This is coming to you via mobile during my layover in Brussels so do not expect the most fantastic organization or any gifs/images.
Ok, now that my little disclaimer is out of the way and that I have at least 75% of the Leagues' attention right now let me start by saying [Enter worst curse you can think of here] you for even considering that I; Harrif "Yellow Flash" Ernston was GOING TO RETIRE!.
No, you aren't getting that lucky today (Especially you Cushing; I'm still the best Cover guy
), I am not going into retirement.
So what did I mean by the title statement? Simple, I'm back from my two week long excursion in Maasai Mara National Reserve. Yes, I Harrif Ernston, traveled to Kenya during a tumultuous time as their citizens riot over the results of a National Election which may have been tampered with. I took the opportunity, during the politically unstable time, to enter the national reverse on foot and survive for two weeks. Now you may be thinking, "That's crazy!" or "He wouldn't have done that." I say to you, believe what you will; I am sticking to my truth. Ok, so why was I there, what did I do, and how did this make me better as an NSFL player?
I went to Maasai Mara for one reason and one reason only, I wanted to become a BIG CAT on the field. No, not specifically a Lion, or a Cheetah, or a Leopard, and don't say Tiger because they aren't found in Africa. What I wanted was to take a bit from each of the big cats I saw in Kenya. I wanted the leadership skills and pride of a lion, the speed and agility of a cheetah, and the stealth, and dexterity of a Leopard (you learn something new everyday; a Leopard and a Jaguar are two different animals). You wouldn't have guessed it but the Big Cats actually know how to play American Football. They all play with their own species and games don't often last too long as the cats need to hunt or get into fights. The Cheetahs are fast, I mean really fast, the slowest one who played would dust Stormblessed and a lot of the young ones in training were as fast as him. These guys were there to help me with my coverage abilities and my reaction times. Now, I was not going to be able to cover them man to man for too long without either knocking them over for the whole play or playing 12 yards off at the least so they put me in zone most of the time. This was fine by me as most Linebackers fall into coverage zone for coverage duties. It started off bad, like super bad. Image someone who can set up routes like Antonio Brown but has the speed off John Ross (4.22 Official 40). Yeah, I didn't think I'd get beat that much in zone coverage but it happened. Eventually though, I started to adapt, started to see more plays before they happened, read tendencies, and take more risks. By the last day I was starting to really impress many of the Cheetahs, they actually gave me a nickname; the speedy snail.
I only had 2 weeks in Maasai Mara so I couldn't spend all of my time with the Cheetahs, and I wasn't even good enough (by the end of my time with them) to effectively cover their elite. Still, they gave me their blessing and I went on my way to face my next challenge; the Lions. You know what they say about Lions being prideful? Yeah, that is not just something we made up, it's 100% the truth. I think the Lions actually talk more trash than Ethan H. and Bercovici J. but they can back it up...; anyways that's a story for another day. When it came to the lions my problem was strength, and I also had to improve my mental fortitude. You see, besides having Running backs that make Nuck seem like a Scat-back, and WR that will pancake you if you try to touch them with in 5 yards of the LOS; Lions just LOVE to one-up each other. I mean seriously, I know that their plans on either side of the ball don't have that much depth/ disguise (TANGENT: They don't disguise plays; that would be "cowardly") but God forbid a Lion on your team figures out what the opponents are going to do or he/she (Males and Females play) going to be their explaining what each of the 11 plays are doing on that one play, EVEN WHILE THE PLAY IS LIVE. If I had 5 dollars for every time I played with less than 21 other lions all moving instead of gloating, I'd have 500 dollars.
Besides all of that my time spent with the Lions was very helpful. They helped me learn a few important lessons. Lesson #1 : Tackle Aggressively; Get Trucked; Get Up as quick as possible; Act like you didn't get trucked. Lesson 1 is all about saving face and never looking weak, even Lions get tired. Lesson #2 : Use your opponents weaknesses against him; don't gloat your plan away. Lesson 2 was how I was able to start actually tackling Lion RBs and covering Lion WRs. I had to realize my physical limitations and the limitations of Lions. Once I did that I was able to start playing better. Lesson 3# : Don't back down. They might be playing football but they are still predators when they are awake.
