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Tuesday, November 1'st, SAS @ HNT: First Preseason Game
Posted 14 years ago11/1/11 SAS @ HNT
SAS: 104
HNT: 88
With the five returning players on the Mayors starting against the updated lineup of the Spectrums, the visitors built upon an early lead before the new acquisitions on the Huntsville bench slowed the bleeding to prevent the deficit from reaching 20 points.
After a brief announcement to celebrate former Mayors Jackson Price (Fisher, head coach) and Randall Yoster (Border Collie, assistant coach) garnered a bit of applause from the hardcore Huntsville fans, they received an equal amount of boos during the team introductions. Surprisingly, superstar John Stoat (Stoat, G) was not listed in the active roster for tonight’s game, nor was the 2011 #1 overall draft pick Nina Lime (Wolf, G). As expected, the Mayors’ scoring ability suffered without these two, while the Spectrums’ own offensive engine was running on full steam.
The Spectrums, known last season for their rapid promotion of rookie players, strayed from that course by putting up most of their experienced, standard game lineup players. Karre Roark (Coyote, PG) led the Spectrums with the commanding presence of a veteran far beyond his years, with Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) on a mission to show Huntsville what a starting SF looks like now that they’d lost Knutten.
From the get-go, the Spectrums took the court and made it their own, much to the dismay of the Huntsville crowd. With a new, aggressive attitude, the visitors nailed down eight unanswered points before the Mayors sunk their first bucket. Ray Rodin (Rat, SG) had his paws full dealing with Santa Ana’s stronger guards, drawing fouls early on against the brutal play of N’duk Hunter (Mongoose, SG) who went on to be the Spectrums’ scoring champ of the night. Rodin found himself quickly pulled, replaced by former Spectrum Telki Holland (Chinchilla, SG), who went on to go nearly shot-for-shot with Hunter all night, nailing long threes when she could get coverage from her teammates.
But the Spectrums weren’t content to only show their revamped offense, and chose to showcase their new defense in the form of Toby Papanastasopoulos (Skunk, PF), who bumped chests with Tyler Kiko (Goat, PF) all night, but simply couldn’t handle the double-team of Papa Nasty and Lance Cheval (Stallion, C), who blasted through the Mayors defenses to pound in crushing dunks in the first two quarters.
It all seemed to be going one way for the first half, but everything changed when the Spectrums brought up their bench in the third quarter. Rookie point guard Li Ho Fook (Red Panda)’s inexperience at the pro level was clearly visible, and despite some flashy moves and a daring inside pass around Evan Ashton (Lion, F), he couldn’t maintain his composure, and after suffering three picks from Aina La’ia (Ringtail, G), Fook was retired back to the bench after only ten minutes of play. Rust was evident on both sides, however, as Crosby Sutters (Genet, F) couldn’t manage to even come close to what he’d done last season, and was visibly upset after being blocked by the significantly shorter Jim McCormick (Badger, F). Lasting only a bit longer than Fook, Sutters was retired before the close of the third quarter, making way for recent transfer Dayron DeBose (Dingo, F), who readily handled the position-swapped Ashton and Broyles (Siamese Cat, F) as they struggled to make sense of their new positions.
The Mayors capitalized on the Spectrums disorganization in the third, rallying back and outscoring Santa Ana for the first time in the game. But it wasn’t to last as Price put Hunter, Pink and Roark back in for the final period of play, with Jack Hinks (Landseer Dog, C) barring every lane he saw open, and swatting down shots with powerful ease over the shorter Huntsville pivots. The Spectrums turned what had returned to a slim single-digit lead into a near-20-point blowout. While the Caretaker’s own shots refused to fall, he made up for it with brilliant assists, one leading to the play of the night when he got the ball to Hunter on the outside.
Taking advantage of the impenetrable coverage of Milton Dianna (Mink, F) and Omar Pink, the mongoose paused, looked straight at John Stoat on the Mayors’ bench, then closed his left eye and put up a perfect three. As the ball kissed nothing but silk, Hunter grinned and pointed a finger-gun at Stoat, playfully pulling the trigger before getting back into play.
From there it was all over, and the Spectrums went on to take the game 104 - 88, with Price having kept his blazer on all night, only removing his hat once to scratch his ears. When Price was asked if he had a comment on how it felt to beat his old team in his old home court, and if he felt like he was betraying his old fans, the fisher just grinned and held up one of the limited edition Jackson Price plushes that had been the night’s coveted giveaway. Pulling the string on its back, the plush played back his infamous line, “You can go ffffff-fish.”
SAS: 104
HNT: 88
With the five returning players on the Mayors starting against the updated lineup of the Spectrums, the visitors built upon an early lead before the new acquisitions on the Huntsville bench slowed the bleeding to prevent the deficit from reaching 20 points.
After a brief announcement to celebrate former Mayors Jackson Price (Fisher, head coach) and Randall Yoster (Border Collie, assistant coach) garnered a bit of applause from the hardcore Huntsville fans, they received an equal amount of boos during the team introductions. Surprisingly, superstar John Stoat (Stoat, G) was not listed in the active roster for tonight’s game, nor was the 2011 #1 overall draft pick Nina Lime (Wolf, G). As expected, the Mayors’ scoring ability suffered without these two, while the Spectrums’ own offensive engine was running on full steam.
