I figured this was called the Gatesville bug.

SI

Well, if I don't here something from Jim soon, I'm going to have to write my way outta this mess.

Tempe, AZ
August, 2006

Franklin was reading scouting reports from around the league when John entered his office at his home in Tempe. "We've got a big problem."

Franklin looked up from his desk. "What? That kid the Rams drafted better than we thought?"

"A piece of the old satellite computer core was left intact. It's rebuilding itself."

"Dammit, John! I've got a football team to run here. I can't go running off to outer space now."

John rolled his eyes. "This is a lot bigger than football. The computer is designed to preserve itself, by any means necessary. We destroyed the initial structure, but it's found an asteroid or something to use as new building material, and it's growing. It's not in orbit; in fact, it's on the other side of the solar system now; but it's transmitting and receiving data. Scientists here are going to detect it, if they haven't already. I'm trying to jam it, but it's getting more sophisticated by the moment. We need to go shut it down."

"Fine. Fire up the shuttle. But this time we're taking some big guns with us. No talking nice to it or anything - we just vaporize the damned thing and come home."

"Agreed."

It took two days to re-fit the shuttle with the additional engine and power capacity for the longer travel, as well as sufficient weaponry to destroy the rogue satellite. The primary weapon was a pervasive EMP cannon - a device designed to fire a cascading burst of electromagnetic energy in order to destroy nanotechnology (and, any electrical device in range).

The trip would take a few days. Warp drive engine development just hadn't been a practical priority until this point. As the shuttle approached the satellite, a message was recieved. John displayed the text on the viewscreen.

"Who are you?"

John rubbed his chin. "Well, that's good."

"What's good?"

"It doesn't remember us. I imagine the computer core was ejected, but all the memory was lost. It got here on simple survival mode, and has been building off that."

"What sort of education does a computer get while drifting through open space?"

"I don't know - but we need to reply."

John typed back a message. "We come in peace."

Franklin groaned. "You MUST be kidding."

"Shut up. Let's see what it says."

The satellite replied. "We do not want you here. Leave now."

"Uh oh." John said.

"What do you mean, 'uh oh'?"

"It said 'we.' I've never heard an artificial intelligence say that before."

"So, it's schizophrenic. Let's just open up a can of whup ass on Sybil here and go home."

John nodded. "In this case, I think you're right. We need to move a little closer." John engaged the fusion drive.

Just then, a flash of light came from the satellite. The shuttle rocked, and the instrument panel went dim for a moment.

"Shit!" John said. "It just flashed us with an EMP. If we hadn't been so heavily shielded for our own cannon, we'd be toast."

"Let me handle this." Franklin grabbed the controls, and pushed the throttle to full speed. He flipped a few switches on the weapons console. "I'm going to hit it with some conventional weapons, just to soften its shielding before we fire the EMP."

Two M61A1 Vulcan cannons emerged from the underside of the shuttle, and opened fire at 6,000 rounds per minute. A shower of sparks lit up the satellite, just as Franklin unleashed a volley of rocket propelled grenades - each armed with an extremely potent explosive. The satellite was knocked back from the impact, and pieces of it were breaking off.

"Good job - you've made several cracks in the armor. Hit the EMP now, before it can repair itself!"

Franklin flipped the switch for the EMP cannon. There was a great flash of light.

Then everything went black.

Aw, I figured you'd let this play out a little longer. But better to solve your problems than let them fester, I suppose :)

SI

Oh, I still might stick with the original plan - I'm going to wait until this afternoon to do a total re-work... just laying the foundation here.




*** spoiler ***


The only question is, will our hero be blacked-out for thirty seconds, or thirty years?

Alright... so, it looks like the game is lost. So, I'm re-booting. Sort of.

I'm going to pick up 25-30 years in the future. It's going to take me a while to get that written out. But, at that point, we'll be doing custom drafts again. So, feel free to submit players. If you want to re-submit old players, that's OK, I suppose... we can use the old "son of..." trick. Or something.

Sorry about this. This team was just getting rolling. Now I'm going to have to re-build all over again.

I think Franklin is going for the Bobby Ewing approach :)

I'd like to be the Top Wr in the next draft you run :)

Let's hope for another stud...

Al MIghty, Jr.
Somewhere from Texas, kick-ass player

I need a first and last name, at least.

Any college preference?

I cannot guarantee you'll be the top WR... the importer seems to throw a bit of randomness at the draft files. But your odds are good, and, so far, only one that I've created hasn't been drafted at all (although, he had high volatility - ended up as a good backup QB... would have played somewhere, someday... maybe... )

Dennis Thomas
BYU
CB or S

Sorry :) Brian Butts

Louisville for college

JeebieD Mack TE UTEP

"Jeebie"?

Just wanna make sure...

Somewhere in space...

There was total darkness. He was asleep without dreaming, almost without awareness. He couldn't wake up, and didn't have any motivation to do so if he could. It was peaceful.

Then, a voice. Faint. Distant at first. What was it? He tried to focus on it. Finally...

*Franklin... can you hear me?*

I can't speak.

*Don't speak, just focus your thoughts on me.*

Suddenly, there was fear, panic. Awareness began to wash over him.

Where am I? What's going on?

*You must relax. Trust me. It's John. Do you remember me?*

Of course. Of course. The satellite... what happened?

*Stay calm. You are in critical condition. It's a miracle you're alive at all. The satellite is gone, but you need help. I am on the way now.*

On the way? You were sitting right next to me. Why can't I wake up? I can't feel anything.

*You're... paralyzed... temporarily. Partly comotose, if you will. But you must not panic - your body cannot handle the shock. I will be there soon, and you will have medical attention.*

I'm still in space. What happened? The cannon fired...

*Yes. Your shielding was compromised. The EMP struck you as well as the satellite. Fortunately, you had a lifepac.*

Lifepac?

*A shielded compartment formed by the nanomachines in your spine. In the event of systemic failure, they come online. Your ship was badly damaged - they placed you in hibernation, and have been providing life support, but their resources were limited.*

Why aren't you here?

*The one you were with was destroyed in the blast. He backed his memory up before leaving, and I was brought online after headquarters determined that you were not coming back. Please stand by - I am bringing you onboard now.*

Onboard what?

*We have a large spacecraft. You are now in the cargo bay. I am running medical scans... oh, my.*

What? What?

*Just a moment.*

The blackness returned. Then, awareness came rushing back again. There was hunger. Pain. And sound.

He still could not speak.

"Don't try to talk yet. You have no capacity for it." It was definately John's voice.

What do you mean? What the hell is going on? Why can't I see?

"There's no easy way to tell you this, but there's not much left of you right now. The nanomachines have used most of your own flesh to keep your brain alive in hibernation. I'm reconstructing you now. You have no eyes. No face. No vocal chords. Your arms and legs are gone. Only your critical organs remain, and only in limited capacity. Try not to panic. You'll be fine in a day or so, but you're still in critical condition. It's a miracle you're alive at all."

How did this happen? How long was I trapped in that ship?

"Twenty four years. I have to put you back to sleep now - this will be very painful otherwise."

Jeeber was the dad, Jeebie is the kid... :)

Tempe, Arizona
February, 2030

After two weeks in a gelatinous suspension of proteins and nanomachines, Franklin was happy to be able to finally stand up and walk again. He was still very gaunt, his muscles were still growing, his equilibrium was bad, his skin was constantly itching, he had very little hair, and bright light was hard on his eyes.

Other than that, he was fine.

The world around him had changed quite a bit. There were many more high rise buildings in the Valley of the Sun, and the urban sprawl was truly out of control. Wide swaths of indian reservation around the city had been privatized (except for the areas with the casinos, of course), and Phoenix was a booming metropolis, finally complete with light rail.

Most every car was a clean running electric model of some sort. Cash money was rarely used at all. And nanotechnology still hadn't run amok. That was mostly John's doing.

He had been running the corporations and businesses in Franklin's absence. He had been missing and presumed dead, but everything was arranged for John to take legal ownership in that event a long time ago. The microtechnology sector was clearly dominated by Franklin's corporate interests, and development was kept under careful watch.

