W. Palm Beach Chads

(W. Palm Beach, FL) After the 2002 season ended, the West Palm Beach Chads may have wanted to demand a recount. The team finished 4-10 in a three-way tie for last place with the now-defunct Baltimore Bluejays and perennial losers, the Green Bay Fudgepackers. Training camp on the sunny side of Florida has been pretty quiet, with the Chads only concentrating on nine returning players.

The team�s signature point in its young career came with the first decision owner Dwayne ever made. The Chads picked up runningback Clinton Portis with their first overall pick in the 2002 draft. Regardless of who ends up on the roster this year, Portis is expected to remain the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come. He�s already ranked among the top three to five runningbacks in the PWFFL.

It doesn�t look as if Portis has much company, however. Gone are potential breakouts WR Darrell Jackson and RB Stacey Mack. QB Mark Brunell is out, young gun Matt Hasselback is in, as is potential backup Jay Fiedler.

No one�s really sure which direction the Chads are going. After their inaugural season, expectations for this year aren�t too high. With Portis in the backfield, the team could do great things, but he needs a supporting cast to have any success. That�s particularly true in the backfield, where Portis is currently the only guaranteed starter heading into camp.

Then again, that�s the beauty of only signing nine players before the start of the season. West Palm Beach makes its first pick in the draft before the expansion Northern Michigan Yoopers have finished up. Hopes are high in Florida that Dwayne will make good on another young stud; just like he did with the team�s newest leader last year.