Must See KB!

Any Given Wednesday! This is the last chance for many teams to gain some much needed momentum before heading into the play-in tourney. After the quick Play-In Week, we proceed into the much anticipated King of Kickball tourney.

The automatic bids for the Castner Division are a done deal. Balls to the Wall, I'd Hit It, and New Kicks on the Block have all earned tourney bids. However interestingly Balls to the Wall and New Kicks on the Block are matched up this week and this game should be a good one to go check out. 

New Kicks were the Cinderella team from last season. The only thing that kept them from making it to their first ever Championship game were the timers on the field lights. The lights went out during the bottom of the 5th inning and with it went their hopes of the big time upset against juggernaut Dazed & Confused. The game was continued the following week, but it was all in vain as the momentum was just not there anymore. Their game against Balls to the Wall should be a good indicator of how they will fair in the championship tourney.

The automatic bids for the Border Divisions are already spoken for also. The teams earning automatic bids are the Drunken Monkeyz, Balls & Dolls, and the Billy Bad Asses. Again coincidently, there is an interesting match-up between the Drunken Monkeyz v.s. Balls & Dolls. Although both these teams have earned their tourney bids expect this one to be a tough hard bout.

The Balls & Dolls are undoubtedly a very good franchise team; however their claim to fame is they struggle against big name, big time teams. Which is odd, because in the grand scheme of things they are considered a big name team. They are able to demolish the cupcake teams, inch past the mid-range teams, but unfortunately collapse against the juggernaut teams. A big win against the Monkeyz would put some wind in their sails as we head into the playoffs. This game will be a bench mark for both teams. Which team has what it takes to be the King of Kickball?

The Red Bluff Division has an interesting scenario. So far the Thundercats are in, automatic bid #1 off the table. However the next two automatic bids are a little trickier. I'm not even going to go into detail breaking this one down. I'm sure someone will sort it all out. What I do know is, the Chupacabrones, the Runs, and No More Heroes are in the mix for the last two automatic bids. 

No More Heroes is slated against the Chupacabrones. NMH absolutely needs to win for a chance at the automatic bid. By the grace of God, if they do win and the Runs miraculously lose against Where My Pitches At (which is not going to happen - trust me) they should get an automatic bid with Chupacabrones. HOWEVER if NMH wins against Chupa and the Runs also win...then it becomes a little bit more complicated. By best estimations, if that scenario happens, then NMH and Chupa are still in- unless the Runs score 17+ points to push them ahead in the differential. Like I said....I don't know...Either way Chupacabrones have the big edge in this game and a win would shut down these scenarios quick.

Lastly, the first 2 automatic bids for the Frontera Division go to the Villainous Shockers and Vicious "Is that guy on their team?" Delicious. The #3 bid is up for grabs in true play off fashion. 99 Problems v.s Kick in the Balls are competing for one of the last seats on the Tourney train. It all comes down to "Win and you're in!" Short and sweet. 

Kick N Da Balls is much improved from last season. This team had been plagued by organization, they had none. They have always had the skills and players to be a contender. They just could never put it together. Now KNDB seems to be getting into the swing of things. Big game and they need a big win.

However I have to concede that 99 Problems is the favorite going into this game. Frankly it is their game to win or lose. They need to WANT it. This team is a made up of a great bunch of folks, but I often feel like they don't have that killer instinct. That desperation to win at all cost. Unfortunately that is what separates the King of Kickball from all the rest. You got to want it!

Good Luck to all the teams!

Happy Kicking!

Want it!  

 

Practicing for some Drunken Monkey Ass

Dazed & Confused Playing in - Kickball 4 the Kids Tourney

Video streaming by Ustream

Kickball 4 The Kids - Final Tourney Update!

The Kickball 4 the Kids Tourney is done and in the books. Both El Paso teams, I'd Hit It and Dazed & Confused represented well! They showed kickballers across the country that El Chuco Town has some mad crazy kickball skillz. 


Dazed & Confused was able to make all the way to the semi-finals, but fell short. I'd Hit It also did well by making it all the way into Round 2 of the single elimination portion of the tourney. Awesome job to all the kickballers! We'll get em next year! 

Dazed & Confused

First Game Results: 

Drunk Again and Looking to Score - 0

 Dazed and Confused                        - 7

Second Game Results:

Business Formal - 3

Dazed & Confused - 5

Third Game Results:

Dollar Bill - 0

Dazed & Confused - 16


1st Round Game:
Balls & Purses: 0
Dazed & Confused: 12


2nd Round Game:
GlowKickball.Com: 6
Dazed & Confused: 12


Semi-Final Game:
Sofa King Good: 15
Dazed & Confused: 3

I'd Hit It

First Game Results: 

???????????                  - Forfeit

I'd Hit It                         -  Win

Second Game Results:

Brews on First - 0

I'd Hit It - 10

Third Game Results:

 ?????: - ?

I'd Hit It - ?


