SQUASH SHOTS XIV

The “Mickies” Awards for 2012

It’s time for the much unanticipated and irrelevant “Mickies” Awards for 2012. As I look back at the fantastic year we had, all the laughs, the successes and heartbreaking failures, it gives me a reason to flip through all the photos I snapped of you, select the less than flattering ones, and splatter then mercilessly with sarcastic comments all over the internet. On top of that, winners don’t receive any prize except the fame and zero fortune you will receive for being published. Without further ado, I announce the lucky victors…

The “Eyes Wide Shut” award goes to… Don Eugenio and Dan Follis!

Naturally there is no better way to prepare for a doubles match than sleeping. Conserving energy is an important skill to be a successful player and no one does that better than Don and Dan. And not just off the court either, as on the court they are equally adept! Experience is something you cannot be taught, and I’m sure the two are also visualizing (dreaming?) their upcoming contest, perfecting their strategies and thinking up classic one-liners to throw at each other when one of them makes an error.

The “Oh where, Oh where is Ginger Bear?” award goes to… Ken MacDonald!

Tragically, the DAC squash family lost one of its most beloved members. No, no, Ken MacDonald didn’t die, he decided the grass would be greener (and more mountainous, scenic, prosperous, relaxing, safer, better) in some God forbidden place called “Colorado”. (Anyone ever heard of it?) How anyone can say ‘good-bye’ to Detroit and venture away from this paradisiacal kingdom is a mystery more baffling than the Bermuda Triangle. One thing we know for sure, is that he will definitely miss the Detroit Athletic Club since there is no comparison anywhere to be found.

  

The “Fashion Faux Pas” award goes to… Sante Fratarcangeli!

 

Much has already been mentioned about Sante’s choice of squash attire. How he thought of the inside-out tracksuit pants can probably be attributed to a heavy night on the town in a foggy moment of pure cluelessness. Maybe he was attempting to set a new trend among his fellow players – which by the way we are all very thankful it didn’t catch on – or it was possibly an innocent mistake of putting them on inside-out without realizing. Either way we can thank our lucky stars his ‘mistake’ was not wearing his underpants on the outside in an attempt to emulate Superman.

The “This Isn’t So Hard” award goes to… Anil Kathuria and Elliot Shafer!

In a moment of enlightenment, Elliot and Anil decide to put together a pre-Thanksgiving tournament with one week’s notice. A wonderful gesture to take on all the organizational work required, however it was quickly apparent that they did not realize what they were getting themselves into. I have never spent so much time organizing an event I had virtually nothing to do with. Despite the headaches it created for the pair, the attempt of running a squash tournament during one of the busiest catering times of the year, the lack of court availability, the event went swimmingly well. They truly did a magnificent job. I for one am thankful that now at least a couple of members experienced what I go through every event.  But let’s see if they take on this task next year…