(S40) Offseason Task

[thecanadiancanuck]

Task 11 (Tier 2)

Jake Jefferson is a native of El Paso, Texas, and for him football has always been a big part of his life. He started young with playing catch in the backyard with his dad and the neighbour kids, and in Texas where football is life his athletic skill and easygoing nature made him a natural fit for the quarterback position. In high school, a running quarterback can be quite a weapon, and Jefferson's speed forced the defense to play to him, which gives space for his receivers to take the top off the defense. Even as the centrepiece of the team, his focus was always on improving his skills and those of the people around him; his goal was always to get to college and eventually to the ISFL. He was recruited by a few different schools. Georgia Tech was appealing for being a historical option school where Jefferson could show off his skills in an offense tailor-made for his skills. Oklahoma was another team that had seen some recent success with running QBs, so the athletic signal-caller appealed well to them. However, Jefferson's dream school and his childhood fandom was always Texas A&M, and his biggest hope was to get recruited by them. Even though they had more of a pro-style offense, he was overjoyed when the Aggies scheduled a visit with him. The coach laid out in detail how the quarterback's skill set could fit into their offense, and also how playing at this school could complete and elevate Jefferson's game to make him more ready for the pros. It was the happiest day of his life when he committed to playing for Texas A&M. The school was an incredible experience, as he was able to study his passion in history and get to be part of a family of football players. Through his college years, he improved his ability to read plays, which was an important part of knowing when to use his arm and when to tuck and run. Jefferson declared for the DSFL draft after his junior year, and was selected 88th overall by the Kansas City Coyotes. He'll start out backing up Mathias Mayhem, and the goal is for him to further improve his passing ability.

Task 18 (Tier 3)

Teams should take a chance on Jake Jefferson because his mobility gives teams an extra dimension of offense to focus on. Instead of simply having to choose between the run or the pass, a dual-threat QB is an excellent offensive weapon that can confuse defenses and rely on misdirection for success. This also works for the air game too as the opposing team's front seven will need to respect the possibility that he can tuck and run, allowing a better chance for short and long routes to get open. Ultimately, the biggest reason why Jefferson should get picked up by a team is that he's a great leader in the locker room. Especially considering that he's a guy with a somewhat unorthodox style compared to quarterbacks that have historically been seen in the ISFL, being able to rally players with his play and keeping a strong command of leadership through example is how he likes to operate. Ultimately, Jake Jefferson is a versatile element of the offense who can contribute successfully in more than one way.

7.5/10 TPE

[Void_DCXI]

2

The Season 39 ISFL draft class has just completed their rookie year, so I thought it would be interesting to see how everyone fared in their opening campaign. With the first overall pick, the Honolulu Hahalua selected Seath Leavitt. The first overall pick in his DSFL draft, Leavitt was a sure fire first overall pick in this class as well. Leavitt performed well his rookie year, starting all 16 games and securing 62 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 19 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. Though Honolulu struggled once again this year, Leavitt is going to be a key piece in building the team back to their former glory. With the second overall pick, the Colorado Yeti selected Waylon Greene. Green had an outstanding rookie year, starting all 16 games, racking up 105 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 7 passes defended, 8 sacks, and 3 interceptions. A slam dunk choice for Colorado so far, the former Birddog will look to continue his reign of terror on defense. With the third pick, Orange County took Sim Sunigh. A bit of a surprise here, as the consensus top 2 LB prospects were Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Donte Darius. Sunigh performed well in his rookie year however, putting up 94 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 fumble recoveries, a sack, and 2 interceptions. Maybe OCO knew something we didn’t. The Butchers took Frank Dux 4th overall as the first running back off the board. He had an underwhelming rookie year, collecting just 347 yards on 3.7 yards per attempt. Hopefully he can improve upon this effort next year. The Sailfish took Willier Miller 5th, but he stayed in the DSFL. Jake Williams was taken 6th by Baltimore, and he had a decent rookie outing, posting 702 yards on 4 yards per attempt. The copperheads took Mario Moloka’i 7th overall, but he also stayed in the DSFL. The same goes for 8th overall pick Johnson Lovehammer. The 9th overall pick was MC Hammer who was drafted to Baltimore. He had a very poor rookie showing, recording just 25 tackles and 5 TFL despite starting all 16 games. And I’m not glossing over anything either, those are legitimately all the stats he had. Hopefully he can continue to grow as a player. The Hahalua went defense again with the 10th pick, selecting Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He had a stellar year, finishing with 108 tackles, the most among rookies, 16 TFL, 7 sacks, and an interception. The 11th overall pick was my player, Donte Darius taken by New York. If I’m to give an objective look at him, he had a decent rookie season but nothing special. 91 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 10 passes defended. Pretty good, but not earth shattering. Hopefully he can turn into an all-pro level player. Mo Gago was taken 12th overall, and he put up 37 tackles, 2 TFL, and 2 sacks. This is the stage in the draft where the really hard hitting rookie fade away, so this isn’t really a shock. Dick Grayson was selected 13th overall, but he stayed in the DSFL, along with the first QB selected at 14th overall, Donovan Winters. And that about rounds out the first round of the S39 draft. A lot of good rookie campaigns, some disappointments, and some guys who were only gonna get a chance to properly judge next season since they stayed in the DSFL. It’s going to be interesting to see how these players progress throughout their careers and who will eventually find themselves gracing the halls, enshrined in the ISFL hall of fame. For now though, we will just have to wait and see.

