(Full disclosure, I intended this to be a podcast. I recorded it late last night and it was over 30 minutes long. Then I went to edit it and I realized I had messed with the gain setting on my mic earlier, and the audio was absolutely trash. I’m releasing this as an article because I don’t wanna record it again lmap)
Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Crodyman, AKA Wasrabi Gleel, AKA Coatsmith Goate, and I reached out asking people for questions so I could do this sort of introductory presser as the new Co-GM of the Minnesota Grey Ducks. I couldn’t be more excited to have this opportunity, and without further ado, let’s answer some questions from you, the people.
Sermokala asks:
do you have amibtions to gm an ISFL team?
- Hmmmm. I would say that I’m not ruling out eventually applying for a GM position in the ISFL based solely on the fact that I never expected I’d apply to be a DSFL GM, but four seasons later and here I am. It’s been a lot of sink or swim moments in the league for me personally. For those who don’t know, I was a truly new user in s24 of the DSFL, and I joined mostly because I love the sport and wanted to watch my silly named Dott player get sacks. I didn’t really know about the locker rooms, and I hardly ever used discord. I think one of the reasons I fell in the draft as a rookie was because I had almost no locker room or discord activity, just some media I wrote to try and get some cash real quick.
Fast forward to my second season with Minny and I was named a team captain, and I joined the war room, and I started sim testing which I found I really liked doing. CC, one of the Minny GM’s at the time, also approached me about running the team twitter. In every one of those instances I was really apprehensive about whether or not I’d be good at it. Same thing with doing scouting and the awards committee. I managed to sneak away from doing scouting my first season in the war room, but by the time it was my third and final season approaching I knew I couldn’t get out of it. But I ended up being a decent scout, all things considered. I guess my point is, first off, I wouldn’t rule out a possible ISFL gm application in the future, but I wouldn't say I’m ambitious to get that position, and also that if you’re reading this, thank you, but also, if you’re worried about applying for that team position like running the twitter page or being on the awards committee you should just dive in. You’ll learn how to do it as you go, and at the end of the day this is a sim league we all do for fun, so the stakes aren’t probably as high as you might think they are.
will you reafirm the MCA with KCC?
- Full disclosure, I had to reach out to Sermo to find out what MCA means because I’m not an old timer in the league. I guess Minny and KCC had something called the “Minty Cock Alliance?” I don’t know what that is, but it sounds funny and I like a lot of folks in KCC so if Glims is reading, maybe we can work something out. Maybe a new name though. Yeah.
whats the most painful loss in Minnesota history?
- I can’t speak for everyone in Minny, but the most painful loss in MY experience in Minny HAD to have been in s25 when the 8-6 Grey Ducks took on the 11-3 London Royals at their stadium. We lost the game 13-33, but what made it so painful was there was an error with the stream last night--and if I recall correctly, it wasn’t anyone in the leagues fault, it was an error with YouTube--and so we straight up couldn’t watch the game as it was premiering. No one could get into the stream for most of the game. So we’re all having an absolute meltdown in the locker room, and I decide to look over at the London Royals LR where I see someone is sharing the stream over discord in a voice channel. So I click on it just in time to see the time expire and that we lost the game. I immediately went back to the locker room and spoiled it for everyone because I’m an idiot, or a monster, or something. It was really painful to lose that way because not only was that the first and only time I made it to the playoffs with the Ducks, but not being able to watch the stream as it was happening made for a very sad day indeed.
Who has the best chicken sammich?
- This question is really tough, but not for the reasons you might think. So I live in Vermont, which is a beautiful state that I love very much, but that doesn’t have a lot of variations on fast food places. We don’t have Popeye’s, or Chick-Fil-A, or Bojangles, or anything fun like that. My experience ordering chicken sandwiches has primarily been at the big 4: KFC, Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s, of course. Now, a few restaurants around where I live also do chicken sandwiches, but I never order them at a REAL restaurant because I always go for something a little fancier like pasta, steak, or a chicken saute dish like a piccata or saltimboca.
