In a shocking development, Ocho, longtime user of BL, has been removed from the league. The High Council voted unanimously 16-0 to remove the Jets user after he was caught playing a safety illegally at sub linebacker.
“Ocho has been on a short leash since the HHH burner scandal,” said league commissioner Alex. “We made it clear that any small infraction would result in removal from the league, and that’s what happened here. It’s a tough situation, but we have to uphold the integrity of the game.”
The decision marks the end of a tumultuous summer of controversy and speculation regarding Ocho’s tenure in the league. It all began when the HHH burner scandal broke, leading to an investigation by the BLIA, which was led by Chase.
“We conducted a thorough and fair investigation into the HHH burner scandal, and we found that Ocho was at the center of it,” Chase said. “We presented our findings to the High Council and they made the decision to remove him from the league. I’m relieved that the league can now move forward without him.”
The decision was met with relief by more, including Ben, who had advocated for Ocho’s removal for months.
“I’m glad the High Council finally did the right thing and removed Ocho from the league,” Ben said. “He was a constant source of controversy and it was clear that he had no place in the league anymore. I think this is a good step for the league moving forward.”
Despite never winning a Super Bowl, Ocho was among the most successful users in the league, departing with the highest win percentage of all time. He leaves behind a complicated legacy, one that will be remembered for both his impressive on-field accomplishments and his off-field controversies.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout my time in the league,” Ocho said in a statement. “I’m disappointed by the decision, but I respect it. I’m proud of what I accomplished in the league, and I’ll always cherish the memories I made.”
]]>A recent investigation by the Better League Intelligence Agency (BLIA) has uncovered that Ocho has been secretly playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans over the past four seasons, using the burner account Hoot Hoot Hike.
It all started when Dan, a fellow user in the Better League, spoke with Ocho in a BLFC party. During their conversation, Ocho made a comment about burners that caught Dan’s attention. After doing some digging, Dan was able to connect the dots and realized that Hoot Hoot Hike, an account that had been active in the league for several seasons, was actually being controlled by Ocho. He alerted the BLIA, and an investigation led by Chase was launched to confirm his suspicions. After collecting evidence, the BLIA was able to prove that Ocho had indeed been using the burner account to secretly play for multiple teams over the past four seasons.
“I knew something wasn’t right when I heard Ocho talking about burners in the BLFC party chat,” said Dan. “I never would have thought he would go to such lengths to deceive the entire league.”
Chase, the lead investigator on the case for the BLIA, said, “This is a major violation of the league’s rules and trust. Ocho, aka Hoot Hoot Hike, has been secretly playing for multiple teams over the past four seasons, and we have concrete evidence to prove it. We will be taking appropriate action to ensure that this kind of behavior is not tolerated in the Better League.”
The news has sent shockwaves throughout the league, with many calling for severe punishment for Ocho. As a result, the league has decided to strip Ocho of his playoff spot in both the AFC and NFC, and he will be relegated to pick 32 in the Madden 21 lottery. In addition to these punishments, Ocho has also been removed from admin leadership and from the High Council.
“While we do not condone Ocho’s actions, we also recognize the significant contributions he has made to the league, including running the popular YouTube channel,” said Alex, commissioner of the Better League. “We believe that a punishment of forfeit and relegation is appropriate in this case, and we hope that Ocho will learn from this experience and strive to be a better player and member of the league moving forward.”
Not everyone agrees with the league’s decision, however. “I can’t believe Ocho is only being slapped on the wrist for this,” said Ben, who runs the Atlanta Falcons. “He has completely violated the trust of the league and should be immediately removed. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated in the Better League.”
Ocho, for his part, has expressed remorse for his actions. “I am deeply sorry for what I have done, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said. “I never meant to deceive anyone, and I regret the harm that I have caused to the league and my fellow players. I will do everything I can to make things right and earn back the trust of the Better League community.”
]]>In a thrilling and historic game, the New England Patriots have defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-19 in the 13th Super Bowl of the Better League. This marks the Patriots’ third championship in this cycle and their fourth overall, cementing their place as one of the greatest teams in the league’s history.
The game came down to the final play, with the Saints trailing by one point and needing a touchdown to win. They called a Hail Mary and their backup quarterback, who had come in for Cade Bingham due to his stronger arm, launched the ball deep into the end zone.
The ball was intercepted by a Patriots player in front of the goal line, but in a moment of pure chaos, he stumbled and fumbled the ball. A Saints player was there to scoop it up, and for a moment, it looked like he might be able to stop it up and score the game-winning touchdown.
But in the end, the Patriots held on and secured the victory. It was a play that will go down in Better League history as one of the most bizarre and thrilling endings to a Super Bowl game.
“I’m just grateful to be a part of this amazing community and league,” said Patriots head coach Morty after the game. “To win our third championship in this cycle and our fourth overall is something special, and I’m humbled by the support and love that our fans have shown us. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
The loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Saints, who entered the game as a large underdog but put up a valiant effort. “We gave it our all out there, but the Patriots are a great team and they deserved to win,” said Saints head coach Justin. “I’m disappointed, but I know how close we were and I see a bright future for myself in future cycles.”
