On Tuesday we cut the ribbon at our new field. Lets relive the memories together.
But before we get to the bocce games, lets talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room, and this time I’m not talking about Jim Whipple (too mean? . . . nah its stupid but funny, I’m keeping it). I’m really talking about the giant Turbo Bocce billboard that mysteriously appeared overnight.
I already wrote a whole thing about it on Facebook, so I won’t repeat it; just click HERE if you want to read it.
One more thing before we get to the games. I want to start the season off with a warning to all of you: If you beat me at bocce I’m going to hunt you down like a dog . . . of course nobody ever hunts dogs, so I guess what I’m saying is, if you beat me at bocce I’m not going to hunt you down.
Glad I got that out of the way. Are you upset you haven’t seen any bocce highlights yet? Probably. How about this sweet Turbo Round win from rookie team Theo’s who managed to grab a very respectable one win out of three against one of our best veteran teams Kiss My Ace.
We had some pretty high profile games for week one, which as you might imagine produced some pretty sweet highlights. For example, when last year’s regular season champs Mark & Robb (now named Seek and Destroy) matched up with successful Turbo Bocce veterans Dazed and Confused. All three games were great. In this highlight, the pallino got kicked off into the mud and rough land by our storage box, but that didn’t stop Mark Streiff from putting in an almost perfect shot. Nothing could stop Mark on this day, he scored 21 and his team won two of the three games.
One of the coolest aspects of our new field is that when you walk up to the very top of the hill and look down on the bocce field you see the games from a whole new perspective. Things you never noticed become clear, and the universe reveals its deepest secrets to you. Here are the two highlights I filmed from the top of the hill. Watched back to back you see a perfect example of bocce karma flowing from player to player, and game to game. First, Jeff Weiner shoots an incredible boccem- kicking the pallino over towards his partner’s ball – but his own ball goes too far and interferes with another game. The shot it interrupts is Andy Ingalls who resets himself, then goes on to throw a perfect shot himself! Bocce karma!
Of course bocce karma only goes so far. Despite the great shots, Jeff’s team Boccelism lost all three games to Some Innuendo, and Andy’s team Amerika’z Most Wanted lost two games against Los Moppines.
One more highlight, this time from the bottom of the hill looking up. Its a rather artistic shot, if I do say so myself. Putting the great architecture overlooking our bocce field into perspective before focusing in on what happens to be a bocce playing architect, Angela Donoahoe, and her shot that meanders its way all the way back down the hill close to where I was shooting. Hill bocce is fun!
Double A’s continued their hot play from last year and beat newly named Tuesday Night Lights (probably my favorite new bocce team name so far this year) two games to one.
Losing in week 1 is worse than having 10,000 heart attacks. Its also worst than 10,000 maniacs, but not by much (this joke was brought to you by 90’s pop music). So if you lost on Tuesday, come find me, I’ll give you a hug and try to make you feel better. “Hugs not drugs” that’s what I always say . . . although I”m usually on drugs when I say stuff like that.
Onto individual accolades!
20 Point Club (all time record is 26)
Siobhan Christou – Twinning – 21
Mark Streiff – Seek and Distroy – 21
Amy Carr – Dangerous Duo – 20
Don Adamczyk – Omnipotence – 20
Julie Gilbert – Some Innuendo – 20
A couple notes here: first, kudos to Don for coming out of the gate strong with a 20 point performance after not playing last year due to hip surgery. No rust in that performance! Second, Amy Carr had a huge night for a rookie (or anybody really) with 20 points. And check out this picture if you want to see how good a bocce game it really was. They had the pallino surrounded the whole time! And I saved the best for last, congrats to Siobhan Christou for leading the league in scoring while pregnant! Interesting fact, our Wednesday League bocce leader is also pregnant!
5 Bocce Club (all time record is 16)
Greg Griffo – Los Moppines – 9
Bryan Mullane – Los Moppines – 7
Bobby Lupi – Bocce Against the Machine – 7
Marty McDurmatt – Theo’s – 7
Matt Wieczorek – Theo’s – 7
Katie Ives – Boccesaurus Rex – 6
Jeff Weiner – Boccelism – 6
Rick Heffernan – Ralph Bocce-O – 6
Sherri Walakis – Blonde Bocce Bitches – 6
Angelo Isgro – Kiss My Ace – 5
Anna Lammana – Lam Shack – 5
Jayson Gray – Kiss My Ace – 5
Tim Maynard – Tuesday Night Lights – 5
3 Ace Club (all time record is 11)
Judson – Joanie Loves Bocce – 5
Sherri Walakis – Blonde Bocce Bitches – 4
Amy Carr – Dangerous Duo – 3
Andy Ingalls – Amerika’z Most Wanted – 3
Greg Griffo – Los Moppines – 3
Greg Duffy – Surf/Ski/Bocce – 3
Siobhan Christou – Twinning – 3
Note: Out of the seven people to join the 3 ace club, 3 are rookies, impressive. Especially Judson who put up a huge 5 ace night, before I even got his last name!
Loving the team shirts!
What was the shot of the day? How about this shot, by Jacque Stapleton which is a great shot but also teaches us what a bocce is. The key is changing the scoring. In this case the opposing team was in, and she put her own team in by hitting her own ball from away position to close position.
A few more notes. If you are still looking for a team name, click HERE for some options/inspiratoin.
One final piece of advice to hold you over until next time: give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to play bocce and he will realize that fishing is stupid and boring.
Don’t forget to friend us on Facebook, and in real life. Also follow us on Twitter, and in real life. I’m serious, just follow us around the streets in your car. That would be awesome.
Seriously though, we have about 90 pictures of this week on Facebook, thanks to Andy Thompson, professional camera man, brewer, historian, teacher, and all around good guy, so check it out.
