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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Labor Day Championships

So now that Danny and Nathan have got the pools up for Labor Day I thought I would toss out my two cents.

First off, I'm not sure about the whole 15 team tournament format. 16 seems like such an easier number to work with and it makes me really wish Machine was gonna be at this tournament. This isn't a criticism to the TDs and I wouldn't be surprised if Machine got an invite and turned it down. Regardless, their semifinals performance at Chesapeake was nice and I think a follow up challenge at Labor Day would have been a good way for them to figure out if they have a legitimate shot a SubZero in a month or so.

Another thing to think about is that these tournaments are more designed for sorting out team issues than crowning champions. The winner of Labor Day, much like the winner of Chesapeake, Colorado Cup, Sockeye Invite, Heavyweights or Boston Invite means very little. With this in mind I like the fact that there are a lot of pool play and cross over games. Teams want the chance to showcase their strengths as well expose their weaknesses before they make their Sarasota run. However, I would not be surprised if the winner this weekend was playing late in Florida.

Pool A - Sockeye, Boston, Jam, Doublewide, PoNY
Sockeye (4-0/3-1) - This will be our first chance to not only see Sockeye after their Vancouver performance but also see the "New Sockeye". The "New Sockeye"? Well, a lot of biggins are out the door now, including Biggins. Both Seths and Chase suited up for Team USA a few weeks ago but none of them will be with their Seattle Crew this weekend. Crockford will be sporting gold and black with PoNY and Biggins is with Revolver. Sockeye does have pickups in Dave Bestock and Jimmy Chu not to mention their Seattle area youngsters, but few bring the big game experience and talent that Chase, Seth, Seth, and Sam O'Brien had. Chase's size/experience, Biggins' strength, Crockford's D-line handling, and Sam O'Brien's O-line flare are all tools that Sockeye will miss. Jimmy will replace Crockford well and Dave Bestock is as good an O-line handler as it gets. However, Chase and Biggins are still irreplaceable. Matt Rehder is a great athlete but still has a long way to go before he can cover crafty veterans. Harkness and Castine are also great D-line contributors but neither has the size or experience to replace what 7 and 24 brought.

This isn't to say that Sockeye is due for some L's, just that the team will have to adapt. They have some of the best minds in the game and it will be on them to figure out a new game plan for the Fish. Their roster has changed a bit since their first title in '04 and I think their freakish size and all-star squad now has a more polished feel with precision players like Mike Caldwell and Sammy CK leading the charge. I've got them 5-0/4-1 because I'm not sure if this "New Fish" feel will be perfect on Saturday. Odds are they get a few close calls and maybe someone gets lucky, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they swept.

First game against PoNY should be all Fish because they are well aware of New York's speed. They may have been DGP close at Sockeye Invite but not this weekend. Second round against Jam will be a great NW showdown but I think Seattle's combination of experience and youth will work out well against a veteran San Francisco team. Doublewide could be a great game considering DW is the biggest question mark in this pool. I'm curious what the Austin crowd picked up from their 3 DGP losses in Colorado but I still think Seattle rolls. Last round against Boston will be their toughest game especially considering the fact that Boston is now big and bad while Sockeye has gotten a little smaller. If Boston's offensive strategy is ironed out they may have the ability to upset the 1 seed, but I wonder if their D-line can capitalize on Sockeye's high powered offense.

Boston (3-1) - Ironside is good this year. They only have 1 loss, in the Finals of Chesapeake, and I'm sure Ted Munter and Greg Connelly have all the notes they need to lead Boston back to greatness. Whats interesting is that a Boston team that was not known for height is now hugetastic. Jeff Graham, Kurt Gibson, Colin Mahoney, Danny Clark, Will Neff, Dan Patiestas, and Teddy Brower Jarus, are all great in the air. They still have great underneath threats in Paul Batten and Ryan Todd, not to mention all around bad asses like Forch and Stubbs, but their O and D will benefit from some added size. They are as good as any in Santa Cruz, but they still need to solidify a game plan. Their offense had issues holding onto a lead against Chain two weeks ago and veteran squads like Jam and Sockeye will take full advantage of offensive miscues. I like Boston to go 3-1, not only because they have the youth to handle Jam but also because they have the veterans as well. Unlike Sockeye, Boston's youngsters have several years of Club and Worlds experience and they will not crack under the pressure that guys like Rehder have yet to deal with.

