As you know, the 2010 Citywide Championships are scheduled to start Thursday. With rain in the forecast over the next few days, court shortages at Memorial Park and makeups still to be completed, staying on schedule is questionable. If the D-Bags/Coaches match is completed Wednesday night (not to mention many of the other makeups still to be completed), things could get interesting. Todd Reid told me that league results are run through the computer on a daily basis and he receives an email if any player receives his third strike. I'm sure you can see the potential problems, depending on when the scores are reported, results run, etc. Anyway, I'm one of those people who sees potential problems where they probably don't exist...
Let's get to the matchups. Lakeside has wrapped up Division I and at this point could potentially play the Deucebags, GTAC or the Coaches. Only the Deucebags were able to take more than one line from Lakeside during the regular season. Rumor has it that Lakeside will be missing one or more of their key players during the playoffs, which will definitely leave an opening for the second place team. None of the potential Thursday opponents seem to have the overall depth of Lakeside, but the Deucebags have the two solid singles players to potentially make things interesting with Lakeside should they get past the Coaches.
The Hurricanes II team will apparently be facing the Titans. The 'Canes Emmett McCool is perhaps the most underrated singles player in the league. David Guy or Raymond Martinez would seem to be the logical choice at the other singles spot. Simon Jim and Antoine Ford (side note: I'm making a broad assumption that players are committing to their Houston teams ahead of NOHO without any knowledge to the contrary) might be SLIGHTLY weaker, but a split of the singles would seem to be the most likely outcome. Lombardi/Bishop may be the Hurricanes top team. John Burrmann's results this year have not been as impressive as in the past. He and John Day are not a lock. This match is too close to call.
Lastly, Black Sheep face Hurricanes III. I've got them as tri-favorites along with Lakeside. (Not exactly going out on a limb, am I?) Gururaj v. Davila? Ahmed v. Fonseca? (or Alzate or Lacy or Morgan or...) Davila tops my "most intriguing players" list. I just don't know HOW good he is. Does anyone?
Tommy Ristau has so many options with his lineup that I can't even speculate what he'll put out there. I suspect Freeman will have the veteran duo of Li/Regent in the lineup. They appear to be playing as well as ever. Late-season additions Plummer and Dupelchin have also been impressive as has 4.0 bump Sebastien Chambert.
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I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Lakeside wins at 4.5. Who would win btw Lakeside and NoHo Canes?
ReplyDeleteNoho would edge out lakeside 3-2. They'd win 1 singles and 2 doubles lines.
ReplyDeleteWhat would NoHo's best lineup be?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about McCool. He is a good player and a nice guy. He brings constant pressure and attacks his opponents weaknesses relentlessly. I think he has the game to compete with anyone in the league.
ReplyDeleteNOHO would win 4-1 against Lakeside. Win both singles and 2 doubles lines.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also pick Lakeside to win city playoffs. They have 2 good singles players and a lot of depth in doubles.
how about bharath. doesn't he have to committ to a team, before the city playoffs? and which one?
ReplyDeleteEveryone on the NOHO team, that is playing on a Houston team, has to commit before city playoffs.
ReplyDeleteHere is a list of players on the NOHO roster and where I think they will commit:
Bharath Gururaj - NOHO
Glenn Wright - NOHO
Antoine Ford - NOHO
David Guy - Hurricanes II
John Burrmann - NOHO
If true, then some teams will be hurt badly after losing these players, especially Titans and Hurricanes III.
Just saw that there may be only 1 wild card available. Looks like 4.5 league is up this year.
ReplyDelete1. Abilene
2. Amarillo
3. Austin
4. Corpus Christi
5. Dallas
6. Fort Worth
7. Houston
8. Lubbock
9. Netx
10. Noho
11. Qualifying Team
12. San Antonio
13. Setx
14. Valley
15. Waco
16. ?????
Where did you see that?
ReplyDeleteWho else on the Hurricanes II team is underrated and can help out the team in the playoffs besides the usual ones mentioned?
ReplyDeleteMorton, Goldberg, Hernandez, Wood, and Hunckler.
What about them?
The above list probably isn't going to be a correct list. You have to have 3 teams in a league to avoid the QT. That list has a slot for Abilene and a slot for a QT. As of today the Abilene league only has 2 teams so they would have to qualify as the QT team. Also, no teams are showing up for Corpus 4.5 so there may not be a team slotted for that line. Could be up to 3 Wild Cards.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone remembers better than me but If I recall correctly, each city gets their name in the bucket once for every 6 teams they have in their league. This is for the drawing of wildcard spots only. So Dallas would have 4 ping pong balls, Houston 3, San Antonio, Austin and Ft. Worth 1 each. Not sure if you get a bonus ball if you have something like 11 teams where you fall just short of getting that 6th team. If you don't, then that puts 10 ping pong balls in the basket. Your city's chance for the first wild card is 40% Dallas, 30% Houston and 10% each SAT, Austin and FW. Last year I think the 1st team drawn was Houston or was it Austin. Dallas got a bit screwed.
ReplyDeleteNO WAY the matches get played this Thursday. Wonder how rainouts will be handled by HTA
ReplyDeleteIts a joke that these matches arent done!!!Its been nice every day Sat and Sun...The unfinished matches should be losses.
ReplyDeleteNOHO has a lot of question marks. Players on multiple teams. My guess is several guys-Burmann,Guy, Bharath will committ to their Houston teams and Vernon will play with SE like he usually does. NOHO=No chance
ReplyDeleteWestside and Lakeside look like the teams to beat. They are just to deep. I like the younger Hurricane players but I'm not sure they are ready for the pressure of the playoffs (its not the 4.0s anymore).
