What I Hate About Being Davos GM and Why I'm Still Happy With It

[Gustav 6,407]

So I claimed my free week from the holiday donation drive this week and I have no real reason to be writing this...but I guess rewards from said event are stacking up and I'm incredibly bad at organizing things (see: literally every Town of Salem game where I screw something up), so I'm going to write up a little blurb here so I can claim one of those doubles weeks instead of forgetting it exists. 

 

This will probably come across as a big wall of self-pity, or asking for attention or positive reassurance, but I want to get out there that I'm not looking for anything like that. It's just the end of another disappointing season and I think it's about time I put some honest feelings out there rather than alternatively acting like a) nothing about this bothers me and b) I hate everything about my life because of it, depending on the day or the situation. 

 

Since the title of this article put things in a certain order, let's stick with that order. Here's what I hate about the situation I'm in currently.

 

 

STHS. Every GM hates STHS. I even think (against the popular narrative) that it's a legitimately good sim engine in terms of providing a reasonable amount of parity while keeping games and stats--in general--realistic. But this season in particular was an absolute emotional rollercoaster for anyone following the sims. We started off decent (I think after a short time, we were 3rd in the league or something?) and then played like absolute garbage, dropping down below Riga at one point and getting flamed by an (actually pretty fair) article by Hedge. Not long after, I make a line change and the team takes off--over a stretch of 20-25 games or so, we were the best team in the EU. And that's not even a subjective statement, we had the best record. Obviously, going off on a ridiculous tear like that gives me no reason to change the lines, right? WRONG! Between one sim and another, Simon decides that it's time to play like hot garbage again and we go something like 1-8-1 with the same lines that would have put us on top of the EU had we maintained the same pace it was giving us for a solid third of the season. Long story short, that tanks us out of the playoffs, and here we are.

 

Inexperience leading to mistakes. I was hired as someone who would supposedly turn Davos around, and sure I have in terms of the team community, but quite obviously I haven't been able to win. There is so much I would have done differently if we were back in S70, and simply not knowing what to do probably cost us a good deal on the way up from last place. I'm very likely still dealing with the consequences of that, and though I'm learning more every season, I (weirdly enough) wish I had more time to learn what running a team was about on the big level before I made the move up.

 

Being trashed CONSTANTLY. Let me be clear. I am NOT saying nobody is allowed to say anything negative about Davos. I am NOT saying that it isn't okay to meme about us. I can take the heat. I just don't see any other team being made fun of nearly as much. Hell, there were more underwhelming teams than Davos this season--if the argument is that we're not doing as well as we should, okay, fair, but what about teams like Prague who arguably had a better roster on paper, did worse, and who I haven't seen being made fun of even once? Again, I DO NOT CARE as far as me being made fun of is concerned. I'm very much for freedom of speech and freedom of opinion and anyone can say anything they want about us. I just...don't fully understand it and I feel that it's the tiniest bit unfair as it's giving us a general negative association around the league which might end up negatively influencing (particularly newer) members' perceptions of Davos, make us a team nobody wants to play for, hurt our chances in free agency, even influence some other teams to try to take advantage of me in trades (which I hope I'm not stupid enough to not recognize). The very last thing I want is to draft someone who's immediately disappointed that they're playing for the team they've heard so much bad about, and I feel like that day is coming at some point.

 

Again, PLEASE don't take any of this as entitled and please don't think that I'm trying to tell people what to say. I simply promised my sincere opinion at the start of this article and now I'm giving it.

 

 

But Gustav, what's good about the GM life? You said you like it, after all...

 

 

I genuinely DO believe that I'm a respected member of the league in general. Obviously, the first bit can come across as "everyone hates me", but deep down I know that's not true. Hell, probably a good chunk of why I get made fun of so much is that I'm seen as someone who people are comfortable with roasting. And I see that as a good thing and I think that (for the most part) it's really just an expression of community at heart. This is why I said I don't need positive reassurance from this article--I know you guys (in general) think I'm a decent person who tries and all that good stuff, and I personally have always felt supported and liked as a GM despite the circumstances.

 

*rubs hands together and talks about power and control* ...half-jokingly. I wouldn't say that I'm in it for the power and I'm realistic enough to recognize that (with apologies to the blues) being in control of an Internet forum isn't the loftiest of goals in life. If there's one thing I like about being, well, sort of, in a position of power, it's that I'm in more of a position to help people. It's much more fun than it seems to help someone on your team understand their build or direct them to some resources or get the press conference up for them so they can improve more this week than if you hadn't--it's not just being important for the community, it's legitimately making someone else, a real person somewhere in the world, happier for a moment, and that's worth it. And, sure, anyone can help, but as a GM my help is directly sought out fairly often, and I probably get more chances to help people than someone who isn't in my position.

