(S20) - Ultimus Week

[Coterminity]

Playoff Review

Wow - what a game. Perhaps not the most exciting one, but the Minnesota Grey Ducks’ victory over the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers was a great showcase of attacking ability on the part of the Grey Ducks, and a similar display of ineptitude on both offensive and defensive fronts by Myrtle Beach.

While the first quarter was relatively even, with neither side in real danger of significant breakthrough, the second quarter was a microcosm of Myrtle Beach’s failures throughout the game. With Ramos sacked by Bubba Twatford and a quick 3rd and out on their first drive of the quarter, they compounded this by then failing to stuff 7 straight run plays by the Grey Ducks, leading to the first touchdown of the game. Then, despite getting into the red zone in their subsequent drive, Myrtle Beach were unable to convert due to an Offensive Pass Interference penalty on Sarvepally, and had to settle for a field goal. That, in my mind, was the turning point of the game. From then on, the Grey Ducks had all the momentum and never looked back.

Myrtle Beach played poorly - they were ill-discplined (as illustrated by the numerous penalties in the third quarter on the Grey Ducks’ opening drive), showed no real incisiveness on the offense, and ultimately were unable to make a stop when it counts. Perhaps the nerves got to them. In any case, it was a poor end to a great season, and here’s hoping they bounce back well in the new year. All credit to the Grey Ducks for executing when they needed to, and they certainly look like they’re peaking at the right time.

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Scouting Review

Koh is quite the prospect at the Wideout position - while his physical gifts may not immediately stand out (5’10, 185lbs isn’t exactly world beating), he displays a rare package of deceptive acceleration, great speed, top-class agility, and perhaps most importantly a set of reliable hands and an encyclopedia knowledge of plays which render him an elite route runner.

Speed: Great acceleration which means that one busted coverage or missed tackle could quickly turn into great yardage gain. His background in track - with state championships at both 100m and 200m events - has undoubtedly contributed to this.

Agility: Can turn on a dime, with his instinctive and split-second turns often wrong footing cornerbacks and safeties. Makes him extremely difficult to read, and also allows him to make on-the-fly adjustments as required.

Football IQ & Reliability: Koh’s route knowledge and experience allows him to be used in numerous ways and maximises his versatility. With a strong understanding of route running, spot-on timing, and crisp cuts, it is easy to see Koh becoming a reliable first-option for whichever team picks him up.

Hands: Despite his relatively smaller frame, Koh displays great consistency with his hands, rarely releasing the ball even when taking hard hits. Great focus at all times throughout a game.

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Reform

To my mind, the league in its current state is a fantastic one - and massive kudos to the management for keeping it going so smoothly in rough times with massive competition from more traditional video games, another simulation leagues as well.The fact that this is our last draft class, and the traction I saw on the NSFL recruitment thread on Reddit, is a great sign. That said, I do think there’s some room for reform to best capitalise on recent momentum, and I think this spans two categories: watchability, and accessibility.

In terms of watchability, I initially found it difficult to catch the games I wanted to, even though it was in the middle of the playoffs. My only clue was the Game Pass forum on the NSFL website, but the Twitch link led to an old account that seemingly was no longer updated. I eventually found that the Youtube link worked, but on the account itself, the playoff games were packed together, and not broken down by the individual games. From a watcher’s perspective, it would be nice if we had a bit more separation and detail of the individual games, and would be nice if there was perhaps room for comments to be added, as this is currently not available.

From an accessibility perspective, I feel that the onboarding process for new joiners could be somewhat smoothened. Coming into the S22 draft as a fresh face was great, but initially found it a bit confusing as I wasn’t sure, for example, when the draft was, how the prospect bowl/combine worked, and where to find my tasks/claims. I feel that if we pinned a schedule/considerations at the top of the rookie post, together with a brief description of recent developments/how to follow and watch the league, it could be really helpful.

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Expansion

[Ry_]

1) Playoff Predictions, Reviews:
For this point task, I'm reviewing the Wild Card matchup between my own team, the Baltimore Hawks, and the Colorado Yeti. This was a pretty even game that ended up becoming pretty wild; the teams had a perfectly even amount of first downs and the game was settled by just three points. The first quarter was full of riveting strong defense play, as the only score in the quarter was a twenty-two yard field goal by the Yeti. That was quickly matched by the Hawks, who marched all the way down the field just to have the drive stall a couple of yards short of the end zone and were forced to kick a nineteen yard field goal themselves. Later in the quarter, the Hawks drove down the field and Corvo Havran connected with Errol Maddox on a six yard strike that gave the Hawks a 10-3 lead, but that was quickly matched by the Yeti with a touchdown pass of their own to tie it at 10 heading into the half. The third quarter was a true barrage of points by both sides; there were six different instances where points were scored and it resulted in a 26-19 Yeti lead. After a field goal by the Yeti, the Hawks were on the brink of elimination. While they were able to string together a nice drive to bring the game within three, the Yeti ran the ball well on their last drive and did not give the Hawks another chance.

