On a hotter-than-hell July evening in 1995, four of the great minds in Era High School history sat in an apartment on Commerce Street in Gainesville, Texas. The Era Four needed something to do during the fall other than watch football for 12 hours on Sundays and ignore college schoolwork. Out of this inspiration, the Four Horsemen Fantasy Football League was born.

The league's inaugural season was dominated by the Fightin' Roos of Austin College (owned by Stacey Johnson). The Roos demolished all comers and rolled to a 15-0-1 record led by league MVP Emmitt Smith (you remember when he was good, right?) Finishing second were the Waco Corporate Raiders (affectionately known as the Fighting Dorks). Jim Morris' squad finished the season at 10-5. Also making the playoffs were the Mooches, owned by Corey Jackson, and the league's most storied franchise, the Austin River Bats. The Roos also set a league scoring record for points per game, averaging over 105 per contest.

The 1996 season saw the return of six of the league's 8 teams, and the addition of two expansion teams, expanding to ten teams. The league also split into two divisions. The league's first international squad, the Disgruntled Postal Workers from Thackerville, Oklahoma was added, but they did not have a stellar season. The Horsemen Bowl in 1996 was won by the mighty Austin River Bats, who demolished the Fightin' Roos in the most lopsided win in playoff history. In an epic finale, league MVP Brett Favre led the Bats past the league's highest scoring team, the Denton Lady Pioneers. The Roos and the Corporate Raiders both won their division, and the league's first wildcard teams were KC's Sunshine Band and Goldschlager (soon to become El Chupacabra) who rebounded from the worst season in league history.

1997 was a season of change. Seven teams returned from the 1996 campaign, including five original members. Corey Jackson's squad, the Battlin' Cherubs, returned to the league and the imaginatively named Team Chris and the Fighting Bass also joined. 1997 saw the Bats lose six straight games, led by the Dopeman Bam Morris and Ms. Terry Glenn. The Horsemen Bowl was won by the Corporate Raiders, over Team Chris, who struggled into the playoffs with a 5-7-1 record. The Raiders and Roos once again repeated as division winners. The Raiders won their first league title, led by Rookie of the year Warrick Dunn. Terrell Davis of the Fighting Bass became the first player in league history to win the MVP award and not play for the league champions.

You might recognize this picture. That's because Terrell Davis won his second straight MVP award leading the damn Fighting Bass to the title. You might think, "Gee, what's so bad about that. Mark's a good guy." Trust me, you don't have to live with someone that won your own league. It's like somebody who doesn't have a PlayStation at home coming over to your house and whipping your ass at your own games. The Bass beat the Fightin' Roos, the league's most successful franchise (copyright) in the finals quite handily. If anybody was scoring along at home, the Bats had four of the top ten players in fantasy football and lost in the second round. Also losing in the second round was the Lady Pioneers, making the playoffs for the second straight season.

Peyton Manning became the second MVP for the Fightin' Roos. He also became the second MVP (along with Terrell Davis in 1996) to play for a team that didn't win the Horsemen Bowl. That prize was taken by the Sunshine Band, who had the highest score and largest victory margin in the history of the big game. Their quest for the title was aided by a late season fleecing of the Fighting Bass that netted them Jimmy Smith. The Lady Pioneers were the recipients of their whippin' in the final. Advancing to the semifinals were the Fightin' Roos and the River Bats. On a league stability note, eight of the ten teams from 1998 returned for the 1999 season, with the Goodfellas and the Doughboys. The Goodfellas picked up a win in week 13 to avoid becoming the first winless team in league history, finishing at 1-11-1.

The Sunshine Band became the first team to repeat as league champion, and did it the hard way, by finishing in second place in the division and then winning three straight playoff games. The Corporate Raiders were the defeated team in the finals this year. Marshall Faulk became the second straight MVP from a team that didn't win the league championship. All 10 teams returned from the 1999 season, and the Goodfellas got to draft their own team for the first time. They improved from 1-11-1 to 6-7 and made the playoffs. El Chupacabra picked up the division title in the Flair division, and the Corporate Raiders won the Anderson. The River bats, Goodfellas and Fightin' Roos also made the playoffs. The Lady Pioneers finished with the league's worst record for the first time, going 3-10.

Marshall Faulk followed the path of Terrell Davis by becoming the second two-time league MVP. He was also the Rookie of the Year in 1995, leaving Faulk as the league's most decorated player. The Sunshine Band won the league title for an unbelievable third time in a row. They once again finished at 7-6 and won three straight games to win the championship. The Fightin' Roos returned to the title game for the first time in a long while, but took the loss. The Goodfellas made the playoffs for the second straight year. Also in the playoffs were the Battlin' Wookies (who won their first division title) and Sweet Chin Music. The Corporate Raiders have the dubious distinction of going from title game competitor to worst record in the league over the course of a single season. Their two wins are more than only two teams in league history.