Also, just in case any of you want to go play football with the Lions keep this in mind : These penalties do not apply: Roughing the Passer, Offensive Pass Interference, Defensive Pass Interference (As long as you fight after), Unnecessary Roughness (Obviously), Tripping (Wtf is this anyways), Block in the Back, Taunting, Targeting, Spearing, Encroachment, Pushing after the Whistle (As long as you fight after)
The last Big Cat group I went to train with was the Leopards. You wouldn't believe it but Leopards are some of the most resourceful Big Cats in the animal kingdom. They are very technique driven and very by the book. I can honestly take some of the stuff I learnt from them and show it to Outlaws coaches and I think the coaches will be impressed. They practice what they call R.F.F. That stands for "Right. Fast. Fluid.". They pride themselves on doing things the right way then doing them fast then making it all fluid and natural. When their Elite squads come out to play it looks like amazingly crafted football. Just getting on the field I was really excited, and for good reason. Even after 3 days of personal training (they wouldn't let me on the playing field till they "refined me as a player") I was still getting beat by subtle moves they were making. Quick push offs at the point of the catch, refined double moves, pinpoint breaks, and thoroughly practiced timing routes. Leopards really have a good understanding about themselves. They aren't the fastest, nor are they the strongest, so they practice and practice and practice (Antonio Brown/ Peyton Manning level practice) so they can be the best. So was I able to get better and become above average just like I did versus the Cheetahs and Lions? Nope. After 3 days, with only 2 days left, I was still below average. It was the night of the 3rd day that I had live game practice and I was frustrated. How the hell was I going to beat animals who knew almost every facet of American Football? Then it hit me. I had to become Luke Luechly.
Guys, I love Luke L.! He's my bro, he's my teammate, he is the best rookie Linebacker (Who is Broadway btw; legit I don't know who he is). We just don't play the same way. We can both cover but if you ask us to cover a receiver we aren't going to do it the same way. We can both tackle but if you ask us to tackle a running back it won't happen the same way. The Leopards do an incredible amount of film study, legit more than I do. They even listen to film while they SLEEP. If I want to beat them I have to surprise them, and if I want to surprise them I have to be unpredictable. If I played like someone I wasn't (Luke L.) I would be unpredictable. On the second to last day that is what I did; for four plays. Their offense was really surprised and even their coordinator was impressed with me. Sadly though, they had covered their bases (don't underestimate Leopards and film study). They had studied film on ALL OF THE LINEBACKERS IN THE NFSL. I was baffled, just when I thought I was one step ahead I actually was 6 steps behind. So this would be a great time to give up.
Sadly for them that didn't happened. I had predicted something might take out my original plan so I had come up with a back-up. I had studied up on how all of the players from the Outlaws played, and I was going to take a bit from each of them. I was going to borrow A. Davis's coverage, Arbin's Run Stuffing, Jayce Tuck's Tackling, Chess's Catching, I. Rashad's ball tracking, etc. I was going to test the Leopards are see just how well they could adapt to seeing multiple play styles in one play. The Answer: Not well. I dominated for the last two days. Even the most Elite Leopards were struggling against me. The head coach for the Leopards thanked me and said he would be looking to move away from just "by the book" football and have the Leopards create their own unique play-styles.
So yeah, that is where I've been for 2 weeks. I gained a lot of TPE during those 2 weeks as well but I haven't spent any of it. I also still have equipment to purchase. Watch out everyone; the best Linebacker in the NSFL has returned.
Graded
Payout=$2,519,000
Ok, now that my little disclaimer is out of the way and that I have at least 75% of the Leagues' attention right now let me start by saying [Enter worst curse you can think of here] you for even considering that I; Harrif "Yellow Flash" Ernston was GOING TO RETIRE!.
