Here they come, spinning out of the turn

Mar 5, 2001... Young Bill Krieger

Factoid of the Momento

The NIBL page is updated 43% faster on weeks when Aruba wins

QOD

"I remember you guys"

- Young lady at a recent charity in Ottawa Illinois to Don Fenton and Young Bill Krieger

Note Taker

Well, Bill "Scammer" Sullivan has broken my ingenious (ha ha) NIBL Note "Tag" (tm) system. Oh well. Bill, why don't you write me some NIBL Notes about not writing NIBL Notes. Oh well... again.

Thanks to Moz for the spontaneous notes. We still need to hear this year from Nantucket Jack, the Walla Walla boys, and Joliet. Joliet Tim (the best of the best) is incommunicado though. Also, if you have already written some notes, then send in some more. I love Don Fenton because he emails me his smack talk, and then demands that I post for all the "lesser teams" to read. I also love Don Fenton because his girlfriend and co-owner (wink wink) Denise is seldom fully dressed. Woo-hoo!

QOD 2

"We're not talking about the most mature group of people in the world 

when you talk about pro athletes"

- Alan Gentry, head coach of the LA Clippers

The Home Stretch

I really like this year's schedule. We are all set for the last leg of intra-conference play, or "the home stretch." In the final seven NIBL weeks here, each team will get to meet each adversary in his or her conference. No bellyaching about not controlling your own destiny... just win baby!

Speaking of winning, a full half of the NIBL teams are still alive in the playoff picture. Check it out.

The rumble in the East has been whittled down to three teams. Napa (14-4) is rock solid in first place.  Cap City (12-6) has also withstood all comers to this point and has a hold on second place. Aruba (12-6) still has a pulse but looks weak. Looks like the Thong will hit the beach early this year. A Nantucket versus Cap City Eastern Conference playoff seem inevitable.

The West has tightened up... well, second place has. Barring a Kobe spontaneous combustion, West Chicago looks like they will enter the playoffs as the number one seed. (Kenny "the jet" Smith calls Kobe "Show-be"... he he) The race for 2nd place, however, is intense.

• Nantucket (12-6)... Tucket has been a three player team with Stackhouse, Malone, Marion, but Jack has always had a hole at center. Enter one resurgent Hakeem Olajuwon, and the Buckets are dispensing some justice. With one game in hand, Hakeem may join Jack's awesome threesome to propel the former Shorewood franchise to its first-ever NIBL playoff appearance.
• Rip City (11-7)... the Rippers are an odd team, matching their eclectic owner. Rip City leads the NIBL in scoring, yet that hasn't exactly translated into domination in the win-loss column. The Rippers feature an all-Houston backcourt of Francis and Mobley, and I think that Rip City's fortunes are directly tied in with the highest scoring backcourt in the NBA. If Houston rocks, and even (gasp) makes the playoffs, then Rob "Ripper" Triol has a great shot at making the playoffs in his virgin NIBL season.
• Elk Grove (10-8)... Elk Grove may be the most dangerous team in the NIBL, when healthy, that is. When Shaq, McDyess and the boys are healthy, Moz just squashes people. Four of Elk Grove's 8 losses have occurred when Shaq or McDyess missed NIBL time. Also, though he'll probably lose McDyess, Moz has a kick-ass playoff team of Shaq, Brandon, Stockton, Christie, Pippen, and Ty Hill. Rest of the West... beware!

Now, if you're not part of the NIBL upper crust, take heart... there's always next year. Let's see, Steve will move his team to some other god-forsaken location and take Shaq with the first pick in the draft. Then?

QOD 3

"Why are you playing your bench against Johnny Rai?"

- Don Fenton jab at the inclusion of Ruben Patterson in Aruba's starting lineup against Cap City

I love Don Fenton.

yow, bill

PS - Attn all NIBL owners: If you show up at Pockets sports bar near Fox Valley Mall this Tuesday (March 6) around 7:00 pm, I'll buy you a beer and maybe even some dino wings. Yow!