(S22) - Ultimus Week

[NicholasTheGreat]

Task 7:

The career of Bruce Buckley has been moving along well so far with accomplishments and results occurring frequently in the first 2 years of his career on the offensive line.

Buckley was drafted at pick 59 to the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers and was one of the first offensive lineman drafted in what turned out to be one of the largest if not the largest draft class the National Simulation Football League has ever seen. He spent his season in the DSFL playing the left guard position and was an assistant in helping the Buccaneers get their first Ultimini win. Buckley was a champion in his rookie season and was ready to accomplish the next goal

The next step for Bruce Buckley was the NSFL draft where he was being scouted by several teams and was eventually drafted in the fourth round at pick 39 to his new home, the Arizona Outlaws. Buckley was told he was moving straight up to the big leagues and was even moving over to the Left Tackle position. In his first season playing in the big leagues for the Arizona Outlaws and in the more important Left Tackle position, Bruce Buckley had an amazing rookie season registering 63 pancakes and allowing only 1 sack over the 13-game season. This season led to Bruce Buckley being nominated for two different awards for the season, he was nominated for Offensive Lineman of the Year as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year. The outlook is that Buckley may not be real contender for either award but is hoping to at least register some votes.

Buckley’s career so far has been full of great moments but it can only go up from here, there are still many goals left to accomplish which include the following:

- Making a pro bowl
- Winning an Ultimus with the Arizona Outlaws
- Winning several Offensive Lineman of the Year Awards
- A Most Valuable Player Nomination
- Going through an entire season without giving up a sack
- Being the Best Offensive Lineman in the league
- Eventually getting into the Hall of Fame

Bruce Buckley has started off his career really well and is only going to get better as he develops making the Hall of Fame a high probability as he continues on. There is potential for Buckley to be a consistent award-winning player who may end his career with his face sculpted in marble as a bust in the hall of fame.


Task 8:


My experience in this league has been pretty good so far with their being a lot of great moments occurring as well as some less sombre moments. The idea of simulation football or simulation leagues wasn’t known to me until I saw the post on the National Football League subreddit. I have now been around for a couple of months and have seen a lot of different things and had a pile of new experiences that I hadn’t experienced before.

There have been a lot of great people I have met though the league that I have gotten along with well. A lot of the Myrtle Beach Boys like Feeler [Heath Evans], Simon, Cory, Frost, Rain Delay or Jeff are great people and we have talked a lot through the locker rooms. Plenty of other people I have gotten along with such as Opera Phantom, Warner and others. Joining in community events like Rain Delay’s speed survivor server or Scorp’s football General Manager league. I have talked with a lot of people in this league and for the vast majority, I have gotten along with them well.

I have really enjoyed my players start to his career as he has so far:
- Won an Ultimini with the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers [S21]
- Made the International Team in the World vs USA game [S22]
- Nominated for National Simulation Football League Offensive Lineman of the Year [S22]
- Nominated for National Simulation Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year [S22]
- One of the leaders in the pancakes statistic for Offensive Lineman [S22]

The draft was one of the best times for a player as you get the experience of meeting new people as the general managers and war room members approach you to get a scouting report on you before the draft. The anticipation of not knowing where I was going to be drafted and the waiting as other names were being called out was both nerve racking and exciting. It was the closest I’d get to being in an actual draft.

While I have really enjoyed my time in the league so far, there are still improvements that can be made such as:

- A greater level of transparency from Head Office. This is not framed as an attack or anything like that and improvements have already been made recently. That being said, an even greater level of transparency is required which may alleviate some grievances against Head Office. This may also include the posting of all job openings so people may apply if they wish.

- General Manager turnover – The turnover for GM’s is incredibly high and research and investigations should be made to determine why the turnover is why is and how it can be remedied.

- An actual ‘Be Kind’ rule. The making things look good rule about being kind was good, but it should be enforced. Screenshots of messages of abuse and a lack of punishment should lead to something. A twitter account shouldn’t have to post screenshots for something to happen.

[The_Kidd]

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]ONLY GRADE TIER 3. I'M GOING TO USE TIER 1 and TIER 2 FOR MEDIA ENTRIES INSTEAD. NO ONE STEAL MY WORK![/div]

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 1 Question 2[/div]

First, let me preface this with a note on how biased this is to veteran members. I was going to dig through the indices and try to blindly create a story to navigate but instead I will talk about the current season that finished. In S22, the DSFL consisted of their traditional old guard, including Portland, Tijuana, and Kansas City and two upstarts in their second season: Dallas and London. S21 concluded with Myrtle Beach upending Kansas City for the title. Both teams would miss the playoffs in S23. Coming into the season, most veteran members expected Myrtle Beach and Minnesota to square off for the Ultimini, due to both teams retaining the highest amount of capped players. The only thing more agreed upon were the upstart Royals finishing dead last in the league, due to being a young team, a young team with a roster devoid of depth, and a young team devoid of depth that lost a majority of their biggest producers in the offseason to NSFL callups.

As the season opened up, Kansas City opened up 2-2 with a big win over Minnesota and a loss to Myrtle Beach in their first matchup since the Ultimini. As for Minnesota, they would come out to a sluggish 1-3 start. Despair filled the air in the Great Lakes, and they needed to make a move to get the ship right. They landed Zed Keppler from Portland in week 7 to solidify their backfield and give Jamar Lackson an equal backfield mate to take pressure off Snowbow.
As for the Buccaneers, Myrtle Beach came out the gates firing. The Buccaneers won 3 of their first 4 games with a +68 PD. The Buccaneers seemed poised to cruise to the playoffs and depend their title. They only slipped up against divisional foe, Tijuana. However, Myrtle Beach would enter a surprise mid-season showdown with the Royals in week 5. Like the Buccaneers, the Royals came into the game 3-1, spurred by big wins over Tijuana and Kansas City. The Royals would secure the upset win at home against Myrtle Beach and briefly reign atop of the entire league.