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4) Rivalry
Our greatest rival in our conference would probably be Yellowknife, at least recently. I've only been on the Baltimore Hawks for one season, so I haven't gotten overly attached yet, but if there was one team that I truly didn't like it would be the Yellowknife Wraiths. Their color scheme alone makes you think of an evil empire ruling over our conference with an iron fist, and I can't stand for such tyranny. They're also, simply put, a really good football team who was the favorite to win the Ultimus year and will almost certainly be a contender again next year. I don't hate the Yellowknife Wraiths that much, but they are just a really strong football team overall who has a stifling defense, and they definitely can shut me and the rest of my fellow offensive Hawks down in game after game. Thankfully, they are being hit hard by regression, so the hope in Baltimore is that they'll eventually fade away from relevance. Since that'll likely be our fate too, hopefully there will be a window where we can flex on the Wraiths for at least one season. The best in the league will always have a target on their head, and that's no different when it comes to the Wraiths; they're really good, and we need to beat them.

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6) Expansion
My first GM job in any sim league! I'm running the legendary ninth DSFL team, to bring complete chaos and destruction to the DSFL to really show the r/NFL kids what they're getting themselves into. If I was an expansion GM down in the DSFL, I would prioritize the running game. Prioritize might not be the right word... it'd be more like obsess. Draft priority would almost certainly be running back, offensive line, and wide receivers/tight ends that are cool with the idea that all of their TPE is going into their blocking game. We'd be running goal line every single down, and why wouldn't we? The running game in the DSFL is broken, and since a ninth team in the DSFL is broken, we might as well abuse the hell out of the rest of the league. Sure, we'll almost certainly be immediately contracted, but this team's only purpose would be to cause chaos, set rushing records, and fade into legend as Ultimini champs. In actuality, I probably wouldn't go this crazy about the running game, but I would definitely look running back and offensive line heavily in my first draft class. A great running back can easily carry a DSFL squad to the Ultimini(cough DARREL WILLIAMS cough), so that would obviously be my priority.

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7) Next Year
To be brutally honest, the Baltimore Hawks aren't looking too hot for the future. However, this sim engine isn't too amazing, and when rookie quarterbacks go from looking like Satan's spawn crawling around on a football field to Peyton Manning in his prime on the range of sim scenarios, anything can happen. There is no scenario that is too insane to imagine when you run a league based on this engine, and Baltimore winning the Ultimus next season wouldn't even crack a top 10 list on the weirdest things this sim engine has been able to produce. How this would happen would probably just revolve around a mediocre regular season followed by the re-emergence of Corvo Havran in the playoffs, leading us to the glory once more. Corvo's TPE earnings were completely worthless in the eyes of the sim engine this year, but next year that could completely change and he could become a demi-god once the Hawks find their way into the playoffs. Since the Hawks will still have Apollo Reed and Darrel Williams running strong in the backfield, an aging but not dead Corvo Havran, and some quality pieces on defense, if the engine loves us enough we might be hoisting the Ultimus at the end of next year. I haven't given up hope yet, and hopefully the engine will be nice to us.

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[Warner]

4. Rivalry

The player that I would consider my biggest rival thus far is Kevin Fakon, a relatively unknown RB out of the University of Florida. Now, you may be wondering, why does the best CB and arguably the best player in this upcoming rookie class have beef with an unknown prospect from a university located all the way on the other side of the country? The answer to that question is pretty complicated, but by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll understand. Anyway, the short answer to that question is: he reminds me of my brother, Jamal Harris. Both Kevin and my brother were running backs that weren’t gifted with an inhuman amount of speed as most star running backs are (i.e. Bo Jackson, Gale Sayers), but made up for it with their incredible vision, size, strength, and ability to hold onto the ball (i.e. Christian Okoye, Jim Brown). Even more than that, the school my brother attended (Auburn) is Kevin’s school’s (UF) biggest rival. If Jamal were still here, he would be disappointed in me for having a petty rivalry like this. But he’s not here anymore. The biggest difference between Kevin and my brother is that one of them is alive, while the other is not. You can probably figure out which is which easily enough. You see, my brother Jamal passed away right before my senior year of high school. He was the leading rusher in the country in both yards and touchdowns, and a front-runner for several awards, most notably the Heisman Trophy, an award that I myself ended up winning last season. You could say that I did it for him, but I’d disagree with you. My brother was killed in a car crash shortly after upsetting No. 1 ranked Alabama in the 2031 Iron Bowl. His car was hit by a drunk driver, who also happened to be on his way home from the game. You’d probably think that I’d have a soft spot for Kevin, considering how similar he is to my brother, but I don’t. I hate him with a passion. Maybe that’ll change if we end up on the same team, but for now it won’t. I know that my brother didn’t choose to die, but I hate him for it. My grief would’ve shattered me if I hadn’t turned it into hatred. I couldn’t sleep, I had no appetite, and I was constantly depressed. I didn’t leave my room for weeks. But eventually, I realized that I couldn’t keep on living like this. So instead of spending my time crying, I hit the gym. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t stop working out. Anger was how I grieved. I had to turn myself into the ultimate football weapon, a goal that I still have today. I need to be the best CB that this league has ever seen. I’ll terrorize opposing WRs. RBs that see me in their path will need to hold onto the ball for their lives, because I’ll pop it out. QBs that see me out of the corner of their eyes will know that they’re in for a world of hurt. As for my brother, I hate him for leaving our parents. I hate him for leaving our family. But most of all, I hate him for leaving me. And now that hatred has extended itself to Kevin. Maybe one day I’ll forgive my brother. But that day is in the distant future. And until then, any time Kevin sees me on the field, he’ll know that I’m gonna make his life hell. - Cadillac Harris

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8. Scouting Report

Introduction:
For this task, I’ll be writing a scouting report on one of the incoming rookies in the DSFL. I am planning to expand on this report later on, as an official write-up on its own post. But, without further adieu, here is my report on the LB out of King’s College London, Derred de Ville!

