The BoneCrusher Fantasy Football League evolved from an earlier keeper money league based in Lawton, OK called the All For One League (AFO). This league ran for 4 glorious years before folding when the commish moved to Dallas and had to move the league online. Since the league was no longer a local league, the commish decided to make it a free league and adopt the rules of another league called the Paul Revere FFL. Thus, the BCFFL was born...
1998
The BCFFL started with a 16 round inaugural draft featuring four teams from the old AFO: The Superfreaks, The Stupid Dogs, the Wolfpack, and the Outsiders. Other teams included the Baltimore Lumberjacks, The Frisco Fightin' Coons (an actual high school team name if you can believe that!), the Manassass Maulers, the Helmet Heads (BCFFL's first and only female owner), the British Bulldogs (BCFFL's first and only team from outside the US), the Walleye Wackers, the Gnarly Mutts, and the Boynton Beach Bluegills.
Controversy came right away as the Wolfpack decided to drop out of the league after being ridiculed for their 1.07 pick of Steve Young. A quick replacement was found but the new owners didn't want the pick so a compromise had to be made. The Wolfpack voided their 1st round pick and Steve Young was put back into the player pool. For compensation, the Wolfpack was given a 2nd round pick directly after their 2.06 pick. Steve Young was later picked by the Gnarly Mutts at 6.02 and went on to score 385 points in 1998. A record that still stands in BCFFL. Go figure!
Once the smoke cleared and the season began, the Wackers dominated the league by going a record 13-1 and winning the first BCFFL championship by a score of 112-99 over the Manassass Maulers. A dynasty was born...
1999
The 1999 offseason began with the loss of the league's only female owner and the splitting of a brotherly co-ownership. The Helmet Heads' owner left and was replaced by the Outsiders' former co-owner and brother, Doug Mabry. Doug quickly changed the name to Pure Luck in honor of his AFO days. And like his AFO days, he proceeded to drive the 1998 Central Division Champs straight into the cellar. Ah the good ole days!
But before that was all to happen, the BCFFL's first RFA period was held. Bidding wars were intense and money was flying everywhere. Since few owners had experienced an RFA before, most were feeling free with their money and overspent on some undeserving players. 30cb for Charlie Batch, 20cb on Sedrick Shaw, and 50cb for Terrance Mathis all come to mind. Looking back on it now, it seems the less you paid for a player, the bigger the output. Hindsight is always 20/20.
After the rollercoaster ride of RFA ended, the first BCFFL rookie draft was held. Ricky Williams made BCFFL history by becoming the first ever rookie draft pick by the Stupid Dogs. The steal of the draft would have to be Donovan McNabb at 1.07 by the Wolfpack. The bust has got to be James Johnson at 1.03 by the Bluegills.
The 1999 offseason also saw the addition of the Defensive Team position. To introduce this position to our lineups, a one-time draft was held and teams picked their favorite DT's in order of last year's finish. Nothing too exciting about this but worth mentioning.
Once the RFA and drafts were done, the owner of the Gnarly Mutts had to leave due to real life issues. They were quickly replaced by a friend of the new Pure Luck owner and was renamed the Las Vegas Broncaniacs. Little is known of this owner except that he was a Broncos fan. We tried not to hold that against him.
A new dominant team rose out of the East once the season began. The Wolfpack finished a league-high 12-2 but were snuffed out in the first round of the playoffs by the reigning champion Wackers. In the other semi-final game, the Bluegills ended the Stupid Dogs' "worst to first" mission in a tight, one-point game. The Bluegills went on to defeat the defending champs by a score of 101-97 in BCFFL Bowl II.
2000
The 2000 offseason saw all teams and owners returning for another year of exciting BCFFL action. The only change was a move of the Fightin' Coons from Frisco, TX to Houston and a name change to the Houston Fire Ants. Unfortunately for them, the move and name change did nothing to help their success rate as they finished a league-low 2-12.
The RFA period went off without a hitch with the most money going to Jamal Anderson with 29cb. A pretty decent buy at the time but injuries turned this signing into a major bust.
The draft saw Jamal Lewis picked first by the Bulldogs who traded up with the lowly Fire Ants. Shaun Alexander was another fine pick at 1.04 by the Maulers and there were some great WR picks in the 2nd round with Burress, Coles, Northcutt, and Jackson all lasting late into the draft.
The BCFFL playoffs saw the defending champion Bluegills barely made the playoffs when they finished at 7-7 along with the Outsiders and Maulers. Once in the playoffs, however, they beat a heavily favored Bulldog team and faced the Walleye Wackers in the finals for the second straight year. Thanks to some the last minute heroics of BCFFL MVP Marshall Faulk, the Bluegills pulled off an exciting 133-131 and took the trophy home again.
2001
The 2001 offseason was one of major turmoil. First, the Superfreaks owner was forced to change his team's name to Wolfpack Are Fantasy Football Gods (W.P.A.F.F.G) for the year due to a bet lost over who would finish best in 2000, Kerry Collins or Tony Banks. Freaks' chose Banks. Suckers.
On a more serious note, a very heated debate broke out over a proposed rule change that would give each team 38 contract years instead of the current 36. Sounds like a minor issue and originally it was. The huge debate began when we were deciding out to implement the rule. A few teams wanted to add years to current contracts. The majority of the league was against that. This escalated out of control until the proposal was eventually voted down all-together. Soon after, the Bulldogs quietly turned in their resignation and the Wackers not-so-quietly quit as well.
Two other teams, the Fire Ants and Broncaniacs were fired due to inactivity and the league seemed to be on the brink of destruction.
Not a chance! These four teams were replaced very quickly and the league moved on. The Wackers became the Comets, the Bulldogs became the Kato Krushers, the Broncaniacs became the Cajun Crawfish, and the Fire Ants became the 69'ers.
Big winners in RFA were Fred Taylor and Terrell Owens who both earned 22cbs. Well, at least one of them earned their money.
Top pick in the draft was Ladanien Tomlinson by the 69'ers. This pick would bring great fortune to the team in 2002.
By the end of 2001, the troubles of the previous offseason were long forgotten and the league found a new champion in the Wolfpack. With the help of the 3-time BCFFL and BCFFL Bowl MVP, Marshal Faulk, the Wolfpack dominated the Maulers 137-88 and took home the trophy in BCFFL Bowl IV. Unfortunately, this team was built for championship or bust in 2001 and was quickly dismantled in RFA the next year.
2002
The 2002 offseason saw the loss of an AFO vet in Pure Luck's Doug Mabry. The Air Force kept him too busy and he reluctantly had to withdrawal from the league. He was replaced with the Florida Crox who bacame the youngest BCFFL owner at 16.
One major rule change this offseason was the implementation of the Development Squad (DS). The DS was basically a practice squad where teams could hold onto young prospects with no penalty towards their contract cap. It remains to be seen how this new rule will effect the future of this league but it looks to increase the importance of the rookie draft trememdously.
Top earner in the RFA was the 3-time BCFFL MVP and 3-time BCFFL Bowl MVP, Marshall Faulk who went for 26cb. He responded with an injury-filled season that failed to live up to the Krushers' expectations.
Top pick in the Rookie draft was a RB for the 4th straight year. This time it was William Green to the Outsiders.
Speaking of the top rookie pick, last year's top pick, Ladanien Tomlinson, carried the league's unlikely champ, the 69'ers, from a bleak 1-4 start to a 9-5 finish and the BCFFL Championship. They didn't just win the championship game, they KILLED the Comets 100-47. Kudos to the 69'ers for turning around the worst BCFFL franchise in our short history! We'll see if they can remain on top in 2003!