The Air Force Challenge

[TheDawgsAreOut]

Recent statistical studies seem to indicate to me that in Front Office Football, the way to victory is through the air. I want to put that to the test. In order to do this, here are the rules for the Air Force challenge:

1. Only positions considered crucial to the passing game - qb, rb, wr, te, cb, and s, will be acquired through means other than as undrafted rookie free agents.
2. No initiating trades.
3. WLC rules in effect in free agency - 1 over first 10 weeks, 3 over last 10 weeks.
4. Contracts may only be renegotiated in their final year.
5. Undrafted rookie free agents will be signed to 7 year contracts to give the running game some chance.
6. Play will begin with the 2002 expansion team.
7. Game plans should be manipulated to increase the importance of passing, but should stick with the following guideline - all percentages will be changed toghether, and running on 1st and 8-10 shall not go below 40.
8. Ticket prices shall not be higher than the rounded prices of the nearest competitor.
9. Ticket prices will only be increased following a playoff season, and will automatically be decreased following a non-playoff season (after the first 5 years).

If I think of something else, I'll put it.

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The best damn announcer the fake FOFL has ever seen! Check out my cd "Who cares who let them out, I know they're out!" in stores everywhere next month.

[duckman]

I've got a suggestion:

-Can renegotiate with 3 players with 5+ seasons with 2+ years remaining on their contracts. If they accept the new deal then keep them, if not, then you must release them to "free up" cap space.

I've been doing it several careers and have it be very challenging.

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-Oh, You didn't know! Your ass better call somebody!

[TheDawgsAreOut]

Los Angeles Gangstas 2002 Pre-season

Well, after about 5 attempts, I finally got a team good enough to be able to take over the 2002 expansion team. I hope everyone is ready to support the Los Angeles Gangstas. The league has given us the following personnel:

Head Coach Austin Emanuel (VG QB/G REC/G SEC/P YT/F AI)
Scout Desmond Ward (VG QB/EX REC/G SEC/F YT)

You'll notice I'll only be listing their ratings in pass-related areas, as these will be my main concerns. Our opening ticket prices are:

Upper Deck: $40
End Zone: $45
Mezzanine: $60
Sidelines: $90
Club Seats: $1500
Luxury Boxes: $75,000

After the expansion draft, all players are released. Just as a side note, FOF considers starting lb, starting qb, and starting rb the three most important needs if you have no players whatsoever. On to free agency.

For the first ten weeks, we sign:
Indianapolis wr Marvin Harrison (2 years, 13 million) Coming off two 2nd-team all-Pro seasons, Harrison gives us an excellent #1 reciever.

With slim pickings at qb and corner, the final 3 free agents we sign are:
Indianapolis safety Chad Cota (1 year, 1.75 million)
Kansas City safety Jerome Woods (2 years, 3.95 million), and
New York Giant tight end Pete Mitchell (2 years, 3.25 million).

All 3 will be solid starters, but not exactly all-Pros. On to the draft.

Round 1 (1): Pat Gonzalez, s, Miami (Fl.) (51/93)
Simply the best player available - can't pass him up, even if I already have 2 safeties.
Round 2 (33): Gene Cason, qb, Butler (31/78)
Currently the man of the future - though that might change.
Round 3 (65): Emmanuel Valenta, cb, Florida State (38/53)
Decent, but good current value means he can play now.
Round 4 (97): Carlos Paas, wr, LSU (28/42)
Round 5 (129): Jimmy Roberts, qb, Mississippi (28/62)
Round 6 (161): Raymond Howe, cb, Toledo (18/29)
Round 7 (193): Keith Caston, te, Valparaiso (32/52)

Our roster going into the year:

