(S8) - Ultimus Week

[manicmav36]

New Talent: Write about which S8 trade will or did have the biggest impact in the playoffs. Can be written at any time depending on if you choose to write about who already has or who will do good
Oh man, where to start on this one? Well the obvious answer that I’m sure everyone else is putting almost definitely involves the Liberty fire-sale. The Liberty, less that a season removed from being Ultimus champs, pulled a Florida Marlins and sold everything that wasn’t nailed down in hopes of preparing for the future. We saw stars like Eli Kamaka and Damien Kroetch sent to the Colorado Yeti, Paul DiMirio and Godfrey King shipped to the Second Line, Micah Hendrix dispatched to the Yellowknife Wraiths, and both Clifford Rove and Vikian Melamedov sold to the Baltimore Hawks. The once proud Liberty were now a shell of their former selves, with only one active player remaining on the roster, the GM himself. The second half of the season looked bleak for the Liberty, but that didn’t stop them from trying to make the playoffs (and nearly succeeding) one last time before the true rebuild began. However, each one of the players shipped away, save for Kamaka and Kroetch, had a solid impact for their team in the playoffs. Kamaka and Kroetch were almost able to will their squad into the playoffs as well. The great Liberty sell-off will always be remembered as a pivotal moment in eighth season of the NSFL.


Root for the Underdog: Pick an away team in an upcoming game and try to convince yourself (and us) why they can win. (Must be completed before the playoff series you write about)
The Baltimore Hawks can absolutely beat the Yellowknife Wraiths in Yellowknife. Am I lying to myself? Yeah, probably. But if I say it out loud enough times, it might actually come true. First, lets look at the previous games this season. They first met in Baltimore and Yellowknife came out ahead by four. Well, that’s not ideal, but it was only four points, that’s easily fixable. For their second game, they met in Yellowknife, obviously, and the Wraiths once again came out ahead, this time by five. That’s not that bad honestly. The Wraiths lost only one game at home, and this was their next closest game. A five point deficit as the away team shows that the Hawks really can come out on top. Next, let’s look at the high-powered Hawks offense. Led by probably the most efficient QB in the history of the NSFL, Avon Blocksdale is absolutely surrounded by weapons. He has what is probably the best wide receiver corp in the NSFL. Led by Trey Willie, the early favorite for receiver of the year, his number two is LeClair, who’s talented enough to start on many teams. Their number three receiver is Budda Browning, the former number one receiver in Arizona. On the ground, the Hawks have Owen Taylor, a four-time league leading rusher and running back of the year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the best up and coming tight end in the league, Verso L’Alto. With this much firepower on one side of the ball, surely they have a chance to pull of the upset. Right? Please say yes.


Sit-down with a star (thanks to @124715):
1) How does it feel being so close, yet narrowly missing on back-to-back championships?
I mean, it was a great season for me, winning a lot of games in Philly, then being traded and winning a lot of games in NOLA. Plus, we pulled off a huge upset beating OC in the first round of the playoffs. That was fun. So while we obviously would have liked to go all the way, there were a lot of high points, and I know we'll be primed for another deep run come next season.
2) What are the main differences between the Philly and NOLA locker rooms?
They are both great LRs, however by the time I was traded, there were only 4 people making up most of the Philly LR activity, and the NOLA LR just was more active. Plus the NOLA LR is, as marketed, overflowing with inside jokes and memes. I actually liked the Philly LR a lot, especially after being part of it for 5 1/2 seasons, but it had started to die - turns out trading away active players is a good way to kill LR talk. It was nice to be back in a popping LR again in NOLA.
3) Are you happy with your decision to leave Philly?
Well, it wasn't really my decision first of all - I got traded very, very quickly (so quickly that other GMs have actually talked to me saying they would have wanted to trade for me but were too slow) so while I could smell it happening, it was still a little bit of a shock. Although, I love the team spirit, the fans, and the LR culture in NOLA and it's just a really great place.
4) What are the franchise expectations in NOLA heading into season 9?
Ultimus or bust, baby! I think we should be seen as the strongest team going into S9. We have an offense that averaged nearly 40 points a game to close out the season (on a 7-1 streak, by the way), and there's really no reason why we wouldn't be able to continue that success into the beginning of next year. Also, our defense really tightened up over that stretch, allowing just about 17 points a game. That means we won our games by an average of 23 points, which would be unprecedented. I think everyone knows it won't be a gimme, but we should be well on our way to a championship next season.


Sit-down with a fan (thanks to @124715):
1. You were tasked with going up against a team in the playoffs that was widely regarded as a very strong team. How did you and your teammates react to the challenge?
It was a tough season, and we really had to fight to get to the playoffs this year. We knew this game would be no different. We did the best we could with our strategy preparation, but in the end, it just wasn't enough.
2. You then came out to a huge lead early in the game. What was the atmosphere like during this period?
We were over the moon! When you come into an environment like that and immediately go up by 21, it takes the crowd right out of it. We couldn't have asked for a better start to that game.
3. While you didn't win the game, you kept it close on the road. What was the general feeling about the season as a whole?
Obviously, we were happy we made it to the playoffs, but that will never be good enough for us. We expected to win 9 games, but we knew even if we did, it would be a fight to make it into the playoffs. I don't think disappointment is the right word, because we finished how many expected us to, as second in the NSFC. But with the roster we had, we should've been challenging for the Ultimus.
4. Going forward (i.e., S9) what are the expectations for you and the Hawks?
I hope Taylor does well, it'd be nice to see him on top again. But honestly (and more importantly), I believe the Hawks should be representing the NSFC in the Ultimus, and anything short of that is a let down.