AWVP

Riata's got it!

Back in business! Thank you generous hosts.

We did a pretty good job mixing the teams up for fairness, which lead to tight outcomes.

I'm going to point out a rather interesting development, that may have something to do with the aforementioned, but surprised me nonetheless, given the presence of Mikey the shirt Nazi...

On 4 separate occasions, I either had to sit while dry when my shirt was up, or didn't get the team I had called. 1 is an oops. 4 is a conspiracy.

All good. I'm happy to be playing at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW6E_TNgCsY



And, minus what happened to me (don't put up beige shirts, they're invisible), I explained the strategy of how to play when you want to to Katie, and Jim--shirt up, and pick your team--you are immediately the most popular person on the court!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB54dZkzZOY

The fourth time I got shirt dicked, things worked out, in an amazing fashion. Allow me to welcome Shae to the AAR.

If my faulty memory serves, she's primarily a sander, but has been playing for 3-4 years now. End of the day, and apparently, I'm the sober one at 10 beers. My team: Shae, Misty, Wescott, Ravi (sp?), an unknown man with a mustache that I expect was fake, vs. DUB, JESS, RONIN STEVE, DRUNK STEVE, FISH, and... was it Ryan or Joe? Memory fails me.

Anyways, on paper, which one of these teams should've won? Which one of these teams DID win?

Reaching into my old inkwell, that's why we play the games, rather than deciding who wins when the lineups are drawn up.

Let's just say there was a surprise ending to the day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QGkOGZubQ

HA HA HA...

Well deserved loss by Jethro, who decided Restoration Day was a great time to run amok. Wrong!

This call out was seconded by 2 pandas. Yellow card for drunkenness, sir! I would know because I have been that guy more than once.

I expect more from a player of your caliber, especially on this auspicious day.

On the shit from the negatives to the positives, my sets sucked through at least half the day, maybe more.

On any given Saturday, that could be a problem. Except for the fact that we were blessed on this day with other point guards--Navy, and Fish. Who put together far better plays than I did.

Before I stopped counting, Fish gave Dub around 20 kills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYV5f0Aqo4w

How many times have I told you not to fuck with the man's car?

There were also some excellent Navy-Jess hookups.

I'd say I was decidedly the 3rd best point guard out there today. Which is okay. Newsflash--if I'm not making the right plays, go somewhere else. Kills and Ws are a joy unto themselves, and go to the Argosy way of surviving and adapting.

There were many passers out there today. If I'm off, go to another one. No skin off my rather ample nose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phOW-CZJWT0

This is the tightest I've ever seen Riata run. Games happen without 20 min breaks, we're working to get dry people in. In short, just maybe sharing of cultures is starting to pay off...

_________________
Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

what is a shirt nazi exactly walter?

i did/do what? i tie up my shirt and then play when its my turn? i had a shirt and you had one above that. me and you decided to then both pick up even teams (i.e. i wouldn't stack my team) and life goes on. there was a team of buoys that preempted both of us, but after that we all rolled.

problem?

do you have a better idea? i don't like the shirts either but its the closest we have had to org there. i even had a wet alex sit out as he let the drys come in. that is advancement.

i lost my motivation. life after BBG is hard. BBG like drug. now no drug no blah.

come to think of it chief i think yesterday was the best tshirt day i can remember. folks were well behaved. so what again happened to you sir?

Busting out my fake mustache on Saturday inspired Drunk Steve to showcase his real mustache on Sunday. The ladies could barely control themselves. I think he should remain bald and grow a big bushy mustache.

Games were good on Sunday.

I remember starting off 3-0 with a squad.

No more mat. I only encountered minor drain pain.

Attorney Scott brought out a whistle for his brief appearance as special guest referee. Notable violation: that girl's too hot.

_________________
#23
My name's Dan

Photos from Sunday:

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#23
My name's Dan

What happened, College, in some ways, is what should happen: people were jumping in, all willy nilly, ready to play. But wait--my shirt, my game, my picks.

Well, never mind. I'll wait until the next one... and then on the next one, the same thing happens. Call it karma--I'm not the biggest believer in shirts, and so the game was not the biggest believer in mine. Either that, or don't put up beige.

Not as important that my shirt gets respected as in what I want to do. Very important that lil Katie, and Jim's shirts get respected, and they don't get skipped, because putting one up is the only way they'll get to play.

_________________
Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

Newsflash:

Dan sets!--mainly Dwayne, in an awesome fashion. Dan was hoping for reciprocation, since in the games I watched, they often played next to each other.

Here's a hint, Dan--there is no give and go if your give is so good they've got to take it.

Newsflash: Wescott hits! We all know he can, but he had some sizzlers on this day. Like I tell all hitters, just link them together enough for you to go beyond the highlight reel/AAR, and reliably get a W in the books for your team when you do em.

Newsflash: TJ the smaller blocks Jarrod! Worth noting!

Dan got Alex on camera blocking attorney Scott. Alex fought well on this day.

Dan is correct that he did go 3 in a row. The team was Dan, Drunk Steve (who is really stepping up by leaps and bounds), Joe (leading candidate for most improved), Ford, Dub, and yours truly (old and washed up, in commentary, still serviceable on the court).

Now, that team doesn't suck, but I got lucky in terms of arrivals, and could've picked a couple of other players to side with me off the losing team (Fish, Scott), and really super teamed it up.

I chose not to do so, which made good losing wet players sad, and dry, but made the games more competitive, and gave Steve and Joe a chance to go 3-0 that they wouldn't have had if I had gone with standard practice out there and taken "best available."

Speaking of which, I think Dan might've been on my team when this game happened. I almost smacked the elitist smug off the opposing superior talent team with Misty, Katie, and Jim. I believe Dan's line was--"This isn't going the way I expected!" We went up like 6-0. Tired line, but true--"that's why we play the games." We get a tactical victory in losing, by hopefully making the other team think about their performance.

It is too bad that the Riata season is coming to an end. For a good part of this year, many things have changed. On Sunday, there were at least 3 full teams of 6 waiting to play while game was going on. Plus the contestants, that's a lotta potential players. For the first time I can remember, ballers are the largest contingent out there. This will work to our advantage, if we manage it well.

And I think we are--more of the Argosy Way with 3 in a row and out, more people who don't get picked in games putting shirts up so they can play, more dry people in, and more of an emphasis on called BBGs by agreement.

The reason we're able to do that is that there has been less clown college confusion and true scrub chaos this year. As a pool becomes more united, and professional, that tends to go away. At least in my experience.

Watervolleyball as we know it was threatened recently, and, for Riata, in an unprecedented way. They had more advantages than we did in saving what they love, because they are an exclusive resort community, as opposed to a dirty Philadelphia gym. BE SURE to thank the residents for giving you a place to play this coming weekend.

We are hired guns, but we don't have to be Ronins anymore. This could be a home, if you want it to be...

_________________
Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

"Notable violation: that girl's too hot."

Hilarious! Hahahaha! Real LOL...

SQUIRREL!

_________________
Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!