The Ohio Lawmen
Best Case: Arguably the best team in the nation. They have all-stars at every position. The two-state rule helped this team separate from many other teams. They can beat you with speed, power, defense or sheer intimidation. Best case is, they continue doing what they are doing and win every tourney they play in, including the World Series.
Worst Case: This team could have problems when legit players find themselves sitting on the bench due to the amount of talent on the team. Couple that with internal fighting over who gets the last of the hot wings during a team dinner, and 2011 could be a disappointment for THE Ohio Lawmen.


NYPD Blues
Best Case: This team has landed former PS.com Player of the Year James Ruocchio in the off season and has picked up a young stud to roam CF for them. This team has also finally landed the big win they have been missing in years past and this could propel them to greater new heights.  Best case is they successfully defend their WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in 2011.
Worst Case: Some former World Series Champions have felt some apathy after winning and found it hard to get excited for the following season or they succumb to the pressure of having a target on their back. This team is talented but either one of those conditions could hurt this team in 2011. Add in Butch Crozier’s contract holdout due to his belief that the team should be called the King and His Court, may spell disaster for 2011. 

South Florida Lawmen 
Best Case: The pick-up of Alan Westfall may be the ingredient this team needs to jump up a notch to where they are not touched all year long. Add in the fact that there are less travel teams in the Florida area than a couple of years ago, recruiting possibilities should continue to improve in the coming year.  
Worst Case: There has been a shift in team management and any time leadership changes, it can have an effect on the team. 2011 will tell us if that effect was positive or negative. Also looming on the horizon is Alan Westfall’s rumored switch back to Jacksonville PSC come August….again. If this happens, someone will have some ‘splaining to do. 

Minnesota Lawmen: 
Best Case: Once again not too much has been leaked about the men from up North but this is always the best case for this team. The lack of drama and movement is one of this teams strengths and should continue keep this team one of the top teams in the East.
Worst Case: The lack of tourney play is always the knock on this team but the possibility exists that star player Bobby Lambert may get hurt when he tries to defend the PS.com MMA crown against Randy Thivierge. Although Randy disputes the dominating beat down Bobby put on him a few years ago, PS.com has named Bobby Lambert the champ and the rematch is certain to happen.

New York Metro
Best Case: Two fifth place finishes in a row in the rankings is not what this team will accept and we envision a new fire out of this team to re-establish their rightful spot at the top of the rankings. Some young legs from Suffolk players may give this team the infusion of youth it needs. If the recent Aselton win was any indication, look for the Big Apple team to be ripe for 2011. 
Worst Case: The team charter forgets the Metamucil, the Ensure and the canes and this team starts showing its age. Add that to the defections to the Shamrocks and the Blues, and this team has a hard time running with the big dogs in LEO Softball.  Roger Akiki sues for naming rights and wins. Akiki forces team to change name to New York Etro.

Great Lakes Lawmen
Best Case: This team is viewed as a merger between the Illinois Lawmen and the Michigan Lawmen. Arguably you have two very good teams combining to make a great team. This team should compete for tourney crowns everywhere it goes to in 2011 and talent wise they have the ability to be the last team standing at World Series VII.
Worst Case: It sometimes takes teams time to gel when there have been major shake ups and this could be the case here. Add in the fact that Randy Thivierge will be focusing less on softball and more on his rematch with Bobby Lambert due to the hotel room beat down Bobby put on him. Meanwhile Scott Czopek announces he wants to live closer to the object of his man-crush Ryan Coe and he moves to Orange County, Ca. If these things happen, then certainly 2011 will be a let-down year for the Lakers.

Jacksonville PSC
Best Case: Team leader Robbie Freitas has taken this team in a new direction. He pledged to build the team around positive teammates and focus on the brotherhood and fun times that cop softball is supposed to be about. As a result his 2011 roster will look different than it has in past years. On paper it might not have as many sexy names but best case is this team relies more on effort and team commitment than they do on superstar talent. The result could be what we saw in Tahoe when they fielded a blue collar team that went all the way to the final dance. Best case has 2011 marking one of their most enriching and successful years since the advent of ps.com.
Worst Case: The team simply is outgunned and although they remain positive, eventually not playing to the level they have in past years begins to wear on them. Hall of Famer and JPSC spiritual leader David Popeye Stevens gets hired by the Gators to be the team’s official photographer and he is unable to attend any JPSC tourneys. Dennis Leonard gets a job working for BaconBall and retires a rich man with a lifetime supply of cold burgers. The Cullen brothers form a pro-rasslin tag team, and Robbie retires in order to become a professional blackjack player in Vegas. Scott Bridges is left trying to hold a makeshift team together which causes him to lose the remaining 28 hairs left on his head.

