OUT OF CHARACTER BOARD

[Dorling]

Nope, your bench dragged you to three that season.

Time to do two firsts then! First to win with 2 different teams, first top 2 rated team to win.

Mouth of the South.

[Black Death]

Dorling , honest you might just do that , but I don't think this season


I think you need a full  off season with chance to scout and draft.  I think next season might be your year ... I could be wrong , but just a thought

[Dorling]

Dorling , honest you might just do that , but I don't think this season


I think you need a full  off season with chance to scout and draft.  I think next season might be your year ... I could be wrong , but just a thought

Haha, scouting, what's that?! I haven't had a scouting budget for 3 seasons now!

[Jon]

TIJUANA ZONKEYS

GM FRANCHISE

PLAYERS
NAME / POS / HEIGHT / WEIGHT / FROM / YRS PRO / TEAM / AGENT
Dean Daniels-69   PG   6'2   200lbs   Canada   R   Tijuana   ?
Jordan Brandon-32   PG/SG   6'3   199lbs   Michigan   5- 27yrs old   Tijuana   TC
Felix Johnson-32   SG   6'4   220lbs   H.S.   R- 20yrs old   None   CM
Cheese King-00    SF   6'4   200lbs   High School   R   Tijuana   ?
Fernando-25   PF/SF   6'7   231lbs   Spain   2- 29yrs old   Tijuana   TC
Marcus Wear-30   PF/C   6'11   240lbs   H.S.   2- 20yrs old   Tijuana   SP
Geek Andrews-9   PF/C   6'11   255lbs   Colorado   R- 24yrs old   Tijuana   DS
Vlad Nezorov-4   PF/SF   6'8   258lbs   Russia   R- 26yrs old   Tijuana   YC

COACHES
Moses Franks   3-31yrs old   D   Tijuana
Brother Leo   2- 32yrs old   D      Tijuana

[Black Death]

you always same to excel at making the right deals to bring in the right players ... just did not think you have the proper time this off-season.

[jagilki]

That would be the best Franchise team in a while.

[GM Franchise]

FBL Franchised, Vol. 1 -
GM Franchise Preseason Predictions for Season 11:

Anchorage Glaciers –
I like this team overall especially the starting five and coaches. Jones, Walton, and Williams are a good Forward and Center trio which will take them far. The rookie backcourt is solid as well. Bench is weak because of Sabba. I like Scott and Wheeter though. Sabba will be the reason this team falters if they have to play Williams at maximum minutes.
Prediction: Will just miss the playoffs by no more than a game or two.

Las Vegas Aces –
GM Dorling takes over this team and outside of Mission is a STRONG roster. Chi Chi is an underrated point guard. I like him a lot. Getting Eddie Lights back is huge. Odemwuyio, Remo, and Shack are, on paper, the best big man trio out west. Flan Bulous and Findi are above average bench players. They would be starters on most teams. Mission sucks but then again I caused that by adding Center to his positions. Coaching is also very strong.
Prediction: Western Conference winner, FBL Champion

Kentucky Hayseeds –
Perennial contenders Kentucky are solid again...almost. I have to bring this up because there is one GLARING weakness on this team. Chuckles Tree...I repeat CHUCKLES TREE. Are you kidding me?! He should be here in Tijuana with my Bullfighters not playing on the Seeds. The rest of the team is solid. Everyone else on the roster is a starter level player, I like this team a lot sans Chuckles who as I said should be playing in the Mexican or Prison Leagues...or the WFBL. Eastern Conference is strong and I think the Seeds will just inch past Virginia for the last playoff spot.
Prediction: Eastern Conference playoff team

Puerto Rico Waves –
This is not the same team that won the Championship last season. HUGE difference an offseason makes. GM Justin pisses off Spain and the downward spiral begins there. Shakers and Richards are the clear leaders. Marshall brings an all-around touch. Wright and Djem are solid. As I've said to a few people Suziki Hondo is the most underrated player in the league who comes cheap. Recommended him in the preseason and glad someone got him. Kholov and Braize are weak. Hopefully they play better than their grades. Coaching is also a plus here.
Prediction: Just misses the playoffs by at most one game.

Boston Bells –
Most solid overall team I've seen thus far. No weak points. Every player is starter level even the bench guys. Best coaching combination in the league. I would be shocked if this team does not make it to the finals. They have defense, offense, and solid overall players. Gets my seal of approval. This is the team I believe can win the FBL Championship and will at minimum make the finals.
Prediction: Eastern Conference Champion, loses in FBL Finals

Texas Stallions –
Rogers, Madrid, AND Torre from the champion Waves are here in Texas now. I like this trade a lot and GM Strike deserves a ton of props for getting it done. Add to it Peters scoring ability, Toom's all around big man presence, an improved in Spain Peaches Lang, and rookie rebounder Mack Ryan to the mix and this is a solid team. Dawson is a big weak but there are worse options out there. Great defensive minded coaches too.
Prediction: Eastern Conference playoff team

