Hey guys, Rich Triplet here.
Today I wanted to talk a little bit about the upcoming expansion. I’m new to the league but I do know that we had an expansion about three seasons ago with the Sarasota Sailfish and Honolulu Hahalua. Currently both teams have a winning record with Sarasota sitting at a solid ten and four at second in their division. They started off season twenty-four hot winning six games in a row before their first loss and have simmered down a tad. They still stand far ahead of Chicago who is four games behind them and third in the division. The Honolulu Hahalua are currently tied for their division along with three other teams, the New Orleans Second Line, the Orange County Otters, and the Arizona Outlaws. A tough division indeed Honolulu can remain competitive in it.
The reason I bring these two teams up is because they are just a few years removed from their initial expansion into the league and are already viable competitors for the playoffs. While each division has their favorites, they are viable teams to be on and compete with to win the Ultimus. Why do I bring up the team’s records and recent history?
With expansion coming sooner rather than later, and teams’ protections lists also being released I know that some people are worried. That makes sense, not only are you going to a new team weather you signed a contract with your current or were drafted by them. You may also be losing out on some of your locker room comradery. It can be scary if you’re an unprotected player in the expansion draft but not to worry. Signs show that even if you are picked up by them in the expansion things will turn around in a relatively short amount of time.
The other two expansion teams have been the Chicago Butchers and the Austin Copperheads. While the Chicago Butchers started out hot in their franchise making the playoffs three years in a row, despite a losing record in year three. They have started to fall off a little bit, having the first pick two years in a row now they are showing a bit of a resurgence this season, sitting third in their division at six and eight, the team had high expectations and while they are falling short of them they are still on their way to making the playoffs. The Austin Copperheads are a little more interesting as their first season had them end up with not a single win, but they have made the play offs more often than the Chicago Butchers and have an Ultimus appearance and an Ultimus victory. They have gone all in trading their next two first round picks away for blue chip players to try and secure a championship. The Copperheads lone championship came just four years after their first appearance in the league.
What these four teams have shown is that in a very short amount of time, expansion teams can become some of the best teams in the league. The Austin Copperheads had their first season go by without a single win, four years later they were able to bring Austin an Ultimus championship. The Chicago Butchers were able to go their first season with ten wins and only three loses and make the playoffs, while they haven’t secured a championship, they have had some good seasons and are usually competitive. The Sarasota Sailfish look to be a top dog in the league as of this season and Honolulu still has a chance to steal the first seed of their division away just three years in.
I have heard some people will threaten to retire if they are chosen by an expansion team and I don’t think that is entirely fair to the people who worked hard to get these teams in working condition. If you truly don’t want to be taken to a new team and have a chance at history work with your new GM, see if they can work out a trade for you so they can at least get some assets for your pick as opposed to using it and having nothing to show for it.
I think it takes a certain type of player to want to paly for an expansion team, and I can understand why people don’t want to. I still think it is part of the league and you most people are aware that when expansion rolls around if they are not protected, they can end up there. The point of having limited protections is so teams can field a decent team early in their expansion, if you threaten to retire you take away that possibility and hurt the league overall.
The New York Silverbacks were awarded the first pick in the expansion draft and their teams roster starts with Bubba Thumper and Dukburg QuakStak, Bubba Thumper is one of the highest TPE players at DT and will be an absolute force for the team to start with while Dukburg is in this batch of upcoming rookies. Many people have the New York Silverbacks pegged to take an offensive player in the first round of the expansion draft, while I think that would be a great choice for them I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see them take a highly touted defensive player such as Maurice Virtanen to ensure there is a playmaker at all three levels. The more probable pick at the early point is probably running back Mathias Hanyadi though, while a nice wide receiver in Sean O’Leary is available here without a franchise quarterback to get the ball to him, I don’t see that being the route they go early. Especially when the Berlin Fire Salamanders have two wide receivers on their roster that are high earners. Going with a top running back allows the New York Silverbacks to lean on him while developing a quarterback. That and with a stout defense having two max earners on the line and in the secondary will be great for their goals both in the short and long term. It seems they will be primed for a huge run in a year or two once Dukburg Quakstak develops into a quality starter for them and that will be around Bubba Thumper’s final years. While a lot of the players that are high earners are also on their last few seasons, I could see them scooping up Lord Beerus later in the draft to really seal that secondary up as he will be at the end of his prime right when Dukburg Quakstak enters his.
