08-08-2022, 09:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-11-2022, 11:18 AM by dude_man. Edited 1 time in total.)
Disclaimer: Read part 1 for more info
(Day after Week 2 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! Today’s promising player has been on the show many a time. It is Dip Dhillon, a WR out of Arizona State University in America who was selected with the 17th overall pick by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers, again again! Dip was here before the season started. How are you doing today Dip? How are you adjusting to leave in the land down under?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well thanks for asking. Its been a minute since I’ve been in this studio. Bondi Beach is lit but there are some dodgy places out in Australia I’ll tell you that right now Pirate man. Like how many spiders do you guys need in this place?
James Pirate: Let’s start with some personal questions before discussing the week 2 game.
Dip Dhillon: Ok let’s do it.
James Pirate: Do you think attitude is a factor in winning?
Dip Dhillon: Yes absolutely. In athletics, academics or business everything starts with attitude. It determines our actions. Why study if we believe we will fail? Why train or work hard if we think we’re going to lose? In business, employees and organizations that expect the worst usually get it. I have also seen organizations that have gone from perennial loser to winner. The first thing that had to change was their attitude and beliefs. They had to believe that success was possible. One person can make a difference. Do you know that the Patriots of the NFL were terrible in the 80s and early 90s? Did you know that the Packers of the NFL were terrible from the late seventies to the mid 90s? What happened to both teams just a few years after the end of those time ranges? They started winning. They won a lot. It all started with someone in the facilities saying “We can win if we work hard enough for it.” More and more people started to believe in this and then they started winning. Your attitude is the spark that lights the fire.
James Pirate: How does being an athlete inspire you to do good?
Dip Dhillon: Well being a pro athlete means that a lot of eyes are on you. There are many things athletes can and do demonstrate on a daily basis. For starters, good athletes are innately self-confident, and they truly believe that they will win. They also have the confidence to speak up for themselves or their teammates when appropriate. High-performing athletes are also motivated by the desire to be better than their opponent and even better than their personal best. They will be patient and persevere when working on their skills and focusing on their goals. Elite athletes know that success doesn’t happen overnight. They have the self-discipline to put in early morning training sessions, to sacrifice social activities in exchange for more practice, and to power through sore muscles and exhaustion. Athletes show kids what it means to work hard. An athlete who lacks an optimistic attitude isn’t likely to fully excel because they don’t expect to win. A successful athlete must believe that they will win and remain positive even when facing adversity. How can one improve if they aren’t willing to accept constructive criticism? Successful athletes understand that it’s important to remain coachable while accepting and learning from their mistakes. They will also be open to advice or tips from teammates and accepting of calls made by officials. Many kids take on this attitude of “I’m the best and no one else will ever come near my skill.” They blame their shortcomings on bad luck instead of taking responsibility for themselves. Athletes who accept criticism are showing kids that criticism is how you grow. Athletes deal with countless sources of stress on a routine basis. From the pressure to perform well during competition or training to the stress caused by losing a game, getting injured, or struggling to master a skill, stress is an everyday part of an athlete’s life. A strong athlete must be able to focus on their goals and the big picture, which helps them stay dedicated to their training. They must also be able to focus on the moment while competing and tune out anything that is happening in the stands with spectators or that might be occurring in their personal lives outside of their sport. Losses are just a reality of being an athlete. Setbacks will occur, and an athlete can’t be successful if they aren’t resilient. Even after a loss, successful athletes stay positive and use the experience as an opportunity to learn and move forward. Going back to the point about criticism, athletes show others that even the best players in the world lose. Even athletes who don’t take on roles as captains will usually have some leadership traits. Quick decisions often need to be made in the heat of competition, and an athlete with leadership skills will be better prepared to take the initiative to make them. Athletes show kids that they can be leaders in their community even if there is no designed role. An athlete who is passionate about their sport is more likely to be successful. They will eat, sleep, and breathe their sport, and, therefore, they will be excited to excel.
James Pirate: How do you cope with the mental pressure faced during a game?
Dip Dhillon: That is a good question. First things first, focus on what you need to do. Remove the competition from the equation and focus on what your body needs to be the best version of yourself. In addition to exercise and conditioning, take care of your body. Get adequate sleep, eat nutritiously and practice injury prevention techniques like stretching. Too many guys lose track of these things as they get older. Talk through your stressors. Don’t hold in the things that are frustrating you. Instead, confide in a friend, family member or a professional. Sometimes talking through things is one of the best ways to support good mental health. However, you shouldn’t talk out every problem you have with someone. Rember to trust the process with your issues. Set realistic goals. Re-evaluate your personal goals to make sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard or setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. Remember why you started. The immense pressure athletes put on themselves can quickly cause burnout. Many athletes start to look at their sport as a job rather than a passion or hobby. Think of that high schooler who just wanted to play college ball. Think of that college athlete who just wanted to go pro.
James Pirate: Okay, let’s transition into a discussion of your performance in the week 2 matchup against the Dallas Birddogs. Coming into this game, talk to me about your expectations and feelings were.
Dip Dhillon: Well we were pissed. We were coming off of a damn near 20-point loss. Week 2 would be our first home game of the season and we knew that we couldn’t play like that again. Our guys knew that we were better than how we looked week 1 and we had to prove that and we did.
James Pirate: Yes, you guys decimated the Birddogs. Take me through the first quarter and how it went in your eyes.
Dip Dhillon: We started with the ball and I made a catch on the first play from scrimmage. It was a simple comeback route and the DB bit on it and couldn’t stop his momentum quick enough when I stopped and turned around. We had some incompletions a few plays later and were faced with a fourth and short. We went for it and Bean was able to run for a first down and then some. That got us really hyped up as we were now getting deep into their territory. I had a catch on the play after. I started to run a slant and the DB followed but I then did a hard cut back to the outside and that juked the DB long enough for me to make the catch and run for about a yard after. We got a penalty though so that catch didn’t really matter. We had an incompletion on third down and had to kick a field goal. However, we missed it which really sucked. That definitely dampned the mood a bit. When they took the field I was worried as their receiving core is damn good. #13 Mara was in my draft class and I talked to him a bit at the prospect bowl during the receiver drills. I was a little surprised when he went 2nd overall and I went 17th if I’m being honest. He’s a good player and we definitely saw that during week 1 as he went for over a 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. I knew that we were gonna have to lock him down if we wanted to win the game. We were able to stuff them on third down and they just got a field goal out of it. On our first play of the ensuing drive, Derrick had a big catch and run that put us in the redzone. He’s a big time player who makes big time plays. On third down, Grayson threw the ball my way but it got picked off. I was running a corner route and I dusted my defender but Grayson threw it behind me and it went straight to the other team and they got a big return out of it. That drive really hurt. That was two trips to the redzone and 0 points to show for it. Luckily, our defense is elite and was able to get back to back sacks en route to a punt. That’s pretty much how the first quarter ended. I was annoyed that we hadn’t put up any points but satisfied that we had held them to just 3 point so far.
James Pirate: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We started off the quarter with a great run by Bean. He started running to the outside but then cut back to the inside after about 10 yards and then just kept running all the way to the endzone. He’s the fastest back in the league! On their drive right after that our pass defense flexed their strength by forcing a 3 and out. The punt wasn’t that good and it allowed us to start our drive right around the 50 yard line. On the first play, once again Bean Delphine showed everyone why he’s the best runningback in the league and took off for a 52 yard touchdown. He was making it look easy out there. On the drive after that, we forced a 3 and out and got the ball back. We were firing on all cylinders. I had a 5-yard catch on first down in that drive. It was a simple curl route and I wasn’t really expecting the ball but Grayson threw it and I got my hands on it and got swarmed instantly. You know your boy had to get in on the fun and on 3rd down I hit the CB with a in and out route and took off for a 44 yard touchdown. I’m telling you that these sorry corners can’t step with me. I’ve been showing y’all every week. On the ensuing drive, we just took the pressure up and forced a fumble and recovered it. People have been sleeping on our defense. They held us to just 3 points on that drive which was annoying. I really thought they had gifted us a touchdown with that fumble so i’ll give them props on their defense during that drive. Funnily enough, Mara dropped a pass which cost them the drive. Maybe he isn’t as good as I thought. On the series we then had, Derrick had a nice 16 yard play. Bean broke loss on a run and I really thought he was going to the house but there safety made a crucial tackle. Nevertheless, it was a great 20-yard run. After that, we somehow didn’t score a touchdown even though we were inside the 10. Their defense made plays once again and forced us to kick a field goal. They had the ball with 2 minutes left in the half and were driving down the field. Then Mara had another drop. He seriously needs to work on his hands. They then had 2 more incompletions and had to punt it to us. We just ran the ball once or twice and left the clock run down.
James Pirate: Talk me through the second half and the postgame thoughts. What can the fans expect from you especially this season? More touchdowns?
Dip Dhillon: Well their opening drive of the half was marked by incompletions. They swiftly punted us the ball. Our drive was all about the run. We just kept pounding the rock. Derrick made a good catch and run. I swear that he broke the plane and got into the endzone, however, the refs marked him down at the 1. Udo capped off the drive with a rushing TD. They started driving down the field on their next series which included a nice play by Mara. I was surprised he made the play as Oexius was on him. Jason had been playing really well and did a nice job to lock him down. Of course, it didn’t mean anything in the long run as our stellar defense made a big play and picked off the QB. Grayson threw a pick when we were in their territory which was not ideal to say the least. They got a really nice return off of it and were inside our 10 yard line to start the drive and the 4th quarter. Mara proved the doubters right with another drop as they were forced to kick a field goal which they promptly missed. On the next drive, I had a target that was just out of reach on 3rd down. We then punted it to them. The punt did not go far at all. We forced a 4th down and they went for it. Murray made a great break for the ball and was able to knock it away for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. Grayson threw a third pick later in the fourth and again they got a nice return on it. This time they were able to score a touchdown off of it. I wanted to hold them to 0 touchdowns but you can’t have everything you know. The game ended shortly after that and I was very happy with our performance. The team was firing on all cylinders and it was nice to grab another touchdown on the season. Expect many more James.
