Monday, January 18, 2010

Next On The Horizon



Congrats to team Bender for winning the 2010 Tri-level and advancing to Sectionals. A great way to start the year and keep an otherwise gloomy month full of some good tennis.

February starts off with the Abilene Major Zone tournament. For those who aren't concerned about points and just enjoy competitive tennis locally, the Brookhaven Indoor Doubles tournament is a great alternative and should be some good fun.

Rosters for the Spring will be due the first week in March. What recruiting if any has begun? Any formation of super teams coming away from Tri-level this past weekend ?

Australian Open begins this week and should provide for some good TV entertainment over the next 2 weeks.

The weather is to get into the 70s this week so get out on the courts and take advantage of the good weather while it lasts. February is historically cold and wet.

Discuss any of the above topics.........

234 comments:

  1. Somabut played great vs Jones/Clark, Jones commented after the match Bob had only 3 errors.That is incredible tennis Bob. That is only the second time I've seen you play, the first was at Highpoint vs Corey and had to retire due to injury. Great work though, both Keith and Chris spoke highly of your game!Hard to beat anyone when your opponent plays near perfect tennis.

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  2. Somabut is probably the top 4.0 when he is healthy. He didn't play much for the HP team he captained to Nationals. I'm not sure how anyone at tri level, especially new 4.0 guys, thought they could beat him. I saw him with ice on his shoulder after the match. Maybe this is why he didn't play the finals??

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  3. Varner/Somabut were the best line for Bender, they never played together though.

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  4. Any of you top 4.0 guys want to go to Nationals? Call Bob Somabut right away before he fills up his roster.

    3.5 ringers - call Bender if you want to see what 3.5 Nationals is all about in 2010.

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  5. We'll see about that :)

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  6. Bender moving his 3.0s to 3.5 does not mean nationals! Not even close.

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  7. A few of the better players from Benders 3.0 nationals team + 2 or 3 self rates & throw in a bump down from 4.0 and your good to go.

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  8. Tri-level Worst teams.

    4.5 Smith and Bazan both 0-3
    4.0 Arcaria and Bazan both 0-3
    3.5 Smith and Takashi both 0-3

    We should have had a consolation finals to find out who the worst of the worst is... now that would be some sorry tennis!

    Vote here for who you think would be the worst of the worst!

    I saw some of these matches during the weekend and it was really hard to watch some of these match up's.

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  9. Which matches did you see precisely? Cause I saw a couple that were darn good tennis and close at that.

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  10. Wow! The results below really suck!

    4.5 Smith and Bazan both 0-3
    4.0 Arcaria and Bazan both 0-3
    3.5 Smith and Takashi both 0-3

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  11. Wow! The results below really suck!

    4.5 Smith and Bazan both 0-3
    4.0 Arcaria and Bazan both 0-3
    3.5 Smith and Takashi both 0-3

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  12. I can confirn that the recruiting has already started.


    John Sisk...........Why did you not play your best 4.5 guys against Bender?

    And why did you only play your best 3.5 guy once? He was the best 3.5 out there IMO

    Those were some odd choices.

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  13. I thought Feldman was the captain so why ask Sisk? So why did Feldman not play any of his best 4.0/4.5 lines against Bender?

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  14. Bender's very best 3.0 bump-ups did surprising poorly at the Tri-Level. No way they will be much of a factor at 3.5. The best 3.5 team in 2010 may very well be Brookhaven.

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  15. I saw a lot this weekend. Players that were better than I thought and some were worse than I thought. Lutes and Reiman were the best 4.0s & Kiron and Slezak showed they were the best 4.5s. I don't know any 3.5s so I won't say anything about them.

    Players I had not seen but thought were good were.

    4.5
    Laukhuf had a mean serve and game but missed some. I heard he was good and still think so. Takashi would have been a better partner than Hai in the finals.

    I did not know Bazan's 4.5s and they will be going back to 4.0 at midseason.

    Ben Hawkins played well in the match I watched.

    Durten did not look as good this weekend.

    Thompson was Feldman's best player.

    Jean looked really good from what I saw. He is going to be a really strong player this spring.

    Varner looked like a 4.5. He is probably wanted by several teams.

    Reiman/Lutes are real good and going to be sought after. Hope they get to a team not from Stonebriar.

    Watched Jones twice and he looked real good once and real bad once.

    Somabut schooled Jones and Clark but Palacioz looked steady too.

    Morrison looked like he has taken a step back from last year.

    Clark was not as good as I thought.

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  16. Varner/Somabut were the best line for Bender???? What are you talking about? Varner/Somabut are just an average run of the mill 4.0 doubles team.

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  17. Reiman/Lutes looked awesome this weekend. Both looked like 4.5 players. This may very well be their last shot at 4.0. They would be crazy not to join Somabut's team and get their best shot at Nationals.

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  18. Todd controlled the 4.5's as I haven't a clue,out of my league. I wouldn't have done anything different. We had it mapped out, just like every other team, we just got beat.

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  19. Who were Feldman's best 4.0's? 3.5's?

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  20. I didn't know he had any good 3.5 or 4.0s

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  21. Hey Sisk, did you win any of you matches?

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  22. Not to shy away from Team Bender/Somabut combo but, can you really say that a Bender can repeat and get back to Nationals? It would be difficult for even Somabut to do? I'd think they would be the underdogs to win tri level sectionals. Houston has a solid team which will give them all they can handle.

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  23. Kiron/Slezak will be the best 4.5 line at sectionals and they'll find a way to win either the 3.5 or 4.0 line. Remember Dallas has the most and best competition in Texas so whoever comes out of our area will always be the team to beat.

