Grass-Roots Campaign Spurs Massive Travis Knight Surge

A last-minute push from fans and friends of former UCONN Husky Travis Knight has left the ITV voting landscape unrecognizable. Recent exit polls show that Justin Kolikof holds a firm but diminishing lead over the former basketball prodigy.

The recent swell in voting has been particularly strong in Knight's hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. Brent Kerlowski, Travis's childhood friend who now lives in nearby Provo, Utah was quoted as saying, "Yeah in '96 when Trav -- that's what we called him, Trav -- was drafted by the Bulls, we we're all 'Oh my God he's gonna win titles with MJ!'... but then he was pretty much immediately traded to the Lakers, but then we were all 'He's gonna be the next Kareem!' We had pretty high hopes for the 'Knight-Rider,' we called him that too...but yeah, this Internet voting thing is awesome too I guess..."

"Really, this is something of a distinction," said Sam Wasner, Knight's hometown barber. "I mean he does hold the record for fastest disqualification when he fouled out in 6 minutes time in Game 4 of the '99 finals, but almost a hundred votes on a softball website? That's gotta be a close second."
An emotional Wasner continued, "He does get some kind of compensation right? I cut his hair a few months ago, and his check bounced. He keeps coming in but I've had to tell him my scissors are broken -- I just don't have the heart. The boy really needs a haircut though. And a hot meal."

Knight, a super-unrestricted free agent since the 2003 season, can often be seen reading, hanging out in local sneaker establishments, and drawing diagrams of videogame levels he thinks would be "really badass." Travis currently resides in Salt Lake City, though, it should be noted, he still makes his annual summer pilgrimage to the East to eat at his favorite Blimpies in Fairfield, Connecticut.

E-mails and text messages to Knight were not immediately returned, but according to an official statement made by his agent/handler/uncle, Randy Knight, Travis was "probably really honored.... What is this for? Like a gameshow or something?"

CNN Reports: Voter Fraud?!

In what many reporters and DcCityBall fans are collectively calling a "travesty" and a "disappointment ruining an otherwise joyous occasion," reports of voter fraud in this week's ITV Poll have surfaced. At the heart of the investigation is suspicion over the total number of votes placed and whether or not voters have been bending the rules. When asked to comment about the ongoing investigation, a Swinger who asked to remain anonymous said, "I'm not saying that there's been foul play, but there's no way the Pourhowzers have over a hundred friends. Even if there are like...20 of them, thats still 5 or 6 friends a piece. No way."

While the average ITV poll lasts 7 days and nets approximately 7-12 responses in that period, this week's canvass regarding an upcoming ITV interview feature has already seen over 250 votes cast.

As of the time of this report, Justin Kolikof, captain of the Pourhowzers has a commanding lead over Swinger Evan Stancil, 173-71, with UCONN's Travis Knight still within striking distance at 5 total votes. When asked about the alleged impropriety, Kolikof, while rushing by the media barricade, was quoted as saying, "I have no comment one way or the other, but the rules were ill-defined. We're just playing it smart....The people have spoken! They want MORE KOL-BELL!"

The major spike in poll-voting has not only affected the outcome of the interview, but also has rapidly increased ITV's total hit count, launching it from a solid 3763 hits to a total well over 4100 in a matter of hours. When asked to comment, a noticeably disheveled ITV chairman, Brian Fitzpatrick said, "Yea..that's [expletive] great. But not one of you [expletive]suckers clicked a [expletive] advertisement. I didn't make a dime. Thanks a-[expletive]-ing-lot...[expletive]-bags."

Officials will reportedly seek to conclude the investigation by Saturday, after questioning all parties involved. They will, however, not continue to pursue allegations of collusion against Commissioner David Sack, referencing his paltry one vote total, calling the Commissioner-made accusations, "...ridiculous. Seriously ridiculous."

4000 HITS!

Well ITV readers certainly feel passionate about their interviews, having swarmed to the polls the past two days, sending our hit count rocketing towards and past 4000 hits much before its time. A total of over 300 hits in the past 6 hours has put us into the stratosphere, so many thanks. My hope is, though, that a few of you newcomers have actually taken the time to read an article or two to see all the hard work that Dave and I have put into this site, and we hope that we've snagged a new returning customer or two. Keep the visits coming!

-Play ball!

