03-25-2024, 06:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-27-2024, 08:46 AM by lemonoppy. Edited 1 time in total.)
*2x Media Please Graders*
*Even split between myself / @Muddym13 / @ACynicalGamer / @Civvy / @DocLars / @Fno Please*
With a new ISFL season comes a new class of rookie prospects. Each of them are from different locations and have different personalities that set them apart from everyone else in the league. In the time I have been in the league, the S48 class has been very talkative and could even give S47 a run for their money. From these users that have been active in the servers, I have reached out to each of them with a set of questions for the rest of the ISFL to get to know them better. The goal of this was to grow the bank accounts of the rookie class (including myself) but to also give an idea of what the S48 class is like for their future GMs and teammates. I plan to have more questions sent out throughout the season to see how the player has grown and if anything has changed throughout their time in the league. This series will look at true rookies instead of the recreates who's names you likely will already know.
The first analysis will go through the 6 most active defensive positional players in the DSFL. The media following will go through the most active offensive players in the S48 class. Listed below is the 6 players included in this first Rookie Rambling analysis:
@Muddym13 - Rex Havoc (DE) - London Royals (2.15)
@ACynicalGamer - Mac Mannheim (LB) - Norfolk Seawolves (1.05)
@wetwilleh - Willeh Strong (LB) - Portland Pythons (1.01)
@Civvy - Sam Coverdale (CB) - Tijuana Luchadores (1.02)
@DocLars - Jet Larsen (CB) - Minnesota Grey Ducks (1.06)
@Fno - Alexandros Sotiris (S) - Tijuana Luchadores (3.18)
Muddy: "I have been a huge football fan for as long as I can remember (Go Lions!), and when I stumbled upon the ISFL in one of the Reddit communities that I was following, I knew I had to join. With Madden just getting worse every year I was hungry for a new football game to play and the league fit exactly what I was looking for. After I did a bit of looking around the whole vibe of the ISFL just felt very welcoming and the community seemed super active and dedicated so I took a chance and made my character. Ever since then, I've been hooked and excited to start my first season!"
Cynical: "I'd considered, and tried, sim leagues before. I joined one previously but didn't have a great experience, the welcome stuff wasn't great, things weren't explained well and people were too difficult to contact so I lost interest very quickly. A post popped up on Reddit for this one so I thought I'd give it a god and my experience so far couldn't be further from that. People were very welcoming and keen to help and the intro material was clear."
Willeh: "Like many others from the S48 class I saw a post on reddit (go Panthers) and thought it looked interesting as I have never seen a sim league before. I've had a lot of free time at work recently so I checked it out and am so glad I made that choice. Chatting with everyone about sports and other random topics is exactly what I was needing and I really wish I had learned about this league during COVID to be a cure all for my boredom."
Civvy: "I saw an advertisement post on Reddit one day, and decided to join! I’ve never done a sim league before, but I thought this was such a fun concept I couldn’t help but join!"
Doc: "While scrolling on my phone, I stumbled upon a post in r/FootballCoach on reddit about the ISFL. The premise sparked my curiosity, and the more I read about it the more fun it sounded. I’m a sucker for stats, talking about myself, and things that are free, and the ISFL seemed like a perfect fusion of all of those things."
Fno: "I am already in the SHL which is a hockey sim league and an affiliate of the ISFL. I enjoy that league a ton and I had already heard of the ISFL. I recent gained a lot of free time and knew this would be something I would enjoy so I made my player and here I am."
Muddy: "This decision goes back to high school football for me haha. Back then I used to play on defense at the linebacker position and there was just something about being on the defensive side of the ball that just clicked for me. I enjoyed the intensity, the strategy, and making those big stops in crucial moments. Of course, the offensive side got most of the glory but nothing felt better than laying out of of the other players. So, when it came time to choose my position in the league, it was a bit of a no-brainer. I did a little digging, checked out the position tracker, and noticed there weren't too many defensive end prospects so I decided that would be the position I would pick to give me the best odds of standing out and getting drafted to a team."
Cynical: "Linebacker is my favourite position to watch in the NFL, I just think the guys are awesome and are a sick blend of the athletic and cerebral parts of the game. Players like Luke Kuechly, and more recently Darius Leonard and Fred Warner are just so much fun to watch that linebacker just made sense for my first player in the league."
