I have been staring at the blank textbox for a while. I have no clue how to begin with this. On March 4th, 2021, I will be "celebrating" my two years of failed presence in the league. Both with my players, and as a user. I feel like I have one of the worst reputations around the league, if not the worst. And rightfully so. I have been a big jerk so many times. What took so long to realise? Immaturity. Simple as that. I was a toxic piece of shit. I thought that by being real I would be appreciated. I guess I was real. But a bit too real. I don't really know how much someone can mature from the age of 20 to that of 22, but I think I have managed to do that, especially while spending so many hours stuck in my home due to the pandemic raging around us. I have had so much time to reflect on things I did in the past. Mostly on my mistakes. Thinking what I could do differently. I would come up with so many things to have done differently, and I would beat myself about it. But that's not right. Accepting you are human and you are going to do stuff when emotions run high is part of the journey we call life. Sometimes, you will do unacceptable things. Taking responsibility and holding oneself accountable for one's mistakes is a virtue everyone should strive every day. And that is the exact purpose of this piece. It is my way of looking back in the past, telling my part of my story, apologizing to anyone I insulted, and actually seeing whether I should continue being around here after Skiuuup's career is over, because I feel like I am not appreciated for who I am, and rightfully so.
The story begins on March 4th, 2019. I saw a post on a NFL Trash Talk Server, coming from r/NFL. It was about this league, then called NSFL. I decided to give it a shot, despite being totally clueless about how this works. The person I was first greeted when I joined the league discord was none other than the owner of the league, @iamslm22, who managed to talk me out of creating as a quarterback, opting for a safety instead. That went well you'd think. My career as a safety was horrendous. It started promising, but it didn't end up as such. First stop on my trip here was DSFL and Norfolk. The team was managed by Slm and @ScorpXCracker in season 14. @gucci replaced Slm the next season. I don't remember whether we made the playoffs or not in the first season, but I remember being upset. I was a very sore loser back then. I still hate losing, but sleeping after a loss really seems to help now. I was upset, but I was thinking that it would be the end of my stop there, as the majors draft was approaching. I was drafted by Yellowknife. Like I said, Gucci had replaced Slm, and was managing the team, alongside Scorp. The team was underperforming. Both our GMs were very inexperienced back then. I put the blame on Scorp. Because I was feeling like he was trying to get his player, a running back, to 2k rushing yard season, something unheard of in both the minors and the majors, while ignoring the rest of the team. And I requested a trade, as I felt it would solve my problem. But I think I am too loyal for my own good. Scorp and I talked, and I decided to give it a shot, as we still had hope. Until we missed the playoffs. And all I was seeing was celebration for Jimbo hitting the 2k rushing yard mark. If it happened today, I would more than likely written an article about how every other running back sucks, and why Jimbo is the best ballcarrier to ever exist. Something like the "Church of Gimmy" believers are doing. But so much did I know. And how much did he know. Looking back to it now, being a very sore loser led me to antagonize Scorp every chance I could find. I was feeling like I had wasted a season, especially when my stats had halved since my DSFL rookie season, with more TPE. But I was just an idiot. Instead of asking what's wrong and being involved, I resorted to pointing fingers. I also took it personally when I was excluded from the Norfolk team Hall of Fame. I thought it was a vendetta, or if you want, revenge. But Scorp was right after all. I didn't show any loyalty by asking to be traded, or by treating my GM like that. I was the exact opposite of the culture ANY team should have. I was an ungrateful piece of shit by being a dick, without even wondering what means Scorp and Gucci were using to orchestrate the team plan. I was thinking that everyone should put up with my bullshit, just because I am loyal to them and their team. How foolish of me... And that escalated to me eventually snapping at Scorp, in the DSFL GM chat, which cost me a GM job I would more than likely still have, about which I will talk about later in this piece. If you decide to read this, Scorp, I would like to extend an apology to you, for how I treated you during our common presence in the league. I really want to make amends, but I won't hold a grudge if you don't want to accept my apology. I was a dick, and I deserve it.
