World's Greatest Sport Show: LA Diablos 2002

[SplitPersonality1]

Spring 2002

Good afternoon, Los Angeles!!! I’m Johnny “The Homer” Free and this is the World’s Greatest Sports Show. Today we have a special treat for you. In studio with me is SplitPersonality, owner of the newest NFL team, the Los Angeles Diablos. How are you doing today sir?

Splits: I’m doing great Homer.

Homer: So, what are your plans for the upcoming expansion draft. There are several big names available. You guys should have no problem getting the franchise started on the right foot.

Splits: Actually Homer, we are going to build this expansion team a little differently. Most of these longtime veterans carry lots of baggage, and people have certain expectations from them. I want our players to be Diablos from the very beginning. It’s my belief that the fans in LA will appreciate growing our own, so to speak.

Homer: Ha, ha, ha, ha……ha………you’re serious?!

Splits: Of course.

Homer: You are going to pass up Elvis Grbac, a proven if somewhat erratic starting QB for…

Splits: Kendall Wells

Homer: Wells? Did he even play last year?

Splits: Well no, but he is the only 2nd year QB available in the expansion draft.

Homer: Let me get this straight. You are going to field a team of 2nd year castoffs, draft picks and undrafted rookies?

Splits: Yes

Homer: Um. Anything other “ideas” we should know about?

Splits: Sure. The Los Angeles Diablos will never renegotiate a contract. Once a player signs on the dotted line, that contract is final.

Homer: Uh, won’t that discourage players from signing with the team?

Splits: No, Homer, because it works both ways. If a player signs a long-term contract with us, we will not release him.

Homer: Soooooo……. if a player is a bust, we are stuck with him.

Splits: Hey, we made a deal. A contract is a contract.

Homer: Hmmm. Well, I understand you have to go. Good luck on the upcoming season.

Splits: It’s been a pleasure Homer.

Homer: After the break, we’ll take some calls. Your thoughts on the owner’s comments.

“The World’s Greatest Sports Show” is loosely based on an actual sports-talk show here in Milwaukee by the same name. The character Johnny Free is my own creation.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally posted by satchmo71

Splitpersonality,
Would it be fair to say that your overdeveloped sense of loyalty to your players will ultimately cheat your fans?

[SplitPersonality1]

Out of Character
As you can see this dynasty is sort of a what if. In FOF we make a lot of house rules that help to make the game more challenging/interesting. What if a real NFL team did some of these things? How would the fans and others respond?

Basically I’m using a modified version of Quiksand’s House Arrest rules. I think most readers know the basics. No renegotiating, no picking FA’s until the 11th round, no franchise player etc. I’ll give more “game” details if people want it, but you should catch most of the House Rules within the storyline.

In between game summaries, there will be a snippet of the “World’s Greatest Sport Show”. There might be an interview with a player or a coach. Or some calls from LA Diablos fans, or maybe just a rant from the Homer. Who knows. I’ll make it up as I go along.

Go Diablos!

[SplitPersonality1]

pre-Draft 2002

Alrighty folks, this is Johnny Free, the Homer, and I have a World’s Greatest Sport Show breaking story. Rumor has it that hotshot coach Jack Keister is leaving the Atlanta Falcons and coming to our expansion Los Angeles Diablos.

Is Keister nuts? Why would perhaps the best coach in the league leave success to come work for a team in which it is almost impossible for him to succeed. Is he crazy? Does he want an impossible challenge? Or is he a greedy bastard that will make $7 million a year? Gee, I wonder.

Here’s a question folks. Isn’t this the same owner that handcuffed the team by signing rejects like QB Kendall Wells and T Ralph Masso. Why would he spend all the cash on a coach?

Hey Keister. You know how you have been to the playoffs the last two years. Don’t expect it to happen anytime soon here in LA.

Unbelievable. Let’s take some calls. Frank from the hills, you’re on the air.

Frank: Yeh Homer. This Splits guy…

Homer: Wait a minute Frank. You got a nickname?

Frank: How about Pissed Off in Hollywood.

Homer: Watch it there buddy, this is a family show…How about Hollywood Frank.

HF: Fine. Anyway, this Splits guy is nuts. If you listen to him on other shows…sorry Homer… he talks about trying to sign local players and how much we fans love to root for the hometown hero. Screw that. I don’t care where a guy went to college, I just want my team to win some football games.

Homer: I’m more or less with you buddy. Next we go to…oh…Sparky, my producer, says I need to go to commercial. Be back after the break.

[SplitPersonality1]

Homer here, we just have a few minutes left in the show and I have Joe Schmoe from Football Universe here to discuss the upcoming draft. What are your feelings on the top draft prospects.

Schmoe: Actually Homer, this is a fairly weak draft. Everyone seems to be in love with the George kid out of Texas, but if I were the Diablos, I would stay far away.

Homer: I don’t think LA will take a corner with the first pick. How about the linebacker Richardson out of Indiana.

Schmoe: I like him a lot, but the Diablos should probably concentrate on the offensive line. They have eleven linemen on the roster and not one of them is ready to play in the NFL.

Homer: Yikes. Who do you think they should take.

Schmoe: Either the tackle Ethan Hardy or the center Scott O’Pope. If they want a player that is good right now, go with the O’Pope. Hardy will take a few years to develop, but he should become outstanding.

Homer: Excellent Joe. Thanks for stopping by. Check out Joe’s website for more info. Later folks.

Excerpt from Football Universe Website

Joe’s thoughts on the top 10 draftees
1 Bruce George – CB – 5-11 – 198# - Texas – personally, I think this kid will be good, but not great. I think he will be a disappointment to whoever takes him.

2 Kelvin Richardson – LB – 6-5 – 240# - Indiana – A better run stopper than a pass rusher. This kid is good enough to start right now.

3 Marvin Newsome – DT – 6-4 – 281# - Missouri – Although equally good at defending the run and the pass, I feel that Newsome a bit overrated.

4 Earnest Harding – LB – 6-5 – 266# - Kentucky – This is a player that will need time to develop, but I feel he will eventually be a better back than Richardson

5 Mickey Fisk – G – 6-7 – 293# - Stonehill – Another great college player that defends the run and the pass equally, I don’t think he will be a very good NFL player.

6 Jackie Alcott – QB – 6-2 – 190# - NC State – Give Alcott a few years, he will be a very good QB. His one fault, a problem with short passes.

7 Ethan Hardy – T – 6-6 – 297# - Colorado State – He will be below average as a rookie, but this kid will be an amazing run stopper in a few years. He also has good potential as a pass defender.

8 Henry Rosenstiel – G – 6-3 – 283# - Tennessee – I’m not sure why scouts have him rated in the top ten. He may be a decent player, but he will never be an All-Pro

9 Glen Griffith – QB – 6-2 – 225# - The Citadel – Highly overrated.

10 Scott O’Pope – C – 6-2 – 278# - Oregon – I like this player. He is by far the best center in the draft.

[SplitPersonality1]

Draft Day

And the #1 pick of the 2002 Draft is …… Linebacker Fred Huntley from Stanford

Two weeks later

Homer: We have a special guest today on the World’s Greatest Sport Show. We have the Diablos Director of Scouting Operations Nathan Mojica on the line. Welcome to the show Mr. Mojica.

Mojica: Call me Nate, Homer.

Homer: No prob. You guys pulled a shocker at the draft this year. It was common knowledge that your defense was fairly solid, but the O-line was, well, pathetic. Why did you go with Huntley?

Mojica: Well Homer, we felt that we needed to get a franchise type player with the number one pick in the draft. Someone that could contribute on the field right away, and someone that has the potential to be one of the best in the league at his position. We felt that Huntley fulfilled both criteria.

Homer: What about the two big-name LB’s Richardson and Harding. Most folks had them rated much higher that Huntley. I don’t think he was going to get picked until the middle or late in the first round.

Mojica: The other two guys are going to be good players, but we felt that Huntley had a bit more.

Homer: Did the fact that he played at Stanford have anything to do with his being picked first.

Mojica: Not at all.

Homer: Hmmm. We know Huntley will be starting right away, tell us a bit about the other picks. Let’s start with the center Farr.

Mojica: Dwight Farr is a pass blocking specialist, and given time, we believe that he will be almost as good as Huntley. I am very surprised that he slipped down to us in the second round.

Homer: The tackle, Chuck Moore?

Mojica: He was probably a stretch for a third round pick, but he was the best tackle available when we picked him. He is another good pass blocker or will be in time.

Homer: 4th rounder, guard Marty Mills?

Mojica: Marty is another very good pass blocker. In our eyes, he was a steal in the fourth round. We almost took him in the third.

Homer: Almost out of time. How about the last three guys.

