The PLL is progress and innovation. It’s beauty and joy, fire and fury. It’s about character, conflict and chemistry. I was lucky enough to be in Salt Lake City covering the PLL games last weekend.
There was lots to see, hear and experience.
A cancelled flight.
Lyle executes his signature back-handed move. He popularized the maneuver right before our eyes.
Whips (8-1) up 12-1 at half. Holy crap.
Rambo has a new golf cart. He’s playing bold, not reckless. Hitting doubles.
Chrome (6-3) offensive plays are named after movies.
My phone won’t take a charge.
Michael Ehrhardt’s range.
40-year old Brodie Merrill dislodging opponent sticks from their hands.
Broken shafts. Empty Gatorade bottles. Sunscreen. A yard sale.
Friday night Lightning delay.
Utah resident Adam Ghitelman signing autographs for hordes of smurfs dressed in Archers (5-4) gear.
Trevor clamping. Nardella chasing. TD rising. Inancio learning.
Schreiber’s smoothness.
Blaze Riorden’s right knee wrapped in tape. Eddy Glazener’s achilles. With toughness, power and strength comes fragility.
DJ Ralphy Ralph blending Phil Collins and Eye of the Tiger per my request.
A Chaos (2-7) rebound goal and a Bernlohr body stop.
Huddle conversations amongst Manny, Holman, Ament, Fields, Moore, Schreiber and Coach Chris Bates.
Jake Bernhardt watching his brother Jared (Falcons vs Lions) compete in an NFL pre-season game on his phone during the weather delay.
Lunch with Cotter in Park City.
Hiking the mountains. Learned about deer hunting from coach Tim Soudan.
Met fans from Boise, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. They’re watching. These conversations further confirm the revolution.
Garrett Epple is running red lights.
The massive applause heard in Zions Bank Stadium when Sandy, Utah native Bubba Fairman is introduced prior to the Cannons v Chrome game. He grew up here.
Spilled coffee in my rental car.
Hartzell’s handle.
Teat’s skill. Manny’s will.
RJ’s enthusiasm.
Dhane’s eye. Byrne’s hands, progress unhindered by custom.
Romar’s stride, side-by-side with Whipsnakes pride.
Comparing player notes with analyst Ryan Boyle. Chatting with Sean Kirwan, Seth Tierney, Hans Wittelsberger, Mike Rabil and Tony Resch.
Rob Pannell still delivering dimes.
It was only lint, my phone is charging now.
Zed’s shoulders. Sowers feet. Rowlett’s positivity. Bertrand’s tricks.
Archer’s victorious chapter.
Terefenko’s hustle. JT’s focus. Heacock’s humor. Garnsey’s grit. Currier’s cursing. Palumb’s authority.
Atlas (5-4) disappointment.
Neumann’s stride. Kavanagh’s ride.
Molloy’s hunger. A Carlson twister. A Channy wrister.
Kids scream for tee-shirts. Sconnone with a point-blank denial. The milk man smiles.
Rabil’s dream. Suddenly very real.
A 2:45am wake up call.
You gotta love it. I still do.
Coming out of Salt Lake City, the PLL caravan rolls west to Seattle. Final weekend of the regular season with the Chaos and Cannons trying to secure the 7th and last postseason slot. Wishing is not a strategy.
Whips have clinched first place. Quarterfinal pairings (September 3 at Gillette Stadium) are TBD.
(All the games Saturday and Sunday in Tacoma are on ESPN+)