ITV: The Swing(away) Vote

The people have spoken...sort of. In fact, they're still speaking, and with only a few days left to vote, for our first installment of the "Off Base" Interview Series, the people of DcCityBall have come out in droves, making their voices heard. In a dead heat, after the first full day of voting, are the Swingers Evan Stancil and the Pourhowzers Justin Kolikof. While this may be a simple, "who goes first" question, as the runner-up will undoubtedly be interviewed eventually for the series, this umpire is hoping the vote will finally put to rest the age-old debate of who is truly better at everything -- the Swingers or the Pourhowzers. Pride is on the line folks, make your votes count!

Remember what P. Diddy says : Vote or DIE!
-Play ball!

ITV: Back from the "DL"!

I hope our time apart wasn't too rough on you and the kids, but e-Daddy's home baby!



Yes boys and girls, after a brief stint on the "Disabled List", IntheVicinity is back in action, feeling refreshed and renewed as a simile involving something commonly known to be very refreshed and renewed.

It was hard on me at first, having been forced to take a mandatory sabbatical by a Commissioner who shall remain nameless, for what were officially termed "stress induced hallucinations."
I mean jeez, you try and call a balk on ONE little tidal basin paddleboat couple, physically violate ONE little FDR Memorial with the orange safety-bag, and slash ONE commissioner's FOUR tires while yelling "I AM DcCityBall" and all the sudden I "need to take some time off " to get myself "together." BS...and I don't mean Bloop Single.

Anyway, it was a long week. Let me tell you, the detox (or DC-tox) process is not a pretty one. I don't remember much, but I apparently had to be locked in the bathroom for the first six hours and was given to fits of profuse sweating, clicking, safe-and-out-like convulsions, hysterical strike three calls, and repeated attempts to dust off the toilet seat with my plate brush. Also, Maria said that I kept sobbing and shout-singing the Simple Minds song "Don't You (Forget about Me) from the Breakfast Club Soundtrack to pictures of the DcCityBall logo.
...particularly the hey hey hey HEY! and OooooOOoOOOOOoooooOOOHHhhh! parts.

Finally, after a few more tears, and some pizza and Miller Lite, DcCityball was completely out of my system.
I attended RS-AA (Recreational Sports Addicts Anonymous) meetings and stayed clean of umpiring for 8 whole days. Then, upon returning to DC, the temptations and cravings started. In a frenzied panic, I was unable to distinguish between the real and the imagined, the surreal and the subreal. I was, I think, seeing you guys everywhere -- on the street, in the park, on buses, in stores; in strip clubs and antique shops, gas stations and bakeries-- it was almost as if you were all around me in this city.

DcCityball was following me everywhere I went; it's been a trial each hour since then. My girlfriend tells me I've been umping in my sleep --arguing the Infield Fly Rule to my dreams, telling my subconscious that it needs 3 females to play 10 in the field, and something about the X-men and Kelly Kapowski that I don't quite recall...

My doctors say I'm a hopeless case. That I'm incorrigible. They say the only way to kick this DcCityBall addiction is to move somewhere remote, somewhere so far removed from civilization that they've never even heard of good intramural co-ed recreational softball. Somewhere like the National Mall, or Northern Virginia.

But I've decided that I can't let this disease run my life.
And yes, believe me, softball addiction is a disease-- it's hereditary. My dad used to come home 5 hours late from work covered in dust and chalk, smelling like double-walled aluminum and Big League Chew. My mother would ask, crying, "Where have you been?"...but she knew. She knew.

I've decided that I'm going to stay right here and beat this thing on my own. No more softball for me. I'm swearing it off for good! I've got to kick this cruel bitch-goddess of a dependency and begin my life anew!

But maybe..maybe if I just umped...socially? You know..just on weekends, with friends...when other people are umpiring too, so I'm not like "that guy" who just umps alone and makes everyone feel uncomfortable after he's done his 4th of 5th game in a row. Yeah, that sounds right. This could work...
Hell...I'll see you all on Sunday!

Till next time, the first step is admitting you have a problem and remember, you can't spell INTERVENTION without ITV!

-Play ball!