That's almost all that John wanted to discuss during Franklin's limited waking hours. But now that he was more alert, he wanted to know one thing:

"So, how's the team doing?"

John smiled. He looked a lot older now - he had let himself 'age' to keep up appearances. "Well, not bad, but not great. I haven't been doing much with it. Most of the last twenty years, I've been letting the coaches and scouts run most of it."

Franklin threw his hands up. "Well, damn. We had a really good draft right before I left. What happened? Did we win a title or anything with those guys?"

"Sadly, no."

"Why? What went wrong?"

"Well, things looked really good for about two years. Then there was the big strike."

"No way!"

"Yep. It was brutal. Big fight over shared revenue, TV contracts, drug testing, you name it. It was a mess. The league shut down for two years. Federal courts had to settle it. They voided every player contract in the process. We had to start all over, and the fans were pissed. They took a long time to come back, and some say we still have a long way to go."

"That shocks me."

"Well, everyone got greedy. The salary cap expired, contracts went out of control, rich owners bought everyone, small markets couldn't compete. It was ugly. On top of that, college football switched to a playoff system. So, fans gave up on the NFL, and went back to watching the college game. In fact, most college teams are still more popular than their professional counterparts."

"Damn."

"Yeah, pretty much. Things got back on track around 2011. But, by then, I wasn't that interested in it anyway. I almost sold the team about ten years ago, but couldn't bring myself to do it. The fans hate me. We've been moderately competitive - a few playoff appearances here and there, and we won the division last year, but no Super Bowls."

"We need to find a way to get me re-introduced."

"I've been working on that. It's a little harder to fake an identity these days, but I've pretty much got a back door into every government computer system on the planet. You're going to be the long-lost son of, well, yourself. Your father was missing and presumed dead while hunting in northern Manitoba 24 years ago. You're the child he had with a woman that died right about the same time in a car accident. She's got no living relatives or known friends, so the story should hold up. You were raised in an orphanage that was shut down for criminal neglect thirteen years ago, and you've been a runaway ever since. You're now 25, and you've been living in Baja for six years."

"Great story. But how did I end up here, and prove that I'm my own kid?"

"All you have of your parents is a photograph of the two of them together." John handed over a worn looking 4 x 6 snapshot of Franklin and a woman he'd never seen before. "We'll modify your appearance a bit to fit the mold. There's DNA on file for you - I took care of that. Your current DNA will appear to be an indisputible match for your own offspring. Get it?"

"Yeah. I think."

"Legally, you're entitled to nothing. You made the arrangements for me to get everything because you didn't have any children. However, for the public's benefit, I'm giving you the team as a gesture of good will."

"They'll never buy that. And the league won't approve."

"Actually, the public will probably love having the son of Franklin Brown as the owner again - they still talk about it at sports bars around here... most folks saw you as a savior, and think the league never would have gone down the way it did if you'd been around. As for the league approval, you don't need to worry about that. The commissioner is a good friend of mine - I've already spoken to him about it. We go public in a week, once you're feeling a little better."

"Great. Listen, thanks for this. And, I'm sorry you didn't make it back."

"Don't worry. I might be an artificial intelligence, but at the end of the day, I'm still a machine. I'm sure I didn't feel a thing."

Update coming soon... last call for the 2030 draft...

Samuel Hass, ILB, Iowa State Univ.

Thanks for the interaction.

Phoenix, Arizona
February, 2030

The phone in Ron Welch's corner office beeped. He punched the "Speaker" button.

"Yes?"

His secretary spoke. "Mr. Welch, you have a phone call from Ms. LaFave."

Debra LaFave. He hadn't heard from her in a few years. "Put her through."

"Well hello, Ron. How's life for my favorite sports editor?"

He and Debra used to speak regularly while she was the publicist for the Scorpions. She had decided to move on a few years ago, and had taken a job as a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State. "I'm doing well, Debra. How are things at ASU?"

"Oh, you know. Keeping busy with the demands of all these young, eager minds." Debra had a thing for younger guys. Ron had dated her for a while, many years ago, but it just didn't work out - by the time he hit 30, he was just too old for her tastes.

"Well, good for them. What can I do for you?"

"I've got a big scoop for you, Ron. Want to know who the new owner of the Scorpions is?"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware they were for sale."

"Oh, it's better than that. They weren't sold."

"Ok... what's the deal, then?"

"Well, apparently, Franklin Brown had a long-lost son. And Junior has finally found his way home."

"You're kidding. How do you know this?"

"Oh, I still have friends at the office." No doubt it was some poor lovesick former conquest of hers trying to win favor.

"Well, I'll need to do some checking. Why are you telling me this?"

"You're not very intuitive for a reporter, Ron. I always have been sweet on you."

Ron chuckled. "Hah! Well, if only I were 20 years younger."

"Don't be a jerk, Ron." Debra hung up.

Well, damn. What the hell was that all about? Ron decided he'd have to buy her some flowers or something, after he did a little checking into the Scorpions story.


***

The old Brown estate was still one of the more impressive homes in Tempe. It was nearly an entire city block, surrounded by brick walls and obscured by dense trees and shrubs around the perimeter. It would likely be the most expensive home in Arizona, if there were any chance it would ever actually sell.

Ron pulled up to the guard station at the main driveway. It was entirely automated. He spoke into the speaker box. "Ron Welch to see Mr. Smith."

"I'm sorry. You do not appear to have an appointment, Mr. Welch." the computer replied.

"I know. Could you let him know that I'm here, please?"

"Please wait."

John was immediately aware of what was going on outside. He walked over to the gym, where Franklin was working out. He was already looking much more fit.

"Ron Welch is at the gate."

Franklin grinned. "I always liked Ron. Think somebody tipped him off?"

"It's possible. We've been talking to the league about bringing you back on, and filing a lot of paperwork. I'm sure someone at the office leaked it."

"Well, the league has already approved it. We're just waiting to make the announcement, right?"

"Right."

"Is Ron still the Scorpions beat reporter?"

"No, he's been the editor of the sports page for years now. He still comes to all the games, though. Writes a column on the team about once a week during the season."

"Well, hell. Why not just let him have the scoop?"

"Fine by me."

"Alright. You let him in and keep him busy for a minute. I'll go clean up."

John sent a message out to the guard station. The computer spoke. "Please come in, Mr. Welch."

Ron drove up the long driveway and parked in front of the house. It was a large brick colonial style mansion; a stark contrast to the drab tile and stucco that appeared all over the valley. He walked up to the front door and knocked. John answered.

"Mr. Welch. This is an unexpected privilege. Please come in."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Ron followed John into a large entertainment room. There were leather sofas, a wall-sized television, and a bar. Drinks were already poured.

"The usual?" John handed him a tall cherry coke.

"Don't mind if I do, thanks." Everything was first-class out here. Even the real cherry coke, right down to the actual cherry in the glass.

John grabbed a bottled water and sat at one of the sofas. Ron sat across from him. "So, what brings you out here today?"

"Besides the cherry coke?" Ron grinned. "I heard a little bit of a rumor, and I was wondering if you'd care to comment on it."

John smiled. "I'll tell you what. I'll comment on it, if you tell me who told you."

Ron demurred. "Come on, John. You know I've got to protect my source."

"Don't worry, Ron. I'm not really that worried about it. I'm just curious if Debbie LaFave still has a thing for you."

Ron looked bemused. "Why does it seem like I'm the only one who doesn't get that?"

"I don't know, but you ought to buy her some flowers or something."

"Funny, I was just thinking that."

"Anyhow, about that rumor. I suppose it'd be easier to let him tell you about it?"

"Who?"

"Me." Franklin walked into the room.

Ron was stunned. He was the spitting image of Franklin Brown, only he looked like he was about 25. "Damn... so it is true."

Ron stood up as the men shook hands. Franklin introduced himself. "Franklin Brown, Jr., at your service."

