Hero/Zero of the Week

While on vacation last week, I truly missed posting to In The Stands. Even more so, I was bummed that I could not dub my Hero and Zero of the Week. With that being said, I have been thinking long and hard over the past fews days about who to bestow this great honor upon this week.

Drumroll please...

This week's Hero:

Washington Nationals

The Associated Press

Record after first 20 games: 14-6.

Rotation ERA: < 2.0.

Preseason Expectations: Pretty low.

For real?: Seems that way. 

It is a great time to be a fan of the Washington Nationals. 

This week's Zero:

Prank Caller

Thank goodness this story has a happy ending, that way I can tell it with a smile on my face. 

The NFL Draft may be the most exciting and nerve wrecking time for all young football players pursing a professional career. However, it is undoubtedly a different kind of nervousness and excitement for each player. Top prospects, such as Andrew Luck and RG3, can find more pleasure in the process than players who have no guarantees for where they will fall. That is why the sheer meanness (or maybe just obliviousness) of a NJ prank caller is this week's Zero. 

Can you imagine being a kid who is not quite sure what is in store from him, and then is led to believe he is not only going to play professional football, but he is in fact, a first round pick?! Can you imagine the elation a family feels for their son and his dreams that are coming true?  Then, can you imagine finding out seconds later that this was a lie, a fabrication... a joke?

Sounds awful, right? Well, that is excatly what happened to Rutgers' receiver Mohamed Sanu. Receiving a call that the Bengals were using the 27th draft pick to select him, Sanu and his family began to celebrate, until the Bengals actually chose someone else. Sanu's agent then realized the call was a prank from a NJ area code. 

Luckily, this story has a nice ending. The following day, Sanu received a call during the third round of the draft. When he picked up the phone, he heard "Hey Mo, it's James Urban. You want to be a Bengal-- this time, for real?"