The Spectrums, known last season for their rapid promotion of rookie players, strayed from that course by putting up most of their experienced, standard game lineup players. Karre Roark (Coyote, PG) led the Spectrums with the commanding presence of a veteran far beyond his years, with Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) on a mission to show Huntsville what a starting SF looks like now that they’d lost Knutten.
From the get-go, the Spectrums took the court and made it their own, much to the dismay of the Huntsville crowd. With a new, aggressive attitude, the visitors nailed down eight unanswered points before the Mayors sunk their first bucket. Ray Rodin (Rat, SG) had his paws full dealing with Santa Ana’s stronger guards, drawing fouls early on against the brutal play of N’duk Hunter (Mongoose, SG) who went on to be the Spectrums’ scoring champ of the night. Rodin found himself quickly pulled, replaced by former Spectrum Telki Holland (Chinchilla, SG), who went on to go nearly shot-for-shot with Hunter all night, nailing long threes when she could get coverage from her teammates.
But the Spectrums weren’t content to only show their revamped offense, and chose to showcase their new defense in the form of Toby Papanastasopoulos (Skunk, PF), who bumped chests with Tyler Kiko (Goat, PF) all night, but simply couldn’t handle the double-team of Papa Nasty and Lance Cheval (Stallion, C), who blasted through the Mayors defenses to pound in crushing dunks in the first two quarters.
It all seemed to be going one way for the first half, but everything changed when the Spectrums brought up their bench in the third quarter. Rookie point guard Li Ho Fook (Red Panda)’s inexperience at the pro level was clearly visible, and despite some flashy moves and a daring inside pass around Evan Ashton (Lion, F), he couldn’t maintain his composure, and after suffering three picks from Aina La’ia (Ringtail, G), Fook was retired back to the bench after only ten minutes of play. Rust was evident on both sides, however, as Crosby Sutters (Genet, F) couldn’t manage to even come close to what he’d done last season, and was visibly upset after being blocked by the significantly shorter Jim McCormick (Badger, F). Lasting only a bit longer than Fook, Sutters was retired before the close of the third quarter, making way for recent transfer Dayron DeBose (Dingo, F), who readily handled the position-swapped Ashton and Broyles (Siamese Cat, F) as they struggled to make sense of their new positions.
The Mayors capitalized on the Spectrums disorganization in the third, rallying back and outscoring Santa Ana for the first time in the game. But it wasn’t to last as Price put Hunter, Pink and Roark back in for the final period of play, with Jack Hinks (Landseer Dog, C) barring every lane he saw open, and swatting down shots with powerful ease over the shorter Huntsville pivots. The Spectrums turned what had returned to a slim single-digit lead into a near-20-point blowout. While the Caretaker’s own shots refused to fall, he made up for it with brilliant assists, one leading to the play of the night when he got the ball to Hunter on the outside.
Taking advantage of the impenetrable coverage of Milton Dianna (Mink, F) and Omar Pink, the mongoose paused, looked straight at John Stoat on the Mayors’ bench, then closed his left eye and put up a perfect three. As the ball kissed nothing but silk, Hunter grinned and pointed a finger-gun at Stoat, playfully pulling the trigger before getting back into play.
From there it was all over, and the Spectrums went on to take the game 104 - 88, with Price having kept his blazer on all night, only removing his hat once to scratch his ears. When Price was asked if he had a comment on how it felt to beat his old team in his old home court, and if he felt like he was betraying his old fans, the fisher just grinned and held up one of the limited edition Jackson Price plushes that had been the night’s coveted giveaway. Pulling the string on its back, the plush played back his infamous line, “You can go ffffff-fish.”
News From Santa Ana 12/21/10
Posted 15 years agoNews From Santa Ana
12/21/10
After discussion with FBA officials, the $25,000 fine leveled at N’duk Hunter for his alleged kicking of Dorteo Masalia has been waived, not due to any official review overturning it, but due to an impassioned plea from the player himself. But, in an interesting turn of events, it was not so that he could keep the money, but so that he could actually give away more. Prior to the Flagrant 1, Hunter had been in contact with numerous food, clothing and medical care providers in an attempt to arrange for a large Christmas gift to the needy and homeless of his greater community area. The mongoose already had $40,000 pledged in charitable support, and the fine would have forced him to back out of many of his promises, all-but destroying the arrangements. It is reported that Hunter was overjoyed at the review commission’s waive of his fine, and was delighted to hear that the FBA would also be donating an additional $10,000 to the player’s cause; an amount which was matched by the Spectums’ owners, OMEN Technologies, for a grand total of $60,000. The Flagrant 1, however, will remain on his record, though he still contests fault in the matter.
