I am going to preface this with a sincere apology if I missed someone, or did not include someone as I am unfortunately only mortal most days. That said I promise that if we have conversed for any extended period of time that I am certain I enjoyed it and appreciated it. So I will start by saying thank you to all of the members of the league I have chatted with who have made my time here worthwhile.
If you were tagged in this and want to find your section I recommend using a find function as it is a long one. Thank you though even if you tune out before your name comes up!
Now moving on from that I am going to try to cover as many people as I can in an order that will make no sense to anyone else, but that makes perfect sense to the way I process things. So first on my list as I doubt they want to read that much is @slothfacekilla who I distinctly remember was involved in one of my first happy memories from the league in the form of sloth hour in the rookie Discord. Who I later became coworkers with in the media grading department where he was the best podcast grader I have ever encountered in my days in simulation sports, and an absolute delight of a coworker based on all of our interactions on the employee Discord. I was also lucky enough to later become his teammate on the New Orleans Second Line where I got to learn he was easily one of the gentlest souls I have encountered in my time traversing the world, and I am truly grateful for that fact as I have dozens of cherished memories of our interactions. Although my favorite that first pops to mind is 'why did I say that' as it was accompanied by a charming GIF.
Also involved in that sloth hour and someone who shared a surprisingly similar history with me is @Evok who was one of my fellow draftees to the Norfolk Seawolves back in S21. Where the kicker Sam Sidekick first started to make a name for themselves as one of the best to ever do it, and also possibly cursed me to draw his card more often than not in the future. A team player who I distinctly remember embracing their sidekick role to superb effect. Someone who also became a pretty good podcast grader for the media grading department, and a nice coworker to interact with in the employee Discord. My favorite memory of them is still them just popping into the rookie chat to ask general managers to draft them as that outgoing nature is part of why we first talked.
I do not have the ability to get into the finer details here, but I want to say thanks to @Buttersqauch101, @RainDelay, and @Starboy who were general managers/scouts who helped make my first foray into the league a fun experience. Also @DeadlyPlayer who despite not scouting me made rookie chat a more fun experience, and also turned out to be a pretty good teammate during our time together in Colorado.
The DSFL general managers who had the biggest impact on me though were of course @ScorpXCracker and @juniped also known as Scorp and Juni one of the best general manager pairs I have ever worked for thus far. They made my first season in simulation sports an absolutely amazing experience and I cannot thank them enough for getting me invested into the league. There are a number of magnificent memories I have from that season, but I think my favorite is when they trusted me enough to let me into the war room. Being brand new to sim leagues that was an experience and a half to go through, and it truly made my time there so much better.
The next team that I joined was the media grading team courtesy of winning a competition set up by @JKortesi81 who has been a good boss to me now for nine seasons. Although my favorite memory with him is wholly unrelated to my work with the media team as it is related to a Mega Man question on a podcast that I still fondly remember. If you are reading this Joe I hope you and Bayley have fantastic day!
That team has seen many members come and go, but I want to shout out @BaconBrother, @Fordhammer, @Memento Mori, @Mojojojo, and @PigSnout as members of the team who have been brilliant and also graded some of my media. Appreciate all of you for that! Also special shouts to PigSnout for now being a teammate of mine. However I thank everyone who has served on the grading team with me as I appreciate all of you making life easier for me!
Now there were a number of Seawolves who made my first season in the league a special one, and I would love to shout out all of them. Unfortunately there are only a few who I remember distinctly enough to also comfortably recall their user name on the site. That said I am going to cover them first starting with the two who had the biggest impact @J0EB and @Lightnoir who are still two of my favorite people I have gotten to meet courtesy of simulation sports. There are too many terrific conversations to cover, although as J0EB mentioned shadow babies can still make me smile today. The discussion Doug Norfolk and Neff Wonks is also up there, however my personal favorite is still the discussion of my recreate. It is still something I am looking forward to and the memory never fails to make me smile.
Now the rest of the S22 class that I can recall that have also made my time in the league an enjoyable one and are deserving of recognition are @Bauer my sim league son who helped introduce me to the PBE, @Blasoon a terrific quarterback who became a great general manager for the Seawolves with J0EB, @TheRocheLimit who was picked first overall in expansion which led to one of my favorite moments in sim leagues, @muse316 who was quietly kind in their tenure, and @xbijin who always makes me think of Snoopy.
Before that season and since that season there have been many other Seawolves who have made my time in the league better. @hotdog stands out on account of popping up on my Twitter feed recently, but I have to respect what they brought to the team. @iamslm22 who brought the team back from contraction, gave the job of general manager to the best general manager in the history of the team, and who was an important mentor to the S22 Seawolves. @Jimi64 who is now a former general manager of the team and was terrific in his tenure in my honest opinion, and who is still a valued contributor to the war room. @TeyonSchavari who was a wonderful pickup for the team that I can recall, and who is involved in a specific sim league experience of mine that gets brought back up on a regular basis. (Hope you are faring better these days! Also I still appreciate your offered contract clause as it individually is my favorite of all the ones offered.) @TMosura the current general manager of the team and an excellent one at that who had been a great war room contributor beforehand. Also @ValorX77 who is an alumnus of the team, a former general manager, and has been a positive presence there the last several seasons. Plus the dynamic duo of @C9Van and @pauadrian who can bring an amazing amount of activity to any locker room they are a part of in my experience, and who I especially have fond memories of chatting with over in the SCFSL.
The first team to host Magnus after the Seawolves was the team I most wanted to go to in the S22 draft the New Orleans Second Line. Who thanks in part to general manager @TomHanks were willing to trade up to second overall to select me in that draft. I still say that duo that drafted me is one of the best that I have had the pleasure of working for in sim leagues, and that TomHanks is also still one of my favorite users in sim leagues. Now the DSFL Commissioner so technically my boss again as I am the Highlights Princess of the DSFL, although I am not entirely sure how the chain of command exactly works. Regardless I would never have a problem working for TomHanks and he is a part of many magnificent memories in the league for me, but my favorite would probably have to be his first podcast with Bex where he responded with 'oh Christ is this Tesla's forty questions' which still makes my heart sing.
