It's always windy in Sarasota

...and rainy in Tulsa, apparently.

Obviously Tulsa was a difficult location for Central Regionals, blah blah blah, it's all been said before. Plane tickets are a regularity for other regions (SW, NW) so that's the name of the game sometimes. Once the location was set, the coordinators were in a lose-lose situation. Nothing they could do would make up for the fact that everyone had to travel and were determined to bitch about it (including me). The heavy driving rain and lightning delay on Sunday were just the cherries on top.

The 14.3 format yielded two pools of seven with games to 11. Other than Illinois, who caught us napping at the beginning of the game, no one scored more than 7. We came out with a break in every game we started on D line (4 of 6 games), and dictated the tempo in each game. As the weekend wore on, the D line gained more momentum and was able to break multiple points in a row in each game. The highlight of this was the VBB game where our D-line went 9 for 10 on breaks (although VBB was struggling mightily on Saturday only to rebound with style on Sunday).

On Sunday, we rolled through Hustle first round, then played BAT in the semis (after they were upset by Madcow in pool play). We had played a pretty close game with them at CHC. Maybe I was imagining it, but I that Madcow loss probably took a toll on their confidence and frustrations. Their young players are coming along, but as a team, they still seem to be struggling to pull it all together again like they could a few years ago. Our D line rolls off more multiple breaks in a row to win 15-5. Machine takes Madcow in a chippy game in the other semi, bringing about our fourth game against Chicago this season. And the rain came down. We did our plyos and drills in water-logged shoes while Machine was waiting out the rain under a tent, not needing a warmup after their most recently completed game (and avoiding the downpour). We break to start, multiple turns ensue from both sides, and they break back mostly due to a 50 yd flick upwind into the rain. Brief lightning delays our game (but not the coed backdoor final) for a good 20 minutes. As play resumes, the rain slackened, and our D line started to click again. We take the finals 15-7, and the Central Region title for the third consecutive year.

I stayed around to watch the Madcow-VBB game-to-go, and I really have to thank Andy Dikeman for providing Ben Hahn with a chew for the game...it might as well have been LSD mixed with ecstasy. Ben's mixed alcohol and tobacco buzz was off-the-charts good times. Both sides were playing very physically and intensely (as a game-to-go should dictate). Honestly, observers probably should have been in place from the start. Madcow is an over-the-top emotional team (to the point of being detrimental), and VBB have a couple personalities that are more than happy to fan that flame. As those faithful RSD readers know, VBB prevailed and there was much crying on both sides (for obviously different reasons). Having friends on VBB, I was very glad to see them come through (especially after that terrible Saturday). I look forward to your beer points against Jam in Florida. I'm really hoping that someone gets a picture of Karsten or Berkseth skying Steets with a beer in hand. I was also able to catch some Rackages points as well, and I'm pleased to see they're in a similar situation with big success with a new roster.

Couldn't forget ICE and Poodle Club. Apparently practice and formal practices are detrimental in the coed division, as the Iowa and Carleton kids ride on to besmirch the image of mixed division yet again (I'm looking at you Rupp, Leon and Hahn).

Aside from the obvious personnel differences, this truly is a new generation of Zero. Even when I made the team in 2003, BAT and Machine were not guaranteed wins, and Madison was always a threat (especially at Sectionals). Barely anyone bought plane tickets ahead of time. This year some had them booked in August. We had no doubt in our minds what the results of Regionals would be. With all the Brodag talent, Sub Zero is hitting a high cycle and have drawn a fifth seed at Nationals. This team still has a lot to prove on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Sarasota. but of all the Zero teams that I've played on, this is by far the most dangerously talented.

Leave your sundresses at home, because it's going to be cold in Sarasota, bitches.