How it Works: Each tournament has 8 teams divided into 2 pools of 4 teams each. Each team will play each other 3 times, and the 2 best records move on to the Final Four championship. If there is any tie that finishes like 2-1, 2-1, 2-1, and 0-3, there is no coin flip this week, teams will be put into their position by who has the lowest seed. Then 4 teams will enter the Final Four and the other 4 will enter a competition to see who finished in 5th place. Make sense?
Trophies: There are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies for boys, girls, middle school, and boys consolation. There are no trophies for Co-ed consolation because we technically already have three sets of trophies for teams competing in Co-Ed. I know that the system does favor girls and middle school teams because all 6 of them are guaranteed trophies--I think that is great because it takes guts to compete against varsity boys teams week in and week out when the average age of your team is 11. As far as the money goes, the $35 given by the teams went to pay for all the trophies and a portion of the balls not covered by corporate sponsors. All in all, we will lose about $200 for the league give or take a bit, not bad huh?
My Heart: Regardless of what happens next Thursday, I believe we have had an outstanding league this year. It was run well, volunteers stepped up to ref when necessary, and despite the occasional argument (which we know and expect will happen), you the teams did everything asked of you and I am proud of how you handled yourself. We didn't have people speeding around our parking lot or wondering aimlessly around the church. Nothing got broken, no one became bitter enemies, and the 5 minute nugget Bible Studies I believe went very well. I will ask you one more time on written form to surrender yourself morning. I really hope you do that. If the Bible is right, and we are to stand before God someday and give account to whether we know the Lord and then our actions on how we lived our lives, than any delay in attending church and accepting Christ could only be seen as foolish within the scope of world history. Right? Of course, 5000 archeological digs backing up the 2000 years of Christian history could be wrong. But anyone who studies the laws of probability and would bet against those odds would also have to agree it would be possible for an elephant to hang off of a cliff with his tail tied to a daisy.
Boys Championship: Read this carefully...there are 8 teams fighting for the Boys Championship...and any team can beat any other. At this point, records have minimal significance and it doesn't matter if a team has 19 wins or 26 (though hats off to the Stingrays for winning more regular season games than any team in EMDA history). After saying that, it just puts a bigger target on their backs. The best example of this is in the National Dodgeball Championship last July. When the Holy Dodgers won the final eight tournament, they had the #5 seed. This tournament should be fun with 3 teams from Timberland, 2 from Holt, 1 from Elsberry, 1 from Parkway South, and the returning champs from Fort Zumwalt North.
BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS
In the boys division, there is a Big Four and a Small Four. And though it is possible that all of the Big Four meet in the Final Four, to be honest, its not likely because of this league's pension to have upsets at inopportune times. The Dream Team once lost to the E-Town Rangers, the 636 Boys have lost to the Cuts, the Zumwalt Bad Boys have lost to a Co-ed team, and the Stingrays have won about 12 games 2-1 (one or two balls could have changed all of that). As for teams likely to upset, it more than likely will happen with those on a roll. The Broncos finished the year 8-2 and beat the 636 Boys. Sparta if you remember started 5-5 and finished a formidable 14-4 and have one of the games greatest players. Vegas believes those two teams are dangerous. Captain Planets and the Dudleys have been pretty constant throughout the season--does that help them or hurt them? Time will tell. When it comes to predictions, people like them, so here we go. Zumwalt Bad Boys remain champs and defend their title because they historically perform their best against the best, especially when they are playing level headed.
Long shot prediction is for This is Sparta to sneak into the Final Four by upsetting the 636 Boys because the boys from Little Caesar have a habit of stubbing their toe.
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: ZUMWALT BAD BOYS OVER STINGRAYS
3RD PLACE: DREAM TEAM OVER THIS IS SPARTA
CO-ED CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS
The Co-ed tournament on paper looks to wide open on paper, that is the only place it looks wide open. Though this is going to sound harsh, or honest journalism or whatever kind of garbage that it sounds on sports talk shows, but 2 of the teams really don't have a shot at winning it in the eyes of those who place bets in Vegas. The Saints and Emo Kidz do not have the firepower to win the Co-Ed division (take that as a challenge if it helps motive your team J). The E-Town Rangers, though they own the best record, can they beat the Cuts, Vendetta, and possibly two teams from Bracket #2? Though probably a Final Four team, that may be as far as they go. The two real battles are between Vendetta and the Cuts...and then the Crazy Ivans and Sweet Feet. Based on last year's experience of the Krazy 8's (a solid Co-Ed team that had problems getting quality playing girls), they will lose unexpectedly. Meanwhile, the Crazy Ivans could receive a scare from Sweet Feet, who might just play themselves into the Final Four. All said and done, no team is better than Not to Mess With in the Co-Ed department and they should be expected to win their second Co-Ed Championship in as many years. Yet, if one can recall, the Cuts poured it on in the tourney last year and won the consolation bracket, are they up to the challenge again?
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: NOT TO MESS WITH OVER THE CUTS
3RD PLACE: CRAZY IVANS OVER E-TOWN RANGERS
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS
The defending champion Emo Kidz are heavily favored even with a lot of their girls missing each week. If few show up and the Vicious Vixens have their full team including Jamie Overby, they could pull the upset.
Whoever wins the opening round game, actually should win the championship game because though the Sweet Feet make an excellent Co-Ed team, their record in girls only games have been less that outstanding.
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: EMO KIDZ OVER SWEET FEET
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS
The E-Town Rangers are the best middle school team in the area--and as far as we know--the world. Though the Wildcats did lose once on a 2-1 margin, there really is no reason to expect they could beat them 4 times out of 7. The Boon Dox will get their reward for having stayed true the whole season by receiving 3rd place trophies more than likely (though they are 3-7 in their last 10 games).
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: E-TOWN RANGERS OVER WILDCATS
BOYS CONSOLATION TOURNAMENT
There are 3 great teams in this tournament, the Mean Machines, Hitmen, and the Raunchy Burritos. The Mean Machines have an easier bracket having only to beat the Magnums and Wild Dogs to win their side. On the other side, the Hitmen and Raunchy Burritos will more than likely battle to see who will face the Machines in the title. The X-Men and Guardians play for fun and will do battle on the lower end of this tourney.
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: MEAN MACHINES OVER HITMEN
3RD PLACE: RAUNCHY BURRITOS OVER WILD DOGS
CO-ED CONSOLATION TOURNAMENT
Who the heck really knows who is going to win this tournament? It really is anybody's game and could be dependent on which team brings which one of their players to play next Friday. By record, the Wildcats and Hillbillies seem to have a clear advantage, the Vixens are also a solid contender and could pull out a victory. The 4th place game really is up in the air, with only 17 total games won between Dodge This, the Jackalopes, and the Boon Dox, it really could be anyone's shot at the Final Four.
PREDICTION:
CHAMPIONSHIP: HILLBILLIES OVER WILDCATS
3RD PLACE: VICIOUS VIXENS OVER ROARING JACKALOPES
|
|
|
|  |
|
|
|