Season 51 Featured Game No. 10...with Golden Team of the Chicago Gale

 Milwaukee 68, Philadelphia 63 (Fatty McButterpants Day)

GREYHOUNDS SWEEP PHOBIA

MILWAUKEE -- In a previously inconceivable scenario, the Milwaukee Greyhounds completed the season-ending sweep of first-place Philadelphia, polishing off the East Division champions 68-63 on Fatty McButterpants Day in Milwaukee.

Barring the biggest massacre in the history of the MBA in the Charleston vs. Seattle game, the victory all but assures the Greyhounds, who have now won three in a row, the second playoff spot in the East.

The Milwaukee win also knocks Dallas out of the playoff picture.

Philadelphia finishes the season with a 7-3 mark for the third campaign in a row. It is the second division title in a row for the Phobia.

Milwaukee finishes at 6-4 with 4 division wins (first tie-breaker). Charleston, currently at 5-4 with 4 division wins, plays Seattle its last game. Since this is not a division game, the Mountaineers can only hope to equal Milwaukee's record and division win total. Milwaukee and Charleston split during the regular season (second tie-breaker), meaning the third tie-breaker, points differential, would take effect. Right now, Milwaukee has a +5.9 point differential, and Charleston is a +0.9 going into its last game. Charleston would have to out-score its final opponent, Seattle, by more than 50 points. Considering Charleston is number nine in the league in offense, that is highly unlikely. 

Disclaimer: I always sucked at math, but I think I have this one. I sent the standings sheet after the ninth bracket was completed if you want to check yourself.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

30 GVP...For the third time this season and the second time in as many games against Philadelphia, Milwaukee center LOTHARIO FARTLEK captured POG. The 6-10 fourth-year man absolutely destroyed his opposite, Taco Toosdae in this all-important contest. Fartlek scored 18 points, grabbed 4 boards and had 1 assist in the win. He was 8 for 11 from the floor with a pair of slams and 2 for 3 from the foul line. Most importantly, the league leader in blocked shots swatted away a game-high 7, giving him a season total of 38, a career-high for the three-time league leader in that department. Five of the seven blocks came in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Toosdae fouled out, scoring zero points on 0 for 6 shooting. Fartlek, who was second in the league in center GVP to reigning All-MBA center Quick Tink of Los Angeles, could be getting his first foil star.

Other 20-plus GVP performers

28 GVP...Second-year Philly guard Ehhy Table tied for team-high in scoring with 15 points, grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds, tied for game-high in steals with 3 and handed out 2 assists in a losing cause. He pretty much embarassed Fatty McButterpants on his Day.

26 GVP...Milwaukee forward Entha Shortzone scored 14 points, led his team in rebounds with 6, tied for game-high in steals with 3 and tied for game-high in assists with 3.

25 GVP...Second-year Milwaukee guard Thomas Thomas Thomas led everyone in scoring with a 20-point game. He added 2 assists, 2 boards and a steal. 

23 GVP...11-year forward Wawa Wewa of Philadelphia tied for team-high in scoring with 15 points, snagged 6 boards, blocked 1 shot and handed out 1 assist.

FATTY MCBUTTERPANTS

The Milwaukee Greyhounds honored longtime favorite point guard Fatty McButterpants with a halftime ceremony ON HIS DAY!

The 6-7 “Fatman” came to the Greyhounds in Season 44 following the club’s bottom-out season of 0-10, and immediately gave some hope for the future.  The team gained a notch in the standings at 2-8, with McButterpants leading the team in points per game, rebounds and assists, as well as free throw percentage. In doing so he beat out fellow first-year guards Great Gruncle Terry and Lannigan Lord Hobo for Rookie of the Year honors.

Fatty followed up that campaign with his best scoring year (16.5 per game) in which he led the MBA in free throwing. The team rose to third place at a 5-5 mark and they would never go below .500 on his watch.

In his eight MBA seasons, all with Milwaukee, McButterpants made four All Star game appearances to go along with his Rookie of the Year honor. A first tier career that was acknowledged with a standing ovation by the home crowd.

MBA Standings … Season 51

EAST DIVISION

PHILADELPHIA…..7-3 (5 division wins) (clinched playoff spot)

MILWAUKEE……….6-4 (4 division wins)

CHARLESTON…… 5-4 (4 division wins)

DALLAS……………….5-5 (5 division wins) (eliminated from playoff contention)

OKLAHOMA CITY..3-7  (2 division wins) (eliminated from playoff contention)

 

WEST DIVISION

SAN JOSE………….7-2 (6 division wins) (clinched division and playoff spot)

LOS ANGELES….. 5-4 (4 division wins)

GILLETTE…………..4-5 (4 division wins)

SEATTLE……………3-6 (2 division wins)(eliminated from playoff contention)

SACRAMENTO…..2-7 (2 division wins)(eliminated from playoff contention)

 

NEXT UP: San Jose at Gillette. The Humps, for the first time in the history of the franchise, actually have a chance for the playoffs going into the final bracket of games. Not much of a chance, but a chance nonetheless. They would have to complete their sweep of first-place San Jose and hope that somehow, Sacramento upends Los Angeles in the final game of the season. Not likely in either case. But…

The Golden Team of the

CHICAGO GALE

(most honored lineup through first 50 MBA Seasons)