Adam Silver Sets the Bar Alex DeClaire

Adam Silver has never shied away from a hot button issue or topic. Whether it be the former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, the legalization of sports betting, or earlier this year with the Daryl Morey and Hong Kong issues. The successor to David Stern has set a precedent in almost every major scenario he has been involved with. The recent COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic is no different in Adam Silver’s eyes.

Silver took a historically large step on March 11th, suspending the NBA season for the foreseeable future due to growing concerns about player safety. The decision came quickly after Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, and although the decision seemed rash it was absolutely the correct one.

As a leader, Adam Silver must make the tough decisions with the players’ safety in the front of his mind. Silver continues to show the NBA and the sports world that despite the overwhelming amount of criticism he may receive for this unprecedented move he does not shy away from any option in the face of a global pandemic.

After Silver took the step to suspend the NBA’s play for the foreseeable future, we saw other leagues follow suit. The NHL, MLB, NASCAR, NCAA and others have either suspended play or postponed for a period until the safety of their fans and athletes is secure.

Adam Silver spoke on the extent of the hiatus during his interview with Inside the NBA on TNT and said, “This hiatus will be most likely be at least 30 days, and we don’t know enough… but then the question becomes is there a protocol frankly with or without fans in which we can resume play.”

What we do know, is that Adam Silver has stepped up to the plate yet again to make the tough call very few could do, which I would expect nothing less from the most forward-thinking commissioner in professional sports today.

Houston Roughnecks are Must-See Alex DeClaire

The NFL may not have a competitor, but they absolutely have a brother league in the XFL. We are four weeks into this reboot and still entertained by the freshness of this league. New broadcasting styles and game changes are still being ironed out despite the extremely professional look, but the Houstonians are here for it.

The Roughnecks are undefeated, and PJ Walker is must-see TV at this point. This past week the two Texas teams faced off with the Roughnecks coming out on top with 3 interceptions in the first half, and electric play from Walker as usual.

With the XFL Championship set to be played in Houston late-April the Roughnecks are heavy favorites to be the team to represent the West. That is if we make it to the championship.

Viewership has been trending downward since the start of the league and although Commissioner Luck has fought tooth and nail to stay relevant it has not seemed to impact the amount of people in front of their TV on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Luck does not seem to be concerned by the numbers stating:

“At this point, I think everybody’s had their home opener (but) two or three games is not much of a sample size. So those are things we have to have a full year to draw any conclusions.”

Luck is correct that you cannot take a sample size this small and chalk it up as a loss. Any new iteration of a football league is going to struggle due to people drawing comparisons to the long standing and incredibly successful NFL. However, if the XFL keeps their numbers in the green I expect to see the Roughnecks play in the first XFL championship game since 2001.

We have six weeks until the start of the playoffs and by then we will have a much better idea on the ability for the XFL to succeed in future seasons.

 

Small Ball, Big Chances? Alex DeClaire

It’s been two weeks since the NBA trade deadline and we are set to tip off tonight for the beginning of the ‘second half’ of the season. All-Star weekend is behind us and we look ahead to the playoffs as teams push for seeding before the end of the regular season on April 15th.

The Houston Rockets currently sit in 5th place of the Western Conference, 7.5 games back from the first place LA Lakers. With Clint Capela in Atlanta now and Robert Covington acquired from Minnesota, fans are left scratching their heads wondering how the Rockets can compete with a 6’5” center in PJ Tucker.

Luckily, Coach Mike D’Antoni does not seem to be concerned over the clear size disadvantage the Rockets are facing after the trade deadline. The Houston Chronicle caught up with the coach to discuss and here’s what he had to say:

“James [Harden] is a heck of a defender on big guys, always has been. Last year, he was No. 1 in the league guarding in the post. Eric Gordon, nobody mentioned him, he’s great at guarding the post. P.J. [Tucker] is great at guarding the post. [Robert] Covington, he’s good at guarding the post. It’s not going to be a big problem. It’s going to be a problem. It always is. And we can double if we have to.”

I have no doubt that defensively the Rockets are in a competitive spot for the rest of the regular season; however, where my concern lies is in the post-season.

The Western Conference has no shortage of big man talent including Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, and Kristaps Porzingis just too name a few. How the Rockets handle the size disadvantage in a best of seven game series is going to come down to their two former MVPs.

