Steve

Moscow is in a tight race in the EU. One sim and the team could go to second or down to fifth. That's too close for my taste. Gunner has been hanging in there with the team but is slowly dropping off and I expect him to end up maybe slightly better than last season in regards to points. The team seems to be just on the edge of having a strong breakout finish or a toilet flush. I know all the players have done a great job earning. I am not sure what is going on but some changes will certainly happen at some point. I know we have a couple of good prospects coming up next season but that just starts this cycle over again. I don't have the answers to a lot of what I see going on in the league. Seems like I get a clearer response from my pet rock than I do management. With all due respect to my pet rock, it does have eyes that move. I really wish I could get that 2019 league vibe back but I think those days are long gone. Just like anything else in life, you always look back and think it used to be better. It was most likely just the “new car smell” I got from joining a sim league. Take care, stay safe. Word count: 229

Presser for the week ending 2/4 1. We hit a bit of a skill check this last week, what are your thoughts about it? 2. Should we shake our lines up to see if any other line combo works? 3. What position do you see us ending the season at? 4. What have you been working on to improve your player? 5. I think being a goalie is the hardest position to play, do you agree? 6. It would be great to get more players active in the lr, any ideas how we get them involved?

Review: I really like your style. Clean render with plenty of detail. Good logo swap but looks like you are hiding a logo behind it and makes it look darker than it should be. NHL branding should have been removed but it's so small it doesn't stand out. I really like the logos hidden in the background. Text is clean, easy to read and fits well with everything else you have going on. I hope you continue to make graphics, you certainly have skill. Job well done. 9/10

Review: Impressive graphic that really looks clean and to the point. I like the sharpness of the render as it draws your eyes right to it. Logo swap looks fine but maybe a missed opportunity to add the collar vhl logo. I love the text. The font is simple yet amazing, well done. Another thing is at the background is simple yet compliments the render with this Bokeh effect. I like the whole graphic and I have made plenty of Seattle graphics. Well done, keep them coming. 9/10

It's been an exciting start of the season for Moscow. We started fast and did well in our conference. The players are more engaged this season as we push to make the playoffs. It's a good sign that the team is on the right track. We have a lot of good players that are just getting started in the league. So improvement is going to be fast as they all earn really well. Let's see if we can be a dominate team by the end of the season, I am confident we will do just that. Gunner got his first hat trick of the season, that was good to see. Our top players are playing like top players now and that is the best thing to see. It will lead us to the promised land at some point. It could be this season or next, I have a really good feeling about the team. Very young and full of fight. A few weeks of updates and we should be just that much better. Our time is near. Word count: 177

Presser for the week ending 1/28 1. We are still leading the EU. Do you think we can hang on to that lead? 2. Do you have any suggestions about how the team can improve? 3. Do I need to add humor in these pressers to make them more stupid? 4. How many pancakes does it take to fix a flat tire on a submarine? 5. I think winning is fun. How do you compare this season to last season? 6. The lines were changed and for the most part it has had a positive impact. Do you have any thoughts about future changes?

Review: This is a big graphic that has a very good design. I like this concept and you did a good job with it. The render is very clean and the detail is there. No fancy effects to over cook the render. I can appreciate that. The logo background approach is well done. I like the texture you mounted everything to. The text box is a nice touch and fits well with this design. You only left a small hint of NHL branding so I will pretend it's not there. Great job. I would like to see more from you. 9.4/10

Review: Now this is a graphic that rings my bell. What a great looking design. Super clean render cuts are hard to see sometimes but this design shows off your skill. The background compliments the render in all the right ways. The text is next level and is helps balance this graphic. After all the praise I just gave this graphic, you screwed the pooch when you left the NHL branding on his collar. That's a major flaw in my book of flaws. You came so far just to overlook the obvious. I still love it. 9.5/10

