04-26-2023, 02:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-30-2023, 10:34 AM by Aneeqs. Edited 1 time in total.)
SARASOTA SENTINEL
“Sailfish Speared: As Championship Drought Reaches a Decade, New Generation of Players Responsible for Franchise Reputation”
By: Calvin Rose
It has now been more than a decade since the Sarasota Sailfish took home the Ultimus Bowl. Since their 27-10 victory over the Arizona Outlaws in Ultimus Bowl XXX, the Sailfish have made it back to the Big Game twice but came up short. Their first loss came in Ultimus Bowl XXXVI in front of over 69,000 spectators against the Honolulu Hahalua 31-28. The Sailfish bounced back quickly and again found themselves in the Ultimus Bowl, this time against the Arizona Outlaws. Ultimus Bowl XXXVII wasn’t much of a contest. Arizona easily took the title 31-11. The once undefeated in Ultimus Bowl games Sarasota Sailfish had suddenly found themselves to be losers of back-to-back championship games. The Sailfish haven’t really sniffed a conference title since this time, and some fans are starting to wonder when the next great Sailfish title run will begin.
If Sarasota is going to go on one of those historic runs, they’ll need to have contributions from a lot of players on both sides of the ball. The Sailfish have a lot of talented football players on their team, so the thought of them quickly becoming a legitimate contender isn’t completely outlandish. They’re going to rely heavily on their young rookie QB to take them as far as he possibly can. Willier Miller, from Ohio State, is the latest QB in a line of historically great players at the position for this franchise. He’s off to a strong start under center statistically for his rookie campaign, but is this something that he can keep up throughout an entire season? This will be one of the main things that his coaches, the media, and the fans will keep a close eye on.
One of the players that has made a big difference in the Season 41 version of the Sailfish is Johnny Blaze Jr. This is Blaze Jr.’s third season in the ISFL, and he appears to have made the jump to the next level with his game. No slouch as a rookie, he put up over 1,100 receiving yards on 65 catches, 9 of them for touchdowns. Last season he had just over 950 receiving yards on 63 catches for 10 touchdowns. In 5 games this season, he’s already got 36 catches for 502 yards and 6 touchdowns. Blaze Jr. is averaging over 100 yards receiving per game to start the season. If he keeps up this pace, he might be sniffing 20 touchdowns and 1,500 yards receiving.
I recently sat down with the third-year budding superstar to ask him about his ISFL journey, his personal performance, and his thoughts on his team and their future.
Calvin Rose: Johnny, the team is currently 2-3. Last season, they were 8-7, and your rookie year they finished 10-5-1. As each year passes, it seems like the team’s performance is going in the wrong direction. After your rookie season, the team looked like they were a piece or two away from being championship material. As we all know, this simply has not come to fruition. How do you feel your first 2+ seasons in the league have gone?
Johnny Blaze Jr.: While I know that the fans and everyone involved with this franchise have the expectation of being a champion, or at least a serious championship contender. I’d have loved to be coming into this season as two-time defending Ultimus Bowl champions, but that’s just not the case for myself or a lot of people who have ever played this game. I feel great about my first 2+ seasons in the ISFL. As a kid, I dreamed about playing football in front of sold-out stadiums filled with lunatics hinging on every play. I get to wake up every day and prepare myself to play football for a living, so it’s not that bad.
When it comes to the performance of the team, of course there’s things left to be desired out there. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t hit our groove the past year or so. We’ve come so close to turning the corner and winning tight games, but unfortunately, we’ve been on the losing side often under those circumstances. We have so much talent on offense and defense, I’m confident that with some tweaks here and there, we can be a legitimate contender this year and in the future. At this very second, are we an Ultimus Bowl champion lock? Absolutely not. If we put in the hard work, secure a playoff berth, and throw our hat in the ring; can we make a run and win the Ultimus Bowl? Absolutely we can. We’ve got a great mix of veterans and young guys in this locker room. We have guys here that love football and want to be the best in the world at playing this game.
CR: You mentioned wanting to be the best in the world at playing this game, and depending on who you ask, you might be on a path to that title someday. Seemingly all of the experts agree, something about your game looks different this year. You have more burst at the line of scrimmage, you’re finding yourself open more of the time, you’re getting into the endzone at a seemingly impossible pace. What has changed this year compared to your first couple of years? Why the sudden leap in production?
