PapaBear is Back: Erebor in 2018

via Eagle Press

EREBOR - At an informal interview with MESN's Roland Honeywell and a formal press conference later, Erebor's returning GM, PapaBear, set out to clarify his vision for the team in 2018.

"I look at this team," the returning owner/GM said, "and player for player, I'd say we've got a solid core that could be very competitive this year, with good young players up-and-coming. But we thought the same thing at the beginning of last year, and we went out and paid top-dollar for players like Darkbrother and Chubb, hoping those moves would make us contenders, and, well, to be candid, it just didn’t work that way."

PapaBear continued the interview, saying, "Saravin, of course, was injured for a good part of the season. And maybe we got Chubb too late to be the difference-maker we believe she can be. But, here we are again--faced with that age-old question: do we go for it now, or see what we can build for the future?"

Later, at a press conference, he attempted to answer his own question. In a prepared statement, PapaBear said, "The Erebor franchise has decided to commit to building for the future. We want to give our best young players the time and coaching and incentive to develop their skills at whatever level seems right for them during the 2018 season. And, we want to add more young talent with an eye toward establishing a franchise that is strong from top to bottom, and developing new talent as standard operating procedure. Now, to that end, we know we may have to sacrifice some of our top veteran players, and maybe even one or two of those up-and-comers I mentioned earlier today. There are teams in this league poised to win it all now, needing only that specific piece to put them over the top. So, we are going on record here and now as being ready to do business. Serious business."

In answer to follow-up questions centered on possible trade rumors, he responded, "In the right deal, anyone in our franchise is available. We have an open line."

Posted at August 13, 2008 10:13 AM | more from Erebor