The final week of the regular season kicks off with the playoff-bound Pimps looking to close out their second straight Eastern Division title against the Naughty Figs. Last week, The Pimps completed the season sweep of Jody's C.W.O.T. to move back into first place, and they now only need a win over the Figs or a Jody loss to clinch the division title and first-round bye.

The 9-2-1 Pimps come into this one with the league's best record and a shot at improving on last year's mark of 10-3. Although the ground game has been largely inconsistent this year, The Pimps have won all season behind the strong play of defense and special teams. The Naughty Figs are once again ineligible for the playoffs, but they haven't given up on their season and have won two of their last three. Rich Gannon and Clinton Portis are looking to spark the upset, and no one cheering them on more than Jody's Colossal Waste of Time.

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The Sims Stereco visit the Vortex for a well-deserved break. Having won three straight to clinch a playoff berth, the Stereco can do very little against Jody that would alter their Wild Card Week forecast; win or lose, they go on the road in Week 14. The same cannot be said for the C.W.O.T., however, who still have an outside shot at stealing the Eastern Division back away from The Pimps should they falter against the Figs.

Michael Vick has seized control of this Stereco team and is looking to wreck some havoc in the postseason. The team has truly raised its level of play over the last month, and it wants nothing more than to fight its way into the franchise's first Championship Week appearance. Jody already has three of those and is pretty intent on making it four. A win for the Stereco would be their seventh of the regular season - a franchise record. A C.W.O.T. win would be their tenth, tying their franchise mark set in 1997, when the league had only a 12-week schedule.

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For the Anderson Brewmeisters, the playoffs began with last week's home loss to the Naughty Figs. Sitting on five wins for the past two weeks, the Brewskies must now beat the visiting Abstract Machines to qualify for the postseason. A third consecutive loss would end their year and keep them out of the playoff bracket yet again.

The Machines made it to Championship Week in 2001, but a mix of injuries and inconsistent play has locked them out of the playoffs in 2002. There's still plenty to play for; besides the chance of ruining Anderson's year, they can possibly send the Hellions to the Draft Bowl with a win. With Marshall Faulk still ailing, Corey Dillon and Marvin Harrison will lead the upset bid. Gut check time for Peyton Manning and company. It's only Week 13, but it's win or go home for the Brewmeisters.

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The Piana Raze are already destined to finish with the worst regular season record in the six year history of the FLF, regardless of the outcome from this week's game with the Irwin Hellions at Purgatory Field. They're also already set to appear in the franchise's third Draft Bowl next week. The Irwin Hellions, meanwhile, are already inked in as the first defending Super Bowl champions to fail to make the playoff bracket the following season. Kind of takes the shine off this classic rivalry featured in Super Bowl I, doesn't it?

Not much has gone right for Piana this year. Despite much improved play the last few weeks, the losses continue to mount. Speaking of losses, it's been four straight for the Hellions, who are desperate to stop the bleeding but lack the number of healthy bodies required to do so. Expect an uninspiring bout from the Hellhole.

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For the first time in the six-year history of the league, a team other than Piana or Irwin will lay claim to the Western Division title. In what has truly developed into a great game to close out the 2002 regular season campaign, Thomas' Bock Boys visit Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ for a winner-take-all match up to decide the West.

Thomas comes into Oil Town, USA having snapped a two-game losing streak last week against the Machines. The front end of that losing streak was courtesy these very Profiteer$, who up-ended Thomas in Bockville, 30-12, three weeks ago. Now, Daunte Culpepper and Priest Holmes are looking to avenge that loss and win the West outright. Yet there's been no hotter team in the FLF than the P.W.O.P., who have won five straight coming in. Jeff Garcia, Ahman Green, and Hines Ward have put the Profiteer$ in position to complete an impressive undefeated tour of divisional opponents.

It doesn't get much more simple than this: win and you get a week off as divisional champs; lose and you host a Wild Card game next week. On behalf of the league, may the best team win.

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