Tuesday, March 11, 2014

40+ Geezer Playoffs looming and the slots are set… At least mostly…. Please Sir, Can I have some playing time?





Playoffs are approaching.  It is time for captains to begin to plan their playoff lineups.  As I was once told, the good captains are separated from the bad ones based on if they are cold blooded.  Captains almost always have a guy that is the 14th best player on the roster but that player is convinced he is deserving of playing time.  The better captains can borrow a line from Nancy Reagan and “Just Say No!!!” to their playing time begging players.

The question looms, who are the lesser captains? 

As the season really winds down, we can go through the likely playoff  teams and try to decide who the sucker captains will be.  Please comment on who you think and why they will be the sucker captains of the playoffs.

I will be making my never too early playoff predictions here.  These might change.  After all, leagues are on a spring break hiatus.  Some take a week and others two weeks off.  I have no idea why the various layoffs.

The Heavyweights

4.5+ - I really don’t have a lot to add in the way of current updates because of weather and DTA lack of scheduling.  The playoff schedule is the top 2 teams from each flight advance to a round-robin.

Flight A – It is still a two team race.  Lakes/Wagner and Greenhill/Sweeney.  They are both undefeated and must play each other twice.  All this will be irrelevant if Greenhill beats Gleneagles/Juhn this week.  That will take them to 7-0 (taking their unreported match default from Canyon Creek).  That is 4 losses for Juhn and gameover.  Lakes has their two matches against Greenhill left and two matches against bottom feeders.  For all intents and purposes, they should clear their calendar.

I still think Greenhill is a little stronger but not by a great amount.  Rich and Correia are some very good 5.0s. 

Flight B This is a three team race.  Greehill/Rossouw has a very good team on life support.  I know his real team is in Fort Worth but in Dallas, he is in a must win situation this week against first place TBar/Fikes.  Not only must he win this, he must win convincingly.  Before the season started, I thought Dick’s team was the best in this flight and I still think so.  I see a very good Greenhill team being eliminated.  To make matters worse for Greenhill, Brookhaven/Harllee looms the following week.  Brookhaven sits with the same record as Dick’s team.  Brookhaven has a bottom feeder this week.

In the end, I think TBar edges Brookhaven on lines.  While not as confident on this flight as I am on Flight A, it is pretty much decided.  Greenhill would have to have two extraordinary weeks.  They have a good roster but that is asking a lot from two other very good rosters.

4.5+ Playoffs – The teams I expect to advance are (1) Greenhill/Sweeney, (2) Lakes/Wagner, (3) TBar/Fikes and (4) Brookhaven/Harllee.  Your projected order of finish is…  Please comment with your thought…

The Middleweights

4.0 – This one appears to be done.  While it appears TBar/Beckner still has a score to post to edge Canyon Creek/McHugh.  I know a number of those TBar guys and they aren’t losing to a bottom feeder team.  The top 2 teams from each flight advance to a round-robin playoff.
This makes the four teams (1) McKinney/Peterson, (2) Greenhill/Kayser, (3) High Point/Wiley and (4) TBar/Beckner.

Flight A – Almost every person had McKinney/Peterson in the playoffs before the season started.  The question was who would be the other team…  In week 1, that question was answered with a monumental upset of McKinney/Peterson.  Greenhill/Kayser knocks them off and takes a meaningless loss in the last match of the season which was a makeup from weeks earlier.

McKinney is still the better team.  They have better depth but Greenhill has some very good doubles lines.  Both teams will be tough outs.

Flight B – This was suppose to be the epic battle between Titans Canyon Creek/McHugh and High Point/Wiley.  High Point held up their end but Canyon Creek slipped against the party crasher TBar/Beckner.  I know a lot of those TBar guys and I think they shocked everybody except myself. 

Canyon Creek has to be wondering what happened.  They had a great roster.  In the two matches they lost, every line lost was a third set tiebreaker.  That has to be a heart breaker.  That is a very solid team that sits home watching teams that they had chances to beat.   

