I won't badmouth the staff of San Jose. Shocking as it may be, I have a good working relationship with the GMs there. Were they frustrated and upset at my leaving? Absolutely. And they're allowed to be. But if San Jose wanted picks for me, they could have taken Chicago's offer of four first-rounders for Toriki. There were countless offers on the table for me from the moment they selected me in the closed draft. They knew I had the options on my contract. They had the opportunity to offload me. They decided to keep me, knowing there was a risk I could walk.
When I first entered Free Agency, it was with the intention to resign with San Jose. Because I wanted to create a stir and then choose the team that used their first-round pick on me. Then my best friend also decided to enter FA that season, and I started considering actually leaving. Teams contacted me within minutes of me becoming a free agent. Countless people said I deserved better than what I had been given in San Jose. Teams like Chicago and Philly tried to throw utterly ridiculous money at me to get me to sign. In the talks I was having, I knew that San Jose was not going to be the best short term fit for where I was at.
If I had just wanted money, I would have signed with Chicago or Philly.
If I had just wanted to play with friends, I would have signed with Colorado, where my IRL best friend plays.
If I had just wanted stats, I would have signed with Austin or Philly.
It's almost like there's more at play here than money or friendship or stats in a fictional football game. While in FA, I already knew I was going to be stepping up as commissioner. That's a job that has a tremendous amount of stress attached. I needed a team that was stable, that was going to be able to communicate with me despite the weird power dynamics, and that would be able to support me in the transition. Could I have stayed in San Jose? Yes. I would have been fine.
But I have the radical belief that even the commissioner of the league has a right to be on a team that is going to make them happy and is able to meet their needs. So I signed with New Orleans. and I have no shame over that decision.
And if you wanna talk stats?
Check the stat line and then let's talk. In SJS I was basically primary back for just over half the season. With NOLA, I was RB2. Which one seems like the better fit for me stats wise?
![[Image: 0P6c3mX.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0P6c3mX.png)
When I first entered Free Agency, it was with the intention to resign with San Jose. Because I wanted to create a stir and then choose the team that used their first-round pick on me. Then my best friend also decided to enter FA that season, and I started considering actually leaving. Teams contacted me within minutes of me becoming a free agent. Countless people said I deserved better than what I had been given in San Jose. Teams like Chicago and Philly tried to throw utterly ridiculous money at me to get me to sign. In the talks I was having, I knew that San Jose was not going to be the best short term fit for where I was at.
If I had just wanted money, I would have signed with Chicago or Philly.
If I had just wanted to play with friends, I would have signed with Colorado, where my IRL best friend plays.
If I had just wanted stats, I would have signed with Austin or Philly.
It's almost like there's more at play here than money or friendship or stats in a fictional football game. While in FA, I already knew I was going to be stepping up as commissioner. That's a job that has a tremendous amount of stress attached. I needed a team that was stable, that was going to be able to communicate with me despite the weird power dynamics, and that would be able to support me in the transition. Could I have stayed in San Jose? Yes. I would have been fine.
But I have the radical belief that even the commissioner of the league has a right to be on a team that is going to make them happy and is able to meet their needs. So I signed with New Orleans. and I have no shame over that decision.
And if you wanna talk stats?
Check the stat line and then let's talk. In SJS I was basically primary back for just over half the season. With NOLA, I was RB2. Which one seems like the better fit for me stats wise?