James Pirate: It was indeed a great win. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 3 game. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 3 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! Today’s promising player is the man, the myth, the legend: Dip Dhillon, the WR out of Arizona State University in America, who was selected in the third round by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here last week. Today he will be discussing the week 3 game. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well James. I never get tired of interviews so let’s ggggggettttt righttttt intooooooo the questions!
James Pirate: Ok, we are gonna start with some personal questions once again.
Dip Dhillon: Ok thanks sounds good.
James Pirate: How do you plan to use your personality to inspire the youth to excel in different sports? How can people best support young athletes?
Dip Dhillon: Supporting the youth through athletics is vital. First off all, acknowledge the importance of motivation and determination in a young athlete. Motivation of your athletes is one of your key responsibilities as a role model, and communicating its importance is vital. Without motivation, an individual will put less than optimal effort into these processes. I made it to the DSFL by staying motivated and when motivation would run dry, I switched to determination until the motivation came back. Encourage and motivate the young athletes that you see so that they can enjoy their sport more and appreciate the benefits of doing well. Winning games or getting awards is a motivator for some, but simply getting better and gaining skills will motivate many. Give positive feedback and encourage continual growth even if that means rewarding small steps along the way. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all when it comes to motivation, so you’ll have to invest some effort to diversify your tactics. Once you know what motivates each young athlete, you can use this information to develop your motivational strategies. While one player might like being praised in front of the group, it could make another feel uncomfortable. Watch for reactions and try to modify your actions based on verbal and non-verbal feedback. Kids are impressionable so you need to make sure you are using the right tactics. Any good motivator can answer this question. Why are we doing this? In order to get players to do what needs to be done, in order to succeed, sometimes you have to sell the benefits. To young athletes, drills can feel repetitive. This can cause a drop in motivation if a young person doesn’t understand how the drill will help them achieve success. Don’t assume that all players understand why practice is important. This, like any concept, must be taught in such a way that is understandable to all young athletes. As humans, we naturally seek out relationships, and forming positive ones through athletic competitions can be extremely motivating. For teammates, this feeling of connection can encourage them to put in the extra effort to benefit the team. Even when you are coaching athletes in individual sports, encouraging connections between individuals is important for motivation. I’ve discussed this in previous interviews and I wll stress it again that sports are great for promoting teamwork and comradery. Encourage athletes to get to know one another and engage in team-building activities. Celebrate the accomplishments of the team or competing unit as a whole, and allow the young people that you work with to build strong relationships and motivate each other. As a role model/pro athlete, how you choose to motivate the athletes that you work with will depend on the sport, the age and ability level of your players. It team sports, it’s important to motivate athletes on the individual level as well as the team level. With appropriate motivation and practice, you can coach young athletes to overcome obstacles while reaching their goals on their way to a rewarding athletic career. The road to the DSFL wasn’t paved in a day.
James Pirate: That’s is absolutely the truth. Now what is your favorite holiday destination?
Dip Dhillon: Well I’ll clear one thing off the bat right now. I didn’t go on many vacations in college. I spent a lot of time on crutches or rehabbing. This sounds rough but I wouldn’t change a thing as it allowed me to focus on myself and learn what I am capable of. I believe that those long days rehabbing and focusing on myself have gotten me where I am today. If I had to pick a spot, I would go with a small town just outside of Pirmasens, Germany. I visited this quaint area in high school with my parents, who have a friend who lives in the town. Seeing as this was my first time in Germany, I had no idea what to expect. However, as the large buildings of the big cities drifted away and country side-like mountains became ever present, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm. Pulling into the town, everything was at peace - the trees gently swayed in the wind and there were very few cars to clog up the brick roads. I was astonished at this little slice of serenity in a rather bustling country. Not only was the town so relaxed, but it was also picturesque: tree-covered mountains overlooking the and and 75 degrees, partly cloudy with a light breeze was the norm. These two factors are the reasons that I would choose Pirmasens as my favorite destination spot. Peace and calm are something that I believe are rare in today’s world. The nonstop rise of media and technology has led to a “sensory overload” of sorts; our lives, including our free time, have become busier and busier. Experiencing peace and quiet everyday for the rest of my life is something that I could get used to; it would be nice to be in an area that does not require technology 24/7. To fill up this quiet time is where nature comes in. The landscape of the Pirmasens area is the stuff of dreams for a nature lover like myself. As a greenery-loving Arizonan/Oklahoman, I was taken aback by the sheer amount of trees and bushes in the area. I can see myself spending hours each day exploring the area – a fine usage of time, if you ask me. The Berlin Firesalamanders should definitely take a holiday out there sometime.
James Pirate: That sounds lovely. Let’s transition into a discussion of the week 3 game against the Portland Pythons. Take me through your pre game thoughts.
Dip Dhillon: Well we were coming off that dominating win against Dallas and we were feeling pretty good. We knew that Portland were a good team and that we would have to play well if we wanted to beat them. I was expecting a big game out of our guys.
James Pirate: Take me through the first quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well they started with the ball and stormed down the field. I mean they were moving with intention. They were getting passing first downs and rushing first downs. It was definitely intimidating watching that happen but they had a few incompletions and we were able to force a field goal and hold them to 3 points. Our first drive was kind of rough as we had a 3 and out. Derrick would have had a first down but the defender did well to break up the pass. We had an incompletion on third down and were forced to punt. On their next drive, we forced a third down and on that down Jason made a big play and got the pick. He perfectly undercut the route and was able to snatch the ball out of the air. We were hyped on the sideline when that happened. We were able to rip some nice runs on the ensuing drive and were marching into their territory. However, we had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that really hurt us and lead to a 3rd and 16. As I lined up on that third and long, I knew that we needed a big time play to get the first and keep the drive alive. I was on a go route and I hit the DB with a nasty stop and go and Grayson saw me and I caught the ball and ran for the first. After that big play, we just had to run the ball. Udo and Bean had some nice runs that put us inside the 5 yard line. From there, we switched to the pass and Grayson threw a perfect spiral pass to B. Bean for the touchdown. We were fired up after that. We were finally able to get a touchdown off of a turnover. I was really happy with my play and loved that we scored off of that drive. They had the ball back with under two minutes on the clock and so we had to ensure that they didn’t score as the half expired. We forced some incompletions and were able to force a punt to end the half.
James Pirate: Yep, it was certainly a defensive game through the first. Take me through the second quarter and your thoughts going into half time.
Dip Dhillon: We started the quarter with the ball and ran the ball for the first two plays. We didn’t get many yards which was disappointing. On third down Reece made a good catch but it was a little short of the first down marker so we had to punt. They had a nice catch by O’donnell which set up a 3rd and short and I though they were gonna run it but they went with a pass and it was incomplete. Lucky that we were able to shut that drive down. They had a booming 60 yard punt which was rough to see though. The pinned us pretty deep in our own territory. We ran the ball 3 times and didn’t get the first. I though Grayson got a first on third down but they said he was just short so we had to punt the ball right back. They started gashing us with the run and were driving into ou territory. We forced a third down and then they had a huge play by O’donnell where he run for about 40 yards and put them at the 10. That really hurt and I knew that they were gonna get some points out of this drive. They got a taunting call on first down which really helped us and pushed them back a lot. We were able to force a 4th down and they only got 3 points out of the drive. We got a rushing first down put then a penalty wiped that off of the table and we had to replay the down and didn’t get a first. We then had to punt which was really annoying. They then got the ball back with under 2 minutes left again but we forced a 3 and out and got the ball back pretty quickly. We just ran the ball and didn’t get a first so they got the ball back. They started passing it looked like they were gonna get a field goal out of the drive but the clock ran out before they could quite get in range. Going into the lockeroom, I was happy that our defense held them to 6 points but I was pissed that we couldn’t get our offense going.
James Pirate: Take me through the third quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We ran the ball like 7 times in a row and we had good rushes 7 times in a row. We were faced with a 3rd and 5 at one point and Grayson took off for a 10 yard gain. He’s gonna be one of the finest mobile QBs in the league. I’ve heard some old heads say that the era of the mobile QB is dead in the DSFL but I say “you’re old go play Sudoku or whatever it's called” When we were faced with another first down, he rushed up the middle for another first down. The run game could not be stopped. We then called out first pass of the drive and they hit us with a 10 yard sack which really hurt. We then had a negative rush and then Derrick helped us a bit with an 8 yard catch but we still had to set up for a field goal. The kicker came out and shanked the kick. It sucked. On the ensuing drive they got another big play from O’Donnell when he took off for 34 yards on a third and short. We then had a roughing the passer call on us which really hurt and suddenly they were on our 10 yard line. They then threw a bullet to O’Donnell to score their first touchdown of the game. We were able to stop them on the 2 point conversation which was nice I suppose. We then just kept running the ball and didn’t have much luck so we had a 3 and out and just punted it away. On their drive, they had a big play from Torch who got past Jason and took off for 42 yards. It was rough just watching the offense not do much. The run game would be great one drive and then completely fall apart the next. The consistency (or lackthereof) was really hurting us.
James Pirate: Take me through the final quarter and your postgame thoughts.
Dip Dhillon: We then had another penalty on us and just gave them free yards. However, our defense held up and we were able to force a kick. On our next drive, Derrick made a nice first down catch. We kept the pass game going and were able to get a few more first downs. I finally had another target and reeled it in for about 7 yards. We then got a first down but couldn’t get another. Our offense just fizzled out like it was nothing. We actually made the kick this time which was nice. Jason made some nice plays and were able to get the ball back with not much time left in the game. However, Bean fumbled on the first play of the drive and that sealed the game. I was pissed after the game because it was so winnable. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot and it cost us the match. It was a tough opponent but we could have won the game easily. We are a good team but we need to get the consistency down. We have been flip flopping games so far this season. I would have liked to see the ball more this game but what can you do. That is up to the coaching staff not me.
