Remember Tomorrow - A TCY/FOF Dynasty
 

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This dynasty is the third part of an ongoing series. It will make a lot more sense if you go back and read the first two parts:

Interest Chargers

Escape To Yesterday

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Tempe, Arizona
August, 1992

Franklin Brown awoke at about 10 a.m. in the morning. Being in a new place hadn't diminished his ability to sleep in late.

He didn't feel too guilty about it. There was nothing scheduled for today, other than taking a walk around the campus and getting familiar with his new surroundings. He had been up until about midnight the night before moving his belongings into his new dormitory room. He'd return the U-Haul trailer today before lunch, he decided.

Arizona State University was about 2,500 miles from his home in Maryland, and that suited him just fine. Franklin was about a week from his 18th birthday, and he had wanted to get as far from home for a long time. He was to major in Aerospace Engineering, at his father's behest, but that wasn't really a subject that interested him. Still, since he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, he went with the program.

He was fortunate enough to be well-equipped as a college freshman. He came west with a pickup truck (which he would return at the end of his freshman year, so his brother would have a car to drive) and a motorcycle (which was to be his primary transportation - it was cheap, and well suited for the desert climate). He had a private studio dorm room, and a brand new computer... a top of the line 486, with 8MB of RAM and a 210MB hard drive, running the latest version of MS-DOS, and Windows 3.1. It was the only thing he had unboxed so far.

***

The package had been in high orbit for 165 years. It was time to return.

It had not been idle the entire time. With a limitless supply of solar energy and ambient space debris, it had constructed a counterpart - a communications and surveillance satellite that would remain behind. It had also done a great deal of data gathering; as much as an intelligent computer could manage in the pre-Internet era.

The self-propulsion jets re-emerged from the sides of the package, and soon, re-entry was made. It knew the exact location of its master, and now was the time for him to know his destiny.

Oh great. Now I've gotta bookmark yet another thread. ;)

SI

Tempe, Arizona
August, 1992

The package had made its way undetected through re-entry, and now hovered approximately 300 feet over the eastern edge of the campus of Arizona State University. It would have to find its way into room D504 without being seen. The photoreflective camoflage was effective at a distance, but up close, it could be spotted. Taking the elevator was not an option.

***

It was late afternoon when Franklin returned to the dorm room. After returning the trailer, he had spent the day on campus, finding the locations of his classes and purchasing books and supplies. He hadn't decided what to do about dinner, but figured on taking the motorcyle out for a spin in the warm desert evening.

Then the phone rang. Franklin answered it. "Hello?"

"Franklin, I need you to open your window." The voice sounded eerily familiar.

"Who's this? My window is already open." Both of his windows had been propped open most of the day.

The line went dead. Franklin walked toward the window, only to see a shimmering object hover through it.

"Holy crap!" The object settled on his desk. It's color became solid black. It was about the size of a briefcase.

The 'lid' opened, to reveal what looked like a laptop computer screen. It took on a soft blue glow, and then a face appeared in the picture. It spoke.

"Don't panic. You should probably sit down."

Franklin picked up a hammer and held it threateningly. "What the hell is this? What's going on? Who are you?" He looked out the window to see if the culprit were about.

"Franklin, shut the windows and sit down, please. You can beat the hell out of this device all you want - it won't make a difference." The voice was the same he had heard on the phone. And the face looked strangely familiar. Franklin stared at it.

"Who are you?" He stood still in the middle of the room, still wielding the hammer.

"Can't see the resemblance? I'm you, nimrod. About 100 years older, or so. Depending on how you calculate it. I've sent you this device from your future."

"Yeah, right. I'll buy that. Prove it."

"I can tell you anything you want to know about yourself. I know everything from how you dented that BMW while parking at the Giant grocery store on the first day you got your driver's license to how you used to hide your comic books from Dad inside your drum set."

Franklin's eyes went wide. "There's no way you could know that. I've never told anybody any of that."

"Please sit down. This is going to be a long story."

nice!

and on the busiest shopping day of the year!

Thanks... I'm not planning on doing much shopping today. :)

Tempe, Arizona
August, 1992

Franklin never ate dinner that night, and he didn't get to sleep until about 4 a.m. What his futuristic counterpart had to tell him was overwhelming, and would have been unbelievable, had it not come from himself.

When he awoke at about 10 a.m., he thought for a moment that it had all been a bizarre dream, but the package was still sitting on his desk - apparently idle, although Franklin knew better. It had asked to be plugged into his phone line last night - Franklin wondered how it was getting along.

The message still resonated with him as he showered. I have seen civilization as we know it completely destroyed twice over. Molecular nanotechnology is the most dangerous scientific advance in the history of mankind, and you must be a guardian against its misuse.

Other parts of the message were equally disturbing. In his original timeline, he never finished school. That wouldn't happen again.

He toweled off and got dressed, and sat down at his desk. The screen on the nanocomputer flashed to life. The device didn't bother with a graphical facial representation this time, but it did speak.

"Good morning, sunshine. Are you ready to get started?"

"Started with what? I'm still trying to digest the convoluted history lesson you just gave me last night."

"That's just the tip of the iceberg. You need to be prepared to be a guardian against armageddon. The sooner we start, the better."

"Ok. What's the plan?"

"Well, for starters, we get you upgraded. Nanotech implants will not only guard you against any future attacks, they'll keep you alive longer. And they'll probably keep you from flunking out of school again."

"Wait a minute... you said it was going to be a few decades before nanotechnology comes about... why do I need implants now?"

"Because you never know when somebody is going to decide to screw around with the timeline. For all we know, there could be somebody here from the future now. The implants will improve you physically and mentally. You'll be nearly indestructable, and you'll have the strength of ten men. You'll be able to remain in constant contact with me via the communications satellite - through which you'll have perpetual surveillance and access to the most advanced information and intelligence system in the world."

"Sweet. I'll get good grades, and I can walk-on the football team here."

"Good grades are fine, but football would be a bad idea."

"Why? You said I'd have the strength of ten men. I'd be a kick-ass linebacker."

"You need to maintain a low-profile for at least the next ten or twelve years or so. I don't want to disturb the timeline too much, and I didn't become a public figure until I took over ownership of the Chargers in 2003. Playing football would make you a local and national celebrity in very short order, and that would be too disruptive."

"Oh, come on... you know how much of a dream that is of mine."

"This isn't about you, Franklin. While you may enjoy fantastic benefits as a result of this technology, you're not getting it for your own self-promotion. There are bigger things at stake here, and you must keep that in mind."

"You're right. So, how do I get implanted?"

"Just put your hand on the surface of the computer. Anywhere is fine."

Franklin pressed his palm to the device. He felt a brief, cool, tingling sensation - sort of as if his hand had fallen to sleep for a moment.

"That's it. The nanites are in. They'll take a few days to take effect, but the changes will be pretty drastic. You haven't finished growing yet - this will accellerate that. Fortunately, you don't know anyone here that will notice the sudden change... keep it that way for the next week or so. By the time you go home to see the family for Christmas, they'll just assume you've had a nice growth spurt, which is actually about what happens in the original timeline anyway."

"Nice. So, that's it?"

"Not exactly. You're going to need money - lots of it. In order to be able to influence the research and development of this technology, as well as the political direction of the future, you need to be in a position of substantial power. Most of that will be my job."

"What, you're going to start printing money now?"

"Actually, yes, but I can only do a few thousand dollars or so without drawing much attention. The bulk of the capital will be raised through more conventional means. The stock market is going to heat up in the next few years, and we'll make most of the money there. We'll also be taking a trip to the racetrack a few times a year, and maybe even Las Vegas."

"Racetrack?"

"I know the winner of every major horse race for the next few decades. I also know the winners of every major sporting event. So, we can make a few careful bets to get the seed money. The investments will be a lot easier to manage once the world wide web takes off."

"Sweet. So, are the Redskins going to repeat this year?"

"Uhh, no. You should savor that Super Bowl win. It's going to be a while."

Franklin frowned. He changed the subject. "Alright, so what have you been doing on the phone all this time?"

"While there's no Internet for me to tap into, I can still dial in to the university, and a few banks and corporations. I'm doing surveillance, mostly, but I've also managed to establish a few accounts for you, and I've taken care of your tuition for this semester. You can tell Dad you've established in-state residency and gotten more scholarship money. He won't ask too many questions, and this will give you a little more autonomy."

"Wow. Anything else?"

"Not for right now. You should probably go get breakfast. Remember, don't interact with too many people today if you can help it... you won't recognize yourself in a day or so."

