PRO SQUASH LEAGUE ANYONE?

The Detroit Tigers… the Detroit Lions… Red Wings, Pistons and now… the Detroit Squash Professionals! It will take sponsorship dollars. How much I don’t know and really couldn’t venture a guess either (even though I will later on). But just imagine if the DAC had its own professional squash team playing in a US Professional Squash League. A team that would play half a dozen times at the DAC during the season and feature some potential match-ups with Jon Power and David Palmer, or John White and Wael El Hindi…

It’s a juicy thought. Professional leagues are not new to squash. Virtually every other western European country has one: Germany, England, Holland, Switzerland, France, even the Czech Republic just to name a few. But here, in the US, where private clubs have deep pocketed members, a professional squash league doesn’t exist… yet.

Once again the initiator behind this idea is Joe McManus. The same Joe McManus that created the US Pro Squash Tour (PST) with the “no-let” rule that inspired the Professional Squash Association (PSA) to ban its players from. Still in its development, the initial plan is to start the league for the 2011-2012 season and right now only in the north-eastern part of the country, namely New York and Boston areas. But recent developments has Joe thinking about opening up the team bids all the way into the mid-west region as well, including Detroit. Depending on its success, plans to expand the league into the western costal region are in the works for the following years.

Here is the outline of the concept:
Teams will consist of 6 men and 3 women. I believe the idea is to have 2 men and 1 woman play every scheduled round. All the teams will be locally owned and managed by the club and/or its members. It is up to the owners what they would like to call their team, (We can call ourselves the “Detroit Motorheads” for example!) their branding, marketing, merchandising, ticket sales to each league week, fund raising and sponsorship deals, the revenue earning. They will be able to draft their own players. The direction of team is totally up to the owners as well.

Here is an outline of the initial cost:
The minimum bid for team rights is $6000. The annual league fee is $4000 which would be waved in the first year. The unknowns would be how much money you need to pay the players since I haven’t the foggiest inkling of what the going rate is for a top pro to commit to a weekend league match in the US. Add on the expenses of their food, hotel, travel, and it does start to add up. Especially if you need to field a team 10 times a season plus finals, and then maybe offer bonuses for performance. So maybe it’s $50K - $60K a year? Much of the cost may be made up with ticket sales to league days, merchandise sales, etc. Owners and sponsors will be able to place their brand on shirts, warm-ups, whatever they choose to advertise the team with. (Naturally, keeping in line with all the DAC policies!)

So maybe the answer to getting professional squash at the DAC consistently, multiple times a year, in place of running one annual professional squash tournament, we could run a professional squash team instead. Or run both? The interest and support in squash that could be generated in the club could be a huge increase for our sport if members were directly linked to a pro team. Anyone want to own one? It all comes down to one thing: It will take sponsorship dollars. If you think this is something that you and your company would be interested in investing in please do not hesitate to contact me.

SOMETHING ABOUT WINDSOR

Windsor Tournament March 25-27

Could be something in their water. Could be the beer. Could be their courts even though they are exactly the same size as ours. Whatever it is, there seems to be something about Windsor that has us chasing our tails all the way back through the tunnel.

Six DAC members jumped into the fray knowing the gruesome battles that lay ahead. It’s sort of like the in the Middle Ages when the two opposing armies ran towards each other with swords and axes flailing everywhere and being fully aware that the chances of survival where infinitesimal to none. The lone ranger that actually lived on until Sunday morning was Alan Howard [pictured left]. Alan is a new DAC member and of course being a newbie isn’t aware of the vicious curse the Windsor Club has hung over us. Not to worry, he’ll learn. Alan played the C and D draws, and I’m not sure how accustomed he is to playing so many matches in a short span of time. He reached the semi final of the D draw – a very fine effort – and no doubt his sore muscles were screaming at him with every step by Sunday morning. He lost that match and although it is never satisfying to lose, his body was probably thanking him. His after match beer almost certainly never tasted so good.

