1) PLAYOFF REVIEW: Give a short write up of one or multiple playoff matches.
When you look up the word “upset” in the dictionary from now on, you’ll simply find a boxscore from this game. The Marshals came into this game as the best regular season team of all time, and most people expected this to be a solid win for them. And why wouldn’t they? The game was being played in San Antonio, and the Marshals had already beaten the Luchadores twice this season. Both of those wins were by small margins, sure, but at the end of the day, San Antonio swept the season series. But in this league, anything can happen, and the Marshals had to learn that lesson the hard way. Despite an excellent performance from Cooter Bigsby (156 yards on 18 completions for three touchdowns and only one interception), the rest of the team could not find their rhythm. Star running back Morgan Marshall was unable to find the endzone, not a single receiver gained more than fifty yards, and the normally stifling defense gave up a monstrous 96 yard touchdown to rookie running back Forrest Gump. The well-oiled machine that was San Antonio during the regular season finally had a monkey wrench thrown in its gears, and they were unable to recover. The Luchadores defied the odds, and now find themselves in a position to defend their DSFL title.
4) HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUP: Write about two offensive and defensive players that will go against each other in the playoffs.
This year’s Ultimini championship features an unexpected, but exciting, matchup between two unlikely teams. The Portland Pythons are being lead by a true rookie, quarterback Franklin Armstrong, who has shocked the league with his phenomenal play this season. The Pythons’ opponents are the Tijuana Luchadores, the defending champs who beat the best regular season team of all time on their way to the Ultimini. JoJo Burr-Kirven, a linebacker for the Luchadores, has been a force for the team this season, and has played a big role in their success. Burr-Kirven and Armstrong are no strangers, however: they were actually teammates during the Prospect Bowl, playing for the East Cobras. Thus, this year’s Ultimini will have a special meaning for these two teammates-turned-rivals, and it’s difficult to predict which former Cobra will prove victorious. In two regular season meetings, the Luchadores and Pythons each won a game. Armstrong played well in both games, although he only recorded two touchdown passes in the season series against Tijuana (and a single interception). On the other side of the ball, Burr-Kirven totaled 21 tackles across those two games, but had little impact elsewhere. Each player is going to have to step up his game if he wants to secure the win for his team. Tijuana excelled at stopping the Marshals’ ground game, so Armstrong will have to lead an aerial assault, finding his receivers and putting the ball where only they can get it. Burr-Kirven will need to divert some of his energy away from making tackles and putting towards forcing turnovers: picking off passes and forcing fumbles. Both players certainly have the talent and the drive to take their team all the way. But only one will leave the field a champion. Expect a good game from both of these players, and an Ultimini for the ages.
13) THAT MAGIC MOMENT: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch.
Man, I hate that I’m writing about this. Getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round always stings. But giving up a 96-yard touchdown run on your own field is something else. Seeing the ball carrier get a block, break a tackle, get free, and take it to the house is not something you want to see happen, unless it’s your team. But that’s the moment I’m writing about, even though that run came against me and my San Antonio squad in the SFC Conference Championship. And I’m doing so to honor the man behind the run, the one and only Forrest Gump himself. Forrest and I were teammates on the Central Grizzlies, where we made it to (and lost) the Prospect Bowl Championship. During that time, we got to be friends with each other, and although we didn’t end up on the same team in the DSFL team, I continued to root for him (except when we played Tijuana, of course). Forrest is a fantastic person, on and off the field. He’s a great locker room presence, and despite all of the adversity we suffered in the Prospect Bowl, he never once said anything negative about his teammates. He always apologized after a loss, even though he wasn’t responsible for it. He was humble, worked hard, and was kind to everyone. So, if there was anybody in the league who got to break off such a huge run against us, I’m glad it was him. And, for any NSFL GMs who might be reading this, I’ll leave you with the pre-draft slogan I came up with for him: “If you don’t draft Gump, you a chump.”
16) ROBBED: Write about why your team was robbed from making the playoffs, how did the sim screw you and why you were more deserving.
I’ll start by saying this: I know there’s no grand conspiracy to keep San Antonio from winning the Ultimini. I know, logically, that the sim is just weird sometimes, and that bad things are bound to happen to every team from time to time. But, having said that, it feels like San Antonio is cursed by the football gods. The Season 14 San Antonio Marshals were the best regular season team of all time, hands down. Look at the numbers: most points scored (398), largest point differential (205), and second-fewest points allowed (193). They went 13-1, and if not for one late game interception, they would have been the first undefeated team in DSFL history. This Marshals squad is one of the best DSFL teams ever assembled. And you expect me to believe that they can’t handle the 8-6 Luchadores at home]/i]? That a team that didn’t give up allow more than 27 points in a game suddenly lets their opponent put up 30? [i]On their own turf? It’s stuff like that that makes me believe that not only are the football gods real, they despise San Antonio for some reason. It’s hard to say that a team deserves to win the championship--each playoff team can make a solid case for why the championship should be theirs. But this season, San Antonio absolutely deserved to win the Ultimini. And even though we’ll all move past this loss, we won’t ever forget how we got robbed of our title.
