Ty Webb (aka Tony Le) – With his cool, calm demeanor and
knowing how to “be the ball”, Le was the favorite entering the weekend, having
just swept Sisk 5-0 and under the table the prior weekend. His collection of players from High Point and
Lifetime along with the City’s best 4.0 player, Weymer (also known as the Tommy Le of tennis) were to be a sure
thing. However, when Weymer is MIA on
Friday night, Le has to go with an alternate line-up and nearly squeaks out of
a close one with CC. All 3 dubs went
into breakers, and became a recurring theme for them all weekend long. Unfortunately, breakers have their odds, and
having breakers in each and every match, the odds you end on the short side eventually
take over.
Judge Smails (aka David Dawson) – While Dawson appears to
be a lot more docile and not a hot head as Smails the character, the playing out of the
country club and the desire to derail Le is somewhat stereotypical . Like in the movie, when Smails reaches for
his putter, the Billy Baroo, Dawson had his own in the form of Blake
Ericsson. Ericsson dismantled Shreyas
2-0 to in singles on Friday night which put Le in knots as 2 of Le’s double
lines dropped their first sets. The boys from the country club made an
impressive run, and should be congratulated for a well played season. A point here or there, and CC would have been
playing in the finals.
Danny Noonan (aka Corey Noel) - Like Noonan who worked for the club, Corey
runs Fair Oaks tennis center, and took on a handful of players whom he had
faith in, and whom he could afford at the bargain price of 2 Miller
Lights. Terrell and company were just
recently 3.5’s. But not any 3.5’s. They were Bender 3.5s, and were the cause of
Le going to the QT in the first place.
Although their weekend’s record was 0-2, they fought like champs and
almost derailed HP again having split singles and taking line 2 dubs, Terrell
and Schultz took Glassgow and Arcaria to their second 3rd set
breaker of the weekend. A group of guys
who had little depth, but big heart, and deserves another round of applause (or
golf claps) for a season well played.
Al Czervik (aka Bovie Browning) – I actually have never
had an opportunity to meet Bovie nor know what he is really like. The reference of Browning’s Eldorado team to
Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) is for the care-free attitude and good gamesmanship
they did display this weekend. Eldorado
is a player made up of good country club friends, and they appear to enjoy a
beer or two together from time to time.
It is rumored that Blake Bearden practices with them on Saturday mornings until
the club’s bar opens. You definitely know the beer
is flowing then. If any player this
weekend had a tennis bag that would have had a keg in it similar to Al’s golf bag in the
movie, that player would have been on the Eldorado team. They
seem to be a good group of guys and had a very respectable season, knocking
Garland down to the QT and out of City playoffs completely.
Dr Beeper (aka David Snow) – Another captain and team I
am unfamiliar with, but deserve blog space for making it to City playoffs and
putting up a good fight. They also have
on their roster T-Bar’s owner, Glen Agritelley who has a great game of tennis
of which I got to witness first hand.
They almost took out Eldorado on Friday night, just losing in a 3rd
set breaker. A tough weekend, but a
great overall season. Congrats.
Carl Spackler (aka Carl Spackler) – no one can replace
Bill Murray in this role. Nobody.
Which leaves me with the final character.........
The Gofer (aka Cary Bazan) – If you recall the movie,
after Carl Spackler blows up the golf course, that “little fury creature”
wiggles his way out of hole and starts doing a jig to the song that made Kenny
Loggins infamous, “I’m Alright”. Well
that was Cary Bazan this weekend.
Perhaps some might feel his cheerings for the team was more reminiscent
of a high school cheerleader who just inhaled a large Pixi stick and chased it
down with a Red Bull and Coke, but Bazan was the last man (or creature) left
standing this weekend, and deserved to do whatever jig he pleases.
Cary has consistently built solid teams over the years
and has always graced his presence in the playoffs. But every dog (and gofer) has his day, and
today’s was Cary’s. He constructed a
team of core players he has had for years, and each year, seemed to pick up a notable
player or two to add depth and strength to his roster. It all
paid off, and Cary Bazan can now claim a City Title and will be playing in this
year’s Sectionals. Cary - Congratulations
to your team and a job well done.
In closing, I thought I would throw out a stat which
caught my attention, and truly provides the evidence that there was no overly
dominant team this year. There were 18
third set tie-breakers played throughout this weekend. Three of those in the final match. There was a total of 7 total matches played,
which means each match on average had at least 2, if not 3 third set
breakers. That tells me there was some
great teams and great tennis across the whole City, and it is a season all
Dallas players should be proud of.
Best of luck to Bazan and Le in Sectionals.
