So, with the recent NicoNico livestream we have a lot of information about everything with the coming fest. This Megathread will be listing out all the events and other things going on during fest and I'll try my best to capture everything I see put up about it, including rewards for stuff if I can get them. I'll do another separate post for the banners and put a link here so if you're looking for what's on the banners the link is here and I'll also link it below.
There's a lot here (mostly copied and pasted from S0litair3d on various GF Threads with additional inputs from the translations of onthefaultline and Leyroux here) so if I messed anything up please let me know. Also if you have any updates (like what specifically is given out each day in the login bonuses, Spiralling Floors (boss event), etc.) let me know and I'll add it.
Anything I could find a solid date for I haven't added though I'm sure there will be some things like Gem draws that's dates always come late. As I find dates or solid info I'll add it.
Thanks to onthefaultline and Leyroux for the translation work, dataminers like ElNinoFr (and other I'm sure), and S0litair3d as always for the posts on GameFaqs that allows me to do these and also thanks to Pyrotios for always checking my work and helping make sure these things are accurate.

Recent JP Megathreads

Fat Black Chocobo: Shocking Magicites A Sword to Sheathe (XI) Confounded Memories (III) The Deserting Kingdom (VI) Confounded Memories (XII) Journey through the Dark City (IX) Core Torment (Core/Beyond) Fat Black Chocobo: Shadowy Magicites Thrills and Treats/Dragonlord Bahamut (XIV) Clash of Gunblades (VIII)

Fantasy Fest 2020

Megathread Relics

Helpful Links

General JP Version Information FFRK Community Database
Game Updates:

• Assistive Touch Menu update (16 Dec)
  
  • A sub-menu will be brought up when you press and hold the icons for equipment, abilities, Magicite and Historia Crystals, allowing you quick access to their upgrading menu pages.
• Miscellaneous updates (16 Dec)
  
  • The Overdrive function will be added to the 6* Magicites and Dreambreaker dungeons.
  • The limit of 6* Ruby abilities transmutable from the Royal Crucible have been raised to two.
  • Similar to party templates, you can now register a template of equipment, ability, SB & Materias for every character
  • Maximum slots will be increased from 60 to 99
  • A filtering function will be added to Kite's Treasure Trove to ease the searching of actual items the players are currently looking for
  • Hero Artifacts will also be added to Kite's Treasure Trove for a limited time.
  • A new "Labyrinth" label will also be added
  • The Home Screen will be renewed and their existing icons rearranged to the following order:
    • Record Dungeons
    • Mote Dungeons
    • Power-up Dungeons
    • Realm Dungeons
    • Event Dungeons
    • Labyrinth Dungeons
    • Nightmare/Magicite Dungeons
    • Cardia Dungeons
  • The initial position of the active party will be reset to be in front of the Realm Dungeons.
• Wall Balance Update (16 Dec)
  
  • We’ve examined the game balance and made the following changes.
  • Changes to the power granted by Elarra and Dr Mog
  • We have made changes to the duration of the buff provided by Elarra's Fabula Guardian and Dr Mog's Sentinel's Tome found available in certain dungeons.
    • Before Change: 30 seconds
    • After Change: 45 seconds
  • As compensation for this maintenance, all players will be sent 1 Mythril.
  • Mythril will be sent to the Item Chest.

Items in the Item Chest are deleted after 30 days. Please be sure to claim them before the claim period ends.

• Limit Break Guardian Summoning (GF Link)
  
  • A new LB tier will arrive in the upcoming fest for Yuna & Eiko.
  • Limit Break Guardian Summoning: For a period of time, summons a Guardian to fight in place of the entire party
    • Guardian can be manually controlled, has its own HP/ATB bar, stats, abilities & Soul Break.
    • Stats of the Guardian is dependent on the number of LB bars consumed.
    • While the Guardian is in the field, time is stopped for the party.
    • The time for ATB bar, casting time, air time, status ailments, bonus effects from SB/abilities, etc will not move.
    • The Guardian will be treated as the same entity as its summoner.
    • Effects that consider number of actions taken, damage dealt, bonus based on certain surviving party members, etc will be shared.
    • However, the Guardian will not take on any active status ailments or bonus SB/ability effect that the summoner has.
    • Guardian will disappear when duration expires, HP is fully consumed, or Soul Break is used.
    • LBGS can only be used once per battle, and each character can only equip 1.
  • Yuna's LBGS [G. Valefor]: Instant Summons Valefor
    • G. Valefor (Passive): Protect, Shell, Haste, Max ATB 1, DEF/RES +200%, Lv.3 En-Holy and BDL+2
    • G. Sonic Wings (Ability): SUM?: Instant 1x single Holy/Wind/NE overflow, removes Haste; self no SB charge.
    • G. Energy Ray (Ability): SUM?: Instant 5x AoE Holy/Wind/NE, self no SB charge
    • G. Energy Blast (SB): SUM?: Instant 10x AoE Holy/Wind/NE, 1x AOE Holy/Wind/NE overflow; ends Guardian Summoning.
• Labyrinth Dungeons (GF Link) (16 Dec)
  
  • An entire new maze like dungeon inspired by Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy will be implemented into the game.
  • Face enemies of various difficulties from downright easy to many more times harder than those offered in the Magicites or Cardia Dungeons.
  • Accessible from the Home menu, the Labyrinth Dungeon has its own Labyrinth Party menu & Item Vault. As well as a link to Kite's Shop and Labyrinth related announcements.
  • You have to create 3 parties before challenging the Labyrinth Dungeon. Between the 3 parties, you cannot have a repeated character, Magicite & Historia Crystal.
    • When making the 3 parties for the first time, nothing can be shared. Characters, Magicite, Historia Crystal, equipment, abilities & even Record Materias.
    • However once you have properly entered the Labyrinth, you can interchange all of the above. But nothing else from your inventory.
    • In other words you can only play around with 15 characters/equipment/RM, 1-3 Historia Crystals, 1-15 Magicites, and 30 abilities.
    • While you only need 5 Wodin accessories this way, the fatigue system will force you to change your party setup very frequently. So hoard vs convenience. Either way you will very likely need to redo your RMs before every single fight.
  • On the bottom right of each character sprite, there is a number.
    • This refers to that character's "Record Fatigue".
    • This value will increase if you bring that character into battle. And decrease if you did not choose that character for the fight, or enter a Recovery Painting with him.
    • If the Record Fatigue exceeds 7, that character will enter Fatigue Mode and his stats will decrease.
    • If the Record Fatigue reaches 2 and below, he will enter Vigor Mode and gain additional stats.
    • Vigor Mode can also be triggered through special events in certain Paintings, as well as the item "Lethe's Drop".
  • Entering the actual Labyrinth Dungeon will bring you to a map with various tiles and you can only move to an adjacent tile one at a time.
    • The types of tiles are "Labyrinth Cloister", "Cloister Dimensional Gap", "Start of Cloister", "Teleportation Crystal" & "Locked".
    • If you reach a Teleportation Crystal, you can teleport back to that tile later on.
  • Labyrinth Cloister
    • The number of steps in the Cloister's icon will tell you how lengthy it is.
    • Once you have decided on your Cloister, confirm your parties and enter.
    • Each cloister has multiple floors.
    • Each floor has multiple sets of 3 paintings for you to choose 1.
    • Behind the painting can be a battle or special event.
    • Choices of paintings are random so repeated attempts of the same Cloister may not give you the same options.
    • Battle Painting
      • Contains a battle with a random enemy.
      • Select your party and challenge it.
      • There will be a guaranteed item drop, but randomly from a list.
    • Advancement Painting
      • Provides certain buffs to your characters.
      • Click the magnifying glass icon to select the buff you want.
    • Recovery Painting
      • Resets the Record Fatigue to your characters.
    • Exploration Painting
      • Can contain an item, a battle, or a mysterious door that you can choose to open or not to.
      • For the latter, either options will give you a positive or negative effect.
    • Treasury Painting
      • Contains 3 treasure chests for you to pick 1.
      • Inside all 3 will definitely be a Hero Artifact. (Need to verify if all three are artifacts or just 1 is guaranteed).
      • If you have a "Magic Key" or spend Mythril/Gem, you can open more than 1 chest.
      • The chest contents can be analyzed before opening by watching your network traffic (This is outside of the game).
    • Warp Painting
      • Will bring you to the next floor.
      • It serves as a shortcut for clearing the cloister faster.
    • Warden Painting
      • Lies at the end of the cloister.
      • Behind it is a boss battle, clear it to win and exit the cloister.
  • Dungeon Information & Rewards
    • The information menu of each floor has a list of paintings, enemy encounters, items, as well as the boss behind the Warden Painting.
    • Under Drop Reward, you can also see the list of Hero Artifacts that are available in that cloister.
    • So you can explore certain cloisters more thoroughly if it contains the Artifact that you want.
    • You have the option to escape in the middle of the cloister. However without the item "Teleport Stone", you will lose all items earned inside this cloister. So in order to retrieve all items in the cloister, you have to either defeat the Warden Painting, or exit with the Teleport Stone.
  • Quick Exploration
    • If you have the item "Record Bookmark", you can simply spend stamina to instantly complete a cloister that you have already cleared. EXP will not be earned, but this allows you to quickly gain items & Labyrinth Points.
  • Cloister Dimensional Gap (CDG)
    • In the Labyrinth Map, you can also find a Cloister Dimensional Gap. Inside contains a high difficulty battle. No exploration, just the fight. Cloister Dimensional Gap can contain either elemental or realm based battles.
    • In the first release of Labyrinth Dungeon, you can find [Labyrinth] Kalavinka Striker.
    • This boss favors Earth characters and there will be a physical and magic allowed variant.
    • Grade rewards of this boss contains a Hero Artifact with a rare passive.
    • Note that these Artifacts can also be obtained through normal cloister exploration.
  • Seasons
    • Labyrinth Dungeon is season-based.
    • New dungeons are periodically added and this addition will be treated as a Season. The title of each dungeon will contains the season it arrives in, eg. S1 for Season 1.
    • Cloister Dimensional Gaps are also added periodically, this is called a Group. At the start of Labyrinth Dungeon we will be in Season 1 Group A. When the second Dimensional Gap is added, we will move onto Season 1 Group B. If a new wave of dungeons are added (together with a new Dimensional Gap), we are at Season 2 Group C.
    • Each Group determines what Hero Artifacts will be dropped. They will belong to characters that are useful against the newest Dimensional Gap. First boss is Earth-weak, so Group A's list of Hero Artifact drops will belong to Earth characters.
    • Relics from expired groups will not be available until that season ends. * For example, let's say that Season 1 has 4 Groups (A-D).
      • Group A relics are gone when Group B starts, which are available until Group C.
      • But once Season 1 has ended, Group A-D will go on rotation within S1 dungeons.
  • Further Season Clarification from S0litair3d
    • Season refers to an addition of a bunch of dungeons.
      • They will be marked with S1, S2, S3, etc so that you can find them easily in the future when there is many.
      • Cloister Dimensional Gap is just a single boss fight.
      • If it is inserted into Season 1's batch of dungeons, then it belongs to Season 1.
      • The period between each CDG is called a Group.
    • From the debut of Labyrinth, it is Group A, which changes to Group B once the second CDG arrives.
    • Based on DeNA's initial schedule, it seems like there will be 4 Groups in each Season. (Season 1 Group A-D, Season 2 Group E-H, etc.).
      • The list of possible Hero Artifact drops is dependent on the Group.
      • Group A is Earth because the CDG is Earth-weak. If for example CDG2 is VII-weak, then Group B's relics will be for VII.
      • But once Group B starts, you can no longer grind for Group A relics until the season ends.
    • Season 2 will add another batch of dungeons, and Group E will start in there. At the same time, Season 1's dungeons will go back to Group A. Which goes onto Group B after a few days. And so on.
    • Example Season (Season 1) - 16th December 2020 to 23rd April 2021
      • 3x Tutorial Dungeon (D60~80)
      • 4x Low Difficulty Dungeon (D80~180)
      • 4x Mid Difficulty Dungeon (D220~350)
      • 3x High Difficulty Dungeon (D400~500)
      • 4x Cloister Dimensional Gap
      • Cloister Dimensional Gap S1-2, S1-3 & S1-4 will arrive on a later date
      • Overdrive is only available in Cloister Dimensional Gap S1-1
    • Group A - 16th December 2020 to 15th January 2021
      • Low Difficulty Dungeon
      • Cloister of Caves S1 (Rinoa, Emperor, Guy)
      • Cloister of Sorceress S1 (Red XIII, Tellah, Rude)
      • Cloister of Breeding S1 (Red XIII, Cinque, Guy)
      • Cloister of Escape S1 (Tifa, Cinque, Cid XIV)
      • Mid Difficulty Dungeon
      • Cloister of Trials (Rinoa, Emperor, Guy)
      • Cloister of Floating Castle S1 (Red XIII, Tellah, Rude)
      • Cloister of Waterfall Lake S1 (Red XIII, Cinque, Guy)
      • Cloister of Sunken Depths S1 (Tifa, Cinque, Cid XIV)
      • High Difficulty Dungeon
      • Cloister of Temple (Rinoa, Emperor, Guy)
      • Cloister of Electromagnetic Tower (Tifa, Cinque, Cid XIV)
      • Cloister of Volcano (Red XIII, Tellah, Rude)
    • Meanwhile in Kite's Shop.
    • When Group A starts, all relics inside are added to his shop.
    • Once Group B starts, his shop will also get these new additions on top of Group A's.
    • So near the end of Season 1, his shop will have relics from Group A-D, while the dungeons will only drop D.
    • But once Season 1 ends, all relics will be removed and his shop will only contain E.
    • Example Missions (Season 1)
      • Earn 2500 Labyrinth Points: 50 Rainbow Crystals
      • Earn 10000 Labyrinth Points: 10 Intellect Rosetta Stones
      • Earn 100000 Labyrinth Points: 3 Stamina Potions
      • Earn 300000 Labyrinth Points: 1000 Lv.1 Anima Lens
      • Earn 650000 Labyrinth Points: 3 Magic Keys
      • Earn 1000000 Labyrinth Points: 700 Lv.2 Anima Lens
      • Earn 2000000 Labyrinth Points: 1 Teleport Stone
      • Earn 3000000 Labyrinth Points: 500 Lv.3 Anima Lens
      • Earn 4000000 Labyrinth Points: 250 EX Anima Lens
      • Earn 5000000 Labyrinth Points: 30 Treasure Maps
      • Defeater [Labyrinth] Kalavinka Striker: 15 Treasure Maps
  • Labyrinth Point
    • This is earned based on the actions you take in the Labyrinth Dungeon.
    • Where from battles, picking certain paintings or seeing certain events, various amounts will be provided.
    • You can earn rewards based on the total amount of Labyrinth Points earned.
    • At the end of each Season, all Labyrinth Points are reset.
  • Labyrinth Tome
    • There are a set of limited missions that expires with each Season.
  • Kite's Shop
    • He will sell all Hero Artifacts that are featured in the current Season.
    • You have to spend "Treasure Maps" to purchase them, which can be obtained in the Labyrinth Dungeon.
    • Example Season (Season 1)
      • Regular:
      • 1x Intellect Rosetta Stone. Cost: 10 Rosetta Stones
      • 1x Intellect Rosetta Stone. Cost: 100 Major Growth Eggs
      • 1x Intellect Rosetta Stone. Cost: 100 Major Adamantites
      • 1x Intellect Rosetta Stone. Cost: 100 Major Scarletites
      • Each allow 5 purchases every week
      • Limited:
      • Each Hero Artifact costs 5 Treasure Maps, unlimited quantity
  • Chance to obtain various rewards, from random items to powerful Relics exclusive to these dungeons, in the form of Hero Artifacts.
• Hero Artifacts:
  
