Sit Down With a Star (459 words)
The Pythons had a perfect 3-0 record against Norfolk this season. What kind of preparation are you doing to try and make it 4-0?
We just have to keep doing what we've been doing. We play team oriented ball and have to continue to do that. I personally have been working on getting faster so I can get open more often, and change some of those short catches into bigger gains.
How does it feel being the DSFL’s reception and yardage leader?
It feels incredible. I'm blessed to be put on a team with a smart set of gms and a great qb. I know I couldn't do it without them, but being the league leader in such important categories really just gives you something to be proud of. The wins are the most important thing to me, but having the individual accomplishments on top of that is a dream come true.
Who do you think is the most dangerous cornerback in the league?
Andre bly absolutely shut me down on numerous occasions. I had my moments against him, and we schemed well to avoid the match up, but he was just on another level. No disrespect for the teams remaining, but I'm glad I won't have that match up in the playoffs.
Would you rather face the Tijuana Luchadores or San Antonio Marshals in the championship?
Anyone but Chicago you know? Honestly, I'm looking at things one game at a time, and no matter what I'm hungry to win it all. We've beaten both teams and have home field throughout so as long as we execute we should be golden, but anything can happen any given week so we can't take anything for granted. San Antonio has shown they can win it all in the past and Tijuana has been red hot, there isn't an easy match up but if we want to call ourselves the best, and we REALLY do, then we have to be able to beat them all.
Portland currently has the league’s best passing offense. Do you think they’ll be able to sustain this next season with you and Carlito Crush almost certainly being drafted?
The dsfl is a league like no other, with so much turnaround it's hard to have any consistency. The team itself was at the bottom of the standings last season, and now we have the best record in this one. That said, I have no fear for the team's success going forward. We should award a gm of the year and it should go to pdxballer. Shout out to the whole team for staying active, but that man is committed to his craft and has all the potential to be a great gm for many seasons in the future.
Sit Down With a Fan
Link
Robbed (240 words)
Let’s take a minute to look at a team that got completely robbed off a playoff appearance: the San Jose Sabercats. To refresh your memory, San Jose ended the season with a 9-5 record. That’s the same record that the Orange County Otters finished the season with. Now, in fairness, the two teams split the series but there’s rules on this for a season. Orange County had a better point differential in their games, so they got the playoff spot; as frustrating as it may be, it’s just how it works, and it’s honestly not that bad of a system. The real controversy is in the fact that the Sabercats 9-5 record was better than the record of any team in the NSFC. Let’s look at the Sabercats versus the NSFC representatives to the playoffs: the Wraiths and Liberty. Against the 8-6 Wraiths, San Jose split the series with a point differential of minus 5. Oh well. But against the 7-7 Philadelphia Liberty, the Sabercats won both games with a point differential of plus 64. Its pretty clear that one of these teams is completely dominant compared to the other, and why should a distinctly worse team with a worse record, worse offense, and worse defense make the playoffs but not San Jose? Because that’s how the conference system works. It does have its benefits, like generating competitive rivalries. But for now, just let San Jose fans be mad.
Playoff Series MVP (260 words)
I tried to write about a kicker for the "Unsung Hero" of the playoffs. I really did. But there just weren't any particularly impressive special teams performances... so let's talk about the obvious Ultimus MVP! Okay, maybe not obvious. You could easily make an argument for quarterback Mike Boss... but in my mind, wide receiver Bradley Westfield is most deserving of this distinguishment. His stat line speaks for itself: 6 receptions, 145 yards, and 2 touchdowns. That comes out at 24.2 yards a catch, by the way. Now of course, a man is more than just his numbers. Westfield had a rough start to the Ultimus: a false start early in the first quarter left his team with 3rd and 9, and they proceeded to complete an 8 yard pass. Ouch. Shortly after, a defensive stand by the Otters forced a punt by Wraiths kicker Lombardi, and Westfield returned it a mere 3 yards. After that, however, things moved very quickly. With 7 minutes left in the first, Westfield scored on a 44 yard catch and run on 3rd and 10, and with 1 minute left in the first, Westfield caught a 35 yard pass to convert a 4th and 1... for a touchdown! Bradley Westfield continued to make an impact throughout this game, but those 2 first quarter touchdowns gave the Orange County Otters the necessary momentum to propel them into an early lead that they would never lose. So congratulations Otters, and a big extra congrats to Westfield for the huge role he played in this historic game!
