NFL Draft: A Crap Shoot

by Nolan Toppin

OTSL Executive Producer

I have TWO sporting events that I look forward to every year. 

1. NASCAR (aka Daytona 500)

2. The NFL DRAFT

I like to see who gets drafted by who; and I also get to do my best Mel Kiper Jr. impression to see if I can foresee what he sees. It reminds me of a line from the movie "Forrest Gump". "Life is like a box of chocolates, you NEVER know what you're gonna get". 

Just like the draft, you hope to get a franchise player and not a bust. But I always wonder when teams make their selections, do you take the best player available or the best position player available? If you make the right selection, HALLELUJAH!  Make the wrong decision, D'OH! The decision that teams make could affect

players careers as well as the future of the franchise.

This year we have Joe Burrow, QB from LSU, who most experts predict will be the #1 overall selection in the draft, and also listed as the second best player in the draft. We also have Chase Young, DE from OHIO STATE, who will probably go #2 overall.  Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both have Young listed as the best player in the draft. 

Then there's everyone else who declared for the draft. Whether you get taken in the Top 5; late in the First Round; or 199th overall; you hope to make an impression on the team that drafted you. 

Some do, most don't.  This just shows you how important making franchise-changing decisions can be.  And why the NFL Draft is the ultimate crap shoot.

Dear Michael Jordan, HAVE A SEAT!

By Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

I admit it, I’m part of a generation that is big on nostalgia. In 2019 where we have so many advances in science, technology, entertainment and so many choices, its commonplace to hear someone yearn for how things were in 1999. Sports are no exception to this rule and one person who has greatly benefited from this nostalgic feel is Michael Jordan. No question his impact on basketball is set in stone, and along with his accomplishments on and off the court, he is arguably the greatest to ever do it. But at what point does the previous generation stay in the past? Personally, I grow tired of the previous generation talking down on the current one with a “back in my day” mentality that feels so elitist. 

                     

Case in point: Jordan‘s recent Today Show interview. When asked about guys who would be unbeatable in a game he named guys he played against or with. Fair enough, since experience is the best teacher in life. But when Stephen Curry was mentioned, MJ’s ever inflated ego just couldn’t help itself. He said Steph is a great player but not a Hall of Famer yet.

Uh....say what? 

Of course the Jordan apologists of the world ran to his rescue to defend him like they have defended a legacy that needs no defending on so many occasions. But at what point do we stop giving him a pass and acknowledge him for what he truly is? A egotistical, petty man who can’t take his ball and go home.  This isn’t the first time Michael’s petty ego has struck. A few years ago he took shots at LeBron James because he felt his legacy was somehow threatened. “Five beats three” when comparing Kobe’s rings to LeBron’s. Of course Jordan’s math stinks because Bill Russell’s 11 beats his six, but don’t get the Jordan fans riled up on that one. To be fair and honest, he is the last person who should ever have an opinion on legacies and talent. He’s been a total train wreck in both categories. 

For the record, if Stephen Curry retired tomorrow his accomplishments would make him Hall of Fame-bound. Over 10 years in the NBA, he’s shot 47.7% overall, 43.6% from beyond the arc, and 90.5% from the free-throw line. And that’s on top of averaging 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s a three-time NBA champion; a two-time MVP; and essentially the greatest shooter of all time. In fact, the guy Jordan sees as a non-Hall of Famer has managed to accomplish something Jordan never did: become the first and only unanimous league MVP in history. Maybe Michael’s standards are so high from his playing days that it has eroded his mind at his advanced age.

                 

If you want examples of MJ not being great on judging talent you can go back to his Washington Wizards days. Yes, it’s the forgotten years that Jordan loyalists in both the mainstream media and social media try to pretend never happened. As part-owner and President of Basketball Operations how could he fail? This was Michael Jordan after all. The man who went 6 for 6 in the finals would have the Wizards on top right? Well, that didn’t turn out so well. While he did shed some bad contracts, he also made questionable moves like trading Richard Hamilton and drafting Kwame Brown. The biggest mistake was returning to the court as a player as the Wizards missed the playoffs both seasons Jordan was in uniform. 

                 

He has been a majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets for 10 years now and it’s safe to say he needs 10 more to even out his track record.  Under his ownership the team has made the playoffs a total of three times with no playoff series wins in that span. The same man also managed to make another bad decision with the drafting of Adam Morrison, which turned into a mess. He did draft Kemba Walker, who became a All-Star, but failed to build a good team around him. Eventually he let Walker leave via free agency and woefully overpaid Terry Rozier to replace him. As the Bobcats they are the owners of the worst winning percentage in NBA history thanks to a 7-59 record in the strike-shortened 2011-12 season.

