Goals remain the same for Sobe in 2018

MASSILLON, Ohio — Nick Sobevski’s primary target entering the 2017 season was to take the next step inside the Tiger Township Fantasy Football League. He was coming off a pair of playoff appearances in his first two seasons in the league and was looking to push even further. However, Sobe’s trajectory went in the complete opposite direction last fall. He finished 6-7 on the season, missing the playoffs for the first time in his TTFFL career en route to an eighth-place finish. Despite those results obviously not being what Sobe was looking for, he feels he’s better off for the experience going forward. In fact, it has helped him appreciate how tough battling through the TTFFL can be at times. “It was definitely a bit of a step back, and it was humbling,” Sobe told Chibby’s Corner in an exclusive, one-on-one interview. “It really was a humbling experience not making the playoffs. Coming into the league and having that early success, I think I got a little too full of myself. I needed that experience to re-evaluate things and move forward.” Several key factors went into the worst season of Sobe’s young career. Multiple players, including quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Marshawn Lynch, didn’t live up to expectations. Additionally, running back Ezekiel Elliott’s roller coaster 2017 proved to be a major headache. In fact, it was Elliott that provided the most trouble for Sobe’s squad, which was unable to find the necessary consistency to compete in such a high-stakes league. Once the Cowboys' standout’s long-awaited suspension finally hit in Week 10, Sobe’s group was crippled by the news. “Keeping up with that guy was a marathon,” Sobe said of Elliott. “Every single week it was something else. There were rumors going on about what was going to happen this week and that week and all different kinds of reports. It was tough to keep up with. But when I had him in the lineup, obviously he made a huge impact.” Sobe failed to win back-to-back games at any point during the regular season, resulting in an inability to hold a position in the TTFFL’s top six. He was the only team in the entire league to fail to accomplish the feat. Sobe admits he wasn’t as aggressive in the trade market as what he should have been in 2017, especially with the unique circumstances that Elliott carried. Still, he says he won’t shy away from a similar situation in the future, noting the risks are often worth betting on. On a separate note, the University of Akron graduate believes his mindset inside the war room left a bit to be desired last August in Fort Lauderdale. To him, that’s an area he hopes to improve on this season. “Towards the end of the draft last year, I had a moment where I couldn’t even speak,” Sobe admitted. “Obviously, that is going to impact my team.” The situation for Sobe’s franchise really hasn’t changed a year later. He’s still searching for his first career playoff win and is seemingly always in a battle to salvage his reputation among select league circles. While Sobe won’t head into the 2018 season as the TTFFL newcomer, a position that now belongs to the tag-team duo of Max Julian and Kyle Rakotci, he’s still aware that he has yet to settle into the league for some — even with his tenure now up to four years. The solution, however, is a simple one: Just keep winning. “This organization is worried about this organization,” Sobe stated. One critical piece that should help Sobe entering the new season is his continued positivity. He says that as soon as the 2017 campaign wrapped up, he immediately began to prep for this fall. Sobe isn’t involved in fantasy basketball or baseball, which suggests his offseason has been a long, strenuous one. Realistically, however, he has spent much of his time simply regrouping after his first bit of adversity. It will be interesting to see how he rebounds this fall, beginning with the 2018 TTFFL Draft in Las Vegas this August. While certain factors spoiled Sobe’s season a year ago, he’s bound and determined to aim at his previous aspirations of reaching new personal heights. As usual, though, it’s up to him to earn the respect of his peers. “I’m excited; as soon as football season ends for me, it starts again,” Sobe said. “I think I’m very prepared going into the season. … I’m going to go after my guys. Being a couple of drafts in, I think I’ve pretty much established that. But maybe I need to see what’s out there by testing the waters in the trade market. Other people have had success with that, so maybe that’s the key and that’s something I could do to help get me to the next level.”