Hall of Champions

[ Bow down to the elite who have won the NIBL ]

NIBL Ring of Champions!

What is a champion? What makes him (or her) different from Joe Schlub (you and I)? We present, for your approval, three champions. Read on and learn!

2002 Manila DogEaters Denise Raimondo 2001 West Chicago CleavageBeaters Don Fenton Jr. 2000 Diablo Spawn   Daniel W. Bruessel 1999 West Chicago WifeBeaters   Don Fenton Jr. 1998 Manila DogEaters   Denise Raimondo

NIBL 2002: Five years of Nibl-ing

Champion: Manila DogEaters

The 2002 Manila DogEaters defy explanation. Manila's 9 losses are the most ever by a Nibl champion. Its 288 nibls per game is the second lowest total of any champ (to the 287 average of Manila's previous winner in 1998, the Nibl's inaugural season). Six teams scored more nibls that Manila in 2002.

Yet, Manila brought home the bacon with Denise's second Nibl title in 5 years. How? Let's go to the videotape:

• Manila's regular season and playoff star was Nibl 2002 MVP Tim Duncan. Duncan rocked scoring an average of 44 nibls a game. In the playoffs, Duncan did even better, scoring at a jaw-dropping 53 npg pace!
• The DogEater's second best scorer was Nick Van Exel... until he was traded from Denver to Dallas. The move dramatically lowered Van Exel's nibl-age, but it also made him a 2nd round playoff guy.
• Peja Stojakovic tossed in 30 nibls a game for the DogEaters as well.
• Manila drive for the playoffs was dramatic. The DogEaters won  their last five games, all against tough conference foes, to overcome a high-flying Aruba squad that went 3-2 in the same span. 

Manila's playoff victories, however, left little to question, as the team easily swept Nibl regular season leader Plainfield and then Rip City. 

The requisite photo-op at the next year's Nibl draft:

November 2, 2002 Denise "DogEater" Raimondo enjoys the spoils of her second Nibl title with co-smooches from Nibl co-commishes, Johnny Rai and Bill Krieger.

Well, Denise has won the Nibl twice... what have you ever done?!? 

NIBL 2001: A Spaced Odyssey

Champion: West Chicago CleavageBeaters

This wasn't your usual West Chicago team. Sure, Don Fenton won again, but this time he worked all the angles to come out on top of the NIBL for his second title in 3 years:

• Kobe was a great first-round choice by the Beaters and led the team in scoring all the way through the playoffs.
• Don's second pick, Dikembe Mutombo, transformed from a serviceable center to a playoff monster when he was traded from the woeful Atlanta Hawks to the East-winning Philly squad.
• Dirk Nowitzki was a third-round groaner when he was drafted... until he racked up nearly 35 nibls a game for the Beaters and survived all the way through to the championship round with the resurgent Dallas Mavs.
• The Beaters grabbed Jason Terry off the ash heap of players without a NIBL team, and he rewarded the Beater's with a mighty 31 nibls a game.

With the Mutombo trade, Don's team was nearly intact throughout both rounds of the NIBL playoffs, including Kobe, Dikembe, Nowitzki, and Charlotte's Baron Davis! West Chicago overwhelmed opponents Nantucket and Napa Valley, each in series sweeps, to become the only two-time NIBL champion!

The money shot at next year's draft...

October 27, 2001 Don "the evil-doer" Fenton (middle) presented the Michael Jordan plaque as NIBL Champion in 2000 by co-commissioners Johnny Rai (left) and Young Bill Krieger (right)

Finally, wisdom from someone who picks much better fantasy basketball teams than you (or I) do:

"The NIBL is the most reliable income stream that I have."

- Don Fenton Jr, Champion NIBL 2001

NIBL 2K

Champion: Diablo Spawn

The 2000 season was the first "full" season for the NIBL... no strike, no shenanigans. We had 15 teams (ugh) and each teams had three bye weeks, leading to a 22 game season. The draft was a couple days before halloween, and the ghosts of NIBL future were in Diablo's court.

Diablo turned into the NIBL's version of the Lakers. Shaq dropped to second (Tim Duncan was taken first), and Kobe dropped to the end of the second round with a broken pinky. Kobe's pinky cost Diablo Danny a couple of regular season losses, but lead him straight to the NIBL title. Danny set NIBL playoff records and swept both Joliet and Manila to his ultimate victory. May Shaq and Kobe never occupy the same fantasy space again!

