The War Room (DB) – Week 4

 

Welcome back Minions of FlagPlus, this week demonstrated how football is not played on paper (roster lineups) but rather on the field. Nobody gave the RHC a chance in hell of coming out with a win against the Choppers, who were heavily favoured in the smoke-filled back rooms of FlagPlus sports betting. But just like the little engine that could, Tony Tabet and Company came out focused, emotionally ready and determined to show the rest of the league what they were capable of. As RHC’s biggest fan (cough cough), I feel the need to point out how everyone has wronged them and how some journalists (such as myself) labelled them as doormats in Div B. Well, they proved me wrong and I can admit it. While I’m not overstating the ramification of this win, it does prove to us that on any given Sunday, dreams can come true in Catalogna sports complex. (I just wish I could find those two red bull girls to make their dreams come true…) 

 

Now onto all things Flag related…

 

 

Recap:

 

G-Men 25 vs  Alkoholics 20 :

Well what can I say? no Lapierre in the line up, no win… The Alkies found it difficult to figure out who their QB was (4 players attempted) and they paid dearly with a terrible game on offense. Nareg “Jump Ball” Yessayan made defense look easy for the G-Men as he snatched 3 Ints. He also pitched in with two scores as a receiver which just proves what a vital part of this team he really is. The caroussel at QB continues for P. Kamel as he looks to secure a real QB, this week was Tom “Brady” Nikoletopoulos turn and he looked nervous with 2 tds and 3 Ints. Things need to work themselves out at QB if either team plans on continuing their previous success.  (Big win for the G-Men though as this was a tough out on their schedule).

 

 

Kings 21 Vs Falcons 12:

This was an upset on my radar, as I really thought the Falcons were legitimately going to beat the Kings into submission. Ever since the G-Men game, I had little faith in the secondary of the Kings (even with A. John back there). Things have obviously gotten better for the good ole Kings as they manage to shut down a potent passing attack. Richard threw an uncharacteristically (wow lots of letters in that) low amount of Td’s with an unimpressive 2 Ints. He seemed to have no success hooking up with his usual targets as he branched out to A. Therrien for support (108 yards, 2 Tds). On the Kings side of the ball, they had a pedestrian but efficient day on offense (Lever and Lebeau both 50 yards of offense each and a couple scores) as they didn’t turn the ball over once. In a game where possessions and turnovers make the difference, this was a true example of these factors. This should help boost the Kings locker room as they look to improve over the next few weeks. As for the Falcons, remember when I said figure out new ways to win? Well forget about that, just do what you used to…  

 

 

5 Players to Watch:

 

Desmond Dorsnie (North Shore): He had a breakout game two weeks ago against Dip (3 Int’s), thus he was on my radar. But he stepped up once again and snatched two more against the Primetime Panthers to solidify his status as a potential all-star. He is a turnover machine of late and I’d keep close tabs on him if I was an opposing quarterback.

 

Simon Rheaume (Kings):  With ten tackles last week, he is either the Brian Ulracher of Div B or a guy who mops up for the blown coverage of his fellow teammates. Whatever the case, he has a reputation for being a solid flag grabber which is an asset at his position. Those who know good defence, would sign him up any way (This is no way an endorsement of Rehan Starwar’s GM skills).

 

Alex Therrien (Falcons):  It seems every week I have a Falcon player in this limelight. But this gentleman is one of the few Falcons who NEVER gets a shout out here at FPF HQ. He is quietly amassing a nice TD total (6 so far) and in times of desperation (ie losing to Kings) he became a go-to target for Richard which is interesting considering the other options on the team.

 

M. Rene (Motley Crew): He simply put on a passing clinic last week against redemption with 268 yards and 6 tds. He is efficient and even when Redemption neutralized the “Void”, he still got his team the win. He is quite possibly the best young QB in Division B right now. 

 

D. Majeur (Predators):  This is a feel good story as he is so young and possesses a lot of talent. He is catching his father (M. Majeur’s) passes which is a Hallmark moment for most of us. But don’t kid yourself (no pun intended), his father takes pride in disciplining him on route running and finding holes in the zone. He would be a great addition alongside Renaldo Jordan for the Monarchs in Winter ’10.

