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+---- Thread: (S22) - Ultimus Week (/showthread.php?tid=22426)
(S22) - Ultimus Week - StamkosFan - 05-26-2020
TIER 3 AFFILIATE
SHL PT
TIER 2 TASK
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6) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?TIER 3 TASK
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14) Make a scouting report for any of the NSFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or dead relatives. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t put dead relatives on the scouting report. Written option available for 200 words or more.(S22) - Ultimus Week - TropicaliaCC - 05-26-2020
4) The Orange County Otters find themselves in a familiar spot during Ultimus week. After a two year hiatus from the pristine championship game, the Otters are back with a shot at their 9th Ultimus. In fact, Orange County has only lost one of the ten Ultimus games they have played. History, among other things, is on the side of the Otters in this one.
It should not be a surprise to anyone that the Otters rolled to a 10-3 record and conference homefield advantage, but it is surprising in the manner that they managed to do it. Rather than letting Franklin Armstrong shred opposing defenses with his arm alone, the Otters allowed an old fashioned hard nosed running game lead them to 26.2 points per game. It was a three headed monster of Nakamura, Armstrong, and Bigby that combined for over 2,100 yards and 18 touchdowns. While Armstrong did not have a standout season throwing the ball, I believe the running game helped to take the load off of him and allowed him to have yet another efficient season, even if that means he did not run away with the MVP trophy in season 22. His weapons on the outside picked up for the lost production of expansion draftee Dexter Banks II, who is now the wide receiver number one in Sarasota. Let’s not forget about the Fanta Curtain on the other side of the ball either. They had a phenomenal year as the leagues top rush defense, second best pass defense, and third best scoring defense. Led by studs such as Lanzer Grevious, Korrin Abernathy, Tyrone Biggums, and perhaps the favorite for Corner Back of the Year, AJ Lattimer.
All of the above factors helped lead Orange County to a first round bye in the ASFC. However, their hard work bestowed upon them a date with the Austin Copperheads in the Conference Championship game. The Copperheads seemed like a team of destiny after they started the season 1-4-1 but then managed to win 7 straight games to make the playoffs. No matter to the Otters, as they managed to set the tone for the game in just the first two possessions. Austin received the ball first and Easton Cole was sacked on three of the five plays run. The only first down they earned was a facemask by rookie defensive tackle, Big Edd. Upon receiving the ensuing punt at mid-field, Armstrong threw a bomb to his favorite target, Hugh Mongo, that went for a 51 yard score. The Otters would get out to a 28 to 0 lead, and although the Copperheads did their best to fight back it was too much ground to make up. You have to think that the Otters are riding high with all of the confidence in the world going into their Ultimus bout with Colorado.
6) When you first examine the roster of the Sarasota Sailfish the thing that grabs your attention is the immense youth. They only have one player under contract for the S23 season that is going through regression, Lucas Knight. Knight is only going through his second season of regression, so at 997 TPE he will still be at a very effective level as a starter next season. That being said, the lack of mature active players hitting their peak will certainly be a hindrance. They will have two peak Season 17 players in Banks II and Jordan Andrews and two Season 18 players approaching their peak. They do however have a stockpile of max earning young players who should tremendously improve from their S22 campaigns.
Starting with the defense, they will need some help to bolster their front seven to get more pressure on the Quarterback next year. They were very average with 33 sacks this season, while the top 3 teams in sacks this year all made it to their conference championship games. Outside of a free agent addition or over achieving by young players, the Sailfish may struggle to be a top 5 pass rushing team next year. Their very solid secondary could make up for that fact by causing turnovers at a higher clip in Season 23.
Offensively you have a very interesting team. The skill positions are absolutely stacked. Banks II and Rayne Gordon make up the highest TPE duo at wide receiver ion the entire league. Dax Frost is coming off a stellar rookie campaign and his user, Frostbite, is indeed a max earner. They also have two Tight Ends coming up that should be at a more effective level than retiring legend, Johnny Blaze. The issue at hand though is the Quarterback position. How on earth are you supposed to win an Ultimus without an active veteran at the most important position on the field? Vega was not a great option in the first part of S22 and unfortunately he wouldn’t be much better next year given WALDO’s current inactive status. The Sarasota front office is going to have to get creative if they want to make a run in the Season 23 playoffs. They could look at trading for declining stars similar to how the acquired Rose Jenkins from the Chicago Buthchers at the dealine. They could ask Yellowknife about Cooter Bigsby, but I don’t see that happening considering how competitive the rest of the Wraiths roster is. What about Stan Francisco? Not likely either considering JuOsu’s status as a former GM of New Orleans. The next best option would be a rising star backing up a current starter, but then they wouldn’t be in much of a better situation than handing the reins back to Zach Vega. Yes indeed, Sarasota will need to find a creative solution at the QB position if they want to win now.
(S22) - Ultimus Week - TheCC - 05-26-2020
Tyron Shields
5) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
I have two players that I would like to advocate for to win awards this offseason. The firs tis Tychondrius Hood, and the second is Buck Thornton. There is at least one more Grey Duck that I think should win an award (Matt Krause, CBOTY), but I would have to go far above 400 words.
