Knights of Andreas 4.08: Mediate

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Knights of Andreas

Part IV

Based on Characters Created by:

badgers

Bangy

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BigBen07

BradyFan81

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Chernobyl426

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Thanatos19

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Vin

Zack_of_Steel

 

 

Chapter Forty-Nine – Mediate

 

 

 

Towards the end of the third quarter of the Sunday Night Football game between the Cowboys and Giants, the Cowboys extend their lead to 31-7, and the broadcast becomes dull with a blowout on the field.

 

A video review begins with no commercial, so NBC cuts to a shot of commentators Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Final scores from week 12 flash on a video screen behind them.

 

Michaels: “And so we’ll take a moment here to look around the league, and at a few of the notable scores from today’s action. New England wins big over Detroit, 34-9. Seattle gives Arizona its second loss of the season, gaining ground in the NFC West. Denver wins a wild, high-scoring affair with Miami, 39-36. And, perhaps most interestingly, the Los Angeles Knights with a very impressive 23-6 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, despite all that’s gone on with Merle Harden this week.”

 

Collinsworth: “Or maybe because of all that’s gone on.”

 

Michaels: “You could be right.”

 

Collinsworth: “You know, we’ve covered the Knights twice on Sunday Night Football this year, Al, and when you talk to every one of their players, you get a sense of the incredible amount of respect they have for Merle Harden. There is nothing they would not do for their head coach. In terms of leadership, there aren’t many coaches better than him.”

 

Michaels: “And they’ll have another big divisional test next week, as they visit the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.”

 

 

 

Monday, the Knights’ share of post-week 12 coverage focuses on the usual—continued defensive dominance, first place in the division, quarterback situation—while reporters still work the Merle Harden alcoholism story, digging deep but not finding much.

 

The rumors dating back to Harden’s Carolina days pop up again, the same ones that circulated after his press conference finally validated them. The facts line up as follows: the Panthers did not want Harden back despite a very productive seven-year tenure, the Knights hired him late in their search for coordinators and assistants, and Harden is currently in a marital separation from his wife. Fans don’t need journalists to fill in the rest.

 

Late Monday night, however, a rumor surfaces that Harden could step down at the end of the season. None of the nation’s prominent reporters claims the news as their own, but they pass it on and speculate nonetheless.

 

Adam Javad is as surprised as anyone, and considers the rumor just that, even if it supposedly comes from “a source with knowledge of Harden’s thinking.” Javad doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t want to be shown up either. And, to be fair, Harden is one of the few figures at the MedComm Center he doesn’t have a good read on. It’s very possible he’s been outworked here.

 

Javad works his sources, including and especially Chance Phillips, to get some answers.

 

 

 

Tuesday, ESPN plans to tackle the Harden story on Around the Horn. The topic comes after the first commercial break, during the “Buy or Sell” segment.

 

Tony Reali, show host: “We move to Los Angeles, where the Knights have won five of their last six, sit in first place in the best division in football—and could lose their head coach this offseason? Rumors circulating that Merle Harden could, in light of the same personal troubles that caused his recent leave of absence, step down at season’s end. Plaschke, you’re local. Buy or sell Harden bowing out at the end of the year?”

 

Bill Plaschke, in Los Angeles: “I’m selling this, Tony. I know Merle Harden, I’ve talked to him many times, including this year, and I’ve been covering him since he landed in L.A. as a defensive coordinator. Nothing about him, to me, suggests that he’s leaving. Nothing about him suggests he’s wearing down. Did you see what they just did to the Chiefs? I’m not sure where these rumors are coming from, to be honest.”

 

Reali: “Jackie?”

 

Jackie MacMullan, in Boston: “Well, Bill, the rumors might be coming from nowhere, but so did his leave of absence, let’s not forget that. Anyway, I’m still selling this mainly because—who’s his replacement gonna be? Ron McKenzie, who is in his first season as a play caller at the NFL level? Is Merle Harden going to force the Knights into another head-coaching search, their third in under a decade? I just don’t see it.”

 

Reali: “Woody, I see you shaking your head.”

 

Woody Paige, in Denver: “I’m buying this. Did you all see his press conference? Did you see how worn down he looked, how unenergetic? That’s not the Merle Harden we all know. His hair’s getting grayer; he’s starting to lose it—I know, look at me! He’s been separated from his family over a year now, we all know that, and I think it’s wearing on him. You know who he reminds me of? Jim Schwartz. He has that sort of fiery style, the kind that promotes intensity and a lack of discipline in his players, and you know where Schwartz is now? Not coaching the Lions anymore because the act wore thin!”

 

Kevin Blackistone, in Washington: “Yes, Woody, I watched his press conference because it was only thirty seconds long! And his big, dramatic ‘leave of absence’ was only five days! I’m selling this all the way. Look, I don’t deny he’s going through some struggles right now, but Woody, you know another coach with the reputation you described? Pete Carroll, in Seattle! How’s he doing? Oh yeah, coaching a perennial Super Bowl contender. It’s not always about coaching style, it’s about effectiveness and the team you’re coaching, and Merle Harden is coaching a pretty good team in Los Angeles.”

 

 

 

ESPN’s next show, Pardon the Interruption, allots time for the same subject, though in a more open-ended context. The topic is slotted into the show’s opening segment.

 

Tony Kornheiser: “Back to football now amidst rumors that Los Angeles Knights head coach Merle Harden could step down after the season is over. Harden went on a leave of absence for ‘alcohol trouble’ last week but returned in time for Sunday’s win against the Chiefs. Harden has been with the Knights five years; this is his second as head coach. Wilbon, just how much worse off would the Knights be without him?”

 

Mike Wilbon: “A lot worse. A lot worse, Tony. The Knights are one of the better franchises in the league. They’re young, they’re talented, they’re very well rounded. So I think if they lost a few players, they’d be okay. Heck, we’re seeing them succeed with a backup quarterback. But if they lost their head coach, they’d be in trouble because they don’t have anybody to replace him. And I think we also need to mention here, Tony, that none of us knows exactly how serious this issue is to Merle Harden. This is definitely a personal issue, and Merle, as you know, is not an open book when it comes to those types of things.”

 

Kornheiser: “Well, on that note, I find it very interesting that in his very brief statement he made last Saturday, he never actually used the word ‘alcoholic.’ So there’s that. As far as losing him, I don’t think they would be losing a lot. I know it’s a big deal, to change coaches in the NFL—”

 

Wilbon: “Huge deal.”

 

Kornheiser: “—but I think the Knights have the front office in place to find a stable replacement, and more importantly this. I’ve said this before—I know you’ll disagree with me—from a scheme standpoint, from a tactical standpoint, I think Merle Harden is one of the most overrated defensive minds in football. You watch Knights games, Wilbon, and he sends these all-out blitzes and gets burned all the time.”

 

Wilbon: “All the time.”

 

Kornheiser: “So, I’m not sure what they’d be missing from that angle. But in terms of leadership, I will concede that I think he’s an excellent coach.”

 

Wilbon: “And that’s what does it for me, Tony. You know, the Knights went on an unbelievable run last year. Could go on one this year, depending on when they get Jonathan Maverick back. And there’s a reason they never did anything like that when Caden Daniel was head coach. And I got nothing against Caden Daniel. But there’s something about Harden and the way he connects with his players…without him, Tony, they’re not the same team. They’re not the same team.”

 

 

 

Early Wednesday morning, radio show co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic run through another episode of Mike & Mike. Their more casual, improvised structure eventually gets to the Knights without predetermined talking points. They deliberately avoid the overused headlines, Golic points out how impressive it is for the Knights to be 8-3 given everything going on, whereupon Greenberg summons a piece of paper from under his microphone.

 

Greenberg: “And speaking of the Knights, we see all this attention focused on their coaching staff, all this attention focused on their players—we should be talking about their front office.”

 

Golic: “It’s pretty good.”

 

Greenberg: “It’s better than that. I wanted to talk for a minute—because I did some research—about their GM, Chance Phillips. Just listen to these statistics.”

