Kickoff Weekend 2005 opens with an Eastern Division bout as the defending division champion Anderson Brewmeisters host the Naughty Figs at Saint Arnold Stadium. Anderson wrestled the division lead away from the second-place Figs in Week 12 of last season, before both clubs saw their impressive seasons end with playoff losses to the Hellions.

2004 was a banner year for the Figs. After four losing seasons, they finally made it onto the playoff dance card, even scoring a Wild Card victory over the Bock Boys. Now they set their sights on winning the franchise its first division title. Now sporting an improved defensive corps comprised of Buffalo and Pittsburgh, the Figs hope to finally take some scoring pressure off of Chad Pennington, Willis McGahee, and Joe Horn.

The Anderson Brewmeisters are coming off their first-ever Super Bowl defeat, and Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, and company are eager to get another chance at that third Championship ring. The only personnel shakeup was in the receiving corps, where Torry Holt finds himself surrounded by a whole new supporting cast with the Brewskies having added Steve Smith, Donald Driver, and Santana Moss in the offseason.

If the Figs are to contend in the East, they'll need to find a way to get past the Brewmeisters, who have won five straight against the Naughty Ones.

victims of the bye week: none

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The Sims Stereco and Jody's Colossal Waste of Time square off at the Vortex for a divisional battle of clubs that failed to reach the playoffs last season. The Stereco finished with 4-8-1 mark, good enough to earn them their second straight No. 8 seed. Jody, meanwhile, missed out on the playoffs for the first time in franchise history following a dismal 3-10 campaign, but claimed a Draft Bowl victory of P.W.O.P. to end on a positive note.

The Stereco's downfall last season can be traced back to their lack of a running game, so the offseason focus was squarely on building that back up. Sims was light on draft picks following a pair of trades, but managed to land touted rookie runningback J.J. Arrington in the first round, and later added Thomas Jones and former C.W.O.T. Chris Brown into the fold. Whether they'll be enough to get Sims back into the playoff picture remains to be seen.

2004 was a year to forget for Jody, where injuries derailed the C.W.O.T. early on and sent them spiraling to the league's basement. Jody managed to only win two divisional games, and – perhaps more surprising – only one contest against the Western opponents ha has historically dominated. Looking to get back off the ground, Jody dealt the number one overall pick to Piana for Marc Bulger, and added Ronnie Brown, the Carolina defense, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh through the draft.

History bodes well for Jody in this matchup; although Sims' lone divisional victory from a year ago came right here at The Vortex, the Stereco are a career 1-7 on Kickoff Weekend.

victims of the bye week: none

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The first interdivisional contest of 2005 is a dandy, with Pirk's Wicked Oil Profiteer$ visiting longtime rival The Pimps in a battle for Hotard supremacy. The Profiteer$ are coming off their worst season since 2000 and had their three-year playoff streak snapped following a 4-9-1 record. The Pimps head into 2005 looking for some redemption of their own. Despite making the playoff bracket a year ago, they were ushered out by the Machines 52-9 and have lost seven of their last nine games overall.

P.W.O.P. sent shock waves through the league in the offseason by trading longtime OilMan Randy Moss to the Bock Boys for the Philadelphia defense. This move freed them up to focus on offense during the draft, where they took rookie halfback Carnell Williams in the first round and added Hellion castoffs Brett Favre and Chris Chambers with subsequent picks.

The Pimps have been crowned unofficial draft champions through a coaches poll, and for good reason. They snared highly-coveted Nate Burleson in the first round, and added the high-risk/high-reward Kerry Collins in the second. Jimmy Smith was brought in with a third round pick to add some veteran consistency to the receiving corps. Shaun Alexander and Corey Dillon return in the backfield, but the question remains: Can a team that historical starts hot in September finish in December?

victims of the bye week: none

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Thomas' Bock Boys host the Piana Raze in the first of two Western Division contests. A season removed from playing each other in Super Bowl VII, both clubs struggled in '04, winning only six games apiece. The Raze missed out on the playoffs, while the Boys – on the mercy of two late-season ties – snuck into the postseason bracket before being ousted by the Naughty Figs.

Despite missing the playoffs, the Raze finished strong, winning five of their last eight games. Hoping to build on that finish, Piana traded up in the draft to nab Julius Jones (whom they had originally drafted in the fourth round the year before) before taking rookie receiver Troy Williamson in the second round to help bolster their offense. Marc Bulger was sent to Jody in order to draft Jones, leaving the quarterbacking duties squarely in the hands of Trent Green.

Thomas made arguably the biggest splash in the pre-draft trade market, converting the Philadelphia defense into Randy Moss and Javon Walker through a pair of deals. The Boys then drafted the Dallas defense to plug the hole left by Philly and added Braylon Edwards and Stephen Davis to the offensive mix. Daunte Culpepper and Tony Gonzales are already in the fold, so if a healthy Priest Holmes can return to his 2003 numbers, the Bock Boys could easily be viewed as favorites in the Western race. That's an argument made on paper, however, and not the field, where Thomas has dropped four straight regular season games to the Raze.

victims of the bye week: none

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The defending Super Bowl Champion Irwin Hellions begin their title defense in Kickoff Weekend's Game of the Week, hosting the Abstract Machines at the season's start for the second straight year. The Machines coughed up a chance at their first division title in Week 13 of last season, but fought back into Championship Week before yielding to the Brewmeisters. The Hellions claimed their fourth Western Division title thanks to the Machines' season-ending loss, and went on to win their league-best third Super Bowl.

The Machines were arguably the surprise team of 2004, taking the league by storm with the high-mileage backfield of Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis. Obviously, Tom Brady, Marvin Harrison, and the Ravens defense had a big say in their success too. Hoping to build on their triumphs of a season ago and get a little younger in the process, the Machines drafted rookies Cedric Benson and Reggie Brown as well as the outspoken Jeremy Shockey.

The Super Bowl champions always seem to take a salary beating in the offseason, and this year was no exception. The Hellions had to make some tough decisions, letting go longtime contributors Jimmy Smith, Chris Chambers, and Brett Favre, who was at the helm of three of the franchise's four Super Bowl appearances. Draftees DeShaun Foster, Lee Evans, and Brandon Lloyd have been brought in to assist the heavy guns in Donovan McNabb, Domanick Davis, Edgerrin James, and Chad Johnson.

The Machines have won four of the last six meetings with Irwin, and a season-opening road victory over the champs would definitely send a message. Of course, you don't become the league's winningest team by losing home games to divisional foes. Expect a slugfest.

victims of the bye week: none

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