After reading some of my thoughts at the end of last year, I found it kind of fun to reminisce and write down memories. Once it goes on the computer, it's there forever, so it's kind of like a journal entry. I thoroughly enjoy giving mad props and respect to my teammates - with a jovial jab at our opponents every now and then too.
Before I get to deep, I will say that I have a profound respect for each and every RMFL player, coach, manager, league leader, developer, wife, family member, sales rep and more that are involved with the RMFL on ANY capacity. This is a helluva league - it takes good - check that - AMAZING people to do what's right for the integrity of the league to keep it rockin'.
I hope that tradition continues.
With that being said, here's some RMFL "look backs" on 2015:
#10 - Scheduling
Ha! I laugh at this one because everyone always thinks they have the hardest schedule. I don't have any beef with the schedule this year - what I did/do have a beef with is how the playoff seeding shapes out. With only 15 teams in the AAA, it seems like the logical thing to do is seed teams #1 thru #8 according to their Win/Loss record. Of course, there may be a 3 or even 4 way tie between the 7th and 8th seeds, but there are ways to fix that. I've expressed my views on this before - and it seems like the Vipers would have been better served in the playoffs than playing for 9th place in a "bowl game". If you want to be a champion - in anything - you have to take the steps necessary to do just that. Champions win. They don't find ways to "not play those guys."
The key is to make the regular season worth something. If forfeits are happening in the regular season, it's usually a domino effect into the postseason. I was quite surprised that the Idaho Mustangs didn't forfeit in their semi-final game in St. George. I'm glad they pulled through. It is utterly repulsive to me to see a team in the AAA forfeit. That should be the #1 scheduling concern. If a team and management are unable to travel, don't want to travel, don't have the money to travel - they should NOT be in the RMFL. PERIOD. End of story. Integrity is important - on and off the field.
#9 - RMFL Follower or RMFL Roundtable Haterade.
Oscar Wilde wrote: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."
That fits right along the lines of this quote, "There's no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."
Whoever RMFL Roundtable is - or RMFL Follower was - and I truly don't know, was GREAT for the league. Controversy, publicity, intrigue - those all build interest in the RMFL brand. This message board, a few years ago, was HOPPING! A little smack talk, a little "I'll show him" attitude is a good thing... as long as we can keep it in balance. That's the hard part. People get their panties in a twist quickly. Sometimes it's justified, sometimes it's not. I've been on both sides of it myself. Perspective is important, on and off the field.
At the end of the day though - "Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" - insert Maximus voice.
Keep up the good work Roundtable. And thanks for calling it like it is - if teams can't handle the truth, then they need to do something different to change their own truths.
#8 - SHUT YO' MOUF of EXCUSES
LOL. That line made me smile just typing it. It's quite the contradiction from #9 Roundtable Haterade. That goes to all the players and teams that are apathetic and already "defeated" before they even play the game. It makes me sick to hear things like, "We're going to get our @$$ kicked and we know it." In the history of competitive sports, I have NEVER been a part of a league where that mindset is so prevalent. Of course, from a competitive standpoint, keep talking like that - I'm happy to oblige the fate you sealed in your own mind before the game even started! Apathy is a biznatch.
Here's some quotes I heard at the "emergency meeting" in January from some AAA teams: (I'll let ya'll try and figure out who said it)
We gotta have something to play for at the end of the season...
It doesn't matter anyway. Who cares? Vote abstained.
Everybody knows who's going to be in the Championship, why not give other teams a chance?
Those are direct quotes folks! I wrote it down in my notepad.
That's why I love playing the Shock so much - even though they weren't as strong this year, they at least go in to each game with the mindset that they can and will win. That counts for something! Team belief is important.
#7 - MVP Coulda Woulda Shoulda's
I appreciate the opportunity to win the league Overall MVP. I'm grateful that my body, at 38 years old, still has the ability to come out and play a game that I love at a high level. (RMFL standards of course) I was surprised that I won the Overall MVP award. I thought that award should have been given to Misi Tupe - based on what he accomplished in the season. He was HANDS DOWN the best player on the best team. Is that what the criteria of the MVP is? Maybe I'm amiss here - what specifically and exactly is the criteria of the "most valuable player"? How exactly does one earn it? I wonder if Misi feels slighted? I would if I were him - he earned it - why not give it to him?