Position/Player         Current Est  Future Est   Exp 

WR  Marvin Harrison              14          14       7

TE  Pete Mitchell                12          12       8   

S  Jerome Woods                 11          12       7   

S  Chad Cota                    10          11       8   

P  Bernie Bauerschmidt           9          12       1

S  Pat Gonzalez                  9          16       1 

CB  Emmanuel Valenta              7          10       1 

RB  Devin Wesley                  7          10       1  

TE  Trent Dees                    6          12       1 

WR  Hardy Denham                  6           9       1 

QB  Gene Cason                    6          15       1 

WR  Carlos Paas                   5           8       1 

G  Tracy Strickland              5           9       1  

LB  Harold Bailey                 5           8       1  

K  Joel Carswell                 5           5       1  

S  Roosevelt Powell              5          10       1   

RB  Kris Ricci                    5           5       1  

LB  Terry Henson                  5           9       1  

QB  Jimmy Roberts                 4          11       1  

WR  Timothy Hutchings             4           8       1  

QB  Ernest Panetta                4          12       1  

RB  Herman Heath                  4           4       1  

FB  Junior Wynn                   4           4       1  

FB  Brenden Stephens              4           6       1  

WR  Floyd Brewer                  4           9       1  

G  J.B. Knoll                    4           9       1  

LB  Howie Sewell                  3           6       1  

CB  Raymond Howe                  3           7       1  

LB  Bert Talamaivao               3           5       2  

C  Johnnie Owens                 3           8       1   

G  Skip McKenzie                 3          11       1   

DE  Bert Boone                    3          10       1  

TE  Keith Caston                  3           5       1  

DE  Eddie Willis                  3          10       1  

DT  Cris Eggers                   3           9       1  

T  Rex Bleeck                    2           4       2  

T  Larry Maxwell                 2          13       1  

RB  Mercury Ford                  2           3       1  

DE  Isaac Poston                  2          10       1  

DT  Andre Weber                   2           7       1  

LB  Otis Corbett                  2          10       1  

CB  Walter Mahoney                2           6       1  

LB  Terrance Maslowski            2          12       1  

G  Donnell Perry                 2           4       1     

DT  Norbert Keenan                2           7       1  

LB  Archie Pulido                 2           8       1  

C  Ian Lap                       1          10       1  

T  Jeffrey McCallister           1           7       1  

CB  Herb Dorn                     1           6       1  

CB  Neal Mitchell                 1           3       1 

T  Roosevelt Weaver              1           7       1  

DE  Jamal Ussery                  1           7       1    

DT  Julio Burgess                 1           5       1  

As you can see, it's going to be a long year.

[This message has been edited by TheDawgsAreOut (edited 02-26-2001).]

[TheDawgsAreOut]

Gangstas Conclude Trying First Season
Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles Gangstas concluded their 1-15 inagural season in LA with a 27-16 loss yesterday to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Gangstas had long clinched the first pick in next April's draft, and yesterday clinched last place in the league in both points scored and points allowed. All in all, it was not an impressive year for LA's replacement for the long-departed Raiders and Rams. The club begun the year with a 7 game losing streak. Included in this stretch were 3 shutouts in the team's first 4 games, and a loss at home to previously 0-4 Kansas City.
In week 8, the city of Los Angeles reveled in the Gangstas' 27-9 victory over the San Diego Chargers, the club's first ever win. The euphoria was short lived, as the team went on to lose its final 8 games after a bye week. The team did show improvement. In the second half, they scored 80 points, to the first half's 61. The defense was virtually identical in both halves.

Results:

Opponent                       Result    	Attend   	No-Shows

Miami Dolphins                  	L, 0-27   	63,300    	6,300       

TENNESSEE TITANS                	L, 0-31   	41,900    	4,500       

San Diego Chargers              	L, 3-34   	41,600    	2,600      

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS                	L, 0-45   	39,900    	5,000 

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS                    L, 14-27      36,500    	5,000  

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS              	L, 3-24   	36,500    	5,500  

DENVER BRONCOS                          L, 14-33  	37,200    	5,000  

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS                      W, 27-9       36,500    	7,000  

Seattle Seahawks                	L, 3-24   	52,300    	2,300

Chicago Bears                           L, 14-26  	55,100    	6,600   

Oakland Raiders                         L, 17-23  	51,900    	4,600  

Denver Broncos                 	        L, 10-37  	76,100    	1,500  

OAKLAND RAIDERS                	        L, 3-35   	39,000    	6,500  

Minnesota Vikings              	        L, 14-35  	44,600    	2,900   

BALTIMORE RAVENS               	        L, 3-27   	36,500    	5,500   

Kansas City Chiefs                      L, 16-27  	67,900    	3,800   

At quarterback, second round pick Gene Cason suffered some rookie growing pains. He threw for 3125 yards, but had 21 interceptions to just 9 tds, and completed just 48.6%. His qb rating was 56.2, ranking him last in the league. Butler was a 22 year-old rookie who played collegiate ball at NAIA Butler against fairly weak competition. Unlike other quarterbacks from small schools who have found NFL success, such as the Titans' Steve McNair and the Seahawks' Jon Kitna, Cason was thrown immediately into the fire as the starter from day one. We can only hope that Cason, like metal, is hardened by the fire, and does not fall prey to a sophomore slump. It is possible that the Gangstas move in another direction at qb, but not likely.