James Pirate: It was indeed a tough loss. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 4 game. He will most likely be in studio a few more times this year. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 4 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! You already know who the promising player is. He’s been here a million times and he will prob be here a million more times: Dip Dhillon, the WR out of Arizona State University in America, who was selected in the third round by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here last week to discuss the Week 3 game. Today he will be discussing the week 4 game. Can you see the pattern we’ve established. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well James. I never get tired of interviews so let’s ggggggettttt righttttt intooooooo the questions! I think that’s gonna be my opening line from now on.
James Pirate: Ok before we get into a discussion of the game, let’s explore some more personal questions.
Dip Dhillon: Okay I am ready.
James Pirate: What would you like to say to your fans at this point?
Dip Dhillon: I want to thank the fans for everything. The support has been immense and I am so grateful that I have been able to experience it. I love meeting the fans. It’'s always great to engage with people. You never know who you can make an effect on. Anytime I can reach out online and give encouragement, motivate people, be a better citizen, that's what it's all about, man. I feel extremely honoured and humbled that people are showing me so much love. My fans have stood by me through thick and thin, and I think this love is what makes my play worth it.
James Pirate: Do you like to watch movies?
Dip Dhillon: Not really to be honest. I like movies but I don’t watch them that often. If I am going to watch a movie, it would probably be from the horror genre. However, over the years I have watched many different kinds of movies. My favorites include: The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Schindler's List, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now, Annie Hall, Goodfellas, It's a Wonderful Life, Chinatown, The Silence of the Lambs, Lawrence of Arabia, The Sound of Music, Singin' in the Rain, The Graduate, and the Titanic.
James Pirate: Do you like to watch movies based on sports?
Dip Dhillon: That’s an interesting question. I’ve realized you don’t have to enjoy, understand or even really care about a sport to love a movie or TV show about athletics. Take “Goon,” for example. The Canadian film is about a kind but dumb bouncer who becomes the enforcer on a struggling Canadian hockey team. “Goon” is funny, sweet and exciting. I still don’t know anything about hockey, but it made me care about the sport for those 92 minutes because I loved the characters so much. That’s the thing about good sports movies: they’re not really about the sport. Sure, it’s fun to watch the players push the ball around or whatever, but what you really care about are the qualities behind those players. Another great benefit of movies and TV shows about sports is they only show the most interesting parts of the game. Movies and TV shows about athletics are stories of triumph achieved through the strength of friendship. I recommend that non sports fans check them out even if they aren’t into traditional sports.
James Pirate: Do you like to read books?
Dip Dhillon: Yes, I love reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Reading has a variety of benefits. For starters, it helps me develop my vocabulary, so even if my phone or computer isn't nearby, I can still guess the definition of unfamiliar words. Reading broadens your knowledge by opening up the whole world to you. While you're reading, you can be visiting another country or a different time period, or traveling through space. You can find out how people solve problems or think up new ideas. You can learn all about other kids, or historic people and important events. You can even figure out how to build things or do something better. Whatever topic you can think of, there's a book or an article waiting to be read. The whole world is an adventure to discover! Another benefit is the relaxing element. Even after a long day at practice, I will pick up a book to read for fun and relaxation. Whether it's a thrilling mystery, a funny series of adventures, or a romance novel, books can provide a brief escape from everyday living. The best benefit in my opinion is the way that you can increase your level of focus. Reading makes you focus on the words right in front of you and this puts all of your concentration in one place.
James Pirate: Who is your favorite author?
Dip Dhillon: Some of my favorites include: Khaled Hosseini, John Green, John Grisham, Rick Riordan, Stephen King, and Paolo Coelho.
James Pirate: What would you say in one aspect of your game that is a real strength for you?
Dip Dhillon: That’s a good question. One major strength of my game are my hands. I can catch just about anything and I have not had any drops this season. If you the ball near me, I will probably catch it. Another strength I think I have is that of my physical build. I am one of the tallest receivers in the league and so just off of my build alone I can bully the DB and I don’t need to work on my strength as much as some of the smaller guys might need to. Another strength I have is my speed for my size. I am not that fast yet but my build allows me to still get past some players even though they might be a little faster than I am. I take long strides when I run you know.
James Pirate: Okay let’s discuss the Week 4 game against the Royals.
Dip Dhillon: Ok let’s do it.
James Pirate: Take me through the first quarter and your thoughts at its conclusion.
Dip Dhillon: Well we started with the ball. It was a rough first drive as Derrick had two targets which were both incompletions, one of them was a drop. Our other play was a rush for no gain by Grayson. We punted the ball after. We lucked out on their drive a bit as their receiver Micky Lauvin dropped a wide open pass that would have lead to a first down. They ran the ball on the play after and got no yards and had to punt the ball back to us. The game started with a pair of 3 and outs. Did you know that Lauvin was drafted before me? That’s crazy. On the next drive, we had a 4 yard rush on first down. On second down, your boy was left wide open and Grayson found me and I ran all the way to the endzone for a TD. Don’t leave me open. That is my advice to all of the teams that are reading this. On their ensuing drive, our defense allowed no yards on first and second down. On third down, however, Vox got past our man and made a 30 yard play. They then had a 15 yard play and I was getting kind of nervous. Then our defense stepped up and forced a punt with the help of a penalty on them. We were at our 1 and Grayson had a huge run on first down to give us a lot of breathing room. On the first play after that, they left your boy open again. I TOLD YALL WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU LEFT ME OPEN. I caught the ball easily and sprinted to the endzone for the touchdown. I am him. He is I. Himself is in reference to me. 72 yard touchdown baby. On their next drive, they had a nice play on first down. They kept driving down the field and ended up in our territory eventually. Their runningback Lyons broke loose and weaved through our defense for a 30 yard touchdown to cap off their drive. On the drive we had after that, we started out with the run. Unfortunately, our 3 run plays were not enough to get the first and we had to punt the ball away. Lauvin got in behind Jason somehow and made a catch for the first down. I thought we stopped them on 3rd and short but the refs said that they got the first. I still disagree with the ruling but it is what it is. Lyons had another nice rush and put them within the 15 yard line. I was feeling pretty good about my individual performance up until that point. I was having my best statistical game of my career and was on top of the world. However, I was anxious about the score. We were only up by 7 and they were currently on our 12 yard line with a fresh set of downs. I wanted us to put the game away early.
James Pirate: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well they were in the redzone as I said before. Kevin made a great TFL on second down to push them back by 4 yards which also set up a third down. On third down they had another incompletion which led to them kicking a field goal. It was a great defensive stop. We started out drive with an 8 yard run by Bean. We gave it to Bean again after that and got the first. We got a penalty a few plays later and this lead to a 3rd and 22. We handed it off and Bean had a nice 10 yard rush but we had to punt the ball away. On first down, Jason X had a nice pass breakup. On second down, they dumped it off the the runningback in the middle of the field who had no one around him and just took off for 25 yards. That was annoying to watch from the sideline. A few plays later, on third and 3, they ran the ball and I could have sworn it was short. However, the ref gave them the first anyway. They promptly began running the ball and were getting nice yardage. They had a first down within our 10 yard line. On second and goal, one of our DEs broke free and was one on one with the runningback and I thought we were about to see a major TFL but the runningback juked him out and run into the endzone for the touchdown to give them the lead. That pissed us off on the sideline. The defender was there but couldn’t make the play. On our ensuing drive, Derrick had a nice kickoff return of about 30 yards to give us nice starting field position. Grayson got sacked on one of the plays for a big loss. We couldn’t overcome the deficit and had to punt the ball back. They had a offensive penalty on them and a TFL by us on the next play which set up a third and long for them. They ran the ball up the middle and got few yards and had to punt it right back to us. The half ended with us kneeling the ball after catching the punt. I was annoyed that we were not up at the half. We had such a great start to the game and I was a little worried that we were selling the game a bit. I knew we were the better team but we hadn’t show that just yet. I knew that if locked in and got back into the game, it was going to be an easy win for the boys in green.
James Pirate: Take me through the second half.
Dip Dhillon: Well they started with the ball. They had a huge play on first down when Vox took off down the sideline after making a catch. He got 30 yards on the play. However, their drive fizzled out like crazy right after that as they had back to back incompletions and then only got 3 yards on a pass on third down. They punted shortly after. Our drive stunk though as we had back to back to back poor rushes which led to a 3 and out plus a punt. On a third down they had, Jordan got into the backfield and had a strip sack and he recovered the fumble. It was a huge play and we now had the ball in their territory. Our drive was looking poor until your boy made a tough catch in traffic and dove forward for the first down to keep the drive alive. I had to save the day again on another third down with a first down catch. We ended the drive with a TD by Udo. We then got the ball back after they punted quickly but we were then forced to punt. However, it all went wrong when they blocked our punt. Luckily, our defense is good and we held them to a field goal to maintain the lead. We then had to punt again which stunk. They were driving but it fizzled out and they gave us back the ball via a punt. The drive was kind of boring until they left Bean open in the midle of field for a 32 yard gain. We let up another sack and were forced to kick a field goal. They were driving down the field until Kevin undercut a pass and picked it off to seal the game. We were so hype on the sideline. We kneeled the ball to end the game. I got kind of worried at times but overall it was a great team win and everyone stepped up when they need to. Our team is getting better by the week. Many people doubted me when I got drafted but I’m showing them what’s up. By the end of the season, you’ll see whose on top.
James Pirate: It was indeed a great win. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 5 game. If you have not noticed the format of these interviews is as follows: answer a few personal questions then get into a discussion of that week’s game. He will most likely be in studio a few more times this year. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. After this next one though, I might have to give Crusty Chris a visit to even things out. Regardless, I’m gonna be doing as many of these as I have time for during this season. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 5 game)
Crusty Chris: Heyyyyyy everybody and welcome back to the crustiest show in the Greater Australia Area. Today we have a guest who was here a while ago: Dip Dhillon, who was selected with the 17th overall pick by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here the day after the week one game if you remember. Dip will be joining us today to discuss how sports have affected his life as well as his thoughts on the Week 5 game between Bondi and the Kansas City Coyotes. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: Doing okay Crusty.