Spectrums announcer, Australian dingo Alan Foster, has also announced his annual Christmas celebration for his charity, “Foster’s Kids,” an organization which helps runaway, displaced, orphaned and foster children. While his charity is not receiving money directly from either N’duk Hunter or the Spectrums, the team is volunteering their time on Wednesday, the 22’nd of December, to come out to the event and that afternoon to teach, encourage and play with the youngsters, as well as take pictures and sign autographs. OMEN Technologies has promised to give tickets to the night’s game to all the children in the program, as well as their foster and adoptive parents and caregivers. Also, in a kind gesture by former film star, Lance Cheval, My Big Pony has also called in support from his Furrywood friends, with several movie and television stars also slated to appear at and support the event, including Angelemur Jolie, and her husband, Brad Pitbull.
Alan Foster, an orphan himself who grew up in foster care, was overjoyed at the support, and said, “I can’t believe it. When I started this charity seven years ago back in Townsville, I never thought I’d ever have support like this. Last year, with the economy rough, we were only able to barely meet our donation goals, but this year, well, it’ll truly be a Christmas to remember for all the kids, and I’m honored at this incredible show of support and compassion.”
Word has also been spreading that OMEN Technologies plans to hold a large Christmas party for its team, but, like any OMEN project, secrecy had been kept at a maximum level. Two bands have stated that they have been hired for the event, and a local florist has admitted to delivery of a 25’ decorated tree, but OMEN refuses to either confirm or deny these statements. However, TicketMonster did confirm that a large block of prime seats have been reserved for the 12/23/10 game against Baltimore since before the season even opened, hinting that guests may be in the team’s future.
12/21/10
After discussion with FBA officials, the $25,000 fine leveled at N’duk Hunter for his alleged kicking of Dorteo Masalia has been waived, not due to any official review overturning it, but due to an impassioned plea from the player himself. But, in an interesting turn of events, it was not so that he could keep the money, but so that he could actually give away more. Prior to the Flagrant 1, Hunter had been in contact with numerous food, clothing and medical care providers in an attempt to arrange for a large Christmas gift to the needy and homeless of his greater community area. The mongoose already had $40,000 pledged in charitable support, and the fine would have forced him to back out of many of his promises, all-but destroying the arrangements. It is reported that Hunter was overjoyed at the review commission’s waive of his fine, and was delighted to hear that the FBA would also be donating an additional $10,000 to the player’s cause; an amount which was matched by the Spectums’ owners, OMEN Technologies, for a grand total of $60,000. The Flagrant 1, however, will remain on his record, though he still contests fault in the matter.
Spectrums announcer, Australian dingo Alan Foster, has also announced his annual Christmas celebration for his charity, “Foster’s Kids,” an organization which helps runaway, displaced, orphaned and foster children. While his charity is not receiving money directly from either N’duk Hunter or the Spectrums, the team is volunteering their time on Wednesday, the 22’nd of December, to come out to the event and that afternoon to teach, encourage and play with the youngsters, as well as take pictures and sign autographs. OMEN Technologies has promised to give tickets to the night’s game to all the children in the program, as well as their foster and adoptive parents and caregivers. Also, in a kind gesture by former film star, Lance Cheval, My Big Pony has also called in support from his Furrywood friends, with several movie and television stars also slated to appear at and support the event, including Angelemur Jolie, and her husband, Brad Pitbull.
Alan Foster, an orphan himself who grew up in foster care, was overjoyed at the support, and said, “I can’t believe it. When I started this charity seven years ago back in Townsville, I never thought I’d ever have support like this. Last year, with the economy rough, we were only able to barely meet our donation goals, but this year, well, it’ll truly be a Christmas to remember for all the kids, and I’m honored at this incredible show of support and compassion.”
Word has also been spreading that OMEN Technologies plans to hold a large Christmas party for its team, but, like any OMEN project, secrecy had been kept at a maximum level. Two bands have stated that they have been hired for the event, and a local florist has admitted to delivery of a 25’ decorated tree, but OMEN refuses to either confirm or deny these statements. However, TicketMonster did confirm that a large block of prime seats have been reserved for the 12/23/10 game against Baltimore since before the season even opened, hinting that guests may be in the team’s future.
Post-Game 12/18/10
Posted 15 years agoScores and capsule taken from http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1955998/
SAS @ STA: L Spectrums (9-9) 67, W Thrust (12-5) 115
SAS | 16 22 18 11 | L 67
sta" class="linkusername">[b]STA | 30 32 32 21 | W 115
Sports reporters are filling the media with arguments over the controversial game in Alpo Arena tonight. With Lance Cheval (Stallion, C) making his first trip to Stanislaus since leaving the team in '05, a sold-out crowd was fired up with boos and hisses against the horse. But the controversy wasn't over the arrival of Cheval, but over the quadruple-double performance put in by Buck Hopper begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Rabbit, PG), who simply eviscerated the Spectrums with 55 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals.
