Season 44 at the All Star Game Break

RETIREE FACTOIDS
-- There are 19 retirees after Season 44 is complete, meaning the league will be losing three players overall...six of those retirees are starters

-- Among the retirees are Bob Kittle, who was the point guard for Seattle as a rookie when they won their one and only title. He is the last active member of that championship squad.

-- Three teams had no retirements: Charleston, Dallas and Philadelphia...all powers in the East.

-- Ugatta Noluvfer Spikie, the 7-1 center and brother of Hall of Fame center Ama Spikie, will retire after starting all eight of his active seasons for Milwaukee. He is currently sporting the longest active consecutive game streak...now at 75. Unlike his brother, who acquired enough honors to gain Hall of Fame entry, this bigger Spikie has no honors on his card. None.

-- Steve Carter, the 6-6 shooting guard for Los Angeles is retiring after 16 MBA seasons. He is currently the oldest active player in the MBA and is tied for 9th place all time for most seasons in the league. Carter currently has 1,623 points scored in his MBA regular season career, which is currently the eighth most points ever accumulated by one player. He is just 25 points behind Naf Naf for 7th place all time in points scored.

-- Top honorees among those announcing their retirements are:
Pippi Pippistrelli, San Jose 8 honors
Bang-Bang Reiner, Chicago 6 honors
Dayshotta Leo, San Jose 5 honors
Steve Carter, Los Angeles 5 honors
Bill Cull, Chicago 5 honors
Jesus Moron Joseph, San Jose 4 honors
YourMajesty Lumpkins, San Jose 3 honors

-- The San Jose Fighting Amigos, with starting guards Dayshotta Leo and YourMajesty Lumpkins and number one guard off the bench Jesus Moron Joseph as well as longtime superb center, Pippi Pippistrelli (now a back-up for All-MBA pivot Hunk R. Down) was hit the the hardest by retirements. Beginning with Pippistrelli's Rookie of the Year season in Season 38, with Leo and Lumpkins joining the team shortly thereafter, San Jose has never experienced a losing season. They made the playoffs three times, were division champs twice and made the finals last season.

-- The Chicago Gale was hit the second-hardest, not only losing All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner, but his back-up, also a one-time All-MBA forward and one of the most prolific scoring forwards ever, Bill Cull.



ALL STAR TEAMS FACTOIDS
-- Three rookies made the All Star Game this season, all three in the East Division.

-- The entire front court of the first-place Sacramento River Dogs will start for the West Division.

-- Fifth-season players who were all part of the the Rookies Class of Season 40, account for the most All Stars.

-- Just three players who accumulated an average of 20 GVP did not make the All Star teams...all are forwards...Peter Pizza of Oklahoma City, Al A. Orden of Dallas and Ape Con Myth of Milwaukee. Seven forwards in the East had 20-plus GVP averages, making that the position with the toughest competition to make the All Star team.

-- Amazingly, Chicago is one of five teams to place three players on the All Star Team. They did so without winning a game thus far.

-- Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan is the most veteran All Star Game player this season, having made his seventh contest in as many seasons. That is tied for 8th place for most All Star Game appearances. Baba Brinkman of Milwaukee was named to his 6th team...tied for 20th all time.

-- 10 members of the this year's team were members of last year's teams.

-- There are six first-timers.



With his selection to his seventh consecutive All Star Game, Charleston center J.J. Gargantuan has accumulated the necessary 10 lifetime honors to become a member of the MBA Hall of Fame. He is currently the only active member of the Hall.

--He is the 48th member of the Hall.

--He is the 11th center to earn Hall of Fame status and is currently tied for 28th place on the All-Time player list. The other centers, and their current ranking are: Max Payne (3rd), Diamond Dallas Paige (12th), Jonny Cocakroo (12th), Bill Rustler (21st), Rip Slamjam (21st), Tom Kondla (23rd), J.J. Gargantuan (28th), Bart Pitbull (28th), Alex Pal (28th), Mable Reed (37th), Ama Spikie (37th)

--Gargantuan is the eighth player who played primarily for Charleston to earn the Hall of Fame distinction. The others are: Center Jonny Cockaroo, Center Bill Rustler, Guard Beezow Bop-Bop, Guard Lemon Jell-o, Forward Bub Wright, Guard Silo Chamberlin and Guard Benny Gumm.

Final Note: The Seattle Stampede has announced that it will replace coach Neville Chamberlin, who has been at the helm for 11 seasons, with first-time coach Kingsford Briquettes. Chamberlin presided over four playoff teams, including Seattle's lone championship team of Season 37. Big things were expected from Seattle this season due to their accumulation of five draft picks. But they finished the first half 1-4.

Season 44 Featured Game No. 5...Charleston at Philadelphia

Charleston 66, Philadelphia 64
AMAZING MOUNTAINEERS STUN PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia -- Guard Cat Timol of the upstart Charleston Mountaineers hit two free throws after the final buzzer sounded to give his still-undefeated team a staggering 66-64 victory in a thrill-packed road win.

Charleston is now 5-0 going into the All Star Game break, while the seemingly invincible Philadelphia Phobia have dropped two in a row for a 3-2 record.

The plucky Mountaineers, picked by nobody to even earn a playoff berth, won this tight contest despite losing their top scorer, rookie Frog Morton, to injury in the second quarter. Charleston was ahead 24-22 at the time. The injury will play havoc with Morton's 18.5 scoring average and may keep him from the All Star Game team, but he will not miss a regular season contest. It was a one-game injury, which the All Star Game takes care of.

Charleston never missed a beat in Morton's absence, leading 38-30 at the half. But in the third quarter, the Phobia asserted its defensive will and took a 3-point lead into the final stanza.

Here's how the last part of the game went (6 lead changes, 2 tied in last 30 time units):

-- 55-54 Charl. as J.J. Gargantuan hit 1 of 2 free throws...30 left
-- 56-55 Phil. as Poodle "Stix" Jackson tips in a missed trey by Colquitt Croix
-- 57-56 Charl. as Shwayze scores down low on a feed by Cat Timol
-- 58-57 Phil. as Croix hits a medium jumper on an out of bounds play
-- 59-58 Charl. Shwayze hits a short jumper on a pass from Red Reparee
-- Sloppy Dollop misses a short jumper and Jackson misses the tip-in for Philly, Shwayze rebounds for Charleston...18 left
-- Gargantuan of Charleston called for a charge on Carga Larga.
-- 60-59 Phil. as Jackson hits a short jumper on a pass from Dollop...14 left
-- 62-60 Charl. as forward Flip Testerton hits a humongous trey, his third of the game in as many tries...13 left
-- 62-62 Tie as Dollop connects on a medium jumper on a pass from Croix...11 left
-- Jackson fouls for Philly
-- Zagobia fouls Timol
-- 64-62 Charl. Timol makes both ends of a 1 on 1...9 left
-- 64-64 Tie as Dollop scores down low on a pass from Larga for Philly...7 left
-- Timol's good medium jumper for Charleston is force-missed by Zagobia, who then grabs the rebound. Philly ball with 4 left.
-- Dollop misses a short jumper for Philly and Gargantuan grabs the board for Charleston with 2 left.
-- Croix ties up Reparee for a jump ball with 1 time unit remaining and the score tied 64-64.
-- Reparee wins the jump for Charleston, Timol takes a wayward trey that is off, but Zagobia fouls him with no time remaining. Two free throws.
-- 66-64 Charl. Needing just one free throw to win, Timol hits them both and Charleston has its upset road win.

PLAYER OF GAME
Having the best season of his five-year career, small forward FLIP TESTERTON of Charleston was again outstanding for the victors in this triumph. The 6-5 jumping jack led all scorers with 21 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, had 1 assist and 1 blocked shot. His opposite, Wawa Wewa, could not keep up with Testerton. Wewa was thoroughly out-played, scoring just 5 points and fouling out on the first time unit of the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Testerton, in his first year with Charleston, was 8 for 9 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from deep, three slam dunks and 2 for 3 from the foul line. He's about to make the first All Star team of his career.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Charleston two-guard Cat Timol, pulled from the cut pile this season, has been steady and important in the Mountaineers' 5-0 run. In this game the 5-10 Timol dominated the 6-4 Akbar Zagobia who was guarding him, shutting out Zagobia and fouling him out on the final play of the game. Timol scored 16 points, had 3 rebounds and blocked a game-high 3 shots. He was 6-for-6 from the foul line, including 4 big ones down the stretch that included the game winners.

-- Soon-to-be Hall of Fame center J.J. Gargantuan dominated Carga Larga in the post, scoring 15 points and ripping down a game-high 9 rebounds while blocking 1 shot.

-- Philly point guard Colquitt Croix poured in 18 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had a team-high 3 assists and tied for game-high in steals with 2 while giving Red Reparee a working over defensively.

-- After Frog Morton was injured and out of the game, Philly power forward Sloppy Dollop went after his weaker defensive replacement, Shwayze. The fifth-year forward scored a team-high 19 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, dished 2 assists, blocked a team-high 2 shots and tied for game-high in steals with 2.

NEXT UP: Dallas (3-1) looks to take over second place from Philadelphia as it travels to Milwaukee (1-3), a team it just got done crushing 109-77.