Crusty Chris: Okay let’s get into the personal questions.
Dip Dhillon: Ok sounds good.
Crusty Chris: What sacrifices did you find the hardest to make your career in sports?
Dip Dhillon: Oh that’s a good one. The choice to pursue a career in sports comes with a laundry list of sacrifices that must be made to be successful. Here is why the decision is so difficult. It has to be made earlier in life than many people are willing to lay it all out there to make that pursuit and it is often influenced by other people. You are a young athlete in high school and everyone is telling you how you are supposed to be acting, training, eating, etc. It is hard to tell if the decision is your own. Either way, you will have to decide if you want to take it to the next level and pursue your athletic career. In high school I had many people doubt me when I started playing football. They told me that it “wasn’t worth it.” I’m not sure what they were referring to but I have found football to be a worthwhile endevour. Sacrifice for athletes, especially for a young athlete, can seem unusually cruel. It is not going to parties. It is not spending as much time with friends. It is missing out on a lot of experiences that many of your friends are doing. Giving up things that don’t hurt is not sacrifice. Giving up things and people that don’t cause you some form of pain is not sacrifice; those are things that needed to be dropped anyways. Sacrifice should hurt to reach the next level. I have had teammates quit because they can’t handle the sacrifice or they complain about how their is too much sacrifice required to reach the next level. Really? You wil never be great unless you sacrifice some things. What are you willing to lose? How much work are you willing to do? Are you willing to sacrifice fun for training? The list of questions you should be asking yourself before you fully make the decision is far longer than I just mentioned but you get a really good idea of the type of questions you should be asking yourself. On the flip side, you need to do fun things and enjoy what it is to be an athlete. It just needs to be taken into account that your life as an athlete will be different than those of any friends that are not participating in any sports. Others looking in might think I have sacrificed time but I don’t see it that way. I spent that time being productive. There is a difference.
Crusty Chris: How much consistency is required to be on top in your game?
Dip Dhillon: All of it. You will fail if you are not consistent. Consistency can not be stressed enough. The reason most people don’t have the results they want in life is because they lack consistency. I see this every single day. I see so many people trying to start their own business. So many people trying to get into shape. So many people trying to eat healthier. And then they lack consistency. I’ve been in this position too, and it would happen because I would get caught up in the monumental task or the large amount of action I had to take to get the specific result I was looking for. In high school, when I knew I wanted to join the football team, I knew if I just showed up every single day and put in some work then I would eventually become good. So that’s exactly what I did. If you would have told me at the very beginning that I would now be the leading receiver for the Bondi Beach Bucs in the DSFL, I wouldn’t believe you. But I was consistent and from being consistent now I am here! Your advantage is your consistency. Consistency comes from commitment. If you’re not fully committed, 100% committed in some area of your life that you’re looking for results for, you’re not going to get it. 80% of your results come from consistency. What’s an area of your life that you’re not being consistent with? What’s an area of your life that you’re not being consistent with that you’re going to commit, 10/10 commitment to, moving forward? A year from now you’ll look back and be thankful that you did.
Crusty Chris: How do you feel being a role model of so many?
Dip Dhillon: Well I don’t know if that is really true. However, good role models have a powerful influence on people, and the direction they head in life. It’s someone that you look up to, admire, and find yourself wondering what they do whenever you have a question about something (“What would ___ do?”. Many people in life have poor role models that end up bringing nothing but bad judgment and disappointment. Unfortunately because of their upbringing and their siblings a lot of the time. Be careful who you choose as a role model is my advice. Also be careful who you let influence you. There are many fake people out there and it is not always easy to point them out. They are good at hiding their true colors.
Crusty Chris: Let’s transition into a discussion of the week 5 game shall we?
Dip Dhillon: Okay let’s go.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the first quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well we started with the ball. Derrick had a great kickoff return to give us nice field position to start the drive. He has really developed into a good return man. We started out with 3 run plays and we got the first down on that third run. On our first pass play, Grayson got sacked. Look at the irony in that. On the play after that, there hit us with a TFL. On the play after that, Grayson got strip sacked but we recovered the ball. As you might expect, we punted after that. On their first play of the game, Kevin got into the backfield and had a strip sack of his own but the QB recovered it. That’s what McThumper can do. If you want to strip sack our QB, we’ll do the same to you. On the play after, Morley caught the checkdown and weaved his way through for a first down. On the play after, they ripped a nice 18 yard run. We were dead silent on the sideline. We were just thinking “so their offense is as good as advertised.” We were able to bring up a 3rd and short. Their QB too long to throw it and took a sack. They then were forced to kick a field goal but they missed it. We were able to shut down that drive. We were able to get a first down and keep the chains moving. On the next play, Udo went to the outside towards me and I was able to throw a block for him en route to his 45 yard touchdown. Nobody was able to touch him. They then got the ball back. On third down, Kevin made a big time play when he broke up a pass and forced a punt out of them. Unfortunately, our drive ended really fast as their run defense showed up and stuffed all 3 of our run plays. On their ensuing drive, we got to the QB again for a big time loss. On the play right after that, we got another sack. Kevin got back their for the second time in the day. The quarter ended with a punt from them. I was feeling good after that quarter. Our defense was in full force and were getting to the QB left and right. Our defense was inconsistent I can’t lie but we were able to make enough plays to give us the lead after the first.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Our drive to start the quarter consisted of 3 rushes. All of which were short of the first down. We immediately had to punt the ball right back. We had a great punt from Cunningham, though, which pinned them within their own 5 yard line. Their first two plays went for 0 yards. Their third down pass was complete to Morley but he was just short of the first down. They were forced to punt it back to us. On our drive, we just kept running the ball and were driving into their territory. Bean ripped a big 27 yard run to put us at their 10 yard line. On third and goal, Reece was wide open for the TD. It was nice to see him getting some love from the QB. He has been kinda quiet this season. On the second play of their drive, the fastest receiver in the league, McHollywood, broke loose and had a 48 yard catch and run on us. Their next play was also a first down reception. However, none of their next 3 plays went for a first down. We were able to stop them just short of a first. This time, their kick was good. Derrick had another 20+ yard kick return to start us out. We ran the ball 3 times and got a first on the third rush. We ran the ball two more times in the next 3 plays but did not get a first down in the process. We had to punt it away. The QB found Morley for a first down to keep their drive alive. On second and inches, Stryker got into the backfield for a sack. Morley then had a big drop. He was wide open and would have set them up for a field goal if he had caught the ball and turned up field. However, they were forced to punt. The half ended with a Bean Delphine first down. I was feeling good going into the half. We were up by 2 possessions and our defense had been able to stop their high powered offense. Their receivers were playing well but since their offensive line had been nonexistent our front 7 were able to get back there pretty often and limit the amount of passes the QB could get off. Our offense had been a little hot and cold but was able to punch in another touchdown in the second quarter. I knew that as long as our defense remained intact we were gonna win the game.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the third quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We kicked off to them and they began their drive at their 15 yard line. They started off with a checkdown to the runningback that was promptly dropped somehow. He needs to work on his hands. They then had back to back incompletions which led to an early punt by them. It was a poor punt and a good return so we started the drive on their 35 yard line. Udo ripped a 12 yard run to start the drive. Bean then got the handoff and fumbled. They recovered it. It was a bad start to the second half for us. They then ripped a 17 yard run that put them near our 50 yard line. On second down, as the QB was scanning the field for an open receiver, one of our Dline men got around their blocker and sacked the quarterback for a big loss. They then got some yards back on a catch by the TE but it was not enough for a first and so they punted it back to us. We were at our own 10 yard line so we had to be careful with our play calls. On second down, Grayson run it himself and got to the outside. He barely slipped past the defenders and broke free. He sprinted down the length of the field and just pulled away from the defense and from us blockers and ran into the endzone for an 89 yard rushing touchdown! We were so hype! It would have been perfect if our kicker didn’t miss the extra point but we didn’t really care at that point. On their drive after, they immediately started driving down the field. However, back to back incompletions and a short reception saw their drive fizzle out. Our defense was still holding up well and theirs was starting to crack. They went for it on 4th down and didn’t get it which was funny to watch. I thought they had the best offense in the league. I guess not. I got my first target and reception of the game in the 3rd quarter. It was a nice 5 yard catch on first down. The commentators called it an acrobatic catch but that’s the norm for me. We kept running the ball after that and were continually getting yardage. On third and goal, Reece got in behind his man and caught his 2nd touchdown of the game. He was the man to beat in the endzone. They started their drive with a nice run by the back. On the final play of the quarter, they just ran it again for about 5 yards.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the fourth quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well the speed demon McHollywood got in open space again and smoked us for a long TD to finally give them some points. I like to think of that TD as some charity work on our part. On our drive, Prince got a target on every play but couldn’t make any catches. We punted shortly thereafter. Their QB dropped back on the first play of the drive and kept looking for an open man. Eventually, they threw the ball and Ryan went up and caught it. He has been improving every game this year and that was a big time play. On our first play after that, I had another catch. We were in the redzone now and Grayson threw a bullet at Derrick and he came down with it to extend our lead. Of course, they got sacked on the drive after. After their punt, we were faced with a 3rd and 10. Grayson looked at me before he snapped the ball and he and I both knew I was going to make a play. As expected, I beat my man and Grayson found me. I took off down the sideline for a 44 yard touchdown. Did you really think that I was going to go a game without a tuddy? The rest of the game was boring. We won easily. End of story.
Crusty Chris: Ok thank you guys for reading and thank you Dip Dhillon for joining us. Dip will be back here next week to discuss the Week 6 game. Bye!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. Yes, I will be back next week. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 2 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! Today’s promising player has been on the show many a time. It is Dip Dhillon, a WR out of Arizona State University in America who was selected with the 17th overall pick by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers, again again! Dip was here before the season started. How are you doing today Dip? How are you adjusting to leave in the land down under?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well thanks for asking. Its been a minute since I’ve been in this studio. Bondi Beach is lit but there are some dodgy places out in Australia I’ll tell you that right now Pirate man. Like how many spiders do you guys need in this place?