ReplyDeleteDoes Houston have any solid women's teams this year? What is Betsie doing?
Not much of Betsie this season, I'ts Julie's team that looks very strong at 4.5 consisted of players like Myer,Kim,Allison. Dena Day's Team has a couple of players that can make it a little bit very interesting, players like Pia, Ahn, Margaret and Lisa
ReplyDeleteDid any matches get made up last night in 4.5 or 4.0?
ReplyDeleteGururaj, Burmann, Wright and the rest would be crazy to stay on their Houston teams. If they all play for NOHO, they have a chance of making a run in Dallas but all of their Houston teams lack the firepower to compete with the best in the state. If they do stay on their Houston teams, NOHO will be in trouble.
ReplyDeleteIf the noho roster played the top houston players, who would win? Would it be close?
ReplyDeleteI think people are over rating the noho team. It would struggle to win Houston city playoffs.
ReplyDeletePlayers will go to NOHO changing the HTA Playoff Landscape. Like 7:36am poster said. None of other teams have the firepower to compete at Sectionals. Lakeside doesn't have services of Tommy Connell & Glenn Wright will most likely play for NOHO. Those are 2 of the top 3 dubs players for Lakeside. NOHO with all of its players would beat Lakeside 4-1. If NOHO's top Houston players don't come over then NOHO is in trouble. IMO NOHO's players just played HTA too get more match play in and to attempt to control who else makes it out of HTA to Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteOver rating Noho? They have some sleepers who have not been talked about. I'm pretty sure that Dibua,Sumrall,Burmman would like to make another run at making it to nationals.
ReplyDeleteJulie's team won't be able to compete against the Monday Day League winner, Top Guns.
ReplyDeleteNOHO will make a strong showing at Sectionals, and probably Nationals. They have some great players, mostly coming from National teams from the past. Ryan Anderson is no slouch, he just beat Hugo Spratley at Juneteenth. I don't think any of the Dallas or Austin teams have the firepower to take them down, and there is no other Houston team that could either. Just as the poster said at 8:57am, NOHO teams created by Red Benzon use players in NOHO and Houston to control the strength of the Houston teams and keep them from being a competitor at Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteBetsie is in her off-season. She's gone to Nats 2005, 2007, 2009 - she'll go again in 2011.
ReplyDeleteShe is trying to recruit Melanie Oudin and get her rating to 4.5 for next season. Why do you think she skips a year? It gives her time to manipulate the rating system.
ReplyDeleteShe is manipulating the rating system to recruit Venus, Serena, and Melanie Oudin for her 2011 season.
ReplyDeleteSpratley is garbage! He should be a 4.5!
ReplyDeleteFreeman is the noho captain. He's assembled that team to make another run at nationals. He will have a good shot at making a 4.0 nationals run too.
ReplyDeleteShe skips a year because quite frankly there isn't enough 4.5 women's talent to win consecutive years (like there is for the men) coupled with the fact that her team prefers to stay together than split up. It's called loyalty - something Freeman's team never had.
ReplyDeleteWOW. That is a mild accusation...Looking at Freeman's teams, it looks like he has some of the same guys on his rosters over the years. Sour Grapes never taste good.
ReplyDeleteSour grapes is not uncommon in Houston league players.
ReplyDeleteFreeman is developing some good relationships in 4.5 now, but Benzon is the key behind this NOHO Team. Freeman has done a great job over the last 2 years at using 4.0 & 4.5 to feed back and forth. He has made the transition well from 3.5 & 4.0 to 4.0 & 4.5. On the other side of the equation, Benzon has many 4.5 & 5.0 contacts and keeps a good solid flow of players going up & down on the top end, and between the 2 of them they will always field a strong Tri-Level Team with their resources. The NOHO 4.5 Team can line up so many different ways. Dubs: Burrmann/Dibua, Mills/Vernon, Sumrall/Kern, Benzon/Ford, Wright/Pekar. They can shift many of these players around too and still be strong. In singles: Gururaj, Dibua, Mills, Sumrall, Anderson, Guy, Lopez, & another solid player yet to register. IMO Mike Miller of San Antonio has done has best work to date... fielding another strong team that will make another run at the title. His team was close to making it to Nationals last year losing to NOHO in the finals 3-2... maybe it's their year. Austin will be solid again, as well as, Dallas Branch. Those teams are NOHO's biggest threat at this point. However, I am impressed with the team that Lakeside has put together in a short time period and Tommy Ristau has done some nice work out of a private club, putting together his best team as of yet, with the depth to be dangerous against anyone on any given day with the right match-ups. Both Hurricanes teams are dangerous with some seasoned vets, but will lose some of their talent and depth to the NOHO Team, so they are a question mark at this point, but still dangerous. -And my friends Alain Tran & Ken Douds has put together solid teams as well, but the verdict is out based on who both teams retain for the Citywides. I know a few of the players on the K Coaches Team, and they have been a nice addition to the mix this year too... just not sure about their depth yet. In 5.0, mine and Toney's Team will compete at Sectionals, but the Omana brother's team out of Ft. Worth has to be the favorite. Craig Bobo
ReplyDeleteCliff Notes - Freeman is Benzon's bitch in 4.5.
ReplyDeleteSingles is too weak to win unless Gururaj is better than Dibua.
Craig what team will you play for at Sectionals? Will Toney's team be shorthanded?
as always, the Bobo knows the 4.5 and 5.0 leagues better than just about anyone in the city. So, Craig, how good is this Ft Worth team in 5.0? And why dont you just add Lock to your team, you have 2 matches left for him to play, don't you?
