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+---- Thread: (S23) - Ultimus Week (/showthread.php?tid=23669)
(S23) - Ultimus Week - Baron1898 - 07-20-2020
Hello and welcome to Ultimus Week for the ISFL Season 23! You will have ten days to complete the Ultimus Week point task, so the deadline will be July 30th, 2020 at 11:59PM EDT.
This is the second year of the new Ultimus Week rules. Please review the following carefully.
Rules:
1) You can earn up to a maximum of 10 TPE through any combination of the available tasks.
2) There are three tiers of point tasks available for completion. The first tier is a written assignment for 10 TPE, the second is a written assignment for 5 TPE each, and the third is a written/graphics assignment for 2.5 TPE each. You can pick and choose tasks from any tier for a maximum of 10 TPE. Tier 3 tasks can be either written or graphics unless otherwise noted.
3) Each option from the first tier has a word count requirement of 800, each option from the second tier has a word count requirement of 400, and each written option from the third tier has a word count requirement of 200. Word counts will be graded using the forum’s built-in word counter. Shooting for 400/800 even is a dicey prospect, and can lead to partial or no credit given.
4) Graphics must be more than text on an image - it is Ultimus week, show Ultimus effort. It is up to the grader’s discretion to give credit, so don’t give us a reason to deny you TPE.
5) We are keeping the podcast option for Tier 1 and 2 written tasks ONLY. Since the word count requirement is double that of previous seasons, a podcast must include 20 minutes of discussion for Tier 1 and 10 minutes of discussion for Tier 2 about the selected topic. If you make a podcast with someone else, it must be 20/10 minutes apiece.
6) As it is too hard and complicated to time the podcast for media money and task credit, a podcast done for Ultimus Week cannot earn media credit. Record another podcast if you want the money. As with regular PT tasks, written/graphics responses cannot also be used for media credit, or the TPE will be voided.
7) You may use a PBE, SHL, and GOMHL PT as credit for a maximum of 1 TIER 3 TASK here.
8) Affiliate PT must be from this week, 7/20 to 7/26, to get credit.
9) Affiliate PT must be the actual task, but not a link for welfare credit.
10) As always, these tasks can be written about either the ISFL or the DSFL.
11) With longer word tasks comes a higher risk of fluffing up your submission in order to meet a longer requirement. Keep in mind that these tasks will be graded closely. Take this opportunity to truly get creative, not try to skate on with minimal effort.
Tier 1: Long Form Tasks (800+ words)
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
1) The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 800 words or more, describe any significant non-playoffs moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered?
2) This week will see the S24 Ultimus and Ultimini races begin in earnest. In 800 words or more, recount any of the previous playoff cycles of either league. How did each team arrive at the playoffs? Were there any dark horse or Cinderella teams that went unexpectedly far, or any presumptive favorites that fell flat? How did the title game play out, and which players made their mark on the field? Tell the story of those playoffs as completely as you can. Do not simply recount your own experience in those playoffs or that of a singular team.
3) For any team, certain players and users have gone above and beyond, shaping the legacy of the franchise. Choose any ISFL or DSFL team - with the exception of the Sarasota Sailfish and Honolulu Hahalua - and create a Mount Rushmore for that team. Who in your mind are the four most noteworthy figures of the team’s history? Why does each one of your included figures deserve that recognition, and how did each of them make their mark?
4) The offseason is a critical reflection point for the league, during which the directions of entire franchises can shift dramatically. Choose any offseason up to and including the S21 Draft, and focus on a singular team. What strategies did this particular team employ to land the players they desired? What were the team needs during the offseason, and what was the overarching plan for the future? Did they lose or land any free agents that impacted roster holes? How have the players that they drafted contributed to the team?
5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
Tier 2: Short Form Tasks (400+ words)
Choose up to TWO for 5 TPE each.
6) The playoffs have finally arrived. Choose one playoff team that is not your own from either league and recount how they got here in 400 words or more. What challenges and hurdles did they face in the regular season? Did they cruise into home field advantage or have to fight off contenders for the wild card? Are they led by MVP players on offense, or is a stifling defense the engine to their success? Don’t be afraid to go deep.
7) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
8) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
9) Pick any position, and determine who in your view is the greatest player to ever suit up at that position. Why do you view them as the GOAT? What achievements, records, accolades, or statistics do they hold? How do they stack up against the other legends in their position, and why does your chosen candidate come out on top?
10) History is not always kind to the losers. Tell the story of a team who you view as an all-time great but who did not win the title game. Why was that team so dominant? What were the major focal points of their offense and defense, and who were the star players? What makes them so special? What was the reason that they ultimately fell short of immortal greatness?
11) Give a thorough examination of a league scandal from any point in time. What made this particular drama so noteworthy? Who were the major participants involved, and what was the offense? What kind of impact did this scandal create on the league, and have any permanent changes come about as a result?
12) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S23 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
Tier 3: Written/Graphics Tasks
Choose up to FOUR for 2.5 TPE each.
13) Create an argument for your own player, or for someone else on your team, as to why they should be nominated for awards. Lay out their stats or compare them to other contenders. Make a convincing case.
14) Create a championship banner for your team, including relevant players and iconography. Graphics only.
15) Choose your favorite non-playoffs game of this season, whether your own team or another. Explain what was so special and why the winner ultimately came out victorious, including key players and moments.
16) Lay out the steps you think your team should take over the offseason to improve. This must be more than just a list over an image. Graphics only.
