*The S39 Gemini Media Awards

[Baron1898]

The S39 Gemini Media Awards
Recognizing Merit in the League

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Welcome to the S39 Gemini Media Awards! My name is Baron1898, and I am thrilled to once again present some recognition for the best works of media created during the past season.

Old faces in the league may remember a similar concept I did back in Seasons 15/16, during which I stated my intention to "keep the Eftelings running for as long as I’m in the league." That obviously didn't materialize, but the motivation still stands today. Media is arguably the most expressive form of earning money in the ISFL. It keeps engagement high and makes the community a more interesting and vibrant place. Yet aside from one team media competition from around ten seasons ago – which was an awesome idea, and which I hope to see return – there has never been any official acknowledgment of media that went above and beyond the competition. This isn't official, but it is acknowledgment.

So what has changed? For one, the name. To establish a clear separation between my previous attempt and now, I will no longer be using the name Efteling Awards. It was an odd name to begin with. It matches me thematically, since Efteling is the theme park at which the real roller coaster Baron 1898 resides, but I've never actually been there. Instead, because my roller coaster enthusiast heart cannot resist, I am swapping out one reference for another.

Gemini is an Arrow Dynamics hybrid dueling coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. As a little kid on her first visit to this Mecca of amusement parks, I was excited for all of the bigger coasters there but was intimidated nonetheless. Gemini was a perfect stepping stone ride. It helped me acclimate to coasters larger than Space Mountain and ignited a passion for amusement parks that still exists today. And with that unnecessary backstory out of the way, we can get to the rules.

1. Any piece of written media published during Season 39 is eligible for an award. This runs from the end of Ultimus 38 to the end of Ultimus 39, or from December 2 to February 3. Pressers also qualify, although the nature of this type of article leaves it unlikely to contend. Graphics and podcasts do not qualify; I know nothing about the former and do not have enough time for the latter.
   
2. There are four award categories: Best Article (Limited), Best Article (Series), Best Author, and Best New Author. Best Article (Limited) and Best Author have ten nominees, while Best Article (Series) and Best New Author have five.
   
3. An article can only be considered for one of the two relevant categories. Any article published as part of an ongoing series, regardless of whether that series was started in Season 39, is only eligible for the latter category. The exception is any article intended to start a series that so far is the only entry.
   
4. Articles published by groups (for example, the SFWG) are not eligible for awards. Articles that are just lists of statistics or players with no added contribution by the author are also ineligible. Finally, my own articles are ineligible for the obvious conflict of interest.
   
5. Any author can qualify for Best Author. Quality as well as quantity of work is heavily rewarded. Only authors who joined the league in the last three draft classes (for this year, the S39, S40, and S41 classes) and who have never won Best Author or Best New Author before are eligible for Best New Author.
   
6. Remember that this is all one girl's opinion. Every piece of media has creative value and brings something new to the table.
   

With that out of the way, here are your S39 Gemini Media Awards!

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Best Article (Limited)

This category honors the media pieces from the past year that have risen above the competition to bring creative and professional content to the league at large.

And the nominees are…

@Akoustique, "DSFL S39: Midseason Evaluations and Power Rankings"

• This is a fantastic rundown of the state of the DSFL around the midway point of the season. Akoustique's writing is clear, they use specific evidence to highlight why each team is faring the way they are, and they include the nice touches of an impact player and projected record... not to mention the fact that this level of polish is from a rookie in this season's ISFL Draft.
  

@infinitempg, "Will ChatGPT destroy Point Tasks as we know it?"

• The buzz around ChatGPT has become pervasive over the past few months, and infinite's article is actually somewhat prescient considering the recent new media rules around its use. It is written and structured well, and although large chunks of the writing are technically not his own, infinite actually uses the AI words to complement his well-reasoned points, not to replace them.
  

