Opt Out Review

Now that Opt Out Season is officially over, how did teams stack up in the DMV?
By my account, Magna Carta lost 14 bowlers due to opt outs with many of them going to DC Mafia. Da Stoners lost 9 members, most to the Killer Keglers. Body Bagz lost 6, all to Guilty By Association. Boardwalk Empire lost 3. Dynasty lost 2. Vipers lost 2. Most Wanted and Infamous lost 1 a piece.

Here are my top 5 winners of Opt Out Season 2021 in the DMV:

1. DC Mafia get an A
DC Mafia hit the proverbial opt out jackpot in landing some very good pieces to go along with their already solid team.Let’s highlight Jeremy Bandy, Dakwan Tyler, Uncle Drew, John Oliver, Tony Buemi, and Jim Einhorn as pretty great additions to compliment the Mclanes, LJ, BI, Mike Shaw, KB, Chad, Neal, Big Mo, John Bruner, James Johnson and John Green.
It would be completely disrespectful if I failed to mention that DC Mafia has bolstered their lineup with more female bowlers to compete along with Denise, Ashley, Shayla, and Laurie Mclane just to name a few. Andrea Sharp, Diamond Barton and Pam Taylor will definitely strengthen and take that squad to new levels. Adding 14 new faces to a roster is great to do especially if you can take bowlers from solid competition in your division, as well. Magna Carta and Boardwalk Empire will certainly miss the members that decided to seek greener pastures.
I would say the moves put DC Mafia firmly in the top 3 of the DMV South, but then again, they were already top 5. The only question is where do you find tour stops for these new faces. Sometimes you can be blessed with too much talent and this can cause a lot of hurt feelings and confusion if not managed correctly.

2. N.W.O. Wolfpack get an A
Picking up Yvette Ford from Boardwalk Empire is a great get. They already have a solid scratch presence and adding her seriously compliments their handicap squads especially with her bowling out of the DMV North houses, which will allow her to participate more. This was a phenomenal get by N.W.O.

3. High Powered gets a B+
Picking up David Kidwell from Dynasty was not only a good get for you, but also a substantial loss for Dynasty’s scratch squad. A great move on their part, which will pay dividends in the long and short run.

4. Kryptonite gets a B+
Hunter Hayes and Tyler Spindler are wonderful talents. They will compliment the very talented Kryptonite squad and will certainly help to solidify them as the top 4 in the DMV North.

5a. Guilty By Association gets a solid B
This new franchise scored some pretty good gets during the Opt Out season. Securing 6 good bowlers from Body Bagz, a formidable bowler from Most Wanted, and a young talent from Magna Carta cannot be looked at lightly. Not what the area would consider huge names, but certainly talented bowlers who have great chemistry together. Some times that is all you need to make a solid Franchise and have a great run at the playoffs. This Franchise did a good job of snagging talent and should be interesting to watch this year.

5b. Killer Keglers get a solid B
This new Franchise out of the DMV North basically was created by separating from Da Stoners. Being able to take from one team and build another is a good deal, but will it pay off.

Honorable Mentions: Mutiny, Contract Killaz and Body Bagz
Mutiny got two great bowlers from the Vipers, who really could not stand to lose them. That is a two-for-one in my mind. Will this help them? Well, it certainly cannot hurt.
Contract Killaz was able to pull Kevin Keys from Infamous. Not a bad get, which will make them a tad bit more competitive on the scratch side.
Body Bagz was able to pull Jarrett DeFalco back onto their roster. Arguably one of the better bowlers in the area, so he is nothing but an asset.

Here are my top 5 Losers of Opt Out Season 2021 in the DMV:
1. Magna Carta
Anytime you lose 14 bowlers in one Opt Out season, that is not a good thing. Is there organizational strife? It definitely gives one a sense of insecurity.

2. Da Stoners
You lose 9 bowlers to your competition, that equals not good. However, at times, you get better through subtraction and this could be the case.

3. Vipers
They loss two very good bowlers to a rival team, an upstart team at that. Makes you wonder what is happening within the organization.

4. Dynasty
Losing Windsor and Kidwell is not a good thing for the Franchise. One could argue that Windsor basically did not participate in the last few seasons and that would be correct. But, seeing Kidwell go does not inspire confidence, especially on their scratch side.

5. Boardwalk Empire
A perennial playoff squad in the DMV South lost 3 bowlers to opt outs. It definitely gives you pause. These bowlers are not nobodies either. BE clearly has a ton of talent on their Franchise but when people leave you have to wonder why.

As for the teams/bowlers that did not, would not, or could not make moves during the Opt Out Season, hopefully you made the right choices. There were a considerable number of players released, as well, which should not go unnoticed. This new UBA Season is looking to be a very interesting one with new rivalries and compelling match ups.