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| People across the NFFA are mourning the loss of the Bakers head coach Rob Bironas. |
By R.E. Porter
Associated Web Press
It was the triumphant return of 12th Avenue quarterback Peyton He Hate Me to Fidalgo Island, a clutch fourth-quarter performance that propelled his new team to victory over his old team. But news of the death of head coach and longtime Baker Rob Bironas in an automobile crash late Saturday evening cast a pall over what would otherwise be a time of celebration in Baker nation.
The news of Bironas' passing spread rapidly across the league Sunday morning. By early afternoon, several gallons of Dr. Jorgé Linardo's legendary green bean casserole had been delivered to the Baker faithful gathered at The Cherry Bomb Café to watch the game, a group of fans who according to bartender Devlin Redd were in a "state of shock." Meanwhile at the game in Washington, every member of the Bakers roster wore Bironas' familiar number 2.
Emotions ran high in the League Chat. After acting commissioner Bill Money posted the news, Downtown Corsairs owner Mojo D, whose disdain for the Bakers is well-known, joked, "I have an alibi." In a rapidly escalating exchange in the League Chat area yesterday morning, East Nashville Black Dogs head coach Jim McMahon blasted Mojo D over the "alibi" remark, and other comments he took to be disrespectful of Bironas. "He was one of the league's beloved figures," McMahon said of the Bakers head coach.
The dustup between McMahon and Mojo D began when McMahon posted a comment asking, "Am I the only one who thinks Mojo D is being an ass for gloating over a 60-burger at a time when the league is mourning the loss of Bakers' coach Rob Bironas?" McMahon was referencing another comment by the Corsairs owner asking if the Black Dogs liked the "60-burger" Corsairs' quarterback Andrew Luck put on the scoreboard Sunday.
The exchange soon degenerated into a verbal pissing contest, punctuated by McMahon calling the Corsairs owner, "Grampy D," an apparent reference to Mojo D's new status as a grandfather. He went on to say when the Corsairs travel across town to The Chocolate Palace to face 12th Avenue this weekend, "I'm guessing everyone else in the league will be Bakers fans."
Some would call McMahon's comments sour grapes, considering his team was in the process of getting stomped by the Corsairs. When reached for comment today, the Black Dogs coach said, "Bironas is dead? What happened to him? And who is Mojo D?"
The AWP learned late last night that Bakers owner QCurl Sharif had flown back early from Fidalgo Island to visit the site of Bironas' deadly collision Sunday morning. A source close to Sharif say he was overcome with emotion when he saw the site of the crash, openly weeping for several minutes before regaining his composure. The source went on to say the Bakers owner has been inconsolable ever since.
As is often the case with anything involving the Bakers, there are several unanswered questions in connection to the death of their head coach. Why was Bironas in Nashvegas and not with the team in Fidalgo Island on Saturday night? What caused the road rage that resulted in him threatening to kill some college students less than an hour before his fatal crash? Had Bironas been dismissed as head coach by the team? Why is Saddam calling his death an assassination?
Sharif was still not taking calls at the time of publication, and the person who answered the phone at the team's headquarters offered a terse, "No comment."
The news of Bironas' passing spread rapidly across the league Sunday morning. By early afternoon, several gallons of Dr. Jorgé Linardo's legendary green bean casserole had been delivered to the Baker faithful gathered at The Cherry Bomb Café to watch the game, a group of fans who according to bartender Devlin Redd were in a "state of shock." Meanwhile at the game in Washington, every member of the Bakers roster wore Bironas' familiar number 2.
Emotions ran high in the League Chat. After acting commissioner Bill Money posted the news, Downtown Corsairs owner Mojo D, whose disdain for the Bakers is well-known, joked, "I have an alibi." In a rapidly escalating exchange in the League Chat area yesterday morning, East Nashville Black Dogs head coach Jim McMahon blasted Mojo D over the "alibi" remark, and other comments he took to be disrespectful of Bironas. "He was one of the league's beloved figures," McMahon said of the Bakers head coach.
The dustup between McMahon and Mojo D began when McMahon posted a comment asking, "Am I the only one who thinks Mojo D is being an ass for gloating over a 60-burger at a time when the league is mourning the loss of Bakers' coach Rob Bironas?" McMahon was referencing another comment by the Corsairs owner asking if the Black Dogs liked the "60-burger" Corsairs' quarterback Andrew Luck put on the scoreboard Sunday.
The exchange soon degenerated into a verbal pissing contest, punctuated by McMahon calling the Corsairs owner, "Grampy D," an apparent reference to Mojo D's new status as a grandfather. He went on to say when the Corsairs travel across town to The Chocolate Palace to face 12th Avenue this weekend, "I'm guessing everyone else in the league will be Bakers fans."
Some would call McMahon's comments sour grapes, considering his team was in the process of getting stomped by the Corsairs. When reached for comment today, the Black Dogs coach said, "Bironas is dead? What happened to him? And who is Mojo D?"
The AWP learned late last night that Bakers owner QCurl Sharif had flown back early from Fidalgo Island to visit the site of Bironas' deadly collision Sunday morning. A source close to Sharif say he was overcome with emotion when he saw the site of the crash, openly weeping for several minutes before regaining his composure. The source went on to say the Bakers owner has been inconsolable ever since.
As is often the case with anything involving the Bakers, there are several unanswered questions in connection to the death of their head coach. Why was Bironas in Nashvegas and not with the team in Fidalgo Island on Saturday night? What caused the road rage that resulted in him threatening to kill some college students less than an hour before his fatal crash? Had Bironas been dismissed as head coach by the team? Why is Saddam calling his death an assassination?
Sharif was still not taking calls at the time of publication, and the person who answered the phone at the team's headquarters offered a terse, "No comment."
More on this story as it develops.
