Author Topic: TEAM: RAPID CITY INFERNO (Read 111634 times)

GM Gates · « **Reply #2850 on:** March 18, 2019, 06:27:22 AM »

I agree with you there, coach.

Alright, I will let you get to preparing for the upcoming game. Thanks for stopping by coach.

—————

Ashley, Stephen Shelley please.

—————

Steph, how you doing? I know last week wasn’t exactly how you envisioned things going, what with getting traded and all. I just wanted to take some time and welcome you to Rapid City. When this deal was presented to me, part of why I liked it was that we would be able to get a young QB with some great talent who could help lead this team through a bit of a retool.

Las Vegas May have lost faith in you, but I know you have a lot to offer on the field, and we all saw that in the second half of last week’s game. Once you get comfortable, I see you doing a lot of good for us down the stretch and beyond.

Talon · « **Reply #2851 on:** March 18, 2019, 11:10:52 AM »

Man it blew me away that Vegas cut bait on me after i Just re-signed there in the off-season. ..but to come to Rapid City, man that's special, to have a chance to be the next great Inferno QB in an offense that is legendary for its innovation. I'm all in.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2852 on:** March 18, 2019, 12:23:02 PM »

Glad to hear it, Steph. With your skill set you can help make this offence even more dangerous, and we are excited to have you here. I know week one probably didn’t go to script but hey, week two with the team sets up the revenge game, the chance to show Vegas what they’re going to be missing out on.

Talon · « **Reply #2853 on:** March 18, 2019, 03:55:58 PM »

Bruh, my mind and body are ready.. I want to haunt GM Metro for the rest of his career. Lets do it.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2854 on:** March 18, 2019, 05:24:21 PM »

Love that fire. Can’t wait to see you unleash it all on the field.

I will let you head to practice now. Hopefully you’re able to gel with your new team.

—————

Ashley, Coach Brown please.

—————

Coach with the deadline here I wanted to get your thoughts on the defense. Do you think there is a spot where we really need to focus on improving? Might not be able to do it now, but we can always try right?

Talon · « **Reply #2855 on:** March 19, 2019, 06:07:58 PM »

Hard to peg what we need most really boss. We got a lot of good players, but some guys might not fit as well as others. Like Steven Wright is best in a 3-4. So even though we have him, I think we could upgrade at linebacker with another guy like Webb.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2856 on:** March 19, 2019, 06:20:31 PM »

I hear what you’re saying, Coach. We’ve got the talent just maybe not the right talent for what we need. This is the week to try and sort that out and hopefully roll the rest of the season with what we have and go from there.

You mentioned linebacker...i don’t suppose you have any particular player in mind? Obviously someone like Webb, but does that mean similar to his size or his skill set?

Talon · « **Reply #2857 on:** March 19, 2019, 10:25:36 PM »

Really its skillset to me. The way we like to run coverage we need backers who can get out and cover ground. Those Vegas linebackers are a perfect example. All fast, All athletic, and they tackle well. I don't need 6'4 285lbs backers, I think we're best off using the more athletic guys who are kind of a hybrid safety. Hell, we might be able to pull a strong safety and convert him into a backer if he's good enough.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2858 on:** March 19, 2019, 10:35:09 PM »

Excellent insight coach, thanks for that. I will keep my eyes out for that. Who knows, maybe this trade deadline will bring something about.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, coach. I will let you get back to practice.

—————

Ashley, Coach Minter in Deadwood please.

—————

Coach, I had a thought and wanted to get your insight on it. When it comes to RB James Cody, what are the chances he’d make a good receiver? From the report we got last season, he has good speed and hands, I was just wondering if you had a sense if he’d transition well if we moved him to that spot.

Talon · « **Reply #2859 on:** March 19, 2019, 11:11:26 PM »

I don't think so.

SILAS MINTER ASKS HIMSELF "...WHY DO ALL THE GM'S I WORK FOR WANT TO CONVERT RBs TO WRs?"

GM Gates · « **Reply #2860 on:** March 20, 2019, 10:06:23 AM »

Thanks coach. I will let you get back to it.

————

Alright Ashley, I’m just waiting on a few things before we continue.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2861 on:** March 21, 2019, 03:10:02 PM »

Ashley, can you get me in touch with Eric West?

——————

Eric, I don’t want to take too much of your time but I did want to welcome you to Rapid City. I bet this season hasn’t gone the way you’d hope, being bounced around, but I just want to say that we are glad to have you on this team. We wanted to bring you here because you have a lot of talent, and I feel like you have a lot to offer a team going forward. And what better place to do that then here in Rapid City with a clean slate.

Talon · « **Reply #2862 on:** March 22, 2019, 12:23:46 AM »

It's been a ride, but man I'm just blessed to be here and have a shot to be the next great Inferno receiver. All I need is a chance to shine..

