Please pay him 10% and me 90%
Another great interview partner in Raven! He had some amazing answers and he was someone who actually wanted to be interviewed based on interviews I had done in the past so that was really cool!
Steven O'Sullivan: I would love to hear a bit of an introduction about yourself and your player!
Raven: Sure thing, well I am Raven and I have been a member of the ISFL since it started way back in may of 2017. I have help a few jobs throughout my history in the league, I was an updater for a week when the league started, but dipped out of that job pretty quickly. I was a HO member for a few season back in the late S10's and was the founding GM for the Honolulu Hahalua who joined the league when it expanded in S22. The only job I currently still have in the league is the banking job, which I have held since the inception of the league.
I am currently on my third player, Davriel Lavigne who is a safety and plays for the Honolulu Hahalua. My first player in the league was Turk Turkleton, who is a HoF kicker and held a good few kicker records, until Alex D recently passed them. My second player was Corvo Havran who was a QB. He's up for HoF this upcoming season and while I do not think he will end up in the HoF I am happy with what I achieved with him.
Steven O'Sullivan: Great introduction! There is a lot there to ask about. Let me start by asking about the start of the league. As someone who has been here for that long, what would you say have been the biggest changes from the beginning to now? Is your experience with your third player vastly different/better than with your first?
Raven: On a personal level, the biggest difference between my first and third player is how much knowledge I have regarding the sim and it's stats. I originally created as a kicker, because it seemed to be the most easy kind of player to build. For context before joining the league, I did not know a ton about football. I had been kinda following it, but have very little knowledge.
So being on my third player now, I know how the game of football is actually played and feel like I know enough about the sim to build a player. (Or just copy what other people have been building haha).
In general, I feel like the league has really come to it's own and developed it's own community. I feel, especially in the early days the league had its fair share of drama and it seemed like the league could flop. However, we've come to the point where I feel the community is so strong and this league will be going on for years.
Steven O'Sullivan: I also had a kicker previously. It definitely is an easy position to be but it also lacked excitement for me and especially since TPE doesn't really matter, it left me being inactive for a long time. I am much happier now in the field.
Would you say that this league has taught you about football then? I think for many people it's games like Madden, but it would be awesome if you learned it through this league.
Raven: Yeah I would defiantly say this league taught me about football. Or at least inspired me to find out more. Like when I joined the league I had 0 idea what most of the defensive positions roles were within a team. Like the offensive is somewhat easy to understand, but then the defence is a whole another cookie. And while I am still a little unsure about all the specifics on defence I know way more than I did almost 4 years ago.
I find it interesting to hear your experience with an IA kicker. I actually did really enjoy Turkleton, however as you mentioned it isn't a position that really requires much TPE or any TPE at all too be honest. That is the only downside I felt the position had, like despite me being the only really active kicker for the first 4 seasons, with more slowly joining, like the kicker mafia lads, me having a big advantage in TPE didnt really matter. I was still missing kicks, while 50 TPE kickers were having perfect seasons and winning awards (bit of an over dramatisation, but that's how it kinda was)
Steven O'Sullivan: That is really cool that this league has taught you more!
Yeah I knew I was not going to be earning a ton so I thought kicker was perfect but it actually hurt me even more because I never felt motivated. I did pretty well with the little TPE I had.
You obviously went from special teams to offense and now to defense with your players. They are all different experiences I imagine, which did you enjoy most so far and what are the major differences between them to you?
Raven: I really enjoyed both my previous player. I think it is pretty hard to really put one down as my all time favourite. I feel inclined to say Turkleton as (in my case) the first player in every league always feels the most special. Turk was great, because I really enjoyed kicking and kinda being a pioneer in regards to the position. Havran was fun as he had a great career with the Hawks. Lavigne so far has been interesting the new sim has kinda changed how Safeties play, which has hurt my numbers, so will have to see how Lavignes career ends up like.
