The Home Stretch for Season 38

SEVEN TEAMS STILL ALIVE
Seven of the league's 10 teams are still in the playoff hunt as we head into the home stretch of Season 38, and not one team has clinched a post-season berth as of yet.
Three of the five teams in the West are still mathematically in the hunt, and four of the five in the East.
The toughest schedules in order of toughest to easiest are rated as follows for the remaining seven contenders.
1) Philadelphia (5-3)--Remaining games against first-place Chicago (7-2) and second-place Charleston (5-3), both of whom beat the Phobia this season. The good thing is that both Philly games are at home. Like last season when they made the final after being picked for last, the Phobia began the season as big underdogs, predicted to finish fourth by both Dave and Tyler in the East.
2)Milwaukee (5-3)--Two home games, one against first-place Oklahoma City (6-2) and the other against lowly Houston (0-8). The good news is that the Greyhounds are getting power forward Puddles Pondhopper back while the Lariats will be without their power forward Reckless Abandon, whom they demonstrated they missed greatly in their recent loss to Dallas.
3) (tie) San Jose (4-4)--Even if they win their final two games, they still might not make it in. The next game, on the road against Dallas, is an eliminator if the Fighting Amigos lose. The final game is against Seattle (1-6), which has the offensive firepower to pull an upset.
3) (tie) Dallas (5-3)--Demons seem to need one win in their two remaining games against San Jose (4-4) and Sacramento (2-6). Right now they hold a two-game tie-breaker lead over San Jose in division wins and an 8-plus point differential in the second tie-breaker.
5)(tie)Oklahoma City (6-2)--The Lariats, like Dallas, need one win to clinch a playoff spot, it would seem. Their remaining games are a tough road game crossover against a strong Milwaukee team (5-3) and a final home game against Seattle (1-6).
5) (tie) Chicago (7-2)--Even with 7 wins and just one game to go, the Gale are not yet assured of a playoff spot. Their remaining contest is against Philadelphia (5-3) on the road. A win would do it, and Chicago pounded the Phobia 95-68 earlier this season. But a loss could still leave the Gale vulnerable to the rest of the East pack.
7) Charleston (5-3)--The Mountaineers have a home game against win-less Houston and a road game against Philadelphia (5-3). On the surface this looks like the easiest road to the playoffs out of all the contenders, but the Houston game might just be a trap game. Charleston has wins against both these teams, but beat Philly at the buzzer.
It's gonna be a madman finish, folks.

38th MBA All Star Game

EAST 106, WEST 94



Tyler called it one of the worst all star teams he has ever seen, but all the East Division All Stars did was break a four-game losing streak to the West while scoring the most points by any team in All Star Game history.
The 106 points eclipsed the previous record of 102 set by the East in Season 21. The West scored 100 in last season's overtime win.
This was the third 100-point game in All Star history and the first time the two teams combined for 200 points.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES

-- T.KANES MASTERSON of Philadelphia was the All Star Game MVP, leading the winning team with 23 points, tying for top honors in rebounding with 5 and getting 1 assist.
-- Dallas point guard Yu Raing, playing in his first All Star Game, delivered 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
-- Philadelphia forward Bruce Hammer scored 14 points, grabbed 5 boards and registered a pair of assists.
-- Forward Art Vandelay of Chicago added 20 points, a game-high 5 assists and 3 rebounds in the victory.
-- Second-season guard Naf Naf of Oklahoma City had 20 points and an assist, going 6 for 7 from beyond the arc.
-- The much-improved Yipeekayee Masterfalcon of Seattle drilled 7 treys en route to a game-high 27-point performance in his first All Star Game appearance. He also grabbed 1 rebound.
-- Forward Reckless Abandon of Oklahoma City had 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the losing cause.

NEXT BRACKET OF GAMES;
Oklahoma City (4-1) at Dallas (4-1) as the two top teams in the West tussle for the first time.
Chicago (3-2) travels to San Jose (3-2) for an important crossover game with both teams fighting to remain in the hunt.
Sacramento (1-4) at Seattle (0-5) in a clash of West Division bottom feeders.
Milwaukee (4-1) at Philadelphia (3-2) in another big East contest. The Greyhounds won the first match 85-75.
Charleston (3-2) at Houston (0-5) as the injured Mountaineers try to stay in the East playoff picture.

MBA Season 38 Mid-Season All Star Game Report

We go into the halfway break with seven of the 10 MBA teams still in the running for a playoff spot.
Two teams, Seattle and Houston have been shut out in the wins department.
Nobody is unbeaten.
The East has four teams who are at least 3-2, while the West has Dallas currently ahead of Oklahoma City (but the two teams have two games remaining against each other.)





Naf Naf of Oklahoma City is in position to destroy the single-season scoring record of 26 points per game held by Cheetos Jones. Naf is tickling the twine at a 30-points per game average. He has half of the top scoring games this season and has been the Game MVP in four of the five games he's played.
San Jose rookie center Pippi Pippistrelli is the lone player to be among league leaders in both scoring and rebounds.
Milwaukee's Puddles Pondhopper leads the league in two categories; blocked shots and free throwing.







Every team is represented in this season's All Star Game.
Gulemon Mon-Mon of Dallas joins a select list of players who have started in five All Star Games.
Likewise, Lemon Jell-o of Dallas is on a limited list of players who have been selected to six All Star Games. This selection for Jell-o gives him nine career awards, just one short of the Hall of Fame, which he appears to have made at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Three rookies made this season's All Star Game and both starting center positions are manned by rookies, despite the vicious competition for All Star Game spots at the pivot.



Only 11 players will retire from the ranks of the MBA this season.
San Jose was hit hardest with both starting forwards announcing they will hang up the jockstraps.
Puddles Pondhopper, a 4-time All Star Game selection and former Rookie of the Year currently having his best campaign, will also, in the grand tradition of the MBA, hang it up early for Milwaukee.
Only three starters overall will be retiring, which points to an even deeper talent pool in the league next season.

Season 38 Preview

Predicted finish of MBA teams following draft, improvements and trade.

WEST DIVISION

1ST--OKLAHOMA CITY LARIATS: (9-1, 1-2) Although they lost one of their most important players in defensive stalwart guard Lemon Jell-o, the Lariats are still fully loaded with young talent and should capture their fifth consecutive West Division title. Simon Barsinister taking Jell-o's place is an acknowledged step down, but Hodor's addition at center will strengthen the team's one weak spot from a season ago. They still have the league-leading scorer Naf Naf at guard and his All-MBA teammate Walter Sobchack at forward. Reckless Abandon is set for a break-out year as well.

2ND--DALLAS DEMONS: (3-7) The infusion of all-time steals leader Lemon Jell-o and promising rookie point guard Bootlace Barnaby will most assuredly end the three-season string of last-place finishes by Dallas. Center Naceg Gecan, the top player at his position last season, has also improved his defense to go along with his potent 18.8 scoring pace and league-best (tied) rebounding ability. The forwards are somewhat questionable, but Dallas is primed for post-season.

3RD (tied)--SAN JOSE FIGHTING AMIGOS:(3-7) The aging franchise received a much-needed shot of youth in the persons of rookie guard Guy "the Eye" Clark and center Pippi Pippstrelli. Both will be instant starters, Clark being a superb shooter and Pippstrelli a defensive stalwart and rebounding machine. With some luck they could challenge Dallas.

3RD (tied)-- SACRAMENTO RIVER DOGS: (3-7) The R-Dogs replaced half its roster, and only point guard Patchy Fogg will remain a starter from last season's lineup. Sacramento traded Milwaukee third-year great Danke Shame for four-time all star game shooting guard Steve Carter, two decent rookie forwards and the Greyhounds first draft pick next season.

LAST -- SEATTLE STAMPEDE: (6-4, 5-1) Champs will plummet. Loss of playoff MVP center Dis Reflexia is a brutal one.


EAST DIVISION

1ST-- CHARLESTON MOUNTAINEERS: (7-3, 0-2) After playing without Hall of Fame center Max Payne in a painful first-round playoff elimination, the Mountaineers let Payne go, added rave-worthy rookie pivot J.J. Gargantuan and are poised to nail down their third consecutive East Division title. Only Oklahoma City has a younger starting lineup, and the Mountaineers have good, tested depth. With Bop-Bop, B. Quiet, Buck Naked and Jesus Moron Joseph all in their prime, Charleston is looking to navigate the tough East and nail down their second championship in three seasons.

