(S24) - Ultimus Week

[Skyline]

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.

So what I want to talk about under this Ultimus Week topic is something that has been discussed at length across this league at seemingly every opportunity: Contracts. Well, specifically, why nobody cares about them and only takes minimum deals. I’m going to present a few hypotheses and a couple options that I think would be helpful to increase the value and prestige of team contracts. Spoiler alert: I don’t think that making people poorer makes contracts more valuable.

First, I think one of the biggest issues with contracts is that they are not worth enough. Right now, I have not really seen anyone take a contract over six million dollars a season, and those are extremely rare. The problem is, what can you do with six million? I guess you can pay for less than half of tier six training? Or You can pay for each weekly training, which is already pretty close to covered by twitter payouts? It is not a lot of money. And by the time you have enough TPE to really make yourself competitive for a huge salary from a negotiating perspective, you have to already have made a ton of money in order to pay for all of the trainings and equipment to get you there. Six million is just not a lot of money to established league veterans. You can get it easily through a handful of media pieces or graphics. The only people who are really going to jump out of their seats for a six million dollar contract are newbies, but of course they do not have enough TPE to demand it. I think if we raised salaries up to like 13.5 million (the cost of T6 equipment) at the top and one million at the bottom, that would make the contracts a lot more valuable. I’m assuming we would have to juice the salary cap to make this happen, which is not really a problem if everything is proportional. Who would have guessed: making contracts more valuable makes them more valuable.

However, that brings us to the next issue: The people who can command high value contracts generally already have a lot of money, so why would they want more? Some people try to answer this question by suggesting taxes, which I am pretty against (the league is built for fun, taking money for nothing is not fun). The better solution, and one that is already taking forma cross the league, is generating more opportunities for players to spend money. Dotts is great, and the casino is great. Let’s keep it going with more great ideas! Maybe visual add ons to your moving dot? Maybe some sort of opportunity to buy your way into a rules summit vote? Maybe purchasing PT passes (obviously at a very high value)? Maybe separating purchases you can make with contracts from purchases you can make with media/gfx money? I’m not sure, but this should be heavily brainstormed further.

Additionally, I have no idea how the salary cap works! And I do not think I am alone in this! And I think that if I and other players had a better idea of the shape of the cap we would be in a better position to understand contract values and what teams are actually able to do. I have no idea what the actual cap number is, I have no idea what my team’s total payroll is, and I have no idea what the consequences of going over the cap or benefits of staying under it are. As a result, I use my basic sports knowledge to fill the gap: If I take a minimum that puts my team in a better position to win free agents. But is that true? I don’t think that players are enticed to jump ship based on money in this league, largely because contracts are the least efficient way to make money due to their low financial value and also because in a league based on fun and friendships players want to stay with the teams that drafted them rather than say goodbye to their buddies and move on. I think if there was some resource on the site that was more transparent both on how the cap works and also what each teams cap situation is (like it is insane that I don’t know which team has the most expensive payroll and which team has the cheapest payroll for example), it would place players in a position to actually understand what their contract is worth and if minimum contracts actually help their team. Additionally, maybe we need to add a rule that 50% of a FA’s salary does not go to the cap? That way teams could actually effectively entice free agents and we could see some more exciting player movement if a team pays a top tier free agent ten million dollars a season but is only dinged for five million dollars a season on the cap. Show me the cap!

834 words

[Tayjay]

Task 1
PBE affiliate CW

Task 2
27) Offensive lineman are always underappreciated in the league. In my short time in the DSFL as a member of the Kansas City Coyotes, Clay Stallworth was the anchor of our offensive line and broke a twenty season record on top of only giving up a two whole sacks on the entire season. Everyone wants to keep their quarterback upright and open holes on the line for the running back to run through. Stallworth was easily the most dominant offensive lineman in the league with 12 more pancakes than second place. As a team the Coyotes led the league in pancakes and had the second best offense in the league. As a unit the offensive line was great which makes Stallworth a standout within a great group. He has also been a great teammate willing to help me with updates and getting used to the locker room. Another great couple of players, even though they also play defense, are our kick and punt return. They both managed to finish in the Top 5 in Kick Return yards and Punt Return yards. This allowed our offense to get on the field in short yardage situations and put immediate pressure on the other teams defense to not allow us to score. Peter Patterson and Campbell were great at setting our offense up.

