Getting to know your Tijuana Luchadores Rookies:
An Interview with Tonzy (Maverick Bowie) and Cincyfan96 (Adam Schell).
Hey guys me and Cincy just did a quick back and forth where we kind of talked about our experience in the league so far! Hope you enjoy getting to know more about us.
1. Why did you choose a football sim league?
Cincyfan96 – For me, sim leagues were not something I had ever heard of until my buddy, known around here as Mithrandir, started talking about this fake football team he was on where he had to do homework to get better. At first, I thought he was crazy and clearly had way too much free time to play with, but one day during work I got bored, so I decided to check it out. What I found was one of the most unique, confusing, and strange websites I’ve ever been on in the NSFL home site. I scanned through some things and found that it was actually a lot of interesting football content, and while I had no idea what an Ultimus, Ultimini, or Hahalua were, it sparked enough interest that I thought it would be worth at least making a character page. About three hours later, I was hooked.
Tonzy – My situation was very similar to Cincy’s. My buddy Amidships actually started playing about a month prior to me getting involved and he made it sound really cool, so I had to check it out and once I did, I was hooked as well. There was definitely a learning curve when I started out, but I am super glad I pushed through it. I think one of the biggest reasons I was committed to learning it was that it was a football league. I only got to play football for a few years when I was younger so it’s fun to kind of get to live out that experience, even if it is only a sim-league.
2. What were the biggest hurdles in starting your NSFL career?
Cincyfan96 – The hardest thing for me was figuring out the format of this league. It took a couple of weeks for me to realize all of the ways that TPE could be earned, which will forever keep me a few points behind you until you slip up…Lol. It was definitely tough though learning the formatting for posting, and I still have a lot to learn about making things look good, but that’s another story! The biggest help through all of this was having a friend already in the league and a video he sent me of setting up my updates page. Once I got through those things, besides a couple of accidental posts instead of replies, it’s been pretty smooth sailing!
Tonzy – That was my biggest challenge as well. I have never done a forum based anything in my life so I was totally clueless when it came to navigating the forums so if I did not have any help then I probably would not have ever got into the league. It really is not that difficult to navigate now that I have my feet wet so if you are hoping for me to slip up, keep dreaming haha!
3. Why did you pick the position you chose for your player?
Cincyfan96 – My position is a coverage linebacker because that would be my dream role. In college I played middle linebacker on an intramural flag football team (closest I’ve ever come to a real football team) and I loved the mental aspect of it – reading the QBs eyes, picking who to cover, stopping runs from gashing the defense – having to keep my head on a swivel and try to outplay the opponent mentally was always fun for me. So, when picking a character for sims, that was an easy choice for me. Since I’m certainly not 6’3” and 250 pounds, this was my chance to tackle people for real.
Tonzy – I ended up choosing to be a Safety (Center Fielder) because to me it’s kind of like being the quarterback of the defense. I originally was pretty dead set on making a quarterback because that really is the position I love the most but I realized how so incredibly overcrowded it was so I opted against it. I am happy with my choice though because I felt like I made an immediate impact on my team because I played a less populated position. I used to play Linebacker when I played in high school but I always loved watching and reading passes so Safety would be my favorite defensive position as well.
4. Why did you pick that name and render for your player?
Cincyfan96 – Don’t tell anybody, but I picked my name because it’s my name…Not the most creative option I realize, and assuming I’m around for render number 2 I’ll have more fun with it, but I was setting up to check things out and didn’t really even think about picking a cool sounding name. My render I chose because last year watching Leighton Vander Esch play I grew to really enjoy his game, and as far as NFL linebackers, he’s actually not too far from looking like me. Boring answers here, but the truth!
Tonzy – I really contemplated that as well believe it or not, but my real name does not necessarily sound cool haha! I chose Maverick Bowie just because it sounded like a good old country boy name for a guy from the backwoods of Virginia, so I ran with it. I also think it does sound really cool so that was part of it for sure. I chose Eric Weddle because he was my all-time favorite defensive player. The beard is also super impressive haha.
