Season 17 Brackets Released and we have a ghost writer. Happy Wednesday!
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Greetings, High Rollers!
Skeeson 17 of skeeBOSTON is in the books and what a season it was. I have to give Duke and Ev some credit, as much as it pains me, for trying to keep a semblance of parity in the league. As proof, look no further than the team scores to see that they delivered on that promise this skeeson. The #14 team is just about 800 points, or about 100 points/week, behind the #1 seed.
Seeds #5-12 are also separated by about 800 points, as are seeds #11-18.
Why do I harp on that 800 point number?!? Think about it for a second. We’re talking about a few hundos a week for either team making the difference over the course of the skeeson. Every. Ball. Matters. Especially in the playoffs. With parity comes upsets, with upsets come heartache, with heartache comes more booze…bring on the Shipyard and Jack Fire! Let’s get to the brackets. [Editor’s Note: What an opening… can’t wait to read the rest!]
Pigtail matches
#14 Why So Skeerious vs. #19 There’s Always Next Skeeson – I love a feel good story of Zach, Heather, and Janelle making an upset run, but Nick, Jeff, and Carolina [Editor’s Note: enter Jen but I still think Nick will be too much] will prove to be too much for three of skeeBOSTON’s longest-tenured members. They should just remind themselves by looking at their shirts.
#15 DJ Maxx vs. #18 Boccskee – Team Mad Maxx sneaks into the playoffs thanks to D-Money making up some DNR’s and finding her 40 Streak. I think their run comes to an end here though, as the Boccskee boys love to play the role of spolier [Editor’s Note: they sure do].
#16 Wolves of Wall Skee vs. # 17 T. Kaczynskeees – Assuming Tom doesn’t get distracted by all the ladies on the lane, I think the Wolves have just enough in the tank to squeeze by Team Unabomber (a surprise underwear bomb notwithstanding).
The Gonzaga Bracket
#1 Trickskee Little Hobbits vs. #16 Wolves of Wall Skee – At this point there’s few superlatives that can’t be hung on Pat related to skeeBOSTON, as he’s one of the league’s best rollers in history. But can he be called “the best” without a chalice to his name?!? Hobbits have been a top 4 seed in each non-draft skeeson back to skeeson 13 and don’t have the big one [Editor’s Note: SHOTS FIRED!]. Yet. Their possible run to the skeeson 17 title starts here with a solid victory over the Wolves. If there were a chalice for firmest handshake in skeeBOSTON, however, it would go to Diana. Every skeeson [Editor’s Note: haha FACT!].
#8 Do You Even Hundo vs. #9 Premature Combination – Getcha popcorn ready for this first round match as there are some, how do I say it, “feisty” competitors (I’m trying to be nice…) in Dawson and Everett. I see this one going down to the last frame with Ev needing a few hundos to secure the victory and….getting the job done.
#1 Trickskee vs. #8 Do You Even Hundo – I likened Trickskee to Gonzaga as a team that always seems to have a top seed and never be standing at the end [Editor’s Note: more shots!]. This could be Gonzaga’s year but, with top seeds getting knocked out left and right, this will not be an easy road for the Hobbits. Ev, Ryan, and Hillary put pressure on Dionne, Robo, and Pat, but can’t knock down the free throws at the end to pull it out [Editor’s Note: I see what you did there]. Trickskee moves onto the final four.
North Carolina Bracket
#4 Legaskee vs. #13 Stone Cold SkeeBOSTON – This is the bracket of hardware and former champs. Legaskee has a combined six team and individual trophies, Stone Cold has five. Eric is seeking his third chalice in a row, while Scottie too Hottie and Mike [Editor’s Note: word on the street is he was practicing tonight] are hoping to get back to the winner’s circle for Legaskee. Like Pat, Pinball is also missing the elusive chalice from his trophy case, Joe is a 2x chalice winner, and Dave wants to taste victory for the first time with Stone Cold. Don’t let the seeds fool you on this one, it has epic matchup written all over it. Stromer has been sneaky bad all skeeson, which means it’s time for him to likely be sneaky good. Stone Cold moves on in the upset.
#5 Born to Skee Wild vs. #12 SkeeHarmony.com – Another matchup where you can throw seeds out the window. Bri-Guy has four trophies to his name. He is looking to bring Mike and Liz along for the ride with him. Liz is definitely the wild card in this matchup. She has a few DNRs, and can just as easily roll a 350 as a 250. SkeeHarmony looks underseeded to me with veterans Justin and Kevin (who rolled 475 in week 2) and Matt who averaged more than 300 as a rookskee. There’s a 12 vs. 5 upset every March, and this is yet another one as the boys of SkeeHarmony (seems weird writing that) move on.
