+- 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: *Bertie Mannering-Phipps Grants Rare Interview to Arizona Sun-Times (/showthread.php?tid=49643)
*Bertie Mannering-Phipps Grants Rare Interview to Arizona Sun-Times - bernardhibou - 02-13-2024
From yesterday's edition of the Arizona Sun-Times: Eccentric RB Mannering-Phipps Lands on the Wrong Side of the Tracks
This past offseason saw a few changes to the lineup in Arizona, as the team works its way back up to the top echelons of the ISFL. While the team made some significant upgrades on the defensive line, with Iman Outlaw and C.G Breezy at LB and CB respectively, one of the more intriguing choices by GM Lemonoppy was the decision to sign RB Bertie Mannering-Phipps in free agency, following a somewhat tumultuous time in the Baltimore Hawks organization. While his offensive chops are not in question - he was named to the all-rookie team at RB last season in one of the closest votes in awards history - rumours have started to swirl about his motivations, and whether he could be a problem player on a team known for being one of the most tight-knit groups in the league. The Arizona Sun-Times secured exclusive access to Bertie during a recent charity golf event at the Arizona Country Club, to part the veil of secrecy over this enigmatic player:
AZST (Chad Liddle): Bertie, thanks for making the time to speak with us. Your journey to the ISFL has got to be one of the most unusual ones out there - not many players can say they put themselves through college by selling the family silver. How do you think your privilege has affected the way your teammates and the fans look at you?
BMP: <takes a long drag from a cuban cigar> That's a good question, Chad. I'll be straight up with you - two or three years ago, I would have said 'I don't care'. I was playing for myself and against my dad and his way of life, everything and everyone else was secondary. I have no doubt in my mind that people - everyone from teammates to fans - thought I was some kind of stand-offish twit, and I definitely didn't do myself any favours when I joined the big leagues. Some of the things I did were downright cringeworthy - forced cocktail socials in the 'clubhouse', calling everyone 'm'boy' regardless of status, criticizing how teammates position their cutlery at the dining table...the list goes on. But I've done a lot of work on myself, you know? I like to think I gel a lot better with people now, and it really translates into better play, you know? I hope that the fans (it's honestly hard to believe that I've cultivated a following of any kind) can see that too.
AZST: What changed?
BMP: I'm already cringing at myself, but I can definitely tell you when and how I decided to change the way I looked at things - it was shortly after joining Bondi Beach in the DSFL. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but one extremely long private jet charter later, I was on the other side of the world with a bunch of guys from, shall we say, far more humble backgrounds. My first instinct was to keep calm and carry on, but every practice, every game, every team event was incredibly awkward - people didn't want to have anything to do with me. I probably thought I was being funny, a modern day Oscar Wilde visiting the colonies or somesuch. But it left me very isolated, and my play definitely suffered as a result. I guess that team staff didn't respond well to being treated like butlers and cleaning ladies either. But finally, our GM Aeonsjenni took me aside and gave me the birds and bees speech. Oh don't give me that look, I mean about how to be a better player! I won't divulge exactly what was said, but that meeting helped me realize not only what I had to do to be successful as a player in the league, but also how to grow as a person. I started to smarten up a lot after that. Credit to my teammates too for sticking with me, since it wasn't exactly an overnight change.
AZST: Sounds like you had a really supportive environment on BBB. The team wasn't exactly known for its great success back then, but you managed to garner a lot of attention. How difficult was it to motivate yourself on a - let's face it - below average team?
BMP: I think at first it was very difficult, as I was making it hard on myself from that interpersonal angle. But after speaking with Aeonsjenni and the coaching staff, I threw myself into training. I gave up a lot of the luxuries I took as standard - high tea, afternoon clay pigeon shooting, fancy dress parties - and went through some pretty gruelling exercise regimes so I could compete with the big boys in the league. But thankfully, I started to see results in my own play pretty quickly. Even though we suffered more than our fair share of devastating losses as a team, I was setting personal bests almost every week, and I found this to be incredibly motivating. I've tried to keep that mentality going forwards, although I'm happy to say that I've been part of some pretty good teams since coming up to the ISFL.