Before play started, B-Hop was seen yelling at his teammates, reminding them of their defeat in the Prism Palace last month, when he first faced his old teammate and lost. Determined not to let it happen again, Hopper opened the game with a dazzling performance, single-handedly scoring more points than the entire Santa Ana roster in the first quarter. That continued into the second as strong defense from Cletus Swinton (Pig, C) and Peter Conner (Cougar, PF) kept Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) and Lance Cheval in check, and allowed B-Hop to rack up another slew of points. His quick paws were lightning fast on the night as he managed to pick Barton Bados (Ram, PG) 4 times before the ram sat down. Stripes Quinn (Tiger, G) didn't do any better as the rabbit kept ripping the rock. The Thrust dominated going into halftime.
The controversy arose when B-Hop demanded to stay on the court. With Randy Catcher (Bullfrog, G) suited up and ready, Hopper kept his foot paws on the hardword and kept punishing the Spectrums. Even when it was clear in the third that they would never catch up, Hopper kept playing, kept stealing and kept shooting, spurred on by a cheering crowd that relished in watching Cheval get humiliated. The horse was visibly angry over the beat-down. He was seen yelling at the officials to fine the bunny and snorting at the audience. In the fourth quarter junk time, with the Spectrums destroyed and B-Hop still not done punching, Cheval took the tension to another level when he mimed clawing his own side with his fingers after another B-Hop dunk. Seeing the gesture, the bunny got into the horse's face and had to be separated by the officials. The beatdown continued though, ending with a 48-point blowout and a quadruple-double performance from the bunny, only the 4th ever recorded in FBA history and the first since Healy Davis.
After the game, FBA podcaster T. Matt Latrans managed to catch up with the seething Cheval before he left the court. In a sound clip that will likely resonate for a while, the horse yelled, "That's why Slasher clawed that prick!"
Alpo Arena – Visitors’ Locker Room.
It was an unmitigated disaster. Coming off of two big wins, Jackson Price (Fisher, Head Coach) and the Spectrums knew that they would be facing one of their toughest opponents, but still had high hopes.
Those hopes were dashed on the floor, then peed on and set on fire by the Thrust that night. Everything went wrong, and no matter the change in strategies, nothing seemed to work for the Spectrums. Price watched from the side, trying to find any form of holes in Stanislaus’s defense, but there was nothing, nothing his team seemed to be able to do to stop the massacre out there on the court. Half-hearted handshakes were the only consolation that the Spectrums took with them on their way off the court, the crowd vehemently booing them, especially Lance Cheval (Stallion, C).
“Get out,” Price told the media at the door to the locker room, not sparing them any other words, and he made his way to the folding chair he’d set up for the pre-game pep talk. A talk which now seemed to have been completely pointless. The team looked to him for answers, for anger, for… anything really, but they could see that Price was lost, still reeling from the 48-point blowout, himself.
“I…” he started to say, taking off his hat and shaking his head. “I just…” there was nothing. He was hurt, and the players could see it. Biting his lip, the fisher sat there a while longer, finally saying, “I’m still proud of you. All of you. That was the worst game in this team’s history, but we were up against a great opponent on hostile turf, and you-”
At that moment, the phone in the visiting coach’s office rang, and Randall Yoster (Border Collie, Asst. Coach) went to pick it up, then looked back at Price, nodding to him. “Excuse me,” Price said, limping into the office and taking the phone, Yoster shutting the door on the way out. Once it clicked, the old border collie held a finger to his lips and beckoned the team to come up to the frosted glass so that they could hear.
“Sir? What? No, of course not,” Price protested into the phone. “They had a bad game it’s just—” The team listened in, hearing every word their coach was saying, having to piece together the other half of the phone call.
“No! And it’s not like that! I just need – Sir!” the head coach’s response grew more defensive. “I can do it, though! I just need more time! They’re light-years ahead of last year and – what? No. Oh no, please no. Sir, no.”
Price’s fire began to die, being replaced by worry and almost panic. “Sir, that’s not fair! You can’t do that! Not after just one game! Please! I can make it work, you’ll see, I just… no. No, sir. I understand, but if you’ll just give me another month, I promise I can work it out. It won’t happen again, sir. I… I understand. Yes? But, he’s - d*mn it, sir, that’s my call. But- But- …fine, I’ll let him know. Yes sir. Goodbye.”
As the phone clicked back onto its receiver, they could hear Price’s chair squeak, but couldn’t see him rest his face in his paws, or the lost, worried look in his eyes. Yoster shooed them away from the glass, and they all hit the showers, realizing that their poor performance may have just cost them more than just the game.
At long last, Price emerged from his office, his face not displaying the same confidence it had only a few hours before, and he once more called his players to gather up. “Everyone, I just got off the phone with OMEN,” he said, then sighed, swallowing before he carried on. “I… I just want to let you all know that I’m still proud of you, I still believe in you, and, d*mn it, there is no other team I’d rather be part of, right now. But, I don’t have the final call, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be seeing you anymore.”
Emotion crept into his voice, choking him for a moment until he swallowed and forced himself to carry on. “I’m to meet with my superiors back in Los Angeles, tomorrow morning, so I have to catch a plane tonight. In case I don’t come to practice on Monday, know that I’ve loved being a part of this team, I’ve loved getting to know all of you, and if I could do it all over again, there’s a lot I’d change, but mostly about myself. Thank you, all of you. And… Wescot, I’m sorry, but as of today you’re on the bench. OMEN wants Milton to start, from now on.”
