TUCSON STARS [GM PANCHO]

[GM Dougie]

Well I think we know who played the smarter football this week. Credit goes to the Portland team and their coaches for fighting back and making a lot of things difficult for us in the 2nd half. But I think overall, we handled business. We got out to a 3 score lead and its possible we let them back in it a little bit but you can't discredit their playmakers. On offense, our guys continue to click. Maldy had another efficient game and we protected him well. Randolph and Finch continue to be a pairing we want to keep together for the future. The connection there is amazing. It was great to see Luis get a sack this game as he constantly works hard. A lot of teams manage to get some ground game on us and partly its the system we run but in the end, we don't break.

We've got a phenomenal football team here in the desert. So much so you can see the teams around us in panic mode making moves to try and secure their future. The message it sends to us is that we're among the upper echelon. I know we weren't active at the deadline and its because we believe in who we have right now and what limitless potential exists.

My heart goes out to Campanelli and Corrales. We're truly fortunate for the health that this team has had from top to bottom. It can fall out at any time.

We're also truly fortunate to return home this week to face a Kansas City team who we have a lot of history with. The Bruins really taught us a lesson in not looking forward last year when they came to our stadium and beat us by two scores. Our men don't forget. There's a chip on our shoulders this week and we're looking to make a statement going forward that we will continue to belong. We will win this week with our brand of football...which may not always be smarter but hopefully good enough to go 1-0 each and every week.

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Coach, should I be on pins and needles waiting for what Mr. Crowley has to say?

[Talon]

 

Gat Dang son, you really are makin' the Stars shine bright this season!  Look at how you got GM Metro putting Vegas into tax hell!  Look at GM Cory gettin all hot and bothered because he knows WE ARE COMIIIIIING!!!

As I live and Breathe I haven't been this excited for our season since Mister Powers took us to the Impact Bowl.   So lets see if you can live up to our new found hype. 

I can't wait to see where these shootin' stars land!

[GM Dougie]

Happy to make you proud. Things were tight here at the deadline but we have a really great team from players to staff and I believe in what they can accomplish this year.

Please let me know if there's anything you want to discuss otherwise I'll return to my staff.

[Talon]

 

All I want son, is to meet you again on that big stage on the 50 yard line in London when we raise the Impact Bowl trophy.

[GM Dougie]

Sounds good boss! See you then.

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Coach Knight, tell me things. I've still got a grudge against Kansas City after the Dak fluke game last year. How do we measure up this time around?

[Talon]

 

We owe them a total ass whoopin' brother.   We're not going to let them catch us sleeping this time.

[GM Dougie]

That's all I needed to hear. You've got this.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

What a game am I right? Wow. Outstanding offensive production in all facets. Defensively we gave up some points but we just exploded in the 2nd half. How about those 6 touchdown passes from Maldy? Probably the most quiet league MVP campaign going on. He's so smart and so humble and the connections he has with his teammates are just awe inspiring.

The youth movement in the league right now is worth watching but at the same time, veteran players are out there setting records. The HIFL is shining brightly throughout the world. I saw Seattle just got new ownership. Its the right time to be invested in this league.

We have a big stretch of football games coming...two teams leading their divisions and tied for their conference, a tough rapid city team, and 3 games to end the season within our division. There's no easy path to the end of the season right now. We just have to keep playing our brand of football. Miami has been consistently excellent year in and year out and this will be a good test to see where we're at. If we can continue putting up these numbers though, I know we can beat any of the 31 other teams in this league. This is the time of year we want to stay consistent, stay healthy, and stay hungry. These men want this and so do I.

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Coach Knight, how about that!

[Talon]

 

How bout them Stars?!  Am I right?!

[GM Dougie]

Love love love it.

At this point we're just keeping it rolling and managing health. Anything I should know about the team heading into this week?

[Talon]

 

You've built a winner, now let them work.

[GM Dougie]

Work us to another big win!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

Well you know what they say about hard to swallow pills right?

Health was a factor this week. Our secondary was decimated with injuries and the general took advantage in a high octane offensive game. These kinds of things are both good and bad because you want adversity but you also want to be in a position you can overcome it. We were in a position that we could come back and win that game but couldn't get the necessary stops to get it done.

We're in a position now that we can't get comfortable and that's a good thing. You don't want to walk into any week and feel like its going to be okay in this league. We were fortunate that Winnipeg lost and somehow stumbled into the top seed. But we also have games with them and Vegas in back to back weeks. Saying those things out loud can make it easy to look past a competitive Rapid City team but I think the loss this week will prevent our men from falling into that trap. We have to be locked and loaded to stay atop the more competitive conference in the HIFL.