Russell Westbrook has been on a tear since the turn of the year averaging about 33 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field, and Harden has his usual 30-plus points per game despite his recent shooting struggles.

The talent is there and Daryl Morey is a GM that is not afraid to make changes that he believes gives his team a better chance to win. After so many seasons of falling short to the dynastic Golden State Warriors, Morey believed it was time to try something different.

“I think when you’re in a competition of 30, one of the worst things you can do is be with the other gazelles in the middle of the pack, you definitely want to give yourself the best chance to win. Sometimes, that means doing something different.”

Something different is exactly what the Houston Rockets are right now with their tallest starter being Covington who’s 6’7”. This new look Rockets team gives James and Russ the opportunity to overcome the criticism they have faced in their careers. The key for the two superstars is to limit their low percentage shots in order to prevent transition points and momentum swings. For Harden that means involving the offense in order to create a rhythm for his teammates. For Westbrook that means sticking with his game inside the arc, specifically inside the paint where he is most efficient. 

Unfortunately, Harden receives an incredible amount of criticism for his performance in the playoffs and Westbrook can get in his own way at times leaving the Rockets rhythmless. With no Clint Capela for an easy alley-oop or rebounding, establishing an offensive rhythm is going to be key in the playoffs against the league’s best. Certainly going to be interesting to watch the Rockets finish out the season and their strategy against bigger teams in the playoffs.

 

Rob Manfred Considering Stripping the '17 Title? Alex DeClaire

A hot topic across a lot of social media and major news outlets was the idea of striping the title away from the 2017 World Series Champion Astros. In an interview on Sunday, Manfred fleshed out how he and his executive team reached the conclusion to not strip the Astros.

“In the context of my original decision, it was something that we talked about and analyzed extensively, it was a big topic of conversation between me and my senior staff…”

Players and fans have been furious with Manfred’s dealing of this scandal. Many notable players have called out the commissioner such as Cody Bellinger who said, “I thought Manfred’s punishment was weak, giving them immunity,” talking about the Astros players. “I mean these guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don’t realize is Altuve stole an MVP from Judge in ’17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us.”

Aaron Judge, whose team lost in the 2017 ALCS to the Astros, was asked by a reporter on Tuesday about the tainted World Series trophy where he said, “It doesn’t hold any value, it wasn’t earned.”

Angels center fielder Mike Trout told the Athletic, “I don’t know if you take the trophy away or take the rings away, but they should definitely do something.”

Despite the criticism from all angles, Manfred and his team stood by their ruling of the Astros and Manfred explains his reasoning behind leaving the trophy in Houston.

“I landed on it [the decision to not strip the title] really several thoughts. Number one, it has never happened in baseball, you know I am a believer in the idea that precedent matters and that when you deviate from it you have to have a really good reason to do that…”

Now, with this being possibly the largest scandal since the Chicago Black Sox in 1919 you would have a strong argument that this is a “really good reason” to strip the title away from the Astros. However, Rob Manfred is setting a precedent for this sort of punishment. He has stated that precedent is a priority when dealing with a scandal this severe, and because a title has never been stripped away in baseball history, he is comfortable standing by his ruling and accepting the criticism.

I believe he got it right. Moreover, Rob Manfred and his senior staffers know that if there is even the smallest chance multiple teams were involved in electronic sign-stealing you must proceed with caution rather than blind aggression. Furthermore, Manfred would rather set a precedence with a punishment that serves as a deterrence rather than a “death penalty.”

Towards the end of the ESPN exclusive interview with the commissioner, Karl Ravech asked Manfred about the status of the Boston Red Sox investigation.

“We are in the final stages of the Red Sox investigation… speed is secondary here to making sure that you get it right particularly given what’s gone on with another club how thorough we were, and we are doing exactly the same thing with the Red Sox that we did with the Astros…”

With the news coming soon on the Red Sox hopefully it will divert attention away from the bashing of Astros players that has been going on for the better part of a month. The MLB regular season starts March 26th.

 

Jim Crane Dropped the Ball Alex DeClaire

The Astros reported for spring training earlier this week and it was the media’s first chance to talk with Jim Crane, Dusty Baker, and the players from the 2017 World Series team. Prior to spring training, AJ Hinch broke silence in an MLB Network interview where he fleshed out his side of the story. This week was the remaining members of that team and staff’s turn to do the same.

