week 9

The Rockaway Beach Volleyball League completed week nine of their 11 game season Wednesday night and is heading down the home stretch to the finish line of playoff Saturday on August 9^th. Pennant races are heating up and three divisions have ties for the lead position. In the Sun, Kobeyaki Got Kills is even with Team Margarita while in the Sun Ray, Simba’s Pride and the White Horse Tavern are deadlocked. And the Star division goes one better with a 3-way tie between Last Call, Rathbones and DisFUNctional. The Wave has Pico, Sand Spikers, Big Mahooshkas and The Cabana, Long Beach, NY within 4 points of each other and the Beach has Diggin n Swiggin, U Got Served and Wet Bandits bunched with 4 as well. The only squads who have opened up sizeable leads on their opponents are Freedhand’s, Miley Home Improvement, the Wharf Rats and the Bungalow Baranha’s. And what happened to William Lachner Painters? Poor Kevin and Noreen were left to battle Team Margarita with only their Triple A players while the rest of the team enjoyed a lovely vacation with their erstwhile leader. No true contenders allow vacation time before August 9^th. Let’s see what develops in the next two weeks.

Apparently, the RBVL are not the only people who notice, respect and love TBG. Hasbro has just started selling a Tim Murphy action hero. Early reports show that Wal-Mart cannot keep them on the shelves. And each figurine comes with its own retractable snare, which is nice. In most league article’s there is lot of fluff and exaggeration but this story is true. Check the website to see if our photographer snapped a photo of the real hero and the action hero. Murph may have to get new business cards - TBGPLRBVLAF (The Big Guy Poet Laureate Rockaway Beach Volleyball League Action Figure). Fast Eddie has been quiet both on and off the court this season. Maybe he’s mentally preparing for the playoff push. The RBVL has not had any hits on their APB (all points bulletin) for Cubby but Rincon beaches were just rated #2 in the world behind Rockaway, NY. The Stanii & Rockaway Gliders proved that teams can play in the wind. Both teams rallied on every point for great volleys but the olden's beat the youngen’s 3-2. It was a great, fun match but now The Stanii are icing their knees and popping Advil while the Gliders are gliding across the dance floor. Great job by the Bungalow Bar with pasta, salad, chicken, garlic knots and DJ Teddy. What else do you need besides a great lightning show?

Wednesday night’s action started with a monsoon wind and then got really windy. The players took it in stride as “another typical windswept, looming rain night.” Several teams filed complaints about the wind but withdrew the same when it was explained that both teams play in the same wind. Rock Fam lost a 3-2 decision to Casino Auto Body which saw most games tight and one go to 26-24. Charlie Brady claimed the strong wind made him winded. Does the sun then make him sunny? In the Moon Division things always heat up when the top two squads face off, but the Bungalow Baranha’s have nothing but love for Its 5 O’clock Somewhere. “Those were some of the best games we’ve played all season. Big ups to the wind too. We hope to see you on championship Saturday.” The Bungalow Baranha’s squeaked out a 3-2 victory. The Beach Orphans noted that it was windy but it seemed to only affect the Orphans (so says the C/Kathleen, Patricia’s who retired early), until the last game when the Orphans got it together and pulled out a victory with the help of the Xuereb’s. (Yes Joanie you were on the winning squad. In fact your whole team was.) D.J Teddy had to make a quick retreat from the deck of the Bungalow Bar after being assured by management that the storm would pass over. It didn’t. Within twenty minutes the dining room was cleared of tables and chairs and morphed into a dance floor. It’s funny how music can do that. And Teddy didn’t have to stand outside holding electrical equipment in the middle of an electrical storm. That’s good because we don’t want to lose him.

