(S25) - Ultimus Week

[Daybe]

3) For any team, certain players and users have gone above and beyond, shaping the legacy of the franchise. Choose any ISFL or DSFL team, aside from Berlin and New York, and create a Mount Rushmore for that team. Who in your mind are the four most noteworthy figures of the team’s history? Why does each one of your included figures deserve that recognition, and how did each of them make their mark?

Yellowknife Wraiths Mount Rushmore
As former Yellowknife Wraiths general manager I have seen a lot of Wraiths history in my time throughout the league. This includes the early great teams, led by players like Mat Akselsen and Josh Garden, the famous S8 Ultimus team with Eric Kennedy and Dermot Lavelle, the transition period with Ryan Applehort and co., and most recently, the dominant rosters with the likes of Cooter Bigsby and Nero Alexander. Thus, I have identified the four most influential users/players in the history of the Wraiths organization to be on their "Mount Rushmore".

Mat Akselsen / Bzerkap
Anybody who has seen the early Wraiths franchise cannot deny the influence of Mat Akselsen as a player and Bzerkap as longtime GM. Consistently named one of the best general managers and a MVP winner on the field, Akselsen could be considered the father of the Wraiths organization. While Bzerkap was only really involved with one player as a Yellowknife Wraith, he was able to set up the success of the team for years to come even after his departure, with moves like trading for future GM Ryan Applehort / Daybe.

To sum up Akselsen's career as a Wraith, as a player his relatively short career was marked by a position switch to QB, while leading some of the Wraiths' greatest seasons. Since then, Akselsen fell short of earning HoF honors. However, as a general manager, Bzerkap was the architect for the dominance that put the Wraiths as one of the most feared teams in the league from the league's single digit seasons. Truly a remarkable resume, and well deserving of the honors of Wraiths Ring of Honor, where he stands as 1 of the 4 current inductees.

Dermot Lavelle / White Cornerback
A lot of words can be used to describe Dermot Lavelle: Dominant. Consistent. Great. GOAT. All of these terms can be applied to the historic success of Dermot Lavelle's 13 season ISFL career, all seasons being spent with the Yellowknife Wraiths. What makes his career remarkable is how good he was year in and year out, as Lavelle did not miss a single pro bowl appearance, going 13 for 13. That, coupled with a DPotY and a DBotY award would be well enough to vault him into the ISFL Hall of Fame. However, that doesn't even begin to tell the story of his greatness, as he stands atop the career ISFL interception leaderboard and various returning leaderboards.

Lavelle / White Cornerback embodied what meant to be a Wraith: Hard work, dedication, talent. Additionally to his on field play, he was an integral force for years in the Wraiths locker room until he was removed. He spent time as my co-GM, and was a veteran presence that helped right the ship into a string of extremely successful drafts between S13-S15. Dermot's on field and off field influence on the Wraiths organization cannot be understated.

Nate Swift / Bigred1580
The aging wide receiver has since left the Wraiths. However, ever since he was drafted #9 overall in S13 to his free agency departure, Swift was a stalwart at the wide receiver position for the Wraiths. Initially, the Wraiths knew little of Swift himself as a prospect, simply that he was close friends with #1 pick Johnny Snuggles, who was also a Wraiths great. Yet, the Wraiths were compelled to select Swift because of this connection. The rest is history as Swift will surely be one of the next Wraiths Ring of Honor inductees.

Nate Swift / Bigred1580 quickly rose to power in the Wraiths war room. Early on Yellowknife management noticed Swift's passion for the sport and the league, and elevated him to war room status. Having the ability to mentor Bigred eventually paid great dividends for the Wraiths. I eventually selected Bigred to be my co-GM with the retiring of Dermot Lavelle and consequently his stepping down. The Bigred era as a GM saw perpetuated success, as the Wraiths were able to make significant free agent and draft acquisitions to keep the pipeline of talented players to the North coming.

Nero Alexander / shadyshoelace
Following this season, Nero Alexander has surpassed Jayce Tuck as the ISFL all-time career tackles for loss record holder with 131. He topped off his remarkable S25 with his second career positional award, as even as he ages he remains a force in the Wraiths defensive crew. In other words, Alexander has been everything the Wraiths had hoped for the #4 selection in the S15 draft - and more. In fact, the Wraiths war room was ecstatic as the defensive end fell into their laps all the way at pick four, expecting him to be selected higher given his #1 overall evaluation by team scouts.

