I disagree with the decision of the moderator. If the Lip has a problem with the Mobile Infantry/Panda Corps, he should have permission to speak freely. Rank is not an issue here!
Any organization that does not tolerate dissent becomes authoritarian. Hell, everyone thinks I'm a poopy head.
So, the Lip put up another screed against what we do. Ain't the first time, and shouldn't have to be the last. Is his trolling negativity valuable? To an extent, yes. Every team we've gone out to beat thought they were unbeatable. We don't want to be our opponents. The shame seems to stick to them, like a scarlet letter, and often they don't learn to survive and adapt. I don't see us as those guys.l However, I myself have said we're beatable right now due to low turnout and poor morale. At my advanced age, I'm grabbing the flag and charging the battlements, alone, if necessary, to try to keep the "dream" alive.
Rather than ban the Lip, allow him to respond as I unpack what's going on in his post...
The Lip has never liked us Arrrgosy players much. And that's fine. He's been given many, many opportunities to beat us with his "superior" game and players. He lost. Every time. At one point some years ago I confronted him on the court, and explained the facts of life to him: "We can just keep hammering you and yours again, and again, and again. I certainly have the stomach for slaughtering my opponents. Or, our crews can join forces, and learn how to play together."
He chose to join. Good. Didn't stop bitching. That's fine. Because the league was better for it.
Once the precious Riata resort community was exposed to our presence on a regular basis, things started to change, a little...
The Super Team that plays all day was not my concept--it's what I've seen everywhere else I've showed up, including Riata. So... I bring my best, knock them out of the box, and then offer them an olive branch--we can either mix the teams up, or your losing super team can wait in line while we beat on all the children with water wings who want to play, because, by your own rules, we run your court now.
Are you getting it? Are my ideas making sense now? Because I've got no problem continuing to administer the lesson, with the help of a few Pandas, who kill everything they see, until you see reason, or quit.
Let's see, what other ideas did Argosy come up with? Dry people who are good should play? Women who are good should play? Take all comers, at any time they show up? Lippy was pretty bad at that. I remember when his Riata crew showed up, unannounced and uninvited, mind you (etiquitte, sir), late in the day, as all the Vets were packing it in, so I left the honor of defending the pool against a more experienced team to my younglings at the time: Jess, T2, OJ, Wescott. I didn't even watch the game, I just crossed my fingers and hoped that they would remember their training.
Guess what happened? These second generation boys became men that day, tested in battle against a more experienced team, who they beat. They told great tales at the Headquarters and earned their ale that day.
Who does the Riata recruit? When Argosy was alive, Lip, where would "your" players rather play? I got bad news for you. I won't name names, but...
Why am I having to run the Riata now and do what you've said I've never been doing--recruit and improve players? That's what I've done for years. And, now that the Argosy is gone, I will feed on the new blood of the Riata. And, thus far, they love me for my efforts.
If sand is your primary game, I can respect that. I will even concede that it is a "purer" game than what we play. However, after beating the best sanders in the city, by your own admission, Lippy, year after year, I'd prefer that they shut their pie holes about how their game and ability is superior. If that were true, us water boys should fall, easily.
Sometimes in the past they've liked to lounge around the Riata pool snarking. When asked if they wanted to play, no. Get to fighting or get away, I say. I don't sit around the sand courts disrespecting the game that sanders play, now do I?
Acknowledgment of separate spheres and different skills would be appreciated. I'm not holding my breath. Even though I'm quite amused with the physics behind sand sets, where you can catch that ball at your belly, lift it up, but it never, ever. really touches your hands in any way that could be construed as a carry...
Well, OK, when in Rome. But wait, you're in water land right now. You should play by our rules. No? OK, we'll humor the "superior" athletes, because we're going to win, no matter what you do.
What happens when sand is poured into water? It sinks to the bottom, every time. Care to dispute that? Because we're looking at a few years of evidence now...
When I get to Valhalla, I guess I'll find out. But, does "Chief on 2," rather than "2 to Chief" work? How often? I don't remember making a habit of doing it when I'm nose to net and overmatched. Do sanders never mix things up? Why or why not?
Because I remember watching an Olympic qualifying game where the American point guard was setting his 6'6" hitter high and tight on the net against the 6'11" Swiss blocker. Over and over again. Stuffed. You know what commentator Karch said? "That ain't working. Low and quick. Sizzle his pits." Let the big guy commit and hit a bit off the net on the outside of his arms.
Same thing goes on the the water, pal. Ford beat me for almost a straight year because I was facing the net, tight, and he'd just lob one over short on top of my head. I didn't understand where to go, except back over, which got me killed on the mismatch comeback set. I eventually figured it out. You know what the answer was? For $19.95 you can buy my instructional video...
I must say, given he's injured, I understand the Lip's bitterness. 5 knee surgeries is no way to go through life, son. Have you asked your doctor whether playing in sand or water is going to be better on your knee? I'm thinking I know the answer to that, but I will respect your choice.
As you well know, I myself was injured through a whole summer--right after I moved out of Argosy. And it made me sad, to the point where I didn't want to show up. What's the point? Watching someone else do what I think I could do better, if only I could play???
Stinkin thinkin. Ford set me straight on that. "C'mon, Chief, we need you out there." Man, was I being negative and selfish. I'm part of a TEAM and I need to be out to support that team, even if I can't play. Wescott called me the best "ball bitch" ever.
The Lip was hard on us, I will be hard on him. I'm really old, but Lippy ain't no spring chicken. Do you think anyone is really going to trust you again when it comes to a tournament with all those knee surgeries under your belt? You're going to end up playing off the bench, and probably not with the top tier players anymore, who are busy whistling in the dark that what happened to you won't happen to them. Once it gets in the public mind that you are done, doesn't exactly matter what you do. I know my career is coming to an end, do you?
Water is easier on the knees. I expect you might be back before you want to be.
And this point I wish to emphasize. Plenty of people have criticized me personally, and the Corps (you know who you are), and been welcomed back with open arms, if they come to play...
I'm under the delusion that I'm trying to do something that goes beyond what I'm going as a player in any given game. I've heard from the lips of the Lip that he was chief once for a year, and gave up. Why is that?
There are serious questions on the line here about the future of this league and what people think about it...
Dear moderator, unzip the Lip, and let him respond.
_________________ Chief
Death from above! Fire down below!
|