MubbleFubbles

No I'm not muffins unfortunately! I think with the era you were around most, you'd probably remember me best as YEAH! (The Encarnacion guy).

Ahhh! I was thinking about you the other week! Didn't realize you were one and the same! Great to see you're still here haha! 
 
 

No I'm not muffins unfortunately! I think with the era you were around most, you'd probably remember me best as YEAH! (The Encarnacion guy).

Sass with Stras #26

 
Treat me like a joke and I'll leave you like it's funny.    Things were said. Words were spoken.      Sass with Stras Podcast Question Thread   Songs: Hold On, Be Strong vs Big Poppa - Matoma Remix   This is a division of KnightTime Radio.    Run Time: 33.5 minutes

- Wayne Gretzky is doing fine I guess, happy with his playoff production but I was expecting a bit more during the regular season. Get the feeling he might do better in the E than in the M as I’ve built him predominately on deflecting shots in, but it’s more difficult to make a pure scorer in the M given you can’t separate scoring that much from passing, and if you do it means you have less scoring. 
 
- Been just about keeping up with the max earning although I really need to get back into doing fantasy zones cause I’m missing out since Week 3. Definitely won’t be making the VHL this season, but I’m fine with that, 7 season VHL career is going to lessen the depreciation I face down the line. 
 
- So we've seen some AI graphics and AI Media/Career PTs aplenty, just waiting on the first AI podcast now, Can’t wait to hear Al Pacino tell us all about everything to do with the Virtual Hockey League

Player Information
Username: Will
Player Name: Tommy Shelby
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 22
Position: C
Height: 72 in.
Weight: 180 lbs.
Birthplace: United Kingdom

Player Page
@VHLM GM

I think Jake Thunder for certain, six All-VHL teams is insane consistency.  I would probably go with Jannula for the second but I would have to think about it. 

Funnily enough given the theme, it actually got dropped at the same time we got rid of rewarding TPE for the All-Star game

graphic courtesy by Leandrofg
(stats for Janser, stats for Kagamine)
 
 
The Americans have played 27 games into the season. And their most recent trajectory is not good. The team started well into the season, competing for a place at the sun. Alas, with a 4-6-3 record in the last 13 games, they are one of the worst teams in the league during said period. There is a silver lining though, as through the combined efforts of 36xW and a very solid defence, only the first placed LA Stars have allowed fewer goals then the New Yorkers. Callum delivers as advertised and our correspondent from the Big Apple, Dick Hammer had a chance to talk to the Swiss defender.
 
DH: 'Hey Callum. Thanks for agreeing to meet up with me.'
CGY: 'No worries. I like to work with the press. They can make or break a career in the public eye and I rather have the former than the latter.'
DH: 'The Americans started well into the season but lost a few tight games recently. What is your stance on the situation?'
CGY: 'Well it would be easy to say a streak of bad luck. from the past 13 games we lost eight by one goal difference in mostly low scoring matches. Our netminder gives us a chance to fight every night and it is about time we help him out on the rink. Dude cannot also start scoring goals for us.'
DH: 'There is indeed a blatant lack of scoring going on. It cannot be only bad luck, can it?'
CGY: 'I agree with you. We just do not enough in the enemy zone to reliably win games. We analyzed the games and noticed that we try to play another pass and another one and yet another one until we lose the puck. We try to carry the puck into the net, which rarely works. I am guilty of this as well. As an alternate captain it is my job to lead by example and this is something I will adopt into my play style. I have to take responsibility and shoot more often even if the shooting lane is not perfect. After all, one of our promising prospects, 142 year old Wayne Gretzky told me, that I will miss every shot I do not take.'
DH: 'There is indeed a blatant lack of goals on your score sheet.'
CGY: 'And it bothers me to the moon and back. After the solid start we had into the season, I expected to have the odd goal against my name, but so far a big fat zero. We addressed that in the debriefings after the games and the coaching staff and I work on this. I cannot be an offensive free loader and push the scoring to others.
DH: 'Let's talk about something more positive then. Your physical play so far has been exemplary, not only for a rookie but in general. You put veterans of the league with a similar play style like Calgary's Phil Strasmore to shame.'
CGY: 'It is nice to be compared to the greats of the game, but I think I am nowhere near his level... yet. The dude has a cup ring to his name and was a staple for the Wranglers' blue line for as long as I can remember.' 
DH: 'So is there anything more you are not happy about in your game?'
CGY: 'There are areas where I have some catching up to do, as I only started playing competitively in my twenties. But it would not do to spill the beans and give the opposition a leg up, would it?'
DH: 'Understandable. That were all the questions I had. Thanks and good luck.'
CGY: 'Thanks for having me.'
 