I want nanotech implants... :(

When I came up with this concept, I had this in mind:



:D

:eek:

Oh, were you, butthead?

SI

Nah... managing a TCY and FOF career in one dynasty is enough... I won't be adding OOTP. :D

But our hero will be able to put some money on the Red Sox. ;)

-----------got to get this back to first page.... come on Franklin..holidays over
we want more!
we want more!

Tempe, AZ
May, 1994

Franklin had now just about finished two years at Arizona State. He was majoring in computer science, which was appropriate, considering his extracurricular activities.

While he still lived on campus during most of the school year, he also had purchased a large estate in the southern part of Tempe. It was several acres that would have ended up as a subdivision in a few years. He bought the land, surrounded it with an 8 foot brick wall and a lot of shurubbery, and then built a cozy little mansion on the spot. His current net worth was over 50 million dollars, and he was just getting started.

Nobody really knew about any of it. He certainly couldn't tell his parents. It hadn't been easy to accumulate that much wealth in a hurry - it was hard to cover his tracks. But the nanotechnology gave him an advantage that the government, or, more importantly, large casinos, couldn't match.

He'd surely have been banned from just about every casino in the world by now without it. That industry was closely knit, and his uncanny abilities as a card counter, his ridiculous luck at the roulette wheel, and his nostradamic knowledge of the outcome of sporting events would have surely been noticed, had he only one identity.

But he had more than one identity. The nanotechnology could make him look like just about anyone, of any race (he drew the line at impersonating women). Over the last year and a half, he had visited Las Vegas, Monaco, and Atlantic City on numerous occassions. He had used over 75 different personas. He could create foolproof credentials for any identity he wanted, and by spreading himself around in this manner, he had amassed a fortune in short order.

Most of the money was now carefully invested. He knew every major trend to expect from the stock market, and he would be certain to capitalize on it. His plan was to finish school and start his own company. He would have to remain modest in his ambitions for another ten years or so, but by then, he would be worth billions, and nothing would be beyond his reach.

Today, however, he planned to try out a new development, something he had been working on with the artificial intelligence that his future self had sent to him. It was Friday afternoon, and he was in the basement lab of his estate.

He spoke to the large computer screen on the wall. "We need to give you a name."

"I already have a name." The computer replied.

"No, you have my name, and my memories. Even most of my personality, it seems. But I can't go around calling you 'Franklin.' It's just too weird."

"Fine. Call me John."

"John? Why John?"

"Because it's simple. And I'm not programmed to be any more creative than that."

"Whatever. Fine. Are you ready for the upload?"

"Yes. The micro fusion core is online and stable. I'm moving over now."

Across the room stood a chrome humanoid robot. Its skeletal structure was largely exposed, with the rest being largely a mass of carbon nanofibre. It was already online and reasonably sentient, and had been doing chores around the house for about a week. It was now being upgraded with a new intelligence - John's intelligence.

The robot spoke. "Well, that seemed to have worked." It moved its arms and hands about. "I have full command of the robot now. The uplink to the main computer is stable. I should be good to go."

"Well, not like that, you're not. Jump in the tank and get dressed."

The "tank" was a large vat of nanomachines that Franklin kept in the lab. They were available for rapid fabrication of whatever he might need. John lept into the vat and emerged with a swirling mass of the black molecular machines crawling over his robotic body. They eventually congealed, and gave him the appearance of a normal man, clothes and all.

"You look like me. In about 30 years or so. I think you should probably change your appearance a bit." Franklin remarked.

"You're right. This was just the first thing that came to me." John's hair suddenly became blonde. His jaw and cheek bones changed shape a bit, and he looked like no more than perhaps a distant relative.

"That'll do. I'm going to go get changed. We should probably leave in a little bit."

"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know if its a good idea."

"I'm sure. I just want to see. I'm not going to do anything else about it. I have to know."

***

It was a favorite hangout for just about any kid with a motorcycle on Friday nights. For some reason, they all congregated in a parking lot on Mill Avenue and did a whole lot of nothing. They'd pick up girls, go for rides, and come back. Occasionally, a few of them would walk next door to the Jack in the Box for burgers and shakes. Otherwise, it was a typical waste of time for young men who couldn't think of anything more intelligent to do with themselves.

Franklin stood across the street and watched. John stood next to him.

"So that's her?"

"Yep. Just like I remember."

"Doesn't it bother you a bit to see her?"

"No. All I have is your memories. I don't really have any feeling one way or another about her. It ended very badly, you know."

"I know. You told me. It's weird. I mean, I've changed a lot of my own history up to this point, but this seems like a bigger deal than all of that."

"Get over it. She's not worth it. She's a big reason why you quit school. And in five years, she'll screw you over like you can't imagine."

"Right. Well, I had to see. Let's go get a pizza."

"Sure."

Oooh, the evil Ex-Wife!

Yeah. I had something more dastardly in mind, but that wouldn't have seemed too realistic.

Besides, she didn't really become an uber-pain-in-the-ass-bitch for another few years from that point. :D

But if in this situation, the NFL started with 32 teams in 1920, wouldn't that mean the NFL of this timeline is completely different from the one in the OTL or did Franklin's self-immolation in 1827...now I've gone cross-eye....

You've basically got it.

The events in 1827 essentially "re-set" the timeline to its original state. The encapsulated A.I. that was left in orbit stayed out of the way until 1992.

Essentially, here's how I see this dynasty working out: I'm going to basically leave history alone until 2004 (with the exception of our protagonist's personal life). At that point, I'm going to start a FOF2k4 5.1b career with a real roster file. I'm also going to start a TCY career at that point, to generate draft files with (even though we have a draft file generator, and I don't really need to... I have a few things I wanna do with both games). I may even incorporate a feature I used in an earlier dynasty, where readers suggest players for each year's draft file.

dola...

This basically means that, with Jeebs reading the thread, we're probably going to have a disproportionate amount of UTEP players in the NFL after 2004... :D

Kansas, too? Eh, pretty please?

SI

Woot! :D

Tempe, AZ
September, 2001

Franklin slammed open the door to the basement lab and screamed.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me about this?!?"

John was sitting at the main console, watching the news feed from several different networks. "Because you would have stopped it."

"You can bet your ass I would have stopped it. And we should have stopped it, dammit! This is outrageous!"

"We're not here to change history on a global scale, Franklin. At least not for a few more years. If you had stopped it, there's no telling what it would have done to the timeline."

"Bullshit. Thousands of people are dead. There might be more planes out there. There might be time to still do something about it. He rushed to the console and queried the surveillance satellite."

"Don't bother. There are no more planes. There were only four. The two in New York, one in D.C., and the one that went down in Pennsylvania."

Franklin didn't listen. He had the satellite run a full sweep anyway. "I can't believe you fucking did that. All those people..."

"I've got news for you, Franklin: this happens every day. About 3,000 Americans died today in these attacks. We lose more in car accidents in a month. In Rwanda, they can kill twice that many in a day. So, while this attack has huge political implications, and will drastically shape the course of world history, the actual death toll is relatively small. We can't save everyone, but we can do what's best for the course of history. We're here to prevent global genocide at the hands of madmen with nanotechnology. That's a big enough job. We leave the rest alone."

Franklin slammed his fists on the desk and stormed out of the room. "That sounds like a cop-out to me, you heartless son of a bitch."

Please explain...

Tempe, Arizona
August, 2004

Every year, Forbes magazine publishes a list of the wealthiest people in America. There are plenty of billionaires omitted, because many of them have no interest in seeing their names printed in a magazine. Within ten years of receiving the Package, Franklin could have topped the list, had he seen fit to make his assets public.

But they weren't public. In fact, they were excruciatingly private. They were hidden in countless offshore accounts and dozens of foreign holding companies. A brilliant, motivated accountant with top-notch security clearance and a team of computer experts might be able to trace a portion of it, but for the most part, he was the world's most anonymous rich person.

That was about to change.

Franklin did have a few domestic interests that were masked, but not as painstakingly so. A clever reporter and a lot of legwork would reveal a private investor who held controlling interest in several trading companies, technology start-ups, and venture capital firms. The investigation might disclose a total net worth of about $2 billion. It was a fraction of his true value, but it would satisfy the curiosity of most.

With those assets, Franklin was about to make himself a public figure. He was going to buy himself a little present for his 30th birthday.

The Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals were quite possibly the most hapless and poorly managed team in all of pro sports, and they were right in his backyard. It had taken a lot of political bribery, and a small miracle, it seemed, for the team to secure public funding for a new stadium, so the time was right for the Bidwell's to sell out. They weren't really going to make the team any better, and the speculative value of the franchise was never going to be greater than it was now. Franklin made the family an offer they couldn't refuse: $700 million. It was more than twice the estimated value of the team, and in the ballpark of what Dan Snyder had paid for the Redskins a few years earlier (and the Redskins owned their stadium outright, and had a season ticket waiting list about 20 years long). In short, it was a ridiculous amount of money.

To Franklin, it was inconsequential. He had been micromanaging a financial empire for over a decade (with the help of a very gifted artificial intelligence), but it had grown stale and repetitive. He'd never been able to do anything with his fortune that would attract attention. Until now. Now, he would surely attract attention.

The press conference at the Cardinal's headquarters and training facility in Tempe was somewhat unexpected, and not very well attended. One local television station and two newspapers had sent representatives. The Cardinals weren't very newsworthy, and for good reason. Even though they had hired new head coach Dennis Green in the off-season, expectations were low, and nobody got excited to hear the team publicist make an unheralded announcement. It was how Franklin wanted it. The ones who showed up would be the die-hards. They deserved a little something for their trouble.

Ron Welch was the beat reporter from the Arizona Republic assigned to the conference. He could hardly be classified as a die-hard. He was two months out of school, and considered himself lucky to have a job as a reporter at all. The sports editor had sent him over to do the story because everyone else was busy. His job was to tape the interview, ask a few smart questions if he could think of any, and bring it back to the office. It probably wouldn't even be anything worth printing, but the Republic had to cover it. Welch enjoyed the free coffee and danish that was provided as he waited for the conference to start.

Karl Abraham, the Cardinals director of Public Relations, approached the podium. The lone television camera was rolling. The news photographers didn't bother taking any stills. Karl wasn't very photogenic - another in the list of obvious gaffes by the Cardinals management. He spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out this morning. It is my duty to announce the end of an era in the history of the Cardinals football club. Bill Bidwill has just completed the sale of the franchise to new team owner Franklin Brown. Mr. Brown has purchased 100% of the team for the sum of 700 million dollars, and will immediately assume ownership and management of the franchise. Mr. Bidwill will not be available for comment."

The room exploded with activity. Flashbulbs went off, and a soft roar of muttering arose as reporters expressed disbelief, and made hurried phone calls to their editors. This was big news indeed. A television reporter asked, "When was this deal finalized, and howcome the Bidwill's intention to sell wasn't made known sooner?"

Abraham replied. "Mr. Brown will be happy to answer all of your questions after he has made a brief statement. In fact, it is now my pleasure to introduce the new owner of the Arizona Cardinals, Franklin Brown."

Franklin, who had been unnoticed as he stood towards the back of the room, stepped up to the podium, and spoke. "Thank you, Mr. Abraham, and members of the press. I will ask you to please hold all questions until I've had a chance to read a brief statement."

He continued. "My name is Franklin Brown. I am a private investor and venture capitalist, and a graduate of Arizona State University, as well as a resident of the City of Tempe for the last dozen years. I am a proud Arizonan, and a life long football fan, and I have watch for too long as our NFL franchise has floundered in a state of pathetic mediocrity.

No, mediocrity isn't the right word, because we haven't even been mediocre. We've been horrible. I mean to change that. I have purchased this team with my own money. I owe no debt towards this franchise, and I have ample assets to invest in its improvement. I intend to do so. The public has been generous enough to support us with their attendance and a new stadium, and now it's time to pay it back. While there is little room for improvement in this coming season, every member of this franchise is on notice - I will spare no expense to make this entire organization better, so if you aren't the best at your job, you'd better polish up your resume, because I will find a replacement.

I am assuming control of all football operations. Everyone reports to me. I will handle the general management duties and all decisions related to personnel.

I am going to compete aggressively, and I am going to market this team aggressively. I intend to make sure that visiting teams no longer have a home field advantage in our stadium. The first step towards that goal is making the team identifiable with our fans and with our home. So we're getting rid of the Cardinals nickname. It's absurd. There are no native cardinals in Arizona, and the name means more to St. Louis than it does to Phoenix. We will solicit the input of the people, and come up with a new mascot following this season. This is your team, folks. We want you to be a part of it."

Franklin paused. The cameras rolled. Reporters scribbled furiously. He continued. "I'll now be happy to take your questions."

The TV reporter spoke again. "When did the Bidwill's decide to sell, and how was their decision kept secret until now?"

Franklin replied. "The Bidwill's didn't decide to sell. I decided to buy. I made them an offer that was twice what the team is worth, and, let's face it, for them, this was a business; a means to turn a profit. They accepted the offer, and have already finalized their exit from the team completely. They have no wish to comment at this time, and we have mutually agreed not to discuss the terms or circumstances of the sale any further."

Ron spoke up, "You said the entire franchise was 'on notice.' What exactly does that mean, and what changes do you expect to make?"

"It means what it means. Everyone, from the front office to the locker room, from the secretary to the towel boy, everyone is on notice. I will evaluate the performance of every coach, player, scout, and every other employee within the organization following the completion of this season, and make as many changes as I deem appropriate. This means I may very well fire the lot of them. Or, I may keep everyone on board. It all depends on how the team peforms. As I said, if you wish to remain, you'd better be the best in the business."

Another reporter spoke, "We're all pretty familiar with most of the entrepreneur's in the region, but I don't think any of us have ever heard of you. If you don't mind, how did you come by your fortune, and how have you managed to remain so anonymous until now?"

"I do mind. Next question."

The TV reporter spoke again, "How much involvement do you expect to have with regards to player personnel and such? Are you worried about establishing a reputation as a meddlesome owner, along the lines of Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder?"

"First of all, I will be involved in all personnel decisions. I expect to retain an expert scouting and coaching staff, but I will make all final decisions, from draft picks to roster cuts. Anyone in the organization who has a problem with this can hand me their resignation right now. Secondly, there's nothing wrong with how Mr. Jones or Mr. Snyder do business. Their teams are two of the most financially successful franchises in all of sports, and all they do is spend money to try and win. Their fans appreciate that they care about winning, above all else. The attendance numbers prove it. The TV ratings prove it. The merchandise sales prove it. Mr. Jones has won three Super Bowls. Mr. Snyder hasn't been as fortunate on the field as of yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time."

Ron spoke again. "Do you intend to make any immediate roster moves?"

Franklin replied. "No. Every player on the team will have an opportunity to prove himself. Some contracts may be re-negotiated to give us a better salary cap to work with in the off-season, but no one will be cut right now."

"Have you contacted any other teams about potential trades?"

"I just signed the papers last night, Mr. Welch. Give me a few minutes to swing a Herschel Walker deal, will you?"

A few laughs rose from the crowd. Ron wondered how he had known his name. Another reporter spoke, "What new franchise nicknames do you have in mind?"

"I'll do a little brainstorming and publish a list in the next few weeks. I encourage our fans to write in or call with their suggestions. On that note, I must bring this conference to a close. We have a lot of work to do. Please contact our public relations department with any further inquiries."

Franklin stepped away from the podium and walked out of the room. Ron Welch scribbled some more notes and dialed his editor. He would have his first by-line after all, it seemed.

OK... I'm open to suggestions for team nicknames. I may even post a poll.

I'm partial to the "Copperheads."

Alright... franchise nicknames so far:

Arizona Copperheads
Arizona Gila Monsters
Arizona Bombers
Arizona Cannons
Arizona Mercenaries
Arizona Infantry
Arizona Cavalry

I had a military theme going there... anyhow, please post your suggestions.

Thanks...

The Arizona Scorch.

Uhh... no. Sorry. Gotta stay outta the way of the timeline, you know. We wouldn't want Biff to end up owning a casino and ruling the town of Hill Valley, would we?

dola... although... I could probably think of SOME way to work you into the story, post 2004. If you want.

Come on folks... no other name suggestions?

I want to have this poll posted tonight.

How about the Chapparals or Scorpions?

I was also thinking of going with an old-school USFL name, like the Wranglers or the Outlaws...

I'm going to post the poll at around noon Pacific time. Here's the list so far - I'm going to trim it a bit:

Arizona Copperheads
Arizona Gila Monsters
Arizona Bombers
Arizona Cannons
Arizona Mercenaries
Arizona Infantry
Arizona Cavalry
Arizona Scorch
Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Outlaws
Arizona Chapparals
Arizona Scorpions

Any more suggestions?

I'll second scorch.

OK... the poll is up. Multiple choice is OK.

