KJ, Bible, and Reuben are waiting for Sunshine to show up. I think the Skip is blowing us off.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Weekend Blog: Ohhhh Gawd What Happened Last Night
Yeah...so you know those nights where you go to somebody's party (you don't know) get sauced, wind up at McFaddens, lose your phone then leave before and get back 2 hours AFTER your buddies get back to the house? Happens to the best of us.
Read More for a picture of my phone. If you happen to see it around town this weekend please let it know its missed, and please come home.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Intersection of Pain Street and Agony Drive: Murray's Journey into Mixed Martial Arts
As some of you know I am trying to shake off the rust and develop some ground game, having been trained as a striker but never spending much time on the floor. To remedy this I am trying to do 9 hrs/week at Team Lloyd Irvin . . where UFC heavyweight "Brandon "the truth" Vera is currently training for his next bout. I figured I would try to keep you updated via the blog as to my progress.
This week has been on basics . . no-gi classes have been on passing the half-guard, knee bars and toe holds. Gi classes have been on grips, positioning and some grip fighting. My impression so far . . Its still a little strange having a man sitting on your chest with his package so close to your face. Probably a good thing to learn how to remove someone from this offensive position. Or learn to enjoy it. I choose the former.
I have been wearing rugby shorts in the no-gi classes, which is the equivalent of wearing a speedo to a rugby match, so am anxiously awaiting the correct attire which I have ordered on-line. I think the rest of the class will be relieved too. Anyway . . more to come.
-Murray
Read More for this week's MMA videos recommended by Murray.
Disclaimer: Please, never attempt anything you see here.
Kimbo Slice backyard fights compilation
Excellent flying armbar
Instructional: Flying armbar
The Friday Rewind <-----
Here's everything you need to know going into the weekend:
- Hong Kong Sevens full match videos - watch when the boss isn't looking. NZvSA/ENGvSAM
- There is beer in heaven.
- G.I. Joe - Coming Soon: Civilian contractor play set. Warning- Contains small bundles of cash that are easily lost or swallowed.
- Super League Finals Saturday @ 8pm on ESPN Classic.
- Murray's got a new toy to make us run harder.
I'll be at the Irish Times Saturday night. Comment on what your doing this weekend.
Saturday Afternoon Fun Run
I'll be at Gravelly tomorrow at 1:00pm for ~45 minute sprint workout in the heat. If your not used to running in the heat or if you've felt you could be in better shape these last two weeks come by.
Lost and the WTF Ending of a Lifetime
Did you see Lost last night? I thought it was a phenomenal episode. Although I almost bashed my head against the wall after they leave us with that massive cliffhanger at the end. Left me with a big rubbery one for next season.
Oh well, use the comments section to discuss your theories, and enjoy the gratuitous picture of Evangeline Lily after the magic Read More button (will keep things safe for work). If you are still waiting to see the finale, don't read the comments as they may contain *spoilers*. 
...and when the hell is Season 5 starting?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Flame-Throwing Wheelchair is Murray's Charriot of Death
Here is a guy who married a golf cart to an aircraft seat and built a flame-throwing wheelchair. Who comes up with these things? Read More for original post from Gizmodo.
original post can be found here:
http://gizmodo.com/393927/flame+throwing-wheelchair-makes-me-want-to-break-a-leg
Sevens Practice is on Tonight
View Larger Map
Sevens is on tonight, 6:30pm at Gravelly. We've had steadily increasing numbers since last week. Tuesday was a spirited six-on-six run, and I've seen a lot of guys improve their game quite a bit over the course of the last two weeks. Keep this up and we'll be swimming in wins this summer.
2008 Hong Kong Sevens - England vs Samoa
I'm going to make this a recurring piece after my post on the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens Final. Here is England vs Samoa in the same tourney back in March. Read More for the second half.
Belmont Shore and NYAC in Super League Finals This Weekend...OMG Its on ESPN!!
Belmont Shore faces off against New York Athletic Club in the finals of the USA Rugby Super League this Saturday. The 7-2 team from Belmont Shore defeated the Lions of Chicago last week 34-15 to advance, while the 8-1 team from NYAC bested Denver 22-8 to earn a spot in this rematch of the 2005 Super League final. The two teams have several players in the Eagles selection pool, but notably lack beards.
The match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic starting at 8:00pm.
Opportunity: looks like USA Rugby outsourced their graphic design to a 3rd grader with construction paper for the Super League logo. Do we happen to have any freelance designers on the team that could offer their services? Just a thought.
