Benepe Cup Remains in Boston

By Carrie Soukup

From the beginning of the Major League Quidditch championship (MLQ) weekend, the final game seemed to be pencilled in as a showdown between Major League Quidditch’s two undefeated teams: the Boston Night Riders and the Austin Outlaws. The match that many expected did happen. The Boston Night Riders remained unbeaten in their MLQ history and took home their second straight Benepe Cup, prevailing in a two-game sweep 80*-50 in the first and 150*-120 in the second over the South Division winner Austin Outlaws.

MLQ Championship Preview: Pod 2

Fourteen intense teams will come together this weekend, August 20-21, for the second Major League Quidditch (MLQ) Championship. These teams were divided into four pods for pool play and we were able to talk to some of the players and coaches who will be fighting for the gold in League City, Texas. To hear more about the four Pod 2 teams read our conversations with Ghoddossy from the Austin Outlaws, Chris Barnard from Indianapolis Intensity, Lindsay Marella from the New York Titans, and Justine Taylor from Phoenix Sol as they prepare for the championship.

MLQ Championship Preview: Pod 1

Fourteen intense teams will come together this weekend, August 20-21, for the second Major League Quidditch (MLQ) Championship. These teams were divided into four pods for pool play and we were able to talk to some of the managers and players who will be fighting for the gold in League City, Texas. To know more about these three Pod 1 contenders, read about the Cleveland Riff with Chris Bowman, the Los Angeles Guardians with Tony Rodriguez, and watch our conversation with League City’s head coach, Philip O’Brien.

MLQ Championship Preview: Pod 3

Fourteen intense teams will come together this weekend, August 20-21, for the second Major League Quidditch (MLQ) Championship. These teams were divided into four pods for pool play and we were able to talk to some of the managers and players who will be fighting for the gold in League City, Texas. To know more about these three Pod 3 contenders, watch our conversation with players from the Boston team and read more about Kansas City with manager Mikayla Hoffman and San Francisco with manager Natalie Stottler.

MLQ Championship Preview: Pod 4

Fourteen intense teams will come together this weekend, August 20-21, for the second Major League Quidditch (MLQ) Championship. These teams were divided into four pods for pool play on the first day of the championships and we were able to talk to coaches and players of everyone in Pod 4 who will be fighting for the gold in League City, Texas. Watch our conversations with Coaches Tyler Walker, Steve Minnich, and Ben Reuling below.

Where MLQ Went Wrong in 2016

By Andy Marmer 

“Major League Quidditch” wants everyone to know that it is putting forward professional quidditch, and by and large it has the world convinced. A wildly successful #16for16 campaign started the year, where, to much fanfare, MLQ announced that it would expand from eight teams concentrated primarily along the Northeast Corridor and Rust Belt, in addition to the Canadian capital of Ottawa, to a league with teams extending from Boston to Los Angeles. From there, MLQ made all the right moves from a marketing standpoint: partnering with organizations such as Savage Apparel and Peterson’s BroomSticks throughout the season; generating great press for quidditch through well-written articles that took the sport seriously, such as this profile in Boston Magazine; a partnership with NowThis to stream to a huge Facebook audience; recently writing a Buzzfeed post celebrating the championship; and bringing in high-profile, experienced volunteers trusted by the quidditch community. Yet, the sad truth of the matter is that this season of MLQ has been very disappointing.

MLQ: Reflection: Washington Admirals

By Cory Apple

There are many well-known professional sports with three letter acronyms, but this year a new set of three letters entered the sporting world: MLQ. This summer, quidditch was transformed from a set of rules and ideas to an organized, high-level league. There were eight teams in MLQ’s opening season, but next summer the league will be expanding to include a West Division and a South Division, making it truly national.

MLQ: Reflection: Boston Night Riders

By David Fox

Major League Quidditch (MLQ) was like a breath of fresh air for me. I loved having a key role in Emerson College Quidditch’s success through four World Cups, but in the last year I started to feel stagnated as a player—when you’re the captain tasked with developing a brand new team of chasers, you tend to observe and critique as opposed to working on your own game. That’s why I was excited when I found out about MLQ, because it sounded like it would give me an environment that I would thrive in: a team of experienced veterans and talented up-and-coming players where I wasn’t in charge, and all I had to do was show up and focus on making myself better. (Shoutout to Teddy Costa, aka the Allen Iverson of quidditch.)

MLQ: Reflection: Indianapolis Intensity

By Blake Fitzgerald

I was very impressed with MLQ this year, especially given the fact that this was its first year in existence. Ethan Sturm, Amanda Dallas, and everyone who worked behind the scenes were proactive in turning this vision of professional quidditch into something extraordinary.