There were several other members of the NOLA S22 class who made my tenure there better such as Magnus' ally on the defensive line @DrChops whose Macho Man Randy Savage style was always a welcome one. @JPach whose top meme character is still a favorite of mine, whose style I loved since I did my initial scouting before the prospect bowl, and whose response to my being drafted there is still one of my favorite league memories. @mithrandir who has since become the general manager of the team whose love of Lord of the Rings is the thing that stands out the most for me as a positive memory there.
Of course there were also a number of veterans on the team who made my experience there enjoyable the first who will get mentioned is @Nokazoa as I think that they would be bothered if they were not mentioned first, and because I absolutely love the charming style that they brought to the table. @Wombat who was a wonderful member of the team during my tenure, whose player is a fellow University of Washington graduate, and who I still fondly remember for being one of the first people to comment on one of my PBE media pieces. @Jay_Doctor who was also a DSFL general manager in my season there and was a pleasant scouting experience, but who I most fondly remember for posting one of my favorite comments ever in response to an article about the S22 class that was not kind towards several NOLA players. Genuinely that one comment is still one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of my time in NOLA, and it is still one of the most meaningful moments in the league for me even though I doubt Jay remembers it. Also the general manager that stepped down just before I was drafted @JuOSu who I only really got to know after joining the war room, but who was a wonderful person to get to know there and whose conversation on some certain happenings in another league with Adam remain part of one of my favorite experiences on that team. Cannot leave without mentioning @ddrector who was general manager for the majority of my time there, a fellow former Seawolf, and was always good for a fun conversation in either locker room in my experience.
One member of that team who I feel deserves more than just a quick shout out from me is @terriblehippo who just got drafted back there which broke my heart as I so hoped he would fall just a bit more. That said it was just a mistake by the teams ahead as Hippo is quite the opposite of his user name and easily one of the best people the league has to offer. His greetings to me when I was first drafted is still one of my favorites of any messages I have shared with a teammate, and his warm welcoming attitude is one that still makes me feel more comfortable being a member of the league. Just a delightful fellow who I wish all the best with his second career!
Now while I was there we drafted several amazing users, but the one who has meant the most to me is @GuitarMaster116 or @AdamS as I love them both too much to decide on one over the other. GuitarMaster116 has an incredibly positive and uplifting attitude that makes you happy to keep calm and carry on through the worst of things, and is also one of the reasons why he makes such a wonderful ally on the rookie mentor team. Easily one of the best selections by any team I have seen in the league. Adam meanwhile has a wealth of experience to draw upon, and a sense of humor whose equal is hard to find in the league. Quite possibly the biggest steal outside of the S22 class for any team in the league and who also had one of my favorite contract clauses over in the PBE. Two terrific users who I am thankful I got to be teammates with during my tenure in New Orleans.
They were not the only standout selections by New Orleans during my tenure there though as a few more individuals still stand out in my mind. @Birdman who was the user behind Magnus' partner in crime after the expansion draft, and who was a pleasant person to interact with throughout my tenure there. Always nice when you can get along with the user behind your player's partner. @MobiausGrander whose fiery spirit is easily one of the best of any user I have met in any online thing ever, and who I still fondly remember for their support of Xavien Howard. @SchoolboyShue who I admit I know better for their activities over in the PBE, who I admit to my key memories of them coming from an interaction about the PBE, but who I also distinctly remember as being a lovely teammate in New Orleans. Also I do not believe Magnus ever got to play with their player, but @Voltaqe was someone who came in with a great attitude which I still love.
Another group I would like to shout out before getting into the next set are the S22 Defensive Tackles who made my early time in the league more enjoyable, and who I had good conversations with since then. @BadLck who has unfortunately gone inactive, but who I still fondly remember. @Billybolo53 who now plays cornerback, but who has a terrific enough Twitter presence to make up for it. @Forty Jordy who quickly became a linebacker, but who is a fellow Detroit Demon and a delight. Also @thevoicelesscreator who I most remember from having late night chats with in Honolulu. Also special shout out to @ForSucksFake and @PMoney who are S22 members who switched to Defensive Tackle and have been terrific in all my interactions with them.
First mention for the next group is @Frick_Nasty as they were the first to get in touch with me when free agency hit and they made a strong appeal for their team that made a team in a rough situation look like a nice landing spot, and for that I trust the team to be on the way up. @woelkers who I got to be teammates with in Colorado despite not accepting their offered terms, but whose New York made probably the second best appeal due in part to his enchanting way of handling it. That initial response to me admitting to be an official free agent is still one of my favorites and I will fondly recall it for ages. Also shout out to @zaynzk who was a big part of said New York appeal, and has since successfully led his team to an Ultimus win which is well deserved. @Dewalt27 one of my favorite updaters of all time who made a great appeal for their team with @Highhaschdi despite the fact that it would come with the loss of them as an amazing updater. @flyeaglesfly29 who was an updater for me in another league and who along with PMoney made a good appeal with the quality of the way they handle their team. Also @Attopax who showed an interest in why I was leaving almost certainly to prevent their own players from wanting to in the future, but who helped me a lot by allowing me to talk through it and process the situation myself which I still appreciate!
That brings me to @Sylphreni whose team made the strongest appeal in part to his lovely leadership. Interestingly enough in both of my money leagues my main general manager has an ego that would overflow a skyscraper, but I have to admit both deserve to have a considerable amount of confidence in their skills. Syl though stands out as the Podcast Archduke of course, but is also an amazing conversationalist on Discord. The word that comes to mind would be presidential, however I have no idea if any other brain will process that the way I mean it to be. His polite request that I not give him a thousand questions is still one of my favorite memories, although both After Hours podcasts are also good as the first for the many questions and the second on account of singing mostly. Thank you for your part in bringing me to Colorado.
Next is the other person who helped bring me to Colorado that I want to jump to early in @SDCore who I remember meeting way back when in the Detroit Demons locker room. However it was in part his unique appeal that helped convince me that Colorado was the team for me, and getting to know him even better as a member of the team has been one of my favorite parts of having joined Colorado. Always around with a pocketful of sunshine and a fun fact about a macabre subject that makes him just so lovely to be around.
