League Unveils New Logo

The league released this new DBL logo and erected it atop their Atlanta Headquarters today. Commissioner Halim had this to say- "The league is entering a new era, an era of sophistication and power. We contacted famous Architecture firm HYH Architects and they shot this at us in 30 minutes. These guys are good."

Regardless of whether this is a good logo or not, fans are more concerned with the halt in playing. No worry, the league worked out the AP™ Ranking system trial and games will resume shortly.

Offseason Review 2011

-West-

The West is looking its weakest in a long while. 2 years ago they started out the season with 1,2 and 3 rated teams. This year, the Silverbacks are the only team ranked, coming out as #8. There was a shake-up of Centers as all but 1 teams Centers wanted their options opened. It is a wide open division, each team has its own legit reasoning for thinking they can win this division.

Gold - C+
The Gold weren't their usual selves this offseason. They let Nathan slip away. They didn't switch-up any draft picks or use their salary cap. They were able to resign Desmond and Peletierre however. Willis kept his 3 rating, trying to replace Nathans hole. They couldn't lure in any hot free agents and settled for Petr. Peletierre did improve to a 5, so the Gold are working with 2 power players.

Diamonds - B-
It would seem the Diamonds had a pretty good offseason, dealing Miller to get the awaited phenom Sebastian. But they gave up too much in that trade. If they were able to nail a deal with Miller down, they could have gotten a 3 out of the draft instead of getting a 1 in Izett from free agency. Sean performed well in the preseason tourney like alway, so if him and Sebastian can develop a chemistry, this team should be explosive. 

Silverbacks - B
The Silverbacks had a ho hum, but solid offseason. Resigned Sanchito for 3 years, Ethos improved to a 3 and the Rookie Zeno improved to a 4. This team is looking to become more than Kenneth this year, with an acutal supporting cast that can be consistent compared to last year. They are in the hunt with everyone for this West title.

Pharoahs - B
They played it pretty lowkey this offseason. They were too busy trying to find a suitor for Rob and then trying to get Rob to sign to have their fingers in other places. They signed a great rookie in Walter, so things are looking to slowly get better for this team on the verge.

-South-

The South is the juggernaut division of this Conference  as the North is of theirs. The Dragonfish took everyone by surprise. The Toros had to improve to be at their level. The Cat's and Skylarks would be tops in other divisions so this division is going to be rocking and rolling with many upsets this year.

Skylarks - B+
The Skylarks are building something. This is a chemistry oriented organization and it seems to be slowly coming together. They preemptively resigned Keith for $3mil/4yrs which is great for them now that he improved to a 5. Maurice also improved to a 5, so they have themselves a young duo now. Potts went down to a 3 unfortunately, but the young and hip culture of this team will have great chemistry in the future. Its just sad to see them in this crazy division.

Dragonfish -A+
Everyone expected this team to keep going into a deeper and deeper decline as their stars aged. They made waves when they swapped their draft pick for Paolo of the Interceptors. But it was really the offseason regiment the team had that turned heads. Nobody got worse, and 4 players improved. They have no weak-links and 3 power players. They capped it off by singing all the way to become the Tourney Champions and be #1 ranked coming into the season.

St.Cat's - B+
The Cat's keep having good to great offseasons. It is coming together slowly for them. They angled in Joseph as a replacement for the legendary Kirit. And they got Arthur out of the draft. Ausonio improved to a 5 to give the Cats a power-player duo. They are in the race for the South, but they are gonna need Arthur and Joseph to step up immediately.

Toros - A-
Coming into the offseason from their 2nd straight title, they didn't have much to change. They were young and very very talented. The only problem was money for the future and keeping their stars aligned. They preemptively signed Semere and Rayquan to good money. They traded for a good pick in Martin to keep the rookie phenom train going, but he went down to a 2. Good news is they have three, count 'em, three 6's as Semere and Rayquan improved. No other team has two 6's. Everyone thought they were gonna walk away with it again this year, but they may not even win the division.

-North-

The North is the other super duper division in the league this year. With 3,4 and 6 rated teams coming into the season. Nobody really lost ground in this division. It is going to be a battle all year.

