FPF Past and Present But the Future Remains Unknown…Stupid Ghosts

The season has begun. It began. It begins in the past.  Unfortunately, my article is late. I apologize.  However, like a game of Katamari the ball of obligation swells as time passes the ball gets larger and hard to maintain.  With each passing day I had to add updates to this article as more FPF kept happening.

So, the plan is this is a bridge article that covers from kick off until Sunday of week 2.  This week will have a shorter article out and then regular scheduled programming ahead.  

Dramatis Personae 

For those not familiar with Latin or who have never held a playbill in their hands, this section is to offer a quick introduction to the people responsible for the media content for this division. I will list them and then craft a series of lies so that the actual content in each paragraph becomes a veritable Where’s Waldo.

(Yes, the first part of this article is ostensibly the same as every season’s week 1 article. Every article and every podcast is someone’s first after all).

Peeze (aka Paolo Della Rocca): Due to FPF, most people who know me know me as Peeze. My focus is Tiers 1 and 2. All of our articles will also aim to cover the league on the whole as well. It is my job to inform and entertain.  My style is a little off-beat but I’d like to think my readers are what Ralph Waldo Emerson described as follows: “Who so would be a man must be a nonconformist”.  It’s going to be an unbalanced, and sometimes psychedelic ride through the season.  I hope you do enjoy it. I will do my best to be fair and balanced while being firmly entrenched in my biases. 

I want my work to be as interactive as possible so please feel free to reach out to me on Facebook (where my name is Peeze Della Reeze), Instagram (pdellarocca) or twitter @PeezeHSS. I’ve played in the league for a long time.  I’ve also helped a lot of players and teams with play calling and concepts so if you’re new feel free to contact me to ask for help.  FPF is a great community and as competitive as we are, we all want to help you and don’t want anyone to be trash.

Moe Khan: Broadcaster and scorekeeper extraordinaire.  Moe Khan and I have worked together for a long time.  Much like Micahel Scott of the office, he loves inside jokes and hopes one day to be a part of one.  Moe hosts the weekly podcast Calling the Audible where we will break down each division every single week!

The Eagle at Master Control: Touching knobs and pushing buttons; Eagle may never be able to keep his hands to himself.  Before you insist that I call HR, remember that without him you’d never be able to hear my sensuous, sultry voice or see my pretty blue eyes on the podcast.  He keeps the entire ship afloat and that’s why we hate him.

Lory Oullette: There is not a nicer person on Earth than Lory Oullette.  Her earnest and kind nature makes her the best that FPF has to offer. Her main focus in terms of writing will be Co-ed and Women’s as well as offering a league wide look in the French Language.

Ignacio Manzenedo-Valdez (aka Iggy Magnets): Iggy has grown as a part of the FPF media team. The dude lives to annoy me, which makes great content. You will also find no one who is more dedicated and passionate to the league we call our own.  You’ll be seeing his articles that focus more intently on Tiers 3 and 4.

Alexi Dubois: Alexi is a talented young man who joins the podcast from time to time. He’s a bizarre academic who’s mind is otherwise singularly focused on FPF.  The dude has less pop culture sensitivity than Moe Khan for the completely opposite reason.  Whenever we brush aside his point-to-point wiring we may even find a heart.

Calling the Audible: Sure it’s a podcast.  It’s also a character. It goes off the rails continuously and no one can keep it on the rails.  We record it after games every Wednesday and we will do our best to entertain while we cover the entire league.  Please subscribe to our channel on You Tube or on Spotify/most major podcast platforms.  The weekly podcast should be out every Friday morning. Subscribe on You Tube, Sportify, Apple Podcasts our where ever you get you podcast/premium Flag Football Content.

Additional Characters/Content:

Game of The Week: Chris Rivest is the dude you’ll be seeing at select games now and again.  He’ll be filming our game of the week.  This is a feature where we highlight a game (in varying divisions) each week and we get to watch an FPF game from the comfort of your own YouTube.

