Rudi and Vick Are Coming To The Farm!
(Olympia, WA) - Rudi and Vick are coming to the farm. The Inland Empire Fightin' Combines selected 16 players on Sunday afternoon in the 2004 Capital Fantasy Football League draft including first round selection RB Rudi Johnson and fourth rounder QB Michael Vick.
The Combines spent their first three picks on runningbacks loading up on a normally weak position for the team. RB's Kevan Barlow and T.J. Duckett return to the organization following promising 2003 campaigns with the Mall Rats.
GM Brandon Sparks was very pleased with the draft. "I was very happy to load up on some quality runningbacks early and then to get one of the top quarterbacks a little later."
"Seeing Vick drop to the fourth round was great," Sparks continued. "He is really the key to this season. If he is healthy we are the best team in the league. If not, then we have some serious problems."
With a glut of talent at wide receiver the Combines were able to wait until the fifth round before selecting Andre Johnson, Jerry Porter and Donte Stallworth in consecutive rounds.
"Those are three quality, impressive receivers who should really turn it on this season," commented Sparks. "We didn't see a reason to panic and select a receiver early. There were plenty of guys to go around."
The reaction back in Lind was of extreme jubilation. Owner Emil Sackmann gave a large crowd of townspeople gathered at the Lion's Club Arena updates as the draft proceeded. The selection of Vick sent whoops and hollers throughout the crowd.
"This is a great day for Lind and for Eastern Washington," Sackmann said after the draft. "The Inland Empire will give those city folks one hell of a run this season, you mark my words!"
Thresherette of the Week Archive
Combine of the Week Archive
WEEK 9
Michael Pittman - 128 rushing yards and three TD's and 30 receiving yards for 33 points
WEEK 8
Jake Plummer - 499 passing yards and four passing TD's for 32 points
WEEK 7
Michael Pittman - 109 rushing yards and one TD and 55 receiving yards for 20 points
WEEK 6
Michael Vick - 218 passing yards, 2 passing TD's, 35 rushing yards and one rushing TD for 24 points
Mall Rats Dead, Combines Live!
(Lind, WA) - The Capitol Mall Rats are no more. Following a violation of their lease by the Olympia City Council the Mall Rats opted to move onto dustier pastures. Namely Lind, Washington, population 500.
Lind native and rodeo great Emil Sackmann purchased the Mall Rats for an undisclosed amount and promptly moved them to become the Inland Empire Fightin' Combines of Lind. Former owner Brandon Sparks retains a minority interest in the team and will remain the general manager and coach of the Combines.
"This is an exciting time for Lind and Eastern Washington," said Sparks at a press conference held at the team's temporary home, the Lind Lion's Club Arena, which is adjacent to the Combine's future 60,000 seat stadium and home every year to the Combine Demolition Derby for which the team is named. "Emil and I plan to bring an amazing product to the Inland Empire. We will work tirelessly to make this the best football team Lind has ever seen."
The team has already set up a website and plans to have an office up and running in downtown Lind within the next couple of days.
"We have a lot to do. The draft is on Sunday and we have little time to sell advertising and season tickets, but already people have been clamoring from all over the place to become a part of this exciting opportunity, " said Sparks. "We've had businesses from Othello to Soap Lake interested in our team, so things are looking very good."
"We've never been this excited to get the season going," continued Sparks. "We've learned a lot from our past mistakes and our draft will be much more solid this year and I have all the confidence in the world that we can bring the CFFL championship back to Lind."
