Week 16 semifinals set; Posse get in

2010 FINKS LEAGUE SEMIFINAL PREVIEWS: WEEK 16

Dublin Brawlers (10-5) vs. Eye of Newt (9-6) 
At Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

The skinny: Brawlers won their first division title and have made the playoffs for the second time in three years after winning the 2008 Finger Bowl in their first season. Newt's Jeff Newton is the only owner in the playoffs to have never won a Finger Bowl title. He has been to the championship game two times, finishing as runner-up in 2004 and 2006. Newton is in his ninth season and owns a 4-4 postseason record. He is making his fifth playoff appearance.


The stat: Brawlers owner Kris Herigodt is 2-0 in the playoffs.

Previous meeting: Brawlers 66, Newt 50 (Week 3)

Probable starters: Brawlers -- Rodgers, A. Peterson, Hillis, Welker, Jennings, Graham. Newt -- Cassel, Turner, Mendenhall, A. Johnson, Colston, Cundiff.

The pick: Brawlers 45, Newt 40.

Serkus Act (10-5) vs. Las Vegas Posse (8-7)
At Baraboo Senior High School, Baraboo, Wis. Home of the Circus World Museum.

The skinny: Posse owner has been calling his club "The Replacements" this season due to the overturn of his roster after a slow start to the season. A turning point was his 3-for-1 trade in Week 7 for Cymbe-offensive-line QB Rivers SD. Posse have won six of their last seven games to make a desperate push into the playoffs. Posse gained a playoff berth by winning the head-to-head tiebreaker over Creighton Barrels. Posse swept the season series.  Simo owns an 8-4 playoff record and has the most postseason wins in league history. He is in his 14th season and is one of two remaining original owners in the league. Simo is making his ninth playoff appearance. Serkus owner Stan Goff hopes to become the first back-to-back league champ since Simo. Goff is in his 16th season and is making his eighth playoff appearance. Goff owns a 4-8 record in the postseason.

The stat: Simo aims for a league-record fourth Finger Bowl championship, which would break his current tie with former owner Mike Wilcox. Simo won titles in 1997, 2001 and 2002. Simo is the last owner to win back-to-back league titles.

Previous meetings: Serkus 54, Posse 18 (Week 8); Posse 32, Serkus 31 (Week 9)

Probable starters: Serkus -- Schaub, Foster, Charles, Cal. Johnson, Austin, Suisham. Posse -- Rivers, McCoy, F. Jackson, V. Jackson, D. Jackson, Kaeding.

The pick:  Posse 38, Serkus 33.