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***hhh81*** · 03-09-2022, 07:51 PM

Good evening everyone!

I'm hhh81 and, SURPRISE!, I'm the new Baltimore Platoon GM. I figured I would throw up a AMA about my new job, my site experience, recreating, whatever!

And, yes, that does mean that Johnny Hamilton is making a comeback to a site job. Get ready, folks, this jawn is hot.

Hit me with the questions! Platoon

03-09-2022, 07:55 PMboom Wrote: Congratulations!

What spurred you to finally come back to GMing after so long away?

Thanks! It was the right opportunity at the right time. I heard HO hadn't gotten a lot of applications and they were worried. I was shocked by that with how great BAP is right now and how many great people I thought might want to step up. I talked to a few people attached to Baltimore to see how the team would take an outsider joining their group and leading. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and they have great FHM people in the room. They didn't need a sim savant, just someone to lead and manage and keep people excited. They needed someone who can do "people", and as someone who irl is in a helping profession, that's me.

03-09-2022, 07:55 PMboom Wrote: What are your goals for M’Baku?

I want M'Baku to be the best power forward this league has seen in some time. I don't anticipate him leading the league in scoring ever or being an MVP guy, and that's okay. He's going to hit people, score goals, and make space for teammates. I imagine that guy who is the 3rd best player on a top 6 line, but makes space for the super stars to do their thing. Tom Wilson without the consistent attempts to permanently harm people.

03-09-2022, 07:55 PMboom Wrote: Is it called a “pop tart” or “toaster strudel”?

Those are two different things entirely, boom.

03-09-2022, 07:56 PMsköldpaddor Wrote: Will Johnny Hamilton still be able to devote his full time and attention to being my agent? This is very important to me.

With this change in career opportunities, Johnny has spoken with his junior partners at the Hamilton Sports Agency family. They already were doing some good work with many clients, and will take on additional negotiations in situations that would cause a conflict of interest for him as a general manager. Lias likely will work with one of those junior partners when it comes to contract negotiations moving forward.

He will still be able to represent and support Gunnar Soderberg and Cassius Darrow in their retirement, as needed. He cannot devote his full time to any one player, of course, especially now that he is in such a public role with an organization he was not previously a member of.

JH: Yeah, gimme a call and we can chat. We'll get you figured out, for sure. I haven't decided on any senior partners yet, but there's one or two of my people I think would be great for you, Lias. Have you met Ophelia yet? She's great, you'll love her, she's smarter than I could ever hope to be and nearly as fierce at the negotiation table!

03-09-2022, 08:01 PMlespoils Wrote: If so, can Johnny be an agent for LEG without tampering him to his own team? How can you make decisions for the career of one of the top prospects in the league while also trying to improve your own team and still stay impartial?

Please see my answer above. Ophelia Morton-Gardner likely will take on the bulk of Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson's contract negotiations when it comes to the SMJHL and SHL. Johnny can and likely will continue to assist Ms. Morton-Gardner, Mr. Antony Lewis, and Mxr. Viv Tick-Wallace with media appearances, endorsements, investments, and other aspects of Lias' business interests that go outside the scope of his playing career.

JH: I trust my junior partners implicitly. I don't bring in folks I can't trust, and that's why HSA is such a true family. A lot of people say that shit, but our jawn genuinely is a family. I will find appropriate professional boundaries and work to further my business as well as the careers of my clients.

03-09-2022, 08:41 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote: What are you most looking forward to about being an SHL GM?

I'm looking forward to getting a feel for my new team. I'd not been in Baltimore before this, so I'm getting to know some new people and hope to deepen relationships with those I may have crossed paths with previously. We have a really great war room right now that just needs a little spark and energy to keep things going. It's nice going into a situation that competitively is pretty good. Most outside hires seem to take over rebuilding situations, which isn't the case here.

03-09-2022, 08:47 PMjay2233 Wrote: Will Johnny still retain @DinoGangJHam as his Twitter handle or will he have to change it?

JH: There's nothing they can do to stop me if I want to keep it. I haven't thought that far ahead, but I may change the handle to align with my new role. Right now, that's not my biggest priority when it comes to taking over and getting a feel for my job. I have people to get to meet and contracts to immediately iron out in Baltimore.

