*Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - Printable Version +- [DEV] ISFL Forums (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums) +-- Forum: Community (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=5) +--- Forum: Media (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=37) +---- Forum: Graded Articles (http://dev.sim-football.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=38) +---- Thread: *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser (/showthread.php?tid=17232)

*Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - terriblehippo - 12-30-2019 Quenton Bode steps up to the podium. "Obviously our season didn't end the way we had hoped it would, but I still have a lot to say about it. I'll start taking questions now." ? --timeconsumer " ! "To give a more serious answer, I'll fully admit that when I first heard the news about San Antonio's rebrand, I was a little less than enthused. The Marshals mean so much to the league and to me personally; moving and relocating the team seemed like such an insult. Like I hate to say it out loud, but that was my initial reaction--I felt insulted. Like, how could you do that to me and to my team? But Peter Brand and Loon Maverick have done a great job handling that transition and managing the team, and the more I saw them at work the more I grew to appreciate what they were trying to do. And I think they've been very successful at that. So while my initial reaction wasn't positive, as time has gone on I feel a lot better about the Grey Ducks. I'll always hold a special place in my heart for the Marshals, but I think that the Grey Ducks are worthy successors. I'm really excited to watch them win the Ultimini this season." How do you feel about this past season in New Orleans? Do you feel like the team achieved what they set out to do? --IsaStarcrossed "I feel excellent about New Orleans' season. We ended Season 18 in a really heartbreaking way, and that cloud really hung over us during the offseason. But it also lit a fire under us; even the players we brought in during the draft and free agency could feel that fire. And even looking beyond Season 18--I had never had a winning season in New Orleans, and the team as a whole hadn't had one since Season 11. We also hadn't had a playoff appearance in that time period, so Season 18 was another disappointment in a long line of them. It also ended up being the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak: going into Season 19, everybody in the locker room was 100% tuned into what we were trying to do, and that chemistry and readiness made a huge difference. My personal goal is always the Ultimus, so in that respect I guess we fell short. But making the playoffs was the first big step, and we finally got there, so the Ultimus won't be too far behind. Our squad is at the top of their game in every aspect, and they're already locked in for next season. This past season was just an indicator of what the team is capable of." Now that there is a season in New Orleans under their belt, how do you feel about the player additions the team made in the S19 offseason? --IsaStarcrossed "I love our newest additions to the team. There was a lot of noise surrounding Marcella and her free agency, but she handled it like a professional; she came into the locker room ready to work from the very first day. She has been a huge force for this team and I know she's only just getting started. It was a huge honor to get to share a locker room with Vinny Valentine too, even though we have different roles. He taught me a lot about the game, as well as how to conduct myself off the field. Whenever you get to play alongside a talent like that, you have to make the most of it. And as far as our rookies, each and every one of them impressed me this season. To give a little peak behind the curtain, we like to award game balls to players each game for impressive performances, one for offense and one for defense. Two of our three rookies--Prohaska and Arianlacher--each won at least one game ball this season, and there were several games where McCormick could have won it. This has been one of our best rookie classes in terms of coming in and making an impact right off the bat. So top to bottom, from the veterans to the relative newcomers to the true rookies, every addition we made was crucial to our success this season." Have you paid much attention to the newest class of rookies? New Orleans looks to enter the draft with a single selection at pick eight. Is there anyone you're hoping the team can grab at that spot? --IsaStarcrossed "I'll be honest, I've been so focused on finishing the regular season strong and preparing for the playoffs that I haven't paid much attention to the incoming rookies. Now that our season is over, I've started to look at some of the prospects. And I gotta say, I'm really impressed with what I've seen so far. There's a lot of talent about to enter the league, and I'm excited to see them all in action in the big leagues. I don't want to say too much about who the team is hoping to get, and I certainly have players in my mind that I'd like to see with the Second Line next season. But the front office has nailed every single draft since I've been with the