This is Sparta

[Gustav 6,402]

No, this isn't about the less cool VHLM commissioner. This is about 300. Not the movie, though--it's the magical number goalers chase throughout their careers. So far, thirteen people ever have reached 300 wins over the course of their career. Eleven are in the Hall of Fame. The others? One is Alexander Pepper, subject of my first-ever Hall of Not Bad. The other one, as of today, is me--Art Vandelay.

 

Barring a practically undefeated run or a major crash and burn before the end of the season, Vandelay will finish his career tenth all-time in wins, as the new not-in-the-HoF leader in wins with a career SV% equal to or better than practically everyone else with as many. Sure, the GAA is a bit higher, but those 1.something career numbers are a thing of the past anyway. All in all, I'll be retiring with a very impressive line on the spreadsheet.

 

It's less impressive, though, that Vandelay has a full season on all those other guys. In the case of Shaw, it's two seasons. 300 wins doesn't mean all that much when you realize that I only had 264 of those things after last season. I'm sort of the Eric Dickerson to your OJ Simpsons, if you understand a nice unfortunate football reference or two. Plus, I've never been on top of the league in anything, and my cool-looking SV% leaves some things to be desired when you consider how insane that number has been league wide over the last generation. Perhaps someone, I wonder who, could write a nice long article detailing Vandelay's career numbers and putting them in context.

 

Even though lots of players have quite a few more chances to hit 300, I'm glad to be the first one to do it since Pepper and fellow S63er Kallis Kriketers (as well as the first player to ever hit the mark in a 9-season career). Now that career lengths have left the door open to more playing time, I'm sure others will follow and that 300 will just become a "solid" number rather than a "generational" one.  For the time being, though, I'll happily accept my cool-looking line on the all-time stat sheet. You'll never be able to tell me that I didn't win 300 games.

 

Art Vandelay

[jacobcarson877 2,527]

2 minutes ago, Gustav said:

Art Vandelay

Art Vandelay

[Spartan 4,399]

Fart Vandelay

[Banackock 8,044]

[Lemorse7 1,013]

click bait