Between the other 5 members (John Rakolta, Paul Ward, Andy Adamo, Ted Mabley, and James Van Dyke), we did pick up a couple of wins but none of them got too far into the draws. Traditionally, the Windsor tournament has very tough draws mainly due to the fact that there are less of them. Having only 4 categories to choose from as opposed to the 7 we run at the DAC Classic, condenses the players. Many players may find themselves ‘between’ levels – meaning for example, they won’t get too far in the B level, but could do very well in the C - so will choose to play the lower one. Nothing wrong with that, it just makes the competition all the more difficult. Looking at the positive side, entering this tournament will guarantee you some very challenging matches and we could all use that!

On a very quiet note, barely above a whisper, for the first time I did not win the Open category. I lost the final to Chris Hanebury in 5 games. I think the match took 80 minutes, and today my body feels a little tender. Even though it was not a match for me to remember, full credit must go to Chris. He was too good on the day, moving very quickly on the ball and minimized the unforced errors. I guess the Windsor voodoo has finally caught up with me too!

Once again, the Windsor Team is to be heartily thanked for their hospitality and effort. The beer apparently never stopped flowing which is always a good sign, and it’s an easy place to relax and enjoy. Do your squash game a favor and make sure you enter next time!

CROWNING THE MONGOOSE

Boasters League final~~

"Winky-Dinks" versus "Mongoose"~~

Maybe after beating “Threepeat” last week, it took a little wind out of the “Winky-Dinks” sails. Captain Justin Winkelman was very focused on stopping Patrick Petz’ team winning three in a row and after achieving that goal in the semi final, it’s tough to back up that performance with another one. So often you see a major upset in a tournament from a low ranked player or team over a top seed only to have that player or team get annihilated in the next round.

Now “Winky-Dinks” didn’t exactly get bulldozed. And certainly the three results that they lost 0-3 weren’t upsets, however I predicted they would be closer. “Mongoose” also had 3 subs playing for them. It’s always a tricky situation in the finals to insert a sub. You have to be careful and try not to choose someone who is stronger than the player they are replacing, but still good enough to be competitive – and they have to be available. So, choices are limited. Two of the subbing players had previously lost to their respective opponents before, but both of them won 3-0 on this occasion. The third – Jim Miller - had not lost to Chato Hill before, but Chato stepped up well to win 2-1. Just goes to show how unpredictable it can be.

In other matches, “Mongoose” captain Paul Huth held off nemesis Blake Ellis 14-15; 15-13; 15-13 for a 2-1 victory. Paul and Blake always seem to have very close matches and the winner is usually decided by a couple of points either way. The final three matches played on the day all fell “Mongoose’s” way. Mike Rock reversed his round 1 loss to Geoff Kimmel by winning 2-1, David Pontes overcame a one game deficit against Greg Davis to claim a 2-1 triumph, and John Roarty kept Brien Baker at bay to also win 2-1. [Above picture: Mike Rock and Geoff Kimmel ~~~ Picture left: Brien Baker and John Roarty]

With 11 of the 12 results recorded, “Mongoose” held an unassailable 5 point lead. The final match was played anyway (2 days later) and once again it was team “Mongoose” squeaking out a 2-1 win. The overall result: 30 to 24. It was a warranted conquest. All season long, they kept themselves in the top 3 of the standings, and actually held the top spot for 3 of those weeks before coming into the finals as the 3rd seed. Their consistency paid off. Please congratulate with me the 2011 Boasters League champions:

John Roarty; Paul Huth (captain); Jay Poplawski; Bruce VandeVusse; John Conway; David Pontes; Mike Ng; Terry Lang; Mike Rock; Brian Rosman; Renee McDuffee; Tom Jordan.

THE SQUASH POET #5

Can you really be addicted to a sport? Sure you can. I am. And have been for almost 35 years with no signs of slowing down. In fact, I think it gets worse. It appears the mysterious Squash Poet is also obsessed and I’m sure many members are too. This poem appeared on the Squashsite website a while back… enjoy...!

The cravings increase with each passing day
I just want a court and my racquet to play
My compulsion to run and chase after the ball
Like a hairy misguided Neanderthal
Is borderline lunacy – a disease admitted
I’m surprised I haven’t been detained and committed
But the one thing that’s strange and I can’t seem to reverse
Is that the more that I play, my standard gets worse!

