Steve

Review: I really like what you did with this graphic. It has a different look to it, in a good way. The background is nothing over cooked but it seems to be just right for what this graphic is about. The render looks clean, and the logo swap looks accurate enough to look real. The font is still kind of funky but looks to be the star of the show. I really like the texture you used on the text. It makes a funky font into something much more and adds a bit of style to your project. I really like the overall look of this one, even though I think the render is a bit bright. Job well done. 8/10

Review: Good looking sig with all the right elements working for a common cause. The background looks tight with the team logo in phantom mode, I like that. The render looks like a clean cut and blends in well with the background. The font is a bit funky but not bad at all. I think you could have worked the font effects a bit more but looks like it works as is. Nice particle/snow layer that doesn't overpower the graphic overall. A nice complimentary effect that just works. I think you did an honest job with this one. Good effort. 8/10

With forty six games played, Riga still holds the top stop in the standings. Of course one bad sim and we could be in third place. It is very close in the European Conference. We have Malmo and Moscow breathing down our necks. So we can't really have a late season collapse and expect to be near the top. Actually, I don't see us dropping past third place if we do have some bad sims. That isn't a bad place to be really. Any team we face in the playoffs is going to be a challenge to say the least. So the last part of the season should provide a clearer picture of what team will be the top dog and I can't count Riga out. We have had a fairly easy schedule, but so has the other teams. I guess it works out in the end. We are doing the best we can do at the moment. Not sure if any trades would have helped the team at this point. I can say that Riga has been a fun team to play on. Word count: 184

1. Not playing as good as I would like but overall Gunner is getting the job done. 2. We would need at least a higher skilled winger to stay at the top. Defense and goal tending seems solid. 3. What's the "New Meta"? and I hope the best for Anand. 4. No plans at all. 5. Fine with me. 6. I don't follow those teams so I have zero thoughts about it.

Review: You made an interesting graphic with this design. I really like the details in the background with the two cities. It has a cool nostalgic feel to it. The render looks really fitting. He looks like he was part of ZZ Tops. I find it hard to use black and white text on a black and white background, but this design makes it look really good. The font you used looks very clean and I like the white drop shadow, it really adds to the overall feel of this graphic. Interesting work, I am a huge fan of this style. Job well done. 9/10

Review: This is a great design that I mimic a lot. A really clean, detailed render really makes the focal point interesting. The format seems solid and looks more balanced than not. I love the color palette you used as it keeps within the teams range but also gives you graphic some character. The boarder effect you used looks top notch and really bring it all together. Your font choice is another thing that works in concert with the rest of your project. Overall, very well done. 9/10

Another week of beating up teams that are low in the standings and on occasion, getting our collective asses handed to us by more talented teams. Such is life in the VHL. With so many teams sucking in the European conference this season, it is not hard to stay in the top three in the standings. While the North American conference doesn't have as many bottom dwellers, the top teams are fighting harder teams more often. This really makes it hard to see what a team can do until you play them. I really don't like seeing this many teams not competing in the same season. I don't think it makes for a healthy league as it seems to be a trend that isn't going away anytime soon. Is it the cap? Why did they give players a raise to 6 million if it was going to be an issue for teams to keep players longer? Maybe there just isn't that many players that are active. The active ones all seem to flock to their favorite team and play until they become affordable. Something has to be changed at some point. I am still a little confused about not switching the goalies over to the “Hybrid” system. It doesn't seem right that they can build a goalie that was intended to go against players with 99 skill levels when that is a thing of the past. Meanwhile, Gunner is still having fun being the front line punching bag. It is a role that he was built for. Word count: 257

1. We are still number one in the league - could this be Riga's year to end the drought? Unfortunately, we would have to trade for another winger or two to be a real threat. 2. Do you think the blown 3-1 lead in last years playoffs have motivated us to the hot start? I was on the other team of that comeback but our team lost a couple of key players for this season. Most of the wins are just beating up on bottom dwellers. 3. Lucy Leitner is amongst the top 5 in points - do you think she wins the most improved player? Dustin Funk would be proud of her. 4. What is the key to keeping this hot start going? We need the team to earn and improve their players. We just need to keep working. 5. How do you find the VHL in the summer as its normally less busy? It is dead in the summer and barely has a pulse in the winter. 6. Does it feel like a really long NHL Offseason despite the late finish? I don't really have a sense for that. Seems about normal to me.

