Wednesday, December 31, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR PLAYERS!

The Office of the Commish would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe New Years!

New Years Day 2009 will mark the 1st Annual SMFL New Years Day Bowl (naming rights have not been sold). The Bowl Game will begin at 9:30am and take place at our Standard Location (the fields across from Lake Highland High school).

The Commish is looking forward to this inaugural event and to many new initiatives for the league during 2009!

Make it a Great Year!!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

SMFL Player Updates - Special Announcements!!

Players

On December 10th, a long-time faithful SMFLer, Big Game Hunter Satterfield, welcomed his second son into this world! We would like to congratulate the Satterfields on the addition of Ethan Hunter!

He weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs, 14oz and measured in at 20 3/4 inches.

The Commish would like to congratulate the Satterfields on behalf of the entire league. We look forward to the day that little Ethan can join us on Saturday Mornings.

The League would also like to congratulate Matt "Gimme" Moore and Baylor Dave on the future births of their children. Gimme is expecting to deliver on any day now, while Baylor recently discovered that his child will be a girl.

The League is excited to hear about the new developments in it's member lives and is here to encourage and support in any manner.

Make it a good week!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

MOVING DAY for the SMFL!

Yes! The time has come for the SMFL to move into their new home. We have out grown the confines of Glencoe Park and are in need of more space. This week's game - October 8, 2008 - will mark the first week of the new location across from Lake Highlands High School - SKYLINE PARK

Here is a link to the new site: SKYLINE PARK

Here are generic directions to the new site for those that do not know how to get there:

  • From US 75 (Central Expressway),
  • Go EAST on Northwest Highway,
  • Turn Left on Abrams (Going North)
  • Turn Right on Skillman (Going East)
  • Approximately 3 miles down - Turn Right on Church Road
  • The Field is 1/2 mile on the right.
  • Parking is available on the street and at the High School across the street.


The Commish would like to apologize to the Players for the slight inconvenience this week in adjusting to the new field. Past reconnaissance missions have indicated free space on Saturday Mornings at this new location. If the need arises for a new location, due to unforeseen events, the SMFL has prepared an alternate site within walking distance of Skyline Park.

E-mail the Commish with any questions: Commish@thesmfl.com

Thanks and Make it a Good Week!

Monday, April 14, 2008

The SMFL - In the Words of an SMFL regular

See the Original Post Here



The SMFL


The SMFL. What is that you might ask?

Sometimes I don’t even know and I am deeply involved in it.

Where was the SMFL born? How was it formed? Who were the forefathers?

Lore actually tells us there were 5 fathers but that is neither here not there. I am unsure if the SMFL ever had a beginning. It was and well, one day it was discovered, or better said it was realized. Some of the ancient SMFL Sherpas believe the SMFL is more a state of mind or experience than a place or an organization.

Many moons ago a small group of men were called. They were called to gather for the purpose of fellowship and camaraderie. A pig skin was incorporated into the meetings along the way. The season, I believe, is actually based upon the moon cycles and lasts from 5 to 6 months or maybe longer. It might truly be aligned with the beginning of football season and come to a close when golf season is in full swing.

Due to the secrecy of this sect each member is not known by his birth name but by the name given to them when brought into the brotherhood. From the following list of names you will see the participant’s secrecy is guaranteed. However, the Commish states that:

"we are not a "secret sect"... the use of nicknames is not for identity protective purposes but more for team bonding/camaraderie purposes. Using a nickname invokes the presence of a history/bond or relationship with the individuals to the league."

Some of the featured nicknames include:
Farve
Magic Patin
The Blank/Dr. Who – formerly known as the Zephyr
R1-L2-RB
Pappi
T-Dar
Jagt
General
The Rocket
Big Game
Peg Leg
Gimme
A-Train
Romo
Rhino
D-Newb

The Commish - (We believe he is not only one who regulates and sees that the league runs as intended, but rumors circulate that he is also a player by another name). The Commish also stated this in regards to himself:



"the "idea of the Commish" is not to protect the identity of the League founder/leader/organizer but merely to represent that the League is run by all members of the League... and "The Commish" is the voice for the majority of the league - it is an idea, an agreement within the League... it is not a man or woman... it just is."