Mojica: Mitch Bush, the WR out of Wisconsin is a very solid receiver. He will probably start as a rookie. The safety Terry Livesay was an interception extraordinaire at Texas Southern. Hopefully, he can carrying that forward into his pro career. And Al Delgado out of Syracuse will most likely be a good backup receiver.

Homer: Any missed opportunities or regrets about this draft?

Mojica: Uh. No, not really.

Homer: Just checking. Great info Nate. Thanks for coming on the show.

Mojica: Anytime Homer.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally posted by wade moore

Good stuff Splits, keep it up..

[SplitPersonality1]

Thanks wade moore I’m glad somebody is reading this.

You are listening to KFOF, I am Johnny “the Homer” Free and this is the World’s Greatest Sports Show. You just heard the interview with the Head Scout for the LA Diablos and you are probably wondering why I asked that question about regrets. Well, sources from deep inside the Diablos organization have told me that there is one little regret that the LA team has.

From what I can gather, there was a huge miscommunication between Mojica and Diablos owner SplitPersonality.

From the very beginning, the franchise did not plan on drafting a QB. They wanted to build the O-line first, so any QB they did get would have some protection. During the draft, Head Scout Nathan Mojica noticed that a QB by the name of Karl Teeter was still available. Everyone in the organization that that he would have been gone by the fourth round. He wasn’t.

Rumor has it that the scouting team had rated this guy very highly, and Splits assumed that Mojica would snag him in a late round. When the seventh round came around and Mojica took WR Delgado, SplitPersonality was very, very peeved. Teeter wasn’t selected in the final round and Splits called Teeter’s agent within an hour of the end of the draft. It was too late, he had already signed a one year deal with Kansas City.

What the heck is going on with this team?

[SplitPersonality1]

From LA Diablos page on the Football Universe Website

The Diablos Training Camp was fairly uneventful. Coach Keister brought in an additional 22 players to bring the total to a whopping 70. All were undrafted rookies.

Linebacker Fred Huntley, the controversial first pick in this years draft looked very, very good. If he plays as well as he practices, people might stop questioning the Diablos decision to take him first.

Most of the other draftees looked good as well, especially WR Mitch Bush. He has learned the system very quickly and should contribute immediately. He is probably the best player on this team at this time. Unfortunately, he really doesn’t have anyone to throw to him. LA’s quarterback situation is not a pretty one. It looks like it is a coin flip between second year free agent Scottie Stokes or rookie free agent Raymond Sturdivant. Neither player is good enough to take snaps anywhere else in the league.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been rookie tackle Chuck Moore. He was picked up in the third round, but will probably spend most of the season on the inactive list.

[SplitPersonality1]

One week before the start of the regular season

Welcome to the Coach Keister Show, heard exclusively on KFOF. This is Johnny Free, the Homer and first I would like to say to the Coach, thanks for choosing our station to do your show. I have personally been one of the team’s harshest critics and I am pleasantly surprised that you guys picked us.

Coach Keister: It wasn’t my decision to make Homer.

Homer: Touché. Let’s get down to business. Is there any truth to the rumor that there is a problem between the owner and Head Scout Mojica over that Teeter kid?

Coach: I’m not really able to comment on that situation.

Homer: OK. How about the other rumor that Kansas City team owner C. Montgomery Potter and Diablos owner SplitPersonaly hate each other and that is why Teeter went to KC.

Coach: Again Homer, I’m not going to comment on that situation. Are we going to talk about players that are actually on the team or is this show going to end right now.

Homer: No prob, Coach. Let’s discuss the exhibition season. Los Angeles lost all four games during the pre-season and were outscored by 73 points. Should we be concerned? Is this team going to win any games this season.

Coach: I think that if this team wins 4 games, it will be a successful season. We have a lot of young talent that will improve as the season goes along. We may struggle early, but I believe we will be competitive by the end of the season.

Homer: You honestly think that this team will win 4 games?

Coach: I’m saying that they are capable of winning 4 games.

Homer: Ok. What kind of offense can we expect from this team.

Coach: We will pass first and run second. Stokes will throw mostly short simple routes this season. Things will get more complex as he gains experience. The majority of our offensive linemen are pass blockers. We hope to give Scottie enough time to throw effectively.

Homer: What about the defense?

Coach: Almost all of our defensive linemen are pass rushers. We should get a lot of sacks this season. The defensive secondary will be playing a lot of zone, since frankly very few of our guys match up well with many of the elite receivers in the league.

Homer: I did a little checking and only 11 players on the roster have any NFL game experience and only 1 player DE Kenneth Weber has started. Isn’t that a bit…unusual.

Coach: Yes. The team owner and I share the same philosophy. Start with a young team, watch them grow and learn together. In a few years, they will become a force to be reckoned with…..Look how quickly Jacksonville and Carolina started. These teams haven’t been in the league long and have already peaked. We don’t want to do that. Once we get good, we want to stay that way for a long time.

Homer: Interesting approach. Your first game is in Miami. They were a vary bad team last year going 3-13. What are your thought on your upcoming first game as coach of the Diablos.

Coach: They may have only won 3 games last year, but they have improved greatly over the off-season. We should be competitive.

Homer: To get to your four wins, I think you really need this one, don’t you.

Coach: It’s always harder to win on the road Homer. Like I said, we should stay competitive.

Homer: They beat you 23-0 in preseason.

Coach: That was preseason.

Homer: Alright Coach, just one more question? You escaped the pre-season with just one injury to a starter. When should we expect FB Christian Malone back in the lineup.

Coach: Doctors say the knee is doing better and he should be back by the Kansas City game in Week Four.

Homer: Sounds great. Good luck against the Dolphins

Coach Keister: Thanks Homer. That really means a lot coming from you.

[SplitPersonality1]

From 2002 Outlook on the Football Universe Website

Los Angeles Diablos – Projected Finish (1-15, last in the AFC West)

Coach: Jack Keister (first year with LA, overall NFL record 24-12)
Keister is a very high quality coach, one of the best in the NFL. He has a reputation throughout the league as working extremely well with quarterbacks, running backs, and both sides of the line. He is also considered one of the best motivators in the game.
Schmoe’s Grade: A+

Quarterback: Scottie Stokes will be calling plays this year. He doesn’t really have many strengths, but he is still the best arm the Diablos have. That’s not saying much. Coach Keister probably won’t have a quick hook, but backup QB Raymond Sturdivant will be ready to step in at anytime.
Schmoe’s Grade: D

Running Game: The Diablos have their choice of three mediocre running backs; Free agent Heath Truitt and rookies Chester Eden and Vince Luck. These three interchangeable backs will probably combine for about 5 or 6 hundred yards.
Schmoe’s Grade: D

Receivers: 5th round draft pick Mitch Bush surprised everyone in training camp and has become a very good receiver. Unfortunately for LA, the quality of the receiving corps begins and ends with Bush. The other receivers are Roosevelt Shannon, rookies Maurice Harding & Al Delgado and tight end Mercury Boynton.
Schmoe’s Grade: C-

O-Line: The Diablos front five averages a beefy 312 pounds. Led at center by 2nd round pick Dwight Farr, all are better at pass blocking than run blocking. The starting guards are Riddick Levine and Winfred Burgess. The tackles are B.J. Emerson & Ted Anthony. None of the five are exceptional football players, but they should not embarrass the team either.
Schmoe’s Grade: C-

Kicking Game: Punter Preston Gustafson has average kicking power but has trouble getting it inside the 20. Rookie kicker Alfred Moss has good power, but his accuracy is somewhat suspect. This shouldn’t be much of an issue since LA is unlikely to have many scoring opportunities anyway.
Schmoe’s Grade: C

Defensive Ends/Tackles: Right End Mark Bruce is a solid pass rusher and should get to the QB several times this year. His mate on the other side, Vince Harrison is not as talented and will likely struggle most of the season. Both starting DT’s were top 20 picks in last years draft. Trevor Defelice was picked #16 by the 49ers and played in one game last season. Brent Reese was picked 6th overall by Seattle and played in a grand total of 2 games. Both were consider busts, but LA has given them a second chance. DeFelice may eventually turn it around, but I don’t see Reese doing anything. Don’t expect many sacks to come from the defensive tackles this year.
Schmoe’s Grade: C-

Linebackers: This is by far the best unit on the team. Led by controversial rookie Fred Huntley, undrafted rookie Scottie Disney & expansion pick Kyle Hunter; these guys will get sacks. If you have a fantasy football team, pick up Huntley, I think he is going to be a very good player, possibly defensive player of the year.
Schmoe’s Grade: B-

Secondary: Even though this is probably the most experienced group on the team, having three members playing is all 16 games last year, they are probably the least talented. The starting corners are Lamar Kanell & Harris McElroy. Robbie Coronado may also see a lot of playing time. These guys are terrible and will probably give up many big plays.
The safeties are a little better. 6th rounder Terry Livesay is a bit below average and Hugh Mickell probably won’t suck. Probably.
Schmoe’s Grade: D

Overall Impressions: How can I put this without sounding overly harsh…This team is going to stink. I give them 1 game to win only because it is so damn hard to lose 16 in a row and they have an exceptional coach in Keister.

