2010 Season review through week 5

     Hello everyone, and welcome to the half way point in the 2010 season!  You will find below a listing of teams (in order of the standings as of week 5), as well as a very brief re-cap and listing of opponents for the upcoming matches in week 6.  Remember, for a more detailed look at the action, visit the league homepage (link provided at the end of this review)!

Eastern Division

     New England Nor'easters - (W - 4.5 L - 0.5 Game Points - 12.0/20) - Who says expansion teams can't compete?  New England has assembled a strong roster, and they have been putting in solid performances all season long.  With wins in all but one game so far (they tied Boston on week 4), the winds of victory have favored New England.  The upcoming match in week 6 against St. Louis may allow them to move to 5.5 on the year, keeping them ahead of New York.

     New York Knights - (W - 4.0 L - 1.0 Game Points - 15.0/20) - The defending League Champions are once again looking strong, with an ability to field three GMs in the their lineups!  Outside of a week 2 loss to New Jersey, the Knights have put a fork into their opponents.  The 15 out of 20 game points will play a factor as the playoffs approach.  With the upcoming match in week 6 against Miami, New York looks to move to 5.0 on the year.

     Boston Blitz - (W - 3.5 L - 1.5 Game Points - 10.5/20) - Once again, a familiar roster helps the Blitz stay in the hunt with the surprising New England and defending Champions in the east.  After getting worked over completely in week 1 by New York, Boston has played solid and steady since (including an overwhelming blitz on the boards in a game with Manhattan in week 3).  Is this the year that Boston finally wins it all?  They have a tough game in week 6 against San Francisco; should they win, it would keep tremendous pressure on both teams ahead of them!

     Baltimore Kingfishers - (W - 2.5 L - 2.5 Game Points - 11.0/20) - Baltimore's strong performance in week 2 and week 3 show that they have the ability to take flight.  New York brought them back to the ground hard in week 5 though, and it will be up to the Kingfishers themselves to find a way to stay competitive in the second half of the season.  They will face Arizona in week 6, and need to win to once again spread their wings.  Don't count them out yet!

     Philadelphia Inventors - (W - 1.5 L - 3.5 Game Points - 9.0/20) - Philadelphia hopes to re-invent themselves this season with some changes they have made.  They have had some moments (week 1 win against New Jersey 3-1), but will need to really put up some good numbers the second half of the season to stay in the playoff hunt.  Their week 6 game against Chicago may not be a must win, but it is safe to bet they will be pulling for Arizona to beat Baltimore this upcoming week.

     New Jersey Knockouts - (W - 1.5 L - 3.5 Game Points - 8.5/20) - New Jersey returned with a very similar line-up to the 2009 roster, and why not?  They dominated play during the regular season last year.  So far this season it has been a different story though.  Outside of the great win in week 2 against New York (which is the Knight's only loss so far this year), they just haven't been able to put anything together.  They need to score a T.K.O. in week 6 against Seattle.  Anything less may knock them out of the playoffs!

     Manhattan Applesauce - (W - 1.5 L - 3.5 Game Points - 6.5/20) - Manhattan has not been able to find their stride yet, as they had hoped to improve on their 2009 campaign.  Crushing defeats in week 3 and week 4 has not helped their cause.  They hope to avoid becoming a tasty snack for the expansion team from L.A. in week 6.  A loss here may be the end of any playoff hopes this season.

     Carolina Cobras - (W - 1.0 L - 4.0 Game Points - 7.5/20) - Going into the season, it was assumed that Carolina would have a tough year, after losing one of their best players.  The season has proved that to be the case.  The last couple of weeks they have managed to tie their opponents.  In week 6, they look to sink their fangs into their first win of the season against a struggling Dallas team.

Western Division

    San Francisco Mechanics - (W - 4.0 L - 1.0 Game Points - 13.0/20) - San Francisco finds that they are statistically ahead of Arizona at the moment due to their average opponent strength being a little higher.  This team seems to always be the one to beat in the west, and this year is no exception.  Since their week 3 loss to Chicago, the Mechanics have engineered solid wins.  Their game mechanics will be tested in week 6 by Boston.  A win will continue to pressure Arizona to perform well.

     Arizona Scorpions - (W - 4.0 L - 1.0 Game Points - 13.0/20) - This team is playing very solid right now (their first loss was last week against Chicago).  Even after their first loss, they find themselves almost completely even with the west's San Francisco.  Their week 6 opponent, Baltimore, may feel the sting of the scorpions... as Arizona looks to keep pressure of their own against the Mechanics.

     Chicago Blaze - (W - 3.5 L - 1.5 Game Points - 10.5/20) - With major changes made to their roster from last season, Chicago looks to set the west on fire.  And outside of a week 4 torching from L.A., they appear ready to do just that.  By defeating both San Francisco and Arizona, week 6 against Philadelphia appears to set Chicago up to keep pace with the division leaders.

     St. Louis Arch Bishops - (W - 2.5 L - 2.5 Game Points - 10.0/20) - Being one of the two expansion teams in the west, the Arch Bishops were hoping to find the success that New England is currently experiencing.  So far, their prayers have not been answered, with their only win so far coming in week 3 against a struggling Dallas.  With some of their top talent currently playing for the U.S. in the 2010 Chess Olympiad, things will get no easier in week 6 as they face New England.

     Los Angeles Vibe - (W - 2.0 L - 3.0 Game Points - 8.5/20) - The other expansion team in the west, L.A. debuts as the long awaited team representing southern California chess.  It has been hard to get a "feel" for the Vibe, and the team seems to be experiencing the highs and lows that expansion teams often face.  Week 6 may get them feeling better, if they can win against Manhattan!

     Dallas Destiny - (W - 1.5 L - 3.5 Game Points - 8.5/20) - This is another team that decided to change the roster a bit after the 2009 season.  So far, the adjustments have not produced the results that they had hoped for.  Their only win on the season so far has been against the expansion Vibe in week 2.  Destiny may favor them in week 6 though, as they have Carolina as their match-up!

     Seattle Sluggers - (W - 1.5 L - 3.5 Game Points - 9.0/20) - Seattle looked to come out swinging this season, even after losing their top player to St. Louis.  Half way through the season, the Sluggers find themselves in the corner.  The bright spot of the season so far has been that Miami seems to be a punching bag, giving Seattle it's only positive points.  Week 6 finds them facing off with another opponent that is struggling, New Jersey.

     Miami Sharks - (W - 1.0 L - 4.0 Game Points - 7.5/20) - Although they had hoped for a better position this far into the season, Miami finds themselves swimming at the bottom of the division.  The team has struggled, finding only two ties in the murky depths of the 2010 season.  The water will not get any clearer in week 6 as New York will look to reel in another win.

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