Thursday, December 22, 2005
Fighters shock 'em all
PF did outstanding in the start of the season flying under the radar with players leagues mostly hadn't heard about, and for the most part breezed their way to a 13-2 record, clinching the #1 overall seed in the American League Central, and in the event they played Atlantic #1 LPL, they would host them.
When Playoffs came around they easily handled UnitedPool in just 5 games in Round 1, then went to 6 games against Central runners-up IndianPool to send them to yet another AL Championship Game. This time however it wasn't PoolFiction, but LPL waiting for them. They say you never win a Championship in anything without a few breaks, and they got a couple big ones against LPL and managed to squeak out a great 7-game win. They had done everything except sweep an opponent in the Playoffs, and that's how it stayed. When the World Series came around, they won in 6 and then 5 again, to clinch the first ever WS Trophy in PF's tenure in MLP. It's also their first trip to the World Series.
Although the Outlaws had a little adventure of their own on the way to meeting PF. They were quite favored in the NL and managed a 13-2 record of their own, also clinching the #1 seed in the NL and if necessary, would host Pool Legends the other #1 seed. That wouldn't be necessary. They made short work of 8Ball Runners in 5 games much like PF did to UP, they then won a great match over the BeerBallers in 7, before winning a controversial match over DreamPool in 6, then going back and winning it without any Former Admin screwups. That brought them to another World Series but this time they simply got outplayed, period. How?
Game 1 - PF_tha_krimz VS. PO_xlx_s_p_g_xlx - Not a great game by any means, Scott just played God-awful and didn't seem like he had a clue what in the world he was doing. he managed to drop 2 stripes then proceeded to undershoot a safety attempt and then outdo his own mistake by fouling, missing his ball on a straight path by about an inch. Krimz made him pay by running out, Fighters need only 3 more wins.
Game 2 - PF_b_madcab_d VS. PO_CakeandSodomy101 - Cake had Danny dead to rights with a run, but botched the 8ball positioning and missed a cuebank off the bottom rail to try and hit the 8 top right. He did however block the top right pocket which lead to a short safety battle Danny played a pretty good safety series and eventually, even though Cake admitted he figured he'd foul on the attempt, and had a pretty easy safety attempt available, tried to short-rail off the top rail, spinning towards the 8ball to hit it before Danny's 12-ball, but he failed. Danny went on to run it, very poor execution from PO early and it's 2-0 PF.
Game 3 - PF_xps_syko VS. PO__Poth - Jamie desperately needs a win to keep PO in the match, Corey has a shot at redemption from last season's Playoff collapse of PF and a possible claim as WS MVP, as he and Danny would be the only 2 to win both nights. Corey got a chance to run early and SEE YA LATER JAMIE! Jamie gets 8balled and Corey? I think PF forgives ya. The Fighters go up 3-0 on the nice run by my pick for MVP, of all people :p
Game 4 - PF_miss_kazzie VS. PO_BooXXXX - It's up to Boo to prolong PO's Season and this would be against Kazzie. Fast forward ahead through some safeties and misses and you've got Kazzie running for the win, she got all the way down to a simple cross-table shot on her final ball, only needing position on the 8, but she misses on the 2-ball and Boo proceeds to play a safety here and there, and pick up a very fortunate win, and PO lives to play another game.
Game 5 - PF_ccardcop VS. PO_MOLSON__CANADIAN - Bill the recent clutch Game 7 player turning in a fine season and post-season, they'd need him to come up big here to set up Full_Blast and Austin for Games 6 and 7, probably respectively. What ensued was a nice 20-minute game in which both players seemed like they could've won it with a nice safety. However ccardcop played a great "safety shot" as I call it (and others might, who knows?) 3-ball combo aimed for the bottom right pocket but also played it with english good enough to leave Bill with no shot if he missed, and a practically impossible safety. He did indeed miss, and Bill tried to tap his 11 anyways. The cue ended up well on the other side of the 11 though, as he overpowered it, and ccard was able to sink the 5, the 7, the 4, the 3, the 2, and then the 8ball, and PoolFighters have won the Season 6 MLP World Series, in a total of 11 games and it could've been 10 barring a DQ, based on an invalid cam tape which I'd guess was probably clean anyways.
A great job by Kevin leading this PoolFighter team, and an even better job by the players, most notably llll_rev_llll aka _Weiss_ who went undefeated throughout the regular season serving primarily as the closer. Also in the World Series, Danny, while playing perhaps his final season in MLP, went out in style with 2 big wins in the 'Series, while Corey made up for last season's antics and went 2-0 himself, including a huge (and impressive) win over Jamie. The interview with PF's Captain Ody_Sseus (The 2nd Kevin to Captain a World Series Champ) will come hopefully tomorrow before the real break begins going into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Yoda Cup will begin Sunday, January 1st.
My 3 picks for World Series MVP, going from my favorite pick to least favorite, top-to-bottom:
1: PF_xps_syko - Very solid tonight, also had a key win last night, again 1 of only 2 to go 2-0 (officially, if you disregard ccardcop's overturned win)
2: PF_b_madcab_d - Another nice showing, in possibly his final season of MLP and if so, he went out on a great note, and as a Champion.
3: PF_llll_rev_llll - Had a very nice SEASON, and a win in game 1, might be enough to give him a vote from an Admin but unlikely.
There you have it, time to see how the Admins vote.
