(S30) Ultimus Week

[unconfident]

14. Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?

To set the scene, its the 4th quarter of the Bondi Beach Buccaneers final game of the season, against the Kansas City Coyotes. Kansas City has a 3 point lead following a 10 yard touchdown to Pablo Sanchez, and after the extra point there is just 1 minute and 10 seconds left for the Buccaneers to march down the field, and either tie the game or win it. Some masterful playcalls from the head coach later, and Paul Moniter lines up from 49 yards out with just 17 seconds left, with the game on the line. He goes for the kick to tie the game... and it is good! We head to overtime, where we switch to second year tight end Travis Scott.

Scott hasnt been too much of a presence this game, having 2 receptions for 14 yards and one 5 yard penalty as his only contributions to this one. He will likely not see too many targets in this overtime period as there are some very talented receivers on the Buccaneers, who are likely both more likely and more capable of coming through with the big catch in this one. No worries for Scott though. As the Buccaneers head onto the field, Scott readies up to continue what he's been doing all night, block for Dexter Zaylren. It has been working all night offensively, and it continues to work as the first play of the game is a run to the right side by Tron Carter for 12 yards, right where Scott was blocking. Scott may not have pancaked the end, but he certainly prevented him from making the play on Carter which forced a different defender to step up and make the play. The rest of the drive goes pretty similarly to that, as Scott blocks while Zaylren finds the other talent on the Buccaneers to continue moving the chains and get up the field in hopes of ending it.

On the Coyotes 19 yard line, Zaylren and the head coach find themselves stuck. The defense has kind of picked up on what they're doing, and no one was open on the last play as Zaylren got sacked. So on third and goal from the 19, they tried something different. Scott lined up on the outside of the formation like a receiver, and was told to run an out route. He hadn't been sent on a route since the first half, and predictably the defense didnt see it coming. Scott blew by the corner who was playing a zone coverage, and Zaylren fired the ball to him, which Scott easily caught on about the 8 yard line. Scott would need 11 more yards to end this game, and he was getting them one way or another.

He was met by Tessie Garciapara, a top cornerback prospect in the soon to be ISFL draft. But that means nothing here, as Scott would throw his arm up onto her helmet, and push her backwards as he made his way to the endzone. This worked for about 5 yards, before Tessie's strength forced Scott into pulling back his own arm. Still with 6 yards to gain, Scott dropped his shoulder and completely obliterated Garciapara, pushing her to the ground and leaving just empty space on the his way to the endzone, where he would score the game winning touchdown, in overtime. There wasn't much to celebrate this season in Bondi, but this would be the highlight of Scott's season, and one of the more exciting moments they were involved in.

Code:

590 words

27. What team do you think has the best branding in the league? What team do you think could use a refresh? Why?

Branding. It's a very important part of a teams identity, and a really good branding is a great positive to have in a franchise. Looking at some of my favorite brandings in the league besides my own Copperheads, we have the Sarasota Sailfish first up. Now, I'm pretty sure that is a marlin, but regardless, I love their color scheme a ton. The green and blue is really cool and even if that is not a sailfish, but it still looks awesome. Next up we have the San Diego Sabercats. First of all, stolen, secondly I do not particularly care for the color scheme, the green and gold really does not do it for me. And I guess saber tooth cat makes sense as a branding, apparently those were found in America but I really feel like San Diego would not be a place for a saber tooth to chill. And technically it is a saber tooth cat, but that is a bit long winded for a branding so I undersant the shortening. Next up, we move on to the Hawks. Nice and simple, the yellow and black combination is really pretty and the bird is cool, I love what they're doing with the branding, also Fricks profile picture of the bird on discord is funny as hell and I really like what they are doing with that branding. 

Code:

230 words

32. Affliate PT from either SHL/PBE. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW. And you may only use a max of 1.

SHL PT

[ValorX77]

Task 3: Austin Mount Rushmore +10 TPE

Thank you ISFL.