Instagram: We’re trying to change the way interact on social media. In addition to bringing more game footage than previous seasons we will be trying to bring more interactive content as well as material that focuses on who we are as a community. Look for Jeremy White, Lory and Iggy at the fields and they’ll be around to try and encapsulate FPF one night at a time. Also, tag us @flagplus so we can share your stories!

Photography: Week 2 is picture week.  It’s the time of the season that we take team pictures and individual profile pics for players who do not have one. Additionally, you may notice James D’Andrea snapping pics at the fields. We do this to add to our content. Our Articles, podcasts and social media posts try to capture you at your best and worst moments.  

The Roadshow: Every season culminates with a celebration of flag football known as the roadshow.  We set up at the field and broadcast the championship games complete with play-by-play, color, multiple camera angles and replay challenges.  It really is a special experience!

Musings, Ramblings, Lies and Other Assortments (mostly from week 2)

• Blessed beat Run it Once and tied EZW.  I think this is going to be a wild season in Tier 1.  If only EZW had success on their converts.
• Incredible Thought: Are we cruel to birthday cakes by announcing their moment of consumption. Is it akin to knowing when you’re going to die?
• Chad Buck hauled in 8 of 10 targets for Friends Without Danny.  3 of those went for touchdowns. 
• I’m back on the Tuanon bandwagon. Folks on twitter talking about balls being underthrown to a receiver who was open by 7+ yards. Yeah, I’m not worried
• Tanyhus Steer had 4 interceptions in the first game that the Bruins actually played this week.  Yes, they are the best team in Tier 3.
• Sure I’m biased but I am also super happy for Gino DiFazio who was gifted an automatic first down on 4th.  Enjoy the gift and the W I guess.
• Nicholas Fon is a very good receiver tho he tends to put up insane numbers in the early part of the season. That trend has not changed thus far.  
• I can’t tell you how much I hate that our weeks start on Thursdays.
• It turns out the GTA 6 leak was real.  The perpetrator was trying to extort Rockstar/Take 2 Interactive.  It’s a brazen move that will likely end in a prison sentence.
• Marie-Christine Gauthier didn’t get all of the reps for The Villains but she looked good when she was in there.  She posted a 107.9 QBR
• Threat Level Midnight have scored 24 points in 3 games regardless if Jo Lemiuex or Mat Domon were throwing. Unlike Maynard James Keenan, I am not certain that the pieces fit.
• The Breakneck pace in the game between Les Petits Phoques and Fast not Furious was wild. Laurianne Bonin continues to be underused in my estimation but either way, if they face off again, take the over.
• If you want to see Terminators dominate an FPF game watch Les Brutes of the Women’s division.  If you want to see impressionist artistry watch Vortex’s Gabrielle Vanier. September 25th will be the first volume of the Mitchell’s vs. The Machine.
• Frank Kaye took exception to something I said about his game on the podcast on this season’s inaugural episode. He took it out on Lockdown. Sorry Eagle.
• Looking ahead, The Villains first real challenge will be on week 3 against Free Smoke.
• Adam Sinagra thanked Frank Teoli-Collatrella and took the reigns back in week 2.  However, his 3 interceptions were too much to overcome for #NR.
• Sule Fess’ now legal QB Francis Desrochers has thrown 10td and a single int. He’s looking great this PSL season.

Memories, Hallucinations and Observations 

This is the section where I ramble on and recap some games from weeks past. Given that I can’t be at every game a lot of the information I get I do so by reporting. I speak to other media members and scorekeepers for keys that may not be evident on the statsheet.  I’d also love to talk to you about your games.  Feel free to hit me up to talk flag. I’m always down.

Week 1

Friends Without Benefits

I have to give it to Friends Without Danny. The team moved up from Division D and into Tier 2 without Danny D’Amour (for whom’s absence the team is named for…yup, weird sentence).  They were immediately greeted by Kiss My Outlaws who used the flex cap rating to bring Stephen Harripersaud into Tier 2.  This was a meeting that went somewhat predictable. Harripersaud who’s become the best signal caller in FPF dissected the FWB defense and they were simply unable to get anything to work. Offensively Friends Without Benefits sputtered.  Jared Buck threw 5 interceptions. Three of them were returned for touchdowns by Marvin Steinberg, Phil Pharand and Sanders Armand.  By the game’s end Jusitn Santillo, Brendan Sabloff and Chad Buck were targeted 23 times but only Sabloff could be efficient with those targets.

