Ben E Lou
06-09-2007, 08:06 PM
So I started a new SP career a couple of days after 6.0e was released, going a lot more slowly than I usually do. I wanted to get used to all of the changes, so I had several seasons where I watched every game in Solevision, and I've been tracking all of the scouting and combine data for every player I've drafted. I started the career by letting the AI pick a team for me with completely flat prefs. My original team had a stud WR from the second round, a young RB from the 4th round who grew to 100 hole recognition, a good TE (of course), a second solid receiver from the 9th round and with the 19th round pick in the pref draft, the AI grabbed QB Lee "Leather Arm" Livanis. Here's what Ol' Leather Arm looked like at the peak of his career:
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/60e/leatherarmfront.jpg
Given that his initial corps of receivers could do just about anything, and we had a very good running game, I was able to tailor the passing game to play to Leather Arm's strengths: lots of short and medium passing, with a few bombs thrown in for good measure. As a result, Leather Arm had an outstanding career, but he just made me very, very sad.
By 2013, his overall rating had dropped to 36/36, but his medium and very long ratings were still in the mid-70s. Still, I had a 5th-year QB who was 35/46 and looking like he might be ready to step in (which the AI was recommending), and two younger creeper QBs. I *almost* cut Livanis before the start of 2013, but I decided to carry four QBs that year. Given that he had still looked good in preseason, I thought, "what the heck?" and started him in the first game of 2013.
6 TD passes. 158.3 rating. 529 yards. Best game, by FAR, of his career. He had never thrown for more than 352 yards in a game prior to that. I decided to stick with him until I was convinced it was just a sample size thing.
It wasn't.
He had an absolutely amazing season, when he wasn't hurt. He had four of the best 10 QB rating games of his entire career, and put up the best QB rating I've seen with 6.0e: 125.9.
However, the Leather Arm Bandwagon came to a crashing halt in the first game of the playoffs. Livanis threw three interceptions, and we made a quick exit. What's worse, he decided to call it a career after that. :(
So he ended his career with arguably the best season ever in the league, an MVP, the Legend Of The Game award, and was heavily responsible for us winning two titles. (His card only says one, but he led the team to the playoffs in 2007, and got hurt before the big game.)
You will be missed, Leather Arm.
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/60e/leatherarm.jpg
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/60e/leatherarmfront.jpg
Given that his initial corps of receivers could do just about anything, and we had a very good running game, I was able to tailor the passing game to play to Leather Arm's strengths: lots of short and medium passing, with a few bombs thrown in for good measure. As a result, Leather Arm had an outstanding career, but he just made me very, very sad.
By 2013, his overall rating had dropped to 36/36, but his medium and very long ratings were still in the mid-70s. Still, I had a 5th-year QB who was 35/46 and looking like he might be ready to step in (which the AI was recommending), and two younger creeper QBs. I *almost* cut Livanis before the start of 2013, but I decided to carry four QBs that year. Given that he had still looked good in preseason, I thought, "what the heck?" and started him in the first game of 2013.
6 TD passes. 158.3 rating. 529 yards. Best game, by FAR, of his career. He had never thrown for more than 352 yards in a game prior to that. I decided to stick with him until I was convinced it was just a sample size thing.
It wasn't.
He had an absolutely amazing season, when he wasn't hurt. He had four of the best 10 QB rating games of his entire career, and put up the best QB rating I've seen with 6.0e: 125.9.
However, the Leather Arm Bandwagon came to a crashing halt in the first game of the playoffs. Livanis threw three interceptions, and we made a quick exit. What's worse, he decided to call it a career after that. :(
So he ended his career with arguably the best season ever in the league, an MVP, the Legend Of The Game award, and was heavily responsible for us winning two titles. (His card only says one, but he led the team to the playoffs in 2007, and got hurt before the big game.)
You will be missed, Leather Arm.
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/60e/leatherarm.jpg