[Dolphins]

10. Write a short biography or story about your player. This could include background about how they came to the ISFL and how they’ve done so far, a story about their role in an exciting game, or anything else related to their experience in the league.

Bradley Welch was born on November 1, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. His Mom and Dad were the owners of Welch's Brand fruit snacks and juice. His brother is Christian Welch, a rugby player, and his sister is Florence Welch, the singer. Growing up he always showed a love for football and had very high energy. With such a big field in his backyard, he hosted many backyard football games on holidays and Championship Sundays. He wasn't very social in class so he couldn't make to many friends so the track and football field was where he felt he could go to prove himself. And he did, adding a state championship in Football, and 2 1000 yd seasons to his accomplishments. Unfortunately senior year of High school he tore his ACL and he had to miss his senior year. After tearing his ACL senior year of High School, Bradley was not highly recruited and went to UCF. His coach was skeptical on his playing abilities after an injury like that, so he watched him closely during practice. Bradley was UCF's number 2 WR dis sophmore year and had an amazing bounce back year, going for 62 Receptions for 847 yds and 8 TDs. Finally Bradley had earned his Coaches trust and QBs favorite deep target, averaging 79 receptions for 1,003 yards and 11.5 TDs per season over his next 2 years at UCF. He was draftedwit the last pick in the 2nd round of the DSFL draft to the London Royals and imediatly made an impact on and off the feild. He put up 52 rec for 675 yards and 7TDs along with 666 KR yds and a 98 yard KR TD. Off the feild Bradley was very inclusive with the league by putting out many very interesting articles and making some friends and even a few rivalries. His rookie year Bradleydidnt do as good as he was hoping but he did win an award which he was happy about, i gues TDs are keybecause Bradley won the Returner of the Year award. Bradley was then drafted in the 3rd round of the ISFL draft to the Berlin Fire Salamanders. This season he has had an amazing season, he currently has 99 rec for 1200 yards and 8 TDs, while also breaking the franchise single season receiving yards record with 1 week left in the season. Bradley is hoping his connection with his QB Parm can grow even more this offseaso and he can have a figt for the Best WR in the DSFL next season and get called up.

[ztarwarz]

Task 5:

Of all the moments in my ISFL career, one double moment stands out dramatically above all the others. The Zamir Saga is something that shall not be forgotten for a long, long time. For those who never knew him, some backstory; Zamir was an abrasive personality that generally stayed away from the danger zone of going too far and getting punished, but past the line of ticking people off. Think Big Edd, but more about being combative than trying and failing to be funny. He earned pretty well and didn't really rock the boat too much as an outlaw, probably because he really respected Cue. During this time, Zamir was hit with what in my opinion was the dumbest and worst punishment in league history, where he made what was clearly nothing more than a joke at another team's expense, and got hit with tampering charges, which at this point has led to 2 or 3 other dumb tampering punishments.

Then Zamir decided to leave the Outlaws and test Free Agency. Nobody wanted to pick him up. He earned well, but not that well, and his personality got even worse once he left Arizona. So, unable to get on a team, he retired, and then he recreated. Twice. First, he multi'd. He went and created a new account, named Excelsior, and decided to be on his best behavior possible. This was enough to get him respected in the league, get him the Most Dedicated New Member award, and a spot as an intern in the Head Office of the league.

Then Zamir took over again. He created another player, called Little Edd, tried to have his player render be Aaron Hernandez, and then did a snap retirement before the draft went live, and leaked the draft from his alt in the Head Office to his retirement post and to his twitter. At this point, Zamir's main account was banned, and for the only time in my 6 or so seasons in the league, the Draft TPE had to be reallocated to the DSFL draft. Excelsior, however, was still active, was still playing, and apparently didn't have any suspicion cast on it for the possibility of being the leaker. Or if it did, it wasn't enough to get them to check his IP and realize it was the same as Zamir's.

