Three cars from COMO will be getting in around 6 on Friday. Well, two cars, and a bike hauling truck.
Midwest Bike Polo Championships 8 - 2nd thread.
Official page, schedule and registration can be found at our site - mplsbikepolo.com/mwbpc8
Original thread - http://www.leagueofbikepolo.com/MWBPC8
Match maker thread - http://www.leagueofbikepolo.com/forum/tournaments/2010/04/08/free-agents-for-mwbpc8
Is there room for one more in those cars? I can train or bus it to CoMO Thursday night.
Wait- no STL party van making the hike to minnesota???
Amtrak only goes to Jeff City, fyi.
Megabus with "art supplies" is your best option if the need arises.
My car is full up. I'm pretty sure Pete's is as well. We purposefully condensed our ride situation in order to save money.
No worries, guys. I got a ride and a team. Thanks for the concern, though.
Good. I was going to say my car could be a last resort, seeing as it technically has 5 seatbelts, but it would not be a comfortable 8 hour drive...it won't be with 4 even.
I just want to suggest that you set up two brackets. Running a 48 team swiss round on three courts will set up a game every 1 hour and 45 minutes. Most tournaments have switched to morning and afternoon brackets because sitting around for that long is too much time. It can get lethargic and players leave the courts and then it makes it more complicated to run games. Games every hour make things run much smoother.
x2
X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2X2 X2X2X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2
I definelty agree it also forces you to spend the entire day sitting at the courts instead of getting to check out some of your lovely city. and i dont like sitting that long between games i get all hyped up to whoop on a team from denver and beat them in 1min:34 sec:00 then have to sit for 2 more hours to play again.....
PLEASE have AM/PM brackets
it will take you at least 3:47 to get 5 on a Denver team... only to cool off and get beat by boulder springs 2 hours later... yeah, that would mega suck for you.
you been sucking too much of that thin air, son.
i guess thats a sic comeback, but i'm confused on your angle: what is your understanding of the effects of living with 20% less oxygen?
here's the basic relationship as i understand it:
more oxygen = more euphoric/delusional
we'll swoop down to the flats and get real with ya'll.
cheers.
it will take you at least 3:47 to get 5 on a Denver team... only to cool off and get beat by boulder springs 2 hours later... yeah, that would mega suck for you.
what the f*ck are you two talkin about?! nick, you and the spring's get slayed every weekend!
it will take you at least 3:47 to get 5 on a Denver team... only to cool off and get beat by boulder springs 2 hours later... yeah, that would mega suck for you.
what the f*ck are you two talkin about?! nick, you and the spring's get slayed every weekend!
x2
scoreboard.
why do i have to be the facts guy here? denver has had that cup what, a few of weeks, with one subsequent contest... out of how many months? current possession hardly constitutes a win ratio, much less a "scoreboard".
but really i'm going to stay out of the CO cup scene as my presence seems only to lead to further bickering and Boulder isn't quite ready to contend.
hold up. this cat from mke is talking trash on your city and all you can do is take issue with my meager attempt to suggest that you might be harder to beat than he thinks. your intent is a bit misdirected... no?
hah! two or three times a year does not equal "every".
and for the record, in the above statement you'll notice i didn't suggest that boulder springs would beat denver. but we will.
I totally agree. Being able to relax for half the day is so much nicer than being in that "in between game" mode the whole time. It's also way easier for organizers (you have half the number of teams to communicate to, and to herd onto the court on time).
x2
yeah, x2.
Thanks for all the input on this, pretty sure this is how we're going to do it. I was hesitant to do this just because the smaller the group, the less accurate the ranking is--but it seems like everyone is in agreement that its the best way to go.
we had the exact same thought when we ran it in november, and we got the same response from players then. the ranking will never be perfect anyway, so compromising a little accuracy for manageability's sake is wise. and make sure that the two groups are as equal in talent as you can make them.
I'm sure not everyone is in agreement. Lot's of people will be there the whole time either way and some would prefer a game every hour and a half or so to make it more interesting.
how does that make it more interesting? and not everyone will be there the whole time so why not make it accessibale and accomdatting to everyone instead of only the people who will be at the courts all day.....
how many large tournaments(35+ teams) have you been too?