 

Golic: “Did you calculate those yourself?”

 

Greenberg: “I—just let me finish.”

 

Golic: “Oh boy.”

 

Greenberg: “These are all out of the Knights’ 24 top starters, the 22 on offense and defense plus their kicker and punter. Only 2 out of 24—that’s eight percent—are inherited from before Phillips took over in 2010. So ninety-two percent of the starting roster consists of players picked by Phillips, but that’s not even the impressive part. Of the 22, 14 are draft picks. So they have done an incredible job building through the draft.”

 

Golic: “Are you counting Jonathan Maverick or Max Buchanan as quarterback?”

 

Greenberg: “I…it doesn’t matter! Phillips drafted both of them!”

 

Golic: “Wow.”

 

Greenberg: “Fourteen draft picks, seven free agent signings—some of them very savvy—and one trade. I mean, when you talk about rebuilding a roster, this is the dream scenario! And then, on top of all of that, you’ve got the incredible, incredible decision to fire Caden Daniel—right in the middle of this ascending rebuild—and insert Merle Harden as head coach. I mean, Chance Phillips…this guy is a genius!”

 

Golic: “But you—”

 

Greenberg: “It just goes to show, in football, and I guess in any other sport, you can get things turned around fast if you get the right people in charge.”

 

Golic: “But you gotta watch out, though, because everyone else around the league sees that as well.”

 

Greenberg: “Oh, so you’re saying it’s open season.”

 

Golic: “Well, yeah, it’s about to be. I mean, it’s monkey see, monkey do in the NFL. We talk about it all the time. So they’ve built, obviously, a very nice structure in that organization, but come offseason, it’s about to get feasted on by 31 other teams.”

 

 

 

Thursday, just after three, a small piece of information leaks from the Javion Torrey case. ESPN is the first major outlet on it, and they don’t waste any time, preparing to cut into College Football Live, currently on the air. Behind the scenes, producers scramble to get the broadcast ready.

 

“Going live in four! Somebody get Roger on the phone,” referring to Roger Cossack, ESPN’s legal analyst.

 

Minutes later, the broadcast flashes a “BREAKING NEWS” graphic, then cuts to anchor Hannah Storm.

 

“Breaking news here on ESPN regarding the Malik Rose investigation: ESPN has learned that, on the night of the attack on Javion Torrey, Malik Rose placed a phone call to one of the associates being charged with assault. Sources say the call was placed several hours before the assault allegedly took place. We’re going to bring in Roger Cossack, ESPN’s legal analyst, on the phone. Roger, what should we make of this?”

 

Cossack: “Well, it’s obviously a very interesting piece of information, and one the prosecution is going to use to its advantage. Remember, as far as we know, there is no physical evidence connecting Malik Rose to the scene of Javion Torrey’s assault. So, the prosecution’s narrative, which is that Rose ordered the two defendants to carry out the assault, gets some credibility because of this phone call.”

 

Storm: “Okay, so Roger, is this information enough for the prosecution to bring charges against Rose?”

 

Cossack: “No, not enough to bring charges most likely, and certainly not enough to go to trial. Now, it needs to be said that there may be more information the prosecution has that has yet to come to light. Otherwise, the prosecution’s best bet for a conviction on Rose remains a confession from one of the assailants, which has not happened yet.”

 

ESPN sticks with the Rose/Torrey story, getting insight from other, non-legal analysts, stretching the coverage into NFL Live.

 

The reaction from the sports world is vicious, the leading theory behind the case now seemingly vindicated. Rose makes no public comment, nor does anyone inside the MedComm Center, and Rose’s attorney offers the same, generic lawyer talk, insisting his client will be shown innocent once all facts come to light. The buzz about the case, however, lingers through the weekend and up to Monday night.

 

 

 

After the minute-long montage ends, the screen fades to an overhead shot of Qualcomm Stadium, downtown San Diego and the setting sun in the background.

 

“Welcome to San Diego, and Monday Night Football!” says the voice of play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico as the screen cuts between various on-field shots of players and coaches. “We’ve got a good one to wrap up week 13, an AFC West battle between the San Diego Chargers and the Los Angeles Knights.”

