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(S11) - Ultimus Week - Oles - 11-18-2018

Welcome to Ultimus Week! This is a special point task that will close on Wednesday November 28th at 11:59PM PST . It is broken down into eight written and eight graphic point tasks of which you will choose FOUR to complete. Each point task completed is worth 2.5 TPE and you can earn a maximum of 10 TPE from this event.

NOTE: Each written point task has a 200 word count.
NOTE x2: You can complete four point tasks in any combination of written and/or graphics.
NOTE x3: Please keep all submissions you make to ONE post.
NOTE x4: Graphical submissions must be more than text added to an image. Text thrown on a single image will no receive credit unless it shows significant statistical content or creativity.
Note x5: You can link this to PBE to count as your PT for them. You can also link their PT here and it will count for one completed Ultimus Week Task
Note x6: You can link this to SHL to count as your PT for them. You can also link their PT here and it will count for one completed Ultimus Week Task

There will be some limitations as to when certain tasks can be completed. Here are each of the tasks listed below, and with special notes if any limitations apply.


Written Points

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

New Talent: Write about which S11 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

That Magic Moment: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch. (Must be completed after the game you write about)

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

Sit-down with a fan:Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)


Graphic Points

Robbed: Make a graphical stat comparison of a team who failed to qualify for playoffs but why they should have over another team. Can be completed at any point

Future Talent: Make a sig for a S11 player who you feel will or did make a large impact for their team in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Conference Final MVP Sig: Make a sig for a player of your choice who you felt was the MVP of a Conference Final matchup. Must be completed after the Conference Finals

Playoff Recap Infographic: Make a graphic displaying the results of the playoffs. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Banner: Make a banner featuring the champions of the league (can be NSFL or DSFL) in the same style as the current banner featured at the top of the NSFL site. This can feature the team celebrating their trophy, or just a few key players that helped the team win the league. Must be completed after the Championship Game

That Magic Moment: Show one of the most exciting points in a game. (Must be completed after the game you write about )

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Pick an MVP of the Ultimus game and create a billboard showing their trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Create a billboard for the unsung hero of the playoffs. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Old Faces, New Places:Create a graphic for a player who changed teams during free agency this past off season and made the playoffs. Show how they've changed on their new team or what kind of impact they made for their new team. (Can be completed at any time)

(S11) - Ultimus Week - Oles - 11-18-2018

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

The Ultimus Most Valuable Player was pretty easy to figure out this time around. In the absolute thriller that was Hawks vs Second Line III, the game went to overtime and saw the Second Line win 42-36 after 10 minutes was ran off the clock in overtime. They saw a key player contribute many times, and that was Vladimir Fyodorovich, the CB turned WR who had a 4 touchdown game in the biggest game of the season. He contributed 3 receiving TDs and 1 punt return TD for the Second Line. He also scored in every regulation quarter, and the only quarter he didn't score in was the overtime quarter. Starting off with the 50 yard punt return, he put the Second Line up 14-7, with the first score coming only a minute prior to the punt return. This led to a quick change of momentum in the Ultimus game for the Second Line. He then got his 2nd TD with 8 seconds left in the first half, scoring on a 29 yard pass to put the Second Line up 21-17. The third TD came with about 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and was a 12 yard receiving TD, which put the Second Line up 28-20 and widened the game a little bit more. His final touchdown would go on to be a 7 yard TD, with 4 minutes 37 seconds left in the 4th, which would ultimately be the final regulation score for the Second Line, who went up 36-33 at this point. Fyodorovich had a huge impact on the game and was there time and time again with 99 yards receiving, 3 receiving TDs, and a punt return TD to get momentum on their side. (289 words)

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

Philadelphia should've made the playoffs. They went from an 0-14 team to 1 win away after a stellar season of growing by the team as a whole. They went from a team that couldn't even come close to a victory to one of the best teams in the league overnight thanks to the development of their prospects and the ability for them to grow as a team. They only failed because of a team that extremely overperformed in Colorado, the Yeti should not have won as much they did, only doing what they did thanks to the play of their quarterback after he switched from kicker. The Liberty however saw all of their draft pieces develop nicely as Brown had another stellar season, Falconi was serviceable, and their defense was a great contributor to why the team did so well. The defense was able to make the leap and become one of the best defenses in the league, and with an offense to match this team could be extremely dangerous for many seasons to come as the players hit their prime should they all stay together. if the team sees their prime together they could be the next great dynasty, and it should've started this past season. (207 words)

