Thanks to the efforts of some people with way too much time on their hands I have been left with nary enough for myself so you'll have to excuse me for my short column this week. I had promised myself that I would come up with some thoughts on the midpoint of our season for all of you this week but due to circumstances outside of my control it didn't happen. So on with the show.
Here are some things that need noticing right now with more thoughts to come in the not so distant future.
Rodrigo Costa: Yours truly ripped on him before the season began so I take it all back… but I still think the Blast are, to quote Ray Hudson, a "crap team". Costa and Winner have made this team dangerous but I'll hate to see what happens once those two leave.
Paul Conway: Haven't we seen this one before? Some people are waiting for this vet to retire while many of Charleston's fans are trying to figure out ways to clone him. Is there anyone as consistent in this league? I think not. By the way, come September if the Battery have a decent run at the championship think three letters: MVP.
Connecticut Wolves: Coach Gaspar and his collection of talent that had been scavenged from the bones of many a roster have proven that things could turn around in New Britain. Good for them but can they keep doing it?
Minnesota: Put in your punch line here. They need some kind of punch at this point anyway.
Hershey Wildcats: The 'Cats seem to be gaining control of their division but the rearview mirror could get real cloudy really fast considering that the Rhinos have four games in hand. Sebrango for Mitchell really doesn't look that bad anymore.
Toronto: What happened to this club? Solid footing in the community and a decent core of players that were this close to the championship last season should have pushed them near the top this year. Minnesota II? Not quite but pretty close.
Portland, Vancouver, El Paso, and San Diego: San Diego especially has been a surprise but the other three teams in this quartet have taken out their frustrations on one another as many expected the West to do this year. Milwaukee could make a strong stretch run to free themselves from this group but either way these four clubs have already exceeded many an expectation.
David Hayes and the Rampage: Many people have wondered how a guy can go through what he's dealt with and a) stay with his club and b) succeed while dealing with his problems. There are issues that could take up much more space concerning this situation but for the sake of all involved we'll congratulate Hayes and Milwaukee on their season so far and watch as this develops or just goes away.
So these are a few things to consider ahead of a more comprehensive look at some of the general perceptions that came out before this season. Next week: a look at what I thought we'd see at this point and what's actually happened. That's the view from here and I'll be back next week with a report from the 'Baud and a look at the first half of the season.
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