As League playoffs start in a few hours, I would be even more remiss than usual if I didn’t get out – even in this flimsy manner – a recap for the final week of League Games. Meanwhile, I’m watching Heretic, which is brilliant. With first place on the line, Gorillaz and Reapers squared up to prove who goes into the playoffs with the most swagger. Steve-O, with as low key a façade as they come, managed to show his interior depth once again, by way of his drafting. The team seemed scattershot and incongruent. Would Solo be engaged? Could Feit shake off the Top Guns PTSD? Could Mighty have an MVP season? I mean…..it’s as if the Wizard knew the future. Just not sure how far into his crystal ball he has seen. I guess we find out in the morning. Although there has been no fully dominant team like 2023’s Birds of Pray or 2022’s Roll Tide, The Reapers have been the class of Leagues this season. Gorillaz and Carnivores started strong. The Ducks had their moment in the sun. But in the end….
This game was a low scoring, by the numbers affair. Although I was on the other field (to be recapped), I have to presume there was great defense. Of course Mighty had 2 scores – and that’s all the Reaper offense needed. I was lucky enough to look up and see a behind the back lateral from Goldberg to Mighty. Based on the box score, Pray did all he could. The reigning MVP threw 1, picked 2 (one of em for 6), but the extra point does him in and Reapers take the top spot by a single point. Feit takes a team to 1st place. Solo is engaged AF. Mighty gets another Jewball. Reapers making this very interesting.
With nothing to play for, of course Yaron puts it all together and wins. The Ducks had eliminated BLOP with their prior W and was all about healing and filling in holes (pause) on Week 19. But some things – some injuries – a week or two off won’t cure. And that was the position Ernie and his Ducks found (and find) themselves in as both BK and Tommy – two stalwart players – the muscle of the Ducks – sustained season ending injuries. They got Stats and Kagan to replace Tommy and BK, but was a wet day, very slippery. And while Dachs merely had the flu, his team suffered from dropsy. BLOP was just bullying. They punched in all the TDs that eluded them all season. Yaron throws 6 and Ice Man throws 1. Jewball to OPY Ice for 3 TDs, 1 thrown, and 3 picks.
The late game a blow out with Zinn asserting his dominance as a QB and multi-tiered threat. Ran for 2, threw 2 and a pick 6. Kut continued to be an offensive juggernaut with 2 scores. Pray finishes off a low caliber day for him – throwing only 1 TD to Prime. That’s 2 TDs thrown by Pray on an IN BOTH day. Rough one for the MVP. Let’s see how he does tomorrow when everything is on the line.

As I watched the theatrics then fallout from NBA All Star Weekend (as you read this, you’ll be able to spot the various time periods I worked on it), it had me reflecting on Vets Rooks and the treatment we give it here at Jewball. Although some (Mighty) have argued that we should make it an All-Star game, I’ve resisted this notion. And now I’ve resisted to the last, as next year it will be someone else’s decision. (As an aside – Jewball, I will never ever ever leave you hanging. The IPWT era will begin, but until God recruits me to the Jewball games in the Olam Ha’Emet, I will contribute whatever I can – as much or as little is needed to keep our glorious institution afloat and on the rise.) What stood out consuming the All Star game festivities was how intent they were in injecting it with pomp and circumstance. The playbook read: SELL that this game means something because we are telling you it means something. We will dress it up and commentate and reminisce and this will create the illusion of import. And hopefully….HOPEFULLY the illusion will become the reality. Well, the fallout from social media and analysts said this plan crashed and burned. Mostly because the players themselves, both current and former, plainly stated as much. The older players criticized the dumbing down of it all. The younger players said the game is meaningless to them. Well, that game is played like it is meaningless.
Say what you want about VR…at the very least, it brings people out. The fun is in the rosters. The pre-game trash talk. The players that circle the game on the calendar. It’s that…”If I play one game this season, I’m coming out for VR.” It’s the game Singer flew in from Florida for (and then back). It’s the game Zez just flew in from Israel for (and saved a life along the way). There is something compelling about it. Whether you call it nostalgia or hype. In a way, just showing up matters as much as playing well. One thing that will inherently separate VR from an exhibition match is….it’s always been a regular season game. It counts. And Jewballers never phone it in when they can rack up a W (and maybe some stats along the way). They come out and compete. Maybe the concept of VR doesn’t mean what it once did, but there is no one on the field taking plays off. And that’s what makes the difference.
Luckily, I already talked about the disgraceful way Juniors Seniors ended (each side thinking…yeah…because of you, other side!) so we can just talk about the game.
I guess we have to go back to the pre-game trade. It’s relevant. Because Rabin had to clear out a deep impact, the Seniors picked up a QB who made a big impact. Gronk not only gave the Seniors a big advantage on both sides of the ball, it took a very versatile player away from the Juniors. That said, the Juniors had a loaded roster, and all the talent needed to go to the finals in back to back years. But then the snow came. Not enough to cancel the game (sorry Goldberg), but just enough to trap Solo (and Spira) and all of a sudden, the Juniors were mortal. There was also enough snow to have us all move our cars out of the LHS parking lot right before game tim, so it was a very Jewball-esque ceremony of rolling with obstacles and just finding a way to get the game in.