When you look up the word “upset” in the dictionary from now on, you’ll simply find a boxscore from this game. The Marshals came into this game as the best regular season team of all time, and most people expected this to be a solid win for them. And why wouldn’t they? The game was being played in San Antonio, and the Marshals had already beaten the Luchadores twice this season. Both of those wins were by small margins, sure, but at the end of the day, San Antonio swept the season series. But in this league, anything can happen, and the Marshals had to learn that lesson the hard way. Despite an excellent performance from Cooter Bigsby (156 yards on 18 completions for three touchdowns and only one interception), the rest of the team could not find their rhythm. Star running back Morgan Marshall was unable to find the endzone, not a single receiver gained more than fifty yards, and the normally stifling defense gave up a monstrous 96 yard touchdown to rookie running back Forrest Gump. The well-oiled machine that was San Antonio during the regular season finally had a monkey wrench thrown in its gears, and they were unable to recover. The Luchadores defied the odds, and now find themselves in a position to defend their DSFL title.
Code:
221 words
4) HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUP: Write about two offensive and defensive players that will go against each other in the playoffs.
This year’s Ultimini championship features an unexpected, but exciting, matchup between two unlikely teams. The Portland Pythons are being lead by a true rookie, quarterback Franklin Armstrong, who has shocked the league with his phenomenal play this season. The Pythons’ opponents are the Tijuana Luchadores, the defending champs who beat the best regular season team of all time on their way to the Ultimini. JoJo Burr-Kirven, a linebacker for the Luchadores, has been a force for the team this season, and has played a big role in their success. Burr-Kirven and Armstrong are no strangers, however: they were actually teammates during the Prospect Bowl, playing for the East Cobras. Thus, this year’s Ultimini will have a special meaning for these two teammates-turned-rivals, and it’s difficult to predict which former Cobra will prove victorious. In two regular season meetings, the Luchadores and Pythons each won a game. Armstrong played well in both games, although he only recorded two touchdown passes in the season series against Tijuana (and a single interception). On the other side of the ball, Burr-Kirven totaled 21 tackles across those two games, but had little impact elsewhere. Each player is going to have to step up his game if he wants to secure the win for his team. Tijuana excelled at stopping the Marshals’ ground game, so Armstrong will have to lead an aerial assault, finding his receivers and putting the ball where only they can get it. Burr-Kirven will need to divert some of his energy away from making tackles and putting towards forcing turnovers: picking off passes and forcing fumbles. Both players certainly have the talent and the drive to take their team all the way. But only one will leave the field a champion. Expect a good game from both of these players, and an Ultimini for the ages.
Code:
304 words
13) THAT MAGIC MOMENT: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch.
Man, I hate that I’m writing about this. Getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round always stings. But giving up a 96-yard touchdown run on your own field is something else. Seeing the ball carrier get a block, break a tackle, get free, and take it to the house is not something you want to see happen, unless it’s your team. But that’s the moment I’m writing about, even though that run came against me and my San Antonio squad in the SFC Conference Championship. And I’m doing so to honor the man behind the run, the one and only Forrest Gump himself. Forrest and I were teammates on the Central Grizzlies, where we made it to (and lost) the Prospect Bowl Championship. During that time, we got to be friends with each other, and although we didn’t end up on the same team in the DSFL team, I continued to root for him (except when we played Tijuana, of course). Forrest is a fantastic person, on and off the field. He’s a great locker room presence, and despite all of the adversity we suffered in the Prospect Bowl, he never once said anything negative about his teammates. He always apologized after a loss, even though he wasn’t responsible for it. He was humble, worked hard, and was kind to everyone. So, if there was anybody in the league who got to break off such a huge run against us, I’m glad it was him. And, for any NSFL GMs who might be reading this, I’ll leave you with the pre-draft slogan I came up with for him: “If you don’t draft Gump, you a chump.”
Code:
279 words
16) ROBBED: Write about why your team was robbed from making the playoffs, how did the sim screw you and why you were more deserving.
I’ll start by saying this: I know there’s no grand conspiracy to keep San Antonio from winning the Ultimini. I know, logically, that the sim is just weird sometimes, and that bad things are bound to happen to every team from time to time. But, having said that, it feels like San Antonio is cursed by the football gods. The Season 14 San Antonio Marshals were the best regular season team of all time, hands down. Look at the numbers: most points scored (398), largest point differential (205), and second-fewest points allowed (193). They went 13-1, and if not for one late game interception, they would have been the first undefeated team in DSFL history. This Marshals squad is one of the best DSFL teams ever assembled. And you expect me to believe that they can’t handle the 8-6 Luchadores at home]/i]? That a team that didn’t give up allow more than 27 points in a game suddenly lets their opponent put up 30? [i]On their own turf? It’s stuff like that that makes me believe that not only are the football gods real, they despise San Antonio for some reason. It’s hard to say that a team deserves to win the championship--each playoff team can make a solid case for why the championship should be theirs. But this season, San Antonio absolutely deserved to win the Ultimini. And even though we’ll all move past this loss, we won’t ever forget how we got robbed of our title.
Code:
252 words