Here are the stats for the rookie back duo, wearing the New York uniform:
CGY: 27gp, 0g, 14a, 14pts, -6, 85 PIM, 102 hits, 42sb, 1 First Star nomination, 1/3 fights won, 2/3 fights tied
Rin: 27gp, 4g, 3a, 7pts, -10, 6 PIM, 7 hits, 42sb
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/142737-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xi-regular-season-end/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/142903-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xii-round-one-accomplished/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/143134-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xiii-settling-in-in-new-york/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/143547-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xiv-another-title/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/144188-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xv-first-games-as-a-murican/
 
 

The very first thought that comes to my mind when I see someone getting banned for using AI is: "They finally got them! Someone has been cheating for a while, and now they finally got caught". In my mind, that is how you would use AI, you would do your best to be subtle and hide the fact that you have used AI, but then again, I guess that goes against the whole idea of using AI, more than likely you would spend more time and energy hiding the use of AI than for example writing a 500-word article in VHL.
 
As I happened to notice the latest ban thread update about the use of AI, I was curious about what kind of work was submitted. I wanted to see if would I be able to tell the article is written by AI. What I discovered left me disappointed but also impressed in a way.
 
Link to article.

The first thing you notice is the wall of text. The user here did not have the time and decency to put spaces between paragraphs. More than likely they used AI to create the content with their phone. They just copy pasted the text, and that was that. I am picturing the user was sitting in some office bathroom, hiding from their boss. To distract themselves from the smell and noises coming in from other stalls, they decided to create a VHL article with whatever AI tool they found. If you read the first few sentences, it seems almost impossible for someone with the ability to write like that not to put spaces between the paragraphs.  

The name "The Flying Guardian" is used in the title of the thread. This nickname was almost surely created by the AI. The first time you see "The Flying Guardian" being mentioned is in the second paragraph, so the user here went through the text in the hopes of finding something to use for the title. I think this decision is gross. We all know coming up with something fun and interesting for the title is not easy,  but to not even create the title of the thread by yourself? Gross.
 
Later on, they added references to VHL, VHLM, and Houston Bulls with the following:
 
"As the VHLM draft approached, Benson's name began circulating in conversations among scouts and analysts. Many were intrigued by the prospect of having a goaltender who could bring a new level of excitement to the game. On draft day, the hockey world held its breath as Benson's name echoed through the arena. The Houston Bulls, known for their innovative approach to the game, selected him in the third round, much to the surprise of those expecting a more traditional choice. "
 
I am 75% sure the user wrote portions of this part on their own and then added it in. For example: "The Houston Bulls, known for their innovative approach to the game", the part in the end: "to the game" does not sound like something AI would say. Also, the place where the text is added appears to be in the middle of a paragraph that gets interrupted by the text talking about the VHLM draft. This is an interesting choice. It shows the user did not take the time to read through the article completely in the end. But then again the lack of spaces could also explain the odd position of the VHLM quote.
 
It is easy to judge now that I have been told the work is written by AI, but based on the little experience I have with AI, if I had been tasked to judge whether the text was written by AI or not, I would give it to the AI. It appears to be so obvious.
 
