Archive for June, 2008
PRs advance, set up showdown for ‘best of the worst’
Defense wins championships, so it is said somewhere. The Pocket Rockets, hardly a group know for stalwart defense, clamped down on Clients #1-8 in a 19-7 win to set up a Silver Bracket championship matchup against The Beer Is Always Cold (formerly the Peeps) on July 13 at 11 a.m. in Watertown. The PRs and TBIAC played to a draw in the regular season.
The Silver semifinal game didn’t really begin until the second half… I missed practically the entire first half because all roads to Arsenal were blocked because of some road race. But I guess it was 5-on-5 football. We had a chance to score at the very end of the half, but I threw an INT in the end zone as time ticked off to halftime.
Down 7-0, the PRs went to work by working the zone for short gains. Then Freddie burst up the middle for our first score. Then Jos hit Freddie on a crossing route for the point-after… 7-7. The PRs got the ball back when I stepped in front of a wabbler and returned it to the 20. After Freddie snagged another crossing route near the goal line, the PRs went to the ground game. Mindy scored her first TD in two years (?) by taking a hand-off around the left side for the score. 13-7, PRs. Clients went to work again and moved the ball downfield. Again, they tested me. Again, their gamble didn’t pay off. (For the record, I lead the team in INTs with 4… 3 of which came against our friends in red.) With just under two minutes, facing a fourth down at midfield, the PRs needed a big play. Who would rise to the occasion? Why, the person who has played the least of course! Mindy stood about 15 yards to my left… wide open. I know it sounds odd, but those are the toughest throws to make. Anyhoo, I didn’t hesitate and left our fate in her nimble hands… er, until she bobbled it and elicited some positive reinforcement from her QB (“GRAB IT!!!!!”). We had a good laugh after she finally clutched the ball for the first down. Phew! Uncle Ron scored the final TD on the last play of the game. He and Tony didn’t really catch the ball much today… too much Freddie, Jos and Mindy… and the game ball goes to… Mindy! Well earned, young lady.
Afterward, Freddie, Uncle Ron, Jos and I went to the Brighton Beer Garden for brunch. Jos’s friend Mandy joined us for the yummy food… and Bloody Marys… mmm. The creme brulee was the highlight for me. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and french toast were pretty standard breakfast fare… smoked salmon, bagels, pastries… fruit, veggies, hash and mac & cheese, too. On one hand, I’d say $20 is too expensive… then again, I didn’t eat until about 8 p.m. And, they make a pretty good Bloody Mary there… heavy on the olives!! Tasty.
I hope pretty much everyone can make the game in two weeks… Win or lose, we will definitely be having some kind of shindig. Perhaps even a bbq at the park. Stay tuned. We may even take the ever elusive team picture. Also, the Frangies are having a housewarming picnic on Saturday Aug. 2. I expect PR attendance to be high.
Cover Deep strikes gold, sends PRs to silver
For the first time since November of 2003, the Pocket Rockets will not be participating in the Gold Division playoffs. Cover Deep, a worthy No. 4 seed, stymied the PR offense and defied the odds in its 34-20 walk-away win. The game started well enough as the PRs marched right down the field on their first drive. After dissecting the 5-person zone with a series of short passes, the PRs struck first as Uncle Ron caught a short TD pass over the middle. I can’t remember who caught the conversion, but it was PRs 8, Cover Deep 0. Seconds later CD went for it all and connected to come within 2 at 8-6 after a failed conversion. After a deep ball to Uncle Ron, Steph hit me on the ole stop-and-go for a 14-6 lead (conversion failed). CD tied the score with about 4 minutes left in the half… the subsequent PR drive, which failed to produce a point, was a harbinger of things to come in the second half.
CD scored on its first drive to take a 20-14 lead… then I threw the first of two interceptions (and first since Game 1 this year) as we were driving for the tying score. CD struck again to go up 28-14. On the next series Uncle Ron took an out-cut the distance and the PRs were within striking distance at 28-20. But our defense… wilting in the sticky summer solstice sun… couldn’t hold it together. After going up 34-20, I threw another interception on a forced play and that was pretty much it.
| Mean Machine | 5-1 | 15 pts |
| Elbow Skin | 5-1 | 15 pts |
| No Defense | 5-1 | 15 pts |
| Cover Deep | 4-2 | 12 pts |
| Pocket Rockets | 2-3-1 | 7 pts |
| Laces Out | 2-4 | 6 pts |
| The Beer Is Always Cold | 1-4-1 | 4 pts |
| Clients #1-8 | 1-5 | 3 pts |
| Surf ‘n Turfs | 1-5 | 3 pts |
Playoffs are as follows (all games at Arsenal):
Gold (June 29)
#1 Mean Machine vs. #4 Cover Deep, 2 p.m.
#2 Elbow Skin vs. #3 No Defense, 12 p.m.
Gold Final (July 13)
10 a.m. at Arsenal
Silver (June 29)
#5 Pocket Rockets vs. #8 Clients 1-8 and a couple 7 diamonds, 10 a.m.