5. Tell me about getting drafted, what was that experience like?
Cincyfan96 – Getting drafted was actually where the addiction began. When scouts and GMs started reaching out to me, it was like actualizing a professional sports career and getting to experience something like that for myself, when I certainly will not be able to in real life! I had a really good time talking to several of the scouts and finding common grounds with people – especially in a world where right now I’m working from home due to the virus and not seeing people a whole lot, it was really fun to have that extra interaction. Once the draft began, I didn’t have any clue what to expect as far as where I would be picked. I knew that I wouldn’t be too high since I’m not known around here, but was really happy to be picked in the second round, as well as to be picked by Mithrandir and co. and get to start my career on the same team there. Even got to hear Auntie Bex say a few nice words about me which was fun!
Tonzy – I completely agree! Getting drafted was probably my favorite experience so far in the league. It reminded of me of getting scouted by colleges for baseball and that was such a fun experience, so getting a chance to kind of re-live that through this league has been awesome. It was also a great way to start meeting some people in the league so that was definitely a plus as well. Just like you I had no idea what to expect when it came to the draft either and I found myself holding my breath throughout hoping to hear my name called. I had other friends in the draft as well, so it was cool to see where they ended up.
6. Now that you're established in your first season, what do you like the most about the weekly rhythm of this community?
Cincyfan96 – The biggest thing is watching how quickly I can progress my player. It’s definitely a grind to get to be elite, but at these early stages, 20 TPE can be transformative to how I can play which is really cool to see. I just recently topped 200 TPE which was big for me as I didn’t really know how quickly you could max out your TPE and makes me excited to hopefully be among the top earners in my class looking towards the draft. Another thing that I’ve enjoyed that’s surprised me is actually watching the games! I thought it’d pretty much just be checking the stats sheet afterwards because who really cares about watching little dots, but it’s really fun to watch my little 55 dance around the screen and make plays and I find myself getting sucked in to the drama of a close game, even without the faces and commentary! Last thing is I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing until coming into this league. I’m a couple of years out of college and had been programmed to write for school, but getting to do pieces for fun and get “paid” for them has also been really enjoyable for me.
Tonzy – It took a little while to get into the weekly rhythm and I definitely jumped all in grabbing a league job and trying to write a couple articles right as I got into the league, but it has all been worth it because like Cincy said it is cool watching your player get upgraded and develop. Watching the dots on the screen is really a unique experience haha, but it still brings out my competitive side. I also really enjoy trying to flesh out my player a little more and give life to Maverick Bowie because it just keeps me really invested in the league.
7. How has your experience been with the social side of the NSFL? Locker rooms, Twitter, comments, etc.
Cincyfan96 – The social side of this league is awesome! I love the trash talking in our locker room as well as in general the banter we have in that group. It’s cool that some veterans have hung around the locker room, too, because it feels a lot less temporary that way knowing that this community has stuck around more than just for a season. Twitter is something I’m trying to get more into. Not only because it pays but also because we’ve got some really fun people out there! I’m trying to follow as many players as I can so that I can learn more about our league and the people who make it great. And then I just recently got into a couple of comment threads on media posts that were cool – One player walked me through some NSFL history on a post that I wrote and then on one of Mithrandir’s posts I got to heckle him which is something I will literally never turn down. It’s always great to find a new medium for heckling your friends.
Tonzy – I honestly have nothing but good things to say about the league so far. The community has been great, and I have made some new friends as well as had a lot of fun with the friends I have joined with. I would recommend any new players just talk to as many people as possible. Each locker room has their own culture and it is really fun getting to know different individuals and how they do things and approach the league. Winning makes the locker room a lot more fun too lol.