Another person who had a hand in convincing me to come to Colorado is funnily enough someone who joined the same season I did @ConnorM123 who I adored from their tenure in Norfolk, and who has been a fun person to interact with for as long as I can remember. His great graphical work though stands out, although my favorite memory of him is not quite about his graphical work as much as my misinterpretation of it. His easygoing attitude is one that I love and the exact kind of thing you can never have enough of in leagues like these. Glad i got to know him as a part of my minor league team and even gladder that I now get to be on a team with him!
@Ephenssta was the first to welcome me into the war room in Colorado, and whose message in that regard is still one of my favorite messages I have ever seen on Discord. What really impresses me though is the fact that that welcoming attitude has never dissipated during our time together as Eph is easily one of the most active users I know and runs a really fun seasonal activity for the Yeti. There are too many other moments for me to pick one that I could point to an Eph message making my day better, and so I will just say thank you for brightening the Colorado locker room! May you find thrice as much joy there as you bring as you so richly deserve it!
@SwankyPants31 and @yonggarius are the next two I want to shout out as fellow members of the Colorado Yeti, fellow war room members, and fellow members of the massive S22 draft class. Swanky I knew earlier courtesy of their bold mock draft which is still one of my favorite memories of them as it just makes me smile every time I think about it. Yonggarius who I know better as Lim courtesy of Discord, and who I know best as being an absolutely amazing member of the rookie mentor team where they are aces at approvals. Both have a different energy about them, but are fabulous locker room presences that I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to get to know better.
I realize now if I gave a paragraph to all the great people in Colorado that I know that I would be working on this too long quite possibly and so I apologize to the rest of you, but I am going to have to speed run some of this. @37thchamber I loved working with you in the Wiki department, loved having you on the team in Norfolk, and am just as happy as can be to be on a team with you now in Colorado. Your fire is a fine and respectable one that I love getting to interact with more often, and I especially love your olive oil. @dahayn I admit we have not gotten to interact much to be honest, but I know you fairly well from your Twitter feed which is one of my favorites in the league. @FleshBagSoup Bagel one of the best of the rookie mentors that I have gotten to interact with to one of my favorite teammates, and of course the league lord of emojis. Pleased to be on a team with you now that you have retired from being a rookie mentor, and glad I get to still see your great gif selections. @katarn22 the nicest member of the team per what many members have said, although I think the pizza-est member of the team is more befitting. That said both facts are true and I am happy to have learned them to be true during our time together. @LancedJack whose work in Norfolk is still some of my favorite by any player ever in the history of ever, and who I love dearly for their work there is now my teammate in Colorado which is a wonderful turn of events for me. @Modern_Duke who I mostly remember for having bomb player names, but who is also a valued member that the team brought back during my tenure who I have since come to understand the value of as a member of the team. @nunccoepi who I admit I know better through our connection from me being part of the rookie mentor team, but who is easily one of the nicest users in the league and even more than that one of the most levelheaded members of the league in my experience. Which is a welcome combination to get to interact with whenever he is in the locker room.
@PersonMann who I also know better from elsewhere as we mostly interact in the PBE, but who I wanted to shout out a thanks to for answering my questions on their latest podcast which confirmed I can play what I want to play with my upcoming recreate. May you not have any trouble with flights for the foreseeable future friend! @pppaul317 who interestingly enough followed a similar route to me to end up in Colorado as they were a superb Seawolf that got drafted by New Orleans before joining Colorado in free agency, and is also someone I am glad did so as I have enjoyed what interactions we have had in my time in sim leagues. Finally @Rusfan who is one of the more active members of the locker room, and whose activity is a welcome presence in said locker room. A big time joker is how I would best describe him and an exciting entertainer in that way.
Also want to shout out a few of the newer members of the team who I am looking forward to interacting with more in the future @Alcott, @CommishDrip, @EricNCSU, and @Quail who have all been pleasant thus far. Plus huge shout outs to the latest draft class whose user names I do not recognize yet, but who I am also looking forward to getting to know. Special shout out to @SirBongo who I do know the user name of courtesy of their time in Norfolk where I learned they are a lovely person, and who I am looking forward to being on a team with in the future.
Now before I get into the trio that I saved for last I want to shout out some of the league workers that have made my stay here that much better. @Leafer the first updater I ever had and who handled most of Magnus' DSFL updates. @Lemon who is a fellow former Seawolf who made me more confident in my update format. @Laser who is getting mentioned with the other updaters, but is honestly someone I would consider a friend from all of our interactions across sim leagues he was an especially impressive updater as well though. A man who drafted my player over in the PBE and who has been part of a good conversation in every Discord I can recall us sharing. Also part of a couple of my favorite memories courtesy of curious conversations about Homer and about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. @pazuzu who handled my updates well between Laser and Dewalt27. @xTri and @tMuse who both stepped in on a couple of occasions and were polite with their handling of my updates. @Nhamlet who was the first to audit my update page. @slate who I remember complimenting the user name of back in rookie Discord, and who handled my second and fourth audits. @Tonzy who handled my third and sixth audits who is also the hero of hot salad apparently. @platanocat who I remember making big moves from the DSFL to the ISFL and who also stepped in to update Magnus once which I appreciate. @Trautner who has been my updater since I came to Colorado. @Asked Madden who handled my fifth audit, was kind enough to wish me well with my new team, and who has been a pleasant member of the media grading team with me. @Kyle who handled one of my recent updates and gave my second favorite reply to them I have encountered. Thank you all for making Magnus' journey what it is and for keeping the league running behind the scenes.
