Clash of the Titans

Our first game in the Playoff Series was against Mount Surribocce. They had beaten us in the regular season, so we knew it wouldn't be an easy game. And sure enough, it was a tough match.

We dominated in the first game, 7-0. But in the 2nd game they got us 7-5. It came down to the wire in the last game with some really close last minute points, and we won 7-4.



Mount Surribocce played well, but we were playing pretty solidly as a team. Then it was time to play the Bots. It was a very intense game. They started off strong with 4 points. We then answered them with another 4 points. We won the first game 7-5. The second game they were up again, 4-0, then we cam back with another grand slam to make it 4-4. They grabbed another point, then we were in a position to score three points and take the game, but we were off by centimeters, and we couldn't clinch it, making it Bots 7-6. We played a tough third game, but only managed to grab 3 points before we were shut out.



Although we lost our 2nd match, I am proud to say that everyone who showed up played excellently, and I was happy to see the team play as a unit. Thank you all for a wonderful season.

I think I will have the team take a break for the summer season, but will likely be back for the fall. Have a great summer, and I hope to see you all as regularly as possible.

-your captain

P.S.: There have been a few comments made on our blog from an "anonymous" person. I am all for others putting in their say and even trash talk is cool, but if you are going to do so at least have the balls to say who you are. If you can't even do that, then you're just a pussy-ass coward. If you disagree, feel free to comment about it. Just have the cahones to say who you are.

Playoffs Schedule

2007 SPRING PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

* This is a Single Game Elimination Tournament

* SATURDAY, APRIL 28th:
* @ 4:00pm Balls A' Plenty vs. Mount Surribocce
* @ 5:00pm Balls A' Plenty vs. Bocce Bots or Botched

* SUNDAY, APRIL 6th:
* @ 2:00pm Balls A' Plenty vs. Boccismo! or Bean or Petanque-dadonk
* @ 4:00pm-6:00pm Semi Finals
* @ 6:00pm Final Game
* @ 7:00pm Awards Ceremony


PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Who's in?

The Worst Day... Ever

I should have known when I I looked outside and saw all the rain and wind that it was going to be a difficult day. It was myself, Josh, Gabe, Jay and Courtney at Union Hall, ready to roll. I won't suffer through the details again, so needless to say, we lost both of our games that day agains Che Palle and The Mighty Mud Skippers. Here are the pics:








But to be honest with you, it's perfectly fine. I still believe we're one of the strongest teams at Union Hall. We beat the top two Finalists last year in the regular season, and for those teams that beat us this year, that will only throw them off guard when we play them in the Finals.

GO BALLS!

A Word from Lady Bocce

Greetings Union Hall Athletes,
With the finals quickly approaching, we thought we'd give you more detailed information about the upcoming schedule.

Semi-Finals Saturday, 4/28, 1 – 6pm

Semi Finals Sunday, 4/29, 1 – 7pm

Finals Sunday, 5/6, 2 – 7pm

Final Award Ceremony, 7pm

The way we've scheduled the semi-finals is that exactly half the teams play on 4/28 while the other half play on 4/29. In other words, no team will be required to play on both days. Unfortunately, because the tournament is based on your ranking, we won't know which teams play on which day until after the final regular-season game, which is Monday, 4/16. By early Friday 4/20, we will have prepared the schedule and will get it to you ASAP.

Also, as usual, we hope to see you at the finals, even if your team was eliminated. We'll have free food, plenty of drink specials and most importantly, the award ceremony. The tee shirt winner has been selected and we will distribute tee shirts at that time only. Please be present if you wish to receive a free Union Hall Bocce tee shirt!!

We're looking forward to the big day.

Good Luck,
LB & Jim

The Electricity is Out!

