What Kind of Day Has it Been?

The sun is setting on another season for the House Softball League, and what a season it has been. While moments of controversy have penetrated the year, for my money, I think it was extremely successful, perhaps more so than any other season.

First the bad stuff - my tourny picks. I think about the only thing I picked right was the Southern Aces make the Sweet 16 and the Sliders beating the Lebowskis in the Final 4, which, let's be honest, looking at the brackets everyone picked. That said, congratulations to Potomac Fever on winning it all and being the first to get their 2nd title. Despite all the talk of ringers over the years, it's a testament to the balance of the league that they are the first to win a 2nd time.

The tourny, in my opinion, was what made this year so successful. No, I'm not talking about ringers or the prevention of ringers, or the right teams winning, etc. I'm talking a little aobut the controversy. At a moment when things looked the bleakest, and the opportunity for the whole show to go down in flames, several people stepped up and helped finish strong. That to me tells the whole story. In a year where God (the weather), monikers (you know who they are), coaches (protesting rules), and commissioners (having momentary judgement lapses) brought an unprecedented amount of drama to the league, it still came off without a hitch when you think about it. The regular season was as successful as always, there were some forfeitures for the tourny, which is to be expected with a weekend change, but people stepped up to find a host cite and to help keep the show moving when speed bumps hit. Demonstrating that the league can succeed in the face of most any issue.

For my money, it's still the most successful league in the DC area, and that includes county rec leagues. Going into the offseason I think there is work to be done, but I think that a new beginning is at hand and a good chance to steer the ship back on course. I anticipate another fantastic season next year and I hope I have a bit more time to cover it a little bit more in depth.

Thanks to all who read my posts this season, sorry I was so sporadic, but well done to all of you for making the season a success.