With the 15th anniversary of the First Championship in 1997 arriving in 2012, The RPH.com ranked the Top 15 Rotten People of All Time. Players, management and fans were asked to list their Top 15 Rotten People of All Time. After the voting concluded one player stood on top -- defenseman Don Somera #47. RPH.com caught up with Don for a quick interview right after he found out about this honor.

In my mind, I joined my first real team when I was picked up by the Scabs/RP.

Some History: I began playing outdoors with Wheeler, Gil, Randy The Bullet, and of course Gordo", San Jose's Pied Piper of hockey in the parking lot that is now beneath the Adobe buildings. Gordon would pull up in his plumbing van with his full sized hockey goals made from plumbing materials (of course), open a door and a bunch of gear would fall out. Then the neighborhood kids would swarm in and the games would begin. When they kicked us off of that lot, I played a season with Brad Fahs and the Rogers Brothers at the (now closed) Cal Skate in Milpitas. When we moved indoors to Skate World, I got picked up first by the Voodoo before joining the Scabs/RP.

The clear difference between the Scabs/RP and these other teams was that we had leadership and people were humble enough to play their roles on the team. People with big egos did not stay on the team for long.

As has become clear in my later years, I was working out some deep psychological crap from my childhood on the rink. I was and am definitely an intense player. I'd be in the zone just going for it and then someone would hit me either because that is just what happens OR because I had done something that they took personally and then I would kind of snap and do whatever it took to deal with the situation (either taunting/trying to get them to start something or just getting real physical) I also know that playing against some of the young ringers would piss me off and I would just kind of start being a dick when they were beating us. I definitely own my role in the bad shit that happened all along the way and know how to deal with all that now.

Definitely a scrapper. Not afraid to dive in front of a slap shot or take one for the team. I've always been a lot better skater than puck handler or shooter, though I've improved a lot on the latter of late. Back in the day, I loved being assigned to follow around their ringer/scorer and just frustrate them the whole game.

I knew that we did not have as much raw skill as some of the other teams so I was not that surprised. RP has always won as a team and it took us a few years to learn our roles, get to know each other's tendencies and develop that chemistry.

It was pretty crazy because even now when I look back at it, I can't believe we won. I mean, I know it was overtime, I guess. I know we were tied but after I took the shot and it went in, I don't think I understood that we had won. And then when I figured that out I just started taking off my Jersey (long before he US Women's Soccer team) and skating towards our bench.

'97 - so back then I did not have much of a slap shot (Just starting to have one now after 17 years) partly because I build my own sticks from recycled parts and back then they were way too stiff for me to bend them and get that catapult effect. I believe I was playing with an Easton Cyclone (thinner rounded shaft but still too stiff). I just wound up, and shot. I don't think the puck got any air at all but somehow it went in. It was a Spurrier... Hard and Low.

'00 - In this Championship, I believe we were attacking the goal at the very far end of the RI Convention Center Complex on Tully. I don't remember exactly what happened but I was jumping over the boards to join the rush JUST before I scored the goal. I got the pass from Ben Laughter.

I was comfortable playing with any of the RP defenders because we got to know each other pretty well but if I have to pick one, I'd say I was very comfortable playing next to Gordo. He is a solid skater and good with the puck and he like to talk about what we are doing or not doing during and after each play.

I just really appreciate how the "management" chose players who were easy going, supportive, not egotistical, worked hard and were not into all the macho crap. It is still always great to get together to have good food, beer and remember the Golden Age of RP Hockey.

I don't know who decides these things or how these things are decided but it a huge honor. Obviously, it take a team to do anything in hockey and I definitely can't do what our big scorers can do or what our goalie can do but I have tried to contribute everywhere I can and have definitely taken one for the team. I am honored.