Wednesday, June 29, 2011

4.0 Playoffs Start, 4.5 in Home Stretch

Sorry I have been negligent this week. It's come down to crunch time. In 4.0, the first round of playoffs begin on Thursday, with some top teams in action hoping to avoid an upset. In 4.5 there are a few matches remaining that will decide who gets those last spots. Again, I'm not privy to the game count, so your guess is as good as mine as far as who is "in the lead".

There are four playoff matches in 4.0 this week: Lakeside/Sienna, Copperfield/Chancellors, Hurricanes/RPM and Unicorns/GTAC. All feature division winners against wild cards.

Lakeside, who skated through what appears to be an easy division almost unscathed, will face its first test of the year against a Sienna team that improved itself vastly as the season went along. A couple of key additions have turned them into a team that can be dangerous. I'm looking forward to a Lucidi/Etienne matchup.

By virtue of winning its division, Copperfield will get to host Chancellor's, though they remain an underdog according to Vegas. Has Minh Hoang's gimpy knee healed? Will they need to use him in singles against a Copperfield team that appears weak in that area? Can't see anyone on Copperfield taking out Cuong Truong. Tuan Tran is playing some good ball. I'll pick Chancellor's, but it may be a close one.

Can GTAC threaten the Unicorns? The Unicorns may have the best doubles lineup in the city, but has not proven itself in singles...yet. Sumit Arora has been MIA for GTAC since April. Can he and Curren sweep the singles and put a scare into the Unicorns?

Two beloved captains, Freeman and Soewito, square off in the last 4.0 battle. RPM has a solid doubles lineup and the Hurricanes have shown weakness in that area. Steven Herold has been virtually unbeatable for Freddy's crew and could help make this competitive, but it's hard to see RPM's singles hang with the Hurricanes.

In 4.5 No Way Out will have its hands full this week with Lakeside Country Club. A win is necessary, as a loss will see the Coaches take second place in that division. Will NWO gamble with Westen at line one or put him at two and try to take two of three doubles lines if he beats Quack?

Fresh off Alex Ellingsen's great comeback, the Gypsies continue their improbable run to a division title by traveling to play Ssshhhwings this week. With the Black Sheep beating up on the Phoenix this week, Rothe's guys may need a resounding win (or a last second DQ) in order to even be in playoff consideration.

Copperfield played a match last night and has another bottom feeder on Thursday. Two sweeps give them the division title and perhaps the top seed?

The Big Bangers take on the Clambakes. Are they in the running, games-wise? Will Facker and/or Cannon get protested this week? I wouldn't be surprised if it's too late, given the way these things work.

110 comments:

  1. Lakeside DID NOT PLAY that match. It does not effect my team, but pisses me off anyway. If I get proof I will try to seek maximum punishment.

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  2. dude, someone fell off the dumb-dumb tree

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  3. All matches were played, you may want to check your source of incorrect info.

    Who is your source?

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  4. 4.0 Playoff Predictions (no good match-ups this week!):

    Lakeside beats Sienna 4-1. Sienna singles can't hang with Lakeside, not even close. Salihu and Etienne will roll. I don't think Babu makes the starting lineup which is unfortunate since he's 4-0 on the season. There will probably be two coin flip matches in doubles (which lineup determines which one), I assume one goes to each squad.


    Chancellors beats Copperfield 5-0. Both teams have some liability at singles that I think will become more evident as the playoffs continue. Chancellors doubles duo of Ross/Fredrick is probably the toughest in that playoff flight. I don't see them losing any matches. Tran is solid enough to help carry line 3, line 2 doubles could be close but I see Chancellors coming out on top.

    Unicorns beats GTAC 5-0. No doubt that the unicorns have more relative strength in their doubles lines than singles. Sandwich blaster along with most of their singles players were distractions, Virani and Kim the real deal and are good enough to roll past GTAC with Lotz and Yang in reserve if they are really worried about it. GTAC may sport one solid doubles line, probably playing their line 1 at line 2 but other than that nothing should be close.

