1. Alpine...Its a name everyone recognizes. What i would like to know is, how do you see your team? As a follow up question, on a personal view, would you rather see Alpine viewed as a good guy team, one the fans flock to and is beloved, or would you rather be the evil empire that the die hard fans fight for and everyone else loves to hate?
The recurring theme you'll probably get from this is - it's Cav's team, and he's made it what it is. Honestly there's still times I feel like a "recent addition" to the Alpine Franchise, although I the first player I had with them was made back in S14 on GLB1 (I don't recall if that OT was specifically made for Alpine, or simply signed with them when near WL ready, but I think I built it for them). Cav's a very likable guy and doesn't go out of his way to antagonize people, and that personality rubs off on the team. I prefer that style myself, and I don't enjoy playing as the Bad Guy. I want people to know who we are, and want to give us their best game because they think we're one of the best as well.
2. How does last season compare to this season for you with the new league and new teams?
Grizzly league was the hardest league this game has seen so far. It took Alpine a little while to get into the success we are now, but we were pushing top 10 at the end there. South Otto and St Truidens have folded, but look at how Funday, Sons of Anarchy, Benitos, St Louis Rams, and Zorp are doing this season - they were all in the playoff mix in Grizzly, it was incredible. Osprey has been surprisingly competitive, though - it's rated lower, but that's a ratings quirk, not a reflection of how good these teams are. It's been a different experience being The Team To Beat this time around, but I don't think we're head and shoulders above this league at all and we know everyone's trying to get a W from us, not just to say they beat us but because every W will count when it comes to making the playoffs.
3. Alpine is dominating league play, do you prefer it this way or do you wish other teams were able to put up a challenge? Is it getting hard for you to keep your edge and not let complacency and boredom set in?
We're winning, but I don't know that dominating is right. There's plenty of strong teams here, and our whole division has shown they can beat anyone come game day, so we can't relax and assume we'll win. Personally, I'd like to see our league be the best there is - and then see Alpine go undefeated through it anyway.
4. Looking at the League, do you see any teams that are primed to rise up and possibly give you a challenge?
As I mentioned before, our whole division could take a game from us. MoD is having some crazy bad luck in some games and you know that's going to even out at some point, detroit has played really well and even with the poor record Cooley-high has you can see they're playing some people close and may break through. Tampa is the clear #2 in league right now, but at this point anyone who can make the playoffs has to be taken seriously if we want to win this.
5. What do you think is more important to a team, offense or defense? Your team is going strong on both sides but which side do you think is more essential to keeping your team on track?
I'm an offense guy. Most of the GLB/GLB2 dots I've built are OTs. That said, I think if you look up and down the top teams, you'll find something in common - they all have tough defenses. I think right now, the difference between good and great in GLB2 is defense.
6. Do you see any flaws in your team, area's that need to be improved on?
I'm a perfectionist. I hate every dropped pass and failed 3rd down conversion. If we punt it's a failure. If the other team scores we need to step up our D. Everything can get better.
7. What would mean more to you, Winning the Osprey League Championship or being number 1 on the ladder rankings?
Alpine has always been about winning championships - that's the #1 team goal, every season.
8. What do you want the legacy of Alpine to be?
To be one of the best teams in the game. That's where the organization was when I joined it, and I'd like to leave it that way as well.
9. how do you see the rest of the Season going?
The goal is to win it all! The Osprey championship, the rest of our ladder games, and Thunderoo's tournament as well. Obviously we're the favorite for winning Osprey, and with that as our main focus I'm hoping we can close the deal on that. Realistically the remaining ladder games will always be a challenge, but I'm going to predict a top 5 there unless things just fall apart. Thunderoo's tournament, we should make the next round, but how far we advance from there is going to depend a lot on matchups.
10. Open forum, anything you would like to say?
Hi mom! Just kidding, she doesn't read forums. More seriously, forum participation is what keeps people in the game, in my mind. Stuff like this, and the weekly prediction threads, are great work.
11. (bonus question) You seem to be more vocal and jovial while Cav is more humble and self depreciating, almost yin and yang. Do you think that having that balance in personalities is one of the strengths of your team and is what makes your team so dominate?
Cav is the very definition of humble and self-deprecating in the open forums, although I see it as simply very good sportsmanship, and I wouldn't be surprised if he agrees. In some respect we're alike there, although I'm a lot more forum-spammy. And not really humble, we all know I'm amazing. The strength of the team is Cav, though, and his ability to pull together such disparate personalities to form a team. One of the keys to success is just getting your agents to log in and apply points in a regular fashion, and Alpine does it - and that's all on Cav's ability to lead.