***

Franklin spent the next half hour telling his story while Ron scribbled notes on his handheld computer. The story would be online this evening. The Arizona Republic, like all newspapers, didn't publish an actual paper anymore. Content was published online and sent automatically to subscribers. The paper made more money anytime a story was picked up by a national news media outlet. This would qualify.

Ron figured he'd have time to make some calls to the league for comment and verification, but for now, he had a few more questions for the new owner.

"So, what are your immediate plans for the team? What is your vision, as an owner?"

"I never knew my old man, but people tell me all the time now that I'm a lot like him. So, I'll probably be the same sort of owner. It might be before my time, but I'm a fan of the way the game used to be. I want to build a dynasty. My father never got to see his team win a title. I'm going to pick up where he left off."

"He got beat up pretty bad in the press after that 2-14 season. That was his last year here."

"True, but he had a heck of a draft after that. If it hadn't been for the strike, there's no telling how good that team would have been."

Ron nodded. He'd always wondered that himself. The trio of Riggins, Palmer, and Hayden was meant to be the core of a great dynasty, one that was interrupted before its time. "Alright, so, I'm sure you've had a chance to get familiar with the roster and staff you have now. What do you think the team needs?"

"I'm pretty excited about the guys we have right now. David King is coming off his best season as a running back, and Tyrus Travers had a great rookie season at WR."

"What are you going to do about the quarterback situation?"

"Well, Nelson Utley looks like the starter, for now. Bernard Nissen is the most capable backup at this point."

"What about Barlup? You guys are paying him a ton of money." Randall Barlup was taken high in the first round of last year's draft, but wasn't showing much for it yet.

"Barlup has to prove himself. Honestly, though, he has some time to work on his game. He's got four years left on his deal, and everyone knows we can't cut him now. Our cap situation is already in real bad shape."

"Speaking of the cap - the Scorpions are presently $24 million over. How are you going to fix that?"

"It's not going to be easy. We're going to try to re-negotiate some contracts, and we're probably going to have to move some players. But I don't think it's as bad as it looks right now."

"You have the 22nd pick in the draft - what do you expect to do with it?"

"It's too early to tell. That will probably be a draft-day decision."

"Do you think you can win the division again this year?"

"I think we won last year by going 8-8. That's not good. We're going to have to play better this year, there's no doubt about that."

"What about the stadium situation? A lot of people are saying that the team needs a new place to be more competitive."

"Let me be very clear on that. No one from this organization has ever said that. The stadium is not an issue. My only concern is how we're going to go about filling it. Our attendance is abysmal."

"Team publicist and marketing director Brian Bosworth just resigned. Have you hired anyone new?" Bosworth had taken over LaFave's duties after she had quit, and he had been a favorite with the media.

"Matt Leinart is going to take over marketing. Lindsey Lohan will be our new publicist."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You're not worried about Lohan's reputation?"

Franklin shook his head. "Those photos were from a long time ago. I'm not going to hold it against her that her acting career tanked and she went to Hef when she needed the money."

Ron looked over his notes. "Well, that's all I have. When will you be holding a press conference?"

Franklin smiled. "I don't suppose I need one now. I'll let you have the exclusive on this one, Ron."

Ron grinned and stood up. "Well, I've got some work to do. Thanks for your time, Mr. Brown"

Ron got into his car and punched up ftd.com on the dashboard console as he drove off back towards his office.

Ok... this year's draft is closed. Update coming soon...

If you haven't actually closed the draft or if you have here are two for next year.
sons of StanGunner
Bill Gunner DB Univ Buffalo
Brad Gunner LB Syracuse

Sorry... the Gunner boys will have to wait until next season...

Offseason update on the way.

2030 Off-season Report

The Scorpions kept their lead scout, Brenden Babic, but fired the coaching staff. In a move eerily reminiscent of his "predecessor," Franklin hired a head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator with no previous NFL experience. The new staff included:

Head Coach: Roosevelt Sharpe
Off. Coord: Kim Bobbitt
Def. Coord: Robert Lindsay

After assembling a front office staff, the next priority became cap management. With the team $24.5 million over the $189 million salary cap, there was a lot of contract re-negotiation to do.

With a few clever trades and a lot of contract re-negotiations, the Scorpions are able to keep most of the team together and stay under the cap. For this year, anyways. There's $15.5 million in dead money this season, and $15.8 million scheduled for next season. There won't be much free agent activity for Arizona this year.

After the free agency period completed, the focus was shifted on the draft. There were six top-notch players available, none of which the Scorpions had any realistic shot of acquiring. They were:

* Brian Butts - WR - Louisville - 55/92: If he meets his potential, he could be the greatest of all time.

* Kristopher McLeod - RB - Arkansas State - 63/81: Brilliant, talented, runs a 4.3 40. But had some off-the-field problems at school that might cost him a few places in the draft.

* Al Mighty, Jr. - DE - Texas A&M - 47/84: A monster lineman that can tackle and get to the QB.

* Samuel Hass - ILB - Iowa State - 42/90: Might be the best all-around defender in the draft. No known weakness in his game.

* JeebieD Mack - TE - UTEP - 63/92: There isn't a linebacker in the league that can cover him, and he holds his own when asked to block.

* Dennis Thomas - CB - BYU - 40/79: A shut-down corner with great speed, not afraid to put a big hit on opposing WR's.

With pick #22 in the first round, the strategy on draft day is to hold tight and see if anyone falls to an attainable level worth moving up. Otherwise, the Scorpions may trade down for future considerations.

The draft begins, and round one unfolds:

1. Seattle - Mighty, Al, Jr., DE, Texas A&M
2. Oakland - Butts, Brian, WR, Louisville
3. Baltimore - McLeod, Kristopher, RB, Arkansas State
4. St. Louis - Hyde, Kerry, QB, Ohio State
5. New Jersey - Thomas, Dennis, CB, Brigham Young
6. San Francisco - Hass, Samuel, ILB, Iowa State
7. New England - Pratt, Randolph, T, Central Washington
8. New Orleans - Delgado, Cole, QB, Moravian
9. Cincinnati - Bennett, Caleb, DT, Prairie View A&M
10. Kansas City - Walton, Trevor, DE, Southern Arkansas

Hmm. Mack is still on the board after ten. Do we wait, or do we make a call to Minnesota, who picks next?

After some deliberation, the decision is made. The cap is too tight right now. If he's still there after 14, we try to make a deal.

11. Minnesota - Mack, JeebieD, TE, Texas - El Paso
12. Dallas - Harvey, Wilson, T, Texas Southern
13. Carolina - Bowman, Craig, WR, St. Francis, Pa.
14. Houston - Quinn, Brad, DT, William Patterson
15. Indianapolis - Rich, Kadeem, WR, Langston
16. Detroit - Davis, Blair, DE, Concordia, Ill.
17. Tampa Bay - Sosa, Felipe, CB, Tarleton State
18. Dallas - Hodge, Jamie, G, Hawaii
19. Green Bay - McFadden, Mario, S, Illinois
20. Jacksonville - Sims, Dawson, T, La Verne
21. Chicago - Colon, Nathan, T, St. Joseph's, Ind.

Well, so much for that. Minnesota doesn't pass up on a sure thing. We're at 22, and there's nothing first-round worthy on the board but QB's and WR's (and, they're not that great). We don't need help there, so it's time to trade. We send the #22 pick, along with 7th round picks in 2031 and 2032 to Seattle for next year's first round pick - hoping that Seattle will still suck in a year. The rest of the first round:

22. Seattle - Wise, Riley, DE, Campbellsville
23. Pittsburgh - Stewart, Jonah, RB, Abiline Christian
24. New York - Houston, Barrett, DE, Delaware Valley
25. Denver - Orr, Vance, CB, Adams State
26. Miami - Pruitt, Reginald, QB, Kentucky Wesleyan
27. Atlanta - Serrano, Wayne, T, Missouri Southern
28. Philadelphia - Willis, Devon, RB, Southern Illinois
29. Cleveland - Hamilton, Tate, DT, Boise State
30. Tennessee - French, Francisco, RB, Eastern Michigan
31. Buffalo - Byrd, Eric, DT, Tulsa
32. Washington - Frederick, Drew, ILB, Henderson State

The remainder of the draft for the Scorpions is unremarkable. The hope is that some of the players taken will break out and be better than advertised, but, in reality, none have great hopes of making the roster.

