Offseason Point Task - 25th Anniversary Special

[HENDRIX 2.0]

I have a soft spot for this league. I look at the present and think back to the beginning and see how much the league has changed, and how much better off it is now. Similarly it’s kind of like my current situation in real life. When I first joined the league I was out of school and unemployed but over the next couple of years I found something to pursue and now have stability, a good outlook. In season 1 most of us didn’t know shit about sim leagues. There was a lot of turmoil but we had a lot of great members who helped get it to the point we are at today: more active than ever with a great foundation. Back when I saw a recruitment post on Eagles reddit in May 2017 I thought about it for a day and ended up joining and making a player about 24 hours later. As a kid I always like simming through seasons on madden, and this league kind of seemed like that. I used to enjoy playing video games. Grinding for trophies and achievements or progressing up the ranks online was very fun. But these days all new video games are unfinished, cash grab pieces of shit. I refuse to be preyed upon by those scumbag game developers. The ISFL scratches the itch I have to grind for something on a “video game”. I’m not a huge fan of writing but when I’m motivated I could pump out point tasks quickly. I enjoy watching my fake football man progress in his skills and accumulate statistics and awards. Of course this league would not be all that great if I didn’t luck into some great locker rooms in my time here. I was in Baltimore for a while and it was a tremendous group. Then almost two years later I ended up in Kansas city when I returned to the league after my extended break. About a month after that I joined the Wraiths and it reminds me a lot of the old days Baltimore LR. I could hop on discord at literally any time of day and shoot the shit with my teammates or former teammates. There are members from all over the world on this site, I enjoy learning about their country and their perspective on things. So there you have it, this league gives me something to do in my free time, whether it’s completing tasks or chatting with teammates. (414 words)

[C9Van]

This league a long with the vast majority of them helped me out when I was all alone if I am being honest. But more so it was a fun opportunity to really get into my character I made for my cult story.

Lazzy is arguably my best known character past the odd other roleplay guy and I am really glad he has been loved by a lot of people. I remember being really happy early on into his career with how everything was going with Tijuana and Colorado despite success in stats.

In hindsight I was a little naive and should not have been such a team player.

It mainly comes down to now wanting to win the big stuff and making my player shine more than anything. I think recently in my cult the introduction of Baelor 44, Clive 45, Maven 127 and Jayree 123 all respectively really made me realise why was I putting this amount of time into this league with my player. I thankfully became a legendary Oliner to help them out so I managed to get a good purpose out of it all which was nice to see otherwise I would have felt like this was just a lot of wasted time.

I am pretty lucky that my good friend Pau wanted to give this league a good otherwise I dunno if I would've given it a go again. I am hopefully looking at Hall of Fame with Lazzy and the future is hopefully bright for me in the future as well with the rebuild. He is looking like being one of my favourite cultists but least successful until I mix up his Super Casual, GLB and ISFL careers together for my story. We will end up seeing how that pans out mind.

I have met some cool people along the way. No actual friends but always pleasant to talk to them.

I think one of my fav times was winning the Ultimus with Yellowknife, helping them finally reach the goal they always wanted was pretty fun and above that my first ever game as an Offensive Lineman. To be brutally honest...Being a Wide Receiver in this league is nothing short of trash and a joke and every WR has my pity and empathy. OL is ust so much more fun and you can actually influence the outcome of a game with ease thanks to you being the unsung hero which is what I love about it.

This league has had up and downs throughout its time so I am looking forward to getting this career started as well.

[435 words]

[CommishDrip]

I want to start by saying that i was not going to do this pt. I joined around 4 days ago now, so knowing the history of the league was not something that I felt super confident in. But, I want to put my two cents in on how I think the league will fare in 25 seasons. I want to do this because I can see myself being around for that long, if not longer. In these last 72 hours I have felt so welcomed in the league. I truly think that my best decision regarding sim leagues was to join this one.