Featured Game No. 4, Season 44...Los Angeles at Philadelphia

L.A. STARTS STRONG, UPENDS THE BIG ONE 77-60
PHILADELPHIA -- A 15-4 opening game run by the visiting Big One set the stage for Season 44's biggest upset thus far, as Los Angeles shocked the home team Phobia 77-60 to pull Philly from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The win was the first cross-over victory for the West this season and makes Los Angeles 3-1 on the year. Philadelphia drops to 3-1 and into second place in the East behind Charleston, the only unbeaten team in the MBA at 4-0.

Los Angeles hit its first eight shots to open the game, going 9 for 11 from the floor in the opening quarter. With Philly constantly fouling, 9 of the 28 L.A. points came from the foul line. Los Angeles, the best rebounding team in the league, led 8-2 in that category after one.

After the first quarter, The Big One led by as many as 25 points in the second quarter before Philly began settling down. Truth be told, Philadelphia played L.A. to a virtual tie in the last three quarters. But the first quarter did them in, ending their 3-game win streak.

PLAYER OF GAME
He came into this game 0 for 11 from 3-point range, but Los Angeles' veteran forward BABA BRINKMAN popped in three long ones in five attempts in this upset on the way to earning his first POG this season. The seventh-year forward was 8 for 10 from the floor, his only misses being treys, on the way to a game-high 21 points. The 6-6 Brinkman also hit the boards hard, snaring a game-high 7 rebounds in the huge victory. He was 2 of 3 from the foul stripe.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Los Angeles point guard Dr. Marcus Brody registered a 19-point outing against his fellow All-MBA opponent of last season, Colquitt Croix. Three of those were 3-pointers. Brody, in his second season, also led his team in assists with 4, registered his team's only steal and pulled down 1 rebound.

-- The ageless one, 16-season veteran guard Steve Carter, scored 14 points while pulling down 6 boards to help The Big One dominate the glass.

-- Third-year L.A. center Chutcher Mouthchair scored 11 points, grabbed 5 boards, had 1 assist and swatted away a game-high 3 blocked shots in the win.

-- Only small forward Wawa Wewa reached the 20 GVP mark for the losing Phobia. Wewa scored 12 points, tied for team-high in rebounds with 6 and distributed 3 assists.

WEST STANDINGS(no changes in positions since last bracket)
1st -- Sacramento 3-1 (division wins tie-breaker)
2nd -- Los Angeles 3-1
3rd -- San Jose 2-2
4th -- Seattle 1-3
Last -- Oklahoma City 0-4

EAST STANDINGS
1st -- Charleston 4-0 (previously 2nd)
2nd -- Philadelphia 3-1 (previously 1st)(division wins tie-breaker)
3rd -- Dallas 3-1
4th -- Milwaukee 1-3
Last -- Chicago 0-4

Upcoming bracket, No. 5, prior to All Star Game break
-- Seattle at Sacramento...with the River Dogs looking to hold first place headed into the halfway mark of the season

-- San Jose at Los Angeles in a giant showdown game in the West between top playoff contenders. A win by the Amigos switches positions with L.A.

-- FEATURED GAME: Charleston at Philadelphia...the upset by Los Angeles did away with a battle of undefeated clubs, but a win by the Phobia puts them right back into first place in the East and could drop Charleston from first to third.

-- Dallas at Milwaukee in the second straight game between these two. Dallas rang up 109 points in the previous game and looks to put itself in playoff position heading into the break.

-- Oklahoma City at Chicago in the last cross-over of the first half. The All Star Game break is preceded by a match between the league's two win-less teams. There are no ties and Chicago is favored.

Season 44 Featured Game No. 3...Milwaukee at Philadelphia...plus bonus

Philadelphia 72, Milwaukee 64
UNDEFEATED PHOBIA OUTLASTS PESKY GREYHOUNDS
PHILADELPHIA -- After blowing away Milwaukee by 28 on the road, the 3-0 Phobia had to work hard to earn an 8-point victory at home, one that was not totally secure until the final 9 time units.

In retrospect, a slow first quarter doomed Milwaukee in this one, as the defending champions from Philly got off to a 15-8 lead. But from then on things were pretty even, with the visitors getting within four points with 21 time units remaining in the game. A fast-break miss by Milwaukee's Con Gusto that would have brought them within 2 was quickly turned into a 6-point advantage with eight ticks left after Colquitt Croix found Carga Larga open for a short jumper.

Milwaukee is now 1-2 on the season, but they are done with Philadelphia for the season after having acquitted themselves well in the second meeting.

PLAYER OF GAME
Philadelphia's splendid point guard COLQUITT CROIX came into this game averaging 24 points per game, and that's exactly how many he scored against Milwaukee's fine rookie guard Fatty McButterpants. Croix's 24 was high in the game as were his 5 assists. He also tied for most steals in the game with 2 and pulled down 3 rebounds. The 6-2, fifth-year star was 9 for 16 from the floor, potting 4 of 9 3-pointers and going 2 for 2 from the foul stripe. Entering the final quarter, Croix had 4 fouls but managed to stay in the contest.

Other 20-plus GVP performances
-- Philadelphia's power forward Sloppy Dollop dominated the much larger Ape Con Myth, getting 16 points, leading his team in rebounds with 6 and dishing out 2 assists.

-- Milwaukee's rookie point guard Fatty McButterpants led his team in scoring with 17 and in assists with 3, grabbing 2 rebounds as well.

-- The Greyhound veteran Ugatta Noluvfer Spikie totally outplayed his opposite, Carga Larga. The 7-1 Spikie, now in his 8th year, had 10 points while registering game-highs in both rebounds (7) and blocked shots (4), adding 1 assist.

-- Milwaukee's small forward Faku Sosume reversed the dominance he felt at the hands of Wawa Wewa in their last meeting, when Wewa was Player of the Game. This time, Sosume was in command, scoring 16 points, grabbing 5 boards, tying for game-high with 2 steals and passing out 2 assists.

NEXT UP: We close out bracket No. 3 with a cross-over meeting -- Seattle (1-1) at the surprising Charleston Mountaineers (2-0).



A first look at All Star Game competition
Getting that All Star Game red star on your card in a consistent manner can go a long way toward achieving Hall of Fame status. It is the easiest of the 10 honors to get, but depending on the competition at your position, even the best of the best have been shut out from time to time.
Here is a list of who is up this season at every position
Based on the criteria of previous play, potential and current season performance, I have bold faced all the candidates at each position.
There appears to be healthy competition at every position in both conferences, but the toughest place to make the All Star Game this season seems to be at forward in the East Division where eight solid candidates are vying for 3 or 4 spots. And that does not even include Al E. Orden of Dallas, who is right on the brink of being a serious contender.

Any thoughts?

West

Guards (3 or 4 spots)
Bob Kittle, Seattle
Theon Greyjoy, Seattle
YourMajesty Lumpkins, San Jose
Dayshotta Leo, San Jose
Cremofsum Yunguy, Oklahoma City
Brownie McShytles, Oklahoma City
Great Gruncle Terry, Sacramento (rookie)
Potus Obama, Sacramento
Dr. Marcus Brody, Los Angeles
Norman Conquest, Los Angeles or Steve Carter, Los Angeles

Forwards (3 or 4 spots)
Bougainvillea Hedge, Seattle
Stu Gatz, Seattle
Cam Caldwell, San Jose (rookie)
Egg Yolk Carpaccio, San Jose
Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson, Oklahoma City
Peter Pizza, Oklahoma City
Doo-rag Dripp, Sacramento
Pap Smearz, Sacramento
Baba Brinkman, Los Angeles
Anurag Dickshit, Los Angeles

Centers (2 or 3 spots)
Seven Castanza, Seatttle (rookie)
Hunk R. Down, San Jose
Willie Carry McCoffee, Oklahoma City
Tree Fiddy, Sacramento
Chutcher Mouthchair, Los Angeles


East

Guards (3 or 4 spots)
Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo, Chicago
Lannigan Lord Hobo, Chicago (rookie)
Cat Timol, Charleston
Red Reparee, Charleston
Bingo Bango, Dallas
Louie Subgum, Dallas
Baskets Weaver or Con Gusto, Milwaukee
Fatty McButterpants, Milwaukee (rookie)
Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia
Akbar Zagobia, Philadelphia

Forwards (3 or 4 spots)
Bang-Bang Reiner, Chicago
Pietro Destroyer, Chicago
Frog Morton, Charleston (rookie)
Flip Testerton, Charleston
Al E. Orden, Dallas
Chip Battoe, Dallas
Faku Sosume, Milwaukee
Ape Con Myth, Milwaukee
Sloppy Dollop, Philadelphia
Wawa Wewa, Philadelphia

Centers (2 or 3 spots)
Yo Noid, Chicago
J.J. Gargantuan, Charleston
Gotoo Grot, Dallas
Ugatta Noluvfer Spikie, Milwaukee
Carga Larga, Philadelphia


Tyler picks
West

Guards (3 or 4 spots)
Bob Kittle, Seattle
YourMajesty Lumpkins, San Jose
Dayshotta Leo, San Jose


Forwards (3 or 4 spots)
Bougainvillea Hedge, Seattle
Doo-rag Dripp, Sacramento
Pap Smearz, Sacramento
Baba Brinkman, Los Angeles


Centers (2 or 3 spots)
Hunk R. Down, San Jose
Chutcher Mouthchair, Los Angeles


East

Guards (3 or 4 spots)
Bingo Bango, Dallas
Fatty McButterpants, Milwaukee (rookie)
Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia

Forwards (3 or 4 spots)
Pietro Destroyer, Chicago
Flip Testerton, Charleston
Chip Battoe, Dallas
Sloppy Dollop, Philadelphia

Centers (2 or 3 spots)
Yo Noid, Chicago
J.J. Gargantuan, Charleston


Sent from my mobile

Featured Game No. 2 Season 44...Philadelphia at Milwaukee

PHILADELPHIA 97, MILWAUKEE 69
PHOBIA FLEXES ITS MUSCLES IN MILWAUKEE BEAT-DOWN
MILWAUKEE--The defending champion Philadelphia Phobia shot 75.5 percent and tallied 36 points in the third quarter on the way to a 97-69 thrashing of the Milwaukee Greyhounds.

