[Tiger Fan]

JANUARY 2, 1964
FIGMENT RETURNS!
Baseball File Troubles Addressed and Figment Sports Will Resume

It has been a long time, too long if you ask me, but the Figment Sporting Universe is back in business. We abruptly came to what seemed like the end when in converting our baseball file from OOTP25 to 26 at the conclusion of the 1963 FABL season our commissioner discovered a lot of problems with the file and how players had developed. It was similar to the issues he strived to correct in the last fast-forward that took us at warp speed from 1953-62 and was likely simply the result of the league lasting so long and going through so many versions of OOTP (I believe when we started with the 1925 season it was OOTP 19).

The issues seemed too much to try and overcome with a simple advance to v26 and some minor player editing so our commissioner spent several months trying to find a way to basically create his own Lahman database but with the FABL players so we could begin anew with the same players in v26. In the end that proved a little too much of a challenge but he devised a workaround that would allow the history of Figment to live on and the active players would be recreated in a completely new file for OOTP26. To do so meant a lot of player ratings had to change, and undoubtedly some teams would be heavily impacted so the commissioner decided to do another fast forward before the human GM's regain control.

As a result the plan calls for us to move ahead a decade (in all sports, not just baseball) and when we go live again it will be the spring of 1975. That means expansion as there will be four new ballclubs arriving in 1969 -not to mention expansion in the other sports as well- so there will be some openings when we resume. It will be the same great Figment - stats-only of course so ratings are hidden and GM's must rely on scouting reports and stats to build their dynasty - and packed with plenty of excitement along with continued weekly issues of your favourite weekly Figment Sports magazine. There will be more teams in hockey as well as the NAHC will certainly expand. Same likely for the AFA which will finally get human general managers for the first time when we pick things up again in 1975. And there are plans for basketball to resume as a GM controlled sport also.

For long-time followers this is your chance to join what I believe is the only multi-sport online league in existence. And for anyone new to discovering Figment it is also a great opportunity for you as this will be very much like a brand new league. Oh, and of course you can follow the next ten years of history as they unfold at the pace of roughly a year or two a week in our quest to reach 1975.

Here is a great recruiting video that gives you plenty of information about the Figment Universe. It is from our commissioner Legendsport's youtube page and well worth giving a follow.

Now on to some recaps.

PERFECT SEASON GIVES GATORS ANOTHER GRID TITLE
Georgia Baptist Wins Three Titles in Five Years

If one is mentioning the top college football dynasty's of all-time you will certainly want to include the 1959-63 Georgia Baptist Gators in the conversation. The Gators, who won back-to-back National Titles in 1959 and 1960, did it again in 1963: capping a perfect 11-0 season with 17-6 victory over Oklahoma City State in the Sunshine Classic. Their third title in five years gives the Gators five all-time, with wins in 1917 and 1919 to go along with the recent three titles. That ties the Gators with Georgia rival Noble Jones College and the Coastal California Dolphins as the only teams to be crowned the class of college football five times.

*** Gators Team Among Best of All Time ***

This Gators dynasty may just be getting started. Georgia Baptist had the number one recruiting class in the nation a year ago and with a pair of top twenty defenders in back Derek Parham and lineman Alan Shaw already committed their upcoming class may also be unsurpassed. Add-in the fact that six offensive starters including quarterback Jack Forsythe and halfback Charlie Radley are expected to return for next season along with all but two of their starters on defense and you have to think that coach Wickey Tharpe's Gators will be a strong candidate to be named preseason number one again next year.

One might have a strong case arguing that the Georgia Baptist Gators of the past five years may already be the best team over any half decade period in the sport. Sure, St Blane and Rome State of the 1940s might each make a case but each school only won a pair of titles although they did have to contend with each other in the early 1940s. The aforementioned Coastal California Dolphins squad that won or shared five national titles in a nine year stretch beginning in 1924 might be the only team the Gators are still chasing.

*** Quick Start and Gators Never Slowed in '63 ***

The 1963 edition of the Gators got off to a strong start as halfback Radley ran for 207 yards in a 35-3 season opening victory at home over Texas Panhandle. Next up were three Deep South Conference games including two on the road beginning with a 28-9 drubbing of Mississippi A&M. Following a 27-0 shutout at home over Bluegrass State the Gators faced what would prove to be their toughest challenge of the season. Opelika State gave the Gators everything they had and it was a one-score game until Billy Lovell put things away with a late field goal in what ended up as a 19-10 Gators win over the Wildcats.

Next up was Chesapeake State and quarterback Forsythe and sophomore end Bill Smith connected on three touchdown passes in a 31-21 victory over the Clippers to run the Gators record to 5-0. Radley scored 3 touchdowns as they routed Canyon A&M the following week 38-10 in the Gators final non-conference outing of the season. Radley, who certainly deserves Christian Trophy consideration, finished the season with 1,459 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Two of the scores came in a 31-21 win over Western Florida and three more the following week as the Gators blasted Deep South doormat Baton Rouge State 58-3. Central Kentucky was no match for them as the Gators record reached 9-0 with a 34-6 victory over the Tigers.

That just left their year end showdown with rival Noble Jones College. The Deep South Conference title was still on the line as Cumberland had also yet to lose in section play. The Explorers beat Opelika State in their finale to improve to 10-0 overall and were ranked second, right behind the Gators who took care of business against the Colonels for the fourth time in the past five years, claiming a 14-3 victory over Noble Jones College meaning the Gators and Explorers would share the Deep South section crown.

Entering New Years Day and the Classic games there were five undefeated teams in the Gators along with Deep South rival Cumberland, plus Pacific Coast Conference champion Coastal California, Potomac College and Academia Alliance champion Grafton. Rome State nearly made it six but cost themselves not only a shot at a perfect season but also a Classic bid when the Centurions were upset by 4-6 Annapolis Maritime 19-13 in their traditional early December meeting in Philadelphia.

Cumberland, which did not face Georgia Baptist this year because the Deep South has 12 teams and only plays 8 section games, lost its chances of arguing the national title should be split when the Explorers were doubled 26-13 by Southwestern Alliance champion Texas Gulf Coast (10-1) in the Oilman Classic. Coastal California and Potomac College also each lost as the Dolphins dropped the East-West Classic 24-9 to Great Lakes Alliance champion Minnesota Tech (9-2) while the Pelicans were upended by 10-1 Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic. Grafton did win as the Scholars pulled off the surprise of the day in a dominating 37-17 victory over Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic but even the most biased Academia Alliance supporter would not dare to suggest a 10-0 Scholars team should be number one in the nation. Grafton did land in fourth spot when the rankings were released, marking the first time a school from the Academia Alliance cracked the top five since Pierpont's 8-0 squad in 1947.

Now the polls just might have been very interesting had Grafton been the only New Year's Day winner among the five unbeaten schools but the Gators, despite missing both Forsythe and Radley with injury, had little trouble disposing of Oklahoma City State 17-6 in Miami's Sunshine Classic.

Gators star halfback Charlie Radley was overlooked for the Christian Trophy as the award went to Rome State sophomore star Paul Gholson. The Centurion star was part of a sensational sophomore Rome State backfield, reminiscent of the days of Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside Chet Donelson and Gus Thompson, who each won a Christian Trophy in the 1940s. Gholson and fellow sophomore back Don Tallent combined for over 3000 yards and 32 rushing touchdowns on the season making the Centurions, like the Gators, a team to watch in 1964..

The next few weeks will be a series of posts documenting the jump from 1964 until we go live again in 1975. I hope you enjoy following and consider joining Figment in one or more of the four sports as new teams become available.