team, and I'm fully confident that they'll nail this one as well." What are your goals next season both as a player and as a team? --IsaStarcrossed "That's a great question. Coming into this season, I took a slightly lesser role in the defense: this defense is full of great players, and I wanted to see each of them reach their full potential, so I backed off a little bit. It meant that some of my stats weren't as good as they had been in the past, but it also resulted in our best season in a long time. So next season, I'm going to continue working to find that balance between playing to my full potential and helping my teammates play at theirs. As a team, I think we need to build on this season, so I think we should be aiming at an Ultimus appearance. Obviously I think we can--and will--win the Ultimus, but continuing to improve and push farther and farther should be our aim. If we can do that, the championships will come." In what ways do you think New Orleans can improve and finally push beyond the hurdle that is Orange County? --IsaStarcrossed "Orange County is a really good squad. You don't win the Ultimus three times in a row on a fluke. And honestly, there's a really small part of me that admires what they're doing. I mean at some point, you just have to stand back and give respect where respect is due, and they've definitely earned it. But I'm a competitor first and foremost, and that means that I want to beat them, period. They're a tough opponent, to be sure, and any team that is gonna try to go toe-to-toe with them better be ready for a fight. But if there's anybody that can knock them down a few pegs, it's us. I mean look at this season: not only did we beat them pretty handily in our house, we came really close to beating them in theirs. And the playoffs in their stadium is a monstrous obstacle, but we came extremely close to surmounting that obstacle. So while we didn't overcome that hurdle this season, I think we drew blood; we showed that they can be beaten. And as I'm looking at next season, and all the players we have and all the players we're hoping to get and all the work our squad is already starting to put in, I can't help but think that we're gonna give it to them next season. So, to actually answer your question, I think we just need to keep on doing what we've been doing: working hard, making smart trades, drafting well, and preparing fully for every single game." Speaking of, how do you feel about another potential Orange County championship? --IsaStarcrossed "Like I said earlier, the small part of me that's purely a fan of good football is just in awe of what Orange County has been able to do these past few seasons. They've established themselves as the team to beat year after year, and as someone who plays in this league I understand just how hard that is to do. So there's a very small part of me that just appreciates the level of football they've been able to play for three or four seasons in a row. It's incredibly difficult to do, so I have a certain amount of respect for them for being able to do it so well. And if they win another championship, that just builds on their success and adds to the respect they're deserved. As a competitor, I don't want to see anybody but my team hoisting that Ultimus trophy at the end of the day. But as a lover of football, I can appreciate what they're doing to get and stay on top." Why does New Orleans continue to be the best team and best locker room in the NSFL? --IsaStarcrossed "We're the best locker room in the league because our front office makes a concentrated effort to bring in players who have positive, winning attitudes. Everybody on the team wants to be there, and has a true desire to not only win and not only do well personally, but to see the team and their teammates win and do well. The front office has worked hard to cultivate that positive locker room culture, and that's resulted in having a team that wants to work hard and to be accountable. We've had some issues in the past with players disrupting that positive energy, and as talented as they were and as much as we could've benefited from keeping them on the roster, we had to let them go, and that's because the locker room culture is a key to success. And that leads into my next point, which is that I think we're the best team in the league because we're the best locker room in the league. Like I said, when the attitude in your locker room is good, people want to be there and want to work hard, because they enjoy being on the team and they want the team to do well. I've never experienced it personally, but when a locker room is negative and quiet and just an all-around bummer, it's easy to slack off and find excuses to quit. But when the whole team is energized and supports and encourages each other, you want to put in that effort, because you care about your team and your teammates. And that makes it easy to attract new players, and to keep talent from going elsewhere. Locker room culture is everything, and I'm glad that I've gotten a chance to help cultivate that in New Orleans." If you could switch Bode with any other NSFL player who would it be? --slothfacekilla "Here's the thing: even if I could do that, and switch with any other player in the league, I still