JCarson

Article Review: Following the Janser brothers for the last few seasons has been a great part of the VHL experience. With them retiring it will definitely change the VHL. Thanks for the great reads throughout the seasons. We look forward to the future commentary. Keep up the great work and good luck Marcel on the remainder of the playoffs. Both players are definitely deserving of the praise they have received in the league. I give this article a 9/10. Hopefully there will be one last article giving these two a proper sendoff.

Fun article, I really believe Ducky should do more interviews. He seems like a natural in front of the microphone. With the number of top player retirements and the shifting of players around the league it is going to be a much different VHL in season 90. The next 10 seasons are going to belong to another group of players, potentially a player like Wolanin can help lead a younger team to the next level. It will be interesting to see what happens and how Wolanin gets to finish his career. I give this article a 9/10

There has been a small rumbling in the league about unfair treatment of defensively minded players, especially among defensemen, when it comes to evaluating them for awards and Hall of Fame induction. If you look at an individual like Marcel Janser who very much plays in the shadow of his offensively gifted brother Daniel and anyone in the league would tell you that Daniel is the better player. But is he? While they played together it was hard to deny that Daniel provided a strong offensive dominance to the Calgary lineup, put him together with players like Wolanin and Goncalves and the number spoke for themselves. Nobody denies that Daniel is a great hockey player But somewhere in the background sat Marcel a defensive defenseman who was nothing but strong and reliable. While the offensive core was wheeling around the ice taking chances and making plays that most teams would not have considered, they were only able to do that because when things went wrong, they had the defensive specialist of Marcel Janser to dig them out of the mess. Now when Marcel left Calgary, that created a situation where we could see the value that Marcel provided and everyone underestimated. Marcel went to London, playoff cursed London and what happened? Season 88 became a year where the Continental Cup was one purely based on defense, London played a strong defensive game, backstopped by a spectacular goalie and a strong outing by Marcel Janser. They did everything to steal the Cup by stopping any opportunity the other teams had to score. Now we sit in Season 89 playoffs and in his retirement year Daniel Janser is now sitting back, career completed, watching as his brother continues to play. Prague continues their push after eliminating Moscow. We will see if Marcel can backstop a third team to Continental Cup glory. Then maybe, the league will wake up to the value of the defensive powerhouse and potentially accept that the better Janser brother has always been Marcel.

An interview with Molly the Cat, postseason discussion . Molly the Cat, thanks for speaking with us. I wanted to get your opinion on season 89. How did you think it went? Season 89 went well, it had a few rough patches, but given the circumstances we had a strong showing. The first target each year is to make the playoffs and we did that. The second target is to win the championship, that we fell short of but realistically that is a very tough thing to do in this league multiple years in a row. The caliber of players in this league limits the ability for teams to have multiyear championship runs. The last target is always personal achievement; I had a good season, but it could have been better. I would have to say that my defensive game has improved drastically, as a team we let in a lot less goals this year than many teams, but I need to pick up the offense. Things just did not connect this year as they did previously, I am going to spend some time this offseason trying to put the offensive game back together. There is rumor around the league that you were nursing an injury for most of the season, is that true? Let's be honest, every player in the league takes bumps and bruises every night, those who are top performers learn to play through those minor ailments and continue to perform. There were a few games I had to work through the pain, but I am not going to use that as an excuse for my production this year. Simply put I didn’t get it done like I should have. As the captain of this team, I am going to take responsibility for my own performance and do what is required to change it. I have this offseason to put things bac together, I am going to be working with the team training staff and you are going to see a much stronger, more focused player next season. Molly the Cat, we look forward to seeing a renewed and more focused player. Speaking of players, the league has had a notable change occur over the last couple of years, retirements have significantly altered the landscape. With significant changes occurring tell us how you feel that will impact your game? The top players in the league are significantly different than when I started, which will have a tremendous impact on some teams. You can’t take a player like Daniel Janser out of the league without impacting the entire North American Conference. You add on top of that players like Leduc, Miglaskems, Jones, Biggie Cheese, Pearce, Hogan 2, and Marcel Janser, and with that level of talent leaving all at once you begin to rewrite the very nature of the league. There is a new reality starting to be created when it comes to performance, I think we will begin to see some new names emerge as perennial performance leaders. I am excited for some of the younger players, someone like Leonard Triller who had a strong season this year may get the boost he needs to sit in the top 10 next season. Molly the Cat, thanks for spending some time with us, enjoy your offseason. We look forward to what you will do in Season 90.