Tough Call by: The Commish

The summer season is in full swing and its been a smooth but thus far a relatively quiet season. We've had a few upsets, a few new faces and of course a bit of rain...but the real story this season has been the emergence of Jon Macy as one of the leagues premier umpires. In his first week of umping Jon "New Blue" Macy hit the DC CityBall Umpire bi-fecta (that's mine-don't use it) when he umped the fastest game in DC CityBall history (48 minutes) and received a formal complaint from Stiff Competition (a rite of passage for any new umpire). He even managed to one-ump (that's mine also) some of his fellow umps by starting all of his games on time and finishing them within the 75 minute mark. Not a great way to endear yourself to your fellow umpires, but certainly a great way to impress the commissioner and move up a spot or two in the power-rankings. If he was a drinker I would have bought him a beer, but since he adheres to a strict all-green diet to keep in shape it was just a 16 oz. bottle of Kambucha.

I was going to write detailed recaps of all the games, but my commissioning duties are needed elsewhere- just know that some teams won, others lost and at least one went to the wrong bar. As we enter the 3rd week of the season I want to congratulate The Pour Howzers, Bayside Tigers, Swingers, Sharks, Hot Stovers, Stiff Competition and The Ligers for being undefeated and looking great this season. Good luck to all teams this Sunday and please remember that at DC CityBall-nobody ever has to play in lightning.

3000 HITS!!!!

Looks like we're a lock for the Hall of Fame, folks, as ITV Reaches a milestone 3000 hits!

Thanks to all of you who contributed to this wonderful occasion, from the accidental check swing "I meant to go to facebook" hits, to the 4-bagger "I'm gonna keep hitting refresh until a new post shows up" grand salamis, every hit counts.

A special thanks to all of you who read the new post, helping us climb over 200 hits in a 24 hour period. That's pretty awesome, or really sad if it was just Hemingway sitting at work. Either way, many thanks and keep reading.

Til next time, go spruce up your myspace page, and Play ball!

The DEYPIES : Vol. II

After a brief hiatus, we are back in action guys and dolls, with more DC city Softballebrities than ever, taking home big golden shiny statutes, in the shape of, I dunno, the FDR Memorial or something.

Let's get back to handing out some hardware with our next big category.

Most Aggressive Look
And the DEYPIE goes to...





Commissioner David Sack! Fed up with constant hounding of the DC paparazzo and unable to escape the weight of his own glitz and glamour, Dave Sack snapped and punched out an unsuspecting cameraman shortly after this one-photo-over-the-line picture was taken. "Are you ****in kidding me?! I said no more!" he was heard to say. Swingers players rushed to restrain the angry Commissioner as he shouted, "I just want to live in peace!" and "How'd you like it if I came and played softball in your home while you were trying to build model trains with YOUR son?!?!" Well said.


Let's move along.


This next award goes to the person who most properly summed up the sentiments of the evening within a capturable photographic frame.


Most Illustrative

And the winner is.....




Swinger Ryan Hemingway! When asked to comment on what he was thinking while striking such an evocative pose, Hemingway was heard to say things like, "YEEAAAAHHH" and "YEAH BOOOOYYYY" as well as, "I LOVE TO PARTAYYYYY, BIOTCH!" The Swingers pitcher also maintained that San Dimas High School football does, in fact, rule.


The next award is given out to the person who, in a supporting role, best exemplifies the qualities of being like, or impersonating Stancil.

Best Supporting Stancil goes to....



Swinger Salim! One of DcCityball and IntheVicinity's favorite on field motivators and toughest competitors, Salim would not be outdone by the stains on Stancil's shirt. Apparently that lunchbox was full of Spaghetti-Os and C4 explosives.
The right fielder, always looking for a challenge to conquer in the face of adversity, went home after the party and used his Extreme Tide-to-Go Stick to pretreat these stubborn stains "to the max," then unleashed the fury of his heavy duty cycle while using a Hardcore A-L-L All Stainlifter Supreme Ultra Concentrated detergent, restoring his championship t-shirt a, no doubt intense, sparkling white.


The next category is Cutest Couple, awarded to the two party attendees who made the most lasting, beautiful bond at the famed party. This award goes to two individuals, who I've never seen together before, but spent a LOT of time with one another throughout the evening, and really got to know each other intimately.
The winners are....




Bayside Tiger Brendan Quinn and...




the Garretts Barroom floor!

The unfortunate combination of poor balance and slick tiling ensured a harmonious and frequent union between these two crazy kids. Unfortunately, Brendan can't be here tonight to accept this award as he is currently on the floor at Garrett's upstairs bar.



The next award is the given to the person who, not with over-the-top flash or pizazz, but rather persistence and consistency of performance, made an ever-lasting impact on the outcome of the evening.

The Life Party Time Achievement Award goes to...






