Tier 1: Long Form Tasks (800+ words)
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
For my free form Ultimus Week task this season, I am going to write about the absolute job that the Orange County Otters general managers, jeffie43 and Laser, have done sustaining the success and standing in this league that has long been associated with the Otters. This will pretty much just be a gross long form thank you to them, so if you don't like the Otters definitely don't read this. First of all, let's go back a few seasons to when I handed the reigns to Laser and Revolution, who should by no means be snubbed here. Laser and Rev took over back in Season 20, I believe. I walked away after our three-peat, because it just felt like the right time. The two of them proceeded to go 7-6, 10-3, 10-3, and 11-5 together. That's amazing. That included several more ASFC Conference Championship appearances, and an Ultimus appearance that ended in a way that we try to avoid talking about in Orange County. Unfortunately Rev had to step down for some personal reasons, but major props to him for hitting the ground running and not really needing a transitional period to get up and running. When Rev walked away, jeffie stepped up, and I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate not only the work that he's done, but also the fact that he was willing to let the whole tampering punishment be history and return to a prominent role in this league. It's a much better place here in the ISFL for having him around and engaged, so Rev's stepping down was no doubt a blessing in disguise. Now, in the Jeffie/Laser tandem's first season, we won another 9 games. Unfortunately we hit a rough patch at the end of that season and ended up blowing the conference's top seed to San Jose, who went on to win the Ultimus. Heading into this season we knew that we could be Ultimus contenders once more, and the two of them worked tirelessly to make that a reality. We got off to a blazing hot start, before once again watching the wheels fall off toward the end of the season. That does not detract, however, from the fact that we won the ASFC's regular season title. We very unfortunately choked that advantage away to San Jose, but such is life. Now, on to the really important stuff. The two of them could have sulked, gotten down about another early playoff exit, and in doing so brought down the overall vibe of the team, which was still generally positive despite the loss. I guess going from 9-0 to 11-5 kind of conditioned us to expect a possible unhappy ending. Anyway. They didn't do any of that. What they did instead was bust their asses as general managers in order to get us in an even better position for next season. This off-season had one of the most loaded free agent classes in league history. A lot of players are going to be donning new colors next season, but perhaps none are as impactful as the three players that the Otters signed: Heath Evans, Brandon Booker, and Rotticus Scott. All three are Season 21 creates, so they're pretty much in the prime of their respective careers. Evans is an unreal tight end, Booker a top tier cornerback, and Scott is a huge presence on the defensive line. Not only did Jeffie and Laser put in the work to convince those three that Orange County would be the best place for them to continue their careers after the somewhat bleak way our season ended, but they have deftly navigated dealing with overlap in talent, managing the salary cap, and keeping everyone happy even as a ton of pieces are being shuffled. I don't think any team in league history has improved quite as much through free agency as they improved this team. And I don't say that to be like oh man look how great Orange County is, suck it other teams. I say it because I think it's actually a fact. That's about 3.5K TPE that was added. Plenty of teams have had incredible off-seasons, but that is definitely a haul that will be tough to match. Or maybe I just have orange-colored glasses on. Who knows. An additional special shout out for the Brandon Booker signing because of the crazy circumstances there. After some miscommunication to Mori led him to believe he was traded to Sarasota before that deal was pulled out from under him and he was told he would be an Otter, he opted to just test free agency instead. That was definitely a bummer for us because the trade we had in place was one that had us excited to get Mori on board and hit the ground running. Once again, Jeffie and Laser put together an amazing pitch for Mori, answered all of his questions in detail, provided him with test sim data, and just went overall above and beyond to prove to him that we were still the best fit in spite of all of the weirdness with the failed trade. Huge props to them, I can't say it enough. Incredible job not just in sustaining the winning ways of Orange County, but making some really awesome moves to extend those well into the future. I couldn't be happier with the way this team has continued to grow since I stepped down, and it makes me feel so much more secure in that decision every time I think about it.
