Lopsided League?

Rarely do I ever seriously consider the things my counter-part, Mr. Angry Umpire, has to say. Occasionally his sense-less ramblings make me chuckle out loud strictly, because they are entertaining. However the Angry Umpire's last posting really got me thinking. Basically the question he posed was; with a 28 team roster has all SCK managed to do is dilute their once quality product.

The simple answer is no, of course not. The quality standard that SCK puts on the field every season is far superior to anything offered in the area and even better than WAKA could provide. Some feel that a $35 per season price-tag is a little high. However considering the value contained in SCK membership, it really is a hell of a deal. From bar drink specials to free bowling Tuesday nights and everything in between, all the little things count. Paid umpires, paid uniforms, and SCK's continued effort to re-invest in the league; i.e. new website, new scoreboards, and in the near future on-line registration. It really is a great value.

The other thing to consider is, player fees not only pay for the league costs, but they are also a big part of the league's charity work. All Sun City Kickballers should be proud to know by playing kickball they are also giving back to the El Paso community. Just over the holiday season SCK donated over a $1000 and collected 800 pounds of food for our four legged friends.

However, in all fairness I don't think that is what the Angry Umpire is eluding to when he asks if SCK's product is being diluted. He is talking about competition, plain and simple. Granted, for those more hardcore kickballers the season is off to a slow start. There have been few marque match-ups and most of the more anticipated games won't be played until the end of the season. Unless you are a person who likes 20-0, 15-5, 17-0 beatdowns, then the season is looking tip top. However I thought the saying was, "to be the best, you have to beat the best." I never thought good competition is power house teams beating up on cup cake teams. I doubt that is ever fun for either side. Some of the veteran teams look bored and I don't play them.

The same can be said for "the friendlies". They may not really care if they win or lose, but honestly, who wants to get the ever-loving snot beat out of them each week. You would think that they would much rather play a team who is not only of the same skill set, but more importantly a team who is of the same state mind. Just playing to play, just playing to have some fun.

Which always leads us to the same question, "Should SCK offer competitive and non-competitive divisions?"
Every season the option is considered, but oddly the popularity for such a move always hovers around 50% for and 50% against. As the league continues to expand it is time to finally end this debate. With 28 teams this season and who knows how many next season, the time to answer this question is upon us.