What year was television introduced in Escalia?

NeoPrankster wrote:

What year was television introduced in Escalia?

TV first came to Escalia in the late 1930's after both the UK and US started their first television networks. The EBN was founded shortly after in 1943, and has become the largest network in the country by far. Glad you're enjoying the league!

Stickman wrote:

Great first season to start off the project!  Looks like a really good first championship!  Rooting for the Lumberjacks to avenge their playoff loss next season!

Thanks Stick! I think you'll like how the 'Jacks will turn out in the next couple of years.

And now the long offseason post!

1960-61 Offseason

Draft:
The inaugural draft took place at the Sapphire Star Hotel in Hadley, where the league was also founded. There were three clear front-runners, QB Harold Bauer out of Argil Agricultural College,  LB Dennis Riley from Toukier Provincial University, and RB Clint Atwood from Howle College. League president Jack Merrill took the stage, and after a brief speech about the success of the first season, allowed 45 minutes for the teams to get together their picks. The time soon came for the first pick.

1st - Duvall Dragons: QB Harold Bauer (Argil Agricultural College)
Unsurprisingly, the Dragons took the best player on the board to give some sort of life to the dead team. Hopefully, Bauer will pan out like his former teammate Eddy Belmont, as he won the Ward Trophy the season after Belmont left.
2nd - Hadley Gatekeepers: RB Clint Atwood (Howle College)
Atwood was the runner-up for the Ward Trophy, as he torched most defenders on his way to the endzone. The Gatekeepers are trying to form their high-flying offense, but last season proved that it needed significant work.
3rd - Augusta Bulls: DB Jeff English (Arcanora Tech)
The Bulls passed on Riley, and instead took English, a great DB from Arc Tech considered the next best defensive player in the draft after the main three.
4th - Ellesby Mariners: LB Dennis Riley (Toukier Provincial University)
To make up for the loss of Phillip Keyes, the Mariners drafted Riley, a player that seems to be very similar to Keyes.
5th - Kierport Knights: T Tim Fairbairn (University of Argil)
The Knights are going all in on the option playstyle, and getting Fairbairn will bolster their already great offensive line
6th - Norfolk Lumberjacks: T Byron Dukes (Argil Agricultural College)
Realizing that Belmont wasn’t as invincible as he was the rest of the season, the ‘Jacks also take a Tackle in Dukes to protect their young superstar
7th - Augusta Bulls (from Orcaster) : DT Mark Schmitt (University of Huron)
Before the 7th overall pick was announced, the Racers announced they were trading away their pick to Augusta. In the deal, Orcaster shockingly traded away RB Gabriel Sydney and a 2nd round pick for their first and fourth round picks. With their pick, the Bulls select DT Mark Schmitt, hoping to improve a lackluster defense with the best defensive player east of the Wyomite Mountains.
8th - Ellesby Mariners (from Adelaide): DB Raleigh Gibson (Tallokope Provincial University)
Using the pick from the Phillip Keyes trade, the Mariners take a DB to improve their defense that was mediocre this season to potentially turn into a contender again. 

Offseason:
Notable retirements included ADL DB Ron Breckinridge, who played from 1946-1960, playing with amateur teams before being picked up by the Owls in their inaugural season in 1953. His achievements in the EFL included the clutch forced fumble to clinch the Owls the first Escalian Cup. Also retiring was ORC WR Keir Meier, who played from 1948-1960, helping the Racers dominate the weak Western League, and KIE OT Jonathan Paris, playing from 1950-1960, hanging up his cleats due to persistent injuries preventing him from making a return. 

Besides the shock of the Gabriel Sydney trade during the draft, no other major trades took place besides shifting around draft picks for minor players. No changes were made in the coaching carousel, even though Hadley and Ellesby fans wanted their head coaches fired after 1 mediocre to awful season. Both decided to hold onto them for at least the next year, as Hadley HC Nick Abrams had 1 year left in his contract and Ellesby extended HC Jack Backus before the 1960 season. 

In uniforms and logos, the only change made was by the Owls, who fixed their helmet stripes after complaints that the blue stripe blended into the green helmet, as well as added a patch on their uniforms celebrating their win in the inaugural Escalian Cup. Owner Paul Price added the patch to “show off the best team in the nation” and as a link to the other most popular sport of soccer to attract more fans to the sport.

North Division
The biggest surprise of this season was the rise of the Knights. Their shift to the option play style in the offseason worked out, as QB Dane and RB Acker steamrolled over the league to a 9-1 record, only losing to the Owls in week 2. The Racers more or less were the same this season, replacing one of their wins last year with a tie with the Gatekeepers, but at points looking like a husk of themselves from last year. Speaking of Hadley, if they fell off a cliff last year, then this year they fell off the edge of the world, only managing 1 measly win over Ellesby. The Mariners had an equally bad year at 2-8, having fired HC Jack Backus in week 7 after starting 1-6.  

South Division
Experts predicted Norfolk and Adelaide would run the division. The Adelaide part came true, although doing slightly worse due to their defensive core beginning to show their age. The Norfolk part went differently. In a week 3 game against the Bulls, RB Belmont tore his ACL, and would not return for the season. The ‘Jacks would go 1-5-1 in the next 6 games, taking them out of the playoffs. In their place, the Bulls surged to take the remaining playoff spot, posting a nearly identical record to the Owls with a 7-3 record. The Dragons saw a mediocre year at 5-5, but it was anything better than last season, with their new QB Harold Bauer easily taking Rookie of the Year honors. 

Awards:
Most Valuable Player: RB Derrick Acker (KIE)
Most Valuable Coach:  Lyall Parsons (NOR)
Most Outstanding Offensive Player: QB Paul Dane (KIE)
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: DT Al Berry (ADL)
Most Outstanding Rookie: QB Harold Bauer (DUV) 

Playoff Preview: 

Orcaster Racers @ Kierport Knights
Kierport and Orcaster are two different teams this year. The Knights are an unstoppable offensive machine, while the Racers aren’t as well-rounded as they were last year.  
Escalian Sports Magazine Prediction: This won’t as exciting of a game as last time they met in the divisional round, as Orcaster’s defense is no match for the renewed 1-2 of Dane and Acker. 30-6 KIE

Augusta Bulls @ Adelaide Owls
Again in the South we have the immovable object of Adelaide against a David in the expansion team, this time being Augusta. But the new kid on the block shouldn’t be taken lightly, as Adelaide had to fix their playbook just to specifically stop the ‘Jacks offense last year. This time, the Bulls have no singular weapon to stop, as the Bulls have weapons on both sides of the ball.
Escalian Sports Magazine Prediction: This game could go either way, but the inexperience of the Bulls will be their downfall. 21-20 ADL  

Last edited by DireBear (6/09/2020 4:43 pm)

All aboard the Dane Train!

That a way Knights! Let's win it this year.