@LimJahey, "Shaggy Dog Stats Episode 1"

• How could you not find this fun? Measuring each team's proximity to Waffle House is silly and the tone of the article conveys that perfectly. The numbers are real, it is a serious statistical effort, but in the end the article sums up to meaninglessness and that is LimJahey's point.
  

@Modern_Duke, "Tackle Depth Perception"

• On the flip side of statistical analysis is a very meaningful study by Duke. He dives deep into the data to create entirely original metrics of analysis in pursuit of understanding defensive performances better. Despite the limits of the analysis allowed by DDSPF21's indexing, Duke's research is incredibly compelling and he makes some great observations based on the results.
  

@nickyvmlp, "NickyV's Last-Second In-Depth Predictions for the S39 Season"

• Apparently White Claw is the secret to media success. Nicky's article is incredibly in-depth, per the title, and really looks into each team to examine where they are and why he thinks they will place the way they do. A lot of the predictions in this article turned out very accurately, but even if the analysis was garbage, nicky's writing style would make it interesting to read.
  

@Rusfan, "Mandrews McHollywood against the ASFC or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hate the"

• Graphs are awesome. Compiling a player's performance against the division across multiple years, sorting all that info into easy to read graphs, and providing context for all of the different metrics? Even better. Hopefully McHollywood continues to bully the Second Line for seasons to come.
  

@Rusfan, "S39 Ultimus Hype!"

• This is a really cool concept and a really cool execution. Rusfan's commentary sells the feeling of live play-by-play broadcasting, especially since the clips in question have been slowed to a more realistic pace. Despite his protestations, media graders should give him money for it.
  

@Starboy, "The ISFL Needs Positional Awards Again, Or Do They?"

• The removal of the positional awards has sparked plenty of debate over the past few seasons, and Starboy's think-piece covers the ramifications from all angles, including previous examples of positional award drama and the impact on the awards stream. Plus, like any good opinion article, it sparked quite a few debates in the comments. That's the true measure of success.
  

@Troen, "ISFL team names: NFL suitability?"

• There are some articles that don't fit well into the usual category suspects but explore something entirely different and do it well. That's what Troen did here. He argues, quite effectively, the real-life merit and potential usage of ISFL team names and comes to the general conclusion that most of these names are either mediocre or bad. Hard to disagree there.
  

@TubaDeus, "Tuba's Very Last Second Fantasy Primer"

• In the absence of the annual SFWG Fantasy Football article, which would be ineligible for awards, TubaDeus' one man show accomplishes much of the same goal. This is a monumental undertaking, underscored by the fact that there's usually a dozen people working on it, but he really throws himself into it and creates a great analysis of the league's players as well as diving into the new world of IDP.
  

And the Gemini for Best Article (Limited) goes to...

@Modern_Duke!

What a unique and interesting analysis in a league starving for new statistical analysis. It's fun to read, it's incredibly rich and thorough, and it opens the door to a lot of interesting conclusions about how defensive players cover the opposition. Modern_Duke is well deserving of the first ever Gemini.

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Best Article (Series)

This category recognizes the media that has been published as part of an ongoing series of articles. United in theme or in branding, these media collections can tell stories and capture an audience through the use of sequenced publishing.

And the nominees are…

@JuOSu, "Legacy Score"

• This has been a long-running series for many seasons, but JuOSU upped the ante by publishing four additions to her compendium this year. The Legacy Score articles may mostly be a long list of players and numbers, but the Legacy Score itself is unique analysis, and JuOSu adds enough of her own comments to qualify.
  

@kenvald, "Reviewing the Tapes of J.LeBayers"

• If there's one type of media I can profess to not being a huge fan of, it is fictionalized player accounts. That makes kenvald's series all the more impressive; the writing here is stellar and compelling, they add a lot of interesting quirks to the play-by-play account, and each article is fun to read.
  

@NicholasTheGreat, "The Comprehensive Wrap-Up of the class of S22"

• The Herculean undertaking here is immediately obvious. NTG's full presentation of the largest ISFL draft class of all time is severely impressive in every sense of the word, he adds quite a lot of original commenting beyond the simple compendium of stats and awards, and it will prove an invaluable resource to any future research undertakings concerning players from this class.
  

