jacobcarson877

Will be tough to follow up! Hoping Woods can replicate some of the magic Bucatini did last season!

As much as grading is a pain in the butt, super subjective and makes people (sometimes reasonably) super salty, it did really help inspire better forum content, and came with built in reviewing and engagement!

Nothing like quitting being a GM to get your activity back up! I know that’s not normally people’s experience but I quit before I was unable to do a good job, I quit when I accomplished my goals as a GM. And now I can get myself back to the basics, the things that got me excited about being a prominent member in this league in the first place! I’m back to questioning why we do the things we do, proposing a million ideas for how we could do things better, trying to figure out how to maximize the return on each new member entering our community, finding the pitfalls and confusions that people have, and trying to present information in the easiest to consume manner, so that more people can be inspired to be prominent members of our community and carry on the legacy of our league for as long as we can. --- BOG has been the most active I’ve ever seen it. I won’t spoil what we’re talking about, since well there’s a lot of things, and no real consensus yet, but just know that we are seeing, we are experiencing, and we are working to make things better. There will always be inefficiencies, there will always be barriers, and there will always be trolls, but we’re working hard to explore as many options as we can to make the league a better place. I’m hoping to continue to rise the activity leaderboard for this year, and get back to a place where I was at before I was focused on winning a Cup and crunching salary numbers. So what should you expect from me this season? Well I’ll be working on some secret projects for the BOG, in order to help us work towards some solutions to perennial issues that plague us. I’ll be hunting down the sources of issues, getting some real objective data, and using that to narrow down solutions. --- I’m also hoping to get myself into a place where I can act as more of a mentor for our newbies than I have been in recent seasons. This starts with a project that I’ve been working on recently where I’m hoping to give some inspiration for PTs and .com articles to those who need a bit of a creative nudge. I’m going through press conferences, other league PTs, my own writing endeavors, some brainstorming sessions, and trying to make a long list of prompts that I can dispense week to week that can help fill the gap between Theme Week and our regular weeks. I’ll also be doing my best to see more forum content again and leave some encouragement in the form of a reaction and/or comment. Especially for those putting their toes in the water for the first time, some positive reinforcement goes a long way, and I encourage everyone to join in with me on that to the extent they’re able to! Oh and I’ve always done my best to give my players the best VHFL, Super Coach and Predictions advice that I can, and I hope to open that some of that up to the whole forum going forward. Sure I may lose a TPE here or there, but if more people do VHFL, Super Coach, and Predictions, that’s a win in my books! Maybe I’ll even try to extend it to Fantasy Zone. --- Some other ideas that I have that may be more than I can chew every week, but if other people are interested but don’t know where to start, here you go! I’m hoping to try to acknowledge each of the players hitting 100TPE, 200TPE and 400TPE each week. Give them some recognition for their accomplishments, and encourage them to keep up the good work! This could even be turned into TPE from Reviewing! Just be encouraging! Along a similar vein, I’d love to get back to some First Gen shoutouts. I really love @Smarch‘s Player Spotlight series, and think it’s really inspiring. Perhaps these spotlights and milestone shoutouts can inspire some of our graphics members as well! I heard that someone, I think it was @BOOM or @OrbitingDeath used to make player graphics for each player hitting 100TPE. Obviously somewhere along the line that became too many players for one to responsibly handle, but if the community were in on it, perhaps we could split the load a bit! This one might be a little too close to handing out Trivia answers, which we cracked down on a lot a while ago, but someone could certainly write about the history behind the 2 Trivia questions they got that week. This would help fill the actual education gap that Trivia currently has and inspire some people to take in the context of the answers, and not just the immediate TPE. And well, this one isn’t super insightful, but I’d love to see more people do Game Recaps! Look at the games, look at other teams! Come up with fun storylines and trends! What better way to find fun things to write about? --- We as a league get so caught up in doing PTs, that we forget that Supplemental TPE is just as valuable, if not more. PTs only get you 2 more, than your standard Welfare, and 10 Capped TPE per week, is much better than 4 from just doing Welfare, or 6 from doing a PT! Explore the forum, be kind, see what secrets you can find, and share them with the community! You don’t have to write about how your player is doing every week. And you especially don’t have to give up on trying some things if you aren’t up to a PT! So get out there my friends! Try something new, say something nice, make some new friends. It’s our job to grow this community organically, and embrace the things that make us unique! Make some @frescoelmo , I mean forum content, and lets bring some new life to this place! People will sign up, but if we can blow them away by how much creativity we’re displaying and community we’re having, they’ll be called to stick around, and contribute. --- Happy S95 everyone, and I’m excited to be back!

PLAYOFF DAY 2 Steel - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/PLAYOFFS/JST94-PLF-12.php Thank you for joining us this offseason Royals, hope you're enjoying Draft Season, and we're all very excited to see what you get up to next! Our next matchups will be best of 7 series between: Steel - Rush Warriors - Brigade They will commence TOMORROW!

I'm on the hunt don't you worry! Just gimme a few seasons!

nice

PLAYOFF DAY 1 Steel - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/PLAYOFFS/JST94-PLF-4.php Steel - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/PLAYOFFS/JST94-PLF-8.php

DAY 10 Steel - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-69.php Rush - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-70.php Brigade - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-71.php Royals - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-72.php Royals - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-73.php Rush - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-74.php Steel - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-75.php PLAYOFF INDEX https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/PLAYOFFS/index.php

DAY 9 Warriors - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-61.php Rush - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-62.php Royals - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-63.php Warriors - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-64.php Brigade - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-65.php Brigade - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-66.php Warriors - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-67.php Royals - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-68.php

100%. Getting yourself into the correct role to maximize your success is more important then upwards of 200-400TPA. Thankfully I like earning and building extreme builds for no good reason, because there was almost no gains for me from 1100 to 1450. Even in my 1450 season I was a middle of the pack (star-wise) scorer. Joyo, Abass Jr, and Mancini all had way smaller builds but ended equivalent or better than me based on being in a better role that season. It's an interesting balance, and helps me cope with not winning awards lmao

I actually agree with this take, obviously the numbers would have to be tested and such, but other than historical precedent, which we've already kind of broken with the ability to play 9 seasons, I don't see why we'd need to cling to 8 seasons. I do think it should still be based on VHL seasons, partially because I think it makes a really interesting niche for players who don't earn much, but earn consistently, and with lower TPA builds you lose less TPA overall, so it's easier to maintain. I do think auto-retirement should have SOME threshold, just for portal cleanliness purposes, but maybe that's just, whenever you depreciate below 400, you get auto-retired. Kind of fits "realism" as well, with some of the veteran lower ceiling players being able to play much longer than some of the stars, just by nature of playing a simpler game and fitting a role. Stars get high highs and then crash quickly. Takes away some of the stigma of "retiring early" as well, if there isn't a specific retirement time. Feels a little dumb to retire immediately after a season of being 1000+ TPA, or being able to just throw 1400TPA into a build because you know you'll have to retire anyways. I'm sure @Alex and @v.2 in particular would have some thoughts on this, considering their career paths, and may have tried some interesting strategies with this sort of system in mind! Opens up a lot of discussion on goaltenders as well, I know @Jubis and @Spartan tried to figure out how to keep cap hits on goaltenders low, when there isn't much growth beyond 1000TPA. Probably wouldn't work with Salaries considering they include banked but depreciation doesn't but maybe there's an innovative solution there.

I will absolutely agree that the LR experience here is often way behind that of other leagues. I haven't quite placed the missing link yet. I know in the minors it's definitely longevity and length of commitment, but still enjoying doing my research.

Now I haven't had many AGMs, mine was simply perfect first try, but I've witnessed many AGMs, through Calgary and San Diego in particular, and the things that stick out about who did and didn't make it are very obvious. There are 2 groups of great AGMs. I haven't met anyone who was a great AGM who didn't fall into one of these groups: "I want to be a great GM". They are asking for tasks, they are answering questions on their own, they're keeping the GM accountable. They're asking questions, and proposing hypotheticals without worry about being wrong. They just want to know how to be a GM. You don't really teach them. You never word dump on them or anything. You just end up answering enough questions, and they take enough initiative that they simply become a GM. And these ones usually get scooped up pretty quickly. "I am happy with and commit to being an AGM". This is the sort of person who never really wants to be a GM, whatever their reason, but they are controlled and deliberate with their efforts as an AGM. They start and engage in conversation, they become a part of the team, and sure maybe they do the press conference. But their role is more to be a constant part of the identity of the team, the team's biggest fan almost, rather than a GM 2. There's a ton of GMs, myself included, and probably you too, who don't necessarily want or need a second GM. But, I like knowing that I don't have to be the only one starting conversations and engaging with the team, and its brand. I don't have to be the only one pushing the narratives that I want to put out. I simply don't have the skills or the energy to put out all that content. @Aimee and @Triller are amazing examples of this. @Ricer13 is somehow the perfect mix of the 2 styles. I would say @Garsh and @animal74 probably fit in this group too. You know when you see them in an LR that conversation will be had, and vibes will be excellent. It tends to be our older folks that make up this group, and that would probably jive with your style ya old fart. And the last thing is if you don't like the AGM market, you don't have to hire anyone! Keep an eye out on the JST, see who is posting great forum content, and see who you might connect with! You don't NEED an AGM, and sometimes picking up someone who won't fit well actually hurts their chances of sticking around. So be patient and see what happens!

