Torn ACL Fantasy Football League

Year established: 1997

Current Owner: Etzel Brower

Overall record: 44-48-0

Playoff record: 7-3 (2001, 2002 Super Bowl Champions)

Toilet Bowl record: 0-4 (1997, 1998 Toilet Bowl champions)

First round picks: 1997 - Jerry Rice, 1998 - Jerome Bettis, 1999 - Terrell Davis, 2000 - Randy Moss, 2001 - Eddie George, 2002 - Marvin Harrison, 2003 - Marvin Harrison.

In 1997, Etzel Brower's Boulder Brickhouse became the second expansion team to enter the Torn ACL league. His first pick seemed to be a good one in Jerry Rice, but '97 was the ill-fated season that Rice went down with a torn ACL injury in Week 1. Boulder never recovered. They lost eight straight down the stretch to finish 2-12, and one more loss in 1998 set the record for the longest losing streak in the league. The Brickhouse hopeful roster never materalized and a drubbing by Tampa Bay sent them straight to the Toilet Bowl. It was there that they were defeated in Ray Santee's last game in an extremely low-scoring affair.

1998 was expected to be brighter, until Eddie bailed on Boulder one week before the draft and moved the team to Los Angeles. Jerome Bettis, his first pick, failed to live up to expectations. A series of poor outings and hard luck losses destroyed L.A.'s hopes of emerging to be a good team. Their 3-10 record was better by only a game, and they went straight back to Toilet contention. After being crushed by Roswell, they lost another hard luck game to Blue Ball to become the first repeat Toilet Bowl champions. A move to Houston and a good draft pick could aid their '99 efforts.

It was a strange 1999 for the team considered to be the laughing stock of the Torn ACL League. Landing the second overall pick in the draft and superstar Terrell Davis made it unlikely that Houston would continue on in futility, but early in the season Terrell was lost for the year to knee problems, (owner Etzel Brower surely remembers Jerry Rice in '97). It looked like another early exit for Houston, especially with a 1-3 start, but they closed out the year 6-3, tied for the conference lead. After breezing by San Francisco, Eddie and the Bad News 'Dashers ripped the Dallas Bulls a hole and advanced to the Super Bowl. They were eventually defeated by Baton Rouge, but the Haberdashers had gone from league laughing stock to defending Western Conference Champs.

Expectations were high for the Hatmakers in 2000. After all, they were coming off their best season ever, having made the Super Bowl, and Eddie actually traded in his U-Haul moving van for at least a year. It must be the happy memories. With his first pick he took wide out Randy Moss, a move that paid off all year. The Haberdashers stormed out of the gates to a 4-0 record, tops in the league, but the irritating Dallas Bulls were biting his heels the whole time. Despite that nagging, they peaked at 8-1, but suffered a collapse and lost four straight, finishing at 8-5, and losing the top seed in the West to Dallas. Boulder and Los Angeles could both be heard laughing hysterically as Ed's boyz from the hoodz of Houston were thumped by Baton Rouge in the opening round thanks to Colorado's own Mike Anderson. Will second straight playoff appearance be enough to keep the Haberdashers in Houston? Or will Eddie make like Old Eddie and bolt town yet again? How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know.

Eddie has pulled a Glenn-plan the last several years, only successfully, going from Toilet Humor to near Super Bowl victory. The Habs pinned their hopes on seventh pick Eddie George, but it was Brett Favre (a THIRD round pick) that buoyed the team in a tough Western Conference to the second seed. The 8-5 record was decent, but it was the 5-0 record against the East that stood out. The only problem come playoff time is that Houston plays in the West, where they had a dismal 3-5 stint. Problem? What problem? In the first round they pushed past San Fran, then squeaked by Baton Rouge in a high scoring West Final. So for the second time in three years, the big man and the Mad Hatters were back in the Supe, but being there wasn't enough this time. Only a sweet victory over Tampa Bay would do, and it did. Houston became the ACL Champs just three years removed from Toilet infamy.

After a successful 2001 season, the 2002 season for the Houston Haberdashers was more like the same: taking care of business. The team didn't have any real marquee players other than first round pick Marvin Harrison - Houston went about their business and earned an 8-5 record for a 3rd straight season. Armed with a bye week, the Habs easily disposed of Lake Valley for the West crown, but probably (?) would have lost in the Super Bowl had Priest Holmes not gotten hurt the week prior for Charlotte. Nonetheless, at the end of it all, the Habs became only the 2nd franchise in league history to win back-to-back championships. Can they three-peat? It will be difficult, as the only other franchise (Anchorage) didn't even make the playoffs when they attempted their three-peat chance a few years ago.