A Big Thanks!

The following is a list of folks who helped ref the final six games:

Shaher Ibrahimi, Jush Hunt, Mike Tiffany, Curtis McCoy, Nick Lerner, Brad Keirns, Shawn Miller, Geoff Wright, Phil Chiles, Leslie Smith, Mike Pergande, Paul Santos, Adam Patterson, Casey McAtee, Aaron Swaggerty, Brett Allen, Adam Mitchell, Jason Hwang, Phil Mitchell, Adrian Proctor, and Matt Escobar.

You guys (and gal) helped make those games run swiftly and smoothly.  Also, thanks to those who helped clean up at the four fields.

Enjoy your labor day weekend!  Deron

Tourney Finals

Congrats to Pita Pit, Kings of the KVKL for 2009! View the completed post-season tournament bracket.

Championship Week: August 30th, 2009

It’s the last week of league play, I hope everyone has a good time.  Good luck to all teams!

Equipment: Milton’s, West Coast, First Blood, and Pita Pit are responsible for picking up equipment (Adina will be at the garage around 4 p.m.).  The winners of the Lyons East, West and Cowser games will bring ALL equipment to Hobbs (west parking lot) when finished with their games.  Cans for Community will have their bins at Hobbs, so please funnel all aluminum cans to those receptacles.  Thanks and great job with the can recycling this year!

Here is the ref schedule for this Sunday (8/30):

5 p.m. Lyons East Love Garden @ First Blood     refs- Curtis McCoy, Josh Hunt, Shaher Ibrahimi, Mike Tiffany

5 p.m. Lyons West Eastsiders @ Pita Pit     refs- Brad Keirns, Shawn Miller, Geoff Wright, Nick Lerner

5 p.m. Cowser Replay @ West Coast Saloon     refs- Phil Chiles, Leslie Smith, Mike Pergande, Paul Santos

5 p.m. Hobbs Weaver’s @ Milton’s     refs- Aaron Swaggerty, Jason Holladay, Adam Patterson, Casey McAtee

Playoffs, Week #2: August 23rd, 2009

News and notes:

-REMINDER- If you haven’t already, please check the revised 2009 playoff bracket for your field locations and game times.  In addition, a revised ref  schedule should be out in the next 24 hours.  Please keep an eye out for that.  Again, the 5:00 and 6:30 games will have the standard ref schedule.  Some  8:00 and 9:30 games will have travel times.  Therefore, starting ALL games on time is very important.  PLEASE GET TO YOUR ASSIGNED REF/GAME  SITES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.  For equipment pickup/drop off: the team with the better seed in all games is the home team.  Last team that wins  at  a field drops off.  If you play in a 6:30 p.m. game and win (specifically at Cowser, Hobbs, Edgewood, or Water Tower Park) please drop off equipment at  Lerner garage as promptly as possible.  Someone will be waiting.

-My skills of prognostication are absolute crap.  Still waiting on the bathrooms at Hobbs.  From this point forward, I am going to abide by a city + 10  rule.  Or, whatever timeline the COL tells me then add 10 weeks.

-Regarding the  Screamers, Captain Swaggarty has graciously offered to rescind the results (via email) of their two games because of inadvertently  using an  ineligible player.  Therefore, the bracket now reflects a ToePokes (W) and Screamers (L) as well as a Replay (W) and Screamers (L).  Matt  Whitesell assures me  that Replay will be fielding a team and fulfilling their ref responsibilities.  If the Replay choses not to play, they will be responsible    for ref duties this Sunday.

-Looks like the weather will be in the high 70’s or low 80’s when we start playing on Sunday.  Wow.

-Cans for Community will be collecting cans at Lyons this week, so please plan on hauling your cans to that locale.

-Everybody did a fantastic job getting to and from game sites last weekend.  Looks like the only games that went late were those in extra innings.  The day   went very smoothly and we have you to thank for that.  Keep it up, only two weeks remain.  I appreciate the passion and commitment you’ve shown the       league as it wouldn’t work without you.

See you this weekend!

Deron

Tournament Results, Week 1

Congrats to all the winners on Sunday!
View and download the updated bracket (pdf).

