ANCHORAGE BRUINS [GM YOUNT]

[Talon]

We'd rather talk during free agency and see where we stand then, baby.

[GM Dario]

Completely Understand, Steve. Appreciate ya takin' my call.

****

Shay, Let's see if the Contract Negotiator is on the cell today. .

****

Kansas City to Crain, Kansas City to James T Crain..  It's Dario in Kansas City, Mr. Crain.  With some of the roster moves goin' through, I need to add a Fullback to the roster. John Silver played with us for a couple years and I'd like to sign him to a 1M contract for the rest of this season, if's open to gettin' back on the gridiron.

[Talon]

 

Sure thing.

[GM Dario]

Acknowledged, Mr. Crain, thanks for the deal.

****

Shay, let's talk with Coach Graham again

****

Ok Coach, let's get this party started for Atlanta.

QB1 McGhee
QB2 Hensley

RB1 Darby
RB2 Canady
RB3 Cox
RB4 'Tini

FB1 Silver

WR1 Duran
WR2 Mulligan
WR3 Boudreaux
WR4 Hill

OT1 Stinnett
OT2 Donn Brown
OT3 Daniel Brown

DT1 Boles
DT2 Koenig
DT3 Fullerton
DT4 Laporta
DT5 McMurray

CB1 Stones
CB2 White
CB3 al-Taalim
CB4 Haney
CB5 Parra
CB6 Cantwell

Atherton, Byrd- Inactive

Offensive play callin' - OC
Defensive play callin' - DC


This seems to be 'bout right. 
Let's see if we can get an extra blessin' from the SkyBear this week! Yeah!!

** Locked In Baby!! **

[GM Dario]

WEEK 10 POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

MANNNNNNN !!!! I tell ya, Any Given Sunday just hold true here in the HIFL.  YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE Dub here at the Wigwam over a very game Atlanta team.  I know people gotta be like 'What the EFF is goin' on in KC with all these moves' and such, but I just keep sayin' "Let it Play Out, Baby! Let it Play Out!"

So let's get to it. Big Ups to AMac bein' THAT GUY this week. Passin', Runnin', Makin' all the Gotta Have Plays at the Right Times.  Big Ups to Booooooo comin' on strong after that injury to Duran. Luckily it's only a tweak so we shouldn't lose Albert long, but ya know, one player's misfortune is another player's fortune.  I thought Boooooo and Mulligan both showed out in the pass game. And Joseph Ruiz, Class Act here. Didn't have the big stat game on the yardage but 8 'Cakes to help free up the runs.  Love that unselfish play by Hey Joe. Darby got dinged up but Canady made an impact to get that Tud in his place. I like the way it's feelin' on the O. Still lookin' like we can make a little noise this year. 

As for the D, Pharaoh Isma, makin' me pay him some extra green next year with the PickSixer. Keep makin' the plays, Soliman. And Timmy White with a huge step-up. He's been askin' for PT, and he's makin' the most of the PT now. We played a little more bendy-no-breaky this week with Coach Shoes makin' the calls. Gave up a lot of O, especially on the ground, but all that matters is that last stop.

And hey, I was just happy to have that chance. AMac makin' a smart play to give us a shot. I told Mongolian, just like in the movie, "Just hold the ball and Imma kick the bloody BLEEP outta it". It didn't go much beyond 63, but it went 63 and ended up bein' the clincher for the DUB.

Very proud of everyone on all sides of the ball on the DUB. Very glad to send the SkyBear Nation home happy. I know it's not how we had hoped this year would go but Keep ya head Skyward, that's where ya are gonna see us soon. 

We've got a BYE this week but a YUUUUUUUGE Game back at the Wigwam in two weeks against the 'Peg. I'm hopin' we'll be back up to full strength by then.

On the Injury front, Daysam is out with a Shoulder and may not be back for Winnipeg. Everyone else looks to be ok, just some bumps, bruises and tweaks. And those who are a little owie should be back by Week 12 as well.

Again, can't say enough about how the team is rallyin' around everyone. Lots of guys gettin' their chances to shine. Someone in the Socials said we're postin' a JV Squad on the field. We're gonna see a lotta new Varsity guys and gals real soon though. I got high hopes for many and it's gonna be a rough but fun ride for the rest of this season.

