No Mercy Rule in the NAL: Pirates/Steelhawks Week 4 Pounding (opinion editorial)

Photo courtesy of Mass Pirates Facebook page

​Brackett is back! Those three words are music to the ears of Pirate nation. QB Sean Brackett who missed the Massachusetts Pirates depressing loss to Carolina Cobras was on fire in Sundays mismatch competition with the Steelhawks. Unfortunately for Coach Ameer Ismail and his band of buccaneers, in week 3 Brackett was invited to the Saskatchewan Roughriders mini-camp for a display of his quarterbacking talents. For those who don’t follow Canadian football, the Roughriders are one of the premier Canadian Football League (CFL) teams and an invite from them is always returned with “yes.” This trip, however most likely cost the Pirates their only loss and painful stomach ache from yours truly. 

However, the plunder nightmare is over and Sean was back in full form against Lehigh Valley. He threw for 237 yards with 6 touchdowns in the 72-24 wallop. Of course, the loss of both Steelhawk starter and backup quarterbacks didn’t hurt the Pirates in their quest for the “W,” but I’m confident the Pirate win was inevitable in Pennsylvania. 

This most recent Steelhawk pounding was followed by the abrupt resignation of head coach Bob Kohler. According to a statement released by the Steelhawks this morning, Kohler attributed his decision to his physical health affecting his effectiveness as a leader and not a result of the blowout he experienced over the weekend. Nevertheless, the Steelhawks named the offensive line and special teams coordinator James Parham as interim head coach. Maybe, with this change and further roster examinations Lehigh can find a way to be competitive in the NAL. 

But the news coming out of week 4 was the return of our golden boy, Sean Brackett. He will win and he will win big! Combine that with the restless front office never satisfied with their roster and a head coach who vehemently pleads his case with the refs even in a 70-24 blowout, the Massachusetts Pirates are the team to beat...so bring it on NAL! 

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