The Berlin Fire Salamanders are the second pick and their GMs Dewalt27 and Highhaschdi are Asher Quinn and Nick Kapercolin respectively. Two quality WRs that will team up in Berlin to bring some fast-paced high-flying offense. A lot of mock drafts have this team taking defense first for the same reason as the New York Silver backs would take offense, you already have one side covered. I however disagree, with a historically loaded defensive draft class upcoming and both guys hitting their stride and having a while until regression I vote they secure as much offense as they can. I believe investing in good young earners in the expansion draft and trading back in the regular draft is the best call. If they wish to be competitive early investing in a quarterback despite the regression hits may be a good call, having two-star receivers on your team is great but if nobody can get the ball to them it really puts a damper on things. You have a good QB for the short term and can draft one to develop behind him so when they inevitably retire you can have a more lateral move. That is what I would do anyways.
Team Location – Australia
Potential team names: The Marsupials, The Platypuses, the Dust Devils
Potential team color schemes: Red white and blue for the flag. Orange, Green and brown for the different environments. Yellow, Orange, and Black because I think that would look cool.
I want to start out with I’m an American so I’m not sure how my Australian brothers will react to this post but I’m doing it anyways. I think that with so many users being from the area, bringing a team to them would be an awesome way to give some recognition to them. You have some cool branding options here that you don’t get in many other parts of the world and it pays respect to those who work hard in this league. It also adds a bit more international flair to the international simulation football league. You can base this team by the great barrier reef or by the Sydney Opera House so you can get some great views while you watch some gridiron.
Team Location – New Zealand
Potential team names: The Hobbits, The Kiwis, The Silver leaves
Potential color schemes: Silver, Black, and Blue for the country flag. Brown, Black and Green for the Kiwis. Gold/Silver Black and Dark Green for the Hobbits.
Another country that is very popular in the league, New Zealand has great history to base some potential branding from. I choose this area for similar reasons I picked Australia. A lot of users are from here and would love to see their home country represented in the league. New Zealand has a deep history with rugby which is sometimes associated with gridiron. You can also cash in on the nerds of the world by bringing International Simulation Football together with The Lord of The Rings franchise and marrying two things that have needed to get together for a long time. Can you think of anything better than watching the two towers only to transition into simulation football? I thought not.
Team Location – Madagascar
Potential Team name: Lemurs, Penguins
Potential color schemes: For both teams you can use a combination of Black, White, and a third bright color such as orange.
I’m going to be honest, at this point I am running on fumes but I’m only four hundred words away from getting the bonus. There are probably better team names then the Lemurs or Penguins, but I was in a movie mood and what better movie to relate to Madagascar than the movie Madagascar. Lemurs are actually very popular in Madagascar and are adorable. You could have an awesome mascot with that branding, and it works with the location. Penguins are for the meme, but you could sell that to moms of kids from the early 2000s and make loads of money on the merchandise.
Team Location – Albania
Potential Team names: Eagles, Pumas, Jackles
Potential color schemes: Red and Black for the flag, light silver and blue.
I think Albania could be a very cool location for a team that I really haven’t seen mentioned before. It has some very interesting history and has some great local wildlife to base teams on. An eagle is what graces the Albanian flag and while the first color scheme is like that of Chicago’s it fits the countries flag. I think going with the Pumas or the Jackles and going with the secondary color scheme I suggested may work better in terms of the league. I think that would make for some awesome branding.
Overall, the league expansion is good for the health of the league, it keeps things interesting. I think that being able to have the users to field fourteen teams we should, otherwise you would end up with too many teams that have too many high overall players. Some people may not be happy if they end up on an expansion team, but I think my arguments against that are sound. If it is a deal breaker for you work out a trade so your new team can make a trade and get assets instead of being a baby and retiring. The teams have many directions they can take in the expansion draft and it will be interesting to see what can happen and how the teams do overall. I hope that if we get expansion in the future, the teams that awarded a bid take inspiration from some of my suggestions and can give back to the community that has kept this league together for so long.
I do want to hear your opinions on my expansion ideas! I think they could have been better, but it gets tough doing it all by yourself. Do you think the branding is whack or is it decent enough? Thank you for reading!
Today I wanted to talk a little bit about the upcoming expansion. I’m new to the league but I do know that we had an expansion about three seasons ago with the Sarasota Sailfish and Honolulu Hahalua. Currently both teams have a winning record with Sarasota sitting at a solid ten and four at second in their division. They started off season twenty-four hot winning six games in a row before their first loss and have simmered down a tad. They still stand far ahead of Chicago who is four games behind them and third in the division. The Honolulu Hahalua are currently tied for their division along with three other teams, the New Orleans Second Line, the Orange County Otters, and the Arizona Outlaws. A tough division indeed Honolulu can remain competitive in it.
The reason I bring these two teams up is because they are just a few years removed from their initial expansion into the league and are already viable competitors for the playoffs. While each division has their favorites, they are viable teams to be on and compete with to win the Ultimus. Why do I bring up the team’s records and recent history?
