Buzz takes Second Spot in the Rankings

Another great game today. My team ascended quickly getting to 12 points to Tim C's 3... but then they started catching up, 1 point per round - moving along until they were at 9 points. They were "oneing" us to death.

We had a cochonnet knock-off to void a round, but in the end, we placed two boules such that Tim's 1 shooter couldn't remove our 13th point.

Demonstration of Petanque to the Infinity Group at Cadillac Square Park

Maggie Greene, of Honigman Miller, organized a group of ladies to come and learn about petanque today. While noshing on catered foodies, the ladies, joined by our regular club members, were given a quick lesson on the proper way to toss a boule as well as some of the strategy behind winning. Then we split into two large games and bouled around for the afternoon. The nice thing about petanque is its social aspect - lending itself to leisurely conversations while putting the work stress behind you for an hour. Thought new to the sport, the ladies picked up the techniques quickly and were rolling boules in like champions after only a few rounds. We hope to see them return.

SLIDESHOW

Raphael Firing Off Strong Shots

A new shooter is in town, he goes by the name of Raphael. Sure, you know Raphael as the pointer, but today he knocked away boule after boule after boule as an excellent shooter. It is a good lesson for us all to try new things

Another Close Game for the Detroit Players

Two New Players Try Out Petanque at Cadillac Square

Big thanks to Maury for bringing by Tom and Brett to try out Petanque. Both did very well - getting a hang of the game after a round or two.

Tim C. still tops the rankings, followed by Mark & Buzz.

Have a safe and nice weekend everyone.

The Mighty Giant - Finally Beaten - Just!

National Public Radio broadcast (on All Things Considered) a short on Petanque: LINK (listen)

Today's game was joined by expert pointeur, Kitty J. who rolled in some nice points - keeping Tim C.'s team in the running.

Unbeatable? Pat Thinks So...

Tim C. has done it again - another victory in his holster! Pat A. is determined to keep trying - so we'll see... I must say, the pointing from the opposition was not top-notch today, Captain Abu will need to re-think his strategy...

Team Tim C. a Hard Group to Beat

And again, Tim C. defeats all comers. I suspect we may need to bring in a bunch of "ringers"to defeat this boule-giant... a "dream team" might include: Mad-Mikey; Mob-Rob; and Tall-Jeff...

Tim C. Still Holding Top Status

Strong playing shown from both sides, but "Champion" Tim C. together with Fred's pointing and my lucky throws pulled us ahead of the opposition today - who was, by the way, playing very well. No slouches on either team, I'd love to see our guys against any team in the country.

Congratulations to the Two Tims for taking First and Second

The final day of the five-day Bastille Tournament began with no sure certainty of who would place first, let alone second. But after gaining a trio of points, the First place spot was in the bag for Tim C. The challenge for who would place Second was still at large, with Scott T. & Tim W.battling it out for the 2nd spot.

Both games were played very closely, with the final scores 13/10 for the two courts. Well done !

I think the tournament went pretty smoothly, but if anyone has any comments on how it could be improved, please let me know!

Tim C. Wins Four in a row - Can he Seal the Deal?

Tomorrow will be the last of the Bastille Day Tournament Games - and Tim C. is in the lead, but Tim W. does have a chance... if Tim W. can beat Tim W. 13/2 in tomorrow's game then he'll be the top dog.

Second Place is really anyone's guess - lots of folks are still in that race.

See you there!

Tim C. Leaps to the Top Position for the Tournament

With Three Wins, Tim C. has a pretty good placement, but with 2 days left in the tournament, and plenty of people with 1 and 2 wins under their belt - there's always a chance for him to be topped. The numbers you look for are not only the amount of wins but also the point spread. If you can win a game or two and with a healthy span of points (13/3 let's say) then that'll easily pop you up near the top of the rankings.

I was watching the Pat vs. Tim game - quite close, with a 12 to 12 boule-burner ending. Nice going. See you tomorrow!

Day 2 - Bastille Day - Tournament Week

Lots of strong competition today, with Scott T. taking the top position with two wins and 15 points followed closely by Tim C. with two wins and 12 points and Deric T. in Third place so far with two wins, 6 points.

We also received a visit from Buzz's wife, Timmie who finally got to see what a tough player he is during petanque games.
I still think Pat calls down Rita to offer a distraction to our team, but fortunately we're staying concentrated upon the court.

First Day of Bastille Day Tournament Went Swimmingly

Inspired by the mini-tournament held by the Ann Arbor Petanque Club in Ann Arbor this past weekend: slideshow I decided, in honor of Bastille Day (see info), to hold a week long petanque tournament during our afternoon games. The first game of each afternoon session (12-1pm Cadillac Square Park in Detroit) will count towards points in a tournament talley with randomized teams. After the games played on Friday, I shall count of the individual player wins (as well as the points won verses lost) and award prizes (to be determined). If you haven't stopped by, please do so - you need not play every day because even if you win 2 games over 2 days time, you might fare well against folks that might lose 4 games over 4 days and only 1 win. Point is, have fun!

Tim C. Tops the Rankings

Petanque Pizza Party - Big Success - THANKS BUZZ !

SLIDESHOW(Click for more photos)

Thanks to Buzz, what would otherwise have been a hot day turned into a nice, social pizza petanque party. He brought everything, from the pizzas, to the pop and lemonade, to the plates and napkins. You are a gracious gentleman.

Great Pointing from Raphael C.

Excellent game play today. I really appreciated Raphael's pointing which was spot on for most of his throws. Bravo.

Six Point Swing - Slaughtered By a Bad Shot!

Six point swing in favor of our opponents after hitting out own boule away. Sheesh! Hate that! As Abu said, "I was a very good friend for his team today."

See you tomorrow (Wednesday) - don't forget to wear a hat for shade - it is a VERY hot week.

Pat Rockets Back to the Number One Spot

July Begins Tough for Some

Upon reflection, yes, June seems to be a better month for me - with two really bad losses in one afternoon! Still though, we did improve 100% from the previous game...

After the 13/0 loss but before the 2nd game began, there were some who wished for a re-mix of players (the teams were selected by random GIANT coin tosses). But I chose to have a revenge match with the same teams... Why? because: A) switching teams after a big loss only underscores a feeling of defeat; B) playing the right strategy and a little luck can sway a mismatched player game.

Second game: 13/1 Twas okay with me, as I knew going in we were the underdog team, so we really just strove to play our personal best - and get a few points.

The standings have certainly changed, with Buzz knocked down to 5th position, and Tim C. and Pat A. neck-in-neck for first!