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

The Colorado Yeti got extremely lucky in there pursuit of the playoffs, and they should've never made it to the point at which they did. They were able to stumble into a lucky string of events that saw them beating at least one team that they should not have. They easily pulled out a victory that they shouldn't have against the Second Line even at home, as the level of play from the Second Line was much higher than the level of play from the team that is in Colorado. The Yeti did not have a lot of stellar pieces, and easily over performed any expectations after trading away Andre Bly and Eli Kamaka. The team saw a massive dropoff in talent at their respective positions, and had it not been for MVP level play from Howard Miller, they probably wouldn't make it as far as they do. The team that they fielded was a barren group that should have never made it as far as it did, and frankly should've been a team fielding a top 3 pick and not a playoff berth. The fact that they got a playoff berth was due to miracle wins that put them over the Liberty who were fielding a top defense and a decent offense. The Yeti offense was able to carry what was an extremely bad defense to the playoffs, as the offense scored 30.1 points per game, while the defense allowed 29.8. (242 words)

PBE PT

(S11) - Ultimus Week - infinitempg - 11-19-2018

ROBBED

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PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

ASFC CHAMPIONSHIP
This is going to pan out as a very exciting game - the Otters and Second Line are by far the two best teams in the league this season, with New Orleans controlling the pace of the league all season and going unbeaten at home, while the Otters are on an extremely hot streak over the last half of the season. Orange County has proven it can win anywhere, but I believe that the home field advantage added to all the talent on this Second Line roster will be too much for the Otters to handle.

OCO 27 - 31 NOLA

NSFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Oh what could have been for the Yeti - a mere 60 seconds away from this game being held in Denver, Colorado now have a monumental task up ahead of them in a visit to Baltimore. Despite the lackluster year, the Hawks are still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting stars such as former Yeti Ryan Applehort at QB as well as Avon Blocksdale on his final ride. While the Yeti offense is extremely talented, their complete and utter lack of any humans on their defense outside of Haruki Ishigawa and Howard Miller pulling two-way duty will be their downfall.

COL 21 - 45 BAL

ULTIMUS
I think Baltimore is going to get beat just like they did in Week 14 - sure they beat up on the Yeti (and badly), but New Orleans crushed a much better Orange County, and they have the game at home as well. In the second rematch, I predict New Orleans will win big.

BAL 21 - 38 NOLA

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ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG

Look look I know I just called for the Yeti to be turned into roadkill by the Hawks, but hear me out. This Yeti team can win. I know they've been atrocious on the road and only seem to be able to win at home, but they've beaten the best at home - taking down Baltimore AND New Orleans during two different home games. The Yeti also know they're nearing the end of their window with a lot of talent having left them this season, more to leave in the offseason, and the Liberty slowly creeping up behind them with a knife. This team is in win-now mode and that motivation has showed on the field. After a disappointing road trip to Orange County and Arizona, the Yeti finished the season 4-2 with those two signature wins, and almost defeated the Otters at home as well. The Hawks, on the other hand, started off 5-0 but finished the season 4-5 which included an embarrassing loss to the Liberty and only scraping by the league-worst Sabercats. While the Hawks have talent and home field advantage on their side, their recent struggles cannot be discounted - meaning the Yeti have a chance.

