Rōnin

What's that Racket Live Reaction Blog: - Opening song brings me back to being 19, and working front desk at a hotel. All I listened to at that time was pop punk and I would rock out on my headphones on my way to work. - This is one of the first times I've listened pretty much right after you posted so all the numbers and everything you are saying matches what I'm looking at. Which is all to say that it feels more like you're chatting with me live right now, and it's a nice feeling. - Speaking of VHLM stats, Mad Villain had 10 goals and 5 assists in 18 games! I'm loving that. - I do listen to these podcasts for your knowledge AND for the fact that you're ridiculous. - Will Toronto win the draft by drafting me, the Mad Villain!? Time will tell... - Suck on that Calgary - You'll lead the hits category again one day, don't worry. - I wish I could cut out junk food, problem is no one will stop you from buying it, lol - You definitely have a good radio voice, announcing voice, commentary. Nice even sound with good articulation. - Hi! Nice to be back, and fingers crossed we can be on the same team! - Leadership it is! - Once I saw that I was in the same draft class as @OrbitingDeath I knew I wouldn't have a chance at being drafted first overall. That being said, even if he wasn't in my class, I don't think I'm top 5 anymore. We'll see where I land but I love the idea of not knowing. If I could fall to #69, then dreams would really come true. I'm more interested in the destination, as I like to stay where I go... so we shall see. - Now that I've heard your evil plan... holy crap... that is masterful and I'm not sure if I'm evil enough to do it! - Listening to you talk about your boy brings me back to that age, it goes by so fast, but is such a fun and very tiring ride! - If there was one thing I wish we had more where I live is thunder storms, it can be nice to listen to. - People should care about hits instead of looking at it as a downside. I have an idea of what I want Mad Villain to be but I'm going to play it a bit more by ear rather than following a fixed line. - Thank you! Great show Phil, happy to hear you on the site as always, and looking forward to many more going forward.

1. What do Mad Villains do when they're not playing in the VHL? 2. Do Mad Villain's believe in Astrology? 3. What attributes do Mad Villain's believe are the best?

Claiming for week ending 07/06

Hello!! I was so pleased to see we're in the same draft class again, it's going to be a great run coming up!

“The moon climbs high, taking hold of the night’s sky. Cold winds blow in from the Eastern Sea, as crisp as the ocean they sail over. It is the witching hour, and the time to tell the story of the Mad Villain of the Victory Hockey League.” A haunting violin begins to play in the background, adding an eerie feeling that accompanies the narrator. He is from all accounts an elderly man, his face hidden from a cloak that weaves around his entire body. It is hard to determine whether the narrator is a large man or small, as the cloak he dons swirls in the air around him, taking on a life of its own and masking his true identity. “Come my children and sit by the fire… for it is all the warmth you feel on this night.” A scream in the distance cuts through the wind, silencing all for but a moment… only for the howls of wind to flow back and then intermix with the calls of wolves. Hungry beasts in the night, searching for their prey. “Like all evil men, the Villain was born of normal circumstance and chance, only to be doomed by the cycle of abuse that he would learn to crave. Yes, it’s true that he sought out the Victory Hockey League, much like all do in the beginning. But once he was deeply entwined within the inner workings of the League, he became obsessed, and lost in his conquest for power.” A white ghost like spirit rushes past the campfire as it calls out into the night, “Save yourseeeeelf,” the ghost cries out, “Ruuuun while you have the chance!” The narrator watches the ghost come and go, seeming unphased by the experience overall. “That’s just Tom, he’s kind of a buzz kill if you know what I mean? Anyway, as I was saying – watch out! For it is easy to fall for the path of darkness and seek vengeance, but remember, revenge is a dish best served cold and you’ll likely get sick of it after a while. I don’t like a hot plate or anything but give me at least thirty seconds in the microwave.” The narrator pulls from his swirling cloak a pipe, in which he packs with a green tobacco. The narrator lights the tobacco and sucks in a deep and long drag, exhaling a cloud of vibrant green smoke. He then uses his hands to form a really cute dog out of it, it’s a neat trick, and unexpected. You briefly wonder, what other animals can he do? “An elephant… so perhaps you need to know more about this Mad Villain, and what his angles are? I’m not quite sure about his measurements but he’s in fairly good shape and eats a well-balanced diet. Some may say that he is picky, but in reality, some people have allergies… so, yeah. And you know what, cilantro does taste like soap – to him. I happen to love it.” The narrator draws another drag from his pipe, and this time makes true on his word – he forms a cute elephant with his next cloud of smoke. You’re impressed, it’s better than the dog, and now you understand why he opened with that one. You wonder, could there be more? He nods, and you then wonder, how can he read my thoughts? “Stop getting distracted, we’re here to talk about the real threat. The Villain of all ages that will do something to… well… take down the VHL, and to be fair, I’m not sure he’s really nailed down that plan yet.” The narrator holds his hand to his ear, revealing an ear piece that had been planted beforehand. “What’s that? Oh, you DO have a plan? Yes, no, I get it, it’s great. No, no, no, I won’t say what it is.” The narrator looks at you awkwardly, and smiles. “The ol’ ball and chain, know what I mean?” You nod to be courteous but it’s clear what’s going on, this is a marital dispute. You wonder about the wolves out there, in the wild, could they really be that dangerous? If Tom the ghost was a bit of an overdramatic, maybe those wolves just needed a good belly rub? “Excuse me?” Sorry. “Back to where we left off. Trouble times lie ahead, and everyone is in grave danger. The Villain will not be stopped, and he happens to have a lot of henchmen, and money to spend on this. All of which he will be able to write off against his taxes.” The narrator holds up a sign, and it reveals the words, “Help! I’m being held against my will.” Suddenly a magical trap door opens below him and sucks him inside, and after a brief moment, a new narrator appears in a relatively similar cloak – albeit a bit more fashionable and fitting for the modern times. “Be careful what you wish for, VHL’ers! For you may never know who is listening or watching or something else!”