Read More for the Rugby Super League Weekly Hype Up
Week 12 May 29, 2008
NYAC vs. Belmont Shore
@ Infinity Park in Glendale, CO.
6 p.m. MDT
The Final Countdown!
Following a season of highs and lows throughout Rugby Super League competition, the 2008 competition has boiled down to an East Coast-West Coast showdown between New York Athletic Club and Belmont Shore.
A rematch of the 2005 RSL final, this year’s championship game is set to kick-off at 6 p.m. (MDT) at Infinity Park, in the heart of Colorado’s rugby capital, Glendale and will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com.
At a glance, the odds appear evenly stacked for the two RSL heavyweights.
Led by RWC 2007 scrumhalf Mike Petri, NYAC entered the postseason in the top seed and heads to Infinity Park following a semifinal win over the Denver Barbarians last Saturday, despite an impressive defensive showing from Dave Hodges’ side.
“We played a solid defensive game and so did Denver. You have to give the Barbarians a massive amount of credit. They’re a great, well-coached team. Dave Hodges has just done a phenomenal job there,” said NYAC Assistant Coach Bruce McLane. “Next weekend, we will certainly have our work cut out for us against Belmont Shore.”
Although Mike Tolkin’s bunch was unsuccessful in its regular season meeting with Belmont Shore, the team still puts two feathers in its cap the Long Beach side can’t lay claim to in 2008 - it pulled off wins over Denver and San Francisco Golden Gate, which both gave Shore some trouble early in the season.
And let’s not forget, NYAC still owns bragging rights to the last championship meeting between the two RSL powerhouses in 2005.
“Although we played NYAC earlier in the year and got away with a win, the AC have since gone from strength to strength and defeated back-to-back, the two teams that we lost to earlier in the year,” Belmont Shore Head Coach Jonnie Cox said. “They will be a formidable opponent. Mike Tolkin and Bruce McLane are committed and supremely organized operators so I am certain the Winged Foot will bring the kitchen sink to the party. Hayter, Petri, Mayo, Milton and company are all exceptional footballers who we will need to watch closely.”
But the mere mention of the Belmont Shore side evokes a long-standing tradition of success over the course of 12 years in Super League competition – appearing in a whopping nine finals out of those seasons.
Rolling off the momentum of a 34-15 win over the Chicago Lions in the semifinals, Cox is confident his team has moved past its early season obstacles. Instead, he looks to the strong leadership of his veterans to give the team an added boost down the homestretch.
“It has been a little bit of a rollercoaster season for us, but we have battled our way through early losses, injury, illness and generational change in the club to the final. The boys are really looking forward to the opportunity to play at Infinity Park. The players are well aware of the legacy of seven straight final appearances, the loss to NYAC in 2005,” Cox added.
“Finally, Belmont Shore is starting to gel; the players are starting to gain confidence and become more comfortable with each other. Finals are one off matches, so anything can happen, but I am certain a Henry Bloomfield led side will give a good account of itself and the club.”
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Biggest game of kill-the-man EVER
Ok, lets see if I understand this game. You have the entire population of Ashbourne, England split into two teams. A ball is released in the center of town and both teams try to score on goals spaced 3 miles apart. The only rule: no murder or manslaughter. Bible, get on the horn and see if we can schedule a match.
Read More for full article and additional video...
Original article can be found here:
http://www.fanmanual.com/the-game-with-one-rule-no-murder/
G.I. Joe live action movie reminds me of lonely childhood playing with dolls
Is anyone more excited about the upcoming G.I. Joe live action movie? Probably not. But we know its going to be a shameless effort to milk a franchise awesome movie!!!!
That being said here's a picture of Ray Park as Snake Eyes. Read More for a full list of the cast, including a few surprising and a few not so surprising names...I'm looking at you, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Update: Added Picture of Rachel Nichols as Scarlett O'Hara after the jump!
Brendan Fraser ... Gung Ho
Channing Tatum ... Duke
Dwayne Johnson ... Hector 'Shipwreck' Delgado
Sienna Miller ... The Baroness
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ... Cobra Commander
Rachel Nichols ... Shana 'Scarlett' O'Hara
Dennis Quaid ... General Hawk
Ray Park ... Snake Eyes
Arnold Vosloo ... Zartan
Marlon Wayans ... Ripcord
Christopher Eccleston ... Destro
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ... Heavy Duty
2008 Hong Kong Sevens Final
New Zealand vs. South Africa. Required watching for anyone new to sevens. Read More for the second half.