We’ll start with Hood, who should win the Rookie of the Year award in the DSFL. Every time you watched one of the games, it seemed like this guy was incapable of catching a pass that didn’t go for at least 20 yards. He racked up the YAC, scampering for 20 yards after the catch seemingly every time he touched the ball. Through almost the entire season, the only knock on him was his lack of touchdowns. His endurance wasn’t allowing him to outrun defenders long enough to reach the endzone. However, in the last three weeks, he had a two touchdown game, and a three touchdown game, which, when combined with his other handful of touchdowns, actually gave him enough scores to set the new Minnesota Grey Ducks record for number of receiving touchdowns in a season. This is a pretty incredible feat for a rookie. Off the field, he has built up quite a resume as well. Upon entering the league, he immediately became a max earner. He was already active in the Minnesota Grey Ducks locker room before he was even drafted by them, and never stopped being active. At some point during the season, he even took it upon himself to start testing to help gameplan for the Ducks games. He also became a GM in training. I think that he has definitely earned consideration for the rookie of the year award. He may have even earned himself consideration for the Wide Receiver of the Year award in the DSFL. Only time will tell.
The other player that I’d like to make an argument for is Minnesota Grey Ducks safety Buck Thornton. As the reigning Defensive Back of the Year, I think he should be one of the front runners for the Safety of the Year award this season. When you look at his stat lines between the two seasons, he has improved in almost every category. He raised his tackles from 64 to 72. He had no tackles for loss last season, but this season he notched two of them. His forced fumbles were one of only two stats that he didn’t improve, going from 3 to 1. His 8 sacks rank 6th in the league, and the number 1 defensive back in that stat, increasing from an impressive 6 sacks last season. He has three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, compared to 2 and 1 last season, respectively. Lastly, his passes defensed went from 6 to 2, most likely from how much he was playing in the box this season. I think that the reigning DBOTY, who increased almost all of his stats, should have a great chance of winning the new SOTY award. I predict that the voters may not be as kind to him this season, simply because of voter fatigue - the same thing that LeBron James has faced for a large chunk of his career.
We’ll see what happens come time for the awards, but these guys would both get my votes.
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561 words7) Selflessness is one thing, but ultimately everyone wants to hear their own player’s name mentioned among the greats. Take some time, in 400 words or more, and discuss how your player’s (or past player’s) career is going so far. Are you matching any expectations you set out for yourself? Do you see yourself on a potentially award winning or Hall of Fame career trajectory? If your player is just starting out, what goals and visions do you have for yourself?
Tyron Shields is my first attempt at a player in any simulation league, across any sport. His career hasn’t gone exactly as I had wanted it to, but we are trending in the right general direction. After an incredibly slow start, that only included one update, taking Shields up to 71 TPE during his rookie year, we have actually become bonafide max earners. Sitting at 242 TPE after our playoff loss, I think that we have made up significant ground. Everybody keeps telling me that I can be the steal of my draft class if I keep earning this way. I’ve even had people tell me that if the sim likes me, I could make it to the Hall of Fame. I would love to have both of those titles associated with my name. Right now, though, I don’t exactly have the stats to back it up. I was sitting on the bench for most of the season this year, because of the fact that the Minnesota Grey Ducks possess the best group of defensive backs in the DSFL, including DBOTY Buck Thornton, potential CBOTY candidate Matt Krause, and a max earning rookie CB in Ray-Ray Jackson. I managed to snag the starting spot in time for the playoffs, but that didn’t help my stats too much.
So I think it’s fair to say that my comeback season didn’t exactly play out the way that I was hoping it would, but I still improved a ton, and I’m in good position to walk into the starting cornerback role along with absolute legend Osiris Firestorm-Fjord with the Chicago Butchers next season. I’m hoping that I can make some noise and start to pump up those stats sooner rather than later. I’m also still looking for my first career interception in the pros.
Stats aren’t the number one thing on my mind, though. My two main goals are 1) to become the greatest draft steal of all time, making everyone question how a team was able to get such a great player in the 11th round, and 2) To win an Ultimus. These things may still be a decent way off, but I know that I can say that I’m honestly working as hard as I can to get closer to these goals that I have set for myself. I want to help bring Chicago back to relevancy. I want to be part of the squad that ends the jokes about our team. Right now, I think the sky is the limit. I just have to keep working and I can accomplish every goal that I have set for myself. Well, hard work along with some luck from the sim.
