Spring Dodgeball - Week Five: The Lone Cheerleader.

Watch her work.

It has been a while since we lost two in a row. Hasn't it? Maybe not. These seasons all run together. It feels like it's been a long time since we lost two in a row, at least. But between last week's second-game loss and this week's first-game defeat, it happened. Better than dropping two in the same night for sure, but still frustrating. And both losses were by one game. In fact, our first one was, too, and it was to the same team that we lost to this week. Not that it would be better to get blown out, but it really stings to come so close and then come up empty-handed. There's always the playoffs, but damn - what I wouldn't give to just all-out dominate one season. Yes, I'm that insecure.

So, needless to say, we played well, just not well enough. We lost to one of our long-time rival teams, and they're a good group, so there's no anger there. I'd much rather lose to them than the folks we dropped one to last week. Look at me. Still living in the past. But this is now. And now we have to find a way to beat this team. We are so evenly matched with them that it's maddening. It's always close, it's always a strong match, and sometimes we win. But it seems like more often than not, we don't. The odds are good that we'll see them again in the playoffs, so we've got to figure something out. Sabotage? Verbal intimidation? Threats of violence towards their families? I'm getting desperate here.

Our second match was against another team that we already played earlier this season, and I wasn't looking forward to facing them again. They're a little hot-headed, a lot jockish, and as hard-headed as we tend to be, so there's already some bad blood. It doesn't help that they're a new team and seem to have trouble throwing below neck level. It's my pet peeve, folks. An errant throw at head level once is a mistake. A slip. Once you've done it seven times, you need to seriously think about whether or not you are too much of a spazz to play coed dodgeball. That's a tough conversation to have with yourself. Or I imagine it would be. I'm a fully formed human being and have complete control over my motor skills. But that's me. I go against the grain.

Anyway, there were some tense moments. Watch the video above and tell me how many times you count the dude in the goofy socks getting hit. It's like nine. His warped sense of pride apparently renders him numb in the forearm area. I've heard of that. It's usually directly related to advanced idiocy.

We ended up taking them out by a final tally of 6-3, which is exactly the same final score as the first time we played them. So, to sum up, we played two teams that we had played before, and the scores were both almost exactly the same. This is not a sign of progress. Fuck it, it's time for dodgeball camp. Everybody call in sick to work next week, we're going up into the mountains to throw stones at each other.

Standings are here. We're tied for third. Bleh.

Tons more videos here. Joy may have filmed every game. She's a go-getter, that one.