Willeh: "I've played on the defense in pretty much every sport I have ever played and I like it a lot. Trying to outplay and out read the offense is a skill that not a lot of people have but it's always worked for me. This, mixed with the fact my favorite all time Panther is Luke Kuechly, made me want to do linebacker. It is the captain of the defense and from what I've been told around the league is a really good stat chasing position as well which I'm a big fan of. I love getting to go through stats so my player having the chance to be a big play maker and stat grabber makes it stand out to me than any other position available.
Civvy: "Football is a fun game. Most of the fun comes from exciting plays, stemming from the quarterback usually throwing a good pass to a player. Personally, I enjoy ruining other people's fun. My fun as a football player is to ruin other people's careers by shutting down their game. And ruining this fun starts with stopping the pass. That's why secondaries are my favorite squad in football. Safeties are... well... safeties. They're essentially there to be safe, in case a cornerback messes up. It's a great role, and an undervalued one at that. Scheming safeties is one of the most fun parts of defensive playmaking, and my personal favorite. They make interceptions too, which is always appreciated! However, cornerbacks are where it's at. Their job is to ruin receivers' careers. To shut down their game. To dismantle any hop or prayer of making it far in any big football league. They prevent them from doing anything but run around aimlessly, praying to go their corner messes up. Corners ruin morale, and I'm all for it!"
Doc: "I was on the fence between WR and CB, but ultimately decided on CB because I’m a massive hater. Scoring a touchdown is nice but humbling the diva WR on the other team? Priceless."
Fno: "Oh wow. Embarrassing question… but I actually pulled up a random generator and picked a random number. Safety just happened to be the random position I chose so I’m going to stick with it!"
Muddy: "That's a tough one since there seem to be many active and engaged players in the S48 class so it's hard to pick just one. So I'll just give the cliche answer and say I see every single one as a challenge. Usually, everyone's goal is to be one of the best players of all time in this league and make the HOF, so to do that you have to just be better than everyone else, including your fellow rookies."
Cynical: "Come on, is that even a question? It's the legendary Willeh Strong. Not only do we share the same position, but he also went number 1 while I went number 5, and he consistently manages to out-yap me despite my best efforts. Fortunately, I've landed on the much better team."
Willeh: "Out of the rookies I think Cyn (@ACynicalGamer) is going to be my biggest competition since we are right next to each other in TPE and are both linebackers on competitive teams. We are both decent earners and will likely be max TPE earners by the end of the season so Cyn is easily up there with me. In terms of recreates in the league, I think Zigzag Zipstep (@Twenty6) is going to be good competition as they have stated many times that they plan on "trucking me" so when we play each other during the regular season, we'll see who comes out on top."
Civvy: "I feel like my biggest competition would be the other non-recreate CB in the group: the man, the myth, the RS3 player, Doc “Jet” Larsen! (@DocLars) Though not necessarily a competition between the two of us, I’m excited to see how both of us perform in our debut season!"
Doc: While the DSFL spotlight currently burns brightest on Willeh, my biggest competition in this class is Sam Coverdale (@Civvy). As my partner in crime on the Carolina Reapers, we’ve been pushing each other to get better since the first prospect bowl game. He was the only CB to be drafted in front of me, which means he will naturally always be a good measuring stick for my own career. My goal is to be the greatest CB ever, but I hope to see Coverdale’s name alongside mine in the HoF after we’ve called it quits.
Fno: "Honestly you (WetWilleh). I’m not as active on the forum as other members and my main source of DSFL is the discord for rookies. You seem to always be the most active in there and you were also just drafted 1st overall. If I had to choose someone else I would say Robot Sunfish. The user (I can’t remember off the top of my head) is also pretty active and they seem like they’ve been around the block in sim leagues."
Muddy: "My main goal for this season is to have fun and learn as much as I can about the league and how it's run. I wanna mostly work on improving my guy and helping my team win. Another goal of mine is to try and be a bit more active on Discord and get to know my fellow Discord members more. At the moment I've just been very busy with irl stuff but as the season progresses I hope to start making a bigger impact in the locker room."