This game marks the end of a remarkable Madden 18 cycle in the Better League, and the league continues to grow and looks strong for years to come. The Patriots will now have the off-season to celebrate their victory and prepare for next year’s Madden 19 cycle, where they will look to defend their title and continue their dominance in the league. The Saints, meanwhile, will regroup and look to build on their impressive season, with the goal of making it back to the Super Bowl and coming out on top next time
]]>The Folk family has been waiting for this day since Clay and Matt were playing football in the backyard and trampling through the house. They were inseparable on the football field playing side by side at linebacker from pee-wee football through high school. After Matt graduated and accepted a scholarship to Ohio State that was the first time the brothers played separately in their lives. Clay followed in Matt’s footsteps and went to Ohio State as well and reunited the fearsome brother duo in the linebacking corps.
Both were exceptional in college throughout their careers there. Racking up great stats and highlight reel plays for the Buckeyes. That is when it came time for a tough decision, stay together another year in college or go pro. After five straight losses to arch-rival Michigan, Clay and Matt declared together and the hope to continue playing side by side remained.
Going through the draft process can be anxiety building and terrifying. Having someone by your side is important but having the person you are closest to going through it at the same time builds confidence. The Folk brothers climbed draft boards after being rated as late round picks. They did interviews together, workouts together, and finally got to the big day together.
Both brothers watched as name after name, linebacker after linebacker went without seeing their names. Eight linebackers went before a phone rang in the Folk household. It was Matt’s phone. The room full of friends and family fell silent, eagerly awaiting the news on the other end of the line. Coach Spurlock and General Manager Cam Rose, from the Seahawks, excitedly gave Matt the news that his dream came true and he was drafted to the NFL. The family erupted in excitement and tears as they saw Matt’s name and picture pop on the screen. Clay embraced Matt and celebrated with him not knowing if or when his name would be called. Then the third round came around, the Seahawks were back on the clock needing another linebacker. The family held their breath hoping for Clay’s phone to ring and join his brother in the Pacific Northwest. No call, another linebacker went there. The next few picks went by fast as Clay was trying to wrap his head around what happened. Then it happened, his phone rang. Coach Liver King and General Manager Jesse Claar called welcoming Clay to the Rams. The room erupted again, both brothers made it. Then the realization of not playing together set in. Not only were they no longer teammates, they were on rival teams.
Both brothers worked their way to starting jobs by the time the regular season arrived. Making your NFL debut is a huge accomplishment and milestone. Making that debut with your family watching and cheering you on gets the adrenaline flowing. But what if your best friend, your biggest supporter wasn’t there cheering you on? That is the reality that the brothers faced as week one came. Monday Night Football, the premier game each week and a major one to start the season. The Rams travelled up to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Two brothers once teammates now facing each other on rival teams. The brothers established themselves early on in the game with Clay forcing an early fumble and Matt getting an interception. By the end of the night, Clay finished with six tackles, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. Not to be outdone by his younger brother, Matt finished the game with six tackles, two interceptions, and a touchdown.
The rest of their careers are ready to be written and we will be following them throughout their journeys.
]]>The Los Angeles Rams pulled off a stunning 25-24 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 38, completing the first ever 20-0 season in the process.
It was a surprisingly close game, as the Cinderella Broncos – the first 7 seed to make the Super Bowl – gave the heavily favored Rams all they could handle. The game came down to the final minutes, with Denver RB Javonte Williams – the hero of the team’s playoff run – rushing for a 56-yard touchdown with just over two minutes to go to give the Broncos a 24-17 lead.
Rams QB Tua Tagovailoa had to overcome an early fourth down to lead the Rams on a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a Cam Akers TD with 25 seconds left. Instead of going for the tie, Rams head coach Cody elected to go for two, riding the team’s 19-0 season on one play. From the two-yard line, Tagovailoa hit AJ Brown in the back corner of the endzone to give the Rams the lead.
On the ensuing drive, CB Tyler Holcombe intercepted Broncos QB Joe Burrow to cap off the Rams’ perfect season.
After the game, Rams head coach Cody was elated. “Let’s go baby!” he exclaimed. “I’m so proud of this team and what we’ve accomplished. This is a dream come true.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa also expressed his excitement. “It’s an incredible feeling to be part of a team that made history,” he said. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to play in this game and help us get the win.”
Broncos RB Javonte Williams, despite the loss, remained proud of his team’s performance. “We gave it everything we had and came up just short,” he said. “But I’m proud of the way we fought and never gave up.”
Broncos head coach Phil, who lost his third Super Bowl, was disappointed but remained optimistic. “It’s tough to come up short again, but I couldn’t be more proud of this team and what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “We’ll regroup and come back stronger next season.”
]]>In a surprising turn of events, Dan and Austin have returned to the Better League after their fiery departure last season. Austin will take over the Arizona Cardinals and Dan will take over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dan was booted from the league in the middle of Season 20 after two games for swerve catching against Jerod’s Browns. He was promptly removed from the league and chat, causing a stir among the users. Austin, who thought the punishment was unjust, advocated for Dan’s reinstatement. When that wouldn’t happen, he left the league in solidarity with Dan.
