Welcome to Season 25 of the CSl starting soon...

[Silverhorse 228]

I would like to think I have the longest running solitaire league in the country, but I am sure there are other coaches out there who have been at this longer than myself...but I would like to think I have the most "stat intensive", realistic season...best superbowl indoor fireworks display in electric football (yes I said in door-field fireworks). Needless to say I love this hobby, but deep down I love solitaire form of play probably more than league or tournament play. It is my personal tradition and it all started in 1974 with my three other brothers.

The CSL (Culp Solitaire League) has been going for 35 years now....as a matter of fact this is my 35 year playing (pearl anniversary-see logo at top of this post-designed by Weirdwolf). Some seasons have taken a little over a year to complete...they have been interupted with the death of my parents, caring for a loved one, high school, college and the like...but through it all I have continued. Presently I am playing a full season with all 32 NFL teams, six game regular season and full playoffs. My seasons start roughly in September/October and go through May/June. This season I am behind due to the HHEFL league I run and time spent on the magazine of the MFCA-The Tweak. But I am making progress on launching the 2008 season, as I have just finished putting together the 2008 rosters (current teams) and it will take me three weeks to convert all the teams to their current players, by switching out the numbers and skin tones.

So why do I do this? I often ask myself that, since it took me three months to wrap up the 2006 season with complete game writeups, complete stats, end of season team summaries....etc. etc. etc. I just love it! I just do it! I have now determined however that the best way to go about these seasons is to play one entire season on the even number years....2008, 2010, 2012 because it takes me a while to get the season wrapped up with everything going on...but my actual game play does only span about 9 months. My stat books are in my closet in my bedroom close by always...they are my greatest work (to me). I often tell my wife that in the event of a fire I am going to grab our family photos first and my solitaire league stat books next. The last 12 seasons have an average of 350-400 pages...that is a lot of paper!

My advice to anyone starting a solitaire league is this...do it just because it is fun. In solitare you are the coach, player, ref, statistisian and fan...fan you say? If you set it up right, with random plays and random defenses, you will be able to play the game as a fan too, because you will not know what course the game will take...that is what I love about it. I can come home from work and have my own Monday Night Football game and never know what to expect...that is awesome to me.

If anyone is thinking about starting a solitaire league and want some advice...give me a call, I will be glad to help. Below is a history of my Superbowls...and my league logo and my Superbowl XXV logo...yes it has come to that...although I have made my own Superbowl logos for the last 13 championships.My league logo was done in 1975 in crayon believe it or not. Weirdwolf finally gave me the version I can be proud of...Long Live Football!

Superbowl I-1973 Minnesota 28 Oakland 15
Superbowl II-1974 Pittsburgh 21 Chicago 19
Superbowl III-1975 Dallas 35 Pittsburgh 24
Superbowl IV-1976 Chicago 22 Miami 16
Superbowl V-1977 St.Louis 21 Baltimore 15
Superbowl VI-1978 Pittsburgh 21 Dallas 20
Superbowl VII-1979 Chicago 21 Kansas City 7
Superbowl VIII-1980 L.A.Rams 33 Miami 10
Superbowl IX-1980 Dallas 40 Cincinnati 9
Superbowl X-1981 Tampa Bay 34 Houston 13
Superbowl XI-1982 Dallas 29 Houston 21
Superbowl XII-1983 Miami 27 Minnesota 16
Superbowl XIII-1984 Miami 24 L.A.Rams 20
Superbowl XIV-1988 Chicago 33 Indianapolis 27 OT
Superbowl XV-1989 Denver 31 Chicago 28
Superbowl XVI-1990 Chicago 52 Indianapolis 31
Superbowl XVII-1992 L.A.Rams 50 L.A.Raiders 0
Superbowl XVIII-1993 Dallas 41 Houston 17
Superbowl XIX-1996 Dallas 35 New England 13
Superbowl XX-1997 Carolina 34 Jacksonville 3
Superbowl XXI-1999 St.Louis 27 N.Y.Jets 26
Superbowl XXII-2001 Oakland 24 Dallas 21
Superbowl XXIII-2003 Dallas 35 N.Y.Jets 32
Superbowl XXIV-2006 N.Y. Giants 41 Jacksonville 35