2000 – Robio Murray Entering the 2000 season, I was riding a 11-game winning streak, after earning the triple crown (top seed, scoring crown, league champ) in Robioland Football’s inaugural season. However, this year we introduced four new league members, so things should be tougher.
The season got off to a slow start. I escape with a week one win, barely cracking 1,000 (1,048-863 victory over John) and the I saw my 12-game winning streak come to an end the following season, with a rough 978-972 loss. Fortunately, I picked things up and winning seven of my next eight, earning two weekly high scores. My only defeat was one where I scored 1,823 points, the most points ever scored in a defeat (a record that would stick around for 12 years).
Down the stretch, I would struggle just a bit, splitting my final four. While I would win the division, those loses would cost me the top seed and I would finish second in scoring, 785 points behind the leader Rick, who also earned the top seed with a 11-3 record.
As the #2 seed, my boys failed to deliver big stats, forcing me to eek out some tight victories. In the quarterfinals, I escaped 7-seed Dave, 1,097-1,012. The following week, I’d escape with another tight victory, defeating #6 Chris, 1,332-1,298. Two postseason games and two postseason wins by a combined 125 points. Even more luck came my way, when #4 seed Griff shocked #1 Rick in the semifinals. This set up a second straight Robio vs Griff finals and just like in 1999, it was the commissioner who pulled out the win. The league’s first champion became the league’s first back-to-back champion with a 1,448-1,197 win.
2001 – Robio Murray
Despite a move to New York, Robioland Football survived and thrived, although at first, it seemed I left my skills back in Florida. I dropped my first four games, failing to hit 1,000 in two of them. Times, they were ugly. Yet, after a lucky 870-741 win, team developed a taste for victory and just kept on winning. I would dominate down the stretch, winning nine of ten, becoming the first 0-4 team to crash the postseason party.
I won the division and earned the 2-seed for the second straight season. Yet, the big threat to a third-straight title was new league member, Jason. He won 11 games and averaged a record 1,558 points per game (which remains the record through 2017). In the quarterfinals, my opponent (Brian) failed to show and I escaped with a 1,224-662 victory. Unfortunately, my luck ran out in the semifinals, when I was upset by #6 David, 1,075-1,436. The defeat was my first career postseason defeat (7-1). The following week, #1 Jason defeated Dave, winning the title in his only season in the league.
2002 – Jason Carpenter Soon after, I would move out of my apartment in Queens and loss contact with Jason. He remains the league’s only one-hit wonder. Thus, there was no defending champ in 2002.
2003 – Robio Murray The previous season I once again started slow (2-5 through seven games), but finished strong (won six of seven), eventually defeating Molly for the championship. So it was no surprise when I yet again stumbled out of the gate. I dropped my first four and sat in last place. However, after a record-setting 2,099-475 win over Masterson in week five, my team finally woke the fuck up and I dominated down the stretch. I would win nine of my last ten games, breaking 1,500 six times (twice breaking 2,000). I earned the top seed for the first time since 1999 and took up my third scoring crown.
Nothing was going to keep me from winning my fourth title in five seasons. Except Calderon. Despite putting up a solid 1,535 points, I became the first 1-seed to lose to a 8-seed, falling to Rich, 1,953-1,535. Two weeks later Burrier brought him his first title in just his second season in the league.
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