4. “Sim gonna sim” is a popular expression in the league. Write about teams that have been graced by the sim gods and had amazing performances despite statistical odds, and/or about teams that were considered favorites but may have dealt with some bad sim luck that hampered their efforts. How much of an impact did it have on their season(s)?
I think the S28 Butchers were probably one of the most unluckiest teams due to sim luck. They were coming off a 12-4 season the previous year and had very little regression coming into the season. Multiple 100 rated players on their team including a secondary that was filled with 80+ players. Constant standouts, Fjord and Shields would be back for another run at the chip and newly acquired Mamba shore up an already strong existing offensive line for star quarterback O'Donnell. What was not to like? after all, the previous year the sim had some bad luck for the Butchers in the playoffs, but it couldn't possibly happen two seasons in a row right?
Well, if the preseason was any indication of how the season would go for the Butchers, the signs should have been there, it was already a very dubious start. Their preseason record was 3-1, but it look deeper, you'll see that this was not a team that was performing as well as it should on paper, a narrow 4 point win against perennial cellar team Baltimore, followed by wins against the Liberty and the Yeti. However, the Yeti game needed overtime to decide, so that could have gone either way as well.
The season started decently enough for these Butchers starting 2-0 with wins against Sarasota and the gimme against the Hawks. However, this was only to provide the franchise with false hope and morale as this is when their season truly took a dismal turn with some of the most unluckiest results in recent memory. They lost to the Liberty on a last play, 102 yard Kick off return in week 3 after kicking the game-leading field goal with only 5 seconds left in the 4th quarter. In week 4, they lost to the Yeti which were about on par with the Butchers on paper, but clearly the Yeti executed better on the field as in that game the Butchers were trailing most of the way.
Week 5 they lose to the Wraiths on a last minute field goal where they couldn't pull off a KR return to win like what happened to them against the Liberty in week 3. Week 6 they lose to the Outlaws in overtime on a field goal. The Butchers very well should have been 4-1 at this point in the season, however, they were 2-3 due to a last second KR return and losing by 3 points to two separate teams in the final minute or in overtime. At this point in the season, the Butchers season was spiraling out of control due to the sim.
Week 7 and Week 8 seemed to be a little bit of a respite for the Butchers as they won their games with no last minute shenanigans so it seemed like the sim gods finally turned the corner with the Butchers and kept their hope alive with the locker room coming back to life thinking they could squeeze into the playoffs and cause some damage if their luck would hold out and their players would just play to their capabilities. But alas, such is not the way of the fickle sim gods.
Week 9 was more of the same with a last minute field goal lose to the Sabercats, a feeling the Butchers know all too well at this point as apparently, no lead is safe in the last minute of a football game. Week 10 featured a 4 point loss to the Wraiths who completed the season sweep by winning the two games against the Butchers by a combined score of a single touchdown across both games.
Week 11 was probably one of the most bizarre finishes in recent memory as well for the Butchers. They were leading by 6 points with 20 seconds to go. But remember! no lead is safe for this Butcher team. Sarasota nailed a 51 yard field goal with 19 seconds left to make it a 3 point Butcher lead. No problem, they only have 19 seconds left it's in the bag. Nope, on side kick recovery, and then with only 2 seconds left on the clock, Sarasota nails another 51 yard field goal to get the 3 point win. The Butchers lost. To two field goals. In under 20 seconds. From more than 50 yards out on both attempts. This was probably the lowest of the low I have ever seen moral and the hatred for the sim gods.
The rest of the season ended without much fanfare after this game as I think the Butchers just gave up any and all hope and decided to treat the season as a wash and prepare for the following year. After experiencing something like that throughout the season I think it's safe to say that "sim gonna sim" has never been more true that it was to the Season 28 Chicago Butchers.
815 words
I think the S28 Butchers were probably one of the most unluckiest teams due to sim luck. They were coming off a 12-4 season the previous year and had very little regression coming into the season. Multiple 100 rated players on their team including a secondary that was filled with 80+ players. Constant standouts, Fjord and Shields would be back for another run at the chip and newly acquired Mamba shore up an already strong existing offensive line for star quarterback O'Donnell. What was not to like? after all, the previous year the sim had some bad luck for the Butchers in the playoffs, but it couldn't possibly happen two seasons in a row right?
Well, if the preseason was any indication of how the season would go for the Butchers, the signs should have been there, it was already a very dubious start. Their preseason record was 3-1, but it look deeper, you'll see that this was not a team that was performing as well as it should on paper, a narrow 4 point win against perennial cellar team Baltimore, followed by wins against the Liberty and the Yeti. However, the Yeti game needed overtime to decide, so that could have gone either way as well.
The season started decently enough for these Butchers starting 2-0 with wins against Sarasota and the gimme against the Hawks. However, this was only to provide the franchise with false hope and morale as this is when their season truly took a dismal turn with some of the most unluckiest results in recent memory. They lost to the Liberty on a last play, 102 yard Kick off return in week 3 after kicking the game-leading field goal with only 5 seconds left in the 4th quarter. In week 4, they lost to the Yeti which were about on par with the Butchers on paper, but clearly the Yeti executed better on the field as in that game the Butchers were trailing most of the way.
Week 5 they lose to the Wraiths on a last minute field goal where they couldn't pull off a KR return to win like what happened to them against the Liberty in week 3. Week 6 they lose to the Outlaws in overtime on a field goal. The Butchers very well should have been 4-1 at this point in the season, however, they were 2-3 due to a last second KR return and losing by 3 points to two separate teams in the final minute or in overtime. At this point in the season, the Butchers season was spiraling out of control due to the sim.
Week 7 and Week 8 seemed to be a little bit of a respite for the Butchers as they won their games with no last minute shenanigans so it seemed like the sim gods finally turned the corner with the Butchers and kept their hope alive with the locker room coming back to life thinking they could squeeze into the playoffs and cause some damage if their luck would hold out and their players would just play to their capabilities. But alas, such is not the way of the fickle sim gods.
Week 9 was more of the same with a last minute field goal lose to the Sabercats, a feeling the Butchers know all too well at this point as apparently, no lead is safe in the last minute of a football game. Week 10 featured a 4 point loss to the Wraiths who completed the season sweep by winning the two games against the Butchers by a combined score of a single touchdown across both games.
Week 11 was probably one of the most bizarre finishes in recent memory as well for the Butchers. They were leading by 6 points with 20 seconds to go. But remember! no lead is safe for this Butcher team. Sarasota nailed a 51 yard field goal with 19 seconds left to make it a 3 point Butcher lead. No problem, they only have 19 seconds left it's in the bag. Nope, on side kick recovery, and then with only 2 seconds left on the clock, Sarasota nails another 51 yard field goal to get the 3 point win. The Butchers lost. To two field goals. In under 20 seconds. From more than 50 yards out on both attempts. This was probably the lowest of the low I have ever seen moral and the hatred for the sim gods.
The rest of the season ended without much fanfare after this game as I think the Butchers just gave up any and all hope and decided to treat the season as a wash and prepare for the following year. After experiencing something like that throughout the season I think it's safe to say that "sim gonna sim" has never been more true that it was to the Season 28 Chicago Butchers.
815 words
![[Image: 19.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/Fzq7SL07/19.png)