Running back was by committee for the Gangstas this season. Devin Wesley was the starter, but gained just 344 yards on 113 carries for a 3.0 average. He's unlikely to maintain the job next year. His backups, Mercury Ford and Kris Ricci were more effective. Ford led the team with a 5.2 average, albeit on just 21 carries. Ricci nearly beat out Wesley with 341 yards on just 69 carries, for a 4.9 average.

Free agent pickup Marvin Harrison was expected to lead the wideout corps for the Gangstas, but was actually surpassed by 4th round pick Carlos Paas, who had 80 catches for 1001 yards and 6 tds, although with 16 drops. Harrison did have 63 catches for 924 yards, but only 1 td. Rookies Timothy Hutchings and Floyd Brewer, both undrafted free agents, were also successful. Tight end Pete Mitchell was solid with 22 catches for 168 yards.

Rookie defensive end Bert Boone led the team with 8.0 sacks, but may not have been the most effective of a solid group of ends. Fellow starter Eddie Willis recorded just 4.0 sacks, but also 58 tackles to Boone's 39. 3rd defensive end Isaac Poston was perhaps the most effective with 6.5 sacks and 58 tackles, all without starting a game. Tackle Carlos Eggers was the primary interior run stopper, recording 58 tackles as well (a popular number). However, the defensive tackles combined for just 2 sacks. That is simply an unacceptable number, and serious changes will have to be made at the position.

Harold Bailey and Terry Henson were the most effective Gangsta linebackers, recording 113 and 102 tackles, respectively. The third starter, Howie Sewell recorded 80 tackles. Bailey was the only one of the three to record an interception. Linebacker may see some changes, but will not likely be a priority for the Gangstas this off-season.

At safety, Chad Cota and Jerome Woods ranked first and third respectively on the team in tackles with 126 and 112. Woods led the team with 5 picks and had a 37.0 PDQ, but Cota struggled against the pass, recording a PDQ of just 16.6 without recording a single interception. First pick Pat Gonzalez didn't get a great deal of playing time behind Cota and Woods, starting just 2 games (while Cota was at corner), but he did record a solid 41 tackles and 2 interceptions. Gonzalez will likely take free agent Cota's job next season.

At corner, starters Emmanuel Valenta and Raymond Howe combined for just 3 interceptions. Howe posted a decent 30.5 PDQ, while Valenta's 22.5 was less effective. Dime corner Neal Mitchell lead the team in PDQ, recording 1 pick in limited playing time. Look for upgrades next season.

Gangsta specialists performed well in their rookie campaigns. Kicker Joel Carswell nailed 14 of 19 field goals, and was a perfect 13 of 13 on extra points. Punter Bernie Bauerschmidt had a 41.6 average, but just 33 punts in the 20 on 116 punts, although the team was hardly in position to pin the oppositon last year.

In terms of the guys off the field, changes may be forthcoming as well. The club may look to replace Emanuel with a coach who is better at avoiding injuries. At scout, the Gangstas may look for someone with better ability to scout young talent. Overall, look for Los Angeles general manager Kevin Pelton to continue to put his 'stamp' on the team. This year's number 1 pick could be an important turning point in the Gangstas' history, and this year's off-season will certainly be anything but uneventful.

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The best damn announcer the fake FOFL has ever seen! Check out my cd "Who cares who let them out, I know they're out!" in stores everywhere next month.


[This message has been edited by TheDawgsAreOut (edited 02-26-2001).]

[Alf]

Fortunately you had to play San Diego in order not to finish 0-16 !

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Alf

[TheDawgsAreOut]

I'd like to take this opportunity to state the obvious and admit that I have very few html skills. If anyone reading this knows how I can line things up, I would appreciate the help. It would make this look a lot better. Kinda like playing San Diego did make my season a lot better, although they actually weren't that bad of a team - 8-8 and 3rd in the division, which, sadly, was pretty weak this year - only the champ to the playoffs. Things won't be getting much easier. At least writing articles is fun.

