(S6) - Ultimus Week

[Oles]

Welcome to Ultimus Week! This is a special point task that will close on Sunday March 25th at 11:59PM PST . It is broken down into eight written and eight graphic point tasks of which you will choose FOUR to complete. Each point task completed is worth 2.5 TPE and you can earn a maximum of 10 TPE from this event.

NOTE: Each written point task has a 200 word count.
NOTE x2: You can complete four point tasks in any combination of written and/or graphics.
NOTE x3: Please keep all submissions you make to ONE post.
NOTE x4: Graphical submissions must be more than text added to an image. Text thrown on a single image will no receive credit unless it shows significant statistical content or creativity.


There will be some limitations as to when certain tasks can be completed. Here are each of the tasks listed below, and with special notes if any limitations apply.


Written Points

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

New Talent: Write about which S6 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them. Must be completed after the playoff series you write about

Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Game Recap: Do a recap of the best play from the championship game. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

That Magic Moment: Pick one moment from a playoff game and describe what made it so amazing to watch. (Must be completed after the game you write about)

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Who was the unsung hero of the playoffs, convince us. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)

Sit-down with a fan:Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT. (Can be completed at any point)


Graphic Points

Robbed: Make a graphical stat comparison of a team who failed to qualify for playoffs but why they should have over another team. Can be completed at any point

Future Talent: Make a sig for a S6 player who you feel will or did make a large impact for their team in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good

Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point

Conference Final MVP Sig: Make a sig for a player of your choice who you felt was the MVP of a Conference Final matchup. Must be completed after the Conference Finals

Playoff Recap Infographic: Make a graphic displaying the results of the playoffs. Must be completed after the Championship Game

Championship Banner: Make a banner featuring the champions of the league (can be NSFL or DSFL) in the same style as the current banner featured at the top of the NSFL site. This can feature the team celebrating their trophy, or just a few key players that helped the team win the league. Must be completed after the Championship Game

That Magic Moment: Show one of the most exciting points in a game. (Must be completed after the game you write about )

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Matchup Nightmares: Pick an offensive and defensive player who will be going up against each other and why it will be a nightmare for one of them. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

Going to Disneyland!:Pick an MVP of the Ultimus game and create a billboard showing their trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Unsung Hero:Create a billboard for the unsung hero of the playoffs. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Old Faces, New Places:Create a graphic for a player who changed teams during free agency this past off season and made the playoffs. Show how they've changed on their new team or what kind of impact they made for their new team. (Can be completed at any time)

[Oles]

. Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else.

They’ve been the topic of conversation multiple times for this specific task. Yes, it’s the Hawks. Once again, the Baltimore based team just missed the playoffs despite looking strong for a good part of the season, floundering late and letting the reigning NSFC champion Wraiths back into the playoff hunt. The Wraiths looked horrible at points this season, and at their lowest they were 1 point away from losing to the team that used to be in Las Vegas, the New Orleans Second Line. While the team is trending in the right direction, the Wraiths should have never tied the game with the Second Line, and it showed that they at times seemed to either be underperforming or they were overrated. They eventually found their way and were able to beat out the Hawks, who just struggled to close out the deal, they couldn’t find that last win they needed to cement their playoff berth and it came back to haunt them, as they let the Wraiths back into it and were faced with having to beat the Liberty or the Wraiths to get in. The Hawks were a curious case last season, dropping both games to the Outlaws, Wraiths, and Sabercats, but taking a game from the Otters and Liberty, they seemed like they were on the fast track to the number 1 NSFC seed, but instead they dropped 3 of their last 4 games and narrowly missed out on the playoffs as a tie eventually kept them out of the playoffs. (253 words)

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have?

