2018: Hill Valley McFlys

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2018: Pawnee Pride

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2018: Phoenix Uprising

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2018: South Park Cows

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2018: Orgrimmar Horde

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2018: Binghamton Snipers

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2018: New York's Finest

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2018: Savannah Petes

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2018: Brewtang Killa Beez

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2018: HCM City Lead Farmers

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2018: Deputy Van Halens

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2018: Manitoba Moosecrew

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Larkspur Bowl: Legacy Part I

The Larkspur Bowl took a step forward this year, graduating from a silver rating to a gold rating in Yahoo!'s evaluation. This is a good thing, placing us in the top 19% of competitive leagues- although, shy of Platinum status as a top 5% league.

While tweaks and changes are part of the league and generally handled democratically, we've traditionally amassed competition primarily on a social level. This off season we're going to begin to focus on how we can up the degree of difficulty and better challenge teams from top to bottom- there's always going to be a bottom of the standings, and criteria will not hinge solely on the win-loss records, but on the commitment, immersion, and investment in the league.

If any teams intend on leaving the league this off season, (as Orgrimmar has indicated) please make sure to inform the commissioner as soon as possible. New candidates will be interviewed as managerial replacements, and teams may find themselves facing relegation in the face of continued substandard performance. There is not going to be any 'hard and fast' parameters for relegation (beyond collusion, sabotage, or critical inattention) but as we seek to build a better league, lesser franchises might find themselves on the brink, with recent history weighed more heavily. One caveat: Any team that has won the Larkspur Bowl (and is not guilty of some form of destructive behavior) will not be eligible for performance based relegation, and any former champion that leaves the league will be deemed as 'on hiatus' with the option to return to the league the next time a spot is available.

Here's the updated breakdown of current team standings, title count, and playoff appearances.

1. Phoenix Uprising (12) 103-54 .656%; 4 titles, 11 POA
2. Orgrimmar Horde (6) 49-29 .628%; 1 title, 5 POA
3. Hill Valley McFlys (10) 76-54 .585%; 2 titles, 7 POA
4. South Park Cows (5) 38-27 .585%; 1 title, 3 POA
5. Deputy Van Halens (7) 52-39 .571%; 0 titles, 4 POA
6. New York's Finest (10) 74-56 .569%; 1 title, 6 POA
7. Binghamton Snipers (2) 14-12 .538%; 0 titles, 2 POA
8. Pawnee Pride (9) 60-57 .513%; 0 titles, 4 POA
9. Savannah Petes (10) 63-67 .485%; 0 titles, 4 POA
10. Manitoba MooseCrew (5) 29-34 .460%; 0 titles, 1 POA
11. Mar-A-Lago Grabbers (9) 51-66 .436%; 0 titles, 1 POA
12. HCM City Lead Farmers* (10) 56-74 .431%; 0 titles, 2 POA
13. Philadelphia Rum Ham* (10) 53-77 .408%; 0 titles, 2 POA
14. Brewtang Killa Beez (6) 26-52 .333%; 0 titles, 0 POA

More information will be forthcoming!

X: Final Results

After the semifinals saw some of the lowest scores of the season, LBX did not lack in the fireworks department, although there was little in the way of drama; The McFlys routed the Pride 250-212, taking a lead early on Sunday and never relenting, slamming the door shut on Monday night.

LARKSPUR BOWL X:

HILL VALLEY defeats PAWNEE

A pair of A-A-Rons paced Hill Valley's victory, as Rodgers (44.18) led the offense and Donald (29.5) the defense. Late breaking running backs Damien Williams and Elijah McGuire were both unheralded aces, coming in off the street come playoff time to deliver for a Hill Valley squad that was without its premier running back James Conner. TY Hilton, Mason Foster, and Justin Reid were all key contributors to the win. Other late pickups (Blake Jarwin, Kyle Van Noy) did not work out for their new squad, but obviously didn't impact the bottom line. If there were any misgivings as the clock ticked towards absolution, Courtland Sutton answered them triumphantly when he scored the clinching touchdown and rewarded Hill Valley's three months of patience in the rookie project.