The name list goes on but we do not have the time or the space to complete it. The age range of players has a spread from the lower twenties up in the nineties. We had a man who was 93 years old come out and play a few consecutive weeks. His name was Herschel. I speak the truth when I say this. His age is up for debate however, but there is no doubt it is between 67 and 109. If he is as old as the speculated 109 then he would be the only SMFL player to ever have been alive in the 1800's the 1900's and the 2000's. I can’t say that he is spoken highly of… he is however spoken of. Only God know the whereabouts of the Herschel.



Before the weekly events begin, time is spent in gathering for the purpose of reflection and learning. One of the members takes time to share from The Word/The Book/Bible (all the same). After the discourse a prayer follows then the games begin. It is brief but allows us to all realize what it is really about. Not only does the SMFL foster biblical growth it also promotes physical and social growth. To understand the full depth of what the SMFL is about you must view the distant cousin of the blog you are currently reading (http://www.ryanandwho.blogspot.com/),

http://www.thesmfl.blogspot.com/ . Examine it. Take in all it has to offer.


Is there more to life than the SMFL?



Well yeah there is a lot more. It is something we do to enjoy life and friendship. I would say it is a life enhancement tool similar to the wheel or possibly the Internet. There is a statement that summarizes its purpose:



“Committed to developing relationships where we can be used as instruments in encouraging biblical life change.”



Initiation involves only a request to the Commish at the above SMFL blog.

Semper Fi soliders, Semper Fi (sɛm pər fаɪ)



rr
Posted by Ryan at
12:26 PM





Monday, April 7, 2008

Same Page?

WEEK 19: Team Prime Time/Rhino/Magic/Rocket/Papi/Baylor
2-0 Domination of Team Sandwick


This Picture sums up Week 19 for Team Sandwick

Note Favre's response after Romo throws an interception to Rhino (intended for Favre)










See the SMFL Website for more Pictures from week 19.

Photo's courtesy of Matt "Gimme" Moore.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Week 16 RECAP

It was another great Saturday morning for the SMFL! The competition was fierce, as a small but elite field showed up to brave the it-was-supposed-to-be-cold-but-turned-out-perfect weather. Heck, even the cheerleaders, Mia and Annika, made it out for the festivities. To all you public accountants out there who regularly attend the SMFL, we would like to say we don’t envy the horror stories we hear about this time of year, and keep up the good work until we see you again.

Grant would like to say,“Shoot, why do you think I got out and into the private sector.”

The league would like to clarify that his comment is not intended to be a slap in the face, but please feel free to let him know what you think at commish@thesmfl.com .

Thanks to Grant for preparing the pre-game devotional. Grant read from Galatians where it highlights one of the primary differences between Christianity and all other religions. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ have rendered the “law” powerless to save us; we can only be saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ. What this means to us is this: there’s no such thing as a list of do’s and don’ts to follow in order to gain right-standing before God. We have been “justified” with God by what Christ did, meaning it is a gift for us to freely accept and can’t be earned by following rules. With seven players showing, we decided to use an all-time offensive player,and since Iman the Quick was the last to show, he gladly accepted. Here’show the rest of the teams shook out:

Team 1
Romo-Farrellio-Simpson
Easy E Reed
Tim

Team 2
Papi
Zephyr (still waiting on a new nickname)
Favre

The game was evenly matched throughout as both teams dealt with interceptions and turnovers-on-downs as they felt their way in the early stages of the morning. Team 2 was able to take advantage of a lateral play to exploit the 3-man defense to take an early 1-0 lead, but promptly gave it back when Favre grabbed an interception near the goal line but gave it right back with an ill-advised lateral, setting up an easy score. From there, interceptions by Tim and Romo-Farrellio gave their team a couple more scoring chances, on which they capitalized.

However, the tide shifted late with the score tied 5-5. The Zephyr picked off an almost certain TD pass and returned it ¾ of the length of the field, setting up the go-ahead score on a TD pass to him from Papi. From there, Team 2’s defense stiffened, got the ball back, and Favre found the Zephyr on a deep flag to seal it.

