AWVP

Theme song for this safari season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R54STbN1eSU

Starting with Monte Vista. I decided to sleep between Friday and Saturday, and boy does it make a difference! Security was penetrated without too much problem, and lo and behold, my beat up black and red ball was floating in their pool, where it had apparently been for the last 2 weeks.

Luckily "some of the best players at Monte Vista" were there to greet us, and from overheard conversation, they didn't think much of me and my two Jims. We were down 10-4, but, as always, come back to win. They're a lttle touchy about their net at the MV, so attorney Scott got a lecture or two. Best line of the day after Ford quick hits one home--"Maybe we should let them get in the net again!" Most amusing event of the day--preteen fan club. 12 year old girls think we're hot.

Most amusing line from the after party, "Put me down, auntie Rachel."

Luckily she did, just in time for me to rest a little and make it to the Riata on Sunday. We took our new rookies Sets and Spoons to the big show. Sets even managed to spike one down. Lots and lots of players so there was considerable down time when you lost, so the key was not to lose. Getting competitive out there, not to mention very tall. Who brought Ivan Drago? E-dub's serve was back on, despite my attempts to make him think it was Thursday, when he couldn't hit anything. I don't know what Misty May did to TJ, but he was beating on her like an Arkansas red neck. Player of the day award goes to him for an all day spiking exhibition.

Event of the day was the Argosy challenge. 2X Jesus Pants Wildboy Jess Chief Ford (in his debut as defender to Argosy Legend) show vs. the world. This one was a very very close game. As usual, we're undersized, but it's especially scary when 3/4 of the opposing squad can call Mikey & OJ "tiny" Lucky for us that speed beats power, in this case only by a little bit, in a 18-16 win. So the Legend lives on and Jedi training once again proves its superiority.

A quick note on "rules." My "hitter-blocker" rule is imperfect, but at least it makes some sort of sense. I also completely understand "setting" and "throught the net." However, the "virtual set" rule that Crawfish is trying to invoke at Riata boggles my mind. I think we all perfectly understand the current rule that you cannot stuff the setter AFTER they've made contact with the ball and produced a set. Crawfish is apparently trying to take this one step further and say that you can't come over the net and make contact with the ball BEFORE someone might decide to try to set. Hence the "virtual" nature of this rule, because you haven't touched the ball at all, so it's based on intent rather than measuarble fact--woulda coulda shoulda. Apparently you must patiently wait for a potential setter to do something and then react. Now if you're over the net, you're in trouble if I'm thinking about setting, so I don't actually have to do anything except exercise the power of my mind.

Hell, I'm going to like this rule, because I'll apply it to spikes. I'd get roofed a lot less if those big mean blockers weren't over the net. I think they need to wait until my spike breaks the plane before they do anything--no jumping until then either, because I'm sensitive and that might intimidate me. "Tito, get me a tissue, Germaine stop teasing." Wait a minute, I won't even try to hit the ball at all--I'll let you do it and then call foul because if you didn't hit it first, I might have hit the best spike ever seen. But now we'll never know, because you hit the ball before I did, and in so doing have deprived the world of the chance to witness the best spike ever, which I clearly would have produced--you must be penalized for this greivous misdeed. I believe I've found a new way to get sideouts and score points without ever touching the ball. Genius!

And for the chick at the end of the day who said she was leaving the pool to go play "real volleyball," I recommend you walk a mile in my water panties before you say that. Watervolleyball is NOT a crime, and it IS a real sport.

Two to Chief!

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Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

Damn, Cheif gets some sleep & ball in, than goes off w/ very spirited AAR...I could almost see those "best spikes ever" if only you would not have been rain forest canopied...

I agree and disagree w/ your take on Crawfish's opinion of stealing sets...There are times when one dimensional players, ie usually taller folk or Tinman that come over to destroy the setter w/o thought to net, opponent, or injury...besides injuries that happen during the act of slam/blocks, it is when someone crushes an attempted set that causes the 2nd most...the setter is usually sideways, if not totally backwards not facing the net, and some fucking oaf w/ no skills comes over crushing your fingers, hands, wrist, arms, hell i have even been hit in the face or head at some of the lower net venues while fucking settting the ball...

obviously this is a subject a little more near and dear to the hearts of players that set routinely...we all believe this game we are addicted to is a sport, but until the net play rules get revamped the sanders are always going to think it is secondary game to play when it is too hot outside...

btw, this subject gets brought up every year that I have ever played...

And I sympathize and wish I had an answer. But you can't really have it half way--you are either in the net and get called for it or you don't call it. The problem is that so many of us are in the net when we hit or block. This means enforcement would be a problem. People may think it's a great idea conceptually, until they themselves get the whistle when their fingernail inadvertently grazes the net.

Conservatively, I'd say about 33% of our plays would be blown dead on net violations should we implement the rule.

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Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

I have had many sets fail because of an opponent spiking the ball before hand. Just make sure whoever is sending you the ball does it off the net. I still have yet to have an injury even while setting on the net.

When a monkey is 3 feet over the net and hits the ball before it gets to said person I have trouble letting that go. I cant wait 4 home base to open, these safari rules are making me sick Alright lets carry the ball, block the serve, grab ball then set. Play sand ball in sand, Play water ball in water Id rather have water in my shorts than sand

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Ladd put that pipe down.

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Chief

Death from above! Fire down below!

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Ladd put that pipe down.

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Ladd put that pipe down.

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Ladd put that pipe down.

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Ladd put that pipe down.

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ask your mom

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Ladd put that pipe down.

no, ask your mom