1) If London can't win the Championship, which team do you thin should win? 2) Which player on London will have the most points during the playoffs? 3) Wil we win the play in round against Prague? 4) Who in the North American Conference should Make the Championship finals? 5) Will Jesse Teno put up a similar performance in the playoffs as season 88? 6) What is one improvement we should make in the offseason?

Unsubstantiated rumors suggest that Molly the Cat may have been suffering from an arm or hand injury for most of the season. The rumor suggests that in one of the London versus Davos games early in the season, that Defenseman Jake Thunder slashed Molly the Cat in the lower arm region. There was no penalty on the play but if you go back to the broadcast, you can see Molly the Cat grimace in pain as the stick hit. They quickly subbed off and the play continued. Some suggest that injury impacted Molly the Cat throughout the year which may have led to the performance results in season 89. Mooly the Cat was spotted leaving the team doctors office yesterday afternoon, one reporter was able to ask a few questions before Molly the Cat got in their car and drove away. Based on that interview Molly the Cat states that the doctor’s visit was just a routine examination prior to the playoffs starting and that Moly the Cat is feeling great and is excited about season 89 post season. Was this doctor’s visit just routine or was it to investigate a long-standing injury, I do not know if we will ever find out. Hopefully, Molly the Cat is feeling great and can return to the form they were in for the Season 88 playoffs as the London United could use a boost to their offensive play. Their defensive play is in good form, but they are going to need a few more goals if they are going to hoist the Continental Cup for a second year in a row.

Molly the cat played tour guide this week as their brother and sister-in-law came to visit London. In between games they spent some time at Molly the Cat’s new place, but they also spent some time traveling around the city looking at the sights. After Molly the Cat’s brother and sister-in-law adjusted for the time change, they went on a bus tour of London to view the overall sights and the city. Over the next few days, they travelled around town visiting particular locations. I was able to meet up with them and ask about their visit. When asked this is what they said about these attractions The British Museum – Don't get me wring this is a fantastic place with many amazing educational displays. Yet there is a part of the history of museums that frustrates me. Taking objects of historical value away from the countries from which they originated to be owned by someone else. I know that much of that history is being corrected and historical artifacts are now being returned to their place of origin, but that theft was still there, justified as an educational pursuit. The Tower of London – This amazing castle stands within the city and has stood witness to the monarchy for centuries. It is amazing that something as old as this structure can stand in such regal defiance to time. Unfortunately, on the day we toured this facility, there were many tours that took place. The entire place was crowded, and it was difficult to see everything. As we would learn later that seems to be something common when visiting the tourist areas of London. London Eye – If you want to get a bird’s eye view of London to see the grand display of the city, then the London Eye is something you don’t want to miss. The view of the city at night is amazing. The view during the day is amazing as well. Definitely something we would recommend to anyone visiting the city. Tower Bridge – A fantastic feat of engineering marvel, this working lift bridge allows for both nautical travel and street travel within the city. Being able to tour the facility and learn how it works left us in awe. Taking the time to sit nearby and watch as the bride rises was a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, there are only so many of the various sights that can be discussed within one article. So, I will make note that Molly the Cat and her family enjoyed the sights and sounds and tastes of London immensely. They wanted me to make sure that I indicated that the people of London are fantastic hosts and were kind and generous to them as they went about the city. They wanted to make sure we expressed their gratitude to everyone. If it wasn’t for the wonderful people of London the overall experience would have been less enjoyable as the weather was either extremely wet or extremely hot, sometimes both. Although for a visit to England during the summer months that is not atypical.