A few more names along those lines that I want to give thanks to whose names I know immediately are @Swanty who has been perfectly polite in every message I have seen from them, and who seems to be doing a wonderful job as a member of Head Office. @iStegosauruz who has not been perfectly polite in every message, but who has been a good Head Office member and more importantly to me a good teammate over in the PBE. Although I most fondly remember his hilarious responses as one of the cast members on the Sylphreni After Hours podcast, and also our conversations in Austin before the S22 draft. @Bigred1580 who was a member of Head Office when I joined the league or around then if memory serves, and has been another perfectly polite presence in all of my interactions with them. @infinitempg who I know better personally for being a vicious goose, most fondly remember for a dogekek react on a message about using bones as tools, but who also was an integral member of keeping the league functioning during my tenure here whom I appreciate for that fact. Finally @manicmav36 who my major interaction with that I can recall is a question on an old podcast that led to an incredibly kind compliment, but who has gotten enough praise from people I trust that I respect he was just as integral to the league as infinite to my knowledge who is deserving of respect for that fact. Thank you to all of you for making the league what it is whether actively now or actively in the past, and a special thanks to those league workers whose names I did not mention as even if I may not know your name off the top of my head you are still an important part of the league and I appreciate what you do! Sorry that I do not know your name to thank you personally, but sincerely thank you to everyone who has had a hand in making the league what it is today as one of the working parts of it and I hope that you get back more joy from the world than the work you put in as you so rightly deserve!
Now I just remembered a few more names that I could shout out, however I also just did a count and am at 97 according to my search with three more planned names to get to a perfect hundred. So unfortunately no named shout outs here, however I do want to specially thank the people who helped me with any of my media pieces during my tenure here and all of the rookie mentors I have worked with to date. Also all the people who have written nice things about the highlights series as I appreciate all the love that it has gotten. You are all amazing and we wish you well!
Okay these last three I saved as I knew if I needed to rush they would each understand as I could more than double what I have written thus far about any one of them individually. First of which is @SchwarzNarr who has already mentioned to me that she has gotten a few pings from this series, but who I can guarantee has not gotten enough given what a wonderful rookie mentor she has been so many times now. One of the most important things in simulation sports according to everyone I have talked to is the rookie experience and Schwarz is one of the best at making it a good one. Legitimately outside of the time with the largest draft class in potentially sim league sports history with S22 she has most succeeded in making rookie chat to be the place to be in my book. So for those of you fortunate enough to be allowed in do be sure to enjoy it while you can, and sorry to those who miss out on the magnificence.
However that is not what I most appreciate about Schwarz as she has been a truly fantastic friend to me since her time in Norfolk when her player was Daria Guava-Fresca and not the moose that murdered them. I recall an early conversation about beds with fondness, and her first direct message to me as one of the nicest I have gotten in sim leagues. She was part of the strong push to bring me to Colorado and honestly did an astounding job there as evidenced by the fact that Magnus is now a Yeti, but even that statement does not do her justice. A woman who made multiple media pieces comparing football to war, a choose your own adventure about gridiron football, and who did a wonderful piece on players playing D&D that I still contend should have been paid out in the first place. Honestly a woman after my own heart who is such an amazing teacher that she makes me envious of her students. Thank you Schwarz for not only being such a large part of bringing me to Colorado, but for being an amazing ally to me since we met.
@IsaStarcrossed the media king, one of the rare users to go first overall at both levels, but most importantly one of my best friends. I can clearly remember our first interaction way back when you first rejoined the league after your sabbatical and we both commented about creating fan clubs for one another. Doubt either of us could have foreseen the friendship that followed, but I can confidently say I am thankful for it. That said I could write thank you to you in all the different wordings and languages for it that I know and it still would not be enough as you have been so integral in making my time here worthwhile Isa.
Starting in Norfolk Isa was one of the most active members of the locker room as soon as he rejoined it and helped to make it the place I most wanted to be. Then courtesy of the interactions there and his presence in NOLA he unintentionally insured that would be the only place I would want to be as well, and did me the favor of getting the rest of the war room on board with the idea. (Shout out to Hippo and Sloth here though who were both quick to agree, and who as stated above are amazing people.) Unfortunately his time in New Orleans ended on a sour note and our time together there was short, but thankfully Norfolk was still a place that we could playfully palaver. Especially with the arrival of the aforementioned Schwarz as the two of them helped make Norfolk an amazing place to be.
All that said it is the most recent interactions that replay most in my mind as I write this recalling just how hard you worked to convince me that Colorado was where I should want to be, and just how grateful I am that you succeeded. One message that particularly stands out is one sent to the future with love should I ever see it that made me certain I had made the right decision. You are always quick to call me nice Isa, but in my mind you have been thrice as nice to me as I have been to anyone in the league and I want to thank you for that as best I am able to in these limited words. Thank you so much for so many things Isa!
They say to save the best for last and so now I am going to thank Head @bex In Charge without whom the league might not still exist. I cannot guarantee that part, but I can guarantee that without Bex I would not be here writing 5000 words about my appreciation of people in the league. Bex is not only the person whose advice made me decide to be more Discord active, but is also more importantly the person whose presence made me more comfortable being Discord active. No idea how often you have been pinged for this point task Bex, but just as I said for Schwarz I am absolutely certain it is less often than you deserve for all of the work that you have put in to make the league what it is today. Thank you sincerely for being an amazing commissioner of the league!
That is not enough for me though as there are other users who have done a lot for the league who received mostly passing praise from me. Honestly Bex stands out as a friend who similar to Isa made Norfolk the place I most wanted to be at the DSFL level, and then made NOLA the place I wanted to be at the ISFL level. Conversing with her has always been an absolute pleasure that I could not get enough of in a hundred lifetimes. What makes me especially confident of our friendship though is knowledge of the fact that she was willing to answer dozens of my questions on a podcast not once, but twice courtesy of her first podcast with TomHanks and the After Hours podcast with Sylphreni. The fact she did not wring my neck after either incident I think is proof positive that we get along, although it is just the tip of the iceberg of the nice things that I could say here.
Legitimately Bex I want to thank you for all of the kind words you have said, but most importantly I want to thank you for the confident words you have said in the war rooms that we have shared that have made me most certain that this is the type of place I want to be in the wilderness that is the internet. You do an amazing job as a person of making the places you are pleasant to be and I sincerely appreciate that about you. Hope we get to share a space in that way again, but even if not I hope only good things for your future friend.
Honestly I hope the joy that all of you have brought so many be returned to you in excess friends!
Now I have one more person to shout out, but I do not know the name of the last person I am going to thank so technically the previous stands as the best for last. That said whoever is reading this to grade it for PT purposes I want to thank you! I know the Player Progression Team has seen some scrutiny recently and I just want you to know that I appreciate the work that you have done. Just like most work in the league it often goes unappreciated, but thank you for doing it regardless and I wish you well with it!