You know you want it. You know I got it and you need it. Yes, this is it; this is the reason you subscribe to the Wave all year long for this one issue. This issue is often compared to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in some elite literary circles. The Wave editor notes a three to five paper circulation increase the week that this appears. Yes! It is the top pun names associated with their teams. All the names are the actual names from the teams they are on; although it seems quite unbelievable. Well, wait no more and be prepared to moan and groan as well as experience intense mental discomfort. Since there were no awards last year we have awarded an honorable mention to the following teams from last year: 6 Foot American Deli….Dell E. Tall; Tara Benn ….Ben Dare; The Mormon Helping Hands…..Hans A. Plenty; Playland Hotel….Hank. E. Panky; Now the top pun names from 2014 teams in no particular order: Diggin N. Swiggin……Duncan Disorderly; Cheese Fries……Spud Fromage; It’s All Good Tee’s….Al Truist; Curran’s Superior Sharks….Chuck Roast; Harbor Light Sandhogs …. Doug A. Trench; Pico…. Hal Apeno; DisFUNctional….. I. B. Normal; The Odd Couples….Felix N. Oscar; Last Call….Juan Moore; Team Margarita….N. Joy Libations; Miley Quality Home Improvement….Bill D. House; Borders Surf Shop….Bob N. DeWaves; ROCK FAM…..Denise N. Denephew; It’s Five O’clock Somewhere…..Ivanna Drink

There are a lot of people in the RBVL and 99% of those people are good people and good sportsman. However, once in a while someone gets way out of line during a match and the situation must be addressed by the executive committee. That happened a week ago when a player and a spectator carried on to the extant the ref had to issue multiple red cards and throw them out of the match. Well that’s way beyond a wayward curse or complaint. The team captain had no control over the individuals and that is a problem, too. Therefore both parties have been suspended for the last 3 matches and the playoffs for 2014. They are on probation for 2015 if they decide to return to the league and even the slightest infraction will result in their permanent removal. Also, the team is on probation for the remainder of 2014 and any other team issue will result in their removal from the league. On a side note, everyone else involved in the match or playing on adjacent courts said the referee called a good game and handled this brutal situation professionally and with good judgment. God forbid if she made a bad call. Also, President Patty advises that all captains should know that at no time is a captain allowed, without repercussions, to treat her or any other league official as their personal employee. This occurred Wednesday night and Patty will not tolerate it anymore. All RBVL players and refs must remember that the committee is volunteering their time, after working all day and taking care of their families. There are two weeks left before the playoffs and things usually become more intense as the season winds down. Please remember it really is just a game!

The RBVL committee would like to thank the overwhelming number of players who have cooperated with the “no bottle” policy. Unfortunately, bottles have been noticed on the beach and we are forced to play bottle police. It’s not fair to us or the league to do that. We have a comfortable but precarious relationship with the custodians of the park. Some of the common excuses are: We take them with us and/or I couldn’t find cans. Gateway and the RBVL don’t care. The regulation doesn’t allow for excuses to determine who qualifies for an exemption. No one qualifies. And the beach has not been spotlessly clean the last two weeks. Make sure to clean up when you leave and help out by picking up any stray garbage even if it wasn’t yours. Everyone is in this together. Consider this practice for the playoffs, where everyone must be on their best behavior since all of Gateway will be watching.

Nets are being returned pretty promptly each week but a few teams are slipping. When it’s dark outside, no one can possibly be playing. Do not let up on this important job. Patty and Steve are getting antsy. They don’t ask for much so let’s do this for them. Once again, a reminder: Every year of expansion made filling referee spots tougher and tougher. Thank goodness for the many youthful refs who have stepped in along the way to help us make ends meet. Now the league is stretched to its limit and finding enough refs each week is almost impossible. It is just a fact of life this season. Be prepared to have a week where there are no refs in your division. If that happens, play the games hard, with sportsmanship and report your scores when finished. After all, everyone just wants to play volleyball. Captains and players are reminded that they can have team items entered in the weekly Wave article by showing up at the sponsor bar or by e-mailing Joe at jmcgivney2@nyc.rr.com by 11 PM on Wednesday night. The RBVL has a Facebook page and, if you like it, you will receive timely updates, whoever you are, captain or not. If you have any questions please call Patty Moule at 917-613-0908. (Call between 10 AM and 9 PM.)

For two more Wednesdays and one more Saturday, we will see you on the beach!