I felt like the biggest difference is the reliability. If Havran had a bad game, I knew everyone would be looking at me. Turkleton just kinda did what he did, sometimes he would score a winning kick which felt good, sometimes he would miss a decisive kick. I feel like defensively players are harder to value. You can value kickers on missed kickers, QBs on completion and interceptions, but defence is just kinda there. I guess missed tackles? But before we switched sims you couldn't really see those unless you owned the sim. I do kinda miss the feeling of having that visible vlaue to the team like the other positions had.
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really interesting! It's something I have never really thought of before. I agree that it's hard to see the value in specific positions. I think especially when it comes to winning games for any position other than quarterback really.
Raven: Yeah I guess every position can have a pick game, a rb can run for 200 yards and score 3 TDs in the process and you would say. Damn now that is some value. Defensive players can make interceptions and return those for a touchdown or have a big 15 tackle day. A DL can have 2 sacks.
I guess you can value the defensive players, but some games your just kinda quiet and you cannot really put your finger on what you exactly did that game. So Lavigne has been a new experience, to kinda be on that side of the coin.
Steven O'Sullivan: You mentioned the new sim, what are your thoughts on the changes?
Raven: Well they have ruined my boys stat lines compared to last season so I hate it. Seriously though, I don't think I have really formed much of an opinion yet. Running seems kinda out of wack, we have seen runners break records this season and then we have seen runners run 10 times and end up in the negative yards, which I cannot say I have ever seen before.
I never really watch the sim, as most of the time I am asleep, but I got to watch the first or second sim of the season and it is nothing that really impresses me, but I have heard people say they like the new presentation way more, so good for them. It isn't a change I am affected by a ton at the end of the day. It is fun to see everyone be able to submit their own fields which is cool.
It is interesting now with a new attribute and all the traits, how much all of that will effects everything. I didnt mind 16, but so far I also have nothing really against 21.
Steven O'Sullivan: I imagine it will take a few seasons to really work everything out and then we will return to some form of status quo where everyone knows what works best and it becomes similar to the old one again.
Raven: Yeah exactly, everyone right now is figuring out what works and what doesn't work in the sim. Which positions are favourited and what schemes the sim likes.
It is an interesting moment, where everyone is kinda on equal playing fields trying to find out stuff, until we end up on equal playing fields when everyone knows the ins and outs of the sim.
Steven O'Sullivan: Definitely an exciting time. I am just starting my career so I wonder how that will go in this time as well.
Raven: For sure pioneering everything while it settles. It's only my third season aswell, so still a lot of time to experience the differences
Steven O'Sullivan: Let's talk a little about things off the field. You have been part of HO and a GM before. Which is the tougher role? Which is more rewarding?
Raven: Oh that is a tough question. I feel like HO is the tougher job, because you are at the helm of all decisions that get made league wide, also its one of the more thankless jobs in the league, that people always think should be done better. I would say that everyone needs to experience being HO at some point, especially if they are going to be loud about their opinions.
GMing in my mind is way more rewarding at the end of the day. Still an awfully tough job, but trying to lead a team to glory is very fun. We have probably all played a EA sports game franchise mode or football manager or one of the many other games like that at some point. It's nice to try and build up a team and set them up to win. GMing in leagues also comes with way more other factors, because for starters everyone is a user. In the video games, ur players are just 0 and 1's with a face, but in sim leagues they are a human being with real emotions, wants and need. It bring a whole new level to GMing in a league like this. You have to make sure the locker room is an enviorment people want to be in.
Having been the GM for Honolulu was a great experience. I am very happy with where the team is currently heading, I think the people who took over from me when I stepped down are fantastic and have done a wonderful job and definitely surpassed me in being a gm.
Steven O'Sullivan: Great answers! Do you think you will one day return to either role?
Raven: Oh absolutely not haha. My days of being in such a demanding role are over. I really was not a good fit for GMing. I always felt very lacking in that role and just was not able to give it all for the team. Just the feeling that I could do so much better and I was failing the team. I am much more comfortable in an advisory role within the war room of the team.