So, with that limited sample size to pick from, I’m going to have to say McDonald’s. They used to have a southern style chicken sandwich that was just a southern-fried chicken breast, pickles, and a buttery roll, and MAN I used to love that. I was also partial to the KFC chicken kickers--they were these tiny fried chicken slider things, and the buffalo one was really dank.
favorite pizza topping?
- If I have to pick one topping for pizza, it’s almost always going to be pepperoni, HOWEVER, that’s not the question you asked. My FAVORITE pizza topping is either pineapple or Jalapenos. They both add something different that I feel elevates the flavor profile of the pizza, nudging it closer to the sweet or spicy side, and ideally I get both of them together with some chicken or bacon or something like that. Mushrooms are also a really great topping, especially if you’re splitting the pizza with someone who doesn’t eat meat, or you don’t eat meat yourself. They add umami and texture to each bite, and they score very highly from me when it comes to toppings.
Is a taco a sammich?
A taco is NOT a sammich BECAUSE of the tortilla. I think that distinction works even better if you are using real handmade corn tortillas made from masa and water. It’s a totally different texture than bread and flavor, and in my personal opinion, tacos are good enough to earn their own food category. There is also the reality factor of someone asked you if you wanted a sandwich, and you said yes, and they went back to their kitchen and came back with a taco on a paper plate for you, that would be INSANE. Great question.
You read a good book or watch a good show recently?
- I’m rereading the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and that’s one of my favorites. It’s an easy read, it reads a little like a YA novel, but the overarching themes have a lot to do with what it means to exist, how and when you should pursue your dreams, and it also features a lot of spanish countryside and north aftrican desert settings that are really evocative and stir the imagination. I really recommend it if you’re looking for something that is an easy read, but is still profound at times and sticks with you. I actually enjoy this book so much I bought a copy for my sister, my nephew, and my mom one year for Chrstmas because I wanted them to check it out so bad.
I also listen to audiobooks from time to time, usually when I’m cleaning or playing madden, and I listened to the book Clockwork Angels, which is based on the final album of probably my favorite band ever: RUSH. I mention it now because it is cut from a very similar cloth as the Alchemist, and also is this strange coming of age journey of a boy whose scope of the world is extremely limited in the beginning, and their understanding of that motivates them to take this incredible journey and adventure. Clockwork Angels is very fun and sort of steampunk with airships and clockwork automatons, and that’s USUALLY not my jam, but it’s done so in a really cool way. The author, Kevin Anderson, also helped write a lot of the DUNE books that came out after Frank Herbert died, as well as some other good sci-fi series. Anyways, the Alchemist, and Clockwork Angels. Check them out!
Bayley asks:
What's one thing to look to bring to Minnesota in their legacy?
- I think Minnesota’s legacy is extremely storied and goes all the way back to when they were the San Antonio Marshalls. I won't pretend to be a league historian or scholar, so I admit to not knowing too much of what was going on in Minny before a season or two before I arrived in s24. I will say that being in Minnesota has been one of the most positive and rewarding experiences since I discovered the league last year. CC and Jamar were great GMs and did a wonderful job engaging with me and making me feel a part of the team, and CC in particular has helped me find my place in the league as a user. We like to give him a hard time and call him a tyrant sometimes, but I hope he knows how much he’s respected by the folks in Minny.
I say all this because Minnesota also has gotten a bad reputation at times, sometimes warranted, sometimes not. Y’know, I’ve heard people say things like “Minny is Toxic,” or “Minnesota can’t develop players” or that we rely on capped IA players every season, but I think that is mostly trash talk and incredibly narrow-minded. I’m not sure about what happened in the seasons before I arrived, but other than the Tragedy of the Milkening, I can’t think of anything particularly toxic about Minny. I’m sure someone could cherry pick different occasions where some Minny players may have crossed a line, but that's missing the forest for the trees. In general, Minny has been a place where people are welcomed, y’know it’s an open locker room, and I think our users are great company to be with.
The Minny Can’t Develop trope is pretty unsubstantiated, I think, based on recent seasons. We have plenty of homegrown talent that go on to max earn and take on various league jobs and are active in the community. As for capped IA players, well, I think that’s a bit exaggerated, and we certainly wouldn't be the only team in the DSFL to start an IA player.