Cynical: "I have absolutely zero expectations going into this season ahaha, as my first season in a sim league I don't really know what to expect but I'm looking forward to it. Main goal for the season is to get to max TPE for the DSFL as quickly as I can, reckon I can do it before the end of the regular season."
Willeh: "My main goal for my rookie season is to get the best stat line possible for a rookie at my position. If an Ultimini comes out of that, all the better and I will try my best to help Portland out in that regard. I think everyone has high expectations for the 1OA but I'm just vibing this season and will try to keep up the standards put before me."
Civvy: "I have high expectations for Sam Coverdale. Being the 2oa pick in a stacked draft is going to be challenging to live up to, but Sam can easily do it. With the Luchadores drafting up a spicy secondary, our squad is going to be a scary sight to behold. Number 13, here we come!"
Doc: "Ultimini or bust. Anything less than that would be considered a failure."
Fno: "I just hope to improve as the season progresses. I know Tijuana is projected to be decent so it would be nice to make a run for the championship in my rookie season."
Muddy: "So far I am enjoying my new locker room and GM. Everyone's super chill and supportive and my GMs are always there for any questions or advice. I am excited to see what game days look like and if we end up getting into the playoffs the general buzz that will be around the chat rooms."
Cynical: "I honestly couldn't have asked to be drafted by a better front office, Sconnie and JJ are freaking awesome man, and their energy about the league is contagious. I was a little bummed to not go too 3 in the draft if I'm being totally honest, but JJs reaction to picking me up made me forget that pretty quickly, these guys are awesome hype men ahaha."
Willeh: "I love messing around with Bamford and Jadda in our locker room. Everyone is very active in chat and my GMs have been very helpful with getting me set up for the upcoming season. Of course the POR locker room has an advantage over the all the others due to the fact that it has my yap brother Higbee as well. Speaking of yapping, we actually have a designated yap channel in the POR locker room that I think will make every other prospect jealous."
Civvy: "The TIJ locker room has personality, to say the least. It’s very, very colorful. Really colorful. Green, red, and yellow EVERYWHERE. I’m also pretty sure there isn’t a singular surface in that locker room that isn’t adorned with some sort of Luchadore insignia. Our 12 championship trophies are in the center of the large locker room, lit up for all to see. Unless you’re quite literally blind, there’s no way you’re going to walk in there and not see those beautiful trophies. Don’t worry though, there’s room for a 13th on the shelf, ready for the season 48 trophy to sit pretty with the rest of them. The Luchadores are hoarders. Can you blame them?"
Doc: "I feel very lucky to have been drafted by Minnesota. I had very good conversations with both GMs leading up to the draft, and I enjoyed being in their discord even before I was officially selected. There’s a great mix of talent and personality on the team and it’s energizing to be around."
Fno: "I really enjoy the Luchadores locker room so far! All the players there have been very welcoming and the GM CROney is a great guy!"
Muddy: "I feel like I lucked out big time with my team! I was pretty open-minded about where I'd end up in the draft, but London was high on my list, and one of the teams I was hoping a little extra that they would pick me. The team has got some great users and like I said before some awesome GMs. I'm excited to get things going and hopefully help lead the Royals to a championship run!"
Cynical: "I think I need to learn to sail if I'm gonna be a mainstay on the boats man ahaha, the team seems pretty awesome, I think the logo is pretty unique as far as sports teams go and it's a nice relaxed but friendly atmosphere so far, can't wait to get out on the field in the Norfolk Blue truth be told."
Willeh: "I really like snakes so going to the Pythons was perfect. They're on a bit of a recreate from last season, hence the number 1 pick in the draft, but I think with the draft picks we still have a decent chance on getting to playoffs. The Pythons have a good history and have won plenty of Ultimini's in the past so I plan to help them add a few more throughout my time with them as well."
Civvy: "I’m digging the Luchadore culture. We’re winners and we know it, which I can respect. The team expects the greatest, which prepares all players for the ISFL. They don’t settle for anything less. We love and support our teammates no matter what, and we’re all here to see each and every one of us succeed! Nobody gets left behind in this organization."