I expect a big rebound this week. Hopefully we can get Kirk and Rousseau back out there soon. Our depth will be tested for sure but the next men will step up.

[Talon]

 

The hardest part about depth, you never know which position to fortify.

[GM Dougie]

Absolutely right.

So this week we play Rapid City. Their head coach knows us well obviously. I imagine they will want to bring some extra pressure since we will be a little short handed on our line. What are your thoughts on this week? Any issues keeping the players focused on this with 2 huge games coming after?

[Talon]

 

I don't think focus is a concern, but we do have to be prepared for Hyland to be slinging the rock all over the place; pass defense needs to be on point.  Rapid City has been terrible protecting the quarterback though, so we should hopefully get good pressure and make it hard for him to have time to throw that deep ball.

[GM Dougie]

What's better for our CB depth if Kirk can't go again. Are the guys at the bottom of the CB chart better or should we rotate in some of our backup safeties at corner?

[Talon]

I think after seeing what happened last week, our best look right now would be to play Abel at CB2, he's got the right size and has played the position before he made it to the pros, Melvin Williams moves to starting FS; and in the 3 CB sets we have Reed in the nickel and Rice at CB4.

[GM Dougie]

Alright. Set those changes for this week if Kirk is unable to go. If he suits up then leave it be.

Good luck! Get another win.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

We survived this week. Plain and simple. This team has all the fight to the very end. We were offensively elite led by MaldyVP and his great group of guys. What a game Westmoreland had yeah? Defensively we got to the quarterback a lot and you love to see that.

Our biggest concern this week is health. We've got three corners on the report and both of our starting guards will be out this week. Winnipeg is coming to town and we know how important of a game this is. We were able to beat them at home last year and barely lost to the in the conference championship. Its clear we can hang with them. We have a lot to think about coming into these next two weeks because we're a loss away from being a wildcard team with Vegas playing the way they are and with how stacked our conference is.

We've got to put up points and continue to be opportunistic on defense and we can pull another one out!

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Ok Coach. Lets talk our o-line. Fort can hold down one side. What about Heckman? Is he the better option or with all the training we put into Michael Clark, would sliding him over to guard this week be better served?

[Talon]

 

I think our best alignment would be Redd and Brown outside, Fort and Lopez inside, and Kane in the middle.

[GM Dougie]

Alright lets roll with that. Winnipeg will be one hell of a test but we might have that line for a couple weeks and though I shouldn't be...I am thinking forward to that Vegas D-line and how we protect Maldy that week.

What does our CB depth look like this week. I know sometimes probable doesn't guarantee that we get our men back. Kirk's been down for a bit now. Likelihood he suits up?

[Talon]

 

We're all really hopeful he plays.  If he does, then we can have our normal line up at corner with Weddle subbing into the dime for Rice.  Melvin did well for us at FS but Id rather have Abel back where he is most comfortable.

[GM Dougie]

Alright. Lets roll with that.

This is a huge game this week. Trust your decisions as always. We beat them in our house last year...lets do it again!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

To be able to stand up here and tell you what I'm feeling right now...its crazy. Clinching the playoffs and doing so by beating the world champions...it doesn't matter what the narrative is about the game itself it was a fight to win it. They're a brilliantly coached, talented, deep team and this is the third time we've seen them last year and this year with every game being close. The MaldyVP had another great game. Randolph is having an excellent season showing why we signed him to be here.

But really a ton of credit this game goes to the defense. Having Kirk back this week really made an impact as guys could get back to where they needed to be. Jody was excellent. Harry was where he feels natural at and showed it with a massive pick six! We played them hard and will do so every time we have the opportunity...which might be again in a few weeks with Patty Owen in the playoffs just like last year.

Hopefully, if that game happens, it can be on our soil. We're in the driver's seat for that but we know the work isn't done. Specifically because we have to go to Vegas this week and they are back to doing what the league expects them to do which is win games. They're right on our heels and a loss this week could leave the potential for a lot of issues sorting out the playoff seeding. We can't let that happen. We want to stay at the top and doing so by beating Vegas in their home is something our team salivates over.

We're getting healthier at the right time but being without Enrique will still hurt. We know that we have to protect Maldy from their dangerous defensive line but we have the guys in our secondary that can man up to their deadly receivers. Its going to be a great game and we're going to do our best to leave with the W.