Unfortunately for both teams, they suffered identical spirals to the bottom of their respective divisions after this heated clash. Myrtle Beach would lose 5 of their next 6 games, dropping them to 4-6 and a 1-5 divisional record. Myrtle Beach would ultimately suffer three losses with a win rate over 70% throughout the course of the season that led them fending for a playoff spot in the final week of the season. Despite coming into a rematch with Norfolk on a 3 game win streak, Norfolk would again pull off the upset and earn their playoff spot over Myrtle Beach who sunk back to the bottom of the division with the loss. The Royals would experience similar drama as they dropped 5 consecutive games to fall to 4-6. The Royals benefited from the Coyotes only winning 2 games after week 5: London and Tijuana(week 13), maybe the Coyotes were saving their best games for the big boys. However, Minnesota would rip off 4 straight wins to shoot to 5-3 and never lost consecutive games the rest of the season and remained atop of the division from week 8 and out.

The Royals lost in their season finale to Minnesota but picked up a crucial win against Portland weeks prior that allowed them to control their destiny; thankfully, other teams could not handle their schedule in similar fashion to the Royals and London clinched their first playoff berth on the back of other teams falling flat and beating the teams they needed to to keep tiebreakers alive.

The Royals would have to face off against Minnesota after being twice defeated by them in the regular season. However, this was not the same team Minnesota would expect to see. London, overcoming a midseason GM change and having one of the least active rosters, were on the verge of breaking out as a threat. London came in almost a new team, literally and figuratively, new signee Otto Vanjensen led the way with 12 tackles. HighHash decided to start season long backup King over Batista; King brought a change of pace on the ground the Royals' pass happy offense needed. The Royals also saw the return of briefly inactive players Bob Bob, Susan Cash Jr, and Blake Alexander --- all who provided major impact to the Royals having a 40-28 min TOP edge, limiting Minnesota's backfield, shredding their vulnerable pass defense, and stifling their potent WR core en route to upsetting the Ducks in overtime.

The upstart Royals were on their way to face the surging Luchadores(remember them from earlier). Tijuana started their season slow, but unlike Myrtle Beach, their veteran moxy showed almost immediately. After losing their first two games, Tijuana would only lose two games the rest of the season in part to their high powered offensive arsenal, running teams off the field with their number one offense and passing attack. Despite the mismatch on paper(best statistical offense vs worst statistical defense) London again proved their might by holding the Luchadores to their worst offensive performance since the opening week. However, the Royals could not string together enough offensive plays to hold the Luchadores off and some conservative playcalling in the 4th quarter will likely haunt the team until next season starts as they fell to Tijuana 10-6.

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 2 Topic 7[/div]
So far in the DSFL, I can say that I simultaneously have do-overs I want and no regrets. Quite a paradoxical statement but there are some issues I learned not to repeat but without making those mistakes, I wouldn't be in the position I am in now. When I first created my player, I had no clue what to expect. I didn't quite know or understand how to "get good" and therefore I remained idle until the draft. In doing so, I believe that I unintentionally tanked my own draft stock. Moreover, my draft stock dropped because I was not collecting TPE before the draft. I should've been more curious about the overall feel of how the league operates. Those two weeks will likely set my career back as my other contemporaries were out collecting TPE. So, in light of any unforeseen unfortunate events, I'm not sure if I can ever make up that gap to those other players. Since I do not have the highest TPE amount, I likely will not get good pre-draft grades in the NSFL despite the phenomenal rookie season I had. I'll likely watch lesser players go ahead of me but that adds to my goals.

If I had not plummeted in the DSFL draft, I would have not went to London. Playing for a stacked team like Myrtle Beach or Minnesota likely would have stunted my growth or discouraged me to continue with my career if I could not crack the starting depth chart right away. The good thing aout being new is that I had no real expectations except getting better. As the season progressed, goals shifted to what became realistic expectations. We went from not being last, to having an outside shot at the playoffs, to clinching a playoff berth, to playing in the Ultimini all within my rookie season. Now, we hope to elevate the standard of our young franchise and reach the heights of Tijuana and San Antonio. Next year we definitely want to be viewed as a playoff hopeful and a serious threat to win the Ultimini. As for my player, I want to show that you can make it through adversity and still land in a good spot. My first goal was to establish myself as a premier corner, then as a premier defensive player, then as a premier player period. We're still working on phase 3.

I want to be drafted first round or be the first CB off the board, and make all teams that passed over me regret it every time they play me. If I had to choose being in the HOF or helping lead my team to titles, I'm taking the latter each time. Individual awards do not mean much to me, especially if the team is not winning. I guess the good thing about having a lower draft stock means I'll probably slide to teams better equipped to win now. In addition, since we cant play two-way, I want to become an elite return man as well, a la Neon Deion in his Dirty Bird Falcon days. Otherwise. I want to leave a model career path for outsiders on the edge that may feel out of their comfort zone stepping into a foray as such.

