Where Did the "Mighty" Go?, Sweaty Sixteen

TROY RAMSEY
Winter '08
Calder Award winner








People across the metroplex are clamouring to touch my beard. After the Stars hobbled into the play-offs and all but the most loyal had written them off, I took the initiative to procure a beard of staggering proportions. A beard that causes the feeble to regain their strength. Whiskers so powerful that pirate ships would lower their flags. A manifestation of such magnitude that an NHL franchise could draw the inspiration to overcome in a long Stanley Cup run.

Seriously, if you did make it to practice last Saturday you are one heck of a devoted I-leaguer. I can't imagine how many of you would rather "elevate your game" than bear witness to the total domination of the Dallas Stars over the once mighty Ducks. If this keeps up, the new (supposedly) sixteen team league will suffer a less than characteristic, ferocious start.

Speaking of these sixteen teams, for some time now many of the mid-cities' high-rollers have be chomping at the bit for a piece of the I-league action. Looking for expansion team ownership, they have hounded Tom Yockey until the imminent collapse that we see now. The player's league has been against the acquisition of more teams for several reasons. Foremost among them is the fact that with more teams the talent will be spread thin causing the level of play to drop sharply, and therefore, the fan base could turn on the league driving revenues down. Not to mention likely effects on the salary cap, Blubaugh has made his voice heard, "My fifty dollar game salary is bound to be more than the market will bear, I don't know how I will find the money to buy my hand sanitizer." no one may shake his hand again.

As for these owner types, in my unbiased opinion they need to pony up and make a run at one of the original 12, the I-league tradition is one to be respected. Owning an I-league team in Euless is like a stewardship, how can you own a piece of history?

The bottom line is, with sixteen teams, there will be fifteen losers when I finish this session, all subject to ME!

in his love,
bcIII