Playoffs, Week #1: August 16th, 2009

Things you need to know:

If you haven’t already, please check the 2009 playoff bracket for your field locations and game times.  This playoff format is new (and exciting!) in that teams who lose their first game continue to play.*  Well, at least until they lose again.  Keep an eye out for the ref schedule which should come out today (if it isn’t already).  The 5:00 and 6:30 games will be a fairly standard ref schedule.  The 8:00 and 9:30 games get a little trickier because of your travel times (between sites).  Starting ALL games on time becomes very important in helping this day go smoothly. So, as the day progresses, PLEASE GET TO YOUR ASSIGNED REF SITES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. Again, please start ALL games early or on time.  For equipment pickup/drop off: the team with the better seed in the 5 p.m. game is the home team and picks up (beginning @ 4 p.m.).  Last team that wins at a field drops off.

Personally, I appreciate all the comments, suggestions, and input regarding the seeding process.  There was no simple way to seed and no way to appease every team.  If you have ideas on how to seed future tournaments, please send them our way.  I believe the final bracket to be reasonable and should provide for one of our best tournaments yet.

There were a few discrepancies regarding player eligibility.  I do apologize, yet some team’s scorecards are very difficult to decipher. Some players had up to three names/nick names.  For future reference, please present you lineup clearly and legibly for counting sake.  I would recommend consistently using a player’s first and last name or nick name then last name.  This will help make discrepancies far less common.  We’ll all sweat fewer last-minute adjustments together!  Scorecards for week’s 1 (May 31st)  - 5 (June 28th) are pdf’d and on the website (hit the 2009 Schedule tab then Scorecards).  Have a gander and see for yourself.  As always, a team that uses either an ineligible player or an illegal lineup will result in a game forfeiture.

Keep bringing those cans to Hobbs, so Cans for Community may continue to extol the virtue of our greatness (with regards to recycling)!   If it does rain and washes us out, we may have to condense our tournament format some.  Just saying.  Let’s hope it doesn’t.

Thanks for your patience and persistence!  Good luck this weekend to everyone.

Deron

*However, losers of the Wildman @ Slowride and Astrokitty @ Eldridge receive a bye.

2009 Post Season Tournament Bracket

Bracket: This morning, the KVKL Commission released the 2009 Tournament Bracket. Download it here (pdf). A ref schedule for this weekend will be available soon.

Rosters: You can download lists of each team’s tournament-eligible roster here.

Good luck everyone!

Candlepants KVKL Top 20 Rankings Week 10 plus Bonus Tournament Preview!

Hey balls deepers…err. Anyway…week 10 was a dream come true!  Congrats to Solidarity for pulling out a tight hard fought game vs Lady Lumps. It’s a testament to our league when the top 2 teams meet and the score is 12-9 and when the bottom 2 teams meet and the score is 13-11! How bout that.  Streakers, fireworks, a noise rock band, a bench clearing brawl, and all around crazy clouds and lightning made this one for the books. I’ve been looking forward to that game all season and as expected, it didn’t disappoint. Thank u ladylumps and solidarity(i meant to show the lady lumps my sugar lumps…oh well maybe next year).

There were so many other close games out there including a huge win for Jazzhaus over First Blood as well as a close victory for Liberty Hall over Screamers. I predicted 5 weeks ago that this would be the best 5 game stretch in KVKL history and I think its come to fruition. A round of applause for board member Phil Mitchell for the schedule re-design. He’s smiling somewhere. 

As for your Top 20 this week, I’ve sprinkled in some exta information for all you numbers nerds to drool and bitch over. Your Top 20 will also serve as my tournament preview, think of it as a mini KVKL version of what USA Today does for College Basketball’s March Madness. (Note: this is MY version of the rankings not the KVKL Board so these will not be the final word on bracket placement).  Cougar I know you’ll be a proud poppa of this. I’m no Jay Bilas, but can I be Erin Andrews? Here it is:

1 Pita Pit              record:10-0      pool play:4-0        rank play: 5-0       RPI:1

key win: all of them                      notable loss: none

The returning champs are poised for another run. They’ve won something like 18 in a row dating back to last year. KVKL hasn’t seen an undefeated season since 2003. While they are the most balanced team offensively and defensively they’ve had some really close games. KVKL has never had a back to back champ and the only 2 time champs are Love Garden. Are the Pit ready to make KVKL history or fall like they did a couple years back when they entered the tournament undefeated? Either way, everyone is out to get them. 

