Welcome to the Midwest Petanque Alliance BLOG. The MPA includes: Zanesfield Petanque Club, Chicago Petanque Club, Minneapolis Petanque Club, Rocket City Petanque Club, and Detroit Petanque Club. The main purpose of this BLOG is the promotion of petanque and petanque related news and photos for the Midwest community. See the links to actual club sites on the right...
[from an e-mail fron Dan Danielson, President of the Chicago Petanque Club]:
The Fanny in petanque is when one team skunks the other team - in this case, Pat / Tim C./ Aaron beat Tim W. / Jeff W. and Kevin 13 to Zero. I know... terrible. The tradition of the petanque fanny (in France) is that the losing team has to then kiss the bare asses of the winning team. We don't subscribe to those French rules in Detroit (it might get us arrested!)
The brutal winds whipped across Cadillac Square, threatening to cause Pat to run off the piste at any moment. But the delights of close competition kept everyone concentrated. My partner, Brian, was pointing marvelously as we slowly ascended towards our goal of matching (and possibly besting) Pat; Tim W. and Jeff C.'s 12 points. Round after round, we either gained a point, or knocked the cochonnet off the piste. Eventually, however, Pat's team gained it's final 13th point.
The club is really getting some nice and consistent playing. That's great news. Also good that a new supply of boules is coming in from Philippe (of Petanque-America) for the lessons coming up - and the expectation of 3 or 4 games going on at once at Cadillac Square. I want to thank everyone for playing nicely together - and really showing what city life is all about - cooperative social play. Brian G. has been laying in some really nice close points. Raphael was impressed as this is usually his forte. Aaron re-joined us - he just graduated from University of Michigan - Congrats Aaron! 
Today's games were quite fun. We could almost run three doublettes, and shall do so next week I'm sure. Bascially, when we start up the team selections, we pull out all of the shooters and distribute them evenly, then these team captains select their pointing partners. Keep in mind, an experienced played linked with a relatively inexperienced player makes the game more fun as your skills are required even more against a tougher opponent. At the same time the new players are getting a good lesson from their partner and the opposition.
e we knew it, it was 10/5 Hal/Tim - they went in for the kill with a 3-boule to 13/5 victory. Over on Court-2; Pat was teamed up with Mikey-D. who squashed Kevin and Tim W. in a 13/5 slaughter. What really clinched it was the 5-boule points Pat's team wwon by knocking out the cochonnet. But in the second game, Kevin and Tim W. got their revenge, with a 13/11 win (7 point conversion to 13).
The game began sunny - Jeff; Raphael; Pat verses Kevin; and the two Tims (Tim W. and Tim C.).
We were having a good ole time, but the dark clouds were fast approaching.
The score was up to 2 vs. 2; we talked about perhaps playing until 7 points - but we didn't even get there as the bits of hail came pelting down upon us.
Needless to say - Game Over! No Score!
Hal D. joined us today, as did Tim W. - both playing for team Kevin and Tim C. while my team consisted of Abu, Pat and Raphael.
In the first game, it looked bad for Team Honigman (Pat/Tim/Kevin) who trailed Abu/Jeff/Mike the entire game, resulting in a 13/4 win for Jeff's team. Some time left, we played a 7-point game (same teams) - with our team taking another lead, 3 to zero. But then the opposition caught up, passed us at 4 to 3, and then Kevin shot out the cochonnet from 20 meters for the win 7/3 (13/9).
Pat and Kevin were determined to beat us today, and they even had the support of top player, James H. but victory was just not to be... as Hitesh, Maury, Jeff, and Tim rocketed to a 13/3 win.
It took a while, but we finally cracked the code to Kevin & Pat's downfall (not that it will matter much with the warm weather approaching)... COLD.
It was just cold enough to keep Kevin & Pat off their A-game, leaving Maury, Jeff & Tim to sweep in an easy victory 13/4
There were some rounds when it seemed the opposition would have done better using their feet rather than their hands!
But, I'm sure their Achille's Heel won't last for long, not with warmer weather setting in.
Game one brought Abu (Don't Shoot Point), Rob (Rock'n Rob) and Tim (Peppers) verses Jeff, Kevin, and David (new player) with David putting in some nice points for a new guy. We won 13 to 4.Game two brought Abu, Jeff and Rob against Kevin, David and Maury. Maury didn't show up until the end, but he was essential for their victory as the score was 8 to 4 (9 point game) and they were behind. My team was sitting with two boules closest to the cochonnet (we were out of boules) and Kevin wasn't able to shoot us away, but Maury laid in a point, taking away our victory and leaving their team in the game 8 to 5. Then in the last round, still 8 to 5, my team held the 9th point on our last boule, but Kevin was able to knock the cochonnet off the piste, giving his team 4 points (Article 13 of the Petanque Rules) 1 point for each of the 4 boules not yet played by his team. Well done!
April Fool's Day and we had a nice triplette going. Pat and I wanted to re-challenge Kevin, Tim, and Maury - so we began to torment the opposition, getting anice lead. Then Brandon came by and joined up with Pat and me. We beat them 13 to 10 ! Brandon was pointing in very close - and Pat's shooting went smooth as silk. Even my own pointing was pretty decent. 
Still a little nippy out, but we played anyhow. two games. The first had me and Maury against Tim, Pat, and Kevin - with a 6/13 upset. We were playing on an alternate piste on Campus Martius - untested ground. 