“Sir?” Milton Dianna (Mink, F) replied, confused. “I thought you had final say in who plays.”
Heaving a sigh, Price shrugged. “I thought I did, too.”
Unable to contain himself, Crosby Sutters (Genet, F) rushed forward and hugged Price tightly, saying, “Don’t go, Coach. We need you.”
Price squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to show how he really felt, and he patted the genet’s back. “You’ll be okay, Bing. You’ve still got Randy-Yo, here, and Pink will watch out for you.”
“You’ll be fine, Coach,” Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) said, stepping up to pat him on the shoulder, then helped detach Crosby to lead the rookie back to the bench. “We’ll see you on Monday.”
Taking another look over his team, the team that would do nothing but fight with itself when he first arrived, Price pulled a pained smile, but one filled with pride. “Be good, kids,” he said, then headed off toward the exit.
SAS @ STA: L Spectrums (9-9) 67, W Thrust (12-5) 115
SAS | 16 22 18 11 | L 67
sta" class="linkusername">[b]STA | 30 32 32 21 | W 115
Sports reporters are filling the media with arguments over the controversial game in Alpo Arena tonight. With Lance Cheval (Stallion, C) making his first trip to Stanislaus since leaving the team in '05, a sold-out crowd was fired up with boos and hisses against the horse. But the controversy wasn't over the arrival of Cheval, but over the quadruple-double performance put in by Buck Hopper begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Rabbit, PG), who simply eviscerated the Spectrums with 55 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals.
Before play started, B-Hop was seen yelling at his teammates, reminding them of their defeat in the Prism Palace last month, when he first faced his old teammate and lost. Determined not to let it happen again, Hopper opened the game with a dazzling performance, single-handedly scoring more points than the entire Santa Ana roster in the first quarter. That continued into the second as strong defense from Cletus Swinton (Pig, C) and Peter Conner (Cougar, PF) kept Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) and Lance Cheval in check, and allowed B-Hop to rack up another slew of points. His quick paws were lightning fast on the night as he managed to pick Barton Bados (Ram, PG) 4 times before the ram sat down. Stripes Quinn (Tiger, G) didn't do any better as the rabbit kept ripping the rock. The Thrust dominated going into halftime.
The controversy arose when B-Hop demanded to stay on the court. With Randy Catcher (Bullfrog, G) suited up and ready, Hopper kept his foot paws on the hardword and kept punishing the Spectrums. Even when it was clear in the third that they would never catch up, Hopper kept playing, kept stealing and kept shooting, spurred on by a cheering crowd that relished in watching Cheval get humiliated. The horse was visibly angry over the beat-down. He was seen yelling at the officials to fine the bunny and snorting at the audience. In the fourth quarter junk time, with the Spectrums destroyed and B-Hop still not done punching, Cheval took the tension to another level when he mimed clawing his own side with his fingers after another B-Hop dunk. Seeing the gesture, the bunny got into the horse's face and had to be separated by the officials. The beatdown continued though, ending with a 48-point blowout and a quadruple-double performance from the bunny, only the 4th ever recorded in FBA history and the first since Healy Davis.
After the game, FBA podcaster T. Matt Latrans managed to catch up with the seething Cheval before he left the court. In a sound clip that will likely resonate for a while, the horse yelled, "That's why Slasher clawed that prick!"
Alpo Arena – Visitors’ Locker Room.
It was an unmitigated disaster. Coming off of two big wins, Jackson Price (Fisher, Head Coach) and the Spectrums knew that they would be facing one of their toughest opponents, but still had high hopes.
Those hopes were dashed on the floor, then peed on and set on fire by the Thrust that night. Everything went wrong, and no matter the change in strategies, nothing seemed to work for the Spectrums. Price watched from the side, trying to find any form of holes in Stanislaus’s defense, but there was nothing, nothing his team seemed to be able to do to stop the massacre out there on the court. Half-hearted handshakes were the only consolation that the Spectrums took with them on their way off the court, the crowd vehemently booing them, especially Lance Cheval (Stallion, C).
“Get out,” Price told the media at the door to the locker room, not sparing them any other words, and he made his way to the folding chair he’d set up for the pre-game pep talk. A talk which now seemed to have been completely pointless. The team looked to him for answers, for anger, for… anything really, but they could see that Price was lost, still reeling from the 48-point blowout, himself.
“I…” he started to say, taking off his hat and shaking his head. “I just…” there was nothing. He was hurt, and the players could see it. Biting his lip, the fisher sat there a while longer, finally saying, “I’m still proud of you. All of you. That was the worst game in this team’s history, but we were up against a great opponent on hostile turf, and you-”
At that moment, the phone in the visiting coach’s office rang, and Randall Yoster (Border Collie, Asst. Coach) went to pick it up, then looked back at Price, nodding to him. “Excuse me,” Price said, limping into the office and taking the phone, Yoster shutting the door on the way out. Once it clicked, the old border collie held a finger to his lips and beckoned the team to come up to the frosted glass so that they could hear.