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 2 Topic 8[/div]
As a fresh, brand new player. I have a range of experiences all over the spectrum. As a forewarning, I plan on cultivating this into an extensive media piece, so this will be a theatrical trailer on some of the issues I will delve into. Let me first start by saying that although I am a gamer, somewhat savvy around a computer, and a quick learner ---- there were some decent obstacles that I came across. Before I discuss, let me digress and say that this has been a fun learning experience, a decent environment, and has kept me mentally stimulated with me being on remote location from my place of employment. The Royals locker room is one of the best locker rooms out there and the rookie mentor team did a solid job not letting us fall astray for staying committed. The games have been fun, the competition great, but the system seems to bias certain aspects of the sim and neglect others.

On a personal level, I have never used discord before this and am a relatively regular forum user and I think the timeline somewhat punishes those that are getting adjusted to everything. Granted, I did not become active until draft week, but even then, I missed interviews in discord and the forum because I couldn't locate certain messages(alerts don't take you directly to your inbox). I didn't necessarily understand how important TPE was from the onset. And how you need to collect it as much as possible. I didn't even know I could collect as a free agent, ergo I missed out on about a week or two of TPE because I was still navigating my way around the forum. Teams will likely hold that missed out TPE against me when they dont draft me in favor of other players with higher TPE. I see draft mocks where players are getting drafted because of what they did in their recreate career or because they are friends or worked together with someone else and I get a little discouraged. Now I know these mocks aren't accurate but they do express the general sentiment of how people feel about prospects. On the other hand, a lot of GM's seem to favor activity over everything else but what is activity?

At the moment, I stink at making graphics and haven't been on any podcasts. I write, and write, and write. I like to write but when I'm writing, I'm not creating filler and due to that focus, I cannot wander onto discord frequently like other --- does that make me a bad prospect? I write a few big articles to make equipment purchases because there's really no other purpose to money --- does that make me a bad prospect? I only stay in the discord channels of my team or use DM's --- does that make me a bad prospect? There are some other issues with the sim I'd like to see for myself before presenting an argument but I think the lack of playbooks versatility(most teams are binging on Nickel packages), speed by far being the most weighted attribute, and how sudden and drastic regression hits a player all leave an ominous cloud on a new player's commitment, especially if they want to play a flashy position like QB or RB. At this point, most offensive positions require 3 years in the DSFL and then likely another 2-3 years on the bench ---- if understanding this right, that leaves the player about 2 years before regression starts cutting their player down to shreds. I think it's rough to ask a new player to stick it out 6 months or choose a position they don't necessarily like or will cause a wane in interest. I think the main difference between this and real NFL and even how Madden bases their game, is that their is too much loyalty and not enough "business decisions" --- likely due to everyone being friendly and not trying to let the competitiveness take over the game aspect. But a new player will quickly notice that once a team finds a gem, there wont be much roster shuffling until months down the line. One suggestion to shake this up would be a stricter salary and higher base minimums so teams can stop barraging players to take minimum deals and make it up with activities and jobs(which are time consuming and not for the weak) or to position switch after spending a whole month or two building a player they like.

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 3 Topic 10[/div]
For DSFL Kicker of the Year, I nominate Datsum Phastbawls. Even though he ranks in the bottom tier for total points when compared to his kicking contemporaries, he likely had one of the best seasons in recent history for a kicker. There were certain issues out of control for DP --- London's offense struggled most of the season to remain balanced. London was last in rushing, last in Time of Possession, last in sacks allowed, and usually piled up yards in garbage time or fell behind big early and were forced to forgo field goals to chase touchdowns to keep games close.

But when needed DP delivered damn near all season. DP was 3rd in extra point percentage at 93.1%, he led the league in FG%, only missing one field goal, but he had the lowest amount of attempts and makes. DP was 3/3 from 40-49 yard range and made his lone 50+ yard attempt, a 57 yard bomb, tied for the all-time DSFL record. Phatsum also had the second highest punt average and a long of 70 yards, two off the all-time record.

Boomski and QB were the only other kickers to have a FG% over 89% --- Boomski got replaced by a kicker that proceeded to miss 4 kicks over a 3 game skid that sealed Dallas' spot on the couch. Dallas missed 2 fg's and an XP in an 11-8 lost to London, where Phats made a 49 yarder and QB missed a FG and XP against London in a 9 point loss. Had he made those kicks, Portland could have been driving down the field to win the game against London and possibly sitting in the Ultimini instead.

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 3 Topic 14[/div]
Greesy Sly, also known as Slyphreni, also known as Cheatriot fanboy and Bandwagon Buccs fan will undoubtedly be the consensus, undisputed, unanimous, unquestioned, unilateral #1 overall pick in the upcoming DSFL draft. All season long he has been on top of his game, leading the TPE race wire-to-wire and setting one of the highest marks for a single season, a mark so high, it prompted other users to compare the greatest rookie classes of all time and see where S23 ranked among them. Syl has shown prowess for greatness on and off the field, his podcasts have become a fan favorite not only in the Royals locker room, but across the entire league. His ability to bridge members together from opposing factions has been an underrated aspect in bringing the league together and bettering the environment.

Syl is also very charitable, even though he could bank the money for himself, Syl has often donated his portion of payouts to other members in need. And he even steps out of his comfort zone to help other users with media. Syl has provided quality assistance with those that need to pump up those high word counts for media. Syl helped me finish my big mid-season article when I realized I needed to buy my equipment before the season ended in order to get the updates in for our final games. If you dont draft Syl number one, you need to contract and forfeit your GM license(plus you better cause I need my commission).

