Top 50 Motivational Rankings – 4/1/24-5/12/24

Welcome to the Top 50! This is the part where you’re really happy, or – and this is the usual response – you wish to get motivated. Just a reminder – three of the 4 semi-finalists had the #1 at some point of the year (and the other one got to #5) so I sort of know what I’m talking about. Sometimes. But please have fun. And as for my prerequisites…

1. Style points count.
2. Keep in mind that with over 200 teams competing (with an increase of teams) this season, this list represents less than the top 25% of the UBA. If you’re on here, consider that some kudos.
3. If you’re not in the Top 4 in your district, you’re not here. That means we’re getting a lot of movement early.
4. This is for fun. Don’t get salty, get motivated.
5. Yes, I know there’s districts with byes. And yes, if it’s a close race, sometimes teams will fall out due to said byes. I learned my lesson last year when teams with byes complained about that. When I decided to be nice and rewarded teams with extra spots, said teams didn’t make the playoffs because they didn’t get the points needed when the teams over them had byes and I looked like more of a moron than usual. This season, if you try to use that argument, I will just mention that Nice is a city in France and send you on your way. Deal with it.
6. In the words of Andre Welbon – many teams here will not be here in August. So just enjoy it. While you can.
7. I love all feedback, so keep it coming 🙂

So here we go with the rankings….

