Hammerburg, Dermany: In a game that was so clearly one sided immediately after the Boots opened the scoring at 1-0, where the Malicious Intent pounded the Boots into the ground for 2 halves and claimed the lead for a score of 2-1 by end game, the Boots managed to wiggle out a tie with 6 players on the field with a little help from their fans. Ernst Redrohm, Das Boots only remaining veteran lineman, has this to say shortly after scoring the game equalizer:

"We were simply getting murdered out there all game. Our team hasn't seen a beating like that since we played the Scandinavian Superstars. Oskar and Alfred knocked out for the game early, Pummels and Storm are day to day, and Mauler taken out in a body bag. It was vicious out there today. But our team never backed down. Big Dolf and Franzie continued to hammer the ball all game despite our squad being reduced to 6 players by games end."

"We made a lot of mistakes in our defensive plays that cost us ground and cost us the game early on. We were up 1-0 straight away, and then what appeared to be a down and out loss of 1-2. If it wasn't for the intervention by our home fans at the end of the game, and the officials rolling the clock back, we would not have been able to tie the match 2-2. Our fans saved us a loss this game and so we thank them."

In the post-game interview when asked what happened during the match, General Jason has this to say:

"They played like bums. Some Dark Elf festival involving polka and beer was going on over the weekend and those guys were all a beer bigger walking into this game. Our positioning was off, our blocks were weak, and as their (Malicious Intent) hits were the complete opposite this began to snowball which left us down 1-2 and half a dozen players left to go by last play."

"What Ernie, Big Dolf, Franzie, Hans, Magda and Ernst did in the final stages of that match was what I'd been looking for all game. Rohmy, Ernie and the fans pull out a tie which clearly should have been a loss. I'm hoping once they sober up a bit more that they remember what went right in the beginning and late stages of the match and try to apply that to the whole game. But in their defence, those pink knuckledusters that the Malicious Intent players were wearing were giving us problems all game. I'm curious if they are regulation."

"Our next match is the Ratpack. I would have liked to have had a larger squad against the Rats, but the Boots will just have to scramble with what we have - which we've been doing all year, and hopefully continue to stay in contention for the Thunderbowl Play-offs."      

The Boots are back in town: Original article dated January 25th, 2010

Das Watton, Dermany: It was a shock to victims of the Play-off Riots over 2 years ago and fans alike when the High Court of Hammerburg granted time served to convicted Das Boots Adolf Blitzer, Franz Von Pimpin, Oskar Swindler and Ernst Redrohm earlier this morning. In a statement to the press late last night, Judge Reinhold had this to say:

"It is our conclusion that Herr Blitzer, Herr Pimpin, Herr Swindler and Herr Redrohm no longer pose any threat to the TBL or Das Boots management. They have been model prisoners throughout, they have been reabilitated, and we feel that any additional incarceration would be an injustice, not only for themselves but to the fans that supported them. I might add that it is our further conclusion that given the events at the Challenger Series 2 weeks ago, these gentlemen have a higher likelihood of being killed on the pitch then in Das Watton prison."

Fan pressure for the release of the Boots had been strong throughout their imprisonment, but had reached a frenzy in the last 4 weeks leading up to TB22 when word came out that TB had opened up the Challenger Circuit, and that the Boots would be granted a day pass to participate in the TB Challenger Circuit. For a month almost 3 thousand Boots fans have camped outside the High Court of Hammerburg, marching throughout the day with placards and sandwich boards, and sleeping in a labyrinth of tents that have completely blocked off the downtown core streets of Perceval and Lohengrin. Efforts by Elder Police to clear the area have been largely unsuccessful due to the large number of children in the tent city, where rubber bullets and tear gas would be normally employed.

Speaking to fans for the first time in over 26 months outside of the steps of the High Court of Hammerburg immediately upon release, Adolf Blitzer shadowed by his fellow Boots inmates had this to say:

"It has been a long time since we last spoke back in the summer of TB18. Much time has been wasted while we languish for 4 Thunderbowl seasons, but unlike all the other untermenschen, we are Dark Elves, and the passage of time to us is as harmless as wrestle. Our victory over the Lucky Charms a fortnight ago and the completion of my book, Mein Block, during my incarceration in Drakenborg and Das Watton stands as testament that the Boots have not been idle whatsoever during our absence in Thunderbowl. The goal of Thunderbowl glory is still the same. It is simply our destiny."

