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*leviadan* · 09-10-2020, 01:34 PM

1212 Words - 2x Draft Media - Ready for Grading!

Howdy.

Usually I write goofy shit here, and if you want silly dumb yuck-em-ups then you've come to the wrong place today, bucko. Today we're serious. Feel free to go back and click any other media in this section and I'm sure it'll be the straight up clown parade that you're looking for.

I joined the league nine months ago now, which is absolutely wild to me because it feels like both so much more, and so much less. More, because I've spent close to seven of those months in quarantine, and boy howdy is that really starting to drag. But less, because I still feel like I'm new-- like I still don't really know a lot of the people around here. Not to mention, I'm just now moving to the SHL for the first time. You know, the big league that the site is named after? Nine months in and I'm just now going to be dipping into the core aspect of the site... that's pretty nuts.

This isn't a complaint at all, but a bit of context for what anyone that's getting drafted this week can expect. You'll spend a good while with your junior team, so don't be afraid to ask questions. Really try to suss out who you'll be hanging out with and what you want to achieve together. I was lucky, because I did not do that. I asked very few questions, and really wasn't sure about who was drafting me or where I wanted to go right up to the moment that I was picked. Even then I wasn't sure if I was happy about it. Despite that, it worked out.

Over the last nine months in Detroit I got to know some of the most fantastic people I've met in a long time. There are formative periods in life where you have the opportunity to meet a group of new friends-- starting elementary school, going to university, a new job-- whatever. I could never have anticipated that being drafted to the Detroit Falcons in a simulated hockey forum would became one of those moments. I can say now that I met a dozen or so people that I talk to just about every day. And, shockingly enough, I don't think that's an incredibly unique experience for SHL members. By and large, users on this site seem to meet and make a lot of friends. I think that's incredible.

So when you're getting drafted, and when you're interviewing with general managers, keep that in mind. It can be just a simulated hockey team-- but if you want more, then the community is there for you. I can't speak to other teams, but if you're going to Detroit this week then congratulations, and I'll see you in the locker room. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

Secondly-- yes, the drama and the arguing can be super entertaining to read. If you decide to get involved, try to remember to keep it fun. Trash talking is a part of sports and it's no different here. There will be suspensions, punishments, cheating, and people you don't like. Many teams have long ingrained rivalries that you may not ever understand. For example, fuck St. Louis. Why do I say that? To be honest I'm not fully sure. It can be part of the fun to have a rivalry. A lot of the guys on St. Louis are super nice, and I'll be sharing a team with some next season. That's great and all, but also fuck them. It's a lot of fun to beat St. Louis.

At the end of the day we're here to enjoy fake hockey. At it's core, the people here have kind hearts, and when they log off at the end of the day they all have their own problems to navigate. I love dunking on people as much as anyone-- but I've reached out to people and had people reach out to me in DMs to make sure that we're cool. Cracking jokes is great, but remember the people on the other end. We're all here to have fun.

Lastly, if there's one thing I could change from my time starting out here, it's my engagement level with the SHL proper. In your first season, you don't really need to know anything about the big league. All of your PTs are in their own forum, they all pertain to your league, and you aren't even affiliated with an SHL team. But your next draft comes up fast, and you should put just as much, if not more, diligence into finding yourself an awesome SHL match.

The SMJHL is amazing and like I said, I just spent an incredible nine months playing there. But if you're someone that plans to play through regression, you could damn near be on your SHL team for years. Obviously you can request a trade or go to free agency, you'll always have options. However if you do your best to be honest and put yourself out there, you'll land somewhere that you're happy with in the most painless way possible. So while you don't need to pay any attention to the SHL in your first season, I think that you should. I wish that I did, because even now I feel like I know embarrassingly little about a lot of teams, who runs them, and what they're like. Having a decent knowledge of those things will set you up to find somewhere that you'll love to hang out for potentially a year or more.

That being said, I was lucky and the SHL draft worked out for me too. A good friend from Detroit drafted me, along with some other folks from Detroit-- and I couldn't be more excited to start my first season with Texas in a few weeks. We're a Young Exciting Team™ that's only going to get better as a bunch of us young guys keep developing. So again, if you're a looking for an SHL team to start your research with, I'd be more than happy to recommend you to Texas. We're going to be doing a lot of winning soon.

Well draftees, that's all I have to say. That's my advice. Do your research, meet people, be honest, and don't let the drama go too far.

I'm not going to do the song and dance of @ing twenty people to thank-- I'll instead opt to just say thank you to everyone I've met in the last nine months. I've had an incredible time, and this is just the beginning. Thank you to my new friends, thank you to the management teams that have drafted me, and thank you to anyone who keeps this site going. It's allowed me an incredible outlet to meet people, practice writing, and work on my Photoshop.

These past months in quarantine, and however many more to come could have easily been some of my worst. Thanks in no small part to discovering this place, it's been surprisingly fun. So if you're new here, welcome. I hope you have as much fun as I've had, and I wish you all the best. And if you end up on one of my teams, don't be afraid to reach out.

Cheers

Cheers

[Image: pin1_1.gif?ex=665ea534&is=665d53b4&hm=80...8cd6be61d&]

***sve7en*** · 09-10-2020, 01:37 PM

Me: Oh fuck yes new Dan media

Quote:Usually I write goofy shit here, and if you want silly dumb yuck-em-ups then you've come to the wrong place today, bucko. Today we're serious. Feel free to go back and click any other media in this section and I'm sure it'll be the straight up clown parade that you're looking for.

oh..

good advice tho <3