03-09-2022, 09:40 PMLordBirdman Wrote: How will you approach the deep dark black hole of sim testing?

I won't

One thing that really cemented my interest was that BAP has some great people with FHM knowledge, interest, and skill. They don't need someone to come in and be a sim savant. They needed a person who can do what I do best--talk to people, negotiate with GMs, advocate for the room, and help keep morale high. I plan to approach this job with a lot of the same energy I brought to Colorado. I was at my best there when I had a Co-GM who was willing and able to handle the sim while I really took on a lot of other tasks. For now, I plan to keep @mastersheep on as my Co, and over the next few seasons try to develop a pipeline of users willing to step up into larger roles with my team and the larger SHL community.

03-09-2022, 09:49 PMwumaduce Wrote: Who's your favorite eveelution, and why?

Ooh great question. I'll go one step further.

8. Glaceon -- don't like it
7. Leafeon -- the vibe doesn't do it for me. It's def cuter than Glaceon, but not something I think I'd ever use.
6. Flareon -- I like it, but I don't love it's move pool being so attack heavy. It weakens the use of stuff like flamethrower that I want to use
5. Sylveon -- cute, and I've used it before as a solid fairy type. Not my favorite, but a good choice.
4. Vaporeon -- my first favorite, for sure. Over time, others moved up. I still like it, but as a water type guy, others are just preferred
3. Espon -- I can't look at it and not love it
2. Umbreon -- it looks cool, and there's so much you can make it do
1. Jolteon -- pretty much my go to electric type in any generation. I like the Sparky boi.

03-09-2022, 10:17 PMCapt_Blitzkrieg Wrote: Congratulations, Trips! What's your favorite D&D class?

To play, or overall? I love the cleric class from a mechanic and flavor perspective, but I never get to play one somehow. If you are throwing me into a game tomorrow and asking what class I want to play, the answer is going to be Rogue or Artificer. I started out as an Armorer Artificer in an Eberron game, but that fell apart. I would love to revisit him. And the rogueish bastard is a trope I loooove. Magic heist might be my favorite trope in fantasy the last few years. I'm playing an Arcane Trickster right now, and really enjoy the magic+sneak fun I can get into. Hopefully @sköldpaddor doesn't kill my little bunnyman off

03-09-2022, 11:50 PMJumbobone19 Wrote: What was the appeal of Baltimore?

It's a new experience, which I appreciate. It's very easy to get into our silos and never consider venturing out. I'm guilty of it too! From my perspective, it's probably one of the best jobs that opened this offseason, and without a doubt in my mind one of the best jobs in the SHL period. The team is really good, and likely will continue to be for a fair bit of time. There's also some really great people in the LR, and an engaged war room. I poked around when I first heard HO was having trouble and spoke to some prominent people I knew. They had overall positive response to me applying, and now getting the job. The war room having FHM knowledge and confidence also helps me feel like it's a better fit.

03-09-2022, 11:50 PMJumbobone19 Wrote: What is your biggest strength that you bring with you?

I've seen a lot on the site, I've done a lot (J GMing, J and SHL HO, awards, historian, IIHF) over the last 3.5 years, and I want to use that to help this be a good place. Unlike a lot of people, winning is not why I'm doing the job. Don't get me wrong, I like to win, and want to help the team I'm leading win games. But wins and losses will never be how I define my success on this site. I define my success by the huge number of people that came from Colorado and went onto significant site leadership either as a GM or in a department. There's a lot of people who I drafted, mentored, or were drafted/mentored by my people doing important things site wide. I don't take all the credit for the "Colorado GM Academy", but I think I played a significant role in helping that to flourish how it has under your leadership. I'd like to bring that same sort of encouragement to newer users to get involved and find a place to contribute to making our community a fun, inclusive, and engaging place.

