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Thursday February 18th

"Lance! Hey Lance!"

The somewhat-portly lapine perked his long ears up amidst the pre-game din of Explorer Stadium. Tossing the warm-up ball in his paws to the nearest ball-boy, Lance Wildfyre (Rabbit, G, ALB) scanned courtside for the source of the voice trying to get his attention. It didn't take long to notice the waving arms or the distinctive purple hat of Stefan Calico (Tabby Cat, Owner/GM, HNT) gesturing towards him. Not wanting to seem inconsiderate to his "host" for tonight's game, the rabbit jogged over to where the feline was standing, surrounded by his bodyguard and a member of stadium security. "Can I help you, Mr. Calico?" asked Lance.

"No formalities needed, Lance, just call me Stefan," replied the tabby. "Unless it makes you uncomfortable, that is."

"Oh! Um, sure, S-Stefan," stammered the buck. "I just don't know if I can be talking--"

"It's fine, Lance," interrupted the cat. "I just haven't had the chance to apologize to you."

"Apologize?"

"For being an indirect cause of your injury," stated Stefan. "Though I see you've bounced back quite well."

The bunny's head tilted slightly. "Huh?" Though just before the cat could say another word, Lance made the connection. "Oh! The trade!"

The feline grinned. "Yes! The trade! Anyway, I am sincerely sorry and hope that you can forgive me."

The rabbit shrugged, looking over his shoulder at his practicing teammates. "It's okay, you weren't responsible for [Julio] Onca's (Black Panther, C/F, SAS) actions."

"Great!" mewed the tabby. "Though I do want to know how you think Aina La'ia (Lemur, G, ALB) and your new General Manager Rourke Danyals (Cat, GM, ALB) have been doing so far."

The rabbit blinked. "Umm, they're doing fine," he said carefully, taking another glance over his shoulder.

"And your relationship to Cliff Matthiews (Canadian Lynx, G, ALK)?"

Lance tried not to look suspicious, though his ears and tail twitched slightly. "Err, why do you ask, Mist-- Stefan?"

The cat waved a paw dismissively. "Just trying to satisfy my curiosity. Feline thing, you understand. Though that must mean you're not missing Mr. [Darius] Mal'nioto (Wolf) at all then."

At the mention of the former Albany GM, the rabbit paled. "N-no, of course not! That guy's a jerk. He's bad news."

Stefan quirked his brow slightly at the bunny's sudden change in demeanor and focus. "Is that so? He seemed intuitive enough when I met with him before the season started. I even have an interview scheduled with him."

"I-interview?" stammered Lance. "He almost sabotaged our team!"

"Really?" the cat replied, perking his ears. "I didn't know about that."

As if a floodgate were opened up, Wildfyre went into vivid details about how the wolf did his best during the off-season to make sure that the Albany squad wouldn't be in any sort of playing shape. Calico soaked up all the information like sunshine on a lazy day, trying not to wince at the "bribes" that were given to the two players that he acquired from the Alphas: sexual partners for Evan Ashton (Lion, F, HNT) and the cooking show for Cassandra Walburg (Tuxedo Cat, G, HNT). With all discretion cast aside, the rabbit even shared items that had been told in confidence between him and the GM Danyals, including suspicions of Darius' involvement behind Dennis !Xabbu's (Spotted Giraffe, C, ALB) disappearance and Carl Esteban's (Jaguar, G/F, ALB) arrest.

"Hmmm, I'll have to keep that in mind," replied the feline once Lance's tirade ended, "but I shouldn't hold you up any longer from your pre-game practices with your team. Good luck out there, you'll need it."

"Oh... yes," the rabbit nodded, and immediately clammed up. And without even a wave or another word, he turned tail and jogged back onto the court to rejoin his team.

"He's definitely not the same confident buck he was when I was scouting him before the injury," Stefan mused aloud before tapping the shoulder of the stadium security guard who had his back turned during the conversation. "And none of this gets shared with anyone, right Owen?"

The uniformed feline nodded. "Of course, Stefan." The russian blue gestured a bit, "Not like anyone around here could hear much."

The tabby cast a glance into the upper deck seats, obscured in shadows by the bright lights of the stadium. "Let's hope so."

---

Friday February 19th

Tyler Kiko (Goat, F, HNT) thought he'd seen it all.

He was witness to the retirement of a legend, just as he got drafted into the same organization. Mid-season staff changes followed by new ownership cleaning house was no surprise. Even the passing of a former teammate earlier this season, just as his own knees were starting to bother him again, didn't really faze him.

But something about that cat never sat well with him, and tonight's stunt actually made him wonder what he got himself into.

