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+---- Thread: *Carlito's Way (/showthread.php?tid=8937)
*Carlito's Way - JKortesi81 - 05-29-2018
“ITS GONNA TAKE A LOT TO DRAG ME AWAY FROM YOUUUUUUUUUUUU. THERE’S NOTHING THAT 100 MEN OR MORE COULD EVER DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I BLESSED THE RAINS DOWN IN AFRICAAAAA”
Being reinvigorated is just straight up fucking fantastic. I have life and energy coursing through my veins that I haven’t felt in a while. Of course, that could just be the Hulkamania flowing through me. That never leaves you. Why am I singing one of Toto’s greatest hits you ask? Well first off, it’s a bad ass song. Secondly, I just feel great man. I had a crazy offseason. After getting traded from my home in Colorado to Orange County, I felt about 47 emotions per second. Happiness, Guilt, Excitement, Sadness, etc. If its an emotion, I felt it. The guys in OCO were absolute fucking studs. Made me feel welcome and used me the way I needed to be used. The run to the Ultimus was absolutely spectacular. Yeah, we lost, but sometimes things don’t work out so perfectly. I wasn’t “just happy to be there” of course, but still it was a great ride.
The offseason itself was a crazy rush of hard work and hard choices. I’ve already previously exclaimed to myself, and others, that Carlito Crush is going to be a full time WR this season. The tight end position just wasn’t everything I wanted it to be. I felt I could be doing much more and wrecking this league, if given the opportunity. But, for teams to believe in me, I had to believe in myself. So I went to work three days after the Ultimus. Yeah, I didn’t know where I was going to end up playing, but I knew that I’d be ready to be any team’s #1 WR if needed. The one thing I had going for me is that I had the knowledge to get my body ready for such a switch. Playing tight end in the NSFL meant I had to be a bit bigger and thicker than I’d like to be, mainly for blocking purposes. I had to get leaner and faster. I called my dad up from the Dominican Republic and together we created a nice team of trainers and nutritionists and I got to WORK. We’re talking crossfit training, wind sprints down the beach with a parachute tied to my waist, light weight training. I didn’t lift heavy, but I lifted so many reps.
My diet was restricted to a LOT of water and carbs just went bye bye. I didn’t eat a ton of carbs anyway, but during my “sad period”, I definitely wasn’t the Carlito Crush I used to be in terms of body and diet. We’re getting back to that though. I worked the shit out of my core, and my legs. The pounds melted off, even though it was harder since I was essentially all muscle. In the span of one offseason, I went from 260 pounds at my weigh in for the Ultimus to a tight 225 pounds now. It was insane work, but I did it. I’ve never been faster, yet I’m just as strong. I feel like a god damned monster. I couldn’t be more ready for the NSFL this season. In effort to be more aerodynamic, I even cut my beautiful, lion’s mane afro too. The less drag from my hair helps a bit. I laughed because at this season’s physicals, they’re saying that I’m 6’3 now. I used to be listed at 6’6 with my hair. I find that incredibly hilarious.
That was the hard work, but the hard choices were the real deal man. The NSFL is fun because just after the Ultimus, free agents become free agents ASAP. So there I was, fresh off an Ultimus loss, and my phone started going off again, just like it did when Colorado put my name on the trade block a few months earlier. Respectfully, and understandably, I didn’t respond to anyone. The last thing I’d do is entertain anyone’s texts when I’m sitting in a room with a bunch of guys I just battled with. Especially after losing.
But, the fun began. I received messages from most of the teams in the league. Orange County was already talking to me before free agency started, so they don’t count. But I would receive messages from New Orleans, Baltimore, Colorado, Arizona, and Yellowknife. Yellowknife seemed to miss the memo that I’d be going to WR, and they backed out pretty quickly. And that’s okay, they didn’t have the room for me there. Still glad they reached out.
Colorado did ask when I’d be ready to come home, but Meme was so nice about it when I told him its going to be a bit. I wasn’t ready to just jump back to the Yeti, and with myself becoming a WR, its not a good fit. They have Aaron and Miller. They don’t need me coming back and wrecking their learning curves. Colorado goes 4-10 this year. Just watch.