 

As the screen cuts between shots of head coaches Merle Harden and Caden Daniel, a graphic shows the current AFC West standings.

 

“And as we are minutes away from kickoff, take a look at this, an unprecedented group of strong teams in one division. This is what the AFC West looks like after Denver’s win over Kansas City last night. Los Angeles has a slim lead at 8-3, Denver just behind at 8-4, San Diego at 7-4, and Kansas City is 7-5. At least one of these four will not make the playoffs…” The screen cuts to an indoor shot of the broadcast booth, with Tirico and color commentator Jon Gruden. “…Conventional wisdom says three teams would make it—the division winner and two wild cards—but right now, you’ve got three AFC North teams at 7-5; they’re in the mix. So, Jon, when it comes to the Knights and Chargers, just how important is this game tonight?”

 

“It’s critical, Mike,” Gruden says. “Critical! It’s December 1st. After tonight, only four weeks left on the regular season, somebody in the AFC West is gonna be left out of the playoff picture, and it could be one of the teams taking the field tonight! Only one of these teams can go into December with a win.”

 

Pre-game ceremonies culminate with the national anthem, ESPN squeezes in a short commercial break, and the game kicks off with the Chargers receiving the ball first. They open with run plays, not getting much yardage.

 

Tirico: “That’s Jerome Jaxson, former Los Angeles Knight, on the carry. And there you see Caden Daniel, former Knights head coach…” A graphic appears showing Daniel’s name and record with the Chargers: 18-9. “…had a lot of success in San Diego so far, 11-5 and a playoff berth last season, looking to duplicate that this year. Here’s Rivers in shotgun. The Knights blitz, and Rivers is sacked on the play! Sam Luck breaks through, and the Chargers go three and out on their opening possession.”

 

Gruden: “Mike, it’s another one of Merle Harden’s patented blitzes. Here you’re gonna see both inside linebackers, Briggs Randall and Marlon Martin. They both show blitz. On the snap, only Martin comes, so the left side of the line gets stacked up, and that allows Luck to break through for the Knights’ first sack of the night. I’m sure it won’t be their last.”

 

The Chargers punt, and the Knights take over with decent field position. They also open with the run game, finding more success. Buchanan throws short, high probability passes, and the Knights soon cross midfield. A clutch third down catch by Bishop sets the offense up on the Chargers’ thirty-six, but Buchanan takes a sack on first down.

 

Tirico: “Buchanan in shotgun for second and sixteen. He hands off to Jameson, who runs through a hole, takes down a few Chargers and runs to the thirty! He gets the sack yardage back and then some, taking some defenders with him in the process! It’ll be third and two.”

 

Gruden: “You gotta love the way Marcus Jameson plays football. I was talking to him this week at practice, and he talked about how Marcus Allen is his football idol. Well, you can see the comparison on tape! Jameson’s a big, bruising back that, if I were a defensive player, I certainly would not want to tackle.”

 

Tirico: “So here are the Knights, on a manageable third down. Buchanan under center. Play-action, Buchanan rolling left, fires to the end zone…incomplete! Overthrown, looking for Joseph Watson.”

 

Gruden: “It’s a well-designed play, going for the end zone, and Watson’s open, Mike! He gets past Eric Weddle, but Max Buchanan’s throw is just a little too far. Buchanan’s done a tremendous job for the Knights this season, but I guarantee you Jonathan Maverick does not miss that throw.”

 

Tirico: “And there is Jonathan Maverick, on the sideline, injured, of course, with a separated shoulder suffered in week 1. Interesting note: this is the first time Maverick has traveled with the team since his injury—of course we’re only a little over two hours from Farmers Field—but that’s gotta be a good sign for the Knights. Maverick also told us this week that he is now able to throw a football again, so you would expect to see him back in the lineup very soon. Here’s Noah McCabe on to attempt a forty-seven-yard kick. McCabe, a rookie out of UCLA, has struggled this year, kicking just over seventy percent. The kick is up, down the middle, and good, and the Knights strike first, up 3-0.”

