05-03-2021, 05:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-05-2021, 06:50 AM by Asked Madden.)
This is the second time that I have had the opportunity to write an article for the Players Tribune this season. The first one was the week of the trade deadline where I discussed my time on the trade block before getting moved from the San Jose Sabercats to the New York Silverbacks. This time around, I was asked to give my perspective on making the playoffs for the first time in my short International Simulation Football League Career (ISFL).
I think the first thing that comes to mind is that it is kind of weird to make the playoffs with a team that I have only been a part of for 6-ish weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I belong here and it really has been an amazing 6 weeks in New York with all my new teammates, coaches, and my General Managers - but I’ve never been traded so to experience not being on a team for the duration of a season and to make the playoffs is pretty wild to me.
Throughout my football career I have played for one team at each level - I don’t really count my time with the Portland Pythons as a waiver pickup since I barely played and it was towards the end of the season (so we won’t include them in this). But I played all 4 years with the same high school. I know this is relatively normal but people move around ya know? Next was my time at Texas Christian University (TCU). I played 3 seasons there and never transferred, I only left the team early because I felt like I accomplished everything I needed to and was ready to go to the next level, which was the Developmental Simulation Football League (DSFL). Following being a waiver pickup for a few weeks I entered the DSFL draft and spent two wonderful seasons with the London Royals. Unfortunately, our playoff hopes were extinguished both seasons. From there I went to San Jose and then we are here - in New York City.
To be honest, the London Royal playoff runs had some very high-highs and some very low-lows. I set some team records there and we won some games but we never came out on top to win the Ultimini and with the team we had, it is just one of those things that stay with you… especially with the team and personnel that we had there. So yeah, it’s in the back of my mind and while I don’t want to actually go through failure, I am prepared to leave it all out there and face it every game we play. I am ready to go to war on that field with my teammates and I know they are too. I have a resounding sense of belief in this team and our coaching staff to get the job done. I know there are some teams who may be better on paper over the course of 16 regular season games, but anything is possible in the playoffs and everyone is 0-0. The slate is wiped clean and you start back at the finish line with the other 5 teams who made the playoffs.
Not to get too ahead of myself, but WHEN we beat the Austin Copperheads - I am greatly looking forward to playing the best of the best. Cause it’s true, if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Austin is our first test. They are an extremely formidable team but so is New York. We are going to get the job done. You can’t have doubts going into these games, especially playoff games. So once we beat Austin we have Arizona. I am so excited for that matchup. Getting the chance to play against some former teammates in one of the most high stakes football games of the season is just too good to pass up. And once we get past them my gut tells me we will play the Berlin Fire Salamanders. A team that I see in a similar light to Arizona - just a solid team on both sides of the ball and who knows how to win. I know we can beat them and I look forward to doing so if they’re the team that is in our way of our Ultimus Destiny.
If you were to ask me, yes I am nervous, I am anxious, but I’m also excited and most importantly I am prepared. I may want to be a Hall of Fame player and put up stats to be considered the Greatest of All Time but once the playoffs come around, the switch in my head flips and I am ready to do everything I have to do to help us get the one. You need me to block most of the time? &You let me know and I’ll bust my ass to keep my guy away from the ball. You need me to play short field situations and catch the ball in third down situations? You know I got you and I’ll be there to be the safety net. You need me to catch and run the bastard 60 yards? I’ll run harder than I ever have. If you need all of the above, I am your guy.
I know this whole article may come off like I am cocky and guess what, I AM! You need to have confidence and if you throw some flair out there, then you have moxy. I am blessed with both and when I see the work my teammates and I have put into this season (since I joined the team but you know damn well it was happening beforehand), you would feel this confident. As I stated earlier - I am not afraid of failure. I work as hard as I do so I can limit the moments where I have to endure failure. It’s inevitable, you might as well come to terms with that and work your ass off to prevent it as much as you can. And when failure comes in and slaps you in the face, you get back up and stone cold stunner that sumbitch!