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PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

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(S11) - Ultimus Week - Trautner - 11-19-2018

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

The Philadelphia Liberty were a really good team this season, improving drastically from their winless season last year to winning 7 games this season. That is a huge difference! They can give thanks to the performance of new quarterback Adriana Falconi who led the team's offense. The Liberty really ought to have beaten the Yeti to the second playoff spot in the NSFC. They stunned Baltimore 30-14 at home in a memorable upset, and the Hawks really struggled this season. The Liberty lost in a shocker at home to the San Jose SaberCats at home though, in Week 9 for the SaberCats' only win of the season. This ended up being the difference. Falconi threw 4 picks that game and finished just 17/40 passing, which is beyond awful. In the end, this looked like a fluke game and the Liberty definitely should have finished ahead of the Yeti, who were very lucky to scrape by this season while losing so many defensive assets in a rebuild. The Yeti were quite awful, playing Devo Cansino ahead of their star running back Mark Grau, even though Cansino had an embarrassingly low 3.9 YPC, limiting Grau to short yardage situations and being a receiver. Next season the Liberty will rightfully take their spot in the playoffs.

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

The Orange County Otters match up once again against the New Orleans Second Line in the ASFC Championship Game. This is their 4th consecutive meeting in the championship game, and last season saw the matchup be as competitive as ever before, when the Otters lost in a true defensive battle. This season I expect the exact opposite, as both sides are solid on offense. Showbiz is now surrounded with talent in Crush and Atwell at receiver, as well as Ricky Adams out of the backfield. The Otters defense got shredded, conceding 44 points and 31 points to the Outlaws and Yeti in back to back weeks to end the regular season, so Borkus should have a field day. Still, the Otters have the mettle to grind it out in NOLA and shock the incumbent ASFC champions. Prediction: Otters 34, Second Line 31

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the Hawks meet the Yeti once again. This is gonna be a true beatdown, as the Hawks run a very efficient albeit slower tempo offense. The Yeti run a really fast paced offense which could pose some issues. The two teams split their regular season meetings, with the Hawks winning at home 45-13 and the Yeti winning at home 45-27. So, I expect both teams to put up points. The Yeti defense is horrid, though, so the Hawks have the advantage there. Expect Owen Taylor to demonstrate on the big stage why he's the Running Back of the Year favorite. Prediction: Hawks 42, Yeti 28

Then the Otters will win in a grind it out game where Applehort throws 2 picks, and Danny Grithead has a pick 6 while Showbiz throws 3 picks. Prediction: Otters 24, Hawks 21

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

The Baltimore Hawks had an awful season, there is no sugarcoating it. To only win the NSFC by 1 game, and to be just 2 games in front of the Philadelphia Liberty who went winless last season is embarrassing. Ryan Applehort came to the Baltimore Hawks this offseason after ditching the team that invested so much time and capital in him, the Colorado Yeti. And yet, here the Yeti are, just one game behind the Hawks this season. It would be absolute poetic justice if the Yeti were to pull off the upset in Baltimore and send Applehort packing from the playoffs, as Applehort went ring chasing by joining the team that won the Ultimus last season. Then again, stories like this do not usually have these poetic endings, just like how Kevin Durant has won two consecutive titles in the NBA after his ring chasing move to join the 73 win Golden State Warriors. The Hawks should have done better this season, but still will hold home field advantage in their first game. In the second game, if they do win, they will not. Applehort has the odds stacked against him now and he must show his mettle to prove himself as a quarterback, to make his offseason betrayal worth it.

PBE PT

PT

(S11) - Ultimus Week - Leafs4ever - 11-19-2018

Robbed:

If there was one surprising event to take away from this season, it was the performance of the Philadelphia Liberty all season long. Last season, the Liberty went a disastrous 0-14. The roster was in shambles, aside from Brown and Bush, and almost everyone thought they were in for another terrible season. Oh how wrong we were. The Liberty were shockers all season, finishing with a record of 7-9, just one game out of the playoffs. As weird as it may sound, I think the Liberty should of made it to the playoffs over the Yeti.

By finishing one game behind the Yeti, you look back at where you could of made up that game. Well look no further than Week 9 against the lowly San Jose SaberCats. The SaberCats were 0-8 going into that game and they weren't looking good at all. This was the game that got away from the Liberty. Without explanation, San Jose came and played well, earning their first, and only win, of the season. Looking back, Philadelphia should of had this game and that would of put them in a tie with the Yeti. If you couple that loss with a Week 5 loss to Colorado, by only 3 points, you can see that the Liberty were awfully close to going from a winless team in Season 10, to a playoff team in Season 11. Regardless of the outcome, the Liberty had a great season and are now firmly on the radar of every team in the NSFL.

