heck spimp i play 3 times a week ...sometimes 4. i go from one extreme to the other every match.
how are ya'll doing in league ?
- Thread starter lorider
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heck spimp i play 3 times a week ...sometimes 4. i go from one extreme to the other every match.
had apa double jeapordy tonight.
hey spimp.. you know how we both mentioned going from one extreme ?
well i did it in one night tonight.
i faced a 6 in 8 ball. lost 5-1. could not get anything going. missing shots i should make....leaving my self bad...you know ...the crap you always do when you are having an off night.
later i face the same guy in 9 ball, same shit different game. then i start pocketing balls and leaving myself good. knowing exactly where to hit the cue ball and where to leave it. late in the match i am on a break and run. after pocketing the 7 and getting lined up on the 8 i hear ...game over. later i looked at the score sheet. after the 4th rack i was down 22-10 " he had made a 9 snap once "
from then on i started shooting darn good. i won 38-28 having scored 28-6 after the 4th rack.
after those matches were over we played some make up matches we missed due to ltc's.
1st match i played a 6 in 8 ball .... i won 4-1.
turned right around and played the same guy 9 ball. i won 38-17. shoulda been worse but i missed a few shots late in the match letting him score 8 or 9 points.
unbelievable how i started out crappy and was shooting at a high gear " for me " later on .
now i will probably go have a crappy night tue night in my money league.:grin-square:
hey spimp.. you know how we both mentioned going from one extreme ?
well i did it in one night tonight.
i faced a 6 in 8 ball. lost 5-1. could not get anything going. missing shots i should make....leaving my self bad...you know ...the crap you always do when you are having an off night.
later i face the same guy in 9 ball, same shit different game. then i start pocketing balls and leaving myself good. knowing exactly where to hit the cue ball and where to leave it. late in the match i am on a break and run. after pocketing the 7 and getting lined up on the 8 i hear ...game over. later i looked at the score sheet. after the 4th rack i was down 22-10 " he had made a 9 snap once "
from then on i started shooting darn good. i won 38-28 having scored 28-6 after the 4th rack.
after those matches were over we played some make up matches we missed due to ltc's.
1st match i played a 6 in 8 ball .... i won 4-1.
turned right around and played the same guy 9 ball. i won 38-17. shoulda been worse but i missed a few shots late in the match letting him score 8 or 9 points.
unbelievable how i started out crappy and was shooting at a high gear " for me " later on .
now i will probably go have a crappy night tue night in my money league.:grin-square:
^^^ ugh, getem next time. I played like a donk...blame a bit of booze, blame a bit of never playing really anymore. I did beat a 5 in 9 ball that I had to spot like 30 balls to...something like 13/7 I think. The highlight of the match was at the end where I called a 9 ball break, did it, and then one of the guys on my team rewarded me with a shot. I forgot I said on here I was going to get a patch at first...came down to the last rack, but mission accomplished. I spent like $60 at the bar so it was a pricey day yesterday, but was fun.
I was asked by a friend I used to shoot with years ago to join a Valley 9 ball league as a sub about 2 months ago. It's the first pool I'd shot in 15 years. Most frustrating experience in my life. I really didn't have the time to get on a table to sharpen up, and it showed. In spite of that, I never had a loosing night, though I did shoot 25 out of 50 twice. By the last week I wasn't shooting too bad, but shot a 25 with a 9 off the 1 ball and runout against me. All in all, I played ok and I think I'm a 6.5 average. Being a "Sub" to him is more like being a regular to me.
Years ago we had an individuals league in the local pool room where 12 players had matches once a week. I forget if we shot twice each for 22 matches or if it was once each for 11. It's been a long time. THAT was a blast. Fabulous competition, lots of shooting. We shot 15r 8B, 15r 9B as a match. Then another year 25pts Cribbage and 100pts 14.1 was a match. I finished 2nd in that one year, lost by one rack. Win % was .530 for 1st and 2nd place. It was really close for all players. Was either 3rd or 4th iirc in the Cribbage/14.1 season, and again was very happy. Those were great times. And yes, every match had some wager on it, so it wasn't just wasted time.