For Pawnee, key additions Antonio Brown (42.8) and Russell Wilson (28.64) did everything they could to bring the Silver Chalice to Indiana, but to no avail. Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley did their parts, while Roquan Smith was a demon on defense, hounding the McFlys on nearly every snap, but the big plays the team needed never came, leaving the game out of reach. Cameron Brate petered out badly after a big quarterfinal and the cornerbacks couldn't do anything in the clutch. Travis Kelce scored in the single digits for only the third time in the past fourteen games, leaving the team meager hope for salvation in the end game. If some God heard the Pride's howl, they ignored it, as the team flailed helplessly and fell just short of their goal.

PHOENIX defeats SOUTH PARK

The Uprising dominated the Cows, posting their best score of the season in a meaningless placement game- albeit one that pushes the team's stretch of top three finishes to nine straight years. (Four golds, two silvers, three bronze over that span.) Andrew Luck had his squad hitting on all cylinders in this one, with the entire offense (outside of Amari Cooper) hitting double digits. On defense Jaylon Smith and Kevin Byard were difference makers. The high score is especially bittersweet considering the very winnable semi-final, where a couple of roster moves might have meant a fifth title. Alas!

For the Cows, the late season drop has been precipitous; While not stooping quite as low as they did in the penultimate round, they virtually tie their second worst week of the season, and had their worst four performances in their final four contests- coinciding with some pedestrian Drew Brees efforts. Much of the 'blame' can be attributed to Todd Gurley's late breaking DNP, which South Park was ill prepared to counter. Late season terror Derrick Henry and ultra reliable Julian Edelman (double digits in 11 of 11 games following his return from suspension) did their thing, and a quality linebacking core kept the final tally respectable, but this was no contest.

NEW YORK defeats SAVANNAH

New York's late season ascension has been a marvel to watch, as the team nabs top draft priority by way of the Mahomes & McCaffrey show on offense. Deion Jones returning has shown what might have been- the difference he made after an eleven week absence was astounding. Nearly as noteworthy is the harrowing collapse of the Petes, who lost Kareem Hunt for well warranted disciplinary reasons, then had Josh Gordon return to indefinite suspension in the late going. An accursed season full of promise, Savannah will have the second pick to try to build some less flawed machination in 2019.

HCM CITY defeats BREWTANG

The Lead Farmers had a resilient year, taking a battering and finishing on their feet. Despite injuries to a key veteran (Demaryius Thomas) and rookie (Phillip Lindsay) the team grinded through to victory with Big Ben hitting Robert Woods and Michael Thomas to a late game surge. Defensive captain Harrison Smith and breakout disruptor Chris Jones were swarming once again, good to best the Beez at their own game. After a one week layoff, Zach Ertz was dominant for Brewtang again, nearly rallying the team to victory- Jadeveon Clowney was also a force in this one, but the team came up short yet again.

The Hill Valley McFlys are LBX Champions

For the second time in three years (and capping off a decade worth of success) the Hill Valley McFlys are the Larkspur Bowl champions, defeating the favored Pawnee Pride 250-212. We'll explore the game and the season in more depth through the course of the off-season, but for now a brief yuletide recap will have to suffice!

SCOREBOARD:

• Phoenix Uprising258.16South Park Cows186.85
  FinalRecap
• Hill Valley McFlys250.48Pawnee Pride211.84
  FinalRecap
• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers187.80Brew-tang Killa Beez180.11
  FinalRecap
• New York's Finest184.57Savannah Petes168.57
  FinalRecap

The final standings lineup like this:

1. HILL VALLEY McFLYS 
2. PAWNEE PRIDE
3. PHOENIX UPRISING
4. SOUTH PARK COWS
5. ORGRIMMAR HORDE
6. BINGHAMTON SNIPERS
7. NEW YORK'S FINEST
8. SAVANNAH PETES
9. HCM LEAD FARMERS
10. BREWTANG KILLA BEEZ
11. DEPUTY VAN HALENS
12. MANITOBA MOOSECREW
13. MAR-A-LAGO GRABBERS
14. PHILADELPHIA RUM HAM

That means the draft order (selections) are set. IF EVERY team were to select the highest draft pick available to them, we'd pick in this order. If teams opt to move later in the round and build a strategy around that, we could see some jumble before LBXI kicks off.

