The Bulletin

Week 15: Destinations decided in ultra-competitive, premiere fantasy league   

Regular Season Closes – Post-Season, CFP, and Christmas Time Ahead:

Another regular season has rolled to a stop in the Big Daddy Football League (BDFL). And, a lot of the bottom dwellers in the BDFL standings had good performances (except for the Bullets) in Week 15 of the season. It swells the pride, dignity, and stature of the front office to see teams from 1-16 in the BDFL battle to the bitter end. And, now…Eight teams will move on to the Big Daddy Championship Series (BDCS), and eight more teams will - not turn down bids - but, will report to the Big Mullet Series (BMS) to chase more wins and play for pride, family, hometown, and lineage. That’s the BDFL. It just means a lot. It means winners and losers. It means touchdowns and tackles. It means kicks and licks. It means scrambles and sacks. It means ultimately 15 disappointed teams and one team to win it all and hoist the coveted Grand Daddy Trophy. So, here’s The Bulletin for Week 15 (see below).  

‘Dillos Dominate in Route to Big Mullet Series:

Week 15 in the BDFL was bittersweet for the Duncanville Armadillos. Kurt Prewitt & Company were previously eliminated from the BDCS under the auspices of the Bullet Rule, but that didn’t stop the ‘Dillos from dominating this past weekend. That “lil ol’ team from Texas,’ opened up a can of whoop-@$$ and dumped it all over the heads (and thru the T-Tops) of the Altadena Bandits. The final score was 47-10, qualifying as an epic A.W. Now, the ‘Dillos head to the “consolation bracket,” a.k.a. the Big Mullet Series (BMS) to continue their ‘Tis the Season to Get Even tour. It’s been a season to forget for Old Barry and his beleaguered Bandits, but he hopes the holidays will lead to some redemption for his sputtering black TransAm, with the T-tops, and big-A eagle on the hood. “Ho, ho, ho!” exclaimed K.P. as he rode outta sight, and Barry K. Stephenson replied, “Ho, ho, hell.”  

Cows Clutch in Clinching Last BDCS Position:

The “clutch performance” of Week 15 goes to the Fieldstown Bellcows. David Belrose began the final week of the regular season in the 8th and final spot for the Big Dance. But, old Bell Head had a record number of teams nippin’ at his heels, er, hoofs. There were no less than four teams on the “outside looking in” to score a good number of points and pass the ‘Cows. D.B. came through under pressure. The Bellcows notched a whoppin’ 41-points, got a hard-earned vict’ry over the Sloths (41-33), and secured a spot in the post-season extravaganza known as the Big Daddy Championship Series and the quest for the Grand Daddy Trophy. The Three Toed Tree Dwellers took the “L” in Week 15, but they will be in the top half of the Championship Bracket as the 4th seed and ready to roll going into the Holiday Season and Post-Season, with a realistic chance to get their three-fingered hands on the Helmet O’ Silver.  

Yeah, Cheetahs Finish First:

Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please… the Number One Seed in the 2025 BDFL Playoffs is the Southside Cheetahs. Please call, text, email, or send a card, or good thoughts to the BDFL’s elder stateman, Butch Neal, who shows no signs of “slowing down.” The Sin Wagon rolled to a narrow win (30-28) in Week 15 of the season by topping the Druid City Blitz. Now… the Cheetahs will try to add another prize to their trophy case. Meanwhile, the Fritz Gritz Blitz is heading to the Big Mullet Series with a team that is good one week, and bad the next, making “inconsistency” their calling card for this season, and maybe the holiday season, ‘tis the season for fish for daBlitz.  

Flyin’ High Freebirds Boast Brother Bowl Vict’ry:

Two of the Hand Brothers are going to the Big Dance. Hime Hand’s Freebirds are flying high and have soared to the Number Two Seed in the playoffs, while Iron Hand will be in at Number Six. The F’birds won in Week 15, capturing the latest edition of the Brother Bowl with a 39-26 vict’ry over Chris Hand’s Grenades, er… Grenadiers. The Commissioner has experienced a solid season both as a general manager and league administrator. Iron Hand had a relatively smooth year in the front office, and there wasn’t much controversy in season Number 31, and the whining was mainly kept to a minimum. It’ll be interesting how the Hand Brothers do in the BDCS. Each has just half as many BDFL Championships as the “other brother,” that being Bullet, who has the Bullet Rule named after him, authored the “7-and-8” regulation, composes the award-winning The Bulletin, and will be headed to the Big Mullet Series in just a few days.  