Strengths:
- De Ville is very tall for a linebacker of his archetype, measuring at 6’4”. In addition to this, his weight is also quite adequate, weighing in at 246 lbs, which isn’t either good nor bad for a speed rushing linebacker.
- Despite having an average weight, de Ville is very strong for a Speed Rusher, and even a bit stronger than a few Power Rushing LBs. He’ll likely get an above average amount of bench press reps in at the combine.
- His speed is great as well, being better than that of quite a few CBs in this upcoming draft class. This’ll aid him greatly when rushing the QB, and it’s a skill that should not be overlooked by opposing teams. He’ll likely get a time in the 4.40s during the 40-yard dash at the combine
- His hands are a bit above average as well, meaning that he’ll be good when going up against linemen who can be easily fooled with finesse moves. He’ll also likely be able to pick off a few passes during his career.

Weaknesses:
- De Ville has relatively low intelligence for a linebacker, which means that he’ll have trouble determining what the opposing offense is planning. He likely will not be much of a cerebral linebacker once he reaches the pros. It is advised that he should not be played in as a MLB unless his football IQ improves somewhat.
- De Ville has very low agility for a linebacker of his archetype. It’ll probably be difficult for him to perform any complex pass-rushing moves, such as the spin and fake spin moves performed by more agile OLBs and DEs. If he can develop a lethal swim move to counter this deficiency in agility, this weakness will be almost entirely mitigated.
- His endurance is fairly average, meaning that if he is forced to rush the passer on every down, he will likely burn out by the mid-late 3rd quarter. As of now, he is not a 3-Down OLB, but can become one with a lot of time spent on cardio workouts.

Conclusion:
Teams that draft Derred de Ville should be advised that he is a project player that is going to take quite a bit of work to improve. He has a lot of upside, but still also has a whole lot of downside with this as well. Despite this, teams should be looking to draft him early on, late first round to early second round. If he drops, it’ll probably be either due to his relative inexperience with football, the fact that his college is one that just began a football program with low-quality opponents, or that he’s a foreigner that grew up in a country with no football in its history. Aside from that, I truly die believe that one day, maybe in his 2nd or 3rd NSFL season, de Ville will have the skills to pay the bills. That is all.

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9. Brotherly Love

A player that I’d say I have a soft-spot for is Prince Vegeta, the star Free Safety for the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers. Of course, this could be considered strange, because you’d probably be expecting for it to be a Cornerback, or a player in my draft class. Now, While I respect most of the CBs in the league at the moment, I tend to lean more towards the Safeties, because of this saying that I just made up a few seconds ago: “Safeties are a Cornerback’s best friend.” If a CB fails at his job at preventing a completion, then either the SS or the FS should be there to land the tackle. If the FS or the SS fails at preventing a runner from reaching the second-level of the field, then the CBs need to be there to prevent them from getting any further. And when everyone does their job correctly, we’re all happy. To sum it all up, we depend on each other. And after watching him play in college last year and the DSFL this year, I know that Vegeta can do his job well. He’s also a relatively nice guy to boot, judging from my conversations with him. That’s the main reason why I have a soft spot for him. I can already tell that he’s gonna be an early selection in this year’s NSFL draft, and next year, I won’t have any problems with being drafted to a team that he’s on, assuming his production is just as good, or better, than it was this year, and I hope to see him on the field someday.

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12. Interview a Star

I interviewed Dax Frost, the star CB/RB for the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers.

Cadillac: Are you happy with your team’s performance during this playoff season? Do you think that you could’ve gone further than you did? Are you optimistic about your chances at winning the championship next year?
Dax: I think Myrtle Beach played very admirably during the playoffs, even if the ending was sad to both play in and watch. I truly do think that MB could have won it all, but all those penalties really screwed us over, but hopefully we keep a solid core of guys, and find a way to make it back next year. And in s21, MB should win it all.
C: What do you plan on doing during the off-season to help prepare you and your teammates for next season?
D: As a person who recently position switched, this whole offseason is going to be my transition from CB to RB, and maybe Ill come back to Myrtle Beach insteading of going to play in the NSFL. Our team is having some fun and games to lighten the mood after that horrendous Ultimini game, and a ton of the guys are really hyped for next year, and this incoming draft class who will be able to bolster this team immensely.
C: Are there any rookies in the upcoming draft class that have caught your attention? What type of player do you think would fit in well with you and the rest of your teammates?
D: There are a couple of rookies I hope can join MB come draft, but one of the DT's really stands out to me. Phat Boi was on MB as a waiver pickup temporarily, and he has been super cool in the locker room, and some of his art is just pure awesome. As for who I think could fit with our players, we pretty much can accept whomever, but we try to steer clear of the more toxic members.
C: Are you happy with your own individual performance this season? Do you think that you could’ve prepared better, or are you happy with the accolades and goals that you have achieved and met this season?
D: I am not at all happy with how I performed this season. Many scouts had me pegged as a shoo-in for best CB, but I played terribly and only amassed 2 picks on the year when the leader had 7. That somewhat helped to me trying out another position in s21. I do 100% think I could have played a lot better to help MB out, but I still do think that we achieved our goals, and allowed for success as a franchise. Going 12-2 is no joke, especially since two seasons ago we were nowhere close to even .500.
C: What do you think separates you, or makes you better than the other players in the league that play the same position as you?
D: I think what really separates my RB play from other RBs is my speed. I currently am the fastest player in the entire draft class, (95 speed!) and am sure to crush the combine. Although there could be a knock on me that I haven't played RB in my career yet. I also have decent catching ability as a dual athlete that played WR and CB in high school, which may put me ahead of others from the position.
C: Is there any advice you have that you think would be useful for young players and rookies in the upcoming draft class?
D: My advice to the new rookies is to just make sure you're having fun, and keep pumping out that TPE! I really hope I'll see some of you guys on MB soon.

