(From the unofficial Idaho Stampede mascot here at Ridiculous Upside, Mr. Rumble)

...with the Idaho Stampede in the Beehive State for three (count them...Wed, Fri and Sat...yes that equals three) games this week.

We have Tulsa at 23-20, Utah at 23-21, Idaho at 22-22 and Reno at 22-22.  I would submit that none of these teams is playing particularly well and the two that don't make it will have a long summer of "couldas, wouldas and shouldas."  The qualifiers?  They become the first two picks for Iowa and RGV.

The Stamps played well last weekend - as well as a team that has basically abandoned defense can play anyway.  The man of the weekend will be Lance Allred as he flat killed Tulsa last weekend with constant and clutch 18-foot set shots.  If Lance (who for all the mid season soap opera "What is Life?" routine) really does come to play when the season is on the line - this is the third D-League season his game and leadership has significantly elevated all for Stampede benefit) can keep it going, he could be the trump card for the Stamps. Of course, this all assumes that the three headed monster out front (Barrett, Taylor and Karl) keeps bringing it and Joe Dabbert keeps mucking it up inside.

So if Idaho can put together at least one defensive stop per game, get some decent bench production (a.p.b. for Roberto Bergersen - Memo to Coach Mac:  NOW is when Bergie needs to play) and a dose of "Lance magic" I can see a 2-1 long weekend series victory over the equally confounding Utah Flash.

Brandtly, while this is not last years championship series - perfect time to man up and apologize to Coach Mac for last years outburst.  Who knows, if your teams don't get it together you both might be in the same foursome come early April.

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