James Pirate: Let’s start with some personal questions before discussing the week 2 game.
Dip Dhillon: Ok let’s do it.
James Pirate: Do you think attitude is a factor in winning?
Dip Dhillon: Yes absolutely. In athletics, academics or business everything starts with attitude. It determines our actions. Why study if we believe we will fail? Why train or work hard if we think we’re going to lose? In business, employees and organizations that expect the worst usually get it. I have also seen organizations that have gone from perennial loser to winner. The first thing that had to change was their attitude and beliefs. They had to believe that success was possible. One person can make a difference. Do you know that the Patriots of the NFL were terrible in the 80s and early 90s? Did you know that the Packers of the NFL were terrible from the late seventies to the mid 90s? What happened to both teams just a few years after the end of those time ranges? They started winning. They won a lot. It all started with someone in the facilities saying “We can win if we work hard enough for it.” More and more people started to believe in this and then they started winning. Your attitude is the spark that lights the fire.
James Pirate: How does being an athlete inspire you to do good?
Dip Dhillon: Well being a pro athlete means that a lot of eyes are on you. There are many things athletes can and do demonstrate on a daily basis. For starters, good athletes are innately self-confident, and they truly believe that they will win. They also have the confidence to speak up for themselves or their teammates when appropriate. High-performing athletes are also motivated by the desire to be better than their opponent and even better than their personal best. They will be patient and persevere when working on their skills and focusing on their goals. Elite athletes know that success doesn’t happen overnight. They have the self-discipline to put in early morning training sessions, to sacrifice social activities in exchange for more practice, and to power through sore muscles and exhaustion. Athletes show kids what it means to work hard. An athlete who lacks an optimistic attitude isn’t likely to fully excel because they don’t expect to win. A successful athlete must believe that they will win and remain positive even when facing adversity. How can one improve if they aren’t willing to accept constructive criticism? Successful athletes understand that it’s important to remain coachable while accepting and learning from their mistakes. They will also be open to advice or tips from teammates and accepting of calls made by officials. Many kids take on this attitude of “I’m the best and no one else will ever come near my skill.” They blame their shortcomings on bad luck instead of taking responsibility for themselves. Athletes who accept criticism are showing kids that criticism is how you grow. Athletes deal with countless sources of stress on a routine basis. From the pressure to perform well during competition or training to the stress caused by losing a game, getting injured, or struggling to master a skill, stress is an everyday part of an athlete’s life. A strong athlete must be able to focus on their goals and the big picture, which helps them stay dedicated to their training. They must also be able to focus on the moment while competing and tune out anything that is happening in the stands with spectators or that might be occurring in their personal lives outside of their sport. Losses are just a reality of being an athlete. Setbacks will occur, and an athlete can’t be successful if they aren’t resilient. Even after a loss, successful athletes stay positive and use the experience as an opportunity to learn and move forward. Going back to the point about criticism, athletes show others that even the best players in the world lose. Even athletes who don’t take on roles as captains will usually have some leadership traits. Quick decisions often need to be made in the heat of competition, and an athlete with leadership skills will be better prepared to take the initiative to make them. Athletes show kids that they can be leaders in their community even if there is no designed role. An athlete who is passionate about their sport is more likely to be successful. They will eat, sleep, and breathe their sport, and, therefore, they will be excited to excel.
James Pirate: How do you cope with the mental pressure faced during a game?
Dip Dhillon: That is a good question. First things first, focus on what you need to do. Remove the competition from the equation and focus on what your body needs to be the best version of yourself. In addition to exercise and conditioning, take care of your body. Get adequate sleep, eat nutritiously and practice injury prevention techniques like stretching. Too many guys lose track of these things as they get older. Talk through your stressors. Don’t hold in the things that are frustrating you. Instead, confide in a friend, family member or a professional. Sometimes talking through things is one of the best ways to support good mental health. However, you shouldn’t talk out every problem you have with someone. Rember to trust the process with your issues. Set realistic goals. Re-evaluate your personal goals to make sure you aren’t pushing yourself too hard or setting unrealistic expectations for yourself. Remember why you started. The immense pressure athletes put on themselves can quickly cause burnout. Many athletes start to look at their sport as a job rather than a passion or hobby. Think of that high schooler who just wanted to play college ball. Think of that college athlete who just wanted to go pro.
James Pirate: Okay, let’s transition into a discussion of your performance in the week 2 matchup against the Dallas Birddogs. Coming into this game, talk to me about your expectations and feelings were.
Dip Dhillon: Well we were pissed. We were coming off of a damn near 20-point loss. Week 2 would be our first home game of the season and we knew that we couldn’t play like that again. Our guys knew that we were better than how we looked week 1 and we had to prove that and we did.
James Pirate: Yes, you guys decimated the Birddogs. Take me through the first quarter and how it went in your eyes.
Dip Dhillon: We started with the ball and I made a catch on the first play from scrimmage. It was a simple comeback route and the DB bit on it and couldn’t stop his momentum quick enough when I stopped and turned around. We had some incompletions a few plays later and were faced with a fourth and short. We went for it and Bean was able to run for a first down and then some. That got us really hyped up as we were now getting deep into their territory. I had a catch on the play after. I started to run a slant and the DB followed but I then did a hard cut back to the outside and that juked the DB long enough for me to make the catch and run for about a yard after. We got a penalty though so that catch didn’t really matter. We had an incompletion on third down and had to kick a field goal. However, we missed it which really sucked. That definitely dampned the mood a bit. When they took the field I was worried as their receiving core is damn good. #13 Mara was in my draft class and I talked to him a bit at the prospect bowl during the receiver drills. I was a little surprised when he went 2nd overall and I went 17th if I’m being honest. He’s a good player and we definitely saw that during week 1 as he went for over a 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. I knew that we were gonna have to lock him down if we wanted to win the game. We were able to stuff them on third down and they just got a field goal out of it. On our first play of the ensuing drive, Derrick had a big catch and run that put us in the redzone. He’s a big time player who makes big time plays. On third down, Grayson threw the ball my way but it got picked off. I was running a corner route and I dusted my defender but Grayson threw it behind me and it went straight to the other team and they got a big return out of it. That drive really hurt. That was two trips to the redzone and 0 points to show for it. Luckily, our defense is elite and was able to get back to back sacks en route to a punt. That’s pretty much how the first quarter ended. I was annoyed that we hadn’t put up any points but satisfied that we had held them to just 3 point so far.
James Pirate: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We started off the quarter with a great run by Bean. He started running to the outside but then cut back to the inside after about 10 yards and then just kept running all the way to the endzone. He’s the fastest back in the league! On their drive right after that our pass defense flexed their strength by forcing a 3 and out. The punt wasn’t that good and it allowed us to start our drive right around the 50 yard line. On the first play, once again Bean Delphine showed everyone why he’s the best runningback in the league and took off for a 52 yard touchdown. He was making it look easy out there. On the drive after that, we forced a 3 and out and got the ball back. We were firing on all cylinders. I had a 5-yard catch on first down in that drive. It was a simple curl route and I wasn’t really expecting the ball but Grayson threw it and I got my hands on it and got swarmed instantly. You know your boy had to get in on the fun and on 3rd down I hit the CB with a in and out route and took off for a 44 yard touchdown. I’m telling you that these sorry corners can’t step with me. I’ve been showing y’all every week. On the ensuing drive, we just took the pressure up and forced a fumble and recovered it. People have been sleeping on our defense. They held us to just 3 points on that drive which was annoying. I really thought they had gifted us a touchdown with that fumble so i’ll give them props on their defense during that drive. Funnily enough, Mara dropped a pass which cost them the drive. Maybe he isn’t as good as I thought. On the series we then had, Derrick had a nice 16 yard play. Bean broke loss on a run and I really thought he was going to the house but there safety made a crucial tackle. Nevertheless, it was a great 20-yard run. After that, we somehow didn’t score a touchdown even though we were inside the 10. Their defense made plays once again and forced us to kick a field goal. They had the ball with 2 minutes left in the half and were driving down the field. Then Mara had another drop. He seriously needs to work on his hands. They then had 2 more incompletions and had to punt it to us. We just ran the ball once or twice and left the clock run down.
James Pirate: Talk me through the second half and the postgame thoughts. What can the fans expect from you especially this season? More touchdowns?
Dip Dhillon: Well their opening drive of the half was marked by incompletions. They swiftly punted us the ball. Our drive was all about the run. We just kept pounding the rock. Derrick made a good catch and run. I swear that he broke the plane and got into the endzone, however, the refs marked him down at the 1. Udo capped off the drive with a rushing TD. They started driving down the field on their next series which included a nice play by Mara. I was surprised he made the play as Oexius was on him. Jason had been playing really well and did a nice job to lock him down. Of course, it didn’t mean anything in the long run as our stellar defense made a big play and picked off the QB. Grayson threw a pick when we were in their territory which was not ideal to say the least. They got a really nice return off of it and were inside our 10 yard line to start the drive and the 4th quarter. Mara proved the doubters right with another drop as they were forced to kick a field goal which they promptly missed. On the next drive, I had a target that was just out of reach on 3rd down. We then punted it to them. The punt did not go far at all. We forced a 4th down and they went for it. Murray made a great break for the ball and was able to knock it away for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. Grayson threw a third pick later in the fourth and again they got a nice return on it. This time they were able to score a touchdown off of it. I wanted to hold them to 0 touchdowns but you can’t have everything you know. The game ended shortly after that and I was very happy with our performance. The team was firing on all cylinders and it was nice to grab another touchdown on the season. Expect many more James.
James Pirate: It was indeed a great win. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 3 game. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 3 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! Today’s promising player is the man, the myth, the legend: Dip Dhillon, the WR out of Arizona State University in America, who was selected in the third round by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here last week. Today he will be discussing the week 3 game. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well James. I never get tired of interviews so let’s ggggggettttt righttttt intooooooo the questions!