Philly is now 2-0, while Milwaukee drops to 1-1.

This is the first time in MBA history Milwaukee has fallen behind Philadelphia in head-to-head wins. The Phobia now leads the all-time series 53-52.
The visiting team is now 7-0 this season in the MBA.

Philadelphia's 22 team assists were just 2 away from the MBA record held by three different teams.


POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTER
Philadelphia 4 - 0 - 4 - 5 Total=13
Milwaukee....0 - 0 - 0 - 2 Total=2

TOP INDIVIDUAL IN POINTS PREVENTED
1. Akbar Zagobia, Philadelphia 5
5 others tied with 2



PLAYER OF GAME
Newly obtained Philadelphia forward WAWA WEWA stepped out of his usual unselfish mode to light up Milwaukee for 23 points, dominating Faku Sosume in the process. Wewa, the first forward to capture part of an assist title, didn't skip on the helpers either, tying for game-high with 6. He also tied for team-high in rebounds with 4, while adding 1 steal. For the game, Wewa was 11 of 12 from the floor, including 1 slam dunk and 1 for 2 from the foul line.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Philadelphia's marvelous point guard Colquitt Croix followed his 23-point opening-game POG performance with a game-high 25 points in a captivating head-to-head tussle with Rookie of the Year candidate Fatty McButterpants of Milwaukee. Croix dropped in 5 treys, grabbed 2 boards and dished 5 assists in the big victory.

-- Philly power forward Sloppy Dollop put together a fine game with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

-- Going head-to-head with one of the MBA's top guards proved to be no problem for 6-7 rookie point guard Fatty McButterpants of Milwaukee. McButterpants led his team in scoring with 19 points, in assists with 4 and in rebounds with 5. His rebound total was the game's highest. After two games, McButterpants is averaging 20 points per contest.

NEXT UP: Charleston (1-0) at Chicago (0-1)

Featured Game No. 1, Season 44...Charleston at Sacramento

CHARLESTON 77, SACRAMENTO 69
NEW-LOOK MOUTAINEERS STUN SACRAMENTO
SACRAMENTO--Completing an all-visitors sweep of the first bracket, the Charleston Mountaineers, with just one returning starter from last season's squad, bested a favored Sacramento team in a highly charged cross-over contest, 77-69.

And if the loss was not stunning enough for the luck-less River Dogs, they also lost the services of center Tree Fiddy, who went down to injury with 34 time units remaining in the final quarter (team trailed 63-60 at the time) and will also miss the next important game against Los Angeles.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
After spending one season in the cut pile, fourth-season guard CAT TIMOL demonstrated his improved capabilities with a flourish, tying for team-high in scoring with 18 points and also tying for team-high in rebounds with 6. The 5-10 Timol also tied for game-high in blocked shots with 3. The little guy totally outplayed Potus Obama of Sacramento, going 7 for 12 from the floor and 4 for 4 from the foul stripe in his debut as a starter.

Before going down with the fourth injury of his career, Sacramento center TREE FIDDY was keeping his team in the game, registering game-high numbers in both points (20) and rebounds (7). Despite going up against brilliant defender J.J. Gargantuan, Fiddy managed a 9 for 14 day with a slam dunk and 2 for 2 from the foul stripe. He will return after missing the next game.

Other 20-plus GVP Performers
-- The man Charleston acquired to run its offense, Red Reparee, did just that with a game-high 7 assists and 13 points. The fifth-year veteran took it to the highly-rated rookie Gruncle Terry, shutting him out and dominating the newcomer in his first game. Welcome to the MBA.

-- Although his counterpart was POG, Charleston's longtime center J.J. Gargantuan nearly matched Tree Fiddy statistically, getting 12 points, tying for team rebounding honors with 6, tying for most blocked shots with 3, dishing 3 assists and getting 1 steal.

-- Charleston's new small forward Flip Testerton was a high-flying circus act in his initial outing as a Mountaineer, tying for team-high in points with 18 and in rebounds with 6. The 6-5 pogo stick slammed home 7 dunks in his 9 field goals and played superb defense.

-- The River Dogs were anxiously awaiting the return of 8-year veteran Pap Smearz after missing him most of last season due to injury. Smearz did not disappoint in his first game back, playing his usual steady game. The 6-8 forward had 15 points and 5 rebounds.

STANDINGS
East Division
1st -- Milwaukee 1-0 (points differential tie-breaker)
2nd -- Philadelphia 1-0 (division wins tie-breaker)
3rd -- Charleston 1-0
4th -- Dallas 0-1 (points differential tie-breaker)
Last-- Chicago 0-1

West Division
1st -- Los Angeles 1-0 (points differential tie-breaker)
2nd -- San Jose 1-0
3rd -- Sacramento 0-1 (points differential tie-breaker)
4th -- Oklahoma City 0-1 (points differential tie-breaker)
Last --Seattle 0-1

Next bracket (no. 2)
--Dallas at San Jose in a cross-over, with the Demons facing an early 0-2 mark
--FEATURED GAME: Philadelphia at Milwaukee, as the powerhouse champs look to see what this new rookie Fatty McButterpants is all about.
--Charleston, following a strong win, looks to bury the Gale in Chicago.
--Los Angeles at Sacramento, as The Big One catches a big break, playing their main playoff contenders, the R-Dogs without their injured starting center.
--Oklahoma City at Seattle in a game that will give one of these weak sisters a .500 record and early hope,

EARLY SEASON POWER RANKINGS
1. Philadelphia Phobia
2. San Jose Fighting Amigos
3. Los Angeles Big One
4. Dallas Demons
5. Charleston Mountaineers
6. Chicago Gale
7. Sacramento River Dogs
8. Milwaukee Greyhounds
9. Oklahoma City Lariats
10. Seattle Stampede

Awards Predictions for Season 44

ALL-MBA TEAM
Dave
G- Dr. Marcus Brody, Los Angeles
G- Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia
C- Hunk R. Down, San Jose
F- Chip Battoe, Dallas
F- Bang-Bang Reiner, Chicago

Tyler
G- Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia
G- Dayshotta Leo, San Jose
C- Hunk R. Down, San Jose
F- Chip Battoe, Dallas
f- Pietro Destroyer, Chicago


ALL ROOKIE TEAM
Tyler
G- Fatty McButterpants, Milwaukee
G- Lannigan Lord Hobo, Chicago
C- Seven Castanza, Seattle
F- Frog Morton, Charleston
F- Cam Caldwell, San Jose

Dave
G- "Great" Gruncle Terry, Sacramento
G- Lannigan Lord Hobo, Chicago
C- Seven Castanza, Seattle
F- Frog Morton, Charleston
F- Cam Caldwell, San Jose

REGULAR SEASON MVP
Chip "the Crip" Battoe (unanimous)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Dave- "Great" Gruncle Terry, Sacramento
Tyler- Lannigan Lord Hobo, Chicago

NOTE: Seven of the 16 rookies are starters this season.