If you were tagged in this and want to find your section I recommend using a find function as it is a long one. Thank you though even if you tune out before your name comes up!
Now moving on from that I am going to try to cover as many people as I can in an order that will make no sense to anyone else, but that makes perfect sense to the way I process things. So first on my list as I doubt they want to read that much is @slothfacekilla who I distinctly remember was involved in one of my first happy memories from the league in the form of sloth hour in the rookie Discord. Who I later became coworkers with in the media grading department where he was the best podcast grader I have ever encountered in my days in simulation sports, and an absolute delight of a coworker based on all of our interactions on the employee Discord. I was also lucky enough to later become his teammate on the New Orleans Second Line where I got to learn he was easily one of the gentlest souls I have encountered in my time traversing the world, and I am truly grateful for that fact as I have dozens of cherished memories of our interactions. Although my favorite that first pops to mind is 'why did I say that' as it was accompanied by a charming GIF.
Also involved in that sloth hour and someone who shared a surprisingly similar history with me is @Evok who was one of my fellow draftees to the Norfolk Seawolves back in S21. Where the kicker Sam Sidekick first started to make a name for themselves as one of the best to ever do it, and also possibly cursed me to draw his card more often than not in the future. A team player who I distinctly remember embracing their sidekick role to superb effect. Someone who also became a pretty good podcast grader for the media grading department, and a nice coworker to interact with in the employee Discord. My favorite memory of them is still them just popping into the rookie chat to ask general managers to draft them as that outgoing nature is part of why we first talked.
I do not have the ability to get into the finer details here, but I want to say thanks to @Buttersqauch101, @RainDelay, and @Starboy who were general managers/scouts who helped make my first foray into the league a fun experience. Also @DeadlyPlayer who despite not scouting me made rookie chat a more fun experience, and also turned out to be a pretty good teammate during our time together in Colorado.
The DSFL general managers who had the biggest impact on me though were of course @ScorpXCracker and @juniped also known as Scorp and Juni one of the best general manager pairs I have ever worked for thus far. They made my first season in simulation sports an absolutely amazing experience and I cannot thank them enough for getting me invested into the league. There are a number of magnificent memories I have from that season, but I think my favorite is when they trusted me enough to let me into the war room. Being brand new to sim leagues that was an experience and a half to go through, and it truly made my time there so much better.
The next team that I joined was the media grading team courtesy of winning a competition set up by @JKortesi81 who has been a good boss to me now for nine seasons. Although my favorite memory with him is wholly unrelated to my work with the media team as it is related to a Mega Man question on a podcast that I still fondly remember. If you are reading this Joe I hope you and Bayley have fantastic day!
That team has seen many members come and go, but I want to shout out @BaconBrother, @Fordhammer, @Memento Mori, @Mojojojo, and @PigSnout as members of the team who have been brilliant and also graded some of my media. Appreciate all of you for that! Also special shouts to PigSnout for now being a teammate of mine. However I thank everyone who has served on the grading team with me as I appreciate all of you making life easier for me!
Now there were a number of Seawolves who made my first season in the league a special one, and I would love to shout out all of them. Unfortunately there are only a few who I remember distinctly enough to also comfortably recall their user name on the site. That said I am going to cover them first starting with the two who had the biggest impact @J0EB and @Lightnoir who are still two of my favorite people I have gotten to meet courtesy of simulation sports. There are too many terrific conversations to cover, although as J0EB mentioned shadow babies can still make me smile today. The discussion Doug Norfolk and Neff Wonks is also up there, however my personal favorite is still the discussion of my recreate. It is still something I am looking forward to and the memory never fails to make me smile.
Now the rest of the S22 class that I can recall that have also made my time in the league an enjoyable one and are deserving of recognition are @Bauer my sim league son who helped introduce me to the PBE, @Blasoon a terrific quarterback who became a great general manager for the Seawolves with J0EB, @TheRocheLimit who was picked first overall in expansion which led to one of my favorite moments in sim leagues, @muse316 who was quietly kind in their tenure, and @xbijin who always makes me think of Snoopy.
Before that season and since that season there have been many other Seawolves who have made my time in the league better. @hotdog stands out on account of popping up on my Twitter feed recently, but I have to respect what they brought to the team. @iamslm22 who brought the team back from contraction, gave the job of general manager to the best general manager in the history of the team, and who was an important mentor to the S22 Seawolves. @Jimi64 who is now a former general manager of the team and was terrific in his tenure in my honest opinion, and who is still a valued contributor to the war room. @TeyonSchavari who was a wonderful pickup for the team that I can recall, and who is involved in a specific sim league experience of mine that gets brought back up on a regular basis. (Hope you are faring better these days! Also I still appreciate your offered contract clause as it individually is my favorite of all the ones offered.) @TMosura the current general manager of the team and an excellent one at that who had been a great war room contributor beforehand. Also @ValorX77 who is an alumnus of the team, a former general manager, and has been a positive presence there the last several seasons. Plus the dynamic duo of @C9Van and @pauadrian who can bring an amazing amount of activity to any locker room they are a part of in my experience, and who I especially have fond memories of chatting with over in the SCFSL.
The first team to host Magnus after the Seawolves was the team I most wanted to go to in the S22 draft the New Orleans Second Line. Who thanks in part to general manager @TomHanks were willing to trade up to second overall to select me in that draft. I still say that duo that drafted me is one of the best that I have had the pleasure of working for in sim leagues, and that TomHanks is also still one of my favorite users in sim leagues. Now the DSFL Commissioner so technically my boss again as I am the Highlights Princess of the DSFL, although I am not entirely sure how the chain of command exactly works. Regardless I would never have a problem working for TomHanks and he is a part of many magnificent memories in the league for me, but my favorite would probably have to be his first podcast with Bex where he responded with 'oh Christ is this Tesla's forty questions' which still makes my heart sing.