I would love to shoot in any of the bar leagues if it wasn't for the copious amounts of smoke.
Years ago we had an individuals league in the local pool room where 12 players had matches once a week. I forget if we shot twice each for 22 matches or if it was once each for 11. It's been a long time. THAT was a blast. Fabulous competition, lots of shooting. We shot 15r 8B, 15r 9B as a match. Then another year 25pts Cribbage and 100pts 14.1 was a match. I finished 2nd in that one year, lost by one rack. Win % was .530 for 1st and 2nd place. It was really close for all players. Was either 3rd or 4th iirc in the Cribbage/14.1 season, and again was very happy. Those were great times. And yes, every match had some wager on it, so it wasn't just wasted time.
I would love to shoot in any of the bar leagues if it wasn't for the copious amounts of smoke.
Kind of a funny little story. We were playing a team at our home bar a few years back. I knew pretty much everyone on the other team having grown up playing pool out of the same location as they did for the most part. They also had an APA 7 on their team. When it came time for both of us to play they decided to play a song I had never heard before until now by Prince called '7'.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/prince/7.html
"7"
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
And I saw an angel come down unto me
In her hand she holds the very key
Words of compassion, words of peace
And in the distance an army's marching feet (1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4)
But behold, we will watch them fall
And we lay down on the sand of the sea
And before us animosity will stand and decree
That we speak not of love only blasphemy
And in the distance, 6 others will curse me
But that's alright, (that's alright)
4 I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
[(Just how old)]
And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their 7 tears, but do not fear
4 in the distance, 12 souls from now
U and me will still be here - we will still be here
There will be a new city with streets of gold
The young so educated they never grow old
And a, there will be no death 4 with every breath
The voice of many colors sings a song
That's so bold
Sing it while we watch them fall
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
Well it didn't take me long to figure out that the song was supposed to be his motivation to take me (the other 7) out at the table. I then decided to turn on my BTPOOU switch (beat the piss out of you) and beat him 5-1. I am one of those players that plays casually in league, rarely trying/giving the A game as it is just a social fun time for me...however there are times where I can get motivated to play better, and this was one of those times. Just more of an fyi story in case you want to play this song the next time one of your players is going to try to take out one of the top dogs in the league!
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/prince/7.html
"7"
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
And I saw an angel come down unto me
In her hand she holds the very key
Words of compassion, words of peace
And in the distance an army's marching feet (1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4)
But behold, we will watch them fall
And we lay down on the sand of the sea
And before us animosity will stand and decree
That we speak not of love only blasphemy
And in the distance, 6 others will curse me
But that's alright, (that's alright)
4 I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
[(Just how old)]
And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their 7 tears, but do not fear
4 in the distance, 12 souls from now
U and me will still be here - we will still be here
There will be a new city with streets of gold
The young so educated they never grow old
And a, there will be no death 4 with every breath
The voice of many colors sings a song
That's so bold
Sing it while we watch them fall
All 7 and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all 7 will die
Well it didn't take me long to figure out that the song was supposed to be his motivation to take me (the other 7) out at the table. I then decided to turn on my BTPOOU switch (beat the piss out of you) and beat him 5-1. I am one of those players that plays casually in league, rarely trying/giving the A game as it is just a social fun time for me...however there are times where I can get motivated to play better, and this was one of those times
. Just more of an fyi story in case you want to play this song the next time one of your players is going to try to take out one of the top dogs in the league!
Question #7:
UPA 8B. 5/team (plus alternates if applicable; we had 4 & 1 double played). last night was finals & we took 2nd place. i'll skip the BS of whether we were 3rd, cause they hadn't updated the standings since JUN 22.... so today, everyone got thrown a curve-ball:
ORIGINALLY & printed & confirmed @ opening meeting:
1st - $1175
2nd - $650
3rd - $375
TOTAL: $2200
TODAY:
1st - $1055
2nd - $535
3rd - $325
4th - $200
TOTAL: $2115
pot is short $85. plus another $200 to 4TH - WTF?!?!
now what?
