*LeafTalk Episode 1

[ValorX77]

Welcome to the very first episode of, LeafTalk, where we talk about the players and Gm's impacting the modern sim game. Today is exactly one Day after Ultimus XV and Ultimini XIII happened, where the Baltimore Hawks defeated the San Jose Sabercats by a score of 49-0 and the Palm Beach Solar Bears defeated the Portland Pythons by a score of 37-17 respectively.


Today's first guest is the current co-gm of the Yellowknife Wraiths , i'd like to welcome @Bigred1580 . The Wraiths are coming out of a disappointing 7-7 campaign, just falling one game short of qualifying for their first playoff appearance since season 8.

I'd like to ask him a few questions about the future of this team, and reflecting on the previous season.
First question is, If there were a change you would like to make from last season, what would it be?

"1) I never like to live life with regret, but we were so close last season to making the playoffs. One loss flips to a win and we are in. So looking back on our season, the main thing I would want to change is our end of game management. We lost both our games to eventual Ultimus runner-up San Jose Sabercats by a score. Both games were in hand in the fourth quarter and we were unable to finish. I don't blame anyone but myself, as we could have spent more time in preseason and practice preparing end of game scenarios. We will get it fixed next season, mark my words."

Second question is, With the upcoming expansion draft, you will lose some good players, How well do you think they’ll do?

"2) We never like to lose players and we wish we could keep everyone. That being said, we know the reality of expansion is we will lose some players that have been key players on our roster and in our locker room. First, Dick Wizardry will be a huge loss. His close relationship with Charlie Law all but guarantees he will be taken by Austin. I know he didn't get the numbers last season he had hoped, but I see him blowing up with the Copperheads next season and being a RBotY candidate. I truly do wish him the best, despite how things ended with the Wraiths. The rest of our losses are still up in the air, but I see whoever is taken being a strong member of whatever team they join. Once a Wraith, always a Wraith, so I hope every former spooky-boy has a great career."

The final question is, How do you see your team 2-3 seasons down the line? Do you think you can win an Ultimus with this current roster?

"3) 2-3 seasons down the read I see the Wraiths like people see the Hawks right now. I think we are going to have a large amount of max earners and will be competing for multiple championships! I am really excited about this team!"

Thanks for your time, BigRed.

My next guest on this episode, is the current co-gm of the Philadelphia Liberty , i'd like to welcome, @BWIII

I'll ask the same questions to you, please answer truthfully and do not leak any war room information.

First question is, If there were a change you would like to make from last season, what would it be?

"I think if I were to go back and make a change to our team from this past year I would probably pick a defensive lineman and swap out Maxwell Beard. Unfortunately it was impossible for us to have the kind of foresight needed before the season began to know what we know now about Beard and his off the field troubles that he was going through because he was so good at covering them up. Ultimately though I think that's what hurt us as there were times that you could tell his mind really wasn't in the game and you could see it in the results. This might be shocking to some as we were actually really good against the run, but I think the breakdown in our pass coverage was a result of not having enough pass rushers creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks so there were a lot of times where they would have all day to throw."


Second question is, With the upcoming expansion draft, you will lose some good players, How well do you think they’ll do?

"It's tough to say to be honest. I mean there are a couple spots we have some good depth in that an expansion team might look at and figure they'd be worth taking, and to be quite honest they could probably put up some decent stats given the opportunity to play on a more consistent basis. It'll definitely be interesting to see what the Copperheads and Butchers value and how our available players will match up against those on other teams like the Hawks who have a ton of players who many believe will be taken."


The final question is, How do you see your team 2-3 seasons down the line? Do you think you can win an Ultimus with this current roster?

"I think we can and I think we're set up pretty well for the future. We have a great young core and enough youth overall that we can marry that with those experienced players and create a great team. I think that this upcoming expansion draft will have a huge play into how the landscape of the NSFL plays out though as not only will some teams come out on the other end more hurt from players being taken than others, but also because the playoffs will be expanding by two teams. Looking ahead I think we have a good chance to remain as one of the strongest in the NSFC and make a push towards the top of the NSFL."

Thanks for your time, BWIII.

That's all for this episode of LeafTalk, Next time, I'll talk to Oles and AdamS, The Gm's of the expansion teams, the Chicago Butchers, and the Austin Copperheads respectively. Until then, i'll see you around on the forums and the discord.

Code:

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