Things stayed the same for about 2 more seasons, until the offseason between this season and last. Excelsior posted a thread in media which has quickly become infamous: Retrospace11, a retrospective. In it, he revealed that he was a Zamir multi, and one that wasn't anywhere near as much effort to hide as some of the other big multi scandals in the past, and that he leaked the draft to himself. The thread erupted extremely quickly, filled with all the usual suspects and some very interesting, and predictable, reactions. Multiple people wondered how the hell a Zamir Multi got into HO, Infinite (yes, that Infinite) immediately held out of his contract until Excelsior got let go or banned, copypastas reigned and actually got a couple of people, people brought up Excelsior's previous missteps including a really incendiary comment in a previous punishment thread, and someone even defended rape jokes! After a marathon 22 page thread that had me and probably a bunch more people a mixture of entertained and enraged for 2 days straight, the thread was closed. Excelsior got banned extremely quickly after that, but there were more effects than that to go over.

First off, HO has nowhere near the amount of trust they once had. Weird decisions are one thing, but a multi hiding under HO's very nose is quite another. Second, and more directly sim related, the two big NSFC Rebuild projects each got hit hard. Baltimore lost their highest earner and the backbone of their DLine, and the new rules that HO put in place due to the Zamir situation also forced the hand of one of Philadelphia's new draft picks, who was on a more successful new account rebranding journey than Zamir had been that now all of a sudden became illegal. They were all but forced to retire in the aftermath.

Zamir, owner of (in my opinion at least) the most negative and damaging punishment in the league for being way too harsh, was also the recipient of the most obvious and deserved permaban, at least on his second account. This overshadowed everything else that happened that season, and that included hundreds of misapplied TPE getting taken away and the firing of the player progression head, someone getting fined 164 TPE due to using permissions that were supposed to be taken away from them to see games before everyone else, and Frost losing 140 million dollars in a bet. The Zamir saga, completely deservedly, topped them all.

[Southie]

6. Write 800 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something.

This is a very open opportunity. Since I can write, I'm going to write a (relatively) short recap of the season 30 Kansas City Coyotes.

I watched a handful of these games live but I haven't had the time to really dig into the season on any meaningful level. So we started out week 1 at Minnesota which given hindsight, looks like a nightmare of a  match up. Lot Smith VIII  led the Coyotes in rushing for this game with fity-seven rushing yards and one touchdown. Not bad for what is obstentiably his DSFL debut though  he was a waiver wire pickup for Bondi Beach  last year. Carter Knight had a decent game for his first game in  a Kansas City Coyotes uniform with a sixty-percent completion percentage, one touchdown and one interception. His QBR left a bit to be desired with a seventy-two point eight rating for his first ever game behind the snap. Though he did have an incredibly impressive two-hundred and ninety one yards in this game as  well. Higgins had a fantastic game he scored a touchdown and had ninety-receiving yards on the day though it was Andy Fatnutz who led the Coyotes in receiving that day. Unfortunately we lost our first game to the Grey Ducks, twenty to seventeen but the fact that we kept it so close with the best team by far in the DSFL this season is something to be proud of. Especially considering the fact the majority of our offensive starters were rookies.

Week two was a  nightmare. It might have been our lowest point all season in all honesty. We faced the Portland Pythons in week two and we tied twenty-three to twenty-three. This game especially hurts me because Lot Smith VIII fumbled the ball in his own twenty which allowed Portland to keep us off the board in the fourth. This was just a  bad game for Lot overall as he only had fifty-nine yards and no touchdowns on a meager three point seven yards per carry. This game could’ve gone a  lot differently had Lot actually showed up to play against Portland.

Carter Knight had another good game as he threw for over two-hundred  yards again and increased his quarterback rating by four points. Andy Fatnutz had  a  fantastic game for the second week in a row as he once again led the Coyotes in receiving yards and  caught the only touchdown pass  of the game for the Coyotes as well. I think our lack of recifcing production is what cost us this game. Portland had two recivivers who had  over a hundred yards as opposed to the one we had.. Our defenses were pretty even here though Fitted Cuddles forced three fumbles this game.

