As the General Manager of the Norfolk Seawolves I felt obligated to tackle this particular prompt as I'll have a unique view on it others may not.
Starting the season we didn't expect to have a championship caliber team, we expected it to be a vast improvement over the previous season however not to the level that it was. Going into the draft we knew right away we needed to move on from our IA QB and that there we're a couple players we identified as must drafts.
We started off wanting to draft Zodiac and didn't even consider a #2, we were that confident that he'd fall to us and as history shows, that didn't happen. We ended up scrambling and settled on Tden, while unconventional to take an OL in the first, we knew he was open to swapping so we took him with the plan of swapping him to TE or DT. After that we knew we wanted both Zoot and Eph however we considered that there were a couple QB needy teams going ahead of us so we decided to trade with BBB to ensure we'd pick ahead of them and get Zoot. We heard it was a bit of a reach but you know what, winning the Mini means I was right. We also wanted Eph and while definitely a luxury pick as he'd be filling in at S while we still had two superstar CBs, we figured it would work and he'd move into CB the next year. This ended up being the case.
Moving forward to start the season we knew we were very underpowered offensively, we had one weapon and that was Stetson David and while he's a hell of a weapon to have, we knew it wouldn't be enough. Luckily the waiver stars aligned and Tyler Hunt sat there, staring us in the face daring us to take him and take him we did. This proved to be a massive boon, our IA RBs were handling it the best they could on the ground and our passing game instantly improved. We were rocketing ahead based solely on their play and I'll stand by my statement that they were the best receiving duo in the DSFL. However we still struggled a bit, the defense was getting gashed in the run heavily and the offense struggled to move the chains with the run game headed by two min TPE IA RBs. We ended up about 6 games in and then finally, a RB appeared on the waivers. Oskar Clark, a diamond in the rough. He was eager to learn and earn and starting off with a 4k word media piece was an absolute banger and we knew then and there, it was Mini or bust.
The offense absolutely exploded from that point forward, drives extended, deep bombs thrown. Zoot even broke the single game record for passing yards. However it was the defense that turned into the star of the show, our rookies earned greatly and we had 3 bots that were sim blessed. A lot of people assumed it was smoke and mirrors and that it wouldn't continue, because they saw the stats from the first 6 games where we didn't have our completed offense and thought we were overperforming.
Nope, the team was a complete juggernaut. We didn't have a single game where we sim tested worse than 57% and trust me, we were terrified of those games. DAL proved to be our Achilles heel all season. They just dominated us and we were praying they fell to #3 in the division. Turns out that's exactly what happened and at that point we assumed we were winning the Mini.
The game against TIJ was a nailbiter for us but we made it past and everyone was silently saying it in their heads, we won the mini. However MINN proved to be a huge scare, we got down early but pulled through in the end.
11. Write a short biography or story about your player. This could include background about how they came to the ISFL and how they’ve done so far, a story about their role in an exciting game, or anything else related to their experience in the league.
Thomas Passarelli was born in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley, Visalia, California. After a childhood of exceptional baseball play, Thomas made the decision to make the switch to football when high school started. In order to get the needed exposure for his budding football career, he and his family made the decision to send him to Immanuel High School in Fresno, California, where he dominated as a 2-way athlete, playing both TE and Defensive End. However, when the time came to decide and dedicate his time to one position, he chose TE.
Passarelli then made the tough to decision to take his talents to Old Dominion University down in Norfolk, Virginia. All of the pundits would tell you that Passarelli made the decision based purely on the coaching change that had just taken place, and the want to be part of a rebuilding team, but the real reason Passarelli chose to move themselves across country and join this small-time team was the education promised to them by the outgoing coaching staff.
When Passarelli went on his late season recruitment visit to Norfolk, not only did he get a chance to take in a game at the newly rebuilt Foreman Field, he was also able to tour the classrooms and lab settings that held the true value of ODU. This was far and away the most important of these recruitment trips for Passarelli, but he would never outright tell the coaching staffs that. If academics were truly an important part of the school, and he was viewed more as a student than just an athlete, it would come naturally, and not be something that was forced by the staff or the school during these rote visits.
At the end of his time ODU, Passarelli was a proud college graduate and was able to maintain the balance needed to finish in 3 years and declare themselves ready for the rigors ahead in the NSFL.
