With two of the top four teams being newcomers to the fall circuit, the Masters Division, already known for an even field and unpredictable upsets, has been left even more up in the air than usual. For the second year in a row a finalist from the previous nationals has failed to make the big show. Two-time defending champs, Seattle's Keg Workers of America, Local 333 (KWA), failed to obtain the only bid from the Northwest region, losing decicisvely to Kavu 15-7 in finals. This loss of a dominant team (both in victories and in capacity for beer drinking) has served only to whet the appetite of the other Masters teams looking to fill both of these roles.

Top-seeded Old and In the Way (Boulder, CO) will likely spend the weekend fending off the fast and furious fangs of the underdogs. Sarasota's Skeleton Crew (2nd seed overall) is coming off of a commanding victory over perennial contender Herniated Disc in the Southeast regional finals. With a home-crowd advantage and a freshly padded roster since last nationals (some defecting Herniated Disc players, even), they have high expectations that this is their year to take home the gray-haired crown. Kavu, the new NW Master's champ and 3rd seed overall, brings some veteran savvy to their first run at a title - keep an eye on their Thursday match-up with Crew which promises to be a key game in Pool B. Grey Expectations and Chronic (the 4th and 7th seeds, respectively) split a pair of games at Midwest Regionals, yet another indication that the middle tier of the division will be largely up for grabs.

Meanwhile, several volatile, potentially explosive teams are hoping to use their lower seeds as launching pads for successful championship campaigns. Herniated Disc, Skeleton Crew's local rival and the 8th seed overall, showed some fire in a huge game at worlds, coming from a 14-9 deficit against Chronic to win 15-14. Seeing them take out the 5th seed OLD SAG (a.k.a. One Last Ditch Shot At Glory, a Philly-based team) in pool play would be an unsurprising upset. HOSS, the 11th seed, a feisty Wilmington-based team will be looking to improve on their last-place finish in 2001. Chronic, the 7th seed overall, who jumped five places to knock off Skeleton Crew in the 3rd place game last year, will be looking forward to a big match-up against Kavu in the last pool play round. New York's Slow Children (6th seed) and Ironwood (11th seed, from Phoenix/Burbank) round out the tough Pool B.