Beyond the AI content, what I find the most interesting is the fact this user did not have to create this article. They have been claiming "Affiliate 12" from the start.  They did not have to create an article to earn extra TPE for their player now. The only reason, in this case, to create the article so early was to let VHL know a bit more about the player and the user behind the player. I think showing they are invested in the league is nice, and exactly what the league needs from newer users. When you then on top of that add the ability to claim affiliate 12 TPE every week, this player almost certainly had first-round pick potential AND, more importantly, the potential to be a top-level VHL player.
 
With the use of AI, they managed to tank their draft stock quite nicely. The level of care and thinking shown in the creation of the article shows it is only a matter of time before they do something to mess up the "affiliate 12" earnings in the other league. They are now seen as a risky pick. This is also exactly what the league needs. Who is going to be brave enough to pick the player, and when they might be picked? Who is going to see the "affiliate 12" earnings week after week, and think to themselves: "Sure, they had a one-week TPE ban, but that was a month ago, and they have still earned "affiliate 12" ever since!" ?
 
I think the fact they could earn 12 TPE from affiliate and still, they decided to use AI is what tanks the draft stock more than the actual use of AI, which is interesting. Sure, the article in question here is a biography article for a career point task, but we rarely see something like this in VHL. If this was just a regular point task-earning user who tried to cut corners and got punished for it, by the draft time, you would have questions, but would you still be as convinced the user is going to mess it all up in the future? Maybe the affiliate 12 TPE and what it means, the potential, at least in my mind, the user here is almost surely going to mess it up in the future. Who does something like this? You basically have the 12 TPE, you have it, go post it and do the career task later, but they decided to post an article written by AI.
 
I hope the user and player continue to be "active", so we get to see what the future brings. It is stories like this that make VHL so fun and exciting. It is stories like this that show the power of AI, it can create a cloud of mystery on top of the people who use AI; what are they capable of doing? What ARE they going to do next? That is fun.
 
 
(1038)
 
14.1 - 21.1
22.1- 28.1
 

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

Well, 10,390th.. I've been subtley keeping track of when I would hit this milestone after seeing that I would hit it with Analfist, my 9th player. I thought about doing a full media spot, but I doubt anyone really wants to read about each of my players. So this is what the timeline looks like, and how I reached 10,000 TPE...
 
S30 - Ethan Osborne 1212 TPE
S38 - Jake Wylde 1116 TPE
S48 - Unassisted 1249 TPE
S52 - Rhett DeGrath 1286 TPE
S57 - Ike Arkander 772 TPE
S60 - Bryce Zhields 281 TPE
S69 - Benny Graves 1520 TPE
S78 - Hard Markinson 1786 TPE
S88 - S.nubbed Analfist 1166 TPE
 
Kind of crazy to see it typed out. I've been super fortunate in having players that have done well in the sim, but obviously earning at a max rate does help. Shoutout to all the members that I played with/for during this time. What a wild ride. It's really crazy to think I hit Wylde's TPE already with my current player, but obviously these were different times. I still hate that I went inactive with Zhields, but it was right during the time of my first kid, and just going through a lot of things personally that took me away from the league for a bit. In my head I was always away for much longer than what I actually was. Technically, if I had played out that career, Graves would have been created the same time organically. It's hard to say what my favorite player has been, I've had so many different experiences. I am excited to play out my career and then hopefully recreate for the S100 class with my 10th player - which will be an ode to my first player and my son who was born on the 10th and it was my hockey number growing up.
 
Anyways, this is what 10,000 TPE looks like. I'm sure there are a few other members that have this like OD, CIA, BOOM, Bek, Frank, Phil, and probably more?

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

Player Information
Username: Blakemac22
Player Name: Murray Connolly
Recruited From: YouTube
Age: 18
Position: C
Height: 71 in.
Weight: 168 lbs.
Birthplace: Afghanistan

Player Page
@VHLM GM

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Lando10 will receive a 2 week TPE Ban starting W/E Jan 28th for creating multiple players using multiple accounts. 
 
