Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

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  • Nunyerbiz
    MVP
    • Sep 2010
    • 1478

    #1

    Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty



    Welcome to the Tale of the Niagara University Rhinos
    An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty Report

    Setting The Table:

    This dynasty report is going to be featuring the Niagara Rhinos, a team from a Canadian university that exists in an alternate universe. There is a real Niagara University, a Catholic school based in New York, but I just want to make it clear that they are not the subject. This is a flight of fancy, the story of a fictional Canadian university that gets snubbed by the amateur establishment in Canada.

    Seeing a desperate NCAA conference and a potential rivalry just across the falls in Buffalo, they decide to recruit a team of walk-ons, castoffs and JUCOs and switch to that bastardized Yank version of the game to join the NCAA. (For anybody who isn’t aware, what we know today as football had its evolutionary split from rugby in Canada sometime in the early 1860s).

    There is no remotely plausible way the following events could happen in our real world… which is why I love alternate universe stuff… I get to have fun. So just kick back and relax. Think of it like that episode of Star Trek where the Enterprise had to go back in time to stop JFK and Marilyn Monroe from creating an unstoppable strain of herpes. That being said, certain events and figures will coincide. The Detroit Lions still stink. God still hates Cleveland. Alabama is still the preseason #1.

    I won’t be getting too deep into the backstory beyond some initial world building posts at the start. I’ll get the Rhinos into the NCAA and then it’s off to the races. While I will take the recruiting/game play aspects very seriously, I intend to have at least a little bit of fun with the backstories and side stuff. Especially early on when my team will be a Bad News Bears / Major League / Unnecessary Roughness / Mighty Ducks / The Replacements / Little Giants / Cool Runnings / Slap Shot band of castoffs and misfits.

    Before I continue, I just want to throw a quick shout out to my main two inspirations for this dynasty: Hellisan and Deegezy. They’ve both been around forever and I’ve been reading their stuff for years. They manage to weave the gameplay and storylines and presentation together in such a compelling fashion… Basically what I’m saying is that they are both very good at what they do, are old as **** and refuse to quit. Thanks to both of you for the great reads over the years! But seriously, I’m essentially stealing many of Hellisan’s mechanics and presentation aspects and can only hope to weave together a storyline like Deegeezy. Hope I’m not blowing too much sunshine up your skirts, but I have to give credit where it’s due. Now on to some boring stuff...

    The Nuts and Bolts:

    Platform: PS3
    Difficulty: Heisman
    Sliders: Custom (basically the OS Community sliders with some minor tweaks)
    Quarter length: 9 minutes
    Game Speed: Normal
    Player Speed Threshold: 20
    Ice the kicker: off
    Home Field Advantage: on

    NOTE: I won’t be doing any kicks/punts/FGs as a user… I am going to let the CPU handle it and watch the play… which it why I turned off Ice the kicker… it’s already going to be ugly enough at the start. As far as home field advantage… I never really trust EA and it’s under the hood baloney, the less of their meddling the better, but I’m aiming for a terrible team that is going to get their teeth kicked in for a few seasons… so I guess I’ll pile on the disadvantages.

    Coach Starting Level: 1
    Progression Rate: slowest
    Coaching Skill Trees: To start I will only invest in recruiting perks for the head coach. Coordinators will only be allowed to unlock the lowest tier of upgrades. This is subject to change as time goes on, but the coaching skills can get overpowered pretty quickly… so I will likely keep things nerfed.

    Rosters: I am using the default rosters with automatically generated names. Being a fictional universe, I'm not terribly interested in the real NCAA players from six seasons ago. The Rhinos are a Teambuilder squad I found sometime last year while searching for a rebuild project. I did not create them but my thanks to whoever did.

    That's the major points, so for all the other details I'll be using the spoiler brackets to avoid this first post turning into a 2,000 word scrolling behemoth. I plan on doing lots of randomization and dice rolling for things like injuries, suspensions, player progression, etc. Most of these ideas were inspired by Hellisan and things he did in his excellent J.D.Clark Story... Further details below if you are interested.