Whenever Curry gets into the Hall of Fame I doubt his speech will be as salty and vindictive as MJ’s was. When he was inducted a decade ago, Jordan used his speech to attack everyone who was part of the Bulls front office during their run. Curry’s, I assume, will be much more humble than the GOAT’s petty rant.

                 

MJ has been riding the coattails from his playing days for the longest time, masking his inability to evaluate talent. This is why it puzzles me when people take his words as bible all the time. At this point, however, Jordan just comes off as an old man with a “get off my lawn” mentality. We don’t need his opinion on status when it’s painfully clear he doesn’t know talent unless he is looking in a mirror. From now on we need to just tell Mike the same thing we tell the other players from the past: to go sit in that rocking chair and drink your lemonade. The one place Jordan is in a class by himself is the one for being a real Hall of Fame Jackass.

Fear the Turk

by Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

The summer breeze is a mist of fresh air that marks both the beginning of a journey or the end of one. Around NFL training camps the sense of hope, renewal and optimism flows as rich as the Gatorade leaving the buckets.  Men young and old push themselves through the grueling heat as if they embraced the proverbial kitchen and coaches watch them with careful eyes.  All for the chance to earn a spot among the elite group of men who will be allowed to embark on a road that 32 teams hope will take them to Atlanta and the Super Bowl.

The intensity of the summer heat is followed by a stormy cloud that leaves many thunderstruck and a wake of destruction in the broken dreams of many.  For that gray cloud of NFL atonement holds no sure form, just the words that could be confused with daggers: "Coach wants to see you...bring your playbook."  It is called The Turk and it is the Turk who for five weeks becomes the most powerful force in an organization.  It is the Turk who bears the news that allows men to continue the dream or pick up the pieces of said dream.

The identity of the Turk can vary from team to team.  It can be a young intern tagging along with a head coach or even the equipment manager with acne.  Perhaps it is a young coach looking to work their way up the ranks who is tasked with being the voice of doom.  How about that very nice secretary whose calm demeanor becomes a double edged sword?  Whomever it is, who takes on the role, they realize that it is not a easy job to track down a player to tell him his dream is over.  No one even knows for sure where the term originate.  The closest and perhaps most logical explanation can be found in a quote from 2001 by Pittsburgh 970AM's Scott Paulsen:

    

“I imagine that the NFL started using "Turk" because of theTurkish soldiers of the 17th and 18th century and their long, curved scimitars.

It's a wonderful visual. Beware the Turk. He comes late at night,armed with a long, curved sword that he'll use to cut you from the team!"

    

While clearly not the actual origin of such a name, it is arguably the best description.  The Turk with his or hers daggers stalking the halls, acting as the Grim Reaper and beginning to "cut" down targets one by one in a slow agonizing manner.

For 700 players cut day might as well be called another name: D-Day.  They will be trying to avoid the inevitability of the Turk catching up to them.  Perhaps turning the phone on vibrate and pretending to accidentally miss that call helps.  Maybe going into physical hiding is the way to go.  For the younger players, getting cut from a NFL roster could be their first taste of football failure.  For the veterans, the realization of going from making millions to nothing in a second is enough to leave anyone humbled.  The idea that a man will be told by one individual that their dream will not continue is a gut punch even if some land on other teams.  For the Turk, the delicate balance between compassionate human being and strictly following instructions is part of the role.  Anyone who has ever watched Hard Knocks should know these encounters aren’t pretty.  Players are angry, heartbroken and even dumbfounded when they are told the coach want to see them.

There are stories of guys who were cut threaten physical harm to coaches, as was the case when former coach Lovie Smith cut a guy while an assistant in Tampa Bay.  Friendships between teammates are tested when both players are on the bubble.  It all leads to a simple sit down with the coach, a hand shake, and a trip to the secretary to confirm your booked flight home.  The Turk does the job no one wants and the players never want to be on the other end.

But there is hope for those who do get the ax.  Guys like Kurt Warner, Wes Walker and even James Harrison have been cut from teams and put together stellar careers.  Even a famous movie star like Dwayne Johnson was once cut from his CFL team.  There is always the chance a player gets added to the practice squad.  It’s the NFL version of a paid internship.  Run the other team’s playbook and make everyone look good.  Those who survive the final cuts breathe a sigh of relief as their dreams continue.

