POETRY HOUR w/ TINO

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: The Lenny Alba Variety Hour

Created: Tuesday, 06 October 2026 17:40

Published: Tuesday, 06 October 2026 17:40

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 58

An untitled poem from the TSL's own Tino Tomasello:

Through shadows not seen but only felt, light permeates beyond the physical realm

An emanation of aura occurs as self-recognition brings a soul to find form

Bonded with Spirit in the tides of reality, the soul finds a current of life

Its whisper sounds louder than a trumpet's blast; breaking the echoes of silence

The Crumb Chronicles - The Mouse Vol. III

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: The Lenny Alba Variety Hour

Created: Wednesday, 23 September 2026 18:32

Published: Wednesday, 23 September 2026 18:32

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 161

The Fat Cats of the TSL Media Corporation are trying to trap the Mouse. They want him writing propaganda. Their propaganda. Stories that fit their narrative, keep the Clowder satiated, and keep everyone from asking too many questions. Don’t think. Don’t dig. Don’t sharpen your claws. Just eat the cheese they put in front of you and move along.

This Mouse refuses to be bought with cheese from the cottage.

While the Fat Cats sit comfortably in their lawn chairs, deciding which stories you’re allowed to hear, the Mouse is still scurrying around the field and listening to conversations that were never meant to reach the public.

The truth may stink, but that doesn’t make it Limburger.

Team Name: Bullet Club

Bullet Club came into existence in 2015, emerged from the mouse hole of Sweet and Sour Inc. when a handful of players decided it was time to scurry and start something new. More than a decade later, most of those original names have scattered across the TSL universe. Jeff Easton can now be found quarterbacking Pit Harade, Jess McAndrew suited up for Birds of War last season, and near-original Chad Griffin has resurfaced down in D6. Through all the roster changes, Joe K remains the last man standing, a survivor of every version of the team that has existed since 2015.

The highest point came in Spring 2018, when Bullet Club climbed to the top of D3 and walked away as champions. Getting back to those heights, however, has been anything but a straight line. The years between the original Bullet Club and the version roaming the fields today included QB problems, attendance problems, and former players who couldn't fully commit to the team. Then there were the many many playoff heartbreaks, the games where one play, one bounce, or one bad ref caused the season to be over. And, of course, there was the day they signed John Langley. Rock bottom comes in many forms.

The Quarterback lineage reads like an ACME magazine, Jeff Easton, Scotty Drosendahl, Travis Cleavenger Bernal, John Langley, Dylan Jaloza, and Jordan Lawson have all taken their turns setting the trap, with Easton even returning for multiple tours of duty. Through all those different eras, Bullet Club has also been fortunate enough to have some consistency and some kind personalities on the female side. Steph Czaja and the newly married, but injured Ashley DeVantier have seemingly been around forever. Kelsey Harrigan joined a few seasons ago and quickly became a superstar. Haley Kirstis was the newest addition last season and she's already looking like Bullet Club found another keeper.

They enjoy playing against Practice Squad, Sticky Nation, and any Keller Team, but the upgrade to D2 felt like a start of a new era as they no longer play familiar opponents and now play against 4 really good teams, and Let’s Get Reccked. Any team can win D2. Bullet Clubs knows they are lucky to start so hot in D2, but could just as easily be 0-4. They know they can never take a week off or could lose. It’s been a great experience for BC.

Team Name: Flying Balls

Some teams give Mickey a decade of history to dig through. This team is a little different. Founded in Fall 2025 by captain Dan Diehl, they are still relatively new to the TSL. They started their journey in D6, but did not stay there very long. After putting together a strong group and proving they belonged, they made the jump to D4 which is a pretty significant climb.

At quarterback, they have Matt Glowacki. The previous quarterback to the now defunct “Unit Ha Ha.” At backup quarterback is Jonah Seler who loves to run the offense. Both QB’s a new collection of weapons around them, and there does not appear to be one glaring weakness to point toward. They are simply a good group of guys who came together, love football, and have figured out how to play well with one another. Sometimes the recipe really is that simple.

