thadthrasher

This graphic oozes with American pride, and I love it. To see ol' glory flapping in the wind in the background, well, it makes my heart feel good! The intensity on the player's face would scare any non-American, and that doubles for his opponents on the ice. If I saw that face skating at me, I'd feel immediately frightened, especially knowing that when he hits you the only song you'll sing for days is the American National Anthem. Well done! 10/10

This is a really cool concept here! I really like it! On a personal note I would probably increase the visibility of the names on the top, just because it's pretty hard for me to read at first glance. Other than that I really don't have anything else to say other than that this is awesome! 9/10

Saskatoon Wild Press Conference Who do you think deserves to win MVP of the VHLM at this point in the season? Does your player enjoy warmups with or without their bucket? Why? Does your player have any tint on their visor? Why? If your player could choose any other profession, what would it be? How long has your player been involved in hockey? If your player could go on vacation anywhere, where would it be and why?

It might be hard to believe, but Saskatoon has a pretty big love for the popular restaurant Red Robin. This restaurant has been a favorite for many years, offering a delicious variety of burgers, shakes, and everything in between. Recently, after making a splash in the Saskatoon market, the local Red Robin reached out to Titus Cunningham to talk about a potential partnership. While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, we've come to learn that Red Robin is working on two menu items that are inspired by Cunningham. The first item is a cheeseburger. This 8oz burger comes with the typical fixings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and ketchup. What makes this burger special, and solidifies it as the Crease Crasher Cunningham, is the fact that it's smothered with a garlic hot sauce. This sauce comes in quick and hard with the heat, much like Cunningham when he's crashing the net. The second item is a shake. Red Robin specializes in spiked shakes, and the Chocolate Cunningham is no different. The Chocolate Cunningham is a rich shake that has droppings of Hershey bars and chunks of sweet cocoa. Mixed in with the concoction is Buffalo Trace's cream liquor, making this drink a powerful force to be reckoned with. If this turns out to be the case, would the Wild get team discounts? Would Cunningham earn an all-you-can-eat benefit? Maybe one day we'll know.

Claiming 4/13

This graphic has a lot of potential, and it's great to see you making a genuine effort. Your logo swaps look nice, and I like the gradient coloring. I will say that it's overall a very blurry graphic. The images, the text, the logos. I think you're working with something cool here, but clearer images would make this picture all around better. I hope to see that improve in the future. 6/10

This is a really neat graphic. Of course, as a previous New York American General Manager, I'm slightly favorable to anything done for that team and its players, but that's beside the point. I really enjoy this graphic, the playing with colors and them matching team colors, and the logo swap is pretty clean. I would say that a more clear rendering would be nice, and probably a more consistent use of font would be nice to see, but overall this isn't bad! I'd say a solid 7.5/10!

Titus Cunningham has never shied away from helping others in need. That's the culture of the Hollar, he would say. If someone is in need, you help them out, usually with no questions asked. What Cunningham has discovered is that his amount of free time has significantly decreased, thanks to the hectic hockey schedule that he faces. Between games, practices, rest days, travel, etc... he doesn't have the same time he used to. What he can do, though, is donate. Recently, Cunningham told Ottowa fans that he'll donate $1,000 to the food bank down the street from the arena for every assist he has. Since its announcement, Cunningham has produced more assists than before and has donated $10,000 to the food bank. "I can't really get down there to help, but this is one way I can make a great impact." This move has created more traffic at the food bank, and has brought more awareness to those who are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

1. Yes, he's a professional wrestler in the offseason. 2. I have zero questions for either one of you at this time. 3. 100% the Pittsburgh Penguins 4. No, he's not a neanderthal. 5. Yes. If you pass a dead opossum on the side of the road and don't lick your right ring finger, your nose will quit working. 6. At this point it's any Mexican restaurant where he can get a chimichanga.

Kyle doesn’t need to sneak anything in, he openly carries it all in and stares down the security guards.

There can be only one great goon..

