We have 40s starting. Mixed starts this weekend but I am not going to talk about it much. Mixed is unnatural. It is akin to a mule; mule is the unnatural offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Mixed has some jackass looking at some mare and deciding he wants to get some of that on a tennis court. I really don't understand the love affair with mixed. The women always complain that the man hits it at her. The woman lobs every shot and it gets equally aggravating to the man. With that mini-rant, I pick Alan's 7.0 and 8.0 teams to win. From a VERY short cursory look, both teams may be able to book their trips to sectionals and might consider getting a refundable ticket to nationals.
In the real league, also known as men's 18+, I care a whole lot more, but this time of year, there are a lot of 40+ geezer and no under 40 whippersnappers who do care. This league is actually a better league. There are far fewer bad players and teams. On the other hand, there are not many self rated ringers. I am unsure if I have ever seen a self rated ringer at 40s. Please comment if you know one.
4.5+
Flight A has Sweeney as the favorite. It is a very similar roster to his very good team from last year that was very close to going to nationals. I do think adding Gene Davis strengthens him considerably. I still don't think he is any match for DeGruyff in Austin but Sweeney should know the DeGruyff can't play line 2 singles. Also, Sweeney is friends with the Voldermort (Tom Riddle or he who shall not be named) so it is not out of the realm for him to get on his roster too. Voldemort would get smacked around by DeGruyff too. He has Rich and Correia that are mighty tough at line 1 doubles.
Brookhaven Goswami or T-Bar Fikes is my pick for second. I don't think Tridib's 5.0s are as strong as Sweeney and he has some marginal 4.5s on that roster. T-Bar has Bartzen and that is always a good start. After that they have many good 4.5s but little depth. I suspect they will add a few players.
With that said, it is Sweeney's to lose.
Flight B has Brookhaven/Harllee as the prohibitive favorite. Bruno Braga is probably better than any of the 5.0s on any roster. Maybe Voldermort will come out from behind his keyboard and play on a team at 1 singles and prove me wrong. Mezzour is their other 5.0 and he is also very good. I am pretty sure, Braga would lock down line 1 singles and Mezzour with a very strong 4.5 can make their line 1 doubles team also very strong. Their are definitely options on this roster.
Second place will be a fight between JCC, Gleneagles, Oak Creek and Rossouw. I actually have no idea. They are all good teams but need a little more. Oak Creek has the most depth and added recent blog sensation Patrick Teterud but he didn't win the 4.0 draw so not sure if that is the answer. (Sorry 4.0s, I didn't go to the Cotton Bowl to watch you so I have no idea how good you are but some of those Open Players I did go to see did look pretty good). Rossouw has depth but his 5.0s are himself and his BFF, Brandon Myers. Nice players but I would be shocked if they had any success against playoff 5.0s. Gleneagles has Culley for a 5.0 and Aponte. Culley is very good but no match for DeGruyff or Braga. I'm not terribly familiar with Aponte but his results looked solid at 4.5 but without a large bumpup, I doubt he gets moved up most years. JCC has what looks like a few players but no depth. Williams, Reiman and Foster are quality players but a lot of the others are 4.0 40s bump ups that got blistered last year.
The city champs should come down to Sweeney versus Harllee. I think Sweeney wins 3-2 and has a decent chance to go to nationals. I really want to see Voldermort to play and take on Braga. Yeah, I'm calling you out. I might even take the bag off my head if you beat him. I said might. :)
4.0
Flight appears to go to Fretz/Clark. He looks to have taken last year's High Point 2014 leftovers and added some upgrades. Tony Le and Ryan Delapaz really struggled in 2014 and if they can get their form back, that is a very strong doubles line. Doug Voss struggled in 2014 but got his form back to win the 4.0 Cotton Bowl. I would assume his main squeeze Tim Newman (another 2014 struggler) will join. Most of the rest I really don't know or they just aren't top talent. Of course, if you don't know them, they are oftentimes better than those you do know. From what I see, I don't see much in the line of singles that wows me but then again, I don't most on the roster.
Runnerup will be between Greenhill/Kayser and, McKinney/Peterson-Frick. Neither appears to have much in the line of singles. I like Kayser because last year his team made it to sectionals Sunday and looks mostly intact. He can challenge Clark. Peterson-Frick has little depth but things can change.
