Erengrad Vikings have long been known for their willingness to accept player injuries, and making the most of the players they have. This has set them apart from many other teams, and even become sort of a running joke in the DLE, where seriously injured players could at least hope for an offer to play for Erengrad. The team has done this while consistently qualifying for play offs, missing only one season when they lost out in the final round of the group stage.

Following the game vs Hargendorf Unicorns last Friday night there have been some decisions made by the Vikings management. At a press conference on Sunday coach Spelledaren was joined by long time player Matt McCants, as well as star thrower Stipe Lipican. They had this to say:

Spelledaren:
Welcome all. As you know Cyrus Kouandjio suffered a gruesome injury Friday. What we are hearing now is that he has a smashed collar bone, which will take a long time to recover from, and it seems as if his strength might never truly recover. Along with his multiple events of broken back and a cracked skull we have agreed to end his career with us. I know, I know, please settle down. Cyrus has played for the Vikings since even before I was coach here, though, can anyone even remember what the team was like back then? He was a first round pick of the very first draft and his exceptional strength has carried us through a lot of games. He was also a personal friend of mine, for as much as I get to be friends with my players. We will always be glad to save a seat for him at the stadium, and I know that his earnings from his years with us will make sure that he can lead a pleasant life.

When the team management reviewed our new situation we were surprised to realise that we almost qualified for a free agent, under the new rules. After losing Shariff Floyd and now Cyrus our team value has decreased rapidly. Training a new player for the ogre position can take time and lead to some really shaky situations, so with the prospect of picking up an ogre who already has good blocking skills we looked at what we could do. With both this play off and long term prospects in mind we finally came to a decision. Matt, would you like to take it from here?

McCants:
Yeah, thanks coach. Hey everyone. Thank you. So, ehm, we had this talk about what we could do, and what we should do for the team. It was me, and Stipe, coach of course, and..what's?...a guy from management. I've played 70 games for this team, and we've won at least half of those! But this season, Greenskins broke my neck early on, and then Markus died.. and now Cyrus is retireing. I came on to this team for a specific task, and that has been to make sure we always get a shot at a snap touchdown once the whistle goes. I've set Stephen up with a number of those, and Markus for some too. Anyway, while talking things through we came to a decision where I am also quitting the team. Take it easy. Easy!

Spelledaren:
Please, take a seat again. Alright?

McCants:
Thanks... yeah. With my injuries I've not been as solid as I'd like to, and this gives space for someone who can grow, as well as allowing the team to take on a free agent. A question?
Yes, that was a big part in the decision.
No, I would likely have waited until the end of season before retireing otherwise.
What's that? No, we felt the same way, this is the best thing for the Vikings, and the team comes first.
About Cyrus? I love that guy! Leaving the team together makes it a little easier. So many great moments with him... one the best is for sure the touchdown he scored vs Avalanche. The decision for him to run the side and take that pass... just great stuff, caught them completely off guard. He saved us that game.

Spelledaren:
Thank you Matt. With the two of you leaving there is now only two real veterans of Vikings left. One is a crowd pleaser, IK Enemkpali, who is also an original player. Stephen Hill will also continue to guide the team towards victory, just like he did versus Wolfskins with three touchdowns. But the team will now have to be carried on the shoulders of the newer players. We have brought on several young promising blitzers to control the field, along with the hitting power of Parker. Mario Edwards is a promising new talent, and David Brown will be around to help with those quick touchdowns. The leader of the team is Stipe Lipican. Stipe?

Lipican:
Thank you. It's both a bit sad and exciting to see these changes. When I came on the team the playing style was a bit different. Once myself, the coach and the other players started finding each other we came out with something great. Last season we lost just one game through the regular season, but then we made a mess of the play off. These new blitzers have taken well to the training and are improving, really doing the job. With this free agent we are looking to take on a ogre position with blocking skill, that will give us more stability, which is the route I'm trying to take on the field. We need to become more reliable, creating a solid line and less opportunities for the opposition. We just closed a deal with Patriots that will see us take on three new players, one coming this mid season window, and two more in the current draft. I will be in close talks with coach Spelledaren about which route the team can take, both on field and in planning the future. Next week we are playing Grizzlies for the first time this season, that is the game on my mind right now, looking forward and planning the way to play offs. If we win it's an open race, but if we lose the division title might be lost. But I'm looking forward to showing them who the top dog of Sigmar North is!

Spelledaren:
Thank you all for coming out. Thump!