608 words.

[PonchoC]

One of the things that really struck me about the DSFL was how supportive and friendly everyone was. As a newcomer, I was a bit nervous about jumping in and trying to figure out the intricacies of the league, but everyone I interacted with was really patient and willing to help out. And that started with my first rookie mentor, Raven.

Raven was an experienced player who I came to when I first joined the league. He was specifically a rookie mentor, and he was really knowledgeable about the game and the various positions. He took the time to walk me through the different positions , their needs on teams, how I can impact the game on the field, and he helped me figure out which position would be the best fit for me. After some time considering my options, I eventually chose Defensive Tackle, a core piece to any defense, to try to help build a physical and dominant defense somewhere I am wanted.

But Raven didn't just give me advice and then disappear - he was there for me throughout the offseason, offering encouragement and guidance as I learned the ropes. He gave me tips on how to earn training points, which are used to upgrade your character and improve your performance on the field. And he was always available to answer any questions I had or to give me feedback when asked.

Working the forums and earning training points seemed like a daunting task upon entering the league. But, as I familiarized myself and proceeded to ask more questions, I started to grasp and maneuver the forums with more ease. Creating a player name , likeness and origin was a cool part of my rookie journey as it will help me connect to the player I am from behind the screen. The training points and money system is a very interesting concept to me, that engages the user to be more active than any other league I've been in. Having an active community makes any league, regardless of content, much more enjoyable and overall fun.

The road to the draft was a pleasure as well. The prospect bowl, even though my Spartans didn't do too much winning, was an enjoyable experience to see my player in action for the first time. The draft interviews were always really fun and engaging, and they helped to break the ice and get everyone comfortable with each other. The GMs would ask all kinds of questions - some of them were football-related, but a lot of them were just silly or creative. One GM asked me which pizza topping was my favorite, while another asked me which band I would choose to include an Aladdin character in their lineup. It was a really fun way to get to know them, and it helped to create a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Originally, I had thought I missed the draft because I was running late to get home. But I was surprised to see we had just started, and I was happy to see myself be drafted to the Norfolk Seawolves with the 55th pick. I'm excited to see what I can bring to the table to this historic team and what I can learn from league OG's and rookies alike.

Looking back on my time in the DSFL, I'm really grateful for all the knowledge I've gained and connections I've made. It's a really special community, and I've never experienced anything quite like it in any other online game or league. If you're a fan of football or just looking for a friendly and welcoming community to be a part of, I'd definitely recommend giving the DSFL a try. You won't regret it!

[FootballIsCool]

23. What are your thoughts on the sim engine? What sort of improvements would you make to the sim engine if given the opportunity?

I joined the league just as we switch to the most recent simulation engine, so what we currently have is all that I know. I will say that the change is probably a very good thing. From what I have been informed is that the previous simulation engine was largely figured out and that there were some positions, like offensive line, that were deemed worthless for a player to be occupying that position. But they are now relevant. Since we are a few seasons into the new simulation engine, it has what you would want in a simulation engine. It has a fair bit of randomness that feels like your team is not completely doomed if you are playing against a roster that is "far and away a better TPE". This allows for playoffs and individual games to feel far more meaningful and allows upsets and that is good for entertainment and in return is good for the league. With these positives that does not mean that this simulation engine does not have it's own set of flaws. The one initial issue that I had with the game was the lack of display of post game stats. This has since been remedied with displaying of the box scores. Kudos to the simulation team for adding that bit. Overall from what I have heard the switch was largely a success and an improvement over the old simulation engine. Not sure how I feel about the changes to the removal of individual positional awards.  I would absolutely buff fullbacks they seem largely underutilized and as attributes just very bad half backs due to speed being so important in the game. Fullbacks have the potential to be a really cool and unique position.