September 1^st looms as final cut down day before the start of the regular season.  The rosters begin to shrink after the second preseason game and continue until every team is down to the required 53 players.  In the meantime, the Turk is watching with keen eyes.  He or she is stalking his potential next victims during the dog days of August.  The Turk is the voice of NFL doom and it is his (or her) responsibility to carry out a hit job on the coaches’ orders.

The players will spend the next few weeks looking over their shoulder for the most powerful being in training camp may not be far behind.  They are the Turk and cutting down dreams is their business.  And between now and September 1^st business will be good and plentiful.

Reversal of Fortune

By Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

          The NBA Draft is one of sport’s most premier events in one of the biggest cities. The draft is a night where childhood dreams become reality. Kids who dream of making it to the NBA realize it on this night. Brooklyn becomes basketball central as the future meets the present and the teams take the first steps towards the next season. The night can also remind you that the National Basketball Association is a business and as such, personal feelings go out the window. Players who were drafted are often traded for one another and deals involving future picks are made. Five years ago saw such a trade take place and to this day change the fate of two franchises. The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets will forever be linked by an “all-in” draft night trade that saw the rebirth of one team and the demise of another.

            

           Entering the 2012-13 NBA season there was a sense of renewal around the Nets. The move from New Jersey to Brooklyn gave a doormat franchise a chance to start over. Its best years had come a decade earlier with consecutive NBA finals appearances, but had fallen on tough times towards the end of its 35-year stay in Jersey. A new owner; new logo and colors; along with a brand new arena; and the Nets were ready to take a bite out of a market that had largely been dominated by their cross-town rivals the New York Knicks.

The Nets started the season hot out of the gate, including a win over the Knicks. After a blistering November the Nets went cold in the month of December. The Nets fired Coach Avery Johnson after losing 10 of 13 games and replaced him with PJ Carlesimo. Led by Deron Williams and All-Star Brook Lopez, the Nets rebounded to finish with a 49-33 record. They entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the East, but after taking three games to one lead in the series the Nets faltered. The result was a first round upset loss to an injury-plagued Chicago Bulls team which included a 99-93 game seven loss at home. Despite the disappointing end, the first season in Brooklyn was largely considered a success.

The Boston Celtics run among the elite in the league was coming to a slow end. Age had begun to catch up to their Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. After a NBA championship in 2008 and a return trip to the finals in 2010, Boston would slowly decline. The Celtics had one more push in 2011-12 but fell to the Miami Heat and their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the conference finals. The 2012-13 season saw Boston struggle through injuries and inconsistency. Rajon Rondo played only 38 games due to an ACL injury. The Celtics won just 41 games and did not win the Atlantic division for the first time in five years. The Boston Marathon bombings rocked the city and the country that April. The Celtics, like many of the Boston teams, looked to galvanize a city in mourning. Despite strong efforts from Pierce and cutting into a 3-0 series hole; the Celtics ultimately fell in six games to the Knicks in round one.

With the contract of Coach Doc Rivers also expiring, the loss marked the end of the run of the Celtics Big Three. While Boston was looking at a lengthy rebuild, Brooklyn - thanks to its success - felt it was one key move or two away from contending for a championship. Looking to make a big splash to steal the backpages from the Knicks; the Nets decided to go all in at a title run. The NBA draft took place on June 27, 2013 in the Nets backyard, the Barclays Center. Brooklyn was looking to make that move that would put them over the top and entrusted GM Billy King to make it. The Celtics were more than accommodating, or so it appeared. With Rivers now a coach for the Clippers, the rebuild could start in earnest. The Nets were already developing a reputation for dealing to Win Now at the cost of future help for the team. They traded draft picks to sign Deron Williams and gave up a ton to acquire Gerald Wallace in 2012. But it would pale in comparison to the move they made on draft night.

The deal seemed like a home run on Brooklyn’s end. The Nets received Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White from the Celtics. In return the Celtics received Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, three first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018), plus the right to swap first-rounders in 2017. Brooklyn was immediately elevated as a favorite to dethrone the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. The Nets, with the trades, watched their payroll skyrocketed to $200 million dollars including luxury tax. Garnett’s inclusion required him to wave his no-trade clause but it also made the trade much more complicated for Brooklyn. The Celtics received what they needed to rebuild, with new coach Brad Stevens tasked with guiding the historic franchise through its growing pains. A key to this trade was that the picks were unprotected, meaning the Celtics could swap their own draft pick for the Nets should they finish with a worse record. The Nets were praised for the move and tickets sales went through the roof as many anticipated a deep playoff run.

