Archive for the ‘general interest’ Category
Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I’ll descend.
Thursday, September 26th, 2013
Editor’s Note: The season of change continues. Longtime BTSHer Anthony Romeo is calling it quits after this year’s playoffs. Here are a few final thoughts from the best dressed goaltender in the league …
When I decided that this season would be my last in BTSH, it came with a lot of reflection. It’s been 9 years now. I’ve been booed, I’ve been cheered. I’ve won, I’ve lost, I’ve tied, I’ve been robbed by referees. I’ve joined teams, I’ve left a team. I’ve seen league leadership changes, total overhauls of the media team, and an entire rink relocation. I’ve seen hundreds of different women take my empty Poland Spring bottles.
I wanted to take a few quick moments to reach out to the BTSH universe, to thank you all so much for everything you’ve given me over the last 9 seasons. When I started in the league, I was 19, had just gotten my first job in New York City, and was introduced to BTSH by a man who noticed that I was shooting security sensors into a mop bucket with a reacher-hook in a department store.
Now, I’m 28, I’m married, I’m happy. My life is more settled, there’s a routine, responsibilities. The things I saw everyone else having, I knew I’d get someday. The many men and women in BTSH helped me find an identity in this gigantic city of ours, you all made me feel welcome, made me feel like a part of it all.
Being an openly gay athlete has never been an issue in our league. I like to think that we embraced diversity and focused only on court-performance, long before groups like the “You Can Play” project made it hip. Whether it was red and black or orange, when I tugged my Romeo jersey over my head, that’s the only thing you all noticed.
I’ve noticed some things about you and your teams. In no specific order, here’s a quick memory for each of you.
Fresh Kills – I hate you. Can you stop beating me in the playoffs with 90 seconds left? No, really.
Lbs. – Seth, my goalie buddy. You got so old. How are you still winning?
Demons – Uh, yea no. Not getting myself into trouble there. Too easy. WAY too easy.
Anklebiters – You’re still around? That’s cool.
Hookers – Can’t wait to see you guys continue losing in the Finals. #consistency #sorrydustin
Math – Andy Pratt, gentleman extraordinaire. Married out of his league.
La Famiglia – Your offense makes me want to one-two-punch you in the face. Stop scoring on me.
Elves – Proof that even those with disabilities can be mainstreamed, with patience and humility.
Rainbows – How soon til the babies lace up the sneakers and get out there?
Butchers – Second toughest playoff loss of my 9-years, thanks Arthur.
Gremlins – Are we still pretending you’re not the Unicorns? Tip of the hat, LaCombe.
Skyfighters – I’ll remain the one goalie that James Stein has never out-dueled in net. Ever.
Gut Rot – Bill Tucker, the most gentlemanly goalie ever in net. Thanks for your friendship. Go Devils.
Filthy Gorgeous – James, Suvin, Sunny. I’ll see you in Hell. You’re way too good.
Mega Touch – The wild card team that can beat you on any given week. My first BTSH shut-out.
Poutine – I still think you’re saying dirty things in French about me. And I like that.
Cobra Kai – Best logo in all of BTSH, hands down.
Riots – Wait, who?
Rehabs – Too much to say. First win, first team, first shutout, first playoff run. The beginning.
WTP – My family. My first Finals appearance. My heart. The end.
I’ll miss you guys a bunch, and I’m excited to step away from BTSH in good health, happy and forever grateful for the friendships I’ve made, the families I’ve been proud to step into, and the number I was lucky enough to wear for 9 amazing years.
If you want to keep up with me, my pieces for Huffington Post, or just my general feelings on anything and everything, you can follow me on Twitter @AnthonyRomeo1.
There’s no farewell tour, just a smile and a nod. I might be gay, but I’m not Cher. Goodbye means goodbye.
Love you all, except anyone on the Demons.
Romeo
#30
THIS DAY IN LIME-TOSS HISTORY (#2) – Sept. 24, 1965
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013
The separate sides submitted this sanctioned skirmish would stifle the strife, settle the seething, and squash the squabble.
The night would end badly for Listerine.
Like a man incensed, the emerald-handed Walker-Black dominated the pugilistic showdown from the starting bell. In fourteen minutes of frantic fisticuffs, Listerine landed nary a blow. Subjected to a withering harvest of tangy taps, juicy jabs, and fructose-fingered uppercuts, the lemon-lovin’ upstart fell by knockout seconds before the end of the fifth round, his face and neck dripping with rutaceous angiosperm.
The only other casualty of the night were the limes on Walker-Black’s hands, destroyed by his own fury. Sports reporter Howard Cosell was heard to remark on the scene, “I’ve seen a man beaten to a pulp, but never before have I seen a man beaten by a pulp.”
As the referee ended the bout, Listerine’s manager seized the ring mic and shouted, “Johnny Walker-Black has clearly been juicing.” The judges were unmoved and ruled unanimously in favor of Fruit Punch, thus cementing that most controversial of Lime-Toss rules for all time.
Asked to comment on his defeat, the felled fighter could only shake his head and quip, “It was the best of limes, it was the worst of limes.”
“That’s why they call it Lime-Toss, bitch,” Walker-Black shot back. “I dangle like a Sweet lime, but I sting like a Key.”
Though lemons are now officially outlawed in Lime-Toss, debate remains stalled over Fukushu kumquats.
–excerpted from the Daily Squirter of New Jersey, printed Sept. 24, 1965
Photo credit: Weegee Z. Norris
Playoffs Week 1 – Schedule
Tuesday, September 24th, 201312:30 PM East Gouging Anklebiters at Denim Demons
12:30 PM West La Famiglia at LBS, Inc.
1:30 PM East Sky Fighters at Butchers
1:30 PM West Mathematics at Fresh Kills
2:30 PM East #17 Filthy Gorgeous at #16 Gut Rot
2:30 PM West #20 Tompkins Square Riots at #13 Rehabs
3:30 PM East Gremlins at Happy Little Elves
3:30 PM West Dark Rainbows at Corlears Hookers
4:30 PM East #18 Poutine Machine at #15 Mega Touch
4:30 PM West #19 Cobra Kai at #14 What The Puck
THIS DAY IN LIME-TOSS HISTORY
Monday, September 16th, 2013
Chutney Downs, London, 1846.
Moments after, the madding crowd razed Chutney Downs and unleashed a “Horrific Tsounammy of Hooliganism.” Cities worldwide now lay in cinders, and Millions are dead, mostly from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilico
Lord Dogstuffer-Browncastle has not been located since the Incident; leading phrenologists speculate that his head has imploded.
Such a tumultuous tide of Orgiastic Devastation has not rampaged across Britain’s homeland since the previous match of Lime-Toss, which was yesterday.
–The Royal Crown Daily Journal of Farm Animal Relations and Citrus Sports,
Editor’s Note: No, we don’t have any idea what it means either.
Important Reminder – Games Are Earlier Next Week!!
Sunday, September 15th, 2013Next Sunday is the last week of the regular season (games are makeup games from the May 19th rainout) and because of the earlier sunset, games have been moved up half an hour.
Here’s the revised schedule:
12:30 PM East Mega Touch at Gut Rot
12:30 PM West Gremlins at Dark Rainbows
1:30 PM East What The Puck at Denim Demons
1:30 PM West Cobra Kai at La Famiglia
2:30 PM East Mathematics at Happy Little Elves
2:30 PM West Filthy Gorgeous at Corlears Hookers
4:00 PM East Fresh Kills at Sky Fighters
4:00 PM West Butchers at Poutine Machine
5:00 PM East Rehabs at Tompkins Square Riots
5:00 PM West Gouging Anklebiters at LBS, Inc.