What a great start to the season for Moscow. A brief run to the top was fun to see even though it was going to be a short stay. We do have a team that will compete more and push into a playoff spot. It has been very motivating to be a part of it all and just makes us want to do better. I think on the player side, we have delivered. Coaching has to make it all work, so far so good but changes are needed if we really want to get serious about this season. If not, it will be a fun season that we do better than a team in a rebuild would do. Time will tell. The league has me worried. It doesn't even show up if you Google hockey sim leagues. The SHL does, strange. I predict that sooner rather than later the draft will be all about the top 5 players at best as the talent is just not there like it used to be. I know it runs in cycles, but this is beyond that. I know when I was really turned off by the VHL. Yes, I think the hybrid system broke the league from the M to the VHL. I am just letting my experiences that I had prior to that change carry me forward. Good luck to everyone. Let's have a great season full of highlight reel games. Word count: 239

Presser for the week ending 1/21 1. We are off and running. Are you surprised at our fast start? 2. After the dust settles, what position will we place? 3. Are you more excited to earn when we are winning? 4. Should we look for a player to fill a gap or two and just go for it this season? 5. What team/teams do you think will really push us this season? 6. It's so early but it looks like the EU is going to be stronger than the NA, you agree?

Hang in there @N0HBDY .

OJ SIMPSON USED OUR ZAMBONI IN THE FAMOUS LOW SPEED CHASE

Review: I have always liked mixed black and white with color graphics. You did a good job with this render separating the face. Overall the render is really smooth and very well cut. The overall effects seem to work together and doesn't really distract from the render. I am not a huge fan of the text, I have no idea what is says but the effect of it is fine. Leaving the NHL branding on the render kind of sucks on such a nice graphic. Logo swap is believable. You did a good job with this style, impressive. 9/10

Review: If you were going to nice and clean, you did a great job of it. I like the "back to basics" approach and for the most part it paid of with this graphic. It is well balanced with readable text and I really like the color gradient you used. I looks well thought out and gets the job done. Easy on the eyes. I think your lighting effect is a bit too strong but still looks fine. Great job. 9/10

It's coming down to the last handful of days before we hit the ice. I am excited to get the season going and see how our team plays. There will be several adjustments I am sure, but we have good young talent that has been working hard to improve. That is always a good sign when you see players that kick it up a notch with their earnings. I have a feeling the team will do very well as the season progresses. With a fabulous rookie goalie in net and quality defensemen, we should be much more balanced and look to build some synergy with the lines. We might not be there yet, but we are close. I look for more of a competitive season compared to the rebuild season we had last season. All indicators are pointing in the right direction so we will just have to see how it all plays out. Word count: 154

Presser for the week ending 1/14 1. If the top team is a Ferrari, what car would Moscow be? 2. Making the playoffs would be a good step for the team, do you agree? 3. Do you have any great ideas about recruitment? 4. Are you an anime fan? If so, what do you like? 5. What is a "Menace" and why do we have a bearded king for a logo? 6. On a scale from 1 to 10, how much does Spartan suck? 7. What player on the team do you think will have a breakout season?

Yes, most of it at least. I changed a few things but kept the gta look

I really don't think it's all that realistic to have your downhill slide start after 5 seasons. I see the point about some decline but %40 of a career is a bit harsh and makes me rethink how I am getting screwed. My last 3 players were broke and didn't retire with a load of money, so not everyone is the same. It is what it is. I am just speaking for myself and how it makes me think about the league in a negative way.

I like the depreciation fighter dialog. One thing I thought should have been addressed is the ratios. Since the depreciation was raised and is brutal for no reason, I think using the old ratios for the fighters doesn't make sense. So I am asking for an increase of protection. Maybe lower the cost too. I really don't see why the league is so harsh with a players career if they earn a lot. Seems like high end player retention isn't even a thing. Maybe it's easier to control low earners, not sure of the reason but retention of high earners should be considered as well as new players.

Yes indeed. I'm sure they have their top guys working on it...

But he brings us cookies.