The 2013-14 season began with championship expectations for Brooklyn but things went bad from the start. Lawrence Frank was removed from his assistant coaching duties by new coach Jason Kidd. Deron Williams sprained his ankle in the off-season and missed training camp and most of the preseason. New guys Garnett and Pierce, discontent with the culture and structure of the organization, only grew as the season rolled on. Brook Lopez would be lost for the season with a broken foot while, in-fighting among Kidd, the front office, coaching staff along with locker room turmoil, cast a shadow on a team many felt was a contender. The team got out to a 10-21 start but rebounded to win 44 games and the six seed in the East. The won their first playoff series in several years by defeating Toronto, but lost in five games to Miami despite winning three of four regular season meetings with the Heat. Joe Johnson emerged as clutch while Pierce played well and Kidd grew as a coach. But after just one season the plug was pulled on the “all or nothing” Nets.

Jason Kidd moved on to Milwaukee after a failed power play and a falling out with Nets management. The team itself disappointed on and off the court and the organization lost more than $144 million. As a result owner Mikhail Prokhorov closed the check book, a major reversal from his reputation of sparing no expenses. The Nets lost much of the assets acquired from those trades for nothing as Pierce, Shaun Livingston, and others either left as free agents or were traded. Kevin Garnett would be traded back to Minnesota halfway through the next season. Lionel Hollins was brought in to replace Kidd and clashed with everyone including Williams, who was now a shell of the All-Star he was earlier in his career. The Nets made the playoffs in 2014-15 despite a losing record but were eliminated by Atlanta in six games. Just like that, the biggest trade had blown up and left Brooklyn in shambles.

The Boston Celtics entered the 2013-14 season basically devoid of any real talent. With Brad Stevens at the helm, the Celtics would finish 25-57 and miss the playoffs. It would be the last time to date that Boston would miss the playoffs. The following year saw the Celtics ship the last piece of the Big Three era out of town as Rondo was traded to Dallas and Isaiah Thomas was acquired from Phoenix. Boston won 40 games and returned to the playoffs before being swept by the Cavs. The 2015-16 season saw another increase in wins as the Celtics won 48 games but again failed to advance past round one. The next season saw the wins increase to 53 games as Thomas became a MVP candidate. Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before losing in five games.

The draft picks the Celtics got out of the trade have led to some key players being added that largely contributed to the success of the team this past season. Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown were draft selections Boston made by swapping picks with Brooklyn which came due to the Nets having one of the worst records the last three seasons. Perhaps the biggest came in 2017 as the number two pick went to Boston instead of Brooklyn and Jayson Tatum was selected. Tatum became an emerging star and rookie of the year candidate as the Celtics made it back to the conference finals. Added depth helped the team overcome injuries to Gordon Haywood and Kyrie Irving. The 2018 draft was the last season the Celtics owned the Nets draft pick but was used in the trade to bring Irving to Boston from Cleveland. The Cavs drafted Collin Sexton with the number eight pick. The Nets also regret the draft picks given away in other deals which led to the Portland Trail Blazers selecting all-star Damian Lillard. A pick traded to the Lakers resulted in Kyle Kuzma being drafted. While Boston was able to rebuild almost right away, the Nets have felt the weight of a gamble that failed since that fateful night in 2013.

After years of what-ifs and miscues, Brooklyn will have its own draft picks and cap room next summer. The Celtics for their part are contenders in the Eastern conference and will be again going into the 2018-19 season. Five years later this trade is viewed by many as one of the worst trades in history as it left one team crippled for years while boosting the rebuild of another. The Nets, in a bid to win a championship under unrealistic expectations, became a cautionary tale in the business of NBA trades and their short-sighted moves became magnified with each budding young talent they missed out on. Danny Ainge cemented his reputation as one of the best front office executives by turning the Celtics into contenders and adding young talent for the future. 

Next summer both teams will be on equal footing entering the offseason as five years later Brooklyn finally has a light at the end of the tunnel. One of the worst trades in the modern era of sports will be completely paid in full.

The Demise of U.S. Soccer

by Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

This month all eyes will turn to Russia as one of the most exciting events will take place: the FIFA World Cup. 32 of the world's best teams will compete through group play and then the knockout rounds all in hopes of reaching the finals in Moscow. 20 of the 32 teams will be making consecutive appearances -- including defending champion Germany -- while countries like Iceland and Panama will make their first tournament appearances. It’s a three week event that brings the world together via love for native land or love of soccer. The FIFA World Cup played on a fresh pitch is a celebration that all of us love to witness.