#6 Laces Out vs. #7 The Beer Is Always Cold, 4 p.m.
Silver Final (July 13)
11 a.m. at Arsenal
PRs play no defense vs. No Defense
I’m not going to break out into a Jim Mora tirade after last week’s game, but I cannot let our defensive effort pass without comment. It, as Mora might say, sucked… and that’s being generous. Their QB ran the length of the field for the first TD… tough to do against a zone. Then a botched trick pass play went for a score when Josh decided to tuck-and-run it in from the 20. In what was probably our best/worst display of ineptitude, Josh took a 10-yard pass with time running out in the half and knifed through our zone for yet another score. We tightened things up in the second half… but I really don’t know how many flags we pulled in that game. Couldn’t have been more than 10. On offense, I’m happy and relieved to report that they couldn’t stop us… then again, their name is No Defense so maybe we played right into their hands…?
The standings are below. You’ll see that, because Laces Out lost to Mean Machine, it wouldn’t have mattered if we won last week or not. We play Cover Deep this weekend at 12:30 p.m. at Arsenal Park in Watertown.. each team can eliminate the other.
| Elbow Skin | 5-0 | 15 pts |
| No Defense | 4-1 | 12 pts |
| Mean Machine | 4-1 | 12 pts |
| Cover Deep | 3-2 | 9 pts |
| Pocket Rockets | 2-2-1 | 7 pts |
| Laces Out | 2-3 | 6 pts |
| Surf ‘n Turfs | 1-4 | 3 pts |
| Clients #1-8 | 1-5 | 3 pts |
| The Beer Is Always Cold | 0-4-1 | 1 pt |
After the game, Stepha and I went to Donohue’s and had some Honey-Hot Wings ($0.65 extra for ranch dressing… whaaa!?!)… a non-buffalo ranch chicken wrap with onion rings (Stepha) and a steak tip sandwich (medium, peppers, onions & provolone) and onion rings (Vegas). TBIAC joined us for a beer or two and the first half of the Celtics game.
Other PR news
No word on Uncle Ron’s wedding or honeymoon… but here’s a photo sent by David of the view outside a bar near Waikiki Beach on Oahu.
Time killer…
Here’s the funniest show on teevee that’s not on teevee… It’s called Wainy Days, written by and starring David Wain, from The State. It won a Webby Award for Best Comedy Series. It won’t take long for you to discover why… There are about 20 episodes, all roughly 4 minutes long. Here’s the first episode. The rest are on the YouTube.
PRs get passed on bye week
By time time we take the field Sunday (5 p.m. at Arsenal Park in Watertown), 20 days will have passed since we played last. Yipes! Maybe we should wear nametags or something, eh? Well, much has happened since then. A look at the standings shows we’ve dropped from 2nd to 5th place. But, we still have No Defense and Cover Deep on our schedule. Beat them and we’re a lock for a top-4 slot.
| Elbow Skin | 4-0 | 12 pts |
| No Defense | 3-1 | 9 pts |
| Mean Machine | 3-1 | 9 pts |
| Cover Deep | 3-1 | 9 pts |
| Pocket Rockets | 2-1-1 | 7 pts |
| Laces Out | 2-2 | 6 pts |
| Surf ‘n Turfs | 1-4 | 3 pts |
| The Beer Is Always Cold | 0-3-1 | 1 pt |
| Clients #1-8 | 0-5 | 0 pts |
Some other news and notes
Raconteurs blow top off BofA Pavillion
Went to Bank of America Pavilion to see The Raconteurs. Jack White = ROCK! The Globe’s review.
Introducing the Drews
On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending erstwhile Pocket Rocket David Drew’s and Gretchen Olsen’s nuptials. Erstwhile YMCA baller and Tommy Hearns lookalike Donnell Carter was the best man… rumor has it he’ll be returning to the league in the fall. Look out! Below is a photo of the bride and groom around 11:30 p.m.
Stanley Cup Update
What? You thought I could write a post and not include a note about the Pens! No one can possibly say they hate hockey after the epic 3 OT game between the Red Wings and Penguins Monday night. A quick synopsis: Pens jumped out to an early 2-0 lead… saw it trimmed to 1 in the second period and then choked it away in the third. Down, 3-2, with a minute to go Pens pull their goalie. With about 30 ticks left in the game, Maxime Talbot jams in the game-tying tally. The Pens are grossly outplayed and outshot in the first overtime but manage to survive thanks to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s ridiculous goaltending (55 saves). On power-play midway through the third overtime, Peter Sykora (who told sideline reporter Pierre Maguire that HE would score the winning goal) wristed the puck past Detroit netminder Chris Osgood. Pens win, 3-2!! Game 6 tonight at 8. Will likely skip The Drop after hoops and head straight home to the friendly confines of 461 Washington to catch the game. Pens are 2-0 this series when I watch the game home, alone and with my Pens cap on. Go Pens!!!
