Midseason Mailbag Season 59

by adelfish | 5 years ago | 0 Comments

Midseason Mailbag - Season 59

Well well well, hello DaddyLeagues blogs. It has been quite some time since I've posted a blog on this site, and now with the fiasco that is Weedseed's internet security (or, lack thereof) failing to protect our RZSportsNetwork.com - we have returned. One thing I will say, posting on here is a nice change, as it doesn't cost me X amount of dollars a month for this to be read once, laughed about, and then disappear into the abyss.

Let's get to the questions!

Q - 'Which previous RZ Champ, who has not won a ring yet this cycle, is most likely to accomplish that again before the end of the cycle (if any)?'

- Jim's Body Odor

Didn't waste time with the monikers - I love it. First of all, let's recap the previous winners who have yet to win one this cycle....

Metal, Ernest, Adel, Mans, Weed, Moji, Black Magic.

Now that is a list of has-beens if I've ever seen one. Especially that third guy...

Now I do think this list has serious potential. Right now Weed is 8-1 and has a fantastic roster, Moji is always competitive (except for those random 2-3 seasons he decides to 'tank), and I think myself and Metal are always trying to win. I think those four are the only that could win one this cycle, and I have serious doubts about all. This cycle has proven that the 49ers run the conference, and these four teams have struggled to beat them, but I give the edge to these teams due to their consistent offseason moves to get in the hunt.

BM has struggled with the Texans to stay relevant, even now he is sitting at 4-5. Ernest is checked out, and who knows what planet Mans is on. I think it's a tough call to make with only 3 years remaining.

Q - 'In comparison to other cycles, has parity been more prominent in this cycle than others?'

- Spencer

In some ways, yes. There are some divisions that are constantly flip-flopping their division leaders, and some teams that have come out of nowhere to be competitive - but at the end of the day, all that matters is the playoffs, right? Beech winning a Super Bowl in the first season of the cycle is an absolute anomaly, it was beyond impressive but since then it has been the status quo. How many AFC Championship games have involved the Jaguars and Chargers? How many NFC Championships have involved the 49ers? 

Yes, divisions like the AFC North, NFC North exist. They are fun to watch, but even a division like the NFC South lost its parity when Gstar was removed. I think the regular season has parity week to week, but at the end of the day you can count on your usual suspects to make the final eight.

Q - 'Where have you seen the most growth in the Red Zone this year?'

- Byron Moone

Great question. Are you Myron Boone's doppelganger? If so, please don't sack me.

I think on the field gameplay has where we have seen the most growth. I enjoy almost every single game start to finish, and there are varying styles. Some play run heavy, some pass heavy, some a fun balance, and others just punch you in the mouth with their defense. It's the most varying styles we've seen, and it has done wonders for the longevity of this cycle.

Q - 'Who do you think will be the next 'New' champion in Red Zone?'

- Last Minute Lefty

If we went in a time machine and went back a few seasons, I would have picked Gstar, no doubt. He seemed to have control of the NFC South for the foreseeable future, and was starting to get his feet wet in the playoffs. Now with him gone, Jake is definitely at the top of the list for me. He has been consistent in his team building, and seems to have the competitive advantage against Lefty. Can he get past the 49ers? That is the real question.

Outside of Jake, others that come to mind right now are Tauph and JP. I know Jim is 6-3 right now but I don't think he can win 3-4 playoff games in a row.

Q - 'Taking over a team mid-cycle, especially when it was poorly ran before you, is a very difficult task to overcome. White Greg took a Panthers team that had no plan and is slowly turning their defense into a top 10 unit. QB issues aside, I think he's make strides with the team. With M21 on the horizon, is WG a sleeper pick for a possible perennial WC fighter next cycle when he gets a fresh start?'

- Panturds

I love this question. At the beginning of his career, WG definitely had some bumps in the road. Insane trade propositions, feuding with Moji, and even the nickname he was dubbed. It wasn't an ideal beginning to a career. But don't look now - he is 6-3, tied atop the division with Moji with a massive Week 16 game between the two. WG has drafted well, made some very impactful trades (Byron Jones, T.J. Watt) and has been active. We give him a lot of grief, but he is one of the rare mid-cycle additions that has worked out. He is an awesome addition.