    Recruiting:
    Spoiler


    Player Progression:
    Spoiler


    Injuries / Suspensions:
    Spoiler


    Conference Changes:
    Spoiler
    Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-22-2019, 10:43 PM.
  • Nunyerbiz
    MVP
    • Sep 2010
    • 1478

    #2
    Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty


    Rhinos Booted over the Falls!
    Football program will be dismissed from Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association competition.

    By: U.L. Washington
    December 21st, 2011


    In a move that surprised nobody, the CCAA has finally had enough of the Niagara University Rhinos. After years of bad behavior, rules violations and corruption the CCAA will indefinitely suspend the Niagara University football program. The announcement was made at a press conference earlier this morning.

    “An embarrassment to Canada.” was how CCAA Commissioner Rene Lachemann summarized his thoughts on the controversial university. The Rhinos joined CCAA competition in football during the 1967 season but have been habitual rule violators and bottom dwellers for most of their tenure. The private university located in Niagara Falls was founded as the Southeast Ontario College of Phrenology in 1866, eventually being reorganized as Niagara University in 1961. Their last winning season was in 1992 and their only championship was in 1975. This championship was later vacated when it was discovered program boosters had hired the New Orleans Saints to dress as the Niagara players for the championship game. The Saints managed to defeat the University of Manitoba Mooseknuckles by a score 10-7 in overtime. For the Saints, it was the highlight of both their CCAA and NFL seasons.

    The final straw leading to the dismissal was a bombshell report that accused the school’s chemistry department of furnishing a designer steroid, known by the street name “Back Acne Casserole”, to the entire team for the last 11 seasons. Despite these underhanded and irresponsible efforts, the team still only managed a 21-109 record over that time. Former Head Coach Wayne Krenchicki has apparently returned to selling used cars full time and the rest of staff has reportedly received layoff notices. The fate of most players still hangs in the balance, but Commissioner Lachemann did hint that any players who fly straight will be free to transfer to other institutions.

    The news came as a blow to the young term of Niagara Athletic Director Curt Lerma. He was hired only four months ago to clean up the poor reputation the department had earned over the years. “I was brought in to fix the problems, not sweep them under the rug.” said Lerma in a press conference. “As an organization, we will earn our redemption. We will return to the football field.” When asked what his first step was for the rebuild he answered, “If you want a clean slate, you have to erase what’s already on the board.”
    Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-26-2019, 08:43 AM.

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    • Nunyerbiz
      MVP
      • Sep 2010
      • 1478

      #3
      Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

      Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-23-2019, 12:45 AM.

      Comment

      • Nunyerbiz
        MVP
        • Sep 2010
        • 1478

        #4
        Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty


        Niagara Rhinos to be Reborn!
        University to join NCAA and adopt American rules.

        By: Sixto Lezcano
        January 3rd, 2013


        The infamous Niagara Rhinos football program that was shuttered in disgrace two years ago will be returning to the gridiron, if in a highly modified form. The team will become the first international member of the American NCAA and will join the Mid American Conference for football play starting in the upcoming 2013 season. MAC Commissioner Isiah Thomas made the announcement in a press conference this afternoon.

        “Like I said about my trades when I was with the Knicks: the 17th time is the charm! We’ve finally landed the next great program in the history of the MAC.” Thomas was apparently referring to a document that leaked which listed all the schools that had rebuffed his advances. “I’ve become very well acquainted with Niagara AD Curt Lerma and he’s a man who wants to get things done, a man that wants redemption. Also, he didn’t hang up on me and then immediately change his number like 12 or 13 of those other athletic directors.”

        “We are very excited for the opportunity. Many challenges lay ahead, but this institution is determined to meet them head on.” said Lerma. While both parties seemed very optimistic about the agreement, many questions remain. The former stadium for the Rhinos, Filcher Field, was quickly bulldozed in 2012 to make room for expansion of the Interpretive Romanian Dance Theory department, a disc golf course, a judo range and a Starbucks. For the near term, the team will play its home games at the Greater Niagara Senior Activity and Recreation Center, formerly Rick Moranis High School. The football field of the former high school, which was built in 1987 and graduated the last class in 2008, has been converted to dimensions that fit the American game. Seating capacity has not been announced, as plans to expand the bleachers have thus far been thwarted by angry senior citizens who frequent the facility. Lerma went on to state that the team would likely be playing a full slate of three non-conference games and was hoping to have one of those at home. No other details on scheduling were provided.