As a side not, one thing that I noticed in Chesapeake was that Kurt was on their O-line which makes little sense to me. He's an out-of-stater (Dallas, TX) so he doesn't really have the opportunity to practice and develop the chemistry needed to contribute on the offensive front. However, his legs and throws would be an awesome D-line threat and I wonder if he will get points with Neff and Colin on the D-line. He seemed to connect well with Jeff Graham (who doesn't?) so he may have found his slot on Boston, but I wonder if this is Kurt's best assignment.

First game on Saturday for Ironside is Doublewide and I think this might be their best showing. The Texas crowd has been known for their depth as well as athletes but their consistency and composure leaves something to be desired. If DW learned their lessons from Colorado they might have the focus to score consistently, but if they take a few shots they wish they could take back, Boston will cruise. This will be Ironside's chance to show how precise their offensive can be and if they struggle, they could still be a year out on a semifinals birth in Florida.

After a bye Boston gets Jam and I like this game. It pits two groups of veterans against one another and while Boston may have the edge on youth, Jam has much more experience. This will be Jam's chance to get a big out of region win and Boston's chance to show that they are better than a quarters team. Depending on the Ironside/DW and Jam/Sockeye games, we could see an overconfident Boston vs a rebounding Jam or a frustrated Boston against an overconfident Jam. Either way, this game will tell us a lot about the Series.

Next Boston plays PoNY for the 5th time this year. Look for Boston to cruise yet again and in the last round, like the Jam game, who knows? Boston has slipped only once this year and finally, they have the athletes to match up well against Sockeye. The only thing Sockeye has that Boston does not is established chemistry and I think this gives them the edge. Sockeye's defenders are stellar and I see them taking advantage of any lapses in judgement on Boston's part. If Boston gets a shot at victory though, it will be a huge win for the Northeast and a major reality check for Sockeye.

Jam (2-2) - I have this conception that Jam is this rickety old crew but I could be wrong. Safdie won the Callahan the year before Nord and both Husak and Namkung played for Team USA (masters). Steets was around for UCSB's last National title and Eastham and Cissna have been out of Davis for a while now. But as Furious showed in Vancouver, age is just a number. When you throw Gabe and Bart into this mix of veterans, not to mention Idris and Damien Scott, you have the most experienced squad in the country and they could be better than ever in '08. They won the NW on their way to the #1 overall seed in Sarasota last year and now that the Justice League debacle is well behind them, they could take the NW again. However, they have yet to earn a big win this year. They took out Subzero and Revolver at Colorado Cup, but Bravo continues to own them and a young Condor teams is 2-1 against them this year.

Their first game of the day will be against Sockeye and this will be the freshest they will be so look for this to be their best performance. Ideally their all-star talent has all the kinks worked out but I'm still doubtful on their defensive ability given their lack of college upstarts.

I already discussed the Jam/Boston game so I'll move on to DW. This game will be tough for Texas because they aren't as deep as Jam. Depending on their performance in the previous rounds they could be fired up to give the SF crowd trouble and judging from Jam's losses to the Condors and Truck Stop, they aren't invincible. However, Jam seems to have DW's number with a 13-8 win over them in Colorado. This could be close, but I like Jam.

Last round will be against PoNY and I think New York should aim high in this game. A victory over Boston or Sockeye is pretty far fetched but Jam could be just what the doctor ordered. PoNY has caught unfamiliar teams sleeping when they face off and Jam may have missed a crucial scouting opportunity by passing on Sockeye Invite. I like PoNY's faceless feel against Jam's all stars and I'm curious to know if PoNY can rattle off a few scores early while Jam is still trying to adjust. Best of luck Jody and BVH.

Doublewide (1-3/0-4) - I was really impressed with Doublewide's performance at Colorado Cup and I'm really curious to know what they do for an encore. For a team trying to play to its potential three double game point losses is probably not what they wanted. I sincerely hope the Austin crowd picked up a few lessons, but even if they did, I'm not sure it will help them here. Keeping their composure is more of a Regionals lesson that they'll need against Ronin.