Nero Alexander / shadyshoelace was also a Wraiths GM, helping lead the team to the promised land of an ISFL championship for the first time in fifteen seasons when the Wraiths hoisted the Ultimus in S23. While the foundations for success were already there, it takes a great GM to know how to remain successful and keep the Wraiths ahead of the curve.

[jeffie43]

Affiliate TPE + 3

17.



+ 2.5

= 5.5

21.



+ 2.5

= 8

23.



+ 2.5

10.5 (10)

[ForSucksFake]

Tier II, 9

Chicago took a huge step forward this year. Last season, they made the playoffs for the first time in a good while. It was a quick exit, but there was a lot of reason to be optimistic for the future. After losing Mario Von Pebbles to the expansion draft the following off-season, the team looked to the draft to fill key holes on defense. They got some really good parts for the future and were able to advance further end the playoffs the next season. It was a tough trip back from Colorado, but they were able to take the next step at the end of the day. I’m not sure what their plans are for the draft, but free agency has been locked up. They didn’t really have any holes on the team and were able to really bolster their offensive line. With the trenches showed up for Chicago but the wide receivers starting to age, All eyes will be on George O’Donnell to see if he can continue his growth at the quarterback position. I thought he played well last season, but there may be people that say he was a little uneven. I think having a little extra time in the pocket will work wonders for not just O’Donnell, but the offense as a whole. The ability to extend and sustain drives will keep the defense well rested. When I was traded to Chicago prior to S24, the plan was to take a step each season and have a good shot at the Ultimus within four years. This is year three for me, and through the first two years we have been on track. I think the playoff run will be a little deeper this season with Colorado getting older and a good portion of the conference still trying to find their way. In the AFC, it will be hard with Orange County still as good as ever and the repeat champions in San Jose. I think the Butchers can make the Ultimus this season but with SJS and OCO it may be a tough one to win. Those two teams are just too good. But let the record books show that Chicago came alive under the leadership of Bayley and Muford. It’s a prime destination for free agents. Draft prospects no longer hold out or are afraid to be drafted here. It’s a team with a great culture, a new tradition of winning and a fantastic opportunity to vie for the crown.

Tier II, 12

You’re gonna love this story or you are going to hate this story. But when it comes to scandals outside of tampering or draft manipulation, what tops CHOCCY MILK? Depending on your view of the world, you either view this as harmless fun or poisonous and toxic behavior that threatens the very existence of simulation sports leagues. I’ll up to my part in this. I’ve called Minnesota my discord home for the last nine months and during that time we’ve come up with many stunts and “shenanigans” to carry out. Usually this come about as a response to boredom. Sometimes the off-season but most of the time it’s on a Wednesday, Saturday, or Monday. You know, off-days. On this particular day we felt extra squirrely with each other. That's when meaningless arguments start to happen. We may start bickering over real life sports, music, movies, whether or not anime is a curse, trivial things like that. But on this fateful day, we engaged in one of our recurring debates; strawberry milk or chocolate milk? For the last few seasons, one of our locker room roles has been “Strawberry Milk Drinker.” But there was about to be a buck of the status quo. I was a little late to this, having popped in for one of the very first utterances of “CHOCCY MILK,” in all caps. That’s when the back-and-forth started. Eventually strawberry milk was drowned out by a success of wall of chanting for chocolate milk. The next step in this debacle was taking it to the general discord server. We quickly were told to stop and obliged. We then took it to different ISFL servers and some were kind enough to play along. But that wasn’t enough. The mistake of the century was taking it to the PBE general discord server. This resulted in bands, back-and-forth confrontations, and general grievances between members of the two leagues. When I reflect on what happened, I admit that what we did was childish. But the fact that it had such ramifications and repercussions and is still a bit of a sore spot is funny and away to me. Maybe it’s not so much the message but the method and action that’s the big take away here. Yes, it’s stupid to spam servers and potentially create a rift between two coexisting leagues. Even if it’s just expressing your love for chocolate-flavored milk. If my name was ever going to be forever attached to a controversy, I think this is a pretty good one. I don’t think I directly hurt anybody, and I hope that one day it’s as funny to the rest of the league as it is to me to look back on. Ever since that incident, we ask incoming prospects their preference for the two milks. It does not have an impact on whether or not will get along with them, but it’s a way to keep one of our more polarizing memories alive.

[Orhanello]

Tier 1 #6

The international simulation football league is filled with so many different ways to get users engaged and to participate in the community. There are so many things that personally interest me and keep me active in the league. In this article I’m going to touch on just two parts of the league I really enjoy. One of the things I most enjoy about the league is all the game statistics individual, team, and season stats are always fun. Another thing I really enjoy about the leak is all the media created by various users.  It’s always fun to see what people write, design or speak about. These two aspects of the league keep me really engaged and add another fun element you can enjoy about the International simulation football league.