This week’s MVP goes to the Zephyr, who showed his full arsenal of speed, hands, and defense. He definitely impacted the game positively for Team2…congratulations! This week’s game ball goes to Iman the Quick. I know not everyone likes to only play offense or defense, but Iman was accommodating and never complained about it. Plus, he had to run more than the rest of us.

Thanks to everyone who came out and made it another great weekend!

Also, the 2007-2008 season will be coming to an end on the first weekend in April. Tournament #4 will be played on that day and the winner will have bragging rights for the entire summer. Please mark it down on your calendars and plan on an SMFL Bash! More details to follow soon.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Humor

Which one of the SMFL Players most accurately fits this description?


Week 15 Recap



This week was another great week for the SMFL. 18 players made for some extremely competitive games along with five newcomers displaying their solid, but in some cases rusty football skills!







Thanks to the following first-time players for coming out this week!



Ryan C.
John S.
Brien V.
Neil P.
Tim

Consider this an open invitation to join us every Saturday. If you would like to be on the weekly e-mail distribution list, please send your e-mail address to mailto:commish@thesmfl.com .









Thank you to D-Newb who delivered the weekly devotional. This week was an overall summary on the book of Ecclesiastes. The take away message was to look at the life of Solomon, the man who had every earthly pleasure/desire imaginable, yet after surrounding himself in all the pleasures that the world had to offer, he determined that the greatest satisfaction was pursuing the Lord and the work of His Kingdom. A great reminder for us since we become so easily consumed with our daily pursuits of earthly selfish pleasure.

Week 15 Statistics can be seen here.


Tournament #3 Results

Team 1: 1-1-1
Rhino
General Josh
Rugby Josh
A-Train
D-Newb Friend #1

Team 2: 2-1-0 - SMFL Tournament #3 Winner
Peg Leg
Magic Patin
L1 R2 RB
B-Ruby
Gimme Moore

Team 3: 1-2-0
Favre
Papi
Eazy E Reed

Wheeler
Boone

Team 4: 1-1-1
D-Newb
Baylor David
Boss Haas
Romo
Zephry

Week 14 Stats

MAGIC!




I apologize for the delay in the week 14 statistics.
Magic Patin was the MVP for Week 14 with an SMFL Rating of 63.50, which barely beat out Easy E Reed's rating of 59.25.
I will post the full stats page on the SMFL website.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Monday, February 4, 2008

Tournament Week #3

This weekend, February 9th, will be an SMFL Tournament weekend.
More information to follow.
The Recap from Week 14 is coming soon.




Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Week 13

Once again, thank you to all the players who showed up and made it another successful outing for the Saturday Morning Football League. It’s fun to see how it has grown from a few guys who struggled to get 6 players together consistently into what it is today. In fact, because of the size, Tim Darley has begun drafting the first ever Collective Bargaining Agreement for the SMFL. The league issued the following statement: “This is something that we had hoped to avoid, but the growing size of the league demands such an agreement to protect the rights of both the league and its players.” When asked if this had anything to do with the notable absences Saturday of Darley and Romo Farrellio (the Commish’s right hand man), Favre (the Commish’s left hand man, which is not to be assumed as being of lesser importance than the right hand man) hid behind the lame excuses of marital obligations and home improvement.

There was a bitter chill in the air as the players met at the fading green gridiron of Glencoe on Saturday morning. All in attendance were cursing the weathermen who had forecasted balmy 60-degree weather for game day. However, it became evident once play began that most of the complaining was just posturing, as the players were actually sizing up each other and how the weather would affect them, because all complaining stopped and the play was stellar as usual.

The teams shook out like this:

General Josh

D-Newb

Easy E Reed

Baylor Dave

Favre - MVP!!!