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  24. I would take Hai over Takashi any day. They are both good players but Hai has the stronger results. I am guessing that he and Clint must have been off to lose that convincingly. I don't think there is any debate that those were Feldman's best 4.5 players. They pushed Kiron and Slezak to the limit.
    The comment about Dallas breezing through Sectionals is idiotic. Their 3.5s were proven weak and compared to the other areas (Houston and Austin especially) their 4.5s will be competitive, not dominant. Same with 4.0.

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  25. No way. Houston could use either mid or end of season ratings for tri level. The Dallas bump ups can't hang with the sections that were allowed to use mid season ratings. Dallas will never win Sectionals because of this.

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  26. Is it true that Houston has a different set of Tri-Level rules than Dallas?

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  27. Brookhaven will be loaded at 3.5 in the spring.

    They have Gary Schneider & Brett Baker, the best 3.5 doubles team in Dallas. Other strong players include Mark Glantz, Rene Alzuro, plus Mike Shields and Steve Shields.

    Plus they will likely pick up Chris Quina (who tanked to get down from 4.0) and John Brett from Milke's old team.

    That gives Brookhaven more than enough talent to dominate 3.5 in 2010.

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  28. Houston used 2009 year-end ratings for tri-level. San Antonio and Midland used 2009 mid-year while Fort Worth used a mixture of both.

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  29. Kiron/Slezak will be a top team at Tri level sectionals. To say they'll be the best team at Sectionals is absurd. Houston has 2 National players from last years squad who will surely test that Dallas team. I agree Dallas has one of the most competitive leagues year round but, with that being said Houston has managed to take the crown at Sectionals the last 2 yrs in 4.5.

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  30. There must be different rules for Tri-Level. If I am looking at it right, Fort Worth did not use end of year. They have 2 4.0s that are 4.5 and 2 3.5s that are 4.0.

    So their line up could have 4.5s at the 4.0 line and 4.0s and the 3.5 line.

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  31. If that is the case, it is B.S. The standards should be the same for all areas. This should be something brought to the attetion of the Texas USTA office in Austin.

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  32. Houston is the team to beat. Their 4.5's are all top tier sectional/nationals level doubles players. Dibua is 9 feet tall and athletic. Sumrall is lights out, great all around game. Kiron and Slezak can hold there own but that's no cake walk.
    Anyone who thinks Dallas is going to go down and dominate with Benzon in the tournament is delusional. He comes to win, and usually does.

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  33. What you are all missing is that we have an edge as far as captaining is concerned. Yoda will pull us thru.

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  34. Wise and seasoned... Bender is. Yet challenge lay ahead. Tough, tri-level sections is too. Interesting it will be. Good luck, he will need.

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  35. I agree, Bob and Bob will have the intangible edge as captains. Who cares if Diba is 9 feet tall?

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  36. If he is 9 ft tall, the family jewels must hang right around net level. Sounds like a target to me.

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  37. Is Palacioz Bender's long lost son?

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  38. On paper, Houston's tri-level team has the best players and athletes. But I give the edge to Team Bender due to his ability to out-think the opposing captain and intense competitiveness. He may be short and lumpy, but he hates to lose. He also loves the limelight. He will find a way to win even if means putting laxatives in the opponent's water jugs.

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  39. Right on about Bender. The man is ruthless. A few years ago he got fed up with DTA's arrogance and ineffectiveness, and staged a coup to oust the board of directors and have himself elected chairman with the board hand-picked by himself. Fair warning - don't get on his bad side.

    Lefty

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  40. Brookhaven a top team at 3.5 in the Spring? haha! And you have the nerve to mention Lippy Renata (Alzuro) as a top player. Anon you lost all credibility!

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  41. Sounds like Bender is a grumpy old man on a mission. Bob and Bob have accomplished a lot. One things certain is that you've got to get past Houston to get to Nationals!!

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  42. If Bender were such a great captain then he wouldn't be wasting his time with 3.0. Most sections don't even have a 3.0 league and you only need 2 solid players to win. Once Bender does something in the summer league outside of patty cake 3.0 league then I'll be impressed. Somabut has accomplished a hell of a lot more than Bender and at an actual decent level of play in 4.0 where recruiting actually matters.

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  43. I'll second that. Somabut is a hell of a nicer guy as well and has no ego, like short stuff patty cake Bender does.

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  44. As far as I can tell Bender is a very nice guy and his team members sure enjoy playing for him.

    And I know for a fact he has taken a bunch of teams to Nationals at the 3.5 level.

    Still, being a great captain is not that important at Tri-Level Sectionals. Usually the most talented team wins. This year Houston is clearly better than Bender's team at all three levels.

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  45. I've played for Bender and you are right that his players do enjoy playing for him. Yet, no computer rated players are clearly better than Kiron/Slezak. Those guys are pretty near the top of 4.5.

    As for the 3.5/4.0 lines. there has been so much shakeup that I don' tknow.

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  46. Bender - blah, blah, blah. He's not getting any younger. I consider him to be the Joe Paterno of USTA captains.

    More importantly, who is ready to take over his dynasty? Somabut has the street cred and trips to nats. But frankly he is too nice and seems to lack the killer instinct needed to step into his shoes. He's also no spring chicken, as he is playing in the senior's league.

    Sisk has limited street cred and a trip to nats. But he has some weight issues. Will he be around long enough to develop a dynasty?