Kate of the Swingers! Yes, whether it be bustin a move on the dance floor, posing with the cup, or shooting a thumbs up to a teammate, Kate managed to appear in approximately 4,500 photos from Sunday night. That's around 8 out of every 10 pictures taken, in which Kate was thoroughly and efficiently rocking the house.

Here's Kate taking part in an impromtu DcCityBall business meeting.


Here she is with teammates Ryan and Melissa



Here she is..horizontal somehow..




And here she is signing the US Constitution




Good work Kate.


This next award goes to the photograph which seems least possible in matching up with with its reality. The Theres-No-Way-Anything-Could-Be-That-F**king-Funny Award goes to....




Stancil and Me. This photo was taken as someone said something just impossibly funny...or we were posing for a Virginia Slims advertisement.
Editor's note: This is just one of the many pictures in which I appear to be the living embodiment of unemployment, having gotten stung by a swarm of collagen-filled bees.



That brings us to our last, and most coveted of awards. The equivalent to Best Picture at the Oscars, Album of the Year at the Grammys, Most Chicken Wings Eaten at Rookies Sports Bar Wednesday Wingtacular, etc. Best DEYP Performance goes to....


Well...this party was such a good time, that in a way, we're ALL winners. But in a more accurate, and less lame way...the winners are





The Bayside Tigers!! From what I've heard and pieced together from photos, they were there from start to finish. Not an easy task by any means; that's just damn impressive. Congrats Bayside on another successful year.


Well that does it for the awards show. Hope everyone enjoyed it and that you all realize it was all in good fun -- no hard feelings.

Lastly, I've been told that I only gave one drunk speech at the party this year, making my speeches rate drop a full 800% from the previous party, but I have a few more things to say. Thanks again to all the players and fans of DcCityball, and all of you who take time out of your day to read this stuff.
Secondly, a special thanks to Dave Sack, without whom none of this would be possible... or it would just make me look like a random crazy guy who likes softball for some reason and has an out of context blog. Dave's hard work can't be extolled or appreciated enough ; he's quickly assembled one of DC's premier rec-sports leagues and I for one am really glad to be a part of it.

Thanks for reading guys, and thanks for your patience with the latest post. Check back later this week for a reflection on the Summer League Opening Weekend. Welcome to all new teams and welcome back to our old favorites.

Till next time, polish those statuettes and Play ball!

Part II, Post!...poned

No guys and gals, I'm not introducing Ghostbusters III....


Sorry folks,
Working a 13 hour day today, I just don't have the magic in me. Half of the post is written, I'll try to post it sometime tomorrow evening. My apologies. Check back!

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Points of interest to consider:

-Summer ball kicks off this Sunday! Hurrah!

- Approaching 3000 hits for the year to date, which is very exciting! Thanks to all our readers!

- Someone FINALLY confessed, albeit anonymously through the poll, to puking in the sink at the DEYP!



Till next time,
Play ball!

ITV: 1ST Bi-Annual DEYP Awards Show Spectacular, or: The DEEPIES! Part I

Welcome one and all to the 1st Bi-Annual Dccityball Awards Show Spectacular(or B.A.D.A.S.S)! This is where we give formal recognition to those who went above and beyond in their performances at the Spring 2008 DcCityball End of the Year Party! It looks like all the big stars have arrived -- Dave Sack, Evan Stancil, Eric Gregg's ghost!

Just like the Oscars, the Emmys, and the Latin People's Choice Awards, all the good trophies get handed out later in the broadcast, so tonight we're handing out the "technical" awards. Tomorrow night we'll find out who won the big prize "Best DEYP Performance" among others, but there are plenty of accolades to be doled out this fine evening.

Let get things started:

1st Category: Most Championly
This category seeks to find the team which most displays the qualities of a champion -- mostly by winning a championship, and having the trophy. The award goes to........



THE SWINGERS!...they won the friggin cup..were you surprised?


2nd Category: The If They Can Do It Then There's Hope for Israel and Palestine Award

And the Winners Are........



Swinger Evan Stancil and Bayside Tiger Matt Mense. These two put aside their differences for the sake of the league, nay, the sake of the party. That's called brotherhood folks. Brotherhood. How did it go down? Well I was lucky enough to witness the turning point in this feud.
They were fighting, brawling in fact. Throwing hay maker after brutal hay maker, when someone in the background of the bar shouted to the bartender, "Hey, can you put on the WNBA game?" At just that moment both Evan and Matt froze, mid punch, and said in unison, "I love the WNBA....They got next!"...They laughed and laughed and laughed, then posed for the above picture. DcCityBall: Bringing people together since last Sunday.