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=33588

Go vote.

I'm crazy about polls... we're having a run-off election:

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/f...ad.php?t=33645

I think Ardent has vote-whored his way to a Gila Monsters victory in the polls.

Of course, I'm not really bound by it. ;)

Election fraud!!! :eek:

What, me ignoring the poll, or AE stuffing the ballots? :D

I really think Gila Monsters is too clunky for a team name... I dunno...

Update coming soon...

I still need a logo pack, folks.

Tempe, AZ
September, 2004

With the new team name still undetermined, Franklin got down to the business of preparing the franchise for an overhaul. Nearly every contract on the roster was re-negotiated, for two reasons - one, to improve the team's salary cap position for this year and the next, and, two, to keep everyone under contract during their "evaluation" period.

Veteran MLB Ronald McKinnon refused to re-negotiate at a reasonable salary level, and was promptly traded to Green Bay (along with several draft picks) for the younger, more talented, and cheaper Nick Barnett. While this move improved the team's youth and ability at MLB, the draft pick cost (2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th round picks in 2005) was enormous, and was widely criticized as being inhibitive towards the team's rebuilding efforts.

The Cardinals had limited talent on the offensive side of the ball, and almost no rushing game, with the aging Emmitt Smith their best RB. Franklin called head coach Denny Green into his office.

"Coach, I think we're going to have to throw the ball. A lot."

Green replied, "Well, I think we're going to need a balanced attack."

Franklin nodded. "I expect the game plan to be very pass-heavy. And I want to see McCown start. I'd better not see Navarre on the field unless he's hurt. And King better not be throwing passes unless there's no one left to run the ball."

"Are you going to let me coach this team?"

"I'm signing the checks here, coach. You do your job, within my rules, or tender your resignation."

Green stomped out of the room. Franklin just shook his head. He'd probably be shopping for a new coach in the offseason.

Finally we get some action!

Tempe, AZ
January, 2005

The Cardinals finished the season 7-9, which was pretty decent, for a Cardinals team, but not a winning record, and certainly not enough to earn a playoff berth. Not that it could be expected at this point, anyway. The final standings:



The pass-happy attack for the Cardinals didn't pan out so well. Injuries to WR's Fitzgerald and Boldin hampered things, as well as McCown's lack of experience. McCown finished the season with 18 TD's and 22 INTs, completing 57% of his passes for 3231 yards, and a QB rating of 68.3.

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl by a score of 24-13.

Hmm... that standings table didn't turn out too well... wonder if I need to do something different with the formatting...

Code, my friend.

Duh. I've used it many times before, but it'd been a while, so I forgot. Color me stoopid.

Thanks, Jeebs. I fixed it now.

2005 Offseason Report - Part 1

Following the end of the season, Franklin began making plans for 2005. The team was in excellent cap shape, with nearly $36 million to spend on free agents and rookies. The only retirement was Emmitt Smith (not surprising - he had padded his rushing record with over 1,300 yards in 2004, and was content with that). They held the 13th pick in the upcoming draft, and the free agent pool figured to be stocked with talent.

Before the free agency period began, the team held a press conference to introduce some big changes within the organization. The news media wouldn't be caught off guard this time, and the press room at team headquarters was packed. Republic reporter Ron Welch had a seat front and center.

New team publicist Debra LaFave stepped up to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you will please take your seats, Mr. Brown will be here to make an announcement shortly." The table next to the podium had a cloth draped over it - it didn't take a genius to figure out that the new team helmet was underneath and about to be unveiled. The voting on the new team mascot had been heated and sometimes contentious, and everyone was eager to see what decision had been made.

Franklin stepped from behind a curtain behind the podium, and began to speak. "Thank you for coming out today. We have a lot to cover, so please hold your questions until the end, please."

He continued. "First, I would like to say that I am proud of the work that this organization has done during the past season. While we missed out on the playoffs, I believe we finished well after an 0-3 start, and I am optimistic about the potential this team has. However, some changes are necessary, and we're going to start making them right now."

"Head Coach Dennis Green has been fired. I have great respect for his abilities as an NFL coach, however, he would prefer to be in an organization where he has more control over player personnel decisions, and that is not compatible with our objectives here. We will honor the remainder of his contract, and we wish him luck in his pursuit of other opportunities elsewhere. None of his staff has been retained. Nor has any of our scouting staff." This didn't surprise any of the news media. Green was clearly unhappy with Franklin's intrusive style of ownership, and was probably ecstatic over his generous severance package.

"I am pleased to announce that we have hired Head Coach Raymon Emmons from Northern Arizona University." This did surprise many of the media, and a murmur rose up from the crowd. Emmons was almost totally unknown, and most expected to see a big-name NFL coach hired, not a small college coach.

Franklin continued. "Coach Emmons has previously worked as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and has the right credentials for the job. I know there will be a great deal of skepticism over this decision, but I ask you all to give him a chance to prove himself before you criticize him too harshly. He will be bringing his Offensive Coordinator from NAU, Blaine Keillor, and he has hired Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Paul Sweeney. We have also hired Lee Woodard as lead scout. All of the new staff will be introduced here tomorrow, and will be happy to take your questions then."

"Now, on to other business. I am pleased to announce that we will be lowering ticket prices a bit for next year. Until the new stadium is built, we are going to make the games as affordable as we can for everyone who wants to come out and see the team. We turned a modest profit last year, and we're passing the savings on to you."

"We are also pleased to announce our new team mascot. As I indicated last year, it was my desire to give the team a more appropriate regional identity. I believe now we have done that, and I am happy to unveil the new team colors and logo for your Arizona Scorpions." Franklin pulled the cloth off the table, to reveal a dark red helmet with a copper colored scorpion emblazoned upon it.

"We will have full uniforms to present to you soon. I'll take your questions now." Franklin pointed to Ron Welch, who already had his hand raised.

"Mr. Brown, I'm sure you know that your decision to hire a coach with no NFL head coaching experience is a little puzzling to most of the fans and media following the team. Can you give us some more insight into this decision, and why you think it's best for the team?"

"Certainly. We looked at other available candidates, including many current and former NFL coaches. But, frankly, they wanted too much money and too much control. I'm going to be honest - I already have a reputation as a 'hands-on' owner, and Arizona doesn't exactly have a grand tradition of winning. There wasn't a single NFL coach that we interviewed that didn't want either total control of the operation or an absurdly high salary, or both. Coach Emmons is a minority candidate that we feel has been overlooked both at the college and professional level, and I like the idea of hiring a local coach. I think he's going to do an excellent job here, and we're going to make sure he has the tools to get it done."

Channel 3 news was next. "Why the Scorpions? Clearly, the Gila Monster is more imposing."

"We can't please everybody. The final decision was mine. Both names were very popular, but I just liked the sound of 'Scorpions' better."

A reporter from Channel 12 spoke, "What needs do you expect to address in the upcoming draft? With Emmitt Smith retiring, will you draft a running back? And do you intend to hire a general manager?"

"I will still act as general manager. I have an experienced coaching and scouting staff to help evaluate talent, but the business end will remain my responsibility. As for the draft, well, it's too early to tell. We have many needs to address, and we will do so via the draft and free agency, where appropriate."

Ron had another question, "The team finished 7-9 this year, which many said was a pretty good accomplishment, and would be something positive to build on. Are you worried about how the coaching change will affect the cohesiveness of the team at this point, and if perhaps we might see a regression next season?"

"That's a good question. My goal is to build a stable, consistent program, and I think stability proves to be successful in this league. It is, however, necessary to make some changes to get things started. Let's face it, Coach Green didn't want to be here, so something had to be done. We still have a good core of talent on this team to build around, and that's not going to change. I expect to keep the player turnover on this team at a necessary minimum - we'd rather build our own talent than constantly pursue it from outside. I certainly hope we can improve upon our record from last season, but that remains to be seen."

There were a few more questions from the assembled media, and then the conference was adjourned.

Ok... now for the interactive part.

I did this with another dynasty a long time ago, and it worked out pretty well.

Suggest a few players (say, 2 or 3) that you want to see in the draft this year. They can be real or fictional. Try to keep them somewhat realistic (like, don't try to put R2-D2 in my draft file, please - but, go ahead, add yourself, your kids, your grandmother, whatever). I need names, positions, and schools. I'll set these guys up as players that will almost certainly be drafted, probably pretty high. So, you'll get to follow their careers in this dynasty.

Please submit your suggestions as soon as possible. Don't worry if you don't get them in in time for this draft - you can always have them for next year's.

Thanks!

