Tier 1: Long Form Tasks (800+ words)
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
One of the most exciting parts of the offseason is Free Agency. Will a major player jump ship from one team to another to compete for a title? Will someone test the market in search of the biggest contract out there? Perhaps a team is hitting the regression cliff and its younger players are abandoning ship in hopes of finding a team that better fits their own regression window? The chase can be different for each player, but the league has seen some incredible Free Agency periods that helped reshape the dynamic of the league in a single offseason.
For me, this offseason was unique because it was the first time that I have ever tested Free Agency. As a former GM, I’ve found myself involved in a great many conversations behind the scenes as I pitched my vision for the team to potential teammates. The thrill of adding a player with over 4 seasons of earning (3 in the NSFL/ISFL, 1 in the DSFL) had the possibility to spark a huge leap forward depending on the position of need. But now, for a change, I found myself on the other side of things. I had to sit down and seriously think about what I wanted in a team. I’ve never been too worried about money; I enjoy writing media and I’m more than happy to collect a bare minimum contract for my player. And I wasn’t simply chasing a title. I’ve won titles on both of my previous players and I hope to do the same with this one, but I’m a sucker for an uphill battle. I’d much rather go to a team that really needs me and focus on helping them overcome that obstacle rather than reinforcing an existing contender. That meant I would have to seriously consider what else I was looking for.
Truth be told, when I was drafted in S21, I didn’t think I’d leave Arizona. And certainly not this soon. Due to IRL obligations, I had to vacate my role as GM in a hurry, leaving the team without the right to auto-draft my player. Fortunately, I fell down the rankings due to a combination of my position (RB) being abundant in the draft and my previously mentioned IRL obligations affecting my earning for that season. So, when Arizona got me with a third round pick instead of having to use a second round pick on me, I considered that a huge win. The team was able to get better draft value that way and it meant I could return to help out the next generation of management. I’ve always been a believer in former GMs trying to support their old teams after they stepped down. I had done some good things in Arizona (even bringing home a championship mere seasons into a rebuild), but I took some risks that left behind a mess. And I wanted to be around to help the new GMs correct course. But that begs a new question. If I feel compelled to stay with the team out of a sense of commitment, how long does that obligation last?
Over the course of the next 3 seasons, I considered this question. I was happy to be an Outlaw again and I truly loved my team. But I also had to accept that I’d just spent 10 seasons there (7 as GM, 3 as a player) and that’s a long time to spend with any team. Did I owe it to them to add another 10? I wasn’t sure of my long-term direction, but the question existed in the back of my mind. Over the course of those 3 seasons, I watched the team continue to grow and mold itself. I had put the building blocks in place, but this was a whole new team filled with incredible, young players. They were blessed with depth and, while I’m not usually one to stress over stats, it began to feel like I was now just a small part of a much bigger machine. Behind the scenes, the team had several people step up in different roles and the new GM was doing a great job of keeping everything rolling. I knew I had been fortunate to find the right choice for my successor, but in doing so, I also made myself obsolete. And thus I wondered if I might make more of an impact elsewhere…. The more I thought about it, I realized how limited my interactions with the rest of the league had been. I loved my time with both the Wraiths and the Outlaws, but from S2-S23, I was only with 2 teams and that I had only experienced 2 different approaches to locker rooms. And getting the opportunity to experience different locker room environments with my new player grew more appealing over the course of the S23 season.
Leaving a team can be difficult. Especially when you were on good terms with everyone. I spoke to a few of my long-time teammates after informing my GM that I would be testing and it wasn’t easy news to deliver. It wasn’t that I was unhappy or even that the team had done anything wrong. It was merely that I felt myself growing complacent. The torch had been passed and the team didn’t need me anymore. They may not have felt that way, but I felt that way. And, as I told my GM, I wouldn’t be leaving if I wasn’t confident in the team’s ability to thrive without me. It may seem odd, but it’s a compliment to the team’s growth and the progress they’ve achieved in such a short time that I can seek out a fresh start without a sense of guilt.
