Kickoff Weekend 2003 starts off with a classic Eastern Division rivalry as the Anderson Brewmeisters lock horns with Jody's Colossal Waste of Time in The Vortex. The Brewmeisters saw their season come to an end last year on this very field, where Jody claimed a 37-21 Wild Card win en route to the Super Bowl.

That loss dropped Anderson's 2002 record to 6-7-1 and capped yet another non-winning season. Not since 1998 have the Brewmeisters finished above .500, and the pressure to build a winner is mounting. The Brew Krew entered the offseason with the most expensive roster and were forced to make a series of moves to get the team salary under control. As a result, gone are the likes of Fred Taylor, Derrick Mason, Jerry Porter, and Laveranues Coles – and all to divisional rivals, nonetheless. The 2003 Brewmeisters will be banking heavily on veterans Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Eric Moulds to keep the offense afloat and get them back to the playoffs.

Jody's Colossal Waste of Time enters the new season with yet another Super Bowl loss hanging over its head. The C.W.O.T. have made it to the league championship game – and lost – in every even year since the league's inception, but are hoping to buck that trend in 2003. Jody returns practically all starters from a year ago. The one change is the addition of the dangerous and aforementioned Coles to the receiving corps, and he's chomping at the bit to show up his former team. While long on talent, the C.W.O.T. are short on depth at the skilled positions and have to hope everyone comes out alright of what's sure to be a very physical and heated affair.

victims of the bye week: none

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The lone interdivisional game on the opening Weekend's slate pits the Naughty Figs against Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$. P.W.O.P. clobbered the Figs 52-1 last season to even the lifetime series at 2, and they hope to do so again while earning only the second opening week victory in franchise history.

On the topic of slow starts, the Figs struggled out of the gates in 2003, winning only two of their first nine games. Yet Rich Gannon and rookie Clinton Portis helped right the ship in time to take three of their final four. Despite missing the playoffs yet again – they're now 0 for 3 since joining the league – the Figs are extremely optimistic about their chances this time around. They've added Fred Taylor to help spell Portis in the backfield, and Jerry Porter and draftee Josh Reed are expected to contribute to an improving receiving corps. The biggest question will be on defense, where the drafted Bills squad has a lot to prove before the Fig faithful are treated to a playoff berth.

Pirk fans, by contrast, know the playoff routine pretty well, but it's been a bum ride recently. After losing the season finale and Western Division title to Thomas, the Profiteer$ were clipped in the Wild Card round by Sims, abruptly ending their otherwise successful 2002 campaign. Having lost both of those contests in front of the Oil Town home crowd, P.W.O.P. is eager to redeem themselves this week. Newcomers Troy Brown and the Titan defense will shore up a pretty dangerous starting lineup that already features Ahman Green, Travis Henry, and Randy Moss. This could easily be the highest scoring game of the week.

victims of the bye week: none

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For the first time in their existence, Thomas' Bock Boys will not have to play at Purgatory Field until the second game of the season series with the Irwin Hellions. Instead, the defending Western Division Champions will host the club that had won the three previous division titles to kickoff the 2003 campaign.

Despite becoming the first FLF franchise to go from Super Bowl to Draft Bowl in a single season, the Irwin Hellions refuse to be labeled as "rebuilding". HIt hard with injuries last season, the re-emergence of a healthy Donovan McNabb and Edgerrin James could be enough to make them contenders once again. Moreover, the receiving corps has gotten a much needed shot in the arm through the draft with the additions of Chad Johnson and rookie Andre Johnson. All this and arguably the league's most feared defense (Tampa Bay) has Irwin itching to get 2003 off to a great start.

The Boys from Bockville are excited to begin their division title defense against the Hellions, who have set the standard of excellence in the West. With a core foundation of Daunte Culpepper, Priest Holmes, and the Eagles defense, Thomas is looking to become the third Western Division team to repeat as division champs. They'll have to do so with some new faces, as Antowain Smith is out, and Warrick Dunn and Tim Brown are in. Irwin-Thomas has developed into the most ferocious rivalry of the West, and this week's game should be a thriller, particularly with the two all-star defenses colliding head-to-head on Monday night.

victims of the bye week: none

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The only Opening Week match up not featuring a 2002 playoff team has the two-time Draft Bowl winner Piana Raze visiting the division rival Abstract Machines. For the second straight year, the Raze won the Draft Bowl while the Machines failed to qualify for the postseason following a Championship Week appearance in 2001. Both clubs are looking for a reversal of fortune in 2003.

Piana dealt away the hard-earned rights to the first overall draft pick once again this season, but this time cashed their chips in for a bevy of young talent after acquiring Kurt Warner in a similar deal in 2001. During a dismal and injury-plagued year, the Raze managed to defeat just two teams – the Hellions (twice) and the Abstract Machines. With a team as deep as it is young, the 2003 Raze hope to improve on last season's 3-10-1 record, and , with a little luck, return to the playoff hunt.

Like most other unsuccessful teams last season, the Machines dealt with an injury to a star player. An offseason of recovery later, Marshall Faulk is back and ready to rock. With Trent Green apparently having won the QB competition and Marvin Harrison acting as a one-man army out in the post, this is an offense to be feared. Yet the Mechanical Ones' secret weapon may be on defense, where a drafted Ravens squad brings instant credibility to a previously shaky area.

victims of the bye week: none

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Nine months after their improbable Super Bowl run, the defending champion Sims Stereco open their 2003 title defense against their own division's champion, The Pimps, in Kickoff Weekend's Game of the Week.

Dating back to last season and including the playoffs, the Stereco have won seven straight games, two of which being over The Pimps. The two-time defending Eastern Division Champs, by contrast, dropped four of their last six and saw their season end a game shy of the Super Bowl.

The Pimps now find themselves opening a new season against the defending Super Bowl champs for the second straight year. A win over Sims would not only avenge their Championship Week loss, it would re-establish them as a primary force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Division. Tommy Maddux has won the camp QB battle, earning Mark Brunell and draftee Tom Brady their release. Maddux will be under heavy pressure to produce, particularly with only one remaining bona fide starting halfback in Shaun Alexander. Thankfully for Maddux, The Pimps have always had a great receiving corps, and it only got deeper with the offseason addition of Isaac Bruce. As long as the offense doesn't take a big step back, The Pimps should remain a favorite in the East.

Despite probably never seeing their name and the word "favorite" in the same sentence, the Sims Stereco took the league by storm late last season and brought home the Lombardi Trophy. What's even more impressive is that their last five victories all came away from home. This week, however, the Stereco will get a well-deserved hero's welcome as they host The Pimps. One Super Bowl hero that won't take the field is Mike Vick, who broke his ankle in the preseason. Not missing a beat, the Stereco re-drafted Drew Bledsoe to lead the team through the first third of the season in Vick's absence. Sims also bolstered the defense, drafting the Falcons unit in hopes of improving over their long-time Giants squad. These new additions, along with the likes of Ricky Williams, Amani Toomer, and Terrell Owens, should give the Stereco more than a fighting chance to defend their title come December.

victims of the bye week: none

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