I am sure that most of you enjoy a good game of football. The impossible throws, the spectacular catches, the pick sixes and the vicious sacks. And I‘m sure that most of you find all of this in the NSFL. But what if I told you that the DSFL, yes the developmental simulation football league, is actually more fun to watch? Don‘t believe me? Here are some reasons why the DSFL is better than the NSFL:
Fresh and exciting talent
Yeah, we all know the top NSFL players, the ones that win personal awards season after season, the big stars of our beloved sport. But don‘t you ever get bored of the same old names? I do. That‘s where the DSFL comes in. Only the most hardcore of us have heard about any of the players before they enter the league and you have no idea what to expect. That fifth-round pick the Grey Ducks drafted, no idea what to expect of him, what his playstyle is or if he‘s any good. And there‘s only one way to find out: Watch him on the field and see what kind of player he is. Maybe he's exactly the kind of hard-hitting, no-nonsense defensive player you enjoy watching so much. Players graduate the league before they become household names so there are always enough guys that are the big surprise and the big question mark for a team.
Motivated players that want to make it big
Remember your own time in DSFL? I don‘t know about you, but for me that feeling that I was one step away from the NSFL was both exciting and fear-inducing. You‘re so close to fulfilling your lifelong dream of becoming a professional athlete and yet there are dozens of guys with the same dream. You know you can‘t mess up now, that you have to give your all in every practice session and every single play of every single game. Sure, DSFL prospects might not be the most talented football players yet but I‘m sure they‘re the most motivated ones. You don‘t want to fail when you‘re that close to your goal. That's a level of raw energy you hardly see anymore, once they make it to the big leagues, with all the coaches polishing their game.
Be there from the start
There are sleeper picks in every draft and some people are better at finding them than others. You really like that seventh-round punter? What‘s better than following his career from the beginning and see if he can become the star he is in your head. The DSFL is a chance to follow the best players early in their careers and watch them turn into hall of famers. And what‘s better than telling your friends that you always knew player X was gonna be a huge star? Well, maybe watch the guys with all the potential in the world fail if you‘re more into busts. Either way, guys develop so quickly early on in their careers that can you see them get better from week to week. Two games ago you were furious about how slow your team's wide receiver was and this weeks he outruns everyone and scores a spectacular touch down, that's how fast some players improve in the DSFL.
Building character
So your favorite player made it and got drafted into the NSFL. That‘s nice, but next thing you know he is sent back down to his DSFL franchise. What might sound like a disappointment is actually a great way to build character. That guy is suddenly no longer a rookie but a veteran player in his DSFL locker room with all the responsibilities that come with it. Help the other players, lead by example for the rookies, be a leader on and off the field, give back to your community, you name it. It‘s a unique learning experience that helps build character for players so they become even better NSFL players in the long run.
Ever changing rosters keep franchises from becoming too dominant
With most players only staying in the DSFL for a year or two, it is much harder to establish a dynasty. If you don‘t like the same teams winning it all year after year, the DSFL is for you. GMs constantly have to fill holes in the roster, be smart when drafting and have to be creative when high draft picks turn out to be busts. Yeah, building a dynasty is nice if you‘re a fan of that particular team but for everyone else it‘s boring. In the DSFL teams change so often that it never becomes stale.
Better GMs still build better teams
Of course the point above doesn't mean that there aren't teams that are better lead than others. There is a reason why some teams have a couple Ultimini trophies to their name while others have none. While many people claim that DSFL GMs serve the sole purpose of creating a good atmosphere so the rookies are motivated I tell you that winning is motivation and losing sucks. Good GMs have even more ways to prove that they know how build winners than in the NSFL. So if you're into everything that's going on behind the scenes, the DSFL is a highly interesting leagues with a lot of smart people working for it.
Developing new markets
Apart from the many well-established franchises in the DSFL, the league saw the addition of a special one last year: The London Royals are the first European based team in the whole league. I‘m sure I don‘t have to tell you how much it means for people to root for a local team, so making the jump to Europe to give hundreds of millions of people a team to become "theirs" is not only smart but also something the NSFL does not offer.