17) Choose any award from the past 22 offseasons that you think should’ve gone to a different contender. Why was your chosen candidate’s season superior to the actual winner?
18) Create a billboard, magazine cover, or video game cover depicting a superstar of the league. Graphics only.
19) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or anti-Semitic Instagram posts. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t bring up bigotry.
20) Show your player hoisting the championship trophy. Graphics only.
21) Make a comparison between your own team and a playoff team, if your team failed to make the postseason, showing why your squad was better.
22) Imagine that the league’s Pro Bowl included a skills competition similar to the NFL. What sorts of games could you see being implemented? Which players do you think would perform the best in ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, or other games? Which conference would come out on top?
23) Present your argument for the playoffs MVP. Show their stats and impact on the games that they played.
24) The league is prone to change. Reflect on a past change in either the ISFL or DSFL that significantly impacted something - be it a rules change, an expansion or contraction, or even a complete rebranding. What were the effects of this change, and how has it shaken the status quo?
25) Select any player who was drafted in the back half of a DSFL or ISFL draft. Show how that player has outperformed their draft position, or how they will soon do so. You cannot write about your own player.
Remember to have fun with this, and if you have any suggestions for future prompts, feel free to give them to the PT team! PM me with any questions about how this will be graded or what I am looking for with these questions.
(S23) - Ultimus Week - xTri - 07-20-2020
Tier 2 #12: As a S24 draftee, my experience in this league has been nothing but amazing. Coming into this league, Football was a sport that I was not familiar to. I watch a fair amount of sports like Soccer and especially Baseball. I don't really watch football and being a Canadian, don't really have any emotional connection to any of the NFL teams. I do sometimes watch some CFL since some of my uncles are Sasketchewan Roughrider fans. My first sim league experience was joining the PBE after seeing advertisement about it on Reddit. I've been hooked on to sim leagues ever since. After enjoying a couple seasons there, I decided to give ISFL a shot since some of my DVS teammates are there. Being on the same infrastructure as PBE, I was immediately familiar with all of the systems that ISFL has like jcink (ugh) and the TPE system. I really enjoy the transparency that the HO does like their seasonal HO newsletter. It really brings a light on what's in the works and really makes the league very professional. I do wish the PBE does something like this. The recent announcement was very exciting for me. Jcink is gone and I'm definitely excited for Dotts, the trading card company. Coming into the DSFL draft, I was drafted 20th overall which is where I thought I would land. In pre-screening with teams, I said it was my goal to be a max earner but also said that coming from the PBE, I knew I wasn't going to be as active as I should be in the locker room which I think tanked my draft stock. Coming into the Birddog locker room, There was a handful of people I instantly recognized from PBE such as Philliesphan96. The GM, Inverted was one of the most active members in the locker room and really made me enjoy my time as a Birddog. He helped with optimizing my build since I didn't know what to even work on in the first place. We are also going into the playoffs which is definitely exciting for me for my first year. Speaking of my first year, I'd say my player, Taro Raimon, has had a pretty successful year. Taro played the 2nd option wide receiver and had some solid stats getting 42 receptions for 562 yards and 1 touchdown. Taro also averaged for 13.4 per catch which is good for 8th among qualified receiving players. All in all, I'm definitely happy with my experience in this league and excited to see the Birddogs go all the way in the playoffs and the league changes in the future.
Code:
442 wordsTier 3: PBE CW
Tier 3 #19: This scouting report is on the upcoming ISFL draftee Taro Raimon. Drafted in the previous DSFL draft with the 20th overall pick by the Dallas Birddogs, Taro is one of the top wide receivers in the upcoming draft. Coming from Japan to play college football in Notre Dame, DSFL scouts were impressed by his physique and his ability to catch the ball effortlessly. Standing at 6 foot 2 inches, and weighing 195 pounds, many ISFL scouts praises his body and athletic prowess to be potentially the best receiver in the league at his peak. Several scouts rate Taro's hands to be above average but his main ability is his route-running. His agility and his ever improving speed makes him a hard target to keep up and defend. He has the ability to quickly change angles In his first DSFL season, Taro was not the main target for the Dallas quarterback's throws. Playing the second option behind fellow receiver Luca Scabbia and the overall preference to rush for yards, Taro has maximizes his stats on his limited opportunities. Taro has received 42 receptions for 562 yards, 1 touchdown and with an average 13.4 yards per catch. Many fellow teammates and coaches praises his work ethic and TPE earning which enables his future ceiling to be very high, if not the highest WT in the class. Do expect Taro to be the first or second Wide Receiver picked in the S24 ISFL draft.
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243 words(S23) - Ultimus Week - Memento Mori - 07-20-2020
Redeeming my UW Pass please and thank you
(S23) - Ultimus Week - Leafs4ever - 07-20-2020
Task 6:
The Austin Copperheads journey to the playoffs this season was quite an up and down affair. There was some bright spots, but a big dark spot that they almost got sucked in. Luckily for them, they found a way out and a way in to the playoffs. Let's see how they got there.
