(S23) - Ultimus Week

[Thiath]

(Long Form #5)

I’m going to be using this freedom to discuss what has captivated me more than most things about the league since I joined back in February. That of course being, the Chicago Butchers. More importantly, the revitalization efforts by Bayley and Muford. Only a few months ago it seemed like Chicago was truly hopeless. After a seemingly unending barrage of controversies, Chicago is now showing some tremendous progress.
Of course however, there is still a lot of work to do before we likely see the butchers in the playoffs. Though let’s take a look at what’s already been done in that aspect. To start with, there were a fair few casualties going into the Muford era. Of course with most departure’s there was some controversy that came with it. The first and perhaps most impactful was the sudden retirement of running back Ryan Leaf Jr. There was also the mid season trade of Rose Jenkins to the Sarasota Sailfish, ensuring the butchers would be content with a losing season.
It is also well documented that going into the league’s largest draft class in history, the butcher's draft capital was Abysmal. However, despite all the odds, 2 seasons later, it doesn’t look so bad. With each of their picks Chicago managed to land very active users that would be the staple of the team moving forward.
However, the S22 season for the butcher’s has been talked about at length by myself as well as others. Let’s take a look at what is happening this season, seemingly under the radar of most viewers. For the first time in recent memory, the ISFL free agency frenzy has been interesting, for the butchers at least.
Chicago managed to snag some key offensive pieces this offseason. And while not a free agency, quarterback Gearoge O’Donnell was finally called up from the developmental league. The signings of Bender B. Rodriguez and Baby Yoda this off-season could prove to be the finally jump the butchers need to start winning.
While it is likely they will still have trouble with a young quarterback at the helm, the foundation for a great future has certainly been laid. For me personally, as much as I love Chicago, I think it will still be up to the S24 draft to see whether or not they come into relevancy again. I believe there are still too many questions on the defensive side of the ball, even after the trade for defensive end Mario Vonpebbles and Osiris Firestorm-Ford switching to cornerback.
From the perspective of the leagues Head Office. This must feel like a breath of fresh air. While Chicago unfortunately still carries with it the stigma of previous years, this free agent period has proven that for some at least, the stigma has changed. Though I am still critical of how the league as a whole, has handled Chicago. While of course I understand that there’s a lot that goes on in a league like this, I still personally believe the league could have done more to avoid this in the first place.
Though, with most things, there is a silver lining. For the most part, it does seem that the unnecessary “haha chicago bad” commentary has died down significantly. Which is a great thing for newcomers to the league, as perhaps their favorite city is no longer a running joke around the league. At least not in the same sense it was when I first joined the league.
I think what happened to Chicago, and it’s evolution now, is easily one of the most fascinating aspects of this league as a whole. There are very few things that have stirred up the same kind of reaction. Going forward, I think there is a lot to learn from the Butcher’s organization. For both veteran members of the league and rookies alike.
Of course some of my opinions that stem from Chicago would of course bring about controversy themselves, I think it’s important the league always remembers what happened. Regardless of whether or not the league would like to admit it, Chicago will always be a cautionary tale. So many moving pieces were, and to some extent still are, involved in how this team got to the position it’s in.
For myself, I think the most important thing is to accept that some of those things will never be talked about. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for interpretation. As much as I will probably hate to admit it, the past is the past. The best thing for the league now is to move on from what was. Though there will be a part of me that will likely remain skeptical of some of the higher up decisions of the league. As long as I’m in the ISFL, I will always be watching how Chicago changes and grows.

[QuirkyTurtle]

Tier 2

8.