And even if you're not from Europe, maybe there's a DSFL team that's much closer to where you live than one of the big NSFL franchises.
More run-focused game
I‘m a wide receiver, so of course I like spectacular catches but I know there are people with different tastes. The DSFL offers something to watch for all the people who are into human wrecking balls or elusive backs who can squeeze through the tiniest of holes in the lines. The run game is dominant in this league and I‘m sure it can be appreciated not only by the hardcore oldskool fans but anyone who can appreciate a well executed block and some guy running like his pants are on fire. Which, hopefully, are most of you.
Not as mainstream
If you love sports and you want to prove to your friends just how much of a connoisseur and insider you are, is there a better way than to support a franchise that‘s not part of the mainstream? Yeah, it‘s easy to follow the NSFL, they‘re all over the news all the time and everyone know the team names but you can prove you‘re a real sports fan by rocking your Dallas Birddogs jersey the next time you go to a sports bar or get a Norfolk Seawolves tattoo. This may sound like it‘s only for hipsters but it can be a lot of fun to support a smaller franchise, especially if they‘re close to where you live and you can go to their games on a regular basis.
Different atmosphere at the games
There is no better way to watch sports than go and watch a game live in the stands. It‘s just special to be one of thousands of people cheering at the players right in front of you, instead of being the idiot who annoys all his friends by screaming at the TV. If you don‘t want to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets that are so far from the field that you can hardly make out which team is which, then decide to buy a $20 hot dog only to drop it as soon as you‘re back to your seats, the DSFL is for you. Sure, the number of people in the crowd is not like in the major sports leagues but those that come to the games are passionate. They love their team and it will show. And the best thing is, the love is often mutual, as many player know they aren't big stars yet and will appreciate the people who support them in the stands. So if you still like that seventh-round punter after seeing him live, maybe get his autograph. Who knows, it could make you a fortune on eBay later.
Congratulations if you've read this far! I hope I could show you a few reasons why the DSFL is great. Give them a chance, go watch a game of your local team if you can. It‘s okay if you still like the NSFL more but there are many reasons why the DSFL should get more attention than it currently does.
Fresh and exciting talent
Yeah, we all know the top NSFL players, the ones that win personal awards season after season, the big stars of our beloved sport. But don‘t you ever get bored of the same old names? I do. That‘s where the DSFL comes in. Only the most hardcore of us have heard about any of the players before they enter the league and you have no idea what to expect. That fifth-round pick the Grey Ducks drafted, no idea what to expect of him, what his playstyle is or if he‘s any good. And there‘s only one way to find out: Watch him on the field and see what kind of player he is. Maybe he's exactly the kind of hard-hitting, no-nonsense defensive player you enjoy watching so much. Players graduate the league before they become household names so there are always enough guys that are the big surprise and the big question mark for a team.
Motivated players that want to make it big
Remember your own time in DSFL? I don‘t know about you, but for me that feeling that I was one step away from the NSFL was both exciting and fear-inducing. You‘re so close to fulfilling your lifelong dream of becoming a professional athlete and yet there are dozens of guys with the same dream. You know you can‘t mess up now, that you have to give your all in every practice session and every single play of every single game. Sure, DSFL prospects might not be the most talented football players yet but I‘m sure they‘re the most motivated ones. You don‘t want to fail when you‘re that close to your goal. That's a level of raw energy you hardly see anymore, once they make it to the big leagues, with all the coaches polishing their game.
Be there from the start
There are sleeper picks in every draft and some people are better at finding them than others. You really like that seventh-round punter? What‘s better than following his career from the beginning and see if he can become the star he is in your head. The DSFL is a chance to follow the best players early in their careers and watch them turn into hall of famers. And what‘s better than telling your friends that you always knew player X was gonna be a huge star? Well, maybe watch the guys with all the potential in the world fail if you‘re more into busts. Either way, guys develop so quickly early on in their careers that can you see them get better from week to week. Two games ago you were furious about how slow your team's wide receiver was and this weeks he outruns everyone and scores a spectacular touch down, that's how fast some players improve in the DSFL.