The philosophy around the team can probably be summed up in two words: everyone eats. There is not one player demanding all the touches. They spread the ball around, find the open player, and let everybody contribute. Injuries have caused some problems along the way, but when the whole group is together, they have shown exactly why a team they should be competing in D4.

The Mouse also went searching for a bitter rival and came back empty handed. Apparently they have not been around long enough to truly hate anybody yet. Give it time. 

Team Name: Blue Ballers

Blue Ballers have only been around for about three years, but the team has already lived a couple of different lives. Before the Blue they were Purple. As in the  Purple Nurples, who lasted for two years before their evolution. Captained by PJ Maiarana and quarterbacked by Phil M, the pair have led the Blue to a pair of championships in D6 and D5. Not bad for a team whose roster sometimes feels like it was assembled at the bar five minutes before kickoff.

Their first taste of glory came in Fall, when they captured the D6 championship against the Chargers. The path through the walls was not always pretty. Their first season featured one of their lowest moments when they found themselves playing shorthanded and without a quarterback. After looking at the crumbs, they said to do one thing “blame Owen.” Fortunately, things have improved since then, and somewhere along the way this group went from trying to find enough people to play to collecting trophies.

Perhaps the best example of what Blue Ballers can do came against the Irish Giants. They found themselves staring at a 30 point deficit, the type of hole that usually has teams thinking of never playing again. Instead, this team squeaked back. 

This season, they have to survive without QB Phil for five weeks. The official explanation provided was that he has “kids,” the word all captains hate to hear. Whether they can keep things together until their quarterback returns remains to be seen, but history suggests chaos does not bother this group very much. 

The Crumb Chronicles - The Mouse Vol. IV

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: The Lenny Alba Variety Hour

Created: Thursday, 01 October 2026 18:31

Published: Thursday, 01 October 2026 18:31

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 95

Speedy Gonzales was already the fastest mouse in Mexico when he became the first mouse reporter at the 1986 World Cup. With a tiny notebook tucked under his arm, he raced between stadiums, chased every rumor, and filed his stories before the other reporters found their seats. He could get a quote from anyone and disappear before they thought to ask who sent him. Speedy is this reporter’s hero and inspiration. 

Coochie Monsters: A Family Recipe

Some teams arrive with a new roster and a fresh set of jerseys. The Coochie Monsters have been around long enough to recognize half the league before the first game starts. Captain Meg, who has earned most beloved female a record amount of times, leads a group with years of TSL history, including familiar faces from PWI and the Untouchaballs.

Greg, Cookie, Helm, Ryan, Derek and Robert Lee are among the old timers. They have played together, played against each other, and probably heard every joke the league has to offer. The Coochie Monsters their alternate quarterbacks, which gives opposing defenses a different look depending on who takes the snap. They have been seen changing quarterbacks in the middle of a drive. 

Nina and Meg are joined by various wives of the team, making this roster feel as much like a gathering of people who know one another as a football team. That kind of familiarity takes years to build. It also means nobody gets away with claiming they were open when everyone saw the play.

The Coochie Monsters have changed names and teammates along the way, but this group keeps finding its way back to the field. There’s always room for one more season and, if Cookie has any say in it, one more cookie.

PWI: Buddy Lee’s Work in Progress

The Mouse has been following PWI’s messy trail for years. It starts in D5, where they won a championship, then leads through titles in D4 and D3. After they won D3, they disbanded or “Rebranded like Sierra Mist.” Now they’re back in D2 with their familiar name. That is a lot of ground covered for a team whose captain, Jamie McCabe, admits his main duty is paying the bill.

The roster has changed during that climb. Colorado Mike and Addison were part of the story along the way, while Steve and Touchdown Tori are still there from the original group. Now Jake Dunn, Quentin, Zach W, Miles, Nicest Girl in the League “Raena O'Neill”, and plenty more fill out a team Buddy keeps tinkering with. He adds a piece here, tries a piece there, and keeps chasing his vision of the ultimate D2 team.

There is one empty can on their record this year: Bullet Club. This cheese loving reporter (and anyone with access to Youtube) reviewed the play that did the most damage. Kelsey Harrigan threw the pass. Jordan Lawson went up for it. Quentin and Buddy were both there, and Jordan came down with the ball anyway. Around the league, the official description is that they got Moused… sorry.. mossed.