I talked about it in the Robbed task, and I’ll mention it again here. The Wraiths should not have made the playoffs and they were frankly the 3rd best team in the NSFC this season. They started 2-1, dropping the first game of the season to the Liberty, and then beating the Yeti in Colorado and beating the Hawks at home. The team was looking good and they were looking like they would be a force in the playoff race, even if their loss was a bit concerning as they dropped the game at home. Then they started to drop games, they tied the Second Line in week 4, going to 2-1-1, and then lost 3 straight games and it was looking dire at 2-4-1. The team was struggling, and they had just had an embarrassing stretch, and they were looking to right the ship and that’s exactly what they did. Even with the stretch they had, going 5-2 over the last 7 games, they were still relying on the Hawks or Liberty to start slowing down, and that didn’t look like it was going to happen. The fact was that they were not in control of their destiny, hoping for a miracle, and that’s exactly what they got when the Hawks started to see their season go the same path as season 4 did. (225 words)

Sit-down with a star:Interview a player from a team that is not your own that is in the playoffs. You must ask them four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. YOU MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS FOR CREDIT.

Interview was done with @Bzerkap

1. The Wraiths surprised a lot of people this season, and not all of it was for the right reasons. We saw the Wraiths underperform for most of the season and barely make it to the playoffs. Were there struggles among the team when you all were floundering, or did you keep your hopes up that you’d right the ship?

Yea it wasn’t the season we expected but we can’t complain too much I mean we did make the playoffs. That was the goal. Another Ultimus berth is what we really wanted but, can’t complain about the playoffs. We had a chance and failed. On to next year. This year though we really wanted to try and prove the validity of the mobile QB and our inexperience with it really affected us. The rest of the guys knew this so the credit goes to them. They didn’t freak out, didn’t complain. We all kept our chins up and we were rewarded in the end. A good seasons all things considered.

2. With Jarden retiring, and Kennedy taking a step back this past season, are you worried about your options to throw to with only Bailey Cook as a reliable target this season?

No definitely not. We are always looking for talent to help us, whether in FA, the draft or already in house. We have identified some key guys and as just happened, traded for Boss Tweed. We really think we can excel with the pieces we have on offense. Tweed, Kennedy, McPoyal are all superstars that will help us get back to that S4 form.

3. If you could have any player on your team currently in the NSFL, who would it be?

Well we got one of our guys in Tweed. So other than him I would say Dan Miller. We have a weakness at DT overall so he would fit right in and having another NOLA boy would really be fun.

4. I imagine there isn’t much to do in Yellowknife during the offseason, what’s your favorite offseason destination?

I’m not one for vacation. I’m more of a family man at heart. I like to go home to Minnesota in the offseason and go hunting with my brothers, visiting the extended family and just kicking back. It’s nice to get away from the bright lights of Yellowknife (437 words in total)

Sit-down with a fan:Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT

Questions that I answered for Bzerkap

[Kendrick]

Future Talent:


Playoff Matchups:


Root for the Underdog:
The San Jose Sabercats are an underdog in a game in which they play the Orange County Otters. Both these teams finished with the same regular season record but the Otters have less of advantage than most people think. The Sabercats will be playing away from home in Orange County but because of the relative short distance to their home stadium, it will be a bit of a home game for them. Although Mike Boss was one of the best quarterbacks this year, he spreads himself too thin in regards to work load and he has been known to be very inconsistent. It is our opinion that he is a bit overrated and he talks a big game and sometimes backs it up. We think he will crumble and throw a bunch of interceptions in this contest. The Sabercats have better receivers. With Mayran Jackson, Smallwood and Shane Weston lining up to do crossing routes, we wish the Otters secondary luck here. Orange County has a better record on the road than at home, so this might be to their disadvantage for this game. All the pressure will be on the home team and we think they will crumble again. This is karma for signing Josh Garden to a contract a season ago.

Old Faces, New Places:

[majesiu]

Playoff Matchups:



Robbed:

Everybody is talking how Baltimore Hawks were robbed of their postseason berth, just because Wraiths got a handy tied game as a tiebreaker, but no one mentions they should have won that game against New Orleans Second Line, whose only wins come against the team that was truly robbed in my opinion - the Colorado Yetis. Since their final appearance in season one (when league consisted of just 6 teams) they are yet to qualify for playoffs. They were so close in season two with three teams having an identical 8-6-0 record, but head to head record decided they were out. And they are out till now in freefall mode that was culminated this season resulting in 0-14-0 season. At least they have a lot of room for improvement because they were worst in every possible metric. This season not only usual referee shenanigans kept them out of it, but also other teams better record and play. Their big Yeti heart and strong will should be enough to at least spark a glimmer of hope for next season. Unfortunately, it seems that active locker room and promising management is no longer enough to achieve the ultimate goal if that's not a highway robbery I'm not sure what might be. To avoid being unfounded they led the league in forced and recovered fumbles - that really shows their desire to win.

