x2 claim
How an athlete performs is what is important, not on which particular team they were drafted to or on which specific game may be their last. That is why I do not want you to mourn inappropriately for me. Regardless of the outcome of this season’s struggle, I will continue. The past and future are alive in each passing instant. Eternity is not something that begins at the moment of death, it is happening now. Late in his career, Von Hayes became very injured, and knew he did not have long to perform. Despite the teachings of his coaches and the wisdom he had attained, he suddenly became terribly afraid to retire. He had accomplished much in his eight seasons of play but longed to do more. He felt defeated, his body ached, and he was unable to do many of the moves he loved – moves he had assumed he would always do, until that day when retirement would suddenly take him away. But retirement did not come suddenly; it was coming slowly, and he knew it. He was a shadow of the man I had known. He thought, if only he had done things differently he would not have grown weak.
Von Hayes was not perfect. At his best, he was the most remarkable Defensive End I have ever known, but some of those last games were not his finest. His body was in so much pain that he could not listen to anyone, not Tyron Shields, and certainly not me. One afternoon he slipped away from us, put on his finest pads, went to the locker room, and grabbed his old trainer, Benson Bayley. They walked off towards the field. I was going to follow him and make sure he didn’t fall, but Shields told me to leave him alone. “If he wants to stir up injuries” he said, “let him”.
When he came across the fresh cut turf where the tunnel meets the field, he stood next to his trainer, staring as the wind stirred the grass one gust after another, hour after hour until it was dark. And still he stood there. He stared off into the black horizon, periodically falling asleep with his tired trainer. Eventually the light dawned again and morning arrived. In his heart, he knew his trainer was twitching with exhaustion and hunger. Bayley was old too. Von Hayes dapped him up one last time and said good-bye to his trusted friend. They had won many victories together, but the old athlete was beginning to realize that this battle must be fought alone. Still, he could not help but be surprised when the trainer finally wandered off. He felt abandoned by his friend, and his loneliness seemed intolerable. He sat down on the field, his meticulously polished pads now dusted with grass and dirt.
All his career he had lived by the Rules, and they had supported him. He had always tried to think of himself like a tree with an extensive root system, gaining nourishment from many elements; his coaches, his teammates, his friends, his work, his service, his community. Why did he feel so lonely now? Why did his accomplishments seem so empty? Why did his former ambitions feel so vain? He had been blessed with a long, healthy career, and for the most part he had handled it wisely. Not always, but almost always he remembered to want what he had and not to covet the things he did not have. But what about his coming retirement, when he would have absolutely nothing? Nothing at all. When he himself would not even exist? Oh no! He was terribly afraid. He did not want to retire. He loved his team. They were good to him and he to them. Every morning when he walked in, he would thank them for choosing him. He knew that there were many fine athletes in the world, and sometimes his eyes would tear in gratitude that they had picked him to share his career with, and they felt the same about him. Why could they not come with him? Eventually they would join him, he reassured himself, but his faith felt hollow.
Still, the wind gales again and again. He felt so terribly adrift. Not since he was a boy had he felt this lost. Had he done something wrong? Had he not loved his teammates? Had he failed the athletes code? Why was it not supporting him now? In anger he took off his pads and threw it piece by piece onto the field. Exposed and vulnerable, he thought, what is so important about me, this athlete who happens to be named Von Hayes? Stillness settled over him. He looked again at the grass, as they flew against his pads laying on the ground. Slowly he remembered that he was not the only one retiring. There were many retiring at each and every instant, and many being born. He was not alone. He could hear, mixed in with the sound of the waves, the peewee’s making their first tackles, the parents cheering with pride and joy, the last applause for the retired. He could hear the sound of his whole generation being blown throughout the wind like blades of grass on the field. When one blade was gone, nothing had been lost, and nothing had been gained. The field had always been, and still were, simply grass. The stadium remained unaltered. For a moment, he was not afraid.
A familiar, great, and holy silence seemed to rise around him. He could not and did not conquer retirement, but one thing he had learned in his long career was that if he understood something, things were just as they were, and if he did not understand something, things were still simply just as they were. Having an understanding, however, gave him less fear and more confidence. He smiled to himself – what had he been so scared of? He had retired so many times already. The boy who was a late round draft pick out of the legendary S22 draft had been gone for a long time. The young man who first signed with the Butchers? Gone. The grown man who led the Butchers into so many games? Gone. This old athlete would soon be gone too. Slowly he began to whistle. He whistled like a bird standing on a fragile branch, who sings even though he knows that soon the bending bough will break.
He sings because he knows he has wings. Von Hayes threw his helmet onto the field and walked back into the locker room. Bayley was happy to see him again, Shields scolded him for being gone so long, and without even a proper uniform. I remember we were all upset with him for causing so much alarm. That evening sitting in the ice baths, Von Hayes recounted the story to me. Calmer now, he seemed much more like himself. Shields walked back into the room and asked, “Well do you want to eat or go home?” I answered that I thought he should have a little something warm to eat. As he left the room, Von Hayes whispered, “You must be much more intelligent than I am.” “Why’s that” I laughed. “Because whenever anybody asks you a question you always have an answer at the ready. As for me, I have to think before I speak.”