UPA 8B. 5/team (plus alternates if applicable; we had 4 & 1 double played). last night was finals & we took 2nd place. i'll skip the BS of whether we were 3rd, cause they hadn't updated the standings since JUN 22.... so today, everyone got thrown a curve-ball:
ORIGINALLY & printed & confirmed @ opening meeting:
1st - $1175
2nd - $650
3rd - $375
TOTAL: $2200
TODAY:
1st - $1055
2nd - $535
3rd - $325
4th - $200
TOTAL: $2115
pot is short $85. plus another $200 to 4TH - WTF?!?!
now what?
Banks
Banned
Did you call them on it when they made the new payout? You should also call em out on the missing $$. It's one thing if they charge a small fee for running it or green fees, but to not tell anybody you're doing so is something different entirely.
...
As for league..
My Tuesday team is struggling a bit right now. I got there a little late last night and our team lost the first 3 matches in both 8 and 9. Ouch. I managed to pull off a win in 8. Next up was the birthday boy, "Banks Jr.", and he was nearing a shut-out, up 3-0 in a 4-3 race. Took a time-out while he was almost laying on the 8. He ended up scratching and then lost the next two games.
I think we pulled off the last two matches in 9, though. Still, it wasn't a very pretty night. Taking tonight off to spend the evening with my own birthday girl! :thumbup:
Last week I was the #1 player. This week I dropped to #3.
but my team mate was #2 this week.
So last night I scored a 45 of 50 and he scored a 47. Bummer for me.
So next week I figure i may or may not drop down but he will still be above me :angry:
But on a more important note my team is in first place :thumbup:
And we are a bunch of old guys.
but my team mate was #2 this week.
So last night I scored a 45 of 50 and he scored a 47. Bummer for me.
So next week I figure i may or may not drop down but he will still be above me :angry:
But on a more important note my team is in first place :thumbup:
And we are a bunch of old guys.
didn't ta'll get screwed last session also ?
sounds like you and kool kat need to join another league.
i had a hard day at work so when i got home i took a lil nap.
would'nt you know i overslept and got to league right at starting time.
when i walk in my captain tells me ...you up 1st and you are playing james 9 ball. i say ...huh ? ya'll musta been talking smack before i walked in.
he is the guy in 2nd place behind me. i was not trying to avoid playing him but i damn sure was not thinking about calling him out.
i dont know what the race matrix was but all the races was gonna be lop sided.
his s/l's were
8 ball ...99
9 ball..100
10 ball...95
my s/l's were
8 ball ...60
9 ball ..43
10 ball..53
he wins the lag and he called 9 ball....race was 9-3
1st rack he made 9 snap
2nd rack was a b&r
3rd rack he made 1 and played safe...i kicked and missed and he ran out.
4th rack he broke dry... i ran a few and played safe....he missed and i ran out
5th rack ..i ran a few and played safe...he missed and i ran a few more and missed. he missed and i ran out.
6th rack ...he won.
7th rack ..i won ...winning the match 3-4. :grin-square:
with 1 week to go i locked up 1st place no matter what happens next week. :grin:
afterwards my opponent and i " btw... we are team mates on my tue night money league " talked about the match and his strategy.
he said he was trying to shut me out and hoping to win next week by a shut out and hoping i lost next week.
i told him i thought it was a good strategy ...but if i won tonight it put him further behind me and i had it locked up no matter what next week.
he said if i had played any of his team mates and won it probably would have locked me in 1st place any way.
so far i am 8-2 in 8 ball
4-0 in 9 bal
1-0 in 10 ball for this session.
