Time to Panic?

Some might say it is way too early in the season to panic; however, in all reality, we are entering Week #5 which marks the mid-way point of the Fall '11 Season. And considering the way some teams are playing, the time to panic might not come soon enough.

The new format change has created closer games and heightened competition, especially in the Mountain Star Division, but the same can be said in all three SCK divisions. However the main focus and news has been coming out of the Mountain Star Division. We'll take a peek into the other divisions next week, for now let's focus on the top tier group.

The biggest story has undoubtedly been the under-achieving Drunken Monkeyz. They've always been considered a top tier team, but this season something is wrong in the jungle. Although they cruised through their pre-season cupcake games, once they hit the true competition in their divisions schedule, they basically crumbled. Granted it's only been two games. The problem is these past two games were against two teams who are already being deemed Final 4 teams. Which means these games should be considered as previews into what the kickball nation should expect from the Monkeyz come playoff time and according to these past results, unfortunately, the expectations are for the Monkeyz to perform poorly come post-season time. Many kickballers may have their theories as to why the team often referred to as "the Machine" is struggling. The most glaring observation is composure. It is rare to see a team play through a game with no mistakes. Dropped balls, wrong decisions, and other various mistakes are common place. They are bound to happen. How a team responds to mistakes is what counts. Sadly the Monkeyz let each mistake compound until it results in an obvious loss of composure and discipline to work through it. Lucky for them this frustration has been isolated on the defensive side of the ball. It will be interesting to see how and if the the Monkeyz rebound in the coming weeks. However they aren't the only team that is struggling.

They're were high expectations for the Balls & Dolls coming off their first King of Kickball Championship appearance this past Spring Season. It was a monumental achievement for this crew, as they have battled season after season to reach that ultimate goal of being the King of Kickball. Although they came close they still seem to be far for reaching that goal. So far this season they have been on an offensive/defensive see-saw. When they're offensive is up, they're defensive is down and vice-versa. Even their pre-season cupcake games were closely contested, not a good sign as you are playing in the toughest division in the league. Reasons? Theories? Why is this the case after such a strong season not too long ago? The most common theory among Kickball Nation is of course the most unpopular theory considered by the Balls & Dolls. Every circus needs a ringmaster and every team needs a coach. There is something to be said about a team's success and the leaders behind that success. All kickballers play and win as a team, one player does not make a team. However an argument can be made that even the best players need a good leader. It doesn't have to be the same leader, but at least someone ready and willing to take up the cause to push forward. Am I along in this regard? Maybe, maybe not. What does the Balls & Dolls biggest fan and biggest critic, the Angry Ump, have to say about the Bs and Ds situation? I had to travel far into the badlands of exile to see if the Ump had anything constructive to say...

Most teams work like a machine that was constructed for the greater good. Others are heavily dependent on a certain cog to complete a simple task. They are still considered an elite team by many, but the loss of their coach and leader will affect them more than they like to admit. They still have plenty of talent to field a competitive team, but I want to see how they react when the going gets tough. Will someone step up and say, “Kick it at the fat first baseman! Dude can’t catch a cold.” Or will they shatter under the pressure like Id Hit It does come playoff time? Their ex-coach always had them running on all cylinders and had them ready for every situation. I’m not sure they have that type of anal personality that will keep a tight ship. Will BnD’s rise to the occasion or get dropped to the Sun Rise division after the season? So far they’ve seemed to struggle with teams that have no business even breathing the same kickball air as the once finely tuned red team.It’s a long ass season and I’m excited to find out what happens next.