Potential Trouble in Prospect Paradise? A look into Corruption in sports


Corruption and sports authorities go together like peanut butter and jam, or like fast cars and booty shorts (or so i'm told by the fast and the furious documentaries). Every sport ever imagined has had an issue with corruption and scandals, even the god damn paralympics, is nothing sacred anymore? The answer, as some of the prospects in the SMJHL have learned, is no. I'm Fay Rerraro and this is a breaking report on a possible fixing scandal facing the SMJHL and more specifically the Prospect Tournament.


This week to many prospects was a big one, a close fight up until the very last period of game 3 of the finals of the SMJHL Prospect Tournament, leading into the biggest event of many of our young players lives. The Blazers and Vipers were locked into a head to head tilt that came down to the third, in which the Blazers handedly ran away with the gold scoring 3 goals in the final 20 minutes. As the tournament was wrapping up, the rookie draft began, seeing half of the first round picks all being Vipers. But thats where things started to seem asque for many players and fans watching. How could the first round of the draft be dominated by a team that didn't win the championship? How could the Vipers go sailing into history like that without winning any boats? The answer dear reader, is scandal.


To begin this dark journey we must look at the teams.We shall start with the Blazers, a great team all around, they had a player go as the first overall pick in the SMJHL entry draft, but as we all know, 1 player doesn't win championships. Now to the Vipers, they had the second overall draft pick player in Corey Kennedy, they also had picks 6 (Tony Ford), 8 (Jax Duggan), 9 (Espen Knutsen), and 10 (Filip Zadina). The Vipers are the very definition of depth.


Now we must look at the man who organized and ran this tournament. Borromini “Argarbargar” Cannellini. A center for the Vancouver Whalers and future team mate of 8th overall pick Jax Duggan. Cannellini ALSO was one of the starting centers in the season 45 Prospect Showcase for none other than the S45 Blazers. Cannellini finished the round robin of the s45 showcase having 29 points in 36 games. Despite his fairly dominant showing his Blazers never made it past the conference finals, losing to the Wranglers who would in turn eventually lose to the Lions in the third game of the finals. This would mean that Cannellini’s Blazers wouldn't even lose to the eventual champions, and if that isn't salt in the wound I don't know what is.


Is it possible that feeling such crushing defeat in his prospect showcase would harbor a burning desire to see his former team win? When confronted post game by the coach of the Vipers for possibly paying off the refs to call extra penalties on the Vipers, who would in that game amass 16 minutes worth of total penalties, our reporter caught this, “Why would I rig it against my alma mater? Silly”. Now this may not be a clear admittance of guilt, but it does heavily imply that he may have had something to do with the clearly better team in the Vipers losing to a team clearly below their skill level in the Blazers.


No Vipers have offered to comment, whether in an attempt to not anger their new Blazer team mates, or to not stir the pot, especially young Jax Duggan who now finds Cannellini as one of his starting centers. Blazer players have been quick to dismiss the idea with Marc Hagan, Center for the Blazers saying “Fake news”. The most damning player to dismiss the idea of rigging however is “close” personal friend of Cannellini and also Right wing star Borůvka “Banana Hammock” Banananák. Banananák, who dropped to the late second round of the draft much to their chagrin simply said that it was all lies and that Cannellini who Borůvka  was with at the time “says (I) am lying”.


While i like to try and assume the best of people the evidence mounted against Cannellini is damning. Cannellini was mad his team in S45 couldn't make it to the finals, and in that anger made sure his Blazers, who also featured people close to him would not only make the finals he couldn't, but win the whole thing over a team arguably better than they.


As more information begins to come out it will be interesting to see what develops and how this changes the course of the future and relationships in various locker rooms, especially those of the championship favourites Vipers and their new found teammates.

Word Count: 805 2x SMJHL Media Week

Team Ireland || Ragnar Lothbrok || San Fransisco Pride
                          Drafted 42nd Overall in SMJHL
                   Drafted 12th Overall in the SHL Draft

  |  | 

dam looks like ur onto something.

Discord are for plebs

dam looks like ur onto something.

I also know Faker is best kt rolster

Team Ireland || Ragnar Lothbrok || San Fransisco Pride
                          Drafted 42nd Overall in SMJHL
                   Drafted 12th Overall in the SHL Draft

  |  | 

dam looks like ur onto something.

I also know Faker is best kt rolster

NO, chovy best kt lolster

Discord are for plebs