 

Yahoo! has provided some interesting graphs that showcase team draft values and performance versus projections. We'll examine these numbers and more in a full blown Final recap, the season's postscript, and the continuation of out team-by-team series of elegies for the 2018 season.

X: Finals, Two Minute Drill

Barring a miraculous turn of events, the Hill Valley McFlys will clinch their second Larkspur Bowl Championship in the past three years on Christmas Eve. With nearly a fifty point lead and Courtland Sutton in play, the Pawnee Pride would need incredible games from rookies Bradley Chubb and DaeSean Hamilton to stage a late rally. It's not impossible, it's just improbable!

Elsewhere, the Phoenix Uprising blew the doors off the South Park Cows to clinch their ninth straight top three finish; Over that span they have won the Larkspur Bowl four times, lost it twice, and are now 3-0 in the bronze medal game when they have fallen in the semifinals. For the Cows, Todd Gurley's last moment deactivation could only have been more unsettling had it happened in the big game.

New York's Finest have toppled the Savannah Petes in the Consolation Bowl, and will have first choice of draft slots next Summer to kick off Larkspur Bowl XI. Meanwhile, the Lead Farmers and Killa Beez are adding some intrigue to a 9th place game that is typically dolorous: The teams are neck and neck with Von Miller leading Brewtang into battle against Phillip Lindsay and HCM City tomorrow night to close things out.

XI: Draft Selection Memo

This off-season the league voted to move from a hard draft slotting format to a slot selection process, where teams will be allowed to select their position in the first round. For instance, the winner of New York vs Savannah will select their position first, followed by the loser of that matchup- they can choose anywhere from 1st overall to 14th, as they take their first steps to determining their LBIX rosters. Due to the serpentine nature of the draft, the 1st overall pick doesn't draft again until 28th  (and 29th) at the end of the second round and start of the third. Meanwhile, the 14th overall pick doubles up with the 15th overall pick, then again 30th and 31st. Every draft slot can lead to success, but planning around your spot is essential.

This off-season may see some changes in the Larkspur Bowl- new teams, expansion, contraction, or a new format are all on the table. With Orgrimmar announcing their intention to leave the league, a replacement team would plug into their spot in draft selection. Therefore draft pick selections will not occur until this Summer, as the League's format is finalized. If the league is to contract, departing teams would merely be skipped over in draft selection. If there is a move to expand, any new teams (beyond replacement teams) would select 9th and 10th, pushing selections 9-14 back by two a piece.

Right now the middle six teams have already been solidified:

The remaining four matchups will decide the first and last four picks:

 WINNER SELECTS FIRST, LOSER SELECTS SECOND.

 WINNER SELECTS THIRD, LOSER SELECTS FOURTH.

 WINNER SELECTS ELEVENTH, LOSER SELECTS TWELFTH.

WINNER SELECTS FOURTEENTH, LOSER SELECTS THIRTEENTH.

X: Opening Salvo

The first round of fireworks have been launched, with Hill Valley's Mason Foster putting 17.5 on the board to outpace Pawnee's Derwin James and Joey Bosa, who combined for 16.5 points. It's  a good start for the underdog McFlys, but hardly a definitive lead- expect this score to flip flop several times today, as the McFlys see 15 of their 16 remaining players set to go, and the Pride have 13 of 15 left.

Some major questions remain to be answered off the field: Each team has a marquee receiver listed as questionable, as Hill Valley's TY Hilton and Pawnee's Julio Jones are both game time decisions. Either playing being unable to go on the game's biggest stage would be a major blow to their respective team's chances.

Hill Valley will need to build a lead in the midday to outlast the Pride, who have the late advantages; Sunday night will see semifinal Ace Damien Williams go for Hill Valley, while Pawnee breaks out the heavy artillery: Russell Wilson and Travis Kelce. The two minute drill is likely to come down to Courtland Sutton for the LBVIII champion, while LBVII's runner up will count on DaeSean Hamilton and Bradley Chubb to close the gap and bring a first ever Silver Chalice to Indiana.

X: Final Matchups

It all comes to this: Hill Valley and Pawnee. Larkspur Bowl X.