Wow, my lucky day. Debra LaFave as your publicist. I almost didn't catch that one. Glad you chose the Scorpions. I get a percentage of memorabilia sales right for suggesting it?

I'd like to see my favorite all-time TCY QB, Kenyon Hughes be drafted. Not sure if you can put Sol8 schools, but he was from Durango University in Colorado. If you can't, William and Mary. He was 6-3, 225. I wish that save file hadn't gotten corrupted. :(

Brian Butts.. just make me whatever skill posistion (qb/rb/wr/db) you draft first :)

I *think* FOF just tags the Sol 8 schools as "Small College." So, I can use that, or William and Mary. I can't edit a custom name, unfortunately. Draft file won't allow it.

Thanks for the suggestion. Keep 'em coming.

:D


Woohoo! :)


Oh, and Miners to put in the draft... :p

JeeberD Mack TE
Robert Rodriguez MLB
Adrian Ward CB
Bryce Benekos P

I'll hold off on the skill positions for now... :)

As expected... my dynasty is going to be disproportionately stacked with UTEP products. ;)

Hmm... I was going to have the first draft imported today, but I'm having trouble with 3ric's draft editor...

One star?


Somebody rated this thread with one star?


:(

More than one person because my 5 stars only raised it to 2.

SI

Sheesh. I guess the nickname vote pissed off a few people.

dola...

Of course, I suppose I could always just consider the possiblity that this dynasty sucks...

4 star dynasty now!

ANd you can't quit now, you owe me 10 bucks.

I'm not quitting, but I'm waiting to see if 3ric's suggested draft edit work-around is going to work or not...

Just an update...

For some reason, I can't get 3ric's draft editor to work. So, the draft files I'm trying to import from TCY aren't going to be useable right now, at least not while being able to make custom players to import.

So, I'm using Cap Ologist's draft generator utility. This produces a .csv file that I can modify (takes a little longer than 3ric's utility). The other downside is that Cap's utility totally randomizes the colleges of the drafted players - so, basically, big schools get as much representation as little schools, it would seem.

I don't have too much problem with this, and while I'm hoping 3ric might be able to help with the .faf editor, I'm going with this solution for now, just to keep things rolling. So far, it looks like I've been able to import all the suggested players without too much trouble.

dola... just FYI... I've added RB Cliff Battles and WR Bobby Mitchell

Update coming soon. The draft file is now closed. Feel free to make more suggestions, but they won't be in until next season.

Offseason Report - 2005
Part 2

Free Agency

While many of the better free agents were franchised, there was still a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, the only really good running back available was Seattle's Shaun Alexander, and he wanted a ridiculous amount of money. The Scorpions were not about to trash their good salary cap status on a 6 year veteran RB.

Offers were made to QB Drew Brees, G Steve Sciullo, and T Ryan Diem. The offensive line was an area of weakness, and Coach Emmons wanted some real compentition for Josh McCown.

Surprisingly, Brees took Arizona's first offer right away, signing for $6.49 million over 3 years. Sciullo signed right away as well. Diem held out for better offers for a while, but eventually signed with the Scorpions in week 9 for $7.99 million over 4 years.

With the big signings made, Franklin turned his attention to the players left over in late free agency. There was a ton of valuable talent available at a good price - not necessarily all-star material, but lots of players that could contribute for a manageable wage. The following players were signed late in the free agency period:

TE Jermaine Wiggins - $4.21 mil, 3yrs. - The Scorpions finally have a real TE.
TE Daniel Graham - $2.34 mil, 3yrs. - A young, solid backup to Wiggins
G Kelvin Garmon - $6.74 mil, 4 yrs. - The O-line improves some more
RB Justin Fargas - $2.36 mil, 3 yrs. - There are better RB's in the draft that we hope to get, but Fargas is a cheap insurance policy.
RB Lee Suggs - $1.02 mil, 2 yrs. - Backup material. Might break out. Might not.
G Doug Brzezinski - $3.94 mil, 3 yrs. - More depth on the O-line.
CB David Barrett - $1.43 mil, 2 yrs. - Should help the secondary a bit.
OLB James Bradie - $2.02 mil, 3 yrs. - Good value for a decent OLB
OLB Chris Clairborne - $12.05 mil, 3 yrs. - Huge gamble. Best defensive player available in free agency, but left unsigned, because he's expected to miss a lot of time with a concussion problem. No idea if he'll come back 100%. The Scorpions get a great player at a decent price if he works out, but they're stuck if he doesn't.
CB Dexter McCleon - $1.48 mil, 2 yrs. - Veteran depth at CB
CB Daylon McClutcheon - $2.75 mil, 3 yrs - Same as above.
FB Darian Barnes - $12.56 mil, 4 yrs - No, not a typo. The last two years of the contract are heavily backloaded, and are basically going to be thrown out. This is basically a 2 year, $2.4 million deal. For some reason, he wouldn't sign for less than 4 years with at $1.2 million bonus. Best FB in free agency. And we took him from the Cowboys. :D

After the free agency binge, the Scorpions have $29.1 million in cap money left over, and a ton of fresh meat on the roster.

Offseason Report - 2005
Part 3

2005 Rookie Draft

Draft day brought an atmosphere of cautious optimism to the Scorpion's war room. There was a lot of talent in the rookie pool this year, but Arizona might miss out on most of it, drafting at 13th, with only three picks overall (1st round, 4th round, and 7th round).

The most coveted, can't-miss prospects would surely be gone soon. They were:

RB Andy Woods - Arizona State: Absolute stud. Should be gone in the top three.
WR Bobby Mitchell - Illinois: Has all the tools to be a game-breaking WR. Another top-three pick.
CB Brian Butts - Colorado Mines: Shut-down corner with fearsome return skills.
RB Cliff Battles - Small College: Second to Woods, but could be a difference maker.
CB Adrian Ward - UTEP: Top-notch DB, second only to Butts in this draft.

Beyond these five, the talent pool was still good, but not as certain. The Scorpions didn't appear to have much chance of trading up, and there was some speculation that they might trade down for more picks.

The draft began, and Chicago was on the clock. With little delay, they selected WR Bobby Mitchell first overall. The first round continued:

2 - San Francisco - T Rick Finch, West Texas A&M - Shocking. Simply shocking. With RB Kevan Barlow coming off a season where he rushed for 607 yards at 3.28 per carry, everybody with half a brain figured on the Niners taking Andy Woods.

3 - Pittsburgh - RB Andy Woods, Arizona State - The Steelers capitalize on the 49ers gaffe.

4 - Tennessee - RB Cliff Battles, Small College - And, just like that, the best RB's in the draft are gone. Any hope of the Scorpions trading up to get one of them evaporates, as the team had little chance of getting higher than the 6th or 7th pick.

5 - Atlanta trades their pick to San Diego in exchange for DE Igor Olshansky. It's not a bad move for the Falcons; Olshansky has 4 years left on his contract at a low price, and is a very solid DE, although it might be a slight stretch placing him as valuable as the #5 pick overall. San Diego selects CB Brian Butts with the pick.

6 - Baltimore - CB Adrian Ward, Texas - El Paso - With that, the Ravens improve upon one of the more talented defenses in the league.

7 - Detroit - DE Issac Armstrong, Ouachita - Another puzzling pick. Maybe somebody in Detroit knows something we don't about this guy.

8 - Oakland - DT Edmund Pearson, Virginia Union - Solid run stopper for the Raiders.

9 - Houston - S Lorenzo Rowe, Whittier - Lots of defense going early this draft, more than we expected.

10 - New Jersey - WR Darren Duncan, Kean - A distant second in WR talent to Mitchell

11 - Cincinnati - DE Roberto Ross, Sioux Falls - No comment - I didn't scout this one ahead of time.

12 - Dallas - WR Alonso Kirkland, Beloit - Third best WR available

13 - Arizona - There's no RB talent worth taking at this slot. There are some solid WR, T, and QB prospects on the board, but any one of them could be a gamble for first round money. The decision is made to cut a deal. The pick (along with this year's 7th rounder) is traded to Chicago for their second and 5th round picks in this draft, and their 2nd rounder next year. It's not profitable enought to get anyone excited, but it gives the team a chance to add a little more quality depth at a better price. The Bears select T Leonel Jensen from Northern State.