If we skip forward a little bit since this is a condensed recap, our week four matchup against the Luchadores was interesting even though we lost. This was the game where Jayce Higgins broke out. He had a  hundred and eleven receiving yards, three touchdowns and a yard per catch of eighteen point five. Just a  fantastic game for Higgins here. This was also another game that went to overtime though this time we lost. If we can cut down on the overtime games next year, We’ll probably be a lot better off. The S30 draft class for the Coyotes really does seem like a magical draft class a year in. From a cursory glance (that could be wrong) five draft picks in the top twenty for TPE in the S30 class. The only other team to have more than two is the Dallas Birddogs with three. So despite Kanas City’s  negative reputation as recreate city, they definitely nailed this draft. It's just going to be a matter of whether or not they can keep this pace up as a  group.
Returning to the game against the Luchadores, this was another bad game from Lot. twenty-yards on ten attempts is abysmal. If Lot doesn’t reach a thousand yards rushing this season, I think this might be the game he points to as the reason why. One game later ( a thirty-five to twenty win over the Bird Dogs), The Coyotes just annihilated London  forty-eight to ten. Lot almost rushed for a hundred yards with ninety-five yards on seventeen attempts and no touchdowns. Higgins caught two touchdown passes for sixty yards while Andy Fatnutz led the team in receiving yards once again with ninety-four. Carter Knight threw for  a hundred-ninety six yards and three touchdowns with a fifty-three percent completion rating. He did have a solid ninety QBR in this game as well.

The Coyotes rushing game certainly helped them as they out ran London  one-hundred and thirty four yards to thirty-six. That’s incredibly lopsided. The fact the Royals also had seven fumbles didn’t help them a lot in this game. Interestingly enough, The Coyotes only had two fourth downs this entire game. This really was an absolute blowout in favor of Kansas City.

829 Words

[bjkman]

22. You’re in charge of entertainment for the Ultimus or Ultimini half-time show. What would you do?

I selected a famous performer who got their start in El Paso. The City where the Ultimus Bowl is taking place. Here is an animated poster showcasing his upcoming performance



25. Imagine your current position was not available to be picked when you created your player. What other position would you have picked, and why?

This is a great question because my current player is also my first player. In madden games, I've always wanted the ability to play career mode as a kicker or a punter but with the newer games that have never had an option for that. I hate that. One of the reasons I joined is because I had the ability to finally be the player position I wanted to be. It was also the least confusing from an upgrading standpoint. I would have been lost picking something fancier than that. If that option was off the table, it's hard to say if I would be as active as I am now. But if I came in with the mindset I have currently, my second choice 100% would be Offensive Lineman. This is another underappreciated football position that is crazy important for the team. if the O-line doesn't play well the offense will have some trouble getting points on the board, then it is up to the defense or special teams to win the game for the team. And you can't always bet on that. I only have a few more seasons with my current players so I'm still mulling over what position to be next, I am up for the challenge though.

Code:

212 Words

31. The World Football Association was established last season and is currently playing out for the first time. What do you think about the WFC as a whole and how it has been shaping out. Do you think it will end up a success?

I am incredibly excited about this upcoming offseason tournament. And while I'm not sure being from New Zealand whether that is going to relegate me to the Asian Pacific region, or the world region, nevertheless I am still very excited. I am a huge fan of the offseason tournaments that both the SHL and PBE have in place, and I'm almost positive that this world tournament of football will go off without a hitch in its very first attempt. Looks towards the teams we have in place, it's very possible that this could have some insanely even matchups as the offseason weeks progress. The teams will be very excited to look at as the rosters pile up, with the US split between 4 regions, Canada getting their own team, Europe getting a whole bunch of countries to choose from, Asia getting a whole pick of the little in the far east, and the world team picking up the rest. Who knows, will the US teams each other alive dividing all the players from the united states between them, or will the world teams use their large areas to get the best players from their regions. I can't wait to see what players shine in situations they normally wouldn't, and how this tournament plays out as a whole.

