Renomitsu

'Right into your trap, ha-ha! Get it? Trap?'

1) Excluding current team members and myself, who is your favorite user in the league? 2) If you could bring one member currently in the SHL (but not the VHL) over here, who would it be and why? 3) But... like... why birds? And why specifically the Natu with sunglasses? 4) Who's your favorite first-gen of the S73 class? The S74 class? 5) Why does RJ bully me into answering medical questions in the Houston LR? 6) Why did you increase the price for "take a sip of water" on your stream? Do you hate your viewers?

Claiming for Week Ending 7/26

S73 Donation Transaction ID 5YU22140TB452673M Claiming with this post: 5 TPE Uncapped Doubles Week $1M Player Store Cash

You know, between my ten years of sim league history, there are some things I have yet to try. With the exception of the EFL (where you have two players), I’d never tried making an offensive player before Aloe Dear – but I think finally creating one shouldn’t be all that surprising. I’ve also never tried testing free agency in any league (be it VHL, SBA, EFL, SHL, NSFL, etc.) – the only time my players have ever moved were with expansion drafts or via trades, as generally once a team gets my player they tend to want to hold on to them (I don’t have an explanation for that one, sorry). So maybe I’ll get my feet wet in free agency this time around. I haven’t entirely committed to it yet – let’s be honest, making a forward is a big change for me to begin with – but having the option of swapping teams and testing the waters and never exercising it makes for a stable, if uninteresting time for my player. Does this mean I’ll team hop and shop around for championship squads? I mean, maybe. I’ve always wanted a player worthy of the hall of fame, and I think looking for well-constructed teams is part of that process. But as one of the top players in this draft, I’m confident that making this announcement early makes it more likely people will respect the decision should I decide to try my luck with a different team.

Media Spot, ye ye 13 years old was around the time I started high school, which was a significant transitional period for me. I wasn't much of an extracurriculars kind of student, but (unsurprisingly) found a home in my high school's math team and science club. I was younger than most of my classmates and honestly had a pretty hard time making friends even through high school - but for me, just having a forum to discuss what I liked about science and math or explain problems to others was an important part of becoming who I am today (even if I still have a little of my old social anxiety).

