Bounders Bulletins

By Merimas Tussock

BYWATER - A calm has been cast over Bywater of late. With the sale of Dryadpoker last season, many were wondering just what was going on in the heads of those in charge. However, the team did seem to stop getting worse after Grikak's departure. The trade was apparently the result of ever escalating tension between Sir Ken's management style and team owner Kevin. Relations between the two have never been easy. Rumours suggest that Sir Ken had little time for Kevin's ideas about running a team, and indeed since his arrival many of the original Bounders have found their jobs on the line. "Sure I've brought in a lot of new guys, and we've tossed a lot of the dead wood too, but this talk of a rift is rubbish. Kevin and I get on very well, only the other day he actually let the doctor treat my wounds before our meeting was even over."

Although acknowledged as a prime pitcher, Dryadpoker never quite reached his full potential in Bywater. There were many rumours of problems with his teammates, and now that he's gone there have been anonymous comments about his attitude towards the other players. An unidentified player has said that, "Dryadpoker was a jerk. He kept strutting around like he owned the place, thought he was better than the rest of us. He never even tried while he was here; the team was struggling and you look to guys like that to help you out but all he could do was brag about his new 18 horse power cart or how he was planning to extend his tree-house, again! We really noticed it when the Witch-King arrived. He's an old guy who's achieved much more that Grikak but he treated us with respect. He helps the rookies you know? That guy managed 15 wins last season and did much more for us than Grikak ever did. Jerk."

Sir Ken is another reported to be glad that Dryadpoker's gone, despite his claims that they always got on well together. Few would've ever suggested that Kevin had a problem with Grikak, especially after he signed the contract for $20M, however it seems that eventually even Kevin had to admit that Dryadpoker was underperforming and gave in to Sir Ken's request to restructure things further.

Now fans are wondering if the new season will see a turn-around in the Bounder's fortunes. Local historians suggest that the Dark Lord's bride returning to the league is a good omen; reminding many that the Bounder's best year to date occurred whilst she was holed up in Lonely Mountain. At least one local priest is concerned by this though; pointing out that Kevin has recently expressed a certain disregard for law and order and has forbidden him from blessing the team's bats.

However the local law enforcement officers have said there's nothing to worry about. "We're still tryin' to work out where they got all that wood for that there new sauna they got themselves. We ain't saying Kevin's a wrongun' or nuffin', just that someone should remember selling that much wood." When asked if there was any further news on the ent families that mysteriously vanished just before Kevin was able to buy their land for stadium developments the officer declined to comment.

Posted at October 6, 2004 05:54 PM | more from Bywater