Article Review: Well written article, a nice balance between humility and personal drive s depicted within this piece of writing. The focus on the players dream of reaching the VHL Hall of Fame and the understanding of what it will take to get there. Good luck in your quest for personal glory. There are a lot of great teams standing in your way, but as London proved in Season 88, sometime it just takes a couple players to step up and you can see amazing results. I give this article an 8/10

Article Review, this article is made up of sentences. There are thoughts and some of them may even be coherent. None of them seem to be associated with each other and definitely there is no transition from one through to another. Yet the author warned us from the get go that the was going to be a collection of things written for the sole purpose of documenting 500 words and getting their media spot completed. I will just accept this as being completed. I give this article a 7/10

Happy Birthday VHL. Only 3 more years and you can legally drink in Ontario.

It is getting more difficult to come up with questions so this week we are going to play the game, would your rather? 1) Would you rather eat fruits or vegetables? (thought I would start off easy) 2) Would you rather be 10 feet tall or 2 feet tall? 3) Would you rather play tennis or golf in the offseason? 4) Would you rather have green skin or blue skin? 5) Would you rather have to use only mustard or only ketchup as a condiment? 6) Would you rather live in a pink house or drive a pink car?

I interviewed Molly the Cat this week, after hearing rumors about their activities. Molly the Cat, rumor around town is that you were out house shopping this week. Can you tell me if that is true and if it is, was it successful? Yes, I was out house shopping this week. I felt that since I have been in London now for 5 seasons and am signed long term that it was far overdue. Probably something I should have done a couple of years ago when I resigned. As for the success of the endeavor, I am still waiting for that. At this point I have identified a couple of options and have put in an offer for each. I will be happy if I get either. Must admit that houses in London, England are much more costly than what I was used to back home. I should know by the end of the day what my next steps are. I won’t be leaving my current place right away, both options I was looking at I would want to do some renovations before I moved in. Need to make the place my own. Nothing major but a few updates. Molly the Cat, can you give us a little insight into some of the renovations you would be considering? As a professional hockey player there are a couple of things that are important to me, one obviously is to have a place to house the various awards and memorabilia that I have collected and plan to add to as my season continues. I will also include a work area in that zone of the house to allow me to respond to fan mail, deal with contractual documentation. You know normal hockey business stuff. The second area I will be working on is a full gym. Even on off training days I like to do a light workout, if I don’t have to go to the arena to do that it will save me time that I can use elsewhere. Obviously in addition I will do some upgrades to the kitchen and bathrooms. Molly the Cat, tell me about your decoration style? I am not sure that I am tied into only one style for my decoration preferences. Obviously the more technically related rooms, media room, home gym, will have a modern industrial sort of style. the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom I tend to go more modern farmhouse. I think it will be a little eclectic once it is finished. Now I am not very hands on with these things. I did hire a designer to take care of it. I have many skills but choosing materials, colors, and textures isn’t one of them. I feel like I am in good hands with my designer. We have had several conversations and I feel like she understands what I am trying to achieve overall with the house. Molly the Cat, please keep us informed on how the house hunt is going. We would appreciate the opportunity to do a full article on the house once it is completed. I believe your fans would appreciate the opportunity to see how you live.

Article Review: Like usual the quality of the articles put out regarding the Janser Brothers are fantastic. The depth of story telling, the realness of the emotion all add to the fantastic careers that these two have had. How the story will progress, if we will have new players to follow. We will need to wait and see. It will be interesting to see where things go. Congratulations on a fantastic, Hall of Fame worthy career. Good luck on the remainder of the season. I give this article a 10/10, not sure there would be any way of improving this article.

Article review, the color scheme of this article makes it hard to read. However once you get past that it is a unique twist on a player retirement and recreate. Good luck with your new player, hopefully you get the VHLM offers you are looking for and you can be drafted to a great team. With all the changes going on over the last 2 years with the top goalies and now top forwards all retiring this may work out as a great time to be starting. I give this article and 8/10 as it was hard to read in the forum.