This past Sunday, we had the big game against the undefeated Electric Company. I had been anticipating this game all season. They're a solid team with a winning record at Floyd's as Dr. Strangeballs and they won the finals last season at Union Hall. They're also a great group of people and I really enjoyed playing with them. Last year they beat us pretty hard, and next to the Bots, they were the only team I truly wanted to beat this year. They may have had a better record than us, but I wanted them to know that going into the finals there would be a team out there they would have to work to beat.

I was a little worried about the game because it seemed a lot of people were out of town or not able to make it. It ended up being myself, Jay, Melissa, and Kat. Courtney showed up but our game was so late in starting that she eventually had to go. Our 3:15 game didn't get rolling until 5:00pm. Ridiculous.

So, it was four of us, which was actually a benefit as they only had four as well. That way we'd be playing the same people with the same people each round.

The first game is was me and Kat on one side and Jay and Melissa on the other. At first, it was a one point game, and we made them work for their points. But in one frame, the Electric Company missed their key shots and left the court open for a three pointer for us. The first round ended 7-2.

Now I was a little wary going into the second round, as I figured we might get a little too cocky, which is dangerous against a solid team like the Electric Company. I kept the teams the way they were, and, sure enough, they spanked us with 7-0. They made a clutch 3 pointer and we weren't able to make up any points.

In the final round, I switched things up and the teams were Kat and Jay and me and Melissa. The Electric Company scored two points right off the bat. But the key frame came down to me and Melissa. The Electric Co. put the pallino really short and their first ball about 4 inches behind it. I answered their shot and put my ball 3 inches behind the pallino, right in front of their ball. They were not able to move the pallino deeper or get a closer ball, and their last shot put the pallino right against the left railing, with four of their balls deeper than our one ball. We had an open court for 4 points. Melissa and I made delicate curved shots aimed at the right railing (a difficult shot because our balls had to land only 4-5 feet from us to the extreme left) and we landed each one, giving us a commanding 4 points, making the score 5-2. Kat and Jay squeezed out another point, making it 6-2. Then it came down to me and Melissa. Mel threw a mid-ranged pallino, but put her first ball a little too deep, leaving the Electric company an open space for theirs. I surveyed the situation and decided to switch from the delicate shot to the school of hard knocks. I put the pallino near the back. Then they answered by pushing it tot he left railing, so I had to make another hard knock shot, moving the pallino to the middle next to two of our balls. They couldn't keep us from the point giving us 7-2, and taking away the Electric Company's undefeated status.



So there you have it. We are now positioned to be a middle seed in the finals, provded we keep winning. Middle seed is always a wild-card position, because you aren't playing top or bottom seeds until later on. Instead, you play other middle seeds. Either way, we've made our message loud and clear: Watch your Balls in the Finals, because we've got plenty!

Rescheduled Muds

We're playing the Mighty Mudskippers on April 15th at 2:30, right after our last match with Che Palle. There are only 2 more games that day, so there will be a free court. Finally, they will receive their comeuppance.

• Games #12 & #2: Sunday, April 15th @ 1:45 vs. Che Palle & Rescheduled Match @ 2:30 vs. The Mighty Mudskippers

Nail Bighter

This Sunday's game was a close one. We played Chewbocce, a team composed mainly of people new to the game of bocce. Well, there was a lot of beginner's luck ont he court because they rolled exceptionally well.

We took them out 7-3 in the first game. The second game was a lot closer. It came down to one shot at 6-6, and I, your faithful captain, was not able to clinch it, so we went on to game three. Game three was another tough one as Chewbocce took an early lead at 4-1, then Josh and I came back with a four point game which took it to 5-4. Chewbocce gained a point on us and it was 5-5. We grabbed another and it was 6-5, and then a nail bitghting 6-6. The final shot came down to me again, and I was determinded to make this one count. They had the point with the closer ball and the pallino very close tot he left rail. I sent a risky shot careening towards the pallino, knocking it into the back to give us the point we needed and the win.




Next Sunday is the match against The Electric Company. Let the ground rumble with the anticipation.

This Given Sunday

So last Sunday we had a couple shift players, Colin and Kat.