Austin came into the season loaded on offense with some big name weapons. At quarterback they had Easton Cole, a franchise player and always near the top in quarterback rankings. At the skill positions, they had running back Mako Mendonca and wide receivers Net Gaines and Rod Tidwell. They were easily one of the most deep offensive group in the league so there was high hopes that they would carry them this season. It started out well, winning their opening game and going on to win 4 of their first 6 games, giving them a 4-2 record. The biggest win in that stretch was a Week 4 victory against the Outlaws, a team they would battle for the final playoff spot. After splitting the next 2 games, they went 5-3 into the middle stretch of the season and feeling good. This is where things took that downward route. The Copperheads went on to lose their next 4 games, capped off with an embarrassing 40-3 loss against Honolulu. This dropped them to a disappointing 5-7 record and putting them square in danger of missing the playoffs. The offense was ice cold and they same themselves dropping behind Arizona for the final spot. After splitting the next two games, the Copperheads would meet the Outlaws in a crucial, season-deciding, match-up. Arizona was 7-7 and Austin was 6-8 going into that game. A win for Arizona clinches the final playoff spot, while Austin would officially be eliminated. The game was in Arizona this time and boy what a thriller it was. Arizona held a 5 point lead late into the 4th quarter, but Austin was driving. They drove down the field against the Outlaws defense, on the road, and got to the 2 yard line, where Make Mendonca powered through and scored what turned into the game winning touchdown to give Austin the huge 16-15 victory. With the victory, Austin and Arizona were tied in the standings, but Austin held the tiebreaker as a result of winning the head-to-head matchup. The final week of the season saw Austin and Arizona both winning and putting them at 8-8, but the two huge wins against Arizona gave Austin the tie-beaker and the final playoff spot.
During the season, they were lead by their offense, but didn't put up the numbers that many expected. They finished in the top 3 in yards in the league, but only 7th in points scored. Their defense had a tough time keeping up as well, finishing in the bottom half of the league in every category. Luckily for them their offense showed up in enough games to drag them into the playoffs and a date with the New Orleans Second Line.
(504 words)
Task 8:
We've been waiting for that breakout season in Philadelphia for a couple of seasons now. Filled with talent at every position, it's been a rough go of it. After a dog fight of a season this time around, we finally grabbed a playoff spot, but the skin of our teeth. We were so excited to finally see all the hard work mean something. We put a great fight on the road against the defending champions, the Yeti, but we fell just short of the victory. Next season brings about our biggest chance at becoming the favourites for the Ultimus Trophy.
Next season, I think we've narrowed down where to improve. First things first, we need to improve the offensive line. Once again, quarterback Brock Phoenix was under siege almost every play, having to scramble away from missed blocks and either throwing on the run or getting sacked. The Liberty line gave up the second most sacks in the league, letting Phoenix take 34 hits to the ground. Staying with the offense, the running backs held their own, but there is room for improvement at the wide receiver spots. The Liberty are hoping that their young receivers can develop more speed in their skill set. There was times when you noticed that a lack of foot speed stopped them from getting separation from their coverage. Getting a speedier receiver in there could open up the field for Phoenix and the other receivers.
Looking at the defence, it was outstanding this season. They were top 3 in the league in every category, except one, and that's where the next improvement needs to come. The only hole in the Liberty defense was in the secondary. They were 9th in the league in receiving yards given up and found themselves giving up some big plays down the field too many times. The good thing for Philly is the improvement should come from within as they are still young at the position and the current crew will almost assuredly get better in the off-season.
Finally, the biggest improvement that the team needs right now is in it's quarterback. Phoenix has been underwhelming so far in his career, but it's not lack of trying. It just hasn't come together on the field the way he has wanted. Next season is his final chance to show the Liberty what he's made of. He needs to push the ball down the field more and learn not to check down the ball as much. Too many times on 3rd down Brock would throw the ball 2 yards and making his receiver make up the remaining yards. He needs to be more aggressive and start slinging the ball all around the field and wear out the opposing defense. If Brock can finally take the big step in his career, Philadelphia will be the leading contender for the Ultimus Trophy in Season 24.
(482 words)
(S23) - Ultimus Week - Jiggly_333 - 07-20-2020
3)
There is a single team that I am qualified to write about when it comes to the NSFL. The Chicago Butchers have had a very unfortunate history. They haven’t been around for that long, but they’ve earned a sort of distinction about them that’s very hard to shake when it comes to the culture in the league. It’s interesting how that title of loser has been passed around the league. It started with the Yeti and eventually people were tired of the Yeti, so they switched to Philly. Then, Philly started winning and it switched to the Las Vegas Legion. After a while it just sorta moved back to the Yeti. Now, finally over the past few seasons, it’s on the Chicago Butchers and it doesn’t look like it’ll leave anytime soon. Which is sad because quite a few people put a ton of work into this team. Here are four of them.
1 - Jiggly (me) - This sounds narcissistic, but I want you to think about the Chicago Butchers. Who is the first person that pops into your head? Exactly. I knew about this team being created even before it was announced. I was a QB and needed a team I could play for and Oles told me that he was going to make a Chicago NSFL expansion team. He even asked for help with suggesting a team name, which I gave a name that holds a direct meaning in line with the history of the city. I became the team’s first QB and stayed there my entire active career. I also ended up the GM of the team, twice technically. The first time I stepped down because I knew that I wasn’t emotionally stable enough to handle running the team and the second time I had a massive three day long panic attack and thought I was going to actually die. I gave a lot for this team and I hope that I sacrificed myself for the right GMs to take over. So far, I think that I did.
2 - Oles - As I said, he was the one who got the expansion franchise in the first place. Oles was one of the first GMs and was a main part of the offense early on. Unfortunately, he didn’t end up sticking around for too long and that’s kind of a big reason the team fell apart. The Butchers were designed to be a glass cannon with the intention of winning it all in the first couple of seasons and using that brand recognition to sign good FAs. Unfortunately, the team never even came close and eventually collapsed. I think there are many people who blame Oles, but you can’t talk about the history of the Butchers without mentioning him. Later on, he chose to come back and was even involved in the beginning of the “Soviet Yunyun” incident. He has a massive love for the team and should be recognized for it.
