*The Curious Case of T?riki, NOLA and San Jose

[IsaStarcrossed]

Ok how do you know so much for a rookie? You got to be a secret recreate or something

The funny thing is he doesn't know much at all. Not remotely. Let me take a second to tear apart this entire article. First, I'm going to try to avoid discussing the absolute train wreck that caused Marcella Tōriki to leave SJS in the first place. Everyone who was around at the time knows the situation and the situation hasn't remotely changed. That team isn't run well at all to the point that one of what was the most active rookies in S19 has gone mostly IA, yet is still highly active in the Myrtle Beach locker room because he actually loves the league, but is miserable on SJS. They have a stud S17 player that has asked for a trade from the team in the past. And one of their S20 rookies has been asking about option on not signing there at all because as of FIVE days after the draft, SJS had never once reached out to him. They didn't scout him before either. So this kid is stuck on a team that has NOT SPOKEN TO HIM. He is exploring options because the team has left him with no option. The bare minimum communication from the leadership on this team could make all the difference in how players treat the team as a whole. The request for communication has absolutely nothing to do with the fact people want a say in how the team is run, they simply want to be spoken to by those who are in charge. They clearly didn't learn their lessons the first time this happened. Instead maybe this should be the curious case of why SJS can't retain players. But alas, let us ignore that part because we could ramble on for hours about that situation and it simply isn't constructive in any way.

Lets actually rip apart the football aspects of this and see how misinformed you really are. First off, you say NOLA wasn't world beaters, but NOLA was the third ranked team last season and was one game from being the first seed. That is all. There was one game separating NOLA from first to third and almost everyone in the league considered NOLA to be the second best team in the NSFL last season. We actually lost two games in which we tested better than 80% in. A solid first in the league was entirely possible. League parity is a thing, people. This is after two seasons in the bottom three, so yeah. I'd say the signing made NOLA pretty darn good.

Second comes the operation of the sim. Anyone who has been in this league for more than five minutes can tell you that the sim favors RBBC. RBBC is the ideal way to run your offense and single backs simply are not as effective no matter how you cut it. If you look at Austin, Philly, Colorado, Baltimore who all ran single back sets last season, you'll see they are ranked 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th in yards per carry. It simply isn't as efficient. It also does wonders for win percentages. So pretending like having a second stud running back in this league isn't a good thing is a bit off. Quite frankly, New Orleans is better with two running backs instead of one.

Third you act like we don't actually have a sim tester that spends countless hours a week testing different theories to see how we can improve this team. Moving Gump to receiving back or even wide receiver was heavily considered. TomHanks tried both and our win percentages dropped in both scenarios. That is why he remained as he is. You don't even have to look at tests to see this. In S18 NOLA had a solid receiving corps with a legendary receiver in Jordan von Matt and team titans Vladimir Fyodorovich and Bona’beri Jones. All three of these receivers had more than 600 TPE at the time and gave NOLA one of the better receiving groups in the league. We ran less, passed more. We won five games and had the 8th ranked offense in the league. We were vastly improved across the board this past season with our offensive game plan. The fact is, if we could have won by passing me, we would have. Everyone in NOLA is a team player who isn't overwhelmingly concerned with their stats and are much more concerned with winning games.

Then this is where you go really off the rails with us not working to continue to get Stan weapons though. First off, Vinny is no longer with the team. He retired last season and elected to have his swan song in New Orleans, which we appreciated. He was a lot of fun to have around. It also gave us time to develop our younger talents. New Orleans drafted WR of the future Bender Rodriguez in S18. The followed it up by drafting KC15 who we intended to play WR the whole time and picked Austin McCormick 3rd overall, which is pretty high for a tight end because we knew he'd be a max earning option in our offense and would have a chance to feature in our passing game. We have spent a large amount of draft capitol collecting weapons for Stan. We have had to do so because stud wide receivers simply do not enter free agency very often. But you better bet that New Orleans reached out to Sunnycursed when he hit free agency back in S18. That said, we have had no reason to reach out someone since then. We have been operating with a near 100% active roster for two seasons now and it made no sense for us to go chasing weapons when it would result in one of our active players getting virtually benched. In fact, in S19 we had so many weapons there was a significant concern that we'd not be able to get team legend Fyodorovich just 250 yards so he could break the 10k yard mark. We had to make him primary for the last three games to get him there. Again, you don't know what happens behind the scenes. The difference comes in the players willing to sign for you team and you have to work with that.