 

Being proud of the team for sticking it out. If you've played for Davos for any significant length of time with me as your GM, if you've re-signed with me, if you've done anything of that sort, you haven't been rewarded for it. But it's one of the greatest things I've seen here that the sims can slap us in the face every morning, that we can be awful and unexpectedly miss the playoffs, that we can be the butt of all the league's jokes, and still have players who genuinely enjoy being a part of our team's environment and want to be back for next season. I can't say enough about this and it's the most important thing on the good list by far. Even when we're being laughed at, those people can go to hell, we're Davos and we're proud of it--and though I'd love a cup more than anything, I'd put our team's heart and soul up against any other's, even now.

 

 

So yeah, that's that. Going to claim the doubles week from this and likely make that it for this one as I'm putting off the research on something else as we speak. Let me know what you think about this one, whether criticism is warranted or not (it probably is), how much you agree with, and all that good stuff.

 

Dear lord, I misspelled "stuff" and my computer tried to autocorrect it to "Tsujimoto"...I'm out.

Edited December 23, 2020 by GustavMattias

[JigglyGumballs 1,056]

 

Same energy tbh

[Spartan 4,402]

makes me want to come to davos if I ever hit FA

[Blazzer 759]

35 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

I genuinely DO believe that I'm a respected member of the league in general

Can confirm, at least for me

[Beketov 9,025]

44 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

I (weirdly enough) wish I had more time to learn what running a team was about on the big level before I made the move up.

This is why VHL GM jobs are usually jobs of succession. IE the current GM grooms someone on the team to take over for them when they retire. People get upset that they “didn’t have a chance at it” but honestly it’s just cleanest and most efficient way to transition, always has been.

 

47 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

teams like Prague who arguably had a better roster on paper, did worse, and who I haven't seen being made fun of even once?

I think Prague is given a free pass a bit in regards to the mocking because they are still looked at as an “expansion team” even though they’ve been around for a bit now. Davos has a history of winning so seeing a slump of this scale is unusual. Not saying it’s fair, just trying to look at it logically.

 

49 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

Hell, probably a good chunk of why I get made fun of so much is that I'm seen as someone who people are comfortable with roasting.

This is true, at least from me. I will never roast someone I don’t think can take it or will think that a commissioner is legitimately upset with them. I know I can give you shit and you won’t take it seriously, this is a good thing.

 

51 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

being in control of an Internet forum isn't the loftiest of goals in life

It’s also not nearly as glamorous as some people seem to think.

[Jubis 1,348]

I personally have no interest in trashing Davos. STHS can be a very very cruel. You do not have to play long to realize some seasons things go your way and others they just really don't. I think any player would be lucky to play for Gustav and Davos. 

 

On a more joking side, i didn't see you blame Berocka once. Do more of that lol

[Quik 4,113]

5 hours ago, GustavMattias said:

Being trashed CONSTANTLY

 

I will say I don't understand anyone who legitimately trashes Davos/any other team with sincerity, to the point that they wouldn't play for said team. At the end of the day it's a sim league ffs, these logos shouldn't have so much sentimental value to you that you won't play for some, or will only play for certain ones...

 

And like Bek said, for the most part we'll only chat shit to people who we have a familiarity with who we feel will understand that it's all in jest (except @dasboot I legitimately have no idea if the guy actually hates my guts or not lol).

[Esso2264 774]

dont worry gus, as long as im around, you'll always be 2nd

[OrbitingDeath 3,183]

6 hours ago, GustavMattias said:

I can take the heat. I just don't see any other team being made fun of nearly as much

 

People constantly trashing Malmo as well... You're not alone

[FrostBeard 2,049]

@GustavMattias You know that I always have this vision of getting to know you better and truth to be told I think that this post here helps me understand you a bit better. I have always been a guy to think that there are just weird situations where nothing you will do, will help you change the way your team performs. 

For me, Davos is a team that deserve so much more as the roster and GM, everything seems to be great. All I say that I wish you luck with the team will turn the tide. I truly believe that. Also, know that you are a GM that cares. GM that knows what he is doing. Keep up the good work!

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

lol davos

[bigAL 2,176]

S70 was a long time ago and you’re a pro now, it’ll be very soon that those old mistakes won’t matter anymore and you’ll start to have a roster that you completely built and completely trust in. It’ll happen! Or it won’t, cause you made fun of the French once and now Simon hates you. Who knows with STHS. 

[Gustav 6,407]

4 hours ago, Jubis said:

On a more joking side, i didn't see you blame Berocka once.

 

I don't think @Berocka would say the same 

[Jubis 1,348]

12 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

 

I don't think @Berocka would say the same 

Hey you edited my post 

I did ask for more blaming Berocka.  The people need more. On 1 and half Aussies their best bits are when Dasboot lays it to him lol and to Berockas credit he takes it like a champ.  

[mattyIceman 1,213]

I'd play for Davos... but Rose sucks.  He's getting worse with more tpe, but that's a whole other story.

 

Maybe my recreate won't be flaming garbage

Edited December 23, 2020 by MattyIce

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

:fuckvas:

[Victor 10,940]

Prague isn't fun to trash cuz they have no ambition though