“Be careful what you wish for.”
— Ken Dobyns over the phone, NYC to Hampton Bays, August 1995.
Calling the D line that season isn’t something I necessarily wished for, but blindly accepted the vacancy; possibly a dumb move for a not proved new face on a second year team still fielding much of the leftover NYNY dynasty. We beat Boston four times that season: Regionals, Tune-up, and two small pre- season tourneys. And that season we lost two games, both at Nationals: Sockeye in pool play, and Boston in the semi-finals.
“If you don’t step up your game, quit calling yourself in!”
This said with spittle flying everywhere; and that comment is watered down compared to others heard and learned of later, not to mention the immediate silence encountered after hobbling down the hall and popping into room 237.
As a spectator in 2002, I hustled over to see the end of the Furious/Boston semi after Ring defeated Sockeye in the other semifinal. I found myself standing behind a handful of Sockeye players seated along the sideline. They were not quite digesting the big let down and were busy chewing on the bitter pill, calling out the late-game leadership and decision making, dragging everyone under the bus. All of the trust building drills throughout the course of the season seemed to be a pitiful waste. Though rotation wasn’t the issue, part of me was them. Weeks before I watched, somewhat helplessly, a 14-10 lead on Ring and a sure ticket to Nationals slip away as Ring rolled off five for the win and a spot in the Regional final. The old Gas House Gorillas routine was certainly overlooked that day.
A place in the sun isn’t meant for everyone (and Sockeye’s casting a long shadow), and when the chips fall the other way, a thankless job is, indeed, thankless.
Be careful what you wish for.
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