Round 1 Game:
????????? - 1
I'd Hit It - 12 

Round 2 Game:
???????? - 3
I'd Hit It - 0 

Team I'd Hit It - Playing in Kickball 4 the Kids Tourney!

Video streaming by Ustream


Video streaming by Ustream

No Soup For You!

Chapter 1:
Big time, big name games have been scarce the past couple of kickball weeks. But kickballers don't despair, with SCK heading into the playoffs, there will be no shortage of epic kickball action. However in the treacherous land of Nazi Kickball, there was a very interesting match-up that warrants some attention.

There are a couple of kickball mercenary death squads who are using Thursday Nights as their own personal battleground. These ambitious coaches have recruited the strongest, fastest, and slickest players available on the kickball market. They have assembled kickball juggernauts that are practically unbeatable, that is until they had to play each other.

On one side of the field were the Party Crashers. The Party Crashers are a mix and match of assorted kickball skill. They are a combination of SCK franchise teams; consisting of the Shockers, Balls & Dolls, New Kicks on the Block, and anchored by the ever dominating Drunken Monkeyz. These bands of SCK loyalists joined together to crash what is considered to be the lamest party in kickball, Thursday Nights. Last season they were very successful by winning the Thursday Night Championship in their very first attempt. Now they have returned to defend their title and it is already looking like they will again be successful in their efforts.


The only thing that stands in their way is the other mercenary kickball death squad which is known as Nexus. Other kickballers might know them as Balls to the Wall, or the other half of former champs Confused Kixxx. If you are a frequent kickball tourney player, you may even know them by Kicking and Screaming. These randoms change their name so many times its as if they had a credit problem. I like to refer to them as Rick's Henchmen. Regardless of whatever their current team name is, they are championship contenders every season, in either kickball league, and in any kickball tournament. They have multiple tourney titles, league titles, and even a handful of out-of-town tourney titles. The core of this team originates and got it's kickball start within the barren waste-land this is Thursday. However they also play on Wednesday nights under the shining rays of the SCK colors. They often consider themselves step-children within the SCK family and claim to be treated differently, because of their origins. Which I find these claims to be unfounded.

But I digress, back to the game, a new scheduling format is slating top tier teams to play each other more frequently. This resulted in the Party Crasher and Nexus meeting in Week 1- Game 1. The atmosphere seemed light at first, as if both teams were down playing the significance of this game. However under the surface the desperation of victory was apparent.

Game Summary:
1st Inning:
Nexus drew first blood and quickly scored 2 runs.

2nd Inning:
Party Crashers pushed back with 1 run, making the score 2-1 Nexus still on top.

3rd Inning:
Party Crashers put up some good defense and then went gangbusters by bringing in 4 runs.
Crashers go up 5-2

4th Inning:
Nexus made a short rally putting up 2 runs, but their attempt was futile as the Crashers came back in the bottom of the inning with 3 more runs.
Crashers 8-4

5th Inning: By this time "the 3-second fuse" delivers and totally melts down. Then the entire Nexus team quickly follows. The Party Crashers finish their beat down by padding on 2 more runs for a final score of...

Nexus: 4
Party Crashers: 10

The Dark Side

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Edmund Burke

For every Ying there is a Yang. To have good then you must be bad. If God does exist, then the Devil must admittedly exist also. Even in the physical world, everything seems to have a polar opposite. When it comes to kickball, SCK and the Thursday Night League are each others opposing forces.

Sun City Kickball may not be El Paso's "original kickball league", but they are now undoubtedly the biggest & best kickball league in El Paso. With a monster 28 teams, compared to the minuscule 12 team Thursday league, to compare the two is not only ludicrous, it is flat out ridiculous. Frankly the proof is in the pudding. The blueprint for SCK has simply been...don't do what Thursday does.

The Thursday night league could have been and should have been one of the biggest sports leagues in El Paso. However league management has kept this league from becoming anything meaningful. Their tyrannical obsessions, arbitrary decisions, and discriminatory ways have made this league defunct. 

Sadly the players are the only ones who suffer in this situation.However many players still continue to sign-up for Thursday nights, only because they love to play kickball and that is the only night that fits into their schedule. While other teams dig kickball so much they are just looking to play multiple times a week. At the point in time, the Thursday Night league is the only option for Thursday night kickball, but hopefully this won't always be the case. 

To add another dimension to the blog, IJK will be following the trials and tribulations of three pieced together teams from the best and brightest SCK players, currently playing Thursday nights. It should be very interesting to see how these teams will fair. Stay Tuned!

  

   

Strike Zone

Here is an informational video on the basic of the Strike Zone. However, please remember, this is a WAKA video. SCK defines the Strike Zone vertically as anything below the knee, which is way more than 1ft. Other than that, it's pretty much the same. Enjoy

Kickball Tourney Bracket Challenge

Time to do kickball NCAA style! Think you know how to pick the kickball studs from the kickball duds? Enter in the It's Just Kickball Tourney Bracket Challenge! Email ItsJustKickball@gmail.com for more details!

Playoffs!

Reprint: Courtesy of SunCityKickball.com - News Section

Playoffs!