“Sir? What? No, of course not,” Price protested into the phone. “They had a bad game it’s just—” The team listened in, hearing every word their coach was saying, having to piece together the other half of the phone call.
“No! And it’s not like that! I just need – Sir!” the head coach’s response grew more defensive. “I can do it, though! I just need more time! They’re light-years ahead of last year and – what? No. Oh no, please no. Sir, no.”
Price’s fire began to die, being replaced by worry and almost panic. “Sir, that’s not fair! You can’t do that! Not after just one game! Please! I can make it work, you’ll see, I just… no. No, sir. I understand, but if you’ll just give me another month, I promise I can work it out. It won’t happen again, sir. I… I understand. Yes? But, he’s - d*mn it, sir, that’s my call. But- But- …fine, I’ll let him know. Yes sir. Goodbye.”
As the phone clicked back onto its receiver, they could hear Price’s chair squeak, but couldn’t see him rest his face in his paws, or the lost, worried look in his eyes. Yoster shooed them away from the glass, and they all hit the showers, realizing that their poor performance may have just cost them more than just the game.
At long last, Price emerged from his office, his face not displaying the same confidence it had only a few hours before, and he once more called his players to gather up. “Everyone, I just got off the phone with OMEN,” he said, then sighed, swallowing before he carried on. “I… I just want to let you all know that I’m still proud of you, I still believe in you, and, d*mn it, there is no other team I’d rather be part of, right now. But, I don’t have the final call, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be seeing you anymore.”
Emotion crept into his voice, choking him for a moment until he swallowed and forced himself to carry on. “I’m to meet with my superiors back in Los Angeles, tomorrow morning, so I have to catch a plane tonight. In case I don’t come to practice on Monday, know that I’ve loved being a part of this team, I’ve loved getting to know all of you, and if I could do it all over again, there’s a lot I’d change, but mostly about myself. Thank you, all of you. And… Wescot, I’m sorry, but as of today you’re on the bench. OMEN wants Milton to start, from now on.”
“Sir?” Milton Dianna (Mink, F) replied, confused. “I thought you had final say in who plays.”
Heaving a sigh, Price shrugged. “I thought I did, too.”
Unable to contain himself, Crosby Sutters (Genet, F) rushed forward and hugged Price tightly, saying, “Don’t go, Coach. We need you.”
Price squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to show how he really felt, and he patted the genet’s back. “You’ll be okay, Bing. You’ve still got Randy-Yo, here, and Pink will watch out for you.”
“You’ll be fine, Coach,” Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) said, stepping up to pat him on the shoulder, then helped detach Crosby to lead the rookie back to the bench. “We’ll see you on Monday.”
Taking another look over his team, the team that would do nothing but fight with itself when he first arrived, Price pulled a pained smile, but one filled with pride. “Be good, kids,” he said, then headed off toward the exit.
Post-Game 12/8/10
Posted 15 years agoScore and capsule taken from http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1929767/
PIT @ SAS: W Keystones (7-7) 93, L Spectrums (6-7) 91
PIT | 26 24 24 19 | W 93
SAS | 25 19 24 23 | L 91
There were no buzzer beaters or heroics for the Spectrums as the Keystones manage to hold off the home team and extend their winning streak to four games.
News from Santa Ana
12/8/10
The Spectrums’ locker room was strangely quiet after the loss to visiting Pittsburgh. The press had come and gone, the stands were empty, but no one had changed yet on account of Sandy DiTullio (Golden Retreiver, G). While Blondie said she didn’t mind seeing the males change, there were a few holdouts from the rest of the team, including a bashful Crosby Sutters (Genet, F/C) who insisted on a bit more gender modesty in the locker room.
So everyone sat, faces glum, spirits low, Jefferson Adams (Lion, C) rolling a ball between his paws along the floor as he sat stooped on the bench, still yet to actually play a game this season. Tails were still, and only the quiet sighs of various players broke the silence until head coach Jackson Price (Fisher) finally spoke up.
“So… we lost,” he said, more of an admission of failure than his usual accusatory tone after suffering a defeat.
“Yep,” Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) replied, nodding.
“Anyone got any ideas why?” Price then asked.
“Because we suck?” Aaron Murray (Ram, C) snorted, then was smacked upside the back of his head by Lance Cheval (Stallion, C), who was sitting next to him.
“Hey, maybe you do, but I don’t,” My Big Pony reprimanded him.
Instead of letting the tiff grow into an argument, Price regained control of the conversation. “Hey, now, none of that,” he said, his voice firm once more before softening again. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it, though, we’re not doing as well as we should be. Twenty points lost to the Rapids, Seventeen points lost to the Minutemen. We could have pulled out a win against the Bikers, but we fell short. Sure, we got a win over the Blanks, but we got lucky, and tonight we lose again, here at home, in front of your fans, to Pittsburgh, of all teams.
“What happened, guys? We know we can do this, we know we can win, but we just… don’t. Is it the playbook? Am I not explaining things right? Or is there something between some of you that keeps us from really playing together on the court as well as we do in practice? Are you nervous? What’s going on?” Price asked, a hint of worry in his voice. “I mean, could it even be me that’s the problem?”
