Week One- Point Spreads.

Welp… It’s that time of year again…… Aint it great! I love the first day. I haven’t had much time since the draft, but lets see what I can come up with. Lets first start with my divisional picks:

North - Lightning, Knights, Magic

For some reason I love The Lightning this year. I think the move keeping Gannon and Vick just before Vick went down shows great Karma… That and the thought of another North title for The Magic makes me vomit.

South – WoWW, Crushers, Sharks

In 2003 thing get back to normal in The South.

West – Maulers, Storm, Nukers

The Storm is aging it’s no longer a question of IF they’ll be an injury, but when. The Maulers looked primed with James Healthy. The Nukers are gonna need some breaks in this loaded division.

East – Onslaught, Panthers, Cougars

The Panthers and The Cougars had good drafts,  and should improve on last year…But so did the Onsluts.

WoWW vs. Crushers

If there ever was a grudge match…this is it.  WoWW have been waiting 9 months to avenge themselves from early losses to The Crushers in 2002 and this is the week to do it. WoWW may have the best running game they have had in years but The Crushers feature a run and shoot line up second to none. The loser of this one will have a serious hole to climb out of the rest of the way. Look for this one to be the highest scoring games of the week with WoWW gaining a small edge late.

WoWW 85 Crushers 80

Cougars vs. Onslaught

Following the success of their 2002 campaign the OnSlugs brought in John “Dave” Clayton as a draft expert, who filled in nicely while Owner McQueeney attended to more pressing (golf) business. The Slugs have solid quarterbacking, a good mix of  receivers and a top running game which makes them look like are still the class of the East Division… If there is such a thing. The 2003 Cougars feature a mature if not geriatric running attack mixed with a dynamic passing game. If those WR’s get hot, look out they could score some points in bunches. It could be this week too, but I think McAllister and Barber will be too much for the Cougars to handle.

Slugs 70 Cougars 60

Nukers vs. Sharks

This years “I can cut more guys than you can bowl”, features two rosters that require a score card and an abacus to keep up with. The last two weeks alone features 8 separate transaction including the Sharks draft day Super Sleeper Marcus Robinson being cut a mere 48 hours after the draft, Orlandis Gary swapping both rosters and Kevin Faulk being both cut and picked up the same day, by The Nukers, in an apparent move to simply diss the hell out of Ledell Betts. Still, The Nukers, after a ridiculously injury plagued off season, have cobbled together a potentially high scoring ensemble while the Sharks essentially field the same team that landed them the revered honor of “Worst in the league - 2002.” Will it be enough for The Nukers to pull out a week one win????? The match-ups for Moulds and Price are there even without Vick around and you have to love Warner this week, but the running game looks weak. That said it’s not like the Sharks running game will light it up either. So I’ll take The Nukers in an opening day close one.

Nukers 60 Sharks 55  

Magic vs. Knights

Frustrated by years of humiliating defeats from the Magic, Owner Naughton has decided to employ the “Only draft guys with Bye Week 8, 6 and 10” Theory. But just to be safe, he also broke out the rarely used “Lets have our QB;s with the same bye week” technique. This combination of drafting philosophies is either inspired by pure genius, or Budweiser.. You make the call. The Magic on the other hand have lost their first round draft choice to injury for the third straight year. Apparently this is a recipe for success, but it’s a recipe that has to taste bitter when you go from Chad Pennington to Joke Plumber.  Is that enough for the Knights to finally get the Magic Monkey off their back? Sure. Will The Knights choke again? Probably. Am I ever going to pick the Magic to win another game? No.

Knights 73 Magic 65.

Panthers vs. Lightning

The Borg collective plays itself week one. There can be only one outcome.

Panther 60 Lightning 60

-= Upset Special =-

Storm vs. Maulers

Coach Sheridan of The Storm in another attempt to prove he only needs The 4-Horsemen of the Apocalypse to win, went into draft day apparently armed with a copy of a 1998 cheat sheet and a fifth of ripple. The results were predictable. This team however, has led the league in scoring 2 years running, so maybe there’s something to be said for that strategy. Col Piro on the other hand, taking a page from Daniel Snyder, raided WoWW in the off-season in an attempt to upgrade their offence from 2002. An offence that scored a league low 760 points. That’s 44.7 points per week. Now that is truly offensive. But with across the board upgrades The Maulers should not only greatly improve that number, but should clearly contend this year. So here it is, last years Highest scorer vs. Lowest on opening day -- and a nasty divisional grudge match to boot. You’d think the Storm would have this in the bag, or at least half in it. However, with McNabb facing The Bucs, Faulk The Giants and Holmes The Chargers….I smell an upset in a real slobber-knocker.. 

Maulers 75 Storm 70.

Good luck to all.

JMc