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 3 Topic 16[/div]
Coming into the season, Minnesota were looking to continue their recent run of dominance, a season removed from winning back to back titles. Their roster contained the second most capped players and they had one the most potent wide receiver corps in the league. Minnesota started slow, with a tepid 1-3 start, but after a mid-season trade for Zed Keppler they got rolling, finishing with an 8-6 record. However, Minnesota seemed to be a team that simply beat up lesser foes by being more talented, they dominated their division but their team rankings, mainly their rush offense and pass defense, were average without the entire league. In a run happy league, this spelled trouble for the Grey Ducks, but they were paired against the Royals, a team they crushed twice and many felt only made it in the playoffs based on sim luck.

Even if the Royals, had the most inexperienced, the youngest, and least active team --- their players made up the difference in their playoff run. With the re-sim, London gained an extra win, BUT, there were still 10 games to play and they still lost 5 straight games in mid-season to end up 4-6. London had one of the best passing attacks but they had the worst o-line and rushing attack. London's defense was punished for being on the field so long or playing on short fields but they had hidden stars on their defense. London also had a huge weapon in their kicker who constantly flipped field position and nailed his kicks while other teams lost games from simply missing kicks. On paper, Minnesota seemed poised to cruise to another Ultimini, but the London GM's caught the Minnesota GM's sleeping. London suffocated the Minnesota WR's and forced Minnesota to dominate with their ground game which they couldnt. Minnesota also could not stop London's newfound ground attack and stop their 4 receiving weapons at the same time. Minnesota's pass defense was shredded, unable to force a turnover and allowing OG Bo-tone to rack up a record 10 pancakes. Guess the better team did win that day.

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Tier 3 Topic 17[/div]
In sports, it's not common to award MVPs to teams with losing records or teams that didn't win the title. However, it has happened before. In Super Bowl V, Chuck Howley won Super Bowl MVP despite the Colts defeating the Cowboys. Howley had a monster game, including two interceptions, 3 sacks, and 4 tackles for a loss. Howley made HOF QB Johnny Unitas look human(before Unitas eventually left injured). Despite the superhuman effort, the Cowboys offense committed 4 turnovers(to the Colts 7) and the team committed a super bowl record 11 penalties en route to a 16-13 loss. The parallel with Eric Richards are uncanny, the Royals own Chuck Howley. Richards had probably one of the most underrated seasons in S22. Looked over for other star players and send downs at his position(and even some of his own TPE-plush teammates), Richards saved his best moments for the most important time.

Against budding rival Minnesota, a team London twice fell flat against, Richards led a pack of wild lions to feast on stray ducks. Richards finished with 8 tackles, a fumble recovery, a sack, and two pass deflections to lead a defense that shut down the famed Minnesota passing attack. Richards had 3 tackles and sack in the the 4th quarter to help hold Minnesota just to a field goal. In overtime, he had the final defensive play, breaking up a 3rd down pass that would set up the Royals game winning drive on the next series of downs.

In the Ultimini, Richards continued to spearhead the defensive surge against the vaunted Tijuana offense. Richards finished with 6 tackles, a sack, a pass deflection, and an interception. Richards did just about all he could to bottle up Tijuana and keep the Royals alive, but alas, his team would not be able to capitalize on the numerous big plays he set the team up with. The Royals would not have been in this position without the major contributions in the front 7 by Richards and hope that he can return next season and stabilize an already shallow front 7 group(3 active players in the front 7 going into the playoffs).



I know ya'll not gonna read all of this, so I'm expecting my 30 TPE by the DSFL draft/send down deadline.

[sakrosankt]

Tier 1, Task 3

The NSFL fascinated me from the first time I read about it on reddit. It just sounds interesting to be one player in a simulation league. You can choose your own way and do what you want and how you want to. While in fact this is true to the limitations of positions and archetypes, you still can choose your own strengths and weaknesses. But by choosing solely on what youself like, you may move into a direction where it is hard for your player to be successful on the field. There are builds that favor your success early in your career. Of course, there is still the point if the sim loves you or not, which no one can predict before you start.

I for myself started out as a WR. I checked the different archetypes and had a really tough time to decide. I didn’t have any information by the time I made the decision, but it was a hard one for me already. I am trying to strive for the best I can do, therefore I looked at where can I apply the most TPE and make a superior build. I didn’t look on any other players or how much TPE one can gather, but I liked the possession receiver type. It is the archetype where you can apply the most TPE to the important wide receiver attributes. Red Zone Threat is quite similar to it, both have 90 speed and 100 hands. Route Runner was no option for me, as you can’t max out either speed (95) or hands (90). Speed Receiver was interesting also, you can go to 100 speed and 90 hands, but you lack in intelligence and strength a lot. Moreover there were already some other prospects starting as speed receiver and I wanted to be some kind of different to them.

At first I liked what I had, but with diving further into the league and learning more about the simulation which is used to run the games, I realized that I probably made the wrong decision. Whereas there are some few really good WR with Possession Receiver or Red Zone Threat archetype, the overwhelming majority is either Speed Receiver or Route Runner. By learning that the sim loves speed, I decided to change my archetype to Speed Receiver. Route Runner can get agility to 95 instead of 90, but the drop off in speed wasn’t worth it in my opinion. So instead of being the reliable wideout, I am a speedy guy now.

With all these information and mechanics how the sim works, I got interested in the simulation program. I got the software and a sim file, and started trying around a bit. I immediately liked testing different things and searching for improvements. It was at the time, when the Kansas City Coyotes, my DSFL team, was at the end of regular season. A lot of testing followed, to do as best as possible in the playoffs. The sim didn’t like us in the finals, as we finally lost to the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers in the S21 Ultimini. But the urge for finding the best strategy possible has begun.

