(S28) Ultimus Week

[StevenOSullivan]

PBE PT

14. 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 Sarasota Sailfish, the team my player Joseph Radetzky is on, won the title last season without me and this year I was called up as a rookie and we didn't do as well. Clearly it was my fault! In all seriousness the team did well again and won 10 games in a tough conference. In the playoffs we just could not pull off an upset in the first round and were eliminated sadly. My player is a wide receiver and as a rookie, there isn't necessarily much I can provide in value so far. The season started out ridiculously slow for me and I basically had like 1 catch in four weeks or something absolutely terrible like that. I think I had 8 yards in that span? My player basically was just a body to fill the roster at that point. Thankfully, things improved over time. I got more targets and catches and yards and even caught a touchdown or two. The season definitely ended up around with what kind of stats I hoped for at the start. I wanted to at least have some catches and help the team in some ways. There wasn't much I could have done differently, my player is still a rookie and he plays on a great team so most of my teammates are just better options to throw the ball to for now, but my time will come over time hopefully! In the end, I had 34 catches for 408 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. The three touchdowns were definitely the highlight of the season for me, always cool to find the end zone with the ball. My speed has definitely helped me so far and in terms of yards per catch I rank decently. Of those players that as many or more catches than me, I rank 26th in yards per catch which is probably my best statstic so far. For next seaosn, I just hope that my player can improve in every possible statistic and help the team out more. I am not aware if my role will be any different by then but I hope that I can at least improve with more TPE and get more catches, yards and touchdowns in my second year. I will have to talk to my GMs to find out what my role will be. I wonder how long it will take to get up to the second Wide Receiver spot and how that would change my statistics, but that is a topic for another day.

[Troen]

9. Through a random lottery drawing, you have been named the league's new commisioner for a day. Congrats! What improvements would you make to the league if you had the power to do whatever you wanted?

This is too big of a change to unilaterally impose, but I'd create an initiative to look into getting some of the stream games called with play-by-play rather than or in addition to the showing the sim on fast mode.
I know that I don't know what's the optimal way to do this kind of thing right now, without doing any kind of research or seeing what the league even wants to have. But, the sim videos are pretty much too fast to actually understand what's going on in a given play. One of the reasons I think that the NFL is such a good sport to watch on TV is the time between plays giving the announcers time to tell you what the play was, show replays of how it played out and where it worked or broke down, etc. You can manually do some of that by stepping through the sim video at a slow pace, but it's really not the same. That being said, it's obviously going to be tricky to be able to do that kind of play-by-play or analysis if the only source is the current style of sim video. So, this might really be something that would be a neat idea if the sim tech itself ever allows for that kind of replay (or actually having a 3d view at all) but just isn't workable with the current tech.
Unsurprisingly, there are other reasons it might not be great. Effective play-by-play is actually hard to do in real time, and I can't imagine that we have too many people who have both the skill and the interest in doing it for the league if we did get the tech concerns handled. It would also clearly take longer - I'd guess it would at a minimum double how long a game takes with just very superficial summaries of the play and "real" multiple angle replay style action would probably be 90+ minutes to cover all the plays well. That could potentially be done, but I doubt it could be done live and especially not for all the games every week. That actually leads into a next question - how valuable would it be? Would people really even care to watch a detailed broadcast for games of other teams? I have my doubts, but I think there was a recent survey asking similar questions so there might be data. I could see potentially going to a system similar to the PBE and having one called game each week, working out so that each team is on about 4 of the broadcasts.
In the highly likely event that all those ideas end up being unworkable or at least not worth it or lacking in enough people interested, I still think there are other ways we could innovate in the sim broadcast area. What if all the games were premiered at the same time? That would segregate the live viewers into the different broadcasts but if most people don't care about the other games it might still be nicer.
So like I said, I don't know what to change that could be done in one day, so I think getting this kind of investigation in motion would be the most valuable thing I could do.

26. Imagine your current position was not available to be picked when you created your player. What other position would you have picked, and why?