Flight B appears to not have anybody very good. Canyon Creek was devastated by the mass bump but may still win this flight. Greenhill/Ohl is pretty good but not great. Springpark is who I pick. There isn't much to say about this flight as it is a whole lot of ho-hum.
In the end, Fretz wins this and will be going to sectionals.
You don't play mixed because you would lose to the Creek. Take it again just like last year.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful, jackass. I mean, mule. "Creek?" I assume you mean the Canyon variety? Damn. One win in how many years, and all of the sudden you're flapping your gums.
DeleteThe "Creek" will most certainly be taking it again this season. Bending over and taking it.
Good luck and happy new year!
Love it or hate it, mixed does inspire a lot of emotion. And hard feelings. 8.0 in particular. After SP took last year off at 8.0 it will be interesting to see what they have this year. CC should be a serious contender as well. Let the tras talking begin.
DeleteThere are no other contenders for Mixed 8.0 40s this year. SP could easily go the entire season without dropping more than 2 games in any set, if they were so inclined.
DeleteMixed is unnatural. That is funny!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat about 3.5?
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing - the blog guy has said many times he doesn't know 3.5. So submit your own analysis. Or better yet, make a new year's resolution to shed a few lbs.; practice with more purpose; and maybe take a lesson from a pro. Then who knows, you too might become a blog star.
DeleteWell, here is facts about 3.5, it could be anyone this year but I truly think it's down to just 3 teams, why you ask...well here's why ..its mostly due to Dallas's 3.5 talent was recently bumped up to 4.0 thanks to the USTA. I would have personally picked 3.5 Gardner but they are all playing 4.0 in that Fretz division. Good luck ED.
DeleteSO, we are left with a short stack, that's right, will anyone come out and watch these golden girls this January, maybe if they got a clean bill of health with Obamascare. Moving on to the teams....6 teams playing mens 3.5 40's. I would imagine many 3.5 teams have been scrambling to find ANY talent to fill a roster spot now that many have had a few players bumped to 4.0. You might even see some see 3.0's playing 3.5 on a few teams. Easy wins, Thanks for joining 3.5 for the opposing team.
The Teams....(The A Team Theme music playing in the background)
You have two Canyon Creepers teams...one team won 18+ Fall
1 Old Mr. Brookhaven Sr team
The JCC and funky bunch
McKinney Retirement Community Jones squad
DFW Space Cadet Rene Alzuro squad.
3.5 PICKS
1st place: Early win and everyone's favorite Rene to win( I said it, Alzuro).
2nd place: Most likely the senior team Jones or 1st String Canyon Creepers battle for the remaining spot. Depends on who has taken their meds and if no one breaks a hip this win.
Enjoy and See you on the courts,
Finally, some 3.5 goodness!! Good Post!!
DeleteMurray has elevated the blog to be an educational tool. The reference to Voldemort is just another example. Keep up the good work in 2015. Why are so many elderly guys from the mid-cities area joining the Fretz 4.0 40 & Over team?
ReplyDeleteAnd all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner, they'd be your partner...
ReplyDeleteAnd you're so vain, you probably think this blog is about you...
Don't you! Don't you!
The 40s season is just three months of waiting for Tony's super team.
ReplyDeleteHe wants to be the latest Dallas captain to beat everyone and to only be embarrassed by Freeman?
DeleteI think its pretty funny that now the code word for tanking is "struggled" and "trying to get there form back", lets just call it what it is CHEATING!
ReplyDeleteIf they're cheating, tell us what you know. Otherwise shut up.
DeleteOne meaning of struggle is to "have difficulty handling or coping with". This is a very appropriate use of the term. These guys obviously "have difficulty handling or coping with" being rated 4.5. Probably born that way. Can't blame them, not their fault.
DeleteNot that there is anything wrong with that.
DeleteNothing wrong with cheating?
DeleteGiving less than 100% for the sole purpose of getting bumped backed down to 4.0 is not cheating. But it is unethical; reflects a lack of character and is disrespectful to the opponents involved in the "struggler's" tainted matches.
DeleteThe fact that the strugglers have children playing tennis is even more shameful.
It is their not there. If they are doing that prove it.