The two users have reportedly been playing with Giants user Cody in a league named Madden Lads. However, the league would fold after two seasons, leaving Austin and Dan without a home. Cody reportedly convinced league commissioner Alex to bring the two back.
“I’m reluctantly allowing Dan and Austin to return to the league,” Alex said. “Dan is on a short leash and any further infractions will result in immediate removal. We want to have a competitive and fair league, and we hope they can contribute to that.”
Dan, who is thrilled to be back in the league, said he is honored to be given another chance.
“I’m grateful to Commissioner Alex and Cody for giving me this opportunity,” Dan said. “I’m excited to compete in this great league and prove that I belong here. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Austin, who has four Super Bowl victories in his short time in BL, vowed to add to his legacy.
“I’m happy to be back in the league and I’m ready to get to work,” Austin said. “I have a lot to prove and I’m determined to add to my legacy. I’m excited for the season to start and I can’t wait to get out on the field.”
It remains to be seen how Dan and Austin will fare in their return to the league, but their presence will surely add to the already high level of competition.
]]>The End of Season Awards Show for Better League’s Season 30 was a huge success, with Connor Rice being the standout star of the night.
Rice, who runs the Cleveland Browns, was named the Connor Rice Man of the Year, an award that was created in his honor. In an emotional acceptance speech, Rice paid tribute to his fellow members of the league, saying that it was their hard work and dedication that made the league so great.
“I’m truly humbled to receive this award,” Rice said, his eyes welling up with tears. “But I want to remind everyone here that it’s not just about me. It’s about all of us, the members of the Better League, who work so hard every day to make this the best league in the world.”
The audience was moved by Rice’s speech, and many took to social media to express their admiration for the player and his words. Justin, the organizer of the awards and co-winner of the Most Overrated award, said that the show was a huge success and that he was already looking forward to next year’s event.
“We couldn’t be happier with how the show turned out,” Justin said. “It was a great night for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”
Overall, the End of Season Awards Show was a huge success, with Connor Rice taking center stage as the Connor Rice Man of the Year. His emotional speech was a highlight of the night, and many are already looking forward to next year’s event.
]]>The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-20 in overtime in a thrilling Super Bowl 21 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
In a stunning turn of events, Buccaneers RB and League MVP Kalen Ballage fumbled the ball at the goal line with the game tied and 12 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Chargers LB Melvin Ingram was credited with the strip.
“I just saw the ball and I knew I had to go for it,” Ingram said after the game. “I knew we needed a stop and I was able to come up with the play. I’m just grateful to be able to help my team win.”
Before that, the Chargers tied the game with a Baker Mayfield TD pass to Melvin Gordon with two minutes to go.
In overtime, the Buccaneers won the coin toss and received the ball but on the second play, Tampa Bay QB Drew Lock threw an INT deep down the field to Chargers DB Damarious Randall.
“We knew we had to make a play and we were able to do that,” Randall said. “We had a great game plan and we executed it well.”
Baker Mayfield led the Chargers into field goal range but head coach Alex decided to keep the offense on the field. Melvin Gordon scored the walk-off TD from 5 yards out.
“I’m just proud of the way our guys fought,” Alex said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and it was. But our guys never gave up and they found a way to win. That’s what champions do.”
Ocho, who lost his second Super Bowl, was gracious in defeat.
“Congratulations to the Chargers,” he said. “They made the plays when it mattered and they deserved to win. We gave it our all but it wasn’t enough.”
Kalen Ballage, who fumbled the ball at the end of regulation, was devastated after the game.
“I let my team down and I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll never forget this moment and I’ll use it as motivation to come back stronger next season.”
In the end, it was the Chargers who came out on top in a classic Super Bowl matchup.
]]>I tasked Phil, Connor, Lucky, and Ben with coming up with a formula based on how far a user went in a given season. For example, Phil valued a WC exit at 1 point, DR at 3, CCG at 7, SB loss at 15, and a SB win at 40 points. These values were added over all seasons to produce a user’s overall PSR.
Other users, such as Connor, weighed each cycle differently based on his perceived difficulty. The only other model to value cycles differently was mine, and admittedly I went a little try-hard to come up with quantified cycle weights. Alas, they both accomplish the same thing.
Because everyone’s weights were different numbers, the models were hard to compare. Which is why I added my own twist called NPSR, which forces every model’s average to be 1.
