The year is 2020. Humanity has been caged in their homes. Bars are closed. Thousands are unemployed from their jobs. And worst of all, professional sports have been postponed indefinitely. Instead of reading this fictional horror story for a 10th grade book report, we are living it.
So, we have to ask ourselves one question. What now? What do we do now that basically everything we do to escape our stressful lives has been taken from us? What do when we are not allowed to see family and friends? It has been three weeks since I have been placed on house arrest by Corona, but I have finally thought of a solution to my boredom.
Two years ago, I did what every college student did. Grabbed by xbox controller and played video games. On this night, I decided to play NHL. I've played enough kids online and was not interested in their "Ultimate Team" game mode. So, I thought I would create a player in the game's my career mode. My career mode allows gamers to create a player and play out an entire NHL career with this one guy. In the past, I have done this, but used my own iconic name to put myself in a different world. However, for the first time I, Paddy Pitts, did not want to lace up the skates.
I wanted to create a new persona. A man who would not only be "my guy," but would become the greatest hockey player to ever live. He would transcend an organization into the next great sports franchise. Becoming a role model for the next generation of hockey players around the globe. He would become a virtual friend of mine. I created Zlatan Kozun, the original Pitts Peep.
Before I go into Kozun's backstory, I need to tell you about the others. Yes, I said others.
I had so much fun creating him, that I decided I would continue to do this for every sports my career game I played. Kozun became that escape from me during some dark days. I could forget about any problems or stresses in my life and immerse myself in an alternate reality. Hockey season has to end sometime, right? But when one season ends, another begins.
Football season was right around the corner and I picked up the newest copy of EA Sports Madden. They updated their own my career mode with an actual in game storyline. Wonderful! Half of my creative job has been done for me. All I have to do now is just give a name and the rest will write itself. As I sat in my leather throne, I begin to create the second peep. A tall, built QB who had been moved to second string his freshman year after being promised the starting job stepped off the bus for the National Championship Playoffs. It was his time to shine with the starter going down with an injury. Walking towards the locker room, a security guard approaches him asking who he is. He looked at her like a laser eye to eye and said, "I'm Blake Strega. And I am about to bring USC a National Championship." The second Pitts' peep was born.
My career can get boring. Strega won MVP, but the Dolphins(the team that took a shot on him) were not improving on the defensive side of the ball. I began to get frustrated over the fact Strega was giving Miami a show, but lack of help from the defense ended the show too early. I decided to step away from Blake for a bit and take on a new role.
Being a head coach in the NFL, even if its in Madden, is not easy. Controlling both sides of the ball along with managing the front office, it is a difficult job. I hopped in to my new gig with a potential peep, but I couldn't feel it in the air at Ford Field so I parted ways with him. Not long after stepping away from Phil, I received an offer to be in a new league. Only issue was I needed a new guy. I needed someone with confidence. Someone who commanded a locker room and was great with finances. I took a trip to the PittsCave and began to do some digging.
After a few interviews with qualified candidates, one man stuck out to me. He put his business over everything. He may not have had the football experience like the others, but he played the game in high school and college. Unfortunately, he had to step away to become a business owner in order to provide for his family. His restaurant chain became the number one dining experience in his state. His workers loved him, except for one lazy squid. He gave his family a life of luxury and joy. I connected with him right off the bat. After he walked out of the interview, I gave commissioner, Adam West, a call. After catching up and asking him how he feels taking on his new role, I answered the one question he had for me. Who was the next head coach for my team?
"Rod, I will be taking over owner controls of the Seattle Seahawks and my head coach/general manager is Eugene Krabbs," I said. The third Pitts peep has been added to the family.
Even though football season goes on, a new season was just beginning. If you didn't know before, basketball was my first sports love. I fell in love with the game at a young age shooting hoops outside with my dad, Dickie Pitts, and brother, B-Pitts. It became a family affair when B-Pitts agreed to be my head coach throughout my entire career. However, there is not much of a future in the game for a 5'8 chubby kid, so I hung up my sneakers in 2015. My jersey remains in the rafters of the St.Agatha's gym next to our championship banner.