Doc: "I would have been happy to be selected by any team, but I don’t think I could have been drafted into a better situation. Minnesota is coming off a great season and I think I will give them enough of an edge to finish the job in season 47."
Fno: "Tijuana looks to be a contender this year so I really can’t complain. I have nothing bad to say about the team CROney has built and with ODuck returning as QB we have a solid groundwork laid on offense. CROney focused heavily on defense in this draft so the team will hopefully be competent both offensively and defensively."
Muddy: "Going into the draft I was not expecting to be a very high pick for mostly the fact that I have been pretty quiet on Discord during the scouting process. Communicating on Discord is valued by every GM as they are looking for a good person to have around and talk to. For that reason alone I knew it would be tanking my value a bit but overall I can not complain about going as the 15th pick. Overall, I am just glad I got a chance on a team and am ready to get started."
Cynical: "I was bummed at where I went in the draft if I'm being honest ahaha, and that's not a slight on anyone else it's just an ego thing. I knew Willeh was going 1, I mean who didn't? That much was obvious, but I thought I had a legit shot at number 2 or 3. JJ made me feel a bit better about it as he reassured me Norfolk very nearly took me at 2, but 1.02 just looks so much better than 1.05."
Willeh: "It's 1OA, I think most people expected it and I did myself so I'm happy about it. I think I have to stand my ground and show that I deserved this pick throughout the season and keep up my activity in order to actually know that I deserve it for myself."
Civvy: "A team trading up to second overall to select me was certainly something that I didn’t expect. However, I’m honored that Tijuana wanted Sam Coverdale on their secondary so much as to go through those lengths to secure him. I’m told trades don’t happen much in the DSFL, which makes it all the more special!"
Doc: "I feel like 5 teams made a mistake. There were a lot of great players in this class, but there’s only one Jet. I just hope it doesn’t keep them up at night."
Fno: "I was surprised to go as early as I did! Not complaining in the slightest as I didn’t have a set destination I really wanted to go but Tijuana was definitely in my top 3! I was expecting to go closer to 25th so when I got the call at 18th I was more than pleased"
Muddy: "Strength is important to keep up because it gives you that extra edge when you need it most. When you're facing off against opponents who are just as skilled as you are, having that strength can be the difference-maker. Plus football's all about physicality and strength is needed during most parts of the game, especially in my position as defensive end to try and get past those offensive linemen. Without a high strength rating, my player in particular would never get through the line and make any plays."
Cynical: "Strength has gotta be important, especially as a linebacker, and especially when my arch nemesis in this league is the physical embodiment of strength itself. How am I supposed to keep up with someone who's name is literally Strong if I don't prioritize strength myself? It just wouldn't work."
Willeh: "While speed is arguably more important for the current ISFL meta, strength is important for my position in order to break through the line and get the RB down. Obviously I'm biased since my player is Willeh Strong so my answer should be pretty simple."
Civvy: "Speed is the most important attribute in the league right now. Let's be completely honest. However, since the person asking me these questions is an absolute SIMP for strength, I suppose that if you're strong enough to overpower your opponent(s), they'll never be able to use their high speed on the field. It's another way to shut down the other team."
Doc: "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. And I plan on doing a lot of (metaphorically) punching opponents in the face."
Fno: "This is a tough one. As someone who’s played both FHM (Franchise hockey manager) and OOTP (Out of the Park Baseball) and doesn’t even know what game this league is ran on I’m the worst person to answer this question. With that said I have a little bit of a football background so I can say if I were making a football sim this is how strength would play a role: the ability of a player to shed blocks or make power moves to get by opposing players. The higher the strength stat of a player the harder they become to block. I would also make sure it played a role in how well WRs were able to separate from CBs as I know contact is fair game within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Actually for a safety (my position) I would assume strength is less important and a stat like tackling would play more into their play-style. (Anyone reading this do your own research this is literally an uneducated guess)."
The new class is filled with competitiveness, hot-talking cornerbacks, and plenty of interesting takes on strength in the league. Feel free to welcome and say hello to the rookies when you see them around! And of course, give the DSFL some love when games start this week!
The next episode will cover the offense of the S48 class and will be coming soon!
