3/1/2026 - J. Jonah Jameson, Editor-in-Chief – Repeat winners isn’t a new thing in the BSL. This year was no different. The CDL and FSDL Champions for 2025 are frequent participants in the post-season parade planning process, while the TLSL sees a 3rd trophy for an original TLSL member, but it is their first since 2010! In the CDL and FSDL we have 2 teams in the Tanzmanian Devils (7) and Sinister 36ers (5) that have the most titles in their leagues respective histories winning again this year. Just as both did just 2 years ago in 2023. Their 2023 championships were also both coming off a relatively long drought for each, and oddly enough both previous titles were in 2016. In fact, as a very strange anomaly, the Devils and 36ers franchises have won titles in the same year in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2023 and now 2025. Only in 2008 and 2014 were the Devils not joined as champions by the 36ers! Not sure what to make of that but there it is. Over in the TLSL congratulations to the long layoff for the St. Pete Minutemen who won their 3rd title overall but first in the last 16 years. They had made it to 3 title games in the meantime but coming up short in each. So, let’s review each league as we bring the 2025 season to an end and look toward 2026.
As noted, the 2026 champion, for the 7th time are the Tanzmanian Devils. Their all-time record now stands at (7-3) in title games. Only the Uncanny X-Men (12) have more appearances, but the X-Men aren’t as lucky in the big game holding just a (5-7) record. And just for the record books, they are (1-1) vs each other with the Devils winning in 2010 but the X-Men defeating the Devils in 2017 when they completed the ONLY undefeated full season in BSL history. The Devils have the 2nd best all-time title game winning percentage, 2nd only to The Avengers in the TLSL who are (7-1) overall. The Devils beat the Killer Tomatoes who were playing in their 3rd championship matchup, all in the last 7 years as they won it all in 2019 and came up short in the 2022 season. To cap off the amazing (15-1) overall record of the Devils in 2025 was the fact that they also won the Offensive, Defensive, Special Teams and Team of the Year awards along with the most team of the Week awards AND the Team of the Week of the Year award with a 222.65 score in Week 7. The OToY, DToY, STToY and ToY awards haven’t been swept in a single season since the 2020 Uncanny X-Men, however the X-Men lost the title game that year to the California Eclipse. Congrats on an amazing year for the Devils.
Over in the FSDL we see the Sinister 36ers cap an unlikely championship after beating a team almost as dominant as the CDL’s Tanz Devils, in the Midway Monsters. The Monsters ended up (14-2) after they lost their first game of the season then ran off 14 consecutive wins (including their 1st playoff game) and then lost the last game of the season. The bookend losses were a tough way for the Monsters to close out an otherwise impressive season winning the Offensive and overall Team of the Year awards along with the most Team of the Week awards as well. The 36ers were strong during the regular season but got banged up in the middle portion. They had effectively an opposite pattern from the Monsters. They won their first 4 games as well as their last 4 games but went just (3-5) between the streaks but once they got back to full strength when it counted, they pushed through for their 5th title and now hold a (5-3) all-time championship game record. Their 5 titles are the most overall with the Cliff Hangers, Jedi Knights, Midway Monsters, Scarlet Widows, Raider Haters and Toad Licks tied for 2nd with 2 each. The Monsters now sit at (2-4) all-time in title games.
And welcome back to the party for the TLSL St. Pete Minutemen. They won their first title in 16 years with a win over the Mayhem. The Minutemen are now (3-3) all-time in the big game and the Mayhem fall to (2-5). The Mayhem’s 7 appearances are 2nd all-time to the aforementioned Avengers (8) but those two teams have wildly opposite luck in the final game of the season. However, making it to the title game 7 times is an achievement to be proud of. Winning it all isn’t easy, as the Minutemen know as well. After losing the big game in 2013 and 2014 and then again in 2021, the Minutemen were eager to get back to winning ways they were used to in the TLSL early years. Their (14-2) season wasn’t as statistically dominant as the Devils and Monsters but they were consistent throughout as their season started with 5 wins, then a loss, then 4 straight wins, one more loss before closing out with 5 more wins. And for what it is worth the Minutemen also had the largest point differential in the TLSL as well. Hard to do it any better than that.
While that brings the 2025 to a close, we aren’t that far away from 2026 already. As we write this, we are just about a month away from the NFL Draft and only about 4 months from the BSL’s own FA Auction and College draft. In the CDL Lucky Gold Cat is on the clock with the number 1 pick and in the FSDL and TLSL the Toad Lickers and FL Nittany Lions respectively are sitting atop the draft boards. We look forward to another eventful offseason as we march toward a new season in 2026. Until then, here is hoping none of your top players do anything dumb in the offseason… we are looking at you Rashee Rice!!!