In short? I'm not even sure what this article is about other than to call someone out without any real research or validity. There are a lot of emotions that run high in this league. People are treated certain ways and they have feelings about things that shouldn't be ignored. At the end of the day this league is about fun and if you aren't having fun, that needs to be addressed. Player choice is a thing for a reason. I'd rather people do what makes them happy than go inactive because at the end of the day, leagues like this are built on active players. Calling people out for what makes them happy isn't always a good look, especially when you could figure things out just by asking those involved why something happened.

1180 words? Yo, can I get paid too?

[TeyonSchavari]

1180 words? Yo, can I get paid too?

Isa quits writing media but takes almost 1200 words to tear down an article lmao

Also, I'm not sure it was meant to be taken *that* seriously. But the replies are starting to make me think otherwise

[IsaStarcrossed]

Also, I'm not sure it was meant to be taken *that* seriously. But the replies are starting to make me think otherwise

Eh, maybe it wasn't but I'm tired of seeing people beat the same dead horse over and over again. What happened happened. There was a lot of tense moments involving this event that included multiple players nearly going inactive entirely. It is a sore subject for everyone involved and every time it is mentioned, all it brings with it is drama and pain. This has been talked about and talked about and talked about. It has legit been two months since all of this happened and yet a member of our community continues to get slandered for something that they anguished over for weeks. This is the second time even that its been brought up just in the last couple days. This is a player who wants what is best for the league, who has worked her ass off to do everything she can to make it better. She spends 10-14 hours a day working on this league and it has basically become her life. She wants league improvement, league betterment, and anyone who has spent any time talking to her knows that. Yet people act like she left the team because of convenience or for friends. Everyone knows there was a lot more going on than that. It just gets exhausting, especially when all the facts are out there and people refuse to acknowledge that there is a reason neither side wants to drag this into the public.

[infinitempg]

She claims she wants more communication, but why? She just came off a successful rookie season and shouldn't have too much of a say in how management builds the team. I believe her to be entitled, selfish and mentally weak. At least Ashley Owens struck out on his own to be a star and Austin still had other options to replace him.

They should have been given one of those firsts in all honesty but New Orleans just get free assets to stockpile because apparently there is NO compensation.

Look man, if you want to suggest that we introduce compensatory picks, just say so. I don't see the need to attack one of the league's finest users on her character and moral standing. Sure, Austin had weapons that could fill in with Owens' departure, but the extent you attack Bex over run_cmc as a person seems quite drastic.

What's stopping bad franchises from staying that way? What does it do for the morale of the Sabercats that their future star RB just walked out on them like they meant nothing? Absolute disrespect and Marcella spit on the face of San Jose by pulling this stunt. If she had a sliver of honor she would have picked New Orleans and have them make a trade so that SJ gets something but nope. New Orleans gets o have their cake and eat it too.

If SJS management didn't want this to happen, they wouldn't have included a player option in their contract. Could she have done a sign and trade? Sure - but that might mean not getting to go to her destination of choice.

Also, what's to say that SJS didn't spit on her face by not using her properly as the main weapon on that offense? This was a season where Dan Wright had transitioned from being a Tight End to a Quarterback, and the stats clearly show that throwing the ball was not the solution. Why then, does Toriki have carry numbers of 10, 10, 14, 12, 14, and 9 through the first 6 games? Heck, Dan Wright was able to rush the ball as many times as Toriki, never mind have games where he goes 18/37 and throws 3 interceptions. What's to say that, after complaining about this for weeks and only seeing a real change in strategy in Week 11, that she didn't feel a bit disrespected?

Not to disrespect ckroyal, who has "built SJS into a consistent Ultimus contender" on his resume only to retire and be dragged back in kicking and screaming to GMing, but is it a coincidence that the team goes 1-9 in a more pass happy attack to 2-1 in a more rush happy attack?

Also to that first point - if anyone knows what it's like to be on a bad franchise that stays that way, it's me. To some level, the sim do what it want to do. The Colorado Yeti went 0-32 for a stretch I was present for, and we had our star tight end/wide receiver demand to be traded in the middle of it. But even with that, we had a core of users that bought in and wanted the team to succeed - but it took forever and many users ended up going IA by the time we actually started becoming good because life got in the way and, guess what, being on an 0-32 team SUCKED. Colorado did end up making the playoffs and even an Ultimus, but the window had already closed before a breeze could get inside. Only now, nearly 15 seasons later, do I feel confident in saying that Colorado is back from the brink and has a team that can compete.

If any GM can get San Jose back to where they were only five seasons ago, it's CK. SJS is not as far gone as that Yeti team I was on, heck they weren't as far gone as the Noble-led 0-14 Liberty team or the 2-12 Outlaws team that won the ULTIMUS 2 seasons later. Even with this loss, I'm sure CK wasn't insanely upset because the sim doesn't care about RBs that much anyways - and they were able to get a suitable replacement in the draft.