Rnd 2 - Tracy Higgins, WR, Livingstone - 20/51: No glaring weakness, but no obvious [b]brilliance, either. Might hang on as a special teams player.
Rnd 3 - Zachery Fernandez, C, Ball State - 18/49: Backup quality, but could be better than scouted.
Rnd 4 - Darryl Barber, DT, Wagner - 20/35: Needs to have a great training camp to make the team.
Rnd 5 - Issac Armstrong, DE, Ouachita - 19/33: See above.

After camp, there are no great surprises. Higgins looks like a bust, and is gone. Backup QB Bernard Nissen is traded, to clear cap space and to give Barlup more reps (plus, New Jersey is willing to part with next year's 1st round pick for him).

The rest of the rookies manage to make the team, more a factor of the need for backups than any endorsement of their talent.

Just an update on the "Big Six" rookies - No busts... all look like studs. Thomas and Hass haven't signed yet, and are holding out for more money.

2030 Regular Season - Mid Season Update

The Scorpions start out 4-1. But in week 5, Utley blows his ACL. Just when things were looking good for Arizona, the unproven Barlup has to take over...

2030 Postseason

Second-year Quarteback Randall Barlup picked up right where starter Nelson Utley left off.

Barlup passed for 2926 yards, 18 TDs, and 15 INTs for a rating of 84.1 in 11 games as a starter. The Scorpions finished the regular season with the #1 passing offense in the league.

The Scorpions also had the #3 rushing defense in the league, and while the rushing offense was weak, and the passing defense was mediocre, it was enough for Arizona to finish 13-3, the best record in the league.

Arizona enjoyed the first-round bye, then stomped the Seahawks 38-13 in the Divisional round.

In the NFC title game, the Scorpions hosted the Buccaneers. Arizona earned its first berth in the Super Bowl by defeating Tampa Bay 31-24.

The Scorpions were three point favorites heading into the championship game against Jacksonville. Jaguars QB German Gayle had been the Super Bowl MVP back in 2026 while with the Carolina Panthers, and the Jags had a great deal of confidence in their veteran signal caller.

Would it be enough for the Jaguars?

El Paso, TX

February, 2031 - Super Bowl Sunday

Franklin stood in his owners box at Mike Price Stadium and surveyed the field. The teams were going through their pre-game warmups, and he was waiting for Ron Welch to show up.

Welch entered and greeted him. Franklin remarked, "I can't believe we're having a Super Bowl in El Paso."

"Why not? Most college programs have nicer stadiums than the pros now anyways. UTEP football is huge down here."

"I dunno. I guess I must have missed something. There's not much to do down here. You'd think the league would want a location that would draw more tourists."

"Hey, they've had the Super Bowl in Minneapolis in the winter. Anything is possible. Besides, this works out really good for the Scorpions. I think I can see the Arizona state line from here."

"That's true."

"So, you guys are 3 point favorites. Does that surprise you?"

"No. If we didn't have a quarterback that was essentially a rookie, we'd be 7 point favorites."

"It's pretty amazing, this being your first year as owner."

"Not really. John did a good job with this club, I think he deserves more credit. The foundation was here, this was just the year everything fell into place."

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts. Your cap situation doesn't look so hot."

Franklin nodded. That much was true. The Scorpions were scheduled to be $12 million over next year's cap. Plus, there was bound to be a mother of a QB controversy brewing. But that wasn't important today. Today was about the realization of a dream - a dream that had been a long time coming.

Franklin turned to Ron. "You're welcome to watch the game up here. I've only got a handful of guests coming."

"Thanks, but I need to be down in the press box. I'm sure I'll catch you after the game. Good luck."

***

The game itself was a low-scoring nail-biter. Both teams traded touchdown passes in the first half, and the game was still tied at 7 late in the fourth quarter.

Jacksonville had the ball, and they were driving. German Gayle was in a rhythm, and was hitting short passes left and right. The Jaguars made it to the Scorpions 40 yard line. One more first down, and they'd be in field goal range.

The clock was ticking, and there wouldn't be much time, if any, for Arizona to get the ball back if the Jags scored. Gayle scrambled for 7 yards, setting up 2nd and 3 from the 33. It would be a fifty yard field goal from here - a little long for Jacksonville kicker Marlon Grismore. The Jags ran another play. Gayle dropped back to pass, and found all-pro TE J.R. Boyer open over the middle near the five yard line. He drilled the ball towards Boyer.

But he never saw Scorpions strong safety Stephen Yost. Yost came from underneath and lept for the pass, and intercepted it at the 7 yard line. Boyer stumbled and fell. Yost took off running on the near sideline. He had blockers. There was only Gayle to beat.

Yost stiff-armed the Jaguars quarterback and rumbled 93 yards for a touchdown. The Scorpions defense clamped down for the remaining 43 seconds of the game, and Arizona won the Super Bowl, 14-7.

Get your draft suggestions in now!

:D

Sterling Ice, LB, Kansas

Guess that Seattle draft pick didn't move too far. How about the New Jersey one?

SI

Michael Ryan, QB, Texas A&M University

Phoenix, Arizona
February, 2031

Calvin Churchill walked into the guidance counselor's office at Mountain Pointe High School and spoke to the receptionist. "Hi, I'm a new student transfer."

The receptionist smiled. "What grade are you in, Calvin?"

"I'm a Junior."

"OK. You'll need to see Miss MacPherson. Sign in and have a seat."

Calvin only had to wait a few minutes. Miss MacPherson welcomed him into her office. "Hi, Calvin. Come on in."

Calvin entered the office and had a seat in one of the chairs in front of Miss MaPherson's desk.

"So, where are you transferring from?"

"El Dorado High School in California, ma'am."

"Wow. Tough having to move in the middle of the year."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, I'll need your transcripts. Press the thumbpad, please." Calvin pressed the silver pad on the desk. The computer beeped. Miss MacPherson reviewed the records. "Well, it looks like you're a good student, Calvin. I think we can get you scheduled and into classes today."

"That'd be great."

"Would you like someone to show you around the campus?"

"No, thanks. I have a map."

"Ok, well, here's your schedule. Have your parents e-mail the authorization forms back to finish the transfer... oh, wait... here they are. Wow, I guess they were expecting that." She smiled. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Could you tell me where I could find Coach Lester?"

"You play football?"

"Well, I was thinking of trying out in the fall."

"It's a good idea to get an early start. They have spring and summer camps. Coach Lester teaches history. His classroom is on the second floor."

"Great. Thanks!" Calvin walked out of the room, and down the hallway, allowing himself a slight grin along the way.

Ugh. The Seattle pick is #19. The New Jersey one is #29. Nissen did pretty well for them.

Still, three first rounders is a lot... we can trade up if we need to.

Another one for

My Son's name

Avery Thomas
Memphis, TN
QB or WR

Beautiful! :D :D :D

MLB Robbie Rodriguez, UTEP

Yeah, I thought you might like that. :D

Draft file is closed. Save your picks for next season...

Off Season Report - 2031

Team physician Dr. Doug Ross gave his report to Franklin and Coach Sharpe. The prognosis was fair, but not great.

"Utley's knee is about as rehabilitated as it's going to get. But he should play with a brace, and he's not going to have as much mobility as he did before."

Franklin rubbed his chin. "Coach, you've seen him throw in mini-camp. How's he look?"

Sharpe replied, "He's still pretty accurate on the short stuff, but he doesn't have as much on his long ball anymore. His timing is off, and, like the doc said, he's not very mobile right now. He might just need more work."

"Realistically, is he going to challenge Barlup for the job?"

"Boss, I've never been a big fan of Barlup's. I think he's inaccurate and careless with the ball at times. But, with Utley being hurt, it's a toss-up between the two of them."