 

The Chargers retake the field after a touchback. The Knights sniff out a screen pass for no gain, then stuff an off-tackle run, bringing up third and ten.

 

Tirico: “Rivers, calling out adjustments with the play clock low. Knights send a blitz, Rivers dumps it off to Jaxson, who is crushed by Martin for no gain! It’ll be three and out again for the Chargers, this time without gaining a yard.”

 

Gruden: “Well, Mike, we talked earlier about how the Knights have won so many games with a second-string quarterback—it’s their defense! It’s the one of the top two defenses in football, one of the best, personally, I’ve ever seen. When most teams bring the house on an all-out blitz, the flat is wide open. Not this defense. Rivers makes the right decision, but Marlon Martin closes on Jaxson beautifully and just levels him.”

 

The punt return gives the Knights decent field position, and they take advantage. Balanced play calling and execution put them in the red zone without any big plays, but consecutive incompletions bring up third and ten from the eighteen.

 

Tirico: “Buchanan drops back, looks, steps up, throws toward the end zone…caught for a touchdown! It’s the tight end, Logan Bishop! And just like that, Los Angeles is up two scores.”

 

Gruden: “Check out the pass protection on this play. Here’s Tristan Adams, a rookie left tackle. He’s struggling a bit this year. So what do you do? You let the rising star guard Chase Grodd help ‘em out! The double team gives Max Buchanan the time he needs to go through his reads and find Logan Bishop in the end zone. That’s a well-drawn up play by offensive coordinator Ron McKenzie.”

 

When the Chargers get the ball back, they apparently abandon the run game, letting Rivers loose and finally getting first downs. A bubble screen to Jaxson gets them in field goal range, where the drive stalls. Nick Novak comes on for a forty-five-yard field goal that sails through the middle, and it’s 10-3, Knights.

 

The Knights respond by going three and out. The Chargers soon punt too, and the game becomes defensive and unexciting. Into the second quarter, Buchanan’s inaccuracy limits the Knights offense, failing to hit multiple open receivers. The Chargers offense, however, is just as stagnant due to a suffocating Knights defense.

 

The first half is a minute away from ending when the Knights start a drive in their own territory. Buchanan tries to force a pass into double coverage, and the Chargers intercept it. Qualcomm Stadium comes back to life as the Chargers take over on the thirty, and a quick pass and timeout brings up second and one with 0:46 on the clock.

 

Tirico: “Woodhead gets it on the toss, running into traffic, heads toward the sideline, met there by Rose, and he’s tackled for no gain. It’ll be third and one, and the Chargers call timeout. And now some pushing and shoving between Rose, Woodhead, and Grantzinger! Tempers rising here, with a crowd gathering, but officials step in, managing to break it up. All is calm for the moment. So Caden Daniel, as you see, planning the third down play call with Phillip Rivers. And, you know, Jon, Caden Daniel is one of the nicest, most respectful coaches in this league, but he certainly is aware of the developing animosity between these two teams.”

 

Gruden: “Absolutely, and some of it is because of him! This is the team that fired him, Mike. So you can bet when Caden Daniel sees the Los Angeles Knights on the schedule, that’s a game he wants to win. Badly.”

 

Tirico: “So here we go, third and one. Rivers under center, Jaxson in the backfield. The Knights defense crowds the line, showing blitz—now they back off. Rivers gives it to Jaxson. He is stuffed! Damian Jones gets penetration and brings Jaxson down for a loss of one. Caden Daniel, it looks like, is gonna let the clock tick down here, call his final timeout, and send in the kicking team.”

 

Gruden: “I want you to watch right here in the middle. That’s Damian ‘Anthrax’ Jones. His teammates call him Anthrax, I’m not really sure why. But he is an unsung hero on this defense. Here he just pops off the ball, and he’s in the backfield. You know, he doesn’t get a lot of credit, doesn’t get a lot of sacks, but watch this defense play, and you’ll see Damian Jones make impactful play after impactful play. He is a force at nose tackle.”