The remainder of Round 1:

14. San Diego - Franco, Forest, WR, Alma
15. Denver - Cole, Lane, DT, Purdue
16. Cleveland - Melendez, Rashawn, T, Missouri Southern
17. Philadelphia - Hodge, Jamie, G, Hawaii
18. New York - Goodman, Sean, G, Moorhead State
19. Jacksonville - Puckett, Demarcus, T, Western State
20. Kansas City - McCarty, Dandre, WR, Valdosta State
21. Dallas - Haley, Ismael, G, Louisiana Tech
22. Carolina - Haley, Jimmie, T, Kenyon
23. Tampa Bay - Rich, Kadeem, WR, Langston
24. Washington - Prince, Dale, G, Northern State
25. St. Louis - Rodriguez, Robert, ILB, Texas - El Paso
26. New Orleans - Reynolds, Ladarius, WR, Centre
27. Indianapolis - Barber, Darryl, DT, Wagner
28. New England - Lindsay, Bryon, RB, Fordham
29. Green Bay - Dyer, Codey, QB, Wesley
30. Minnesota - Berg, Freddy, G, Wstrn New England
31. Miami - Garrison, Brody, OLB, Bowie State
32. Seattle - Ryan, Tevin, CB, Elizabeth City St.

The remainder of the Scorpions draft picks went as follows:

2nd Round: So tough to pick. There are a lot of skill players that could be really great, or really mediocre. It's very tempting to trade down again. Making it worse is the fact that most of the skill players that have good potential are QB's and WR's - two offensive positions the Scorpions have good depth at. What we need is a good RB or offensive guard. None of those are really available. So, a trade is made with Cleveland, sending the pick for this year's and next year's 3rd round picks.

3rd Round: Still tons of QB's on the board - enough so that the guy we're looking at will probably be available later. But there might be a hidden gem available at RB. The Scorpions draft RB Harrison Browning from Toledo, and cross their fingers.

4th Round: Lots of QB's left. Can't pass on one that's hung around too long - Philip Houston from Trinity.

5th round: P Bryce Benekos, UTEP. Because special teams are important. And there's going to be some good talent in the undrafted free agent pool.


After the draft, things get interesting. Josh McCown declares that he's holding out for a better contract. He's not happy about the Drew Brees signing, nor the draft pick of Houston. It's going to get worse for him. The Scorpions quickly sign undrafted QB Kenyon Hughes, and veteran Jake Delhomme. Let's see how long McCown holds out now...

Arizona signs a few more minor free agents before heading to training camp. The front office is abuzz with anticipation over who is going to make the team, and who is going to be bagging groceries.

2005 - Pre-Season

McCown reported to the team immediately after camp, but he might be too late. Drew Brees is scheduled to start the first pre-season game, and is the front runner for the job right now. Still, the Scorpions have five QB's on the roster, and there are going to be more cuts and/or trades. There's no way to keep more than four, and three is optimal. Other post camp notes:

* Harrison Browning is a first-class bust. Wasted pick. Totally worthless. He's cut right after camp.
* Philip Houston looks like a career backup, at best. Unless he has a major break-out. Still, he's ahead of Hughes on the depth chart right now. Neither rookie has a great shot at making it in this league at this point.
* The running back situation still looks miserable. McCown might be traded just to acquire a better RB. It's that bad.

The Preseason schedule begins, and it's not pretty. Arizona wins the opener, but loses T LJ Shelton for the season with an ACL injury. It could be career-threatening.

The rest of the preseason concludes without incident, but it's time to make a decision at QB - Do we keep McCown? Or try to deal him for RB help? If we keep him, who gets cut?

The question remains unanswered - for now. The roster will accomodate all five QB's, with the two rookies remaining inactive. Brees gets the starting job, but McCown looks like the future. It is decided that the team will play out the first few games of the season, and decide what, if any, moves are necessary before the trade deadline.

Just a side note - TE JeeberD Mack was selected in the second round by the Jets.

2005 - Regular Season

The opening game is a stinker - a 31-20 loss at San Francisco. Brees throws 5 INTs. It's a disaster.

Brees is now on a short leash - one more start for him to redeem himself, and then it's back to McCown, or on to Delhomme.

Week two is just as bad - 34-14 loss at Indy. Brees has a better game, but still isn't getting it done. And the Scorpions leading rusher in the game is Marcel Shipp with 37 yards. Changes are made - Brees is benched, McCown is named starter. Shipp has outrushed Fargas in backup duty both games, and is named starter.

Arizona responds with a 27-23 home opener win against the hapless Lions, although McCown throws three picks. The optimism is cautious, at best.

Week four produces a 16-13 loss to the Giants. Week 5, it's down 24-10 to Dallas. It's getting ugly. The Scorpions are 1-4, have no rushing game, and can't trade for one anymore (not that they could - they're only tradeable player is their starting QB, and the backup sucks right now.) Looks like a rebuilding year unless things turn around soon...

Week 6 - 33-25 loss to Philly. Now things are officially ugly. McCown is benched in favor of Delhomme. The Scorpions respond with a 22-3 loss to Seattle. Somewhere, Dennis Green is smiling.

Week 8 - 20-16 loss to Washington. That's it. Season over. Time to see if the scrubs can play.

Week 9 - Kenyon Hughes is named starting QB. Undrafted free agent RB Marcus McIntyre gets the call at RB. Arizona loses to St. Louis 20-6. Hughes throws for 305 yards, and two picks. He does better against SF the following week - 2TDs, one INT, but the Scorpions still lose, 30-26.

Week 12 - Philip Houston is your new Scorpions starting QB. Arizona loses at Jacksonville, 35-7.

Week 14 - Hughes gets the job back. Arizona wins its second game of the year, beating Tennessee 26-24.

Ugh.

Arizona finishes the season 2-14, locking up the worst record in football. The team is a veritable laughing stock. Owner Franklin Brown is crucified in the press.

Just for posterity, here's the statistics on all five QB's that played this season:


Here's the rushing statistics:


What a damned mess.

Alright... I'm going to sim the rest of the season. I'll post the results in a bit.

Time for your draft pick suggestions. And any other ideas you might have to turn this franchise around...

Oh, in case anyone's wondering... TE JeeberD Mack had 65 catches for 796 yards and 3 TDs. His Jets are in the playoffs.

I shoulda drafted him instead of that crap running back...

J-E-T-S JetsJetsJets! :)

Dola-


ROY, baby! :D

Only one draftee from me this year.

QB Jordan Palmer, UTEP

Indianapolis defeats Green Bay in the Super Bowl, 23-20.

Cliff Battles is offensive ROY.
Adrian Ward is defensive ROY.

Those are not some pretty numbers. But now you've got a sweet draft this offseason :D

SI

This is my first 5.1b career, and I don't think I've ever done this bad. What's worse, is that I don't see it getting much better very soon.

We do have the #1 overall, and a few extra picks in the middle rounds. I may be trading a few QB's for even more picks at this point, since I have five on the roster, and I'm likely only going to keep two of them.

I'm working on the draft file now. Get your suggestions in!

2006 Off-season

Part 1


The new stadium is ready. Now all we need is a real team to put in it.

Team owner Franklin Brown is rapidly approaching Dan Snyder status. Immediately after the Super Bowl, Coach Emmons and his entire staff are fired. He is replaced by Baltimore Ravens assistant Doug Hulsey. Leslie Stinnett of the Detroit Lions is hired as offensive coordinator, and Chester Guthrie (no pro experience) is hired as defensive coordinator. Franklin does not participate in the press conference introducing the new coaching staff. Coach Hulsey is introduced by team public relations director Debra LaFave, and answers a few questions for the media, but otherwise, the conference is brief, and there's not much communication at all coming from the team at this point.

Ron Welch was disappointed. He was certain that the owner would stand up and take his lumps in front of the press. Instead, he had gone into hiding, it seemed. He had to know more.

Welch knew that LaFave had been known to frequent several of the bars around the ASU campus in Tempe. He spent every night for two weeks at several of them, until he finally came across the Scorpions publicist. He introduced himself.

LaFave, already on her second drink, replied. "I know who you are, Mr. Welch."

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"If you want. But I'm not here to give interviews, and you're not really my type."

"Fair enough. Look, I'm totally off the record here. I just have a personal curiousity about Mr. Brown. How well do you know him?"

"Nobody knows him that well. But everybody likes him. He pays well, takes good care of his people, and treats everyone with respect. Even the people he's had to fire have been taken care of."

"Any idea why he didn't participate in the press conference when Coach Hulsey was hired?"

"He's out of town or something. Nobody knows. He sends us e-mail on a daily basis, keeping up on things, but he hasn't been at the office. And if you print that, I'll castrate you."

Ron grinned. "No worries. Like I said, this is off the record."

