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</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Hi all – The National Conference Divisional Series is slated
to begin Thursday evening at 9:30pm EST.<span>
</span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">Canberra will be visiting Minneapolis.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3">
</font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">All are, of course, welcome.</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">It appears, however, there is one battle CAN has already
won: the pre-series media scrum.<span> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">CAN
began its campaign of playing the underdog card weeks ago, claiming its playoff
roster ranked among history’s worst.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Then,
with CSG returning as defending champion, winning copiously at the end of the
season, and winning 3 of 4 against SKY in the first round, MNM’s decision between
CSG and CAN has been characterized in some quarters as “easy.”</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">CAN has done nothing to dispel the
conventional wisdom.</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Removing for a moment the gamesmanship sheen cast expertly
by CAN, reality begins to look very different.<span>
</span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">CAN boasts a deep and very powerful lineup, with EX and VG power and
200+ slugging slashes all over his projected starting nine.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">That power should play well in MNM’s small
home park.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">MNM on the other hand has
power of the warning track variety, leading the league in . . . doubles.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">CAN’s pitching staff, anchored by Chris Sale
at the front and Wade Davis at the back, is built for the playoffs.</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">And when the leather must be applied, CAN has moves like
Ozzie.<span> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">His defense up-the-middle and at
3b is elite, with Cano, Ramirez, and Arenado sporting B and C ranges.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">They will again benefit from MNM’s home
field, which gives a +1 bonus to infield range rankings, making his infield
largely impenetrable.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">CAN one of playoff history’s worst rosters?<span> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">A choice between CSG and CAN a gimme?</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">With CAN’s owner recently moved from London
to the US’s eastern time zone, sounds like he’s wasted little time in using the
East Coast press for his purposes while Minneapolis’ phone never rings in what
is appropriately known as the State of . . . Hockey.</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">A n MLB player recently shared that Dusty Baker, when managing the
Giants, exalted the opposing Atlanta Braves during a press conference, and then
went behind clubhouse doors and told his players that he didn’t believe a word
of what he had just said and that the Giants went going to stomp the Braves.<span> </span></font></font><font color="#000000" size="3">And so they did.</font><span><font color="#000000" size="3"> </font></span><font color="#000000" size="3">Our sources tell us CAN is ripping a page out
of Dusty’s playbook, decrying CAN’s chances publically while telling his
players they are the better squad.</font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><div style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">Unfortunately for MNM, CAN may just be right!</font></div><div style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">- David and Paul (MNM)</font></div><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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