This sim has so many interesting features (let’s call it features) in it, and so many weird things already were found. Like the overpowered 79 speed for QBs or similar stuff. The sim is so complex in various of ways, that it’s really not easy to find the ultimate strategy that lets you win everything. In fact, there is no strategy that wins you everything. Even the Chicago Butchers with a 50 TPE QB in Franky LaFleur always had a chance to win a game. Yes, the chance was almost zero, but it wasn’t. You have got to love the sim for that. It’s like just real football. The chances might be slim, but they are there for you to win any given Sunday. It can be rough to learn that there is always a chance to lose on the other side. You tested over 70% to win? Doesn’t matter to the sim sometimes. In the end, just one game out of the various you tested gets picked. Not even that, just one new game is simulated, you never saw that one game when you tested. Of course, the probability to see your team winning is higher with a good strategy. You can test as much as you like, in the end you have one strategy you submit. You don’t know what your opponent will submit and how this may affect the outcome.

There are so many interesting articles out there, which present any sort of analysis of different positions, archetypes and the success you’ll have if you choose one. I love those pieces of media, but the sim sometimes just doesn’t seem to care. The sim loves you or hates you, it sometimes seems. This is true, and at the same time it is not. Think about it. When you do sim testing, you run about 500 games to determine a strategy. In this 500 games, you don’t equally play good or bad. You have amazing games and in others you suck. The sim loves you in one game and hates you in the other. In the end, the timeline we choose as our official games is, what makes you good or bad. Yes, you can apply the attributes in a way to make you more successful, but there is also luck needed for you to perform in the official games to be successful.

Of course it’s not only luck to have a successful career, but you can overperform or underperform your entire career, if the specific games are chosen for you. But exactly this variance is such an interesting and exciting aspect to this league.

Code:

966 words

[Rufio_NZ]

Tier 2. Question 7)

Doug Howlett has entered his first full season this year in S22. He created at the back end of S21 but never got a grasp of his surroundings until S22 came around. Entering the season he had high expectations from on-field production to max earn TPE as much as possible. Doug Howlett is still currently finishing his college papers and has miraculously managed to balance his football workload as well as his college workload. So far in his career he has recorded thirty eight receptions in his hands with four hundred and sixty seven yards as well as averaging twelve point three yards per times he caught and carried the ball. Howlett's longest distance traveled in one play whilst holding the football thrown by his quarter back was thirty five yards and was completed in the Ultimini championship game. Howlett unfortunately, really disappointingly only had one time he entered the end zone with the football with his control. I genuinely do see Howlett having a great career going forward and will hopefully be able to develop his skills in the NSFL following in the footsteps of H. Mongo. His goals is to play for a team that wants him in their locker room and appreciates the skill set he brings to the team.

Howlett also has a large feeling he is being overlooked going into the NSFL23 draft and feels underappreciated amongst his fellow draft candidates. He believes he offers just as much as the other prospects and has made up the TPE deficit by completing his wiki page and purchasing max equipment surpassing a slew of high prospects in TPE. Howlett also has an amazing ability to create average animated memes for the teams that draft him which he believes can set him above others in his class. He also is from New Zealand and from Tongan descent and can be used to pinkwash the team and provide some diversity. Howletts overarching goal from here on is to earn some TPE and apply them to his skills so that he can be a valuable asset to his team. He intends on slapping big bets in the casino and funding his gambling addiction by creating sigs or writing media articles or having great banter over a podcast with Ben. This is a great opportunity for him going forward and it is exciting to see where this goes for Howlett and his future in the NSFL. Exciting times ahead.

There is one receiver Howlett wants to be picked before but it is unlikely that this happens.

(Word count: 425)

Tier 2: Question 8)

Doug Howlett has had a fantastic experience in S22 as a non-recreate rookie. Howlett was briefly in S21 but didn't see the field and barely knew the mechanics for earning. Overall S22 is considered his rookie year and he has experienced a large amount of commendatory camaraderie with in his locker room of tijuana luachadores. He made some great friends and even greater experiences in a locker room that heckin won the Ultimini! Jay doctor has been a super really cool person that is also my General Manager. He has helped me with a lot of questions related to the success of Howletts career. Howlett also had the pressure of performance alleviated by having the number one wide receiver in the league, Vequain F, as his partner in crime on the field. The general locker room atmosphere was very relaxed and easy to talk to other players. Tijuana has a fantastic list of alumni that prop up from time to time to give insight into some NSFL lore.

Howletts first experience getting drafted was a fun experience. He had committed himself to Tijuana and had deflected other prospects primarily because his long time friend, Tana Umaga (Ben), is a long time Luchadore Alumni. Going into the National simulation football league draft, Howlett has much more confidence in testing out all teams and experiencing the true drafting experience. I think there is far too much focus on max earning and too little on-field production. too often will conversations I have noticed will be about players and how much TPE or money they have and too little on their statistical performances on the field. Also, I would love for a "dynamic catch" simulation for receivers, perhaps it could be baased on the receivers intelligence, hands and agility. It doesn't have to be anything significant when it comes to on the field but if a player rolls a critical hit, it could perhaps just simply say "Howlett performed a Dynamic Catch! 5 yds, tackled by Whoever."

Also prospect rooms is such a weird concept. It's just a large circle jerk of players and how good they are or how they are not good and having a conversation about how that person is actually good. Mock drafts make sense but also so narrow focused. It'll be interesting to see how they turn out and Howlett will definitely be keeping an eye on them. Also it's kinda weird that you can't opt out of a draft and commit another year in the DSFL.

