Carriage House Rules!

Two of the hottest teams in the league right now both hail from the same apartment in Michigan. Now we know what you're thinking... shenanigans! But no. This duo was just holed up together for no other reason than to study football and play Madden -- and they're sticking with that story. Now, five years after they parted, they are together again, atop the Catch The Damn Ball League standings.

The Green Team proved that it was for real this week, beating the favored Chunky Monkey and dropping them to second behind the Dirty Birds. The Birds returned the favor by beating early season favorite Battle Angels, moving the Green Team up to first.

Both the Green and the Bird's defenses were instrumental in their victories. The Bird's stifled the Curtis Martin / Randy Moss attack (8 combined points) that had been so potent this year. The Baltimore D of the Green Team had 25 points, setting the tone for the rest of the Green Team. These two teams may not be filled with bonafide stars but they're winning with balance. Each week, almost every player is getting 10+ points for these two owneres and Ws have been rolling in.

The Birds are on a season high 4 game winning streak and there looks to be no end in sight, as their young players get better and better. No comments lamenting the loss of Tiki will be said here, since he is too old to be bothered with (but we'll take him back if you want to return him Lei, who has my ENTIRE team from last year). The Green Team has been hurt by the lackluster season turned in by Kevan Barlow, Santana Moss and Chad Pennington but they continue to win behind Brett Favre, Thomas Jones and new find Ruben Droughns.

Critics and jealous team owners are quick to point to the Birds and the Green Men's weak schedules as the reasons for their success. But owners Yang and Ng laugh it off as they swig the bubbly and enjoy the leggy fruits of their labor. "When you're at the top of the world, everyone hates you, but we know we're a good team(s), it's not because our opponents suck. And even if that were true, that would mean that YOU guys suck, since you guys are the opponents and the haters! Woo hoo! Off to Chuck E Cheese!"

The Birds and the Green Team are slated to meet in WK10, and the winner of that game will be crowned "King of the World."

In other Michigan related news, Skool defeated Ante Up this past weekend, extending their winning streak to three. While Green and the Dirties sit atop the football pyramid, Skool and Ante are hanging around at the bottom. But it looks like they're making moves, as Skool is just two games out of first in a very competitive division and Ante Up has a great roster on paper. Ante Up has been hit with a brutal schedule, with opponents averaging over 110 a game against them, but things have to get better, right?

Go Blue!