Your Joanies faced off against one of the dumber named teams in the league this past Sunday. Two problems with the name: First, Bocce does not rhyme with Che, nor does the "cc" simply replace a consanant sound in Che. These are the common key elements in bocce themed team names. See, Boccelism, Boccismo, If You Want My Bocce, and, of course, Joanie Loves Bocce. Second, its not funny or clever. Che Guevara's place in history is complex. To some he is lauded as a revolutionary. To others he's vilified as a ruthless strongman. Whether or not one approves of his ends, i.e. the throwing off of the American empirical stranglehold over the Cuban government, it is hard to approve of his means, e.g. death by firing squad for Batista supporters. This is hardly a proper figure to be honored with a bocce team name. Joanie and Chachi would be turning over in their graves. If they were dead. Which I bet they would wish they were if they were aware of the Bocce Guevara team name. Which they're not. Anyway, on to the recap.
The Joanies stunk it up.
Game 1: Bocce Guevara 7, Joanie 6. Danielle & Teresa at the north end, Eric and Hugh at the South. BG comes out with 6 straight points, before the gang starts fighting back. We tie it at 6, but can't get that last point.
Game 2: Joanie 7, BG 5. Kirstie & Abby at the north, Eric and the Fonz at the south. We fall behind right away again before coming back to take the game.
Game 3: BG 7, Joanie 2. Abby & Teresa at the north, Hugh and the Fonz at the south. Nothing much to be said here.
What bothered me about this loss is that everyone else on the team seemed to think that the other team got lucky breaks and that we weren't playing great, but we were battling. I did not see it that way. Bocce Guevara played a solid game, with the exception of one round that they kept trying to hit stuff and missing. We were lucky to win game 2. Even in rounds when we scored multiple points it seemed like it was more because of a lucky bounce than because anyone rolled a particularly good bocce. I played just as poorly as anyone else, with the exception of maybe 2 rolls that I was happy with. I think we need to recognize when we're playing poorly or we're not going to be able to improve.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Winter/Spring 2009 Seasons Begins
Today Joanie began what we hope will be another championship season. We kicked it off against Do These Droids Speak Bocce.
Game 1, Kirstie and Hugh played at the South end and Danielle and Teresa played at the North end. They got off to a 6-0 lead, then let Do These Droids back into it. With a 6-4 lead, Kirstie and Hugh finished it off and we won game won 7-4.
Game 2, Hugh and I played at the South end and Danielle and Teresa stayed on at the North end. Do These Droids started off against D&T with 3 points. Hugh and I gave them another. D&T took a point, then Hugh and I gave up another. With Joanie behind 5-1, D&T started the come back with 2 points. Hugh and I then scored another 3 to put us up 6-5. D&T finished them off to bring us the victory.
Joanie wins 7-4, 7-5. It was a nice start to the season.
We also heard a rumor from the ODB (who lost their first game) that the end of the season tournament would not include every team, so there's some incentive to having a winning record. We're on our way. Go Joanie!
Game 1, Kirstie and Hugh played at the South end and Danielle and Teresa played at the North end. They got off to a 6-0 lead, then let Do These Droids back into it. With a 6-4 lead, Kirstie and Hugh finished it off and we won game won 7-4.
Game 2, Hugh and I played at the South end and Danielle and Teresa stayed on at the North end. Do These Droids started off against D&T with 3 points. Hugh and I gave them another. D&T took a point, then Hugh and I gave up another. With Joanie behind 5-1, D&T started the come back with 2 points. Hugh and I then scored another 3 to put us up 6-5. D&T finished them off to bring us the victory.
Joanie wins 7-4, 7-5. It was a nice start to the season.
We also heard a rumor from the ODB (who lost their first game) that the end of the season tournament would not include every team, so there's some incentive to having a winning record. We're on our way. Go Joanie!
Fall 2008 Playoffs
This post is a little late coming. In mid-December, Joanie went to the playoffs with a 8-2 record, in 2nd place in the Saturday division and bye in the first round of the playoffs. I couldn't be at that first playoff game, as it was the same day as the unveiling of my late grandmother's headstone. Joanie played without me, while I was with my family at a cemetery on Long Island. It was not a fun day for me. And in my absence, Joanie lost in 3 games. I won't say that we would have won if I was there. But we didn't win, and our season ended. We hope to build on the last two seasons in Winter/Spring 2009.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Latest News from Joanie-land
For those interested in the latest news in the wonderful world of Joanie Loves Bocce, you're in luck. I've got some free time.