Virginia Colonials –
Can we just rename the Eastern Conference the Conference of Death? Almost every team is solid and this team is one of the best. Hallmark and Danberry are the clear leaders. Chin Chik and Ramos are back as well. Getting Perkins in the draft is a HUGE plus. I like him a lot. He was in my top 5 non-top 10 projections in the draft. Emerson has a better grade than I thought given his stats for Boise the season previous to mine. Cross and Vraba are good players but also wild cards at the same time. They will be the determining factor in how far this team goes. Like their coaches as well.
Prediction: Will just miss out on the playoffs

Providence Diamonds –
Can you say best expansion team ever? Because I sure can. Chang and Cunningham together again after college in Michigan as well as having a Michigan coach is going to take them far. Kradle was the best player in the expansion draft. GM Rob was smart to get him. I like Kadeon Apollo. He should do well now that he's not in a cult anymore. I also like Butch Paul a lot and Matt Foster was a great pick up as well. Jack O'Neal's grade jumped up from a D+ but surprised he has a better rating than Bael who I think is the better player. Bogolov is one of the three best coaches there is. Signing him was a huge plus. This team will make the playoffs, no doubt in my mind.
Prediction: Loses in Eastern Conference Finals

Pittsburgh Blades –
Well...yeah, given how powerhouse the East is this team is definitely going to finish at or near the bottom. Dre Majors and Mutu will be the top guys on this team. Sampson should be a good rebounding presence. I would start him over Vlakov but that's just me. Or switch Cook to the bench and start Vlakov and Sampson. Evans was a good pick up in the draft. Grey and Funk will be solid but unspectacular and there are much better bench players than them out East.
Prediction: Will not make the playoffs

Wyoming Wolves –
Well the Wolves have a team. This team is like the Spuds from last season except for with three good players. Griffin is the clear leader of this team. Rookies McCarthy and Kurtz are solid rookie pick-ups. Both are starter level guys and the next best players on the team behind Griffin. The rest of the team is meh. Chui Mai is decent but not at the level of other PGs in the league. Sven is ok and Bu, Anderson, and Ferndale are just meh. Going to be a long season for them even with the Stampede Offense.
Prediction: Will not make the playoffs

Hollywood Stars –
The Stars are kind of a mixed bag. They have some high priced contracts but overall have a solid team. Valentine is the steal of the draft from what I've seen. NO WAY he should've dropped as far as he did. However they also have the bust of the draft Chucky Dorrance. Getting Sunshine Stream and DeShawn Drummond were huge for the Wolves. Brian Beast improved a lot overseas rating wise and Zack Fields should be solid but is in a contract year which might be a factor in his morale and play. Stagiousous is 29 but a solid bench guard. Maverick Peters is going to be a scorer again but his play needs to improve overall. However I do like what he brings to the Stars. Mogo will be an interesting head coach and Chemankocov is...well, Chemankocov.
Prediction: Will miss the playoffs

Seattle Toppers:
I like Ronko, Harding, Velez, and Deane a lot. The supporting cast is another story. Bunker is a bit of a flop at PF, Diablo and Tanner are roleplayers at best, and Blackstock is nothing special. Too many low player grades to reach the levels they did last season despite the coaching. I predict this will be a rebuilding season for them.
Prediction: Will miss the playoffs by at the most three games

Tampa Bay Dragons –
Leighton Lee and Blue Reed lead this team that I think is a dark horse team out East. Reggie Jones is a solid rookie pick up but Carlos Moreno not so much. Gilkansious was a good pick up for them. I like his game a lot. I'm also a big Randy Ferndale fan from my time in Boise. Also like Bobby Band and Zizak Rekov was a guy I recommended to people in the offseason. Overall decent team dynamic but the coaching I have a problem with. One on hand you have the best coach in the league Conrad Class and on the other hand you have the worst coach in the league Mike Flips. Not a good dynamic there.
Prediction: Will miss the playoffs. Flips factor will be the reason for this.

Boise Spuds –
Getting Ernie Bell and drafting Dennis Reigns was HUGE. This team got beefed up big time by drafting Ronnie Stanza too. Three guys to build around for the future and all three I really like. Really like this team dynamic too. Kingman is meh but the rest of the team is solid. Trading Tony Luco and Jimmy Street for Bell and Nyako Umjumbo was a major deal. Trading to get Flash Davis was a good move as well as getting Malik George from Free Agency. Truth be told I gave Powers some advice about where to go and advised him to take Ty's deal before he came to his senses. Glad he listened. This time went from so-so to awesome just in one big trade. Lazco was a decent pick up too. He did well for me in Seattle a few seasons back. Art Smith and Horace Hall are great coaches too.
Prediction: Western Conference playoff team

Montana Bears –
The Western Conference champions look solid this season. However Pepe Liorada and Simon Frame worry me. The rest of this team is solid. Despite the two players I mentioned they are one of the best teams around. Nick Gravin is the best point guard out west. Malone is solid, Frazier and Dallas are an awesome big man tandem, and Harry Allen is the star of the future. Billy Russell was a solid draft pick as well. He was on my list of guys to draft.
Prediction: Loses in Western Conference Finals