We both sat silently relaxing in the ice. That night, as Sam Sidekick was getting his leg taped and I was helping you, Rejoignez, put your padding on, Von Hayes walked into the office and retired. I imagine his padding still sit at the endzone, covered with dirt and grass, with the cheering of fans rumbling through his crumbling shoulder pads. He, however, is gone. It is morning now. Cold air bites at our fingers and beckons me back to the warmth of our locker room. How I wish this moment had not arrived. Someday, someone else will explain to you the unacceptable situation our team has been thrown into, but for now, be assured that I have no misgivings about our athletes or the game at hand. I only wish my responsibilities to our collective effort did not stand so directly at odds with my responsibility to you.
Always, -Juan Domine
Von Hayes will retire at the Trade Deadline, and recreate as someone new.
I'd like to thank a few members around the league and on the Butchers,
I'll start with the person who took a chance on me. @Bayley you took a chance on me late in the draft and I couldn't be happier with the GM that chose me. You might be one of the nicest people I've met in this league, and you're a Boston fan, which makes you even better.
@Muford you also took a chance on me, you're one of the people who kept me in this league, and gained my interest in other leagues like the SHL. I wish you'd stream later so I could join every once in a while, but you're a great guy.
@TheCC You're one of the best users in the league hands down, and hopefully you'll end up being as good of a GM as you are a person. Make sure you buy some training wheels for your bike, and some more motion sensors to hunt ghosts with Butters.
@Evok I don't like to pick favorites, but you're my favorite S22 teammate. You're an awesome GM in the SHL, and one of the reasons I stayed along with Boris as long as I did.
@HalfEatenOnionBagel You're the first person who interacted with me when I joined the league and made a render. While you're not as active as you were when I first joined, you're an awesome person to be around.
@caltroit_red_flames You took a chance on me when you hired me as a grader, thanks for the opportunity and guidance you gave me. (Shoutout to HO too)
And finally, @RenoJacksonHS get back to work.
There are a lot of other people who deserve to be mentioned, when I retire I'll mention some more of the people who really made my first create such a positive and enjoyable experience, time for me to grind more Diamond Dynasty.
How an athlete performs is what is important, not on which particular team they were drafted to or on which specific game may be their last. That is why I do not want you to mourn inappropriately for me. Regardless of the outcome of this season’s struggle, I will continue. The past and future are alive in each passing instant. Eternity is not something that begins at the moment of death, it is happening now. Late in his career, Von Hayes became very injured, and knew he did not have long to perform. Despite the teachings of his coaches and the wisdom he had attained, he suddenly became terribly afraid to retire. He had accomplished much in his eight seasons of play but longed to do more. He felt defeated, his body ached, and he was unable to do many of the moves he loved – moves he had assumed he would always do, until that day when retirement would suddenly take him away. But retirement did not come suddenly; it was coming slowly, and he knew it. He was a shadow of the man I had known. He thought, if only he had done things differently he would not have grown weak.
Von Hayes was not perfect. At his best, he was the most remarkable Defensive End I have ever known, but some of those last games were not his finest. His body was in so much pain that he could not listen to anyone, not Tyron Shields, and certainly not me. One afternoon he slipped away from us, put on his finest pads, went to the locker room, and grabbed his old trainer, Benson Bayley. They walked off towards the field. I was going to follow him and make sure he didn’t fall, but Shields told me to leave him alone. “If he wants to stir up injuries” he said, “let him”.
When he came across the fresh cut turf where the tunnel meets the field, he stood next to his trainer, staring as the wind stirred the grass one gust after another, hour after hour until it was dark. And still he stood there. He stared off into the black horizon, periodically falling asleep with his tired trainer. Eventually the light dawned again and morning arrived. In his heart, he knew his trainer was twitching with exhaustion and hunger. Bayley was old too. Von Hayes dapped him up one last time and said good-bye to his trusted friend. They had won many victories together, but the old athlete was beginning to realize that this battle must be fought alone. Still, he could not help but be surprised when the trainer finally wandered off. He felt abandoned by his friend, and his loneliness seemed intolerable. He sat down on the field, his meticulously polished pads now dusted with grass and dirt.
All his career he had lived by the Rules, and they had supported him. He had always tried to think of himself like a tree with an extensive root system, gaining nourishment from many elements; his coaches, his teammates, his friends, his work, his service, his community. Why did he feel so lonely now? Why did his accomplishments seem so empty? Why did his former ambitions feel so vain? He had been blessed with a long, healthy career, and for the most part he had handled it wisely. Not always, but almost always he remembered to want what he had and not to covet the things he did not have. But what about his coming retirement, when he would have absolutely nothing? Nothing at all. When he himself would not even exist? Oh no! He was terribly afraid. He did not want to retire. He loved his team. They were good to him and he to them. Every morning when he walked in, he would thank them for choosing him. He knew that there were many fine athletes in the world, and sometimes his eyes would tear in gratitude that they had picked him to share his career with, and they felt the same about him. Why could they not come with him? Eventually they would join him, he reassured himself, but his faith felt hollow.