Austin have now made the playoffs for 6 consecutive seasons so they obviously are doing something right. And looking to the future is always a concern for teams. I believe the Ultimus window is still very open for the Copperheads. The point at which we may dip slightly is when it comes time for Easton Cole to hang up the helmet. As it stands right now, there seems to be no obvious contingency for his replacement. He is now two seasons into his regression years and while he earns as good as any player can, he can only keep that up for so long. Id bet on 2 season more for the QB extraordinaire. And with QBs needing a lot of time to develop before integrating into the ISFL, this poses a big question for the Austin franchise. Open the way for S25 QB Jackie Daytona. The recreate of Austin GM Mooty99. Given that Easton Cole has at best 2 serviceable playoff seasons left in him in all likelihood, this doesn’t give Jackie Daytona all that much time to develop. Therefore, I expect a blip in the Austin playoff push starting Season 26. Otherwise the Copperheads are looking hella fierce on all other fronts. Gaines was a force at WR this past season and Edie Jeeta takes the WR2 role this season with young up and comer Videl-San also takes the field his season. We retain the corpse of Mako Mendonca for 1 more season while future star RB Kichwa Jones keeps earning in preparation to take over next season, so we don’t skip a beat in that department. Defensively, the front line is only getting stronger by the season as S20 Kyle Idlewyld, S22 Troen Egghands and S22 Slinky Claxton keep max earning year in and year out. S23 CB Tomage McGullager gets called up this season to help out the Mendoza and regressing star CB Dermot Lavelle Jr. Sadly S20’s Awkward Sexjoke, retires at the safety position but we have his corpse for another year while we look to find a replacement. Our other safeties include S21 Gregor MacGregor who is earning steadily and S17 Takedo Okura who regresses this season and likely will not be around for much longer sadly. In the Linebacker section, Austin legend, Honda Edmond begins to regress but will not need to go anywhere for some time. And with the return of S21 Holden Summers and S23 future star LB Griffin Porter, that position doesn’t look too bad to me. I expect a heavy focus on defence this coming draft. As any team though, the future outlook on a team will depend on the likely S25 expansion draft. Who we are able to retain will drive the direction of the franchise heavily, and you can bet, we’re going to lose some quality talent.

Code:

Words: 470

Tier 3

15.

My favourite game this season I think would be the wildcard against NOLA, and I think many Copperheads would agree, but if I must pick a non playoff game this season for me would have to be our week 13 at home against the New Orleans Second Line. For 3 main reasons. Firstly it was against our rivals New Orleans, and any time we get the win against them it just so much more fun. They hold a very strong defensive unit and as I represent the offensive side of the ball for Austin, it’s nice when we absolutely crush it on the field. Easton Cole threw for 299 yards with 2 TDs, and a passer rating of 100. Secondly, I was able to score 1 of my 6 Touchdowns from this season in this game which I always cherish. Especially playing as the WR3. Lastly was the fantasy implications for me in this game. All season long I’m rooting for Net Gaines to get big games so I can finally win my fantasy group. All game long, Net just isn’t receiving the ball. By the time the 4th quarter rolls round, he has 3 receptions for 56 yards and then something magical happened. He takes the ball to the house on an 88 yard play, closing out the game and breaking a franchise record for longest catch. Epic!

Code:

Words: 229

18.

[McCransky]

Task 3 - Mount Rushmore

As one of the founding teams of the NSFL/ISFL, the Arizona Outlaws have had a wild ride in their history so far. From winning the first Ultimus bowl and building a dynasty to the crash and controversy that killed it and now trying to reclaim their former glory. The Outlaws had many players that lead the charge to their now famed history and the four players that I chose had the biggest impact in making that happen.


King Bronko - The Legend Bronko originally played wide receiver in college at Baylor and when drafted by the Outlaws swapped to quarterback which is something that doesn’t happen often and even more so is how easily he was able to transition and go on to become one of best quarterbacks the league has ever seen. He lead the team to 3 straight Ultimus titles and was consistently posting top stats especially in 2020 when he threw for exactly 5000 yards and 44 touchdowns. Even as he and the team started to show their age he was still one of the top quarterbacks in the league and in his final season with the Outlaws he set the record for completion percentage in a season at 67.8%. 3 time champ, 5 pro bowl selections, and his consistent stats over the years Bronko will always be remembered and deserves to be the first head on the Mount Rushmore of the Arizona Outlaws.



Reg Macworthy - Widely considered one of the greatest running backs the league has ever seen. Coming out of Oregon State University, Reg was also a part of the founding draft class of the Outlaws and would explode onto the scene after his first season. The young speedster would become a deadly triple threat player through the run, passing, and special teams game. He would go on to rush for over one thousand yards in the majority of his seasons and would cap it all off with arguably his best season in 2022 where the beast rushed for 1000+ yards and scored 7 rushing touchdowns along with 890 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns and 1200+ kick return yards. The awards and records also speak for themselves. 3 time champion, 6 time pro bowl selection, running back of the year in 2018, 1st all time in the league for career rushing yards (12208), 4th all time for career rushing touchdowns (81), and holds the top spot for every rushing record for the Outlaws. The best running back the Outlaws have seen and one of the greats in the entire league, Reg easily deserves to be on this Mount Rushmore.