Again silence fell over the team, eyes looking down and sneakers and bare footpaws alike, thumbs twiddled and paws toyed with the hems of shorts. No one was sure, and at long last, Crosby Sutters answered, “Have you ever considered that maybe we’re not very good, Coach?”
A collective wince went through the team, though each had to admit that they had been thinking the same thing. “Oh, come on!” Price then snapped, getting some of his fire back. “You’re all good, each in your own way, and as a team I know you can be great. I’ve seen you be great. But when I was with the Mayors—”
“We’re not your d*mn Mayors, Coach!” the sudden, roaring voice of Barton Bados (Ram, PG) cut him off, and everyone turned to see Blackbelly stand up. “Stop living in your g*dd*mn glory days and wake the f*ck up! We’ve got five members of last year’s squad, a has-been, we’re stuck with this goofball Yobia because your bosses went and just gave away Gruber for who the f*ck knows why, and then a bunch of leftovers because nobody good wanted to play for this team over their other offers, even when we offered more! It’s not exactly like we have a stellar history to live up to!”
“Bados!” assistant coach Randall Yoster (Border Collie) snapped, but was quickly called out himself.
“Oh, shut it, Randy,” Pink said, now standing. “And you shut it, too, Bart. We’re on this team. This is our team, and because I’m team captain, this is also my team. But, Bart’s got a point, Coach. We aren’t the Mayors. We don’t have you and Healey and everyone else in their prime. We’re outclassed, outranked, and most of us are underpaid, but we still go out there! And I don’t know about any of you, but I want to win, every time. Yeah, we get made fun of, yeah, the press flocks to the other teams instead of us, but d*mn it, we’re better than they think we are. We’re better than we think we are!”
“Better than the Rapids?” Hector Sanchez (Kangaroo Rat, G) said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “They beat us like a rented mule, esse, even without Stoat.”
“And what’s up with the sudden schedule change?” Phineas Jackson (Crocodile, F) chimed in. “What, they couldn’t even wait two weeks to watch us get trashed again?”
“We’re not going to get trashed!” Pink snarled. “They beat us last time, yeah, so now they think we’re pushovers. Well, instead of whining, why don’t we go out there and just kick a**? Hell, I know Hunter can push RadRab around, if he tries, and even Bing here got a technical for some attitude, tonight, so I know he’s got a bit more in him than just smiles and cheers.”
“Listen to your captain,” Price said. “I’m not sure what put the fire out, tonight, and maybe we’ll never know, but if you can only do two things for me this whole season, make it these: Believe in yourself, and believe in your team. And if you’ve got some space left over, might not hurt to believe in me and Randy, a bit, too. Who knows, Santa Price might get you all something good for Christmas.”
A much needed chuckle rippled through the team and Price leaned forward on his cane. “I know it’s been hard, and I know I’ve been a jerk at times. Remember, I’m learning, too, and it hurts me just as much when we lose because I feel like I must have done something wrong. I don’t know why the schedule changed, but it did, so we have to buck up and deal with it. Speaking of which, we fly out tomorrow, so make sure you pack your bags tonight with two away games in mind. Also, roomate pairings have been changed due to some complaints about snoring, so you can get the new list from Randy on your way out, tonight. And, due to the last-minute schedule change, we’ll have another passenger on the team jet, this time; our announcer, Alan Foster, is going to be joining us instead of flying commercial like they usually have him do. No short jokes, guys. Seriously, I mean that.”
“Aw, man,” Sanchez whined. “No fair, he’s like, the only dude around here shorter than me.”
“No short jokes unless you want your name mispronounced on the air, how about that?” Price countered. “Now, unless we’ve got any other pressing concerns, I think its time I let you all clean up and get back home to your wives, or girlfriends or boyfriends or whatever it is you all have, if you have them. And, Hunter, I need you to wake up on the court next game. Eleven points, that’s it? Wherever that fire went, get it back, we need it out there.”
PIT @ SAS: W Keystones (7-7) 93, L Spectrums (6-7) 91
PIT | 26 24 24 19 | W 93
SAS | 25 19 24 23 | L 91
There were no buzzer beaters or heroics for the Spectrums as the Keystones manage to hold off the home team and extend their winning streak to four games.
News from Santa Ana
12/8/10
The Spectrums’ locker room was strangely quiet after the loss to visiting Pittsburgh. The press had come and gone, the stands were empty, but no one had changed yet on account of Sandy DiTullio (Golden Retreiver, G). While Blondie said she didn’t mind seeing the males change, there were a few holdouts from the rest of the team, including a bashful Crosby Sutters (Genet, F/C) who insisted on a bit more gender modesty in the locker room.
So everyone sat, faces glum, spirits low, Jefferson Adams (Lion, C) rolling a ball between his paws along the floor as he sat stooped on the bench, still yet to actually play a game this season. Tails were still, and only the quiet sighs of various players broke the silence until head coach Jackson Price (Fisher) finally spoke up.
“So… we lost,” he said, more of an admission of failure than his usual accusatory tone after suffering a defeat.