It was a dark and dreary Saturday afternoon; the rain had stopped but an intense humidity hung over everything. It could only be described as heavy and suffocating. Molly the Cat sat at their desk typing away, writing a short story for some others to read. Unknown readers who could be anywhere in the world linked together by a common internet forum. Molly the Cat was finding it difficult to produce something interesting, something catchy, a twist that would make the readers connect. Molly the Cat, frustrated that the words wouldn’t come, sat with their head resting on their hand. Suddenly, Molly the Cat heard a noise outside. Bounding from the chair they rushed to the window to see what would be there. To their amazement it was a black car coming into the driveway. Who could it be, what did they want, an endless number of questions raced through Molly the Cat’s mind. Intently Molly the Cat waited at the window, trying to see through the tinted glass at who may be coming to their house. The car came to a complete stop and waited, it sat for what seemed like an eternity. Molly the Cat waited as well, a level of anticipation rising, a level of fear also rising. Hurriedly Molly the Cat’s mind whipped through the many options. Potentially, it was a hitman hired by one of the other teams sent to take Molly the Cat out so that they couldn’t help London United win any other games, or maybe it was a delivery driver stopping to drop off one of the various things Molly the Cat had ordered during Amazon Prime Day. Then just as mysteriously as the car arrived, it backed out of the driveway and sped off down the street. It appears to be someone just turning around and Molly the Cat’s driveway was accessible.

@Gustav I am not sure I am decided one way or the other. What I do know is we need to make a decision and stop the discussion about if it should be done. We either do it now or do it never and focus on establishing the E as an integrated and valuable part of the league structure. The fact you reference the BOG conversation and the planning that took place to allow for the E to be removed when necessary kind of proves my point that the E has always been seen as temporary since it was established. The continual call to remove it is by nature what it was designed for. Now the other side of the argument. The VHLE could have significant potential if we wanted it to. 1) It has the ability to help increase the competitiveness in the VHL. In my opinion a two league system allows to large a spread between top ranking players and low level players in the VHL. If you get rid of the E and increase the VHLM cap to 350 that still means you have the potential TPA range of 351 to 1350ish in the VHL. The bottom players don't have a chance to complete at those levels. If the VHL is meant to be the elite league it should be looking at levels closer to 650-1350. Yes this creates an entire issue with Cap room, and filling in the lower level players (but that could be addressed) 2) VHLE has some of its issues because it hasn't been managed in a way to stimulate retention. As the VHLM did a couple seasons ago I think the VHLE needs to take a hard stance on the GM of the teams and set expectations. retention should be a goal, good player scouting should be a goal, player engagement in locker rooms should be a goal, assisting players to continue growing should be a goal. That said the league needs to make those goals attainable. Which may mean taking a hard stance on inactive players and removing them from teams so that active players can shine. 3) If a structure something like VHLM 0-350 TPE, VHLE 351-650 TPE and VHL 650+ were established it will create an issue in that many people now don't hit the 650 threshold. Why is that, potentially it is a result of the VHL creating very stringent TPE earning opportunities. So why not fix that. Honestly a player who only does welfare weekly should be able to achieve a TPE of 650 within 4-5 years, top players would be able to earn more based on added activity. If we restructure TPE point systems in that manner by adding additional tasks/increasing compensation for tasks with limits obviously. But if a player could earn 15 TPE per week capped and up to 5-10 uncapped. We may have some of the super active get slightly higher TPE than usual but it would be manageable. This quicker rise to being a stronger player may even add to the retention as people will feel they are accomplishing something. Those are just some initial thoughts, I know there would be plenty to work out but I don't have the time to finish restructuring everything while I should be working. My point is there is an ability to put together something with 3 leagues that can't be done with two that will increase retention, increase engagement and increase the competitive levels at each stage. And will work regardless of someone being a welfare earner or a max earner. I am not overly concerned about keeping a system that supports and encourages inactivity.

True you never used the word temporary, that was my interpretation of the statement you made. "As odd as it sounds nuking the league has a whole is far easier, by design, than nuking teams post-expansion." As humans we tend to think of things in relation to time. Those things that we deem temporary we tend to design in a manner that allows them to be easily removed, stored and potentially used later. Things that are permanent we don't design with the ability to easily remove. The fact that those who designed the VHLE to be easier to nuke tells me that those who chose to put it in place knew there may be a time it was no longer needed, it had a temporary use. As I learn more about the league I become more aware of the wisdom that those in leadership have used to guide the league. To allow for the existence of the VHLE to deal with a large influx of recruits and the eventual dismantling of it when the proper time came took great wisdom. To accept an answer that took more work, more guidance, more of themselves when the easiest answer would have been to simply add a team or two took significant forethought, dedication and wisdom in looking at the issue they faced. So no you didn't use temporary in your statement, I will reword for you. By great wisdom the VHLE was designed knowing that an end to its existence may be required and based on this design, people have clung to that aspect and so keep calling for it to reach its natural conclusion, as was designed. As such I would suggest that redesigning the VHLE as a fully functional and integral part of the entire VHL experience would allow for the sum of the 3 parts to be more valuable and a greater experience than the 2 pieces that would remain if the VHLE was dismantled. I am even more convinced that Gustav's analytics could be used to prove this point to a greater degree than he has concluded that the VHLE could and should be dismantled and put away for a time when it might be used again.