Harrif Ernston - Next on my list for the Outlaws Mount Rushmore is linebacker Harrif Ernston out of MIT and then USC. This beast of a man would have one of best careers a linebacker has ever had in the NSFL. With Bronko and Reg tearing up the offensive side of the ball, Harrif would dominate on the defensive side. At 6’2 and 240 pounds, Harrif had the speed and strength necessary to scare opposing offenses every week. In Ernstons first season he already showed the dominance that would last his whole career recording 85 tackles and 12 sacks and 1 interception. Following his first season he would record an astounding 110 tackles and 16 sacks on his way to his first NSFL Linebacker of the year award. Yes I also said his “first NSFL LBOTY” as he would go on to win that award 3 times in his storied career. In the end he would win those same 3 Ultimus titles and a multitude of awards and records. NFSL Defensive player of the year in 2020, 3 time linebacker of a year, 4 time pro bowl selection, and holds the records for tackles, sacks, and forced fumbles in Arizona's history. Harrif will go down as one of the best to it in the history of the league and is an easy choice for the Outlaws Mount Rushmore.



Bucky Barnes - The last member of this Mount Rushmore goes to Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes. The cornerback out of Penn State put in the work to become one of the top prospects for the DSFL when he was drafted by the San Antonio Marshals in 2022 and after a couple of seasons made his way to the Outlaws where he would lockdown the secondary of the team for many years. In his first season with the Outlaws Barnes would win the Defensive Rookie of the year award. Even though he missed out on the original team dynasty, Barnes would have much success playing for the Outlaws. He would leave the team for 2 seasons to play for the Philadelphia Liberty, but would come back to the Outlaws as good as ever and would win his only Ultimus championship. Add 2 pro bowl selections to his career awards and stats and Barnes ends up being my 4th and final selection to the Mount Rushmore of the Arizona Outlaws.

These 4 players made an everlasting impact to the Arizona Outlaws and all of them deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of this team and be forever remembered for what they did for this team.

[TropicaliaCC]

10)
Easily the best team I can recall being assembled since I have been in the league would be the Season 18 Yellowknife Wraiths. Absolute studs at almost every position. It was stupid how good that team was. Unfortunately the old TPE tracker is dead so I couldn’t pull the tpe stats I wanted (grrrrr), but I can at least breakdown the attributes of some of their top players:

Quarterback, Cooter Bigsby, was coming into his prime at this point as by the end of the season he had 100 Arm, 95 Intelligence, 90 Throwing Accuracy, 70 Strength, 80 Agility, and 75 Speed. That is an excellent build and allowed him to lead the league with 4398 yards and 31 Touchdowns. Oh yeah, Cooter also won the MVP of the league this year.

Runningback, Marshall, carried the workload on the ground and led the league in rushing touchdowns, 14. He had a balanced build with 90 speed, 90 hands, 97 endurance, and 73 agility. His counterpart, Canton, was essentially a Receiver as he caught 75 balls worth over 900 yards that year. Both players were selected to the Pro Bowl.

Their trio of high end receivers were led by prime (basically maxed out) Nate Swift. He was complimented by 100 speed wideout Tommy Helanen and an older Xavier Flash. Swift and Helanen combined for 141 receptions, 2573 yards, and 20 Touchdowns.

The above star power led the league in scoring by averaging 30.2 per game.

The defensive line was led by a maxed Pro Bowl pair of Nero Alexander and Ryan Leaf Jr (before he lost a ton of weight and switched to running back). They also got great production from Smyles and rookie, Maurice Virtanen, who each recorded 6 sacks.

The only true linebacker on the team was stud Selich with 85 Strength, Agility, and speed and 95 tackling. However, the logjam of stud safeties rotated at the other LB positions.

The aforementioned safeties included such studs as Giannis Kroustis and Logan Uchicha as well as
Pro Bowlers Lightsout Lewis and Danny Grithead. This quartet were four of the top 5 tacklers on the team and also combined for 24 sacks, 7 interceptions, 37 pass deflections, and 3 forced fumbles.