I was at the Midwests last fall so I have some idea of what the day will be like, but whatever.
Hey Austin, do you guys have any more room in your car?
at Como the city is tiny and not much to do (no offense como) and the courts were miles form the city proper (if ther eis a city proper) MPLS courts are in a urban bustling environment....
Hey c'mon! We have at least 3 awesome generic bro bars.
I give, you're right capt. jake, being at the court all day was a super long day.
Food post. Just in case anyone has any special dietary needs or hates burritos we are posting our menu in advance.
Water and bathrooms will be, of course, on site all day.
Saturday:
AM - Granola, yogurt or soy milk, bananas, (possibly bagels?), coffee from Tillie's Bean -
Contains:
Rolled oats, almonds, pumkin seeds, unsweetened shredded coconut, blackstrap molasses, brown sugar, agave syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, peanut oil and dried cranberries.
PM - Burritos -
Contain: beans, rice, tortillas (flour and corn), shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa
Sunday:
AM - Granola, yogurt or soy milk, bananas, (possibly bagels?), coffee Tillie's Bean-
PM - Pizza Luce! -
http://www.pizzaluce.com/
We will be ordering 40+/- pizzas for the players, courtesy of our awesome food sponsor Pizza Luce, a fantastic local pizzaria!
*Please be sure to mention if you are vegan(unless you did already) - they have cheese alternatives, but we will only be getting a few vegan topped.
*Now taking suggestions for single toppings (not premium)
Additional food/snacks can be purchased from the on-site food vendor, Chef Shack. There is also a natural foods Co-op within a short 10 minute spin from the court. Literally just down the road.
/edit soy milk
Please bring a reusable water vessel. We will not be providing paper cups for you to throw away 15 seconds later. We are also asking people to bring cutlery. Or grab a set of disposable and keep it for the weekend. Realistically all you will need is a spoon for this menu. Once again, throwing away over 400 plastic spoons is also not something we want to do.
If you could bring an insulated mug for coffee and water that would be a bonus. Tillie's is donating all the coffee and it'd be great to cut down on their overhead for coffee cups.
Im bringing my own paper dixie cups to hand out to everyone just to make sure that we leave plenty of trash in MPLS
I already think of Milwaukee as having a giant trash tornado aura like Pigpen from Peanuts. So this makes total sense.
Does Minneapolis have Four? Or does it need to be imported?
x2!!
Yes we have Four. Pretty sure all the Sparks in the state is just caffeine and no alcohol.
Bring New Glarus.
yeah but our trash tornado is PBR cans, baggies, socks, four loko cans, and other polo teams as we slay our way to the top!
this tournament is going to be so awesome. and from the looks of it, very well run. can't wait, MPLS!
Hey all, we're really looking forward to this weekend! I tried to gather everything you need to know into one place, and it is here: http://mplsbikepolo.com/mwbpc8/update Check it out, let us now if you have any questions.
As always, looking forward to the tourney, not so much the drive.
Its going to be hot, relative to normal conditions in Minnesota, this weekend. Please remember sunscreen and something to cover your neckmeats. There isn't a lot of shade unless you want to hang out under interstate 394. Anyone got an EZ-UP or two they can bring?
NOAA forecast:
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Is anyone from Denver coming? If so, you guys should bring your EZ-UP that you had at Midwests in COMO.
Deschutes Brewing is our beer sponsor. Expect lots of great free Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Ale to be flowing at the Saturday night party.
Saturday morning after the player meeting our photographer will be taking team photos. We are super excited to have Christopher Berg donate his time and energy to documenting MWBPC8 teams. Take a look at his cycling galleries on his site. He does great work.
Decatur Bike Polo is sending 2 and looking for a 3rd.
Sven, my appetite is growing with every post!
Was there a LOST viewing party going on?
Find me Sunday afternoon/evening. I'm the guy from COMO with a lot of tattoos. We're going to sort out a place to watch it.