    How about the young turks, CoreDawg and Bazan. They definitely are ambitious and have the organizational tools. But they need to have a breakthrough year as captain and skins to establish some street cred.

    Who am I overlooking?

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  47. I just noticed Jason Kern is on the Houston team. Why play with the enemy Kern? I'm hoping you are a Dallas spy.

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  48. The Bob's didn't have a need for Kern with Kiron/Slezak on the roster leaving him looking for the #2 team in Texas. If Kern was wanted then Bob's would have signed him, done deal.

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  49. Kern has a long history with a crew in Houston. He's a frequent guest on their blog. Kern has been to nationals before and was not happy with the results. He wants to go back, and will sign with whichever team he thinks has the best chance to go back.

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  50. Kern is a backstabbing traitor. Sounds just like his personal life as he goes both ways.

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  51. I've got some advice for Kern if he really wants to get back to nationals.

    First, you need to become a team captain and immerse yourself into the job.

    Are you employed? If so, be aware that the truly successful captains are retired, unemployed or underemployed. So I suggest that you quit your job and move into your car to save expenses. The money saved can be used for signing bonuses.

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  52. Exactly who is Kern stabbing in the back by playing for a Houston team? Also his chauffeur already lives in Kern's limo. The idea of Kern becoming a captain makes sense. His first signing for his 4.5 team should be Paulie T.

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  53. Good players don't make good captains.

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  54. Give an example of a good player who is not a good captain.

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  55. Hey Guys,Since there is nothing going on until the spring How about some talk about the hated Senior League going on now!!! There are some pretty good Senior Players and teams out there.At least that will keep the blog alive.Bender does have a 3.5 team so you can bash him somemore.There are 20 teams in the 4.0 level.Let's keep it going!!!!

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  56. FYI the Houston men won the Tri level national event in 4.5 and lost in the finals in the 4.0's. Kern won the match in the finals for Houston. Bob and Bob are going to have to step up to face Freeman at Sectionals.

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  57. Good Player/Bad Captain - J. McEnroe

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  58. Bender has underwear older than Freeman. He has forgotten more about captaining than Freeman knows. There are probably a few other cliches and old sayings that are applicable. Bottom line is Bender will have his boys in matching shirts/caps and will put a whippin' on Freeman and his hired gun (Kern) if they play.

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  59. Hey 11:34AM: lay off the players in the AARP league. tennis is all they have; sex is nonexistent after 50.

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  60. Maybe if Team Bender needs a banner, they can ask Sisk for a pair of his underwear. It comes with free striping.

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  61. I thought Bender already had his own old underwear

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  62. There is sex after 50. But afterwards you are too tired for tennis.

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  63. Doesn't Nadal look natty in that Nike outfit at the Aussie Open. Maybe Team Bender can go for the same look. Also, Coredawg you need to look into getting a copy of Sharapova's dress for a new icon.

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  64. Mannn... her dress was uGLY! especially with the thing draped over it. uggggg.

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  65. For 70 million from Nike, I'd wear a drape to the match.

    What about Serena, that chic (or whatever it is) keeps getting bigger and uglier. She has to be the most obnoxious he-she out there.

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  66. I wish Sharapova would have just worn the thing draped over the dress without the dress.

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  67. who has the better legs? Nadal or Sharapova. We need a poll

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  68. 1:00 pm anon is a homo.

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  69. And who has bigger arms Nadal or Serena? And how do you hit a two handed backhand with those triple D's in the way?

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  70. 1:02 troll is correct

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  71. Serena for sure.

    She better hope the Aussie zoo doesn't see her roaming the streets.

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  72. I have noticed that Nadal looks bigger in the chest.

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  73. I know how to beat Houston's Tri Level team. When the last point of the match.

    Sign
    Undercover Dallas spy player

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  74. "When the last point of the match."

    Probably in a few weeks

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  75. I took a quick glance at the tri-level teams from across the state. Doesn't seem like there is much getting in the way of either Dallas or Houston except each other. Do 2 teams go to nationals?

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  76. That would be the only way Benders Bunch would make it. To anybody who thinks the Dallas tri-level team will beat Houston I have one word - fuhgetaboutit. In fact I am so certain that they will be beaten that I will change my official name to Anonymous if Bender prevails over Houston.

    Smitty

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  77. Who’s the wacky duck that played on Cary Bazan’s Tri-level team at the 4.0 level by the name of Steve Griffin? He really has a peculiar game.

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  78. That dude on Bazans team looked like was was having and epileptic seizure everytime he served. Nice hair do to match.

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  79. Oh, man ……. That dude on Bazan’s team was scary! He reminded me of the psycho killer in the movie No Country for Old Men. Below is a pic of the dude -

    http://www.ugo.com/movies/tough-guy-lines/images/entries/no-country-for-old-men.jpg

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  80. Dye the hair dark black and that's your man.

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  81. Andy Roddick dropping a BS and an F bomb on worldwide television. Nice...At least I know I'm not the only one.

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  82. Yes, Griffin really had a nice hairdo going on for tournament. Unfortunately, his game wasn’t clicking to well. I agree! Griffin does look like the dude in No Country for Old Men. He must really be having a lot of success with the do. If I had a head of hair like that, I don’t think I would ever get laid.

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  83. Congrats to Klemecki for winning the 4.0 Bent Tree doubles classic this past weekend!

    Prather

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  84. That was tough being there were only 4 teams.

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  85. Wow, they beat Tolga Erdemli and Mark Muniz to win the thing, how embarrasing. That's like Jones/Clark playing 3.5 at the Cotton Bowl, what a joke. Do you guys shave your vaginas too?

    Klamecki, why don't you man up and stop playing the bogus tournies and leagues and run with the big dogs.

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  86. The same Klamecki who swore he would never appeal down, yet did? Same Klamecki who only plays Ft. Worth league? Same Klamecki who only plays "weak" tournaments? I see a pattern here

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  87. What is up? Are Golden Gloves Morrison and Gerber going to fight?

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  88. The Bent Tree tournament was Fun.
    Craig Bell is a really nice guy.
    It is a shame that the draws were so small.
    But that's not my fault, it's yours for not registering and playing, Not that many players were registered for the tri, and it's always fun playing indoors.

    Craig knows how to throw a good party, Free food, Free bottled import beer, my daughter won a new head racket.

    Thanks for the recognition Prather.
    And as always, Anon's can suck it.

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  89. Dunno why you people praise a guy like Bender that tanks (along with half his team) every other year in order to get back to 3.0 nationals. One of the most obvious blatant tank jobs over and over again. Pathetic.

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  90. Dunno why you people praise a guy like Bender that tanks (along with half his team) every other year in order to get back to 3.0 nationals. One of the most obvious blatant tank jobs over and over again. Pathetic.

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  91. Klamecki -

    You pay for the "fee food and beer" by paying a $50 entry fee as opposed to $35 that most tournaments cost. I think that is why the participation has declined because of the cost and because of the direct conflict with Tri-level.

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  92. I've played the tournament before and not got to play until around midnight. That is why I won't play it again. With so few entrants this year, it probably did not matter.

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  93. Who was the Anon touting Nick Walton and hasseling Captain Fantastic for saying he would struggle at 3.5 ?? I see he was 0-3 in the Tri-level. Looks like captain fan was right.

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  94. Conflict with the Tri, cost, crazy scheduling, and being non-sanctioned all have a roll in why participation was low.

    But cost wise, you got to play indoors, food and drink, and got a long sleeve shirt. That's more than I've gotten at a tournament in a long time.

    I can remember when tournaments used to be sponsored and would have shirts, goodie bags, gift certificates, drawings for rackets, bags, ect.. that seems to be long gone. This is the first tourney shirt I have gotten in almost 2 years.

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  95. Just to put it out there, I have officially pulled out of "fight night".

    I was training, pulled a muscle. Rested it, trained again, re-injured myself - again.

    Its weird when your body can't respond to how it used to be. Its all about being in shape for boxing, and I can't get there unfortunately.

    Bender: Tired about reading about Bender cheating. He had a legit Tri level team, and after almost getting upset by Arcaria, pulled it out and won the whole thing. You can't hammer him for Tri. Couldn't cheat if u wanted to in Tri.

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  96. BMO, please tell me that the results of tri-level are a mis-print and you really didn't get goose egged. Surely the self proclaimed best 4.0 around couldn't lose the first two matches he played since the relevation. Say it ain't so, BM-Ohhhhhhhhhhh.

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  97. Hey Don King, you seem to have a rather large mouth. Why don't you take BMOs spot tough guy.

    That's what I thought.

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  98. The top captains like Somabut, Sisk, Bender, Branch are always the target of malicious lies from ANONYMOUS scumbags. Bender is a big target simply because he has had a lot of success. I played several years with Bender and never saw anyone tank or even manage their scores.

    If we knew the name of the anonymous poster we'd see that it is someone who got beat by Benders team or perhaps tried out for Benders team but was not good enough to play. Poor sports, bad losers & general scumbags make these types of posts.

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  99. Bob bend the rules bender has no influence in 4.0's or 4.5's..

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  100. Bender cheated in the Tri-Level FOUR ways:
    1) He recruited players that were clearly ringers & out of level
    2) I overheard him ask Kiron & Slezak to keep their scores close. Thats why those guys did so well in the first sets but slacked off in the 2nd set. Blatent score mgt.
    3) I overheard him tell Varner to tank that last match because it was meaningless. Varner followed instructions and missed key points
    4) His 3.5 guys tanked meaningless matches on purpose. Do you really believe his guys could not beat Big Bird? PLEASE!

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  101. Sure he did. I personally saw him running on the court while the point was being played trying to knock the ball out of the air. he is a fast fu*ker, able to move around all 3 courts like that. Ol' Bob moves like a 20 year old kid. BELIEVE IT!

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  102. The last poster is correct that Bender is a likable individual and has been a very successful USTA captain. As far as playing by the rules, that depends on your interpretation of the rules.

    I have played for him and he instructed me before certain matches to win but keep the score close.

    Also he has a set of hand signals, similar to a third base coach, that he uses to convey to certain trusted players that they should tank matches in progress. Such action is usually taken when his team has already won the match and the line still being played is essentially meaningless.

    You are right that I don't have the guts to post my name because of fear of retaliation. I am not saying my family would be harmed, but I would be ostracized by a large segment of the local tennis population.

    I no longer play USTA tennis because of the widespread lack of ethics and integrity that undermines what the sport of tennis is all about.

    I know many people will say that I am just some bitter flake that has been spurned by Bender to play on one of his teams. So be it. It is what it is.

    A concerned former USTA league player.

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  103. Hand signals? keeping scores close? tanking? TOTAL LIES BY A SCUMBAG WHO WONT GIVE HIS NAME.

    "concerned league player" = whiney asshole whose team was beaten by Bender or who failed at a Bender tryout session.

    - Former Bender Teammate

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  104. The anon talking about tri level is full of crap. It is hard to cheat trilevel and managing scores this early is pointless.

