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Degenerates win league crown

First-year owner Paul Tanski captures title in his debut season

Even though he's a rookie when it comes to Erie League competition, Horn-Headed Degenerates owner Paul Tanski (pictured right) is anything but a fantasy football novice. His experience has included over ten years in the game and three championships at various levels of competition.

Tonight, he added Erie League championship to his resume in his debut season, thanks to his Horn-Headed Degenerates' 96-93 victory over Don Jones' LTP squad in Fantasy Bowl 13. See Fantasy Bowl Gallery of Champions.

The comeback win was a fitting conclusion to the Horn-Headed Degenerates (10-6) debut season, considering the roller coaster ride they have been on throughout the year. At one point, Tanski’s club started the season with a 5-1 record, only to lose five of six, before closing out the year with five straight wins. The biggest win of all came in Fantasy Bowl 13 as PK John Hall helped the team erase a nine-point Sunday night deficit with 12 points in the Jets victory over the Patriots.

“What a wild ride this weekend and the whole season for that matter,” Tanski said. “I couldn't have asked for a better ‘Rookie’ season. I get my first championship and the bragging rights that go with it. Getting that first championship can always be a nagging issue for an owner, thankfully it's behind me and I can go to work on the repeat. Of course, with the level of talent and 24 teams in this league it won't be easy.”

With the victory, Tanski becomes the first owner from the Browns Conference to win a league championship in nine years. Jim Damicone’s King Salmons last accomplished that feat way back during the 1993 season.

As for LTP and their owner Don Jones, a second league title just wasn’t in the cards, thanks primarily to the lack of production from the team’s leading scorer during the season, QB Brett Favre. The Green Bay signal-caller posted just eight points on the contest -- nearly eight fewer than his per game average – and a full 20 points fewer than Fantasy Bowl 13 Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning’s (pictured left) 28-point day.

Tanski tipped his hat to Jones after the contest for the strategy employed throughout the weekend by the LTP owner.

“My brother's birthday was Sunday,” Tanski said. “We went to Peak N Peak skiing so I was out of touch with the Sunday games. I left yesterday morning with an 18 to 0 lead from Saturday's game and a bad feeling about things as Bennett couldn't overcome his tough match up against the Dolphin's D and only managed 6 points. By the time we got back and I had a chance to check, I was down 71-79, and found that LTP had submitted a new lineup which now featured Coles, leaving me with only Hall to bring home the win. Kudos to Don for his gamesmanship, I kept thinking, no way he sits Coles and Garner, he can't be serious. Nice move getting Griese out of the lineup as well.

“Watching the highlights from the Browns game, I was sickened to see Green getting stuffed at the one,” he added. “After seeing that, I figured it just wasn't going to be. My two running backs put up a combined 11 pts! Ouch!  The Jets-Patriots game started bad for me, with two touchdowns. Then finally, Hall got a field goal. 5 points! Just maybe? Unfortunately, the skiing and the drinking got the best of me and I sacked out at half time, unable to make it through the rest of the game. I woke up at 3 a.m., logged on and saw the final score. With a smile on my face I took a well deserved piss and went back to sleep a winner.”

This weekend, Tanski will try to win one more time in the 2^nd Annual Ultimate Bowl matchup, a game which pits the champion from the Erie League with the champion from Dave Bell’s Great Lakes Too League. Ironically, the champion from the GLL-2 is none other than Kirk Pavelich, three-time champion from the Erie League, who guided his Young Guns to their third GLL-2 championship in seven years of competition. Adding fuel to the fire is that fact that Tanski said Pavelich “wasn’t too bright” after his Week Six trade of QB Aaron Brooks and RB Michael Pittman for RB Ahman Green and Pavelich responded with "Paul Tanski might think he's a genius because he's 4-1. I've got news for you rookie - you haven't won shit in this league yet."

“Do you think anybody would have picked our two winning lineups this week as Champs at the beginning of the season?” Tanski said. “I don't think I would have. We've shot a few barbs at each other this past season and to clarify the issue, I only thought the Ahman Green trade was bad, because I thought you should have been able to get more than a slumping Green for what you gave up. Hell, I would have given you more than that! I'm not sure if it's just me, but my experience in trying to trade with you has always gone this way: ‘Hey Paul, give me your best players for some crap on my bench! What? You actually expect equal value? Sorry, NO DEAL!  Sincerely Pav.’

“I look forward to the match up,” Tanski said.

Pavelich, who will attempt to rebound from last year’s crushing Ultimate Bowl loss as owner of the Erie League representative Midnight Vigilantes, said he looks forward to the matchup as well.

“You have to give Paul a lot of credit,” Pavelich said. “He took a team with a great player (Peyton Manning) and marginal talent and guided them past the likes of heavyweights like the Godfather and the Shadow Bandits. Of course, I did the same thing in the Great Lakes League with my Young Guns. You can’t tell me a team with Leon Johnson as a starting running back deserves to win anything. It’s all about the matchups and I hope they remain favorable for me at least one more week.”

The winner of the contest will collect an additional $75 with the loser taking home $25. For winning the Erie League, to go along with his prize money for Browns Conference Champion, Playoff Qualifier and Best Record during the first six games, Tanski collects a cool $619. Jones, who also collected as a playoff qualifier, will cash a check for $279.

Ultimate Bowl 2

CLICK HERE FOR BACK ISSUES OF THE SPORTS PAGE:

• LTP, Degenerates to battle for league crown (December 20, 2002)

• Two more weeks will decide who takes home the Erie League crown (December 13, 2002)

• Two upsets in All-American; Browns Conference true to form (December 6, 2002)

• Field of 16 is set as Erie Leaguers prepare to play for the cash (November 29, 2002)

• With one week to go in regular season, post-season options vary (November 22, 2002)

• More bad blood among owners as regular season winds down (November 15, 2002)

• Psychedelic B's hammer Omish, allow Vince to run his mouth again (November 8, 2002)

• Psychedelic B's, Team Bud have best records in league at 6-2 (November 1, 2002)

• Division races heating up in both conferences; smack talk continues (October 25, 2002)

• Revamped Vigilantes explode (October 18, 2002)

• Flurry of trades highlights annual cross-conference matchup week (Oct. 11, 2002)

• B's quiet Collins, Penatrators (Oct. 4, 2002)

• Vince, Roush rivalry heats up; newcomer Collins joins the mix (Sept. 27, 2002)

• Two weeks in, smack talk begins (Sept. 19, 2002)

• Four teams break century mark, two others top ninety in Week One (Sept. 12, 2002)

• Auctions completed, Erie League ready to roll (August 31, 2002)