Task 3
22) My team, the Kansas City Coyotes, were in a great position to head into the Postseason with three weeks left. Sitting at 6-5 an epic collapse caused us to miss the playoffs, ending any hopes at winning the league Championship. The London Royals went on from tied with us in the division to stomping their way through the playoffs en route to a championship. While our defense was not as good as London I think our offense was a lot better. Not only did we have a higher completion percentage, and passing touchdowns, we also had a higher passer rating. If we look at the other playoff team from the DSFL, the Norfolk Seawolves, the Coyotes had more passing yards than Norfolk, and more total tackles as well. Even though Norfolk had a better defense using points per game they had less team tackles than Kansas City. Not only that they had less tackles for loss, interceptions, and pass deflected. Minus a run game the Coyotes had a solid defense and offense. If you take out the 38 point loss in week 4 I think the defensive metrics look a lot better than what they currently display. The Coyotes also had one of the top special teams units and offensive lines. They were able to move the ball up and down the field.

Task 4
20)Tugg Speedman is a rookie wide receiver entering the DSFL draft after playing for the Portland Pythons for the second half of the season last year. He played his college football at Texas Christian University where he was a Heisman Trophy winner. He is one of the best athletes to come out of college and a legitimate threat to score from anywhere on the field. He stands a slender 6 feet and 180 pounds. Some say he may need to put on weight to handle the rigors of a full season. A blistering 40 yard time has offensive coordinators salivating at ways to get him the ball, while defensive coordinators are exploring options on how to bracket him in defensive coverages. His first action in the DSFL wasn't very exciting as he only played in 2 games and had 3 catches for 28 yards. It appears that he was slow to pick up the game but reports are that he has been putting in extra work in the offseason ahead of the DSFL draft. Scouts will be looking for him to put his stamp on the Prospect Bowl next week. He broke records in college and I would expect more of the same here in the DSFL once he is utilized properly in an offense. Look out for this rookie next year.

[Naosu]

Task 0 
PBE Affiliate

Task 12
I’m not entirely sure how the schedule is layed out now, but anytime new teams are added it’s going to change the schedule one way or another. The schedule was just bumped up to 16 games recently, I think from 12 or maybe it was 14? It’s probably better to keep the regular season at 16 games with the way the league is set up, and it’s the same amount the NFL plays, which I assume was the inspiration for the league. This season there was twelve teams and my best guess for the schedule would be that you played your conference teams two times, one home and one way, and six teams not in your conference once each with a 50/50 home game split. Now with fourteen teams if we keep it at 16 games I see two options. Play every team in the league once and three of your conference teams twice, or keep the two games per conference team and play four teams outside of your conference once. I think most people would agree the second option makes the most sense. Conference games are the most important and this route makes home splits a lot simpler. 12 conference games and 4 out of conference games and everyone plays 8 home 8 away. You won’t play every team each season, but I believe this is how the NFL operates as well.

With how this season went, I think depending on the conference each expansion team goes into it’s a completely different scenario. The ASFC was razor thin with four teams finishing 9-7 and the worst team 7-9. With this in mind, New York who’s ended up there should be looking to build a team ready to compete as soon as possible. If there’s enough strong picks in the expansion they could also look into some trades to strengthen their team in the now vs the future. They have a solid chance to make the playoffs in their first season depending on their draft. I’m usually in the mind set that an expansion team should build for the future but they have a great opportunity out of the gate. On the flip side of things, I think it’s the opposite for Berlin. For the next couple seasons I think the NSFC will be quite boring with COL/SAR/CHI all making playoffs a majority of the time. Berlin should focus on building a solid foundation of youth and maybe even drafting high profile players to trade for picks.


Task 15

[Blueline]

PBE PT

[ForSucksFake]

Tier 1

The Minnesota Grey Ducks have had a long history of greatness and excellence. They stand out in the league as a franchise with back-to-back titles in two different cities. Before they relocated to Minnesota, they had a storied franchise history as the San Antonio Marshals. We will be looking at players that shaped the history of the franchise in both cities.