The users @Celly_17 and @Sidthekid_87 will be permanently banned and their players (Macklin Celebrini and SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY) will be set for retirement.

User @Benson has received a 1 week TPE ban (01/14/2024 to 01/21/2024) for violation of the VHL Code of Conduct section 1.2 in regards to the usage of AI in point tasks.

It should be no surprise that with the new feature of technology, AI, becoming more powerful than before people are now trying to incorporate it into their everyday lives and cut corners. From someone fulls time job, to school work, and now to VHL articles. Most of the recent bans have been because people have violated the COC by using AI to write almost their entire media spot. I get to see a little bit more than the average user behind the scenes on the situation, and props to our PT head and updaters for being mostly on top of it. I understand why someone would want to use AI to write their articles, but then what's the point really, you don't get the feeling of pride and curiosity after publishing your article or podcast and seeing what people might respond with. I think that's a large part of the VHL experience, especially now that the role playing has died down. Sure I've got job pay every week, but when I don't I fall back onto podcasting, it's the most for sure time taking task for the week, 15 minutes. Every time I record one it's just spitballing my current thoughts on various topics which is fun and has saved me from falling asleep while driving to many times. I genuinely think podcast's are underrated now, and want to listen to more. I love that the forum also has a spotify link to a playlist of podcast (though it hasn't been updated since like 2022, plz bring it back)

Wayne Gretzky is undoubtedly the best hockey player to ever play the game and as we all know, you don't get to that level without putting in a lot of hard work. However, there have been concerns raised as to how Gretzky is going about "improving" himself while he makes his comeback from 17 broken everythings. 
 
The first of these concerns came following Wayne Gretzky's interview with NBC Radio (which is absolutely a thing, I didn't just put a large american broadcasting network in front of Radio and hope that it's a thing) which was all going perfectly fine and Wayne Gretzky was perfectly cooperative and charming interacting with the hosts. However after one of the hosts seemed to be indicating they were ending the interview after a 35 minute interview, Gretzky flipped out. He yelled out "How the fuck am I supposed to improve with a 35 minute podcast, are you fucking kidding me? We've got three people here, we need to go for fucking 40 mins you fucking shit-for-brains sack of shit!" That drama did lead to the interview going for 40 minutes and Gretzky was ecstatic after that was reached, seemingly unaware of the state of shock he had sent the rest of the recording studio into. 
 
There were then reports about Wayne Gretzky suplexing an 8 year old child in the streets of San Diego and taking the child's iPad. Gret\zky, seemingly unaware that he had badly hurt the child, then proceeded to type on the iPad and when confronted by strangers about what he'd done to the child said "Listen here shit sandwiches! It's Sunday, I need to get my 150 words in otherwise how the fuck am I going to improve, huh? You wouldn't know because you aren't an athlete, you aren't at my level! Fuck you and fuck off!" Once Gretzky had completed his task, he was once again very happy and gleefully gave the child back his iPad, although the child wasn't able to respond at the time given the amount of pain they were in having broken their back. 
 
Finally Wayne Gretzky was seen in the betting shops of Las Vegas betting on VHL, VHLE and VHLM teams were going to win in the coming week. When he was confronted by fellow betters as to the legalities of betting on games within his sport and even his own league, Gretzky was furious. He yelled "Look here dumbass of dumbasses! This is uncapped ok? Uncapped! Do you understand what that means? That means, shitbag, that this is the only way that I'm going to get ahead of my competition! If I don't do this, I'm just a norm-max capping dickhead, do you think Wayne Gretzky is just a norm-max capping dickhead? Huh?!" 
 
While we didn't get any formal written reports on other actions he's partaken in, there are other reports suggesting he went to local art galleries and called everyone's work inadequate and participating in local pub trivia then threw a tantrum when he got a question wrong saying he'd need to do a Game Recap to make up for it.