If you don't know me, I am Commissioner Drip (and no Bex I am not trying to take your job)! I got that name because I was the commissioner of my own small sim league. It was called the NSFA, and boy was it doomed to fail. I was the second commissioner and I started the second season. I immediately tried to fix all the problems, and the way I saw that happening was moving it to a 2d game. What the main problem with that was nobody was interested in not seeing their own players. So the league folded. In season 2. I could not imagine it getting to a season 3, so joining a league and being drafted in the 26th season DSFL draft is CRAZY! So coming from a former commissioners perspective, I see this league as beyond sustainable for the next 25 seasons.

I see that happening because of the user base. I am sure there have been some scandals that I am not privy to, but so far in my time that I have spent in the league, I have not met a single person or heard of anybody who wants to cause trouble. Most people in this league genuinely love the thought of becoming a legend, and that is why the league will last for 25 more seasons. I know if my player does not make it into a HoF or at least get a few awards, I am going again baby! I want to leave an impact, because I know if I do then people are going to remember me. And that is very cool, especially because I am probably not going to meet any of these people in person. I even signed up on the old forum site! Which I don't mind because it just means that you guys switched it up and still are able to be successful in what you want to do at a high level.


I see the league lasting for more than 25 seasons. Because I know what it's like when a league is on its way to failure, I can tell you that there is none of that in here. In 25, I see this league becoming the premier sim league. It is the perfect hobby to have, and if the quarantine continues or gets renewed, it is bound to grow even more. I am beyond excited to not only see where it goes to, but that I get to be a part of it, I would love to be a gm one day. Here is to the first 25 seasons, may the next 25 be even better!

546 words

[37thchamber]

It's been three and a half years now. But I still remember the beginning. Joining this league was weird. It was something new, but also not. I've been in various RP leagues/games for a good 20 years now, some involving sports, some more D&D like, and some that are just completely unlike either. The roleplay aspect is what brought me here, mostly. Which is why you'll see me write most PTs in character, and why I built the wiki, and so on. The best thing about this league is the shared narrative. It's not even a debate for me. But in the early days, I wasn't really clear on how this all worked. There was a lot to take in. I was used to a far simpler "write something, and your chances of winning go up" or "write something, and you get better stats so you win more" ... there was never really a team aspect to any of the other things I did. I never really had to consider how well other people were writing and how that affected my chances of improving, winning etc. Except when I was against them, I suppose.

As a result, I guess I was always sort of a lone wolf type of guy. Even the people I'm closest to in this league will probably tell you they don't actually know me that well, or that we don't actually speak that much. It's just how I am. I go months without speaking to my closest friends IRL, too. Being here has helped with that though. I've been lucky enough to have two very good sets of teammates, who -- often without knowing it -- kept me active here when I honestly wanted to quit. So now I try not to be so... aloof... in locker rooms and stuff. I'm still not that talkative, except on certain topics -- some of you will be very aware, lol -- but I try not to be as distant. Even if it's a throwaway comment on discord every now and then. It's difficult sometimes because I'm fairly sure I'm among the oldest members of this league, and as far as I know, I'm literally old enough to have fathered a decent chunk of the member base here, but that's why the narrative is so important. As long as there is a shared narrative -- and the historic stats of the league are a part of that; when we talk about the NFL, people talk about the Freezer Bowl, or the first team to go undefeated, and the numbers that players put up fully 30 years before we were even born -- people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience can be a part of this league, and by extension, the community.

I've had a great time talking to other writers who somehow found their way here, about their plans for their character and how they immerse the character and ideas in the existing world the members of this league have built. The more people we can bring in, the more ideas we'll have, and the more that world will evolve and develop. When I formed the "dev team" originally, I didn't really have any set goals or aims. I just wanted a bit of help with all the ideas I had for the league. Things I thought would improve the experience for everyone, by making the history, the narrative, more accessible. But that I knew I couldn't do it alone. Gradually, I took a back seat on that, because I was exhausted. And frankly, there are people far better suited to it than me -- at the very least, my uh... customer facing skills... are lacking. As long as that process keeps moving forward, and we ensure that the history of the league is easy to find, there's no reason this league can't keep growing imo. I don't know how much help I can be with that anymore, to be honest. But even if I don't recreate after this player, I'll probably be around to chip in where I can.