1. Fast Boija - RB (San Antonio)

Fast Boija is without a doubt the greatest player in Minnesota/San Antonio history. His accomplishments include most rushing yards in a DSFL season (2,570), fifth-most rushing touchdowns in a DSFL career (32), he has the second-most rushing touchdowns in a single season (19), was the DSFL MVP in S13, and holds many marks in the Minnesota/San Antonio record book. He is the franchise leader in all-time yards and rushing touchdowns. The one unfortunate aspect of Boija's career is much like Don Mattingly. He played in an era sandwiched by Ultiminis but never was able to win one. Boija made an immediate impact in the NSFL, being one of several running backs from the Marshals/Ducks organization to win Rookie of the Year. Other Marshals/Ducks with this achievement are Ruff Ruff, Marquise Brown, Ashley Owens, and Jamar Lackson.

2. Zack Vega - QB (Minnesota)

Very few lists of all-time great players in a football franchise's history are without a quarterback. Minnesota has had a few great quarterbacks over the years, but Vega stands above the rest. Vega has the numbers, the hardware, and most importantly, the rings. Zack Vega was the starting quarterback for the franchise's second back-to-back championship run. With an MVP and two DSFL rings, Vega's place amongst the Mount Rushmore of Minnesota/San Antonio players is secure.

3. Buck Thornton - S (Minnesota)

Buck Thornton represents the post-Vega era of the Minnesota Grey Ducks. He is one of the members of the Ducks' S22 draft class, a class that has seen many of its members hold front office positions. Paired with Dex Kennedy on defense, Buck was an awards show shoo-in. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, Defensive Back of the Year in S22, and Defensive Player of the Year in S23. He ended up being drafted in the first round of the NSFL Draft by Honolulu. The fact that the S22 Grey Ducks team with players like Buck Thornton, Jamar Lackson, Dex Kennedy, Tychondrius Hood, Daymond Brooks, and Mario Von Pebbles didn't win the Ultimini is one of the greatest tragedies in DSFL history. Buck Thornton was the anchor of a defense stacked with many awards show winners and finalists, and it wasn't even close.

4. Daymond Brooks - WR (Minnesota)

I was super reluctant to include my own player on this list, but at the suggestion of a former Minnesota GM, I will. I loved being a Duck so much I elected to stay for a third season. Because of this, I have my name in franchise career record rankings. Over the course of my career, I was twice a finalist for Wide Receiver of the Year, as well as a two-time Pro Bowler. I think why I feel comfortable putting myself on this list is the fact I was drafted 208 overall and was able to figure things out and become a premiere player for a team that had many great players. I think if we would have won the S22 Ultimus, nobody would have a problem with me being on this list.

I know there are only four heads on Mount Rushmore, but there are other players that I think have a great case for the fourth spot. This franchise has done a great job of evaluating talent over the years, and an even better job of developing it. When you look at DSFL teams that have prepared players for success in the ISFL, the Ducks/Marshals have to be close to the top of that list.

Bubba Thumper - DT (Minnesota)

Woelkers would kill me if he knew I included Bubba on this list, but what I really want to do is highlight my previous point. The S16 DSFL Draft was amazing for Minnesota. They drafted Ashley Owens first overall, picked Bubba in the third, and got one of the team's best QBs in franchise history after that with Jim McMahon. Bubba didn't enjoy a lot of success in the DSFL, but he will surely be a Hall of Famer after he retires. He's one of the greatest defensive tackles in league history and a champion. He's also a hell of a GM and a mentor.

Jamar Lackson - RB (Minnesota)

I think any time you can find your next GM with an 8th round pick, you're showing your ability to teach and develop talent. Jamar was the engine of the S22 Grey Ducks and has had an even better ISFL career, winning Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl nod in his first ISFL season.

Mathias Hanyadi - RB (San Antonio)

Another late-round pick turned GM, Mathias Hanyadi is going in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest running backs of all time. His resume is already complete. He has an MVP, two OPotY awards, several Pro Bowls, several Best RB Awards, and a championship.

Code:

870 Words

[ToastCharger]

Tier 2

Code:

13) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S24 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?

It's a little intimidating completing an Ultimus Week after having joined the league just earlier this month. To be honest with all of you, I really have no idea what's going on so far! I have had a lot of people reach out to me to invite me into their locker rooms to show off the communities that this league has to offer and while that is absolutely fantastic, I just haven't been too involved yet. That's nothing against the league at all and more so something that I need to work on. The league makes it super easy to get going out of the gate and the only thing now is to wait for the DSFL draft.