Both rolled tremendously, as did Myself, Gabe and Courtney. It was a quick, shut-out game between us and Any Given Sunday. They squeaked out one point in the first game, but the final score was 7-1 and 7-0. Good rolling, guys.

Cry

***

Birthday in Bed Stuy

Hey folks! For those of you whose phone numbers I dont have; I will be having a birthday party this friday (16th) at my friends' Naomi and Travis's house. Email me for details if you want to come. riffrichards at gmail dot com. Thanks Riff

Nicknames

So, we've been coming up with nicknames for teammates. I have posted them in the right column, but in case that's too difficult, here they are in the body of the post. Now let me know if you are unhappy, distraught or offended by your nickname. I can't guarantee I'll change it, but I will listen to complaints. Or if you think someone should be someone else, I am also open to suggestions. Here they are:

• Captain: Matt Drumm "Drummroll"
• Courtney Lagace "Balls in Your Court"
• Erica Lay " 'Ca-Ball"
• William Laviano "Billy Balls"
• Gabriel Ware "G-Force"
• Rachel Ware "R-Force"
• Jay Casey "Jables"
• Victoria Patrick "Patty O' Balls"
• Melissa Sands "Sandy Balls"
• Riff Richards "Gorilla Balls"
• Josh Cotton "Cotton Balls"
• Adam "Missing Balls"

Former Blockheads

Our game on Sunday was with Mount Surribocce, formerly Blockheads from last year. We came out strong in the first game, and had a chance to put them away with an opening for 4 points, but weren't able to clench it, and they came back to beat us 7 - 5. We swept them in the next game 7 - 3. The in the third it seemed as if we had the upper hand, the score at 6 - 4, but they made a great play giving them 3 points to win 7 - 6.



We may have lost, but I feel we played well as a team. They were close games and we almost pulled it out. However, in 3 weeks we play the Electric Company. For those we've lost to, I feel we can beat, and we've beaten the Bots who went to the Finals last year. Now we need to beat the Electric Company in the preseason so that we can mentally dominate the playoffs. I'm not worried about any other team. I want to win, but at this point we're nowhere near top seed, so we're not playing the lowest seeds in the playoffs. And we won't be the lowest seed either, so we won't play the top seeds. So right now I'm shooting for beating the EC, and winning as much as possible until the playoffs.

That being said, anyone who wants to come practice needs only to say the word. I promise you, all it takes is one night of heavy rolling and you'll be on your game for the weekend.

I'm waiting... :)

Balls A' Brunchin'

Today may not have gone down in triumph; moreover, brunch was a great addition. Props to Cap'in Drumm for his efforts to get the team out for some chow.



The Siblings Drumm



G - Force!



Josh, "The Secrete Admirer"



Victoria, "Step Back or I'm Gonna Mess You Up"

Today we had a double header against Boccenalia and Closer. We started about 2:45. Our first game against Boccenalia was slow. They never made more than one point at a time, and I'm not sure we made more than two either. They beat us 7-6. We did no better in the second game and lost 7-1. Again, they rarely scored more than one point. It was a knuckle-dragging game. We couldn't pull points out. For some reason whatever we did couldn't keep. They played well, but I think we could have beaten them but oh well. C'est la vie. Their captian did say to me that it was the hardest game they've had this season.

For some reason they drew a vase at the bottom of their score. Don't ask me why.



The 2nd game was against Closer, an older team. They had some pretty good rollers. For some reason, this was another slow, slow game. Lots of measuring and discussing. At one point I think they took about 7 minutes diiscussing one shot. Here's the reaction I got from Jay.



We weren't able to pull together for the first game, but part-way through the secoond we seeemed to find our groove. We won, but the third game went something like 4-4, 4-5. 5-5. 5-6. 6-6. 7-6.



We didn't finish until 7:00pm. Our two games took 4.5 hours. By the end of it, we were glad to have won our second game, but we were ready to be done. Gabe, Josh and I went to the Park Slope Ale House and got us some beer and burgers.