Everyone knows that teams fluctuate in their standings in the VHL. You may have a team dominating the league in one season and, the very next, be scraping the bottom of the league barrel. This is the typical rhythm for most teams, as they oscillate between dominating the league and being laughed at by the league. It hits every team, and right now, that is the case for the Warsaw Predators. Since season 94, Warsaw has seen a steady decline in the standings. Season 94 - 4th in the European Conference, 7th Overall, with a record of 41W - 25L - 6OTL - 88PTS Season 95 - 5th in the European Conference, 9th Overall, with a record of 40W - 28L - 4OTL - 84PTS Season 96 - 5th in the European Conference, 11th Overall, with a record of 26W - 41L - 5OTL - 57PTS Season 97 - 8th in the European Conference, 16th Overall, with a record of 11W -56L - 5OTL - 27PTS For season 98, at 45 games played, the Predators are currently 8th in the European Conference, 15th Overall, with a record of 11W - 33L - 1OTL - 23 PTS Glancing at the numbers above, it's easy to see why management, players, and, most especially, fans are frustrated. While S94 and S95 were relatively close in numbers, in S96, Warsaw dropped nearly 30 points, and their W/L columns were practically swapped from the year before. Then, in S96, Warsaw dropped another 30 points while losing 15 more games than the prior season, dropping to dead last in both the European Conference and league overall standings. The fall of Warsaw came quickly, unexpected by many, and has left a pretty awful taste in the mouths of fans. That was until Kyle came along. Kyle has been a season ticket holder of the Warsaw Predators all of his life. Of course, it's not because he had the money, but because his parents always bought him the tickets. As Kyle hit his early 20s, just as his parents were about to cut him off, there was a tragic accident that left Kyle inheriting the entire estate of his parents (investigations are still pending, many believing Kyle was behind the accident all along). Inheriting the estate meant Kyle was not only given a bunch of money, a nice home, and various cars, but he also received the two lifetime season tickets that his parents held. Out of a sense of duty and probably some guilt, Kyle began attending Predators games again, alternating between his mother's and father's seats. The tragic loss of his parents came right at the end of S95, and Kyle was hopeful that a more successful Warsaw season would occur in S96. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Kyle walked into the Warsaw Predators' home opener in his typical attire: a flat-brimmed hat that was skewed to the side on his head, sunglasses no matter the presence of the sun, a very tight band T-shirt like that of Korn, a fake gold necklace, DC shoes with slightly flared pants, and, of course, some broken or sprained limb from punching his wall. When Kyle walked into the arena, heads turned. Kyle has always dressed this way, but it wasn't until the absence of his parents that fellow fans began to take notice. After the S96 home opener, Kyle knew that Warsaw was going to be in for a rough season. Sure, Kyle was an odd man and was usually overconfident in things he knew nothing about, but there was certainly one thing he knew a lot about: ice hockey. Kyle's presence in the stands grew in intensity from that game on. It started with simply chirping the game officials, escalating to the point that he threatened to "show yo momma a good time" as he'd laugh and offer high fives to any fan within earshot. It then grew to chirping opposing players, often including a variety of intense language, physical gestures, and even an attempt to get one of them to hop the glass and attack him. But Kyle's intensity grew so much that he began to go after the opposing fans. As fans would laugh and geer the Predators, Kyle was ready to pounce. He fueled up on Mountain Dew Code Red and Monster Energy Drinks, rushed the fans that heckled his beloved Predators, and defended the honor of his beloved team. Warsaw players, management, and fans began to love Kyle deeply, and all opposing fans, players, and management feared him. Kyle became the only goon that Warsaw had, and despite that goon being a fan in the stands, Kyle's pure, unadulterated aggression and caffeine-induced adrenaline struck fear in anyone in his