When I joined the league it was very late in the season but fortunately I was picked up off waivers by the Pythons and got to play two games with them despite not being as good as the bot players. Togami even managed to get seven pancakes through the two games which is pretty damn phenomenal considering the bot offensive liners are probably better than my guy at this point. I did appreciate getting to play a couple of games instead of having to wait until the draft comes around. 

I'm still not quite sure what to expect as an offensive lineman. Clearly I'm never going to be involved in the more exciting aspects of the game but the role that I'm in is still one of the more important ones to make sure our guys are protected. I've thought about moving to a position that may be a little more in the spotlight but I also feel like I want to push through with my initial choice to make an OLer. While the play may not be as exciting, I believe as I get into the prime years of my career that Togami would be an absolute menace for defenders trying to break through. I'm quite excited to see how this goes.

I've not yet experienced a draft but the DSFL is probably the most extensive scouting one of my sim league players has gone through and that is really cool. So far everything in the league seems really well done. The rookie team reached out right away and tons of people have tried to make me feel welcomed and encourage me to do everything I can. I'm excited to see where my time in the ISFL takes me and I hope down the line these Ultimus Weeks will be an absolute breeze for me. 

Code:

424

Tier 3

PBE CW affiliation

Code:

24) Present your argument for the playoffs MVP. Show their stats and impact on the games that they played.

It's difficult to find the overall stats of the playoffs for individual players. Maybe I just don't know where to look but as it's not easily accessible we are going to look at the Final game only. Considering just this one game, I think it's clear that the MVP should be Matt Krause. Krause's interception in the second quarter was the dagger that the SaberCats needed to shut down the Yeti. 

Going into the game the Yeti were the heavy favourites with a dominate 14-2 record in the regular season but couldn't get the offense going in the first half of the game. Throwing a wild pass that Krause was able to snatch and then run just over 60 yards to get the first touchdown of the game was clearly enough to give the advantage to the Cats which would eventually result in the win.

Other than the highlight play that people will talk about for seasons to come, Krause was also solid in other aspects of the game as well. Krause also managed to rack up eight tackles and while that is on the lower end compared to the rest of the defensive line, the interception and defensive TD is something that simply screams MVP. The rest of the performances through the Final were all right but Krause definitely went above and beyond to get his team going.

Code:

229 words

[DatSmolBoi]

1) The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 800 words or more, describe any significant non-playoffs moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered?