  • These are powerful Relics obtained from within the Labyrinth Dungeons or from trading them as limited time exclusive items from Kite's Treasure Trove.
  • Hero Artifacts can only be exclusively equipped by a particular hero (like Hero abilities) that the Artifact resonates with, and they come in three different categories, namely Weapon, Armor and Accessory.
  • Hero Artifacts have their own inventory.
  • Levels
    • A basic Hero Artifact will start from level 1/50.
    • At level 50, physical weapons have 266 ATK, magic has 258 MAG, ranged physical has 253 ATK, hybrid has 258 in both stats,
    • All weapon & armors have minor omni-elemental boost, all accessories have Wodin's effect.
    • Like regular Relics, Hero Artifacts can also be leveled up, and it is possible to level them up till lv99 by breaking its level cap by fusing copies of the same Hero Artifact.
    • Levels can be increased by spending Rainbow Crystals as usual. In addition you can feed them spare Hero Artifacts.
    • Hero Accessories has no levels.
    • Once a Hero Artifact has reached level 99, you can then raise its Augment level up to +99.
    • You can do so by fusing more copies of the same Hero Artifact, or use "Intellect Rosetta Stone" that can be obtained in the Labyrinth Dungeon.
  • Passives
    • Hero Artifacts can hold two special passive abilities, an Unique passive ability and an Inherited passive ability.
    • Unique passive abilities are always given to and shared across all similar Hero Artifacts.
    • Inherited passive abilities are random and can differ even for identical Hero Artifacts; they can be obtained by methods such as Reforging, Break their Level Cap, etc.
    • Higher difficulty dungeons will drop Hero Artifacts with better inherited passives.
    • Similar to Magicites, the Inherited passive can be replaced when you fuse the same equipment.
    • Unique passive is fixed and cannot be changed.
    • Inherited passive for Artifacts purchased from Kite's Shop is average, while Artifacts dropped by defeating Cloister Dimensional Gap are guaranteed to be strong.
    • An example of a Unique passive is Critical Damage +5% (Fist), and Inherited passive is Earth Damage +3%.
  • A set bonus effect can be unlocked when two or three Hero Artifacts are equipped together for a hero.
    • For example, Tifa gains 50% SB Booster for 1 turn if she equips her Hero Weapon & Hero Armor (any 2 of the 3 hero artifacts).
    • Instant Cast 1 if she equips her Hero Weapon & Hero Accessory or Hero Armor & Hero Accessory (all 3 hero artifacts).
    • She gets both Set Bonuses if all 3 are equipped.
  • Hero Artifact accessories are not eligible for Reforge, Breaking Level Caps or receive Inherited passive abilities.
  • In commemoration of the release of Labyrinth Dungeon Season 1, Overdrive is made available for free for the first Cloister Dimensional Gap, [Labyrinth] Kalavinka Striker.
  • However, an "Overdrive" marker will be shown in your time score if you utilize it.
  • Just for the first boss.
  • There are no determined date on when Overdrive will be unlocked for future bosses.
• In-game campaign
  
  • Gives reward based on the total Labyrinth Points the entire player base earned by 23rd December.
    • Tier 1: 5 Stamina Potions
    • Tier 2: 50 Rainbow Crystals
    • Tier 3: Red XIII Hero Weapon, Armor & Accessory
    • Tier 4: 3x Fest 10-pull tickets
• Magicite Support Campaign (25 Dec)
  
  • There will be limited missions from 25th December 2020 to 15th January 2021
  • Rewards include Realm (I've seen these can't be used on realms...?)/Elemental Relic Draw Ticket & New Year Relic Draw Ticket
• January Twitter Campaign
  
  • Achieving the milestones will earn another month-long campaign of 10-pull daily draws in Feb 2021.

Fantasy Fest 2020

Schedule as follows:

• 30/11: Banners release after this will have Stamp Sheets
• 04/12 ~ 18/12: Magicite Support Campaign
• 04/12: Vivid Omega Returns (No updates)
• 04/12: Confounded Memories (III)
• 08/12 ~ 11/01: Series Happy Relic Draws (RoP/LoTR)
• 09/12 ~ 08/01: Transcendent Ruins
• 09/12 ~ 14/12: 1/2 DU Stamina
• 09/12: Story Dungeon (FFVI, FFVII & FFVII-DC)
• 11/12: A Sword to Sheathe (XI)
• 11/12: Dragonlord Bahamut (XI)
• 16/12: New Year Banquet(Orbfest)
• 18/12: Christmas Login Bonus
• 18/12: Realm/Elemental Relic Draw Renewal
• 18/12: Fat Black Chocobo: Shocking Magicites
• 23/12: Fest Countdown Lucky #1 (Glint/Glint+/LMLBG 2G5)
• 24/12: Fest Countdown Lucky #2 (Physical AASB)
• 25/12: Fest Countdown Lucky #3 (Magical AASB)
• 25/12 ~ 15/01: 1/2 DU Stamina
• 25/12 ~ 15/01: Double Gyshal Greens
• 25/12 ~ 15/01: Daily Twitter Stamina Refresh
• 25/12 ~ 15/01: New Year Relic Draw
• 25/12: New Year Gift Dungeon
• 25/12: Spiralling Floors (Boss Event)
• 25/12: End/Start of Year Painting
• 25/12: Wandering Gilgamesh Returns
• 26/12 ~ 30/12: Extreme Fest Banner 1
• 27/12: Unlimited Throttle Dungeon
• 28/12 ~ 04/01: New Year Pick Up Relic Draw
• 29/12 ~ 02/01: Extreme Fest Banner 2
• 31/12: Confounded Memories (XV)(https://redd.it/kq0kkp)
• 31: Dragonlord Bahamut (XV)
• 01/01 ~ 05/01: Extreme Fest Banner 3
• 01/01: Happy New Year 2021 Relic Draw
• 01/01: New Year's Gift Login Bonus
• 01/01 ~ 15/01: Fortune Bag Relic Draw
• 04/01 ~ 08/01: Extreme Fest Banner 4
• 07/01 ~ 11/01: Extreme Fest Banner 5
  
• ?: Fest Dream Selection (None - Next select is with the XIII event.)
  

Magicite Support Campaign (4 Dec-18 Dec)

• From 4th to 18th December there will be limited missions involving various Magicite dungeons (except Lord of Knights)
• Rewards include Elemental Relic Draw Ticket, note that these can't be used in the realm banners
• End of Year Free Relic Draw x10 tickets can also be gotten here.
• Stamina cost for all Magicite dungeon except Lord of Knights will be halved

Series Happy Relic Draws (RoP/LoTR) (8 Dec-11 Jan)

• 17 banners total (one for each realm).
• One-time draw only. Each draw costs 5 Mythrils or 291 Gems.
• This is a triple pull that guarantees you at least one 5*+.
• Relic pool contains all BSB+ & LMRs in the game for the respective realms.

Trancendent Ruins (9 Dec-8 Jan)

• All previous Transcendent bosses will return.
• No New Transcendent boss

New Year Banquet (Orbfest) (16 Dec)

• 5 tickets per day over 10 days
• Earn Festival Coins that can be spent in a limited trade shop

Christmas Login Bonus (18 Dec)

• Rewards include Mythril, Crystal & Realm/Series Relic Draw Ticket

Fest Countdown Luckies (23, 24, 25 Dec)

• One lucky banner a day for 3 days, each half-priced for the first 11-pull.
• LMGlint/Glint+/LBG (2G5)
• Physical AASB
• Magical AASB

New Year Relic Draw (25 Dec)

• Can only be pulled with New Year Relic Draw Tickets
• Each ticket grants a 10-pull with 1G5
• Receive up too 100 Relics by spending the End of Year Free Relic Draw x10 tickets in this special Relic Draw.
• Log into the game during the holiday period to get the chance to receive up to ten End of Year Free Relic Draw x10 tickets.
• These tickets can be obtained as part of the New Year Party 2021 Login bonus and also from the New Year's Gift Login bonus.
• Additional tickets can also be obtained as part of the Magicites and Cardia Dungeon Events that are held simultaneously alongside these New Year Events.
• Rates
  • 7* - 1.042%
  • 6* - 8.977%
  • 5* - 4.019%

New Year Gift Dungeon (25 Dec)

• 14 dungeons in total
• Dungeon on 1st January will reward 30 Mythrils

Spiralling Floors (Boss Event) (25 Dec)

• Boss event of this fest.
• The central Royal Archives event of the fest.
• A mysterious spatial distortion has been uncovered by Tyro and co beyond the wall of the Royal Archives.
• A neverending flight of winding stairs have seemed to appeared in its stead.
• Test the limits of your party by forcing your way across the spiraling levels.

End/Start of Year Painting (25 Dec)

• Fight against a boss to commemorate the Year of the Rat
• Who will be swapped out on 1st January with another boss to celebrate the Year of the Cow
• Rewards include Job Motes
• (A silhouette of Giant Rat (III) representing the mascot of the Eastern Zodiac for the Year of the Rat (2020) and another pair of silhouettes of The Brothers - Sacred and Minotaur (VIII) representing the mascot of the Eastern Zodiac for the Year of the Ox (2021) are shown in the event banner).

Wandering Gilgamesh (25 Dec) (Thanks Pyrotios)

• Higher difficulty now includes XV.
• No New Missions.
• Current realm list: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.
• Current missions: defeat 3/5/7/9 different realms.

Extreme Fest Banner Draws (26/29 Dec, 1/4/7 Jan).

• 5 banners in total starting from 26 December
• Introducing new TASB, SASB & LBGS
• Link to banner info is here.

Unlimited Throttle Dungeon (27 Dec)

• Fight against Garland (IX) with unlimited SB/LB bars

New Year Pick Up Relic Draw (28 Dec)

• Regular full priced banner.
• After making two 11-pulls, you get an AASB pick for free.
• Cutoff seems to be the this event. (Thanks C637 for this and the updated list below).
  
  • Banner
    • Firion Sync (Holy+ Katana)
    • Firion AASB (Holy+ Katana)
    • Bartz AASB2 (Wind+ Sword)
    • Rem AASB (Holy+ Daggers)
    • Vivi AASB2 (Ice+ Staff)
    • Noctis Flash+
    • Squall Flash+1
    • Ashe Flash+
    • Tifa Flash+
    • Alphinaud Flash+
    • Onion Knight Flash+
    • Lightning Flash+2
  • AASB Select
    • I: Warrior of Light, Garland, Sarah, Wol, Echo, Master, Matoya, Meia, Thief (I)
    • II: Firion, Maria, Guy, Leon, Minwu, Gordon, Leila, Richard, Josef 1, Josef 2, Emperor 1, Emperor 2, Hilda, Scott
    • III: Luneth 1, Arc 1, Refia, Ingus 1, Desch 1, Onion Knight 1, Onion Knight 2, Cloud of Darkness, Aria
    • IV: Dark Knight Cecil, Paladin Cecil, Kain 1, Kain 2, Rydia 1, Rydia 2, Rosa, Edward, Yang, Palom, Porom, Tellah 1, Edge, Fusoya, Golbez, Cid (IV), Ceodore, Rubicante, Ursula, Barbariccia
    • V: Lenna 1, Lenna 2, Galuf, Famed Mimic Gogo, Gilgamesh, Bartz 1, Bartz 2, Bartz 3, Bartz 4, Bartz 5, Faris 1, Faris 2, Dorgann, Exdeath, Krile, Xezat, Kelger
    • VI: Terra 1, Terra 2, Locke, Celes 1, Celes 2, Mog 1, Mog 2, Edgar, Sabin, Shadow, Cyan, Gau, Setzer, Strago 1, Strago 2, Relm, Gogo (VI), Umaro, Kefka, Leo
    • VII: Cloud 1, Cloud 2, Barret 1, Barret 2, Tifa, Aerith, Red XIII, Yuffie 1, Yuffie 2, Cait Sith, Vincent, Zack 1, Zack 2, Sephiroth 1, Sephiroth 2, Cid (VII), Reno, Angeal, Rufus, Shelke, Rude, Elena, Genesis
    • VIII: Squall 1, Squall 2, Rinoa 1, Rinoa 2, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Seifer 1, Laguna 1, Laguna 2, Edea, Raijin, Fujin, Kiros, Ward, Ultimecia
    • IX: Zidane, Garnet, Vivi 1, Vivi 2, Steiner 1, Steiner 2, Freya, Quina, Eiko 1, Eiko 2, Amarant, Beatrix, Kuja, Marcus
    • X: Tidus, Yuna 1, Yuna 2, Wakka 1, Wakka 2, Lulu 1, Kimahri, Rikku, Auron, Jecht, Brasca, Paine, Seymour
    • XI: Shantotto, Ayame, Curilla, Prishe, Lion, Aphmau, Zeid, Lilisette
    • XII: Vaan 1, Vaan 2, Balthier, Fran 1, Fran 2, Basche, Ashe, Penelo, Gabranth, Larsa, Vayne 1, Reks 1
    • XIII: Lightning 1, Lightning 2, Snow 1, Snow 2, Vanille, Sazh, Hope, Fang, Serah, Raines 1, Noel 1, Noel 2, Nabaat
    • XIV: Y'shtola 1, Y'shtola 2, Yda, Papalymo, Alphinaud, Minfilia, Ysayle, Haurchefant, Estinien, Alisaie
    • XV: Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis 1, Ignis 2, Prompto, Iris, Aranea, Cor, Lunafreya, Ardyn
    • FFT: Ramza, Agrias, Ovelia, Orlandeau, Gaffgarion, Rapha, Marach, Marche, Alma, Orran
    • T0: Ace, Deuce, Nine, Machina, Rem, Queen, King, Cinque, Seven, Sice, Jack, Eight, Cater 1, Cater 2, Trey 1, Trey 2
    • Beyond: Lann, Tama 1, Enna Kros, Serafie, Rain, Fina, Lasswell
    • Core: Tyro, Elarra, Dr. Mog 1, Dr Mog 2

Happy New Year 2021 Relic Draw (1 Jan)

• Free 10-pull that guarantees 1 LBO, 2 6* & 7 5* relics

New Year's Gift Login Bonus (1 Jan)

• Log into the game during the beginning of the year holiday period to receive rewards such as Mythrils and the exclusive Elarra's Battledore 6* accessory.
• (Other than the rewards mentioned above, up to ten End of Year Free Relic Draw x10 tickets can also be obtained as part of the two login bonus events described above)

Fortune Bag Relic Draw (1 Jan - 15 Jan)
Fest Dream Selection (None)
*Next Dream selection was with the XIII event.
If you spot any mistakes or have suggestions on how to improve the quality of my guides, feel free to comment here and I'll do my best to address them ASAP!

From ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insidestory/_/id/30429187/ranking-nfl-top-25-players-age-25-2020-where-lamar-jackson-myles-garrett-kyler-murray-land
Twenty-six years and 10 months. That is the average age of all NFL players currently under contract. A whopping 82.4% of those players have yet to turn 30, and 33.6% are under the age of 25.
In this ranking, we're going to focus on that latter group to identify the future -- and, in some cases, current -- faces of the league.
The NFL has become a young man's game, so this was a very hard list to cut down, but these are the league's 25 best players under the age of 25. Note that rookies were excluded since they have such a small sample of work in the NFL, though some of the top candidates for next year's list are noted at the bottom.
To qualify for the list, the player must not have turned 25 before Dec. 3. All stats are through Week 12 with the exception of those pertaining to the Steelers and Ravens. Asterisks (*) denote that the player has a fifth-year team option in his contract.

1. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Turns 25: Aug. 7, 2022 Signed through: 2022*
Choosing a player to lead this list was not an easy task, since nearly every candidate still has something to prove at the NFL level. And while that is, of course, the case for Murray, the 2019 first overall pick has been an absolute game-changer during his second NFL season. Arizona made the somewhat controversial decision to trade away 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen last offseason, which set the table for its selection of Murray with the first pick of the 2019 draft. Murray has proved it was the right decision, winning the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year award before making the leap to superstardom in 2020.
Murray ranks no lower than 13th in completions, passing yards and pass TDs, and also leads all quarterbacks with 650 yards and 10 scores on the ground. Murray is the top-scoring player in fantasy football and has turned the 6-5 Cardinals into a contender (an impressive feat in a tough NFC West). The do-it-all 23-year-old is the league's best player under age 25.

2. Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns

Turns 25: Dec. 29, 2020 Signed through: 2026
Garrett has more than lived up to expectations since being selected with the first pick of the 2017 draft. The dominant edge rusher ranks fifth in the NFL in sacks (40.0), seventh in pass rush wins (215) and 11th in hurries (83) since he entered the league. His 25.5% pass rush win rate trails only that of Robert Quinn, Joey Bosa and Aaron Donald among defenders with at least 500 pass rush attempts during the span.
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound Garrett doesn't get many plays off, playing 81% of the defensive snaps when active in 2019 and 80% so far in 2020. Garrett, a second-team All-Pro in 2018, was well on his way to another appearance on the squad before a suspension-shortened 2019 and is on the Defensive Player of the Year short list this season. Garrett is quite possibly the league's best edge rusher and Cleveland knows it, having signed its defensive anchor to a five-year, $125 million extension in July.

