We are live in sunny California where the Orange County Otters will host the streaking Yellowknife Wraiths. My name is Nikki Tomlinson and we are here with the starting Tight End for the Wraiths, Ricky Maddox! How's your day going so far?
It's a blessing everyday, ma'am! Thank you for having me here.
Not a problem at all, we wanted to get some feedback on some things going on around the league and how you feel you've done so far in your career as a Wraith. We can start on whats currently being called as the biggest scandal in the NSFL to date. Currently being called "#GibsonGate" or "#CarmelGate" or whatever the official name is.
As you've heard from reports earlier, a suspension is imminent towards the Baltimore Hawks starting Tight End Carmel Gibson and his impact that will be lost throughout the team will be felt throughout the rest of the season. Do you have any thoughts of the situation as a whole?
Well, it's always an unfortunate turn of events when you see someone not playing the game of football the right way. To my knowledge, no one knew about this until just recently so I can't really say that something was suspicious with how he was performing.
Hell, a majority of us just assumed he was the "Chosen One" so to speak. Haha Now that it's out in the open and the public knows, it's going to be interesting to see what will happen in the future.
That's very true. He's really been out performing a majority of the starting TEs.
It's insane! If someone told me a guy out of nowhere was going to sneak up and perform the way he did, I would have more than likely dismissed that notion.
Indeed. Do you think that it's being handled the right way?
I honestly don't see it being handled any other way, to be honest. He's been caught cheating, Performance Enhancing TPE is no joke in this league. I'm sure it will all be handled shortly.
Seeing how he performed and how you and the other top TEs have been doing so far, what does it speak to the type of work that you've been doing?
Well, I'm just blessed to have a great team around me. The locker room has been awesome and inviting so it helped make my growth much more effective towards the team's success.
I'm much more involved in blocking so the extra reps at the gym look to be paying off.
You really have been doing good, I have heard rumblings about you being frustrated about not getting enough touches. Are these rumors true?
To some degree, it can be described as true, but that's usually the confidence I have in myself talking. With the opportunities given to me, I just do my best to take advantage of every snap. Cutting down on drops better than I did last year, running more precise routes, keeping the strength in the blocking game.
But to further my first point, I don't have any ill will towards my QB or anybody on my team. I just want victories and to hold that Ultimus at the end of the year. At the end of the day, I still want the rock to be in our play maker's hands so we can do some damage and get these dubs.
Very well said, Ricky. Speaking of trophies, you're in the running for the Best TE award for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, you came up just a tad short but this year, your chances appear to be much better. You have another head at the competition for that spot and you'll be playing against him and his team tonight. What are your thoughts on how Wright Jr. has performed so far and where do you see the rankings so far between the two of you?
Oh, man. I thought Tenzini was a tough matchup this year. This man in OC, George Wright Jr. has been killing the game! Leading all receivers so far in catches and just been lighting up defenses left and right! I still remember that twelve catch game he had a few weeks ago, that was simply amazing.
As far as where we're ranked, he has a ever so slight edge over me. Just from a statistical stand point. He'll have to go up against my defense and they're hungry to get after Mike Boss, so we'll see what happens. I'm still going to say that I have the edge if the team wins our division and conference. It should count in some ways, right?
It's possible but I'm not sure if it will hold too much weight.
Well, it just means that I'll have to double time to catch up! It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes up.
It'll be your first time going against their defense as well, anybody you're ready to see on the other side?
Ian Bavitz and Franklin Harris will be tough to get through but I trust my ability to make a way. I don't shy away from any challenges. That and Adamle Tomlinson would also be a great matchup to see if I can help keep him away from Chris Orosz. It's definitely going to be a fun game to play.
Your Wraiths are possibly two or more victories from securing a spot for playing at home in the playoffs. You guys came up short last year against the Yeti in a close one. How has it motivated you and the rest of the Locker Room?
Well, it only made us realize that we're in the ball park. we could have made it deeper last year with some better execution. It didn't happen for us then, but it's a new year, some more great talented players joined our squad and I consider them all family in my book.
Do we still need to tighten up on some few things, yes. That can be said about all of the teams in the NSFL. No one's a finished product.
Alright, one of the storylines going into the later part of the season was the latest trade between your Wraiths and the Sabercats. We'll break it down one part of the time. First off, how do you believe each team fared from each trade?
Well, obviously I'm going to say that the Wraiths won the trade, but I believe both teams came out of the trade very well. We're in win-now mode and the additions make our case stronger to contend very heavily. The Cats got a good amount of draft picks to help their cause of building up to greatness.
One of the pieces you guys had to give up was Darren Smallwo-
And if there was a way to keep him in a Wraiths uniform, I would in a heartbeat. But at the end of the day, the trade was still made from a business standpoint so you can't always get what you want.
If there was a way to have Hackett, Smallwood and Cook on the Wraiths, that would be insane but I'm not mad at the outcome, because I know if there's anybody in the NSFL that can whip the Sabercats into shape, it's Darren Smallwood aka Sir Checkers.
What are your thoughts on the first game with Checkers on the Sabercats against the reigning champion Outlaws?
Ugh. Ugly.
That's it?