No, you aren't getting that lucky today (Especially you Cushing; I'm still the best Cover guy
![Tongue Tongue](https://forums.sim-football.com/images/smilies/tongue.png)
So what did I mean by the title statement? Simple, I'm back from my two week long excursion in Maasai Mara National Reserve. Yes, I Harrif Ernston, traveled to Kenya during a tumultuous time as their citizens riot over the results of a National Election which may have been tampered with. I took the opportunity, during the politically unstable time, to enter the national reverse on foot and survive for two weeks. Now you may be thinking, "That's crazy!" or "He wouldn't have done that." I say to you, believe what you will; I am sticking to my truth. Ok, so why was I there, what did I do, and how did this make me better as an NSFL player?
I went to Maasai Mara for one reason and one reason only, I wanted to become a BIG CAT on the field. No, not specifically a Lion, or a Cheetah, or a Leopard, and don't say Tiger because they aren't found in Africa. What I wanted was to take a bit from each of the big cats I saw in Kenya. I wanted the leadership skills and pride of a lion, the speed and agility of a cheetah, and the stealth, and dexterity of a Leopard (you learn something new everyday; a Leopard and a Jaguar are two different animals). You wouldn't have guessed it but the Big Cats actually know how to play American Football. They all play with their own species and games don't often last too long as the cats need to hunt or get into fights. The Cheetahs are fast, I mean really fast, the slowest one who played would dust Stormblessed and a lot of the young ones in training were as fast as him. These guys were there to help me with my coverage abilities and my reaction times. Now, I was not going to be able to cover them man to man for too long without either knocking them over for the whole play or playing 12 yards off at the least so they put me in zone most of the time. This was fine by me as most Linebackers fall into coverage zone for coverage duties. It started off bad, like super bad. Image someone who can set up routes like Antonio Brown but has the speed off John Ross (4.22 Official 40). Yeah, I didn't think I'd get beat that much in zone coverage but it happened. Eventually though, I started to adapt, started to see more plays before they happened, read tendencies, and take more risks. By the last day I was starting to really impress many of the Cheetahs, they actually gave me a nickname; the speedy snail.
I only had 2 weeks in Maasai Mara so I couldn't spend all of my time with the Cheetahs, and I wasn't even good enough (by the end of my time with them) to effectively cover their elite. Still, they gave me their blessing and I went on my way to face my next challenge; the Lions. You know what they say about Lions being prideful? Yeah, that is not just something we made up, it's 100% the truth. I think the Lions actually talk more trash than Ethan H. and Bercovici J. but they can back it up...; anyways that's a story for another day. When it came to the lions my problem was strength, and I also had to improve my mental fortitude. You see, besides having Running backs that make Nuck seem like a Scat-back, and WR that will pancake you if you try to touch them with in 5 yards of the LOS; Lions just LOVE to one-up each other. I mean seriously, I know that their plans on either side of the ball don't have that much depth/ disguise (TANGENT: They don't disguise plays; that would be "cowardly") but God forbid a Lion on your team figures out what the opponents are going to do or he/she (Males and Females play) going to be their explaining what each of the 11 plays are doing on that one play, EVEN WHILE THE PLAY IS LIVE. If I had 5 dollars for every time I played with less than 21 other lions all moving instead of gloating, I'd have 500 dollars.
Besides all of that my time spent with the Lions was very helpful. They helped me learn a few important lessons. Lesson #1 : Tackle Aggressively; Get Trucked; Get Up as quick as possible; Act like you didn't get trucked. Lesson 1 is all about saving face and never looking weak, even Lions get tired. Lesson #2 : Use your opponents weaknesses against him; don't gloat your plan away. Lesson 2 was how I was able to start actually tackling Lion RBs and covering Lion WRs. I had to realize my physical limitations and the limitations of Lions. Once I did that I was able to start playing better. Lesson 3# : Don't back down. They might be playing football but they are still predators when they are awake.