8. Paint me a picture. 10 seasons from now where do you see your player?
Cincyfan96 – I intend to play out this first career fully – so at least 10 seasons if not longer, as long as my kiddo allows me to have some time to be on the computer! So in 10 years, I see Schell as being a top 5 NSFL Linebacker. I’m currently working to develop his physical attributes since that’s the biggest thing in simulations, but I’m really excited to start working on his intelligence more so that he can be disruptive in coverage as well as plugging the middle of the field. I know it’ll take some time to climb the ranks, but don’t look for me to be an early retirement player. I’m stubborn and once I’ve put the time into him, I’m going to want to ride his career as long as I can. Also, of course he’ll have his mug on a few Ultimus banners. ????
Tonzy – I also plan to play out my first career fully and continue to max earn each season and see just hope and pray the sim treats me favorably lol. Yeah I am kind of like you here Cincy, I think I will be so invested in Bowie by the time regression hits it will be really hard for me to have him hang up the spikes. In 10 season I hope that I will have an Ultimus or two under my belt and as much as I would love for Bowie to become a future HOF that really is out of my control.
9. Do you plan on doing another players after this one? If so what are you thinking for that render? What would you do differently?
Cincyfan96 – At this point I do plan on doing another player – this is fun so why not! For that render I’ll probably go for something more creative. Not quite “Literally just a Hexagon” kind of out there but don’t be surprised if there’s a fictional character or animal or something more memorable than a random white dude. What I would do differently would be 1) be careful about the timing of starting a new career to maximize early earnings and 2) stock up on money early so that I don’t have to wait multiple weeks to get better equipment. 30 TPE goes a long way in jump starting a career and I want my DSFL career to start better next time around.
Tonzy – I definitely plan on doing another player after Maverick Bowie hangs it up and I plan on keeping the Top Gun lineage going haha! There are definitely some funny and creative renders out there for sure so that is always a possibility as well. It is going to be hard for me not to do a quarterback this next time, but we will just see what the league needs more of when that time comes. I agree with you completely about the starting time being critical! You can get so much farther ahead just by starting and giving yourself plenty of time to earn and gain TPE before the draft. The nice thing is that next time we will have reputations already built in the league which will help with where we get drafted and get to play.
10. Is it really difficult being a Cincinnati fan? How do you get through each season?
Cincyfan96 – It’s just as hard as you think it is. Cincinnati fans are either dreamers or pessimists. So far I am still a dreamer. Every year I see all this shiny potential and all of these great players and I think, “We could really do something this year.” And every year the world implodes on us in one way or another. Consider this: the Cincinnati Reds have been building their franchise around kicking butt in the 2020 season for about 4 years now. Their window to maximize talent was this year. It is now July and not a game of baseball has been played. That’s pretty much how things go for us. But for some reason, every year I sign up to do it all over again. I love picking a horse and backing it – I think it’s so much more rewarding than waffling between teams and fan bases and so some day when Cincinnati wins SOMETHING, I’ll be so freaking pumped. Also, I’m not a drinker, but if you’re considering being a Cincinnati fan, I would recommend all of the alcohol.
Tonzy – I cannot respond to that question as, thankfully, I was spared the agony of being a Cincinnati fan. I actually support the Baltimore Ravens so winning and having good seasons are something I am used to lol. Cool fact though is that my uncle used to be a scout for the Cincinnati Reds so I have always kind of liked that franchise even though I am really an Atlanta Braves fan. There’s just something about professional teams in Ohio that make their fans seem pretty sad lol.
11. What advice do you have for anyone new to the league?
Cincyfan96 – Give it a chance. That’s the biggest thing I think. The first two weeks I thought this was kind of cool but I really didn’t get it much at all. I was searching for pages, looking for things to do, and trying to post and reply correctly which I apparently really struggle with. But now that I get the layout, I really do enjoy it. The other key piece of advice that I have is find someone to walk you through those first couple of weeks. If I hadn’t had help in setting things up I’d have never done it right and would likely have given up on it, but there are so many people here who are happy to help, just put out an SOS and find someone you like who can be your go to person for a bit. It’s really super helpful and you might just get sucked in.
