Check out the photos from the last game of the season vs Rebels.
http://web.mac.com/bhf2008/iWeb/Site%202/Upstarts%20vs%20Rebels.html
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Upstarts vs Polecats - February 8, 2008
Polecats 1 Upstarts 0
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda…. it was not to be our day again unfortunately
We scrambled to pull together a squad – looked very dicey until late Thursday, early match day (thanks to Adrian for drumming up everyone) – as we again had some key players out or off-island for the clash.
We didn’t do particularly badly however. Polecat’s one score was very opportunistic and in fact was the result of a failed short corner attempt for ourselves at the other end of the pitch! They also did manage to crash a short off a post and forced Kevin into a great save from Nigel when clean through, the save deflecting off Kevin’s pads and careening off the crossbar to safety. Other than that though there was not much excitement defensively. Our attack was somewhat muted, Donny seemed content to consistently smash the ball too often a foot further than Al could reach and our searching heroics were brought down by errant suspect tackles by the Police defense and direct shots that missed their target, sometimes agonisingly so.
All in all a hard loss but happy again to report that we kept battling to the very end, a trait that will pay dividends eventually when things start falling into place.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda…. it was not to be our day again unfortunately
We scrambled to pull together a squad – looked very dicey until late Thursday, early match day (thanks to Adrian for drumming up everyone) – as we again had some key players out or off-island for the clash.
We didn’t do particularly badly however. Polecat’s one score was very opportunistic and in fact was the result of a failed short corner attempt for ourselves at the other end of the pitch! They also did manage to crash a short off a post and forced Kevin into a great save from Nigel when clean through, the save deflecting off Kevin’s pads and careening off the crossbar to safety. Other than that though there was not much excitement defensively. Our attack was somewhat muted, Donny seemed content to consistently smash the ball too often a foot further than Al could reach and our searching heroics were brought down by errant suspect tackles by the Police defense and direct shots that missed their target, sometimes agonisingly so.
All in all a hard loss but happy again to report that we kept battling to the very end, a trait that will pay dividends eventually when things start falling into place.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Upstarts do Ocean View
The sun shone majestically over Ocean View golf course. The North Atlantic shimmered beautifully as its quiet stillness offered a perfect backdrop to a stunning Bermuda autumnal day. The last two longtails swooped playfully over the oleanders in preparation for their long migratory path to warmer climes.
'***king **ck!' cried Keir, as he advanced his 6 iron approach shot to the first green another 24 inches. 'We're out of here', the longtails squawked as they flew for cover.
'I don't bast**d well ***cking believe that boll**cks' screamed Murphy as his 300 yard drive on the third landed perfectly in the middle of the equestrian centre.
'That's just ***king typical' sighed Phil, as his 195 yard 5 iron attack at the green of the 14th smashed into exactly the same tree as it had an hour earlier.
The Europeans were in trouble and were struggling to come up with new expletives. By all accounts the language in the Rest of the World (‘RotW’) team was even worse.
The RotW team were first on the tee. Kev Hill (not Smith...sorry Kev), Kaniaru and Kirk cracked drives down the centre of the fairway. Donny topped his first into a bush, but who cares, his team were in play.
Murphy and I looked at each other and thought, 'We're in trouble, and where the hell is Savage?’
'Sorry boys, been in the bog all morning,' Keir explained as he justified his late arrival.
So that was it, we were off. Two laps of Ocean View's 9 holes in glorious sunshine. Captain's choice, the only game for hackers, not a thought of hockey between us, golf bags full of the latest 460cc driving technology and plenty of Heineken.
About four hours later we were back. The course was by now in need of closure, and the forest was many golf balls richer. The closest to the green competition on the 7th was won by Murphy, with a thinned 9 iron that flew over the back, but was a good yard inside the RotW team's effort which was 40 yards short of the flag.
Martin was back in action again with the longest drive on the 17th. The RotW team had not left the long drive marker on the fairway, so they either didn't make it past the ladies tee, or they thought they already had the match in the bag with their consistent scoring and wanted to leave something for us?
Consistent scoring was the key. Coming off the eighteenth, the Europeans were feeling confident. Five under par – seven birdies and two bogies.
The scorecards came out. The RotW team were also five under! Five birdies and no bogies.
Then came the excuses, ‘we had four players’, ‘we had three’, ‘the wind got up’, ‘we ran out of balls’, ‘we drank more Heinekens’, ‘we didn’t drink enough Heinekens’. How would we decide this?