The question is how would they have done in Flight A?  Before the season started, I was in the camp that Wiley couldn’t retool High Point so quickly.  In the end, he put together a better team than last year. 

4.0 Playoffs – It will be tough.  High Point has to be the early favorite.  They ended undefeated in a tough flight.  TBar is the wildcard of these four.  If you look at the lineups TBar played High Point and the one Canyon Creek played, they are noticeably different.  High Point definitely drew a more favorable opponent.  McKinney has great singles with Schwartz and Hutchison.  Their doubles are also good.  They are another tough out.  Finally, Greenhill has three rock solid doubles lines but they have little depth.

My early prediction that is subject to change—(1) High Point (2) TBar (3) McKinney (4) Greenhill.  All of these teams can beat each other.  Should be a very competitive playoff but High Point’s depth wins out. 
I look at the High Point lineup with players like Smithheisler & Zackary in singles, those are tough outs.  Long time 4.0/4.5 bump up/bump downs like Bearden, Corcoran, Sampson, Wiley, Clark, Campos, Shanks, Pearson and Wayles; he may just have too many options. 

3.5 – I am really stepping out my element here but will give it a stab.  Fretz 2/Bender is undefeated but must hold of High Point/Gardner.  Third place is Stonebriar/Dickey.  My guess is Fretz 2/Bender wins this.

Feel free to tell me why I am right or wrong

76 comments:

  1. Do your underwear say TBar on them too?

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    1. Are the TBar tramp stamps still given out when you sign your contract?

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    2. TBar tramp stamps was just a promotional gimmick to boost membership. The club thought it would bring in some of the public facility people. Then they realized they all public players already had tramp stamps. Agritelly is still mad at the marketing folks for that.

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  2. Blog rules: no kelleye talk. He is not playing geezer tennis so don't bring his name up for the 40 plus league comments!

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  3. Like HP's potential doubles line-ups, but I am not sure they can throw out the top set of singles players. If anything can bring them down, it will be the singles lines.

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    1. I agree. Their singles are suspect. They aren't bad but not a sure thing. Even their doubles are not special. They don't really have a top line but they don't have a bottom line. They can put out 3 good lines but no lock down line. The best strategy against them is to load up on doubles. There is good chance you can at least split singles and maybe sweep.

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  4. What are the best line-ups each of the 4.0 teams can put out there?

    I predict the order will be: 1) High Point 2) McKinney 3) T Bar 4)Greenhill

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    1. I will start with Greenhill. They have a small roster so easy to tell.
      Singles
      Ginn
      Archer

      Doubles
      Hartter/Barajas
      Kemp/Krauss
      Carpenter/Harris

      This is a good team. They aren't young and not deep but top 8 is as good as anyone. Teams will want to play them last.

      Do

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    2. That picture cracks me up. Every good team I have ever had seemed to have that problem. There are players that win about half their matches then think they should get play off time.

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    3. Next, I will evaluate McKinney.

      Singles
      Schwartz
      Shipley

      Doubles
      Bowman/Hutchison
      Frick/Muniz
      Do/Lockhart

      Pretty strong if you ask me. This team is capable of beating anybody.

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    4. My next analysis is High Point. This is the hardest to call because he has so many quality players.
      Singles
      Pearson
      Smithheisler

      Doubles
      Corcoran/Sampson
      Bearden/Shanks
      Clark/Zackary

      He has so many players, it is hard to tell. He has no bad players on the entire roster.

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    5. TBar, this is the biggest unknown. Need to look who he played against Canyon Creek, Brookhaven and High Point
      Singles
      Wilson
      Reinhart

      Doubles
      Walley/Essenberg
      Beckner/Monk
      Chapple/Perry

      All four teams are good and can beat each other. I wouldn't be surprised if all teams have a loss.

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    6. I would move Zackary to singles in front of Pearson and move Wiley with Clark. Much better lineup.

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  5. Funny, but NO country club team favored to win any division. Coincidence ? Nope

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    1. Not true. I'm picking Canyon Creek to win 4.0 over 40s if the DTA will agree to play three full sets.