If QB Stokes plays over his head and WR Bush continues what he started in training camp and the O-line holds up and the kicker Moss doesn’t miss too many and the defense keeps them in the game then the team might win three games. I am not holding my breath.

If they do manage to get the donut, history will argue which team was the worst, the ’76 Buccaneers or the ’02 Diablos. The correct answer of course is who cares.

[SplitPersonality1]

Los Angeles Diablos (0-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-0) – Vegas Line MIA by 7

Starters out: Christian Malone, FB - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 3-5 Weeks

65,200 fans showed up in the beautiful Miami sunshine to see the very first LA Diablos game. The hometown fans were not disappointed. Miami kicked off and WR Donaldson returned the ball to the LA 11. On the first play from scrimmage, QB Stokes hit Roosevelt Shannon for 16 yards and a first down. On play two, RB Chester Eden ran for 10 yards for a second first down. Unfortunately for the visitors, the best part of their day was over.

That drive ended in a punt and MIA marched down the field and scored a quick Olindo Mare field goal. The Dolphins added a touchdown pass and two more Mare kicks before halftime and the Diablos were down 16-0. Things got worse from there and Miami scored on an interception return and two more TD passes from Damon Huard to get a 37-0 lead. LA did get a inconsequential field goal with 2 and half minutes to go to avoid the shutout, but the damage had already been done. Final Score: MIA 37 LA 3.

Good News: The running back trio of Truitt, Eden & Luck combined for 15 carries and 85 yards. Backup QB Kendall Well came in late in the fourth quarter and went 6/8 for 28 yards. LB Huntley registered 8 tackles and 2 sacks to begin his NFL career. The defense got a total of 5 sacks including 1.5 from DE Mark Bruce.

Bad News: The defense gave up 234 rushing yards and did not force a turnover. QB Stokes went 14/30 for only 96 yards, 0 td passes and 1 interception. WR Bush was shut down catching only 2 passes for 12 yards.

[SplitPersonality1]

After Week One

Homer: Well folks, we have one in the books…….. Man, that was a very ugly game. I must admit, I stopped watching it midway through the third; my stomach just couldn’t take it anymore. Let’s just open the phone lines and take some calls. LA Diablos; First Impressions…..Hey it’s our friend Hollywood Frank. You’re on the air.

HF: Hiya Homer. Boy, I gotta tell you I’m not surprised. I don’t think they are going to win a game all year. They stink.

Homer: Yeah, they really aren’t very good are they, but there were a few bright spots, right.

HF: They lost by 34 points. There are no bright spots. You have to be nice to the franchise since you run the Coach’s show. I don’t have to mince words. I don’t like the owner. I don’t care for Coach Keister, and I don’t like this team.

Homer: We definitely know where you stand Frank….next caller is…. Oh great…it’s the Anti-Homer.

AH: 0 and 16, baby. 0 and 16. This football team couldn’t beat my son’s Pee Wee League team and I love every minute of it. First the Dodgers collapse and slip out of playoff picture and now this. It’s a great time to be the Anti-Homer.

Homer: Come on AH, it’s only one game.

AH: Yeah, and what a game it was. Miami stinks and you guys still lost by 30.

Homer: (big sigh)….Bye AH…next on the line is ..oh good, one of my seven female callers; Big Momma is in the house. Are you going to jump all over the team as well?

BM: Of course not Homer. You know how much I love football, right.

Homer: Yes I do.

BM: I admit that the team needs a lot of work. That is probably an understatement. However, what people dn’t realize is that before yesterdays game, only 11 players on thet team had ever played a down in the NFL. In fact, only one had ever started.

Homer: That’s true.

BM: Of course it Homer. Now pay attention. I believe that this team will improve significantly as the season progresses. Do I think they are going to go the playoffs, of course not, but they will probably will a handful of games. I’m not ready to give up on this team yet.

Homer: Unfortunately, I think many folks have already given up on them. There was that article in the LA Times stating that only 25% of football fans in the LA area think this team will be around in five years.

BM: Hogwash. People were so down on our draft picks, but look how they did yesterday. Our guy Huntley had what 8 tackles and 2 sacks.

Homer: Yep.

BM: How did the other two highly touted linebackers do yesterday?

Homer: Um. I really don’t know.

BM: Tsk Homer. Harding did not play for Tampa yesterday, and Kelvin Richardson only got 2 tackles and 1 sack for Denver.

Homer: Good stuff Momma. More calls after the break.

[SplitPersonality1]

From LA Diablos page on the Football Universe Website

We managed to get an internal scouting report from deep within the Diablos organization. Keep in mind that NFL scouts use a 20 point scale. Note only one player is currently rated at least a 10. Yikes

 From the desk of Nathan Mojica of the Los Angeles Diablos

  

  Position/Player         Current Est  Future Est     Exp   Sgnd

  QB  Scottie Stokes                6           9       2   2003   

  QB  Raymond Sturdivant            3           9       1   2002   

  QB  Kendall Wells                 1           1       2   2003   

  RB  Heath Truitt                  6           7       2   2004   

  RB  Chester Eden                  6           7       1   2002   

  RB  Vince Luck                    5          10       1   2002   

  FB  Tom Walters                   6           9       1   2002   

  FB  Christian Malone              5           8       1   2002   

  TE  Mercury Boynton               5          11       1   2002   

  TE  Otis Jackson                  5           5       2   2003   

  WR  Mitch Bush                   10          13       1   2003   

  WR  Roosevelt Shannon             7           9       2   2004   

  WR  Maurice Harding               6           6       1   2002   

  WR  Al Delgado                    6           7       1   2003   

  WR  Corey Donaldson               5          11       1   2002   

   C  Dwight Farr                   5          12       1   2005   

   C  Corey Christmas               2           3       2   2003   

   G  Riddick Levine                6           8       2   2004   

   G  Winfred Burgess               6           6       2   2005   

   G  Marty Mills                   2           7       1   2005   

   G  Clarence Jarman               2           2       2   2003   

   G  Ralph Masso                   1           2       2   2003   

   T  B.J. Emerson                  5           8       2   2003   

   T  Ted Anthony                   5           7       2   2005   

   T  Wesley Alexander              4           5       2   2003   

   T  Derrick Shields               3           3       2   2004   

   T  Chuck Moore                   2           4       1   2005   

   P  Preston Gustafson             8          10       2   2002   

   K  Alfred Moss                   6           9       1   2002   

  DE  Mark Bruce                    6          10       2   2004   

  DE  Kenneth Weber                 4           8       2   2004   

  DE  Vince Harrison                4           9       2   2003   

  DE  Adam Greiner                  3           5       2   2002   

  DE  Donald Romo                   1           6       1   2002   

  DT  Trevor DeFelice               5          10       2   2004   

  DT  Brent Reese                   3           4       2   2006   

  DT  Aaron Palmer                  3           7       1   2002   

  DT  Hunter Higginbotham           2           5       1   2002   

  LB  Fred Huntley                  9          16       1   2007   

  LB  Scottie Disney                5          10       1   2002   

  LB  Kyle Hunter                   5           8       2   2003   

  LB  Tyrus Schuster                3           7       2   2003   

  LB  Earnest Bates                 3           7       2   2002   

  LB  Antoine Bone                  1           2       2   2002   

  CB  Lamar Kanell                  3           7       2   2004   

  CB  Robbie Coronado               3           4       2   2004   

  CB  Harris McElroy                3           7       1   2002   

  CB  Grady Tomlinson               3           3       2   2004   

  CB  Clay Murphy                   2           7       1   2002   

   S  Terry Livesay                 7           9       1   2003   

   S  Thomas McGriff                5          11       1   2002   

   S  Hugh Mickell                  4           5       2   2002   

   S  Leonard Alston                4           6       1   2002 

[SplitPersonality1]

Week 2

Los Angeles Diablos (0-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-0) – Vegas Line CLV by 6 ½

Starters out: Christian Malone, FB - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 3-5 Weeks

43,200 fans showed up at Diablos Stadium to see their new team. Cleveland won the toss and elected to receive. The Diablo defense forced the Browns to go three and out. A good start for the home team. On LA’s first play from scrimmage, Stokes completed a 13-yard pass to TE Mercury Boynton. It was all downhill from there.

