Luck is a difficult thing to discuss. Every team has had its share of good and bad luck, and every team has had a win that could have been a loss or loss that could have been a win based on luck. However, there is one team that can claim a win became a loss through cheating: the Arizona Outlaws.
I know what you all are thinking. “When are the Outlaws finally going to get a break?” and I understand completely. At the rate things are going, Arizona is barely going to win their second Ultimus. I feel bad for them, too. The truth is that this team should have already clenched home field advantage.
In Week Eight, the Outlaws traveled to Baltimore for a road game against the Hawks. The Outlaws were on top of the entire league with an outstanding 6-1 record, but the Hawks were no slouches, either. Despite an embarrassing Week One loss against the Legion, the Hawks had somehow propelled themselves to the top of the NSFC, going in to Week Eight at a very impressive 5-2. On top of that, the Hawks were at home, where they, like many teams in the NSFL, were undefeated. This was clearly going to be a tough game for either team.
For those interested in a summary, you can read it here: http://www.nsfl.wtgbear.com/season02/Boxscores/90.html No one thought too much of it at the time. A winning team, at home, beat what was thought to be a tougher team on the road. It was a close game (13-10), nothing overly surprising.
Only now, new revelations have allowed us to view that game in a different light. The Baltimore Hawks had on their roster a secret weapon: tight end Carmel Gibson. Gibson hadn’t been considered much of a prospect, but he had burst onto the scene in Baltimore and caught a LOT of attention, as well as passes. Week Eight was no exception. Against Arizona, Gibson managed 6 catches for 54 yards, leading both teams in receptions and the Hawks in receiving yards. He was one of the heroes of the week, and post-week recaps listed him as one of the top performers at the position. The only problem was that in that game, as well as several before, Gibson had been taking significant doses of banned substances, which were believed to be in his possession the night he was arrested. Read more on that here: http://nsfl.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=3516&hl=
Gibson’s future as a tight end is pretty much sealed. An anonymous source for the team stated that regardless of league discipline, Gibson would be suspended for the rest of the year, but the tight end is set to make an additional $4 million over the next two seasons. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll be released.
What’s also unclear is how this will affect the rest of the league. In the AFSC, the Outlaws are still the favorite to clench home field advantage in the playoffs, but in the NSFC, the Hawks could very well end up making the playoffs over the Wraiths and Yeti. Is this likely to happen?
The Hawks are currently at 7-4, tying them for first place in the NSFC. They are likely to win one of their next three, projecting them to finish 8-6. The Wraiths have the same record, but arguably a better remaining schedule, as they are favored in two of their next three games. If they finish 9-5, the Hawks’ scandal will mean little to them. The Yeti are likely a bit more concerned. They are at 6-5, but have three home games remaining (one against the Hawks), and will likely win all three. At this point, it seems the Hawks will finish third in the conference, but there is one issue. All three teams lost a road game to an expansion team, but only two of those teams, the Yeti and Wraiths, lost to an expansion team in their own conference. Should all three teams finish with the same record, the Hawks hold the tiebreaker.
((671 words))
GRADED
I know what you all are thinking. “When are the Outlaws finally going to get a break?” and I understand completely. At the rate things are going, Arizona is barely going to win their second Ultimus. I feel bad for them, too. The truth is that this team should have already clenched home field advantage.
In Week Eight, the Outlaws traveled to Baltimore for a road game against the Hawks. The Outlaws were on top of the entire league with an outstanding 6-1 record, but the Hawks were no slouches, either. Despite an embarrassing Week One loss against the Legion, the Hawks had somehow propelled themselves to the top of the NSFC, going in to Week Eight at a very impressive 5-2. On top of that, the Hawks were at home, where they, like many teams in the NSFL, were undefeated. This was clearly going to be a tough game for either team.
For those interested in a summary, you can read it here: http://www.nsfl.wtgbear.com/season02/Boxscores/90.html No one thought too much of it at the time. A winning team, at home, beat what was thought to be a tougher team on the road. It was a close game (13-10), nothing overly surprising.
Only now, new revelations have allowed us to view that game in a different light. The Baltimore Hawks had on their roster a secret weapon: tight end Carmel Gibson. Gibson hadn’t been considered much of a prospect, but he had burst onto the scene in Baltimore and caught a LOT of attention, as well as passes. Week Eight was no exception. Against Arizona, Gibson managed 6 catches for 54 yards, leading both teams in receptions and the Hawks in receiving yards. He was one of the heroes of the week, and post-week recaps listed him as one of the top performers at the position. The only problem was that in that game, as well as several before, Gibson had been taking significant doses of banned substances, which were believed to be in his possession the night he was arrested. Read more on that here: http://nsfl.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=3516&hl=
Gibson’s future as a tight end is pretty much sealed. An anonymous source for the team stated that regardless of league discipline, Gibson would be suspended for the rest of the year, but the tight end is set to make an additional $4 million over the next two seasons. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll be released.
What’s also unclear is how this will affect the rest of the league. In the AFSC, the Outlaws are still the favorite to clench home field advantage in the playoffs, but in the NSFC, the Hawks could very well end up making the playoffs over the Wraiths and Yeti. Is this likely to happen?
The Hawks are currently at 7-4, tying them for first place in the NSFC. They are likely to win one of their next three, projecting them to finish 8-6. The Wraiths have the same record, but arguably a better remaining schedule, as they are favored in two of their next three games. If they finish 9-5, the Hawks’ scandal will mean little to them. The Yeti are likely a bit more concerned. They are at 6-5, but have three home games remaining (one against the Hawks), and will likely win all three. At this point, it seems the Hawks will finish third in the conference, but there is one issue. All three teams lost a road game to an expansion team, but only two of those teams, the Yeti and Wraiths, lost to an expansion team in their own conference. Should all three teams finish with the same record, the Hawks hold the tiebreaker.
((671 words))
GRADED
![[Image: BVsashy.png]](https://i.imgur.com/BVsashy.png)