Any questions from y'all?

[Talon]

 

Big kick.  Congratulations, if it weren't for that absolute freak of nature kick from Edwards back in the day, it would be a franchise record.

[GM Dario]

'Preciate the kudos, Coach. That Edwards kick had some Skybear Intervention or somethin' but hey, a Dub is a Dub, and we def needed one comin' into the Bye Week. 

Thanks for keepin' this all together, Coach. I know it's tryin' because of the new peeps comin' and old peeps goin', and it's still gonna be with a few more calls comin' in.  But I think we gotta few players returnin' we can develop and add in some splashes in the draft and free agency that we can make this all hit hard next season.

Hell, we gotta or it's Hasta La Vista Dario.

I believe that's called a Vested Interest.

So is there anythin' on the horizon we need to chat about, player-wise, team-wise, coach-wise?

[Talon]

 

Not really, most of what we can do to change is really a waiting game until we get to the off-season.

[GM Dario]

Kinda what I thought as well. The team, as a whole, can def use this week off to rest and recoup. Enjoy the break, Coach, We'll talk next week.

****

Shay, I know you have your pulse on everythin' - has there been any rumbles about a BBB Academy, FemFL or an International combine needin' a host?

[Talon]

SHAY INDICATES THERE IS NO NEWS ABOUT ANY OF THE THREE AT THIS TIME

[Talon]

 

Anything else for me?

[GM Dario]

I think we're good, Coach.  Let's rest and recharge for the stretch run.

**** LOCKED IN BABY! ****

[GM Dario]

Week 11 Bye Week Press Conference

Welcome back everybody.

Hope everybody had a good week of rest like we did and hope everybody's ready for this stretch run because I know that we are.

And we've been dealt the biggest point spread accordin' to all the bettors but I'm OK with that. we have nothin' to lose, and that's what we've been tryin' to get the guys and girls to understand is that we're out here to get better . 

Last time against Atlanta, they didn't give up. A lot of people stepped up to make plays and make things work.

 I'm not gonna lie to you-  I don't feel slighted because they've got a 20 plus point against us, Winnipeg is the premier team in the league. Ya don't have to take my word for it. Look at the numbers but I also know that we're not gonna roll over and die for them either. The game starts at zero zero. It doesn't start 20 to 0.

And we're gonna do everythin' we can to make sure that bigger number is under the KC logo and not the Peg. Luckily we're gonna have all hands on deck except for Daysam who's out for another week or two with a shoulder injury but offensively we're gonna be at full capacity. Can't wait to see how it all goes.

I know that we're comin' up on the trade deadline and we've got a few people on the roster we gotta figure out just yet. I know a lot of teams are looking at fire sales and things like that but ya know every move that's been made has been made to make my team better. It may not look like it right now but it's going to be better, so the door is open here in Kansas City to move out or move in.

 I'm definitely gonna be lookin' to see if there might be a player or two will fit into this new Kansas City Bruins team. Again, it may not be for this year-  it might be for next. But we're gonna do what we're gonna have to do to make it work

Let's circle back to Winnipeg this week. We know what they can do. Coach Luce and Coach Shoes both know what they can do as well. This is gonna simply be about execution. We have to limit our mistakes. We have to cause mistakes on their end.

Can't make it any simpler, but hey- Any Given Sunday baby !

Questions?

[Talon]

 

Lets shock the damn world.

[GM Dario]

That's what I wanna hear. We got a few things to work on just yet for the lineup after last week's trade. But I'm hopin' we can make a couple more moves still.

With who we have on the roster, has anyone stepped up and taken some of the leadership roles on either side of the ball?

[Talon]

 

The biggest voices in a leadership role have come from all over the depth chart, just guys being good leaders.

Michel, Fonseca, Pena, Soliman, Koenig, McQueen, de la Cruz, Butler, Ruiz.. not one guy being THE GUY but a lot of guys rallying the troops in their own ways.

[GM Dario]

Sorta like havin' 9 Lieutenants instead of 1 General, which with all the changes, that's probably good for the team as a whole.

So if we decide to do a little extra position trainin' for the guys over the next few weeks, could that affect their stamina at game time or is it just like extra focus on reps instead?

