BIG FANATIC 46 LEAGUE WEEKLY GRUDGE MATCH GAMES

Kajun Kanes (7-4) @ Rumble In The Jungle (7-4)

The Kajun Kanes and Rumble In The Jungle have made big changes this year. First of all they have put their team in contention for a Fanatic Bowl championship after playing in the Consolation Bowl in 2009. The Kanes finished 5-9 last year while, if you remember, Rumble In The Jungle flirted with a 0-14 record before winning a game in week twelve to finish 1-13. This week they represent two of the top six teams in BF46. The Kanes hit the road for this big match up. They have been a much better team at home (5-1; 144.02 pts per game) versus their (2-3; 128.54 pts per game) road record. Coach Josh said his team has worked hard and he looks for a tough game from the Kajun Kanes. The Jungle has been a better road team (4-1; 131.77 pts per game) but have been efficient at home winning three of 6 games and scoring 130.34 per contest. Kanes Coach Levron said his team had a hard time getting started earlier in the year as they dropped their first three games. They have stormed back from that start to win 7 out 8 games the last eight weeks, and currently have a five game win streak on the line. The Jungle has been steady all year. They got off to a 3-1 start and have never lost two games in a row while their longest win streak was three straight in weeks 2-4. With three games remaining, both teams look to be in Fanatic Bowl III.

Number 7 (7-4) @ MANIACS (9-2)

Number 7 is another team working hard to get into the Fanatic Bowl for the first time. This week they get a look at one of the teams that doesn't know life without being in the Fanatic Bowl. The MANIACS cannot snooze in this game. Number 7 brings a high powered road team to town averaging 152.04 points per game in the five road games they have played so far this year. The MANIACS have also been a better road team in 2010, they score 13 more points per game on the road than they do in front of the home crowd. Riding a seven game win streak into last weeks game, the MANIACS were upset by the Kajun Kanes who are currently tied with Number 7 for the Great Lakes Division lead. Is it possible the MANIACS might have been looking past the Kanes? They better not under estimate the 7, or look past them to next weeks game with division foe Pismo Penetrator's, or they might suffer their second loss in a row. If that happens it would be the first time this year. Number 7 had a nice four game win streak to begin the season and had a three game win streak in weeks 6-8. They have had two 2 game losing streaks. Number 7 was dumped by the Kajun Kanes in week nine and the MANIACS were beaten by the same Kanes in a close high scoring game in week ten. There are four teams breathing down the MANIACS backs in pursuit of the number one seed for the Fanatic Bowl playoff.

Turk's Terminators (6-5) @ Viking Men of Valor (7-4)

You've heard it before, "throw the records out the window when these teams play each other". That's the case this week in this game. If you only look at the records and the home field advantage you would say the Viking Men of Valor have the advantage. That's why we play the game folks! You have to look inside to see the gears that turn the machine. Both teams have managed one 3 game win streak and have had no more then a 2 game losing streak at any time in 2010. Both teams lost to Watersmeet Mosquitos, the Men of Valor in week two by 22 points and the Terminators in week six by 23 points. The Mosquitos are currently 5-6 on the year. Both teams also lost to BrownsROCK. Turk's lost to BrownsROCK on the road in week nine by a score of 161.86 to 136.74 and the Men of Valor were possibly looking past the ROCK to this weeks game with Turk's. BrownsROCK defeated Viking Men of Valor 126.24 to 99.04. So what can we look to to get an idea of what might happen in this weeks game? Well, you might take a look to see how each team performs on the road and at home. Both play better at home. Turk's are 4-1 at home while the Men of Valor are 3-1 in front of their fans. On the road the Men of Valor are much better (4-3) versus (2-4) for the Terminators. So, with my magnifying glass, I might have found the answer. Viking Men of Valor average 128.05 at home while Turk's Terminators average 128.70 points per game on the road. Will that +.65 point be the straw that breaks the camels back? Buy your tickets early for this game and see the answer for yourself when the clock ticks down to 00:00.

BrownsROCK (4-7) @ Pismo Penetrator's (5-6)

If I told you one of these teams was 0-5 to start the year and one was 3-2, you would probably say Pismo Penetrator's was the 3-2 team. You would be correct. If I told you one of these teams is 4-2 the last six weeks and one was 2-4, you would say the BrownsROCK team is 2-4. And you would be wrong! The BrownsROCK find themselves in a meaningful game in week eleven of the fantasy football season. They still have a shot at 7-7 and a trip to the Big Show for their first time. On the other side of the field stands 2008 League Champion Pismo Penetrator's. And by the way, Pismo finished as the league runner-up in 2009. And by the way again, The Pismo Coach is the two time defending Fanatic Fantasy Football Coach of the Year winner. ROCK is a six point underdog going into the game. Pismo averages a lot more points on the road (140.47 per game) than they do at home (123.00 per game). BrownsROCK has shown the ability to score 160 or 170 points on any given weekend and they will need to be spot on this week if they plan to pull the rabbit out of the hat. ROCK has a 117.20 point per game average on the road. If they can score just one more touchdown in week eleven they might spring the upset. Pismo would like to bury the ROCK this week and finish the season with a three game win streak. There is always something to play for in fantasy football.

