Chicago Brawn Dominate New York Knights, Win Franchise's First
The scene in the locker room as OPB Finals MVP Conrad Wilson and his Chicago Brawn teammates celebrate the franchise’s first championship.
July 7, 2016; Chicago, IL- Last night, the Chicago Brawn defeated the New York Knights 116-94 to defeat the New York Knights in Game 5 of the OPB Finals and win the franchise’s first ever OPB championship. The Brawn was led by Finals MVP Deshaun Jefferson, who scored a game-high 32 points in the one-sided win. Regular season MVP Joshua Davis scored 18 points while dishing out a game-high 12 assists and snatching 11 rebounds.
The Brawn came into the series as a heavy favorite after dominating the regular season and running through the Northern Conference in the play-offs with seeming ease. The Brawn lost just three games on the way to the Finals, by a combined five points, and only stumbled in game four of the Finals when the team, already leading the series 3-0, decided to sit Davis and his backcourt partner Alex Viejas due to lingering injuries. The blowout win last night was a fitting end to a season in which no team could match up against the Brawn’s two All-OPB stars (Davis and Jefferson) and fellow All-Stars Viejas and Rodney Hamilton, a combination of players so dominant it had many fans and owners calling foul.
OPB franchise owner Peter Arlington took a veiled shot at those who have criticized his efforts to build a dominant franchise while he accepted the championship trophy at halfcourt following the final buzzer. “Success has a way of turning people against you, and I expect over the next few seasons our players and our team will only be the subject of more attacks. But all that matters to us is that the true fans of this franchise enjoy every step of this journey to building the greatest dynasty in the history of sports.” Arlington’s comments led the home crowd to roar with excitement and he acknowledged the fans with a quick wave before being escorted back to his owner’s box to enjoy the rest of the night’s festivities.
Arlington purchased the Brawn in June of 2012 and immediately laid out his plans to create “the dynasty of all dynasties”. In his first full season, he overhauled the team’s front office, upgraded its facilities, and hired a new coaching staff. In his second season running the team, he upset many fans when he traded aging superstar Malcom Bennett for the much-younger Viejas and defensive standout Mitch Osborne. But it was in the summer of 2014 that Arlington made the moves that would pave the way for the championship run this season, smirking at the luxury tax while signing Davis and Jefferson to rich contracts.
Arlington, one of the richest people in the world thanks to his ownership stake in ZeusX, upset many people when he signed Davis and Jefferson. Other owners and many fans demanded that the penalties for exceeding the team salary cap be raised in order to prevent Arlington from building a “superteam” and essentially eliminating parity and competitiveness from the league.
Crowds flock to Chicago’s Centurion Park to celebrate the Chicago Brawn’s first OPB championship.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Atlanta Junction franchise owner Donna Cromwell. “It’s not good for the long-term health and sustainability of our league when someone with such resources can come in with so much money that the luxury tax penalty is little more than an annoyance.” But while many agree with Cromwell’s perspective, there are many, Brawn fans in particular, that have applauded Arlington’s approach. OPB President Marshall Pearson still hasn’t provided a straight answer on the subject when questioned by supporters since the controversial free agent signings last summer. At times, he has acknowledged the concerns of Cromwell and others, but he has also been careful not to upset Arlington, a powerful man whose involvement in the league has helped to improve its visibility and global reach.
But after what one leading sports personality described as a “lackluster and anticlimactic postseason void of competition”, one can only wonder if Pearson will be forced to take a stance…and action.