Fools Fest Recap – Part 2 of 4
Saturday games were all pool play. Individual summaries follow.
Game 1: Small Packages.
Our first game was against Small Packages, an Iowa team made up mostly of the guys from Chad Larson Experience, a mixed team that had surprised many to advance to the UPA finals in 2004. Apparently the team is disbanding this year but to remain eligible to play in Worlds they can’t play on another mixed team, so the guys are playing open. A few will be playing with Dingwop this season, there was some familiarity between the teams and it was a friendly match. Small Packages were just a bit stronger that this point in the season, but we were hanging with them early. About six points in, one of the promising young recruits on the team had a massive layout D but separated his shoulder. We lost him and a few other players as they took him to the hospital. That took some wind out of our sails and they finished us off 11-8. I started out the tournament with a quick point on which we scored without me being involved, then on the next point I got a d-block on a poorly chosen throw, then scored on a diving catch of a break force hammer. Double happiness! Or ‘bookends’, as the Minnesotans call it. Stats: 4 points played, 2 D’s, 2 turnovers, 1 goal.
Game 2: Armed and Hammered
This game was against a bunch of veteran players from Iowa and Colorado, I think a few of them were some older, formerly world-class players who had settled in the UPA headquarter territory of Boulder, CO. They were a step above us, we probably couldn’t have expected to win, but never challenged either. We played flat and lost 12-3. I played 4 points and don’t think I touched the disc. After this the team looked dejected and the team leaders pointed out a need for more desire and generally better play across the board. Next game would be key.
Following this game we had a bye. I chilled and watched the game between the two teams in our pool we hadn’t played yet. By this point I had been in the sun way too long and hadn’t applied sunscreen. I finally tracked some down but the damage was done already. I’d be burned all weekend. I was starting to worry about sunstroke and wondered if I’d have anything left for the next game. Copious amounts of water to drink (counteracting the beer which one of the other pickups had brought, 2 5-gallon kegs), and I was feeling better. Ready for the next game. The one I was looking forward to.
Game 3: Suspicious Characters
This game was against a team from Tulsa that had come down with a very short roster and picked up a few players. One was an associate of the Dingwoppers; the other Winnipeg guys picked up, plus a guy from Dallas who had come to Winnipeg for a good chunk of last summer. All in all, a fairly familiar team. Right before the game we were buoyed by the return of our teammate in a shoulder sling, and we were fired up to win this game. We came out strong and the outcome was never in doubt. I played a fair amount (about 7 points), got two D blocks (including a foot block, always makes me happy) and committed one turnover. The final point was epic, I would be surprised if it was any less than 20 minutes long. I was ready to quit at more than one point. Had two potential game-ending throws sail just beyond my reach as I layed out, then I had to go back and play defence. At last we scored, final was 11-3 or something.
Game 4: Dorothy Reunion
As the name suggests, this game was against a reunion squad of players from Kansas State University, the Flying Dorothies. Kansas State doesn’t have the same ultimate pedigree as the host Kansas University, but I was expecting they’d be at least decent. They were, but this was a game we could easily win if we kept up the play from the previous game. It started out that way, and we were clinging to a small lead, but then somehow we lost our edge and our intensity and it slipped away. Don’t remember the exact final score, something like 13-9. Through this, I still played what I though was a pretty good game, maybe my best of the weekend. Played about five points, got two D’s, turned it over once, and scored two points.
After the game we all gathered for a DingWop tradition. Shout-outs over drinks – I can’t remember the name of the drink but it involved a few ounces f tequila in a straight glass, topped off to about the ¾ mark with squirt, which was then covered and slammed down a few times till it foamed up, then delivered to the recipient to down in one shot. The person issuing the shot would give a shout out to someone else on the team for something they remembered from the day or something they brought to the games that day, while preparing the drink; once they were finished the recipient took the shot and it was their turn to give a shout out. I got my shout out early from the guy I had been in touch with earlier about picking up – something about having the courage to come out and play with a bunch of people most of whom I’d never met before – it was touching and the delivery almost poetic. After taking my shot and suffering from the combined effects of too much sun and a few ounces of tequila, I scrambled and delivered a hastily conceived shout out to one of the guys who had made a bunch of big plays in the previous games. The rest of the shout outs were delivered, the tequila and the beer kegs were drained, and we lingered at the fields for a while afterwards, throwing some hucks, chatting, and enjoying the beautiful weather until twilight fell.