There were several other members of the NOLA S22 class who made my tenure there better such as Magnus' ally on the defensive line @DrChops whose Macho Man Randy Savage style was always a welcome one. @JPach whose top meme character is still a favorite of mine, whose style I loved since I did my initial scouting before the prospect bowl, and whose response to my being drafted there is still one of my favorite league memories. @mithrandir who has since become the general manager of the team whose love of Lord of the Rings is the thing that stands out the most for me as a positive memory there.
Of course there were also a number of veterans on the team who made my experience there enjoyable the first who will get mentioned is @Nokazoa as I think that they would be bothered if they were not mentioned first, and because I absolutely love the charming style that they brought to the table. @Wombat who was a wonderful member of the team during my tenure, whose player is a fellow University of Washington graduate, and who I still fondly remember for being one of the first people to comment on one of my PBE media pieces. @Jay_Doctor who was also a DSFL general manager in my season there and was a pleasant scouting experience, but who I most fondly remember for posting one of my favorite comments ever in response to an article about the S22 class that was not kind towards several NOLA players. Genuinely that one comment is still one of the first things that comes to mind when I think of my time in NOLA, and it is still one of the most meaningful moments in the league for me even though I doubt Jay remembers it. Also the general manager that stepped down just before I was drafted @JuOSu who I only really got to know after joining the war room, but who was a wonderful person to get to know there and whose conversation on some certain happenings in another league with Adam remain part of one of my favorite experiences on that team. Cannot leave without mentioning @ddrector who was general manager for the majority of my time there, a fellow former Seawolf, and was always good for a fun conversation in either locker room in my experience.
One member of that team who I feel deserves more than just a quick shout out from me is @terriblehippo who just got drafted back there which broke my heart as I so hoped he would fall just a bit more. That said it was just a mistake by the teams ahead as Hippo is quite the opposite of his user name and easily one of the best people the league has to offer. His greetings to me when I was first drafted is still one of my favorites of any messages I have shared with a teammate, and his warm welcoming attitude is one that still makes me feel more comfortable being a member of the league. Just a delightful fellow who I wish all the best with his second career!
Now while I was there we drafted several amazing users, but the one who has meant the most to me is @GuitarMaster116 or @AdamS as I love them both too much to decide on one over the other. GuitarMaster116 has an incredibly positive and uplifting attitude that makes you happy to keep calm and carry on through the worst of things, and is also one of the reasons why he makes such a wonderful ally on the rookie mentor team. Easily one of the best selections by any team I have seen in the league. Adam meanwhile has a wealth of experience to draw upon, and a sense of humor whose equal is hard to find in the league. Quite possibly the biggest steal outside of the S22 class for any team in the league and who also had one of my favorite contract clauses over in the PBE. Two terrific users who I am thankful I got to be teammates with during my tenure in New Orleans.
They were not the only standout selections by New Orleans during my tenure there though as a few more individuals still stand out in my mind. @Birdman who was the user behind Magnus' partner in crime after the expansion draft, and who was a pleasant person to interact with throughout my tenure there. Always nice when you can get along with the user behind your player's partner. @MobiausGrander whose fiery spirit is easily one of the best of any user I have met in any online thing ever, and who I still fondly remember for their support of Xavien Howard. @SchoolboyShue who I admit I know better for their activities over in the PBE, who I admit to my key memories of them coming from an interaction about the PBE, but who I also distinctly remember as being a lovely teammate in New Orleans. Also I do not believe Magnus ever got to play with their player, but @Voltaqe was someone who came in with a great attitude which I still love.
Another group I would like to shout out before getting into the next set are the S22 Defensive Tackles who made my early time in the league more enjoyable, and who I had good conversations with since then. @BadLck who has unfortunately gone inactive, but who I still fondly remember. @Billybolo53 who now plays cornerback, but who has a terrific enough Twitter presence to make up for it. @Forty Jordy who quickly became a linebacker, but who is a fellow Detroit Demon and a delight. Also @thevoicelesscreator who I most remember from having late night chats with in Honolulu. Also special shout out to @ForSucksFake and @PMoney who are S22 members who switched to Defensive Tackle and have been terrific in all my interactions with them.
First mention for the next group is @Frick_Nasty as they were the first to get in touch with me when free agency hit and they made a strong appeal for their team that made a team in a rough situation look like a nice landing spot, and for that I trust the team to be on the way up. @woelkers who I got to be teammates with in Colorado despite not accepting their offered terms, but whose New York made probably the second best appeal due in part to his enchanting way of handling it. That initial response to me admitting to be an official free agent is still one of my favorites and I will fondly recall it for ages. Also shout out to @zaynzk who was a big part of said New York appeal, and has since successfully led his team to an Ultimus win which is well deserved. @Dewalt27 one of my favorite updaters of all time who made a great appeal for their team with @Highhaschdi despite the fact that it would come with the loss of them as an amazing updater. @flyeaglesfly29 who was an updater for me in another league and who along with PMoney made a good appeal with the quality of the way they handle their team. Also @Attopax who showed an interest in why I was leaving almost certainly to prevent their own players from wanting to in the future, but who helped me a lot by allowing me to talk through it and process the situation myself which I still appreciate!
That brings me to @Sylphreni whose team made the strongest appeal in part to his lovely leadership. Interestingly enough in both of my money leagues my main general manager has an ego that would overflow a skyscraper, but I have to admit both deserve to have a considerable amount of confidence in their skills. Syl though stands out as the Podcast Archduke of course, but is also an amazing conversationalist on Discord. The word that comes to mind would be presidential, however I have no idea if any other brain will process that the way I mean it to be. His polite request that I not give him a thousand questions is still one of my favorite memories, although both After Hours podcasts are also good as the first for the many questions and the second on account of singing mostly. Thank you for your part in bringing me to Colorado.
Next is the other person who helped bring me to Colorado that I want to jump to early in @SDCore who I remember meeting way back when in the Detroit Demons locker room. However it was in part his unique appeal that helped convince me that Colorado was the team for me, and getting to know him even better as a member of the team has been one of my favorite parts of having joined Colorado. Always around with a pocketful of sunshine and a fun fact about a macabre subject that makes him just so lovely to be around.