3. Quenton Nelson, LG, Indianapolis Colts

Turns 25: March 19, 2021 Signed through: 2021*
Guards aren't usually considered a high-priority position for teams during draft season, but the Colts felt Nelson was too good to pass on with the sixth pick of the 2018 draft. They were right. Nelson was the team's starting left guard from day one and hasn't looked back, playing nearly every offensive snap since he joined the team. Pro Football Focus graded Nelson as the league's fifth-best guard in 2018, second-best in 2019 and seventh-best so far in 2020.
After ranking 30th in the league in pass block win rate as a rookie (including all positions, not just guards), Nelson jumped to 15th in 2019 and is all the way up to sixth in 2020. Nelson was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro during each of his first two NFL seasons, and he's a near lock to make it a trifecta during his age-24 campaign.

4. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Turns 25: Dec. 14, 2022 Signed through: 2022
"Limited route tree." "Too many injuries." "Awful 3-cone and short-shuttle performances." "Not a complete player." These are among the excuses for why teams allowed DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf -- a 6-foot-4, 228-pound superhuman with 4.33 wheels and elite strength -- to plummet to the 64th pick of the 2019 draft. Despite having yet to turn 23 years old, Metcalf has already made his doubters pay. Since entering the league, Metcalf ranks fourth in the NFL in touchdown receptions (16) and 10th in receiving yardage (1,939). Metcalf was good as a rookie, but he has made the leap to "great" in 2020.
He leads the NFL in receiving yards (1,039) and sits no lower than fifth among wide receivers in touchdown receptions (nine), yards per reception (17.9) and yards per target (11.4). Metcalf is already one of the most intimidating players in the entire league -- let alone among those under age 25 -- and the crazy thing is that he'll still qualify for the 2022 version of this list. Don't be surprised if he's at the top.

5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Turns 25: Jan. 7, 2022 Signed through: 2021*
Listing the reigning NFL MVP any lower than first might seem like blasphemy at first glance, but remember that this is an evaluation of how these players are currently performing. Jackson has, of course, taken a step back from a dominant 2019 campaign in which he scored 43 touchdowns and set the single-season records in carries (176) and rushing yardage (1,206) by a quarterback. In his first season as a starter, Jackson led the NFL in passing touchdowns and was a first-team All-Pro.
Though his numbers are down this season, Jackson is still a difference-maker and has the Ravens in the playoff race at 6-4. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner remains one of the league's best and most versatile weapons, having racked up 1,948 yards through the air, 575 yards on the ground (second most among QBs) and 18 total touchdowns. Since Jackson is only 23 years old, it's possible we've yet to see him at his best.

6. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Turns 25: May 21, 2021 Signed through: 2021*
During the 2018 pre-draft process, there was no way I thought I'd ever be listing Allen as one of the league's best players. I thought wrong. Allen struggled badly with accuracy and decision-making early in his career, but offset that in a big way with his athleticism and rushing ability. After posting the league's worst completion rate (53%) and highest off-target rate (23%) as a rookie, Allen improved his game a bit in his second pro campaign before taking a giant leap forward with a better supporting cast and in a pass-heavy offense here in 2020.
Allen has completed 69% of his passes (seventh-highest rate in the league), is averaging 7.9 yards per attempt (10th best) and sits no lower than 10th among passers in completions, passing yardage, touchdowns, carries and rushing yardage. Allen finished 24th in QBR in each of his first two NFL seasons, but is up to sixth in 2020. With Allen's Bills sitting atop the AFC East at 8-3, the third-year quarterback is a strong finish away from serious league MVP consideration.

7. Marcus Williams, S, New Orleans Saints

Turns 25: Sept. 8, 2021 Signed through: 2020
It's pretty incredible that Williams has yet to turn 25 years old considering that he has been one of the league's top safeties since he was selected with the 42nd overall pick of the 2017 draft. Since joining the Saints, Williams ranks third among NFL safeties in interceptions (13), 10th in passes defensed (28) and 28th in tackles (222). As reliable as they come, Williams has played 87% of the Saints' defensive snaps since he entered the league.
The Utah product became a household name for the wrong reasons as a rookie (he was on the wrong side of the Minneapolis Miracle), but that doesn't come close to overshadowing all of the positives he has brought to the New Orleans defense. Williams is a pending free agent and figures to become one of the league's highest-paid safeties this offseason.

8. Budda Baker, S, Arizona Cardinals

Turns 25: Jan. 10, 2021 Signed through: 2024
Baker has emerged as one of the league's best and most versatile defensive backs since being drafted 36th overall back in 2017. Baker was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie and is well on his way to his third Pro Bowl appearance in four seasons. After spending time as Arizona's primary slot corner earlier in his career, Baker has settled in as a full-time safety. It's worked out pretty well, as he easily leads all defensive backs with 229 tackles since the start of 2019.
He also ranks second in tackles for loss (15.5) and third in pass-rush wins (15) while adding 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a pair of INTs during the span. Baker became the league's highest-paid safety when Arizona signed him to a four-year, $59 million extension in August.

9. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Pittsburgh Steelers

Turns 25: Nov. 17, 2021 Signed through: 2021*
The 11th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Fitzpatrick got off to a very slow start as he bounced around between safety and corner while with Miami. A trade to Pittsburgh early on in the 2019 season changed everything. The Alabama product immediately stepped in as an every-down safety and helped the Steelers to nothing short of an elite defensive season. Fitzpatrick has been on the field for all but 12 of Pittsburgh's defensive snaps since he joined the team (nine of those were during his past two games).
Fitzpatrick's nine interceptions since the start of last season are second most in the NFL, and he also has added 115 tackles, 15 passes defensed and three forced fumbles. A first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in only his second professional season, the 24-year-old Fitzpatrick is already one of the game's best safeties.

10. Jaire Alexander, CB, Green Bay Packers

Turns 25: Feb. 9, 2022 Signed through: 2021*
Is Alexander currently the league's best cornerback? If he's not, he's at least in the conversation. The 18th overall pick back in 2018, Alexander flashed as a rookie before taking a leap forward while playing 97% of Green Bay's defensive snaps last season. Alexander racked up 58 tackles, 17 passes defensed (fourth most in the NFL), a pair of INTs and even chipped in with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Alexander has missed some game action because of injury this season, but he has been elite when active. In fact, his 80.6 PFF grade is fourth best among all corners. That's despite some tough assignments, including shadow coverage against Adam Thielen (6-110-2 receiving line in the game), Calvin Ridley (0-0-0), Mike Evans (1-10-0), Will Fuller (3-35-1) and Justin Jefferson (3-26-0). Alexander is already one of the game's best corners and the 23-year-old's best days are likely still ahead of him.

11. Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens

Turns 25: July 8, 2021 Signed through: 2026
Humphrey has done it all since being selected with the 16th pick of the 2017 draft. He has operated as a perimeter corner, has shadowed superstar wide receivers and, most recently, has handled primary slot duties for a terrific Baltimore defense. The accolades have followed, as Humphrey made the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro last season. Earlier this season, he was rewarded with a five-year, $97 million contract extension.
The Alabama product ranks first among corners in forced fumbles (seven), fifth in tackles for loss (11.5), 25th in passes defensed (34) and 25th in INTs (six) since being drafted. The 24-year-old is one of the game's top corners and almost certainly the league's best slot corner.

12. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

Turns 25: June 7, 2021 Signed through: 2025
McCaffrey has suffered through an injury-plagued 2020 season, but that does not overshadow a 2019 performance that was surely one of the best ever by a running back. That 2019 season included an astounding 405 touches, 2,392 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns, as well as 156 more fantasy points than any other running back. McCaffrey has been an All-Pro each of the past two seasons (first team in 2019) and landed a four-year, $64 million contract extension back in April.
Though he has been limited to three games in 2020, McCaffrey has been his usual dominant self when healthy, racking up 374 yards and six touchdowns on 66 touches. McCaffrey is one of three players in league history with at least 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season and is unquestionably one of the league's most productive offensive weapons.

13. Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Turns 25: Nov. 19, 2021 Signed through: 2021
Many were shocked when the 49ers gave up on pricey 2019 free-agent acquisition Kwon Alexander earlier this offseason, but Warner's emergence as one of the league's best linebackers made the move much easier to stomach. A third-round pick back in 2018, Warner stepped into an every-down role in his first NFL game and hasn't looked back. He has played 97% of the 49ers' defensive snaps since his debut, and has been on the field for nearly 800 more plays than any of his teammates. How's that for reliable?
Warner, of course, has also been very effective, as his 326 tackles rank 10th in the entire NFL since he was drafted. He also has 3.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, 18 passes defensed and three interceptions during the span. The 24-year-old has emerged as the anchor of one of the league's top defenses.

14. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans

Turns 25: July 28, 2022 Signed through: 2022*
Simmons' ascension to the ranks of the league's best defenders is hardly a surprise, considering that he was widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the 2019 draft class. He surely would've been drafted earlier than 19th overall had he not torn his ACL during a pre-draft training session, but that hardly matters now. The Mississippi State product flashed with a pair of sacks in a limited role as a rookie, but has bloomed into a dominant interior presence during a breakout 2020 campaign.
He has already racked up 37 tackles, 16 pass-rush wins, 10 hurries, 4.5 tackles for loss and five passes defensed. Clearly back to full health, Simmons has played a massive 82% of the defensive snaps during 10 active weeks, and PFF has graded him as the league's seventh-best interior defender and 12th-best overall defensive player.

15. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Turns 25: Feb. 27, 2021 Signed through: 2020
Godwin continues to progress since being selected in the third round of the 2017 draft. The Penn State product was inexplicably limited to situational duties during the Dirk Koetter era, but bloomed into a superstar under Bruce Arians in 2019. Godwin had 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns, and ranked no lower than fourth at wide receiver in yardage, touchdowns, catch rate (72%) and yards per target (11.1). He was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.
Tampa Bay's slot man has battled injuries this season, but still sits 13th in the NFL in receiving yards (562) during eight active weeks. Godwin's targets are down a bit with Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski added to the fold this season, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that the 24-year-old is one of the NFL's best wide receivers. We'll see evidence of that in the form of dollar signs when contract-year Godwin becomes one of the league's highest-paid wide receivers in the spring.

16. A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

Turns 25: June 30, 2022 Signed through: 2022
Tennessee's run-heavy offensive scheme has made consistency a bit tricky, but Brown has looked the part of an elite No. 1 wide receiver when the ball has been thrown his way so far in his young career. The aforementioned DK Metcalf's teammate at Ole Miss, Brown actually had more receiving yardage (1,051) than Metcalf during their rookie season (both were selected in the second round). Brown used elite efficiency to get there, as he paced the NFL in both yards per target (12.5) and receiving yards after the catch (9.0).
Brown's efficiency has regressed (as expected) in 2020, but it's still very good (his 7.7 RAC paces all wide receivers) and has been replaced by a boost in volume (7.2 targets per game compared to 4.9 in 2019) and a strong touchdown rate (eight on 65 targets). It's unlikely that we've come close to seeing Brown's ceiling, as the 23-year-old still has plenty of room for growth in terms of target volume.

17. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team

Turns 25: April 15, 2021 Signed through: 2022
"McLaurin F1" was an absolute gem of a find by Washington in the third round of the 2019 draft. The speedy Ohio State product flashed with a healthy 58-919-7 receiving line in 14 games as a rookie and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He has taken his game to another level in 2020 despite Washington's merry-go-round at quarterback. McLaurin ranks seventh among wide receivers in routes (406), seventh in targets (100), fourth in receiving yards (963) and fourth in RAC (6.4). McLaurin has played 93% of Washington's offensive snaps while handling 27% of the team targets and 44% of the air yards this season.
Despite the heavy usage and coverage by some of the league's top corners, McLaurin hasn't dropped a single pass. The 24-year-old is already one of the league's best and most consistent wide receivers.

18. Jessie Bates III, S, Cincinnati Bengals

Turns 25: Feb. 26, 2022 Signed through: 2021
Bates is far from a household name, but the 2018 second-round pick has progressively developed into one of the game's most impactful safeties. Bates beat out seasoned veteran George Iloka for a starting job as a rookie, and went on to play 99% of Cincinnati's defensive snaps in each of his first two NFL seasons. The Wake Forest product has been on the field for 99% of the Bengals' defensive snaps during a 2020 campaign in which he has made the leap to stardom. Bates has registered 75 tackles (fifth most among safeties), three INTs (third) and 13 passes defensed (easily the most).
Get to know the 23-year-old now, because there's a good shot we'll be talking about him as a first-time Pro Bowler and perhaps even an All-Pro later this season.

19. Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints

Turns 25: May 20, 2021 Signed through: 2021
Lattimore has emerged as one of the league's toughest shadow corners since he was selected with the 11th pick of the 2017 draft. The Ohio State product made his impact felt immediately by racking up five interceptions (fifth most in the NFL) and 18 passes defensed (sixth) en route to winning the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Since he entered the league, Lattimore ranks ninth among cornerbacks in tackles (212), fifth in forced fumbles (five), seventh in passes defensed (48) and 11th in INTs (nine).
Despite missing five games due to injury, the two-time Pro Bowler has been on the field for 81% of the Saints' defensive snaps since he was drafted and a large chunk of those snaps were spent traveling with superstar wide receivers. That included a murderers' row of assignments against DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans (twice), DJ Chark, Allen Robinson, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, A.J. Brown, Curtis Samuel and Adam Thielen last season, and Mike Evans (twice) and Keenan Allen so far in 2020. It doesn't get much tougher than that. His numbers might be down a bit this season, but Lattimore is one of the best in the business.

20. Frank Ragnow, C, Detroit Lions

Turns 25: May 17, 2021 Signed through: 2021*
Despite all the attention paid to the fantasy football positions, offensive linemen are people, too, and Ragnow has quietly improved into one of the best. The 2018 first-round pick out of Arkansas spent his rookie season at left guard, but has been one of the league's top centers since converting to the pivot prior to 2019. PFF graded Ragnow as the league's sixth-best center in 2019 and he sits fourth so far in 2020. He ranked 17th among centers in pass block win rate last season and is up to 10th in 2020 (everyone ahead of him is at least two years older).
The 24-year-old's first-round status will have him tied to Detroit through 2022, but his high-end play and versatility suggest it's only a matter of time until he's one of the league's top-paid centers.

21. Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets

Turns 25: Dec. 5, 2022 Signed through: 2022*
You might recall that Williams' name popped up on the trade rumor mill earlier this season. The Jets quickly put that speculation to bed because, well, it made no sense. The third overall pick of the 2019 draft has been a difference-maker since entering the NFL, and has taken his game to the next level this season. The Alabama product has racked up 41 tackles (which ranks third among interior defensive linemen), 5.0 sacks (sixth), 21 pass-rush wins (12th), two forced fumbles (second), 11 tackles for loss (second) and even three passes defensed (seventh).
Williams' 15.6% pass rush win rate ranks him sixth among qualified interior defensive linemen. The Jets are struggling, but 22-year-old Williams has superstar upside and is a player around whom they can build their defense.

22. Brian Burns, EDGE, Carolina Panthers

Turns 25: April 23, 2023 Signed through: 2022*
Burns has had an interesting start to his career since being selected with the 16th overall pick of the 2019 draft. Immediately inserted into a significant role, Burns racked up 4.5 sacks during his first six NFL games. His snaps were inexplicably reduced after the first month of the season, however, and he was limited to 3.0 sacks after Week 6. Carolina changed coaching staffs during the 2020 offseason and that helped launch Burns into a role that has allowed him to play 76% of the snaps this season (a hefty number for any edge rusher).
Burns has been a major force with 6.0 sacks (16th among edge rushers), 47 pass-rush wins (third), 18 hurries (fifth), 46 tackles (fourth), 8.5 tackles for loss (22nd) and three forced fumbles (second). Burns' 23.4% pass rush win rate ranks him sixth behind only T.J. Watt, Jerry Hughes, Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett and Matt Judon. How's that for good company? The 22-year-old is quietly blooming into one of the league's next superstar defenders.