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448 words(S22) - Ultimus Week - Aenir - 05-26-2020
Tier 2 Part 7
You know, Griff Oberwald is not exactly where I would have expected him thus far in his career. I know, it has only been one season, in the Minors at that, but I really expected him to come out and be a Red Zone Threat. Standing at a staggering 6’6 and weighing in at 250 Pounds, I didn’t really think that Cornerbacks would even be an issue, especially in the Red Zone. I mean, that is my archetype, “Red Zone Threat”. I guess you could say that I’ve been very unlucky, being on a team that is very run heavy. I mean, Norfolk has the best Running Back in the Minors based solely on stats. Tequila Sunrise has ran the ball 364 TIMES!! That is ridiculous numbers. He’s also gained 1469 Yards on the ground. That is the most yards out of anyone else in Running Back terms. Both of our Quarterbacks have been bottom of the barrell, with 222 and 143 attempts for Ramza and Skywalker, both completing roughly 54% throwing, and for a total of 961 yards (For Ramza) and 686 yards (For Skywalker). 1647 Yards between both Quarterbacks barely puts us ahead of Kansas City’s Quarterback, Covington III. It’s been a rough year in Norfolk for Wide Receivers. Our Tight End has 60 receptions for 464 yards, our other Receiver has 34 receptions for 368 yards, and I’m sitting down at the bottom with 25 receptions for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns. I know, I might not be the most talkative in the bunch, hell, I struggle at times to check the discords, but I always make sure I get my tasks in. In no way is this me complaining about what is happening in Norfolk, I am just putting the stats out there and realizing that I expected a lot more for my Wide Receiver thus far in his career then he has been doing. It just becomes upsetting when I wanted Griff Oberwald to be destroying the league, just like he does in Blood Bowl, in the NSFL. I hope with continued work and want to be the best Red Zone Threat, it will come in time, and that is really what I continue to plan to do. I will continue to bush Oberwald to be a great wide receiver and whoever ends up drafting me will see that, even though I am not the “Loudest” in the room, I keep my head down and keep pushing towards that final goal.
(416 words)
Tier 3: Part 17
Right now, hands down, the Playoff MVP for the DSFL would have to be Colby Jack. He played against, and beat, in Overtime, the Minnesota Grey Ducks, as an underdog. Yeah, I know, any given Sunday type of thing, but he lead the London Royals, from behind to tie the game, with 31 seconds left in the 4th Quarter to push the game to Overtime, and then lead his team down the field, in Overtime to kick a game winning Field Goal. His final stat line against the Minnesota Grey Ducks was as follows, 24/36 for 278 yards, 1 Touchdown and a QB rating of 99.1. That’s a 66% Competition rating, as well as he kept the ball secure throughout the game against a tough nosed Minnesota Secondary, and defense in General. The Minnesota Grey Ducks, during the Regular Season ranked on Defense, Points allowed, First in the League, Rushing Yards, First in the League, Passing Yards, 1st in their conference, and 3rd in the league. This defense was not to be trifled with, and yet, London went into Minnesota, led by Colby Jack, and took what they believed was rightfully theirs and owned that shit. Even if Colby Jack and the London Royals lose to the Luchadores in the Finals, he still deserves at least a look for Playoff MVP.
(221 words)
Tier 3: Part 14
Yes, I know I discussed Griff Oberwald’s campaign thus far in a previous post, talking about how his career has gone this far, but here I will talk about his Scouting Report. Griff Oberwald stands at 6’6 and 250 pounds, that’s really the size of a Tight End, or a Defensive End or Linebacker in the NFL. So the man has the raw height and weight to be one to mess with in the league for years to come. Outside of that, Griff Oberwald has earned, outside of the some stuff last off season, like the Mock Draft, every available Point Task that has been posted thus far this season. Yeah, his numbers have not looked flashy on the field, but he continues to strive to improve game in and game out, week in and week out. He brings certain intangibles to the Locker Room, ask any of the old heads that were around with me before. I might be one of the quieter members, but I am normally always around, present, and ready to talk if I am tagged with anything that is needed for me. I believe that Griff can bring whatever a team is looking for to the Field, and even though I am not the “Max Earner” that people need, I believe I can be what people want.
(222 Words)
(S22) - Ultimus Week - ForSucksFake - 05-26-2020
Tier 2:
5.) It's really hard to pick between my quarterback and one of the guys in my wide receiver room, so since @Tylus is getting a lot of love, I'll highlight Sim Snowbow. (Side note: Dex Kennedy and Buck Thornton are also obvious choices.) He's one of the team captains in the Minnesota locker room and an essential member of our culture. He is well-loved across the league, but I think his play is actually underrated. Snowy split reps last season at quarterback, so S22 was a "prove it" season for him. He definitely proved it. He led his conference in wins (Tijuana had a 2-QB system) and secured the team the first seed in the playoffs. Snowbow led the DSFL in passing yards and pass touchdowns. His interceptions were a little high, but he only threw 2 more picks than Colby Jack, who is second in TDs and yards. Despite finishing in the bottom quarter of QBs in passing completion, he still finished third in QB rating. If you averaged out his entire season down to one game, it would look like this: 15/28 (53%) for 181 yards and 1 TD for a rating of over 85. Not enough credit is given to Snowy for his role in a fantastic season for Minnesota. A lot of attention is given to the defense, Jamar Lackson, and the trio of wide receivers (notably Tylus.) If Minnesota didn't have a quality quarterback like Snowbow, it's unlikely they made the playoffs, let alone as a first seed. The game of football revolves around the quarterback, and Snowbow didn't crack under pressure. Even though Colby Jack also has a chace of winning the award, Snowbow has him beat in yards and touchdowns. Bottom line, despite playing in a run-first offense, Snowbow led the league in several important categories and guided his team to a conference best 8-6 record. Despite a competitive field of play, I'd have to give Snowbow the nod for DSFL Quarterback of the Year. He performed the best at the most important position on one of the best teams in the S22 DSFL regular season. Even though Jack had a better outing versus Snowbow in the first round of the DSFL playoffs, I don't think that should be a knock on Snowbow's award candidacy. He was an absolute gunslinger in a run-first offense. If he remains in the DSFL next season, he should open the season as a favorite to win the award in S23, too.
