Roadsters can't shake preseason
You can forgive the roadsters if they feel like they're playing in some sort of Groundhog Day nightmare. Just as Bill Murray couldn't awake from the interminable repetition of his most dreaded day, some Sunday Morning regulars say they can't seem to escape the preseason, even though they're eight weeks into the regular campaign.
Plagued by wet courts, heavy rain, a snowstorm that scuttled play for two weeks, and sagging attendance, many of the players say they're struggling with their timing and fitness
"Everyone seems to be a little bit out of sync," said Unabomber, who returned to the lineup from a back injury that kept him out for a month. "It's almost like the preseason never ended."
"Everyone's timing is a bit off," said Bird, who's side struggled on the wet court early in Sunday's game before they were able to storm back for a 20-14 win.
"You get out there and all of a sudden you're winded," said Smith. "You end up playing more conservative. The wet conditions mean everybody is a bit more tentative."
"There was some rust out there," saig Gump. "It takes some time to get back into the swing of things."
And that makes for scrambly, haphazard play and suspect defense; goals are scored in bunches and winners decided by momentum.
"The court is slippery so that's not helping matters," said Bird. "It's a good game, but it's just a bit off from what it should be."
Instead of fighting along the boards, players are fighting to keep their footing. Passes roll harmlessly into the corners as forwards spin their wheels.
"There's no easy place to hide out there," said Smith. "You get caught and all of a sudden you've got three goals scored against you."
"You can't get caught out of position too much because turning and going the other way is pretty tough," said Bird.
"I think people are taking it a little too easy," said Unabomber. "They get a little too relaxed and the other team takes advantage. It's all momentum."
Posted by jaysuburb at December 11, 2006 06:57 PM