way, especially the opposing players. When it became apparent to Warsaw that Kyle's presence positively affected the Predators players, they reached out to him with a deal. If Kyle would attend all of the away games with Warsaw and keep doing what he's been doing, but just in away barns, the team would cover his travel costs and lodging, compensate him generously, and allow him to bring in an unlimited supply of Monster, Mountain Dew, and Zyn pouches into the arena, no questions asked. On the surface, Kyle seemed to shrug it off, keeping his Kyle appearance, but on the inside, he was doing a happy dance. Kyle was officially the first to become a professional goon fan in the VHL. He could finally quit telling his friends that his lawsuit money from the car accident was coming soon and he'd pay them back and could actually pay them back, but of course, he never would. While this was a great idea at first, it became apparent that traveling and lodging with the team were not going to be an ideal situation. Kyle couldn't stop Kyling around the team, and he began to cause issues with the players on the road. He began damaging the walls of the hotel rooms under the Warsaw Predators' names by punching holes. He started threatening to sleep with the player's mothers, wives, and even grandmothers when they wouldn't stand when he walked into the room or name more than two songs of the band he was wearing on his shirt. Kyle's presence and personality were great in the stands but not great everywhere else. This left Warsaw with no choice but to stop letting Kyle stay with the players or travel with them. They approached Kyle and said, "To make it even better and more like you are an actual fan, we want to pretend like we don't even know you. We'll pay for your travel and lodging still, but if anyone asks, you don't know us, and we don't know you." Of course, Kyle told the people around him that he had "creative differences" with the Warsaw front office, but he kept everything else under wraps. This is the first time in VHL history that there was a professional goon fan. Kyle has been following the Predators since early in S96, and after the devastating S97, he ramped up his Kyleing even more. Various teams around the league have threatened to ban Kyle from their arenas due to his provocative and frightening nature, but somehow Warsaw was able to gain him particular protections on behalf of the entire league. Despite this, Kyle continues to push limits, even to the point of physically fighting opponent fans in their home arenas. Naturally, this has caused some issues around the league, as it appears to be league sanctioned, but teams are starting to get creative. Now, it's been reported that at least 5 other teams have their own "Kyles" in the stands. It's only a matter of time then before more than one Kyle is in the stands of a game, and their energies are certainly going to attract them to one another. There can, of course, only be one alpha Kyle. The league hopes that the various Kyles will take care of themselves, and that they'll turn their physical aggression on each other, rather than on unsuspecting fans, officials, and players. The key here is to get more than one of them in the same arena at the same time, and have everything ready for them to establish dominance. First, there needs to be a wall punching game. It won't be fake, nor plastered, but actual drywall. The Kyles will establish dominance by seeing who can punch the deepest, break the most bones, and complain about it the least while simultaneously bragging about it the most. Then, there needs to be a "battle of the bands" where the opposing Kyles attempt to name the "before they were famous" tracks of the bands on their t-shirts. Finally, these Kyle showdowns consist of a Monster and Mountain Dew drinking contest, seeing who can drink the most without burping or complaining of their "tummy aches." This is, of course, just the first half of their Kyle showdown. The ultimate decision comes when they get into a physical altercation with one another, the dominating Kyle being the only one left standing. The grand experiment of VHL goon fans is currently underway, with success varying around the league. However it need not be lost on the league that there is one original goon fan, and his name is Kyle from Warsaw. --- 1540 words, claiming 4/6, 4/13, 4/20