Cleveland’s next drive lasted 8 and a half minutes, drove down the field 89 yards and ended in a 18 yard td toss from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson. Cleveland added another td early in the second to take a 14-0 lead. Both teams had a tough time moving the ball down the field and LA managed to keep the game close until the fourth quarter.

Cleveland scored on Couch’s third td pass of the day to take a commanding 21-0 lead with about 8 minutes to go. On the kickoff Roosevelt Shannon returned the ball 22 yards, but it was called back due to an illegal block. Stokes threw an incomplete pass intended for Bush. Then on the next play, he was called for intentional grounding. Unfortunately for Stokes, he was standing in the endzone at the time. Ouch. Cleveland gets the safety and many of the fans in LA start to leave the stadium. Cleveland scored twice more but LA did get on the board with a late td strike from Stokes to Boynton. Final Score CLV 37 LA 6.

Good News: Scottie Stokes threw his very first td pass. Safety Hugh Mickell caught his first interception as a Diablo. Mitch Bush had a decent game catching 5 passes for 74 yards.

Bad News: LA rushed for only 48 yards and the defense gave up 291 passing yards including 3 td’s.

Week 3

Los Angeles Diablos (0-2) vs. San Diego Chargers (2-0) – Vegas Line SD by 14

Injured Starters
Winfred Burgess, G - Concussion, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Christian Malone, FB - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Long term injuries
Corey Donaldson, WR - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 2-3 Months

LA traveled down the coast to San Diego to face the first place Chargers. They looked good coming off a 34-7 drubbing of Seattle.

This game was almost a repeat of the first two games. LA started out strong by forcing the Charges to go three and out. Heath Truitt returned tthe punt, fumbled, and San Diego’s Ross Verba recovered it on the LA 18. The Chargers scored quickly to lead 7-0. The Chargers scored twice more in the first, but Kicker Alfred Moss hit a 30-yarder just before half to make the score 17-3.

The second half was all Chargers as they had their way with the Diablo defense. They cruised to their third victory of the season, and handed LA its third loss. Final: SD 31 LA 10.

Good News: LA scored more than once for the first time all season. Although Stokes did not throw any td passes, he also did not throw any interceptions. RB Vince Luck ran for 58 yards and 1 td. Fred Huntley led the team in tackles with 11.

Bad News: The team gave up 30 points for the third consecutive game. San Diego QB Blake threw for 329 yards and was only sacked once. Receiver Mitch Bush was held to 2 catches for 18 yards, and the offensive line allowed 4 sacks. Also RB Heath Truitt, and both starting guards Levine and Burgess were injured during the game.

Standings: SD & OAK (3-0), KC (1-2), LA, DEN & SEA (0-3)

[SplitPersonality1]

After week 3

Homer: Well folks, the Diablos come back to town next Sunday to begin a five game home stand against KC, MIN, DEN, OAK and SD. The bad news is that the Vikings, the Raiders and the Chargers are all currently undefeated. Their best chance at a win is probably next week against Kansas City. The gamblers in Vegas seems to agree since KC is only favored by 1 ½ points.

What do you think of the season so far? Will the Diablos record be 0-8 at the break? Who has been the biggest surprise so far? Who is the biggest bust? Phone lines are full, but keep calling and tell me what you think…Bob from Redondo Beach, you’re on.

Bob: Hey Homer, when does basketball season start?

Homer: Yo Spicolli, get off the line, we’re talking football…Hollywood Frank, you’re up.

HF: Yeah Homer. This team sucks. There not even fun to watch…..(pause)…..hello.

Homer: You said the same thing last week Frank, got any insights for us.

HF: Uh, not really.

Homer: Later Frank….OK Sparky, can you do a better job of screening in there. Is there a full moon or what. Goodness…..Dirty Harry, you’re on the air.

DH: Hiya Homey. I’ll try to do better than those last two guys.

Homer: Not off to a good start Harry, I am Homer not Homey.

DH: Sorry. I actually think that Stokes is doing a decent job at QB. I know he only has 1 td pass so far, but he also has only thrown three interceptions. That’s not too bad for a rookie.

Homer: I suppose, but you must admit, it’s not that good.

DH: He will get better I think. Give him time.

Homer: Sure thing Harry….next up it’s…wait a minute, Sparky is passing along some info……(rustling of papers)…..Oh boy. This is interesting. Shannon Jurgenson, head coach of the Chiefs seems to think that the line in Vegas does not favor his team enough. He is quoted as saying the following: “I don’t know what kind of crack you Vegas guys are smoking. One and a half points? That LA team sucks. Most of those players don’t even belong in the NFL. In fact, if my team doesn’t win by at least two touchdowns, they will be doing two-a-days all next week during practice”.

Woah. Can anyone say incentive? Coach Keister needs to put this quote above every player’s locker room this week…..Interesting. Jules in a car phone, sory for the delay.

Jules: Hom(*&^^&##*), in the b(^%##^#). Really doesn’t matter. Kans($%$^$)….

Homer: Hang up Jules, your phone sucks, call back later…..oh great…..Big Chief, our resident Kansas City fan is on the line. Go ahead Big Chief.

BC: Homer, you don’t believe in all that “locker room message board” crap do you? If a team is far superior to another, no amount of “incentive” is going to change the outcome of the game.

Homer: Oh my goodness, I don’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with you on that point.

BC: Homer, agreeing with me, this is a first.

Homer: And probably a last. However, what you say is only true if one team is far better than another. KC is nearly as bad as LA.

BC: But who has a win Homey, Who has a win.

Homer: That win came against Chicago, a team that is actually rated lower than LA. I’m not going to guarantee a victory, but I will bet you $10 to the charity of your choice, that the Diablos will cover Coach Jurgenson’s spread of 14 points.

BC: You’re on Homey.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally posted by Marmel

I like the unique style in which you are writing this up. Keep up the good work and try to win a game or two.

[SplitPersonality1]

Thanks for the support Marmel. I'm glad you are enjoying this.

LA has a fairly soft schedule; they should squeak out a win or two this season. I hope.

[SplitPersonality1]

Week 4

Los Angeles Diablos (0-3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) – Vegas Line KC by 1 ½

Injured Starters
Heath Truitt, G - Concussion, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Winfred Burgess, G - Concussion, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Riddick Levine, G – Hyperextended Kneww, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Christian Malone, FB - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Other injuries
Corey Donaldson, WR - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 3-5 Weeks

For the fourth consecutive time this season, the Diablos force the opposition to go three and out on their first possession. After going 3 and out themselves, LA allows the Chiefs to march 80 yards down the field to score a td on a Jason Garrett pass to Tony Gonzalez.

LA began the next possession on their own 29. QB Sammie Stokes played like a madman as he completed passes to five different receivers, and ran a draw for 19 yards. LA’s best drive of the year ended when he hit Roosevelt Shannon with a 11 yard strike right between the numbers. Nice job! LA is back in this game. Middle of the second quarter, KC drives down to the LA 29. McAllister’s kick is up…and missed wide left. The game is still tied at seven apiece.

On KC’s opening play of the third quarter, DE Kenneth Weber sacked Jason Garrett. KC started to move the ball down the field but got stopped when Garrett was sacked a second time. They have to punt it away. LA gets the ball back but KC’s run defense comes up big. Three of the four running plays during the drive ended up with negative yardage.

After the punt, KC starts on their own 30. Garrett’s pass to Bassett falls incomplete, as Huntley gets his arm in the QB’s face. Garrett connects with Bassett for 14 on the next play but Huntley chases him down. KC tries a running play, and Huntley gets yet another tackle….fumble…LA recovers the ball on the KC 42!

Heath Truitt runs off right tackle for two yards. Chester Eden runs off left tackle, breaks away and goes the distance for a beautiful 40 yard touchdown. Extra point is good, and LA has it’s first lead in team history! The teams trade possessions until the start of the fourth and the Diablos carry a shaky one-touchdown lead into the final 15 minutes.

KC gets good field possession to start the fourth and Garrett tosses a pass for 6 yards to cross midfield. He hits Gonzalez for five and KC gets a first down. KC then abuses the left side of he defensive line by running for 11, 15 and finally 10 yards. KC is threatening to score. Garrett drops back from the 8 yard line, throws to Morris in the endzone….but he drops the ball. No catch. KC’s Grunhard did not like that call…..He just kicked one of the Diablos….and is being ejected from the game. The Chiefs back it up 15 due to the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. What a cheap shot by Grunhard!

On 2nd and goal from the 23, KC runs to the right and gets 10 yards. He was helped out of bounds by LB Scottie Disney. Garrett throws a pass to Lockett for 13 yards and a touchdown. The Diablo defense was completely overwhelmed during that last drive. Tie game at 14 with about 12 minutes to go.

