Miami wins TBFFL Bowl IV 72-65

Victory over Seattle gives Cougars back-to-back titles; Superbeasts 0-3 in the big game

For the second year in a row, Priest Holmes led the Miami Cougars to the TBFFL Championship. Holmes led the Cougars with 17 points, as they held on to beat the Seattle Superbeasts, 72 to 65. Seattle got 37 points from LaDanian Tomlinson Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't enough to prevent the S-Beasts from losing their third TBFFL Bowl. Miami, 12-6, also got 12 from WR Koren Robinson. QB Marc Bulger, who quarterbacked both teams, scored 10, and was the only Seattle player besides Tomlinson in double-digits.

Miami held a 27-5 lead after Saturday's action, as Kevan Barlow's 7 and Patriots' kicker Adam Vinatieri scored 6 to go with Robinson's 14. Holmes scored his 17 during Sunday's early action, while Seattle's Tony Gonzalez (5), Deuce McAllister (4), and Chad Johnson (2) were held to a combined 11 points, and Seattle, 15-3, looked to be headed to defeat, trailing 69-26. Tomlinson, however, tried his best to bring the Superbeasts back, rushing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 21-14 Charger victory over the Raiders. The comeback fell short, however, as Seattle WR Anquan Boldin only scored 2, while Miami's Freddie Jones scored three, and the Cougars held on.Miami, who defeated Tampa 84-79 in last year's TBFFL Bowl, are 2-0 in TBFFL Bowls, while Seattle falls to 0-3. The Cougars and the Superbeasts are the only teams that have appeared in more than one TBFFL Bowl. Seattle lost to Connecticut in 2001 and Texas in 2000.

QB Marc Bulger, who became the first person to start for both teams in one TBFFL game, was injured in the Rams' 30-20 loss to Detroit Sunday and his status for the Rams' first playoff game, which will be January 10 or 11, is uncertain. He scored 10 points, with 170 yards passing and 1 TD and 1 INT, before being replaced by Kurt Warner in the fourth quarter.

Holmes rushed for only 50 yards, but had two touchdowns in the Chiefs' 31-3 victory over the Bears Sunday.

Miami wins 2nd GFC Title; 106-76 over Reapers

Seattle defeats Terror 100-58, reaches 3rd TBFFL Bowl

Fred Taylor's 28 points Sunday, along with 28 from Priest Holmes on Saturday, led the Miami Cougars to a 30-point victory over the Grand Rapids Reapers, and the Cougars reached their second TBFFL Bowl in as many years. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, Grand Rapids' leaders this year, came up small in a 31-17 Indianapolis loss to Denver Sunday night. Manning only managed 5 points, with no touchdowns, and Harrison only scored 8. The Ravens defense led the Reapers (9-8) scoring with 26 points. Miami (11-6), goes for their second consecutive TBFFL Championship next week against the Seattle Superbeasts.

Seattle wrapped up a victory in the SFC Championship Game over Tampa, as LaDanian Tomlinson scored 2 TDs en route to a 21 point performance, and Seattle breezed to a 100-48 lead going into Monday. Ryan Longwell added 10 points Monday Night, but it wasn't enough, as Seattle (15-2) advanced to their third TBFFL Bowl. They lost TBFFL Bowl II to the Connecticut Convicts and in 2000, they lost the inaguaral TBFFL Bowl to the Texas Timberwolves. This year's SFC Championship game avenges last year's SFC title game, in which Tampa defeated Seattle 103-91. The Terror (12-5) were led by 28 points by Priest Holmes.

The Cougars, winners of last year's TBFFL Bowl over Tampa, and the Superbeasts, have the best two records in the TBFFL over the past two seasons. Since the beginning of the 2002 season, Seattle is a league-best 29-5, with two division titles, and Miami is a second-best 27-7-1, with only one divisional title, however they do have a TBFFL championship, while Seattle, which is 51-17 over their four years in the TBFFL, is still looking for it's first.

Marc Bulger quarterbacks both Seattle and Miami, in the inter-conference championship game. Last year Priest Holmes was on both Tampa and Miami's rosters, however he was held out of the Week 17 TBFFL Bowl because he did not play in Kansas City's final game last year with an injury.

49ers lead way to an All-Ron TBFFL Bowl

The San Francisco 49ers may be 6-9, but in the TBFFL, they are world beaters. Terrell Owens set an NFL record with 20 catches, passing the record of 18 set by Tom Fears in 1950. Tennessee's Eddie George ran for 3 touchdowns in the snow against the Cleveland Browns in a 24-0 shutout. Owens' 33 points and George' 32 for Seattle (10-6) gave them a 90-58 lead over Pittsburgh (11-4-1) in the TBFFL semi-final after the Sunday afternoon games.

In the other semi-final, Texas (10-6) clicnhed the victory over the Atlanta Flying Fleet, leading 48-40 Sunday. Atlanta (11-5) held a 25-8 lead after the 1:00 games with the "Purple Attack" of the Baltimore Ravens, Trent Dilfer, Jamal Lewis and Qadry Ismail set to "open it up" on the Arizona Cardinals. Lewis ran for a touchdown and 126 yards as Baltimore beat Arizona 13-7, but Dilfer and Ismail combined for just 1 point, which opened the door for Texas to get to TBFFL Bowl I, as Jeff Garcia threw for over 400 yards, and 27 points.

Rob, who benched Kurt Warner, Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Al Del Greco to try to shake things up, was disappointed Sunday Evening. "Well, I gambled and I lost. Cris Carter had a touchdown. Ahman Green had a big game. And the Ravens didn't do anything. I figured they'd beat the Cardinals 48-0. I just hope Warner doesn't have a big game tommorrow night. Trent Dilfer! Hah!"