    It is true about bender having players lose matches when they are already won and it is true he has them manage scores. I do not find the managing scores that disturbing, but tanking matches is flat out wrong! And believe me, he has his players do it!

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  105. bender gave hand signals to the guy on the grassy knoll who shot kennedy. believe it i know.

    a concerned citizen

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  106. Lucky Thunder was all over the obvious tanking that was done by the Collin County 4.0 team last spring.

    While not the captain, Bender help put that team together. The plan was to get the members, most of whom were seniors, to lose on purpose so they could be bumped down to 3.5. Those players would serve as a foundation for a new Bender 3.5 team.

    The Collin County manipulators were successful in losing almost all of their matches. And, consequently, got the bump down they wanted at mid-year. What they didn't count on was the revisions made by the USTA to the NTRP rating systems. Many of the players were bumped back to 4.0 at year-end.

    It has taken them a while to catch on, but the USTA is cracking down on cheaters.

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  107. Hey former Bender teammate why don't you provide your name. That way we can scrutinize your past record. My guess is that there will be mysteriously poor losses at tourneys and league play after you were bumped up to the next level.

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  108. Bender is not the only captain involved in teams that were set up in 2009 for the purpose of tanking matches to get players back down to their former NTRP rating. David Prather did the same thing in 2009. His plan also backfired. But that hasn't stopped him from continuing to try.

    Deep Throat

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  109. A Senate sub-committee is being formed to investigate the widespread cheating allegations that have infiltrated and plagued the USTA league program.

    Subpoenas are being drawn up to summon suspected cheaters and their cronies in high places who continue to let the practices go unchecked to a public forum in Washington D.C.

    There are going to be some sleepless nights ahead for some of the rogue captains and their accomplices.

    John Dean

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  110. Lol....only a Bender 3.0 team you have to tryout for, any other sign up and play. We're talking about 3.0 right???? Must you really tryout? Unless you ar looking for 4.0+ talent, that would be the only reason to hold a tryout for a frikn 3.0 team!

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  111. look at some of the past Bender 3.0s that were cheaters, ive seen it for years. I went through tennis link and saw several obvious cheaters in the past. these are just the ones I even know.

    Rene Cuevas, Steve Nguyen, Sean Brinkman, Greg Wiley, Tony Watanabe, Berco Neiman, Joseph Hevey, Ashok Parekh, Richard Huber, Patrick Jameson, Kristopher Endress, Matt Wixon, Tim Bowling, Joel Pickett, Tim Pewett, Lance Lockhart, Todd Frost

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  112. Go back and study Bender's personal tournament and league records over the years. If you do, you will notice a trend. After he gets bumped-up, he begins to lose to unimpressive opponents by very lopsided scores. The pattern will be clear to anyone who doesn't have a dog in this fight.

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  113. PATHETIC SUMBAG ALERT!
    We have ONE asshole with a personal grudge against Bender. Probably someone who asked to play on Benders team but was turned down. (And that happens a lot every year.) Thats the reason he doesnt give his name. His grudge would be obvious.

    Ask any of the players on Benders team and all will tell you there is no tanking or score management. Yes Bender finds strong players but all play hard and certainly Bender has never told anyone to tank or keep their score close. I know, I've played for him.

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  114. Sounds like a he said she said. Bob who is right. Let's hear you go on record about whether you have ever told a player to manage the score or to purposefully lose a match.

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  115. Lots of accusations out there. Sounds like we will never know the truth. But the only one that i am leaning towards believing is "A Concerned Citizen". Only his seems to be the most credible.

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  116. Come on guys, Bender won the tri level fair and square. You can't cheat. He did it legitimately. Just give the man his accolades on this one.

    if you want to accuse him of stuff (AND HE IS ACTUALLY CAPTAINING AT YOUR LEVEL - and you aren't just being a nosey crybaby about things that don't apply to you), then sure, complain away when season starts.

    Until that time, let the man enjoy his success.

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  117. More like there is one person who keeps defending Bender.

    How about someone try to justify Bender's personal match scores over the years?

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  118. It's the same with Somabut, Sisk, Branch, etc.

    You win by a lopsided score someone complains you are a ringer. You win by a close score, someone charges you managed your score. You lose and someone claims you tanked. The whinners can always cry about something. And when you kick butt the crybabies howl. The more butt you kick the bigger the lies.

    I hope all our top captains ignore the assholes, keep building fantastic teams, and keep kicking ass.

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  119. Exhibit A:
    Robert C. Bender 2007-2009

    2007
    4-0 at 3.0 Sectionals
    4-1 at 3.0 Nationals
    5-0 at 3.0 Senior Nationals

    2008
    0-4 at 3.5 Spring League (winning 14 games in 8 sets)
    0-3 at 3.5 Senior Spring League (winning 7 games in 6 sets)

    2009
    3-0 at 3.0 Sectionals
    2-1 at 3.0 Nationals (1 lopsided loss in a meaningless 3rd match)
    5-0 at 3.0 Senior Nationals

    Not to mention that almost all of his wins at Nationals were very lopsided.

    So you see, this is not just a person getting bashed b/c they are a successful captain. This is blatant stick it in your face tank jobs.

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  120. I need some advises on stringing machines...

    Would the basic "2-point mounting, 2 floating clamps" do a decent job or should I get a more advanced style, like "6-point mounting, 2 floating clamps". I just want to know if I can get away with the cheap style without too much trouble.

    Any recommendation is appreciated.