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The best damn announcer the fake FOFL has ever seen! Check out my cd "Who cares who let them out, I know they're out!" in stores everywhere next month.

[MIJB#19]

Seeing the title, I expected a franchise built around rookies from the air force.

[TheDawgsAreOut]

New Faces, but Same Product?
Gangstas Make Personnel Changes, but Still Don't Appear Ready to Contend

Louis Lewis, Staff Reporter
Los Angeles -- Despite an eventful off-season, on the eve of their second pre-season, the Los Angeles Gangstas appear to be little more ready to contend than they did a year ago. Team officials expect to break the 'team record' of one win set last season, but the playoffs are still light years away. GM Kevin Pelton commented yesterday on his team, saying, "I honestly don't expect to contend this year, and that doesn't upset me. I've got a long-term plan. We're not going to be the next Florida Marlins, competing for one year and then falling apart. We're looking to the future."

Pelton's first move following the 1-15 2002 regular season was to replace his coach and scout. Pelton was ecstatic to lure coach Ricky Nelson (EX QB/EX REC/EX SEC/VG YT/EX AI) away from Oklahoma University following his second straight league championship. Nelson, who had a 25-1 record over the last two years with the Sooners, losing only to perennial foe Nebraska, and defeating Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl, signed a 5-year, 40 million dollar deal that makes him the highest paid coach in the NFL. Pelton said that Nelson, "fits our style perfectly. We want to throw the ball, and defend the pass ... and that's exactly what he's done at Oklahoma. Add in his ability to prevent the same kinds of injuries that absolutely killed us last year, and we couldn't pass him up." Sammy Latham signed a 5-year, 750,000 deal to serve as the club's director of scouting. "We think Sammy can scout young talent," said Pelton. "That's exactly what this ballclub needs - we can't afford to throw away #1 picks.

Latham and Nelson worked with Pelton to continue upgrading the team's talent level. Their first change, and perhaps their most important, was to dispatch second-year qb Gene Cason to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 15th pick in the NFL's draft, believing him incapable of being the club's qb of the future. In free agency, they initially targetted Tampa Bay qb Shaun King, who has served as backup to Eric Zeier and Trent Green the last 3 years, after taking the Buccaneers to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season. Despite a chance to start in LA, King chose to remain in Tampa, signing a 2-year, 14 million dollar offer the first week of free agency.

Upset at King's decision to stay in Tampa Bay, Gangsta management decided to wait for a good deal in free agency, as opposed to pursuing a qb just for the sake of signing one. In week 8, the team finally made an offer to Carolina qb Steve Beuerlein, of 2 years and 13.75 million dollars. With the Panthers signing free agent Ray Lucas, Beuerlein was looking for a new starting job, and found it in Los Angeles, signing within days. Later, the team pursued second-tier free agents. Wideout Bill Schroeder, who had lost his starting job in Green Bay the previous year, came aboard on a 1-year, 3.25 million deal to have a chance to start opposite Marvin Harrison. Cornerback Bart Byrum signed a 2-year, 3.75 million deal for a chance to start after spending the previous season in the XFL after rehabbing an injury suffered in his senior year in high school. Finally healthy, Byrum's fine play with the LA Xtreme caught the eye of Gangsta scouts.

For the second straight year, the Gangstas held the first pick in the NFL Draft, and continued their tradition of taking a defensive back. Cornerback Deon Parsons of small Missouri Western is expected to anchor the secondary for a long time, and rectify the Gangstas' problems last year at corner. With their second first round pick (acquired for Cason), the Gangstas took a new 'qb of the future', R.J. Sanford of Texas A&M. The club hopes Beuerlein will teach Sanford, and won't throw him in the fire like Cason a year ago. In the second round pick, the Gangstas went to the alma mater of gm Pelton (the University of Washington) to select te Chad Kinney, who the club expects to become one of the league's best pass-catching tight ends in the mold of Shannon Sharpe, Ben Coates, and fellow ex-Husky Jerramy Stevens. Kinney follows a long line of UW tight ends into the NFL, such as Aaron Pierce, Mark Breuner, Ernie Conwell, Cam Cleeland, Jeremy Brigham, Reggie Davis, and the aforementioned Stevens. With their third round pick, LA took another corner, Vanderbilt's Dominic Jeans, who lead major college football in interceptions last year with 9. Mel Kiper, Jr., says of Jeans, "he projects as an excellent nickel corner who can step in and pick off about 4 or 5 passes a year."

