Kirk stopped by yesterday to thank me for running the tournament, but I really think it was a visit to pump up the Kirk Count. I'll only give that trip a half a point since it was a little bogus.
Later on he did a drive by to tell Brian and I how retarded we were. He didn't actually stop at my desk, but I'll give that one a half a point, too, since he was incredibly sincere about our idiocy.
Tournament total: 5
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Friday's Games
It'll be so nice, we'll play two!
Game 1:
Beetledouche vs. Chuck Duke Presents: Hairbags
Game 2:
SILF vs. Lady Berries
See you there, Centre Court.
Game 1:
Beetledouche vs. Chuck Duke Presents: Hairbags
Game 2:
SILF vs. Lady Berries
See you there, Centre Court.
Pill Count
The Gambler: Results
Day 2 Action!
Game 1:
Sturgeonface vs. Lady Berries
It was obvious from the first serve who the fan favorites were. Every time the ball went to Kirk, the crowd squealed his name with delight. "Kirko! Kirko! Kirko!" It was as if he was playing by himself, as Jean seemed to be completely ignored.
This game was tight, tight, tight! By my account, nobody was able to scratch out a lead higher than two points at any time. Every shot carried the drama of hopes and dreams. Strangely, though, one question was growing larger and larger in my brain until I could no longer ignore it.
If the game is this close, how could I be so bored?
I can't recall many shots resembling slams. I don't remember a lot of heated rallies. I have no recollection of any bang-bang-bang plays. This, ye fans, was a prime example of what we call Plinktastic Pong.
The phrase was partially coined by Mike B two years ago and it's used to describe table tennis that sounds like this:
plink
plink
plink
plink
plink...
The shots go back and forth with little authority and even less urgency. How could this be, in a game featuring reigning champion and Smash Queen Jean Shen? Beats me. The high point was when Kane animatedly observed, "Kirk's making the sturgeonface against Sturgeonface!" We hoped this might cause a tear in the fabric of reality, if only to give us something legitimate to get excited about.
The game progressed logically to it's pre-determined point total, I yawned, and one of the new compers farted dust.
Ho hum.
Lady Berries: 21, Sturgeonface: 17
Game 2:
Scottish vs. Muffintops
Speaking of ho hum...
Perhaps the long layoff was too much for Chuck Duke. Maybe The Bedazzler, his beloved paddle, out of retirement for the first time in two years, was a bit rusty, too. Maybe Joe's hat really wasn't that lucky after all, as Petey opined. Maybe Muffintops were just too much man. I don't know.
I won't go on and on here. I'll just note that this was the lowest scoring game I've ever seen.
Get thee to practice, Scottish!
Muffintops: 21, Scottish: 5
I'd like to see tomorrow's participants put a little more heart into it. We'll blame today's malaise on the inclement weather, but we can't use that excuse two days in a row!
Sturgeonface vs. Lady Berries
It was obvious from the first serve who the fan favorites were. Every time the ball went to Kirk, the crowd squealed his name with delight. "Kirko! Kirko! Kirko!" It was as if he was playing by himself, as Jean seemed to be completely ignored.
This game was tight, tight, tight! By my account, nobody was able to scratch out a lead higher than two points at any time. Every shot carried the drama of hopes and dreams. Strangely, though, one question was growing larger and larger in my brain until I could no longer ignore it.
If the game is this close, how could I be so bored?
I can't recall many shots resembling slams. I don't remember a lot of heated rallies. I have no recollection of any bang-bang-bang plays. This, ye fans, was a prime example of what we call Plinktastic Pong.
The phrase was partially coined by Mike B two years ago and it's used to describe table tennis that sounds like this:
plink
plink
plink
plink
plink...
The shots go back and forth with little authority and even less urgency. How could this be, in a game featuring reigning champion and Smash Queen Jean Shen? Beats me. The high point was when Kane animatedly observed, "Kirk's making the sturgeonface against Sturgeonface!" We hoped this might cause a tear in the fabric of reality, if only to give us something legitimate to get excited about.
The game progressed logically to it's pre-determined point total, I yawned, and one of the new compers farted dust.
Ho hum.
Lady Berries: 21, Sturgeonface: 17
Game 2:
Scottish vs. Muffintops
Speaking of ho hum...
Perhaps the long layoff was too much for Chuck Duke. Maybe The Bedazzler, his beloved paddle, out of retirement for the first time in two years, was a bit rusty, too. Maybe Joe's hat really wasn't that lucky after all, as Petey opined. Maybe Muffintops were just too much man. I don't know.