Once you build your player and you have grinded to get him TPE and have spent those points wisely to make him the best do you think he could be it’s awesome to see your player go to work on the field. After you play your games and with the benefit of having live videos for YouTube you can watch how your player performs right away. I love diving deep into the statistical details about how my player did that game. Being a quarterback I can look at the nitty-gritty details for my pass completions and attempts, how many yards I throw in a single game, if I make any mistakes like fumbling the ball or throw interceptions and the most important stat for a quarterback touchdowns. Did I say touchdowns was the most important, that’s not true of course I meant winning, winning is always the most important thing. It’s also fun to see how your fellow teammates did during the game and where you shine bright as a team. I look at every Little stat from tackles, past defenses, sacks, interceptions and just about any other stat that gets recorded. I believe it’s important for members of the international simulation football league to care about stats because it’s in a sense of the core of the league. When you show appreciation of how players performed you get more immersed into what players did in a game to game basis as well as the season as a whole. It’s also important to recognize how a player may have done for the season so we can appreciate them when it comes time to track and compare who was the best for awards at the end of the season. I personally love statistics cause I use my imagination to picture what my player did in the simulation very similar to what I wrote about in my last media piece. Stats are the glue that hold the analytical part of the league together.

As important as stats are I believe that media is also  just as important. If stats are the math side of the league then media is the art. Reading and hearing all the creative stories users make for the league are always fun and interesting to see. I also really love the artwork many members make from signatures of players to logo designs for teams. I believe when statistics and media are put together it can combine to some of the best parts of the international simulation football league. I personally really love reading about players and their background stories. It makes them more realistic and I can then use my imagination to create an idea of who they are while watching games on the streams. When you combine the story of a player with the performance they have on a field you can start to create a real image of who these football stars in the international simulation football league really are. It also seems like players that do really good and have amazing stats are also those who have great stories and the images of that player. I try and am still currently trying to create a great image for my player on the field as well as stories about him that can get people engaged into who really is LeBron James III. I believe the more stories I write about him as well as perform on the field  it will just make him a better player for when he gets called up in the ISFL. When you care as a user it just helps you get the most out of the league.

These reasons I gave about stats and media are just some things I really have an interest in for this league. I think it’s safe to say many people also have these interests when it comes to the international simulation football league. The league is full of very creative and active users that add a real depth of lore that many members can enjoy and take from. I think it would be cool if the league itself could have inner stories that may be as users we don’t have control of but could get a sense of engagement from. One day you log on to the site and you see that your player got into some legal trouble or that he’s now a spokesperson for a popular brand. These little details would just add to a more immersive experience for al members. The league is in really good hands and if people stay interested the stats and media I think it will remain in good hands. 


(902)

[iStegosauruz]

30) Reflect on the two expansion teams. How did their first seasons go? What were their key strengths and weaknesses, and how are they poised to improve in seasons to come?

I think that while both expansion teams had admirable seasons for their first forays into the league, that the New York Silverbacks were far and away the better of the two this past season. In my opinion, New York seemed to go for a much less aggressive style - more of a "build for the future" mindset - that was centered around acquiring good users and building that cohesive locker room environment. Berlin, on the other hand, filled the other void that expansion teams must do and went for a more aggressive style, swapping Nick Kaepercolin to QB and attempting to build a team around him. Although the total TPE of the two teams is comparable, I think from a roster construction perspective than the Fire Salamanders were building with the hope of contending this season. On the contrary, they went 3-13 while the Silverbacks - with a younger, developing core in important positions (i.e. Quarterback) went 4-12. The trades that the Silverbacks pulled off in the first round of their first ISFL draft paid dividends, allowing them to secure a top user at a position of need - that also benefits from being a TPE position - in Hank Winchester at Linebacker. Although Swantavius Jones at Cornerback was still an outstanding pick, you have to look at the value each team acquiring in their first round pick, and the ability to move around the board and still secure a top prospect while using that movement to grab their QB of the future. That type of strategy has set the Silverbacks up for a brighter future on paper than the Fire Salamanders have, and in all honesty a bright present since they finished with a better record.

28) Select any player who was drafted in the back half of a DSFL or ISFL draft. Show how that player has outperformed their draft position, or how they will soon do so. You cannot write about your own player.