Pebble Beach Bashers (5-6) @ Watersmeet Mosquitos (5-6)

It doesn't surprise me that these two teams are tied, record wise, at this time. During the first six games of the year, if one team won the other won or if one team lost the other lost. Week seven spoiled the routine but that didn't keep each team from winning three and losing two during the last five games. The big question is, will Pebble Beach put the Bash on Watersmeet? or will the Skeeters bite the Bashers? It should be a close one at Pebble Beach. The Bashers average 129.86 points at home and the Mosquitos average 132.75 in games they play away from their friendly water-hole. Coach Lucas said his players will be looking for new blood this week. Bashers! Better grab your balls and head to the nearest bunker. The winner of this game is looking better for a possible wild-card seed and will still need to win one of the last two games remaining on the regular season schedule to stay in contention. The loser of this game will need to win both of their last regular season games to maintain the slimmest of chances of making it into the Fanatic Bowl playoff.

Westwood Wizards (1-10) @ The Cunning Hams (3-8) I'm very surprised to see these two teams in this position. Both teams played in Fanatic Bowl II last year and The Cunning Hams squealed all the way to the 2009 League Championship. This year the Wizards lost the previous four games they played on the road. That number might get stretched to 5 if they don't find some offense soon. A 98.32 point per game average won't scare to many opponents. The Hams haven't set the scoreboard on fire this year either. They only average 117.18 points scored during home games. Both teams started the season with wins but it's been a downhill battle since then. The Wizards have dropped 10 in a row while the Cunning Hams haven't been able to win more than one game in a row. The longest streak the Hams have been able to string are two four game losing streaks. At this point it isn't about being on the road or having home field advantage, it's just about getting a win. The 2011 draft can inject some new young players ready to help a team get back to winning.

MANIACS (10-2) @ Pismo Penetrator's (5-7)

If you look at only the records of these teams you might be deceived into thinking the MANIACS have an easy game this week. Not of fast my friend! Pismo Penetrator's have the highest points per game average in the Pacific Division. They average 136.5 per game compared to 136.2 per game for the MANIACS. Isn't that only .3 points difference from 10-2 to 5-7 and the 5-7 team has the advantage? That's why we play the fantasy football game! Pismo comes into this game needing a win in a big way while the MANIACS have almost wrapped up the number one seed for the Fanatic Bowl. Rumble In The Jungle has a chance to finish as the division winner with two games to go. These teams got after each other back in week one and the MANIACS won by 15 points in front of their home crowd. This week the MANIACS travel. In five games played, Pismo has won three and the MANIACS have won 2. In 2008 the Penetrator's won both games, 2009 saw the two teams split the series with each winning at home. There are no easy fantasy football games this time of year.

Rumble In The Jungle (8-4) @ Viking Men of Valor (7-5)

Let's get ready to r-u-m-b-l-e ! As I mentioned above, Rumble In The Jungle is battling the MANIACS for the Pacific Division title and the number one seed in the Fanatic Bowl. What a difference a year can make, from 1-13 to 8-4, with a chance to fininsh 10-4. But there's no time to day dream about what might be this year. The Men of Valor have the Jungle in their sights. A win over the Jungle would tie both teams at 8-5 and possibly bump the Men of Valor up a notch on the ladder. This game has always favored the road team. In five games played the road team has won all five. The Viking Men hold a 3-2 advantage after defeating Rumble In the Jungle during week one play earlier this year. With that said, Rumble In the Jungle, you are the road team.

Kajun Kanes (7-5) @ The Cunning Hams (4-8)

Oh when them Kanes go marching in........ The Hams begin squealin..... In 2010 the Cunning Hams have been breakfast on most weeks. The Kanes made an appearance at the top of the Great Lakes Division last week only to return to the runner up position behind Number 7 this week. The next two weeks will provide exciting games as the Kanes and Number 7 battle for the division title. The Cunning Hams will have to give up their title to a new league champion this year. Fantasy glory doesn't last for ever. Coach Matt told our beat writer the Hams will only lay down in the mud. Otherwise they will battle to the final whistle. After splitting two games in 2008, the Hams took both games in 2009 and the first game this year, giving the Hams a 4-1 record over the Kanes. It appears the Kajun Kanes have their work cut out for them this week.