I won't go on and on here. I'll just note that this was the lowest scoring game I've ever seen.
Get thee to practice, Scottish!
Muffintops: 21, Scottish: 5
I'd like to see tomorrow's participants put a little more heart into it. We'll blame today's malaise on the inclement weather, but we can't use that excuse two days in a row!
Bracket Update
Kirk Count
Today's Games
Due to injuries to two players, we've got one First Round game and one Second Round game.
Game 1:
Lady Berries vs. Sturgeonface
Game 2:
Scottish vs. Muffintops
Get it on!
Game 1:
Lady Berries vs. Sturgeonface
Game 2:
Scottish vs. Muffintops
Get it on!
Team Profile: Velveeta Manwich
The team of Will Groebe and Tom Gibbons is definitely the wackiest in the tournament. Each brings their own brand of comedy to the table and together the sum is bigger than the parts. I'd have a tough time picking two more diametrically opposed individuals without going to the Geoff Wheeler/Todd Labonte cop-out. I believe that the levels of Intentional Comedy and Unintentional Comedy will be off the charts when these two hit the court.
In related news, someone mispronounced their team name yesterday as "Velveeta Manchu," which is also diabolically funny.
Raccoons
When I got out to my truck this morning, I found that it had been manhandled like a cheap whore during the night. It was covered with streaks of mud and footprints. The outboard mirrors were all cocked up. Seems that one or more raccoons thought that trampling my vehicle might somehow lead to a big food payoff. They were wrong and now my truck looks like it's two steps away from being on blocks in the front yard. Nature's bandidos, those raccoons. Still, they're cute and I like them.
In contrast, Kirk decided to harass me this morning regarding whether his team was playing and, if they were, what team they were playing. Apparently his email is down since he felt it necessary to invade my cubicle to demand this information and he took more than one trip to do it. Why he needs this information so urgently this early in the morning I cannot guess. Perhaps he needs to rethink his strategy depending on his opponent. I haven't checked, but I have a hunch that there are muddy footprints and handprints all around my cube now.
All things considered, I prefer the muddy truck.
In contrast, Kirk decided to harass me this morning regarding whether his team was playing and, if they were, what team they were playing. Apparently his email is down since he felt it necessary to invade my cubicle to demand this information and he took more than one trip to do it. Why he needs this information so urgently this early in the morning I cannot guess. Perhaps he needs to rethink his strategy depending on his opponent. I haven't checked, but I have a hunch that there are muddy footprints and handprints all around my cube now.
All things considered, I prefer the muddy truck.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Pill Count
The Gambler: Results
Day 1 Action!
Hot diggety, let's play some pong!
Game 1:
Q-Balls vs. Muffintops
"I feel like I'm peaking at the right time."
- Joel
Great gosh a-mighty, I will never play in a pong tournament. Besides the fact that I'd be an albatross around my teammate's neck, I will tell you up front that I have no interest in dealing with the pressure. Did you hear that crowd? If you were there, you did. (David Gibson, tournament newbie, must have been been feeling Vibrational Colon Disorder, which, I can tell you, doesn't end well and is not treatable. You just have to ride it out.) It was loud. Petey was at his desk through break and he heard it all the up in the Grayson Attic. The opponents took their places and seemed to be calm and cool, but the truth came out really quickly.
Muffintops served first and Jess, the anarchist's anarchist, biffed the first two. Shtoink! Right off the edge of the table and straight up into the air. Perhaps if he was a nihilist he might have been less affected by nerves. After two more gifts to Q-Balls, Steven Q gave the Muffintops a charity point and we switched service at 4-1. Being the favorites, Q-Balls looked very much in control. Perhaps all the pre-game pro-Muffintops chatter was misplaced.
(This is the point in my write-up where you realize that you've been set up. Joel's opening quote, the two biffed serves, Gibson's digestive difficulty, the early lead by the favorites? Looks like it's going to be a crushing defeat for the Muffintops, eh? This is one of my few literary tricks, so get used to it. You'll see it again and again.)
But this is where things got interesting.
(See?)
The crowd was fully anticipating a Q-Balls victory. Expecting it, even. Even after Muffintops closed to within one on the following service, nobody paid it much mind. Even after Q-Balls fell behind 11-9, nobody questioned the inevitable victory. It's Q and Joel, right? Pfft! Game over. Jess was winning points off the serve, but he was so tightly wrapped and awkward-looking that Brian Smith said during one of Jess' offerings that, "He looks like a little Chinese girl!" They'd fall behind soon enough.
16-14, Muffintops. Hmm...
