Food For Thought (Div B) – Week 1

Just like an episode of the acclaimed TV series the Wire, Division B football has all the questions, intrigues, storylines and surprising answers that make for some great weekly entertainment. Also, I love it when the rosters are packed with familiar faces. Why? Because 90% of the pleasure found in watching sports results from a strange mix of empathy and catharsis which means knowing the players makes for an even greater viewing experience. Being an untreatable sports junkie, I am quite glad that “pandemic” you supply is some potent stuff!

“Pure” performance

Having joined FPF after the Hurricanes’ consecutive Division 1 championships, I never got to witness the legend of Rick Nincheri. Having caught him during what I thought were his last FPF days, I wondered if he would ever lead another team to the Promised Land. After a year off and perhaps a couple of meetings in Boca Raton FL with Bartolo Colon’s arm surgeon, the young-hearted Nincheri is back. And by the looks of his offense, he is definitely ready to contend! Leading a Trojans team who picked up snapper Donald Shepherd in a classic I-lost-to-them-in-the-playoffs-so-I-should-definitely-play-with-them signing, Nincheri has all the tools – figuratively speaking – he needs to make his first trip to the finals since Winter ’09. Who is the star of this toolbox you ask? None other then Vinny G himself (no relation to the famous saxophonist) who can be seen sporting his newly acquired D1 championship ring when not racking up TDs. Having played extensively with Nincheri outdoors, I can assure you there will be no shortage of chemistry between these two. He is on pace for a 130 receptions, 40 TDs and 1760 yards season… Watch. Out.

Viva la revolución!

The Empire seems to be rebuilding. My sources tell me you can send an email to this address if you wish to enroll: [email protected] . For now, S.W.A.T. is in disarray, to say the least. Don Shepherd, Anthony Thompson, Nathan Thompson and Ryan Perry have either jumped ship, changed country, switched to softball or been suspended. While Jason Prince will surely help this team with his versatility, Alex Blanchet and Jeff Chabot still need to prove they can make an impact at this level. Preparation is still in order for their opponents though. While it may be safe to say this might be one of the weakest rosters ever assembled by Gino Di Fazio, it is still highly competitive. Who knows? Maybe their new underdog status will suit them.

Terrorize!

Part of the new wave of francophone talent washing over FPF, Terror Squad is my pick to win it all this season in Div B. While this is a fairly risky prediction, they are a tight knit squad with tremendous firepower and experience. With most of their players hailing from the Triple Sixers hay days, two new faces jump up from their roster: Anthony Comeau and Anthony Bozzo. Comeau is a tall and physical receiver who excelled with the Cobras, while Bozzo, a mid-season addition last spring, provides versatility and experience. Combined to the defensive abilities of Sadrak Gervais, the electrifying speed of QB Tam Vilaydeth and the all-star receiving duo of Alexandre Giroux and Patrick “Look-at-me-jump” Jérome, this bunch has all the makings of a frighteningly good team.

The Detour

Last Sunday, the Big TDs decided to take a detour through the streets of the city which cost them 12 points at the start of the game. Eventually, they were able to field a team and, even more surprising, started piling up points against an overwhelmed Broccasion team. Still, I was nowhere near prepared to see Ryan Brewster step up and redeem his whole Winter season with the sickest TD catch I’ve seen in 2011. After the game, when I asked him about joining Big TDs he seemed pretty happy about his decision. “Playing with them is really fun; they are such an exciting team! Jamil is one of the most intense players I’ve played with and I’m pumped whenever I get on the field with him!” If it turns out Brewster and Springer bring out the best in each other when teamed up, this combination might end up being one of the most lethal in Div B this season.

Hanging on

With the reigning Div B and Div 3 champs disbanded, the next best thing to a defending champion this season would be last spring’s finalists Prestige World Wide. There is only one little problem: they lost Patrick Jérome… While Alex Lever insists on saying that his offense is not worse but “different”, it would be an insult to Jérome’s tremendous abilities to think he could be replaced. Sure, the pending arrival of hall of famer Rochdi Benabdelkader should reposition them near the top of the Power Rankings but their offensive numbers will surely suffer a substantial loss from a year ago. Adding Eugene McLaren is a definite plus. Losing Phil Leduc to a prolonged injury is not. The key to success for this team will once again be defined by the play of Lever at QB. He was good last weekend. He will need to be great from now on.

Power Rankings

These rankings are based not only on record, but also on performance and team overall talent. It is a good way to see who is hot and who is not.

1. Trojans (1-0): The obvious favourites in the eyes of many, the Trojans have no excuse. They are this year’s “loaded” team.

2. Terror Squad (1-0): Impressive and offensively gifted, I am curious to see how Tam Vilaydeth will fare against some of the better defenses of Div B.

3. Patriotes (1-0): Tremendous congratulations to these guys who had never played above Div 4 in grabbing that first win right off the bat. Let’s see if they can keep it up.

4. Snookers (1-0): Tony Tabet gives any team a chance to win when he plays QB. The “Snookerines” will be dangerous with him at the helm.

5. Big TDs (1-0): Very tough to defend against with Jamil running around in the backfield, the Big TDs remain an enigmatic but talented bunch.

Next week, I will take a look at the Div D and DIv 4 reigning champions les Patriotes as well as delving into the lineups of the Snookers, Park Street Elite, Broccasion and Rehan Sarwar’s Evolution.

Also, be sure to follow me on twitter @Score_keeper ! If enough players follow my account, I will start giving hourly updates on game day as well as commenting on the action taking place at the field. A definite must if you can’t make it to all the games!

If you have any comments, suggestions or rants, feel free to email me at [email protected].

See you at the field!