06-25-2018, 01:31 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-25-2018, 02:05 PM by Leafs4ever.)
New Talent:
One trade that caught my eye this season was the trade between the Philadelphia Liberty and the New Orleans Second Line. Deciding to go into a rebuild, the Liberty shipped out star TE Paul DiMirio and DT Godfrey King to New Orleans for up and coming DT Omar Wrong and WR Stormblessed.
With the Second Line enjoying a good season, they saw an opening to compete with the Otters so they decided to make this big move and close the gap. Paul DiMirio brings veteran leadership and a high skill set to the field. His presence on the field will open up more opportunities for his teammates, but also gives New Orleans another huge weapon in the pass game. Godfrey King solidifies their depth on defense, making them a strong match up against any offense, notably Orange County. It's been a while since New Orleans could taste post season success. The Otters have controlled their conference for so long it was time for the Second Line to strike and finally battle the Otters for NSFL supremacy. Only time will tell if this move can push New Orleans over Orange County this season, but the fact that they are in this position to make the push now suggests that it may not be Orange County's conference for much longer.
(218 words)
Playoff Predictions:
Baltimore Hawks vs. Yellowknife Wraiths: Just by looking at their records in the regular season, you'd think the Wraiths are a runaway to win this game against the Hawks. However, in the 2 games these two played against each other this season, the Wraiths won both only by a combined margin of 9 points. The Hawks have played Yellowknife tough all season. Having said that, the Wraiths are built to win right now and they are ready to fulfill that destiny. Baltimore hangs in there, but Yellowknife wins, sending them to the Championship Game. Wraiths win 26-12
New Orleans Second Line vs. Orange County Otters: This match-up pits two evenly matched teams in the conference final. In the regular season, they split the 2 games, one a blow out win for New Orleans and the other a nail biter for Orange County. New Orleans pushed their chips all in this season making a bold move to bring in Paul DiMirio and Godfrey King. They are ready to knock the Otters off their pedestal that they've held for what seems like forever. However, the Otters hold court once again as they aren't quite ready to give up their throne. The Otters win at home to set up a match-up against the Wraiths in the Championship Game. Otters win 30-26
Orange County Otters vs. Yellowknife Wraiths: Everything comes down to this. The Championship Game comes down to the powerhouse Otters against the new power in the NSFC Yellowknife Wraiths. In what is going to be a hell of a game, I have the Otters continuing their dominance of the NSFL and winning the Ultimus Trophy. Orange County is still king, but this may be the last time as there are other suitors who are more than ready to finally knock them off. However, this season still belongs to the Orange County Otters. Otters win 26-20
(313 words)
Root for the Underdog:
The two road teams in this season's playoffs are the Baltimore Hawks and the New Orleans Second Line. Both have tough match-ups, but I can see New Orleans winning their game and it not being a huge shock. That's why I'm here to try and convince you that the Baltimore Hawks have a chance to beat the Wraiths in Yellowknife.
First off, in the regular season Baltimore played the Wraiths very well. In the first match-up they only lost by 4 points and the second was only by 5 points. They hung in well with the regular season champions. Most of that can be attributed to their 3 headed monster on offense. QB Avon Blocksdale, RB Owen Taylor, and WR Trey Willie have been stars for the Hawks all season. They have given opposing defenses a fit and helped propel the Hawks into the playoffs. If there's one weakness with this Wraiths team, it's rush defense. They are only ranked 6th in the league for rush defense and if there's one RB who can exploit that weakness, it's Owen Taylor. Taylor led the Hawks to the league's 4th best rush offense, averaging over 90 yards per game. The biggest thing a road team can do is slow the game down, kill the clock, and take the fans out of the game. With a strong rush offense, Baltimore can control the clock with time killing runs and can tire out the defense of Yellowknife.
Yellowknife is as strong of a team as there is in the NSFL, but if Baltimore wants a shot at the upset victory, they'll need to use their star RB to take a shot at the only perceived weakness Yellowknife has, their rush defense.
(287 words)
Sit-down with a star:
An exclusive 1-on-1 interview with Orange County Otters WR Carlito Crush:
1. You had a fantastic regular season with 1205 yards and 4 TDs. What do you have to do to continue your play in the playoffs, when defenses get much more ruthless?
CC: Just have to keep doing what I'm doing. Our offense is really clicking. I'm confident I can perform against any defense. And even if they shut me down, there's still Westy, Phelps, and Atwell to try and stop. Good luck.
2. New Orleans really made a strong push this season to challenge the Otters in the ASFC. What is it about the Second Line that might worry you in playoffs?
CC: Well, it's that most of the team, and the franchise, hasn't "been here" before. The playoffs always get your heart going a bit faster, but when it's your first dance, you get to an even higher level. I just did it myself this last playoffs. I was jacked much more than most of the Otters who had been there. Imagining most of a team that way? Yikes.
3. The Otters have been tremendously successful for so long, what keeps your team motivated season to season?
CC: It's the entire culture in OC. Winning is the goal, season after season. We don't consciously keep ourselves motivated, we just know what our goal is and go about doing our best to achieve it.
4. What was the team's reaction to the trade that brought Paul DiMirio and Godfrey King to the New Orleans Second Line?
CC: It saddened us, because Philadelphia is starting a rebuild but didn't get nearly enough in return. It's always a shame to see teams sell themselves short.
