The LA Reign I remember my father telling me a story about the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, ‘The Miracle on Ice Story’. He told me that the Russians at that time were unbeatable, how they had won the previous FOUR Olympic Gold Medals and in an exhibition game a few months prior to the 1980 Games, the Russian team, crushed the US Team, 10 - 3. In hockey that’s like scoring 56 points in a football game in three quarters and holding your opponent to zero. How often does THAT happen? It has been told that the Russians regarded the Americans so lightly, they didn’t skate hard in practice prior to the game and just studied plays. Well, we all know how that turned out, one of the greatest American Sports stories ever. Are the Los Angeles Reign the NPGL version of the 1980 Russian Hockey Team? At the beginning of player signings the Reign generated excitement by signing huge names in the world of functional fitness. The team intelligently drafted other known commodities and early consensus crowned the Reign champions before the first match was even contested. Entering the post season at 0 – 3, it appears the Reign decided to study plays in preparation for GRID instead of gathering together and skating. There is no question that on an individual bases, the Reign are immensely talented but failing miserably at working as a cohesive unit. I put this squarely on the shoulders of Dusty Hyland. In two consecutive matches the outcome came down to Race 11. In the match versus the Rise, Coach Hyland sends out Noah Ohlsen to complete a partial set of handstand pushups and subs in another player to complete the element, who struggles. The race and the match come down to snatching 225 lbs. for 5 reps. Coach Dusty sends out 185 lbs. Kenny Leverich who has to out snatch, 235 lbs. Danny Nichols, perhaps, the strongest man in the league. It didn’t happen, but wait! There is a challenge, which is upheld and the Reign get another opportunity to claim a victory. They rerun the last four elements and again there is a slight struggle at the handstand pushups and it comes down to the snatches, does Coach Dusty send out someone else? NO!! He sends out Leverich again to go against perhaps, the strongest man in the league. Same results, an LA lose. The third match for the Reign is like déjà vu all over again. The victory comes down to the last race! The race is run, there is a challenge, which is upheld and the last four elements must be run again. So what does Coach Dusty do? He sends out Noah Ohlsen to complete partial reps of muscle ups and subs out for a teammate but does not steady the rings and she has trouble starting. The match comes down to having to complete 12, 185 pound thrusters. Guess who comes out? 185 pound Kenny Leverich, to go against 215 pound Sam Dancer, just perhaps, the strongest man in the league. Same results, an LA lose. Whats that quote about the definition of insanity? Something about doing the same thing and expecting different results. It is clear the Reign did not do any skating. The transitions were horrible and the executions poor, for TWO matches in a row. Now they must face the DC Brawlers the NPGL’s version of the 1980 US Hockey Team. Same results? #YouBetterBringYourLunchPail #GridLife #FasterTogether #ThatTournamentAtTheEndOfTheSeason Grid - NPGL Gridmaster Boston Iron New York Rhinos Philly Founders DC Brawlers Carolina Crush Miami Surge Phoenix Rise Los Angeles Reign San Francisco Fire #NPGL
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 23:39:27 +0000
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