Me: You say that honesty even has another motive. People were pretty surprised to hear you quite openly state that you were planning on drafting Dean Jackson with the 5th pick. Was this an example?
AE: Some. We knew that the Yeti planned on drafting him with the 9th pick but they also had the 1st and 2nd. We were 95% sure they wouldn't jump on him then but we figured that making it known meant there was the slightest chance they did. By the time the morning of the draft rolled around though, we knew it wasn't going to happen. Hell, we had Dean out at the stadium an hour before we technically picked him. The Yeti contacted us at the last minute once they knew we were picking him and we damn near snagged the 9th pick in a separate trade because of it. I think we tipped them off, though. They took the guy we were planning on taking there. That's the nature of the game.
The Colorado Yeti drafted Safety Michael Tillman with the 9th pick.
Me: So what are your plans for this franchise going forward? I can't blame the people who say they don't see a clear path forward for a team that's still somewhat in flux. You have a lot of new faces, a mostly new staff, and no one knows who exactly will own the team or where it will be in five years.
AE: It's exciting, right?
He laughs again.
AE: I want to build a long term winner here. So do 7 other GMs in this league. And that's not counting the expansion that's probably happening in a few years. Man. The Commish is going to take an entire afternoon off to yell at me when this publishes.
Me: Is expansion a definite plan?
AE: It's....really really likely. The topic has come up but the league is still young enough that no one has wanted to take it completely seriously yet. Don't expect that to last long. The talent and fanbase has expanded so rapidly and aggressively that if it doesn't slow in the next few seasons we'll have to add a couple teams. Plus I'm pretty sure the worst scandals are behind us. Well..either that or I absolutely pity the GM who has to deal with whatever that disaster is. I know it won't be me or the Outlaws. Those days are over.
He smacks a fist on the table as he says the last few words, punctuating his declaration with a gleam in his eye that doesn't bode well for anyone who tries to bring any trouble down on his team.A quick grin sets things to normal, though.
AE: Sorry. Been dealing with this crap for a while now. Let’s say it’s a big part of my thought process.
Me: I know you're busy so I'll only ask a few more questions. A lot of Outlaw fans have questioned whether you have any loyalty to the team at all after the numerous trades. The things you've been saying today seem to go along with that. What do you say to them?
AE: Well, sometimes things suck. I didn't want to trade almost everyone who left our team, with the exception of Tuck. The cheater, not the murderer. But I had to build a new team to put on the field. Players worth starting don't grow on trees in this league and they don't come without cost. That's the unfortunate nature of things. I have to balance the long term future of this team against everything else. And in this first days we were pretty desperate about putting a full team on the field at all, let alone protecting people's favorite players. I know that's not going to make it okay for some people and that's fine. Just please try to see the difference between you not agreeing and me not caring. Sometimes it might look the same but that doesn’t mean it is.
Me: You’ve openly stated that you’d like to give Ultimus trophies back but that the league won’t let you. Was this a discussion that actually took place?
AE: Multiple discussions actually. I tried to argue that the second and third championships were irrevocably tainted and that there’s no way we could claim them. It troubles some of the players, I know. They have these rings they can’t feel pride in. Others disagree, of course. They did the work so in their minds they earned it. I can’t argue that. From where I’m sitting though, we never actually proved we earned them.
Me: You say we despite not being part of the team at the time.
AE: I am now. And even if they weren’t my mistakes I’m the one taking the flak for them so they might as well be for all that it matters.
Me: Okay, in recent weeks a phrase has appeared in a lot of Outlaws based media and in some cases players. D.OT.H. which seems to stand for dust on the horizon. What is that?
AE: It's something of a team motto. With everything going on we've been really focused on moving forward and growing away form the things that happened. I was meeting with the players and talking about that movement forward when our new Cornerback, Alex Hayden said the phrase. It was a perfect fit. Everything that's happened is exactly what it says. Dust on the horizon behind us. That's our biggest goal in all of this really.
He thanked me for my time and texted someone once again before leaving money for a drink I never actually ordered and then he was gone. In the end I felt like I learned so much and not much at all about the man I'd spent almost an hour talking to. Only time will tell how well his young tenure actually works out or if this even turns out to be the person who turns the beleaguered franchise around in the eyes of fans. It seems like a good start, though.