2ND (tied) -- CHICAGO GALE: (5-5) Hit hardest by retirment with the losses of starting guards Didger A'doo and Hall of Famer Ching-Chong Chung, the Gale seems to have weathered the storm...at least on paper. Steady point guard Ginger Vampire will move seamlessly into the lineup, and rookie Chief Keef seems like a solid two-way player as his running mate. All-MBA forward Art Vandelay will be joined up front by the exciting aquisition of Hall of Fame center Max Payne.

2ND (tied) -- MILWAUKEE GREYHOUNDS: (5-5) Looking to get off a four-season .500-record snide, the Greyhounds fired coach Raisin Sport, replaced him with Fly Davia, and traded their team MVP of the past three seasons, Steve Carter, along with two rookies and a draft pick, to get defensive stalwart Danke Shame. They also created quite the buzz in Milwaukee by bringing back one of the great MBA players of all time, Hrundi V. Bakshi, who started his Hall of Fame career here. Enough? Time will tell.

4TH – PHILADELPHIA PHOBIA: (6-4, 3-4) Picked for last, they surprised all with a finals appearance last season. They added free-agent superstar center Dis Reflexia, but will go into this campaign without retired defensive great Gabba Penton at forward. Will Reflexia and two-time All-MBA guard T. Kanes Masterson be enough?

LAST – HOUSTON IGUANAS: (3-7) Strong at forward with Vic Hitler and Harold Arlen, they lost Hall of Fame guard Hrundi V. Bakshi in the free agent draft and got nothing to replace him. Seem destined for last.

THE ROOKIES

Bound for Greatness
6-8 center J.J. Gargantuan will start for Charleston
6-9 center Pippi Pippstrelli will start for San Jose
5-10 sharpshooting guard Guy “the Eye” Clark will start for San Jose

Solid Futures Ahead
6-8 forward Bill Cull will start for Sacramento
6-9 forward Du-Du Dadinga will start for Sacramento
6-1 guard Bootlace Barnaby will start for Dallas
5-11 guard Chief Keef will start for Chicago

Good Looking
6-9 forward Peter Pizza will sit for Oklahoma City
6-10 center Matthew Scott Chemers will back up fellow rookie Pippstrelli in San Jose
6-4 guard Baskets Weaver will play off bench for Seattle


Questionable, but hanging on
6-6 forward Baba Brinkman chucks his way onto the Dallas bench
6-5 forward Mimsy Borogrove makes Sacramento roster
6-5 forward Baldy McGrindy will be nailed to Seattle bench
6-7 guard Dustin Hirsch has size for Philadelphia

Directly to the cut pile
6-2 guard YourMajesty Lumpkins drafted and cut by Seattle
6-9 forward Parker Wellington drafted and cut by Houston

Season 38 Free Agents Announced

The Season 38 Draft is already assured of being an exciting one, as no less than eight starters, including both active Hall of Famers, will be included with the 16 rookies in this season's draft.

It could be a short stay at the top for the defending champion Seattle Stampede, which lost two of its famous "Three Amigos," the most damaging being last season's playoff MVP, center Dis Reflexia, who is among the top centers in the league, if not THE top center.

Also taking big hits in the free agent department were Houston (Bakshi), Charleston (Payne), Oklahoma City (Jell-o)and Dallas (Shame), to say nothing of San Jose, which lost its MVP, center George Gershwin.

FLY DAVIA NAMED NEW COACH OF MILWAUKEE
The Milwaukee Greyhounds have announced the firing of Raisin Sport as coach and the hiring of first-time coach Fly Davia.
The Greyhounds have had four consecutive 5-5 seasons and have the longest streak (six seasons) of not making the playoffs in the MBA. On the other end of the spectrum, they also boast the longest consecutive string of seasons without posting a losing record (nine).
Weird combo, eh? We'll see how Davia does.
One thing Milwaukee has going for it is they are the only MBA team to have no retirements and no players lost to free agency. Seemingly, they can only get better in the talent department.
Raising Sport has been head coach since the second half of Season 23. He has compiled a regular season record of 76-69 which included East Division first-place finishes in Seasons 30 and 32. He has had four playoff appearances at the helm, getting to the finals in Season 32. But he could never get Milwaukee, which has the second-most titles withe seven, a championship. At one point this franchise was dominant with Philadelphia, but their last championship was in Season 18.

Season 38 Free Agents Announced

The Season 38 Draft is already assured of being an exciting one, as no less than eight starters, including both active Hall of Famers, will be included with the 16 rookies in this season's draft.

It could be a short stay at the top for the defending champion Seattle Stampede, which lost two of its famous "Three Amigos," the most damaging being last season's playoff MVP, center Dis Reflexia, who is among the top centers in the league, if not THE top center.

Also taking big hits in the free agent department were Houston (Bakshi), Charleston (Payne), Oklahoma City (Jell-o)and Dallas (Shame), to say nothing of San Jose, which lost its MVP, center George Gershwin.

FLY DAVIA NAMED NEW COACH OF MILWAUKEE
The Milwaukee Greyhounds have announced the firing of Raisin Sport as coach and the hiring of first-time coach Fly Davia.
The Greyhounds have had four consecutive 5-5 seasons and have the longest streak (six seasons) of not making the playoffs in the MBA. On the other end of the spectrum, they also boast the longest consecutive string of seasons without posting a losing record (nine).
Weird combo, eh? We'll see how Davia does.
One thing Milwaukee has going for it is they are the only MBA team to have no retirements and no players lost to free agency. Seemingly, they can only get better in the talent department.
Raising Sport has been head coach since the second half of Season 23. He has compiled a regular season record of 76-69 which included East Division first-place finishes in Seasons 30 and 32. He has had four playoff appearances at the helm, getting to the finals in Season 32. But he could never get Milwaukee, which has the second-most titles withe seven, a championship. At one point this franchise was dominant with Philadelphia, but their last one was in Season 18.

Retirees find their final resting place following Season 37

MBA SEASON 37 PLAYOFFS SUMMARY

SEATTLE WINS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP
Thirty-seven seasons after joining the MBA as an original franchise, the Seattle Stampede becomes the last of the original six teams to win an MBA title, and the final team of Tyler Masterson's to capture a crown. They did so with a fine young team, the youngest in the modern era, consisting of three second-season players and two rookies in the starting lineup, along with a bit of luck. The luck part came when they were able to meet the defending champion Charleston Mountaineers, who were missing Hall of Fame center Max Payne, in the first round of the playoffs, then avoiding the overwhelming favorites from Oklahoma City in the Finals. The Lariats, who had twice thrashed Seattle in the regular season,were upset in the opening round by a surprising Philadelphia Phobia contingent. Then, after losing game one of the Finals, Seattle swept the next three to capture that elusive first championship.



POST SEASON LEADERS NOTES
-- Second year center Dis Reflexia of Seattle becomes just the second Stampede player to ever capture the Playoff MVP award. The other was Hall of Fame center Bill Rustler in Season 10. Reflexia is just the fifth center to get this honor and the first to be so-named in 11 seasons.
The other centers who won were:
**Dolf Whizbang, Houston, Season 5
**Hall of Famer Alex Pal, Philadelphia, Season 7
**Hall of Famer Bill Rustler, Seattle, Season 10
**Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Paige, Oklahoma City, Season 12
**Hall of Famer Jonny Cockaroo, Philadelphia, Season 19
and Cockaroo again, this time with Charleston in Season 26. Cockaroo is the only center to win the Playoff MVP twice.
-- The top three spots in assists all belonged to rookies, with Seattle's Bob Kittle becoming the first rookie since Hall of Famer Shucks Oyster of Philadelphia in Season 17 to be tops in that department. The only other rookies to lead in playoff assists were Hall of Famer Soul Duran of Houston in Season 3 and Angie O'Gram of Seattle in Season 7.
-- Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City ties Hall of Famer Oscar Mudcat for the most times leading the playoffs in steals by securing his third title in that department.
-- Seattle's Sven Marquardt sets record for playoff free throw accuracy, going 13 for 13 from the line.