[Talon]

 

No effect on their stamina in a negative way.

[GM Dario]

Just wanted to make sure, Coach. I'll be back in touch with ya.

****

Shay, let's see if the Campanelli Family is available.

****

Lady C, it's Tylen D in KC.  I picked up Joseph Ruiz in a trade a couple weeks. He's makin' an impact on and off the field so I'd like to see about keepin' him one more year in SkyBear Country.

He's at 6.5 and 1.5 this year. I'd like a flat 9 salary next season please.

[Talon]

 

Sorry GM Dario, but right now he's not interested in talking about the future.

[GM Dario]

Not a problem Lady C. You don't know til ya ask. 'Preciate the time.

****

Shay, Let's talk with Bobby Shapiro please

****

Bobby Baby! It's Dario on SkyBear Country.

I need to see if you still have QB Frank Wilson available on your client list.
I could use another live arm in KC. If he's open to it, I'll go the Vet Min of 1M for the rest of this season.

[Talon]

Sorry TD, but Frank is out of football.   Last I heard he was running a professional foot photography business or something, but anyways... My only QB's on the market right now are Dwight Simon and Michael Ligon.  Either would accept your offer.

[GM Dario]

No shame for a guy makin' paper, no matter what the profession.

Let's get Ligon added to the roster for the season at 1M. He's been at the 'Peg the past couple seasons. Maybe he'll still have tidbits that we don't already know.

Thanks Bobby.

****

Shay, let's get some time with Coach again.

****

Coach, big acquisition with Estates comin' on board. This is a move for later, not just for now. But we've now got a three headed monster in the backfield at the moment. With Estates, Darby and Canady, is there a clear cut option as a 3rd down back? Or is 'Tini an option?  Also, I remember playin' Early McFadden and they had somethin' called a 2 RB Set where there wasn't a FB but 2 RBs. Does Coach Luce or anyone on the OC Staff have some ideas on how to implement that to use all three at different times?

[Talon]

 

Dude, let me be frank.  We finally have a one headed monster.  Estates is our primary back and honestly the only one who should see the field barring exhaustion.

[GM Dario]

HAHAHAHA.. I like ya bein' frank Coach. Makes it easier to get things done. 

So with the deadline approachin' and the phone's quiet, let's settle in and get ready for Wiinnipeg.

I'm not gonna ask for a bunch of scheme changes, but we may need to make a couple adjustments. Right now, I just wanna figure out player slots.

Let's go over the Offense-

QB1 McGhee
QB2 Ligon
QB3 Byrd

RB1 Estates
RB2 Darby
RB3 Canady

WR1 Atheron
WR2 Duran
WR3 Boudreaux
WR4 Mulligan

TE1 Ruiz
TE2 Campbell
 
FB1 Silver

OT1 Stinnett
OT2 Donn Brown
OT3 Daniel Brown

C1 Sargent
C2 Castaneda

KR/PR1 'Tini
KR/PR2 McQueen

At Guard, with Kaminski gone,  I figure we need the best Run Blocker we can, so I'm willin' to "damn the ratin's" and just go with the best bang for the line.

So is Pena, Westerlund, or Fonseca the G2 behind West?

[Talon]

 

Welp, if you want the best run blocker, go Pena.  if you want the better pass blocker, go Westerlund, if you want the more balanced, go Fonseca.

[GM Dario]

We'll go Fonseca then. Let the kid grind this out then .

Defensively, we got a couple changes to make as well.

We'll keep the same rotation of Butler, BigBear and Thompson at DE
Marks, Brandon, McCaffrey at the startin' LB, Michel then Cantrell at LB4 and LB5

The Secondary should be like this-

FS Head & Starling
SS Soliman & de la Cruz

Then we gotta figure this out with al-Taalim out for a couple more weeks -
CB1 Stones
CB2 White
CB3 McQueen
CB4 Haney
CB5 Cantwell
CB6 Parra

Would de la Cruz be a better fit in the Dime at CB4 than Haney, Cantwell or Parra, or is there just a lack of Coverage knowledge?

[Talon]

 

I like him as a safety, but not in a corner role, he's just not got the skills to do it.