Word count: 418

[3lewsers]

Task 6

Despite our record, it was a fun first season for me in the NSFL as a member of the storied Baltimore Hawks. It was exciting to get an opportunity to play in the big leagues. As I look ahead to Season 23, there are a number of areas we can improve. I am going to start with my play as a blocker. My pancakes were way down from my time in Norfolk and I allowed 2 sacks to only 11 pancake blocks. That must improve. As far as receiving, I played about average but was also limited by our very weak passing attack. As a team, we have one of the best running attacks in the league, so there is no excuse for us to be so poor through the air. Part of that is due to lack of experience, including myself, as we started 9 rookies this season between offense and defense. Most, if not all, teams would struggle under those conditions. Having an entire season under our belt as rookies will really help us next season. We don't need a bunch of new players, we just need to build chemistry. That doesn't happen overnight, but we got better as the season progressed and we look to greatly improve our passing game next season. My goal is to be next great Tight End in the NSFL, and even though I had a mediocre season, I am optimistic about my future. We never got down on each other, and we all put in the hard work that will pay off very soon. With a running game that plowed for 2,274 yards this season, the foundation is there for the aerial attack to succeed. There really is no reason otherwise. In S22, we can blame growing pains, but there is no excuse when next years rolls around. We need a fast start so we can get into a groove offensively. Our offense only pass for 1,979 yards on the season, which is only 152 yards a game. That just isn't going to get it done. We had the 2nd worst passer rating in the league which is almost unfathomable with a running game like ours. We should have eaten defenses up through the air with play action. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen. We are primed for a breakthrough season next year, and the league will once again take notice of the Baltimore Hawks. We will soar once again. The new guard is ready to take hold of the reins and stake our claim as the team to beat.

Task 10

PBE Aiffiliate PT (written task at bottom of PBE post)

Task 15

[AL_GRINGO]

Tier 2 - Topic #7 - 5 TPE

When taking a look at George 'corpsegrinder' Fishers career so far to this point I think I have exceeding expectations. I don't think a lot of people in the league thought that I would be a top defender for my draft class because I really didn't know too many people in the league and I almost never chat in the general room. I think that hurt my draft stock but either way I think Corpsegrinder's play on the field speaks for itself. I finished my rookie season with 90 tackles and that was good enough to be third on my team, the San Jose Sabercats, and 9th in all rookies. That is pretty good for a player who was drafted in the 6th round. I can for sure see George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher making it to the Hall of Fame if he can continue to put up these high tackling numbers for the rest of his career. He is only going to be better as the seasons go on until he hits regression. My goals for him are to be a part of a championship winning team. I also want to be on a defense that is one of the best in the league. I am a team first type of player so I want our whole team defense to be great not just my individual stats. I think I am set up really well to have that happen in San Jose. Most of our defense is young but very active. I think with a couple of pieces added around corpsegrinder this defense could be great for many seasons. I really hope to lead the league in tackles for the season at some point my career. I would also love to be know as a player who can get interceptions as well as sacks. So far I have not gotten an interception in the league but I did get my first sack in the last game of the year. I think if I can improve my endurance and also my agilty I could be a force on defense. I am already capped out on strength and speed so I the return on the other attributes should be high. I also think with the game of football a lot of my success comes from those around me. I 100% believe in CK and his ability to build a championship team. I am very happy to have been drafted to the Sabercats and I look forward to the rest of Corpsegrinders career.

Tier 3 - 2.5 TPE
PBE Welfare


Tier 3 - Topic #15 - 2.5 TPE

[enigmatic]

7) Selflessness is one thing, but ultimately everyone wants to hear their own player’s name mentioned among the greats. Take some time, in 400 words or more, and discuss how your player’s (or past player’s) career is going so far. Are you matching any expectations you set out for yourself? Do you see yourself on a potentially award winning or Hall of Fame career trajectory? If your player is just starting out, what goals and visions do you have for yourself?

Ok so it's the time I make my case why Falconi deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I don't normally like to make a case for one of my own players but this time, I think it would be deserved. I look at some of the other people that got in and I just wonder, why not her? Also, it's one of the only things I can write 400 words about.

Statistically, she does belong. She is in a select club of QBs who managed to complete over 200 passing touchdowns. Since all the others, except legend Borkus Maximus are in, I think it's a good start. She is also top 5 for most passing yards, with 29640. Top 4 for passing completions. Not top 10 for passer rating but we don't talk about that.

Falconi also played her entire career for a single team, even if she might have had better opportunities elsewhere. Whereas some players made decisions to move away to play with a more experienced squad, she elected to stay with Philadelphia. She might have had better statistics elsewhere and could perhaps have won an Ultimus but winning with Philly was always the only option for her. She trusted the process to the end.

I wondered if perhaps not winning the ultimate championship and getting overshadowed by other QBs every season could have hurt her chances. I do think that the lack of awards plays a lot against her. Again, it's difficult to build a Hall of Famer when you don't play on a stacked team. This is in no way me saying that I wasn't blessed with amazing teammates but we kind of grew together and never had a full squad of maxed players. We also used ground play or whatever it's called (yay foutballe) a lot so that didn't look good on her stats either.

Not winning the Ultimus is my biggest regret and most definitely what hurts Falconi the most. I love to compare her to Joliet Christ and since he got in the HoF, I'm kind of wondering if the fact that he won a Championship and not her might be what sets them apart forever.

I'm kind of hoping at this point but I don't know how HoF works and I don't know if people who get a vote would agree with me on this. It would be cool to have a third Liberty player and I believe a first chick in the HoF. I try not to think too much about it but in all my years on sim leagues, I never got in the Hall of Fame and I think this is my best chance by far.