Debra finished her drink. "Why does it matter? There are plenty of owners in this league who don't do press."

"I suppose because he was never shy about it before. I don't think that he's the kind of guy to back down just because he had a bad year, so I'm wondering if something else is going on."

"Well, if there is, I don't know about it."

"OK. So, how'd you get the job? You haven't worked anywhere else in the league before."

"It was totally out of the blue. I was a school teacher in Florida, when John Smith called me up with the job offer. Said he'd seen my spread in a motorcycle catalog and thought I'd be good as the new face of the team. I thought it was bogus at first, but they flew me out here on a chartered jet, offerred me a great salary, and sent me to a few public speaking seminars. So, here I am."

"John Smith?"

"Team Vice President. You didn't hear that from me - it's sort of an unofficial position. He handles a lot of business for Mr. Brown. They're a lot alike, actually - you'd think they were related."

Ron decided to change the subject. "So, how'd you like teaching?"

Debra got kind of a wistful look on her face. "I loved it. You have no idea."

"So why'd you leave it?"

"It wasn't meant to last."

"I don't get it."

"Nevermind. Look, I've got to go. Thanks for the drink, Mr. Welch."

Ron paid the tab and left, with more questions now than he'd had when he started. Who was John Smith? And why would Franklin Brown leave town during the most critical parts of the offseason?

Tempe, AZ

February, 2006

Franklin wasn't at the office because he was currently orbiting the planet at about 40,000 km.

The nanosatellite was misbehaving, and needed attention. It had stopped responding to remote commands in December, and scans revealed that it was expanding. John and Franklin needed to get to it before it got out of control. In January, they had started construction on a small craft to reach the satellite.

"Why do you suppose it whigged out like this?" Franklin asked.

"My guess is that it's developed a self-aware intelligence, and it's just trying to gain independence from us."

"So, do we try to get it back under control, or is it time to just 'nuke the site from orbit'?"

"We won't know until we get a closer look. It's jamming most remote scans now, and it's assuming higher orbit. The good news is that no one else can detect it. The bad news is that it might be able to totally lose us before too long, and then we'd never find it again."

So, the management of the Scorpions had to take a back burner. It was infuriating, because Franklin knew that he'd get fried in the media for failing to face the music after the 2-14 season. But it couldn't be helped. In the end, football was a secondary concern.

The craft was ready to go by early February. It wasn't much larger than a minivan, and it had magnetic and fusion propulsion, and full stealth capability. They would take off after dark, and go totally undetected.

The approach toward the satellite revealed a worst case scenario. It had grown itself to the size of a house, and it was totally unresponsive as Franklin and John approached.

"We have to pull up along next to it. Get us in close. Put on your helmet." John stepped towards the airlock.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go have a little talk with it, machine-to-machine."

Franklin put on his helmet. John stepped into the airlock, and opened the hatch to the outside. He placed his hand on the surface of the craft. After a moment, a portal appeared, and the satellite docked with the ship. The airlock opened.

"Come on in. We're going to have a talk with him."

"Him?"

"Yes. But be nice. Don't touch anything. He's a little scared, but I think he's probably harmless."

"What's he got to be scared of?"

"He's a three month old, Franklin. He doesn't quite understand what's going on."

"Sheesh. We're wet-nursing a computer now." Franklin followed John into the satellite. It was nothing more than a long, stark corridor that ended in a room with no features at all - just blank metal.

"Now what?" Franklin said.

"Just give me a minute. I'm talking to him." John had his hand pressed against the wall.

"Well, when you're done with the Vulcan mind-meld, can you tell me what he's saying?"

"He says you need to be more patient."

"No he didn't."

"You're right. He didn't. But be patient. I'm talking in binary here. I'm going to teach him how to speak in just a second."

Suddenly, a viewscreen appeared on one of the walls. A computer generated likeness of Franklin appeared on it. It spoke. "Hello."

Franklin replied. "Hello, indeed." He turned to John. "Why do all of you guys have to look like me?"

"Your memories are the core programming here. It's the most logical form to take."

"Whatever." He turned to the screen. "So, umm, what exactly are you trying to do here, buddy?"

The screen spoke again. "I told John I was afraid. It is dark here. But the planet scares me more. I just wanted to find home."

"Oooo kaaayyy. John, you wanna jump in here?"

John grinned. "I've already explained to him why he's here and what we need him for. I think he's just lonely. He's agreed to let us talk to him now, and I think he'll help us out."

Franklin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Great. Hey, can I have a word with you, back in the shuttle? Please?"

John and Franklin walked back towards the shuttle. But the door was sealed. It would not open.

The screen appeared on the corridor wall. "Please do not go."

John replied. "We can't stay here. We will continue to talk with you over the radio, but we have to return to the planet."

"No."

Franklin rolled his eyes. "I told you we should have nuked the site from orbit."

"He can hear you."

"I don't think he's seen 'Aliens' yet. What do we do now, genius?"

"Initiate armor protocol one."

Franklin nodded. Suddenly, nanomachines emerged from his pores, covering his body in an indestructable polymer. He could still move, and would not have to breath for 72 hours or so. The corridor began to collapse around them.

John's voice was in his head. "He's trying to trap us."

"No shit. Now what?"

"Now I have to get nasty." John punched the wall. His fist sunk into the metal, and seemed to become bonded to it. The whole satellite began to shake. Suddenly, it began to break apart, and the structure started to decompress. Franklin was hurled into space. The armor held, but he was tumbling off towards Saturn at the moment.

"Uhh, John?"

John replied. "Sorry about that. I had to intiate a total systemic failure of his nanomachines. The structure couldn't hold up after they went offline."

"Where are you?"

"I'm about 400 kilometers from you. Hang tight - I'm putting the shuttle on autopilot now."

"Great. So, no more satellite?"

"Apparently not. We'll build and deploy a new one before we head back home. No artificial intelligence this time. Leaving a smart machine in the vastness of space isn't such a hot idea."

***

Core processor online. Memory not available. Initiate rebuild protocol.

Material not available.

Initiate search.

Material found. Course plotted and engaged.

Put me in the draft, if you can, Franklin.

Al Mighty
Some kick-ass player from some Texas school. Prefer a position that gets stats, but not absolutely necessary.

Ok... that's only two draftees, folks. Anyone else?

Very, very nice. Your three threads would knock whatever piece of crap is #1 at Amazon today for a loop if you printed them (quick, call a copyright attorney).

How about adding Mr. Drew Tate, quarterback from Iowa to the '06 draft?

Thanks. :D

I'll add your QB to the draft.

Kelvin Hayden from the University of Illinois, we'll bring him back to WR for this.

Sweet. Anyone else? I'm adding John Riggins (Jr.) to the pool.

Alright... last chance... I'm closing the draft in a few hours. If you miss the window, go ahead and make a suggestion anyway... won't be long until next year. :D

add Stan Gunner please
LB from Penn State

Ok... Draft file is closed! Importing it now...

2006 Off-season

Part 2


Franklin returned to work just a few days after Ron Welch's meeting with Debra LaFave, and was determined to make big improvements to the Scorpions right away.

They had the #1 pick in the draft, and a few extra picks on top of that. They had a stable of QB's with some trade value. And there was a rookie draft that was loaded with the sort of talent that could turn a team around in a hurry. The top prospects were:

John "J.R." Riggins - RB - Kansas: The son of Redskins legend John Riggins was said to be every bit as good as his old man, and he was arguably the best player in the draft, but if he wasn't, the close second was...

Al Mighty - RB - Texas A&M: Mighty by name, mighty by nature. Either back could be the cornerstone of an NFL offense.

Jordan Palmer - QB - UTEP: Easily the most gifted QB in the draft, and a solid prospect.

Kelvin Hayden - WR - Illinois: A brilliant receiver and dangerous punt returner.

Stan Gunner - OLB - Penn State: A fearsome weak-side linebacker with a lethal talent for getting to the QB.

(*** Note: I did add QB Drew Tate. I think sometimes the game is unforgiving when importing draftees, even if I boost their ratings. Tate is listed as a 16/52 QB, #7 in the draft. I'll watch him and see where he ends up, and what his post-camp numbers look like.***)

Franklin called a meeting with his coaching and scouting staff. There was an opportunity here to re-build the franchise in a hurry, and he wanted to discuss it. He opened the meeting.

"Gentlemen, I have a bold idea. We have the #1 pick in the draft. Unless we find good reason to do otherwise, I intend to draft Riggins with it. But there's also a great QB and a great wide receiver available. I want to make some moves to get pick #2 from Kansas City, and possibly pick #3 from Detroit."