Best games of S22:
Week 14 vs. London: 16/24 193 4 TDs 1 Int
Week 10 vs. Kansas City: 19/27 179 3 TDS 0 Int
Tier 3:
PBE S19 Draftee Special
17.) I think it's hard to debate against Franklin Armstrong at this point. He's got the pedigree, he's got the history, he's got his Otters once again at the doorstep of immortality. If the Otters win the Ultimus, is there any debate left on whether or not he's the greatest quarterback of all time? He's already a three-time playoff performer of the year and heading into this week's Ultimus matchup with the Yeti, he's already in a great position to claim a fourth award in this category. In the first round, he played it safe by not throwing any interceptions. Sure, the numbers won't jump out at you for his outing versus the Sabercats, but he didn't give the ball up in a tight game. He absolutely unloaded on Austin, however, throwing for four touchdowns and averaging nearly 22 yards per completion. Through 2 playoff games, he's got a 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio, and if Orange County wins, he cements himself ahead of Mike Boss as the greatest Orange County quarterback to ever take the field. I'm sure Franklin would tell you that he'd prefer a fourth Ultimus to any personal achievement. But as Franklin Armstrong goes, so does Orange County. I'm pegging Franklin for a fourth playoff MVP trophy in his already-full trophy case.
(S22) - Ultimus Week - Tesla - 05-26-2020
Tier 2 – Task 8 – 400+ Words - 5 TPE
Honestly my experience in the league has been an absolute delight since I started really getting involved in it. I remember what caused it and was able to find that it came just about three days into me being actually active in the league. Troen was talking about what would set a prospect apart regarding forum activity versus TPE activity which they ended up doing a couple of articles about, and Bex replied that Discord activity was more useful as a measure in general. Excitement over every possible TPE were her words there. Since my goal was to give my prospect Magnus Rikiya a good chance in the draft I did my best after that to get more involved in demonstrating my excitement.
Which I admit here I was worried about getting more involved here as I am a weird woman and I know when I attempted to be more active in similar situations it has led to poor results for me. My past experiences on the internet as the person that I am have not been nearly as kind as this place. A lot of people say this place is similarly toxic and I have seen a decent amount of that toxicity by proxy at least, but compared to the horrors I have seen elsewhere this place feels like a utopia by comparison. It could just be the same experience I have had on a certain social media site though where I have done my best to only be surrounded by the good of the environment. Those who work in Head Office and other large scale jobs do not have the luxury of disregarding the worst of the worst among the league.
This task also asks about who I have met that has made my time here better, however since the list for that would be too long I am going to go a slightly different direction to avoid having to list too many names. That is why I want to say a special note of appreciation to the people who make this simulation league run who have been so kind to me despite my strange personality. Along with keeping things running despite all the rudeness they face. Adam, BigRed, InfiniteMPG, Manic, TerribleHippo, and Teyon have all been nice in my interactions with them. I have seen all of them be mistreated whether individually or because of association with Head Office and I think they deserve much better.
Bex being commissioner is obviously the most visible face of Head Office and as such seems to face the worst of it that I have seen. What I will say is that despite all of the mistreatment that she suffers through on a regular basis she carries herself with a level of professionalism that outdoes a number of paid professionals I have dealt with in my time on this planet. She even manages to accomplish all of this while being incredibly friendly and charming to boot! There is a reason she was ranked as the most popular during Thiath's survey as she is an undeniably enchanting individual. One who deserves much better than the treatment that she gets from so many users in this league.
I also want to shout out Baron as someone who received some heat recently for this very point task. Did not see anything directed at them versus directed at the point task, but I greatly appreciated their comments about this being a work in progress. They handled the criticism quite well and I respect that. Honestly at the end of the day we are all just works in progress and should be treated with more kindness. Thank you Baron and also thank you every member of the player progression team for doing such an important task for the league.
This task also asks about what it was like being drafted for the first time and I have to admit I was a mess of anxiety during the lead up to the DSFL draft. One of the media pieces that had just come out beforehand mocked Magnus to the one team that I did not want to draft him and it made me worried honestly. I meanwhile made a media piece that declared that Norfolk was my top landing spot which it was because of how well Juni sold the team to me. That was before I met my best league friend through the prospect channel of the Norfolk discord, and so when Bex made the announcement I literally danced through my house. Getting to see that the work that I put in was not only recognized, but recognized by the people who I most wanted to recognize it was amazing.