MLQ: Reflection: Spectator

By Bruce Donnelly Due to the youth of our sport, it is almost impossible for a single event to have a 100 percent success rate. Understandably, problems multiply when the scope expands beyond a single event to an entire league’s slated season; undoubtedly, issues will arise when planning and coordinating for such an undertaking. A hiccup or two prevented the inaugural MLQ season from being perfect. That said, it still managed to be an overwhelming success.

MLQ: Reflection: New York Titans

By Kyle Carey 

When I found out about Major League Quidditch, I jumped at the chance to join. Having only played two seasons for New York University (NYU), I viewed MLQ as a league where I could develop my skills as a player. I was overjoyed when I made the 30-player New York Titans team. The roster was full of names that I recognized and respected. From the original 30 members, a corps of around 25 formed who would end up playing in the different series.

MLQ: Reflection: Detroit Innovators

By Ryan Sparks

This summer, roughly 300 people took a gamble. Prior to the summer of 2015, summer quidditch belonged exclusively to fantasy tournaments. With each passing summer, fantasy tournaments became far more numerous, and the quality of play in these tournaments dropped. With that in mind, Ethan Sturm and Amanda Dallas joined together with the idea of creating a competitive summer league, and before long, Major League Quidditch (MLQ) began to take shape.

Major League Mashup: Aug. 27, 2015

Team Feature: Cleveland Riff

By Chris Fisher

On paper, the  Cleveland Riff entered MLQ’s inaugural season as the best team in the North Division. The team was a veritable mash-up of two of the best programs in the region—Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and Ohio State University (OSU)—so it’s clear why. Leadership duo Dan Daugherty and Katie Milligan led BGSU to back-to-back regional final appearances, including one victory, and a Final Four finish at World Cup VI.

MLQ Championship Preview: East Division

Editor’s Note: All statistics referenced are accurate as of those released by Major League Quidditch by Aug. 20.

Boston Night Riders

By Kyle Carey

Any doubts about MLQ’s Boston Night Riders were silenced by the Night Riders’ season-closing victories over the New York Titans. The Night Riders’ undefeated record speaks volumes about the amount of talent this team possesses. Over the course of the summer, the Night Riders have managed to become more than their individual parts. They are not just Emerson College Quidditch Club or Q.C. Boston: The Massacre (QCB) or Tufts University Quidditch, but a new team capable of more than any regular-season squad. Their development of a unique style of play produces the appearance of a team that has been around for more than just one season. With a pass-heavy attack that revolves around precise offensive beating, it is difficult to find another team whose beating and chasing are so in-sync.

MLQ Championship Preview: North Division

Editor’s Note: All statistics referenced are accurate as of those released by Major League Quidditch by Aug. 20. The Indianapolis Intensity preview was changed on Aug. 22 to reflect the team having a female beater presence against Rochester. Indianapolis Intensity

By Anonymous Every sport has that one underdog team, one that is dismissed from the start but manages to exceed expectations with hard work, cohesive play, and leadership from its coach and star players. In MLQ’s inaugural season, that distinction belongs to the Indianapolis Intensity; the preseason pick to finish last, the Intensity enters the championships as the second seed.

Major League Mashup: Aug. 8, 2015

Team Feature: Detroit Innovators By David Wier

This weekend, the Detroit Innovators head into their final regular season matchup against the Cleveland Riff. A first or second place finish in their division is out of Detroit’s reach, but the series will determine final positioning for the entire division besides Indianapolis Intensity, and it’s possible for Detroit to take the third place rank from Cleveland. Even to achieve that, Detroit has its work cut out for it.

Major League Mashup: Aug. 1, 2015

Feature: New York Titans By Sam Scarfone

As it currently stands, the New York Titans have only played one set of games against the Washington Admirals and have yet to face the Ottawa Black Bears or the Boston Night Riders. Their record is 2-1, which may surprise some. The Admirals are by no means a weak team, but when placed against the Titans I would have put money on the Titans to win every game in the set. Perhaps the Admirals tired themselves out too quickly in the first game, or perhaps the Titans played a bit sloppy and pulled it together in the next two games; perhaps it was both of these reasons, but perhaps it is indicative of a larger issue within the Titans.

MLQ Fantasy Draft

Welcome to our coverage of the 12 team MLQ Fantasy Draft.

Major League Mashup: June 20, 2015

Welcome to the first Major League Mashup where our staff runs down all of the happenings each week in MLQ.

Indianapolis Takes Down Detroit 3-0

Earlier this week we published Blake Fitzgerald’s recap of the Indianapolis Intensity’s victory over the Detroit Innovators. Check it out here.

MLQ Intensity Sweep Innovators in MLQ Opener

By Blake Fitzgerald

Indianapolis Intensity kicked off the inaugural Major League Quidditch season with a 3-0 sweep of the Detroit Innovators, winning twice in snitch range and once out of range.