Three weeks ago we played a doubleheader, and swept. Our first game was against Bocce Guevara. First of all, nice pun. Second of all, I don't approve of the whole Che Guevara as a pop-culture figure thing. He was a complicated historical figure, who may or may not have had a part in some brutal oppression in the name of the socialist cause. I don't know enough about it. But in general I don't approve of the idolization of military figures, which he is. Third of all, none of this has to do with bocce, so on with the stuff we're all hear to read about. We won in 2 games. It was three weeks ago, so I don't really remember exactly what happened. I think they were competent, didn't make any big mistakes, also but didn't make any really tough shots to put pressure on us. Its the kind of game that ends up being one point at a time, i.e Joanies kind of game. We won 7-3, 7-2. The same second game that day was against Do These Droids Speak Bocce, which, in contrast to Bocce Guevara, I love the name. First, its a quote from Star Wars. Second, its an exact quote from Star Wars, no pun required. Third, I like this team too, and not just because of their name. They were cool. We won 7-5, 7-2. Same as first game. They weren't bad, but also weren't great. And we were on our game. Danielle, for one, played very well.
Last weekend, we played the Holy Rollers and 7-3, 7-5. I don't remember much about this game either, except that I sat out the first game after being shamed by Jen Williams, who pointed out how far Abby comes to play. So Abby and Danielle played at the North end, Kirstie and Eric played at the South end, and I sat out. I think Kirstie came out in game two and I played with Eric. Oh and if I remember correctly, they were initially short a player and had a friend who had never played before playing for them. All things considered, they played well. Its hard to win when you have a rookie playing, especially against the Defending League Champions.
Today, we played another doubleheader (what a weird schedule this season) and won both in straight games. First we played the Bocce Brunch, who Eric recalls beating us last season. I think we were embarrassed about it because they have such a dopey name. I sort of like this team, except I didn't today. A lot of little things bothered me, but mostly it was at the end when we measured a ball and they thought they were closer and I thought we were closer. They measure with some slack in the measuring tape, which lacks precision. I hold it taut. This annoyed me, especially because I knew I was right. But I gave it to them because if it was a tie, we were going to roll anyway, and I knew we would eventually win anyway. Which we did. 7-5, 7-3 (I think). Oh, and I got to roll the winning ball, which made me feel good. Take that Bocce Brunch.
Game 2 today was against Balls Deep. I think this was the team I accused of being anti-social when we played against them last season. They were much more social this time. I take back everything I ever said about them. They played well this time too. But we were better. 7-3, 7-6.
Yes, that's five in a row. This makes us 6-2, with two games to go. Joanie Loves Bocce is on a roll.
Three weeks ago we played a doubleheader, and swept. Our first game was against Bocce Guevara. First of all, nice pun. Second of all, I don't approve of the whole Che Guevara as a pop-culture figure thing. He was a complicated historical figure, who may or may not have had a part in some brutal oppression in the name of the socialist cause. I don't know enough about it. But in general I don't approve of the idolization of military figures, which he is. Third of all, none of this has to do with bocce, so on with the stuff we're all hear to read about. We won in 2 games. It was three weeks ago, so I don't really remember exactly what happened. I think they were competent, didn't make any big mistakes, also but didn't make any really tough shots to put pressure on us. Its the kind of game that ends up being one point at a time, i.e Joanies kind of game. We won 7-3, 7-2. The same second game that day was against Do These Droids Speak Bocce, which, in contrast to Bocce Guevara, I love the name. First, its a quote from Star Wars. Second, its an exact quote from Star Wars, no pun required. Third, I like this team too, and not just because of their name. They were cool. We won 7-5, 7-2. Same as first game. They weren't bad, but also weren't great. And we were on our game. Danielle, for one, played very well.