When I created my player, I picked defensive end in large part due to it having one of the lowest average TPE for NSFL players and so I figured I'd be more likely to be able to play soon. So with that logic, I would probably have picked the second lowest one, which I vaguely seem to recall was either DT or LB. It might have actually been OL, but that was before the big analysis showing how human OL is more useful than bot OL had come out and so most of the create player guides were warning people away due to the lack of stats/visible impact in the sim. With what I know now, I think DT ends up playing very similar to DE and so I don't think that would have really changed my experience beyond maybe getting different stats. Both positions tend towards lower numbers, though, often getting a handful of tackles and maybe 1-2 TFL/sacks. Linebacker, on the other hand, seems to get more directly involved in plays for the bigger stats (PD/int/more total tackles) and so I think that would have been a little more visible how I was impacting games. It's also an interesting question to consider seeing as I'm entering my first season of regression and so have the likely possibility of retirement and recreation in my future. I don't think I loved DE so much that I'd want to do it again, so it will be interesting to see what I end up going with in a season or four.

29. Affliate PT from either SHL/PBE/GOMHL. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW

PBE affiliate PT.

[allbetsonjames]

#7 - Of course my recording fucked up mid recording and my video programs are just trash so I put it on youtube instead so its split into 2 parts
5 TPE #7 Podcast Part 1 - 7:49

5 TPE #7 Podcast Part 2  - 5:47

#14 - 16:08
5 TPE #14 Podcast

[sve7en]

10. 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.

It had been a somber day for Madison Hayes as she packed up the last of her locker in the Minnesota Grey Duck's facility. Some goodbyes were had, but people don't hang around the DSFL long and that changes the mood at the end of the season. She said goodbye to her coaches, who wished her luck down the road in Chicago, talked with Hunt about some housing plans for the two of them, but couldn't seem to track down Ryan Negs. She wandered the halls asking around for a while but he was nowhere to be found. Dejected, she headed to her car as she wrote up a text to her quarterback for the last two seasons.

"Maddie! Wait up!"

She turned around just in time to see Neg's awkward frame lumbering towards her at a breakneck (and break-neck) pace. Stumbling off balance like the viral clip of him running down the field, his head got too far in front of himself and he came to a tumbling heap in front of the Englishwoman.

"Negs, are you okay?!" she asked as she helped the tall quarterback to his feet, trying not to laugh. "I was looking all over the place for you to say goodbye."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. I was looking for you too actually.." he trailled off, not really sure of his next words. "I was hoping, maybe, we could go out for drinks when the Liberty come to Chicago? I was kind of hoping we could stay close even though we won't share a team next season."

Madison grimaced to herself. Negs was great, but not like that... "Yeah Ryan, that'd be cool. It'll be nice to have friends in town to hang out with Mike and I while we're getting used to the city. We can find some places and show them to you!"

"Oh, I was actually thinking, you know, just the two of us?"

"Negs, I'm not really looking for that, we've been over that, I'm sorry."

Negs sighed and agreed t0 meet up for drinks with Hayes and Hunt before the week 4 tilt in Chicago, where all three of the rookies had good performances, Hayes with two touchdowns, Negs with no turnovers, and Hunt with a few clutch receptions. Hayes's rejection of Negs would come back to bite Chicago though, as the bad karma led to an unlucky chain of events resulting in the Philly upset.


405 words

28. What team do you think has the best branding in the league? What team do you think could use a refresh? Why?

The best branding in the ISFL is definitely the Philadelphia Liberty, though the Chicago Butchers and Austin Copperheads come close. Philly has a traditional color scheme that is tried and true but it's all cleanly incorporated into a logo that neither feels generic or over the top. The Liberty branding also is a bit stereotypical for a Philly team but it works and it feels like one of the most believable brandings out there. The SHL just got a Philly expansion team and I wish the Liberty didn't exist in the ISFL so that the branding could exist in the SHL with other top sim league brandings.

The team that most needs a rebranding is the Berlin Fire Salamanders, and for multiple reasons. The location is weird at best and a jarring change of pace from a league of North American locations, and while I'm not a fan of Mexico City as a sim league team location it would beat central Europe. That's not to say I have an anti-European stance or anything, it just feels massively disconnected from the rest of the league. Outside of that, the Fire Salamanders name feels redundant, when salamanders are already commonly associated with fire in folklore.

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29. Affliate PT from either SHL/PBE/GOMHL. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW

SHL Affiliate: https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3033655

[furiousPanda]

#1 

Playoffs are a crazy time for a lot of leagues and the International Football Simulation League is no different. Out of 14 teams only 8 make it to the playoff race. This season has big implications since it could bring in the wind of change and the great season 22 class is beginning to hit regression.