Code:

217 Words

32. Affiliate PT from either SHL/PBE. The Weeks must match with the timeframe of this UW. And you may only use a max of 1.

PBE Affiliate

[Vulfzilla]

The Lore-heads are gonna hate these responses...

8. With awards season upon us, make up an award for your player win for something not on the football field? [5 TPE]

This year I have the pleasure to announce that the 2021 Middle Earth Man of the Year Award goes to DSFL prospect Modern Nazgul! Nazgul has grown up in Mordor, one of the toughest places in all of Middle Earth, and like the Tupac Shakur poem, “the Rose that Grew From Concrete” has blossomed into one of the most kind and heartwarming ring wraiths the land has ever known.  Since the fall of Sauron, Mordor has been a place that is ironically almost MORE segregated than before.  Previously occupied by mostly orcs, the elves and men have slowly started to trickle back in to the land as it obviously has great potential for the future.  Even the dwarves have begun to fill into the caverns below the volcanic mountains in this part of the world.  With all of these people groups, it has been a challenge to keep everyone peaceful.  And that is where Modern Nazgul comes in.  As a homegrown athlete, first starring at Minas Morgual HS and then at Mordor St. University, Nazgul has become a well known figure in the region.  During his Junior season at Mordor St. (one in which he set new Middle Earth receiving records in catches, yards, AND touchdowns), Nazgul perhaps made more headlines before and after the games than during them.  Prior to every home game, Nazgul protested the mistreatment of orcs (both under the rule of Sauron and now under the new Elven leadership) by  leading his teammates (many of whom were orcs themselves) to the capital at Barad-Dur to demand change.  He even celebrated each of his 17 TDs by removing a sharpie from his sock a la Terrell Owens, and signing the ball “ORC  RIGHTS NOW!” and tossing it into the crowd.  These gestures have sparked a national conversation about not just orc rights, but one about racism in middle earth in general.  Men, Elves, Dwarves, and even hobbits are sitting up and taking notice of the way they have treated each other for millennia, and many are finally seeing the hate colored glasses with which they see the world break free from their eyes.  None of this would be possible if it were not for the fearlessness of the movement’s outspoken athlete leader- Modern Nazgul.

However, Nazgul not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk as well. In March, the first ever Orc Community Center for Children Who Can’t Read Good and Want To Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, was opened up through the Modern Nazgul Community Foundation. The community center provides a safe space for Orc children to come after school and during the summer, keeping them off the streets and away from some of the more dangerous factions in the land that are seeking a return to their previous glory.  In addition, tutors are available to help these children with their schoolwork as the entire race is woefully uneducated following years of educational neglect due to being forced into labor for the Evil Lord Sauron. 

We here at the Middle Earth Man of the Year Award Committee look forward to the equal treatment of orcs and the stamping out of all racism in Middle Earth, and know that the conversation that has been sparked by the brave words and actions of Modern Nazgul will only grow as he becomes an even more recognizable figure in the DSFL and hopefully ISFL! But for today, let us honor MODERN NAZGUL! The  2021 Middle Earth Man of the Year!
Word Count- 584 words


16. This task is exclusive to recreate/non-recreate rookies of the S31 class and later. The season is over and the draft is coming up. What do you bring to a team, and why should a team choose to take a chance on you next season? [2.5 TPE]

As a second time rookie who is at least familiar with the game and processes behind upgrading your player, I think I might be more of a known quantity coming into the league.  The first time around I loved the idea of playing this game, and the community built around it, but I didn’t really understand what it would take to get everything set up and running efficiently.  Like many others, once irl got busy I flaked.  But now, I feel like I still have the same desire to be involved in the game and the community but with a much better grasp on what it will take to be successful, and in turn have decided that this is something I want to give my energy to, so hopefully it turns out better than the last time. 