The money shot at next year's draft...

October 28, 2000 Danny "Diablo" Bruessel (middle) presented the Michael Jordan plaque as NIBL Champion in 2000 by co-commissioners Johnny Rai (left) and Young Bill Krieger (right)

Finally, from the champion horse's mouth:

"As the only man to win the NIBL title, my advice for a successful NIBL season is to rely on other peoples' stupidity and draft 3 players that will gain you a combined 120 nibls per game."

- Danny Bruessel, Champion NIBL 2000

NIBL 1999

Champion: West Chicago WifeBeaters

1999 was a crisis year for the NIBL. The NBA owners lockout consumed nearly 3 months of the regular season. The NIBL 1999 draft was held in February and the regular season was only 13 weeks long.

1999 was also deja vu. As in 1998, West Chicago (10-3) and Aruba (12-1) completely dominated the regular season. This year, however, was different. Both teams continued their regular season success toward a NIBL Finals showdown. West Chicago took the NIBL finals 2 games to 1, and benefitted fom Alan Iverson's graduation to the second round of the playoffs and Aruba stars Pippen and Hakeem being bounced in the first round. The WifeBeaters rode Iverson's 42 nibls to a 147-90 romp over the Thong in the game 3 clincher.

The money shot at next year's draft...

Oct 30, 1999 Don "Beater" Fenton (right) presented the Michael Jordan placque as NIBL Champion in 1999 by co-commissioner Bill Krieger (left) [ Note the NY Yankee theme... they just swept the Braves in the series ]

Learn at the feet of a champion:

"As the only non-Dana CT. winner I have some thoughts......

1. Johnny Rai really sucks, out done by his wife and dopey kid year after year.
2. Johnny Rai really sucks, the year I won he HAD my list and only used it on my Championship team, fool.
3. My Denise thinks the REAL reason Johnny Rai didn't let me draft her team this year is because he didn't want to lose more games to another person named Denise.
4. I am embarrassed to say I took the Daniel strategy this year and drafted 3 injured players. Go Van Horn! Ugh.
5. And finally.....being the all time NIBL % winner.........I suck less than all of the rest of you clowns. I hope you all you go 2-23. Except Schnoover...he's hot."

- Don Fenton, Champion NIBL 1999

NIBL 1998

Champion: Manila DogEaters

The inaugural season of the NIBL was great fun. We started a few weeks into the 1997-1998 NBA season because it took us a while to get our shit together. The season was 21 weeks long, and we had 16 teams. We cheated a little bit though and NIBL historians will recall the one-year wonder Ottawa Strippers, run jointly by co-commissioners Bill and Johnny Rai in addition to their regular NIBL entries Aruba and Cap City. Whew, that was a bad idea.

Anyway, regular season champs West Chicago (19-2) and Aruba (18-3) seemed headed toward a clash of the titans in the playoffs, but that was not to be. The Women (as they were known then) and the Thong were upset in the first round of the playoffs by Walla Walla and Manila, repsectively. It wasn't easy though, as each playoff series went the maximum 3 games.

The Manila-Walla finale was a nail-biter as well. In the third and deciding game, a 44 nibl game-of-his-fricking-life score by Detlef Shrempf of the Seattle SuperSonics propelled the Manila Dogeaters to the first NIBL title in history. This also propelled your humble commish to the plaque store to puchase the Michael Jordan Plaque to be awarded to Denise DogEater. Having the plaque engraved with the winner's moniker prompted the clerk to sarcastically utter "a girl won your basketball league?" This pretty much sums up the first year of the NIBL.

And the money shot at next year's draft...

Feb 6, 1999 Head DogEater, Denise Raimondo (left), accepts the Michael Jordan plaque as the first ever NIBL Champion in 1998 by goof co-commissioner Bill Krieger (right)

Wisdom from the NIBL's first champion:

Q: What was your secret?

A: "Get a good-looking team... good shoes, a nice hairdo. size. That's about it."

Q: Is your husband angry about all your success?

A: "He vents his anger, if you want to call it that... ah... ah... no, nothing."

Q: When will you win your next title?

A: "This year."

Q: Won't that make your husband angrier?

A: "Well, he'll get angry with... um... nothing..."

Q: Last comments?

A: "I don't really eat dog."

- Denise Raimondo, Champion NIBL 1998