Alright, im not really sure if this is old enough yet or if its not allowed, but I know it should definitely be remembered. May 27th, 2020. The story of 21-3. Today would be Ultimus and Ultimini day where neither of my teams made in but was still exciting either way. We would all get to see who would be the best of the DSFL and the NSFL in this one day at 8 EST. The thing was though, on the ASFC side the Orange County Otters would be playing in ANOTHER ultimus again. They have been in 9 Ultimus bowls winning 8 of them as a powerhouse beast. 19 Playoff appearances, 9 Division Championships, you get it. Leading the orange otters was their star QB, Franklin Armstrong. It has been proven time and time again that this guy never regresses. As old as he gets, you can't stop him. But maybe the team on the NSFC can... The Colorado Yeti. Going 8-5 and doing pretty decent the Yeti are back in the Ultimus to try and finally get that beautiful ring. There is just one tiny problem though, your facing the Otters. This team has only lost one out of their 9 Ultimus bowls. But I can't not give you credit for coming this far. You beat the overpowered 11-2 Wraiths! If you can beat them then you can most likely beat Orange County right? Right? For the Yeti's star player its their QB Mcdummy, a huge part of the offense in any way possible. He can pass, he can run, he can pass, he can run and oh did I tell you he could pass as well? Its going to be a huge battle between the predator and the underdog but who is going to win? Who is going to take the championship? For my prediction, its going to be the Otters. I do believe that the Yeti and the Otters are going to have a great and close game but in the end, the Otters will win 31-27. But hey! Those are just my predictions. They are probably real bad ones but thats how every prediction is right? Anyways, the game is starting in a few minutes, hurry up and find a seat! Yeti start the game off and wastes a drive to punt it at Orange County's 6 yard line. Otters get possession of the ball, finds their way for the first down Otters! Armstrong throws to Trunks for 14 yards and another first down for Orange County! Tatsu Nakamuara runs his way in for the 2 yard Touchdown Otters! I knew my predictions weren't wrong! 7-0 with the Otters TD. As Orange County kicks off Purchase runs out of the endzone for a 32 yard return! That was pretty cool. Mcdummy completes it to Owens for 10 yards as they get the first down! Mcdummy, runs out of the pocket and completes it to Bishop for 17 yards and another first! After two failed runs, here is 3rd and goal! Mcdummy running out of the pocket again and throws it to Earl Sauce for the INTERCEPTION BY LATTIMER! AND THE OTTERS RUINS THE YETI'S PLANS ON 3RD DOWN! Armstrong finds Irving for the first down and a gain of 8 yards. Bigby, gets to run for 7 and then another run for 2 as Nakamuara gets to also run for the first down with a 4 yard gain! The second Quarter now as the Otters lead it 7-0 of the First Quarter. Franklin Armstrong will throw it complete to Phillips for a great 19 yard gain! Shortly after the holding penalty, the Otters decide to punt the ball back to Colorado on 4th and 17. Mcdummy, looks to pass and INSTANTLY GETS SACKED BY BOBBY BOUCHER! Yeti again forced to punt after another drive wasted. Armstrong throws it to Mongo for the first down! It looks like the Otters have total control over the Yeti at this point and Im pretty sure that if they keep handling them like this, they could win their 9th Ultimus ring. Armstrong again to pass he completes the pass to Mongo for THE ORANGE COUNTY TOUCHDOWN OTTERS! Mongo breaks the tackles for the 23 yard touchdown! Vincent and Owens now rushes in for the first down. Owens once again runs in another first down after the 7 yard gain caught by Bishop. Mcdummy goes back and gets SACKED AGAIN! THIS TIME BY SKARSGARD! After the sack, Mcdummy finds Owens for a quick 4 yard gain as they set up the field goal attempt. Silver Banana the kicker, he kicks it up, and its good! The 43 yarder is good! Score is now 14-3! After the kickoff and the first down by the Otters, they decide to punt it with 4 seconds left. Mcdummy just throws the ball away to end the 1st half. A great game we have here folks, 14-3 Otters have the lead! Otters will get the ball back as the Yeti Kickoffs to start the 3rd Quarter. For the next few plays, the otters go dominant. Getting first downs all over the god damn place and maybe a touchdown with it as well. On the 5 yard line Bigby runs in the endzone for the otters third touchdown! Yeti getting the ball back as Mcdummy gets to pass to Dropson for a 17 yard gain and their first first down in the 2nd half. Mcdummy again runs out the pocket and delivers a great pass to Robertowski! Mcdummy throwing again this time to Lim for another first down! Yeti throws it to Earl Sauce to get set up at the one! Mcdummy just rams in there like a beast touchdown Yeti! This game is not over yet! 21-10. Will the Otters respond? The correct answer is no because Armstrong gets sacked on third down! The 4th Quarter now starts as the Yeti are looking for a comeback. Mcdummy throws to Arrow for a great 21 yard gain as he trys to stay up! Micheal Vincent will try to run it in FOR THE 4 YARD TOUCHDOWN YETI! ARE COMEBACKS REAL? MUST BE SO BECAUSE THE 2 POINT CONVERSION IS GOOD AS WELL! 21-18 YETI SCORE! 10 Minutes left in the game, Franklin Armstrong throws it to Philips who catches it As he is still on his feet and finally brought down after a great 31 yard gain. 3rd and 4 as Nakamaura gets the first down likes its nothing. Armstrong running out of time gets SACKED ON THE PLAY BY MO BERRY! They set up the field goal as that kicker I don't want to say its full name makes it. 24-18. 4 Minutes left in the game, 1st down. Throws it to Ashley Owens who is STILL UP! ASHLEY OWENS! FINALLY gets tackled down after the 35 yard gain! They need the touchdown here if they want to either tie or win it. 38 Seconds left, Mcdummy once again runs out to the left, throws it, and he......CATCHES IT! BISHOP CATCHES IT! TOUCHDOWN YETI! 25-24! 25-24 IS THE SCORE! THE YETI HAVE FINALLY WON THEIR ULTIMUS! MANY YEARS OF SUFFERING HAS LEAD TO THIS! YOUR YETI LADIES AND GENTLEMAN WIN IT 25-24!