Granted, he wasn't completely caught off-guard. [Howard] Schnitthund (German Shepherd, Head Coach, HNT) had already given his speech to the team after he came back from his "family emergency", letting them know about the "core nine" principle that the staff was going to implement. That the long road trip to end the first half of the season would culminate in matches against their two biggest obstacles for the conference title, with the hopes that they wouldn't falter in the same fashion as their pre-season gauntlet that also involved games against those same teams. And to be prepared for another address from Stefan Calico before heading into the All-Star break.

And so, after yet another defeat on the road against the Moonshiners, the entire team was gathered in the common section of the visitor's locker room where a Blu-ray player and TV had been set up -- the head of the Mayors' owner was paused in high definition on the flat screen. Once everyone had settled down, Coach Schnitthund started up the recording.

"Nine championships. That's what you are meant to represent to the rest of the league. The pinnacle of achievement, and role models for basketball aficionados worldwide.

"Nine champions. That's all it took in 2009 to get past the current defending title holders. Furs dedicated to each other to bring that title home, without distrust or conflict.

"Nine players. I am referring to the 'core nine' topic that has been brought up recently, something that will be a focus after the mid-season break. I will clarify how this principle is going to be developed, but I want to talk about the season so far.

"In the time that I've had to sit through both practices and games with you while Philip [Ringer (Rat, Asst Coach, HNT)] had taken over in Howard's absence, I've learned that you're much more than just a bunch of highlight reels and statistics. I am proud of the Teamwork that you've developed these past few months, and equally humbled by the Respect that Coach Schnitthund has instilled in each of you when approaching the other team after the final buzzer of every game. As you know, however, the final piece to our vision still remains: Growth.

"If you haven't noticed, most of the other teams have started to catch up or have already surpassed us. Even the Mudpuppies, a team we've consistently beaten this season, are ahead of us! And if you're wondering why, I'll sum it up in one word: improvement. Every other team has seen how we work together, and have learned to adapt themselves to our game. And while I've tried to make minor improvements in our reserve personnel, the burden of development lies within each of you to take your skills to the next level."

The cat's face loomed closer to the camera as it took up a larger portion of the screen. "Now don't think that just because you have a no-trade clause in your contract that it excludes you from trying to make your game better for the rest of this team. I am committed to my three-tiered vision, and anyone who demonstrates that they don't share that commitment will find themselves off the team."

Some of the Mayors shifted uneasily and traded glances with each other as Stefan's recording went silent for a moment. "You can spend your All-Star Break how you want -- training hard, supporting your fellow players at the festivities, catching up with your other affairs -- I really don't care. But on the Tuesday after the break, we will have three days of practice with the Georgia Peachtrees before heading off to Williamsburg.

"As far as I'm concerned, this team has no guarantee of making the post-season, especially with the Typhoons breathing down our neck. I hope that each of you returns from the break ready to fight for our rightful place in the playoffs, but I also expect each of you to deal with the strict lineup that I've given to Coach Schnitthund for the remainder of the season, barring injury replacements. I have faith in each of you to give your best efforts for the folks of Huntsville and Mayors fans everywhere, so until the next time I can personally see you all, remember: Teamwork, Respect, and Growth."

The recording faded out to a picture of the Mayors logo, which then changed slightly as the monocle was darkened and the moustache slowly turned brown. Most eyes turned towards John Stoat (Stoat, G, HNT) who just crossed his arms and smirked, as Schnitthund cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Until someone gets injured, or I'm otherwise instructed, the lineup will be as follows: the starting line will be Brisbane, Stoat, Ashton, Brown, and Kamal; the bench will be Lime, McCormick, Kiko, Broyles, and Kent; and the reserves will be Holland and Diego."

The head coach then droned on about his observations about the game, then instructed the players to avoid any mention of the video to the media before they were let in. And after all the questions were asked and the reporters were shuffled out of the locker room areas, Kiko was pulled aside by Schnitthund.

"You're being sent to Pittsburgh," noted the dog, "on a provisional basis."

"Excuse me?" replied Tyler.

"Calico's trying to get one of the Keystones' 1st round pick in the upcoming draft. Right now you're supposed to be packaged with our 2nd round pick from the Bikers, and we get Vincent Wei+ (Dhole, F, PIT) who will get waived so one of the Peachtrees can get called up. And in some act of good faith, Stefan's excused you from practice with us so that you can practice with them."

The goat was beyond shocked. "Who the hell does that cat think he is? First he gets us to scrimmage against the Minutemen, and now he's letting those losers 'test drive' me?!?"

The German shepherd shook his head. "Calm down, Tyler. Based on what I know about the Keystones' owner, you're not young enough to be on that team. Their new GM might try to make a case for you, but I'm pretty sure you're not going anywhere."

"Gee, thanks for making me feel better," muttered Kiko.

"Look, I'm trying my best to keep this team together, Tyler. We've been through a lot over the years, and right now I need you here, and I need your support." Howard patted the goat on the shoulder. "Just... humor him."

All the canine got in response was a grumbled "Fine" as he shook off the coach's paw and left the locker room.