Review: I like this design style. Heavy top layer and blend it until it works. I have used this approach many times when I get to a point where I am either happy with the graphic, or I am starting over. I think this one looks really good. I like that you got rid of the NHL branding. The text is a full bag of tricks rolled up into this outcome. Looks good and fits the overall feel of this graphic. About the only thing I would comment on is the top layer could have been masked out of the render's face a bit, though that could be your design choice. Overall, looks interesting and I like interesting. 8/10

Review: You made a really fun graphic to look at. Blending a render into a pack of wolves isn't as easy as it sounds but you did a great job with this one. The render looks clean and fits the scene really well. The logo swap is spot on, no issues at all. Though it looks like you didn't need to do much with the wolf pack image, the overall visual of this project looks very fluid. Maybe the only thing that I am not a fan of is the text. I think you could have found something that flowed better with the rest of the theme. Overall, great job. 8/10

1. We're currently the best team in the league - how are you feeling about that? I always like to be on top. 2. What do you think has been the best contribution to such a hot start? The teams that we played were bottom dwellers for the most part. We still did well against the tougher teams, just not as many times. It will balance out but our start is still something to work off of. 3. Shubham Anand find himself at the top of league scoring - do you think he keeps that pace? I would hope so, but it's a long season. 4. Do you find the game a bit sloppier to start the season and teams will adjust and be more structured? I have always thought that the first 15 games or so was very random feeling. I seems to take Simon a bit of time to settle down and just be his normal random self. 5. Is Red Panda the best goalie in the league, or he the best goalie in the league? He has been very good and I would consider him the best. 6. Is your summer over or do you have any big things coming up before fall starts next month? Not sure, just waiting for the temps to drop. It's been too hot to do much during the day.

It has been an interesting week of hockey. Riga has shown to be a team that can beat very good teams on occasion, making them an interesting team to watch. Most of the scoring comes from the second line as the first line goes against the other teams top players. This strategy worked for Moscow's cup run last season, so I am used to it and can see that it will be an advantage in some games. I think we run into trouble when the opposing team has a good second line as well. Then it is up to Simon to come up with a winner. Gunner has been effective in his roll and seems to stifle some offense the other teams throw at us. I am not sure where we will end up this season, but it will be a fun journey for sure. Gunner's team mates are good to play with and all have been trying to do what's best for the team. So the first twenty games have been played, let's see what the next twenty does to Riga's standings. Word count: 183

Review: In my close examination of this graphic, I can say for certain that the player cannot play the fiddle. He is clearly a ZZ Tops throw back. Looking at his feet, he is a Hobbit. I like the vibe of this graphic, it gives off a fun feel. The background looks cool, but I can't read sheet music. Is it some sort of code? All kidding aside, this really looks good. I like the text with the floating on top look. Even though the meaning of this has gone well over my head, I like it on face value. Good job. 9/10

Review: Interesting design choices. I like the overall look of this graphic. It shows a bit of creativity and skills needed to pull this off. You did a good job with the double render theme, though in most cases, one would be a dominate render instead of both being equal in focus. I like the boarder, it's unique. Logo swap looks clean except the NHL branding could have been removed/replaced. The text is bold enough to clearly see it, a good thing. Overall, good job. 8/10

And, we are off. Season started and the Riga team started out with five wins before getting revenged by the mighty Moscow team that we previously beat. All things considered, Riga is a fun team to be a part of. I don't have any expectations about the season, but I think we will win more than we lose. It should be a fun swan song season for Gunner. All we can do is go out there and have a good time, win a few battles and brush off the defeats. I think if I could start over with Gunner, I would have kept him around a 800tpa player. As it is, he will never play on a line with other players over 1k. So I don't see Gunner really using his build as intended. Much lower skilled players seem to do things that were unheard of a few years ago. Times have changed for sure. Let's GO RIGA! Word count: 158

1. How did you enjoy your offseason, did it go by too quick for you? It was just right. It didn't feel too boring. 2. The season starts this week, how do you feel about Riga's chances after last years success? I have no idea how we will do. It looks like we should be competitive for the most part. 3. Is there a specific skill/area you're hoping to improve on this season? I would like to be more consistent. I hate going a few games without any production. 4. Have you spoken to any of the new additions to the team yet? I talk to myself all the time. 5. What city are you most looking to travel too now that the season is back on? Moscow 6. Do you watch any sports in the summer or waiting for hockey to come on? I follow Formula 1 and the NHL.