So, we went one and one. It's too bad we couldn't pull out both. There's always next week.

Yo

Digging For Peanuts

I just wanted to share this with you guys.

VOTE!

1. Mustache



2. Body Message

Balls Vs. Machine

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright.
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light.
And, somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout,

but there is no joy in Brooklyn --
mighty Bocce Bots have struck out.

It was another seemingly normal day. That was, until we stepped into Union Hall, for we were to face the mighty Bocce Bots, who stormed their way last year into the finals with Electric Company. Last year we played them and lost after only playing against two. This year we were determinded to play by the rules. This was unnecessary to enforce as they had four. Balls A' Plenty was seven strong with Matt, Gabe, Courtney, Erica, Melissa, William, and our old alternate Adam.



Now Adam played for us last year in a game when he was up from Philly and he still had his shirt. I promised him that if we went to a third game, he would likely get to play.

I was determined to beat the Bots, so choosing who to play had become a delicate challenge. Gabe and I had been practicing regularly in the pat 2 weeks, so I wanted to make sure we got some solid court time. Courtney and Erica could only play in the first game. I wanted to come out strong against the bots, and I know that Courtney plays well with me because I tend to keep her calm, and I've noticed that Erica is a little offset by Gabe's natural enthusiasm, so I put her with William. The Bots came out with three points, and eventually made it to four, but never scoring more than one point in a frame. We threw them back with a few high scoring frames and beat them in the first game 7 to 4.

With Courtney and Erica gone, it was left to myself, William, Melissa, Adam, and Gabe. I decided to keep the main team members in, so it was me and William, and Gabe and Melissa on the other end. We played well, but in the end the Bots made better rolls and they got us 7 to 3. We scored those three points after Zeke accidentally moved all the balls from a game that was not finished, and we came back with the points. But it was not enough.

Now I was faced with a difficult decision. Do I keep the same four in, or do I add Adam and take someone out? I had seen Adam play before, and I remember him rolling very well. Was it too much of a risk for this important game? And who do I take out? It was a tough choice. I decided to take Melissa out and put Adam in. It was hard to choose, but I chose Melissa because though she was making good rolls, that some of them were a little risky and my philosophy against the Bots was to play a slow and steady game without too many risky shots. So I put Adam in. The wildcard...

It proved to be a good decision, for Adam began to roll very well, as did the rest of us. We held on solidly, only giving up two points before beating the Bots in the third and final frame.

The Bots played well, but we played better. If we meet them again in the finals, I guarantee you, we will be ready to win again.

Roll on my people... roll on.

This Coming Sunday

Need I say anymore?

Practice and triumph

So, this past Tuesday, after successfully getting out of jury duty for the next 6 years, I headed to Union Hall to get some practice in. I met up with Colin, who made an appearance at game #1 of our season. I felt the need to work on a few shots, and Colin was bored.

Who should be there when we arrived, but none other than Zeik of the Bocce Bots, our arch nemesis and upcoming rival in our next match. The funny thing about Zeik is he's a real nice guy, but the man won't stop talking... ever. And on Tuesday, his favortie topic was his "new and improved game" that he could not wait to try out.

So Colin and I took him on and were soon joined by Gabe. Myself, Gabe, and Colin were absolutely on fire, making excellent shot after shot. We were truly feeling the court. Zeik, however, was having a hard time finding his center, and began to consitently repeat the phrase "ok, time to start focusing".

Now, I have to say, it was hard not to feel particularly satisfied shutting him down, the most outspoken, self-appraising member of the Bocce Bots. But in retrospect I will try to let that go. We are all a part of the bocce community, and Zeik, though he may come across a little too strongly at times, is a genuinely nice guy who's trying to excel at something he loves... bocce. Who could fault him for that?

