Ghost Man on Third: The And I Feel Fine Edition

The  Award Winning Official Newsletter of the MA Commonwealth Division

"The Kickball is Not Enough"  

THE SEASON FINALE: " You're looking at black and white. Seeing our name in lights. Gonna make you feel alright, cause baby we're here all night. We rule the world. This is our world." - The Hives

Table of Contents: 

I: With our thoughts, it is made.

II: A World's Cup

III: And Alexander Wept
IV: Wilde's World's Two Tragedies

V: Whirled Peas

VI: Announcements

VII: Whoa-oh, It's Spinning 

PART I: " I will meet you over there. I am going to meet you over there. Washed over the side. Top of the sky. Slow diver down. Two feet land on a different ground. You can't live easily. You can't even speak. But all of them speak. All over the world." - Pixies

And standing on top of the world, your 2012 MA Commonwealth Division Champions

DON'T COME ON MY BASE!

Congratulations to co-captains Alison and Ilana, and the team of Carlos, Daniel, Amber, Andrew, Caroline, Jonathan, Kara, Meaghan, Janna, Dave, Aaron, Jana, Andrew, Matthew, Ilana, Jodi, Nicole, danny, Jonathan, Erik, Steven, David, and Sarah!


PART II: "We have all the time in the world. Time enough for life to unfold, all the precious things love has in store. We have all the love in the world. If that's all we have, you will find, we need nothing more." - Louis Armstrong

Yes, the Champions Cup may be in the possession of the lads and lassess of Don't Come on My Base! And yeah, the hangovers and questionable decisions from the End of Season Luau may  have faded. BUT THE 2012 MA COMMONWEALTH KICKBALL SEASON IS NOT OVER YET! 

Tonight come and see the madcap and mad fan 2nd Annual All-Star Game! Watch as Team Merrill and the All-Stars from the Ninjapocalypse Now, Dirty Mike, LTBB and Kickin Nuggets, look to defeat Team Baker and her All-Stars from Pumped Up Kicks, Don't Come on My Base!, We've Got the Runs and Teleballin'. And once this Montague and Capulet-esque feud is settled, watch as a the combined All-Star Team takes on the Boca Bar All-Stars for the 2nd Annual Copa de Boca. (By the way, someone remind me to bring the Copa de Boca Trophy). Everyone is welcome to join us for the real end of the season. 

PART III:  "World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the reverent in the right - right? You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched. It's the end of the world as we know it." - R.E.M.

My freshman year of college I took one of those stereotypical liberal arts classes that seemed to be purely mental masturbation and institutional justification for English departments (No offense to you English majors/future baristas out there. Ha!) The course was taught by a real Classics Freak (the man spoke Latin and Ancient Greek and insisted we refer to him by the Greek root of his modern name) and he had us reading (drunkenly skimming) all the great ancient Epic; Gilgamesh, Odyssey, Illiad etc and then tracing their influence through modern culture. I remember two things from that course; my final paper compared Marge Simpson to Penelope (Odysseus' wife) within the context of some pro-feminist argument (to woo the ladies, cause that's how I roll) AND the professor was very melancholy about his thirty-third birthday. To many classicists, the reign of Alexander the Great coincided with the peak of Hellenistic culture, and after conquering much of the known world, Alexander died at the age of, yes, thirty three. Thus for this professor he found his thirty third birthday to be quite an important milestone in his life, and the fact that he had not conquered the world as did Alexander, left him way more bitter than a normal birthday (all you single ladies celebrating the anniversaries of your 29th birthday, amirite?) Which probably explained the professor's huge fandom of Scandinavian thrash metal. But I digress. 

Now in the greatest Christmas movie of all time, Die Hard, my personal criminal hero Hans Gruber (please check this fantastic video tribute, out of the many on YouTube)  paraphrases Roman historian Plutarch when he laments, "And Alexander wept, for their were no more worlds to conquer." As I approached that age of thirty three, (and coincidentally share the same birthday as Alexander the Great) I've gained a greater appreciation for the emotional necessity and power of endings. Alexander's weeping is most likely apocryphal, like much from one source ancient history, but the moment does capture a common emotion that we all face when one chapter of our lives ends and another one begins. I do not mean tears, but that sense of wonder of where do we go from here? 

