First noon ball of the season. I got there at 12:15, which is about as on time as I will ever be.
Lost the first game, which was played to 21 because??? And that was basically it for my day. Played 3 more times in 5 hours, basically on pickup slaughter teams. It means I don't have a lot to say about games I didn't play in. So it goes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBxMPqxJGqIThis is what I can say from the sidelines. Looked like a wonderful day. Big turnout, especially among the sanders. Something Navy was talking about--it is good to see smiles on sander faces when they play in water. It's been that way for the last couple of years. Didn't used to be that way.
Not sure if we had a pure sand-water matchup in the early games. But if Dub is a sander every time because LJ says so, then Baker can be water. I will point out that "water" team got to 15 in the 21 game before "sand" did.
First game gassed me, so I sat in favor of taller younger New York. That seemed to so something, because the winners of the 21 game got slaughtered in second game to 15. I think they got 2 points. What's up with that? That's why we play the games. The chant was "shame, shame shame!" That warms the cockles of my old water heart! As did my hardscrabble team's loss 15-10 to Team Sandshamer. We scored 5 times as many points as LJ's squad did, with about 5 times less talent. HAHAHA. That's why we play the games. So it goes.
I think we maybe had one dynasty all day, meaning games I didn't play in were pretty competitive. And damn if that competition/lack of dynasties didn't screw things up, from my bench perspective. Two new teams every 3 games would've been awesome. Didn't happen.
Performances: Jarel and Rafa are really, really good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxbMk-8701MI now know why Jarel was talking smack on the messenger chat list. He just needs to turn the absolutely best standout performance ever witnessed from a rookie player since Chrissy Glenn graced the pool with her presence into more wins! "Not a short man's pool" was his line. True dat. I know that all too well.
On the water side, Mikey and Scott put in their usual strong performances. Absent Jess and Forf hurt team water immensely. Dub serves were strong, as was his fielding of Rafa bombs. Don't let them heat up.
The woodcock is a bird, right, because one of the funniest things I've seen in my 26 years in the game was him flapping his arms in the air on the sun side because he couldn't see the ball. That and LJ almost wrapping himself in the net after a play. Speaking of nets, it needs to be tightened up. Tbone, where are you???
Monkey Steve had some of the best games I've seen him play. Gronk and Nate are setters! Birthday Dan the tiara wearing man did well.
When sand meets water, there will be disagreements. Fair trade I think is lifts get called, as do deep dish sets. Advantage water I think, because there was more pizza than elevators out there today, from my sideline perspective. See the "Joe throw" Our ways are different, leading to different calls and interpretations. I will say this, there was a lotta net abuse today that wasn't getting called. We'll figure it out. Game can get cleaned up.
All in all, a good exchange of cultures. Even from a spectator's perspective. Ballchair has graced me with a chlorine overdose and painful leg rash, in his wisdom.
See ya on the 4th, ballers! Caution, this is Sparta!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