As for HO, I have been called one of the laziest HO members ever by a certain user and I would have to agree with him haha. Maybe it's a lack of initiative on my part. However I don't really remember my time in HO anymore, it's been quite a while since then.
Steven O'Sullivan: Haha I love the honesty. Besides your own team, who do you think is doing the best job as a GM?
Raven: Good question, I am probably going to miss some people here, but from the top of my head. The Chicago's have done a great job in turning that team around. A few seasons ago that team was a dumpster fire and now they were given the best odds to win the Ultimus. That is a pretty great achievement to accomplish in a few seasons. The latest expansion teams have some good people at the helm it seems. NY being almost an instant contender, how annoying it is too see, is some great work by the GMs and everyone involved. Sarasota has also been great since inception and Berlin should be on the right track.
Besides that, YKW and OCO always seem to have good people leading the teams. Especially OCO sadly, I just want to see them miss the playoffs for once in my life haha.
Steven O'Sullivan: I am going to put you on the spot even more here. As someone who has been around the entire league history, who would be your Mount Rushmore with the four best players of all time and the four best GMs of all time?
Raven: Jeez, you are giving my memory way too much credit here hah. For players I have to say; Mike Boss, Trey Willie, Taylor Owen aaaand the first Lavelle. As you can tell I am a very old school kinda dude. Like the oldies.
GMs is going to be tough, I want to say CK just because they have been gming for 27 seasons which is insane, Laser, controversially AdamS and Bovo, cuz he turned LVL into an absolute contender quickly after taking over.
I am probably forgetting 20 players and 10 gms, but just quickly from the top of my head those 4
Also add every Baltimore gm ever when I played for Baltimore :zoomeyes:
Steven O'Sullivan: You just inspired me and I wanted to see what you'd come up with. I wonder what other people would say about this question! I will need to ask other people as well.
Raven: Would be super interesting to see what other people will say regarding that question! Especially people from very differnt eras in the league.
Steven O'Sullivan: I definitely agree!
You mentioned Torkleton is in the hall of fame and now Havran has a chance, though he might not make it. What does being a member of the hall of fame mean to you?
Raven: Ah it's a bit of flex innit. Really though, I think it's recognition for putting in the work to make your player one of the bests in that position. Of course the sim and what kind of stats it pumps out for you also kinda helps.
I think Havran's biggest missing piece is an Ultimus. He came close, won a ton of other awards. MVP, QBotY, but really that Ultimus is missing.
Steven O'Sullivan: How does winning MVP compare to your kicker being in the hall of fame? Obviously a different kind of success but I imagine the kicker never won MVP haha
Raven: Now that you mention it no, Turkleton never won MVP which I think is a disgrace. Winning MVP was cool though, knowing that, that season the sim decided your player would just play the best. I still think I am more proud of the kicker in HoF. Especially being the first kicker to make it in.
Steven O'Sullivan: It's a longevity thing, I definitely think hall of fame should matter more.
Raven: Yeah I would have to agree. Someone could win MVP in their 5th season and then retire, but you would be missing that longevity, compared to someone who plays 12 seasons for instance.
Steven O'Sullivan: You mentioned it is harder to quantify how well you do on defense. What are the stats you look for most with your player?
Raven: When I first wanted to create a safety, it was back during the times they were still allowed to play at LB and absolutely dominate. So originally that's what I was looking for. That of course got patched out a long time ago. This Lavigne, I got two back to back 101 tackle seasons, so I was kinda looking at tackles and now in this new sim I am a ball hawk archetype. So I was hoping on some PD's and interceptions, but I haven't really gotten many of those yet sadly. So every sim I am kinda hoping to get those and if the sim won't give them to me, a healthy amount of tackles will do.
Steven O'Sullivan: I think that's part of the fun with defense is that you can get so many different statistics.
