Offseason Point Task - 25th Anniversary Special

[TropicaliaCC]

I would like to start off by saying that I miss the wiki update task. With that caveat out of the way I will do your stinky special point task. I joined the league in June of 2019. I had jus started my first big boy job after graduating college and it was not all it was made up to be. Unfortunately, I found myself working for a company that is not very busy, which is a bad thing in the world of business. Due to a pattern of a lot of down time, I found myself browsing reddit one day on the r/madden sub and I stumbled upon a post about a football sim league. It sounded interesting enough to look into it, so I inquired. Honestly, I thought it would be something that I tried out for a couple of days and then never touched it again because I had never participated in a sim league and it frankly sounded nerdier than what I’m used to. Alas, I was very wrong. A combination of being terribly bored at work and hanging out on discord with cool people drew me into the grasp of the then National Simulation Football League. What I love about the now ISFL is the community around it. You have a lot of really genuinely good people that give a shit about how your day is going and are there to listen to you vent if something shitty happened. It seems frankly counterintuitive that you would find such a charismatic group of people on discord and internet forums where there is no names to faces and you would expect a lot of keyboard bullies. I guess the golden rule of Don’t Be a Dick has held up pretty well all things considered. Anyways, what began as a distraction for me at work has turned into a community and outlet for myself where I can get away from the stress of everyday life. I feel like the league sponsoring things and generally having an open book policy for discussing mental health has helped facilitate this for me personally to be able to discuss things that can be tough with roommates, friends, and family. As this point task comes at an interesting time for me in the league as I retire my first player and look to my first recreate, I want to find ways to give back to the community and help others the way that the league has helped me the past 17 months.

[nunccoepi]

Happy anniversary, ISFL! I've been around for about half of these 25 seasons and I'm hoping to be around for the next 25 as well. I've had a great time playing simulation football here, as I'm now on my second player here, and hoping to see my first inducted into the Hall of Fame. I think the most important thing that has made my time here so great is how many incredible people have worked their asses off to keep this thing running. From Head Office, to the general managers, to the simmer and streamers, going the whole way to the updaters, graders, and rookie mentors. This league couldn't run anywhere near as smoothly if it wasn't for the immense amount of hard work and dedication from all of these great people. I do have to say that there are some people here that I just have to shout out because working and playing with them has been an incredible experience.

@speculadora - What can I say, man. You've been great since day one for me here. Not only were you a wealth of knowledge for someone who was still relatively new to this whole sim sports thing, but you became a good friend as well. In my mind, you'll always be this league's GOAT GM, but I may be biased because of the the three Ultimus trophies I have to show for my time with you at the helm of the Otters.

@DeadlyPlayer - I'm really glad I've gotten to know you during my time with the Royals, but super sad that I never got a chance to meet you earlier. You're a real character, dude, and I mean that 100% as a compliment. You obviously have a lot of love for this team and are always super motivational whether by love or by all caps yell-typing. lol My time with the Royals will always be some of my favorite memories with this league and you've been a huge part of that.

@nunccoepi and @iseedoug - It's been awhile since I've gotten to talk to either of you two, but I would be remiss to leave either of you off this list. You two were my first GMs way back when with the Luchadores and bear most of the responsibility for me coming to love this league. That Lucha locker room was incredibly fun, mostly because of the atmosphere that you guys fostered there. Even though we never broke through for that Ultimini during my two seasons in Tijuana, I had a great time being a part of that team and I just have to say thanks to both of you guys.

I could have put maybe 30 or 40 guys on this list, as there are so many other teammates or people I've worked with that have made this league an absolute pleasure to be a part of. Just know that I'm incredibly grateful and thankful for all of you.