1) You have been appointed the pre game snack guru, you must pick 3 of your teammates and 3 different pieces of fruit, give each of the chosen teammates one of the pieces of fruit for a snack. 2) An extremely horrendous odor has presented itself in the locker room, more than likely it is the smell of someone's skates. Who's skates smell the worst in the locker room? 3) You have the opportunity to play a prank on one of your teammates, what prank are you pulling and on which teammate? 4) Molly the Cat a few seasons ago, created a charity program where they invite individuals to enjoy a game in one of the boxes, the specially designed box is called the "Litter Box". If you had a personal box at the stadium what would you call it? 5) The chef at the arenas premium restaurant has approached you to co-design a signature dish to be added to the menu, what is your dish and what is it called? 6) The GM has accidentally left his cell phone in the locker room, open and with security decommissioned, what do you do?

If there was ever a more apt title for an article I am not sure you will find it. Please don't ever give Jacob the power to make the final decision on VHL related activities. He will spend money because he can, he will make up all new rule systems and force them on individuals. He would probably fire a number of individuals as well. Do not give this individual the power of commissioner for a day it wil take years to undo what he accomplishes. Fun article, some great ideas and maybe one day you might get to implement at least one of them. I give this article a 9/10

@Gustav , I always enjoy reading your media spots, your long drawn out discussions that are backed with some level of actual factual information or at least a level of modelling that could imply some level of analytical rigor. You came to a conclusion that was as obvious as your article was long. Beketov put it best in noting the VHLE didn't always exist and as part of its design was always positioned so that it could be eliminated if that became necessary. What I would really like you to take on is the analytical perspective of how do we take the VHLE as it is today and model A VHLE that doesn't have the inherent issues that exist today and then look for options to get from current state to ideal state. I truly believe the VHLE has significant ability to add value to the VHL overall structure if it was solidified within the overall organization and operated effectively @Beketovyou noted that the VHLE was designed such that it could be nuked more easily than eliminating expansion teams. Maybe this is part of the reason people are calling for it to be nuked. If it was only to ever be temporary then at some point it is designed to end. If it is going to be nuked at some point it might as well be now. Yet I would argue if we removed the safety net, if the VHLE was solidified into the overall structure such that removing it would be like removing a person's lung (sure it could still be done but only at severe personal harm) then the conversation turns to how do we make the VHLE healthy and thriving. Exactly what it should be. Then maybe people would see the benefits it gives both the VHLM and the VHLE. It can be a benefit and I am pretty sure Gustav could prove that with his model as well.

From reading only a few Theme week articles I have noticed a theme (surprise), yet it is not the theme that is the actual topic of theme week which was to be “You are commissioner for a day.” It seems like the theme week has become address the issues with the VHLE. While some would just blow the league up and adjust between the VHLM and the VHL, others would try to make the VHLE a stronger more robust league that adds depth to the VHL overall system. One particularly long and drawn-out article tried to address the topic from a technical approach and instead of just claiming to blow up the VHLE decided to find a mathematical argument as to whether the VHLE could be dismantled. Although any analytical analysis will have its faults based on the assumptions and modelling techniques used, I can accept that it proved that the VHLE could be dismantled. Note that says dismantled and not blown up. The VHLE has several working pieces that would need to be taken apart a little at a time if the league is to be decommissioned. It would have been more thorough if the writer had also focused on the opposite outcome. Could the VHLE be strengthened to create a more elaborate and beneficial complete system, is there proof that would suggest that the VHLE working at top efficiency and effectiveness would strengthen the entire VHL framework. Give people uncontrolled power and they will make uncontrolled decisions. What have I learned from this endeavor; we need to give a lot more respect to those who are in the roll of commissioner for more than a day. They field the worst of our backlash and frustration and yet somehow continue working to make the league a better place.

