Friday night brought our staff out to the second annual Ian J Pope Memorial Soccer Tournament at the Sports Dome in WB. As with the
first, sentiments are naturally mixed at this kind of event. In a perfect world, we would never have memorial tournaments for our friends and loved ones. In the
real world, however, its nice to gather together and celebrate Ian's life- a
revival of sorts in memory of a son, brother, friend and teammate.
Last year, we noted how this tournament, and the race/run that the track team organized, are all examples of the strength of Ian's memory. Now that this is truly an annual event, that strength is even more apparent. Teams enter that have all different levels of soccer experience- but for many, this is about more than the soccer. As it should be. The interesting result of this hodge-podge of enthusiasm is a night of soccer that reminds us more of the
Wacky Races than the
World Cup. In fact.....
Sitting here reminiscing fondly of the Wacky Races has a few parallels coming to mind- let's see if this crew can be cast with any kind of accuracy....
The Vendetta = Penelope Pitstop
This one was the easiest- the all-girls team competing against the group of mostly boys. The girls were one of the more skilled and experienced teams, which made their match against the inexperienced, Soccer is for Fairies team one of the highlights of the evening. True soccer fans will be glad to note that in the end, talent won out over just being interesting.
Bieber Fever = Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear
Borrowed from Wikipedia... Lazy Luke is a hillbilly who is half-asleep during most of the races. He drives the Arkansas Chuggabug while seated on a rocking chair and with his feet perched on the steering wheel. Consider that, then look at the hillbilly beards and the conclusion is inescapable- Jimmy is Lazy Luke.
Caucasion Invasion = Dick Dastardly and Muttley
Every league has a team that you love to hate. Usually, its because of a rivalry, or perhaps envy over their success. If you are not from Dallas, chances are that team is Dallas soccer- boys or girls. The success of those teams can't be denied- but if you play anywhere else, it may not be something that you enjoy thinking about. The Caucasion Invasion moniker didn't fool anyone- that team looked like Dallas. To rival fans- they are the "villainous heroes" of any competition they are in. They are then, the Dick Dastardly of the tournament. (As an aside- I hope the Dallas faithful will take that as it is meant- a somewhat envious recognition of the success of the program)
Team Boss = The Anthill Mob
This one may be a stretch, but there has to be a little artistic license if this is to work. A team dressed in black, the whole mob, mafia, boss connection?? Maybe? Ok... they can't all be winners. On a side note, every team was notified about the team photos, and they were taken in a place that was an attempt to be obvious. In s few cases though- we didn't connect. Next time!
Soccer is for Fairies = The Slag Brothers
This team went by several names- but they certainly lived up to their claim as "the most interesting team in the world". Not exactly rich with soccer talent, they did manage to perhaps have the best time of all the squads, and actually held a lead for a few minutes in their playoff match. One highlight was watching Mike Z. in the goal- his
fearless, strong-arm style in the net was clearly reminiscent of the Slag Brothers.
Tunkhannock = Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth
Another slight stretch, because really, so many players on so many teams look like lumberjacks, that it may be unfair to single out any one group. This team had a goalie with a little billy-goat beard, and the tattooed guy with the Mose Schrute neck beard- they take the prize. Consider the beautiful, wooded country around Tunkhannock, and the Buzzwagon actually seems like a better choice for sensible transportation than the minivan. Too bad there wasn't a natural gas driller in the wacky races.
Swagga like Finsta = Red Max
Another stretch- Swagga had some cool shirts, with planets as the logo. Planets, flying, planes.... Add to that the fact that Max looks a little like Braunsen, and Sal always calls TJ Red... It works. It has to.
Joe Newmark = Peter Perfect
Again- maybe a bit forced, but this guy looks a bit Peter Perfect-y. Clean cut, big chin..... The team may have had the most "normal" uniforms of the night too- White shirts over blue shorts is a classic look. Aside from the girls, who matched in every detail down to their hairstyles, and
this guy, who was just back from the prom, the Joe Newmark team can lay claim to the "all- American boy" look.
Strikers = The Gruesome Twosome
Combine the gloomy colors on the uniforms, the semi-creepy names- (Toad.... K-Boo..... Toadette....) and finally the big, Lurch-y looking fellow (who is apparently 6' 5") and this team could easily be driving the Creepy Coupe. By the way- there is a reason for numbers on jerseys. Having two number seven's kind of defeats the purpose though.
The Wu = Professor Pat Pending
Professor Pat drove the Convert-a-Car, which had the capability to be a multitude of different things. The Wu's uniforms were also a multitude of different things- even the shirts that matched had different spellings of the team name. Throw a few random yellow shirts into the mix, and this team had a unique mixture of looks that would have made Professor Pat proud. Consider also that Mark M. will surely look like the good professor in a few years, and this was another easy pick.
If you are still reading, thanks for your patience. As bad as all that was, be grateful you didn't have to sit through the annual "State of the FotoFink" address. Perhaps that will come next time. As before, if there are enough sales before 8/14/10 to make it worthwhile, a donation will be made to the scholarship fund in memory of Ian. Do what you must- but find a way to use that
"BUY" button.....
Finally-
Enjoy!
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