For Don't Come on My Base!, the ending to their season was a happy one. For the other seven teams we are left wondering "where do we go from here?" Despite the stench of wisdom with which I write (or maybe it's just cumin. I did have Indian food for lunch) I do not have any answers. But what I do have, both to celebrate this season AND display more of Tim's awesome photos, which have truly been one of the high points of this season for me as GMOT editor, I have AWARDS! 

The Isaac Mizrahi from The Show that Competed a Few Seasons with Project Runway called The Fashion Show Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Kickball Fashion goes to Dirty Mike and the Boys - This race was tight, what with the ever-changing costumes of Champion Don't Come on My Base, but the bold choices of Dirty Mike not only provided this blog with a target for good natured fodder, but was admirable for being such a great team despite the chafing and junk constriction. 

The Bookman The Library Cop Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Aptonyms goes to We've Got the Runs. Now for those of you who've been around the league for awhile, know that I am a fan of the aptonym, a name which describes the person and occupation of that person. The greatest fictional example of course is the Library Cop from Seinfeld, whose name was Bookman. We've had a few great aptonyms in this league, such as former Champion Last Team Standing. However this year their achievement was exceeded by We've Got the Runs, who became the first anti-aptonym team having been shut out five times this season, which to me is more impressive than winning. (Almost)

The Bruce Boa From That Episode of Fawlty Towers with the Waldorf Salad Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Busting Ass goes to Teleballin'. For those of you who appreciate fine comedy, watch Fawlty Towers, which is perhaps the greatest situation comedy ever produced. In one episode, Bruce Boa, an American character actor (he was a Rebel General on the Ice Planet Hoth in Empire) plays an American on vacation with his British wife on the English Riviera. Used to the American way of doing things and service in a hotel, Boa's character bursts the delusions and exposes deceptions of the owner, the titular Basil Fawlty played by the iconic John Cleese, in a very witty rebuke of British politeness. "When things are right, you gotta bust some ass" Boa's character says. And well, that was Teleballin'. Yeah, they didn't win all season, and for many were sports strangers in a kickball land, but damn it, they busted ass all season trying to get better and trying to win. And that should always be recognized. 

The GOB Bluth COME ON! Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Feigned Outrage to Looking to Bust Balls, who despite their combined history and success in this league, got passed over by younger teams in the standings. And to add further insult to injury, were not awarded the Bruce Boa From That Episode of Fawlty Towers with the Waldorf Salad Award or The Bookman The Library Cop Award because while they did bust ass, did not bust enough and while their name was kinda apt, were not apt enough. COME ON!

The Bluth Family Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Never Having Seen a Chicken is awarded to Kickin Nuggets. Like their namesakes, the Chicken Nugget, Kickin Nuggets are not made of chicken. (Has this team even seen a chicken?) They are made of wonderful friendly people who despite their lack of success in the win column, kept a positive attitude and remembered the fun in kickball, making it more enjoyable for everyone else. Plus they allowed the author of the GMOT to link to the Chicken McNuggets scene from The Wire, which is always a good thing. The author of this blog is just a humble muthafuckah with a big ass blog, you know. 

The Norm Peterson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Ridiculous Consistency goes to Pumped Up Kicks. Yes, while for the first time in three years, Pumped Up Kicks did not hoist the beloved Champions Cup, their consistency since joining the league as Carescout three years ago has been remarkable. It's like every time they came to the field, someone would just pour them a win and everyone would yell "Norm(al)!" 