How much do YOU love PBR?
Apparently not as much as this guy. Read More for his story...
Can we get this guy down here for a match?
Bill Bramanti has coffin like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer can.
From The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Updated 7's schedule and practice
Gentlemen,
The Sevens schedule is shaping up nicely. Our first event will be June 14th at the Exiles tourney in Bethesda. I'm doing my best to keep travel and costs to a minimum to make the season more accessible and enjoyable. So here we go:
June 14th: Exiles Sevens - Bethesda, MD
June 21st: Rocky Gorge Sevens - Columbia, MD
June 28th: PAC Sevens - Bowie, MD
July 12th: Cheesesteak Sevens - Philly
July 19th: Washington RFC Sevens - DC Area
We have some good competition and a title to defend this summer. I'll see you tonight 6:30 @ Gravelly.
http://www.dcrugby.org/directions/gravelly.htm
-Koz
PBR Me ASAP - Retail Outlets in DC? - UPDATED!!
Response was underwhelming to my original post on the topic of where to buy PBR on the Hill, but I remain undeterred.
While grocery shopping with the fam at the new Harris Teeter I saw the beverage director/wine ordering guy and asked him if they would consider stocking PBR. As it turns out they do carry PBR at the new Teeter on the Hill, but they've been sold out whenever I looked for it.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Watch College Rugby Tonight on ESPNU
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Watch the USA Rugby National Guard Division I College Championship Shows Tonight and Tomorrow at 10 p.m. (EDT) on ESPNU Schedule of broadcasts Tonight: May 21 -The National Guard Women’s College Championship Tomorrow: May 22 - The National Guard Men’s College Championship And don't forget to check out the USA Rugby Network for any collegiate championship action you may have missed. For more information on USA Rugby, log on to www.usarugby.org. |
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Montreal Irish Labor Day Tournament
Gentlemen,
We are putting together a preseason tour to Canada for the Montreal Irish Labor Day Tournament. This will be a hella fun tour and a chance to get in some good rugby before our matrix season starts in the fall.
I need to get some confirmations or at least a rough idea about interest before I open the invite to other teams -- so lemme know ASAP. Here is the basic info:
Dates:
Friday 8/29: Travel/PM welcome social
Saturday 8/30: Rugby! PM social
Sunday 8/31: Rugby!/PM shenanigans
Monday 9/1: Travel
Lodging: ~$130 – $150/ea for 3 nights in a downtown hotel.
Travel: Flights are about $600 roundtrip (you can get flight/hotel packages for just about the same amount).
It's about a 10+ hour drive and I imagine a lot of guys would plan on going that route to save some cash and for a fun road trip. We could potentially split it up and leave Thursday evening with the plan of making to someplace (Andy's/Goody's/Casey's parents' house?) in NY for the night.
Other Stuff: If you are even somewhat interested, I suggest getting a passport NOW since you need one to get into Canada and they can take a little while to process (besides, you're a grownass man, you should have a passport).
Hopefully we will be doing a West Pot-only side, but if we open it up we will most likely get tour jerseys made for people to wear/trade.
Your pal,
Sideshow
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Track your girlfriend via cell phone. Google Earth just got better. - NSFW
Just put in her cell phone number. http://www.track-your-partner.com <http://www.track-your-partner.com>
7's is on tonight
Hey Guys,
Looks like the rain has stopped for the remainder of the day, so the opening of the 7's season is on tonight. 6:30pm at Gravelly Point:
http://www.dcrugby.org/directions/gravelly.htm
Hope to see you there.
-Koz
Looks like the rain has stopped for the remainder of the day, so the opening of the 7's season is on tonight. 6:30pm at Gravelly Point:
http://www.dcrugby.org/directions/gravelly.htm
Hope to see you there.
-Koz
I want one of these!
Possibly NSFW if remote controlled flying penises aren't your boss's cup of tea. Read More for video.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Zimbabwe ass-whippings
Check out "Standing Firm" and "Her name is Memory". Ass-whipping means something totally different in Zim! http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/may17a_2008.html Also:Washington Post
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, May 17, 2008; Page A13
CHAONA, Zimbabwe -- President Robert Mugabe's post-election campaign of violence has reached a level and intensity not seen in Zimbabwe in 20 years, according to human rights workers struggling to track a surge of killings, torture, beatings, false arrests and arson attacks ahead of a presidential runoff.
Election officials announced Friday that the second round of voting would take place June 27, nearly three months after the original election in which Mugabe, of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, or ZANU-PF, came in second, behind opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.