To be fair, from the European perspective, the RotW team made swift progress around the course, we couldn’t keep up with them. In fact, we were hassled on the back nine by the group following us. Initially, we weren’t worried when we met them at the tenth. But I take my hat off to the St Davids Blind Welfare Ladies over 75 Golf Society Second Team. (That was our main excuse – we just couldn’t concentrate with all those balls being fired at us by them b**ches).
Anyway, back to the outcome. Somebody mentioned there was a count back system in golf for deciding ties. We couldn’t work that out though, so we decided on an honourable draw. That would be fair. After all, we all play for the same team.
Then Kirk happened to mention we all played for Upstarts. So that was it, the final agreed outcome was that both teams lost.
A brilliant day out and a hard earned defeat for both sides…………….
'***king **ck!' cried Keir, as he advanced his 6 iron approach shot to the first green another 24 inches. 'We're out of here', the longtails squawked as they flew for cover.
'I don't bast**d well ***cking believe that boll**cks' screamed Murphy as his 300 yard drive on the third landed perfectly in the middle of the equestrian centre.
'That's just ***king typical' sighed Phil, as his 195 yard 5 iron attack at the green of the 14th smashed into exactly the same tree as it had an hour earlier.
The Europeans were in trouble and were struggling to come up with new expletives. By all accounts the language in the Rest of the World (‘RotW’) team was even worse.
The RotW team were first on the tee. Kev Hill (not Smith...sorry Kev), Kaniaru and Kirk cracked drives down the centre of the fairway. Donny topped his first into a bush, but who cares, his team were in play.
Murphy and I looked at each other and thought, 'We're in trouble, and where the hell is Savage?’
'Sorry boys, been in the bog all morning,' Keir explained as he justified his late arrival.
So that was it, we were off. Two laps of Ocean View's 9 holes in glorious sunshine. Captain's choice, the only game for hackers, not a thought of hockey between us, golf bags full of the latest 460cc driving technology and plenty of Heineken.
About four hours later we were back. The course was by now in need of closure, and the forest was many golf balls richer. The closest to the green competition on the 7th was won by Murphy, with a thinned 9 iron that flew over the back, but was a good yard inside the RotW team's effort which was 40 yards short of the flag.
Martin was back in action again with the longest drive on the 17th. The RotW team had not left the long drive marker on the fairway, so they either didn't make it past the ladies tee, or they thought they already had the match in the bag with their consistent scoring and wanted to leave something for us?
Consistent scoring was the key. Coming off the eighteenth, the Europeans were feeling confident. Five under par – seven birdies and two bogies.
The scorecards came out. The RotW team were also five under! Five birdies and no bogies.
Then came the excuses, ‘we had four players’, ‘we had three’, ‘the wind got up’, ‘we ran out of balls’, ‘we drank more Heinekens’, ‘we didn’t drink enough Heinekens’. How would we decide this?
To be fair, from the European perspective, the RotW team made swift progress around the course, we couldn’t keep up with them. In fact, we were hassled on the back nine by the group following us. Initially, we weren’t worried when we met them at the tenth. But I take my hat off to the St Davids Blind Welfare Ladies over 75 Golf Society Second Team. (That was our main excuse – we just couldn’t concentrate with all those balls being fired at us by them b**ches).
Anyway, back to the outcome. Somebody mentioned there was a count back system in golf for deciding ties. We couldn’t work that out though, so we decided on an honourable draw. That would be fair. After all, we all play for the same team.
Then Kirk happened to mention we all played for Upstarts. So that was it, the final agreed outcome was that both teams lost.
A brilliant day out and a hard earned defeat for both sides…………….
Monday, December 3, 2007
Upstarts vs Panthers - Dec 1 2007
Message from the Phil
"I can't believe it, we scored 5 of the best goals of the season and still lost!
Starting with only 10 men at the ridiculously early time of 9am, we got off to a fsirly poor start. Although to be fair to 'Where the f_cks' Kaniaru, he did make it before we let the floodgates open. David, please tell us you were with at least one woman................
Donny led a brave fightback to make it 4-2 at half time. However, perhaps the only real highlight was Gary's man of the match performance with a goal and several assists. Ah well, we're not out of the league yet, we just need to win the next 9 games and we'll be fine. We're also looking good for the Fairplay Trophy with only one yellow so far for Chopper Murphy in the first game of the season. Who wants to win that though? We can't be trying hard enough on the pitch."