 

 

Castleton’s Random Thoughts of the Week:

 

1. Kishon Thompson:  Who would have known that without any possibility of a decent backup solution, the Shockers would have found the next Willie Beamen in K.T. (who led the Shockers to a Big win against the Titans). But Wyeth if your listening, I missed you… (no seriously I did…. Really did, sniff sniff)

 

1. RHC: Wow, what can I say? I’m speechless, you guys beat the Choppers. Up against the most ridiculous roster ever fielded in Division B, you were methodical and determined. As Ali G would say “RESPECT”.  Somewhere, Vince Lombardi is smiling at this outcome and thinking “serves those Choppers right”.

 

1. Flying Weasels: Has anyone realized the extra swagger this team has this season. What a defense! You guys may have taken that proverbial next step and are ready to win a championship. Less than ten points a game is solid. Keep it up and you’ll keep the focus off M. Tougas (and the fact he is in Div C)…

 

1. Frank Grenier: Welcome to the WEPL buddy, now you’ll see how ridiculous our filiming sessions are and how much editing our esteemed production staff must deal with. We needed a Div C player on the panel who could play some serious ball, and the bonus is you take pride in poking fun at whipping boy Rehan “I wish I was a Cobra but don’t tell the Chaos” Starwar .

 

1. Rainmakers vs RROH: This is the game of the week and rightly so, Kastner is making mince meat of defenses and Benny Goodfriend is matching him step for step. It will be a battle to the last 5 plays in my opinion, and I can only hope that the Rainmakers put a dent in the Ruff Ryders’ flawless standings.

 

1. Texas All-Stars:  Welcome to division A gentleman, this is where you belong! It will be very interesting to see how Nathan Taylor handles the challenge of the faster and more experienced defences of Division A. I’m sure his running ability will continue to have success however, as the guy is prepping to take on Usain Bolt in London.

 

1. Thundering Herd vs DIP:  I’m calling in the S.Q. for this game as I’m sure Rob is shaking his head for scheduling the clash of these two “attitude driven” teams. I think our task force of Matt Young, Ben Joseph and Phil Ackaoui will be summoned for security reasons. What’s the over/under on O.C’s? I’m going with five.

 

 

Predictions:

 

1. Texas All Stars (3-3): They play the Shockers twice, which is tough, but they can beat some of the middle of the road teams in Division A. They might surprise the Rainmakers and Titans if they aren’t too complacent, and I see them squashing the 49ers, who are still looking for answers.

 

2. Thundering Herd (4-2): Not an easy schedule this relegated team has inherited. To face the G-Men and Alkoholiks will not be easy, that’s why I’m picking the opposition to win. Find some inspiration gentleman; it’s a new season for you after all… 

 

3. Balls Deep (3-7):  What on earth happened last game? You kidding me? PUNT the ball! Well you guys just made every radio station and network west of Quebec City for that debacle. You guys played the Chaos tough though, which deserves respect. So my prediction might be lofty…

 

Castleton Connection:

 

The 5 Questions Asked this week are…

1. What number are you and why?
2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?
3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?
4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?
5. Do you have any pre-game rituals and if so what are they?

 

 

Jacques “Titans” Void, WR (Motley Crue):

 

1. What number are you and why?

My number’s 89 and it’s for my little brother ( He was born in that year ). He means almost everything to me.
 
2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?

NO ONE!!!! I wouldn’t want any other person with me on that island. I can just imagine the serenity of that environment. Not to mention that I’d be able to sleep ALL THE HOURS I WANT without someone constantly f’in nagging me to wake up! I do hope that there’d be some form of chocolate milk though…..

3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?

If you’d have asked me the same question last week, my answer would have been without hesitation: the Texas All-Stars! But since I personally saw their last game, I’m not so sure. I mean, after seeing what Gino (di Fazio ) and Shawn ( Haney ) singlehandedly dished out to them with the rest of the very good Mercanaries squad including Adrien Kellman and all-star rusher Matthew Kirouac (and what if Tony Testa where there?? ) , I can’t even begin to think what will happen to them once they’re tested against the Shockers OR the Ruff Ryders of Hapiness in DA. But was it just a hiccup? Best of luck dudes and coming back for a win would be easier if you cut the yip-yap between TEAMMATES don’t you think!!??

4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?
Well that’s kind of a hard question to answer since I don’t personally know everyone in FPF,but from the people I do know I would have to go with Maxime Mercier from Motley Crue. This guy shows up, puts out, SHUTS UP and plays the game giving his all every single Sunday in the most respectful way possible. Honestly, no disrespect to any other player in the league!!!

 

5. Do you have any pre-game rituals and if so what are they?

Well I’ve been playing football for quite some time now and never had and never will have a so called ”ritual”. For people who know me though they would say sleeping is but, then again, they also know that sleeping in profuse amounts is my everyday AND most prized ”ritual”!