The Omar Little Goes to the Bodega and Comes Back with a G-Pack, a Carton of Newports But No Honey Nut Cheerios Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Being My Team goes to the Ninjapocalypse Now. As you know from last season, The Wire is probably my favorite television show of all time. The depth of the writing, quality of the acting, and attention to detail that David Simon and Ed Burns brought to the streets of Baltimore is unmatched in modern American storytelling. And of course one of the most enduring characters of The Wire is Omar Little, the drug dealer robbing, moral compass of The Game. Of my many kickball seasons, this iteration of the Ninjas is my favorite team that I've played on. A great group of people to play kickball with and hang out with afterwards. Yes we wanted to win it all, like everyone, but we came up short, but returned home with a lot more in terms of friendships and experiences. Anyway, just watch this scene (NSFW as it contains brief male nudity) and pretend that the league Championship is Honey Nut Cheerios, the G-Pack is The Indefatigable Can of Spam and a pack of Newports is a Duck Boat Tour, and everyone yelling "Omar Coming" is just a bunch of people making quacking sounds. 

The Balki and Larry Dance of Joy Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Joy goes to Don't Come on My Base! because while sometimes the world looks perfect, and nothing needs to be rearranged, sometimes you do get a feeling that you need some kind of change. No matter what the odds were this time, nothing was going to stand in their way. They had a WAKA FLOCKA flame in their heart, as they met up with long lost friends, (who had the Kicks), and on a dark field found a light at the end. They were standing tall, on the wings of their dreams. They rose and fell on the wings of their dreams. Through sun and no thunder, pink and no rain, they were bound for better days. It is their life, their dream and nothing was going to stop them now. 

The Robert Irvine Restaurant Impossible Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Guy Who Knows What He's Doing Making Other People Look Better goes to Tim Hoffman, whose photos this year have been fantastic and made us look even better than the real thing. Thank you Tim and check out the Championship Week Album Here. Though Tim had some competition this week as Zif from Don't Come on My Base! was also there snapping away. Enjoy his album here. 

The Tim Russert's Whiteboard Award for Outstanding Achievement in The Field of Being the Glue That Holds This Shit Together goes to Paul Lurie, our League Rep. Having known Paul for four years now, and watching him run this league for the past two he reminds me of the great white board of the late news anchor Tim Russert. On the night of the 2000 Presidential Election, as the vote count in Florida caused the closest election in the history of modern America, amidst the speculation and craziness of that night, Russert's white board showing the electoral votes needed to win, kept it all together. And despite the contentiousness of that election and the two subsequent elections since and the one we will be going through again in the next few months, to me anyway (a major poli-sci nerd) the whiteboard remains a symbol of constancy, sweet constancy. Paul loves kickball, loves running this league, getting out there and having fun with his friends old and new. It takes a certain amount of love to put up with all the behind scenes stuff to make this league run smoothly, and Paul thankfully for us has this. Running this league is a labor, but it is a labor of love for Paul, and the fun we've had this year is in large part due to Paul. So kudos to you sir. 

PART IV: "There's one more kid. That will never go to school. Never get to fall in love. Never get to be cool. Keep on rockin' in the free world." - Uncle Neil"

The Semifinals

#3 Dirty Mike and the Boys 5 over #2 Pumped Up Kicks 1

For the first time in three years Pumped Up Kicks did not win the league title as they were thwarted in the Semifinals by Dirty Mike and the Boys.  

Congratulations on a helluva run goes out to Pumped Up Kicks  Captain Victoria, Andrew, Tim, Keith, Matthew, Alexander, Kristina, Douglas, Kelly, Brett, Chris, Mike, Stacey, , Kirsten, Brett, Mark, Erin, Brittany, David, Morgan, Emma, Ryan, Brian, Maria, and Nancy.

#4 Don't Come on My Base 6 over #1 Ninjapocalypse Now 3 

The night began with DCOMB (actually wearing WAKA-issued t-shirts{they were pink}) riding high off a commanding victory over LTBB. Happy to be in the semi-finals at all, things took a turn as the team put forth a strong team effort, including runs by team captain Alison, two home runs by Steve (yawn), and Amber's first time coming on the Ninjas base all season. Powerful defenseive stops in the end of the game pushed the pink team into something nobody saw coming, unless you heard the commisioner mention the dark horse at the mid-season finals, a Pink vs. Dirty Mike finals.