How could I continue my love of the game while combining it with my love of storytelling? Easy, the NBA 2K franchise. I played it all through high school and decided to jump back into it before this pandemic. I downloaded the game and immediately went to their my career mode. Similar to Madden, the storyline was already given to me. I just had to think of another persona I wanted to travel on this journey with. I sat in my lab and developed the ideal NBA superstar. Standing at six foot three inches, hailing from the streets of New Haven, CT. Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome to the Pitts' Peeps' family Kendall Jackson.
So, that was a little overview of everyone. I wanted to give a backstory to the readers on how I thought of these personas. Now that Dr. Frankenstein has created his monsters, it's time to unleash them into the wild. I just rambled about my own backstory, so it's only fair that you learn about theirs. It's time to learn about each Pitts Peep and where they are today.
Zlatan Kozun: RW for the Kozun Bunch of the EASHL, RW for the Ottawa Senators
Accolades:
- 4x Hart Memorial winner
- Calder Memorial Winner
- Conn Smythe Winner
- 3x Art Ross Winner
- Stanley Cup Champion with Arizona Coyotes
Backstory:
Zlatan Kozun was born in Krylbo, Sweden in 1990. His parents, Vladimir and Anfisa, gave birth to their third son on a cold January night. The doctors did not think Zlatan would make it. Anfisa was in labor for almost 12 hours. Zlatan came out of the womb with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Minutes after Anfisa gave birth to her third child, he was already being taken away from her. Doctors warned her that it maybe the last time she sees her son.
Hours of surgery later, Zlatan was saved. He was kept in the hospital for two weeks after for precautionary measures, but they warned the Kozuns that he may have problems as he gets older. Anfisa began to weep, but Vlad comforted her by saying, "We have already overcame a lot in our lives. We will get through this."
The Kozuns did get through it. Thankfully, the only issue that arose from the nuchal cord was that Zlatan developed a learning disability. He developed Dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects one's ability to write. They develop an inability to spell and write. This caused Zlatan to struggle in school. Unable to finish essays or take notes for his classes. He could not process the information in front of him which led to poor grades and more time after school working with his professors.
While he struggled in the classroom, Zlatan thrived on the ice. Hockey became his sanctuary. The Kozuns were hockey players. His brothers, Henrik and Hans, already were stars within their town and even got offers to play in the States at different Universities. At two years old, Vlad had Zlatan on the ice. Starting him out by gliding and keeping his balance, then he gave him a stick.
On the day Vlad gave Zlatan that stick, his eyes opened wide. A smile emerged from his face never seen before by any of his family. From that moment on, Zlatan fell in love with the game of hockey.
School became secondary for Zlatan. Sitting in class, he zoned out dreaming of playing in the NHL. He pictured himself on the ice more than he sat in front of a text book. When the bell rang, he raced out of the building and to the pond. He skated for hours practicing drills. He perfected his skating doing different drills he picked up from his brothers. The three of them played from the sun rose til the sun set. Wake up. Eat Breakfast. Skate at the pond. Go to sleep. This became the Kozun ritual every day until Henrik got the opportunity of a lifetime.
One day while skating at the pond, a man hollered to the brothers. They could not understand him, so they kept playing. His voice became louder and clearer, so they threw down their sticks and approached the man.
"What you want, man," Henrik demanded.
"Sorry, I'm trying to find this address, but my phone died and I can't understand the directions I was given," the man said. "I'm looking for the Sports complex on Dalskog? I don't know I'm not from here I'm on a recruiting trip looking for a kid named Karlsson."
"Bro that is thirty minutes away from here," Hans said laughing at this man's misfortune.
"Well, there goes my job. I am definitely getting canned now. Rand's going to kill me," The man uttered as he sat down in the pile of snow. "My name is Kenny McKinney and I am one of the Assistant coaches at Quinnipiac University. We just started a hockey program and are on the verge of reaching division one, but cannot find a goal scorer. Every year, we recruit a kid. He plays well, but by the end of the season he gets injured and would rather be an average college student rather than compete for a national title."
"You work for Quinnipiac," Henrik questioned. "Like, the school in America?"
"Yeah, why? You've heard of it," Kenny questioned.
"I mean yeah. Our father has a friend in the States he works with that lives near it."
"How old are you guys, anyway?"
"I am 19," Henrik said. "My brother Hans is 16 and our youngest brother, Zlatan, over there is 12. My name is Henrik by the way."