When the dust settles a champion will be crowned with the trophy ceremony set for December 28th. We've got plenty to preview before the action kicks off this Saturday, but lets start with the basics on the way to declaring a decade worth of champions.

 #5 HILL VALLEY vs #3 PAWNEE

Head to Head: The Pride defeated the McFlys in week 13, pushing their all-time record to 5-4 against their rival. The wins have come in streaks, with Hill Valley sweeping the first three (2010-2012) then Pawnee taking four in a row from 2013-2016. Since then they've alternated wins, with the McFlys taking 2017 before falling in 2018. They've never met in the playoffs before, but Pawnee did take a consolation semi-final last year in an un-tallied game.
Injury Report: For the McFlys, Aaron Rodgers and John Conner are both questionable; Rodgers has vowed to play, while Conner has missed two straight games but may be nearing a return. Damien Williams excelled last week due to injury, but may have his role diminished with the depth chart recovering in front of him. Julio Jones remains questionable for Pawnee, but it hasn't hurt his output in either playoff game; He's scored six touchdowns in seven games since coming over from New York, where he had scored 0 touchdowns in seven games.
Recency Bias: Both teams are on a roll; Have to be to make it this far. That said, neither looked good in the semi-final grinder, although Hill Valley would have inched out Pawnee last week, 171-170 pending stat corrections. The Pride should be favored slightly given their health and run of dominance, although the principle of Any Given Sunday applies doubly in the championship game.
X-Factors: The McFly running back carousel will be pivotal to their success- they need big points from their collection of miscreants. If they can get the numbers, they've got a fighting chance. Pawnee's Travis Kelce is the only proven TE/Flex option on either team, if he can have a big day it swings the balance in the Pride's favor. Any sort of defensive touchdown could decide the game.

#1 SOUTH PARK vs #2 PHOENIX

Head to Head: Phoenix took the Cows down in week 12, going to 4-1 all time against South Park. 2016 was the only time the green team toppled the Uprising in the regular season. They have never met in the playoffs, always ending up a step away from confrontation; New York took out South Park before dismissing Phoenix in LBVI, while Pawnee dropped Phoenix before losing to South Park in LBVII.
Injury Report: For South Park Todd Gurley is hobbled and Keenan Allen is a game time decision; Lamar Miller's ankle injury isn't serious, but is expected to be replaced by Derrick Henry in the bronze medal game. Safety Bradley McDougald left last week early and his status is in question. For Phoenix, Spencer Ware and Jordan Reed are questionable, while Aaron Jones joins AJ Green on IR as the wheels fell off the Uprising endgame
Recency Bias: Both teams were hot garbage last week, as South Park scored 138 and Phoenix 133, each ending their 9 win seasons on sour notes. Each team scored about 100 points more during their bye, when Phoenix scored 238 and South Park 233. Each team will try to finish with bragging rights.
X-Factors: Derrick Henry was traded from Pawnee to Phoenix, juggled by Phoenix and eventually inched off the roster, where he was claimed by the Cows and finally became the juggernaut he was born to be. Coming off back to back dominating performances, his late season performance will vault him up 2019 draft boards. Phoenix's Robby Anderson approached WR1 numbers last year but really struggled most of the season before coming on late with his playmaking ability.

#7 SAVANNAH vs #11 NEW YORK

Head to Head: This father son matchup has been running since 2009, with Savannah taking the 2018 game but still trailing New York 6-4 in regular season play. New York also won their only playoff matchup, ten years ago in the first round of Larkspur Bowl I. The winner of this matchup will have first choice in draft order, with the ability to take the top overall pick if they so desire.
Injury Report: New York lost Randall Cobb to a concussion last week and his status remains indistinct. The team's lone survivor from the draft, Desean Jackson, has missed nearly a month with a thumb injury, but may be able to plug back in for the finale. The Petes will be without Frank Gore, who replaced Kareem Hunt; They're down to non-factor Carlos Hyde as a partner for Dalvin Cook after failing to place a claim. Sammy Watkins is unlikely to play this week, while Cole Beasley is questionable.
Recency Bias: The Finest have steamrolled the competition lately in pursuit of the top pick, and appear poised to claim it; They're heavy favorites against a depleted and demoralized Pete team.
X-Factors: New York's linebackers have keyed their resurgence, and the team has a 'good problem' in trying to find playing time for them all. If Savannah can find a diamond in the rough at running back it will go a long way to making this a competitive matchup.