Amazing!! Love this

The Villain comes from an unknown world, and time, from an unknown universe, and planet within that universe that is also unknown. His parents are unknown. Might have siblings? Unknown. What is known about the Villain of course, is that he's bad, and intent on taking down the VHL by infiltrating it through an experimental robotic organic clone like monster player, aptly named the Mad Villain. In terms of his hockey skills, the Villain is absolutely fantastically amazing, and kick ass at everything in regards to being a good hockey player. Such as: Stick to the Face - Mad Villain loves to get his stick up in yo face and cause you to bleed, and then cry about it to the refs. Stick to the Nads - Mad Villain also enjoys inflicting pain by hitting you where the sun doesn't shine, and he won't shy away from physical contact after. Stick to your Mom - No, really, just stick with her, she's a nice lady. Cons Mad Villain does not have a single con and is an exceptional presence wherever he goes. In fact, he's very charming, and usually smells quite nice like aloe vera mixed with vanilla and coco leaves. Okay, well if Mad Villain were to be completely truthful, he might admit to a con, or two. Sure, he likes to take over worlds, and ransom cities for money, but he does have a heart. Yes, he likes furry animals that make cute sounds, and he even enjoys a nice merlot with caviar and a polar bear rug to lie upon. But, even though all of that Mad Villain CAN and WILL get jealous. He believes himself to be the best cook in the history of all time and therefore will outright fight anyone who dares to challenge him, even his teammates. Think you can make the best Swedish meatballs? Think again. I mean, have you even heard of pepper, and don’t even get him started with paprika. What kind of fucked up world is this when you have to try and compete against his Swedish meatballs. So listen, we can make this work, and everything will be fine so long as you respect the cape, and make sure to give Mad Villain a hard hug every now and again. Moving on, let’s get our expectations straight. You will serve the Mad Villain’s wishes and not worry about what sort of scouting report or skills he has. You will make sure to draft Mad Villain and ensure that sesame bagels are on the ready, freshly baked. AND you will, smile when on camera. We’re not doing this again.