[slate]

Tier 2, Task 6

The Norfolk Seawolves had quite a wild ride to the Ultimini this season, at times looking like the best team in the league and at others looking in danger of flaming out completely. Despite these ups and downs, the reigning Ultimini champions from S23 were in the end successfully able to right the ship multiple times through the season and come extremely close to winning the league championship.

The Seawolves came out of the gates blazing and set the league on fire at the start of the season. They rattled off five straight wins, most of which were blowouts, en route to a league-leading 5-0 record a third of the way through the season. The first four of these games featured margins of 14, 20, 20, and 23 points. The Seawolves seemed so dominant that it was shocking to see them enter halftime against the Buccaneers tied at 14, but they quickly erased any doubts with a 27 point third quarter spearheaded by two pick sixes by CB Rickie Vaughne and LB Jimi DeSoto. A combination of stifling defense, a fearsome two headed rushing attack featuring RBs Captain Rogers and Quanter Skrills, and super efficient quarterback play by Suleiman Ramza looked to be a deadly combination. In week 5, they hosted the struggling Kansas City Coyotes who entered the game at 1-3. In the defensive struggle, the score stood at 3-3 late into the fourth quarter before a 71 yard punt return touchdown by Rickie Vaughne sealed the Seawolves' fifth win.

Despite the stellar record, the issues that appeared against the Coyotes would foreshadow upcoming difficulties as well. Just after their 5-0 start, the Seawolves lost four straight to put them straight back into the middle of the pack in the SFC. After a somewhat favorable schedule to start the season, playing a stretch of 3 of 4 road games proved difficult for the Seawolves and the sole home game punctuating the stretch was against the surging Portland Pythons who managed to pull of the 21-9 upset. Offensive issues primarily seemed to drive this struggle, with the running game only able to manage a meager 3.8 yards per carry and Ramza throwing only 2 TDs to 3 INTs

.A home game against the Birddogs proved to be the perfect remedy, as the Seawolves' 28-17 win gave them momentum for the final stretch of the season. A 10-7 win away at divisional rival Myrtle Beach put them in the drivers seat, and the following 16-3 win against the Coyotes basically locked up their playoff spot. After an 18 point loss to the London Royals, a home game against the Luchadores would decide the home team for the SFC playoffs. While the Seawolves lost 10-3, they would get their revenge in the playoffs with a huge road win to send them to their second consecutive Ultimini. While they would ultimately lose to the Royals (but by a much closer margin than their two other games in the regular season), the Seawolves can be proud that they buckled down and were able to gain what once seemed to be an inevitable berth to the championship game after what appeared to be a disastrous midseason slide.

Code:

532 words

Tier 3, Task 16

By far the most exciting Coyotes game of the regular season and a strong contender for game of the season was the Coyotes' week 3 home game against the Tijuana Luchadores. The 0-2 Kansas City Coyotes looked to be massive underdogs to the 2-0 Luchadores before the game. Their struggling defense looked to be exposed early on, as the Luchadores surged to a 21-7 halftime lead. The Coyotes' dreadful run defense was allowing for huge gains, the longest of which was a 88 yard touchdown run by rookie Bronko Mills just before halftime.

The Coyotes came out of halftime hungry for the comeback however, and none of them more hungry than Joshua Campbell. Campbell, who already had scored the Coyotes' sole touchdown in the first half, added another with an 88 yard punt return midway through the third quarter to tie the game. Minutes later, a Tijuana punt was blocked by rookie linebacker Gary Goodman, and Campbell added yet another score with an 18 yard touchdown pass. The Luchadores were not going down without a fight however, scoring touchdowns twice to take the lead back. A long Kansas City drive answered back to re-tie the game at 35-35 with a few minutes left. With the game on the line, Coyotes safety Mac Griddle made a huge play by intercepting Tijuana QB Mike Boss Jr in field goal position. The Coyotes would miss the 44 yard field goal, sending the game into overtime still tied.

Mac Griddle would not be denied, as on the first 3rd down of Tijuana's opening drive, Griddle would intercept yet another pass and return it 32 yards to the 4 yard line. No field goal was needed this time as Covington would complete a 1 yard touchdown pass to RB Sergio Kitchens to seal the game.