Playoff Predictions:
In NSFC Philadelphia Liberty, whom not many experts predicted to be at the top of its own conference plays against one of the season favourites - Yellowknife Wraiths. Wraiths really struggled whole season, but two timely wins coincided with Baltimore Hawks losing two straight to end the season was enough in the end to salvage the season. On paper, Liberty should be favoured posting better defence and offence. Their home record is stellar 6-1-0, with the lone loss coming at the hands of current title holders Orange County Otters. Wraiths though are trending and bring a lot of experience. The last time these teams met in a postseason game went to overtime and I believe this will be the case this around too: 26-20 for Liberty.

ASFC looks even more balanced, but in my opinion, Otters will show their ASFC domination against San Jose SaberCats, that was on full display during the regular season, when they won every game against conference rivals. The record-setting offence with Mike Boss at the helm will prove once again why they won two titles in the row: 42:25 for Otters.

Finals: I think everyone besides Orange fanatics is going to cheer for Liberty here, nobody else wants yet another three-peat and it seems the only miracle might prevent that. Thankfully one already happened in the preseason when Liberty won 44-17 on Orange County territory, and hope this time result will be the same.

Unsung Hero: (or That Magic Moment of ASFC)

[124715]

Playoff Matchups: Make a graphic displaying the matchups in the first round of the playoffs. Can be completed at any point




Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game).
@
In the David v. Goliath battle for the Solis trophy, the upstart Sabercats, having earned their first playoff berth in franchise history, take on the Otters, who have never missed the postseason. The Sabercats have a stingy defense, but their offense falters at times, only scoring a combined 28 points in two games against the Otters. Not to mention, the defense isn't perfect, allowing the Liberty to drop a 40-burger when the 'Cats traveled to Philly. On the other hand, the Otters have an explosive offense that has shown the ability to consistently put up 21+. Their defense is also the best in the league by a mile. In the end, it's just too hard to pick against Orange County.
Prediction: 28 - 17

@
Despite consistent competence, the Liberty have never won a playoff game. The Wraiths, on the other hand, have been to the Ultimus many times before, most recently last year. However, the Liberty clinched their first franchise 1st seed after a 29-28 win over the Baltimore Hawks. Philadelphia, along with San Jose, has been the best home team in the league this season, losing only one game (a nailbiter against the Otters) and easily blowing out strong teams such as the Outlaws, Sabercats, and Wraiths. The Wraiths have been unimpressive. Their defense looks shaky and their offense pales in comparison to the Liberty's. When push comes to shove, the Liberty are the better team in every aspect and I can't see them losing here especially with their dedicated fans cramming the stadium.
Prediction: 38 - 14

@
There you have it. The Liberty's first Ultimus appearance comes against the dynasty team in Orange County. Both teams sport explosive, record-setting offenses, and both teams have fearsome defenses. The Otters will split Jordan Yates out wide like they have done so effectively in the season. The Liberty will heavily employ Josh Garden and Paul DiMirio, who, combined, averaged 18 catches for 233 yards against the Otters in two regular-season games. While the Liberty look to be able to put up a good fight, the Otters are just too good and take home their 3rd Ultimus trophy.
Prediction: 24 - 20

Code:

375

[Dangles13]

Robbed:

The Baltimore Hawks may not have been robed per se but they certainly put forth an effort that should have seen them lock up a postseason berth. Having the third best offence in the entire league probably should have meant more than it did but at the end of the day the defence was leaky and likely cost them the playoffs. What has to hurt the Hawks the most is that they were knocked out by a mere tie; despite winning the same amount of games as the Yellowknife Wraiths they didn't have the half point that comes with a tie.