James Pirate: Ok, we are gonna start with some personal questions once again.
Dip Dhillon: Ok thanks sounds good.
James Pirate: How do you plan to use your personality to inspire the youth to excel in different sports? How can people best support young athletes?
Dip Dhillon: Supporting the youth through athletics is vital. First off all, acknowledge the importance of motivation and determination in a young athlete. Motivation of your athletes is one of your key responsibilities as a role model, and communicating its importance is vital. Without motivation, an individual will put less than optimal effort into these processes. I made it to the DSFL by staying motivated and when motivation would run dry, I switched to determination until the motivation came back. Encourage and motivate the young athletes that you see so that they can enjoy their sport more and appreciate the benefits of doing well. Winning games or getting awards is a motivator for some, but simply getting better and gaining skills will motivate many. Give positive feedback and encourage continual growth even if that means rewarding small steps along the way. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all when it comes to motivation, so you’ll have to invest some effort to diversify your tactics. Once you know what motivates each young athlete, you can use this information to develop your motivational strategies. While one player might like being praised in front of the group, it could make another feel uncomfortable. Watch for reactions and try to modify your actions based on verbal and non-verbal feedback. Kids are impressionable so you need to make sure you are using the right tactics. Any good motivator can answer this question. Why are we doing this? In order to get players to do what needs to be done, in order to succeed, sometimes you have to sell the benefits. To young athletes, drills can feel repetitive. This can cause a drop in motivation if a young person doesn’t understand how the drill will help them achieve success. Don’t assume that all players understand why practice is important. This, like any concept, must be taught in such a way that is understandable to all young athletes. As humans, we naturally seek out relationships, and forming positive ones through athletic competitions can be extremely motivating. For teammates, this feeling of connection can encourage them to put in the extra effort to benefit the team. Even when you are coaching athletes in individual sports, encouraging connections between individuals is important for motivation. I’ve discussed this in previous interviews and I wll stress it again that sports are great for promoting teamwork and comradery. Encourage athletes to get to know one another and engage in team-building activities. Celebrate the accomplishments of the team or competing unit as a whole, and allow the young people that you work with to build strong relationships and motivate each other. As a role model/pro athlete, how you choose to motivate the athletes that you work with will depend on the sport, the age and ability level of your players. It team sports, it’s important to motivate athletes on the individual level as well as the team level. With appropriate motivation and practice, you can coach young athletes to overcome obstacles while reaching their goals on their way to a rewarding athletic career. The road to the DSFL wasn’t paved in a day.
James Pirate: That’s is absolutely the truth. Now what is your favorite holiday destination?
Dip Dhillon: Well I’ll clear one thing off the bat right now. I didn’t go on many vacations in college. I spent a lot of time on crutches or rehabbing. This sounds rough but I wouldn’t change a thing as it allowed me to focus on myself and learn what I am capable of. I believe that those long days rehabbing and focusing on myself have gotten me where I am today. If I had to pick a spot, I would go with a small town just outside of Pirmasens, Germany. I visited this quaint area in high school with my parents, who have a friend who lives in the town. Seeing as this was my first time in Germany, I had no idea what to expect. However, as the large buildings of the big cities drifted away and country side-like mountains became ever present, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm. Pulling into the town, everything was at peace - the trees gently swayed in the wind and there were very few cars to clog up the brick roads. I was astonished at this little slice of serenity in a rather bustling country. Not only was the town so relaxed, but it was also picturesque: tree-covered mountains overlooking the and and 75 degrees, partly cloudy with a light breeze was the norm. These two factors are the reasons that I would choose Pirmasens as my favorite destination spot. Peace and calm are something that I believe are rare in today’s world. The nonstop rise of media and technology has led to a “sensory overload” of sorts; our lives, including our free time, have become busier and busier. Experiencing peace and quiet everyday for the rest of my life is something that I could get used to; it would be nice to be in an area that does not require technology 24/7. To fill up this quiet time is where nature comes in. The landscape of the Pirmasens area is the stuff of dreams for a nature lover like myself. As a greenery-loving Arizonan/Oklahoman, I was taken aback by the sheer amount of trees and bushes in the area. I can see myself spending hours each day exploring the area – a fine usage of time, if you ask me. The Berlin Firesalamanders should definitely take a holiday out there sometime.
James Pirate: That sounds lovely. Let’s transition into a discussion of the week 3 game against the Portland Pythons. Take me through your pre game thoughts.
Dip Dhillon: Well we were coming off that dominating win against Dallas and we were feeling pretty good. We knew that Portland were a good team and that we would have to play well if we wanted to beat them. I was expecting a big game out of our guys.
James Pirate: Take me through the first quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well they started with the ball and stormed down the field. I mean they were moving with intention. They were getting passing first downs and rushing first downs. It was definitely intimidating watching that happen but they had a few incompletions and we were able to force a field goal and hold them to 3 points. Our first drive was kind of rough as we had a 3 and out. Derrick would have had a first down but the defender did well to break up the pass. We had an incompletion on third down and were forced to punt. On their next drive, we forced a third down and on that down Jason made a big play and got the pick. He perfectly undercut the route and was able to snatch the ball out of the air. We were hyped on the sideline when that happened. We were able to rip some nice runs on the ensuing drive and were marching into their territory. However, we had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that really hurt us and lead to a 3rd and 16. As I lined up on that third and long, I knew that we needed a big time play to get the first and keep the drive alive. I was on a go route and I hit the DB with a nasty stop and go and Grayson saw me and I caught the ball and ran for the first. After that big play, we just had to run the ball. Udo and Bean had some nice runs that put us inside the 5 yard line. From there, we switched to the pass and Grayson threw a perfect spiral pass to B. Bean for the touchdown. We were fired up after that. We were finally able to get a touchdown off of a turnover. I was really happy with my play and loved that we scored off of that drive. They had the ball back with under two minutes on the clock and so we had to ensure that they didn’t score as the half expired. We forced some incompletions and were able to force a punt to end the half.
James Pirate: Yep, it was certainly a defensive game through the first. Take me through the second quarter and your thoughts going into half time.
Dip Dhillon: We started the quarter with the ball and ran the ball for the first two plays. We didn’t get many yards which was disappointing. On third down Reece made a good catch but it was a little short of the first down marker so we had to punt. They had a nice catch by O’donnell which set up a 3rd and short and I though they were gonna run it but they went with a pass and it was incomplete. Lucky that we were able to shut that drive down. They had a booming 60 yard punt which was rough to see though. The pinned us pretty deep in our own territory. We ran the ball 3 times and didn’t get the first. I though Grayson got a first on third down but they said he was just short so we had to punt the ball right back. They started gashing us with the run and were driving into ou territory. We forced a third down and then they had a huge play by O’donnell where he run for about 40 yards and put them at the 10. That really hurt and I knew that they were gonna get some points out of this drive. They got a taunting call on first down which really helped us and pushed them back a lot. We were able to force a 4th down and they only got 3 points out of the drive. We got a rushing first down put then a penalty wiped that off of the table and we had to replay the down and didn’t get a first. We then had to punt which was really annoying. They then got the ball back with under 2 minutes left again but we forced a 3 and out and got the ball back pretty quickly. We just ran the ball and didn’t get a first so they got the ball back. They started passing it looked like they were gonna get a field goal out of the drive but the clock ran out before they could quite get in range. Going into the lockeroom, I was happy that our defense held them to 6 points but I was pissed that we couldn’t get our offense going.
James Pirate: Take me through the third quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We ran the ball like 7 times in a row and we had good rushes 7 times in a row. We were faced with a 3rd and 5 at one point and Grayson took off for a 10 yard gain. He’s gonna be one of the finest mobile QBs in the league. I’ve heard some old heads say that the era of the mobile QB is dead in the DSFL but I say “you’re old go play Sudoku or whatever it's called” When we were faced with another first down, he rushed up the middle for another first down. The run game could not be stopped. We then called out first pass of the drive and they hit us with a 10 yard sack which really hurt. We then had a negative rush and then Derrick helped us a bit with an 8 yard catch but we still had to set up for a field goal. The kicker came out and shanked the kick. It sucked. On the ensuing drive they got another big play from O’Donnell when he took off for 34 yards on a third and short. We then had a roughing the passer call on us which really hurt and suddenly they were on our 10 yard line. They then threw a bullet to O’Donnell to score their first touchdown of the game. We were able to stop them on the 2 point conversation which was nice I suppose. We then just kept running the ball and didn’t have much luck so we had a 3 and out and just punted it away. On their drive, they had a big play from Torch who got past Jason and took off for 42 yards. It was rough just watching the offense not do much. The run game would be great one drive and then completely fall apart the next. The consistency (or lackthereof) was really hurting us.
James Pirate: Take me through the final quarter and your postgame thoughts.
Dip Dhillon: We then had another penalty on us and just gave them free yards. However, our defense held up and we were able to force a kick. On our next drive, Derrick made a nice first down catch. We kept the pass game going and were able to get a few more first downs. I finally had another target and reeled it in for about 7 yards. We then got a first down but couldn’t get another. Our offense just fizzled out like it was nothing. We actually made the kick this time which was nice. Jason made some nice plays and were able to get the ball back with not much time left in the game. However, Bean fumbled on the first play of the drive and that sealed the game. I was pissed after the game because it was so winnable. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot and it cost us the match. It was a tough opponent but we could have won the game easily. We are a good team but we need to get the consistency down. We have been flip flopping games so far this season. I would have liked to see the ball more this game but what can you do. That is up to the coaching staff not me.
James Pirate: It was indeed a tough loss. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 4 game. He will most likely be in studio a few more times this year. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 4 game)
James Pirate: Hello everybody and welcome back to “A Parley with a Promising Player by Pirate”! You already know who the promising player is. He’s been here a million times and he will prob be here a million more times: Dip Dhillon, the WR out of Arizona State University in America, who was selected in the third round by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here last week to discuss the Week 3 game. Today he will be discussing the week 4 game. Can you see the pattern we’ve established. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: I’m doing well James. I never get tired of interviews so let’s ggggggettttt righttttt intooooooo the questions! I think that’s gonna be my opening line from now on.