The Squash Poet


Squash Addiction
(Sung to the tune of “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers)

I’ve got nothing to explain
On how I have this bad affliction,
The rest of my pathetic life
I’ve given up to dereliction,
And the only way is I’ve fallen prey,
To a heavy Squash Addiction.

It’s got a lot do to with
The continuous pain infliction,
Run so hard and slow right down,
Is a physical contradiction,
I can’t get enough of this game so tough,
It’s a heavy Squash Addiction.

Pay your squash pro very well
To improve your racquet swinging,
The wrist you flick to hit that nick,
Will keep your rivals stinging,
The dream extreme,
Squash is supreme.

Chorus:
Get high on heavy Squash Addiction,
Get high on heavy Squash Addiction.

In 5 set games I have no shame,
And get on my knees for benediction,
I don’t really care if the devil’s aware,
And puts me up for crucifixion,
Cause I need to win, even if it’s a sin,
To have a heavy Squash Addiction.

If I’m tough to find, don’t be so blind,
Where I am is an easy prediction,
I’m hitting a thousand balls up and down the walls,
Concentrating with a real conviction,
It’s becoming worse, I can’t reverse,
This heavy Squash Addiction.

Through rain and snow I’ll watch the pros,
There will be no restriction
I need a shrink ‘cause I eat and drink,
Even with an interdiction,
The dream extreme,
Squash is supreme.

Chorus

Everything to me outside the squash world
Is irrelevant and just fiction,
I must confide, I would suicide,
If the clubs gave me eternal eviction,
There’s no way to break, I just can’t shake,
My heavy Squash Addiction.

Practice all your good length shots,
It is the key to winning,
You’ll get the taste
And also embrace,
Your own addiction beginning.
The dream extreme,
Squash is supreme.

Chorus

The Squash Poet

FRACCHIA TOO BLITZ-ING GOOD

Thankfully – this time – I didn’t go by my gut feeling and cancel this event. By the time the registration deadline came around I only had 16 players. The minimum. Last time I went ahead in this situation, 3 players pulled out the day of the event and I had to cancel everything! This time the opposite happened. Not only did I receive 2 more entries the next day, I received another 2 entries 30 minutes before the event started! Luckily it wasn’t too difficult to rearrange the draw, and we ended up with a healthy 20 participants.

I split this motley-crew into 4 groups of 5 players. Then assigned handicaps for each match (each match being one game to 15). The utopian scenario is to assign the handicap so every match ends up 15-14. The sudden-death 14-all rally is always exciting to watch especially when you have an underdog on court – the pressure really mounts for the better player. The top ranked player in 3 of the groups all lost one game, the fourth - Anthony Fracchia – swept the table. Overall, only 3 players failed to win a game, and only 2 players won all four games in their respective groups. The top two players in each group advanced to the knock-out 8-man final.

The other 4-game group winner was Jason Trombley. No one was sure what had inspired Jason on this particular evening, or where he stole that forehand swing from, and calls for drug testing were heard amongst the crowd, but something clicked for him as he systematically destroyed all of his group opponents. His first round finals match was against Sante Fratarcangeli. Sante took a 2 point handicap. He needed 3. Jason won 15-14. He then took on Anthony in the semi final with a 9 point advantage. Now, I am not suggesting the outcome would have been different, but Jason did ‘tweak’ his ankle in this game. As we were watching it happen, it looked pretty innocuous, just your run-of-the-mill ankle sprain that you walk off, but as you can see by the photo, the ‘tweak’ was rather severe. Jason lost 15-13, and then still played his 3rd and 4th play-off – which he won over Bruce VandeVusse 15-10. As of this morning, Jason said it may be broken which makes his effort even more impressive. We hope his injury is not as bad as it appears but he may be on the sidelines for a while.

Anthony’s opponent in the final was Matt DiDio. [The two are pictured left] It just so turned out that Matt’s finals opponents were the same standard as himself so he started each game at 0-0. It’s a different game when playing someone of your own level than playing someone a couple of levels below. It’s mentally easier since the pressure to win isn’t as great, but physically tougher. The Fracchia – DiDio final also started at 0-0. When it finished, Matt wished he had started with 5. Anthony took the match 15-10, a well deserved, undefeated performance. Congratulations, Anthony!

