The Curse of G:TB is NOT a Thing

At the risk of an epic jinx, or more accurately, the risk of bad timing when something inevitable happens, we come today to talk about one of the more remarkable runs of form in major European soccer history.

Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo might be
the best free kick taker in all of Europe

Bayern Munich are the undisputed apex predator of German footy. The Bavarian giants have won the Bundesliga title 32 of the 52 times it's been contested, and the past 11. They've won the DFB-Pokal, Germany's open cup competition, 20 times - no other team has won more than six. Though they were fortunate to take last year's trophy (as Dortmund tied mid-table Mainz and handed the title to Munich), there were no signs that the mighty squad would do anything other than cruise to a 12th consecutive championship. In fact, they looked to get even stronger when they added English superstar Harry Kane to a prodigiously talented roster.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Salatschüssel, in one of those happenstances that sport is so good at delivering every so often. 

Bayer Leverkusen was founded 119 years ago, and has been in top division of German football for the last 45 years. They've finished as runner-ups five times, most recently in 2010-11, and have never won the league. The won the Pokal in 1992-93, which is by far the greatest moment in club history, except perhaps winning the UEFA Cup (the second-tier continental tournament at the time) in 1986-87. Over the past several years, Die Werkself (the company's team, so known because the team was associated with the Bayer pharmaceutical company at it's founding) has finished fifth, fifth, fourth, sixth, third, and sixth in the Bundesliga, solid and competitive. But there was nothing at all over that time that hinted at what was to come this year.

Or maybe not nothing at all. In October 2022, legendary midfielder Xabi Alonso (who played at Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich and earned 114 caps for Spain) took over as Leverkusen's manager. At the time, the team found itself fighting a relegation battle, second-to-last in the league with a quarter of the season already played. Alonso's possession-based style and innovative tactics proved effective in his first high-level coaching stint, and Leverkusen easily escaped relegation and rose all the way to sixth at the end of the season.

Leverkusen lost, 3-0, to VfL Bochum, on the last matchday of the 2022-23 season. Alonso's team haven't lost a match in any competition since. They've won 22 and tied four in 26 Bundesliga matches, and have advanced to the semifinals of the DFB Pokal and the quarterfinals of the Europa League (the successor to the UEFA Cup). Last weekend, they were on the brink of defeat in their Europa League Round of 16 match against Azerbaijani side Qarabağ FK, when they did this:

All told, Leverkusen haven't lost in 38 consecutive matches, breaking the German mark of 33 previously held by Bayern Munich. With eight matches left in the Bundesliga, their 10-point margin means they're likely to break Munich's stranglehold on the division, although stranger things have definitely happened.

Alonso's success at Leverkusen has resulted in a lot of speculation about his future, which was amplified as soon as Jurgen Klopp announced his resignation from Liverpool. It's an easy sell for Liverpool supporters, who remember Alonso's 143 matches and 2004-5 Champions League title with the Reds and see his style as complementary to Klopp's heavy metal football.

Leverkusen are the only first division club still alive in the Pokal, which makes them odds-on favorites to lift their second cup. They face Premier League West Ham in a two-leg Europa League knockout April 11 and 18, which represents the toughest challenge they'll face until they go to Borussia Dortmund in league play on April 21. They'll almost certainly lose one of the maximum of 14 matches still to come. 

Which will NOT be our fault. Don't @ us, Leverkusen fans. We're celebrating you, too.

Fantasy Football 2013: In Spiller We Trust

So, it seems Team G:TB has a favorite fantasy football player this year, Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller. Despite Spiller being a member of a downtrodden franchise with an untested rookie at quarterback and a dude who captained Syracuse last year as his head coach, quite a few of us found it necessary to add Spiller to our 2013 fantasy rosters. This can only mean one thing for poor Mr. Spiller (and our teams): CATASTROPHIC DISASTER.

The Curse of G:TB is very real, so you can expect Spiller's knee to implode sometime during his Week 3 contest with the laughable Jets "team". Let's take a look, then, at which of us will have a sad when Spiller inevitably goes down and ruins our fantasy season:

zroster:
As it was explained to us in an email, zman is in an "an ancient home run league. Not standard or PPR." What the fuck does that mean, you ask? I'll let him explain: "You get points for TD with bonuses based on length. Out of position scores (e.g., rushing TD by a WR or QB) count double. Before you tell me this is stupid, note that the league is over 20 years old and back then scoring was a pain in the ass without the internet." It should be noted that zman wisely added Fred Jackson as the handcuff to the Spiller selection, 'cause he's a Bills fan, and knows what is going to happen to poor Mr. Spiller.

Teej roster:

I'm in a PPR keeper league, and because of my rock solid second-to-last showing last year had the #2 pick in this year's draft. The guy picking #1 surprised me by taking Calvin Johnson, so I was actually left with a quandary: take Spiller, or LeSean McCoy, who I had just assumed would be the only viable back left for me at #2. Because I waffled and took Spiller over McCoy, you just know Spiller is going down. However, I too took Jackson as a handcuff.

Mark roster:

Mark is apparently too lazy to send us his entire roster. Or tell us whether he is in a PPR or Standard scoring league. Asshole.

Clarence roster:

Actually, Mark looks great compared to Clarence, who told us he does have Spiller on his fantasy roster, but apparently can't manage to take a screen shot of his team. Solid work, chief. [AFTERNOON UPDATE: Clarence has risen...and sent his roster.]

Anyone else out there in the G:TB Universe have Spiller on their roster? Want to commiserate with us chumps before the injury occurs? Join us in the comments and let us know.