The Villain's laboratory is filled with sterile smells and webs of wires. The walls, lined with steel, create a bunker like atmosphere. Cluttered with bizarre equipment are humming machines, control panels, and a massive coil emitting blue arcs. Workbenches are strewn with blueprints, and half-finished prototypes that resemble robots out of a science fiction film. Cylindrical glass tanks contain mutated monsters, and banks of computers display live security feeds from all over the world - including the inner workings of the Victory Hockey League. Pinky, a white lab mouse with a slender body and wide eyes, approaches the Villain cautiously from behind. He has turned them both into mice this week, and while the Villain also resembles Pinky's white color, his body is shorter and more compact. His head... is also exceptionally large, and while the Villain had not anticipated this, he is pleased and flattered by the change. "Excuse me, Overlord of all Evil for Eternity," Pinky speaks up, stating the specific title that the Villain had asked him to address him as. The Villain does not turn back to look at Pinky, and instead, continues to work on his current experiment, "What is it?" The Villain asks him. "Gee," Pinky says, "I was wondering, what we might do tonight?" The Villain whips around quickly, intensity in his eyes, and his fists clenched, "The same thing we do every night," he paused for dramatic effect, "Try to take over the VHL." "But how?" Pinky asks, always in amazement of the evil genius he serves. "My masterplan is simple," the Villain tells him as he motions for Pinky to join his side, and as Pinky does - he spots the Villain's current experiment. It appears to be a clone of a man... a hockey player. "Is that a clone?" Pinky asks. The Villain laughs low and evil like, "You would think it's that simple, but this is more than a clone," the Villain pressed a button alongside his work bench and suddenly the clone like hockey player was zapped with rays of electricity, "It is a harbinger of doom!" The Villain laughs manically, "Prepare to meet your maker, VHL, for this time our plan will not fail," and just like a wrestling promo, the Villain breaks the fourth wall and points at the camera that is filming him and Pinky, "You're going down."

1. Best advice for a forward or center in the VHL? 2. Who should draft me? 3. What sort of evil plan will I enact on the league? (Player name matters here) 4. How's the little one? 5. What's summer like in Ontario? 6. What does an ideal career look like for a VHL forward?

Player Information Username: Tate Player Name: Mad Villain Recruited From: Returning Age: 36 Position: C Height: 80 in. Weight: 242 lbs. Birthplace: Slovenia Player Page @VHLM GM

Thank you so much!

We never talked about producing proof as v.2 stated that 97% did not warrant any further discussion from them and that my next stop on the you're in trouble train would be Fong. I decided to jump off at that point. Also, when I wrote about the possibility of being banned in my response above, I meant a PT ban. A ban is a ban to me - not that it matters in the grand scheme of things but the threat of the ban was a stark reminder that the road to discipline at the VHL ends, for me, at a cold place in hell. See above response but here is the timeline of what happened: 1. I noticed my report lay dormant and reached out to my updater to ask why 2. I got an initial response from the first updater that I had been flagged, and it upset me, so when I reached out to v.2 I was all like, "Get back to me asap because this is BS. This is a good way to alienate a member, blah blah blah." (paraphrasing) 3. So, when v.2 did got back to me they were all like, "You tested 97%, so yeah, that's enough proof for me. You can talk to Fong if you want but PT Ban..." And as soon as I read that I was all like - You're a good man, Spartan, take care!

So, when I got rejected for my scouting report, they were talking about banning me, and suggested I should plead my case with Fong. Life's too short, you know? I've got better things to do than go through that ordeal again. This hobby is supposed to be fun, and honestly, if I were to chat with Fong on Discord right now, he'd probably be pleasant. But here's the thing: I don't trust him to make a decision that won't mess up my life. I mean, let's focus on the word 'affect' here, because Fong is partly why I left in the first place. Sure, he's a nice guy, easy to talk to, smart, and funny. Those are all great qualities, but after our clash over his Mod Mentality, I just couldn't wrap my head around why the league kept him around. Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, but if you go back and really digest what he said and then look at the impact he and his crew have had since the COC revision in Nov 2021, you might see where I'm coming from. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, right? To be fair, things did improve after I left (which is why I felt okay about coming back), but the thought of dealing with Fong's whims again? Nah, not for me. I'm not up for that. So, after I got the rejection, I started writing a response to the league in the comments of my scouting report. But before I could finish, I noticed Fong had left a comment (the first one), and I wondered what it could be. I thought maybe the post had been locked for investigation, but nope, it was still open, and Fong's comment? Total sarcasm, taking a jab at me. For those curious, Fong would've known my PT was denied for AI. His comment praised my "originality," which is why I'm saying it was sarcastic. By the time he left that comment, my report was nearly a week old and buried under other posts. So, he specifically sought out my post just to drop that comment after finding out what happened. Fong isn't known for being active on the forum, so him leaving a comment like that was out of character, and it's pretty obvious he wasn't sincere. Given our history, context is key here. That comment told me everything I needed to know about how fair the process with him would be going forward. This is where the league falls short because, while Fong has his good points and is buddies with a lot of folks, he's just not suited for his role. It's frustrating being told you didn't do something you know you did. So, while the updaters and all will insist AI wrote my report, I can't just accept that and move on. I was chatting with a friend in the league (who's equally awesome, by the way), and he pointed out parts of my report that seemed totally AI-generated, with the sentence structures and all. But the whole time, I'm thinking, "Nope, I wrote that paragraph." Sure, I use software at work to help with grammar and synonyms, but the words and ideas are mine. I was the one sitting there typing out those sentences, and I've been using that software for my whole time here, five years. After our chat, I started thinking, what if I hadn't retired and stuck around? I could stop using those tools when I create stuff, skip the spell check, but would that stop the paranoia when I submit? What if I get flagged again? What if it means dealing with someone like Fong? How much stress do I really need in my life? My scouting report came back as 97% AI-generated. That means I supposedly had almost nothing to do with it, aside from the title. When I read that, my mind was blown. I didn't know whether to laugh or what, but the person telling me was dead serious. And I should say, I respect both the people I dealt with on the updaters' side. The first person who flagged me (I know they've got nothing against me), and the second who denied me is a real asset to the league. But I don't want to rewrite something I put a lot of effort into. I had a blast writing my report and genuinely thought it was some of my best work. Next time I'm on a roll, is it gonna look like AI again? Will it test as AI? What if it's 98%? To all the awesome folks here (including you), who've welcomed me and worked hard to make this place great - you all rock. If you ever wanna chat, hit me up on Discord or over at the SHL. I wish this league a bright and happy future, just don't forget to weed out the bad apples every now and then. Oh, and that nasty bush in the corner? It's killing the grass - get rid of it.