The next category is a sad one, but one that must be handed out, nonetheless.

3rd Category: Loneliest Swinger



Stacil!
Apparently the Swingers had heard enough about how good Kung Fu Panda was. Sorry Stancil.


4th Category: Most Stoic Umpire

And the winner is...





Yours truly! Seriously stoic. For real. Totally indifferent, look at it....... Stoic.

Honorable Mention:



Me again! This photo was actually taken right as I was being abducted by aliens, apparently.


5th category: Best Commissionering in a Comedy, Drama, or Party

And the winner is.....



Commissioner Dave Sack! Yes, folks, I've worked in a lot of Dc Intramural Softball leagues, and have been to a lot of end of the year parties (NFL, NBA, NASCAR, WWE) and the commissioner usually hangs out in his ivory tower, turning his nose up at the common folk. But not our Dave. No, our fearless leader jumps right into the mix with his league, getting his hands dirty, mingling among the people and making faces like this. Good leaders lead by example; great leaders throw badass parties.


The Final Category for this evening is a new category, much like best Rap Album was new to the Grammy's in 1996 (I had a joke in here about the winner in both circumstances being "Naughty by Nature," because NBN won the first rap grammy..and that's a funny reference to me, but it read kinda over the top homoerotic.....anyway you should all know that Naughty by Nature won a friggin grammy..who'da thunk?).

The 6th Category: Most Seaniest Matthews
This award goes to the man who most fully exemplifies the qualities of being Sean Matthews.

And the winner is........



Sean Matthews! Seriously, I don't know why they gave me this picture, but hey, when life give you lemons I guess...
With his trademark high socks and a booming voice that could make Mother Theresa climb out of her grave and raise the mutha-f**kin roof, Sean is one of DcCityBall's, and IntheVicinity's, favorite living-hangovers.

Good work Sean, and (SPOILER ALERT!) congrats on your upcoming Player of the Week honors.



Anyway, that's all for tonight. Thanks for watching, and come back for Part II to find out the night's biggest winners!

Till then, don't trip on that red carpet, and Play ball!

DEYP Trouble I: The Sequence of Supposed Events

You all broke the damn rules! And it was, I've been told, a memorable evening.

The following isn't for those of you who came, ate some nachos and left. This is for the start-to-ambiguous finishers.

The time has come. You've had your chance to shake out the cobwebs, drink your Gatorade and eat your Saltine crackers -- it's time to look back on what happened this past Sunday. I know, I know...you're not sure you want to remember...you don't even think you could do it if you tried. Well IntheVicinity is here to hold your hand through the shakes, and guide you through the evening. Four days have passed -- let's pick up the pieces, and try to put them back into a recognizable shape.

Yes, ITV is well aware that there are a few...let's call them "blanks" here and there. Maybe when all is said and done, the social jigsaw we're seeking to reassemble will look like a boat without a sail, or ALF without his big furry schnoz. Still, it's important to look back on the night that was, and try to figure out what the hell happened.

Before we get to that though, let's reflect. If this had just been a normal party, all our hoopla and lead-in posts would have seemed pretty silly. But for those of us who stayed from start to well..we're not quite sure till when...the Survival Guide looks pretty damned smart now, doesn't it?

Not all my ideas come from my own brain. The format of this recap came from our fearless leader, Dave Sack (but he stole it from Bill Simmons). This is, give or take a few truths, a transcript of a running diary I kept throughout the party. Names and "sensitive" material have been edited for your protection:


4:17pm EST -- Sw*ngers clinch title with win over the ******* Tigers. Good for them.

4:18pm EST -- **** ******** from the ******* Tigers hands me a bottle of Gatorade laced with *****. I say thank you. And I mean it.

4:20pm EST -- Captain *** ****** pours me a Red Stripe **** in a red cup. I say thank you, make lame joke about the color red. She takes the **** back.

4:21pm EST -- Someone else hands me a Red Stripe ****. It is consumed, sans comedy. Gatorade and ***** is consumed. My thirst is quenched. My liver begins to quietly sob.

5:34pm EST -- We arrive at Garretts. The ******* Tigers are already there. Touche..

5:36pm EST -- I order my first **** of the evening.

5:37pm EST -- I order my third **** of the evening.