For the Ninjas, they gave total effort, highlighted by spirited defense and base running by Paul, a tremendous diving catch by Jeff who also drove in a run, and solid teamwork in the field. However, in the words of The Boss, sometimes your best isn't good enough, as Don't Come on My Base just tougher than the rest. Still it was a joy to be lost in the flood of Ninjawesomeness this season. Thanks to Captain Mike, Paul, Kyla, Jen, Jordan, Jeff, Emily, Amy, Megan, Ryan, Jackie, Paige, Rick, Hadley, Jon, Andrew, Jon, David, Ed, Katie and Sam. Special Kudos to Jen E, who despite a serious knee injury after week 1, was the first Ninja to the field every week and last Ninja to go home (even if it wasn't necessarily hers. We're just kidding Jen) every week. That's a teammate.


Erik and David contributed this report.  

PART V: "We played king of the mountain out on the end. The world come chargin' up the hill, and we were women and men. Now there's so much that time, time and memory fade away. We got our own roads to ride and chances we gotta take. We stood side by side each one fightin' for the other. We said until we died we'd always be blood brothers." - Bruce Springsteen

The Final

#4 Don't Come on My Base 7 over #3 Dirty Mike and The Boys 1

The name of the game was defense, especially against one of the highest scoring teams of the regular season. Little did "The Boys" know that we had strategically hidden our best kickers inside large and muscular men, as they pulled their outfielders leading to two more Steve home runs, and a bases clearing triple by the late arrival of Jon C. If it wasn't for some hobo in left field letting the first kick of the night go between his legs (his name will be left out of this report for pride purposes), Matt would have accomplished his second shutout, but had to settle for a one run outing. The celebration at the bar consisted of the ceremonial trophy of beer coupled with supporting chants by the Pumped Up Kicks before anyone even arrived. Who knows what 2013 holds, the only thing certain is that people will hold a little bit more respect towards a team dressed in flannel and pink socks.

As for Dirty Mike and the Boys, it was close but no cigar. Still congratulations are in order for Captain BDO, Gabriel, Tom, Trevor, Jennifer, Caitlin, Keri, Mike, Megan, Sara, Katie, Lauren, Dara, Michael, Derek, Tim, Patrick, Christa, Kayla, Allison, Chris, and Tyler for a helluva season. 

Erik contributed this report. 

PART VI: "Throwdown Stray Cat strut in Bulawayo - hey, Bulawayo. Buddy Rich in Burundi. Quadrophenia in Armenia. Armenia City In The Sky. Big Youth booming in Djkarta. Nina Simone over Sierra Leone. Wild sound of Joujouka in Nevada - hey, Joujouka. Everywhere, everywhere Bob's bringing it all back home" - Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

Announcements, Announcements Announcements

BOCA BAR: Last Call! Thank you to Boca for all your support this season.

PHOTOS: Special thanks again to Tim for his photography of this season. View his albums here.  Also thanks to Zif from Don't Come on My Base for his slideshow. 

NEXT YEAR: If you haven't joined a fall league, remember we'll be back next year to start over. Keep your eyes posted to the www.kickball.com for more details. 

PART VII:  "Why is it barbaric? Is it, biological? Why is it frenetic? Is it astrophysiological? It's an epidemic, there's nothing logically? Logical, logical, logical. It's a rockin' world, make no mistake about. It's a shockin' world, could be what's so great about. It's a rockin' world, there ain't nothing fake about it." - Joe Strummer 

Human beings hate uncertainty. Despite knowing that the only certain things in life are death, taxes and change, we still strive to gain some glimpse of that future which is unwritten. (Happy Birthday Joe!) Thus why 2012 is a weird year. For many this year will be the end of the world, based on the Mayan Calendar. Now the advanced nature of the Mayans has lead to all sorts of myths, legends and prognostications, and despite the best research and archaeological evidence indicating that the Mayan calendar does not end this year (it only switches from one Mayan millennial to the next, much like the whole Y2K stuff from twelve years ago) some people still promulgate the myth that the world is ending. 

Despite the ridiculousness and lack of logic, that is not necessarily a bad state of mind to be in. Now, I'm not promoting people sell all their belongings and descend into mass panic, like the suicide cultists have done in the past. (What was that's guys name from last year? Harold Camping?) Nor am I proposing you stop and weep like Alexander did when he realized there was no more challenges left for him to conquer. What I am proposing is that you cherish the moments you have. This was a wonderful summer because of our shared journey as a league. Sure one team won it all and everyone else lost, but in the grand scheme it will be the friendships and memories forged that last longer than that immediate thrill of victory. 