Raven: For sure and it makes sence my player can't get every stat, gotta split them all up between the different positions haha
Steven O'Sullivan: You have made a hall of fame player, an MVP... what are the goals now?
What's left to achieve?
Or is it just doing it all over again?
Raven: Yeah I guess as you said it, it's doing it all over again. Maybe HoF in all positions. Honestly, as long as I enjoy being a part of the league, it will just continue being an active user and just try to make great player. I have already planned out my future player, despite Lavigne still being able to go for another 1,5 years.
I think all I really need to do is win a few more cups. I have been in the league for 27 seasons now and I only have 1 cup to my name, so I am due to add more cups. Although im not one to really chase them, I am pretty loyal to my teams so hopefully I can help a team build their way to a cup. I think in Honolulu we are getting close and in a few seasons we should be looking pretty good.
Steven O'Sullivan: Championships are a great goal to have, especially without chasing them!
Raven: It's like the one thing I am kinda missing. I am very content with the rest of my career here. Besides being snubbed for user HoF
Steven O'Sullivan: Do you remember the 1 cup? What was it like?
Raven: Yeah it was crazy. It was getting to the twilight of Turks career, we had gotten into 3 finals before, but lost all of them. So to finally win the cup with everyone in that baltimore squad was amazing. So many people had put in years of work for that franchise and we really deserved it at that point. Only down part is we lost the following two finals and then Turk's career ended.
But Baltimore will always have a special place in my heart, it was such a lovely group of people back in the day. So I am happy we got a cup to celebrate it all.
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really amazing. It sounds like you have spent most of your careers on a very limited number of teams - long careers with the same team. Is that accurate?
Raven: Yeah it sure is. Turk was with the Hawks for 12 seasons and Havran was with the hawks for 8 seasons, before me and Dwyer got the S22 expansion team bid. If I had not gotten the bid, I would have likely had Corvo retire with the Hawks as well. No clue where my future player would have ended up after that, but I would have likely stayed there for their entire career as well.
Steven O'Sullivan: How does Baltimore compare to Honolulu? Is the locker room atmosphere similar?
Raven: I would say we are getting there. Baltimore was such a close knit group of great people. Honolulu is working it's way to be like that, I feel like I did a bad job establishing a LR early on, but the lads have been great and we are getting closer by the day now.
If Honolulu were to draft me back with my nex tplayer, I really wouldnt mind it.
Steven O'Sullivan: But you also don't feel tied to the team? If another team drafts you, that's also good with you?
Raven: Yeah I have always been very easy when it comes to that kinda stuff honestly. Like I have been in some great locker rooms and wanted to go back to them when I was in a draft, but I have always been open to joining any team and will give them the same amount of activity as I would for any other team.
Unless something in the team really makes me want to leave it, but that is something that i have thankfully never experienced yet. So if I am drafted you'll 99% have a franchise for life kind of player
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really awesome!
Do you already know what position your next player will be, now that you have done all three phases of the game once?
Raven: Yeah my current plan is to recreate as a wide receiver. Seems like a fun to move from the guy throwing the ball, to the guy catching the ball. However we still have like 1,5 years to go before I will recreating, so maybe I will shift my mind by then. The one downside about already knowing what you want to recreate as is you get kinda hyped for it, but still have to wait a while haha. Wide Receiver seems like a fun position to play and I don't feel like I am someone who will need to beg to get WR1, so I can be a great supporting WR as a WR2.
Steven O'Sullivan: I am a wide receiver right now and I am enjoying it a lot so far! The drops are a bit annoying but I am still new and hopefully they will go away as I get better.
Raven: Good to hear you are enjoying it! Exactly still some time to work on those hands and then those drops will be history.
If I hadn't made a kicker back in S1, I would have actually made a tight end. Because it seemed like an interesting underused position. In another time line I would have been giving numbers a run for his money in TE of the years.
Steven O'Sullivan: It will be interesting to see how it all evolves!
Raven: For sure, still have the best years ahead of us!