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  121. Hey Bender-hater, how many teams have you captained? And if you have, how did your teams do? I'm confident that your teams have not done as well as Bender's, and I can absolutely guarantee you that you did not put as much time and effort into putting the teams together and scouting the opponents teams as Bender.

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  122. Anybody else tired of this? I know alot of those guys mentioned up there and I don't think they are cheaters nor do I think Bender is. His tri-level team was absolutely legit. Alot of those guys have improved alot since I have known them and a few are really just 3.5s.

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  123. To Anon 10:10am on 1/21:

    The 2 point and 2 floating clamps is all you need to do a quality string job. I have been using that system for about 10 years now, and I have never ruined a racquet as a result. There is no real reason to get the 6 point mounting system. Also, the 6 point mounting system makes it more difficult to string the racquet since you have more clamps in the way.

    Just my opinion.

    BSmith

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  124. Bender didn't ask anyone to cheat. Look at the scores. 4.5's went undefeated, 4.0's lost one match 6-4, 7-5 to the team that most everyone on this blog says were the best 4.0's in the tournament. The 3.5's went 2-2, the only match Bender played in he won pretty easily. If you watched any of the tennis, you saw that their 3.5's are their weakness.

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  125. Bender's Tri-Level was legit. You can't cheat in Tri-Level and recruiting is even more of a key than in the summer. The best captains typically win because they recruit better. Bender did a good job with this Tri-Level team.

    I truly don't get all the Bender talk. I am impressed he has been to nationals so he must be a good captain and good administrator but JESUS, its at the 3.0 level. Seriously, how hard can it be to put together a good team at that level where noone pays attention and noone cares. It took me 5 minutes to find out that there were only 34 TOTAL 3.0 teams in the entire state of Texas and 8 of those made it to sectionals. That's freaking 24% of all teams in Texas advance to sectionals. I'm sorry but winning 3.0 sectionals is not anywhere close to as impressive as Sisk winning in 3.5 or Somabut winning in 4.0. I also think simply making it to sectionals in 3.5 or 4.0 is a bigger accomplishment than winning sectionals at 3.0.

    I don't mean to take anything away from Bob. Anytime someone puts together a team that wins sectionals has had a great accomplishment but lets keep this all in context - its 3.0.

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  126. Good analysis. You can't simply count trips to nationals as an overall indicator. Accomplishments must be put into context. I am a Bob fan but until he does something impressive outside of 3.0 he'll still be below the other captains mentioned frequently on here.

    Bender, show everyone you recruit and win at the higher levels. Put together a 3.5 and 4.0 team this Spring and shut these assholes up!!!!! You can do it.

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  127. Please be aware that 90-95% of the people on this blog don't care what happens at 3.0 tennis. So, while your ranting, please keep it to a minimum.

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  128. Whomever the idiot anon is that stated he knows Joel Pickett and that he would never tank a match, wake the hell up. Pickett is Bender Jr. and guess where he started playing and learned all his crap from? You guessed it, Old Man Bender. Yoda wants to pass all his ways onto the next cheating sap, and that happens to be Pickett. Just look at the patterns and it's obvious. And Pickett barely even plays any more because once he got bumped to 4.5, his big ass ego couldn't handle losing (unless he was doing it on purpose). The only reason Pickett stayed at 4.0 as long as he did is because of match manipulation and downright cheating. I have proof by the way.

    So stop protecting the Benders and Picketss of the world and claiming you know him, when that is simply not true. Don't be naive, Bender and Pickett try to be friends with the man upstairs and the man downstairs to try and get their way. Eventually that catches up to you.

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  129. What say you Ice Pick. Please weigh in as to whether you have ever tanked a match at the behest of Bender

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  130. Have you ever seen Ice Pick come here to defend himself? He will not because he knows he would be lying. Maybe Elke can tell us the truth.

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  131. Can we PLEASE talk about something else ???

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  132. Can you imagine if Bender tried to pull this crap at anything higher than 3.0?

    I can't imagine the outrage if a guy went undefeated at 4.0 nationals and then the next year average 1 game per set in 4.5.

    But it's 3.0 and Bender gets new people to join USTA so nobody complains much.

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  133. Everybody take a deep breath. Exhale and inhale, or vice versa.

    Tanking is happening at all levels, and people have a right to be annoyed. But keep things in perspective.

    Is it any worse than fudging the numbers on your income tax return; sneaking around on your wife or even speeding for that matter?

    The point is everybody pushes the envelope in some areas of their life or career. They might think its OK; others would disagree.

    I will say one thing with certainty. I bet Tiger Woods never tanked a golf match in his life.

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  134. USTA should have a rule that any player that goes to Nationals will be bumped to the next level. The Player should have to stay at this level for at least two years, before he/she is elgible to appeal their rating.
    I think it's crap that you can go to nationals every other year at your former rating.



    I have play

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  135. You are right it is unfair. I predict that just like MLB will put an asterisk next to the results of the known steroid users that in ten years the records of the known tankers/score managers will have an asterisk by their results and branded a bad person for perpetuity.

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  136. i agree, winning @ 3.0 is not much of an accomplisment

    in 2008 i know bender had some severe health problems. i dont know what his problems were. but i was at high point playing a hp league when the folks at the hp desk had to call for an ambulance which came and took bender to the hospital. it was some kind of beathing issue i think. must have been 20+ people saw it. i heard bender was in and out of the hospital multiple times in 2008.

    so we have one bender hater looking @ his 2008 record & calling him a cheat. and the poster is too ashamed to post his name. i dont but much stock in that. you got a guy who must be 65+ yrs old in poor health doing the best he can - being harrassd by some crazy weird guy.