23. Harold Landry III, EDGE, Tennessee Titans

Turns 25: June 5, 2021 Signed through: 2021
Landry is yet another 2018 early-round draft pick who makes our list. The Boston College product was a situational player as a rookie, but has played an absurd 90% of the Titans' defensive snaps since the start of 2019 (that's a massive number for an edge defender). Landry broke out with 9.0 sacks (23rd in the NFL) and 56 pass-rush wins (11th) in 2019, and though his sacks are down slightly in 2020 (4.5), he's still disrupting quarterbacks with 40 pass-rush wins (ninth most).
And Landry does more than just rush the passer. His 48 tackles this season are most among edge rushers, and he also ranks third behind only the Watt brothers with five passes defensed. Landry has quickly become one of the best and most reliable young edge rushers.

24. Carlton Davis, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Turns 25: Dec. 31, 2021 Signed through: 2021
It took a minute for Davis' career to get going, but the 2018 second-round pick has grown into one of the league's most effective cover corners over the past year. Davis really seemed to hit his stride when Tampa Bay converted him into a weekly shadow corner in the second half of 2019. After not shadowing at all during the first year and a half of his career, Davis allowed bare-minimum production while traveling with Julio Jones (twice), Kenny Golladay and DeAndre Hopkins after Week 11. He has picked up where he left off in 2020, showing well while shadowing Michael Thomas (twice), Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, Davante Adams and DJ Moore.
Davis has been in coverage on a league-high 422 plays this season and has four INTs (third most among CBs), 16 passes defensed (most) and 53 tackles (sixth). If we include each of the past two seasons, Davis easily paces all cornerbacks in passes defended (35) and sits seventh in tackles (112). Davis just suffered through the worst game of his career at the hands of Tyreek Hill, but that will likely prove just a bump in the road for the rising star. There aren't many cornerbacks who consistently shadow star No. 1 perimeter receivers, but Davis is one of the few who does and he does it well.

25. Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Baltimore Ravens

Turns 25: May 2, 2021 Signed through: 2021
Anyone remember Brown's dreadful showing at the 2018 scouting combine? Brown's testing suggested he was slow, weak and lacking much agility or athleticism. What it seemed to miss, though, was that he's a really darn good football player. Brown fell to the third round of the draft, but it took the massive 6-foot-8, 345-pounder less than half a season to lock down Baltimore's right tackle job. That was the position he called home until earlier this season, when he was moved to reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson's blind side in place of injured superstar left tackle Ronnie Stanley in Week 8.
Since being drafted, Brown's 91.0% pass block win rate is 10th best among 77 qualified tackles. Brown has already beaten the odds, and he and a healthy Stanley combine to form one of the league's best tackle duos.

First man out

Erik McCoy, C, New Orleans Saints

Turns 25: Aug. 27, 2022 Signed through: 2022
McCoy has emerged as one of the league's top centers while snapping the ball to Drew Brees (and Taysom Hill) over the past year and a half. The 2019 second-round pick has handled all but eight of the Saints' center snaps since he was drafted. At a position dominated by veterans, PFF graded him as the league's fourth-best center, and he ranked 18th at the position in pass block win rate as a rookie. So far in 2010, his grade is down to 15th and he sits 22nd in pass block win rate, though note that he's the second-youngest player among the top 30 qualified centers. The Texas A&M product made the PFWA All-Rookie Team last season, and that figures to be the first of a long list of awards he'll receive in his career.

Honorable mentions

OT Braden Smith, RB Saquon Barkley, EDGE Nick Bosa, S Derwin James, RB Josh Jacobs, RB Nick Chubb, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR DJ Moore, WR DJ Chark, DT Dexter Lawrence, TE T.J. Hockenson, WR Deebo Samuel, RB Ronald Jones, RB Miles Sanders, OT Isaiah Wynn, OG Chris Lindstrom, EDGE Marcus Davenport, CB Denzel Ward, EDGE Josh Allen, EDGE Clelin Ferrell
Rookies to watch: QB Justin Herbert, QB Joe Burrow, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Tee Higgins, WR Chase Claypool, OT Tristan Wirfs, EDGE Chase Young, RB James Robinson, RB Antonio Gibson, OT Mekhi Becton, S Antoine Winfield Jr., OT Jedrick Wills Jr., OT Mike Onwenu, CB Jaylon Johnson, S Jeremy Chinn, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, WR CeeDee Lamb, S Julian Blackmon, G Damien Lewis, WR Jerry Jeudy, RB D'Andre Swift, WR Brandon Aiyuk, CB A.J. Terrell

Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words, continuing in the footsteps of daprice82. For anyone interested, I highly recommend signing up for the actual site at f4wonline and checking out the full archives.
• PREVIOUS •
1987
FUTURE YEARS ARCHIVE:
The Complete Observer Rewind Archive by daprice82

1-4-1988	1-11-1988	1-18-1988	1-25-1988
2-1-1988	2-8-1988	2-15-1988	2-22-1988
2-29-1988	3-7-1988	3-14-1988	3-21-1988
3-28-1988	4-4-1988	4-11-1988	4-18-1988
4-25-1988	5-2-1988	5-9-1988	*

• The big stories this week really won’t hit until late in the issue, so read down I guess.
  
• [NWA] The Midnight Rider angle lasted just a whole two weeks after his initial arrival. The whole thing began just four or five weeks back with a baseball bat and punching Magnum T.A., and all that work was wasted when they pulled the plug. The Midnight Rider gimmick just wasn’t working, so they did an official announcement that Paul Boesch convinced the NWA board to reinstate Dusty. All the panicked decisions lately leave Dave with the impression that the NWA is in worse shape than they seemed to be a few weeks back, and things don’t look likely to change any time soon. More of a surprise to Dave than the fact that it wasn’t working is the fact that they did it so quickly when the angle was supposed to last through the summer. He thinks that has to be hard on Dusty’s ego. So them setting up a feud between Dusty and Barry Windham when the logical feud should be Luger and Windham seems a desperate move to placate Dusty. And there’s no predicting what the NWA will do next, because the people in charge don’t seem to know what they’re doing week to week.
  
• Ex-NFL star Steve Courson makes his pro wrestling debut this week at a Pennsylvania independent show. He’s barely trained and being rushed into the ring to capitalize off his NFL fame. The guy was a heavy steroid user back in the NFL and admitted as much, and his career ended due to health issues a couple years ago. Nevertheless, he’s got an anti-steroid book about to hit bookshelves. Seems carny enough for the business.
  
• Roddy Piper showed up at Don Owen’s April 30 card in Portland. Billy Jack Haynes’ rival promotion debuted on May 7 and starts its tv program on May 14. Haynes claims he didn’t delay a week due to Piper’s April 30 appearance, but because his ring lights were late in arriving. They were lighting Chris Adams’ ring, I’m sure. Anyway, Piper showed up in the interview area and never entered the ring, and when Mike Golden told Piper to scram during his interview, Piper acted passive and backed off to help put Golden over. Golden then produced a contract for a match on May 7 and tried to goad Piper into a match, to which Piper retorted he’s lost a lot of weight and isn’t a fighter anymore, only to finally get into it with Golden after more taunting and Golden spitting on him. Fans left with the idea that Piper would fight Golden, but Piper never appeared on May 7 and no announcement of them having a match took place.
  
• Variety Magazine reports that all the weekly pro wrestling shows have dropped out of the top 15 in syndicated ratings. So the real story is the way that the wrestling shows made it into the top 15 in the first page. The WWF network had 5 shows, Crockett network had 4, and All-Star Wrestling network had at least 6, and each of those packages added up the ratings of all the shows in them and reported that rating. Compare to say, Wheel of Fortune, which is just the one show, and so you had the combined ratings of anywhere from 4-6+ shows trying to act like all the shows in that package were competitive ad space to a show like Wheel or Jeopardy, which is unfair to those single shows that pull in massive ratings. Anyway, those who calculate ratings have done away with those network packages in their calculations to level the playing field, so WWF isn’t getting ahead of Oprah and her single show’s 9 rating by combining five shows to pull a 10 rating anymore. Superstars, which is definitely WWF’s most watched show, doesn’t even come close to the top 15 on its own. For Dave, this isn’t a big deal, other than that it’ll be harder to track ratings, which are the best way to measure interest at the moment. Dave’s tv industry contacts think this is a big blow to wrestling as an industry, however, and more damaging to Crockett than McMahon since Vince has sold most of his ad slots for the year already. Nothing has materially changed, but advertisers are going to see wrestling as less hot, and their places in the top 15 have been taken by shows like Love Connection, Star Search, and Hollywood Squares. A wrestling network package might offer the same number of viewers, but advertisers look at the rankings to decide what’s hot, and wrestling’s not going to appear there anymore, and their ads in trade publications won’t be able to boast WWF or NWA as among the highest rated networks in syndication. Long story short, Promoters are going to have to chase advertising dollars rather than advertisers chasing promotions, and that spells an eventual downturn for the business.
  
• [NWA] Clash of the Champions II, called Miami Mayhem, has been announced for June 8. Dave gets the feeling that it won’t be as hot a show as the first Clash and that those in the company think they might have given away too much on the first and thus hurt themselves at the gate. Dave thinks they did indeed give a lot, but they also failed to take advantage of a lot. Like, the barbed wire match was the end of a feud and they didn’t even know it because despite the heels being beaten quick and clean, they’re still running the match when there’s no point in continuing the feud. Dave thinks they had a lot of momentum coming off the first clash and they squashed it by downplaying everything in favor of the now-aborted Midnight Rider angle.
  
• Randy Savage is now being billed as Undisputed WWF Champion. They’ve dropped the word “heavyweight” and Dave’s been told they’re planning to no longer use it, for whatever that’s worth.
  
• WWF is working on a bunch of non-wrestling specials. Kind of like the Slammy Awards in the way they’ll sell the shows and in their hopes for ratings. Dave hopes not similar in terms of quality, at least.
  
• Managers Mr. Fuji, Jimmy Hart, and Frenchy Martin appeared on WWF’s May 7 Boston house show. No idea if it’s just certain New England cities they’ll appear in or what, but yeah, that’s the update on the managers at house shows thing.
  
• Dave and his friends were joking that Ultimate Warrior vs. Andre the Giant would be the worst possible match this generation. Lo and behold, Dave found out that they put that match on a few weeks back in Switzerland on a European tour. Dave asks “What did the Swiss ever do to Vince McMahon?” I can't find anything from Switzerland, but I did find a clip from Italy on that same tour.
  

Watch: Andre vs. Warrior

• Dave saw the program for the Central States April 28 show in Kansas City and it’s the funniest thing he’s seen in a while. The program talks about the Freebirds (supposed to be coming in) and says they’re managed by Michael Hayes, and it has a picture of Hayes taken from their original heel days in Georgia in 1980. Bob Geigel runs the promotion and makes his own programs, and it’s good to see how up to date he’s managed to be.
  
• Ken Mantell sent a letter to every promotion except WWF and NWA offering for World Class to work with them. World Class isn’t running a full-time schedule, so Mantell’s looking for ways to get his guys out there, but they only have a couple guys with any significant name value. Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Terry Taylor, and maybe Chris Adams could give a boost to a promotion getting into things with a local babyface, but just sending Taylor and Adams to have a match against each other won’t help anyone (they did that for the May 2 show in Memphis). Talent sharing isn’t helpful to the other promotions unless they can do a tv angle or work several shows rather than a one-off date (with the rare exception of a Michael Hayes date in Atlanta, or Gordy doing an independent show with a match against Brody or Abdullah).
  
• [Memphis] Eddie Gilbert beat Jerry Lawler on May 2 to keep Missy Hyatt’s hair on her head. The finish saw Lawler punch Paul E. Dangerously (who manages Gilbert in Continental) after Missy failed to distract Lawler with her open shirt trick. Dangerously showed up when Lawler went after her, and then Kenny Dee, who was managing Lawler, threw powder in Lawler’s eyes, leading to Gilbert getting the pin. Money wound up changing hands from Dangerously to Hyatt to Dee after the match, so Kenny Dee is a newly minted heel manager.
  
• Also in Memphis, the Iceman King Parsons vs. Kerry Von Erich match from the same show got little reaction. People came to see Lawler and Gilbert, not them, and Dave still doesn’t understand putting this match on and billing Parsons as a world champion when the next show is Lawler vs. Hennig for the AWA World Title. It’s just undercutting that match to act like the WCCW title is a world title and then turn around and go “Well here’s a different world title” and being very inconsistent in their recognition of world championships.
  
• More on the special referee poll for the May 9 LawleHennig match. They’re running the poll from a 1-900 number (which means a cost of $1 per phone call), so the company was profiting off the poll. That explains the amount of promotion they were doing saying that Larry Hennig was winning the poll by a narrow margin due to fans in Minnesota flooding the line with votes for Hennig. They were doing no such thing, but it’s a smart way to bilk the local fan base. In Memphis, they run their tv show live, so when it started at 11 am, they did a segment where they said the poll would close at noon (Hennig still leading the results) to keep fans voting until the last minute, even doing another segment at 11:45 am. At noon, Lawler came out and acted all serious with his best Bad News Barrett impression and said he was afraid he had some bad news. “Bad news for Curt Hennig, that is,” and announced Jackie Fargo was the winner of the referee poll. Dave guesses the reason for the charge is probably to drum up enough money to pay Curt Hennig enough to be happy, but this sure is a new way to try and make money off wrestling.
  
• There’s a newcomer in the Oregon territory named Steve Austin. No, he’s not stone cold, but he’s also used the name Steve Winters (Dave believes this is his real name), and he’ll wind up wrestling for Stampede in the future under the name Lance Idol. Dave’s seen him a bit before in his early days in the Bay area and recalls him being a good worker trying to emulate Ray Stevens in style.
  
• Don Owen’s May 7 show had the best case for allowing blading that Dave has ever heard of. They had a Northwest Tag Title cage match with Steve Doll and Scott Peterson beating Avalanche and Mike Golden to regain the titles. Owen believes you need blood in a cage match, while the Oregon commission has banned blading, so how do you suppose Owen got around the issue? Mike Golden got bloody hardway, and they wanted Peterson to bleed too, so they had Golden and Avalanche try to hardway Peterson with potatoes to the forehead. Dave hears they did some 14 hard punches to Peterson’s head and none of them opened him up. One did bust up his nose a bit, though. This is what happens when blading is banned and wrestlers feel the need to get color - they’re going to be really unsafe and hurt themselves.
  
• Tatsumi Fujinami beat Vader by countout on April 27, in a show that drew 5,000 in Osaka. For comparison, All Japan’s Brody/Tenryu match there last month drew 4,000. Fujinami had vowed to retire if he couldn’t beat Vader, so they kind of had to have that finish if they wanted Vader to keep his monster aura without honoring a retirement. Anyway, Dave isn’t sure if this is legit or just an angle, but Fujinami is being reported as trying to make a play for the top spot now that Inoki’s foot is broken. He’s even got a new haircut to symbolize his change from being a young disciple of Inoki to being his own man.
  
• All Japan Women’s May 15 show has a hell of a triple main event lineup. At the top of the card you have the Crush Girls vs. the Jumping Bomb Angels. Then you have Mika Suzuki vs. Kaoru Maeda for the jr. championship (not a weight class, but rather a title exclusively for wrestlers with under 2 years experience). Lastly, Erika Shishido and Nobuko Kimura defend the AJW tag titles against two of the standout rookies from the class of 1987 who are getting their first crack at major exposure, Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada. Erika Shishido, by the way, is a 17 year old from the class of 1986 and the company has big plans for her as a future heel star and partner for Bull Nakano. You may know her better as Aja Kong.
  
• Windy City Wrestling drew remarkably well, drawing $40,000 at International Amphitheater in Chicago. It’s the largest gate Dave’s ever heard of for an independent promotion. The card had Col. DeBeers, Candi Divine and Debbie Combs, Paul E. Dangerously, Buddy Rose and Doug Somers, and a bunch else going on. Based on ticket prices, they pulled an audience of over 4,000 people. The promoter sold the show to the venue for $10,000, so they made a big profit on the event. WWF has taken notice and already there’s talk of them running the same venue, because they believe it may tap into a different crowd than the Rosemont Horizon.
  