The motley crew!

BOASTERS FINALS ROUND 2

It’s not really surprising and on one hand it’s a little frustrating that as soon as the finals are upon us, suddenly players’ schedules are open and bonus points are being collected and matches are played. Like someone mumbled yesterday, “If only the regular season had just as much activity”. Between the 4 teams, Wednesday had 18 matches played (out of a possible 24). That’s the most matches played on a league night all season. With half the amount of teams. Why is the regular season so non-committal? Isn’t that important too? Maybe something to ponder about another day…

“Mongoose” versus “Speed Ballers”~~
It was close – not down-to-the-wire close, but it stayed interesting (and rather exciting!) all the way up to the final game of the second last match. All night “Mongoose” kept their noses slightly in front. Even though the “Speed Ballers” collected 2 more bonus points (11-9) it wasn’t enough to catch up. “Mongoose’s” success was helped due to the fact that Bruce VandeVusse and Renee McDuffee reversed their round 6 losses against the same opponents to record 3-0 wins. Stepping on court second to last was Terry Lang (“Mongoose”) and Drew Creamer (“Speed Ballers”). Drew needed to win at least one game in order to keep his team hopeful and for the final match to have any relevance. The two worked each other around the court unmercifully, both feeling the pinch, but unfortunately for Drew, he had lost the first 2 games. With a boisterous handful of spectators urging their team mates on, the third game was neck and neck all the way. To 14-all. The sudden death rally fell Terry’s way ending “Speed Ballers” hopes of advancing to the final since "Mongoose" now held a 4 point lead with only one match to play. I believe it took some time for Terry’s and Drew’s heart rate to get back to normal levels. In good spirits, the final match was completed as well. Final score: “Mongoose” win 31-26.


“Threepeat” versus “Winky-Dinks”~~
It was also close. Down-to-the-wire close. All season long Justin Winkelman and the “Winky-Dinks” have been yearning to knock off Patrick Petz and his “Threepeat” quest. As the evening rolled along, “Threepeat” held a constant – but not too comfortable – advantage. By the time Thursday rolled around, three matches were left to be played, and “Threepeat” had a nervous 3 point lead. It didn’t last long. Blake Ellis evened up the totals after he took down Patrick Petz 3-0. Every game was close, and Patrick admitted that fitness got the better of him in the end (which is nothing unusual when playing Blake) but he was pleased with how he performed. As one of the matches proved to be a wash since both players couldn’t align calendars, it was left to the last match to decide who would advance. After numerous back and forth e-mails, leeway was given for the match to be played on Friday afternoon. Mike Reno (“Winky-Dinks”) versus JB Peabody (“Threepeat”) would be for all the marbles. Earlier in the season, Mike beat JB 2-1. And history would prove to repeat itself. Another 2-1 win for Mike had “Winky-Dinks” complete the comeback and the upset. Final score: “Winky-Dinks” win 27-26.

Time to look to next week. The last week of the 2010-2011 season. “Mongoose” versus “Winky-Dinks”. It should be a doozy, and no doubt the trash talking will be plentiful and humorous. These two teams met way back in round 1. “Mongoose” won that by 3 points. Game on.

BOASTERS FINALS ROUND 1

“Mongoose” versus “The Underdogs”~~
No one can blame ‘bonus points’ for this result. This was decided on the court with all 12 matches being completed. In fact, with a combined total of 24 bonus points available, the two teams collected 21 which virtually cancelled each other out.

It seemed that team “Mongoose” basically handled the pressure better overall than “The Underdogs”. I say this because at least 3 members of “The Underdogs” came to me after their match frustrated, not because they didn’t play well, but because they lost at least two games in their respective matches 15-14. They were a couple of 15-13 score lines thrown in as well, but the theme of the evening was like watching LeBron James and Miami Heat highlights of missing buzzer beater after buzzer beater. In the end, five “Mongoose” players won 3-0, and probably 2 or 3 of those results could have been reversed if the cookie crumbled the other way. But it didn’t, and that’s a 15 point spread to overcome. Of the other 7 matches, “The Underdogs” only won 3 of them anyway and went down fighting all the way 34-23. One of the toughest contests was John Conway’s 2-1 win over Joe Moran. These two fine gentlemen went hammer and tongs for the 3 games, covering court like they were 15 years old. Joe walked off the court looking like he had just been in a wet t-shirt contest.

