Rankings Week 4

There were 30 games this week, with some new faces joining the mix, most notably Seth and Rachel, who both were quick to take their places at the top of the rankings. Seth's only loss was 10-6 to top-ranked Jared, and Rachel's were to No. 2 Ryan and Miriam. Miriam upset Henry-Jon, 10-8, avenging a season-opening loss, and Henry-Jon's day didn't get any better, as he was on the wrong end of a 10-2 game against Seth. You can check out the rest of the scores at the Scores page. Here are the rankings:

1. Jared
2. Ryan
3. Seth
4. Erich
5. Asha
6. Rachel
7. Jennabee
8. Henry-Jon
9. Miriam
10. Kahlin
11. Jerome
12. Sarah
13. Jacob
14. Caroline

JARED 10 SETH 6

Rivalry games between the top two Dixon powers, Seth and Jared, are always surrounded by an enormous amount of heated intensity and have title implications. Nothing much has changed, as Jared's controlled pace of quick accelerations and one touch met with Seth's fast-paced, powerful 50-shots-a-minute style, and the result was almost mind-boggling to watch.

"I usually slow things down every now and then, and control the tempo a bit more," Jared said post-game, "but I never even tried against Seth I just put my foot on the gas and never took it off."

The result was a lightening fast jumble of superfooses, goalie shots, and impossible plays. After less than a minute of play, the game was knotted up at 4-4, but Jared continued to elevate the tempo, his goalie working overtime, and his strikers on warpath. when the dust cleared, both were gasping for breath, but Jared had secured another signature win and improved to 11-1 with a 10-6 win over then-no. 3 Seth.

Jared...What happened?

When Ryan beat Jared 10-8 almost two weeks ago, it signified more than the return of a new, rejuvenated, re energized Ryan, it was the end of an age of dominance.

Whether it is a result of an increase in skill in the rest of the CCFA, or a loss of talent, Jared is no longer the Goliath that he used to be. He has held the top spot in nine of the ten rankings released, but he is no longer a lock to win every game. Even before the game against Ryan, one could have seen the signs. Jared allowed four points to Henry-Jon in consecutive games, and had trouble closing out against Kahlin, barely escaping with a 11-7 win.

"I'm not as good as I used to be," wrote Jared in a released statement. "It's as simple as that. I have slower reactions, my timing is off. There's a lot to work on." Jared's strikers did indeed look a little rusty, and his defense allowed a goal to Jacob, the same player he defeated 11-0 in last year's Dixon Classic. He held a thin 4-2 lead over Miriam before he closed out, the same player over whom he cruised to a 10-0 win last year.

With Ryan's win, it became clear: Jared is not in his foosball prime anymore. Expect much tighter competition in this year's CCFA Championships. Jared's games are getting closer, and Seth, Zach, Kahlin, Ryan, Alex, Erich, and Jerome are all waiting for him to stumble, in which case any one of them has the potential to lock up the CCFA Championship.

Rankings Week 3

Miriam became the latest to benefit from a last-second goalie shot, boosting her to a 11-6 win over Caroline and leapfrogging her over Jennabee, Jacob and Caroline to a sixth-place spot.

1. Jared
2. Ryan
3. Erich
4. Henry-Jon
5. Kahlin
6. Miriam
7. Caroline
8. Jacob
9. Jennabee
10. Sarah

Rankings Week 2

How about Jacob's start to the season? The youngest player from the Dixons got it done against Sarah, 10-8, and claimed the 6th spot for the first time in his career.

No more real news from Moscow other than Jared bouncing back from his first loss of the year with an 11-0 win over Caroline, which was not only the first shutout of the season, but also tied Jared's own record for the biggest blowout ever.

Without further ado:

1. Jared

2. Ryan

3. Erich

4. Henry-Jon

5. Kahlin

6. Jacob

7. Caroline

8. Miriam

8. Jennabee

10. Sarah

Déjà vu! Ryan beats #1 Jared!

Déjà vu is defined by Dictionary.com as a: Disagreeable familiarity or sameness.

On Monday, as Jared dropped the ball to start his game against Ryan, his mind was cast back to a game almost exactly one year ago, a game also against Ryan, Ryan's first of the season. Ryan happened to win this game 10-9. Both games were played in Moscow, in front of a home crowd for Jared. Both started out with Ryan jumping out to a quick lead.

"I must admit, the similarities crossed my mind more than once," said Jared. "I was hoping the end result would be different."

Jared was granted his wish. Ryan, who held an early 5-3 lead, matched #1 Jared blow for blow. A player who looked inconsistent last season and admitted to having "emotional problems" in 2011 put on a solid defensive display that was more than a match for Jared's usually boggling array of tempo changes, quick crosses and powerful point-blank shots on goal, most of which ricocheted harmlessly off of the sides of the goal. The end result was a 10-8 Ryan upset, a different result than last year's season opener, but not the one that Jared was looking for.

After the shocking turn of events on Monday, Jared had only one explanation for his disappointing setback: "Déjà vu." He's dead right.

After another win on Monday, a 10-1 blowout of Sarah, Ryan is 2-0, and poised to be a huge contender in the Summer Classic, the Granddaddy of them all: the CCFA Championships.

A Suprising End to a Two Year Boycott...

The CCFA is pleased to announce the appointment of its new commissioner Emily Campbell. The hire by league founder Jared Dixon comes as a surprise move as Emily has boycotted the league since its founding in 2010. However, she deemed it necessary to end her boycott and the perceived corruption in the CCFA leadership (due to the number one player also being the league commander in chief). Emily has promised to be completely free from bias, however she has released an official statement stating that if Jared continues to PLAY like the number one player, he will continue to BE the number one player. We sincerely hope that you will join us in welcoming our new commissioner to the CCFA

2012: Ryan has something to prove.

Ryan. Two people come to mind at the mention of the name.

First, there’s the player who rode a 5-0 run into the inaugural CCFA Championship game and upset Seth in the Outcast Invitational. This player entered the 2011 season with enormous hype and a tournament with his name written all over it. This Ryan won a hard-fought 10-9 match against the defending Champion, Jared.

Then, there’s the Ryan that we all saw stumble to a 6-5 record in 2011, dropping from the top spot in the league to third after being beaten twice by Jared, and suffering losses to the likes of Alex and Jerome. Ryan lost thousands from a once electrified fan base. What happened?

“I think I had some emotional problems that interfered with my game,” Ryan told reporters. “But that’s all over now. I think this season is going to be a whole other ballgame.” This explanation makes a lot of sense. A very low morale cost him the Campbell Classic, forfeiting the first game of the tournament. A similar attitude was apparent in a midseason loss to Alex, the last game that Ryan agreed to play in the 2011 season.

Ryan needs to make a move that will restore confidence in his fans, and one that will rocket him to the top of the new rankings. It sounds a lot like he’s put last season’s disappointment behind him, but he needs to prove that. In short, he needs to challenge the player who started it all to kick off his season. If Ryan is serious about reworking his image, he needs to play Jared.