With Gronk on the other side and Solo snowed-in (and Storm on the IR), it was left to Yaron, Prime, Zada, Stella, Goldberg, Logan, Beast and their new toys, Legs, Dobs and Pray to do the heavy lifting. Yaron took ball first and it was a quick 3 and out. Gronk came in for the Seniors and sized up the defense. He immediately judged it as not formidable. Gronk with time is a nearly unstoppable force and the Juniors defense could not figure out an effective alignment early in the game. Gronk just picked it apart with Mighty, Jordan, Tom, Daveo, and Steve-O at his disposal. The Seniors were scoring early and often, while Yaron just managed one TD to Dobs in the first half. Yaron was kinda throwing the game away. Like Prime said, “Pick to Steve-O is something you can print in advance if it’s a VR game.” With the game tied, a Steve-O pick leads to a Senior TD. Then a Gronk pick leads to a Senior TD. Mighty is going off moving the ball and scores on a graceful leap to snag a pass right up the gut and into Valhalla. Jordan grabs two of his own and Daveo adds one. As the clock ticks down on the first half, the Seniors are in control with a 4-1 lead. But then Mighty has to drop his daughter off at a Chumash Play. He’s going to be gone for 35 minutes, allegedly to return. Can the Seniors hold on until the resurrection? No. No, they cannot. The Juniors start the second half with Pray at QB and a much more fierce pass-rush of Dobs and Legs. Yaron is left on the sidelines contemplating the degree of curse worthy to damn for all eternity the day he was born. The loss of Mighty is glaring and brutal and the Seniors start losing their swagger. TD to Prime. 4-2. Seniors think, bad, but we still have room to breathe. But then on a 4th and long, with man coverage and Pray under pressure, Daveo leaves his man to…allegedly watch the run. Dobs wide open in the endzone. TD Dobs. Juniors are breathing down the neck of the Seniors who are in full panic mode, staring at the parking lot, hoping for any signs of rat droppings. Instead of playing defense, the Seniors start saying Tehillim. This doesn’t work. Pray to Stella for a TD. All is lost! ALL IS LOST….it’s 4-3….nothing is working! NOTHING IS WORKING. MK drops a sure TD, gorgeous pass down the sideline from Gronk. Gronk starts to look totally bored and that’s never a good thing when he’s your QB. He’s gonna start throwing picks on purpose….and….and….HERE HE COMES TO SAVE THE DAAAAAAAAY! A car races into the parking lot and pulls up alongside the field. The door opens, and out jumps….no one…..oh wait, a mouse scurries out of the car and scampers onto the field. It’s MIGHTY! The Seniors are saved. Pray throws a pick to Gronk. The clock expires. The Seniors drive one final time just for fun (and of course to make the Juniors think that they get ball last even though they are down and the clock has expired and they don’t get ball last, but…why should reality and common sense ever get in the way of good old fashioned tantrum – sorry…recap is for posterity….had to be noted for future generations).
SENIORS ADVANCE!!! (Jewball to Gronk)
Oh yeah, there was also another game. First off, need to thank Logic for being one hell of a Rook. Just a consummate pro and Jewballer from day one. Much like his fellow Rook Captain, Zinn….a true role model in every way for our young players. On the field effort and skill. Off the field commitment and accountability. Thank you for joining us and making such a positive impression on the JCU.
It’s very cool that Avenger QBed for the Freshies. We are yet to see or know or realize what Avenger will be in Jewball, but I think he’s off to a really promising start. He plays the right way. The talent is undeniable. And he’s a character. So….it’s really just up to him whether he buys in. Hope he does. Game changing talent. Unfortunately for the Freshies, some of the top tier players were lost to injuries this season like Sherrif, Tommy, and BK. So…you’ll never know how this might have gone, but – at the same time – games are played under the circumstances which they are played. Meaning, depth of roster matters, as well as….who is zocheh to be in the game when it’s played. Also known as destiny.
The Smores we know. Honestly, hard to process and behold the Smores without Pray at the helm….But so is life. It rumbles on. We are powerless to stop time. This is one of the factors that makes VR as exciting as it is disturbing. The Smores this year were basically Roll Tide. You know that crew….Zinn, Dachs, Oppen, Stats, Ernie Rook, Waldo….The team that went all the way. And at the VR semis….they were up 4-0 quick. Dachs was a tad on fire. He threw 5 TDs! (2 to Irv, 1 apiece to Ernie, Zinn, and DK) and he rushed for one. Oppen and DK (YIKES!) sacked Avenger 5 times combined. Zinn even got in on the action with an Avenger takedown of his own. I’ll give Jewball to Captain Invader for being that Roy. Sacks better than picks. Seemed like this game would be a dud, but the Freshies stormed back. The final was 6-4 (Blitz two scores, and 2 for the new guy Avenger brought), so need to give them credit for showing grit. Pretty inspiring crew. Beyond the leadership of Logic and tenacity of Avenger, Portal was a revelation that Sunday. Landing from Israel at 5am…straight to the game, then helping out at the BBQ. I’m telling you, Jewball, the future is nothing but bright and brilliant. Jewball will be there for our kids. We carry it for us, but also for them. We will pass it down and pay it forward.