Vs

Rhino

Prime Time

B-Ruby

Iman the Quick

L1 L2 RB

Daniel

The game started out fast, as Favre and Rhino directed scoring drives on each team’s initial possession, but the defenses took over as the teams traded interceptions and turnovers on downs. Some might say this is when it was a little sloppy, but all the defensive purists loved it. As for sloppy, the field was still holding residual effects from rain showers earlier in the week, so footing became an issue that the players had to overcome, as well as an occasionally wet ball.

The game turned on a possession when Easy E Reed was marching his team down the field and ended up on the goal line. Digging into their bag of tricks, they pulled out the old wide receiver reverse pass, with Reed pitching it to Favre who found a wide open Reed in the end zone. That score gave them a couple TD advantage that they were able to hang onto for the rest of the way, eventually winning it 7-4.

In the “It’s About Time” category, Favre finally broke through and won this week’s MVP award for passing for 5 TDs and catching 2 more in the victory. Congratulations, I’m glad you decided to make a difference in a game finally, halfway through the season. Asked for a comment, the normally outspoken, self-promoting Favre said, “I guess it was just my turn to get lucky on the QB carousel. I mean, we had the General, D-Newb, Easy E Reed, and Baylor Dave, and the football gods decided to smile on me today.”

Something we all hated to see was that Prime Time Casey re-aggravated his hamstring, evoking memories of Peg Leg last year. We all hope you recover and are back to speed soon. It wasn’t bad karma either, because he gave an outstanding pre-game devotional. In this world where everyone tells us we have to earn what we get, Casey told us about how the greatest gift available to us is absolutely free and doesn’t depend on anything we do…that’s God’s salvation. Thanks Casey!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Intangible, Pancakes & Hurries

Many have been asking how the SMFL determines the ratings each week. Here as quick breakdown of how each component is factored:

Touchdown Thrown - The # of TD's thrown during the game.

Touchdown Caught - The # of TD's caught during the game.

Interceptions Thrown - The # of interceptions you threw during the game.

Interceptions Caught - The # of interceptions you caught during the game.

Hurries - The # of times your individual rush or count effects the decision making of the opposing teams' quarterback.

Sacks - The # of times you sack the quarterback, via count, flag or touch.

Pancakes - The # of blocks you have during the game to help your team gain positive yardage. This stat is only tracked because of the impact T-Dar has made in the league. We should call it "T-Dar's" meaning: how many T-Dar's did you have in the game.

Intangibles - A judgmental number given to all players based on their activity away from the ball. Every player does his part during a particular play to help in the success of that play. One person throws, one person catches and perhaps another person blocks... but what about the other players on the field who ran their routes and stretched the defense enough to allow their teammate to get open and catch the ball... how should you reward their "team" effort? Intangible points is how the SMFL chooses to recognize those efforts done away from the ball that aid their team in the successful play. This is arguably the most valued point on the Stat sheet. High intangible points show the character of the teammate and his effort away from the ball that enabled his team to win even though he didn't get the glory of throwing the TD pass or catching the TD ball.

Flight of the Butterfly - Week 12

Freezing temps. awaited the gridiron gang on Saturday morning. A cold front moved through the day before and brought with it 20 degree temps and 15 mph winds from the north. By far the coldest day of the SMFL Season.


Despite the temps, lucky # 13 players showed up to battle the elements. Most were covered head to toe with at least two and some as many as four layers of clothing. Butterfly Davis, however, remarked -


"this reminds me of football back in the homeland... this is SOONER weather!"


This "SOONER" needed to scan his C.A.T as he showed up in shorts... yet "Billy Bob"never let on that it was cold to him. Quite the psychological advantage.



After the warm up wind sprints were run, the gang gathered around for the pre-game devotional; once again led by Peg Leg.



This weeks verse was Matthew 9:12-13

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."




Christ died for all people but only the broken and humble understand their need for Christ's sacrifice the gift of his redeeming grace for their life.