Now for next cycle...YES! I think WG has consistently improved on the field, and I do think it translates to next cycle. Watch out for this season, I think he makes the playoffs in one of these final three seasons...

Q - 'With Adel and JP busy running the league, should a 3rd member be brought up just to enforce rules, hand our suspensions, look over streams, etc.? Or rule committee?'

- Ron's Cream Corn

Good idea, something that we have already done! How do you think all of this cheating gets caught? 

Q - 'Dream division and nightmare division?'

- Weed's Saggy Tits

Great question, and a really fun topic that pops up every few months. There are so many people in the league I've always wanted to division up with. With the new lottery system, teaming up is near impossible, but here is my perfect match if everything shook up correctly (for the sake of argument I chose only people I haven't been with).

Moji, Sin, BM - I think that would be a blast.

Now for the nightmare, I've been with some truly hideous users in the past (Jay jumps to mind), so this was hard to think of. This division isn't chosen for gameplay, but activity and chat behavior as well. I also think this group would not mesh together, at all.

Tiko, Beat, Blue. 

Q - 'What happened to you? Used to be a top 3 guy in RZ....shit has really went downhill. Like Jake's Drinking Problem...'

- Jake's Drinking Problem

Man, have I really fallen that far? Maybe I have. I haven't appeared in a Super Bowl since Madden 18 (which Astin beat me in on a last second pass, thank you very much), I haven't won a Super Bowl since Madden 17, and I haven't appeared in a NFC Championship Game since Madden 19. Maybe I am cooked. But I still finish in the top ten in wins, have won a couple playoff games, just can't get over the hump. Last year I couldn't beat Astin more than a handful of times, and this year I can't beat Cave. Maybe I should hang it up....or start a drinking problem...

Q - 'Surf vs. Lux, who you got?'

- Prewitt

Uh....Surf?

Q - 'If Moji gets the corona can I have the Saints?'

- Prewitt

Moji is unkillable. The amount of things that this man has ingested, do you think the Coronavirus can kill him? It will enter his body and be killed with the ravages of disease that already infest him, along with the cocaine. 

Q - 'Do you think Cave is really leaving? This could be one of many trolls.'

- .

First of all, putting a '.' instead of a name is as cowardly as leaving your name blank on your awards ballot. Take some ownership! Secondly, I have always had a feeling it was a troll, but he is pretty committed to the bit if it's a troll. He has told me in private his reasoning’s for retiring, and I tend to believe them. Everybody's time comes eventually, right? Either way, Red Zone goes on, but his presence in the league will be missed.

Q - 'Have you smelled Jim's stink on Bro Trip?'

- Cave's Retirement Party

Yes, to be completely honest. But let's not act like everyone else in that house was smelling like roses. After three days straight of consuming terrible food (great tasting, terrible for you) and liquor, nobody was smelling great. I myself thought I S'ed my P's a couple times. So let's just say the house was one big waft of stink.

Q - 'You have a brand new league after you & JP split. You can take 5 RZ members with you. Who are you taking with you to BlueZone?'

- Moji Is Tall

You think that I am so unoriginal that I would name the league 'Blue Zone'? That's a travesty in itself. Fun question though, considering all the possible scenarios. I think taking guys who are really invested in the league, the rulebook, and RZ culture are worth taking. To be fair, almost the whole league is a candidate. If I absolutely had to take five....I would take Astin, Jake, Moji, Weed and IJ (yes, you all know why).

Q - 'Which is worse - the confidence era or the defensive line era?'

- Fuck Dline Abilities

I wouldn't even call this the 'defensive line' era, but more so the abilities era. Abilities define this Madden for better or worse. Remember when EA had to nerf the enforcer trait early in the year because Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams forced up to 3 fumbles a game? I think the confidence era will be the lowest we ever see a CFM at. The players who were trapped in confidence purgatory could not escape, their newly acquired players would take -10 to -15 confidence from the moment they were signed in free agency or drafted, and the confidence had a direct impact on abilities.

