The Week That Was in Fantasy League Football

In the weeks leading up to Championship Week, the Irwin Hellions were mad. They had lost their last two regular season games to their chief divisional rivals, including a brutal shutout at home in Week 13. Yet they backed into the divisional crown and were granted a week to stew over it all. And strew they did.

Irwin unleashed hell and fury upon the streaking Bock Boys, crushing them with the best single-game performance in the league this year. Reminiscent of their 63-4 romp over Thomas in Week 2, the Hellions started fast and never looked back, ousting the Bock Boys and their five-game win streak right out of the playoffs. Donovan McNabb, Irwin's first-year budding superstar, put up a career game with 19 points, impressively outduelling Thomas' own first-year phenom, Daunte Culpepper (18 points). Edgerrin James (16 points) and Jimmy Smith (10 points) provided the additional artillery in wearing down the Bock Boys. Irwin's Tampa Bay defense also answered the call of the big game, hammering Thomas for 22 points and beating out its Eagles' 15 point effort. Of course, the high-octane Bock Boys put up some big numbers as well. Aside from Culpepper, rookie Jamal Lewis scored 10 and Tony Gonzales added another 8. Yet Robert Smith, Thomas' workhorse throughout the year, was kept in check with a mild 3 points. Moreover, Keyshawn Johnson managed a mere - but not altogether surprising - 2 points.

Perhaps still stinging from the 30-point beating sustained in Bockville three weeks ago, Irwin never let up on the assault, punishing the Bock Boys to make a point. They weren't about to earn a trip to the Super Bowl though Irwin's house. In two games at Purgatory Field, Thomas has been outscored 124-39. And so Thomas' heralded inaugural season comes to a close, one step shy of the Big Game. Yet this is a team that will be holding its head high, knowing it has become one of the elite practically overnight. As for the Hellions, they now gear up to make their second Super Bowl appearance. Losers in 1997, Irwin has strong aspirations for bringing its first League Championship home.

ell upon the Bock Boys...

Jody's Colossal Waste of Time becomes the first ever No. 1 seed to reach the Super Bowl by stopping The Pimps 44-16 in the Vortex. Eddie George paved the way to victory with 14 points and the emerging Kerry Collins torched The Pimps for another 13. The Pimps, whom had beaten the C.W.O.T. in each of their five previous meetings, finally ran out of firepower to counter the onslaught. No offensive starter scored more than 6 points as The Pimps lost the offensive battle 56-31. Despite their Breen Bay defense snipping Jody's Miami squad 16-15, The Pimps will be going home after Championship Week for the second straight season.

Having been thumped by The Pimps just two weeks prior, Jody used the bye week to get healthy and get focused, and this dominant performance is the result. Now, the Mighty C.W.O.T. will make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1998. Like Irwin, Jody came out of it with a loss. Now, just two seasons removed, they have their chance at redemption.