Food for Thought (Div B) – Week 6

 

Winning is overrated. It doesn’t make you a better person or a better player. It is only a result: one number higher than the other, nothing else. What only a few people understand is that the path you walk on when working to achieve something, is often more rewarding than the achievement itself. Losers work to win while winners learn to lose.

 

And no matter how bad or good our performance may be, the respect we demonstrate for ourselves, our opponents and our sport while striving to improve, says much more about who we are as an athlete than a simple “W”.

 

Respect. The only thing you will never be criticized upon giving away.

 

 

Roller-coaster Ride

 

Since I last exposed my thoughts on the intricate hierarchy of the Division, some things have changed. To illustrate the directions teams are taking, I will rate them either as Ascending, Status Quo or Falling.

 

G-MEN: Stand a good chance at going 3-0 if they manage to overcome the Alkoholiks this weekend. Watching the Taylor brothers going head to head should be a real treat!

Direction: Status Quo

 

 

TERMINATORS: Favored to win every game to the Finals, one question remains…will they have a full roster at 6pm this Sunday? If they don’t, Andre Knights might have some fun…

 

Direction: Status Quo

 

 

PRESTIGE WORLD WIDE: With Wesley Joseph and Patrick Jérôme back in the line-up, they stand a good chance at silencing Jamil Springer and the Big TDs this weekend. If they can beat Big TDs and Terminators back to back, they could become the favourites to win the championship.

 

Direction: Ascending

 

 

REDEMPTION: Mike Godyn and Omari Newton have given a new life to a team that seemed to be sinking. The tough part will be trying to extend their winning streak to 4 against the Division’s powerhouse: the Terminators.

 

Direction: Ascending

 

 

BIG TDs: They absolutely need to win all their games if they want to avoid a rematch against the Alkoholiks in the first round. If this match-up does occur, it could end up being one of the best games this year.

 

Direction: Ascending

 

 

ALKOHOLIKS: Without Jamal Pierre till the second round of the playoffs, their offence will need to rely a lot more on Keeshon Mayers than they have in the first half of the season. Can they muster the strength to defeat the G-Men after having suffered 2 hard losses in a row?

 

Direction: Falling

 

 

BLACKSHIRTS: The worst defence in the league might catch a break as they have one of the easiest schedules till the playoffs. Although Mathieu René is driving their offence masterfully, if they don’t fix their defensive problems soon, they might not be playing past Week 11.

 

Direction: Falling

 

 

FTMP: Who knows what this team could do if they finish in the top 8. Unfortunately for them, that opportunity might not even present itself. They have the toughest schedule in the last 4 weeks of the season and a loss to the Maniax this weekend might lead to an exclusion from the playoffs.

 

Direction: Status Quo

 

 

MANIAX: One win might have been all these guys needed to start rolling on all cylinders. Look out for them because they will be the Dark Horse of the playoffs!

 

Direction: Ascending

 

 

RUDE BWOYS: They could still give a run for their money to the upper echelon teams who will take them lightly in the last weeks of the season…especially if Bryan Joseph and Danny Gentile decide to turn it up a notch.

 

Direction: Status Quo

 

 

FALCONS: As for the cellar-dwellers, they can still look forward to 2011 because Spring 2010 will go down in the books as a very miserable campaign.

 

Direction: Status Quo

 

 

Under Fire Interview with Rick Cummins of FTMP

 

 

Alex Porras: When did you take your first steps in the league?

 

Rick Cummins: I first started in the league in 2006, courtesy of Yani Zavos and his Titans.

 

 

A. P.: How did your team do in that first year?

 

R. C.: We ended up playing in the Division B championship but lost to Rehan Sarwar’s Kingz.

 

 

A. P.: What do you think of your current team’s name (FTMP)?

 

R. C.: It’s…different…it was another one of Rochdi Benabdelkader’s crazy ideas.

 

 

A. P.: Are you proud to be a Funky Town Monkey Pimp?

 

R. C.: Ya, Definitely!

 

 

A. P.: How would you compare Rochdi to other quarterbacks you have played with?

 

R. C.: Rochdi is very decisive in his play calling and he is always one step ahead in terms of strategy. The only thing he lacks is the athletic ability inherent to the position.

 

 

A. P.: How do you fit in the FTMP scheme?

 

R. C.: Well, I mostly play on defence but as we’re not totally in synch yet, I sub on offence too.

 

 

A. P.: What is your favorite position to play at?

 

R. C.: Middle Linebacker. I definitely prefer playing on defence than on offence.

 

 

A. P.: Which brings me to asking: why is a Division B defensive player quarterbacking a Division C team?!?

 

R. C.: Back in 2006, I played with Andrija Zecevic on the Titans. This year, I was looking to improve my QB skills in Div C and he was looking for someone to help him build his new revamped Titans team.

 

 

A. P.: Are you looking forward to eventually playing QB in a higher division?

 

R. C.: Definitely. Once I get better, I would love to throw in Division 3 (Winter) or Division B (Spring). Even if we had a slow start with my Div C team, I am definitely feeling the team coming together on offence, which is encouraging for my future as a QB.

 

 

A. P.: Finally, do you know who will be the official QB for the Shockers in Winter 2011?

 

R.C.: Yes. But I will have to keep this a secret unfortunately!

 

 

Sound Bites

 

“G-Men win it all? They aren’t even football players!”

 

– Jamil Springer, when asked about the G-Men being contenders.

 

 

“Blackshirts will win both games this weekend! I guarantee it!”

 

– Rostyn Castleton, before losing his 2 games with the Blackshirts.

 

 

The Trophy Race

Next week, we will take a good look at the Trophy categories and who stands the best chance to win each of them!

Technically Speaking…

 

For any questions regarding statistics, rule clarifications or for any other FlagPlus Football related enquiries please email me at [email protected]. As always, I hope I have entertained you as much as you entertain me weekly. See you Sunday.