Season 8 Pre-Skeeson Rankings
[Editors Note: The name of the ghost writer will forever be hidden, but their pre-skeeson picks won’t be. Enjoy!] SkeeBoston’s eighth skeeson might be shaping up as the most wide open team races in recent memory, possibly dating back to skeeson 1. The offseason saw a lot of movement between team members, a number of veteran teams taking this skeeson off, and a lot of new rookskees in the mix that can always surprise. Trying to predict the team race this season is analogous to picking the perfect March Madness bracket for Warren Buffet and willing one billion dollars – it can’t be done. But I’m going to do my best to handicap the favorites.
Wednesday Night
For the first time in the history of SkeeBoston, Wednesday night might have more depth at the top of the standings than Thursday night. Thursday night has long held the title of most competitive night, which comes with owning six of the first seven team titles (a.k.a. “The Chalice”), but Smells Like Skee Spirit’s dominating run in skeeson 7’s chase for the chalice on Super Saturday might have been the tipping point.
Five of the top six teams return from Wednesday night, and the newest league #SuperTeam is also in the mix (since they don’t have a team name yet, I think the hashtag is appropriate). Gone from Wednesday is last skeeson’s #3 team Murder Skee Wrote, but two of the three original teammates in Brian Aldridge and Sam Reidy remain. In steps former HRT champ and perennial top five roller, Steve “Pinball” Robinson, as the third skeemate. Brian is the wild card for this team – will it be the Brian that rolled a perfect game and also made the HRT finals last skeeson, or the one that struggled to break 300 in consecutive weeks. And let’s not forget that Jenn “The Shed” Foxon owns Steve – moving to Wednesday night might be the worst thing for his mental game I can think of. All of the pressure is on #SuperTeam to make it to Super Saturday – anything short of a place in the finals will have to be considered a disappointment.
But not so fast, my friends! As I mentioned, the road to Super Saturday is paved with returning teams and veterans, including: #1 Smells Like Skee Spirit (defending chalice champs), #2 SkeeBallin (two-time Super Saturday participants), #3 OMG Kowalskees, and #5 Little Lebowski Urban Achievers. The depth of these squads make any of them a viable candidate to emerge as the #1 team from Wednesdays this skeeson. And as we’ve seen in skeesons past, any of them can get hot at the right time and make a run for the chalice. I’m going to lean chalk on Wednesday night, and predict #SuperTeam, OMG Kowalskees, and Skee Spirit (are they due for a letdown?) as the top three. However, if SkeeBallin or LLUA can replicate their skeeson 7 postseason runs for the entire season, either team could easily make the top three. [Editors Note: All chalk. Really? No chance. SkeeBallin’ will be the last one standing when the Super Roll (it’s no longer Super Saturday, it’s the Super Roll) comes around this season. The #SuperTeam will choke. Also watch out for Team Palmer, returning from a few seasons ago.]
Thursday Night
Thursday night will see a number of teams seeking to reach the pinnacle with last skeeson’s #1 team, I Got Roofskeed, out of the mix after an early exit from the skeeson 7 playoffs. Also gone from last skeeson is #4 Snakes on a Lane. Even #2 Mustard Tigers and #3 Chotchskees have some new additions to their squads. #5 Skeepleus returns intact following a second consecutive finals appearance on Super Saturday. Yet, the biggest wildcard is likely a team, The Polischokes (my favorite team name so far – preseason favorite for the trophy), which combines John “Hawk” Polischuck with former chalice winners Joe Stromer and Tom Siemaszko from Skeematics/DP/Skeed Row/How Many Team Names Can You Have? [Editors Note: I named them and I’m sure it’s going to change. But how good is that name?!] Joe and Tom took skeeson 7 off to recover from another disappointing Super Saturday in skeeson 6 and look to be recharged.
It’s tough to bet against Derek “Barfs” Morgan, fresh off his skeeson High Roller title, and Mike Simpson of Mustard Tigers, regardless of their third skeemate – any upside surprise will carry them a long way. While Everett “The Baker” Phillips is no longer the dominant roller of skeesons past, Lisa “Ichiro” Ogawa carried the team last skeeson and, assuming she’s not having lower back problems, should do the same again; Christina “Coozie” Cusolito is the wild card for Chotchskees this time around. If Chelsey “Che” Jensen and Tom “Lanskee” Martin roll this skeeson as they did in the playoffs, and Scott “Scottie Too Hottie” Sinclair can find his hundo more consistently,Skeepleus should make some noise as a top 3 contender.
With no dominant teams returning to Thursday night, the entire league will be under pressure to retain the title of most competitive night as Wednesday tries to wrestle it away. The battle for the top spot will be intense, but at the end of the day veterans win out, as I see Mustard Tigers, The Chotchskees, and The Polischokes as the top three, with Skeepleus giving them all a run for the money. And who is the team that will come out of nowhere to surprise on Thursday nights? Could it be Bad News Bearskees after a near miracle upset in last season’s playoffs, or returning veterans NSA? Time will tell. [Editors Note: I don’t see anyone beating the Skeevenge of the Nerds (formerly Chotchskees), even with Polischoke barking. Watch out for It ain’t easy bein skeezy, this is their breakout season.]
Good luck to all of the teams in skeeson 8 as you embark on the chase for the chalice. This skeeson is shaping up to be one of the most interesting, and wide-open, that I can remember. Find your forty!