South Asian Football League (SAFL) – POWER RANKINGS – Week 9

“The real you is not you; the real you is what is within you. What is behind your joy or your melancholy. What gives you the reason to ponder. What moves or stops you. What makes you  is you” ― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

COMMENT

AK

Every team brings unique qualities that help make them who they are. There are many adjectives that describe AK but one word we would use is relentless. AK plays all out on every single snap. It doesn’t matter if they’re up big or down big, they play with movement that takes the fight to you. This is the quality that separates them from everyone else.

SAVAGES

This iteration of the Savages is the best one yet. They have finally shed what ailed them in the past and now have become incessant in their pursuit of the SAFL crown. They are playing at a high level and doing it for the length of the game. Being coordinated when situations force you to contort is a predilection to success.

BROWNS

Their has been a lot written about the Browns in this space. Mostly negative. Especially about their defense. Our observations have been based on what the numbers say and what our eyes tell us. Our eyes, nor the numbers for that matter, can see inside a team’s heart. The Browns have unparalleled grit. They continue to occupy exclusive real estate because really, like Jason, they keep coming back. Until someone takes them out for sure, they are to be considered armed and dangerous.

GATORS

The Gators are still very solid. Their statistical metrics support our observations about them. The Gators are getting by with one of the thinnest rosters in the league. Their resolve is second to none. They have the talent to go all the way, but they need two things to happen: 1) they need everyone to show up 2) they need to be more consistent when they have the ball. The great teams keep scoring. All the time.

UNDERDOGS

Its been a tale of two seasons for the Underdogs. The first act was utter confusion. The second act has been a 180 turn lead by their tenacious efforts. The Underdogs have their most talented roster ever and their time seems like its now or never. There is no time like the present to siege the day. Procrastination is for losers.

ELITES

The Elites are sliding a little recently. They were once ranked really high in this space but some unfortunate and timely misfires have them looking up. Their leadership can rally the troops or pretend everything is fine and continue to slide. We believe the Elite’s passion will over run the pulls of inertia and get the ship righted heading into the playoffs.

BANDITS

The Bandits are an original SAFL franchise and clearly has stood the test of time. They have an energy to them that is hard to replicate. They have a dogged determination to succeed. Even after redoing their entire team, they kept their fortitude and DNA intact. It may take more seasoning, but the Bandits are on the rise.

THUNDER

The Thunder show up each and every week with enthusiasm and alacrity. Their recent past has not borne as much fruit as they would like, but they come to work every Saturday with their hard hat and lunch pail and get to work. That’s very admirable and worthy of emulation. The Thunder are closer to where they want to be than their record would lead you to believe. They are some sustained drives away from making it interesting.

COBRA KAI

Cobra Kai was birthed by serendipity. And the Sal community is all better because of it. These guys are learning on the fly accommodating new faces and grinding it out every week with a limited roster. We think of these guys as courageous. It’s not easy to come together on short notice and aim to be champions. But we’re not putting it past them to achieve the ultimate goal.