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  137. Your absolutely correct. Bender just has even year-itis. 08/06/04 are all health problems. But by the odd years, he's back to good health. LOL.

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  138. 3.0 tennis for adults is the equivalent of the QuickStart program for five year olds. The concept is to have fun while you are learning the basics of the game. But then I could be wrong, do they teach tanking in quickstart?

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  139. Yeah Joel tanked so much he kept getting bumped up. Dumb post!!!
    So what if Bender manages his scores, if your so mad about it why don't you go practice and beat him. Only people that can't beat him would be complaining. Your a 3.0 or 3.5 for gods sake, you have plenty of room to improve. Maybe you should go play womens tennis. or maybe you should look around the state of Texas and realize that the only way to compete at the sectional level is to do exactly what Bob and every other successful captain does. Look at the Houston teams over the last few years, they just keep recycling players back from 5.0, now how do you think they get back to 4.5 genius's?
    Bunch of sore losers that just can't admit when someone is consistently better than they are and are too lazy to put the work in to make themselves good enough to beat these guys.

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  140. Case closed. Keep up the clever use of the exclamation points.

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  141. Class is dismissed. The topic for discussion tomorrow will be stacking the lineup. Is it unethical or a smart ploy by the captain.

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  142. BENDER HATER
    If you have a problem with Bender go tell him face to face. Have some balls. Are you afraid the old guy will deck you? We are all tired of your posts. Whether he tanks or manages scores, I dont care at all. So stop hijacking the blog.

    And BTW it's very girly to sling mud and not give your name. Seriously, grow a pair.

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  143. Does anybody recommend a specific type of string for minimizing tennis elbow problems?

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  144. Tri-Level Sectional Schedule:

    Pool 1:
    Fort Worth
    Midland
    Houston
    NETX

    Pool 2:
    Dallas
    San Antonio
    SETX
    College Station

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  145. Use 17 gauge or thinner. It'll break sooner, but it will lessen your problems for sure. Also, any string with high elasticity. Natural gut is the best for this but you can get some others that have gut like properties if you don't want to spend the money on natural gut.

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  146. Looks like Bob's have an easy pool at sectionals. Good Luck!

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  147. I've never played 3.0 or 3.5 but I think its wrong to win every match one year (including nationals) and then get bumped and lose every match 0,1. Rinse, repeat every other year.

    I did not realize only 3.0s were allowed to call Bender out on this.

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  148. 6:02 AM: You are beating a dead horse dude. What you are bringing up has been discussed and cussed to death.

    Allegations of tanking are unprovable. Any person suspected will merely say he had an off day combined with great play by the opponent.

    Amateur tennis relies on personal integrity more than just about any other sport. We call our own lines, double hits, etc. The vast majority of the players make honest line calls and try their hardest during every match. Hopefully, those that don't will always be a small minority.

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  149. YES! Only 3.0s are allowed to call Bender out on this, cause otherwise, you are just being a gossipy little girl. And most people are sick about reading about this. It is the same accusations for years. OJs glove still did not fit, there is no new evidence. You will never be able to convict.

    He earned a well deserved TRI win. No one is going to change their opinion about what he does or does not do, and its just boring to read the same rhetoric about it.

    "Just not in my backyard". He is a nice guy, and as long as it doesn't apply to me, I really don't care. That is my take on Bender, and maybe everyone should just use that approach. Quit worrying about things that don't concern you.

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  150. I don't think the Bender attacks are a result of anything other than the undeserved Bender praise that continues to surfact. I think the attacks are just an attempt to put the resuklts/accomplishments into context.

    Both sides are correct.

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  151. January 22, 2010 8:45 AM

    The only thing that you are wrong about, is there is no such thing as a double hit anymore - as long as it is one continuous swing motion. if the ball hits both sides of your frame as you were swinging and goes onto their side, you are fine.

    Golf, you're still screwed though.

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  152. Bsmith, thanks for your comments on stringing machines.

    I asked a meaningful question, ONE response and 50 others continue to beat on the dead horse. Unbelievable...

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  153. Go to Golfsmith and get your racquet strung by a professional for $15. Surely you can afford that. And while you wait, you can go punch your clown.

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  154. Joel P. fell under Bender’s curse when he was a 3.5 player. Joel managed / manipulated many of his 3.5 matches.

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  155. Joel has been under both the Bender and the Somabut curse in the past.

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  156. Where did the information for Tri-Level come from above? I can't find the schedule online. If Dallas really got in a pool with SETX (joke), College Station (joke) and San Antonio (no 4.5s on roster - joke) then they got the best sectional-level draw ever handed out.

    Good luck!!!

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  157. "I don't think the Bender attacks are a result of anything other than the undeserved Bender praise that continues to surfact. I think the attacks are just an attempt to put the resuklts/accomplishments into context."

    This. Now let's move on.

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  158. I thought the Ice Pick bashers would have learned by now to shut up. His better half takes care of her man & will make you feeling lower than a snake.

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  159. 16 4.0 singles entries for the Ft. Worth tourney, but only 2 4.5 entries. Still not too bad for a Jan. event and lousy sit

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  160. Pickett, why don't you defend yourself? C'mon here and lie to everyone would ya. Stand up for yourself for once.

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  161. ANON'S LIST OF THINGS TO DO:

    BASH BENDER - CHECK
    BASH PICKETT - CHECK
    GET A LIFE - NO LEADS

    MM

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  162. Hey Capslock; me thinks you da one doin da hi-jackin

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  163. I cannot believe those two pussies backed down from the fight, mr. tough guy and mr. golden gloves are all talk!

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  164. This is the FBI and we've concluded our investigation of the Dallas Metroplex Bazan Blog. The findings show that Bender and Pickett are both fing cheaters.


    ps. Fraser's connections were intricate to this investigation.

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  165. B & P: As your lawyer, don't say anything to the feebies. Assert your rights under the 5th commandment

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  166. I believe in their case it would be more like the 10th commandment.

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  167. 12:45PM Now that you have said it, don't you feel better

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  168. The best revenge against a coward / liar & mudslinger is SUCCESS.

    Bender is soon off to the Tri-Level Sectionals. Also his 3.5 Senior team is crusing to an easy 1st place finish. He's just about qualified for two Sectionals and it is still January.

    Somabut won the Tri-Level competition with Bender (& probably recruited the 4.0s and 4.5s). Somabut plays for Windland's Senior 4.0 team which is 3-0 in matches and 9-0 in lines. They'll likely win a trip to Sectionals as well. And the spring league has not yet begun!

    Dallas' best captains are off to a excellent start! Crybabies will have plenty to whine about this year.

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  169. Who is going to have the best spring 4.0 team?

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  170. John Sisk will rule 4.0 this year. He has an excellent group assembled and he is a crafty captain.

    Although I do have to say the GTC really sucks.

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  171. Bob Somabut may be hurt by the split up rule. So he has to start from scratch. While John starts with a good core group of players.

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  172. whoever gets reiman and lutes will have a very strong #1 dbl line

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  173. SETX-- Who the hell? College Station-- GARBAGE and a weak SA team with zip 4.5's. DALLAS could play their extra 4.0s in 4.5 and win this joke of a flight. Whoever made the flights must be from here in BIG D.

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  174. little early to be talking smack about how great Sisk team is. I hear there are a lot of good teams out there right now.

    That was like awarding Tri level to Feldman before it all begin.

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  175. Bender paid Tosha Smith $2,500 to set up the Tri-Level flights in this manner. (I saw him write the check.)

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  176. Pickett doesn’t have any balls to speak up. He’s been on his hands and knees for Bender enjoyment for the last five years.

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  177. Whenever I run into John Sisko, I picture Serena Williams and whenever I see Serena Williams on TV, I picture John Sisko.

    http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200708/r172045_647947.jpg

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  178. Another day and another round of Bender & Pickett bashing.

    I'm a casual friend of Bender. He is not the saint that the bendefenders paint him to be, but I don't think he the egomaniac and rule abuser that his critics charge. Without a doubt he has bent some rules. Whether he is a serial abuser, only he knows. On balance, his involvement in the local tennis scene has been positive due to the increased involvement of people that otherwise would not be involved were it not for his efforts.

    Pickett as recently as five years ago was no better than an average 3.5 player. Despite a significant medical handicap, he has made himself into a fairly strong player. Apparently, he has made some enemies. The reasons are probably many, some legitimate and some you can chalk up to envy.

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  179. ALL OUTSTANDING CAPTAINS HAVE TO PUT UP WITH COWARDLY ASSHOLES THAT SPREAD LIES ABOUT THEM BUT DO NOT HAVE THE BALLS TO APPROACH THOSE GUYS 1 ON 1. THE MORE SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE, THE MORE JEALOUSY & MORE LIES.

    BUT PICKETT, WHAT THE HELL HAS HE EVER DONE TO ANYONE? ONE GIRLY MAN WITH A MENTAL CONDITION & TOO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS THROWS A LOT OF MUD.

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  180. We need a separate thread: "Cheating Captains"
    Bender, Somabut, Sisk, and Branch.

    Then the nutjob that hijacked our blog can amuse himself. Those of us tired of mudslinging can move on to other issues.

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  181. Is there a nationals for the Sectional winners of the Tri-Level events? I was under the impression it went no further than the Sectionals, and that last year's winners got free tickets to the pro tourney at Palm Springs later in the year

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  182. Joel is too busy down in Houston this weekend, to read or post here. Get a life guys.

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  183. Btw Dallas men are in the finals of state cup down here. Pickett is the captain...must be cheating again haha.

    State cup player

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  184. Who is all on the team from Dallas?

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  185. The studs at every level. 3.0- 4.5 men. The Dallas ladies are in the semi finals. Go DALLAS!!! Bring home the title.

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  186. Just want to know who we should be cheering for as it relates to the Dallas teams. What levels even play in the Texas Cup? Just 4.5s?

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  187. Clark/Wiley, Bender and Slezak

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  188. There aren't any big names at the USPTA event. It's not Texas Cup.

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  189. Dallas boys won state cup finals. Congratulations guys.
    Tony

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  190. Hey HOUSTON,

    Get used to a Dallas team making its way down to your backyard and taking home the title. It will happen again in 1 month.

    WAY TO GO DALLAS!!!!!!!!!

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  191. Dallas just won per Keith Clark w/o dropping a line in the final.

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  192. It wouldn't have mattered - Dallas would have still been holding up the trophy. Just get used to it.

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  193. Great competition at the state cup. Houston didn't have enough good players at all the levels to compete. You play 2 lines at every level. Dallas dominated against big name players from around the state. Well done men.

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  194. Houston has a great tri level team. Only 3 lines so they can compete and win. Too bad they had to recruit Kern from the metroplex.

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  195. No room for Kern. Bob got his 1st choice with Kiron/Slezak. Good luck to Kern.

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