The recurring theme you'll probably get from this is - it's Cav's team, and he's made it what it is. Honestly there's still times I feel like a "recent addition" to the Alpine Franchise, although I the first player I had with them was made back in S14 on GLB1 (I don't recall if that OT was specifically made for Alpine, or simply signed with them when near WL ready, but I think I built it for them). Cav's a very likable guy and doesn't go out of his way to antagonize people, and that personality rubs off on the team. I prefer that style myself, and I don't enjoy playing as the Bad Guy. I want people to know who we are, and want to give us their best game because they think we're one of the best as well.
2. How does last season compare to this season for you with the new league and new teams?
Grizzly league was the hardest league this game has seen so far. It took Alpine a little while to get into the success we are now, but we were pushing top 10 at the end there. South Otto and St Truidens have folded, but look at how Funday, Sons of Anarchy, Benitos, St Louis Rams, and Zorp are doing this season - they were all in the playoff mix in Grizzly, it was incredible. Osprey has been surprisingly competitive, though - it's rated lower, but that's a ratings quirk, not a reflection of how good these teams are. It's been a different experience being The Team To Beat this time around, but I don't think we're head and shoulders above this league at all and we know everyone's trying to get a W from us, not just to say they beat us but because every W will count when it comes to making the playoffs.
3. Alpine is dominating league play, do you prefer it this way or do you wish other teams were able to put up a challenge? Is it getting hard for you to keep your edge and not let complacency and boredom set in?
We're winning, but I don't know that dominating is right. There's plenty of strong teams here, and our whole division has shown they can beat anyone come game day, so we can't relax and assume we'll win. Personally, I'd like to see our league be the best there is - and then see Alpine go undefeated through it anyway.
4. Looking at the League, do you see any teams that are primed to rise up and possibly give you a challenge?
As I mentioned before, our whole division could take a game from us. MoD is having some crazy bad luck in some games and you know that's going to even out at some point, detroit has played really well and even with the poor record Cooley-high has you can see they're playing some people close and may break through. Tampa is the clear #2 in league right now, but at this point anyone who can make the playoffs has to be taken seriously if we want to win this.
5. What do you think is more important to a team, offense or defense? Your team is going strong on both sides but which side do you think is more essential to keeping your team on track?
I'm an offense guy. Most of the GLB/GLB2 dots I've built are OTs. That said, I think if you look up and down the top teams, you'll find something in common - they all have tough defenses. I think right now, the difference between good and great in GLB2 is defense.
6. Do you see any flaws in your team, area's that need to be improved on?
I'm a perfectionist. I hate every dropped pass and failed 3rd down conversion. If we punt it's a failure. If the other team scores we need to step up our D. Everything can get better.
7. What would mean more to you, Winning the Osprey League Championship or being number 1 on the ladder rankings?
Alpine has always been about winning championships - that's the #1 team goal, every season.
8. What do you want the legacy of Alpine to be?
To be one of the best teams in the game. That's where the organization was when I joined it, and I'd like to leave it that way as well.
9. how do you see the rest of the Season going?
The goal is to win it all! The Osprey championship, the rest of our ladder games, and Thunderoo's tournament as well. Obviously we're the favorite for winning Osprey, and with that as our main focus I'm hoping we can close the deal on that. Realistically the remaining ladder games will always be a challenge, but I'm going to predict a top 5 there unless things just fall apart. Thunderoo's tournament, we should make the next round, but how far we advance from there is going to depend a lot on matchups.
10. Open forum, anything you would like to say?
Hi mom! Just kidding, she doesn't read forums. More seriously, forum participation is what keeps people in the game, in my mind. Stuff like this, and the weekly prediction threads, are great work.
11. (bonus question) You seem to be more vocal and jovial while Cav is more humble and self depreciating, almost yin and yang. Do you think that having that balance in personalities is one of the strengths of your team and is what makes your team so dominate?
Cav is the very definition of humble and self-deprecating in the open forums, although I see it as simply very good sportsmanship, and I wouldn't be surprised if he agrees. In some respect we're alike there, although I'm a lot more forum-spammy. And not really humble, we all know I'm amazing. The strength of the team is Cav, though, and his ability to pull together such disparate personalities to form a team. One of the keys to success is just getting your agents to log in and apply points in a regular fashion, and Alpine does it - and that's all on Cav's ability to lead.