With expansion coming sooner rather than later, and teams’ protections lists also being released I know that some people are worried. That makes sense, not only are you going to a new team weather you signed a contract with your current or were drafted by them. You may also be losing out on some of your locker room comradery. It can be scary if you’re an unprotected player in the expansion draft but not to worry. Signs show that even if you are picked up by them in the expansion things will turn around in a relatively short amount of time.
A brief history of expansion teams across the league.
As we just covered turn around for the latest expansion teams have been very quick, going from bottom feeders to competitors very quickly in the league. Sarasota was even able to make the playoffs in their first season in the league at a six win and seven loss record, granted they lost in the first round they still made it which means they could have won it all. Honolulu has yet to make the playoffs in their three short years as a franchise but has a solid chance this year to make it in the dance. These two teams have shown that they are competitive early and will continue to be if they can keep their core together.The other two expansion teams have been the Chicago Butchers and the Austin Copperheads. While the Chicago Butchers started out hot in their franchise making the playoffs three years in a row, despite a losing record in year three. They have started to fall off a little bit, having the first pick two years in a row now they are showing a bit of a resurgence this season, sitting third in their division at six and eight, the team had high expectations and while they are falling short of them they are still on their way to making the playoffs. The Austin Copperheads are a little more interesting as their first season had them end up with not a single win, but they have made the play offs more often than the Chicago Butchers and have an Ultimus appearance and an Ultimus victory. They have gone all in trading their next two first round picks away for blue chip players to try and secure a championship. The Copperheads lone championship came just four years after their first appearance in the league.
What these four teams have shown is that in a very short amount of time, expansion teams can become some of the best teams in the league. The Austin Copperheads had their first season go by without a single win, four years later they were able to bring Austin an Ultimus championship. The Chicago Butchers were able to go their first season with ten wins and only three loses and make the playoffs, while they haven’t secured a championship, they have had some good seasons and are usually competitive. The Sarasota Sailfish look to be a top dog in the league as of this season and Honolulu still has a chance to steal the first seed of their division away just three years in.
So, you were drafted to an expansion team?
Get excited folks because you have an opportunity not afforded to a lot of players, weather you were taken in the expansion draft or you are a season twenty five rookie, You are now a fundamental part of building an entirely new culture that will be around for seasons to come. With the second largest draft class in league history along with some absolute studs being left off protection the New York Silverbacks and Berlin Fire Salamanders have a chance to become competitive right out the gate. It will be tough, but it is possible. It can be scary as you may not know a lot of people on the team as you know your current teammates but that is the beauty of the expansion. You and your fellow teammates have the chance to lay the foundation for the next great dynasty of the ISFL. It is up to you to take that opportunity, become a part of history with your team.I have heard some people will threaten to retire if they are chosen by an expansion team and I don’t think that is entirely fair to the people who worked hard to get these teams in working condition. If you truly don’t want to be taken to a new team and have a chance at history work with your new GM, see if they can work out a trade for you so they can at least get some assets for your pick as opposed to using it and having nothing to show for it.
I think it takes a certain type of player to want to paly for an expansion team, and I can understand why people don’t want to. I still think it is part of the league and you most people are aware that when expansion rolls around if they are not protected, they can end up there. The point of having limited protections is so teams can field a decent team early in their expansion, if you threaten to retire you take away that possibility and hurt the league overall.
Talking about the teams.
As I stated earlier, I am new to the league only joining at the beginning of season twenty-four. I don’t know a lot of people very well, but I have had some talks with a few of the new GMs for the expansion teams. Mainly Woelkers of the New York Silverbacks and Dewalt of the Berlin Fire Salamanders. These two have done a phenomenal job with their bids and have a reputation around the league at being great GMs. I do know the branding on the teams are a little controversial, but I must admit I am a fan of them, I can’t wait to see more from the Fire Salamanders in terms of their logo.The New York Silverbacks were awarded the first pick in the expansion draft and their teams roster starts with Bubba Thumper and Dukburg QuakStak, Bubba Thumper is one of the highest TPE players at DT and will be an absolute force for the team to start with while Dukburg is in this batch of upcoming rookies. Many people have the New York Silverbacks pegged to take an offensive player in the first round of the expansion draft, while I think that would be a great choice for them I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see them take a highly touted defensive player such as Maurice Virtanen to ensure there is a playmaker at all three levels. The more probable pick at the early point is probably running back Mathias Hanyadi though, while a nice wide receiver in Sean O’Leary is available here without a franchise quarterback to get the ball to him, I don’t see that being the route they go early. Especially when the Berlin Fire Salamanders have two wide receivers on their roster that are high earners. Going with a top running back allows the New York Silverbacks to lean on him while developing a quarterback. That and with a stout defense having two max earners on the line and in the secondary will be great for their goals both in the short and long term. It seems they will be primed for a huge run in a year or two once Dukburg Quakstak develops into a quality starter for them and that will be around Bubba Thumper’s final years. While a lot of the players that are high earners are also on their last few seasons, I could see them scooping up Lord Beerus later in the draft to really seal that secondary up as he will be at the end of his prime right when Dukburg Quakstak enters his.
