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SSPN Exclusive: Interview with Super Athlete Drakocarr Sunazzo
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(This post was last modified: 11-30-2021, 03:42 PM by Vik.)

*This article talks about multiple simulation leagues, it has been color coded to show which league is being discussed at the time.  The color codes are as follows SHL, ISFL, WSBL, PBE.

Super Athlete Amongst Us

Throughout times in history there have been a select handful of athletes who were able to play across sports.  From Bo Jackson to Deion Sanders we have seen some of the elites elite be able to diversify their skills into multiple professional sports.  For the first time in the history of major simulation sports there is an athlete who is attempting to play in all four of the major sports.  That’s right folks, Drakocarr Sunazzo, the mysterious 4th overall pick in the S62 Simulation Major Junior Hockey League draft has announced his intentions to diversify in his professional career.  Drakocarr has officially registered for the S2 World Simulation Basketball League already and began discussions with both the International Simulation Football League and the Pro Baseball Experience that will see him likely join in the first week of December for the upcoming drafts.  We here at Simulation Sports Programming Network (SSPN) got to sit down with Drakocarr Sunazzo current defensemen and future linebacker, left fielder, and center just after he finished declaring for the next draft in the ISFL, PBE, and WSBL.

Good evening Drakocarr, may we call you Drako?

“Yeah, for sure, Drako is good.  Thank you for having me I’m very excited to be here on SSPN.”

You’re the first athlete we have had the pleasure of doing an interview with.  We appreciate you sitting down with us.  Now, let’s dive right into our questions.  You recently were drafted to the Anaheim Outlaws in the SMJHL at 4th overall, what was that like?

“It was exciting for sure, my player agent Vik has over 10 years experience in the SHL and it’s related leagues now and he even told me it’s the most exciting draft he has taken part in since S32.  For his past several players he has represented they have all ended up on the same teams in both the SMJHL and SHL and it got a little repetitive seeing the same people over and over again for him so I know he was excited taking on an unknown client like myself because it was a real mystery where I might go.  And that mystery lasted all the way until I was selected, many mocks had me going mid first round including the one I did for myself.  Then Detroit shocked everyone by trading first overall and it really shook up the draft board.  Somehow I ended up going as high as 4th overall to the Anaheim Outlaws which really excited me they were my top team actually going into the draft.  Talls is just a great GM and he did a great job of drumming up interest in his team even before I was drafted to them.”

Tell me about your general managers, Talls and TakeTheHorizon took over the Outlaws prior to the S61 SMJHL Entry Draft.  In the past 2 seasons the Outlaws have only managed to win 34 games good for second to last in the league ahead of only the train wreck that is Detroit.  Do you think Talls and TakeTheHorizon have done a good enough job to keep their jobs in the SMJHL for this upcoming season?

“Oh absolutely, I think it is clear we have made progress from last season to this season, while we would like to be farther along the key is always trusting the process and the fact of the matter is the Outlaws just selected two studs in the first round with the second and fourth overall picks.  The locker room feels great in Anaheim like a real family, exactly the kind of culture you look for when you go to a new place.  I think with the improvements we’ve been making as a team and Talls and TakeTheHorizon at the head we might have a real shot at the cup next season.”

Wow that’s a big claim, hope it works out for you guys.  Let’s talk about your defensive partner Borje Sameulsson.  Do you guys get along?  How do your styles of play compliment each other?  How is the communication on the ice?

“I love Borje he has become a good friend of mine and I think I’m finally starting to understand his nuances.  He has great offensive ability and it’s really my job to hang back and handle the defensive side of things when he gets up into the rush.  I think he is 9th in points from a defenseman and 3rd in goals?  Yeah, when you’re playing with an offensive talent like that for me it’s just do your job defensively.  I know the points and wins will come if I take care of stuff in my own end.”

It sounds like you have a great amount of respect for your defensive partner.  Would you say he has taken you under his wing this season?  Who are the biggest role models on your team?