Tonzy – Find some friends and bring them with you! The whole community here is great but it’s really fun to have others to experience things with. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you feel lost, do not just give up on things because everyone felt that way at some point when starting out. There’s a bit of a learning curve but once you get through it you are set. The biggest piece of advice I can give new players though is to be willing to try a different position than you think you want to play. It is a really good feeling to have a player that feels needed on a roster instead of being the 3rd QB on the depth chart.
12. Do you recall a specific person or occasion that really helped you to get started?
Cincyfan96 – My main person who has helped me has absolutely been Mithrandir, but that’s kind of assumed since I’ve known him since we were kids and he invited me to the league, but big shoutout to him! The other really helpful thing was this video about setting up your update page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDKu2xXBc8 That thing was probably the only reason that I got it done, so big shoutout to Jpach for that one!
Tonzy – I have to give all the credit to Amidships because without him I would not even be here, and I would not be typing up articles in my spare time lol. He brought me into the league and helped me set up all my pages and navigate the forums. He probably only did it because he wanted the TPE bonuses, but I am thankful nonetheless lol.
13. Why is Tijuana the best place to play?
Cincyfan96 – C’mon, have you seen the weather? It’s beauuuuuuutiful. Alright, but outside of my uprooting my family and moving to Tijuana before finding out that I didn’t actually have to do that, the Luchadore locker room is one of my favorite things about the NSFL so far. We’ve got an awesome mix of players who are cool with my sarcasm but also all are super into our team’s success. This season isn’t going exactly as planned, but we’re all still all in on the season ending well and who knows that might be what we need to sneak into the playoffs. Cannot complain one big about my team, I’m happy to be a part!
Tonzy – I completely agree! We get to play football on the sunny beaches in Mexico while some teams are stuck in some Canadian Tundra (Yellowknife) lol. This group is also great here. The leadership has done a great job of establishing a winning culture here as evidenced by our 7 Ultiminis… But we still have a good time.
14. Why is Tonzy (Maverick Bowie) your favorite user in this league?
Cincyfan96 – Well, first of all you stole my question and changed the most important part. I was going to talk all about how Cincyfan96 is my favorite user…but I GUESS I’ll talk about you instead…But no for real Tonzy is awesome. We’re both new to this whole simulation thing but as soon as we were drafted, he reached out to me and we’ve been chatting ever since. He’s super into this league and particularly into our team and winning, which is something I very much agree with. He’s a max earner and likely will be forever so I’m never gonna catch up those last few TPE unless he REALLY sucks at making predictions…there’s still hope. He’s also taken an interest in my personal life, making sure to congratulate me when my daughter was born and asking me questions about myself which is really cool for someone who only knows me as a render of a Cowboys Player...although in fairness I mostly know him as a picture of a horse… It was actually his idea to do this article together and I hope that we’ll do more in the future because he’s offered to do all the editing so that I can change more diapers!!! If you don’t know Tonzy yet, get to know him. – 5 stars. Would buy again.
15. Why is Cincyfan96 (Adam Schell) your favorite user in this league?
Tonzy – I figured since your question got changed around it was only fair for me to answer this question haha. Cincyfan96 has been great so far. It was fun because we were the first two picks taken by Tijuana in the draft so I immediately reached out because I thought it would be fun to get connected with some of my fellow rookies. It is cool how a friendship has kind of grown from just being a football thing to actually getting to know each other some. If anyone has not met Cincy yet I really encourage you to because he is a pretty nice guy when he is not tackling you for huge losses on the field haha! Keep your hopes high about those predictions man, because I am dropping the ball big time; and by the way I am priceless so you can’t buy me again haha!
For the grader:
Please split earning equally between Tonzy and Cincyfan96, Thanks!
