The Albuquerque Roadrunners: A Tale of Dysfunction, Mismanagement, and Utter Incompetence

By Dale Walters

In the ever-competitive world of fantasy football, some franchises shine as beacons of strategic brilliance, while others serve as cautionary tales of ineptitude. Among the latter, the Albuquerque Roadrunners stand out like a sore thumb. The Roadrunners, under the ownership of Joshua T. Peter, have become synonymous with dysfunction, mismanagement, and a sheer lack of competence. Their misadventures in fantasy football have left fans and critics scratching their heads, pondering the question: How can a franchise consistently get it so wrong?

The Roadrunners’ story began in 2018 when they entered the North American Football Conference (NAFC) as the Los Alamos Atomic Thunder. In their inaugural season, they shocked the league by going 10-3, capturing the Commissioner’s Trophy, and even making it to Yuma Bowl X, where they narrowly fell to the Seattle Leathernecks. It was a remarkable debut season that promised great things to come.

However, little did anyone know that this promising start would be the exception, not the rule, for the Roadrunners. Since that impressive run to the league title game, the franchise has experienced a series of relocations and a slew of disappointments. The first relocation saw them trick the city of Bangor, Maine, into believing they were getting a team named the “Jacks.” Instead, the Thunder franchise opted for Albuquerque, where they rebranded themselves as the Roadrunners.

This relocation, which has come to be known as the “Bangor Curse,” seemed to set the tone for the Roadrunners’ future. The curse has cast a long shadow over the franchise, causing them to miss the playoffs in dramatic and agonizing fashion in 2020, 2021, and they seem destined to miss it once again in 2023. They did manage to sneak into the playoffs in 2022, only to be swiftly eliminated by the Burlington Boss Hogs.

While some have attributed the Roadrunners’ lack of success to the Bangor Curse, others have pointed fingers at the ownership, particularly the franchise’s owner, Joshua T. Peter. Peter holds the dubious distinction of being the only owner to have ever been fined for “fantasy incompetence.” One cannot forget the infamous Qadree Ollison incident, which only added to the growing list of blunders associated with this franchise.

But let’s fast forward to more recent history. In 2021, the Roadrunners held the 4th overall pick in the NAFC Draft. The team’s intention was to draft Titans running back Derrick Henry with that selection. However, the brain trust of the franchise failed to realize that they needed to be signed in to draft a player. As a result, the franchise autodrafted a cardinal sin in fantasy football—a player who was injured, Saquon Barkley. This draft day blunder set the Roadrunners up for yet another disappointing season in 2021, finishing with a 5-9 record, tied for the second-worst in the league.

With the hope of turning the franchise’s fortunes around, the Roadrunners made a significant move in 2022 by hiring former California Rebels Head Coach Ryan Nevers, who had served as a scout for the Rebels since 2013. Nevers was appointed as the team’s general manager, and he embarked on his first draft with the Roadrunners. In the draft, he selected players like Cooper Kupp, Joe Burrow, Breece Hall, and Javonte Williams. It appeared that the franchise was finally on the right track.

However, the Bangor Curse struck quickly and decisively in 2022 when both Hall and Williams suffered identical torn ACLs. Faced with the loss of their starting running backs, Nevers and Peter made a shocking move by trading both Kupp and Burrow to the Rebels in exchange for a 2023 1st round pick. Despite the appearance of tanking and a focus on the future in 2023, the Roadrunners managed to defy expectations, finishing with an 8-6 record, their best since 2019.

The Roadrunners had a chance to make an impact in the playoffs in 2022. However, incompetence reared its ugly head once again when Josh Peter forgot to set his lineup as the playoffs began, starting an injured and ruled-out Jarvis Landry in the flex position. The Roadrunners lost 91.3-107.9, with enough points on their bench to secure a win.

Now, we arrive at 2023, a year that appeared to favor the Roadrunners. The franchise held the 10th and 11th overall picks in the 1st round, as well as the 14th overall pick in the 2nd round. With the potential for an impressive draft, the Roadrunners could have transformed into a force to be reckoned with. However, despite past blunders, the franchise seemed to have learned nothing from their mistakes. In a repeat of 2021, the team drafted Saquon Barkley, who would inevitably get injured, and an unproven rookie running back in Bijan Robinson with their first two picks. In hindsight, the team’s best pick was wide receiver Stefon Diggs at the 11th overall position.