“I definitely have a lot of respect for Borje as well as the other veterans on the team.  Eddie Creller and Sconnie McHits are two of the loudest voices in the locker room and great team mates I really appreciate them both as they always have great advice on how to act like a professional in the league and also how to play more mature on ice.  We are really big on a balanced offensive and defensive attack in Anaheim and these three guys exemplify that.  I’ve also spent some time with Connor O’Byrne, he helped me a lot with deciding what position I was going to declare for in PBE.”

How about the fellow rookies on the team, do you get along with them?

“Oh yeah for sure Lesgo Brandon is my boy, we were tight before the draft and were very excited to get drafted to the same team together.  I know he has been a little unhappy with his performance this season so far, but I see him working hard every day, I think he has more total practice hours than I do and I’m not sure how I even missed any but yeah, he practices hard the game performance is going to come.  I think he is going to be really scary next season.  Also we claimed a goalie off of waivers Mrs. McSaves.  I haven’t spent quite as much time with her but she is a pretty chill person too it seems and I think the plan is for her to be our goalie of the future so that’s quite exciting.”

Okay let’s talk about some of your stats.  I’ll start with the high points.  With 116 hits you are leading your team and all rookies in the category, you’re 3rd for hits from a defensemen, and 7th in the league overall in hits.  This is quite the feat for a rookie.  Can you explain to us what is the key to a perfectly timed hit and how are you able to land so many?

“Well I think the biggest key to a perfectly timed hit is being in position.  If your positioning isn’t on point even if you land the hit, you’re probably going to end up giving up an offensive opportunity anyways.  I try to line up my hits timely, but I also spend a lot of my time patrolling the crease so I get a lot more opportunities to knock people down there.  I’m really excited to see my play in the next few weeks because I put in a lot of hours at the gym and on the ice recently getting my skating up to par with the rest of my game.  I think I will start to have even higher hit numbers than I already have and I’m hoping that it will see my defensive game rating improve some as well.  There are games when I’m happy with it but consistency is what I’m lacking right now.”

Blocked shots are not exactly your forte even as a defenseman, are they?  You currently have 58 shot blocks which is less than stellar.  You are even behind fellow Outlaws rookie left wing Jack Cuff who has 67.  Why do you think you struggle with shot blocking and how do you intend to improve your blocked shots numbers?

“Well for starters, I wouldn’t say I struggle with shot blocking, it’s just not the primary responsibility of the roll I play on the ice.  I would like to see my numbers improve some and I’ve been working on timing with the defensive coach, but I wouldn’t say that is my primary focus right now on skills I need to improve.  I think next season I will have a big jump in these numbers, but I also hope that Anaheim is a little better off as a team next season and I have less shots to block.  Also Cuffy is a great shot blocker for a forward, he works his butt off in practice every week at timing and it’s something he has always excelled at even going into the draft.  You can’t fairly compare our shot blocking games.”

That’s fair, what about your plus minus?  At a -16 it leaves much to be desired, but you are right smack in the middle of your team and Eddie Creller is actually the only player with a positive plus minus on the Outlaws with a +2.  What do you think has contributed to your individual plus minus, as well as your team’s plus minus struggles as a whole?

“Well first off, Creller is stellar.  He is the team’s undisputed most valuable player this season and he is the heart and soul of our squad.  It’s no secret we have had struggles as a team this season.  I’m not going to blame any one person or anything, but I am going to say we all have to do a better job.  The team just isn’t where it needs to be yet and I think next season we will be a lot closer.  We are working hard improving every week at practice but we’re still a really young squad.  We’re only gonna have one player age out anytime soon and with the depth at the SHL level these days I think we will have 2-3 good seasons where we will have a shot at the cup.  I don’t think this is probably going to be one of them, but we’re fighting for that shot every day and we want it more than anything else.”

Last statistic we will talk about, you currently have 5 goals and 11 assists good for 16 points.  That’s good for top 10 in rookie defensemen points.  Going into the draft you weren’t known as any sort of offensive threat, but your game has transformed over the season seeing you become a better two way player.  What do you attribute to those improvements?