The opposition confirmed Friday that it would participate in the runoff despite the violence.
"We are going to defeat Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF any time, any place, any how," spokesman Nelson Chamisa said, speaking from Harare, the capital. "We have to make sure we defeat the dictatorship once and for all."
The most lethal attack so far happened here in Chaona, a village 65 miles north of Harare. Witnesses say that dozens of armed men, led by ruling party officials, rampaged through here the night of May 5, battering seven opposition activists to death. Large splashes of dried blood were still visible on the ground and on the sides of buildings a week later.
One man said he was beaten as if he were "an animal." The attackers stoned another man, beat him with clubs, then left him to die in a cornfield. One group grabbed a 79-year-old widow, yanked up her skirt, then lashed her bare buttocks with barbed-wire whips as two dozen terrified relatives looked on. The woman, Martha Mucheto, said she cried in pain and shame.
"If none of you confesses, we will hit this granny until she's dead," Mucheto, a great-grandmother and former nurse's aide, recalled hearing. She spoke from a hospital bed in Harare.
Political violence has been most severe in the rural areas that once were Mugabe strongholds. Analysts say that weakened support in these areas contributed to Mugabe's historic second-place finish in the March 29 election. The runoff is necessary because neither candidate got a majority of votes, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
ZANU-PF also lost control of parliament for the first time since the country's founding in 1980. A surge of opposition support in towns and villages was key to that loss as well.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said the attacks are intended to win back support for the ruling party through terror.
"ZANU-PF is really saying that act of betrayal, of ingratitude, will not go unpunished," he said. "The idea is to teach the rest of the villagers a lesson by isolating an individual."
Human rights groups put the death toll from the violence at 25 but say it may be far higher. More than 1,000 people have been injured, according to official counts, and tens of thousands have fled their homes.
"There has been violence before all of the elections but nothing on the scale of this," said Greg Powell, a Harare pediatrician and official for the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, one of several groups attempting to track the surge of violence. "It's just terrorizing people."
Opposition officials initially reported that 11 party activists had been killed in the Chaona attack, but several of those believed dead were later found alive with serious injuries in hospitals across the region. Other victims died of their injuries in the days after the attack.
A series of interviews with victims, witnesses and human rights activists verified a death toll of seven. Dozens of others were injured, some critically.
Chaona, long a haven of opposition activism, became a target because of one polling district's vote against Mugabe. There, Mugabe lost to Tsvangirai by a ratio of 4 to 1.
More than a month later, on May 5, ZANU-PF officials ordered the people of Chaona to attend a meeting in another village about six miles away, villagers said. They refused.
A few hours later, two large trucks arrived carrying about 50 men -- ruling party youths and veterans of the 1970s guerrilla war in Rhodesia, which became Zimbabwe.
The men first surrounded the hut of opposition activist Tapiwa Meda and loudly demanded that if he didn't come outside, they would burn down his hut.
As his sister, Melody Meda, watched, Tapiwa Meda opened the door and was struck in the head with a large stone. He screamed in pain, she said, and staggered backward into the hut.
The men dragged Tapiwa Meda outside and accused him of supporting the Movement for Democratic Change.
"They said he was the one who was feeding people with MDC teachings," Melody Meda recalled. "They said he was the one who had influenced people not to go for the ZANU-PF meeting."
She watched as the men stripped her brother and beat him with gun butts and clubs.
Tapiwa Meda eventually stopped screaming, his sister said, and his attackers tossed his body aside.
The next man to die was Joseph Madziwamwenda, 29, a cousin of Meda's and also an opposition activist. Madziwamwenda's brother, Tendai Madziwamwenda, watched as he was dragged through a window of their house, then hit with sticks for about 20 minutes. When Joseph Madziwamwenda was allowed to return to the house, he was already dying.
"Blood was coming out through the mouth," Tendai Madziwamwenda said. "His hands were in tatters. He died in my arms about an hour after the attack."
At a third family homestead, the attackers found Mucheto, the great-grandmother who was whipped as the men demanded confessions from her relatives. One by one, opposition activists began stepping forward to admit their role in opposing Mugabe.
Most were lashed repeatedly but then left alone. One of the activists, Aleck Chiriseri, 35, drew particular wrath. As the attackers beat Chiriseri with gun butts and sticks, they accused him of organizing political meetings in the area. He soon was dead.
