The Hughes News: Hughes Bowl 42 Preview

I'm as surprised as you are. 😯

And here we go.... after a tumultuous regular season and an...ahem... interesting postseason we find ourselves at Hughes Bowl 42 to cap off our 43rd campaign. Paz' Blizzard, winners of a wildcard 'golden ticket', and Bobby's Bombers, as stealthy as the plane on their helmet, will duke it out in the first Hughes Bowl to not feature the Giants since 2018!

This is the third time these two clubs have met to decide the champion of our league. They faced off in back-to-back Hughes Bowls with the Bombers wrecking the Bliz 114-57 in 2013 and the Blizzard gaining their revenge in 2014, 122-98. I took a quick glance at our HB history and I think this will be the first time that two clubs have opposed each other three times.

Random facts from our record book... the last (only?) time two Wild Card clubs gained the Hughes Bowl was in 2012 when the Giants took on the R'backs (more on this below)... the Blizzard last took part in fantasy football's biggest contest in 2016 when they lost to the Holes... the Bombers last visit to the big stage was the 2014 game versus the Bliz mentioned above... that 2013 win is obviously their last HB victory.

This one and the 2012 Hughes Bowls are, technically at least, the only ones to feature two Wild Card clubs. The first Hughes Bowl (1981) and the third one (1983) were played by two clubs that finished second in their divisions. In those early two division seasons, the division champs and runners-up made up the postseason field. Whether or not the 2nd place clubs should be considered 'wild cards' is up for debate I guess...

This is the ~~seventh~~ Hughes Bowl for the Bombers who have won four times. The Blizzard are looking for their fourth league crown in their ninth Hughes Bowl. Based on regular season scoring (and their respective semi-final showings) the Bombers would have to be considered the favorite but I'm retired from the prediction game. I'll just wish them both good luck.

I'll have a Hughes Bowl wrap-up next week. Included in that blog post or in a separate one shortly afterward I'll have some year-ending thoughts on the league and what the future holds. I also hope to have a league owner meet-up with a trophy presentation early in the new year. Details to come.