*Even split between myself / @Muddym13 / @ACynicalGamer / @Civvy / @DocLars / @Fno Please*
With a new ISFL season comes a new class of rookie prospects. Each of them are from different locations and have different personalities that set them apart from everyone else in the league. In the time I have been in the league, the S48 class has been very talkative and could even give S47 a run for their money. From these users that have been active in the servers, I have reached out to each of them with a set of questions for the rest of the ISFL to get to know them better. The goal of this was to grow the bank accounts of the rookie class (including myself) but to also give an idea of what the S48 class is like for their future GMs and teammates. I plan to have more questions sent out throughout the season to see how the player has grown and if anything has changed throughout their time in the league. This series will look at true rookies instead of the recreates who's names you likely will already know.
The first analysis will go through the 6 most active defensive positional players in the DSFL. The media following will go through the most active offensive players in the S48 class. Listed below is the 6 players included in this first Rookie Rambling analysis:
@Muddym13 - Rex Havoc (DE) - London Royals (2.15)
@ACynicalGamer - Mac Mannheim (LB) - Norfolk Seawolves (1.05)
@wetwilleh - Willeh Strong (LB) - Portland Pythons (1.01)
@Civvy - Sam Coverdale (CB) - Tijuana Luchadores (1.02)
@DocLars - Jet Larsen (CB) - Minnesota Grey Ducks (1.06)
@Fno - Alexandros Sotiris (S) - Tijuana Luchadores (3.18)
What brought you to the league?
Muddy: "I have been a huge football fan for as long as I can remember (Go Lions!), and when I stumbled upon the ISFL in one of the Reddit communities that I was following, I knew I had to join. With Madden just getting worse every year I was hungry for a new football game to play and the league fit exactly what I was looking for. After I did a bit of looking around the whole vibe of the ISFL just felt very welcoming and the community seemed super active and dedicated so I took a chance and made my character. Ever since then, I've been hooked and excited to start my first season!"
Cynical: "I'd considered, and tried, sim leagues before. I joined one previously but didn't have a great experience, the welcome stuff wasn't great, things weren't explained well and people were too difficult to contact so I lost interest very quickly. A post popped up on Reddit for this one so I thought I'd give it a god and my experience so far couldn't be further from that. People were very welcoming and keen to help and the intro material was clear."
Willeh: "Like many others from the S48 class I saw a post on reddit (go Panthers) and thought it looked interesting as I have never seen a sim league before. I've had a lot of free time at work recently so I checked it out and am so glad I made that choice. Chatting with everyone about sports and other random topics is exactly what I was needing and I really wish I had learned about this league during COVID to be a cure all for my boredom."
Civvy: "I saw an advertisement post on Reddit one day, and decided to join! I’ve never done a sim league before, but I thought this was such a fun concept I couldn’t help but join!"
Doc: "While scrolling on my phone, I stumbled upon a post in r/FootballCoach on reddit about the ISFL. The premise sparked my curiosity, and the more I read about it the more fun it sounded. I’m a sucker for stats, talking about myself, and things that are free, and the ISFL seemed like a perfect fusion of all of those things."
Fno: "I am already in the SHL which is a hockey sim league and an affiliate of the ISFL. I enjoy that league a ton and I had already heard of the ISFL. I recent gained a lot of free time and knew this would be something I would enjoy so I made my player and here I am."
What made you choose the position that you decided on?
Muddy: "This decision goes back to high school football for me haha. Back then I used to play on defense at the linebacker position and there was just something about being on the defensive side of the ball that just clicked for me. I enjoyed the intensity, the strategy, and making those big stops in crucial moments. Of course, the offensive side got most of the glory but nothing felt better than laying out of of the other players. So, when it came time to choose my position in the league, it was a bit of a no-brainer. I did a little digging, checked out the position tracker, and noticed there weren't too many defensive end prospects so I decided that would be the position I would pick to give me the best odds of standing out and getting drafted to a team."
Cynical: "Linebacker is my favourite position to watch in the NFL, I just think the guys are awesome and are a sick blend of the athletic and cerebral parts of the game. Players like Luke Kuechly, and more recently Darius Leonard and Fred Warner are just so much fun to watch that linebacker just made sense for my first player in the league."