Overall, the players handled the pressure with professionalism and grace similar to their former manager. Where my issue lies was with the owner Jim Crane and his rocky answering of certain questions and seemingly robotic format throughout the presser. The sincerity was not present in his voice and his answers where controversial, which is surprising given the amount of time he had to prepare for the onslaught of questions.

Crane started off with a scripted monologue before answering questions, which took away from the heartfelt impact he could have had but kept his message direct and brief. Crane blames the leadership on the baseball operations side for not stepping in.

 “The leaders enabled, condoned, and did not stop those actions that happened.”

When the script went away and the questions from reporters started you could feel the lack of remorse from the owner of the Houston Astros. His first slip up and possibly largest was when discussing the Yankees.

“Mr. Crane what do you have to say to the Yankees and teams that you beat in 2017?”

“Listen, the Yankees have had a few comments out there, you know our opinion is that this did not impact the game, we had a good team, we won the World Series and we will leave it at that.”

Yes, Crane really said the sign stealing method which was reportedly used hundreds of times did not impact the game. This response from Crane prompted another reported to revisit this shocking answer.

“Jim when talking about the Yankees there did you say that you feel like this did not impact the game, what do you mean by that?”

“I didn’t say it didn’t impact the game, basically as the commissioner said in his report he is not going to go backwards. It is hard to determine how it impacted the game, if it impacted the game and that’s how we are going to leave it.”

Flip flopping between whether the cheating affected the game or not was a rough start for Crane, but as he did for multiple questions, he hid behind the commissioner’s report.

Now, I used the word cheating for a reason. That reason being Jim Crane never did throughout the 20 plus minute presser, and a reporter stepped up to plate to nail him on his terminology.

“Was this cheating and how does this reflect the feelings of the nation where we see a coarsening of rhetoric in this country where people seem to want to win at any cost even if it includes cheating?”

“Well listen we don’t endorse the actions that took place, we’ve apologized. You know it’s been tough on the team, tough on the city, and tough on the nation I don’t disagree with that. But the only thing we can do is sit here and say we are sorry, and we are going to move forward in a positive way, and you can count (on) us to be positive force in delivering that message.”

The same reporter presses back with a more direct line.

“May I ask, is it cheating?”

“Excuse me,” Crane responded seeming annoyed.

“Do you use the word cheating, was this cheating?”

“We broke the rules and you can phrase that any way you want.”

This answer was unsettling to say the least and for Jim Crane who had almost four months too prep for these sorts of questions handled it poorly. Crane refusing to use the word “cheating” is a strange hill to die on.

And hills he did die on. Defending the players to the end of the line when the commissioner’s report declared the scheme a player driven action. Pleading ignorance and claiming he had no idea until November, which I don’t necessarily doubt but the rumors circling the league prior to November should have prompted the owner to check in on things. Lastly, the refusal to use the word cheating instead replacing it with “we broke the rules,” or other similar phrases.

Unlike AJ Hinch who approached the interview last week with remorse, Jim Crane came off as stiff and suspicious. Luckily, other sporting events are trickling in the coming months to divert attention away from Crane and this abysmal reflection on the organization’s leadership.

Lastly, the one bright spot I would like to highlight in all this muck was Dusty Baker’s attitude coming into a situation unlike most. The Astros players and staff met the night before the presser for close to an hour and Dusty’s take on the team was eloquent.

“I just want to say at that meeting last night the players showed tremendous remorse and sorrow and embarrassment for their families, their organization, the city of Houston, and for baseball.”

As the Astros put this in the past and try to move forward it is nice to see the baseball management team is in good hands with Dusty righting the ship.

 

AJ Hinch's MLB Interview Reaction Alex DeClaire

This past weekend was yet another turbulent one for the Houston Astros. However, former manager AJ Hinch has handled it about as well as you can given the situation he is tangled in. Since his suspension and eventual firing, we have not heard from the former World Series champion manager, but his silence broke this past weekend in an interview with Tom Verducci on MLB Network. Due to his role in the “dark arts” as it has been nicknamed within the organization and handling of his responsibility publicly, I believe AJ Hinch will manage in the MLB again.

