The Erie League officially entered the era of the 24 team, two conference league at the Jan. 9, 1999 Awards and Rules banquet. Kirk Pavelich (pictured at left), the commissioner for the past five years would return for a sixth as head of the All-American Conference. Veteran owners who would serve as charter members in the new conference included: Captain Tripps (Matt Rzyczycki), the Psychedelic B's (Bryan Vince), the Midnight Vigilantes (Kirk Pavelich), LTP (Don Jones), the Gargoyles (Storm Thomas), the Cosmic Monsters (Brad Rzyczycki), and the Couch Potatoes - known in '98 as the Kardiac Kids (Jody Barth). Pavelich awarded expansion franchises to the following teams: No Limit Ballers (Robert Davis), the Masons (John Thiem), and the Butt Chows (Brent Holsclaw). Bob Podges was also slated to receive a club for the '99 season.

Keith Kuratko (pictured at right), who last served as commissioner in 1991, took over as head of the Browns Conference. Veteran owners who volunteered to make the move to the separate conference included: the Bonecrushers (Dave Bell), the Shadow Bandits (Paul Labonte), the Atomic Punks (Keith Kuratko), the Hostile Omish (Mike Kuratko), the Donikers-DTL (Sam Profio), the King Salmons (Jim Damicone), and the Screaming Eagles (Jim White). Mike Bell -- the league's founder -- stepped away from the action after nine years but retained the rights to his Assassins franchise when he paid Rob Pesicka to run the club. Joe Nunney resigned as Vice President of Operations/Special Events Coordinator in order to resume managerial duties for Black Diamond, a club that had been on a one year hiatus. Kuratko awarded expansion franchises to the Morticians (Dave Mortland), the Fat Bottom Girls (Brian Burns), and the Mad Zippers (Jeff Sweitzer).

Draft is scrapped in favor of auction

The same pool of players could be selected for each of the conferences. Kuratko immediately decided that the Browns Conference would employ the auction style of player allocation. Pavelich met major resistance from the veteran members of the All-American Conference but eventually persuaded them to give the format a trial run at the August 1999 draft. Each owner would be allotted 140 units to spend on 14 roster positions. The franchise player proposal was scrapped for the '99 season since nine new owners had entered under the expanded league format.

Post-season alterations

With 24 teams now competing for the Fantasy Bowl championship, the playoff system was in need of major alteration. The league's rules meeting produced a format that would admit three division champions and five wild-card teams in each conference. The division champions would not receive a bye, but they would cash in on a $50 bonus. The post-season would begin during NFL Week 13. Although some owners initially wanted top prize money in the $800 range, the decision was made to instead spread the finances around. Teams advancing past the first round of the playoffs would receive a minimum of $25. Prize money would increase to $45 for 3rd place in the conference, $135 for conference runners-up, and $245 for conference champions. Overall league champions would receive an additional check for $250.

Additional payouts would be made for: $75 for Regular Season Points Scored Champion; $25 for Regular Season Points Scored Runner-up; $50 for each conference's highest scoring team in an individual game; and $71 for the champion of the Consolation Tournament -- a playoff that would now feature the eight teams that failed to qualify for the Fantasy Bowl Tournament.

The 1999 Auction

With an increased pool of players to select from, the Plan B Free Agency system was discontinued for the 1999 season. The All-American Conference's draft was set for Friday August 13, 1999 while the Browns Conference planned to get together to select players on Saturday Sept. 18, 1999.

The Erie League renewed their statistical partnership with FanStar. 

With his wife Julie's due date looming on Sunday Aug. 15, Pavelich hired Joe Nunney to once again attend the draft and be on call in case he received a page to leave for the birth of his baby. Just minutes before his departure, Pavelich received cancellation phone calls from Bob Podges and Psychedelic B's GM Bryan Vince. He immediately contacted Nunney to stand in for Vince and then persuaded Mike Szydlowski to bring the Polish Monarchs back into the league to replace the spot vacated by Podges. Gargoyles GM Storm Thomas, now living in Los Angeles, California, hired Bonecrushers GM Dave Bell to select his players.

