And The Winner Is...

Aramis Ramirez signs autographs a week after winning his second EHCC Championship. He was a big reason the Dogg's won the Championship plaque in 2006, but will he ever see it?





By: Conor Intabedd; Reno Weekly Rag

The plaque will be back in Vegas once more.

The Las Vegas Doggs have not pulled off the unexpected. They simply lived up to expectations. They were one of the heavy favorites to take the 2006 EHCC crown entering the season and they delivered. After all the trades in the off-season, controversy early in the year, and close battles in the playoffs, the Doggs made it all worthwhile and will be receiving their coveted EHCC Championship Plaque on January 7th, 2007 at the annual EHCC Winter Meeting.

Or will they?

It has been reported that after being knocked out of the 2006 championship playoffs, the owner of the Weymouth Shaddupu has announced that he will not be giving up the plaque in January. Rather, he plans to take the plaque with him as he scouts new talent in Europe. Mr. Bruce was quoted in a conversation with Doggs' owner Adam Howe as saying, "I may even take it to Kosovo with me and take pics of me everywhere and send that to you! There's nothing you can do about that!"

"If we have to travel halfway across the world to get that plaque, we'll be very upset, but we'll do it. It's that important to everyone here. It's a symbol of our hard work this season. The players. The coaches. The management. Everyone wants to see that plaque in Vegas again. It would be an outrage if the team didn't get it at the [Winter] meeting," Doggs' spokesperson Kent Brockman reported at a recent press conference at the Stardust Hotel and Casino.

The Doggs were the first team to hold the plaque as it was created after the 2004 season. Since the Weymouth Shaddupu won the previous three EHCC championships, they feel they are entitled to some extra time with the award. "I think i should be able to keep the plaque to make up for all the time I didn't have it," said owner Nick Bruce, "That sounds only fair."

"It's not our fault the league didn't create the plaque after the seasons they won the title. They shouldn't punish us for some thing we couldn't control," owner Adam Howe responded when he heard of Bruce's comments.

Even the players are upset at the news. EHCC Finals MVP Francisco Rodriguez was quoted as saying, "they better damn well give us that plaque! I did carry my team's bullpen for nothing dammit!"

Aramis Ramirez, who led the Las Vegas offense during the final round and was thought by some general managers to "not be the answer to winning a championship," was the most upset of all the Doggs' players. His comments could not be printed.

This is the Doggs' 2nd EHCC Championship in the league's six years in existence. They beat the Golden Gryphons seven to three.