Dogs, Armos, Nauts & G-Men advance
WATSON,
AL - The familiar saying "barn
burner" has its roots in politics,
but today it is most often used to describe a sporting event, or some
other contest, such as a political race, that creates a great deal of
excitement. Usually a barn burner's outcome comes down to the very end
of the contest. Thus was the case with the first round of the Big Daddy
Championship Series (BDCS) this season where three of the four BDCS
games were barn burners. The original "Barnburners" were one of two
competing factions in the New York Democratic Party in the mid-19th
century. The other fraction being the more conservative "Hunkers" who
were more interested in their hunk of the political spoils than the
radicial Barnburners. The name alluded to an old tale of a Dutchman who
got rid of his rats by burning down his barns thus creating a lot of
talk and excitement in the community. The original political Barnburners
were so determined to get rid of the systemic abuses that they were
willing to destroy the system itself. Even though the saying is from the
mid-1800s, its first use to describe an exciting game comes in 1934 in
the Omaha World-Herald to describe a hotly contested game of
bridge. Before this 20th century use, "barn burner" had a very specific
meaning in U.S. politics. It has long been thought that the New Yorkers
were the originators of the term, but recent findings show the term
began slightly earlier to describe radicals in Pennsylvania.
Nonetheless, we had one instant classic barn burner (Grenadiers 45 -
Bullets 40) and two other hotly contested match-ups to jumpstart the
BDFL's elite post-season in round one of the BDCS. Hopefully, there will
be even more fireworks and subsequent barn burners in the weeks to come
in the BDFL.
My Town by the Michael Stanley Band (1983)
Final Scores
DOR
DOG
22
31
FRE
ARM
23
39
BUL
GRE
40
45
JUG
BLZ
34
24
BD
SM
13
19
GAM
CHE
18
17
WIL
MAY
25
27
PS
BEL
17
18
Complete 2019 BDFL scoring data from the Aladdin Scoring System (@$$)
Fan feedback for playing in Week 17
BELIEVELAND -
The BDFL has always been a big proponent of playing the Big Daddy Bowl
for the league's championship in Week 17. If the NFL goes to 18 weeks as
Iron Hand predicts, the BDFL will do the same. TheBDFL.com
posted an article on this subject last week on Iron Hand's page
entitled, The importance of playing in Week
17 and found some kindred comments out there
in cyberspace that deserved to be published. Here is
our vindication...
Greg B. (Culver City, CA) If the NFL plays, we play. We have played in Week 17 for 25 years and because of benchings, it has not cheated anyone ever. It's no different than trying to figure out injury reports or which RB the Patriots will start, or will A.J. Green hurt his arm, or does poor pitiful LeVeon Bell have a upset tummy, or back spasm, etc.
Burl W. (Santa Rosa, CA) Only once in our 20 years has Week 17 affected a team's finish and it was from 3rd to 2nd, but never 1st place, not once.
Terry M. (New Market, MN) Don't waste football. Period. Week 17 is actually a good thing for active and talented owners who pay attention. Week 17 next to Week 1, is where hard work can actually give you some edge against luck.
Andy M. (Elko, MN) Sensible leagues make every week count. Every team should play every week, regardless. Every week counts, so enjoy them all. You want playoffs and a final "Super Bowl" do it across the entire NFL season with seeding based on the regular season finish. That keeps everyone trying all year long.
Kevin S. (Cypress, TX) Those who end their league in a week other than Week 17 are nuts. We've been at it since 1986. We play every week that the NFL plays, and our championship is in Week 17. The majority of upsets have occurred in our semifinals (Week 16), rather than in our final "Bowl Week." Any lucky dog can win a Week 16 game, but it takes some cajones to put together a winner in Week 17. What do you girls do in cases like Week 10 this year when six of the 32 teams are on a bye? You do your homework, use your smarts, plan ahead and have some talent lined up to go out and win.
W1-Pronounced W2-Twilight Zone W3-Dog Days W4-Waxahachie W5-Silver Wings W6-High Life
W7-Under Dogs W8-More Bellcow W9-Blitzkrieg Bop W10-Bad to the Bone W11-The Jugular