Drama.

Put a bunch of grown men on a field and tell them to go hit each other, and eventually tempers will flare and a bench-clearing (I hesitate to say brawl, since with the exception of a couple of people it was mostly pushing) shoving match will ensue. This was the scene last Friday night during the 5 Stars / Tri-State Falcons game. I will not assign blame, nor will I take sides, as this is at least a psuedo-journalistic endeavor, and in this capacity I am acting as a league representative, not a player.
I try to stay away from controversial topics in this column, but I feel that I have a responsibility to try to let everyone know the direction in which our sport is heading. Hopefully, together, we can make a difference.

First, there is NO PLACE for fighting in this game. None. I understand that sometimes instinct might take over, and a player may start swinging as a result of what he feels was inappropriate contact. There will always be players who play the game on-the-edge, often resulting in hits which may be illegal. This is where we must depend on our game officials. Don't take matters into your own hands. Alert the officials to the player in question, and let them take care of the problem. You can get mad, it's OK. Scream a little (no profanity, or TC will toss you!), but whatever you do, DON'T RETALIATE.

Second, when you're on the field, you have responsibilities. Not only to yourself, but to everyone else on the field with you. Yes, to be successful, you have to play as hard as you can. But don't let your desire to win override your sense of decency and sportsmanship. In the end, this is just a game. If you can't handle losing a game, then you shouldn't be playing. All players want to be treated with respect. If you want others to respect you, then play a clean game. A player who displays good sportsmanship and plays a clean game will earn far more respect than will a thug.

Third, everyone has to keep his ego in check. More often than not, a fight is started by a player taunting another player after a big hit or big play. Celebrate your accomplishments, absolutely; but never make it personal. You just made the most spectacluar hit ever in a flag football game...WOO HOO! Guess what? You're still just another flag football player. You're not Terrell Owens or Warren Sapp. Get over yourself.

Finally, (and coaches, pay attention to this one), if an altercation is taking place on the field, never leave the sideline to join in the fray. I don't care if 30 guys from the other side run onto the field. If you want to make a bad situation worse, sprint towards a goup of guys trying to break up a fight. Most of you probably know the story of Rudy Tomjanavich and Kermit Washington, and how Kermit almost killed Rudy one night in an NBA game when Rudy came running up behind Kermit to intervene in a fight. Sensing someone behind him, Kermit turned and swung, caving in Rudy's face. Just like Rudy, you may have the best intentions, but in the end you're only going to make things worse. The reason I want coaches to take note of this suggestion is that it's not just a suggestion, IT'S A RULE. Fighting on the field will lead to player suspensions and fines. Clearing the bench leads to game forfeitures and much higher team fines. As a coach, it's your job to keep your players in check.

I guess I'm done with my rant for now. If you want more evidence of how things in flag football are getting out-of-hand, check out the USFTL message board (http://members5.boardhost.com/USFTL) and read the posts about the guy in the Cleveland tournament going after other players with his knee brace.
Fellas, we've got to keep things in check.

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what the resulting penaties are follwing the 5 Stars/Falcons tiff. Here goes:
5 Stars - Forfeit game vs. Falcons (5/23), forfeit final game of the season vs. Flossin' (6/6), and undisclosed team fine.
Falcons - Forfeit game vs. 5 Stars (5/23), forfeit final game of the season vs. Cowboys (6/6), and undisclosed team fine.
I'll highlight how these forfeitures affect the standings later in the column.

Games of the Week Results

8 on 8 Indoor
5 Stars vs. Tri-State Falcons - As stated above, this game ended in a double-forfeit due to fighting.

Standings
CXFFL 4 on 4
The 4 on 4 league gets top billing this week, as the league tournament was held on Sunday night. Surprise! Well, actually this isn't a surprise at all. The 5 Stars took their second consecutive 4 on 4 title handily, defeating the Cowboys in the championship game. What can you say about a team that hasn't lost a regular or post-season game in two seasons? I'm not sure if they qualify as a dynasty just yet; I think a 3-peat is required to earn that distinction.

8 on 8 outdoor
Still the same as last week, due to taking the Memorial Day weekend off. This is the big week, however, with the league playoffs being held this Saturday. Look in the Games of the Week for the first-round playoff matchups. North Conference
1) Run 'n Gun 2-1(4-3) 2) Rapid Fire 2-1(5-2) 3) Patriots 2-1(3-4) 4) Warriors 0-3(0-7).
South Conference
1) Cincy Tigers 3-0(6-1) 2) Team Cincinnati / Vikings 2-1(5-2) 3) Cowboys 1-2(4-3) 4) Bengals 0-3(1-6)

8 on 8 indoor
Well, the 5 Stars chances for an undefeated 8 on 8 season were shattered during the on-field melee late in the second half of their game against the Tri-State Falcons. Unfortunately for the other teams in the league, even being forced to forfeit their final 2 games, 5 Stars will finish the regular season at 5-2 and in first place. The Cowboys will finish in second place at 5-2, as they were to play the Falcons in the final week. Flossin' will move into third place at 3-4, as they were to play 5 Stars this week, and the Falcons will finish in fourth place at 3-4. If the Lobos win their game against the Titans, they will also finish 3-4, but since the Falcons beat them in their only meeting of the season, the tie goes to the Falcons. Thus, the Lobos will finish in fifth place, and the Titans will finish in sixth. It's not very often that the final standings of a league are set in stone before the final games are played.

Games of the Week
8 on 8 Outdoor
The season has come down to this final weekend. A single-elimination tournament will determine the league champion. When it's tournament time, every game is a game of the week. With that being said, here are the matchups:
#2 Rapid Fire vs. #3 Patriots - 9:00 AM - North Conference Semi-Final - This is one of the longest-standing rivalries in the CFFL. The Patriots have never beaten Rapid Fire. Do the odds favor the Patriots? Will the football gods smile on Rapid Fire? No one knows. The winner of this game will be rewarded with the opportunity to play Run 'n Gun in the North Conference finals.
#2 Vikings vs. #3 Cowboys - 10:00 AM - South Conference Semi-Final - The Cowboys are sure to still be stinging from their loss in the final regular season game at the hands of the Vikings. Look for a heated battle in this game, as neither of these teams will go away quietly. The winner gets a shot at the Cincy Tigers in the South Conference finals. 8 on 8 Indoor
No games this week

That's it for this week. Be sure to check back next week and find out who won the 8 on 8 outdoor championship.

Until next time, keep your flags on!