“Oh it’s definitely been the influence of the players around me as well as team management.  Like I said our team has a big emphasis on balanced play all around so there is no room for anybody to be a liability anywhere on the ice.  Also playing with Borje has really shown me how to act in the offensive zone, how to be more aware of what’s going on and how to find players in certain situations.  I don’t focus as much on working on my offense right now, because it will become even better with more sured up defensive play, but I do appreciate you guys noticing I’ve put a lot of work into it early in the season and have tried really hard to become a better two way player.”

Last question about the SMJHL/SHL.  What are your next steps?  How do you plan to improve?  Do you have any draft destinations in mind for the SHL?

“My next steps are going to be focusing on specializing my game in defense.  Right now, I am a strong hitter but not always great at being aware and sound in other parts of my defensive game.  I want to get better at those aspects and work on improving my awareness and checking ability.  The thing I’ve been working on the most though lately is my conditioning.  Coach has been telling me I look tired at the end of games and I’ve been struggling sometimes with the higher minutes.  This just isn’t acceptable with the role I’ve been given on the top pairing this season.  The coaching staff has had to greatly cut back my specialty teams minutes and that has been hard to swallow.  I want to work on my stamina so I can get those minutes back and play at my top level all the time.  As far as top teams I want to get drafted to I will list my top three teams and why.

My first team is the Seattle Argonauts, I have met their general manager Tig through my manager Vik and he has got to be one of the coolest guys this league has ever seen.  I would love to play for his team and I think I would get along well with the rest of the guys on their defense.  Currently only one of their starting six defensemen would be entering regression next season, but I am fine with simmering in the juniors for a little while. 

My second team is the Calgary Dragons.  I don’t think they are in much need of defensemen right now and they don’t have a lot of picks but their dedication to the league is really enticing and my teammate and good friend Eddie Creller is one of their prospects and he did a great job selling the team and city to me the other night.  I think it would be a fun experience to play for Calgary I just don’t know how likely it is.

My third team I would like to get drafted to is the Winnipeg Aurora.  They are having historically one of the worst seasons ever in the SHL.  Yet it is my best opportunity to come in and make my presence felt right away.  I’m not afraid of going to a bad team and trying to make them better and I feel like Winnipeg is on the right track with three first round picks in the draft next season.  I hope they take a chance on me so I can be there to help them build from nothing to a cup contender.”


Wow great answers, best of luck in the SHL draft and with the rest of your SMJHL season.  Let’s switch gears, I know you recently declared for WSBL S2 draft as a center.  Then word broke that you signed with the New York Imperials and were switching positions to point guard.  Can you give us a little insight as to what exactly went down here?

“Yeah for sure, so let me start by saying I felt like I had a calling come to me in a dream, and in order to become the super athlete I know I’m destined to be and to really solidify myself in the history of great athletes I decided I had to play every professional major sport.  So I declared for a basketball league, a football league, and a baseball league.  Between you and me though, I’ve already started looking into declaring for a soccer league as well.  Anyways after having this dream and calling I started practicing in other sports and noticed for some there were clear positions I excelled at, I will talk about those positions later.  For basketball though, it’s a lot like hockey.  You have your specialized positions on the court but really everything is everyone’s responsibility you have to work well with a team.  I declared for the draft as a center because I’m naturally very tall and built well for a role like that in the paint.  However, I was approached by the New York Imperials general manager ThunderTitan with an interesting proposal.  He told me that he could sign me at center and was interested in signing me regardless of what position I played, but if I switched to point guard he could guarantee me starting minutes down the stretch.  Now obviously I will be going back into the draft so it was a big decision for me because this is the one free position switch I would get, however, after a long hard think I decided this was the best way for me to get into the league and start showing my abilities and what I got as far as skills go.  I’m not concerned about what position I play because I’m a very balanced player regardless and I’ve just begun training.  In the end it was an easy decision for the starting minutes.”

Were any other teams interested in having you play for them?

