*Peter Brand/Bubba Thumper Joint Postseason Presser

[woelkers]

Silverbacks general manager Peter Brand steps to the podium of the Concrete Jungle's media room, and taps the microphone to silence the buzzing the gathered journalists and reporters. As usual, Bubba Thumper enters slightly behind his general manager, a goofy grin spread wide across his face as he takes a seat. Brand nods an acknowledgement Thumper's direction, then turns to address his audience.

"Obviously, Bubba and I are a bit disappointed to be gathering y'all for our traditional postseason press conference so soon. But, that is the way of the world for an expansion team. Despite our best efforts, four wins was never going to be enough to make it past the regular season. Still, we're happy we could give our fans here in New York some reasons to be excited for the future, and we're thrilled to end the regular season with a statement win. Now, let's hear from y'all, shall we?"

How would you rate your first season at the helm in New York as a whole?

PB: "Obviously this was far from the smoothest season I've had as a general manager, but that was something I expected when I took the job. I knew this was going to be a challenge, and I expect it to continue to be a challenge. But if I didn't think I was equipped to steer this ship the right direction, I wouldn't be here. We know that there is going to be greatness in New York, and this season was one of the stepping stones to that greatness."

New York secured the #2 spot in the upcoming ISFL draft. What can New York fans look forward to with that pick?

PB: "Well I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise if we did know, but quite honestly, we don't. There are a number of free agents we've been in talks with, and how those negotiations play out will do a lot to determine what we do with our first pick."

The Silverbacks enter the off-season with a couple key holes to fill on the offense and defense. Can free agency plug those gaps?

PB: "It can, and we're confident it will. Like I said, we have a number of targets in mind, and we're doing everything we can to bring them to New York."

Obviously your season started off rough, but you managed to win 4 of your last 6. What does that tell you about your team?

PB: "There's a lot of fight in these players. They want to win, and they know that they have to improve to do that, so in turn, they want to improve. That's what team building is about at the end of the day: finding the players who are willing to fight to build a winner."

One of the bright parts of your team was Ashley Owens' performance this season - what comments do you have about that? The Yeti felt like they could pass on Owens as well, how do you feel about that trade?

PB: "At the end of the day, it was a win for everybody involved. The Yeti feel they improved, we know we improved, Ashley is now a serious contender for the Hall of Fame, and Thor continues to play at the top of his game. There's no doubt in my mind it was worth it; I'd make that trade again ten times out of ten. Ashley deserved this shot, Thor deserved this shot, and they both showed they were valuable to this team."

What were some other ideas for franchise names/locations that you had before you picked Silverbacks?

PB: "There were some investors from both Toronto and Montreal who made pitches to bring a team to Canada, but at the end of the day I think it was always going to be New York. This city needed an ISFL franchise, and we're proud to have finally delivered."

What’s the toughest thing about starting a franchise from scratch?

PB: "Uncertainty. We took a number of gambles with our drafts last season, and fortunately they paid major dividends. Obviously the trade for Ashley and Thor was a risk, but in terms of risks that really paid, I like to point to Marlon Alexander. There were a lot of scouts who were skeptical about Marlon's ability to succeed in this league, but we took our chances with him and we could not be happier with what we've seen since then."

What team do you think is winning the Ultimus this year?

PB: "I have to say it is extremely difficult to bet against the Colorado Yeti; I know what the new management of that team is capable of, so they'll always be a threat. But I think the sleeping giant this season has to be the Sarasota Sailfish. They're due an opportunity to surprise everybody."

When do you think the Silverbacks will enter their “window” for Ultimus Contention?

PB: "In this league? There's always a chance. Howitzer is ready to turn some heads, so we could be competing as soon as next season."

This team has had key contributions from former Yeti Ashley Owens, Bubba Thumper, and Jackson Kingston all year long. Was this a clear focus the Silverbacks had in the offseason?

PB: "We were focused on building a roster of players we trusted to help build something special. That of course meant we were always going to see who we could pull from Colorado, just because those are the players I've grown with as a general manager. But no, our strategy isn't to copy the Yeti; we want to build something unique, something special."

Looking at the Silverbacks' season, this is easily a team that could've gone 6-10 or 7-9 if a few more games fell their way. What do the Silverbacks need to do next season to close these games out?

PB: "At the end of the day, we got beat in the closing minutes of games too often. Our offense needs to finish drives with points, especially late in the game, and our defense has to help us protect leads. That's the focus of this offseason."

With the draft order finalized the Silverbacks will be picking #2 in the draft. What type of player are you targeting to build the culture in New York?

