15) Choose your favorite non-playoffs game of this season, whether your own team or another. Explain what was so special and why the winner ultimately came out victorious, including key players and moments.
My favorite non-playoff game of the year was Honolulu’s 40-7 win over Austin. Specifically, because Austin has made a habit of handing us humiliating losses when we travel there. It felt great to come out and thump them. Austin QB Easton Cole was only able to manage a measly 39.6 quarterback rating in the game. The Haha defense was truly outstanding. LB Jack Banks put up 3 sacks in the game, Jim Waters had an incredible 3 interceptions in a single game and set the record for return yards in a game despite not taking a single one to the house. Personally, it wasn’t my player Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i’s greatest game, but still managed 81 total yards. After destroying the Austin defense in the week 1 loss at Austin, I was limited to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. The defense put us in a position to milk the clock early however, and adding 4 FG’s from Venus powers was enough to see the offense through. Corvo Havran had possibly his best game of the season and threw a pair of TD’s to promising you receiver, William Alexander, and ran another touchdown in. It was a thoroughly satisfying game to be a part of when all was said and done.
21) Make a comparison between your own team and a playoff team, if your team failed to make the postseason, showing why your squad was better.
I want to take another chance to talk about the Austin Copperheads here. They’re a team that finished just 2 games ahead of us Hahalua, but now find themselves in the Ultimus game after two great wins vs New Orleans and Orange County. I want to compare where the major differences lie in the two teams. Right now, Austin has a QB in his prime in Easton Cole, where Honolulu has the former great, Corvo Havran manning QB. On top of that, Austin boasts a receiving corps that includes former great and probable Hall of Famer, Rod Tidwell, star Wide Receiver Net Gaines, and talent young Eddie Jeeta. Honolulu has two good receivers in Jed Podolak and William Alexander, but will almost never be able to match the production of Austin’s passing game. That is a major difference that allows Austin to beat anyone, where as so much responsibility falls on Honolulu’s young but talented defense to carry games when the offense is sputtering. However, watch for Honolulu’s offense to grow into its potential over the next 2-3 seasons as young stars like Alexander, Kane-Maika’i, and Luke Skywalker put their stamp on the offense. We could see something that compares to the firepower that Austin has now in their offense.
22) Imagine that the league’s Pro Bowl included a skills competition similar to the NFL. What sorts of games could you see being implemented? Which players do you think would perform the best in ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, or other games? Which conference would come out on top?
This is a great question to ponder. The first challenge would be simulating this skills competition. We have a great method of simulating the combine using the combination of attributes that players can gain, but translating that to a skills challenge could be tough. However, I’d like to see some of the big hog mollies in a tug of war, I’d like to see Ultimate Frisbee as well (I think my player would be a star at this), and I know I’d like to see a go-kart race similar to Mario Kart. Mix in some drinking games that happen behind the scenes (much like the NFL) and you’ve got a real Pro Bowl worthy party going. I know other players in the league would be interested in Pro Bowl Werewolf, Cards Against Humanity, UNO, and Dungeons and Dragons games. Maybe an e-sports tourney for some of the zoomers in the league as well. I think this is an idea that has an incredible amount of potential and that the head office should continue to look into as it would dramatically boost interest in the Pro Bowl and the offseason as a whole. Please make it happen if you can head office, I think the members of the league would thoroughly appreciate it.
24) The league is prone to change. Reflect on a past change in either the ISFL or DSFL that significantly impacted something - be it a rules change, an expansion or contraction, or even a complete rebranding. What were the effects of this change, and how has it shaken the status quo?
I have a lot of opinions on changes we’ve made in the past and how they’ve effected the league, but the one I’m going to focus on now is the split into two head offices. A move that I overwhelmingly agree with, though I know a ton of people in the league who don’t. First of all, I was very vocal about my belief that the DSFL had lost its way a few seasons back. As an expansion GM for the Dallas Birddogs, I experienced what the kids would call a “toxic” environment that included teams cheating and complete and utter animosity between the management of certain teams. While this was something that I don’t believe I did enough to personally combat, and may have even encouraged at times, I acknowledge my part in it and I’m glad that Head Office took action to nip it in the bud. One of the great parts of the DSFL is that it’s pure, low-stakes fun compared to the big leagues, and when it became clear that it had lost that aspect in some ways, I was very unsure of the future effects that would have on the league as a whole. So seeing a group of individuals who I trust whole-heartedly to do the right thing, like TH and the others on the DSFL HO, I can finally say that I believe we’ll not only make it, but flourish in the future. Good job all-around from the league management on this one.
