*The Johnny Blaze Informer

[JBLAZE_THE_BOSS]

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]The Johnny Blaze Informer[/div]
Welcome readers to the inaugural edition of The Johnny Blaze Informer. This will serve as an update regarding all things with Orange County TE Johnny Blaze and his career. The fans have been begging Johnny on social media for a more involved presence, and Johnny is here to serve his people. Inside The Informer this week are Johnny’s thoughts about leaving Portland, and a look at how things are going in Massachusetts now that he is such a huge star. It is important to note for the audience that while this is authorized by Johnny himself, any direct quotes will be introduced and will be cleared. We consider it a public service to inform fans what is going on in Johnny’s life and offer them an avenue to connect with their favorite NSFL player. We hope you enjoy the ride
Sincerely,
Kevin Brady, Editor




[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Blaze Ecstatic to Leave Portland[/div]

ORANGE COUNTY— Orange County Otters prospect Johnny Blaze is expected to make his long-awaited debut after being taken in the first round of the Season 12 Draft. The past two seasons Blaze has been making a name for himself with the Portland Pythons. Blaze is a giant tight end and will be a welcomed target for the Otters offense that is looking to improve on an already Ultimus Championship-level. Blaze erupted on the scene after accruing 8 TD in his rookie DSFL season, and while this season was not as productive in the endzone, he still had 73 catches—good enough for #3 in the DSFL. Blaze is a dynamic weapon and will open the door for Orange County coaches to take advantage of the match-ups.

While Blaze has had an incredible impact on the field, his time off the field in Portland was less than ideal, according to the latest reports. There are some sources that indicate Blaze never felt comfortable in Portland. The sources indicate that while Blaze loved his teammates and team personnel, he just could not connect with the city of Portland. Blaze is a well-known head case when it comes to certain things, and it appears that geography is one of them. Even though Portland is displayed as some type of liberal utopia in television shows like Portlandia it was too insufferable even for Blaze—a noted coastal elitist liberal.

There was one day that was to have allegedly sent Blaze over the edge. There was a rare day off during the season, and Blaze wanted to celebrate by taking his first stroll in downtown Portland. Blaze was elated to run into Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo, as they both had deep ties to old New England money and project a public persona that is the complete opposite. However, after thirty-five minutes of the interaction, Blaze was disheartened to realize that this was not Cuomo; but a local resident. Distraught, Blaze quickly found solace in the fact that he subsequently ran into Courtney Love. Blaze was excited to finally meet Love, as he had pleasured himself to her many times as a young man. Much to Blaze’s behest however, it was not Love, but a vagrant night walker from Klamath Falls. Permanently traumatized, Blaze solemnly swore to himself he would never leave his condo again unless it was for food or football.

Finally, being exposed to the California sunshine is something that will be great for Blaze and his game. For someone that is such a giant human being, it will be beneficial for him to be working out and exercising in the Orange County climate. Blaze will also appreciate the structure that comes with playing for the Otters. Blaze’s agent is someone that Orange County fans will never forget: Hall of Famer Mike Boss. Boss has had quite the influence on Blaze, and it is no coincidence that Blaze ended up being drafted by the Otters. Boss had his eye on Blaze for years leading up to the draft, as they share the same hometown. Boss successfully negotiated a contract last season between his former team and his current client, making history with the Otters franchise yet again. We asked Boss what it means to him:

“To me, it means the world to be able to come back here to Orange County and advise Johnny in the best way that I can. I told him ever since I went back home and saw him light it up in our town’s annual Thanksgiving game that I would be looking out for him someday. He is the one who put in the work to get into a situation where the NSFL would even want to have him, my job at this point is easy. I’m glad I had my experiences in my career so I can give him advice when things come up, but I think it will be important for Johnny to craft his own path. I know that he didn’t feel like himself while he was in Portland, but that’s going to completely change in Orange County. It’s impossible to live in Orange County and not at least enjoy the weather, which is a decent start to your day. Johnny is never going to have to deal with another New England winter if he doesn’t want to, I think he’s fired up about that.”

While Blaze is excited to be making his NSFL debut in the coming days, there are a lot of questions surrounding what type of expectations we should have for him this season. His size alone makes it seem like he would be a good target inside of the red zone for Orange County, but he hasn’t exactly filled out his entire frame yet. He still lacks the strength to break off some of the advanced linebackers he has come across. Blaze is going to find it difficult to get separation against the best of the best if he doesn’t find a way to improve his upper-body strength and become more explosive off the line of scrimmage. It may be best to temper expectations, at least for this season, as Blaze tries to get accustomed to the league and playing with the best the world has to offer.

Not only is Blaze going to have to physically adapt to this style of gameplay, it is also an important question to wonder how many plays we can expect him to be on the field for. The Otters have two capable TE on the roster now with Blaze and McPoyal. Orange County obviously is hoping that Blaze takes the starting job and runs away with it, but for now, McPoyal is the veteran presence at the position that Blaze will be looking up to and competing with for reps. McPoyal, despite his age, is still producing at a better than replacement level. Last season he ranked in the upper half of all TE’s, having the highest average yards per reception rating, clocking in at 10.9. McPoyal added one touchdown and hauled in 54 balls from Showbiz. In comparison, Blaze had 73 catches for 702 yards and 3 TD last season in Portland, so he was far from a slouch himself. The fact is that the NSFL is a completely different game and Blaze will struggle at first to achieve this kind of success. Look for McPoyal to take the bulk of TE reps, at least at the beginning of the season.