ReplyDeleteSay Nadal does win wimbledon. That would give him 8 grand slams. Say he does retire at the age of 28 which is 4 years from now but he wins the french (which he dominates) and wimbledon which he does very well every year he plays. It's not unrealistic that he catches up to Roger and Pete's GS record. You don't have to have good the whole year, just half a year will do. Heck just a good 2 months and he can win 2 slams per year and he could catch up. I don't think he makes it but I think he may come close. I say he ends with 11 GS. Winning the French at least 4 more times and alternating between the Australian and Wimbledon. I think his body breaks down by the end of the year to much to be able to make runs at the US Open.
ReplyDeleteWill the real Gururaj stand up. I've seen him play Arun, and he's got game. Maybe he was just hot that day in that practice match, but if what I saw is the real deal, then he's got game, even at the 5.0 level. He's been hidden, except for his 3 & 2 win over Ford. Maybe I am wrong, but I think he's their strongest singles player currently on the roster. With the regard to 5.0, it appears that all players from our Met Team are traveling to the Big 'D'. Craig
ReplyDeleteWe did ask Lock to join us, and he said he'd like to after he returned from his overseas trip, but we never heard back from him. The Ft. Worth Team is strong with both Omana brothers plus Dustin Tankersly and several other strong players that have had good results. We are solid too with both Arun & Aadrian playing well in singles. Arun, Zolas, Evans, and Taylor are still young guns and playing some great dubs. Toney, Panesar, & Whitsett have been playing extremely well this season too. I may jump over and play for my NOHO 5.0 Team should we advance too, and re-join our Met Team should we make it to nationals. I am working to get back in the playing shape I was in back in 07 & 08... so the verdict's still out on which way I go... with the Met or NOHO. Craig
ReplyDeleteLock would be DQ'd from 5.0 as well. It's not like it's a question of strikes. The guy flat out lied on the self-rate form and if he had told the truth, it would have rated him at least 5.5
ReplyDeleteGururaj is a great add for the NOHO team. They will be very good. Big blow to the Canes team.
Do not forget Scott Eddins as well on the FTW Team, he has a a
ReplyDeleteFutures Title in his resume from about 6 or so years ago. Team will be tough to beat, but you guys always seem to have just as many great players.
Scott Eddins beat Jason Pieters in 2008 , which allowed Pieters to play 5.0 last year. Don't know who FT worth has playing singles for them, but they will be tough to beat.
ReplyDeleteHey AR Hacker, how would you seed the Top 4.5 teams? 1-4?
Is Scott the younger brother of Ronnie Eddins? Craig
ReplyDeleteScott played at TCU, I have beat him twice in doubles and am a 4.5, He is just ok if you avoid the nonsense!
ReplyDeleteThe Great White Rhino
and Ricardo has lost a few steps
ReplyDeleteRicardo who?
ReplyDeleteOKAY OKAY OKAY, COMMON NOW, I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY AMATEURS THINKING THAT THEY ARE REALLY SOMEBODY, WHEN IT COMES TO LEAGUE TENNIS, DUDE PEOPLE, DO YOU REALIZE OR HAVE YOU NOTICE THAT THE REAL PLAYERS ARE NOT GETTING INVOLVE WITH THIS NONSENCE, LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS REALLY NEVER PLAYED COMPETITIVE SPORTS GROWING UP AND OR MAYBE YOU WERE THE LAST ONE TO GET PICK FOR THE TEAM, ANYWAY CHILL PEOPLE ITS JUST AMATEUR TENNIS.
ReplyDeleteHey bloggers,
ReplyDeleteLooks like Titans pulled it out at the end and by the way I just found out Capt. Ken Douds was not in the line up which was a blessing for these Titans otherwise they would have lost their last match. Titans may take it all if Capt. Ken stays out of the line up.
Has anyone seen the complete bullshit fake scores put in for Chance Morgan on Torres San Antonio team? Exact same scores for two matches played on the same day???? I can't believe they still let that team compete.
ReplyDeleteProbably Miller making a big deal out of nothing. No one cares about the San Antonio matches. Save all the whining for sectionals and take your sorrows to the Riverwalk.
ReplyDeleteI read the blog pretty regularly, but the 7:25 post was not me. I suspect the scores are BS also, but I wasn't there to see that match and have no way of proving they are bogus. We just have to go out and win. We can't worry about the BS that Torres pulls, it happens every year and are pretty used to it. BTW, I will always sign my posts. Hoping to see some of you guys at Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteMiller
It's actually impressive that Miller has beat Torres the last couple of years given all the shady stuff and outright cheating Torres pulls.
ReplyDeleteMiller has the best team in SA. Dont doubt for a minute that they have not forgotten about losing in the Finals at Sects. last year. They are a great group of guys and now very focused- they will be a major roadblock to any team looking to punch ticket to Nationals.
ReplyDeleteCome on guys. The SA players are too lazy to take the 3 minutes it takes to set up their own blog so let's not spend time discussing them here or give them a place to talk shit on what should be the first day of playoffs for Houston.
ReplyDeleteHow does the fact the Coaches/D-bags hasn't been played yet impact matches tonight? Is Blacksheep vs Canes 3 the only match that can be played at this point?
Who wins between Blacksheep and Canes if they do get the match in?
if the team or teams that are not ready for the scheduled playoff match, then they should be dq'd for that match.
ReplyDeleteBlacksheep will win 3-2 against Canes III. They have a deeper team, and Canes III is too inexperienced and will fold in the playoffs. Bharath will win 1 line and Canes will pick up one of the doubles.
