This cute little variant was sent to Brian by Jim Macaulay.

Up in Ohio, there was this youth hockey team called the “Ashtabula Mighty Mites.” They had one team member, Little Johnny, who was a holy terror. He often would get angry and throw equipment on the ice, and sometimes he would throw things at the opposing players and the officials. It got so bad that the other teams did not want to play them anymore. Just as the league was about to cancel the rest of their schedule, Little Johnny’s family embarked on a trip that took them out of town for the rest of the hockey season. As a result, the league relented and allowed the team to finish out its schedule.

In other words, “When the brat’s away, the Mites will play.”