"The simulacrum is never that which hides the truth - it is truth that hides the fact that there is none. The simulacrum is true." - Jean Baudrillard

When I was a child, about the age of 12, I saved up my allowance to attend a local wrestling house show. Events like this didn't happen very often in my secluded area of northern Canada. Understandably, my excitation escalated as the Saturday approached. My friend Spencer and I were talking about it all week, expectedly debating what kind of stunts we would see. The Friday prior, I re-watched WrestleMania 21 which I had recorded on VHS. In retrospect, I probably got my hopes a little too high, seeing Shelton Benjamin run up a ladder a clothesline his opponent. My father and I pulled into the hockey rink that Saturday night - I secured my front row seat, and saved a spot for my friend. I couldn't believe it - A real live wrestling ring before me, with nothing but concrete past the apron. I thought "we're going to see some serious bumps tonight".

The first match began, and was underwhelming to say the least. Two seemingly average looking fellows, in luchador masks. Usually, a luchador mask indicates a high-flying acrobat. These fellows moved like they had rocks in their shoes. The turnbuckle; totally unused, save for a few chest chops in the corner.

Then as the matches continued, I realized something. The 'luchadores' kept changing their masks, costumes and attire in between matches. There were only 3 guys, switching up their attire in order to charade the fact that they only had 3 fellows for this sold-out wrestling house show. We saw no moon-saults, piledrivers, 450 splashes, angle slams. The most the crowd witnessed in regards to technically entertaining wrestling was an Irish whip into a dropkick. I went to the concession stand to buy some merchandise. "Jeff Hardy ArmBands" were on sale for $10. "Cool" I thought. I looked at the product, and realized that the armbands were simply pantyhose with holes cut in them. Even the merch was fraudulent.

Why exactly do I bring this up? What does this have to do with the SHL? You see, at 12, I already understood that professional wrestling was fake. Obviously, these guys were pretending to kick each other's asses. Why else would you simply lie there while the rock begins to initiate his people's elbow? Or worse, when Scotty 2 Hotty begins to complete his finishing move: the worm.

My disappointment came from the insincerity of the spectacle. Professional wrestling is about contriving a conflict, and entertaining the crowd using technical chain movements, acrobatics, and storytelling. I saw cigarette smoking, out of shape, non-technical boat anchors attempt to funnel as much money as possible, taking full advantage of the naivety of small-town people looking for a healthy outlet to entertain themselves. In other words, the show did not match the reality of professional wrestling, or the 'simulacra' of wrestling.

Jean Baudrillard would likely argue that the Simulation Hockey League, is in fact a very sophisticated digital simulation that aims to replicate all aspects of a western sports league. "Players" get drafted, salaried, traded. There are conflicts among players and management, and there is even a consumer/social culture in the league.

I decided to write this article as I was watching the 73 SHL Entry Draft livestream. When my players name BONGO was called at pick 30, I was smoking a cigarette outside of my place of work. I caught myself shaking my fist, and saying "yes!" when I realized I was going to become a member of the Atlanta Inferno.

And then, as I viewed the Carmelo Anthony player render with an Anchorage Armada logo pasted on his Denver nuggets white home jersey, I began to chuckle to myself. How absolutely absurd that I'd become excited about such an esoteric situation. Especially since, I wasn't even picked in the top 20. I couldn't muster up the notoriety, skill and time commitment to be picked first round in a simulation hockey league. Most people would say "that's not even real".

Simulation hockey is just as real as a fantasy football league. The politics, the transactions, and the trash talking are all a projection of an original representation of competition. Some may make the same arguments about tabletop roleplaying games. You're not actually 'slaying the dragon', you are pretending to slay the dragon while engaging socially, and rolling dice. The SHL is a very complex roleplaying tabletop game. Some may argue that sports are representations of violence.

I reflected more upon the simulacra post-draft. Why exactly did I join the simulation hockey league? My first player, was an absolute dud. I joined over COVID lockdowns - the gym was shut down, the snow was up to my chest, and there were no healthy outlets to engage in. I decided to fill my competitive void by joining a simulation league. I think I may have made it to 500TPE before retiring, but I stayed in discords and engaged further. With the implementation of the portal, the simulacra becomes a little more sincere.

