Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification: nutrigrain

Quote:2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

b. Upsets were a theme this year - which of our finalists had the more difficult road to the promised land and why?
I think New England probably had a bit more difficult of a road to the final this season. While Toronto was probably an easier matchup round 1 than the plucky Syndicate, having to go through Buffalo and then Philly in the next two rounds is tougher than Texas followed up by the underdog miracle run San Francisco.

c. Which of the finalists had the more impressive conference finals victory, and why?
Definitely New England for me. No disrespect to San Francisco at all, they are building something really nice over there, but they definitely went on the dream underdog run getting to the conference final, and that's where the steam ran out. Philadelphia is a much stronger team overall and has been a force in the East for a long time now.

Quote:3. Written, 3 TPE, Haven’t I Seen This Before? (150 words min.)
Despite being the 8th and 10th ranked regular season teams in the league, our finalists from Winnipeg and New England represent two of the most dominant teams over the past several seasons. What do you think is the secret to their success? What can other teams learn from them? Which one is more likely to be back again next year?

There are teams in this league that are relatively happy to build a team, create friendships and then ride or die with those friendships, win or lose. Sometimes they are able to grab a cup or two at their peak, sometimes they just aren't quite good enough, but the vibes are immaculate, so they ride it out and eventually fall off. Some teams will do whatever it takes to win and make tough decisions in order to keep their competitive windows open as long as possible. I feel as though Winnipeg and New England are two of those teams. They continually make those two decisions letting players go or making moves in order to bring in the bigger fish that will allow them to keep going, so that's why I think they've been at the top of the league for so long now. As for next season, hard to say. I would say Winnipeg by a small margin as their depth is ever so slightly better.