 

Tirico: “So on comes Novak. He made his first attempt from forty-five yards, this one from thirty-nine. The kick is up, down the middle, and good. And that’s how the first half will end, with the Chargers narrowing the deficit to four. It’s Los Angeles 10, San Diego 6 at halftime.”

 

 

 

Coming back from commercial, the broadcast opens with an overhead shot of the stadium, courtesy of the Goodyear blimp, the field now shining brightly around an otherwise dark San Diego.

 

Tirico: “Let’s go down to Lisa Salters, before the start of the second half. Lisa?”

 

The camera cuts to a close-up of Salters, on the visitors’ sideline.

 

Salters: “Guys, I talked to Knights head coach Merle Harden and, as usual, he was a man of few words. I asked him what his team needs to do to improve in the second half and he simply said, ‘Play better.’ When I asked how, he said, ‘We need to score more points than they do so we win the game.’ Mike, back up to you.”

 

The camera cuts to a standard angle of the field, with both kickoff teams lining up, but laughter from both Tirico and Gruden is audible.

 

Gruden: “Merle Harden, you gotta love him.”

 

Despite the close score, the second half begins on a dull note. Neither team can move the ball consistently or notch any exciting plays. It becomes clear, however, that Rivers can lead his offense more effectively than Buchanan can his, so the Chargers tilt the field position battle in their favor, and near the end of the third quarter, another Novak field goal narrows the deficit to 10-9.

 

Neither offense responds with production, but the game intensifies as both defenses tackle harder, including some borderline cheap shots that incite bouts of modest pushing and shoving. No personal fouls are called, but the tension keeps the fans energized.

 

Early in the fourth quarter, the Knights let Jameson carry the offense, after handing him scattered carries so far, and he gets them to midfield by himself. A few plays later, it’s third and two.

 

Tirico: “Buchanan, play-action, looking, pumps, fires over the middle. A leaping catch by Wilkes! An acrobatic grab, and the Knights are in field goal range.”

 

Gruden: “Da’-Ja-mir-o-quai Jeff-er-spin-Wilkes. Say that five times fast! I love this guy, Mike. His numbers are down a little this year; he misses Jonathan Maverick. But he’s still an outstanding wide receiver and a playmaker for this Knights offense. And by the way, check out this replay. Here’s Chase Grodd, he picks up Manti Te’o on a blitz, and what a terrific job to plant his feet, hold position, and let Buchanan deliver the strike downfield. Grodd’s having a heck of a night in pass protection.”

 

The Knights fail to get another first down, but McCabe converts a field goal, extending the lead to 13-9 with 10:35 to go.

 

The Chargers take over and come out passing, but the Knights shut everything down. Two swatted passes by Rose and Marshall plus a near-interception by Stevenson brings up fourth down, and the Chargers punt.

 

The Knights try to run some clock with Jameson, but the Chargers stack the box and limit production to one first down. The Knights punt with 6:07 to go.

 

Rivers comes out firing again, but the Knights pass rush shows up this time. Blitzes by Randall and Schwinn force Rivers out of the pocket to throw it away on consecutive downs, and it’s third and ten.

 

Tirico: “Rivers in shotgun, Knights rush only four, under pressure again! And he’s forced to throw it away! So, three plays in a row Rivers has had to throw out of bounds due to pass rush, and Jon, there it is again, you mentioned the talent of this defense. You know a little something about defense; you coached a Buccaneers defense in 2002 that was pretty good.”

 

Gruden: “I’ll tell you what, Mike, this Knights defense is just about as good. They cover, they tackle, they blitz, and they do it all well! There’s talent at all eleven starting positions, they’re well coached, and they’re confident. I called plays on offense for many years in this league. I would not want to call plays against this defense, I tell you that.”

 

Boos are heard as the Chargers punt it away again. The Knights try to run out some more clock, incorporating motion and a few tosses to Banks. They chew through yards and multiple first downs, eventually forcing the Chargers to use their timeouts. Near midfield, the drive stalls with 1:13 on the clock, and Shane Lechler punts the ball out of bounds on the ten-yard line. San Diego starts its final drive with no timeouts.