Last weekend, we played the Holy Rollers and 7-3, 7-5. I don't remember much about this game either, except that I sat out the first game after being shamed by Jen Williams, who pointed out how far Abby comes to play. So Abby and Danielle played at the North end, Kirstie and Eric played at the South end, and I sat out. I think Kirstie came out in game two and I played with Eric. Oh and if I remember correctly, they were initially short a player and had a friend who had never played before playing for them. All things considered, they played well. Its hard to win when you have a rookie playing, especially against the Defending League Champions.
Today, we played another doubleheader (what a weird schedule this season) and won both in straight games. First we played the Bocce Brunch, who Eric recalls beating us last season. I think we were embarrassed about it because they have such a dopey name. I sort of like this team, except I didn't today. A lot of little things bothered me, but mostly it was at the end when we measured a ball and they thought they were closer and I thought we were closer. They measure with some slack in the measuring tape, which lacks precision. I hold it taut. This annoyed me, especially because I knew I was right. But I gave it to them because if it was a tie, we were going to roll anyway, and I knew we would eventually win anyway. Which we did. 7-5, 7-3 (I think). Oh, and I got to roll the winning ball, which made me feel good. Take that Bocce Brunch.
Game 2 today was against Balls Deep. I think this was the team I accused of being anti-social when we played against them last season. They were much more social this time. I take back everything I ever said about them. They played well this time too. But we were better. 7-3, 7-6.
Yes, that's five in a row. This makes us 6-2, with two games to go. Joanie Loves Bocce is on a roll.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Video of Joanie's Semi-Final Victory
I mentioned in the last post how much we like If You Want My Bocce. What I didn't mention, because I didn't know at the time, is that they have a blog. And that their blog has video of some of their games. And that one of those videos includes clips of our Semi-Finals victory against them. The video is below. The section on our game starts at around 1:20. Thank you Team Rod (that's what they call themselves--they're devoted to Rod Stewart, like the Joanies love the Fonz) for putting this online. Team Rod is a class act all the way.
You can find the video on their blog:
http://ifyouwantmybocce.blogspot.com/2008/09/rod-stuart-may-love-hamptons-but-lady.html
Or on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGbZyw9s7M&eurl=http://ifyouwantmybocce.blogspot.com/2008/09/rod-stuart-may-love-hamptons-but-lady.html.
You can find the video on their blog:
http://ifyouwantmybocce.blogspot.com/2008/09/rod-stuart-may-love-hamptons-but-lady.html
Or on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGbZyw9s7M&eurl=http://ifyouwantmybocce.blogspot.com/2008/09/rod-stuart-may-love-hamptons-but-lady.html.
Monday, August 25, 2008
CHAMPIONS of the Floyd Summer 2008 Bocce League
Well its about fucking time. And if feels pretty great. Last night, Joanie Loves Bocce achieved bocce nirvana. Yes folks, the JLB is the reigning Floyd bocce champion!
For me, it was quite a rollercoaster of a day. I had been drinking the night before: beer, beer, beer, scotch cocktail, whiskey cocktail, bed. I woke up with one of the more vicious hangovers I've had in a while. I'll spare the details, but my first food for the day was a Ritz cracker around 1:30 pm. My first successful attempt at being on my feet without throwing up was around 2:30 when I got in the shower in an attempt to get it together to get to my 3:00 bocce game. I would not let my team down. For the next three or four hours I struggled with headaches and heartburn and lightheadedness, but there was bocce to be played.
Quarterfinals. JLB vs. Hibocces. 1-7, 7-0, 7-4.
The Hibocces. I did not care for them at all. I mean, they're probably nice to their mothers, but that doesn't mean I want to play bocce with them. They had one girl on their team who seemed nice. She complemented me on my plaid vans. The rest of them, eh. All the more embarrassing when they leaped out to a big win in the first game. They won possession of the pallino on the coin flip and kept it for most of the game by playing the pallino very long and getting mostly lucky. Kirstie and Danielle at the north end, me and Eric at the south end, we couldn't really wrest back control. Until the second game.
In game 2, Kirstie came out, Hugh came in to play with Danielle at the North end. We took control back and kept it. We dropped the pallino super short, and they kept either missing on their attempts to knock it back, or just sailing by on their attempts to keep it close. They were a little cocky after that first game. We knocked the air out of them in the second. The third game was more of the same.