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<3 <3 <3

[hotdog]

This was the third sim league I added and I'm glad I did! As with most of my experience in sim leagues, my favorite part is getting to know new people. Even being around in SHL and PBE, there were plenty of new people I didn't know already who I was happy to get to know here. It starts, of course, with the Norfolk Seawolves. Most of the people I wound up getting to know in this LR were people I didn't already know but now have extremely positive views towards - J0EB, Blasoon, Scorp, Juni, Isa, Schwarznarr, and Tesla stand out as people who I either didn't know at all or just knew of and I think they're all wonderful people; i'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to get to know them. I can't keep up with the Norfolk server on a daily basis, but I love hopping in if any of them (usually schwarz) tags me  I'm also thankful I've gotten to know people in Arizona, once my attention shifted from Norfolk to there. Thanks to unicorn for taking me 4th oa (ego boost ) and moosecop for vouching for me. I've gotten to know new people, like saba, zamir (RIP), brnxbombers, JAY CUE himself, and now the new generation in z-whiz, zeagle, crunk, and many others. 

It took me a while to get used to it but i really enjoy watching the ISFL sims. The dots are kind of weird and it takes some time to get used to where to look but I actually really enjoy watching the games. It's fun to see your name pop up with a tackle (or every so often a lucky interception or fumble and it pops up in red lol) and the games are pretty fast and easy to follow. I like it much more than PBE's streams (no offense). We haven't had a ton of team success so far, though we did crack playoffs last season, so my favorite moment would likely be something individual. I got a pick 6 while I was watching the stream live, so that's about as exciting as it gets for a defensive player. I'm also happy for Norfolk winning the Ultimini, even though it was a season after I was there lol. I like all the management people there so I was really happy for them putting together an ultimini-winning squad! 
I thought for a while I may be one and done here but now I'm leaning towards eventually recreating once DB Jadakiss is done! (assuming I can afford the time)

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[StamkosFan]

Looking for other sim leagues to join, I was an avid member of the Simulation Hockey League looking to cash in my PTs on an affiliate. I was not really looking to get involved, well at least not deeply involved, with any other sim league. It was a casual free time killer that I took up because I have no life. Dead serious, no life. And surprisingly, I have gotten to enjoy two fun players and meet some cool new people. Playing for the Wraiths the first time around provided a great career for Helanen, and boy that draft experience for my second dude in S22 was second to none. It is easy to learn how to develop a good offensive guy, and I've found my niche as a wide receiver guy. I'm not the best earner but I finally got a job here and I am enjoying my time. Hell I even learned most of the good players here in the league by accident, this was the first time I really picked my fantasy team pretty much with no help, and the sims are started to hook me in. I want to see a good result for my guy and my team. I want to keep grinding and keep it going, and I look forward to perhaps even trying out the free agent experience, just one time.

There is still a lot to experience even after being here for a long time. The league was pretty new when I joined, and it has been pretty cool to see it blossom and develop into what it is today. It is like watching a child grow up, it really has come a long way. There are new players down the road to me, and against all expectations of someone who came here only liking hockey, and to be honest hockey is still the only sport I like but I have a good time anyways. There is just something special about the atmosphere here, the way the league is constantly pushing itself and trying to be better. It feels like being part of a movement, a community, a team. That is what any online activity is all about, bonding, the people you meet along the way. So I feel like ISFL has really met the core objective that I did not realize it was supposed to meet, until it already had. I feel very fortunate to be accepted here and to be a part of everything, and I look forward to what the future holds for us all.

[Lightnoir]

I've been in the league since February and it's been an interesting and fun experience, not without it's ups and downs. These sim leagues are some of the largest discord communities I'm a part of and I've made a lot of new friends. I feel like there's a ton of potential that hasn't quite been reached yet, because we're stuck using other people's tools. If someone were to make a dedicated engine for this kind of league, where all of the updating, testing, and economy were integrated into the engine I think the concept could explode in popularity. It's essentially an MMO already. I'm incredibly impressed by the people essentially running all of this, and I'm glad I've gotten to know some of them and learned they're good people. I'm really curious to see what the future of the community is. I hope it can continue to grow and prosper, because it's something that's good.
That's not to say its without its struggles. One thing about inclusivity is that even people you don't care for have a right to participate, and some times that can feel like a headache. In a similar vein, no one is really verifiably qualified. These are all random people, essentially, and sometimes appointments and such can be perplexing. But then again, the community is only so big, and only so many people are willing to take on serious roles. 
It probably doesn't come across exactly, but I do care a lot about the sim community and the friends I've made. It's become a major social outlet in 2020 as my options to go spend time with my in-person have become drastically limited. I'm not going to rattle off names, but if we're friends then you know who you are. And if you think we're friends, we are.

