[the phantom]

I believe in this tournament we will see teams of men rise to the top to challenge the likes of Angband and Tol-In-Gauroth. Gondor, Arnor, and Numenor all have a good shot at winning, though Arnor's chances are severely damaged after learning that their star receivers, Valandil and Aragorn II, will play for Rivendell where they were raised. Because of that, I will name Numenor and Gondor as my good-guy favorites.

The elves can match up at the skill positions (WR, RB, CB, S), but their offensive and defensive lines will lose the battle at the line of scrimmage. Elves simply aren't weighty, where as teams from Gondor and Numenor feature lines of men who average around 6'6" 310 lbs.

Sure, a speedy elf at the rush end position or a safety or linebacker on a blitz might be able to make his way to the quarterback on a slow developing pass play such as a play action pass or a seven step drop, but I imagine the Numenorians and men of Gondor are smart enough to use the advantage they have and run the ball against teams of elves, hobbits, and smaller men. I expect Gondor's running back, Earnur, and Numenor's running back, Ar-Pharazon, to rack up big numbers during the next few weeks.

Teams that could challenge Numenor and Gondor-

Isengard- Saruman has genetically altered his orcs to be larger, so their lines will stand up better than others, but I still think Numenor and Gondor will be able to run the ball on them effectively, not to mention that Isengard's defensive backs will have quite a bit of trouble keeping a handle on Numenor and Gondor's primary wide receivers (Amandil and Tar-Palantir for Numenor, Faramir and Anarion for Gondor).

Valmar and Valimar- Both teams have some good talent, but I think they, as a whole, think and move too slowly to beat a good football team. It's too bad Tulkas, Orome, and Eonwe didn't transfer to a team that could make use of their abilities.

Fangorn- The ents are very imposing, however I don't see them having what it takes. Most of the time they are lethargic, but when they aren't they tend to get penalized. It is illegal to pick up a player and throw him, to restrain him from behind, or to strike him with a limb. Ents are so oversized that they tend to do these things without meaning to, and the refs won't let them get away with it. In addition, the football is so small to them that most ents have difficulty hanging on to it.

Tol-In-Gauroth- Sauron's wolves match up well with Gondor and Numenor. Sauron has a lot of wolves to choose from, and so has found himself a team with an excellent blend of size, strength, and speed. Numenor and Gondor will not be able to dominate them at the line, and will not be able to run past them with speed. Tol-In-Gauroth could very well end up winning this tournament.

Angband- Anband is obviously a heavy hitter. Its balrog offensive line will clear the way for any running back. Though Melkor is the quarterback, expect him to do most of the rushing himself, Michael Vick style. Gothmog and Durin's Bane are the rush ends on defense. Expect them to put a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks and shut down any running play to the outside.