• [Stampede] Owen Hart’s reign as North American champion has ended as of May 6. He dropped the title to Makhan Singh, whom he beat for the title on April 10, 1987. Definitely a step toward Owen’s departure from the promotion here, as his last match with Stampede if he does go to the WWF will be on May 14 before he does the IWGP series for New Japan. Owen did agree to go to the WWF for a masked gimmick, either a Tiger Mask or Mighty Mouse type, but he’s apparently having second thoughts, perhaps related to a personal goal he supposedly has of having the match of the year with Ric Flair. Sadly, Owen’s never going to get that match. Bret and Davey Boy Smith are pushing hard for Owen to come to WWF.
  
• Heading to Stampede is Steve Blackman. Blackman’s done some jobs for WWF in the past and is kind of a powerlifter type. He’s being paired with Brick Bronsky, whom Dave describes as an untalented lifter type (Dave rates the May 7 Edmonton match between Kerry Brown and Bronsky at -3.5 stars and calls it one of the worst matches Stampede will ever have), and their team name is the Abortion Alliance. Jeezus, Bruce.
  
• A new women’s wrestling promotion is supposed to start up, doing tapings at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Wendi Richter and Misty Blue are said to be the top stars and Gordon Solie is said to be on board for announcing, and there’s supposedly tv contracts lined up.
  
• Ted Turner is working on a new cable station called TNT. It’s gonna have a lot of MGM movies and sports events, and probably eventually some Crockett wrestling. The FCC is expected to change some regulations, which would put WTBS back to only being Atlanta-local and all the superstations will revert to local tv.
  
• Looks like a lock that Financial News Network will be taking on Continental by the end of the month or early June. As for a deal with New Japan, that seems to be on hold, as neither side could come to an agreement.
  
• Lawsuits corner. WWF is suing FNN over their Hulkamania package. Larry Sharpe is suing Bam Bam Bigelow for breach of contract. Sharpe was Bigelow’s real manager back in Japan.
  
• The best match on an independent show in Brooklyn on April 29 saw Lou Fabiano (a former WWF jobber) team with Cactus Jack against George Skaaland and Tom Brandi. Cactus Jack is a trainee of Dominic DeNucci, and Dave hears that he’s a top flight worker.
  
• Word is that Futahaguro (real name Koji Kitao), the yokozuna who got kicked out of sumo, is reporting to the Monster Factory in New Jersey to train under Larry Sharpe. He’s in New York this week on other business (mostly talk shows), so no definite word, but that’s the rumor coming out of the area.
  
• The Von Erich Parade of Champions drew an estimated 7,000 fans. Dave anticipates a more accurate estimate and gate next week. The show was… Let me just give some highlights. The first match was terrible. The second match was mostly rest holds and had no heat, and after winning the match Mike George grabbed the mic to make sure the fans knew he was recognized as World Champion in Kansas City. Nobody cared because nobody cares about the Kansas City promotion. Steve Casey was supposed to challenge Eric Embry for the light heavyweight title, but he came in 1.5 pounds over the weight limit. After the crowd heckled Embry, he agreed to a non-title match, which Casey won in 19 seconds. That extra weight made all the difference, I reckon. Bill Irwin vs. Black Bart was fair. Then you had Michael Hayes vs. Terry Gordy in a triple tower of doom and Dave says that while there was heat, the gimmick’s a total dud because you can’t do any moves or take any bumps the way it’s all structured. They then gave the crowd something good, as Terry Taylor beat Chris Adams to keep the Texas title in a great match. The Texas roundup in the triple tower of doom, on the other hand, was the opposite of great. If Dusty plans to actually use this concept, he’s got a lot of work cut out for him, because not one fan in the building understood what the hell was going on. Bruiser Brody carried his match teaming with Kevin Von Erich against Buddy Roberts and Solomon Grundy, and nobody cared about Kevin. They had to replace Schaun Simpson with Terry Gordy due to injury suffered in the Texas roundup for the Wild West/Texas tag title unification match, and Gordy/Simpson won by disqualification. It’s unclear if that makes the Simpsons Wild West tag champs and Gordy/Simpson Texas tag champs, or if it unifies the titles on the Simpsons, or what. In the end, Kerry Von Erich regained the WCCW title. Nobody cares. World Class is every bit as fucked as WCW in 2000.
  
• Dave’s got the lineup for the second Clash, and he thinks the NWA is now afraid to put on a hot show. Windham vs. Ricky Santana, Koloff vs. Al Perez, Dusty vs. Larry Zbysko, the Garvins vs. Rotunda and Rick Steiner, the Fantastics vs. Sheepherders for the U.S. Tag Titles, and Blanchard/Anderson defending the NWA tag titles against Sting and Steve Williams. No Flair, Luger, or Road Warriors in sight.
  
• When the NWA announced Dusty’s reinstatement, the reaction was pretty negative. After a moment of silence, one woman cheered and two more joined her, and they were swiftly drowned in a chorus of boos.
  
• Night 2 of the Crockett Cup grossed $115,000 at the gate. The Cup as a whole managed a combined gate equal to the merch sales gross at Wrestlemania.
  
• They’re building a new Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it’s supposed to open in the fall. Word is that WWF will get the first two shows there and Crockett will be relegated to the 2,500 seat Charlotte Park Center, since the old Coliseum building will be torn down. WWF can’t run the existing Coliseum for the same reasons Crockett can’t touch Madison Square Garden, but the new Coliseum has different management with no relationship to Crockett, so they’re going to give WWF a chance.
  
• Gordon Solie and Mike Graham’s new Florida Championship Wrestling has opened up and did their first tv taping on April 30. They’re looking to run five days a week in central Florida starting real soon.
  
• Antonio Inoki’s injury has led to New Japan declaring the IWGP Title vacant. Tatsumi Fujinami battles Vader on May 7 for the title. Seems to be a lot of behind the scenes tension between Fujinami and Choshu as well. Fujinami walked out after the April 27 show, leaving only Choshu of the original four top draws in the company.
  
• Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa) is getting married on May 10 and will unmask for the wedding. He’s marrying movie star Tomomi Shiina. After the wedding he may stop wrestling as Tiger Mask and go back to his real name.
  
• As soon as TNT is available in 30 million homes, Crockett’s tv will be moved there. All kinds of rumors are swirling about Crockett and Turner, but as far as Dave’s aware no firm deal of any kind has been reached.
  
• The NWA, Mike Rotunda, Kevin Sullivan, and the city of Albany are all being sued for “torturous acts and personal injury” by 16 year old Mike Strickland. Strickland alleges that on February 9 he was patting wrestlers on the back when city police officers working security for the show seized him and arrested him, then took him to a secluded area where Rotunda and Sullivan “wilfully, intentionally and purposefully assaulted and attempted to commit violent and illegal physical injury” on him and that the police did nothing to stop the beating.
  
• Dave wants us to know that although it was extremely predictable, he found the Midnight Express’s party on the WTBS show really entertaining. Yeah, when you have a cake in wrestling it winds up in the heel or announcer’s face, but the banter between Cornette and Stan Lane was really fun.
  

Watch: Jim Cornette gets caked

• Ted Turner’s got some kind of package deal he’s pitching, using the July NWA ppv as incentive to get cable systems to buy in on TNT. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Dave understands that the cable companies will likely get a higher share of revenue for the PPV from the show than the usual 50/50 split, and Dave says this show is really do or die for Crockett.
  
• Abdullah the Butcher and Kamala no-showed Jerry Blackwell’s May 8 show. They had turned down a spot at the Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions to do that show, so that’s ironic.
  
• ”JERRY LAWLER PINNED CURT HENNIG TO WIN THE AWA TITLE ON 5/9 IN MEMPHIS BEFORE 9,500 FANS." The match was apparently “not great” and saw Lawler win by grabbing Hennig by the knees and kangaroo flipping him headlong into the ring post for the pin. Great reaction to the finish, but yeah, Lawler is the new AWA champion. More on this next week.
  

Watch: the finish to Lawler vs. Hennig

• One letter writer chimes in that “loser groups” like GLOW and POWW don’t deserve time in the Observer. In fact, he hopes they lose their time slots in New York and Boston to Continental and Memphis to give WWF real competition. Yeah, because those groups are going to be able to do that.
  
• Still a bunch of letters sniping back and forth about Clash vs. Wrestlemania. One says they can’t believe anyone could think FlaiSting was the best match they’ve seen in years. Another says that for “Vince McMahon to put WWF fans through that show constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.” As usual, wrestling fans are level-headed and gracious in their disagreements. It warms my soul to see us carrying on this proud tradition of sober discourse on reddit in 2020.
  

NEXT WEEK: AWA Champion Jerry Lawler, reports from Texas Stadium, Fujinami becomes IWGP champion, Oregon-Washington Wrestling Federation debut show, and more

EDIT: Current as of 11/13/2020
Please let me know if you have any questions!
All prices negotiable AND slashed from the last sale thread- no extreme lowballs! Prices are SHIPPED within continental US (with some exceptions). In that case, PM me your zip. Orders under $15 will have a $3 shipping charge. Will do solid bundle deals! Local gets a discount appropriate for subtraction of shipping.
I do professional PC, laptop, and game repair part time. Know that the items you receive have been services with capable and caring hands. I put a lot of time into some of these items and care about the quality of my work.
Local is 14226 (Buffalo, NY area).
Obviously payment is made by PayPal goods and services.
Items priced at $1 are considered CLOSE OUT. You can request those for free with your order within reason (like… Don’t request a bunch of free stuff if you bought $13 total).
I'm also donating 10% of all funds received to the International Anti-Poaching Foundation :D (+$70 donation sent last thread!)
Timestamps and items: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AKLWxpyvxlU7q4B_oUCs5N8Xs7eyyDRH?usp=sharing
This is a huge list that took me some time, so... please pardon my dust :D
This list will be left up for quite a while, items will slowly make their way to eBay or other market places after a couple weeks.
Please make sure you want the items you pay for! PayPal no longer refunds the seller fees when a seller issues a refund. If you request to cancel after paying, but before shipping, I end up eating the seller fee. PayPal Policy

The default refund period is 180 days from the transaction date. If you refund a payment for goods or services, there are no fees to process the refund, but the fees you originally paid as the seller are not returned to you. The amount of the refunded payment will be deducted from your PayPal account.

Item	Cost	Description
ADATA SU800 2TB 2.5” SSD	$180	SSD was used briefly as a game drive, but I no longer have room for a 2.5” in my itty bitty SFF build. Barely used. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Flxj4RZvt4DMaPMRVai-8cgTSxmkg3aI?usp=sharing

LAPTOPS https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MiyjO-KBcEe_S3LhWo58rwDf8n6xchhU?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Silver Alienware m17x R1	$400	Win 10 Home Activated, Intel Core2Duo P8600, 8gb (4gbx2) @1333mhz, 1920x1200@60hz RGBLED, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260m, 320gb HDD (Win 10 and drivers installed), Blu-Ray/DVDRW Drive. Great condition, recently cleaned inside and out with new thermal pads and paste. Thoroughly tested. Comes with both HDD caddies and screws. RGBLED is an amazing screen, plus Blu-Ray Drive makes this an amazing media PC. Ready for your CPU and GPU upgrades if you choose as well. Will be shipped with the Dell XPS Laptop Backpack below and a sealed, never worn, Alienware hat. Backpack will be free of charge. Highly recommend dropping an SSD in as at least a boot drive! Screen is near flawless and was purchased new as part of the upgrade process of this project. Left side USB 2.0 ports do not work, right side ports work AND I will include free the below USB 3.0 express card (faster than the stock USB ports) Power adapter and cord included.
Startech.Com 2 Port Flush Mount ExpressCard 54mm SuperSpeed USB 3.0	$30	ECUSB3S254F, works perfect!
Dell XPS Laptop Backpack	$40	Huge bag capable of holding tons of books, a huge 17-18" laptop, chargers, and more!
Black Alienware m17x R1	$275	Win 10 Home (Not activated, but Windows 7 key on laptop is valid. You can do the upgrade through Win 7 free for activation and pop the HDD back in or drop an SSD in for a clean install. Grab the drivers and instructions I have on the desktop off first though). Intel Pentium T4400 Dual Core CPU @2.20 GHz, 4gb (2x2gb) DDR3 Ram @1066mhz, 1920x1200@59hz CCFL LCD Display, 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 GPU, 60gb HDD, DVD-RW Drive. Check pics for minor cosmetic damage at front left speaker, I didn’t realize until I was done refurbishing the laptop that the bottom panel was slightly bent. The top panel is new and still has the protecting seal on it. Screen is in great condition. Will be shipped with the Alienware Orion bag below for no additional cost. New thermal pads and paste applied. Power adapter and cord included.
Alienware Orion M17x Messenger Bag	$30	ScanFast TSA Checkpoint Friendly 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop bag. One of the carrying handles is missing at the top, but doesn't effect usage as a messenger bag. Great condition otherwise.
Red Alienware m14x R1	$400	Win 10 Home Activated, Intel i7-2630QM, 8GB (2x4gb) DDR3 @1600mhz, 1366x768@60hz LCD Display, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 3GB Nvidia GeForce GT 555m, TC Sunbow 480 GB SATA3 SSD (literally only used to install the OS and get it running), DVD-RW slot load drive. This is an excellent PC overall for daily use! Super fast boot time, unlocked BIOS purchased and installed, played some Fall Guys to test :D. Subtract $50 if you do not want the 480GB SSD. Shiny Red skin is installed to protect case and cover blemishes. M14x was known for having a strange exterior material on the keyboard/wrist wrest area that became stick. Rather than spending a lot on new parts, I opted for a skin and did my best to apply. Skin is not perfect, but makes for a solid laptop overall. Given new thermal pads and paste which made the laptop nearly silent during most usage. WEBCAM DOES NOT FUNCTION. Has an English/Arabic keyboard. Power adapter and cord included, cables function fine BUT the plastic shielding is crumbling for some unknown reason.
HP Envy 17 with Beats Audio	$250 without storage	Win 10 Home Activated, i7-4700MQ, 16 GB DDR3 1600 mhz, 1920x1080@60hz, Intel HD Graphics 4600, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 740m, 128 GB Intel SSD, 2x 2TB Seagate 2.5” HDDs. Minor scratches to exterior, minor marks on screen (see pics). $60 per 2TB HDD, $20 for SSD Will include below DVD drive for free if purchasing drives, otherwise I’ll reinstall it before shipping. Very easy to remove and reinstall. Power adapter and cord included.
HP DVD-RW Burner Drive SU-208	$5	This is pulled from the HP Envy, I can reinstall it. The DVD drive was replaced with an SSD and storage drive caddy. DVD drive is fully working

PS VITA https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jAC24jk8hQ-Q2pEihDlpTExCLtTz6Pnp?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Blue PS Vita 1000 with CFW	$200	Latest custom firmware installed. Comes with 8gb PS Vita Memory Card, 16gb MicroSD with SD2Vita adapter in game cart slot. System is essentially new - the protecting plastic is still on the brand new OLED screen and rear touchpad. Original parts taken from a Japanese PS Vita with a broken screen. Does not have a charger, but will come fully charged (I only have one for my personal vita).
Need For Speed Most Wanted Game	$10	Game only, no case. A really good Vita racing game!
Game Card Case	$1	I’ll include this free with NFS or the Vita

GAMES AND ACCESSORIES https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11lX-63dZJKCmbBN-uBM5-nY4Z0hpCf6i?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Corsair Scimitar PRO Wired Optical Gaming/MOBA/MMO Mouse with RGB Lighting - Yellow	$45	Excellent condition mouse! So many buttons and colors! I use a wireless set up, so no more need for this trusty mouse. Excellent condition.
Lego Dimensions Fantastic Beasts Story Level Pack	$15	New/Never Opened
PC Classic: Atomic Bomberman CD	$1	Classic game CD, mid 90s game, basically a collectors item.
Dreamcast GameShark CDX with Required Memory Adapter	$15	Dreamcast cheats and network enabler!
Dreamcast Web browser (Orange)	$1	I’m sure this is very useful for someone?
Saturn Virtua Cop	$5
Saturn Bootleg Sampler	$3
PSX Chrono Cross Manual	$3	Green label
Genesis Madden 94 Manual	$1	1994 GOTY
Genesis Sonic 3 Manual	$2

SONY

Item	Cost	Description
PS3 Eye Cameras	$5	(2 Available) I used these to set up PSmoveservice and use the PSVR with my PC, which works surprisingly well! Moved on to a different VR set up.
PS2/PS3 Composite Cable	$3
PS2/PS3 Component Cable	$5
Replacement PS3 Controller Battery with charging cable	$5	New in box/never used. Purchased a few months ago while refurbing a bunch of controllers.
PS Gold Headset Faceplates	$1	Minor wear, maybe paint these and customize your headset?
PS4 That’s You!	$2	New/Sealed
PS3 Sports Champions	$1	In case, good condition
PS3 Vanquish	$3	Generic Gamestop Case

NINTENDO

Item	Cost	Description
Donkey Konga Bongos	$15	Will require $5 shipping charge.
Wii System Stand	$1	has slots for 2 game cases, sd cards, and console
Wii U Pro Controller Charger	$1	Plugs into the mini usb port, only 1 attachment included, works great.
Nintendo DS/3DS Pink Card Case	$1	Holds games fine, but ‘pages’ aren’t hinged in well.
Nintendo DS/3DS Blue Card Case	$1	Holds games fine, but ‘pages’ aren’t hinged in well.
3DS Skylanders Swap Force	$1	Game works great!
3DS BIT.TRIP SAGA	$8	awesome game!
DS Flower Sun and Rain	$50	Game only, RARE!
DS Lego Indiana Jones	$1	Game only!
Wii Fantasy Aquarium World	$1	Game only!