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[The_Mediocre_Pigeon]

I'll take 1

[jeffie43]

Where do I even start. There's so many people I have to thank for a lot of things during my time here that have affected who I am today. I guess starting at the beginning wouldn't be too bad of a start.

@FleshBagSoup and @Frostbite thanks for helping me out the night I joined the league both of you guys were super friendly when I had joined early on and really helped keep me around that one random night. There's no guarantee I even create in the league if it wasn't for you guys. Hell, I wasn't really expecting to stick around in a forum-based league to begin with.

@scorycory Thanks for taking a chance on me in the waivers in S20 and then spending that 4OA pick on a talkative bum like me. Also thanks for being such a great dude in OCO and making it a place where people feel comfortable even if your gaming streams suck

@Vexatious I still miss you bud. Thank you for being my first friend here and being really welcoming that night in the MB LR. Although it sucks to see you go inactive it's great to hear that you're doing well IRL. We're all really happy for you and wish you the best moving forward!

@Briedaqueduc @Gwdjohnson I know I met you guys in the SHL and whatnot but thanks for giving this league a chance, you guys have both been incredible people here and great friends during my time here <3 I highly doubt I'm still kicking around the league without you guys and I wanted to thank you both for that

@Laser @Revolution5 Thank you both for taking me in the ISFL Draft, it's been a great experience playing for OCO and been even better being able to talk to you guys and learn a lot from you both. Even if it means I have to deal with DMs at 4 or 5 in the morning (SMH Laser)

@speculadora Man where do I even start for you lol. Even if a solid quarter of my messages in OCO are bullying you or threatening to trade/cut you I don't think it's a secret that you are one of my favorite people in the community. Who knows how many times you've talked me off a ledge and been there for me when I needed help. You've taught me so much and you're someone I enjoy talking ball with on a daily basis. I honestly believe the day you announced that you were retiring was one of the saddest days in the league for me, thankfully you're back and being yourself because I wouldn't have it any other way <3 Now lets get you that breakout player of the year award bud.

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[RansackTheUniverse]

I joined the league back in February of 2020 as part of the massive S22 reddit draft class. Since then, while I have not been the most active user, I have really enjoyed the time I have spent here in the league. This is my first ever sim league, so I had no idea what to expect when I was starting out. But everyone was extremely helpful, and the forum guides were simple enough to follow and allowed me to create my player and get started without any real difficulties.

Since then, I have been a max earner of TPE for my player, Eldrick Avery. Though other than that, I have not been the most active user. I never really got involved in the discord, or in my team locker rooms along the way. While I’m sure that this is a big part of what makes the league an enjoyable experience for others, I have simply enjoyed following my players career as he continues to improve work towards a potential eventual Ultimus title and maybe even a hall of fame berth. While my player has yet to win any awards, or even earn make a Pro Bowl appearance, Avery was called up to the Baltimore Hawks in his first season after being drafted, and he has been among the league leaders in pass deflections in each of his first four seasons. As of now, Avery is on schedule to beat Dermot Lavelle Jr’s record of 250 career pass deflections, though it will likely take a full 13 season career, and strong performances in each of them. I’m looking forward to continue watching my player chase this milestone. Avery also has yet to play a single playoff game in either the ISFL or the DSFL. So while I have definitely enjoyed rooting my team on, I am excited to finally get that elusive first playoff game under my belt.