With all that said… I can’t wait to take the field Monday Night and be the best damn Tugg Speedman you have seen to this point. I can feel a win in my heart and in my bones. It’s New York Silverback time baby.
I think the first thing that comes to mind is that it is kind of weird to make the playoffs with a team that I have only been a part of for 6-ish weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I belong here and it really has been an amazing 6 weeks in New York with all my new teammates, coaches, and my General Managers - but I’ve never been traded so to experience not being on a team for the duration of a season and to make the playoffs is pretty wild to me.
Throughout my football career I have played for one team at each level - I don’t really count my time with the Portland Pythons as a waiver pickup since I barely played and it was towards the end of the season (so we won’t include them in this). But I played all 4 years with the same high school. I know this is relatively normal but people move around ya know? Next was my time at Texas Christian University (TCU). I played 3 seasons there and never transferred, I only left the team early because I felt like I accomplished everything I needed to and was ready to go to the next level, which was the Developmental Simulation Football League (DSFL). Following being a waiver pickup for a few weeks I entered the DSFL draft and spent two wonderful seasons with the London Royals. Unfortunately, our playoff hopes were extinguished both seasons. From there I went to San Jose and then we are here - in New York City.
To be honest, the London Royal playoff runs had some very high-highs and some very low-lows. I set some team records there and we won some games but we never came out on top to win the Ultimini and with the team we had, it is just one of those things that stay with you… especially with the team and personnel that we had there. So yeah, it’s in the back of my mind and while I don’t want to actually go through failure, I am prepared to leave it all out there and face it every game we play. I am ready to go to war on that field with my teammates and I know they are too. I have a resounding sense of belief in this team and our coaching staff to get the job done. I know there are some teams who may be better on paper over the course of 16 regular season games, but anything is possible in the playoffs and everyone is 0-0. The slate is wiped clean and you start back at the finish line with the other 5 teams who made the playoffs.
Not to get too ahead of myself, but WHEN we beat the Austin Copperheads - I am greatly looking forward to playing the best of the best. Cause it’s true, if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Austin is our first test. They are an extremely formidable team but so is New York. We are going to get the job done. You can’t have doubts going into these games, especially playoff games. So once we beat Austin we have Arizona. I am so excited for that matchup. Getting the chance to play against some former teammates in one of the most high stakes football games of the season is just too good to pass up. And once we get past them my gut tells me we will play the Berlin Fire Salamanders. A team that I see in a similar light to Arizona - just a solid team on both sides of the ball and who knows how to win. I know we can beat them and I look forward to doing so if they’re the team that is in our way of our Ultimus Destiny.
If you were to ask me, yes I am nervous, I am anxious, but I’m also excited and most importantly I am prepared. I may want to be a Hall of Fame player and put up stats to be considered the Greatest of All Time but once the playoffs come around, the switch in my head flips and I am ready to do everything I have to do to help us get the one. You need me to block most of the time? &You let me know and I’ll bust my ass to keep my guy away from the ball. You need me to play short field situations and catch the ball in third down situations? You know I got you and I’ll be there to be the safety net. You need me to catch and run the bastard 60 yards? I’ll run harder than I ever have. If you need all of the above, I am your guy.
I know this whole article may come off like I am cocky and guess what, I AM! You need to have confidence and if you throw some flair out there, then you have moxy. I am blessed with both and when I see the work my teammates and I have put into this season (since I joined the team but you know damn well it was happening beforehand), you would feel this confident. As I stated earlier - I am not afraid of failure. I work as hard as I do so I can limit the moments where I have to endure failure. It’s inevitable, you might as well come to terms with that and work your ass off to prevent it as much as you can. And when failure comes in and slaps you in the face, you get back up and stone cold stunner that sumbitch!
With all that said… I can’t wait to take the field Monday Night and be the best damn Tugg Speedman you have seen to this point. I can feel a win in my heart and in my bones. It’s New York Silverback time baby.
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