oh yea... just one win next week and our team locks up 1st place also.:grin-square:
thought i had a partner for the jack and jill vegas qualifier this weekend but she had things come up . i got 2 days to find a new partner for my last shot at vegas next month.
would'nt you know i overslept and got to league right at starting time.
when i walk in my captain tells me ...you up 1st and you are playing james 9 ball. i say ...huh ? ya'll musta been talking smack before i walked in.
he is the guy in 2nd place behind me. i was not trying to avoid playing him but i damn sure was not thinking about calling him out.
i dont know what the race matrix was but all the races was gonna be lop sided.
his s/l's were
8 ball ...99
9 ball..100
10 ball...95
my s/l's were
8 ball ...60
9 ball ..43
10 ball..53
he wins the lag and he called 9 ball....race was 9-3
1st rack he made 9 snap
2nd rack was a b&r
3rd rack he made 1 and played safe...i kicked and missed and he ran out.
4th rack he broke dry... i ran a few and played safe....he missed and i ran out
5th rack ..i ran a few and played safe...he missed and i ran a few more and missed. he missed and i ran out.
6th rack ...he won.
7th rack ..i won ...winning the match 3-4. :grin-square:
with 1 week to go i locked up 1st place no matter what happens next week. :grin:
afterwards my opponent and i " btw... we are team mates on my tue night money league " talked about the match and his strategy.
he said he was trying to shut me out and hoping to win next week by a shut out and hoping i lost next week.
i told him i thought it was a good strategy ...but if i won tonight it put him further behind me and i had it locked up no matter what next week.
he said if i had played any of his team mates and won it probably would have locked me in 1st place any way.
so far i am 8-2 in 8 ball
4-0 in 9 bal
1-0 in 10 ball for this session.
oh yea... just one win next week and our team locks up 1st place also.:grin-square:
thought i had a partner for the jack and jill vegas qualifier this weekend but she had things come up . i got 2 days to find a new partner for my last shot at vegas next month.
do ya think?
i know, i know - you told me so....to which i agreed w/ you.
last session was screwed by the Captain.
THIS time, it's by the LO.
we just got home w/ BLACK-BALLED, and 75% of our team was there to meet him.
and they are, P1SSED!
@ BANKS - payouts aren't for another WEEK, so nothing is engraved.
general concensus, is that, EVERYONE is P1SSED. and NO ONE is returning for next League, if they don't HONOR, the original Agreement.
how's THAT gonna work for the LO?
PL <---- trying my best to recruit BLACK-BALLED for our team for tomorrow night's finals in 9B!!!!
Monday APA 8-ball travel league, I got my third rackless this session, against a 6! I'm a three. I know the guy I played against, and have shot him before in local tournaments, so I know he was way off. Happy for the win, but not gonna let it get to my head.
Tuesday APA 9-ball travel league, didn't play. My team shutout and went 76-24 (or something like that) against the recent LTc winners. These guys weren't bagging,either.
Wednesday night, I joined a 4 team in-house league with 4 teams to bring customers into my local watering hole up the road. "Straight 8-ball rules." Take what you make on the break, but if you miss your next shot, your opponent gets open table?!? Call everything. Must make the 8-ball "clean." Lost my single match and Scotch double match. We played the "L.O's" team, which made it worse because of the guy's ego and mouth. I don't expect anything out of this league, really. Just something to do on a Wednesday night.
Tuesday APA 9-ball travel league, didn't play. My team shutout and went 76-24 (or something like that) against the recent LTc winners. These guys weren't bagging,either.
Wednesday night, I joined a 4 team in-house league with 4 teams to bring customers into my local watering hole up the road. "Straight 8-ball rules." Take what you make on the break, but if you miss your next shot, your opponent gets open table?!? Call everything. Must make the 8-ball "clean." Lost my single match and Scotch double match. We played the "L.O's" team, which made it worse because of the guy's ego and mouth. I don't expect anything out of this league, really. Just something to do on a Wednesday night.
do ya think?
i know, i know - you told me so....to which i agreed w/ you.
last session was screwed by the Captain.