[290 words]

24. You’re in charge of entertainment for the Ultimus or Ultimini half-time show. What would you do?

The headliner for this half-time show is the former artist formerly known as Prince.

Starting out the entertainment the ghost of Prince’s past, blouse and all will rise through the middle of the stage on a pedestal and will challenge Charlie Murphy, Eddie Murphy and his crew to a basketball game titled “shirts vs blouses”. Prince’s crew will blow out the Murphy boys. Prince will open up with a cover of Queen’s hit song “We will rock you”.  Then a smooth transition into Eddie Murphy’s hit song, “Party all the time”. That’ll then transition into Prince’s song “Let’s go Crazy” followed up by “Baby I’m a Star”. Doves will be released and there will be a dancing brigade that will be dropping some sick choreographed moves. As Prince and the Revolution start playing “1999” the pastel colors everywhere really made you feel like you were partying like it was 1999. Followed by the classic "Raspberry Beret". Then all of a sudden it begins to rain right as the lights dim down low and "Purple Rain" is then performed.

[177 words]

27. Imagine your current position was not available to be picked when you created your player. What other position would you have picked, and why? (Written Task)

I would have been a Full back. I would have been like Tampa Bay Legend Mike Alstott, a true threat when running the ball. I would have actually made running the ball as a full back. However I would also have the ability to ground and pound everyone on the field. The main reason I would like to be a fullback is because they are just offensive linemen with hands. They also serve up quite a considerable amount of pancakes to all of the friends on the team. That’s why being a fullback would be amazing. It would also like to see the ball every once in a while with handoffs and would live to show off my celebration dance that I have been planning on showing off. It is called the stumpy shake. I will leave that to the imagination of what that is but I will likely get fined for it. Kids will need to avert their eyes from the Television because of it but it will be good for the environment

[174 words]

29. What team do you think has the best branding in the league? Why?

There are a lot of teams in the league that have some really great brandings but I think the team that has the best branding in the league is the Colorado Yeti.  I would consider the Yeti to be my favorite branding because of their use of black as a focal point with how colorful this logo is by using the Colorado state flag. Everything is on a red backdrop in front of which is the Colorado flag’s iconic C outlined in royal blue in front of what is assumed to be a yeti but it is actually just a silhouette of what is unknown. In addition to that I think of all of the potential ways you could portray a missing link or yeti going with something unknown and lacking in detail was the right move. This is a team branding that I could see at a professional level and is something that I would happily purchase merchandise for.
 
[160 words]

[Ulaire]

Task 23. What are your thoughts on the sim engine? What sort of improvements would you make to the sim engine if given the opportunity?

Some of the problems with Draft Day Sports Pro Football sim that the league use include bad play calling in the sim, awful time management, and some ignorance of several positions if you catch what I'm talking bout. For example, there is not much meaningful difference between high earning and mid earning safeties. Same can be sad about offensive line (maybe we don't have enough high earning offensive linesmen to make such conclusion though). getting stats as defensive lineman is hard for people too, same goes for tight end. Maybe if the new sim engine will allow to account for stuff like pressures and other small things statistically their visible impact will change and people will appreciate these positions more, and high earning users will create more players for this positions. Still, the main problem is clock management and weird play choices in clutch situations. Some important comebacks occur due to completely idiotic play choice by the sim and it's inability to waste time of the clock, or misusing timeouts. So, that's the biggest thing that needs to change for me.

Task 24. You’re in charge of entertainment for the Ultimus or Ultimini half-time show. What would you do?