I mean, I could always say it was an embarrassing matchup but that's how the game goes sometimes. Some teams just come out striking hot and the other couldn't get rolling.
I'm not going to discredit anybody or anything that happened in the past that did or could have attributed the Sabercats for that kind of a loss. They're much better than they played that game.
How have Bailey Cook and A.C. Hackett adapted to the new lifestyle and the breath of fresh air?
It's been very awesome. Both have been very active, keeping the jokes up and spirits high, I can't complain about them. Cook has been a great compliment to Garden since he donned the uniform. Hackett has made his presence felt as well, helping me out with getting more aggressive against defenders. It's really helped out the whole team a lot. Makes us all step our game up that much more.
Let's switch the topic a bit about your guy's road trip. We've seen "The Brotherhood of the Traveling Wraiths" series. You guys did just enough to keep your team afloat afterwards and now the Wraiths are on top of the division, tied with the Yeti. What does your team need to do to win out and take it?
We just gotta win, bay bayyyyyyy.
Haha Besides a few hiccups, we did what we needed to do but the job isn't done yet. We still have plenty of work to do and it starts here tonight against the Otters. I know we got the right of way as long as the good fortune stays in our favor. We just gotta take it one game at a time.
Touching back on the Gibson situation, how does it affect your chances of getting another Pro Bowl appearance this year? This will be your second in a row.
I think it goes without saying that I've done enough to earn a spot. I just wanna see who will go with me, Gibson pretty much screwed his chances so it'll more than like go to either DiMirio or Gucci.
You are indeed right about that. Do you have any thoughts about how the reigning NSFL champion Arizona Outlaws have been doing so far in the ASFC?
Not much to say. Beautifully ran team that's primed to bring Arizona another Ultimus. I just want to see how they would perform against the Wraiths come championship time, who knows what will happen? We can very well see that matchup in a few months.
Alrighty, we're getting close to time to wrap this up, it's been a pleasure to have you here Ricky!
Not a problem, glad to talk football whenever I can.
Is there anything you'd like to add before we close this session?
Shoutout to all of the members of #WraithsNation out there, friends, family, teammates, coaches, and most importantly the fans for holding it down all over the world! We do it for y'all!!!
Oh yeah, stop by my new business in downtown Yellowknife, YellaWang™! Wear your Yellowknife Wraiths' jersey and you get 50% knocked off your bill like me putting linemen on their asses!
Very nice! You think I can get a discount from there?
Haha Depends if you will show up in my room wearing nothing but my jersey.
That can definitely be arranged, Ricky.
Hehe. Niice.
#WraithsNation
Edit: Hit the post button on accident, now it's complete. Lol
[color=green]GRADED[color]
It's a blessing everyday, ma'am! Thank you for having me here.
Not a problem at all, we wanted to get some feedback on some things going on around the league and how you feel you've done so far in your career as a Wraith. We can start on whats currently being called as the biggest scandal in the NSFL to date. Currently being called "#GibsonGate" or "#CarmelGate" or whatever the official name is.
As you've heard from reports earlier, a suspension is imminent towards the Baltimore Hawks starting Tight End Carmel Gibson and his impact that will be lost throughout the team will be felt throughout the rest of the season. Do you have any thoughts of the situation as a whole?
Well, it's always an unfortunate turn of events when you see someone not playing the game of football the right way. To my knowledge, no one knew about this until just recently so I can't really say that something was suspicious with how he was performing.
Hell, a majority of us just assumed he was the "Chosen One" so to speak. Haha Now that it's out in the open and the public knows, it's going to be interesting to see what will happen in the future.
That's very true. He's really been out performing a majority of the starting TEs.
It's insane! If someone told me a guy out of nowhere was going to sneak up and perform the way he did, I would have more than likely dismissed that notion.
Indeed. Do you think that it's being handled the right way?
I honestly don't see it being handled any other way, to be honest. He's been caught cheating, Performance Enhancing TPE is no joke in this league. I'm sure it will all be handled shortly.
Seeing how he performed and how you and the other top TEs have been doing so far, what does it speak to the type of work that you've been doing?
Well, I'm just blessed to have a great team around me. The locker room has been awesome and inviting so it helped make my growth much more effective towards the team's success.
I'm much more involved in blocking so the extra reps at the gym look to be paying off.
You really have been doing good, I have heard rumblings about you being frustrated about not getting enough touches. Are these rumors true?
To some degree, it can be described as true, but that's usually the confidence I have in myself talking. With the opportunities given to me, I just do my best to take advantage of every snap. Cutting down on drops better than I did last year, running more precise routes, keeping the strength in the blocking game.
But to further my first point, I don't have any ill will towards my QB or anybody on my team. I just want victories and to hold that Ultimus at the end of the year. At the end of the day, I still want the rock to be in our play maker's hands so we can do some damage and get these dubs.
Very well said, Ricky. Speaking of trophies, you're in the running for the Best TE award for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, you came up just a tad short but this year, your chances appear to be much better. You have another head at the competition for that spot and you'll be playing against him and his team tonight. What are your thoughts on how Wright Jr. has performed so far and where do you see the rankings so far between the two of you?