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[Frostbite]

Task 4 - Rivalry



Task 12 - Interview a Star (one being interviewed)

Interview from tractorcito_grande

Task 15 - Superstardom



Task 16 - Dynasty

The Myrtle Beach Buccaneers will be the next DSFL dynasty. They have all the pieces in place for it to happen, and their GMs have build a 2-12 team to perennial contenders. They just recently appeared in their first Ultimas since s14, and have established themselves as true contenders for the title. MB has one of the most active locker rooms in the DSFL, which leads to activity which leads to good players. MB also has a QB who will stay with the franchise for a while in Chris Ramos, as well as having a core of OL to block in Simon Tremblay and Douglas Quail. These are the two best active OL in the entire DSFL, and since OL usually stay in the DSFL for a while, this is just a dynasty in the making. Finally I got to talk about some of the coaches at MB. They have legendary Beach kicker Baxter Frost as their special team/kicker coach. Frost has the record for highest average punt yardage in a season, as well as tied for longest kick in a season at 56 yards. He allows for the MB ST core to be better than ever. MB also has Kacey Dream come in during the offseason to help out the aspiring players. Kacey is a former Bucc, as well as a former MVP as a CB. He is MBs honoraty defensive coordinator and taught the guys how to break records with the best DSFL defense ever. I could easily see MB becoming the next Tijuana of the DSFL.

[Toastydata]

Task 1: Playoff Review

Ultimus

The first half of the game made one thing very clear; the copperheads were here to win and they weren't going to let Yellowknife get in their way. An intercepted pass by the Austin defense set up the offense for their first TD of the game. Yellowknife continued to flounder on offense and closed out the first quarter losing 14-0.

The Yellowknife Wraiths first points would come from a field goal halfway through the second quarter. It seemed Austin was going to prove to be unstoppable. Another touchdown and an interception to close out the half left the dominant Copperheads up 21-0 and one half away from winning The Ultimus.

The Wraiths came back out strong with a decent defensive performance and a field goal and a touchdown to close the 3rd quarter. Austin responded with 2 field goals in the 3rd quarter to try and preserve their lead. In the end, despit their best efforts, the Yellowknife Wraiths fell to the Austin Copperheads 37-20.

A truly fantastic matchup, this year's Ultimus was an exciting, well played game of football. I'm looking forward to seeing these teams square off in the future. The Austin Copperheads played better and earned their championship.

Task 4: Rivalry (Cadillac Harris)

This guy right here. Hated him all through college. I'm probably gonna keep hating in the DSFL. We just never clicked. Something about him always rubbed me the wrong way. He's decent player sure, but you'll never hear me say that again. Seeing players like Corvo Havran throwing touchdowns is what inspired me to play football. I'm no quarterback though and I know it. Corvo made me want to play running back. Cadillac Harris made me want to be a hard hitting power back. We never played many games against each other, but I always ran to his side hoping to run him over. I'm pretty sure the hatred is mutual at this point. But what always annoyed me the most was him saying that hotdogs aren't sandwiches. He's crazy, that's for damn sure. Possibly dangerous. I bet this sandwich hating cornerback eats his hotdogs plain without even a little ketchup. I want him to lose just for that. I hope he goes winless for 2 seasons. One for his sandwich hating. One more because he thinks he's more humble than me. No one is more humble than me. I am the most humble man who ever lived. I'll fight him to determine who's more humble if that's what it comes to.

Task 8: Scouting Report

Monterey "Monty" Jack - QB, TPE: 72

This kid has a cannon for an arm.

Fin.

For real though, this 21 year old Raging Cajun is easily the best quarterback in the draft. I've seen him take incredible hits and just get back up. His endurance really cannot be understated. He's never had major injury concerns, which is a massive plus. Monty has a freakishly strong arm. He can and will deliver a tight spiral 60yds downfield right into his receivers hands.

My biggest concerns are his lack of agility and speed. If he ends up behind a bad line, he will take a lot sacks. He's too slow to scramble, so a decent line is a must for any team thinking about drafting Monterey Jack.

He's damn smart though. Handsome, smart and a starting quarterback since the first time he ever touched a pigskin. This guy was born to lead a franchise to victory.

