A Sense of Nostalgia

[Phil 5,129]

I'm not very nostalgic. At least, I think I'm not. I've never reflected on this before (hoho!)

 

But I think the combination of writing that Smalling Hall of Fame article, the VHL's 7th birthday, Knight actually not being here for a summer, and my own crossroads with my life has caused me to look back to different days.

 

I remember first creating a player in Season 12 or so. I don't actually remember the player's name. I had a different user name though - creamcheese.

 

David forced me to write a couple of articles for the player. I actually teased him about being on a virtual sim league. That's so ghey (here in a time where gay actually just meant uncool and had nothing to do with sexuality). He kept defending it, saying it was loads of fun. I was always ready to dismiss those types of comments.

 

I quickly went inactive and watched as David wasted many hours writing these fake articles for fake players with his internet nerd fake friends. All I wanted to do was go outside and play soccer, baseball, basketball, road hockey, even fucking mini-sticks with him (and no, there's nothing wrong with mini-sticks, I'd just rather run around than scrap up my knees of the carpet). "I just gotta finish this article, bro" he would always said, causing me to shoot my mouth about the league.

 

Then towards the end of Season 16, I finally semi gave-in and watched over his shoulder as he checked his stats. David Henman played for the Madrid Thunder at the time. As ludicrous as it was to have a hockey team in Madrid, I couldn't help but be drawn to it. As he checked his stats, I noticed he was first in assists - in prime position to win the Mikita Trophy (I think the name's been changed to Beketov Trophy now - top assists). His player was destroying. All the while, David continuing to try to talk up the league.

 

And so it was in the summer of... I don't actually remember, but probably 5 years ago, I created my first player. Phil Gerrard, under the username of ssdd911 - Same Shit Different Day, a motto I've been using since reading Stephen King's DreamCatcher.

 

I still had to be forced to write my first article. I actually have video evidence of it somewhere! It was shaping up to be another failed attempt to recruit me until I read a post from CoachReilly telling me he wanted to claim me for the Saskatoon Wild.

 

The rest is history - a history I look back at fondly. I got a PM from Sandro (I believe) claiming that I was Anderson and should just stop. I was so confused but when David read it he started laughing hard and explained.

 

Brooks, that awesome motherfucker, introduced me to The Wonder Years, and in particular, the album The Upsides. since then, whenever one of those songs come on, I think of Brooks, coachreilly, and the VHL in that summer.

 

I really quickly got into the league and begged the head grader **coughcoughDavidcoughcough** to let me have a job as just a podcast grader, as I religiously listened to all of them and they never seemed to get graded. He allowed it and off I went. (Back then, you had to grade 6 podcasts to get 1TPE and 10 MS's for 1TPE so stfu current graders)

 

I was hired as a full-on grader soon after and had various jobs as the HoF updater, European Conference Updater, the best World Cup Commissioner ever for 3 World Cups, a member of the BoG.

 

My biggest achievement would be the hundreds (no exaggeration) of hours I spent compiling the massive Single Season Records that I happily see people check often. Totally worth it. Along with the All-time World Cup Stats.

 

Also, among my favourite fan590s (and I have a few) would be my song adaptations, which for the lulz I will post below at the end of the article. Jardy, Ree_21, Q-Tip, and StevenStamkos81/Olympus

 

It's ridiculous how times have changed. I got sucked into the league from a variety of amazing members, and like Sterling mentioned in his article (which I noticed this has just turned into a less-cool variation of it) it's what sets this league apart - the community.

 

Shout-out to my oldest member friends: gregreg, Kendrick, Sterling, Quik, Brooks, Sandro, kyle, bushito, CoachReilly, Svec, Edgar, James, Hybrid, Arce/Islander4life, Clarence/muffins, Noah, Zero.

 

Those I haven't mentioned, like Victor, tfong, Jason.. jesus the list would go on forever, it would be because I was never a teammate during my initial time or didn't talk with y'all much before that.

 

At the end of the day, it is now I that get the weird looks from my friends when I'm still on here "wasting" my time. You know what though? I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 

 

 

 

SONGS TO COME.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Phil 5,129]

Okay.. so this is too long. I'ma spice it up and Media Spot it. Add some stuff.

[Victor 11,014]

Phil? Who the fuck changes their username to their real name?

[Phil 5,129]

Read the Media Spot version... ALFIE

[sterling 2,000]

I never knew what ssdd meant. This should be a ms.

Ps love ya Philip

[Kyle 667]

Phil? Who the fuck changes their username to their real name?

I agree

[Munk 1,298]

twat