“The Beamers” versus “Winky-Dinks”~~
A much closer contest between these two teams had us waiting for the final result all the way down to the last couple of matches. As the scores came in, they traded wins back and forth. A 2-1 win for “The Beamers” was quickly countered with a 2-1 win for the “Winky-Dinks”. By the time Thursday morning was here, we had 8 matches completed and each team had won exactly the same amount of games. The difference? You guessed it – bonus points. One to be precise. The “Winky-Dinks” picked up one more bonus point than “The Beamers” (8 to 7). Would this be the deciding factor? It certainly looked as if it would be when the next two results were recorded: a 2-1 win for each team. But when the third result came in – a 3-0 “Winky-Dinks” victory – it was all over. With one match left to play they had an unassailable 4 point lead making the last match irrelevant. Final score: 26-22.

And on to the semi finals we go. The “Winky-Dinks” have earned themselves a showdown with “Threepeat” and I know captain Justin Winkelman would love to knock off the reigning 2 time champions. Emotions should be high. “Mongoose” tackle the “Speed Ballers” where they lost in round 6 to them and will be looking at turning that around.

HOW ABOUT THE WINDSOR TOURNAMENT THEN?

March 25-27. In Windsor. That’s literally just across the river. A mile away. Could not be any easier. Well, it could be at the DAC, but then it wouldn’t be called the Windsor Tournament. So what more motivation do you need? Beer? They’ll have that. Tough squash matches? You’ll definitely get that. Singles and Doubles? Yep. Food? You betcha.

It will be social, it will be fun. All what a squash tournament should be and this is the last opportunity for the winter season to play one outside the DAC. And what better way to get some excellent match practice before the club championships in April?

Nor is it expensive. The entry fee is only $60 plus tax (CAD) and you are allowed to enter 2 divisions. The attached poster has all the possible categories. To break down their letter system, here is what you are looking for:
• If you are a 2.5 to 3.0 player, enter the D draw
• If you are a 3.1 to 4.0 player, enter the C draw
• If you are a 4.1 to 5.0 player, enter the B draw
• If you are 5.1+, enter the A draw
• If you can make me sweat, enter the Open.
• If you are under 15 years old, enter the Juniors U/15 draw…
• The A and B doubles are the same as ours

Make sure you contact their tournament organizer to enter before the March 19 deadline. I hope to see you there!

THE TOURNAMENT OF DAC CHAMPIONS

So who will be our 2012 Farris Cup representatives? The Singles Club Championships is the one tournament a year that many members want to win not just for the 12 months of bragging rights that come with it, but also for the opportunity to represent the DAC in the esteemed and ever more popular Farris Cup event.

To be bestowed that honor, you first have to reach the final of your respective category. There are 7 seven categories to choose from and you allowed to enter 2 of them. Make sure you enter the correct category, as I do reserve the right to move you if I feel you could be better suited elsewhere. Divisions include: 2.5 – 3.0 – 3.5 – 4.0 – 4.5 – 5.0 – Open. Each match is best of 5 games to 9 points using the hand-in-hand-out scoring. There will be no consolation draw.

If you wish to play the Club Championships, you absolutely, positively, unwaveringly, must be able to play the final of your category on Thursday May 5 – the night of the Awards Dividend. Exception will be given in the unlikely situation where a player reaches the final of 2 divisions (but if that happens, you probably shouldn’t have entered the lower one, eh?).

Also, since the tournament is being played mainly over the month of April, and many people take the opportunity to take a well deserved vacation during that time, make sure you set your calendar well. If you are absent for a couple weeks during April, it may be a good idea not to enter. Each match will have a playing deadline and it will be your responsibility to make sure it is played before that deadline or risk being forfeited. Pushing back a match a week or so is unfair to your fellow members who also have schedules to keep. The tournament has to keep rolling in order to have the finalists set for all 7 categories.