Anyhow, we got some good practice in, and I feel confident we can take the Bots on 2 Sundays from now. If anyone else would like to join me for a practice, just let me know and we'll get it on.

*In this picture, Zeik is lecturing Colin about something. I don't remember what because honestly, he was doing it all night. Colin didn't seem to mind.





In other news, I have submitted another T-shirt design, this time to Floyd's. I don't know if there will be two different shirts. That would be cool.

As Things Stand

Last Sunday's game was against the Dirty 1/2 Dozen (formerly known as 6 Point). They had just played and won the game before us and were all warmed up and limber. We were supposed to play at 1:45pm, but didn't get onto the court until more like 2:30pm.

We didn't have much of a warmup, but that's how the bocce cookie crumbles some times. In our first game we came out strong. Courtney and Melissa put us in a comfortable 4-0 lead. Gabe and Josh were not able to hold it, and the D1/2D answered us back with another 4 points in one round. We were not able to score any more points in that round and lost 4-7.

We came out stronger in the next two games. In the second one it was Courtney and Matt at one end and Gabe and William at the other. Everyone had some solid shots, and William played exceptionally well. Gabe made plays when we needed them. Courtney played well despite her nervousness about being back on the courts after so long. Matt played solidly and made some key rolls (Though no as consistently as I would like. I need more practice). In the third it was Matt and William and Melissa and Gabe. Again, Melissa played solidly and secured herself the Ballsy Award from the previous weeks winner Gabe.

We won the last two sets without letting the D1/2D score more than 2 points in each. It was a solid victory for Balls A' Plenty. Not only was I excited to see the enthusiasm we had but also how much each player had improved from the last year. We are well on our way to a successful season.



Now the league has the next weekend off. Two Sundays from now, we play our arch rivals. That's right, The Bocce Bots



Now, I don't have much to say about the Bots. They are very nice in person and outside the bocce court. But something about their courtside demeanor has always bothered me and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Something about them makes me want to beat them 7-0, over and over again. Now, they are a solid team. Last season they made it to the final game. I want to put them in their place early so they understand they have no shot of making it this year, as BAP is back on the scene.

In short, we need to practice. We have 2 weeks off and I am available to meet anyone at Union Hall when I'm able to. All you have to do is put it out there. Let's get some rolling in.

BAAAAAALLLLLLLSSSSSS AAAAAWWWWAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!

(Here is a little motivational video)

New Team Member

I'd like to officially welcome the newest Balls A' Plenty team member:

Joshua David Cotton



We expect a lot from our newest member. Let's all give him the support he needs.

Sunday's Triumph

Hello, all. Last week we had 2 games. The first one, against the mighty Mudskippers, was rescheduled due to the fact that most of their team had food poisoning. We agreed to reschedule. The next game was against Ralph Boccio, a new team with great shirts. We started out strong with the first gamer over at 7 points to 3. The second game we fell back at first, having only 1 point to their 4, but we stayed firm and worked our way back to win 7 to 6.



The new player of the day was Gabe's friend Josh. He jumped right in on the 2nd game and held steady against firm opposition, even though it was his first ever bocce game. I belive we've found ourselves a new teammate. Only time will tell.



I think we might reschedule for 12 noon this Sunday. I will get back to you all on that. We are 1 and 1, not a bad start. Let's bring it!

Hey, guys, I've designed an entry for the Union Hall t-shirt design contest. Let me know what you think.

Sorry to Riff if I'm blowing up your spot...

I just want to say congrats to Riff on tending bar at Gorilla Coffee! From someone who knows it well, being unemployed sucks. Perhaps we can get some satellite feed if you ever have to work during a game. That or I can draw dirty pictures on bar napkins. Whatever better depicts the mood.

Today's Game: Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen

From what I hear, we did not win today. Fear not. I heard we had spirit and that's a start. We have 2 games next Sunday and I will be back in town ready to kick ass and take names later.