Number 7 (7-5) @ Watersmeet Mosquitos (5-7)

Unlike the Cunning Hams, the 5-7 Watersmeet Mosquitos still have a chance to get into the Fanatic Bowl III action. There's one requirement for the Mosquitos, don't lose either of your next two games. It's a little odd that the three contenders in this division currently have losing streaks going, while the one team out of the running has a win streak. Number 7 walks on thin ice with a 7-5 record. The way things are shaping up there might be a lot of 7-7 teams fighting for a couple of wild-card seeds. Keep winning and leave the worrying to other owners. Over the last three years Number 7 holds a one game advantage with three wins and two losses. If the series is to remain tied at 3-3 after this week then the Mosquitos will have to win. That would keep them in the playoff hunt and at the same time draw all three contenders in this division a little closer together.

Pebble Beach Bashers (6-6) @ Turk's Terminators (7-5)

Two weeks ago both of these teams stood at 5-5. A loss will take a bite out of one of these teams this week. Turk's wouldn't be hurt as bad as the Bashers by a loss, but they sure hope to avoid the need for a must win game in week thirteen. The Bashers are hoping to get a big win this week to force the must win game for week thirteen when they play BrownsROCK and Turk's play the Westwood Wizards. Although the Terminators have a 4-1 record versus the Bashers, the margin of victory for the Turk's in week one was only seven points, hardly a whitewashing. The only game the Bashers have been able to win versus the Turk's came at home on Pebble Beach. BrownsROCK will be watching the scoreboard to see which of these teams win. The outcome just might favor them as they enter the week at 5-7, just one game behind the Bashers and two games behind the Turk's.

Westwood Wizards (1-11) @ BrownsROCK (5-7)

The Wizards began 2010 by beating BrownsROCK by 19 points in week one. From that time on I just can't figure out how the wheels fell off for the Wizards. Well here it is week twelve already and BrownsROCK is the team of the week. The Wizards have a chance to get back on a winning track in this game. BrownsROCK Coach Mitch knows a win this week will keep them in the chase for a wild-card seed in the Fanatic Bowl. If the Bashers defeat the Turk's they could even challenge for the division title and the automatic Division Champ seed. Over the years the Wizards hold a 4-1 advantage. The only BrownsROCK win came in 2009 in the first week of that season by 1.3 points. The Wizards came back to thump the ROCK by 37 points in week twelve. Will BrownsROCK add to the Wizards downward spiral? or will the Wizards pull the upset and surprise the ROCK once more?

Pebble Beach Bashers (6-7) @ BrownsROCK (6-7)

Both of these teams still have a shot at playing in the Fanatic Bowl this year. If Viking Men of Valor lose versus the MANIACS, the Fanatic door will swing wide open for one one these two teams or the Pismo Penetrator's team, of the Pacific Division, to claim a wild-card seed. BrownsROCK is one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They lay their four game win streak on the line this week in front of their home crowd. Coach Mitch told our beat writer in Brownsville that this is easily the biggest game his team has ever been involved in this late in the year. The list of teams beaten by the ROCK over the last four weeks is impressive, it includes the Westwood Wizards (wk12), Pismo Penetrator's (wk11), Viking Men of Valor (wk10), and Turk's Terminators (wk9). Across the field they have the Pebble Beach Bashers, who lost a big game in week twelve to Turk's Terminators. If the Bashers can pull themselves together for this game, it could turn out to be a bruiser. BrownsROCK has been a punching bag for the Bashers over the years. Pebble Beach has a 4-1 record versus the ROCK and three of those wins have been in the last three meetings. In 2008 BrownsROCK won the only game they have been able to win by a score of 117.48 to 103.24. Since week thirteen of 2008 the Bashers have owned the ROCK. For BrownsROCK, a win is a must if they plan to make it to their first Fanatic Bowl in team history. The Bashers got a taste of the Fanatic Bowl in 2009 and would like to make a return. If they lose this game all hope will land in the rough.

Westwood Wizards (1-12) @ Turk's Terminators (8-5)

Houston! We have a problem. The Wizards have landed, but we don't know where! We tried our best to figure a way the Wizards could win this week and get into the Fanatic Bowl but a 2-12 record would just miss the cut. After two years in the Fanatic Bowl the Wizards will play in the consolation bracket for the first time. Early in this series the Wizards established themselves as the dominant team by winning the first four games. Apparently there has been a changing of the guard. Turk's Terminators won the first game ever, versus the Wizards, in week seven by a score of 158.52 to 133.52. And that my friends is how you spell relief. Turk's Terminators are back in the Fanatic Bowl after a one year absence. During the 2008 season both of these teams played in the Fanatic Bowl and both were eliminated by Pismo Penetrator's, the team that went on to win the championship that year. Turk's was eliminated in the semi-final round and the Wizards lost the championship game. If the Turk's win this game they have a chance to win the #2 seed and a first round bye. Let the Wizardry begin!