3 - Muford - I don’t know if many people realized it when he was given the current GM job, but he was also a founding GM of the Chicago Butchers. I don’t even remember who his player was or what position they were, but he was there. This was actually the second Chicago team that he was the founding Co-GM of, since he was my original Co-GM with the Chicago Blues before he immediately jumped ship to GM the Sabrecats. Or NOLA. I don’t even remember. I just remember him just completely ditching me while I was still trying to figure out the controls. Anyway, simply due to being involved in some of the most important moments of this franchise’s history, he gets a spot here. He was a founder, he was a player for a long time, and finally he’s now GM again.
4 - This is where it’s a bit confusing for me. I’m not sure if there’s a fourth person worthy of a spot here. There have been plenty of GMs that I can simply name and be over with this, but none of them have any sort of positive impact on the franchise. FlyEaglesFly was sort of the beginning of the end when he handed the team off to me and dipped in free agency. While it was at my request, Toasty still made quite a few horrible trades and eventually ended up rage quitting over what might possibly be the worst draft pick in NSFL history. Then there’s Valor who didn’t even try, he just sort of flopped around like a magikarp. Steelsound tried, but was so completely slammed by public opinion that he just couldn’t handle being GM anymore. In the end, I’m sort of hoping that Bayley will be the last addition to the mountain for turning the team around, but he needs to actually do it first. In terms of players, there’s Torrenson, but he straight up lied to us as a team when he said that if we traded him he’d re-sign with us the next season. So, there goes loyalty points.
Whatever. We only have three slots filled. Maybe someday someone can fill that fourth slot.
(S23) - Ultimus Week - BenDover - 07-20-2020
Task 8. For the San Jose Sabercats, the season result looks bleak, finishing with an ASFC worst record of 5-11, but there is only hope in the locker room, as there is only room for improvement. Starting their rebuild back in S21, the huge S22 class helped many teams to rpopel their rebuilds by picking up tons of active players, but the Sabercats really made the most of their picks. The only exception to this was their first round pick, Chester Sweets, a great person and great earner, but was pulled away due to real life problems, I can only say that I hope he is okay during this pandemic. Besides this pick, the Sabercats went ham on the rest of thew draft, using their second round pick on the GM player, Monterey Jack, the franchise QB to replace retiring QB Dan Wright, and Jack has already shown promise as he is a top 10 earner in the loaded S22 class, then in the next round they pick LB Lawrence Bass, a great LR guy that I know from the Ducks, along with valuable war room member and max earner in the third round, then max earning CB Cadillac Harris in the 4th. Most teams hit on these picks, but San Jose really shined in the late rounds, starting in the 5th with picking up max earning K/P Matthew McDairmid, now KCC co-GM along with being another valuable war room member for SJS. Next was LB George Fisher, who is/was? a PBE GM, and a max earner to pair with Bass. But the 7th round was the best for the San Jose team, picking up 3 max earners while other teams picked up 0, first by taking self-proclaimed steal RB Jamar Lackson, who is the Minnesota co-GM and a top 10 earner in the class picked up at 74OA, the other 2 were more secondary members in max earning Brendan Lanier, and Matt Krause, who are all great late round steals that other team's wished they had picked up. AS these players continue toi develop at the rates they are, SJS should make the playoffs in the next 2 seasons, and with even newer additions of WR Tychondrius Hood and GM pick Water Chestnut III to the end of the defensive Line, there are virtually no holes in the Sabercats offense or defense, and with veteran leader Tyron Brackenridge as the leader of the defense, the Sabercats are primed for nothing but success in the future.
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418 wordsTask 7. In the world of ISFL football, there is only one award that can be won only one time in an ISFL career, that is the Offensive Rookie of the year award, and in a league where this award is dominated by Running Backs, I believe that the most impressive case has to be James Angler of the Sarasota Sailfish. Angler plays as a WR for the Sailfish, despite being a TE, this allows Angler to cause a lot of matchup issues against the smaller and weaker Cornerbacks, and dominate the competition. Compared to the other TE's, Angler had the second most receiving yards, besides last year rookie Jeffrey Phillips, a strong candidate for WROTY according to his eligibility, so Angler could already be in the race for that, in addition to OROTY. Finishing with the 12th most recieving yards in the entire ISFL, which is amazing for a rookie, especially compared to my rookie teammate Tychondrius Hood (Lub you Tylus, I needed an example), who did not even have a comparable season to Angler. The only other people I could see in the race is my own player, Jamar Lackson, who had the 4th most rushing yards in the league, but RBs always produce when given this amount of carries, and as the award is typically dominated by RBs as of late, like S22's Acura Skyline, and S19's Ruff Ruff. Although the TE at WR trend is not looked upon well by many fantasy owners, as most who picked a TE were disappointing by their production, while Phillips and Angler Flourished out wide. The last time a TE won this award was in S7, and I believe that Angler has the footing and stats required to win the award for a Sailfish team that just barely missed the playoffs. As the other main candidate in the OROTY race, I believe that it will be a tight race for the award, but I believe that Angler has done more for the Sailfish than Lackson has done for the Sabercats. By being the #2 option in Sarasota, Angler was able to extend drives for the recently converted QB Dexter Banks II, and give lots of chunk plays for a team that has a RB that "sucks lmap" (Sorry Frost) , and giving the Sailfish offense life and an opportunity to the offense that Lackson could not provide for the Sabercats offense throughout the season. Overall, I believe it will be a tight race, but Angler will pull it out in the end.