As for their Saturday performance, I think they'll have a tough time with Boston but it will prep them well for their biggest game of the day, PoNY. If DW hopes to make power pools in Sarasota, taking out New York is not a tall order. PoNY is trying to get out the NE for the first time, but given their results thus far, they still have a way to go. Texas has all the pieces, they just need to put them together. Sockeye is up next and I see the Fish having their way with a tired out Doublewide team. Jam could be a close one, but I think Frisco's experience at this level gives them the edge to close out Doublewide to end the day.

PoNY (1-3/0-4) - If PoNY thinks they are going to make Nationals they really need to secure a win on Saturday. Right now they are 4th in their own region and despite their A-list tournament schedule, their season has not gone as well as it could have. They have two losses to Bodhi not to mention a 1-6 performance at Chesapeake. I like them to give Jam a scare but Boston and Sockeye should have little trouble. Doublewide could be their chance at a W but like DW, this is their one and only shot at a win on Saturday and both will leave it all on the field. Hopefully PoNY picks up whatever they need and I would not be surprised if they are happy with the Labor Day experience despite whatever the score reporter says.

Pool B - Johnny Bravo, Furious George, Truck Stop, Sub Zero, Rhino
JB (4-0/3-1) - Now that Chicken is a Yalie, I had the chance to talk to him about his team a little bit. Without Beau or Popes in Maryland, Bravo had a less than stellar performance. However, I imagine both will be in attendance and so we will see a totally different Bravo. At the beginning of the year I had Bravo pegged to win it all, but now I wonder. Hector's O-LINE!! contribution looks like it is missed and I think Rabbit is also a player that Boulder wishes they still had. Justin's work ethic and under the radar play making was a big part of Bravo, as well as Mamabird, and I think his break is not good for the Boulder boys. Big Jim, Polar Bear and the rest of their pick ups are excellent but it takes a very special player to impact a team right away. Even guys like Gibson and Zip had issues right away with Boston and Chain and I wonder if Bravo is as good as they were last year.

However, with their full roster, they should be red hot. First game is against whats left of Rhino and I expect nothing short of domination. Next round will be against Truck Stop and despite difficulty with players like Ryan Morgan and Gorgeous George Strange, I think Bravo will be ready. These two games will get the wheels turning for the Rocket before they face off against SubZero. Depending on seeding in Florida, this could be a quarters or semifinals game and when you consider the number of guys that were on Mamabird and the Hodags, this should be an awesome game. Going back to 2003, Colorado and Wisconsin seem to see eachother a lot at College Nationals: Semis '03 (Wisconsin), Quarters '04 (Colorado), Quarters '05 (Colorado), should have been semis '06, Finals '07 (Wisconsin), Semis '08 (Wisconsin). The Hodags have taken the last few but I think Jolian, Chicken, Parker, Beau, and Richter are ready to put the hurt on. Lindsley should be ready to be play his best and I hope he and Hector have figured out their O-line assignments by now. However, I don't see SubZero handling Beau or Popes particularly well, especially with Parker behind the disc. And even if they do, Willy D will gut them underneath. Bottom line, this game will be good and I like Bravo.

The last round, however, is the game of the day. Furious gets the an understandable 5 seed but I'm having a tough time remembering when these two guys played eachother last. They were set to meet in Semis last October, but that didn't happen and now that Furious has shed their Vancouver pickups, I wonder what they'll bring. After this game we may have an idea of whether or not the "double peak" will be an issue for Furious, but they could be on their way down and could be better here, than in Florida, again. This game is anyone's guess, but I think Bravo's legs will give Furious trouble.

Furious George (3-1/2-2) - Stay objective Match. This is a tough call, and I think I'm going to be overly critical of my guys. In Vancouver, Canada had several pickups and they will not be there in Santa Cruz. Canada's O-line depended on Mike Grant to John Hassell (and vice versa) and that will be a duo that will be missed. I'm sure someone like Savage, Marc Roberts or Mike Enns will be able to pick up the slack, but I wonder if it will be enough. One thing I can't forget though (as if I would) was my interview with Mike Grant. I asked him after he won gold if he expected to do this well, and he said "You have to, otherwise you won't". These guys are competitors down to the bone and after 4 years of shedding broken arm cob webs, I think MG is the best he's been since 02/03 and the Furious guys come to do one thing, win.