Oh, gee. A bike polo player with tattoos. You'll be easy to spot. Are you skinny with some sort of facial hair, too? Those sort of folk really stand out in the bike scene.
I said FROM COMO! I'm the only one with highly visible tattoos in our club Lucky. I'll have my skeletor T-shirt on.
In sadder news:
The Lost finale starts at 6 Central! So I think all us geeks are just screwed. I hate ABC for doing this to me.
You could probably find it on Torrents in less than 3 hours.
Lucky made some funny jokes
I'm pretty sure I remember you from November Timmm, Big thick glasses right?
It is possible we may miss the Lost finale altogether; finals for MWBPC8 probably could come to that time (if Como was any example of how long it would take with 41 teams) so if I were you i'd try to get one of those portable wireless t.v.s....
I haven't been this excited for a polo tournament since the last one! Can't hardly wait 3 more days...
Everyone bring an insulated mug similar to this one. Available at all thrift and convenience stores. Don't make me spell it out for you.
Grand Rapids will bring one 10'x10' tent and a 50 gallon drum of SPF 50.
Fun fact, every sheet of plywood on the side of the courts has 25 linear feet of 2x4s holding it up.
Fun fact: I can't do shit in my back yard in till this is over with. The Boards May Be FOR SALE When This Is Over!
Fun fact: I can't do shit in my back yard in till this is over with. The Boards May Be FOR SALE When This Is Over!
Fun fact: I shit on the boards in johns back yard... who will be the lucky SOB to discover which ones!?
so the saturday night party is in the alley behind the bike shop in the strip club district? I am hoping this is dirtier than Garfield Park Chicago right after the snow melted (those who came to chris's bday thingy know what I am talking about)
Dirty? Not really. There are like 2 strip clubs withing a few blocks though, so I guess its that kind of dirty.
Ask Gene-O the owner of the bike shop about the massage parlor that used to be where his shop is now. Lots of interesting stories.
Shit, who's organizing the polo strip club outing?
Looking for a last minute team if anyone's looking for a third...
Did we mention massage and shiatsu? Cause thats happening courtside.
Massage therapist on site on Saturday and a Shiatsu therapist on site on Sunday.
PS, courts are done.
40 teams pre-registered. Pre-reg might just fill up.
We just rolled into MPLS and i got three questions.
(1) is there any pickup and/or partying going on tonight?
(2) what time are y'all building the courts tomorrow? We'd like to help out if you'll have us.
(3) Hamms, Stag, or Grain Belt? I can't decide!!!
Where are you staying tonight? I just called you. Call me back.
Emailing you my number.
We will begin building courts around 2pm. We'll talk more tonight. I'd be down for going and getting a drink tonight.
Buy Black Label. Definitely not Stag.
I just put twitter search for #mwbpc8 on homepage
We will be at the court location around 1 or 2pm. If you are in town and would like to help please come to 818 Dunwoody Blvd and see if you can help.
We will tweet to @MPLSBIKEPOLO as our progress starts and ends.
1st - Beaver Boys MKE
2nd - The Aviary OT/NYC/LAX
3rd - Burbonic Plague LEX
4th - Machine Politics CHI
Thanks everyone. Remember to tag videos, photos and posts with MWBPC8 so we can find it!
cant wait to see video of that final.
Who cares about 4th?
Who was The Aviary?
Pieter (ottawa), the Joker (LA), Paul? (nyc) I think.
All i know for sure is that they're damn good.
Attention.
Ow.
That is all.
x2
Wanna go for broke at NAs?
Thanks everyone for coming out! Rob maybe you can get some revenge at NAs. See all you bastards in Madison!!
I got my revenge in that game via fat backhand goals.
No need for me to wait a few months just to try to hurt you.
You might want to make sure you have gloves too then though, you know, just in case.
Thanks for a great tournament MPLS. The Midwests keep getting bigger and better every time. It felt great bringing the Jenny Cup back to Milwaukee where it belongs. See y'all at ESPI..
B-B-BEAVER BOYS!!!!!