#12 SkeeHarmony vs. #13 Stone Cold – In reality, this could just as easily be #4 Legaskee vs. #5 Skee Wild…this bracket is no joke and clearly the “Bracket of Death” (with a matchup against Trickskee likely awaiting the winner). I see another close matchup here, but the slightly more experienced team in Stone Cold pulls it out in the end. Put a double digit seed in the final four! [Editor’s Note: loev it!]
Kansas Bracket
#2 The Nightmare On Friend Street vs. #18 Boccskee – I gave Duke and Ev credit for bringing parity to the league this skeeson earlier, but have to call them out for allowing top 10 rollers Chuck and Devin play together, clearly against the rules they set out before the season [Editor’s Note: Devin is 11 so you are wrong. Nice try.] Oh wait, their third roller is John Polischuck. POLISCHOKE?!? Bwahahahahahahahaha. Nevermind [Editor’s Note:. #rantover Even with Choke dragging them down, Nightmare has too much for Boccskee in this matchup and lives up to the #2 seed, much like Kansas entered the tourney #2 after a strong regular season.
#7 Roll Down Mammary Lane vs. #10 Skee’s Company, Devin’s a Crowd – An interesting matchup with three rollers in Mammary Lane (what does that even mean?) within 35 points of each other, and Skee’s Company separated by 130 points. A classic high floor versus the high ceiling matchup. With the playoffs comes volatility and uncertainly, I like Ben, Marissa, and Chelsea to pull this one off over the ladies of the Lane.
#2 Nightmare vs. #10 Skee’s Company – After pulling the upset in the round of 16, unfortunately I think this match becomes a Nightmare for Skee’s Company on so many levels. If this match actually happens, I want someone recording the interactions (or lack thereof?) of Devin and Chelsea as Nightmare is storming to Super Saturday. That puts the worst roller in skeeBOSTON history with two chalices to his name (read: Polischoke) one step closer, Mr. Asterisk (*) (read: Chuck) one step closer to his third chalice, and Devin one step closer his second chalice and to the ACE Award (not really) [Editor’s Note: burn!].
Villanova Brackett
#3 Consensual Hundos vs. #14 Why So Skeerious. If the name of this bracket is any hint, I see all sorts of carnage here for the top seed. Nick and Jeff are savvy playoff vets that seem to get hot at the right time every skeeson, and I think it poses a big headache for Hundos in the first round matchup. Hundos will be rolling cold, and that doesn’t bode well against a hot Skeerious coming off their first round matchup. Christina, Jan, and Wes will need to be on their A-game or they will be making an early exit from the tourney a la Villanova (my bracket is crap).
#6 Greek-ed It vs. #11 Skee Who Must Not be Named – Former champs Jerry & Steph with their rookie Justin of Greek-ed It are up against former champ Cory, Andrew (who caught fire as a lower seed in the playoffs last year), and Craig. (Side note: the 8:30 matches on Thursday are straight fire). I’d love to skee Skee Not Named go on another Cinderella run this skeeson, but not sure they have it in them this time against a Greek-ed It team with something to play for in honor of a former skeemate.
#6 Greek-ed It vs. #14 Why So Skeerious – We’ve seen Skeerious as a lower seed make a run in the playoffs before and come up short (similar to Nick in the HRT….AMIRITE?) , and I don’t think this time will be any different unfortunately. Jerry and Steph are too good with the hundos which will be enough to carry them to the Final Four.
Final Four
#1 Trickskee vs. #13 Stone Cold – Anything goes on Saturday morning. Rollers are sober, rollers are hungover, rollers are fighting nerves. Two of skeeBOSTON’s best rollers ever in search of their first chalice. What a matchup if it happens! Trickskee is on a mission this skeeson, however, and I think they have just enough to make the finals.
#2 Nightmare vs. #6 Greek-ed It – Karma is a bitch. Nightmare is bad karma. Greek-ed it is good karma. Jerry and Steph are good at hundos. Polischoke is not. Put Greek-ed It in the finals.
#1 Trickskee vs. #6 Greek-ed It. Trickskee seeking the ever-elusive first chalice against a Greek-ed It team looking for redemption and a second chalice for Jerry and Steph. I believe in good karma and for some reason that leads me to Greek-ed it pulling off the upset and claiming the chalice on Super Saturday. [Editor’s Note: only if Jerry doesn’t do the math!]
Skee you on the lanes!