Another person who had a hand in convincing me to come to Colorado is funnily enough someone who joined the same season I did @ConnorM123 who I adored from their tenure in Norfolk, and who has been a fun person to interact with for as long as I can remember. His great graphical work though stands out, although my favorite memory of him is not quite about his graphical work as much as my misinterpretation of it. His easygoing attitude is one that I love and the exact kind of thing you can never have enough of in leagues like these. Glad i got to know him as a part of my minor league team and even gladder that I now get to be on a team with him!
@Ephenssta was the first to welcome me into the war room in Colorado, and whose message in that regard is still one of my favorite messages I have ever seen on Discord. What really impresses me though is the fact that that welcoming attitude has never dissipated during our time together as Eph is easily one of the most active users I know and runs a really fun seasonal activity for the Yeti. There are too many other moments for me to pick one that I could point to an Eph message making my day better, and so I will just say thank you for brightening the Colorado locker room! May you find thrice as much joy there as you bring as you so richly deserve it!
@SwankyPants31 and @yonggarius are the next two I want to shout out as fellow members of the Colorado Yeti, fellow war room members, and fellow members of the massive S22 draft class. Swanky I knew earlier courtesy of their bold mock draft which is still one of my favorite memories of them as it just makes me smile every time I think about it. Yonggarius who I know better as Lim courtesy of Discord, and who I know best as being an absolutely amazing member of the rookie mentor team where they are aces at approvals. Both have a different energy about them, but are fabulous locker room presences that I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to get to know better.
I realize now if I gave a paragraph to all the great people in Colorado that I know that I would be working on this too long quite possibly and so I apologize to the rest of you, but I am going to have to speed run some of this. @37thchamber I loved working with you in the Wiki department, loved having you on the team in Norfolk, and am just as happy as can be to be on a team with you now in Colorado. Your fire is a fine and respectable one that I love getting to interact with more often, and I especially love your olive oil. @dahayn I admit we have not gotten to interact much to be honest, but I know you fairly well from your Twitter feed which is one of my favorites in the league. @FleshBagSoup Bagel one of the best of the rookie mentors that I have gotten to interact with to one of my favorite teammates, and of course the league lord of emojis. Pleased to be on a team with you now that you have retired from being a rookie mentor, and glad I get to still see your great gif selections. @katarn22 the nicest member of the team per what many members have said, although I think the pizza-est member of the team is more befitting. That said both facts are true and I am happy to have learned them to be true during our time together. @LancedJack whose work in Norfolk is still some of my favorite by any player ever in the history of ever, and who I love dearly for their work there is now my teammate in Colorado which is a wonderful turn of events for me. @Modern_Duke who I mostly remember for having bomb player names, but who is also a valued member that the team brought back during my tenure who I have since come to understand the value of as a member of the team. @nunccoepi who I admit I know better through our connection from me being part of the rookie mentor team, but who is easily one of the nicest users in the league and even more than that one of the most levelheaded members of the league in my experience. Which is a welcome combination to get to interact with whenever he is in the locker room.
@PersonMann who I also know better from elsewhere as we mostly interact in the PBE, but who I wanted to shout out a thanks to for answering my questions on their latest podcast which confirmed I can play what I want to play with my upcoming recreate. May you not have any trouble with flights for the foreseeable future friend! @pppaul317 who interestingly enough followed a similar route to me to end up in Colorado as they were a superb Seawolf that got drafted by New Orleans before joining Colorado in free agency, and is also someone I am glad did so as I have enjoyed what interactions we have had in my time in sim leagues. Finally @Rusfan who is one of the more active members of the locker room, and whose activity is a welcome presence in said locker room. A big time joker is how I would best describe him and an exciting entertainer in that way.
Also want to shout out a few of the newer members of the team who I am looking forward to interacting with more in the future @Alcott, @CommishDrip, @EricNCSU, and @Quail who have all been pleasant thus far. Plus huge shout outs to the latest draft class whose user names I do not recognize yet, but who I am also looking forward to getting to know. Special shout out to @SirBongo who I do know the user name of courtesy of their time in Norfolk where I learned they are a lovely person, and who I am looking forward to being on a team with in the future.
Now before I get into the trio that I saved for last I want to shout out some of the league workers that have made my stay here that much better. @Leafer the first updater I ever had and who handled most of Magnus' DSFL updates. @Lemon who is a fellow former Seawolf who made me more confident in my update format. @Laser who is getting mentioned with the other updaters, but is honestly someone I would consider a friend from all of our interactions across sim leagues he was an especially impressive updater as well though. A man who drafted my player over in the PBE and who has been part of a good conversation in every Discord I can recall us sharing. Also part of a couple of my favorite memories courtesy of curious conversations about Homer and about Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. @pazuzu who handled my updates well between Laser and Dewalt27. @xTri and @tMuse who both stepped in on a couple of occasions and were polite with their handling of my updates. @Nhamlet who was the first to audit my update page. @slate who I remember complimenting the user name of back in rookie Discord, and who handled my second and fourth audits. @Tonzy who handled my third and sixth audits who is also the hero of hot salad apparently. @platanocat who I remember making big moves from the DSFL to the ISFL and who also stepped in to update Magnus once which I appreciate. @Trautner who has been my updater since I came to Colorado. @Asked Madden who handled my fifth audit, was kind enough to wish me well with my new team, and who has been a pleasant member of the media grading team with me. @Kyle who handled one of my recent updates and gave my second favorite reply to them I have encountered. Thank you all for making Magnus' journey what it is and for keeping the league running behind the scenes.
A few more names along those lines that I want to give thanks to whose names I know immediately are @Swanty who has been perfectly polite in every message I have seen from them, and who seems to be doing a wonderful job as a member of Head Office. @iStegosauruz who has not been perfectly polite in every message, but who has been a good Head Office member and more importantly to me a good teammate over in the PBE. Although I most fondly remember his hilarious responses as one of the cast members on the Sylphreni After Hours podcast, and also our conversations in Austin before the S22 draft. @Bigred1580 who was a member of Head Office when I joined the league or around then if memory serves, and has been another perfectly polite presence in all of my interactions with them. @infinitempg who I know better personally for being a vicious goose, most fondly remember for a dogekek react on a message about using bones as tools, but who also was an integral member of keeping the league functioning during my tenure here whom I appreciate for that fact. Finally @manicmav36 who my major interaction with that I can recall is a question on an old podcast that led to an incredibly kind compliment, but who has gotten enough praise from people I trust that I respect he was just as integral to the league as infinite to my knowledge who is deserving of respect for that fact. Thank you to all of you for making the league what it is whether actively now or actively in the past, and a special thanks to those league workers whose names I did not mention as even if I may not know your name off the top of my head you are still an important part of the league and I appreciate what you do! Sorry that I do not know your name to thank you personally, but sincerely thank you to everyone who has had a hand in making the league what it is today as one of the working parts of it and I hope that you get back more joy from the world than the work you put in as you so rightly deserve!