Another great interview partner in Raven! He had some amazing answers and he was someone who actually wanted to be interviewed based on interviews I had done in the past so that was really cool!
Steven O'Sullivan: I would love to hear a bit of an introduction about yourself and your player!
Raven: Sure thing, well I am Raven and I have been a member of the ISFL since it started way back in may of 2017. I have help a few jobs throughout my history in the league, I was an updater for a week when the league started, but dipped out of that job pretty quickly. I was a HO member for a few season back in the late S10's and was the founding GM for the Honolulu Hahalua who joined the league when it expanded in S22. The only job I currently still have in the league is the banking job, which I have held since the inception of the league.
I am currently on my third player, Davriel Lavigne who is a safety and plays for the Honolulu Hahalua. My first player in the league was Turk Turkleton, who is a HoF kicker and held a good few kicker records, until Alex D recently passed them. My second player was Corvo Havran who was a QB. He's up for HoF this upcoming season and while I do not think he will end up in the HoF I am happy with what I achieved with him.
Steven O'Sullivan: Great introduction! There is a lot there to ask about. Let me start by asking about the start of the league. As someone who has been here for that long, what would you say have been the biggest changes from the beginning to now? Is your experience with your third player vastly different/better than with your first?
Raven: On a personal level, the biggest difference between my first and third player is how much knowledge I have regarding the sim and it's stats. I originally created as a kicker, because it seemed to be the most easy kind of player to build. For context before joining the league, I did not know a ton about football. I had been kinda following it, but have very little knowledge.
So being on my third player now, I know how the game of football is actually played and feel like I know enough about the sim to build a player. (Or just copy what other people have been building haha).
In general, I feel like the league has really come to it's own and developed it's own community. I feel, especially in the early days the league had its fair share of drama and it seemed like the league could flop. However, we've come to the point where I feel the community is so strong and this league will be going on for years.
Steven O'Sullivan: I also had a kicker previously. It definitely is an easy position to be but it also lacked excitement for me and especially since TPE doesn't really matter, it left me being inactive for a long time. I am much happier now in the field.
Would you say that this league has taught you about football then? I think for many people it's games like Madden, but it would be awesome if you learned it through this league.
Raven: Yeah I would defiantly say this league taught me about football. Or at least inspired me to find out more. Like when I joined the league I had 0 idea what most of the defensive positions roles were within a team. Like the offensive is somewhat easy to understand, but then the defence is a whole another cookie. And while I am still a little unsure about all the specifics on defence I know way more than I did almost 4 years ago.
I find it interesting to hear your experience with an IA kicker. I actually did really enjoy Turkleton, however as you mentioned it isn't a position that really requires much TPE or any TPE at all too be honest. That is the only downside I felt the position had, like despite me being the only really active kicker for the first 4 seasons, with more slowly joining, like the kicker mafia lads, me having a big advantage in TPE didnt really matter. I was still missing kicks, while 50 TPE kickers were having perfect seasons and winning awards (bit of an over dramatisation, but that's how it kinda was)
Steven O'Sullivan: That is really cool that this league has taught you more!
Yeah I knew I was not going to be earning a ton so I thought kicker was perfect but it actually hurt me even more because I never felt motivated. I did pretty well with the little TPE I had.
You obviously went from special teams to offense and now to defense with your players. They are all different experiences I imagine, which did you enjoy most so far and what are the major differences between them to you?
Raven: I really enjoyed both my previous player. I think it is pretty hard to really put one down as my all time favourite. I feel inclined to say Turkleton as (in my case) the first player in every league always feels the most special. Turk was great, because I really enjoyed kicking and kinda being a pioneer in regards to the position. Havran was fun as he had a great career with the Hawks. Lavigne so far has been interesting the new sim has kinda changed how Safeties play, which has hurt my numbers, so will have to see how Lavignes career ends up like.