Tie 2nd    First Blood     record: 8-2         pool play:4-0        rank play: 3-2     RPI:2

key win: love garden                            notable loss: jazzhaus(6-5)

It’s clear First Blood can kick the ball. They are one of the highest scoring teams in KVKL history. They have the best back to back kickers in KVKL, Jared & Andy. They made it to the championship game last year and were one out away from bringing it home. I think they’ll be out for blood this tourney, and I expect them to make a deep run.

Tie 2nd   Jazzhaus    record:8-2         pool play: 4-0       rank play: 3-2         RPI: 3

key win: first blood                   notable loss: love garden

If First Blood has the best back to back kicking duo in the KVKL, then Jazzhaus has the best back to back to back trio in the league. Robo, Speakerfoxx, and Troy can and will create problems for any team so look out. They’re the only ones to come close to beating Pita Pit this year (5-4), and since they just beat First Blood last week, this could be an omen of things to come.

Tie 2nd   Love Garden           record:8-2     pool play:4-0   rank play: 3-2    RPI:5

key win: Jazzhaus                     notable loss: Forst Blood (16-14)

KVKL’s only 2 time champs always seem to find their way into the thick of it. While this is a different team than the Love Gardens of the past, their knowledge and execution of the game is one that keeps them in every game. Everybody knows what to do and when to do it. They won’t wow you with kicks like First Blood or Jazzhaus, but when their D is on its tight and you could lose to them with one mistake.

5 Eastsiders                 record:6-4     pool play:4-0       rank play:1-4       RPI:4

key win: sacred sword (twice)               notable loss: First Blood (10-8)

If there’s a sleeper towards the top of the rankings it’d have to be the Eastsiders. While this is not your momma’s Eastsiders, this reincarnation has something no other KVKL team can boast of: 3 southpaw kickers who can bend it like Beckham. While that might not seem like much, it creates all kinds of problems for defenses, and this team is as crafty as Love Garden for sure. Never count out the mind of the their coach Robert, who’s been responsible for the creation of some of the more creative defensive shifts that many teams in the league have copied and adopted. They’ll be a tough out.

6 Rangelife                   record:8-2          pool play: 3-1          rank play: 5-0         RPI:6

key win: Tellers          notable loss: Eastsiders

The team that has yet to practice somehow finds it way in at #6?  While half the team is comprised of folks who took the trophy back in 2005 with Jensens, this rag tag collection of skinny white boys has complicated the notion of what a kickballer truly is by juxtaposing the jock with the jester, combining the student of the game with the I-don’t-give-a-fu$ks drunk. Who are these people? Business casual? Bellyshirts, Zubaz shorts, and tucked in muscle shirts in shorts have no place in the upper ranks of the kickball elite…or do they? This team prides itself on D and if they’re kicking well (IF) they could create all kinds of problems.  

7 Sacred Sword    record:4-6          pool play:4-0     rank play: 0-5     RPI:7

key win: Tellers                  notable loss: Eastsiders(twice)

It’s been a tough year for the Sword coming off last years Final Four appearance. Expectations were high and it seems people have figured out their bunt-first-ask-questions-later style b/c unlike last year teams know what to expect. However, with that said this is still one truly talented team. They dropped 14 on Jazzhaus who only allowed Pita Pit and First Blood 5 runs each!  If they play their best for an entire game, they can beat anyone ranked above them. Don’t sleep on the record, these guys mean business.

8 Tellers    record: 7-3      pool play:3-1      rank play: 3-2       RPI:8

key win: rangelife                notable loss: Brew Ballers

It’s nice to see Tellers return to the top of the KVKL. Afterall, they were KVKL’s first trophy winner back in 2002. But this is a completely different team from then. When full strength though they can give anybody a run but some injuries have slowed them down a bit towards the second half of the season. Watch out b/c they have a whip and they just might use it!