Each team had their own crazy journey to reach this point. I will start off with the ASFC right now.

First team on the list is Honolulu Hahalua, number four in the standings, who ended up being 9-7 on the season. Since Honolulu was a season 22 expansion team, the majority of their players are season 22. This would make them the favorites. They started out pretty strong by winning 3 in a row but had a rough losing streak mid season. The Hahalua eventually won out the season and made it to the race. Looking at the team, there is no part of their game that stands out. Defense and offense is average across the board.

Second team from the ASFC, number three in the standings, is the Austin Copperheads, who had the same record as Honolulu. Austin also started off strong, with a 3-0 start and had a great mid season. But fell flat at the end of the season by going 0-3. They have a pretty strong defense and a great rushing game. This is the usual “Golden Combo” in winning championships. Defense is strong, they could be carried to the championship.

The third team is the New York Silverbacks. They got the number two seed in the ASFC. The Silverbacks have a record of 10-6. They started out the season 3-1 and midseason they ran into a 5 game hot streak. This team has a huge surprise since it is a recent expansion team. The Silverback defense was in the top half in terms of stats while having the highest sack total with 70 and they have the second best running back in terms of rushing yards. With their run attack they could make a huge splash with the playoffs as the expansion team.

Lastly in the ASFC is the number one seed Arizona Outlaws. This team had an impressive 12 wins this season. They were literally carried on their back by superstar Nakamura. The Outlaws are definitely the favorite going into the playoffs. Also, they have a decent passing attack with Cortez at the helm. They are truly a fearsome team that most teams should dread playing against.

Next up are the NSFC right now. In my opinion this is a very top heavy team where I thought before I started this Ultimus Week task the winner would come out.

The first seed in the conference is the Berlin Fire Salamanders and are tied with the Outlaws with their record. This is one of the most surprising teams to come out this season since they also are a recent expansion team. They came out hot with a 6-0 record and kept their lead throughout the season. They had a great passing game with Nick Kaepercolin who threw over 4k in yards. In my opinion, this was one of the stronger teams in the playoffs.

Next, with the second seed are the Yellowknife Wraiths. This team came in a swooped in to steal the number two seed from the third seed. This team is getting hot at the correct time. With Colby Jack in the helm of the offense is tied for second best in touchdowns for quarterbacks. Also, the Wraiths receivers can separate easily where they are above average in yards gain per catch. The defense is in the middle of the pack but could take their streak and roll through the playoffs.

With the third seed in the conference, the reigning champions, is my team the Sarasota Sailfish. Sailfish went only 10-6 this season and had a rough stretch of games at the end of the season going 0-4. Sarasota’s defense is nasty and the best in the league, in my opinion. Both their linebackers surpassed the record in forced fumbles and they should be considered for linebacker of the year. Not only does the defense lead in forced fumbles but also interceptions. It is a turnover machine! In addition, the offense is no joke. With the reigning MVP Raphtalia Chan leading the rushing attack, this team can go places.

Lastly, with the last seed in the conference, Colorado Yeti. Just a measly 8-8, they are the definition of a glass cannon. This is the top offense in my opinion. Mattathias Caliban is the only quarterback to break 5k yards in passing and the receiving unit got 36 total touchdowns with their top receiver being Lim. But the Yeti’s defense is bottom tier and I wouldn’t expect them to hold on to leads in the playoffs considering the top defenses available.

Since I wrote this post playoffs, the results are sort of surprising. I was expecting the Sailfish to play the Fire Salamanders for the NSFC championship, but the Sailfish were eliminated. The Wraiths shot out of the cannon and took over the NSFC. Another surprise in the playoffs is the Copperheads. They held out against Nakamura, who was a machine and their own running back Zoe Watt really turned it up. But in the end, Yellowknife took the title over the Copperheads. It could be sim luck but Yellowknife held its own in the rushing game which sealed the game for them.

Code:

913 words

[JayWhy75]

6. Write 800 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something.

I feel this is a perfect situation for me as with just joining the league, this gives me an ability to really dive into things a bit. And realistically, the first thing to stand out to me is the differences in position availability and it really ties back to the SHL for me where I have the most experience. You look at the quarterback position and it's just like the goalie market. This is the fewest jobs available, and you have to be an especially cocky person to think you're somehow going to be so special to usurp somebody who is established and likely younger as it is.