I have two suggestions for everyone in the world really, but for the members of the league as well. The first is to remember that the people you are dealing with on the internet are people. Everyone has a life outside of the league that can cause them problems, and there is no reason to add to their list of problems over a hobby we share. We are all just here to have a good time so try to keep that in mind.
The other suggestion I have for everyone is to remember that you are a person and that your well being matters. If something is not benefiting you as a person you are allowed to walk away from it. Genuinely if you get more negative energy from the league than positive energy; remember that you are allowed to walk away to recover. Maybe you only need to step away for a minute to calm your mind, maybe you need an hour to focus on cute animal pictures, maybe you need a day away to relax, or maybe you need to walk away longer term than that. No matter what it is your well being that matters most of all and so be sure to take care of yourself. Overall be kind not only to others, but to yourself.
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Word Count: 997Tier 3 – Task 10 – 200+ Words - 2.5 TPE
This one is entirely too easy for me as I have literally written about them all season long doing my highlights series. Ugarth the Dissector should be up for every linebacker award, defensive rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, and I honestly believe they should be up for the most valuable player award. You might call that pure unadulterated bias, and you might be right, but let us see after I have made my case for my good friend Ugarth.
Seventy-six tackles. That is not an enormous amount for a linebacker, but at just shy of six per game shows a consistent performance befitting the most valuable player. Four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Four takeaways like that including one where they literally took it away is more than enough to be in the running given they lead the league. Nine sacks. Good for fifth overall and a plenty good stat line for a thirteen game season. One interception. This one is just decent I will admit, but still on top of four forced fumbles it makes a compelling case. Sixteen passes defended. This is what pushes Ugarth over the edge for me as that is more than a pass broken up per game.
There is one player with six takeaways, and four players with five takeaways this season. Among them Ugarth is second in tackles, tied for first in forced fumbles, tied for second in interceptions, first in sacks with eight more than second place, and admittedly fourth in passes defended. The ones who are ahead in the passes defended column though are corners who at most tie the sack lead he has with their pass break ups. That means nothing to me though when he also still has the tackle lead on them.
Takeaways are the biggest play a defender can have and Ugarth is in the very top tier there. Among that top tier Ugarth reigns supreme thanks to their dominance when it comes to getting after the quarterback. Arguably the second biggest play a defender can make after a takeaway. All this while also contributing reliably in the tackle department, and also having pass break up statistics comparable to a cornerback. Overall Ugarth did absolutely everything you can ask of a defensive player and more this season. So as such I believe they are deserving of most valuable player because defense cannot win one in real life anymore, and so they should be able to in sim life. Thank you for listening.
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Word Count: 417Tier 3 - Affiliate PBE PT - 2.5 TPE
(S22) - Ultimus Week - Dagumpa - 05-26-2020
7) To be completely honest, my career has not gone as I expected it to go up to this point. Is that a bad thing? No, actually it’s great. I expected to join a fledgling team where I may have found moderate success as a decent-at-best player. Instead, I’ve been playing for the Minnesota Grey Ducks where (in this season, at least) I have found a ton of team success and have been playing...pretty well. It was tough joining the league after the DSFL season had already begun. I felt a bit mismatched, at first. I worried that I wouldn’t be an immediate fit and that I would only be embarrassing myself and the team. While, record-wise, my first season was a bit of a wash, I felt I performed to the very best of my abilities and had some of the best games of my career. My second season was the real launching-off point of my career. Here’s the thing: pressuring the quarterback was not my playstyle in college. I played a lot of zone defense and racked up pass deflections and tackles down the middle. The Grey Ducks playbook this season involved me in a lot of blitzes. I was a bit hesitant at first, but then I realized...I was kinda good at it. After being one of the nation’s top pass deflectors with UCLA, I finished this season with *checks notes* 1 pass deflection. Yeah...one. But I also finished with 12 sacks: the league-high.
Despite the numbers I put up, I never felt as though I was playing for myself. I was playing for my team and especially my defense. And what a defense it was. Guys like Buck Thornton, Mario VonPebbles, Matt Krause, Samuel Sackson, Tyron Shields, and Joe Exotic, just to name a few, made up the top defense in the DSFL. We felt unstoppable and won game after game off of dominant play on the defensive end. And then...the conference final. So after dominating the London Royals in both of our matchups during the regular season, they were able to sneak away with an overtime victory over us to advance to Ulimini. It was like riding a majestic stallion that ends up tripping on the tiniest rock and sending me flying. I gained a lot of respect for London after that, however. But to be honest, I never expected to make it as far as I have. I have no clue whether or not I just finished my last season in the DSFL. However, I hope to continue to stay focused and make as many plays as I can on whatever team I’m playing for next season.