On the next possession, LA begins with great field posistion (Own 43) and moves the ball down to the KC 34. Alfred Moss attempts a very long 51-yard kick….it’s up…..and……………sails wide left. Moss missed his first field goal of the season. That could be costly.

This time KC starts out near midfield and Garrett hits his receiver on a 47 yard pass play that takes then down to the 11 yard line. Three quick plays later, the Chiefs decide to settle things with a very short kick. McAllister sets up….kicks…and missed wide left. The Diablos caught a lucky break. They are still in this thing. The score remains tied as the clock moves to all zeros. We are going into overtime!

The Chiefs win the toss and of course elect to receive. Garrett snaps back from the KC24 and hands to off to Shehee. Shehee tries to go through the middle, but big Mark Bruce stops him for a gain of 1. Garrett hands of to Shehee again, but this time he gets a good block and sprints 21 yards before being crunched by the rookie Huntley. First down. Ball on the KC46. Another running play up the middle for 5 yards is followed by a quick pass for 2. The receiver was dropped by Huntley. He is all over the field folks. Garrett tries a long pass to Morris, but it was dropped. Fourth down. The Diablos have a chance to win it.

The short punt if fielded by Roosevelt Shannon, but he only gains 2 and runs out of bounds at the LA 23. Holding on the play. LA is now backed up to the 13. Sammie Stokes takes the snap, waits, fires it across the middle…ball way overthrown; intended for Jackson. 2nd and 10. Stokes throws it quickly this time, but it is underthrown, intended for Mitch Bush. 3rd and 10. Stokes takes another snap, throws it toward his favorite receiver Shannon, and it is underthrown again. Nerves perhaps. The Diablos are forced to punt from the 13.

Gustafson’s punt goes up, ugh, a bad one….KC will begin on the LA 40…Nedd a defensive stop here. Garrett hands off to Shehee who goes left and hits a wall in Mark Bruce. No gain. Garrett hands off to Richardson for a 1 yard gain. Huntley was in on the tackle.Garrett then tosses one to Richardson who only gets 3 yards. Great defense, but KC is going to attempt a 53 yard field goal.

The kick is up….it’straight, is it long enough………yes. Game over. KC wins 17-14.

And a rivalry is born.

Good News: LA had it’s first lead ever and did not have any turnovers. The O-line did not give up a sack. The team had both a rushing and a passing td. Fred Huntley had 12 tackles and 6 assists. He seems to be an early DROY candidate.
Bad News: Alfred Moss’ missed field goal. Defense gave up 293 passing yards. Rookie Mitch Bush had another sub-par day catching 3 passes for 13 yards. Team had just 3 KRB’s.

[SplitPersonality1]

after Week 4

This is Johnny “the Homer” Free and I am an official member of the Fred Huntley fan club. That guy was brilliant yesterday. I must admit that I, along with most of the rest of the media in this town, was very critical of the Diablos organization for their draft picks. I am not too proud to admit that I was wrong. Now…what should we talk about today folks. The missed field goal kick, Tim Grunhard’s kick to Huntley’s head, or stupid coaches that make ridiculous statements who have to eat their words…It’s your choice …Just call in……..Mister X, you’re on the air.

MrX: Hey Homer. I just want to call you to say that Grunhard should have to pay a lot of money for kicking our guy. That was completely uncalled for. Football is a full contact sport , but that was ridiculous.

Homer: I agree…….Next on the line is…...oh great…Big Chief, you’re on the air. And you can send your check to the station. Make it payable to the Boys and Girls Club of South Central.

BC: No problem Homer, and least my team won. You LA boys are a bunch of wusses. Grunhard didn’t kick your precious rookie intentionally, it was incidental contact.

Homer: Incidental? Are you nuts? The referee on the field obviously saw the same thing I did.

BC: Whatever Homer. His foot barely grazed him. I’m just happy that my team didn’t stink up the joint. Your Diablos are going to be bad for a long, long time. The QB didn’t even throw for 100 yards.

Homer: Actually he did…124 to be exact.

BC: OH, I’m sorry. 124 yards and 1 td…He’s the next Brett FAvre.

Homer: Say goodbye Big Chief

BC: Later Homer. (click)

Homer: That guy is such a jack. We’ll take more calls after the break

[SplitPersonality1]

Week 5

Los Angeles Diablos (0-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (3-1) – Vegas Line MIN by 6

Heath Truitt, RB - Bruised Sternum, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Winfred Burgess, G - Concussion, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Riddick Levine, G - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Vince Harrison, DE - Hip Pointer, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Corey Donaldson, WR - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Hunter Higginbotham, DT - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

LA started off well holding Culpepper and the Vikes to 35 yards passing and no points in the first quarter. Too bad that the Diablos didn’t score either. Culpepper went down late in the quarter and Bubby Brister stepped in and quickly got a td. LA gave it a valiant try, but the offense just could not punch it in. Two interceptions and a fumble did nothing to help their cause. Diablos lose 24-9.

Good News: Statistically, LA went toe to toe with the Vikes. Their total yards only differed by about 40. (344 to 301). Bush caught 5 passes for 74 yards.

Bad News: 3 costly turnovers on the LA side of the field cost them the game. Huntley only had 2 tackles and 1 assist. DPOW was CB Joseph Staton, he caught both of Stokes’ interceptions.

Week 6

Los Angeles Diablos (0-5) vs. Denver Broncos (0-4) – Vegas Line DEN by 2.5

Injured Starters
Heath Truitt, RB - Bruised Sternum, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Winfred Burgess, G - Concussion, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Riddick Levine, G - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
B.J. Emerson, T - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Vince Harrison, DE - Hip Pointer, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Mitch Bush, WR - Turf Toe, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

Injuries got the best of the Diablos this week as they lose in a shutout against a bad Denver team. Early in the fourth with the score 17-0, LA drove down the field 73 yards to get to the 1 yard line. Stokes throws an interception to kill the drive. The Broncos get their first win of the season. Score: DEN 20 LA 0.

Good News: RB Vince Luck filled in as the number 5 receiver and caught 4 passes for 79 yards before getting hurt.

Bad News: Chester Eden had 10 carries for only 16 yards. Livesay, Shannon, Luck, Coronado and Huntley were all injured within the first 16 minutes of play. That was a tough break considering most of the offensive line was already in street clothes on the sideline. The Diablos had a total of 6 first downs.

Week 7

Los Angeles Diablos (0-6) vs. Oakland Raiders (4-2) – Vegas Line OAK by 13.5

Injured Starters
Heath Truitt, RB - Bruised Sternum, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Riddick Levine, G - Hyperextended Knee, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
B.J. Emerson, T - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Vince Harrison, DE - Hip Pointer, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Robbie Coronado, CB - Sprained Ankle, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Mitch Bush, WR - Turf Toe, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Corey Donaldson, WR - Bruised Ribcage, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

This was a very strange game. LA had 343 total yards to Oakland’ 356. LA had 4 sacks to Oakland’s 0. Final score: OAK 41 LA 7.

Good News: Heath Truitt played through the pain and had a career best 124 yards, including a 98 gem for a touchdown. DT Aaron Palmer gets two sacks.

Bad News: That was LA’s only gem of the game. Three turnovers made yet another team look like Superbowl contenders.

Week 8

Los Angeles Diablos (0-7) vs. San Diego Broncos (7-0) – Vegas Line SD by 19

Injured Starters
B.J. Emerson, T - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Vince Harrison, DE - Hip Pointer, full strength in 3-5 Weeks

Going into the game, San Diego had not scored fewer than 27 and LA had not scored more than 14. This was to be the mother of all mismatches. However, that was not the case. Even though LA had only 67 total yards by the half, the Chargers had just a 3-0 lead. They added a td in the third to lead by 10.

The Diablos had punted 10 consecutive times before finally Stokes hit Maurice Harding for a td with 6 minutes to go. After San Diego’s drive stalled at their own 38, LA returned the punt back to the LA38. LA marched down the field all the way to the 15. With about a minute to go, Alfred Moss put up a wounded duck that sailed very wide right and the Diablos chances for one of the biggest upsets ever was dashed. Final Score: SD 10 LA 7.

Good News: Held a high powered offense to 10 points. No turnovers. RB Vince Luck rushes for 26, but catches 4 for 100 yards. The defense registers 7 sacks and 1 interception. The o-line did not give up a sack.

[SplitPersonality1]

From LA Diablos page on the Football Universe Website

The LA Diablos get a much needed week off and entire the second half with an abysmal 0-8 record. They have yet to score more than 14 points and they tend to give up more than 30. Not a good combination.