That being said, early in the interview Hinch took full responsibility for the cheating. “I didn’t initiate and I didn’t endorse it but I was the manager and I think there’s a responsibility when you’re in a position to end it.”

He discusses his violent reaction to the players using technology to steal signs during live games and tells Verducci he took a bat to the monitor on two separate occasions. The outburst of emotion was detailed in the commissioner’s report on January 13th.

 “In hindsight I would have had a meeting, I should have had a meeting and addressed it face forward and really ended it. You know leadership to me is often about what you preach it’s like your pillars of what you believe in, leadership is also about what you tolerate and I tolerated too much.”

Despite his reverence and ability to own his mistakes Hinch will be out of baseball completely for the upcoming 2020 season and it will be his first season in 24 years to not be involved with a team.

However, I believe AJ Hinch will recover from this fall from grace.

As he details throughout the interview, he is a textbook leader and has grown immensely from his mistakes in 2017, “If you look at my career, I’m much more confident today than I was in 2017. Where I fell short is I didn’t believe that at the time.”

It is hard to say the level of involvement Hinch had in the scandal and whether the players would have pulled back once their third-year manager stepped in.

What we do know is veteran leader at the time, Carlos Beltran, was outed in the commissioner’s report as a key proponent in the sign stealing, as well as, former bench coach and eventual Red Sox Manager Alex Cora.

Both Beltran and Cora were crucial in taking the process to the next level and really undermining Hinch. Had Hinch stepped in to tell the players to stop at some point after smashing two monitors prior I do not believe Cora and Beltran would have brought the entire operation to a halt.

Also included in the loop was general manager Jeff Luhnow and a team of people on the business side. In a damning article by the Wall Street Journal, Luhnow was introduced to the “codebreaking” algorithm by an intern, Derek Vigoa, which decoded signs in real time and communicated the information to the monitor in the dugout.

“Koch-Weser, the Astros’ director of advance information, said he discussed Codebreaker with Luhnow in one to three meetings after the 2016 season. Koch-Weser told MLB that Luhnow would “giggle” at the title and appeared “excited” about it. Koch-Weser also said that Luhnow sometimes entered the Astros’ video room during road games and made comments such as, “You guys Codebreaking?”

Clearly the involvement was surrounding Hinch from all angles and despite his nonverbal attempt at showing his hatred toward the cheating it persisted onwards.

Now, is AJ Hinch a victim in this situation, absolutely not, but his involvement was so limited he could fall back into the good graces of the MLB and find himself in another managing position post-suspension.

Hinch is 45 years old fresh off another World Series run, his second in three years, and a proven leader. A struggling ball club in 2021 will definitely take a long look at him, and as time moves on, he will not be remembered as the poster child for “Codebreaker,” rather, an example of how to be a leader in times of crisis and disgrace.

Whether you are an Astros fan or not this situation is ugly and terrible for the game of baseball, but the professionalism of AJ Hinch throughout has put the lipstick on a pig so to speak.

 

Kobe Alex DeClaire

18x All-Star. 5x NBA Champion. 2008 MVP. 2x Olympic Gold Medalist.

These are the NBA achievements the late Kobe Bryant reached in his 20 years. Without his outstanding play we might have never got to know the true superpower Kobe Bryant possessed.

Ambition. Relentlessness. Leadership. Inspiration. Icon. Hero.

These are the achievements I admire. The stories of Kobe in the gym before 5 AM and leaving late after a game. Working to perfect his craft, working to be the best. Nobody and I mean nobody I believe has ever worked harder in every facet of his or her life. After the tragic end to not only himself but his daughter and 7 other passengers we are left with so many questions but one that stands out more than the rest. What if?
What if Kobe had gone on in his life to serve as an advocate for women’s basketball and women’s right to equal pay in sports. What if Kobe had inspired the next leaders in the world who aren’t even born yet. What if Kobe was the perfect example of how to live a life after the NBA and be the best husband, father, and mentor to younger players. All these questions and more are left with us as we mourn the tragic loss of a great human being. One who lived everyday with a goal of going to sleep better than he woke up. That’s my biggest inspiration from Kobe Bryant. Work harder than everybody else and be satisfied knowing you gave it your absolute all.

