(S41) PT #3 - Whoa, we're Halfway There!

[Troen]

React, or overreact, to the first weeks of the season. Is your player’s slow start a sign of abject failure, or are they a 100% MVP lock? Have the Hahalua sold their souls to the sim gods and already locked up an Ultimus? Is your team going to compete for a playoff spot or are they doomed for failure? Give your hot takes here.

Honolulu starting out so hot is clearly a fluke and cannot be sustained for the rest of the season. That being said, I'm pretty high on the offense overall keeping up scoring points - I just think that there's no chance they keep their scoring offense to be as good as it is. Honolulu is currently second in the ASFC (5th overall) for points scored while being 6th (10th overall) for yards allowed. The offense being good definitely helps with that since their opponents will have longer fields more of the time and so be less likely to score, but the team's defense just doesn't have the production you want out of a top team. As of week 9, Honolulu is last in forced fumbles and TFLs, 9th in sacks, and in a 4-way tie for 3rd in interceptions. I think good teams in the league will be able to put together strong run games against the weaker front-7 and that will ultimately lead to their demise even if they do make the playoffs.

[Komobro]

This season has been straight loco so far. Opening up the season 5-0 with some crazy comeback victories has been exciting. However, out of everything, I can only think of a few things that could fit this prompt ..

Synystyr Gates is the DPOY. Gates has been incredibly clutch and come through almost every time we needed a break. I don't think that the Tijuana Luchadores would be 5-0 without some of those clutch INTs.

Another important thing helping our success has been out running game. With the duo of Kyle Crane and Gucci Gurley, we have absolutely ran over other team's defenses. They are a couple of F-150s in the backfield for sure.     

Lastly, I would like to mention how helpful and impactful our management has been. anytime I've reached out to WWizard, baz, or Kotasa, they have been extremely helpful and happy to do it. They really enable our success and make sure we have all the information we need.

And quick shout-out to swoosh/Dino Nuggies for being a great locker room influence!









Tl;Dr Tijuana GOATed n we r coming 4 all of u

[MattBake12]

the riddler has been having a decent start to his career in his rookie season. he hasnt been seeing an extended amount of playing time, but the time he has spent on the field he has been an impact. Already racking up an interception, a sack and a plethora of pass deflections manning his role as the nickelback and CB2 alternate when his veteran teammates are gassed. The coaching staff has also been very happy with the results have put on the field giving him praises after games and in practices. Lastly the fans have been showing out for riddler, showing him love posting clips and tagging him on social media as well as showing up early and asking for autographs and pictures with him during warm ups. Overall this has been a great start for riddler, rookie of the year probably not but its been a solid season and the growth potential is very visible.

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[nickWilliams]

Nick Williams has shown some growth over the past season. Although only halfway through, Nick is set to surpass his touchdown count over last year. He has already pulled in 4 scoring plays over last year's total of 5. He has also gotten better at holding onto the ball when it makes it into his hands. He is only at 2 drops this season versus 7 of last’s. However, his average yards per carry has gone down. Nick is at 7.6 yards compared to 10.5 from the previous season. Nick hopes to work on his strength more the second half of this season so as to increase the yards he is able to take the ball before being brought down by the opposing team.

As for the overall Royals team, we have a solid chance at winning the Ultimini this season We have a better start with a 5 and 2 record versus a 4 and 3 of last year and are only second in our division. As long as the sim gods keep accepting our sacrifices we are a definite front runner for the trophy this year. Royals S41 Ultimini Champions!

[MikeWhiskey]

Austin is in absolute shambles. We've clearly tried nothing and are all out of ideas! Burn it down, sell the team, fire Mike, re-fire Pug, delete UC.

Or not, because its just part of the sim. Austin is now on the outside side of the playoff bubble, with plenty of opportunities to get back into it. Our core group is solid, with several young high earners on the team. As the season grinds on, things will have to regress to the mean. Not just for Austin (which will result in us pulling out more wins) but for teams like Hon, who are super hot right now and preforming well above their TPE level. The season is plenty long, and hot streaks and cold streaks can happen. No need to panic until 4-5 weeks from now.

Back to panic. We are doomed! Burn the city to the ground. I don't even like football, Austin is clearly a field hockey town.

[JuOSu]

Well, when the season started it looked like all of a sudden Honolulu went from being a bottom dwelling team to a rockstar, winning our first seven games of the sesaon. We have sadly slowed down a bit since then, leading to two losses since then, but still if we win one more game soon, we will have won the same number of games this year than we did in the last three seasons combined, which is just insane. I think TPE wise especially we are just really not there yet on defense but yet we are performing. I think it's awesome to see and gives me great hope for the future. Personally, I have also slowed down a bit sadly but hopefully I can get some more TFLs soon and add to my total some more. But yeah overall really amazingly happy with how this season has gone and hopefully add some more wins as well.

