Beat the Guru: AFL Conference Finals

Adam Markowitz
Thursday July 10, 2008

Big players step it up in big games.  There’s just no denying the fact that the word “clutch” exists in sports.  I’ve been known to toot my own horn from time to time, but after correctly predicting the American Conference title game between Grand Rapids and San Jose and going 7-1 in the Divisional round of the playoffs (and a perfect 4-0 on sides), I think there’s room somewhere in my egotistical user name to fit “clutch.”  Call me the ClutchGuru!

As for the other “Guru” in this competition, our dear friend Scott Lange from ArenaFootballOnline posted a measly 2-2 mark, leaving him two games behind me with just three games left on the season.  Hey, just admit it “Gu…” You’re Craig Ehlo, you’re Phil Mickelson, and you’re Tim Wakefield.  I’m Michael Jordan, I’m Tiger Woods, and I’m Aaron “F’ng” Boone.  I’m set to bank in the game winning jump shot for the NBA title, ready to nail the 20-foot putt to win the Masters, and all ready to blast the game-winning home run in extra innings to put my team in the World Series.  There’s no shame in being second-best though!  All kidding aside, be sure to check out Scott’s analysis on the rest of the playoff action over at AFO.

Of course, with my luck, the final results will be under review, and the Philadelphia Soul will beat us both out for the title of the real “AFL Guru.”

Anyhow, instant replay aside, here’s how we look going into the last three games of the 2008 AFL season…

Beat the Guru Playoff Standings

AFLGuru: 11-5 (18 points)

Chrisncory: 11-5 (18 points)

Rush43: 10-6 (16 points)

Es46ne10: 8-8 (13 points)

SJ’Cats DHF: 8-8 (13 points)

AFLJunkie: 7-9 (12 points)

EKUVolley: 8-8 (11 points)

RGiorgi: 6-10 (11 points)

PhillySoul04: 6-10 (10 points)

Magic 8-Ball: 3-13 (3 points)

After going a perfect 0-8 in the Divisional round of the playoffs, the 8-Ball is going to get a series of questions that will produce an exact final score for these last three games of the season.

Remember that this week, the game values double, and will do so for each round through the ArenaBowl, so make your last three games of the season all count!

Disclaimer: This information should be used for entertainment purposes only.  Should you choose to actually lay real money on these games, that’s purely your choice, and neither I nor ArenaFan are responsible.  All lines are courtesy of Olympic Sports as of Wednesday evening.

Cleveland Gladiators (+6.5) @ Philadelphia Soul, Over/Under 115.5: I’m pretty sure that everyone knows that this game should dang well be Cleveland vs. New York, but that’s neither here nor there.  I’ll say one little bit on this, then let it go.

Shame on the AFL.  Shame on back judge James Cole and shame on referee Bill Athan.  There’s absolutely no way that Larry Brackins reached the end zone before the ball crossed the goalline and even more absolutely no way that the clock should have reached 0:00.  Either Brackins was in and the clock should’ve stopped somewhere in the vicinity of 0:01 (which still would’ve been wrong, but at least it was less wrong), Brackins was down by contact and the clock should have stopped around 0:01 (which was probably the correct call) or Brackins fumbled, recovered by New York with time expiring (also possibly correct).  And then worse, the AFL comes out and supports the call with some BS explanation earlier this week.  Whatever.

You all know me.  My logic has always been if it looks fishy and smells fishy, it’s probably fishy.  I quoted ESPN’s Erik Kuselias earlier this year, and I’ll do so again here.  I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

So regardless, here we are with exactly what the AFL wanted in the National Conference: Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul against Bernie Kosar’s Gladiators.  Two big-ticket owners fighting it out to join the party in New Orleans later this month.

Well, at least one of these teams truly earned their way into this spot.  The Glads really played a strong game in Georgia to knock out the Force, and really been the most impressive team in the National Conference for the past month or so.  Raymond Philyaw has been outstanding in this postseason, and he really could pull off a couple more upsets and bring the first championship to the city of Cleveland in approximately 538 years.

Guru’s Pick: Cleveland 66 – Philadelphia 6….

Wait, wait, wait… Here comes a zebra…

“Upon further review, the ruling on the field has been reversed.”

*Sigh* Fine.  I think we all see this one coming.

Guru’s Pick: Philadelphia 63 – Cleveland 60 (Cleveland and the over)

8-Ball’s Pick: Cleveland 83 – Philadelphia 44 (Cleveland and the over)

Grand Rapids Rampage (+6.5) @ San Jose SaberCats, Over/Under 119.5: See, Chicago fans.  I warned you!  The Grand Rapids Rampage are for real and are taking the AFL by storm.  This isn’t a one-year wonder either.  The Rampage should be on the map for as long as James MacPherson and Steve Thonn are together, but they may never get a chance like this again.

We, the media, love making comparisons, especially when they are sweetheart stories.  This is basically the perfect storm.  Grand Rapids is the smallest market in the AFL with a whole bunch of guys that nobody’s ever heard of before.  They’ve been the loveable losers of the league for the better part of the last decade, and even though they do have a title to their credit from the Clint Dolezel days, they aren’t exactly what your franchise should strive to be.

Hmm… sounds a lot like the 2007 Columbus Destroyers!  I’m not one to conform to the masses easily, but it’s a pretty good comparison.

Here’s the main difference, though.  The team on the other sideline isn’t known for their choking.  Last year, Columbus knocked out Dallas, the biggest choke artists of them all, to tab them Cinderella.  Then they went into Atlanta and knocked out the Force.  Much like Cleveland, though, the city of Atlanta has only won one championship since approximately the Stone Age, and that was thanks to the city of Cleveland!

These aren’t the proven losers in Dallas or Georgia.  The SaberCats are winners, and nobody has won more playoff games since 2000 than Mark Grieb and the Kitties.

There’s one good comparison that can be drawn between the 2008 Rampage and the 2007 Destroyers though.  They’re both getting knocked out by San Jose.

Guru’s Pick: San Jose 66 – Grand Rapids 50 (San Jose and the under)

8-Ball’s Pick: San Jose 87 – Grand Rapids 45 (San Jose and the over)

Make Your Picks

Watch for the thread in the ArenaFan message boards for your chance to Beat the Guru!