The View from Inside

[der meister 3,197]

I'm going to step outside of the storytelling aspect and perspective that I typically do for my media spots. I actually considered making this a podcast but I remember having difficulty finding a place to host it last time and I don't feel like looking up my own podcast to replicate that process, so whatever. Regardless, I wanted to talk briefly about my experience so far as an unrestricted free agent.

 

As you may recall, I had in that prior podcast talked about unrestricted free agency in this league and how much it seems like it is discouraged, whether that's by general managers or league structure or whatever, I'm not sure. I guess it's just more of a feeling that I get with regard to unrestricted free agency.

 

So, I waited anxiously for free agency to open. I know that Sakamoto has a pretty nontraditional build for this league, so in terms of how much attention I'd be getting from potential general managers in terms of signing a contract, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I definitely expected more than what I got initially, though. I'm pretty sure on the first day of free agency I had one general manager reach out, but it wasn't even a contract offer or a pitch to join the team, it was more of a courtesy / question. That was, in and of itself, totally fine. The problem I had is that no one else seem to want my player.

 

Overnight, however, I received multiple messages from general managers, inquiring about the possibility of signing Sakamoto. Obviously, this gave me a sense of relief, along with a little bit of a boost in terms of my expectations for free agency and the experience therein. 

 

 

 

In the days since free agency opened, I have received interest from a few more teams. I'm not sure if I am an afterthought, because those later teams had plan A, plan B, plan C type scenarios, or if perhaps those managers were just late to the party. The second one honestly seems more likely to me, based on the one prior unrestricted free agency experience I have in this league, way back around season 50ish. I remember being shocked that I only received one contract offer at the time, so I signed it figuring that was my only opportunity in the league. A day or two later I received a lot of messages from general managers wondering why I signed so quickly.

 

Herein lies part of my confusion with free agency in this league. I can really only compare it to free agency in the SHL, specifically from many years ago, so maybe it's changed. In that league, as both a manager, and as an unrestricted free agent, I had similar experiences. Players generally expected to get pitches within an hour or two of free agency opening. As a general manager, I would write out all of my pictures a few days in advance and then do my best to send them as soon as free agency open. In my mind this let players know they were wanted on my team. I know I can be a bit verbose at times, but I think the average pitch that I wrote, and received as an unrestricted free agent player, probably had three paragraphs minimum explaining what the general manager thought of my player, how they would use my player, and expectations for their team performance for the upcoming season. It felt more like what I would expect a real life professional athlete conversation to be. "Hey, this is so and so from Toronto, I just wanted to reach out quick and let you know that we love the style of game you play and think you could be a huge part to our success, and we were wondering if you had any potential interest in joining us on a contract of X or Y years. We know you're going to be getting a lot of interest around the league, and deservedly so, but please keep us in mind." Something simple and fairly realistic.

 

Free agency in the VHL though feels kind of like an afterthought. Maybe it's a byproduct of shortened careers, or a more loyal member base. I really can't say. And, in case it's not clear, I'm not trying to pick on anyone or call anyone out. I merely stating my experiences and observations.

 

I participate in leagues like this for a few reasons. First and foremost, I generally really enjoy this community. There are a lot of people from a lot of diverse backgrounds and a lot of different places in the world, but every year for charity fundraisers and things like that, pretty much everybody comes together to do something really special. What initially made me sign up for simulation leagues, though, was the idea of being able to do some storytelling, to be able to put myself into the role of a professional athlete and experience their career from a purely text and statistics perspective. That's why the majority of my media pieces are from the perspective of a journalist covering a hockey player, at least this time around. The storytelling lends itself well to a suspension of disbelief, to an immersion in the league that I find satisfying. And I guess that's probably where I get so stuck on the free agency experience. I'm not sure what the experience for general managers here is, and I'm not really sure what their motivations and expectations are in their role, either.

 

All that being said, I still haven't decided where I'm signing this year. I have two pretty much identical offers on the table, from two teams that I've never played for with any of my players. If I'm judging by last year's standings, it's a cut and dry sort of case, but the rosters have changed. Players do move in this league, though not always through free agency of course, but rosters do shift. I'm not quite sure when I will make my final decision. I am leaning one way more than the other, but I want to make sure that I fully weigh my opportunities. I don't know if next week's media spot is going to be announcing it, but as a storyteller, that would be my preference. Of course, I've written twice the required length, so I'll just end up claiming this for two weeks anyway and probably doing a journalist perspective on the decision.

 

 

[der meister 3,197]

Weak too clam

Edited June 12, 2023 by der meister