AZST: Yes, tell us about your time in Baltimore - how was the adjustment coming off multiple DSFL award wins?
BMP: At first, it was pretty much business as usual, since I didn't get called up for two seasons after I was selected. I did my best to hone my skills, but nothing prepared me for the trenches of the ISFL. I went from routinely racking up 60 yard rushes to being completely flattened at every turn. I was also splitting time with Anakin Skywalker, who was adapting a lot faster to this new level. Not only that, the Hawks also had giant targets on their backs as Ultimus champs, with every team excited to benchmark themselves against the best. At the end of the season, I had less than half the yards of my award-winning DSFL season, and almost no TDs in comparison, but my average yards per attempt - when I got them - was pretty good, enough to just pip Anakin in rookie awards voting. I still can't believe that happened!
AZST: Results are one thing, but tell us a little about the team dynamics
BMP: <takes a colossal drag from the cigar> It was hard, I'm not going to lie. While I think I got on with my teammates, I had no real connection beyond a basic level of respect for their talents. I was kind of down on myself due to my performance, and probably focused too much on improving my fundamentals at the cost of team unity. Luckily for me, the team was good - even with my reduced output, we never really worried about making the playoffs, and even though we got bounced from the playoffs surprisingly early, I always had this sense that we could win, which definitely helped my confidence.
AZST: I think a lot of people were surprised when you didn't re-up with the team and left in free agency. Can you tell us a little bit about your decision and any contributing factors?
BMP: <blankly stares at Chad for a few seconds> I'm not in the habit of airing dirty laundry, I don't think it leaves a very good taste in the mouth. But at the same time, I realize people probably have a lot of questions. I've done too much work on myself to let rumours paint me in a negative light. I think the biggest factor was my contract. Due to an administrative oversight, I received a blanket exemption from league tampering rules. While this was intended to be just a bit of fun so that I could appear on various podcasts without accidentally putting my foot in my mouth, this meant that I got a lot of attention from teams even in the early part of my first season on the big club. I think every player dreams of being courted in FA, even if they won't admit it. So I think that really cemented the idea of at least testing the waters following the expiration of my entry level deal.
AZST: Interesting. Some have suggested that there was some level of disagreement between you and management, can you confirm or deny this?
BMP: <pauses briefly before answering> All I'll say on this point is that I think we had different approaches when it came to negotiating strategy. It's always hard when both sides are trying to look out for their best interests. But maturity - both personal and organizational - comes from being able to take a step back from a fraught discussion, work to understand each side's position, and ultimately reach a compromise. I think we were successful in aligning our goals for the season, but I didn't want to be a distraction for the team, and especially my fellow teammates, once the season was done. So I made the decision to go into FA.
AZST: That's a very diplomatic answer. But hey, it led to you joining the Outlaws, so who are we to complain? How was it joining a new organization in the offseason?
BMP: It's honestly been surprisingly smooth. Although this arid climate takes some getting used to, (how on earth they can maintain golf courses as green as this, I'll never understand) I'm impressed at the professionalism on display from head office down. GM Lemonoppy was very straight up with me - I'm here to learn from the best, and when I'm ready, step up to lead the rushing offence. Their analytics team organized a sit down with me very early on, and we've been working to tune my game up to match the realities of the league. I'm doing my best to earn more and more opportunities, and so far I've been rewarded with a bounty of TDs. I've been so opportunistic, I've started to be called the 'TD vulture' by my team mates! I think we players are gelling very well, especially as the season goes on, and it shows in our record.
AZST: Glad to hear, and we hope you can keep it up. Do you think we've seen the last of Bertie, croquet champion?
BMP: <laughs> Every so often, I'll be sure to do something cringe, and I know I'll have you guys there to totally not make a big deal out of it, and paper over my imperfections...right?
AZST: <smirks> Oh yeah, of course, no doubt about that one. Bertie, thanks for your time, and we'll be sure to check in with you come playoff time!
- Chad Liddle, reporting from the Arizona Country Club