On a positive note, the defense gets a lot of sacks and the offensive line is very stingy with them. In fact they have outsacked their opponents by a 18-4 margin despite the losing all of the games.

On the negative side, QB Sammie Stokes TD to INT ratio is a miserable 4-9. Also, kicker Alfred Moss has lost his stuff. After starting out 3 for 3, he has gone just 1 for 7, during the last five games.

Just two players seem to player really well. LB Fred Huntley is in the top 5 in tackles with 57, and RB Vince Luck has both 250 yards in passing and receiving. Everyone else is average or worse. The team has had many injuries and the easiest part of their schedule is behind them. This is not a good combination. We predict more of the same for the second half. They may win one or two, but are very likely going to have the first pick in the 2003 draft.

Standings: SD (8-0), OAK (5-4), SEA & DEN (3-5), KC (2-6), LA (0-8)

[SplitPersonality1]

After Week 9

This is Johnny “the Homer” Free and you are listening to the last segment of the Coach Keister Show. Well Coach, the Diablo’s record stands at 0-8 and you have gone through the easy part of your schedule. Any thoughts on what we can expect for the second half?

Coach: Well Homer, not much will change in the second half. The team will continue to play hard. They will also continue to learn the system and hopefully that translates into a few wins.

Homer: No NFL team has gone 0-16, and no team has gone winless since the ’76 Buccaneers. Do you think LA will win a game?

Coach: We are capable of beating anyone on any given Sunday. We proved that against the Chargers.

Homer: Actually Coach, you didn’t prove it. You lost the game.

Coach: (heavy sigh)…What I mean is that we were competitive even though we were nearly 20 point underdogs. We never gave up, and stayed in the game.

Homer: That’s true….One more question. Next week you travel down to KC, will this be a revenge game for you guys.

Coach: Revenge? No, not really. Do you want to win it? Of course; I will admit, that some of the players want to win this one very badly, but I tell them to stay focused and stick to our gameplan.

Homer: Good luck on Sunday, Coach.

[SplitPersonality1]

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz

Split: Just found this! Good stuff! Keep it up!
I hope you get a win!

I've always wanted to see someone try something similar to Quiksand's rules. This will be fun!

[SplitPersonality1]

Week 10

Los Angeles Diablos (0-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (2-6) – Vegas Line KC by 6.5

The Diablos had something to prove in this game against the Chiefs, and they came out swinging. LA won the toss and completed a beautiful 12 play 71-yard drive ending with a little dump pass from Sammie Stokes to Maurice Harding.

Unfortunately, KC also had something to prove. They scored on unanswered touchdowns on each of their next 5 possessions to get a commanding 35-7 lead. The Diablos got one more score, but turned the ball over twice deep in their own territory. KC scored two more touchdowns and the ‘revenge’ game was over. Final: KC 49 LA 14

Good News: Huntley 13 tackles and 3 assists.

Bad News: 3 turnovers leading to 21 points. Defense gave up 256 yards rushing. LA did not get a turnover.

Standings: SD (9-0), OAK (5-4), SEA, KC & DEN (3-6), LA (0-9)


Week 11

Los Angeles Diablos (0-9) at Chicago Bears (2-7) – Vegas Line CHI by 8.5

Injured Starters:
Lamar Kanell, CB - Deep Thigh Bruise, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Aaron Palmer, DT - Hip Pointer, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Scottie Disney, LB - Broken Finger, full strength in 0-2 Weeks

It was a snowy day in Soldier Field and the Diablos never thawed out. LA had the ball on offense 15 times. They went three and out 9 times, threw for two interceptions, lost 1 fumble, kicked two more miscellaneous punts and had time expire to end the game. They gave up a interception return for a td and a blocked punt recovered in the end zone.

On defense, they did not fair much better, giving up 5 field goals and 1 td. All in all, it was the worst performance of the season. LA gets shutout 36-0

Good News: Mitch Bush had a good day with 9 catches for 109 yards.

Bad News: 1/13 on 3rd down attempts. O-Line allowed 5 sacks. Team rushing 67 yards.

Notes: San Diego lost its first game of the season to Oakland 34-10.

Standings: SD (9-1), OAK (6-4), DEN (4-6), SEA, KC (3-7), LA (0-10)


Week 12

Los Angeles Diablos (0-10) at Seattle Seahawks (3-7) – Vegas Line SEA by 8.5

Injured Starters:
Roosevelt Shannon, L A, WR - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Tyrus Schuster, LB - Sprained Back, full strength in 2003

Sammie Stokes opened the game with 4 straight completed passes, and then went down hard early in the first. The drive stalled and the Diablos were forced to punt. Despite a Seattle fumble, interception and missed field goal, LA was down 21-0 at the half. This was primarily due to backup QB Raymond Sturdivant’s sub par performance.

LA finally got on the board in the third with a td toss to AL Delgado, but it was not nearly enough. Final Score: SEA 34 LA 10

Good News: WR Roosevelt Shannon played through his injury and had 5 receptions for 99 yards. Alfred Moss hit his first and only field goal attempt since the open week.

Bad News: Raymond Sturdivant played worse than Sammie Stokes. (11 for 32, 179 yards, 1 td and 1 interception). Defense gave up 200 plus rushing yards for the second time in three games. LA had 16 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Standings: SD (10-1), OAK (7-4), DEN & SEA (4-7), KC (3-8), LA (0-11)

[SplitPersonality1]

Thanks for the support GB.

I came across Quiksand’s House Arrest rules shortly after I purchased FOF. I love a challenge and have used Quik’s rules or a variation of them in every one of my FOF games.

I, too, hope I get a win. If not, things are going to get ugly in LA.

[SplitPersonality1]

From RumorMill page on the Football Universe Website

There have been whispers of discontent in the LA Diablos organization. Team insiders state that team owner SplitPersonality has serious concerns about the coach and the lead scout. SplitPersonlity vehemently denies the rumor stating that “all of us are in this thing together.”

Week 13

Los Angeles Diablos (0-11) at Oakland Raiders (7-4) – Vegas Line OAK by 15

The Oakland Raiders have been riding high every since a big win against the Chargers two weeks ago. At the end of 1, OAK had out-rushed LA 280-103 and led 24-7. Oakland’s winning ways continue and they roll over the Diablos 41-13.

Good News: Team had 4 sacks…and…that’s really it.

Bad News: The defense gave up 488 yards rushing. Including DPOW Napoleon Kaufman who had 29 carries for 392 yards & 5 TDs. Sammie Stokes had a horrible game (16 for 40, 224 yards & 2 interceptions)

Standings: SD (10-2), OAK (8-4), DEN (5-7), SEA & KC (4-8), LA (0-12)


Week 14

Los Angeles Diablos (0-12) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-7) – Vegas Line SEA by 4

Injured Starters:
Marty Mills, G - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Scottie Stokes, QB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Long Term Injury
Tyrus Schuster, LB - Sprained Back, full strength in 2003

Sammie Stokes was on fire at the start of the game. He completed 6 of 6 for 52 yards before he got hurt. Backup QB Sturdivant followed up with a pathetic 9 for 24, 123 yard, 1 td, 4 interception performance. A very winnable game goes into the loss column. Final: SEA 36 LA 7.

Standings: SD (10-3), OAK (9-4), DEN (6-7), SEA (5-8), KC (4-9), LA (0-13)


Week 15

Los Angeles Diablos (0-13) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3) – Vegas Line TB by 18

Injured Starters
Scottie Stokes, QB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Marty Mills, G - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Fred Huntley, LB - Sprained Ankle, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Long Term Injury
Tyrus Schuster, LB - Sprained Back, full strength in 2003

A beat up Diablos team traveled to Tampa Bay and got crushed by one of the top teams in the league. QB Sturdivant was replaced by third stringer Kendall Wells in the third quarter. Final Score: TB 51 LA 7.

Good News: Kendall Wells had a decent performance in his Diablo debut. (9 for 18, 56 yards, 0 interceptions). DE Mark Bruce had 2 sacks.

Bad News: Tampa Bay passed for 346 yards. LA had 19 rushing yards on 16 carries. Huntley did not play.

Note: San Diego has dropped three straight and Oakland has won five in a row.

Standings: SD & OAK (10-4), DEN (6-8), SEA & KC (5-9), LA (0-14)


Week 16

Los Angeles Diablos (0-14) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-9) – Vegas Line PIT by 9.5

Injured Starters
Scottie Stokes, QB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Marty Mills, G - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Fred Huntley, LB - Sprained Ankle, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Dwight Farr, C - Shoulder Tendonitis, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Long Term Injury
Tyrus Schuster, LB - Sprained Back, full strength in 2003

36,500 saw LA play its final home game of the season. There are 36,800 season ticket holders. Yikes.