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    2. IF my aunt had balls she would be my uncle.

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    3. I heard that Canyon Creek is petitioning to make it about games won/lost to determine who wins a match. What kind of system would make it about total games won/lost instead of who won/lost? If anybody would do it, I guess the USTA would.

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    4. No coincidence. The clubs play who they have....the poors go recruit from across the land. It would be an upset if the clubs won all the time.

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    5. TBar were national finalists in 5.0+. Private clubs can play.

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    6. If anyone can get the scoring system changed CC can. We will just petition the DTA and continue to collude with Hookhaven and Treebar

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    7. Not seeing a TBar ally on this one.

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  6. TBar at both 4.0 and 4.5 have good chance.

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  7. Keep trying to get rid of the best players on opposing teams and you will have a better chance.

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  8. TBAR has an "A" lineup that they haven't really shown yet. No one will be able to sweep them in singles and their doubles is top notch.

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    1. TBar has Brian Wilson. The Beach Boy has some serious game. I don't see him getting beat at 4.0. He will be on Fike's team next year.

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    2. Never heard of him. Looks like he used to be 4.5 and does look mighty tough at 4.0.

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  9. Why are yall forgetting about McKinney? We were a third set tiebreaker from winning cities last year.

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    Replies
    1. Because I don't play for McKinney. I play for TBar.

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  10. The big upset will come when someone plays who shouldn't. You know him. The guy who annoys his way into the lineup. He will lose. He always does when it matters.

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  11. Every team has that guy on the team.

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    1. We had several. I think that is why we aren't in the playoffs.

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    2. Do you know how hard I work to get on a really good team so I don't play much? I get a great partner and I only play against the weaker teams. Which allows me to be confused about whether I'm any good or not. No, no, I am good!

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    3. As one great Dallas captain said, I don't care how good you are in practice. I care how good you are in bug matches and hue good at break point.

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  12. The blog is back! We officially have spam again

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  13. Wiley is the most likely to snatch defeat from the jaws if victory. Last year, he played himself a lot. You have to wonder if that is why he had so few players back.

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    Replies
    1. Peterson is another known to 'play everybody.' He is a nice guy. It appears to be a nice guy thing.

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  14. Could it be that his team went to nationals and had to split up???

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    1. that and a lot of that team got bumped to 4.5

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    2. Pure silliness. What nationals team has players bumped up?

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  15. I like Peterson's bunch to pull it out. He's got plenty of depth and is solid at singles and doubles. TBar and Greenhill are good but not much depth and could wilt. High Point is good as well but they went too deep in the roster last year and it almost cost them. Catches up with them this year. McKinney gets some revenge for a close loss last year.

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    1. Peterson has the best singles. Schwartz & Hutchison are probably the best 1/2 singles combination. Shipley isn't bad either. If they sweep High Point singles, Wiley is in trouble.

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    2. Peterson no doubt has good singles but mike Zackary best singles player in 4.0. Pearson a decent line 2 as well. If that team has a couple strong doubles lines out they advance easily.

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    3. Brian Wilson is the best singles player in 4.0.

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    4. It's always the self rate. Don't worry about the guys you know. Wilson is the real deal.

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  16. Could we debate 4.5? Geez, new blogger guy is right, 4.0s definitely have more passion.

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  17. The one captain that won't get caught playing too many players in Kayser. Roster is too small.

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    1. It will be Wiley who plays the wrong lineup. Mark it down! He has no bad players but he has some that aren't that good either. Wiley is questionable about either injuries, motivation or down right tanking. Somabut hasn't been anything in years. Romero is way too inconsistent. A lot of these guys, I don't even know and their records aren't that good.

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  18. What is there to talk about in 4.5??? Some matches not finished. The best 4.5 player in town is not even on a roster in Kelly and he is what makes headlines. If he was playin this blog would be full of hate and bashing. He does strike a nerve when competing, like him or hate him.

