This weekend was the estimated 98th tournament victory of my career, as DoG outlasted everyone (including the fans) to win the Boston Invitational (ne Easterns).
I heard one of the tryouts say excitedly to a friend that this was his first tournament victory. I often don't remember how few teams actually win tournaments, even those teams that do well. In the three years I played with Earth Atomizer, years in which we made Nationals twice (once going 3-2) and the semis at Worlds, we won exactly one tournament, the Clambake in 1990, which oddly enough was the one tournament that Earth went to that NYNY and Titanic did not.
I started writing down my tournament results in 1992, the year some Earth friends got bought out by Titanic, and after which I've been averaging half a dozen wins a year (full results below). Prior to that, I think I won 16 tournaments in my first 10 years:
1989-1991: Clambake 1990, Mars 1991 (with Pittsburgh)
1983-1988 in Cleveland: We won Sectionals in 1988, 1987, (I didn't play in 1986), 1985. Probably a couple OMITs.
1983-1989 in Pittsburgh: Fall Sectionals in 1986. There were spring Sectionals back then, too, and I was probably on the winning team 3 times then. There were 3 summer league titles. I think I had two other Mars titles in addition to 1991.
Victories by year from 1992-present: 6, 5, 9, 6, 8, 8, 11, 5, 6, 6, 5, 3, 4, 1. In 1998, I was on the winning team at Hawaii, Fools, Hingham, Corporate League, and Get Ho Ho Ho!, along with DoG victories at Turkey Swamp, Mothers Day, Easterns, Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals. Funny, though, when I look at the little black stat book for that year, the two items that jump out are a 2nd place finish at Poultry Days and a 13th-16th place finish at Tuneup. The Poultry Days loss really should have made my list of worst losses, but it slipped my mind. We were a little short-handed that tournament (playing with Red Fish Blue Fish), and had maybe 9 or 10 for the finals. We seemingly had the game in control, though, going up 7-2. I only remember two details of the demise: Steve Finn made a layout bid on what would have been the winning goal (or it may have been earlier) and just got a finger on it (unfortunately, the pass was intended to a woman standing open behind him), and Marky Mark caught the game-winner but Matt Greff got the credit in the newsletter. Oh, and I missed my flight anyway because I hung around the fields for too long. For Tuneup, I had written on my web page "Interesting schedule, but too much for a hot day. 6 games on Saturday, all of them close. Went 2-1 in the first pool, advanced to the top half. Then went 1-2 in that pool, beating eventual champion Ring by 1, but losing to NY by 1 after being up late and to Sockeye by a few, and so we were sent to the B pool. We went down 7-2 to Red Tide, then have a spirited comeback to tie it at 10-10, next point wins. But they completed another huck to win it and send us drinking. Small squad again."
Anyway, we won this weekend. There was one point in the quarters with at least five turnovers per team. Later, Lyn was trying to ingratiate himself with Alex and me, and noted, "Well, the important thing is that the three of us weren't in that point." "No," I corrected him, "the important thing is that Alex and I weren't in that point. It's ironic that you weren't in that point." Al and I chuckled like schoolgirls about that one.
9 comments:
They kept scores at OMIT in the mid-eighties?
Damn, that comment WAS funny! Reading it again is making my cheeks hurt again, I was laughing so hard.
"33 of 99"
I first compiled this list about three years ago, and noted that "Maybe I'll retire when I win my 100th tournament."
Looking at the rest of the schedule, I need to skip Sectionals and/or Regionals (although skipping Regionals might be too dangerous), then ceremoniously strip off my cleats after catching the winning goal at Nationals.
It might be easier to revise history and say that I didn't actually win a "couple" OMITs.
And 98 wins puts me at #2 in the house, probably, as Jackie played a lot of spring and summer tournaments with Ozone against, shall we say, mediocre opposition and racked up 10+ wins/yr for 10+ years.
I swear I don't know if Al was being sarcastic or not about laughing so hard.
ceremoniously stripping off your cleats after catching a winner would be better than pulling a richey tennembaum on the field or sidelines in the middle of a horrific, mind numbing collapse...
Wicks asks: Have you ever caught a Nationals-winning goal before? How about a Worlds-winner? Strangely, these are sincere questions, though if you have not, they are meant to slightly bug you.
Surely, I've discussed this with you before. In the 1994 National finals, we were leading 20-11 when Jordan and I cut for the cone at the same time. The thrower (Dennis?) got off the pass and called a foul. Jordan was in better position than I, but I figured I deserved it more, so I reached around him while toe-dragging, but it was too much of a reach and I couldn't hold on. The disc swung around and Cork caught it.
I was on the field for Nats-winners in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 1999, and Worlds-winners in 1996 and 2000. I thought about throwing a big hammer for the winner in 2000, but dumped it to Alex instead and then called time after "The Bitchlike Contest" by Anders, as I will now call it.
the 98 poulry days finals was not really that close. ANdif my memeory serves correct, we had about 7-2 lead on you all before you RFBF got rolling. but it was a little too late by then. anyway great game, but I think your semis win and ours as well, were better games.
tim
friends of frank 98-99
Oops, I guess I meant 1997, then, against Breasts & Thighs. We also lost in the 1998 final to FoF. I don't remember the specifics too well of 1998.
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