Now retitled
"YEAR IN REVIEW" 08/15/2000
Final 1999
Season Thoughts...
After all has been said & done, here are the final grades for every team in our league for the 1999 season:
VEGA
Grade: A+
Despite setting an all-time SFFL week low of 25 points, the new league
champion gets the extra "+" on their grade due to their 10-game win
streak that closed out the season. This was one of those years where
everything seemed to go right for VEGA, which was a complete turnaround from
the 1998 campaign. It's good to see that at least one of the commish's
preseason Superbowl picks came true! VEGA earns 35% of the league pot (25% for
the Superbowl victory, 10% for the National Conference title) and ended up in
the #1 spot for Power Rankings. An excellent season is an understatement.
Cyclones
Grade: A-
Last season's Superbowl runner-up had the league's second best overall record
and ended up #2 in point totals. Leading the league in virtually every
category during the first half of the season, they tapered off a bit through
the second half - some of it was due to players coming back to earth, some of
it was due to questionable coaching decisions. After a first-round bye they
made a quick playoff exit, but still managed to secure 20% of the league pot
(10% each for the Federal Division conference title and the #2 in point
totals). It's never too bad of a season when you can walk away with some cash.
Assholes
Grade: D
This was the first year in league history that the two-time Superbowl champion
Assholes did not make the playoffs. The certainly had enough scoring punch but
never seemed to put it all together when it mattered. Lack of a big-play QB is
always a downfall. Playing in the league's toughest conference (National)
didn't help their odds, and with the worst overall efficiency rating (76.6%)
they ended up in the cellar. I'd anticipate a big effort for these league
veterans next year after this truly embarrassing season.
Painful Rectal Itches
Grade: C-
After having the most dominating team and season EVER in SFFL history in 1998,
the mighty fall from grace in 1999 was like a blindside hit from a blitzing
linebacker. This team never fully recovered from the loss of Jamal Anderson in
week #2, and with a couple exceptions just didn't get consistent production
from their players. The only real bright spots were a #1 season efficiency
rating (which keeps PRI at the top of the SFFL coaching), and a Week #1 15th
round player win limited their losses. Regardless, losing does suck, and so
did PRI in '99.
G-Men
Grade: F
On paper this team had a good draft, but once San Francisco failed it was all
over. Very few positives to report, other than somehow magically managing to
win five games. Lack of any real effort to know who's playing and what's going
on, not caring about their lineups and basically giving up well before the
season ends earns our rookie team the worst possible year-end grade. The
commish certainly hopes that ALL members of the team attend the 2000 draft and
actually pay attention during the new season.
Cheesy-Poofs
Grade: B
Talk about a bad luck team…another decent season wasted in a conference that
produced the league champ. Though their offense and record didn't fully
compare to the Young-led powerhouse in '98, they still managed a second place
finish in the National Conference and a first-round playoff victory. For what
it's worth, they also led the league in total transactions. Perhaps next year
the Poofs will be lucky enough to end up in the same league with the G-Men and
Ruffy and finally win some money.
Venwaz Balls
Grade: A
A scoring machine from the get-go that actually heated up later in the season.
A very good draft that saw them grab four running backs that were all starter
quality, and their "second string" QB turned out to be one of the
leagues best in '99. Their efforts led them to an American Conference title,
league top Point Total earner and a runner-up finish in the Super Bowl…45%
of the total league pot. If they had one weakness it was their suspect
coaching, as their 11th place 78.1% efficiency rating suggest. However, that
doesn't take anything away from a simply awesome season.
Pull My Finger
Grade: B-
A very promising team - leading the Federal Conference after Week #12 -
literally melted down before our very eyes the last few games, ending with a
disappointing wildcard playoff loss. It was like a kid acing a test, then
forgetting to finish the final section (thus the lower grade). The trade for
Flutie around mid-season was a good one, but unfortunately the play calling
throughout the season dragged 'em down (10th overall in efficiency). And, NO,
the Galloway pickup (and eventual trade) didn't help! Perhaps in 2000 they'll
balance their strong start with a strong finish.
Ruffy
Grade: D- - -
On the verge of setting the league record for worst W-L season ever, Ruffy
bounced back at the end to earn a shred of respectability. In reality they
deserved a failing grade for their 3-11 record alone. However, once they
figured out where to send their lineups they were consistent, and God knows
why but they actually seemed to care up until the end. That doesn't erase
their ineptitude for player knowledge, as technically their only decent draft
pick was Edgerrin James (and we all know that was a blind luck choice).
Winning only eight games in two years is far from a notable accomplishment,
but at least they're trying.
Dukes
Grade: D
A decent draft and some great free-agent pickups kept these guys in contention
up until the final three weeks, when they proceeded to just get pounded and
ended up finishing dead last in the Federal Conference. Hands-down they were
the most unreliable team for turning in lineups, which knocks them down a
notch in the grade category. Mediocrity at it's ugliest. If they pretend like
they give a damn DURING the season, perhaps next year they make the playoffs.
Blind Squirrels
Grade: C+
After a horrid 0-4 start, they were one of the best teams in the league
through the rest of the year. Too bad that it just wasn't enough as they end
up 7-7 and missed the playoff for the first time ever. They had the smarts to
pick up Kurt Warner after the season began and with their trio of Detroit
players made a late run for the #2 point total spot. They get a thumbs up for
not giving up when it looked bad and actually putting together a much better
season then some of the playoff teams.
Point Totals – FINAL
|
Rank |
Team |
Points |
Behind |
|
1 |
Venwaz Balls
|
2526 |
|
|
2 |
Cyclones
|
2466 |
-60 |
|
3 |
Blind Squirrels |
2298 |
-228 |
|
4 |
Assholes |
2179 |
-347 |
|
5 |
VEGA
|
2117 |
-409 |
|
6 |
Pull My Finger |
2007 |
-519 |
|
7 |
High Tech Rednecks
|
1974 |
-552 |
|
8 |
Dukes
|
1932 |
-594 |
|
9 |
Cheesy-Poofs |
1925 |
-601 |
|
10 |
Ruffy
|
1832 |
-694 |
|
11 |
Painful Rectal Itches |
1828 |
-698 |
|
12 |
G-Men
|
1629 |
-897 |