    Hurricanes beats RPM 5-0. RPM doubles is really weak compared to Hurricanes. Steven Herold, really? He can't handle pace very well and gets dominated by stronger net games. Freddy's squad is just badly out matched, I'm not even sure Hurricanes will bring out their top lineup. RPM could challenge line 2/3 doubles a little if they drop down some of guys who like to play singles (Soda/Adam).

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  5. Federer Falters, I hope they come up with a new tennis guard on the pro level. Ryan Harrison is close to breaking through.

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  6. Federer is sandbagging to protect his rating. Harrison is a self rate ATP level player that should still be playing challengers.

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  7. If that match did not get played I would like to know what I was watching from the next court...moron!!!

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  8. Lakeside over Sienna 4-1? You can't be serious. Sienna sucks... they have no singles depth and their doubles teams are all 3.5 bump ups. They are all fat and out of shape. Sienna only made the playoffs because the other Sienna team, Pecan Grove, Sugarcreek, etc were in the same division. Very weak doubles and even weaker singles. Lakeside over Sienna 5-0 without losing any sets (With their B team).

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  9. 3:32 - I don't know what you think you were watching, but let us know once you wake up from your dream.

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  10. WTF - my rankings of 4.5 teams just disappeared!

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  11. You posted it in the other thread. You may be a 4.5 tennis player, but you're only a 3.0 blogger.

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  12. 4:32, that was a good one.

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  13. Swing no make it to playoffs... no? Its bad captaining... no?

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  14. lakeside is a strong team, ive seen their lineup and know what they are capable of. just looking at the records alone should give you an idea. could use stronger singles players thought

    chancellors = underrated team, and i think they will lose this one.

    unicorn singles lineup suck... doubles are decent it will be a close one.better sit timothy russell and valdemar out this one

    hurricanes will destroy rpm even with their D lineup.

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  15. 5 year suspension for both captains and 1 year for all players involved, even if they didn't find out until after the fact. I would not let my captain get me DQ'd.

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  16. 4:32 - It was just sandbagging and managing my blogger rating. Don't wait to risk a DQ until I get to Sectionals. :)

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  17. Nothing is going to happen to Lakeside. HTA will just have Diana send out an email reminding people not to make up random scores.

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  18. I'd be pissed if I was the Lakeside Estates captain. He gets nothing out this except possible suspension, loss of respect and an epic recorded ass whipping in tennislink.

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  19. Get a new line of BS. Lagarde isn't worried. Just a tough day last week. No Captains are making up scores, players and other Capt. Serve as checks and balances.

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  20. It's ok, Lakeside. We know you guys fibbed. Don't worry no one is gonna call you on it.

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  21. good analysis and summary of the possible 4.5 playoff teams in the other post.

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  22. Analysis? Dbags will sweeeeep everybody including nationals

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  23. Why stop at nationals? Dbags gonna sweeeeeep Universe. With Henegan, they can't be stopppped.

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  24. Now we know at least who has been reeling off the BS

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  25. here a very good analysis from the other post:

    1. Lakeside - 2 great singles, 1 great doubles, good filler
    2. Hurricanes - 1 great singles, 3 solid doubles, lots of depth
    3. Copperfield - 2 great singles, 1 good doubles, ok depth
    4. Deucebags - 2 ok singles, 3 good doubles, good depth
    5. Blast - 1 great singles, 1 good doubles, questionable depth
    6. Taylor - 1 good singles, 1 good doubles, questionable depth
    7. Blacksheep - 1 good singles, 1 good doubles, questionable depth
    8. Sugarcreek - 1 good singles, mediocre doubles

    Lakeside and Hurricanes win their pools. Hurricanes split singles and win two lines of doubles and win 3-2.

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  26. Babu is on his way to Houston. He will fish for red snapper 22 miles offshore on the Salty Dog, based out of the Galveston Yacht Basin in the early morning. He has reserved 3 boxes of cigar minnows at Fat Boys. He cut his mission trip short to play tomorrow night at Lakeside. Hopefully, he does not get delayed in customs as fishing relaxes him. Etienne's @#$% is grass and Babu is the mower.