9 Brew Ballers   record: 6-4      pool play: 2-2    rank play:3-2      RPI:13

key win: Tellers        notable loss: West Coast Saloon

Ever since their lopsided loss to Das Boot they’ve been a different team. If somehow they meet Tellers in the 8/9 matchup in the second game of the first week of the tourney, that could be a fun game to watch. 

10 Eldridge     record:5-5     pool play:3-1     rank play: 2-3    RPI: 17

key win: Das Boot                notable loss: Slowride

Their RPI is low because they had pool play in the weakest division but please note that all their losses in rank play were close games. If they can keep their defense together, they could create problems.

11 Liberty Hall    record:7-3      pool play: 2-2    rank play: 4-1    RPI: Tie 11th

key win: Screamers                  notable loss: Astrokitty

First year coach Billy Gay Cyrus has his team in order and primed to be the underdog story for 2009.  They keep creeping in the rankings all year and find themselves at #11. If they meet Rangelife in the second game of the first day of the tourney, a fight might just break out! A handful of  players from last year’s Liberty Hall team difected to Rangelife this year and the coach & his team are ready to seek revenge on those Benedict Arnolds. It’s on!

12 Screamers   record:7-3      pool play:2-2       rank play: 4-1    RPI:10

key win:  Mad Greek          notable loss: Liberty Hall

Swag & Co. will be out to make you scream in the post season tourney.  Their RPI is so low b/c their pool play was one of the tougher go arounds for a #3.

13 Das Boot         record:4-6          pool play:2-2        rank play:2-3         RPI:9

Key win: Brew Ballers                                  Notable loss: Freestate

The website is wrong and has their record at 5-5. Their RPI is so low b/c during the first five games they played 2 #1’s(pita pit & first blood). Despite their 13 ranking, I still think this team poses problems. While they have lost 3 in a row heading into the tourney, I would not want to face them. Rangelife barely escaped 7-5.  You have been warned.

14 Mad Greek     record:5-5        pool play: 2-2          rank play:3-2      RPI:Tie 11th

key win: Red Lyon                   Notable loss: Slowride

Remember this team caused some problems last year in the tourney and made it to the elite 8 with a second round upset. Are they poised to be the spoiler again this year?

15 Yellow Sub     record: 4-6        pool play:2-2      rank play:2-3      RPI:14

key win: Weavers                      notable loss: Jazzhaus (15-14)

This team scares me. They lost something like 4 count em’ 4 one run games and 1 two run game!  I would not want to play them. They dropped 14 on jazzhaus man check the stat sheet. This is my ultra sleeper team to watch.  

16  Slowride           record: 6-4       pool play: 2-2           rank play:4-1         RPI:15

key win: Mad Greek                       Notable loss: Blue Collar

17   Astrokitty              record:4-6        pool play: 2-2              rank play:1-4     RPI: 19

key win: Liberty Hall                      Notable loss: Weavers

18 Red Lyon             record:2-8        pool play:2-2            rank play:0-5          RPI:20

key win: Slowride                         notable loss: Astrokitty

19 Wildman      record:5-5           pool play:1-3      rank play:3-2          RPI:16

key win: Blue Collar                        Notable Loss: Slowride

20 Weavers            record:3-7         pool play:2-2       rank play:1-4      RPI:27

key win: Astrokitty                          Notable loss: Liberty Hall

Sorry I ran out of steam towards the end. I think I bit off more than I could chew. Look for my post season tourney preview podcast on lawrence.com with commish Deron and Chris from Red Lyon as well as the brackets which will be released wednesday morning. I can tell you right now it’s anyone’s ball game. But then again, you already knew that.  You know how the kickball gods work. Until next time…see you on the fringe at the fridge by the bridge.  Candlepants.