The Berlin Fire Salamanders are the second pick and their GMs Dewalt27 and Highhaschdi are Asher Quinn and Nick Kapercolin respectively. Two quality WRs that will team up in Berlin to bring some fast-paced high-flying offense. A lot of mock drafts have this team taking defense first for the same reason as the New York Silver backs would take offense, you already have one side covered. I however disagree, with a historically loaded defensive draft class upcoming and both guys hitting their stride and having a while until regression I vote they secure as much offense as they can. I believe investing in good young earners in the expansion draft and trading back in the regular draft is the best call. If they wish to be competitive early investing in a quarterback despite the regression hits may be a good call, having two-star receivers on your team is great but if nobody can get the ball to them it really puts a damper on things. You have a good QB for the short term and can draft one to develop behind him so when they inevitably retire you can have a more lateral move. That is what I would do anyways.
Some extra ideas for expansion locations
Obviously not everyone is happy with the new team branding, I still think they are solid branding options, I wanted to dive into some more options for potential expansions around the world.Team Location – Australia
Potential team names: The Marsupials, The Platypuses, the Dust Devils
Potential team color schemes: Red white and blue for the flag. Orange, Green and brown for the different environments. Yellow, Orange, and Black because I think that would look cool.
I want to start out with I’m an American so I’m not sure how my Australian brothers will react to this post but I’m doing it anyways. I think that with so many users being from the area, bringing a team to them would be an awesome way to give some recognition to them. You have some cool branding options here that you don’t get in many other parts of the world and it pays respect to those who work hard in this league. It also adds a bit more international flair to the international simulation football league. You can base this team by the great barrier reef or by the Sydney Opera House so you can get some great views while you watch some gridiron.
Team Location – New Zealand
Potential team names: The Hobbits, The Kiwis, The Silver leaves
Potential color schemes: Silver, Black, and Blue for the country flag. Brown, Black and Green for the Kiwis. Gold/Silver Black and Dark Green for the Hobbits.
Another country that is very popular in the league, New Zealand has great history to base some potential branding from. I choose this area for similar reasons I picked Australia. A lot of users are from here and would love to see their home country represented in the league. New Zealand has a deep history with rugby which is sometimes associated with gridiron. You can also cash in on the nerds of the world by bringing International Simulation Football together with The Lord of The Rings franchise and marrying two things that have needed to get together for a long time. Can you think of anything better than watching the two towers only to transition into simulation football? I thought not.
Team Location – Madagascar
Potential Team name: Lemurs, Penguins
Potential color schemes: For both teams you can use a combination of Black, White, and a third bright color such as orange.
I’m going to be honest, at this point I am running on fumes but I’m only four hundred words away from getting the bonus. There are probably better team names then the Lemurs or Penguins, but I was in a movie mood and what better movie to relate to Madagascar than the movie Madagascar. Lemurs are actually very popular in Madagascar and are adorable. You could have an awesome mascot with that branding, and it works with the location. Penguins are for the meme, but you could sell that to moms of kids from the early 2000s and make loads of money on the merchandise.
Team Location – Albania
Potential Team names: Eagles, Pumas, Jackles
Potential color schemes: Red and Black for the flag, light silver and blue.
I think Albania could be a very cool location for a team that I really haven’t seen mentioned before. It has some very interesting history and has some great local wildlife to base teams on. An eagle is what graces the Albanian flag and while the first color scheme is like that of Chicago’s it fits the countries flag. I think going with the Pumas or the Jackles and going with the secondary color scheme I suggested may work better in terms of the league. I think that would make for some awesome branding.
Overall, the league expansion is good for the health of the league, it keeps things interesting. I think that being able to have the users to field fourteen teams we should, otherwise you would end up with too many teams that have too many high overall players. Some people may not be happy if they end up on an expansion team, but I think my arguments against that are sound. If it is a deal breaker for you work out a trade so your new team can make a trade and get assets instead of being a baby and retiring. The teams have many directions they can take in the expansion draft and it will be interesting to see what can happen and how the teams do overall. I hope that if we get expansion in the future, the teams that awarded a bid take inspiration from some of my suggestions and can give back to the community that has kept this league together for so long.
I do want to hear your opinions on my expansion ideas! I think they could have been better, but it gets tough doing it all by yourself. Do you think the branding is whack or is it decent enough? Thank you for reading!
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