Best stats

Arm: 75
Intelligence: 71
Throwing Accuracy: 72
Endurance: 50

Worst stats
Agility: 45
Speed: 40

Overall, while he's not a dual threat quarterback, he is a fantastic pocket passer with a strong, accurate ball anywhere on the field. I could easily see this guy going in the first 5 picks, he's almost ready to start.

Overall grade: A

Task 11: Playoff MVP

James Bishop WR

Wildcard Weekend
3 receptions 43 yds 1 TD
105 yd kick return TD
46 yd kick return

Look at those stats. Look at them! This man needs a goddamn back brace after putting up these kinds of numbers. While Bishop undoubtedly performed better in the special teams phase, he contributed very heavily to his team's victory on Wildcard Weekend. Bishop has always been one of the fastest wide receivers in the league and he showed everyone his talent in this game and really played his heart out. Performances like this are not soon forgotten. This man is bound for the hall of fame.

Conference Championship
4 Receptions 138 yds
73 kick return yds

Another fantastic performance in this game saw Bishop moving the ball for over 200 yds total. While he didn't get a touchdown in this game, Bishop did his best to get his team in position to score. While they end up losing to a damn good Yellowknife team, Bishop is Playoff MVP in my heart. After a long and well played career, Bishop can rest easy in the knowledge that he's one of the greats. A truly talented wide receiver, I look forward to seeing him play again next season.


Kevin Fakon Running Back

[matt2930]

1. Look, I’m going to get this out of the way and say I fully picked the Wraiths to win the Ultimus, but holy f*** was that finals game epic. I dream… DREAM of a time when the Superbowl could be as exciting and high-scoring as the finals game was. Plus, can we talk about Easton Cole’s ABSURD game, going 21/31 with 322(WHAT) passing yards with 4 TDs! Holy mother of god what a tits out kind of game! If that does not spell out true commitment and leadership, then I do not know what does. We all know when we were doing the predictions that this game would be close. Although the Wraiths had a better overall record this season, each teams Points For and Points Against totals were extremely close, so picking either team would have been a toss-up. But wow, when you get a performance like what Cole did for the Copperheads, I would be shocked to see that team lose. The best part about Cole’s game is that he came ready, putting up 2 touchdowns in the first quarter, and let me tell you, as a competitive man myself, it is extremely hard to come back from 14 points after only 1 quarter. But from then on, the offensive show continued, and the Copperheads did not let the Wraiths come close. Congratulations on an amazing season to both teams, and an extra congratulations to the Copperheads on pulling out an amazing win. [246 words]

5. After being on a team that went 2-12, it was evident after the draft that clearly defense does not win championships when the other team has the ball the entire game. Although the Portland Pythons had many shortcomings, the most glaring problem was the Pythons offense. With an abysmal 139 PF in 14 games (not even 10 PF/G), it is so clear that the Pythons need to address the offensive issues. For me, those issues start with the offensive line. The Pythons were dead last in completions and yards for both the passing game and the running game, and that very likely has to do with the fact that the offensive line was non-existent for the team. It is simple math, without a strong offensive line, opposing defenses had no issues pressuring the team’s key players, and with more pressure, the less likely key plays are made on offense. One thing I would keep is the team’s defense, as the amount of talent all around the field is absurd, including Defensive Player of the Year candidate MacGregor. Overall, the Pythons have extremely good potential to be a good team in the future, but the offense needs to be significantly reworked to take some pressure off the defensive end of the game. Like a wise man once said “You ain’t never gonna win no football games if ye never have the pigskin”. [231 words]

9. Brotherly love, the thing that truly brings us all together. For me, the definition of brotherly love would have to be with fellow DE Chip Otle on the Kansas City Coyotes. First, let’s start with Chip’s monster season. He finished 5th overall in total tackles amongst defensive ends, but finished 3rd overall in sacks. This season must have been an extremely nice surprise for the Coyotes, and I know I personally enjoyed seeing Chip flourish in this league. Chip and I, you see, we do more-or-less everything together. We play baseball together in the summer, and in our free time, we dabble in competitive golf. We usually bat right before and after each other in baseball, and we always are atop the leaderboards in our golf tournaments. Chip has been my golf partner since day 1, and what can I say other than that him and I are born winners. Chip is an outstanding athlete (even keeping up with me stats-wise this season), and an even more outstanding person. He brings a competitive and winning spirit wherever he goes, and it catches on in whatever clubhouse he is in. On the field or on the golf course, opponents fear him, but in the clubhouse, his teammates love him. This guy deserves all the respect in the world, and all the burritos he can eat. I hope he gets drafted nice and early in the upcoming NSFL draft, and maybe the sim gods will even have us drafted to the same team. Love you Chip <3 [255 words]

11. The playoffs, as we all know, can be quite the beast to deal with. The playoffs are a time when stars shine, and the players who want to win, win. Now in this review, I am going to mention who I believe was the DSFL championship game MVP, and their name is Bumper. In case you are reading this, and do not know what happened in the DSFL playoffs, the Grey Ducks beat the Buccaneers by a blowout score of 28-3. A big reason behind this score was Bumper’s 2(!!!) interceptions and 3 passes defensed during the game. Unlike the simulator, I am not a person who cares about the total number of sacks a player gets. Sacks are a result of the position you play, and thinking that makes an MVP case is silly. You see, in terms of offensive performance, both teams had rather equal performances. Hnly owever, the main reason the Buccaneers could not convert on their chances was because Bumper was snatching the ball from them too often. Think about it like this, Buccanneer’s QB Ramosonly only had 10 completed passes, and 21 attempts, meaning he had 11 missed attempts. Out of those 11 missed attempts, Bumper contributed to 5(!!!!!!!) of those passes being incomplete, which is just under 50% of missed attempts being the result of one player. Mr. Bumper, you truly were the championship game MVP. [232 words]