18-19, Muffintops. Whoa. What's this?!?
Deuce!! Ok, here we go. Here's where it ends for the 'Tops, si?
Jess serving. Q returns long! Advantage, 'Tops! Jess for game!
Muffintops: 22, Q-Balls: 20
I will say this without any fear of reprisal: Nobody saw that coming!!
Game 2:
Hot Buzz vs. Wax Off
In contrast, nobody knew what to make of this game. Could JBrown hold it together? ("He hasn't slept for three days!" boomed Will Groebe.) What kind of player was Tom Collins? We've seen Brunet win championships under extreme pressure, but we've also seen Blaise, one of the better hitters in the competition, get completely consumed by his own focus to the point of destruction. This one could go either way.
Hot Buzz went to work early, staking themselves to a tidy little lead. Wax Off was still getting their points, though, and this one was far from over. The crowd was very much involved, and the trash talking and performance anxiety could easily change the outcome. Everyone had some really nice shots and even Tom Collins ripped off a couple of authoritative slams. At this point, the quotable Brian Smith made a keen observation.
"Look at Jim Brown's face. He looks like he could be the actor in a constipation commercial."
All of us in that corner of Centre Court looked over and it was true. JBrown's mug was a picture of intensity, multiplied by fear, minus confidence, plus maybe a little of what Gibson was experiencing earlier with the colon and such. The man did not look comfortable back there.
Blaise and TC seemed to relax into the game at this point, while Mike B and JBrown seemed to get tighter and tighter until...
Hot Buzz: 21, Wax Off: 11
One day, two favorites relegated to the Loser's Bracket. Ye gods! What next?
Game 1:
Q-Balls vs. Muffintops
"I feel like I'm peaking at the right time."
- Joel
Great gosh a-mighty, I will never play in a pong tournament. Besides the fact that I'd be an albatross around my teammate's neck, I will tell you up front that I have no interest in dealing with the pressure. Did you hear that crowd? If you were there, you did. (David Gibson, tournament newbie, must have been been feeling Vibrational Colon Disorder, which, I can tell you, doesn't end well and is not treatable. You just have to ride it out.) It was loud. Petey was at his desk through break and he heard it all the up in the Grayson Attic. The opponents took their places and seemed to be calm and cool, but the truth came out really quickly.
Muffintops served first and Jess, the anarchist's anarchist, biffed the first two. Shtoink! Right off the edge of the table and straight up into the air. Perhaps if he was a nihilist he might have been less affected by nerves. After two more gifts to Q-Balls, Steven Q gave the Muffintops a charity point and we switched service at 4-1. Being the favorites, Q-Balls looked very much in control. Perhaps all the pre-game pro-Muffintops chatter was misplaced.
(This is the point in my write-up where you realize that you've been set up. Joel's opening quote, the two biffed serves, Gibson's digestive difficulty, the early lead by the favorites? Looks like it's going to be a crushing defeat for the Muffintops, eh? This is one of my few literary tricks, so get used to it. You'll see it again and again.)
But this is where things got interesting.
(See?)
The crowd was fully anticipating a Q-Balls victory. Expecting it, even. Even after Muffintops closed to within one on the following service, nobody paid it much mind. Even after Q-Balls fell behind 11-9, nobody questioned the inevitable victory. It's Q and Joel, right? Pfft! Game over. Jess was winning points off the serve, but he was so tightly wrapped and awkward-looking that Brian Smith said during one of Jess' offerings that, "He looks like a little Chinese girl!" They'd fall behind soon enough.
16-14, Muffintops. Hmm...
18-19, Muffintops. Whoa. What's this?!?
Deuce!! Ok, here we go. Here's where it ends for the 'Tops, si?
Jess serving. Q returns long! Advantage, 'Tops! Jess for game!
Muffintops: 22, Q-Balls: 20
I will say this without any fear of reprisal: Nobody saw that coming!!
Game 2:
Hot Buzz vs. Wax Off
In contrast, nobody knew what to make of this game. Could JBrown hold it together? ("He hasn't slept for three days!" boomed Will Groebe.) What kind of player was Tom Collins? We've seen Brunet win championships under extreme pressure, but we've also seen Blaise, one of the better hitters in the competition, get completely consumed by his own focus to the point of destruction. This one could go either way.
Hot Buzz went to work early, staking themselves to a tidy little lead. Wax Off was still getting their points, though, and this one was far from over. The crowd was very much involved, and the trash talking and performance anxiety could easily change the outcome. Everyone had some really nice shots and even Tom Collins ripped off a couple of authoritative slams. At this point, the quotable Brian Smith made a keen observation.