James Pirate: Ok before we get into a discussion of the game, let’s explore some more personal questions.
Dip Dhillon: Okay I am ready.
James Pirate: What would you like to say to your fans at this point?
Dip Dhillon: I want to thank the fans for everything. The support has been immense and I am so grateful that I have been able to experience it. I love meeting the fans. It’'s always great to engage with people. You never know who you can make an effect on. Anytime I can reach out online and give encouragement, motivate people, be a better citizen, that's what it's all about, man. I feel extremely honoured and humbled that people are showing me so much love. My fans have stood by me through thick and thin, and I think this love is what makes my play worth it.
James Pirate: Do you like to watch movies?
Dip Dhillon: Not really to be honest. I like movies but I don’t watch them that often. If I am going to watch a movie, it would probably be from the horror genre. However, over the years I have watched many different kinds of movies. My favorites include: The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Schindler's List, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now, Annie Hall, Goodfellas, It's a Wonderful Life, Chinatown, The Silence of the Lambs, Lawrence of Arabia, The Sound of Music, Singin' in the Rain, The Graduate, and the Titanic.
James Pirate: Do you like to watch movies based on sports?
Dip Dhillon: That’s an interesting question. I’ve realized you don’t have to enjoy, understand or even really care about a sport to love a movie or TV show about athletics. Take “Goon,” for example. The Canadian film is about a kind but dumb bouncer who becomes the enforcer on a struggling Canadian hockey team. “Goon” is funny, sweet and exciting. I still don’t know anything about hockey, but it made me care about the sport for those 92 minutes because I loved the characters so much. That’s the thing about good sports movies: they’re not really about the sport. Sure, it’s fun to watch the players push the ball around or whatever, but what you really care about are the qualities behind those players. Another great benefit of movies and TV shows about sports is they only show the most interesting parts of the game. Movies and TV shows about athletics are stories of triumph achieved through the strength of friendship. I recommend that non sports fans check them out even if they aren’t into traditional sports.
James Pirate: Do you like to read books?
Dip Dhillon: Yes, I love reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Reading has a variety of benefits. For starters, it helps me develop my vocabulary, so even if my phone or computer isn't nearby, I can still guess the definition of unfamiliar words. Reading broadens your knowledge by opening up the whole world to you. While you're reading, you can be visiting another country or a different time period, or traveling through space. You can find out how people solve problems or think up new ideas. You can learn all about other kids, or historic people and important events. You can even figure out how to build things or do something better. Whatever topic you can think of, there's a book or an article waiting to be read. The whole world is an adventure to discover! Another benefit is the relaxing element. Even after a long day at practice, I will pick up a book to read for fun and relaxation. Whether it's a thrilling mystery, a funny series of adventures, or a romance novel, books can provide a brief escape from everyday living. The best benefit in my opinion is the way that you can increase your level of focus. Reading makes you focus on the words right in front of you and this puts all of your concentration in one place.
James Pirate: Who is your favorite author?
Dip Dhillon: Some of my favorites include: Khaled Hosseini, John Green, John Grisham, Rick Riordan, Stephen King, and Paolo Coelho.
James Pirate: What would you say in one aspect of your game that is a real strength for you?
Dip Dhillon: That’s a good question. One major strength of my game are my hands. I can catch just about anything and I have not had any drops this season. If you the ball near me, I will probably catch it. Another strength I think I have is that of my physical build. I am one of the tallest receivers in the league and so just off of my build alone I can bully the DB and I don’t need to work on my strength as much as some of the smaller guys might need to. Another strength I have is my speed for my size. I am not that fast yet but my build allows me to still get past some players even though they might be a little faster than I am. I take long strides when I run you know.
James Pirate: Okay let’s discuss the Week 4 game against the Royals.
Dip Dhillon: Ok let’s do it.
James Pirate: Take me through the first quarter and your thoughts at its conclusion.
Dip Dhillon: Well we started with the ball. It was a rough first drive as Derrick had two targets which were both incompletions, one of them was a drop. Our other play was a rush for no gain by Grayson. We punted the ball after. We lucked out on their drive a bit as their receiver Micky Lauvin dropped a wide open pass that would have lead to a first down. They ran the ball on the play after and got no yards and had to punt the ball back to us. The game started with a pair of 3 and outs. Did you know that Lauvin was drafted before me? That’s crazy. On the next drive, we had a 4 yard rush on first down. On second down, your boy was left wide open and Grayson found me and I ran all the way to the endzone for a TD. Don’t leave me open. That is my advice to all of the teams that are reading this. On their ensuing drive, our defense allowed no yards on first and second down. On third down, however, Vox got past our man and made a 30 yard play. They then had a 15 yard play and I was getting kind of nervous. Then our defense stepped up and forced a punt with the help of a penalty on them. We were at our 1 and Grayson had a huge run on first down to give us a lot of breathing room. On the first play after that, they left your boy open again. I TOLD YALL WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU LEFT ME OPEN. I caught the ball easily and sprinted to the endzone for the touchdown. I am him. He is I. Himself is in reference to me. 72 yard touchdown baby. On their next drive, they had a nice play on first down. They kept driving down the field and ended up in our territory eventually. Their runningback Lyons broke loose and weaved through our defense for a 30 yard touchdown to cap off their drive. On the drive we had after that, we started out with the run. Unfortunately, our 3 run plays were not enough to get the first and we had to punt the ball away. Lauvin got in behind Jason somehow and made a catch for the first down. I thought we stopped them on 3rd and short but the refs said that they got the first. I still disagree with the ruling but it is what it is. Lyons had another nice rush and put them within the 15 yard line. I was feeling pretty good about my individual performance up until that point. I was having my best statistical game of my career and was on top of the world. However, I was anxious about the score. We were only up by 7 and they were currently on our 12 yard line with a fresh set of downs. I wanted us to put the game away early.
James Pirate: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well they were in the redzone as I said before. Kevin made a great TFL on second down to push them back by 4 yards which also set up a third down. On third down they had another incompletion which led to them kicking a field goal. It was a great defensive stop. We started out drive with an 8 yard run by Bean. We gave it to Bean again after that and got the first. We got a penalty a few plays later and this lead to a 3rd and 22. We handed it off and Bean had a nice 10 yard rush but we had to punt the ball away. On first down, Jason X had a nice pass breakup. On second down, they dumped it off the the runningback in the middle of the field who had no one around him and just took off for 25 yards. That was annoying to watch from the sideline. A few plays later, on third and 3, they ran the ball and I could have sworn it was short. However, the ref gave them the first anyway. They promptly began running the ball and were getting nice yardage. They had a first down within our 10 yard line. On second and goal, one of our DEs broke free and was one on one with the runningback and I thought we were about to see a major TFL but the runningback juked him out and run into the endzone for the touchdown to give them the lead. That pissed us off on the sideline. The defender was there but couldn’t make the play. On our ensuing drive, Derrick had a nice kickoff return of about 30 yards to give us nice starting field position. Grayson got sacked on one of the plays for a big loss. We couldn’t overcome the deficit and had to punt the ball back. They had a offensive penalty on them and a TFL by us on the next play which set up a third and long for them. They ran the ball up the middle and got few yards and had to punt it right back to us. The half ended with us kneeling the ball after catching the punt. I was annoyed that we were not up at the half. We had such a great start to the game and I was a little worried that we were selling the game a bit. I knew we were the better team but we hadn’t show that just yet. I knew that if locked in and got back into the game, it was going to be an easy win for the boys in green.
James Pirate: Take me through the second half.
Dip Dhillon: Well they started with the ball. They had a huge play on first down when Vox took off down the sideline after making a catch. He got 30 yards on the play. However, their drive fizzled out like crazy right after that as they had back to back incompletions and then only got 3 yards on a pass on third down. They punted shortly after. Our drive stunk though as we had back to back to back poor rushes which led to a 3 and out plus a punt. On a third down they had, Jordan got into the backfield and had a strip sack and he recovered the fumble. It was a huge play and we now had the ball in their territory. Our drive was looking poor until your boy made a tough catch in traffic and dove forward for the first down to keep the drive alive. I had to save the day again on another third down with a first down catch. We ended the drive with a TD by Udo. We then got the ball back after they punted quickly but we were then forced to punt. However, it all went wrong when they blocked our punt. Luckily, our defense is good and we held them to a field goal to maintain the lead. We then had to punt again which stunk. They were driving but it fizzled out and they gave us back the ball via a punt. The drive was kind of boring until they left Bean open in the midle of field for a 32 yard gain. We let up another sack and were forced to kick a field goal. They were driving down the field until Kevin undercut a pass and picked it off to seal the game. We were so hype on the sideline. We kneeled the ball to end the game. I got kind of worried at times but overall it was a great team win and everyone stepped up when they need to. Our team is getting better by the week. Many people doubted me when I got drafted but I’m showing them what’s up. By the end of the season, you’ll see whose on top.
James Pirate: It was indeed a great win. Well, that is all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Dip Dhillon will be back here next week to talk about the week 5 game. If you have not noticed the format of these interviews is as follows: answer a few personal questions then get into a discussion of that week’s game. He will most likely be in studio a few more times this year. Thank you!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. And yes I will be back in the Pirate studio pretty soon for another interview. After this next one though, I might have to give Crusty Chris a visit to even things out. Regardless, I’m gonna be doing as many of these as I have time for during this season. Go Bucs!
(Day after Week 5 game)
Crusty Chris: Heyyyyyy everybody and welcome back to the crustiest show in the Greater Australia Area. Today we have a guest who was here a while ago: Dip Dhillon, who was selected with the 17th overall pick by the hometown Bondi Beach Buccaneers! Dip was here the day after the week one game if you remember. Dip will be joining us today to discuss how sports have affected his life as well as his thoughts on the Week 5 game between Bondi and the Kansas City Coyotes. How are you doing today Dip?