Actually, what has to hurt the most in Baltimore is that they had their destiny in their own hands. In the second last week, they lost a nail-biter to the Philadelphia Liberty by ONE fucking point, just one! Seguay into the next week and it is the very team the boys are chasing visiting them. The big bad Wraiths came into town and all the little birds had to do was beat them and they would have clinched a playoff berth. Instead, the Hawks marched onto the field and collectively dropped a big deuce all over the gridiron en route to a 41-28 drubbing.

Playoff Predictions:

Yellowknife vs Philadelphia
It is tough to go against easily the best team in the NSFC but that is just what I will do. The Yellowknife Wraiths have been the Ultimus two seasons in a row and the players are hungry to go back and take home the hardware; the third time is the charm as they say. Despite dropping both games against the Liberty this season I have no doubt that the veteran players from the frozen tundra can walk away with the victory in this one.

San Jose vs Orange County
On the other side of the playoffs is a matchup between giants. The Sabrecats are a very impressive team that only lost three games the entire season, unfortunately, two of those three losses were to the much more impressive Otters. The Otters are the best team in football right now it is hard to imagine anything stopping them now.

Yellowknife vs Orange County
I predict we will see the Otters and Wraiths square off for the third straight season. Unlike previous seasons I think that we will see a new champion crowned as the boys from up North prove once and for all that they can win the big one. It will be a very tough game for Yellowknife to win but with some veteran moxie, I see them winning it all!

Hate the player or the game:

I think the Yellowknife defence needs some league-wide recognition for their heroic efforts to drag the Wraiths sad-sack offence into the playoffs. It all starts with the quarterback, Mat Akselsen, who was hot garbage most of the season and finished with the third worst rating of all the pigskin chuckers. Akselsen also had the second least amount of touchdowns thrown, averaging only 1.3 TDs a game is scary bad. Mat did not have a lot of help up front as the Wraiths have lost a few good wideouts over the past few seasons and nobody seems like they wanted to step to the plate. Now it may not seem like the Wraiths defence was all that good on paper but if you go back and watch game tape then you will see the crucial stops and game-saving plays they made. When you factor in how many three and outs the offence had or how many ghastly turnovers there were that led to the defence being on the field for large chunks of the game then I think you have to be impressed that they weren't worse. Luckily, it looks like Akselsen is hot going into the playoffs with 6 touchdowns and zero interceptions thrown!

Matchup Nightmares:

Tyler Oles vs Dermot Lavelle
When I looked up Philadelphia quarterback Tyler Oles' stat line from this season I immediately was shocked that he managed to lead the league in picks thrown with 17. The first thought that went through my head was "oh man, Lavalle is gonna eat you alive Mr. Oles. Sloppy gunslinging quarterbacks are my friend's favourite treat." Now, the flip side of that is that Oles was also third in touchdowns thrown and has boom or bust potential in the playoffs. I would bet on Dermot every day of the week and twice on Sundays though. The stalwart corner is arguably the best lockdown defender in the league and is one of the best ball-hawking defensive backs in the league. I would go so far to say that if Lavalle did not have such a reputation and quarterbacks were not terrified of looking his way that Lavalle would be the BEST playmaker in the backfield. I do not envy the Philadelphia Liberty and their offence when they have to take the field against big bad boys from the North. I do not envy any offence for that matter, the Wraiths limp offence could allow the defence ample opportunity to wreak havoc against Mr. Oles.

[TheMemeMaestro]

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game):

In the ASFC Championship game, I believe that the Orange County Otters will defeat the San Jose Sabercats. I am not fully on the San Jose Hype Train yet, and I know what Orange County can do. They are still a dangerous team, and the best in the league in my opinion, but more on that later. In the NSFC Championship game, I believe that the Philadelphia Liberty will defeat the Yellowknife Wraiths. I have no idea what has happened to Yellowknife this season. They should have been vying for a title in yet another Ultimus appearance but instead, we got a disappointing year with a tie against the New Orleans Second Line. I believe that the Liberty are playing well enough to stop the Wraiths Ultimus streak this season. And now, my prediction for who will win the Ultimus. I believe that the Orange Country Otters will complete their 3-peat and defeat the Philadelphia Liberty in order to win the Ultimus. I think that the Otters offense is just too good. Their passing ability is amazing and there is no way that the Philadelphia secondary can keep up. The Otters and Mike Boss will be able to grab the gold and match the Outlaws for most titles.

