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***JKortesi81*** · 05-01-2020, 07:35 PM

Hello SHL,

I don’t even know how to write this letter. I have a lot I want to say, but no idea how to find the words. For those who aren’t in the know, The New Orleans Specters submitted illegal lines yesterday in our playoff series with Los Angeles. There’s no real need to rehash how or what happened, and you can read the breakdown in @frithjofr ‘s media piece.

I’m saddened and embarrassed by how this went down. I have spent the entirety of my work day sick to my stomach, ridden with anxiety. When I have a second of free time, I’ve found myself apologizing to @Wasty , @Mook , and @JT3 so far. I also have spent time talking to HO members, asking what I can do to help the situation and answering any questions they may have. While it’s been fun seeing my name get dragged through the mud, and rightfully so, I wanted to answer some questions I’ve seen pop up.

Namely, how didn’t I know what happened? Why do I have a coach? That sort of thing. The truth is, for those that do not know, I work in the healthcare field. I’ve been pounding out 60+ hours a week at work, and there’s more work than ever since March. I don’t know FHM. I can admit that. Before this switch, I had never played it before. So after last season, I asked Frith, who had some FHM experience, to help out and be our coach. Our players work too hard on their TPE and their builds for me to just wing a season of their careers while i learn. So I brought on some help, despite it going against my deep need to be in control of everything. I gave up the lines to someone who could do a better job than I could, because my team deserves the best they can get. I was supposed to learn more and more about it as the season went on, but then this pandemic took over and I just never have any time anymore to learn like I wanted. Sadly, FHM/SHL gets put on the backburner for real life. None of that is to attempt to garner sympathy, I’m just explaining what was being asked. At least so it seems.

Frith was an excellent coach this season, and is a big reason we made the playoffs after our slow start. He’s a good person who really just made a mistake. Clearly, that mistake was a doozy. It’s not inconceivable to think that an S48 player didn’t know anything about the Winnipeg Jets of S37 and didn’t know the rule and what it was for. It’s on me for not making sure he knew all of the rules. Once I heard about what happened, I yelled in the war room, and I wasn’t happy. I’ve spent a lot of time in the past ripping on Hamilton for what they did, and now my own team is pulling some rule breaking nonsense? This can’t be real life! But, while the two scenarios aren’t exactly equal, it’s still something that never should have happened. At the end of the day, this falls on me, and I own that. I’ve never once tried to wriggle out of the scenario or justify it in any way. This is my team, and I should’ve checked on the lines before the sim started. TDZ is completely innocent here. He’s always been there to take care of things when my life gets hectic, but right now that just isn’t as possible. I can’t tell you about what he has going on in his real life, but there’s some significantly more pressing issues than the SHL. Feel free to shit on me. Focus it here please.

This is my team, and I should’ve been there to catch this mistake.

But, I didn’t until it was too late. I did reprimand my team and coach. And no, there aren’t 10 coaches on the team. Frith is the coach, although yes, sometimes a few others sim and test things out. I’m positive every team has people who want to do more and help out when they can. People care about this league. Anyway, I asked for a resim, because I feel that is what should be happening, but it isn’t possible I’ve been told. I love the playoffs, and it FLOORS me to know that they’re tainted. We’ve spent 8 seasons building this team in New Orleans, and we have some great people there. I’m proud of our achievements (even with our failures) so far. But, now we can’t potentially win the Cup and be 100% satisified with it. I got to witness a Game 3 win that was awesome today, and I felt nothing but negativity from it inside, even though it was on even footing. It kills me inside to know that our team of great people could potentially win a Challenge Cup this season and there’d be an asterisk on it. Until you’re in this situation, there’s no explaining the hopelessness and sadness I feel for them, the innocent bystanders in this, because it’s completely my fault. I gave them a coach to make sure I didn’t ruin a year of their careers, and yet my decision ended up doing so anyway, even if it was a mistake. They deserve better than this. I’m sorry guys.

Again, to the Los Angeles Panthers and the players on it, I’m just as sorry. You’ve also been through your share of STHS hell just to move onto this FHM engine and have a fantastic regular season potentially derailed by this mistake. You all have the right to be incredibly angry, I know I would be too. One day I hope to put it all behind us. Please reach out if you need to vent at me. I understand.