THIS time, it's by the LO.
we just got home w/ BLACK-BALLED, and 75% of our team was there to meet him.
and they are, P1SSED!
@ BANKS - payouts aren't for another WEEK, so nothing is engraved.
general concensus, is that, EVERYONE is P1SSED. and NO ONE is returning for next League, if they don't HONOR, the original Agreement.
how's THAT gonna work for the LO?
PL <---- trying my best to recruit BLACK-BALLED for our team for tomorrow night's finals in 9B!!!!
Too early for me to be pissed sweetheart. You know I have a 5am clock in my head so 2 hours of sleep and I have to shoot 9 ball tonight :yikes:
I told my wife at 10pm that I was just going to meet you guys for a quick drink. "Why are you taking your cue", she asked? I told her, "A shooter walking into a pool hall without his cue case is like walking onto a beach in the middle of summer... wearing a 3 piece suit.". I wish that I had come up with something a bit more cleaver, but it got me out the door with my stick in my hand. The next thing that I knew they were turning out the lights on us and I was packing up my cues. Hell, the dogs are getting so used to me dragging in after 2am that they don't even get up anymore to come out of the bedroom to make sure that it's me.
Something about that line just doesn't read right. I met BLACK-BALLED and he didn't Pizz me off at all. Actually I enjoyed meeting him... :rotflmao1:
I'm more upset because it appears like the UPA has cheated us out of 10 points by only giving credit to a certain player's 5 wins... WHEN HE ACTUALLY WON 6!!! No, it won't change our #2... but it made it awfully close there at the end.
Had to skip out on our Wednesday 9-ball match last night
But, it was because we just bought our first home Tuesday and finally moved in last night! We still have millions of boxes to go through, but I'm happy as can be. I've got that itch to go play anywhere, regardless if it's a prestine Diamond or a run down valley table
But, it was because we just bought our first home Tuesday and finally moved in last night! We still have millions of boxes to go through, but I'm happy as can be. I've got that itch to go play anywhere, regardless if it's a prestine Diamond or a run down valley table
Biggest match yet
So after by some miracle holding on to first place in my local in house 14.1 league I have my final match tonight. It's a tight on because a win will help me hold on to first place going into the playoffs with an off shoot of two other player who can tie or pass me (because they still have makeup matches left). It's the usual heavy spot i'm sure so i'm looking at around 134-70/75ish.
I really want this one for all those once a week, only when i have league, wish i could play more people out there.
So after by some miracle holding on to first place in my local in house 14.1 league I have my final match tonight. It's a tight on because a win will help me hold on to first place going into the playoffs with an off shoot of two other player who can tie or pass me (because they still have makeup matches left). It's the usual heavy spot i'm sure so i'm looking at around 134-70/75ish.
I really want this one for all those once a week, only when i have league, wish i could play more people out there.
Tuesday night, I got skunked by another SL5, 4-0. I wasn't really in any of the games, missing reasonably easy safeties in the first two games, the third game I played 4-5 decent safeties in a row to get ball in hand, only to run out all my balls and rattle the 8...my opponent was too good to screw up like that, I got what I deserved.
Tonight, 9-ball....I didn't want to play. Wasn't feeling it. The way the matches were thrown, it would have ended up our SL7 vs their SL4, with me available. I played, and ended up beating him 16-4. I was surprised. I played reasonably well, and he played below his ability. (I've played many games and matches with him, he;s a decent shooter. He played below his ability tonight.)
Funny game.
Tonight, 9-ball....I didn't want to play. Wasn't feeling it. The way the matches were thrown, it would have ended up our SL7 vs their SL4, with me available. I played, and ended up beating him 16-4. I was surprised. I played reasonably well, and he played below his ability. (I've played many games and matches with him, he;s a decent shooter. He played below his ability tonight.)
Funny game.