Top Awards Players, Oldest Players entering Season 44

MOST AWARDS (all technically in reach of the Hall of Fame this season
9- J.J. Gargantuan, center, Charleston

8- Pippi Pippistrelli, center, San Jose
8- Colquitt Croix, guard, Philadelphia

6- Bang-Bang Reiner, forward, Chicago
6- Baba Brinkman, forward Los Angeles

5- Bill Cull, forward, Chicago
5- Pietro Destroyer, forward, Chicago
5- Pap Smearz, forward, Sacramento
5- Steve Carter, guard, Los Angeles
5- Sloppy Dollop, forward, Philadelphia


OLDEST ACTIVE MBA PLAYERS
16- Steve Carter, back-up guard, Los Angeles

14- Wayan Garuda, back-up center, Los Angeles

12- Shits McGriddle, back-up center, Sacramento
12- Giacomo Ferrari, back-up guard, Oklahoma City

11- Buzz Kill, cut pile guard

10- Jesus Moron Joseph, back-up guard, San Jose

A Look at Season 44 Rosters

A Look at Season 44 Rosters

ROSTERS, YOUNGEST TO OLDEST (players up for retirement)
1. Charleston … 3.3 seasons per player (1 up for retirement)
2. Philadelphia…3.9 (1)
3. Milwaukee…41 (3)
4. Seattle … 43 (2)
5. Dallas…4.7 (4)
6. Chicago…4.9 (5)
7. Sacramento… 5.0 (4)
8. San Jose…5.3 (5)
9. Oklahoma City …5.6 (5)
10.Los Angeles…6.2 (4)


STARTING LINEUPS, YOUNGEST TO OLDEST (starters up for retirement)
1 Los Angeles…3.8 seasons per starter (1 up for retirement)
2. Dallas…4.2 (1)
3. Charleston …4.4 (1)
4. Sacramento … 4.4 (2)
5. Philadelphia… 4.6 (0)
6. San Jose…4.8 (2)
6. Oklahoma City… 4.8 (2)
8. Milwaukee… 5.2 (3)
8. Chicago … 5.2 (3)
8. Seattle…5.2 (2)

MOST ROSTER CHANGES PER TEAM (new starters from previous year)
1. Charleston … 6 new players (4 new starters)
2. Seattle…5 new players (3 new starters)
2. Milwaukee…5 new players (3 new starters)
2. Oklahoma City … 5 new players (2 new starters)
2. Philadelphia…5 new players (2 new starters)
6. Chicago…3 new players (2 new starters)
6. Dallas …3 new players (3 new starters)
8. San Jose…2 new players (1 new starter)
9. Sacramento … 1 new players (1 new starter)
9. Los Angeles…1 new player (2 new starters)

SEASON 44 PREDICTIONS/PREVIEW

THE WEST

1.(unanimous) San Jose Fighting Amigos 8-2, First place in Season 43...lost in Finals to Philadelphia
Biggest losses: forward Blue "Rondo" Alaturk retired after missing most of previous season to injury.
Major additions: rookie forward Cam Caldwell will start at small forward
The skinny:Addressed need at starting forward and added depth with rookie guard Cha-Cha Bamba. Big three of YourMajesty Lumpkins, Dayshotta Leo and All-MBA center Hunk R. Down are back. Biggest question is whether forward Egg Yolk Carpaccio can continue his improved play from last season's playoffs. Should be able to fend off Sacramento and Los Angeles for first in the West.

2.(unanimous) Sacramento River Dogs 4-6, Fourth place in Season 43
Biggest losses:Point guard Con Gusto to free agency
Major additions: 6-5 point guard "Great" Gruncle Terry, top rookie point guard in draft; return of veteran forward Pap Smearz lost to injury last season.
The skinny:Could this finally be a playoff year for the R-Dogs? Nabbing Terry in the draft to lead the offense and the return of Smearz makes Sacramento starting lineup a solid one. Back-up guard Peeshie Pooshie, acquired in trade, should help off the bench. And if center Tree Fiddy can have his second straight injury-free year, coach Frankie Pantangeli's boys could finally be invited into the post-season after years of "waiting in the lobby." If they don't make the playoffs, it will mark a 10th straight year of futility and require a dice roll for possibly changing the franchise city.

3.(unanimous) Los Angeles Big One 4-6, Third place in Season 43
Biggest losses:None
Major additions: Guard Norman Conquest, defensive stalwart and top free-agent guard in draft.
The skinny:Conquest replaces league-leading rebounder Steve Carter in the starting lineup, just as the latter is starting to show his 16 seasons. Seven-foot forward Tomm Foolerie will replace seven-season starter Walter Sobchack at forward, which should at least add more rebounding. The Big One is a deep, deep team that has the potential to make the playoffs and even finish atop the West. There is almost no chance they will finish lower than third.

4.(unanimous) Seattle Stampede 2-8, Last place in Season 43
Biggest losses:None
Major additions:Rookie center Seven Castanza and rookie two guard Potatoes O'Gratin, both upgrades to starting lineup.
The skinny:Improved its roster somewhat since last season, replacing half the squad. Scoring will still be a problem for the Stampede, which finished last in the league with just 67.5 points per game. Also last in defense (82.1 ppg yielded), improved only slightly there.

5.(unanimous) Oklahoma City Lariats 5-5, Second place in Season 43...lost in Semi-finals to Philadelphia
Biggest losses:All-MBA forward and team MVP Bang-Bang Reiner(19.0 ppg) to free agency; league-leader in assists, guard Mel A. Noma retired.
Major additions:Back-up center, 7-foot rookie Dupa Yashu
The skinny:Another re-vamped roster with 5 new players, there will be no big surprising season like last year's for the Lariats, who will see league-best four straight playoff appearances come to an end.

THE EAST

1.(Dave-1, Tyler-2) Chicago Gale 7-3, Second place in Season 43...lost in Semi-finals to San Jose
Biggest losses:Three-year starter and defensive mainstay, guard Norman Conquest to free agency.
Major additions:All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner (19.0 ppg) and excellent-looking rookie two guard, 6-6 Lannigan Lord Hobo.
The skinny:Gale has not had back-to-back playoff appearances in eight seasons, but along with Philadelphia, look like the cream of the crop in the East. Forward Bang-Bang Reiner was runner-up to league MVP Chip Battoe last season while leading surprising Lariats. He sends 19.5 points per game scorer Bill Cull to the Chicago bench, losing no scoring punch and adding defense. Rookie two guard Hobo is a big, strong rebounder and point guard Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo has added accuracy to his already-potent 3-point shot of last season. Chicago surprised everyone by jumping into the playoffs last season, but this year they are aiming for the whole enchilada.

1.(Tyler-1, Dave-2) Philadelphia Phobia 9-1, First place in Season 43...Won it all!
Biggest losses:Longtime stalwart center Diss Reflexia (14.7 ppg), MVP of Playoffs.
Major additions:Top defender and league-leading assist man (tied) forward Wawa Wewa in trade with Charleston. Rookie forward Cheetah Vajajay further adds to depth.
The skinny:They return all but center Diss Reflexia, but added strong team player Wawa Wewa to a team that lost just two games all season and won the 16th championship for this proud franchise. 6-11 center Carga Larga is a more-than-capable replacement in the middle, and the team defense, a league-best 67.0 per game yield, should be just as good. With the retirement of Naf Naf, fifth-year point guard Colquitt Croix will battle Los Angeles second-year guard Dr. Marcus Brody for the distinction of the league's top man at that position. Croix could finally win his first scoring title.

3.(Dave-3, Tyler-4) Charleston Mountaineers 5-5, Fourth place in Season 43
Biggest losses:Three starters...Hall of Fame guards Naf Naf and Beezow Bop-Bop retired, forward Wawa Wewa traded to Philadelphia.
Major additions:Four of five starters replaced...included is top-rated rookie forward, 6-9 Frog Morton.
The skinny:The league's youngest roster looks nothing like the 10-0 powerhouse of two seasons ago, but they will enter the campaign in better shape than expected after a 50 percent revamp. Center J.J. Gargantuan is one award away from being the league's only active Hall of Famer, but he did not have a good go of it last season and has regressed some more in the off season. Almost no prayer of out-distancing Philly and Chicago for a playoff spot, but could be interesting team.

3.(Tyler-3, Dave-4) Dallas Demons 6-4, Third place in Season 43
Biggest losses:11-season veteran forward, "Mr. Dallas," Matthew Vanden Boogart (16.2 ppg) to retirement.
Major additions:rebounding behemoth and league's biggest player, 7-2 GoToo Grot, acquired in trade with Sacramento, will replace General Horseplay at center.
The skinny:Just missed playoffs last season with fine 6-4 record. Had a piss-poor draft and failed to fill in forward hole left by Boogart. But they still have sensational league MVP forward Chip "the Crip" Battoe, who will move from big to small forward this season. Could surprise, but doubtful.

5.(unanimous) Milwaukee Greyhounds 0-10, Last place in Season 43
Biggest losses:forward Flip Testerton, team's top rebounder, to free agency.
Major additions:6-7 rookie point guard Fatty McButterpants who will immediately become focus of team's rebuild; free agent point guard Con Gusto from Sacramento who adds depth.
The skinny:Revamped 0-10 roster of a season ago by 50 percent. Should win a game or two, but getting out of the cellar will be a chore.

Season 44 MBA Draft

* Note...although not marked, Frog Morton on Charleston is a rookie
--under the line are players added in addendum cut pile draft to fill out rosters

This marked the first ever premium pick draft in which each team gets one time in the draft to actually designate which player they are attempting to draft rather than all players being drafter randomly. (PP next to player's name means they were that team's premium pick).
Each team rolls prior to first-round pick. If they roll a "1" they get a premium pick. They name the player and if they roll a 1 or 6, they get that player. If they roll a number not a 1 or 6, they name a second player and continue to do so until the premium pick has been made. In this draft, if you did not get a first-round premium pick, you automatically get a premium pick in the second round.

BEST DRAFTS...BEST TO LAST
1. Chicago Gale...snared two quality players, getting the No. 1 overall ranked pick in the draft, All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner, with a late random pick and one of the top rookie guards in Lannigan Lord Hobo with its premium pick. Both will be starters.

2. Charleston Mountaineers...picked up two starting forwards, including top rookie forward Frog Morton as well as Flip Testerton and the draft's best rookie center Sabado Gigante, who is starting quality but will initially back up J.J. Gargantuan.