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else.

It seems like this Point Task is the easiest one to complete each year. It is a basic fill in. Normally, it was the San Jose Sabercats, but they have broken through this year and made the playoffs. Every year you can just choose the 3rd seed in the ASFC and pick them for this Point Task. This year the team that got robbed from the playoffs was the Arizona Outlaws. Despite the fact that the Outlaws have fallen so far since their dynasty where they won 3 championships, they had still been consistently in the playoffs. They lost Er causing them to freefall, but they were still a decent team. However, this season they were unable to make the playoffs behind the San Jose Sabercats and the Orange County Otters. However, they still should have made the playoffs and they were robbed of an opportunity to win the 4th Ultimus Cup in their franchise history. If the Arizona Outlaws were in the NSFC, they would be in the playoffs right now. I believe that the Outlaws are going to use this robbery as fuel to work hard and make the playoffs again, however, because they are in the ASFC they were robbed of a spot this year.

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have?

This Point Task is way too similar to Robbed. I could just repeat what I said about the Arizona Outlaws and it would be true. However, I would instead like to look at the opposite side of the spectrum. I would like to talk about a team that made the playoffs even though they shouldn't have. I am talking about the second seed in the NSFC, The Yellowknife Wraiths. The Wraiths came into the season with high expectations, coming off of their 2nd straight Ultimus appearance. However, there was something off about the team this year. They weren't on the same level that they were the past few years. This was evident when they ended up tying with the New Orleans Second Line, a team that was not projected to be good, nor were they good. However, they ended up just scraping their way into the playoffs. The Yellowknife Wraiths finished the season with a record of 7-6-1. I believe that they are not deserving of making the playoffs. Anyone would tell you that that record is not worthy of a playoff spot either. All in all, I feel like the Wraiths are lucky and only made the playoffs due to circumstance.

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win.

Now despite the fact that I do not believe that they should have made the playoffs, and despite the fact that I chose the Philadelphia Liberty to beat them in the NSFC Championship Game, I still believe that the Yellowknife Wraiths have a case to be made as the NSFC Champions this year. With some luck, I can see Akselsen and Lavelle holding the trophy by the end of the game. First of all, they have done it before. This is basically the same team that we saw make it to the past two Ultimus. Just because they aren't playing as well does not mean we can't see a return to form from the Wraiths that will lead them to the Ultimus game. But the most important part of this game for the Wraiths falls on the back, or I guess the arm, of QB Mat Akselsen. If Akselsen is able to exploit the Liberty's secondary made up of Kevin Cushing and Clifford Rove, then the Wraiths definitely have a strong chance at heading to Ultimus Number 3. Am I saying it is going to happen? No, in fact, I have stated earlier that it won't. What I am saying is that the Wraiths just might pull off the upset.

[infinitempg]

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

YELLOWKNIFE @ PHILADELPHIA
It is surprising how much of a disappointment this season has been for the Wraiths, having totally dominated the NSFC last year to falling to just over .500 this year. They have the experience in the playoffs, having gone to two Ultimi in a row, but I don't think it'll be enough. Philadelphia is just too good of a team, and they've already proven that they can beat the Wraiths twice.

SAN JOSE @ ORANGE COUNTY
After being snubbed from the playoffs last year, San Jose has gone on a revenge tour to a league-leading 11-3 record. They've exceeded many people's expectations, but they still have to fight the Goliath that is Orange County. The Otters repeated as league leaders again this year and look to be in prime position to take the three-peat. Home-field advantage will prove to be too tough for the Sabercats, who have already fallen twice to Orange County this year.