I felt like the biggest difference is the reliability. If Havran had a bad game, I knew everyone would be looking at me. Turkleton just kinda did what he did, sometimes he would score a winning kick which felt good, sometimes he would miss a decisive kick. I feel like defensively players are harder to value. You can value kickers on missed kickers, QBs on completion and interceptions, but defence is just kinda there. I guess missed tackles? But before we switched sims you couldn't really see those unless you owned the sim. I do kinda miss the feeling of having that visible vlaue to the team like the other positions had.
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really interesting! It's something I have never really thought of before. I agree that it's hard to see the value in specific positions. I think especially when it comes to winning games for any position other than quarterback really.
Raven: Yeah I guess every position can have a pick game, a rb can run for 200 yards and score 3 TDs in the process and you would say. Damn now that is some value. Defensive players can make interceptions and return those for a touchdown or have a big 15 tackle day. A DL can have 2 sacks.
I guess you can value the defensive players, but some games your just kinda quiet and you cannot really put your finger on what you exactly did that game. So Lavigne has been a new experience, to kinda be on that side of the coin.
Steven O'Sullivan: You mentioned the new sim, what are your thoughts on the changes?
Raven: Well they have ruined my boys stat lines compared to last season so I hate it. Seriously though, I don't think I have really formed much of an opinion yet. Running seems kinda out of wack, we have seen runners break records this season and then we have seen runners run 10 times and end up in the negative yards, which I cannot say I have ever seen before.
I never really watch the sim, as most of the time I am asleep, but I got to watch the first or second sim of the season and it is nothing that really impresses me, but I have heard people say they like the new presentation way more, so good for them. It isn't a change I am affected by a ton at the end of the day. It is fun to see everyone be able to submit their own fields which is cool.
It is interesting now with a new attribute and all the traits, how much all of that will effects everything. I didnt mind 16, but so far I also have nothing really against 21.
Steven O'Sullivan: I imagine it will take a few seasons to really work everything out and then we will return to some form of status quo where everyone knows what works best and it becomes similar to the old one again.
Raven: Yeah exactly, everyone right now is figuring out what works and what doesn't work in the sim. Which positions are favourited and what schemes the sim likes.
It is an interesting moment, where everyone is kinda on equal playing fields trying to find out stuff, until we end up on equal playing fields when everyone knows the ins and outs of the sim.
Steven O'Sullivan: Definitely an exciting time. I am just starting my career so I wonder how that will go in this time as well.
Raven: For sure pioneering everything while it settles. It's only my third season aswell, so still a lot of time to experience the differences
Steven O'Sullivan: Let's talk a little about things off the field. You have been part of HO and a GM before. Which is the tougher role? Which is more rewarding?
Raven: Oh that is a tough question. I feel like HO is the tougher job, because you are at the helm of all decisions that get made league wide, also its one of the more thankless jobs in the league, that people always think should be done better. I would say that everyone needs to experience being HO at some point, especially if they are going to be loud about their opinions.
GMing in my mind is way more rewarding at the end of the day. Still an awfully tough job, but trying to lead a team to glory is very fun. We have probably all played a EA sports game franchise mode or football manager or one of the many other games like that at some point. It's nice to try and build up a team and set them up to win. GMing in leagues also comes with way more other factors, because for starters everyone is a user. In the video games, ur players are just 0 and 1's with a face, but in sim leagues they are a human being with real emotions, wants and need. It bring a whole new level to GMing in a league like this. You have to make sure the locker room is an enviorment people want to be in.
Having been the GM for Honolulu was a great experience. I am very happy with where the team is currently heading, I think the people who took over from me when I stepped down are fantastic and have done a wonderful job and definitely surpassed me in being a gm.
Steven O'Sullivan: Great answers! Do you think you will one day return to either role?
Raven: Oh absolutely not haha. My days of being in such a demanding role are over. I really was not a good fit for GMing. I always felt very lacking in that role and just was not able to give it all for the team. Just the feeling that I could do so much better and I was failing the team. I am much more comfortable in an advisory role within the war room of the team.