So as this season's chapter closes, remember the words of the late great Warren Zevon, "Enjoy every sandwich."  I hope you all have a safe, productive and wonderful fall and winter, and that I will see you in the springtime for our next chapter. This season may have ended but our world will keep on spinning, spinning, spinning.... and rockin!

Good Luck and Happy Living,

- David, GMOT Editor

Revisionist History

Dear Loyal Kickabrigians:

There were several errors with this week's GMOT

1.) First off the editor had no point, except to say ELVIS LIVES! and BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEE.

2.) There were not enough mentions of Hugh Jackman

3.) No Rock Hyraxs were harmed or unnecessarily stimulated.

and MOST IMPORTANTLY

4.) The link to Tim's photo album from last week was in correct. The link has been fixed both in the blog and can be accessed either there, or through this link here.

Apologies for any inconveniences. 

Here's some Bruce doing Elvis for you. 

Ghost Man on Third: The History of the World Part I Edition

The  Award Winning Official Newsletter of the MA Commonwealth Division

"We are not makers of kickball. We are made by kickball"  

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK: " I never wanted this to end. Good with transmission but too lazy to send. Not going down no in no history. You're going down because of me " - The Hives

Table of Contents: 

I: Going Down In

II: The King is Dead. Long Live The King

III: It's Good to Be the King

IV: A People's 

V: Standings and Schedule 

VI: Announcements

VII: Written by the Vyktor

PART I: " Do you want me to tell it like it's boy meets girl and the rest is history, or do you want it like a murder mystery? I'm gonna tell it like a comeback story." - The Hold Steady

Before this season becomes history, remember we have two final events.  

DATE: FRIDAY AUGUST 17th

TIME: 7:00 PM until the Drinks Run Out

LOCATION: The Hong Kong at Fanuiel Hall 

WHO: Registered League Members and Guests

WHY: You earned it. You are drinking on WAKA! DRINK RESPONSIBLY

View the Facebook Invite with all the Details Here. 

This is followed by the MA Commonwealth All-Star Game on Thursday August 23rd! 

After tonight we have one more game. Why it's the All-Star Game. Come cheer on your Kickball All-Stars as they work their way through the gauntlet that is born forth from the twisted mustache'd mind of  league rep Paul. Watch as a team consisting of the All-Stars from Ninjapocalypse Now, Dirty Mike and The Boys, Looking to Bust Balls and Kickin Nuggets lead by Ninja captain and your not-so-humble GMOT Editor, me, takes on the team of Pumped Up Kicks, Don't Come on My Base!, We've Got the Runs, and Teleballin' lead by the also not-so-humble, yet not GMOT Editor, Pumped Up Kicks Captain, Vickie Baker.

PART II: " We drove to Memphis the sky was hard and black. Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac. They drawed out all his money and they laid him in the back. A woman cried from the roadside "Oh he's gone, he's gone". They found him slumped up against the drain. With a whole lotta trouble running through his veins. Bye bye Johnny. Johnny bye Bye. You didn't have to die " - Bruce Springsteen

On August 16th, thirty five years ago, Elvis Aron Presley was found dead in his bathroom in his Graceland Mansion in Memphis Tennessee. The King was dead. Long Live The King. 

Now I am on vacation this week from my day job of manually masturbating rare and exotic animals for  industrial uses. (If you only knew the importance of the rock hyrax to commercial coffee production.) So I have stepped away from the "squirting floor" as we call it at work, and am elbows deep in rock n roll history as I navigate through three nights with Bruce Springsteen and his history making, booty shaking, curfew breaking, love making, viagra taking, legendary E-Street Band. On Tuesday night's show he both honored the venue, Fenway Park for its 100th Anniversary, and during an encore performance of Dirty Water (a song that itself is a time capsule of Boston in the days of the Strangler) pictures of Johnny Pesky graced the Jumbotron, honor a man who was living history for the Red Sox. (And who's death prompted my quip, "You know it's a bad season when the embodiment of Red Sox baseball checks out before the season is over." Too soon?) 