3. Milwaukee Greyhounds...nailed down one of the top rookie guards, Fatty McButterpants, with the first pick in the draft, a random one. Then added quality guard Con Gusto with premium pick. Should win a game this season.

4. San Jose Fighting Amigos...upgraded a starter spot with highly regarded rookie forward Cam Caldwell and added rookie game sensation Cha-Cha Bamba with premium pick.

5. Sacramento River Dogs...Struck gold with first premium pick in MBA history by naming and getting the top rookie guard, Great Grunkle Terry, who upgrades the starting point guard position for the R-Dogs and makes them instant playoff contender.

6. Los Angeles Big One...Upgraded starting two guard position by grabbing top free agent guard in the draft, Norman Conquest, who makes the Big One a very dangerous team in the West.

7. Oklahoma City Lariats...Added no starters in the draft, but did pick up a superb back-up center in 7-foot defensive rookie pivot Dupa Yashu.

8. Philadelphia Phobia...defending champs did not need much, but still added a nice piece in rookie forward Cheetah Vajayjay, who will come off the bench.

9. Seattle Stampede...Last place team in West added two rookie starters, both upgrades but neither near top of newcomers class in guard Potatoes O'Gratin and center Seven Castanza. The center was a pick traded from Sacramento in the Pap Smearz exchange the previous season. That trade included Seattle getting forward Bougainvillea Hedge, who was the team MVP for Seattle last season. Seattle also gets one more draft pick from the Smearz trade next season.

10. Dallas Demons...on the verge of greatness last season, took step backward with this draft. They added a starter, but needed a premium pick to get him, longtime solid bench player and well-known hacker, guard Louie Subgum.

RATING THE PREMIUM PICKS
1. Guard Great Gruncle Terry of Sacramento, rookie starter
2. Guard Norman Conquest of Los Angeles, starter
3. Guard Lannigan Lord Hobo of Chicago, rookie starter
4. Forward Frog Morton of Charleston, rookie starter
5. Guard Con Gusto of Milwaukee, solid backup
6. Guard Cha-Cha Bamba of San Jose, solid rookie backup
7. Forward Cheetah Vajayjay of Philadelphia, solid rookie backup
8. Guard Potatoes O'Gratin of Seattle, rookie starter
9. Guard Louie Subgum of Dallas, starter
10. Forward Morton Clown of Oklahoma City, putrid rookie backup

MBA Season 44 Rookie Game, Cut Pile Improvements, Trades

Cha-Cha Bamba, rated the No. 4 guard and overall 8th best player of the Season 44 rookie crop may be moving up a few notches after lighting up the tremendously entertaining Rookie Game for 40 points tonight, clearly capturing Player of the Game.

Playing mainly the two guard, Bamba went 13 for 17 from the floor, popping in 3 treys in 6 attempts and going 11 for 12 from the foul stripe in his eye-opening performance. He scored 22 points in the first half with Fatty McButterpants guarding him and 18 in the second half with the top-rated rookie guard defender "Great" Grunkle Terry (the top rated rookie) taking him on.

The home team, Team B, led for most of the game until the balanced attack of Team A finally took over in the final quarter in this squeaker. The rookie showcase saw both teams shoot over 60 percent, with the winning team flashing the ball around with 17 assists.

In addition to Bamba, all of the other 20-plus GVP performances came from the winning team, with center Dupa Yashu, forward Cam Caldwell and forward Cheetah Vajayjay all turning in excellent games.

A few cut pile players were sparingly used when forced rests and foul trouble necessitated. They were: forwards Baldy McGrindy and Atticus Finch and guard Cat Timol.


CUT PILE IMPROVEMENTS
Fourth-year guard Cat Timol, already the top guy in the cut pile, looks ready to rejoin an MBA roster after one season with the dregs. Timol improved 3 times. He improved his dribbling to a 7 and his passing to a 6 while also improving his tendency to shoot the medium shot, his best shot, to the maximum 3-6.

The other cut pile guy with major improvement was 6-11 center Shits McGriddle, entering his 12th campaign. McGriddle, who already defends the shot well, improved twice in that area, adding a block on 3 and a deny on 7.


TRADES MADE FOLLOWING THE MAKING OF THE ROOKIES

-- Sacramento traded second-year gigantic center GoToo Grot, the league's biggest player at 7-2, to Dallas for third-year guard Peeshie Pooshie, Both were back-up players last season.

-- Charleston sent fourth-year forward Wawa Wewa, who last season became the first player in MBA history to lead the league in assists, to the defending champion Philadelphia Phobia.
In return, Philadelphia sent Charleston back-up guard Red Reparee, a slick passer entering his fifth season, third-year 6-11 forward Shwayze, who spent last season as a back-up, but scored 13.7 per game his rookie campaign.
Additionally, Charleston will get Philadelphia's first pick in the upcoming draft, while Philadelphia will get Charleston's last pick in next season's draft (Season 45).

SEASON 44 ROOKIE RANKINGS

Although there are no apparent superstars in this Season 44 rookie class, at least 12 of the 16 newcomers should be solid contributors in their careers with 6 or 7 of them looking like they could make immediate impacts in the league. A trio of excellent, good-sized guards make that position stand out, and all three centers have a good looking future with four forwards showing starter potential depending on where they land in the draft.

Here are the rookies according to the combined rankings of Tyler and Dave

1. 6-5 guard "Great" Gruncle Terry (D-1, T-1) Top-ranked guard has size, great defense, rebounding and ball-handling skills. Solid shooter.

2. 6-6 guard Lannigan Lord Hobo (D-2, T-2) 2nd-ranked guard rebounds like a center and is even a better shooter than Terry. Skilled passer to boot.

3. 6-9 center Sabado Gigante (D-4, T-4) Top-ranked center can score from everywhere especially short and down low, where he is a beast. Tendency to foul.

3. 6-7 guard Fatty McButterpants (D-5, T-3) 3rd-ranked guard is tallest of all and best ball-handler of a great bunch. Brilliant in paint and down low.

5. 6-9 forward Frog Morton (D-3, T-7) Top-ranked forward is also the biggest. Brilliant shooter from medium, short and low. Great passer. Good defender.

6. 7-0 center Dupa Yashu (D-6, T-5) 2nd-ranked center is biggest man in the draft. Outstanding defender, shot blocker. Not a great rebounder for his size.

7. 6-6 forward Cam Caldwell (D-10, T-6) 2nd ranked forward may even be best. Dangerous from short and low and a good defender and ball-handler.

8. 6-0 guard Cha-Cha Bamba (D-7, T-11) 4th-ranked guard in a deep guard group. Ball hawk has quality attributes in multiple areas. Weak 3-point shooter.

8. 6-7 forward Reed Lemur (D-9, T-9) 3rd-ranked forward is the best on defense at his position. Decent shooter except down low. Weak rebounder.

10. 6-6 forward Cheetah Vajayjay (D-11, T-8) 4th-ranked forward hard to place. Great around bucket but loves to shoot outside where he is sub-par.

11. 6-8 center Seven Castanza (D-8, T-14) 3rd-ranked center among trio of good pivots. Son of MBA original George is best rebounding center but a hacker.

12. 6-4 guard Potatoes O'Gratin (D-12, T-10) 5th-ranked guard is astounding 3-point shooter who can't get that shot off. Worst ball-handler of lot.

Unlike the above dozen rookies who are viable players, these last four rookies , especially the last three, will likely end up in the cut pile.

13. 6-8 forward Glen A. Taylia (D-13, T-12) 5th-ranked forward is not totally horrible, although he does nothing above average.

14. 6-6 forward Motown Clown (D-14, T-13) 6th-ranked forward is lone lefty who is quick and good ball-handler but has too many gaps in his shooting.

15. 5-10 guard Po' Simpkins (D-15, T-15) 6th-ranked guard is smallest newcomer who is an atrocious outside shot and just an average ball-handler. No D.

16. 6-2 guard Chai Walla (D-16, T-16) 7th-ranked guard lives to foul. Life in the cut pile awaits.


FURTHER DRAFT NOTES

There are at least 9 free agents worth taking, with former Rookie of the Year and last-season's All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner the main prize of the lot.
Guards Norman Conquest and Con Gusto along with freaky-good rebounding 6-5 forward Flip Testerton.

Next five are decent players and last four, Broccli Boy, Indo Kazak, Piggles Huckster and Pombazo will struggle to make any team.

Season 44 Free Agents Announced...Draft order and trades aired

As you can see by the list, Tyler teams came out almost scott-free as far as free agency goes, losing just one starter and 5 total players.
Dave teams lost 8 players, including three key starters.

Four major players will be leaving their respective franchises. In order of importance,, they are:

1. Bang-Bang Reiner of Oklahoma City
2.Norman Conquest of Chicago
3. Con Gusto of Sacramento
4. Flip Testerton of Milwaukee



The following list is the Draft preview for Season 44, which includes the order of picks, plus the needs of each team listed next to their names.
Above a team's name is any traded picks they will either receive or give away, and below the number of the pick are the teams they may have received from another club.