My favorite non-playoff game of the year was Honolulu’s 40-7 win over Austin. Specifically, because Austin has made a habit of handing us humiliating losses when we travel there. It felt great to come out and thump them. Austin QB Easton Cole was only able to manage a measly 39.6 quarterback rating in the game. The Haha defense was truly outstanding. LB Jack Banks put up 3 sacks in the game, Jim Waters had an incredible 3 interceptions in a single game and set the record for return yards in a game despite not taking a single one to the house. Personally, it wasn’t my player Ke’oke’o Kane-Maika’i’s greatest game, but still managed 81 total yards. After destroying the Austin defense in the week 1 loss at Austin, I was limited to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. The defense put us in a position to milk the clock early however, and adding 4 FG’s from Venus powers was enough to see the offense through. Corvo Havran had possibly his best game of the season and threw a pair of TD’s to promising you receiver, William Alexander, and ran another touchdown in. It was a thoroughly satisfying game to be a part of when all was said and done.
21) Make a comparison between your own team and a playoff team, if your team failed to make the postseason, showing why your squad was better.
I want to take another chance to talk about the Austin Copperheads here. They’re a team that finished just 2 games ahead of us Hahalua, but now find themselves in the Ultimus game after two great wins vs New Orleans and Orange County. I want to compare where the major differences lie in the two teams. Right now, Austin has a QB in his prime in Easton Cole, where Honolulu has the former great, Corvo Havran manning QB. On top of that, Austin boasts a receiving corps that includes former great and probable Hall of Famer, Rod Tidwell, star Wide Receiver Net Gaines, and talent young Eddie Jeeta. Honolulu has two good receivers in Jed Podolak and William Alexander, but will almost never be able to match the production of Austin’s passing game. That is a major difference that allows Austin to beat anyone, where as so much responsibility falls on Honolulu’s young but talented defense to carry games when the offense is sputtering. However, watch for Honolulu’s offense to grow into its potential over the next 2-3 seasons as young stars like Alexander, Kane-Maika’i, and Luke Skywalker put their stamp on the offense. We could see something that compares to the firepower that Austin has now in their offense.
22) Imagine that the league’s Pro Bowl included a skills competition similar to the NFL. What sorts of games could you see being implemented? Which players do you think would perform the best in ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, or other games? Which conference would come out on top?
This is a great question to ponder. The first challenge would be simulating this skills competition. We have a great method of simulating the combine using the combination of attributes that players can gain, but translating that to a skills challenge could be tough. However, I’d like to see some of the big hog mollies in a tug of war, I’d like to see Ultimate Frisbee as well (I think my player would be a star at this), and I know I’d like to see a go-kart race similar to Mario Kart. Mix in some drinking games that happen behind the scenes (much like the NFL) and you’ve got a real Pro Bowl worthy party going. I know other players in the league would be interested in Pro Bowl Werewolf, Cards Against Humanity, UNO, and Dungeons and Dragons games. Maybe an e-sports tourney for some of the zoomers in the league as well. I think this is an idea that has an incredible amount of potential and that the head office should continue to look into as it would dramatically boost interest in the Pro Bowl and the offseason as a whole. Please make it happen if you can head office, I think the members of the league would thoroughly appreciate it.
24) The league is prone to change. Reflect on a past change in either the ISFL or DSFL that significantly impacted something - be it a rules change, an expansion or contraction, or even a complete rebranding. What were the effects of this change, and how has it shaken the status quo?
I have a lot of opinions on changes we’ve made in the past and how they’ve effected the league, but the one I’m going to focus on now is the split into two head offices. A move that I overwhelmingly agree with, though I know a ton of people in the league who don’t. First of all, I was very vocal about my belief that the DSFL had lost its way a few seasons back. As an expansion GM for the Dallas Birddogs, I experienced what the kids would call a “toxic” environment that included teams cheating and complete and utter animosity between the management of certain teams. While this was something that I don’t believe I did enough to personally combat, and may have even encouraged at times, I acknowledge my part in it and I’m glad that Head Office took action to nip it in the bud. One of the great parts of the DSFL is that it’s pure, low-stakes fun compared to the big leagues, and when it became clear that it had lost that aspect in some ways, I was very unsure of the future effects that would have on the league as a whole. So seeing a group of individuals who I trust whole-heartedly to do the right thing, like TH and the others on the DSFL HO, I can finally say that I believe we’ll not only make it, but flourish in the future. Good job all-around from the league management on this one.