Blog Exclusive: Bootleg Article on the First Season and History of the WISFFL

Written by Davin Wilfrid. Courtesy of Carrie-Anne Thayer.

Matt Moore darted off the line of scrimmage, cut hard to his left, vaulted over nine inches of snow, and hauled in the winning touchdown pass — just past the outstretched fingertips of Nick Fox. The catch gave Moore’s team a hard-fought victory in WISBowl I; the final game of the first-ever WIS Flag Football League (WISFFL) season.

It was appropriate that Moore and Fox figured in the final play of the season. The two editorial assistants, who share an office on the second floor (along with Laura Casasanto), are co- founders of the WISFFL.

“Nick and I got the idea one day sitting in our office in the fall. It just sort of happened while we were talking about how much fun we had playing intramurals in college. We talked to Scott Priest about it, and we knew there was some interest since Jason Renda had also talked about a league. We offered to try to start things up, and the rest is history,” says Moore.

That history includes five regular season games and WISBowl I, a gala affair that drew more than a dozen players and a cadre of fans, who contributed far more than just cheers (Stephanie Smith sang the national anthem through a megaphone, and Laura Casasanto, Kathleen Rose, Alissa Nelson, Cara Bradley, Wes Hosking, Carol Wyche, and other fans brought snacks and refreshments).

Recruiting players for the WISFFL turned out to be a relatively easy task, according to Moore.

“We started out by inviting people we knew already were interested and people who played in the softball leagues. We got about 30 responses within minutes and knew we had something big. At one point, we were afraid we might even have too many people to keep the games fun and balanced. However, it turned out that we got about 10-16 people for each game. Not only did it allow us to field competitive teams, but we got a great variety of games due to different match-ups and numbers of people on the field,” he says.

Regular WISFFL players included a wide variety from multiple departments, including Brian Geever (Data), Jason Renda (Web), Susie Harding (Conferences), Scott Priest (Editorial), Lauren Bonneau (Editorial), Joanna Douillette (Conferences), Sean Edwards (Marketing), Adam Gelinas (Data), Stephanie Smith (Conferences), Kristen Marvelle (Conferences), Vilmos Csizmadia (Web), and others. Moore and Fox say the games gave them a chance to interact with WIS employees they don’t often work with.

“Outside events like both softball leagues and the San Francisco trip were great ways to get to know some more people, especially since I just started here last summer. Now, being directly involved and communicating with people about the WISSFL has expanded upon that, and I feel I’ve gotten to know a lot more people a lot better,” says Moore.

“I also got to know the first and third floors better as the season went on, since we had several players from each. This worked out well, since I rarely have a reason to leave the sanctity of the second floor — unless of course it’s bagel day,” says Fox.

Teams were divided in the days before each game, with teams assigned either red or yellow flags. Games were played Saturday afternoons at a neighborhood park in Norwood. The season began in early November and culminated in mid-December.

WIS employees who want to get in the game won’t have to wait until next fall. Fox and Moore say they are planning a Spring league for anyone interested.

“We’ve already gotten some interest from new players and hope that it will continue to expand. There may or may not be opening ceremonies being planned involving a torch lighting marathon. I hope that the Spring League can culminate with something at least half as exciting as WISBowl I,” says Moore.