For a somewhat new and original concept of half time show I'd bring a Cirque du Soleil to perform at Ultimus half time. there are several reasons for it, for example, Cirque du Soleil performances cater to all ages, from children to adults, making them an ideal choice for a family-friendly halftime show. Also it's a unique and one-of-a-kind performance, with no two shows ever being the same. What's better to combinate with unique experience of Ultimus? And well, they are just very good with their blend of acrobatics, music, and dance. for such big show like Ultimus we can choose the wide array of pop music for them to perform too, and also spice it up with some cutting-edge technology and special effects to create a multi-sensory experience. This could include projection mapping, LED screens, holographic displays, and other immersive elements to take the audience on a football show journey of their lives.

Task 16. Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?

The Arizona Outlaws were expected to contend for the championship in the ISFL season 39, placing a big hope on winning the elusive threepeat, which was done only once before in whole ISFL history. And they had good chances for it, boasting the highest average and overall tpe in the league. Most of the league predicted them to become a regular season champions once more.

However, their quest for the regular season championship fell just short. After 3-0 they suffered two not very close losses to Austin Copperheads and New Orleans Second Line, 30-20 and 33-20 respectively. Arizona toughed up a bit and finished first half of the season o the 3-0 winning streak against Honolulu, Berlin and Sarasota. But on the other side of the table Yellowknife Wraith were still undefeated, so home advantage in the playoffs seemed distant. Preseason over bet of 13 wins didn't look that good too now. losses to the Baltimore Hawks and San Jose Sabercats didn't help much too. homefield advantage and first round bye were in contention up to last week, with pretty surprising Austin Copperheads run. Arizona and Austin both finished their regular season 11-5, with outlaws grabbing the first seed by some tiebreakers I'm too lazy to learn about. Statistically, Arizona still finished first on offense, albeit by a point and third on defense.

In the playoffs, they pretty much stomped New Orleans Second Line in conference championship, after surprising Nola win in divisional round. defeated by a talented team in a closely contested game. but not having home field advantage in the Ultimus probably played some part in their really bad loss to Yellowknife Wraiths with horrifying end score of 34-6. Threepeat dream was no more, at least for some time.

What was even more shocking, was not getting much personal awards for Outlaws players. With Cue Jr getting old, and Sailor overshadowed by other ISFL players, no MVPs and OPOY were won, first time since s34. Also, just 5 All-Pros, which was pretty low for such good team.

[High Stick King]

14. Expansion Expansion Expansion! Tell us why you think the league should expand / not expand or include any ideas (in words) for team branding ideas you have or team locations.

Who doesn't love expansion? Okay, maybe GM's who lose players to the expansion process, but that's their problem not mine. I say we go big and take the game all the way across the globe to Tokyo, Japan. I believe the country already has an "American Football" league called the X-League, so the people should be familiar with the sport and shouldn't be an issue.
So for location, let's go with Tokyo and as for the name, how about the Thunderbolts? Nice and easy to remember. Give me more time and I might come up with something better. The colour scheme would be something like black with yellow secondary and a tertiary pink colour that would be used subtly in the design like around the numbers and maybe an occasional pin-stripe. The stadium name or nickname could be something like the Electric Avenue although that's probably too dated and makes no sense in Japan. Thunderdome is a tad on the nose. Hell, make it easy and just sell the naming rights I guess. The logo I would get a local artist from Japan to design it as I'm sure there is no shortage of talent to choose from.

Let's assume though that the league is at capacity and you don't have room for new teams. Another type of expansion would be the "Seniors League". Where retired players could participate after their ISFL career is finished. It would give an opportunity for forgotten players to re-live their glory days while also bringing back nostalgic feelings. I don't think you would want to do a large league with a dozen teams or anything, but a scaled down version might be fun. Say 4 teams that play each other 3 times for a 9 game season and then have a playoffs to determine the winner of the "Boomer Bowl". The teams would obviously all be in retirement communities like Florida and Arizona.

Those are my ideas.

[ 324 words ] Tier 2 - +5 TPE

29. What team do you think has the best branding in the league? Why? (Written Task)

There are a lot of really great and unique teams in the league. Although old-school style names are great for sports teams, I do like a unique one as well. I believe I already reviewed the ISFL teams before for this type of task so this time I'll do the DSFL teams to change things up.

Shout out to my Dallas Birddogs, that's great branding however they fall just short of the top design. It really boils down to 2 teams for me as the best branding in the DSFL. Putting aside any rivalries, those two teams are the Bondi Beach Buccaneers and the Tijuana Luchadores. Although both are great, it is the Tijuana team that gets the nod from me as the best branding in the DSFL. The colour scheme is fantastic. I really like the way they pop. The team also has a top notch logo that looks good on a t-shirt (Bondi gets props for this as well). What really puts Tijuana over the top for me is that the Luchadores are a unique name that I haven't heard used a lot. A++.