XBOX FAMILY

Item	Cost	Description
Xbox One IR Receiver Extension	$1	Plugs in to a jack in the back of the Xbox One, useful for if your TV remote or kinect can’t send IR to your xbox due to obstructions.
Xbox 360 Basic Chat Headset	$1	2.5mm jack headset
Xbox 360 Audio Adapter	$1	channels W audio cables into a 3.5mm audio jack
Xbox 360 Dead Space 3	$2	Both disks, works on Xbox One and Series S/X as well.
Xbox 360 Chromehounds	$2	ROBOTS!
Xbox 360 Hail to the Chimp	$2	a lot of the people who made Halo Combat Evolved worked on this abomination
Xbox Halo Combat Evolved (with case)	$4	The game the guys who made Hail to the Chimp made before their magnum opus
Xbox Halo Combat Evolved (no case)	$2	John kills aliens and falls in love with a purple hologram
Xbox Phantom Dust (no case)	$5	For the love of god please play this game. Its free on the Windows store and Xbox One. After you enjoy that, you’ll probably buy this because
Xbox Headset Adapter	$1	Great for smack talking 16 year olds (who are now in their 30s) after losing by 30 in team slayer.
2 Day Xbox Live Gold	$XX	I don’t even know if this works so if you order other stuff just ask.
Gears of War Anya Code	$XX	Play as a girl in the game about mutated steroid bois

EMPTY GAME CASES

Item	Cost	Description
Switch Cases	$2 (each)	Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 1-4
PS4 Case	$1	Sniper Elite III
PC Cases	$1	Anthem, Star Wards Jedi Fallen Order, Titanfall 2, Battlefield 4
The Evil Within Limited Edition (PC)	$2	Cool case for scary time

Desktop PC Parts https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DjhmpC_vhDSM8QGzpGbTMrSxViNVOka4?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
AMD Wraith Stealth CPU Cooler	$10	Brand new, never used, still has original unused thermal paste on it. Never removed from box, was purchased with an R5 3600.
USB 3.1 Gen 2 PCIe Card (2x USB-C Ports)	$30	The item page on amazon is gone, but it is basically this: https://www.amazon.com/FebSmart-10-9-x10-10-x-10-15-x-Build-Self-Powered-FS-C2-Pro/dp/B089YN57TD/ Essentially never used. Was in my PC and had a USB-C to it to transfer photos from my phone 1 time in 6 months. Sold my PC and still have this in original box.
Memory Stick Adapters	$1	3x MicroSDHC to SDHC, 1x Pro Duo to Memory Stick. Just request these if you need these with your order

Laptop PC Parts https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FmCTpfqi-nhPKPTgPWI9eM4Y1qM6XvSA?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Micron 2GB PC4-19200 DDR4-2400MHz non-ECC Unbuffered CL17 260-Pin SoDimm 1.2V Single Rank Memory Module	$5	MTA4ATF25664HZ-2G3B1 Working pull from... something I worked on within the last 6 months. An HP?
Samsung 2GB 1333Mhz PC3-10600S DDR3-1333	$5	M471B5773DH0-CH9, 204-Pin SODIMM Laptop Memory Ram, Working pull from some laptop I worked on :P
DVD/CD Drive to Hard Drive Caddy	$5	Remove your CD/DVD drive and replace it with another hard drive!
Dell IR Remote	$1	Stores in express card slot. I don't really know what this is for, I assume Windows Media Center but I never used it.
Wireless MPCIe WiFi Card 590020-001	$1	Old wifi card that was upgraded for a previous maintenance job. Just request with your order for free or buy it for some reason.
Broadcom BCM94312HMG MPCIe WiFi Card	$1	Old wifi card that was upgraded for a previous maintenance job. Just request with your order for free or buy it for some reason.
Dell MPCIe WiFi Card E2K112BNH	$1	Old wifi card that was upgraded for a previous maintenance job. Just request with your order for free or buy it for some reason.
Anatel MPCIe Bluetooth Card	$1	Old bluetooth card that was upgraded for a previous maintenance job. Just request with your order for free or buy it for some reason.
Dell 300Mbps Wireless ABGN Half MINI PCI-E WIFI Network Card	$2	42018217-00, Working pull from a Dell/Alienware

Alienware Laptop Parts https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o4fUVqO0g4T1GqaXxN2hj0SSKYuKKvKx?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
	Dell TS-T633 DVD Writer Optical Drive 2KDGC	$10
Alienware M17 Optical Drive Connector and Ribbon Cable	$4	(ODD Cable and tray) - W850DI
Alienware M17x R2 CPU Heatsink	$6	(2 Available) THA01 RVXVK
Alienware M17x Left Side GPU Heatsink	$20	No retention clips on screws, all screws included.
Alienware M17x Right Side GPU Heatsink	$20	(2 Available) Perfect condition.
Alienware M17x LEFT-side Graphics Cooling Fan	$5	F603N
Alienware M17x RIGHT-side Graphics Cooling Fan	$8	F605N
Alienware m17x R2 Palmrest Sub Assembly (Magnesium Plate)	$11	3MJ0K
Alienware M17x Internal L & R Speaker Set	$4	G242N, these come with the bottom base assembly or purchased separately
Alienware m17x HDD0 Caddy	$10	Screws included for caddy, standard 2.5” SSD/HDD screws not included.
Alienware m17x HDD1 Caddy and Interposer	$20	Y248M (Caddy) TRDD2 (Interposer), Will come with generic screws
Alienware M17x Daughterboard	$10	Audio Ports / USB / ExpressCard Slot IO Circuit Board - F421N, works with m17x R1 or R2
Alienware M17x Center Control Power Button Cover Hinge Cover	$5	W779M - It is the power button, caps/num indicator, etc.
Alienware M17x Palmrest Touchpad Mouse Buttons Assembly	$15	Very good condition Y243M
Alienware M17x CPU Cooling Fan	$5	U012M - Loud fan
CMOS RTC Battery: Alienware M17X	$5	Working, 3 available.
Alienware M17x Laptop Bottom Base Cover Assembly	$15	RED - J181N, with speakers and IR board
nVidia GTX 240m 1GB MXM 3.0a	$15	Working pull from an m15x
Clevo AMD MXM GPU Bracket	$30	Make sure you have the right GPU screws and heatsink, might be able to use it for the 8970m in a m17x r2 upgrade.
Alienware m17x/m15x DVD/CD Drive to Hard Drive Caddy	$6	Remove your CD/DVD drive and replace it with another hard drive! Allows for up to 3 total 2.5" drives in the m17x or 2 in the m15x.

AS IS Parts https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kGkMuJT9i72QYc6zFFYgIfgIpIUBtsUY?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Alienware M15x 15.6" FHD LCD Screen	$10	SCRATCHES ON EXTERIOR - SEE PICS - FUNCTIONS FINE!, LP156WF1 H162K PV5HJ Bezel
Alienware M17x 17" 1920x1200 CCFL LCD Screen	$10	SCRATCHES ON EXTERIOR - CRACKED LCD (shows image on ⅓ of screen) - Backlight works. Webcam and wifi cables included, LP156WF1 H162K PV5HJ Bezel
Alienware m17x RED LCD Back Cover Lid Panel	$5	J227N Paint has been rubbed off from edges over the years - would be excellent for a DIY project to be repainted. No deep scratches.
Alienware M17x Palmrest Touchpad Mouse Buttons Assembly	$1	Y243M - Motherboard connector missing plastic holder, can be taped to fit. Left mouse button doesn’t move, but works. Front panel by speakers needs glue.
Intel Core2Quad QX9300 CPU	$30	Processor pulled from an m17x R1. It was working when pulled, but in a different motherboard did not work. Can not guarantee function - AS IS.
m14x English/US Keyboard	$5	Missing 2 keys, WASD not working. Can definitely be used to replace keys on your own keyboard. Ebay sellers are selling individual keys for over $5 each!
Alienware m17x BLACK LCD Back Cover Lid Panel	$5	J226N, may need some super glue on the assembly where it meets the grey back plate, easy fix and honestly I could do it but would not want to state it to be in better condition than it is. Has various scratches as well. See pics.
Alienware M17x / M17xR2 Bottom Access Panel Door	$5	C395N, has gashes on panel, see pics.

MISC ELECTRONICS https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18PEr7CUWSaL5xPqzDLrEEUnb0upv6rwJ?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
TaoTronics PC Sound Bar Wired Computer Speaker	$15	Model: TT-SK018 https://www.taotronics.com/products/tt-sk018-sound-bar
Memory Stick Adapters	$1	3x MicroSDHC to SDHC, 1x Pro Duo to Memory Stick. Request these free with your order.
Verizon MI424WR Rev. I FIOS Modem	$5	I have my own router, so I didn't need this.
Verizon MI424-WR Rev. F FIOS Modem	$5	I have my own router, so I didn't need this.
FreedomPOP Wireless Modem	$1	2 Available - I don’t know much about these, I used them with a free freedom pop sim for wireless internet for a short time. Check pictures.
Star Wars Sphero Forceband	$5	Used to control the rolling BB-8 thing by Sphero. https://www.amazon.com/Sphero-AFB01USA-Star-Wars-Force/dp/B01KX211JI

MEMORABILIA AND COLLECTIBLES https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1t-1Pthyn973RVEeCEPVQdXHkEItPhWsV?usp=sharing

Item	Cost	Description
Pokemon Badges	$5	Rather than engaging in illegal animal fights at planet fitness, earn your badges by buying the full set
Digimon Cards	$XX	See pics for available cards. Angewoman is there so SIDE EYE EMOJI
StarCraft 2 Pylon USB Charger	$25	Legacy of the Void - Rare!
Bumblebee Movie mini fig	$1	Lil fella was given to me when I went to see Bumblebee. In the wrapper still. I’ll throw him in your order if you reaaaaaly want it.
Verizon MI424-WR Rev. F FIOS Modem	$5	I have my own router, so I didn't need this.
Avatar The Last Airbender Pin	$1	he looks mad.
4001AD Comic	$1	I own this comic and I’ve never heard of it
Mast Effect Omni Blade Cosplay Toy	$5	Shepherd. (this toy is better than ME:Andromeda)
Finding Dory Toys	$1	You’re probably buying some stuff for yourself from me, so I’ll throw these in for your loved ones. However, might have an upgraded shipping cost (max $5).
CW Arrow Figures	$40	Green Arrow Season 2 design, The Flash and Reverse Flash Season 1 design, multiple accessories. Man those shows were pretty good until they were very bad.

DVD Movies https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1G9Xa-1m-sNlBNWeiImMwfdHmzAAOiRRK?usp=sharing These are $1 each or free with other purchases. I really don't feel like typing them all out at the time of this post, maybe I'll get motivated later :) Check the pictures!

It was a wild week with drama, showdowns, blood, tears, and possibly some babies being made. Now with one week left in the 2020 season, we come to our penultimate Around the Alliance of the year.

• Off-Season Schedule
• Updated Rankings Graph
• Power Rankings
• Legacy Scores
• CARIO CUP Preview

OFF-SEASON SCHEDULE

Post-Week 16 - The salary cap sheet will be archived and a new 2021 salary cap sheet created. Contracts will run and be updated accordingly.
Jan 1st - 2021 Owners Meeting begins. Agenda is available for the public with the discussion happening in a dedicated Discord channel. Process will be as follows:

• Sponsor may present/amend/give context to their proposal.
• Other Alliance members may discuss if needed.
• Voting on proposals will happen in the "Polls" Discord channel.
• Proposals that receive 6 team votes (primary and co-owners counting as 1 vote) for yay/nay will be received as such.
• Proposals that receive a majority of Alliance participation (7+ total votes) but do not receive 6 team votes yay/nay will be counted as legitimate and the outcome received as such after a full business day has passed.

Feb 8th - Teams will be allowed to start negotiating with RFA's, move players to/from Taxi, and cut players from their roster. Should an extension be offered, it is considered official once updated in the Salary Cap Sheet. It is also requested teams formally announce extensions in their team Discord channel and/or on the UFFA subreddit.
April 1st - RFA's who have not been extended or willingly cut by the GM will be force dropped via Commissioner action.
April 1st - Free agency will open with the first run of waivers on Friday, April 2nd at 12:05pm EDT. Provided there is no expansion draft, teams are not limited by positions or total amounts of bids per waiver run.
April 1st - Teams will be allowed to make trades at this time.
April 27th - Following waivers running, all transactions will be locked until after the NFL draft is completed.
May 3rd - Waivers will open for bids to be processed on May 4th. Trades will also resume.
July 11th - Rookie Draft begins. Drafted rookies may be immediately signed to the salary cap sheet or cut at any time for no penalty prior to being added to the salary cap sheet. Once added to the salary cap sheet, all rookies contracts become guaranteed for dead cap purposes.
Aug 1st - Drafted rookies not signed to the salary cap sheet will be force dropped via Commissioner action and be considered free agents.
Week 1 of 2021 - Taxi squads lock.