Just for funsies! 1. There's some really fun players in this draft, and with Moscow always circling around a high pick who knows who we may end up with! I've enjoyed my time around @Greg_Di, @der meister makes wonderful content, and is never afraid to try something new and wacky. @Aimee has been my AGM whether in title or in practice since I started being active basically, and it will be weird not sharing an LR this season. @Phil and @Ricer13 make any LR popping, and they always have something fun to bring to the day. @CaptainSB would be fitting to go to Moscow as we pick last I'd assume, and that's where they belong! @Anthique @Ozzy Batty and @RileyL all remind me of my favourite era of the VHL, that mid 80s stretch, and I always love seeing them around! @Arce is a Moscow legend, a Marlins legend, and a great guy to hang around, so would love to have him make a magical return for real this time for Moscow! 2. God I have so much TPE to apply, and I haven't come up with a plan for it yet at all. Hoping to bring some slick offensive play to the mix, have the puck a lot and not lose it ideally. Not sure whether I'll lean into passing or not, I'm skeptical and it scares me, but we'll see what happens. Lots of DF left to build to put off that decision. 3. I mean Moscow won, and while they lost some big pieces, @leandrofg and I are definitely the members you want to replenish some lost TPE. We'll be rocking 800ish TPE for the playoffs, and with some killer builds to match. 4. I am not going anywhere this summer, trying to get myself in peak working order for school starting in September. I've missed a lot of opportunity over the last few years from some health concerns I never knew were sapping the life out of me, so I've spent the summer learning how to be a real functional adult. I'm trying to read ahead on my textbooks, work on a website, work my new part-time sales job, continue to make up for the years of terrible metabolism from unknown health issues, and get back into things that make me feel good! I have more energy in a day now than I used to have in a month, and there's just so many things to do! 5. Spartan. I'm not going to lie, the image of Spartan in my head does not match the details I know to be true about him, which I think is very funny. Now I just think about the Michigan State logo. 6. I'll say 2. But that's also a trick question, because he won't play in the E. And not only because I'm going to abolish it!

Been a while since I updated everyone on what little I've been reading, but finished a book today after a LONG time, so here's what I missed. I read A Canticle for Leibowitz, which was very interestingly paced, you can tell it was once 3 separate stories collated into one cohesive piece, but once you get over 3 times the characters, it's really fascinating. I read Daughter of the Empire, which is probably my favourite book I read this year. Something about the setups and payoffs just felt really good, and I was rooting for the main character the whole way through. Can't wait to pick up the next one! I read Perdido Street Station which was just a wild book start to finish. Felt like something between Planescape and Batman, and I spent 2/3 of the book not understanding any of the setup and then THE PAYOFF man. It came together so smoothly, and really set up a sequel well, which I am excited to pick up as well! Those three were primarily read while on a camping trip a few weeks ago, but I just finished The Dispossessed, which took me a long time to get through. It alternates back and forth between the time before the start of the book, and then the time proceeding the start of the book, so it ends at the beginning. It's very cool, lots of commentary on feminism and anarchy, and the pitfalls of idealism in a well-packed science fiction novel. The setting is the conflict and I think that's always something really enjoyable. Be ready for pretty much exclusively political dialogue though. If you want action this is not for you. Now it's time to get on to some sequels! Starting with The Well Of Ascension, I find it so easy to read Sanderson, so it'll be a nice gateway back into me reading more.

DAY 8 Steel - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-54.php Brigade - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-55.php Steel - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-56.php Rush - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-57.php Royals - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-58.php Steel - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-59.php Brigade - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-60.php

Bars, I tried my best to get you in there, but we'll get our revenge when 1&2 terrorize for a few seasons

DAY 7 Brigade - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-46.php Rush - Warriors https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-47.php Steel - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-48.php Warriors - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-49.php Royals - Rush https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-50.php Warriors - Steel https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-51.php Warriors - Brigade https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-52.php Rush - Royals https://vhlportal.com/vhlm/JS/94/JST94-53.php

The idea I just can't shake is an 8 team minors + 8 team affiliate. The minors team should always have the numbers to support a 6-4-1, and in larger recruitment periods, the overflow into the affiliate team would be enough to support the most we'd ever need. Teams with 2 goaltenders can give both goalies full time starts, players with lower TPE can play in an environment that they can compete a bit better before joining the 400TPA squad (although I've tested it, 400TPA isn't too crazy of a difference from 30TPA, less different than the 250TPA pre-hybrid M used to be), and recreates can get top playing time without stealing roster spots from the newbies. All of the transactions happen easily in STHS, so minimal portal support needed. There's a few other ideas I like adding in there, but that's the gist, and I hope to be able to demonstrate it this season!

KING

if you need an extra, let me know!

I'll probably hang around anyways, so call this a half application, happy to fill in any gaps, but would love to see someone pick up an AGM role to build their management resume.

Woohoo! Welcome back!