By: Jeff Barnes
Hola! Bienvenidos a otra edición de la Rebuttal de Viernes!
I apologize for my absence last week. I was in sunny Cancun, Mexico for the wedding of Jeff Matz. You may remember him from World Series of Beer Pong II. He placed third overall as a member of the New England Steelers. He looks like Jesus.
Speaking of Jesus, today is also Good Friday. While some will be commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus, others will be celebrating the birthday of Chris Baker, one of the hard luck runner-ups in World Series of Beer Pong III™. Overall, not a bad week for those who have finished in the top three of the World Series of Beer Pong. Baker, I hope you are enjoying your Keg Stool!
On the bright side, things are finally picking up steam on the beer pong landscape. The first large-scale tournament of 2011 is in the books and with others on deck, the 2011 season is officially in full swing.
Last weekend, 47 teams comprised of some of the best players from around the country traveled to the Horseshoe Casino in Indiana for the Drunken Bear 10K. This was the most lucrative tournament held to date in the Midwest. In the end, it was Midwest natives Zach Gilkison and Joey Moller of “Running Riot” who came out on top, with Kris Fraser and Thomas Reap of “Bangarang” finishing second.
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised at the outcome of this tournament. Not that I don’t think Zach is a great player; he’s definitely proven himself at the highest level. But I was not very familiar with his partner and you didn’t hear a lot about the team prior to the tournament.
I was surprised because I had Michael “Pop” Popielarski and Jordan McAllister as my projected winners. I normally don’t support the so-called “power teams,” but I could not envision a scenario in which these two didn’t take home the grand prize. We are all familiar with Pop’s resume and watching Jordan regularly dominate the competition in Maryland I know he could really make a name for himself as one of the best players in the world.
As it turns out, like I have argued for years on this website and others, chemistry still counts for something in beer pong. A lot of people will argue that the two best players will make the best team, and it’s logical. I can understand the argument. But I would argue that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The best teams aren’t the best players. The best teams are the players who play best together. Look at the winners of every major beer pong tournament. All have a familiarity with each other and play together often.
I’m a firm believer that in any team, whether it’s beer pong, football, baseball, etc. there is a balance of star players and role players. It’s the reason the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox don’t win the World Series every year. It’s the reason the Washington Redskins don’t win the Super Bowl every year. It’s the reason the Miami Heat won’t win the NBA title this year. The best teams are more than just the collection of the best players.
Beer pong, in particular, requires this mentality. To be successful, someone has to settle for being number two. Someone has to settle for being just “_____’s partner.” Some people thrive in their new roles, and some people don’t. Even the best players go through slumps throughout the duration of a big tournament. A great role player knows when to pick his partner up, and when to fall back when needed. The role player may never get the credit he or she deserves, but in the end may be the most valuable piece to a team.
For such a simple game, there is a lot to think about. Who shoots first? Who shoots second? Who gets third shot? Who shoots the rebuttal? Who played better? Who cost your team the game? Who’s watching you shoot? What are they saying about you? What are they going to think of you after the game? Will they ever want to play with you again? These kinds of questions aren’t measured in shooting percentages and Skype practices. They can only be answered on the table and with experience.
Maybe I’m a little biased, but I know I will never be anything more than a role player. But I know I don’t get rattled. I know I am good enough to pick my team up if my partner gets cold. And I know that no matter how well I play, I’ll still be a terrible player by most standards.
So in the end, it wasn’t the big name players who took home the money in Indiana last weekend. It was two friends from high school who don’t play a whole lot of tournaments but play a lot together. “We both can shoot and have what it takes to win so we figured we should just focus on getting better as a team instead of bouncing around,” Zach posted on his Facebook. Good idea.
Next weekend, many of the East Coast’s best players will travel to New Jersey to play in SJ Pong’s $5,000 tournament. Who’s your pick to win it all? Jon Basile and Vince Catizone? Kevin Kessler and Jordan McAllister? Pop and Dan “Goliath” Altizio? Defending World Champion Nick Syrigos and Jason Chichester? Bangarang? Or none of the above?
My guess is the team with the best chemistry…
