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| NFFA Commissioner Bernie Sanders addressed the confusion over who won the 2022 NFFA crown at a press conference this morning at the league's headquarters. |
By R.E. Porter
Associated Web Press
The postponement of the game Monday night between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals had thrown the 2022 NFFA championship into question. With the NFL’s announcement Thursday evening the game will not be resumed, it became clear which team will hoist the Dead Lombardi trophy. Commissioner Bernie Sanders made the announcement at a press conference this morning in the lobby of the NFFA Tower in downtown Nashville.
“I want to thank all of you for coming here today,” Sanders began, reading from a prepared statement that was made available to the media beforehand. “First, let me say that the entire NFFA family is praying for Damar Hamlin to have a full and speedy recovery. We are thrilled at the news of his daily improvement.
“But as I don’t have to tell you,” the commissioner continued, “Damar's unfortunate injury Monday night that resulted in the postponement of the game between the Bills and Bengals wreaked havoc in fantasy leagues across the globe, and the NFFA is no exception.
“Like all the other leagues, we were awaiting the NFL’s decision on whether the Bills-Bengals game would be resumed. In the meantime, our stats provider closed out the stats for last weekend’s games. I understand why they did that, but frankly it created chaos in Nashvegas.
“Acting on the stat update, the league site announced the Village Green as the winners of the 2022 championship by a score of 122.3-106 over the Ballers. But the Ballers score was incomplete because their starting quarterback and one of their starting wide receivers were among the Bills and Bengals players affected by the suspension of Monday’s game.
“On top of that, with the outcome of the title game up the air and by virtue of winning the third-place game, the London Bakers declared themselves ‘interim champions’ to bring ‘stability’ to the situation, and trumpeted their declaration on their website and in a release to the media. Needless to say, that merely added to the confusion.
“Late last night, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called to inform me they had decided to cancel the Bills-Bengals game. After consulting with both Green and Ballers executives, as well as the NFFA security council, it was decided that in fairness, the Ballers should be allowed to substitute the backups for the players who didn’t play Monday night. So quarterback Brock Purdy was subbed for Joe Burrow and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was subbed for Tee Higgins. That resulted in an additional 39.2 points for the Ballers and a 145.2-122.3 win over the Green.
Sanders paused for effect, then said, “So let me make one thing perfectly clear — the Ballers are the 2022 NFFA champions. And let me be the first to congratulate Ballers owner Mojo D on his fourth league crown.”
With that, Sanders concluded the press conference without opening the floor for questions. As he strode across the lobby, members of the gathered media fired questions at him.
“I heard the Green already have the Dead Lombardi trophy in their possession — do you think they will return it willingly?” shouted Woody Larry.
“What about the interim champion Bakers,” yelled Man-Ray Natural of The Mainline Dope. “Will they get a trophy?”
Commissioner Sanders stopped before boarding the elevator and said to the reporters, “There will be one trophy, and the Ballers will get it. Thank you and good day.”
He then entered the elevator being held for him and ascended to the league’s penthouse offices.
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