X: Semifinal Results

#3 Pawnee and #5 Hill Valley will battle in Larkspur Bowl X, as each toppled the higher seed in the semifinals, only the second time in a decade that neither of the bye week squads seized a ticket to the final- LBVII was the only previous year where both the #1 and #2 seed failed to advance.

For the McFlys, this is their fourth appearance in the big game, having lost in LBIV and LBV before winning LBVIII. The Pride were upstarts in the LBVII game after having topple the familiar Uprising, but lost to South Park in that round. It's the fourth year in a row that a #5 seed has advanced to the championship game, and the fifth time overall- surpassed only by the six #2 seeds to play in a Larkspur Bowl. Pawnee is the fourth #3 seed to make the big game, which is better than the #1 seed has fared: They've only won the semi-final three times in seven tries, the Cows the seventh team to be the best through thirteen weeks only to fall in week fifteen. The #6 seed has never made a Larkspur Bowl, going 1-8 since the playoffs contracted to six teams. (The first Larkspur Bowl was an eight seed tournament.)

The historically low scoring games stayed that way though Monday night, as each of the four teams finished under 172, something that had only occurred three times in the fifty-six previous weeks. But that's baseball, Suzyn! Injuries and sub-optimal lineup decisions marked the day, as teams loaded up on wire options and then saw their contingencies outshine their chosen paths; When the dust settled, if the managers had been precognizant and perfect, we'd have seen PHX beat PAW 200-199, and HVM outlast SPC 183-179 in a couple of classics.

Instead we got this:

SCOREBOARD:

MATCHUPS:

#3 PAWNEE defeats #2 PHOENIX

It wasn't pretty, but the Pride got it done. Early returns were uninspiring, but in the end Pawnee's offense was good enough to advance, as five players (Jones, Wilson, Chubb, Brown, and Hamilton) approached or eclipsed projections, while two (Kelce and Saquon) hovered around ten while on the other side the Uprising were incapable of doing anything of note; Kicker Greg Zuerlein led the offense in scoring. Defensively Jamie Collins led the Pride against the team that drafted him, notching six tackles, two for loss, and a sack. Aaron Jones' injury and Kenyan Drake's limited workload meant Phoenix running backs combined for only eight offensive touches.

The points left on the bench have been well chronicled. Subbing Kenyan Drake in for Marlon Mack just before kickoff cost Phoenix 22.17 points. Robby Anderson and Doug Baldwin outscored DJ Moore and Zay Jones by 39.9. The Uprising had the chance to win this game, but their coach did not put them in position to succeed. Meanwhile, Pawnee's clear backups at running back (Chris Carson and Peyton Barber) were superior options in week 15, but neither is likely to get the call in LBX, barring an injury. 

#5 HILL VALLEY defeats #1 SOUTH PARK

South Park's early injuries (Keenan Allen, Lamar Miller) put them well behind the pace, but they still had a chance to close the gap late in the game. Field General Drew Brees could not get much going though, as the defensive battle came down to Luke Kuechly bettering Demario Davis late in crunch time, as the defensive captain totaled 13 total tackles (2 TFL) and a pass defended. Bell Cow Todd Gurley was just a bit better than surprise McFly starter Damien Williams, but it wasn't nearly enough, as a decent effort from Hill Valley's trio of premier wideouts (Diggs, Hilton, and Cooks) was better than veterans Julian Edelman and Larry Fitzgerald could muster basically on their own. An INT from Eli Apple clinched the game.

The Cows dominating season was undone by the injuries on offense, and a quiet day from a defense that had been very good all year long. In fourteen previous weeks the Cows had four or more defenders go for double digits in twelve of them, and at least three in the other two. This week they only had two standout performances (Davis and Hitchens) with five defenders all scoring five points or less.