        Little information was made public about the composition of the team. Lerma stated that “about a dozen” of the players from the 2011 Rhino team had remained enrolled at the school and will be eligible to play once they pass steroid testing. He hinted that most of the roster will be compromised of walk-ons, transfers and graduate students from other NCAA programs. Further details will be forthcoming during a press conference on the campus of the university to be scheduled within the next few days.
        Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-23-2019, 09:19 AM.

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        • Nunyerbiz
          MVP
          • Sep 2010
          • 1478

          #5
          Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty


          Niagara Announce Coaching Staff, Two Players
          Staff of unknowns hope to offer second chances to cast-offs

          By: Pete Vuckovich
          January 5th, 2013


          Apparently, this hasn’t been a large-scale practical joke. The Niagara University Rhinos are a real thing and have hired a real head coach. Niagara Athletic Director Curt Lerma announced the hiring of Head Coach Rusty Nonek at a press conference earlier this morning. A relative obscure figure in college coaching circles, Nonek was last employed by the Kent State as a QB coach and assistant recruiting coordinator from 2007 through 2010 and has been out of the game since. This tenuous familiarity with the MAC and his ties to Rust Belt recruiting was likely a factor in his hiring. AD Lerma would not go into details only stating that the coaching search was “extensive”. The 53 year old Nonek was a backup quarterback for Portland State in 1978-79, sitting behind future NFL quarterback Neil Lomax. His collegiate stat line was 8-for-19 passing for 47 yards with 1 TD and 2 INT. He spent most of the 80s and 90s in assistant coaching and recruiting roles for a multitude of smaller colleges. His stint at Kent State was his only job with a major program.

          The Rhinos defense will be handled by former standout Niagara Rhinos linebacker Jordan Johnson. The 43-year-old was the defensive captain for the 1992 Rhinos team, the last time the school had a winning record. He played for three CFL teams over a five year career, primarily as a backup safety. Shortly after his playing career ended, he got into coaching and since 2008 he has been the defensive backs coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

          "Jordan is one of the brightest young defensive minds in the game. And Lerma told me that I had to hire at least one Canadian" said Coach Nonek. Johnson was on the recruiting trail and not immediately available for comment. Nonek stated that the team is going to run through a multitude of looks during practice and try to tailor a scheme that will fit their players.

          "We aren’t going to have much size and even less speed. We’ll try everything and anything over the coming months of practice and see what sticks. 4-3, 3-4, 6-7-8, the standard stuff is out the window. We just have to coach our guys up as best we can and put them into a position to win. There will be no easy answers, this is virgin powder ahead of us.” [Editor’s note: Reporter Pete Vuckovich was mistaken, as this was a skiing metaphor and not a reference to illicit substances. His original statement has been removed from this article.]

          The offense will be ran by another relative unknown, 31-year-old Derek Bell. Over the last three seasons, Bell made some minor waves as the OC for tiny Olivet College in rural Michigan by reviving the Run and Shoot offense. Coincidentally, this is the same offense that Coach Nonek ran while a reserve QB at Portland State. Similar to Johnson, Bell was on the recruiting trail and unavailable to answer questions.

          But the true surprise of the morning was the introduction of two players. The big name was that of Elton Fante, the former Michigan State wide receiver who was dismissed four games into his redshirt freshman season for multiple violations of team rules. Originally a three star prospect from Charlotte, Michigan, Fante was infamous for his off the field infractions during his short time at MSU. By most accounts, he was majoring in Cannabis Inhalation with a minor in Driving While Intoxicated. His career stat line was 8 catches for 41 yards and then he was gone.

