WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS AIN’T STAYIN’ IN VEGAS

Oh you thought I forgot, huh? You THOUGHT this was over just because it's LATE? Not hardly!! I TOLD you it was coming, so strap yourself in for this one. Better late than never.

Wait….I need a WOOOSAH moment, first.

Wait for it….

Wait for it…

Okay---I’m good.

So, you know the mighty CAVS divisions skipped off to Vegas for the Vegas Elite Invitational, April 28^th-29^th, 2012. 

Let’s get this straight right now. NO ONE likes to lose…however; it is all in the game. The best players in the NBA lose. We are no different sometimes. As my favorite coach of the #1 Team in the Country said it best:

"It's not always about winning. It's about getting better."

So here it is: NONE of our divisions won in this Vegas Elite tournament….and we are not mad at anyone else for it! Things went down how they went down. Heck, we aren’t the ONLY youth basketball organization to have that happen---you know what I’m saying?

PUH-LEEEZE!!! 

However, we are not happy with the ARRANGEMENT of events that LED to some of the losing. 

It all began great for most of our divisions (so we hear). For CAVS 13U, the tourney started OFF in the paint. The very FIRST game for CAVS 13U was against Team Bibby. 

Btw…did I mention Team Bibby actually WON the championship? Yeah. I am getting to that.

So, CAVS 13U won the first game vs. Team Bibby by four points. It would have been more (because the initial lead was more) but turnovers and mistakes brought it to just a +4. I wouldn’t say this was a well-played weekend for CAVS 13U because…NO, honey…it wasn’t! The very NEXT game was vs. Vegas Elite. 

So you SEE where this is going, right? Guess who Team Bibby and Vegas Elite both got to play for their initial games? JD Select, no doubt. Now, I am not taking anything away from JD Select--it's all love---but all I have to say is…folks KNEW what they were doing when this went down.

The CAVS 13U vs. Vegas Elite game was just CHAOS. Did I say it was just chaos? Our players simply breathed in and fouls were called on them…until two of our main players (that never really foul out) fouled completely OUT. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Vegas players actually HAD 8-10 documented fouls on the books, yet were still on the floor. 

Next time, I will call a couple of optical companies so they can donate product, because obviously, a few folks needed glasses.

I’m just sayin’.

Throughout all that mud-muck and all that drama, CAVS 13U was still ahead. However, LAST-MINUTE turnovers and mistakes cost CAVS 13U the game by 5 points. BOOOOOO!!! 
Yeah, I know. That part was on us. Hey—it was what it was! Yet, we thought we still had a shot at the championship the next day. You would think so, right?

Wrong.

SO wrong.

CAVS 13U played JD Select on Sunday, won by 15, but it meant nothing, because JD Select didn’t win either game against Team Bibby or Vegas Elite. 

Um....yeah.

The score was about as useless as a pork sandwich at a Vegan picnic. Bottom line? 

CAVS 13U was ousted by ONE MEASLEY POINT.

Luck?

Arrangement?

Who knows?

All we know, is…there were a LOT of folks ecstatic that CAVS 13U was out, because if they were not…..who KNOWS what would have happened?

Well, actually, I think everyone knows what could have been a very real possibility.

WHATEVER, DUDE!!!

It happens, right? Can’t cry over spilled (and very spoiled) milk. Congrats to Team Bibby, who DID win the championship in our absence (Seriously--I am not being funny. I LIKE Team Bibby). We can only look forward to the next round-up…and there will be some very different round-ups coming up….

…and quite a few surprises!

All we can say now is: GAME ON!!!!

P.S. Just not in Vegas...for now.