“Absolutely, but none were as enthusiastic as the Imperials and none offered me as much playing time as they did if I switched positions.  It’s really important to me that my GM be as enthusiastic about my game as I am and I could feel ThunderTitan’s enthusiasm for his team and me.  I do appreciate the other teams that I was in contact with, but in the end this was the best move for my career.”

Okay so you are now playing as a balanced point guard and are getting starting minutes for the New York Imperials apparently.  What do you think will be the biggest difference between how you played at center and how you are going to play at point guard?  What do you plan on improving on in practice as these next few pivotal weeks of the season go by?

“Well as I stated I wasn’t much into my career as a center before I made the switch.  I hadn’t played a professional game as a center yet only some warmup games with my teammates in the SMJHL.  What I think will be important for me as a point guard is going to be my vision and awareness of the field on offense as well as my passing game.  I’ve been training hard on my passing the past few weeks as this deal developed and have a much better skillset for a point guard now than I ever did as a center.  I don’t want to throw defense out the window though, and I really do want to develop my game with a balanced mindset focusing on offense primarily but not ignoring my defensive and rebounding skills.”

What do you think of the New York Imperials now that you are on the team?  What is the locker room like?  Do you fit in well so far?  What about on the court, I know you haven’t played a game with your team yet but how does the vibe feel in practice?  Have you done any fun team bonding activities yet?

“First of all I am so happy I signed with the Imperials already.  The locker room has been great and I’ve already started making connections with my teammates.  They’ve all been so welcoming and kind.  Veronica Baker is a big Swiftie, I knew right away because she has a Taylor Swift picture hanging in her locker so I immediately was able to make a connection with her because you know the gays love Taylor Swift.  Also Pasta Rockman and Ishaq Baz have been super welcoming as well.  I immediately feel like I am part of the team and it’s a great feeling.  Practice has been interesting, for the first week I am splitting time between practicing at point guard and practicing at center because my position change won’t go through until Sunday.  I’m not sure if the team will be allowed to play me at point guard in the first few games I play in this week we will see.”

What about looking forward to the draft?  Do you have any destinations in mind now that you are a point guard?

“Well the league landscape is going to change massively between now and the draft with the expansion of 6 teams into the league there is going to be a massive shake up to what the league complexion looks like now.  Even if I scouted for teams I was interested in getting drafted to, it wouldn’t be the same likely after the expansion draft.  I will say that I would like to stay with the New York Imperials with the way the team is right now.  I know they told me I’ll likely be high on their draft board but whether or not they get to select me really comes down to where they select in the draft and what the teams are before them and what the holes on their rosters are like.”


Thanks for talking to us about the WSBL and your future as a point guard in that league.  Now these next two leagues you’re a little bit closer to the beginning of the process for joining them.  You have announced your intentions to enter the S30 MiLPBE draft and the S31 PBE draft.  Can you explain to us why you chose to delay until the draft?

“Yeah for sure, for every league I have joined I wanted to go through what some refer to in the simulation sports community as the full draft experience.  It’s different than being claimed on waivers, you are scouted prior to both drafts and get to experience the hype of many other players getting drafted at the same time as you.  This is a very exciting experience and one of the premier things I’ve always enjoyed in simulation sports as well as in fantasy and real-life sports.  There is always just something magical in the air on draft day, whether you’re a general manager or player there is a good reason to want to be involved in the draft and while I do think waivers and free agent signings are a necessary portion of the league and something we need, not every person will enjoy that process and I personally don’t.  For me it’s just significantly more fun to come in and build up my draft stock and get to take part in all the draft PTs as much as possible.”

Interesting perspective, the draft can cause some anxiety for a lot of people, players and definitely general managers and even us sports media writers.  I 100 percent agree with you that the drafts are the most exciting parts of simulation sports and I personally look forward to them just as much as playoffs, if not more as a writer every season. Now how did you settle on playing left field and tell us a little bit about your style of play as a ball player.

