(S7) - Ultimus Week

[dropbear]

Robbed
The team that was robbed of a chance to make the playoffs this season was the New Orleans Second Line, and I say this as a member of the team directly competing against them in the rebuild Olympics. Now, to be fair, no team below the Orange County Otters in the ASFC really deserved to make the playoffs -- not one of them could manage to win even 36% of their games this season, hardly marking them as elite teams. With that said, as much as they were all train-wrecks this season, the Arizona Outlaws and San Jose Sabercats are fading into obscurity, while the New Orleans Second Line – fresh from their rebranding after failing as a franchise in Las Vegas as the Legion – are on the rise.

If any team in the ASFC at present truly deserves to play second-fiddle to the Orange County Otters while their dynasty remains intact, it’s the young up-and-comers, not the crumbling franchises of Season One. With only a single win the difference between the three bottom-dwellers of the ASFC, it might as well be the team with hope for the future that gets to taste the playoffs, not those who have wasted their opportunities, or cheated to get there.


Playoff Series MVP
Typically, when you think of the Most Valuable Playoff in a team, you think of the quarterback. Failing that, maybe a prolific running back or wide receiver, or a defensive player who was a force to be reckoned with. How often does your mind wander to the tight end of a team when dissecting their success? Well, regardless of what is commonplace, the Philadelphia Liberty's tight end, Paul DiMirio, showed us this playoff series that his position isn't one to be overlooked.

In the Conference Championship, Playoff Paul was unstoppable, catching 8 passes for 115 yards (averaging 14.4 yards per catch), two of which were touchdowns. He also got dirty where there is less recognition, adding two pancakes to his numbers for the day.

Though not as dominant in the battle for the Ultimus, DiMirio was nonetheless pivotal to his team’s streak-breaking championship win. With 4 receptions for 59 yards – averaging an impressive 14.8 yards per catch – and a single touchdown, Playoff Paul once again made his presence felt. Perhaps most importantly, DiMirio’s only touchdown was the final touchdown of the game, sealing his team’s victory and the end of the Otters’ domination, much to the satisfaction of most viewers.

That Magic Moment
I would be amazed if it wasn't close to every single person involved with the NSFL that agreed on the magic moment of the Championship Game. Much has been made of the 'Garden Curse' -- the inability of any team with Josh Garden on their roster to win the Ultimus. Welll, as the ball was kicked off to start the final game of the season and sailed towards the embattled superstar, who through a crucial drop in the same game last season cost his team their first chance at championship, there was a certain electricity in the air. And with good reason.

Despite the ball sailing into the endzone, Garden decided to return it. He made for the right-hand-side of the field, and much to the relief of Philadelphia Liberty fans – and Orange County Otters haters – around the world, he at least made it to the 20. But he didn’t stop there. He made a sharp cut across field, exploiting a hole that had opened in the defensive line, and outraced the panicking Otters kickoff team on the way to an incredible 103-yard kickoff return to start what would become the Liberty’s triumphant game. The Garden curse ended with the very first play of the Ultimus.

Unsung Hero
In a league dominated by big-name superstars playing in the flashy positions, including several who have made the switch to a new position explicitly to feature more prominently in their team's success (and to get more exposure), and in a league where kickers are so woefully inconsistent, it's incredible to think that it was in fact a kicker might have been the key to the Philadelphia Liberty's playoff success.

Stephen Harris, the Liberty's kicker, nailed four of four extra points in their conference championship win against the Yellowknife Wraiths - favoured by many to win the game comfortably. He also slotted a field goal from more than 30 yards, as well as making it look easy as he sent the ball through the goal posts three more times from more than 40 yards. He was then perfect in the big game – the Ultimus – again successfully kicking four extra points from four attempts. When you’re facing off against the sort of dynasty that the Otters have become, any weakness will be exploited. By taking control and setting an example of perfection in a position plagued by inconsistency and outrageous failures, Stephen Harris helped the Liberty overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to win the championship.