“Yep,” Omar Pink (Saluki, SF) replied, nodding.
“Anyone got any ideas why?” Price then asked.
“Because we suck?” Aaron Murray (Ram, C) snorted, then was smacked upside the back of his head by Lance Cheval (Stallion, C), who was sitting next to him.
“Hey, maybe you do, but I don’t,” My Big Pony reprimanded him.
Instead of letting the tiff grow into an argument, Price regained control of the conversation. “Hey, now, none of that,” he said, his voice firm once more before softening again. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it, though, we’re not doing as well as we should be. Twenty points lost to the Rapids, Seventeen points lost to the Minutemen. We could have pulled out a win against the Bikers, but we fell short. Sure, we got a win over the Blanks, but we got lucky, and tonight we lose again, here at home, in front of your fans, to Pittsburgh, of all teams.
“What happened, guys? We know we can do this, we know we can win, but we just… don’t. Is it the playbook? Am I not explaining things right? Or is there something between some of you that keeps us from really playing together on the court as well as we do in practice? Are you nervous? What’s going on?” Price asked, a hint of worry in his voice. “I mean, could it even be me that’s the problem?”
Again silence fell over the team, eyes looking down and sneakers and bare footpaws alike, thumbs twiddled and paws toyed with the hems of shorts. No one was sure, and at long last, Crosby Sutters answered, “Have you ever considered that maybe we’re not very good, Coach?”
A collective wince went through the team, though each had to admit that they had been thinking the same thing. “Oh, come on!” Price then snapped, getting some of his fire back. “You’re all good, each in your own way, and as a team I know you can be great. I’ve seen you be great. But when I was with the Mayors—”
“We’re not your d*mn Mayors, Coach!” the sudden, roaring voice of Barton Bados (Ram, PG) cut him off, and everyone turned to see Blackbelly stand up. “Stop living in your g*dd*mn glory days and wake the f*ck up! We’ve got five members of last year’s squad, a has-been, we’re stuck with this goofball Yobia because your bosses went and just gave away Gruber for who the f*ck knows why, and then a bunch of leftovers because nobody good wanted to play for this team over their other offers, even when we offered more! It’s not exactly like we have a stellar history to live up to!”
“Bados!” assistant coach Randall Yoster (Border Collie) snapped, but was quickly called out himself.
“Oh, shut it, Randy,” Pink said, now standing. “And you shut it, too, Bart. We’re on this team. This is our team, and because I’m team captain, this is also my team. But, Bart’s got a point, Coach. We aren’t the Mayors. We don’t have you and Healey and everyone else in their prime. We’re outclassed, outranked, and most of us are underpaid, but we still go out there! And I don’t know about any of you, but I want to win, every time. Yeah, we get made fun of, yeah, the press flocks to the other teams instead of us, but d*mn it, we’re better than they think we are. We’re better than we think we are!”
“Better than the Rapids?” Hector Sanchez (Kangaroo Rat, G) said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “They beat us like a rented mule, esse, even without Stoat.”
“And what’s up with the sudden schedule change?” Phineas Jackson (Crocodile, F) chimed in. “What, they couldn’t even wait two weeks to watch us get trashed again?”
“We’re not going to get trashed!” Pink snarled. “They beat us last time, yeah, so now they think we’re pushovers. Well, instead of whining, why don’t we go out there and just kick a**? Hell, I know Hunter can push RadRab around, if he tries, and even Bing here got a technical for some attitude, tonight, so I know he’s got a bit more in him than just smiles and cheers.”
“Listen to your captain,” Price said. “I’m not sure what put the fire out, tonight, and maybe we’ll never know, but if you can only do two things for me this whole season, make it these: Believe in yourself, and believe in your team. And if you’ve got some space left over, might not hurt to believe in me and Randy, a bit, too. Who knows, Santa Price might get you all something good for Christmas.”
A much needed chuckle rippled through the team and Price leaned forward on his cane. “I know it’s been hard, and I know I’ve been a jerk at times. Remember, I’m learning, too, and it hurts me just as much when we lose because I feel like I must have done something wrong. I don’t know why the schedule changed, but it did, so we have to buck up and deal with it. Speaking of which, we fly out tomorrow, so make sure you pack your bags tonight with two away games in mind. Also, roomate pairings have been changed due to some complaints about snoring, so you can get the new list from Randy on your way out, tonight. And, due to the last-minute schedule change, we’ll have another passenger on the team jet, this time; our announcer, Alan Foster, is going to be joining us instead of flying commercial like they usually have him do. No short jokes, guys. Seriously, I mean that.”
“Aw, man,” Sanchez whined. “No fair, he’s like, the only dude around here shorter than me.”
“No short jokes unless you want your name mispronounced on the air, how about that?” Price countered. “Now, unless we’ve got any other pressing concerns, I think its time I let you all clean up and get back home to your wives, or girlfriends or boyfriends or whatever it is you all have, if you have them. And, Hunter, I need you to wake up on the court next game. Eleven points, that’s it? Wherever that fire went, get it back, we need it out there.”
