La Liga Strangiato - INTRODUCTION
It's a beautiful weekend morning on the shores of Bow Lake in rustic New Hampshire, as the former coach awoke early to greet his guest for an afternoon of fishing. Coach's guest on this date would be his successor to the job that had made Coach a legend in his adopted home state during a career that lasted almost 30 years at the other end of Route 4 - miles away both physically and politically from the community better known as "Antiques Alley" which he now called home. The men exchanged warm greetings, having lived in (and sometimes out) of each's social circles for the better part of Coach's career in Durham. The pair had grown closer over the last decade or so, as Coach's career wound down, and he tabbed his former player (and budding coach in his own right) as his successor, so the younger man viewed Coach as sort of a "father figure". It was a relationship mocked by many - including the younger man's most recent boss before returning to his alma mater - but one that both men valued as they grew into the next chapters of their respective lives. In a word, they were ... paisan.
After some small talk and the usual chit-chat about how family and other shared friends were doing, the older man led his former apprentice out to the dock, and they embarked on Coach's Boston Whaler Conquest cabin cruiser to the open waters of the lake do some fishing, sampling out of Coach's wine cellar, and chatting about the travails of the younger man's efforts to carry on Coach's legacy at the big school 30 minutes east of today's rest and relaxation. These had been moments to savor in past meetings of the pair, but on this occasion, the younger man seemed to have something on his mind, which his mentor quickly picked up on:
DU: So Mikey, you seem a little tense today. You haven't caught a friggin' thing. What's up?
MS7: Well ... it's mostly about the job ...
DU: Yeah, it can really wear you down if you let it. You gotta have guys working for you that you can trust ...
MS7: ... well, you see, that's kinda where I might have a problem.
DU: How's that?
MS7: Well ... it's with our new boss ... she's -
DU: ... yeah, she's not paisan. By the way, how's good ol' "Blue Skies" doing??
MS7: - no idea. Haven't chatted to him for years now, ever since the last extension. But ...
DU: No worries, Mikey. I'll tell him you said "hi". He's coming next week to repaint the dock.
MS7: ... no, the Princeton lady won't extend me. AND she wants me to fire one of my guys!
DU: So you fire one of your guys. I mean, Stewie's a nice guy, but Jeff is paisan ...
MS7: No, no - I get that, trust me. But I don't wanna fire anyone.
DU: So don't fire anyone. Don't let that broad tellya what to do with your staff ...
MS7: ... but if I don't fire one of the guys ...
DU: ... or you can fire that guy from Alaska. He's rich, plus that rebound in Anaheim, never forgave ...
MS7: ... then she is gonna fire ME!!
Coach slowly turned the boat and brought the engine down, found the middle of the lake, made sure no one else was within hearing distance, and dropped anchor.
DU: Mikey, listen to your Uncle Dick carefully. I read that stuff you sent me a coupla weeks ago, I mean, real weirdo stuff, makes me realize how happy I am to be outta the racket now. Are you SERIOUSLY thinkina doing that?!?
MS7: I dunno Coach ... it feels like the walls are closing in. Marty is gone ...
DU: I toldya I'd say "hi" to the little papah-pushah next weekend?
MS7: ... no, I mean as a rubber stamp boss, like you had most of your career. Someone who understood ...
DU: Yeah, the whole paisan thing, I follow ya ...
MS7: ... anyway, I gotta contract, it runs out in a year, and I got no guarantees.
DU: So go approach some otha school, get a betta offah, like I did with the palookas out in Amherst ...
MS7: But Uncle Dick ... you had leverage. I got none of that going for me.
DU: Y'know, kiddo ... ol' Uncle Dick still knows some people who know people, and they do contracts too ...
MS7: We can't do that. So I'm kinda desperate, and I'm running out of ideas, so ...
DU: Mikey ... I love ya, you are paisan, but you got the wrong guy. I don't know nothing about turf ...
MS7: ... I didn't expect you to understand, I just want your blessing ...
DU: ... I know lotsa stuff about ice, I even know guys who can put you on ice ...
MS7: ((( rolling eyes, understanding he's on his own now )))
DU: ... I'm a GD hockey coach. I can only do so much.
MS7: Brian Mac said you told him the same thing ...
DU: Just go out, win some games, get your boss drunk, take some snaps, and presto - extension!! ;-)
Coach lifted anchor, and reeled in another catch while eventually turning his Conquest back towards the dock. After finishing off a coupla more bottles while watching highlights of the '98 and '99 NCAA Tourneys, the younger man arose to bid his host goodbye. The older man watched his former apprentice leave, arms folded casually across his chest. Thinking to himself, he felt for the man, but knew the kid would have to deal with this on his own ...
