Week 3 was the culmination of a lot. To recap it and judge it by the games themselves is almost unfair. The honest truth is, League Week 1 last year was a lot more exciting. Because it was the first. Because it was so unique and special. Because there were so many (193) guys there for the games. It had a once in a lifetime energy that can’t be replicated simply by running it back. I think I got into my biggest fights with Singer and Mighty that day. Big energy means big fights. So, this season, League Week 1 was virtually fightless. It was a spectacle, to be sure, and successful – absolutely – but it also had the proficiency of a well oiled machine. It almost felt routine. This is not a bad thing. The fact that incredible talent and competitive games is now routine in Jewball is a cause for celebration. 
The day itself was the first true fall day. Although the sun was peaking up to blinding effect just over the tree line in Hewlett, there was a crispness in the air. It was a far cry from the torrid heat of a week earlier. It was…football weather. And the boys came out. Mostly in their jerseys (guys, don’t make me mandate the wearing of your team color on game day…but cmon…it’s not hard and its an easy way for you to pretend for one day that it’s not about you), knowing their gameplans, sticking to the rotations, feeling the comradery generated by their banner, and playing hard (if not, harder) for the pride of getting a W for a team that they will play 6 regular season and hopefully 2 postseason games with. Like I said, Leagues are special. Hate on the new Jewball all you want – because hating on the new Jewball is as new Jewball as the new Jewball is – but we have not sold out. We have looked only to make Jewball better for you while remaining completely true to our roots. 
So, you want a recap? I guess there should have been a spoiler alert before Episode 4 of TBI since I made my feelings known about a number of items that would surely have made the recap otherwise. I guess I can refer you to the episode (which as of right now is the 3rd most viewed episode…I hope my ratings will go up by the end of the week), but let’s see if there is more to get into.
The more I looked at the Feit Club on paper, the more I knew that Cronies were in trouble. I know Gronk is a pot stirrer by design and is truly a troll l’shma, and it is entertaining and provides juice to both the chat and the games….there are times where shutting up is a good idea. I am equally guilty. I won’t back down on my belief that Cronies are the superior team in the League, but sh—ing on Feit Club is and was a bad idea. In the moment, as the draft was happening, the choices seemed odd and confounding. But, Feit is no dummy. Our third most arrogant quarterback? Sure, but he is confidant in his abilities and clever. His team was down 2-0 on Sunday and looking left for dead….and they came back. They fought back. Maybe fighting back will be the signature quality of Feit Club. 
A Logan-less Cronies began the game as expected, with intense pressure on the QB from Munch and Solo, while Feit tried to scramble and screen his way to the goal line. Fact is, Feit has looked very good all season. His long game isn’t the best, but his short game is precise as hell. He is actually the best in the league at it. He doesn’t retreat like Pray, or misfire like Gronk, or overwhelm his receivers like Yaron…He is pitch perfect in delivering the ball in short yardage. That skillset will go a long way, especially with a guy like Storm who has hands as good as anyone and a heart heartier than anyone. Although it would be an exaggeration to say that Munch and Solo had an easy time with Kut and O, they certainly got through plenty. And might as well deal with this inarguable detail right now: Linemen can wrap up a QB to attain a sack just as readily as pulling his flag. Zero issue. Lineman going after a QB have actually the most leeway when it comes to contact. That can push him. Smack his arm. Grab his legs. They certainly can go for the flag to shut down the play, but if they can hug him and force him to “surrender” all the better – that way we don’t have did the ball get out controversy. The only thing they can’t do for safety reason is tackle him (i.e. launch their body at him like a missile).  More about that later.
While Feit’s drives were stalling, Gronk was moving the ball effortlessly. As easily as I’ve ever seen. It was almost as if FC was purposely playing off the receivers. Every Crony seemed to be wide open on every play. Gronk marched down the field twice and scored twice. Once with Maor in the back left of the endzone and once with Klink in the back right. It was gonna be a massacre. 
There are many opinions about what happened next and you know mine. But, bottom line is…Gronk threw 3 picks in the 2nd half and Feit Club, mostly riding Storm in desperate situation after desperate situation, came all the way back. At first they knotted it 2-2 forcing the Cronies to begin to feel pressure. They could not lose after a month of smack talk. Gronk had been off for a while. His best opportunity to score since the first two drives was a 3rd and goal where he and Jordan failed to connect on an in route. Luckily it was his surefire connection with Goldberg to the rescue in a do or die drive at the end of the game. First Goldberg picks up big first down over the middle in traffic on 4th and 5, then the drive is capped by a similar ball to Goldberg again – this time in the endzone. 