There have been criticisms about Blaze’s long-term commitment to the game, some wondering if he was more interested in having a career in Hollywood instead of a career on the grid iron. It is a question that’s worth asking, Blaze is a specimen and could be an action film star someday. He’s been playing football since he was a young man and excels at it, but there are some that think he will eventually get involved with off-field projects that could overlap with his football career. Blaze has dodged questions about his retirement plans, which makes sense, as he has just started his career, and some may think it’s ridiculous to even speculate about the end of it at this point. Blaze has told team officials he’s all in for Orange County, and the team has reciprocated to this point. They’ve accommodated Blaze in nearly every way possible thus far. The team coordinated a car service as well as a gated condominium community for the youngster. Blaze specifically requested these as part of his rookie deal and the team obliged, something that not every rookie is lucky enough to get. This is the type of things players usually grow into after building up a repertoire with the organization, but Blaze was the exception to that rule. This could be another example of the influence of Blaze’s agent, Mike Boss, and his connections with the Otters organization. Boss knows exactly who to call and the front office isn’t about to say no to his requests anytime soon, if the relationship remains mutually beneficial. A team front office official when asked about the Boss and Blaze relationship with team management:
“Mike and Johnny are great guys to have in the Otters family. I was working as an intern with the team when the Mike Boss era began, and I personally saw the kind of guy he was from the bottom to the top. He carried himself a certain way during the QB controversy era, and he treated me the same then as he did when he was winning Ultimus Championships for us and Most Valuable Player awards. Boss asks us for favors for either him or Johnny sometimes, but it hasn’t gotten ridiculous. We are happy to help them as they’ve helped us. If Johnny has Mike’s endorsement, we know that holds a lot of weight. Mike has done a good job of keeping Johnny in check and keeping him motivated during his journey to the Otters roster. We’re excited to begin this chapter with Johnny and excited to begin this new chapter with Mike as an agent. They are two special guys and I look forward to working with them closely.”

There is nothing but nice words from those in the front office about the Massachusetts duo who has decided to make their imprint on Orange County, California. There are signs that Blaze is already becoming a popular figure with fans online. Blaze has been active on social media and engaging with fans for months now and has even showed up to some fans events unannounced leading to great photo opportunities. There was one particular situation where a fan was getting married but he had an emergency on his wedding day. Local resident Bobby Bobinsino was getting cold feet before marrying his wife Rhonda Rondrason, and reached out to Johnny Blaze for one of his Blaze Blunts™. Inspired by the desperate plea of a man who was about to sign his life away, Johnny managed to hand deliver one of his signature products to Bobby before he and Rhonda said “I Do”. It is situations like these where Blaze flourishes and gives the team a positive image in their community. He has been no stranger to community events, raising money and awareness for local schools and causes. Blaze could hardly be coerced to go outside while he was in Portland, but in Orange County he seems like a completely different person. Finally, able to break out of his shell, Blaze is doing a tremendous job exceling in a spot where he used to struggle mightily.


[div align=\\\"center\\\"] How is Blaze’s Hometown Reacting to His Stardom? [/div]

AUBIN, MA-- Johnny started his football journey in Central Massachusetts as a young man, and never looked back. He managed to avoid the sport until he was in junior high school, but Johnny was well known in his town of Aubin at an early age, as he was a baseball standout. After throwing too many curveballs before the age of 13, Johnny had Tommy John surgery at the age of 11 and his baseball career was over. Desperate to find another avenue for their child to someday make them money, Johnny’s parents decided to sign their son up for football. It worked out perfectly, Johnny was a star running back in junior high school and planted himself firmly on the map. His middle school science teacher Joanne Robbins:

“Johnny was always an athletic kid, so I always knew he would go pro in some sport. He was so upset after spending several months in a sling after his surgery. I think it was during that time he also developed a terrible addiction to prescription pain killers. He was the most beat down looking 11-year-old I had ever seen in my life. I swear to God, one time one of the janitors told me they caught him smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, reeking of alcohol and plagiarized homework. He was never the brightest in the classroom, that’s how I knew he was destined for this. I am happy for him, he has achieved his dream. I hope he’s able to stay healthy enough to stick around for a second NSFL contract.”

High praise from one of his former educators, it seems like Aubin is quickly becoming Blaze Town. Johnny has infected the region with Orange County fans, as many residents revolted against the NSFL once Mike Boss retired. A community revived and rejuvenated once more has willed their prodigal son from local product to a down period in Portland, and now at the top of the mountain in Orange County. A leisurely stroll down his childhood street will show nearly every house with an Otters flag hanging on the front of it. There is a sense of community here that has been missing for years, and that is good news for residents as well as local businesses. The region saw a financial boom when Boss and the Otters were going on their run, as residents flooded restaurants and retail stores. Outside of Orange County the largest concentration of Otters fans can be found in Aubin, Massachusetts. While it would be difficult to replicate the Boss-era of finances, local shopkeepers are cautiously optimistic about what the future may hold. Roy Mecapt, local pizza merchant, offered this perspective:

“There is no doubt in my mind there is some sort of Blaze-effect that is happening here. I saw it happen when Boss was on top of the world. This place would be packed to the brim on game days, I would make the most money all year during football season. People would come here early in the morning, drink our beer, and consume Orange County Otters football. Overall, I think this is a great thing for our community. It gives us a connection to the other coast, and it allows us to support a local product who is helping to put us on the map. There are a lot of hard-working people in this town, and they like to unwind by watching football together. My business isn’t the only one that sees a boom when things like this happen. I can only hope Blaze performs at a fraction of the rate that Boss did. If they can do that, I will be a wealthy man well into my retirement.”

Local aspirations aside, there is no doubt that Blaze has had an impact on his hometown, which is something that some people can only hope to achieve.


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