As for HO, I have been called one of the laziest HO members ever by a certain user and I would have to agree with him haha. Maybe it's a lack of initiative on my part. However I don't really remember my time in HO anymore, it's been quite a while since then.
Steven O'Sullivan: Haha I love the honesty. Besides your own team, who do you think is doing the best job as a GM?
Raven: Good question, I am probably going to miss some people here, but from the top of my head. The Chicago's have done a great job in turning that team around. A few seasons ago that team was a dumpster fire and now they were given the best odds to win the Ultimus. That is a pretty great achievement to accomplish in a few seasons. The latest expansion teams have some good people at the helm it seems. NY being almost an instant contender, how annoying it is too see, is some great work by the GMs and everyone involved. Sarasota has also been great since inception and Berlin should be on the right track.
Besides that, YKW and OCO always seem to have good people leading the teams. Especially OCO sadly, I just want to see them miss the playoffs for once in my life haha.
Steven O'Sullivan: I am going to put you on the spot even more here. As someone who has been around the entire league history, who would be your Mount Rushmore with the four best players of all time and the four best GMs of all time?
Raven: Jeez, you are giving my memory way too much credit here hah. For players I have to say; Mike Boss, Trey Willie, Taylor Owen aaaand the first Lavelle. As you can tell I am a very old school kinda dude. Like the oldies.
GMs is going to be tough, I want to say CK just because they have been gming for 27 seasons which is insane, Laser, controversially AdamS and Bovo, cuz he turned LVL into an absolute contender quickly after taking over.
I am probably forgetting 20 players and 10 gms, but just quickly from the top of my head those 4
Also add every Baltimore gm ever when I played for Baltimore :zoomeyes:
Steven O'Sullivan: You just inspired me and I wanted to see what you'd come up with. I wonder what other people would say about this question! I will need to ask other people as well.
Raven: Would be super interesting to see what other people will say regarding that question! Especially people from very differnt eras in the league.
Steven O'Sullivan: I definitely agree!
You mentioned Torkleton is in the hall of fame and now Havran has a chance, though he might not make it. What does being a member of the hall of fame mean to you?
Raven: Ah it's a bit of flex innit. Really though, I think it's recognition for putting in the work to make your player one of the bests in that position. Of course the sim and what kind of stats it pumps out for you also kinda helps.
I think Havran's biggest missing piece is an Ultimus. He came close, won a ton of other awards. MVP, QBotY, but really that Ultimus is missing.
Steven O'Sullivan: How does winning MVP compare to your kicker being in the hall of fame? Obviously a different kind of success but I imagine the kicker never won MVP haha
Raven: Now that you mention it no, Turkleton never won MVP which I think is a disgrace. Winning MVP was cool though, knowing that, that season the sim decided your player would just play the best. I still think I am more proud of the kicker in HoF. Especially being the first kicker to make it in.
Steven O'Sullivan: It's a longevity thing, I definitely think hall of fame should matter more.
Raven: Yeah I would have to agree. Someone could win MVP in their 5th season and then retire, but you would be missing that longevity, compared to someone who plays 12 seasons for instance.
Steven O'Sullivan: You mentioned it is harder to quantify how well you do on defense. What are the stats you look for most with your player?
Raven: When I first wanted to create a safety, it was back during the times they were still allowed to play at LB and absolutely dominate. So originally that's what I was looking for. That of course got patched out a long time ago. This Lavigne, I got two back to back 101 tackle seasons, so I was kinda looking at tackles and now in this new sim I am a ball hawk archetype. So I was hoping on some PD's and interceptions, but I haven't really gotten many of those yet sadly. So every sim I am kinda hoping to get those and if the sim won't give them to me, a healthy amount of tackles will do.
Steven O'Sullivan: I think that's part of the fun with defense is that you can get so many different statistics.
