[Pelican]

Our local APA league had it's Local Tournament Championship competion starting last Thursday and ending last night. Our team, "The Gulf Coast Droppers", finished as runner-up out of the top 16 teams in the league that had qualified to play. Even though we didn't win we had a good run and made it all the way to the final match in the winners bracket. The format was Modified Double Elimination so that far into play it is one loss and out. All is not bad though. We got a really nice Runner-Up Trophy for each team member and to be honest we would have a real problem going to Vegas. Myself and my three oldest children are all on the team and we all work in my business. I really couldn't close down the stores to go play pool for 7-9 days. I did tell them before the final match that I wanted us to play to win and we would figure out something about the stores. You see, I had already decided, without letting them know, that if we won I would stay and let them go with the rest of the team. I would run ads in the paper and on the radio that from such and such date to such and such date our stores would operate on a half day schedule with one being open from 8am to noon and the other being open from 1pm to 6 pm. I'd be one wore out old phart by the time they got back but it would be worth it to see my kids get to make that trip. Man, all them tables in one room is a sight. One of my sons went when the team he and I was on made it in 2004. I would have liked for the other two to get the chance. Oh well, as the Cubs fans say, wait till next year

Later my friends, Pel

[IROCK]

Congrats Pel. Its nice you have the family thing going on.

[FASTLARRY]

IROCK, on May 18 2009, 10:51 PM, said:

Congrats Pel. Its nice you have the family thing going on.

Yes, that's just su pah.

[Pin]

Good work Pel.

Hopefully you get to struggle with the store next year!

[FASTLARRY]

Pin, on May 19 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

Good work Pel.

Hopefully you get to struggle with the store next year!

The greatest thing to ever happen to Pel, was Osama Bama and him tanking our jobs and economy.

[CocoboloCowboy]

Congrats on you first runner up finish.

[Pelican]

I appreciate all the support guys. We are going to make a couple of roster changes beginning next session. The kids and I will still be on but my grandson's wife will come off as she is going to have my first Great-Grandchild later this summer. We will add a couple of lower ranked palyers to improve our numbers. With a 6 and two 5's and my daughter probably close to becomng a 5 we are having a time making 23. We have a good team that works together without friction and we all understand that we have to play a rotation that is best for the team as a whole depending on our opponents. I realize that if you don't play APA you probably do not know what the heck I'm talking about. It all has to do with their handicapping system.

Later, Pel

[FASTLARRY]

Pelican, on May 20 2009, 10:13 PM, said:

I appreciate all the support guys. We are going to make a couple of roster changes beginning next session. The kids and I will still be on but my grandson's wife will come off as she is going to have my first Great-Grandchild later this summer. We will add a couple of lower ranked palyers to improve our numbers. With a 6 and two 5's and my daughter probably close to becomng a 5 we are having a time making 23. We have a good team that works together without friction and we all understand that we have to play a rotation that is best for the team as a whole depending on our opponents. I realize that if you don't play APA you probably do not know what the heck I'm talking about. It all has to do with their handicapping system.

Later, Pel

Exactly, remember how I won 6 divisions and 2 city championships, cheat like a MF, EVERY ONE IS 2 ON THE WIRE.
mY 3 IS REALLY A 5, my 4 a 6, etc, etc.....
You cannot be honest, in a corrupt situation. In Rome, you do as the Romans do.

[Pin]

Great grandchild?

You must be as old as they come Pel

[Pelican]

Yep, Larry 'n me got skivees older most of y'all

Pel

[cycopath]

FASTLARRY, on May 21 2009, 03:39 AM, said:

Exactly, remember how I won 6 divisions and 2 city championships, cheat like a MF, EVERY ONE IS 2 ON THE WIRE.
mY 3 IS REALLY A 5, my 4 a 6, etc, etc.....
You cannot be honest, in a corrupt situation. In Rome, you do as the Romans do.

I understand that many, many teams do just that to get to the National Team Championships, but I have not and will not. I have never asked anyone to sandbag, and I have never sandbagged. Our team has always played 'full bore', what ever that speed may be on that particular day. If I can't make it to the NTC's with an honest team, I'd rather not go.

When Dad and I went to Vegas in '04, that's how we played then as well.

For the record, in the last 5 years we've had 1 first place and 2 second place finishes. I couldn't tell you how many division wins we've had, quite a few.

[FASTLARRY]

cycopath, on Jun 8 2009, 03:23 PM, said:

I understand that many, many teams do just that to get to the National Team Championships, but I have not and will not. I have never asked anyone to sandbag, and I have never sandbagged. Our team has always played 'full bore', what ever that speed may be on that particular day. If I can't make it to the NTC's with an honest team, I'd rather not go.

When Dad and I went to Vegas in '04, that's how we played then as well.

For the record, in the last 5 years we've had 1 first place and 2 second place finishes. I couldn't tell you how many division wins we've had, quite a few.

AND SIR, I ADMIRE YOUR HONESTY AND YOUR INTGRITY. Perhaps that works in Alabama, or in smaller towns, but I am afraid it would not work in Atlanta.
When I was a international sales manager I played by the rules in the USA, I did not pay anyone off to get an order other than maybe lavisly entertain them, but in Mexico and other 3rd world countries that were corrupt, my Usa Rules did not apply and payoffs were common on all levels to get anything done.

Back to what I said, in Rome, I do as the Romans do. As ole Jock on Dallas taught Jr on how it was done there, the 3 B's, Buy em booze & broads and bribe the fookers. The ones that played fair and by the rules, like the Digger and Cliff Barnes, are called losers.
The Jr's of the world, run them into the dirt. To a Jr, winning is the only thing, how he gets there, this does not matter.

We have a nicer name for this now in Washington DC, its called a lobbist. I call him a bag man.

[cycopath]

FASTLARRY, on Jun 8 2009, 10:42 PM, said:

AND SIR, I ADMIRE YOUR HONESTY AND YOUR INTGRITY. Perhaps that works in Alabama, or in smaller towns, but I am afraid it would not work in Atlanta.

You're right FL, here we are playing in a league with no more than 24-30 teams in our county at anytime. So it's a small pond. Where as Hotlanta has what, like 500 teams? So, you do need a significant advantage to be able to hang with the big boys.

I'm proud to say that Pelican raised me and my siblings to be fair to others, and never cheat anyone. Strange words from a pawnbroker, eh?

So, I understand where you are coming from Fast, it just ain't in me... or Pelican.

[FASTLARRY]

cycopath, on Jun 9 2009, 04:05 PM, said:

You're right FL, here we are playing in a league with no more than 24-30 teams in our county at anytime. So it's a small pond. Where as Hotlanta has what, like 500 teams? So, you do need a significant advantage to be able to hang with the big boys.

I'm proud to say that Pelican raised me and my siblings to be fair to others, and never cheat anyone. Strange words from a pawnbroker, eh?

So, I understand where you are coming from Fast, it just ain't in me... or Pelican.

Correct, Being a salesman all my life, I tend to see things in shades of gray, where yo sarah sees everything clearly as either black or white.

[Pelican]

Yep, I remember in '04 when we went to Vegas we had a spot in City Cup locked up and still didn't ease off. The team we had then was the first our current league operator ever had to break a hundred match wins in a session. He even told everone present how we never backed down when he gave us our City Cup Trophies. We could have got to about 80 and coasted be we didn't. We play to win plain and simple.

Pel