(254 words)

Playoff Predictions:

NSFC Championship: Baltimore Hawks vs. Colorado Yeti

The 9-5 Hawks face off against the 8-6 Yeti in the NSFC Championship Game, in Baltimore. They split the regular season meetings 1-1, so we expect a close battle. The edge goes to Baltimore, however, mostly because of the Yeti's defense. While strong on offense, Colorado struggled on defense, giving up the second most points in the NSFL. The Hawks have dangerous weapons at every offensive position and will exploit that weakness. Baltimore wins 33-17.

ASFC Championship: New Orleans Second Line vs. Orange County Otters

A fierce rivalry takes place again in the ASFC Championship, as the Second Line (11-3) take on the Otters (10-4) in New Orleans. The Second finished with the best record, but the Otters finished second, only a game back. They each won a game in the regular season and appear to be evenly matched. I'm going to give the edge to New Orleans for one major reason, Borkus Maximus III. I trust Maximus over Showbiz on the big stage and New Orleans just has too many weapons to stop on offense. New Orleans wins 42-30.

Ultimus Championship: New Orleans Second Line vs. Baltimore Hawks

A rematch for the ages, as both teams meet again in the final game of the season. While both teams didn't quite dominate the league like last season, they are still the cream of the crop in the NSFL. New Orleans has been the better team this season and I see that staying the same in this game. The Second Line is just so prolific that I can't see a team stopping them enough to win. Maximus has a great game and leads the Second Line to another Ultimus Trophy. New Orleans wins 34-24.

(290 words)

Root for the Underdog:

In the two Conference Championship games, we see the Colorado Yeti and the Orange County Otters as the road team. As well all know, home field is a huge advantage, especially in the playoffs. However, if one team has the chance to achieve the upset, I'm going with the Orange County Otters.

The Orange County Otters finished with the second best record in the NSFL, behind only their opponent in the playoffs, the New Orleans Second Line. The Second Line are a powerhouse, but the Otters played New Orleans well in the regular season. They split the 2 games they played, with the Otters losing by 6, but then winning by 10. The Otters defense was great this season, giving up the second least points. They have the personnel to slow down the Second Line offense, but it's going to be a tall task. On offense, they have their own weapon, in Ricky Adams. Adams has been fantastic this year, showing off his dual threat skills in the running game and passing game. He's an x-factor in this game and could help Orange County control the clock and wear down the New Orleans defense. Another factor to consider is momentum. The Otters finished the season winning 8 of their last 9 games. They are clicking in all facets of the game right now and could ride that wave all the way to New Orleans. It's going to be a fascinating match-up and we could see an upset by the road team.

(251 words)

Matchup Nightmares:

In the NSFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Hawks and the Colorado Yeti, there is one match up that I'm looking forward to watching. That match up would be Hawks wide receiver Trey Willie lining up against the Yeti's dual threat corner back Howard Miller.

Trey Willie finished the regular season with staggering numbers, catching for 1365 yards and 11 touchdowns. Howard Miller finished the regular season with fantastic defensive stats, grabbing a league high 7 interceptions and the third most pass deflections with 21. Both players are at the top of their respective positions, which makes this match up all the more fascinating. Both of these players met each other twice in the regular season, and what I saw was interesting. With how great Miller was all season, in the games he lined up against Willie, Trey got the better of him each time. Willie finished both games with 94 yards and 106 yards respectively, adding 1 touchdown as well. Miller, however, only registered 2 pass deflections in both games combined. Trey Willie is on another level as a wide receiver and even though Howard Miller has been excellent all season, Willis has his number. I don't see that changing in the NSFC Championship Game. Trey Willie is going to best Miller once again and he's going to help lead the Baltimore Hawks to another Ultimus Championship appearance. Look for this match up when you watch the game, it's sure to not disappoint.

