Week 7 Preview; or, The Week That Matters Most, Four Weeks Later

As we all know by now, this is the actual week 3—a week that features many games that would have, in retrospect, clinched several pool seeds. Most notably, the John Brown Division, in which Happy Shirt and Kansas Tree Care are locked at the top. Winner takes the division; loser takes second place. In the Carrie A. Nation division, Mario Chalmersiz faces the Bad News Bagels, also for the 1- and 2-spots. Wildman Attack Force has already clenched the 1-seed. And, barring an unprecedented upset by Sacred Sword, Channel 6 has already won the Langston Hughes division. The rest, however, is all over the place—as we’d expect.

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THE BIG ONES

Thunderkickz vs. Love Garden Squids @ Lyons East, 5 p.m.
If Love Garden wins this game, it clenches the 2-spot behind Channel 6. But if Thunderkickz wins, and Red Lyons (somehow) beats the Brewballers (it will), there’d be a three-way tie at 5-2. Big game right here. I don’t know if Thunderkixxx has what it takes to win it—of course this is a team that surprised everyone a few years back and beat Chalmersiz for the top seed.

Love Garden Squids > Thunderkickz

Chalmersiz vs. Bad News Bagels @ Lyons East, 7 p.m.
An altercation last week led to Bad News Bagels’ pitcher and 3-kicker, Dylan McIntyre’s, suspension for one game by the league. While the Bagels are a good squad, that’s a big loss. What’s worse—the team suspended him for three additional games. So, all of Pool Play. That’s a bigger loss, especially with the way Chalmersiz has played of late, smoking its last four opponents by an average of 7.5 runs. Bagels are still a great team, but losing Dylan could hurt its Final Four chances.

Mario Chalmersiz > Bad News Bagels

Wu-oost vs. Free State Growlers @ Holcolm Red, 5 p.m.
Tied at 3-3, this game will decide the 4- and 5-spots in the John Brown Division. The Wu-oost is certainly the better team, but after last week’s Game of the Week-snoozefest against the Jazzhaus, the Growlers are looking to make a statement—with a statement win, perhaps one of its first in years. For a team that’s been around since the beginning, it’s regularly struggled to get out of the bottom 10 in the league, and I can’t remember a year it wasn’t in the 6-, 7-, or 8-spot of Pool Play. Looks like this will be the year, regardless.

Wu-oost > Free State Growlers

Happy Shirt vs. Kansas Tree Care @ Hobbs, 7 p.m.
Your Pre-Game of the Week Game of the Week is, again, the reigning champs against the reigning tournament thorn-in-the-side of the reigning champs. Bummer I’m gonna miss this one—you probably will be, too.

Happy Shirt > Kansas Tree Care

Taco Tuesday vs. Ghosts @ Hobbs, Game of the Week
Das Boot’s big (and dramatic) win over Los Matadores last Sunday all but locked-up the 3-spot for it, pushing Los Matadores to 4- for consecutive years. This game, meanwhile, will break up the bottom of the Carrie A. Nation division, assuming, of course, Das Boot and Los Matadores finish strong over the Corksuckers and the Screamers, respectively. A Taco Tuesday win will place it at 5th—a big jump from the 8s last season. A Ghosts win and Corksuckers loss will result in a three-way tie at 2-5. (Throw in a long-shot win by the Screamers over Los Matadores and that’s a four-way tie.) At that point, who the fuck knows what will happen the rest of the season.

Taco Tuesday > Ghosts

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THE REST

Goats > Rats
Hurtz Donut D-Holes > Ladybird Harpies
Love Garden Squids > Thunderkickz
Mario Chalmersiz > Bad News Bagels
Wildman Attack Force > Nick Lerner’s “Homies”
Jazzhaus > D’s Nutz
Red Lyon > Brewballers
Pizza Party > Where’s My Pitches?
Wu-oost > Free State Growlers
Rockets > Liberty Hall Late Fees
Das Boot > Corksuckers
Los Matadores > Screamers
Channel 6 > Sacred Sword
Happy Shirt > Kansas Tree Care
Taco Tuesday > Ghosts