The free agency itself was interesting. I wanted to get the word out early and I dropped 2 media articles in advance to get the word out there. I knew GMs couldn’t comment and the articles went mostly unnoticed as far as responses go, but I figured the right people would still see it. As a GM, I always found Free Agency to be chaotic and knowing that a player would be testing even a few days in advance was a massive help. Unfortunately, I was so used to the Ultimus championship game (and thus the start of Free Agent talks) occurring on Wednesday rather than Friday that perhaps I was almost too hasty in the timing of my posts. I waited with anticipation as the deadline came and teams were now allowed to contact me. And, at first, nothing. I wondered if the message had gotten out there. Did teams still care about me? I had been in the league a long time and, as far as I knew, had a mostly positive reputation. I always got along with other GMs during my time as a GM and I was looking forward to interacting with some of my former colleagues in a new light. Unfortunately, I had indeed felt myself grow complacent over the last 1-2 seasons and I wondered if others had noticed. This league has been blessed with new, promising users to the point where we’ve undergone 2 expansions in a short time, but that also meant that some of the old veterans like myself weren’t the center of attention anymore. I wanted to make a difference and find a team where I could help out as both a user and a player, but was I overestimating my own value?
Fortunately, the messages did soon start to come and, once they did, they ramped up. I didn’t hear from every team, less than half actually, but I also understood that RB wasn’t a position of need for every team. Just as it caused my draft stock to fall in S21, it now meant that some teams didn’t even have an opening for me. But the interactions I did have were very positive and resulted in productive discussions. For me, it came down to the Butchers, Hawks, and Liberty. All three had the potential to for me to fit in as a player while assisting them in different capacities behind the scenes. And I think I could have been happy with any of these choices. But something about the Butchers reminded me of the S15-S16 Outlaws. They were a team that ran into some hardships and were being rebuilt by fresh faces, but while they were doing a lot right, they still had a long way to go. On top of that, I knew they were battling the stigma that had followed them for so long. And maybe a big name (or at least high TPE) free agent could help change that by signing with them fairly early into Free Agency. I didn’t rush into a decision by any means, but by Sunday, I realized I had already made my choice subconsciously and decided to make it official. Not only did I come over, but I was soon joined by fellow free agent Pazuzu. We were both players that could make an immediate impact for the team’s offense. And it quickly made a big impression. “Is Chicago good now?”, people asked. The league is in a great state of parity and it’s hard to predict what will happen during the season itself, but it’s nice to see Free Agency have the potential to help reshape a team overnight. Paz and I were still only two players, but we joined a locker room full of impressive, promising young players with a strong outlook ahead of them and my true hope is that this combination is one that will thrive. It’s been strange being in a new place after being so attached to my old team, but my new teammates have welcomed me with open arms and I’m excited for the future of this organization.
1635 Words
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
One of the most exciting parts of the offseason is Free Agency. Will a major player jump ship from one team to another to compete for a title? Will someone test the market in search of the biggest contract out there? Perhaps a team is hitting the regression cliff and its younger players are abandoning ship in hopes of finding a team that better fits their own regression window? The chase can be different for each player, but the league has seen some incredible Free Agency periods that helped reshape the dynamic of the league in a single offseason.
For me, this offseason was unique because it was the first time that I have ever tested Free Agency. As a former GM, I’ve found myself involved in a great many conversations behind the scenes as I pitched my vision for the team to potential teammates. The thrill of adding a player with over 4 seasons of earning (3 in the NSFL/ISFL, 1 in the DSFL) had the possibility to spark a huge leap forward depending on the position of need. But now, for a change, I found myself on the other side of things. I had to sit down and seriously think about what I wanted in a team. I’ve never been too worried about money; I enjoy writing media and I’m more than happy to collect a bare minimum contract for my player. And I wasn’t simply chasing a title. I’ve won titles on both of my previous players and I hope to do the same with this one, but I’m a sucker for an uphill battle. I’d much rather go to a team that really needs me and focus on helping them overcome that obstacle rather than reinforcing an existing contender. That meant I would have to seriously consider what else I was looking for.
Truth be told, when I was drafted in S21, I didn’t think I’d leave Arizona. And certainly not this soon. Due to IRL obligations, I had to vacate my role as GM in a hurry, leaving the team without the right to auto-draft my player. Fortunately, I fell down the rankings due to a combination of my position (RB) being abundant in the draft and my previously mentioned IRL obligations affecting my earning for that season. So, when Arizona got me with a third round pick instead of having to use a second round pick on me, I considered that a huge win. The team was able to get better draft value that way and it meant I could return to help out the next generation of management. I’ve always been a believer in former GMs trying to support their old teams after they stepped down. I had done some good things in Arizona (even bringing home a championship mere seasons into a rebuild), but I took some risks that left behind a mess. And I wanted to be around to help the new GMs correct course. But that begs a new question. If I feel compelled to stay with the team out of a sense of commitment, how long does that obligation last?