(244 words)

(S11) - Ultimus Week - majesiu - 11-19-2018

1. PBE PT Affiliation

2. New Talent: Write about which S11 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Tana Keita was a huge pickup returning to the team he had traditions, to begin with. He spent just a season down in the DSFL with Tijuana Luchadores, where he posted exceptionally good numbers. The Second Line desperately needs an injection of fresh blood into their linebacking corps, with a lot of players on the defence being hit hard by the regression. He didn't have as many chances as other rookies to prove himself simply because the defence wasn't on the field as much as was the case with nearly all other teams in the league, but even in the limited time he was able to get 87 tackles, Forced and recovered a fumble, 4 interceptions and sacks each and was able to deflect 11 passes. On top of that already in the rookie season, he was able to get pick 6. That's as much as the New Orleans could have hoped for from the Keita and certainly, he will perform in the NSFC and then hopefully in the Ultimus game up to his talent level which is immense and should guarantee stability for the team for years to come. Another rookie that does the dirty job for the Second Line is Yobanna-Kanayochukwu that has unparalleled blocking skills that come in helpful, especially in a team full of quality receivers.

3. Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game).

We met again on the almost unchanged field from the last year. The same teams match up, in the NSFC Colorado Yetis travel to the Baltimore to fight an uphill battle once again against the Hawks. Same goes for Orange County Otters that have equally lengthy road to the New Orleans where they will match-up with the Second Line.
While personnel in NSFC is mostly the same, neither the ASFC Juggernaut team has the same quarterback as last year. Ryan Applehort pulled KD and with the spirit of the if you can't beat them, join them became the biggest turncoat in the history. Still, Yetis were able to find more than capable replacement in Micycle McKormick. They have capable receiving corps and rookie RB doing an admirable job, but their defense will probably get overrun by the offense of the Hawks, that has the best blocking in the league. Yeti - 14 vs 37 - Hawks. Otters and NOLA clash for the 4th straight time and this time once again the Second Line is favored and should comfortably win. Since this is about projections I think Arizona might be closer to unsettling the NOLA at the Top of the NSFC than Otters are in foreseeable future. OCO - 10 vs 30 NOLA. In finals, NOLA will be with home field advantage which might be deciding factor, but it will likely be very close game. BAL - 24 vs 30 NOLA.

4. Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

We are after Conference Championship series I talked before and reporters so far selected following players as the man of the match:
ASFC:
Offensive POG: Ryan Applehort - QB (BAL): 40/58, 410 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Defensive POG: Haruki Ishigawa - LB (COL): 17 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FR
NSFC:
Offensive POG: Darren Smallwood - RB (NO): 32 att, 137 yds, 2 TD
Defensive POG: Mason Brown - LB (OCO): 7 Tck, 2 Sck
What an interesting choice to be honest, but especially Haruki Ishigawa had an impressive outing which wasn't nearly enough to stop Ryan Applehort from posting amazing 40 completions, even if he threw one pick and posted low averages on the passes it was still one of the best playoff passing games in league history.
Surprisingly everyone expected Baltimore to run a lot, but it was Darren Smallwood in the penultimate game of his wonderful career that put up a show in the New Orlean. Not only he was efficient first down getter but he also finished with two touchdowns on the night where Maximus focused on big plays. Overall both games were showmanship of team effort and it's hard to single out single performance but in one of the last chapters of his swan song Smallwood deserves most attention out of all these outstanding players. I'm curious what both him and Applehort will show on the biggest stage soon as they are once again going to be main actors of the Ultimus Spectacle that never dissapoints. The showdown number three between Baltimore Hawks and New Orleans Second Line should be a must watch on Wednesday Evening!

(S11) - Ultimus Week - Bwestfield - 11-19-2018

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

First up, the match of the Colorado Yeti vs the Baltimore Hawks. Both teams possess fantastic offenses. The Yeti’s offense lead by Mycycle McCormick and the incredible Howard Miller. The combo have put up numbers that lead the league in multiple categories. The Hawks offense lead by the wily veteran Trey Willie and the always outstanding Owen Taylor. Taylor and Willie have both been outstanding this year ranking 3rd or higher in several categories. I do imagine that this will be a high scoring affair despite any strong defense showing.

Secondly we have the Orange County Otters and the New Orleans Second Line. Both teams have the best two records in the NSFL. These team are both favored to win the Ultimus despite both being in the same conference. They aren’t so far ahead that other teams have to look up to see them but they both will surprise you on any given Sunday and pull out a win. Both of these teams have a strong defense and I can see this being a close matchup at home for New Orleans Second Line and a low scoring affair.