I won, how? don't ask me. So mystical power came over the table at around 54-7 AND NEVER LEFT. final score was 134-66 (he was going to 70) following a dogged shot in the side you wouldnt bet against handing him back an opportunity to close it out with free balls on the table, he makes two, get's bad, use the bridge, over cut, I have a cut in the corner and game over.
Now I wait for the results of the other players, see if i still have first or what the lineup is for sunday.
Now I wait for the results of the other players, see if i still have first or what the lineup is for sunday.
sorry for the run-on sentence! everyone LOVED Black-Balled! they are p1ssed at the LO. so after nailing down the LO last night for 30mins "behind-the-woodshed", here's what i've got, per the Captain's Handbook for this session:
10 teams; 5 players/ea; 9 weeks; $10/match - $4500 income
they use a 47% payout factor: $2115
20% of gross - $900 to UPA/Alvarez
33% of gross - $1485 to LO
the LO claims that he reserves some of that 33%, for Vegas tourney. we've had 3 sessions of 8-10 teams, and we can't qualify for Vegas till he's built-up to 20 teams. this is 8B. he's also got all the same players on 9B, so multiply income by 2....
if we ever DID qualify to go to Vegas, each player gets $400, AFTER the fact, for travel expenses. 5-day event. i informed him that plane tickets are now $380-$650. plus $50-$100 luggage fees. plus the new NSA $20 fee. (he's never been to Vegas)
ORIGINAL:
1st - $1155
2nd - $610
3rd - $350
TOTAL - $2115
NOW:
1st - $1055
2nd - $560 (we're 2nd)
3rd - $300
4th - $200
TOTAL: $2115
session ended TUE. we found out WED when Black-Balled was here. the LO said, that Corporate (Alvarez) had changed payouts to include 4th place. so he HAS to payout accordingly. i asked: WHEN did you find out?
a month ago....
i know it's only ($200) b/w 15 players ($13). but that's NOT the point! this session should have been grandfathered-in.
so my team, spent ($90/ea) & earned $112 - $22 Net @ 9weeks.
while the LO cleared $1485.
and UPA cleared $900.
my concern, is that he will never get 20 teams in our town, to go to Vegas. and even if he did, no one will go for $400 reimbursement in arrears. so that "ëxtra % held for Vegas" is a mute point.
slick, isn't it?
i told the newbie LO: be careful - you need to cough-up that extra $200. cause we are all members of Break Time, so we shoot for free....
while the LO cleared $1485.
and UPA cleared $900.
my concern, is that he will never get 20 teams in our town, to go to Vegas. and even if he did, no one will go for $400 reimbursement in arrears. so that "ëxtra % held for Vegas" is a mute point.
slick, isn't it?
i told the newbie LO: be careful - you need to cough-up that extra $200. cause we are all members of Break Time, so we shoot for free....
Like I told Pinky the other night. I once said that I would never play league. I made an exception this season to join up with KK9. He's a class act and I'm proud to call him my friend... (and the Lady Pink also of course).
But the mid-season change of rules... after I've paid to join under a different set of rules... creates a great deal of mistrust from me toward the management of UPA. It also reminds me that "I once said that I would never play league"... and this is part of the reason why.
If I'm going to lay out my cash, I'd rather do it betting old school on $10-$50 sets. Besides, I always play better when I have a chance to win (or loose) my money and I can do it on my own schedule. Not much chance of winning anything in league... it seems if you play your a$$ off you will do a little better than breaking even at best... but the LO doesn't even have to pick up a piece of chalk and he does just fine.
Personally... I think that if UPA (or any divisional LO) decides to change the stakes after the season starts, then the extra 4th place $$$ should come out of their take... not ours! It's not really the money as much as the principle of the whole thing.
As for next season.... well I'll have to decide if I even want to. The only reason I would return would be because of the people that I played with (and against) this season in UPA. The players (at least) are mostly a top shelf group of people who balance out the krappy handling and mismanagement that I've seen over and over this season.