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Coach, looking at the injury report, we're pretty strong this week. You can choose which guard positions to put Rousseau and Fort as to what suits them best this week. We know we have to keep Maldy upright to win this game. I know early in the season we were down double digits twice in that game before coming back to win. Maldy threw 54 times and miraculously was only sacked 4 times.

We couldn't get much of a ground game going. Should we try to get more of a ground attack on them to keep the front honest or are they just too tough to run against?

[Talon]

 

They are tough to move the ball on period; especially adding Cobbs to that elite defensive line.

3rd in scoring. 1st in yards allowed, 10th vs the pass, and 2nd vs the run.

[GM Dougie]

I think Maldy's ability to spread the love to so many pass catchers will help and that's a good way to continue to be successful against this team. That and we have to protect well.

Defensively, do Jody and Juan match up well in man defense against their top two?

[Talon]

 

Pierce and Jackson have been amazing this year, but I do like our guys.  I dont think you can plan to eliminate them completely, but we can limit the damage, hopefully. 

They dont have much depth behind them so obviously thats the biggest focus.

[GM Dougie]

This is the biggest game of the regular season...even bigger than Winnipeg. Vegas in their house. Fuck em up and bring home the W!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

Massive game and a hard pill to swallow. The loss was tough but what's worse is losing Randolph for possibly the season. We're going to need guys to step up the rest of the way.

Here's the way I see it. We split with Vegas, we beat Winnipeg and Sydney. If we can take care of business the rest of the way then we should be #1 and with everything happening we could use that week of rest. So that's what I hope we can do.

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Coach, obviously we have to fill the void of losing Randolph. Which of the guys looks better in that specific position on the field. Is it as simple as everyone slides up the depth chart or do you feel someone is better suited to be in the slot for example based on what you see?

[Talon]

 

I love what Finch is doing in his role, and Chance is very similar to the type of receiver Randolph is, so I think we give him a chance to shine.  Swap him into Daniel's spot, we give Garza the slot which isn't ideal but is better than any other option, and if the kid proves he can play the slot at 6'5, then its a weapon we have as better depth in the future.

[GM Dougie]

We have to take care of business against San Antonio. Go out and win.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

I appreciate all of you allowing me to bypass major media this week. I know there's a lot of questions about records and awards and all that. But it really just comes down to us winning and getting the #1 seed. That's what we are vying for. So hopefully next week I'll talk to all of you in greater length sitting atop an incredible conference.

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Coach, you know what to do. It's a must win.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

Well lets talk about some things. The loss stings. We are limping into the playoffs without one of our best receivers and a quality hybrid linebacker/end. The loss this week prevented us from being the #1 overall seed and because of the strength of our conference, we're a wildcard team instead. That really stings. We're a 12-4 team that's a 5th seed when in the other conference we'd be #1. But hey that's how it goes.

How about Maldy setting the all time passing TD record? Pretty impressive right? I figured I'd touch on that now because one of you would ask. I'd let him come out here right now and talk to you but I can tell you what he would say...he wants an Impact Bowl. Records are what they are.

We have to forget the losses. These men know that with a win this week, we might get a chance at round three with Vegas depending on how games go. That's motivation alone. We were able to topple smarter football this season but they know what we're capable of now and no game in the HIFL is easy. I'm sure our coaches will have our men focused and ready to do business in the playoffs. I hope to see you here soon.

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Coach, that stings. What were they able to take advantage of that we weren't prepared for?

[Talon]

Honestly, that loss was the best thing to happen to us.

Losing to Vegas sucked BUT they are such a good team that some of our guys I think wrote that loss off as a "it happens."  this loss to Dallas woke them up.  That sleeping Giant is ready to go out and dominate Portland, brother.

[GM Dougie]

Ok good. Lemme get back to you soon.

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Ms. Morningstar, get me Maldy please.

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Thomas, first and foremost, congrats on your TD record!! You are an impressive player and a great leader. I wish it hadn't been in a loss but that's behind us. We're 4 wins from a championship. What's your read on the men you share the locker room with?

[Talon]

 

We just got slapped with a big wake up call.  Coach let us know that loss was on us for being a little over confident, I think it brought a lot of guys back to center, and that's what they needed.  Our Chakras are right and we are ready to win a championship.

[GM Dougie]

It's all must win from here on out.  Make sure your teammates live that as we all do.  Thank you!

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Coach, what do we can ourselves? The hard passss

[GM Dougie]

Forgive me on that. I was struggling still with last week's loss. Are we ready to give them the hard pass brother?