"Nice to meet you guys. So Henrik, have you thought about college?"
"I think about playing in the NHL. I play for a team here, but we play and play, but nothing comes of it."
"Interesting. Where do you guys live?"
Henrik points to the house across the pond.
Kenny smirked and realized that his misfortune might have led him to a pot of gold. "I know this is a shot in the dark, but would you mind if we went to your house and I spoke with your parents for a minute."
"I guess so, but we still have to play. You got in middle of our game."
"Hen, we can stop for a bit," Hans said smiling.
"Hans, shut the hell up! You only want to stop because your winning," Henrik screamed.
"Actually man, Zlatan is winning."
Zlatan shrugs still not speaking a word.
Kenny was the answer to the Kozun family's prayers. That interaction on the pond gave Henrik the chance to kickstart his dream of playing in the NHL with a scholarship offer from Quinnipiac. Henrik would play all four years in Hamden, CT for the Bobcats and even giving them their first ever national championship in the university's history. Henrik became such a sensation, he was signed by the New York Rangers. Hans would follow in Henrik's footsteps, but did not reach the NHL. He became a fixture in the AHL, but seemed pretty content with his situation. As for Zlatan, he sat and waited.
As mentioned, Zlatan was only 12 years old when his oldest brother, Henrik, left for the United States. He became lost without his older brother. Other than the obvious of skating on the pond, the two of them would sit in their basement watching everything NHL. From live games, to old clips. They would study the highlights and pick up on certain aspects of the game they could replicate themselves. Now, Zlatan sat alone in his basement watching games looking over his shoulder to find the empty spot on the couch where Henrik would sit and yell at the TV. Zlatan was not the vocal one of the family. He did not share his emotions or feelings with anyone. His parents knew Henrik's departure killed Zlatan, but he just sat in the basement and skated on the pond alone. Hans was there, but he was also gone in a year. At the age of 18, Zlatan approached Vlad and Anfisa and said something that caused his mother to drop her morning coffee. "Mom. Dad. I am going to the United States. I want to play hockey. I do not want to be here without my brothers."
Anfisa shed a tear and froze with shock. Vlad put down his iPad, stood up from the table and walked over to Zlatan. "I knew this day would come. We did not think it would be this soon, but we understand. What do you need us to do?"
Vlad and Anfisa prepared Zlatan for his one way ticket to America just like they did his brothers. Anfisa began to weep at the airport. She squeezed her youngest son tight and said, "I love you Z. I knew you were special from the moment the doctors took you away from me. Please call us when you get to America." Zlatan shook his head and agreed to call. Vlad hugged his son and gave him one last bit of advice before he hopped on the plane.
"I told your brothers this before they left and I will tell you too. Kozuns do not give up. Kozuns do not let anyone get in their way. And most importantly, Kozuns always get the last laugh."
Zlatan soaked in his father's last words of advice and walked over to his gate. His journey to becoming the next NHL superstar had begun.
Blake Strega: QB for the New York Giants(Current), Drafted 23rd by Miami Dolphins
Accolades:
- 5x Pro Bowler
- 3x MVP
- Rookie of the Year
- 2x Offensive Player of the Year
- Record for most passing yards in a season (5,583)
Backstory:
Blake Strega was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1994. He was raised by his mother and father, but no siblings. His mother, Ronda, worked as a principal of the public high school, while his father, Wade, worked as an accountant. He did not grow up rich, but he did not struggle either. He was just your average kid. He stayed out of trouble thanks to his core group of friends, Keith, Mark, and Victor. The four friends grew up on the same street and were inseparable by the age of six. They didn't care to be the popular kids. They didn't care to be considered "outcasts" either. They just wanted to be with each other. Keith grew up with one sister who was older than him, so they did not have much of a relationship. Mark had a younger brother, Luke, but he was born when Mark was ten. As for Victor, Vick as the group called him, he was also an only child, but raised by his mom. His dad passed away during the 9/11 attacks, so he did not have the chance to have a real relationship with him. Blake's family considered Vick their second child; the closest thing Blake had to a brother.
The four guys constantly hung out together. Between whiffle ball, street hockey, and football it was nearly impossible to get them to go home. Their spot was the park down the street, Matthews Park, that had everything a child could dream of. A baseball field, playground, and massive open field for football gave these kids everything they could ever ask for. Their friendship turned into a brotherhood at Matthews.
