20 years in the Making

In America, there is a minor professional football league. It has been operating competitively for 10 years. Season X begins in Joplin, Mo., where twenty years of tradition collide this Saturday. 

The Joplin Crusaders are on a mission dubbed just that, as they enter the stadium carrying eight semi-pro championships behind their shield. That's right, in their twenty year tradition of American football, they have dominated the state of Missouri. The "show me state" where what we know as homecomings began as an organic tradition. 

What better athletic Crusade to embark on than riding the tide of a perennial championship team, as they enter their first year of conquest in the GDFL. Will Joplin ride the Crusade all the way to Football Land. How will they fare when against the Thunder storm a few hours west of them or better yet the Blast beneath them.

The last time these 20-year traditions met, they were both early in franchise-hood. The Blast were loaded with nationally known talent and blasted there way out of the contest with a victory. Oh how times have changed. Eight championships later the Crusaders have a much different prophecy for the Memphis Blast this time.
The Blast are re-calibrating from last season and looking to make their first run at the GRIDIRON BOWL. Will they be a "match-spark" or will we all feel the Blast? Their keys to igniting and leaving this football crusade with a victory are discipline and cohesion. Easier said than done, right? 

This weeks game of the week feature two twenty year programs. The Blast have been in the GDFL since the conception. The Crusaders are in their first year of GDFL national competition. Will they find footballs' grail or fall off the GRID? They won eight championships in Missouri, will they survive the GRID and make it to the GRIDIRON BOWL? Will the Blast be victim to pride and discipline? Or will they use they natural thrills to blast away from the competition.

We paced the VINyard back and forwards to decide this....

Jopling, 8 championships.... Blast, big hits and play making highlight reelers....