11) Create a championship banner for your team, including relevant players and iconography. Graphics only.


13) Create a billboard, magazine cover, or video game cover depicting a superstar of the league. Graphics only.

[Sylphreni]

Option #3


So I’ll be writing today on expansion and some things I’d like to see addressed in the expansion process, given the results we’ve seen from the league's most recent expansions in Sarasota and Honolulu. The point of this piece is to highlight several potential areas I think the league could consider addressing or building upon as it looks to potentially expand again in the next season or two.

Firstly, let's talk about GM selection. This is something I think the league really excelled at this past expansion process. Dwyer and Raven are both two long time members of the community (one the former commissioner) and were excellent selections to be given an expansion team. Frost and Rayne of Sarasota, have also proven to be inspired selections from the league… Even if their taste in mascots leaves something to be desired. I really think the league did an excellent job in parsing through the multitude of applications for an expansion bid and selecting the right groups of GMs to do it effectively. This to me is a strong point for the league throughout the last expansion process and I look forward to seeing them build off it in the coming expansion.

Next let’s discuss an area of expansion that I feel the league could improve upon… The Expansion Draft. The expansion draft is always going to be a tricky proposition at it’s best….. And probably a nightmare at its worst. On the face of it, we as a league are essentially telling the GMs of our existing teams, “Hey you’ve done such a great job of building this active user base which has inspired us to get even more users…. Now we’re going to take some of what’s made you so special away.” Guess what, I get it for all you current GMs…. That sucks. By the same token, we are inviting fresh GMs to the league and saying, “So happy you’re here, we’re really excited about all the plans you have for your team… Now draft a core to start with.” It’s no surprise that the existing GMs are so against further expansion, and losing more of their hard earned active player base.

Important to note at this point in time is one of my biggest pet peeves in the whole expansion process, which is that some teams would not allow the 2 new GM groups to speak to the players they had not protected in the expansion draft. This to me is ludicris, and something the league has to consider changing. It’s completely unfair to ask fresh GMs to the league to build successful and sustainable franchises and then not allow them to even have discussions with players who could potentially make up the core of said teams. While I am aware that some teams did eventually allow the expansion GMs the rights to speak to their non-protected players, this is something that really ought to be mandated by the Head Office in my opinion in the upcoming expansion draft. It would seem the easiest solution to me would be to allow a moratorium of sorts; once teams have declared their protections, allow the expansion teams a 72 hour window… or something similar to go in and discuss with all members of the teams who are not protected.

One could argue this is perhaps an oversimplification, and more profound thought or reasoning needs to go into how best to handle the situation, but for me personally… Simple is better. Existing GMs are always going to hate expansion, but there’s no reason we should be setting fresh GMs up to fail by limiting their means of communication with potential prospects. I think the result of the current process in place speak for itself. As of the end of their first seasons, Honolulu has two of their former expansion picks retiring, while Sarasota has three. Factor in as well that Sarasota had a player request a trade very shortly after arriving there, and that is 25% of the expansion draft that is now no longer on the teams who drafted them with what should be valuable picks, that provide a solid foundation for both new franchises.

I suppose a fair criticism at this point could be that both Sarasota and Honolulu should have done their due diligence and drafted better or more effectively… but again, I harken back to the fact that in some cases they were not allowed to speak to the players they were drafting, and really hope this highlights the potential issue even further. To set our future teams up for success, I really hope the league considers making some changes to the current ruleset to allow teams the opportunity to speak to prospects, prior to the Expansion draft.

I realize I’ve rambled on a bit in this, so allow me to try to wrap things up here. I think all in all, this past expansion has gone exceptionally well, and both teams and the league at large should be really proud of how they have integrated into the league. My hope and goal of this piece, is that we can build upon that success and find a way to make the next expansion even more successful. Because after all…. Successful expansions are a sign of a healthy and prospering league.


Word Count: 878

[dahayn]

14) Make a scouting report for any of the NSFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or dead relatives. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t put dead relatives on the scouting report.

1) My first scouting report will be on the Minnesota Grey Ducks offensive line player, Julio Jones. This young man was a rookie this year and was drafted in the seventh round or fiftieth over all. He was the second to last offensive lineman picked in the season 22 DSFL draft. Sometimes, getting picked up late in a draft allows a person to become bitter and not try as hard as they should to make themselves better or practice quite as hard. Julio Jones took a different route as it seems he saw this as a huge chip to place on his shoulders. Jones played in all fourteen games during the season and even though he didn't technically "max earn" he got dang close and it's almost so trivial that I'd personally include him in bottom of tier 1 of earners. Julio is currently tied in first place for the most TPE for rookie linemen with Myrtle Beach's Dick Thruster. He ended his rookie season with the most pancakes at sixty two and only alloyed one sack the whole season. It's for these reasons that I think Julio Jones could be the first offensive lineman picked in the season 23 NSFL draft coming up.
2) My second scouting report will be on the Myrtle Beach Buccaneer's offensive line player named, Dick Thruster. I think many teams will be comparing him to my previous candidate for the top offensive lineman in the upcoming NSFL draft, Julio Jones. Both men, as of this writing, are tied at 192 TPE which is good for any rookie and worthy of a pick in decent position in the draft. I think teams are going to prefer one over the other depending on whether or not they want a technician in the trenches like my man Dick Thruster, or if they want someone who can bench press a building like my man Julio Jones. Looking at the year end stats, Dick Thruster did get less pancakes than Julio Jones at a still impressive forty six, but Thruster also didn't line up in the same position. Thruster was at the guard postion for the majority of his starts which typically get's less love from the stat line. I do also want to point out that Thruster also only had one sack attributed to his play this season which is great. It's for these reasons that I also think Dick Thruster could be the first offensive lineman picked in the season 23 NSFL draft coming up. Both men are probably not going to go until the after the 3rd round but whatever team chooses them, they should provide great value.

