Archive for May, 2008
Late rally forces PRs to accept tie
The bad news following Sunday’s game is, of course, that we let a win slip away in the closing minutes. The good news is, we managed to get a point out of the deal (a 35-35 tie) and, as you can see below in the standings, it was a very important point. We are currently No. 2 in the standings behind Elbow Skin and still control our fate for playoff position. Our two remaining regular season games are against teams at No. 3.
About the game… It’s difficult to imagine scoring 35 points and not winning. It’s doubly difficult to imagine such because we were playing good defense for most of the game and held TBIAC to just 13 points at the half. But we gave up a couple of big plays in the second half on defense… and I think I took my pedal off the gas in the offensive huddle. It never crossed my mind that they might stop us just short of the winning TD with 1:26 left. Give them credit, though. They had to score AND get the 2-point conversion, and did so with 7 ticks left. We had a shot at the end that fell incomplete in the end zone.
As bad as things went in the last minute or two, we really played a strong first half. We moved the ball and spread it around. Stepha tossed a deep TD pass to Uncle Ron and I picked off a pass that led to a score late in the half. We did really well there getting open in the no huddle… and, were it not for a lucky tip early in the half, we may have held them to fewer points.
As I mentioned before, we’re in good shape so there’s little to be upset about after that game… but the next time we are in a position to put a game away, I expect us to get it done.
| Elbow Skin | 3-0 | 9 pts |
| Pocket Rockets | 2-1-1 | 7 pts |
| Mean Machine | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| Cover Deep | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| Laces Out | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| No Defense | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| Surf ‘n Turfs | 1-3 | 3 pts |
| The Beer Is Always Cold | 0-2-1 | 1 pt |
| Clients #1-8 | 0-4 | 0 pts |
After the game, we joined TBIAC for beers and food at Donohue’s. Jackie and I had the BBQ pork chops with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies, Danny had the Hot Pastrami and Mere had the Southwest Chicken Pannini with green bread.
Oh, and the Pens beat the Flyers 6-0 on Sunday to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals… which start Saturday night at 8 p.m. Go Pens!
PRs look good on the power play, leave Laces Out fit to be tied
A serious clock management gaffe nearly allowed the Pocket Rockets to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory… but some hasty game management by Laces Out bailed us out for the 35-27 win… a result that was MUCH closer than the score would indicate.
The PRs took over with 3:30 left in the game, up 1 after LO missed its conversion. A first down, perhaps two, and the game would be over. We easily drained the clock to under 2:00… then, Mere decided she was going to take a little outcut up the field. No problem there, ’til I looked at the D and realized none of them were moving. My pleas to STOP!!! weren’t honored until it was too late. Kevin signaled TD. Thankfully we made the 1-point conversion to lead by 8 with 1:26 to play. LO moved the ball down to the 5 when the QB ran it in with 15 ticks left. But, because it was a female play it didn’t count, and Kevin ticked off 30 seconds for the penalty. Game over.
Game ball goes to Freddie for his key interception in the first half and some solid play on offense. I believe he caught at least one TD, adopting Mere’s patented spin move to the endzone, and also snagged a key conversion. Overall, I can’t really complain about the offense… when you’re on the power-play (had to get in a hockey reference… GAME 3 tonight… Pens-Flyers, 7:30 p.m.) you’re supposed to score. And we did. Defensively, our flag pulling was lousy and our pass coverage was below average. And when we did get good coverage, we lost contain on the QB. Gotta do better there because, trust me, the easiest play to call in this game is a QB run.
Regardless, we got the outcome we wanted… a win. And a big one at that. We now control our own destiny… we win out and finish 5-1, we are guaranteed one of the top 4 slots. And, we gained a big tiebreaker with LO should we need it.
Other game notes:
Found… Joslyn Vendola. Happy to report that, for the first time in months, er, weeks, I didn’t have to hear the following… “Where’s Jos?” “No Jos?” “Is Jos coming this week?” “Who is Jos?” Well, this week she came, she saw and she, well, I wouldn’t say conquered… how about “showed little rust in catching several balls and jitterbugging down the field.” Welcome back… for a week, anyway.
Found… Tim Sperber. Back from a two-week hiatus that was his honeymoon in Italy. He and wife Em biked through a bunch of hilly little villages, drank wine and pigged out on pasta. That’s the short of it. I’m hoping to get some pics to post.
Missing… Jacob Trevino. Though I hear reports that he’s coming back to us.
Paid… Jacqueline Bell. Welcome to the starting lineup, Jackie. Pay up deadbeats. $50!
| Elbow Skin | 2-0 | 6 pts |
| Mean Machine | 2-0 | 6 pts |
| Pocket Rockets | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| Cover Deep | 2-1 | 6 pts |
| Laces Out | 1-1 | 3 pts |
| No Defense | 1-1 | 3 pts | Surf ‘n Turfs | 1-2 | 3 pts | The Beer Is Always Cold | 0-2 | 0 pts | Clients #1-8 | 0-3 | 0 pts |
After the game a few of us (too few IMHO) went to Donohue’s for some postgame beverages and food. However, because of circumstances beyond my control… i.e. they had trivia going (during the Stanley Cup Playoffs!!!)… so I had to make an executive decision and move the party to 21 Nickels, which is right around the corner. Anyway, only Tim went with me. Guess I’m not much of an executive. Got to watch the Pens win, and enjoyed my peppercorn steak tip wrap (with rice). Tim had the Mexican sliders w/fries. After Tim left, I stuck around for the second period… and got a round on the house. Not bad. Definitely a strong second option to Donohue’s.
This week we play TBIAC (formerly the Peeps) at 1:30 p.m. at Arsenal Park in Watertown. Tim is out. If you cannot make it, please let me know. Even though they are 0-2, they always play us tough… hell, they usually beat us. Anyway, if they want to make the gold playoffs they MUST beat us. So I’m expecting their best game. Be ready to go.
Speaking of best games… dang, this is a long post… Git ‘Er Done faces New Balance in the championship game of the Oak Square YMCA co-ed hoops league this Wedesday at 7:30 p.m. Hope you come out and support me, Stepha and Jos. Also, it’s Stepha’s birthday so we’ll be celebrating at The Last Drop in Brighton after the game. Be there!
Nuptials news
Christa Vattimo Wielechowski, the Pittsburgh bride allegedly on the wrong end of a karate-kick from her husband, defended the brute in a statement released by her lawyer.
“Her husband did not initiate aggressive conduct toward any person, especially herself, on the night in question. She loves her husband and is standing behind him.”
Read the full story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
In other news, Ricky Collins (one of the original Pocket Rockets) is getting married tomorrow to the lovely Rachel Ferner. I thought about buying a new suit for this occasion (the only one I own is 10 years old), but tonight is Game 4 of the Pens-Rangers Eastern (Wales) Conference Semifinal. I’ll stick with the classic charcoal pin-stripe. Go Pens!
Git ‘Er Done topples FRED; Will Face Bruiser’s [sic] in semis
In non-football PR sports news, Git ‘Er Done (Stepha, Vegas, Jos) beat FRED (Danny, Freddie) in the quarterfinals of the YMCA hoops co-ed playoffs Wednesday night. We don’t give game balls in hoops, but if we did it would probably go to Jos, or perhaps erstwhile Pocket Rocket Aubrey Love, for their outstanding three-point shooting that helped us extend the lead late in the game and force FRED to foul and take desperate 3-pointers. Next up, the Bruiser’s [sic] (Mere & Uncle Ron) at 7:30 at the Oak Square Y on May 7.