[RedArrow12c]

6) Expansion
If I were in charge of a brand new expansion team in NSFL, I would make sure that I breed winning. I would create a culture where the number one focus is winning, and not winning the championship results in disappointment. I would personally make sure that every one of my players has every possible training point they can earn, down to the single TPE. I would pay my players as much as they need to be successful. I would form a dynasty, we would never lose. Now, about selecting players: With so many new players, it can be easy for players to get lost in the shuffle. That is why I would make sure to hire scouts for every position to make sure that we leave no stone unturned. Every player would be scouted heavily and looked at to see if they are a good fit for my team. I would place my team in Columbus, and they would be called the Wreckers - based off a pee wee football team that was a dynasty, just as I want this team to be. The Wreckers would wreck NSFL with their combination of effort and aggression, cultivated by a locker room geared towards success. The team would be fast tracked to success, without any excuse of being an expansion team.

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7) Next Year
This year was definitely a dissapointment. While us in Kansas City were mostly full of rookies, the Coyotes were looking for a much better result than what we finished the season with. We were a very young team, and we for sure got better as the season went on. We have high aspirations for next year (for those that remain on the Kansas City Coyotes and don’t move on to bigger and better things for an NSFL team). Next year, the Coyotes have no other goal other than to win the championship, the ultimate prize. I know all of my teammates want to win badly, and I definitely agree with those sentiments. We did not advance out of the first round in the playoffs, but we know we have the talent to do so. We know that we already have the roster to win, but nonetheless we will still be adding talent from the DSFL draft, talent that will only improve our roster. We will have competition at almost every position, which will get the best out of everyone and it is the best way to see who truly wants to win the most. The Kansas City Coyotes are looking to win a championship, and as a relatively young team we know how hard we will have to work to do so.

222 Words

9) Brotherly Love
Over the course of the season, I formed so many bonds with my teammates from Kansas City, if I could I would pick to write about each and every one of my teammates. But for the purpose of this I will choose one teammate in particular that I have become close with. Tree Gelbman. Over the long grind that is the DSFL season, it is easy to lose sight of the people you will spend so much time with. Tree and I formed a strong bond that will last long after our NSFL careers are over. We already have made plans to share a vacation once a year after we both retire. We will visit Disneyland, and since we will have been NSFL stars with tons of publicity, we will get fast passes and be able to skip the lines to every ride. On the field though, our positions compliment each other quite well. With Tree being a tight end, it allows him to be a perfect blocker when I catch deep passes. And I try my hardest to block for him when he gets a pass, but he can truck through most of the defenders anyways, making my blocking mostly useless. I hope that Tree and I can continue or legacy into NSFL together, becoming the best offensive duo there is.

222 Words

15) Superstardom

[terriblehippo]

6) EXPANSION. There have been a lot of new players entering the league recently. If you were in charge of a new expansion team for the NSFL or DSFL, how would you go about it?

To me, being a GM in the DSFL is all about making rookies want to stay active with the league. It doesn’t matter if you’re the GM of a brand new team or one that’s been around since the beginning of the DSFL: player retention should be a top priority. So, if I were to take the helm of an expansion team in the DSFL, I’d focus on making my locker room the most positive and helpful environment in the entire league. We’d have weekly game ball write-ups to recognize outstanding players in each of our games. We’d talk about trivia answers, not just to figure out what they are but to learn where to find those answers. I’d even make sure my players had a concrete examples of good update pages; I know just how frustrating that process can be for new players, so I’d make sure my team knew exactly how to update in order to avoid headaches (both for them and for the updaters). Obviously I’d work hard to make sure we were a competitive team, as it’s hard to have fun when your team is losing all the time. But I think a good locker room is the first step toward turning new users into league veterans. It certainly was for me.

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216 words

8) SCOUTING REPORT. Write a scouting report for one of the incoming draftees in either the NSFL or DSFL.

Alright, let’s see what all this Ben Slothisberger hype is about. Since he’s yet to play a single down in the DSFL, there’s not a lot of in-depth analysis to be done at the moment, but I’m going to work with what I’ve got. With an Agility of 45 (out of 80) and a Speed of 50 (out of 75), he’s certainly living up to the “sloth” part of his name. But while those skills are somewhat important, they’re not quite as critical for a gunslinging quarterback like Slothlisberger. What is important are his Arm and Throwing Accuracy stats, and at 71 and 70 respectively, Slothlisberger will be a solid starter from day one. The biggest downside to Slothlisberger, in my opinion, is more about the league than about him as a player. The DSFL is a run-heavy league, so a gunslinger like Slothlisberger will struggle to shine at first. But that’s a relatively minor concern: @slothfacekilla has already prove that he’s capable of earning at a good rate, and with the NSFL being more friendly to the passing game, he shouldn’t have any issues being an effective player when he gets there. If he gets paired with a decent runningback to balance out the offense, I think he’ll make his DSFL team into a contender. That might not be right away, but with enough time I think Slothlisberger can and will develop into a franchise quarterback.

