Bayliss/Nelson win Club Championship

Wow, what a perfect day for the CC Championship!

All except for the “deathbed” sickness that put matches back a good hour, a pulled calf and a torn hammy. Other than that, perfect.

There was a notion that the Championship would return to “Red Zone” play, but with no Beany (and no grilled asparagus), it was dropped from consideration. Master of Ceremonies, Dan Einhorn, did institute two new twists to the tourney — a draft and a random hat-draw for bracket placement.

The draw went pretty close to expected, with the first few picks taking the highest ranking B-players, but leave it to Mitch Regenfuss to select down the list in picking John Tokarz above a half-dozen wannebees. Was it because Mitch knew something others had missed? Or was it simply that he needed to find someone who wouldn’t laugh at his vintage Bjorn Borg wardrobe?

The 3-peat Champ, David Brock, sat out the tourney leaving it wide open for a new champion. The early favorites to meet in the championship match were Andrew Bayliss and Eric Arvold, but as fate would have it, the random draw pitted their teams against one another for their very first match of the day.

Bayliss/Nelson won a hard fought three setter over Arvold/Swarthout. This seemed to propel Bayliss to the finals and a first time Club Championship for Andrew and Joe (over Einhorn and his partner, Scott Schwensohn). For Arvold and Swarthout — a trip to the Consolation Bracket and ultimately, a numbing loss at the hands of the “King of Consolation” Mike Farley and his dynamic “Get Busy Liv’n‘” partner, Andy Siefkes.

When it came to prognostication, Farley and Frenchy took the honors (and split the pot) for their knowledge that Bayliss would win the tourney and picked enough NCAA games for the win. Tom Lehmann apparently watches a lot of college hoops, but hasn’t yet figured out picking paddle winners.

MC Einhorn had this to say, “A quick shout out to Nicky and Jon for all of your help on the logistics — dessert, liquor, garbage bags, rules, massage therapy, refilling of kegs, gifts… and talking me out of other crazy tricking up of the tournament.”

Good food, good yucks and good paddle make for a great day.

Thanks for a great season, fellas!