Anyway, this week for me is heavy with rock n roll history. Bruce's career of course spans since his debut in 1973, but his influences reach back all the way into the dark past of American rhythm, soul, gospel and blues. And the man who brought these influences together and made them into the phenomena that has defined modern American culture is of course Elvis. Elvis wasn't the best singer or guitar player. He wasn't much of a song writer, and he had his virtues and vices like everyone. I'm not one of those who clings to idea that for the past 35 years he's been living as a guy incognito, to escape the worship cult that will be descended upon Memphis this week. (I could go for some BBQ). But he was ground zero of the art form that has captured my imagine and soul since I was a small child who, when visiting family in the rural south, visited a small shotgun shack in Tupelo. 

As I listened to Bruce's song "Bye Bye Johnny" (which of course is a play on the name of Chuck Berry song, you know Chuck Berry, the cousin of the guy who played for the band for the 1955 Mill Valley Prom "Enchantment Under the Sea") one of his rarest live tracks today on bootleg, a song written about the moment the world found out The King was dead, a memory came rushing back from a few years ago. Michael Jackson, another King of Pop, died on a Thursday in the summer. I was on my way to kickball when my cell phone blew up with texts alerting me that another flawed King who so changed popular culture had become history. 

And since I am on vacation, there will be no bit this week. Just reflection. (And while I'm reflecting you may want to reflect on another Elvis fan's contribution to this league. Here's Tim's photos from last week. Love the series capturing the tip between two members of Dirty Mike and the Boys)

History they say is written by the victors. But really it is written by each one of you. We make our own history. 

PART III:  " If I had rubies and riches and crowns. I’d buy the whole world and change things around. I’d throw all the guns and the tanks in the sea. For they are mistakes of a past history. Let me die in my footsteps. Before I go down under the ground " - Bob Dylan

#3 Dirty Mike and The Boys 12 over #6 We've Got the Runs

We've Got the Runs knew they would be in for a tough match against Dirty Mike and the Boys as they had beaten us pretty badly the first time we played. We started off well playing solid defense and even scoring a run in the first inning. Unfortunately that would be our only run and our defense slowly collapsed as we lost 12-1.

So with the season over, special thanks to the members of We've Got the Runs, Captain Sam, Brad, Mike, liz, Katie, David, Kerry, Mike, Kaytie, Natalie, Joe, David, Becky, Matthew, Laura, Frank, Joanna, Andrew, Vivek, Kevin, Tracy, Jodi, Amanda.

Sam contributed this report. 

#4 Don't Come on My Base! 6 over #5 Looking to Bust Balls 1

Just like Team USA and Argentina, the two gender-distinctive colors faced off for the third time. It was truly a fight to the finish, which is a good place to end. Sneaky captaining placed the true power of the lineup in the third inning, as DCOMB was able to overcome an early one run deficit with a 2 RBI double by Jon S and a deep sacrifice fly to right field by Jon C. With the momentum behind us, it turned into a game reminiscent of the Sandlot 2, with Ilana L stealing home a la Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. After winning six of the last seven games, only time (and the referees) will tell who will win the rematch of week 2 versus the Ninjas. But this time, we're leaving the muu muu's at home. 

With their defeat, the season ends for Looking to Bust Balls. So a special thanks goes out to  Captain Jason, Sara, Andrew, Michael, Julia, Max, Jamie, Lindsay, Tara, Valerie, Jordan, Andrea, Ben, Yasmin, Patrick, Nick, Anthony, Jonathan, Jay, Justin, Adam, Amy, Steve, Abbey, and Richard.


Erik contributed this report.

PART IV: " From the Hundred Year War to the Crimea. With the lance and the musket and the Roman spear. To all of the men who have stood with no fear. In the service of the King  " - The Clash

#2 Pumped Up Kicks 3 over #7 Kickin Nuggets

The Nuggets put up a good fight this season! Our skilled pitcher Pedro and talented fielders kept up with most kicks and we didn't end up in last place! We count that as a victory. We'll be spending the rest of the year working out, taking steroids, and practicing our moves, so other teams should be prepared next season. It's ON. 