To top off the number two scoring defense from that season, you have two maxed cornerbacks in Hornbacher and Johnny Snuggles as well as future super star Mervin Leonard to back them up.

This team of superstars had the top seed as they only lost two regular season games. Their reward was to throttle a sub .500 Baltimore team in the conference championship. Unfortunately for the Canadian team, they ran into an excellent Orange County team in the Ultimus and ultimately lost a defensive struggle.

18)

[Crunk]

I've got a nagging feeling that my first attempt at Tier 3 #19 won't be allowed (and it's too late to edit the post) so I'd like to resubmit it. Please ignore my previous submission.

Tier 3 #19

L'Gazzy Burfict - LB - Ole Miss

Son of highly regarded college sprinter Dion Burfict, L'Gazzy showed little interest in track, preferring to don pads and run full speed into people. Noted as a big hitter, Burfict started all four years in high school, but only started getting D1 attention when he gained 30 pounds of muscle in the summer before his senior year. That year, he led Wayne County High School to the Mississippi state title.

In his three years at Rutgers, Burfict forced 18 fumbles, partly through sheer big hitting and partly from his habit of punching at any football carried carelessly. Scarlet Knights fans would claim his "fear factor" helped the Rutgers defense to be ranked in top 10 for three years.

Burfict's size and speed lends itself to any role in the linebacking corps, though some have said he could be best served playing as a high-motor defensive end.

Contrary to his on-field persona, Burfict is known as a quiet, introverted type when not playing. Locker rooms were never really his thing - he would rather do his talking on the field. Noted as a gym rat, Burfict's reputation guarantees that he will approach the game with dedication and professionalism.

L'Gazzy Burfict may not make the noise required to generate a level of attention that would see him drafted in the first round, but a team with a thorough scouting system will be rewarded handsomely with a player that has the work ethic and commitment to make it all the way to ISFL stardom.

[caltroit_red_flames]

Code:

Welfare PT

SHL PT

Code:

13.) Create an argument for your own player, or for someone else on your team, as to why they should be nominated for awards. Lay out their stats or compare them to other contenders. Make a convincing case.

(227 words) In my opinion it is a no brainer that the player most deserving of the Offensive Lineman of the Year Award is Givussafare Rubbe, When you look at the list of offensive linemen you have to go down a few spots to find Givussafare RUbbe, but if you're only looking at pancakes If you look at the sacks allowed stat then you'll see that while some players had more pancakes than Rubbe, but they also had more sacks allowed. Left Tackle had 82 pancakes but 8 sacks allowed. Johsnon had 76 pancakes and 6 sacks allowed.

I believe that the only player who comes close is Bruce Buckley.

Givussafare Rubbe had 75 pancakes and 0 sacks allowed. Bruce Buckley had 84 pancakes and 0 sacks allowed. But we can't only look at those numbers, it's about rushing as well.

In terms of rushing the New Orleans Second Line totally dominate the Arizona Outlaws. The Outlaws only had 1764 total yards, the 2nd worst in the entire league, while the Second Line had 2140 total yards. There's no contest here.

Offensive linemen aren't really supposed to get flashy stats, they're supposed to be there to facilitate the offense and when you look at that you see that Givussafare Rubbe really made a difference in terms of the running game. Based on that he totally deserves the OLotY Award.

Code:

17.) Choose any award from the past 22 offseasons that you think should’ve gone to a different contender. Why was your chosen candidate’s season superior to the actual winner?

(223 words) Oh man, this is an easy one for me. Lazlo Forty-Two had one the best season in offensive lineman history and it was just totally swept under the rug for some unexplained reason. The only thing I can think of is that it must be because he's an offensive lineman and thus GMs are not going to give him a fair rub when it comes to the offensive lineman of the year award. Darn skill positions getting all of the glory...


Back in season 22 Lazlo Forty-Two had a total of 85 pancakes without allowing a single sack. Now if you look at the historical pancakes in a season numbers you'll see 97, 93, 92, 91, and 90 all above him. BUT if you go back and look at the actual seasons when those happened you'll find that only one of the those seasons where a player had more pancakes than Lazlo Forty-Two did that same player have 0 sacks allowed.