After my stint in Norfolk, I went to play for Yellowknife. I loved the people there. And I think they loved me, as much as my attitude allowed. The team was GM'd by @Daybe, @Bigred1580, @shadyshoelace, @flyeaglesfly29, and @PMoney, the many seasons I was there. They had to put up with so much of my bullshit. And I can now see that my attitude may have prevented the team from signing free agents that may have had prevented the four straight Ultimus losses. @Trautner is said to have been the cursed person, as we won the season after Grithead was retired, but I don't believe in curses. Shady and Fly had a designated channel in the YKW discord to exclusively talk to me, whenever I acted out, like I was a kid. Which I was. It took me almost 22 years to look inside and see what's up. There is no way everyone is wrong about me. It's like Colby Covington. Everyone hates him because of his schtick. He says it's a gimmick to keep his job, but it looks like it's his true self. And I fell victim of it myself. I thought my "gimmick" would work. But I am now realising it was the truest expression of myself. And again, it may be the reason Kroustis will more than likely not be included in the Elysium, Yellowknife's team Hall of Fame. I should be in the Gates of Hell, the league's Hall of Shame, as the prime example for what to not do. I tagged you six for a reason. I feel like I hurt the team a bit too much with my attitude. The five of you GMs had a headache in me to deal with, and you Traut, you missed on getting an Ultimus Trophy. Thankfully, I am being given a second chance. Gucci, @Kyle, @iStegosauruz, and the whole Dallas Birddogs management team caught me from falling to the bottom of the season 24 DSFL draft. I was like "I am a vet, I know what I am doing, I am max earning, why am I falling?". The season came and went. It was bad for my player, but I have stopped caring about it. It bugs me when Skiuuup underperforms, but it is what it is. Sim giveth, sim taketh. The following season, @Dewalt27 and @Highhaschdi put enough trust in me to draft me in their effort to build a new ISFL team. And they were kind enough to put me in the war room after a while. Dewalt was brutally honest with me about it. And that's when it started clicking that I was the problem. I am really thankful for that. I refrained from any public forum, and when I was there, I was trying to limit my interactions and messages to the bare minimum, while avoiding conflict at all costs. I have been thinking about writing this article for a very long while now. I was just trying to find the time, and proper headspace to do it. I am finally doing it, getting this shit out of my chest. I don't expect people to turn heads and suddenly love me. I just want people to see me as a changed person. As a person ready to hold himself accountable and recognize what he has done wrong.
Amidst all that, I managed to land a GM job in the DSFL. @"KanakoTheSquirrel" was looking for a co-GM, BigRed pulled some plugs, and I got the job. Was it a pleasant experience? No. I will be honest. It wasn't. Kanako and I were not made to work together. I will not get down to the reasons. It doesn't matter really. People change. We may be able to work together in the future. We may be not, you never know. @qWest, my eventual replacement, with a stint from @roastfuego in between, kept working with Kanako on improving the 2-12 team I was tasked to fix. Here, I will say that me playing the IA was unintentional. But it shows how bad of a GM I was, and how bad the team was for me to miss something like an active player. I guess "fun by winning" isn't really a good thing. And I only get to see it now. Anyway, qWest and Kanako were working hard, but missed one thing. The turdpython. That logo was bad. But the team was good. And the vibe in the LR must have been amazing. It set the culture for the team to come. The team that's terrorizing the DSFL. At least during the regular season.
I will try to wrap this up, as I have been rambling about it a bit too much. Before I conclude, here are some of my realisations. Don't Be A Dick should become a legit league rule. If I get to ever test the free agency, I will either end up re-signing with Berlin or like @retrospace111, who should recreate, as I think he should be given a second chance. If I am wrong, correct me below. Another thing I have seen is teams don't induct players in their HoF's, but users. That's why a User league Hall of Fame was a demand for a long while. All in all, I have been a dick. I don't feel like I have offered anything to the league those past 23 months, except for toxicity. I want to sincerely apologize for it. And I'd really want to hear everyone's opinion about this article and about me, down in the comments. But please, keep it civil and on topic. Refrain from the usual copypastas. I am asking for help here. Let me know if I have done you, or you have seen me do someone else wrong in the past. I started Skiuuup's career wanting a clean slate. But I have all this chasing me. I know I cannot change what I did. I can only accept it happened and try to change my ways.
If you got all the way down here, thank you. From the bottom of my heart. My lines are open if you want to discuss. Whatever that may be. And stay safe! Wear your masks, wash your hands, and practice social distancing. I love you all!
Peace!
The story begins on March 4th, 2019. I saw a post on a NFL Trash Talk Server, coming from r/NFL. It was about this league, then called NSFL. I decided to give it a shot, despite being totally clueless about how this works. The person I was first greeted when I joined the league discord was none other than the owner of the league, @iamslm22, who managed to talk me out of creating as a quarterback, opting for a safety instead. That went well you'd think. My career as a safety was horrendous. It started promising, but it didn't end up as such. First stop on my trip here was DSFL and Norfolk. The team was managed by Slm and @ScorpXCracker in season 14. @gucci replaced Slm the next season. I don't remember whether we made the playoffs or not in the first season, but I remember being upset. I was a very sore loser back then. I still hate losing, but sleeping after a loss really seems to help now. I was upset, but I was thinking that it would be the end of my stop there, as the majors draft was approaching. I was drafted by Yellowknife. Like I said, Gucci had replaced Slm, and was managing the team, alongside Scorp. The team was underperforming. Both our GMs were very inexperienced back then. I put the blame on Scorp. Because I was feeling like he was trying to get his player, a running back, to 2k rushing yard season, something unheard of in both the minors and the majors, while ignoring the rest of the team. And I requested a trade, as I felt it would solve my problem. But I think I am too loyal for my own good. Scorp and I talked, and I decided to give it a shot, as we still had hope. Until we missed the playoffs. And all I was seeing was celebration for Jimbo hitting the 2k rushing yard mark. If it happened today, I would more than likely written an article about how every other running back sucks, and why Jimbo is the best ballcarrier to ever exist. Something like the "Church of Gimmy" believers are doing. But so much did I know. And how much did he know. Looking back to it now, being a very sore loser led me to antagonize Scorp every chance I could find. I was feeling like I had wasted a season, especially when my stats had halved since my DSFL rookie season, with more TPE. But I was just an idiot. Instead of asking what's wrong and being involved, I resorted to pointing fingers. I also took it personally when I was excluded from the Norfolk team Hall of Fame. I thought it was a vendetta, or if you want, revenge. But Scorp was right after all. I didn't show any loyalty by asking to be traded, or by treating my GM like that. I was the exact opposite of the culture ANY team should have. I was an ungrateful piece of shit by being a dick, without even wondering what means Scorp and Gucci were using to orchestrate the team plan. I was thinking that everyone should put up with my bullshit, just because I am loyal to them and their team. How foolish of me... And that escalated to me eventually snapping at Scorp, in the DSFL GM chat, which cost me a GM job I would more than likely still have, about which I will talk about later in this piece. If you decide to read this, Scorp, I would like to extend an apology to you, for how I treated you during our common presence in the league. I really want to make amends, but I won't hold a grudge if you don't want to accept my apology. I was a dick, and I deserve it.