Game 1: Small Packages.
Our first game was against Small Packages, an Iowa team made up mostly of the guys from Chad Larson Experience, a mixed team that had surprised many to advance to the UPA finals in 2004. Apparently the team is disbanding this year but to remain eligible to play in Worlds they can’t play on another mixed team, so the guys are playing open. A few will be playing with Dingwop this season, there was some familiarity between the teams and it was a friendly match. Small Packages were just a bit stronger that this point in the season, but we were hanging with them early. About six points in, one of the promising young recruits on the team had a massive layout D but separated his shoulder. We lost him and a few other players as they took him to the hospital. That took some wind out of our sails and they finished us off 11-8. I started out the tournament with a quick point on which we scored without me being involved, then on the next point I got a d-block on a poorly chosen throw, then scored on a diving catch of a break force hammer. Double happiness! Or ‘bookends’, as the Minnesotans call it. Stats: 4 points played, 2 D’s, 2 turnovers, 1 goal.
Game 2: Armed and Hammered
This game was against a bunch of veteran players from Iowa and Colorado, I think a few of them were some older, formerly world-class players who had settled in the UPA headquarter territory of Boulder, CO. They were a step above us, we probably couldn’t have expected to win, but never challenged either. We played flat and lost 12-3. I played 4 points and don’t think I touched the disc. After this the team looked dejected and the team leaders pointed out a need for more desire and generally better play across the board. Next game would be key.
Following this game we had a bye. I chilled and watched the game between the two teams in our pool we hadn’t played yet. By this point I had been in the sun way too long and hadn’t applied sunscreen. I finally tracked some down but the damage was done already. I’d be burned all weekend. I was starting to worry about sunstroke and wondered if I’d have anything left for the next game. Copious amounts of water to drink (counteracting the beer which one of the other pickups had brought, 2 5-gallon kegs), and I was feeling better. Ready for the next game. The one I was looking forward to.
Game 3: Suspicious Characters
This game was against a team from Tulsa that had come down with a very short roster and picked up a few players. One was an associate of the Dingwoppers; the other Winnipeg guys picked up, plus a guy from Dallas who had come to Winnipeg for a good chunk of last summer. All in all, a fairly familiar team. Right before the game we were buoyed by the return of our teammate in a shoulder sling, and we were fired up to win this game. We came out strong and the outcome was never in doubt. I played a fair amount (about 7 points), got two D blocks (including a foot block, always makes me happy) and committed one turnover. The final point was epic, I would be surprised if it was any less than 20 minutes long. I was ready to quit at more than one point. Had two potential game-ending throws sail just beyond my reach as I layed out, then I had to go back and play defence. At last we scored, final was 11-3 or something.
Game 4: Dorothy Reunion
As the name suggests, this game was against a reunion squad of players from Kansas State University, the Flying Dorothies. Kansas State doesn’t have the same ultimate pedigree as the host Kansas University, but I was expecting they’d be at least decent. They were, but this was a game we could easily win if we kept up the play from the previous game. It started out that way, and we were clinging to a small lead, but then somehow we lost our edge and our intensity and it slipped away. Don’t remember the exact final score, something like 13-9. Through this, I still played what I though was a pretty good game, maybe my best of the weekend. Played about five points, got two D’s, turned it over once, and scored two points.
After the game we all gathered for a DingWop tradition. Shout-outs over drinks – I can’t remember the name of the drink but it involved a few ounces f tequila in a straight glass, topped off to about the ¾ mark with squirt, which was then covered and slammed down a few times till it foamed up, then delivered to the recipient to down in one shot. The person issuing the shot would give a shout out to someone else on the team for something they remembered from the day or something they brought to the games that day, while preparing the drink; once they were finished the recipient took the shot and it was their turn to give a shout out. I got my shout out early from the guy I had been in touch with earlier about picking up – something about having the courage to come out and play with a bunch of people most of whom I’d never met before – it was touching and the delivery almost poetic. After taking my shot and suffering from the combined effects of too much sun and a few ounces of tequila, I scrambled and delivered a hastily conceived shout out to one of the guys who had made a bunch of big plays in the previous games. The rest of the shout outs were delivered, the tequila and the beer kegs were drained, and we lingered at the fields for a while afterwards, throwing some hucks, chatting, and enjoying the beautiful weather until twilight fell.
posted by Druski at 9:50 p.m.
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