Into the Fire: Three S73 First Gens Under the Spotlight Expansion! Woo! The VHL is going to be a beast this season as the classic 'expansion teams are terrible' paradigm sets in - and with exactly a quarter of the league with that designation, there are going to be some wonky scorelines come the end of the season to say the least. But more relevantly, expectations for some of the S73 class members - be it for this season or their careers - are oftentimes disproportionate to their TPE or starting role in their respective teams. And since first gens are always a hot topic, why don't we start with a few of them? LW Jeffrey Pines @rory, LA Stars The top first gen of S73 by TPE, winger Jeffrey Pines is coming off a 91-point season in what was one of the most successful seasons for a historically beleaguered Mexico City franchise. Indeed, of the Kings’ 275 goals last season, pines had a hand in just under a third while putting up a stellar +51 opposite fellow winger Chris Hylands. What had impressed many scouts throughout the season, however, was Pines’s commitment to playmaking and rock-solid fundamentals, as he has some of the best defense and passing technique out of any rising S73 player this past season. On draft night most had expected Pines to go top five, what with his raw talent, first-gen status, and an expectation that Marshall James Frostbeard would go at the end of the first as a GM player. But VHLM front offices and Pines’s camp alike were shocked to find Pines available at eighth overall, at which point he became the first-ever selection for the Los Angeles Stars. And a franchise’s first pick presents an entirely different set of expectations and challenges: as one of the top four forwards on an expansion team, it’s entirely possible Pines will see some first-line minutes and plenty of powerplay time against players with half a dozen years of experience over him. And as a first selection, he undoubtedly has expectations of the franchise on his shoulders going forward. Indeed, there’s no falling back on crushing the VHLM for Pines now; at 311 TPE, the winger’s a big boy with no option to return to his old stomping grounds. Without a storied set of true, star-level veterans to lead the way, he’s going to have to learn fast – but rory already has some managing chops under his belt and has no signs of slowing down. LW Groovy Dood @bigAL , D.C. Dragons Speaking of expectations, woof. Half the VHL was shocked when the D.C. Dragons took Groovy Dood, a 258 TPE forward, as the first overall selection of S73. Now, naturally the other half wasn’t surprised with GM Enorama’s drafting strategy focused exclusively on first gens, including a specific connection to bigAL prior to draft night. But perhaps most relevantly, Dood was just barely past the 250 TPE mark that would have allowed him to stay in the minors, which puts him in the now much tougher position of playing on a star-studded D.C. lineup that fell far short of expectations last season. As a user that spent his first week or two getting acclimated to the site, bigAL earned slowly. But by mid S72, he was no stranger to the ice, managing 57 points as the first line centerman for minor league championship favorite Minnesota Storm. He falls in a mold not dissimilar to Pines: a pass-first forward with a strong emphasis on fundamentals. Indeed, the center probably has slightly worse technical skills in favor of a more diverse skillset that includes a little checking, face-offs, and an impressive ability to hold on to the puck down the ice. For a player of Dood’s caliber, the expectations would typically fall around the middle of the road as far as first round selections go. He’s proven himself over the last season in spite of limited powerplay minutes, and he finds himself on a well-established roster that would allow him the mentorship of fellow centers Benny Graves and Boris the Forest (who could each be first line stars in their own rights). But what skyrockets Dood’s expectations over the course of his first three or four seasons is that status as 1OA, first gen or not: he will be the bar that all other S73 picks are judged against. Even while he sits as his team’s likely third line center, the fans in D.C. expect a lot from their relatively young franchise after the Dragons stunned their fanbase with an underwhelming eleventh-place finish. C Dakota Lamb @dlamb , Warsaw Predators Let’s get back to the expansion team selections, shall we? Dakota Lamb, whose agent is a self-professed VHLM Assistant Assistant Assistant General Manager reject by trade and perhaps better known for his escapades in the SBA, finds himself drafted to Warsaw with this most recent draft. And unlike our two previous picks, Lamb has the option of staying down in the minors this season – and he’ll likely be helping a star-studded Miami team take the league by storm thus upcoming season (no pun intended, Minnesota). But Lamb also finds himself in a pretty interesting position as Warsaw’s first-ever selection, and it’s a little tough to say anything about the future of their roster. Indeed, one of the most glaring things about the Predators’ post-expansion roster is the presence of a soon-to-retire Hunter Hearst Helmsley and a Zeno Miniti that isn’t far behind him. But at this stage in their careers, these more veteran centermen are in very different positions – with HHH still in the prime of his career and Miniti having seen better days – that would theoretically allow Lamb to earn second line forward minutes from day one. As a result, it’ll be pretty interesting to see what GM Muffins does with Lamb’s major league eligibility over the course of his first season (even if there’s a 99% chance he stays down the entire season + playoffs). Although Lamb has the pressure of being Warsaw’s first selection, I’d imagine the pressure on the young center is relatively lower compared to our first two selections. He’d sit third line at best, but most likely won’t see pro play for his first season. Obviously the expectations at the minor league level will be high – but that’s the case for any player in the first three rounds that has the option to stay down, not a perception unique to Dakota. At tenth overall, there was a player or two with less raw talent that were taken by non-expansion teams – so there may in fact be more ‘chip on his shoulder’ energy to this selection than high expectations. [1,116 words, claiming 7/19 and 7/26]

In. Am willing to be a group manager too, of course!

1. We're the champs!!! How did you feel when the confetti came down and we hoisted the cup? 2. How did this season's results compare to how you thought we'd do at the start of the season? 3. Now that we've gone out on top, what are your plans for the off-season? 4. Expectations will still be high for Riga next season - how can we keep up? 5. Next season's the last hurrah for the old fogies from S66; who do you think will perform best from that class? 6. A lower cap number and expansion means a lot of young current VHLMers will have large roles. If you're a current VHLM player, how do you feel about next season? If you're a VHL player, how will you help these guys out? 7. We found a weird spiky, circular diagram drawn on the floor of hedge's office. What's the deal with that? 8. Uh.. has anyone seem our Assistant General Manager recently? I don't know if it's related to question #7 but I'm a little worried it is.

