+- International Simulation Football League (https://forums.sim-football.com)
+-- Forum: Community (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Media (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=37)
+---- Forum: Graded Articles (https://forums.sim-football.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: *Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything (/showthread.php?tid=3808)
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - kckolbe - 08-29-2017
"All right. Let's knock this shit out before I go on vacation."
Why do you like the NSFL and what keeps you so involved?
((IC)) "I like that the NSFL tends to have smaller rosters, which means that impact players have to do more than master one aspect of one position. Hell, in the NFL, Garden would be a top receiver, but that's probably it. In the NSFL, he's a kick and punt returner, a gunner, AND spent a lot of snaps at cornerback in ADDITION to being a top tier receiver. In my case, I was a starting linebacker all season, a blocker for kick and punt returns, and tackler on punts and kickoffs, and that's as a rookie. And I don't see my playing time going down, either."
((OOC)) I love the combination of writing, roleplaying, and football strategy. There are flaws everywhere, but this has the advantage of being a real, living league.
How do you think the Wraiths D will change in the upcoming season?
((IC)) "Me, Dermot, Bork, Kane...easily the best players on the defense, well, for most of the year...we're all rookies, man. I learned a fucking LOT this season. There's no way the four of us don't improve, especially now that we have Hackett both as a beast on the field and a teacher. Hell, look at our game against the Hawks. Even though they held our offense to 7 points, we only gave up 16. I think that's pretty good fucking defense."
((OOC)) A lot of the above. For one, my starting build was ALL over the place. I'd really wanted and expected to play at S my rookie year. After getting drafted by the Wraiths, I started dumping points into strength and tackling, but I was still a weird hybrid type who was too far behind in TPE to get away with it. Next year, having caught up a LOT, and having learned a lot about the sim, I expect Cushing will be in contention as most improved player. In addition, this will be another draft focusing on improving our defense, this time focusing on the D line, which is a bit healthier than the Season Two D line prospects.
Will rumors of your supposed dietary changes affect your play next season?
((IC)) "There's a big difference between being 240 pounds and hanging out in the flats and being 240 pounds running up and down the field. I don't know if I need to lose weight or do some sprint drills, but my staying power has gotta improve. You could see it against the Hawks. I did great against Christmas the first two possessions, giving up 0 catches, but after two straight three and outs I was sucking wind, and I think Scrub could tell. In the second half I paced myself a lot better, but the damage was already done."
((OOC)) That was an interesting game, huh? What I said was true. I allowed zero catches in the first two drives and zero in the entire second half when the Wraiths offense was spending more time on the field. Had my endurance been higher, I could have gotten away with it. I do still want to play various back seven roles next season, so I am going to have to up endurance.
You've been known to establish yourself as a locker room leader. Following a 2 point loss to the Hawks, how is team morale and what steps are you taking to help prepare you and your teammates mentally for next season?
((IC))"Morale is kinda better than expected. It was such a close loss. After getting beat pretty hard the last time we went to Baltimore, we played the fuck out of them this time. It really could have gone either way. And with Hackett and Cook next year, and the best draft situation in the conference, I think we all know home field is ours in Season Three. Really, we're putting it behind us and all looking at tape of the rookie prospects."
((OOC)) It was such a weird sim that we couldn't even be that pissed. I mean, how do you react to Josh Garden getting zero yards? To the entire Wraiths offense getting under 200? I think had our offense been better and our defense been worse, we'd all be more pissed. But this was such a weird result that we were too surprised by it to really be mad. I was mad that I gave up so many yards on my cornerback debut, but after really looking at it I do think it was a huge success in terms of knowing what to do for next season. I think if we all had one more update and rematched, Christmas would be a lot less effective. Realizing that made it easier for me.
How did you feel about your performance at CB last night?
((IC)) "He beat me and I can't take anything away from that, but I believe I could lock him down if we met again. Next season, I intend to make that happen."
((OOC)) Yeah, pretty much that.
Is there a LB in the league you're seek to emulate?
((IC)) "Not really. No LB has really taken coverage as far as I have. Hackett and Ernston really pioneered the way by being in between a run-stopping safety and a traditional linebacker, but I am the first hybrid cornerback/linebacker."
((OOC)) Throughout the season I held RBs to well under the league average in the passing game. Yeah, my tackling sucked, which was more important, but I really did try something very different this season, and while overall it was a failure, I think what I learned will make me one of the top LBs in the future.
If there was one moment from this season you could change, what would it be and why?
((IC)) "Man, I dunno. There were so many mistakes. I tried to do too much and missed a lot of assignments. Not only did Hackett help shore up the D, but he kept me in line and took a lot of pressure off of me."
((OOC)) I wish I'd been clearer about the strategy I wanted on the road against the Liberty. There was a misunderstanding that contributed to our loss and to me considering demanding a trade. Not a good time.
Do you sleep with socks or no socks?
((IC)) "Socks. It's fucking cold here."
GRADED
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - PoloPro - 08-29-2017
Why do you like the NSFL and what keeps you so involved?
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - Bzerkap - 08-29-2017
How do you think the Wraiths D will change in the upcoming season?
Will rumors of your supposed dietary changes affect your play next season?
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - SwagSloth - 08-29-2017
You've been known to establish yourself as a locker room leader. Following a 2 point loss to the Hawks, how is team morale and what steps are you taking to help prepare you and your teammates mentally for next season?
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - Deusolis - 08-29-2017
How did you feel about your performance at CB last night?
Is there a LB in the league you're seek to emulate?
If there was one moment from this season you could change, what would it be and why?
Do you sleep with socks or no socks?
*Kevin Cushing - Ask Anything - kckolbe - 08-29-2017
Caught up to here.