GUMM MAKES HALL OF FAME
-- Benny Gumm, who retired following Season 31, becomes the 40th member of the MBA HALL OF FAME, going in by vote of the Veteran's Committee.
-- Gumm Spent 13 seasons in the MBA, with 11 of those seasons with the Charleston franchise in what has to be considered the golden years of the team. His final two seasons were spent with Seattle. Only three Hall of Famer had longer careers.
-- He was a two-time First Team All-MBA performer in Seasons 25 and 26.
-- He made four MBA All Star Game appearances.
-- He helped lead Charleston to its first two Championship Seasons in Seasons 26 and 27 following a finals appearance in Season 25 that fell just short.
--He led the league in scoring with an 18.2 points per game average in Season 25 and followed that with his highest per game average the next season at 18.9 per game.
-- Gumm burst onto the scene in Season 19, leading Charleston in scoring with 15 per game and leading the league in free throw shooting.
-- He led his team in scoring 3 times, in assists 7 times and in free throwing 3 times.
-- An unusually good rebounder throughout his career, Gumm, a 6-foot guard, averaged 3 rebounds a game throughout his tenure, getting a high of 5.4 per game in Season 26.
-- A tremendous ball handler and shooter to the end, he was always a shitty defender and got worse as time wore on.
-- He enters the Hall of Fame as the 38th best player of all time, just behind another Charleston great, Silo Chamberlin and just ahead of Oscar Mudcat.

MBA Finals Game 4

Seattle 91, Philadelphia 87

YOUNG STAMPEDE CLINCH FIRST FRANCHISE CHAMPIONSHIP

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Stampede, playing before a raucous and appreciative home crowd won a wild and wooly Game 4 of the Season 37 finals, to nab the first title in the long history of this original franchise.

Following a first-quarter barrage of 5 Stampede treys that had the joint jumping, the home team went out to as much as a 14-point lead in the first half, only to see a game Philadelphia team close within 4 points late in the contest.

The game's exciting conclusion played out thusly:

15 TUs left, Seattle leads 85-81
13 TUs left, Seattle forward Vermin Supreme, subbing for fouled out Jairo Capoeira, hits a cold-blooded medium jumper with Philadelphia's Gabba Penton all over him...Seattle leads 87-81
12 TUs left, Philadelphia rookie point guard Mel A. Noma scores down low cutting the Seattle lead to 87-83.
10 TUs left, Seattle power forward Sven Marquardt hits a short jumper following a pass from Bob Kittle, Seattle 89-83.
9 TUs left, Philadelphia's Pythogoras Theorum makes short jumper, Phobia within 4 again, 89-85.
8 TUs left, Seattle rookie guard Bob Kittle makes a strong drive to the hole and scores his 20th point of the game, Seattle up 91-85.
5 TUs left, Philadelphia's Theorum misses short jumper, Seattle's Marquardt gets rebound, all but ending Phobia hopes.
Philadelphia would score once more before game's end, followed by Seattle coach Neville Chamberlin stripping bare and running wildly around the arena before being knocked to the floor by a security guard and removed.
But they could not remove the smile from the Stampede leader's face.

20-plus GVP Performances
-- Mel A. Noma returned to the lineup for the first time in the finals for Philly and the rookie point guard had a perfect 7 for 7 game for 15 points. He added 4 assists and a rebound.
-- T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia finally came up big offensively for the Phobia, leading his team with 22 points and winning co-MVP of the Game honors. He tied for game-high in rebounds with 6 and added 1 assist.
-- Philadelphia forward Pythogoras Theorum had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and led all with 2 steals.
-- Playing in what turned out to be the final game of his career, retiring Philadelphia forward Gabba Penton went out with a 16-point effort, grabbed 2 boards and assisted 3 times.
-- Rookie point guard Bob "Fats" Kittle of Seattle played a whale of a game, scoring 20 points, directing the new champs with a game-high 7 assists and grabbing 2 rebounds. He won co-MVP of the Game honors in this biggest of all games.
-- Seattle super center Dis Reflexia led everyone in scoring with 23 points, thoroughly outplaying Philadelphia's fine 7-footer Q-Bert McGuffin for the second consecutive contest. Reflexia was held to 1 rebound. He's a lock to win the MVP of the Playoffs award.
-- Stampede power forward Sven Marquardt did his share of the dirty work in this championship run and in this game. He scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high (tied) 6 rebounds.

NEXT: THE PLAYOFF SUMMARY

MBA Finals Game 3

SEATTLE 88, PHILADELPHIA 66

SEATTLE ROAD ROMP PUTS STAMPEDE ON DOORSTEP OF FIRST TITLE

PHILADELPHIA -- The Three Amigos from last season's rookie class dominated this 88-66 road win for the Seattle Stampede, putting them one victory away from clinching their first title as they head home to the Northwest.

Seattle leads the best of five series 2 games to 1, having won two in a row.

The remarkable second-year center, Dis Reflexia led the way for the visitors, registering the first triple-double of what continues to be a remarkable beginning of a storied career. Reflexia, who came into the game neck and neck for Playoff MVP honors with his adversary, center Q-Bert McGuffin of Philly, just dominated the much bigger man.

Meanwhile, in the battle of the shooting guards, Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle continued to outplay All-MBA player T. Kanes Masterson, and Stampede power forward Sven Marquardt returned from injury in a big way.

Seattle was strong right out of the gate, hitting its first seven shots of the game, but could not shake a determined Philadelphia team. The Stampede went up by six at the half, but in the third quarter. Seattle blew the doors off the Phobia 29-11 and never looked back. On the way their ball movement accounted for 19 assists, just 2 shy of the playoff record set in Season 18 by Philadelphia.

The Phobia will be getting back starting point guard Mel A. Noma, whose heroics against Oklahoma City actually put the Phobia into the Finals. They will need to come up big on the road to get back into this series.

20-plus GVP performances
-- Center Dis Reflexia, already having an outstanding playoffs, took it to the next level with the first triple-double of his career. Relexia had 20 points on 10 of 12 shooting, tied for game-highs in rebounds (8) and assists (5) while registering 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. The 6-7 pivot also thwarted Philadelphia's big 7-footer numerous times with excellent defense.
-- Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle was the game's top scorer for the second contest in a row, following his 21-point effort with 23 in this one. He also grabbed 3 boards and assisted 3 times.
-- Seattle power forward Sven Marquardt had 18 points, banged the boards for a game-high (tied) 8 rebounds and dished out 1 assist.
-- Philadelphia point guard Ted Hose played very much under control in this game, getting 12 points on just 11 shots, dishing out 5 assists, getting 2 rebounds and 1 steal. He'll still go to the bench in favor of Mel A. Noma.
-- T. Kanes Masterson led the losing home team in scoring with 14, but has yet to break out in this finals, which is what the Phobia needs if they are to win the next two games. Masterson grabbed 4 boards, dished 3 assists and had a steal as well. In last season's playoffs, playing for Houston, Masterson led everyone in scoring with 22.4 per game. He's averaging just 12.5 per contest this season in the playoffs.

Seattle 75, Philadelphia 72

STAMPEDE EVENS UP FINALS WITH HARD-FOUGHT HOME WIN

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Stampede won their first MBA finals game since Season 28, edging the Philadelphia Phobia 75-72 to even the best of five series one game each.

It was a much snappier game than the dreadful series opener, with second-year shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle going off for 11 fourth quarter points to lead Seattle to the triumph.

Trailing by 7 points with 33 time units remaining, the Phobia closed to within 3 with 7 time units left. Philadelphia small forward Gabba Penton, attempting a game-tying 3-pointer, had the proverbial blanket thrown on him by Seattle rookie Jairo Capoeira. Two consecutive deny shots were followed by a good trey from Penton, only to see Capoeira deny the game-tying hoop for the third consecutive time.

Two time units later Capoeira hit an open short jumper after a beautiful pass from Dis Reflexia to give his team a comfortable 5-point lead.

The Stampede nailed down the important win despite the loss to injury of power forward Sven Marquardt, who left the game with 27 time units remaining in the second quarter, never to return. At the time he was the leading rebounder in the game. Seattle trailed 27-23 at the time.

20-GVP PERFORMERS

-- Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle led everyone in both scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 6 boards, thoroughly outplaying two-time All-MBA guard T. Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia. Greenfoyle also had 4 assists and 2 steals.
-- Seattle center Dis Reflexia battled Q-Bert McGuffin to a virtual standstill, getting 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a blocked shot.
-- Ted Hose has been an enigma throughout his career and continued in that vein in this game. The Philly point guard, subbing for the injured starter Mel A. Noma, nearly had a triple-double with 9 points, 5 boards, 5 assists and a pair of steals. But he was 4 for 15 from the field doing it.
-- Phobia center Q-Bert McGuffin had another fine game with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
-- Undersized power forward Pythogoras Theorum of Philly had a big game with 20 points, high on the team, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.
-- Philadelphia's small forward Gabba Penton put in 15 points, had 2 boards, 3 assists and led everyone with 2 blocked shots.

PHILADELPHIA 69, SEATTLE 58

Phobia takes first big step toward 16th title

PHILADELPHIA -- In a surprisingly low-scoring contest, the home team Philadelphia Phobia bested the Seattle Stampede 69-58 to take a 1-0 advantage in this best of five MBA Finals.