Oh, man. I thought Tenzini was a tough matchup this year. This man in OC, George Wright Jr. has been killing the game! Leading all receivers so far in catches and just been lighting up defenses left and right! I still remember that twelve catch game he had a few weeks ago, that was simply amazing.
As far as where we're ranked, he has a ever so slight edge over me. Just from a statistical stand point. He'll have to go up against my defense and they're hungry to get after Mike Boss, so we'll see what happens. I'm still going to say that I have the edge if the team wins our division and conference. It should count in some ways, right?
It's possible but I'm not sure if it will hold too much weight.
Well, it just means that I'll have to double time to catch up! It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes up.
It'll be your first time going against their defense as well, anybody you're ready to see on the other side?
Ian Bavitz and Franklin Harris will be tough to get through but I trust my ability to make a way. I don't shy away from any challenges. That and Adamle Tomlinson would also be a great matchup to see if I can help keep him away from Chris Orosz. It's definitely going to be a fun game to play.
Your Wraiths are possibly two or more victories from securing a spot for playing at home in the playoffs. You guys came up short last year against the Yeti in a close one. How has it motivated you and the rest of the Locker Room?
Well, it only made us realize that we're in the ball park. we could have made it deeper last year with some better execution. It didn't happen for us then, but it's a new year, some more great talented players joined our squad and I consider them all family in my book.
Do we still need to tighten up on some few things, yes. That can be said about all of the teams in the NSFL. No one's a finished product.
Alright, one of the storylines going into the later part of the season was the latest trade between your Wraiths and the Sabercats. We'll break it down one part of the time. First off, how do you believe each team fared from each trade?
Well, obviously I'm going to say that the Wraiths won the trade, but I believe both teams came out of the trade very well. We're in win-now mode and the additions make our case stronger to contend very heavily. The Cats got a good amount of draft picks to help their cause of building up to greatness.
One of the pieces you guys had to give up was Darren Smallwo-
And if there was a way to keep him in a Wraiths uniform, I would in a heartbeat. But at the end of the day, the trade was still made from a business standpoint so you can't always get what you want.
If there was a way to have Hackett, Smallwood and Cook on the Wraiths, that would be insane but I'm not mad at the outcome, because I know if there's anybody in the NSFL that can whip the Sabercats into shape, it's Darren Smallwood aka Sir Checkers.
What are your thoughts on the first game with Checkers on the Sabercats against the reigning champion Outlaws?
Ugh. Ugly.
That's it?
I mean, I could always say it was an embarrassing matchup but that's how the game goes sometimes. Some teams just come out striking hot and the other couldn't get rolling.
I'm not going to discredit anybody or anything that happened in the past that did or could have attributed the Sabercats for that kind of a loss. They're much better than they played that game.
How have Bailey Cook and A.C. Hackett adapted to the new lifestyle and the breath of fresh air?
It's been very awesome. Both have been very active, keeping the jokes up and spirits high, I can't complain about them. Cook has been a great compliment to Garden since he donned the uniform. Hackett has made his presence felt as well, helping me out with getting more aggressive against defenders. It's really helped out the whole team a lot. Makes us all step our game up that much more.
Let's switch the topic a bit about your guy's road trip. We've seen "The Brotherhood of the Traveling Wraiths" series. You guys did just enough to keep your team afloat afterwards and now the Wraiths are on top of the division, tied with the Yeti. What does your team need to do to win out and take it?
We just gotta win, bay bayyyyyyy.
Haha Besides a few hiccups, we did what we needed to do but the job isn't done yet. We still have plenty of work to do and it starts here tonight against the Otters. I know we got the right of way as long as the good fortune stays in our favor. We just gotta take it one game at a time.
Touching back on the Gibson situation, how does it affect your chances of getting another Pro Bowl appearance this year? This will be your second in a row.
I think it goes without saying that I've done enough to earn a spot. I just wanna see who will go with me, Gibson pretty much screwed his chances so it'll more than like go to either DiMirio or Gucci.
You are indeed right about that. Do you have any thoughts about how the reigning NSFL champion Arizona Outlaws have been doing so far in the ASFC?
Not much to say. Beautifully ran team that's primed to bring Arizona another Ultimus. I just want to see how they would perform against the Wraiths come championship time, who knows what will happen? We can very well see that matchup in a few months.
Alrighty, we're getting close to time to wrap this up, it's been a pleasure to have you here Ricky!
Not a problem, glad to talk football whenever I can.
Is there anything you'd like to add before we close this session?
Shoutout to all of the members of #WraithsNation out there, friends, family, teammates, coaches, and most importantly the fans for holding it down all over the world! We do it for y'all!!!
Oh yeah, stop by my new business in downtown Yellowknife, YellaWang™! Wear your Yellowknife Wraiths' jersey and you get 50% knocked off your bill like me putting linemen on their asses!
Very nice! You think I can get a discount from there?
Haha Depends if you will show up in my room wearing nothing but my jersey.
That can definitely be arranged, Ricky.
Hehe. Niice.
#WraithsNation
Code:
1750 Words, Ready to be graded
Edit: Hit the post button on accident, now it's complete. Lol
[color=green]GRADED[color]