One of the most ruthless attacks was on Funyisai Dofo, 28, who was returning from working in the fields outside Chaona, he said, when four men demanded to know why he had not attended the ruling party meeting. When Dofo explained that he had been working, the men accused him of supporting the opposition and starting beating him with sticks.
"They wanted me to confess that I had voted for the MDC during the elections," Dofo recalled. "All this time I was screaming for help. One of them had a pistol, so every time I try to scream for help he would threaten to shoot me. They were taking turns to beat me up. It was as if I was an animal."
Then one of the men announced he was going "to fix Dofo once and for all." The attacker stripped off Dofo's clothes, sat him on a large rock, then crushed his testicles with a stomp from a booted foot. Dofo passed out.
He woke up in a cart. Somebody was wheeling him to the hospital.
A few minutes after Dofo recounted his story, he turned to his wife, Melody Dofo, who was at the hospital with their daughter, Rufaro, 2.
"Listen, Melody," he said, "they have killed me for no reason, these ZANU-PF people. I am dying, but take care of our kid."
Funyisai Dofo died an hour later.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Rugby Super League Playoffs
Following nine weeks of intense competition, thrilling upsets and plenty of surprises throughout the Rugby Super League, the playoff contenders are at last locked into place as the kickoff of the quarterfinal matches, on Saturday, May 17, is right around the corner.
Check out the listings below for the chance to catch the RSL quarterfinal action LIVE in your area this weekend.
A Look at the May 17 Match-Ups...
San Francisco Golden Gate (7) @ New York Athletic Club (1)
Travers Island – New York - 1:30 p.m. (EST)
The top-seeded New York Athletic Club, which dealt the Chicago Lions a tough 8-5 loss in its last regular season game, returns to its home field at Travers Island to host wild card team, San Francisco Golden Gate.
SFGG, which battled its way back from a shaky start in 2008 to finish with 25 points in the Red Conference, should pose a strong test for the experienced NYAC team this weekend.
The winner of Saturday’s game moves on to face the winner of the meeting between Charlotte and the Denver Barbarians.
Chicago Lions (8) @ Boston Rugby (2)
Franklin Park, - One Franklin Park Rd. Dorchester, Mass. 2:30 p.m. (EST)
The Lions just barely eked out a playoff berth, following a commanding 90-0 shutout over Washington, which brought them up to 21 points on the season. Although tied in the points tally with the Dallas Harlequins and OMBAC, the Lions pulled ahead of the pack to clinch the last wild card position, with a regular season defeat over Dallas and a higher try total than OMBAC.
Last year’s runners-up, the Lions head out east as the underdogs to face No. 2 seed Boston Rugby Club, which made a dramatic turnaround from last season to finish 5-0-2 overall. Boston finished on top of the Blue Conference despite the impending threat from from Charlotte heading into the final week of regular season play. Both teams finished at 27 points, but Boston came away with the higher seed due to a victory in head-to-head competition.
Boston Irish Wolfhounds (6) @ Belmont Shore (3)
Cal State Long Beach -3 p.m. (PST)
With a big win in the make-up round, last weekend, the Boston Irish Wolfhounds joined the Chicago Lions as they snuck into the remaining postseason spots out of the White Conference.
The Boston Irish Wolfhounds knocked off the St. Louis Bombers 43-3 to earn the bonus point victory and secure the sixth playoff seed. This weekend the Wolfhounds meet some stiff competition when they travel to Cali to go head-to-head with Belmont Shore.
The defending champions Belmont Shore once again finished strong in 2008, ranking atop the Red Conference standings with 26 points and nabbing the third overall spot in the playoffs.
The winner of the BIW vs. Belmont showing goes on to face the victor of the quarterfinal match between Boston Rugby Club and the Chicago Lions.
Denver Barbarians (5) @ Charlotte (4)
Skillbeck Athletic Ground - 3 p.m. (EST)
*Follows the State High School Championship game feat. Union County Lions v. Chapel Hill Highlanders – 12 p.m. kickoff, main field
After finishing out of the playoff running last season, Denver has reemerged in 2008, finishing strong to take the fifth seed overall. This weekend, the team travels to North Carolina to play Charlotte, which came thundering back from a 0-7 record in 2007 to claim the fourth seed with 27 points. With a 21-19 victory over the Chicago Griffins last weekend, Charlotte just missed its chance to overtake Boston Rugby for the Blue Conference title.
The RSL match between Denver and Charlotte kicks off at 3 p.m. (EST), following the State High School Championship match between the Union County Lions and the Chapel Hill Highlanders at noon.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
PBR Me ASAP - Retail Outlets in DC?