[sakrosankt]

So, the league passed 25 seasons, that‘s a whole lot of time. I‘m S22, so came to the league after the fateful reddit post on r/nfl. I joined in the last week of S20, when the playoffs were played. The idea of a simulated football league where I control a player was very exciting to me. It was February 2020, a month afterwards I experienced my first lockdown. This league helped a lot in going through that time, still feeling socialized in this amazing community.
I still remember the first few weeks being a bit hard to understand what‘s going on and were to find everything. But after being drafted, the whole league changed to an wonderful place. My first season in the league was a blast. Drafted to the Kansas City Coyotes, I met so many fantastic users. Starting with the GMs at that time, Starboy and Butters, who made the whole locker room such an amazing experience. My fellow S22 team mates, Matty, Money, Boogy, Eddie, Sweets, and Fakon. And of course Tree, who completed the yeet squad. We went all the way to the title game, were we unfortunately lost to Myrtle Beach, with their QB Ramos playing out of his mind. Tough loss. But while the finals were going, we already were scouted by the ISFL teams. This process was interesting. So many teams, so many users reaching out to you, just to see if you would be a good fit on their team and in their locker room.
I had preferences and hopes, but it was really hard to predict were one would go. In a 270 draft class and about half of them active at the time of the draft, noone really could predict how the draft would shake out. I was drafted at the end of the third round with pick #36 to the Sarasota Sailfish. I was the third WR off the board, only a few picks before me Eddie Jeeta and William Lim were taken.
I was surprised that the Sailfish drafted me, as they were stacked at WR already. But the team was one of my favorite destinations before the draft, so I was glad I got there. Frostbite and RainDelay made a very good impression on me, and I was hyped to help a expansion team starting from 0. Only a day after the draft I was the first player to join war room, ever since I‘m thankful I got on that team. It has been a blast from my first season on, so many amazing players who joined the organization and made me enjoy the league even more.
We made the playoffs in our first season, and only missed it once since then (in 4 seasons total), in which we also did go 8-8. After RainDelay had to step down due to irl stuff, I even was hired as co-GM in Sarasota. Since then I try my best to keep the team the awesome place it was when I joined it. I can‘t tell how much I love the team and all the players on it :peepofishheart:

[gbfn]

Before i got into the league i was totally oblivious to the whole concept of a sim league. In fact, when i first heard of it, i found it a bit weird. However, a friend wasn't having any of my doubts and told me to just give it a try. Well, thankfully he was a great mentor and helped me understanding the mechanics. Where to post, how to set up my player, how to update and so on. I don't know if i would be in the league at this point, probably not.
To this point today i am considering myself a max earner, though i missed 2 predictions (still hurts today). But i realized that it's just not enough to just be a high earning guy but not giving shit about anything else than my fictional player. As i was getting more and more experienced and more secure in the ISFL environment i was engaged much more in everything. That was around the time i was drafted by the Honolulu Hahalua. I tried to be more active in the locker room on discord. My TPE earning rate kept stable and i myself comparing to others in my draft class. I know tho most people that would sound a bit childish but as I am quite competitive i aimed to be the top earner in S23 (damn you Amid! *shakefists*  ).
After my second season in the ISFL i was starting to get a bit dissatisfied with my personal user experience. I wasn't feeling attached to the team that i felt i should be. I was thinking about my future and if i really wanted to stay with Honolulu. There were other issues as well. I applied for jobs and for some reason i was unable to get one. That was a put a bit of a factor as well, and of course the misunderstandings at the end of last season concerning the contracts of our inactive players. We lost a few of them to free agency due to a changed schedule because of expansion.
When Gucci reached out to me about my contract extension i was at the point where i didn't see a clear path for the future of the Hahalua. But to give gucci credit, he tried and eventually persuaded me to extend my contract and commit myself to the team. Note to myself: Never negotiate contracts while having a beer or two to many!

