“This was my first game back on FUMBBL after a six-month gap, and an eight-month gap since my last competitive game (the others being L against my kids).

I noticed some changes - the first one being that I now need to wear my glasses in order to see the screen properly - or maybe I just need a bigger computer, but the glasses were the cheaper option! Also, new star players. This took me a while as the first one on the list was free but I wasn't able to select him - yes, I looked him up afterwards, and now I get it, thanks. Anyway, I went for Swiftvine instead, because STAB. (Of course, what I should have done was go nowhere near him, because STAB is useless, but I was feeling a bit rushed at this point and just went for it.)

Anyway, some things are clearly exactly the same as they were eight months ago, and one of those is that Swampserpent is still a great opponent. It was actually nice playing my first game back against him - it felt just like old times - and the game was everything I expected it to be.

So let's see...

Be Why You received, and scored fairly quickly and easily. I then tried to do the same and wasn't quite as impressive - although it did feel good to throw my first completion in six months.

Then I pulled a blitz out of the bag just when I needed it - and it was a good one, too. I got the ball, just across from the line of scrimmage, and got half my team around the ball carrier as well. So actually, I'm not quite sure why I suddenly found myself without the ball, but that's what happened. Luckily for me though, Swampserpent wasn't close enough to my endzone to squeeze in a score before the half so we moved on to the half-time show at a score apiece. No Shakira or J-Lo for us, sadly.

Swampserpent began the second half paying me back for my blitz with one of his own, but the kick was way deep so he was never going to reach it. And then it went out of bounds anyway, so I thought I'd give it to the tree - that should be fun.

And it was...for two turns, after which he found himself bogged down by high elves with no real chance of breaking free. So he reluctantly handed off, I ran the ball round to my thrower and sent two or three targets downfield. Then Swampserpent was kind enough to give me a turn of the worst blocking dice ever. I think he pushed me back several times, then knocked himself over going for the blitz.

Long bomb. Score.

And again, but the other way round.

And again, the first way round again.

So it was suddenly Be Why You's final turn and they needed a one-turner to draw. Which was when I pulled another blitz. This time it wasn't so great, however, as I was down a few players and had no chance of breaking through the high elf front line. Also, I didn't need to, because there was no way Swampserpent could score.

Oh yeah. Frenzy. Dammit.

But I can't complain. It was a great final effort and the resulting draw was a very fair result.

And the game was exactly what I'd been looking for. Okay, so I lost a catcher, and my only permanent lineman now has a permanent injury, but I got to shake off the rust from my throwing arm and chuck a few long bombs, just to remind myself how it's done. Swampserpent was fearless in his elfy-ness, totally out-dodging me and almost out-GFIing me as well, and on top of that, his blocking was a little bit on the painful side. Still, it's all good. I'm used to playing with journeymen, so fielding six of them for my next game will be no big deal, and something tells me it's not going to be anything like another six months before that match!”