Now that the Spring season is over and I'm starting my sabbatical from playing rugby, I figure the best thing I can do to support the team is to drink as much Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) as possible. I usually drink PBR when I'm at Hamilton's or Jimmy Valentine's, but sometimes I'd like to enjoy a nice cold PBR while I'm at home chilling out.
The problem is that I haven't been able to find any retail outlets that sell PBR on the Hill. I've checked at Schneider's, Hayden's (down by Eastern Market), and just about every damn bodega on the Hill and have come up empty. I called Premium Distributors to find out who carries PBR in the District and all the places they listed were in NW DC. Now I want to support our sponsor, but I'm not driving all the way across town just to buy a case (or 4) of beer.
PBR has been pretty good to us; through their sponsorship we were finally able to get a kit that doesn't look like it was designed by Hellen Keller and Hamilton's has been kind enough to have a running special of $1 PBRs on Friday nights all season long. Since we have a fairly significant concentration of West Pot players on the Hill (me, the Skip, Pete the Rock, Sneaky Pete, and a few others) I'm thinking that we need to decide on a liquor store or beer seller that we can ask en masse to start carrying PBR.
Leave your suggestions in the comments section.
With You,
KJ
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
New & Improved West Potomac RFC Blog
So the Skip and I had been talking about how to make the West Pot Blog a little more user friendly and we both thought that making expandable posts was a necessary feature.
As you can see, the blog template has been updated so that when I post one of my long-winded rants we can have a summary on the page that doesn't take up as much space as the full posting.
The hope is that by structuring blog posts like this, important stuff doesn't get buried on days when a lot of posts are being put up.
Many thanks to Ramani of the Hackosphere for having clear, easy to follow directions posted that even a coding deficient person like myself could follow and implement.
Play Rugby This Summer
Our practices for summer 7's will start up on Tuesday, May 20 and run every Tuesday/Thursday from 6:30 - dark. Last year's team won some hardware and with the new talent that we picked up over the last Fall/Spring I think we should be able to continue that as hopefully enter a second side on most weekends.
Sevens is a GREAT recruiting opportunity so talk it up to guys who might have been on the fence about fifteens or college players that have just graduated or are spending the summer in town. Since practices are touch and the games itself is a little more wide-open, it's a good introduction to the sport for folks who have not played before.
For those of you who are not sevens fans or want to try something new, the Fairfax Eagles have begun training for their rugby league season and have extended an invitation to any of the guys from West Pot who want to give it a shot. As many of you know, Dain plays for these guys and they are sponsored by PBR so it won't be too foreign, even if some of the rules are a little wacky (no rucks!? where are the lineouts!?).
The Eagles practice on Tuesdays/Thursdays and have their matches or training sessions on Saturdays:
(4718 Stringfellow Rd. Chantilly , Virginia , 22021 - Field #2
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/4718+stringfellow+road+chantilly+va/)
(5301 Sully Station Drive, Centreville, Virginia
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/5301+sully+station+drive+centreville+va/)
Ugh
Wow! What a spectacularly ugly end to the season.
Last Fall we handed out a couple of 70 point beatdowns, but until the Round Robin with Irish & Warrenton, it had been a while since we had been on the wrong end of one of those and then we sandwiched our win at the North Bay Cup with another craptacular showing against PAC. The only positive thing I can say is that we didn't start fighting with each other or taking cheap shots, because that would have meant that we cared and/or someone was showing some backbone.
We would all do well to remember the old cliche: you're never as good as you are on your best day, or bad as you are on your worst day.
This coming weekend on May 17, is the Matt Johnston Pig Roast you can find all the pertinent information by clicking on the link. Gessner's party down on the river should be coming up in the next few weeks and Summer Sevens will also be starting soon too. Speaking of Gessner, remember it's not too late to pay your dues for the Spring!! Don't force me to post a "Hall of Shame" for skinflints who screw over their mates by not paying their dues. You can now pay your dues via PayPal, send dues or donations to westpotrugby [at] hotmail [dot] com.
Summer Sevens will be starting soon. As usual, we will be running down at Gravelly Point from 6:30pm until Sunset on Tuesday and Thursday night. Playing 7's is a great way to keep your fitness up over the Summer and to work on your hands.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Strap It On
Gents,
Not having gotten the usual Friday message on the weekend's match from the Skip or our Match Secretary, I took the liberty of checking out the PAC website to see if there was any word on the game. There was.
Google Map of the field at 15th & Independence SW is here.
