Merica 69 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Two weeks ago no one had ever heard of Josh Merica. He came out of nowhere, California high school hockey to be exact, and has taken the league by storm. The 19 year old American winger has been extremely vocal and confident since announcing his entry into the VHLM draft. Some of it could be taken as funny and original, or cocky, arrogant and full of himself, just depends on which side of the coin you land on. There are positives and negatives to presenting yourself as Merica has. On one hand, he is letting prospective teams know exactly what they are getting, he isn’t hiding who he is- he is a brash, confident and overtly opinionated person. He is highly skilled, as showcased during VHLM pro day, has good size and has “star” written all over him. There is no question that he can handle the spotlight. But some teams don’t like players who are as outwardly as he is, some prefer the quiet, reserved types who they know won’t say something stupid in the media that might reflect poorly on the organization. If you are that type, just look right past Josh Merica, unless you are prepared to change. Merica is a game changer, he will attract players to him and he will push others away, there really isn’t any middle ground in that regard. You have to ask yourself if the risk is worth the reward, it’s the most difficult question a GM must answer. When you watch the tape on Merica, and listen to the scouts, it’s going to make your decision even harder, because there isn’t many negative things to say about him. For a player coming out of high school, he is very polished and talented, he doesn’t make many mistakes and he has a flair for the dramatic. He will excite the fans, they will buy his jersey and they will chant his name. You aren’t just drafting a good player, you are drafting a player with the potential to be the franchise. Merica will be the first name people think of when someone mentions your team, and it may not always be good things, either. I would compare to his presence to that of LeBron James. He changes things, on and off the court. Some will hate his guts, others will go out of their way to join forces with him. Merica isn’t a cancer, not in the slightest, he is just opinionated and he will do anything in his power to win hockey games. You will always get 110% from him, he will be the first and last player at practice. I made the call to his high school coach, and the words he spoke were of the highest regard: “Josh is a fantastic person, he always looked out for his teammates, and while he can be a cocky son of a bitch, you have to remind yourself that he is your cocky son of a bitch and the last thing you want is for him to be lining up against you. He’s drive and fire is monstrous, the kid wants to be the greatest, there is no limit to his goals. I can tell you right now that passing on him will come back to haunt you.” What I gathered from that is that you are better off having him on your team than not. He might be cocky, but that just means opposing teams won’t like him, and honestly opposing teams are not supposed to like him. General Managers have a lot of thinking to do, a lot of pros and cons to weigh, but from where I am sitting, Josh Merica is the answer to any team in need of a franchise changing force, or just a fresh face to re-invigorate the team and fans. Either way, you are getting a winner. eaglesfan036 and Mr. Grumpy Bear 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Content: 3/3 - More than enough words in this spot. I'm definitely a fan of this kid heading forward.Grammar: 1.75/2 - Some odd comma placements in here where you could just end the sentence, among other things. "and full of himself, just depends on which side of the coin you land on" - but it just depends on which.... "he is a brash, confident and overtly opinionated person." - confident and AN overtly opinionated person. "But some teams don’t like players who are as outwardly as he is, some prefer the quiet," - as outwardly as he is. Some prefer the quiet, "he will attract players to him and he will push others away, there really isn’t any middle ground in that regard." - push others away, AND there isn't any middle ground.... "You will always get 110% from him, he will be the first and last player at practice." - from him, AND he will be the first... ". He’s drive and fire is monstrous, the kid wants to be the greatest, there is no limit to his goals. " - His drive and fire is monstrous. The kid wants to be the greatest, and there is no limit to his goals. Appearance: 1/1 - GIFs are better than pictures, at least in the way you use them. I like it.Overall: 5.75/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,843 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Content: 3/3 - I like the brash types, and seems to have worked based on your VHLM Draft position. Well done here. Grammar: 2/2 - Yeah, run-on sentences are a bit of a problem, as the last grader put above. Out of the stuff the last grader didn't put, I care more about stuff like the below. Still though, was solid throughout, and I see these things as minor bumps as compared to a bigger problem. letting prospective = two spaces? as outwardly as he = outwardly.... what? adverb needs to describe something Presentation: 1/1 - Color/italics for the quote is a nice touch Total/Final: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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