          “I blew a golden opportunity. I was young and stupid and overloaded with pain killers from the training staff. I went off the rails.” said a visibly emotional Fante. “I hit rock bottom about two months after getting kicked off the team, then vowed to turn my life around. Both Mr. Lerma and Coach Nonek have stressed that this program is all about redemption and second chances. I don’t plan on making the same mistakes twice.”. Fante will be considered a redshirt sophomore by the NCAA and will have three seasons of eligibility available.

          The next and last player reveal was Russ Tillman, a junior defensive back from Northridge, Ohio. He played two seasons for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2010 and 2011 before being declared academically ineligible and dropping out of school. Never considered a top-tier prospect due to his size (5’10”, 170 lbs), Tillman was a high motor player who earned a starting job in the Jayhawks secondary early in his true freshman season. He echoed Fante’s statements and emphasized he was taking his second chance seriously.

          “At Kansas, I might have attended six total classes in two years. I have no idea how I lasted as long as I did, I guess everybody looked the other way because the team was so ******* embarrassing. But I have been enrolled at Niagara for a full year now and I’m well on my way to a rewarding career in HVAC installation and repair once my playing days are over.”. Tillman will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be listed as a junior despite only having successfully completed 14 college credit hours as of this writing.
          Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-23-2019, 11:28 AM.

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          • Nunyerbiz
            MVP
            • Sep 2010
            • 1478

            #6
            Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty



            EDIT: lol. just noticed that "Ann Arbor" somehow got auto-corrected to "Ann Aaron". Stupid spell checkers.
            Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-23-2019, 07:53 PM.

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            • Nunyerbiz
              MVP
              • Sep 2010
              • 1478

              #7
              Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

              To: Lerma, Curt ([email protected])
              From: Hisle, Larry ([email protected])
              Subject: 2013 Rhinos pocket schedules

              Good Morning Curt,

              This is Larry over in Marketing. We have the finalized design for the free pocket schedules. But do you really want 25,000 of these things printed? My kids went to Rick Moranis High back in the day... and that field only seats about 700 people. Just want to make sure we aren't going overboard here.

              Let me know as soon as you can. Oh yea, my ex-wife is already excited for the Northern Illinois game.

              Attachment:
              2013_niagara_rhinos_schedule_uni_gov_edu_ca.png


              Last edited by Nunyerbiz; 10-23-2019, 10:36 AM.

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              • Nunyerbiz
                MVP
                • Sep 2010
                • 1478

                #8
                Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                [reserving three more slots]

                Comment

                • Nunyerbiz
                  MVP
                  • Sep 2010
                  • 1478

                  #9
                  Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                  [reserving one more after this]

                  Comment

                  • Nunyerbiz
                    MVP
                    • Sep 2010
                    • 1478

                    #10
                    Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                    [last reservation]

                    Ok, that should do for the initial back story stuff. I am working on a roster breakdown so that we can all meet the players. Hopefully I'll have that a little later today.

                    Feel free to reply if you have any comments or questions. Thanks for reading!

                    Comment

                    • djp73
                      Coach Porter Davis
                      • Jun 2009
                      • 8504

                      #11
                      Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                      following, love teambuilders!
                      ---

                      Comment

                      • IBMA
                        Rookie
                        • Jul 2018
                        • 331

                        #12
                        Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                        The Northern Illinois game is Cougar Night!! I’m dying right now [emoji23]! Excited to follow along
                        Check Out My Dynasties:
                        Let's Go Craws! An Impossible Rhode Island Tech Dynasty

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                        • Nunyerbiz
                          MVP
                          • Sep 2010
                          • 1478

                          #13
                          Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                          Some offensive player spotlights. Will try to add some defensive ones in a bit:





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                          • Cory Levy
                            Pro
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 521

                            #14
                            Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                            Loving the touches of humor in your write ups, great stuff so far.

                            Love the character bios, really adds to the personality of the team rather than a bunch of low-rated nobodies. I know I'll be cheering for the 34 year old tailback!
                            "Pop-Tarts? Did you say you have Pop-Tarts?"

                            Comment

                            • djp73
                              Coach Porter Davis
                              • Jun 2009
                              • 8504

                              #15
                              Re: Niagara Rhinos: An Alternate Universe NCAA 14 Dynasty

                              how do i get tickets for week 11?
                              ---

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