03-19-2024, 10:34 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-19-2024, 12:24 PM by wetwilleh. Edited 2 times in total.)
Ray Baker’s Offseason
Honolulu kicker & punter, Ray Baker, had a disappointing campaign last season to say the least. Some would argue that the Hahalua's mid-season tanking strategy put Baker in a tough position by limiting his opportunities on the field. Others would suggest that although Baker is maxed out on his attributes, he just doesn’t have it anymore. Anonymous league sources have reported that Ray lost his touch after the Hahalua traded away long-time S41 teammate Billy Jor-El.
On the most recent episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe discussed Baker’s performance and his future. Stephen A stated, “He’s washed up, he’s not the guy we thought he was. He can’t even punt the ball within the 20 at a decent rate!” Shannon rebutted stating, “Listen here Stephen A. It’s because of that damn IceBear. Ray was put into a difficult position because of the decisions this organization made.”
Even on the Pat McAfee Show, legendary punter McAfee was left wondering whether Ray is still “For The Brand”. “He just didn’t have the stats last season. Supposedly he’s maxed out but I just don’t see it”, said Pat McAfee talking about Baker.
Ray Baker has heard the TV pundits. He has read Twitter, reddit, etc. and seen what everyone is saying about him. But that is not going to be a deterrent for Ray heading into the 47th season of the ISFL. It’s time to put in the work.
Ray rolls out of bed and has a serious conversation with himself about his future. He feels that this may be it. His bones and joints are slowly becoming stiff. He knows his body is about to break down but that will not stop Ray from putting his best foot forward on the field. Ray’s intuition tells him this may be his last season truly at the top of his game.
But there’s a big elephant in the room for Ray. His beloved Honolulu Hahalua are still in a rebuilding phase which means potentially limited opportunities for one of the greatest kickers this league has ever seen. He understands that this game is a business and management has to do what is best for the team. Just look at the draft Honolulu had, what incredible picks! Although Ray may be limited in his chances this season, he is not going to be demotivated. He is still determined to put forth 110% effort with every chance he gets.
Ray gives his financial manager and agent, Spencer Strasmore, a call. Ray asks him if he knows anyone who could help train with Ray during the offseason. Strasmore says “I’ve got just the guy.” Since kicking may not be the main focus next season for Honolulu, it would behoove Ray to focus on punting. Spencer flies Ray out to Miami to meet up with the guy who will help in his training.
After arriving at a Miami high school football field, Ray noticed there’s all kinds of cones set up and the field is laid out for drills. Coming up to greet Ray is none other than star punter Shane Lechler. With seven NFL Pro Bowls and six First Team All-Pros to his name, Lechler is the perfect training partner to help Ray with punting.
Lechler immediately puts Ray to the test with numerous punting drills. These included simulating heavy pressure during punts, punting in your own end zone, coffin corner punts, and long distance punting. Ray struggled a bit at first, especially with the simulated pressure. But Ray kept at it and started improving his distance and accuracy. “A focus on punts within the 20 are crucial to becoming a Hall of Fame punter”, says Lechler.
Near the end of the session, Ray experienced something similar to a “runner’s high” or in his case, a “punter’s high”. Ray felt more confident than ever that even though his kicking opportunities may be scarce, his punting skills may still be on full display. He thanked Lechler for his training and mentorship then headed back to the airport to return to Honolulu.
At the airport terminal, while waiting for boarding, he noticed a father and son with Hahalua gear on. Ray went back and forth in his head whether he should go up to them and he finally decided to say something. He went over to the two and said “Hey I love the shirts, thank you for your support.” Once the dad recognized Ray, he looked at him with slight disgust. Most likely given the fact that Ray did not have a great campaign in season 46. But the kid who looked to be around 6 or 7 years old, looked up and shouted “RAY BAKER!” The kid was elated to see him. Ray signed his shirt and took a picture with him at the terminal. Ray was incredibly happy to make that kid’s day and improved his morale tremendously.
Ray thought to himself, “This is going to be a great season.”
During the 12+ hour flight, Ray jotted down notes he took away from Shane Lechler and also watched a ton of tape on the greatest punters of all time. Ray found a new focus and motivation for punting. He was very excited to head into preseason and show that he put in the work.
After the flight, Ray goes down to the bag claim area to get the equipment bag he checked. The bags are coming out and he sees the father and son from the Miami terminal picking up their bags. As they are leaving, the kid notices Ray waiting for his bag and says “Bye Ray! Nice to meet you!” Ray smiles back and goes “Thanks kid! Go Hahalua!”