To the SHL and its members, we’ve been through a lot in the last half a year. This conversion to FHM has been a lot to undertake and we’re still working the kinks out as we go. I feel horrible that we took our first ever playoff on this much better sim engine and have it start out horribly. Luckily, there’s a LOT of playoff hockey left, and I’m hoping that the rest of the way will be entertaining and exciting, and the beginning of this series will be just a blip on the radar we can move on from.

Again, I’m incredibly embarrassed and my mental health is completely shot from this. I love this league more than anything. I’m coming up on four real life years on this site. I’ve made some incredible friends who have become family in so many ways. People who are there for me with real life scenarios and are SO MUCH MORE than “internet friends”. The fact that something like this could happen to the league from my team is such a gut punch. I feel sick inside, even still, like I’m going to throw up. It’s pathetic, but I did shed a couple of tears about it. I feel like I’ve failed so many good people in this scenario. I’m sorry.

There’s a lot of people who may still have questions. I don’t mind taking the time to answer them all individually. I owe the league that. My discord is JKortesi81#7672. Please PM me and we can talk it all out. Bring your questions, your anger, whatever you’re holding onto. I’ll talk to you and hopefully we can come to an understanding.

Take care everyone.

-Joe K.

Mook · 05-01-2020, 07:38 PM

Now this is a good apology.

Thank you, Joe. This is my first time dipping my toes back in GMing since like S27 or 28 i think and I'm beginning to remember some of the stress that is put on you while you work. It sucks that this whole debacle happened in the first place, I know both sides were looking forward to this series. We've already talked so I'll keep it at that, we've got a series to play

***hhh81*** · 05-01-2020, 07:41 PM

Shit happens.

Samsung virtual assistant · 05-01-2020, 07:42 PM

Dude without reading this i want to start by saying that i personally dont have any resentment or what to call it towards you or tdz in all of this. Sure its your responsibility in the end, but still. You're good in my books dude, it's just really unfortunate.

And after reading it that statement doesnt change.

Carlz · 05-01-2020, 07:44 PM

05-01-2020, 07:38 PMMook Wrote: Now this is a good apology.

Thank you, Joe. This is my first time dipping my toes back in GMing since like S27 or 28 i think and I'm beginning to remember some of the stress that is put on you while you work. It sucks that this whole debacle happened in the first place, I know both sides were looking forward to this series. We've already talked so I'll keep it at that, we've got a series to play

Wow I can't believe Mook the legend still around these parts

Mook · 05-01-2020, 07:47 PM

05-01-2020, 07:44 PMCarlz Wrote:
05-01-2020, 07:38 PMMook Wrote: Now this is a good apology.

Thank you, Joe. This is my first time dipping my toes back in GMing since like S27 or 28 i think and I'm beginning to remember some of the stress that is put on you while you work. It sucks that this whole debacle happened in the first place, I know both sides were looking forward to this series. We've already talked so I'll keep it at that, we've got a series to play
Wow I can't believe Mook the legend still around these parts

They tried to keep me inactive, but I said no. I much prefer the drama here compared to Habbo Hotel

Gooney · 05-01-2020, 07:52 PM

lol

grok · 05-01-2020, 07:57 PM

glad to see someone in a leadership position here actually knows how to apologize when they fuck up.

good on you

Nokazoa · 05-01-2020, 08:10 PM

Hi JoeK,
Go cuddle Bayley for your own good.

wumaduce · 05-01-2020, 08:31 PM

Joe,

I fully expected you to draft me on this latest player and was surprised when you didn't. I still think the punishment on NOLA was light, especially with it being the playoffs. That said, this is one of the few apology posts I've seen in the shl that I feel is actually sincere. Props to you for owning it and not trying to wriggle out of it.

JT3 · 05-01-2020, 08:39 PM

The one thing I can say about all this is that I've never been this invested in an SHL series before. I'm excited to see how it goes now.

Respect Joe, you know we're good.

Credits to OrbitingDeath, Tweedle, Incite, Wasty, and Slothfacekilla for sigs!

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*Leppish* · 05-01-2020, 08:46 PM

You're a good man Joe, respect.

Blastmeaway · 05-01-2020, 08:51 PM

woof reading this is like hearing dad say he's disappointed in you

Shout out to ml002, schultzy, slashacm, tedward!
[Image: blastmeaway.gif]

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09-05-2018, 10:04 PMBeaver Wrote: Wow look what the PT affiliation has done to our pristine league.

12-19-2018, 12:31 AMBeaver Wrote: I personally blame the PT affiliation for handing out massive amounts of free TPE to all these players, inflating the TPE they're at when they get called up.