Two quick things from the Wide World Of Doodle Intramural Sports:
- Last Sunday at my weekly co-rec soccer game I was involved in one of those plays that starts when some guy on the other team kicks the ball super hard and ends a split second later when that ball hits you in the face. Always a treat. This time it wasn’t that bad – no flash of white light, no bell ringing – but it was still a stinger and for sure I stumbled around for a few seconds trying to figure out if my face had actually been torn off or if it just felt like it had. But yeah, I recovered fast enough, and of course it’s a “play on” situation, so as soon as I regain awareness it’s time to a) turn around and chase after the ball and b) say “no problem” when the guy who just kicked a ball at your face says “sorry about that, dude”. Only here’s the part where I say that the dude didn’t say he was sorry. So then I say “what, no apology?” and the dude says “I’m not going to apologize, it’s part of the game”. And I say “it’s part of the game to accidentally kick the ball at someone’s face and then not apologize?” and I remind him that it’s co-rec B-league soccer on a Sunday morning. We played on. A bit more trashtalking, but no big deal. Later in the second half his teammate crashed me a step late on a defensive play and landed super hard on my foot. Cleats down. He immediately said he was sorry. I said “no problem, dude” and we slapped hands and played on, but I was confused by the lack of consistency. So then of course I talked about it with anyone who would listen. And some people say you just never say you’re sorry. It’s part of the game, everyone understands it’s not intentional, etc. And I can totally see their point I guess, but yeah, that’s not my style. So heads up if I ever hit you in the face with a soccer ball, I’m going to apologize. My bad.
- Softball season is finally over. Good lord it lasts like 25 weeks. We lost in the playoffs yesterday to a team who had two former Gophers and two former players from Concordia. I have no idea what Concordia’s mascot is. I’m not going to apologize. Maybe anaccordion? Concordia Accordions ? Anyway, they were young and hot headed and muscled up and they could hit the ball a REALLY long way and we ended up getting 10-run’d and we’re done for 2009. I’ll miss the pop flys, the dill pickle sunflower seeds, and post-game beers at various places around town. It’ll be nice to have my Wednesday’s back, though. So hooray for that. Anyway, here’s something I don’t get: these hot headedaccordion guys. Seriously WAY better than everyone else in the league. The center fielder thru an absolute ROPE to homeplate and our guy Casey got tagged on on a play he scores on 99 times of out 100 and this time it wasn’t even close. Totally amazing. Then they get up to bad and they dominate. But yeah, they show up in metal spikes. When they know metal spikes are illegal. And they have other plastic spikes in their bag, so when the ref notices he makes them change and they’re fine. But seriously, if you’re already the best player in the league, why try and cheat like that?? To be EVEN BETTER?? It is BAFFLING. And it’s one of those things you see more than you’d expect. You never see some clownish old dude who slaps singles trying to spike-up, but these 6’4″ douchebags with their sliding pants and their metal spikes and NOTHING TO PROVE seem to really dig the cheating angle and seriously it makes no sense to me. Maybe the doodlenation gets it.
Rock on, sports fans.