Here are the five NPSR models across six cycles:
| User | Phil | Connor | Lucky | Dan | Ben |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morty | 3.933 | 3.519 | 3.972 | 3.337 | 3.744 |
| Alex | 3.040 | 2.748 | 2.936 | 2.155 | 2.957 |
| Cloud | 1.614 | 1.420 | 1.525 | 1.118 | 1.709 |
| Phil | 2.622 | 2.629 | 2.673 | 2.631 | 2.611 |
| Kiing | 1.181 | 1.539 | 1.148 | 1.113 | 1.459 |
| Connor | 1.383 | 1.606 | 1.393 | 1.734 | 1.421 |
| Kook | 0.692 | 0.742 | 0.715 | 0.488 | 0.826 |
| Chase | 1.124 | 1.339 | 1.054 | 0.911 | 1.363 |
| Austin | 6.311 | 5.596 | 6.211 | 6.661 | 5.453 |
| Cody | 3.300 | 3.534 | 3.106 | 3.980 | 3.283 |
| Justin | 0.994 | 1.316 | 1.111 | 1.014 | 1.190 |
| Dan | 3.602 | 3.530 | 3.783 | 4.109 | 3.321 |
| Ben | 2.132 | 2.240 | 2.259 | 2.126 | 2.208 |
| DuHooty | 1.398 | 1.127 | 1.318 | 1.155 | 1.210 |
| Hero | 2.046 | 2.121 | 2.014 | 3.549 | 1.786 |
| Cam | 0.144 | 0.193 | 0.132 | 0.111 | 0.192 |
| CMass | 0.893 | 1.142 | 0.979 | 1.020 | 1.037 |
| Lucky | 0.375 | 0.590 | 0.358 | 0.423 | 0.480 |
| Steel | 1.124 | 1.279 | 1.148 | 1.765 | 1.114 |
| Kumar | 0.086 | 0.156 | 0.094 | 0.099 | 0.115 |
| PTown | 0.014 | 0.033 | 0.019 | 0.024 | 0.019 |
| Fin | 0.043 | 0.067 | 0.038 | 0.071 | 0.058 |
| Warren | 0.029 | 0.067 | 0.038 | 0.047 | 0.038 |
| Monk | 0.014 | 0.033 | 0.019 | 0.024 | 0.019 |
| Bos | 0.158 | 0.211 | 0.132 | 0.154 | 0.192 |
| Little Alex | 1.340 | 1.680 | 1.393 | 2.109 | 1.517 |
| Jesse | 0.072 | 0.119 | 0.075 | 0.065 | 0.096 |
| Chap | 0.058 | 0.082 | 0.056 | 0.042 | 0.077 |
| Wohzi | 0.115 | 0.167 | 0.113 | 0.089 | 0.154 |
| Fern | 0.101 | 0.148 | 0.094 | 0.091 | 0.134 |
| Caiden | 0.072 | 0.108 | 0.075 | 0.043 | 0.096 |
| Evan | 0.202 | 0.263 | 0.188 | 0.138 | 0.250 |
| Ocho | 1.109 | 1.216 | 1.205 | 1.020 | 1.229 |
| Slander | 0.245 | 0.260 | 0.188 | 0.152 | 0.288 |
| Jerod | 0.144 | 0.185 | 0.132 | 0.089 | 0.192 |
| ShawnG | 1.181 | 0.901 | 1.205 | 0.683 | 1.190 |
| Luckychew | 0.014 | 0.026 | 0.019 | 0.010 | 0.019 |
| Matty | 0.130 | 0.200 | 0.132 | 0.105 | 0.173 |
| Samoan | 1.196 | 0.883 | 1.167 | 0.912 | 0.979 |
| Eqmazing | 0.216 | 0.208 | 0.282 | 0.196 | 0.230 |
| Beard | 0.317 | 0.330 | 0.376 | 0.299 | 0.365 |
| SMCF | 0.072 | 0.074 | 0.075 | 0.033 | 0.096 |
| Sam | 0.331 | 0.260 | 0.264 | 0.154 | 0.403 |
| Nascarnerd | 0.216 | 0.148 | 0.282 | 0.134 | 0.230 |
| TCup | 0.158 | 0.130 | 0.132 | 0.074 | 0.192 |
| CPot | 0.692 | 0.389 | 0.659 | 0.354 | 0.595 |
| Lub | 0.764 | 0.445 | 0.715 | 0.388 | 0.691 |
The first thing you notice is how far of an outlier Austin is. His PSR is basically six times the average. The true BL GOAT.
2-4 gets interesting as Morty, Cody, and myself share these spots on all models.
One thing Phil was very interested is was what he called PSR+, which is PSR divided by total seasons played. The idea was to measure how impactful a contender has been while they were in the league. To remove some outliers, we only include users that have been here 10+ seasons.