After my stint in Norfolk, I went to play for Yellowknife. I loved the people there. And I think they loved me, as much as my attitude allowed. The team was GM'd by @Daybe, @Bigred1580, @shadyshoelace, @flyeaglesfly29, and @PMoney, the many seasons I was there. They had to put up with so much of my bullshit. And I can now see that my attitude may have prevented the team from signing free agents that may have had prevented the four straight Ultimus losses. @Trautner is said to have been the cursed person, as we won the season after Grithead was retired, but I don't believe in curses. Shady and Fly had a designated channel in the YKW discord to exclusively talk to me, whenever I acted out, like I was a kid. Which I was. It took me almost 22 years to look inside and see what's up. There is no way everyone is wrong about me. It's like Colby Covington. Everyone hates him because of his schtick. He says it's a gimmick to keep his job, but it looks like it's his true self. And I fell victim of it myself. I thought my "gimmick" would work. But I am now realising it was the truest expression of myself. And again, it may be the reason Kroustis will more than likely not be included in the Elysium, Yellowknife's team Hall of Fame. I should be in the Gates of Hell, the league's Hall of Shame, as the prime example for what to not do. I tagged you six for a reason. I feel like I hurt the team a bit too much with my attitude. The five of you GMs had a headache in me to deal with, and you Traut, you missed on getting an Ultimus Trophy. Thankfully, I am being given a second chance. Gucci, @Kyle, @iStegosauruz, and the whole Dallas Birddogs management team caught me from falling to the bottom of the season 24 DSFL draft. I was like "I am a vet, I know what I am doing, I am max earning, why am I falling?". The season came and went. It was bad for my player, but I have stopped caring about it. It bugs me when Skiuuup underperforms, but it is what it is. Sim giveth, sim taketh. The following season, @Dewalt27 and @Highhaschdi put enough trust in me to draft me in their effort to build a new ISFL team. And they were kind enough to put me in the war room after a while. Dewalt was brutally honest with me about it. And that's when it started clicking that I was the problem. I am really thankful for that. I refrained from any public forum, and when I was there, I was trying to limit my interactions and messages to the bare minimum, while avoiding conflict at all costs. I have been thinking about writing this article for a very long while now. I was just trying to find the time, and proper headspace to do it. I am finally doing it, getting this shit out of my chest. I don't expect people to turn heads and suddenly love me. I just want people to see me as a changed person. As a person ready to hold himself accountable and recognize what he has done wrong.
Amidst all that, I managed to land a GM job in the DSFL. @"KanakoTheSquirrel" was looking for a co-GM, BigRed pulled some plugs, and I got the job. Was it a pleasant experience? No. I will be honest. It wasn't. Kanako and I were not made to work together. I will not get down to the reasons. It doesn't matter really. People change. We may be able to work together in the future. We may be not, you never know. @qWest, my eventual replacement, with a stint from @roastfuego in between, kept working with Kanako on improving the 2-12 team I was tasked to fix. Here, I will say that me playing the IA was unintentional. But it shows how bad of a GM I was, and how bad the team was for me to miss something like an active player. I guess "fun by winning" isn't really a good thing. And I only get to see it now. Anyway, qWest and Kanako were working hard, but missed one thing. The turdpython. That logo was bad. But the team was good. And the vibe in the LR must have been amazing. It set the culture for the team to come. The team that's terrorizing the DSFL. At least during the regular season.
I will try to wrap this up, as I have been rambling about it a bit too much. Before I conclude, here are some of my realisations. Don't Be A Dick should become a legit league rule. If I get to ever test the free agency, I will either end up re-signing with Berlin or like @
If you got all the way down here, thank you. From the bottom of my heart. My lines are open if you want to discuss. Whatever that may be. And stay safe! Wear your masks, wash your hands, and practice social distancing. I love you all!
Peace!