The United States, however, will not be a part of that celebration of the beautiful game. For the first time since 1986 the men's soccer team will be no more than mere spectators to a tournament they had been a participant in for five straight cycles. The U.S. had plenty of chances, time, and opportunity to show the world that they belonged among the world's best. Why shouldn't they have felt confident about their chances? Each of the last two World Cup tournaments saw the U.S. reach the round of 16. However, inconsistency with coaching, failure to develop talent, and possibly unearned arrogance all came to a head last October. With a berth at stake, everything that was wrong led to one of the most embarrassing results ever and four painful years to regroup.

In the last four FIFA World Cups the United States were led by four different coaches, all of whom brought different degrees of styles with various results. Steve Sampson led the group into the 1998 World Cup in France. That team lost all three group play matches and was more known for the controversy of then captain John Harkes having a affair with a teammate's wife as the reason why he was cut prior to the tournament. 2002 saw U.S. Soccer fare much better under Bruce Arena; making the quarterfinals for the first time since 1930. 2006 saw regression under Arena as the team only scored one goal in three group play matches and were quickly eliminated. Bob Bradley led the team into the 2010 World Cup and won its group for the first time since 1930, but was upset by Ghana in the knockout round. In 2014 Jurgen Klinsmann was the coach of team USA. His tenure started out with the questionable decision to leave Landon Donovan off the team, opting instead for youth. The U.S. advanced to the knockout stage but again would lose their round of 16 match. Klinsmann's coaching style was criticized by many who felt it was too conservative.

It seemed like the United States were on the right track as far as developing into a soccer power, but then the team struggled and Arena was brought back after Klinsmann was let go following consecutive losses. The losses seemed to mount after the 2014 World Cup, starting with the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They dropped home losses to Mexico and Costa Rica which made qualifying much more difficult. They had to win on the road at some point.

The roster the U.S. carried also showed a total lack of depth and flaws in player development. Goalie Tim Howard was a hero for his play in Brazil but had clearly lost a step. At the same time it can be said that too much was put onto the shoulders of 19-year-old Christian Pulisic. There are no in-betweens for the U.S. roster as it was heavily dependent on veterans or guys just not ready. The gap of talent of players in their 20’s showed during this stretch as team USA’s inevitable doom loomed over them.

It all came down to one result; all the ups and downs and coaching changes came down to one match. The U.S. simply needed a draw against Trinidad & Tobago to qualify for Russia. On a less than ideal pitch that was mocked by the USA Soccer 's social media page, it was Trinidad & Tobago who scored the first two goals. The U.S. would get one, but draw no closer. Combined with wins by Panama and Honduras, the shocking 2-1 loss left the U.S. on the outside of the World Cup. You can also say it left them on the outside of the elite soccer nations as years of progress went down in flames. Arena resigned three days later and now the United States is at a major crossroads. They elected to go younger starting last month with a friendly but it should have been done after the fact.

So now this is what we are left with. The United States, with all of its vast resources, can't get 11 solid players together with any consistency. While the rest of the world looks forward to the World Cup in Russia; the U.S. is back to the drawing board to try and get to the elite status it thought was within reach just a few years ago. Their female counterparts have done it correctly, incorporating younger players like Mallory Pugh alongside veterans like Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd.

Maybe the men should have taken notes. Perhaps they need a coach who will play with more of the attacking style needed on the grand stage. The U.S. men's team should really take their time figuring it out; they will have about four years to work with.

Lord Stanley

by Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

            It is said that it is the most coveted prize in all of the four major sports. It weighs in at 34.5 pounds and stand at 35 inches tall. The bands are engraved with the names of those who were fortunate to survive the gauntlet and lift the spoils of victory above their heads. We are two weeks into the journey for one team of “destiny” to add its story to the countless others that make up those silver bands. It is the holy grail...it is the Stanley Cup.

            No other trophy in sports carries more traditions and stories than Lord Stanley. Originally awarded in 1893, it was commissioned one year prior and named after Sir Fredricks Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston who was then Governor General of Canada. Originally known as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the first nineteen winners were determined by challenge games and league play. The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association was the first team to ever win the cup, a bowl in its original form. Since 1910 - when the National Hockey Association took possession - the cup has been the symbol of hockey supremacy. Since 1926 only teams in the National Hockey League have competed for the ultimate prize.

