'Miami expects...'

[Andre LeBastard 112]

Shite Sports News 

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Last season, as an expansion club the Miami Marauders had no expectations ahead of their debut season in the VHLM. Neither did they have much pressure to perform. What they did have, however, thanks to the sound draft policy of the hockey clubs management team, was a collection of players with the 'right stuff'.  Just what the right stuff is, of course, is open to debate; however, you can take it as given that it contains a healthy dose of what coaches like to call intangibles.  Often in the hockey world, the word intangibles is a  euphemism for lack of skill. There is no doubt that as an expansion team, the Miami Marauders hockey club suffered from a definite lack of skill. Yet in this case, that lack of skill was overcome by that other often overused component of intangibles: attitude. In this case, we can call it the 'Miami spirit'.

 

There is an old adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which is an excellent parable for the Miami Marauders and the success they had in S73. How else can you explain the over achievement of this collection of players last season? At the start of their first-round playoff series against Minnesota, the Marauders had one player at or near triple figures in TPE, their opponents had six. Yet the Miami upstarts managed to take what should have been a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, before eventually succumbing in seven games.  Most Miami players that we spoke with talked of the Miami spirit or the feeling that pervaded the locker room at the time. Many stated they were simply overjoyed to have made the playoffs at all and against the odds, never mind contemplating a 3-1 series lead.

 

That the club lost the opening round 4-3, didn't even seem to put a dent in the player's feelings, sure there was disappointment at what could have been, but there was something else, a pervading sense of achievement and a coalescing of pride and accomplishment regardless of the end result. Most players and indeed many pundits felt that for Miami, the series exit could be chalked up to inexperience, after all, none of the players had been in that position before and didn't know what to expect. Playoff performance in many cases is about that collective institutional experience gained by trying and then failing, before utilising that experience gained to improve the performance next time out.

 

For the new S74 edition of the Miami Marauders, the question remains can the club from management to the playing roster inculcate their newest crop of players with that 'Miami spirit' and use that to cope with the twin obstacles that will confront the club in its upcoming sophomore season: Expectation & Pressure. The expectation to improve on last seasons performance and the pressure that comes with said expectation. 

As their Captain Andre LeBastard said in part, in a private message to the club ahead of the new season, which was leaked to Shite Sports News last night:

 

"Last season we had a tight group of players with a spirit that led us to our first-ever playoff berth in our very first season, as we met and surpassed each challenge we faced. What made most, if not all of us proud, however, was the spirit we all felt in the Locker Room. This was the Miami spirit, something no one could take away from us..."

 

To paraphrase Admiral Lord Nelson, ahead of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805: 

 

'Miami expects...'
 

[osens 297]

Hello Mr. Andre!

First of all, really happy with your article! You have established quite a brand with your ''Shite Sports News'' and it is always fun to see things like this! I like big articles and you 100% brought that! I loved that you ''paraphrased'' someone, that gave this article something fresh and new! I like the way you tell your story by using what your player says and just telling the reader about situation. For me I have 2 things that I would have wanted differently. I would want some more pictures, because that would make the article more easy to eyes. It would be nice to see something related to this in picture wise. Also I would love if you would put in bold some things, like player names and team names. Those names are seen better and you can catch the thought easier. All in all really good article! Good job!

7/10