Season Preview

[Mike]

THE CONFERENCE THAT WILL WIN THE GOLD CUP
Western
1. Honolulu. Keep up a strong game behind all-star, all-league, all-time HB Irons. But, slips by two wins and has an exit first round of playoffs.

2. Portland. Bounces back from a horrible season after going 10-4 the year before. Alas, with a rookie QB doesn't make playoffs. Darius Fudge? c'mon!

3. Reno. Know little about this team. DE1 first year? Gutsy. Great LB and HB crew. Can QB Timmy Chang raise his game a notch?

4. Bismarck. New GM seems to be an analytics shark based on one trade offer I made. WR Peter Warrick, a household name, has been dropped to WR3, so this GM is not afraid to make the tough call. However, many moves were made. And, players he dropped were quickly snatched up by other teams. Sleeper team...that made one move too many.

MidWestern (hardest division to call, I think).

1. Green Bay. Surprise Gold Cup winner, but had a very good team that stepped up. Wait...Gold Cup winner QB Palmer is not QB1? What dastardly genius is this!?!

2. Minnesota. What looks like an above-average defence (yes, that is the Queen's English, folks!) will give aging QB King an extra drive in key games to put them in place for a win.

3. Colorado. This division was so tight, but Colorado will have done some key training and move it up.

4. Springfield. Young LB1 and DE2 is a pickup. OL is 'strong like ox'. But, oh, how the mighty have fallen!

5. Wichita.Everything came together in a marvelous 2023 season that had ex-Fort Wayne backup QB McNear win the Gold Cup! What an amazing achievement!!! Then, out like a light. No playoffs in 2024. Youngish defence has to prove themselves

PLAYOFF TEAMS HON POR GBY MIN

THE CONFERENCE THAT CAN'T WIN A GOLD CUP, UNLESS THEY WERE TENNESSEE THAT IS

Central

1. Tennessee. Defence wins games. This defence chewed up many teams to make it to the top of the division. It just keeps the team in the game, giving a decent offence the chance to win.

2. Lexington. Had a pretty good season, and now has turned to some young powerhouses like DE Davis and S Elam. Training camp seems to have hit the spot.

3. Fort Wayne. Manziel will get the sophomore slump. After the coach directed 50% of the training camp on game film, Manziel's intelligence did not increase much, probably because he snuck out of the film room. The defence had a good camp, but the team is overly relying on aging stars like WR Jordan and LB Naccara.

4. Nashville. Has a good core to build upon, including QB Ray, two elite DEs. More wins but no playoffs this year.

Eastern

1. Connecticut The team to beat in the East, even if they do give away their gameplans by email to the entire league at the beginning of the season. Focus on QB MacPherson makes teams forget how great this defence is.

2. Pittsburgh. This team had amazing stats that could not translate into wins. Look, they were 2nd in first downs but were 5-9?!?! Waiting to burst into the uppercrust of this league! The young defence will get the ball back for HB Morris and WR Brown. If QB Pat White maintains his rating, this team is playoff-bound.

3. Rochester. Great Offensive team but relies on HB1 shaw to be its best rusher and receiver. Has more picks (9) than opponents (7) but is relatively deficient in sacking. Another .500 season.

4. Chesapeake. Great defence but not as good as TEN's. Quarterback had 81 rating. Not enough here to maintain a nine-win season from 2024.

5. Has no GM because of that loudmouth Josh Stein. Marion has some flashy players which gets fans in the seats but their D gives up too many first downs to make a difference. Very young team, with the right GM it could contend in a year or two.

Playoff teams: TEN LEX CON PIT

Gold Cup PIT over HON

[Green Bay Bombers]

flawed, but nice writeup!

[Green Bay Bombers]

Wait...Gold Cup winner QB Palmer is not QB1? What dastardly genius is this!?!

after 2024 TC, GM Jimmy H posted a note to himself... RE: A QB Russ Mishna: IF he gets here he starts: 77 85 85 92 81 79 94 92... his after 2025 camp: 77 85 85 92 81 79 94 92... a promise is a promise...

[Connecticut]

Interesting read, thanks for the great preview!

[TC]

Excellent write-up Mike! Well, except the part about Springfield and "how the mighty have fallen"...

[TC]

And, really appreciate the reference to my FIFL Gold Cup: The Last Decade (2015 - 2024) article!!

It just might be the year for the American Conference to win it again