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442 Words8) I’m gonna write this from the perspective of an actual user and not from the perspective of my player. So, I decided to create a player in the NSFL because I had a lot of friends from the PBE who were part of it. I’m part of the Chicago Kingpins in the PBE and one of my closest friends on the team, and de-facto co-captain, just so happened to be the commissioner of the NSFL. While I wouldn’t say Bex was the primary reason I wanted to join, I did find it cool that I was playing minor league sim-baseball with the commissioner of a separate league. She, along with some other friends of mine, did help me a lot with creating a player. In the end, I settled on making a linebacker, the position I (poorly) played in middle school, and named him “Dex Kennedy.” Because I created a player in the middle of the season, I went straight to waivers. There was only one team who I wanted to be picked up by: the Minnesota Grey Ducks. Luckily, they were the ones who did.
One of the biggest things I was worried about was adjusting to a new locker room environment. I seemed to mesh almost instantly with the Kingpins locker room since I was already friendly with the GM (Bauer) and he introduced me to all of his friends. I went in relatively blind to the Minnesota Grey Ducks locker room. Fortunately, I was able to have a very informative and intriguing conversation with the Grey Ducks GM, Dewalt. In our conversation, we actually talked very little about the actual NSFL. We talked about where we’re from, the teams we like, and what’s happening in our lives. I knew from there that I was in the right hands and no longer felt scared about joining a new team. The locker room is always buzzing. You’re bound to see some sort of conversation going on in almost any channel. Everyone on the Grey Ducks is extremely lively and compassionate. It was, without a doubt, the best possible environment I could’ve been a part of. My player has also been extremely satisfying, so far. I could tell almost immediately that I made the right choice with how I created my player. But nothing’s more satisfying than the defense I have been able to play with. From player and human perspectives, they are all fantastic. Things have been a ton of fun so far and I can’t complain about much.
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420 Words(S22) - Ultimus Week - Thor - 05-26-2020
Quote:7) Selflessness is one thing, but ultimately everyone wants to hear their own player’s name mentioned among the greats. Take some time, in 400 words or more, and discuss how your player’s (or past player’s) career is going so far. Are you matching any expectations you set out for yourself? Do you see yourself on a potentially award winning or Hall of Fame career trajectory? If your player is just starting out, what goals and visions do you have for yourself?
When Heath Evans set out to play American Football, he left his dreams of being a rugby superstar behind. To be truly happy with his career, Heath will have to achieve some great things, the main goals he is aiming to achieve are; Making it to the NSFL, winning an Ultimus, winning a personal award, making a pro bowl and breaking a record (season or career). The reason Heath has so many goals, many of them lofty - is because he dreams of having a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, and it takes a lot to get to there.
After a stellar DSFL season in which he found himself with an Ultimini trophy and DSFL pro bowl to his name, Heath found himself drafted to the Arizona Outlaws in the second round of the Season 22 NSFL draft, this checked off the first goal on his list and the main necessity towards achieving the rest of his goals. He was drafted at #15 overall which exceeded both his expectations and many people in the leagues.
During his second season in the leagues, and his first with the Outlaws, Heath Evans had enough success to contribute towards his career goals, he is currently expecting to be nominated for the Tight End of the Year award, however is not seen to be in contention for winning it compared to the other candidates. While the Outlaws didn't have a season worthy of a playoff spot and are thought to be a season or two away from their window, they have set an outstanding foundation for the future, having drafted many young stars in the last few drafts. The league is also waiting on the pro bowl rosters to be announced, but currently there is still a possibility that Heath could achieve one of his goals for his career in this season. While he was unable to break any season records, Heath Evans led all non-offensive linemen in pancakes and had a significant 62 catches on the season - which will definitely help his case for breaking career records and to potentially make the Hall of Fame at the end of it.
There is still a lot of ground for Heath to cover over the course of his career, and there are no guarantees in a game like this - but he seems to be in a good spot to push for it. We will have to wait and see how this all plays out, because we're only one season into this career so far.
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420 WordsQuote:8) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S22 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
My experience in the league has been fantastic so far! I wasn't sure how involved I was going to be or how much time I'd really put in but immediately started max earning and was very happy to see my name called early by an incredible and active team in the DSFL draft. While I was unsure again going into the NSFL whether I'd continue that trend, being drafted in the second round had me so excited that I again haven't missed a task. The biggest contributor to that is the people I've met along the way, from the rookies I was drafted with in the S22 class, to the Beach Boys in Myrtle beach, and now my teammates in Arizona and friends on the rookie mentor team, everyone has been welcoming and helpful in encouraging my career. From talking about the Chargers with Jeff to typical aussie banter with NTG, talking streaming with Cola, talking shit to and about Frost with Mori, having shit talked about me by Jay Cue and working with Steg and Daybe on the international series, every moment has been a blast.
Though early in my career I expressed interest in becoming a rookie mentor, I became so invested in the league that I found myself applying for jobs whenever they came up looking to put more into the league and looking for opportunities to contribute. I was surprised at how infrequently they came up, and how difficult they were to get! Most did not even respond to my applications in any way - until the Rookie Mentor role had some openings. I was so pleased to see some openings and applied immediately and was so happy to be welcomed to the team along with a few other fantastic new mentors. I hope that more jobs continue to open in the future to see all the people who are willing and keen to invest in and contribute to the league be able to find a way to do so.