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414 words(S23) - Ultimus Week - IsaStarcrossed - 07-20-2020
5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
This story is a combination of multiple of the other tasks, so I figured it'd fit this one best. The story of the Second Line and their road to the S21 Ultimus Championship.
The Ultimus is the ever coveted trophy for the ISFL. The work that goes into getting one is really untold. It takes tons of hours of dedication, a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering, and its own fair share of luck. I've only ever played in one Ultimus game in my career, but I remember the path to get there all too well. The S21 championship went to the New Orleans Second Line. A team who had a shaky history and a long road to hoist a title. To begin this journey, we have to go all the way back to S14.
In S14, the GM of the Second Line stepped down and passed the role over to Juosu. Juosu had a ton of league experience under her belt and GM experience in other leagues, but she was a rookie just beginning her career on Stan Francisco. She was handed over a team that was a skeleton of its former self. The S08-S11 glory days were long behind this team and what Juosu took over was a ghost ship. Most of the team were veterans who were either IA or mostly IA. The few who were marginally active were staring regression in the face. Juosu had a tough job rebuilding the team, but she was more than willing to step up to the task.
She started off with a strong draft in S15 where she picked up the core group of players who would shape this team going forward. Quenton Bode, Johnny Slothface, Forest Gump, Deon Taylor, and Brave Ulysses. This core group of players became the team's war room and two of them would end up serving as coGM of this team in some capacity in the future. First up was Hippo who GMed the team with Juosu from S15 though S17. During that time, they picked up Ben Tu’inukuafe and Jordan Andrews, key members of this Second Line championship squad. They also picked up a few others, but they wouldn't make it as far as S21.
In S18, TomHanks took over as coGM of the Second Line. New Orleans managed to get a couple key picks in this draft. Givussafare Rubbe, David Rector and Bjørn Ironside became three main stays on this squad. Two became pivotal war room members leading up to S21. Givussafare Rubbe became the unquestioned best OL int he league, David Rector ended up being a massive steal and one of the top players in this draft and Ironside was quick to step in and begin helping the team build for the future. As such, S18 was a huge season for the Second Line. By trading a few players they picked up in S17 and S18, this team not only managed to pick up an incredible talent in Blake Faux coming to the team, but they also managed to pick up multiple major draft picks for the S19 draft.
This was the season that changed everything for New Orleans. They managed to pick up high profile free agent Marcella T?riki, the first free agent the team had gotten in this run. What they did in the draft though was magical. Austin McCormick, Jed Podolak, Mack Arianlacher, Mason Blaylock, and Herbert Prohaska all joined the team in this mind blowing draft. This was the off-season that everything changed for the Second Line. This is when the team went from a husk to well oiled machine that was going to march forward and win the championship in S21. The impact was seen immediately as with this new squad of players, New Orleans went 8-5 and made the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Things just kept getting better for this squad though.
They traded out of the S20 draft to grab the last key component to this championship squad. Xavien Adams came in to fill the nickel role on one of the most stacked secondaries the league had ever seen. The team kept marching forward and had another decent showing in S20. They made the ASFC championship for the second season in a row where they lost to the Copperheads. This team was young though. They'd been developing. They kept their heads up and looked to S21. They knew they had a loaded roaster. All they needed to do was take it.
It became clear early in the season that this was a new New Orleans team. They started off at a red hot 9-0 and became the first team to lock in their playoff spot. They quickly became the favorite to win it all as they marched through initially unhindered. Unfortunately things bounced the wrong way at the end and they lost out, ending at 9-4 and giving up the first seed to the Otters.
They had slacked and people were starting to question them as playoffs began. This dominant looking team, one of the best the league had ever seen had faltered and looked almost human. They regained steam in the playoffs though as they handily dismissed the Copperheads in the first round and then went to their third consecutive championship game. They were up against the league titans, the Orange County Otters and they had to do it on the road. They dug deep though and in one of the most exciting games in league history, they punched their ticket to the Ultimus in overtime.
At home in the Ultimus, the Wraiths had no real chance against this juggernaut and the Second Line closed out the playoffs in dominant fashion. They'd finally done it. A long road, a ton of development, countless trades and swaps as they built this roster from basically scratch. The only remaining players from S14 were Stan Francisco and Bona’beri Jones. This team had clawed its way from nothing and was finally champions again. Will they manage to pull it off again? Only time will tell.
(S23) - Ultimus Week - Raven - 07-20-2020
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1) The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 800 words or more, describe any significant non-playoffs moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered?Gather around kids, it is time to tell you all about the curious tale of tight end Carmel Gibson. Those who are just as old and grey as I am will likely remember this tale, but to those who are not or have since forgotten said events, let me walk you through the cheekiness that happened.
The story starts on July the 9th all the way back in 2017. User 'SexualEarwax' recruited from r/CFB, creates their player. A tight end with the name Carmel Gibson. Gibson is poised to enter the Season 2 draft.
As with most rookies who join the league, a common mistake is taking TPE as a whole value at all TPE levels, instead of using the update scale. This happened here and player approver at the time 'incitehysteria' calls out Gibson on having used up 80 TPE, 30 TPE over the 50 TPE you start out with.
A few hours later SexualEarwax responds and says he updated the post with updates.