For Ray, it was nice to put a smile on that kid’s face. Ray is now ready to take on the upcoming season for Honolulu and their fans. But as the father and son were leaving, Ray noticed something on the back of the father’s shirt. It was like a mix between a shirt and a jersey, or a “shirsey” as the kids would call it. It had the number 32 on the back of it. And where the player name would be, it stated:
FIRE ICEBEAR
Honolulu kicker & punter, Ray Baker, had a disappointing campaign last season to say the least. Some would argue that the Hahalua's mid-season tanking strategy put Baker in a tough position by limiting his opportunities on the field. Others would suggest that although Baker is maxed out on his attributes, he just doesn’t have it anymore. Anonymous league sources have reported that Ray lost his touch after the Hahalua traded away long-time S41 teammate Billy Jor-El.
On the most recent episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe discussed Baker’s performance and his future. Stephen A stated, “He’s washed up, he’s not the guy we thought he was. He can’t even punt the ball within the 20 at a decent rate!” Shannon rebutted stating, “Listen here Stephen A. It’s because of that damn IceBear. Ray was put into a difficult position because of the decisions this organization made.”
Even on the Pat McAfee Show, legendary punter McAfee was left wondering whether Ray is still “For The Brand”. “He just didn’t have the stats last season. Supposedly he’s maxed out but I just don’t see it”, said Pat McAfee talking about Baker.
Ray Baker has heard the TV pundits. He has read Twitter, reddit, etc. and seen what everyone is saying about him. But that is not going to be a deterrent for Ray heading into the 47th season of the ISFL. It’s time to put in the work.
Ray rolls out of bed and has a serious conversation with himself about his future. He feels that this may be it. His bones and joints are slowly becoming stiff. He knows his body is about to break down but that will not stop Ray from putting his best foot forward on the field. Ray’s intuition tells him this may be his last season truly at the top of his game.
But there’s a big elephant in the room for Ray. His beloved Honolulu Hahalua are still in a rebuilding phase which means potentially limited opportunities for one of the greatest kickers this league has ever seen. He understands that this game is a business and management has to do what is best for the team. Just look at the draft Honolulu had, what incredible picks! Although Ray may be limited in his chances this season, he is not going to be demotivated. He is still determined to put forth 110% effort with every chance he gets.
Ray gives his financial manager and agent, Spencer Strasmore, a call. Ray asks him if he knows anyone who could help train with Ray during the offseason. Strasmore says “I’ve got just the guy.” Since kicking may not be the main focus next season for Honolulu, it would behoove Ray to focus on punting. Spencer flies Ray out to Miami to meet up with the guy who will help in his training.
After arriving at a Miami high school football field, Ray noticed there’s all kinds of cones set up and the field is laid out for drills. Coming up to greet Ray is none other than star punter Shane Lechler. With seven NFL Pro Bowls and six First Team All-Pros to his name, Lechler is the perfect training partner to help Ray with punting.
Lechler immediately puts Ray to the test with numerous punting drills. These included simulating heavy pressure during punts, punting in your own end zone, coffin corner punts, and long distance punting. Ray struggled a bit at first, especially with the simulated pressure. But Ray kept at it and started improving his distance and accuracy. “A focus on punts within the 20 are crucial to becoming a Hall of Fame punter”, says Lechler.
Near the end of the session, Ray experienced something similar to a “runner’s high” or in his case, a “punter’s high”. Ray felt more confident than ever that even though his kicking opportunities may be scarce, his punting skills may still be on full display. He thanked Lechler for his training and mentorship then headed back to the airport to return to Honolulu.
At the airport terminal, while waiting for boarding, he noticed a father and son with Hahalua gear on. Ray went back and forth in his head whether he should go up to them and he finally decided to say something. He went over to the two and said “Hey I love the shirts, thank you for your support.” Once the dad recognized Ray, he looked at him with slight disgust. Most likely given the fact that Ray did not have a great campaign in season 46. But the kid who looked to be around 6 or 7 years old, looked up and shouted “RAY BAKER!” The kid was elated to see him. Ray signed his shirt and took a picture with him at the terminal. Ray was incredibly happy to make that kid’s day and improved his morale tremendously.
Ray thought to himself, “This is going to be a great season.”
During the 12+ hour flight, Ray jotted down notes he took away from Shane Lechler and also watched a ton of tape on the greatest punters of all time. Ray found a new focus and motivation for punting. He was very excited to head into preseason and show that he put in the work.
After the flight, Ray goes down to the bag claim area to get the equipment bag he checked. The bags are coming out and he sees the father and son from the Miami terminal picking up their bags. As they are leaving, the kid notices Ray waiting for his bag and says “Bye Ray! Nice to meet you!” Ray smiles back and goes “Thanks kid! Go Hahalua!”
For Ray, it was nice to put a smile on that kid’s face. Ray is now ready to take on the upcoming season for Honolulu and their fans. But as the father and son were leaving, Ray noticed something on the back of the father’s shirt. It was like a mix between a shirt and a jersey, or a “shirsey” as the kids would call it. It had the number 32 on the back of it. And where the player name would be, it stated:
FIRE ICEBEAR