As you can see by the above list of trades from last season, Sacramento will still be getting a pick from Sacramento in Season 45
Did not come out too good on scan since pages are stapled and not flat on scanner.
So here's the translation for those trades that involve draft picks

Chicago trades McCool and 3rd pick to Seattle for Boligrafo

Philadelphia trades Noma, McCoffee and 3rd pick to Oklahoma City for Zagobia and Larga (Philly will not get a third pick this coming season, so Oklahoma City is screwed)

Seattle trades Smearz to Sacramento for Hedge and either
A. Last 2 picks in Season 44 if Sacramento has 4 picks in Season 44 (which they do not)
B, Last pick in Season 44 and second-to-last pick in Season 45 if Sacramento has 3 picks in Season 44 (which is the option that will take place).

MBA Post-Season Team Stats...Playoff MVP...New Hall of Fame member...Regular Season MVP and Rookie of the Year

PLAYOFF MVP DISS REFLEXIA...PHILADELPHIA



47TH MBA HALL OF FAME MEMBER...GULEMON MON-MON



REGULAR SEASON MVP AND ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ... CHIP BATTOE, DALLAS

MBA Season 43 Playoff Summary

REFLEXIA RETIRES WITH SECOND PLAYOFF MVP HONOR
As you can see via this page, the retiring Philadelphia center Diss Reflexia earned the MBA's Season 43 Playoff MVP...the second time he has done so. "The Pocket Pivot" first won the award with Seattle in Season 37, his second season in the league, when he led the Stampede to its only championship. This latest MVP honor, along with the championship ring he garnered with the Phobia this season, gives Reflexia nine awards on his card. This is one short of instant Hall of Fame recognition, but puts him in position to gain Hall of Fame entry as early as next season via the veterans committee.


GULEMON MON-MON GETS INTO THE HALL OF FAME
Longtime MBA power forward Gulemon Mon-Mon became the 47th member of the Hall of Fame. His induction came via the veterans committee, whereby a player retired for at least one full season who has at least 9 awards on his card, gains entrance to the Hall if no other player with 10 or more awards has been enshrined that particular season. Only one player per season can gain Hall membership via this route.

Gulemon Mon-Mon, a 6-11 powerhouse forward, came into the MBA in Season 27 with the Oklahoma City Lariats, the same year that the Lariats welcomed their other rookie forward, Jimmy Wharfdale, who captured the Rookie of the Year award with Mon-Mon a close second. Mon-Mon spent nine seasons with Oklahoma City, the last four coming off the bench, and was part of the Lariats' championship team in Season 35, his last with the team. He was then seemingly re-born with the Dallas Demons, where he played the remaining 7 seasons of a remarkable 16-season career. During that Dallas period, he earned two All-MBA stars, the first coming in his 12th campaign and the final one in his last MBA season. He garnered 6 All Star Game appearances along the way. Mon-Mon led the league in rebounding, free-throw shooting and shooting percentage at various times in his career. He led his team in rebounding four times, in steals once, in free-throw shooting twice and in shooting percentage 6 times in his long and remarkable career.

Season 43 MBA Finals Game 4...Philadelphia at San Jose

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS
Philadelphia 5 - 7 - 5 - 0 Total=17
San Jose..... 0 - 2 - 0 - 6 Total=8

TOP PLAYERS, POINTS PREVENTED
1. Hunk R. Down, San Jose 8
2. Colquitt Croix, Philadelphia 7
3. Akbar Zagobia, Philadelphia 6


PHILADELPHIA 82, SAN JOSE 72
CHAMPIONSHIP COMES HOME TO ROOST IN PHILLY
SAN JOSE -- Following a franchise-record eight seasons without an MBA title, the Season 43 version of the proud Philadelphia tradition nailed down the 16th championship in team history, besting the San Jose Fighting Amigos 82-72 on the latter's home court.

The Phobia won this Finals match-up 3 games to 1 following a 2 games to 0 thrashing of the Oklahoma City Lariats in the Semifinals.

Fast starters throughout the playoffs, Philadelphia got off to a 21-14 first-quarter lead, courtesy of 6-11 forward Shwayze's 8 points and a 3-pointer at the horn by Poodle "Stix" Jackson. Shwayze was playing for the injured Sloppy Dollop, who had replaced him in the starting lineup after coming over from Oklahoma City as a free agent in the draft.

The Phobia seemed to have things in hand at the half, leading 44-31, but San Jose, led by shooting guard Dayshotta Leo, closed to within 6 in the third before finally ending up trailing by 9 going into the fourth.

The Fighting Amigos had their hometown fans going bonkers when they pulled within 5, 64-59 with 41 time units remaining. Then, with 26 left, Leo's 3-point play drew the home team to within 4 points, 70-66, with 26 ticks left. They would never get closer.

A medium jumper with 10 remaining by the Phobia's other key off-season acquisition, Akbar Zagobia, put Philly up 10 and all but sealed the deal.

Both teams shot over 60 percent in this final game, but as it was all season long, defense was the difference for the number one defending team in the MBA, as Philadelphia more than doubled the Amigos in points prevented.

And now, the only question remains, where do we attach the 16th championship basketball on the Philadelphia envelope?

PLAYER OF GAME
Playing against a lesser defender in Nomo Momo, third-year Philadelphia forward POODLE 'STIX' JACKSON exploited his man for a game-high 23 points and his first POG of the playoffs. The designation gave the Phobia the distinction of having all five of its regular starters come away from this championship run with one POG each. The 6-7 Jackson was brilliant in this game, going 11 for 15 from the floor, including a back-breaking 3-pointer to end the first quarter and a slam dunk along the way. He basically destroyed Momo. Additionally, Jackson led everyone in the game with 6 rebounds, led his team with 2 blocked shots, and added 3 assists and 1 steal.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- Philadelphia's team MVP Colquitt Croix was outstanding in this, his first championship performance. The 6-2 point guard directed his team's offense with a game-high 7 assists (tied) while scoring 19 points. He and YourMajesty Lumpkins went toe-to-toe throughout the game, but the difference was in Croix's defense, where he prevented 7 points by Lumpkins, good for the second-best performance in the game. Three times he stopped Lumpkins on made 3-pointers (Lumpkins went into the medium zone to hit a duece on the first denied trey).

-- Like his counterpart, YourMajesty Lumpkins was outstanding leading his team's attack, tying Croix for a game-high in assists with 7. He scored 14 points, grabbed 1 rebound and had 1 steal before fouling out with 3 time units left in the game.

-- Despite being guarded by defensive ace Akbar Zagobia, who erased 6 of his points, San Jose shooting guard Dayshotta Leo burned the nets for a team-high 22 points, many in the face of Zagobia's tough D. Leo also led his team in rebounds with 4, had 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.

-- San Jose center Hunk R. Down provided his team with all 8 of its prevented points, which was the top mark in the game. In doing so, the big 7-foot All-MBA pivot had a game-high 4 blocked shots, scored 14 points, grabbed 3 boards and dished 1 assist.

NEXT UP: Playoff stat leaders and the announcement of the Playoff MVP.

Season 43 MBA Finals Game 3...San Jose at Philadelphia

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTERS
San Jose.... 2 - 4 - 2 - 2 Total=10
Philadelphia 2 - 5 - 2 - 0 Total=9

TOP PLAYERS POINTS PREVENTED
1. Carpaccio, San Jose 6
2. Down, San Jose 4
2. Zagobia, Philadelphia 4

TURNOVERS CAUSED BY QUARTERS
San Jose.... 0 - 3 - 1 - 2 Total=6
Philadelphia 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 Total=6

TOP PLAYERS IN TURNOVERS CAUSED
1. Jackson, Philadelphia 4
2. Leo, San Jose 2
2. Momo, San Jose 2


San Jose 80, Philadelphia 64
LEFT FOR DEAD, AMIGOS FIGHT WAY BACK TO BIG VICTORY
PHILADELPHIA -- With a 23-10 Philadelphia first-quarter lead, this potential title-clincher looked like more of the same dominance by the home team Phobia. But the San Jose Fighting Amigos, led by point guard YourMajesty Lumpkins woke up and took a chunk out of that 13-point lead in the second quarter, and suddenly, for the first time in these Finals, we had a game on our hands.

The lead was reduced to 5 points at the half and remained that way going into the final quarter, when, led by Lumpkins, the Fighting Amigos exploded for 36 points to win going away, 80-64.

Philadelphia now leads the best of five Finals 2 games to 1.

San Jose took their first lead of the game (and the series for that matter) 51-49 on a Lumpkins trey, and by the time the silky smooth sixth-year man was done with a 9-point barrage, the Amigos led 57-51, never to be headed again.

The sea change in momentum during that run included a playoff-ending injury to Phobia forward Sloppy Dollop with 54 time units remaining in the contest and San Jose ahead 54-51. Dollop (out for 7 games in the first injury of his career) had entered the game as one of three possible Playoff MVP candidates. The Phobia now lose his services for however many games remain in this Finals series. He was replaced on the roster by Vermin Supreme, who just returned to the cut pile from Chicago, where he was picked up but not used after the Gale suffered a forward injury.

Tyler must now determine who he wants to replace Dollop in the starting lineup...Shwayze, Ape Con Myth or Vermin Supreme...then put the other two in substitution order for the next game. (I'm assuming it will be the order listed above).

