Getting the monkey of my back:
Nobody wants to be last. Much less, I have seen anyone, who volunteers to lose. So, the chase or how I would eloquently call it: get the monkey of my back!! In other words win a basketball SIM championship. At this point, I truly belief that I could win a league. However, God works in mysterious ways. Before further comment, I dedicate this part to all talented owners who are looking for that championship!!! Believe in yourself and like Mr. Churchill put it "Never, ever, ever, ever give up..." Now, it is commitment time. I started building teams and I was stuck. My teams began to win in contsant basis but it seems like something missing. Yep, it wasn't something... nope, it was someone and his name is mentor. Yep, Boodha took me under his wing and started to coach me. However, if you want to climb a mountain, first step it is to get down the mountain.... I am currently sitting. In SIM terms, I built a couple of bad teams and realized my old aproach. It was't gonna get me over. I still remember the frustration in Smokey's V4.... my team was smashed by ncmuscian. Or how about the spanking Sawtech gave my team in the civil war... heck he had the audacity to say "Tang, this is gonna hurt but you gonna love it" Nope that's not the worse.... not even close... build to teams for Boodha's last league and... well, they started okay, then in a epic second half they collapsed and well both of them miss the playoffs... nope, still not my most difficult time.... right about the same week... after a bruised 7 game series with Gerryred in Pennsylvanias league. I reached the finals. Yes, finally another finals yes another another finals. And, I got ahead 3-0 in the series vs a team, who hadn't won a single game vs mine all season..... haaa finally after two trying months, one of my teams was one game away of winning it all.... SIM life was starting to look better, but God knows better and lost the next 4 games in an incredible fashion. Did I mention... I created a theme league and my team was sitting there for a week? And if it wasn't cause rubnsly joined probably could have taken down. And it took like 3 month to fill it or was it 4 or 5. However, I am not quiter and thank God I didn't... I'll be honest it never crossed my mind... event though it pained a lot.... and I didn't feel like even ********. I did like always do, I cut my losses. I went back to build something. However, I must admit. Up to that point, I was starting to have lot's of frustration and self doubt.... however.. as this turmoil unfolded losing the finals, missing the playoffs, Boodha leaving... I remember a green light popping in my screen.... it was a SM... it wasn't long no eloquent but it was from Gerryred to encourage me to keep going!! At first I found it strange cause Gerry is extremely quiet. But I will not forget that SM, it me feel valuable!!! Thank you Gerry!!
Now, Boodha retired and Sawtech7 was missing in action. So my teams keep winning but not getting over hill... so what was missing now?
The light in the end of the dark tunnel!!
After that learning process, I keep going even thught some self doubt was in play. Now, around this time I started to work really, really, really, hard to fill the first theme I founded... not because of me but I feel. I owed to those guys who have stick by joining it... Rubnsly, Gerry, Johnmace, Skypilot and Malcranford. Malone and Tadman have joined but left cause the league looked like it wasn't gonna fill... so I tried everything I could possible know about sales and persuading people to join... even asked my nephews to come up with ideas... and Siedek, Spyguy, Coolmay, the Rob, and the Felon joined... and we got stuck again for like a month then after another round of persuation Tad came back, I put a second team so did Sky, and I can't remember this nice fella who put two teams(Jeff I think)... we were down to about 6 or 8 then after that overnight Simpix put two teams and a few other fellas joined and we got a league!!! O yeah, there was couple of owners who didn't comply with the rules and in difficult fashion we held the league another couple of days..... I said then and I said it now. I thank all those guys for their patience. About that time, I was costumer in Hosiers Banned league and that league really increased my SIM IQ... the competition was really cool and meet wonderful owners... my first try went all right... very difficult division.. it was V2 and my team even thought with flaws loss vs the eventual champion Tadman and I got one stat for 12-2... that's the road he went to the chip... but my favorite stat is this 1-2-3.... one no contest, two wins and 3 losses.. and the losses were close... with a little more minutes I believe I could have pulled it off... and I was 4-0 vs Ginan