The game was out of hand early.  The turnovers made it so that at points of this game Harripersaud was only throwing converts or working from a short field. This accounts for his 158 passing yards in a game where Kiss My Outlaws scored 51 points.  In speaking to Stephen Harripersaud he mentioned taking his foot off the gas at points during this game as it was clear early on that Kiss My Outlaws would get the win and they did. 

 I Guess I’ll Cover THAT Game

I awoke on Monday morning to see the irate reaction of Travis Moses in our Facebook group. Travis insisted that Marc-Andre Lapointe was a dirty player for his contact on a play that would leave Kendal Mayers with a broken arm.  This sent many of us at FPF HQ scrambling and trying to figure out what happened.  

Full disclosure, I wasn’t at the game. I don’t have context for what happened or what the game was like prior to the injury. However, there were comments from the officials who were at the game, as well as a video that was sent to us that was shot from the sideline.  What follows is my interpretation (and not the league’s stance).

Backup quarterback Frank Teoli-Collatrella stood back and delivered an intermediate pass to Kendal Mayers. The ball was overthrown and likely could not be caught.  Marc-Andre Lapointe broke down on Mayers hard and his upper body contacted the legs of Mayers.  Kendal then fell and landed on his arm.  I know both players and have good relationships with both.  I know Lapointe has a reputation for playing physically but he hasn’t been categorized as dirty per se.  In my view, the play was, while not dirty (I don’t think there was intent to injure), absolutely reckless.  I’m not on the disciplinary committee but I do think some discipline is required. I do not think it’s going to be enough games to satisfy #NR as they are very upset about what happened (which is completely understandable).  The result of the play is awful  Above all else, FPF is a recreational league.  Injuries happen but it’s terrible to see injuries that could have been avoided affect someone’s ability to work or their quality of life while they heal. We have learned that the disciplinary committee will suspend Marc-Andre Lapointe for a minimum of one game. 

The social media post also suggested that Lapointe did not apologize at the field.  Meanwhile, his teammate AJ Gomes suggested that Marc Andre reached out to Kendal directly later that night.  I don’t know how all that went down.  Regardless, if injuries happen, I would hope that players realize we’re a community and we should ideally treat each other with dignity and respect.  If there is a play that results in an injury, an apology, concern and help are expected. 

The most important part for me: Get well soon Kendal.

The game was ended by referees with Kangaroos leading 14-0.  The result will stand.

Acro-monious 

When you work in public service you are committing to a world of acronyms. Nobody calls anything what it is. In fact if an outsider were to sit in one of these meetings, they would be entirely put off by the weirdness of a group of people not discussing things by using the complete names.  The same would be the case in the game between Steel Tubine Lines and Early Zebra Warnings.

STL is returning after a few years off in FPF.  They rose through the divisions to become a powerhouse in relatively recent seasons. In a lot of ways they are just like EZW. Quarterback Dylan Taylor looked like he didn’t miss a beat.   The game went as you would expect, explosive plays to Jamie Ojeaha and and Julien Mclaren-Thompson and Paul Lapierre moved the chains.  

The game was frustrating for Jeremy White and EZW. The first few drives ended as follows:

1. A deflected pass by Paul Lapierre
2. An intercepted pass by Rocco Christiano
3. A 10 yard touchdown to Maxime Boucher-Cyr
4. End of Half
5. An interception by Paul Lapierre

That sequence put EZW behind the veritable 8 ball.  This is why STL got to a 36-6 lead just a few moments into the second half.  The game would end 38-20 (Terrance Adams would sack Jeremy White for a safety on an onside attempt).  EZW could never seem to recover in this game. There hero of the moment style of play was the case once again as the would-be hero this time around was Etienne Laurence-Gervais.  Unfortunately, it would be in a losing effort.

Are You Saying Pand?