Code:

237 words

19) OL OR K/P APPRECIATION. Write about an active human offensive lineman or special teamer that is in the playoffs, and how they will or did affect the outcome.

In the ASFC Wild Card matchup, the Orange County Otters scored 13 points. Herbert Prohaska, sophomore kicker for the New Orleans Second Line, scored 11 points all by himself. When a kicker has that much of an impact on a game, especially a playoff game and especially against the defending champions, you have to take a moment to appreciate their performance. But Prohaska and the Second Line wouldn’t have been in that position without his play in the regular season: he was third in the league in extra point percentage and first in field goal percentage. In fact, he only missed one field goal all season, and that was from 40+ yards out. He remained consistent in the playoffs: he hit field goals from 20, 32, and 40 yards in the wild card game, and he nailed both of his extra point attempts. That’s an impressive performance, made even more impressive by the fact that, like I mentioned, Prohaska is only in his second year in the NSFL. As long as he continues to earn TPE at a steady rate, this shouldn’t be the last performance of this caliber we see from Prohaska. That stability at such an important and often overlooked position will be crucial to New Orleans’ future successes.

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211 words

20) ULTIMUS AD. You and your teammates are to appear in a famous ad to be aired during the Ultimus. What is it about?

The commercial opens on a typical New Orleans post-game press conference. Players like Forrest Gump, Stan Francisco, Bjorn Ironside, and Marcella Toriki are fielding typical questions from reporters, but eventually they get asked, “What’s the secret to your success?” They all look at the camera with a knowing look and smile on their face, and reply, “It’s in the food.” Cut to the interior of a restaurant, and the four teammates all crowded around a small table. The table is piled high with plates of food (typical New Orleans cuisine, by the looks of it). A waiter comes to their table to deliver more food, and as the camera pans around the audience sees none other than the smiling face of Quenton Bode. Yes, not only has Bode decided to invest in a restaurant, but he’s decided to take out an ad during the Ultimus to announce it. It’s called Nanook’s, and Bode has plans to open a franchise in several major cities; in fact, every city with an NSFL or DSFL franchise will get at least one Nanook’s. The first one is opening soon in New Orleans, with San Antonio getting the next one. When asked about the restaurant, Bode replied that in his six seasons with New Orleans, he’s developed a deep love and appreciation for its cuisine, and he wants to share that love with the rest of the world.

Code:

233 words

[fballturkey]

4) Rivalry

My biggest rival is Shepherd Marshall, LB for the Norfolk Seawolves. He's a dirty player who has no business anywhere near the field, even on the sideline where he does most of his damage. In our first game against each other he clotheslined me out of bounds even though he wasn't even playing yet! He talked some trash after the game and I was all geared up for our second game against each other, where he was actually playing. I was able to get a few good licks on him blocking downfield but only got a couple carries and didn't get any chances to run him over.

I'd like to think I can keep my emotions in check if we end up on the same team. It'll keep me giving 100% every practice knowing I might get the chance to truck him, or even make him look silly with a juke. But deep down what I really want is to play against him. I want to be in the Ultimus, ball on the one, down by 5. I want that hole to open up in front of me and to see him standing on the goal line. And I want to run his ass over.

205 Words

6) Expansion

Financially it might not make the most sense, but would they have put an NFL team in Green Bay if all they were worried about was market size? If I had the power to make one expansion team I couldn't resist dropping it in Oakey's Holler, WV.

Sure, we might only have a couple hundred people, but we could draw fans from as far away as Moonshine Ridge, Possum Bottom, Paw Paw, maybe even Pennsylvania Incorporated Coal Town. The team would mean more to the area than it would to anybody else, so I'm sure they'd be coming from all over to pack the stands.

For a mascot it's tough to pass up the Miner, but I'd like to get a little less stereotypical. We could go with the Jugs, with Juggy the Jug as our mascot and it opens up some very interesting options with the cheerleading squad. But my favorite mascot idea would be a cape buffalo. They're the only animal I've heard of that, when there is danger, charges directly at it instead of running away.

For a color scheme, I've always been partial to maroon and orange, the colors of the hills during fall (football season!) It'd look like the hills were all colored up for the home team.

213 words

15) Superstardom




20) Ultimus Ad

Me and the rest of the boys are headed for a photoshoot for Budweiser, and I can't wait to see it hanging up at Old Oakey's General Store next time I go for a restock. I think there was some clause about alcohol endorsements in all the stuff I was supposed to sign when I got picked up off waivers but I shredded that part and nobody seemed to notice.

Anyway, the ad is going to be a life sized posted of a few of us throwing back some cold ones, maybe with a stack of empties behind us like in the good old days. There'll be a little slot where our hands are for them to stock beers so people can grab them right out of there, although I'm not sure who wants just one beer or why they'd want a warm one. But there you go.

I'm going to be signing as many of them as I can get my hands on, definitely signing the one back at Oakey's. I don't think Budweiser wanted me to do that because they're afraid that people might steal them if I ever get popular but I shredded the dos/don'ts thing they sent over so there's no real way to know.