Feit had another attempt, with 5 minutes left on the clock. A methodical drive ensued, but the game looked over when FCFT was faced with a 4th and 21 at midfield. Somehow, inexplicably, Feit – for the first time all game, unleashed a deep-ish pass that was not only pinpoint accurate, but zipped in with just enough mustard to evade the cornerback. Storm picks up the 1st down, and after a screen and scramble by Feit, Storm slants in from the 1 and the game is tied. That is where it stayed. Tough “loss” for the Cronies. Exhilarating “win” for the Feit Club. A game that proves not all ties are created equal. No Jewballs to give, but Goldberg and Storm did everything they could to help their teams, so hats off to those two gamers.
Although I can’t claim to be have been fully invested in the narrative of Game 2, being consumed by the post Game 1 hock on the sidelines, I was proud to see such megawatt talent assembled in true clash of Jewball titans. Crazy to see the star power on that field, and to then think that Yaron’s team was short a man who could not cut out of a bris – Singer was not in the huddle. What did I see? I saw Pray repeat his newfound performance piece as the human rocket launcher. He unloaded one that the Irv’s Iron Dome defense could not intercept, and it landed with a thud on Salem’s chest and there was nothing then between Salem and the end zone. 1-0 Birds. Not that Yaron wasn’t throwing the ball well – he was. His arm looks like it is back to its studly ways, but his receivers were not being as sure-handed as he might have hoped. While it wasn’t the dropfest of his games last season, there were balls that needed to be caught that weren’t. In a game where it’s 25 yards between first down markers,  a drop to erase a 7 yard gain is always costly. Although Pray had one other really nice deep ball to Salem which may have repeated as a TD if it was not slightly off, his short game was proficient enough. Pray does not want to be that running QB anymore. He can still run, but it is clear he wants to become a pass first QB. Good for him. Who better to pass to than Mighty and Prime and then let them do their thing with blockers out front. I said it in TBI and will reiterate here in the chronicles – Mighty and Prime is slash and burn, speed and power, ground and pound…whatever you want to call it. Add Legs as a relentless lead blocker. Or Tom as the human stallion. For these guys to run behind – for most teams this will be overwhelming if they are not at full power. And let’s be honest….Yaron was competitive and made it a game, but Lionhearts were not at full power. Singer would have made plays that the Lionhearts needed to be made. It was interesting to see who might step up for Lionhearts and fill that void left by Singer. If your money was on Dobs, you have been paying attention. Whether it be accumulating sacks, blocking, or catching everything that came his way – Dobs was the most reliable weapon Yaron had. I even saw the birth of his ego at some point during the game. The man who doesn’t even have the balls to talk back to his blow up doll, was actually wondering aloud why Yaron was throwing to anyone else but him. 
Its hard to call a 3-2 game uncompetitive, but from the moment Pray and Salem made it 1-0, the tone was set. Prime bullied his way to 2 more TDs. Yaron became erratic and Pray picked him off 3 times. I watched Yaron march down to within the 10 yard line 3 times only to come away with 1 score (Irv over Prime). That’s a problem. Bottom line is the BOP has once again put the league on notice. Where every other team failed to make a statement, Pray and his Birds walk away with a week 1 win. Jewball has to go to Pray for the numbers. More than anyone, Prime stepped up his game to meet the intensity we want from the League games, but he can take his 2 TDs as the reward for that. 
A word on violence: I like it. It should be a part of football. If you want to protect yourself from getting hurt, you can do what countless Jewballers have done when they reached a certain stage in life – retired. I see many Jewballers today, mostly in their 30s, who say to me…I’d love to come back, but I can’t risk getting hurt. I can’t miss work. My wife would kill me. Whatever it is. The best way to avoid injury is not to play. So, let’s start there. Once you decide to welcome the risk (for the reward) and play, you now have a certain expectation in Jewball – which is fair – that you will not be hurt by someone else who is being violent purposely or recklessly. Needless to say, we aren’t going to tolerate purposeful violence. Meaning, you can just as easily make the play in a way that doesn’t involve a collision, but you go for the collision. That’s not good or allowed. There is a way to be physical with wrapping up that doesn’t not involve violent contact with someone. Next up is recklessness. This is where we ask you to keep your head even in the heat of battle. That’s all. Size up the situation and process the data. Do not use the same force to push Daveo out at the sideline as you would for Prime. Don’t drag down Jordan as you would Singer. In other words: Be thoughtfully violent. 
I’m out this week….so….good luck and guest recap writer next Wednesday. Enjoy Week 4.