Now do I think having a defensive lineman with abilities versus a safety with abilities is more advantageous? Absolutely. The defensive line abilities are absolute game changers, they have no true counters in the game that exist. The cornerbacks we have are not good enough to make up for the lack of a pass rush. Overall this Madden's gameplay is the best we've had, but the abilities need tweaking.

Q - 'Can you win without a dominant dline, if so how?'

- Steven Reid is a cum guzzler

I haven't had a dominant dline, but I have had one dominant player (Watt) and he made up for the weakness elsewhere. I think it is possible, but you need superstar abilities at corner, and linebacker. You need to actually know how to play defense, make adjustments. And on offense, you have to be efficient and keep the ball in your hands while taking time off the clock. It is difficult, but very possible.

Q - 'Are we getting the website back?'

- .

Until the league proves they contribute enough media to warrant me paying for it, otherwise not for the foreseeable future unfortunately. 

Q - 'Could you imagine not only letting Cave waltz on over to the division title every season, but also falling to the second best commish at the game? For a guy who was often put in the top tier rankings, this cycle is dropping you down.'

- Over Rated

As I said before, I'm still putting myself as a top ten user. I can't beat Cave this year, we can't make enough stops on defense to keep his offense off the field, simple as that. I can hang my head on moral victories about keeping them close all day, but at the end of the day I've only beaten him twice. It's a shame and I'm not happy about it. I consider myself on a level playing field to be among the best in the league, and no doubt Panos is there too, guy has built a tremendous roster and plays the right way. 

Q - 'What is the state of the league in terms of new users? More specifically, with a lot of vets hanging up the controller is Red Zone in a down period as far as users?'

- Moji's Sex Diseased Penis

It's a unique spot to be in. We have lost some quality people this year, with Turtles, Corn, Birdman, Aaron, Killah, Gstar and Eikim. That's a lot of guys to replace. I think we have done a very good job with the new guys. White Greg, Sin, Metal, Prewitt - all guys we can count on to be here, and I really think ClapYoCheeks or whoever the Bills guy is has a chance. You have to understand that the worst part about being a commish is searching for capable users in the middle, or the twilight of a cycle - it is bare bones. People are either done with Madden, or they do not want to adapt to our rules. 

I think the Red Zone is in a really good spot, we always seem to have a really solid group of about 27-28 guys. Right now we are there, just need to continue to develop new guys.

Q - 'Any regrets this cycle?'

- JP's Itty Bitty PP

I don't think I've ever been asked this before. Sure, I have some. On the field I'll start with - I regret trading away first round picks to try and 'win now'. I went all in on the first two drafts (and did very well) and had some young building blocks for the future. In all of those picks, I failed to draft one superstar defensive lineman, corner, or linebacker. My defense has been mediocre all cycle outside of when I had JJ Watt. Since those two drafts, I've traded my picks for studs like Mike Williams, Damon Harrison, Ryan Ramcyzk, Khalil Mack. They just haven't pushed me over the hump like I thought they would, and then I missed on getting one of the stud linemen available in the draft. If I could do it over, I would have drafted and stocked up on picks like I have in past cycles.

As a commish? There are always decisions but you can't regret them. I think being harsher with suspensions this year was a good move, implementing custom development features was great. But as far as regrets...perception can be something right? Like, being busy and not being in chat as much can give the perception that you don't care, or whatever, while you are on the other end looking but not contributing. I regret not contributing to media more, getting behind on tweets, all that good stuff. 

Q - 'Why do people complain about Cover 0 but have no problem with people running the 46 playbook? 46 is an outdated way to play defense and at least Cover 0 is a legitimate play call.'

- 46 Defense Hater

Fair point, personally I have no issues with Cover 0 outside of some situations. I think running it more than 60-70% of the time is unsim, but can also work against you. I mean if you are on offense and seeing Cover 0 every play, how are you not adjusting to that? In regards to 46 I agree that it is an outdated defense, and I think running that playbook can put you at a disadvantage. 