They’ll probably reveal some of it, but listen, I spent more time on my scouting report than I did my bio because I had a vision for it. I spent probably two hours going over it and I was still editing it after I posted it. I was excited to be back. I want to believe the updaters are sincere because I like a lot of them, and I do trust their integrity. However, what can I do with 97%? I would have to galaxy brain my PTs to make sure I don’t do a good job. No thank you. Also, Fong is straight up lying and is taking an opportunity to take a shot at me. First chance he had, he took it. That’s an angry person at their core. No ifs ands or buts about it. He can say what he wants to say, but I see who he is, and so have many who have left this league. Maybe one day the people upstairs will finally do something about it.

For those who believe he is being sincere, he wrote his comment before I finished mine. That means that word of what happened with me traveled behind the scenes (likely on discord) and he found out that I had been denied. So, the first thing he did was come and leave a sarcastic remark above (which is exactly what that was) knowing full well what had already happened behind the scenes with me. This test I have just completed now determines that Fong is an asshole, a bully, and just about the worst person to have ever been appointed moderator of this site. You can kindly go fuck yourself, friend.

Bullying is a great look for you and your role.

For those who will wonder, the updaters say that the above is written 97% by AI. Now, they might respond to this and show you that they ran a test to determine that the 97% was true. I’ve been told that my test was the highest score they’ve ever encountered when running their test to track AI. I find that to be an incredible discovery. I know a few of the updaters, especially some who I suspect reviewed my post. But 97% is a slap in the face, and your test is broken. If they had told me that mine was flagged and showed a reasonable percentage, then I might have bothered arguing with them. But 97%? I don’t care what you post below - I wrote the above, and I was really proud of it. I take pride in what I do, and I’m going to leave my glorious 97% here for all to see what I did. Take care, and thank you for calling me a robot. Adieu

Disregard the above, but you could have imagine what could have been? Take care Phil!

And so here we are, my second week back, and things seem to be going quite well. I’m on Halifax because they had no defensemen when I recreated and so I thought, “Why the hell not?” I am pleased with how my player has been playing in that I seem to be racking up the assists, and I’d love to see that trend continue. I do want Milo to be an offensive contributor and I’m hoping I can achieve that consistently throughout his career. I’ve been getting more into graphics lately and I have a debate in my mind on whether I should put work into another player card today. The reality is that I can spend about an hour trying to make a card for 6 TPE or just hit that welfare button and claim 5 TPE. Good lord, what shall I do? I’ve always been a TPE hungry player, but it is tempting to take the easy way out this week. 163 words

1. Did you know I recreated? 2. What VHL team should draft my player? 3. Should I record a Beketov diss track? 4. What sort of backing beat would you place on such diss track? 5. How can you tell the difference between a good and bad watermelon? 6. Who would your VHL valentine be this year?

I’ve just started to dabble and I’m desperate to learn more. I’m very interested in figuring out how some of you incredible artists do what you do! Way too kind! lol but thank you and I look forward to more attempts. I like the idea of hockey cards for the site so I’m going to try and make them as often as I can.