The registration deadline is March 24. Simply e-mail me your entry. There is no entry fee, but you do need to be a Blackballer to play. Draws will be released on April 1.

THE TOLEDO SQUASH PARTY

This year’s Toledo Squash Open will leave me with some strong images. Some of them terrific, some of them a little dubious and a couple of them that I want to grab a rusty spoon and with it gouge out my short term memory.

We’ll start out with the memories I will want to savor and have no issues reminiscing with you. The squash is always a safe place to start. Keep in mind that these courts are the skinny version and are slightly larger than a box of matches. Three DAC members made the trip. Robert Welch had such a good time last year, he made the effort again. Considering he is still recovering from major shoulder surgery back in October, it was an admirable effort. He entered the D draw where he drew a local fellow who had mastered the art of dropping the ball in the back corner with barely a whisper of a bounce. Robert struggled and was frustrated to lose 3-0. Inadvertently, he also entered the 50+ category. Unaware that some of the players in this draw are actually A standard players, Robert hopped on court with ex-pro Gul Khan, one of the Khans from the famous Pakistan Squash Khan (Jahangir) family. Gul was very friendly with Robert, and Robert stepped up his game considerably in return. He earned many points, played very well, and although the 3-0 loss was inevitable, at was an invaluable learning experience.

Without have a clue how, Peter Logan ended up in 3 categories. He played the A draw, where he lost first round to one of the thirty-seven Effler brothers in 5 games, he played the Hardball Singles A/B draw where he lost first round to Brad Hanebury of London, and he played the 50+ draw where he had a lot more success. After beating Gul Khan, he played the final against one of his good buddies but squash nemeses Rob Graves from Franklin. These two go back and forth constantly and as luck would have it, it was Peter’s turn this time around. He took the match 3-1. [Picture: Rob Graves and Peter Logan]

James Van Dyke also entered 3 categories. Two were squash, and one was drinking. The squash wasn’t quite as successful as his third division where he divided and conquered his opposition with charm and wit, but nonetheless he did have a few nice tough matches. He lost first round of the B division (where he was stepping up) and in the C bracket he won his first before losing his second. I will give a special mention to non-member – but a definite prospect – Brian Ellison. Brian also played the DAC Classic, and accompanied James this weekend for the Toledo adventure. A fine gentleman, we worked hard on him to join the club and may find that he soon will be part of our squash family.

I also played the tournament in the invite pro event. For the third year running I reached the final against Cleveland Tavern Club pro/manager Ian Sly. And for the third year running I was fortunate enough to be the first player to win 3 games. Ian won the first game after a long hard-hitting battle 12-10, and then I decided to change tactics and use the front of the court a lot more for the next three games. Ian had trouble coping when stretched short and I took those 3 games relatively comfortably. [Pictured - Me and Ian after the final... guess who won!]

Everyone is fully aware that the Toledo tournament hires models to serve the Friday night beer. Without appearing to drool over my keyboard too much, it was obvious by the attached photo that the serving talent was once again spot on. Robert Welch (somebody had to do it!) was kind enough to pose with them.

I am sure you are wondering just what type of impression etched on my brain would encourage me to reach for a corroded kitchen utensil. Leaving out names to protect the innocent… The pros overnight in one of five hotel rooms at the Toledo Club. The lack of space forces many of us to share a room. While this accommodation isn’t inconvenient to any of us (on the contrary, we appreciate the red carpet rolled out for us by the tournament organization committee and John Seidel especially), having 5 to room can be, at times, a little… narrow. The human body is a wonderfully complex organism inside and out. Beauty of this organism is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Seeing the human body in all its glory can be fascinating depending on its shape, size, position, and in some instances, it can also be acutely disturbing. One of my roommates this weekend evidently feels very comfortable in his own skin. Especially when that is all he is wearing. Waking up in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call I walked past his cot and could not help but notice him fast asleep, lying on his back, absent of all bed sheets. It was as if he was… posturing. I will say no more than that. It was a little unsettling to say the least and I hope my nervous twitch that suddenly developed will eventually fade away.

Picture: James Van Dyke, Me, Prospective DAC member Brian Ellison and Robert Welch at the "Spring Fling" party at the Toledo Club on the Saturday night of the Tournament.

