[09.14.04]
Written by: PWFSI Associated Press

Kickoff 2004

Week 1 -- The best way to kick off the 2004 season of Puck's World Fantasy Baseball is with match ups that are rich with history and deep-rooted rivalry. No Rivalry week would be complete without the granddaddy of them all, Kalamazoo Vs. Seattle.

In the rematch of last year's Puck Bowl, Seattle jumped out to an early lead with huge games out of McMichael and the Titans Defense along with another average double digit day for future hall-of-fame PWFFLer Marvin Harrison. Owner Jabin got pretty excited and was ready to call a victory for the Slugs, but the Puck Bowl Champions had something else in mind.

Viking stars Culpepper and Moss exploded in Sunday's games. Along with a huge game out of Shaun Alexander, Kalamazoo took over the lead heading into the Monday night showdown. The Slugs needed over 30 points from Smith and Foster to hang a big loss on the Vikings, but it didn't happen. Smith left the game in the fourth quarter with a leg injury that could very well keep him out for a couple weeks.

"That is a huge blow to our team," Owner Jabin said in a press conference after the game, "Steve was a big part of our offense last year and helped us rebound back into the Puck Bowl where we rightfully belong. With Suggs nursing an injury also, the other guys need to step up."

Kalamazoo puts their 16 game undefeated streak on the line as they face another playoff team from last year, the Rocko Bengals. Seattle will hope the new high scoring Slackers of Green Bay will be a one-week wonder as the two teams face off in week 2.

Green Bay 108, W. Palm Beach 75
Speaking of some Slackers, Green Bay came out of the gate a lot stronger than most expected. Their draft was questioned by every media outlet in Wisconsin as to why they would select and over the hill running back with their first selection and failed to pick up the highly touted young studs on the board. Bettis proved all his doubters wrong by rattling off 18 points in the victory over a very confused Chads team. The Chads are reportedly having a major upheaval in the front office, since they are moving into a larger headquarters to accommodate their new staff. The confusion has trickled down to the team, as many of their high priced players are under performing.

The Chads will look to rebound back to their 2003 near playoff team when they host a team in just as much disarray as themselves, the Timbuktu Buccaneers. Green Bay will have that big week tested by one of the best teams in the league, the Seattle Slimy Slugs.

Rhode Island 130, Timbuktu 79
During the draft, the Bucs went for experience over youth. Early in the season, it wasn't thought to lead to any problems. However, the Ridicule came into the 2004 season on a mission scoring a league high 130 points. Rhode Island fans are hoping this is a return to their 2002 form that earned them a Bribin Cup. They will get to see if they can regain their perch if they don't have a letdown game against the Hoodlems.

Wisconsin 85, Benton Harbor 43
Although the Wannabes were able to grab the win, they can't be overly pleased with the performance they got out of their passing game. Holmes and Martin saved the team from experiencing a humiliating defeat. Ang, the new owner of the Hoodlems just fully realized after this week just how much work she has cut out for her. She reached her optimal goal, and that is after picking up some starting free agents. She will need to get more production out of her bench if she has a chance to make it through the bye weeks with a victory.

Detroit 68, England 49
Another highly touted rivalry was a game in which both teams show a lot of promise for the 2004 season, but they failed to live up to the hype in week 1. Jamal Lewis and co. got stuffed and not even a healthy Mike Vick could save the day. England had a dismal performance out of their group, but left the points needed for the win sitting on the bench. England will need to get their game faces on, as they take on the suddenly strong Yoopers in week 2.

Northern Michigan 115, Rocko 94
The high-powered running game turned out in full force in the Yoopers' week 1 victory of the Rocko Bengals. The Yoopers showed flashes of things to come during the 2004 season, however they lost protected wide-receiver Charles Rogers for the season with another broken collarbone. If the Yoopers keep this up, they should be hitting the postseason in December. Rocko had a strong game themselves, however tough luck in the scheduling made the difference in a sure win to a loss. Things don't get any easier next week as they have the pleasure of facing an almost unstoppable Viking crew.

Coach of the Week: Rhode Island Ridicule
Player of the Week: Daunte Culpepper (QB-Kal)