Playoffs?

Friday, April 21, 2023

“Playoffs? You’re talking about playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?”

Yep, we’re talking about playoffs. Nobody tell former Colts coach Jim Mora, but last week we clinched a playoff spot for the first time in PCLC history. Now, our goal is not simply to make the playoffs. Like every other team in this league, our goal is to win. I think if that is not your goal, you’re in the wrong business.

With that being said, it was a great accomplishment, and something that few outside our locker room and organization expected would happen. Like I have written in the past, we have guaranteed ourselves at least one more week of being a team together. That in itself is something to celebrate.

The game last week was a grind. We played a great Vancouver team that gave us everything we could handle. Offensively we had a ton of good looks that we just couldn’t cash in, but luckily we found big goals in transition from Matt Hossack and Josh Medeiros that sealed the victory.

The celebration after the game was a mix of relief and excitement; relief that we cleared this hurdle, but excitement as we look ahead to the next one. The season is a long series of ups and downs, so it was great to just enjoy the moment with the guys. Those are the moments that make all the sacrifices worth it.

This week is an exciting one in the office as we are finally moving floors, into our new office space. We have been separated between the revenue side of the business (ticket and sponsorship sales) from the marketing and creative sides (design, content, public relations etc.).

Now we will all be on one floor, but most exciting is the new content studio that we are installing this week. I am incredibly proud of the content team here, and I think we are as good as anyone in the league in both the quality and quantity of our content. I am excited for those folks to have even more tools.

The new studio, which will be used for lacrosse and basketball purposes, will include a television news style desk and monitors that will allow us to host live and pre-recorded shows. The room will also have a green screen and multiple backdrops, so future PCLC media days can be shot in-house. There is a surprising amount of logistics that go into the content shoots, and this new studio will ease a lot of those concerns. Instead of having to prep, transport, and immediately test gear at hotels or other locations, we can be prepped and ready here.

Most importantly, this studio represents a significant investment by the organization in pumping out professional quality content. For players and fans, that is good news. For me, with my face for radio, that is good but nerve-wracking news.

Overall, it will be great for our whole business operation to be back on one floor. I have gained a great appreciation during my time working here for all that goes into running a sports property, let alone two at once, and it will be cool to be in the same space as the rest of the company.

This weekend is Fan Appreciation Night, and we have some fun activations going on for the game. Season ticket members can participate in a full-team autograph session after the game, and those who have renewed for next year will be entered to win a Texas themed Yeti cooler. All fans will be eligible to win prizes from our partners at Aloft and Panther City BBQ.

This has been a season we will never forget. It was my first year in the league, first time in the playoffs, first time living in Texas etc. Our fans have been there every step of the way and have showed us love at every step.

This weekend is about them, and I can’t wait to celebrate.

Cheers until then,

Donny