"And throughout our imprisonment we could always count on our little Booties to back us up and the movement. Das Boots have suffered enormously throughout our initial campaign in TB16 through to our last season in TB18, but we are now taking a new direction outlined in Mein Block to crush the mortals. See you all on the sidelines in 2 weeks and we thank you for your continued support. Love live sacred Dermany."

General Jason attended the release of the players and exchanged hugs and hand shakes with the 4. Although he declined to go to the podium after Blitzer to speak to the fans, he did say this to the media after Adolf Blitzer's insinuation that the Boots would be returning in TB23 and what was the fate of the Steel Dragons that he had coached for the last 3 seasons:

"The annoucement for the Boots return was one that senior management at Hammerburg TBL was planning on making later this afternoon. Adolf Blitzer kind of let the cat out of the bag but we'll forgive him - after all he's thought of nothing else for the last 2 years. It is the feeling of our General Manager that Hammerburg TBL is better served with 2 strong franchises operating in the B Division. Steel Dragons is practically everything we wanted the franchise to be. Other then bringing a couple more rookies up to speed and solving some new problems with our Deathroller Truckapiller - seems he's only getting the plays half the time, the club in solid."

"Das Boots on the other hand has been reduced to a Challenger Circuit only team and this is something the Hammerburg TBL wants to salvage and rectify. They have a lot of great talent in Adolf Blitzer, Franz von Pimpin, Erwin Rumble, Ernst Redrohm and others, and they want to further build on this core and bring the rest of the team up to speed over the next season or two. Steel Dragons will for now play in the TBL minors, along with the Graveside Gorys, until Hammerburg TBL wishes to bring them up to the show in future. It has always been a pleasure coaching those boys."

Mick Jogger - star Runner of the Steel Dragons was reached for comment immediately following the announcement:

"Why Hammerburg TBL is resurrecting a bunch of arrogant, pointy-eared hasbeens is beyond me. Management - who can understand them? Despite our 23 wins this team is still lacking a breakout post-season which we hope to achieve once these haughty-headed tea-sippers get drummed out again. The guys in our locker room deserve it. I met Adolf Blitzer at the TBL Awards after-party once, back when he was still dating Hanna Rock, and man is that guy an asshole."

"In the meantime we will play in the Challenger Circuit until we return to the show. Good luck to General Jason on behalf of all the players of the Steel Dragons and we look forward to the day when we return with him to TBL B-League and onto the Thunderbowl final."

Sports analysts and coaches alike in the weeks leading up to the High Courts decision were skeptical that the Boots can return to prominance in a bash heavy B-League. Only time will tell.

The Boots given the boot for 6 years. Original article dated December 31, 2007.

Hammerburg, Dermany: Sports analysts and fans alike were in disbelief at the outcome of the verdict set down by the High Court of Hammerburg versus Das Boots Captain Adolf Blitzer and his co-conspirators for their involvement for instigating the Play-offs Riots last month.

Adolf Blitzer and his fellow indictees were sentenced earlier today to 6 years imprisonment in Drakenburg Prison, knocking Herr Blitzer, Franz Von Pimpin, Oskar Swindler and Ernst Redrohm out for the entire TB19 season and beyond.

Das Boots HQ PR Head Dick Derek was quick to issue a statement shortly after the verdict and sentences were made publlic, saying:

"We still stand behind our recently imprisoned players and sincerely hope that their sentences can be appealed to time served. This wish reflects the wish of all the senior management team at Das Boots, including owner Johann Von Kaw and GM Brokk Bork."

"Das Boots stands behind their Captain - bottom line. The team will not play without veterans like Herr Blitzer, Pimpin, Swindler or Redrohm. It is the feeling of this organization that Das Boots will retire as a TBL team for TB19, and come back renewed."

"What will the Boots do with so much time off? Well, we must remember that we are speaking about Elves here. They never age. We will not be idle that's for sure. We are taking the Boots into the Prison Minor League indefinitely throughout their incarceration and work on new plays."

"Drakenburg is already in negotiations with General Jason to coach a Minor League team for TB19 - long time and Dermany's original TBL Franchise team: the Premier League Graveside Gorys. Long time fan favorites Mummy Mea and Tutterrokk have returned to lead Hammerburg's new Khemri team."

"Certainly Mummy Mea and Tutterrokk have lost a bit of their edge due to inaction, but Gj is confident that they'll be the force they once were, especially back by Mummies Pharokk and Hammerses."

