Don't Mess With The Bull...

Principal Vernon said it best, and now The Ship knows... don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns.  This is difficult advice to follow when playing darts, but even with our very own bullfighter on the squad, we managed to cause quite a ruckus this week in our match against The Matadors. 

We hit the ground running like it was Pamplona, with both teams wanting to get started right away.  But it wasn't long before "milkchugger" Rich found himself gored, taken down by a the first of many randomly flying spears.  Luckily, Michael and Dave brought their red capes and were able to wave them and pick up two wins.  John and Andrew were also shocked with their losses, but with "automatic" Nacho's win in the final game, The Ship limped away from S501 in a 3-3 tie.  Being bad does not feel pretty good. 

Dave / Michael started Cricket with a stutter, resulting in two hits in the loss column.  In round two, Rich / Andrew dropped the first game, causing them to seriously consider pursuing a career in the custodial arts.  However, they were able to bounce back and take game two.  In the final round, a naked blonde walked into the bar with a poodle under one arm and a two-foot salami under the other. The bartender said, "I guess you won't be needing a drink," and the naked lady said that John / Nacho swept their final two games, making the score 6-6 going into D501.

Looking to salvage some semblance of respect for the night, Dave / Michael put up an early win for The Ship.  John / Nacho were taken down in game two, but Andrew / Rich pulled out a win in the final game to secure a queasy 10-8 win for The Ship.

Props:NYDO - For mercifully awarding The Ship a 14-4 win when the Matadors were docked 5 points for an unregistered player.

Alll Righty Then

The Ship is the world's darts leader. This is the recap it deserves.  Seen out and about this week - The Ship bringing its XY game out to the Ace Bar. Or, as Ace Venture might say, Holy Testicle Tuesday!

The all-macho lineup started out well for The Ship, with Rich and Michael sailing through the opening two games.  But then, we suddenly began to play as though there were a Naked Raygun pointed at our heads, and we surprisingly dropped four games in a row.  Suddenly we were in search of a win... and a clean pair of shorts.

I'm going to take a short time out of the write-up to go speak to myself.  If I'm not back in five minutes... just wait longer.

Rich / Andrew opened Cricket with a win n a close game, and then shanked it in the second game, struggling with darts that were clearly not "laces out," and sending them wide of the bullseye.  Dan Marino should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell.  In game two, Michael / Dave played one of the all time greats.  In an epic battle, they staged a huge comeback and nearly won game two by hitting clutch bulls.  Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, but they did earn a split.  Fred / John played together in a perfect fit, and bailed us out in the final round, sweeping two games and tying the match at six-all.

I'm going to take a another break, to go psyche myself up for the big finish.  If I'm not back in five minutes... just wait longer.

Entering the wee hours of the morning, Fred / John headed back out but lost a close game in which neither team could find Captain Winkie to end the game.  Dave / Michael exorcised the demons in game two, securing a big win.  But in the final game, Rich / Andrew had some trouble getting in, and lost with the "Dart Heard Round The World."  Hopefully the 10-8 loss won't turn us into the Mayor of Psychoville.

Props:Michael - 3 wins, endless bulls.  You must be tired of being right.

Tears for Spears

The darts world was abuzz with excitement as the teams unveiled their new looks for the Fall 2006 season.  For The Ship, a retro look is the new new thing this season, with a throwback lineup that includes OGs Dave & Darian, and a lineup that is more reminiscent of 2001 than 2005.  So let's kick it old school and show these youngsters how things were done back in the day. 

It took the old engine a few turns to get revved up this season, as Rich and Michael dropped the first two games out of the box.  But once the old girl got running, there was no stopping her.  John posted a win and a Ton-29, and Dave picked up where he left off over two years ago with a win.  And in the last two rounds, the familiar names of Andrew and Mindy picked up the final two wins, to give The Ship a 4-2 lead.

With a new season came the first controversy of the season.  Rich / Andrew were accused of showing disrespect in game one of their match, leading to some heated words.  But Rich / Andrew really showed no respect in game two, as they rolled to an easy victory and earned a split.  The throwback squad of Dave / Michael stepped up in round two and staked a claim as the team to beat this season with an easy sweep.  John / Mindy were dogged by some off season rust and dropped two games, but The Ship was still holding a solid 7-5 lead after two rounds.  But, the best was yet to come.