An Interview with Tonzy (Maverick Bowie) and Cincyfan96 (Adam Schell).
Hey guys me and Cincy just did a quick back and forth where we kind of talked about our experience in the league so far! Hope you enjoy getting to know more about us.
1. Why did you choose a football sim league?
Cincyfan96 – For me, sim leagues were not something I had ever heard of until my buddy, known around here as Mithrandir, started talking about this fake football team he was on where he had to do homework to get better. At first, I thought he was crazy and clearly had way too much free time to play with, but one day during work I got bored, so I decided to check it out. What I found was one of the most unique, confusing, and strange websites I’ve ever been on in the NSFL home site. I scanned through some things and found that it was actually a lot of interesting football content, and while I had no idea what an Ultimus, Ultimini, or Hahalua were, it sparked enough interest that I thought it would be worth at least making a character page. About three hours later, I was hooked.
Tonzy – My situation was very similar to Cincy’s. My buddy Amidships actually started playing about a month prior to me getting involved and he made it sound really cool, so I had to check it out and once I did, I was hooked as well. There was definitely a learning curve when I started out, but I am super glad I pushed through it. I think one of the biggest reasons I was committed to learning it was that it was a football league. I only got to play football for a few years when I was younger so it’s fun to kind of get to live out that experience, even if it is only a sim-league.
2. What were the biggest hurdles in starting your NSFL career?
Cincyfan96 – The hardest thing for me was figuring out the format of this league. It took a couple of weeks for me to realize all of the ways that TPE could be earned, which will forever keep me a few points behind you until you slip up…Lol. It was definitely tough though learning the formatting for posting, and I still have a lot to learn about making things look good, but that’s another story! The biggest help through all of this was having a friend already in the league and a video he sent me of setting up my updates page. Once I got through those things, besides a couple of accidental posts instead of replies, it’s been pretty smooth sailing!
Tonzy – That was my biggest challenge as well. I have never done a forum based anything in my life so I was totally clueless when it came to navigating the forums so if I did not have any help then I probably would not have ever got into the league. It really is not that difficult to navigate now that I have my feet wet so if you are hoping for me to slip up, keep dreaming haha!
3. Why did you pick the position you chose for your player?
Cincyfan96 – My position is a coverage linebacker because that would be my dream role. In college I played middle linebacker on an intramural flag football team (closest I’ve ever come to a real football team) and I loved the mental aspect of it – reading the QBs eyes, picking who to cover, stopping runs from gashing the defense – having to keep my head on a swivel and try to outplay the opponent mentally was always fun for me. So, when picking a character for sims, that was an easy choice for me. Since I’m certainly not 6’3” and 250 pounds, this was my chance to tackle people for real.
Tonzy – I ended up choosing to be a Safety (Center Fielder) because to me it’s kind of like being the quarterback of the defense. I originally was pretty dead set on making a quarterback because that really is the position I love the most but I realized how so incredibly overcrowded it was so I opted against it. I am happy with my choice though because I felt like I made an immediate impact on my team because I played a less populated position. I used to play Linebacker when I played in high school but I always loved watching and reading passes so Safety would be my favorite defensive position as well.
4. Why did you pick that name and render for your player?
Cincyfan96 – Don’t tell anybody, but I picked my name because it’s my name…Not the most creative option I realize, and assuming I’m around for render number 2 I’ll have more fun with it, but I was setting up to check things out and didn’t really even think about picking a cool sounding name. My render I chose because last year watching Leighton Vander Esch play I grew to really enjoy his game, and as far as NFL linebackers, he’s actually not too far from looking like me. Boring answers here, but the truth!
Tonzy – I really contemplated that as well believe it or not, but my real name does not necessarily sound cool haha! I chose Maverick Bowie just because it sounded like a good old country boy name for a guy from the backwoods of Virginia, so I ran with it. I also think it does sound really cool so that was part of it for sure. I chose Eric Weddle because he was my all-time favorite defensive player. The beard is also super impressive haha.