I plan to have 1:1 conversations with everyone in the system right now--prospects, roster players, alums, etc. My goal is to figure out where everyone's at, what's important to them, and how I can help them reach their goals within what I control. I can't promise every player top line minutes or PP time or awards. What I want to do is find what motivates people, and then help make sure they are bought into the collective vision we're gonna make happen. I know I'm not everyone's favorite person--I've made plenty of enemies and ruffled feathers over the last 20+ seasons. I also bring a skillset few other people are going to have. I work in a helping profession working with college students every day. I'm focused on developing and growing people, period.

03-09-2022, 11:08 PMGeekusoid Wrote: Will you be keeping the brrrrt?

I don't know what this means. Can you provide clarification?

03-10-2022, 02:29 AMThatguy91 Wrote: With so many GM positions available this offseason (assuming you didnt apply for any other GM position), what was it that made Baltimore the most appealing destination for you?

I did not apply for any other GM positions. I have been super reluctant to get back into GMing at all. This was the right job at the right time. If not, I would have been happy to keep doing what I was doing and likely end up back in Seattle with Baku. That didn't happen. I think Baltimore is one of the best jobs on the site right now. The team looks very competitive, and the skillsets they have complement the skills I have and bring to the role. There not being a strong and even interested) internal candidate, plus having support from some leaders in the room like JR and Jumbo made it more attractive.

03-10-2022, 12:17 PMZoone16 Wrote: How does it feel to enter a LR/Discord of people whom you haven't interacted with and become the GM of a team you were never on prior?

It's a fun new challenge! I knew a lot of people in passing, but only a few--Jumbo, Buster, geck, Sean--I've really spent a good bit of time in LRs with. I'm excited to get to know everyone better. Y'all have been super friendly and welcoming so far. I appreciate it.

03-10-2022, 12:21 PMthiefofcheese Wrote: Can you give us your thoughts on the latest changes HO has been making to hopefully increase parity and reduce GM fatigue? Is simple better or are we just watering down the sim?

Gosh, what a complicated question, thief! I tend to believe that chemistry and consistency has a bigger effect on the sim that many of us every thought. I don't know what the answer is, and I know I'll never solve the sim. At the very least, I think it's a cosmetic change that will lessen the illusion of choice/effort it takes to do the job effectively. I hope that will lessen people's percieved barriers to entry and lead to a few more GM applications. At the end of the day, I don't think that's the largest issue leading to low GM applications. I think site culture and our subgroup siloing play a much bigger part in keeping people from wanting to apply, personally.

The SMJHL is doing some things right, and I believe the SHL could benefit from emulating the culture of (mostly) respect that exists among J GMs.

03-11-2022, 07:57 PMHigh Stick King Wrote: Congrats on the role!

Regardless of FHM and how the sims play, what type of team are you looking to build in an ideal world? High octane offense? Defensive commitment first? Fast and agile or big and punishing? Is there another team, past/present/real life that you would like to emulate?

Lastly, I read your responses to Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson and I would hope that Spack Jarrow will be receiving the same level of commitment and effort to find a new rep as Lias has. Who does Wheaties call when looking to add Jarrow to their cereal boxes?

Hello HSK! Thanks for the questions.

I honestly don't care about the strategy of the team on the ice as much as the culture of the people off it. I'm going to have fun with good people, and if we can help them work toward a cohesive group goal that is effective, cool. Obviously, as a Blue Jackets fan, I would love to play out the Torts blue jackets with more talent, because I think that could be fun. Love a good hard forechecking team that outworks the other guys, and has real elite talent at each level. Baku is a big punishing guy ala a Tom Wilson, so a system that allows him to be physical and open up opportunities for other scorers could be fun for me. The strategy isn't as big a focus for me, though.

And of course you will get the same commitment. THat went for all of my clients. We can set up some meetings between you and the other attorneys in the firm to see which might be the best fit for Jarrow's needs. The relationship is key!

03-15-2022, 11:46 AMmicool132 Wrote: Knowing your detailed attention to the SHL general history and your knowledge of many Colorado Raptor's factoids and chapters, do you plan to have the same interest in getting versed into the Platoon's history and facts? Do you have any fun fact to share about your new team yet?

Great questions! A lot of my Colorado/J history knowledge comes from being so involved in the league for over 3 years. I like trivia and history and facts, so I imagine some franchise knowledge will pop up here and there. I don't have any fun facts really. BAP's LR does have a books channel, which is something I don't think Colorado, Buffalo, or Seattle ever had somehow! I'm a slut for books and book-related conversations, especially when people ask me for recommendations!