Matt Rzyczycki, Captain Tripps GM, gambled and selected recently retired RB Barry Sanders for six units, the first player to be chosen under the new auction format.  Top choices for the other clubs included: RB Marshall Faulk, 37 units (Masons); WR Antonio Freeman, 32 units (Gargoyles); WR Randy Moss, 41 units (LTP); QB Jake Plummer, 27 units (Butt Chows); WR Cris Carter, 25 units (P.P. Brains); RB Ricky Watters, 32 units (Couch Potatoes); RB Curtis Martin, 32 units (Cosmic Monsters); RB Dorsey Levens, 31 units (Polish Monarchs); RB Jamal Anderson, 36 units (Psychedelic B's); and WR Keyshawn Johnson, 27 units (No Limit Ballers). The most expensive players selected were RB Fred Taylor, (Captain Tripps) and RB Terrell Davis, (Midnight Vigilantes), who both went for 42 units. Pavelich made it through the entire draft without getting a baby page -- his daughter Rachel was born a week and a day later on August 21, 1999.

Top choices for the clubs in the Browns Conference included: RB Marshall Faulk, 30 units (Shadow Bandits); RB Edgerrin James, 40 units (Atomic Punks); RB Terrell Davis, 53 units (King Salmons); RB Curtis Martin, 40 units (Mad Zippers); WR Randy Moss, 37 units (Morticians); RB Jamal Anderson, 43 units (Bonecrushers); QB Mark Brunell, 31 units (Hostile Omish); QB Randall Cunningham, 34 units (Black Diamond); WR Terrell Owens, 30 units (Screaming Eagles); RB Ricky Williams, 22 units (Assassins); and RB Dorsey Levens, 45 units (Fat Bottom Girls). The most expensive player selected was RB Fred Taylor (Donikers-DTL), who goes for 58 units.

The 1999 season kicks off

The first week of action in the new look league took place on Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999 with the following results: Masons 80, Butt Chows 61; LTP 80, Gargoyles 70 OT; P.P. Brains 103, Polish Monarchs 55; Couch Potatoes 55, Cosmic Monsters 49; Captain Tripps 96, No Limit Ballers 90; Psychedelic B's 90, Midnight Vigilantes 82; King Salmons 93, Shadow Bandits 72; Atomic Punks 111, Donikers-DTL 110; Morticians 81, Mad Zippers 33; Hostile Omish 117, Bonecrushers 62; Black Diamond 80, Screaming Eagles 74; and Fat Bottom Girls 77, Assassins 39. Click here to read Sports Page Issue 1. Click here to read Sports Page Issue 2.

Don Jones took a shot at his former co-owner Steve Suder, current GM of the P.P. Brains in Sports Page Issue 3: "By the way, LTP is 3-0. Everyone think real hard about what the difference is this year from last year." Cosmic Monsters GM Brad Rzycyzcki took exception to the new software feature that established betting lines for each matchup. The Monsters entered a Week Four matchup with the Psychedelic B's as 51 point underdogs. "I am the best team on paper and will never lose again," Rzyczycki said at the time. "It pisses me off that I am a 51 point underdog. I'll stick 51 in your face and up your ass. This league has never given me the respect I deserve." The Monsters would go on to lose 109-66 to the B's, a spread of just 43 points.

Pavelich responded by putting Nunney's head shot in the Sports Page column for High Scoring Team. "I'm tired of putting Bryan Vince's picture up each week for high scoring team," Pavelich said at the time. "I figure the real reason the Psychedelic B's are undefeated and leading the league in scoring is because of the fabulous job done drafting the team -- by Joe Nunney." Storm Thomas lamented the fact that Terrell Davis, a player he had just acquired in a trade with Pavelich's Midnight Vigilantes, is now lost for the season with a knee injury. "I have a history of making bad trades," Thomas said at the time. "With the Davis trade, I finally thought that I'd screwed someone else. Terrell's injury made me feel like a cheap whore that got stiffed trying to turn a trick." Click here to read Sports Page Issue 4.