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  27. OMFG, can we please bash Rios some more instead?

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  28. Does Babu really exist? He is probably a made up character. Anyone know if this is his real name? He seems interesting.

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  29. Someone said he is 4-0 for the season. Last name?

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  30. Considering lakeside and hurricanes are 2 and 3 right now in games won percentage (if that is used for seeding) it would be tough for them to win their pools if put it the same pools.

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  31. That is his last name you penis.

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  32. Unicorns over Hurricaines. Sandwich blaster to rule from the porcelein throne.

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  33. Babu is his first name you moron. Look it up on tennis link you idiotic prick.

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  34. I guess it depends on whether Lakeside can convince NWO to roll over like they did Lakeside Estates.

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  35. Need his last name to look him up you penis breath.

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  36. Babu...

    http://www.tennisrecruiting.net/player.asp?id=237527

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  37. Babu was red shirted last year at UC Irvine with a groin pull.

    http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-tennis/mtt/babu_vikram00.html

    He was advised to refrain from pulling his groin in the future.

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  38. Could there be an illegal player that has just been discovered on the Westside 4.5 team??

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  39. Like Wick Cannon?

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  40. The glorious Babu

    http://tennislink.usta.com/LEAGUES/Reports/TennisLinkReports.aspx?Level=I&MemberID=DB0092B74F90A069BE951AFA79686F4E4D5C73A2D0&CYear=2011

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  41. The Westside Blacksheep may have a problem if rules are enforced. Their winning match vs. Ssssccccwwwinng may be overturned. Let's see what HTA does about this. Supposedly a player cannot be originally NTRP rated 5.0 years ago and come back and self rate as a 4.5. If that is true, then Wick Cannan is illegal and his one match vs. SSsswwwinng should be defaulted giving SSsswwwinng the victory and Westside a 3rd loss.

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  42. Actually the HTA has nothing to do with it. It's a decision for Todd Reed and the USTA (if someone actually filed a protest). I have no idea if Wick Cannon is a legit 4.5. Yes, he played (and was rated) 5.0 in 2003, but had mediocre results. While he was rated 5.0 going into 2003, I can't seem to find out what his year end rating was. It's possible he was 4.5...unless I've missed something.

    At any rate, Diana and the HTA must proceed with their 4.5 playoff scheduling, which I assume she will do as soon as the results are posted tomorrow. If Rothe (or anyone else) hasn't protested Cannon by now, then it's probably too late.

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  43. If a team cannot win their division convincingly they shouldn't protest... Rothe!!!!

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  44. The 8:14 post is an idiot! What you are saying is that even though a team plays a higher rated player and they win one match that that player played, and that was the only match he played. That is hardly fair to everyone involved. Quit spending time going after the whistle blowers and focus on the perpetrators of the illegal activity. If someone breaks the law, you don't spend time going after the people who turned that person in, no, you prosecute the lawbreaker, otherwise nothing in life would work properly.
    I have personally made Diana aware of this situation and I am not Rothe nor am I either team. If there is a reason why this gentleman should be rated 4.5 despite the evidence of the NTRP then so be it. Rothe has nothing to do with that.

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  45. Wick Cannon was in the system as 4.5 before he registered. Because of his layoff he had to go through the self-rate process again and was again given a 4.5 rating. He then barely won his only match that he's played. Weakest conspiracy theory ever

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  46. I'd have to say that this problem is on the USTA. Wick's player history is sitting right there in TennisLink. It's trivial change to the system to look up his 2003 rating and force him to self-rate at or above that level. However, as occurred with Solis in the spring, this doesn't happen automatically.

    With the current system, it's impossible for captains to verify that a player has self-rated at his last publish rating (the actual rule) since the publish rating is overwritten by the new self-rating and no longer available.