 

The Knights don’t back off from pass rush, with their secondary on lockdown. Rivers finds Antonio Gates over the middle for a first down and spikes the ball with 0:53 on the clock. Two incompletions later, it’s third and ten.

 

Tirico: “Rivers rolls right, looking toward the sideline, still looking, sacked by Brock! Rivers gets hit hard, now trying to scramble everyone back to the line for fourth down.”

 

Gruden: “Sean Brock, The Closer, does it again, Mike! And now the Chargers have to run a play. The clock’s gonna run out!”

 

Tirico: “Under five seconds, Rivers waiting for everyone to get set. They get the snap off just in time. Rivers just looking to throw it deep here…and the ball is stripped! And Zack Grantzinger falls on it, recovering his own fumble! The clock is at zero, the game is over, and what a fitting way to cap a dominating defensive performance.”

 

Gruden: “What a finish, and what a game, Mike. Not as high scoring as some people would like, but I’ll tell you, these two teams do not like each other. This is quickly becoming the premiere rivalry in the AFC West.”

 

Tirico: “And you saw there, the handshake between Caden Daniel and Merle Harden, looked like there was a bit of a conversation there, tough to know what that’s about. But at any rate, that’s gonna do it for us. The Knights win, 13-9, they and the Chargers split the season series, the Knights remain in first in the AFC West, while the Chargers are now tied with Kansas City, two games out. On behalf of all of us here at ESPN, we thank you for watching.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RazorStar 4,025]

You nailed the media personalities perfectly. I thought this was a very interesting take, take the view out of the players eyes, and into the eyes of the media. I gotta tell ya, Mike this SteVo guy can sure tell a narrative and add an interesting spin here or there to it!

[Sarge+ 3,436]

Your portrayal of Gruden is right on the money. I could hear his voice every time I read his parts. The others were awesome too.

[Vin+ 3,121]

I can hear their voices in my head.

 

Also, it's not Friday.

[Cherry 1,302]

Fucking Gruden.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

God I hate Gruden...but this reminded me how much I hate Woody Paige more lmao

 

#INNOCENTROSE

[BigBen07 285]

Excellent switch to the media's POV for this chapter! Like everyone else I also could hear the MNF crew's voices as I read this.

 

Wish someone would put a gag order on Gruden

 

Gotta love Harden for sure, Best response you can give the media.

 

Great chapter, Stevo!

Edited February 1, 2016 by BigBen07

[Sarge+ 3,436]

 

Tirico: “Let’s go down to Lisa Salters, before the start of the second half. Lisa?”

 

The camera cuts to a close-up of Salters, on the visitors’ sideline.

 

Salters: “Guys, I talked to Knights head coach Merle Harden and, as usual, he was a man of few words. I asked him what his team needs to do to improve in the second half and he simply said, ‘Play better.’ When I asked how, he said, ‘We need to score more points than they do so we win the game.’ Mike, back up to you.”

 

The camera cuts to a standard angle of the field, with both kickoff teams lining up, but laughter from both Tirico and Gruden is audible.

 

Gruden: “Merle Harden, you gotta love him.”

 

I know it's basketball, but this reminds me of Popovich.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

You did a phenomenal job of capturing ESPN and all of the personalities. Such a great job that I was as annoyed by this chapter as I am when I actually watch ESPN.

 

btw, this "The Closer" nonsense has gone too far. Grantzinger had the clinching INT in the Cardinals game, the GW TD catch in the Broncos game, and just got the sack/fumble/recovery to seal this win.

[Maverick 791]

My sentiments were expressed in all of the posts above.

 

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Good characters make good stories. Keep it up.

[seanbrock 1,684]

You did a phenomenal job of capturing ESPN and all of the personalities. Such a great job that I was as annoyed by this chapter as I am when I actually watch ESPN.

 

btw, this "The Closer" nonsense has gone too far. Grantzinger had the clinching INT in the Cardinals game, the GW TD catch in the Broncos game, and just got the sack/fumble/recovery to seal this win.

Haters gonna hate

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Dumbasses gon' cliche.