1. Hitmen (371 / 11: Capital 1st place: Was 1)
   A convincing win from the Hitmen locks in first place. Then we talk about why you shouldn’t be laying down in the final match-up, which I’ll get whined at about, even when I bring out the handy dandy numbers. Sigh.
2. New England Heat (338/ 10: NE South 1st Place Was 2)
   This has been a great season for the Heat, but I can’t help but thinking about Rodney Dangerfield and his ‘No Respect’ speech. You’ll get respect during the regular season (which that can wrap up with a win this weekend), but can they avoid what happens to the early in the post-season?
3. Impact (343 / 11: DMV Central 1st Place: Was 3)
   The difference between them and the other 2 teams is that they have Hot Pockets on their trail. Should they win this weekend (which happens to be a position round), then they can lock it up. If they can’t…well…the DMV Central becomes interesting.
4. M.O.P. Nation Militia (348 / 12: New England North 1st Place: Was 4)
   One of only 2 districts with this weekend off, but they can make life very easy for themselves with some very light work. My advice is to get it done early.
5. Usual Suspects (315 / 11: PA South 1st Place: Was 7)
   Still haven’t lost yet in 2024. A big win this weekend combined with some losses from the pursuers and they can wrap up another district title.
6. JustUs League (286 / 10: Brooklyn/Queens 1st Place / Was 8)
   With Brooklyn/Queens the only District with only 10 matches played, there’s lots of points left to be won – or lost. That being said, the ‘League is on top of the 5 team pack, and based on the points, it’s possible that all 5 teams get in.
7. High Powered (339 / 12: DMV South: 1st Place / Was 10)
   They have clinched a playoff spot, so congratulations to them. Can they hold off SBC for the league title?
8. Absolute Chaos (308 / 11: NJ South: 1st Place / Was 11)
   They have won 8 straight Tour Stop matches. That’s great and all, but with 3rd place only 14 points behind them, they have to keep winning.
9. Dirty South Legendz (292/ 11: Deep South: 1st Place / Was 12)
   Is a tie as good as a win? Well, it’s not a loss, and being that almost every other team took an L….sure. I tie is as good as a win. For now. Though we all know it won’t be once the playoffs roll around.
10. New World Order (232 / 11: Triad 2nd Place: Was 35)
    Well well well. Going 104-16 for the past 3 tour stops gets you back into the Top Ten. Nice job to stay focused.
11. Spartanberg Savages (254 / 11: Palmetto 2nd Place: NEW)
    So how do I explain this? A team in second place almost makes the Top 10? Well they have won six straight (which almost no one at the bottom can say), and they came back after being left for deadsky. Much more on this through the charts.
12. Da Garden Foundation (308 / 11: NJNW 1st Place: Was 5)
    So they had a little loss to Murder Inc. 24-16. It’s still a loss (which means bye bye Top Ten), and as they bowl them again in the first of 2 position rounds, if the next one turns into a loss of the big variety, then bye bye league lead.
13. Bulletproof (306 / 11: NJ South 2nd place: Was 18)
    Still winning, so they keep moving up. This is one of the tightest chases in the UBA between them and Absolute Chaos. with an almost guarantee that this one goes to the wire.
14. Reaper Crew (301 / 11: NJ Shore 1st place / Was 9)
    They would have stayed in the Top 10 had they not absorbed a 32-8 loss from Powerhouse. Yet, they are still in the top spot in the NJ Shore, so respect has to be given.
15. Str8 Bizness Cartel (314 / 12: DMV South: 2nd Place / NEW)
    Another team that took a nap in mid season, they turned around to close in on first place, going 116-6 for the past 3 tour stops (including a 40 piece on Framed 4 Murda)
16. High Voltage (292 / 11: Virginia: 1st Place / NEW)
    After being dropped off the Top 50 the last time out, they come storming back to take the lead in Virginia. Now THAT’S how to become motivated. I don’t take full credit for it but…maybe partial credit?
17. D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. (289 / 10: Queen City 1st Place: Was 15)
    Last time, there was dinging. This time there was more dinging (yes, they didn’t move too far because they did take a 40 piece and also had to deal with a bye). That all being said, G-Town is speeding up the highway to makes this more of a battle than D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F would have liked.
18. South Jersey Strike Force (288 / 11: PA North / 1st Place / Was 36)
    Reclaimed first place thanks to them going 62-18 over the past 2 stops.
19. Striking Vipers (285 / 11: Inner Coastal 1st place: Was 14)
    They had a shot to make this Conference untouchable to anyone else. Shot denied by the Watchmen who instead keep their playoff hopes alive and see the difference between first and third place be 8 points.
20. City Morgue (297 / 11: Metro 1st place: Was 32)
    Going 68-12 in the past two tour stops and reclaiming first in the Metro in the process would be a textbook definition of ‘bounce back’.
21. Outkasts (311 / 11: Capital 2nd Place / Was 37)
    You’re not catching the Hitmen, but you can clinch second place and maybe snag one of those first round byes for having the best wild card record.
22. Lane Crashers (274 / 10: Brooklyn/Queens 2nd Place / Was 38)
    They’ve won 6 matches in a row and are not that far off from the Justus League to make a run for first. Crashing is fun!
23. NWO Wolfpack (342 / 12: DMV North 1st Place: Was 6)
    How do you fall down this far? When you take 4 points while you’re trying to stave off Outrage. That may be something they regret very soon.
24. Outrage (321 / 12: DMV North 2nd Place: Was 16)