The Diablos defense finally had a decent first half, giving up just 10 points. Unfortunately, the offense continued to struggle and another winnable game went down the tubes. Final 26-3

Good News: Defense held PIT to 275 total yards and got 4 sacks. Fred Huntley had another good outing with 11 tackles, 4 assists, and ½ sack.

Bad News: Offense had 7 first downs, 31 yards rushing and 154 yards passing. O-line gave up 6 sacks.

Standings: OAK (11-4), SD (10-5), DEN (7-8), SEA (6-9), KC (5-10), LA (0-15)


Week 17

Los Angeles Diablos (0-15) at Denver Broncos (7-8) – Vegas Line DEN by 13.5

Injured Starters
Scottie Stokes, QB - Pulled Groin, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Wesley Alexander, T - Bruised Shoulder, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Dwight Farr, C - Shoulder Tendonitis, full strength in 3-5 Weeks
Fred Huntley, LB - Sprained Ankle, full strength in 0-2 Weeks
Long Term Injury
Tyrus Schuster, LB - Sprained Back, full strength in 2003

Offensively, the Diablos played one of the worst games of all time. They managed just 3 first downs, 49 yards rushing and 44 yards passing. They had the ball for only 18:06 minutes and went 0/11 on third down plays. They lose their third shutout of the season by the score of 26-0.

Standings: OAK (12-4), SD (14-5), DEN (8-8), SEA & KC (6-10), LA (0-16)

[SplitPersonality1]

2002 Final Standings

2002 Regular Season Standings

   

 AFC East               W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

Buffalo                 11  5   0   .687  346   288   3-5-0   7-5-0     

Miami                   10  6   0   .625  332   270   5-3-0   7-5-0     

New England             10  6   0   .625  397   296   4-4-0   8-4-0     

Indianapolis            9   7   0   .562  388   325   5-3-0   7-5-0     

New York J              8   8   0   .500  316   348   3-5-0   6-6-0     

   

 AFC Central            W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

Cincinnati              11  5   0   .687  351   277   8-2-0   8-4-0     

Jacksonville            10  6   0   .625  264   225   7-3-0   9-4-0     

Cleveland               8   8   0   .500  340   286   4-5-0   6-7-0     

Pittsburgh              6   10  0   .375  258   276   3-7-0   5-8-0     

Baltimore               6   10  0   .375  240   308   4-6-0   5-8-0     

Tennessee               6   10  0   .375  271   358   4-6-0   4-8-0     

   

 AFC West               W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

Oakland                 12  4   0   .750  479   276   9-1-0   10-2-0    

San Diego               11  5   0   .687  322   251   7-3-0   9-4-0     

Denver                  8   8   0   .500  294   277   6-4-0   7-6-0     

Seattle                 6   10  0   .375  223   283   4-6-0   4-8-0     

Kansas City             6   10  0   .375  259   351   4-6-0   4-9-0     

**Los Angeles           0   16  0   .000  110   516   0-10-0  0-13-0    

   

 NFC East               W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

Dallas                  9   7   0   .562  322   260   6-2-0   7-5-0     

New York G              8   8   0   .500  321   357   5-3-0   7-5-0     

Washington              8   8   0   .500  396   399   3-5-0   6-6-0     

Arizona                 8   8   0   .500  334   366   3-5-0   6-6-0     

Philadelphia            5   11  0   .312  266   323   3-5-0   5-7-0     

   

 NFC Central            W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

Tampa Bay               12  4   0   .750  338   263   7-1-0   9-3-0     

Minnesota               10  6   0   .625  338   266   4-4-0   7-5-0     

Detroit                 9   7   0   .562  313   276   3-5-0   5-7-0     

Chicago                 5   11  0   .312  307   310   3-5-0   4-8-0     

Green Bay               4   12  0   .250  287   340   3-5-0   4-8-0     

   

 NFC West               W   L   T   Pct   PF    PA    Div     Conf  

St. Louis               12  4   0   .750  371   281   5-3-0   8-4-0     

New Orleans             10  6   0   .625  397   270   6-2-0   8-4-0     

Atlanta                 9   7   0   .562  312   283   5-3-0   7-5-0     

San Francisco           6   10  0   .375  285   304   1-7-0   4-8-0     

Carolina                3   13  0   .187  160   428   3-5-0   3-9-0     

     

Postseason
Dallas won the NFC East with a 9-7 record and surprised everyone by beating Detroit, St. Louis and heavily favored Tampa Bay to get to the SuperBowl.
Oakland got to the big game by winning their last seven games of the season to capture the AFC West. A tough divisional game against the second place Chargers (40-34) was followed by an easy game against the Bengals.

Superbowl 2002 was a low scoring affair, but the heavily favored Raiders pulled out the victory 16-9.

[SplitPersonality1]

From LA Diablos page on the Football Universe Website

2002 Stats

Quarterbacks

  Name                  GP  GS  Att   Comp  Pct   Yards Avg   Lg

**Wells, Kendall        4   0   28    16    57.1  89    3.17  14      

**Stokes, Scottie       13  13  383   184   48.0  1931  5.04  54      

**Sturdivant, Raymond   8   3   147   63    42.8  649   4.41  46      

  

  Name                  TD    Int   Sack  Yards Rate

**Wells, Kendall        0     0     4     22    62.9    

**Stokes, Scottie       6     15    23    147   52.0    

**Sturdivant, Raymond   2     8     14    77    38.0



Running Backs

  Name                  GP  GS  Att   Yards Avg   Lg    TD	Fum

**Truitt, Heath         16  11  68    383   5.6   98    2	3 

**Eden, Chester         16  0   76    369   4.8   42    1	2 

**Luck, Vince           16  5   66    203   3.0   27    1	1



Fullbacks   

  Name                  GP  GS  Att   Yards Avg   Lg    TD	

**Walters, Tom          6   6   8     22    2.7   5     0       

**Malone, Christian     10  10  7     9     1.2   7     0  



  Name                  Fm    Rv    TD    KRB   KRO   BPct

**Walters, Tom          0     0     0     5     9     55.5    

**Malone, Christian     1     0     0     3     9     33.3  



Tight Ends

  Name                  GP  GS  Ctch  Yards Avg   Targ  CtPct

**Boynton, Mercury      16  16  23    169   7.3   42    54.7    

**Jackson, Otis         16  0   11    115   10.4  19    57.8    



  Name                  Lg    TD    YAC   Drop  PsPly TgPct

**Boynton, Mercury      15    1     94    4     305   13.7    

**Jackson, Otis         43    0     52    1     140   13.5    



  Name                  GP  GS  Fm    Rv    TD    KRB   KRO   BPct

**Jackson, Otis         16  0   0     0     0     1     1     100.0   

**Boynton, Mercury      16  16  0     0     0     3     5     60.0    

  

  Name                  SkA   PsPly SkPct RnPly OpPct

**Jackson, Otis         0     140   0.0   77    1.2     

**Boynton, Mercury      0     305   0.0   149   3.3     



Wide Recievers

  Name                  GP  GS  Ctch  Yards Avg   Targ  CtPct

**Shannon, Roosevelt    16  16  58    678   11.6  115   50.4    

**Bush, Mitch           15  5   58    590   10.1  134   43.2    

**Harding, Maurice      16  11  52    578   11.1  129   40.3    

**Delgado, Al           16  0   25    149   5.9   49    51.0    

**Donaldson, Corey      12  0   3     14    4.6   9     33.3    



  Name                  Lg    TD    YAC   Drop  PsPly TgPct

**Shannon, Roosevelt    45    1     290   5     366   31.4    

**Bush, Mitch           54    0     261   5     385   34.8    

**Harding, Maurice      46    3     230   15    439   29.3    

**Delgado, Al           40    3     121   4     261   18.7    

**Donaldson, Corey      7     0     10    0     36    25.0    



Other Recievers

  Name                  GP  GS  Ctch  Yards Avg   Targ  CtPct

**Luck, Vince           16  5   26    353   13.5  45    57.7    

**Malone, Christian     10  10  3     18    6.0   5     60.0    

**Truitt, Heath         16  11  2     5     2.5   5     40.0    

**Eden, Chester         16  0   2     0     0.0   4     50.0    

**Walters, Tom          6   6   0     0     0.0   2     0.0     



  Name                  Lg    TD    YAC   Drop  PsPly TgPct

**Luck, Vince           48    0     128   2     336   13.3    

**Malone, Christian     9     0     23    0     128   3.9     

**Truitt, Heath         3     0     6     0     106   4.7     

**Eden, Chester         1     0     18    0     218   1.8     

**Walters, Tom          0     0     0     0     70    2.8     

   