Draft Summary:
Round 1(1): Deon Parsons, cb, Missouri Western
Round 1(15): R.J. Sanford 'and Son', qb, Texas A&M
Round 2(33): Chad 'They killed' Kinney, te, Washington
Round 3(65): Dominic 'Blue' Jeans, cb, Vanderbilt
Round 4(97): Bo 'Arch' Bishop, wr, Arizona State
Round 5(129): Christian Fuchs, s, Tennessee
Round 6(161): Bart Santoki, qb, Colorado State
Round 7(193): Cornell 'Evil' Knievel, wr, Illinois

In addition to hoping for more success on the field, the Gangstas are hoping to be better off it as well. Last year, despite having the lowest payroll in the NFL, the Gangstas stil lost more than 14 million. This season, they hope not to lose as much money, despite paying higher salaries to their coaches and scouts, and increasing the payroll. In order to do that, they'll have to increase last year's league low 38,600 average attendance, lower than any other team in the last 3 years. Gangsta public relations director Mario Bailey has scheduled a number of promotions to try to increase attendance. September 20 versus Denver is "Do-rag day", with the first 25,000 fans recieving do rags with the Gangstas logo on them. November 8 against San Diego will be "Meet a Gangsta and a gangsta Day", with fans able to go on the field prior to the game to visit with and take pictures of their favorite Gangsta players, and their favorite rap stars from LA, notably Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. November 29 against Kansas City will be "Look Like a Gangsta Night" as for the evening nationally ESPN televised game anyone wearing officially sanctioned Gangsta merchandise or colors of the Bloods or the Crips will be able to purchase tickets for $5 off.

[TheDawgsAreOut]

Season Two Step in Right Direction, but Slowly
Gangstas Up Win Total By Two To Three

by Louis Lewis, Staff Reporter
Los Angles -- The LA Gangstas finished their second season with a tough 24-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks yesterday. The club met general manager Kevin Pelton's goal of three wins for the season, finishing at 3-13, good for last place in the AFC West. The Gangstas tied with the Detroit Lions for the worst record in the NFL. A coin flip will be held in Ferbruary to determine if Los Angeles will hold the first pick in the NFL Draft for the third consecutive year.

The season got of to a positive start, as the Gangstas took their opener against the Buffalo Bills, who finished 10-6, 31-17 in front of a season-high crowd of 44,100 fans. The Gangstas followed their victory with a seven game losing streak, including an 0-5 road trip, making a winless October. After a bye week, Los Angeles took its next game over the San Diego Chargers, 26-15, making the second straight year they've defeated their rivals to the south. They dropped the next four games, including the final three of a four game homestand. The final win came in week 15, 14-7 over the Carolina Panthers. The Gangstas then dropped their final two games to finish at 3-13. The team also showed improvement in both points scored and allowed. The offense got to 219 points from 141, and the defense went from 464 to 394. The team was also not shut out in any game, after experiencing 3 shutouts in their first season.

Opponent			Result

BUFFALO BILLS			W, 31-17

Tennessee Titans			L, 27-30

DENVER BRONCOS		L, 3-30

San Diego Chargers			L, 15-30

Atlanta Falcons			L, 12-34

Seattle Seahawks			L, 10-13

Kansas City Chiefs			L, 6-40

Denver Broncos			L, 17-31

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS		W, 26-15

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS		L, 14-38

OAKLAND RAIDERS		L, 3-6

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS		L, 14-31

Oakland Raiders			L, 11-21

CAROLINA PANTHERS		W, 10-7

Jacksonville Jaguars		L, 3-27

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS		L, 17-24

Veteran Steve Beuerlein and rookie R.J. Sanford split time at qb for the Gangstas this season, with Beuerlein starting 9 games and Sanford 7. The team finished 2-7 under Beuerlein, and 1-6 under Sanford. Beuerlein continued to decline, posting a rating of just 73.3, with 2263 yards, 10 tds, and 12 ints. Sanford was worse, finishing with a final qb rating of 63.7 with 1476 yards, 9 tds, and 10 picks. Each went down a lot as well, with Beuerlein being sacked 35 times and Sanford 24. Third string rookie Bart Santoki got into one game after injuries, and finished with a 0 qb rating, throwing 4 picks while completing just 3 passes in 12 attempts. It would appear that Sanford will go into camp as the starter. Beuerlein will likely be there as an insurance policy.