“Well I talked to some of my teammates in the Anaheim Outlaws locker room.  Some of their player managers also covered players in PBE and I contacted them to see if I could train with some of them and see where I was a good fit.  Connor O’Byrne’s manager unconfident was the most help.  He actually manages a minor league team in the MiLPBE, the Florida Flamingos.  He got me hooked up training with right fielder Javithony Brizzo who plays for the Flamingos currently and is represented by unconfident.  Once I started training some with him and a few other players from the MiLPBE this offseason it became super clear that the outfield was where I was meant to play in baseball.  I am not necessarily married to playing left field I just want to play the outfield and I thought left field was the best place to start.  My style as a baseball player is summed up pretty easily, get the job done.  I don’t always make the prettiest plays or the highlight real homeruns but I am reliable in the outfield and take care of my role defensively and on offense I hit the ball when it’s needed and keep my head in the game.  I wouldn’t expect many dazzling homeruns out of me but if you need a hit then I’m with that bat.”

That’s great so where do you need to improve then to move to the next level in your game?

“I’m going to have to get better on offense if I want to go anywhere in the MiLPBE let alone PBE.  I have a great defensive foundation and I’m strong in the field but my offensive instincts are not on par with that of other players right now and I will have to improve my ability to avoid strikes, hitting the ball, hitting the ball into gaps, my power, my eye patience, basically everything on offense there is room for improvement.  I described myself the way I feel like I have potential to play, not necessarily in how I play right now.  I’m working very hard on training as I get ready to officially declare at the end of this week.  I want to come out of the gates hard with practice and training and I hope I will be high on someone’s draft board and I can achieve my goals of playing on a baseball team professionally as well.”

Have any teams indicated interest in picking you up yet?

“There has been some mild interest from a GM or two that messaged me, but I don’t think they would be very happy if I let it out of the bag who they were scouting.  I will say one of the general managers I had an at length conversation with, and he really likes my build to slot me in at right field on his team.  That’s great news for me, even though left field is my primary position, as I said before I have no qualms about playing any position and this would give me a shot to show the defensive game I bring to the table right out of the gate.  That said I’m still pretty interested in playing anywhere, I don’t even have any top destinations because I am so new to the sport I really just want to get an opportunity to shine and some guidance with how to grow in the league anywhere I go.”


All sounds good as you look forward to the draft in PBE, we’re almost done the interview but we certainly aren’t there yet.  First we have to talk about the last league on our agenda, if I’m not mistaken the ISFL was actually the first league you decided to join?

“Yeah actually the ISFL was the first league I decided to join even though it wasn’t the first league I ended up declaring for the draft in or obviously playing in.  It just seemed like a natural progression to go from hockey to football because both are very physically involved sports and I play very physically in hockey.  That’s part of the reason I decided to be a line backer in the ISFL.  I just already know I can bring the physical element to the game.”

So you’re playing line backer in the ISFL, tell us a little bit about the way you play the game?

“So I’m a very competitive line backer.  I always fight for the sack or the interception or the tackle or the fumble whatever I’m going for I’m going all in.  I really have to work on my speed and agility and my actual tackling ability for me to be really comfortable with my game.  I’m very new to football so I know my goals but I don’t always have the skills to get it done.  I’m hoping with some training I’ll be able to get a starting spot off waivers for a team, but I’m not sure how deep everyone is at the line backer position.”

Do you have any interest in playing for any specific teams?

“No, I can’t say that I have any personal preference for any of the teams, and anywhere that claims me on waivers may not get me back in the draft.  My hope is that I will go somewhere where I can get some playing time and showcase my skills.  I’m not sure how high of a draft pick I will be but I do expect to get picked up on waivers and drafted semi-early.  This is the only league I’ve declared for where I have yet to hear from any general managers.  I’m still excited and hopeful since I can’t officially be placed on waivers until December 6th, so when that happens or gets closer I expect to hear some more.”


Thanks for talking to us today we really appreciate your time and doing this exclusive with SSPN.  Good luck in all of the drafts coming up.

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