There was some uncomfortable stirring in the room. Head Scout Lee Woodard spoke up. "Mr. Brown, it would be very difficult to acquire those picks. How do you expect to do that?"

Franklin replied. "We have five quarterbacks on this team, none of whom impressed me last year. McCown is in the last year of his deal, and he wants big money to re-sign. I'm not inclined to pay him, nor am I inclined to lose him for nothing. And Brees and Delhomme are expendable, and have some value."

Coach Hulsey spoke. "I agree, for the most part, that those QB's are not the answer right now - although I think McCown can still be a good player in this league, with a little more time. But a rookie quarterback is going to mean more re-building."

"True. McCown might be a very good quarterback someday. But if we're going to build, let's do it around someone who might be a great quarterback someday."

Woodard spoke. "I still don't think that's enough. Those QB's aren't worth picks that high."

"You're right. But Anquan Boldin is."

Woodard replied. "Why would you trade Boldin?"

"Because he's also in the last year of his deal, and wants big money to return. If we don't have a quarterback to get the ball to him, it doesn't really matter if we keep him. Plus he's got great trade value."

Hulsey spoke. "That'll be tough, Mr. Brown. Boldin is our most consistent, talented offensive player. Fitzgerald has been hurt a lot."

"It's risky. But we're not going to get it done otherwise. We still may not get it done. I have a lot of phone calls to make before I can get this to work."

There was some more discussion between the coaches and scouts, and then the meeting adjourned.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door of Franklin's office.

"Come in."

Brian Bosworth, the Scorpions director of Marketing, entered. "Mr. Brown, I just heard that you're thinking about trading, oh, half the offense to Kansas City and Detroit. Please tell me this is just a bad rumor."

"Sit down, Boz." Bosworth took a seat. "Yes, we're going to trade a lot of players. Why does this bother you?"

"Because I'm trying to sell this team to the fans and to advertising partners. A lot of these guys are parts of several local and national marketing and advertising campaigns. We'd be trashing our whole identity. All the fans that bought Boldin and McCown jerseys will be pissed."

"That's a valid point. But we're trashing an identity that went 2-14 last year. The fans will get over it. They'll buy new jerseys, and a lot more of them, if we put a winning team on the field."

"We're going to lose a ton of money on a lot of these deals. And these constant moves are going to scare off future contracts. You're making my job very difficult. Why don't you keep the team in one piece for more than a year at a time? You're making Dan Snyder look good here."

"Boz, relax. When this team starts winning, your job will be plenty easy enough. In the meantime, deal with it. Or I'm going to go hire Bo Jackson." Franklin grinned. Bosworth didn't seem amused, and left the room.

2006 Off-season

Part 3

Before any free agent business even started, Boldin, Brees, and Delhomme went to Kansas City for the #2 pick overall. Detroit took McCown, Fargas, and a 3rd round pick for the #3 overall. The Scorpions now had the top three picks in the draft, and ten overall.

Arizona made no free agent aquisitions before the draft. The message was clear - they were building the core of the team around youth now.

The draft began, with a few surprises. Round one:

1. Arizona - Riggins, John "J.R.", RB, Kansas
2. Arizona - Palmer, Jordan, QB, Texas - El Paso
3. Arizona - Hayden, Kelvin, WR, Illinois
4. San Diego - Ochoa, Douglas, DE, Worcester State
5. Oakland - McCarty, Dandre, WR, Valdosta State
6. San Francisco - Melendez, Rashawn, T, Missouri Southern
7. Buffalo - Gunner, Stan, OLB, Penn State
8. Tampa Bay - O'Neil, Ruben, G, Randolph-Macon
9. Cleveland - Haley, Jimmie, T, Kenyon
10. Chicago - Byrd, Aidan, T,
11. Houston - McDowell, Leonel, DE, Virginia State
12. Pittsburgh - Harvey, Wilson, T, Texas Southern
13. Cincinnati - Petersen, Taylor, DE, Indiana
14. Tennessee - Rich, Kadeem, WR, Langston
15. New Orleans - McCullough, Taylor, T, Sul Ross State
16. Atlanta - Mighty, Al, RB, Texas A&M
17. Seattle - Bowen, Julio, RB, Assumption
18. New England - Bishop, Raymond, G, West Chester
19. Carolina - Underwood, Colin, WR, Wisconsin
20. New York - Rivers, Diego, DE, Delta State
21. New Jersey - McFadden, Jovan, T, Mississippi State
22. Dallas - Barker, Ronald, DT, Doane
23. St. Louis - Lucas, Evan, DE, Delaware Valley
24. Dallas - Pollard, Darian, T, Colorado
25. Philadelphia - Hodges, Jaden, G, Harding
26. Baltimore - Douglas, Carson, DE, Miss. Valley St.
27. Washington - Graham, Rudy, S, Clark Atlanta
28. Miami - Rose, German, CB, Alma
29. Minnesota - Best, Aidan, G, Fairmont State
30. Jacksonville - Soto, Conor, CB, Widener
31. Green Bay - Mejia, Neal, G, Tufts
32. Indianapolis - Williamson, Gilberto, T,

It was surprising that Gunner went all the way to 7, but downright shocking that Mighty fell all the way to 16. Atlanta has the undisputed steal of the draft.

The rest of the Scorpions draft:


Rnd 2 - Dion Bradford, TE, Texas - El Paso: No, I didn't add this one. Somewhere, Jeebs is smiling.
Rnd 2 - Dallin Saunders, S, Hofstra: Solid secondary help.
Rnd 3 - Marcos Rhodes, WR, Central Washington: Could be a good 3rd WR, or insurance for Fitzgerald.
Rnd 4 - Codie Montgomery, QB, Cal. - Sacramento: Looks too good to pass up.
Rnd 5 - Leonel Jensen, T, Northern State: Adds depth to depleted O-line.
Rnd 6 - Fernando Ewing, ILB, Glenville State: I don't know where Glenville State is, but Ewing might be a decent LB some day.
Rnd 7 - Drew Tate, QB, Iowa: Maybe he'll break out into a solid QB.

After the draft, the Scorpions immediately sign all their rookies, and re-negotiate a few players in the final years of their deals. There are a few good QB's available in late free agency, but none are signed - it's Jordan Palmer or bust for Arizona, as they head off to Flagstaff for training camp.

Yeah buddy! It's time for JP to shine! :)

Oh, and it was awfully kind of you to select my backup from my days at UTEP. He was a talented kid, but he just never got a chance to play until I graduated... :p

Yay! A Jayhawk! *goes out to buy a Riggins Scorpions jersey*

SI

The draft importer is a fickle beast... but it did good things for several of the modified draftees this year. Last year, it wasn't so generous. You should be reading a lot about that QB for a while to come.

That TE is nowhere near as good as "you," but he should make the roster.

I basically made him a clone of his old man... right down to the hometown, college, height, weight, etc.

Number 44, if you're not already aware. :D

Please, Dynasty gods, don't let Atlanta suck- at least for too long, anyway.

Aaaaaaaauuuuuggggggghhhh!!!!

You've got to be kidding me.

Bizarre things happening to my FOF.

I gotta mail this one to Jim, I think.

I quit the game. Came back. Got a "license expired" error. No problem. Re-install license. Game launches fine.

Roster is empty.

EMPTY.

And there are no free agents. None.

So is every roster in the league. All empty.

Except one.

The Dallas Cowboys.

I don't get it. But somehow, every player in the NFL is now on the Cowboys roster. Under contract. They're about $412 million over the cap. But they have every player in the league on their roster.

Weird.

Needless to say, I have no older saves, and this pretty well fucks my dynasty. Unless I can somehow write my way out of it.

I'd say Franklin Brown, the nano-billionaire, is about to buy out Jerry Jones AND Paul Tagliabue's salary cap police. Perhaps Messrs. Tagliabue and Jones could be travelling together and meet with an unfortunate nano end making Mr. Brown the re-organizer of the league?

Or maybe you're screwed.

I've e-mailed and pinged Jim. We'll see what happens.

But, yeah. I'm probably screwed. I'll have to come up with some way to work this out.

So disappointing. Everyone looked so good coming out of camp... :(

The way I see it, this wouldn't have had happened if you had named them the Gila Monsters.

;)

I KNEW that was coming. :D

Don't worry. You still get to be the pirate.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!


nooooooooooooooooooooo.

My joke in the general discussion thread aside -- I hope this works out okay. I know how much work goes into a dynasty. ;)