Furious will have a tough day beginning to end though. They start the day with a rematch of SubZero. This is the game that has me scratching my head for that 3-1 or 2-2. Furious under performed at Sarasota but the Minnesota guys are still very good. In addition, they hate Furious. They had a 17-16 loss in quarters to them a few years back and after tasting blood at UPAs last Fall, they know they can get them again. Depending on how Furious comes out the first few points, they could beat SZ the way they beat Team USA. Go up a few breaks and then cruise. SubZero's D will be fierce but I keep thinking about Muffin's injury and I wonder how well their D-line will be able to score without such a powerful flick.

After the bye, Furious takes on Truck Stop and I don't see a repeat of Sarasota. Morgan told me a while back that come Sarasota things just clicked and plays just happened but after their 0-3 performance, I'm sure they will take their play making very seriously. I would hope that every player on Furious would want their shot to make the play they didn't 10 months ago and I think they flip their last performance, 15-10.

Rhino will be an easier contest for Furious and I would imagine the Monkies will integrate their bench into this game. Saving their legs for Bravo will be important.

Like I already said, the last round game between JB and Furious will be the game of the day and I have no idea what will go down. Bravo is coming off a poor performance and Furious is coming off a great one. Furious has a tendency to be a totally different team if they really want it and I wonder if they will really want it late on Saturday. As I said, I think MG is at his best in the sense that his flick is so devastating. He has always been a monster in the air, but with his flick, his contribution behind the disc and downfield will be felt. In addition, guys like Nick Menzies played their hearts out in Vancouver but was just shy of making a huge play in the Finals. That intensity can and should be there in Santa Cruz and considering how ice cold FG can play if they want to, they could take the pool 4-0. But then again, Bravo is really F-ing good.

Truck Stop (1-3) - At the beginning of the year, I had Truck Stop getting past Ring in the Mid Atlantic, but now I'm not so sure. They failed to really make any noise at Caz or BI and they may have made the Finals at Colorado Cup, but a 3-way tie and back to back games against Bravo aren't the best indications of performance capability. I think they have the experience and the personal to get past Ring, but they need to put together a well executed offense. Getting past SubZero or Furious will be their mission and I wonder if they have a game plan that can get past Minnesota's depth or Vancouver's talent.

After a first round bye they play Bravo and this game won't be close. Bravo will be coming off a game with Rhino to get the blood flowing and all their personal should be their to stomp on Truck Stop.

Second game will be against Furious and like Bravo, Furious will have them well inside their cross hairs. Truck Stop made a lot of noise by making quarters last year and finals at CC, but now they are on everyone's radar and Furious will bring a well executed game plan. Last Fall Truck Stop took out Furious first thing, but now Furious will be coming off a tough game against SZ and regardless of the outcome, will be ready for DC, who will have just played a brutal Bravo game.

Third round Truck Stop gets another tough opponent in SZ and will be on their last leg after games against Bravo and Furious. I don't see how they could get past SZ, but I've been wrong before. Depending on Zero's injury status, they could cruise or duke it out in a close one. Either way, I think Truck Stop will have their work cut out for them.

Last round TS finally gets a game they can win against Rhino and I do hope they have something left in the tank. 4 games in a row, 3 of which are against quarters teams or better, is a tough day but I'm sure TS would like a win to go party with. Rhino will have had an equally challenging day and will be ready for TS. They have to be aware of what they are up against and a Mid Atlantic team is probably their best shot at a W on Saturday.

SubZero (2-2/3-1) - SubZero has to be looking forward to this tournament. Colorado and Maryland were not what they wanted but Labor Day has been on the Calendar since Winter and I like their 4th seed status for upset purposes. This is their chance to test themselves before Regionals where they will have to keep Machine in line. I'm not sure how Muffin is doing, but SZ's depth should help them in this grueling pool.