The Austin Copperheads took Connor Quigley at 60th overall in the Season 25 ISFL Draft. Although Quigley spent another season in the DSFL with the Kansas City Coyotes he is poised to come up and join the Copperheads for Season 26 and anchor the Austin offensive line for the future. Quigley currently has 273 TPE, enough to outperform a 550 TPE bot offensive lineman by quite a good bit. Thats par for the course of players taken around his draft position - although the previous pick by the Philadelphia Liberty, kicker Jake Fencik, is quite a bit ahead. The value of that TPE for Quigley, however, is higher than some of the other players taken around him who have similar numbers because of the position he plays. He was 5th in the DSFL this past season with 52 pancakes, however he was the only member of the top 5 that surrendered 0 sacks. In fact he was one of the only human offensive lineman in the DSFL to not surrender a sack at all. He had an all around outstanding season for the Kansas City Coyotes and is still earning, still locker room active, a great guy and prepared to dominate at the next level for seasons to come.

9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?

I did this task last season. In it I wrote about how the Austin Copperheads had a lot of potential over the course of the next few seasons but should be expecting a down year in Season 25 and Season 26. Although the Copperheads did have a down season in Season 25, going 7-9 and finishing 5th in the ASFC, that potential I wrote about last season is still there. In fact, they might've even improved their odds of being better in Season 26 through some savvy moves and acquisitions.

The first of those moves and acquisitions was Brach Thomaslacher from the Yellowknife Wraiths. Although he cost the Copperheads a Season 27 1st round pick, thats a small price to pay for an active, max-earning Linebacker and outstanding user. The trade is aided by the fact that the Copperheads' weakest position group in Season 25 was the Linebacker core - where they started 2 inactive players. The Season 27 draft is already shaping up to potentially be a smaller draft, so mortgaging a pick in a smaller draft with less big fish seems like a savvy move for a team who wants to acquire players that all fit their specific timeline.

The rest of the Copperheads roster has all improved based off last season as well, excluding the departure of franchise legend Dermot Lavelle Jr. to the Baltimore Hawks and the continued regression of quarterback Easton Cole. Future quarterback Jackie Daytona is fresh off a DSFL MVP and still has another season to develop in the DSFL, where he will end up arriving in the ISFL with close to 600 TPE. The San Jose Sabercats have shown the ISFL that a team can win with a lower TPE quarterback with a bit of luck and a roster that compensates that hole. The Copperheads should have two 1000 TPE wide receivers by the time Daytona arrives in the ISFL in Eddie Jeeta and Videl-San. Zoe Watts is a "Speed Back" running back, meaning she caps out her critical build at right around 600 TPE. She's currently at 636. The offensive line will be much improved with the addition of Connor Quigley to anchor the left side of the line.

The defense continues to earn. Although Dermot Lavelle Jr. did leave in Free Agency, Colt Mendoza and Lesean Paris Crooks can step in and fill the void left behind. The linebacker core and defensive line position group are all young, active earners who will only continue to improve. The safety group is the same way, with standout rookie Maverick Bowie looking to build upon a record setting rookie season.

If the moral of the story is that this team should contend with a 600 TPE quarterback in Season 27 - which it should - they can definitely contend in Easton Cole's last season.

[Billybolo53]

For this point task,  I will look at the inaugural draft for the Sarasota Sailfish. This draft was important for a lot of reasons. It was the biggest draft class in history and was also the last NSFL draft before the rebrand to ISFL. For an expansion team, it is so important to hit on your first draft especially if it is a deep one. In the expansion draft, you can get solid role players but you have to fill your team with stars through the ISFL draft.

The Sailfish had the the number one overall pick in this draft. This draft was so stacked that there wasn't a real difference in player quality with the #1 overall pick compared to the top 20 picks in the draft. In hindsight this was a fantastic move. The Sailfish actually traded back twice in this draft and did not make their first selection until pick 20.

With their first pick, The Sailfish selected Octavio Clemente. This is my player. I played in Myrtle Beach under frost so he knew me pretty well. Being able to trade back and still pick me up at pick 20 goes to show how deep this draft was. I wasn't a super highly touted prospect by most people had me as one of the top DT. Clemente would develop into a solid defensive lineman and then made the switch to Safety. He looks like he will be able to make his mark there and make his first pro bowl. Clemente has continued to max earn and out pace most of the players chosen before him.

The second pick was Haha Mango- Panda. Panda is someone that is in the War room for the Sailfish and the current GM of the pythons. He is an amazing earner for being the 26th overall pick and has a strong pulse for the incoming draftees. On the field he is the one of the most dynamic players on defense. He has had monster season and is consistently nominated for awards.

