It was ironic that we were watching the movie SEMI-PRO featuring Will Farrell as an owner/coach/player of a struggling minor league basketball team dealing with the traditional pitfalls of the minor league sports world.
As we watched the movie on our shuttle bus - which surprisingly has two flat screens and what looks to be the equivalent of a stripper pole - driving back to Cincinnati from the Louisville airport, a window that had been duct taped & secured a few months back decides that it doesn't want this life anymore and throws itself, crashing onto the highway pavement at 75 mph! Our team looks at each other bewildered at first, then laughter fills the silence of the new 'wind tunnel' that is our dodgy transportation.
We didn't even go back for it. Now windowless, tired from a full days travel from San Jose, California each player on 1790 Cincinnati wishes that the weekend in the playoffs in Stockton, CA had ended with one last victory to wrap up a surprising season by most standards.
We lost to the Stockton Cougars in their indoor stadium 13-5. A throttling to say the least. I was pleased with my performance in the loss, but what's that really worth? I'm a team guy. When my team struggles, I try to lead by example.
Frustrated with the penalties and lack of discipline, the game was over by the middle of the third quarter unfortunately.
Season Over.
Second place is the First Loser is what the brand NO FEAR taunted to the mountain dew extreme crowd.
If you're not First, you're Last is what Ricky Bobby has been quoted as saying, which is coincidentally another Will Farrell movie, Talladega Nights.
We did beat a Mexican team, Tigres Dorados, in the semi-final 10-6. A very technical, possession-oriented team. I believe our athleticism was the reason behind that win.
Overall it was a fantastic experience with the boys. Always learning new lessons through the silly game of soccer. It's frustrating, but invigorating to know that all that work throughout the season almost paid off. Even when the whole league wrote us off as not having a chance in hell to compete in the professional PASL league. Only to grab the #1 seed in the playoffs and blow it.
Next season, we have been told that Cincinnati will host the tournament - so maybe the locals can get a taste of championship success in a city that rarely has a winning organization.
No comments:
Post a Comment