[ 186 words ] Tier 3 - +2.5 TPE

36. Affiliate PT from either SHL/SSL/PBE. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this Offseason Task. And you may only use a max of 1.

SHL Affiliate: https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3322459

Tier 3 - +2.5 TPE

[SchwarzNarr]

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3322493

affiliate

[crazylemire]

+ TPE - shl affiliate claim

[Starboy]

22. Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, or highlights. (Written or Graphic Task)



25. Create a billboard, magazine cover, unique trading card, or video game cover depicting a one of the league's stars



26. if your player wasn't a professional in the ISFL/DSFL, what would they be doing instead? (Written Task or Graphic Task)

“Take that!” The powerful strike from the edge of the fencing sword took its final stab into its opponent as the buzzer signaled the end of the Olympic event. Once again, Aurora Pendragon had grabbed another gold medal in her first Olympics for the United Kingdom where the few back home cheered in her honor despite the low views the sport gets. She had officially made it to the peak of her sport with years of hard work. After narrowly avoiding a nasty fall in her college years, Aurora used her love for the famous hero King Arthur to train in both sword combat and in history where she got a day job working as a young researcher for Cardiff University. Yet now she put that work behind her with “God Save the King” filling the stadium and tears well at the edges of her eyes. As she steps down from the podium to make her way back to the Olympic Village, she makes a call home to hear the cheers of family and friends.

32. Your player has decided to start a podcast since it's what all the cool celebrities are doing these days. What would the name of your player's podcast be and what would they talk about/do on the podcast?

Having a player with a sword has usually drawn attention toward the Second Line whenever they visit another team. Most see the stoic player, standing up on the highest point of whatever stadium, or in front of the main gate, and often will scoff at just how focused they are. Why would they run a podcast? The answer is simple: to pass on this stoicism to others. Armor Queen’s “Iron-Willed Round Table” podcast is centered around the medieval ways that people would train, and live. This is not the Liver King where the person behind the knowledge is cheating the system since Queen uses these very same principles day in and day out. At first there are people that believe all she does is an act but those doubters are soon put to rest whenever they meet the player herself. She remains one of the biggest mysteries in the league since she believes that life has not progressed beyond the medieval age (thanks to a gnarly head injury in college) but still accepts the new technology that allows her to spread her guidance.

[AL_GRINGO]

PBE Welfare 2.5 TPE

Written Option #20 - 155 words

The best teammate I have ever had in the international simulational football league has to be the user dudeman. He has always been the most level headed person and willing to help me out with whatever. I first met him when I was in Tijuana on the luchadores and ever seen he always has been the coolest guy on the block. I know his render and profile pic has always been kylo ren but he has the cool factor of Han Solo to the max. I hope that I can achieve some great things with him and my teammates out there on the gridiron and bring home a championship. He also is always super active on our team discord and even goes out of his way to listen to songs I share even if it isnt even a genre of music he likes. I know I am not alone in how I feel about him.

Written Option #27 - 151 words

If i couldnt pick safety to play as I think I might try out offensive line. I have only played on the defensive side of the ball with the two players I have created so it would be cool to move over to the other side and see how it is. The reason I would pick offensive line is that they do all the hard work but get none of the love. It also would make me appreciate the whole offensive side of the ball because often times with sim leagues we only worry about individual stats and nothing else. I would keep the same render because he is a rather large individual but I might change up the photo or signature. Either way I think it would be a lot of fun to move over to the offensive side of the ball and bash some defenders down into the ground.

Written Option #31 - 157 words

The award that my player Titty Juana would win would be the Tijuana taco eating championship belt. This eating competition would take place every year in Tijuana on the luchadors field. IT would be open to anyone in the public and the rules would be simple. Who can eat the most tacos in the 10 minutes. There would be amazing mariachi music playing and the entire city would show up to cheer on the competitors. Titty Juana would run away with the competition eating an amazing 134 tacos in only 10 minutes. Not many people would know how he did it or why but he would go down in history as one of the most amazing eaters of all time. Even the great joey chestnut would give him a call to congratulate him and give him some eating pointers. This would lead to a close relationship between the two and Juana inviting him to many ISFL games.