#4 ORGRIMMAR defeats #6 BINGHAMTON

The best matchup of the playoff teams came between the first round's early exits, as Orgrimmar beat out Binghamton to score fifth place, and the ninth selection of draft slot. The Horde's defense showed up big in this statement game, while Zeke Elliot and Jaylen Samuels were a dynamic one-two punch and Davante Adams did his regular (quietly elite) thing. On the other side of the ball, DeAndre Hopkins had himself a day, with 170 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite his (and Joe Mixon's) best efforts, Binghamton drops a spot from last year, when they won this game. They'll select 10th in next year's draft slotting, as each team is now done for the year.

#7 SAVANNAH defeats #12 BREWTANG

Savannah inches out the Killa Beez in a game that featured a bunch of bad performances and a handful of good ones. For the victorious Petes it was Dalvin Cook, Kenny Golladay, and Calais Campbell leading the charge for respectability. For the 'Tang, Gus Edwards and Malcolm Jenkins were highlights on either side of the ball. Savannah goes on to battle for pick 1 or 2, while the Buzz will have to settle for pick 3 or 4.

#11 NEW YORK defeats #8 HCM CITY

New York's down season is finishing on a high note, as the team has been the second best in the league over the past month, Pawnee only outshining them by a mere 13.34 points over that span. Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes, and a host of incredible linebackers have made the surge happen, and though it comes too late, it ensure that New York will have a top two pick in the draft next year, the precursor to the team's only championship. HCM City's down week still puts them in the top foru for drafting next year, and the coronation of Chris Jones as a top defensive lineman (on par with the Aaron Donalds and JJ Watts of the world) has been something special.

#9 DEPUTY defeats #10 MANITOBA

The Van Halens end their late season slide to secure 11th place, a far cry from the 305 point zenith they enjoyed eleven weeks ago. Darius Leonard has made a name for himself, pushing into the small group of IDPs worth top of the draft consideration, and Mike Williams' big day shines a light on one the elite prospect is capable of, given a premier target share. For Manitoba, it's a ho-hum end to a ho-hum season; They also saw the rise of a great young IDP in Eddie Jackson, and Robert Foster has oozed playmaking potential down the stretch. But the team will be searching for a new identity next year as they've fallen from 3rd place in 2016 to 14th and 12th in the years since. 

X: Semifinals, Two Minute Drill

It's been a horrific week for scoring, as the winner's bracket features four teams all failing to crack 170 points. In the previous 56 games these teams played, Pawnee scored 171 (week 1), Hill Valley scored 169 (week 10), and Phoenix scored 168 (week 3)- that's it. All 53 other games had all four teams score better, so suffice to say, this was a low for all involved. The South Park Cows had only gone lower that 205 once, a still admirable 186 in week 12; They're at 108 heading into their final possession.

Another component of the story is that all four teams left major points on their bench already; For South Park, Derrick Henry or Justin Jackson would have been a huge boon over Lamar Miller (who was injured on his third touch of the game. Keenan Allen also went down with an injury before registering a point (the highlight reel touchdown grab he got injured making was ruled out of bounds upon review) and alternatives fared little better. Phoenix managed to have three 20+ scorers on their bench and zero in the lineup headed into tonight; Pawnee's optimal lineup would have featured Chris Carson and Peyton Barber instead of Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb. Elijha McGuire would have bested James White by a 6.5 margin that could end up mattering a whole lot to the McFlys.

In the Uprising vs Pride matchup, it comes down to DJ Moore need to score 40 points tonight to get the defending champions back to the championship game. His career high for a single game is 31, so it would really take the game of his life to upend a Pawnee team that underperformed their projection by a clean fifty points and has no one left to go. If he falls short of that lofty goal, it's Pawnee that will be headed to the title game on a six game win streak. They lost to South Park in their only appearance to date, LBVII.

The more interesting game will be the top seeded Cows trying to overtake the McFlys, the latter staked to an 18 point lead, with each team deploying three players tonight: For Hill Valley it's Luke Kuechly, Ian Thomas, and new addition Eli Apple; South Park will lean on Drew Brees, Curtis Samuel, and Demario Davis. Brees is the surest bet to score big numbers, but Luke has gone for double digits in six in a row, and 11 of 13 overall, while Ian Thomas caught 9 of 11 targets last week. Each of these teams has already been to the top of the mountain once before, and knows what it takes to win... something far greater than we saw in week fifteen. Still, two teams are going on regardless.