As far as my actual player is concerned, I am trying to stay focused on growing just a few attributes but ones that I think will provide a great down-field option for my team.  Rather than trying to be a completely well rounded player, I am going to be all speed and hands.  While I realize this will definitely leave me lacking in some areas, my goal is to always be available to stretch the field for my team and open up the underneath routes and the run game for my teammates.
Word Count- 229 words 1,192 characters


19. If your player had a show starring them, what would the plot be? [2.5 TPE]

Modern Nazgul stars in “Ring Hunter”: The Search for the Perfect Ring.
This show would be a reality show like House Hunters or Say Yes to the Dress, but as my people have a particular expertise in hunting for a particular ring… I’ll put that knowledge to use in a fun and modern way!  Each episode, I’ll meet with someone who is wanting to propose to their fiance in the old fashioned way.  After discussing their budget, I’ll take them to 3 jewellers around town and show them 3 different options for rings.  Ideally there will be a  below budget meh ring, a middle ground masterpiece, and a high end luxury option that will make any girl say yes no matter how much she hates you.  The episode will end with the buyer picking out the perfect ring and will feature the proposal.  We’ll make sure to get that money shot of that big fat diamond right as it goes on the finger! 

In addition, each week we’ll have one special episode where a customer has a special ring option. Perhaps its a grandmother’s stone that has been passed down and you want it turned into something more modern, or maybe someone wants a ring made and designed from scratch.. Whatever the case, Modern Nazgul will use his extensive connections with Elven jewelry makers around the city to create not only the perfect ring, but the perfect episode! Imagine how fun it will be to run around town looking at high priced jewelry with an actual certified Ring Wraith! This show has HIT written all over it.
Word Count- 267 words 1,472 characters

[Michiganonymous]

Tier 1, Task 6 -- The Class of 2041: Where are they Now?

Since the first half was already over 1000 words, I decided to split this into two articles, posting the first part here and the second part in Media later on. Please let me know ASAP if this would be considered an unacceptable "double dip." If so, I will post Part 2 here once it is complete.

---

With another exciting regular season in the books and Ultimus Week upon us once again, let’s take a walk down memory lane and Remember Some People. This time we’ll be revisiting the first round of the 2041/Season 26 ISFL entry draft, and asking everyone’s favorite question: Where Are They Now? This is Part 1; stay tuned for Part 2, coming "Soon!"

1. LB BamBam McMullet -- Berlin Fire Salamanders
The Berlin Fire Salamanders clinched the first overall pick with a 3-13 record on the year and used it on a big, nasty linebacker out of the University Oklahoma via the Tijuana Luchadores. The Sallies wanted to add toughness and strength to their front seven, and boy did they get it! Although he finished his rookie season with just 39 tackles, a whopping 15 of them came behind the line of scrimmage, and the former Sooner has been terrorizing opposition backfields ever since. In his sophomore season he set a franchise record with 14 sacks, and last season finished runner-up to his own teammate Derred de Ville in Defensive MVP voting. He has been an defensive stalwart for Berlin, a regular fixture in Teams of the Week, and a leader of the unit instrumental in their turnaround from bottom-dwellers to Ultimus contenders.

2. S Dogwood Maple -- New York Silverbacks
Managing to eke out one additional win compared to their expansion brethren, the 4-12 Silverbacks used the second overall pick on a safety, the former Georgia Bulldog and Norfolk Seawolf Dogwood Maple. A bit of a surprising pick at the time, since the Silverbacks already had depth at the position, but they clearly saw great potential in Maple, and he continues to be a stalwart in their defensive backfield. Although limited in his impact through his first couple of seasons, Maple has exceeded 50 tackles and recorded multiple sacks in each of the past two seasons. There can hardly be a greater endorsement of New York’s recent draft strategy than last year’s dominant, Ultimus-winning campaign.

