(S21) - Ultimus Week

[Troen]

1) Playoff Predictions, Reviews:
Written: Give a short write up of one or multiple playoff matches. If completed before the airing of the sims, give your predictions; if it is afterwards, give a review of the game.

This is my first year in the DSFL and it's started off well by getting drafted by Myrtle Beach and heading to the Ultimini after our win over the Seawolves. It started off a little rough for us, but on our second posession we had pass plays of 18 and 32 yards along with 10 and 11 yard rushes to set up and Apollo TD which ended up being the only one of the game. Our kicker Solarin missed the extra point attempt, but then made 4 more field goals to give us 18 points for the day. And luckily for us, that ended up being enough as the defence held Norfolk without a score. I didn't have my best game (a sack and one other tackle) but we held the Seawolves' offense to under 200 yards and QB Skywalker to just 7/19 with 94 passing yards. A shutout win like that in the playoffs you have to enjoy, but I think there's still a lot of areas we can improve on for next week's Utlimini game vs Kansas City. For one, we had a few penalties we should have been able to avoid, especially the tripping call in the 3rd quarter that could have been a real momentum changer. Despite playing at home, we had some more of the offsides penalties that have been dogging us all season. RB Frost raised a few more questions with another fumble after closing out the regular season with one, but his 113 rushing yards were more than half of our rushing offense. I still am happy we're at home rather than away after playing some tough games against the Coyotes this season, but it's going to be a tough one.

10) Armchair GM
Written: What moves could your team make to improve for the next year, be it in free agency, keeping players, the draft, etc. (Please be careful to avoid tampering.)

366

The depth of the S22 draft class has been pointed out many times, especially with the upcoming expansion of the NSFL in the form of the Sailfish and the Hahalua. However, what few people have talked about so far is the depth of the S23 draft and how it will need to take over in the DSFL for the S22 players who are starting in the NSFL next year. Right now, there are 28 S23 players to follow up the ~285 players looking to be in the S22 NSFL draft. I expect a few more to be created before the draft actually begins with those retiring after the playoffs are over, However, the number of players who have announced retirement is much closer to 10 than 200, so what's our fearless GM to do?
The first step will of course be scouting. In a smaller class, it's possible to spend more time with each potential draft pick to assess them for activity and interest. The other important part in conjunction with that is to understand which players on the team will be drafted and called up next year. Players called up obviously can't be part of your team next year, so understanding if they're getting drafted to start in the NSFL or to be stashed until S23 will be critical to help DSFL GMs understand what their returning options are going to look like. I haven't personally done a mock for the DSFL class, but that's got to be something the GMs have to consider too, to understand what kind of talent they'll be able to be picking up after their scouting is over. Given the expansion and smaller S23 class, I have to think the GMs need to prepare to be competing with a lower level of talent, but it's even more important to be flexible with the different ways that the scenrarious can end up playing out.

17) Sponsorships
Written: You’ve been contacted to appear in a company’s ad airing during the Ultimus. What is the ad about?

I have an upcoming announcement for this, but one of my goals for the offseason is to put on more weight. As a result of that, I've been in contact with Twix about being their new spokesperson due to their desire to reach a younger audience such as those who watched me play football in college. And to be clear, I'm not saying that Twix as-is will make you gain weight - they're instead going to be a good break from my carefully-crafted high protein diet which is mostly steamed cod and green vegetables. So instead, the advertising campaign is going to show how Twix is a very effective treat as a break slash reward from when you're doing well nutritionally in your daily eating. Tons of my college classmates (and not just the football players) spent time every day in the gym and so I think that taking a Twix Break ™ will be a good way for them to have an overall healthier life which balances enjoyment and edible options. The first ad campaign we've been discussing is to show my normal daily 7 hour exercise routine (featuring equipment from the official equipment sponsor of the NSFL, Teeps Protective Equipment) which then ends by having a Twix. And to be clear, just one (a left) to show that Twix are good in moderation too.
To be fair, the other reason I had my agent reach out to Twix is that a really love them. Caramel with chocolate is amzing, and the cruchy cookie part too just makes it great. Twix icecream is actually my favorite, but it's harder to fit that into my diet nutritionally.

19) Team Culture
Written: What is it about your team’s culture and/or locker room that makes you happy to be there? If there are any problems, what do you think should be done to improve them?

I was recently honored by my teammates by being elected as one of this year's team captains and I like to think that's because I am able to bring a steadying presence to the team. I was once called "the emotional anchor of the team" which I hope is not saying I drag everyone down and instead a reflection that I help keep everyone on an even keel and moving forward for smooth sailing.
(As a side note, we should totally have a team sailing trip)
So anyway, my goals even before I was team captain were to try to ensure that anyone who had questions got the answers they needed, to try an help foster a positive atmosphere even in the face of losses, and to have fun. Most of all the DSFL teams are new to professional football and I think everyone has a lot of questions, such as how we should deal with sick teammates. In college that kind of question is deferred to the coaches and college's medican staff, but in the DSFL there's much more of an ability and need for players to help ensure that those who are sick are getting the treatment they need and not playing when sick to endanger their teammate and themselves. For dealing with losses - well, a lot of the players in the pros are coming from college teams where a single loss for a 12-1 season was considered a failure, or at least a bad sign. So helping those players understand that it's perfectly fine to take losses and that the key isn't our record but the effort we put in in preparation and execution. I think that's important to ensure the lock room is good going forward.
And lastly, fun. I know it's quite a privilege that I'm able to professionally play football, but the day that it's just a job to me is the day I have to consider retiring. Enjoying every moment of my time with my team and on the field is critical to me in that regards, and I do what I can to demonstrate how I'm having fun and to try and lighten up things when I can. My specialty in that realm is bad puns, but I also do what I can to ensure that when others are deep in work that they get spelled for times to have a mental break and reset before diving back in. I think that helps balance the hard parts of being on the team and lead to fun which ultimately helps us win too.