After starting out the game displaying reasonable firepower, both teams went into the tank offensively in the second half. Seattle, especially, was woeful, registering the lowest scoring game for them this season.

During the regular season, Seattle (80.2 ppg) and Philadelphia (79.0 ppg) were second and third in the MBA in offense, and both came into the finals scoring over 80 points per game.

The point guards on both teams dragged down shooting percentages for both offenses, with Rookie Bob Kittle going 5 for 16 for Seattle and Ted Hose, subbing for the injured Mel A. Noma, going 4 for 14 for Philly. They each took the most shots for their respective teams.

The Stampede was never able to mount any kind of a comeback in the second half. They trailed by 7 at the half, got within 5 at one point in the third quarter and finished 11 points back at the game’s conclusion.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
 Philadelphia small forward Gabba Penton has never been a big scorer, but in this one he led everyone with 17 points, taking advantage of Seattle rookie Jairo Capoiera. Penton also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists, winning the MVP of the Game honors.
 Phobia point guard, the veteran Ted Hose, was his usual inaccurate self shooting the ball, but he put it up enough times to get 11 points and played some excellent defense. Hose led everyone with 4 steals and 2 blocks, while pulling down 3 boards and getting 2 assists.
 Philadelphia center Q-Bert McGuffin continued his amazing shooting streak, despite running up against one of the league’s best defensive centers in Seattle’s Dis Reflexia. For the third consecutive game in these playoffs, the big 7-footer was perfect from the field, going 7 for 7 and making him 27 for 27 from the floor in the three-game span. He tallied 14 points, led everyone with 5 assists and pulled down 2 rebounds.
 Dis Reflexia, Seattle’s fine young center, led his team in scoring with 16, pulled down 5 boards and had 1 block.
 Seattle power forward Sven Marquardt was a behemoth on the boards with 10 rebounds, leading everyone in that category. He had 8 points and 2 assists as well.

PLAYOFF NOTES
 There has never been an MBA Finals featuring two teams with regular season records of 6-4. This is a first.
 Only four teams in the entire history of the MBA won championships after finishing the regular season with marks of 6-4. Those were: Milwaukee in Season 4, Milwaukee in Season 6, Philadelphia in Season 8, and finally, Milwaukee in Season 9.

27 seasons have passed since a 6-4 team won the title, and this season, it is now a sure thing.

Philadelphia shocks the world with win over Oklahoma City

PHILADELPHIA 85, OKLAHOMA CITY 76



(the following from Tyler Masterson following his team's giganto win)

The league is not broken.

In game 3 of a 3 game round one playoff series. The 6-4 Philadelphia Phobia (predicted at the beginning of the season to finish last place in the division of 5 teams) beats the 9-1 Oklahoma City Lariats led by MVP Naf Naf and Rookie of the year runner up Walter Shobchack 85-76. That victory ensures another Tyler title as the Phobia go on to face the only team of mine that hasnt won a title in 37 seasons, the Seattle Stampede.

Nothing in the MBA is given. Everything is earned.

Naf Naf was way off from 3 this game going 3-9 from 3 (his card stats show he should shoot around 60% from there). And, his one weakness, defense reared its ugly head, as the man he was guarding, another rookie, (Mel A. Noma) averaging 7.5ppg on the year went off for 26 in 3 quarters on 11/12 shooting. (Noma was subsequeently injured and missed the entire fourth quarter. He will also miss the first three games of the Finals.)

The game was 66-63 Philadelphia going into the final quarter when that guard that had 26 in 3 quarters, Mel A. Noma, went out with an injury for the rest of the game. Almost certainly dashing the Phobia's hopes. But that's not how the story went.

The monster franchise that is the Phobia emerge from a 3 year slumber after their streak of 5 titles in a row from season 29-33 (those are the stickers on the envelopes) to return to the finals in the most unlikely of fashion.

PHO-BEE-AHH
PHO-BEE-AHH

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS

-- Mel A. Noma, the rookie guard for Philly, goes off on regular season MVP Naf Naf of Oklahoma City, scoring a game-high 26 points in just three quarters. He averaged under 8 per game in the regular season. Noma was 11 for 12 from the field and led everyone with 3 asssists. He also snared 4 boards.
-- All-MBA guard T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia was held to 11 points by the Lariats' outstanding defender Lemon Jell-o, but he contributed mightily with a game-high 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
-- Phill's 7-foot center Q-Bert McGuffin followed his record-tying 12-for-12 shooting day with a 21-point, 8-for-8 shooting day in this game. The big guy has not missed in two games. He also added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and put the cherry on top of the victory sundae with a full-court basket that went in just as the final gun sounded.
-- Lemon Jell-o was superb in the loss for Oklahoma City with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.
-- Power forward Reckless Abandon of Oklahoma City led his team in scoring with 23 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and assisted 2 times.

NEXT UP: The MBA Finals...Game 1 is Seattle at Philadelphia

FINALS OBSERVATIONS
-- Philadelphia has won 15 titles. Seattle has won 0.
-- These two teams have met twice before in the finals...Season 7 and Season 14. Seattle has won one game in the finals against Philly, coming in Season 14.
-- In 19 Finals appearances, Philadelphia has failed to win the championship just four times.
-- Seattle has been in four Finals, the last in Season 28 where they lost to Dallas 3 games to 2 after being ahead in the series 2 games to 1. The Stampede led in the final game, only to have future Hall of Fame center Tom "the Bomb" Kondla get injured in the second quarter, never to return. Dallas went on to victory.
-- Should they win it, Seattle could boast the youngest starting lineup in history...two rookies, three second-season players.
-- Point guard Mel A. Noma of Philadelphia's injury (3 games) could be series-changing. His replacement, Ted Hose, has a history of ineffective ball-hogging.

Matchups to watch

-- Look for a lot of scoring from both shooting guards, T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia and Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle.
-- There will be a battle royale between two of the MBA's top two centers: Seattle's Dis Reflexia and Philadelphia's Q-Bert McGuffin. Both come into the Finals as top Playoff MVP candidates.

Game 2 Round 1---Oklahoma City at Philadelphia

Philadelphia extends series with huge overtime win, 88-86


PHILADELPHIA -- The storied Philadelphia Phobia franchise rose to the occasion once more, besting the highly favored visitors from Oklahoma City in an overtime contest for the ages.

The third and final game of this semifinals will take place in Oklahoma City, where the Lariats soundly thrashed Philly 97-68 in Game 1.

This elimination contest was nip and tuck throughout and finally came down to two huge overtime plays near the end of the game.

With the score tied 86-86, Philadelphia small forward Gabba Penton tipped in a missed shot for what turned out to be the winning basket.

Then, with four time units remaining and Oklahoma City in control, T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia stepped in front of the Lariat's Lemon Jell-o and drew a clutch and gutsy charging foul. From there, Philly ran out the clock, dealing Oklahoma City only its second loss of the season.

The game went to overtime when league MVP Naf Naf of Oklahoma City missed a 3-point shot that would have given his team the lead with 2 time units remaining. But Naf Naf was bailed out by fellow rookie Mel A. Noma of Philadelphia, who fouled him. A 58 percent free thrower on the season, Naf Naf made both throws, tying the game 84-84. Noma missed a trey at the horn and the game went into overtime.

20-plus GVP performances

-- The 12-for-12 shooting percentage record by Mable Reed of Milwaukee stood for 25 seasons before being equaled by Dis Reflexia of Seattle yesterday. Then, along comes the big 7-footer, Q-Bert McGuffin of Philadelphia, who ties that mark again in the very next game. The MVP of this Game, McGuffin tied for game-high scoring honors with 26 points and game-high rebounding honors with 7, adding a pair of assists in an impressive display.
-- Philadelphia's rookie guard Mel A. Noma led everyone in assists with 5, scored 15 points and nabbed 3 rebounds.
-- T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia had 17 points, 4 boards and took that big charge in overtime.
-- Small forward Gabba Penton of Philadelphia, playing in what could have been his last game ever, came up large with 21 points, scoring his team's last points in both regulation and overtime. He also had 6 boards and 2 assists as well as 1 block.
-- Rookie point guard Naf Naf of Oklahoma City had his usual brilliant game, tying for high-point honors with 26, including the two free throws that put the game into overtime. He added 3 assists and 1 rebound.
-- Veteran two guard Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City continued his thieving ways with a game-high 3 steals, knocked in 13 points, grabbed 3 boards and assisted 3 times.
-- Lariats rookie forward Walter Sobchack had 10 points, tied for game-high in boards with 7, assisted 4 times and blocked 1 shot.