"I can't believe it, we scored 5 of the best goals of the season and still lost!
Starting with only 10 men at the ridiculously early time of 9am, we got off to a fsirly poor start. Although to be fair to 'Where the f_cks' Kaniaru, he did make it before we let the floodgates open. David, please tell us you were with at least one woman................
Donny led a brave fightback to make it 4-2 at half time. However, perhaps the only real highlight was Gary's man of the match performance with a goal and several assists. Ah well, we're not out of the league yet, we just need to win the next 9 games and we'll be fine. We're also looking good for the Fairplay Trophy with only one yellow so far for Chopper Murphy in the first game of the season. Who wants to win that though? We can't be trying hard enough on the pitch."
Monday, October 1, 2007
Bank of Bermuda - Team Triathlon 2007
Rain, wind and choppy waters failed to deter the two Upstarts teams who made mincemeat of the course to complete the Team Triathlon in impressive times yesterday. Hundreds of spectators lined Front Street to yell encouragement to the intrepid lads ("Get out of the way!"; "Let the leaders lap you"; "Your training wheels are loose" and suchlike).
Upstarts A lined up with Gary ("Can I run as well?") swimming, Padraic ("I caught a whopper") cycling, and Dave ("I can run 3 miles in 17 minutes") Kaniauru running. Their hot competition was Upstarts 1, with Alan ("Did I mention I was up the entire night Friday?") swimming, Phil ("I haven't done much biking since the Tour du France") cycling and Donald ("Is it really only 3 miles?") running.
Gary pummeled the choppy harbour waters to give Upstarts A an early lead of 2 minutes 43 seconds. Alan decided the water was so nice that instead of taking a straight line he took the scenic route. Blaming a slow leak in one of his arm bands he exited muttering "that's my slowest swim of the summer". Undaunted, Phil made immediate inroads into the lead Padraic had started with, knocking 40 seconds off in each of the first, er one, laps. The two battled neck and neck thereafter, clocking excellent times and leaving Dave Kaniaru with a lead of a couple of minutes going into the run.
No problem for a man of his prodigious speed, one might think.
Think again. Donald had sped past him like a speeding bullet by the end of the first lap. He looked utterly confused as I called out the time gap between him and Dave; he had thought Dave was another lap ahead and was busting a gut to try to catch up, when he had already done so...
There was no shame to Dave, as Donald managed the 15th best time out of 76 runners -- 18 minutes and change for 3 miles.
In the end Upstarts 1 won the head to head by a handful of minutes, but both teams did really well in trying conditions. To put it in context, both teams finished about half-way in an event comprising experienced triathletes well used to the course and for the most part focusing on their best event. Job well done -- and all done without Jon B, an excellent triathlete who offered to take part just after the teams had been settled. Maybe we can make it three teams next year?
Upstarts A lined up with Gary ("Can I run as well?") swimming, Padraic ("I caught a whopper") cycling, and Dave ("I can run 3 miles in 17 minutes") Kaniauru running. Their hot competition was Upstarts 1, with Alan ("Did I mention I was up the entire night Friday?") swimming, Phil ("I haven't done much biking since the Tour du France") cycling and Donald ("Is it really only 3 miles?") running.
Gary pummeled the choppy harbour waters to give Upstarts A an early lead of 2 minutes 43 seconds. Alan decided the water was so nice that instead of taking a straight line he took the scenic route. Blaming a slow leak in one of his arm bands he exited muttering "that's my slowest swim of the summer". Undaunted, Phil made immediate inroads into the lead Padraic had started with, knocking 40 seconds off in each of the first, er one, laps. The two battled neck and neck thereafter, clocking excellent times and leaving Dave Kaniaru with a lead of a couple of minutes going into the run.
No problem for a man of his prodigious speed, one might think.
Think again. Donald had sped past him like a speeding bullet by the end of the first lap. He looked utterly confused as I called out the time gap between him and Dave; he had thought Dave was another lap ahead and was busting a gut to try to catch up, when he had already done so...
There was no shame to Dave, as Donald managed the 15th best time out of 76 runners -- 18 minutes and change for 3 miles.
In the end Upstarts 1 won the head to head by a handful of minutes, but both teams did really well in trying conditions. To put it in context, both teams finished about half-way in an event comprising experienced triathletes well used to the course and for the most part focusing on their best event. Job well done -- and all done without Jon B, an excellent triathlete who offered to take part just after the teams had been settled. Maybe we can make it three teams next year?
Monday, April 30, 2007
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