18. This task is exclusive to recreate/non-recreate rookies of the S43 class and later. The season is over and the draft is coming up. What do you bring to a team, and why should a team choose to take a chance on you next season? (Written Task)
I think the thing that sets me apart from my other TEs prospects is the drive and willingness to know the game, the sim, and the ins and outs of what is going on in the background. That’s not to say that others in this year’s DSFL draft don’t or can’t do that, but I know that I have the drive to succeed and will bring that to any team that is willing to take a chance on me. On top of that, the team always comes first, sure we all want to end up in the Hall, but you get there by helping your team win and win often. I’m more than capable of making any sort of switches that the team asks if it helps us win games.
The other intangible aspect here is that I want to get to know the community. Everyone that I have talked to so far has been super welcoming and it just makes me want to be involved with the league more and more.
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)
This is another good question, but one with an easy answer, Defensive End. There is always room for defensive talent in this league, and being a defensive end provides it’s own set of unique challenges. When I did play football in the real world, I played DE and loved it, so being able to also play a position in the Sim that I’m familiar with in real life would be awesome. Plus, who doesn’t love a star on the defensive side of the ball? There is so much room to grow, stat wise, while playing defense. Additionally, DE typically has some of the most flexibility of the front 7 being able to play DE and OLB, so being able to serve in multiple spots for a team would be great.
The other side of this too is that the prospect pool for DE this year is slim and it provides a huge opportunity for all of the studs in that group to stand out and make themselves known. I think the current pool of DEs is going to really shock the league next season.
Tijuana ended the first half of season 42 going 6-1. Honestly after the first four wins, I was thinking "wow! How crazy would it be to go undefeated." Pipe dreams really, but at some point doesn't everybody think that about their sports teams when they are on a hot streak? Going undefeated is crazy difficult, the only team to really pull it off in professional football are the 1972 Dolphins. In 2007 the Patriots came close, but the Giants had other plans for them. But that's neither here nor there. We are talking about my unrealistic dreams for the Luchadores in season 42. The second half of the season the Lucha did not fare so well, going 3-4 on that stretch. All of the losses in back half of the season were tightly contested, one score games. All except for one. Losing the last game of the season in spectacular fashion to Kansas City 33-7, was a tough game to watch. Luckily by this point though Tijuana was ahead in the conference tie breaker by points, so our place in the playoffs was secure. Assuming Dallas didnt put like 50 points or so against London in their week 14 match-up.
Tijuana finds themselves in the Conference Championship against Norfolk. At this point in the season the Seawolves are on a four game win streak. I did some research into the DSFL's longest running win streaks, and while teams do get hot, I didnt think Norfolk could repeat and go for five in a row. For the record, I believe I determined that KCC had an 11 win streak in DSFL38. so it was definitely not out of the realm of possibility for Norfolk to get five. I wound end up eating those words as everyone around the league went on to watch Norfolk not only defeat Tijuana in the Conference Championship, but also defeat Minnesota in Ultimini 40.
The Conference Championship started off favoring the Luchadores, at the half Tijuana was up 13-7. But Norfolk's offense was just to much, with a few key turnovers on Tijuana's part and 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, that was all it took for the Seawolves to secure their place in the Ultimini. Just like I thought Norfolk wouldn't go for five wins in a row, I thought there was no way they go for six in a row and win the whole dang thing. My boy Lemonoppy and the Grey Ducks surely would be able to stop Norfolk, and I could experience am Ultimini vicariously through my draft mate's success. But fate would have no such plans in store for Minnesota. By the end of the third quarter, we had a closely contested match on our hands, but the Grey Ducks were leading 17-14. Four minutes and fourty-one seconds into the fourth quarter, Norfolk kicks a field goal to tie the game 17 all. The next series the Ducks can't make anything happen and Norfolk gets the ball back with eight minutes left on the clock...and they go the distance, taking it to the house and bringing the score to 24-17 Norfolk. Things were not looking great for Minnesota, this late in the game though you have to get the ball to your play makers, and the Ducks tried to do just that. QB Ojeisndiwoseodj tosses the ball to the sim blessed Thomas Sutha...only for it to be ripped away by Norolk's CB Sticky Hands. That interception would seal the deal for the Ducks and Seawolves, Minnesota would have another chance to get the ball back, but it proved to just be not enough time.
No way they could win six in a row, but the Norfolk Seawolves get the job done and come away with the chip in Ultimi XL. What a shame.