It had been a pleasant off-season, and ramping up to the preseason, Joe Mancuso, (Jo-T.B.), was really flexing his muscles in the league. Through Fred Hight, he called on the commish to have a meeting with him at Thurston's Bowling Lanes (Frankfort) to discuss ideas he had for the coming year. As Joe awkwardly sat across the table, he laid out his plan for a "two-player" protection policy that sought to upgrade the current one-player format. The commish immediately emphasized that this particular league had no intention of becoming a dynasty model. There was also going to be a rule instated that limited all protected players to a three-year maximum contract. The league wanted to breed a sense of franchise uniqueness without moving toward a domination of talent upon teams, especially with the recent trend of bottom feeders impulse-quitting. Rookies would have no incentive to join the league knowing they were already down twenty untouchable players.
The commish also wondered if the plaque was a suitable prize, since it was less personable than an actual trophy. Joe affirmed that a rotating plaque was a good idea since trophies just "sit there collecting dust on the shelf."

Joe Mancuso also suggested that he host this year's DraftDay at his house. He had two kegs of beer in his open garage and a pool where all the owners could enjoy themselves. The commish thought this was a great idea and a definite upgrade now that the promise of cool entertainment was involved. When all the owners collected there for the opening of the third season, things seemed off-kilter: Joe had problems getting the pool suitable (it looked rather dirty), Fred Hight had a difficult time focusing on the incoming draft picks, and there was an awkward tension in the air (more noticeable than in previous DraftDays.)
Joe found two new owners that he figured might fit right in with the league. The Freight Trains was a franchise run by a co-worker named Bernie Decker. He was a soft-spoken family man who lived in Mohawk, NY. The Bulldogs was a personal friend of Joe. By the looks of it, this guy seemed unsure of his role in fantasy football (as if Joe talked him into thinking that this was a good idea.)

It was more obvious that the league's perennial losing owners were not very savvy and were quitting because they lacked the tenacity to improve themselves. The Commish had to dig deep and find fresh blood from all of his walks of life. From an ice cream truck driving job, he got the owner of Scoops, Jack Jesmer, to sign on as the Sea Lions. In Alan's many drives through the Rochester community, a repeat customer named Mike Pitt was convinced to join the league because of his love for the Buffalo Bills. Mike named himself The Fog based on his favorite horror movie and admitted that he had no idea how to foster a fantasy lineup. He insisted that he wanted Thurman Thomas (a RB ranked # 27) with his first overall pick. Of course, the commish was always available to help these rookies who didn't want to do their due diligence.

Jo-T.B. was putting together a season to remember as his point production and All-Play record were off the charts. The Nightshade and X-Men were also reinventing themselves by smashing their own personal team records in multiple statistical arenas. The Renegades, who were a struggling franchise at best, cemented their name in league history by having the best WR score ever recorded in a game (47).

As Halloween approached, Joe Mancuso set the standard but the Fornino's Jets were also hanging in the mix; (those in the know understood never to discount them.) The Sea Lions were making a strong bid for Rookie Of The Year despite Jack's infatuation with Jerome Bettis. The Slicks were not their usual powerhouse selves, however. They remained in the conversation for a third playoff appearance, but were largely overshadowed.

As predicted silently by the commish, The Fog quit the league after only two weeks. They went on to post the 2nd Worst Record in league history! Much future thought was put into analyzing if a Ghost team was more valuable than a piss-poor owner occupying a coveted slot. Not three weeks later, the Bulldogs followed suit. The Commish lifted the ban on "owner control of two teams," allowing Joe to take the helm of the orphan. This was granted because a lame duck team corrupting the integrity of the league was vital to avoid.
Remember I discussed the Renegades shining moment back in Week # 2? Apparently, John was used to losing and decided to make this his master thesis. Not only did he spit out the Top Two Worst games ever played, but for the 2nd time in league history, a team posted two of the Top Ten worst games ever played in the same season!
The Rogues also continued their putrescence by posting the 6th Worst Record ever seen in this league.

Three teams from the 1998-99 seasons Nightshade, Jo-T.B., and Slicks made their third playoff appearance! The X-Men was the lone holdout that broke the three-peat chances of the Fornino's Jets by entering the postseason for the first time. Dave's "marvel"ous attention to the waiver wire really helped him smash through the wall into prominence.
Tom LaPorte's entrance into the playoffs may have seemed chalk, but there was a clear sense of stagnation in the coaching department mid-year, though he spun his tires well when it counted. Jo-T.B. finally put an end to the dynasty that was the Fornino's Jets by defeating Nightshade in FantasyBowl III.

Joe Mancuso was the first owner to win Manager OF The Year unanimously and earn the Five Star Crown Title, a statistical juggernaut that takes into account the champion of the league with dominance of wins, points, power rank, and owner voting. In his victory speech, he made a call to all owners to "raise their game," essentially sick of the shitty people turnstiling our league.

As foretold, Fred Hight gave up managerial control of the Fornino's Jets and retired in 2000 permanently. John Fornino found no replacement after a quick search among his family, making this franchise the first ever to retire from the league on heroic terms.

ONCE UPON A TIME...
1998	1999