5. Tell me about getting drafted, what was that experience like?
Cincyfan96 – Getting drafted was actually where the addiction began. When scouts and GMs started reaching out to me, it was like actualizing a professional sports career and getting to experience something like that for myself, when I certainly will not be able to in real life! I had a really good time talking to several of the scouts and finding common grounds with people – especially in a world where right now I’m working from home due to the virus and not seeing people a whole lot, it was really fun to have that extra interaction. Once the draft began, I didn’t have any clue what to expect as far as where I would be picked. I knew that I wouldn’t be too high since I’m not known around here, but was really happy to be picked in the second round, as well as to be picked by Mithrandir and co. and get to start my career on the same team there. Even got to hear Auntie Bex say a few nice words about me which was fun!
Tonzy – I completely agree! Getting drafted was probably my favorite experience so far in the league. It reminded of me of getting scouted by colleges for baseball and that was such a fun experience, so getting a chance to kind of re-live that through this league has been awesome. It was also a great way to start meeting some people in the league so that was definitely a plus as well. Just like you I had no idea what to expect when it came to the draft either and I found myself holding my breath throughout hoping to hear my name called. I had other friends in the draft as well, so it was cool to see where they ended up.
6. Now that you're established in your first season, what do you like the most about the weekly rhythm of this community?
Cincyfan96 – The biggest thing is watching how quickly I can progress my player. It’s definitely a grind to get to be elite, but at these early stages, 20 TPE can be transformative to how I can play which is really cool to see. I just recently topped 200 TPE which was big for me as I didn’t really know how quickly you could max out your TPE and makes me excited to hopefully be among the top earners in my class looking towards the draft. Another thing that I’ve enjoyed that’s surprised me is actually watching the games! I thought it’d pretty much just be checking the stats sheet afterwards because who really cares about watching little dots, but it’s really fun to watch my little 55 dance around the screen and make plays and I find myself getting sucked in to the drama of a close game, even without the faces and commentary! Last thing is I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing until coming into this league. I’m a couple of years out of college and had been programmed to write for school, but getting to do pieces for fun and get “paid” for them has also been really enjoyable for me.
Tonzy – It took a little while to get into the weekly rhythm and I definitely jumped all in grabbing a league job and trying to write a couple articles right as I got into the league, but it has all been worth it because like Cincy said it is cool watching your player get upgraded and develop. Watching the dots on the screen is really a unique experience haha, but it still brings out my competitive side. I also really enjoy trying to flesh out my player a little more and give life to Maverick Bowie because it just keeps me really invested in the league.
7. How has your experience been with the social side of the NSFL? Locker rooms, Twitter, comments, etc.
Cincyfan96 – The social side of this league is awesome! I love the trash talking in our locker room as well as in general the banter we have in that group. It’s cool that some veterans have hung around the locker room, too, because it feels a lot less temporary that way knowing that this community has stuck around more than just for a season. Twitter is something I’m trying to get more into. Not only because it pays but also because we’ve got some really fun people out there! I’m trying to follow as many players as I can so that I can learn more about our league and the people who make it great. And then I just recently got into a couple of comment threads on media posts that were cool – One player walked me through some NSFL history on a post that I wrote and then on one of Mithrandir’s posts I got to heckle him which is something I will literally never turn down. It’s always great to find a new medium for heckling your friends.
Tonzy – I honestly have nothing but good things to say about the league so far. The community has been great, and I have made some new friends as well as had a lot of fun with the friends I have joined with. I would recommend any new players just talk to as many people as possible. Each locker room has their own culture and it is really fun getting to know different individuals and how they do things and approach the league. Winning makes the locker room a lot more fun too lol.