@nickyvmlp, "ISFL MVP Rankings"

• Excellent writing here, even though the large break in posting does undercut the series' potential. Regardless, the summaries here of contenders for the MVP and players on the cusp of recognition are well put together. I'd say the prevalence of quarterbacks and skill positions is disappointing, but that's just being realistic.
  

@nickyvmlp, "The Honolulu Hahalua vs. The Worst Teams of All Time"

• What an awesome idea for a series. The Hahalua's losing streak ended at 24 games, but that still ranks third all-time, and nicky's comparison to the Baltimore Hawks and Colorado Yeti of infamy is both appropriate and deeply compelling. He draws a number of parallels between the three teams throughout the cycles of their despair and gives a lot of neat history for newer players who may not have been around for one or both of the aforementioned teams.
  

And the Gemini for Best Article (Series) goes to...

@NicholasTheGreat!

NTG is no stranger to fantastic media series, but the comprehensiveness and scale of this entry is truly awe-inspiring. The level of effort put into making such an entertaining read deserves applause and will earn him a Gemini.

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Best Author

This category honors authors whose work in the past year has contributed significantly to the media scene. These individuals have proven to consistently provide quality content for the press and include some of the most inspired and dedicated members of the community.

And the nominees are…

@AJW

• A great rookie writer, AJW has written a number of pieces about their player from interviews to destination research and has clearly improved their craft over time. They have even written a completely uncontroversial piece on league scouting that has more views than anything I have ever created (although I kid, it is actually still a well-written piece.)
  

@JuOSu

• In addition to her Legacy Score series nominated above, JuOSu also contributed to the Fantasy King craze of articles with her own two cents based on TPE earnings. She is fantastic at comprehensive research of statistics and other oddities.
  

@kenvald

• Kenvald is the second rookie in contention for Best Author and a deserving inclusion. Aside from a polished interview with their player back in December, their primary contribution to media this year was the nominated "Reviewing the Tapes" series that demonstrates a unique, personable writing style.
  

@Modern_Duke

• Duke is notable for trying to make the league subreddit happen as a place for media. In addition to winning Best Article (Limited), Duke also published an entertaining series on the subreddit attempting to predict the S39 results via a sequence of marble races. For what its worth, anyone who predicted based on the marble results would have scored 7 points this year, which is how many I got regardless.
  

@Nathan

• Nathan wrote a great season predictions article and a great power rankings series this year, both of which were shortlisted for awards but just barely missed the cut for nominations. His writing is incisive and funny, and the power rankings in particular would likely have been nominated for Best Article (Series) if he had finished the series at season's end.
  

@NicholasTheGreat

• NTG won Best Article (Series) for his amazing work on the S22 draft class, but his writing didn't stop there. As well as a short bid for Philadelphia to host the Ultimus, NTG also published an update for his ongoing offensive line records series that demonstrates his continued love for the position and dedication to compiling statistics.
  

@nickyvmlp

• I am so glad that nicky is back in the league and back to writing. Nicky led the field with three nominees for article categories this year, but that doesn't come close to capturing the full extent of his catalog, which includes interesting mock draft articles for both the S39 and S40 drafts and the season's complete depth charts and rosters for every team.
  

@Rusfan

• If there's one author to match nicky in prolificness this season, it was Rusfan. Nominated for two separate articles this season in Best Article (Limited), particularly the incredibly unique Ultimus Hype video, Rusfan nearly had a third with his analysis of the S36 receivers class and started a pair of interesting series with the RedZone and ISFL Community Picks. Only the truncated nature of those two series prevented them from contending for a Gemini.
  

@Troen

• Will Troen ever write an article that doesn't end its title with a question mark? Results are inconclusive. Troen's work is hardly constrained by the restrictions of typical article archetypes; he chooses interesting topics to dive into as he pleases, whether it be the historic nature of Yellowknife's defense, the future window of the Hahalua, or whether the Second Line is a worse team name than the Washington Commanders.
  