Instead, just looking at the position tracker, it's so incredible to see the gap of some positions. To think there's a running back in the NSFL who is 230 TPE is incredible. To think there's a kicker/punter who is 1300+ tpe, also fascinating to me.

I take a look at it and I think of the fact there are so many available positions at other roles, why would anybody think yeah let's go for the position with the fewest possible options to go for.

Now with my joining and reviewing this, it then brought me to another question about the league which is where the archetype comes from. With my experience in SHL being new to FHM, I'm wondering if it ties to the sim. If these are designations you put into the sim as to how the player will perform in sim, or if it's just something man-made in a way. It makes me think of the SHL of old in STHS when we created player archetypes, with strengths and weaknesses, in order to try and create some build diversity and also makes for a more interesting time as a general manager to align people.

From there, however, the amount of archetypes available here is astounding. There are so many positions in football versus hockey first of all, so it can be a bit daunting. Then each position has a list of archetypes you can use, and thankfully I had somebody to help walk me through the values of different archetypes but I do wonder if that's something the league may want to consider working on explaining a bit better or making sure it's clearly defined in the archetype post as people bounce around and through.

But again, so many options just gives you the ability to find ways to go and things to be. Why, oh why, would anybody choose to be a Quarterback with only 20 starting spots available, when you can be specifically whatever kind of any other position you want. You want counting numbers? Wide receivers are super important for a quarterback. A really good running back can do a lot of damage. Even a tight end is a position people just don't see as glorious when it's able to be extremely impactful. If you just want to be a key contributor to a team, while offense is what draws eyes, defense is what wins championships. You can even get counting stats on that side, become a pass rushing defensive end or linebacker, or a sniping cornerback or safety. You could even be an inside linebacker and have the best of both worlds in some ways.

Just looking at the index gives you a good view. A great running back appears to hit the 1000 yard mark, maybe not always but fairly well. And the number of touchdowns is astounding, 7 running backs had double digits in touchdowns. A wide receiver hit over 1800 yards, and over 25 of them had quadruple digits in yards. There were tight ends putting up some big yards and touchdowns. That's a huge add to a team to create some danger up the middle and make linebackers move consistently, opening up for a running game or for that outside passing game. There are catches to go around, there are yards to go around. You think about it, more players caught over 1000 yards this season than there were starting quarterback positions in the league as a whole.

On the other side of the ball, 19 players had double digit sacks. Even more had over 100 tackles. There are fumbles, recoveries, touchdowns, safeties. There are so many ways to contribute, and without having to be the one individual key contributor. You don't have to be a quarterback to be important. Looking at all of these spectacular players, all the different ways they contribute, it really highlights how incredibly ridiculous it is to try to play quarterback. You could be a big part of a championship winning team, you could catch that ball, you could run it in, you could make the game saving tackle or interception or sack. There are so many ways it could go, you don't have to be the one throwing the ball or handing it off. Make the person doing that worry about you stopping them from being able to, make them worry about you putting them in impossible positions, make them worry about you winning the game for them. All those yards they get, you can be the player getting the big yards after catch and making them look good. It's that simple. Be a star, make a star, you don't have to be the quarterback to do that.

So what I've gathered so far is just ... how ridiculous and cocky some people must be. And as somebody who used to play goalie, another one of those limited positions, I am super cocky and this is too much for me even. It's an interesting look and insight into a league I just don't know that well, I feel. And as we go, I look forward to really getting to know the people who made those decisions to be these different positions and the impacts they have.

Word Count: 980

[overdoo]

13. Expansion Expansion Expansion! The league seems to love talking about it, but it has still not happened. Tell us why it should happen / should not happen soon?

Well, I'm not exactly one to deserve a strong voice in the matter, but I will take both sides on this. First off, expansion is very exciting. It will also give the chance to the best users, GMs, whoever, in the league to apply and leave their mark on the league. That alone is enough to entice a GM to apply. To have a team that is theirs, to have a team that they created, formed, made a reality. Of course, you'll have the GMs that seek the challenge of an expansion team as well. I think just bringing that aspect into the league allows for some infusion of passion for the league, which is only a good thing. 