Empire - A-
Another successful offseason for the Empire. They got rid of Bruce to clear up some money issues that are going to be inevitable later on. They got a draft pick in return; Thompson. He improved to a 4 along with Garcia. Lawrence improved to a 5 to join Williame in the power players ranks. This team really never loses a step.

Seadogs - A
They didn't get involved in all the crazy deals, but they still pulled together a solid offseason. The big thing was keeping James. He was all in and signed a nice contract. They also nailed down Corey for 3 years. They drafted Ronnie, but he went down to a 2. However, 3 players improved including Corey and Wayne improving to 5's. One of 3 teams to have 3 power players.

Margays -C
They didn't do anything to step out of the misery. And with this division, its looking to be a long year, sorry to say.They couldn't go into the free agent sweepstakes because of a tight cap. And that folks, is the reason its dangerous to sign a fat fat contract to one player, especially when the talent level keeps rising in subsequent years.

Dizzy Devils -A+
If there was ever a turnaround this has to be it. After last season this team was looking at a grim situation, nobody thought that they could rebound after losing Alexi and not having much to bargain with other teams with. But they had some deeeeep pockets. They made a wise trade with Toros for Thomas a 4. Only giving up a draft pick and having to pay their rookie signee. They won the Nathan sweepstakes and were rewarded for paying him 7mil by him improving to a 5. Three players improved, even their rookie J.Jordan who was a 2, and none waned as they went to the Tourney Championship. Now they come in a #3 ready to roll woth the likes of the Seadogs and Empire. 

-Midwest-

The Midwest took a hit from retirement harder than anyone over the past couple of years. This year it made the Scarlet Ember a weak team. Overall more was to be desired out of the offseasons in this division.

Interceptors - A-
The first order was to resign Salem, and he agreed to a great deal for 3 years easily. So, they had time to focus on more endeavors. Paolo wasn't so agreeable however,  but they traded him for a 3 rookie. So they picked up Kyle and Roman from the draft, both 3's. Dian improved to a power player and Ricky improved to a 4. This team is looking like the clear favorite in the Midwest.

Gremlins - C
This team had some awful luck. They made their intentions clear for Nathan by drafting a Wing. But they lost out on both accounts. Their rookie Melisizwe turned out to be a bust, and they only could pick up Michael. Three people went down in rank including Donte who is a 5 now. They are the only team in the league with 3 weak links.

Reapers - B+
They had a really solid offseason, which is going to pay dividends for years to come. They traded their coveted 1st round pick, for Miller who they courted as a rookie years back, but now they can pay for him. Their draft pick panned out in Reid, he improved to a 4. Jason also improved to a 4. So in coming years they will be up there. They do have a chance for a playoff run this year too.

Scarlet Ember - B+
They actually did a good job for what they had to work with. They had to fill 2 retirement spots. So they couldn't cut their weak link remaining players and had to build around Jack. They took a nice trade for Bruce. And then got Matt from free agency. Jack improved to a 5 so he will head up this strikingly old team.

New Boyz: Combine huge success

The 2011 Combine was a huge hit this past weekend. Coaches in attendance were salivating at all of the surprising talent there. The league really needed the boost of talent after the couple years of mass retirements of "power players".

"The level of play in this league will be on a whole 'nother level this year compared to last year. Pretty much everyone will get themselves a fresh rookie. And as opposed to past years, they will be absorbed right into the main roles of the team. The presence of this class will be impossible to ignore this year. Everyone is excited." - Gold Owner Randy Ericsson

"Aw man, this is just crazy. What was in that Z-Aide at the Combine, haha. I knew alot of those people from my college days, but maaaaaan, I didnt know that much talent was there." -Kenneth #2 Silverbacks

"I just came out and showed everybody what I could do. I had done it for 4 years at UV, and I knew it was in me. Getting the throws record like that was great, but I wanna show everyone I am a complete package. Need to work on that speed alittle though, haha. It hasn't hit me yet, but I know the pressure will be on the minute I step on the court in the Preseason Tournament. Im ready for the challenge to play with these phenomenal dodgers." -Sebastian #3, First ever power-player entering draft.

We'll see where this new era of talent ends up on the Draft, stay tuned!

Pharoahs Money Scandal Exposed!