About 3 hours later their player is approved by non other than our good friend 'Noble'.
Prior to being drafted to the NSFL in the season 2 draft, Gibson claims an activity check and creates a update page. This is important. He creates a page, but does not do any claiming. Instead only posting his player build.
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(MAX: 85) - Strength: 60
(MAX: 80) - Agility: 55
(MAX: 25) - Arm: 1
(MAX: 80) - Intelligence: 60
(MAX: 25) - Throwing Accuracy: 1
(MAX: 60) - Tackling: 30
(MAX: 75) - Speed: 70
(MAX: 85) - Hands: 70
(MAX: 65) - Pass Blocking: 50
(MAX: 65) - Run Blocking: 55
MAX: 100) - Endurance: 65
(MAX: 25) - Kick Power: 1
(MAX: 25) - Kick Accuracy: 1This is the build he posted into the thread. The keen of eye and those who are familiar with a balanced TE's attribute spread can tell that this build is significantly differnt than that of what a 50 TPE build should look like.
Gibson had posted a build which would put him at 160 TPE used. Despite making no claim, user 'Bwestfield' updates Gibson, which ends up leaving Gibson at 160 TPE in the sim.
We skip forward to the season 2 draft. Baltimore has aquired expansion team Philladelphia's 8th round pick (58th overall) and uses it to draft Carmel Gibson.
Gibson ends up being the prime TE for the Hawks as they head into season 2. Coming off a 4-10 season in the prior season they are looking to turn their luck around.
Let's take a look at how Gibson at his illegal 140 TPE did for himself.
Week 1 @ Las Vegas Legion. Final Score: BAL 10 - 16 LVL
Carmel Gibson's stats: 6 receptions, 53 yards, 8.8 AVG, 1 TD, 1 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 2 Orange County Otters. Final Score: BAL 15 -7 OCO
Carmel Gibson's stats: 5 receptions, 23 yards, 4.6 AVG, 0 TD, 1 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 3 @ San Jose Sabercats. Final Score: BAL 23 - 24 SJS
Carmel Gibson's stats: 3 receptions, 32 yards, 10.7 AVG, 0 TD, 2 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 4 @ Philadelphia Liberty. Final Score: BAL 30 - 14 PHI
Carmel Gibson's stats: 6 receptions, 53 yards, 8.8 AVG, 1 TD, 2 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 5 San Jose Sabercats. Final Score: BAL 23 - 20 SJS
Carmel Gibson's stats: 1 receptions, 5 yards, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, 1 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 6 Las Vegas Legion. Final Score: BAL 16 - 13 LVL
Carmel Gibson's stats: 2 receptions, 10 yards, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, 2 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 7 Yellowknife Wraiths. Final Score: BAL 37 - 19 YKW
Carmel Gibson's stats: 3 receptions, 43 yards, 14.3 AVG, 1 TD, 4 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 8 Arizona Outlaws. Final Score: BAL 13 - 10 ARI
Carmel Gibson's stats: 6 receptions, 54 yards, 9.0 AVG, 0 TD , 4 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 9 Colorado Yeti. Final Score: BAL 28 - 9 COL
Carmel Gibson's stats: 6 receptions, 55 yards, 9.2 AVG, 2 TD, 1 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 10 @ Yellowknife Wraiths. Final Score: BAL 17 - 24 YKW
Carmel Gibson's stats: 7 receptions, 68 yards, 9.7 AVG, 0 TD, 1 Pancakes, 0 SA
Week 11 @ Arizona Outlaws. Final Score: BAL 9 - 27 ARI
Carmel Gibson's stats: 7 receptions, 59 yards, 8.4 AVG, 0 TD, 2 Pancakes, 0 SA
Stats throughout 11 weeks:
Carmel Gibson's stats: 52 receptions, 455 yards, 8.8 AVG, 5 TD, 21 Pancakes, 0 SA
After week 11 stuff suddenly got suspicious. User 'Player1' creates a new entry to his 'TE Performances'. In this article he goes over Gibson stats and drops a bit of information that almost goes unnoticed throughout in the mist of the entire article. He makes notice that Carmel Gibson despite never having updated is at 160 TPE.
After this discovery rumors and scandals starting to make their way around the league. User '124715' would end up creating a whole media article dedicated to the discovery.
Highlighting every bit of information that he has dug up about what has happened to Gibson's player so far. Talking about the sketchiness of his approval, the update that happened on his update page and just the overall feeling of why this was not caught sooner.
Now an absolutely crucial fact. As we know nowadays when a user makes an update it will leave behind a small message on the post 'edited by user'. This was not always the case. Back in the day those 'edited by user' messages would not appear on edited posts. Which lead to a whole differnt situation with former mentioned user 'Noble', but thats not a story for today.
This made the argument come up that foul play might have been a part of this. Did the Baltimore Hawks intentionally try and get this player into the sim with 160 TPE? Hoping it would slip through the cracks somehow and end up benefitting them.
The situation that followed was people calling for everyone's head. They wanted the updaters head for letting this slip through, they wanted Noble's head for approving the player. They wanted the Hawk's head for playing this player and they wanted Gibson's head, for it was his head to be had.
The punishment that came forth from this was as following:
Hawks receive no punishment
Gibson was reverted to a 50 TPE build, suspended for the remainder of the season and would not be elidgible for awards and would not be allowed to claim AC's or training.
The punishment was received with overall acceptance, albeit a few people asking for compensation for the teams affected by these events. No further action upon this was taken however and the punishment would stand as it was posted.
