Live Link: https://usports.online/sfl
The Simulation Football League continues on during the COVID-19 pandemic
CHICAGO — He’s a member of a football team that wears the color orange and calls Chicago home. They were even in the playoffs the past two weekends and even got a victory.
Mike Improta is a fullback for this team, and he lives in Rhode Island, but he does understand what it means to represent the Windy City.
“Mike Ditka used to call the Chicago Bears ‘The Grabowski’s.’ There’s a lot of good, hard-working people,” said Improta and his team and the league.
This isn’t the Ditka-era Bears who are playing at the moment but rather the Chicago Wildcats — one of 20 teams in the Simulation Football League. They have the biggest advantage in sports at the moment — their games are played virtually — leaving them going strong in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wildcats won their opening game against St. Louis in the playoffs before falling on Saturday to Atlanta. It might be disappointing, but the experience is the thing for those participants.
“It helps you build confidence,” said Improta. “If you’re a person that didn’t have the athletic ability or never had an interest in getting involved with sports or had an opportunity to be on a team, you get to meet people all over the country embrace you.”
Going strong since 2013, the SFL continues to build its brand along with other eSports that have seen more and more mainstream attention over the past few years. That visibility is only increasing as the pandemic continues, as fans get to learn what’s unique about this league.
Unlike other eSports, the Simulation Football League lives up to its name, with no controllers used. Players, who take part in a real draft, have a chance during the week to build their skills virtually. Coaches design game plans based on watching film on the other teams, then put that into the game itself, which is then simulated on those plans.
It’s a different league that was started by Cameron Irvine in Texas seven years ago, as they ditched the controllers to put even more spotlight on their players.
“We want to take that viewer, that fan, that die-hard person, we want to make them the talent, the star, the people that are talked about,” said Irvine. “So when you’re at home with your family, with your friends, you’re watching you.”
One of them is St. Louis quarterback Jonny Pichler, who lives in Elmhurst, and he was the league’s top overall pick in their last draft. He’s been in eGaming in the past, having worked with the Golden State Warriors to increase their efforts in virtual sports, and enjoys the chance the SFL gives him.
“It’s a really neat opportunity for people to be able to capitalize on that,” said Pichler. “If you’ve experienced it in the past and can no longer or never had the opportunity because they weren’t physically gifted enough, had a disability, had this, that, or the other, and or it’s just later in life and you want to be a part of team.
“It’s a cool thing that way.”
The Simulation Football League is proud to announce the ownership group of Los Angeles, Tom Ramen and Rachelle Colston, to the SFL landscape beginning with Season 16 — set to kickoff in January 2021. The group received the most votes of all expansion voting and — as a team who also expressed interest in transforming the Chicago franchise — have been awarded the relocation of Chicago. The team will be called the Lycans and the official branding will be unveiled later this off-season before the signing process begins.
“With 12 applicants vying for expansion teams and 11 of them showing interest in the Chicago team up for sale, there was a lot to consider for the current 21 team owners of the SFL,” said Commissioner Cameron Irvine. “We thank the owners for the process and tradition and welcome Tom and Rachelle into the group and look forward to their positive contributions this off-season and on/off the field in the many years to come. They have done just about everything you can do to support their previous teams and support the league in which they play and care so deeply for. They will be a welcome addition to the Simulation Football League.”
Colston becomes the first woman owner in the SFL since Jaimie Walsh owned the Kailua Wyverns/Honolulu Legends from Seasons 1–5. She has quickly ascended through the ranks since joining the league in Season 13, serving two seasons as Director of Communications and General Manager, one season as Assistant General Manager and two seasons as Director of Communications for the Carolina Skyhawks. At the league level, she is a major part of the stats team and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Player Personnel.
“I would like to thank Harish Prasad and James Cline for teaching me and mentoring me,” Colston said. “This moment would not be possible without the both of you. Words cannot express how excited I am to be the only female owner in the SFL. I am looking forward to working with Tom over the next couple of months to get our team together, and to take the field as the Lycans for the first time.”
Ramen has been in the SFL since Season 11 and has spent his entire career with the Las Vegas Fury, serving five seasons as a scout, two seasons as a general manager, three seasons as a defensive coordinator, one season as head coach during his five seasons in Nevada. Ramen was promoted to Assistant Director of Roster Management this last season and will take the reigns as Director of Roster Management this off-season.
“First off, I want to thank Jon Bond and Tony Benefield who helped me start my SFL career back in season 11,” Ramen said. “Working with them has always been a pleasure and are a top-notch ownership group. Las Vegas has been my home for 2 ½ years and we have always been a family. To all my teammates from the last five seasons, you guys are what makes this league so much fun and I will miss you all. Looking forward to next season I know that we are going to put every amount of effort into putting a quality product on and off the field. Thank you to all the owners that made this possible for us, we have worked on this plan for so long and are so happy to get this party started.”
Both Ramen and Colston will be on stats for the SFL Championship Game this Sunday November 1 at 4 pm ET, live on Eleven Sports and For the Fans and both have been active in community support and fundraising. Rachelle sewed masks for her teammates using Carolina Skyhawk branded material. Over 300 masks were distributed to her local community. Tom started a fundraising event to support the Play Like A Girl Foundation which raised $260 in season 15.
The Lycans will be able to participate in the re-signing period by bringing back Chicago Wildcat players who want to return to the organization for Season 16. The organization will be a full-voting member during owner meetings, which begin Wednesday November 4. This marks the SFL’s return to California since the San Francisco Sharks were a playing member in 2019.