NEXT: The finale of this semi finals series as the teams travel to Oklahoma City.

Seattle upstarts eliminate defending champion Charleston in a rout

Seattle 86, Charleston 67

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Stampede, the MBA's youngest team, will be heading for the Season 37 Finals following its 2-0 sweep of the defending champion Charleston Mountaineers.

The Stampede, led by the remarkable second-year pivot Dis Reflexia, destroyed Charleston before the Seattle hometown crowd 86-67, rushing out to an 8-0 lead and never letting the Mountaineers back into the game. In doing so, Seattle out-rebounded the Mountaineers 31 to 10. The home team set the dominating tone in the first half, out-rebounding Charleston 20 to 5. It was so ridiculous that Seattle's rookie point guard, the 5-11 Bob Kittle, tied the entire Charleston team in first half boards.

The three rookie amigos from last season's playoff team led the way for Seattle again, with Reflexia (24 points), forward Sven Marquardt (22 points) and shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle (16 points) leading the way.

This marks the first time since Season 28 that the Stampede has advanced to the championship round. In that season, Seattle came within one victory of winning the first MBA title in team history. They also came within one win of the title in Season 14. They are the only Tyler franchise without a championship and the only original MBA team without one. Seattle and Sacramento are the only two franchises without a title.

The Stampede, which will be in its fifth Finals, awaits the winner of the Oklahoma City vs. Philadelphia semifinal, which Oklahoma City leads 1-0.

20-plus GVP performances

-- Charleston point guard Jesus Moron Joseph had another good game, netting 17 points, assisting 3 times, grabbing 2 boards and registering 1 steal before fouling out again.
-- Charleston shooting guard Beezow Bop-Bop had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and led everyone with 2 blocked shots.
-- Mountaineers power forward B. Quiet led his team in scoring with 18, pulling down 2 rebounds and getting 1 assist.
-- "The Pocket Pivot," 6-7 Seattle center Dis Reflexia, took full advantage of the absent-by-injury Hall of Famer Max Payne of Charleston. Reflexia led everyone in scoring with 24 points, tying a playoff record with a perfect 12 for 12 shooting night. (The record was set way way back in Season 12 by Hall of Famer Mable Reed of Milwaukee against Oklahoma City.) Reflexia also topped everyone in assists with 4. Payne's 6-11 substitute, Shits McGriddle, had no defense for Reflexia, who scored on a variety of moves in the lane and around the bucket.
-- Shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle had 16 points, despite being guarded by Bop-Bop. He also contributed 8 boards to the cause, while dishing out 2 assists.
-- Seattle's power forward Sven Marquard matched his 22-point total from the first playoff game, pulled down 5 rebounds, dished out 1 assist and registered 1 steal.

NEXT UP: Oklahoma City travels to Philadelphia, the city of championships, with eyes on ousting the Phobia. The Lariats lead the series 1-0.

MBA Season 37 Playoffs...Game 1, semifinals, Philadelphia at Oklahoma City

Lariats stun Phobia in playoff opener, 97-68



OKLAHOMA CITY -- Following a closely contested first quarter, the favored Oklahoma City Lariats took total control of this best of three semifinal against the Philadelphia Phobia, gliding to a 97-68 victory.
Boasting the league's best offense and defense, the home team demonstrated both ends of their effectiveness before this one was in the books.
The MBA's best guard tandem from Oklahoma City, Naf Naf (27 points) and Lemon Jell-o (28 points) dominated throughout.
Philadelphia escaped a major injury when rarely-used substitute forward Shag Bark entered the game briefly in the first quarter and was seriously injured. He is out for the remainder of the playoffs. His replacement from the cut pile is the familiar Joe "Blue" Pulaski.
Unless Philadelphia comes up with a way to slow down the Lariat offense and score on its defenders, this will be a short series. Even All-MBA guard T. Kanes Masterson was held in check, as Jell-o, perhaps the best guard defender in the league, held him to 12 points, 6 under his average.
Jell-o also had 5 steals in the game, consistently thwarting the Phobia before they could get their offense flowing.
Rookie forward Walter Sobchack was also excellent in this one, scoring 20 points for the Lariats and pulling down a game-high 7 boards.
Center Q-Bert McGuffin was a bright spot for Philly, with a 20-point game.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
--Jell-o of Oklahoma City gets MVP of the Game with a game-high 28 points on 13 of 15 shooting, 5 steals, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.
--League MVP and Rookie of the Year Naf Naf Of Oklahoma City started out slowly but finished with 27 points and a game-high 4 assists. He also had 4 rebounds.
--Oklahoma City forward Reckless Abandon had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal and played solid defense.
--The other Oklahoma City forward, rookie Walter Sobchack, led everyone with 7 boards and scored 20 points, adding 2 assists, a steal and 2 blocked shots.
--Seven-footer Q-Bert McGuffin was impressive for Philly, scoring a team-high 20 and pulling down 4 boards, adding 1 assist.
--Power forward Pythogoras Theorum of Philly had a fine game with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

NEXT UP: Defending champion Charleston faces elimination at Seattle, which leads the series 1-0

Seattle steals Game 1 of semifinals against defending champs

CHARLESTON, W.VA -- The young, visiting upstarts from Seattle came from behind in the fourth quarter to snatch victory away from the defending champion Charleston Mountaineers, 91-90.
Free throws played a huge part in this one, with Seattle going 20 for 24 while Charleston settled for 8 made on 12 attempts.
The win gives the Seattle Stampede the upper hand in the best of three semis, making the next game in Seattle an elimination contest for Charleston.
The same two teams met in this same round last season, and Seattle also shocked the MBA world with an opening win before bowing out in three.

With Hall of Fame Charleston center Max Payne out with injury in the first two games of the series, Mountaineers forward B. Quiet, high point man in the game at this juncture, fouls out with 45 time units remaining and his team ahead 79-75.

Then, the barn-burning final 29 time unit highlights went like this:

-- Rookie Seattle point guard Bob Kittle hits a medium jump shot to tie the game 82-82.
-- At 20 time units, Seattle shooting guard Wimsy Greenfoyle hits a big 3-pointer to give the Stampede their first lead of the game, 87-86.
-- The Seattle lead is stretched to 3 after a Charleston miss and a fast-break layup by Kittle.
-- After stealing the ball, Charleston's Beezow Bop-Bop scores over Seattle's Dis Reflexia to cut the Stampede lead to 89-88 with 6 time units left.
-- After Charleston's Jesus Moron Joseph fouls out, Seattle's Greenfoyle drives to the hole and scores with 2 time units left, giving Seattle a 91-88 lead.
-- Shits McGriddle of Charleston slam dunks at the horn, but the Mountaineers lose 91-90.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Last season's MVP of the Playoffs, Beezow Bop-Bop, gets the MVP of the Game nod in this one, but could not quite bring his Charleston team the victory. Bop-Bop led the home team with 20 points, tied for tops in steals with 2, had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a blocked shot.

-- Charleston point guard Jesus Moron Joseph had 19 points, tied for game-high with 5 assists and pulled down 3 boards before fouling out.
-- Charleston center Shits McGriddle did himself proud subbing for the injured Payne. In his first start ever, the 6-11 McGriddle produced a triple-double, with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
-- Before fouling out, Charleston forward B. Quiet was on a roll. He left the game with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 1 blocked shot.
-- All five of Seattle's starters were over the 20-GVP mark, starting with rookie point guard Bob Kittle, who threw in 21 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, assisted 3 times and had 1 steal.
-- Scoring guard Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle was tied for game-high scoring honors with 22 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and had 2 assists.
-- Seattle center Dis Reflexia just missed a triple-double with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a game-high 2 blocks.
-- Second-year forward Sven Marquardt tied Greenfoyle for top scorer, netting 22, getting a pair of rebounds and 1 assist. Marquardt, who was 3 for 27 beyond the arc in the regular season, was 2 for 3 in this game.
-- Rookie small forward Jairo Capoeira led everyone with 7 rebounds, scored 12 points, had 3 assists and 1 steal in the win.

NEXT UP: Philadelphia travels to Oklahoma City to take on the favored Lariats in game 1 of that best of 3 semifinals.