"The Graveside Gorys have certainly changed dramatically ever since the lofty days of the Premier League, where Coaches and General Managers could recruit Big Guys, numerous ringers, Wizards, you name it. Those were some crazy days before the Collective Bargaining Agreement and salary caps."

"General Jason is definitely coaching an entirely different Gorys team, but we hope by resurrecting the Gorys franchise we might be able to attract some of the old time fans - regardless of whether the team resembles very little of the Gorys of old. As far as this organization is concerned, Mummy Mea and Tutterrokk have been, and always will be the franchise."

Adolf Blitzer Arrested. Original article dated November 17, 2007

Hammerberg, Dermany: Adolf Blitzer, team captain of Hammerberg's TBL Franchise team Das Boots, has been thrown into local Drakenberg Prison for instigating a literal coup d'tate of the upper management team over at Das Boots HQ over the weekend.

What should have been a solemn occasion commemorating the careers of their fallen brethren, Boots Linemen Heinrich Hitman and Adolph Frightmann, turned into a riot as senior members of the Das Boots team took the opportunity to whip their fans into a frenzy during last weekend's parade welcoming the team back from the TBL Play-offs.

Adolf Blitzer, along with co-conspirators Ernst Redrohm, Franz von Pimpin, Oskar Swindler, long retirees Rudolph Heist and Julius Striker, and recently retiree Hermann Gory, have all been indincted for leading a charge against Johann Von Kaw, principle owner of Das Boots, and GM Brokk Bork. Armed with only a megaphone, Blitzer accused upper management of stabbing the team in the back and robbing their chances of total victory in TB18.
 
Eldar Riot Police and tear gas had to be employed to clear the streets in downtown Hammerberg as literally thousands of fans began to swarm the streets and loot local businesses. Johann Von Kaw, Brokk Bork and other senior management were quickly escorted out before most of the rioting began, and whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

Also unknown is whether Das Boots Head Coach General Jason had been targeted or involved in the failed coup. When asked what he thought of the events over the weekend and the results today, he said:

"I really can't comment on what supposedly transpired over the weekend, all I can say is that they're a great bunch of boys. We're all pretty shook up over the loss of the Hitman and little Dolfie, and we'd like to thank our Boots fans from coming out and supporting us in our time of loss."

When asked about the Boots chances in the upcoming TB19, he replied:
"No doubt our team took a blow losing the Hitman and Frightmann, unquestionably. Those two guys will be missed. We mourn for them as we mourned for Martin Goreman or Reinhard Headlock. TB18 was a rough year for the Boots, with the early retirements of Stars like Amon Goof, Hermann Gory, and a rising Star like Geli Rebel, but rest assured we will recover. We're just going to take this one game at a time."

When asked what would happen to the Boots if senior players like Adolf Blitzer or Franz Von Pimpin had to miss TB19 due to incarceration:
"They're not going to convict those guys. They're folk heroes."

Das Boots future Witch Elf Hanna Rokk was seen near Hammerberg Superior Court shortly after the indinctment declined comment, only:
"I simply cannot believe that Big Dolf or Franzee would have anything to do with this. The indinctment is a farse."

Adolf Blitzer and the other 6 conspirators have refused to comment to local media on the advice of their lawyers. When asked about the activities of the inmates, Drakenburg officials would only comment that the prisoners have refused to wear their inmate garments and have instead demanded that they be allowed to wear their team uniforms.

Visitors and fan mail have been a nuisance since the 7 were taking into custody, especially with Herr Blitzer. Blitzer is rumoured to be dictating a new playbook for next season to his secretary, retired Runner Rudolf Heist. All 7 inmates have been alotted a special private wing seperated from the general population, and are rumoured to be treated like royalty from some Prison Officials.

One senior analyst who refused to be named could only comment:
"Hammerberg has already had enough suffering without the trial of what many will say are patriots. Guilty or not, I'm going to find it hard to believe that 12 Hammerberg citizens are going to convict those boys of anything other than public mischief. If you walked around downtown Hammerberg over the last couple of weeks it was hard to go 5 feet without seeing a Boots Jersey. At this point I think it would be impossible to find an impartial Jury in all of Dermany."

Still loads of work to be done on it, but 26% of the games have been uploaded so far and its looking awesome. There are already a sleugh of teams set up in the database, but I'm looking forward to the coaching explosion that occured within the last 3 seasons and seeing a copious amount of teams and a plethora of games entered in as well. 25% of the outstanding games to be entered was just last season. 215 games entered so far with 619 to go. Anyway I'm going to bed. Can't wait until this is all done, but yeah check it out.