928 words
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
For my free form Ultimus Week task this season, I am going to write about the absolute job that the Orange County Otters general managers, jeffie43 and Laser, have done sustaining the success and standing in this league that has long been associated with the Otters. This will pretty much just be a gross long form thank you to them, so if you don't like the Otters definitely don't read this. First of all, let's go back a few seasons to when I handed the reigns to Laser and Revolution, who should by no means be snubbed here. Laser and Rev took over back in Season 20, I believe. I walked away after our three-peat, because it just felt like the right time. The two of them proceeded to go 7-6, 10-3, 10-3, and 11-5 together. That's amazing. That included several more ASFC Conference Championship appearances, and an Ultimus appearance that ended in a way that we try to avoid talking about in Orange County. Unfortunately Rev had to step down for some personal reasons, but major props to him for hitting the ground running and not really needing a transitional period to get up and running. When Rev walked away, jeffie stepped up, and I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate not only the work that he's done, but also the fact that he was willing to let the whole tampering punishment be history and return to a prominent role in this league. It's a much better place here in the ISFL for having him around and engaged, so Rev's stepping down was no doubt a blessing in disguise. Now, in the Jeffie/Laser tandem's first season, we won another 9 games. Unfortunately we hit a rough patch at the end of that season and ended up blowing the conference's top seed to San Jose, who went on to win the Ultimus. Heading into this season we knew that we could be Ultimus contenders once more, and the two of them worked tirelessly to make that a reality. We got off to a blazing hot start, before once again watching the wheels fall off toward the end of the season. That does not detract, however, from the fact that we won the ASFC's regular season title. We very unfortunately choked that advantage away to San Jose, but such is life. Now, on to the really important stuff. The two of them could have sulked, gotten down about another early playoff exit, and in doing so brought down the overall vibe of the team, which was still generally positive despite the loss. I guess going from 9-0 to 11-5 kind of conditioned us to expect a possible unhappy ending. Anyway. They didn't do any of that. What they did instead was bust their asses as general managers in order to get us in an even better position for next season. This off-season had one of the most loaded free agent classes in league history. A lot of players are going to be donning new colors next season, but perhaps none are as impactful as the three players that the Otters signed: Heath Evans, Brandon Booker, and Rotticus Scott. All three are Season 21 creates, so they're pretty much in the prime of their respective careers. Evans is an unreal tight end, Booker a top tier cornerback, and Scott is a huge presence on the defensive line. Not only did Jeffie and Laser put in the work to convince those three that Orange County would be the best place for them to continue their careers after the somewhat bleak way our season ended, but they have deftly navigated dealing with overlap in talent, managing the salary cap, and keeping everyone happy even as a ton of pieces are being shuffled. I don't think any team in league history has improved quite as much through free agency as they improved this team. And I don't say that to be like oh man look how great Orange County is, suck it other teams. I say it because I think it's actually a fact. That's about 3.5K TPE that was added. Plenty of teams have had incredible off-seasons, but that is definitely a haul that will be tough to match. Or maybe I just have orange-colored glasses on. Who knows. An additional special shout out for the Brandon Booker signing because of the crazy circumstances there. After some miscommunication to Mori led him to believe he was traded to Sarasota before that deal was pulled out from under him and he was told he would be an Otter, he opted to just test free agency instead. That was definitely a bummer for us because the trade we had in place was one that had us excited to get Mori on board and hit the ground running. Once again, Jeffie and Laser put together an amazing pitch for Mori, answered all of his questions in detail, provided him with test sim data, and just went overall above and beyond to prove to him that we were still the best fit in spite of all of the weirdness with the failed trade. Huge props to them, I can't say it enough. Incredible job not just in sustaining the winning ways of Orange County, but making some really awesome moves to extend those well into the future. I couldn't be happier with the way this team has continued to grow since I stepped down, and it makes me feel so much more secure in that decision every time I think about it.
928 words
![[Image: rq0K779.png]](https://i.imgur.com/rq0K779.png)