Raven: For sure and it makes sence my player can't get every stat, gotta split them all up between the different positions haha
Steven O'Sullivan: You have made a hall of fame player, an MVP... what are the goals now?
What's left to achieve?
Or is it just doing it all over again?
Raven: Yeah I guess as you said it, it's doing it all over again. Maybe HoF in all positions. Honestly, as long as I enjoy being a part of the league, it will just continue being an active user and just try to make great player. I have already planned out my future player, despite Lavigne still being able to go for another 1,5 years.
I think all I really need to do is win a few more cups. I have been in the league for 27 seasons now and I only have 1 cup to my name, so I am due to add more cups. Although im not one to really chase them, I am pretty loyal to my teams so hopefully I can help a team build their way to a cup. I think in Honolulu we are getting close and in a few seasons we should be looking pretty good.
Steven O'Sullivan: Championships are a great goal to have, especially without chasing them!
Raven: It's like the one thing I am kinda missing. I am very content with the rest of my career here. Besides being snubbed for user HoF
Steven O'Sullivan: Do you remember the 1 cup? What was it like?
Raven: Yeah it was crazy. It was getting to the twilight of Turks career, we had gotten into 3 finals before, but lost all of them. So to finally win the cup with everyone in that baltimore squad was amazing. So many people had put in years of work for that franchise and we really deserved it at that point. Only down part is we lost the following two finals and then Turk's career ended.
But Baltimore will always have a special place in my heart, it was such a lovely group of people back in the day. So I am happy we got a cup to celebrate it all.
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really amazing. It sounds like you have spent most of your careers on a very limited number of teams - long careers with the same team. Is that accurate?
Raven: Yeah it sure is. Turk was with the Hawks for 12 seasons and Havran was with the hawks for 8 seasons, before me and Dwyer got the S22 expansion team bid. If I had not gotten the bid, I would have likely had Corvo retire with the Hawks as well. No clue where my future player would have ended up after that, but I would have likely stayed there for their entire career as well.
Steven O'Sullivan: How does Baltimore compare to Honolulu? Is the locker room atmosphere similar?
Raven: I would say we are getting there. Baltimore was such a close knit group of great people. Honolulu is working it's way to be like that, I feel like I did a bad job establishing a LR early on, but the lads have been great and we are getting closer by the day now.
If Honolulu were to draft me back with my nex tplayer, I really wouldnt mind it.
Steven O'Sullivan: But you also don't feel tied to the team? If another team drafts you, that's also good with you?
Raven: Yeah I have always been very easy when it comes to that kinda stuff honestly. Like I have been in some great locker rooms and wanted to go back to them when I was in a draft, but I have always been open to joining any team and will give them the same amount of activity as I would for any other team.
Unless something in the team really makes me want to leave it, but that is something that i have thankfully never experienced yet. So if I am drafted you'll 99% have a franchise for life kind of player
Steven O'Sullivan: That's really awesome!
Do you already know what position your next player will be, now that you have done all three phases of the game once?
Raven: Yeah my current plan is to recreate as a wide receiver. Seems like a fun to move from the guy throwing the ball, to the guy catching the ball. However we still have like 1,5 years to go before I will recreating, so maybe I will shift my mind by then. The one downside about already knowing what you want to recreate as is you get kinda hyped for it, but still have to wait a while haha. Wide Receiver seems like a fun position to play and I don't feel like I am someone who will need to beg to get WR1, so I can be a great supporting WR as a WR2.
Steven O'Sullivan: I am a wide receiver right now and I am enjoying it a lot so far! The drops are a bit annoying but I am still new and hopefully they will go away as I get better.
Raven: Good to hear you are enjoying it! Exactly still some time to work on those hands and then those drops will be history.
If I hadn't made a kicker back in S1, I would have actually made a tight end. Because it seemed like an interesting underused position. In another time line I would have been giving numbers a run for his money in TE of the years.
Steven O'Sullivan: It will be interesting to see how it all evolves!
Raven: For sure, still have the best years ahead of us!
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