Then, there is the fact that all three leagues are very well connected. SHL, ISFL, PBE. If you are in one, you cannot go to another without already knowing half your team from another league. The SHL, for example, has had very ISFL heavy drafts recently. It is only a matter of time before that crossover becomes too much, in a good way, for the ISFL. As any of the three leagues grow, so will the others. Obviously because of recruitment from the league, but also crossover. Eventually, the expansion will have to happen, and I feel like the ISFL allows expansion timing to be.. not exact. Half of the worry can be that, but I believe an expansion of two teams would be perfectly fine, think of it as making space, and giving more users opportunities to be starters. 

In addition, there are currently 14 ISFL teams, 7 in each conference. An even 8 in each, creating a 16 team league would be wonderful, think about it. Maybe it is just my hockey mind.. though. However, 4 teams in a division, 8 teams in a conference, 16 teams in a league. A perfect half, 8 team playoff, would be organized perfectly, and allow for solid competition throughout. There is, of course, the option of increasing the number of DSFL teams, too. However, I would not do that along with an ISFL expansion, it would be one or the other. Increasing the DSFL does make the room necessary eventually, and does in turn do things like extending the average junior stay. With more good players in the league, and in turn the ISFL, prospects are kept down longer because of which, leading to longer stays. Some may be against that, some may like it. I don't think it works due to how short careers are here, but it is an option.

Lastly, I don't think expansion should be right now. I think it should happen, but I don't think it should be this season or anything. You don't want some teams losing too much to expansion, and you don't want the league thinned out, even if it'll need it in a season or two afterward. You do it then. I think due to the thoughts on some positions, such as QB, being that it is hard to start, users have not created like that. WR, RB maybe too. But without those positions becoming more saturated, there will be a little unbalance in the league to start, that needs to be solved first.

(541 words)

18. Written option - which teammate of yours is the ultimate team player and why? How does this person exhibit selflessness and put the team first? Are they a great locker room presence who encourages others? Do they play an important but unappreciated role on the team which doesn't receive much recognition for awards? Graphic Option: Create a graphic of your player with your teammate who exhibits a team-friendly attitude.

I believe @King Jellyfish is one of our ultimate team players. It's hard to say which player would be for the Hawks right now, but I genuinely believe Jelly is one of the more underrated guys in Baltimore. From almost the very start, since he has joined the team, he has been creating signatures for the entire team. Matching, yet unique, I don't know, I see it as a form of having everyone together. Yet, an entire team of new, custom sigs is insane to pull off, and it isn't the only graphical work he has done for us so far. It is just nuts, and while we all recognize the work he puts in, or I hope we do, I don't think we give him enough credit for it. Hell, the guy made a 2 and a half minute video for Dermot after his retirement.

Aside from that, he is always around in the LR supporting our users. Did you make a sig? He's there complimenting it. Asking for a question or two for media? He'll give you one. Never asks for anything in return, or expects anything, doesn't make you feel bad about it. Just a real team guy. He puts in work in management, his player, the locker room, everything. Just a solid guy. Since joining the team.. last draft.. he's made the locker room a great place to be in as if it wasn't already fun with the changes that went on. Love having him as a teammate now, and for however long we're on a team together.

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29. Affiliate PT from either SHL/PBE/GOMHL. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW

Here it is!

[Jimi64]

13. I find the potential of expansion in the near future to be a difficult proposition that should probably be put off and reassessed after a few more seasons. First off, I would like to say that I want to expand, and I'd say the vast majority of the league wants to expand. Sixteen teams is a great number, and a bigger league just feels more fun in general. Not to mention, I always love to see new ideas for branding. Expansion also indicates that the league is growing. Although I don't have the numbers, I'd say the league is growing, but there are some factors that put into question the speed of this growth as well as if this balances out with the loss of some users through not recreating. First, the last reddit recruitment class was frankly disappointing and many paying attention at the time know this to be true. It wasn't necessarily our fault, as the time of posting was near to an event that drew the eyes of most Americans, but it still led to the class being unremarkable in size, though the quality of users was strong. Reddit classes are supposed to be surefire jumpstarts of growth and activity to the league, and they cannot happen often. Although normal recruitment can bring very active classes regardless, this is not assured by any means. The other reason, and one that I believe is most important, is the regression of the S22 class. That class is one, if not THE biggest class in league history. Multiple teams, and especially the championship contending ones currently, have a strong S22 presence. Over the following seasons, these players will consider retirement, and as a whole the league does not know whether or not these players will recreate. If we were to expand now, just as all those players are retiring, on the basis that we expected all of them, we would be fools. Of course, it could be that many of those players will recreate, but it could also be that many of those players are burnt out and done. We need to wait until we get a read on how many of these players stay active, which involves waiting until the majority retire and enter the DSFL again. However, if we have high retention from that class, and if the next reddit class is as successful as they normally are, expansion should become a certainty, but that would take somewhere around 3 seasons form now I might guess. I hope when expansion happens that we see some great international team branding, especially since I personally find Berlin's to be a disappointment and the worst name for a team's mascot in the league.

