In another career, the end of the 40s was simultaneously a hopeful and difficult time in Manhattan. Hopeful as we made three Eastern Conference Finals in a stretch of four seasons. Difficult as we lost each one of them. Combined with other real-life factors, that was around the time I decided I needed a break from sim leagues, including the SHL. I departed to inactivity that September if my recollection is correct. The tough times continued in my absence, and the conference finals remained the ceiling the team couldn't break through. After three months absence, I returned. The L wasn't just in losing those series. It was in having been considered the heart of the locker room and leaving at a time when they needed to take heart the most. Sure, they carried on, though I'd heard the difference was not desirable. The lost time would prevent my player from reaching his peak, but it was necessary time away looking back on it. You can't realize what you're losing in relationships until they're over or not in communication. And it felt like the return was the necessary spark for the S52 Cup run afterward. L's don't have to be total losses.