 Centers

  Name                  GP  GS  Fm    Rv    TD    KRB   KRO   BPct

**Farr, Dwight          14  13  0     0     0     4     22    18.1    

**Christmas, Corey      14  3   0     0     0     1     11    9.0



  Name                  SkA   PsPly SkPct RnPly OpPct

**Farr, Dwight          4     369   1.0   147   14.9    

**Christmas, Corey      2     174   1.1   78    14.1     



Guards

  Name                  GP  GS  Fm    Rv    TD    KRB   KRO   BPct

**Burgess, Winfred      13  12  0     0     0     14    31    45.1    

**Levine, Riddick       12  8   0     0     0     3     22    13.6    

**Mills, Marty          12  9   0     0     0     4     25    16.0    

**Jarman, Clarence      15  3   0     1     0     1     14    7.1     

**Masso, Ralph          6   0   0     0     0     1     3     33.3



  Name                  SkA   PsPly SkPct RnPly OpPct

**Burgess, Winfred      7     324   2.1   124   25.0    

**Levine, Riddick       5     283   1.7   111   19.8

**Mills, Marty          3     285   1.0   131   19.0    

**Jarman, Clarence      3     193   1.5   83    16.8    

**Masso, Ralph          1     25    4.0   8     37.5



Tackles

  Name                  GP  GS  Fm    Rv    TD    KRB   KRO   BPct

**Emerson, B.J.         12  6   0     0     0     2     17    11.7    

**Anthony, Ted          16  16  0     0     0     9     32    28.1    

**Alexander, Wesley     14  7   0     0     0     6     20    30.0    

**Shields, Derrick      16  3   0     0     0     0     6     0.0     

**Moore, Chuck          4   0   0     0     0     0     0     0.0 



  Name                  SkA   PsPly SkPct RnPly OpPct

**Emerson, B.J.         3     267   1.1   111   15.3    

**Anthony, Ted          4     458   0.8   183   17.4    

**Alexander, Wesley     2     242   0.8   91    21.9    

**Shields, Derrick      2     157   1.2   73    8.2     

**Moore, Chuck          1     13    7.6   5     0.0     



Kickers

  Name                  GP  GS  FG    FGA   Lg    PAT   Att

**Moss, Alfred          16  0   7     15    43    11    11      

**Gustafson, Preston    16  0   0     0     0     0     0       

  

  Name                  Punt  Yards Avg   Lg    In20

**Moss, Alfred          0     0     0.0   0     0       

**Gustafson, Preston    138   5699  41.2  65    39      



Defensive Ends

  Name                  GP  GS  Tckl  Asst  Sack  Blk   Hurr

**Bruce, Mark           16  16  56    19    10.5  2     3       

**Weber, Kenneth        16  7   39    14    4.5   0     2       

**Greiner, Adam         16  8   35    12    3.5   0     4       

**Harrison, Vince       12  1   19    5     0.0   0     0       

**Romo, Donald          4   0   4     2     0.0   0     0       

  

  Name                  RnPly PsPly PRPct TkPct

**Bruce, Mark           431   401   3.8   10.2    

**Weber, Kenneth        369   257   2.5   9.1     

**Greiner, Adam         320   300   2.5   8.1     

**Harrison, Vince       150   85    0.0   10.2    

**Romo, Donald          52    31    0.0   7.2

     

 Defensive Tackles

  Name                  GP  GS  Tckl  Asst  Sack  Blk   Hurr

**Reese, Brent          16  16  36    16    4.5   0     2       

**DeFelice, Trevor      16  16  30    11    1.5   1     1       

**Higginbotham, Hunter  15  0   16    2     0.5   0     0       

**Palmer, Aaron         14  0   6     8     4.0   0     3       

  

  Name                  RnPly PsPly PRPct TkPct

**Reese, Brent          312   316   2.0   8.9     

**DeFelice, Trevor      348   312   1.1   6.4     

**Higginbotham, Hunter  219   142   0.3   5.1     

**Palmer, Aaron         173   156   4.4   5.4     



Linebackers

  Name                  GP  GS  Tckl  Asst  Sack  Blk   Hurr

**Huntley, Fred         16  16  113   41    3.0   0     1       

**Hunter, Kyle          16  15  92    26    2.0   0     1       

**Disney, Scottie       16  15  83    30    1.5   0     0       

**Bates, Earnest        11  2   33    8     0.5   0     0       

**Bone, Antoine         11  0   29    10    0.5   0     0       

**Schuster, Tyrus       10  0   12    4     0.0   0     0       

  

  Name                  RnPly PsPly PRPct TkPct

**Huntley, Fred         404   384   1.0   19.9    

**Hunter, Kyle          385   305   0.9   17.3    

**Disney, Scottie       420   363   0.4   14.6    

**Bates, Earnest        165   112   0.4   14.9    

**Bone, Antoine         155   100   0.5   15.4    

**Schuster, Tyrus       59    37    0.0   16.6    

 

Corners    

  Name                  GP  GS  Ints  IRYd  TD    Cght  Dfns

**Coronado, Robbie      16  8   1     17    0     27    1       

**Kanell, Lamar         16  15  0     0     0     19    1       

**McElroy, Harris       16  9   1     13    0     15    2       

**Tomlinson, Grady      11  0   3     62    1     5     0       

**Murphy, Clay          5   0   0     0     0     5     1       

  

  Name                  PsPly PDQ

**Coronado, Robbie      313   18.1    

**Kanell, Lamar         278   15.4    

**McElroy, Harris       246   24.8    

**Tomlinson, Grady      191   40.9    

**Murphy, Clay          63    21.5    



Safeties

  Name                  GP  GS  Ints  IRYd  TD    Cght  Dfns

**Livesay, Terry        16  16  0     0     0     27    3       

**Mickell, Hugh         16  15  3     43    0     35    3       

**McGriff, Thomas       16  1   2     3     0     19    3       

**Alston, Leonard       0   0   0     0     0     0     0       

  

  Name                  PsPly PDQ

**Livesay, Terry        418   17.9    

**Mickell, Hugh         413   26.7    

**McGriff, Thomas       189   35.3    

**Alston, Leonard       0     0.0   

2002 Scorecard

Quarterback: Scottie Stokes was not the worst quarterback in the league, but was pretty close with a miserable 52.0 QBR. Raymond Sturdivant the backup was even worse. These two combined for 8 td and 23 interceptions.
Schmoe’s Grade: F

Running Game: The trio of Truitt, Eden & Luck combined for over 950 yards which isn’t too bad. Unfortunately they had just 4 touchdowns against 6 fumbles. This is definately an area where the Diablos need improvement.
Schmoe’s Grade: D+

Receivers: Roosevelt Shannon stepped up this year to become the #1 receiver. He caught more then half of the passes thrown to him and had only 5 drops. Draft pick Mitch Bush was a bit of a disappointment with only 58 catches for 590 yards. He was expected to do much better. Maurice Harding would be a good receiver is he could eliminate some of his drops. He had 15 on the season. RB Vince Luck did a very good job as the number 4 receiver late in the season. He had 26 catches for 353 yards.
Schmoe’s Grade: C-

O-Line: Streaky and injury-prone is the best way to describe this group. At times, they played brilliantly. In the first half of the season, they had several games giving up 0 or 1 sack. The second half was awful; too many opponents put Stokes and Sturdivant in the turf. G Winfred Burgess & T Ted Anthony were the best of this rag-tag bunch.
Schmoe’s Grade: C-

Kicking Game: Punter Preston Gustafson did an adequate job as a punter. He certainly had enough practice averaging nearly 9 punts per game. Kicker Alfred Moss was just awful. He started the season by nailing his first three field goals, but followed it up with a 4 and 12 effort. His longest kick was only 43 yards.
Schmoe’s Grade: D-

Defensive Ends/Tackles: DE Mark Bruce led the team in sacks with 10.5, Kennetrh Weber and Adam Grenier combined for 8 on the other side. Brent Reese surprised a lot of folks this year and played fairly well getting 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Schmoe’s Grade: C

Linebackers: Huntley, Disney & Hunter combined for 288 tackles, 97 assists and 6.5 sacks. This is probably the most talented group on this team. That’s not saying much. Huntley’s 113 tackles tied for fourth this season and his TPct of 19.9 was the second best. Not bad for a rookie.
Schmoe’s Grade: B

Secondary: Besides the kicking game, this is where the Diablos struggle the most. They don’t have any players that would start on another team.
Schmoe’s Grade: F

Overall Impressions: 0-16.
Schmoe’s Final Grade: F

Postseason Awards

Defensive Rookie of the Year: LB Fred Huntley