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Back by popular demand, the 6th Annual BlueBall 3-Wall Tournament was held at noon on January 1, 2005 at the 3-wall courts at Veterans' Park in Green Township. And weather was again a factor. (Go figure.) |
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The day started out with some needed court maintenance, as a soaking fog from melting snow enveloped most of the west side. Armed with towels and the hope that Mike Reilly would show up with the torch kit, Jim Krailler arrived early to begin wiping down the courts. (Some reports say he didn't arrive early, but that he never really left the park -- camping out at the courts since October waiting for the weather to break.) Despite yeoman-like efforts, though, the floors and walls remained soaked. |
| Around noon, other players started trickling in. (And their trickling didn't help the damp conditions one bit.) Instead of helping out with court chores, they simply kept pointing around randomly, yelling out to Krailler, "Hey, you missed a spot." Unwittingly (in more ways than one) they did manage to help out by contributing a lot of hot air to the environment. But again, despite the efforts, the floors and walls remained soaked. |
 Gerry Shaughnessy and Ralph Weil, ingoring maintenance duties |
 Reilly questions the ball selection (how about that glove seletion?) |
Finally, Mike Reilly appeared on the horizon. But, instead of carrying the torch kit, he carried only a Mountain Dew. More dampness. And the last glimmer of hope for a dry court was dashed. But then, the true BlueBall spirit emerged from the fog, as Ralph proclaimed, "It's a perfect day for handball! Let's play!" And the games were on. |
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As is custom, Bob Burkitt launched the tournament by telling players that the green "ROC" ball would again be the official ball of the BlueBall Tournament. Mike Reilly was quick to question, "How can you play with a green ball in a BlueBall tournament?" Burkitt snickered, "Don't worry Mike. With this crowd, there's always plenty of blue balls around." Burkitt then powered a green ace serve into a puddle near Reilly's feet; Mike could only watch it shoot by, unreturnable, as he nodded knowingly. |
 Burkitt answers Reilly's challenge with an ace |
 Shaughnessy, Weil and Reilly execute the "Triple-I" hinder formation |
Given the fact that the floors and walls remained soaked, just about every shot resulted in a court hinder. But true to form, veteran BlueBallers know no hinders (court, avoidable or otherwise) and play continued. Extended volleys and extreme heat meant frequent substitutions were required to keep players fresh. And after about 10 minutes of vigorous exercise (mostly from laughing at the bounces) the entire draw was exhausted. Since all teams had about one point, and since no more than three points had been scored the entire afternoon, tournament officials declared everyone a winner. |
 Ralph takes time out to practice his bowling follow-through |
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 The 2005 BlueBall |
Finally, in the spirit of all New Year's celebrations (or any handball gathering) players popped the cork (unscrewed the cap) on a bottle of bubbly (Leinenkugle Creamy Dark) and drank a toast (or three) to the new year. Once again, the BlueBall tournament was a great event, a chance for dedicated 3-wallers to get 2005 off to the right start. |
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