2020 - AZ - Robotman, C. - 97 Pancakes - 4 Sacks Allowed
2022 - PHI - Tyler, J. - 93 Pancakes - 2 Sacks Allowed
2019 - AZ - Robotman, D. - 92 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
2027 - BAL - Jeremy, R. - 91 Pancakes - 1 Sack Allowed
2029 - COL - Tackle, L. - 90 Pancakes - 0 Sacks Allowed

Lazlo Forty-Two to this point is the best OL in NSFL history. And nobody gave a damn.

Code:

19.) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or anti-Semitic Instagram posts. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t bring up bigotry.

(225 words) There are some really great prospects coming up in the S24 ISFL draft! One player that I think is going to be overlooked by a lot of teams is Thad Pennington Jr. He has the pedigree to be a long time ISFLer if you can think back to his pops Thad Pennington who won THREE Ultiminis and one Ultimus, you'll see that football is in his blood. But you obviously can't get by just on the coat tails of your parents or relatives. Pennington Jr. sure as hell does not want to either, and you can tell by his play on the field. In his first professional DSFL season Pennington Jr. did not allow a single sack and had a total of 49 pancakes, good for second in the entire DSFL!

Beyond his stats Pennington Jr. has some clear talent. He's equally skilled at both pass blocking and making room for his running backs to make it up the field. At this level his raw strength is just unmatched. He's going to need to get stronger to make it at the next level but his 6'6" frame has room for being filled out further. I have no doubt that Pennington Jr. is going to make it to the ISFL and make it big at that. He'll be blocking pass rushers for several seasons to come.

[Jason]

Task 1 - 2.5 TPE - SHL PT Affiliate - Username is jason97

Task 2 - 2.5 TPE -

Code:

13) Create an argument for your own player, or for someone else on your team, as to why they should be nominated for awards. Lay out their stats or compare them to other contenders. Make a convincing case.

I thought I personally should've been nominated for some sort of award last season. I unfortunately didn't get nominated for any awards or even made the pro bowl list. I thought I had a pretty good season for a CB and feel as thought I should've been recognized in some sort of way. My team didn't make the playoffs so that could've played a factor in the voting but my individual stats speak for themselves. I played the entire season as a slot cornerback therefore I knew going into the season that I wouldn't have many interceptions and pass defenses but I still ended up with one interception and three pass defenses. I finished the season with 120 tackles in 14 games. The closest secondary player to me was B. Bob with 83 tackles as a strong safety. The closest cornerback was L. Crooks from London with 75 tackles. I think this huge gap is too large to ignore and I felt as thought I was really overlooked for the cornerback position. Other cornerbacks had higher interception numbers but I helped my team in a different way, stopping big third down plays with my tackling. I think they solely looked at outside cornerbacks only and I think that I had a very good season and didn't get considered.

Code:

218 words

Task 3 - 5 TPE -

Code:

12) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S23 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?

Overall, I've really enjoyed my time in the ISFL. As a S23 draft class member, I've enjoyed my time in the DSFL and I'm ready to make a jump to the ISFL. My two seasons spent with the Minnesota Grey Ducks have been extremely fun. My first season was sort of a learning curve for me because I was sort of in a three way cornerback battle with two veteran send downs so I really had to show my qualities to get in the lineup. I started most of the season as the second cornerback but was moved to the slot in the playoffs when I hadn't played there for most of the season so it was a little frustrating, especially since we lost. My second season was a much better season for me as I was solidified as a team leader and really had to perform on the field. I thought I played pretty well on a personal note but unfortunately for us we didn't make the playoffs. Now, I'm ready to help my ISFL team for their quest for the Ultimus. I will be starting as soon as I get moved up so this is going to be an exciting time for me. I'm not really sure what to expect for myself as a rookie but I know it's going to be tough, especially with the quick receivers that I've been able to watch. Our locker room is full of veterans so I think it's going to be pretty easy for me to fit in. I've met a lot of great members so far, especially my teammates who are always active and make it even more fun. I think I've done pretty well so far in terms of personally stats but I know that I can do even better if I get the opportunities. I've been training very hard and will continue to train hard until I become the best CB in the league. My draft experiences have been very fun so far. My first DSFL draft I was able to go back to the team that signed me off waivers so I was really excited to be going back there. When it come to the ISFL draft, I had no idea where I was going to go. All the mock drafts had me going in a various number of slots and for the most part, everyone really kept quiet in terms of me going to a certain team. So when I found out where I had gone, I was very excited because I really liked the future for Honolulu and knew I could make an impact very early.