That next game will be played in San Jose, where the Fighting Amigos lost by just 7 ... 75-68. But this time, Philly will be without Dollop.

Things just got a lot more interesting.

PLAYER OF GAME
After scoring just 6 points in Game 2 of the Finals, San Jose point guard YOURMAJESTY LUMPKINS shook off his scoring drought and poured in a game-high 30 points, a majority of which came in the second half. The 6-2 Lumpkins, who led the MBA in 3-point shooting, fired in 6 of 7 long ball attempts during his 9 for 12 effort from the floor. He added 6 free throws in as many tries while dishing a team-high 3 assists as he dominated Colquitt Croix. Lumpkins was the guy Tyler pointed to as a possible catalyst for the Amigos, and he was right on in that scenario.

Other 20-Plus GVP Performer
-- The only other player in this game to reach 20 GVP was Philly forward Poodle "Stix" Jackson who scored 13 points, and topped everyone in three other categories, getting game-highs in rebounds (5), steals (2) and blocked shots (3). Jackson also topped all players in causing turnovers, with 4.

MBA FINALS GAME 2 ... Philadelphia at San Jose

Philadelphia 75, San Jose 68
PHOBIA TEES UP 16th CHAMPIONSHIP
SAN JOSE -- The Philadelphia Phobia demonstrated their team depth and "The Pocket Pivot" Diss Reflexia registered the seventh triple-double of his career as they bested San Jose 75-68 on the home court of the Fighting Amigos.

Although this turned out to be the closest anyone has come to beating the Phobia in the playoffs, the game was really never in doubt, even when Phobia star guard Colquitt Croix and running mate Akbar Zagobia were in early foul trouble (with Croix fouling out for the second time in four playoff games). The dominance barely wavered, with substitute Philadelphia guards Red Reparee (10 points) and Chief Keef (9 points) actually out-scoring the two starters 19 to 15.

San Jose coach Augustus McCrae will try to shake up the lineup by replacing Mike Hunt with Nomo Momo in what will likely be the final game of the Season 43 campaign as the teams return to the City of Brotherly Fear.

PLAYER OF GAME
Making a strong bid for his second Playoff MVP award, 6-7 Philadelphia center DISS REFLEXIA locked horns again in a spirited battle with All-MBA center Hunk R. Down and emerged with the seventh triple-double of his illustrious career and the first POG of this post season. Reflexia tied for game-high scoring honors with 18 points, and was high man in the game in both rebounds (8) and assists (5), blocking 1 shot. The retiring star was 9 for 11 from the floor, the only misses being a blocked shot by Down and a 3-point attempt by Reflexia. He also slammed home a pair.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- San Jose shooting guard Dayshotta Leo dominated his opposite, Akbar Zagobia, scoring 14 points, getting 3 boards, tying for game-high blocked shots honors with 2 and leading everyone with 2 steals.

-- San Jose fans got to see another donnybrook in the middle between hometown hero Hunk R. Down and Diss Reflexia. Down tied Reflexia for game-high scoring honors with 18 points and led his team in rebounds with 6. He also had 1 assist and 11 rebound.

ALL TIME TRIPLE-DOUBLE CAREER LEADERS

16 -- Jimsy Redfern

11 -- Tom "the Bomb" Kondla

9 -- Marcus Pettis
9 -- Beezow Bop-Bop

8 -- Max Payne

7 -- Diss Reflexia
7 -- Tug Hershorts
7 -- J.D. Jedreat

S43 MBA Finals Game 1...San Jose at Philadelphia

Philadelphia 88, San Jose 64
RELENTLESS PHOBIA CHURNS TOWARD TITLE
PHILADELPHIA -- This looks like it could be a long/short championship series for the San Jose Fighting Amigos. Long because three straight whoopings seems like an eternity, and short because three games is the minimum time a best of five title series can last.

For the third straight post-season game and the first of this Finals, the Philadelphia Phobia dominated its opponents from start to finish. Coach Stu Nod's charges have now played 12 playoff quarters and have trailed in none of them.

They rocketed out of the gate before an appreciative home crowd in Game 1 of the Finals and led by 10, 26-16 at the end of one quarter, then increased that lead every quarter thereafter. Their league-leading defense was on display throughout, with San Jose making just 49.1 percent of its shots.

Phobia small forward Poodle "Stix" Jackson got his team off and running in the first with a perfect 4 of 4 from the field (2 of 2 from deep) for 10 points. Then, to put salt in the Amigos' wound, rarely used Philly forward Ape Con Myth came in for a short period of time and hit three straight hoops. It was all downhill from there for the visitors.

It will be interesting to see if San Jose can put up a better fight on its own home court, But this Phobia team seems poised to secure Philly title No. 16.

PLAYER OF GAME
Philadelphia point guard COLQUITT CROIX destroyed his opposite YourMajesty Lumpkins in this title series opener, scoring a game-high 26 points to just 12 for Lumpkins. Croix was 10 for 15 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from deep and 3 for 4 from the foul stripe. He also pulled down 2 rebounds and registered 1 assist. Not too shabby for the fourth-year star's first finals game.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- The two best centers in the MBA played to a virtual standstill in this opener, with Philadelphia's Diss Reflexia scoring 16 points, getting 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.

-- Philly forward Sloppy Dollop continued his excellent post-season with 16 points, a team-high 5 boards (tied), a game-high 2 steals and 1 assist. He dominated Egg Yolk Carpaccio throughout the contest.

-- The other Philadelphia forward, Poodle "Stix" Jackson tickled the twine for 18 points, tied Dollop for team-high rebounding honors with 5, blocked a team-high 2 shots and recorded 1 steal.

-- Although his shot attempts and scoring output was limited to 10 points, All-MBA center HUNK R. DOWN of San Jose celebrated his first Finals appearance by putting together the first triple-double of his career. The 7-footer led everyone in rebounds with 6 and swatted away a game-high 6 shots as well. He also added 1 assist.

-- Small forward Mike Hunt of San Jose led his club in scoring with 17 points while grabbing 4 boards and adding 1 assist and 1 steal.

S43 MBA Playoffs Deciding Game 3...Chicago at San Jose

San Jose 83, Chicago 71
AT LONG LAST, FIGHTING AMIGOS EARN TRIP TO FINALS
SAN JOSE -- Close friends are punching each other in the face tonight in San Jose in an expression of joy that would be unexplainable elsewhere.
The Fighting Amigos are going back to the MBA Finals for the first time in 14 seasons after besting the Chicago Gale 83-71 in the deciding Game 3 of this hard-fought semifinals.

They finally got over the hump.

This will be the fifth time San Jose has reached the finals, and it will be the first time the Fighting Amigos will appear in the championship series without the best player in their history, Saggital Occlusal, who led the team to its lone title in his rookie season and into the Finals three more times before hanging up the proverbial index card jockstrap.

Points Prevented Per Quarter
Chicago 0 - 3 - 0 - 2 Total=5
S. Jose 4 - 2 - 4 - 4 Total=14

Top Individuals in Points Prevented
1. Dayshotta Leo, San Jose 4
2. Santo Thomas, Chicago 3
(6 tied with 2)

PLAYER OF GAME
After popping in a trey on the first time unit of the game, San Jose shooting guard DAYSHOTTA LEO went on to a huge Player of the Game performance that spurred his club to victory and into the MBA Finals. The 6-5, five-season veteran tied for top scoring honors in the game, scoring 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting, including 1 for 1 from beyond the arc and 1 for 1 at the foul stripe. Leo also led his team with 5 rebounds, tied for game-high in steals with 2 thefts and tied for game-high in blocked shots with 3 while registering the highest number of points prevented in the game. He totally dominated Norman Conquest. Some question Leo's shady past, but this dry cleaning delivery boy came up huge in this big game.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Battling foul trouble all game long as well as the defensive efforts of Chicago's King Schmeckpepr, All-MBA center Hunk R. Down of San Jose still made a big impact in the clincher. Down scored 16 points, grabbed 3 boards, had 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot to help get his team into the finals.

-- San Jose small forward Mike Hunt stepped in for the injured Blue "Rondo" Alaturk early in the season and has been a huge contributor throughout the campaign. In this game he scored 12 points, had 3 boards, 3 assists and tied for most blocked shots with 3.

-- You can't ask too much more of the royal pivot, King Schmeckpeper, who stepped in for the injured Yo Noid and played the post like a mighty mighty monarch. The 6-11 Schmeckpepr scored 18 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 1 steal and 1 assist while battling a pair of All-MBA opponents.

-- With fellow forward Pietro Destroyer out with injury, Chicago needed a big game from power forward Bill Cull, and they got it. The 6-8 Cull hit from medium, short and low all game long to finish tied with Leo for top scoring honors with 22. He also pulled down 3 boards and had 1 assist.



NEXT UP: The Finals
The best in the West faces the Beast from the East as San Jose (8-2, 2-1) travels to Philadelphia (9-1, 2-0) to take on the favored Phobia. The teams did not meet during the regular season. They feature the top two defensive teams in the MBA, with the Phobia yielding just 67 points per game and San Jose giving up just 71.2. San Jose is the league's top rebounding team, with Philly ranking third. Philadelphia scored 75.2 per game (7th) while San Jose averaged 77.6 (third). Both teams were 8-0 in their respective divisions.
These two franchises have met twice before in the MBA finals...in Season 29 when the Phobia won in five games and again the following season, with Philly outlasting the Amigos 3 games to 1.

