The MMSL’s six divisions were tweaked to take into account the addition of the Washington Post Express and the splitting of the 78ers into two Allbritton teams.
The loss of NBC News Channel from Capitalview/Homewood and Townhall.com at Burning Tree allowed for some big changes in divisional alignment, the largest since the MMSL went to 24 teams in 2005 and the most sweeping leaguewide since 2000.
In all, eight teams have switched divisions with the biggest change in the Wheaton Forest Division, which now features the MMSL’s four Washington Post Co. teams — or the “Company Picnic Division.” Much like our local TV news division at Veirs Mill, this was a grouping that made perfect sense from a rivalry standpoint.
The Burning Tree division also looks intriguing, with AOL and defending champion USA Today slugging it out for bragging rights. Burning Tree is also comprised of teams that, for the most part, prefer playing at the Bethesda locale, given its proximity to Northern Virginia and the District.
We say for the most part because the Washington Times is being moved out of its beloved Wheaton Forest. We hope they’ll come to at least tolerate their new home, and we promise to try and get them back to their old University Boulevard stomping grounds as often as possible.
Factors such as competitive balance, longstanding divisional rivalries and field preference were taken into account, and these new groupings promise tight races and fun, friendly competition.