ReplyDeleteHere is my ranking of the 6 4.5 playoff teams:
1. Lakeside
2. Blacksheep
3. Deucebags, if they beat the Coaches first : )
4. Canes II
5. Canes III
6. Titans
You forget that Bharath is on NOHO and wouldn't be able to play in City for Canes 2. No way he actually chooses them over NOHO for playoffs.
ReplyDeletedbags are a mess even if they beat the coaches,they will be lucky to win a match in the playoffs with the lineups they use.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree Westside is favored against the Canes tonight, I'm not sure how Westside has more "experience" than the Canes. What experience does Westside have? How do you judge experience?
ReplyDeleteborkop went 3 sets with orozco.
ReplyDeleteDid the D-bags & Coaches finish their match yet? If not, when is it scheduled? How can you rank Lakeside #1 without Tommy Connell & Glenn Wright? NOHO 4.5 takes players from a number of teams. Westside is the only team that is retaining all of their players, so at this point, they have to be favorite. That might change though after we see who shows up to play for each of the teams.
ReplyDeleteD-Bags and Coaches have not finished. Matches have been scheduled every day this week, but the rain is killing us. Any of you indoor guys want to loan us a court?
ReplyDeletePLEASE!! PRETTY PLEASE!!!
ReplyDeletecooper, btw, great win over hung. i would try to reserve two courts at westheimer indoors. i'm pretty sure there is a cost for non-members, just like the other clubs.
ReplyDeletei think the titans and hurricane b-team is playering there tonight, so that would be great to have the matches there.
ReplyDeleteward, from the duecebags, is a member at the met, maybe he can assist
ReplyDeleteThanks. They are totally booked, but they did try to sell me a summer membership.
ReplyDeleteI think the Dbags/coaches should forfeit their first round playoff match. They should have finished in a timely manner instead of waiting til the last minute.
ReplyDeleteJannuzzi is a cancer for a team, he infects everyone around him with his constant poor attitude.
ReplyDeleteto july 1st 9:12 fuck you,pussy sign your name.
ReplyDeleteduecebags are ahead 2-1 now. alain tran won their doubles line in 3 sets.
ReplyDeleteTo 8:51 - We did not wait until the last minute. Our match was originally scheduled for last Thursday and we played for an hour before getting rained out. Players from both teams were out of town over the weekend. It has rained every day this week. Also, GTAC can still go to the playoffs if the D-Bags lose. I think there needs to a bye week before the playoffs in future seasons.
ReplyDeleteI just got a text saying that D-Bags won line 3 doubles in the 10 point breaker. Congrats to Tran and his partner.
Ward is not the problem.
ReplyDeleteWard is too old. Take up fishing it's very relaxing and better yet at your own slow pace
ReplyDeleteDid the Canes and Titans play last night? Who won? Tennis Link still doesn't have the playoffs on there.
ReplyDeleteI heard that the Titans and Canes split lines and are tied 2-2. I don't know about the 5th line and why it did not get played.
ReplyDeleteAnyone out there with more info?
the playoff matches should not have started without the regular season being completed
ReplyDeleteAgreed. At least there should have been 1 week off for teams to rest or make up matches. When was the last time an entire season was played without some rain outs.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, does anyone know the official policy for making up the matches that were rained out this week? If they are not played in a timely manner, I could see a lot of shady things being done in the playoffs.
D-bags end up beating Katy Coaches 3-2. Dugas-Chavarria winning in straights while Huffman-Ballesteros fall in 3 sets.
ReplyDeleteGood match Katy Coaches! Classic win by D-bags... it had to come down to the last deciding line of the final match up of their season. Congrats to the Deucebag. See yall in City Playoffs!!
ReplyDeleteDouds won his line 2 and 1 with Marco and the Titans are tied w the Hurricanes 2-2 ... Line 1 singles to still be played. Lol- the bloggers must have lit a fire under his ass ...
ReplyDeleteD~bags didn't have to beat Katy Coaches to make it to city playoffs. even if they would've lost 2-3 or 1-4 they would've made it
ReplyDeleteany thoughts:
ReplyDeleteborkop vs hess
borkop vs bui
nguyen vs hess
nguyen vs bui
davila vs ahmed
davila vs bharath
fonseca vs ahmed
fonseca vs bharath
Borkop cannot beat Hess! Better pray he plays Bui!
ReplyDeleteIf the D-bags lost it would have opened up the door for GTAC to take the 2nd spot They still have a make-up match to play.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts:
ReplyDeleteborkop vs hess - hess
borkop vs bui - borkop
nguyen vs hess - hess
nguyen vs bui - nguyen
davila vs ahmed - davila
davila vs bharath - bharath
fonseca vs ahmed - ahmed
fonseca vs bharath - bharath
Bharath will be playing for NOHO. They can't take any chances with him playing and that team qualifying for sectionals... if that happened NOHO would lose one of it's star players. So, take Bharath out of your scenarios for citywides.
ReplyDeleteLakeside team sure is vocal on this blog and thinks highly of their players/chances. They are solid, but will get trounced if they make it to sectionals.
ReplyDeleteNote - Bharath is supposedly unavailable for sectionals so that probably means he'll be playing in the Houston playoffs.
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case, then that def. changes the HTA Playoffs, but I've heard differently.