All that being said I can see a super underdog battle for the Ultimus this year. The Colorado Yeti vs The Orange County Otters. Young vs OLD. OLD in caps cause they are getting OLD. Lead by Angus Winchester the OCO defense has the knowledge but we will see if they have the speed. I can see the Otters taking this victory home once again in 34-21 contest in Orange County

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

No need convincing here. I can easily convince you and others that the Orange County Otters can definitely take this win in the playoffs. They have been hot lately and the New Orleans Second Line havent been living up to their hype. Now you may be saying to yourself, hey, the second line is the best team in the league, while this is true I think it is purely based on talent and not on coaching. The Otters have been catching up in the talent department and they have always had impeccable coaching. Now let’s see if the Otters can come up with the right game plan to take out the Second Line at home in one of the most pivotal games of the year. A loss here could start spelling disaster for the Second Line who could start slumping if the rebuild process doesnt start as soon as it should. This has happened to several teams. Do I think it will happen to them no. But if the other teams in the conference have anything to say about it they will certainly try to topple the mighty giant. I have the Otters winning this in a low scoring affair making the defensive game very important.

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

The Baltimore Hawks took the Colorado Yeti to the cleaners and didn’t even tip. It was a slaughter. When you watch any game there is always a player who stands above the rest. In this game it was apparent that Trey Willie is the Most Valuable Player in the first series of playoffs. He played both offense and defense. This guys is a master of everything. There is no retirement in sight and he will go down as one of the greatest players who has ever lived. Luckily for him he wasn’t asked to play on special teams or he would’ve been running for the full 4 hours. Get this man a lemonade! Trey finished with 8 receptions, 107 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He also racked up 5 tackles, 1 pass defensed, and an interception. Could Baltimore have won without Trey playing, probably. But the end result would’ve looked a lot closer and the offense wouldn’t have been running on all cylinders. A player who should get an honorable mention here is Owen Taylor. The man is a monster. He may only play running back, but damn does he do it well. He finished with 188 yards rushing on 30 attempts and a touchdown. He also got 4 receptions for 19 yards. He managed to get over 200 yards from scrimmage. What defense can stop these two, maybe, just maybe NOLA.

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

Angus Winchester

1.) Your team was recently displaced from the playoffs in a loss to the Second Line. Is it important for you to leave on a high note with the organization and does this affect your retirement?

I think this is my fourth playoff exit in a row to the Second Line, I'm getting used to it. I was never very concerned about the circumstances around my retirement, I love playing the game and intend to keep playing as long as I can produce at a high level, so there is definitely at least one more season in me, win or lose.

2.) The Otters recently moved you to defensive line after playing so many years at linebacker. Do you feel like this is where you make the most impact or do you still feel like you should be in the LB position?

Ever since I moved to linebacker I have always been used mostly as a pass rush specialist and I am still doing that today, only now I do it with my hand in the dirt. It's no secret that I'm a little older and slower than I used to be so it made sense for me to put a little more weight back on and start moving the pocket from the front four.

3.) Now that there are only two teams left and we will be watching the Ultimus in a few days is there a team that you would like to see win over the other?

I don't have much of an opinion one way or the other. Both teams have a lot of great players that I like and have had the privilege to play with these past 11 years. Either way I'm hoping for a close game with a lot of action and no flags.

4.) After retirement, what plans do you have for yourself?

When I retire I'll focus more of my time on my ranch. Although I have a lot of good help on it I would like to be a little more involved in the day-to-day operations of running it as I haven't really been able to do that ever since moving out to California.