UPDATED RANKINGS GRAPH

POWER RANKINGS

A special note, this is the last week where the Power Rankings are decided by Alliance voting. Following the conclusion of the Week 16 matches, the Power Rankings will reflect the final standings for the UFFA season and will be recorded as such.
Biggest Rise: +1 ( SJ / ABQ )
Biggest Fall: -1 ( OKC / DDN )

1. Alaska Kodiak 13-1 (High: 1 / Low: 1 / - ) ~~ They dropped just shy of 241pts, which obliterated the previous playoff scoring record by 20pts (NW 2019 Divisional). It also marked the 4th time Alaska hit the +200 mark in 2020, a feat only done 9 times in Alliance history (5x ALK, 2x NW, 1x FLM [LNC], 1x STL). The odds for the Kodiak in Cario Cup II are blowing the infamous Super Bowl III out of the water.
2. San Juan Shrimp 10-5 (High: 1 / Low: 2 / +1 ) ~~ Rumor has it that RB Tony Pollard will be getting a major payday during his RFA negotiations come February thanks to his heroic performance in a pinch against the defending champions. He was called upon at the last moment to start and blew up as the RB1 of the week. With CEH now expected to miss time, Mr. Pollard could be called up again. Should he deliver the title to the Shrimp, we can likely expect GM Ramos firstborn to be name Tony(a) Pollard Ramos.
3. Oklahoma City Storm 8-6 (High: 2 / Low: 3 / -1 ) ~~ The defending champs put up a great fight, but weren't able to do enough to keep their season going. MVP candidate Josh Allen looked rested and ready to beat the world thanks to the Storm's bye week, but 2019 UFFA MVP Michael Thomas was a surprise scratch from starting roster following a reaggravation of his ankle injury. OKC couldn't adjust as swiftly as San Juan and saw TY Hilton underwhelm in Thomas' stead. They'll be playing for a higher draft pick against St. Louis in the 3rd place game with hopes that 2021 will give them the missing piece to return to Cario dominance.
4. St. Louis Clydesdales 9-6 (High: 3 / Low: 4 / - ) ~~ St. Louis has had a magical ride in 2020, but the journey ended with the predicted outcome in Alaska. Some of the Clydes rose to the occasion with great performances, such as Melvin Gordon, Baker Mayfield, and Noah Fant, but the real story of the revenge game from Leonard Fournette, who was a late addition to the Flex for 22.25pts! Alas, a weak output from the WR group (19.1pts combined compared to Hopkins 29.25pts solo) and disappointing results from Russel Wilson and TJ Hockenson was no match for the Kodiak's assault. #PonyUp for 2021!
5. Albuquerque Roadrunners 7-8 (High: 5 / Low: 5 / +1 ) ~~ Winning the 5th place game as an expansion franchise is a truly remarkable accomplishment. To do so with the 2nd highest score on the week is equally amazing. Fans in the desert have to feel great about the future with a Top 5 pick secured and strong finishes from Ryan Tannehill, Stefon Diggs, and Corey Davis. Expect the Runners to go strong after Logan Thomas as an UFA and target the RB1 or RB2 this summer in the draft.
6. Dunedin Rangers 7-8 (High: 4 / Low: 6 / -1 ) ~~ The Rangers can continue their chest beating as the king of consolation mountain. They whooped the Hoes and showed a scary amount of potential doing it. If Waller can keep holding the fort as a top shelf TE, then this team will be a trendy pick after an offseason of Akers, Swift, Herbert, Lamb, and DMont gelling together as a young powerhouse.
7. Lincoln Johnsons 6-9 (High: 5 / Low: 6 / - ) ~~ Lincoln ending the year 6-9 seems destined. Unfortunately, them losing 4 straight (an active franchise record) is a sad way to get there. Thankfully the Johnsons have the 1.06 and 2.06 picks combined with both of Alaska's 1st and 2nd (9th or 10th slot) in this summer's draft thanks to their selling high on CMC. These in addition to a health return of Joe Burrow is reason to no sweat the 2020 results.
8. Northwoods Hodags 6-9 (High: 7 / Low: 7 / - ) ~~ Putting down Ezekiel Elliott as a late scratch threw things off too much for Northwoods, who never found their footing against Dunedin. The front office will likely be doing some cap gymnastics between now and Bloody Sunday as well as during the Spring time in order to clear the future for their #2 and #12 overall selections. These joined to Northwood's healthy roster that is under contract could keep the Interior in turmoil.
9. Swansea City Ducks 6-9 (High: 8 / Low: 8 / - ) ~~ As expected, City took it easy and gave many of their starters easy snaps before lots of rest. Only Tua Tagovailoa saw the majority of game action, as the rookie got some more reps in before the offseason. Soon the center of the UFFA will shift to across the pond, as the Ducks, no doubt isolated beyond their usual close-to-the-chest approach thanks to the new super-COVID Deluxe strain, begin the long scouting process for their treasure trove of high draft picks.
10. Hawaii Volcanoes 2-13 (High: 9 / Low: 9 / - ) ~~ Much like Swansea across the field, Hawaii used this last match primarily as a scouting exercise as they look to their RFA and UFA options. The team has a large slate of free agents coming off the roster, particularly in the QB room. Expect the Volcanoes to be big spenders in FA as well as making efforts to acquire some draft capital. What time will tell is if GM Alexa will target the 2021 draft or will play for a longer rebuild in 2022 or 2023.

LEGACY SCORES

1. +1 ALASKA KODIAK (46.20)
2. -1 OKLAHOMA CITY STORM (43.65)
3. SAN JUAN SHRIMP (16.70)
4. LINCOLN JOHNSONS (3.80)
5. NORTHWOODS HODAGS (0.61)
6. ALBUQUERQUE ROADRUNNERS (-1.05)
7. +2 DUNEDIN RANGERS (-5.90)
8. -1 SWANSEA CITY DUCKS (-7.49)
9. -1 ST LOUIS CLYDESDALES (-9.40)
10. HAWAII VOLCANOES (-21.55)

CARIO CUP II PREVIEW

San Juan Shrimp (10-5) @ Alaska Kodiak (13-1)
The Shrimp are big underdogs and the last chance in stopping the coronation of the Kodiak as 2020 champs. Alaska is heavily favored with a starting lineup stacked with 1st and 2nd team All-Pro candidates, just put up the highest playoff score off all time (2nd in all UFFA history), and extended their historic win streak to 10 in a row. The regular season series went to the Kodiak 2-0, but no team has ever gone 3-0 (excluding consolation brackets), which combined with San Juan's own 7 game winning streak could be the inspiration the road team need to pull the ultimate upset.
QB - Tie
Projected starters Kyler Murray (ALK) and Deshaun Watson (SJ) are inseparably equal. Both are dynamic with solid rushing baselines. Watson has had the hotter hand as of late, but Murray seemed to have reset following the bye week.
RB - Alaska
San Juan is expected to be without CEH as well as Joe Mixon, leaving Kenyan Drake and likely Jeff Wilson as the starting backs. On the other side of the field, Alaska is likely to roll with James Robinson who has been a constant this year, as well as the prodigal son Derrick Henry. Rumors are out there of CMC making a heroic return, but the Kodiak are unlikely to trot him out with his high injury-risk while they have top-shelf options available.
WR - Alaska
Alaska has boasted the undisputed top WR corp. all year ever since Northwoods traded away Terry McLaurin and JuJu became PooPoo. DeAndre Hopkins is the WR6 on the year. You know what else he is? Alaska's WR3 in the lineup. The Shrimp can make a case for Davante Adams vs. Tyreek Hill in a head-to-head contest, but Brandon Aiyuk is a RoY candidate and Robert Woods could make 2nd team All-Pro aren't in the same tier as Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins.
TE - Alaska
Higbee looked like Higbeast in the divisional round, and the option of Jared Cook or Austin Hooper is a huge luxury for San Juan. But Alaska has Travis Kelce, who alone has had weeks of outscoring all three of the aforementioned players combined. Add in the likely start for Robert Tonyan (pending a Mike Gesicki comeback) and the Kodiak definitely take this position group.
Flex - Alaska
See the Shrimp's injury list in the RB section. That makes it harder to find a good Flex option. San Juan could get cute and move Davante Adams from WR to FLEX, but given his usual starting WR position, it seems more likely that this will tilt towards Alaska's Aaron Jones.
SF - San Juan
It is a close call between Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers, but there's no denying that San Juan's Rodgers is the hotter hand, even after a mild divisional round. He is a candidate for QBoY with a history of getting up for big games (like the Cario Cup).

BONUS COVERAGE

3rd Place Game Preview
St. Louis Clydesdales (9-6) @ Oklahoma City Storm (8-6)
In a solid undercard match, the Clydes and the unseated champs will face off over 3rd place in the Alliance as well as the distinction of selecting 1.07 or 1.08 in July's draft. The Storm will be favored and are likely playing with more purpose. OKC holds their own 1st, 3rd, and 5th round picks in 2021 while St. Louis holds only their 4th. Neither team has each other's slots, so there's no worry over tanking for better position, but in the big picture, the Ponies are unlikely to get bent out of shape over the 4.07 or 4.08. What can't be accounted for though is the pride the Gateway City would have in a win. To go from 0-16 in 2019 to defeating the 2019 champs in the playoffs is a big deal. It might not be a slugfest, but expect a hearty effort from both teams in this last match.

Welcome to the Real Salt Lake entry in the Countdown to Kickoff.

Basic info:
• Full club Name: Real Salt Lake
• Nicknames: RSL, The Claret and Cobalt
• City: Sandy, Utah – suburb just South of Salt Lake City
• Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium (Capacity: 21,363) nickname ‘The RioT’ (also umbrella nickname for all supporters’ groups). As mentioned in prior years’ posts - home to some of the greatest mountain and sunset views in the league.
• Owner: Dell Loy Hansen
• General Manager: Elliott Fall
• Head Coach: Freddy Juarez – 1st full season, (8-5-2, interim coach in 2019)
• Competitive Rival: Sporting Kansas City (no cup affiliation, animosity began with 2011 preseason brawl instigated by Roger Espinoza against Javier Morales, peaked with 2013 MLS Cup Final, matchups still marked with aggressive and chippy play. Considered major rival due to history of both teams’ success and playoff matchups). MLS write-up here.
• Geographical Rival: Colorado Rapids. Cup affiliation: Rocky Mountain Cup. Early years dominated by Colorado, then momentum flipped and has never returned. Rocky Mountain Cup scoreboard: RSL 11, Colorado 3, Tie 1 (Colorado retained cup due to tiebreaker)
• Captain: Kyle Beckerman
• USL Championship Affiliate: Real Monarchs SLC
• NWSL Sister Club: Utah Royals FC
• Official Mascot: Leo the Lion

Uniforms:

• Primary: Topographical – newly released for 2020
• Secondary: Glitch Kit – released 2019

2019 in Review

Final Standings: 16-13-5 (W-L-D), 53 pts, +5 GD, 3rd in the West
2019 definitely had a “Good, Bad, and Ugly” theme for Real Salt Lake. Fresh off thrilling 2018 playoff victory against LAFC and narrow loss to Sporting Kansas City in the Western semifinal the mood was optimistic coming into the 2019 preseason. Fans were ready to send off club legend Nick Rimando with glory as he announced the season would be his last and for the young guns that made up the majority of the roster to continue their upward progression.
The first month of the season, however, got off to a very bad start. RSL would end up with just 4 points from their first 5 games – including a spectacularly embarrassing loss at D.C. United that saw two players ejected with red cards. The team would make a slight rebound, thereafter, determined to make feast or famine of each game while going 6-6-1 over the next 3 months. Then came that fateful month of July.
RSL began the month winning 2 of their first 3 games, consistent with past seasons when they’d try to salvage their season for a playoff push. After a draw with Minnesota, the MLS regular season was interrupted by the newly created Leagues Cup, a competition between clubs from Liga MX and MLS. RSL drew Tigres and were dispatched with relative ease by the Mexican visitors. Then this happened. In what could only be described as the ugliest PR nightmare the club has faced, Coach Mike Petke was subsequently terminated 2 weeks later after a fan video leaked of owner Dell Loy Hansen criticizing the coach’s behavior and hinting at his firing.
Credit to interim coach Freddy Juarez and the squad, the team rallied instead of shrinking in the chaos and picked up 13 out of the next 18 available points, rocketing up the Western Conference standings. Two weeks after Petke’s firing, GM Craig Waibel and the club “mutually parted ways” in more fallout after texts revealed in Petke’s lawsuit found the former GM critical of the owner.
The emotion tank then appeared to empty in September as the team was only able to win one more game before the final 2 weeks of the season. Due to an incredibly competitive Western Conference, RSL was in danger of losing the playoff spot they had held onto for most of the second half of the season. The team dug deep and won both remaining games, at home against Houston and away against Vancouver (only their second-ever victory at BC Place), securing the 3rd seed in the Western Conference for the MLS Playoffs.
In the opening round, Real Salt Lake faced Portland, a team that had handed them 4 straight losses in the past 2 regular seasons. Letting the past be the past, RSL came out firing on all cylinders – only to be thwarted by Portland Goalkeeper Steve Clark for most of the first half (including this potential GOTY from DEFENDER Aaron Herrera). In a tough fought match, Jefferson Savarino found the game-winner in exhilarating fashion for RSL in the 87th minute.
For all the excitement on display in the first round against Portland, glory was not to be found in the quarterfinals away against the eventual champion Seattle Sounders. Probably the most notable event of the final game was Everton Luiz’s red card dismissal and off-field exit.

Pre-season Moves

Interim no more – New-ish Coach, GM, Assistant GM

Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen went “All-in” on the “Building from within” concept when he announced the removal of interim tags for General Manager Elliott Fall and Head Coach Freddy Juarez. In a not-totally-unexpected move, newly retired defender, and long-time club stalwart, Tony Beltran was also introduced as Assistant General Manager. More on them later…

Players In

• Guiseppe Rossi (F) – Former Team: Free Agent in 2019, Genoa (ITA) in 2018: American-born Italian International. Yes, THAT Guisseppe Rossi - the New Jersey kid that spurned the USMNT to play for Italy. In the early stages of his career the sky was the limit as he broke onto the world stage with Manchester United back in 2004. Since then, injuries have been unkind to him on stops at Villareal, Fiorentina, and Genoa. He has been with the team for the entire preseason and played in every game. He still oozes class all over the field, and if he can stay healthy, he has potential to be a transformational figure for RSL’s attack.
• Justin Meram (LW/CAM) – Former Team: Atlanta United: American-born Iraqi International. Was class of the league player for Columbus from 2016-17. Trade to Orlando in 2018 brought that form to a screeching halt (like most talented players that have gone there recently, RIP Dom Dwyer). He was traded back to Columbus at the beginning of last year. After being unable to rejuvenate himself to prior levels of greatness, he was then traded again to Atlanta. He had a bit of resurgence with Atlanta with 4 goals in 14 appearances. Meram will add solid MLS experience and potential to make the left-wing starting role solely his.
• Zac (with no ‘H’) MacMath (GK) – Former Team: Vancouver Whitecaps: MLS Journeyman who hasn’t been consistent starter since 2016 for the Colorado Rapids. Was a solid starter in Colorado before being benched when USMNT Legend Tim Howard returned to MLS. Minimal minutes with Vancouver Whitecaps last year.
• Jeizon Ramirez (RW) – Former Team: Deportivo Tachira (VEN): 18-year-old Young Designated Player. Venezuelan International. Brought in to replace Savarino. Loads of potential but unfinished product on the wing. Likely eventual starter but will need to break into team.
• Alvin Jones (RB) – Former Team: Oklahoma Energy (USL Championship): Trinidad and Tobago International. Most famous moment: Scoring THE goal that kept USMNT from going to 2018 World Cup. Depth signing to spell Aaron Herrera at RB for a few games this year.
• Ashtone Morgan (LB) – Former Team: Toronto FC: Canadian International. Free Agent signing. Toronto FC Homegrown who had inconsistent playing time with the former MLS Cup champs (2 seasons with 18+ apps, 3 with <10 apps). Signed for experience and depth.
• Milan Iloski (ATT) – Former Team: UCLA (NCAA): Homegrown signing. Recently graduated from UCLA. Utility man. Can play any position in attack. Rotational type player. Would not be surprised if he spends more time with Real Monarchs than RSL.
• Christopher Garcia (F) – Former Team: RSL Academy: Homegrown signing. The 17-year-old had flashes of great potential and energy in preseason, more likely will spend season with Real Monarchs. He will be one to keep an eye on in the future. May break into gameday roster sooner rather than later.
• Mikael Chang (ATT) – Former Team: Real Monarchs SLC (USL Championship): Rewarded for his consistent contributions from the wing with the USL champions. Not sure if he has enough talent to rise above a rotational depth player with the first team.
Re-signed: Kyle Beckerman, Luke Mulholland, Marcelo Silva, Donny Toia
Extended: Corey Baird
Loan made Permanent: Everton Luiz

Players Out

• Nick Rimando (GK) – Retired: Club Legend. MLS record holder for career clean sheets, wins, saves, and appearances, MLS Cup winner x2 (2004, D.C. United; 2009, Real Salt Lake) and All-Star x5 (2011-2015)
• Tony Beltran (RB) – Retired: Unable to return from knee injury (Badji is a monster), now RSL Assistant GM. MLS Cup winner (2009. Real Salt Lake)
• Jordan Allen (F) – Retired: Unable to return from multiple injuries. RSL Homegrown.
• Jefferson Savarino (RW) – Transferred to Atletico Mineiro (BRA): ~$2 million fee (club record)
• Joao Plata (LW) – Contract not renewed: Unsigned Free Agent
• Brooks Lennon (RW) – Traded to Atlanta United. RSL Homegrown.
• Sebastian Saucedo (LW) – Contract not renewed, free transfer to Pumas (MEX): RSL Homegrown. Sad he couldn’t get more minutes last year. Is killing it so far in LigaMX.
• Alex Horwath (GK) – Retired: Career-ending ACL injury, now part of RSL FO.
• Danilo Acosta (LB) – Contract not renewed after loan to Orlando City: Signed by LA Galaxy (tore ACL few weeks ago ☹, get well soon Danny). RSL Homegrown.