But this leads me back to your question! I would like to continue highlighting the positive traits I believe already exist in Minny and try to dispel some of the negative perceptions out there. Obviously I want to be one of the GMs that helps bring an Ultimini home to Minnesota, but I think that the DSFL is primarily about the development of users--not just so their players can be successful in the ISFL, but so they can find their niche in the league and have fun with it. If you’re having fun you’re going to continue being engaged, and if you’re engaged all the other stuff will follow--the max earning, the league jobs, etc. So I would like to have consistently strong development be part of the legacy I bring to Minnesota.
Why is a hot dog a taco?
Ah, an easier question. A hot dog in NOT a taco, as laid out in a previous response. A hot dog is a SANDWICH just like a grinder, sub, or hoagie. A hot dog is just a tube of bologna. Thats it. Bologna is flat hot dogs. There, I said it, put that on my headstone when I go. So if bologna is flat hot dogs, then every time you eat a hot dog with all the fixings, you’re really just lying to yourself about how much you enjoy bologna subs.
Where did your username come from? How about your player name?
- I’ve had Crodyman as my gamertag in the past, so I just sort of rolled with it. My first name is Cody, but there are a lot of Cody’s out there, including a few in the league, so I had to differentiate myself somehow. Crody seemed like a pretty unique name, so I rolled with it. I think I covered Wasrabi Gleel’s origin in a previous podcast I did, but I believe it was the name of a Knights of the Old Republic character I made a long time ago, and I’ve always remembered the name and liked it.
My GM render is Danny DeVito, and my render’s name is Coatsmith Goate. Coatsmith was the name of one of the NPCs in this INCREDIBLE one page tabletop RPG game I DMed called GOAT CRASHERS. Essentially when I rolled up this character, he turned out to be a fancy goat whose goal it was to drink fizzy wine at a party. It was a really silly game, but we all had a great time and again, the name just stuck with me, along with one line of his which was, “I say, is that champagne?”
You can only have one meal for the rest of your life. What is it?
I would have to choose a full English breakfast, even though I’ve never had one. It just seems like there is so much food and so much variety that you could really get the most bang for you buck while you eat it for the rest of your life. Like, perhaps you spend 6 months eating nothing but the mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, and eggs because you want to go vegetarian. You can still DO that with an English breakfast. Or if you start getting really tired of eating one thing, like black pudding, you don’t have to eat it because there are like 6 or 7 other options to choose from. I really think I crushed this answer, but then again, I’ve never had the pleasure of eating one so who knows?
What bus is Russ driving?
I guess he drives the Russ Buss? Russ the Buss drives the Russ Buss? Something like that, you’d have to ask him.
What restaurant do you get your favorite chicken sandwich from and what's on it?
Ooooo so we’ve touched on this one already, but I’ll focus on topping and sauce a bit. I like it really simple. Pickles for sure, maybe bacon, MAYBE cheese, and chicken. I’m no stranger to a McChicken either, though sometimes they do be absolutely blasting it with mayo and that’s always tragic. Ideally I’d have a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with lots of pickles. Preferably sweet pickles.
Zaynzk asks:
How is GMing Similar to Cooking?
- Certainly my trajectory in both is pretty similar. For those that don’t know, I’m a sous chef at a restaurant IRL and I’ve been cooking professionally for 8 years. I think I always knew I liked cooking, and I needed a job straight out of college, and so I found one working at a brewery in the kitchen doing prep. Before I knew it, I was working the line and really enjoying it. I never expected I’d be a chef, but here I am. Much like GMing, I didn’t expect that I would take any league jobs at all, let alone a GM job, but I’m loving the league and the team and am glad to have the opportunity.