Dip Dhillon: Doing okay Crusty.
Crusty Chris: Okay let’s get into the personal questions.
Dip Dhillon: Ok sounds good.
Crusty Chris: What sacrifices did you find the hardest to make your career in sports?
Dip Dhillon: Oh that’s a good one. The choice to pursue a career in sports comes with a laundry list of sacrifices that must be made to be successful. Here is why the decision is so difficult. It has to be made earlier in life than many people are willing to lay it all out there to make that pursuit and it is often influenced by other people. You are a young athlete in high school and everyone is telling you how you are supposed to be acting, training, eating, etc. It is hard to tell if the decision is your own. Either way, you will have to decide if you want to take it to the next level and pursue your athletic career. In high school I had many people doubt me when I started playing football. They told me that it “wasn’t worth it.” I’m not sure what they were referring to but I have found football to be a worthwhile endevour. Sacrifice for athletes, especially for a young athlete, can seem unusually cruel. It is not going to parties. It is not spending as much time with friends. It is missing out on a lot of experiences that many of your friends are doing. Giving up things that don’t hurt is not sacrifice. Giving up things and people that don’t cause you some form of pain is not sacrifice; those are things that needed to be dropped anyways. Sacrifice should hurt to reach the next level. I have had teammates quit because they can’t handle the sacrifice or they complain about how their is too much sacrifice required to reach the next level. Really? You wil never be great unless you sacrifice some things. What are you willing to lose? How much work are you willing to do? Are you willing to sacrifice fun for training? The list of questions you should be asking yourself before you fully make the decision is far longer than I just mentioned but you get a really good idea of the type of questions you should be asking yourself. On the flip side, you need to do fun things and enjoy what it is to be an athlete. It just needs to be taken into account that your life as an athlete will be different than those of any friends that are not participating in any sports. Others looking in might think I have sacrificed time but I don’t see it that way. I spent that time being productive. There is a difference.
Crusty Chris: How much consistency is required to be on top in your game?
Dip Dhillon: All of it. You will fail if you are not consistent. Consistency can not be stressed enough. The reason most people don’t have the results they want in life is because they lack consistency. I see this every single day. I see so many people trying to start their own business. So many people trying to get into shape. So many people trying to eat healthier. And then they lack consistency. I’ve been in this position too, and it would happen because I would get caught up in the monumental task or the large amount of action I had to take to get the specific result I was looking for. In high school, when I knew I wanted to join the football team, I knew if I just showed up every single day and put in some work then I would eventually become good. So that’s exactly what I did. If you would have told me at the very beginning that I would now be the leading receiver for the Bondi Beach Bucs in the DSFL, I wouldn’t believe you. But I was consistent and from being consistent now I am here! Your advantage is your consistency. Consistency comes from commitment. If you’re not fully committed, 100% committed in some area of your life that you’re looking for results for, you’re not going to get it. 80% of your results come from consistency. What’s an area of your life that you’re not being consistent with? What’s an area of your life that you’re not being consistent with that you’re going to commit, 10/10 commitment to, moving forward? A year from now you’ll look back and be thankful that you did.
Crusty Chris: How do you feel being a role model of so many?
Dip Dhillon: Well I don’t know if that is really true. However, good role models have a powerful influence on people, and the direction they head in life. It’s someone that you look up to, admire, and find yourself wondering what they do whenever you have a question about something (“What would ___ do?”. Many people in life have poor role models that end up bringing nothing but bad judgment and disappointment. Unfortunately because of their upbringing and their siblings a lot of the time. Be careful who you choose as a role model is my advice. Also be careful who you let influence you. There are many fake people out there and it is not always easy to point them out. They are good at hiding their true colors.
Crusty Chris: Let’s transition into a discussion of the week 5 game shall we?
Dip Dhillon: Okay let’s go.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the first quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well we started with the ball. Derrick had a great kickoff return to give us nice field position to start the drive. He has really developed into a good return man. We started out with 3 run plays and we got the first down on that third run. On our first pass play, Grayson got sacked. Look at the irony in that. On the play after that, there hit us with a TFL. On the play after that, Grayson got strip sacked but we recovered the ball. As you might expect, we punted after that. On their first play of the game, Kevin got into the backfield and had a strip sack of his own but the QB recovered it. That’s what McThumper can do. If you want to strip sack our QB, we’ll do the same to you. On the play after, Morley caught the checkdown and weaved his way through for a first down. On the play after, they ripped a nice 18 yard run. We were dead silent on the sideline. We were just thinking “so their offense is as good as advertised.” We were able to bring up a 3rd and short. Their QB too long to throw it and took a sack. They then were forced to kick a field goal but they missed it. We were able to shut down that drive. We were able to get a first down and keep the chains moving. On the next play, Udo went to the outside towards me and I was able to throw a block for him en route to his 45 yard touchdown. Nobody was able to touch him. They then got the ball back. On third down, Kevin made a big time play when he broke up a pass and forced a punt out of them. Unfortunately, our drive ended really fast as their run defense showed up and stuffed all 3 of our run plays. On their ensuing drive, we got to the QB again for a big time loss. On the play right after that, we got another sack. Kevin got back their for the second time in the day. The quarter ended with a punt from them. I was feeling good after that quarter. Our defense was in full force and were getting to the QB left and right. Our defense was inconsistent I can’t lie but we were able to make enough plays to give us the lead after the first.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the second quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Our drive to start the quarter consisted of 3 rushes. All of which were short of the first down. We immediately had to punt the ball right back. We had a great punt from Cunningham, though, which pinned them within their own 5 yard line. Their first two plays went for 0 yards. Their third down pass was complete to Morley but he was just short of the first down. They were forced to punt it back to us. On our drive, we just kept running the ball and were driving into their territory. Bean ripped a big 27 yard run to put us at their 10 yard line. On third and goal, Reece was wide open for the TD. It was nice to see him getting some love from the QB. He has been kinda quiet this season. On the second play of their drive, the fastest receiver in the league, McHollywood, broke loose and had a 48 yard catch and run on us. Their next play was also a first down reception. However, none of their next 3 plays went for a first down. We were able to stop them just short of a first. This time, their kick was good. Derrick had another 20+ yard kick return to start us out. We ran the ball 3 times and got a first on the third rush. We ran the ball two more times in the next 3 plays but did not get a first down in the process. We had to punt it away. The QB found Morley for a first down to keep their drive alive. On second and inches, Stryker got into the backfield for a sack. Morley then had a big drop. He was wide open and would have set them up for a field goal if he had caught the ball and turned up field. However, they were forced to punt. The half ended with a Bean Delphine first down. I was feeling good going into the half. We were up by 2 possessions and our defense had been able to stop their high powered offense. Their receivers were playing well but since their offensive line had been nonexistent our front 7 were able to get back there pretty often and limit the amount of passes the QB could get off. Our offense had been a little hot and cold but was able to punch in another touchdown in the second quarter. I knew that as long as our defense remained intact we were gonna win the game.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the third quarter.
Dip Dhillon: We kicked off to them and they began their drive at their 15 yard line. They started off with a checkdown to the runningback that was promptly dropped somehow. He needs to work on his hands. They then had back to back incompletions which led to an early punt by them. It was a poor punt and a good return so we started the drive on their 35 yard line. Udo ripped a 12 yard run to start the drive. Bean then got the handoff and fumbled. They recovered it. It was a bad start to the second half for us. They then ripped a 17 yard run that put them near our 50 yard line. On second down, as the QB was scanning the field for an open receiver, one of our Dline men got around their blocker and sacked the quarterback for a big loss. They then got some yards back on a catch by the TE but it was not enough for a first and so they punted it back to us. We were at our own 10 yard line so we had to be careful with our play calls. On second down, Grayson run it himself and got to the outside. He barely slipped past the defenders and broke free. He sprinted down the length of the field and just pulled away from the defense and from us blockers and ran into the endzone for an 89 yard rushing touchdown! We were so hype! It would have been perfect if our kicker didn’t miss the extra point but we didn’t really care at that point. On their drive after, they immediately started driving down the field. However, back to back incompletions and a short reception saw their drive fizzle out. Our defense was still holding up well and theirs was starting to crack. They went for it on 4th down and didn’t get it which was funny to watch. I thought they had the best offense in the league. I guess not. I got my first target and reception of the game in the 3rd quarter. It was a nice 5 yard catch on first down. The commentators called it an acrobatic catch but that’s the norm for me. We kept running the ball after that and were continually getting yardage. On third and goal, Reece got in behind his man and caught his 2nd touchdown of the game. He was the man to beat in the endzone. They started their drive with a nice run by the back. On the final play of the quarter, they just ran it again for about 5 yards.
Crusty Chris: Take me through the fourth quarter.
Dip Dhillon: Well the speed demon McHollywood got in open space again and smoked us for a long TD to finally give them some points. I like to think of that TD as some charity work on our part. On our drive, Prince got a target on every play but couldn’t make any catches. We punted shortly thereafter. Their QB dropped back on the first play of the drive and kept looking for an open man. Eventually, they threw the ball and Ryan went up and caught it. He has been improving every game this year and that was a big time play. On our first play after that, I had another catch. We were in the redzone now and Grayson threw a bullet at Derrick and he came down with it to extend our lead. Of course, they got sacked on the drive after. After their punt, we were faced with a 3rd and 10. Grayson looked at me before he snapped the ball and he and I both knew I was going to make a play. As expected, I beat my man and Grayson found me. I took off down the sideline for a 44 yard touchdown. Did you really think that I was going to go a game without a tuddy? The rest of the game was boring. We won easily. End of story.
Crusty Chris: Ok thank you guys for reading and thank you Dip Dhillon for joining us. Dip will be back here next week to discuss the Week 6 game. Bye!
Dip Dhillon: Thanks for having me. Yes, I will be back next week. Go Bucs!
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