Last night Michael spoke about this past season and in speaking about our W-L record he made reference that there may be some players who are discouraged to the point of moving on to other avenues next year. I don’t think I am alone here in feeling that our record in no way reflects the caliber of rugby we can and have played. In fact there is only one of our opponents who didn’t come out and say as much- Riverside and for all we know they could have said something but none of us speak Islander-dirtbag-speak. Little solace though, the “moral reach-around” is never as much fun as a good hard fucking. "great game guys, you really gave us a run we weren't expecting" or "You played us harder than anyone else this season". Whatever. I’d rather leave our opponents feeling violated, broken and ashamed; hollow… empty inside wondering, why... how go on. Forever burdened with the weight of having theie protective armor of arrogance penetrated by a proper schooling in competitive, structured, disciplined, hard-nosed rugby. As Michael was talking I was rolling through my head thinking of players who may feel affected by the W-L record to the point of bailing. I honestly can’t think of a one and frankly if there are any, who cares. Last night was very apropos and awesome because it was largely Warlords and it is the Warlords who are not only responsible for our ability to field a competitive side but also represent the future of the club. The work rate was as high as it could have been had every member of the starting XV been there. Look, tact has never been my comrade so forgive me for sounding crass. This isn't meant as a cut in any way but for the life of me I don’t know who the fuck Michael was talking to. Sure we may loose some players but I don’t think we’ll loose a single one because of matches lost. In fact I bet we retain players because of those lost matches. I want more and I know I am not the only one… well there might be one...
Maybe it’s because the rugby gods swiped ½ my season from me or maybe it’s because of the reasons listed above or maybe it’s just because I am a whore for the sport. I cherish each second I practice and each second I am gifted with playing a match with the Club and I don't want to give up any of it. I want to hold onto each second like Keegan once clinched the Kit-Kat bar in an Arizona penitentiary as his only means to stave complete emotional and physical collapse from the worlds worse case of DT's. Last night Michael told a story about the SLO match I didn’t know. Apparently in the heat of probably the best match of the season, Za-Za pulled himself out so future Rookie of the Year Matt Encinas could experience the thrill of the moment. This was a match so rich with layers that it is difficult to describe the level of fulfillment every player enjoyed by schooling those douches. So much work, so much pay-back… 6 months all accumulating in that moment. Everything was working, everyone was executing. It was inspired, it was otherworldly, it was a game not many get a chance to play and Za-Za’s instinct was to sacrifice his own moment to share it with a team mate. Look, Za-Za is no spring chicken and with the burdens of work, school, a family and every thing else life throws at him, like me I am sure part of him wonders if each match might be his last. In fact last week he knew full well that it would be his last match with Pasadena this year (family obligations this week)…. and he gave it to a rookie. Fuck. Man, I don’t know that I could do that and frankly I am a little ashamed at my own greed.
Therein is the point. Want more but give more. This is the bastion of the club that has evolved over the last few seasons and it transcends any win-loss record. It is the special sauce… the maroon Kool-Aid that gets us all drunk. It is the reason guys like Za-Za and Wolf make sacrifices to play for Pasadena that many would not. It is the reason that even after 18 years of rugby and over 10 years on this club, I am still humbled by and learning from my team mates. In the end for me it is the reason Michael's words rang hollow. Win-loss record? Seriously? Fuck it. We are just getting started. The best season this club has ever seen is about to pass and another is 6 months away. I can't wait.
UPDATE- Do to certain sensitivities, it has come to our staffs attention the need to point out that NONE of the above ramblings are intended as divisive, subversive or any other ive towards the inspired words of Michael during the previous evenings team discussion and in fact the one reference listed is intended primarily as a literary McGuffin in which to build the point made in the final paragraph. God I hate explaining this. Should you choose to find contempt with any of the fore mentioned sensibilities, you are advised to stop reading and leave the judgment to us. OK, now proceed with the Sloan bashing... except for rookie's, they haven't earned the right to Sloan bash... Tyler however...
UPDATED UPDATE- Fuck the Ghurka's.
Sloan
How many times have you wished you could piss on Sloan? Chances are you already have...
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