2
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.
So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
-Lou Gehrig
It might seems strange to have a baseball quote on a tank forum. But it's one of the most iconic and admirable farewells out there and with Mr. Gehrig's permission I will borrow it for my purposes.
For, you must know that of this day, Sep. 12, 2016, the Merkavim Tank Brigade is no more, and my career as a Blitz player with it. It's been short time but in a year I have made more friends than I could have imagined, many of which will continue beyond this day. It's been an honor to be around some of the finest players in the game, whether in play or through my involvement with Clan Wars. It's been a great time throwing around ideas with Hardy, Mike, Chaos, XJS, Gogo, Shawk, Dixie, Concep, Zorbaz, Juju, o7o7, Renegade, Herodotus, Hoss, and Icky. I'm lucky to be a part of that group. We also had some of finest allies in the game, clans like Triarii (Thanks to ReluctantTheist and Acrisis), RM (Thanks to Big01dram and CiRcLeS), SPUD (Thanks to ahredstealth and SieurPersil), Kronos (Thanks to CelticVoivod), LGN (Thanks to _clyde and _bel), STORM (Thanks to Sir_Rams_A_Lot), 86ers (thanks to NuclearGold), RBLN (Thanks to killer7184), BLSE (Thanks to Mike_Havel, djlunchbox, and the others), ATLS (Thanks to cdogchavvy), and the many others who have been friends along the way. Sure, I'm a lucky man.
The Merkavim Tank Brigade may not have seemed like much to the world at large. But when have brothers and sisters through it, it's something. When you've fought through a breakup with a former clan we were very loyal to and forged our way ahead, that's something. When you surprise the community with a win on the Gamma map of Clan Wars 1, that's something. And when you've played shoulder to shoulder and gave our best to some of the best clans in the game, that's something. I hope that we gained the respect of all we dealt with for our sportsmanship and play.
So- yes, the Merkavim Tank Brigade is no more. Yes, we have multiple members quitting the game for good since they could not stomach not being a part of the Brigade, or have life concerns. Yes, we will have members joining other clans. And yes, the remnant of the brigade will form a new clan called "Prestige Worldwide" and led by HEATNoob. Please stop by and wish them luck.
I will close in saying that though this is the end for me personally and for the Merkavim Tank Brigade, like Mr. Gehrig, I have a lot to live for and you all in the Blitz Community have just made everything better.
Kadima!
o7