[GM Dario]

That makes sense, Coach, but I feel like I gotta ask all the 1% options sometimes, like askin' about Marks bein' a SS a while back.

So we'll leave the Corners like that but at DT, since Patty Owen likes to stay clean, I figure we need our best pass rush DT's to start to try and get him on hurries and knockdowns if we can't get Sacks... So would Boles and Koenig be the right two or should the rotation change with LaPorta, Fullerton and McMurray gettin' involved?

[Talon]

 

Our 5 DTs have combined for 15 QB pressures across the entire season, we dont have much to offer there.  Its deck chairs on the titanic, dude.

[GM Dario]

If we can get away with Deck Chairs on the field, we'll use them to defense against Patty Owen too.

Just kiddin'- I get the point Coach. I'll let ya get back to it. Just waitin' on the deadline before we lock things up

****

Shay, other than postin' about an extension or decline for the 4th year on Koenig, has there been any other matters I've been missin' out on ?

[Talon]

 

No, nothing really.  I'm getting my brazilian this afternoon, but nothing football related on the schedule.

[GM Dario]

Shay with no filter—- love it !

if that's not a hint to lock in, I dunno what is...

Hey, if we pull this Dub off against the 'Peg,  Brazilians for everybody!!!!

QB1 McGhee
QB2 Ligon
QB3 Byrd

RB1 Estates
RB2 Darby
RB3 Canady

WR1 Atheron
WR2 Duran
WR3 Boudreaux
WR4 Mulligan

TE1 Ruiz
TE2 Campbell
 
FB1 Silver

OT1 Stinnett
OT2 Donn Brown
OT3 Daniel Brown

G1 West
G2 Fonseca
G3 Peña
G4 Westerlund

C1 Sargent
C2 Castaneda

CB1 Stones
CB2 White
CB3 McQueen
CB4 Haney
CB5 Cantwell
CB6 Parra

KR/PR1 'Tini
KR/PR2 McQueen

Al-Taalim inactive

Bellcow - Estates
Tempo - Very Slow

All Offense on OC
All Defense on DC

** Locked In Baby !!! **

[GM Dario]

Week 12 Press Conference

How's the Meme go?  Not gonna lie, we had 'em in the first quarter.  But we play 4 quarters in the HIFL and then things didn't go so well after 1.

I thought our guys did well, but just not well enough. You're not gonna win goin' 2 of 14 on third down. No team will, so we got work to do there. We got to Patty Owen 4 times and picked him twice but we didn't match up well on the outsides. Then again, not many teams can match up on the outsides with the 'Peg.

So I know it's not the usual thing, but then again, I'm not the usual thing either, so I'm gonna shout out a couple players that got some work today.

Glad to see Tyson get those two picks. Kid's gonna be a good one in the secondary for years to come.  I looked up into the stands as I was grabbin' my helmet to kick the extra after the pick six and there were two guys about 30 rows up with those mannequin-like heads, celebratin' that TD.  I like that. The team needs more crowd participation. We haven't given them a lot this year but it's those little things that'll keep it fun in the Wigwam.

Good seein' Estates chewin' up turf. Not a bad start for him in Bruins Colors, and I hope there's a lot more to come.

Good to see Jack Mac gettin' active on the field too. It's just his 2nd start in KC but I thought he did a great job on the D side of the ball. 

I thought George Michel did well in his PT and loved seein' de la Cruz have 3 tackles and force a fumble . That kid's got some special talent, It's gonna be fun watchin' him grow in the HIFL.

It was also fun seein' Fonseca out there, maulin' some people to spring Estates on the ground game.

And a big Salute to Cornerback Antonia Haney. She's been in the league now for 2 years, last year in St Paul as an Undrafted Free Agent outta Navy, and has another year here in KC left. In this week's game, she was on the field in action for the injured Daysam al-Taalim, and logged her first HIFL stats, 2 PD's, against Patty Owen and company. Not to typecast, but she's been a perfect soldier, so to speak, for the Skybear's team. Always professional. Always active. Always doin' what she needs to do to improve herself on the field.  She's been fantastic off the field too, providin' stability as a teammate for fellow Midshipman Daniel Mooney, and as a roomie for 'Tini Lewis as well.

More teams could use an Antonia Haney on their roster, I'm glad we got ours.