(S11) - Ultimus Week - kckolbe - 11-19-2018

Playoff Predictions:
First up (as far as I know) is Colorado at Baltimore. The Yeti somehow made the playoffs despite losing Ryan Applehort in the offseason, and will now play their former QB. The Hawks have been the #1 defense in the league, though they have struggled to make plays on the ball. McCormick will likely pass 45 times and put a couple of scores on the board, but Baltimore will carve up the last ranked Yeti defense en route to a clear win. The Otters will travel to New Orleans to face the Second Line. Both teams are very inconsistent, but both teams are capable of serious volume passing. In the end, odds are too great of Orange County making a critical mistake, though honestly this is a really good matchup. Finally, the Second Line will host the Hawks in the Ultimus. Both teams are very comparable, though Baltimore has done a much better job of maintaining a balanced offense, as Maximus led all QBs in the league in rushing and passing. As a result, I would be inclined to give the edge to Baltimore, if this were being played in a neutral location, but since the game will be played in New Orleans, I will pick them in a narrow victory.

Hate the Players/Game:
The Colorado Yeti are returning to the playoffs. Here’s a question: why would they want to be there? Normally these questions are to point out a team that wasn’t good enough, but honestly, Colorado is good enough. Despite a league-worst defense, their offense, led by McCormick, was able to keep up most games, and they generally started off in the lead. So this isn’t about them not deserving a spot, because none of the teams that sat out were better. However, Colorado is not really a contender, and their odds of winning it all are close to nil. After this season, there is an exceptional draft class, and Colorado will be drafting at the second half of it. Wouldn’t they have been better off waiting until they could draft a good QB and just trading for Metaxas for a couple of seasons instead? Now they have a solid QB who will be crap by the time the team is ready to contend again. Meanwhile, Philadelphia actually wanted a taste of success, and didn’t care about the draft picks. It just seems that both teams would have been happier if the Liberty had made the playoffs over Colorado, and that is why Colorado shouldn’t have made it.

Playoff Review
In Baltimore, Colorado started out with a 7-0 lead, but apparently felt that was enough, staying at 7 while Baltimore blew up with 45. McCormick completed only 12 passes all game on 35 attempts, a career low for completions. Applehort, by comparison, set a season high with 58 attempts. As with the first game, the road team found the end zone first, with Orange County going up 7-0. However, also as with the first game, the home team then lit it up, with New Orleans scoring 34 straight points. The Ultimus, according to the index, hasn’t happened, but I remember a bit. The biggest takeaway, for me, was that neither team seemed to play according to the other team’s weaknesses. New Orleans ran the ball all day, giving the now-mediocre Smallwood over 30 carries against the best DL in the league. Baltimore, meanwhile, aired it out all day against the best secondary in the league. It really seemed that neither team wanted to win or, for that matter, was able to. The sim agreed, with both teams tied at the end of regulation. However, despite carrying all day, Smallwood somehow managed to summon a bit more to find the end zone in OT, winning the game for NOLA.

Playoff Series MVP
With the index yet to be updated, it’s hard to say for sure who the really was, but I am gonna go out on a limb and say it *might* be Vladimir Fyodorovich from New Orleans. In the conference finals, which we got to see twice, Vlad caught 5 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns, making him tied for the leading scorer and second only to Smallwood in total yards from scrimmage. He also had 6 returns for a total of 91 yards, making him the leader in all-purpose yards. In the finals, he was even more impressive. With 2:29 remaining in the first quarter, the score tied at 7-7, and Maximus with only 43 yards on 10 attempts, Fyodorovich took a punt return 50 yards to the end zone, giving the Second Line their first lead of the game. At the end of the second half, after a 20 yard punt return, he caught a 29 yard TD pass to score his second touchdown, this time with 3 seconds remaining in the half. A 12 yard TD pass in the 3rd quarter gave New Orleans an 8 point lead, their biggest of the night. Finally, down by 5 with under 4 minutes to go, he caught a final touchdown pass to give them the lead. Without Fyodorovich, the Ultimus win would instead have been a blowout loss.


(S11) - Ultimus Week - daBenchwarmer - 11-19-2018

SHL PT

Robbed

The Philadelphia Liberty were a pretty decent team considering their atrocious S10 season. Not only did the team rebound in a way that surprised a fair portion of the league, but the emergence of quarterback Adriana Falconi really helped the Liberty's offense and pushed the team from downright unwatchable football to a playoff bubble team. While the Liberty are still a couple of pieces away from a championship contender, they were ultimately beaten to the playoff berth by a woefully mediocre Colorado Yeti roster. Whether or not if the Liberty would have succeeded in the playoffs is out of the question, but the fact the Liberty missed the playoffs due to the difference of a single win, is astonishing.