6:00pm EST -- The party officially begins. Feeling good at this point. I'm a little bit sunburned, but I think it gives me a healthy glow. Commi**ioner **** **** agrees, compliments me on my complexion.

6:14pm EST -- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers buys me a shot of *******. Much appreciated. He is still firmly on his own two feet. Make a note of that.

6:17pm EST -- The Sw*ngers center fielder **** ******* spills **** on his shirt. He is drunk already. I try my hardest to look surprised.

6:25pm EST -- I order my *th **** of the evening. Still feeling well. Someone plays Asia's "Heat of the Moment" on the jukebox, I bob my head-- life is good.

6:33pm EST -- **** ******** of the ******* Tigers gets a face full of cake and spills some of his cup of ****. I make a note to later call him "cakeface", but sadly forget.

6:34pm EST -- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers slips a bit in the puddle of ****, but has the grace and balance to steady himself. Good save, *******.

6:50pm EST -- Time passes, **** is consumed. Someone declares it is time to "get this party started right." Party is officially started, quickly.

6:55pm EST -- My *th **** of the evening is consumed. I suddenly can't help but notice how attractive everyone is.

7:00pm EST -- **** ******* of the Sw*ngers dances seductively with a mop, attempts, but fails to clean up puddle of spilled ****.

7:03pm EST -- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers falls for the first time. I blame the floor.

7:04pm EST -- I have another cold frosty ****. I've lost count. Man, everyone is really f**king attractive.

7:05pm EST-- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers falls for the second time.

7:05pm EST-- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers falls for the third time.
It officially becomes funny.

7:10pm EST -- ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers dances with **** of the Swingers. They take turns falling on the floor. It's still funny.

7:14pm EST -- People start buying me shots. They're all very very attractive.

7:16pm EST -- Surriously...you couldbelikeamodel..are you a Scorpio?

8:34 GMT -- Someone threw up in the f--king sink, man... Naturally I blame **** ******** of the ******* Tigers, simply because he's standing nearby. He denies it.

8:44pm -- I conclude my 10 minute conversation with ***** of the Sharks with ******** laser beams about how close the toilet is to the sink and that sh*ts f*ckedupmanforreals...gross. He solemnly agrees.

8:45pm -- Commi**ioner **** **** disappears.

9:45pm -- **** **** returns, tells my girlfriend and ***** **** of the ******* Tigers that he will "commission the sh*t out of them." When asked what that might entail, he schedules 4 games to be played upon them next weekend, with an optional 2nd weekend added in the case of a rainout.

9:49pm -- I sing "My name is Jonas" by Weezer with several ******* Tigers. High fives are liberally exchanged. The workers, despite what I'd been assured, are NOT going home.

9:52pm -- I see ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers on his back, on the floor. I think it very noble of him to try to use his break dancing skills in order to save the inner city youth center from getting bulldozed by a big city developer. I've since been informed that ******* just fell again, and that that was the plot for Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo.

9:58:pm -- I drink **** from the Sw*ngers championship trophy.

10:17pm -- I interrupt Commissioner **** ****'s romantic conversation to unveil some new kickin' dance moves. I then inform him that he's officially been served. Without a rebuttal prepared, he hangs his head in shame.

10:19pm -- Whatever happened to Lamb-Chop?...anyone remember that sh*t? That puppet was like...everywhere, now, I'm all, where's
Lamb-chop?Youdontknow.

10:34pm -- ***** and ****** drunkenly mash faces at the bar.

10:22pm -- I discover, but immediately forget the secret to human time travel. I do, however determine that from my calculations, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons of Hangin with Mr. Cooper were among mankind's greatest earthly achievements.

10:30-11:24pm -- Scene missing.

11:34pm -- ***** **** tells me that we should ***** **** *** ******** ** * ******* * **** ******* *** ******* *** * ******* *** ******* *** * ******. I tell him that I've never been to Canada and wouldn't even know where to find a pet store open at this hour.

11:36-11:55pm -- I apparently pose for several pictures with various league members, looking like DcCityball's John Belushi.

11:56pm -- I start high-fiving people like someone is paying me to do so. ******* ***** of the ******* Tigers falls on the floor again.

1Z:00ISH...1Z.. TWELVISH (I forgot how to draw 2's..) I leave the bar.

6:34am Monday -- I call in sick to work.