Between the combination of huge individual performances, high scoring, and clutch defensive plays when it mattered, this game was an instant classic and one that I will remember forever as my first win in the league.

Code:

336 words

Tier 3, Task 26

With the 7th pick in the 11th round of the S24 DSFL draft, the Kansas City Coyotes selected Connor Quigley, offensive lineman out of the University of Massachusetts. While there were way too many fantastic players in the S24 draft class to call Quigley the steal of the draft, he certainly has a claim to that title. The 11th round pick would end up being one of the key pieces of Kansas City's stout offensive line as a rookie, collecting the second most pancakes on the team and the second most among all interior offensive linemen in the DSFL.

The on-field performance was excellent, but the user behind the player ended up contributing far beyond his draft position as well. While he was largely inactive leading up to the draft and had amassed very little TPE even a few weeks into the season, he was determined to increase his engagement in the league and did what can sometimes be the hardest part of improving yourself, asking for help. With some guidance by members of the Coyotes locker room, he learned his way around the forums and quickly increased his TPE earning. In just a month before the end of the DSFL season, he amassed 90 TPE and quickly became a central part of the Coyotes locker room activity.

While his TPE earned is naturally going to look low because of his delayed start, he should be considered near a max earner at this point. Looking forward, his trajectory looks strong and there should be no doubt about his ability to contribute to a team at the ISFL level. I hope that teams realize this and that next season I do not have the same opportunity to write about Quigley being taken in the back half of the S25 ISFL draft as well.

Code:

302 words

[MrStennett]

1. PBE PT Affiliation

2. TASK 8

I'm going to be honest here; this is going to be a rough offseason for the Royals. While we returned quite a few capped players last offseason, something we felt very good about at the time, I feel like it just put off the big fall until this season. Was it worth it? OF COURSE. We won the Ultimini and I wouldn't change that for anything. It's just going to make repeating as champion that much more difficult. I will be returning, which is something, I suppose. It's good for a DSFL team to have a capped quarterback, although it's certainly not a requirement. The way it's looking though, we will be losing a good portion of our team on both sides of the ball. A lot of this is speculation, but with expansion looming, my guess is that a good deal of our capped guys will be moving up to join their ISFL franchises. I'm looking at eight capped players on the team who, besides myself, will probably be gone. That's my two top receiving targets in Thorbjornsson and J'Vathon, our #1 cornerback Andrews, our dynamic linebacker duo of Light and Domine, and Ultimini hero, defensive end Mattress Cadaire. On top of that, I'm guessing that third wide receiver Adam Spencer will also be getting the call after the draft, along with safety Tayshawn Crunk, corner Swantavius Jones, and linebacker L'Gazzy Burfict. What does this mean for our intrepid heroes? What it means is that abh and Mag have a lot of homework to do leading up to the DSFL draft. We are going to need a serious influx of active talent if we even have a shot at defending our crown. That would be very disappointing to lose after one season, especially for a team whose mascot wears a crown already. For anyone at home that is counting, that adds up to us losing three receivers, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and a safety. Our defense gets ravaged, which was definitely our strength this season. As it always seems to be in the DSFL, defense will be king in the upcoming draft, and hopefully we can land some stud prospects to replace the studs that will be leaving for bigger and better things in the ISFL. Once again, I will reiterate, this is all just my assumptions. There is a distinct possibility that not all of these players will be called up, and that some players I didn't even think about will be gone. This is your London Royals quarterback signing off, and hoping that I can keep the magic alive for one more year.

Code:

436 words

3. TASK 27

Here's the thing about those lovable offensive linemen and special teamers on the London Royals: they're all great. A lot of those guys are a huge part of our locker room, not to mention the success we had on the field. Plat, LatinViking, and xenos have been super active in the locker room since getting to London, and I believe all three of them were chatting it up in our public section long before they were actually on the team. Even Nic shows up randomly sometimes to post his favorite pancake gifs. Between the three of them, Elephant, Alexander, and Littlewood combined for 85 pancakes and only five sacks allowed during the course of the regular season. I will state that Littlewood was a waiver pickup and only played four games of the regular season, but he was a huge addition over that damn bot that kept getting me sacked. Truly though, the real effect that these guys have on the team is making it an attractive destination for draft prospects. Our GMs do a great job of getting every prospect they can into our public forum and then our most Discord active users, many of whom are our linemen and special teamers, get the guys talking and wanting to be on the Royals. It's a great system we have established, but it takes fine gentlemen like the ones I've name here to keep it running at full efficiency.