Now I just remembered a few more names that I could shout out, however I also just did a count and am at 97 according to my search with three more planned names to get to a perfect hundred. So unfortunately no named shout outs here, however I do want to specially thank the people who helped me with any of my media pieces during my tenure here and all of the rookie mentors I have worked with to date. Also all the people who have written nice things about the highlights series as I appreciate all the love that it has gotten. You are all amazing and we wish you well!
Okay these last three I saved as I knew if I needed to rush they would each understand as I could more than double what I have written thus far about any one of them individually. First of which is @SchwarzNarr who has already mentioned to me that she has gotten a few pings from this series, but who I can guarantee has not gotten enough given what a wonderful rookie mentor she has been so many times now. One of the most important things in simulation sports according to everyone I have talked to is the rookie experience and Schwarz is one of the best at making it a good one. Legitimately outside of the time with the largest draft class in potentially sim league sports history with S22 she has most succeeded in making rookie chat to be the place to be in my book. So for those of you fortunate enough to be allowed in do be sure to enjoy it while you can, and sorry to those who miss out on the magnificence.
However that is not what I most appreciate about Schwarz as she has been a truly fantastic friend to me since her time in Norfolk when her player was Daria Guava-Fresca and not the moose that murdered them. I recall an early conversation about beds with fondness, and her first direct message to me as one of the nicest I have gotten in sim leagues. She was part of the strong push to bring me to Colorado and honestly did an astounding job there as evidenced by the fact that Magnus is now a Yeti, but even that statement does not do her justice. A woman who made multiple media pieces comparing football to war, a choose your own adventure about gridiron football, and who did a wonderful piece on players playing D&D that I still contend should have been paid out in the first place. Honestly a woman after my own heart who is such an amazing teacher that she makes me envious of her students. Thank you Schwarz for not only being such a large part of bringing me to Colorado, but for being an amazing ally to me since we met.
@IsaStarcrossed the media king, one of the rare users to go first overall at both levels, but most importantly one of my best friends. I can clearly remember our first interaction way back when you first rejoined the league after your sabbatical and we both commented about creating fan clubs for one another. Doubt either of us could have foreseen the friendship that followed, but I can confidently say I am thankful for it. That said I could write thank you to you in all the different wordings and languages for it that I know and it still would not be enough as you have been so integral in making my time here worthwhile Isa.
Starting in Norfolk Isa was one of the most active members of the locker room as soon as he rejoined it and helped to make it the place I most wanted to be. Then courtesy of the interactions there and his presence in NOLA he unintentionally insured that would be the only place I would want to be as well, and did me the favor of getting the rest of the war room on board with the idea. (Shout out to Hippo and Sloth here though who were both quick to agree, and who as stated above are amazing people.) Unfortunately his time in New Orleans ended on a sour note and our time together there was short, but thankfully Norfolk was still a place that we could playfully palaver. Especially with the arrival of the aforementioned Schwarz as the two of them helped make Norfolk an amazing place to be.
All that said it is the most recent interactions that replay most in my mind as I write this recalling just how hard you worked to convince me that Colorado was where I should want to be, and just how grateful I am that you succeeded. One message that particularly stands out is one sent to the future with love should I ever see it that made me certain I had made the right decision. You are always quick to call me nice Isa, but in my mind you have been thrice as nice to me as I have been to anyone in the league and I want to thank you for that as best I am able to in these limited words. Thank you so much for so many things Isa!
They say to save the best for last and so now I am going to thank Head @bex In Charge without whom the league might not still exist. I cannot guarantee that part, but I can guarantee that without Bex I would not be here writing 5000 words about my appreciation of people in the league. Bex is not only the person whose advice made me decide to be more Discord active, but is also more importantly the person whose presence made me more comfortable being Discord active. No idea how often you have been pinged for this point task Bex, but just as I said for Schwarz I am absolutely certain it is less often than you deserve for all of the work that you have put in to make the league what it is today. Thank you sincerely for being an amazing commissioner of the league!
That is not enough for me though as there are other users who have done a lot for the league who received mostly passing praise from me. Honestly Bex stands out as a friend who similar to Isa made Norfolk the place I most wanted to be at the DSFL level, and then made NOLA the place I wanted to be at the ISFL level. Conversing with her has always been an absolute pleasure that I could not get enough of in a hundred lifetimes. What makes me especially confident of our friendship though is knowledge of the fact that she was willing to answer dozens of my questions on a podcast not once, but twice courtesy of her first podcast with TomHanks and the After Hours podcast with Sylphreni. The fact she did not wring my neck after either incident I think is proof positive that we get along, although it is just the tip of the iceberg of the nice things that I could say here.
Legitimately Bex I want to thank you for all of the kind words you have said, but most importantly I want to thank you for the confident words you have said in the war rooms that we have shared that have made me most certain that this is the type of place I want to be in the wilderness that is the internet. You do an amazing job as a person of making the places you are pleasant to be and I sincerely appreciate that about you. Hope we get to share a space in that way again, but even if not I hope only good things for your future friend.
Honestly I hope the joy that all of you have brought so many be returned to you in excess friends!
Now I have one more person to shout out, but I do not know the name of the last person I am going to thank so technically the previous stands as the best for last. That said whoever is reading this to grade it for PT purposes I want to thank you! I know the Player Progression Team has seen some scrutiny recently and I just want you to know that I appreciate the work that you have done. Just like most work in the league it often goes unappreciated, but thank you for doing it regardless and I wish you well with it!
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