Vince responded to the criticism in Sports Page Issue 5: "When I win all the money I'll buy you guys a bunch of tissues. You freaking babies." Pavelich dropped the Commissioner's Curse on the B's in the same newsletter when he wrote, "Go ahead and give up. I see no team in either conference that can match the firepower of the Psychedelic B's. Vince will become the first owner to win two Erie League titles."

Interleague Play

Interleague play debuted during Week Six, with the conferences splitting the 12 games. The first week of interleague action featured the following results: Masons 60, Mad Zippers 38; Polish Monarchs 84, Screaming Eagles 51; Donikers-DTL 89, Cosmic Monsters 52; Shadow Bandits 74, Couch Potatoes 46; Psychedelic B's 85, Hostile Omish 63; No Limit Ballers 54, Fat Bottom Girls 51; Atomic Punks 60, Midnight Vigilantes 48; Bonecrushers 71, Gargoyles 54; King Salmons 64, Captain Tripps 47; P.P. Brains 66, Assassins 64; LTP 88, Black Diamond 50; and Morticians 67, Butt Chows 47.

Commissioner Kuratko took a shot at Vince and the B's in Sports Page Issue 6: "Every one of my opponents are my enemies. I don't feel sorry for any one of them. I don't care how many stupid moves they make, how sorry their team is, or how bad I whoop up on them. I am out to win the BOWL and I don't care who I have to crush on my way. And that's including the so-called powerhouse team of the All-American conference, the Psychedelic B's!"

Jody Barth's 2-4 Couch Potatoes entered their Week Seven contest with the Psychedelic B's as 42 point underdogs -- and won. The 66-62 loss is the first of the season for Vince's club. Rookie Rob Pesicka got in on the smack talking action when he said: "Note to White Division: Black Diamond - I've only won twice, and you're one of them (what does that say about you?)... Fat Bottom Girls - Maybe you should start picking up NHL players instead. They would probably score more points. Plus, then at least your players will have cool French names... Screaming Eagles - Maybe you should change your name to the "Crying Pigeons." You talk about a repeat victory over me in week 12. I haven't heard of you parting the Red Sea lately, so I guess it's pretty safe to rule out any other miracles in the near future." Click here to read the rest of the details in Sports Page Issue 7.

Pesicka's comments touched a nerve with Vince, who made a triumphant return to the quote section in Sports Page Issue 8: "GM Pesicka, pisshead, whatever the hell your name is. Listen up rookie, I know you probably think that drafting Brett Favre or Randy Moss is some kind of genius move that takes a lot of thought, but let me give you a little hint. It's not jack-off. The bowl is won by people like Stephen Davis and Warner. Besides, if it wasn't them two whipping your sorry asses, it would have been Testaverde and Jamal Anderson. And by the way, until you win the bowl -- well that's thinking too high -- until you get in the playoffs, why don't keep that garbage talking thing you call a mouth shut."

Smack talking abounds from just about every owner over the next two weeks. Read all of the details in Sports Page Issue 9 and Sports Page Issue 10. Click here to read Sports Page Issue 11.

Pavelich snuck into the post-season with a 5-7 record, edging out Steve Suder's P.P. Brains by three points in the tiebreaker. Barth, who found the turn of events comical, took a shot at Suder in Sports Page Issue 12: "PP Brains: How did you enjoy the telephone call from Pav? Telling you, you missed the playoffs by three points. I bet you slept really well that night. I wish I could say we know who was the brains behind the operations last year (when Suder was co-owners of LTP with Don Jones), but in actuality you're both really great together. Any chance of you two losers getting back together? PP Brains, you had a free ride with LTP. You thought you could play with the big boys."