DeleteThey can't have children playing tennis. It's an 18 and over league. Or is having 18 and over players in an 18 and over league also cheating?
DeleteThey guys you keep complaining about may beat you in Dallas but they all get beat at sectionals. And if they didn't beat you in Dallas, someone else does so you aren't in the playoffs either way.
DeleteStay focused 9:03 pm, this thread is about 40 & over leagues. I believe the previous poster is alluding to the fact that these tankers take their minor aged kids, who also play tennis, to watch them (the tankers) throw matches. Does that help your feeble brain understand now.
DeleteSo we've reached a new level of insight. You believe you can help us by telling us what happened at matches you have no knowledge of? Feeble brained indeed.
DeleteThat Jackass picture must be Kelley.
ReplyDeleteTake out the second "e" from horseface's name, and you could be right.
DeleteActually mule face.
DeleteWe do so many people take this so seriously. Go play and have fun. But, if your sole purpose is a national title, you have to be out of level. At least a little bit. It's like winning the home run crown in baseball between 1990's and 2010. You have to take advantage of every little rule you can. Until you get caught.
ReplyDeleteA little different but we get the point, which is exactly right. The problem is the USTA & DTA does not give a crap, and thus there is no one to do the catching. Until someone from the top starts doing something about these gutless a-holes, we'll just have to live within the crappy system and let the likes of Le, Sisk, Pickett, Somabut, etc. etc., keep cheating so they feel better about themselves. No need to prove it, everyone knows who and how they do it for the most part.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell has Tony Le ever done to call him a cheat? The guy has never won anything but I keep seeing how he is some massive cheat.
DeleteJust wait and watch. You'll see.
DeleteObviously everyone who joins a team should get a participation award, like a trophy or plaque or something. Let that be the only thing you can get. No championships and no progressions. That will fix all the cheating and make USTA league tennis the WGAF utopia that all the crybabies on here are hoping for. I personally hope Le puts together a team of about 17 international self rates that can actually compete with Houston. He might as well, none of the 4.0 crybaby "talent" in Dallas can compete out of city.
DeleteThose guys aren't good enough to beat Freeman anyway. You do it with self rates or you don't do it at all.
DeleteExactly, that's why Tony will put together a team with some serious ringer self rates to go with the regular move downs. The move downs get the team through the regular season while the self rates "struggle" to protect their ratings. Come playoffs, self rates step in and mop up. Proven formula for success. Meanwhile the rest of the crybabies can get participation rewards, everyone wins.
DeleteYou are not doing anyone a favor if you play above a level that you can win at. Plain and simple. So if you are not able to win at your level, do what you can to move down.
DeleteI don't know it gives many of us some easy wins.
DeleteThe health of USTA league tennis pretty much depends on those who are willing to self-adjust their ratings for the good of the league. Hats off to those who are willing to sacrifice a year or more of self regulated effort in order to maintain the true intent of league tennis.
DeleteActually, the health of the league depends on the diminishing number of players who compete each time they play, without concern for their rating.
DeleteThe USTA can't stop you from constantly self-adjusting yourself, but the notion you're doing it for any other reason than your own enjoyment is laughable.
The health of usta leagues depends on captains forming teams and getting people out to play. The rest is irrelevant because once people sign up the usta and dta have their fees.
DeleteI agree that the concept of tanking is irrelevant as far as USTA leagues go. People have the right to play wherever they are most comfortable and if that means they have to take one or two years "off" to readjust their ratings that is fine. As long as they are still playing and contributing to league coffers then it assures a continuous healthy environment for tennis. Glad we can all agree on this.
DeleteWhat you have to realize is most of them aren't winning the national title. That's how much other sections are cheating. It's not just a Dallas problem. It's a usta problem.
ReplyDeleteOnly 1 section per league level wins a national title.
DeletePrecisely, so why cheat? The USTA needs to step up, but it will not happen. And the DTA is clueless, they just want to collect more dough along with the USTA. Money talks, and cheaters suck.
ReplyDeleteGo Cowboys!
ReplyDeleteHOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCowboys will "tank" against Green Bay.
ReplyDeleteTrying to get moved down to Canadian Football League or NFL Europe? I like their chances in Arena League.
DeleteEnjoy the ice box this weekend guys!! Maybe the weather will bring a few upsets!!!
ReplyDelete