3. DE Ernest Lover -- Baltimore Hawks
A third consecutive pick on defense at a third different position, Ernest Lover is a difficult choice to evaluate, as he spent just one unsuccessful season in Baltimore before being traded to the Sarasota Sailfish the following off-season, at his own request, according to rumor. The potential that Baltimore saw but could not unlock proved to be very real, as Lover blossomed following the change of scenery. He earned an Ultimus ring with the ‘Fish that season, and has exceeded 100 tackles for two consecutive seasons. A good draft pick, but unfortunately not for the team which made it. Baltimore received an excellent return for a struggling player, getting DE Mike Karpaasi, a Season 27 1st-round pick, and a Season 28 4th-round pick. Unfortunately, the draft picks were used on OL Maui Wailiki and DT Beefcake Johnson, who are both already out of the league, and Karpaasi is now deep into the regression phase of his career; by contrast Lover looks primed for his best season yet. Could Lover ever have been this good in Baltimore? Unfortunately for the Hawks, we’ll never know.

4. WR Arthur Naught -- Yellowknife Wraiths
The Wraiths took the draft’s first offensive player at 4th overall, an Ivy League wide receiver out of Penn via the Kansas City Coyotes. It would not go well for them. Naught started out very strong for the Wraiths; playing mainly out of the slot, he recorded 51 catches for over 800 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie. However, in his second season he recorded just 8 total catches despite starting all 16 games, and there were rumors of trouble brewing around Naught in the Yellowknife locker room. Shockingly, that offseason “Arthur Naught” was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, charged with identify theft and wire fraud. Tried and convicted, the player, whose legal name remains unknown, was banned for life from the league and is currently behind bars.

5. LB Vincent Jones -- New Orleans Second Line
New Orleans went back to the defensive well for their first pick, taking English linebacker Vincent Jones 5th overall. A very raw prospect with elite physical traits but little experience, the selection was seen as high-risk, high-reward. It has paid off, as Jones has exceeded 80 tackles every single season, and has shown himself to be capable in pass coverage as well. He has developed into a terrific player and helps keep NOLA’s defense consistently among the league’s more dependable units.

6. QB Ryan Negs -- Philadelphia Liberty
Fresh off of his third season after being called up to replace Brock Phoenix, the jury is still out on Negs, who has shown consistent improvement year over year but has yet to climb into the top tier of ISFL quarterbacks. Although “Negs throws interceptions” became something of a meme following a very shaky rookie year where he threw more INTs than touchdowns, he is actually slightly below league average for interceptions thrown for his career. Having come up just shy of 4000 yards passing last season, the Liberty are certainly hoping that Negs is on the verge of a breakout year. Off the field, Negs has shown a keen interest in league operations and serves as the general manager of the DSFL’s Norfolk Seawolves. His latest draft class has received near-universal praise and Negs appears to be set for a long and productive career in the ISFL even after his playing days are finished.

7. RB Cobra Kai -- Honolulu Hahalua
Cobra Kai was the reigning DSFL Running Back of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year; that he fell to 7th overall was seen as something of an upset. “Character concerns” was the speculated reason, as rumor had it that Kai was fond of chatting up other men’s girlfriends and of illegal street fights, with one almost always leading to the other (and in either direction, apparently!). Some teams were also hesitant to use a high pick on a player who was reportedly considering taking his multiple black belts and pursuing an MMA career instead of football. Honolulu dismissed all these concerns and were delighted to land Cobra, reportedly the top-rated player on their board, with Pick 7. Kai spent Season 26 still in the DSFL, where for the second year in a row he was named both RBotY and OPotY. Called up to Honolulu for Season 27, Kai seemed to struggle adjusting to the higher level of competition, with his level of production never quite matching up to his considerable obvious talent. However, in Season 30 Honolulu decided to make him the focal point of their offense, and finally saw him live up to the hype. Cobra Kai exploded for 1039 yards and 12 touchdowns on 245 carries, placing himself firmly in the RBotY conversation and rewarding the faith of both Honolulu and savvy fantasy football managers. (Congratulations Cobra, and this author thanks you!)

