GM Mark Ricotta Picked Up His Third USA Sports Spirit Award
By "Stu Briskly"

Playoffs 2139 (Philadelphia, PA) - At their annual Post-Season Team Awards Dinner, the Buffalo Bills were surprised by a visit from a spokesperson from the USAFL league office - who came bearing a very large package.

'At the request of the USAFL's founder and commissioner Andrew Lewis,' said Joe Schlablotnik, the current college intern in the league's front office and spokesperson for this brief announcement, 'I've been asked to present this gift to the GM of the Bills' franchise.'

Ricotta, along with everyone on the dais, was considerably taken back by the mysterious presentation.

'This guy was cleared by security,' Ricotta was reported to have whispered, 'wasn't he?'

Upon carefully opening the wrapped packaged, a sigh of relief and rapturous applause filled the room as Ricotta revealed the shiny Garritt Grandberg USA Sports Spirit Award with his name engraved at the top.

'It says,' Ricotta read, 'for his unwavering service to the USAFL, his fine stewardship of the USAFL SportsWriters Association, and his exemplary leadership as a mentor and role model to his fellow general managers in the USAFL, the league proudly honors Buffalo Bills' GM Mark Ricotta as its 2139 recipient of the Garritt Grandberg USA Sports Spirit Award.'

A thunderous standing ovation interrupted Ricotta's last few words as the lights dimmed and the 2139 Bills highlight reel began playing on the floor-to-ceiling 4D ClearView UltraVision CrystalScreen.

This is Mark Ricotta's third Grandberg honor: he previously won the 2103 award and shared the 2072 honor with Minnesota Vikings GM Lou Lombardo.