With You,
KJ
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Things & Stuff
To follow up on a couple questions/conversations from this weekend, I submit for your consideration:
Lastly, start hyping up the match this weekend to friends and family. We are going to be playing down on the National Mall (15th & Independence) at 2:00. It should be a beautiful day and a great spot to get folks out to take a look at the club and hopefully sign on for summer sevens.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Jersey Sale Update
Hey All,
I decided to put the order in this week to allow anyone who still wants a jersey to order one. You have until Thursday after practice to order and pay for your jersey.
I still need sizes and numbers from the following people. Please get back to me A.S.A.P. kylekoz@gmail.com:
Cochran (size and jersey numbers)
Fish (jersey numbers)
The Beard (jersey number)
Bill E. (jersey number)
Josh (size and jersey number)
Sharp (size and jersey numbers)
Hot Dog (size and jersey number)
If you haven't done so send $67 via Paypal to: westpotrugby@hotmail.com. Or give me your money at practice this week.
B.T.W. Great win this past weekend, and great showing after the game. Oh boy there'll be some stories to be told at practice this week.
See you there,
-Koz
Pamwe chete
Is there any greater joy than going into battle with 16 good men? Odds are against you, men are playing out of position, hurt, tired, short on water, no rest . . but no-one would even think of quitting. These are truly men of men, the reason I play rugby and it was a privilege to take the field with them this weekend. Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we do not wish to die in this man's company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself every year on this day, show his neighbor his scars and tell him embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach his son, and from this day until the end of the world, we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear how we fought and died together. It is a great honor to be associated with West Potomac Rugby and I am grateful to all of you. Now please make yourselves available to come and fix my fence at the upcoming "Kruger-Fence-Repair-Day party" . . date to be announced! Pamwe chete! (Together always/only) - Murray
Ken's words are too kind. 14 good men gave support and assisted in every try . . many capped or preceded by a 290lb freight train in the form of KJ himself. A well deserved red jacket for pounding flesh at full pace for over 2 1/2 hours. As far as I am concerned you cannot pay enough to enjoy that kind of pain. (Damn! I still cant believe we are losing him to ND for 6 mos . .) I know I have worn this out, but King Henry V said it best on St. Crispin's day before the battle of Agincourt . . words which you should all know by heart:
North Bay Cup - After Action Report
Just a few thoughts on Saturday's tournament win.
1. Iron Men - We rolled up to North Bay and won a tournament with 16 players. There were whores available; Paulie Two Kids (P2K) would have gladly played for us and the Marine who scored their two tries against us in the Semis offered to help us out in the Finals, but we were having none of it. The Beard and Marvin platooned for the last couple of games and Pete the Rock got to take a half off, but the rest of the team went straight Iron Man all day long.
2. Sunshine - Sunshine has been nicked up for a few weeks now, but he somehow always manages to play on Saturday and not show any sign that he's less than 100%.
As a forward your worst nightmare is busting your ass all game only to see one bad play on the wing cost you a win, but Lapato did a fantastic job of leading our Back Three on Saturday. We had two very green rookies out on the Wings (Rookie Jason and Rookie Matt), but Sunshine kept them in position and, not only were they not a liability, Sunshine's guidance turned them into an asset.
3. Coach - This was probably the first time in 5 or 6 years that I had the opportunity to play an A-side game with Murray. He's still as good as he ever was, perhaps a step slower, but the guy is damn near 50 years old and he's probably still the best player on our team.
As I was explaining to the Beard on the way home, more than anyone else I consider Murray to be my rugby Father; he raised me in this game and shaped me into the player I am today. All that I am or ever do related to rugby can be traced back the many, many lessons I learned from Murray Kruger.
4. Marvin - What can I say about the ODB (Ol' Dirty Bastard)? If Murray is my Father on the team, then Marvin is my big (well older at least) brother; never afraid to smack me on the back of the head to keep me straight and always leading by example. Marvin touched down for a score in the first game and then brought the heat coming in off the bench for the rest of the day. At the party after the tournament Marvin made the observation that the guys that were there on Saturday are the ones who (generally) are going to be leading the way forward on this team.
I think Marvin is slowly morphing into a short, Black version of Gessner.
5. Ron - Is there anything that guy can't do? After leading the team at Scrumhalf all season, he graciously made way for Murray at #9 and bumped out to Flyhalf to fill in for the injured Bible. When P2K told us before the Semi-Final that Quantico couldn't defend against a switch in the backline, Ron set one up and ran it to perfection at the first opportunity. Ron had more than a few nice kicks for territory over the course of the day and also scored the initial try of the final game of the day. Monster day all around for the man from Boston.