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    1. He is not playing and there is a lot of hate and bashing. I know Mike and his game. He is a really good player but he is not the unstoppable juggernaut you guys make him out to be. Should he be 5.0? Probably but he wouldn't be the dominant force at 5.0 you make him out to be. With the whole 5.0+ league, he becomes very mortal. He is not a 5.5.

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    2. Totally disagree. I think at the 5.0 level, if playing in a match he needs to win, he beats a majority of 5.0 players in the league. Nobody likes him and that is fine, but the guy can flat out play and his mental game is unsurpassed.

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  19. Hard to argue that point. I also agree he would do damage in 5.0. When a guy can carry a team to first place every year in mixed, then not play for them one league and they finish in fourth and miss playoffs that says a lot. Going into a match up 1-0 takes pressure off other players. He totally changes the dynamics of everything as far as lineups and pressure off others. When you get his best, he is unbeatable. When you don't, it is your day.

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  20. What a waste of talent! Not playing men's, never plays tourneys and rarely shows up for nationals. He has already skipped one this year and was a no show in Tri level finals. Most of us dream about what he doesn't even play. It is mind boggling.

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  21. Spring league preview coming soon. Was going to do today but apparently flights are going to be decided today so might as well wait until then.

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  22. It's hard to know who the best 40+ 4.5 team is until the playoffs tell us, but take a look at the number of matches the 5.0s have played on each of the contenders.

    TB - 13
    BH - 6
    GH (R) - 11
    Lakes - 10
    GH (S) - 3

    I would have thought TBar had the best roster, but GH Sweeney has played only one of their 5.0s three matches and has lost only two individual matches all year. If they can get their 5.0s out to play, it looks to me like they will be pretty solid.

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    1. Sweeney has the best 4.5s and 5.0s. He just needs to get htem out.

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  23. If they play their best lineup , Greenhill Sweeney wins Dallas again this year.

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  24. Spring 18+ flighting is suppose to happen tomorrow. The real league and maybe we can get past the old folks league. I'm glad Corey will be doing a write up.

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  25. Old geezers huh??? I would put kelleye up against and 18 plus 4.5 player in the league. And he is 49.damned impressive if you ask me.

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  26. Old geezer tennis is weak

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  27. "Old geezer" doubs > 18 & up doubs.

    Singles different story.

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  28. I thought the DTA were putting flights out today. I guess it s a case of put them out and get out of the office before anyone complains.

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    1. Evidently they put every team in flight C then went home

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    2. It's never good to over-promise and then under-deliver, but reflects particularly bad on the management of an organization whose customer base already questions the value of your services.

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    3. 4.0 update - flight C will be really tough but the winner goes straight to sectionals

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  29. Are you really surprised at this?

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  30. How is CC still playing after all the defaults?????? Politics

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    1. One match default and their season is over. That's the rule. They have had two match defaults already. You think Nolen doesn't know that rule?

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    2. The season is already over. I imagine if they are playing it's bc someone asked them to do so. I can't imagine they care since they aren't and never were in contention anyhow.

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  31. to those who thought the might Kelley winning trilevel finals was difficult. Houston playing finals now. I hope they win just to show Kelly winning it last year was not that tough!!!

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    1. Houston won sectionals last year at 4.5, 4.0 & 3.5 last year. Why wouldn't they be good at tri-level? Kelly's bunch won it all when Dallas wasn't loaded. But he did go 6-0 at tri-level Nationals to carry that team. If it wasn't that hard you would be playing there.

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  32. To win Tri level is very difficult. Houston lost today in finals. Pickett team winning last year a very tough thing to do. Hate on Kelley but he did go undefeated there.

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  33. Spring 4.0 flights are out. Looks like flight A and B are the toughest. Sisk and Somabut in the same flight??? That could have been a Sunday at sectionals matchup and now they're in the same flight???

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like Klamecki is putting his input into scheduling.

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    2. Also in that flight is McKinney/Bazan who won last year and Oak Creek as well. Not very even.
      Brookhaven seems to have gotten an easier flight.

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  34. You can count on it. Totally corrupt.

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