| User | Phil | Connor | Lucky | Dan | Ben |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morty | 1.897 | 1.708 | 1.898 | 1.662 | 1.786 |
| Alex | 1.589 | 1.445 | 1.520 | 1.163 | 1.528 |
| Cloud | 0.979 | 0.867 | 0.917 | 0.700 | 1.026 |
| Phil | 1.451 | 1.464 | 1.465 | 1.503 | 1.429 |
| Kiing | 0.674 | 0.883 | 0.649 | 0.655 | 0.823 |
| Connor | 0.789 | 0.921 | 0.787 | 1.021 | 0.801 |
| Kook | 0.372 | 0.401 | 0.381 | 0.271 | 0.439 |
| Chase | 0.682 | 0.817 | 0.634 | 0.571 | 0.818 |
| Austin | 4.397 | 3.923 | 4.288 | 4.792 | 3.757 |
| Cody | 2.002 | 2.158 | 1.867 | 2.494 | 1.970 |
| Justin | 0.567 | 0.755 | 0.627 | 0.597 | 0.671 |
| Dan | 2.946 | 2.905 | 3.066 | 3.471 | 2.687 |
| Ben | 1.824 | 1.927 | 1.914 | 1.878 | 1.867 |
| DuHooty | 2.390 | 1.940 | 2.233 | 2.040 | 2.046 |
| Hero | 1.750 | 1.825 | 1.706 | 3.133 | 1.510 |
| Cam | 0.097 | 0.130 | 0.088 | 0.077 | 0.128 |
| CMass | 1.050 | 1.351 | 1.140 | 1.238 | 1.206 |
| Lucky | 0.371 | 0.587 | 0.351 | 0.432 | 0.470 |
| Steel | 1.321 | 1.513 | 1.338 | 2.143 | 1.295 |
| Kumar | 0.163 | 0.295 | 0.175 | 0.193 | 0.214 |
| Bos | 0.298 | 0.400 | 0.246 | 0.299 | 0.357 |
| Little Alex | 1.939 | 2.446 | 1.997 | 3.152 | 2.171 |
| Jesse | 0.041 | 0.068 | 0.043 | 0.038 | 0.054 |
| Chap | 0.042 | 0.059 | 0.040 | 0.032 | 0.055 |
| Wohzi | 0.145 | 0.211 | 0.140 | 0.116 | 0.191 |
| Fern | 0.172 | 0.255 | 0.159 | 0.161 | 0.227 |
| Evan | 0.253 | 0.332 | 0.234 | 0.179 | 0.310 |
| Ocho | 1.897 | 2.093 | 2.041 | 1.802 | 2.078 |
| ShawnG | 1.389 | 1.066 | 1.403 | 0.830 | 1.384 |
| Luckychew | 0.025 | 0.045 | 0.032 | 0.017 | 0.032 |
| Nascarnerd | 0.370 | 0.255 | 0.478 | 0.236 | 0.390 |
| CPot | 1.183 | 0.670 | 1.116 | 0.625 | 1.007 |
| Lub | 1.437 | 0.843 | 1.333 | 0.758 | 1.286 |
And finally, here is the aggregate total of all five models. Consider this the “All-Time BCS Ranking” for playoff performance.
| User | NPSR | NPSR+ |
|---|---|---|
| Morty | 3.701 | 2.293 |
| Alex | 2.767 | 1.857 |
| Cloud | 1.477 | 1.151 |
| Phil | 2.633 | 1.871 |
| Kiing | 1.288 | 0.943 |
| Connor | 1.507 | 1.104 |
| Kook | 0.692 | 0.478 |
| Chase | 1.158 | 0.903 |
| Austin | 6.046 | 5.411 |
| Cody | 3.441 | 2.682 |
| Justin | 1.125 | 0.824 |
| Dan | 3.669 | 3.855 |
| Ben | 2.193 | 2.409 |
| DuHooty | 1.241 | 2.727 |
| Hero | 2.303 | 2.530 |
| Cam | 0.154 | 0.133 |
| CMass | 1.014 | 1.532 |
| Lucky | 0.445 | 0.566 |
| Steel | 1.286 | 1.942 |
| Kumar | 0.110 | 0.266 |
| PTown | 0.022 | 0.000 |
| Fin | 0.055 | 0.000 |
| Warren | 0.044 | 0.000 |
| Monk | 0.022 | 0.000 |
| Bos | 0.169 | 0.410 |
| Little Alex | 1.608 | 2.988 |
| Jesse | 0.085 | 0.063 |
| Chap | 0.063 | 0.059 |
| Wohzi | 0.128 | 0.206 |
| Fern | 0.114 | 0.250 |
| Caiden | 0.079 | 0.000 |
| Evan | 0.208 | 0.335 |
| Ocho | 1.156 | 2.539 |
| Slander | 0.227 | 0.000 |
| Jerod | 0.148 | 0.000 |
| ShawnG | 1.032 | 1.559 |
| Luckychew | 0.018 | 0.039 |
| Matty | 0.148 | 0.000 |
| Samoan | 1.027 | 0.000 |
| Eqmazing | 0.227 | 0.000 |
| Beard | 0.337 | 0.000 |
| SMCF | 0.070 | 0.000 |
| Sam | 0.282 | 0.000 |
| Nascarnerd | 0.202 | 0.444 |
| TCup | 0.137 | 0.000 |
| CPot | 0.538 | 1.181 |
| Lub | 0.601 | 1.451 |
As quiet as it’s kept, the first half of this game was some SLOPPY football by both sides. Ocho played just about the worst half on offense that I can remember from a Super Bowl user, and though Dan was able to do enough to secure a 3-point lead at halftime I remember thinking that if Dan was his usual self on offense he’d have been up by 17+. But oh my lord, what a second half and OT. Devonte Davidson saved the league from the ignominy of seeing Ocho’s name in the hall of champions with perhaps the greatest display of heart in BL history, and Dan clutched the fuck up to win the ‘ship. Big time users make big time plays, and Ocho was anything but.
For my money this was the highest-quality and most thrilling Super Bowl I can remember catching live (I didn’t see !ochoke until after the fact), and man oh man was that a tough way for Cmass to go out. You could see on their faces how locked-in both users were, and all it took was one slipup at the end to swing the game in Austin’s favor. I can still remember calling the game and having my heart sink to my stomach when Tua dropped back on that 3rd and 7. The Madden gods spoke to me in that moment and told me the play would end badly before he even threw the ball. Unfortunately TikTok hadn’t yet given Cmass a gamebreaking play to go to, so the INT was preordained.
LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO if !ochoke happened to me none of you would ever hear from me again. I’d delete Slack, sell my Xbox, and move to Siberia to live among the wolves. If that play happened to anyone else it would be known as some grade-A fuckery and an unfortunate way for a Super Bowl to be decided. But since it was Ocho… LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yeah man, sometimes you gotta not outthink yourself and just feed your best player with the game on the line. Who knows how much of Shawn’s OT strategy came down to nerves, but I respect the hell out of him for just pounding the rock and going with his greatest strength in clutch time. No one ever brings it up, but Phil kicking a FG on 4th and 1 with 2 min left to go up 5 was one of those decisions that allowed Shawn to hang around when you coulda gone for the kill. Justifiable given how well his defense was playing, but with the benefit of hindsight… I know some other great champions like Austin and Dan try to end the game there. Phil played it safe.
Just a quality game on both sides and a great way to kick off M21. This was pre-ability Burrow cooking up some succulent dots for the people, but the straw that stirred the drink for Cody’s offense was Joe Mixon’s 176 and 3 TD’s on the ground. Nothing super explosive, but it felt like every time Cody needed a third and short conversion or an easy 5-7 yards Mixon was able to provide. Of course, the play of the game was a CRUSHING hit stick by Vonn Bell to undo a 4th-down conversion and seal the game for Cincinnati. Bernard from the Bayou musta been siiiiiiick
A great great game that has been completely lost to the M19 gates of hell. Competitive all throughout and highly entertaining due to the two clashing playstyles, Hooty was able to win his first of two consecutive rings through his elite option offense that transcends cycles in how fun it is to watch. To me, this is the best Super Bowl by far that absolutely no one remembers other than the two participants.
As far as pure user quality over the course of the game goes, you’ll have a hard time finding any Super Bowl in league history that stacks up to this one. Little Alex was 19-0 heading into this one and coming off of a dominant win over Cody’s Rams in the NFCCG, but Steel played what I’d imagine he’d say is one of the best front-to-back Madden games of his life and matched Alex blow for blow. The difference ended up being a vicious hit stick forcing an Antonio Gibson fumble in the 4th quarter that got recovered by Gator cleat yeeter Marco Wilson (how did I miss that in the booth?!?). An incredibly-played game that came down to one or two mistakes out of Alex in the end.
This game defied expectations and inspired users around the league, as Phil was able to stay in a game that almost no one gave him a shot of winning, ultimately giving up a 2-point conversion after a 5-minute Dan pause to lose to a 20-0 Rams team. I expected a blowout, you expected a blowout, but a couple uncharacteristic Cody mistakes combined with a Phil offense that did juuuuuust enough to stay in the game led to a close one wire-to-wire. Javonte Williams tried his hardest, but the rest of the team let him down.
Unfortunately the commentary is marred a bit by my misguided attempt to call play-by-play on Cody’s stream (thank god for BLN) but what an electric game and performance outta Ben. Sometimes entire football games can come down to one or two plays, and I really think that the Beckham fumble and Dan’s failed 4th-down attempt singlehandedly swung the game in Ben’s favor. Cam Newton was not to be denied.
A strange yet highly entertaining game. Justin kept stringing long sustained drives together but settled for field goals way too often, and Morty had a pretty awful game by his M18 standards but stayed in it with the benefit of occasional chunk plays. One of those games where if you looked at just the stats with no scoreline you would’ve assumed Justin won, but football is a strange sport sometimes. No better proof for that than Justin still having yet to win a ring despite John Madden himself descending from the heavens and holding his hand through the game half the damn time.
I actually think this game was quite a bit worse than their matchup two seasons prior as a whole, but anytime the game comes down to the final play you’ll get a bump up in my rankings by default. Alex faced a 17-0 deficit at halftime with only 53 passing yards out of human cheat code Lamar Jackson, but managed to lock down defensively in the second half and give himself a chance to win on the final play. Unfortunately, as was the case all throughout the cycle, redzone offense eluded him when he needed it most, he missed the wheel, and Hero managed to win his 2nd super bowl in 3 seasons, continuing to shock the world and prove the detractors and doubters wrong.
Lotta buzz heading into this one! Two first-time Super Bowl appearances meant that we were guaranteed a new Better League Champion for the first time in five seasons, and this game delivered on all the hype. Ultimately I think Hero was able to find his identity on both sides of the ball quicker than anyone else this cycle, and his west coast offensive attack allowed him to weather any storm that came his way and grind the clock down, forcing his opponents into frustration and panic. Say what you will about the Browns roster but there’s no doubt in my mind that Hero was the best user in those playoffs.
The people need Cloud facecams back! I think this is proof positive that Morty’s a big-game player, as he went up against the undefeated Vikings and responded with one of the great passing performances in BL Super Bowl history. In an Madden devoid of abilities Tom Brady was as effective of a Madden QB as there was that cycle, and Morty capitalized on his elite accuracy with succulent dot after succulent dot. Lowkey one of the bigger upsets in BL Super Bowl history.