16) Make a comparison between your own team and a playoff team, if your team failed to make the postseason, showing why your squad was better.

I played for the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers this season. We did not make the playoffs. We should have been defending our Ultimini trophy at the end of this season but the sim gods with all of their unjustifiable wrath, decided that we weren't going to get that chance. We were the early favorites to win everything because we had a capped QB, 2 returning WR that would be at the cap limit shortly after the start of the season, a capped TE, 2 new RB with huge potential. On the offensive line, we had 2 S21 returners, one that had been capped for a long time and one that capped during the season and we had a rookie who might end the season as the highest o-line TPE earner in his class. The defense was also stacked at every position except CB. We had a capped DT and a capped DE on the defensive line. A capped LB and a rookie LB that max earned in the LB room. Our secondary consisted of 1 returning safety that eventually capped and two max earning rookie safeties. That's a lot of TPE to not even make the playoffs. I challenge anyone to show me a better equipped team to get into the playoffs. You won't find it in any city. Not Tijuana, not Norfolk, not London, and not in Minnesota. But they all made it and we didn't, so congrats to those teams and Myrtle Beach will be back there next year.

[Sushi]

SHL PT Claim +2.5 TPE

14) Make a scouting report for any of the NSFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or dead relatives. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t put dead relatives on the scouting report. Written option available for 200 words or more.

This scouting report will be focused on the DSFL draftees that come to the land of the NSFL from the pastures of the Simulation Hockey League's Buffalo Stampede. These members of the Stampede organization are myself, Ne Mo, Trautner aka Sam Howitzer, and WannaBeFinn, who is uh Sergio Kitchens I think. These three players all have the utmost desire to continue playing with each other, as they know what makes a good LR. Ne Mo is a fast, vertical Tight End with shades of Evan Engram and Kyle Pitts in his game. Although slow developing, Ne Mo has vast upside and will serve as Trautner's go-to vertical threat. Sergio Kitchens will serve as the third-head to this three-headed monster offence, and is a RB that has the ability to take it to the house on any play. Blessed with quick feet and soft hands, one of Kitchens or Ne Mo should be open on every play. Lastly, this brings us to our QB1, Sam Howitzer. Howitzer is a quick developing QB with superstar potential that'll be able to spread the ball around accurately and get it in his playmaker's hands.
Again, these 3 players are a package deal, so if you draft one, expect all three. (206 words)
+2.5 TPE

7) Selflessness is one thing, but ultimately everyone wants to hear their own player’s name mentioned among the greats. Take some time, in 400 words or more, and discuss how your player’s (or past player’s) career is going so far. Are you matching any expectations you set out for yourself? Do you see yourself on a potentially award winning or Hall of Fame career trajectory? If your player is just starting out, what goals and visions do you have for yourself?
Ne Mo, the fast, speedy, vertical clownfish of a Tight End, coming at you straight from the Anemone in Pixar movies, has the moxie and ability to "touch the butt, meaning Ne Mo is a fearless and athletic leader that easily gives in to peer pressure when it comes down to it. Ne Mo, who's father is Marlin the Clownfish, and who's godparent is Dory the Regal Blue Tang, lived a sheltered life, and it was this sheltered life that led to Ne Mo easily giving into peer pressure. Dory taught Ne Mo his legendary speed and agility traits, as well as multiple languages, specifically that of the Whale, and helped create Ne Mo's legendary desire to be great. In fact, Ne Mo has a direct inspiration and hopes to achieve a similar career pathway to notable Simulation Hockey League great, Gabriel Johnson @Gwdjohnson . Gabriel has been a noted bust in the Simulation Hockey League, a league that Ne Mo follows closely, and Ne Mo hopes to be just like the young Gabriel "Gone Wild" Johnson. Ne Mo might not have the same draft pedigree as Gabriel Johnson, but hopes to follow his footsteps as a young, promising prospect who never seems to realize his true potential. In his Junior/Developmental league career, Gabriel Johnson was always good not great, but Hamilton thought they saw something in him, taking him 1OA (I think?) either way it was like a top 5 pick. i guess it deserves some kudos, as Gabriel is now a two-time Challenge Cup Champion, but it has been less a result of his positive contributions, and more Hamilton overcoming his negative on-ice contributions. Regardless, if I was only 3-4 seasons into my major league career in the NSFL and was a two-time Ultimus Champion, i would be ecstatic, I just need to ensure I land with my own Golden Apricot to bail me out of trouble every play.

Gabriel Johnson is a true inspiration, and is someone I truly hope I get to share a LR with in the near future. To conclude, this is how I expect NeMo's career to go:
1. Drafted mid-late round
-> Ne Mo has great stamina, and knows its a marathon and not a sprint, yet may fall in the draft due to concerns regarding his initial slow development
2. Win Championships
-> Win. Win Win Win Win. Win Win. Win.
3. Drafted mid-round to OCO
-> Stating his desire to play with Gone Wild, NeMo has plans to get drafted to the Otters, as they, like NeMo, are sea-creatures, and Ne Mo would love new sea-friends to play with in the ocean.
4. Become bust
-> Like Gabriel, NeMo will win, but will be considered a bust.
5. Retire (460ish words)
+5 TPE

Total: +10 TPE