Summer 2008 Playoffs - Round 1

The Joanies faced off against Brooklyn Skeptics in the first round of the playoffs. We played this team in the last game of the regular season and trounced them in two games. But more memorable than the win was our interactions with them, or rather, lack of interactions. This was the least friendly team we've ever faced. Even when we play the Old Dirty Barristers, there's conversation. This team: nothing. And after the game, Kirstie tells me she ran into them three times later that weekend and they pretended not to know her despite spending an hour playing bocce with her.

But I digress. We beat them again. Soundly. 7-3, 7-1. And it wasn't even that close. In game 1, Eric and I played at the South end, Teresa and Lisa at the North. I win the coin toss. Eric rolls a little longer than we'd like on the first pallino toss, but puts the bocce close. They miss with a couple, then knock the balls around and land with 2 points. I miss then Eric misses. With our last ball, I throw a hard shot between two of our balls, hit their balls right in the middle and when the dust settles we have 3 points. They miss with their last ball.

Coming the other way, Lisa goes long, the other team takes the point back right away. Teresa misses, Lisa misses, and with the last ball Teresa gets the point back. The Skeptics then take the point back and score two more. The end up tying the game at 3.

Going back the other way, they toss the pallino half way, then put the bocce relatively close. Eric puts it closer. They miss the rest long. We have an opportunity to score four, with the point and three more balls to play with only one of theirs close. I try to put the bocce in front of theirs, but miss a little long. Eric then gets our second point by getting it close. Instead of just trying to get a third point, I try to get all 4 by hitting their bocce ball away. I'm a little off course, but it works out. Four points for us and we win the first game 7-3.

I won't go into details on the last game. Basically, they weren't very good, and we played a well managed game.