Cap'n Finds His Jersey

Cap'n Mike's lost Origins Unknown jersey has been found! His wife found the missing item, which she said was in plain view within the laundry basket.

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1-0, not much else to say.

Reading, MA - "Tilt" is a poker term for a state of mental confusion or frustration in which a player knowingly adopts a sub-optimal, over-aggressive strategy. Last night, Cap'n Mike experienced tilt on the basketball court, in the second half of Origins Unknown's ugly 62-52 victory over the Hustlers.

But this isn't about me. This about the team! The game was far from pretty, and ended up being more competitive than OU had anticipated. OU jumped out to a quick lead, early in the first half. Fueled by Danger Dan Fisher and James "Stretch" Hogan IV, the offense was fluid, with plenty of cutting and open lay-ups. The game highlight may have been an early fast break alley-oop from Cap'n Mike to Stretch, who calmly caught the ball one-handed and laid it in over the Hustlers defender. The Hustlers stayed within 10 by making some threes, and doing just enough to not get blown out. Seemingly in control, the first half ended with OU holding onto a double-digit lead.

The young Hustlers came out strong in the second half, with more energy than the middle-aged OU squad. They put together a run, and got the lead back down to 9, when Cap'n Mike was fouled hard on the way to the hoop. Upset because it was the second time Cap'n Mike had been fouled hard by this particular player, he popped up and had some choice words for the big man. A flagrant foul was called, but instead of calming down, Cap'n Mike went on tilt - missing both free throws, as well as his final 6 shots, which were all forced and ugly. But again, this isn’t about me...

With the Hustlers hanging around, Danger Dan, Dr. Greg Robinson, Shu-ter Patel and Stretch took over. Danger Dan was all over the glass, and Stretch scored 6 straight at one point to open the lead back up.

The game ended uneventfully, with OU getting the win, but not feeling particularly good about it. Stretch led the way with a game-high 17 points.

Consider this game a kick in the pants...

Muskets Shoot Down Title Defense

Reading, MA – The better team (at least for the night) won. That is the simple, hard to digest, truth. Last night, the Crusty Muskets took home the YMCA League Championship, after dismantling the reigning champs Origins Unknown 77-60. The win capped a perfect 11-0 session for the Muskets, and also snapped a three-session run of OU championship victories.

Matched up for the umpteenth time over the last few years, the teams know each other well. Each capable of beating the other team when playing well, this saga was a tale of two halves.

The first half was highlighted by an early Musket run, powered by Dan Johnson and their unknown big man. Johnson was his typical self, going strong to the hole, and spotting up for jumpers inside the arc. Their big guy used his size to gain excellent position and show a deft touch around the hoop. He also put OU in the hole by giving James “Stretch” Hogan IV three early fouls, and changing the defensive dynamic. OU made a run late in the half, after Johnson was called for a technical foul for being a whiny little b*tch. Johnson felt the need to berate the referee after he was called for a foul on a Danger Dan Fisher drive. Danger Dan did his part by calmly stepping up to the line and knocking down four straight free throws. Towards the end of the half, OU also started making some threes, increasing the urgency on offense, and picking up the intensity on defense. Already acting like a 7 year old, this caused Johnson, a real wiener, to give Danger Dan some cheap shots running down the floor. The two came together for some intense moments, in which the refs ushered Johnson back to the bench and called a time out to calm things down. OU continued their effort, with Cap’n Mike making several threes, and the rest of the squad contributing through improved passing and movement. At this point, it seemed that OU was on their way to a fourth championship, as they went into the half with a 34-32 lead.

The second half would not be as smooth for the defending champs. They started off by missing several chances on offense, while the Muskets were able to counter by pounding it into their big man. He continued to show an ability to gain great post position, and finish with both hands around the hoop. This was certainly an area where Chris “Big” Johnson would have helped, but Johnson was unable to make the game due to a scheduling conflict. On offense, OU lost their signature swagger as well, and found themselves falling behind quickly. The lead stayed around 10 for most of the half, but only because Dr. Greg Robinson was shooting lights-out from the floor. The rest of the OU crew was unable to get things going, and with the Muskets shooting so well from the floor, there was no room for error. Soon, the lead ballooned to 13, and ultimately, the game was out of reach for the champs.

The season ends with OU sporting an 9-2 record.

There were no tears - just beers - after the game. OU took the loss in typical stride, and decided that it while losing stinks, it keeps things interesting.

I didn’t have room in my drawer for another tee shirt anyway.

Chili's Overheats, OU Chills into Finals

Reading, MA – Last night, Origins Unknown outlasted a hard-nosed Chili’s team in the semifinals of the YMCA 4 on 4 Men’s League, 67-59. The win propels the reigning champs into the finals for the fourth consecutive session… (Or is it five?)

The game was a back and forth affair, as both teams had hot hands during different points throughout. But, at the contest’s most critical juncture, and the score tied up with only minutes remaining, the tide turned on two questionable technical foul calls. Cap’n Mike went 4 for 4 on the resulting foul shots, and OU never relinquished the lead.

The first half was highlighted by some excellent post play by the Chili’s big man. Matched up against an equally-imposing Chris “Big” Johnson, the big guy went to the hole strong, and also showed his versatility by knocking down several mid-range and long-range jump shots. OU countered with fast breaks, and some hot shooting of their own. Cap’n Mike shot OU to the early lead, by knocking down several three pointers over the first 20 minutes. James “Stretch” Hogan IV also did his thang by slashing to the hole and either making shots or getting to the line.

Recently released by Chili’s in the Sunday night Austin Prep league, Dr. Greg Robinson got plenty of pay back in this game. He had a silky up and under move, some nice jumpers, and played solid defense throughout. The half ended with OU holding a four-point lead.

OU got off to a slow start in the second half, as Chili’s continued to stroke it from the outside, while the OU offense stagnated. Chili’s raced out to a 41-36 lead with roughly 10 minutes left in the half. But, as soon as Chili’s built the lead, they lost it. A steal and fast break led to a Stretch Hogan lay-in. And then a Cap’n Mike three tied the game at 41-41, as Chili’s called a time out to stop the bleeding.

From there, the game got a tad out of hand. The refereeing had been acceptable up until this point in the game, but a couple of blatant missed calls had both teams crying ‘foul’. Unfortunately for Chili’s, they were given a little less rope by the refs, and were blown for two quick technical fouls. In that span, they also lost one of their better defenders, as he fouled out with about four minutes remaining. OU made most of their free throws down the stretch, and held on for the win – and the trip to the finals.

There, OU will face their old nemesis the Crusty Muskets, led by Brother's Johnson.