Code:

239 words

[Vainknight13]

Ultimus Task

Task 7:
The awards for the DSFL are an interesting topic, some are clear cut others are up in the air. I will jump right in with the most prestigious the most valuable player award. I have had several discussions with others who seem to think the quarterback Howitzer is going to win and maybe he has a good claim to the award, twenty one touchdowns and six interceptions with twenty five hundred passing yards are certainly impressive numbers for the DSFl. I would counter that argument with Zoe Watts who lead the league in rushing, I am always against quarterbacks winning most valuable player awards. That isn't to say that this is some arbitrary decision that I am picking a running back to win over a quarterback. Zoe Watts had over thirteen hundred yards rushing, and roughly seven hundred and sixty yards on kick returns. She balled out to the tune of over twenty one hundred all purpose yards, leading the league in the stat that only I seem to think is impressive. So while I think Watts should get it I imagine Howitzer will likely take it, unfortunately I don't get to be involved in the voting and debate process. Another award and one that is completely set in stone to my opinion is returner of the year. Korbin Brown nearly hit the the thousand yard mark in kick returns, nine hundred and eighty yards to be exact, which i believe is a new record. He also had solid numbers as a punt returner. He is literally the only person who makes sense to earn the award with over twelve hundred return yards. Offensive rookie of the year is a tough one to call especially when I am hamstrung about not talking about myself, but I believe if I can't include me, then it has to be Bronko Mills who lead all rookies in rushing yards. I believe he is second in yards per carry among running backs with over one hundred carries, really an amazing mark as a rookie. Defensive player of the year is a pretty clear cut award for Adam Schell. He lead the league in tackles with one hundred twenty three tackles. He also backs that stat up with an astonishing eight passes defended, a great stat line for a linebacker, he also had nine sacks good for a tie for third in the league. Backing that up with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries and a smattering of tackles for loss, this guy terrorized offenses all over the league. Someone would have to construct a very good argument to lead someone in another direction because this guy did some solid work to get there.


Task 13:
My time so far in the league has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. I mean after all you don't log over sixty hours onto a website that you aren't having a good time in, that would be ridiculous, hell it might be ridiculous to log that much time in a site you are having a good time in especially when that sixty hours is logged over the course of about two months. I believe without really calculating it I am averaging over an hour a day just on the website itself, not including my participation in discord. I've met some good people one of my favorites is RDBSouthpaw this guy was so helpful and supportive to the newbies. Me and my coworker who I got to join the league both had nothing but good things to say about him as he checked up on us and made sure we were doing OK and learning the site alright. Even as my coworker decided the league wasn't for him he felt bad for leaving because of people like southpaw. He was scouting us at the time but he didn't do the typical "let me know if you have any questions" he sought us out and made sure we were taken care of. I love the wholesome proactiveness he showed us and appreciate it, he is without a doubt the person who has so far made me feel the most welcome in the league and I am glad I met him, and sincerely hope to be on the same team as him at some point. Another person I met was Deadlyplayer who is just an awesome dude to talk to. Spent a good amount of time talking to him at all hours of the night in London's locker room long after almost everyone else was in bed. Glad to talk about both of these guys. For my early start I was excited to participate in all the new folk stuff. I absolutely loved the prospect bowl and a bunch of us got really into it, it was fun for our first introduction to the league. The draft though, that is when it really started to feel real, seeing my characters name pop up on the stream was so exciting, especially going way earlier than I had ever imagined, it has me feeling I could be a first rounder in the upcoming draft. I was happy with the team I went to, even though we didn't do as well as I had hoped, most of the people in that locker room are pretty good people. One thing I would like to see changed is how the rule voting goes, it seems like there is very little transparency going on. Doesn't seem fair that only gm's and head office get to vote especially when those positions get to choose their successors. Essentially if no one picks you, you never get to participate. The transparency there is awful and we are left with vote numbers, no reasonings, if someone votes under the current system they should be forced to explain their yes or no vote. The players deserve to know these things if we are not allowed to participate.