We've got another home game here at the Wigwam against the Stars of Tucson. They caught the wrong end of a Vancouver Offense and they also struggled on 3rd down. So if we can make a few plays and keep them close as the game winds down, good things could happen so we can bring in another DUB to the SkyBear's team.

Questions?

[/quote]

[Talon]

 

Hey, Coach is down at the practice field, anything you need from me?

[GM Dario]

I think we're good. Just gonna head down to the field myself.

Let me know if anythin' pops up.

[Talon]

 

Okay, Will do!   Did you want me to schedule that wax for you?

[Talon]

 

...Sir, league office on line one.

[Talon]

GM Dario, this is Kate from the league office.

It has come to our attention that your latest expenditure has put your organization over the league's bonus cap by 500K.
This violation results in a $5MM fine to your bonus pool for this season and next and the forfeiture of a roster spot for the remainder of the season.

With the trade deadline expired, your only options are to terminate a player/coach(s) to bring your roster into compliance.  You may use your S17/18 Off-season amnesty to help gain compliance if needed, but you need to clear 5.5MM in bonus money ASAP.

Please be more careful in the future.    Thank you and good luck for the rest of this season.

[GM Dario]

*Checks math. Checks math again.  Fuck*

Thanks for the call Kate.

[Talon]

 

WHAT. THE. ****

[GM Dario]

It's on me, Chief. No one else to blame.
My sheet didn't have a bonus calculated.
The money wasn't allocated and I went over the cap

I can make a couple phone calls to see if I can rework some deals to clear the space. If they can't or won't, then ...

I dunno...

[Talon]

Last night I heard a noise outside of my window.   I ignored it at first, but it grew louder and louder, when I rose from my bed to investigate, a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning rocked my home and in the momentary explosion of light I saw the form of one of the great spirit animals of my people.

It was not the Great Sky Bear, it was the Great Owl of Darkness.

I did not understand why it was visiting me until now, but now I realize what it was telling me to do.


GM Dario,  you are fired!

[Talon]

LOCKED FOR THE REMAINDER OF SEASON 17

[Talon]

THE MEDIA GATHERS TO MEET GM YOUNT.

[GM Yount]

"Hey everyone,

Thanks for the warm welcome. First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Sullivan for the opportunity, and some of the people who helped me get to this point. My coaches at the college & pro level, Persephone for letting me learn under her, and of course my main man Scott Forrest who helped me get a sweet enough UDFA contract as a rookie that I was able to provide for myself as I made the transition to basically being an intern at first in the front office– after the Universe decided to smash me in the mouth like Bruiser Elliott going after a holder with the message, "This is not for you!" with regards to the playing thing.

I don't fancy myself a quitter, but I also knew I had to make the decision that would help lead me to the most successful long term future, and thankfully that & a lot of hard work's lead me here to Anchorage.

I'm sure a lot of people are wondering, "What makes you ready to be a GM at such a young age?" And I mean, I have a super eloquent thought-out answer I could give you, but let's be real. None of that's gonna mean a thing until I prove it with my work, which is exactly what I plan on doing.

See? You can tell I played ball because I'm already busting out the cliches a minute in.

One thing I will say though, is I do have a passion for and understanding of this game, what it means for the fans and what it means for the guys in the locker room ... which often the answer is, it means about 53 different things to 53 different guys. Now, as for if that makes me feel like my experience is gonna make me a "player's GM" or able to relate to them?

Let's be real man, there might be some kinship, but I'm not dumb enough to think some 3 time all-star is gonna go "Golly gee, I'm into your message, we're the same!" and be willing to run through a wall for me because I was great in College and spent a year covering the scout team in practice at the pro level. Again, it's something I'm gonna have to earn.

What I do think is important in the GM/Player dynamic is being real with them. I think in the rush to gas players up, make them feel welcome, it's easy for GMs to say something that ends up becoming a lie two weeks later when a shinier toy comes along or someone hits a rough patch. We gotta be honest, and we gotta hold everyone at all levels accountable to turn this around. Now, some like to use holding guys accountable as an excuse to swing their four inches around & throw guys under the bus to the press with all the theatrics like they're in a Broadway production, and I don't believe in that either.

