2023 Stretch Run: Only 9 of 36 Team Eliminated from Playoffs, by Our Calculations

11/28/23 - Karen Page, BSL Lead Pool Reporter - We hope all our readers have made it thru their Thanksgiving food comas in time for just a quick recap of the status of the BSL with only 2 games left in the regular season. Some divisions are already decided as so far 5 of the 9 BSL divisions are wrapped up. 4 divisions are still up in the air and the Wild-Card races are a jumbled mess, so we are not going into those now, we will try to sort thru all that after Week 13. Here is how the division races shape up with the last 2 games upcoming.

In the CDL, the Shula-Landry division was clinched by the MLT Predators (9-3). They have a 3 game lead with 2 left. The Lombardi-Brown is also out of reach as the Tanzmanian Devils (10-2) take the division crown 4 and 2 (golf reference, look at me!) The Madden-Knox, as it is historically somehow no matter what teams are in this division, is the closest. Lucky Gold Cat (8-4) currently leads the way over the Buzzardpukes and Mean Machine, both (7-5) just 1 game back. Only 3 teams in the CDL aren’t still in the running for a playoff spot!

In the FSDL, 2 divisions here are also wrapped up. The BSL’s only 1-loss team (and only not undefeated due to 2.18 pt loss in week 2 by the way), the Sinister 36ers (11-1) take the Halas-Noll divisions. They are up 2 games with 2 to go but hold the head-to-head sweep tie breaker over the 2nd place Fignastics (9-3). The Fignastics have clinched one of the 2 Wild-Card spots in the FSDL already. The Allen-Walsh is still in the air with the HitMen (7-5) currently backing their way into a 1 game lead over the Jedi Knights (6-6). The HitMen have only won 2 of their last 6 games after a (5-1) start. The Bryant-Stram division goes to the Hebrew Hammers (7-5). They are up just 2 with 2 to go but even if they end tied with the Cliff Hangers (5-7) they split their season series and the Hammers would have a better Division record for the tie breaker. 5 teams are in the running for the final Wild-Card spot in the FSDL.

Lastly in the TLSL, only 1 division has been won so far. The Bewildered Bruins (10-2) have taken the Ditka Division as they are up 4 with 2 games left. The Reeves-Levy-Grant Divisions sees PC Powerhouse (7-5) up just 1 game over the Mayhem (6-6) and 2 games over the Deplorables (5-7) so that is a tight race like the CDL’s Madden-Knox. Not to be out done, the final division, the Gibbs-Parcels is 2 team dead heat at the moment. Both The Dawgs and Ohama Players are (9-3), they split their head-to-head and are both (4-1) in the division. This one will come down Week 14 no matter what happens this coming week! The loser of the Gibbs-Parcels is all but guaranted one of the Wild-Card spots leaving 6 teams fighting for the final playoff spot. Only 2 teams are eliminated as far as we can tell in the TLSL, the Evil Empire (3-9) and Bills’ Mafia (2-10).

So that is the state of the league at the moment. And just to see who reads these things the Commissioner’s office sent in a Trivia Question for a Bonus Finance Point for the team that sends in the first correct answer. - The BSL started with the CDL in 1999. The first overall draft pick was QB Brett Favre, who is PlayerID 1 in the database and the reason he is used for the Free Agency placeholders during the offseason, ease of coding for player 1. Who was the 2nd player ever drafted in the CDL? - Commissioner’s note: Even I was surprised when I looked at it who PlayerID 2 is! – Good Luck!! [Email guesses to commisioner@crazydiamondleague.com please] – Oh, and by the way, the last player added to the database, QB Jake Browning (CIN), is PlayerID 3936!

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