I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. We're ready to get back at it. This Sunday, we will finish up the first round of the playoffs. The semifinals will be next Sunday, December 11th, with the various Division championship games being held on the 18th. We will then take the following two weeks off (this year, they happen to be Christmas Day and New Year's Day). The Winter 2023 season will begin on January 8th and run through late April.

We have re-shuffled the divisions in an effort to establish more-competitive brackets for the playoffs. Some first-round games have already been played and this Sunday's games will complete the process. Some of the brackets are smaller than the others. I could actually have had fewer playoff brackets than what we had during the regular season, which would have meant fewer champions (and less expense for championship shirts), but I have never done that before in 34 years of the TBL and I'm not going to start now. In almost all cases, I used the regular-season won-loss records to determine the matchups. Here is what is happening in each bracket:

BREAKING AWAY

Hawgs will play Splash Pad, with the winner taking on the winner of Elite and The Vets. Basketball Junkies will play JAK, with the winner facing STRAPS in the semis.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE

Looney Goons will play Talkin' 'Bout Practice, with the winner facing the winner of Da Wolves vs. Slime Ballz. Average Joes will face The 1924s, with the winner meeting the winner of Tucson Tigers vs. Wolves. Not only do we have a fierce matchup between Tigers and Wolves, there is a chance that the championship game could be Wolves vs. Da Wolves. Scheduling genius!

RAGING BULL

This is a short one. Freqz will take on The Regulators, with the winner facing Fleet. On the other side, first-round winners That One Team and Los Leones will square off in a semifinal game on the 11th.

ROCKY

Another short one. First-round winners Injured Reserves and Icy Hots will meet in a semifinal game on the 11th. Another first-round winner, Slime Time, will play the winner of this week's game between Cardinals and Team UGLY.

FIELD OF DREAMS

The Heat will play Blue Coconuts, with the winner facing Soul Snatchers in the semis. Skoden will play Team Lace-Up, with the winner taking on Sleeper Squad.

THE HUSTLER

Heat Check will play The Rattlers, with the winner facing Los Chivos in the semi. Zona will play Flashback, with the winner advancing to the semis against DTC.

FORD v. FERRARI

Flagrant 2 takes on KP Ballerz, with the winner meeting Hounds. On the other side, The Suns meet One of One, with the winner going on to play Mad Middle-Aged Men.

THE FIGHTER

RAZA takes on Relentless, with the winner facing Dawgs. Los Jefes plays Bench Bros, with the winner facing Tucson Cyclones.

THE CHAMP

Shoot Your Shot will play Outlawz, with the winner advancing to play Ballers in the semis. Early Birds will play The Show, with the winner advancing to the Finals.

MONEYBALL

YSL takes on Black Mambas, with the winner taking on Mansfield Ballers in the semis. Wu Crew faces Ham, with that winner reaching the Finals.

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Redmen will play Radcats, with the winner facing off against AVM Bordertown Ballers. Bandits will take on Frosty Hesson, with the winner advancing to the Finals.

THE BLIND SIDE

Below The Rim faces Side Loaders, with the winner taking on Rainbow Drillers. Hickory faces Bricklayers, with the winner playing the winner of Dad Bods and Dunkin' Go-Nuts. 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!