My Ramblings on Game 7 [1/2]

[CowboyinAmerica 2,840]

 

About That Title...

 

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Also – and I’m being straight here – I think I’d rather play for Seattle’s management and GM than any other in the league. He’s put in his time for seven seasons, even retiring his own players for the good of the team, and I’d like to see him have some success in turn.

 

I wrote that in the middle of Season 55, before the lottery had even occurred. At the time, I figured I would be going with the first pick, but I had no idea who would have it - the team with the worst record in the league (Cologne) doesn't even exist anymore. But I felt like Seattle would be a good spot for me. I had done the bouncing around, chasing championships thing with Wingate, and I was rewarded with four during his career. For McAllister, I wanted something I wasn't able to do with my first player: to grow in one spot with a young team, and eventually be able to summit the mountain.

 

And now it's here. With the caveat that STHS almost gave me a damn heart attack once again, it's a cool feeling to accomplish something - not only for myself, but for the guys on this team. This gives me my first Triple Gold player, but it also does the same thing for Robbie, who stuck to his guns to be a starting goalie and it was rewarded. TLO took a chance agreeing to come to a young team in the dispersal draft and was rewarded. Quik's been working his ass off since coming back to full-time activity, and he was one of the major pushes to get us over the hump. Green's not as active as he once was, but I still couldn't ask for someone better to be around the locker room. And even Dangles, though he wasn't up in the VHL, was a boost in the locker room and made things fun.

 

Then of course, there's Bana. I frankly didn't know the guy that well, and before being drafted, most of my interactions with him were in the context of Wingate and Campbell going heads up for goalie awards. But I saw the fire. For the past decade-plus of seasons, I would argue there haven't been any more consistently engaged, scrappy, energetic GMs in the entire league. He may rub some people the wrong way with his enthusiasm and candor, but to me, those are positive qualities, and ones I wanted to be on the same side of. If the Bears were going to win their first title since S43, and second since the league expanded in S31, I knew I wanted to be the one helping drive the bus. I'm glad I've had the opportunity.

 

I thought last year might be it, given that there were only three teams really fighting for it. And then halfway through this season, I had already mentally checked out to Season 60, given the way the regular season was going. Having to fight through Riga, then Toronto, then one of New York or Helsinki seemed too monumental a task, and it seemed like STHS wasn't in our corner anyway. But anybody who's been around the VHL for a while knows how that goes. I'd still argue that we were the second-most talented team even after the regular season (would give Toronto #1), and it's nice to see that hard work that all of our guys had throughout the season pay off in the end.

 

So that's one way to end the first half of McAllister's VHL career. I've got my first Triple Gold player (VHL, VHLM, World Cup titles), where my previous two guys I only got two-thirds of the way there. I've already got a Rookie of the Year and a Top Leader to my name, and I may well add a Playoff MVP too (though if someone wants to vote Federov or Gretzky or Johnsson or V2A, I won't argue). It gives me my fifth title as a member in 16 seasons, which isn't bad especially considering I didn't have a VHL player for five of those. I've already topped 1,000 TPE and am headed towards the record. And, most importantly to me, I got to help build a team and take it to the top. I don't know where McAllister's career goes from here, though I do know the Bears will be running it back and try to get another. Because what's one championship if you can have two?

Edited April 9, 2018 by CowboyinAmerica

[Banackock 7,980]

I was meaning to respond to this but had forgot. Busy guy! I'll keep it short. No reason for PDA when you know it all and how I feel about you boys!

 

Thanks for it all, man. Appreciate your

support, presence and loyalty (as well as faith in me).  

 

Go Bears!

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

McAllister - Future HoFer. Solid write-up.