18. Ryan Negs is the ultimate team player in Philly. Being a quarterback isn’t an easy job in this league, and I’ve heard that at times it’s not enjoyable either. The quarterback is the most important position in football, whether that be real life or the sim. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure for a quarterback to perform well, or else they get blamed for the loss. Negs had the lowest TPE of any quarterback coming into this season. As jovial a character as he is, I was still worried that watching the sim and seeing his player throw interceptions would wear down his enjoyment (especially since he spent so long playing with just 250 TPE in the DSFL, subject to the whims of fate already). When it happened in even just the first game, I was ready to give him positive affirmations and let him know that it’s not something he can control and that we don’t blame him. It was a pleasant surprise that he really didn’t need to hear this, and he really didn’t need any of our help throughout the season. He not only was unbothered by the unfortunate inevitability of some careless passes by his player, but he still would constantly lift up other players, both by hyping them up or being optimistic at the lower moments. This mentality could serve anyone well in this league, but it certainly sets a great example for all of the Liberty.

20. Jimi DeSoto would have a show on the Food Network. It would be called DeSoto’s DeCereals. Those outside of Norfolk and Philly may not know it, but DeSoto is a big fan of cereals, once even claiming them as his favorite food. The show, which would not air often, would involve DeSoto going over news in the cereal world, such as new arrivals or different flavors being pursued by the traditional brands. There would also be previews about what to look out for as well as dumb speculation about what cereal experiments would come out next. Of course, a fixture of the show (and debatably main event) would be Jimi reviewing up to 2 cereals, giving an in depth description of the flavor profiles, texture, and resulting milk flavor. These are write ups that DeSoto does already, so for them to be added to the show would simply be natural. DeSoto would often have guests, most often teammates or other players in the league, to talk about their experiences with cereal, such as their favorites or their cereal eating habits. Of course this might lead to debates as DeSoto would undoubtedly judge the choices of the other players. Jimi would hope that the show gets noticed by the big cereal brands, who would then send their new products to him early for easy advertising, In the end, even if it didn’t make a lot of money, the show would be a gig that would bring DeSoto a lot of joy.

[Capt_Blitzkrieg]

10. 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.(+5 TPE)

  Joey is from a big-time sports family. His parents were both college athletes who have gone into coaching, his grandfathers coached sports, his maternal aunt is an Assistant Coach for the US Women’s Olympic Soccer team after having played for and won 3 medals. His elder brother is a player in the SHL and manager in the SMJHL. The Marstons aren’t a big name yet, but they’re getting there quickly. Joey has been groomed for his entire life to play some kind of sport. When he was in high school, he played baseball and football. Deciding between them was a major trial for him going into college.
  Despite this, Joey isn’t focused entirely on a future in sports. He aspires to enjoy playing for as long as it’s fun before retiring in good health and financial standing to travel the world. He has dreams of backpacking through Europe and Asia, climbing Mount Everest, racing with a dog sled team, and surf at Gold Coast in Australia. When he eventually returns to the states, he’d like to write a book and settle down to raise a family. The full “Great Wife, 2.5 Kids, White Picket Fence, Nice Car” deal. Be a Stay at Home Dad and watch his kids grow up to hopefully have nothing to do with sports, despite knowing that it’s very likely they’ll be great athletes if they so choose.
  Part of the decision to do something else with his life is based on how he’s grown up. He’s used to being coached almost all day every day. He’s used to being pushed harder because his father always insisted that Joey could take it. There’s an underlying sense of frustration with that lifestyle, but also a healthy fear. His father would go in to work as Head Coach of the University of Tampa football team and put in a full day; scouting, tape analysis, practices, drills, paperwork, and goodness knows what else for close to ten hours. Then he’d come home, eat dinner, and take up running Joey through drills after his homework was completed. Greg Marston never stops working. Joey also sees those same tendencies in his brother. Danny plays, practices, and works out for six to eight hours every day for the Toronto North Stars before settling into his home office or hotel room to work on managing the St. Louis Scarecrows for a few hours; tape, coaching advice, player management, scouting, trades, and so forth. Joey is ultimately afraid that if he doesn’t have something he wants to do other than sports, then football will consume him like it has his father and brother have been consumed.
  In the meantime, though, he’s enjoying the ride as a DSFL, and soon, an ISFL player. He just wants more out of life than football someday.