As they got older, their lives went in different directions. They began to follow their passions once high school started. Keith became heavily involved in student government. Mark fell in love with the arts. Victor struggled to find his outlet, but thanks to his brother Blake, he joined the football team. Blake did not play organized football until high school. His only experience with the sport was playing at Matthews with his friends. Blake didn't realize it, but his friends did when one day a group came down and challenged them to a game. A friendly game turned into a squash match. These kids played pop warner, but clearly spent most of the time finding the water cooler rather than the end zone. Blake took over. Throwing bullet passes from one end of the field to the other with ease. Shrugging off the kids tackles like a dad play wrestling with his children. The three guys looked at each other in awe after the kids wallowed away in defeat. The four of the them stood in silence until Mark spoke up.
"So, Blake? Where did that come from?"
"I don't like to lose," he said chuckling. "They came in cocky thinking they were going to bully us. I didn't like that."
"When did you learn how to throw a behind the back pass that accurately," Mark questioned.
"Dude, we play NFL street all the time at my house," Blake responded. "If they can do it, why can't I?"
"Because it's a video game. They run on walls," Keith said. "Can you run on walls?"
"Nah, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't tried," Blake said.
Since that day, Blake realized he could make a career of his athletic ability. He tried out for the football team freshman year, but only made junior varsity. He would have made varsity, but they did not have a spot for him on the roster. Until, mid way through the season, the starting quarterback was injured after being sacked in the backfield. He got up, but could not feel his elbow. He went off to the sidelines and never saw the field again.
The next day, the coach called Blake up from JV. Blake was to sit and learn everything he could from the starting senior, Tony. Tony was a four year varsity player who would have been the starter until his grades began to slip and he had to focus on school, since he had bigger aspirations that were not playing football. However, Tony was a wizard. He knew the game of football like the back of his hand. He was not the most athletic, but he was the most intelligent quarterback their coach, Ray Duggs, has ever coached. He saw Blake's ability at tryouts and knew he needed to pair the two together.
Tony graduated and ended up going to Stanford. He had dreams of starting his own business and realized at a young age he was not made for the pros. Hence why he fell in love with Blake. He knew that Blake was special. He saw what Duggs saw in Blake. He mentored him through the rest of Blake's high school career, even while being away at college.
Blake exceeded coach Duggs expectations within the first two years. He broke the touchdowns and passing yards record in his sophomore year. His junior year, he brought home New Rochelle's first ever State championship. By the start of his senior year, coaches from across the nation were flying in to scout him. Nick Sabban even took his family out to dinner. Yes, this includes Vick.
When it came time to decide where Blake was going to go to school, he became distant. He was not sad or angry; he just needed alone time to think the whole process through. He did not imagine this would be where his life would take him. He isolated himself from his group. He spent a lot of him time in his room immersing himself in youtube clips. He wondered down the rabbit hole of different college football highlights, stories, and documentaries. While he locked himself away in his room, his friends waited for him day after day at Matthews. They began to be worried about him. Sitting on the playground, the three friends voiced their concerns about their best friend.
"Guys, I'm getting worried about Blake. He's been so distant lately," Keith said.
"Yeah, he hasn't been his usual self. I made a joke about Vine and he just kept staring out into space," Mark responded. "It was about his favorite one too! We were passing a 'Road work ahead' sign. It was a gimme."
"I talked to him last night when I had dinner at his house," Vick said. "He said he knows he hasn't been himself, but he just needs to be alone for awhile to make sure he makes the right decision. I don't think he realized how good he was until this year. No one did!"
"I get that, but we're his friends. He should be comfortable with telling us this stuff," Keith responded.
"Look. He's making his decision Friday and he has some insane schools to choose from," Vick said. "We just need to go. Be there for him. And then after we can all go back to his and spend the night in his manacle like old times."
"I just hope he comes to my last show tomorrow night," Mark said. "It's my last opening night and he can't miss it. He'll ruin the tradition."
The guys left the park hoping to have their best friend back by the weekend.
