WTA, WTF? Boston media's love affair with Wilder the Animal on the rocks after blown wins

Animals GM and former wunderkind Wilder the Animal has left the team's fans wondering what he's smoking with some of his recent lineup moves.

By R.E. Porter
Associated Web Press

Like father, like son? After being the golden boy of the NFFA, the league's GM of the year in 2015, Cambridge Animals GM Wilder the Animal appears to have lost his magic touch this year, making lineup gaffes reminiscent of legendarily bad moves made by his father, Dave the Animal, that cost the team victories in seasons past.

Over the past month, WTA has fielded three lineups that included injured/inactive players, and in two of those instances, it cost the Animals a win — in week 9 against the Atlanta Smack Daddies and this past weekend against the West Nashville Beelzebubbas. In each case, had WTA played Randall Cobb at wide receiver rather than Kelvin Benjamin, Cambridge would have won the game and would now be tied with the Downtown Corsairs for the best record in the league at 8-4.

"I don't understand why Wilder hates me," Cobb said. "I lace them up and bring it for this team every week."

When he learned the Animals only had 12 active players in their lineup last weekend, London Bakers owner QCurl Sharif said, "I think Wilder was showboating, which he likes to do. Curlbaby likes to showboat, too. That's why I never let him coach." Sharif paused, then added, "I'll never forget when Wilder tried to big-dog Bill Money and me two summers ago. That's one thing I forgot to forget to hate."

Zuma the Animal

Media outlets in the greater Boston area normally deferential to the Animals young GM have found their spines in recent days and have been hammering his roster decisions relentlessly, referring to him as "Milder the Animal" and "blunderkind." Boston sports talk radio has been blowing up with speculation suggesting there will be a shake-up in the Animals power structure, with DTA's youngest son, Zuma the Animal, taking over as GM. "Some fans are understandably anxious about putting ZTA in charge, since he's only 7 years old," said retired Boston sports columnist Bob Ryan during a segment on ESPN's Around the Horn devoted to the Animals' woes. "On the other hand, they do have a wunderkind tradition, and it can't be much worse than how it is going now."

Neither WTA, nor DTA, could be reached as this story went to press. The person answering the phone in the Animals' media relations department declined to comment.