03-15-2022, 11:46 AMmicool132 Wrote: What was the behind the scene process of bringing Bojo back to the Platoon as both had a pretty strong bind in my mind.

As I was applying for the job, I heard murmurs that trashae opted out of his contract and may be looking for a change of scenery. I knew my very first task as GM was to get in touch with him and figure out where things stood and how I can best support the player and my team. Quickly I realized there wasn't much I could do to keep him in the fold, so I worked with him to identify preferred destinations for a sign and trade. I appreciated trashae's willingness to work with me so BAP wasn't left with a massive hole days before the season. I spoke with his preferred destinations and began negotiations. In the end, a trade with Seattle to bring .bojo back made sense. Of the roster players I discussed as part of the return, Pojo Biscuit fit our window and roster the best over the next few seasons, and I was able to get some decent futures to keep the prospect shelves full.

It's not the return we'd hoped for, and certainly not the return he would have gotten even a week sooner if a GM was in place and was made aware he wanted to go elsewhere. I think I made the best of the situation. bojo's IA right now, but if he comes back to the site, I imagine he'd be happy to be back with the Platoon.

03-15-2022, 12:14 PMJT3 Wrote: What's your favorite kind of sandwich? Also, what's your favorite kind of soup to pair with said sandwich?

I like burgers a good bit, as well as like a chicken cutlet sandwich. I love a good chicken parm, though I've downplayed that with the loaded context around that particular food on this site. If we're talking more deli, I enjoy a solid BBQ turkey sandwich, with lettuce tomato pickle and maybe a cheese if my stomach is feeling okay that day (lactose intolerant). For soups, I love a good chili, a chicken noodle, an italian wedding, or even a nice chicken tortilla soup! All depends on my mood. I default away from a lot of cream-based soups due to the aforementioned dietary restriction.

BBQ turkey sub with a cup of chili. Final answer.

03-15-2022, 12:14 PMJT3 Wrote: Is a soup and sandwich the GOAT lunch?

It's a solid lunch! I actually had that yesterday. It's not one I would go to normally (I would likely pick a hot sandwich and fries over just about anything). When it comes to soups, I'm a big fan of chili or like an Italian wedding soup (I answered this question first). I also probably would pick like a burrito over a soup and sandwich.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: How active do you see yourself being in terms of simming to figure out optimal line conditions?

I answered some similar questions to this previously, but happy to answer again. Short answer: I don't. My application for the job made it pretty clear I don't bring sim knowledge or skill to the table; there are other skills with managing people, overseeing and organizing tasks, and keeping up morale that I do bring and I think will benefit Baltimore. In full honestly, with what the next 3-4 months of my life hold regarding moving and starting a new job, I don't see myself being able to devote time to test simming. Last time I opened FHM, it crashed my computer.

I believe strongly in having and empowering a team around a GM to be successful. I'd like to keep that moving forward.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: How do you feel about the state of the league right now re: competitiveness?

As someone who had been in HO a few seasons ago, I know they are working hard to navigate options to address this. I think there's a great deal many of us (myself included) don't know behind the sim and what makes it work. I also think there's likely less than many think. I appreciate the changes to regression that will hopefully shorten the player life cycle a bit. That should help speed cycles of build/rebuild/etc as teams will be less able to consistently win. No matter what rule is put in place, there will always be people who treat this like a war game and try to min-max for success. There's not a good way to address that, however. You can't say "hey, you, stop caring so much."

I am more concerned about the, to take a term from history, "Balkanization" of the sites into smaller sub-communities that don't overlap. People want to play with their friends; that just makes sense. How do we as a community find ways for people to be open to trying other things, meet new people, etc? Otherwise, everyone who is already friends will want to stay with their friends, and if a friend GMs a team, those players will always want to go back to that team. Is that an unfair advantage? hard to say.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Are you someone that likes to spread out ice time or someone that wants to ride their fastest horses?