Over the course of the next 3 seasons, I considered this question. I was happy to be an Outlaw again and I truly loved my team. But I also had to accept that I’d just spent 10 seasons there (7 as GM, 3 as a player) and that’s a long time to spend with any team. Did I owe it to them to add another 10? I wasn’t sure of my long-term direction, but the question existed in the back of my mind. Over the course of those 3 seasons, I watched the team continue to grow and mold itself. I had put the building blocks in place, but this was a whole new team filled with incredible, young players. They were blessed with depth and, while I’m not usually one to stress over stats, it began to feel like I was now just a small part of a much bigger machine. Behind the scenes, the team had several people step up in different roles and the new GM was doing a great job of keeping everything rolling. I knew I had been fortunate to find the right choice for my successor, but in doing so, I also made myself obsolete. And thus I wondered if I might make more of an impact elsewhere…. The more I thought about it, I realized how limited my interactions with the rest of the league had been. I loved my time with both the Wraiths and the Outlaws, but from S2-S23, I was only with 2 teams and that I had only experienced 2 different approaches to locker rooms. And getting the opportunity to experience different locker room environments with my new player grew more appealing over the course of the S23 season.
Leaving a team can be difficult. Especially when you were on good terms with everyone. I spoke to a few of my long-time teammates after informing my GM that I would be testing and it wasn’t easy news to deliver. It wasn’t that I was unhappy or even that the team had done anything wrong. It was merely that I felt myself growing complacent. The torch had been passed and the team didn’t need me anymore. They may not have felt that way, but I felt that way. And, as I told my GM, I wouldn’t be leaving if I wasn’t confident in the team’s ability to thrive without me. It may seem odd, but it’s a compliment to the team’s growth and the progress they’ve achieved in such a short time that I can seek out a fresh start without a sense of guilt.
The free agency itself was interesting. I wanted to get the word out early and I dropped 2 media articles in advance to get the word out there. I knew GMs couldn’t comment and the articles went mostly unnoticed as far as responses go, but I figured the right people would still see it. As a GM, I always found Free Agency to be chaotic and knowing that a player would be testing even a few days in advance was a massive help. Unfortunately, I was so used to the Ultimus championship game (and thus the start of Free Agent talks) occurring on Wednesday rather than Friday that perhaps I was almost too hasty in the timing of my posts. I waited with anticipation as the deadline came and teams were now allowed to contact me. And, at first, nothing. I wondered if the message had gotten out there. Did teams still care about me? I had been in the league a long time and, as far as I knew, had a mostly positive reputation. I always got along with other GMs during my time as a GM and I was looking forward to interacting with some of my former colleagues in a new light. Unfortunately, I had indeed felt myself grow complacent over the last 1-2 seasons and I wondered if others had noticed. This league has been blessed with new, promising users to the point where we’ve undergone 2 expansions in a short time, but that also meant that some of the old veterans like myself weren’t the center of attention anymore. I wanted to make a difference and find a team where I could help out as both a user and a player, but was I overestimating my own value?
Fortunately, the messages did soon start to come and, once they did, they ramped up. I didn’t hear from every team, less than half actually, but I also understood that RB wasn’t a position of need for every team. Just as it caused my draft stock to fall in S21, it now meant that some teams didn’t even have an opening for me. But the interactions I did have were very positive and resulted in productive discussions. For me, it came down to the Butchers, Hawks, and Liberty. All three had the potential to for me to fit in as a player while assisting them in different capacities behind the scenes. And I think I could have been happy with any of these choices. But something about the Butchers reminded me of the S15-S16 Outlaws. They were a team that ran into some hardships and were being rebuilt by fresh faces, but while they were doing a lot right, they still had a long way to go. On top of that, I knew they were battling the stigma that had followed them for so long. And maybe a big name (or at least high TPE) free agent could help change that by signing with them fairly early into Free Agency. I didn’t rush into a decision by any means, but by Sunday, I realized I had already made my choice subconsciously and decided to make it official. Not only did I come over, but I was soon joined by fellow free agent Pazuzu. We were both players that could make an immediate impact for the team’s offense. And it quickly made a big impression. “Is Chicago good now?”, people asked. The league is in a great state of parity and it’s hard to predict what will happen during the season itself, but it’s nice to see Free Agency have the potential to help reshape a team overnight. Paz and I were still only two players, but we joined a locker room full of impressive, promising young players with a strong outlook ahead of them and my true hope is that this combination is one that will thrive. It’s been strange being in a new place after being so attached to my old team, but my new teammates have welcomed me with open arms and I’m excited for the future of this organization.
1635 Words
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.