11-14-2021, 10:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-07-2021, 04:09 AM by .simo. Edited 2 times in total.)
Now I imagine that everyone is a bit confused as to why you’re seeing a media article about the Sarasota Sailfish’s Ultimus victory in S30. Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, because it was awesome to see an S22 expansion team get their second ever franchise Ultimus victory as the underdog (no bias) -- so it is worth retelling. Second, because the team’s star-studded tight end and future Hall of Famer James Angler (user @tMuse) had an important clause in his contract at the time saying that then GM Frostbite must write 400 words about how he was instrumental in the Sarasota victory. Now, James Angler is retired and one could easily argue that the old contract clause is no longer binding. But, the Sarasota front office takes their promises very seriously. So, with the blessing of tMuse and the chagrin of @Frostbite, we are now posting a collaborative article in long overdue fulfillment of that clause.
So let’s set the scene, coming out of the S30 regular season the Arizona Outlaws look like a strong favorite to win the Ultimus trophy. With their quarterback Charlemagne Cortez in his prime and a dual-threat at running back in Tatsu Nakamura and Deadly Memes, Arizona led the ASFC finishing with a regular season record of 14-2. This record and a healthy point differential easily secured Arizona a first week bye and home field advantage in the division championship game. The Sarasota Sailfish, on the other hand, finished the regular season with a record of 11-5. This was still just enough to secure Sarasota a first week bye and home field advantage for the NSFC championship game. For the Ultimus game, Arizona would again play at home having won the regular season matchup between the two teams in week 9: 41 to 17.
Now there’s nothing Sarasota Sailfish veteran TE James Angler loved more than a challenging road game and he took his self-proclaimed role as team hype man very seriously. On the plane, in the hotel room, and on the practice field, Angler would pick a teammate, strike a double finger gun pose to point at them and say: “They won’t know what hit ‘em.” Words that he lived by as soon as he made it on the field for the Ultimus game.
The clock starts for the S30 Ultimus match and the Sailfish receive the kick to start the first half. Touchback and Sarasota’s offense takes the field at their own 25 yardline. A rush by Giovanni Bianchi gets quickly stuffed after a gain of 2. It’s second down and time for Angler to make his move. He jukes a defender and gains separation as he runs down field. Quarterback Mike Boss Jr. airs the ball and completes to Angler for 44 yards! One big play and the momentum is with Sarasota, who finish off the drive with a touchdown. The coverage smothered Angler for the rest of the first half, but Angler still managed to have three more critical receptions. At the end of the first half, Angler caught two first-down passes (for 11 and 13 yards) to help the team march down the field for a pre-halftime field goal. The team was elated, but no one more than Angler, as they headed into the locker room ahead 17-3.
James Angler appears to have disappeared in the second half of the game. I guess that he thought since they were already up by 14, that he didn’t even need to play anymore. After all, no team had ever choked in the second half of the final game of the season before… I guess Angler just had a whole lot of blind faith.
A reporter took this picture:
As you can see, James Angler clearly skipped the second half of the Ultimus match in order to attend a party. (rumors say that Dexter Banks II and Fawn Dillmiballs also attended this party, though those are just rumors). This is unfortunate to see from a star player like James Angler; however, he did check in to see how the team was doing in the second half. On the sideline, reporters caught him on a video call with several Sailfish star players such as Michael Witheblock, Cuco Clemente, and Jackston Kingston during the game. Even while not being there, he was able to improve team morale and he made sure that the Sarasota Sailfish did not choke the first half lead. They in fact ended up increasing their lead, winning 27-10! I don’t think that it is ridiculous to say that James Angler was a major reason for the win, both during the Ultimus game and throughout the season/playoffs. James Angler is a certified Sarasota legend, and his ability to lead the team as well as put up amazing stats shows how elite he truly is. He clearly is a character both on and off the field.
James is an inspiration to all ISFL players and while his antics may seem unconventional at times, his personality and dance moves make up for it. @tMuse the GOAT <3
So let’s set the scene, coming out of the S30 regular season the Arizona Outlaws look like a strong favorite to win the Ultimus trophy. With their quarterback Charlemagne Cortez in his prime and a dual-threat at running back in Tatsu Nakamura and Deadly Memes, Arizona led the ASFC finishing with a regular season record of 14-2. This record and a healthy point differential easily secured Arizona a first week bye and home field advantage in the division championship game. The Sarasota Sailfish, on the other hand, finished the regular season with a record of 11-5. This was still just enough to secure Sarasota a first week bye and home field advantage for the NSFC championship game. For the Ultimus game, Arizona would again play at home having won the regular season matchup between the two teams in week 9: 41 to 17.
Now there’s nothing Sarasota Sailfish veteran TE James Angler loved more than a challenging road game and he took his self-proclaimed role as team hype man very seriously. On the plane, in the hotel room, and on the practice field, Angler would pick a teammate, strike a double finger gun pose to point at them and say: “They won’t know what hit ‘em.” Words that he lived by as soon as he made it on the field for the Ultimus game.
The clock starts for the S30 Ultimus match and the Sailfish receive the kick to start the first half. Touchback and Sarasota’s offense takes the field at their own 25 yardline. A rush by Giovanni Bianchi gets quickly stuffed after a gain of 2. It’s second down and time for Angler to make his move. He jukes a defender and gains separation as he runs down field. Quarterback Mike Boss Jr. airs the ball and completes to Angler for 44 yards! One big play and the momentum is with Sarasota, who finish off the drive with a touchdown. The coverage smothered Angler for the rest of the first half, but Angler still managed to have three more critical receptions. At the end of the first half, Angler caught two first-down passes (for 11 and 13 yards) to help the team march down the field for a pre-halftime field goal. The team was elated, but no one more than Angler, as they headed into the locker room ahead 17-3.
James Angler appears to have disappeared in the second half of the game. I guess that he thought since they were already up by 14, that he didn’t even need to play anymore. After all, no team had ever choked in the second half of the final game of the season before… I guess Angler just had a whole lot of blind faith.
A reporter took this picture:
As you can see, James Angler clearly skipped the second half of the Ultimus match in order to attend a party. (rumors say that Dexter Banks II and Fawn Dillmiballs also attended this party, though those are just rumors). This is unfortunate to see from a star player like James Angler; however, he did check in to see how the team was doing in the second half. On the sideline, reporters caught him on a video call with several Sailfish star players such as Michael Witheblock, Cuco Clemente, and Jackston Kingston during the game. Even while not being there, he was able to improve team morale and he made sure that the Sarasota Sailfish did not choke the first half lead. They in fact ended up increasing their lead, winning 27-10! I don’t think that it is ridiculous to say that James Angler was a major reason for the win, both during the Ultimus game and throughout the season/playoffs. James Angler is a certified Sarasota legend, and his ability to lead the team as well as put up amazing stats shows how elite he truly is. He clearly is a character both on and off the field.
James is an inspiration to all ISFL players and while his antics may seem unconventional at times, his personality and dance moves make up for it. @tMuse the GOAT <3