Shake It Off- '24 Week 3 X League Area Report

No blowouts in Week Three Area!

In a six game season, which is what the X League Super and Area teams play, every game counts, literally. For all it takes is one or two bad plays, or as what was seen in Dentsu's game against the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, poor officiating (in this writer's opinion), for a season to change. Six games means that time, possessions and opportunities cannot be either squandered or lost.

Such it was during week three Area play in which the games were, by X League standards, relatively close. There were no blowouts, like we always see in the Super, and the margin of victory for the Area games meant that the matches for the most part (at least as seen on paper, as none of the games were televised), remained close until the fourth quarter. With that said, none of the games repeated the aerial assault we saw in Week 2 by the Dentsu Caterpillars.

Caterpillar Rising- Week 2 X League Area Report

In Japan, "kawaii" (cute)
mascots are everywhere

As a football fashionista, I am one of those weird guys who believes that "it is better to look good, than to feel good" as Fernando always reminded us during the 1980s on Saturday Night Live. Among those who appeared on Fernando's hideaway was Howard Cosell, who is one of this writer's biggest sports heroes (right next to Bob Griese). And much like Howard, this writer here will not just regurgitate what the X League says (or in the case of one American football international website- translate, copy and paste). We do more than report scores here, we also write original game summaries and teach people more about the game here in this great country. With that said, lets talk about week two in X1 Area play....

Week 1 of the '24 X League Area

Week one of the X League Area (second tier teams) actually took place over the course of two weekends, with two games taking place on August 31 and September 1, respectfully, and three games on September 7.  The teams of the Area X1 subdivision are unfortunately the red headed step children of the X League when it comes to league coverage. Specifically, the league, just as they did last year, does not look to be providing game highlights for the Area teams, which, for gridiron fans here in Japan and abroad, is a disservice to the players and supporters of the league. The players, such as our own co-host, Aaron Ellis, deserve those highlights.