Still, the wind gales again and again. He felt so terribly adrift. Not since he was a boy had he felt this lost. Had he done something wrong? Had he not loved his teammates? Had he failed the athletes code? Why was it not supporting him now? In anger he took off his pads and threw it piece by piece onto the field. Exposed and vulnerable, he thought, what is so important about me, this athlete who happens to be named Von Hayes? Stillness settled over him. He looked again at the grass, as they flew against his pads laying on the ground. Slowly he remembered that he was not the only one retiring. There were many retiring at each and every instant, and many being born. He was not alone. He could hear, mixed in with the sound of the waves, the peewee’s making their first tackles, the parents cheering with pride and joy, the last applause for the retired. He could hear the sound of his whole generation being blown throughout the wind like blades of grass on the field. When one blade was gone, nothing had been lost, and nothing had been gained. The field had always been, and still were, simply grass. The stadium remained unaltered. For a moment, he was not afraid.
A familiar, great, and holy silence seemed to rise around him. He could not and did not conquer retirement, but one thing he had learned in his long career was that if he understood something, things were just as they were, and if he did not understand something, things were still simply just as they were. Having an understanding, however, gave him less fear and more confidence. He smiled to himself – what had he been so scared of? He had retired so many times already. The boy who was a late round draft pick out of the legendary S22 draft had been gone for a long time. The young man who first signed with the Butchers? Gone. The grown man who led the Butchers into so many games? Gone. This old athlete would soon be gone too. Slowly he began to whistle. He whistled like a bird standing on a fragile branch, who sings even though he knows that soon the bending bough will break.
He sings because he knows he has wings. Von Hayes threw his helmet onto the field and walked back into the locker room. Bayley was happy to see him again, Shields scolded him for being gone so long, and without even a proper uniform. I remember we were all upset with him for causing so much alarm. That evening sitting in the ice baths, Von Hayes recounted the story to me. Calmer now, he seemed much more like himself. Shields walked back into the room and asked, “Well do you want to eat or go home?” I answered that I thought he should have a little something warm to eat. As he left the room, Von Hayes whispered, “You must be much more intelligent than I am.” “Why’s that” I laughed. “Because whenever anybody asks you a question you always have an answer at the ready. As for me, I have to think before I speak.”
We both sat silently relaxing in the ice. That night, as Sam Sidekick was getting his leg taped and I was helping you, Rejoignez, put your padding on, Von Hayes walked into the office and retired. I imagine his padding still sit at the endzone, covered with dirt and grass, with the cheering of fans rumbling through his crumbling shoulder pads. He, however, is gone. It is morning now. Cold air bites at our fingers and beckons me back to the warmth of our locker room. How I wish this moment had not arrived. Someday, someone else will explain to you the unacceptable situation our team has been thrown into, but for now, be assured that I have no misgivings about our athletes or the game at hand. I only wish my responsibilities to our collective effort did not stand so directly at odds with my responsibility to you.
Always, -Juan Domine
Von Hayes will retire at the Trade Deadline, and recreate as someone new.
I'd like to thank a few members around the league and on the Butchers,
I'll start with the person who took a chance on me. @Bayley you took a chance on me late in the draft and I couldn't be happier with the GM that chose me. You might be one of the nicest people I've met in this league, and you're a Boston fan, which makes you even better.
@Muford you also took a chance on me, you're one of the people who kept me in this league, and gained my interest in other leagues like the SHL. I wish you'd stream later so I could join every once in a while, but you're a great guy.
@TheCC You're one of the best users in the league hands down, and hopefully you'll end up being as good of a GM as you are a person. Make sure you buy some training wheels for your bike, and some more motion sensors to hunt ghosts with Butters.
@Evok I don't like to pick favorites, but you're my favorite S22 teammate. You're an awesome GM in the SHL, and one of the reasons I stayed along with Boris as long as I did.
@HalfEatenOnionBagel You're the first person who interacted with me when I joined the league and made a render. While you're not as active as you were when I first joined, you're an awesome person to be around.
@caltroit_red_flames You took a chance on me when you hired me as a grader, thanks for the opportunity and guidance you gave me. (Shoutout to HO too)
And finally, @RenoJacksonHS get back to work.
There are a lot of other people who deserve to be mentioned, when I retire I'll mention some more of the people who really made my first create such a positive and enjoyable experience, time for me to grind more Diamond Dynasty.
![[Image: OwmniMan.jpg]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/771511180102860810/884607055569227806/OwmniMan.jpg)
![[Image: LimJahey.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/LimJahey.gif)
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![[Image: s40draft-bayley.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/857333180179415070/1073824470357266462/s40draft-bayley.png)
![[Image: wJurMHl.jpg]](https://imgur.com/wJurMHl.jpg)
![[Image: 1NfV90U.png]](https://i.imgur.com/1NfV90U.png)
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