ULTIMUS PREDICTION: ORANGE COUNTY
The three-peat is going to happen, and there's nothing we can do about it. Orange County is #1 in almost every statistical category, while Philadelphia sits behind them in second. The Otters know how to win, and their experience in these situations will carry them over the Liberty.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
jk that one was too shitty i'll make a better one soon

[Raven]

Written: Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

I feel like I have to write this nearly every season at this point, but I am gonna talk about the Baltimore Hawks for this one. It feels like not only Turk Turkleton gets fucked over hard by the sim engine, but his team also gets screwed over. In a scenario which I described 11 games into the season and something that should be on lockdown for us got fuckin ruined by the sim on the last day. A day on which the sim decide, eh fuck the hawks, they lose their important game against the fuckin Wraiths. In the playoff you will never see a team who has home adventage lose, but when it comes down to playing for playoff spots the sim doesnt give a shit. This seems to happen every season, we just lose a game which we shouldnt have lost, but the sim just has to shit on us once in a while rght. You can blame our defense for not showing up, because I heard our offense was working pretty well, but still it's shit that this happens to us. I bet others team get a little bad luck here and there aswell, but for us it just seems like a seasonal thing at this point.

Written: Playoff Review: Write a short review of the playoffs and each of the matchups. Must be completed after the Championship Game

YKW @ PHI

The Wraiths who got lucky to make the playoffs go up against the Liberty. Liberty has home advantage so you know that Philly is going to win here, but you always hope for an upset in these kind of games. It was never really close, Philly had the lead at all times and never let it go really, sure the Wraiths scored a point here and there, but Philly was always there to answer.

SJS @ OCO

Well fuck, I was really rooting for the Saberkitties to win the cup in their first playoff apperance, but the sim decided to fuck em over big time and give OCO the standings win. So the saberkitties travel to Orange County to lose the conference finals. A really close game, which the otters got to lead very early on, but the kitties made a great comeback and tied it up 29-29 late in the fourth, then the fuckin best fuckin player ever kicked in a fucking field goal with like 30 seconds to go and OCO won. Suprise

PHI @ OCO

Sorry philly, the Otters play at home. No cup for you this year, thanks for playing and try to get home field advantage next year.

Written: Going to Disneyland!:Who was the Ultimus MVP? Give us a rundown of their celebratory trip to Disneyland. (Can be completed after the Ultimus game)

Mike Boss gets to go to fucking Disneyland, wooptie fucking doo. So he gets to fly all the way from Cali to Flori and goes to the most magical place on earth and you`ll never guess who he gets to fucking meet when he got there. All his favorite charachters from all his favorite disney movies, charchters like, the little mermaid, Donald Duck, Goofy, Princess Jasmine, Buzz Lightyears, Thumper from the bambi movies, Huey, Dewey, but not louie, because his actor had the flu and stayed at home sick and they couldnt find someone to replace the actor, Captain Hook, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Toulouse Mister Smee, Dopey, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Grumpy, Evil Queen, Gus Gus, Fairy Godmother, Pinocchio from the 1940 film named Pinocchio, Honest John and also Gideon, Queen Elinor, Flynn Rider, Baloo, Simba, Robin Hood, Sherrif of Nottingham, Pongo, Winnie the Pooh, Kanga & Roo, Li Shang, Belle and the Beast, Timothy Q Mouse, Esmeralda, Lilo and Stitch and even Zazu from the Lion King movies. It was truely a wonderful day for Mike Boss and his whole family who he had brought along with him on this magical journey. Mike Boss sure hopes he can become MVP next year again so he can go again.

GFX: Conference Final MVP Sig: Make a sig for a player of your choice who you felt was the MVP of a Conference Final matchup. Must be completed after the Conference Finals

[SwagSloth]

Robbed: Write about why a team that failed to make the playoffs should have over somebody else. Can be completed at any point

Arguably, two teams were robbed. First of all, the ASFC dominated this season with three teams going 8-6 or better. Unfortunately for the Arizona Outlaws, despite holding the 4th most wins in the league, their placement behind the Otters and Sabercats (both at 11-3) kept them out of their 6th consecutive trip to the play-offs. Still, they did lose to both of their ASFC rivals in both home and away games, so perhaps they would have been doomed to fail even if they did qualify, but you still have to feel bad when you see a team do so well and miss that opportunity. Their 6-2 record against the NSFC suggests that, while their record was propped up by NSFC opponents, they could have had a strong shot at the Ultimus if they had made it to the final round.

