Manila, Rip City Advance!

Apr 18, 2002... Young Bill Krieger

Like our brothers in the NBA, the NIBL 2002 playoffs matchups went down to the very last night of game play. Manila and Rip City easily held serve to clinch their playoffs spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively. These victories left the NIBL old guard, namely Aruba and West Chicago, standing out of the playoffs, looking in, with third place finishes.

QOD

"Long live the new flesh!"

- Videodrome

The Flippin' NIBL Playoffs

Ah, the Flippin' NIBL Playoffs! Let the greatest event in fantasy sports begin:

• Each series will be the best out of three games
• Each NIBL game corresponds with a game in the NBA playoffs. So, NIBL game 1 uses scores from the first game of the NBA playoffs, etc
• Each team specifies five starting players (2F, 2G, 1C) and a sixth man
• A playoff mini-draft will be held this Friday night: 
  • Each team selects two players to bolster their playoff roster.
  • Draft order will be: Plainfield, Diablo, Manila, Rip City, Rip City, Manila, Diablo, Plainfield
  • The list of available players is here: Available Playoff Players ... Playoff teams: please examine this list carefully for omissions or errors!

So, our playoff matchups will be:

Each series features a duel between an ex-champion and a newbie to the playoffs. Diablo and Manila will be trying to join Don Fenton (evil-doer) as a repeat champion. Playoff virgins, Rip  City and Plainfield, however, will be exploring new ground in their attempt to join the most exclusive club of all... the NIBL Hall of Champions!

The path of each of these worthy teams has been different:

• Plainfield PlayMakers - Plainfield is the comeback story of all time... reeling from an 0-13 initial season, Plainfield owner RobReed took a year off to purge his organization, and it has obviously worked. Plainfield grabbed the top of the East standings in the latter part of the regular season and never looked back. Plainfield's top 3 players, Payton, Malone, and Bonzi, are all playoff bound!
• Diablo Spawn - Diablo has seemingly been on top of the West for the entire season. Diablo Danny will be looking to Kobe Bryant to repeat his magical title season of 2000. Unfortunately, Kobe's "sidekick", Shaq, is not on the roster this year. 
• Manila DogEaters - Manila is hoping to repeat since their title win in the inaugural NIBL season. Manila made a late season surge, winning their last 5 games to outlast hated foe Aruba for the second spot in the East. Aruba is led by NIBL 2002 MVP Tim Duncan.
• Rip City Renegades - Rip City is the hottest team entering the playoffs, winning their last 12 contests. The trade deadline rejuvenated "the Rippers" into a juggernaut that chased, hunted and eventually destroyed early favorite in the West, West Chicago. Rip City is anchored by playoffs studs, T-Mac and Jamaal Mashburn.

These playoffs should be fun. Ex-champs Diablo and Manila versus newbies Rip City and Plainfield. Who will teach who a lesson? We shall see... 

QOD 2

Aruba's personal kudos to Manila and tribute to the 2002 NIBL season... 

"Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers, only."

- Alec Baldwin in "Glengarry Glenross"

Hey, playoff guys... email/call me or Johnny Rai if you have any questions. Otherwise, we'll call you to do the supplemental playoff draft some time Friday night. Good luck!

Thanks... yow, bill