In 2009, I broke every RMFL single season passing record there was and performed at a way higher level that I did this year - and yet I didn't even come close to winning it that year. It went to a player on a losing team. (Go figure.) Same issue happened to Ian Eyre for the defensive MVP award this year. Maybe I'm biased - but for a guy to come in for a 2-time Defensive MVP and play the way he did? Fuhgetaboutit. That doesn't just "happen" out of sheer coincidence. Dude worked his butt off!
The RMFL needs to fix this whole "awards" idea. My vote would be to make all the awards as OBJECTIVE as possible. Don't make the awards about "feel good" subjectives. Give the awards to the guys who EARNED it. Make awards for every statistical category and then it's pretty cut and dry when a guy has a fantastic year.
If "awards" are a political lobby of GM's - well, I don't respect that process. I'm sure you can see why.
And since I'm the one writing this blog post, I can say whatever the heck I want and I will - so here's my votes for awards:
Coach of the Year - Eric Drage (Runner up: Dale Stott)
GM of the Year - Ryan Lang, Steve Hansen, Ken Anderson (Did ya'll see where the REV played our home games this year? And those Uni's?? Siiiiick!) - (Runner up: Dale Stott)
Rookie of the Year -Don Johnson, REV LB. The dude has never played football in his life. He's extremely fast, explosive and ultra-competitive. In other words, he's exactly the kind of guy REV players surround themselves with. His stats speak volumes. My favorite part about this guy though is his willingness to embrace TEAM. I get freakin' hyped off that attitude.
I really should break down awards by position groups. Maybe that's something the league can implement in the future. Obviously, I'm biased - I would 100% put REV guys in those groups.
I got off on a tangent on this subcategory - #7 - MVP Coulda Woulda Shoulda's so I'll just conclude with this - it's important that we recognize, reward and celebrate incredible accomplishments.
#6 - The LOCO Locomotives - es no bien
In 2014, the REV used an arrogant onside kick by the Utah Stealth to spur them onto winning the 2014 RMFL championship. I know that sounds crazy because it happened in Week 3, but I don't view the Championship Game as a 1 time event - I view it as a culmination of the whole season.... what a team does in the regular season usually correlates heavily with what happens in postseason.
Anyway, instead of an emotionally charged onside kick, it was an emotional 1st quarter beat down at the hands of the Laurel Locos. They smacked us in the mouth in the 1st quarter when we drove up there to play them in April. We got down pretty good - and then we just decided to do what we do... whoop some @$$. We went on a run and buried em' deep.... until the Loco Loco Crazy Train made an unexpected time out stop with 9 seconds left to play. Why?
(That's one thing I respect about the Zion Lions - they lose with class. Losing sucks. That's kind of the point. However, after you lose - be gracious enough to handle the loss with some sort of dignity. Be a man. Petulance is for kitty kat's... meow!) - (Example of petulance: "But the ref's made us lose!")
Anyhow, that stupid Loco time out made me angry. I don't know why - there was just something about it. Something that just screamed, "We got our butt's beat in but we don't respect you at all so we're going to try and score." Maybe I made that up in my own head as motivation. Maybe that's really what was being communicated. Either way - we used it as fuel to our fire.
Add that to the fact that they tried to change kickoff in a playoff game to 1 p.m. - knowing that we had players on an airplane trying to make the game - and that puckered us up pretty good too. One thing is for sure - we're excited to HOST them the next time around. It's important to be good hosts to our RMFL friends.
Thanks for adding some firewood to the REV bonfire! #AllAboard #vidaLOCOexpress
#5 - To be continued... (Probably will be much more REV focused, as there's some great REV players who deserve some serious ink....)
-- Edited by chuckypita on Monday 29th of June 2015 05:21:08 PM
-- Edited by chuckypita on Monday 29th of June 2015 05:21:58 PM
-- Edited by chuckypita on Monday 29th of June 2015 05:25:58 PM
