As mentioned in my previous post, the Evil Empire's opponents had defaulted, so we opted to have a scrimmage amongst ourselves. Of course... getting enough players for two full sides was pretty difficult too. Smirnoff, Hot Sauce, My Pet Monster, 8Mile, Joh and Kate all couldn't come due to work, school, Australia and, pft, Christmas celebrations. So we went out and recruited some players. Jellybean returned for one game only, and our friends Mr. Kennedy and Bush League stepped into the fray. We also persuaded dodge-umentarian Jared Bryer to step out from behind the camera and take part.
Even then, we only had enough players for five-a-side, but it was still a hell of a lot of fun. We all got a chance to make some spectacular plays and, not surprisingly, everyone stayed loose and calm. Apparently, that's what it takes for us to have a good time during a game - - no opponents!
In the grand scheme of the ongoing development of the Evil Empire, it was a very interesting exercise because I learned a lot about my own playing style and my team.
(These are in no particular order)
Me - I leave my right arm totally open when I'm blocking a ball. Jimmers picked me off two or three times, and I think The Deal got me a few times as well. But I also learned that even people who've seen me play countless times have a tough time reading my throws.
Jimmers - Bastard is a wily dodger! And very fast too. He got across the floor for sweeping and striking so quickly that it gave us little chance to recover from our plays. As I mentioned above, he was also very accurate and observant enough to find a hole in my defense.
The Deal - For my money, the best player of the night. The Deal was virtually impossible to hit because his blocking is so strong, and if he didn't have the ball, there was a good chance he'd be able to catch anything thrown at him. His throwing was accurate and hard.
Jellybean - Her throws were incredibly well timed and accurate. Jellybean could also teach me a thing or two about positioning and conservative play. She was always in the right place to make the smart play and kept our opponents honest. Most impressively, when she was the last played on the court, she consistently delivered big catches.
Tool Time - Always a competitor, Tool Time threw as hard as he could, and benefited by the small gym, had incredible accuracy. He's also come a long way in terms of his dodging ability. No word of a lie, I saw him jump clear over two balls when barraged. This time last year, he just would've taken the hit.
Pocahontas - Damn, girl can throw. Even with an aching shoulder, Pocahontas was able to lay down some throws so strong they'd scalp you. Whenever I play a team, I quickly organize in my head who the biggest threat is, only to be superseded by who is an incredibly easy out. (Usually someone who is not paying close enough attention to the play.) Every round, she became my priority. She was so aggressive and, as far as I could tell, going through the same thought process that I was running through, I had to try and take her out as quickly as possible, or she'd get me.
Banana - I was really surprised by Banana's throws. They're deceptive. They have so much movement on them that they make you want to reach out and grab them, but they end up just barely grazing your hands. It was frustrating as hell from my perspective, but that's the point, isn't it?
At the end of the night we all voted on who the game MVP was, and just about everyone got a vote, but in the end, Mr. Kennedy ended up with two votes and the much desired Reg Dunlop Award!
It was a fantastic way to end the season.
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