Bullets Head to Mullet Series as Dogs Bark:

Bullet was “sent packing,” for the BMS, and given an A.W., to boot, in Week 15. Dishing out the defeat to the Bullerino was Mr. Mark Burr. The Brookside Dogs bashed the Bullets, 37-16, in a game that was a blowout from the opening kick-off until the final gun sounded with a blank in the chamber. The Boys from Benton shot a lot of blanks in 2025, and now they will go to the consolation bracket and try to get a better Pony Pick in the Spring. As for “Mark’s Mutts,” they will be the Number 5 seed in the BDCS after a pretty impressive regular season. Now, once again, the hopes of all of Brookside are 100-percent with their devoted Dogs. From Goose Alley, to Tiger Hill, to Main Street, to Brookside Ballpark, and along the banks of the Five Mile Creek, the warmth of the holiday season is being felt, and the whisp of a potential championship is palpable everywhere in the town. And, if they don’t “win it all,” they could burn it down.

Juggernauts Punch Big Dance Card by Mauling Mayors:

The Jugtown Juggernauts didn’t wrap up a secure playoff spot in the BDCS field until this past weekend in the BDFL. The ‘Nauts didn’t leave anything to chance in Week 15 as they mauled the Magic City Mayors, 36-21. And, while the win advanced A.E.’s team to the Big Dance, on the other sideline, the loss sealed the fate of the Cronies to confirm their reservations to the Big Mullet Series. It was a tough season for the Mayors. Their attention will turn quickly to trying to turn things around over the holidays in the consolation tournament. Meanwhile, the ‘Nauts will try to get to the top of the mountain in the BDCS after closing out the regular season in fine fashion. The “Bunch of Girls” will be the 7th seed in the top bracket.  

Wildcats Slip to the Sleds:

The Western Hills Wildcats didn’t exactly back into the Big Dance. The “James Gang” will enter the BDCS as the overall Number Three Seed. It’s been one heck of a year for the BioCats. However, in Week 15 the wild turned mild in losing to the Fairfield PowerSleds by a dozen. This was an “old school” grudge match between former roommates and teammates for the old purple and gold Fairfield Tigers. In their senior year at FHS, Jerry and Jack led their team to big vict’ries over Pleasant Grove (27-7) and Midfield (7-0), enroute to a 2-8 season under Head Coach Don Burgess. The Tigers were shut out four times that year, including a 28-0 whippin’ at the hands of the Gardendale Rockets at Ed Bruce Field at Driver/Rocket Stadium. (In 1978 – their junior year – Fairfield only lost to GHS, 7-6, in a season where they finished just 1-7). Mad Jack hasn’t felt that bad since then with his not-so-Mean Machine staggering into the Big Mullet series to close out the 2025 BDFL season.  

Mullet Series Preview – Vulcans and Gamblers:

The Big Mullet Series will welcome the hometown heroes – the Gulf Coast Gamblers – and the Defending BDFL Champions – the North Birmingham Vulcans – to the Gulf of America this holiday season. Both of these teams will bring fan support, intrigue, and spending money to the consolation bracket as the calendar slowly turns from 2025 to 2026. It is not the destination that the Vulcans and the Dixie Mafia preferred for their franchises, but each will accept the bid, and make the best out of it. The young, but naïve Nic Hand has experienced a difficult year in fantasy football, but they did close out the regular season with a big vict’ry over the Gamblers (34-25). The Real Deal – Kenny Breal – had hopes for the BDCS until the final results and total points were displayed for the final time, and now his team, and family, and fans will have to pivot and get ready to compete in the BMS.  

“It’s all about the kids.” - Week 15 in the JrBDFL:

The playoffs got underway in Week 15 in the Junior League, but as of deadline time for the Bulletin, no results were available outside of the password protected cyber world of the JrBDFL, “except” Milton Hand lost out in Round One.