Holiday Holds On, Atlanta & Detroit Win

Packers' D comes up 5 points short for Outlaws, but Dallas still alive

Monday night's Packers-Pathers game (or Pack-Cats if you were watching ABC's telecast) wasn’t as dramatic as three weeks ago when Antonio Freeman's juggling overtime catch defeated Minnesota, but don't tell that to the TBFFL fans watching.

Brett Favre and Ryan Longwell for Phoenix as well as Steve Beuerlein for Texas both failed to score enough points for their teams to overtake Atlanta and Detroit. The Flying Fleet and the Demons, (both 9-4) can both still win the Western Division title. The Circles and the T-Wolves, both 7-6 and assured of being in the playoffs, will meet in the season finale next week. Both teams are a game behind the 8-5 Seattle Superbeasts, who play Holiday. All three teams still have a chance of winning the Central Division title. Seattle controls their own destiny and would take the division with a win, but if they lose, they would be in a tiebreaker with the winner of the Phoenix-Texas game. If it is Phoenix, Phoenix would have the advantage, they would have a 4-2 division record, compared with Seattle's 3-3. If Seattle and Texas wind up tied, it would be decided by point differential in divisional games. Going into Week 14, Seattle leads Texas +9 to +2. If they were to end up tied after this weeks games' the tiebreaker would go to Texas based on net points overall.

But the important matchup decided last night was between 5-7 Holiday and 5-7 Dallas. Both teams desperately needed a win if they wanted to qualify for the playoffs. The Vikings held a 9 point lead, with Green Bay special teams yet to play for the Outlaws. They were only able to score 4 points on 2 sacks, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery, but Dallas remained alive, albeit remotely, to get in the playoffs next week, they would need to beat Atlanta, and have both Miami and Tampa lose. Miami, who has continued to struggle since losing Terrell Davis and Brian Griese, and Holiday can both clinch the final two playoff spots with wins this week. Tampa, like Dallas, needs some help to make the playoffs. If either Holiday or Miami lose, the Terror would get in with a win.

The two teams of these four that fail to make the playoffs will compete with Chicago and Jacksonville for the right (not) to meet in the Toilet Bowl, Dec. 18.

Good luck, everybody!

Seattle in Playoffs, Phoenix and T-Wolves back their way in; Dallas-Holiday battle to be decided tonight

Atlanta and Detroit keep pace a top the Western Division, both winning big

The Seattle Superbeasts (8-5) have apparently completed their trek from last place to the playoffs by winning their fifth straight game, and clinching a playoff spot, defeating the Tampa Terror (5-7-1), whose own playoff hopes are seriously in doubt after losing their third straight. The S-Beasts lead 78 to 75 with only Green Bay's Bubba Franks playing tonight for Seattle. The Tampa loss also puts Phoenix (7-5) and Texas (7-5) into the playoffs, even though they both are losing to Detroit and Atlanta, respectively (both 8-4). The Crop Circles trail the Demons by 32, but Phoenix has both Brett Favre and Ryan Longwell tonight. Texas still has Steve Beurelein QB-ing the Panthers tonight, but they trail Atlanta by 30. A Fleet win and a Demon loss would give the Western Division to Atlanta.

Seattle, who was lead by Donovan McNabb's 25 points, could take the Central Division out-right with a win next week, assuming Favre or Beuerlein don't have a shootout tonight.

In a game with major playoff implications, Dallas (5-7) trails Holiday (also 5-7) by nine points, with the Green Bay defense going for the Outlaws tonight. "My Packer-D is going to come up big tonight, I can feel it," said Dallas Outlaw owner Patrick Bryant Monday Morning. The loser would fall behind the Terror and be in serious danger of missing the playoffs. The winner would be tied at 6-7 with Miami and be in a good position to grab one of the final playoff spots next week.

The Lakers, meanwhile, loss to the Eastern Division Champion Pittsburgh Gators in blowout fashion, as they continue their injuried-plagued slump, dropping their thrid straight. Pittsburgh (9-3-1) has the best record in the league and can wrap up the #1 seed in the playoffs with a win over the Jacksonville Jackals.

Jacksonville (3-10), who had won two in a row after starting 1-9, loss to the Chicago Cyclones (also 3-10) in what could be a preview of the Toilet Bowl. They trail by nine points, with the Cyclones still having Bill Schroeder tonight.

Check back here tommorrow morning for official results and a updated look at the playoff picture.

TBFFL Draft Today

Draft Day: Who Will Go #1, Warner or Manning?

The TBFFL draft is only hours away, yet it appears to still be up in the air who will be taken with the number one pick.  Rob Holecko, owner of the Atlanta Flying Fleet, is apparently still undecided who to take, although it appears he will definitely take a quarterback.

"I am about 90% sure I'll be taking a quarterback.  Whether it's Manning or Warner, now I don't know.  Right this minute, I'm leaning toward Kurt Warner, just because I think that if he does his best, he'll have far and away the highest stats this year.  However, Manning probably has a lessor downside, that is Warner is probably more of a risk.  Of course injuries can hit anybody, and I think we saw that last year."

Last year, with the sixth pick, Rob took Ricky Williams, the rookie Saints running back.  While Williams did play for some of the year, it was still a gamble that didn't pay off.  "Yes, he was pretty much a bust.  But he did get some yards and points, unlike some of the higher picks, Terrell Davis (who went #1 to Detroit) and Jamaal Anderson (#5 Colorado) both went higher and were out for the year.  I can assure you I won't be taking Ron Dayne with the first pick," Rob said with a laugh.