It was Friday afternoon and the school's library started filling up with members of the media and people dressed for a corporate event. The three friends sat in the front row looking up at Wade, Ronda and Blake. The table of in front of them had seven hats for Blake to choose from. Blake leaned over the microphone thanked everyone for coming and said, "Next year, I will be attending the University of Southern California." Grabbed the red hat. Put it on his head and began to hug his loved ones. Everyone cheered and clapped for their local superstar. His journey was only beginning.
Fast forward to his third day at college, his coach texts him to come into his office. He tells him to take a seat and informs him that he will not be starting this season. In fact, he will be red shirting because of a commit who decided to transfer from Alabama. Everything he has worked for taken away from him before he got the chance to step on the practice field. He storms out of the office leaving the coach with one last thought, "I'm not transferring. I'll prove to you I should be the starter of this team. Trust me. I'm not going anywhere."
Blake's journey may have gone off course, but he knows he's not done yet. His journey has only began.
Eugene Krabbs: Head Coach/General Manager of the Seattle Seahawks
Accolades:
- One playoff appearance in eight seasons
- Overall record of: 79-65
- 1-1 in Playoffs
- Has only finished above last place once in eight seasons
Back Story:
Eugene Krabbs was born in 1969 in a small town outside of Des Moines, Iowa into a family that based their values on one thing, work. They did not come from money. His father, David, served in the military for a few years then came home and worked as a garbage man. His mother, Ellen, did not have a lavish job either. She worked at the local grocery store down the street from their slab house. Eugene had one sister, Erin, that was a few years younger than him. Every penny earned by the Krabbs family was put to use in some capacity. They did not know what the word vacation meant.
With this being said, Eugene had to work for everything in his life. In high school, Gene played for the football team as a lineman on both sides of the ball. He protected his own quarterback, but then had to switch gears and attack the opposing one. He loved football. It was his escape from the enormous stresses in his life. When he wasn't playing football, he worked as a busboy for the local restaurant. School, practice, work repeat became his routine for four years.
Eugene had some offers to play in college, but it all changed one tragic day. On a cloudy day after practice, Eugene walked home with hopes to tell his dad about an amazing force fumble he had one the quarterback that led to him actually scoring. He flew by the screen door to his entire family in the living room. Their heads hung low and tears soaked the carpet. His mother informed Gene that his father had just been killed by a drunk driver on one of his routes. He froze. He could not believe what he just heard. How could this be? What does this mean for the family? Eugene became silent and distant. He lost not only a father, but a best friend.
At the funeral service, Eugene looked on as they lowered his father into the ground. As tears fell from his face, Gene knew that he needed to step up and be the provider for the family. Ellen's job did not pay well enough to support the three of them. He knew he had to put his plans on hold and step up for the family's sake.
He graduated high school and immediately picked up twice as many shifts at the restaurant. He began to work seven days a week from open to close. He hung up his cleats and picked up an apron. His apron became his new uniform. He traded in grass and dirt stains for ketchup and other sauce stains. The owner walked in one day to see Eugene being the only one in the building. He was preparing for the lunch rush that day before any potential customer got out of their beds. The owner, Doug, walked over to him and asked, "Hey son, what the hell are you doing here? We don't open for another three hours. Who let you in here?"
"Sorry, sir. The manager told me last night I could come in early and do prep work. Just wanted to get ahead of things before it got crazy," Eugene replied.
"Listen, son. I have seen you around here for over ten years. You have gone from job to job without a complaint. Now, you're in here before our management team. I feel awful for asking but, what is your name?"
"My name is Eugene Krabbs, sir."
"Gene, thank you. Aren't you suppose to be at college?"
"Had to put that on the back burner. My family needs help financially and I had to step up and pick up a few more shifts to help pay the bills."
"If you don't mind me asking, why?"
"My dad was killed by a drunk driver. He made all the money in our family and his death forced us to change our plans. My sister couldn't work because she's still going to school. Sounds ridiculous, but I put my dreams away so she could achieve hers."
Doug was stunned. He could not believe what he had heard. He knew he had to do something to help this kid out.
"Alright, Gene. I'm going to do something I usually do not do," Doug said as he took a breath. "How much of this business do you know?"
"I've been here ten years this year, so I know a decent amount."
"Well, how about I make you a manager. You'll be my right hand man. Since you aren't going to school, I can teach you a thing or two about how to run a business. I was thinking of expanding this place and hopefully making a chain out of it. I've been looking for someone to help, but everyone I hire ends up flaking on me. Would you be interested in that."