8. Paint me a picture. 10 seasons from now where do you see your player?
Cincyfan96 – I intend to play out this first career fully – so at least 10 seasons if not longer, as long as my kiddo allows me to have some time to be on the computer! So in 10 years, I see Schell as being a top 5 NSFL Linebacker. I’m currently working to develop his physical attributes since that’s the biggest thing in simulations, but I’m really excited to start working on his intelligence more so that he can be disruptive in coverage as well as plugging the middle of the field. I know it’ll take some time to climb the ranks, but don’t look for me to be an early retirement player. I’m stubborn and once I’ve put the time into him, I’m going to want to ride his career as long as I can. Also, of course he’ll have his mug on a few Ultimus banners. ????
Tonzy – I also plan to play out my first career fully and continue to max earn each season and see just hope and pray the sim treats me favorably lol. Yeah I am kind of like you here Cincy, I think I will be so invested in Bowie by the time regression hits it will be really hard for me to have him hang up the spikes. In 10 season I hope that I will have an Ultimus or two under my belt and as much as I would love for Bowie to become a future HOF that really is out of my control.
9. Do you plan on doing another players after this one? If so what are you thinking for that render? What would you do differently?
Cincyfan96 – At this point I do plan on doing another player – this is fun so why not! For that render I’ll probably go for something more creative. Not quite “Literally just a Hexagon” kind of out there but don’t be surprised if there’s a fictional character or animal or something more memorable than a random white dude. What I would do differently would be 1) be careful about the timing of starting a new career to maximize early earnings and 2) stock up on money early so that I don’t have to wait multiple weeks to get better equipment. 30 TPE goes a long way in jump starting a career and I want my DSFL career to start better next time around.
Tonzy – I definitely plan on doing another player after Maverick Bowie hangs it up and I plan on keeping the Top Gun lineage going haha! There are definitely some funny and creative renders out there for sure so that is always a possibility as well. It is going to be hard for me not to do a quarterback this next time, but we will just see what the league needs more of when that time comes. I agree with you completely about the starting time being critical! You can get so much farther ahead just by starting and giving yourself plenty of time to earn and gain TPE before the draft. The nice thing is that next time we will have reputations already built in the league which will help with where we get drafted and get to play.
10. Is it really difficult being a Cincinnati fan? How do you get through each season?
Cincyfan96 – It’s just as hard as you think it is. Cincinnati fans are either dreamers or pessimists. So far I am still a dreamer. Every year I see all this shiny potential and all of these great players and I think, “We could really do something this year.” And every year the world implodes on us in one way or another. Consider this: the Cincinnati Reds have been building their franchise around kicking butt in the 2020 season for about 4 years now. Their window to maximize talent was this year. It is now July and not a game of baseball has been played. That’s pretty much how things go for us. But for some reason, every year I sign up to do it all over again. I love picking a horse and backing it – I think it’s so much more rewarding than waffling between teams and fan bases and so some day when Cincinnati wins SOMETHING, I’ll be so freaking pumped. Also, I’m not a drinker, but if you’re considering being a Cincinnati fan, I would recommend all of the alcohol.
Tonzy – I cannot respond to that question as, thankfully, I was spared the agony of being a Cincinnati fan. I actually support the Baltimore Ravens so winning and having good seasons are something I am used to lol. Cool fact though is that my uncle used to be a scout for the Cincinnati Reds so I have always kind of liked that franchise even though I am really an Atlanta Braves fan. There’s just something about professional teams in Ohio that make their fans seem pretty sad lol.
11. What advice do you have for anyone new to the league?
Cincyfan96 – Give it a chance. That’s the biggest thing I think. The first two weeks I thought this was kind of cool but I really didn’t get it much at all. I was searching for pages, looking for things to do, and trying to post and reply correctly which I apparently really struggle with. But now that I get the layout, I really do enjoy it. The other key piece of advice that I have is find someone to walk you through those first couple of weeks. If I hadn’t had help in setting things up I’d have never done it right and would likely have given up on it, but there are so many people here who are happy to help, just put out an SOS and find someone you like who can be your go to person for a bit. It’s really super helpful and you might just get sucked in.