wouldn't want to play anywhere other than New Orleans. A lot of people don't know this about me, but when I first started playing football in high school, I was a running back. Now I love playing as a linebacker, but there's always been a small part of me that was curious about how I would do in the NSFL if I were still a running back. So if I had to pick, I'd probably switch with Marcella Toriki. Obviously she's incredibly talented and has been a big boost for us on offense, but I'm also curious about what it's like to be such a big name free agent. She has told me multiple times that it's overrated and not as exciting as one might think, but I want to find out for myself. I just signed an extension that will keep me in New Orleans for the next few years, and that might end up being the rest of my career, so chances are I'll never get to actually experience free agency. If I could switch places with Toriki and live vicariously through her, so to speak, I could some questions answered." Any goals for Bode you want to reach before retiring? --slothfacekilla "The biggest one is and always will be winning an Ultimus. That's the one goal I've always wanted to achieve, even before I was in the league, and that's still my number one priority. So winning a championship--or even multiple--is my main focus. Besides that, I really don't know. I know I have a chance to become the Second Line's leading tackler, so I think that would be really nice. I'd also like to end up somewhere on the all-time tackles list; obviously, the higher the better. And I've come really close to breaking the Second Line's single-game tackle record, so I'd like to get that before I retire. But all of that is secondary to the Ultimus, obviously. Winning the Ultimus is everything to me." What does a polar bear eat? --slothfacekilla "Typically, polar bears in the wild eat seals. As for me, I've been living in New Orleans long enough that I appreciate good gumbo and jambalaya. Honestly the food is one of my favorite things about living in New Orleans." What is your favorite type of music? --slothfacekilla "Growing up I listened to a lot of classic rock, and that's still my favorite genre. But again, I've been living in New Orleans for so long that I've really come to enjoy jazz as well. And of course, it's always great to hear the 'music' that comes with the Second Line second win." If you could take control of a team and move anywhere/rebrand, what would you do? --slothfacekilla "Oh wow, that's a big question. I think the NSFL could really benefit from establishing an international franchise. And I know we already have a franchise in Canada, but I'm talking about having an NSFL team in Europe or Asia or Africa. I know that gridiron football will never be as popular globally as actual football, but I think having bringing our brand of football to a place that hasn't really been exposed to it would go a long way toward growing the league and the sport as a whole. There were a lot of proposals floated a few years ago, when the league expanded to ten teams, and I would've liked to see the league go in a non-traditional direction. As for specifics, I don't know who I would move or rebrand; all of the teams are special in their own unique way, and I would hate to have to be the one to disrupt that. Every team is someone's favorite team, you know? And the specific rebrand would depend on where the team moved to. But, to give an actual answer, my family is largely Scottish by blood, and I've always thought it was pretty neat that the national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. So seeing a team like the Glasgow Unicorns take the field would be awesome, in my opinion." *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - timeconsumer - 12-30-2019 ? *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - IsaStarcrossed - 12-31-2019 How do you feel about this past season in New Orleans? Do you feel like the team achieved what they set out to do? Now that there is a season in New Orleans under their belt, how do you feel about the player additions the team made in the S19 off season? Have you paid much attention to the newest class of rookies? New Orleans looks to enter the draft with a single selection at pick eight. Is there anyone you're hoping the team can grab at that spot? What are your goals next season both as a player and as a team? In what ways do you think New Orleans can improve and finally push beyond the hurdle that is Orange County? Speaking of, how do you feel about another potential Orange County championship? Why does New Orleans continue to be the best team and best locker room in the NSFL? *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - terriblehippo - 01-02-2020 Thanks @timeconsumer and @IsaStarcrossed! Loved answering your questions! *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - slothfacekilla - 01-02-2020 If you could switch Bode with any other NSFL player who would it be? Any goals for Bode you want to reach before retiring? What does a polar bear eat? What is your favorite type of music? If you could take control of a team and move anywhere/rebrand, what would you do? *Quenton Bode Post-S19 Presser - terriblehippo - 01-04-2020 Thanks for the great questions @slothfacekilla!