SEASON 37 REGULAR SEASON WIND-UP

NEXT; THE POST-SEASON BEGINS

RETIREMENTS FOLLOWING SEASON 37

CHICAGO HIT HARDEST BY RETIREMENTS; CUT PILE LEGEND SAYS "ADIOS"

The Chicago Gale had better make its move this season toward a championship, because after this campaign, starting superstar guards Didger A'doo and Ching-Chong Chung will be hanging up the sneakers.
A'doo is already one of the two best guards in Chicago history (along with Hall of Famer Doc Watson) and has made the Gale relevant again. Chung, who has played superbly for five different teams, is already a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest (if not the greatest) all-time point getters in league history.
Besides these two, three other starters were among the retirees, but none were so celebrated in song and longevity than center Pug Mahone, who came into the league in Season 9 and has hung on for 29 seasons, a vast majority in the cut pile, before finally hanging it up. In human years, this wiry index card would 50 years old, still toiling in the minors, hoping for another shot at the big time.
Not to be.

37th MBA All Star Game Freakin' Excellent

WEST 100, EAST 98 IN OVERTIME
West wins best All Star Game ever played in any sport anywhere on this planet or any other

A slam dunk at the buzzer by rookie forward Walter Sobchack of Oklahoma City delighted the fans in that city and sent the All Star Game into the first overtime period in the history of the MBA.

A medium jumper by Sobchack's fellow rookie teammate from the Lariats, Naf Naf, put the West into the century mark in overtime and turned out to the be game-winner when Donkey Shame of Dallas denied Harold Arlen of Houston twice in the final two time units of the extra period to seal the deal.

There was a bevy of brilliant performances in this game, with Didger A'doo of Chicago coming off the bench to win MVP honors for the second consecutive season.

The West led most of the contest until the East, paced by A'doo and T. Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia, finally grabbed their first lead of the game 77-75 on a Masterson medium jumper with 36 time units left in regulation.

The teams exchanged leads down to the wire, when Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle tied the game 90-90 with 6 ticks remaining.

Seven-foot center Q-Bert McGuffin of Philadelphia regained the lead for the East with a jam, 92-90, with 3 left.

Donkey Shame was then denied a game-tying down low shot by Harold Arlen, but he had time to pass to Sobchack who slammed home the game-tying bucket at the buzzer.

20 PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Didger A'doo of Chicago was Game MVP for the second year with 34 points on 11 of 16 shooting, which included 8 of 10 from beyond the arc. He also had 2 rebounds and a steal.
-- T.Kanes Masterson of Philadelphia had 23 points, 3 rebounds and an assist, going 3 for 3 from 3.
-- Rookie Naf Naf of Oklahoma City hit the game-winner in overtime, two of his 21 points. He also had 4 assists and 2 rebounds.
-- Wimsy Greenfoyle of Seattle showed off his offensive abilities, leading the winning West team with 29 points, ripping down 5 boards and dishing out 2 assists.
-- The big 6-10 center from Dallas, Naceg Gecan, led everyone with 7 rebounds while piling up 22 points and getting 4 assists.
-- Rookie forward Walter Sobchack of Oklahoma City was also magnificent, blocking a game-high 6 shots, scoring 15 points (including the game-tying dunk in regulation), grabbing 3 rebounds and assisting 2 times.



NEXT UP: Retirement announcements, followed by this bracket of upcoming games:

First place Philadelphia (4-1) at Chicago (2-3) in an important East Division game for the Gale
First place Oklahoma City (4-1) at Dallas (2-3) in a contest of equal importance for the Demons in the West
Seattle (3-2) travels to San Jose (2-3) where the Fighting Amigos hope to overtake them for second in the West.
Sacramento (1-4) at Milwaukee (3-2) in a crossover that will likely keep the Greyhounds in playoff contention.
Charleston (3-2) should have little trouble when they travel to Houston (1-4)

SEASON 37 ALL STAR GAME SELECTIONS

ALL STAR GAME NOTES

-- The West is way younger than the East...with the exception of third-year player Naceg Gecan, every other member of the West All Star team has been named to the team for the first time. Eleven players, more than half the players named to the two teams, are experiencing their first All Star game.
-- Three rookies, all in the West, made the All Star game.
-- Every team is represented by at least one player.
-- Only 5 of the 20 players from last season's game returned to the All Star contest this season. Of that number, only T. Kanes Masterson and Naceg Gecan have repeated as starters.
-- Hall of Fame center Max Payne is now just the 15th MBA player to make at least seven All Star Games.
-- Hall of Fame center Max Payne now has 13 awards on his card, tying him for 16th place all time. In gaining this All Star Game award, Payne outdistanced fellow Hall of Fame centers Bill Rustler and Rip Slamjam (each had 12 awards) and he is now tied with Tommy Zoop, Guru Gannon and Raisin Sport with 13 awards. Only two centers, Diamond Dallas Paige and Jonny Cockaroo (both with 16) are ahead of him on the all-time Hall of Fame list.
-- The East has won 23 games and the West 13 in the series. The game will take place in Oklahoma City, whose team, the Lariats, is in first place and has two rookies in the starting lineup for the West.
-- Not making the All Star Game this season are MBA luminaries such as:
* Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi of Houston, who has made the game 6 times, out for the season due to injury.
* Hall of Famer Ching-Chong Chung of Chicago, who has made the game 8 times.
* Vic Hitler of Houston, last season's regular season MVP (who just missed with a 20.0 GVP)
* Lemon Jell-o of Oklahoma City, who has made the game 5 times (missed despite a 21.8 GVP)
* Funsy Van Slochum of San Jose, who has made the game 4 times and has played at a 21.2 GVP clip in his 14the season.
-- Others with at least a 20 GVP who did not make the team:
* Forward Buck Naked of Charleston, 20.0
* Forward Sven Marquardt of Seattle, 21.0
* Forward Grube Gatchies of San Jose, 20.8
* Center Linwood Boomer of Sacramento, 20.0

MBA SEASON 37 HALFWAY POINT STANDINGS, STATISTICAL LEADERS

Hall of Fame Rankings

1. Curly Hogbottom 6-10 Forward Seasons 16-24 (9) 25 awards

2. Uncle Bob Masterson 6-2 Guard Seasons 4-13 (10) 21 awards

3. Sagittal Occlusal 6-8 Forward Seasons 25-32 (8) 19 awards

3. Cappy Gambol 6-6 Guard Seasons 1-7 (7) 19 awards

5. Boone Doggle 6-10 Forward Seasons 23-31 (9) 18 awards

5. Hrundi V. Bakshi 6-7 Guard Seasons 29-? (7) 18 awards STILL ACTIVE

8. Link Lennex 6-7 Forward Seasons 7-12 (6) 17 awards

8. Stu Nod 6-3 Guard Seasons 6-17 (12) 17 awards

10. Diamond Dallas Paige 6-11 Center Seasons 12-18 (7) 16 awards

10. Jonny Cockaroo 6-9 Center Seasons 18-29 (12) 16 awards

12. Doc Watson 6-2 Guard Seasons 9-17 (9) 15 awards

12. Cam Bodia 6-6 Forward Seasons 15-25 (11) 15 awards

14. Cheetos Jones 5-11 Guard Seasons 28-34 (7) 14 awards

14. Dan Mann 6-1 Guard Seasons 5-13 (9) 14 awards

16. Tommy Zoop 6-6 Guard Seasons 18-24 (7) 13 awards

16. Guru Gannon 6-7 Forward Seasons 11-17 (7) 13 awards

16. Raisin Sport 6-9 Forward Seasons 1-13 (13) 13 awards

19. Bill Rustler 6-9 Center Seasons 1-10 (10) 12 awards

19. Rip Slamjam 6-11 Center Seasons 5-19 (15) 12 awards

19. Max Payne 7-0 Center Seasons 26-? 11 awards STILL ACTIVE

22. Tom Kondla 6-8 Center Seasons 28-33 (6) 11 awards

22. Shucks Oyster 6-4 Guard Seasons 17-22 (6) 11 awards

22. Gato Do Mato 6-11 Forward Seasons 30-36 (7) 11 awards

22. Ching-Chong Chung 5-10 Guard Seasons 26-? 11 awards STILL ACTIVE

26. Joey Two-Tones 6-3 Guard Seasons 18-23 (6) 10 awards

26. Soul Duran 6-3 Guard Seasons 3-8 (6) 10 awards

26. Bart Pitbull 7-2 Center Seasons 17-23 (7) 10 awards

26. Shooter Flatch 6-7 Forward Seasons 19-25 (7) 10 awards

26. Alex Pal 6-11 Center Seasons 5-10 (6) 10 awards

26. Doug Fresh 5-11 Guard Seasons 1-15 (15) 10 awards


VETERANS COMMITTEE SELECTIONS
32. Marshall Stax 6-7 Forward Seasons 7-13 (7) 9 awards

32. Mable Reed 7-1 Center Seasons 6-16 (10) 9 awards

32. Tarjetas Indice 6-7 Forward Seasons 9-17 (9) 9 awards

32. Bub Wright 6-5 Forward Seasons 1-7 (7) 9 awards

32. Tug Hershorts 6-11 Forward Seasons 25-33 (9) 9 awards MOST RECENT INDUCTEE

37. Silo Chamberlin 5-10 Guard Seasons 1-6 (6) 8 awards

37. Oscar Mudcat 6-6 Guard Seasons 1-8 (8) 8 awards

37. Rowdy Ron Clutch 6-7 Forward Seasons 1-9 (9) 8 awards

MBA SEASON 37 PREVIEW

Standings Predictions

The four playoff teams from last season, plus Chicago, will vie for post-season spots. Houston may have slightly more talent than Chicago, but the Iguanas draw the league's toughest schedule, with crossover games against Oklahoma City and Seattle, the two toughest teams in the West.