Tonzy – Find some friends and bring them with you! The whole community here is great but it’s really fun to have others to experience things with. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you feel lost, do not just give up on things because everyone felt that way at some point when starting out. There’s a bit of a learning curve but once you get through it you are set. The biggest piece of advice I can give new players though is to be willing to try a different position than you think you want to play. It is a really good feeling to have a player that feels needed on a roster instead of being the 3rd QB on the depth chart.
12. Do you recall a specific person or occasion that really helped you to get started?
Cincyfan96 – My main person who has helped me has absolutely been Mithrandir, but that’s kind of assumed since I’ve known him since we were kids and he invited me to the league, but big shoutout to him! The other really helpful thing was this video about setting up your update page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDKu2xXBc8 That thing was probably the only reason that I got it done, so big shoutout to Jpach for that one!
Tonzy – I have to give all the credit to Amidships because without him I would not even be here, and I would not be typing up articles in my spare time lol. He brought me into the league and helped me set up all my pages and navigate the forums. He probably only did it because he wanted the TPE bonuses, but I am thankful nonetheless lol.
13. Why is Tijuana the best place to play?
Cincyfan96 – C’mon, have you seen the weather? It’s beauuuuuuutiful. Alright, but outside of my uprooting my family and moving to Tijuana before finding out that I didn’t actually have to do that, the Luchadore locker room is one of my favorite things about the NSFL so far. We’ve got an awesome mix of players who are cool with my sarcasm but also all are super into our team’s success. This season isn’t going exactly as planned, but we’re all still all in on the season ending well and who knows that might be what we need to sneak into the playoffs. Cannot complain one big about my team, I’m happy to be a part!
Tonzy – I completely agree! We get to play football on the sunny beaches in Mexico while some teams are stuck in some Canadian Tundra (Yellowknife) lol. This group is also great here. The leadership has done a great job of establishing a winning culture here as evidenced by our 7 Ultiminis… But we still have a good time.
14. Why is Tonzy (Maverick Bowie) your favorite user in this league?
Cincyfan96 – Well, first of all you stole my question and changed the most important part. I was going to talk all about how Cincyfan96 is my favorite user…but I GUESS I’ll talk about you instead…But no for real Tonzy is awesome. We’re both new to this whole simulation thing but as soon as we were drafted, he reached out to me and we’ve been chatting ever since. He’s super into this league and particularly into our team and winning, which is something I very much agree with. He’s a max earner and likely will be forever so I’m never gonna catch up those last few TPE unless he REALLY sucks at making predictions…there’s still hope. He’s also taken an interest in my personal life, making sure to congratulate me when my daughter was born and asking me questions about myself which is really cool for someone who only knows me as a render of a Cowboys Player...although in fairness I mostly know him as a picture of a horse… It was actually his idea to do this article together and I hope that we’ll do more in the future because he’s offered to do all the editing so that I can change more diapers!!! If you don’t know Tonzy yet, get to know him. – 5 stars. Would buy again.
15. Why is Cincyfan96 (Adam Schell) your favorite user in this league?
Tonzy – I figured since your question got changed around it was only fair for me to answer this question haha. Cincyfan96 has been great so far. It was fun because we were the first two picks taken by Tijuana in the draft so I immediately reached out because I thought it would be fun to get connected with some of my fellow rookies. It is cool how a friendship has kind of grown from just being a football thing to actually getting to know each other some. If anyone has not met Cincy yet I really encourage you to because he is a pretty nice guy when he is not tackling you for huge losses on the field haha! Keep your hopes high about those predictions man, because I am dropping the ball big time; and by the way I am priceless so you can’t buy me again haha!
For the grader:
Please split earning equally between Tonzy and Cincyfan96, Thanks!