[WrittinDirectino]

This is an excerpt from First Take after Week 3 when the host who looks suspiciously like Stephen A Smith broke into a 3 minute rant about the London Royals after their 36-14 loss against Tijuana.

Today I want to start the show by talking about London. Ladies and gentlemen, I got some things to say about London.  Last night was one of THE WORST performances I've seen this season. You're going against Tijuana. One of the WORST TEAMS in the ENTIRE LEAGUE last season...and this is how you show up?  Listen, Listen. I understand that you lost your quarterback, you lost your running back, and your best linebacker. But this is a whole new low.  I'm looking at the stat sheet right here and the offense completed 21 out of 41 passes. You heard that right. Not even 50%. I don't know what the coaching staff is cooking, but whatever it is they need to stop. Stop and try something new. And I'm not going to lie. They started the game well. A touchdown and the defense is clicking. But then-what happened in the second quarter? Whether it's a lack of focus or lack of adjustments or whatever the hell it is-excuse my language-something went wrong. London can't be stuck down there at the bottom of the table. They are a team that should be looking at the Ultimini and saying "Hey, that should be us playing right now."
If they do not step up-I GUARANTEE- and I mean GUA-RAN-TEE they are missing the playoffs. That's it. Rant over.

London did go 4-0 after this, so maybe this rant worked. Maybe.

[MoonMan13]

Chris Jakki, the talented football tight end, has experienced a season that can be described as slow and somewhat disappointing. With high expectations surrounding him, Jakki struggled to find his footing in the early part of the season. Fans and analysts were left questioning his ability to live up to his potential.

However, as the season progressed, Jakki began to show signs of improvement and resilience. Despite the setbacks, he refused to let disappointment define his campaign. In the second half of the season, Jakki's performances have taken a positive turn, offering a glimmer of hope for both himself and his team.

Gradually, Jakki has regained his form and started to make a more significant impact on the field. His connection with the quarterback has improved, leading to better timing and chemistry in their passing game. He has showcased his athleticism and versatility by making crucial catches and demonstrating an ability to create separation from defenders.

Moreover, Jakki's presence in the red zone has become more prominent, as he has capitalized on his size and strength to make important touchdown receptions. His determination and commitment to refining his blocking skills have also paid off, making him a valuable asset in the team's offensive schemes.

While the first half of the season may have been challenging for Jakki, his resurgence in the second half demonstrates his resilience and ability to overcome adversity. As the season progresses, it will be exciting to see if Jakki can maintain this positive momentum and finish the year on a high note.

[Raven]

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Written option: React, or overreact, to the first weeks of the season. Is your player’s slow start a sign of abject failure, or are they a 100% MVP lock? Have the Hahalua sold their souls to the sim gods and already locked up an Ultimus? Is your team going to compete for a playoff spot or are they doomed for failure? Give your hot takes here.

Starting the season 7-0 the Honolulu Hahalua absolutely had an absolute banger of a start to their season. Going .500 in a season is not always, but often enough to make the playoffs, so to nearly have gotten into a guaranteed playoff position halfway through the season was quite the achievement. Especially considering where Honolulu was 3 seasons ago. From a 0-16 season to a 7-0 start. All within the span of 3 seasons.

Now 2 gamedays later, Honolulu is 7-2, having lost their last two games. Not a big deal, we know in this sim going undefeated for an entire season is not likely. The rest of Honolulu's season will depend on how they can bounce back from these two loses. In theory 2 more losses should always certainly book them a playoff spot, especially in a very tight ASFC division.

The rest of the season is looking decent for the Hahalua, with 4 home games and 3 more away games to go against mixed opponnets, they absolutely have a shot to get themselves back in the playoffs very quickly after an absolute blowup rebuild.

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[deadlunatic]

Honestly for a second year safety, my boy is doing pretty well so far. Was leading the league in tackles by a safety for the first few weeks. Definitely slowed down in the tackles the last few games. But the team is doing well, so not a concern at all right now. Would like to get some more pass deflections in, but maybe they just are not throwing at me. Should look in to that and see. As for Hon selling their souls for wins, well I do believe that has happened. The problem is, usually the outcomes happens, just not the way you want it to. So while they may be winning now, it will not end with an ultimus victory. They just do not possess the talent needed to win the big game this season. May be they figure it out in the next couple of seasons, but you can take this to the bank, they will not win it all.