GM Gates · « **Reply #2863 on:** March 22, 2019, 06:16:07 AM »

Well, you’ve got that chance here, Eric. We are looking for guys to step up and shine, so the moment is perfect for you. I won’t keep you too long, I will let you get going and start getting to know the team.

Talon · « **Reply #2864 on:** March 24, 2019, 10:27:33 AM »

ERIC WEST HEADS TO PRACTICE

GM Gates · « **Reply #2865 on:** March 24, 2019, 11:40:48 AM »

Ashley, Coach Wright please.

—————

Coach, I’m sure you’ve seen all the moves we made that remade our receiver corps. I have also thought about signing another speed receiver if you feel we could use the speed.

Now, how do you see our current set up unfolding, in terms of outside and slot?

Talon · « **Reply #2866 on:** March 25, 2019, 12:42:59 PM »

West and Perez are likely our best two receivers, so if we go with a 2WR set, that's our set up, when we spread them out, West hits the slot, and then Perez and Bello on the outside then West in the slot.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2867 on:** March 25, 2019, 03:19:05 PM »

Sounds good to me Coach, I was thinking along those lines myself.

Do these changes change our tempo? Are we still going to run the “fast” we’ve been running or will we need to make a change there?

Talon · « **Reply #2868 on:** March 25, 2019, 06:02:01 PM »

I guess that ultimately lies with you. We've historically been the fastest paced team in the league, but with Coach McCarthy gone, and now all of the old core pieces of Scorched Earth being gone, we could change directions if you want.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2869 on:** March 27, 2019, 12:41:40 PM »

I enjoy the fast tempo we run, just as long as the players we have brought in can match it. I don’t want to set us up to fail, you know? For now I will leave it Fast and if need be we can change it next week.

Talon · « **Reply #2870 on:** March 27, 2019, 12:42:40 PM »

We work hard on cardio for our guys, so they should be able to adjust. We'll touch on it again after this week when we see how they do.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2871 on:** March 27, 2019, 01:07:38 PM »

Excellent sounds good coach.

While I have you I wanted to talk about your contract. I believe you are in your final year, and I wanted to extend the possibility of you sticking around as our offensive coordinator. I know things aren’t the same as they were when you got here, but I would love to build this thing back up with you on the offence. If you are on board, I’d be looking to offer a 3 year deal worth $7 Million, starting season 12.

Talon · « **Reply #2872 on:** March 27, 2019, 09:38:19 PM »

I am very interested, but I'd like to wait until after the season to talk about the future.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2873 on:** March 31, 2019, 03:19:24 PM »

That’s fair coach. We will talk again about it when the season is over. I will let you get back to practice.

—————

Ashley, can you send this down to the coaches please?

Tempo: Fast
Rotation: Mostly Starters
Strategy/Depth Chart Changes:

WR1 - Eric West
WR2 - Roger Perez
WR3 - Mark Bello
WR4- Terrell Pond
WR5 - David Dodge
*deployment in formations as discussed with Coach Wright/Coaches decision

DT1 - Morris Kennedy
DT2 - Sammie Wyant

DE1 - Shawn Oakman
DE2 - Kawaan Douglas
DE3 - Steve Schmitt

CB1 - Alonso Lightner
CB2 - Willian Gray
CB3 - Sylvester Bieber
CB4 - Daniel O’Neil

——

Team Captains:
Offence:
1. Stephen Shelley
2. Ralph Brown
3. Andrew Hernandez

Defence:
1. Alonso Lightner
2. Steven Wright
3. Shawn Oakman

Everything else coaches decision.

Lock In

GM Gates · « **Reply #2874 on:** April 04, 2019, 06:32:12 AM »

1. What was your biggest takeaway from your game this week?

The fire that we showed. The team came out aggressive, passionate and showed heart on the field. We made a fair number of changes going into this week and the team responded to them well, with everyone giving it their all out there. Shelley had a great game through the air and on the ground, J-Mart was running wild out there and was a workhorse for us. Our defence really stepped up when it mattered, especially that Steven Wright interception in overtime. The team stepped up this week and I liked what I saw out there.

2. Are you concerned with the XFL/AAF merger and the rumor of bigger market cities investing in teams to rival the HIFL?

There’s a bit of concern, especially when it comes to what it will do to free agents and draft players, but most of my focus right now is focused on the rest of this season.

3. What is the biggest shocker from the trade deadline week?

Biggest trade shocker might have been Portland trading away Lawrence Gordon. You don’t really see teams in the bottom portion of the league trading young, affordable and productive receivers away. There’s likely a reason for it, but that is something that only Portland and GM Oldfield will know.

4. In order to win this week, which player needs to have a big day?

Shelley and Martin. The way they ran this past week, if they keep that up we should be in a good spot. We take on DC, a team better then the record indicates, so we will need to play some good football against the Cobras. If we show the same fight, heart and fire out there that we had against Vegas, then we will have a positive result.

