| Last Year: 5-9, 3rd in East
Predicted Finish: Second
You can�t escape the past when visiting the Beernuts training camp. Banners marking their lone championships are everywhere, and you have to walk through the team�s hall of fame to get to the practice field where Cris Carter, the Beernuts legendary wideout for the past five years, is warming up.
Or rather, for 4 � years. Carter, the Beernut�s all-time leader in every team receiving record and an icon for the franchise, was inexplicably traded to bitter archrival Whippersnappers for eight weeks last season as the Beernuts were rebuilding in the midst of their first losing season. Not only was it strange for everyone to see Carter in a funny black and purple uniform, but it was weird for him too. Carter caught nine touchdowns in eight games for the �Snappers, but they lost every game with Carter and finished last at 4-10.
�Yeah it was strange, and losing was not fun,� Carter said. �It wasn�t my ideal situation, but it was a situation I had to make the most of. But now, it feels good to be back here.�
Carter�s return isn�t the only reason why the Beernuts are excited. They�re also hoping that he brings about past glories. In a complete purging, three players came back from the championship team two years ago while only one, wideout James Thrash, was retain from last year�s 5-9 squad.
�We got a lot of great players who understand that the Beernuts have a tradition of winning,� Coach Joe Boo said. �And they are focused on bringing the tradition back this year.�
But the other familiar face in camp could be the Beernuts� key to the season. Explosive running back Fred Taylor is entering his fourth year with the team and averaged more points per game then any running back during that time. Unfortunately, Taylor also missed 11 games in the past two years. After missing the first month of last season, Taylor started slow before exploding for 10 touchdowns in the final seven games. It is no coincidence that the Beernuts, who limped to a 1-6 start without Taylor, went 4-3 with him healthy, even though he had virtually no help and faced eight and nine man fronts constantly.
�I know that if I play, we will probably win,� Taylor said. �And I haven�t played a lot for the past two years. But I don�t want anybody to worry. Just hop on my back and I�ll carry you to the promise land.�
Perhaps the most surprising player coming back to the Beernuts is quarterback Rich Gannon. After backing up Jeff George when the Beernuts won, Gannon decided to bolt to the Rat Bastards for a guaranteed starting job. As he led the Bastards to a championship last year, he got in contentious trash talks with the Beernuts, whom he felt gave up on him. Obviously though, the Beernuts were impressed enough to lure Gannon back.
�The past is the past,� Gannon said. �I honestly think I�ll get a third consecutive ring with the team I�m on.�
At his disposal, Gannon has a huge array of weapons as the Beernuts once again stocked up on expensive name players. Opposite Carter is speedster Rod Smith, who caught eight TDs for Thunder. At tight end, Gannon has the incomparable Tony Gonzalez, who�s production is twice as much as any other players at his position.
But the player causing the most stir is rookie Michael Bennett, an Olympic trial sprinter who has team officials salivating. In his only year as a starter in college, Bennett rushed for 11 TDs with Wisconsin. But he also runs with a heavy historical weight. The Beernuts are just as famous for running back busts as they are for high-priced talents with Cecil Collins, Thomas Jones and Chris Warren as the most infamous. Despite the huge risk the Beernuts are painfully aware of, they hope they felt Bennett was too good to pass up, even though his skills were raw in college.
The Beernuts also have Warrick Dunn, who was unstoppable in the second half of last season for the now-Guerillas, as a third-down back and insurance in case Taylor gets hurt or Bennett is a bust. Wideouts David Boston, Darrell Jackson and Thrash give the Beernuts a lot of depth. For fans who groaned at the unrecognizable players on the field last year, seeing big-name talent at all the position is reassuring to them. It�s just like the good old days.
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Cris Carter
Probable Starters
QB Rich Gannon
RB Fred Taylor
RB Michael Bennett
WR Cris Carter
WR Rod Smith
TE Tony Gonzalez
K Joe Nedney
D Raiders
ST Falcons
Scouting Report
�When will the Beernuts learn? Michael Bennett? You would think after Cecil the Diesel, Thomas Jones, Duce Staley, Chris Warren� Cris Carter is not capable of carrying this team anymore. But Gonzalez might. He�s a physical freak. He�ll be the most important weapon in their passing attack� I like Bennett, but the Beernuts entire season rests on Fred Taylor playing an entire season. He can have a year just as good as Edgerrin James and Marshall Faulk. If he does, and that is a sizable if, everybody�s playing for second� Last year�s no-name Beernuts was bizarre. Now this is a quintessential Beernuts team. On paper, they�re monstrous and loaded everywhere. But will they put it all together? They rarely do� They have too many good players not to win and they�re the only team in the FFL deep enough to withstand injuries. That's huge.�
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