The work did not stop once he stepped off the court, he merely transferred that energy towards other endeavors including business, philanthropy, mentorship, and family.

Kobe got a head start on his business endeavors forming a venture capital firm Bryant Stibel with Web.com founder Jeff Stibel. They had investments in Body Armor, a popular sports drinks, Epic Games’ Fortnite, an immensely popular online video game, and many other notable companies. Kobe founded a media company Granity Studios where he produced the short film “Dear Basketball,” that won an Academy Award in 2018. Kobe was also heavily involved in storytelling early post career, creating the Wizenard Series about a trying boys basketball team with a coach who turns their fortune through strange powers. He had a show on ESPN + show titled, ‘Detail’ where he broke down basketball players through his eyes. His business ventures did not end there he continued to learn, invest, write, and work on about anything he could get involved in. Kobe Bryant brought the “Mamba Mentality,” to the next chapter in his life and showed people that his work ethic does not faulter once the jersey is hung up.

Just to give you an idea of how many different philanthropic parties Kobe was involved in I will list off a few. “He had appeared for Make-A-Wish more than 100 times over 20 years,” Kelley Evans on theundefeated.com writes. “He volunteered for the Boys & Girls Club of America, often hosting basketball camps. He participated in the league’s NBA Cares initiatives, where he helped build homes and basketball courts, stocked food pantries and supported reading initiatives.” In the same year he won the NBA MVP, 2008, he also was named the “Aid Still Required” spokesperson which helps people who were victim to natural disasters. Those are just a few of his philanthropic work outside of him and Venessa’s Foundation originally named VIVO, but later renamed to Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. I mean this guy helped low income minorities in the US, China, and the Philippines, his reach did not stop for any political agenda or publicity positives he was out helping people because it was the right thing to do. You hear stories now of him going to visit sick kids in hospitals or young fans from struggling neighborhoods. Imagine the impact he’s had on so many people that did not get any recognition and Kobe knew this. He did it for the right reasons, not for attention or good media reaction, no he did this because it mattered so much to those people and he cared. He cared. For his family, for his community, for his peers, for people who were less fortunate than him.

Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum. These are just a few that come to mind of those peers he touched significantly, and we all know well. Lebron being one of his best friends and a true competitor. Kyrie being like a little brother who just wants to learn as much as he could from big bro. Jason Tatum like the son he never had trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps. And let’s not forget about Shaq. Kobe’s brother in arms through three championships and lifelong best friend who grieves for his little brother. Taken too soon and leaving us wondering: what if? What if he mentored the next great ‘Kobe Bryant’ to be the best ever? What if his daughter Gigi went on to be a female role model of excellence both on and off the court?

Kobe’s legacy lives on forever because he left behind something invaluable and something that cannot be taken away. The Mamba Mentality.

 

Chase Young Suspension Alex DeClaire

Chase Young the stud defensive end for the current number one team in college football tweeted this message out before Ohio State was set to play Maryland this past weekend. It was unfortunate that he was unable to play in this game, but Ohio State managed just fine beating the Terrapins 73-14. Over the weekend the NCAA officially suspended Chase Young four games for accepting money from a family friend.

Now I could dive into the issues that Ohio State will face in the next few games without their Heisman hopeful; however, I would like to take this personal take in a different direction.

Put simply, what the hell NCAA?

I recently made a video over the NCAA press release regarding players making money off their name, image, and likeness. Now these two events are not related, but it is ironic because of the timing. Roughly a month after this press release, they hand the superstar of the number one overall team a suspension for a loan that was used to pay for his girlfriend to fly out to the Rose Bowl last year. Chase Young handled this media outburst in the best way I think any young man can, get out in front of it and own it. He didn’t blame others or play the victim like most do. Chase Young handled himself more professionally than most in this case, yet he is suspended, likely out of the Heisman race, and his team is without its best defensive player with Michigan and Penn State still left on their schedule.

Remember last year when Urban Meyer was caught in a scandal because of his former assistant coach. The scandal revolved around domestic abuse and after everything was said and done Urban was suspended 3 GAMES. That is less than current Buckeye Chase Young who essentially did nothing wrong and certainly nothing harmful.

