Recap from Last week

Submitted by Thunder

{Crickets}

Well, after some high turn-out days, this week was a struggle. With some key regulars on leave (Bill, Phil, Todd?), our depth was really tested. Monday was a true regular's game... 3 on 3 in the rain and thick grass. Setting up two goals, Frank, Rodney and I took on Eric, Tom and Matt.

There was very little doubt that standing in the crease would require titanium gonads, Rodney took shot after shot in the shins from Eric, Tom and Matt... well at least until Tom took mercy on Rodney's shins and came out with the backhand-over-the-shoulder-lightning bolt right into........ Rodney's face. Ouch.

With a cool rain settling on the long grass, Rodney made the Ultimate layout. Going long on a break-away pass from Frank, Rodney dove face first, slid 30 feet on his stomach, catching the disc and nearly sliding with it into the goal. I think I know where the inspiration for the slip'n'slide came from.

Enough about Rodney... Tom was a powerhouse scoring machine and Eric proved to be my nemesis. No matter how far around him I tried to throw, his out-stretched 16 foot wingspan defeated me. Matt, props to you for your aggressive behind the net play. Must be the post-season hockey action that inspired your play calling.

Tuesday. Well I can't really say much. It was the final make-up weigh-in day. With a 12-pack of Guinness on the line with Phil, I opted for an early morning workout... ok, I was sweating making weight and figured a quick hour on the treadmill in long pants wouldn't hurt my chances of collecting my prize. Needless-to-say, I had no idea the disappointment that would be thrust on me later that day by the regulars when I opted out of playing (I'd like to say I was resting my legs, but truth be told I was just enjoying being able to eat again). Uh, Phil, you owe me...

Wednesday. Two days in a row I missed the game. Guess I should find a ghost writer to fill in here. Anyway, 49 of my closest classmates and I secured tickets to the Nationals game and we were very busy making preparations in the James Creek Marina parking lot Wednesday morning. I know there was a game because I saw quite a few of you trot by on the way to McNair. Tim even had the decency to stop by and socialize a little.

Thursday. A beautiful day to return to the field. 4 on 4 with an even mix of regulars and irregulars (my apologies for missing names here). Both teams matched up well and the sun even came out.

Friday. What was I thinking? The ranks were still thin, but I thought I'd give Rodney a break from calling the game, so I dutifully punched out an early morning feeler to see if anyone was even here today. Sure the regulars all replied within 15 minutes and we were up to 5... then silence...[more crickets please]... As the hour approached 1100, I decided to call no game, but Microsoft had other plans for me. While I sent the email, the Outlook gremlins decided I didn't need email anymore. After 20 minutes with the help desk, my email was restored, luckily the no game email had gotten lost in the recovery effort. Rodney and Hollan called in to tell me they had moved appointments around and Swinney emailed over an interested Army player. My eyes perked up as the magic number eight bounced through my head and I quickly sent out the Game On! Email.

How disappointing. After being kicked from the North fields by the infantry, we merely managed 5 today (Tom, Tim, Hollan, Rodney and I). Our warm-up session went into extra innings with some intricate 5-way 2-disc maneuvers. Giving up all hope, we played yet another variant of 3-on-2. In today's game, we set up three cones right next to each other at each end of the field. Assigning Tim to be the permanent offensive man (as in offense vs defense, but if you find him offensive, that's ok too), Rodney and I took on Tom and Hollan. No pulls, just play the disc. Knock over a cone with the disc and you score... simple, right? Let's just say throwing a disc at cones makes the small soccer goals look like caverns. It was a low scoring game with lots of running... freshly cut grass, sunshine, and warm... far better than occupying a cubicle.

Anyway, lesson learned; calling a game is much harder than it looks. Bill, come back soon, we need your leadership, your sportsmanship, and YOUR blog entries!!!