 

Tony Tabet, QB (RHC):

 

1. What number are you and why?

#1 ..Wore a Warren Moon jersey to my chomedey blues practices and the rest is history

2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?

Is there a girl playing in our league?? If not, Sebouh Kaloussian or Sevag Kaloussian (my cuzins)

3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?

Texas All-Stars(already going up), G-Men (why are they still in DB when they won it all last spring + they added Nareg? how does that make sense?!)

4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?
Karim Binette (he’s the Hines Ward of the league, always smiling)

 

5. Do you have any pre-game rituals and if so what are they?

Watch other teams and take some plays from their playbook. SPYGATE STYLE!!!!!!

Karim Choual, QB ( Triple Sixers):

 

1. What number are you and why?

#8, after my childhood hero, Joe Montana, also Steve Young, and I was born on the 8th.

2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?

If I had to pick someone from another FlagPlus team, I’d pick Mario Choueiri, at least I’d know who to toss the ball around with.

3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?

Cobras, Chaos and Triple Sixers. I don’t know enough about the other teams to judge.

 
4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?

Jean Francois Marcotte (snapper of Triples Sixers) … Nothing bugs him and he is always polite.

5. Do you have any pre-game rituals and if so what are they?

I never warm up with a new football, always a used one…

 

Renaldo Jordan, WR (Predators):

 

1. What number are you and why?

#5. I’ve been wearing this number ever since it’s been passed down to me in the LaSalle Warriors Organization while playin QB via Dave Lockhart.

2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?

Stephane Chartrand… really funny guy and I’m sure we’d have some crazy one on one games.

3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?

Any team that has a decent QB with a nice roster… what people fail to realize is that in this league if your QB can’t move the ball then your team goes nowhere. Put the Texas All-Stars with a good experienced QB and I think they tear up the league.

4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?

Abdul Lawal – He’s a great player… gets little credit and never smack talks… just goes hard every play and runs back to the huddle with no complaints regardless of the situation on the field.

5. Do you have any pre-game rituals and if so what are they?

No pre-game rituals… I just come ready to play. That’s what football’s about no luck just hard work.

 

Richard Shefteshy, QB (49ers):

 

1. What number are you and why?

85 for Vernon Davis however I would have changed it to 8 but we kept our jerseys from last year. With ND, I wear #8 for Steve Young. Basically, as a QB I wear 8 and as a WR I wear 85.

2. If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with another player in FlagPlus who would it be?

This is a weird question lol on a deserted island though, I would need a football (my version of Wilson in Cast Away) but to answer the question … I would have to say anyone of my cousins (Mo Menassa, Mik Menassa, Paul Ghaleb, Phil Ackaoui) …. maybe even Ara lol he’s a chef! at least I would eat good food.

3. Which team should be playing in a higher division?

I haven’t really followed much this season especially since I’m not playing in B or C so I can make a call on this one. I can see why people would point to G-Men but I disagree because I believe they changed QBs due to Paul’s injury. I’ve used that argument in the past to defend my position (last Winter) and I’m sticking to it – when you change your QB (unless you are adding a proven commodity) or you don’t have a stable QB situation, you can’t play in the top divisions and compete.

4. Who deserves the award for best sportsmanship in our league?

I should be a candidate here lol but seriously, Mo Menassa is the nicest guy on the field. There are quite a few people that can be considered … Karim Binette is definitely a class act. Gary Bloomfield also has a great attitude. Having played with them in the past, I can definitely say that Rehan and Moe Khan deserve to be mentionned here. Other possibilities include Adi Sharma, Tom Nikoletopoulos, Rick Nincheri, Gino Conforti, Steven Hodhod, Paul Ghaleb …. lol I named a lot of people

5. Do you have any pre game rituals and if so what are they?

Not really. I have a FlagPlus Pre Game playlist on my Ipod that I listen to on my way to the game. For playoff games, I watch Any Given Sunday either the night before my game or on game day. Every game day, I call each one of my teammates to remind them of the game and make sure everything is okay. Also for playoff games, I like to watch Keith Primeau videos of the 2004 NHL playoffs – it inspires me to be clutch! I know it seems out of context a little bit because it’s hockey but sports are all about being clutch!

 

Quote of the week:

 

Courtesy of Rehan’s investigative journalism…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43l-00xEK3g

 

Guess who lost the game?