Season in the Sun (1974)

We had joy, we had fun, we had a season in the sun. The F2004 regular season has come to an end, and the wine and the song, like the seasons, have all gone.

While we were basically assured of a playoffs spot, the final week did have an effect on the standings, and we used the match to stay sharp for our trip to the post-season.  Through the first two round, the match was tied 6-6.  We had some exciting matches, but none were better than Andrew / Roni's epic Cricket battle, in which they each hit a C3 in the same game, hit a combined 14 bullseyes, yet still lost the game.  It was by far the best game I've ever seen, and really showed what our team is all about.  We posted a win in our final D501 game, making the final score 8-10.

With some new faces on the team, the return of alumni back to action, and injuries that didn't slow us down season had it all.  Thank you all for making my Tuesdays so much fun.

Season Notes:

Once again, The Ship has raised the bar and delivered it's best season ever.  We finished the season in sole possession of 3rd place, which is our best finish ever.  We had 6 wins, 2 ties and 6 losses, and scored 129 points (adjusted for the forfeit win).  We had our second best totals ever for team points and All Star points.

Team All-Star Point Total:	8,970
Team S501 Win %:	48%
Team Cricket Win %:	52%
Team D501 Win %:	55%
Overall Team Win %:	52%

Season-Ending Props:

Ironman:	Rich (56), Rebecca (52), Andrew (51)
AS Points:	Rich (2222), Roni (1444), Fred (1400), Andrew (1303)
Total Wins:	Rich (38), Rebecca / Fred (24), Andrew (23), John / Roni (21)
S501 Win %:	Rich (85.7%), Fred (60.0%)
Cricket Win %:	John (65%), Rich (64.3%)
D501 Win %:	Fred (63.6%), Andrew (58.3%)
Overall Win %:	Rich (67.9%), Fred (55.8%), John (52.5%)
ROY:	Roni (44% winning percentage, 1,444 AS points and an indomitable spirit) & Nacho (44% winning percentage, solid play all season long, and single-handedly carrying the load in Week 4)
Best Twosome	Fred & John (7 wins in 8 games together)

The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (1973)

The Yankees, The Jets, and The Ship. Yes folks, in this season of heartbreaking post-season losses, The Ship takes its rightful place in the pantheon of New York sports history. The first round of the playoffs brought drama, spirit, passion, anguish and ultimately an end to a great darts season.

Things got off to a rough start, as Rich dropped the opening game. But Fred followed up with a win, as did Rebecca and Roni, and the three wins made the match even after the first round, and set the stage for the rest of the night.

Cricket began with Fred and John continuing their season-long dominance, opening with a sweep of two games. But Game 2 saw Rich / Rebecca drop two heartbreakers, despite a comeback in game one and a big lead in game two. When Andrew / Roni lost their games as well, The Ship found itself down 7-5, and on the brink of elimination.

But with our backs to the wall, the real spirit of The Ship came through in D501. Fred / John continued to set a winning example, posting a win in Game 1. Rebecca / Roni came back and when Rebecca hit double-10, The Ship had made a dramatic comeback and taken a 9-7 lead. Andrew / Rich had the opportunity to send The Ship to Round Two with a win, but they were unable to close out the game. The loss made the score 9-9, and forced an overtime match of a six-on-six 1001 tie-breaker, to take the night.

With the momentum gone, The Ship never really got going in 1001. In a shocking finish, The Edge managed to double-out and move on in the playoffs.

Once again, we put together a (one-hit) wonderful season both on the field and off. I hope we can get together next season and once again make beautiful music together.

Hot Hot Hot (1987)

Ole ole - ole ole / Ole ole - ole ole

Me mind on fire, The Ship on fire, feeling hot hot hot.  Well, party people, even with the long layoff The Ship continues to be hot, as we cruise into the playoffs.

The long trip to the match didn't seem to upset us, as we all arrived early.  But jetlag must have been a factor, because we dropped the first three game of S501 before Rich and Andrew righted the ship with some wins.  We ended up S501 down 4-2, but we were just starting to warm up.

Despite a chilly breeze from the open screen door, the start of Cricket lit a fire under us.  John / Fred set the pace by cruising to two easy wins in the first match-up.  Rich / Rebecca and Andrew / Roni were able to split their games, giving us 4 points in Cricket and pulling The Ship back into a 6-6 tie for the night.

While The Ship intently debated the ramifications of the phrase "I'm hot, you're hot, he's hot, she's hot," Roni / Andrew kept fanning the flames in the first game of D501 with a quick double-in and an easy victory.  Fred / John continued their perfect night with another win in Game 2.  Although Rich / Rebecca dropped the final game, The Ship still sailed away with a 10-8 win for the night and capped the evening with a victory shot (has John created a new tradition?).

Props:
Fred / John: Undefeated in 6 games together this season.
Andrew: 3 for 4 on the night.