"Well, Barlup is about ten years younger. He's still got room to grow. If that's the case, I think we need to move Utley. He's costing us too much money to be a backup quarterback, and I think I can get at least a second round pick for him right now."

"What we need is a running back."

That much was true. David King had sufferred a serious drop in production last season, and his backup, Stephen Lundy, had retired. "Well, I don't know if we're going to get a decent running back. We have three first round picks, but they're all high. I'm going to have a look at who's available in free agency, but our cap is tight right now, and I don't know if we can afford it."

"Maybe a trade?"

"Maybe. We'll see." Franklin adjourned the meeting.

***

In what was considered a blockbuster trade, the Scorpions sent Nelson Utley, David King, the #32 pick, and this year's and next year's second round picks to San Francisco for RB Wade Stiehl.

Stiehl was a 5th year running back from Pitt who had averaged just over a thousand yards in his first four seasons. He was a considerable upgrade to the Scorpions rushing attack. The only catch was that he was in the last year of his contract, and would expect big money to re-sign.

The move also cleared over $2 million in cap space for Arizona, but they were still hampered in free agency due to the expected costs of their draft picks.

***

Draft Day - 2031

Arizona had some holes to fill, but no glaring needs, so there was a good chance that the Scorpions would once again be trading out their high first round picks for future considerations - unless a top-notch player fell further than expected. The blue chip picks for this draft were:

Michael Ryan - QB - Texas A&M - 41/95: Loads of potential. Should be the top player taken, although New England doesn't really need a QB, so he might slip.

Robbie Rodriguez - ILB - UTEP - 49/88: A brutal tackler with a tendency to drool.

Bill Gunner - S - Buffalo - 56/83: Swift, hard hitting, and lethal on kick returns.

Avery Thomas - WR - Memphis - 40/74: Sure handed deep threat that can stretch the field and will kill teams that let him get open behind coverage.

Brad Gunner - OLB - Syracuse - 34/69: Solid defender that will excel as a pass rusher in the right system.

Sterling Ice - ILB - Kansas - 32/64: Smart middle linebacker with good physical talent.

The draft began, and Franklin kept a watch on the early part of the first round, to see if any opportunities presented themselves:

1. New England - Warsaw, Alvin, RB, Maryland
2. San Francisco - Ross, Roberto, DE, Sioux Falls
3. New Orleans - Davis, Blair, DE, Concordia, Ill.
4. San Diego - Thomas, Avery, WR, Memphis
5. Oakland - Nelson, Adrien, WR, Memphis
6. Houston - Gunner, Brad, OLB, Syracuse
7. Carolina - West, Logan, WR, Millsaps
8. Detroit - Rodriguez, Robbie, ILB, Texas - El Paso
9. Chicago - Patrick, Chadwick, T, Tennessee State

Amazing. Michael Ryan is still on the board. Teams must be scared of his size - 5'10", 197. Maybe he's a colossal bust waiting to happen - or maybe not. Miami picks next.

Franklin makes a phone call.

Miami accepts the #19 pick, and this year's third round pick, in exchange for their spot at #10. It could be a great steal. The next 19 picks of the first round:

10. Arizona - Ryan, Michael, QB, Texas A&M
11. Buffalo - Gunner, Bill, S, Buffalo
12. Kansas City - Chavez, Nathaniel, QB, Mass. - Dartmouth
13. St. Louis - Ice, Sterling, ILB, Kansas
14. Tennessee - Kramer, Elliot, G, Ouachita
15. Green Bay - Burch, Garret, S, Indiana Univ., Pa.
16. Detroit - Bender, Will, DT, Bates
17. New York - Spears, Garrett, RB, Manchester
18. Dallas - Rush, Eli, DE, Morehead State
19. Miami - McFadden, Jovan, T, Mississippi State
20. Denver - Jacobson, Riley, DE, Wyoming
21. Tampa Bay - Harvey, Arthur, S, St. Thomas, Minn.
22. Buffalo - O'Neil, Ross, QB, William Jewell
23. Washington - Evans, Christian, QB, Western Michigan
24. Minnesota - Boyer, Avery, QB, Northwood
25. Cleveland - Buck, German, T, Kenyon
26. Pittsburgh - Barber, Bennett, ILB, Greenville
27. Baltimore - Mathis, Quentin, OLB, Delta State
28. Indianapolis - Cantrell, Kellen, OLB, Northern Illinois

At number 29, there's simply not much talent, so the Scorpions trade their remaining picks to New Orleans for their #1 pick next year. The rest of the first round:

29. New Orleans - Sutton, Jeffery, OLB, Johnson C. Smith
30. Philadelphia - Little, Derik, QB, Furman
31. Buffalo - Montgomery, Alfonso, CB, Nebraska Wesleyan
32. San Francisco - Harding, Kobe, G, Bowling Green

With that, Franklin and the coaching staff packs up to leave. Their draft is over. They'll fill the roster out with free agents, and soon it'll be time for training camp - with high hopes for their new quarterback.

Aw, man. I went to St Louis :(

SI

Yeah, if you had fallen to 20, I could have made a move.

Ah, well. Could be worse, I suppose.

Yeah, I suppose I could have been drafted by the Cowboys

SI

Franklin, how did last years rookies end up doing?

Pre-Season - 2031

Franklin stood atop the bleachers overlooking the Scorpions practice field in Tempe. It was early morning - the Arizona heat was too intense this time of year for practice any later in the day. He watched the diminutive Michael Ryan sling perfectly timed passes to his wide receivers. He turned to coach Sharpe.

"He looks real good."

"Yep. Steal of the draft, no doubt. He's already better than Barlup."

"You think so?"

"I'd like to start him. If you don't mind."

"Why would I mind?"

"Well, media might give you a hard time about it."

"I don't give a rat's ass about that. If the kid can play, let's turn him loose."

Coach Sharpe nodded. "He could be really great."

"You don't think his size hinders him at all?"

"Nope. He moves around real well in the pocket. He can find his lanes OK. And he's not afraid to take off and run with it."

"Good. Let him start. Barlup will probably be pissed, but he'll have to deal with it. This makes me feel a lot better about that Utley trade."

Good question. Let's have a look:

Al Mighty, JR - LDE - Seattle: Started 13 games. 32 tackles, 9 sacks.

Brian Butts - FL - Oakland: Started 16 games. 59 catches for 879 yards and 1 TD.

Dennis Thomas - RCB - New Jersey: Started 16 games. 5 INTs, 1 returned for TD.

Samuel Hass - MLB - San Francisco: Started 14 games. 79 tackles, 1 sack.

JeebieD Mack - TE - Minnesota: Started 16 games. 45 catches for 500 yards and 9 TDs.

All of them still have excellent ratings, and, barring injury, should have very solid careers.

Woohoo, I might be the starting qb of the Scorpions!

9 TDs, very nice.

You know, Franky, a young, studly TE would be a great compliment to your young, studly QB.

Time to work out a trade... :)

Yeah, especially since we make our offseason homes in Lewisville and Carrollton. We're practically next door neighbors and there is an Olive Garden nearby where we can eat and get extra practice in the parking lot.

Time to carbo load on some Fettucini! :D

Please continue to update on our FOFC guys.

Maybe I should holdout until management trades for my buddie, JeebieD Mack.

Sounds like a good plan, Mike... :)

Dear Franklin Brown Jr.,

I really think you should acqure JeebieD Mack from the Vikings. We spent much of the offseason working out together after you drafted me. Plus, he told me that if you would trade for him, he would let us eat at the Italian restaurant chain that he owns for free. Just think about all those breadsticks.

Please try to trade for him. You'll have an unhappy and unmotivated quarterback otherwise!!!

Sincerely,
Michael Ryan

Well, that will either work or I'll find myself out of a job.

Don't forget about the salad! Everyone knows that as long as you come in the restaurant you can eat all the salad you want...no matter if you order an entree or not!

:rolleyes:

I'm not much of a salad eater. Mrs. Ologist is though, so she usually eats salad while I work on the breadsticks.

2031 - Postseason

Michael Ryan had a solid year for a rookie QB, leading the Scorpions to a 12-4 record, and another divisional title.