One thing that I don’t enjoy about the league, is written point tasks, and having to write media in order to earn money. One addition to the league since I joined that has helped mitigate these dislikes, is the casino. The casino has been a great addition, and I have found myself spending more time with the casino, than almost anything else in the league. I have been very active in the stock market, single game bets (bring back player props!), and the prediction tournaments. Through the casino, I have managed to turn $25 million from wiki work into just under $200 million (including my current stock holdings). I am very happy to know that I will never need to write media again in order to fund my player’s equipment and weekly trainings.

[Tonzy]

I am going into my 4th season here in the league and I can honestly say that the time has flown since I first joined. It sounds cliche to say but time really does fly by when you are having fun. This league is full of so many good people and so many people that I am now happy to call my friends. When I first joined I was a little intimidated and not really sure what to expect but the more I got involved, the more I loved this community of people. It is crazy how a bunch of strangers all over the world can find some common interest in the sport of football. I used to wonder how people could play in this league if they didn't really like football, but after a little bit of time I began to understand that it really wasn't football that kept everybody involved here; it was the people. 

This is what I want to focus on for this post, the people. The people I have met in my time in this league are by far my favorite part and I think are biggest reason this league has found so much success. I was lucky enough to come into this league with some awesome friends (@Amidships,@Kyamprac,@RDBSouthPaw,@Attopax) but I am even more lucky to have found friends since I joined the league. Basically this post is going to be a great big thank you to all the people who have been awesome since I joined the league. @iStegosauruz and @Kyle were probably two of the first people who really got me excited about the league. They got me involved early on and have been some of the most awesome friends over the last few months since I met them. Spending $250 on Kyle's player name only to have him retire a season later will truly always be a moment I second guess, but it was fun things like that that always seemed to occur when I hung out with those guys, and for that you guys will always be awesome to me! 

If I could tag everyone in the Tijuana locker-room I would but there are just too many awesome people from over there for me to shout out each and every individual name, but I would be remiss if I did not even mention @mithrandir and @Cincyfan96 for how awesome they made my first full season in the league. I am Luchador for life because of people like them and I am incredibly thankful to get to GM that organization now that Mith has sailed out West. There are so many more people who have made this league special to me and it's impossible to include everyone, but @Dewalt27, @Mooty99, and @flyeaglesfly29 have also been some of the most awesome people in the league to me since I first joined. So to any of you new rookies out there trying to figure out what this sim-league is all about... I encourage you... Go talk to the people that make up this great community because if you don't, you're really missing what the ISFL is all about.

[Orhanello]

I can’t believe it’s the 25th anniversary of the International simulation football league. Season 26 is upon us and it is looking to be a great one. I have been a part of this league for one season and it was a roller coaster ride. I didn’t really know what to expect when joining the league but with the help of a lot of people and learning on my own it was a fun experience. The season didn’t really play out the way I would wish for my team but we did really good and I’m ready for this. I have high hopes for our team and I think we can win it all. My player is maxed and I earned a lot of TPE to get to this position so I just need to keep earning and being there for my teammates. For my first season I’m proud of how my player performed. While you are in the DSL your player is very limited in what they can do based on the TPE But it’s still fun to see them perform. Personally I think that the International simulation football league needs to expand to way more teams and give everybody a chance to play in a competitive league with less cap. I’m really excited to play with my real life best friend. I have the sauce username and player name Quavious McGrady. I think our combo of QB in wide receiver is going to be a huge boost for our team! I have really high goals for my player. I hope I can lead the league in touchdowns and win most valuable player but most importantly win a championship for Portland. Like I said in the beginning this week has been a roller coaster it’s been interesting to see how the political aspect can kind of take shape and form in teams but it seems like for the most part people want people to have a good time and will try their hardest to make that happen. In my personal opinion I think that has to be at the forefront of people's minds and the most important part of the league in order for it to sustain you want people to enjoy their time play with friends and have a good time together. I hope to continue to have a good time in this league and that the league stands for many years for many players to enjoy it and have fun making it bigger and better for everyone. 
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