Semifinals. JLB vs. If You Want My Bocce ("IYWMB"). 6-7, 7-0, 7-6.
We like IYWMB. They've been in the league for a long while; they're nice guys and girls; and they're good. Very good. I think they have a trophy. In game 1, we kept our same squad of Hugh and Danielle and me and Eric. And we came out strong. We jumped ahead to an early 5-1 lead. We let them get back into it on a couple of mistakes and they took the game 7-6. Game 2, we switched it up a bit. Kirstie subbed in for Eric, Abby for Hugh. And man, did we take control. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but it was a quick 7-0 win for us in the second game. Game 3 was tight again. We scored one, they scored 1, they scored 3, we scored 2. It was back and forth. At one point they were up 6-3. And then we scratched out a few more points and on to the finals. I think that was the most exciting game I've ever played. In comparison, the finals were a little bit of a let-down.
Finals. JLB vs. GBBB (great big balls of bocce?). 6-7, 7-0.
We came out a little rusty and fell behind 6-0. Then we rattled off 14 straight points. Done and done.
Presenting your Summer 2008 Floyd Bocce All Stars:
Kirstie "Laverne"
Danielle "Shirley"
Abby "Leather Tuscadero"
Lisa "Joanie"
Teresa "Mary Beth"
Hugh "Potzie"
Eric "Arnold"
Matt "The Fonz"
For me, it was quite a rollercoaster of a day. I had been drinking the night before: beer, beer, beer, scotch cocktail, whiskey cocktail, bed. I woke up with one of the more vicious hangovers I've had in a while. I'll spare the details, but my first food for the day was a Ritz cracker around 1:30 pm. My first successful attempt at being on my feet without throwing up was around 2:30 when I got in the shower in an attempt to get it together to get to my 3:00 bocce game. I would not let my team down. For the next three or four hours I struggled with headaches and heartburn and lightheadedness, but there was bocce to be played.
Quarterfinals. JLB vs. Hibocces. 1-7, 7-0, 7-4.
The Hibocces. I did not care for them at all. I mean, they're probably nice to their mothers, but that doesn't mean I want to play bocce with them. They had one girl on their team who seemed nice. She complemented me on my plaid vans. The rest of them, eh. All the more embarrassing when they leaped out to a big win in the first game. They won possession of the pallino on the coin flip and kept it for most of the game by playing the pallino very long and getting mostly lucky. Kirstie and Danielle at the north end, me and Eric at the south end, we couldn't really wrest back control. Until the second game.
In game 2, Kirstie came out, Hugh came in to play with Danielle at the North end. We took control back and kept it. We dropped the pallino super short, and they kept either missing on their attempts to knock it back, or just sailing by on their attempts to keep it close. They were a little cocky after that first game. We knocked the air out of them in the second. The third game was more of the same.
Semifinals. JLB vs. If You Want My Bocce ("IYWMB"). 6-7, 7-0, 7-6.
We like IYWMB. They've been in the league for a long while; they're nice guys and girls; and they're good. Very good. I think they have a trophy. In game 1, we kept our same squad of Hugh and Danielle and me and Eric. And we came out strong. We jumped ahead to an early 5-1 lead. We let them get back into it on a couple of mistakes and they took the game 7-6. Game 2, we switched it up a bit. Kirstie subbed in for Eric, Abby for Hugh. And man, did we take control. I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but it was a quick 7-0 win for us in the second game. Game 3 was tight again. We scored one, they scored 1, they scored 3, we scored 2. It was back and forth. At one point they were up 6-3. And then we scratched out a few more points and on to the finals. I think that was the most exciting game I've ever played. In comparison, the finals were a little bit of a let-down.
Finals. JLB vs. GBBB (great big balls of bocce?). 6-7, 7-0.
We came out a little rusty and fell behind 6-0. Then we rattled off 14 straight points. Done and done.
Presenting your Summer 2008 Floyd Bocce All Stars:
Kirstie "Laverne"
Danielle "Shirley"
Abby "Leather Tuscadero"
Lisa "Joanie"
Teresa "Mary Beth"
Hugh "Potzie"
Eric "Arnold"
Matt "The Fonz"
Sunday, August 17, 2008
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.
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.
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