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  47. Where did Wick Cannon play college tennis? That would determine how he had to do his self rating. If he had a 4.5 computer rating, then I'm sure someone would have found it by now, where is the proof? If he did have a 4.5 computer rating, then he is legitimate.

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  48. This is an example of how our tennis community can help to police new players in Houston. I don't know if Wick Cannon is a legitimate self rated player, but as a 4.5 player I appreciate that it was brought to everyone's attention.

    Then the anons can't complain about him next year.

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  49. If Rios were to play a best of 5 series against Babu, I think Rios would come out on top for sure. Rios has proven himself to be a strong 4.5 level player. Can this be arranged? Maybe in a stadium?

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  50. Cannon is a good distraction from the Fakeside match that was not played. Bunch of cheaters over there in 4.5 and 4.0 too.

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  51. wick cannon and pete taylor are in the same situation. They are both illegal but no one has protested them

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  52. You're crazy. Babu would DESTROY Rios!!!

    BABU!!!!!

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  53. What if HTA doesn't figure out that Lakeside never played that match before playoffs draws are made? Will they replace them in the draw with the runner up from that division? Seems like it will screw up the wildcard situation too. What a mess!

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  54. HTA reads the blog, trust me on this.

    The issue is that they don't have the people power to chase down all of these accusations.

    Truth is that if a match was 'arranged' who is really hurt at the end of the day.

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  55. It hurts EVERYONE!!!

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  56. It's not enough that I go out and play my best against ringers and sandbaggers, but to have captains arrange fake matches and scores is over the top.

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  57. fakeside, that's too funny. one of the few mysteries of the world. aliens? bigfoot? cupracabra? lakeside vs lakeside estates?

    to all you douchebags, the match was played. i would suspect alain tran trying to stir up so makeup crap. he's just a creep like that

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  58. My friends over at Lakeside Estates told me they did play the match.

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  59. what a stupid makeup drama... move on.

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  60. The match was not played or at least it wasn't played at Lakeside. I supposed they could've changed facilities and not told anyone.

    It has been verified through the club that league was not played on the courts there.

    I guess they must have changed sites.

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  61. Sounds like Tran's Trannies spreadin lies as usual to me

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  62. tran's has issues with his little man syndrome

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  63. or just Tran making stuff up more likely

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  64. I appreciate all the love guys. It really shows me how much you envy the person I am since you obviously have nothing better going on in your own life. Nothing makes me happier than to know that I am constantly on your mind 24/7. Keep it up. Please let me thank you personally the next time I see you.

    Nice try, but I have nothing to gain from these rumors.

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  65. Yes, you're momma is pretty hot.

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  66. It must be a Tran thing. All of them like to start drama.

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  67. If you guys like making up scores, then everyone needs to take a look at NOHO 5.0 league.

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  68. So is Wick Cannon eligible or not?

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  69. I suppose they are waiting on USTA to rule on the issue.

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  70. Babu just landed a 85 lb kingfish using 10 lb test line on a Zebco child's setup. When we got the monster on board, Babu proceeded to bash it senseless with his Babolat AeroPro Drive GT. He stated that he will use the same racquet this evening.

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  71. are you the same idiot that keeps posting babu "sightings"?

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  72. it sounds like fakeside got caught red-handed.

    is there any WORSE cheating than making up scores? it makes tanking and score managing look like amateur hour. lakeside should be ashamed.

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  73. Lakeside will do anything to win. They have been known to do this at every level. Their team is full of people with low morale standards, I'm really surprised they recruit so well outside of members. If you can prove they are cheats please nail them to the wall.

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  74. kerig is the worst of the bunch.

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  75. Is this Lakeside 4.0 or 4.5 that is cheating?

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  76. Do anything- like win more games than their opponent. Lakeside Estates said they played the match at Lakeside as scheduled. No scores are protested because they are real.

    Blog getting lame again.

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  77. Blog getting really lame. Lakeside has low morale standards? THey are exactly the opposite and Class Acts at least at the 4.5 level.

    Let's get back to tennis. Can anyone beat Pete Taylor in the playoffs. I dont think Kudrick can handle him in the heat. Will be interesting to see for sure.