8:38am Monday -- I discover my notebook from the previous evening filled solely with swear words, doodling, my name written over and over again in different variations ending with the last name "Sack,"... and what appears to be jam. The word "apologize" is underlined.

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So....between hearing stories from friends, assembling photographs on a Law & Order-type storyboard timeline, and getting ghost-like flashes of memory between periods of hysterical crying, I was able to make this my best-guess scenario of what probably happened Sunday night.

I had fun, and yes I am quite happy with my new Trix Rabbit tattoo. I hope you all had a good time, and that, from this recap, were able to fill in any "blank" moments you might have had.


Today, at 5pm EST is the deadline if you want to send in any photos/anecdotes from the party ( Send to Fitz.dccityblog@gmail.com ). I will be working, over the weekend, on a photo diary and handing out awards and superlatives for our favorite party goers.

Till then, Happy 4th of July DcCityball friends. Stay safe, have fun, and Play ball!


PS -- You can now subscribe to ITV and it's easier than ever! Just click on the Subscribe to Posts button on our sidebar, and choose your format!... Word.

Championship Sunday Recap (Pre-party, for now)

Folks,

Before we get into what we think we know about the DEYP,
since this is a softball blog and not just a party blog, let's at least give a cursory glance at what happened on Championship Sunday, shall we?

In the AL, it was a day of comebacks. We saw the Perfect Strangers overcome a 14-5 deficit to Bloop entering the 6th to win it in 8 innings. The Swingers, too, were down in both games, 9-3 at one point to the Pourhowzers, and by another 6 early in the semis against the Strangers. They dug deep and found ways to win each game by a single run.

Meanwhile in the NL, the Bayside Tigers were demolishing a flat PRD team on their way to a mercy rule victory. They then ran into a red-hot AAR, coming off a big win vs the Masterbatters, but ultimately Bayside prevailed in a 7-5 defensive struggle.

Then came the Championship Game. It looked a bit like the long day and 2 prior games had taken its toll on the Tigers, whereas the Swingers were suddenly energized by the prospect of winning it all. The Swingers, realistically, couldn't have expected to appear in the championship game (hoped? yes. believed it possible? certainly...but expected? certainly not a few weeks ago after tying the Ligers and losing to the Masterbatters and Pourhowzers within the span of a month), so finding themselves just 21 outs away from the league title seemed to have given them the shot in the arm that they needed to outplay DcCityball's most prolific winners. And that's just what they did. The Swingers played the game of their lives offensively and defensively on their way to an easy win and their 2nd DcCityball Title, their first in the Spring/Summer League.

So congratulations to the Swingers! They more than earned that trophy, beating 3 of the toughest teams the league had to offer, and winning 3 straight on a hot, humid day at West Potomac Park.

I, myself, was tired after just officiating 4 games in that heat, so both the Swingers and the Bayside Tigers deserve serious admiration for playing at such a high level all day long.

This was a pretty boring post...my apologies, but not to worry Crazylegs!-- The first of at least THREE party recap posts is in the works, titled "DEYP Trouble." Keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for the first installment, and keep those photos coming to fitz.dccityblog@gmail.com. I will be doing the first annual ITV DEYP Awards Show post sometime after Friday at 5pm.

Take care and enjoy your long weekend...
-Play ball!

Minor News - July 1

Hey folks,
Some small things to report today:

1. IntheVicinity now has a Facebook profile, First Name: Inthe Surname: Vicinity, so search for us and make us your friend! Come on...let's be pals. It's a great way for us to get to know our readers and put some faces with names, and vice-versa.

2. We have a lot of great pictures from the party Sunday night, but if anyone has any photos from the party that they would like to share (as long as they are appropriate), I'll be doing a photo diary of the party sometime this week. Let's say send them in by Friday at 5pm, to fitz.dccityblog@gmail.com. I have a few of the Swingers and Bayside, from a Swingers camera, so pictures of any other teams, or more from those two teams, would be appreciated. Don't worry...nothing incriminating will be posted, just good fun. Also, if you have any stories/anecdotes from the party you wish to share, please email them to us!

3. Thanks to everyone at the party, particularly Sean and Brendan of the Bayside Tigers, and Annie from Bloop Single, for their kind words about the blog. I was approached by a surprising number of you, and it was very flattering/encouraging that so many of you are reading and enjoying the site. We'll keep writing if you keep reading.

4. Don't forget that tonight at 6pm at Garretts in Georgetown, Dave Sack and DcCityball are hosting a charity happy hour. See you there!