With what appeared to be a stacked roster, the Roadrunners began their 2023 campaign with high hopes. They kicked off the season against the El Paso Red Devils, a franchise equally plagued by dysfunction. In a surprising turn of events, the Devils secured their only win of the season against the Roadrunners, who began the season 0-4.

Despite their winless start, the Roadrunners believed they could silence tanking rumors. When news broke that the California Rebels had mentioned tanking in Week 5 to help Coach Matthew Nevers achieve his 100th win by defeating the Seattle Leathernecks, the Roadrunners decided to engage in some trash talk. However, the Rebels quickly retorted, reminding Albuquerque to set a competent lineup before challenging a team that was undefeated at the time. The Roadrunners took the advice to heart, showing up in Week 5 to dominate the Atlantic City Aces in a blowout victory. They continued their winning streak the following week, defeating USMC to improve their record to 2-4.

At this point, the Roadrunners were in a favorable position, despite their losing record. They possessed a roster with the potential to compete and win. However, the winning streak came to a halt in Week 7 against the Moscow Black Bears, and that was all it took for Joshua Peter to throw in the towel, surrendering halfway through the season.

On October 25, the Roadrunners began what the league has collectively labeled an obvious tank. It started with the trade of Stefon Diggs to Montana for a 2024 3rd-round pick. The very next day, they decimated their roster, trading away Breece Hall for an 8th-round pick, Saquon Barkley for a 3rd-round pick, and Bijan Robinson for a 5th-round pick. The Roadrunners seem to be stockpiling draft picks for 2024, but this strategy raises several questions.

Do the Roadrunners genuinely believe that having three third-round picks, two fifth-rounders, and two eighth-round picks will significantly improve their position next year, especially when they had two first-round picks in the previous year’s draft? Having draft picks is one thing; knowing how to use them effectively is another. Albuquerque has consistently demonstrated that they lack the expertise to make the most of their draft picks.

I had high hopes for Ryan Nevers, given the success his younger brother Matthew has achieved in Los Angeles with the Rebels. However, it seems that the apple falls far, far from the tree in the Nevers household. Perhaps the blame doesn’t solely rest with Nevers; maybe it is a combination of his leadership and Josh Peter’s decisions, or perhaps it all comes back to the infamous Bangor Curse.

One thing is certain—the Albuquerque Roadrunners have consistently mismanaged their franchise, sending it into a perpetual cycle of rebuilds. The franchise’s record since 2019, a meager 26-37, paints a stark picture of their struggles. If I were a Roadrunners fan, I would be questioning my allegiance to the franchise and might even suggest that they pack up and leave town. Losing a franchise hurts, but it is evident that football isn’t working in Albuquerque.

Just because Josh Peter is a Cleveland Browns fan doesn’t mean he has to replicate their inconsistency, dysfunction, and utter incompetence. There is always room for improvement, and it’s high time the Roadrunners prioritized their fans and their own reputation as a fantasy football franchise.

Questionable Moves by the Roadrunners Since Inception:

• 2019: Trading for QB Drew Brees when they had QB Patrick Mahomes. Then not starting Brees in the fantasy playoffs when he outscores Mahomes.
• 2020: Relocating to Bangor, Maine, naming the team as the “Jacks,” then immediately welching, moving the team to Albuquerque
• 2020: Obvious Tanking: The Roadrunners attempted to tank for a better draft position by adding and trying to start Qadree Ollison, a player owned in less than 1% of all leagues. (Josh as Commissioner picks draft order through lottery; lottery gives Roadrunners 4th pick.)
• 2021: Draft Day Blunder: Autodrafting Injured Barkley over reigning rushing champ Derrick Henry because Josh forgot to sign in.
• 2022: Drafting a championship-worthy roster, only to trade it away for a brighter future.
• 2022: Somehow making the playoffs, having a chance to win, but starting an injured and ruled-out Jarvis Landry.
• 2023: Having 2 first-round picks, starting 0-4, and ultimately resorting to a tanking strategy.