My condolences on your loss.

Currently undecided about what I think about the theme week topic but have to say it is going to be an easy week to do media spot reviews.

So, it is Theme week again and this time we get to determine what we would do if we were named Commissioner for the Day. Now to be honest I have no clue what the Commissioners do or are responsible for, however you want to put it. So, I figure I will account for the 24 hours I am commissioner assuming my day would be tomorrow, Tuesday July 4, 2023, the day Molly the Cat is Commissioner. As I am not a citizen of the US it is not Independence Day for me, it is a regular Tuesday so that will find me sleeping from Midnight until about 6am at which time my alarm clock will go off. I will begrudgingly get out of bed, use the toilet, shower, and shave. I will then go to the kitchen to make my wife and myself some coffee and sit for a few minutes enjoying some coffee. It is now about 7:30am and it is time to proceed to work. Now this Tuesday, I don’t have any appointments at the office so I will be able to work from home. For the next 10 minutes I will log in through multiple security systems that are meant to make my computer secure but only tend to piss me off. From 7:30am to 4pm minus a short break to eat lunch and potentially another brief stop to again use the bathroom, I will in detail pick my way through various individuals' personal financial information, ensuring that various strategies, tax implications and general financial assumptions are taken into consideration. As a Certified Financial Planner, I assist my clients through the process of building and maintaining strong financial futures. Many would suggest I help the rich stay rich. I would suggest I help people not make stupid decisions; it is surprising how many intelligent people make stupid financial decisions. So now it is 4pm, I will take about 10 minutes to catch up on the news from the day, and then start the process of making dinner, eating dinner, and cleaning the dishes afterwards. Surprisingly, we went from 4pm to 6pm in what felt like the blink of an eye. Just for anyone who was wondering the plan is that dinner will be BLT’s tomorrow, made with Canadian back bacon, crisp garden grown lettuce and mediocre store-bought tomatoes. As I said it is now 6pm and I might have a free moment to do something I enjoy, I expect by now I have received at least one DM from somebody in the league looking for the assistance of the Commissioner. After taking a deep breath I will perform my sworn duties. After reading a long-winded diatribe I realize it is another half thought out suggestion to dismantle the VHLE. Stopping so that I do not use unbecoming words that might get me banned from discord or forum (moron, waste of human skin, brainless oaf, okay deep breath, let it out in a safe place). I sent a response to the well-meaning member reminding them that banning the VHLE, even with all its’ flaws, would cause damaging repercussions throughout the other leagues and is not something that can be done in the blink of an eye. That is what the commissioner should do, but that is not what he will do. You see, by now it is almost 7pm, and I am only commissioner for a day, so all I need to do is get through the next 3 hours until I go to bed, claim my TPE for job pay, and I can effectively spend my 24 hours as commissioner doing nothing. I am going to ignore the ban the VHLE thread, let a bunch of haters pile on more conversations as to why the VHLE should be banned and then about 8:30 I am going to DM Beketov and Spartan and suggest that as more respected Commissioners that they should address this uprising. (Deferring to others is a fantastic way to avoid doing something you don’t want to do.) By now it is 9pm. This brings me to the point of the night that I sit back with a cold drink, a Crown Royal and Coke. I’ll watch a little TV (been watching Firefly) and I will let the last hour cruise by. At 10pm I start to get ready for bed, brush my teeth and read for a little (currently it has been the Wheel of Time series) and by 10:30-11pm I am drifting off to sleep. 6am the next morning will come fast enough, and I need my sleep, or I get grumpy, like eat a Snickers grumpy. So, as Commissioner, I collect my job pay and pat myself on the back for a job well done.

Some fun questions for the weak: 1) Are you afraid of clowns 2) If you are driving in the country and see a field of cows ,do you proclaim COWS 3) What is your favorite chocolate bar 4) Do you prefer your house to be warm or cold 5) Who in your house controls the thermostat? 6) Do you enjoy rainy days