Just an immaculate way for Norman Fletcher to end his career after a cycle’s worth of mockery by Bernard from the Bayou and the Humble Host. While his path was certainly aided by Omaha, Dan’s ability to lock in for the entire game and get Fletcher to a 90% completion rate despite his opponent knowing how he likes to play is incredibly impressive. Some users bitched and moaned whenever they had to play Austin in, for example, conference championship games (not calling anyone specific out or anything) but Dan did what he does best and won on the biggest stage.
Even among the low low standards of M19 Better League, this was a DEAD league heading into season 18. Evan made the fucking AFCCG!!! Despite that this was a fun game, as Samoan etched his name in the history books with a fun one-possession game against Morty that no more than 5 people watched live.
THE GREATEST GAME IN BETTER LEAGUE HISTORY IDC IDC
Just a wild day for me. I thought I would be a bucket of nerves heading into this one, but I felt weirdly very calm and confident pregame and never really got hit by the Super Bowl jitters I was expecting. I just kept telling myself that if I played the way I did against Austin in the AFCCG I would win, so there was nothing to be nervous about. Might’ve also been in a food coma with all that Shake Shack I had for lunch, idk. Got off to an explosive start and a quick 24-point lead, offense stagnated after that, but that’s why you pay the 97-speed defensive demons to fly around the field. My most memorable moment from postgame was when Cmass asked Ben how it felt to have the whole league against him during the game, which remains the most disrespectful question I can remember on BLN.
Cloud was just such a machine by the end of M17 man. The only man capable of posing a consistent threat to him at that point was Shawn, and once Chase knocked him out in the wild card round Cloud’s run to the Lombardi was practically preordained. This one was competitive (if a bit sloppy) all the way through, but Mariota was too mistake-prone and Cloud was able to ride a balanced offensive attack all the way to his first ring. Look out for those Titans in the playoffs this year! No one’s talking about Cloud but he’s been as impressive as anyone in the AFC.
If crackhead energy was a Super Bowl. Some blindass, trashass, garbageass decision-making by both users in the first half led to one of the most thrilling second halves we’ve ever seen, as both users effectively scored at will, with the difference in the game coming down to a horrible Mond INT where Tremaine Edmunds ran the route for Burns. Speaking of Burns, he had the most impressive losing effort we’ve ever seen in a Better League Bowl with 10 REC, 287 yds and 3 TD. A ringless Hall of Famer.
I have no real strong takes about this game, I just want you all to go to the 11-minute mark of this highlight video and tell me what in the fuck Ben was expecting with that 4th-down playcall. A motion swing pass thrown late while Coleman was practically on the sideline and a possession catch 3 yards away from the line of gain. Like… what’s the thought process there? He did the exact same playcall against me in the following Super Bowl and suffered the same result. Ben if you read this plz explain.
The origination of !justinclutchgene, this was a fun if sloppy game where Justin had a very real chance of winning the whole way through before Rodgers fumbled the bag at the very end. I can only imagine the bridge energy Alex would’ve been on if he had not only lost a Super Bowl to Justin, but given the Packers their only Super Bowl victory in Better League lore. Fortunately, Austin Dan and Cody weren’t in the league at this point so Alex was able to make a Super Bowl run and keep Justin out of the hall.
Although you can’t say he’s the best user to have never won a ring anymore, Chase was a consistent contender through the first three cycles and change, and this represented his best chance by far to join the hall. A competitive game start to finish, Chase gave Austin hell for a while with his god-tier defensive user, but just didn’t have quite enough tricks up his sleeve on offense and Austin was able to figure his scheme out over the course of the game. Has the window shut for Chase? Only time will tell.
Zero memory of this one. ZERO. I didn’t even know who the Colts user was until Dan reached deep into his historian bag and pulled Eqmazing’s name out. Sorry Hooty!
M17 Kook was a demon, and this game was closer for much longer than the final score would indicate. It really was a defensive battle in the first half, with a couple long chunk plays sprinkled among 3-and-outs, but a 66-yard Zach Miller TD heading into halftime gave Alex a 21-14 lead that he would never relinquish. The game was up for grabs until early in the 4th quarter when the Colts offense blinked with a couple turnovers and Alex was able to clinch his first Lombardi.
What won this game for Phil ultimately was a combination of his god squad secondary and a very locked in defensive user performance making Trubisky’s life a living hell. It became very clear early on in the game that Phil had a bead on what Alex’s preferred route combos were, and though Alex was able to piecemeal a couple drives together it ultimately wasn’t enough. This is the first time I can remember being really surprised by a Super Bowl result. Alex had just ran through myself, Chase and Cody with ease and seemed to be the decisive favorite heading into the game. Alas, Phil was Alex’s father on this day and remains his father until proven otherwise.
Literally my only memory of NascarNerd is that he told me he liked my podcasts once, so I have no choice but to rank him among the all-time great men to grace this league. This is one of those old games where I wish a highlight video existed, cause this was a back-and-forth battle all the way through. SB4 started a stretch of thrilling Super Bowls that I would say didn’t end until SB9 when Phil handled Beard comfortably. Very few snoozefests in BL Super Bowl history!