Division Champs

In the All-American Conference, the Psychedelic B's (11-1) won the Blue Division, scored 1,162 points (96.8 average) and broke the league's scoring record of 1,120 set by the Cosmic Monsters in 1994. LTP (9-3) captured the Red Division and the Polish Monarchs (7-5) won the White Division title. In the Browns Conference, the Atomic Punks (10-2) took home the Brown Division title, the Morticians (8-4) won the Orange Division, and Black Diamond (6-6) clinched in the White. Click here to see the rest of the 1999 standings. Click here to read the 1999 Playoff Preview. 

Playoffs - Round One

The confidence continued to grow for Polish Monarchs GM Mike Szydlowski, after his 104-63 drubbing of Captain Tripps in the opening round. Szydlowski commented in Sports Page Issue 13: "Who thought I would get this far? Not many.... Deuce: remember 'nice trade Ski'? Barth: If it is such a bad division why didn't you win it you block-headed monkey ass!?!? Vince: If I get past LTP, your Lynn Swann comment may bite you in your candy ass." Click here to read the 1999 Conference Semi-Final Previews.

Conference Semi-Finals

Nunney earned the distinction in Week 14 of technically qualifying two teams for the final four. His own Black Diamond club advanced with their 91-57 defeat of the Hostile Omish and the Psychedelic B's -- the team he drafted back in August for Bryan Vince -- qualified by knocking off the Masons 101-96. Click here to read Sports Page Issue 14 and Click here to read the 1999 Final Four Preview. 

Conference Finals

Nunney's cinderella season would come to an end though in the Conference Finals, as Dave Bell's Bonecrushers defeated Black Diamond 104-87. Mike Szydlowski's Polish Monarchs backed up their owner's prediction and did bite Vince's B's on the ass, ending the Psychedelic's season at 13-2 with a thrilling 109-101 All-American Conference Final victory. Click here to read Sports Page Issue 15 as the Fantasy Bowl between the Monarchs and Bonecrushers is previewed. 

Fantasy Bowl 10

Szydlowski (pictured at left) and his Polish Monarchs won Fantasy Bowl 10 over Bell's Bonecrushers by a score of 83-60. Not bad for a guy who had no intention of participating in the league until about 30 minutes before the auction in August. That's when commissioner Pavelich, desperate to fill a last-minute vacancy, managed to persuade Szydlowski to return to the league. QB Steve Beuerlein, a free-agent acquisition for the Monarchs, was named Most Valuable Player for his 20 point performance. For his victory, Szydlowski received a check for $545. Click here to read the details in Sports Page Issue 16. 

LTP won the All-American Conference's third place game 103-86 over the Masons while the Atomic Punks took the honors in the Browns Conference with a 113-83 victory over the Hostile Omish.

The Consolation Bowl

The Toilet Bowl returned in 1999, thanks in part to the league's expansion to 24 teams. Mad Zippers GM Jeff Sweitzer collected the $70 check by defeating the No Limit Ballers 73-58.

Matt Rzyczycki won the post-season playoff league, scoring 309 points.

Great Lakes Too Recap

For the first time in four years, the Great Lakes Too League played a title game without the Young Guns. Green Bay Rules won the 1999 championship with an 89-70 victory over the Dominators. Pavelich's Young Guns did salvage their pride in the league's Toilet Bowl, beating the Charging Rhinos 73-49.

Awards Banquet

The fourth annual Awards Banquet was held on Jan. 8, 2000 at Maxx Doogan's in Twinsburg. Nunney (for drafting Vince's 13-2 club) won GM of the Year honors in the All-American Conference, the same award Keith Kuratko took home in the Browns Conference. Kuratko swept the managerial awards by also being voted Top Coach in the Browns Conference, an honor won by Don Jones in the All-American. Kurt Warner (Psychedelic B's/Atomic Punks) was named MVP in both conferences, QB Beuerlein was named post-season MVP, and RB Edgerrin James (Masons/Atomic Punks) won Rookie of the Year honors in both conferences.