2040.5: Loser's Mentality
Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2019 8:05 am
Mexico City GM Fred Holmes generated some buzz earlier today with his comments surrounding the BBA playoff picture going into the Cartwright Round. A transcript of the radio interview during Holmes' weekly spot on a Mexico City sports radio show has been acquired by the BNN:
Host: So, the Cartwright. Edmonton/Las Vegas and Yellow Springs/Louisville. The top two teams from the Frontier and the Heartland, the BBAs premier divisions in 2040. Let's start with the Johnson: two teams you are intimately familiar with after realignment and a division heavy schedule this season. What are your thoughts on this matchup: who are you pulling for, what is the final result going to be, give us some insider info that the average fan may not know, etc.
GM: Well, for starters, I genuinely hope that the series goes 7 games. Then, I hope game 7 goes to extra innings. I hope the score stays tied in game 7 inning after inning until spring training 2041 rolls around and they have to call the series a tie and award the Landis title to whoever from the Frick wants it bad enough to win their Cartwright matchup.
Host: Wait, what? Why would you hope for that? Why would you, first of all, even come up with such a ridiculous scenario in your brain and present it to the public? Secondly, shouldn't you want your division to take the BBA title? This is a competitive sport, the entire point of the season is to determine who should represent the league in the tournament to decide who the champion is. Why would you want to just punt the season like that?
GM: I don't want any of that at all, but I seem to be the only one. There's been an awful lot of what I call loser's mentality among the postseason GMs this year. Brett in Vegas and Chris in Edmonton have spent the entire playoffs making excuses for why their teams are going to lose every series before the games are even played. It's been even worse now that they have matched up with each other. They're both trying to hold the door to the Landis series open for each other, doing this 'No, you first, I insist' bit. It's been awful to witness. We have a league filled with 32 of the most competitive GMs I have ever had the pleasure of competing with. To have these two clowns acting this way when they are so close to the zenith of the sport is, quite frankly, embarrassing.
Host: Wow, strong words from you there considering that you have long and positive relationships with both of these GMs.
GM: The fact that I have a rapport built up with these guys makes it worse. I expect better out of both of them. We all bust our asses all season with the hopes of making the playoffs and competing for the crown, fighting tooth ad nail along the way. Then, the GMs whose teams do make it to the postseason tournament lay their heads on the tracks and just wait for the train. Ridiculous. How do you think the players should feel about all of this? If I were an agent of a player who is a free agent or negotiation an extension, I would advise my client to maybe sign elsewhere.
Host: Ok, I think we understand your stance on the BBA Reverse Jinx, let's talk picks: Which Johnson league team will reign supreme and represent in the Landis?
GM: *sigh* Well, I guess I'll pick Vegas. Nothing against Edmonton, they have a great team and have been pounding all year but the storyline fits Brett too well: Recte builds that team, puts his heart and soul into it then takes an expansion team. Brett swoops in and rides Matt's hard work to the Landis.
Host: Very Schroeder indeed. How about the Frick?
GM: Well, Shaw in Louisville is leaning into the defeatism a bit as well, so I can't, in good conscience, pick the Sluggers. I guess I have to go with... wait.. nononono... NO! Am I going actually going to say it? REALLY? I guess I have to. In the spirit of picking against the loser's mentality, I guess I have to go with Yellow Spri*gags*... *Clears throat* Whoo, excuse me, as I was saying, my pick to represent the Frick league in the Landis is the Yellow Spr*gags* *coughs* Ok, I can't do it. I'm picking the Sluggers.
Host: Woah, are you ok there? I was worried we'd have to call some help for you for a second. Ok, so a Hustlers/Sluggers Landis. What's the pick?
GM: If the baseball gods do exist, and they're out there watching, I can't believe they'd allow Vegas to win the title. The reverse jinx garbage cannot be rewarded. Sluggers in 6.
Host: There you have it folks, Aztec GM Fred Holmes calling for some BBA Karma to rain on the Vegas parade in the Landis. Thanks for your time today, we'll talk again soon.
Host: So, the Cartwright. Edmonton/Las Vegas and Yellow Springs/Louisville. The top two teams from the Frontier and the Heartland, the BBAs premier divisions in 2040. Let's start with the Johnson: two teams you are intimately familiar with after realignment and a division heavy schedule this season. What are your thoughts on this matchup: who are you pulling for, what is the final result going to be, give us some insider info that the average fan may not know, etc.
GM: Well, for starters, I genuinely hope that the series goes 7 games. Then, I hope game 7 goes to extra innings. I hope the score stays tied in game 7 inning after inning until spring training 2041 rolls around and they have to call the series a tie and award the Landis title to whoever from the Frick wants it bad enough to win their Cartwright matchup.
Host: Wait, what? Why would you hope for that? Why would you, first of all, even come up with such a ridiculous scenario in your brain and present it to the public? Secondly, shouldn't you want your division to take the BBA title? This is a competitive sport, the entire point of the season is to determine who should represent the league in the tournament to decide who the champion is. Why would you want to just punt the season like that?
GM: I don't want any of that at all, but I seem to be the only one. There's been an awful lot of what I call loser's mentality among the postseason GMs this year. Brett in Vegas and Chris in Edmonton have spent the entire playoffs making excuses for why their teams are going to lose every series before the games are even played. It's been even worse now that they have matched up with each other. They're both trying to hold the door to the Landis series open for each other, doing this 'No, you first, I insist' bit. It's been awful to witness. We have a league filled with 32 of the most competitive GMs I have ever had the pleasure of competing with. To have these two clowns acting this way when they are so close to the zenith of the sport is, quite frankly, embarrassing.
Host: Wow, strong words from you there considering that you have long and positive relationships with both of these GMs.
GM: The fact that I have a rapport built up with these guys makes it worse. I expect better out of both of them. We all bust our asses all season with the hopes of making the playoffs and competing for the crown, fighting tooth ad nail along the way. Then, the GMs whose teams do make it to the postseason tournament lay their heads on the tracks and just wait for the train. Ridiculous. How do you think the players should feel about all of this? If I were an agent of a player who is a free agent or negotiation an extension, I would advise my client to maybe sign elsewhere.
Host: Ok, I think we understand your stance on the BBA Reverse Jinx, let's talk picks: Which Johnson league team will reign supreme and represent in the Landis?
GM: *sigh* Well, I guess I'll pick Vegas. Nothing against Edmonton, they have a great team and have been pounding all year but the storyline fits Brett too well: Recte builds that team, puts his heart and soul into it then takes an expansion team. Brett swoops in and rides Matt's hard work to the Landis.
Host: Very Schroeder indeed. How about the Frick?
GM: Well, Shaw in Louisville is leaning into the defeatism a bit as well, so I can't, in good conscience, pick the Sluggers. I guess I have to go with... wait.. nononono... NO! Am I going actually going to say it? REALLY? I guess I have to. In the spirit of picking against the loser's mentality, I guess I have to go with Yellow Spri*gags*... *Clears throat* Whoo, excuse me, as I was saying, my pick to represent the Frick league in the Landis is the Yellow Spr*gags* *coughs* Ok, I can't do it. I'm picking the Sluggers.
Host: Woah, are you ok there? I was worried we'd have to call some help for you for a second. Ok, so a Hustlers/Sluggers Landis. What's the pick?
GM: If the baseball gods do exist, and they're out there watching, I can't believe they'd allow Vegas to win the title. The reverse jinx garbage cannot be rewarded. Sluggers in 6.
Host: There you have it folks, Aztec GM Fred Holmes calling for some BBA Karma to rain on the Vegas parade in the Landis. Thanks for your time today, we'll talk again soon.