Honolulu Volcanoes –
Honolulu has already pissed off number two pick in the draft Creed Jackson and that is not a good sign. However, that said, I do like their starting rotation. Lucic and Bonba are both solid guys who will put up good stat lines. Sparky Weasel is good when motivated. However I TOLD YA'LL about Darren McGwire. Oh yeah, GM Franchise had no reason to be optimistic last season...right. McGwire will prove my optimism to be correct with his play this season. Echo Walls too. Kris Keys and Davis Newton like Walls will need some work but overall a solid team. I like Nest as a coach but Callahan is going to be a wild card.
Prediction: Will not make the playoffs

Roswell Aliens –
Solid roster with no weaknesses that I see. Martin and Rivers were brought here by me and I'm glad Steven kept them around. Solid backcourt that I always have been a fan of. Sheldon Day was a great trade and Bernie Class is one of the best around. LOVE their starters. Peck should improve this season too. Tees, Rushmore, and Flynn were good pick-ups in the draft. Coaching is solid. One of the best out West.
Prediction: Western Conference playoff team

Mississippi Steamers –
This team is basically Krease McCool, Bolak Huir (who is going to want out after this season), FBL party machine Jimmy Street, and the Little Rascals. Truck Lynch is a mess. The guy amuses me and gets a lot of rebounds but he's volatile and easily pissed off. Grizla's ranking is lower than I thought it would be but he could be a nice roleplayer during the season. Mark Daughtery and James Storm are project players while Tony Luco's claim to fame is breaking a stripper pole during the Bad Boys Toppers era. With all of the preseason shenanigans that went on here I'll be shocked if GM TyTy makes it through the season. Head coach is good but Amos Farthering? Not good.
Prediction: Will not make the playoffs

Season Finish Predictions:
West –
1.   Las Vegas Aces
2.   Montana Bears
3.   Roswell Aliens
4.   Boise Spuds
5.   Hollywood Stars
6.   Anchorage Glaciers
7.   Hollywood Stars
8.   Honolulu Volcanoes
9.   Wyoming Wolves

East –
1.   Boston Bells
2.   Texas Stallions
3.   Providence Diamonds
4.   Kentucky Hayseeds
5.   Virginia Colonials
6.   Puerto Rico Waves
7.   Tampa Bay Dragons
8.   Pittsburgh Blades
9.   Mississippi Steamers

Playoff Predictions:
East –
Round 1:
Bells over Hayseeds
Diamonds over Stallions
East Finals:
Bells over Diamonds in 3 games

West –
Round 1:
Aces over Spuds
Bears over Aliens

West Finals:
Aces over Bears in 3 games

FBL Finals: Aces over Bells in 3 games

Final Thoughts:
I think the Aces are the team beat especially out West. I do see some upsets happening. West is going to be a crapshoot for the fourth playoff spot. The clear top three out West are Vegas, Montana, and Roswell. Everyone else is going to have to fight out for the fourth spot. Out East is the Conference of Death. I think on paper Virginia is the top team but I like Boston. They have the most solid team overall in my opinion for making a run at the championship. Waves, Colonials, Hayseeds, and Diamonds are going to be fighting for the playoffs. Seeds I would rank higher but Chuckles is a liability for them in my opinion. Colonials are good on paper but without GM Dorling and Coach Class? It's going to be an interesting season. Waves went down a bit after the trade with Texas. Speaking of which Stallions looking good. I really like the Diamonds. I think they will make the playoffs and pull an upset to make the Conference Finals. Overall a lot of good teams but shocked that a few players and coaches were even signed by teams. Amos? Flips? Chuckles? Yeah, they should be with me in Tijuana. Just saying. Anyway Bells and Aces are my finals prediction with the Aces winning it. I also would not be surprised if Providence or Texas made the finals either. That's it for now. From Tijuana this is GM Franchise signing off and off to go sign Felix Johnson, JD Morgan, and Cheese King to my team since I need guards and a SF.

[jagilki]

Now I'm concerned about Billy Russell......

[Black Death]

Now I'm concerned about Billy Russell......

what concerns  you ...

[Jon]

what concerns  you ...

Billy Russell was a solid draft pick as well.

This.

[jagilki]

more this part

He was on my list of guys to draft.

[Black Death]

Oh...I see


yeah legit concern 

[T-Bonizzle]

Franchise drafts about average, it's just the only thing he does with any illusion of success.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

Inside the FBL is processing as an upload, I suggest listening to the preseason analysis of the trio. Also note as well, that the threads are now open. Rob/Josh/Libre/Mike as newbies your first point of call should always be to your Head Coach at the end of each game week (after dealing with the media) or in this case straight after training camp.

[Jon]

SEASON 11 PREDICTIONS

Eastern Conference Top 4
1.
2.
3.
4.

Western Conference Top 4
1.
2.
3.
4.

Eastern Conference Finals:

Western Conference Finals:

FBL Finals:

Season 11 MVP

Season 11 Defensive Player of the Year:

Season 11 6th Man:

Season 11 Rookie of the Year:

All FBL TEAM
PG:
SG:
SF:
PF:
C: