6) Our Time
Written: Why should your team be looked at the favorite to win the Ultimus or Ultimini this season.
Graphics: Show with a graphic why your team is/was the best team.
Clearly, it is our time because the Arizona Outlaws are your official S16 Ultimus champions. And damn it feels good to say that. However, there are many nay-sayers who are quick to dismiss us, so perhaps it needs to be said a bit louder.
No, this season did not come easy for us. We had to fight for every win we got. This is a fresh, young team that is hungry for success and determined to turn the team’s image around. We don’t have as many big name stars as other teams might, which makes us easy to overlook, but we do have one of the most active teams in the league and many of our young players are stars in the making with long, exciting careers ahead of them. It’s impossible to say where their careers will ultimately lead them, but I’m so proud to say a locker room with these guys. They’ve put the work in to make this team a contender practically overnight and yet they don’t get the credit they deserve.
It’s easy to look at the season Arizona had and call this win a fluke. People didn’t expect us to beat the Sabercats (and certainly not by 20 points). They didn’t expect us to beat the Otters on the road. And, even with homefield advantage in the Ultimus, many were quick to declare that the Liberty would easily crush us. But we persevered and we proved the doubters wrong. It’s easy to call it luck when a team prevails against the odds. But that discounts the effort that the players put into improving over the course of the season and the level of game-planning that the GMs put in. Arizona had a Frankenstein offense composed of 3 RBs, 2 TEs, and only 1 WR, but we got creative and constantly looked for ways to shake that offense up. It was ugly at times, but it had potential; if anything, consistency was the one thing we lacked as we’d put up 40 points against a team like OCO in one test and 10 points in then next. But still we searched for new ways to find success and we implemented game plans that we hoped would catch our opponents off-guard. While we inconsistent, we were also unpredictable. And so we tried to use that to our advantage. In what we expected to be our most challenging game of the playoffs, we pulled out a brand new strategy for OCO… and it worked. Our defense stepped up and held them to only 3 points while creating 4 turnovers. And the mediocre offense that others were so quick to dismiss found the end zone 4 times, scoring consistently against one of the top defenses in the league. We were certainly the underdog, but when the playoffs came, we found ways to keep winning. And now, after 13 seasons, we can once again call ourselves champions. (487 Words)
5) Spotlight on Youth (S15 edition)
Written: The first r/nfl wave made our biggest class ever. Now that class is hitting its prime. Write 200 words on one of the players in this year's Ultimus Week that are Season 15 and spotlight on how they can affect or did affect this year's Ultimus. (NSFL Only)
Graphics: Create a graphic of a Season 15 player with a statistical breakdown on their season, or their playoff performances.
Honestly, it’s so difficult to pick only one player here because, coming out of the S15 Draft, we found ourselves with FIVE stars in the making and there is absolutely no way we could have made it this far without each and every one of them: Brock Landers. Jammerson Irving. Lamont McKinnie. Lucas Knight. Ricardo Morris.
But this is ultimately a topic about the Ultimus itself and not the regular season or other play-offs games, so I’ll the man who made the biggest play of the game: Lucas Knight. At first glance, the box score might appear to be unkind to Knight as he only had 2 tackles. Thanks largely in part to his help, the Liberty all-star receiver Jordan von Matt was held to only 1 catch for 13 yards, but box scores don’t tell the full story and CBs often don’t get the praise they truly deserve. But even among those two tackles, there is one that will forever remain engrained in the memories of Arizona fans.
With only 42 seconds, Philly was down 30-34 and determined to make a game-winning drive. They found themselves on their own 46 yard line and, after Adriana Falconi had thrown an incredible 42 touchdowns over the course of the regular season and playoffs, she was now only 1 touchdown away from holding the S16 Ultimus trophy high above her head. Time was running out and the pressure was tense for both teams. Falconi took her shot, sending the ball toward Vander Jones, who broke off with a 42 yard catch. Victory remained only a few yards away, but with everything on the line, Knight managed to catch him with a game-winning tackle that left the Arizona fans roaring in applause. (289 Words)
@ven_knight
13) Sit-down with a fan:
Written: Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT.
Graphic: no graphic option
Link: Interview by Run_CMC
19) The Big Fellas.
Written: Write about a Defensive Lineman in the playoffs, and how they will or did affect the outcome.
Graphic: Create a graphic about said DL and give stats of their season or playoff performances.
As a former Defensive Tackle, I love that this topic was added because DEs/DTs have a huge impact on the defense despite a lack of stats on the box score. Any GM can tell you that a good D-line has a massive impact as they make the rest of the defenders look better even when they’re not appearing to play well on paper. The result can leave many DL feeling underwhelmed, completely unaware of how much help they bring to their teams. So, it’s great to see them get some shout-outs and I hope all of the DBs and LBs will take a moment to show their linemen some love when picking Ultimus topics.
For us, that Defensive Linemen of choice is Ricardo Morris. When Andrew Reese defied conventional sports (and biological) logic by shredding 40 pounds and switching from DT to QB, Ricardo Morris came along shortly after to pick up the slack. And, so far, he’s been a much better DT than Reese ever was, racking up 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in the play-offs. That may not sound too wild spread out over 3 games, but keep in mind that the Arizona defense was a force to be reckoned with and Morris rallied his fellow linemen to lead the rush against the opposing QB, making their teammates’ jobs easier. Morris’ forced fumble also came at a crucial time as the Liberty were just starting their final drive with only 1:21 left on the clock. The fumble was recovered by RB Farley Hank, but it did cost them a much needed down and force them to use a time-out that could have won them the game. A few downs later, a big-time tackle by Lucas Knight would effectively end the game for Philadelphia as they were left with no time-outs and the team was unable to get back into formation in time for another play. Had Morris not made that sack, Adriana Falconi could have found herself only 4 yards from a game-winning Touchdown with just enough time to score a touchdown and take the game away from the Outlaws. (355 Words)
@Roly
Written: Why should your team be looked at the favorite to win the Ultimus or Ultimini this season.
Graphics: Show with a graphic why your team is/was the best team.
Clearly, it is our time because the Arizona Outlaws are your official S16 Ultimus champions. And damn it feels good to say that. However, there are many nay-sayers who are quick to dismiss us, so perhaps it needs to be said a bit louder.
No, this season did not come easy for us. We had to fight for every win we got. This is a fresh, young team that is hungry for success and determined to turn the team’s image around. We don’t have as many big name stars as other teams might, which makes us easy to overlook, but we do have one of the most active teams in the league and many of our young players are stars in the making with long, exciting careers ahead of them. It’s impossible to say where their careers will ultimately lead them, but I’m so proud to say a locker room with these guys. They’ve put the work in to make this team a contender practically overnight and yet they don’t get the credit they deserve.
It’s easy to look at the season Arizona had and call this win a fluke. People didn’t expect us to beat the Sabercats (and certainly not by 20 points). They didn’t expect us to beat the Otters on the road. And, even with homefield advantage in the Ultimus, many were quick to declare that the Liberty would easily crush us. But we persevered and we proved the doubters wrong. It’s easy to call it luck when a team prevails against the odds. But that discounts the effort that the players put into improving over the course of the season and the level of game-planning that the GMs put in. Arizona had a Frankenstein offense composed of 3 RBs, 2 TEs, and only 1 WR, but we got creative and constantly looked for ways to shake that offense up. It was ugly at times, but it had potential; if anything, consistency was the one thing we lacked as we’d put up 40 points against a team like OCO in one test and 10 points in then next. But still we searched for new ways to find success and we implemented game plans that we hoped would catch our opponents off-guard. While we inconsistent, we were also unpredictable. And so we tried to use that to our advantage. In what we expected to be our most challenging game of the playoffs, we pulled out a brand new strategy for OCO… and it worked. Our defense stepped up and held them to only 3 points while creating 4 turnovers. And the mediocre offense that others were so quick to dismiss found the end zone 4 times, scoring consistently against one of the top defenses in the league. We were certainly the underdog, but when the playoffs came, we found ways to keep winning. And now, after 13 seasons, we can once again call ourselves champions. (487 Words)
5) Spotlight on Youth (S15 edition)
Written: The first r/nfl wave made our biggest class ever. Now that class is hitting its prime. Write 200 words on one of the players in this year's Ultimus Week that are Season 15 and spotlight on how they can affect or did affect this year's Ultimus. (NSFL Only)
Graphics: Create a graphic of a Season 15 player with a statistical breakdown on their season, or their playoff performances.