The Pythons had a perfect 3-0 record against Norfolk this season. What kind of preparation are you doing to try and make it 4-0?
We just have to keep doing what we've been doing. We play team oriented ball and have to continue to do that. I personally have been working on getting faster so I can get open more often, and change some of those short catches into bigger gains.
How does it feel being the DSFL’s reception and yardage leader?
It feels incredible. I'm blessed to be put on a team with a smart set of gms and a great qb. I know I couldn't do it without them, but being the league leader in such important categories really just gives you something to be proud of. The wins are the most important thing to me, but having the individual accomplishments on top of that is a dream come true.
Who do you think is the most dangerous cornerback in the league?
Andre bly absolutely shut me down on numerous occasions. I had my moments against him, and we schemed well to avoid the match up, but he was just on another level. No disrespect for the teams remaining, but I'm glad I won't have that match up in the playoffs.
Would you rather face the Tijuana Luchadores or San Antonio Marshals in the championship?
Anyone but Chicago you know? Honestly, I'm looking at things one game at a time, and no matter what I'm hungry to win it all. We've beaten both teams and have home field throughout so as long as we execute we should be golden, but anything can happen any given week so we can't take anything for granted. San Antonio has shown they can win it all in the past and Tijuana has been red hot, there isn't an easy match up but if we want to call ourselves the best, and we REALLY do, then we have to be able to beat them all.
Portland currently has the league’s best passing offense. Do you think they’ll be able to sustain this next season with you and Carlito Crush almost certainly being drafted?
The dsfl is a league like no other, with so much turnaround it's hard to have any consistency. The team itself was at the bottom of the standings last season, and now we have the best record in this one. That said, I have no fear for the team's success going forward. We should award a gm of the year and it should go to pdxballer. Shout out to the whole team for staying active, but that man is committed to his craft and has all the potential to be a great gm for many seasons in the future.
Sit Down With a Fan
Link
Robbed (240 words)
Let’s take a minute to look at a team that got completely robbed off a playoff appearance: the San Jose Sabercats. To refresh your memory, San Jose ended the season with a 9-5 record. That’s the same record that the Orange County Otters finished the season with. Now, in fairness, the two teams split the series but there’s rules on this for a season. Orange County had a better point differential in their games, so they got the playoff spot; as frustrating as it may be, it’s just how it works, and it’s honestly not that bad of a system. The real controversy is in the fact that the Sabercats 9-5 record was better than the record of any team in the NSFC. Let’s look at the Sabercats versus the NSFC representatives to the playoffs: the Wraiths and Liberty. Against the 8-6 Wraiths, San Jose split the series with a point differential of minus 5. Oh well. But against the 7-7 Philadelphia Liberty, the Sabercats won both games with a point differential of plus 64. Its pretty clear that one of these teams is completely dominant compared to the other, and why should a distinctly worse team with a worse record, worse offense, and worse defense make the playoffs but not San Jose? Because that’s how the conference system works. It does have its benefits, like generating competitive rivalries. But for now, just let San Jose fans be mad.
Playoff Series MVP (260 words)
I tried to write about a kicker for the "Unsung Hero" of the playoffs. I really did. But there just weren't any particularly impressive special teams performances... so let's talk about the obvious Ultimus MVP! Okay, maybe not obvious. You could easily make an argument for quarterback Mike Boss... but in my mind, wide receiver Bradley Westfield is most deserving of this distinguishment. His stat line speaks for itself: 6 receptions, 145 yards, and 2 touchdowns. That comes out at 24.2 yards a catch, by the way. Now of course, a man is more than just his numbers. Westfield had a rough start to the Ultimus: a false start early in the first quarter left his team with 3rd and 9, and they proceeded to complete an 8 yard pass. Ouch. Shortly after, a defensive stand by the Otters forced a punt by Wraiths kicker Lombardi, and Westfield returned it a mere 3 yards. After that, however, things moved very quickly. With 7 minutes left in the first, Westfield scored on a 44 yard catch and run on 3rd and 10, and with 1 minute left in the first, Westfield caught a 35 yard pass to convert a 4th and 1... for a touchdown! Bradley Westfield continued to make an impact throughout this game, but those 2 first quarter touchdowns gave the Orange County Otters the necessary momentum to propel them into an early lead that they would never lose. So congratulations Otters, and a big extra congrats to Westfield for the huge role he played in this historic game!