The Team of Destiny:
Do you believe in destiny? In the theory that our lives are pre-ordained and that we are at the mercy of the Fates? While some people are full-on believers, there are others who only believe that some aspects of life are fated, while others are left open ended. Why am I rambling about fate and destiny on a task for a football league? Well, to those that believe in such philosophical ideologies, the concept of a “Team of Destiny” is very familiar.
For those who are not so familiar, a Team of Destiny is a team that is steeped in hardships. On paper, they are sure to fail. They lack the perceived talent, and strategical acumen to even be a playoff contender. Yet somehow, the beat all the odds, defy all the laws of logic and reason, and manage to win it all. They are the ultimate dark-horse. There isn’t a team like this every year, but usually there is a squad that can fit the description. However, few teams that fit that description actually manage to go all the way.
This season, in my totally accurate season predictions, I had San Jose with a record of 4-12, with wins vs Honolulu, Sarasota, Baltimore, and Austin (all while at home). Let’s look at how it actually played out:
W1: A miraculous 27-20 win over the Austin Copperheads in Austin
W2: A thumping win over Orange County in San Jose (24-14).
W3: A surprise loss at home to the Honolulu Hahalua, 40-37
W4: A 27-20 loss to the Arizona Outlaws in Arizona
W5: A massive win in New Orleans (17-14)
W6: A big 20-17 against the Philadelphia Liberty to bring them to 3-2 on the season.
W7: A tough loss against the Chicago Butchers in Chicago (10-3)
W8: A visit from the Sarasota Sailfish results in a nail-biting loss, 20-17
W9: A dominating performance over the Baltimore Hawks while at home in San Jose (33-16)
W10: An upset of massive proportions in Yellowknife, as the Sabrecats run away with a 28-3 win
W11: A loss on the road to the Colorado Yeti, who at this team are looking like strong favourites to win it all.
W12: A win at home against the Austin Copperheads give then the crucial series victory against them within the conference. At this point, the SaberCats are 7-5 in a very tight conference race. This win was crucial to their chances at the playoffs
W13: Following their big win was a loss at Orange County. Having won against the Otters in W2 mean the teams split their head-to-head meetings. Something that gets to mean more and more as the ASFC continues to dissolve into mosh-pit of teams vying for playoff spots.
W14: This one was a crucial loss against the Honolulu Hahalua. By this time, the Hahalua were pretty well resolved that they were good enough to compete for a playoff spot, but not good enough to win. Nonetheless, they were able to hand another loss to the team of destiny, who were now looking like the team of status quos.
W15: At 7-7, this game was absolutely vital for the SabreCats’ playoff chances. They would pull out a win against the Outlaw, 21-13, to advance to 8-7.
W16: This was perhaps the most important game in the SaberCats, and it came when most teams were wrapping up their season and resting players headed into the playoffs. This is the game where the Team of Destiny was solidified. Down 23-14 in the 4th quarter, with the playoffs on the line, the SabreCats pulled off a 10 point comeback to beat out the New Orleans Second Line, and secure a playoff berth for the franchise. However, as it would turn out, due to their win against NOLA in W5, the SabreCats not only owned the head-to-head against 2 ASFC teams, they owned the best conference record, making them the best out of 4 teams to end their record at 9-7. The innocuous SabreCats had gone from not making playoffs, to regular season conference winners, and earning a Quarter-Finals bye.
Semi Finals: Despite having home field advantage, the SabreCats faced a tremendous uphill battle to get their ring, represented in the pundits giving him a +900 (10%) chance win it all. Against Orange County, it is my estimation that their win percentage was somewhere around 37%-42%. Miraculously, they didn’t just beat the Otters – they crushed them in a convincing 3-17 win. It was there and then that I knew no matter how well the Yeti tested, we were screwed. This was the Team of Destiny.
Finals: This is a spot I know too well. Having been on the Yeti team that we’re the team of Destiny all but two seasons ago, it was odd to have the situation reversed on us. We were heavy favourites coming into the game. Heavy favourites. I had tested around 90%, but I put us closer to 85%. With less than 15% chance, the SaberCats did what they have done all season. They got out there in the face of all odds, and absolutely ran the field winning the S24 Ultimus.
Congratulations to the Sabercats. Every now and then, Destiny favours the less fortunate to give tales to tell for ages. Although it won’t ever be as infamous as the 3-21, this is a loss (and a win) that I will remember for a long time.