After 1,2,1,2... the teams sorted out as follows:


Team 1 (Game 2 Winner 5-1)

Butterfly Davis
Rhino Reist
Papi
Baylor David
Magic Patin
Iman
Romo-Farrellio



Team 2 (Game 1 Winner 7-5)

Big Game Hunter
T-Dar
Rocket
Peg Leg
B-Ruby
D-Dewb



The first game was owned by Peg Leg, Rocket and Big Game Hunter. Peg Leg and Rocket made for a solid offensive one-two punch... through the air and on the ground. Big Game was without a doubt the defensive player of the week! Batting down passes and intercepting others... he made a day out of frustrating Team 1. T-Dar was working the flat and screen blocks to perfection, while B-Ruby and D-Newb stretched the defense far and wide.



Team 1 was doing good to drive the ball out of their own end zone. Rhino, Romo and Papi could do nothing early on to drive them into the end zone. Romo got lucky toward the middle of the game and found Papi, Iman, Magic and Rhino for TD's... but after one too many interceptions, Butterfly took over the reigns and ne'er looked back the rest of the afternoon.



During Game 2, Butterfly facilitated three touchdown drives in a row finding Magic, Rhino and Papi in Pay Dirt! Butterfly also intercepted a casually thrown ball by D-Newb and returned it for another Touchdown...!



"The most incredible performance out of Butterfly since his intramural basketball days in the Pony Powerhouse! We had a spectator out earlier in the day watching the game... I think it was June Jones looking at Butterfly for a potential coaching spot on the Pony sideline... maybe as a Leadership or Motivational Coach... i certainly was inspired by his play today!" - Team 1 player with newly formed man crush.



Papi found Romo in the end zone for the final play of the game.... luckily, Team 1 was able to even the week series to 1-1.



Obviously, the week MVP was Butterfly Davis. Spring came early for this caterpillar... he certainly blossomed on this chilly winter's day!



Until next week - Stay Classy.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Rhino Moves!

Stiff Defense on the Hail Mary

In the Huddle

Week 11 - Recap

Another beautiful Saturday morning awaited the weekend gridiron gamers when arriving at Glencoe. Temperatures in the low 50's and slight breezes made for almost ideal football conditions.... Any day now we should see "Snow Bowl II" awaiting us. 20 Players showed up for today's match-up:

Freshmen included: Ryan Bowman, and Adam Hammack - great to have you on the field and we look forward to seeing you again!

For his sophomore week: Blake Shipley made two weeks in a row... he is approaching nickname status.

Returning from the M.I.A Roster: Greg Hinton and Big Mike V (always good to see these fierce competitors on the field!)

New Nickname Alert: Chris Patin has arrived at Nickname Status! Please e-mail the Commish your suggestions for Chris Patin's nickname at commish@thesmfl.com . Remember, Patin's quickness can only be matched by Zephry and his Field presence only matched by the Rocket and Big Game Hunter. He also has the "it" factor, much like Peg Leg. Please be creative!

After the Field was made - Peg Leg Ford led the group in a short devotional. Here is the verse shared before the game:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” - Matthew 11:28-30

"To yoke" - as a verb means "to be or become joined, linked, or united."
as a noun, it means: "A harness that joins two animals together"

Christ wants nothing more than for us to yoke with him so that we may learn from Him and find peace in a relationship with Him.

Playing football with friends is truly a blessing; one of the gifts in life we so easily forget.



After a quick count off of 1, 2, 3, 4... the Team's formed as follows:

Team 1 (1-1)
Peg Leg
L1 R2 RB
T-Dar
Gimme Moore
Farrellio

Team 2 (2-0)
D-Newb - MVP of WEEK 12
Rocket Ricky
Big Mike V
A-Train
Adam Hammack

Team 3 (0-2)
Greg Hinton
Ryan Bowman
Papi
Chris Patin
Blake Shipley

Team 4 (1-1)
Big Game Hunter
Baylor David
Favre
Zephry Avery
General Josh

This is D-Newb's first MVP award during the 2007-2008 season. 13 touchdown passes over the course of two games help vault D-Newb to the top of the SMFL Ratings, some 30 points ahead of his nearest competitor. His favorite target was most notably A-Train... although the Rocket took home most of the glory moments by scoring the touchdowns... it was A-Train's grittiness over the course of two games that helped march his team down the field consistently.