Some passing stats of note:


So, it was a good season for former Scorpions QBs as well.


Other noteable stats:


The Scorpions had a first-round bye.

In the second round, they hosted the Green Bay Packers, and narrowly escaped, by a score of 30-27.

Fortunately for Arizona, the Carolina Panthers had upset the top-seeded New York Giants, so the conference title game would also be at home. Unfortunately for Arizona, the Panthers proved why they had been able to upset the Giants, and the Scorpions title defense ended with a 20-24 loss to Carolina. The Panthers defense proved formidable, holding Ryan to 167 yards passing, and Stiehl to just 81 yards rushing.

Carolina lost the Super Bowl to New England by a score of 31-20.

Ryan was named offensive rookie of the year. Bill Gunner was defensive ROY.

I don't think I can trade for Mack, at least not yet. His contract includes about $3 million per year in pro-rated bonus money, and I doubt the AI will eat that.

Get your 2032 draft suggestions in now. :D

Last call for draft picks... I want to close the file this afternoon.

Keli Tohara
FB
Hawaii

EDIT: Oh and he is 5'8 240 and runs a 4.48 40

If the draft file editor allows height editing:

T Ben Davidson Iowa is 6'-10"!! He's a TCY stud too.

I can edit just about anything. What's he weigh?

379 monstrous pounds.

re: Bill Gunner ROY!! yes!

Alright... guess I close up the draft file with these two.

I added a few of my own:

QB's Jeff George and Ryan Leaf - could be decent starters, but very volatile. :D
RB Bo Jackson - awesome, but highly injury prone.

2032 - Offseason - Part One

The Scorpions were in better cap shape this year, with about $10 million free. They did, however, have several key players in the last year of their deals, and would probably spend most of that money renewing their contracts.

Franklin decided that the passing game needed more weapons for Ryan to thrive, so he made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, sending Barlup, this year's #29 pick, and next year's first round pick, to the Vikes, in exchange for TE JeebieD Mack.

(expensive sucker, I'll tell you that...)

The move gives the Scorpions a little more cap space, and, more importantly, bolsters the receiving corps for the young QB. Mack should also provide decent blocking on rushing plays.

I'm worth every single penny, Franky... :)


WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP

Please get me outta oakland.. these 80 year olds wearing silver and black spiked shoulderpads scare me :)

It's not the contract cost that bothers me, it's the amount I had to give up in picks and players to acquire him. Hopefully, he'll improve both the rushing and the passing game.

Draft is already closed, Higgins will have to wait until next year.

That will be difficult. Butts is a stud-boy up there... while he's not a fan favorite yet (the kiss of death for any trade), his contract has $7.4 million in bonus money for the next three years. And Oakland will want a king's ransom in players and picks for him.

I'd love to have another top-shelf receiver like that, but I don't think it's doable this year.

Well i noticed oakland had another top 5 pick.. and picked another wr... :)

Bumpikins

Yeah, I know... been in training all week... update is overdue...

Whenever you've got time, bud... :)

Offseason 2032 - Part II

Franklin sat down at the conference table in the middle of the "War room" at Scorpions headquarters in Tempe. There were digital display panels on all the walls with draft prospects listed on them. Statistical information and game film could be accessed with the touch of a finger. This allowed the front office to analyze and compare every college player in this year's draft.

The meeting was joined by lead scout Brenden Babic and head coach Roosevelt Sharpe and his staff. The purpose was to make some final preparations for tomorrow's draft.

"Brenden, bring up the hot list." The hot list was comprised of the top prospects available in the draft. They were the players that were expected to make an immediate impact on any team that claimed them, and were considered worth trading for, if possible.

Babic punched the keypad in front of him, and the main display now presented the following list:

Bo Jackson - RB - Auburn: Exceptional talent. Only drawback is his work ethic - doesn't seem to care much for conditioning.

Ben Davidson - T - Iowa: Enormous behemoth of an offensive lineman.

Keli Tohara - FB - Hawaii: All-around offensive threat, blocking, rushing, and catching.

Jeff George - QB - Illinois: Rare talent, especially with long passes. Could be a bit of a head case.

Franklin spoke. "It's a short list, folks. And we don't have much to work with this year." The Scorpions had the #19 pick in the first round, and late picks in rounds 3 and 5.

"We need a good wide receiver, and we could use a tackle like Davidson, but there's no way he falls that far. We'll have to watch the late rounds and see if there is any hidden talent there." said coach Sharpe.

Babic nodded. "It might be best to trade out completely and hope for better prospects next year. There's not a lot to choose from that will fix any immediate need for us."

"Is ther anyone worth taking with a late pick?" Franklin asked.

Coach Sharpe spoke. "George Morrison will probably be around late. Wide receiver from Minnesota. He's probably too short to make it, but he's a smart kid with decent hands."

Franklin looked over the scouting report on Morrison. He was, by most reports, only the 15th best receiver in the draft. "Alright. If he's around in the fifth round, we'll have a look at him. Unless anything crazy happens, I think we're going to trade the first and third rounders."

***

Draft day began, and the first round, up to the Scorpions pick, went as follows:

1. St. Louis - Jacskson, Bo, RB, Auburn
2. Oakland - Moore, Allan, CB, Presbyterian
3. Cincinnati - Davidson, Ben, T, Iowa
4. Houston - George, Jeff, QB, Illinois
5. Philadelphia - David, Miguel, RB, Fayetteville St.
6. Tennessee - Hubbard, Cristian, QB,
7. Buffalo - Copeland, Jerry, OLB, Morehead State
8. Tampa Bay - Pruitt, Dawson, T, South Dakota
9. Minnesota - Powers, Gage, DT, Brockport State
10. Dallas - Williamson, Kyle, G, Buena Vista
11. New York - Key, Ben, C, Juniata
12. Detroit - Craft, Jeffery, G, Union
13. Tennessee - Jefferson, Brennan, ILB, Morris Brown
14. Indianapolis - Pollard, Kareem, T, Colorado
15. Chicago - George, Marlon, QB, California - Davis
16. Denver - McConnell, Antony, RB, Tufts
17. Baltimore - Reynolds, Felipe, WR, Centre
18. Jacksonville - Soto, Cristopher, CB, Widener

Keli Tohara was easily worth the pick, but Arizona already had two very good FB's on the roster. Babic spoke up. "There's another guy out there now that might be worth a look."

"Who?" Franklin asked.

"Ryan Leaf."

"You've got to be kidding. He's a head-case. That's why he's still on the board."

"Well, we need a third QB. It might be worth a shot."

"No. I'm not paying first-round money to a #3 QB, even on speculation. We're making that trade with Cincinnati."

The Bengals had agreed to trade their first and second round picks next year for Arizona's first and third round picks this year. As long as Cincinnati didn't break out into a playoff team this year, it would be a good deal for the Scorpions.

By the fifth round, there was no great talent available that couldn't be had as an undrafted free agent, and the Scorpions traded their pick to Buffalo for their 5th round pick next year.

There were a few free agent signings after the draft, and then the Scorpions made preparations for training camp.

2032 - Postseason

The Scorpions finished 11-5, earning a division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs, thanks mostly to the continued development of QB Michael Ryan, who improved his rating to 95.0, passing for 29 TDs and 12 INTs.

Running back Wade "the man of" Stiehl had 1405 yards rushing and 14 TDs.

The consensus is that if Arizona had a few more solid offensive linemen, they would be almost unstoppable. They already boasted the #2 offense in the league.

The Scorpions hosted the Bears in the divisional round of the playoffs, and soundly beat them by a score of 41-17. In the conference title game, they hosted Seattle, and won 27-24 on a last minute touchdown reception by TE JeebieD Mack.

Arizona prepared for their second trip to the Super Bowl, this time against the San Diego Chargers. The Scorpions were listed as 6 point favorites.

Tempe, Arizona
January, 2033

Arizona State Sun Devils Head Coach Jake Plummer sat in his office with offensive coordinator Keith Poole.

"So, where do we want to play Churchill next year?" mused Plummer.

"Wherever we want him. The kid single-handedly won his high school team a state title out of nowhere. He was an option QB, and he played at linebacker as well. He can run, pass, catch, tackle... hell, he can even punt." Churchill was probably the best high school athlete in the country, but hadn't garnered as much attention as he should have out of high school, as he only played one year of football. Besides, he had been dead-set on going to Arizona State. The Devils had just lost the Holiday Bowl, and Plummer needed a good season from his team to keep his job. Churchill had red-shirted, but probably could have played.

"Well, think it over. We need to make a decision before we start mini-camp."

So, where should Calvin Churchill play? Go vote in the poll! http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=35301

Lawrence, Kansas
Super Bowl Sunday

Memorial Stadium, like most major college football stadiums, had undergone major renovations during the last 20 years. It boasted a sophisticated heated playing surface, and a retractable canopy that could be deployed in the event of bad weather.

The forecast for today was 43 degrees and sunny - ideal football weather. Franklin stood on the sidelines and watched the teams warm up. The Chargers starting QB was T.J. Delgado, a solid starter that was well suited for the west-coast offense that San Diego ran, and a player that had initially been drafted in the fifth round by the Scorpions in 2026.

Franklin turned to Coach Sharpe. "Wonder why we ever let him go. He looks pretty good."

Sharpe shrugged. "Before my time boss. He was pretty low on the depth chart at the time, and only played in a few games over the two years he was here. He bounced around a bit before he caught on for the Chargers."

"So, what do you think? Can we beat these guys?"

"Boss, on paper, we ought to smoke 'em. But, you know how it is. There's no telling until we get things started."

Franklin nodded. "Well, good luck. I'll see you after the game."

Franklin returned to the suite to watch the game. It was closer than expected. Delgado had a career game, completing 31 of 39 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. But it wasn't enough for the Chargers, who got nowhere rushing against the Scorpions, and couldn't match the 347 passing yards of game MVP Michael Ryan and the 133 rushing yards of Wade Stiehl.

The Scorpions captured their second Super Bowl title by a score of 37-34.

Ok.. get your draft suggestions in for 2033.

I already have Jeebs - WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP

Don't forget to vote in the Calvin Churchill poll...

Lets see

Dave Smith
SS
University of Memphis

AJ Shields
QB, Norfolk State University

Bill Whittimore, QB Kansas

SI

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!

Hey now... no strongarm tactics, or you'll be a free-agent punter by this time next season. ;)

Don't steal the putti, Franky... :p

It's "shoplift the pooty."

Time for a remedial viewing of Jerry Maguire.

Hey, at least the girlfriend might go for it.

Meh...I thought about looking up the exact quote but I got lazy...

bumpsters

Working on the draft file now. I need to beef up some more of the talent... I'm a little worried that the draft classes have been thin, especially at the less glamorous positions.

It could be that the player file generator I used to start the league created too many good players... but what I'm seeing is that, aside from the guys we're adding manually, the original players from that file are much better than the draft generated players. So, not a lot of young guys are making it in the league.

Crap.

It's been a week or so since I opened this game. I must have screwed up and jumped ahead to the free agency period before saving last.

No draft import this year. So, I'll save your picks for next season.

Sorry about that...

Tempe, Arizona
March, 2033


The golden age of the Scorpions was in grave danger. The salary cap was becoming more difficult to fit under every year, and this off-season would probably demand some cuts. Several players were in the final years of their contracts, and not all could be re-signed. Others would have to go to make room for rookies - sadly, a single aging veteran could be moved out of the way for two or three younger players, and Arizona needed the added depth.

MLB Wilbert McElrath was the biggest victim. McElrath was a 9th year veteran from San Jose State. He had been a relatively obscure journeyman before arriving in Arizona in 2030. He didn't start that year, but in 31 and 32, he recorded over 100 tackles, and had found his place in the heart of a very good defense. But now he wanted big money to re-negotiate, and he was no longer a luxury the Scorpions could afford.

Arizona traded him to Detroit, along with their first round pick in next year's draft, and 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks in this draft, in exchange for third year veteran MLB Robbie Rodriguez from UTEP. Rodriguez had started in 15 games last year and had 86 tackles. More importantly, he had three years left on his contract at a very manageable salary.

The Scorpions biggest needs were at G, DE, and WR. They could also use a "shut-down" CB, but couldn't afford one. With enough renegotiation to afford the draft picks they had, there would be no room for early free agency.

At pick #13, there's a tough decision to make. The offensive guard that the Scorpions expected to draft is still there, but unexpectedly, so is WR Dale Long, a bonafide deep threat that could really put a spark in the passing game. There's no way both guys wait until round two - and Arizona decides to draft Long, in hopes of patching the offensive line through other means.

In round two, the Scorpions select CB Colin Lawson from Purdue, and in round three, they select G Charlie Haskins from Temple. They trade the remainder of their picks to Tennessee for their fourth rounder next season.

Robbie!!!

Excellent...soon the Scorpions will be filled with nothing but Miners... ;)

Got lucky with that one... although as soon as his contract is up, it will be very difficult to keep him.

Tempe, Arizona
September, 2033

Franklin was reviewing ticket sales figures in his office when John walked in.

"Bloody ingrates. Fresh off our second Super Bowl win in three years, and we only sell 36,600 season tickets." Franklin muttered.

"Well, you did raise prices quite a bit." John offered.

"Whatever. Our prices were the lowest in the league. Right now, they're only 16th - right in the middle, and very fair for a good team in a good stadium. We're losing too much money."

"Give them time. Folks around here aren't quite used to having a good professional football team."

"Yeah, you're right. Listen, you're going to have to watch things while I'm up north."

"I expected as much. This is going to be a busy season. You sure you can pull this off?"

"Sure I'm sure." Franklin put down the computer and started towards the door. "I've got to get changed. Give me a call if anything comes up."

***

Calvin Churchill lived in a modest one-bedroom apartment just off the Arizona State Campus. His phone rang as he was packing his bags for Camp Tontozona, the Sun Devils training camp.

"Hello?"

"Is this Calvin Churchill?" a female voice inquired.

"Yes. Who's this?"

"This is Debbie Bolles, with the Arizona State Press. I'm covering the Devils football team this year, and I wonder if I could ask you a few questions."

"How'd you get this number?" Calvin kept to himself, and no more than a handful of people had his phone number.

"I'm sorry... I have a few contacts in the Athletic Department. I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's OK. Just try to keep it to yourself. Anyhow, I'm getting ready to leave for camp - I can only take a minute."

"That's fine, I just wanted to see if you had any comment on Coach Plummer's decision to play you at running back this year. Are you disappointed that you won't be quarterbacking the team?"

"Not at all. I'm happy to play wherever I can help the team the most."

"What about the rumors that you might also be considered at middle linebacker?"

"Well, I played both ways in high school. If the team needs me there, I think I can manage it."

"Speaking of high school, I was doing some research; lots of people remember you at Mountain Pointe, but I can't find anyone at El Dorado High School in California that knows who you are. Even some of the teachers you had have no memory of you. Were you really that anonymous?"

"Well, uh, I've always been kind of quiet. I was a late bloomer, and wasn't really cut out for sports when I was younger. When I moved to Phoenix, I decided to give football a try, and it worked out for me. I'm sure if I hadn't played, nobody would remember me. Anyhow, I've got to get going."

"OK, well, maybe we can talk again after training camp. Thanks for your time."

Calvin hung up, and shrugged. He figured the questions about his past would come sooner or later, but he wasn't too worried about it. You couldn't investigate what wasn't there.

Debra LaFave's bastard child with me. Obviously.

Possibly. But that's really not what I had in mind.

Glendale, Arizona
2033 Regular Season
Week 13

The Scorpions were hosting New Orleans at the Googleplex when disaster struck in the third quarter.

Arizona could clinch a playoff spot today, as they remained the only undefeated team in the league, at 11-0. They were ahead of the Saints by a score of 21-0 when quarterback Michael Ryan was sacked for a loss of 11 yards, and his ACL.