Their first game is against Furious and I really hope they keep their last performance out of their minds. They will see an entirely different team and rather than focus on an 0-3 Furious (or even a gold medal one) they should think about themselves. Execute an offense that will frustrate even the most athletic defenders. Good decision after good decision will get them the win, but if they let their aggression and intensity get the better of them, the Vancouver veterans will pwn. SubZero will have to stay with Furious in the first half if they want to win this game because a second half deficit will not be good to them. Likewise, if they can get up on Furious quickly, they might be able to take the air out the Monkey's tires and keep them from heating up in the middle third of the game.

After a great SZ/FG game, SubZero gets Rhino and they should not have much trouble. Rhino didn't go to Colorado, so SZ has yet to see them, but the experienced veterans should eat the Eugene youngsters alive. I hate to hate on Rhino, but they just aren't the quarters team they were and SubZero is getting better and better. Best of luck Oregon.

Last round should go in SZ's favor. They took out DC 15-10 last Fall in pool play and I imagine the same thing will go down.

Rhino (0-4) - Prove me wrong

Pool C - Chain Lighting, GOAT, Revolver, Ring of Fire, Condors
Chain (3-1) - After a great showing in Maryland, this weekend is Chain's opportunity to show that they have the consistency to reel in at least a 2 seed in Sarasota. Their pickups seem to be just what the doctor ordered and have added the depth their veteran roster needed. They weren't undefeated in Maryland and they also didn't play GOAT or Ring. I was very surprised (and impressed) with their comeback against Boston and I'm curious to know what they will do against 3 tough teams they have not faced in '08.

First round against the Condors should go smoothly for Atlanta. They might not have the chemistry that Sockeye, Bravo, or Furious have, but they are wayy ahead of a young Condor team and also have one of the best Santa Barbara players.

I like Revolver this year and I think round 2 will go in favor of the Bay Area. The Stanford guys are as fast and crafty as it gets and I think they will have a game plan Chain isn't ready for. Wiseman, Sherwood and Cahill are three devastating threats and Zip can't cover all of them and I haven't even mentioned Biggins or Tyler Grant. Dylan could take a shot at one of them, but he has had issues with handling Stanford's best. For this reason, I like Revolver to take this game, but like Chain (and GOAT) I think they go 3-1.

Third round will be against Ring and this game could be interesting. A few years ago, I think this game would be a toss up but I think Chain is a little older and I think they have really put an emphasis on consistency. This will be tough for Ring to handle and while I think there will be several exciting plays from these near neighbors, I like Chain to come out on top.

After the bye Chain will get their hands on GOAT and I like Atlanta. GOAT is a fine team but Chain will be thinking about their DGP loss to them in Quarters last Fall and Chain will bring an intensity GOAT cannot answer. The Toronto crowd has its fair share of height as well as squirrley handlers, but I don't see them matching the intensity that Dylan will orchestrate for Chain.

GOAT (3-1) - GOAT had nearly half their roster in Vancouver and it's time for them to cash in on that experience. They will get all sorts of challenges and considering every part of their game is experienced from their deep threats, to handlers, to their leadership, they can and should succeed on Saturday.

Their first game against Ring will be a nice rematch from 2 weekends ago and I like GOAT's focus against Ring's emotion. After a bye they'll get a shot at Revolver and I think GOAT is the only team to take down the Stanford crowd. Their height will be the advantage and I think despite Seth's incorporation into the South Bay Squad, GOAT should still frustrate and win. After duking it out with the Condors in a one sided game, GOAT will get the 1 seed and I like the quarters rematch to go in favor of Hot-lanta. GOAT has improved experience wise, but so has Chain and while Hassell, St-Amant, Ouchterlony, Lindquist and Scotty Nicholls are all gold medalists, Chain's veterans have years of Sarasota behind them and I like CL's odds.

Revolver (3-1) - These guys are ready to dominate this year. Colorado Cup could have gone better but they, like Jam, are more or less the home team. They have made quarters in the past and their roster has only gotten better. Tyler Grant and Seth Wiggins are great additions and I like Tyler on the O-line and Seth on D. Wiseman is also probably the best player to ever come out of Stanford and with less pressure on Sherwood in the Club scene, he will get some easier assignments. I'm not sure what Cahill will bring now that he is an out-of-stater (Seattle, WA), but I think the Revolver that won Cal States and made finals at Solstice will be ready to ball in Santa Cruz.