ReplyDeleteWestside & Hurricanes III will punch their ticket to Sectionals
ReplyDeleteHuh? Who says Westside and Canes III punch their ticket to sectionals? westside have not won anything in years, They are just there to fill up the brackets and canes III are good but not that good, We have too many good teams out there that are competing and I don't think there is a dominant team out there unless you include Craig Bobo's Team who has the most talented core of players including Craig
ReplyDeleteHouston is a toss up. There will be a lot of 3-2 wins and 3rd sets will determine who advances and who stays.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kudos 9:08 poster, but I think the 7:44 poster was referring to the 4.5 Playoffs. There should wind up being 2 spots from the HTA Playoffs-(The Champ & Wild-card) Fortunately my 5.0 Met Team has already won our division and secured a spot to Sectionals. Looking at the 4.5 landscape for Citywides, I believe there is the most parity in years. It will be interesting to see out of the players in question that are also on NOHO, who shows up for the Citywides. There are also a lot of ?? marks next to players names as to how good they will be under the pressure of the playoffs. We should've developed a betting game, b/c it's going to be a lot of close matches. Craig Bobo
ReplyDeleteI agree with the 9:58 poster. It's going to be exciting stuff!! FYI-For several years HTA 4.5 was dominated by our Hangovers Team and the Kingwood Crush, in 08 we made the jump to NOHO and beat the HTA Crush in the finals of Sectionals. Last year it was a one horse show with the Hurricanes dominating, and the race was for the Wild-card. This year it's wide open. Anyone could win. Any team gets hott and wins some breakers and it's anyone's race to win. The only thing we know for sure right now is that NOHO is in. GOOD LUCK TO ALL. Craig Bobo
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf the Sectionals 4.5 Draw BELOW holds true, then wow!! Flight 4 is a killer with San Antonio, NOHO, the Valley, & Amarillo. San Antonio and NOHO are 2 of my favorites. Haven't checked out the Valley, but they have been strong in the past when they show up. So, whomever comes out of this bracket has to be the favorite. Austin Tatu will be strong and my friend Mike Davis is hoping for a Wild-card after 2 losses to DQ's. Assuming both Dallas & Houston get wild cards, they most likely won't place Houston Wild in the Houston draw nor Dallas wild in the Dallas draw, so it appears Houston Wild would go in Flight 1 & play Austin right out of the gate. The Houston HTA Champ will have an easier bracket if they get past their first match, which will most likely be a tough Dallas Wild Team. So, here are some predictions based on the draws below of the 4 teams that I think will make the semi's at Sectionals. Flight 1: Austin-Ft Worth Winner, Flight 2: Houston-Dallas Wild winner, Flight 3: Dallas, Flight 4: NOHO-SA Winner. Chance of an all Houston Final again, like 08? Longshot, but cool to think about. SA-Miller like I stated several times is one of my favorites, and is very strong as well as Dallas Branch who has some of his guys back from 07 & 08. They look to be in the mix for a title too. Neither team has lost a match. Looking at Ft. Worth, they are stronger this year too, with several solid pick-ups in Ryan Vogl, French, & Syska. Ft. Worth will push Austin in bracket 1. Dallas Wild will be very tough too. Check out the QT with my good friend Craig Bell & his son Chris trying to get past a child-hood Houston friend in Charles Herget's Las Colinas bunch.
ReplyDeleteThis will probably be up on the USTA Texas site soon, but here is the schedule I received from CATA today. Also, keep in mind that the schedule and groups could still change.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flight 1: Austin, NETX, Wild, Ft. Worth
Friday 7/30
9:00 am. NETX vs. Ft. Worth (Brookhaven)
10:30 am. Austin vs. Wild (Brookhaven)
4:30 pm. Austin vs. Ft. Worth (Brookhaven)
Wild vs. NETX (Brookhaven)
Saturday 7/31
4:00 pm. NETX vs. Austin (LB Houston)
Ft. Worth vs. Wild (LB Houston)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flight 2: Houston, Lubbock, Waco, Wild
Friday 7/30
4:00 pm. Houston vs. Wild (Greenhill)
Lubbock vs. Waco (Greenhill)
Saturday 7/31
7:00 am. Waco vs. Houston (Greenhill)
8:30 am. Wild vs. Lubbock (Greenhill)
4:30 pm. Houston vs. Lubbock (LB Houston)
Waco vs. Wild (LB Houston)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flight 3: Dallas, Wild, Abilene, SETX
Friday 7/30
1:00 pm. Dallas vs. SETX (Greenhill)
2:30 pm. Wild vs. Abilene (Greenhill)
Saturday 7/31
7:00 am. Dallas vs. Abilene (LB Houston)
8:30 am. SETX vs. Wild (LB Houston)
4:00 pm. Wild vs. Dallas (Greenhill)
Abilene vs. SETX (Greenhill)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flight 4: Amarillo, NOHO, Valley, San Antonio
Friday 7/30
2:30 pm. Amarillo vs. San Antonio (LB Houston)
NOHO vs. Valley (LB Houston)
Saturday 7/31
10:00 am. Valley vs. Amarillo (LB Houston)
11:30 am. San Antonio vs. NOHO (LB Houston)
4:00 pm. Amarillo vs. NOHO (T Bar M)
Valley vs. San Antonio (T Bar M)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sorry guys. Way too much time on my hands this evening. Got the draw off the Austin Blog. Anyone seen the 5.0 Draw? Craig Bobo
Sounds like all the guys playing in Houston and NOHO would be better off playing for Houston, since NOHO will get blasted by SA in Pool Play.
ReplyDeleteSounds like someone is desperately trying to keep his player from defecting.
ReplyDeletehaha I have no dog in the fight, just laughing at all of the Houston players that whore themselves out to Red every year for a stupid towel and pen set, while screwing their second team.
ReplyDeleteQuite the Soap Opera
Here's the 5.0 Schedule I rec'd.
