Chiefs Rank 5th in OHL Cup Race

Travis Konecny - Elgin Middlesex Chiefs 

The small town proud Elgin Middlesex Chiefs 97's are ready to take on the best and biggest minor midget teams in Ontario.  The Chiefs are guaranteed a spot in the OHL cup after a 9-3 win over the Kitchener Jr. Rangers in their Alliance playoff series.  Their record is 46-7-4 and they now rank 5th in the OHL Cup rankings.  The Chiefs await the winner of the Huron Perth/Waterloo Series for the Alliance final, but both finalists go to the OHL Cup which begins March 12th in Mississauga.

Travis Konecny tries to get by Kitchener Jr. Ranger 

"The 97 age group for the Chiefs has been strong for years," says head coach Darren Kelly. "They won (championships) in major atom, peewee and bantam. They've won a lot of tournaments over the year."
Many of the players come from places like Komoka, where the team plays home games,  Mount Brydges and other small communities in Elgin Middlesex.  They will be up against many of  Ontario's powerhouse organizations in the OHL Cup.  The Chiefs are ranked one spot ahead of the Toronto Marlboro midgets, the annual powerhouse.  Oakville Rangers are ranked first.

11 of the teams players might be drafted by Ontario Hockey League teams this year.  That includes Travis Konecny, who might even go in the top five of the OHL priority selections.  Other notable players that impressed in the 9-3 win over Kitchener were big forwards Josh Coyle and Lawson Crouse. Defenseman Cole Mayo also played very well.  Crouse is unique combination of size, leather soft hands - and a quick and powerful shot.    

Josh Coyle (13) scores a goal vs. Kitchener Jr. Rangers

Lawson Crouse makes it tough for goalies to see the puck

Cole Mayo - anchors defense for the Chiefs

Randall Cobb vs. Titus Young Sr.

The Detroit Lions released wide receiver Titus Young

How organizations (sports or otherwise) acquire talent has always fascinated me, especially in sports. In the 2nd round of the NFL draft the Detroit Lions were looking for a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson.  The perfect player would be a 'slot' receiver.  A disciplined route runner with sticky hands, courage and elusive speed.  DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles has become the prototype.
The Lions selected Titus Young of Boise State in the 2nd round (44th overall).  Young had 71 catches for 1,215 yards in his senior season with the Broncos.
Young missed most of his junior season after being suspended by the team for a fight with a teammate.

The Lions must have considered drafting Randall Cobb out of Kentucky that day.  Cobb was a first team All American as a junior in 2010 with 84 catches.  While Young was sitting out his team suspension in 2009, Cobb was voted most inspirational player by his teammates. His coach at Kentucky, Joker Phillips called Cobb "one of the best leaders I've ever been around."

Athletically, they seem to be twins in all measurable categories.  Speed, size, hands, courage all seem equal.  They play the same position. Both are wonderful athletes.  Cobb was selected only 20 picks after Young by Green Bay, which in the world of the NFL draft isn't a real big difference.  But the difference in the end result should be embarrassing to the Lions.

What a stopwatch can never measure is character.  Cobb is one of the NFL's bright young stars after two seasons with the Green Bay Packers.  The Lions are finished with Titus Young Sr. after - slugging a teammate in pre-season and proving to be uncoachable.  Wikipedia can tell you which player had better character.  Why couldn't the Lions spot this?  There might be a legitimate answer to this question but it's something someone should be answering for.

What discussions did the Lions have about Young's character that day?  If he was such a unique talent and that's what they felt the team needed, fine.  Take a chance on a character concern.  I can find no evidence in any pre-draft analysis that there was a difference in the professional skills of Young vs. Cobb.  When two identical talents are available - character should have made this an easy mistake to avoid.