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The Great 2005 Super Bowl Backgammon Tournament And Pizza Party 02/06/05 |
I only watch football Thanksgiving, New Year's day, and the Super Bowl - sometimes. But I feel it my obligation to support the Patriots. So, I put the word out that if anyone was looking to play some backgammon, have some pizza and beer (or Coke), and watch the game, to come on over at 3:30 on Sunday 02/06/05 and let's do it!We had to change the scoring process, though. We'll keep it that you have to win 3 points to win the match, but it will be cummulative matches won and not cummulative points that determines the overall championship match (which again will be 5 points). People got really carried away throwing the cube and some of the scores were +8 and that's a tough score to beat if the games you play didn't accumulate that many points. When you play for money, it's all about the points but in tournament play we have to go with matches won. Colin steamrolled everyone out the door Saturday and there are some folks looking to get him back - like me!
We had some unbelivable matches! Oh, and the football game wasn't too shabby either: Pats won against Philly Eagles 24/21 for their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years! Go Pats!!!
Some of the combatants for the The Great 2005 Super Bowl Backgammon Tournament And Pizza Party 02/06/05 watch a game in progress. Rick Downs, David Houdek, me, Chris and Jim Nancarrow.
Mike Houdek is ready to play!
Colin setting up some configuration issues on his laptop.
Marissa showing off the shiner she got earlier in the day in a snow ball fight with some friends of hers. I told her to tell her teachers on Monday: "Ya, but you should see the other 2 guys..."
David Shaw from York, Maine joins us for the first time. He had never played before. Just a couple weeks ago, he bought a board on eBay and got one of Robertie's books from Barns and Noble and taught himself how to play. Here's Marissa taking him through the basics, but when he got into play - he held his own pretty good. Great first effort, David! Hope to see you with us again.
Here's Colin teaching his friend Alex how to play backgammon. Next time he'll be in the tournament I think as he seemed to be having a great time.
Chris and Jim Nancarrow joined us as well for the first time. Both had played many many years before, so we took them through the paces and they will be all set for our next party. They didn't lack for bad talking, though so they got that part down pretty good.
Rick Downs and Marissa battled it out all night. She left him with a dime to call his mom to come pick him up... She is bruuuuuu-tal over the board. No sympathy. No tears. Throw and move - or as Sammuel L. Jackson in the movie Searching For Bobby Fisher said: "Quick! Some-body call da poooo-lice 'cause this guy's movin' tooooo slow..."
We had screaming about backgammon, screaming about the Super Bowl, screaming about every-thing! It was quite a day!
We had 4 boards going most of the day. Here's Marissa playing David Shaw, and me playing Mike Houdek.
Sometimes it was a toss up as to whether the backgammon or the Super Bowl was at the forefront of everyone's attention...
David Shaw practicing his bad talk while David Houdek and Marissa go at each other.
Colin just thinks he's "The Man". That lasted until he played me... You can see that David Houdek is not impressed either.
Colin and David Shaw, and Marissa and Mike Houdek keep the boards humming.
Ok, how's that again now, Colin? How's that "I'm The Man" go again? Talk slow and soft because I'm old and don't play well and think you would be tasty and crunchy...
The final game between me and Rick Downs gets under way.
Here is another shot showing the smiling face of Rick Downs before I sent him to the bathroom to throw up. Lucky. It was lucky - he had me dancing on the bar until my toes swelled up. But man - was I cranked when I came off! It was not pretty.