Code:

441 words

[SDCore]

8) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?

I am going to look at my current International Simulation Football League team, this is the same team I have been a part of since their inception. I joined the Austin Copperheads in season 15 of the then, National Simulation Football League as a rookie. This was their first year in expansion, since then the team has grown a considerable amount and I am proud to call my player Rod Tidwell, a lifetime Copperhead. This season the Austin Copperheads were fortunate enough to excel in a lot of places and well exceed expectations for them. The team as a whole did a very good job and it was a superb effort. I think the biggest things they need to improve upon next season is becoming more consistent with the ball. Austin has always been a high energy, high flow rate team, and that has always been their deal. This year we are getting older and also younger. It’s going to be a weird season in Austin, but the cupboards are not bare. Restocking some of the offensive talent is going to happen, then it’s a matter of getting the team to perform like they always do. The changeover in Wide Receiver is already happening, with both Gaines and Tidwell retiring. Players like Videl and Jeeta are going to take over and take charge of the offense. If anything, the team needs to stock up on some more defensive players, as this is where I see the biggest hole or gap in the team. I don’t think the Austin Copperheads will look hard at Free Agency, since they have never really been a team to do that. The strategy of the team has always been drafting well, keep players active, and succeed from within. The team’s motto for the entire length has been, We Build Houses, so I don’t for see that motto changing. I think the next big thing the Austin Copperheads needs to look at is getting a young QB and blostering an already young defensive core. They have their future in Running Back and Wide Receivers, as I have already stated. It will be interesting though, going forward to see what the GMs do as a whole. They are definitely at the point where a rebuild might be worth it, but it’s not like they are bad, so if I were them, I’m not sure what I’d do. I will leave that to the GMs though, as it’s above my pay grade.

19) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or anti-Semitic Instagram posts. I’m joking about that last one, please don’t bring up bigotry.

NationalSimulation FootballLeague is an upcoming prospect in the Developmental Simulation Football League. He is a speedy safety who can cover a lot of ground on the field. He has good vision and lateral quickness, allowing him to play the position much like a center fielder. This makes him an ideal candidate for a free safety position in the league. His speed and quickness are on elite levels, but his hands and vision leave a bit to be desired. He will need to get into the weight room as well, as he has good weight, but needs to add a little muscle in order to survive in the next level of competition. NSFL will rely on that speed and quickness over the course of the next season to get him through while his next team will have to work on him, to get him to succeed at the next level. His stats in college were very good, as he excelled as a pass stopper and could move up to help in run defense. The problem at the next level is the overall strength of his opponents. Hopefully he will be able to break through and have a big impact on his next team at the DSFL level.

22) Imagine that the league’s Pro Bowl included a skills competition similar to the NFL. What sorts of games could you see being implemented? Which players do you think would perform the best in ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, or other games? Which conference would come out on top?

I think it would be fun to see some non-football related competitions enter the Pro Bowl. It would be cool to see elite level talents play a game of ultimate frisbee. Quarterbacks could throw bombs to really tall receivers and you could have some really interesting things happen. Another non-football related game that would be awesome, would be for the league to host a Pro Bowl game featuring Rugby. Get football players out of their comfort zones and play another game that shares some of the same abilities. Rugby is a hard-nosed game, but is different enough from football, that it would be awesome to see. A more skill-based game that could be added to the Pro Bowl would be, tug o war. Could you imagine lining the biggest, strongest, and most athletic the league has to offer and play a giant game of tug-o-war? It would be so much fun and exciting. I think that ASFC would come out on top, purely because that is where my player plays, and I believe in them more. It would be cool to see the top players do some other things than just a football game. You are dealing with really good athletes, who are technically in their off season, so maybe they would be game to do something different.

