To take ownership of your mistake means to admit and take responsibility for what you did wrong, without making excuses or blaming others. It is a mark of leadership, credibility and trust.

- Adults

Rumor has it the 2023 Fall Grinders draft was one for the ages. It’s already been referred to as the following:

• The “Dazed and Confused: Draft
• The “Rounders” Draft
• The “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To” Draft
• The “Sesame Street” Draft (for lack of addition/subtraction skills)
• The “It’s. Not. Fair.” Draft

Soooooo many names. Sooooooo many characters. Sooooooo many “WTF” moments. Old Man Jon could be heard at the bar afterwards saying that it was the angriest and most uncomfortable draft he’s ever been a part of. Let’s go over the high and low lights……..

Crickets: Here are the silent moments.

Ford for $1, $2, $15………………………………. sold to Jimmy. Has Ford ever gone for that much? Never. Is he worth that much? Of course not. I think Jimmy is still wondering if he could have gotten him for around $8. I know the rest of the captains were looking at him in disbelief.

Tirado for $1………………………… sold to Cole. Now we all know Bang Bang loves to shoot and hates to pass. We all know Bang Bang gets lost on D. We all know Bang Bang is tiny. We all know Bang Bang is a mini-Vaillancourt when it comes to turning the ball over………..ok, maybe $1 with no raise was the right amount.

Hellraisers: Here’s where the bidding was fast and furious.

E for $24……….E was considered the “big prize” to be won by many in the draft. I don’t know if that’s due to his talent or a statement about this year’s draft class (think Mario Bennett). The bidding was back and forth and finished as a tug of war between MVP Jimmy and Fat Cole. As you would suspect, Jimmy won.

Wayne for $22……..No one knew what they were going to get out of Wayne. Would he be healthy? Hell, would he even show? He sure as hell went for a lot of $$$$ for a guy with a bunch of question marks. Most of the captains put in a bid or 2. Eventually Fat Cole beat out Can’t Count Curtis.

Bryant for $20?…….New guy Bryant garnered a lot of attention at the open runs. Bidding early was heavy from all sources. It flatlined a bit in the teens, but picked back up late, getting him out of the teens and onto Jeff May’s squad.

Honorable Mention(s):

Pey-Pey “The Child” Polish last name or something……. Didn’t go as high as some thought, but was fought over by multiple captains.

Todd “Freakin'” Nixon: Not for his value or the bidding on him, but congrats on being Jeff May’s franchise’s FIRST selection ever. You are Tim Couch. He also single-handedly ruined the AD’s night without even being there.

Ca$h Cou$in$ Tirado and Creamer have been reunited.

The Moments that Stuck Out:

League vet Tommy Hughes did nothing to help him drop the moniker of “Tantrumming Tommy”. Tommy wasn’t even drafting but made headlines with his “I’m taking my ball and I’m going home” attitude. As AD Curt was trying to bring in new, talented blood (JJ), Tommy balked and threatened to retire if his guys weren’t allowed in. Very LeBron-esque. It’s tough to stay at the top, but maybe not that tough when you always get your way……..

Jeff May leaving $$$$ on the table. An excuse could be made that it was Mr. May’s first draft. An excuse could be made that the draft happened too late and it was past his bedtime. It was a bit shocking to see the confusion on his face though at trying to draft a 5th player when that was not an option (Gersitz already had drafted the extra player). Something, something, “fucking idiots”. Mute button. Angry face. Leaves bar.

The crem-de-la-crem. The piece-de-resistance. The OMFG moment of this sessions draft belongs to none other than the AD himself, Curtis “Green Card” Masich. Masich was secretly plotting and saving money for his hated enemy Richie “Slider” Creamer. Cole was also saving draft capital for Creamer as well (not the only Creamer, Cole has spent $$$$ on…….). But what Curt failed to realize was that Cole had him out-gunned. Curtis thought that Nixon was on Cole’s team (see May’s team), altering the money he thought was available for Cole to bid. He also thought that he could just pick somebody up at the end of the draft (whoever was left) for $0. When Cole bid $22 on Creamer, Curtis tried going $23. When he was told he couldn’t and was explained that he needed money left for other players, boy oh boy. It was like someone cancelled Christmas. It got better when he realized if he bid $22 first for Richie, Cole couldn’t have done anything about it (max bid was $22). The AD then chanelled his inner 8 year-old and asked for a re-do. He stated it wasn’t fair and that Cole should give him Richie because he made a math and team error with Nixon. The meltdown was waaaaaaay more epic that this write-up does justice. If you want a good accounting, ask Kellen or Old Man Jon.

Winners and Losers:

Loser: Cole – Who spends $46/$50 on 2 dudes who won’t/can’t show up? Just stupid, plain and simple.

Loser: Curt – see above………still chuckling about Baby putting Baby in the corner of the bar.

Winners: Jimmy & Gersitz – Put together solid teams. Should give the champs a run for their money.

Winner: Team May – This team may win the Lady Bing of Grinders. A ton of good dudes on the squad.

Good luck to everyone, and until next draft………tootles.