Well I played my first two matches of the season and learned even though my dice luck has improved it seems it won't matter too much. My first match was against an Orc team Prognosis Negative and it went about as well as playing Norse against Orcs. By the end of the game the coach had inflicted 5 casualties including 2 deaths. I lost a Linedwarf and a Blitzer. Now this is the worst set back I have ever experienced starting a new team in a league setting. My worst set back being losing my entire human team to injury in preseason play and having to restart. I did not buy a Apothecary because I figured my AV 9 would give me more milage before injuries happend. I figured the worst would be a serious injury. While I rolled rather well for hitting I never got above a KO on the Injury table. I was dumb struck at the loses. Prognosis Negative ended up winning the game at 3 to 1; I also roled crap for winnings receiving only 20K.

My second match was against Grudge Match, an Underworld team. I was so thankful for this match-up after my loses. I figured that even if the underworld team managed to score some TD's I would make up for by putting the hurt on some goblins. As I have played an Underworld team before I knew what they were capable of. My defensive set up went well I think it was my dice rolling that let me down and ended up in a 1 nothing game after a few turns. Shortly after that I managed to pound the Goblins and some Skaven off the pitch and score some TD's. It turned out to be a good game for me making up for the horrible game 1 and I aquired 70K in money. A journeyman Linedwarf managed a casualty so I bought him instead of a Blitzer leaving me with 20K and I hope to earn enough for a Apothecary next match or if I can get lucky a Blitzer.

Endycarus , coach of Grudge Match, took his loss with grace. Had it been me I would have been visably sore but still managing a thankyou for the game. Then I would go off and brood like a teenaged vampire. I hate it when the bad luck comes down hard but sometimes that is just material for good gaming stories. I like Bloodbowl even though I lose about 60% of my games and I will continue to like it for a long time. Its fun even when it hurts.

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."      

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."

After taking hold of a bye in the coming TB playoffs I find myself dreaming of the return of the elves.

Sure death and death and more death if fine but the brute finese of the Skulls has reminded me of many glory days.

What say you poundfist?  Should we continue to drink and talk of the glory days or revive them with a solid chance that the new world will smash us to bits!