Willeh: "I've played on the defense in pretty much every sport I have ever played and I like it a lot. Trying to outplay and out read the offense is a skill that not a lot of people have but it's always worked for me. This, mixed with the fact my favorite all time Panther is Luke Kuechly, made me want to do linebacker. It is the captain of the defense and from what I've been told around the league is a really good stat chasing position as well which I'm a big fan of. I love getting to go through stats so my player having the chance to be a big play maker and stat grabber makes it stand out to me than any other position available.
Civvy: "Football is a fun game. Most of the fun comes from exciting plays, stemming from the quarterback usually throwing a good pass to a player. Personally, I enjoy ruining other people's fun. My fun as a football player is to ruin other people's careers by shutting down their game. And ruining this fun starts with stopping the pass. That's why secondaries are my favorite squad in football. Safeties are... well... safeties. They're essentially there to be safe, in case a cornerback messes up. It's a great role, and an undervalued one at that. Scheming safeties is one of the most fun parts of defensive playmaking, and my personal favorite. They make interceptions too, which is always appreciated! However, cornerbacks are where it's at. Their job is to ruin receivers' careers. To shut down their game. To dismantle any hop or prayer of making it far in any big football league. They prevent them from doing anything but run around aimlessly, praying to go their corner messes up. Corners ruin morale, and I'm all for it!"
Doc: "I was on the fence between WR and CB, but ultimately decided on CB because I’m a massive hater. Scoring a touchdown is nice but humbling the diva WR on the other team? Priceless."
Fno: "Oh wow. Embarrassing question… but I actually pulled up a random generator and picked a random number. Safety just happened to be the random position I chose so I’m going to stick with it!"
Who do you think is your biggest competition out of the S48 class?
Muddy: "That's a tough one since there seem to be many active and engaged players in the S48 class so it's hard to pick just one. So I'll just give the cliche answer and say I see every single one as a challenge. Usually, everyone's goal is to be one of the best players of all time in this league and make the HOF, so to do that you have to just be better than everyone else, including your fellow rookies."
Cynical: "Come on, is that even a question? It's the legendary Willeh Strong. Not only do we share the same position, but he also went number 1 while I went number 5, and he consistently manages to out-yap me despite my best efforts. Fortunately, I've landed on the much better team."
Willeh: "Out of the rookies I think Cyn (@ACynicalGamer) is going to be my biggest competition since we are right next to each other in TPE and are both linebackers on competitive teams. We are both decent earners and will likely be max TPE earners by the end of the season so Cyn is easily up there with me. In terms of recreates in the league, I think Zigzag Zipstep (@Twenty6) is going to be good competition as they have stated many times that they plan on "trucking me" so when we play each other during the regular season, we'll see who comes out on top."
Civvy: "I feel like my biggest competition would be the other non-recreate CB in the group: the man, the myth, the RS3 player, Doc “Jet” Larsen! (@DocLars) Though not necessarily a competition between the two of us, I’m excited to see how both of us perform in our debut season!"
Doc: While the DSFL spotlight currently burns brightest on Willeh, my biggest competition in this class is Sam Coverdale (@Civvy). As my partner in crime on the Carolina Reapers, we’ve been pushing each other to get better since the first prospect bowl game. He was the only CB to be drafted in front of me, which means he will naturally always be a good measuring stick for my own career. My goal is to be the greatest CB ever, but I hope to see Coverdale’s name alongside mine in the HoF after we’ve called it quits.
Fno: "Honestly you (WetWilleh). I’m not as active on the forum as other members and my main source of DSFL is the discord for rookies. You seem to always be the most active in there and you were also just drafted 1st overall. If I had to choose someone else I would say Robot Sunfish. The user (I can’t remember off the top of my head) is also pretty active and they seem like they’ve been around the block in sim leagues."
Do you have any expectations for this season?
Muddy: "My main goal for this season is to have fun and learn as much as I can about the league and how it's run. I wanna mostly work on improving my guy and helping my team win. Another goal of mine is to try and be a bit more active on Discord and get to know my fellow Discord members more. At the moment I've just been very busy with irl stuff but as the season progresses I hope to start making a bigger impact in the locker room."