Arizona was a team that I never had on my radar, along with San Jose (which I guess its good then didn’t contact me?), because they’re clearly rebuilding and I just almost retired over a rebuild. But they have a crazy good plan, and I really like what they’re doing there. It wasn’t for me, but I did leave my conversations with them quite impressed. They’re still washing the stink of the tragedies from earlier in the league’s history off of them, but they’re going to get there sooner than people may think.
That leaves Orange County, New Orleans, and Baltimore. Baltimore has a stud QB and a stud RB. Honestly, going to WR and teaming up would give us a disgusting fucking offense. Avon Blocksdale himself came right up to me and did his best to recruit me. I struggled with this one for a while. I could see how much we’d blow up the league together. BUT, there was one problem. I needed money. All of this offseason training and the new diet didn’t come cheap. I was looking to get paid handsomely-ish. Baltimore didn’t have the cap room for that type of contract. And even then, I STILL had them ranked really highly and started looking into other cash avenues. But when I finally came to a choice, I had to chase the easier money.
New Orleans, you’re fucking fantastic. You made this the hardest decision of my sim life. Talk about the red carpet being rolled out for a guy! Besides GMs, so many players reached out to me to talk about the Second Line and how great that locker room and community is. They could pay me the money I was looking for, they have an awesome group of guys, and I was just blown away by everything they threw at me. I don’t know every single team in the NSFL, but I do know that the Second Line are the example of what teams in this league should strive to be. But of course….
….I resigned in Orange County. A one year deal for $6 Million dollars. Why did I go back? Well, besides the fact that I think Orange County gives me the best path to making the Ultimus again, I truly think that I owe them one. They took a chance on me, paid a price to get me, and I let them down. We should’ve won the Ultimus, and if we had, I’d probably be a Second Line or a Hawk right now. Maybe. The Otters community isn’t the world’s most active, but it’s much more quality over quantity. I don’t have to point out how great of a dude Angus Winchester (@timeconsumer) is, but he’s someone I’ve grown fond of over the last few months. Ian Bavitz (@Molarpistols) is another gem who just treated me with such respect ever since I got to OCO. He’s a star human being. I could list more, but just if they’re an Otter, they’re fantastic. (even fucking @Jiggly_333, the weird little brother I never wanted, but don’t tell him that. He finished second in a race once. True story.)
Like I said though, with Arizona and San Jose rebuilding, and NOLA being *almost* there, it felt like OCO has the best path to walk through the ASFC and make another Ultimus. With Baltimore, Yellowknife, and Philadelphia beating the hell out of each other in the NSFC, I’ll stick with the Otters and hopefully they’ll see just why they traded for me. I’m excited to see what we do in Orange County this year, even I’m only here on a one season contract.
Needless to say, I haven’t been this excited about the NSFL since my draft year in S5. I forgot just how many awesome people are here on the site. The free agency experience was as bad ass as I imagined. I’m really happy to be back in Orange County, for sure. After the preseason showed me how Carlito Crush, Speed Receiver can do (I mean, 8 TDs in 4 games? Pinch me.), I think I have a really good shot to do some damage and win some people some fantasy leagues. (I drafted myself, remember, NOT a TE people! Sorry.) I can’t wait to see how the season plays out. Let’s get it started!
See you on the field,
Carlito Crush (1565 Words)
*Carlito's Way - Jiggly_333 - 05-29-2018
(05-28-2018, 11:30 PM)JKortesi81 Wrote:(even fucking @Jiggly_333, the weird little brother I never wanted, but don’t tell him that. He finished second in a race once. True story.)
![[Image: rSvn6J1.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/rSvn6J1.gif)
*Carlito's Way - TheMemeMaestro - 05-29-2018
I'll be rooting for you (when you don't play us that is...)
*Carlito's Way - timeconsumer - 05-29-2018
Ignore all the haters. We got another run in us this season.
Otter Slaughter
*Carlito's Way - Molarpistols - 05-29-2018
*Carlito's Way - Beaver - 05-29-2018
*Carlito's Way - iamslm22 - 05-29-2018
Good luck bro. One day, in some league, we'll be teammates.