[WildfireMicro]

Tier 6)

 Ok so for this season's Ultimus Week I have decided to do something fun: I am comparing a few ISFL team's to real life NFL teams! I will not be doing all the teams because I only need 800 words for this but here are some comparisons I can think of right now:

 We start with the Chicago Butchers who seem to be perpetually stuck in a never ending rebuild and never seems to get over the hump since their one playoff when in their inaugural season. Because of this I am comparing them to another NFL team stuck in constant limbo: the Detroit Lions. The Lions have only one playoff win in over fifty years and only one in the Superbowl Era. They would have had one more but they got screwed by the refs against the Cowboys. In a similar way the Butchers have had a lot of heartbreaking losses, with one very notable one being the game against Philadelphia where they gave up the lead, took it back, then lost on the very last play to a kickoff return that was taken to the house by Flash Panda.

 Now we have the Orange County Otters amd they are one of the most dominant teams in the ISFL. They seem to be in the playoffs every single year and have had a lot of legendary players play for them. Now you might be thinking that I would just compare them to the New England Patriots and just be done with it. However I have a different team to compare them to and trust me this hurts a lot to say: the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite hitting some snags lately with both playoff losses and off the field drama, the Steelers historically have been one of the best teams in the NFL. They were the first team to win 6 superbowls as well and have usually been in the playoffs ever since they became good.

 Just like the Steelers, OCO has been historically great and have won many titles. When I think of a great ISFL team I usually think of them so I think this is overall a really good comparison. Also just like the Steelers they have hit a few snags as of late but seen to be on the right path to correct them and be back in the playoff picture like they usually are. Heck Mike Boss could be thier answer to Terry Bradsaw.

 Next up we have the Colorado Yeti who, despite that comback Ultimus win a few seasons back, are one of the most unlucky teams in the history of the ISFL. They have suffered through some of the worst seasons in the history of the league and were at one point were the most dysfunctional team in the league. Overall some people would say the Yeti are cursed and it is very hard to disagree. This might seem like an odd team to compare them to but hear me out: The New Orleans Saints.

 Just think about it: despite the one superbowl win the Saints have been one of the most unlucky teams in the history of the NFL. One time they managed to get a last second touchdown due to some unbelievable laterals against the Jaguars but missed the game tying extra point. Do you realize what unbelievable odds that haf to combine for all of that to happen to them? Do not quote me on this but I think that is the only successful last second lateral touchdown in the history of the NFL only for it to not matter due to the missed extra point. Not only that, but they needed that win to make the playoffs!

 You can now see how unlucky the Saints are. Just like them the Yeti may have a title but they have been extremely unlucky before and since. Heck I think two 13+ win Yeti teams lost in back to back Ultimus Bowls to 9-7 SJS! Honestly you could also call them the Cleveland Browns of the ISFL with how much losing they have done over the years. Thier winning percentage sits below .400. They once went 0-14 in back to back seasons which can be compared to Cleveland going 1-15 one season and then going 0-16 the next season. And yes the Cleveland Browns have been extremely unlucky over the years just like the Yeti.

 There are also some more small comparisons I can make, like I think the Liberty can be compared to the Cincinnati Bengals with the lack of recent playoff success. Sarasota can be compared to the Baltimore Ravens with being a new team that got really good real quick. You could also way that about the New York Silverbacks and to a lesser extent the Berlin Fire Salamanders. Hell the two of them made up last season's Ultimus Bowl championship in the true Expansion Bowl and I don't remember a recent time in sports where two teams from the same expansion faced off in the championship!

[BOOM™]

Task 18



Task 19



Task 23



Task 32

PBE Affiliate(Username:UZI)