Cynical: "I have absolutely zero expectations going into this season ahaha, as my first season in a sim league I don't really know what to expect but I'm looking forward to it. Main goal for the season is to get to max TPE for the DSFL as quickly as I can, reckon I can do it before the end of the regular season."
Willeh: "My main goal for my rookie season is to get the best stat line possible for a rookie at my position. If an Ultimini comes out of that, all the better and I will try my best to help Portland out in that regard. I think everyone has high expectations for the 1OA but I'm just vibing this season and will try to keep up the standards put before me."
Civvy: "I have high expectations for Sam Coverdale. Being the 2oa pick in a stacked draft is going to be challenging to live up to, but Sam can easily do it. With the Luchadores drafting up a spicy secondary, our squad is going to be a scary sight to behold. Number 13, here we come!"
Doc: "Ultimini or bust. Anything less than that would be considered a failure."
Fno: "I just hope to improve as the season progresses. I know Tijuana is projected to be decent so it would be nice to make a run for the championship in my rookie season."
How are you liking your new locker room and GMs?
Muddy: "So far I am enjoying my new locker room and GM. Everyone's super chill and supportive and my GMs are always there for any questions or advice. I am excited to see what game days look like and if we end up getting into the playoffs the general buzz that will be around the chat rooms."
Cynical: "I honestly couldn't have asked to be drafted by a better front office, Sconnie and JJ are freaking awesome man, and their energy about the league is contagious. I was a little bummed to not go too 3 in the draft if I'm being totally honest, but JJs reaction to picking me up made me forget that pretty quickly, these guys are awesome hype men ahaha."
Willeh: "I love messing around with Bamford and Jadda in our locker room. Everyone is very active in chat and my GMs have been very helpful with getting me set up for the upcoming season. Of course the POR locker room has an advantage over the all the others due to the fact that it has my yap brother Higbee as well. Speaking of yapping, we actually have a designated yap channel in the POR locker room that I think will make every other prospect jealous."
Civvy: "The TIJ locker room has personality, to say the least. It’s very, very colorful. Really colorful. Green, red, and yellow EVERYWHERE. I’m also pretty sure there isn’t a singular surface in that locker room that isn’t adorned with some sort of Luchadore insignia. Our 12 championship trophies are in the center of the large locker room, lit up for all to see. Unless you’re quite literally blind, there’s no way you’re going to walk in there and not see those beautiful trophies. Don’t worry though, there’s room for a 13th on the shelf, ready for the season 48 trophy to sit pretty with the rest of them. The Luchadores are hoarders. Can you blame them?"
Doc: "I feel very lucky to have been drafted by Minnesota. I had very good conversations with both GMs leading up to the draft, and I enjoyed being in their discord even before I was officially selected. There’s a great mix of talent and personality on the team and it’s energizing to be around."
Fno: "I really enjoy the Luchadores locker room so far! All the players there have been very welcoming and the GM CROney is a great guy!"
What are your thoughts on the team that you were drafted to?
Muddy: "I feel like I lucked out big time with my team! I was pretty open-minded about where I'd end up in the draft, but London was high on my list, and one of the teams I was hoping a little extra that they would pick me. The team has got some great users and like I said before some awesome GMs. I'm excited to get things going and hopefully help lead the Royals to a championship run!"
Cynical: "I think I need to learn to sail if I'm gonna be a mainstay on the boats man ahaha, the team seems pretty awesome, I think the logo is pretty unique as far as sports teams go and it's a nice relaxed but friendly atmosphere so far, can't wait to get out on the field in the Norfolk Blue truth be told."
Willeh: "I really like snakes so going to the Pythons was perfect. They're on a bit of a recreate from last season, hence the number 1 pick in the draft, but I think with the draft picks we still have a decent chance on getting to playoffs. The Pythons have a good history and have won plenty of Ultimini's in the past so I plan to help them add a few more throughout my time with them as well."
Civvy: "I’m digging the Luchadore culture. We’re winners and we know it, which I can respect. The team expects the greatest, which prepares all players for the ISFL. They don’t settle for anything less. We love and support our teammates no matter what, and we’re all here to see each and every one of us succeed! Nobody gets left behind in this organization."