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  78. it's probably alain tranny causing all the stir with lakeside. the guy is such a slim ball that half of his previous team left because of him.

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  79. I can beat both Kudrick and Taylor -- at least I will report the scores that way.

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  80. Yes, some of Alain's team left to join the Chancellor under achievers, and get left out of the city playoffs.

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  81. Don't worry DushBags won't do anything in the playoffs. They suck!!!

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  82. European Tennis PlayerJune 30, 2011 at 3:41 PM

    Some hundred years ago, a few people got together and hit a ball back and forth. They had lots of fun, and this later developed to be the sports of tennis.
    The year is 2011: A bunch of freaks destroy this game (yes, it's a game) by it's core, and everyone is actually playing for nothing. No money, no ATP points... just pride, but the way I see things, there's nothing to be proud of anymore.

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  83. Tonight's match between the 2 Westside teams has the potential to be Fakeside II. With a 5-0 beating and scores like 6-1, 6-0, Blacksheeps can improve the standings. Or win the division if Taylor loses.

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  84. Some of Alain's defector play for Chancellor and it was them that Chancellor did not make it to playoff; beside the point without them; I don't think Chancellor have a chance for playoff either. So fuck off!!!

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  85. What things are still in play for the final week?

    All 5 Division winners are locked. At least 1 Wild Card is locked -

    Are the other 2 WC's still out there? Who are the contenders for the final 2 spots. How do tonight's matchups decide?

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  86. USTA has said that although Wick Cannon had a 5.0 NTRP during 2003, he ended that year with a 4.5 C, rating. That means he is legal to play as a 4.5 this year. The problem with the NTRP system is that it doesn't show end of year ratings.
    So, now let's get back to the business of playing tennis and having fun.

    David Hall

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  87. 3:56 - I don't fully understand your circular fu man chu fuck off logic. Are you saying that the 3 defectors did or did not help Chancellor not make the playoffs?

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  88. 3:56, that was incredible post. Usually posters on this blog have a run-on sentence, a couple of misspellings, and a misused conjunction or two. Your post, my friend, was epic. Is English your 23rd language?

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  89. Only 4 division winners are locked, Div 2 is still up for grab. 1 of the 3 wildcards will also come from Div 2. The 3rd wild card is anyone's guess.

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  90. Babu taught English at Rice University in the 70's.

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  91. lmfao that is some funny shit about babu! stupid idiot!

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  92. WOW!!! I just checked Babu's record and one word comes to mind......DOMINATION!!!!! STAY THE FUCK OUTTA HIS WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  93. Did Babu play tonight?

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  94. FYI: Hurricane 4.0's won a squeaker 3-2, Lakeside 4.0 also won 3-2. I believe the Unicorns won easily. Last I heard Chancellor's and Copperfield were in a dogfight.

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  95. Baton Rouge native Nicholas Lucidi won 6-0, 6-0 for the Sienna Aces against Rutherford.

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  96. Chancellor's 4.0 actually ended up winning 5-0, but four of the lines went to third set breakers.

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  97. 9:59, no. Can we STFU about him yet?

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  98. Who won Taylor vs swiinnggss in 4.5?

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  99. Babu played with himself tonight and feel asleep.

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  100. Facker protest is in the mail. How antiquated is it that you have to print and MAIL it in?

    He is a nice guy, just don't want to see him show up as a 2012 4.5C player on Freeman's team.

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  101. hurricanes put on a good show.

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  102. the playoffs picture is almost clear. waiting on big bangers results. these are the seedings so far.

    1 lakeside
    2 hurricanes
    3 blast
    4 copperfield
    5 gypsies
    6 wc-duecebags
    7 wc-blacksheep
    8 wc-big bangers or titans

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  103. freeman didn't even need to play his best lineup, such a shame....

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  104. what IS his best lineup.

    shwinggs underachieved again. stick to the senior league guys.

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  105. 11:51 - old man, use a scanner and email it in

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