Austin’s second Super Bowl ring came in impressive fashion, able to consistently drive and score against an Ocho Raiders team that had clamped the fuck up all throughout the regular season and playoffs. As much as I hate to give !ochoke any sort of credit the fact is that Raiders team was a machine, earning the 1 seed in the AFC and completely locking up Shawn and Phil in the road to the bowl. Despite that Austin handled this game all throughout, showing why he’s a nine-time champ and Ocho remains ringless in more ways than one.
This game to me was less Cmass doing anything to throw the game away and more Austin proving that he was on his own tier of excellence at that point in the cycle (though Dan would have something to say about that the following season). Gator Great Matthew Davis was not to be denied, and the turning point of the game was when Cmass threw a horrible INT to Kyle Dugger down 10 on Austin’s goalline near the end of the 3rd quarter. With a TD there, it’s a one-possession game and you never know how things break out.
Can I pretend to have a strong memory about this game? Sure can’t. What I can tell you is that at his best Lub was incredibly frustrating to play against, an underrated defensive user who was sort of Chase before Chase, causing havoc with his LB’s and making you question yourself constantly. Shawn was able to win his ring three seasons later, but in this one he had no answer offensively for what Lub was doing.10
I can’t rate any Super Bowl too highly that ends in a disconnect, but this was a fun game with a lot of twists and turns despite the decisive final score. I’d like to direct your attention to the 2:20 mark of this highlight video where Dan gets a SUUUUUUUPER lucky break to tie the game up at 24. In other Maddens that’s a throw out of sack and possible pick-6. Instead, Austin got mossed and the Jaguars never looked back. One of the forgotten plays that changed the history of the league.
Couldn’t watch the game at the time, zero recollection of it, I just bring this up to give props to Kiing’s lockdown defense leading up to the Super Bowl. In the three playoff games before SB VIII he gave up 7 to Caiden’s Raiders, 7 to Phil’s Broncos and 14 to Morty’s Patriots. A very impressive playoff run that ran up against the GOAT’s first-ever Super Bowl birth. Tough matchup.
Just absolute clamps by Phil’s secondary, which I still believe is the greatest pass defense ever assembled in the BL. Phil wasn’t particularly explosive in this game but he didn’t have to be, as Beard struggled mightily to get anything going until the game was effectively over. Not one of the more memorable Super Bowls we’ve had, but this game was a great example of Phil’s teambuilding skill coming through for him on the biggest stages.
Maaaaaaaan thank God for Saracco Moscato and Trulys. Cody and I mighta fallen asleep by halftime otherwise comming this snoozefest. Apparently watching this game back I was defending Steel and saying he was playing decently? That dessert wine must’ve had me fucked up. I’ll still remember this game most for Justin’s egregious comment that he would’ve made the Super Bowl if he played in the NFC, which might’ve been the worst take he’s ever given (and that’s a LONG list to choose from).
This game is most notable not for the gameplay itself, but for the fact that Cody was able to finally break through and win a ring after a long series of near-misses. Cody was a perennial contender as soon as he joined the league, but a combination of bad breaks and chokes on the big stages left him ringless until he finally threw the monkey off his back in decisive fashion against Dan. The game was a bit more competitive than the final score would indicate but make no mistake about it; Cody was the best user that day and that season.
A competitive first 15 minutes gave way to a snoozefest in the 2nd half, as I self-immolated with mistake after mistake under the weight of Hero’s ultra-efficient offense and Hero ran away to what ended up being the third-widest margin of victory in BL Super Bowl history. It was a classic M22 “whoever makes the first mistake is in deep trouble” type of game, and under the stress of a multi-possession deficit and Chubb having freight train activated I panicked and started chucking the ball deep, playing into Hero’s hands. Just not a great game out of me, though Hero didn’t get stopped on offense at any point until well into garbage time.
Fuck Matty. He doesn’t deserve a writeup.
It’s hard to blame Ben for this result. After the great Ocho Scandal of M20 Ben took over and went on what was, given the situation, a pretty surprising run to the Super Bowl before ultimately losing out in a noncompetitive game to Dan’s Jacksonville dynasty. Ben woulda needed a bad performance out of Dan to stay in this one, but with the exception of one ill-advised deep shot early in the 2nd quarter Dan was locked in. Can’t expect anyone to take over a new roster and immediately win a Super Bowl with it.
Still the most lopsided Super Bowl we’ve ever had. Cody had just gotten finished giving up 10 COMBINED points in three playoff games against Dwaters, Anthology and Austin before running into an absolute buzzsaw. I suspect the scoreline might’ve looked different if Cody hadn’t just played other playoff games right beforehand, but Morty was a machine and I’m not sure anyone would’ve beaten him in this SB. This game helped cement Morty as the greatest user of the first two cycles.
It’s for the best that this game has been lost to the sands of time. Cpot was trash, this game was trash, and any time Morty loses a big game it gives me clinical depression. I can’t remember a single notable detail from this one and we’re all better off for it.
The most illegitimate Better League ring there’s ever been full stop. Beat the CPU Saints in the WC. Dogwalked undefeated Jerod (who played like two games all season) in the divisional round. Held Justin’s trashass to 8 points in the NFCCG. Finally, in the Super Bowl, did whatever he wanted to Ben in a 3-possession game that was somehow less competitive than the score makes it look. The worst season in Better League history.
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