*New Beginnings

[.Laser]

Today, I have a couple of announcements to give the ISFL world. Firstly, I am retiring my player today. Korrin Abernathy was an okay player and has a few career records with Orange County, and probably could have made a Hall of Fame bid if I had been able to play CB my entire career, but two or three seasons at nickelback or one of the safety spots ruined that. He got one pro bowl his entire career and in that same season won CBotY, which is to date my biggest sim league accomplishment, which is kinda sad. But either way, I feel that my time in Orange County as an effective CB is coming to a close. I need to clear a space for Richard Leaking and I’ve frankly grown to dislike Abernathy’s stagnant performances on the field. He was a serviceable CB and did his job, but the lack of stats eventually got to me. I want to actually be able to have stats with my next player, which leads me into my second announcement.

I am also retiring from GMing effective immediately following the S26 Ultimus. I was promoted to co-GM of OCO 3 days after being drafted in September of 2019, and have spent the past year and a quarter doing everything I can to help OCO stay as one of the top teams in the ISFL. I won twice as GM in S18 and S19 and I value those wins greatly, but deep inside me there’s always a nagging feeling that I didn’t truly win, that it was Spec and the teams that he had built. So for the past 6 seasons I have striven to build my own team so that I can say that I actually won my own championship. However, with the new sim on the horizon and my stress levels slowly increasing throughout the season as I stress over losing games we should have won and decisions to be made in the offseasons, I feel that it’s an opportune time for me to step down and hand the team over to the next great Otters GMing pair. I can’t continue to hold myself to perfection and suffer the heartbreak that comes with letting myself down every season. I am hopeful that this season we can win one last time on DDSPF 16 and I can fulfill my goal.

What are my future plans? First, I need a bit off. I will be applying for an HO internship at the next time they hire and will join HO full time if they extend the opportunity. I would also like to GM again at some point in the future, I just don’t know when that will be yet. I will play QB in the DSFL (player being posted very soon) and I will play QB in the ISFL unless some very specific circumstances fall into place, and if you are a GM and want to know those you can DM me.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has helped me out thus far. @”manicmav36”, @”bex”, @”adwyer87”, @”speculadora”, @”revolution5”, @jeffie43”, you are the people who have made the biggest influence in my career and some cases my life, and I am very thankful for each of you. There are also tons of other people that I love in this league but there are too many for me to count, so I apologize if I didn’t mention you by name.

I’ll likely release a backstory article soon for my new guy, but for now, I’d like to put to rest Korrin Abernathy and introduce Dexter Zaylren, S28 QB.

[Blasoon]

I can't wait to see what your QB is able to achieve. And truly, thank you so much for giving me a starting job in this league and being just an incredible GM during your tenure at OCO.

[zaynzk]

Yes another Zay....n


Respek

[CLG Rampage]

Will join you in retirement soon, brother

[JKortesi81]

I love you.

Shame to see you have to step down, but I get it.

You won those Ultimus titles though man, not Spec. You're a fantastic GM. You're just also really, really, really good at shitting on yourself sometimes. You know I say that out of love.

Whichever franchise is lucky enough to have you take over in the future is going to be so, so happy.

Good luck my friend.

Also, did you just grab 7 tiles out of a scrabble bag and that was your player's new last name? Sheesh.

[Modern_Duke]

My s18 cb brother

[Memento Mori]

<3

[ReverendOReily]

Thanks for drafting me and always having the answers to my dumb questions <3

[FleshBagSoup]

[MrStennett]

The team couldn't have asked for a better replacement for Spec than you, man. It was an honor to both be a teammate of yours and play for you as GM. I was very happy to come back to OCO to end Skarsgard's career and I know you pushed for that personally, which is something that has always meant a lot ot me. Congrats on a great run and can't wait to meet my future QB competition.