Ryan was done for the season. The Scorpions won the game 24-6, and improved to 12-0, but the bigger concern was for the team's chances in the playoffs. Franklin met with coach Sharpe after the game.

"Well, I guess it's up to Cohn." Jackie Cohn was a 7th year veteran from Oregon State, drafted by the Scorpions in the third round in 2027. He was a decent quarterback, but had been a career backup.

Coach Sharpe nodded. "He looked a little rusty today, but that's to be expected. He's been around a while, and knows the offense as well as anyone else on the team."

"We're already in the playoffs - the question is, can we still win when we get there?"

Sharpe shrugged. "We've got plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. This isn't the end of the world. We've got a pretty soft schedule the rest of the way. Cohn will have four games to get up to speed, and we'll probably still earn a bye, giving us a few more weeks work. I like our chances."

***

Coach Sharpe was right to be optimistic. Cohn kept the Scorpions perfect season intact, while posting a respectable QB rating of 96.9. Arizona would enjoy a first round bye, and home field advantage in the playoffs.

Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum
Super Bowl Sunday
February, 2034


Ron Welch sat in front of his computer in the press box at the Coliseum, sipping a cup of coffee and researching Caribbean travel packages online. It was early, and the pre-game wouldn't even start for several hours, but he liked finding a good spot before the crowd arrived. He hardly noticed the young woman who walked up and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, is this seat here taken?"

Ron looked up. "No, go ahead."

"Thanks." The woman set down her purse and laptop. "You're Ron Welch, aren't you?"

"Yep."

She extended her hand. "I'm Debbie Bolles. Arizona State Press. I love your work."

"Thanks. State Press, huh? I didn't realize they sent a reporter out here."

"They don't, usually. But a, uh, friend of mine is on the Sun Devils football team, and I guess the Scorpions owner is a big fan and all, and he made some calls, and, well, here I am."

"Who's your friend?"

"Calvin Churchill."

Ron grinned. "No wonder you're the only reporter he talks to."

Debbie seemed affronted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ron shook his head. "No offense. You're just very pretty, and I've been trying to get an interview with him for months."

"Oh. Well, Calvin likes to keep to himself."

"So I've noticed. So, Mr. Brown is a fan of his?"

"Mr. Brown is a big fan of the Sun Devils. He gives a lot of money to the program."

Ron nodded. "That I know. Did Calvin come out here with you?"

"No, I wish he had, but he said he had some schoolwork to catch up on."

"Do you believe that?"

Debbie smiled. "No. But he's a little odd that way. I haven't quite figured him out yet."

"Not the jealous type, are you?"

"What makes you think..." Debbie blushed. "Well, anyway, I'm sure it's not another woman he's fooling around with. Calvin has absolutely NO social life. All his teammates say he just shows up for class, practice, and games, and that he works hard and does what's best for the team, but they can never get him to go to parties or anything like that. Any time I call him, he's usually at home, in the library, having coffee, whatever."

"Sounds kind of boring."

"You'd think. But he's actually a very interesting guy, and a lot smarter than most jocks I know. He's just quiet. And he's got secrets. I don't know what they are, but I suppose he has a troubled past or something - he never wants to talk about it."

Ron changed the subject. "So, who do you like today?"

"Miami."

"Miami!?! You're not buying into all that 'ghosts of 1972' business, are you?"

"Hey, they've got awesome receivers. And our secondary is our only weakness. It could happen."

Ron chuckled. "They'd be dangerous if they had a decent quarterback, but even our backup is better than Andy Berry." Berry had actually put up decent numbers, but they weren't as good as Cohn's, and nowhere near those of Ryan. Still, the media was eating up the fact that the first team to make it to the Super Bowl undefeated was playing the last team to do so. If anything, it put more pressure on the Dolphins.

"Well, I'm not too impressed with Jackie Cohn. He had a soft schedule in the regular season, and they barely beat Tampa Bay and Philadelphia at home." That much was true - both games had been decided by 5 points or less, and the Scorpions offense wasn't the same since Ryan had gone down to injury.

Ron nodded. "Well, it should be a good game either way. Personally, I think Wade Stiehl is going to run all over these guys."

***

Ron was right.

Wade Stiehl had 32 carries for 204 yards and three touchdowns.

The Scorpions repeated as Super Bowl Champions, defeating the Miami Dolphins 35-21 to become the first team to go undefeated in sixty years.

Cooktown, Australia
February, 2034


The global economic and political landscape had changed drastically in the last thirty years. The United States of America was still the world's chief superpower, but it was no longer alone in that regard. China had a substantial military, as did Russia.

The United Nations no longer existed. It had become largely irrelevant, and was eventually dissolved. The Western Hemisphere was almost an entirely self-contained economy, with the emerging nations in South America doing brisk trade with the United States. Canada's socialist government had fell into ruin, and the country was relegated to almost third-world status - a place, like Mexico, for America to get cheap labor and cheap manufacturing.

Europe still did business with the west, as did most of the middle east, but Asia, Africa, and Australia, along with the Pacific Islands, had formed an almost entirely separate global economy. Political relations between the East and West were as frayed as they had been during the Cold War, only now, there was little chance of the East failing economically. India, China, and Japan all were stable, and didn't need the West to prop them up.

Trade between the East and West was still done, but almost on an "under the table" basis. Shipping was common between the East and countries like Mexico and Canada, but there were no formal trade agreements in place, and the U.S. did not officially do business with eastern nations.

Australia had nearly reverted to its status as a penal colony. Geographically and politically disconnected from the west, it was a haven for organized criminals and those who just wanted to disappear from polite society.

There was no more wretched hive of scum and villany than Cooktown, Australia. With almost no presence of law enforcement, Cooktown was known as a clearing house for drugs, weapons, and illegal contraband of every variety. It was also home to former U.S. Navy Captain Ardent Enthusiast.

***


Cooktown, Australia
February, 2034


As recently as 2030, Ardent Enthusiast was a bonafide hero in the U.S. Navy. There had been a series of skirmishes in the Indian Ocean between India and the United States, and while it hadn't escalated into full-scale war, it produced legendary naval battles.

India had been conducting acts of piracy against trade vessels from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and the United States had intervened. The Indian navy proved more formidable than expected, and several Indian submarines had successfully sunk or crippled four U.S. ships, including an aircraft carrier.

Ardent had been a Lt. Commander on the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, when she was struck at night by torpedoes from an Indian submarine. With the ship crippled and taking on water, most of her compliment of helicopters were deployed to hunt for the sub while awaiting reinforcements. Ardent was on the flight deck when a missile from an Indian MiG struck the bridge, killing most of the ranking officers. Ardent took command, and directed the crew to respond with surface to air missiles to dispatch the enemy MiGs.

Knowing that reinforcements were still hours away, and that he still had a crew of over 2,000 men that he was responsible for, Ardent made the bold decision to fire a cruise missile at the Indian airbase that was sure to send more warplanes in his direction. The missile carried a low-yield nuclear warhead, and leveled the airbase, and everything for three miles in each direction.

That provoked the rest of the Indian navy, and, more importantly, the submarines that had been hunting the US warships. With American aircraft now on full alert, and the Indian communications scrambled with the loss of their largest base in the region, the submarines were compelled to surface for new orders. They were methodically sunk, two of them by helicopters from the Iwo Jima.

It was an international incident that had almost sent the U.S. to full-scale war, but the Indians had been punched square in the nose, and wanted no more of the United States. Their pirate operations were suspended. Ardent was promoted to Captain, one of the youngest in Naval history, and the Iwo Jima limped to Kuwait for repairs.

Eight months later, Ardent's career in the Navy was over. He had been arrested while on shore leave in Saudi Arabia for beating a Saudi prince half to death. Some say it was over a woman, but few people know for sure. Ardent had been dishonorably discharged, and the case files were sealed. He knew nothing outside of life in the Navy, and briefly found work as a captain for a merchant vessel in the Phillipines, but his employer had gone bankrupt, leaving him stranded in Cooktown. That was two years ago.

***

I always tell people they wouldn't like me when I'm angry.