Like I said last year – mark this one on your calendar for 2012. Guaranteed good time, you will absolutely not regret it.

DOWN TO SIX TEAMS

Boasters League Final Round~~

Well, who would have thunk it. After six rounds of the Boasters League, “Threepeat” were sitting 7th on the standings – 34 points behind the leaders - and on the outside looking in. Now three rounds later, they end up on top of the ladder and have the first round bye in the finals. It just goes to prove that if teams get their act together and commit to getting their matches done it is very possible to turn the season around.

Joining “Threepeat” for the luxurious first round bye are the “Speed Ballers”. They held off “Mongoose” by 7 points who are scheduled to play “The Underdogs” on Wednesday. “The Underdogs” snagged the final play-off position helped mostly in part by their round 9 performance where they completed 10 of their 12 matches and picked up a healthy 8 bonus points as well. That propelled them from 8th to 6th where they bumped “Courts and Pints” and “Mr. Daniels Walking” into a season ending position. “Delta Force” did little to improve their chances as they lingered in last place all season long falling further and further behind virtually every week.

So, like every season, let’s have a look at some the statistics for this half:
• Two teams take honors for collecting the most bonus points. “Speed Ballers” and “Winky Dinks” each accumulated 57 of them. That’s 10 more than the next best “Threepeat”
• The 57 bonus points of “Winky-Dinks” made up 39% of their total which is the most in the league and only 1 percentage point above the next best: “Delta Force”.
• “Threepeat” had the highest percentage of matches completed (75%). They finished first.
• “Delta Force” had the lowest percentage of matches completed (54%). They finished last.
• The round with the least amount of matches played was not the week cancelled due to the snow storm (round 5). That dubious honor goes to round 8 where only 26 of a possible 48 matches were completed. Round 5 had 28 matches played.
• Round 1 had the most matches with 42.
• Overall, 66% of matches were played in the second half. That’s down from 75% in the first half. A big drop.
• The “Speed Ballers” are the first team ever to have every single player collect all possible bonus points (12) in one round.
• “Threepeat” and the “Speed Ballers” played all 12 matches in round one – the only time it happened all season (including the first half).
• 65% of “Courts and Pints” score was made up between only 4 of their players.
• 12 players played all 8 matches. That’s down from 21 in the first half. Interestingly, 3 of those players are from “Courts and Pints” (more than any other team) and they didn’t make the finals.
• “Delta Force” did not score more than 9 points in any round, either by accumulating bonus points or winning games.
• 11 players received the maximum 7 bonus points. That’s up from 9 in the first half. From those 11, four were from “Winky-Dinks” and none of them came from the 3 teams that did not make the finals.

And now for the naming of the “All Star” team. Players carried over their first half points whether they moved up or down. For example if a player played in the number 1 position and accumulated 10 points in the first half but dropped to a number 2 position in the second and collected another 10, he would have 20 points for the season. That total would be measured against all the other number 2’s in the league. Each All Star will receive a shirt with their name stitched on it. Congratulations to:

1. Paul Ward (“Speed Ballers”)
2. Paul Huth (“Mongoose”)
3. Bob Rogers (“Winky-Dinks”)
4. Bruce VandeVusse (“Mongoose”)
5. Jordan Ellis (“Delta Force”)
6. Brandon Dobbins (“Speed Ballers”)
7. Tom Healy (“Speed Ballers”)
8. Chuck Doyle (“Threepeat”)
9. Anil Kathuria (Mr. Daniels Walking”)
10. Ted Mabley (“The Beamers”)
11. Tom Bergh (“Mr. Daniels Walking”)
12. Glen Milligan (“Winky Dinks”)

Anil Kathuria led the league with the most points overall with 52.

Which brings us to the question, who will (or can) stop “Threepeat”? The “Winky-Dinks” and “The Beamers” will be fighting off this Wednesday to see who will tackle them first and neither of them beat “Threepeat” during the season. In fact, the only 2 teams to beat “Threepeat” were “Mr. Daniels Walking” who aren’t even in the finals and “The Underdogs” who just squeezed in. It should be fascinating to say the least…