19. Theres a prompt about stadium design, but now lets dig deeper. Each stadium serves some concessions for the fans coming in to watch the games. Talk us through their menu. Graphic Option: Design a menu for your team's stadium. +2.5 TPE


Being the team from Texas, the Dallas Birddogs have excellent barbecue game. It's a point of pride. I mean, football and burnt ends? F U C K  Y E A H. Even if stadium prices are borderline illegally high.

29. Affliate PT from either SHL/PBE/GOMHL. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW. +2.5 TPE
SHL Affiliate PT

[shadyshoelace]

15. Going to Disneyland! Who was the Ultimus Game MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland.
Season 28 in the ISFL is in the books, and with it we've seen a return to the top for the legendary Yellowknife Wraiths, who have been one of the most consistently dominant teams in the league for the last half of the league's existence. While the Austin Copperheads made their run to the championship game and put up a good fight, nearly making a late comeback, the Wraiths put on an excellent showing in the Ultimus game to bring the trophy back to the great white north. While this was a well-rounded team effort, the MVP award has to go to Colby Jack, who played a great game with 237 yards and a touchdown through the air with no turnovers. When Colby got to Anaheim for his traditional trip to Disneyland, he of course had to celebrate his team's run through the league. First, he got his picture taken with Woody from Toy Story, altering the character's famous catchphrase to "There's a snake under my boot" to note his stomping of the Copperheads. He also rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds, where he and his fellow riders conquer the not-so-fearsome Yeti (much like the ISFL's Yeti, this animatronic broke down years ago and is operating in a sub-par state called "B Mode." That's a true fact, look it up.) There are no fire salamanders in the Disney canon, but Colby did visit the Monsters Inc. ride where a lizard-like monster named Randall gets beaten up by a child, much like the Wraiths beat up on Berlin in the postseason. Finally, Colby visited the Haunted Mansion to see all the ghosts and say hi to his spooky wraith friends.

Code:

278 words

16. 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?

As the offseason continues and the ISFL draft draws near, Dante King and his fellow draft prospects will soon find out where they will be called to begin their careers. Among the loaded class of potential stars, Dante envisions himself as the crown jewel of this cohort of future big league players. Since falling to the second round of the DSFL draft, Dante has done everything in his power to show teams that he is dedicated to mastering his craft and becoming the best football player in the world. He hasn't missed a weekly workout or training event yet and has even pulled double shifts at his second job to pay for top tier equipment that he hopes will make a difference on the field. Not only does he provide exceptional on-field ability, but Dante knows that he is just the kind of locker room presence that a team needs - a self-confident player who knows how good he is and brings that kind of swagger to the team, while also being committed to helping his team be as successful as possible by playing a variety of roles. With the minutes counting down until the selection process begins, Dante knows that there is only destination that makes sense - the Baltimore Hawks, holders of the first overall pick.

Code:

216 words

26. Imagine your current position was not available to be picked when you created your player. What other position would you have picked, and why?
Dante King has played many roles on the football field throughout his life, from defensive enforcer to a plethora of offensive roles. He thrives the most as a running back, but his electric skills in space help him make an impact wherever he lines up. If he was unable to play as a running back, he certainly would have ended up entering himself into draft contention as a wide receiver. Other players on the field are important, even if their individual contributions aren't as visible on the stat sheet, but that's not who Dante is. He lives to drive his teams forward and keep opposing teams on their toes, reacting to his speed and agility - usually unsuccessfully. When he sees a matchup that he can take advantage of, whether it's a linebacker matched up with him in the slot or a cornerback that can't keep up with him down the field, he knows it's on. It's true that he doesn't have traditional size for a wideout and would be smaller than most of the boundary cornerbacks he'd be lined up against, but his shiftiness off the line would force them to give him a cushion and prevent them from pressing him too hard, negating the size advantage. And who needs 50/50 balls when there isn't a defender within ten yards?

Code:

221 words

#29 Affiliate PT
PBE PT