[xbijin]

Prompt 6:

The Arizona Outlaws went 8-8 this season and just snuck into the playoffs as the 4th seed in their conference. They led the league in points for and also had the third best points against with 306. They had a 5-3 home record, but only 3 games on the road for a record of 3-5. Aside from the win streak in weeks 5-7, they never had a losing or win streak more than 3 which means a couple things, they couldn’t patch together a very long win streak and they could bounce back from losses. Most of their wins were blowouts by multiple scores, while their losses mostly included one/two score games.
In the pivotal in-conference games from weeks 12-16, Arizona fumbled a bit. They lost to the Otters, the conference leader, won against the Sabercats in a blowout, lost two in a row to the Second Line and Copperheads, and finally clinched a playoff spot by beating Hahalua.
Their success this season was on the back of their offense specifically the man under center, Jay Cue. Cue had an MVP caliber season throwing for 300+ completions, 56 yards shy of 4000 yards, and 27 TDs for an overall rating of 83.6. Last season Cue had only thrown for 15 TDs so due to regression the spike in TDs thrown was quite expected.
There’s always a great WR paired with great QB play and Saba Donut is that player in this conversation. Donut, a top tier name, added to their great career to date with 77 receptions for 1400 yards and 12 TDs. Donut also benefited from regression as they only caught 5 TDs last season even though they had over 1000 yards. Passmann(897 yards and 9 TDs) and Bur’Berry(789 yards and 5 TDs) also deserve recognition as the second and third receiving options on the team. When you have a passing attack like Arizona, production from the rushing game is a bonus. Although they didn’t have the best rushing attack in the league, it’s worth pointing out that Yoda had a 1000-yard season for 10 TDs.
Their defense had 22 TOs all together with 17 picks and 5 forced fumbles, 5 of which were turned into touchdowns. They also generated 4 safeties which led the league. Compared to last season they improved on most of their stats. The big one was INTs jumping from 11 to 17. The defense created a lot of opportunities with their turnovers for the offense who were capable of turning those into points.
Overall, I’d say a very solid season from the Outlaws. There is still room for improvement with this team, which bodes well for their future.



Prompt 8:

My team, the Philadelphia Liberty, went 9-7 this season improving on the 6-7 record from S22. We also made the playoffs for the first time since season 16. Our offense was top half in the league in points for, while our defense posted the second best in the league in points against. We had four pro bowlers on offense and three on defense.
Our WR core of Varga, Panda, and Vuxta have a ton of room to improve on next season. I believe they could potentially become one of the best WR core in the league. Our run game has always been consistent so we could lean on that potentially improving as well. If Phoenix can improve on some of the turnovers specifically in the red zone, we should be in good position at the QB spot as well.
The defense is still extremely young and improved a ton since last season. We should expect a similar jump next season. We did not have a ton of sacks last season, but a decent amount of tackles for loss. If we can convert some of those into more sacks, on top of our already excellent backfield, we should dominate next season. Along with all of this, we have excellent leaders in the locker room with Booker and Cross. They encourage us and give us reminders everyday with their lead by example.
Our team didn’t experience a ton of turnover from the season prior. This is true for next season as well. Most of our team is still under contract for next season, this includes all 7 of our pro bowlers this season. On top of that we have cap room to pick up some key free agents. In terms of draft capital, we have all our picks for the upcoming draft along with OCO round 3 pick in place of our round 4 pick. Our scouting has been top notch as we’ve hit on picks in these recent drafts.
One of our biggest holes is at offensive line. Our proposition for moving the league to roblox is continually being shut down, so we will have to play our underpaid bots at offensive line again. That is unless we sign some offensive line to block for Phoenix and our run game. I could also see us adding to our extremely young and productive defense. Maybe adding in some more defensive linemen as our secondary seems great as it is.
Overall, I’d say our team is on the up. We’ll keep trusting the process as we look to Hall and Soup to keep doing their thing.

[TheRocheLimit]

#5

Today I'd like to talk about the greatest little boats to ever float. The team that has consistently put together winning seasons and has finally, this season, brought home the championship. Of course, they did it the year AFTER I left, but that's okay. I'm not bitter or anything. That's right, it's time to talk about YOUR Ultimini Champions - The Norfolk SeaWolves!

Norfolk put together a season for the ages, and they were able to accomplish such a feat because of exceptional play in every facet of the game. A team with a locker room as cohesive as this one was bound to win it all at some point, and this was the year they finally put it all together. We're going to dive into each positional grouping and look at the standouts. And there are quite a few standouts. These players, with their powers combined (like Captain Planet), are the reason why Norfolk got to hoist the trophy this season.