ReplyDelete2010 Tentative Men’s 5.0 Sectional Schedules
July 30th – August 1st
Teams
Austin
Ft. Worth
Dallas
NOHO
Houston
Friday 7/30
10:00 am. Ft. Worth vs. Houston (Northwood)
Dallas vs. NOHO (Northwood)
2:30 pm. Austin vs. Houston (Northwood)
Ft. Worth vs. Dallas (Northwood)
Saturday 7/31
8:30 am. Austin vs. NOHO (Northwood)
Houston vs. Dallas (Northwood)
1:00 pm. Dallas vs. Austin (Northwood)
NOHO vs. Ft. Worth (Northwood)
Sunday 8/1
7:00 am. Ft. Worth vs. Austin (Northwood)
NOHO vs. Houston (Northwood)
*Captain’s check-in will be Thursday July 29th from 5:00- 7:00 pm at the main hotel. The captains meeting will follow at 7:30 pm. If you are unable to attend you can pick up your captains packet at the main site, Brookhaven CC starting on Friday morning.
*Matches will be played with Regular scoring in first two sets. If match goes to a third set a “match” tie break will be played (first to 10 points winning by 2). Coman tie break played in all tie breaks.
*Captains and players should arrive at their playing site 30 minutes before scheduled time to turn in the line-up to the tournament desk.
Craig Bobo
Here's the 4.0 schedule:
ReplyDelete2010 Tentative Men’s 4.0 Sectional Schedule
July 30th – August 1st.
Flight 1 Teams
Corpus Christi
Houston
Wild
San Angelo
Valley
Friday 7/30
7:00 am. Houston vs. Valley (Greenhill)
Wild vs. San Angelo (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Corpus Christi vs. Valley (Greenhill)
Houston vs. Wild (Greenhill)
1:00 pm. Corpus Christi vs. San Angelo (Greenhill)
Saturday 7/31
7:00 am. Valley vs. Wild (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Wild vs. Corpus Christi (Greenhill)
San Angelo vs. Houston (Greenhill)
1:00 pm. Houston vs. Corpus Christi (Greenhill)
Valley vs. San Angelo (Greenhill)
Sunday 8/1
7:00 am. Semi-Finals (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Finals (Greenhill)
Flight 2 Teams
Wild
Waco
San Antonio
Ft. Worth
Abilene QT
Friday 7/30
8:30 am. Waco vs. Abilene QT (Greenhill)
San Antonio vs. Ft. Worth (Greenhill)
11:30 am. Abilene QT vs. Wild (Greenhill)
Waco vs. San Antonio (Greenhill)
2:30 pm. Wild vs. Ft. Worth (Greenhill)
Saturday 7/31
8:30 am. San Antonio vs. Abilene QT (Greenhill)
11:30 am. Wild vs. San Antonio (Greenhill)
Ft. Worth vs. Waco (Greenhill)
2:30 pm. Waco vs. Wild (Greenhill)
Ft. Worth vs. Abilene QT (Greenhill)
Sunday 8/1
7:00 am. Semi-Finals (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Finals (Greenhill)
Flight 3 Teams
NOHO
Midland
Austin
NETX
Wild
Friday 7/30
7:00 am. Midland vs. Wild (LB Houston)
Austin vs. NETX (LB Houston)
10:00 am. NOHO vs. Wild (LB Houston)
Midland vs. Austin (LB Houston)
1:00 pm. NETX vs. NOHO (LB Houston)
Saturday 7/31
7:00 am. NOHO vs. Austin (LB Houston)
NETX vs. Midland (LB Houston)
10:00 am. Wild vs. Austin (LB Houston)
1:00 pm. NOHO vs. Midland (LB Houston)
Wild vs. NETX (LB Houston)
Sunday 8/1
7:00 am. Semi-Finals (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Finals (Greenhill)
Flight 4 Teams
Amarillo
SETX
Wild
Lubbock
Dallas
Friday 7/30
8:30 am. Dallas vs. SETX (LB Houston)
Wild vs. Lubbock (LB Houston)
11:30 am. Amarillo vs. Dallas (LB Houston)
SETX vs. Wild (LB Houston)
2:30 pm. Amarillo vs. Lubbock (LB Houston)
Saturday 7/31
8:30 am. Wild vs. Amarillo (LB Houston)
Lubbock vs. SETX (LB Houston)
11:30 am. Dallas vs. Wild (LB Houston)
2:30 pm. SETX vs. Amarillo (LB Houston)
Lubbock vs. Dallas (LB Houston)
Sunday 8/1
7:00 am. Semi-Finals (Greenhill)
10:00 am. Finals (Greenhill)
*Captain’s check-in will be Thursday July 29th from 5:00- 7:00 pm at the main hotel. The captains meeting will follow at 7:30 pm. If you are unable to attend you can pick up your captains packet at the main site, Brookhaven CC starting on Friday morning.
*Matches will be played with Regular scoring in first two sets. If match goes to a third set a “match” tie break will be played (first to 10 points winning by 2). Coman tie break played in all tie breaks.
*Captains and players should arrive at their playing site 30 minutes before scheduled time to turn in the line-up to the tournament desk.
Why all the talk about the SA 4.5 team? The San Antonio squad lost twice last year at sectionals. Even though they have done some good recruiting with Barton,Del Campo,White,and Vogl that doesn't put them as a lock at sectionals.
ReplyDeleteLooking at Miller's record as a Captain he's lost to Houston teams at sectionals in 09,08,and 07.
This quite possibly could be the best team Miller's ever assembled, but I'm sure Noho will be looking forward to the competition.
Whatever team makes it out of Houston will have a good shot at making it out of their pool.
Craig has lost his mind !! And his game too !!