Gene shook his head and Doug's hand and agreed to be his apprentice. Things began to look up for the Krabbs family.
Within three years, Eugene became the general manager of the four new restaurants. He and Doug worked long nights and stayed up discussing not only the future of the industry, but Gene's aspirations outside of this job. Doug learned quickly that the only thing Gene knew more about than food, was football. When he would go home, he flipped on the TV and would watch hours of highlights and tape from different games and players from around the league. He became an encyclopedia of the game. Doug wanted to get him out of this industry and into one he actually enjoyed.
On a cold winter night, Eugene was working when Doug and the mayor, Adam West, walked into the restaurant. They walked into the office in the back and asked Gene to join them.
"Hi, Doug. What's up?"
"Gene! I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine. Mr. Mayor Adam West," Doug exclaimed.
"Gene, please to meet you," West said. "Doug has told me so much about you. So happy to finally meet you."
"Pleasure is all mine Mr.Mayor," Eugene responded while shaking his hand. "What brings you to Slappy's?"
"Actually Gene, he's here for you," Doug interrupted. "Tell him, Adam."
"So Gene, Doug has told me how you are a walking encyclopedia of the NFL. Well, as you probably know Roger Goodell has been forced out of his position as commissioner."
"Yes, I did hear that because of the scandal between him, Bill Belichick and Jerry Jones."
"Correct, and I am very good friends with those two guys and Mark Davis. They just informed me that Goodell has been officially relieved of his duties along with his staff. The league is about to go through a tough time. They found even more dirt on three coaches in the NFC West. Tampering, Bribery, and so much more that if I told you right now, I would have to join them in their exit from the league."
"Holy shit," Eugene said as he could not muster up any other response to the situation. "So why are you telling me this?"
"Well Gene, Doug here told me about your situation. About how your father was killed. Your mother ended up losing her job and your sister not being able to finish school either and forced to work as a receptionist for Dr.Pewder's office. You have an amazing story and work ethic. I want to help you out."
Adam took out a folder from his briefcase and handed it to Eugene. In the folder, was a contract to be one of the new head coaches and general managers for an NFL team. Eugene stood frozen.
"We have an opening for three teams in the NFC West, The Cowboys, Patriots, and Lions," West said. "I want you to become one of the next guys who transforms the NFL into its next era."
"Sir, I am honored I really am. But, I can't do this. I maybe a general manager of this restaurant chain, but that doesn't mean I'll be a good fit for an NFL franchise. Especially for a team like the, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS?!? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?"
"Listen, Gene. I'm offering it to you because I have already been in talks with other league officials and head coaches. They are going to work with me closely to bringing the NFL back to being the number one professional sports organization in America. Adam Silver, a good friend of mine, just took over the NBA and I have been working with him to implement what he has done into our league. You get first pick on any team you would like and I will even let you pick two other coaches to join you."
Adam West walked out of the office with Doug leaving Eugene left to make the biggest decision of his life. He has been out of football for nearly twenty years at this point. He could not run an entire organization.
After days of thinking it over with his mom and sister, he grabbed the phone called Adam and told him he was in. West and Krabbs met hours later at Slappy's and made a few calls to two other guys to join them. A long time friend of Eugene, Tony Allen, was called due to his success in the sporting good business. Bobby Valentine was next up on that list and called to Slappy's. Eugene and Tony played high school football together. Tony played wide receiver and broke almost every state record before tearing every muscle in his knee during the state championship game. Bobby was a different story. He did not play football with the two, but was the team's manager. He knew the game inside and out, but due to his unathletic ability, he couldn't even run a slant route. Adam looked these three men in the eyes and said, "Gentlemen, the NFL is at a turning point. No more Goodell. No more Jerry World. And no more Patriots dynasty. I have been tasked to elevate the league into unseen territory. If I am going to do this, it is going to be in the most unorthodox way possible. A restaurant general manager, a sporting good tycoon, and a business analyst. Eugene told me he wants to run the Seahawks so with that, I will be placing the two of you in his division. You have Sean McVey because luckily, he was not involved in any of that crap the others were involved in. I am counting on you guys to make the NFL the most watched television programming in all of the United States. The league is not only mine, but yours. Treat is as such."