S43 MBA Playoffs semifinals Game 2...Philadelphia at Oklahoma City

Philadelphia 86, Oklahoma City 74
PHOBIA HEAD TO FINALS WITH EASY SWEEP OF LARIATS
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Philadelphia Phobia is taking aim at its 16th MBA championship, having dispatched the over-achievers from Oklahoma City two games to none.

Although the second victory over the Lariats was not the 31-point trashing Philadelphia laid on them in the initial playoff contest, the outcome was never in dispute, with the Phobia taking an 11-2 lead early before finally settling for the 86-74 triumph.

The win was accompanied by a playoff record (tied) 21 assists for Philly, a mark first set in Season 18 by the Phobia against Dallas and matched in Season 39 by Charleston, also against Dallas.

The winning road warriors zipped passes all over the court, with guards Akbar Zagobia (8 assists) and substitute point man Red Reparee (7 assists) running the offense flawlessly in view of the virtual absence of Philadelphia star Colquitt Croix, who spent almost all of the game in foul trouble and eventually fouled out.

Both teams shot above-average for the game, with Philly at 63.8 percent and Oklahoma City at 61.5.

The game marked the end of the career of one-time Phobia player Mel A. Noma, who will be retiring for Oklahoma City after winning his second assist title this past season.

The Phobia now await the winner of the other semifinal series between San Jose and Chicago, which currently has the Fighting Amigos and Gale tied one game each. Philadelphia will be going after its first championship since Season 33 when it won its mind-boggling fifth consecutive title.

This will be the 22nd time the Phobia have appeared in the MBA Finals, which is more than half of the league's championship series. And don't forget, the Phobia did not even exist in Season 1, coming in as an expansion franchise in Season 2. Their last two finals appearances were in Seasons 37 and 38, where they fell short to Seattle and Chicago, respectively.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Normally content with playing smothering defense and grabbing rebounds, Philadelphia two guard AKBAR ZAGOBIA did those things and more in this Semifinals clincher. Playing in front of his old home crowd, Zagobia registered the third triple-double of his career, scoring 17 points, pulling down a team-high (tied) 7 rebounds and distributing a game-high 8 assists. He also added 1 steal to go with the 4 thefts he had in Game 1. The 6-4, fourth-year man was 6 for 11 from the floor and 5 for 9 from the foul line.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Retiring Philadelphia center Diss Reflexia was virtually unstoppable near the bucket, getting 19 points, grabbing 2 boards, netting 2 assists and blocking 1 shot in the win.

-- Philadelphia power forward Sloppy Dollop followed his 24-point POG performance of Game 1 with a team-high 20-point effort in this game. The former Lariat also grabbed 5 rebounds and had 1 assist.

-- Second-year power forward Goodbar "Muddy" Masterson of Oklahoma City matched Dollop's effort with 15 points, a game-high 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.

-- All-MBA forward Bang-Bang Reiner concluded his brilliant fifth season with an 18-point effort that included 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.

-- It took until the final opportunity of his seventh season for Oklahoma City guard Cremofsum Yunguy to show what he could do with extended playing time, and given the chance, the longtime cut pile guy gave a little hope for the Lariats in the future and the index cards pining away in the discard envelope. With Mel A. Noma in constant foul trouble, Yunguy came into the game and kept his team within shouting distance, scoring a game-high 26 points, getting 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Yunguy spent five long years amidst the rejects, but maybe Oklahoma City has a YourMajesty Lumpkins-type success story on its hands.

NEXT UP: The decider. Chicago goes back to San Jose minus key starting forward Pietro Destroyer (injured) in Game 3 of this semifinal series.

MBA S43 Playoffs Semifinals game 2 San Jose at Chicago

Points Prevented by quarters
San Jose 0 - 6 - 6 - 3 Total=15
Chicago 2 - 2 - 7 - 2 Total=13

Top Points Prevented Players
1. Mike Hunt, San Jose 11
2. Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo, Chicago 5
3. King Schmeckpepr, Chicago 4

Chicago 80, San Jose 62
Gale, Boligrafo even series, lose Destroyer
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Gale, behind the 31-point performance of point guard Lapiz Lapiz Boligrafo, used a strong second half to coast to an 80-62 home win and even the best of three semifinals series at one game each.

They did so, however, with another costly loss, as star forward Pietro Destroyer was injured with 58 time units remaining in the third quarter and was forced to leave the game. He will also miss one more contest, which will be the game in San Jose to determine which of these teams goes to the Season 43 MBA Finals.

At the time of his injury, Destroyer was the leading scorer in the game. For the decisive Game 3, he will be replaced in the Chicago starting lineup by third-year man Santo Thomas. The Gale will thus be playing this most important contest without two of its five starters, the other being center Yo Noid, who suffered a season-ending injury during the ninth game of the regular season. Eleven-year veteran forward Vermin Supreme was plucked by Chicago from the cut pile to fill out the forward spots on the roster.

Game note: Amazingly, Chicago was whistled for just two fouls the entire game. But the Gale's rookie head coach Vic Hitler still picked up the game's only technical.

PLAYER OF GAME
Picked up from Seattle in a preseason trade for guard LaQuill McCool and a third round pick next season, LAPIZ LAPIZ BOLIGRAFO has been outstanding for the Gale throughout this exciting campaign, but never as good as he was in this elimination game. All the seven-season vet did was go a perfect 11 for 11 from the floor, including 5 for 5 from beyond the arc, to lead all scorers with 31 points. (He was one shot away from the playoff record of 12 for 12 held by three different players). Boligrafo also had a dunk, was 4 for 7 from the free throw line, grabbed 2 rebounds, had 1 assist and 1 steal. Additionally, he was second in the game in points prevented.

Other 20-plus GVP performers
-- Chicago power forward Bill Cull did not have an especially great shooting game, but managed to score 13 points while contributing game-high numbers in both rebounding (8) and assists (4).

-- San Jose point guard YourMajesty Lumpkins scored 13 points, pulled down 5 boards and tied for team-high with 3 assists.

-- Although limited to just 10 points, San Jose shooting guard Dayshotta Leo blocked a game-high 3 shots, pulled down 5 rebounds, had 1 assist and 1 steal.

-- The dominance exhibited by San Jose's All-MBA center Hunk R. Down over Chicago's King Schmeckpepr was not enough to prevent what turned out to be a rout. The 7-foot pivot again led his team in scoring with 17 points while also leading in rebounds with 7. He tied for team-high in assists with 3 and blocked 1 shot.

NEXT UP: Highly favored Philadelphia looks to eliminate the surprising Lariats on their own home court. Philly leads its semifinals series 1-0 and has massacred Oklahoma City in both meetings.

Game 1 Semifinals Oklahoma City at Philadelphia

POINTS PREVENTED BY QUARTER
Oklahoma City 0 - 0 - 4 - 0 Total=4
Philadelphia 2 - 6 - 4 - 4 Total=16

TOP INDIVIDUALS IN POINTS PREVENTED
1. Sloppy Dollop, Philadelphia 6
2. Diss Reflexia, Philadelphia 4

Philadelphia 84, Oklahoma City 53
PHOBIA PUTS THE FEAR IN VISITORS
PHILADELPHIA -- After crushing Oklahoma City by 19 points in the final game of the regular season, the highly favored Philadelphia Phobia turned up the juice even more in the playoff opener with a resounding 31-point triumph over the Lariats.

There was never a doubt in this, the Phobia's first playoff victory in five seasons, as the home team made mince meat out of the over-matched Oklahoma City club. One for 13 shooting from beyond the arc by the Lariats did them no good.

PLAYER OF GAME
Philly forward SLOPPY DOLLOP captured his second POG in as many meetings against his old team, leading everyone in scoring with 24 points while preventing the most points of any player in the game. Dollop played rings around his opponent Goodbar Masterson, going 11 for 18 from the floor, including a perfect 2 for 2 from beyond and a trio of exceptional dunks. He led everyone in blocked shots with 2, tied for team-high with 5 rebounds and dished 1 assist in the massacre.

OTHER 20-PLUS GVP PERFORMERS
-- In the first playoff game of his fine career, Philadelphia point guard Colquitt Croix played with a brilliantly efficient flair, scoring 18 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists and swiping 1 steal.

-- Playing in his last post-season, Philly center Diss Reflexia started the playoffs by dominating the top rookie center in the game, Willie Carry McCoffee. Reflexia scored 17 points, tied for top rebounding totals on his team with 5 and dished 1 assist, finishing second in points prevented.

-- Also in his final go-round, Oklahoma City point guard Mel A. Noma had a good game despite his team's putrid performance. Noma scored 14 points, had 4 rebounds and led his club with 4 assists.

-- Oklahoma City shooting guard Brownie McShytles led his team in scoring with 17 points, but took 19 shots to do so. He also pulled down 4 boards.

NEXT UP: The playoffs return to Chicago after a four-season absence as the Gale faces San Jose in an early elimination game. The Fighting Amigos took care of Chicago 79-69 and lead the best of three semifinals 1-0.