Kicking off the season for Tier 4 was a game between Save the Turtles and The Step Bros.  This isn’t your grandmother’s Step Bros. This isn’t the Step Bros of the GODDAMNED CATALINA WINE MIXER. The team formerly known as the Pllow Talkers have rejoined for yet another season of FPF. The team’s defense and athleticism was a marvel to behold.  However, the offense could never find its footing last season.

Pranav Sharma ran into similar problems to start this season. In the opener he struggled to gain over 100 yards in the air and completed well under half his passes. Interestingly enough The Step Bros were able to gain 8 first downs and converted on ⅔ of their fourth downs.  The trouble really seemed to be punching the ball in for a score. Sharma scored once on the ground and connected with Micahel Benson on a 40 yard touchdown.  There were moments where the defense shined as well. Tyler Laroche intercepted a pass for a touchdown and 5 passes were knocked down by Ryan Maclellen and Marc Namour.

We talked a lot about Vincent Chehng’s success on Calling the Audible so I suggest taking a look at the weekly podcast.  The rest of Save the Turftles also do make a solid roster from top to bottom.  Former quarterback Simon Imbach scored a receiving touchdown while Harrison Tang and Guillaume Dubois scored another. Save The Turftles would start their season with a 40-20 win over The Step Bros. They now stand at 2-0 with a win over WIB 2.0 on Thursday. 

Week 2 (so far)

Blessing in Disguise

Blessed and KGP have similar FPF career paths.  I see both as disruptors.  There are established franchises in FPF’s most hallowed of divisions.  We all know about The Finest/All-Stars, we’ve all seen Braves come over from Terrebonne and instantly do damage and Dan Lazzara and his teams were anointed as the Annakin Skywalker type of chosen one that has had everyone watching from early on.  

However in KGP we have a team who shouldn’t be.  “They’re too finesse for the high divisions”, they’ve been told.  “Cutler isn’t the same since he tore his ACL” was a chorus that echoed from my arrival into FPF. Since then they went on to win a slew of championships.  Blessed have heard like minded jeers.  “Will Power is a big fish in a small pond”, is a sentiment that I found laughable.  “Stephen Harripersaud, sure that offense worked in MFL but this is FPF”, as if being the smartest play caller in the game was an impediment.

In this game between the disrupters it would be Stephen Harripersaud who would be landing haymakers. His 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptiosn often is a recipe to success for Blessed. However, this game came down to subtlety as it often does with these two signal callers. 

To start the half KGP would take the field on offense down 18-14. The late interception hung in the air for just a moment as Cutler, focused, dusted himself off. Ariel Librati got the best of him on that one stray play but he would go undaunted. After a 10 yard strike to Matt Lepage and a 2 pt convert KGP now took a 22-18 lead.  KGP felt like it was time to hit the gas. They attempted and ill fated onside attempt that would Ariel Libarati to double down on his impact form earlier in the game and after two plays, and a completed 2 point conversion, Blessed regained the lead.  They would ultimately regain control of the game as Jafar Hassan would later lead to a two yard touchdown by the aforementioned receiver.  

At this point KGP wouldn’t recover.  The game would end 36-30 in favor of Blessed.  Now, with KGP carrying the weight of sequential championships from seasons past, they are left asking themselves are they now the establishment? Are Blessed coming for all their glory?  This story will certainly have many sequels ahead.

Monday’s Magical Marmite

For those who have any thoughts, commentary or complaints, I am very easy to find.  I’m @peezehss on twitter, @pdellarocca and Peeze Della Reeze on facebook.  You can also take a chance by emailing me at [email protected] but I don’t check it because it’s a death trap of junk emails all trying to sell me offset smokers and hearing aids.  I really need to use incognito mode.

Folks, if your team is struggling, Eagle, Moe, (any of the media guys really), and I love talking flag. Let us know how we can help, let us know if you have any questions.  Hey, even if you have some incredible thoughts, I’m always down for a foggy and faded descent into introspection.

Remember that each week you can join the party on our Facebook page or at www.youtube.com/flagplus on our weekly podcast: Calling the Audible.  We are still trying to figure out when the shows will be available and how to get it live on air.  

Till next week, I want to thank you falettineme be mice elf agin!