Due to injuries, Devin Wesley got the lion's share of Gangsta handoffs in 2003, and was marginally more effective than his rookie season. He gained 347 yards on 108 carries for 3.4 ypc, but did not score a touchdown. Preseason starter Mercury Ford was plagued by a torn calf muscle. He started 9 games, and gained 286 yards and 2 tds on 84 carries, good for a 3.4 average. Kris Ricci started 7 games and was the most effective Gangsta on the ground, gaining 185 yards and a td on 41 carries, with a 4.5 average. Rookie fullback A.J. Cox struggled on the ground, with just 14 yards on 20 carries. He was effective blocking, with 10 key run blocks in 20 opportunities.

Rookie 4th round pick Bo Bishop was the leading Gangsta reciever, with 61 carries for 806 yards and 4 tds. Free agent pickup Bill Schroeder was second on the team with 53 catches for 712 yards, but only 2 tds. Star wideout Marvin Harrison again was hampered by injuries, but still had 49 catches for 668 yards and 4 tds. Last year's leading reciever, Carlos "Throw me a" Paas, caught 56 balls for 626 yards and another 4 tds. Starting tight end Pete Mitchell had a fine season with 54 catches for 396 yards and 3 tds. Rookie Chad Kinney had 15 catches for 146 yards and lead the team in catch percentage at 68.2. Schroeder may not return, and an upgrade at flanker seems likely.

Defensive end Bert Boone lead the team in sacks for the second straight year with 6.0 to go with 30 tackles. Fellow starter Isaac Poston also had 4.5 sacks and 36 tackles. Rookie defensive tackle Lamont Boone recorded 48 tackles and 2.5 sacks and was a big improvement. Fellow rookie starter Mitchell Ackerman lead the line with 58 tackles, but recorded just 1 sack.

Rookie middle linebacker Terrell Matuatia from Weber State solidified the Gangstas run defense, recording 115 tackles and a team-high 16.7 tackle percentage. Outside backer Terry Henson dropped from 102 tackles to 78, but did record 2 sacks and his first career pick. On the other side, Harold Bailey also experienced a drop off in tackles down to 59, behind reserves Otis Corbitt (76), and Archie Pulido (75).

Safety Jerome Woods was the first Gangsta to be individually recognized, making 2nd team all-Pro at safety. He lead the team with 141 tackles, good for ninth place in the NFL, and tops amongst safeties. He also lead the team with 6 interceptions and a 43 PDQ. Second year man Pat Gonzalez finally got a chance to start and did not disappoint, recording 112 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions. He was a vast improvement over Chad Cota, who returned as the third safety. Cota was effective in this role, recording 41 tackles and 1 pick. Look for Woods to be re-signed by the Gangstas as the safety group should return.

Cornerback was a disappointing position for the Gangstas this year. First pick of the draft Deon Parsons did not intercept a pass and had a PDQ of just 23.3. He did only allow 14 completions against him. On the opposite side, Bart Byrum did not intercept a pass either and recorded a substandard PDQ of 19.2. Rookie third corner Dominic Jeans was even worse, allowing 22 completions without so much as breaking up a pass. He did lead the corners in tackles. No corner intercepted a single pass.

Gangsta specialists were again solid. Kicker Joel Carswell was 19 of 26 on field goals and again perfect on extra pints. Punter Bernie Bauerschmidt improved his average to 42.3 yards per kick, and also improved on punts inside the 20.

Fans continued to be slow in their acceptance of the expansion team, as attendance dropped from 38,600 to 37,200. Gangsta officials expect to lose a lot of money this season and are not particularly happy about it. Look for marketing changes next season. Of course, changes will be seen off the field as well. Los Angeles does hold either the first or second pick in the draft, and will hope to get more mileage out of this pick than their first rounders the last two years. Expect the Gangstas to also make some sort of push in free agency.

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The best damn announcer the fake FOFL has ever seen! Check out my cd "Who cares who let them out, I know they're out!" in stores everywhere next month.

