To a couple people who need a big thank you. [with update]

Today was alright, until about 6:30pm...and then all hell broke loose. Every day we decide what we want to do with our valuable time. And we set aside time to do the things we love the most. Most of us are selfish with our time; that just the way it goes. Our time is valuable and we want to spend it as wisely as we can. So when our valuable time goes unappreciated; when people, who enjoy the fruits of your labour, turn around and spit in your face, it's a bit of downer.

I've organized two softball teams for the last 3 years and it's been a drama fest from day 1, but it has had it's memorable moments. I knew I could step away when I someone came aboard that had the patience to organize the team. I felt a sincere obligation not to let it all go to waste.

Last year, I decided that I would let someone else take the reins and he thankfully took over organizing a true team of misfits. Tonight it was all thrown back in his face in a supremely ugly way by those for whom he had stepped forward to help. After a minor miscommunication, they dismantled weeks of work in one ignorant power play. At the end of the evening, they got what they wanted and we worked to figure out a way to make everyone happy. But at the expense of pissing off and mistreating someone who didn't deserve it.

Next Saturday, after we've played our last game, we will get together one last time to celebrate the season. Despite all the drama of the last few months. I've been asked to speak for the group and present Paul and Chris with some tokens of our appreciation. This is what I'm gonna say:

"As tonight is officially the last night of the 2008 season, I'd like to say
what a personal pleasure it was to be a player and only a player this year. The
only way I would have stepped down as manager and coach was if I knew there
would be someone willing and able to handle this oh-so-unique group of
personalities, my own included. I can say that there are few people that I would
trust to hand these teams over to, and Paul and Chris are at the top of my list.

An average week in the life of the Decimator manager includes many
things. It includes figuring out the weekly lineups, making sure everyone knows
where the game is, where the practice is, filling the missing pieces when people
cancel last minute, representing the team on the field and handling all the
dust-ups. This one person is all things to us players: our beer caddy, equipment
manager, fundraising director, offensive and defensive specialist, and
therapist.

There aren't enough ways for us to thank you for standing up
when many wouldn't and couldn't have taken this on. Your team would like to say
thank you for being the adult that allows us to act like children and just
'play' for 5 hours each and every week from April to August. Paul, thank you for
making it so easy to give up something I really loved to do over the last few
years.

And I think I speak for everyone here when I say thank you for
taking some time out of your time out of your life, and Chris' to get us all
together to play some ball. We've gotten a little something for you with which
to enjoy the last few weeks of summer."

I sincerely hope Paul and Chris are happy with what we've gotten them. And I hope the rest of those fuckers lie awake at night feeling guilty about being such huge, ungrateful douchebags.

UPDATE: I would just like to add that I wrote the above sitting at home by myself while drinking a lot of tequila with Joy Luck Club playing in the background. I'll have to edit the above as it doesn't nearly meet the smart ass quota of my personal speeches and/or public appearances.