6. The Boat Race Proposal - The tournament ran long and after trouncing the Marines in the Semi-Final, Kenny from North Bay told us that there was a proposal on the table: instead of playing the final game Brooklyn RFC challenged us to Boat Race to determine the tournament champion.
The reason for this proposal was obvious; those cats from Brooklyn knew they had dodged a bullet in our first game. They scored on a penalty kick because I lost my shit and got sin-binned when one of their guys came off-sides and then tackled me without the ball. We still had a chance to win that first game with a few minutes left but we fucked up on a penalty play on their goal line that almost went all the way back the other way. Thankfully Sunshine didn't give up on the play and ran the guy down after 80 meters.
The unanimous sentiment on West Pot was that we went up there to play rugby and that's what we were going to do. I guess the guys from Brooklyn thought we were sure to accept their proposal, because most of them had their boots off and weren't stretched out. The end result was Brooklyn got their dicks knocked in the dirt by a team that was ready to play. Still, those dudes gave us all we could handle and I look forward to playing them again in the future.
7. The Skip - It's difficult to overstate how much our Skipper did for this team; he played hard, he stole lineouts, he made big tackles, and he never, ever let us think about folding our tents after the loss to Brooklyn.
I'm sure people who see and know the Skip from outside of rugby probably think to themselves, "Hmmm, a long-haired graphic designer; this guy doesn't have a mean bone in his body." They couldn't be more wrong, the Skip is harder than a coffin nail and a true leader of men. Not the kind of guy that people follow because they are compelled to by rank or law, but the kind of man that other men rally around because he's a force of nature.
O Captain, my Captain; this weekend's win was for you.
It's the Skip's world, we just live in it.
With You,
KJ
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Live update deby style
Well damn proud of our boys for doing it right @ the north bay cup.
Sharp & I are living the dream hitting on pretty much everything with
a pulse.
--
-Matt Cochran
Live Blog - Ride home
The Beard is driving me and the Skip home.
A lot of talk about Murray, I wouldn't have won the Jacket (yeah, I won Man of the Match) if hadn't been following Murray today. He makes me take my game to a different level.
With You,
KJ
Live Blog - Winners
Lost our second game to Brooklyn 3-0.
Beat Quantico 6 tries to 2.
Played Brooklyn again for the championship and won 12 - 0!!!!!
Huzzah!!!
Live Blog - North Bay Cup
Ended up with a first round bye because of lateness. Won our first
game against White Horse 29-12.
Tries: KJ, PTR (2), Brent, Dain
Friday, May 2, 2008
North Bay Cup
Our first match in the North Bay Cup this weekend is @ 10:45 against Whitehorse RFC. we want to be up there no later than 10:00 so we will have out meet up at 8:15/on the road by 8:45. Carpool will leave from the Dunkin' Donuts on 8th and Penn. (Eastern Market Metro Stop).
The matches are being played at North Bay's regular pitch -- DeMarco Park in Aberdeen, MD. Here are directions and a map to the Home Depot (pitch is literally behind it):
Off Interstate 95 North , Exit 85 (Aberdeen, Route 22). Head East on Route 22 towards Aberdeen. Left at first stoplight (Beard's Hill Road). Enter Beard's Hill Shopping Plaza through the 2nd entrance on right. Head straight back towards Home Depot. Go right, and follow road around the back of Home Depot. Continue to the gravel road on the right, follow gravel road to the parking lot for DeMarco Park.Depending on how we do in the first match, we will play again at 12:15 (vs. Quantico if we win) or in the losers' bracket at 1:45.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Practice Tonight - Be There
Gents,
This week's message from the Skip was about as pissed as I've ever seen him get in an e-mail.
Robb is a low-key guy who doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve like myself or Cartman, he's not going to yell and scream when things are going off the rails; but that doesn't mean that he's not acutely aware of his team's lack of effort and focus or that it doesn't bother him. We all owe our Captain better than we've given him since we $hit the bed against Harrisburg a few weeks back.
There is still time to salvage something from this Spring season by winning the North Bay Cup this weekend. If we want to go up there and show everyone in the PRU that we're still the team to beat, it starts tonight at practice.
Let's get out there in numbers tonight, kitted up and ready to go at 7pm.
Old Boys, we need you out too! Sneaky Pete, where are you? Jesse Davis, where are you? Greg Harsh, where are you?
With You,
KJ
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