[Talon]

 

...uhhh



Yeah, lets do it.

[GM Dougie]

Big game. I trust your decisions. Let's start this Impact Bowl run!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Talk about this weeks game, what went wrong?

Completely devastated by the loss. I don't know if I have much words. We let the fans down. Portland is a good team don't get me wrong. We shouldn't have been in that close of a game at the end. Jorge makes those kicks regularly its not on him. Giving up 38 points was the problem.

2. What was the best moment for you this season, and what was the worst?

Me personally? I loved how we proved we were among the elite in this league. We beat 4 other playoff teams from in our conference including the world champions. Its all about the team. The worst is clearly right now but in general just having the wheels fall off at the end of the season is a really bitter pill to swallow.

3. Who was your teams MVP this season?

Who else? Maldonado is the MVP of the league. Whether he wins it officially or not, I'll be advocating for that. He set the TD passing record, led the league in yards, and he wins games in the clutch.

4. How would you evaluate your coaches performance this season?

Offensively great. Defensively at the start of the season we were strong but in the 2nd half we really had a lot of difficulties in allowing points and getting stops. Health played a factor and we know that our depth was tested.

5. How would you evaluate your own performance this season?

I'm certainly sure I could have added another piece to the team that I chose not to. Its a delicate balance thinking about the present and the future. I needed to avoid the tax this year and I did that. I felt that we had enough to compete and we certainly did until the very end.

6. Do you expect to be back next season, with this club?

I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be.

7. What is your biggest take away from this season?

Anything goes in the HIFL. Anything.

8. What was this team missing?

Something on the defensive end. Depth in some areas. We can get better.

[Talon]

Son of a bitch.

[GM Dougie]

That really sucked.

So I've been sitting on this for awhile. We're both aware that you're not under contract past this season and we really haven't had any discussions about it.

I think that this is the time that we go in separate directions. I hope you will understand that I think you're a great coach and when I took over for Kirk years ago, many people were asking me to can you as soon as I could. I didn't think that was right. i believe in honoring the contract and on top of that, I think we've worked together really well over the past few seasons. We've had a rocky relationship. You've thrown stuff in my office. I've spoken to you once or twice a little inebriated. But we've made a great pair.

In my opinion, this change will be for the best for both of us. I have no doubt you will be highly sought after and going forward you have all my best. Is there anything I can do for you?

[Talon]

 

Givin' me the old Hard Pass, huh Brother?

...I thought that once we fell out of the top seed I needed a deep run to earn my next paycheck, so I get it; but believe me when I tell you that I'm going to work my ass off to make you wish you went a different route.

Good luck, treat these boys right.  They're a great team.

[GM Dougie]

Absolutely coach. You have my best. And when we see you again, hard pass on losing to you.

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Ms. Morningstar, can you get my Vincent Stark please?

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Vincent, you may have heard the news about Travis. We're going in a different direction but with everything that went right with the offense this year, I wanted to personally speak to you and offer you a promotion to head coach.

Obviously this comes with a raise. Lets start at $8MM per season for three years. It increases $1MM each season so long as we make the playoffs. What do you say coach?

[Talon]

 

I'm honored to take the reigns.  I agree to those terms boss.

[GM Dougie]

Thank you. I'll file it with the league office. As for staff, I know we have time to discuss those things in the future. I am hoping you'll keep some of your offensive staff in tact...especially McReynolds. But again, I know those conversations are in the future when it comes to coaching staff budgets and all that.

As for the defensive side of the ball, I think it might be time to switch to a 4-3. I've really wanted to prove to the league that the 3-4 can win a title but I think I've failed. Our pressures are low given our talent on the line and it hurts the rest of the team overall.

Do you have any immediate thoughts on that? If you think we have the personnel (with some possible upgrades) to keep a 3-4 going, then I'd be fine with you keeping our DC in tact. Personally I'm just not sure if its the right decision at this point but I'll defer to your expertise.

[Talon]

 

I think the 3-4 is just a relic from the past at this point.  The game has passed it by.

[GM Dougie]

Alright. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for now.

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Ms. Morningstar, Amber Molina please.

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Good morning Amber! I want to talk about some of your clients and their interest in remaining in Tucson. Lets start with Rodolfo. We've invested a lot of training in him over many years to develop him into more than just a great blocking receiver. When Randolph was injured, he really shined. This system fits him. Could we do another 2 years at $1.5MM per season?