After a first round bye, the Bloodthirsty alums get 4 games in a row. First is Chain and despite the Atlanta guys coming off a win against the Condors, I like Revolver. The Palo Alto guys will run a very precise offense and play some of the best man D at the tournament. I think Chain goes deep a lot and despite great cutters, Revolver will capitalize here and there to earn the breaks they need to win.

With an upset in their pocket, I think they assume too much against GOAT. The scouting report on them will have a lot of blank space and I think Revolver will spend too much time trying to figure out their deep game and not enough time on their own offense. I like GOAT to keep the 3rd seed honest and give them their one loss of the day. With a loss to GOAT to keep them humble, I like Revolver to capitalize on a fiery Ring of Fire team. Stanford is known for their precise execution and despite not having the flare that guys like Zack Washburn bring, they will take advantage of Ring mistakes and earn their second win before they dismantle the Condors.

Ring of Fire (1-3) - I really don't have a fix on North Carolina so I apologize in advance for any poor analysis. Their first tournament win was a great way to dust off the cleats and a win over Bravo was huge two weeks ago. However, outside this, they really haven't made too much noise outside their own region. They beat Truck Stop convincingly, but struggled against GOAT and Bodhi and I see more of that happening this weekend.

They get a rematch out of the gate against GOAT, but I think GOAT will be better in Santa Cruz and will hand Ring an early loss. Ring then gets a shot at the 15 seed and they should capitalize . It's funny, these two teams used to be at the top of everyone's list in Sarasota, but now they are 4 and 5 seeds in their pool. After they earn their first W of the day, they will get their chance at a major upset. Both Ring and Chain have had issues with under performing and this will be Ring's chance to stave off oblivion and a win will serve as a reminder of how good they once were. However, Chain has a totally different feel this year and they could stuff Ring in a drawer. Regardless of this contest, they then face off against a tough Revolver team that will bring a devastatingly deep squad. I think Brett Matsuka is a great pick up for Ring, but I still see them getting frustrated in the face of some fast Revolver defenders and will find themselves 1-3 at the end of the day.

Condors (0-4) - Santa Barbara has had a really tough year, except when they face Jam. They seem to always give the Frisco guys trouble but they won't see their former team mates on Saturday and from what I can gather, they really have a long way to go before they can reclaim their historic status.

They will be looking up at very developed teams all day and I think they should really aim for GOAT. Asa will have Chain prepared and I think Revolver will be fired up to play against one of their former handlers. Ring will not let the Condors get away with anything so I think their best chance will be against a GOAT team that really hasn't seen Santa Barbara all that much. Crafty poaches and switches could benefit the Condors, but I also think their lack of height against a big GOAT team will be a problem. The Condors are skating on thin ice this year and could lose the Southern California section for the first time in.....wow, no idea. They need at least some semblance of a solid performance if they want to remain confident against SDU in the series and I would imagine they are hoping for a major upset at some point this weekend. However, like Rhino, I see them having a tough day and will hold seed at 15th.

Closing Thoughts
When considering that this tourney is more about prepping for the series, over actually winning the whole thing, it gets hard to make predictions. I made some bold claims which is mainly just food for thought to all the readers. Realistically, I would imagine the brackets to look considerably different Saturday night and I really hope that PoNY, Rhino, and the Condors get a win on Saturday.

I think Sockeye will be the most fired up of any team and if anyone is amped to win, it will be them. Bravo has a lot to prove after their poor Maryland showing and if it all was because of a lack of Beau and Popes, we should see nothing short of excellence on Saturday. Chain is fighting to rid themselves of their inconsistent past and GOAT wants to return to their glory days of '07.