With the 36th overall pick Sarasota chose Michael Witheblock. This is the best pick of the entire draft in my opinion, for any team. Sakro became Co-Gm in a few season after being drafted. He is the best sim tester in the league. He has brought so much to the Sarasota Front office that I can't imagine this team without him. A ton of the success for this team belongs to Sakro and it is amazing that Sarasota was able to get him in the 3rd round.

Two picks later, with the 38th pick the Sailfish chose Fawn Dimiballs aka Booger. He is the Captain of the defense and a huge part of the Sarasota Locker room culture. He is a good earner and brings a lot of energy to the clubhouse. Having team first players in this league is super important. Booger will slot into whatever role helps the team the most and that sort of energy is contagious.

With the 50th pick the Sailfish selected James Angler. I have no idea how Angler fell this far in the draft. He was a waiver pick that max earned since day one. It is really crazy he was here. He is a guy that does a lot for the league behind the scenes. He is fantastic in the locker room. He has become one of the best offensive weapons in the league. TE FB WR where ever he lines up he is threat to do some damage.

The next pick was Eric Barlow. We don't talk about him

We have some pretty lackluster picks McCable, Feels and Vettel then we get to Jacob Small. Small is a fantastic maxed out kicker. Every team needs a kicker and it pays to have a good one. He is a guy that is in the locker room and always in the chat on game days. A super solid pick to get at pick #110.

The last noteworthy pick for the Sailfish was Clark Boyd. He as an absolute steal this late in the draft. He was the 122nd overall pick and became a max earner after missing much of his first season. He was the perfect compliment to Angler at TE. A guy who focused on blocking and being a Safety valve for Dexter Banks. Clark was a huge part to the Sarasota locker room. He makes awesome sigs for people and was always a positive guy. Unfortunately for Sarasota Clark Boyd would be picked by Berlin in the Expansion Draft. Honestly I am happy for Clark because I feel like he will be able to be a focal point for Berlin. In his short time with the Sailfish he def left a legacy. Universally loved and missed.

Anytime you can get this many max earners in one draft that is going to be a success. Add to the fact that they were all great teammates and you have a legendary draft.


Wc: 828

[dahayn]

6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you.

I would like to take this moment to recognize a man that many have seen before but not many have taken the time to get to know. This man's name is Mr. Billy Joe Bob Knutesen. He likes to go by Joe Bob because, and I quote "most of these kids now days have brains the size that could fit into my whiskey shot glass comfortably and can't remember my full name". Joe Bob has worked for the Colorado Yeti organization from its inception back when the league was started. He was one of the first employees hired in 2016 by then-GM and team founder, InciteHysteria, to be the equipment manager. Joe Bob has since his hiring held many other unofficial jobs on the team but he still retains the official title of equipment manager to this very day. The mostly tragic history of this team is written in the lines of Joe Bob's face but every time you see him, he will have his trademark smile on and wish you a beautiful day. He is ever hopeful and always dependable. That's the kind of man he is and that's the kind of man this team has always needed.

The first time I met Joe Bob was after my first practice with the team. I had just arrived from the shores of Myrtle Beach and was struggling with the playbook. It was getting late. Most of the team had already left the facilities and I was alone, sitting in my locker, trying to absorb concepts and verbiage that I wasn't familiar with so the next day's practice would go better than my first. An older gentleman shuffled into the locker room and started gathering the bins that held our dirty jerseys and towels. He was making a bit of noise and I was already frustrated with my performance and how hard it was to memorize the playbook so I might have snapped at him a little bit to keep the noise down so I could keep studying. It got real quiet for about 30 seconds while he just stared at me so I went back to my playbook happy for the silence. The next thing I know, I'm being pelted with dirty ass-sweat towels and half-full water bottles while the older man was yelling at me and cursing up a storm. He was not happy. I thought about getting mad at first but this guy was old like my grandpa so all I could do was to take cover behind my playbook while apologizing the whole time and wait until he ran out of ammunition. After what seemed like hours, he stopped throwing things and stormed out of the locker room. I didn't know what to do but the room was a mess and I really was sorry I snapped at the old fella as I did so I started picking things up and putting them back in the bins. About 10 minutes later the man came back in and informed me that I need to learn to respect my elders while helping me finish cleaning up the room. I apologized again and explained to him why I was so frustrated and that it accidentally manifested by me acting stupidly toward him. He said he understood and we officially introduced ourselves to each other.

