7. Write 600 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that 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 600 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something.
For some people a season is just a season. As long as our careers are, sometimes it truly feels that way with the constant movement, constant sims, and speed of the league. There are times when it feels like you don't have a moment to really take a breath and enjoy a season even if it didn't end in an Ultimus or Ultimini title. For me, this past season provided just that opportunity. The season before last was disappointing. I thought we would be contenders but never really got things going at all. We were far too inconsistent, but ended up with a winning record which is always a nice touch. I honestly thought this season would be more of the same. Maybe sneak in a playoff spot, but certainly nothing like what I saw in San Jose this year. From week 1, I knew this year's team was different. I didn't want to get too far out in front of my skis and start making wild predictions, but I just felt that we had the balanced offense and stifling defense to put together a good run. Even though we lost that opening game by one point, I just had this feeling that we were going to do something special. And special, we did. We ended up winning the next NINE games, rocketing us to the clear cut #1 seed and one of the favorites to make a run in the postseason. It was around this time that I also started to take stock of my own individual performance. I had the honor of being selected team captain at the start of the season and really wanted to put together a good showing on the field, not just for myself, but for all of SaberCats nation. It's not a small thing, to wear the C, and I absolutely wanted to honor that by going out every game and leaving it all on the line for my team. And sure enough, the stats started to follow. Touchdowns poured in. I got more involved in the pass game than previous seasons and would end up with nearly 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. But what I was most proud of us how we responded after the winning streak was over. We lost in week 11 as we got absolutely creamed by Yellowknife to knock us down to 9-2 but the team never lost focus. We took that loss, looked at the film, and then just absolutely flushed it. We didn't let it define us and didn't let the stink of defeat linger in the locker room. Instead, we rattled off three wins in a row after that to help secure not just a playoff bid, but the #1 overall seed as we truly became one of the Ultimus favorites. Overall, we finished the season with a 13-3 record which I just never thought would happen. The toughness and grit of this team will never be forgotten. And although, as everyone knows, we came up short in the postseason, that doesn't define this year's SaberCats team. And it doesn't make this experience any less important for me as a player. Going from not contending to putting together one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, all while representing the squad as a team captain is something that I will always carry with me. I have no doubt that we will get to the Ultimus before my time is up and that run will be fueled in part by this season's run. It gave us a taste of what it takes to perform at a high level, while also showing us that we're not quite there yet. And that's okay, because this isn't just about one game or one season. This year was special for San Jose and I'm just so thankful for the journey.
644 words
For some people a season is just a season. As long as our careers are, sometimes it truly feels that way with the constant movement, constant sims, and speed of the league. There are times when it feels like you don't have a moment to really take a breath and enjoy a season even if it didn't end in an Ultimus or Ultimini title. For me, this past season provided just that opportunity. The season before last was disappointing. I thought we would be contenders but never really got things going at all. We were far too inconsistent, but ended up with a winning record which is always a nice touch. I honestly thought this season would be more of the same. Maybe sneak in a playoff spot, but certainly nothing like what I saw in San Jose this year. From week 1, I knew this year's team was different. I didn't want to get too far out in front of my skis and start making wild predictions, but I just felt that we had the balanced offense and stifling defense to put together a good run. Even though we lost that opening game by one point, I just had this feeling that we were going to do something special. And special, we did. We ended up winning the next NINE games, rocketing us to the clear cut #1 seed and one of the favorites to make a run in the postseason. It was around this time that I also started to take stock of my own individual performance. I had the honor of being selected team captain at the start of the season and really wanted to put together a good showing on the field, not just for myself, but for all of SaberCats nation. It's not a small thing, to wear the C, and I absolutely wanted to honor that by going out every game and leaving it all on the line for my team. And sure enough, the stats started to follow. Touchdowns poured in. I got more involved in the pass game than previous seasons and would end up with nearly 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. But what I was most proud of us how we responded after the winning streak was over. We lost in week 11 as we got absolutely creamed by Yellowknife to knock us down to 9-2 but the team never lost focus. We took that loss, looked at the film, and then just absolutely flushed it. We didn't let it define us and didn't let the stink of defeat linger in the locker room. Instead, we rattled off three wins in a row after that to help secure not just a playoff bid, but the #1 overall seed as we truly became one of the Ultimus favorites. Overall, we finished the season with a 13-3 record which I just never thought would happen. The toughness and grit of this team will never be forgotten. And although, as everyone knows, we came up short in the postseason, that doesn't define this year's SaberCats team. And it doesn't make this experience any less important for me as a player. Going from not contending to putting together one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, all while representing the squad as a team captain is something that I will always carry with me. I have no doubt that we will get to the Ultimus before my time is up and that run will be fueled in part by this season's run. It gave us a taste of what it takes to perform at a high level, while also showing us that we're not quite there yet. And that's okay, because this isn't just about one game or one season. This year was special for San Jose and I'm just so thankful for the journey.
644 words