I hope Furious is off their cloud because it is time to work again and it's put up or shut up time for Ironside. If Jam is still Jam, we'll know this weekend but if they are over the hill, we will also know this weekend. Truck Stop's goal this year should be to get past Ring at Regionals and this weekend will be their chance to figure out what their problems are. Revolver just wants to get back to Nationals and with only 3 bids this year they need to start earning the W's that put them ahead of Furious, Jam, or Sockeye.

North Carolina secured a big win over Bravo two weeks ago, but they need more to follow if they want to return to their semis/finals days in Florida. Not unlike Bravo, SZ took a few hits in MD and like Bravo they need to play as well as they have in the past if they want to succeed in the future. Like Benny from the Sandlot, Doublewide seems to be the lone talent from the lone star state that just can't break into the upper echelon of teams. They're in a tight battle with Ronin to take 2nd out of the South and they'll need to break seed to get the confidence to get back to Nationals.

Pony has had moments of greatness this year but they are still pretty battered and will need to pull off something to give them a mental edge on Bodhi. Rhino has yet to beat a team that is at this tournament and like the Condors, have a much better past than future. Look for the two of them to meet late on Sunday to see who's in the cellar and who's just outside oblivion.

I'm stoked for this weekend and I really hope the score reporter is updated frequently. Best of luck to all teams and NO ONE GET HURT.

just my thoughts

match diesel

8 comments:

The Pulse said...

upset special: boston and/or jam over sockeye

Conor Ranahan said...

There will be no consolation games. After the crossover games, only the top 4 teams will play in the next round. Meaning, 11 teams will only play 6 games this weekend.

Juan Sebastian said...

When reviewing Canada's O-line, you gave no credit whatsoever to Mauro Ortiz. I know "Grant and Hassel" was quite the show, but Mauro brought it, ESPECIALLY in the finals. Look for Furious to come back with lots of momentum from their World Championship injection.

Match said...

Believe me, I love the little Venezuelan. I gave him first billing props in my finals wrap up.

I neglected to mention him here because he is a handler and Hassell and Grant seemed to work a nice little two man cutting weave down field and Mauro probably won't be relevant in that discussion. Savage, Enns, and Roberts may fill that slot however and that is what I was getting at.

Handy said...

Also to note for PoNY, seems like Joe "Smash" Anderson is coming into his own... he was 2nd at worlds in points in the open division behind Yohei Kichikawa of Japan (Smash played for the DR and got a whopping 31 assists and 22 goals)

Mike said...

enjoyed the article match - but wondering why there isn't more discussion about the format. i'm guessing a team must've dropped out at the last second, yielding the awkward number of teams.

no re-seeding after pool play? point differentials across different pools/schedules? unbalanced schedules that favor the top seeds?

i suppose that the goal is just to provide a lot of high-quality games for the teams, but i've got to wonder why some teams aren't at least clamoring for a fairer way to determine a winner. your thoughts?

Match said...

As I said before, the purpose of this tournament is to get teams facing off against one another, not to determine the "best" team. I personally like the Boston Mixed format of having 8 teams play eachother with little comitment to figuring out who the overall winner is. But with 15 teams, that gets difficult.

Connor makes an interesting point that some teams may only get 6 games which sucks considering that 2/3 of the games will be played on Saturday. However, things like TDing require a ton of work and people will always have a reason to complain. In the end if more teams are happy than pissed, you did a good job,

As for the format itself, I have TD'd a few times and I've learned that a lot of this stuff is left up to personal preference. If teams are happy with the format, it really doesn't matter what it is. The only issue I have is if teams see eachother more than once. Regional matchups suck at the outset but after watching College Nationals in Corvallis, I've come to understand that if you avoid regional matchups in pool play, you will get them in bracket play. One isn't better than the other but trying to fix something only to have to deal with it later makes little sense.

As for 16 teams, I don't think thats the case. I think it was supposed to be 14 teams and then Chain was added. I know that there are a lot of formats on the score reporter for any number of teams but like I said, if the teams are happy with the schedule it really doesn't matter whant it is.

Unknown said...

In regards to Goat, i believe that Antoly Vasilyev (open) and Pat Mooney (mixed) also won gold medals at this summers worlds. I know you probably did your research as usual and got all the facts straight so im suprised you missed that i just didnt think they deserved to be sold short after winning gold at worlds too this year.