Tyler believes that expected rookie sensation Naf Naf, who he has dubbed "unstoppable," tips the scales in favor of Oklahoma City in a big way, going so far as predicting no losses for the Lariats. That remains to be seen.

East Division
1ST—Charleston Mountaineers
2nd – Chicago Gale
3rd – Houston Iguanas
4th – Milwaukee Greyhounds
5th—Philadelphia Phobia

West Division
1ST – Oklahoma City Lariats
2nd – Seattle Stampede
3rd – Dallas Demons
4th – Sacramento River Dogs
5th – San Jose Fighting Amigos

Major Moves
Chicago adds Hall of Fame guard Ching-Chong Chung to starting lineup from San Jose and longtime Seattle starting guard Ginger Vampire, who will come off the bench. Didger A’doo and Chung will be potent scoring punch for Gale. Glut of forwards by Houston allows Gale to pick up rookies Stu Gatz and Pap Smears, both candidates to start for Chicago. The bad news is they lost Harold Arlen.

Houston gets rebounding great Harold Arlen, who immediately bolsters starting lineup and teams with regular season MVP and Rookie of Year Vic Hitler at forward, pushing Blue “Rondo” Alaturk to bench. Iguanas lose league’s top scorer and All-MBA guard T. Kanes Masterson. But they have Hall of Famer Hrundi V. Bakshi ready to move back into starting lineup in his place. We’ll see what he has left.

Philadelphia snatches league’s leading scorer from Houston as T. Kanes Masterson adds much needed scoring punch to once-proud franchise.

The Rookies
6-0 Guard, Naf Naf, Oklahoma City Lariats…Comes into league with rep as maybe best scorer ever
6-7 Forward, Walter Sobchack, Oklahoma City Lariats…Best rookie forward, another starting scorer
7-1 Center, Ugatta Noluvfer Spikie, Milwaukee Greyhounds…Ama’s younger, taller brother a good one
6-8 Forward, Tea Time Typhoo, Charleston Mountaineers…pressing for starting spot for champs
6-9 Forward, Stu Gatz, Chicago Gale…will step into starting role, good player
6-11 Center, King Schmeckpepr. Sacramento River Dogs…shot-blocking newcomer will take over pivot
6-8 Forward, Pap Smearz, Chicago Gale…battling fellow rookie Gatz for starting position
6-7 Forward, Jairo Capoeira, Seattle Stampede…adds even more youth to starting lineup
6-0 Guard, Lapiz Lapiz Bligrafo, Dallas Demons…will start at point guard
5-11 Guard, Bob “Fats” Kittle, Seattle Stampede…good passer will see lots of action
6-1 Guard, Mel A. Noma, Philadelphia Phobia…gets starting nod at point for Philly
6-8 Center, Diz McMasters, Dallas Demons…backup center
6-0 Guard, Rosebud Petrie…joins brother Rob “Pitter Patter” Petrie in cut pile
6-8 Center, Steve “Drunk Uncle” Bromberger…the best among the league’s worst cut pile centers
6-8 Forward. Philo Catmando … cut pile, maybe for life
5-11 Guard, Cremeofsum Yun Guy…not horrible on offense…horrible on defense…cut pile

Best Improvements
6-6 Forward Joe “Blue” Pulaski, lost a number on free throw misses, got a Deny on 7 against shot, up to a +2 against the pass…still not out of cut pile
6-2 Guard, Simon Barsinister of Philadelphia improved four times, hits on 8 medium shot, Denies Shot on 10, slam dunks on 6 low and goes to a 4 on defensive rebounding…the team’s high scorer last year will still not start in front of newly acquired All-MBA guard T. Kanes Masterson, who led the league in scoring last season.
6-11 Forward, Gulemon Mon-Mon of Dallas improves big time going into 12th season with a Deny Shot on 8
6-0 Guard, Totes McGoats of San Jose loses a foul and gets a Deny on 8
5-11 Guard, Funsy VanSlochum of San Jose…the ageless one, going into his 14th season, is still starting and returns to his old team after a five-season absence, improving to a 6 dribbler and +3 defender against the dribble
6-4 Guard, Ginger Vampire of Chicago, longtime starter for Seattle will come off the bench for the Gale an even stronger player who now hits on 8 from medium, advances to a 6 passer and a +3 against the dribble
6-7 Forward, Art Vandelay of Chicago adds two “goods” down low and becomes the league’s best passer, now an 8
6-9 Forward, Sven Marquardt of Seattle improves to a 5 passer and fills in the 7 spot on his down low shot where he now only misses on a 12
6-7 Center, Dis Reflexia of Seattle…last season’s All-MBA center as a rookie, improves 3 times significantly…now a +2 against the dribble, improves to a 7 passer and gets a Deny Shot on 10, giving him 7-8-9-10 defenses against the shot.
6-1 Guard, Lemon Jell-0, Oklahoma City Lariats…All-MBA guard who has led the league in steals the past four seasons in a row, got better at stealing the ball…he is now a +6 against the pass.
6-3 Guard, Snarkey Comment of Houston will be better on defense with a Deny on 6 to go with his FM on 8
6-8 Center, Hodor of Houston pushes past Sanjay Patel into the starting lineup, going to an 11 offensive rebounder and adding a deny shot on 4.
6-1 Guard,Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston came into his own as the Playoff MVP for the champion Mountaineers last year and will be even more assertive this season, increasing his tendency to shoot the ball in the short zone, where he is deadly.
6-1 Guard, Jesus Moron Joseph of Charleston was promoted to a starting spot and immediately improved, adding a good down low on 9 and increasing his passing ability to a 6 to match his dribbling capability.
6-6 Forward, Cy A. Nara of Charleston improved on both his ability against the pass and against the dribble where he is now a +4 both ways. Not bad for a fourth forward on the team.

FIRST GAMES

Dallas at Philadelphia
Seattle at Chicago
Charleston at Oklahoma City
Houston at Milwaukee
San Jose at Sacramento

As you can see, Seattle at Chicago will be a good test for both teams and last season's champs from Charleston travel to take on this season's predicted champs at Oklahoma City. San Jose at Sacramento pits the two worst teams in the league.

RETIRED PLAYERS FILED AWAY IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE

The Championship Parade

As is the custom for every Charleston, West Virginia championship MBA team, the Season 36 version of the Mountaineers posed for a team picture, then paraded, naked, through the many coal mines in the area until they were clothed in coal dust.

It is a tradition they hope to repeat next season.

MBA SEASON 36 POST-SEASON REVIEW

**With its third MBA championship (others in Season 26 and 27), Charleston becomes Dave Masterson's most successful franchise. All three of their titles have come in the past 11 seasons.

**Charleston went from last (3-7 in Season 35)to first (7-3 in Season 36)on the wings of one of the best pre-season drafts in history. They picked up:
--Beezow Bop-Bop, who would be most responsible for the team's playoff success.
--Hall of Fame center Max Payne, who followed up a championship season with Oklahoma City the previous year by getting his second title ring in a row and third overall in this, his 11th season.
--B. Quiet, the Rookie of the Year for Charleston the previous campaign who entered the draft, then returned to his team.
--Jesus Moron Joseph, the most improved cut pile player was picked up in the secondary draft and became a valuable addition to the Mountaineers off the bench.
--Azher "the Amazer" Merchant returned to the squad and contributed mightily off the bench as a defensive guard, picking up his first award in a 10-season career.

