Monday, September 24, 2007
The Greatest Game Ever Played, Sunday, September 23rd, 2007
Now and again, the Commish has to hear some bullshit how kickball is not a real sport, that we're just a bunch of hipsters hanging out drinking PBRs in our tight jeans while trying to look good. Well, we do drink, our jeans are tight, and we do look really good, but damn it, this is a real fucking sport, and last night's Commitments-JCMs game proved it. I would like to see how any softball game (both grass and hardball) at McCarren ever assembled more talent. I have nothing against softball: I know the Commishes from those leagues, have alot of respect for them and their players, and even some people play both sports. But they have no right looking down on us as some farce when they play a girls' game. We play a kid's game, but you gotta run, catch, throw, and kick. Catching a well-kicked Tachikara is tougher than a catching a Ray Guy punt.
The game started with the Mellencamps scoring 3 in the first, and then the Commitments followed up with 2. From there, things went back and forth with some awesome plays. There was one play at the plate where somehow, Ben "OBP" White threw right between someone's legs, and this came after Jesse Sullivan just nicked a Mellencamp homerard bound. Jesse Alexander got his nickname "Sportz" one day in 2004 after he fielded a kick with his own kick and made the out at first. Last night playing third, he did it twice, one of them hitting Shirtless a step from the bag. Elena did great at first, including help register a key double-play. There was even a pickle play, where Ben White came in from left-center to hunt down a runner caught between third and home. They must have relayed it 4 times before making the out. That's some good balling.
I was actually nervous umpiring this game! It was entralling, all 12 innings of it. There were no losers there. Some have asked me why the Commitments were playing the JCMs in the quarter-finals. The truth is that nobody, including Randal or many of his players, knew who was playing for what team when we designed the Playoff Brackets. That game sure did feel like a Title bout to me, but there is more good ball to come on Sunday.
We also don't know if we're wrapping things up this Sunday. I hope the Finalists are willing to play 2 games in one night. That's very well precedented over the years. In 2005, Shockamania played 24 innings on the final night, just to lose in dramatic fashion to the Burninators.
Sunday Night will also represent the 4th time some of Commitments have played the Final Night: Sportz and Neil Wheelz have for 3 different teams. They are among my favorites ever. Those veterans know how the game is played, and they do it with class.
So, to both teams, thank you for the greatest kickball game ever played. To the rest of the remaining squads, Good Luck, you're gonna need it.
The Greatest Game Ever Played, Sunday, September 23rd, 2007
Now and again, the Commish has to hear some bullshit how kickball is not a real sport, that we're just a bunch of hipsters hanging out drinking PBRs in our tight jeans while trying to look good. Well, we do drink, our jeans are tight, and we do look really good, but damn it, this is a real fucking sport, and last night's Commitments-JCMs game proved it. I would like to see how any softball game (both grass and hardball) at McCarren ever assembled more talent. I have nothing against softball: I know the Commishes from those leagues, have alot of respect for them and their players, and even some people play both sports. But they have no right looking down on us as some farce when they play a girls' game. We play a kid's game, but you gotta run, catch, throw, and kick. Catching a well-kicked Tachikara is tougher than a catching a Ray Guy punt.
The game started with the Mellencamps scoring 3 in the first, and then the Commitments followed up with 2. From there, things went back and forth with some awesome plays. There was one play at the plate where somehow, Ben "OBP" White threw right between someone's legs, and this came after Jesse Sullivan just nicked a Mellencamp homerard bound. Jesse Alexander got his nickname "Sportz" one day in 2004 after he fielded a kick with his own kick and made the out at first. Last night playing third, he did it twice, one of them hitting Shirtless a step from the bag. Elena did great at first, including help register a key double-play. There was even a pickle play, where Ben White came in from left-center to hunt down a runner caught between third and home. They must have relayed it 4 times before making the out. That's some good balling.
I was actually nervous umpiring this game! It was entralling, all 12 innings of it. There were no losers there. Some have asked me why the Commitments were playing the JCMs in the quarter-finals. The truth is that nobody, including Randal or many of his players, knew who was playing for what team when we designed the Playoff Brackets. That game sure did feel like a Title bout to me, but there is more good ball to come on Sunday.
We also don't know if we're wrapping things up this Sunday. I hope the Finalists are willing to play 2 games in one night. That's very well precedented over the years. In 2005, Shockamania played 24 innings on the final night, just to lose in dramatic fashion to the Burninators.
Sunday Night will also represent the 4th time some of Commitments have played the Final Night: Sportz and Neil Wheelz have for 3 different teams. They are among my favorites ever. Those veterans know how the game is played, and they do it with class.
So, to both teams, thank you for the greatest kickball game ever played. To the rest of the remaining squads, Good Luck, you're gonna need it.
Here's something to help you, lifted from the Kickbacks' website:
