Sometimes there are reasons for this. In this league, and others, my teams always lose to Pittsburgh Maulers coach Otterpop. Every time. Why? Because he is a smart coach who fields good teams and most coaches have a losing record against him. The reasons are not always that clear. Some teams seem to have a dominance over others that can't be explained by coach genius or team strength.
I started this chart below when the league began. I like to use it as a reference when writing previews or when one team finally breaks the dominance of another. To use it (click to enlarge), find your team on the left and read across. If you are the Honolulu Hawaiians coach, for instance, find your team on the left and read across three squares to see your team is 6-2 against the San Jose SaberCats.
A link to the chart is now posted on the left navigation column of the league blog. Or, you can follow this link to go directly to the page. I have also made a permanent page for the league's All-Pro teams.
Just click on the image below to enlarge. See below the chart for some trivial points.
Here is the trivia I promised:
- The Southern California Sun beat the Honolulu Hawaiians for the first time last season (1-7).
- The Arizona Wranglers beat the Portland Storm for the first time last season (1-7).
- The Michigan Panthers beat the Chicago Blitz for the first time last season (1-7).
- The Chicago Blitz and San Antonio Gunslingers have played a non-division game every season. Chicago has won all four.
- There are just a few division rivalries where one team has won all eight games: Los Angeles over Southern California; Memphis over Houston; San Antonio over Memphis; Detroit over Michigan; Baltimore over Washington; Pittsburgh over Charlotte and Washington; and New Jersey over Philadelphia.