            The road to the cup is often referred to as the toughest road in all of the sports. For two months 16 teams will compete to see who can survive. The playoffs is in itself a wild ride worthy of the satisfaction that waits at the end. So many variables can shape as well as determine if a team has destiny on its side. Upsets happen regularly in the playoffs and the team with home-ice isn’t guaranteed victory. The 2016-17 Chicago Blackhawks became victims of this notion by capturing the best record in hockey. Then they ran into a Nashville team that got hot and the Blackhawks were swept in embarrassing fashion. Things can change on a bad hop like it did to Mike Richter in the 1992 playoffs that turned the tide of a series. Plenty of heroics echo through time, and speaking of time, you play on until a team can score the tie-breaking goal. The point of sudden death is as synonymous as the euphoria of surviving to take the next step. Though it all it ends with a healthy handshake.

            To reach the end of the journey is to enrich you in the many traditions that are engraved in silver. The many faces that have sipped the spoils of success from the top bowl. To be a winner in the end is to be the toast of the town for a day whether it’s a big city or a small community. The childhood dream of spending a day with the trophy has grown as big as the expectations of a fan base chanting “WE WANT THE CUP”. It's enough to send chills down your spine. The cup is the symbol for "team" and one that brings a team together like it did for the 1997-98 Red Wings. A team that made the journey and made sure everyone knew Vladimir Konstantinov was the biggest member. It can feel light as a feather like it did when Ray Bourque waited 22 years to lift it high above his head like it was touching the heavens. Of course you don’t touch the cup until you win it or it’s the only one you touch but don’t tell Stephane Matteau or Sidney Crosby who broke that rule and suddenly their teams won the prize.

            The cup is so perfect yet it is imperfect to its core. Misspellings during engraving and even “X”-ed out names add to its legend and charm. Unlike the other trophies, the cup has its own identity that can never be duplicated in part because the cup itself is never duplicated. The 1980-81 Islanders is spelled “ILANDERS” while the 1983-84 Oilers has a named covered by a series of 16 Xs. The irony is that it takes 16 wins from April to June to have your name engraved in its barrel ring and you hope it’s spelled correctly. 2,528 names are engraved in the rings in total. The older ring is removed and placed in the Hall of Fame to join the original bowl and locked away in a vault. A handful of women have had the honor of having their names engraved. The keeper of the cup is as popular as the men who win it, and as a player you forget to shave for a while but the reflection off it looks like a million bucks.

            To sacrifice for the cause is to be unselfish. To survive and advance is to be one step ever so closer yet still so far. The delight of the final seconds ticking off is only matched with the captain skating over to claim the ultimate prize. The team photo is as etched in time as the names that will join countless others on that very cup. You keep it for a full year, only to try to do it all again the next year. To drink from it is to savior the moment, and to hold it is to hug something you love so much that you never want the moment to end. This cup has history and a name…its name is Stanley and every kid dreams of meeting him one day.

The Madness of March

By Nolan Toppin, OTSL Executive Producer

To my colleague and friend, Jay Kaplan, March Madness has always been "The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!"  I'm sure it is, for the millions and millions of people who fill out brackets in their office pools for bragging rights.  Then you watch the games to see how the games unfold.  But I always had a question: do you like to root for the favorites or the upsets?  This just happens to be one of those years in which there are more upsets than favorites.

My personal choice leans more towards upsets, and I don't claim to be an expert on college basketball.  It makes the tournament more interesting.  All of or at least most of the favorites were eliminated after the first two rounds.  Teams like Virginia, Xavier, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Michigan State, and Arizona.  That's the excitement of the tournament.

Like Tom Hanks, who played Forrest Gump once said, "You never know what you're gonna get."  You also never what's gonna happen.  Take for instance, UMBC, which could stand for

U MUST BE CINDERELLA, as opposed to University of Maryland-Baltimore County.  Since seeding began in 1979, Number 1 seeds were 135-0 versus Number 16 seeds.  Until UMBC did the unthinkable, knocking out #1 Overall seed Virginia in a rout.  It may NEVER happen again; but they will ALWAYS be a part of history, as well as a trivia question.

Then there is the University of Loyola Chicago, an 11 seed, making it to the  Final Four. This is only their 2nd tournament appearance since 1963; and that year they won it all.  These are just two schools that most people would not know or ever heard of.  With one of them possibly making the best Cinderella run ever.  No matter who wins this year, it certainly

has been a memorable tournament; one for the ages.