This has me confused that I don't see any rules regarding this? Why are players allowed to do whatever they want? You can just peace out on a team that actually spent a high pick on you? I am not a fan. The mentality of Toriki is not that of a winner and I am not going to empower her, no.

GMs and HO all disagree on what the balance should be between this sim league being a players league and a management league, but we all unanimously agree that users should be able to do what they can to have FUN in the league. Again, Bex had an option on her contract that she negotiated with, and was accepted by, SJS management. She has the right to use it if she is unhappy on her team. Should considerations be made to add compensatory picks or to limit the use of options on contracts? That can all be discussed. But it doesn't seem like you want to have that discussion so much as you want to attack the character of a user who has contributed so much to the league.

I am going to shame her. She should go back to playing Rugby.

My case in point.

[infinitempg]

Yet people act like she left the team because of convenience or for friends.

heck if she was just doing it for friendship she would have gone to the team with her IRL friend in Colorado </3

[ScorpXCracker]

I don't get what the problem is, both the player and team agreed to an option, so thebplaher has the right to exerscise that option. Yea, it sucks for SJS, but that's how free agency be.

[Modern_Duke]

I say an article is only good if it gets people riled up.

This did make me think though, we could introduce compensatory picks if players on rookie deals leave?

[Jay_Doctor]

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A comfortable winning environment with 'friends'.


I believe her to be entitled, selfish and mentally weak.


The mentality of Toriki is not that of a winner and I am not going to empower her, no.

I am going to shame her. She should go back to playing Rugby.

Who the fuck are you? I'm not sure if Bex will ever comment on this thread, but I sure as hell will. This is probably the most aggressive I have ever been towards anyone in the league and I hope it's the most I ever am. I'm so glad I don't share a locker room with you because I have nothing nice to say about you. To come in taking shots like you are and to be literally clueless has me baffled. If you wanted to take a stance where you were trying to write a story and didn't understand something? Fine. I love media and I love people wanting to learn history, for better or worse (and this league does have some darker history though this isn't it). But to personally attack one of the nicest and most dedicated members in the league has me pissed off. Others have covered actual details on why your work was garbage, so I'll just leave it at that.

[Buttersqauch101]

Ngl man this whole thing is shady af. Making articles with details only a few people knew about a situation and you say that “you just read a couple articles”. With the things you are talking about you know too much about something and saying you got your info from the wiki also. The wiki isn’t gonna have league drama like a first round pick leaving the team. And also quit with the personal attacks, you’ve (probably a multi tbh) only been here for less then a week and yet you know all about these people and how awful they are when all you’ve been is an asshole to the members of this league

[bex]

I won't badmouth the staff of San Jose. Shocking as it may be, I have a good working relationship with the GMs there. Were they frustrated and upset at my leaving? Absolutely. And they're allowed to be. But if San Jose wanted picks for me, they could have taken Chicago's offer of four first-rounders for Toriki. There were countless offers on the table for me from the moment they selected me in the closed draft. They knew I had the options on my contract. They had the opportunity to offload me. They decided to keep me, knowing there was a risk I could walk.

When I first entered Free Agency, it was with the intention to resign with San Jose. Because I wanted to create a stir and then choose the team that used their first-round pick on me. Then my best friend also decided to enter FA that season, and I started considering actually leaving. Teams contacted me within minutes of me becoming a free agent. Countless people said I deserved better than what I had been given in San Jose. Teams like Chicago and Philly tried to throw utterly ridiculous money at me to get me to sign. In the talks I was having, I knew that San Jose was not going to be the best short term fit for where I was at.

If I had just wanted money, I would have signed with Chicago or Philly.
If I had just wanted to play with friends, I would have signed with Colorado, where my IRL best friend plays.
If I had just wanted stats, I would have signed with Austin or Philly.

It's almost like there's more at play here than money or friendship or stats in a fictional football game. While in FA, I already knew I was going to be stepping up as commissioner. That's a job that has a tremendous amount of stress attached. I needed a team that was stable, that was going to be able to communicate with me despite the weird power dynamics, and that would be able to support me in the transition. Could I have stayed in San Jose? Yes. I would have been fine.

But I have the radical belief that even the commissioner of the league has a right to be on a team that is going to make them happy and is able to meet their needs. So I signed with New Orleans. and I have no shame over that decision.

And if you wanna talk stats?

Check the stat line and then let's talk. In SJS I was basically primary back for just over half the season. With NOLA, I was RB2. Which one seems like the better fit for me stats wise?