209 words

[J0EB]

1) Playoff Predictions, Reviews:

Review of the Ultimini; Myrtle Beach Buccaneers vs. the Minnesota Grey Ducks.
The rushing attack by both of these teams was the main factor in this game, and quite entertaining to watch. The Grey Ducks were nearly unstoppable on the ground, pounding down the field with Brehio and Yoda who combined for 193 yards, not to mention Skuff and Lackson who had an additional 27 yards, with the team total at 220. Averaging 4.6 yards per rush on 48 carries is an incredible feat. What’s crazier is that the Buccaneers had similar production, with 4.4 yards per rush on 35 attempts. Sarvepally led the backfield with 87 yards on 18 attempts and alongside Batista, Ramos and Rose totaled 155 rushing yards. The run game by both of these teams was remarkable and easily outshined their passing attacks. While Myrtle Beach averaged 5.4 yards per pass, they had a completion percentage below 50 percent. The same goes for Minnesota who averaged 4.2 yards per pass but had an even lower completion percentage. The passing game would have been far improved had the teams been able to catch the ball more, rather than inexplicably dropping what seemed to be every other pass.
Despite similar production on the ground, the Buccaneers beat themselves. With 15 penalties for 156 yards, and 2 turnovers, the Buccaneers never had control over this game and could never gain momentum. It seemed that whenever the Buccaneers had a good drive offensively, or was able to hold the Grey Ducks defensively, a penalty flag would be thrown, and the Buccaneer’s momentum would be stopped in its tracks. After giving up 2 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter, the 21-3 deficit would prove insurmountable. While penalties killed the Bucc’s, their defense didn’t do much to prevent the Ducks from charging down the field. Minnesota won in dominant fashion, and the Buccaneers surely went home with a bad taste in their mouth.

8) Scouting Report
S22 - Matt “Son of Havoc” Cross – S
57 TPE
Hello and welcome, I’m Johnny Jones and you’re listening to the 5-7 Podcast, recently we interviewed Prospect Matt Cross, Safety. As tradition, I’ll now be going through my Scouting Report for Cross, highlighting his pros and cons as a prospect. At first glance, Matt Cross may look like your average prospect, but he actually brings a lot to the table with his athleticism and dedication to the game. His flaws can’t be ignored either though, so we’ll dive into those as well.
Strengths: You cannot talk about Matt Cross without saying the word fast. His speed as a rookie prospect is exactly what you want to see. He’s quick, agile, and very fast to make a play on the ball. To pair with his speed, it seems like Cross never runs out of energy. Always bouncing around the field from one play to the next, Cross has an excellent presence in the backfield.
Weaknesses: To cut to the chase, Cross is a small guy. He stands 5’11,” but he doesn’t even break 200 pounds. What that means is that he can be pushed around sometimes. Due to the nature of his size, Cross has problems tackling bigger guys. Whether it be a big tight end or running back, Cross has struggled, and it can be seen on film. He can definitely afford to gain a few pounds of muscle mass, and given his high energy on the field, his speed wouldn’t be affected by it.
Character: Possibly my favorite part about Cross is his personality and attitude. While typically you see DB’s and Safety’s talking trash, Cross is humble; putting on his helmet and letting his actions speak for themselves. On top of this, Cross is so enthusiastic about the game. He has such an incredible passion for football and his dedication to the sport is second to none.
Summary: Overall, Matt Cross should be seen as a high value prospect. While his size and strength can have a negative affect at times when it comes to tackling, he more than makes up for it with his speed, agility and endurance. His constant personal desire to improve makes him stand out as well. On my board, he has potential to be a top twenty pick and could stand out as one of the top 5 safeties selected. Keep in mind that this year we have a huge draft as well, so on a quieter year I would probably have Cross ranked as a top 10 pick, which means that if Cross does fall past 20, the team which does select him is still going to receive excellent talent.

12) Interview a Star
RB – Siddhu Sarvepally – Myrtle Beach Buccaneers

Q. Can you tell me about the day you were drafted and what that felt like?
A. Well my day of the DSFL Draft was probably unlike other users. I was actually inactive in this league, until I got a direct message in the NSFL server. I saw there was a draft going on and realized that I was in the draft. I clicked on stream, and around 20 picks later my name was announced. I was pretty surprised as I didn’t think GMs would have me going that high. And then once I got the locker room invite from Cory, I got excited which is why I’m still in this league to this day
Q. What’s the best and worst thing about being a running back?
A. The best thing has to be that even at 50 TP you can still own on the field. For my first game I was at base TP and ended up getting 160 yards. The worst thing has to be that GMs don't always rate you as high, with me being picked I think 16th in the NSFL Draft, where if I was another position, I might have been 11th or top 10.
Q. Who’s your favorite teammate? Why?
A. My favorite has to be my ex-teammate RainDelay (Rayne Gordon), he is really active in the team discord and is always helping me out whether it’s something related to NSFL or if it’s a problem in real life that I had.
Q. Finally, what did it feel like getting to the Ultimini Bowl? Have you made the playoffs before?
A. It felt really good to make the championship, obviously we got blown out, but our guys had to constantly train and practice for us to get there. And we also made playoffs last season where we lost in semifinals.

2) League Milestone

Ultimus X Graphic