On Wednesday May 11th, we will be playing the Playoff Play-In Tournament. This tournament will consist of the remaining 14 teams that did not make the SCK Spring 2011 King of Kickball Championship Tournament either as an automatic bid and or an at-large bid. The top two teams going into the Play-In tournament will have a first round bye.

The first two rounds will only be three innings long. If after these three innings the game is still tied, we will play extra innings. However, during the extra innings, the kicker who would be starting the inning will be placed on 2nd base. Therefore, the 4th and 5th (if necessary) innings will start with a runner on 2nd base.
If after 5 innings the game is still tied, the winner will be decided by Longest Kick Challenge. During this challenge, each team will choose a representative to kick the ball as far as they can. The pitcher will be from the same team. One pitch and one kick only. Foul balls and strikes count as
an attempt; the longest kick wins.

The third and final round will be a 5-inning game. Extra innings will be played as in the prior rounds. Longest Kick Challenge will be applied after the 7th inning if necessary. The winners of these two final games will advance as the #15 and #16 into the SCK Spring 2011 King of Kickball Championship Tournament. Of these two winning teams, the team with the lowest runs scored against during the play-in tournament will be advance as the #15 seed.

The first round of the SCK Spring 2011 King of Kickball Championship Tournament will begin on Wednesday May 18th. The 1st place teams from each division will make up the top four seeds of the tournament. The remaining teams will be seeded according to points, differential runs, and finally runs scored against. Games will be 5 innings and extra innings will be played if necessary. The remaining Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Championship will be played on Saturday May 21st. Championship game will be 7 innings. Award ceremony will be held at Coconuts Bar.

Remember that during all post-season play, including Play-In tournament, there will be no Gentleman’s pitch or Challenges.

Download Play-In Tournament Bracket

Download SCK Tournament Bracket

Tidbits

Scanning through Wednesday night's schedule there are some mentionable tidbits, not many, but a few.

Kick N Da Balls v.s. Mataconchas is looking to be a decent match-up. Right when you think Kick N Da Balls is getting on track, they awesomely derail into a heap of broken down wreckage. They dropped an absolute heart-breaker to Vicious & Delicious last Wednesday. Talk about choke...damn. Even after they brought in some high priced kickball consult to get them up to speed, they quickly went back to their old ways. Which is very frustrating, considering coach and team pitcher Tiger Pride FINALLY figured out how to get the ball to land within the strike zone. Well Kick N Da Balls is in for a treat Wednesday night, because the Mataconchas are no longer a push-over team.

With an even 3-0-3 record the Mataconchas are playing well. Just last week they gave the Shockers a slight scare in a very close game. I hope Kick N Da Balls is not over looking this game or they will be unpleasantly surprised....again.

Let see what else...

Balls & Dolls v.s 2Legit 2Kick may turn into a good game. If 2Legit plays some solid defense they may have a chance. The Bs&Ds are obviously not known for their offense. When facing decent to tough competition the score is usually very close. Occasionally the Balls and Dolls blow out a cupcake team, but rarely do they turn on the offensive merry-go-round with an equally level team. However if the Balls and Dolls score early and often, you may want to walk away from this one.

And....

I want to say Balls to the Wall v.s. One More Shot should be a good game, but I honestly just don't know.
One More Shot is terribly inconsistent and Balls to the Wall is ridiculously very consistent. I just feel that One More Shot may have a chance to catch Balls to the Wall sleeping, but that is probably highly unlikely. Either way my instinct says keep an eye on this one, just in case you are looking for something to watch.

Any Given Wednesday

Any given Wednesday anything can happen. SCK has had it's share of unexpected upsets. My personal favorite and arguably the biggest upset was during Season 3, when the hapless Billy Bad Asses took down the once mighty Shockers. The smiles stretched across all the SCK divisions when word came down that the Bad Asses vanquished the evil Shocker Clan. It's been awhile since an upset of that magnitude has graced the fields of SCK. However some folks are making predictions that we might see one this Wednesday.

Making a prediction is a doubled edge sword, it can either make you look like a genius or at other times  it can make you look like a down right fool. Personally I try to stay away from predictions, because writing checks that your ass can't cash is not only embarrassing, but can quickly damage your kickball credibility. Not that I ever had any credibility to start with or lose for that matter, but that's another story for another posting. However I'm hearing some lowly rumblings and grumbles that some kickballers are predicting an upset between the rookie Suisliders v.s. the veteran Drunken Monkeyz.

When I first I heard this prediction it took my a couple of days to stop laughing. Don't get my wrong, the Suisliders are a mighty fine rookie team. Despite having a 1-1-3 record, I've seen this team play a handful of times and they look sharp. Give them some time and trust me they are going to break some hearts in the coming seasons. However this season is not one of those seasons. Frankly the Suisliders are coming up against a monster. SCK is saturated with talented teams this season and the Drunken Monkeyz are definitely one of those teams. Maybe the Suisliders can try and keep it close, but I seriously doubt it. Word on the street is the Monkeyz don't take kindly to being challenged or called out onto the kickball field. They might be looking to make a statement this week.

I shouldn't do this, but I'll write the check. Monkeyz over Suisliders, 8-0

 

Wednesday Night Wrap-Up!

There were some close games this past Wednesday from a couple of surprising teams. A good week of kickball indeed!

Billy Bad Asses v.s Drunken Monkeyz

After clobbering teams left and right, the Drunken Monkeyz got a big scare when they almost dropped a game to the up-and-coming Billy Bad Asses. Lucky for the Monkeyz they were able to limp of the field with a 2-1 victory. If you can call it a victory. The Monkeyz had been scoring double digits each week up until they faced the Bad Asses. Chalk it up to bad coaching, missing players, or a lack of motivation; insert excuse here. It really doesn't matter. If the Monkeyz expect to win a championship, then that just ain't going to cut it.

But in all honesty, all the credit should go out to the Billy Bad Asses. Maybe the close score was more indicative of the Bad Asses playing well than the Monkeyz playing poorly. The Bad Asses have been flying under the kickball radar for some time now. They've had three close loses and they were all to three very good teams; No More Heroes, #3 Shockers, and the most recent #2 Drunken Monkeyz. Not to mention they tied the #5 Balls & Dolls. Their two wins were against decent caliber teams, both rookie teams, but strong wins nevertheless. Will they make the playoffs? Count on it. Will they go deep into the playoffs? The odds are looking better and better. Put this team on your radar screen.

Notable Upcoming Match-ups- Drunken Monkeyz v.s Balls & Dolls 

Thundercats v.s Chupacabrones

Before the season even start, the Thundercats were being hyped up as THE TEAM to beat. They were suppose to be even scarier than the #1 Balls to the Wallz. But after the first two weeks of the season, the Thunderkitties were under-performing and pretty much were left for dead. They fell completely off the kickball radar. That was until they decided to go on a 4 game winning streak including their big exclamation point win against the big time Chupacabrones. It was a tight game with a close score, 4-3 Thunrdercats on top. Now they have some momentum heading into the final three weeks of the season. Let's see if they can continue their winning streak into the playoffs. 

Notable Upcoming Matchups - Chupacabrones v.s No More Heroes

Thundercats v.s The Runs

Shockers v.s. Mataconchas

Tsk...Tsk...after absolutely nuking a brand new rookie team, 24-0 during Week 1, the Shockers were all but  ready to declare themselves the new Kings of Kickball. They continue to hang their hats on a back-to-back championship that they won in a league of 6 and then 12 teams. But the future is here, the leagues has 28 teams competing for the championship title. The competition level is at an all time high. I remember when the mercy rule meant you just got Shocked! Those days seem to be a thing of the past. If the Shockers want to contend, they need to show the kickball world something! Come on now...my dedication to you..

But congrats to the Mataconchas for hanging in their with the prime time Shockers. Kickball has never been so much fun! Cheers to you for showing that a team of fun loving guys and gals knows how to play some kickball!

Happy Kicking!

Tough Love

Disclaimer: Sun City Kickball is, has, and will always be for each individual player. That being said, all players, coaches, and fans are each entitled to their opinion. Lucky for the Angry Umpire, I take out the soap box every once and awhile, dust it off, and let him have his fun. The following is the the opinion of the individual author and does not represent the opinions of Sun City Kickball.




Written by: James "The Angry Umpire" Vargas

Some people know where they stand from the start, whiles others bust their ass to get to the top. In the case of the Balls and Dolls, they think they’re better than they actually are. Poor saps practice their asses off and never get any better. They hustle on every play and yet it gets them nowhere.

The B&Ds are finally starting to lose it…or maybe it’s just their coach. I feel for the guy because his team will never ever be more than a stepping-stone. He’s always been a cool, calm leader, but lately this once proud captain has finally reached his boiling point. Rumor has it that his practices are so tough and unforgiving that his own sister walked out on him and temporarily quit the team. WOW!! I thought Bill Parcells was a tough coach. This guy makes him look like a prissy little schoolgirl. If that wasn’t bad enough he embarrasses his players mid game. A source that was at the game two weeks ago against the Bad Asses said he pulled his pitcher during an at kick. He was so disgusted by what he saw that he yanked the ball away from his star pitcher after only a couple of pitches and barked at him to go and play third. This pitiful soul was so dumbfounded that he walked off the field and went straight to the showers. The funny thing is that after Mr. Lombardi yanked his ace he then proceeded to walk the very next kicker. The pressure to win really has started to crack this once tough nut. He is so starved for championships that he built his own team and joined the Thursday league. At least there they know him as a winner. I hope he enjoyed it because that’s the only place he’ll ever taste the joy of being on top.

I would love to say that all of these horrible acts were his entire fault and only his fault, but I cant. If his team wouldn’t let him down each and every season, there wouldn’t be a need for him to go to those extremes. Maybe this will be the season the B&Ds finally breaks through and the happy go lucky Oscar finally returns…YEAH RIGHT!!! I have a better chance at beating Nadia in a foot race. Sorry Balls and Dolls I’d love to say maybe next season, but we all know better.

Strike 3 Im Out 

Mid-Season IJK Honors

Not that the hardcore teams need anymore pats on the back but....

Offensive Leaders

1. Ballz to the Walls (58 PTS)
2. Drunken Monkeyz (57 PTS)
3. Shockers (41 PTS)

Defensive Leaders

1. Ballz to the Walls (1 Run Allowed)
2. Shockers (2 Runs Allowed)
3. Drunken Monkeyz, Balls & Dolls, Chupacabrones (3 Runs Allowed)

Best Rookie Team (so far)

1. 2Legit 2Kick

Best Sportsmanship

Where's My Pitches At?

Most Colorful Shoes

Balls to the Wall

Best Haircuts

Los Fah Qs

Best Dressed

Hash House Harriers

Hairiest Legs

The Shockers

Best Bar Representation

Royal Tenenballs

On Another Level

So the Game of the Week between #1 Balls to the Wall and #6 I'd Hit It turned out be a lopsided affair. Unfortunately, as predicted, Balls to the Wall walked away big winners with a final score of 12-1. Many kickballers were hoping for a closer game, maybe even the upset, but that was not the case. 

Honestly, Balls to the Wall is competing on an entirely different level than most teams in the league. The same can also be said about the Drunken Monkeyz and Chupacabrones. These three teams take kickball competition to a whole new world. The skilled players on these teams have tons more experience than the casual kickball competitor. They play in multiple leagues, participate in out-of-town tourneys, as well as in- town tourneys. Not only that but they have many, many  kickball seasons under their belts. These guys and gals live, breath, sleep, eat, shit, sweat and make love to kickball. It's going to take a good amount of practice and hard work to close the gap between these three teams and the rest of the league. 

However there are still a handful teams that can give these teams competition. The Balls & Dolls, the Shockers, and I'd Hit It are always in the post-season conversation. However after I'd Hit It's recent defeat, it's hard to make a case for them to win it all. They are a post-season shoe in, but not sure how far they will go. 

The Shockers are of course in the mix as well. They are always considered contenders, but their weak division schedule might make them rusty come play-off time. 

The Balls & Dolls were looking sharp and playing well up until they almost dropped a game this past week, but fortunately walked away with a 3-3 tie with the Billy Bad Asses. However the tie might say more about the Bad Asses' good solid play and overall improvement. 

The Billy Bad Asses are looking to be one of the top three teams in the Border Division. After handing the Balls & Dolls a respectable tie, they will get another chance to show what they got when they take on the Drunken Monkeyz. 

While we are on the subject of post-season teams, there are some other fairly new teams that could be making some kickball noise. Rookie teams the Suisliders and 2Legit 2Kick look decently sharp, with some more game experience and some polishing they should start putting up big wins soon. Other veteran lead teams, such as 99 Problems, The Runs, and No More Heroes could also be teams to watch out for, but the jury is still out on them.

On a side note, the blog, myself, and other contributors have been recently criticized for "talking down" to the new teams, "insulting" teams who are trying hard or just down right "taking kickball too seriously". There is a reason the blog is called "It's Just Kickball", it is suppose to be ironic. The blog is, because of it's readers, geared towards the more "hardcore" kickballer. Which is also the reason why the content on the blog is mainly an editorial. It's not meant to demean or insult anyone, but admittedly sometimes the comments get out of hand. However that's not to say that the blog or it's writers, don't take into consideration the "weaker" teams or newer teams.

Truth be told, I'm a very competitive person by nature, but on the other side, I'm usually more of an advocate for the underdog type teams and "fun" teams. I personally am very in favor of the proposed added recreational division. I believe SCK can and should provide kickball to all different players and skill sets. I'm currently lobbying for this added division. However I also feel that struggling teams who want to get better and still compete with stronger teams should have that option. It's all about having options and choices. 

But I digress, so remember just so it's known, the blog is usually not geared towards those who are easily offended. It is all in good fun and suppose to be entertaining. 

That being said, what's that saying about the kitchen??????  ;  )  

Here We Go

It's been fairly quiet across the SCK world. However the key marque match-up between #1 Ballls to the Wall and #6 I'd Hit It should hopefully start creating some kickball buzz.

Obviously #1 Balls to the Walls is one of the teams to beat. They've demolished their opponents every week thus far. Frankly they look bored. They basically play with their opponents like a cat plays with a caught mouse. Bouncing them back and forth between their paws until it's time for dinner and then . Yes, they are a bit of show boat team, but what do you expect from a team that can play at half speed and still score runs in the double digits. My only critique is that they change their name so many times you don't know who or what they are. First it was Dazed & Confused and then they teamed up with another kickball crew to become Confused Kixxx.  Their tourney name is Kicking and Screaming, which by the way is my favorite. It describes this team perfectly. However, the Shockers, Balls & Dolls, Drunken Monkeyz these are franchise names. You know them and more importantly you remember them. Pick a name and stick with it. Also someone needs to get control of Mr. Hugo "the 1-second fuse". If he can't remember which uniform he needs to wear on Wednesday nights, someone needs to drive down to his house and lay it out on the bed for him so he doesn't forget.

But the real story here is I'd Hit It. They've always been a mid-range contender, always making the playoffs, but just missing that little something special to push them into contention for a King of Kickball title. They are making some good noise this season, looking sharp, playing well. Oddly enough they've developed some critics along the way. I'm not completely sure why though. Some feel I'd Hit It doesn't have what it takes to contend for a SCK title. If that's the case then we are about to find out. Make no mistake, although I'd Hit It is playing well and ranked #6, they are a fairly big underdog going into this match up. If they are able to come away with a win it would be considered an upset. More importantly a win would be justification that I'd Hit It is a contender.

I'm an underdog guy. Only because it makes the league dynamic. When the Billy Bad Asses cracked the foundation of the once mighty Shockers during Season 3, it was the talk of the SCK nation. Nothing against Balls to the Wall, they are a great team. In all reality they are going to win Wednesday night's game. However from time to time, it's nice to see the mid-range teams stick it to the powerhouses. Either way, the one thing every kickballer wants is to be treated to an awesome game. Good luck to both teams and happy kicking!

 DON'T MISS THIS ONE FOLKS!!!  

  

Things I Think I Saw....

Written by: James "The Angry Umpire"


Shocker Nation: Is something wrong with Shockers?? For a while there I was buying into this team finally having what it takes to not only take down their arch rivals but to also get back to the top of the kickball heap. They kill their pathetic looking twins, The Taps, but look average against tougher competition. Can any one say OVERATED?? I can…

Drunken Monkeyz vs. The Taps: For a team that has the makings to be the next King of Kickball, they sure accomplished a pathetic feat on Wednesday. Sure they murdered the hapless and defenseless Taps, but thanks to their goofy 1st base women they let them score a run. Embarrassing comes to mind; the only team more pathetic than the taps is Los Fah Qs, which the Taps beat by the way, so giving up a run to them is like the Balls & Dolls actually coming thru on the clutch. It just doesn’t happen…

The 3 Second Ump: I thought Rick “I like to steal other pitchers pitches” had a short fuse, but this new umpire makes him look like a catholic schoolgirl.  While he was presiding over the Balls & Dolls vs. The Red Hot Cherry Poppers, he made sure to take lip from no one. The one poor soul that decided to test this rookie ump was shown the door immediately.  All you winers and complainers be warned, there’s a new Angry Ump in town.

Balls to the Wall: I thought Confused Kixx broke up…from what I saw the old 3 second fuse has assemble another juggernaut. Their dudes are super athletic and their girls make Dora and Nadia look like old hags. His team is super sick and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rick makes it back to back to back…last season, the remix and this seasons champ.

The Sloth: Can some please tell me WTF is wrong with that idiot better known as Aldo??? This stupid mofo mistakes his loud obnoxious comments for playful jabs. I once witnessed this poor excuse for a kickball enthusiast eat a cheeseburger while he played 1st. Who does that? Marcos should have done us all a favor and put Slothzilla out of his misery. I also have to question what kind of person would even consider being on his team. Who in their right minds would follow such a waste of space onto the kickball battlefield? Slothzilla would better be served stepping in front of a train and putting him self out of his own misery.

Strike 3 Im Out

Δ x non-competitiveness

Written by: Newton's Flaw

It has appeared that the current state of the game has caused some folks to lean towards a restructuring of the league format. Specifically, a change to split between competitive and non-competitive teams is being pondered. The concern appears to lie in the disparity between opponents as it is translated in the scoreboard and play. However, I am inclined to see this disparity in a more positive light and see no need to rush the league into this drastic change.

It is determined that the teams losing by large margins are simply not competitive. Truth, all is relative. In a pool of 28 teams it is bound that the rate of competitiveness, talent, and enjoyment will vary. I do believe that there are three degrees to any league regardless of size. In each current division these grades are apparent as well. There are two teams that unfortunately might never taste the sweet taste of victory this season. But do these teams bottom dwelling status truly anchor the rest of the bottom grade of the league to the extent of creating a back arc rift between the mid majors and the long shots? I do not agree.  Furthermore, only two teams (or one) appear to truly showcase a talent that is worthy of being legitimate front runners going into the post-season, though everyone’s toughest games remain ahead of them. What does this mean? Perhaps that the boundary between the three different degrees is a not as well defined as some would like to think…

The validation for the current function of the league will more than likely come after the King of Kickball is crowned, but for now let’s romanticize the change of the game as it approaches a non-competitive division. In a non-competitive division the main goal would be fun and all other statistical variables that encourage competitiveness should not be valued. Records and scores would not exist. Due to the lack of meaning of a statistical value, the tension of the game will also go away. The heightened level of relaxation will be further endorsed by the removal of paid umpires. The captain (or team representative) from each participating team would umpire their respective matches. Lastly, the playoff system would also not exist since the true champion is fun. These would be some minor differences in the equation that would be needed in a non-competitive division.


Fact is, without these tweaks, competition is inevitable. There will be good teams, and there will not so good teams as well. Also, I do not see too many players or teams wishing to return to a non-competitive division. A ‘Toilet Bowl’ already exists; it is called the Play-In Tournament. The top two teams are rewarded a chance to participate in the league post-season. The majority of the teams which were part of last season’s Play-In Tournament have returned. All of them are reinforced and with a better perspective on what it takes to play and succeed in SCK. This improvement is interpreted as a complete merit for the not-so-good teams to be amongst everyone else. The league’s Gaussian distribution is not as robust as people claim it to be, and that is a good thing. The best thing for all teams to continue to do is define and improve themselves from the current defined limits, from Los Fah Qs to Balls to the Wall.  

Defense Exhibit A

Another kickball week in the books and with it comes another quite night of bloodbaths. Which again brings me to the conclusion that there needs to be serious consideration to organize the league into skill sets. Or better yet at the very least, give each team the option to pick their poison. To choose a more competitive style of play or a more kick back version of kickball; something reminiscent of the old school days. However unfortunately this week, as fate would have it, the mis matches were abundant. These are the results of the unavoidable mismatches.

Mismatched opponents:
Drunken Monkeyz - 17                                     Thundercats - 9
TAPS                   -   1                                      Pitch Please - 0

Balls & Dolls - 12                                             Balls to the Wall - 14
Red Hot Cherry Poppers - 0                             Brown Chicken Brown Cow - 0

Mataconchas - 9                                             New Kicks on the Block - 6
99 Problems -  0                                             Royal Tenenballs   - 0

Chupacabrones - 13
Hash House Harriers - 0

On Wednesday night, 9 of the 12 match ups were SHUT OUTS!  It would have been 10 SHUT OUTS, but the Drunken Monkeyz let 1 run squeak by in their 17-1 rout of the rookie team TAPS. No matter how you see it, no one likes to lose. Especially not when you get shut out, even if you are a "friendly". All the shut out teams would have been better served if they played each other instead of getting hammered.

For example, evenly matched No More Heroes and The Runs produced a very good close game with a final score of 7-5, the Runs earning the win. Not only was it an awesome game, but it literally came down to the wire. No More Heroes trailed by 2 going into the bottom of the 5th, with 2 outs down they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with the go ahead run going up to kick. And even before then. the score should have at least ended 6-7 as No More Heroes squandered a sac-fly when they only had 1 out. Either way it was an awesome game.

I feel the league could really benefit from an Old School Division. Obviously the ravenous veterans want to keep the "friendlies" around simply for cannon fodder, but as long as the hardcore kiddos have each other to beat up one why would they want to stop other teams from finding a different style of kickball to enjoy. There is no reason. One of the reasons I always here is, "Well how are the rookie teams and weak teams ever going to learn to compete if they don't play against harder teams?" Stop and ask yourself, what if they don't want to compete against veteran teams? It is assumed they do, but that might not be the case.

 

I'd Hit It? Right in the Face!

Written by: James "The Angry Umpire"

What in the world is wrong with that moron also known as Mr. Kickball? I know its still early on in the season, but does ItsJustKickball really believe Id Hit It is the team to beat or is he just blowing smoke up my ass as usual? On more than one occasion “The Meter Man” has expressed to me that he thinks everyone’s favorite fools have what it takes to take this seasons crown? WHAT?? I know he likes to just throw out random gibberish to see what sticks, but I have to admit that that caught me a little by surprise. The Ex-Commish must be smoking some good shit if he honestly thinks these chumps can contend with some of the heavy hitters that Sun City Kickball has to offer. Seriously, how can a team that has beat teams with a combined record of 2 wins, 1 tie and a whopping 6 losses be taken seriously? These pathetic excuse for kickball teams have already given up an astonishing 62 runs combined; in only 3 weeks of competition. And I’m supposed to jump on the bandwagon, hell no!! Like I said, there’s still plenty of season to be played so things might change, so ill hold my judgment till then. In the meantime Mr. I Don’t Want to Play No More Because I Want to Get Paid to Umpire better get his freakin’ head examined. Id Hit It has never been even close to reaching the ultimate glory in SCK and with Lucas as there General they never will!

Strike 3 Im Out

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.

Trying To Make a Name

Every season there is always a handful of rookie teams who come into the league thinking they will take SCK by storm. They have these fleeting dreams of winning a King of Kickball title in their first attempt. Little do they know the bloodbath they are about to walk into. Eventually these rookies have their hopes, dreams, and Disney fantasies crushed into dust by the vastly more experienced and knowledgeable veteran teams. By the end of the season, their sad expressions are the equivalent to a 400 pound man sitting on someones puppy. 

Most of the rookie teams never see it coming, because frankly they just don't know what competitive kickball is really all about. However every now and then, one veteran player gets the cute idea of branching off of their former team and recruiting brand new rookie players to try and win a kickball title. Now is this a "rookie team" in the traditional sense? Not necessarily, but when only 5 of your 16 players have any competitive kickball experience, you are more on the end of a rookie team than a veteran team.

Coach Daniel "Chucky Bear" Acuna is the brave little kickballer who thinks he can take a fairly new bunch of players and spin them into a championship caliber team. Is it possible? Well anything is possible, but in all honesty I've seen them scrimmage a couple of times and nothing about them screamed out Championship team. Although they currently hold a 2-0 record, both those wins were against sub-par teams. However I guess you can't argue with results, wins are what counts. But the fact of the matter is, it's going to take a lot more wins and runs to make this team a contender for the SCK King of Kickball title. Their one advantage is their coach is no stranger to kickball and knows what it takes to contend in this league. When asked about his team, Coach C-Bear said, "I like to live life one pitch at a time. We'll just have to see what comes our way. I know we can handle it." We will see Senor Chucky Bear...we will see...

"99 Problems But a Pitch Ain't One's" next opponent will be a decent Vicious & Delicious squad. A win won't build much credibility, but a loss will undoubtedly take away any hype that has been built up thus far.

God speed and Good Luck - Happy Kicking

Week 2 Recap

As we exit Week 2, we are just beginning to see the separation in skill levels between all the teams. Some of the skilled veteran teams are starting this season right and picking up where they left off last season. Winning. While other veteran teams who were never that great are still struggling to gain ground. While the "friendlies" are still having fun and getting drunk. Nice!

Game of the Week Results

After Week 1 there were a bunch of question marks surrounding the Thundercats. The Thunderkitties were suppose to be a new powerhouse team, but that idea has quickly feel by the wayside. The momentum gaining I'd Hit It was able to put away the kitties by a small score of 2-0. I don't know if this is more telling of what kind of team I'd Hit It is or what kind of team the Thundercats are. However you must consider that the kitties did play two very good opponents in the New Kicks and I'd Hit It. They were able to keep up with both teams.

That being said, I still believe this was a solid win for I'd Hit It. I think they are contenders and this should be one of their more promising seasons. Are they being given too much love? Nah...

On Fire...

I don't typically write about the Drunken Monkeyz, because frankly I just don't want to hear the crying. They are probably one of the better teams that gets the least amount of hype. If anything they should have already obtained that Shocker villainous like stigma by now, but for whatever reason they really haven't. They play to win and nothing else. They don't make a secret of it and they truthfully aren't assholes about it either. On that note, neither are the Shockers. The problem is you can't stop from writing about arguably one of the best teams in the league. And there isn't one kickball aficionado that can disagree with that statement. Sure they have only kicked around a couple of cupcake teams, but they ate them as a treat like every powerhouse team should.

Meltdown

The Kick N Da Balls are on the verge of another kickball season meltdown. Every season they have the youth and talent to be a very dangerous team, but every season this talent is squandered. I love you guys, you know who you are, but this team's lack of success is due to coaching. Too many pitchers, a horrendous batting order, and too many missed opportunities. If this team was able to better organize their team, they would be an strong contender. 

Dark Horses

A couple of mid-range teams that are looking good are One More Shot, 99 Problems, and the Runs. 

One More Shot got their first strong win of the season with a 8-3 solid win over Vicious and Delicious. 

99 Problems beat a sister team and LTA step-child team No More Heroes. Apparently and very literally they have no more heroes on their team and maybe never did. Final score was a close 3-1

The Runs looked good at the end of last season and are looking great this season already sporting a pair of wins. Keep and eye out for these guys...and gals.

   

The People Have Spoken

From time to time, It's Just Kickball likes to feature Kickballer Polls on various topics. This week's topic was Who should be considered the Real #1 team in SCK?

The I.J.K Top Ten Poll is basically based on loosely complied statistics and other arbitrary methods. From now on,  the Kickballer's Pick factor will be added to the list of arbitrary bogus qualifications along with the normal statistical considerations and possibly the Angry Umps #1 pick, the Commish's #1 Pick, and the I.J.K #1 pick.. This week's kickballer's pick is the once mighty Shockers.

The Shocker Era has been on a steady decline for 3 seasons now. In the beginning, it looked like the Shockers would quickly become SCK's first kickball dynasty. However after winning two back-to-back King of Kickball titles, they have done little to show they will ever reach true dynasty status. Yes, they win games. Yes, the destroy some teams. Yes, they are always in the playoffs, but what good is that when the rival Drunken Monkeys eliminate them from King of Kickball contention season after season. At this point, the only thing the Shockers are known for is eliminating the Balls & Dolls from the playoffs every season and even that is quickly becoming a novelty. However if the Shockers meet the Balls & Dolls in the playoffs this season, hands down the Balls & Dolls win that game. Easily.

For now the Shockers sit at #1 simply because they scored the most runs during Week #1 and basically digested a rookie team, which is what Top Ten teams are suppose to do.