To put this in perspective, if I went down the street and borrowed money from my neighbor, paid him back a week later, and then came into work and was suspended because of that exchange don’t you think that would be a little ridiculous? Yes I understand players are not supposed to be given any sort of extra benefits whatsoever. Having a brother who formerly played Division 1 baseball at a major university I understand how many little things can affect your eligibility. However, if a high school friend loaned my brother some money and his eligibility was revoked for that, I would be furious for him.

I believe the inconsistency is what bothers most people and definitely what bothers me. The NCAA continues to do whatever the NCAA wants with nobody keeping them in line and no remorse for their actions that are clearly crossing a line. Chase Young deserves to play out the rest of his college career with no suspension, and the NCAA needs to listen to the mainstream media and their fans who are yet again angry at them for taking advantage of these young men and women.

NBA vs. China Alex DeClaire

This is the tweet that has sparked so much outrage and headlines between the Chinese and the NBA. Now, I would love to hop in the middle and break it all down, but that information is already out there and still developing so I will give you all an opinion of mine that I feel is unique.

Yao Ming is a figure in the NBA and China that is seemingly unforgettable. Through his involvement in the game here and importance in China, the NBA has built ties with the Chinese fan base that seemed unbreakable. It is ironic how we now have an issue with the GM of the same team that Yao is known for playing on. Regardless this is yet another example of why sports and politics do not mesh well. Yes it is advantageous to use the vehicle of sports to bring people together; for example, the Dennis Rodman and North Korea relationship. However, when sports become more than just the vehicle for unity then we run into issues.

These issues are more complicated and lengthy than I would like to discuss, but it is important to realize that the United States is different than other countries. People all over the world practice different beliefs and live in vastly different cultures then you will see in the USA. I am forever grateful to be in this great country where I can speak freely on issues such as this one and not be persecuted but that is not the same all over the world, especially in China. I applaud the people of China standing up for what they believe in, but we don’t need to go over there acting righteous when we have plenty of issues due to our current political climate here. Most people, including myself, do not have the slightest idea what it is truly like to live in their culture let alone speak on it.

To explain my point in a different light I will use a short story. A classroom full of high schoolers had just received their final grades for the year. Jake, one of the students, went around to all of his friends asking what they made and poking fun at those who did poorly. When Ryan, one of the other students, stopped Jake and asked how he did, Jake hesitated and told Ryan that he had also done poorly. Ryan became frustrated because Jake poked fun at others while he had his own issues.

In this story both Ryan and Jake are imperfect and go about their business very different. However, when Jake decides to poke fun at the others, Ryan quickly reminds Jake to mind his own business before worrying about others. “Those who own glass houses do not throw stones.” Both have unique problems and handle them differently so why try to influence or change someone else when your own “house” is already in need of help.

Daryl Morey does not deserve to be fired, fined, or even reprimanded by the league. The international and national media has already done worse to him and the revenue lost from the Chinese fan base will surely hurt the NBA. Luckily, we have a very open-minded and intelligent commissioner in Adam Silver who has consistently been ahead of the curve on social issues so I have no doubt this will be resolved in some fashion.

 

Andrew Luck Retirement Alex DeClaire

 

I’ve been stuck in this process. I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game … and the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football and this cycle that I’ve been in.

Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck retired from the NFL this past weekend after the Colts preseason game against the Bears. It was a shock across the NFL when ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped the news Saturday evening that the 29 year old star Quarterback was retiring just two weeks before the season.

Luck’s impact across the league has been second to none truly displaying what it means to be a leader of men. Videos have surfaced of Luck actually giving defensive players compliments after being tackled. Who does that? Who actually takes a hit from an NFL defensemen and then gets up to say “good hit buddy.” Luck was truly a great quarterback who will be missed and as an NFL fan I sit and wonder what could have been.

For the people who disagree or are angry with Andrew’s decision, please stop and think about what you are saying. Andrew Luck has been a great role model whose made a positive impact on both the league and community. He deserves the ability to make his own decision regardless of the reason.

When Calvin Johnson retired I remember being shocked but still respectful of his decision. As fans we will never know the hours these guys put into their craft or the sacrifices they make to become great, all we see is the final result. As for Andrew and his family, I wish them happiness and success in their future endeavors. With a degree from Stanford I imagine the Luck family will be just fine. Thanks for all the great memories Andrew.