EFL +6

1. We're two sweeps in! Which of the two series we've won so far do you feel was toughest? 2. Who are the two players you feel were underrated before, and now are stepping it up in the playoffs? 3. New York were relatively quiet in the regular season before upending a solid Seattle team. What changed for them? 4. Expansion is always a tough process for most teams. How have you kept it off your mind throughout the playoffs? 5. Do your pre-game rituals change for playoff games? If yes, how so? 6. Has your career thus far gone the way you've expected it to? Do you have any regrets? 7. If you're a rookie, how have you managed the playoff nerves thus far? If you're a veteran, how have you helped out the young guys on the team with nerves? 8. There's definitely been more chatter in the GM office during the playoffs than previous. Who all is the boss talking to in there?

EFL +6

EFL +6

99K51523SG3471815 Claiming With This Post: $1M Player Store Cash 5 TPE Uncapped Doubles Week (06/22-28)

On average, how many times a week do you hurt yourself trying to dance in the shower? When you dance in the team shower are you dancing alone? Or is it a team effort? Hurt myself? Maybe once every few weeks! I'm definitely the more reserved dancer of the two of us. On a scale of 1 to 10, how intolerable do you find players that post their entire lives on their insta? Hey, what they do in their free time doesn't hurt me! But if they're buying a meal from a restaurant just to take a picture of it and throw it away or pose for two seconds with a political sign for two seconds and then go home? That's like an 8/10. How many bowls of cereal do you eat every single day and why aren’t you eating more? Like a half a bowl because Venus keeps stealing all of my Lucky Charms from right under my nose! ? Who on your team would you let punch you directly in the face no questions asked? Probably Venus. Sometimes I'm a big goof and she's good about keeping me accountable. How old were you when you realized Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny probably never actually knew one another in real life? Th... they don't? Can you fit your whole fist in your mouth? Are you trying to now? lol No, no. Venus got me with that as a kid. But she's a lot better about it now lolol

1. Do you guys think Spartan is doing a good job as GM? Blink twice if you are being held at gunpoint. *blink* Yes, I think Spartan is doing a wonderful job as GM. Venus @BladeMaiden and I definitely were not forced to come here. *blink* 2. VHL's Pride month is in full swing now. What do you think of the logos for the various teams? I like the aesthetics of some moreso than others, but I think they're all a wonderful way to represent and make public our acceptance of the LGBTQ community. 3. We raised an incredible amount of money for our BLM charity drive. How do you feel about the charities chosen to receive the money? No complaints here. I donated what I did because I believed in the cause. 4. What are your goals for the team as we near the playoffs? Uh... I guess play some time on the ice and be a positive contributor? I'm hoping we can reach the absolute top of the top without too many hiccups. 5. Have you used our wonderful in-house casino? If not, why haven't you gambled away all of your salary back to the team...erm I mean won? No, I'm a good little hockey player and don't mess with the big bad casino. ? 6. Have you talked to our new AGM twists? If not leave a friendly hello! He's being oppressed! DOWN WITH MANAGEMENT! RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! twists must be protected!