On the other hand, the Outlaws at least had the courtesy of knowing this was coming. The Baltimore Hawks had no such luxury. Their 7-7 season is nothing to write home about, but coming out of week 13, they were one win away from a 8-6 record with a much better point differential than the Outlaws had. One game was set to determine their fate with everything on the line. In week 14, the Hawks met the Wraiths in a game that would send the winner into the NSFC conference of the play-offs. Both teams qualified in S4 and S5, so it was due to be a heartbreaker one way or the other. Unfortunately for them, the Hawks lost on home turf in a 28-41 game that would salvage the Wraiths’ season and cost the Hawks a winning season. (279 Words)

* * * *

Playoff Predictions: Give a short write up on each of the playoff matches (including the championship game). Must be completed before the simulation of the Conference Finals

Going off the records from this season, the Liberty would seem to be the odds-on favorite over the Wraiths. When they met in Philly during week 12, the Liberty dominated and easily won that game 40-14. Perhaps the Wraiths’ confidence was still shaken from earlier in the season, especially after they fell to the Liberty 31-33 at the start of the season in Yellowknife. Or perhaps it was just a bad game for a good team and we’ll see a much more competitive match-up tonight. But, on paper, Philly seems primed to secure their first trip to the Ultimus. This season has been a Cinderella story for them and, on paper, they look to be ready for the story to continue past tonight.

Similarly, the Otters were also dominant in games this season against their ASFC opponents, the Sabercats, who are entering the play-offs for the first time in their organization’s history. The Otters won 27-14 in an away game on week 3. They were also victorious on home turf in week 13 as they won 20-14. However, that narrower margin of victory casts some doubt. The Sabercats have obviously become a better team over the course of the season, which should give their fans some hope. However, for now, the betting odds have to go to the Otters, who look to be defending their Championship in the Ultimus.

And the Otters may be looking at a 3-peat if they can get past the Sabercats. They were 2-0 against the Liberty. On paper, we’re looking at another victory for the team that has dominated the league 3 years in a row. Of course, a lot can still happen, but the Otters have to be confident going into their matches this week. (291 Words)

* * * *

Hate the player or the game: Tell us which team made the playoffs and shouldn't have, or which team didn't and should have? (Can be completed at any point)

By all logic, the Wraiths shouldn’t be in the playoffs. That might should surprising coming from a Wraiths co-GM, but I feel fortunate to be where we are. You can argue that we had some bad luck early on, but our fortune took a different turn in the end. Our week 14 win knocked the Hawks out of the play-offs and secured us a spot, but that match-up could have easily been a loss if a few things happened differently. Most of all, I look back at our record of 2-4-1 coming out of week 7. At that point, it would only have made sense for people to write us off as having a losing season. By all rights, team morale should have been done, but instead the boys in Yellowknife rallied and defied the odds, putting together a 5-2 run to end the season and put the team back on track. It is that kind of fire that inspires me to continue to play alongside my teammates, who find new ways to impress me each and every week. The only thing more fitting would be to see the Wraiths come back from a near-losing season to silence their critics and finally win the big one. But it almost wasn’t meant to be. And that makes us even more grateful for the opportunity in front of us. (227 Words)

* * * *

Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)

No doubt, the Wraiths are going to be the underdogs in Philadelphia tonight. They’re going into enemy territory to face the best team in the NSFC by far. Or at least it looks that way on paper. Of course, this is the first trip to the play-offs in a while for Philly. It’s a rare sensation that they haven’t experienced in a while. The Wraiths, on the other hand, know this feeling well. They had back-to-back trips to the Ultimus in S4 and S5. Despite the records in the regular season, the only thing that mattered now is who wins the NSFC Championship and the Wraiths are on track for a 3-peat. Of course, nothing is set in stone. The Liberty are on a roll and the odds are probably in their favor. But there’s something about the Wraiths when the odds are against them. S4 proved that. And, now, they’re walking into the City of Brotherly Love to prove themselves one more time in enemy territory. It’s going to be a great game that’s sure to impress fans of both teams, but when the dust settles, only one team can move on to the Ultimus and earn the chance to win it all. I’m not saying that the Wraiths are a lock to win this one because they’re not, but make no mistake… They CAN win it. And they fully intend to be the last team left standing in the NSFC. (242 Words)