Shamrock Enforcers
Best Case: The Shamrocks are a team on the rise and a team no one wants to see early in a tourney because there is a good chance they may hang a loss on you.  This year they have made some sick pick-ups and will be even stronger. In the past they thought they could win and now they expect to win. Best case is they emerge the top team in the East in 2011.
Worst Case: The Shamrocks have finished #10 #6 and #8 over the last three years and this year there could be more of that underachieving results. They have the talent but haven’t found a way to transfer talent into tournament wins. This year could be more of the same with how much stronger the East teams have gotten in the off season. Double D and Mike Taylor form a secret pact to have Guido kicked off the team and replaced by Mike “The Bull” Amerson.

Team Jersey
Best Case: This team has gone from #22 in 2005 to #9 last year.  Hopefully this team has gotten everyone on the same page and can all work towards a common goal of winning.  They looked very strong in the World Series and they build on that this year.
Worst Case: Instead of climbing ahead they drop back. They accept the idea of being Jersey’s Junior Varsity squad and rather than use that a fuel to their fire they use it as an excuse to underperform. John Erven orders all players to continue the tradition of removing their uniform sleeves and instead of winning, the team ends up with 3rd degree sunburn on their biceps in Vegas next October.

Illinois Lawmen
Best Case: They merge with Michigan.
Worst Case: Then end up naming themselves after a lake.

Steel City Enforcers
Best Case: This is another team on the rise and they have climbed from #21 in 2007 to #11 in 2010. This team seems to be getting better with each big tournament they play and that trend should continue. It appears their pitcher Mike Gay has recovered nicely from the cannon ball he took in the chest from Kilsmoke’s bat. He was worried he was going to take two more shots because of Kilsmoke’s mindset of two to the body and one to the head but he feels strongly that is a work related reference only. The team continues it ascend to elite status and convincingly cracks the top 10 this year. 
Worst Case: This team looks to have improved but so have many of the teams in the East. Many East teams are building up an arsenal in the event there is an East Coast softball Jihad that one must wonder if the Steel City team has done enough to keep up in the arms race. Worst case is they end up playing the Shamrock Enforcers two dozen times this year…again. 

TKO/Team Kentucky Ohio
Best Case: They announce their demise was only a belated April Fools joke. They come back stronger than ever in 2011.
Worst Case: Somebody forgets to tell Eric Pennekamp it was only a joke and he joins a rival team from a rival state!

Suffolk County Lawmen
Best Case: They enter the 2011 season with high expectations coming off a successful 2010 campaign. They have many talented players on the roster anchored by 3B Reuben Rijos who should be a pre-season candidate for the East Coast POY or DPY awards. After a year and a half layoff OF/1B Luke Riordan is back. A new addition to the team is OF Bill Boyd who joined them at the World Series in 2010 and showed his potential of becoming a top player on this circuit. Big things will be expected this year from slick fielding SS Jamie Torres, utility player Chris Lambert who seems to hit every tournament, OF Joe Riess, and 2B E.J. Unverzagt. Rounding out the team will be the usual cast of characters who have been around for years as well as some new additions that promise to make the 2011 very successful. The Suffolk masters team will once again be led by PS.com HOF's Kevin Naylor, who returns after hip replacement surgery in 2010 and Lenny "Hollywood" Glover. With the addition of some new 40 yr. olds as well as the return of the one's who have been around this circuit for years Suffolk will try to get grab ahold of the top spot on the masters circuit as over 40 softball starts to expand. Best case is this team lives up to the high expectations many hold for their open and masters team.
Worst Case: Worst case is NY Metro and NYPD Blues read this article and send out recruiting teams to “visit” Rijos, Riordan and Boyd.

Motor City Blues
Best Case: This team feeds off of and builds on their World Series Gold division win. When you mention Michigan softball, it’s THIS team you think of first since the Michigan Lawmen as we know them have moved in a different direction. Best case, they win another big tourney, crack the top 10 and are in the mix to win the heavyweight division in Vegas next October.
Worst Case: This team stays content on dominating the Gold Division instead of battling the heavyweights. Infighting plagues them as it has in the past and the team is divided. Instead of having what should be their best year, they take a step in the wrong direction. An extensive background check on Ryan Milroth proves that he actually enjoys his job as a hosedragger more than as a cop and he gets banned from ps.com. (If you don’t believe us, google search his name!)  