Like an actual GM, I want to get the best players possible then trust my coaches to put together the lines and strategies to make the most of them. Philosophically I probably prefer more balanced lines, because no one likes playing 10 minutes a night. It comes down to how the roster is constructed

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: What are some of the long term goals you have for your new player?
Are you intending to hit a certain number of seasons played, for example?

I want him to play until he's not good anymore. You can see some of what I wrote before about the type of player I'm building. Baku is going to be drastically different in temperament and play style to Darrow. I want him to be one of the best power forwards in the league, but don't think he'll ever be the kind of guy who will carry a line offensively. He'll be that guy that opens up space for others to score with his physical game. A Dar nom or two would be cool.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Are you happy with how Cassius Darrow's career turned out?

Yes, and I'm hopeful he will make the HOF. I certainly think he's got the resume--3 Challenge Cups, 3 Bojo noms/2 wins, 500 points, one of only a small handful of players with 2000+ blocked shots. He rarely was flashy, but he was effective as a top end defender for a long time.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Did you have a connection with Baltimore before becoming the GM?

Sure didn't! I knew some people, but I'm an outsider pick to take over Baltimore. I've appreciated the welcome I've had so far.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Did you find your ambition for finishing top in fantasy fell off as your player neared retirement?

Oh no, not at all. I just was inconsistent. It's hard to really always predict how things go. Last season, I was actively not trying to win because I couldn't get the TPE anyway. I went for the hits category because I knew that was something I could win (and I did). I hope to be back to my winning ways this season!

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Are you excited for SHL trading cards?

No, not really. I haven't paid it much attention. I know people have been working hard on them, and I'm excited for the people it excites.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: When you look back onto your history with Cassius Darrow, is there one player that sticks out as being great for his entire career? If you had to pick one player that was top marks in Darrow's era, who would that be?

Gosh, that's so hard. It seemed like Aaron Wilson, regardless of age, has always been so good (I hate it). He's still kicking for now, and was a major factor in the league over the last 15 seasons. It's hard to overlook the consistent effectiveness Harry Carpet has had in Toronto or my fellow S45 classmate Andreas Kvalheim. He's dropped off as TEX has really asserted themselves as very good, but he was the elite two-way forward for like 4-5 seasons. As an awards voter, that consistency is really hard.

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: How do you feel about the change to regression rates introduced last season?

I think it was long overdue. I hear the feedback from some vocal users. They can disagree with the specifics, but I don't think anyone should disagree that regression needed a revision. Careers are too long, and I think that has led to more issues for the site than benefits. Shortening careers I think is a positive choice to remedy some parity issues and hopefully shorten the rebuild window. I could have held on another few seasons with Darrow, but it helped me decide to end it (as I was bored and ready for my new player).

I'm afraid of the next few seasons will have ugly hockey as some teams (HAM, BUF, etc) are going to soon try to tank to restart the cycle again. Hopefully that means teams in other divisions assert themselves as class of the league (just likely none from the Great Lakes North East as they are all going into rebuilds).

03-15-2022, 01:06 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Does the contract structure require looking at or do you think it's fine as it is?

I trust HO to review policies regularly and make the right choices to help the league. A lot of people bitch, wanting quick answers now, but with issues of parity, it really is a slow process to see how decisions and new rules play out. You can't change too many things at once, lest you have no idea what actually worked/didn't work. Salary cap certainly is tight, and it led to a lot of teams not being willing to spend cap on draftees that may not pan out. I think a season or two from now, I'll have a more complete opinion to share on the cap/contract structure. I think the tweaks HO has made in the last few season are positive ones.

03-15-2022, 06:05 PMAzjha_59 Wrote: When do you think prospects Sam Azjha and Bubba Tree will be called up?

It's hard to say. BAP's forwards are really deep and really good right now, so I don't imagine either of you should expect an early call up. S66 is probably the earliest one or both of you can crack the roster. I plan to speak with everyone about their goals to see how I can help you make that happen. If someone wants to reach the SHL quicker, we will try to find a way to make that happen. A lot can change in a few seasons!

03-16-2022, 05:35 PMjay2233 Wrote: How do you pronounce Cassius?