One loss has not stopped Buddy from working on the roster. Given PWI’s history, he may already be figuring out which piece to move next.

Select: From Carpet to Competition

Select started in 2018 in the dismal world of Miles Sports, where the turf was carpet and the organization was not Gouda. They eventually found their way to the TSL716, bouncing between D5, D4, and D3. After playing football on carpet, a little movement in the standings probably felt manageable.

Mark, longtime captain, also makes the TSL highlight videos. Everyone loves them except the refs, who keep discovering their calls have been preserved in high definition. Derek Pew is Select’s current quarterback, with Sin, Mark, Matt Tirado, and plenty more on the roster.

Their newest rival is TMA. Select didn’t offer a dramatic warning or promise to settle things on the field. They did, however, want everyone to know they’re a friendly team and always down to chat. The Mouse can confirm they’re much easier to interview than most cats.

Friendly or not, Select has been around long enough to know that rivalries make for good games and, if Mark has his camera ready, good highlights.

Q&A with the Refs

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: The Lenny Alba Variety Hour

Created: Thursday, 17 September 2026 14:39

Published: Thursday, 17 September 2026 14:39

Written by Jeff Krol

Hits: 205

This is the Lenny Alba Variety Hour, and as much as we’ve loved The Mouse the past couple of weeks (he’ll have more Player/Team Interviews coming soon!) we’re committed to doing some DIFFERENT things in this article week to week, just to keep it fresh.

This week we’re putting the spotlight on some of our most experienced Refs in the league to ask them about some of their experiences.  Let’s see what Justin Garbacz, Brandon “B” Ford, Jordan Lawson and Garrett “Head of Officiating” Beesing have to say about reffing in the TSL!

How do you deal with the abuse of players always blaming you for "bad calls"?

Garbacz: I say things like, " We aren't reading about you in the USA Today Sunday Morning" or "This is what I saw....you may disagree but..."I try to create a rapport with the players that way they know me and makes it easier and they may not get as "heated".

B: When I make the call I stand by it. I don’t care if the players are blaming me. If I mess up I will always admit I was wrong.

Jordan: It's crazy to think, but I've actually NEVER made a bad call or even missed a call, so I cannot properly answer this question. If I am ever accused of making a bad call I will reach out so that the article can be updated appropriately.

Garrett: Generally, just laugh it off. I’ve had my moments where I complain to refs, so I get it. You should have that right as a player to question calls and let the ref know they messed up. Once it gets excessive, I’ll usually just start openly mock how they’re behaving, or throw a flag.

What's the best advice you could give to someone who was just starting to ref?

Garbacz: Be patient.  Think before you blow the whistle. Don't let the game move too quickly for you.  If the Back Judge, take about 12-15 yd down from the line of scrimmage and maneuver from there.  Get to know your personnel.  You will be in proper position because you will know what QB's go deep constantly etc.  Always make eye contact with other official after the play to both know the downs.

B: Best advice I can give to new refs: If you make a call, stand by it. We are not professionals, we are people who play in the league or volunteer to help. We are not perfect.

Jordan: Simply to watch what I do and you'll never be wrong. The other advice would be simply to care. Pay attention to the game, respect the opportunity to be able to referee, and understand that you truly are in charge of helping the game go smoothly. There are, in my opinion, too many refs that just don't pay proper attention, are on their phones, or chatting with someone from another field.

Garrett: Don’t swallow your whistle. Too many refs, especially new ones, seem to think that NOT throwing the flag will keep the peace. Not throwing a flag will get just as much complaining as throwing a bad one.

What are the easiest or hardest teams to ref? 

Garbacz: Easiest teams are D1 due to knowing the teams well and it basically "runs itself".  The hardest are teams I do not know nor have a rapport  with.  The D1-D3 that I do ref, have a rapport with me so they know how to speak with me and vice versa.

B: Easiest team is any D6 team. They just want to have fun and play football. Hardest is Eyes Downtown. Bobby knows the rules and will question every call, every rusher count and wants things his way.