The juggernaut of Dave / Michael kicked off D501 with a win, as Michael got the team in and Dave hit a dpuble-20 on his first try for the win.  John / Mindy kicked off the rust and played a determined match in game two.  Despite falling far behind, they refused to quit, and went from hearing midget footsteps to posting a victory.  Rich / Andrew played a solid game in the final round, and when Andrew hit a double-7 to win it, The Ship had swept D501 and walked away with a commanding 13-5 win over Britney's Spears to open the season.

Props:Dave - No losses would be...perfection.

Hungary For the Playoffs

As the last week of the season rolled around, The Ship's position in the playoffs was secured. While we might have been more hungry for sushi than for a win this week, we still came to play. Citibank came to play in S501, as Nacho "libre-ed" a comeback win, followed by a win from Fred. We managed a few wins in Cricket, from Rich Andrew (2) and Nacho / Mindy (1), who played two fantastic games. At that point, we pretty much mailed it in and set our sights on the playoffs, as we dropped the last five games we played, including all of the D501. Despite the 5-13 loss, we finished the season solidly in third place, and with a season-long theme that every newspaper in America decided to rip off. (Click to continue...)

Andorrable But Deadly

The members of the Dendrobatidae family are distinguished by their beautiful, brightly colored skin. They may be tiny, and they are frequently strikingly beautiful, but these deadly amphibians are not to be taken lightly. Just like the Dendrobatidae, some members of The Ship are beautiful, but capable of throwing deadly darts. (Click to continue...)

How Sweden It Is

On June 6, 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden, which ultimately give birth to a new nation. Exactly four hundred and twenty three years later, on June 6, 1946, the Basketball Association of America was formed, which ultimately gave birth to the NBA. Only twenty six years after this, on June 6, 1969, the first Internet connection was created, which ultimately gave birth to the Full of Ship website. On this June 6, The Ship gave birth to a Björn Borg-like win. (Click to continue...)

Down to the Wireland

Amongst the lush green vistas of the Emerald Isle lies County Cork, who's motto is "a safe harbour for ships". This week The Ship found itself back in its own safe harbor, amongst a plethora of corks. (Click to continue...)

Zimba-BYE Week

No game this week.

Come Back To Jamaica

Watching the Yankees fall behind by nine runs early in the evening was a surreal event. But we always know that it take many games, mon, an' maybe some bloodshed mus' be, but righteousness someday prevail. So it was with the Bombers, and so it was with The Ship - righteousness prevails. (Click to continue...)

Shake Your Bhutan

This week, The Ship headed far north into Land of the Thunder Dragon, a part of Manhattan long ruled by chaos and hostility. Under the watchful eye of the Council of Ministers who were on hand to observe, we entered the mysterious land for a traditional game of khuru with the locals. (Click to continue...)

Thailand

After traveling up and down the far east, this week The Ship settled down squarely in the middle of the seedy heart of Thailand. Yes, from Soi Cowboy to a "soapie," that sketchy underbelly of the world offers every form of prostitution available, but in this case we didn't receive such a "happy ending". (Click to continue...)

Kicking Some Estonia

According to scientific theory, human settlement in Estonia became possible when the ice from the last glacial era melted away 11,000–13,000 years ago. And just like Estonia, The Ship thawed out this week, melting away the cold streak that had enveloped us earlier in the season. (Click to continue...)

Laos-y Night

The Ship returned home this week, but our game remained mired in southeast Asia. And just like the Yankees and the Rangers, it felt like we got trounced by a million elephants. (Click to continue...)

My Oh Myanmar

The Ship hit the road this week, looking to keep the momentum going from its first win of the season. With a swift and strong effort, we had a chance to make our mark on the league. (Click to continue...)

Hey! Ho! Lesotho!

It has been a rough couple of weeks to start the season, as The Ship searches for its groove. Back at home this week, we hoped to escape from our enclave and rise to new heights. Luckily, we ran into a team with only four players, which seriously helped us in our bid to turn around the season. (Click to continue...)