My Grown-Up Christmas Wish

[MplsTom]

I feel a bit like Jerry Maguire here - late at night...and I'm going to write something that maybe I have no business writing - but it is my Christmas wish for the EF Hobby and 2011.

My wish is simply a loss or two for Vince Peatros.

Why would I say such a thing? Don't I like the guy? Actually that's quite to the contrary - I like Vince a lot. Any time I've talked to him I've found him engaging and he's tweaked up some excellent bases for me. My good buddy Greco waxes poetic about the time he spent with Vince when he was out in Los Angeles.

So, why in the world would I wish a couple of losses for this good guy?

Well, when I was first in the hobby, there was a lot of jockeying amongst the top players and leagues. Each player and league had some "manhood" to defend and there were a lot of arguments to be had.

Then, as the years went on, a funny thing happened. Salty won a few championships, Raiderman won some, Norbert, Jim, Greg, Adrian, Don, Mike, etc all had their moments in the sun. But there became enough guys at the top and enough tournaments where it became a national community of top players. Guys weren't like, "oh my gosh, do you believe Norbert lost" it was "who won...oh, Adrian...nice going."

I want Vince to join that community of tournament players. Not because I want to see where he ranks, but because I feel as if he's missing out and we're missing out. Sure, I want to see how his team executes just as we all appreciate great EF, but I also want to see him smile and laugh on the board and have many of those tournament moments that we all enjoy so much. The one where you laugh and slap the guy a high five across the board.

So why would I wish a loss or two on him? Simply because then I feel he can breathe again and just enjoy the hobby like the rest of us. The legend of Coach Peatros has grown to such proportions that I think it is near impossible for anyone, even Vince, to live up to it. You're in a no-win situation.

I guess that's why I wish a loss or two on him in the next year. First, because it would mean he's playing again and hopefully enjoying the same great hobby and fellowship that we all know. Second, I think that any coach who plays this game knows that defeat is coming and once that defeat or two happens, everyone will realize that it isn't the end of the world and he can take his place among the elite coaches and just enjoy competing again. That's my real Christmas wish, but I honestly think it's going to take a loss or two for that no-win situation that he's currently in to wash away.

There, it's now a half-hour later, we've probably got another half foot of snow (I hate winter) and I've said my peace...hopefully it will be taken the right way and not go south.