[TheDawgsAreOut]

Gangstas Look to Leave Cellar
Third Year Brings Renewed Hope

Louis Lewis, Staff Reporter
Los Angeles -- Year three has brought the Gangstas major upgrades at the wide reciever and cornerback position, and a new sense of direction for a team yearning for one. The team, which has finished in last place in the AFC West the past two seasons, looks this year to improve upon last year's franchise record 3 wins. General Manager Kevin Pelton has set a goal of increasing another 2 wins from the previous season. "We're capable of 5 wins, certainly. We've retained almost everyone in addition to adding new guys, and you can't forget about the progression of the young guys we've got."

The Gangstas' off-season started with the surprising retirement of third safety Chad "Momma Don't Take My" Cota "Chrome". Cota had not been under contract for the 2004 season, but all indications were that he would likely return for a 3rd season in LA. Cota had been upset with his playing time, but had not indicated he would retire. At his press conference, Cota said he enjoyed his time in LA. "I'll never forget these two years, playing with a bunch of hungry young kids. That being said," Cota continued, "I know my time was up. I don't want to outlast my welcome. I need to step aside and let the guys like Pat (Gonzalez) and Jerome (Woods) have their chance to shine." Woods had mixed emotions after hearing of Cota's decision. "I'm glad that he's going out on his terms," said Woods. "But, on the other hand, I'll miss him. We came here together, and I credit him with helping my run defense to the point where I could make second team all-Pro."

Woods was not, however, quite so happy with the Gangstas' second move of the off-season. The club designated Woods as their franchise player. The safety, in the prime of his career, had wished to test the market, and rebuffed managements offers to extend his contract in the 2003 pre-season. That sufficiently worried the club to convince them to make Woods their first ever franchise player, guaranteeing him a one year contract at the average of the five highest-paid safties in the NFL. The club and Woods' agent, Leigh Steinberg, eventually came to terms on a one-year, 2.29 million dollar contract. The Gangstas also issued a promise to Steinberg and Woods that they would not use the franchise tag on him again next year.

Randy Moss experienced a yo-yo like up and down in his career between the 2003 and 2004 off-seasons. In the spring of 2003, Moss was coming off of first and second team all-Pro seasons in 2001 and 2002, in which he caught a total of 180 passes. In his first game of 2003 with the Vikings, he caught 6 passes for 170 yards. After the game, however, the Vikings were forced to release Moss due to cap problems and their need for an extra quarterback. Moss caught on with Cincinatti, but struggled to pick up the Bengals' system, catching just 30 balls in 10 games. After the season, however, Moss was again a wanted man, tabbed by experts as the best free agent reciever on the market. Gangsta management concurred, and made Moss their primary target in free agency. After a whirlwind tour of LA and Gangsta facilities, Moss put pen to paper on a 2 year, 10.5 million deal which included a 3 million signing bonus. Moss is expected to start alongisde Marvin Harrison and give the Gangstas a second deep threat. The Gangstas did not target any other unrestricted free agents. GM Pelton siaid, "We don't really consider this a very good free agent class. The rest of these guys aren't worth what they're asking, and we're not going to pay it." Wideout Bill Schroeder, coming off a year in which he caught 53 passes for 712 yards, was re-signed by LA to a 2 year deal, for which terms were not released.

For the third consecutive year the LA Gangstas held the first pick in the NFL's April draft. For the third time, it went towards a secondary player. Cornerback Norman Johnstone, of little known 1-AA West Virginia Tech, was the pick. Mel Kiper called Johnstone, "easily the best corner in the draft. He's undersized for the position, but more than makes up for it with his ballhawking ability to get picks." In the second round, Los Angeles targeted wideout Deron Zimmerman of nearby UCLA. "We saved some scouting costs with Deron," joked gm Pelton. "Seriously, we like that he's ready to play right away as a guy who stayed in school for 5 years." Management was not pleased, however, to see Zimmerman come to camp out of shape, and his stock has fallen. Third round pick Melvin Overton of Illinois will help the Gangstas' emphasis on pass catching tight ends. He was rated by most scouts as the best pass catching tight end in the draft, and should back up second year man Chad Kinney.

Draft Report: (note - ratings after training camp)
Round 1 (1): Norman Johnstone, cb, West Virginia Tech (41/85)
Round 2 (33): Deron Zimmerman, wr, UCLA (56/56)
Round 3 (65): Melvin Overton, te, Illinois (36/61)
Round 3 (86): Jon LaRose, cb, Morgan State (29/57)

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