Building character
So your favorite player made it and got drafted into the NSFL. That‘s nice, but next thing you know he is sent back down to his DSFL franchise. What might sound like a disappointment is actually a great way to build character. That guy is suddenly no longer a rookie but a veteran player in his DSFL locker room with all the responsibilities that come with it. Help the other players, lead by example for the rookies, be a leader on and off the field, give back to your community, you name it. It‘s a unique learning experience that helps build character for players so they become even better NSFL players in the long run.
Ever changing rosters keep franchises from becoming too dominant
With most players only staying in the DSFL for a year or two, it is much harder to establish a dynasty. If you don‘t like the same teams winning it all year after year, the DSFL is for you. GMs constantly have to fill holes in the roster, be smart when drafting and have to be creative when high draft picks turn out to be busts. Yeah, building a dynasty is nice if you‘re a fan of that particular team but for everyone else it‘s boring. In the DSFL teams change so often that it never becomes stale.
Better GMs still build better teams
Of course the point above doesn't mean that there aren't teams that are better lead than others. There is a reason why some teams have a couple Ultimini trophies to their name while others have none. While many people claim that DSFL GMs serve the sole purpose of creating a good atmosphere so the rookies are motivated I tell you that winning is motivation and losing sucks. Good GMs have even more ways to prove that they know how build winners than in the NSFL. So if you're into everything that's going on behind the scenes, the DSFL is a highly interesting leagues with a lot of smart people working for it.
Developing new markets
Apart from the many well-established franchises in the DSFL, the league saw the addition of a special one last year: The London Royals are the first European based team in the whole league. I‘m sure I don‘t have to tell you how much it means for people to root for a local team, so making the jump to Europe to give hundreds of millions of people a team to become "theirs" is not only smart but also something the NSFL does not offer.
And even if you're not from Europe, maybe there's a DSFL team that's much closer to where you live than one of the big NSFL franchises.
More run-focused game
I‘m a wide receiver, so of course I like spectacular catches but I know there are people with different tastes. The DSFL offers something to watch for all the people who are into human wrecking balls or elusive backs who can squeeze through the tiniest of holes in the lines. The run game is dominant in this league and I‘m sure it can be appreciated not only by the hardcore oldskool fans but anyone who can appreciate a well executed block and some guy running like his pants are on fire. Which, hopefully, are most of you.
Not as mainstream
If you love sports and you want to prove to your friends just how much of a connoisseur and insider you are, is there a better way than to support a franchise that‘s not part of the mainstream? Yeah, it‘s easy to follow the NSFL, they‘re all over the news all the time and everyone know the team names but you can prove you‘re a real sports fan by rocking your Dallas Birddogs jersey the next time you go to a sports bar or get a Norfolk Seawolves tattoo. This may sound like it‘s only for hipsters but it can be a lot of fun to support a smaller franchise, especially if they‘re close to where you live and you can go to their games on a regular basis.
Different atmosphere at the games
There is no better way to watch sports than go and watch a game live in the stands. It‘s just special to be one of thousands of people cheering at the players right in front of you, instead of being the idiot who annoys all his friends by screaming at the TV. If you don‘t want to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets that are so far from the field that you can hardly make out which team is which, then decide to buy a $20 hot dog only to drop it as soon as you‘re back to your seats, the DSFL is for you. Sure, the number of people in the crowd is not like in the major sports leagues but those that come to the games are passionate. They love their team and it will show. And the best thing is, the love is often mutual, as many player know they aren't big stars yet and will appreciate the people who support them in the stands. So if you still like that seventh-round punter after seeing him live, maybe get his autograph. Who knows, it could make you a fortune on eBay later.
Congratulations if you've read this far! I hope I could show you a few reasons why the DSFL is great. Give them a chance, go watch a game of your local team if you can. It‘s okay if you still like the NSFL more but there are many reasons why the DSFL should get more attention than it currently does.