This is really cool. I love the video spliced in with the graphic, it would be cool for a player page or something like that on a team website. I really don't have anything negative to say about this graphic at all, and I think it is wonderfully done. I'm hoping to see more of this graphic around the league! 10/10

I really like the concept behind this graphic. What really sticks out to me is your play with the colors, especially around the border of the whole thing. I also really like the black and white wood in the background, nice detail. All around, I think this is a pretty good graphic and gives some great ideas for future ones. 7/10

Answer: 1. I'm looking forward to taking my kids camping again! 2. So far it isn't too bad. Cunningham is getting a little better, and Saskatoon is holding their own. 3. None, I'm married to a non-celebrity ha! Questions: 1. What's a summer activity that your player likes to do? 2. If your player could only eat at one restaurant, what would it be? 3. Does your player believe the earth is flat? If yes/no, state why.

Cunningham is a man who has hardly ever explored food outside of what his own mama has cooked. That usually consisted of some beef, mashed potatoes, and some assortment of vegetables. Now that Cunningham has moved to the city of Saskatoon, he's begun to experience a few new things. For example, the team chef recently prepared a dish called "Ox Tail Soup," which was incredibly spicy. That didn't really bother Cunningham at all. One day, Cunningham decided to explore the city a bit. A recent article about Cunningham finding a trampoline park left out a major part: Cunningham first found a Mexican restaurant. He walked in, curious, and asked if they had "microwaveable nachos," which is about the closest Cunningham has ever come to some style of Mexican food. The waitress laughed of course and said, "I'll help you, hijo." This was when Cunningham was introduced to something that would change his world: a beef chimichanga. It really was love at first bite: the deep-fried goodness, the oozing queso, the perfectly seasoned beef. It was everything he ever wanted, and something he could never imagine. He downed two of them, a few dishes of refried beans, and found himself singing along to a Spanish rendition of Sweet Home Alabama, as best as he could. From this point forward, Cunningham has only asked for one thing from the Wild chefs, a chimichanga.

Titus Cunningham, the rookie defenseman of the Saskatoon Wild, has noticed a few areas of deficiency in his game over the last 36 on-ice faceoffs with teams around the VHLM. One of the most glaring issues with Cunningham is that his West Virginia attitude sometimes seems to get in his way, causing him to lose his cool on the ice. Usually, he does fine with concealing the inner frustration and rage; however, he sometimes lets it slip out. In a recent game, Cunningham was seen delivering a heavy slash to a player who was nowhere near the play on the ice. When asked why he issued such an aggressive retaliation, Cunningham said, "He insulted my mother." It appears that word has been getting around the league that the West Virginia native is not too keen on his family, especially his mother, being on the lips of others. While teams have been capitalizing on this truth, the powerplay usually comes at the cost of the health of the player that Cunningham lets his rage out on. It's obvious then that Cunningham will need to learn how to control that West Virginia anger he tends to carry. Otherwise, it may well end up costing him some spots in the future VHL draft, and not only that, more losses for Saskatoon. While this is a big issue, it isn't actually the worst one. Cunningham's game could improve drastically if he could improve one thing: his conditioning. By all means, Cunningham is a healthy young man with an impressive presence. He's quick, agile, and strong, which causes the other players around him to almost gawk. The problem is that he can't keep that up for longer than a few shifts, it seems. Cunningham's conditioning has left him skating in quicksand rather than preventing breakaways. It's caused him to shuffle on the ice rather than speed past other defenders when he's on the breakaway. Which, of course, has led him to get frustrated and take more penalties...it's a problem for sure. After being approached about this issue by his head coach, Cunningham began to do some research. First, he started with sprints, then interval training, and then marathon distance running, but none of it worked. Then, he saw something he'd never seen before when exploring Saskatoon: an inside trampoline park. When he first walked in it was if his lights finally turned on. "This is it!" he explained, "This is how I'll get into better shape." He immediately bought a season pass for the park and began to get to work. Understanding his reasoning, and because the local owner is a Wild fan, he was able to get in early every day and put in a total of 7-8 miles of conditioning exercises on the trampolines. It included sprints, jumping, acrobatics, aerobics, and, on some occasions, coordinated trampoline dancing, like Zumba. Naturally, Cunningham's inner wrestler would appear, and he'd teach a wrestling class to prepare future professional wrestlers for their time on the mat. While it's only been a few days since Cunningham began his new regiment, he and his coaches are incredibly hopeful that it'll work him hard, keep him fit, and strengthen his conditioning.

This is a pretty phenomenal media spot. It's unique, has great data points, and is easy to understand. I like the implementation of the graphic at the top and the breakdown of the data. It's not written in an overly complicated format and is very informative! Well done! 10/10

This is fantastic! I absolutely love the player cards that are being made, and I think they bring a nice touch to the graphics world here in the VHL. One subtle detail in this graphic that stands out to me is the shadow behind the card, which makes it look like it's raised off the surface and has a light on it. I really like that detail! Also, great job with the logo swap! 10/10

@Dadam30

Claiming for 3/23

@GioSivo

This is an incredibly clean graphic. One thing about the logo swap is that it's pretty easy to tell it's been cut off in editing. You might be able to manipulate it a bit and have it appear to stick more closely to the natural lying of the jersey. But, everything else is really good. The color swap is real nice. Like others said, bringing in some text might be helpful, or exploring some vignettes and lighting adjustments to make it further "your own." 9/10