ReplyDeleteI am sure NOHO will be ready too. If you read carefully, my top 2 favorites at the outset were SA & NOHO. No one put them as a lock at Sectionals. I just said Miller have put together his best team yet. Above, I listed SA-NOHO winner as the one coming out of that bracket. IMO it's a toss up 3-2 either way. With regard to personal attack, it's uncalled for, but I am ready to lace 'em up when you are. Craig Bobo
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a match with NOHO will be a good one. We have a little more business to take care of in SA first. We won the Spring League, but we still have to play against torres' team that won the fall league to get the Sectionals birth. Don't worry about me playing in the NOHO match. I'm not good enough to make the top 11. Craig, hope we get a chance to run into each other in Dallas. It's been a while. Miller
ReplyDeleteThanks for chiming in, y'all. Miller: Question about the SA playoffs...Is the fall winner allowed to use only those players on his fall roster or can he use spring additions as well? Should be quite a battle.
ReplyDeleteyou must have 50% of your fall roster on the spring team
ReplyDeleteThe fall team the torres uses is only those players on his fall roster.
ReplyDeleteMiller
Thanks for the feedback Mike. I like that... The Fall Winner plays the Spring Winner for a birth Sectionals. Sounds like it'll be another battle between you and Alann. When do y'all play that match? Craig Bobo
ReplyDeleteCraig, We play on Saturday tentatively at 11am. Hopefully all goes well and we will see you at Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteMiller
Have players that are going to playoffs with NOHO had to declare yet? Seems like that should have happened before the start of Houston Citywides
ReplyDeleteWhere can you find the flights and schedules for all levels, Men and Women?
ReplyDeleteAny word on wildcards yet for 4.5? When will we know if Houston has one this year?
ReplyDeleteThe playoff stuff is not in tennis link yet. Information is Here
ReplyDeleteMultiple league players declared...the deadline was at the beginning of this month.
4.5 Wild Cards have not yet been announced.
How do we know who declared for what teams? Do we have to ask Freeman?
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting for Freeman to pitch his two 4.5 teams against each other in CWP. Does he pitch his favorite team lineup against a weaker line-up against the lesser favorite team to give them a chance at Sectional? Or does he have strong enough teams that they both make it out of the pool play and both team goes to sectional. Inquirer minds wants to know.
ReplyDeleteThere is no pool play its a round robin.
ReplyDeleteCaptains should be prepared to play against every player on the opposing team's roster.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be unfair that an opposing captain is notified ahead of time which player is available for the match?
No, Jason, You can see our roster of eligible players. Why can't we see yours?
ReplyDeleteEvery one on the roster could play, HTA knows who cannot play. Will you also send the other captains a list of your players that are not available, sick, out of town, or just don't want to play?
ReplyDeleteCome on Jason, just declare already. Which Hurricanes team will you play on.
Hey, where are the captains injury reports? I need to make my picks for the Houston Tennis Fantasy League.
ReplyDeleteAny update on the Titans vs Hurricanes II match from last week?
The way I read the rules, it would only be if both Houston and NoHo had citywide championships (NoHo does not) that a player would have to declare by this point in the season which team he would be playing for. Reference HTA's "2010 Multiple League Rules" at this link http://www.houstontennis.org/Content-Public/Page-Edit/Page.asp?iID=1207655137
ReplyDeleteAs usual, very foggily written and full of apparent contradictions. But see this excerpt: "2. A player whose teams are eligible to participate in both Houston and North Houston local championships must choose one championship. If the their team does not win, that player can rejoin their former team and participate in that team's advancement, whether that team advancement is a local championship or a sectional championship.***", and then the footnote "***Should a player's two teams both be involved in the championships with only one winning to advance to Sectionals, Houston USTA Leagues and NoHo Leagues will allow that player to join his / her other team and advance to the Sectional Championship." So even if both leagues had championships, a player could choose one, and then still go play for the other at Sectionals.
Does anyone read this differently?
The Texas Section Operating Procedures also has a rule covering this event (rule #6), but it seems this is aimed at someone who's on two teams going to Sectionals, or two going to the same Citywide championship ("...a championship").
Can anyone find anything in writing that clearly invalidates this interpretation? I realize the HTA rules at the above link talk about declaring by June 30, but I maintain that's only if both HTA and NoHo had citywides.
Noho is a farse; not a legit league
ReplyDeleteIn 4.0 and 3.5 NoHo is competitive. The top 2 or 3 teams would be very competitive at Houston City wide and might even win.
ReplyDeleteIn 4.5 yes you are correct there is one primary team and then several whipping boy teams to have the league make to get the team to sectionals. Keep in mind this is no different that Waco, NETX or SETX (or others) at this level.
they should have to qualify against each other to get to sectionals then
ReplyDeleteYou idiots that are comparing captains getting notification of noho declarations to them having to inform everyone about who is injured, sick, or unavailable are missing the point. Freeman captains the noho team. He also captains 2 hta teams in the cwc. He not only knows which players from HIS hta teams have declared but he knows whether players from lakeside and westheimer indoors have declared too. So if he has key info on 4 of the 6 teams in the cwc that the other captains don't have, please explain to me how that is not an unfair advantage.
ReplyDeleteThe other teams need to go out and just try to beat the canes for sure but don't give us this shut up and win bullshit and pretend that this situation isn't shady. There is a difference between sour grapes and legit concerns.
The rules for declaration are standard for EVERY team. What you asking is punishment to Freeman for having multiple teams. Would you be asking the same thing if Freeman had a team playing in Dallas and that team made it to Sectionals?
ReplyDeleteHypothetically, if I owned 2 professional NBA teams and they both made it to the playoffs, are you asking that I declare to the other playoff teams what players I have available for each game?