Joe Bob asked me what was so hard about the playbook? Why was I not understanding what I needed to do? I explained to him about how the coaches wanted me to not only understand what I was supposed to do but they wanted me to know what the defense would do to try to stop me. As a DSFL wide receiver, I had 3 jobs. Get off the line, run fast, and catch the ball. That was easy. Now I have to count steps, remember routes, run block, and still catch the damn ball. Also I need to know what the defense is going to do so that when they get in my way I can counter their counters.  Joe Bob just started laughing at me. He asked me who I thought was the best WR to ever come out of this franchise was. I said, "James Bishop. I missed playing with him by just one year. Before he retired, he had 11469 yards, almost 700 catches, and 73 touchdowns." Joe Bob nodded his head.
"That's right, and you know what? He sat here in this locker room just like you after his first practice all pissed off because he had trouble as well.". Joe Bob looked me in the eye and said, "and I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him." He picked up my playbook and tossed it in the trash bin. "You don't need that to win. All you need is speed boy. Speed is king. You know where you need to go to get points and you're going to be covered by 1 or 2 guys. Get there faster than everyone else and it all works itself out in the end."

"Joe Bob, if that's what James Bishop did, then I'll give it a try." I felt hopeful for the first time that day.

"Oh no, James learned his playbook and was fast. Maybe you might need a couple of things in that book. You better get it out of the trash before your coaches think you quit the team. But don't worry about it so much. None of this stuff really matters. It's all a simulation. Digital words and dots on a computer screen. Turtles on turtles on turtles."

I laughed as I fished my playbook out of the trash and thought about what he said. Speed kinda makes sense but that last part was super weird. Maybe he's crazy? I don't know." OK Joe Bob, I'm going home. Thanks for your help and stuff. Have a good night".

[charlit]

15) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S25 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?

This upcoming season marks the start of the 3rd season since I joined the league. My experience since joining has definitely had its ups and downs. I was drafted 17th overall in the ISFL draft to the Philadelphia Liberty. I was drafted 18th overall in the DSFL, so this shows how much improvement I have made since then. Before the draft, I thought I was going to 1 of two teams, neither of which drafted me. So, this pick was a bit of a surprise to me, but I thought my relationship with one of the current GMs played a role in me getting drafted here. For those who don’t know, there is an unofficial ISFL videogames discord where a bunch of people from the ISFL and other sim leagues play games together. Through this server, I have met a ton of awesome people. One of these people I played games with was Soup, who was the Philadelphia GM at the time. I had gotten to know Soup by playing games such as Among Us with him. So, I thought this probably played a role in Philly drafting me. Well, it turns out that Soup didn’t even realize I was the same person as the one he had played games with. It was his war room that pushed to draft me after scouting me. I thought that was funny, and it was interesting how I ended up in Philadelphia anyway.

After getting drafted, my player Killian Chambers was called up to the ISFL in his first season. I was super excited to see how both my team and player would do. Philadelphia’s QB, Brock Phoenix, was one of the top QBs in terms of TPE entering the season. After spending the previous season in Minnesota where we focused on running the ball, I was excited to be part of a pass-heavy offense. In the first game of the season, I scored a TD. Although we ended up losing the game, it was great seeing Chambers get into the end zone. In the fourth game of the season, Chambers scored two more touchdowns, which brought his total TDs to three. With my player only scoring 1 TD in 14 DSFL games, I was thrilled with my player’s start to the season. Although Chambers’ pace slowed down as the season progressed, I am still very satisfied with the start of his career. With the league’s plans to switch to a new sim, I’m excited to see where Chambers’ career goes from here. I think Chambers and his team can only get better as time goes on!

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

I think the MVP for the playoffs has to be someone on the San Jose Sabercats. The Sabercats played all their playoff games on the road and played well enough to win them all. To accomplish this impressive feat, one player was essential to their success. This player is no other than Jamar Lackson. Unlike his IRL counterpart, Lackson shows up in the playoffs. Lackson scored a TD in all three of San Jose’s playoff games. He also played a huge role in moving the ball down the field, totaling 252 rushing yards across the 3 games. While Lackson played well throughout the playoffs, his best game by far was in the Ultimus. Despite Lackson having a longest run of only 7 yards, he was pretty much guaranteed to pick up at least 3 yards when you needed him to. Totaling 27 rushing attempts, Lackson gained 101 rushing yards for an average of 3.7 yards per attempt. Lackson scored twice during this game, with both happening at critical times in the game. After both Colorado and San Jose failed to put up any points in the 1st quarter, Lackson scored the first TD of the game to put San Jose up 7-0 midway through the 2nd quarter. At the start of the 4th quarter, San Jose was up 20-10. They needed a TD to put the game away. Lackson answered the call, scoring on a 2-yard run to put San Jose up 27-10. This effectively put the game out of the Yeti’s reach, allowing San Jose to cruise to their 2nd straight Ultimus win. This shows how Lackson played great throughout the playoffs, especially during the Ultimus. He deserves to be the MVP of the playoffs.