If you see someone running 46, why do you play into them? Run shotgun and force them to make adjustments. Too often we out-sim ourselves into exactly what our opponent wants us to do.

Q - 'Can I smooch you?'

- Astin the Pickle Smoocher

Get in line.

Q - 'When will Beech finally throw in the towel now that he's won a Super Bowl?'

- Captain Advance

I don't see it coming anytime soon. He loves the league, he loves the camaraderie, and he loves to compete. As much as he says he is busy and what not, I know he loves the culture here and the constant competing. Obviously life catches up, but I see him sticking around for a while.

Q - 'What happened with Gstar and why isn't he in the league anymore?'

- Concerned RZ User

He disappeared and told me in private messages his cycle was spent, and was just a placeholder for Madden 21. We don't do that here, so the divorce was finalized.

Q - 'If you had to guess who leaves the league after this cycle, who is it and why?'

- Let Me See That Ass

Let's get the easy ones out of the way - Caveman is gone because he has no fire to play the game anymore. Ernest is gone because the games have become a chore for him.

My wild card picks? I think Trent could consider it with a baby coming along. I think Tiko is always a threat but will never actually leave (he loves us, whether he admits it or not), and I think a really sneaky combo could be the Mans/Beat duo. Do they really care anymore? I know they love us, but is the commitment to Madden still there?

Q - 'Name some features you'd like to see in CFM next year.'

- Silk's Hemorrhoids

The abilities were a great start, and that is the best feature added to Madden this year. Let me hit the big ones right away.

1) - A complete overhaul of the progression system in terms of how we gain experience and how it relates to your dev trait. Development games are too easy, and XP goals are too difficult. XP cannot be locked into Pro Bowl, Awards, and Training, there needs to be a way for on the field success to matter. I think the development traits need to be more difficult to obtain, and that the amount of players in the league that can have them needs to be limited, or more counters need to be created for abilities.

2) - Offseason changes. Free Agency needs to be changed and remove the visible points system, it is not a good thing for online leagues and promotes sniping. Implement other reasons for a free agent choosing you - do you win, are you offering the most money, do you have warm weather, etc. These things should matter, and then for other players they shouldn't. Sometimes when a guy like DeSean Jackson hits free agency, he just wants to be paid. He does not care about culture - that should be the case in Madden.

3) - Custom draft class creator that is usable. Allow us to make it on our computer and import it via EA (AND HIDE THE DEV TRAITS).

4) - Overhaul the menus and small league features. Historical stats, former teams the players played for in their player card, historical awards, and historical Pro Bowl rosters. All that stuff should be available to us in the league.

5) - Dynamic Scenarios - This is a fantastic idea from EA, but now we need to update them. 5th year options, trade demands, contract negotiations, being unhappy with your role. There are so many options out there, and not every team should be the same.

6) - More immersion. I want to feel like every time I step on the field that the league is ours, not this fake rip-off of the NFL. Show stats around the league, storylines, when they show my rookie QB's player card, actually show his 3D model. Little things like that go such a long way.

Q - 'Why does it feel like RZ has a cancel culture?'

- Concerned RZ User

Last question is a juicy one. The person who asked this definitely was on the wrong end of something, so I will try and look at it from their point of view.

I think Red Zone chat can get mob mentality like. Once someone is thought to be an outsider, doesn't care anymore, and is just here to be here, I think the chat will unknowingly bully them into a spot where they don't feel welcome. I also think that chat can run with narratives that are half-truths, but convince the mass they are a truth. I mean think about all the things that happen over the course of one day in chat, let alone a cycle. 

If you don't have thick skin, the league can wear on you I'm sure. I don't think it's an excuse to have that mentality though, mob mentality is a very dangerous thing regardless of what you're doing. The league is here for fun and for real-life distractions, nothing more. To make people feel unwelcome or unhappy about being here is something I'm 100% against. That part of us is always in constant development. 

 

Thank you everyone for the questions, 26 total responses! Was fun to write and hope you enjoyed reading!!