Also, just in case any of you want to go play football with the Lions keep this in mind : These penalties do not apply: Roughing the Passer, Offensive Pass Interference, Defensive Pass Interference (As long as you fight after), Unnecessary Roughness (Obviously), Tripping (Wtf is this anyways), Block in the Back, Taunting, Targeting, Spearing, Encroachment, Pushing after the Whistle (As long as you fight after)
The last Big Cat group I went to train with was the Leopards. You wouldn't believe it but Leopards are some of the most resourceful Big Cats in the animal kingdom. They are very technique driven and very by the book. I can honestly take some of the stuff I learnt from them and show it to Outlaws coaches and I think the coaches will be impressed. They practice what they call R.F.F. That stands for "Right. Fast. Fluid.". They pride themselves on doing things the right way then doing them fast then making it all fluid and natural. When their Elite squads come out to play it looks like amazingly crafted football. Just getting on the field I was really excited, and for good reason. Even after 3 days of personal training (they wouldn't let me on the playing field till they "refined me as a player") I was still getting beat by subtle moves they were making. Quick push offs at the point of the catch, refined double moves, pinpoint breaks, and thoroughly practiced timing routes. Leopards really have a good understanding about themselves. They aren't the fastest, nor are they the strongest, so they practice and practice and practice (Antonio Brown/ Peyton Manning level practice) so they can be the best. So was I able to get better and become above average just like I did versus the Cheetahs and Lions? Nope. After 3 days, with only 2 days left, I was still below average. It was the night of the 3rd day that I had live game practice and I was frustrated. How the hell was I going to beat animals who knew almost every facet of American Football? Then it hit me. I had to become Luke Luechly.
Guys, I love Luke L.! He's my bro, he's my teammate, he is the best rookie Linebacker (Who is Broadway btw; legit I don't know who he is). We just don't play the same way. We can both cover but if you ask us to cover a receiver we aren't going to do it the same way. We can both tackle but if you ask us to tackle a running back it won't happen the same way. The Leopards do an incredible amount of film study, legit more than I do. They even listen to film while they SLEEP. If I want to beat them I have to surprise them, and if I want to surprise them I have to be unpredictable. If I played like someone I wasn't (Luke L.) I would be unpredictable. On the second to last day that is what I did; for four plays. Their offense was really surprised and even their coordinator was impressed with me. Sadly though, they had covered their bases (don't underestimate Leopards and film study). They had studied film on ALL OF THE LINEBACKERS IN THE NFSL. I was baffled, just when I thought I was one step ahead I actually was 6 steps behind. So this would be a great time to give up.
Sadly for them that didn't happened. I had predicted something might take out my original plan so I had come up with a back-up. I had studied up on how all of the players from the Outlaws played, and I was going to take a bit from each of them. I was going to borrow A. Davis's coverage, Arbin's Run Stuffing, Jayce Tuck's Tackling, Chess's Catching, I. Rashad's ball tracking, etc. I was going to test the Leopards are see just how well they could adapt to seeing multiple play styles in one play. The Answer: Not well. I dominated for the last two days. Even the most Elite Leopards were struggling against me. The head coach for the Leopards thanked me and said he would be looking to move away from just "by the book" football and have the Leopards create their own unique play-styles.
So yeah, that is where I've been for 2 weeks. I gained a lot of TPE during those 2 weeks as well but I haven't spent any of it. I also still have equipment to purchase. Watch out everyone; the best Linebacker in the NSFL has returned.
![ARI ARI](https://forums.sim-football.com/images/smilies/isfl/ARI_thumb.png)
Code:
1719 Words
Graded
Payout=$2,519,000
[div align=\"center\"]
[/div]
[div align=\"center\"]
[/div]
[div align=center]
![[Image: tdIRa8F.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/tdIRa8F.jpg)
[div align=\"center\"]
![[Image: POeY5vc.png]](https://i.imgur.com/POeY5vc.png)
[div align=center]