Dear RedZone

by hcut2k4 | 7 years ago | 0 Comments

RedZone,

I am permanently leaving the league. I started seriously thinking about this during season 39 and made a final decision early in season 40. I did not tell anyone because a) I didn’t want anyone to try to talk me out of it and b) I didn’t want the added pressure.

My ultimate goal was to go out as Super Bowl Champion. I badly wanted to be remembered as one of the great RedZone users and I felt a 4th Super Bowl and a second cycle with the ultimate prize would have cemented my legacy. None the less, it was not meant to be. Congratulations to Metalskull, you were the better user today.

While I didn’t go out as a Super Bowl champion, I did beat Adel in the playoffs which is a huge personal honor for me. I do, and always will, hold Adel in extremely high regard for his gameplay and team building. Like beating Lefty in the playoffs, it is not something I ever thought I could do. I like to think I bookended my legacy with playoff wins over the two greatest users in RedZone history. You both deserve to be in the hall of fame and I will always cherish those games.

I have loved my time in RedZone, starting in season 13 on Madden 15 with the Ravens. I love writing articles, building my team, competing against other great Madden players, watching great games, and doing it with all of you. However, while I once enjoyed socializing with RedZone members, I no longer enjoy this aspect of the league. For reasons I cannot completely explain, the league doesn’t have the feel of a bunch of friends enjoying each other’s company anymore.

As much as I would love to say that I’m leaving because I’m concerned about its future (I am) or due to the lack of leadership (there is) this is simply not the case. The current state of the league certainly has made it easier for me to walk away, but the truth is that my life has been slowly falling part over the past two years and I’m struggling to keep it together. I know my problems are minimal compared to many of yours. But for me, I simply have not been able to properly prioritize the league in order to get back on track. I wish I could take a step back while still being in the league, but I can’t. Believe me, I have tried.

I will not be staying in any of the chats. In fact, I will be deleting GroupMe from all of my devices. I will not be joining any other leagues or playing any other games online. If you want to stay in touch, we can connect on Facebook, Twitter, or good old fashion texting.

Thank you all for the memories and great times. This was a special part of my life and I will always remember it fondly. I hope the next 40 seasons are even better than the last 40.

-Kelly