Gibson would eventually, be released by the Hawks and they moved on from this event. Until the following scandal (ooh scandalous)
As a hawk at the time I rememebr way more harrasment against the club from this event, but going through the punishment thread and the media piece which summed up the event, I don't see much of this. So probably a misremember on my part.
(1173 words)
(S23) - Ultimus Week - Z-Whiz - 07-20-2020
7) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
I haven’t seen much chatter on this one, but I personally think Danny King should be the DSFL MVP. I’m basing this off the old school mantra of the name of the award, Most “Valuable” Player, key word being valuable. Arguments can be made that he’s not the best player in the league, but that’s not the name of the award. I hate the “best player on the best team” bias that often comes when discussing MVPs. I’m going to do a deep dive into his stats and prove why Danny King should not only be nominated for league MVP, but should also win it. First off, let’s look at the stats, because that’s what everyone will point to. Danny currently sits 3rd in the league in rushing yards at 1138. Theeks leads the league with 1505, and Keppler is a distance 2nd with 1178. Now, simply based on this one metric, Theeks looks like the runaway winner. However, when you take into account carriers, it’s a much different story. Theeks has 100 more carries than King, and Keppler has 45 more carries. King actually leads the league in yards per carry (when considering a minimum of 150 carries) at 5.2, Theeks is 6th at 4.7, and Keppler is 10th. What’s even more impressive is that King is tied for Theeks with the most rushing TDs in the league at 11, again with 100 less carries. Keppler is down at 5th overall with 9 TDs. This is your typical quality vs quantity argument and I believe the league’s Most Valuable Player should be quality over quantity. Now based off these three categories, I believe it’s between Theeks and King, so let’s dig a bit deeper in their comparison. London uses running back by committee, while Tijuana uses one lead back. London’s backup, Jacoby Batista, accrued 206 carries, 942 yards, and 10 TDs. Tijuana’s backup accrued 52 carries, 240 yards, and 1 TD. What can we take from this? Well, if King were to about half of Batista’s carries in a more single back style offense, his numbers would blow Theeks away. We’ll set the bar at 319 carriers since that’s the baseline Theeks provided and it leads the league. What would Danny’s numbers look like? I’m glad you asked. With 319 carries, Danny King would’ve had a video game numbers. His yards would go up nearly 50% putting him well above Theeks at 1658 yards. His TDs would go up to 16 as he was averaging just under a touchdown every 20 carries. When you even out the carries, it’s not even close. Also throw in the fact that King has put the team on his back during their winning streak to reach the playoffs, and not only are his stats the best, but he’s also the most important to his team. In their last three games, King has gone for 345 yards and 5 TDs. He’s been their entire offense. Without him, they lose a couple of lose and likely miss the playoffs. For me, it’s an easy call. #CrownTheKing.
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511 words8) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
It's been a whirlwind of a season for the London Royals. After starting 1-5, they’ve finished strong and have a chance to clinch HFA tonight with a win over Myrtle Beach and a Kansas City lose to Portland. Even finishing .500 after their horrific start is an accomplishment. I think this is a testament to the rookies they added in the S24 draft class. The majority of the draft class has been consistent in updating their players, which would partially explain why the turnaround started to occur. Once the users got significantly better than the bots, things started to turn. The other contributing factor was the additions of some of these S24 rookies to the Royal’s War Room. Fellow rookies, Busch Light, Harrison Andrews, Juan Domine, and myself (Gunner Thorbjornsson) all joined the War Room after some big brain foresight by Sylphreni. We had great teachers and mentors, which allowed us to learn quick and become simming machines. It may be the youthful energy of the quartet, but we’ve put together a hotkey script that allowed us to do well over 10,000 sims per game. The faith showed in us by the senior War Room members may have looked misplaced at the start, but their decision is paying off. The more menial task of simming has allowed the senior members to focus more on the scouting of next season. We all know at this point it will be an r/nfl class, so it’s all hands on deck. I believe this will help shape our future over at the Royals for the better. But what does this future look like? Well, there are going to be some huge blows to the secondary and the passing offense immediately. The main focus should in replacing safeties Greedy Sly and Bob Bob, who both went in the first round of the NSFL draft last year. Let’s not exclude the star CB tandem in Lesean Paris Crooks and Mikel van Perkins. All four starting secondary players could be gone. Maybe with a little luck, one or two stay down. This would give time to groom their replacements so it’s not trial by fire. Undoubtedly, this massive area of strength this year, will be a weakness next year. But it’s quite the opposite for the linebacker and defensive line. In what was a weakness at the start of the season, it will now be a strength next season. Both Busch Light and Juan Domine should be back, the latter being front runner for LBotY. Harrison Andrews will also return with some of his fellow d-lineman. The shouldn’t hurt too much from the loss of Colby Jack as his replacement Charlemagne Cortez was drafted last year and should be capped by the start of next season. However, RB and WR are up in the air. #CrownTheKing, could potentially be gone, but Batista could be back. The Royals have had success with the running back by committee approach, so they’ll look to fill that gap and avoid a massive drop when both King and Batista are gone. London drafted two young studs in WR and they’ll be back at the start of the year, but Royal’s legend Sue Cash Jr will likely head for the bright light. They’ll need to look at filling this position as well. With this being a r/nfl draft class, there should be plenty of opportunities to fill these holes, but it will take a massive effort from the War Room guys and I absolutely look forward to being a part of it.
