I joined the league early in quarantine, it became much more meaningful to me than I could’ve expected I had seen posts about it before, but I figured it was a tiny community, and I wasn’t willing to put in the effort. However, being at home so much meant that I felt like I had the time to actually do it now. I had always craved the notion of a sports RPG. I loved playing the Heisman modes in the NCAA football games. It turns out that this league scratched that itch perfectly. Even so, joining the forums was confusing and concerning. I still didn’t really have a clear picture of how many people would be involved. I don’t think I even wanted to join the general servers, and I’m still barely ever involved with them. However, when I was reached out through the forums due to scouting, that’s when I started to get excited. That’s when things felt “real,” and I joined team locker rooms. Suddenly, I got a grand scope of the league as what it actually was. A collection of various chat rooms, each with their own cultures and old friends. It was fascinating and enthralling. I found the league as an excuse to hang out with strangers, with football as just a backdrop. That being said, I still never felt super comfortable jumping into conversations on the servers. That is, until I found my way to Norfolk’s server. I very quickly found that the vibe and norms there were a bit different than the likes of London and Dallas, which were enjoyable but just not perfect for me. I very quickly felt at home with the people and Norfolk, and that I could be myself. I ended up talking every day in there, even going quiet in the other servers. It definitely feels corny talking about how meaningful this was, but I was feeling pretty alone at that time, so it gave me an opportunity so socialize and build my self-esteem at a time when I couldn’t see other loved ones due to the virus. I was extremely nervous for the DSFL draft, and when Norfolk picked me, I smiled the rest of the day. That’s how much I liked spending my time there. From there, I started to grow closer to my teammates, especially from my draft class, and my GMs. It turns out guys like Connor, LancedJack, and TMosura all had come to appreciate Norfolk in a similar way that I had during the scouting process, and we naturally got along really well. I guess I sort of thought of it like the theme song from Cheers. Norfolk’s locker room was “the place where everyone knows your name.” I really looked up to Blasoon and J0EB, since they really were examples of the culture they wanted to see. Fast forward to now, and I’m Blasoon’s successor. It really hasn’t been that long, but the thought is still crazy for me. It’s now up to me to provide the others that which was so important and impactful to me.
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