After my extension and forcing myself into the war room i really started to enjoy my time in Honolulu. Now i see myself enjoying the sim league experience and am happy to be part of the Honolulu Hahalua for seasons to come, maybe even throughout Heinrichs whole career.

[OrbitingDeath]

It’s funny how covid and lockdowns can bring people together. After reading through most of the previous posts, I found it the common theme. A lot of people joined here this year due the regulations that were out there worldwide. I almost feel an outsider here as my story is different, I’ve been in sim leagues since 2012 after only playing yahoo fantasy hockey dynasty leagues before. And when opera phantom invited me here, I really looked at it like another side gig. But the whole welcoming proces, the scouting process, it was all really well done and it made me feel welcome and at home, so I decided to go full out and switch from defense to offense, to a position that wasn’t really recommended due to it’s depth. But the whole experience so far is really great, the people in the locker room are all really friendly and it feels more like a group of friends then just some teammates; and stuff like that, isn’t guaranteed or natural. I have seen enough locker rooms where you just are because of being on the team and that really don’t engage in talking or activity, so it’s really something that should be valued. Even when talking to the LR members during the DSFL draft, they told me that if I wanted to stay as an alumni (incase i was being drafted elsewhere), that I was more then welcome to. And that actually was the private, not the public room. So stuff like that, it really makes this league an enjoyable experience.

A second thing what makes the league great, is the scouting system. I am proud of how all these teams manage to talk to almost every prospect to see who they are and how they would fit into their teams. This is so important for keeping the players interested in the league as they are included from the get go. And the same happened in the ISFL draft where 13 out of the 14 teams contacted me, despite most knowing they wouldnt have place in a running back on the roster, but they like to be in contact already for future free agency perhaps, some of the best conversations were had with those that you wouldnt fit in the roster. So all in all, its been an enjoyable experience and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I just wish the pre-draft period wasn’t so damn long as the gm’s are all way to goodie two shoes to leak the details

[IsaStarcrossed]

It is honestly hard for me to get my head around what this league really means to me. I've been here for well over a year now and while this league has had its ups and downs in my life, I keep coming back to it. No matter how frustrated I get and no matter how much I joke about quitting, I continue to come back time and time again. I even took some time away at one point and ended up dragging myself back. I didn't just drag myself back, but I even convinced my girlfriend to journey into this league with me. For the longest time I couldn't place my finger on it. I really couldn't decipher what it was that brought me back even when at times it got me down to the point that I considered removing it from my life completely. It wasn't until Schwarz joined up and I saw her interacting with the league that I really began to get a grasp on things.

It is the people. The people in this league is why I keep coming back. The friends you make along the way and even the people who you don't consider yourself that close to. The fact is this is a hobby for all of us. Its something we're all passionate about, something we all have come to love. We may disagree from time to time, we may blow up in huge fights that last days, we may even hold grudges at times but it is because we all care. We care about this league because to many of us it has become home. It is filled with people we love to talk to. It is filled with the stuff we love to talk about. We tend to be surrounded with like minded people and for the most part we all want the same thing. We just want this league to be better. We want it to be successful.

In that sense we've created kind of a family atmosphere. An atmosphere where most anyone is welcome, where anyone can find their own little corner, their own niche and fit in. Yes we disagree often, yes we get angry at each other. At the end of the day though, that is what families do. Eventually you realize its the people you care about that keep you coming back. I've met some absolutely incredible people in this league. I've met a ton of people I'd kill to sit and chill with some time. Maybe have a drink, maybe have a dinner and just hang out. At this point there are far too many to mention, but I do hope I one day get a chance to meet them all because that is what this league has become to me and what it means to me. A family.