Honestly, it’s so difficult to pick only one player here because, coming out of the S15 Draft, we found ourselves with FIVE stars in the making and there is absolutely no way we could have made it this far without each and every one of them: Brock Landers. Jammerson Irving. Lamont McKinnie. Lucas Knight. Ricardo Morris.
But this is ultimately a topic about the Ultimus itself and not the regular season or other play-offs games, so I’ll the man who made the biggest play of the game: Lucas Knight. At first glance, the box score might appear to be unkind to Knight as he only had 2 tackles. Thanks largely in part to his help, the Liberty all-star receiver Jordan von Matt was held to only 1 catch for 13 yards, but box scores don’t tell the full story and CBs often don’t get the praise they truly deserve. But even among those two tackles, there is one that will forever remain engrained in the memories of Arizona fans.
With only 42 seconds, Philly was down 30-34 and determined to make a game-winning drive. They found themselves on their own 46 yard line and, after Adriana Falconi had thrown an incredible 42 touchdowns over the course of the regular season and playoffs, she was now only 1 touchdown away from holding the S16 Ultimus trophy high above her head. Time was running out and the pressure was tense for both teams. Falconi took her shot, sending the ball toward Vander Jones, who broke off with a 42 yard catch. Victory remained only a few yards away, but with everything on the line, Knight managed to catch him with a game-winning tackle that left the Arizona fans roaring in applause. (289 Words)
@ven_knight
13) Sit-down with a fan:
Written: Answer questions for an interview from a player that is not your own. You must answer at least four questions and at least three must relate to the league in some way. Link to the interviewers PT to receive credit. NOTE: THEY MUST POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR YOU TO GET CREDIT.
Graphic: no graphic option
Link: Interview by Run_CMC
19) The Big Fellas.
Written: Write about a Defensive Lineman in the playoffs, and how they will or did affect the outcome.
Graphic: Create a graphic about said DL and give stats of their season or playoff performances.
As a former Defensive Tackle, I love that this topic was added because DEs/DTs have a huge impact on the defense despite a lack of stats on the box score. Any GM can tell you that a good D-line has a massive impact as they make the rest of the defenders look better even when they’re not appearing to play well on paper. The result can leave many DL feeling underwhelmed, completely unaware of how much help they bring to their teams. So, it’s great to see them get some shout-outs and I hope all of the DBs and LBs will take a moment to show their linemen some love when picking Ultimus topics.
For us, that Defensive Linemen of choice is Ricardo Morris. When Andrew Reese defied conventional sports (and biological) logic by shredding 40 pounds and switching from DT to QB, Ricardo Morris came along shortly after to pick up the slack. And, so far, he’s been a much better DT than Reese ever was, racking up 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble in the play-offs. That may not sound too wild spread out over 3 games, but keep in mind that the Arizona defense was a force to be reckoned with and Morris rallied his fellow linemen to lead the rush against the opposing QB, making their teammates’ jobs easier. Morris’ forced fumble also came at a crucial time as the Liberty were just starting their final drive with only 1:21 left on the clock. The fumble was recovered by RB Farley Hank, but it did cost them a much needed down and force them to use a time-out that could have won them the game. A few downs later, a big-time tackle by Lucas Knight would effectively end the game for Philadelphia as they were left with no time-outs and the team was unable to get back into formation in time for another play. Had Morris not made that sack, Adriana Falconi could have found herself only 4 yards from a game-winning Touchdown with just enough time to score a touchdown and take the game away from the Outlaws. (355 Words)
@Roly
![[Image: welcomeBraxtonEast.png?ex=677e7b1f&is=67...y=lossless]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/357281973594619905/1319836335887880192/welcomeBraxtonEast.png?ex=677e7b1f&is=677d299f&hm=c03a86226787bfca2f2d024eb23c800c6f1ecd647532e0419a9d0218636d40e4&=&format=webp&quality=lossless)
![[Image: baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png]](https://i.ibb.co/1rgfYXP/baby-yoda-by-jango-sm.png)
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.