[LimJahey]

4) The offseason is a critical reflection point for the league, during which the directions of entire franchises can shift dramatically. Choose any offseason up to and including the S24 Draft, and focus on a singular team. What strategies did this particular team employ to land the players they desired? What were the team needs during the offseason, and what was the overarching plan for the future? Did they lose or land any free agents that impacted roster holes? How have the players that they drafted contributed to the team?



The offseason after the S21 Chicago Butchers was a tumultuous, scandalous, and eventful offseason, that completely changed the franchise overnight. Included in this story will be GM changes, draft steals, free agents, and those juicy, juicy scandals that pre S22 Chicago was known for. At the start of the S21 season, the Butchers had two users new to being a GM, steelsound and Valor. Unfortunately the season did not go well for the Butchers, who would finish with a 5 and 8 record. At the end of the season, both Valor and steelsound would end up resigning from the GM role. This would leave the Butchers in an awkward state, having no GM. The GM hunt would be tasked to HO, who would attempt to find pairs suitable to become Chicago's new GMs. There would be an issue though, the pairs that HO brought up to the Butcher's war-room at the time ended up getting rejected, and would have the pressure put on the Chicago war-room to find new GM's. The juicy drama on the forums would end up in a relatively flat ending, as Bayley and Muford would end up being the two GM's chosen for the job. The two GM's chosen both had a background in the SHL and had a lot of knowledge on how the league worked, and users in the league. Unfortunately there would be a big blow in the Butchers future as they would have to give up an S23 first round pick that would end up being first overall pick to bring in John Smirh. Then came some more unfortunate news. 

   Thanks to the previous GM's, the Butchers were going into the S22 draft, quite possibly the biggest and best draft in ISFL history, with only 1 pick in the first round. A pick they would end up having to spend on Bayley Benson Jr, their GM's player. They missed out on 5 rounds of max earning talent, but were not discouraged because there were still players still available who would be fantastic pickups. In the sixth round they would take runningback Julio Tirtawidjaja, who would go on to have a fantastic rookie season. In the eighth round they would land a future pro bowler in Hamish MacAndrew, who would become a huge piece of the league's casino project helping to create the stock market. They would pick up their future kicker/punter and incredible person overall in Sam Sidekick next round. Sam would end up making a pro bowl and winning Punter of the year honors as well. The ninth round selection would be a bust in Abbas Muhammad, who would never take a snap with the Butchers in his career. Then in the tenth round, they would end up choosing a franchise altering player, the best tight end and defensive end of all time, Von Hayes. While his first three seasons as tight end were mostly uneventful for him, he never got discouraged, even after having another tight end brought to play in front of him. He would switch to defensive end in his fourth season, and go on to have a fantastic year, gathering 10 sacks on the season. One round later, they would end up grabbing arguably one of the biggest draft steals of all time, Tyron Shields. Shields wasn't really well known coming into the league, but he made the most of it every season. In his second year he would be called up, and would be one of the league leaders in tackles. He might be in the nickelback position, but he's still been able to get a pro bowl nod and gather the respect of the Butchers locker room and the league as an incredibly stand up user.

   The last few rounds of the draft would end up uneventful, as no other players beyond Shields would end up making it to the ISFL. The Butchers that season would end up calling up Von Hayes, Julio Tirtawidjaja, Hamish MacAndrew, and Benson Bayley jr immediately that season. While they were young and were easily outmatched by other peers at their relative positions, they would all buy into the Butchers. They wouldn't lose faith when they'd lose, and even though they would go 1-12 the following season, they knew that they could turn the Butchers franchise around. They would trade for their future QB in George O'Donnell, bring in free agents like Oles jr and Baby Yoda, and make smart trades for players like Mario Von Pebbles and Daymond Brooks. The S21 offseason for the Butchers would completely change how the franchise operated. No longer were they trading picks for a win now attitude, they would keep and use the picks to draft their future. They would build a locker room filled with comradery, and faith in the system they're building. The results might not have shown up for 3-4 seasons after, but they're really starting to look like the Butchers that the GM's envisioned when they took over the job, and this season, don't be surprised if they end up making it to, or winning the Ultimus.