@TubaDeus

• TubaDeus is here to save your fantasy season. Aside from the monumental effort of the initial fantasy rankings that earned a Best Article (Limited) nomination, TubaDeus authored two addendums early in the season that reflected on many of the early performances of his picks as well as how his initial IDP hypotheses were playing out.
  

And the Gemini for Best Author goes to...

@nickyvmlp!

For someone who purports to write most of his articles "last minute", he sure is capable of delivering quality content on a crunch. Any time that nicky posts to the media forum, you can be confident that the article inside is both well-researched and easy to read. His work sets the bar for many of the genres he chooses to write in, and for that he will earn a Gemini.

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Best New Author

This category recognizes the newcomer authors on the block, whose early dedication and hard work shines through their content.

And the nominees are…

@aeonsjenni

• The S41 rookies have had the least time of any eligible group to qualify for this season's awards. But the one work published so far by aeonsjenni shows an admirable level of personality and flourish as they cover their player in an interview that showcases some unique backstory. I am excited to see where the author will go next.
  

@AJW

• A nomination for Best Author means a nomination for Best New Author is all but inevitable. I wonder how many teams that scouted AJW asked about their media work.
  

@Akoustique

• Akoustique only wrote one article this season, and that article was good enough to be nominated for Best Article (Limited). I cannot emphasize enough how impressive and put-together this effort was; if I was too beforehand that this article was written by someone like nickyvmlp, I wouldn't have batted an eye. I hope Akoustique returns to the media scene soon and doesn't get sucked into the deep dark depths of graphics submissions.
  

@kenvald

• A nomination for Best Author means a nomination for Best New Author is all but inevitable. I hope kenvald publishes the final installment of the Tapes of J.LeBayers soon.
  

@wizard_literal

• Another nominee who literally just joined the league, wizard_literal's one media post so far took an interesting approach to introducing themselves. They used experience with a previous sim league to somewhat reflect on the nature of simulations in general, and the writing makes the short article a breeze to get through.
  

And the Gemini for Best New Author goes to...

@kenvald!

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed the Reviewing the Tapes series compared to pretty much any examples of a similar genre I have read before. Kenvald's authorship is snappy and personable, and the interview together with this amazing series is enough to push them over a number of other deserving candidates. Their effort merits the Gemini.

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Congratulations to @Modern_Duke, @NicholasTheGreat, @nickyvmlp, and @kenvald for your Gemini victories, and congrats to everyone else who was nominated or who contributed to the media scene in any fashion this year. I encourage anyone who hasn't read any of the media pieces mentioned above to take some time out of your day and peruse. I promise it will be time well spent.

And for all the new people who recently joined the league, or anyone who hasn't written media in a while, I hope you are inspired in some capacity to write something of your own. This (imaginary) award could soon be yours.

I'll see you in Season 40!

[Pat]

I am SO happy that you did this again!! I hope you keep it up even though I'm sure it's a ton of work.

[slate]

Yes!!! Media awards!!!

Excellent choices. Congrats to all the winners

[Akoustique]

Thank you for the nominations! It warms my heart to see my work recognized, and congratulations to the winners and other nominees!

Don't worry, mock draft is in the works <3

[Starboy]

I’m surprised I got nominated for anything! That never happens unless it’s DSFL related. Glad to see these media awards back though

[WildfireMicro]

I need to step it up next season

[kenvald]

This is cool! Thanks for the kind words! I'm happy to know someone is enjoying my play-by-play ramblings

[nickyvmlp]

This makes it all worth the time I put into it, thank you so so much.

Also, my last-second predictions were infact garbage. Maybe I should go back and review them.

[DREAMSLOTH]

love this

[infinitempg]

o shit the media awards are back! glad to see you doing these again. i'll have to get my new media series started...