IBM Big Blue (X-League)
The IBM Big Blue are an American football team located in the Tsukuba, Ibaraki. They are a member of the X-League.
| Established | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan |
| Head coach | Kevin Craft |
| General manager | Shinzo Yamada |
| League | X-League |
| Division | X1 Super |
| Colours | Blue, black, grey, and white[1] |
| Division titles | 2, (2001 and 2015) |
| Website | http://www.bigblue-football.com/ |
Team history
- 1976 Team founded as the IBM Thinkers.
- 1977 Joined the X-League.
- 1989 Team name changed to IBM Big Blue.
- 1996 Won X2 Central Divisional title. Defeated Penta-Ocean Construction Co. 28-27 in X2-X1 replacement game.
- 1997 Promoted from X2 to X1.
- 2010 Advanced to Final stage. Lost to Panasonic Impulse 28-31.
- 2014 Defeated the Lixil Deers in the Final stage to advance to the Japan X Bowl. Lost to the Fujitsu Frontiers 10-44.
- 2016 Celebrated 40th anniversary of team founding.
Seasons
| X-League Champions (1987–present) | Division Champions | Final Stage/Semifinals Berth | Wild Card /2nd Stage Berth |
| Season | League | Division | Regular Season | Post Season Results | Awards | Head coaches | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
| 1997 | X2 | Central | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1998 | X2 | Central | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1999 | X2 | Central | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2000 | X2 | Central | 2nd | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| 2001 | X2 | Central | 1st | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2002 | X1 | East | 5th | 1 | 4 | 1 | Matoba | |||
| 2003 | X1 | East | 6th | 0 | 5 | 0 | David Stant | |||
| 2004 | X1 | East | 4th | 2 | 3 | 1 | David Stant | |||
| 2005 | X1 | Central | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 0 | David Stant | |||
| 2006 | X1 | East | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | David Stant | |||
| 2007 | X1 | Central | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2008 | X1 | Central | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2009 | X1 | East | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | Lost 2nd match (Panasonic Denko) 7-49 Lost 2nd stage match (Obic) 14-44 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2010 | X1 | East | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 0 | Won 2nd match (Suita) 42-10 Lost 2nd stage match (Obic) 27-55 Lost final stage match (Panasonic) 28-31 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2011 | X1 | Central | 4th | 3 | 4 | 0 | Won 2nd stage relegation match (Fuji Xerox) 70-14 Won 2nd stage relegation match (Meiji Yasuda) 38-8 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2012 | X1 | Central | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | Lost 2nd stage match (Panasonic Impulse) 17-34 Won 2nd stage match (Nojima Sagamihara) 48-17[2] |
Kevin Craft (ROY) | Shinzo Yamada | |
| 2013 | X1 | Central | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | Lost 2nd stage match (Panasonic) 24-55 Won 2nd stage match (Kashima) 56-35[3] |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2014 | X1 | Central | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 0 | Won 2nd stage match (at Asahi Soft Drinks) 37-10[4] Won 2nd stage match (at Lixil) 38-10[5] Won Final stage match (Lixil) 69-54[6] Lost Japan X Bowl XXVIII (at Fujitsu) 10-44 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2015 | X1 | East | 1st | 4 | 3 | 0 | Lost 2nd stage match (at Obic) 26-34[7] Won 2nd stage match (at Asahi Soft Drinks) 37-20 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2016 | X1 | East | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (at LIXIL) 37-16 Lost semi-finals match (at Fujitsu) 26-28 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2017 | X1 | Central | 2nd | 7 | 3 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (at LIXIL) 51-31 Won Semifinals match (at Panasonic) 31-24[8] Lost Japan X Bowl XXXI (at Fujitsu) 23-63 |
Shinzo Yamada | ||
| 2018 | X1 | East | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 0 | Won Quarterfinals match (at Elecom Kobe) 34-23 Won Semifinals match (at Panasonic) 24-17[9] Lost Japan X Bowl XXXII (at Fujitsu) 18-35 |
Kevin Craft | ||
| 2019 | X1 | Super | 5th | 6 | 5 | 0 | Kevin Craft | |||
| 2020 | X1 | Super | 7th | 0 | 3 | 0 | Kevin Craft | |||
| 2021 | X1 | Super | 4th | 3 | 3 | 1 | Lost semifinals match (Panasonic) 31-38 | Kevin Craft | ||
| 2022 | X1 Super | Div. A | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 0 | Lost quarterfinals match (Elecom Kobe) 25-35 | Kevin Craft | ||
| Total | 105 | 66 | 3 | (1997–2022, includes only regular season) | ||||||
| 14 | 13 | 0 | (1997–2022, includes only playoffs) | |||||||
| 119 | 79 | 3 | (1997–2022, includes both regular season and playoffs) | |||||||
Current import players
| Jersey # | Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #34 | James Brooks | DE | 2014–present | North Alabama | 4x All X-League Team member (2014–17) |
| #40 | John Stanton[10] | TE | 2012–present | St. John's (MN) | 5x All X-League Team member (2013–14, 2016–17 & 2021) |
| #7 | Michael R. Taylor Jr. | LB | 2022-present | Florida | All X-League Area Team member (2019) |
| #26 | Jhurell Pressley | RB | 2022-present | New Mexico |
Former Import Players
| Name | Position | Years with the team | Alma Mater | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Smith | WR | 2021 | Auburn | |
| Herbert Gamboa[11] | LB | 2020–21 | Montana | All X1 Super Team member (2020) |
| Kevin Craft | QB | 2012–20 | UCLA | ROY award (2012), 2x All X-League Team member (2012–13) |
| Charles Tuaau | DT | 2017-19 | Texas A&M–Commerce | |
| Rykeem Yates | DT | 2016 | Nevada | All X-League Team member (2016) |
| Demetrius Eaton | DE | 2015 | Northwestern | |
| Tuika Tufaga | DT | 2014 | Hawai'i | |
| Jabari Miller | CB | 2012-2013 | San Jose State | |
| Albert Griffin | S | 2010-2013 | Lindenwood | |
| Rocky Pouta-Alo | FS/RB | 2007-2008 | Indiana State | |
| Ian Sample | WR | 2008 | Hawai'i | |
| Jon Giesel | OG | 2005 | California | All X-League Team member (2005) |
See also
References
- "X-League profile, IBM Big Blue". April 17, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- Marantz, Ken (November 11, 2012). "IBM runs wild over Nojima". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (November 11, 2013). "Craft's aerial barrage lifts IBM to 1st-ever win over shell-shocked Kajima". xleague.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- "IBM overcomes sloppy start to knock off Challengers". xleague.com. November 11, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- Ikezaka, Hiroshi (November 16, 2014). "IBM Big Blue pound Lixil Deer, qualify for X League playoffs". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- Marantz, Ken (December 3, 2014). "Craft throws for 9 TDs as IBM wins in shootout, advances to 1st Japan X Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- Ikezaka, Hiroshi (October 31, 2015). "Obic outplays IBM in second-stage opener". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- "IBM takes down unbeated Panasonic in seesaw semifinal thriller". xleague.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- Marantz, Ken (November 25, 2018). "Flash News: Defending champion Fujitsu, IBM set up rematch in Japan X Bowl". xleague.com. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
- Nagatsuka, Kaz (October 8, 2013). "Stanton finds niche in Japan as tight end, teacher". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
- Malchow, Alex (December 20, 2020). "Herbert Gamboa's football odyssey: From the U of Montana Grizzlies to Japan's IBM Big Blue". americanfootballinternational.com. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
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