It arrived like a different sport wearing the same jersey.
The first time we watched full periods of their tape as a group, the room went quieter than it had for the previous opponent. Not scared quiet. Respectful quiet. The kind of quiet that settles over a roster when everyone simultaneously understands that the margin for soft gaps and sentimental stick-checks has been officially retired. They were heavier through the neutral zone. Meaner along the wall. Their captain played like a man who had never lost an argument with a rebound in his life. Coach closed the laptop at the end of the session, looked at the room, and said only, “We will have to be exact.” Then he left us sitting with the exactness.
Miller waited until the door shut before whispering, “I miss the other guys. They had c