[Lime]

18) Choose your favorite non-playoffs game of this season, whether your own team or another. Explain what was so special and why the winner ultimately came out victorious, including key players and moments.

My favorite game of the season was Orange County game 4 at Arizona Outlaws. It was an action packed game that we came out with a win. Joseph Joestar lead in tackles with 12, and also picked up a sack. This was a monster performance that cemented him as one of the best LB in the game. But he was nowhere near the best player on the team. Prince Vegeta had a career defining game, that was easily the best defensive performance of the year. Vegeta carried the team to the win, with 8 tackles, 3 passes defended, 3 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns. This game no doubt won him Safety of the Year as well. It was a highlight reel that kept the OCO undefeated momentum going for 6 more games. Heath Evans had a good game for Arizona, with 70 yards and a touchdown. Its is no wonder Orange County picked him up in the offseason after watching him make things very close. Ultimately it was a nailbiter but OCO proved the real deal by squeaking in a win with 6 points in the 4th quarter. The game very much embodied the regular season performance of Orange County, with fantastic play on both sides of the ball, but especially that defense.

13) Take a step back and predict what the league will look like three seasons from now. Who do you predict will be the dominant teams? Which young players do you think will have morphed into superstars? Will the league have expanded again in the next three seasons, and where would these new franchises be? Don’t be afraid to be creative, but don’t be entirely outlandish either.

I think the obvious answer is that Orange County will still be a contender. The Otter Train never stops and is picking up top players all the time. Joestar, GOAT TANK, Richard Leaking are all defensive all stars that will be in their primes come three seasons. And the free agency pickups are always on point. They Yeti will still be good as well. They have been very consistent in recent times and that will not change. They will struggle a little with a new quarterback but in 3 seasons they will be back in it. I think the Philadelphia Liberty will also have finished their rebuild and be in a good playoff spot. 3 seasons sounds about how much time they need to get back on top. I don't think there will be an expansion within this time because the last expansion was literally this season. The league needs to give the Fire Salamanders and Silverbacks some time to breathe, and let the chips fall where they may. One outside team i think will be good in three seasons is the Chicago Butchers. They have not had success so far in the league and it is about time the fruits of their labor pay off. But hopefully not if Orange County is in the Ultimus.


25) Imagine that the league’s Pro Bowl included a skills competition similar to the NFL. What sorts of games could you see being implemented? Which players do you think would perform the best in ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, or other games? Which conference would come out on top?

I am just going to write about this prompt to draw attention to the fact that Wolfie McDummy would clearly be really good at ultimate frisbee. I think we all know why. Also dodgeball because people would be getting bullet passes to the face. Joseph Joestar would be useless in dodgeball because of his concussion that left him unable to throw a ball. I am actually not sure if that applies to frisbees or not. Its kind of a different motion so it might not be affected. I don't want to play frisbee and find out. GOAT TANK is good at everything he does so he would probably destroy in other sports. I think they should add badminton because its such a giant difference from football. Football is very physical and badminton is just whacking a dainty little shuttlecock around. I don't know who would be good at that but still probably GOAT TANK. The league should include something like chess too. That would be really funny to see who is the smartest in the league. Or at least who is the best at chess. Overall it is just fun to see players doing things they dont normally do. So any events really would be appreciated.

29) Some positions are still under appreciated. Talk about the offensive linemen and/or special teamers on your squad. Show how they have contributed to the team, both on and off the field, and why they deserve recognition.

Offensive linemen are true team players. They are the best of this league, and take the dirty jobs so that everyone can have fun and be a better team. In Orange County, one of our offensive lineman is Ne Mo, sushi (or fish)'s player. Fish joined as a tight end and played with me in Myrtle Beach where I threw passes to him all the time. We were both drafted by Orange County but Fish knew he would not be earn as well in this league as he would in the SHL, so he made the selfless move to switch to offensive line for the team. He may not be the biggest superstar in the sim now, but he helps us win games, and he's always a welcome presence in the locker room. I pinged him like 900 times to ask him what his position was before he switched because I forgot and he was nice enough to give a confirmation when Wozy beat him to the punch by telling me he played tight end. Most people just ignore me when I ping them or block me but fish is a real stand up guy and an asset to the locker room. Which brings me back to my point that offensive lineman are the best people in the league. Even Simon Tremblay's user briedaqueduc is cool and shows up in oco all the time despite being on a garbage Philadelphia team where I would most certainly rage quit.