JBJ: First off let me just say thank you, but I’m nowhere near the conversation of best in the world at playing this game. I’m not even the best player on offense on my own team, never mind in the world at this game. The world is a big place, and there’s a lot of talented players sacrificing everything to be the best they can be at it. I’m just glad that my hard work seems to be paying off early on this season. As you mentioned before, my first two years I had some solid numbers, but something about this season is different for me. I’m seeing the game differently. I have two years’ worth of experience now to look back on when I’m presented with a scenario. It might be a defensive formation that I never saw in college or developmental. Well, in the ISFL, I’ve seen some crazy setups these past couple of years. My ability to read the defense, recognize the packages and personnel that have been put in front of me; that has improved greatly. I’d say it’s like studying for weeks for a test in school. After the first day or two you might have some things memorized but give it a week or two and you know the materials like the back of your hand. That’s where I’m at now with understanding our own offensive scheme and understanding the schemes of the defenses I’m going against.
With that being said, it’s a long season. Longer than you might think watching on the outside. It’s hard to play this game at a high level for one week. To do it for 16 weeks and then the playoffs is something almost unfathomable. Some days, no matter how much you work and prepare, it just won’t be your day. Learning how to take those days and still get something of value out of them to get better for the next time is a valuable skill I think anyone could use, whether it’s their rookie year or their seventh year.
CR: It sounds like you’re getting comfortable in your role in the offense, on the team, but how about your comfort level in Sarasota? You recently signed a contract that goes through the end of this season. After this year, you could be a free agent. There were rumors over the offseason that an extension with the Sailfish was imminent before the season began. Now, we’re 5 weeks into the season and there has not been anything reported regarding your extension with the team. What does the future look like for Johnny Blaze Jr.? Will you be testing out free agency and putting your services up for auction? Do you see yourself in Sarasota for the long term?
JBJ: I love being in Sarasota. The weather, for the most part, is almost perfect. My family has roots in the northeast, so I’ll take 80 degrees and sunny over a foot of snow any day of the week. The community here has really embraced me as one of their own as well. I feel comfortable here, I have my go-to places in town that I’ve become a regular at. The team has put on some great charity events in the city, and I’m proud to say my own foundation has done a lot of work with the schools and youths here in Sarasota as well. Next to my actual home, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than Sarasota. However, I understand that professional football is a business. Sometimes, you have to make decisions that are best for you; sometimes you have to make decisions that are best for your boss. Depending on which side of the table you’re on, you’ll have different feelings about this game being a business. Luckily, I grew up in a football family. My uncle and my dad are both ISFL Hall of Famers, so I know through them what it’s like when business is going well; and I know what it looks like when business is about to shut down forever. For me, I think my business in Sarasota is unfinished. I know my Agent and the front office have had some discussions during the off-season, and I’m comfortable where things are at right now. If I can work out a deal that’s fair to me and my family to stay here in Sarasota, I’ll jump on it. If the front office ultimately decides to move in a different direction, I understand that too. I know that I have an incredible skillset and that I bring a lot to the table for a winning football team. I’m about to enter the prime of my career and I can be the difference between winning and losing a championship. I have no specific plans to test free agency, or cut off negotiations with the Sailfish at any time. I know that some guys, when the season starts, that’s it they don’t want to talk contract at all. For me, though, the bank of Blaze is always open. If there’s an opportunity for us to make a deal, I’ll be there to sign the contract at 3 AM; I don’t care.
My time with the young wide receiver was interesting to say the least. I anticipate that I will again soon be sitting down with Johnny Blaze Jr. as the season moves on. He’s highly opinionated and directly impacts the success of the football team on the field. Reflecting back on this first interview with him, I felt that he could’ve shared a bit more with me on his feelings surrounding his current team and his contributions. I also expected to hear a bit more about his plans for the offseason. According to my sources, there’s no expectation that Blaze Jr. will be leaving Sarasota, but each week that passes without an extension, the whispers grow louder. My source indicated that the Blaze Jr. camp has been easy to negotiate with since he was drafted out of Holy Cross, but may soon become more aggressive at the negotiating table. Blaze Jr. is outplaying his expected pace right now, and it might be the best chance for him to cash in on a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract. Blaze Jr. is easily one of the most important young players that Sarasota has. He’s being groomed to be the next “guy” at wide receiver, perhaps ascending to the role quicker than many had anticipated. If the front office fails to secure him long term at a reasonable salary, it would go down as one of the biggest flubs in team history. Some internet sleuths have started a frenzy of speculation online. Some have pointed out that Blaze Jr. merchandise is currently discounted in the team store, the only active player who’s merchandise can be purchased at a reduced rate. When asked for comment, the team store Manager had nothing to say, citing club policy to not disclose such things. With Blaze Jr., where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.
WR- JAMAL SLICK JR.
"THE NEW ERA"
MR 8X ULTIMUS CHAMPION
QB Mike Boss - HOF
TE Johnny Blaze - HOF
QB Mike Boss Jr
WR Johnny Blaze Jr
QB Mike Boss - HOF
TE Johnny Blaze - HOF
QB Mike Boss Jr
WR Johnny Blaze Jr