GRADED
AE: Some. We knew that the Yeti planned on drafting him with the 9th pick but they also had the 1st and 2nd. We were 95% sure they wouldn't jump on him then but we figured that making it known meant there was the slightest chance they did. By the time the morning of the draft rolled around though, we knew it wasn't going to happen. Hell, we had Dean out at the stadium an hour before we technically picked him. The Yeti contacted us at the last minute once they knew we were picking him and we damn near snagged the 9th pick in a separate trade because of it. I think we tipped them off, though. They took the guy we were planning on taking there. That's the nature of the game.
The Colorado Yeti drafted Safety Michael Tillman with the 9th pick.
Me: So what are your plans for this franchise going forward? I can't blame the people who say they don't see a clear path forward for a team that's still somewhat in flux. You have a lot of new faces, a mostly new staff, and no one knows who exactly will own the team or where it will be in five years.
AE: It's exciting, right?
He laughs again.
AE: I want to build a long term winner here. So do 7 other GMs in this league. And that's not counting the expansion that's probably happening in a few years. Man. The Commish is going to take an entire afternoon off to yell at me when this publishes.
Me: Is expansion a definite plan?
AE: It's....really really likely. The topic has come up but the league is still young enough that no one has wanted to take it completely seriously yet. Don't expect that to last long. The talent and fanbase has expanded so rapidly and aggressively that if it doesn't slow in the next few seasons we'll have to add a couple teams. Plus I'm pretty sure the worst scandals are behind us. Well..either that or I absolutely pity the GM who has to deal with whatever that disaster is. I know it won't be me or the Outlaws. Those days are over.
He smacks a fist on the table as he says the last few words, punctuating his declaration with a gleam in his eye that doesn't bode well for anyone who tries to bring any trouble down on his team.A quick grin sets things to normal, though.
AE: Sorry. Been dealing with this crap for a while now. Let’s say it’s a big part of my thought process.
Me: I know you're busy so I'll only ask a few more questions. A lot of Outlaw fans have questioned whether you have any loyalty to the team at all after the numerous trades. The things you've been saying today seem to go along with that. What do you say to them?
AE: Well, sometimes things suck. I didn't want to trade almost everyone who left our team, with the exception of Tuck. The cheater, not the murderer. But I had to build a new team to put on the field. Players worth starting don't grow on trees in this league and they don't come without cost. That's the unfortunate nature of things. I have to balance the long term future of this team against everything else. And in this first days we were pretty desperate about putting a full team on the field at all, let alone protecting people's favorite players. I know that's not going to make it okay for some people and that's fine. Just please try to see the difference between you not agreeing and me not caring. Sometimes it might look the same but that doesn’t mean it is.
Me: You’ve openly stated that you’d like to give Ultimus trophies back but that the league won’t let you. Was this a discussion that actually took place?
AE: Multiple discussions actually. I tried to argue that the second and third championships were irrevocably tainted and that there’s no way we could claim them. It troubles some of the players, I know. They have these rings they can’t feel pride in. Others disagree, of course. They did the work so in their minds they earned it. I can’t argue that. From where I’m sitting though, we never actually proved we earned them.
Me: You say we despite not being part of the team at the time.
AE: I am now. And even if they weren’t my mistakes I’m the one taking the flak for them so they might as well be for all that it matters.
Me: Okay, in recent weeks a phrase has appeared in a lot of Outlaws based media and in some cases players. D.OT.H. which seems to stand for dust on the horizon. What is that?
AE: It's something of a team motto. With everything going on we've been really focused on moving forward and growing away form the things that happened. I was meeting with the players and talking about that movement forward when our new Cornerback, Alex Hayden said the phrase. It was a perfect fit. Everything that's happened is exactly what it says. Dust on the horizon behind us. That's our biggest goal in all of this really.
He thanked me for my time and texted someone once again before leaving money for a drink I never actually ordered and then he was gone. In the end I felt like I learned so much and not much at all about the man I'd spent almost an hour talking to. Only time will tell how well his young tenure actually works out or if this even turns out to be the person who turns the beleaguered franchise around in the eyes of fans. It seems like a good start, though.
Code:
1021GRADED
![[Image: 68.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/722696337912496132/759304283312881684/68.png)