While there's always ways for the league to improve, sharing the workload is probably the best way - many hands make light work. It would be fantastic to see things continue to grow and develop so that the league can potentially expand again and create more places for interested people both in management roles and playing in the NSFL. Having the experience of being in a war room is fantastic for new players to gain more of an interest in the back end of the league, and more teams would give more players that opportunity.
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427 words(S22) - Ultimus Week - mithrandir - 05-26-2020
Tier 2: Task 5
I believe that NOLA linebacker Ugarth the Dissector should be the S22 Defensive Player of the Year. He was one of only two players in the top 10 in both passes defended and sacks. His versatility as both a pass rusher and a coverage linebacker is unrivaled. In addition to his 9 sacks and 16 PDs, he also had an interception, a fumble recovery, and led the league in forced fumbles with 4.
He had incredible statistics, and more importantly, he showed up big in the biggest moments. His first big game came in week 1. Playing at home against the division rival Sabercats, NOLA went down 7-0 in the first quarter. After punting, NOLA gave the ball back to San Jose again. With San Jose in NOLA territory, Ugarth made a tackle on first down and deflected a pass on third to stop the Sabercats. In the second quarter, down 7 points still with San Jose in field goal range, Ugarth picked off Dan Wright and returned it 43 yards to set up McCormick's tying TD for NOLA. NOLA eventually pulled away to a nine point lead, but with 4 minutes left, San Jose got a chance to pull closer. After a few plays, Ugarth came up with a huge sack on 3rd and 16, essentially ending the Sabercats' comeback chances.
Ugarth's week 3 performance was one of the best defensive performances of any player this season. In that home game against another divisional rival, the Arizona Outlaws, he racked up twelve tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Though the final score shows a 36-14 blowout win for New Orleans, this game was quite close until Ugarth took over. Going into the 4th quarter, NOLA only had a 16-7 lead. However, on the second play of the fourth quarter, Ugarth tackled RB Baby Yoda, forcing a fumble which was recovered by teammate Ben Tu'inukuafe. NOLA scored off of the turnover to extend the lead to 16. The first play of the very next drive, Arizona's QB Jay Cue took off running but was chased down by Ugarth who again forced the fumble! After a second Tu'inukuafe recovery, NOLA went down and kicked a field goal to push the game to three scores. Forced fumbles on back to back defensive snaps is an incredibly dominant performance. As icing on the cake, Ugarth sacked Cue with under two minutes left in the game, his second sack of the game, to put Arizona behind the chains, resulting in a 4 and out. When you consider Ugarth also had twelve tackles to go with his two sacks and two forced fumbles, you realize that he was personally responsible for ending at least five or six of Arizona's offensive possessions.
Between his gaudy statistics and these two incredible performances, both wins over division rivals which likely were the difference between making a missing the postseason, I argue that Ugarth is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Tier 2: Task 6
After an Ultimus victory last year, NOLA took a step back this year, barely making the playoffs and losing a close wild card matchup on the road against Austin. We are poised to be good in the future though, with a young and talented roster. This essay will assess each position for the Second Line and suggest moves from improving the roster overall.
Quarterbacks: NOLA is in a difficult position at the quarterback position. Stan Francisco is now deep in regression, but they have prized S22 prospect Ben Slothlisberger waiting in the DSFL. Likely, Sloth will be called up to the active roster, and Francisco and Slothlisberger will battle for the starting job. Neither are elite, but Sloth will continue to improve and will be top-tier in a season or two. NOLA is set at QB and just needs a little time to develop Slothlisberger.
Running backs: NOLA has one of the best running back duos in the league, with superstar Forrest Gump and rising talent Marcell Toriki. They have deestroyed defenses the last couple seasons and will continue to do so. Gump has been the starter and Toriki has been stellar in relief, but with Gump aging and Toriki passing 1000 TPE this week, next season expect Toriki to take over as the starter. With two elite players and Toriki still fairly young, NOLA is set at RB, but might want to draft Gump's replacement this season or next.
Wide Receivers: This is clearly NOLA's weakest position group, though it isn't entirely the team's fault. They have drafted many great receivers in recent years. Jed Podolak, Bender Rodriguez, and Action Jackson were all drafted by the Second Line, who were unable to retain any of them for various reasons. This left New Orleans last season with S13 Bona'beri Jones and converting S21 running back Ed Barker. With Jones now retired, NOLA desperately needs to acquire another receiver, be it through free agency, trade, or the draft.
Tight Ends: Though they are deficient at wide receiver, NOLA has a very good pair of tight ends. Austin McCormick is perhaps the best tight end in the league and is an elite earner in the S19 class. He played many snaps at wide receiver this season and will likely play a lot of wide receiver next season. In addition to McCormick, NOLA has S21 tight end Rainier Wolfcastle, more of a blocker than a receiver. NOLA is set at TE for a long time.
