Three and Seventeen

Calvin Roarke wore a purple tie the color of Charlotte's uniforms and smiled into camera. "I said Daniel Carter would not make Christmas. I may have been generous. This is not a development story. This is organizational malpractice." The clip played on the televisions in the players' lounge before practice. Nobody changed the channel. Calvin Price spoke first. "Man's right." Marcus looked up from taping his wrist. "About what?" "About this being a joke." Price pointed toward the screen. "You think other teams are scared of effort? Everybody tries hard. Talent wins." Tyrese Grant stood from his locker. "Then why didn't you win last year?" The room snapped tight.