Raks ready for full-time TTFFL status
HUDSON, OHIO — Kyle Rakotci knows he’s being offered a unique set of circumstances this fall. And even though his debut season in the Tiger Township Fantasy Football League is still months away from beginning to unfold, he can’t help but think about the impending chaos.
“Raks” has envisions. He has expectations for himself as well. But first and foremost, he knows he needs to locate all the different routes he can take on his maiden voyage in the TTFFL.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Raks explained in an exclusive interview with Chibby's Corner. “I’ve never been in a fantasy league that takes it so seriously. I know everyone will take their team extremely seriously; there won’t be anybody that just calls it quits and folds. I’m looking forward to that, and I’m also looking forward to knowing everyone. It’s going to be interesting to reach out to them for trades and to learn how they run their squads.”
Raks is signing up to become one half of the TTFFL’s first co-owned franchise since 2003. He’ll join forces with Max Julian, who, like Raks, will be in the inevitable position of juggling the complexities of differing personalities in such a high-stakes venture. That’s why the duo feels the importance of building a relationship away from football in hopes of building a successful arranged marriage.
"Max and Raks" are set to take over ownership of a franchise previously run by Andrew Castle, who announced he was stepping away from the game in 2018, and possibly beyond.
On an intriguing note, Rakotci and Julian only met for the first time at the Ashland Ryder Cup in April.
“We’ll have a strategy in place,” Raks promised. “I think the hardest part with co-ownership will be trying to figure out how to agree upon trades and decide who to pick up each week. I don’t want any blame on anything, which I don’t think will be a problem because Max is a great guy. I hope it works out well, it’ll be interesting.”
Co-ownership isn’t the only historical component to Raks’ eventual 2018 season. He’s also set to become just the TTFFL’s third-ever non-Jackson High School graduate, joining Casey Julian and Evan Augustine.
Raks, an alumnus of Hudson High School, was introduced to the league via 2009 champion and 2016 runner-up Grant Seanor. Raks and Seanor attended college together at Miami University, where a relationship was formed and the pathway to the TTFFL was first paved.
That led to Raks getting introduced to the rest of the league, where his rapid ascension became unprecedented.
“When I first got into the GroupMe, I thought it was a joke, honestly,” Raks admitted. “I thought I’d last about a week or two, then get booted. I had no idea I was going to stick. But here I am getting ready to become a co-owner in this fantastic league.”
The former RedHawk isn’t completely new to competition in the TTFFL, either. He’s played in both baseball and basketball leagues in the past, and he was credited for drafting Louie Thomas’ 2017 football squad, one Thomas predictably and methodically tore apart as the year went along.
Raks says that experience went a long way in terms of preparing him for his official, full-time introduction into the TTFFL this August at the 2018 Draft in Las Vegas. By previously experiencing a draft weekend in person, Raks feels much more comfortable entering Sin City than he otherwise would have been.
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into; I was honestly nervous going up there,” Raks said in regards to 2017’s Fort Lauderdale draft. “I was drafting for another team, which was very hard. I couldn’t really use my strategy, I just had to go off the playbook. It was challenging, but I’m glad I got that experience and now know how to handle it.”
History shows to be very much on Raks’ side as he embarks on his first football season in the league with Julian. Surprisingly, no rookie owner has missed the postseason in the TTFFL’s modern era, which began in 2010. The list of first-year playoff qualifiers includes David Devine (2010), Stefano Faiella (2010), Jimmy Costin (2012) and Nick Sobevski (2015).
Raks admits he isn’t sure what his 2018 campaign will entail just yet, but he’s certainly accepted the fact that a challenge is on its way.
As for the rest of the TTFFL, watching Raks and Julian navigate through some assured turbulence will be nothing short of fascinating to witness.
“Basically, I’m 3-for-3 in terms of getting into the playoffs, and I’m just looking to extend that,” Raks said in reference to his success in baseball and basketball. “I don’t want to come up with anything shorter than getting to the playoffs. If you get there, you can win it. I think a lot of people are going to be counting us out, but I hope we can wreck this league.”