Offensive Linemen: Brave Ulysses is an aging S15 player and S18 Givussafare Rubbe is one of the best OL in the league. Given that NOLA likes offensive linemen, they will probably consider going after a lineman in the next season or two.
Cornerbacks: The Second Line are set at cornerback for the foreseeable future. They lost long-time star Deon Taylor to retirement this season, but they have two great S18 corners in David Rector and Xavien Adams. Rector is one of the best players at the position. Additionally, they have S22 first round pick Andrew Witten waiting in the wings.
Safeties: NOLA has a very good group of defensive backs. Joining the three cornerbacks are safeties Mason Blaylock, a S19 player who is turning into a star at the position, and S22 send down Literally Just A. Hexagon. With Taylor's retirement, NOLA will call Hexagon up to start in the defensive backfield.
Linebackers: The Second Line will be drafting a linebacker in the second round of next draft, GM Isastarcrossed's player. He will join regressing but still great Quentin Bode and DPOY and DROY candidate Ugarth the Dissector who had a fantastic debut season. Isa's player will likely play on the defensive line next season and then replace Bode the following season. They don't need another linebacker for at least another season or two.
Defensive Linemen: Bjorn Ironside is retired, so the Second Line will need to address the position. Hank Steel is a send down who is a fairly low earner, but he'll hit 300 TPE soon, so he might be called up. The other option might be moving either DE Ben T. or DE Dorfus Jimbo Jr inside to join S22 first rounder Magnus Rikiya at DT. Then one of the linebackers (likely de Pengu) could play as a LB at DE.
Kickers: Herbert Prohaska had a rough season kicking, and Prohaska is recently inactive, so he might not be getting any better. The Second Line could potentially take a flier on a better option at the position given how few draft needs they have.
Overall, New Orleans is poised to continue to make the playoffs going forward. With five or six fantastic starters as S18 or S19 players, their championship window is wide open. They'll continue to get better, and the six rookie starters from last season will continue to progress as well. If NOLA can add an elite wide receiver and add depth on the offensive and defensive lines, they will be a championship contender for years to come.
(S22) - Ultimus Week - IHateBobNutting - 05-27-2020
NSFL Ultimus Week
Tier 2 5/10
5) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
The first person I want to talk about is Dex Kennedy. When it comes to being a top tier Linebacker, the stats that are usually used are Tackles and Sacks. If we just looked at Tackles then you wouldn't understand why Dex Kennedy is the best Linebacker. He finished with 126 which was good enough for 6th overall as well as among Linebackers. However, when you look at sacks, everything makes sense. Kennedy not only led Linebackers in sacks but also led all defensive players in sacks as well. He was the only player with double-digit sacks as he finished with 12. The players tied for second place had 9 each. However, there is even more reason for Dex Kennedy to be the Linebacker of the Year. He came up big in 2 important games. In a rivalry game with the London Royals, Kennedy had 3 sacks and helped hold London to 6 points in the first half and 13 overall in a 28-13 win. The second game was a matchup with the Dallas Birddogs. Minnesota spent most of the game tied or behind Dallas after Dallas tied the game up at 7-7 late in the first quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, Minnesota led by Kennedy's 3 sacks and 11 tackles shut out and shut down Dallas enabling the offense to get the touchdown necessary to win the game 24-21. Dex Kennedy has shown that not only is he an amazing Linebacker, but he also rises to the occasion when he is needed.
The next person that I want to talk about may surprise some people. He isn't a teammate, he has only played 10 games, and he plays my position. I'm talking about Bobby Boomski. Now before we get to the main reason that I picked Bobby Boomski I want to go over his stats. He was 17/19 on Field Goals tied for the 2nd best Field Goal Percentage and the best Field Goal Percentage was by a kicker who only had 14 attempts. Many will point to the other man who went 17/19 Pseudo QB as the man who deserves Kicker of the Year because despite having a slightly lower Extra Point Percentage he had a lot more attempts. The main reason why I picked Bobby Boomski of Pseudo QB was a game that involved both of them. It was Week 10 and the Portland Pythons were hosting the Dallas Birddogs. The Pythons dominated the first half leading 21-6 at halftime. Dallas managed to fight back and tie the game up with 9 minutes left to play. As the clock ticked down it seemed that Overtime was inevitable. However, that was not meant to be. Bobby Boomski, on the road, with rain pouring down onto an already soaked field, nailed a 53 yard Field Goal with just 22 seconds remaining to win the game for Dallas. If he doesn't deserve Kicker of the Year then I don't know who does.
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500 WordsTier 3 11) Create a championship banner for your team, including relevant players and iconography. Graphics only. 2.5/10
![[Image: Minnesota_Grey_Ducks_NFC_Regular_Season_Champions.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/699246049826570323/712888362372956291/Minnesota_Grey_Ducks_NFC_Regular_Season_Champions.png)
Tier 4 13) Create a billboard, magazine cover, or video game cover depicting a superstar of the league. Graphics only. 2.5/10
![[Image: Billboard_NSFL_Inverted.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/699246049826570323/715095124169981972/Billboard_NSFL_Inverted.png)