BREAKING NEWS!!!! The Pharoahs have been found out. Eugene Davenport, owner of the Pharoahs, lied to the DBL about how much money they were paying their athletes prior to the 2010-2 season. In reality they were paying $24 million in salary while they only had a $22 million salary cap. More on this later!!!!!!!!

Dynasty?

It's the question everyone was asking before the Toros even won their second one. They were pretty much expected to win this season with it being such a down year for so many teams. But now alot of teams are picking up the pieces and are on the rise. That is one of the problems the Toros face. In the following days after the Championship, there has been unquellable talk of Semere's situation. It will definitely be a high-profile story of the offseason.

 The issue comes down to competing ego's of Darren, Semere, and now Rayquan in the long term. And also the fact that Semere is the lowest payed player on the team and the lowest paid "power-player" in the league. With such a monster of a trio and no one else in the league having a true big 3, These 3 may want their celebrity to be able to breathe more -- alone. All 3 have kept mum about this so far, but when negotiation time comes, actions will speak louder than words.

Toros owner Austin Johnston has only said he expects the level of performance to stay where it is and only get better from there. Sources say Toros management will keep these 3 until the wheels fall off. And looking at this teams very forgettable past history, it would make sense. They are entering into untread terrain; the 2 other Back to Back title holders (PHA, DD) fell off sharply after they won the titles. The Toros are easily above everyone else talent-wise coming into the offseason. So why not get a third straight ring?

The potential to build an even better team.

Everyone knows what the Toros decide to do with Semere will dictate how this year's offseason will work. The most clear suitor for Semere if the Toros dealt him would be the young and skill-less Reapers. They need a tried and true veteran (even though he'll only be 3 years old, but hey, he's played 40 games in 2 years). And the Toros could pocket a hot 1st pick in the draft to be the next star and probably build some more cap room for potential later diva problems. That would be the best fit.

The Dizzy Devils are also in the hunt, they need a replacement for Alexi, but the problem would be Semere would be #2 to Russell. The Scarlet Ember would also be enticing because Hobbs and Andy will be leaving Rookie MVP Jack all alone to lead the team. Semere could step in and be the #1...kinda. Jack has definitely captured the spirit of the team. But the problem with DD and SE is they couldn't match what the Reapers can offer the Toros.

The only reason the Toros would deal Semere is to get an exact replica of him and some more money or personnel to build an unstoppable beast. The Reapers give them the best chance, but, the safe route would be to get another ring and then deal with the firestorm next offseason when Semere's contract is over. 

This offseason should be a good one with not only Semere in talks, but also James, Salem and Casey at the end of their contracts.

Salem wins MVP, Jack takes Rook

It was a very close vote in both, but the Midwest claims both MVP titles for the year.

Salem #25 of the Interceptors won the Most Valuable Player of the Year for the 2010-2 season. The 3rd year Center from Diamond City University had a solid season. Lifting a down and out Interceptors franchise to their 1st Championship appearance. The Interceptors were a clear elite team coming into 2010-2 with Travis, but he wanted to flee the team just like Theo and Dale and many other had done before, showing once more that this team was just a development squad. But Salem was not deterred by this.

"Me and Travis had formed a bond, we both saw Theo leave and do great things on the Gremlins. I thought we were on the same page of getting this great team over the hump. But things happen. I am just grateful to play for such a great boss and city. I am determined to get this team into being a perennial favorite and I think we can do that now and moving forward." Salem after Travis' departure.

He was a 1st team All-Star his 2nd year in the league and followed that up again this year in his 3rd year at Center. He was 2nd in points in the league with 42, with the most catches at 17 and a remarkable 0 dodges for the season. He was a 4-time game MVP in the season.  He beat out Kenneth (SB) for the title with a 10 to 6 vote.

Jack of the Scarlet Ember claimed the Rookie MVP trophy with a vote of 9 to 7 against Rayquan (TOR). Jack was a very unlikely  candidate for the award coming. He was mostly known for his team rallying skills, being such an emotional leader like a Nadashess (SB) of sorts. He came out of the combine as a 2, taken 10th in the Draft by the Scarlet Ember. Every since then he improved and never looked back. What separated him from the other rookies was his ability to shoulder a whole team. He easily led all rookies in points, earning a 2nd team All-Star bid along the way. No one expected him to be the leader with veterans Hobbs and Andy on board but he helped guide the Scarlet Ember to a 2nd straight Midwest title with 2 game MVP's including a Player of the Week 3. Andy and Hobbs will be gone next year, all of a sudden the whole franchise will need to feed off of this mans energy to succeed.

