Week 16 Recap

Christmas came early for the Edgewater Fustigators this year, as they hung on to defeat the Great Lakes Steamers in a high-powered shootout that definitely beat out last year's Pigskin Championship for excitement. Much applause is due to wurd for closing the deal in his third year managing a team, all three of which have featured a playoff appearance.

Perhaps it was moving the team to Edgewater -- and changing its name from GreatLionSnake -- that brought success, but little by way of good fortune followed the Fustigators this season. From losing QB Tom Brady for the season Week 1 to being swept by divisional rivals the Chicago Rhyparographers, they definitely had challenges to overcome.

But Matt Cassel eventually turned the tide, and so did the boys from Edgewater -- catching The Headbangers napping in the second round of the playoffs to avenge last year's defeat in the championship game (as well as a loss during the regular season this year), and fortuitously avoiding the Rhyparographers in the post-season got them another ticket to the big show, and this time they hoist the Predicup to become our 2008 Predicate Pigskin Champions. Congratulations!

Honorable mention also goes to stankow and his Oak Ridge Trinities, who managed to tie with our champions in the number of "trophy stars" earned this season: three for the Smash Hit Tom Memorial Trophy, two for winning the Stabby Action Banner, two more for a Decembrist Award after winning their first playoff game, and a final star from claiming the Belichick Trophy in Week 5. Well done!

This officially concludes Predicate Pigskin's third season. The Commish would like to thank all our participants, as well as those of you who merely tolerated our obsession with good grace. This season brought a number of improvements to our contest (most notably our choice of provider, which seems to have worked out well enough to stick with them for the forseeable future), but there is always room for more.

Feel free to leave your suggestions, reactions and comments on this post -- and we hope to see you back for Predicate Pigskin IV in 2009!