And we all know what win the Liberty could have used in order to qualify.

Despite this coupled with not qualifying for the playoffs, the Liberty are still a really good, youthful team. Just rebounding from a winless season to a 7 win season is improvement enough. Almost qualifying for the playoffs, and missing by three points is even better. With this season of growth and development behind them, the Liberty should not be disappointed about missing the playoffs, but should look to improve, capitalize on this season, and be a lock for the cup run next year.

Quote:217 Words

New Talent

You know what? I'm gonna say it. Josh Garden is gonna return to his old self and help propel the Orange County Otters into the championships. Acquired in a trade earlier in the season with the Philadelphia Liberty, Garden has gone from being the face of a franchise to being more of a depth option for teams nowadays. While old man Garden isn't the game changer he used to be when the league first started, he's still a serviceable third option for the arsenal of wide receivers the Otters have at their disposal. Having 3 touchdowns during the S11 season, along with a total of 440 receiving yards for an average of 12.6, if the Otters were to have their top 2 wide receivers in Tegan Atwell and Carlito Crush to go cold in their upcoming playoff game against New Orleans, they at least have Garden to help pick up the slack.

Again, this isn't the Josh Garden of old, this is an older, more experienced, but slower version of the former king of the league. Regardless, the Otters can definitely count on this absolute warrior of a player to help their offense in what is expected to be a firefight of a game, where every touchdown counts.

Quote:208 Words

Playoff Series MVP - Orange County v. New Orleans

A 40-13 schwacking of the Otters. An explosive offense. The ability to keep an up-and-coming Otters team to a total of one touchdown for the entire game. The playoff series between the New Orleans Second Line and the Orange County Otters was mostly a one-sided affair between the two ASFC teams. While there are many players on the New Orleans roster to attribute the win towards, our pick has to be the New Orleans' quarterback Borkus Maximus III. BM3 went 23 for 38 against a still potent Otters defense, throwing three touchdowns, one pick, with a QBR of 102.9. The entire New Orleans offense went through BM3 as he helped to dismantle the Otters' defense. It was not the best game in BM3's career, but it was easily the most important as he propelled the Second Line to the Ultimus Trophy game.

While Darren Smallwood deserves some credit for New Orlean's triumphant win, the win does not happen if BM3 is locked in and plays like he did against Orange County. The rushing game didn't contribute to the offense in general as much as Second Line fans would have liked. And while New Orleans did thrash Orange County fairly well, the remaining question is whether or not if New Orleans can have their rushing game improve and not rely solely on BM3's arm to get them through the game against the Baltimore Hawks.

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Unsung Hero - Graphic
[Image: e8JAWWL.png]

(S11) - Ultimus Week - Raven - 11-19-2018

PBE PT

Quote:Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Gus T.T. Showbiz gets to go to fucking Disneyland, wooptie fucking doo. So he gets to fly all the way from the county of orange, Orange County to Florida and goes to the most magical place on earth and you will never guess who he gets to fucking meet when he got there. All his favorite charachters from all his favorite disney movies, charchters like, the little mermaid, Donald Duck, Goofy, Princess Jasmine, Buzz Lightyears, Thumper from the bambi movies, Huey, Dewey, but not louie, because his actor had the flu and stayed at home sick and they couldnt find someone to replace the actor, Captain Hook, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Toulouse, Mister Smee, Dopey, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Evil Queen, Gus Gus, Fairy Godmother, Pinocchio from the 1940 film named Pinocchio, Honest John and also Gideon, Queen Elinor, Flynn Rider, Baloo, Simba, Robin Hood, Sherrif of Nottingham, Pongo, Winnie the Pooh, Kanga & Roo, Li Shang, Belle and the Beast, Timothy Q Mouse, Esmeralda, Lilo and Stitch and even Zazu from the Lion King movies. It was truely a wonderful day for Gus T.T. Showbiz and his whole family who he had brought along with him on this magical journey. Gus T.T. Showbiz sure hopes he can become MVP next year again so he can go again.