Let's start at quarterback, where the two-headed monster of Suleiman Ramza and Luke Skywalker towered above their positional counterparts. Ramza led the DSFL in passer rating (of players who threw more than one pass), and the pair combined for 21 passing touchdowns which was far and away the most passing TDs by any team in the league. Ramza would also add a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Suleiman Ramza's completion percentage was also tops in the league (again, for players who threw more than one pass) with Luke Skywalker finishing close behind at 3rd overall in completion percentage. Of course, the quarterback can't do it all alone. They need someone to watch their back. Protecting these two was the job of Thad Pennington, Jr. In his Pro Bowl winning season he tied for second in the league with 49 pancake blocks and did not allow a single sack. Clearly the SeaWolves dominance at the quarterback position was a major factor in the team's success.

Similarly, Norfolk's rushing attack was led my a dynamic duo. The squad primarily featured two backs: Quanter Skrills and Captain Rogers. The second year player and the rookie made the ground game run like a well-oiled machine. The two combined for over 2000 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Both numbers put the pair near the top of the rankings for running backs. Rogers' 5.1 yards per carry and longest run of 67 yards were also near the top of the league. Not bad for a rookie, right? You can begin to see a pattern emerging: another dominant position for the champion SeaWolves.

Dre Matthews led the pack at wide receiver for the SeaWolves. He was joined by players such as Logan Hex, Reynaud Haugland, and Ragnar Krashwagen. Matthews led the league in receiving touchdowns, and his 937 yards was good for fourth best in the league (and only five yards away from second). Beyond Matthews the rest of the pass catchers took on a committee approach with eight other players chipping in. Talk about depth. Norfolk would finish third in the league in receiving yards with 2,405 and their aforementioned 21 receiving touchdowns was a dominating 8 more touchdowns than the next closest team (Minnesota with 13 ). This is another area where the team dominated the competition.

As we can see, Norfolk's offense was at or near the top in almost every category. There was virtually no stopping them when they had the ball, whether it be through air or on the ground. But that's not the whole story. Let's continue...

Defensively Norfolk finished as a middle of the road team. If you look at the aggregate stats you won't find anything that jumps out at you, but if you dig a little deeper you'll see that the team did have some individual standouts. Linebacker Shepherd Marshall finished the season with 145 tackles, good for second best in the league. Not far behind Marshall was his rookie linebacker counterpart Adelie de Pengu. The flightless bird tallied 121 tackles putting him in the #6 spot in total tackles. Rookie defensive tackle Braxton Sinclair led the DSFL with nine sacks. Quarterbacks were forced to account for him on every snap. This defensive unit may have seemed average on paper, but clearly there were some individual stars giving it their all out there. These individual performances kept the defense together, allowing the rest of the team to do their thing.

There is a third phase of the game. One that is often overlooked, but not in Norfolk. That's right, we're talking about special teams. Daria Guava-Fresca* was the top kicker in the DSFL, as evidenced by her earning a Pro Bowl nod. Guava-Fresca led the league in extra points made, was third in field goals made, and was the only kicker to make two or more field goals from beyond 50 yards. Talk about not skipping leg day. In the return game Benoit Blanco was a standout. He finished in the top five in kick return average and had the second longest punt return of the season (a whopping 77 yard return).

As you can clearly see many SeaWolves from every part of the team rose to the occasion. They went above and beyond and pushed themselves to new heights, both individually and as a team. An incredibly strong locker room in Norfolk has resulted in incredibly strong play on the field. When a team rallies around each other the way this team did the sky is truly the limit. You know what they say...Norfolk Best Folk. So here's to the Norfolk SeaWolves! May they continue their fantastic run! (And hopefully they'll let me continue to hang around the locker room.)

*Sadly it has come to my attention that Daria Guava-Fresca is no longer on the Norfolk SeaWolves. In fact, she is no longer with us at all. Her unfortunate passing will be a dark cloud over the entire Norfolk team. Her time in Norfolk and the memories she helped create cannot be replaced. In other happier and less depressing news welcome to the team Melvin Murder-Moose!