Riga, Latvia - In a move that shocked many outside of the Reign, Apollo Hackett announced his impending retirement on June 15th, 2020 - just six and a half seasons through what he considered a career of underperforming with a team that took their chance on him. "There are... many reasons why I'm calling it quits now," Apollo soberly expressed at a packed press conference, "obviously physically I can handle the punishment of the VHL for a while longer. That's why I'm not up and vanishing on the Reign at this moment." "But I think it's time to acknowledge that I haven't been the kind of player I've wanted to be. I want to continue to be a good mentor to Guy [Sasakamoose, the second half of Riga's first pair], and I feel as though all of our defenders have grown so quickly and wonderfully that a lot of what I can accomplish would just hold some of these great younger players back. Tate's going to continue to be a top-flight leader for our boys in orange, I have no doubt about that. I want the VHL world to see just how unbelievably good Guy is instead of thinking he's a sidekick." "I have been absolutely, unquestionably blessed to play in Latvia - even if my language skills still aren't the best. Sorry boss," he said to a chuckling crowd. "Some of the best players on the planet have been my teammates. But I still have so much more of a life left to live, and I think it's time I transition into an advisory role rather than one properly on the ice during games." "You'll still find me loitering around here after the season ends - hopefully while hoisting the Cup," he remarked, beaming. "You can rest assured I'm not done yet. Riga deserves the best, and you can be damn sure I'm going to put my body on the line to make sure we get it."

EFL +6

Hey all - geez, this is the craziest hour I've had in the VHL since I joined. I'm going to take this offer to LVA. There are a crazy number of recreates and I know I'm going to be split up from all of my friends when the VHLM draft comes, so I want to take this opportunity to at least play a few days with @Esso2264 and @Poptart, among others. Thanks for the interest - I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys before the draft.

Player Information Username: Renomitsu Player Name: Aloe Dear Recruited From: SisterLeague Age: 21 Position: LW Height: 72 in. Weight: 165 lbs. Birthplace: Denmark Player Page @VHLM GM

Hey all. I've been blessed to have a lengthy career with the Riga Reign - the place Apollo Hackett has been privileged to call home since day one of his professional career. And Hackett's career has been marked with some of the best-earning players and fantastic teammates from beginning to end - from the likes of Joseph @McWolf and Ryan Kastelic @Enorama to Lincoln @Tate and Guy Sasakamoose @Cxsquared, he's had the privilege of being among the best defenders on an all-time stretch of a great defensive team . And that's to say nothing of Kallis Kriketers @hedgehog337, Finn Davison @Poptart, Greg Eagles @Greg_Di, the future in @efiug and the plethora of fantastic old (like my classmates - you know who you are!) and new forwards like @Patrik Tallinder, @Pengu, Ryan Busser @Z16and Kyl Oferson @Nykonax; Apollo has been extremely lucky to have teams stacked to the gills from line 1 to 4. I have full faith in Tate and Sasakamoose to carry the defensive torch for the Reign after Hackett's geriatric self calls it quits at the end of this season. And I've tucked a nice little boost in to my TPE to see if we can nab that cup at the end. It's been an absolute pleasure playing through this defenseman's career. Best of luck, Riga - you're in great hands.

It's been an honor being your teammate cx! I'll hold on to this one near and dear in my heart.

1. Expansion's here! Which brand-spankin'-new team's branding is your favorite and why? 2. Have you interacted with any of the new GMs before? Which one's the most underrated? 3. Another huge trade sent HHH - Beaviss's own player - to DAVOS. Is Davos still a meme? 4. Why are D.C. doing so much worse than projected this season? 5. Some people in Discord and on the forum say that certain players are 'chosen' by STHS. What are your thoughts on this? 6. Have you ever met the team's zamboni driver? What are they like?

r u d e but yes it was me, Dio!

Obviously time is an issue for me - but I think we'll want multiple moderators for adequate supervision of the Discord anyways. 1) Availability - I'm currently not on hospital service frequently and am able to be on/around Discord at least a dozen hours per day. More relevantly, once back on service I'll be available in the evening and early morning most frequently, i.e. 5 AM-8 AM and 7 PM-12 AM. 2) Check and check! Just verified my Discord 2fa today. 3) Staff already knows my age, and I'm well over 20. 4) No jobs here! Other Factors: As noted previously, I cover a small portion of 1A-9A MST but certainly not all of it. Limited moderation experience; primarily through forums when I was much younger. I'm not sure if it qualifies as HR experience, but I taught a 4th-grade classroom for a full year, as well as >500 students across 24 different sections between two semesters at the collegiate level. I also regularly have to mediate parental and patient concerns in the context of my current and future vocation.