**Even though T. Kanes Masterson of Houston was superb throughout the playoffs, leading everyone in scoring with 22.4 points per game, he was easily outdistanced by Beezow Bop-Bop of Charleston for MVP of the Playoffs. Bop-Bop, has had the potential to be one of the MBA's star players, but up until this playoff campaign, his three-season run has been rock solid but not spectacular. In fact, the championship ring and Playoff MVP awards will be the first to garnish his card. No, he has not even been a member of a mid-season All Star Team. Bop-Bop exploded this post season, taking over games and dominating them ... finishing second in scoring (18.9 points per game) setting a playoff assist record of 6 per game and leading everyone in blocked shots with 16 in addition to pulling down 3.4 rebounds per game.






**T.K. Masterson of Houston registered the third-highest scoring average ever in one post-season with his 22.4 per game. The only ones to score more in one post season were:
1. Dan Mann of Milwaukee, Season 11...27.6 per game
2. Cappy Gambol of Milwaukee, Season 3...23.0 per game







** The 83.3 points per game scoring average by Charleston is tied for the fourth highest average ever and it is the highest since Season 31 when Philadelphia racked up 83 points per game. The top playoff scoring teams ahead of (and tied with) Charleston are:
1. Milwaukee in Season 11...90.2
2. Milwaukee in Season 8....85.8
3. Milwaukee in Season 13...84.0
4. Philadelphia in Season 22...83.3
Charleston scored 74.8 per game in the regular season, third in the MBA and first in the East.






TUG HERSHORTS MAKES MBA HALL OF FAME




Three seasons after his retirement, Tug Hershorts has made the MBA Hall of Fame as chosen by the Veteran's Committee.
Since no player made the Hall based on 10 awards this season, the highest-rated 9-award player earns induction...that being Hershorts.
He is the 39th player inducted into the Hall of Fame and takes his spot as the 36th best player of all time, right after Bub Wright and just before Silo Chamberlin. He is the 8th player to gain the Hall via the Veteran's Committee rule.
He is the 14th forward to gain Hall of Fame status in league history and the first Hall of Fame member to have never achieved first-team All-MBA status in his career.
Hershorts played nine seasons in the MBA with three different franchises.
Although lacking in All-MBA stars, Hershorts is tied with fellow Hall of Famer Cam Bodia for having the most championship rings in history...6. He gained one as an important backup forward with the San Jose Fighting Amigos in that franchise's only title campaign, then won five in a row as a starter with the Philadelphia Phobia during that team's record-setting run. That five-year run began when Hershorts joined Philly and ended when he retired.
The 6-11 Hershorts has the distinction of having played both power forward and small forward with equal ability. He was a superb passer who led his team in assists twice. His versatility allowed Hershorts to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, free throwing and field goal percentage at various times in his career.
He is just the fifth lefty ever to gain the Hall.

CHARLESTON 78, HOUSTON 64
BOP-BOP LEADS CHARLESTON IN BLOWOUT FOR TITLE

HOUSTON -- Beezow Doo-Doo Zoppity Bop Bop-Bop completed one of the most memorable post-seasons in league annals with a triple-double, leading the Charleston Mountaineers to a 78-64 road win in Houston and the third MBA championship in franchise history.

Bop-Bop was magnificent for the third straight game in these finals, capturing his third consecutive MVP of the Game honor with a team-high 19 points, and game-highs in both rebounds (7) and assists (9). It was his fourth MVP of the Game honor this post-season and the triple-double was the only one registered by any player in this post-season.

T.Kanes Masterson was again spectacular for Houston in defeat, scoring a game-high 29 points from his shooting guard position.

Thanks to a 23-6 second quarter, advantage Charleston, this game was all but over at halftime. Leading 29-22 after a foul-plagued first quarter, Charleston ran off the first 10 points of the second quarter on the way to a 24-point lead at the mid-point.

The Mountaineers scored just 26 points in the entire second half and had three players foul out, but still won by 14. One of the three foul-outs was guard Chuckie "Swishcat" Sellegren, playing his final game for the Mountaineers. The shooting guard who could fill it up will be retiring, albeit, with a ring.

The Terrarium crowd watched in anguish for the second time in these finals as the visitors destroyed their young heroes.

In all, the two finalists played six times this season, with Charleston winning five.

NEXT UP; The Playoff recap and awards.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
--Bop-Bop, Chicago's point guard and shoo-in for Playoff MVP, could not be guarded again. His triple-double included a 2 for 3 day from beyond the arc, and his 9 assists were one shy of a playoff record. He also blocked yet another shot.
-- B. Quiet, the second-year power forward had 12 points, 5 rebounds, a steal, a blocked shot and an assist.
-- T.Kanes Masterson's 29 points included 9 for 12 from the field, 9 for 11 from the charity stripe and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down a pair of rebounds. Masterson was a monster in this series.
-- Vic Hitler, the regular season MVP and Rookie of the Year had a steady, if not spectacular game with 11 points, 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Season 36 Finals, Game 3...Houston at Charleston

HOUSTON 80, CHARLESTON 67
IGUANAS KEEP CHARLESTON CHAMPAGNE ON ICE

CHARLESTON -- The championship bubbly will have to wait.

The young Houston Iguanas, backs to the wall, responded in fine fashion in this elimination game on the road with a convincing 80-67 win. Led by their two All-MBA first team players, guard T. Kanes Masterson and rookie forward Vic Hitler, Houston overcame a bumpy first quarter, grabbed an 11-point halftime lead and never looked back.

The series now moves back to Houston with the Iguanas trailing 2 games to 1 and the Mountaineers still needing just one win to clinch the title.

The Houston win overshadowed yet another brilliant game by Charleston point guard Beezow Bop-Bop, who registered his second consecutive MVP of the Game effort and third of the playoffs. This was an even better game than Bop-Bop's previous effort, which drew raves. He lit up the Iguanas for 30 points, but got almost no help from anyone else on Charleston.

"They're going to make us earn this," said longtime Charleston coach Bill Rustler. "We can't expect to just throw our jock straps out there and win a championship. Hell, that's what it looked like we were doing on defense half the time tonight...just throwing jock straps at 'em."

Houston featured an all-rookie front line that included the first start for 6-8 first-year center Hodor, subbing for the injured Sanjay Patel. The big, bulking rook held his own against the Hall of Famer Max Payne, who for the second straight game, did little offensively.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- T. Kanes Masterson of Houston had yet another brilliant scoring game with 25 points, going 10 for 12 and slowing down not at all even with Bop-Bop switched over to guard him. He also had 5 boards, 2 assists and a steal.
-- Vic Hitler was not as prolific in scoring, but did get 13 points, 6 rebounds and a blocked shot for the victors.
-- Beezow Bop-Bop, playing the best ball of his three-season career, continued his dominating ways with a game-high 30 points, a game-high 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. That's a 40 GVP effort if you're scoring at home.

Season 36 Finals, Game 2...Charleston at Houston

CHARLESTON 84, HOUSTON 59
MOUNTAINEERS RUN ROUGHSHOD OVER HOUSTON TO TAKE COMMANDING 2-0 LEAD

HOUSTON -- The Charleston Mountaineers annihilated the home team Houston Iguanas 84-59 to go ahead 2-0 in the best of five finals and now stand on the doorstep of the first franchise championship since Season 27.

Led by Game MVP Beezow Bop-Bop, the visitors racked up a 30-point third quarter with a relentless attack and led by 17 going into the final stanza. This time, there would be no furious last-minute push by Houston, which was held to just 10 points in the last 70 time units.

The Charleston defense was withering throughout the contest. Only T. Kanes Masterson managed double figures for Houston, while the Mountaineers had four players with 10 or more points, including substitute guard Jesus Moron Joseph.

Vic Hitler, the MBA's regular season MVP, was in foul trouble from early in the second quarter on and was one of two Houston starters to foul out.

Additionally, the Iguanas' starting center, Sanjay Patel was injured badly in the second quarter and will be out the remainder of the series. He will be replaced on the roster by Zinon Sjef, although we know most MBA fans were hoping Pug Mahone would emerge from his long purgatory stint in the cut pile.

Charleston has now beaten Houston all four times the team has met this season, and one would assume the odds are long that Houston can win three straight. They will have to do so with a front line comprised entirely of rookies, which I believe is a first for any team.

20-PLUS GVP PERFORMANCES
-- Beezow Bop-Bop dominated this contest for Charleston. In addition to scoring 19 points, the point guard dished out a game-high 7 assists, blocked a game-high 3 shots and registered a steal.
-- Second-year forward B. Quiet led the victors in scoring with 20 while pulling down 4 boards.
-- Quiet's running mate at the other forward, Buck Naked dominated the league MVP Vic Hitler with a 16-point game that included 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
-- T. Kanes Masterson led his team with 20 points and out-rebounded everyone from his guard position with 5 boards.