Doc: "I would have been happy to be selected by any team, but I don’t think I could have been drafted into a better situation. Minnesota is coming off a great season and I think I will give them enough of an edge to finish the job in season 47."
Fno: "Tijuana looks to be a contender this year so I really can’t complain. I have nothing bad to say about the team CROney has built and with ODuck returning as QB we have a solid groundwork laid on offense. CROney focused heavily on defense in this draft so the team will hopefully be competent both offensively and defensively."
How do you feel about your draft pick?
Muddy: "Going into the draft I was not expecting to be a very high pick for mostly the fact that I have been pretty quiet on Discord during the scouting process. Communicating on Discord is valued by every GM as they are looking for a good person to have around and talk to. For that reason alone I knew it would be tanking my value a bit but overall I can not complain about going as the 15th pick. Overall, I am just glad I got a chance on a team and am ready to get started."
Cynical: "I was bummed at where I went in the draft if I'm being honest ahaha, and that's not a slight on anyone else it's just an ego thing. I knew Willeh was going 1, I mean who didn't? That much was obvious, but I thought I had a legit shot at number 2 or 3. JJ made me feel a bit better about it as he reassured me Norfolk very nearly took me at 2, but 1.02 just looks so much better than 1.05."
Willeh: "It's 1OA, I think most people expected it and I did myself so I'm happy about it. I think I have to stand my ground and show that I deserved this pick throughout the season and keep up my activity in order to actually know that I deserve it for myself."
Civvy: "A team trading up to second overall to select me was certainly something that I didn’t expect. However, I’m honored that Tijuana wanted Sam Coverdale on their secondary so much as to go through those lengths to secure him. I’m told trades don’t happen much in the DSFL, which makes it all the more special!"
Doc: "I feel like 5 teams made a mistake. There were a lot of great players in this class, but there’s only one Jet. I just hope it doesn’t keep them up at night."
Fno: "I was surprised to go as early as I did! Not complaining in the slightest as I didn’t have a set destination I really wanted to go but Tijuana was definitely in my top 3! I was expecting to go closer to 25th so when I got the call at 18th I was more than pleased"
Why do you think strength is an important attribute to keep up in this league?
Muddy: "Strength is important to keep up because it gives you that extra edge when you need it most. When you're facing off against opponents who are just as skilled as you are, having that strength can be the difference-maker. Plus football's all about physicality and strength is needed during most parts of the game, especially in my position as defensive end to try and get past those offensive linemen. Without a high strength rating, my player in particular would never get through the line and make any plays."
Cynical: "Strength has gotta be important, especially as a linebacker, and especially when my arch nemesis in this league is the physical embodiment of strength itself. How am I supposed to keep up with someone who's name is literally Strong if I don't prioritize strength myself? It just wouldn't work."
Willeh: "While speed is arguably more important for the current ISFL meta, strength is important for my position in order to break through the line and get the RB down. Obviously I'm biased since my player is Willeh Strong so my answer should be pretty simple."
Civvy: "Speed is the most important attribute in the league right now. Let's be completely honest. However, since the person asking me these questions is an absolute SIMP for strength, I suppose that if you're strong enough to overpower your opponent(s), they'll never be able to use their high speed on the field. It's another way to shut down the other team."
Doc: "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. And I plan on doing a lot of (metaphorically) punching opponents in the face."
Fno: "This is a tough one. As someone who’s played both FHM (Franchise hockey manager) and OOTP (Out of the Park Baseball) and doesn’t even know what game this league is ran on I’m the worst person to answer this question. With that said I have a little bit of a football background so I can say if I were making a football sim this is how strength would play a role: the ability of a player to shed blocks or make power moves to get by opposing players. The higher the strength stat of a player the harder they become to block. I would also make sure it played a role in how well WRs were able to separate from CBs as I know contact is fair game within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Actually for a safety (my position) I would assume strength is less important and a stat like tackling would play more into their play-style. (Anyone reading this do your own research this is literally an uneducated guess)."
The new class is filled with competitiveness, hot-talking cornerbacks, and plenty of interesting takes on strength in the league. Feel free to welcome and say hello to the rookies when you see them around! And of course, give the DSFL some love when games start this week!
The next episode will cover the offense of the S48 class and will be coming soon!