Jordan: Easiest team to ref is Balls Deep.  They are extremely respectful, appreciative, and cognizant of the fact that I enjoy reffing and am out there to help better the league. I truly appreciate that they thank the referees for being out there. The hardest would be Eyes Downtown or Cobblestone.  For ED if a game starts at 'X' time...your team and players should be ready to go. This is also meant to be funny as anyone reading this will understand, but Bobby shouldn't get an extra 10 mins to do his weird warmup stretches and high knees, but he always seems to push the limits on starting game time. (Love you Bobby!)...but sometimes refs will run those 10 minutes off the clock without you knowing, which also isn't fair to the other team.  And Cobblestone, need I say more?

Garrett: Not gonna call out one particular team as the hardest to ref, but the same 8-10 players always act shitty. They expect perfect reffing, and are personally offended “children” [editors note: “children” was not the word Garrett used] when everything doesn’t go exactly their way. They never seem to realize when ref drama gets serious and out of hand, it’s the same 8-10 morons are ALWAYS at the center of it. It blows my mind the same 8-10 people don’t realize it’s ALWAYS them. And disappoints me that their captains and teammates don’t make them stop or kick them off the team. Very bizarre and sad. Favorite team to ref, NSS. They are always very respectful and as a team never get down on each other so the vibes always good

What's the best game you ever witnessed as a ref?

Garbacz: I feel a game that was D1 in the past year or two.  Was back and forth 40-50s in score.  Possibly Legends and Eyes Downtown or was Malones and somebody.  Both teams kept matching one another.  Honorable mention to Dwyers vs. Green and Associates in 2012

B: Best have I ever witnessed, that’s a tough one. Probably Sticky Bandits vs Legends a few years ago for the championship. It was a back-and-forth game. Refs weren’t even needed actually. Me or Garbacz never had to make a call. 

Jordan: There are too many to name. Having reffed hundreds of games the ones that stick out are probably the championships as you never know what is going to happen. I love the games that come down to the last play, but dislike that the outcome literally could rest in my hands for a call that I do or do not make.

Garrett: Kind of drawing a blank here. I could have the details wrong but Mavericks winning a ship back-to-back years on the last play sticks out and I saw both plays. Don’t think I was reffing either though!

What's one rule change you'd like to see?

Garbacz: I would like to see a blitz added one per series for the defense.  I feel it would make it exciting and the opposing qb wouldn't know when a "blitz" was coming.

B: The QB arm rule. When the arm is coming forward and the rusher touches him it’s not a sack. As a fellow QB I don’t mind the rule, but we are hurting the rushers. QBs see the rusher close and just start moving the arm forward. That has to change.

Jordan: I honestly don't think that there needs to be any rule changes. I did always find it odd that refs call 'gender' play for female involvement though. Isn't a male a gender too?

Garrett: $40 a game for refs. I love insulting people’s intelligence that disagree with me on this. It’s very enjoyable for me. I will die on the hill that it would make the product better by increasing demand, and allowing me to remove weaker refs from the schedule. The argument that $40 is too much, when it would be $10 extra a session per-person, is a joke. Also, “the complaining would get worse if I was paying $40, I’d expect way better reffing,” is only something an entitled child would say.

Who's the best ref in the League besides yourself and why?

Garbacz: Jeff May or B.  Both have done it a long time.  Both are good to work with due to both can work the back judge or line.  Both communicate very well and that is key so both officials on the same page.

B: I’m going Jordan Lawson. He knows the rules in and out and he doesn’t let the players get to him. When he makes a call, he stands by it.

Jordan: Jordan Lawson with his eyes closed would be the best besides Jordan Lawson (the 10x runner-up in Best Ref of the Year voting) with his eyes open. But if I had to pick another, it would be Stoner Dave. Not because he is a teammate but because he truly cares and engages in every aspect of a game when he is reffing. He doesn't let emotion dictate his calls, doesn't hold grudges against players, and is fair, honest, and always provides a respectful explanation of what he did or didn’t see.  I would also love to see Sal start reffing again because he is right up there at the top of the list of best referees.

Garrett: Jeff May and Jordan Lawson