bluth Corporation 28, Cain Wells had no problem finding Erwin Winters for a touchdown. One play, seventy-two yards, and thirteen seconds into the game, and it was already 7-0 Bluth Corporation. Said Winters after the game, "The Ganjapolitan corner was playing pretty tight coverage, but from our last game I knew he'd be susceptible to a double-move. So that's what I did, and I was able to blow right past him and get open for the catch. The safeties weren't playing deep at all--I guess they were expecting us to be feeling them out on the first play, I don't know--and they're both faster than me, but by the time I made the catch they had so much ground to make up that it didn't matter."

The rest of the first half was more of the same, as Cain Wells passed for nearly six hundred yards and three more touchdowns, while they put up 227 yards on the ground. The defense was on fire, too, with seven takeaways and twenty-eight negative plays, including eight sacks. Lamar Walden recorded three interceptions covering Ganjapolis's #2 receiver; the first two were simply beating the receiver on the route, but the third was a thing of beauty as he literally leaped over the receiver's head and plucked the ball out of the air as he dove headfirst to the ground, and still managed to get an arm out to brace his fall. Ganjapolis's only first-half score came on their last possession of the half, after a special-teams breakdown set them up at Bluth Corporation's 28. Even then, the defense managed to push them back to the 35 before Ganjapolis settled for a 52-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights but just barely had the distance.

Needless to say, after a display like that Arthur Miller had no problem pulling his starters out and sending his second- and third-stringers in. The second-team offense struggled a bit, as was to be expected given the complete non-existence of playing time, but by the end of the third quarter Henry Weber had found Jared Meadows for a thirteen-yard touchdown, and Sean Blakley had a 14-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth. The defense had no such problems: they were operating at full speed from the start, and only gave up nine points because of the prevent defense: they were more than happy to let Ganjapolis get downfield and take a lot of time doing so, so long as they stiffened up enough to keep them out of the end zone and force them to settle for field goals instead.

Altogether, Bluth Corporation is looking plenty sharp--and plenty deep--as it heads into its critical second game against Karita.

SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter:

• Bluth Corporation: Wells 72-yard pass to Winters (Shipley kick)
• Bluth Corporation: Williams 3-yard run (Shipley kick)

Second Quarter:

• Bluth Corporation: Wells 18-yard pass to Hayes (Shipley kick)
• Bluth Corporation: Wells 43-yard pass to Winters (Shipley kick)
• Ganjapolis: 52-yard kick
• Bluth Corporation: Wells 6-yard pass to Hayes (Shipley kick)

Third Quarter:

• Ganjapolis: 41-yard kick
• Bluth Corporation: Weber 13-yard pass to Meadows (Shipley kick)

Fourth Quarter:

• Ganjapolis: 23-yard kick
• Bluth Corporation: Blakley 14-yard run (Shipley kick)
• Ganjapolis: 28-yard kick

[Bluth Corporation]

Arthur Miller was not the least bit worried about his team preparing for its upcoming game against Karita. "My boys are professionals," he said when asked if he was worried about a letdown for his team after its knockout performance against Ganjapolis, "they know what's at stake."

Indeed, what was at stake was a chance to clinch first place in Group D, and remain at the front of the pack for first seed overall in the playoffs. The win over Ganjapolis had already secured Bluth Corporation a place in the playoffs, but the group title was a matter of pride for the top-ranked team in the world and the first seed was a nice bonus that would make the path to a second World Bowl title all the easier.

"We hope to basically be able to use the same game plan defensively that we used last time around," said defensive coordinator Neil Simon. "We had success forcing Rousseau to move around in the pocket and use his head to make plays when the called play broke down. He's got a lot of athletic skills, but he's just not the best decision-maker and it worked out well for us. Tight coverage in the passing game, and patience and discipline in the running game, I think are going to be our keys this week." In fact, the Bluth Corporation pass rush seemed to have had an off game in the first game against Karita; if they're up to their usual standard then Rousseau figures to have no chance to do anything but pull the ball down and run--and if the front four are getting their usual penetration, that means that he won't be going anywhere.

Offensive coordinator Anton Chekhov was similarly hopeful about his squad. "The last time we played them, they just didn't have an answer for Kyler Hayes and he had a career day. Unless they can show us that they've figured out how to stop him, we're just going to keep doing what we've been doing--if they put a linebacker on him, send him into the flat and if they go nickel, start handing it off to set up the play fake. So long as that keeps working, and I think it will, that's what we'll keep doing." Cain Wells was certainly licking his lips--Hayes was his best friend on the team anyway, and he loved nothing more than the chance to throw a lot of balls his way.

[Bluth Corporation]

IN A NUTSHELL

Karita (17) vs. Bluth Corporation (1)

When Bluth Corporation has the ball...

• When these two teams last faced each other, Kyler Hayes proved that he was unstoppable against a 3-4 front. Unless Karita installs serious changes to its defensive schemes--and is able to pull them off--we don't see that changing. He's just too fast and agile for a 3-4 middle linebacker to cover without safety help (which opens up the wideouts for big plays) or adding a fifth DB (which creates huge lanes for the running game). Like most teams, Bluth Corporation doesn't often run out of shotgun--but you can bet that they'll start if Karita brings out their nickel package.
• As always, Wells's decision-making ability will be Bluth Corporation's biggest advantage. If Karita does show up with something unexpected, it'll likely be too late for OC Anton Chekhov to do anything about it--it'll be up to Wells to figure out what's going on and check into a play that will work, or will at least give him some information to use later. If he can outwit Dhawan's schemes, Bluth Corporation will be able to dominate.

When Karita has the ball...

• The Bluth Corporation pass-rush has shown more discipline of late: they're not overpursuing as much as they used to. This spells bad news if Etienne Rousseau decides to keep the ball: he can expect to get drilled early and often. Unless Bluth Corporation starts blitzing, which is unlikely, Rousseau simply isn't smart enough to figure out what to do when a play breaks down and he's facing seven men in coverage, so the best thing he can hope to do is just throw it away.
• The Bluth Corporation defense isn't the best at disguising its intentions, so if they're playing pass it'll be obvious. But middle linebacker Charles Woodruff has shown blazing speed and awareness recently, and so if Karita checks into a run it's far from the almost-guaranteed four yards it might have been in the past. If Karita wants to run the ball, their best bet will be off-tackle left.

Final prediction: Bluth Corporation 43, Karita 20

[Andossa Se Mitrin Vega]

your friendly Yumbo Jumbo RP cutoff.

featured Flavor: Beatdown Berry Blitz - inspired by the total beatdowns Delaclava and Bluth Corporation have laid on their opponents thus far.

[Lycrabon]

your friendly Yumbo Jumbo RP cutoff.

featured Flavor: Beatdown Berry Blitz - inspired by the total beatdowns Delaclava and Bluth Corporation have laid on their opponents thus far.

That ALMOST sounds like an actual "Joe & Tony's Ice Cream" Flavor!

EDIT: And yes, I forgot I was entered. Still almost in though.

[Lycrabon]

The Lycrabon Lions, without any fanfare, are poised to yet again qualify for the knockout stage of World Bowl XII. The fought valiantly against group-winners Tarrentum, falling 17-16. More from the next game later.