Ca-see-us, not "cash-us"

"ca" like Cash without the -sh

03-16-2022, 05:35 PMjay2233 Wrote: Speaking of him, how is Darrow doing? Haven't heard too much from him recently

He is doing well! After Seattle got eliminated, he lived up to his promise to have a long vacation with his family to visit extended family and friends back in Germany. He departed them for a few weeks to represent Germany one last time in the IIHF tournament, then rejoined them. I think he's been back in Seattle for a few weeks now.

He was offered a few options for ongoing positions with the Argonauts, but decided he wants to build a life apart from hockey. I believe he hosted a few meals for the new Seattle rookies, to help them acclimate to the SHL. He's always loved cooking, so feeding a few more is never an issue in the Darrow household. I'm not sure what he's decided he will do, but I know getting his college degree and serving as a board member for the Lambert House, a nonprofit he's worked with the last few years, were on the table. Whatever he does, I'm sure he'll keep doing what he's always done and maintain a low profile.

Quote:Ready for grading.

***boom*** · 03-09-2022, 07:55 PM

Congratulations!

What spurred you to finally come back to GMing after so long away?

What are your goals for M’Baku?

Is it called a “pop tart” or “toaster strudel”?

*sköldpaddor* · 03-09-2022, 07:56 PM

Will Johnny Hamilton still be able to devote his full time and attention to being my agent? This is very important to me.

*JURT* · 03-09-2022, 08:01 PM

03-09-2022, 07:56 PMsköldpaddor Wrote: Will Johnny Hamilton still be able to devote his full time and attention to being my agent? This is very important to me.

If so, can Johnny be an agent for LEG without tampering him to his own team? How can you make decisions for the career of one of the top prospects in the league while also trying to improve your own team and still stay impartial?

*Good_Ole_Kimmy* · 03-09-2022, 08:41 PM

What are you most looking forward to about being an SHL GM?

*Jayba1t* · 03-09-2022, 08:47 PM

Will Johnny still retain @DinoGangJHam as his Twitter handle or will he have to change it?

LordBirdman · 03-09-2022, 09:40 PM

How will you approach the deep dark black hole of sim testing?

wumaduce · 03-09-2022, 09:49 PM

Who's your favorite eveelution, and why?

***_Blitz_*** · 03-09-2022, 10:17 PM

Congratulations, Trips! What's your favorite D&D class?

***Chevy*** · 03-09-2022, 11:08 PM

Will you be keeping the brrrrt?

Jumbobone19 · 03-09-2022, 11:50 PM

What was the appeal of Baltimore?

What is your biggest strength that you bring with you?

Henrik · 03-10-2022, 02:29 AM

With so many GM positions available this offseason (assuming you didnt apply for any other GM position), what was it that made Baltimore the most appealing destination for you?

*Zoone16* · 03-10-2022, 12:17 PM

How does it feel to enter a LR/Discord of people whom you haven't interacted with and become the GM of a team you were never on prior?

*thiefofcheese* · 03-10-2022, 12:21 PM

Can you give us your thoughts on the latest changes HO has been making to hopefully increase parity and reduce GM fatigue? Is simple better or are we just watering down the sim?

***hhh81*** · 03-11-2022, 09:44 AM

03-09-2022, 07:56 PMsköldpaddor Wrote: Will Johnny Hamilton still be able to devote his full time and attention to being my agent? This is very important to me.

With this change in career opportunities, Johnny has spoken with his junior partners at the Hamilton Sports Agency family. They already were doing some good work with many clients, and will take on additional negotiations in situations that would cause a conflict of interest for him as a general manager. Lias likely will work with one of those junior partners when it comes to contract negotiations moving forward.

He will still be able to represent and support Gunnar Soderberg and Cassius Darrow in their retirement, as needed. He cannot devote his full time to any one player, of course, especially now that he is in such a public role with an organization he was not previously a member of.

JH: Yeah, gimme a call and we can chat. We'll get you figured out, for sure. I haven't decided on any senior partners yet, but there's one or two of my people I think would be great for you, Lias. Have you met Ophelia yet? She's great, you'll love her, she's smarter than I could ever hope to be and nearly as fierce at the negotiation table!

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