I think you do. You have to tell me if Kobe is playing or not, even though he is on my roster. It only fair and I need every "advantage" I can get because I suck as a captain.
ReplyDeleteIs that what you are saying?
Only if Kobe plays on 2 teams like SA and LA he should declare.
ReplyDeleteOf course he has to declare, but do you have to tell Denver, Utah, Houston and the other teams ahead of time? They will find out when he is on the court.
ReplyDeleteNOBODY IS TRYING TO PUNISH FREEMAN. All people are talking about is that in this specific case, he has access to info from most of the teams (not just his) that the other captains don't and everyone should have that info. Since they had to declare for NOHO, they are technically NOT ON THE TEAM ANYMORE. Would you agree that this is not the same as the star player being out of town and having to inform the other team?
ReplyDelete10:53- you and all should applaud guys like Freeman who are willing to Captain. Most areas including Houston have hard enough time finding guys not only willing to be Captains but actually DO the work that comes with the position. I dont care what team you represent but I am appreciative of every guy who stepped up to Captain- THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteAlso, dont be sour because Freeman WORKS harder at it than you do or are willing to do. Good for him to know the players, match ups, and having network to get intel. That's part of being a good Captain! You could do the same thing- multiple teams, etc if you wanted to make the effort. Outworked and outwitted so the answer is to say "no fair"! Rise to the challenge- dont ask someone to lower his effort to match yours.
Just put out what you think is your best lineup for the matchup in front of you and let it play out between the lines. On any given day the "best" player can have an off day or a scrub can be "on" and create an upset. That's why the matches are played on the court!
11:20- You should run for office. Only a politician could write that long a response and still avoid the issue.
ReplyDeleteThose who have declared for NOHO are no longer a part of their HTA team. That's it. Simple enough for you? Therefor, unless they are removed on tennislink, the captains- ALL captains- should declare their playoff rosters.
By the way, the notion that everyone should captain 3 teams in order to match wits and have an even playing field is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I think Freeman is a nice guy and a hell of a good captain and I'm glad he has the time and dedication to do what he does. But don't give me this "just work harder" crap as a cop out way to avoid the facts.
Freeman only wins because he is the only one who makes All Start teams. Everyone else plays with their friends or members of their club. Big Deal.
ReplyDeleteI still say that under HTA and Texas Section rules, nobody has to declare anything in this situation.
ReplyDeleteThen let's stick to the FACTS. After reading the HTA 2010 Multiple League Rules, this is my understanding of the facts.
ReplyDeleteA player whose teams are eligible to participate in both Houston and North Houston local championships must choose one championship.
That's it.
I don't see it stated on the page where a captain must declare their playoff roster, or that HTA has to provide captains with a list of declared players and their teams.
It seems to me that it is your interpretation of the facts and perceived injustice that is the issue.
Lastly, the last statement on the page explains why multiple leagues are allowed.
"Once again, the purpose of players/teams playing in more than one of the above USTA Adult Leagues is to promote enthusiasm, enjoyment, and exercise for the sport of a lifetime, TENNIS."
Just work harder and quit yo whining.
ReplyDeleteThe women's league has a similar situation with the day and evening leagues, where they allow players to play in both leagues. Does anyone know if this issue has been brought up before? If yes, what was the solution?
ReplyDeleteBetsie, what are your thoughts?
I like the Multiple Leagues rule It has many benefits. 1) Players have more opportunity to play and advance 2) Leagues will have more teams 3) Financially it's good for the HTA, TTA, and USTA. With more teams playing it increases Houston's chances for a Wildcard.
ReplyDeleteI've got to assume that most captains, Jason included, who have post season hopes have solidified their players intentions and confirmed that any player in multiple leagues is committed to play on their team. Likewise, it is assumed that players on multiple teams have made it clear to both captains whose team they plan to play for should both teams advance. As far as whether or not it's "fair" that this information is not made generally available to the rest of the captains - there's no rule requiring it. In the past I've always been able to ask the HTA if I knew there were players on multiple teams at playoffs. It's not up to Jason to publicize this information.
Good points Betsie. As an opposing captain, I would like to have this info but since there is not a requirement to provide, I just have to put out my best available line up and let them play. Then enjoy some beers after the match is over, because none of us is getting paid to play summer league.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if any of the other major cities has this issue and how it is handled?
ReplyDeletePut your best 8 out to win. You can also scope out who is there warming up. Odds are if someone has committed to Noho team they either won't be out there or will be out there in street clothes.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Dallas folks hop over to cowtown (Ft. Worth) all of the time to do the same thing.
Houston folks have also gone to Beaumont to play as well. A few years back the SETX team at sectionals was Rothe's 4.5 team that finished 3rd in Houston.
You guys have missed the point that Betsie and many others have already brought up. If you have a concern over which players are playing for NoHo or Houston all you gotta do is contact the HTA.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is the Noho team just wants a free ride to Sectionals and are scared to try to advance from Houston
ReplyDeleteHey 10:12pm- Win Houston and then you may just get your wish and play NOHO in Dallas. With NOHO that gives Houston Area 3 teams in a 16 draw. Good for Houston- If they scared they will default to you in Dallas.
ReplyDelete10:12 - If you want a free ride to Sectionals, then take you team and play the NOHO league. They would love to have more teams and players.
ReplyDeleteAnytime anywhere 10:25
ReplyDeleteThe Lakeside people crack me up. They will get their comeuppance.
ReplyDeleteNOHO 4.5 is not created to actually play matches, have you not been reading the blog or been around Houston long. It's a scam league for a free ride to Sectionals, but they generally have a strong team. 2 years ago Benzon/Bobo had a great team.
ReplyDelete