Boys N Blue Road Dogs
Best Case: This team continues to play and impress. They made their debut in the rankings at 15 and best case they break the top 10 in 2011. Big Vic provides the spark they need to become a legitimate heavyweight contender.
Worst Case: This team doesn’t get firing on all cylinders and they lose the positive momentum they finished the season with. They have to start from scratch in 2011 and never live up to their expectations. Worst case, a porno company purchases copyright naming rights for the title “Boys N Blue Road Dogs” and they begin a series of fetish films including “Boys N Leather Road Dogs”, “Boys N Bondage Road Dogs” and “Boys N Hot Oil Road Dogs.” As a result BnB merchandise sales soar, but since Big Vic didn’t copyright the name first, he is left penny less.

Virginia Lawmen
Best case: This team does not back down from a challenge no matter how much the odds are against them. They have no problem playing against the best of the best and they don’t make excuses. Best case is they ink power hitter Chris Meat Oliver, and expand their search for free agents in the North Carolina region. As a result they step into the heavyweight arena on a regular basis and WIN on a regular basis. They crack the top 10 for the first time since the advent of ps.com.
Worst case: They spread their efforts between the EC Lawmen and Virginia Lawmen and as a result end up with watered down results. Their ranking floats in the high teens most of the year and they tread water instead of moving ahead. Worst case is if they do sign Meat he and Hittdogg will butt-heads over which one is a better “spellar” on the message board.

Greene County Enforcers
Best case: This team truly embraces the spirit of cop softball. They are comprised of officers from a small geographic region and they typically travel with families. But don’t let their feel good image fool you…they come to play ball and they win! Best case is they don’t change a thing. They keep doing what they are doing and while all the other teams make knee jerk moves around them, GCE remain steady as a rock. Eventually their stability pays off and they win the Gold Division WS in convincing fashion.
Worst case: Since they do recruit from only a small geographic region they cannot afford any injuries or non-committed players. Worst case scenario is they lose a key player or two due to injury and the level of commitment drops. As a result they limp into most tourneys understaffed. Ultra-Ethical Matt Woolfe soils his reputation by sneaking a ringer into the Dayton NPSC. Yes, he brings in the famous Kettering announcer “Andre” who is known most for his Barry White voice on the mic to play for the team. As it turns out Andre used to play for the Dayton Dragons minor league team and he hits 2 hr’s enroute to a 22-16 victory over the Minnesota Lawmen in the National Police Softball Championship! Woolfie gets suspended for life by Frank Navarre.

Chicago Metro PSC
Best case: This team has spent years battling the giants of police softball. And they would have some good tourneys, occasionally beat a super-combo team, and always give their best effort no matter what. In the Gold division they showed what they could do against similar teams. All those years of battling goliaths paid off for them as they swept the round robin on Friday and narrowly missed going to the big dance on Sunday. Best case for them is they continue to battle those goliaths, continue to slay an occasional dragon, continue to bring the most diehard fans with them and ultimately win that Gold division WS championship that is so close to their grasp they can smell it.
Worst case: They decide to tinker too much with a good thing. They upset the chemistry balance and end up moving in the wrong direction. Pleckham and O’Neill accuse one another of stealing the dooshe gel from the shower and stop speaking to one another. The entire city of Chicago bans 16” softball and the team’s collective dream of becoming the first ever 16” ps.com champions goes down the tubes.

Charles County Lawmen
Best case: According to ps.com World Series host Jeff “The Swami” Blair, the Charles County Lawmen were the best team nobody knew of in the 2010 World Series. They were supposed to get smashed by the Road Dogs in the round robin, but ended up pushing them to the limit. The only thing this team is missing is national exposure. Best case is they get out more and show the country what they are capable of. A top 15 ranking and a Gold division WS championship is certainly within reach.
Worst case: They fail to leave that Maryland/Jersey bubble and don’t get the exposure they deserve. Even though they are one of the more exciting teams in that region, the still need to slay some dragons to get some big time press clippings. Worst case is they stay local, lose to teams they are capable of beating and continue to fly under the radar. Also, to avoid the confusion of the 2010 WS ps.com mandates they play the Capital City Lawmen in a loser must change name game. Writing CC Lawmen on the board for both teams is too confusing. Cap City wins the name game and Charles County is forced to change their name to the Port Tobacco Village Blue Crabs/PTVBC.

