(S8) - Ultimus Week

[iseedoug]

Sit down with a fan (with nunccoepi):

1. You have just finished your first year in the League, how did it compare to your expectations?

I do wish we would have won more games, but I knew going in it was going to be a rebuild. I think on a personal level, i did make huge improvements in my game. I acheived my career high in tackles and made huge strides in my athletic ability, but did not get as many big plays as I was hoping. I did get more tackles this season than my man Chad Pennington, which I think solidfies the questions surrounding my performance in the DSFL.

2. Your former team, The Tijuana Luchadores, lead by your associate Icy Douglas, just struck Ultimini gold. Tell me about what it has been like to witness their rise to success?

Man I am so proud of those guys, particularly Icy and Epictitus. Taking a team with very few old faces (other than my guy Thad) to the Ultimini, let alone win it, takes some crafty game planning and locker room leadership. There are also lots of young stars on that Luchdores team that can make an impact on the next level. I hope San Jose can snag a few of them in the draft to help us make our own championship run.

3. What do you anticipate for next year regarding your personal goals and expectations?
As far as personal goals go, I am going to make a switch in my game play style. So far I have relied a lot on my strength and power to make plays, but I think the NSFL is an extremely fast league. So, I am going to make the switch to focusing on my speed and agility to take my game to the next level. I started working towards this goal mid season this year, and think it should be a quick transision, I also would like to continue to improve my game intelligence, which is becoming more important with a complex and pass heavy league.

4. What do you think about the rebuild going on in San Jose lately?
I think we are making moves in the right direction. The trade of Bayley for future draft picks was a huge move that I think should set us up for a bright future. I do hope we not only make a splash in the draft (getting my Lucha guys), but also in the free agent/trade market. I think this next season will still be a lot of rebuild, but hopefully S10 will be our year. We just need to be aggressive with our moves, and take advantage of old age of players on other teams in the NSFL. Guys will be retiring soon, and we will be prepared to make multiple playoff runs.


Sit down with a superstar (with nunccoepi aka Verso L'Alto): Link: http://nsfl.jcink.net/index.php?showtopic=...ndpost&p=133364

1. The Hawks had high hopes this season with some big early season success and a trip to the post season, but could not finish the job to reach the Ultimus. What do you think needs to improve or change to make that next big step in S9?

To be honest, I think it's really hard to tell in some ways. On paper, we had one of the best teams and undoubtedly the best offense in the league this season. And yet we couldn't get it done. Some might say that we had poor leadership or other off-field issues and yet I don't think it's that either. Our leadership is experienced and we had some great times in the locker room this season without any real issues. I think this just wasn't our year. Sometimes that just happens. I have confidence that next season will be much better, however.


2. The DSFL proved to be exciting this year, particularly for your former team the Luchadores. What do you think about their season performance and Ultimini win? What aspects of the team do you think helped them secure two underdog wins in the playoffs?

Yeah, wow, what an exciting year for the Luchadores! Everyone that knows me knows that my love runs deep for my former team. I wish I could have been out on the field with them. From what I have been able to gather, they seemed like a really scrappy team, and of course I mean that in a good way. They didn't blow teams out. They won their two playoff games by a combined two points for crying out loud. But they found a way to win, plain and simple.


3. Are there any players you would like the Hawks to pick up on the free agent market or trade for? Or do you think the team should continue to add talent through the draft?

We definitely need to draft well. You see that as a common characteristic for winning teams across all professional sports. I won't give away any targets in particular that the Hawks might be looking at, but its no secret that it's a pretty talented draft class so I'm excited to see who'll be moving to the great city of Baltimore. This is also important because talent tends to attract talent. When free agents see talent arriving in Baltimore, that will make it that much more of an attractive destination.


4. Do you have any personal goals for this season? I believe you are going into a contract year, which could prove to be important for your new contract or potentially free agent pricing.

That's right. I've spent the last couple of seasons thinking about what I want my impact on the league to be. I've decided that I'm not in it for the money. I want to enjoy myself as much as I can, and I want to leave my mark in the record books. By the time my career comes to end I want to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that I'm the best Tight End the league has ever seen. This season will be just another step towards that.

New Talent:

Not many trades happen in the DSFL, let alone impactful ones. This is due to the quick turnover of players, team dynamics, and the unknown of players in development and future draft classes. Despite this traditional narrative of the DSFL trade market, 1 trade this year made more difference than given credit for. A few weeks before the trade deadline the Tijuana Luchadores traded a S9 2nd round for WR Stone Hans and CB Daquan Richardson. This future sacrifice was proven worth while. The Luchadores formed one of the top WR cores by adding a 3rd talented WR to the team, and solidified the defensive secondary with a much needed ball hawk CB. Richardson finished the season with 42 tackles and 3 interceptions, and 12 total tackles in the playoffs. WR Stone Hans provided an out when the Luchadores lead WR X.Flash was found in tight or double coverage, getting 6 receptions for over 50 yards in the playoffs. Eventually the depth created by this trade, along with a quickly developing rookie set of players on both sides of the ball, lead the Luchadores to their first Ultimini win, and 2nd Ultimini appearance. Without this trade, it would be hard to coverage the heavy pass game of KCC in the Ultimini.

That Magic Moment:

After a few painful losses to the Marshals in the regular season, the Luchadores were underdogs going into the playoffs. No one expected them to even make it past the conference round. Yet, by a 1 point margin late in the game, they did. Back to back SFC Championships. Seems pretty magically right? Many thought the Luchadores should be pretty satisfied with a conference championship and just let the Ultimini go. I mean after all, if they weren’t supposed to win the first round, what makes anyone think they can win it all verse the strongest Coyotes team the DSFL has seen. It took a lot of crafty game planning and locker room hype to get that win. Something that is hard to repeat. Despite the league’s and fan’s doubt, the Luchadores were determined to not let the story end here, in particular, the Luchadores record breaking kicker Kyle Corbett. Fast forward to the Ultimini, its the end of the 4th. The Luchadores are down by 2, after several failed 2 point conversions in hopes to gain the lead earlier in the 4th. The Luchadores defense makes a stand, and gets the ball back to the offense with roughly 2 minutes to go. This is the Luchadores last chance. The luchadores move the ball some, but after several huge pass drops, it seems hope is lost. Penner makes one last deep through to get in field goal range, nails a 49 yard pass, leaving the Luchadores with a 50 yard field goal. Many fans are already leaving the stadium. A 50 yarder can be done, but it's tough, particularly in the high winds of KC that day. Kyle jogged out of the field confident his record breaking leg can hit this. He reassures his teammates, he has this. After what seemed like ages, the ball is snapped, the ball is placed, and Kyle gives it his all… and he drains it with 0 seconds left on the clock! The Luchadores win it! The first Ultimini in franchise history. Magic? Maybe so. Historic? Definitely.