Category: Fourre-tout

 

Last night, the 2017 Spring League of La Pétanque Marinière ended brilliantly with the encounter of two evenly match teams. The Boules Brothers and the M & M faced each other in an exciting match truly worthy of the Finals.

This was the last phase of a series of games in which 19 doublettes teams (38 people) took part over a few weeks.
Let’s not forget by the way, that most of the proceeds of this event will end up in the club’s coffers for the betterment of our association.

Last night 10 teams were selected to play in the Concours and 8 teams in the Consolante. This was the Sudden Death phase of the series. Upon losing a game you were out of the tournament.

My team (Claudie Chourré and I) made it to the Concours, won a single game and were swiftly routed by the Boules Brothers (who ultimately won the tournament).

In the finals, the Boules Brothers (Ken Lee & Carlos Couto) faced the M& M (Mireille and Marc Di Maio).

As I previously said, it was an evenly match with both teams taking alternatively the lead. Everybody without exception played brilliantly. Mireille pointed exquisitely, often drawing applauds from the crowd. Ken also pointed very well and was instrumental in his team victory.

Both shooters also excelled and Marc Di Maio particularly impressed me. He managed some long, difficult shots with a surgeon’s precision. He also funnily encouraged his mother with this seldom-heard call in a sports arena “Allez Maman” (Go Mother) and it seemed to work.
I won’t say anything about Carlos. He completely destroyed us on our first game and this is not something that you easily forget.

Around 8:30 pm, with the field becoming darker and darker, Brigitte Moran had the good idea to bring in a truck and use its headlights to illuminate the field.

The game finally ended in total darkness (around 9:00 pm) with the victory of the Boules Brothers (Ken Lee & Carlos Couto) with the razor thin margin of 13/11.
Both sides truly deserved to win.

On the Consolante side Tamara and (in the absence of J-C Bunand) William LaVelle managed to beat back the opposition and won 1^st place.

My only complaint: smoking should not be allowed on the field. It is not in FPUSA sponsored tournaments and should not be in local events.

Smoking is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless. King James I of England.

“Smoking helps you lose weight, one lung at a time!” –Alfred E. Neuman

 Alain

PS: To look at photos of this event, click on the “My Photos” link located on the right side of this page. For best viewing, go Full Screen.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas A. Edison

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The most satisfying thing about hosting a blog is that you feel free to verbalize whatever pops in your mind… After all, it is my party and I’ll cry if I want to…

So what I want to say today without fear of being censured is that I chose Susan Wyatt as the Most Improved Player of the season.

Despite an obvious handicap, this gallant lady persevered and has become an excellent pointer. A few months ago her boules came awkwardly off the mark. But today I noticed that most her shots are landing within 12 inches of the cochonnet.
A vast improvement upon last year.

“Sport is not about being better than someone else; it’s about being better than you were the day before.”

 And Susan is definitely better and can dare to play with the Big Boys.

Regardless of whom you play with, you should always recognize and applaud a good player. And I applaud Susan for playing well. It is the sporting thing to do.

Wyatt, as she likes to be called, was initially very shy and reserved. But buoyed by success she has finally come out of her shell and seems to be  much more assured and confident than last year.

Three cheers for Wyatt! She may look like a lamb but she has the heart of a lion.

Alain

Some people bring joy wherever they go, while some people bring joy whenever they go. Mark Twain

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Would you share a drink with a prickly individual? I guess not. I for one would not!

Some people seem to forget that pétanque is above of all a “social” game. You come to the field first to meet friends, exchange pleasantries, and ultimately to play pétanque. Not the other way around.

 Some delusional “pisse-froids” (sourpuss) seem to think that winning at all costs is the main object of the game. They could not be more wrong!

Pétanque was created a long time ago, by a bunch of friends who sought some entertainment. The game they invented was just an excuse to meet on the village square and talk about “la pluie et le beau temps” (shoot the breeze). It was above all a social gathering and a game would never end without drinks and plenty of “galéjade”.

This pastime appears to have picked up steam in America, but some people don’t seem to understand the spirit of the game. Winning is not the main object. Letting some steam off is. You don’t come to the field to prove anything. You come to forget life’s pressure and relax among like-minded spirits.

Winning is satisfying but it is just an incidental part of the game. What really matters is having fun and you cannot have fun with touchy, confrontational adversaries

On the field you should be civil, friendly and generous. Nobody is interested at all in playing with crotchety individuals. Don’t forget that pétanque ties often extend beyond the playing field. Close bonds born on the field often lead to durable friendships and invitations to private parties.

Fame and Reputation are two swift birds, but Reputation (bad) flies much farther and lives much longer than Fame.

So keep in mind that if you acquire a ”mauvaise réputation” the playing field could turn into a minefield. If you don’t step gingerly, shrapnel will eventually hit you in the derrière.

Alain