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+---- Thread: *Yellowknife Misses the Playoffs (/showthread.php?tid=12127)
*Yellowknife Misses the Playoffs - StamkosFan - 03-04-2019
It was a quiet season with little fanfare; excitement dwindled at the end of the year as it was confirmed that the Yellowknife Wraiths, in spite of contributions from their young wide receivers, would indeed miss the playoffs. As Ultimus Week is under way, Yellowknife is trying to regroup and amp up their training to compete next year. Some of the players appeared quite downcast as they made their way off the field down the tunnel after their final game of the season, although Tommy Helanen had a different attitude. He scowled straight at the cameras, made a threatening gesture up by his throat, and stomped down the tunnel.
Helanen had been struggling to make ends meet last season, as was publicly known thanks to angry press conferences, he has pulled himself together after being traded to Yellowknife from Orange County. While his shoes no longer looked threadbare and he flourished with additional minute, contentment still seems to elude him. He says he likes the new team and seems to mean it, but missing the playoffs devastated him. The wide receiver's excitement demeanor has hardened into something cold, something distant, something emotionless. At the urging of his agent, he keeps his statements to the media brief now in an effort to reconcile his public image, and reportedly keeps to himself in the locker room.
"I'm very disappointed to miss the playoffs, hopefully we will make it next year. We have a great group of guys and I believe in us," said Tommy Helanen in a vague, unfeeling statement, before walking away, ignoring a cacophony of questions shouted from the reporters behind him.
Helanen reportedly has only purchased cleats, the bare minimum for a speedster, this year, so his finances still seem to be in poor condition, although he is trying to scrounge up some money to purchase new equipment before the Season 13 equipment shop window closes. His training persistence has tapered off, and lines on his face seem to be appearing that weren't there before, as the hardships off the turf seem to have weathered his very skin. In the last few games, even after running for touchdown receptions, he hardly celebrated, beyond a half-heartedly high five with a nearby teammate in one instance. It seems as though he has realized he is too far behind the top dogs of his draft class to morph into an elite star, and that realization has destroyed his confidence.
"Tommy used to love the game, but now he seems to just be going through the motions. I think he's playing better, but I hate to see the passion gone. I hate to see a young, promising player lose the jump in his step, and while he does like it in Yellowknife, he just feels like he has a lot of mountains to climb and it's overwhelming. Missing the playoffs was just the final nail in the coffin, it hit him really hard," said Helanen's agent.
While the media does zero in on Helanen due to past drama, other teammates have exhibited similar behavior, with Yellowknife's coach reportedly calling the club a "hopeless cause" in closed door meetings. While the allegations have not been confirmed, the coach was fired around the same time that story was leaked to the press, which does corroborate the narrative. There was also an incident of a group of players grabbed Gatorade containers and smashing them against the lockers, resulting in property damage. Many of the dents in the lockers have not been fixed.
All in all, it was not the season the Yellowknife Wraiths hoped for, and while some remain optimistic and others sulk, they all hope to have a much better finish next year and compete for the titles. While they are upset to not go for a title, they have many very young players that are lacking in experience, and certainly should not be discounted in the future. They will come into Season 14 with another year of experience under their belts and will try to inch their way into a playoffs spot.
Yellowknife fans seem to be much more upbeat than the players, which may indicate that the team is being unnecessarily hard on themselves. Most of them believed that both individuals and the team as a whole had yet to achieve their full potential.
"Everyone is worried about that Tommy Helanen guy we just acquired, but I think he's just angsty and maybe even trying to get publicity, he's gaming the system. His agent knows how to get him attention, and I wouldn't be surprised if his controversial statements were directed by the agent to get sponsorships in the future. I personally judge him by how he plays on the field, and that's way better than how he acts," said one fan, who was spotted by our crew due to a Wraiths hat atop his head.
"Yellowknife missed the playoffs this year, but I doubt we miss next year. Look how young our guys are, there's still plenty of time to get better," said another avid supporter of the team, who raised some eyebrows with his Yellowknife Wraiths knee socks. "We did better against some good teams than a lot of folks thought we would, and that's something that everyone is overlooking in the media. Did we only win 4 games? Yeah, but we have a solid group going forward, and it seems like they want to be here. Team loyalty is invaluable long term."
"I trust the rebuilding plan of our GM and management, and I trust our players to work hard in the offseason with training and all that. We're going to have another high pick in this draft, and I trust that we'll use it to nab someone good. We're just biding our time until our young guns are ready," said another Wraiths fan, sporting a Josh Parker jersey that looked brand new. "There's some real good folks in this draft pool, and our draft staff researches our picks more than most. We'll grab the best player available, and that'll fill a need or a gap in our roster."
So believe who you will, the rumored statements of a furious coach, the half-hearted, scripted remarks by a young wide receiver, or the sunshine and rainbows prophesied by faithful fans who have stuck with their team through this rough patch, but for now, the only decisive facts are that Yellowknife missed the playoffs and will have to wait until Season 14 for another chance. It is yet to be seen how that season will play out; in fact, Ultimus Week for Season 13 has only just begun. It'll be a long offseason for the Wraiths players and their followers, but like all things, it will eventually come to an end.
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WORDS: 1118*Yellowknife Misses the Playoffs - White Cornerback - 03-04-2019
Dick Wizardry tainted those gatorade containers anyway @AdamS