And with that congrats to Kickin Nuggets, Captain Jess, Olivia, Martha, Matthew, Adam, Aubrey, Christopher, Pedro, Sabrina, Amy, Elisha, Jennifer, Nathan, Tom, Julie, Adam, Patrick, Laurie, Topher, Erin, Justin, Rebekah, Diane, Randi.

Jess contributed this report.

#1 Ninjapocalypse Now 9 over #8 Teleballin' 0

It is often said familiarity breeds contempt. Except in kickball, where while the third game between the Ninjas and Teleballin' resulted the same (with the Ninjas scoring nine runs in each contest) the third battle left the Ninjas with a deep respect. Despite jumping to an early lead and being defensively smothered like grits at a Waffle House, Teleballin' kept battling. It's that honorable effort that instead of breeding contempt fostered a sense of respect and honor in the finest Ninja tradition. Salut! 

Congratulations to Captain Meghan, Anthony, Carl, Holly, Bill, Inda, Mike, Dan, Stefan, Richard, Anton, Jillian, Maureen, Ziphorah, Barbara, Jennifer, Steve, Ramiro, Nikoleta, Melissa, Megan, Scott, Matthew, and Richard for a great season. 

PART V: "Please allow me to introduce myselfI'm a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year. Stole many a man's soul and faith." - The Rolling Stones

Schedule:

6:30PM

Dirt: 

#2 Pumped Up Kicks v. #3 Dirty Mike and the Boys

Referee: To Be Determined

Grass:

#1 Ninjapocalypse Now v. #4 Don't Come on My Base!

Referee: To Be Determined

7:15pm 

Championship Game

Winner of

#2 Pumped Up Kicks v. #3 Dirty Mike and the Boys

vs.

Winner of

#1 Ninjapocalypse Now v. #4 Don't Come on My Base!

Referee To Be Determined
Field to be Chosen by Highest Remaining Seed.

PART VI: " You're on the never never. You think it can't go on forever. But the papers say it's better. I don't care 'cos I'm not all there. No Elvis Beatles or the Rolling Stones.- Bruce Springsteen

Announcements, Announcements Announcements

BOCA BAR:It's almost Last Call at Boca. Come on by and celebrate with the winner and commiserate with the valiant defeated at our home away from home. 

PHOTOS: Special thanks again to Tim for his photography of this season. It's been a real pleasure. 

TWITTER: If you can't make the final, and are dying to know,  @Macommonealth is the first place to find out the results from Thursday. Give them a follow!

PART VII: Listen to the country, the night jar and the bell. Listen to the the night streamliner sounding like the wolves of hell. Head for the water – the waters of the cleansing spell. it was always our destination on the express of the ner do wells.
And we rock through Madison city,man we didn’t even know she was there, ‘til we hit the baffles in Memphis and Beale Street didn’t have no prayer.
I hear punks talk of anarchy – I hear hobos on the railroads. I hear mutterings on the chain gangs
It’s those men who build the roads. And if you put it all together, You didn’t even once relent. You cast a long shadow, And that is your testament.

Somewhere in my soul, there’s always Rock ‘n’ Roll."
- Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

Tonight this league becomes part of history as a Champion is crowned. But what is more important, once that moment of triumph or defeat wears off and the life's grind re-establishes it's grip upon us, is that this season will now be part of our permanent history. It has been wonderful to meet and write for all of you this season, and that I hope that this recreational engagement in a child's sport has been good for your spirit and your souls, and that you will remember these games and these moments fondly. And we've been doubly blessed this season with the work of Tim, whose skills as a photographer have provided a rich visual history of our league this season. Make sure you check out this week's album here.  Thanks to Tim. Thanks to league Rep Paul for all of his work.

But most importantly, thanks to you. For you are the ones who've made this season one for the ages. Tonight a new Champion is crowned. The king will be dead. Long live the king as history marches on. 

Good Luck and Happy Kicking,

- David, GMOT Editor