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589 Words(S23) - Ultimus Week - bigbluex02 - 07-20-2020
PBE CW (TIER 3) +2.5 2.5/10 (IF NOT ALLOWED, I WROTE EXTRA TASK 22 TO REPLACE WITH)
TASK 22 (TIER 3) +2.5
I definitely think it would be super cool if the ISFL and the DSFL created a pro bowl skills challenge! Especially if you took the pro bowl contenders for that specific year, and used them as the participants in the various games! I think the first game that should be incorporated is inflatable joust. Where each team picks their top 3 players that they believe could knock the other team off their podium. This game would be fun to watch, as well as give the players a fun way to beat each other up without hurting the other person so much. The second event should definitely be a knockout or obstacle course of some sort. Just like they do in the actual pro bowl, I think something to get the entire team involved would really be fun to watch and allow the players to bond and create chemistry before the big game. Additionally, adding a relay race and a longest throw competition would really distinguish the speedsters in the league, as well as the Quarterbacks with the biggest cannons for arms. Lastly, there are so many football players that are also good at other sports, so maybe having a three point shootout, dunk contest, or a homerun derby, would be really interesting to watch. It’s always exciting to see a player do something incredible in a sport that is not their primary, so showcasing their other skills could be a big highlight of the pro bowl festivities. For who I think would win, I believe it would be the team with the most Coyotes players or Liberty players because they are the best teams in the ISFL and DSFL (possible bias but it’s okay).
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284 WORDSMy experience with sim leagues, as a whole, has been rather short compared to a lot of other people that I have met. I first started in Pro Baseball Experience (PBE) at the end of May, just to get my feet wet, and to my surprise I became VERY active right off the bat. After I met some really cool people through PBE, and got sucked into the fun and excitement, I decided to ask around for other leagues to join; specifically football leagues. That is how I came across the ISFL, but back in my day, they were just called the NSFL. I wanted a league that was very similar to PBE in a sense of structure, earning TPE, website navigation, etc. and thankfully I was very thrilled to see that so many PBE people have also created in ISFL because of the vast similarities between the two leagues. When I first joined PBE I was very skeptical about keeping up with everyone, and trying to stay on top of a forum based league, but with ISFL, I went full speed into creating an account and creating my player. I was happy that I joined PBE before coming here because it really helped me navigate everything and know where a vast majority of all the threads I needed were. I was also super thankful I met Matty from the Kansas City Hepcats in PBE because he made my transition to the ISFL super easy! He was also very quick on scooping my player up off of waivers in a matter of hours, as well as getting me into the sim so I could play in the game the next day! Honestly, the Coyotes locker room has been a blast! There are so many players, alumni, and other GM's that are active and taking part in our conversations or the bot games we play. It has definitely helped me stay active and I wouldn't want to be on any other team in the DSFL; I also would be thrilled if I get one more season with the Coyotes because of how great the locker room has been! To make matters even better, the start my player has had in the DSFL has been, surprisingly, a lot better than I imagined. At the end of the season I ranked within the top 30 in tackles and forced fumbles, as well as getting a sack, in four games less than most players ranked above me. To make matters even better, I was able to get 9 tackles in the win against the Royal to earn our spot in the Ultimini against the Seawolves; making a deep playoff push has made my beginning experience with the league that much sweeter. I would definitely say I made the right decision in joining this football league because it is filled with lots of fun, great people, and the organization is so smooth.
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487 WORDSTASK 19 (TIER 3) +2.5 10/10
Name: Thomas Rose
Position: LB
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 265
DSFL Team: Kansas City Coyotes
Archetype: Balanced
Bio: Thomas Rose is a big-body linebacker out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended the University of Notre Dame where he was a three year starter and was a team captain his entire residency in Indiana. He put up career records in tackles, forced fumbles, and tackles for loss during his time at Notre Dame and accumulated multiple defensive awards, MVP, and a national championship, during his college career. After have a well accomplished college career, Rose decided to leave college a year early and declare for the ISFL.
Abilities: Coming in at a pre-draft grade at 73 overall, Thomas Rose's pro comparison is either Luke Kuechly or Sean Lee with his balanced approached to his skill set. He has steadily increased his speed and strength throughout his career and it has translated on the field. He may not have elite speed like other linebackers in his class, but he has found ways to use it to his advantage when he needs it most. Rose has still been able to keep up with some of the best Running Backs and Receivers so although his peak speed may not be in the 90's, it should not be overlooked. Where he truly excels is his tackling, an ability that has the highest ceiling out of any other archetypes. With a ceiling in the mid 90's, Rose will be able to take down anyone that challenges him on the field.
Stats: Thomas Rose was a week 5 waiver pickup by the Kansas City Coyotes after getting himself noticed after a strong workout with them. He was immediately plugged into their starting depth chart and has been nothing short of great in his shortened season. In only ten games this season, Rose is ranked within the top 30 in total tackles with 64, as well as top thirty in forced fumbles with 1, while accumulating a couple tackles for loss and pass deflections. Having played the same amount as those ranked above him, Rose had the potential to rank within the top 20, and possibly make a case for Rookie of the Year. He was a crucial part of the Coyotes conference championship where he racked up 9 tackles in route to advancing to the Ultimini titles game.
Analysis: After having a solid regular season, high locker room activity, and solid upgrades ever week, I believe that Thomas Rose could possibly go in the early rounds of the draft and truly fill a void on multiple ISFL teams. He is an exciting prospect to watch and I think his enthusiasm and activity can translate to success on the field and hopefully win him a title or two in his career.
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