Intercepting a Dream: The Ricky Story

The stage was set, final point in the final set of the semifinals in the Cleveland Area Regional Championships. The Grover Bulldogs were the easy pick to win the game and the whole tournament. Prior to this point, they had a .900 win pct through 4 years. The model team, from a model school was about to change.

Ricky was the glue that held everything together, the 3 time Dodgeball Player of the Year for Ohio had a signed a Letter of Intent in his sophomore year to play for the Florida Pentagons when he finished high school. His future seemed set, but just in a moment everything changed.

Ricky was set to catch a stray throw from their opponents to win the semifinals and advance to their 4th straight title match. With sweaty palms, the ball went in and out. The opponent was now back in the game. But instead of Ricky just walking off and rooting for his remaining teammates, something went off in his head and he charged the boy who threw it. In a flurry of fists Ricky had knocked the boy unconscious. Chaos ensued, both teams rushed on the court and got into a royal rumble, even some fans (and parents!) threw 'bows. The game was forfeited by the Bulldogs. If this news wasn't devastating enough, a team of psychologists wanted to study what set Ricky off. the news sent shock-waves through the whole Grover community.

"He had experienced uncontrollable roid-rage, meaning, the man was on steroids" - Dr. Blip announced 2 months after graduation that year.

Following the news, another investigation was launched into doping at Grover High School. The results were astounding. All of the dodgeball players had been doping for at least 2 years, Ricky for 4. Some members of the basketball, football, and track team also were nabbed in the hunt. This led to an across the board vacation of sports from Grover High School for 4 years, one of the premier Cleveland sports powerhouses. As for Ricky's Florida Pentagons dreams? Dashed 2 weeks into their summer training program. He was expelled from the University and the CAB (Collegiate Athletic Board) stepped in to ban him and all the other Grover High School seniors from competing the in college at all.

Ricky explains, "I was devastated. I didn't ever think I was going to get caught and it ruined my life. I started doping in 8th grade after watching the Gremlins and Cat's championship. I wanted so much to be like my favorite Gremlins players. My play in high school was so good that my teammates wanted in on my secret, and it spread like wild fire from there."

There was a loop hole though in this destruction of man, a small one at-that. The DBL has a 2-year ban on doping athletes and they had just started accepting non-college and International players into the Combine.

"I knew this was my shot, I trained for 2 years, I had to gather up all my savings to travel out to Diamond City for my latest attempt at getting into this league." Ricky says.

So, he made to the final 16 of the 2010 Combine. He came out ranked as a 2 with 20 points gained during the 6 events. "It was a pretty disappointing performance. I got dressed up and went to San Fran for the draft just hoping someone would have faith in me." Ricky recalls. Nobody did apparently as Ricky was drafted by the Scarlet Ember with the 9th pick in the 2010 Draft but released immediately.

"I was pretty down. I was on the edge of quitting. But I had formed a bond with Kenneth (SB) during that time, he kept urging me to workout with him in the off-season. So I traveled up to Seattle and spent my whole Fall there. He was so dedicated and straight forward, it really inspired me to get super-duper clean and focused."

A free agent the whole 2010 season, Ricky received 0 calls from DBL front offices. But it was finally a twist of fate in his direction where the league plain needed bodies to fill rosters. So, the Interceptors took a chance on a man with a bad reputation. "I was in disbelief, I was being called to play in the DBL! Yeah, that DBL!!" Fans booed him in the preseason tourney feeling cheated from his reputation in high-school of being "the next Leslie".

Ricky became an important part in the Interceptors surprising Championship run replacing a gaping whole in Travis (MAR) for which all hope was lost when he left. Now Ricky has the chance to compete for a Championship in only his 1st year playing. "It's like everything was against me, and now everything is working in my favor."

Ricky has since came out about his being the sole reason for the doping at Grover High School. Their teams have been reinstated into Cleveland Area High School play.

Watch Ricky and the Interceptors take on the Toros in the 2010-2 Championships, only on ZBS.