"Look at Jim Brown's face. He looks like he could be the actor in a constipation commercial."
All of us in that corner of Centre Court looked over and it was true. JBrown's mug was a picture of intensity, multiplied by fear, minus confidence, plus maybe a little of what Gibson was experiencing earlier with the colon and such. The man did not look comfortable back there.
Blaise and TC seemed to relax into the game at this point, while Mike B and JBrown seemed to get tighter and tighter until...
Hot Buzz: 21, Wax Off: 11
One day, two favorites relegated to the Loser's Bracket. Ye gods! What next?
Celebrity Sighting!
What If...
Jance Rubinchik: Service Breaker, Rule Maker
Take it away, Jance:
"In the interest of making this tournament go smoothly here are the official rules concerning rallying for serve.
The rally begins when the two teams have decided they have wasted enough time warming up.
Once the rally is won:
- The winning team can choose to serve or choose to give up the serve and choose the serving order instead
- If the winning team chooses to serve the losing team decides who will receive the serve
Basically the winning team decides which of the two advantages they prefer.
If this is not clear I can explain it in more detail to you directly and in such simple terms that even a Rally Chimp could understand what I'm saying.
Please do not send a million emails arguing this, this email is for clarification so everyone is on the same page. The reason for this is to create an incentive to win the rally, last year we had teams intentionally throwing the rally so they could set the order."
Jance is now a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize for Pong.
"In the interest of making this tournament go smoothly here are the official rules concerning rallying for serve.
The rally begins when the two teams have decided they have wasted enough time warming up.
Once the rally is won:
- The winning team can choose to serve or choose to give up the serve and choose the serving order instead
- If the winning team chooses to serve the losing team decides who will receive the serve
Basically the winning team decides which of the two advantages they prefer.
If this is not clear I can explain it in more detail to you directly and in such simple terms that even a Rally Chimp could understand what I'm saying.
Please do not send a million emails arguing this, this email is for clarification so everyone is on the same page. The reason for this is to create an incentive to win the rally, last year we had teams intentionally throwing the rally so they could set the order."
Jance is now a finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize for Pong.
Dateline, Berkeley: Special Report
We've got some breaking news. Go ahead, Brian...
"Hello, Rally Chimp. I've heard a very shocking report this morning and all evidence appears to back up the initial eyewitness testimony. It seems that someone caught a very definitive red glint coming from the eye of the JParm 5000. If this is true, and by all accounts it is, we should all be prepared. The JParm 5000 is coming online....
Back to you, Chimp..."
"Hello, Rally Chimp. I've heard a very shocking report this morning and all evidence appears to back up the initial eyewitness testimony. It seems that someone caught a very definitive red glint coming from the eye of the JParm 5000. If this is true, and by all accounts it is, we should all be prepared. The JParm 5000 is coming online....
Back to you, Chimp..."
Team Profile: SILF
Lots of folks have been asking about this team. Most of the questions sound like this:
"What does SILF mean?"
It's a great question and the funny thing is that, even after the question has been answered, the asker tends to ask again because they cannot believe it. Their nimble minds can't quite get ahold of the simple concept.
So, for the sake of Jason Armstrong and Hans Brekke and everyone who still doesn't quite get it, here we go.
Q: What does SILF mean?
A: Sandwich I'd Like to....something or another.
Any further questions?
Click here to get your very own SILF T-shirt!
"What does SILF mean?"
It's a great question and the funny thing is that, even after the question has been answered, the asker tends to ask again because they cannot believe it. Their nimble minds can't quite get ahold of the simple concept.
So, for the sake of Jason Armstrong and Hans Brekke and everyone who still doesn't quite get it, here we go.
Q: What does SILF mean?
A: Sandwich I'd Like to....something or another.
Any further questions?
Click here to get your very own SILF T-shirt!
Panic In The Outhouse, by Rusty Zipper!
Holy cats! Beetledouche can't go today!
Next matchup:
Hot Buzz vs. Wax Off
Are we a go?
Next matchup:
Hot Buzz vs. Wax Off
Are we a go?
Today's Matchups
Hello and welcome to Day One!
Game 1:
Beetledouche vs. Chuck Duke Presents: Hairbags
Game 2:
Muffintops vs. Q-Balls
See you at 4:30! Game on!
Game 1:
Beetledouche vs. Chuck Duke Presents: Hairbags
Game 2:
Muffintops vs. Q-Balls
See you at 4:30! Game on!
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