PB: "We want to be as aggressive as possible this draft. This is a class that could define the franchise long term, and we want to pull in the best players we can to make sure we're moving the right direction."

Rookie quarterback Sam Howitzer had a strong showing his first season in the city. How excited is this franchise to see what he's capable of in the future?

PB: "Sam is surrounded by talent, and we want to make sure he's always surrounded by the talent he needs to play at the highest level. We were aggressive in pursuing Sam, because we believe he's going to be an all-time great. Part of that is giving him the opportunities to succeed, and our plan is to continue giving him more and more control of this offense."

Another season in the books. How long do you think you can keep playing at a high level?

BT: "I have gas left in the tank. There are always going to be people who doubt me, but I let my game do the talking. When the gas runs dry, you'll know because I won't pretend I still have it."

Hank Winchester had an impressive season as a true rookie in the ISFL. How would you evaluate Winchester's season?

BT: "The one player I have to compare Hank to is Tony, and Tony...Tony was a stud. We were always excited about what Tony could do on the field. Hank is something else. Hank is special. You're going to see a Hall of Fame career from Hank, mark my words."

You recently passed into 8th place all time in career sacks, passing your former teammate Mo Berry. Can you comment on that and how far up that leaderboard do you think you can go?

BT: "I'll be honest, I just want to take this one day at a time. Obviously passing Mo was special to me; Mo's my brother, I love that man to death. He gave me a buzz after the game, we talked about it for a while. But after passing Mo...my goal is just to take it day by day."

What’s it like joining a new team so late in your career?

BT: "Obviously I miss the team in Colorado. They're all fantastic, I loved every minute I got to talk the field as a Yeti. But this...this is a breath of fresh air. I had opportunities to play elsewhere early in my career, and elected not to, but honestly, if I could go back, I might explore a bit more. There's some great people playing in this league, some great cities to visit, some fantastic food to try."

What’s it like living in the Big Apple?

BT: "I'm in heaven, man. The bright lights, the big city, the food...I love every minute of it."

What do you miss most about the state of Colorado?

BT: "The food. The state of Colorado is highly underrated for its food scene; people just don't know where to look."

What younger DT player do you believe is the future of this position in the ISFL?

BT: "Doy Fieri. I had some long talks with the kid when he was still a prospect, and there's something special there, I promise you."

How many more seasons do you think you will play?

BT: "Like I said earlier, I think I have plenty left in the tank. So, we'll see."

[Trautner]

To Peter:
How would you rate your first season at the helm in New York as a whole?
New York secured the #2 spot in the upcoming ISFL draft. What can New York fans look forward to with that pick?
The Silverbacks enter the off-season with a couple key holes to fill on the offense and defense. Can free agency plug those gaps?

To Bubba:
Another season in the books. How long do you think you can keep playing at a high level?
Hank Winchester had an impressive season as a true rookie in the ISFL. How would you evaluate Winchester's season?

[infinitempg]

Obviously your season started off rough, but you managed to win 4 of your last 6. What does that tell you about your team?

One of the bright parts of your team was Ashley Owens' performance this season - what comments do you have about that? The Yeti felt like they could pass on Owens as well, how do you feel about that trade?

For Bubba - you recently passed into 8th place all time in career sacks, passing your former teammate Mo Berry. Can you comment on that and how far up that leaderboard do you think you can go?

[zaynzk]

FOR PETER BRAND

What were some other ideas for franchise names/locations that you had before you picked silverbacks

What’s the toughest thing about starting a franchise from scratch

What team do you think is winning the Ultimus this year?

When do you think the silverbacks will enter their “window” for Ultimus Contention

FOR BUBBA

What’s it like joining a new team so late in your career

What’s it like living in the Big Apple

What do u miss most about the state of Colorado

What younger DT player do you believe is the future of this position in the ISFL

How many more seasons do you think you will play?

[Daybe]

For Brand:

• This team has had key contributions from former Yeti Ashley Owens, Bubba Thumper, and Jackson Kingston all year long. Was this a clear focus the Silverbacks had in the offseason?
  
• Looking at the Silverbacks' season, this is easily a team that could've gone 6-10 or 7-9 if a few more games fell their way. What do the Silverbacks need to do next season to close these games out?
  
• With the draft order finalized the Silverbacks will be picking #2 in the draft. What type of player are you targeting to build the culture in New York?
  
• Rookie quarterback Sam Howitzer had a strong showing his first season in the city. How excited is this franchise to see what he's capable of in the future?