Thanks MPLS!! You guys totally killed it!! And thank you MKE for keeping the Jenny Cup in the Midwest, but its coming back to Chicago in November. Oh and the Jenny Cup belongs in Chicago, where it was made.
thanks mpls, I had a blast! big thanks for all the pick up games. Having three courts was amazing, I hope that becomes more of a norm. Huge thanks also to ebbin for housing us for the weekend, extremely appreciated! I love your city and your club is amazing and super welcoming, hope you host something again soon.
Thing I lost at MWBPC8 :
1-18v Dewalt battery & charger, black.
1 Folding camp chair, blue
1 Mallet, Tomic shaft, newly made, orange head.
1 Pair of shorts with giant ass-tear
1 Voice
Things I gained at MWBPC8:
1 Helmet, adorned with stickers
2 Camp chairs, black
5 Mallets, bent & janky
1 Folding camp chair, blue
I lost my crusty, water stained, green chair this weekend. This wouldn't have been that big of a deal if I lost it at the end of the second day, but I lost it on Saturday! I had no where to sit all day Sunday. Stupid chair.
What a tourney. So many old and new friends made. great polo to watch and play (pickups were great!). Minneapolis was the full experience, playing polo in the urban environment and biking around the city was a once in a lifetime experience. To your city, coffee, and tournament, I say...Bravo!
Another stellar Midwest! Thanks MPLS, especially Kat, Sven and Lila for hosting much of the Chicago crew (all analog) and Bjorn and Landon for crunching the numbers. Thanks also to Freewheel. You guys were RAD. Also, x2 on the coffee. It really was very good.
MKE, we didn't even give you a game. Sorry. Congrats and thanks for keeping the cup in the Midwest. That said, we had a much better time losing to The Aviary and especially to LEX!!!!! Bourbonic Plague - you guys showed us something awesome.
I expect to see some killer Mr. Do footage soon......
x2 on the video. I'm on pins & needles waiting for it...
Anyone have a decent photo of the Aviary? I have a couple but they ain't so great. Send them my may.
what was your email sven, I got one but joker is topless and frowny. I also had some footage of that finals game and a few other things but when I was watching I forgot to keep the camera focused. so, it's pretty ugly footage, but I do have it.
finally recovered from this one. great job mpls polo. thanks for the memories. sven and kat, a special thanks to you for everything before and after the tourney. mpls: as one last show of hospitality, can someone claim my green hooded sweatshirt from the 501 lost and found?
it was great playing new teams and watching birds like the cardinal and shrike soar.
the guys in the freewheel mobile repair unit, extra thanks. after destroying my front wheel friday night you helped me keep my new $35 machine built, single wall piece of shit true between every game. couldn't have it made it that far without you.
amy k., though you'll never read this: the elvis owl, we are forever in your debt.
revelation of the tournament: the new ben hunter. love you bro. you may be the butterfly after such a metamorphosis. wish you were coming to espi. you are the antidote to dirty fucks who should quit the game like jake and guthrie.
beaver boys: job well done. brian wanted this one a lot. moms and pops in the crowd. the final was anticlimactic what with two own goals and what not, but the team that played best all weekend came out on top. see you a bunch more this summer.
Anyone seen a group shot anywhere? I can't find one anywhere.
Here is a crappy one that my friend took, but i'm still interested in seeing the "official" photo from whoever was supposed to be taking it.
Plus i still wanna see some Mr. Do videos.....
Sadly there are none. : ( He was too busy with tourney stuff to take any footage. He will be at NA's though and I'm already excited about his next video.
I thought that might be the case.
It'd be great if he (or someone) could film entire matches with multiple cameras and edit them down like something you'd see on ESPN. It'd be great not just for our viewing pleasure but for the sport in general.
Location - 818 Dunwoody Blvd Minneapolis, MN 55403
Map of locations and points of interest - http://bit.ly/mw8-map
Brief schedule, please check the official schedule on mplsbikepolo.com
Friday Night Pre-reg - 501 Club 501 Washington Ave South 55415
7pm-?
Saturday
Breakfast and reg open at 8am
9:30am player meeting, 10am first game
Party at One on One Bike Studio
Sunday 10am first game
Breakfast opens at 8am
10am first game
Minneapolis Bike Polo dot Com