12/8/21 – Eddie Brock, Freelance Investigative Reporter - As we approach the end of the longest BSL season in history, 14 regular season games due to change in the NFL adding a 17th game and 18th week to their season, we look back at what brought us the edge of the playoffs and forward to what to expect moving ahead to the final 4 weeks of the 2021 season. Like in the NFL there is a LOT of parity this season across the BSL. Yes there are a few standout teams but overall there have been 22 underdog or longshot wins this season which we believe to be a record. So the adage of “any given Sunday” is ringing true in the BSL this season. As usual, we will begin looking at the CDL.
With 1 week remaining in the CDL, bedlam is a word we would use as only 2 teams have locked up spots in the playoffs by winning their divisions. The (9-4) California Eclipse, winners of 5 Team of the Week awards so far this season, and the (11-2) Tanzmanian Devils have cliched. There are 6 other teams with records of either (7-6) or (6-7) still alive for Wild-Card slots as well as 3 teams fighting for the Madden-Knox division crown. The (8-5) Lucky Gold Cat currently have a 1 game lead in the Madden-Knox but a loss in Week 14 to The Goldrush Hounds (7-6) could knock them out depending on what happens with the (7-6) Uncanny X-Men, Brahma Bulls and Blue Coats. The (6-7) Guilder Dread Pirates and New York Jints, while have an uphill climb are still mathematically alive since due to Week 14 matchups, we could end up with 7 teams finishing with a (7-7) record. If that happens the Gold Cat’s would take the Madden-Knox and those 7 teams would go thru extensive tie-breakers to make 5 of them very unhappy! As we said… bedlam! In the CDL only the (5-8) Buzzardpukes, (3-10) MLT Predators and (2-11) Killer Tomatoes are eliminate with the last 2 listed locked into the #1/#2 best-of-3 Draft Pick Bracket matchup starting next week. Oddly enough the Preds and Tomatoes also play this week so they will now play at least 3 straight and possibly 4 in a row against each other!
Over in the FSDL all 3 divisions are wrapped up with the (11-2) Sinister 36ers, (10-3) Toad Lickers and (9-4) Cliff Hangers all taking their divisions. The Lickers may end up with the same record as the FL State Seminal Vesicles if they lose to the Vesicles this week in their final matchup, but this would split their head to head and the would be the Lickers only division loss so they would win the tie breaker even with a loss this week. The Vesicles are locked into the 1st wildcard spot with their (9-4) record regardless of a win or loss vs the Lickers this week. The 2nd wildcard is a bit more interesting. There are 3 teams, (7-6) Jedi Knights, (6-7) Choccywoccydoodah and (6-7) Midway Monsters that could all end up at (7-7). If they do the Choccy most likely are the last wildcard team due to tiebreakers. Since the 3 teams are in 3 different divisions, only head to head and total points will apply and none of the 3 swept the other 2 as all 3 teams split with each other this season. So if we have a 3-way tie at (7-7) the point lead currently of approximately 60pts that the Choccy have over the Knights would likely push them into the playoffs unless the Knights make up that gap, albeit with a loss this week (which seems unlikely). The Knights just need a win and they are in even if the other 2 win since the Knights are currently a game ahead. If only the Knights and Choccy end tied, the Knights are in. If only the Knights and Monsters end tied, the Monsters are in. So the Knights are in with a win or a Choccy loss. The Monsters are in with a Knights loss and a Choccy loss. And Choccy is in (most likely) with a win and a Knights loss regardless of Monsters outcome. Like we said… bedlam.
Finally we have the TLSL. Two division are wrapped up with the (10-3) Basket of Deplorables and (9-4) The Dawgs wrapping up their divisions a while ago. The remaining division, the Ditka, comes down to a Week 14 matchup between the 1st and 2nd place teams, the St. Pete Minutemen and Sea Dragons respectively. A win and the Minutemen take the division and get a bye, a loss and the Dragons end tied and win the season head to head (2-0) and take the bye. The Minutemen, winners of 6 Team of the Week awards so far, while they have cliched a playoff spot either way they could still have to play a wildcard game. The final wildcard spot will come down between the (7-6) Bewildered Bruins and the (6-7) Evil Empire and Omaha Players. Again we have a chance for multiple teams to end up at (7-7) and again in 3 different divisions and again all 3 teams splitting with each other over the course of the season. However, unlike the point lead that Choccywoccydoodah has in the FSDL is they end up in a 3-way tie, there is no clear point scorer in the TLSL. The Bruins currently have 1784, the Empire 1756 and the Players 1711 so while the Players seem to be on a wing and a prayer in a 3-way tie, they have a shot if only 2 end tied. In the 3-way scenario the Bruins have the current edge but it is only a 30pt difference. In the event the Bruins lose and end tied with only the Empire, the Bruins advance. If they lose and end up tied with the Players, the Players advance on head to head. So all 3 teams are alive, but the Players and Empire need some miracles it appears. The only locked in playoff matchup so far is the #1/#2 Draft Pick best of 3 series which will be between the currently (3-10) Five Moves of Doom and Bills Mafia. Everything else is still up in the air. Like we said… bedlam.