The Front Office/Coach

Head Coach: Freddy Juarez
While Freddy Juarez’s hire wasn’t particularly flashy for outsiders, those within the organization have known the coach and abilities for quite a while. Originally hired as a youth coach at the Casa Grande campus in Arizona in 2010, he doggedly worked his way up to residential administrator prior to the academy moving to Herriman, Utah. Earning a reputation as an insatiable learner and groomer of talent, in 2015 he was selected as the first head coach for RSL’s USL affiliate the Real Monarchs. Within 2 years of starting that post, he was brought on as assistant coach with the RSL first team under Jeff Cassar. After Cassar’s firing later that year, his expertise was noticed, and he was kept on staff by new coach Mike Petke. Valued for his tactical acumen, Freddy filled in superbly after Petke’s suspension and dismissal, compiling an 8-5-2 record while achieving 3rd place in the Western Conference and a playoff quarterfinal showdown with the Sounders. Freddy knows this roster inside and out, a fact that gave him a step up on any outside candidate. Hopefully he can turn that knowledge into success as he has done at every other stop on the coaching career pyramid.
General Manager: Elliott Fall
At the ripe old age of 34 Elliott Fall has now become the youngest general manager in MLS. Don’t let his age deceive you, he has been working inside the organization for even longer than Freddy Juarez, getting his start as a front office intern in 2007. By 2013 he worked his way up to assistant GM under Craig Waibel. In this new role, he specialized in being the salary cap guru, mastering the intricate details of the league’s complicated salary cap structure and ‘-AM’ exceptions. Remarkably, despite a small market budget, Waibel and Fall consistently were able to find valuable budget pieces that allowed the team to punch above its weight. After the fallout of the Petke firing and Waibel’s ‘mutual decision’ to step away, Fall was handed the mantel to continue to build the team. In interviews, Fall’s enthusiasm shines when he talks about his love for his time within the organization. “It’s a huge job," Fall said. "It’s a lot of responsibility. This is a club that I’ve grown up in, a club that I’ve been a fan of and a club that I’ve worked my entire career in. I’m really excited to get going and start building a winner.” Early moves this offseason have been promising. A big criticism of the prior GM was losing many academy products for free to Europe or allowing players with value to run out their contracts and leave on free transfers. Fall appears to be learning from past mistakes and has already traded Brooks Lennon and transferred Jefferson Savarino for more money than we’ve made in the past… I can’t even remember how long. And we’ve started signing homegrowns at the age of 16 and 17. If he can continue to navigate the steep learning curve now that he is the man in-charge, RSL may have talent that is willing to stay for a long time.

The Roster:

Best Guess Gameday 18
Freddy Juarez seems committed to Petke’s 4-2-3-1 but has stated he will have 1-2 formations he routinely uses as the season goes on based on personnel (3 in the back perhaps?). It also needs to be stated this is the Starting XI out of the gate. I expect to see evolution by the end of the season. Petke was constantly criticized for playing players out of their natural positions with middling-to-poor results (Brooks Lennon RW to RB; Pablo Ruiz W to CDM, LB; Nick Besler CDM to CB). If the preseason is any indication, Freddy may have had a hand in that and may try similar tricks this year (Preseason: Herrera RB to RW; Glad CB to RB). To start the season, however, I expect Freddy to start the “tried-and-true” players he is familiar with.

 Damir Kreilach 

Justin Meram -- Albert Rusnak –- Corey Baird

 Everton Luiz -- Kyle Beckerman© 

Donny Toia -- Justen Glad -- Nedum Onuoha –- Aaron Herrera

 Zach MacMath 

Bench: Jeizon Ramirez, Sam Johnson, Nick Besler, Alvin Jones, Marcelo Silva, Guiseppi Rossi, Andrew Putna

The Starters

• F – Damir Kreilach – After a stellar 2018, Kreilach had a less productive 2019. A box-to-box midfielder by trade he has been the stable Center Forward option for the club due to lack of bodies and quality. Sam Johnson was meant to allow him to pair with Everton Luiz in midfield but that dream has yet to materialize.
• LW – Justin Meram – Journeyman whose past glories discussed above. May end up taking over as a starter on LW if Baird is ineffective, could also slot into backup CAM role. Playing well in preseason per reports. RSL seems to offer him a system (like Atlanta) that better plays to his strengths compared to previous teams. His preseason form has been influential which is why I think we find him on the field. As a result, Corey Baird moves to the right wing.
• CAM - Albert Rusnak – RSL’s all-time highest paid player has yet to live up to those lofty expectations. While he was the 2019 RSL Goldenboot winner with 10 goals, most of his goals came from the penalty spot. When fed the ball in the CAM role he is a dynamic force in making RSL’s offense click. The problem is that in years past the flow of the offense by-passes him for the wings or boom-balls. It will be interesting to see if he is tried on the wing this year (where he plays with the Slovakian national team) but for now he is used exclusively as a kind of ‘False 9’ duo with Kreilach in the middle of the park. If the team can return to feeding him the ball, he may yet reach MLS-best status. Time to earn that paycheck.
• RW – Corey Baird – Lightning quick, the 2018 MLS Rookie of the Year had a solid but bit less spectacular sophomore run. The coaches love his stamina as he keeps his legs deep into games. Often deployed on the left, he can also rotate as the central forward from time-to-time. With Meram playing so well on the left during preseason, I think he may be moved to the right-wing in an attempt to keep his speed on the field. He’s an outside USMNT team participant. If he can take his game to the next level and remain consistent, I’m excited to see where his legs carry him. UPDATE: Pulled hamstring in preseason. Out for few weeks.
• CDM – Everton Luiz – Was the MVP for the team for large portions of the season last year with some dominating performances. The aggressive ball-winner will once again be called upon to destroy and disrupt in the middle of the park. A yellow (or red) card is never far away with his high-energy style. Hopefully he can be pared with a true box-to-box partner to revitalize the midfield (Kreilach please!!!). UPDATE: Suspended for opening game vs Orlando
• CDM – Kyle Beckerman – Our Captain, and longest serving player on the team. Old Man Dreadlocks is more ‘old’ than ‘dreadlocked’ these days, but he can still put in a quality shift when rested. At 37 and with thousands of miles on those tires, the question over the past few years is how much he has left in the tank. Despite concerns with fatigue late in the season, Mike Petke (and Freddy Juarez during his interim stint) saw no issue riding him 90+ mins every game, even as his effectiveness waned. Everton Luiz has a similar skillset to younger-Kyle, yet the coaching staff loves to play them together. Whether rotating Kyle and trying someone with complementing talent would be more successful we will never know… for now, we bask in the Legend that is Captain Beckerman and hope to give him the ovation he deserves when he decides to hang them up. UPDATE: Injured in preseason, severity unknown, likely will miss game vs Orlando
• LB – Donny Toia – RSL’s first ever Homegrown player had a respectable return to the team last year. Originally signed to compete for the LB he quickly locked it down and was a stable presence on the defense. Something 2018 RSL was sorely lacking. While offensively limited from the wing that still doesn’t stop him from attempting an occasional 40-yard rocket. I had him locked in again this year at LB but his preseason thus far has been atrocious in the few streamed exhibition games. Hopefully whatever issues he’s having are left in Arizona.
• CB – Justen Glad – It’s incredible that at the age of 22 Justen is entering his 7th season with the first team. While there were fears of stalled potential a few years ago last year was a happy return to showcasing exactly what has landed him on the radar of the USMNT. He quick pace and ability to recover allows RSL’s midfield to push forward with the attack, knowing he can chase down all but the speediest of forwards around the league. Always battling with Marcelo Silva for the second CB spot, is this the year he claims it for good?
• CB – Nedum Onuoha – One of the most fascinating members of the team, Nedum’s deep experience with various levels of English soccer immediately played dividends in stabilizing a shaky RSL backline. No matter who he is paired with at centerback, he seems to bring out the best in them. In addition, he is a quality and deep dude, offering his own podcast where he brings on current and former teammates along with pop culture friends he’s met during his career. He’s promised more set piece goals for himself this year, I’m hoping that pans out.
• RB – Aaron Herrera – The young RB has been a revelation and was quick to step into the position long-held by club veteran Tony Beltran. It has been exciting to see him not only lock down the right side defensively but also be able to recover quickly enough when pressing with the attack. If he continues on his current trajectory, I would not be surprised to see his name on future USMNT lineups. You go A-a-ron.
• GK – Zach MacMath – As discussed earlier, having not played consistently since 2016 we don’t truly know what we have with MacMath. Judging by the lineups seen this preseason he seems to be Keeper #1 going into the season. With that said, he hasn’t inspired confidence with a few shaky outings thus far. It is preseason, and he never appeared to play with his first-choice defense, but if he can’t clean it up, he may lose the starter’s job quickly with Putna and Ochoa in the wings.

The Bench

ATTACKERS:
• F - Sam Johnson – The “Blessed Boy” made many RSL fans eager for more as he got off to a hot start as a “super sub” last year, scoring every time he came on the pitch. Picked up and injury and was never able to settle with the team as starting center forward. Appears to have come into preseason with poor conditioning which won’t win him any favors with the coaching staff. We may not see true form until May/June. Interesting fact: Sam has 2 twin Gold Chrome Chevy Camaros - one in SLC and the other at his home in his native Liberia. UPDATE Sam had knee injury in offseason, did not participate in any preseason games. Coaching hoping he'd be farther along.
• RW – Jeizon Ramirez – The young South American may end up being the answer on the right wing, but like his predecessor he may need some time to become any kind of a game changer. UPDATE: Due to visa issues, just arrived in SLC on Feb 28
• F/W - Tate Schmitt – Second-year attacker has shown promise but was unable to secure significant minutes with the first team. He did have success with Monarchs which is where he will likely get his playing time again this year.
• CAM/F/W – Milan Iloski – Newcomer discussed above. I expect him to see some minutes with RSL largely in Open Cup games or garbage time. Will likely see more time and development at Monarchs.
• F – Douglas Martinez – Former NYRB academy player took the USL by storm with the Monarchs in the first half of the season last year. This led to a full first team contract. Unfortunately, he had limited time and was never able to link up well with the other members of RSL’s attack. With a full preseason to work on chemistry, Martinez is hoping to show MLS exactly why he was brought up.
• W – Mikael Chang – Discussed above. Another Monarchs stalwart and USL Champion. Chang was signed to a first team contract this offseason. I anticipate he likely will see spotty minutes with RSL.
• F – Luis Arriaga – 19-year-old homegrown player was originally signed in 2018. Most of his playing time thus far has been with Real Monarchs. I expect that to continue this year.
• F – Julian Vasquez – 18-year-old homegrown player. Mexican Youth International. Julian signed at a young age understanding that most of his playing time would be with Real Monarchs so he could cut his professional teeth. Future is still bright, but I doubt he will have a huge impact this year.
• F – Christopher Garcia – Discussed above. 17-year-old homegrown. Instantly drew eyes with his time on the field during preseason. Another one likely spending development time with Real Monarchs.
• F – Guiseppe Rossi – Preseason reports have been glowing with praise for the veteran, especially with the partnership he has found with fellow new addition Justin Meram. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting as a False 9 once he gains more fitness. I see him filling the role Sam Johnson was meant to do (allowing Kreilach to go back to midfield).
MIDFIELDERS:
• M/W - Pablo Ruiz – Young Argentine winger was poorly used at a variety of positions (CDM, LB) prior to his loan last season to FC Pinzgau Saalfelden of the Austrian 3rd division (interesting American-owned club deserving a look - The Athletic article). He thrived on loan in more attacking positions against competition there (9 goals in 15 appearances). Should he be allowed to play a similar role at RSL, he may yet prove to be the asset RSL saw glimpses of when first-signed from Argentina.
• CDM - Nick Besler – Appears to be heir-apparent to share minutes at CDM as Kyle Beckerman transitions out. Was coming into his own as a very capable midfielder before getting injury for second half of last year. No, he is not a centerback like his more well-known brother, no matter what Mike Petke believes…
• CDM – Luke Mulholland – I am surprised as anyone to see this name on the roster. 2019 began on the injured list for Luke as he dealt with chronic back issues. He eventually returned to the team to play a grand total of 19 minutes. He was sent down to the Real Monarchs where he had a pivotal role in leading the team to its first USL Championship Championship (not a misprint). If anything, as he was rarely used by RSL I imagined him being signed to an exclusive Monarchs contract. I was wrong. I still see little opportunity for him with RSL so more than likely he will be effectively a Monarchs player as they look to repeat.
• M – Justin Portillo – Another fringe first team player. Had 4 appearances with RSL in 2019, one of them for a matter of minutes after he was awarded a red card versus LAFC. Played in 16 games for Real Monarchs with 2 goals. Has been matched up with Kyle Beckerman in central midfield during preseason games with disastrous results. Doesn’t appear to be a player that will stay at the MLS level for much longer.
DEFENDERS:
• CB - Marcelo Silva – Silva’s return was never a sure thing this offseason. His re-signing (and pay cut) gives the defense an unspectacular but proven veteran who already pairs well with the other two starters Glad and Onuoha. He seems to fit better with Onuoha which is why Glad often rotates the starting spot with him.
• CB - Eric Holt – Second-year homegrown player. Spotty minutes last year. I expect to see minutes increase this year. Has been praised by teammates for his work ethic and quirky personality. Was solid member of Monarchs defense last year.
• RB - Alvin Jones – Discussed above. Depth signing to offer competition and rotation options at RB. Had so-so showing thus far in preseason.
• LB - Ashtone Morgan – Discussed above. See entry for Alvin Jones except on the left. Has not looked good thus far. Willing to give him time to gel with team before final verdict. With Toia not impressing thus far, LB position may be open if he can put it together.
GOALKEEPERS:
• GK - Andrew Putna – Backup keeper behind Nick Rimando last year. Did a decent to good job in the games he was called upon. I expect MacMath to have a short leash and ultimately, I can see the starters spot falling to Putna.
• GK – David Ochoa – 19-year-old homegrown. Rotated starting keeper duties with Real Monarchs during the regular season before locking down the position for the USL playoff run. Has a healthy competitive fire that spills into his play (and conversation with opponents). He looks to be long-term answer in goal for RSL, question is does he claim it this year or farther down the road?
• ________________________________________

5 Unanswered Questions for the Season

1. Who is going to score?
2. Who will finally end up as starter in goal?
3. Will Rusnak live up to his potential?
4. Will Ramirez develop quickly enough to replace Savarino’s production?
5. Will Beckerman’s role change this season?
6. We have the cap space/GAM/TAM. Who is coming in the Summer? ________________________________________

Season Prognostication

Best Case Scenario

New additions and last year’s signings come good and give RSL a potent and versatile attacking group. A strength of prior years was no one player was responsible for the majority of RSL’s scoring, making it hard for defenses to focus on any one player. This trend continues and the FO bolsters it by using our luscious cap space to sign a bonafide attacker (likely center forward) in the summer who loves to score. Rusnak makes good on becoming a maestro in the middle. Defense remains stout and MacMath or Putna or Ochoa prove fill in quite well for departed Nick Rimando. RSL remains competitive and surprises everyone by finishing second in the West.

Worst Case Scenario

Well, besides having Round 2 of Mike Petke’s 2019, I’d say if preseason is any indication it’s that Freddy Juarez gets cute, plays multiple players out-of-position causing chaos (not the good kind) in the final third and dooming RSL’s attack to ineptitude. By the time experimentation is done and he reverts to playing people at their strongest positions RSL is too far out of the playoff picture for it to matter. Of course, he could still play players in their preferred position and the offense could struggle. Especially if we fail to sign additional offensive talent in the summer. Throw in that MacMath has looked terrible between the posts in the preseason and we may be at the bottom of the table looking up. We will see.

Realistic Scenario

I think we will see experimentation by Freddy, but like last year, RSL has the talent to stay competitive over the long run. We finished 3rd in the West in 2019 with largely the same roster up the spine. Staying dangerous from the wings will make or break the year IMO. I anticipate further offensive signings in the summer. Probably a winger, because with RSL, it’s always a winger. I think RSL struggles on offense, does well enough on defense once goalkeeper is settled (which I think will end up being Putna), and somehow backs into one of the final playoff spots in the West. We take a step back and lose in the first round of the playoffs.

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