No longer can the league just ignore A-Train's abilities. A new passion, mainly to humiliate Gimme Moore, has engulfed A-Train over the last several weeks. A-train had this to say about his success during Week 11:

"Basically, I run down the field... popped my knee back in place a few times and catch the ball... it's like a ritual... 5 yards, re-adjust the knee, 5 yards, re-adjust the knee... I'm like Larry Bird... I have to wear a body cast during the week in order to heal before the next game... I'm old... yet still dominate Gimme when ever the opportunity arises."

Thanks for a great week; Hope to see everyone back out for Week 12!

Don't forget to send in your Nickname suggestions for Chris Patin to
commish@thesmfl.com

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Week 10 - Recap

Saturday presented one of the seasons best weather days for the gridiron warriors. Early week freezing temperatures had warmed to a comfy 60 degree sunshiny day. 15 holiday heavy players arrived ready to work off the turkey legs, chocolate candies and ginger bread cookies which were enjoyed over the bye week. It was time to get back to work!


Shout out to a few first tymers: Blake and Daniel were solid additions to the already loaded SMFL player talent pool. We hope these athletes continue to play as their skills greatly enhanced the play during the day.


Shout out to a few players that were MIA in recent years/months:


Jordan - "The Denz" was back in action for the first time during the 2007-2008 season. A girl friend, motorcycles and other philanthropy type activities have consumed his time for much of the season, but we were glad to see him back.


Eric "the Giant" made his second game of the 2007-2008 season. MVP honors during the third game truly showed that the league was missing his abilities... the physical presence alone is good for 15 intangible points.


And finally, A-Train dazzled the league with his presence. Not only did he show up to play, but also shocked the league by contributing a touchdown, an interception and several deflected passes. Apparently, the time off served him well.


The teams shaped out as follows for the following three games:


GAME 1


Team 1 (7 Points)
Rhino - MVP AWARD
T-Dar
Iman "The Quick"
B- Ruby
Blake

Daniel
Peg Leg
R - Farrellio


VS


Team 2 (4 Points)
Papi
Favre
Eric "The Giant"
A-Train
"Gimme" Moore
Baylor David
Jordan



Game 2

Team 1 (4 Points)
B-Ruby - MVP AWARD
R-Farrellio
Peg Leg
Blake
T-Dar
Rhino



VS


Team 2 (0 Points)
Eric "The Giant"
Iman "The Quick"
A-Train
Favre
Papi
Baylor David



Game 3


Team 1 (4 Points)
Eric "The Giant" - MVP AWARD
Favre
Papi
Iman "The Quick"
Baylor David



VS


Team 2 (3 Points)
T-Dar
Peg Leg
B-Ruby
Rhino
Blake
R-Farrellio



Highlight of the day occurred during Game 2 when Team 1 scored 4 touchdowns from 3 offensive plays! Truly a first for the SMFL. How did they do it you ask? Here is a play by play of Game #2:


Team 1's first offensive possession:
Play 1: Farrellio to Peg Leg, incomplete.
Play 2: Farrellio to B-Ruby, 9 yard completion.
Play 3: Farrellio to Rhino, 41 yard deep post corner route, Touchdown.


Team 2's first offensive possession:
Play 1: Baylor to Eric the Giant, dropped interception by Farrellio.
Play 2: Baylor to Papi, tipped at the line by a B-Ruby rush, intercepted by Blake and taken to the house for a touchdown.

Team 2's second offensive possession:
Play 1: B-Ruby blitz, Baylor pass to Eric the Giant, one handed interception by Farrellio and returned for a pick 6.


Team 2's third offensive possession:
Play 1: Papi to Iman, 4 yard completion.
Play 2: Papi to Favre, intercepted by Rhino and returned for a touchdown.


Never in SMFL history has a team scored 3 defensive touchdowns.
Never in SMFL history has a team scored 4 touchdowns with only 3 plays on offense.


Truly a game for the records.


Looking forward to seeing everyone on this coming Saturday for Week 11!

To take a look at the Week 10 Stats and Stats from each week during the 2007-2008 season, please follow this link: http://thesmfl.com/Season_Statistics.html