Talon · « **Reply #2875 on:** April 08, 2019, 07:52:00 PM »

That was a nice way to finish off Vegas. Getting Shelley his revenge win, and preventing Jose from destroying us in his own... That's a good week.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2876 on:** April 08, 2019, 11:49:02 PM »

I agree coach. It was good to see Shelley play the way he did and good that Pruitt didn’t carve us up. I liked the fire and fight the team played with. It seemed like everyone wanted that win. Maybe for Shelley, maybe because it’s Vegas, but everyone looked hungry.

One question I wanted to ask coming out of the trade deadline...how does Willian Gray look as the number 2 corner?

Talon · « **Reply #2877 on:** April 09, 2019, 04:51:28 PM »

I really like him. He might not be "there" yet, but he has the make up of a long term starter.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2878 on:** April 09, 2019, 09:28:05 PM »

Glad we think the same of him. The way he has played so far gave me more confidence to move Pullen and give Gray the chance to play more, show what he’s got. I really think he will be a solid option behind Alonso.

Going into our game against DC, I’m not looking to make any changes on either side of the ball. I want to give the guys a chance to play and we will continue to go with our strengths.

Talon · « **Reply #2879 on:** April 09, 2019, 10:09:05 PM »

Smart call. Its the last half of the season, time to trust in what we've been doing and just go get it.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2880 on:** April 10, 2019, 12:37:05 PM »

Then let’s go get it.

—————

Tempo: Fast
Rotation: Mostly Starters
Strategy/Depth Chart Changes:

No changes from last week.

Lock In

GM Gates · « **Reply #2881 on:** April 15, 2019, 10:18:29 AM »

1. What was your biggest takeaway from your game this week?

The biggest takeaway is that this team is starting to come together on the field. After all the changes, we don’t look the same, but we have guys who are hungry for competition and it shows these past two weeks. We got off to a rough start defensively but we didn’t give up and powered back. Whether we lost by 3 or 6, we still showed fire and are still in the mix for the playoffs.

2. Talk about your news this week and at least two news stories you found interesting.

It’s hard not to be caught by that Las Vegas beatdown. I’m glad it came this week and not last week but a 90+ point win is still crazy to see. Lots of close games this week that didn’t do any favors to clerifying the playoff picture. It’s also sad to see a franchise get moved like Tulsa. They were an expansion franchise, like us, however they didn’t have the success needed to really blossom.

3. With 6 games to play, how do you feel about your job security?

I’m not worried. It’s been a rough season with a lot of turnover but what we’ve got here is a team I’m confident in going forward.

4. Talk about your opponent this week, what do you expect them to do and how do you win this game?

We take on an Orlando team that is coming off a victory. They are better then their record indicates and I think this game will be a back and forth affair. Both teams have had a rough season but both of us are looking to claw into the Hunt a bit more. Orlando will come out guns blazing and with Patton nothing is ever a safe but hopefully what’s ailed them so far continues to be a problem for them.

Talon · « **Reply #2882 on:** April 15, 2019, 11:54:09 AM »

Man, that one stings... but we still showed some good things, Shelley seems to be fitting better in our offense than he did in Vegas this year.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2883 on:** April 15, 2019, 12:17:07 PM »

Thats what I liked about it too. He’s really showing his compete level out on the field. The change of scenery may have done him some good in the deal. Obviously our receivers aren’t ideal but I believe next year we can get them there and give him some even better receivers to work with.

The loss stings, but we aren’t too far out of the wild card. If we can string some wins together and get some luck, we might be able to sneak in.

Talon · « **Reply #2884 on:** April 15, 2019, 01:41:32 PM »

...and we know that's all we need to do to make a run.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2885 on:** April 15, 2019, 01:46:04 PM »

We’ve done it before and with the way this team is coming together, I don’t see why we can’t do it again.

Anyways, Orlando this week. I don’t see them being as bad as their record. They have weapons that can burn us. Anything we can do to limit their attack against us?

Talon · « **Reply #2886 on:** April 15, 2019, 07:42:48 PM »

I think we go with a high pressure defense and try to get after Patton.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2887 on:** April 15, 2019, 08:25:30 PM »

I think we can work with that. Do you need me to bore anything different in our final notes for the game? Maybe an increased blitz?

Talon · « **Reply #2888 on:** April 15, 2019, 08:50:06 PM »

I would boost the blitz in the lock in for sure.

GM Gates · « **Reply #2889 on:** April 16, 2019, 10:10:05 PM »

Alright then, let’s get to the next game and get that next win.

—————

Tempo: Fast
Rotation: Mostly Starters
Strategy/Depth Chart Changes:

Blitz to 60%

No other changes from last week.

Lock In