Cougar’s KVKL RPI Rankings: Week 10 (Final Regular Season Standings)

These are the KVKL RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) Standings. For an explanation of what is the RPI, please refer to my blog at http://deronbelt.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/rpi-101/  with a reference from http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/rpi_help/

The RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) formula is as followed: 25% team’s winning percentage + 50% team’s strength of schedule + 25% team’s opponents’ strength of schedule. The three numbers inside the parentheses, at the far right of each RPI ranking, are raw numbers BEFORE being multiplied by the appropriate percentage in the RPI formula.
RPI Ranking/Team name/RPI rating/ (team’s winning %, team’s strength of schedule, team’s opponents’ strength of schedule)
1. Pita Pit .705 (1.00, .622, .575)
2. First Blood .659 (.800, .633, .567)
3. Jazzhaus .650 (.800, .622, .554)
4. Eastsiders .626 (.600, .667, .567)
5. Lovegarden .619 (.800, .567, .541)
6. Rangelife Records .596 (.800, .528, .527)
7. Sacred Sword .570 (.400, .656, .566)
8. Tellers .554 (.600, .550, .516)
9. Das Boot .552 (.500, .589, .529)
10. Screamers .541 (.700, .478, .507)
11. Liberty Hall .5238-repeating decimal (.700, .444-repeating decimal, .506-repeating decimal)
      Mad Greek .5238-repeating decimal (.500, .544-repeating decimal, .506-repeating decimal)
13. Brew Ballers .52249-repeating decimal (.600, .488-repeating decimal, .512-repeating decimal)
14. Yello Sub .520 (.400, .589, .499)
15. Slowride Roadhouse .516 (.700, .433, .494)
16. Wildman Vintage .492638-repeating decimal (.500, .494-repeating decimal, .4816-repeating decimal)
17. Eldridge .4916-repeating decimal (.500, .488-repeating decimal, .488-repeating decimal)
18. Blue Collar Press. 490 (.500, .483, .491)
19. Astrokitty .486 (.400, .511, .518)
20. Red Lyon .458 (.200, .556, .518)
21. West Coast Saloon .44249-repeating decimal (.600, .355-repeating decimal, .458-repeating decimal)
       Miltons .44249-repeating decimal (.300, .488-repeating decimal, .492-repeating decimal)
23. Channel 6 .43305-repeating decimal (.300, .477-repeating decimal, .476-repeating decimal)
24. Free State Brewery .432-repeating decimal (.400, .433-repeating decimal, .462-repeating decimal)
25. Open Sky Landscaping .420 (.400, .411, .457)
26. Weavers .418 (.300, .444, .483)
27. Girls w/ LSE .384 (.300, .394, .447)
28. Replay Lounge .374 (.300, .367, .461)
29. Lady Lumps .318 (.000, .411, .449)
30. Solidarity .316 (.091, .367, .436)

Week #10: August 9th, 2009

News and notes (in no particular order):

Please remember all games start 30 minutes earlier again this week (and for the remainder of the season).

The final week of the regular season is upon us.  Rejoice!  The third phase of our kickball season is about to begin…the playoffs.  It’s going to be fun.

Please continue to put your best refs forward.

The folks from Girls w/LSE continue to accept donations in support of Andrew (look for them at GOTW).  They play at Hobbs around 6:30 and will be there for most of the evening if you’d rather not wait until GOTW.

I think the Hobbs bathrooms will be operable by this Sunday.

We will seed and post the playoff brackets early so people know where they will be playing/reffing.  During the playoffs we will only be using six fields per week, four of which have lights.

Please keep recycling those cans.  We are collectively doing some good work.

There have already been three new teams expressing interest in next year.

We have plenty of unsullied kballs (blue, red, orange, yellow) to sell, if you have want/need.  We will be selling t-shirts, pint glasses, stickers, and balls at the year end party (date/place/time TBD).  Cottin’s Hardware & Rental carries much of what we sell: 1832 Massachusetts, 785.843.2981 (Thanks Linda and Tom!).

Please continue to clean up after yourselves at ALL FIELDS.

There have been whispers of a 3rd annual post-post season tournament.  Still undetermined.

Looks like the heat will return this weekend.  The forecast for Sunday is 94-96 degrees and breezy.  Please make hydration a priority.

To all of our kickball comrades who’ve left before season’s end, you’ll be missed.

Enjoy your kickball weekend.

Thanks!  Deron