and Murphy who would eventually vow to Tad... Okay, okay, Tad, you have to write your memoirs to refute my theory, lol!! Anyhow, for V3 with more experience and a new set of tricks build my team... I didn't realize how difficult was my division back then. Who was this Vancem and DH dude? who names his team after a beard? I probably would toss them around like ragdolls... there was Hoosiermania, Vancem, DH55, myself and two other fellas I don't remember them may be cause I went 16-0 vs them... okay that was rude but I can't remember them :) Now, the beard team I toss it around like a ragdoll 6-2 the ones I loss were for like 4 points combined. Hosiermania was a though cookie but went 5-3 vs his team fun series. Now, this fellas Vancem really surprise me... his was the luckiest team that I ever seem. It had some Bodha type aura. I couldn't win the close ones vs that team... and if it wasn't for those 8 losses I could have easily won my division... and the losses were no more than by 4 points a game... I was in the mix till the end but I fell short... and the playoffs were mighty interesting to say the least... first round vs Hosiermania was one of the most fun series I ever recall.. the Old man can play cyber-ball... and trash talk like a 13 year old... I think that serie is the first movie of the trilogy which I will go over later on... he had the home field advantage and by design my teams was in fatigue issues before even statarting cause I put my bets in winning the division... and i had to play my starters 48 vs Vances in the season finale and made a futile trial, so I had to thank the first one.... lost the second one.. and found myself in trouble won the third one... and to be or not to... thanks or not thank well I didn't thank it and loss the game and I found my team with little hope... but in a miracle like they seem to happen to all us believers... I came back and won 3 straigh... yep even with Horry in 76%, Wade 86%, and my scrubs begging for the season to be over. I think this was the beggininng of a beautiful rivalry with Hosier and Chuck.... well, next on line was Detleaf and his Kobe based team... I was fairly positive about this series... I feel my front court of Howard, Robinson, and Duncan could pull it off... but I was wrong and Kobe made his MJ impersonification and single handlely toss my team out of the playoffs in their way to the championship... yes, Detleaf won that league and I loss to the eventual champ like usual. In the meantime, my teams in my league were doing fairly well fighting for their division... and positioning themselves for the playoffs. In the end, one won their division, and the other fough till the end for the last seed with siedek... who I surprised in the end with a little 48 minutes starters, lol I bet you never expect that Sie!!! Yet, I was desperate and in dire need to win a ship... and I knew that get to the playoffs and use tanging strategy and could make it happen. And, I did that time at least, my reward was Skypilot, Moses, and 11 spearcarriers. Gosh, I was fairly positive about this match up but his Doctor was better than mine...lol and I lost the series in 6. My other team rolled over the second round and things got interesting in the finals with the Felon... but my starting 5 were a bunch of killers... combined with the bye and taking into consideration Felon had to go 7 games with Sir Gerry... my team won 4-2... now I was in the finals again and who else was there if not Tadman... I bet you Tadman was very confident... I would have, if i was him... his team was fantastic... but I was hungry to win one... I mean like hungry... not a little like eating a nice dinner would cool but more like I could go to a buffet and eat the whole menu with dishes, spoons and napkins!!! So, I scouted his team every bit as possible... and not just his team the owner, too his tendencies everything....
Finally getting the Monkey off my back:
So, we started the series and won the first two by a combined 5 points... in the road!!! All that scouting had paid off!!! and the third one in convincing fashion... I bet Tadman didn't know what hit his team... but I believe, "luck is when an opportunity and preparation meet each other" A little drama when my team lost the 4th one but I knew the solution. Some ghosts from the Ginan series, Tad trying to get in my head but I wasn't about to be denied.... not this time, sonny!!! I tanked the 5th and won the 6th... and finally let the celebrations begin!!!!!!!!!! it was 2:30 am and I couldn't sleep. But when i roll over my bed to reach my phone... and grab it and I drag it down in the league page and saw in the forum post "spyguy: congratulations tang in his first championship" made a prayer thank the lord and closed my eyes!!!!
5/23/2013 4:30 PM (edited)