When Baudrillard said "the simulacra is true", he may be claiming that whatever experience, forum, league, community, etc., are just as legitimate as the status quo organizations and hobbies that most people tend engage in, no matter the perceived triviality. Some people are in their local men's darts league, some throw axes at a board, some Tetris. As the league grows older, and more complex, the simulation becomes more hyperreal, convincing and engaging.

So, what exactly does this have to do with professional wrestling? My point is that the SHL mimics a multibillion dollar industry (the NHL) better than 3 fellows in luchadore masks could imitate one single professional wrestling match. Despite the latter being a 'physical' representation, and the former being 'digital'. Perhaps my fist bump and excitation for my draft placing wasn't a silly delusion, but a testament to the sincerity, and hyperreality of the Simulation Hockey League.

WORDS: 1023 TOTAL

And then, as I viewed the Carmelo Anthony player render with an Anchorage Armada logo pasted on his Denver nuggets white home jersey, I began to chuckle to myself. How absolutely absurd that I'd become excited about such an esoteric situation. Especially since, I wasn't even picked in the top 20. I couldn't muster up the notoriety, skill and time commitment to be picked first round in a simulation hockey league. Most people would say "that's not even real".

I reflected more upon the simulacra post-draft. Why exactly did I join the simulation hockey league? My first player, was an absolute dud. I joined over COVID lockdowns - the gym was shut down, the snow was up to my chest, and there were no healthy outlets to engage in. I decided to fill my competitive void by joining a simulation league. I think I may have made it to 500TPE before retiring, but I stayed in discords and engaged further. With the implementation of the portal, the simulacra becomes a little more sincere.

When Baudrillard said "the simulacra is true", he may be claiming that whatever experience, forum, league, community, etc., are just as legitimate as the status quo organizations and hobbies that most people tend engage in, no matter the perceived triviality. Some people are in their local men's darts league, some throw axes at a board, some Tetris. As the league grows older, and more complex, the simulation becomes more hyperreal, convincing and engaging.

Wow so this media is not what I expected, but in a good way! You brought up some good points worth talking about or getting other's opinions, as I'm sure others have had similar revelations.

Although everything we do in the SHL is for fake simulation hockey, the actions everyone takes are real. So yes, when you update in the portal, your player isn't really getting better. A number is just going up, in hopes that the higher number will result in better future numbers elsewhere. But take a step back and look at all the other actions people in the league take to even get to that point. When someone sends a scouting message for a draft, that's a real person taking a real action to communicate something. Its related to the "simulacrum", but that doesn't diminish what they're saying or the real conversation you're having with them. A real person spent time making that Carmelo Anthony render. Someone else spent time making that Anchorage Armada logo. And the culmination of those efforts are impacting you. That impact, and those actions are all real. So it doesn't really matter that its under the guise of simulation hockey. That's all real.

Wow so this media is not what I expected, but in a good way! You brought up some good points worth talking about or getting other's opinions, as I'm sure others have had similar revelations.

Although everything we do in the SHL is for fake simulation hockey, the actions everyone takes are real. So yes, when you update in the portal, your player isn't really getting better. A number is just going up, in hopes that the higher number will result in better future numbers elsewhere. But take a step back and look at all the other actions people in the league take to even get to that point. When someone sends a scouting message for a draft, that's a real person taking a real action to communicate something. Its related to the "simulacrum", but that doesn't diminish what they're saying or the real conversation you're having with them. A real person spent time making that Carmelo Anthony render. Someone else spent time making that Anchorage Armada logo. And the culmination of those efforts are impacting you. That impact, and those actions are all real. So it doesn't really matter that its under the guise of simulation hockey. That's all real.

Absolutely. I feel like In the new age, as corporeal reality intermingles with digital spaces, people will become more receptive to symbols and projections fulfilling a need, desire, or simply curating a community. On the surface it is very funny that this is a "pretend" hockey league, but it serves as more of a credible projection of a hockey league than let's say, Franchise Mode on Chel, or even EASHL, despite having the option of actually "playing" the games. I really came to terms with the ephemerality of life on draft day, ironically.

Like, when I was a kid I'd spend hours and hours on GM mode, and nobody cared or questioned it, before I told them that I was definitely a front office guy. They would ask me "what's the point if you don't play the games"? To which I rebut "what is the point of playing the games?"