If a message needs to be sent, there's other ways to do it.  That message might still piss someone off, but if you're consistent, at least they'll know where you're coming from.

Speaking of being real, being honest, things this first offseason might get a bit messy. Transitions to new regimes often are, and there's a lot of work to be done evaluating what we have, who will fit with whatever the Coach I hire looks for in a player & who's down for the grind of something that's gonna be a lot of work to get done and might come with some ugly moments.

We'll obviously have to be aggressive in adding talent, since to be real, we had a huge roster tear down & just need to add a lot of dudes. That's no shade to anyone here right now, but we saw what happened last season. Do we have to be smart, too? Absolutely, we can't be costing ourselves the chance to get filet tomorrow because we spent all our money on flank steak today. The flank might be a damn good meal, but is it gonna leave you with that feeling in your stomach like you just won the Impact Bowl?

After the initial smoke clears, I think the most important thing I've learned both from mistakes the regime I worked under made, and I've seen others around the league make is the important thing is to have a plan and stick to it, no matter what the noise says. We gotta draft, develop, and find great players anywhere that we can really. Not that I'm looking to jack anyone else's style, but Winnipeg while yeah, they've made some trades– some of them involving major players ... you have to make trades sometimes, they've also stuck to their evaluations & their plan even if it got criticized. Helps a lot when you hit on a legit dude at Quarterback, but even though my plan might be different, it might have my own spin, I think most successful organizations in any walk of life, while they have to maintain some adaptability they also stick to their core principles whatever they may be.

I don't wanna trash the previous regime here before they moved to lovely Anchorage  .... Man this weather's brisk, by the way. But, I guess I'm going to do that, regardless, because I need to make my point. I think this franchise has suffered from indecision & a lack of a clear process that got stuck to. The team gets off to a better start than expected and they're buying, then they have a skid and they're selling, but they might also throw one veteran buy in there. We need a plan, we need to stick to it and we need to realize that every decision is gonna have consequences that might make someone unhappy ... you stay pat and develop internally it might upset your vets, you make a trade it's gonna upset those players and maybe some in the locker room who were their friends, you decide to spend cash on keeping someone you know your coach really values and maybe you have to let someone else go & ruffle feathers that way.

Bottom line is, you gotta stand by your decisions, and trust that your plan is the right plan. Time will tell of course, but I fully believe my plan that you're gonna see play out is, even if it takes some time. Don't get me wrong, that's not me saying 'be patient' as an excuse to buy time if things aren't working out, hiding behind a 'rebuild' or whatever's a coward's move. If I'm gonna keep it a buck, yeah greatness takes a lot of hard work and hard work can really suck at times, but the reward is ... you know, great. But make no mistake about it, I plan on us being a hell of a lot better this year & giving the people of Alaska reason to believe they can be excited.

Any questions?"

[Talon]

GM Yount, My name is Aurora Frost.  I'll be serving as your assistant and overall press secretary or whatever you'd like to call it.

I know you worked under GM Waters in Long Beach so you understand how things operate, but if you have any questions or need a tour of the new dome we will be calling home, I am happy to assist.

[GM Yount]

"Nice to meet you Aurora, appreciate you.

And a tour of the new dome would be pretty dope. If it's as state of the art as they're saying, I think that combined with our unique location can give as an unmatched atmosphere for home games once we give the people something on the field to believe in."

[Talon]

 

Absolutely, follow me!


AURORA GUIDES GM YOUNT ON A TOUR OF THE STATE OF THE ART STADIUM DUBBED "THE SNOW GLOBE" DUE TO ITS UNIQUE CLEAR/GLASS DOME THAT GIVES THE ILLUSION OF BEING OPEN AIR.   AFTER A DETAILED TOUR TO INCLUDE THE TRAINING FACILITIES, PRACTICE FIELDS, LOCKER ROOMS AND OFFICES, THE TOUR ENDS BACK WHERE IT BEGAN, AT GM YOUNT'S OFFICE.

[GM Yount]

Thanks Aurora, that was a sight to behold; got me feeling hype already. I'll hopefully be ready to lock in soon, I just want to take a moment for me to double check there's no pending free agents I wanna hit up early to negotiate with before we hit the offseason.