Eugene looked at Adam. He looked at Tony. He looked at Bobby. He took a deep breath and uttered a phrase that would become his mantra for years to come.
"You give us the tools, and we will build it. It's time to build ourselves and empire."
Adam gave them the tools eight years ago. Now, those three men along with McVey have built an empire Rome would be jealous of. The NFL was back.
Kendall Jackson: PG for the Los Angeles Lakers
Accolades:
- 4th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft
- Rookie of the Year
- 2019 MVP
- NBA Finals MVP
- NBA All First team
- NBA All Rookie team
- NBA All Defensive team
Back story:
Kendall Jackson, KJ, was born in New Haven, CT in 1995. It was only him and his mother growing up. She worked as a nurse at New Haven/Yale hospital. She worked long nights which caused Kendall to fend for himself most of the time. Sitting in the house alone, he would turn on the TV to make the time go by waiting for his mother to get home. It started with cartoons, but he quickly would get bored of them and turned on TNT. The NBA became his escape.
He fell in love with the game of basketball instantly. He loved watching the Celtics, Lakers, and Pistons, but one team stole his heart, mostly due to their starting point guard. The Philadelphia 76ers became his team. He began to study every move Allen Iverson made. From his ability to finish, from his ball handling skills. He became infatuated with everything about him. He wanted to be just like him when he grew up; he wanted to be an NBA all star.
While the Sixers were his team, he knew that just watching them would not give him the knowledge of what he needed to get to the professional level. When he was not doing homework, he was watching clips of some of the greatest point guards in NBA history. He started with Pistol Pete and learned how important passing was to elevate his game. From Pete, he studied Magic Johnson. He began to idolize Magic. Everything Magic did KJ wanted to do. Steve Nash, Isaiah Thomas, Deron Williams were a few others he studied for hours on end. Unfortunately, this is the only thing KJ loved to study
After school, KJ had to go and receive extra help for his classes. He struggled with school. His mom was no help because of her late nights at the hospital, but even when she was home, she was either sleeping or sleeping with a "friend" she met at the bar after work. KJ did everything he could just to earn a B on a test. Grades did not matter to him. Basketball did.
He began spending less time at home and more time on the courts. He played pick up with his friends and other locals at the park. They loved playing with him because they knew he just wanted to pass. He would rather throw a flashy pass rather than shoot. This helped him when he tried out for the varsity team, but the coach scratched his head when he'd give up wide open jump shots to throw a bounce pass to a driving big man. After the last day of tryouts, the coach, Lamar, asked to see KJ in his office.
"Have a seat, Kendall," Lamar said. "I want to ask you a question before I tell you my decision on you making the team. Why don't you shoot more?"
"Well, sir. I feel like passing my best ability and it makes the team better. Never really thought about being the scorer."
"Well, Kendall, theres a spot on the roster for you, but you need to gain confidence in your shot. I've seen you shoot. You're incredible. I've had guys on my team who wish to have your shot, but you don't even acknowledge that it's in your arsenal. I'm going to send you some clips to study. These are some of the best shooters I've ever seen. Watch them. Come back to my office tomorrow and we'll go over what you saw before the first team practice. Kendall, you have the ability. Now use it."
KJ went home that night, threw his backpack on the chair and began to watch every clip coach sent him. He watched hours of footage from Ray Allen, Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Kobe Bryant. KJ started to watch more Kobe clips, but not just his scoring ones, but learned about the Mamba Mentality. This was the answer KJ needed to get to the next level.
Four years later, Kendall Jackson became the hottest name in the Connecticut basketball scene. Unfortunately, he did not receive any offers from big name schools and was forced to play at Bay State University in order to help his mom out. He took this opportunity to improve his skills and write his own story. He packed his bags, hugged his mom goodbye, and hopped on the plane to start the newest chapter in his life.
*I would write about his time in college, but NBA 2K20 did a better job than I would. If you're interested, look up NBA 2K20 mycareer story on YouTube. Idris Elba is in it!*
So that is the introduction to the Pitts' Peeps. There stories are far from over. Their journeys will be documented here. A time with no sports gives me a time to create my own. Thanks to the video game developers at EA Sports and 2K, they have given me the tools, it is time for me to build my own empire.