Do you believe in destiny? In the theory that our lives are pre-ordained and that we are at the mercy of the Fates? While some people are full-on believers, there are others who only believe that some aspects of life are fated, while others are left open ended. Why am I rambling about fate and destiny on a task for a football league? Well, to those that believe in such philosophical ideologies, the concept of a “Team of Destiny” is very familiar.
For those who are not so familiar, a Team of Destiny is a team that is steeped in hardships. On paper, they are sure to fail. They lack the perceived talent, and strategical acumen to even be a playoff contender. Yet somehow, the beat all the odds, defy all the laws of logic and reason, and manage to win it all. They are the ultimate dark-horse. There isn’t a team like this every year, but usually there is a squad that can fit the description. However, few teams that fit that description actually manage to go all the way.
This season, in my totally accurate season predictions, I had San Jose with a record of 4-12, with wins vs Honolulu, Sarasota, Baltimore, and Austin (all while at home). Let’s look at how it actually played out:
W1: A miraculous 27-20 win over the Austin Copperheads in Austin
W2: A thumping win over Orange County in San Jose (24-14).
W3: A surprise loss at home to the Honolulu Hahalua, 40-37
W4: A 27-20 loss to the Arizona Outlaws in Arizona
W5: A massive win in New Orleans (17-14)
W6: A big 20-17 against the Philadelphia Liberty to bring them to 3-2 on the season.
W7: A tough loss against the Chicago Butchers in Chicago (10-3)
W8: A visit from the Sarasota Sailfish results in a nail-biting loss, 20-17
W9: A dominating performance over the Baltimore Hawks while at home in San Jose (33-16)
W10: An upset of massive proportions in Yellowknife, as the Sabrecats run away with a 28-3 win
W11: A loss on the road to the Colorado Yeti, who at this team are looking like strong favourites to win it all.
W12: A win at home against the Austin Copperheads give then the crucial series victory against them within the conference. At this point, the SaberCats are 7-5 in a very tight conference race. This win was crucial to their chances at the playoffs
W13: Following their big win was a loss at Orange County. Having won against the Otters in W2 mean the teams split their head-to-head meetings. Something that gets to mean more and more as the ASFC continues to dissolve into mosh-pit of teams vying for playoff spots.
W14: This one was a crucial loss against the Honolulu Hahalua. By this time, the Hahalua were pretty well resolved that they were good enough to compete for a playoff spot, but not good enough to win. Nonetheless, they were able to hand another loss to the team of destiny, who were now looking like the team of status quos.
W15: At 7-7, this game was absolutely vital for the SabreCats’ playoff chances. They would pull out a win against the Outlaw, 21-13, to advance to 8-7.
W16: This was perhaps the most important game in the SaberCats, and it came when most teams were wrapping up their season and resting players headed into the playoffs. This is the game where the Team of Destiny was solidified. Down 23-14 in the 4th quarter, with the playoffs on the line, the SabreCats pulled off a 10 point comeback to beat out the New Orleans Second Line, and secure a playoff berth for the franchise. However, as it would turn out, due to their win against NOLA in W5, the SabreCats not only owned the head-to-head against 2 ASFC teams, they owned the best conference record, making them the best out of 4 teams to end their record at 9-7. The innocuous SabreCats had gone from not making playoffs, to regular season conference winners, and earning a Quarter-Finals bye.
Semi Finals: Despite having home field advantage, the SabreCats faced a tremendous uphill battle to get their ring, represented in the pundits giving him a +900 (10%) chance win it all. Against Orange County, it is my estimation that their win percentage was somewhere around 37%-42%. Miraculously, they didn’t just beat the Otters – they crushed them in a convincing 3-17 win. It was there and then that I knew no matter how well the Yeti tested, we were screwed. This was the Team of Destiny.
Finals: This is a spot I know too well. Having been on the Yeti team that we’re the team of Destiny all but two seasons ago, it was odd to have the situation reversed on us. We were heavy favourites coming into the game. Heavy favourites. I had tested around 90%, but I put us closer to 85%. With less than 15% chance, the SaberCats did what they have done all season. They got out there in the face of all odds, and absolutely ran the field winning the S24 Ultimus.
Congratulations to the Sabercats. Every now and then, Destiny favours the less fortunate to give tales to tell for ages. Although it won’t ever be as infamous as the 3-21, this is a loss (and a win) that I will remember for a long time.
Code:
906 Words
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