Also, I think that when you are first learning how to cook professionally, there are a lot of OH SHIT moments. Like the first time you’re asked to prepare something you’re unfamiliar with. For me, I had that experience having to cook rice in a giant 80 quart stock pot for 200 people; or the first time I had to cook four top rounds of beef for a roast beef dinner when I’d never roasted a beef once in my life at that point. In that scenario, there were people I could ask for advice and input like the other chef I worked with, or the food service director, but in the end I was the one that had to do it. Those moments feel really uncomfortable and scary, and you might make a few mistakes, but at the end of the day you learn to be more and more adaptable and comfortable. I think GMing is similar if you’re a new GM like me. Every step of the process might initially feel like an OH SHIT am I prepared moment, but if you look around there are plenty of people willing to help you, and odds are you’re probably doing fine and will get more comfortable as time goes on.
If the Grey Ducks were a meal. who would be the hors d'oeuvre, who would be the appetizer, who would be the main course, and who would be the dessert. (also whatever the 5th course is im too lazy to google)
For the Hor D’eourves portion of the meal, I think that a supple and light CLG salad would be a great intro to the meal and to the Ducks, followed by the appetizer: A few tasty morsels of Gragg and his top tier spreadsheets, and onto the main course there would be a fat rack of BBQ Negs ribs would hit the spot nicely, followed by a rich dessert of my Co-GM Russ because he’s a sweet guy, and finishing off the meal is a quaint digestivo a la Crodyman to help you digest and contextualize the absolute fever dream of a meal you’ve just experienced.
When was the moment you knew the Gruesome Twosome was born?
- Oh man, I want to say it was a few games into my rookie year because ThunderTitan was an early waiver pick for Minnesota. I think there was a game where we both had a splash play. Like I got a sack, and he got a forced fumble or something in the same game. In the locker room we were talking about how good we thought our defense was, and I think I mentioned something dumb like, “ducks got the grusome twosome on the squad” or something. That’s a reference to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where Frank (played by Danny DeVito) and Charlie refer to themselves as the Gruesome Twosome and then they do this weird dance thing at the same time. Anyways, I said that thing in the locker room and Thunder responded with a gif of Charlie and Frank doing that dance, and at that EXACT MOMENT, the Gruesome Twosome was born.
Say one nice thing about every other DSFL team
- I’d love to!
KCC has some great people I’ve known since I entered the league Glims for sure. They had some struggles when I was in the DSFL, and I’m really happy they’ve turned it around as well as they have and are in the Ultimini. I think that is a relatively WEEB friendly LR as well, and I’d consider myself a low key weeb.
The Royals are an outstanding organization, and I think a lot of that comes from the great work their GMs have done in developing users. At one point there was basically a sim testing school in their server and that’s pretty sick. They were high on my list of places I wanted to be drafted as a rookie because Mag scouted me and he’s one of the nicest dudes in the league. Their food channel is lit as well, so check that out. I post in there sometimes.
The Pythons have been really successful now for a number of seasons, and I think they do a great job in the draft. In s24 they were laughed at a bit for taking three TEs in a row, but it paid off for them once those players switched to different positions. They’re always a team to beat for sure.
Bondi Beach has one of my favorite logos and team colors. I think relocating to Bondi Beach from Myrtle Beach was cool as well because I’m all for international teams and I’m glad to see Australia get their own team.
Dallas also went through a period of struggle and are now finding success. I think that through their Twitter persona they’ve done an excellent job of playing the Heel, to use a wrestling term, and friendly rivalry makes for more interesting games. Their logo redesign is very cute as well.
Norfolk swept Minny this last season and also handed us a defeat in a need to win game to make it to the playoffs, so while that is a bit rough, I’ve never had a negative encounter with anyone from their squad. I liked it when their logo was a baseball bat, but the new logo is better for sure.
Tijuana is sort of a mystery to me. I think they have a closed locker room, or at least used to, and I don’t know very many people from that squad. Having said that, they led the league in tackles and TFL, and as someone with a player who's a linebacker, I love to see it.
As for Minnesota, well, if you want to know what I think about Minnesota, than you haven’t been listening. To summarize,
I just like the team.
I just like the team.
That's all folks!
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions, I’m extremely excited to get to work this season and I hope this presser has taught you some things about me that you might not have previously known. Best of luck to everyone in the DSFL for the coming season, and finally, thank you for reading!
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