+- 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: *Slice of Life: Hank Mardukas Interview (/showthread.php?tid=44649)
*Slice of Life: Hank Mardukas Interview - Chicken Lips - 04-04-2023
I would like to redeem this article for my first media piece 2x payout, it is over 1k words (barely). Please disregard any timeline glitches. Hard to predict what music looks like in 2055.
This week we met up with DSFL Prospect Hank Mardukas, who recently declared for the draft. Hank played tight end at Georgia Tech for four years and has his sights set on the ISFL. A stat sheet can only tell you so much, we wanted to get insight on what makes Hank tick. We reached out to him and were able to get an exclusive interview. Instead of wasting the opportunity on getting generic newspeak about his backstory we wanted to really get in his head, so we talked music.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interviewer(I): Good afternoon Hank, thanks for taking us behind the scenes here. We know you are in the processing of finishing up your preseason training and are gearing up for the DSFL draft on April 13.
Hank(H): No problem, happy to have you guys out here in Yeehaw Junction, Florida. I came back home to continue my conditioning, making sure I was in tip top shape for the Prospect Bowl games coming up.
I: From the looks of it you’ve bulked up since your season at GT wrapped up, glad to see it’s going well. What we really came here to find out today, is “What is Hank Mardukas listening too?”. So on that note, Hank, what’re you listening to? Do you have a certain playlist you listen to when you’re doing cardio or trying to push out the extra set?
H: That’s a great question. First off music is just as much a passion of mine as football. If I wasn’t working at a career in the ISFL/DSFL I would be a suit working in the music industry. I actually do have my own playlist I listen too. Whenever I listen to the curated ones, I end up getting too distracted. For me the music I want to listen to when I’m training needs to have a good beat, needs to be catchy or have a fluid melody. Anything too lyrical or choppy won’t work.
I: So is it mostly electronic or high bpm music you’re listening too?
H: Actually no, I wouldn’t say I subscribe to any certain genre, if I like the song it goes in the playlist for the most part. I have some electronic music in there, but also rock, rap and even some country. Just a mashup of everything really.
I: So you don’t have a favorite genre, but surely you have a favorite song of all time?
H: Hard to say, honestly. I usually will fixate on some new song I find, listen to it for a week constantly and then forget about it. But if I had to choose an absolute favorite song of all time it would probably be Toxic by Britney Spears. My older sister used to play it all the time when I was a kid, so there is just a lot of nostalgia attached to it.
I: It’s Britney Bitch. There really aren’t any limits are there? Is there any music you flat out won’t listen too?
H: I’ll give any song a chance. One of my favorite ways to pass time is just go down music rabbit holes, trying to find new music. I’ll be honest theirs is a lot of garbage out there but there is also a lot of great undiscovered music.
I: I’ve always been a “No County” kind of guy, but I can see your point. Are you big in to underground music? Could you tell us what the most recent song you added to your list is?
H: Let’s see, I know I just added a couple last week. [Hank scrolls through his phone] Looks like the most recent song I added was Bad For Me by Skrillex, Chief Keef and Corbin, not underground by any means, but it feels like it will be a great summer song.
I: Skrillex AND Chief Keef, what a combo, wouldn’t have expected that. Could we give it a listen?
[Hank plays the song over the speakers of his Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra™]
I: Yeah, smooth and catchy, I can see how that fits what you described earlier. Outside of exercising do you listen to music often?
H: I pretty much always have something going on in the background, whether music or some TV show rerun. I can tell you lately I’ve been listening to that new 100 Gecs album a ton, I just can’t get enough of it. I also recently went down a 2000s pop punk spiral, that was pretty great.
I: Well Hank it really seems like when it comes to music you are all over the place which is great. Would you mind if we shared a playlist with our readers of some of the music you’ve had on repeat?
H: I’d be happy too.
I: Hank I want to thank you for sharing your time and music with us today, it has truly been a pleasure. Is there anything you’d like to say about your upcoming Prospect Bowl games and DSFL Draft?
H: The pleasure has been mine. I want to say to all DSFL scouts and GMS, keep your eye on me over the next few weeks. I am planning on giving it my all and proving that I deserve a spot in this league. I’ve spent many years of my life dedicated to football and I’m not done yet.
I: Inspiring. Good luck Hank, I have no doubt you will find a place in the league.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The day after the interview Hank sent over a Spotify playlist (we’ve shared the link below). We aren’t sure if Hank was going out of his way to choose a variety of music or he just listens to some weird shit has an eclectic taste. It was definitely a little more out there than what he mentioned in the interview. Either way the crew and I had a great visit with him in Florida and we have a lot of faith in his future career in the ISFL/DSFL. We look forward to doing more interviews with Hank and potentially other rookies as they embark on their professional journey.
Find Hank’s hand-picked playlist here.