    How do you fall this far down as well? When during the same tour stop that the Wolfpack take 4, you take 7. What makes it worse is that they also lose 28-12 to the same NWO that they are chasing, so the margin that they need to overcome in the last match is 21 points. The 12 point loss may be something they regret very soon.
25. Augusta Reign (276 / 11: Palmetto 2nd Place Was 42)
    Well, this is a cluster. Less than a tour stop separates first from 7th. Right now, they are in the second spot, but this is guarantees to change. Case in point…
26. Carolina Rampage (256 / 11: Palmetto 3rd Place: NEW)
    I’m trying how to figure out this. The Rampage have lost 3 out of their last 4 and are still within single digits of first. Huh?
27. The Tribe (281 / 11: Metro 2nd Place: Was 45)
    One of the few teams to do what they were supposed to do during this stretch, and that’s keep winning. They went from deep bog trouble to solid grasp of a playoff spot during the last 3 matches.
28. Smurf Nation (292 / 11: NJ South 3rd Place Was 19)
    That was a really bad loss that to a team they should have taken more than 10 points from if they proved that they were good enough to win the NJ South.
29. Hot Pockets (333 / 12: DMV Central: 2nd: Was 48)
    139-21 over their past 4 their stops makes them scalding hot. Could they burn off the roof of Impact’s mouth?
30. Alamo Omens (280 / 11: Texas 1st Place NEW)
    I’m giving the Omens some love, knowing they won’t be here once Stay Ready plays their bye that the Omens have yet to take.
31. G.O.A.T. (264 / 10: Triad 2nd Place NEW)
    They’rrrrrre baaaaaaaaacccccccck. Are the voices coming from the TV, Carol Anne?
32. DC Mafia (308 / 12): DMV South 3rd Place: Was 21)
    There’s no shame losing to Dynasty. You just couldn’t afford to do that then and there while watching SBC jump you in the standings.
33. The Arsenal (284/ 9: NJNE 1st Place: Was 17)
    I jokingly called them The Great Sloppinis the last time out because they were getting sloppy, but losing 25-15 to a team they roughed up a few matches ago makes me wonder if they need to upgrade and get a sabre-tooth tiger out of that hat instead of a measly rabbit.
34. Beast Squad (268 / 11: Sandhills 1st Place: Was 26)
    Remember when we said a few months ago that the Beast Squad was in danger of making High Octane irrelevant? Well going 48-72 for the past 3 tour stops has Beast Squad in danger of making High Octane (who now moved back into second) very much relevant.
35. Beach Brawlers (293 / 11: Inner Coastal 1st Place: was 33)
    Taking first while also taking a loss and watching this become a three team race means ‘meh’ on the standings. It also forces the Brawlers to keep winning or the ‘meh’ will turn into ‘help’.
36. Secret Society (270 / 11: PA South: 2nd Was 40)
    I don’t know if taking their blind and moving up a spot during that same stretch is either a testament to how well they are bowling or a condemnation of how badly everyone else around them is bowling. I’ll take one from column A and one from column B please.
37. The Risen (282 / 11: Virginia 3rd Place: Was 34)
    It’s good to win, but you need to hold your position as well. Winning, but not as much as your adversaries could turn into problems down the stretch. This is an example of one of said problems.
38. BC Crew (266 / 10: Long Island / 3rd Place: Was 23)
    Losing 2 out of your last 3 – and falling from first to third in the process – no bueno.
39. All In! (264 / 11: PA North 2nd Place: Was 25)
    You know what rhymes with poo? Two, which is the amount of points that you took on the last tour stop. Hence, it is also the same as the place you are currently in on the PA North.
40. Royal Flush (285 / 10: Long Island / 2nd Place: Was 29)
    They take first back, so that’s good. They absorb a 26-14 loss to Bowling Bullies while doing it, which is why they fall down the chart instead of moving up it.
41. Murder Inc. (266 / 11: NWNJ 2nd Place: Was 31)
    They got a big win against DGF after dropping a match to Dead Flush. They need more wins and less what they did against Dead Flush if they want any chance at first in the NJNW.
42. Framed 4 Murda (303 / 12: DMV South 3rd Place: Was 28)
    This season, they have been on BOTH sides of the 40-0. Which is the real team?
43. Fearless (307 / 12: Virginia 2nd Place: Was 24)
    High Voltage gave them something to fear.
44. Controlled Chao$ (273/ 11: Metro 3rd Place Was 27)
    The Chaos may be how are they going to hold off a now resurgent Class aXe for their current third placed spot.
45. Train Wreck (286 / 11: NJ Shore / 2nd Place Was 30)
    You may still be in second place, but you can’t go 2-2 in the past 4 matches and expect to stay in the Top 40 of this chart.
46. House Shot Heros (310 / 12: New England North 2nd Place: Was 43)
    The bigger question is not what will they do with a split. It’s what will Mill City Mayhem do with their bowling the next tour stop while House Shot Heros waits around with their bye.
47. Synergy (276 / 11: Inner Coastal 3rd Place: Was 49)
    If they somehow miss the playoffs it would be one of the biggest shockers of the UBA season.
48. Rival Alliance (288 / 12: PA South 3rd Place Was 46)
    I’m being nice to them…until they take the bye this weekend. Then we’ll see if they are still here.
49. Capital City Hitters (270 / 11: Palmetto: 3rd Place / Was 50)
    They have no place to go but third.
50. Disorderly Conduct (278 / 10: Triad 1st Place: Was 13)
    It’s not often that you go from first to OUT in 2 polls, but it’s also not often when taking 28 points in the last 3 tour stop drops you from first to being perilously close with the now 5th placed Stay Dangerous. This is pretty dangerous :O

NEXT 5 IN: Da Hit Squad, The Fallout, Magna Carta, The Watchmen, Hell Yeah

OUT: On a MIssion, Wrecking Crew, High Caliber, Identity Crisis, Capital City Hitters, B.U.F.U.