Capital City Lawmen
Best case: Well that is already happening. They already laid the foundation down for what should be their best year ever by finishing 4th in the Orlando Tourney. They look a lot like the New Jersey G-Boys now. Look out big dogs.
Worst case: They set their expectations TOO high and get disappointed when they have a few off games. Instead of building on it, they let it break them down and they have a hum-drum year. Ron Breeden starts his own uniform clothing line to compete against Sports 55. Unfortunately to cut back on costs Breeden runs a 24/7 sweat shop using illegal immigrants and gets busted by the feds.

Montgomery County Young Guns
Best case: They continue to show glimpses of how good they really are but to date have never burst onto the national stage. They had that opportunity in October in the Gold division and although they were a favorite to reach the final 3, they fell well short of their aspirations. Best case is they live up to their expectations this year and win that Gold division and ultimately crack the top 10.
Worst case: They fly below the radar, underperform, and don’t learn to maximize their abilities. They have a ton of untapped potential waiting to be released but need to figure out that magic formula. Worst case is, it takes them so long to figure out how to play up to their ability they eventually become the Montgomery County Thirty-Something Guns.

Iowa Lawmen
Best case: To begin with everybody loves these guys. They don’t care if they are playing the world champs or an unranked team…they will give you their best shot. Best case is they secure the funding to get out to a few more travel tourneys this year so they get more exposure. These guys have the ability to do something special, but they need more opportunities to shine.
Worst case: There really is no downside to this team. Worst case is, they have to continue to stay close to home and fly under the radar. Here is something I bet you didn’t know: A bronze life-sized sculpture of a Norwegian immigrant family (circa 1860) is located on a six acre restored prairie site located at the east entry to Lake Mills on Highway 105. What does this have to do with softball? Nothing, but we thought it was important you know that the next time you visit Iowa.

Metro Detroit’s Finest
Best case: We thought all the pieces to the puzzle were coming together for them late last season. They were among the favorites to win the gold division and then the wheels fell off. Well hopefully this year they put together a complete season and elevate themselves to heavyweight contender status.
Worst case: Kilsmoke has sizzled so many pitchers through the years this team becomes a lighting rod for their opponents. Their pitcher gets spun more times than Frisbee at the Canine Frisbee Disc World Championship.

Toronto Police Softball
Best case: Best case we actually see more of these guys…they are a solid Gold level club that impressed many who saw them in Vegas last Oct. Not many teams were still standing on Sunday, but TPS was.
Worst case: They pull a disappearing act on us and we don’t see them again in 2011. Their shortstop, the only surfer in Toronto, gets his head shaved…and like Samson he loses all his power.

DC Enforcers
Best case: They begin to play more often and as a result their level of play rises to the point they are competing with, and defeating many of the teams based in the North East including their cross town rivals, Capital City Lawmen.
Worst case: Officer Bradley Barnes drops the ball organizing the team and they only compete a few times in 2011.

O.H.5.O. Softball
Best case: The rookie o.h.5.o. is a police softball team from the greater Cincinnati/Dayton Ohio area. In 2011 they have listed the following schedule: West Palm Beach, Dayton, Sterling Heights and the World Series. They have scouted some talented players that have never played on the police softball circuit and combined them with some trusty veterans. Best case is this new team gels and they make an immediate impact on the circuit.
Worst Case: They fold like origami under the pressure of playing the goliaths of police softball. The Ohio Lawmen rape them for their best players. They become so dysfunctional they resort to hiring fellow Buckeye Eric Pennekamp at the team psychologist.

PG Stars:
Best case: Kevin Deck is insuring he is doing everything he can to make a best case scenario for the Stars. He is doing a good job communicating with his players and organizing the team to work toward a common goal. Rumor is, Deck is recruiting hard and will be debuting some young guns this year. Best case, they have a solid year, crack the top 5 in tourney finishes on several occasions and make it to Vegas in October, impressing everyone with a jaw dropping performance in the Gold division.
Worst case: With a glut of teams surfacing in the Maryland/DC area, Deck loses top talent to other teams who begin recruiting hard. The team once again struggles to fill a complete roster for the World Series and they have to pull out.

Wayne Oakland:
Best case: They recapture the magic of past years and re-establish themselves as a top 5 team once again.
Worst case: The Spike twins fear of flying extends to a fear of driving and they are left riding a tandem bicycle to all tourneys. Garnett Hatchett moves to Hollywood to become Ice Cube’s stunt double in some upcoming films. Eric Pennefavre retires…again.