4th of July... usually pretty crazy at the exclusive resort community which serves as the current rebel base for Panda Corps.
I made an effort and showed up at 2, as promised. With the collusion of residents, we pulled a little trickery at the start of the day that kept 20 crazy not so good shirts from going up. I'm going to withhold what that trick was, but it worked.
Nary a Riata chief on any flavor to be seen. So I lent my experience to the job. No doubt opinions vary, but I think it went well. There were like 2 shirt disputes all day, total, which were easily resolved. That's a freaking record.
Pandas were afraid on this day. About half of you didn't show up, and others quit early. I understand many of you have things to do that don't involve ball. All I'm saying is that this wasn't typical. Excuses need to be submitted to the league office in triplicate. Shame on you.
The day went well. Better I would say than expected. With many of the "Bad Guys" either absent or only present for a while, new alliances were formed. Wings soared once or twice, although he still thinks it's only important to try on the front row. I was invited to play on a team with a couple of guys I'm familiar with whose names escape me. I hope I showed them I'll play just as hard with them as against them. We won 3 in a row.
Better late than never, LJ. Team of the day was LJ, Mikey, Alex's mouthy swimmer protégé, and 3 ladies. They won 3 in a row, in the longest games ever. I'm told they all went to 14.
Very impressive vibe. When I bugged out at 8, I left my ball, and game went on for another hour. That would make like 7 hours of ball on the happy 4th. Those who missed it or chose not to play, hump in shame.
Intermission--Welcome to the AWVP website, Darth Nowell. Your invite for a Dallas challenge is appreciated, and accepted. We will play you guys this summer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoPKajvq3gE
Looking forward to it.
Back to Riata already in progress...
Got in a bit late today, which is not surprising given my advanced age. I got in early with a team that had maybe one thumb between the five of them. Couldn't rotate, or keep score. And somehow, we won!
IMHO, here's why you play on teams like that--you make them better. I find myself trying harder. And guess what? They remember you for it! Got kudos all day from them--maybe the dead 1.75 of vodka had something to do with it.
This does, of course, put you on the wrong side of the "super team" that inevitably forms. So Jared's squad went on a run that went about 5-6 games. I gently had to remind him that there is a 3 in a row "rule" in place.
I honored it with my team. LJ spoke true Riata words: "Chief, I respect the 3 in a row rule when I'm losing, and forget it when I'm winning."
Well, that's nice. So take the mantle of Riata Chief, Lipper, which you deserve via residency and experience. Because heavy is the head that wears the crown. I was supposed to be Chief (ret.) when I left the Argosy. Just when I thought I was out, you pull me back in.
Sander's lament. LJ had a good sand squad that had my boys down 8-1. Didn't last. They lost when the should've won. Which left a very disappointed Dub out there, who never could quite heat up. Which, when I'm not playing with him, is a good thing!
The sun today was absolutely brutal on the bad side. And yet, if fading memory serves, me and mine pulled out a W in a tight game while blind.
Since the 4th of July non sanctioned protest was over, the usual Bad Guy suspects returned, with a vengeance. Scotty was spiking like Zues with thunderbolts. Jess, Ford, and Dan all had spectacular days.
I humbly suggest I did my part, including 2 blocks (I hope you were sitting down when you read that), one on man mountain Lance (got the nickname--Lance Mountain), and one on Ford--mismatch this!
Ryan's brother came out to play both days--welcome to the NFL, rookie!
Since I seem to have received a brevet commission at Riata, please understand my priorities go beyond just getting the next W. Where we were once the "Bad Guys" we are now the "not so bad guys" if not always the good guys. I have to try to keep people involved, and residents happy, so that our welcome stays as warm as the pool water is about to be.
It's called winning hearts and minds. And we appear to be doing a good job of it. It's called a benign dictatorship, Dan. In the alternative, you can always opt for the mailed fist of Arkansas.
One more day to go. Who will be heroes and who will be zeroes? Don't send me down to the farm club yet, I think I can still fight...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs