Legitimacy

This Spring 2011 King of Kickball tourney was held this past Saturday, while the end result of Balls to the Wall winning the title was pretty much expected, the real story came from the unexpected results. Balls to the Wall's opponent in the championship game was none other than the now legitimate Balls & Dolls.

The Balls & Dolls kickball squad has been around since the inception of SCK. The team has always consisted of the same kickballers who joined up during those early days of SCK. The Bs & Ds never go out and actively recruit kickballers like many other teams do. They strictly work with the players that they have. They practice, they work hard, and dedicate themselves to getting better each season.

The Balls & Dolls' biggest criticism , according to the Angry Umpire, is "they think they are better than they actually are." Well it looks like he is going to have to eat his own words, because it turns out the Bs & Ds are the real deal. During the King of Kickball tourney, they found themselves having to take down not one, but two, kickball juggernauts.

The first dragon they had to slay came in the form of a Drunken Monkey. Which they were able to defeat with a close 3-2 final score. Needless to say the Drunken Monkeyz were absolutely stunned.

Not too long after dropping the Monkeyz, the Balls and Dolls had to then face their long time nemesis, the mighty mighty Shockers. Both these teams respect each other highly; however in their 5 season rivalry, the Shockers have defeated the Bs&Ds everytime they've met. It has been a very lopsided rivalry to say the least. But after seasons and seasons of trying, the Balls and Dolls finally got their sweet justice as they eliminated the Shockers from the tourney, like the Shockers had done to them so many times before.

I had a chance to speak with Coach T from the Shockers and this is what he had to say...


Video Courtesy of Calvin Bell

The day was bitter sweet for the Balls & Dolls as they fell short of their ultimate goal of becoming the new Kings of Kickball. However let there be know mistaking it now, the Balls & Dolls are a force to be reckoned with...

Spring 2011 King of Kickball Champions

Congratulations to Balls to the Wall for running wire to wire this season and become the Spring 2011 King of Kickball Champs!

Short Handed

Written by: Jameson "The Angry Umpire" Vargas

If you lose to a team with a pregnant player in their line-up, does it really count? It’s kind of like if a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? I bet the Chupacabrones wish that it didn’t count because that is exactly what happened.

Before the game started I could see Coach Domino pacing back and forth working up a heavy sweat. He was short a female player and didn’t know what to do. Lucky for him Tuia his, guardian angel, decided to butt in and suggested that he have his pregnant cousin just stand in the outfield somewhere out of the way. Unfortunately for the ‘Cabrones that was the beginning of the end.

The game was close thru out, but it always seemed the New Kicks on the Block had this game on lock down. Mr. All World had the entire right side of the field covered, so there was no way the Chupas’ were ever going to score on that side of the field. It was definitely a sight to behold. Even thought the final score was only 3-0, it might as well have been 10-0. And if losing to a team that has a women that could go into labor at any moment wasn’t enough, I’m pretty sure the Chupacabrones must be fuming at the fact that the New Kicks won’t be able to field a full squad on Saturday and will give the Thunderkitties a free pass to the semifinals. Talk about adding injury to insult! Good luck to all the teams that are still in the hunt for the crown, the Shockacabrones will cheer you all on from the stands.




Strike 3 Im Out

Billy Bad Ass Kryptonite

I hate to be the one who said I told you so, but...I told you so! It's been obvious for a couple of seasons now that the once mighty Shockers have been on a steady decline. After winning two back-to-back championships in SCK's first two seasons, the Shockers have done very little in recent seasons to contend for a championship title.

Yes, they've never had a losing season. Yes, they went undefeated this spring season. Are they considered to be one of the better SCK teams? Of course! But what good is all that when it's obvious they can't contend for a title anymore. At this point it is safe to say Coach Tuialuuluu  needs to head back to the drawing board.



I can say with some certainty that a 1st Round tourney loss is the last thing Coach T or any Shocker was prepared for. Considering the Shockers usually go deep into the play-offs. A semi-final loss is a lot easier to choke down than a pitiful 1st Round loss. The last two previous seasons, the Drunken Monkeyz had been the ones kicking the Shockers out of the championship tree. Now it is very interesting to see that the mighty mighty Shockers have found a new kryptonite in the Billy Bad Asses.

The Billy Bad Asses have done two major things on the Shocker decline timeline.

#1 : During their first big upset, they should that it doesn't take a big time kickball juggernaut to take down the Shockers. They aren't invincible. They do bleed.

#2: With this most recent upset, they have proven that the Shockers are in fact on the decline.

Now the question is where do the Shockers go from here. Do they need to rebuild? Was this season just a fluke? Will they split up? I honestly don't know, but it will be interesting to find out.

For the time being, IJK will bust out the ladder, climb up, and take down the Shocker's letters from the Grand Ol' Marque. Maybe next season Shockers

  

The Great Equalizer

So far the Spring 2011 King of Kickball tourney has been the most historic in SCK history. Not only were two heavily favored teams knocked out of the tourney during the 1st round, but an epic 9 inning game was played, which is the 2nd longest game ever played in league history. In my opinion, most of that is credited to the great equalizer, El Paso's southwest desert wind. Teams not only had to battle each other, but also contest with 40mph wind gusts. Most kickball squads have established, dedicated kickball strategies, but any plans made for Wednesday night quickly flew out the window, literally. 







The result from the Balls to the Wall v.s. Kick N Da Balls was not only predicted, it was expected. Balls to the Wall rolled right over Kick N Da Balls. It was quite sad really, because you could tell that KNDB went into that game expecting to lose. As soon as the first runs were scored against them, KNDB packed it up mentally, emotionally, and physically. Zero heart. That team's talent was squandered, very unfortunate. By winning, Balls to the Wall moves on to play The Runs in Round 2. Although The Runs are a very solid squad, do not expect them to keep up with B.W.

The Runs played and won an epic Round 1 game against 99 Problems. As predicted, both these teams were evenly matched which resulted in a back-breaking 9 innings of play. The Runs had to battle back three separate times to earn a well deserved Round 2 appearance. However their Round 2 appearance is against an absolute kickball monster. Unless The Runs play a perfect Round 2 match this may be the end of the road for them.

The Thundercats nuked No More Heroes 12-2. There is not much to say when a team thoroughly ass whoops another team like that, other than it looks like the Thunrderkitties are primed for a run at the King of Kickball crown.

The Angry Umpire will have the scoop on the Chupacabrones v.s. New Kicks on the Block bout.




The Drunken Monkeyz squeezed past 2 Legit 2 Kick to advance on over to Round 2. A Monkey victory was achieved by a small score of 4-0. The Drunken Monkeyz, aka "The Machine", live and die by the 8-Player defense. So far this strategy has been producing wins, let's see if it can continue you to take them all the way to the throne.

The Balls & Dolls made quick work of Brown Chicken Brown Cow with a final score of 5-0. This win earns them a re-match against the Drunken Monkeyz, who narrowly beat the Bs&Ds during regular season play and earned the Monkeyz a divisions championship. But SCKers don't hang their hats on division championships, every kickballer strives to be league champs. Huge Round 2 bout right here...

I'd Hit It and Vicious & Delicious went toe-to-toe and exchanged punches all night long. Final score was a nail biting 9-8, I'd Hit It advantage. I'd Hit It got a ton of IJK love early on in the season. However many kickballers took offense to that, I have no idea why... All I can say is SCOREBOARD! They are making a run at the title just as IJK predicted.

SHOCKERS...Shockers....shockers???? Ha. Billy Bad Asses take down the big bad scary Shockers. Believe it. Final score 6-2.

2011 King of Kickball is Here!!! Part 2

And now we continue with the other side of the Spring '11 King of Kickball Bracket...



Interestingly the left side of the bracket seems to have the tougher head-to-head match-ups. Match-up #1 features the odds on favorite to win the entire tourney, Balls to the Wall. Balls to the Wall is easily the scariest team to have to face. Not only because most teams are afraid that the Balls to the Wall will eat their children, but they have arguably the most talented and experienced roster in the league. Their rosters sports tons of kickball experience, they can play on grass or on the diamond, on either surface they put up win after win. They have a bunch of kickball experience and know how to use it to their full advantage. Their Round 1 match-up will be against the #16 Play-In winner Kick N Da Balls.

Unfortunately for the Kick N Da Balls their chances of winning against the powerhouse Balls to the Wall is VERY unlikely. Which is unfortunate, because Kick N Da Balls has all the talent and pieces to be a true contender. They problem is they just don't have the knowledge and experience to take full advantage of their talent. Coach Tiger Pride is counting on his weekly scrimmages against the very same, Balls to the Wall, to give him some sort of edge in this game. However this is a two way street, as the Balls to the Wall are also comfortable playing KNDB and know exactly how to put them away.


Match-up #2 is definitely a must see. This game between #8 99 Problems but A Pitch Ain't One and #9 The Runs should be an evenly contested bout. Both teams finished with 6-2 records; however the Runs had considerably the harder division to compete in. If you were to give a slight nod to either team, it would have to go to the Runs. 99 Problems will have to heavily rely on "The Headband" to get them through this game and possibly earn them the win. Great game to watch.


Match-up #3 is the sequel to last season's Cinderella Semi-Final between then Dazed and Confused, but now Chupacabrones and the New Kicks on the Block. Most kickballers remember the infamous lights-out ending that did in the Cinderella New Kicks. 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. The game was continued the following week, but it was all in vain as the momentum was just not there anymore. This season they will get another crack at the upset, although they aren't consider a Cinderella this season, they are still considered underdogs going into this match.

The Chupacabrones are a prime contender for this season's King of Kickball tourney. Another talented team from head to toe. "The Young Guns", the dynamic threesome of Mike, Pipi, and Raul, are the heart and soul of this team. They dictate the pace of the game and when they play solid, they can't be stopped. New Kicks will be have their hands full with these three guys.

Match-up #4 between the #4 Thundercats and #13 No More Heroes should go to the Thunderkitties. The Thundercats were the pre-season's most hyped team, but after a season opening tie followed by an immediate Week 2 loss, this team was left for dead. That was until they took down the big time Chupacabrones. Not only are they back in the King of Kickball conversation, but some kickballers feel this team has what it takes to win it all. They are definitely on the radar.

No More Heroes have been too hit or miss this season to even consider pulling off the big win against the Thundercats. NMH is a solid team, but they just don't have the arsenal to keep up with the kitties. Maybe they will surprise us all, but I wouldn't count on it.

It almost Wednesday.......

Say It Ain't So!!

Written by: Jameson "The Angry Umpire" Vargas

Sad sack of monkey poop is the best way to describe the Drunkeyz current state of affairs. The once beloved champions have fallen on hard times. They use to be the peoples champ! But when you start pounding the cupcake teams like your making tortillas and you struggle against lesser competition, people are going to start to talk. 

What elite team beats the Balls n Dolls 1-0? The Monkeyz do. That game should have been more like a merry-go-round for them. That uninspiring victory capped off a rather up and down season for them. 

From the very beginning of their campaign I heard rumblings about them "paying" for a certain player new to their team. The Machine wouldn’t and didn’t need to do such a thing, so I blew it off as a rumor and innuendo and continued on my merry way. Much to my surprise, a few weeks later, I heard the exact same sentence coming from a different individual. Really?? “No way,” I can remember thinking. I threw the vicious rumor by the way side again. But for the third time during this Spring SCK season, I heard the malicious gossip being spouted from a third person that is extremely close to whole situation. I couldn’t believe my ears! Was Coach Reid really this desperate to get back on top of the kickball heap or was this nothing more than an elaborate hoax to stain the once honorable Monkey name??? 

I know everyone’s favorite primate is super competitive, but to go to that extent would be totally baffle-ling to me. Don’t get me wrong, if there was ever a player to be paid for, they sure picked the best one to invest their pennies in. Mr. Pitcher is awesome by all accounts and if it wasn’t for him the Monkeyz would definitely sport a couple of L’s this season. 

Is Breid that desperate for one last hurrah that they’d stoop to the lowest of all lows? I honestly can’t say for sure. But where there is smoke there’s fire. Will their alleged investment pay off?? They better hope so because I hear that Mr. Pitcher is a free agent next season and looking to sign with a new team.

Strike 3 Im out

*Editors Note* - Please note that the Drunken Monkeyz have continuously denied claims that any new players or any existing players have their player fees paid for by the coach or the team. Their statement has been that these allegations are false, unfounded, and are downright lies. 

2011 King of Kickball is Here!!! Part 1

This is it! The moment we have all been waiting for. It is time to find out who will be crowned the King of Kickball for Spring 2011. The Spring Season featured 28 teams vying for the title to be the best kickball team in the Southwest. This was SCK's biggest season yet and the biggest field of teams El Paso has ever seen. The season featured the best kickball talent around. Whoever comes out will also have exclusive bragging rights for clawing their way through a record amount of teams. Very exciting stuff kickballers!!!


Now let's look at the brackets!




Match-up #1 between the #2 Drunken Monkeyz and #15 2 Legit 2 Kick is an easy pick. You can basically chalk this game up as a tune up game for the Monkeyz. Although 2 Legit 2 Kick deserves a ton of credit for being the only true rookie team to make it into the King of Kickball tourney. Unfortunately they haven't acquired the skill set or experience yet to take down the veteran Drunken Monkeyz.

Match-up #2 between the #7 Balls & Dolls and #10 Brown Chicken Brown Cow should easily go to the Balls & Dolls. Brown Chicken Brown Cow was consistently in the IJK Top Ten; however they faltered near the end of the season and inched into the tourney with an At-Large bid. Don't plan on them taking down the ambitious Bs&Ds. Instead plan on seeing a Round 2 re-match between the Drunken Monkeyz and the Balls & Dolls.

For Match-up #3 you have to tip the scales in #6 I'd Hit It's favor. #11 Vicious and Delicious had an excellent come-back season, finishing with a 5-3 record. The only thing that plagues this team is their suspect team roster and kicking order. After being DQ'd from the Spring '10 King of Kickball for trying to play un-registered players, my advice to any team is to keep an eye out. It's unfortunate to even have to say that but...it is what it is.

Match-up #4 is the most interesting by far, the #3 Shockers used to be the villains of the league, but that title has quickly changed hands and is now owned by the Drunken Monkeyz. Once the league grew past 12 teams the Shocker's supposed impending dynasty quickly fell apart. Despite finishing the season 8-0, they have become more a mid-range team than a juggernaut. They failed beat to beat any marque teams this season, but that had more to do with the fact that they drew one of the easiest divisions, at least for their skill set. Now they are slated to play the #14 Billy Bad Asses. Coincidently the Bad Asses are best known for one of the biggest upsets in SCK history and it was against the back then unbeatable Shockers. They were the first team to show that Shockers do bleed. Will they be able to upset the Shockers again? The answer?? We are about to find out.  

To be continued - Part 2 Bracket

Play-In Breakdown!

Before we head into the Spring '11 King of Kickball tourney, there is one loose end we need to tie up. Who will be the #15 and #16 seeds. Play-In Week will give 14 teams one more chance to prove they have what it takes to compete for a championship title.



2Legit 2Kick and the Hash House Harriers are the odds on favorite to win the first side of the bracket. Pitch, Please, as well as Hung Jury have already decided to bow out of the play-in. Both teams victims of either the early 6:30pm time situation or the motivation to continue competing. The Mataconchas also may have a chance at earning the tourney spot but unfortunately they would have to get through both the Hash House Harriers and 2Legit 2Kick, not likely.




On the 2nd bracket, Kick N Da Balls should be a shoe in to win this side of the bracket. Although One More Shot could make a run at the bid also. Betting money should go on Kick N Da Balls, but if for some reason One More Shot gets through KNDB, they spot will be easily theirs.


Either way, the Play-In is a bit of a novelty because the winners of these play-in spots will win a date with either #1 Balls to the Wall or #2 Drunken Monkeyz. Something tells me that if your team is having to play-in to the King of Kickball tourney, your odds of beating either Balls to the Wall or the Drunken Monkeyz is slim to none.

However the chance to play one last kickball is always more than enough to put that effort forward to win a game.

Happy Kicking and Good Luck

King of Kickball Spring 2011 Player Predictions

King of Kickball Seedings Released!

The seedings for the King of Kickball Tourney have been released. After Play-In Week, seeds #15 and #16 will be decided and we can get down to business!

1. Balls to the Wall
2. Drunken Monkeyz
3. Shockers
4. Thundercatz
5. Chupacabrones
6. I'd Hit It
7. Balls & Dolls
8. 99 Problems But a Pitch Ain't One
9. The Runs
10. Brown Chicken Brown Cow
11. Vicious & Delicious
12. New Kicks on the Block
13. No More Heroes
14. Billy Bad Asses
15.  ?????? Play In Winner
16. ?????? Play In Winner 

Complete bracket can be downloaded at www.SunCityKickball.com or Download SCK Tournament Bracket

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

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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!!!