[Leafs4ever]

I've been in the ISFL, formerly NSFL, for a while now and as frustrating as this player has been, it still carries this charm with it that brought me here long ago. A football sim league needs so many people to make it work that it really brings a lot of activity to each team. You need active players on both sides of the ball and no matter the position you play, I feel like you can make an impact on a team's success.

My favourite thing about the ISFL is still the sim engine. I understand the problems it has, but more so just the base of the engine and the core components of it. Being able to watch the games and see your player on the field is huge for sim leagues. It gives you an added dimension to help make it feel more real. It's fine to have game logs and stats thrown at you, but adding the video game aspect to it is so key. I'm optimistic that a a change to the newer version will make this league even better, just as long as the Head Office has really looked at the new version and made sure it brings something substantially positive because this is the biggest change a sim league can make. It's literally what runs the league so hopefully we are ready for the switch, which I'm sure we are.

I've had two players in the ISFL since I joined, a wide receiver and a now a quarterback. I assumed their careers would be vastly different, but as we near the end with my quarterback, they became really similar. My best memories from the ISFL have been with my wide receiver, Xavier Flash. I tried to make this player the way I wanted a receiver to play and it actually worked out. My time in the DSFL was literally as good as it could of gone, those were my two greatest seasons and it still hasn't been matched. I was on track to being a star for the SaberCats, but then the sim engine reared its ugly head. I was overshadowed and ignored by my virtual quarterback and never made the impact that I wanted.

As for Brock, my quarterback, he was supposed to be my crown jewel, but, try as I might, he never took off either. The difference is I'm not sure why. Now, I've hit regression and it seems like he'll never become anything other than a plain, old quarterback. It's been really disappointing to see all that effort be for nothing. Once his career comes to an end, I'm hoping a new player can bring back some spark.

That's why I love this league, there's so many options out there and it seems like there will always be something new to try. So cheers to the 25th anniversary of the ISFL. May there be many more in its future!

(490 words)

[jzajenius36]

So I’ve now been here for two full seasons and my first impression is – wow things move fast! Although I’ve seen a lot of complaints from veteran players saying that the seasons take way too long to complete, but for me I’m still doing my best to keep up from week to week and actually absorb individual player stats and teambuilding. In terms of where my player is currently at – right now I feel like my player is caught a bit between a rock and a hard place. I was ecstatic when my rookie player was drafted somewhat early into the ISFL and was told immediately that I would be starting. This sounded like the best case scenario. However, I’ve learned a bit of a hard lesson. While starting in the ISFL is cool and all, obviously my player was largely overmatched most nights. I feel like I pulled my own weight, it certainly wasn’t the same experience I had in my DSFL year, when the locker room was hyped every day and we had a fighting chance going into every game.
Now I’m not all that caught up on the various machinations of the league and its various hot gossip and intrigue, but one thing seems pretty clear – my team is in turmoil. I don’t really know what’s going on in Philadelphia but the consensus is not good. Ownership changes, players opting out of deals, a very quiet and reserved locker room, ect. While this may bother a lot of other players, I have to say I don’t mind it all that much. While I do miss the fun atmosphere of the Pythons locker room, I’m not much of a discord guy or a chatter in general. This extends to media posts as well. I suppose my interest mostly lies in tinkering with my player and working to get him to the point where he’s making a tangible impact on the field. I’m sure that’s not what most GMs or owners want to hear from their player, but I think there’s some value in having guys that aren’t going to rock the boat but will continue to build their player. Now whose to say what’ll happen when my contract is up, but for now I’m happy.
A couple of other memories and components of the league that’re great – I can’t thank Qwest enough for the sig he’s made for my player. I mean look at it, it’s so badass. The fact that there are members here that do these things for other members is just awesome. That also extends to the draft cards – that was super cool to see while watching the DSFL draft.

(445 words)