A side note was the appearance of Colin Lewis, a friend of mine and Jay's. He's just moved to Park Slope and is in his last semester of college. He borrowed my shirt to play and apparently he was pretty good. Will he be a new member of the team? Time will only tell. In the meantime, let us preserve the moment in pictures...

T-Shirt Design Contest

An email from Laddy Bocce
bklynbocce@gmail.com:

Hope everyone is ready for the kickoff weekend. We're looking forward to getting started.



This year we're hosting a contest for the design of the official Union Hall Bocce League Tee-shirt. The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Union Hall and will beam with pride when they see sloppy drunkards wearing their shirts.



Here are the parameters:

· Design will be on the front of the shirt. We'll put the name of the bar and the league season on the back.

· The design should be black and white, or a single color.



So spread the word to your teammates. Submissions should be in by Feb 23. JPEGS can be sent to me at this address. Make sure to identify yourself and your team when sending submissions.



Good luck,

LB

Practice anyone?

So, our first game is Sunday @ 2:30


Who's up for a practice?



I'm thinking about Saturday afternoon... Union Hall opens at noon...


Also, remember a $2 spot on Sunday for league fees.





BOCCEE ON!!

SPRING SEASON BEGINS!

First game of the season:

Sunday, Jan. 28th @ 2:30 vs. Bocce Army

I will not be back in the States, but I will be cheering you all on from South America.

I have posted the Spring Schedule as it stands in the right-hand column. Please refer to it if you have any schedule questions. I have also made the pdf version and the word doc with the rules available for download under "Bocce Links".

Good luck team!

Jobless in NYC

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I, Riff Richards have quit my job. As awesome as it is to be out of a job you dont like, it is a bummer to not have money. If anyone wants to buy me a drink (or has any job leads) let me know. Thanks! -r'kins

Possible New Uniforms?

Came across this.

Not serious. Just thought you guys might get a kick out of it.

CHINESE FOOD!!!1

Apologies to those who are not Jay Casey or Matt Drumm

The New Season Begins

Hey guys, so the new season is on. I have submitted our entry. The league will begin the weekend of 1/27 and end the weekend of 4/14. Finals are the weekends of 4/28 and 5/5. I have suggested Sunday again, so supposedly our first game might be the 28th of January.

There is a $20 fee for a team to sign up now, which they are doing to make sure each team is a little more serious and won't drop out halfway through. It would be nice if everyone pitched in $2 for the team signup. I won't be there for the first game as I don't get back until February 1st, so someone will have to cover us for the first weekend, and I will reimburse them when I return.

So there you have it. Another chance to show this league how to play some fucking bocce. I want to hear some suggestions for the team award for the best player of the game. Check out the "Plenty Good Award" in the right hand column for details.

Let's bring it!

Lame Trivia

Okay, I guess somebody has to kick this off. Here's one deep and right in the center.

Which one is a parody. And which one is painfully real.


1.





***


2.






Regrets to those who have no idea what I'm talking about.

?????trivia?????

hope everyone had nice x.mas times. we need to get some trivia up in this piece in lou of playing with our balls.

An email from Lady Bocce

So, as you may or may not know, I get all my info on Union Hall from a mass email list that is sent to me by Lady Bocce. Here is her most recent email. It proclaims to answer questions, but all it really does is assure us that bocce is still on for the Spring... Damn right it is!

----
Hi there!

I hope you're all recovered from NYE and having a grand old time getting back into the swing of things at work, etc.

I've had a few queries regarding the upcoming season, so let me quell any fears and ignite anticipation by declaring: There will be more bocce in 2007. Soonish. It will be more exciting than ever!

Anyway, we haven't worked out anything solid yet, ie, start dates, schedule, number of teams... but the same days (Sat, Sun & Mon) will be league-friendly. As soon as we get our shit together, I'll be sending out the alert and you can register yourselves.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Yours,

Lady Bocce
---

So basically you're telling me to hurry up and wait. Thanks again for more confusion, Union Hall. Sigh.