Watersmeet Mosquitos (5-8) @ Kajun Kanes (8-5)

Help! Watersmeet Mosquitos have fallen and they can't get up. The Skeeters will head off to the consolation playoff, after damaging losses suffered in weeks eleven and twelve became to much to overcome. The Kajun Kanes are looking for bigger things to come when they begin Fanatic Bowl competition next week. If this years home and away series goes the same as the two previous years, then the Kajun Kanes have this one in the bag. The Kanes won both games in 2008 but Watersmeet Mosquitos turned the table on the Kanes and won both games in 2009. The Mosquitos also made a trip to the Fanatic Bowl in 2009 as the #5 seed. The Kanes have a lot riding on this game. If they win and Number 7 (Great Lakes Division Leader) loses, the Kanes will have a shot at the #2 seed and a bye in the first round. I'm looking for a storm to blow the Mosquitos right out of town this week.

The Cunning Hams (4-9) @ Number 7 (8-5)

After two years in the Fanatic Bowl and a 2009 league championship the Cunning Hams will miss the show for the first time. There's been a changing of the guard in the Great Lakes Division. The series between these two teams was dominated by the Hams in the first two years, the Hams won four out of four games by twenty-five or more points per game. The largest margin of victory came in 2008, week 13, when Number 7 suffered through a 52 point thrashing. Cunning Hams entered the 2008 Fanatic Bowl as the #3 seed and was booted out by the Turk's in the first round. 2009 was the golden year for The Cunning Hams. They entered the Fanatic Bowl as the #2 seed, they blasted the Augusta Nationals in a semi-final game, then downed Pismo Penetrator's in the championship game and walked away as the "Biggest Ham" in the league. After two years of nothing but bitterness, Number 7 finally gets to experience the sweet taste of success. This will be their first appearance in the Fanatic Bowl. Their task this week is to hold onto the #2 seed, all they have to do is win and the #2 is theirs' to keep. Otherwise they will win a wild-card seed and play a first round game. Don't expect these "squealers" to go quietly, after all , they are the defending league champs.

MANIACS (10-3) @ Viking Men of Valor (7-6)

In this weeks game we have two teams that lost in week twelve, yet they find themselves in the Fanatic Bowl. Although the MANIACS are solidly in, the Viking Men of Valor find themselves in a must win situation because Pismo Penetrator's and BrownsROCK are waiting in the wings for a chance to snatch the #6 seed away. In the series, the MANIACS hold an advantage, winning 4 of 5 games played. The only win by the Viking Men came in week seven of 2008 by four points. That also marks the first and only year the Men of Valor played in the Fanatic Bowl. If they hang on, and get in this year, it will be their second Fanatic Bowl appearance in three years. After being defeated by the Viking Men by four points in 2008, the MANIACS have won the last four games. Their first win was by 21 points, the last three games have been decided by nine points each. If the Men of Valor can produce just ten more points, they might pull this game out of the fire by a point. MANIACS have made it a tradition to play in the Fanatic Bowl. This makes the third year they represent the Pacific Division in the Big Show. In 2008 they won the #5 seed, but lost to the Viking Men of Valor in the first round. The next year, 2009, saw the MANIACS win the #4 seed but lose early again. This year the MANIACS are the #1 seed coming into the Fanatic Bowl, they will also be awarded one of two byes placing them directly into a semi-final game versus the lowest seed to advance from the first round games. Will 2010 be the year the MANIACS finally win the BF46 Fanatic Bowl Championship?

Rumble In The Jungle (9-4) @ Pismo Penetrator's (6-7)

There will be three teams from this Pacific Division in the Fanatic Bowl and Rumble In The Jungle is one of them. The Penetrator's find themselves needing a win this week and a loss by the Viking Men of Valor, giving the Penetrator's the final wild-card seed for this years Big Show. This yearly two game series has been all Penetrator's thus far. They have won five out of five games versus the Rumble with the closest margin of victory being 1.74 points, 157.92 - 156.18, in week thirteen of the 2009 season. Pismo Penetrator's played in the 2008 and 2009 Fanatic Bowls, they were the #1 seed each year, they won the championship in 2008 but had to surrender the title to The Cunning Hams in 2009. Rumble In The Jungle played in the consolation bracket in 2008 and 2009. When new Head Coach Josh was appointed to take over a team that had finished 6-8 in 2008, he knew he had his work cut out for him but he didn't realize just how much work that would be. In his first full year as head coach, his team won only one game as they finished the 2009 season with a 1-13 record. Coach stayed positive about his team, first he had a good draft in 2010, then he was able to make a couple of trades that worked out well for him. For the first time in team history they have a winning record and a 2010 Fanatic Bowl birth. Something tells me this is going to be a close game no matter who wins.