Kevin Brewer's Season III SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF PREVIEW
Well, the ACC Tournament it ain't. There were no upsets in the first round of the TFFL playoffs. All of the high seeds won. There wasn't even the mildest of surprises -- unless you count the Weathermen's early depature out of town.
While trailing at halftime of their first-round matchup with Hominy Swampers, Weathermen owner Bubba Baysden packed up the trucks and the team equipment and drove them into the Richlands swamplands. The Weathermean are no more. Angry fans stormed the field and riots broke out in downtown Richlands. The town's only stop light was also damaged. Baysden didn't care about the team's fans not seeing the second half. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here," he yelled over the sound system.
Remember, Weathermen and other teams, the highly coveted regular-season title is still up for grabs.
And now ... the second-round matchups:
The Jayhawks beat the Killers in their first-round matchup, but they did not cover. The 'Hawks squeaked out a seven-point win against a 23-point line. If you bet on that game because I said it was a sure thing in last week's column, that's your problem. Hey, you bet on a fantasy game pal. Maybe money isn't your biggest problem.
The Swampers were favored by four; they won by 24.
This week, take the Swampers and the nine points even on the road. The Swampers are the best road team in the league. And this expansion team is hot and hungry.
The Greens were favored by 35. And you better believe they covered with a 38-point victory, the largest margin of victory in the first round. What a call by the Swami. And here's another one from this bracket. The Bottlerockets were favored by 12. The magic 8-ball said they wouldn't cover, and they didn't with a 12-point win.
Matchup to watch: Cris Carter, who is banged up, takes on reality teammate Randy Moss, the league's highest rated receiver.
The Greens are 10-point favorites at home in Nerf Arena, also known as the House that Jim McMahon built. Take the Greens and give the 10 points as long as Moss is playing.
The Swami's record: In the first round, we picked all four winners, and we were 3-1 while picking against the line.
Other notes: If you couldn't find some of the TFFL games in your area last week, it's because they were blacked out. If you're in Richlands, it's because you don't have electricity yet. But this week all games are sold out. And the Cartoon Network will have exclusive rights to the rest of the TFFL playoffs. ... This year's Tech Bowl halftime show will be "A Tribute to Shaggy" featuring the Solid Gold Dancers. ... There will also be a reunion of the original cast of "Beat Street" during the pre-game show.