| The day started with a gloomy haze, rain was inevitable and everybody knew it. When it did start everyone hung out underneath the tent. All the teams were talking and socializing which was a nice change from everyone staying within their own groups. Not to say that these events aren't friendly but this one was outstanding.
The field was littered with patches of small rocks and pebbles. What is unfortunate was knowing how much work went into this field and what the final surface was intended to be. Personally raking and shoveling the field I was surprised to see how the rain had brought a whole new layer of rocks up and washed out the grass. With the way the field was built it stayed flat and without any divots so it remained a great field to play on.
It seems the Nasty Impulse is the marker of choice for most teams now, it was hard to believe just how many players had one.
This tournament saw something new I doubt people had seen before, and hopefully will never see again. The amateur division, as a whole, decided that since there were only eight teams in the prelims they might as well save some money. A third of the way into the prelims all the teams decided since nobody was going to be eliminated why bother playing the prelims at all. Each team would start at each end, no markers, at the whistle four players would immediately walk off and the final two players would walk up to the fifty, shake hands then jump over the line together. Three eliminations, thirty points a team...
The only team to be eliminated was Tac Ops, however they are to be commended for making a showing at every event. However today just wasn't their day.
The semifinals started the second day of the event although every team, except for one, voted to play the entire event in one day. The weather would prevent that.
Heavy Metal won a hard fought amateur division and Thunder Paint took the novice. The series in the novice division went to CO2 Kool, who received $1000 is cash. CO2 Kool, immediately following the awards ceremony blew the money on booze and lap dances. Spikes 5150 Black missed winning the series by three points and Strict Union 1 will be going to the World Cup. After the event, a one-on-one was offered to the players but only twelve would bite, instead twelve players went out for a 6-on-6.
It's hard to be unbiased since the field hosting this event was our home field (PAG) but I heard very few, if any, complaints about the event itself.
Photos - Awards ceremony,
Best pictures,
Other pictures.
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