(285 words)
One trade that caught my eye this season was the trade between the Philadelphia Liberty and the New Orleans Second Line. Deciding to go into a rebuild, the Liberty shipped out star TE Paul DiMirio and DT Godfrey King to New Orleans for up and coming DT Omar Wrong and WR Stormblessed.
With the Second Line enjoying a good season, they saw an opening to compete with the Otters so they decided to make this big move and close the gap. Paul DiMirio brings veteran leadership and a high skill set to the field. His presence on the field will open up more opportunities for his teammates, but also gives New Orleans another huge weapon in the pass game. Godfrey King solidifies their depth on defense, making them a strong match up against any offense, notably Orange County. It's been a while since New Orleans could taste post season success. The Otters have controlled their conference for so long it was time for the Second Line to strike and finally battle the Otters for NSFL supremacy. Only time will tell if this move can push New Orleans over Orange County this season, but the fact that they are in this position to make the push now suggests that it may not be Orange County's conference for much longer.
(218 words)
Playoff Predictions:
Baltimore Hawks vs. Yellowknife Wraiths: Just by looking at their records in the regular season, you'd think the Wraiths are a runaway to win this game against the Hawks. However, in the 2 games these two played against each other this season, the Wraiths won both only by a combined margin of 9 points. The Hawks have played Yellowknife tough all season. Having said that, the Wraiths are built to win right now and they are ready to fulfill that destiny. Baltimore hangs in there, but Yellowknife wins, sending them to the Championship Game. Wraiths win 26-12
New Orleans Second Line vs. Orange County Otters: This match-up pits two evenly matched teams in the conference final. In the regular season, they split the 2 games, one a blow out win for New Orleans and the other a nail biter for Orange County. New Orleans pushed their chips all in this season making a bold move to bring in Paul DiMirio and Godfrey King. They are ready to knock the Otters off their pedestal that they've held for what seems like forever. However, the Otters hold court once again as they aren't quite ready to give up their throne. The Otters win at home to set up a match-up against the Wraiths in the Championship Game. Otters win 30-26
Orange County Otters vs. Yellowknife Wraiths: Everything comes down to this. The Championship Game comes down to the powerhouse Otters against the new power in the NSFC Yellowknife Wraiths. In what is going to be a hell of a game, I have the Otters continuing their dominance of the NSFL and winning the Ultimus Trophy. Orange County is still king, but this may be the last time as there are other suitors who are more than ready to finally knock them off. However, this season still belongs to the Orange County Otters. Otters win 26-20
(313 words)
Root for the Underdog:
The two road teams in this season's playoffs are the Baltimore Hawks and the New Orleans Second Line. Both have tough match-ups, but I can see New Orleans winning their game and it not being a huge shock. That's why I'm here to try and convince you that the Baltimore Hawks have a chance to beat the Wraiths in Yellowknife.
First off, in the regular season Baltimore played the Wraiths very well. In the first match-up they only lost by 4 points and the second was only by 5 points. They hung in well with the regular season champions. Most of that can be attributed to their 3 headed monster on offense. QB Avon Blocksdale, RB Owen Taylor, and WR Trey Willie have been stars for the Hawks all season. They have given opposing defenses a fit and helped propel the Hawks into the playoffs. If there's one weakness with this Wraiths team, it's rush defense. They are only ranked 6th in the league for rush defense and if there's one RB who can exploit that weakness, it's Owen Taylor. Taylor led the Hawks to the league's 4th best rush offense, averaging over 90 yards per game. The biggest thing a road team can do is slow the game down, kill the clock, and take the fans out of the game. With a strong rush offense, Baltimore can control the clock with time killing runs and can tire out the defense of Yellowknife.
Yellowknife is as strong of a team as there is in the NSFL, but if Baltimore wants a shot at the upset victory, they'll need to use their star RB to take a shot at the only perceived weakness Yellowknife has, their rush defense.
(287 words)
Sit-down with a star:
An exclusive 1-on-1 interview with Orange County Otters WR Carlito Crush:
1. You had a fantastic regular season with 1205 yards and 4 TDs. What do you have to do to continue your play in the playoffs, when defenses get much more ruthless?
CC: Just have to keep doing what I'm doing. Our offense is really clicking. I'm confident I can perform against any defense. And even if they shut me down, there's still Westy, Phelps, and Atwell to try and stop. Good luck.
2. New Orleans really made a strong push this season to challenge the Otters in the ASFC. What is it about the Second Line that might worry you in playoffs?
CC: Well, it's that most of the team, and the franchise, hasn't "been here" before. The playoffs always get your heart going a bit faster, but when it's your first dance, you get to an even higher level. I just did it myself this last playoffs. I was jacked much more than most of the Otters who had been there. Imagining most of a team that way? Yikes.
3. The Otters have been tremendously successful for so long, what keeps your team motivated season to season?
CC: It's the entire culture in OC. Winning is the goal, season after season. We don't consciously keep ourselves motivated, we just know what our goal is and go about doing our best to achieve it.
4. What was the team's reaction to the trade that brought Paul DiMirio and Godfrey King to the New Orleans Second Line?
CC: It saddened us, because Philadelphia is starting a rebuild but didn't get nearly enough in return. It's always a shame to see teams sell themselves short.
(285 words)
