Davidson Cup

The Class of 97 Davidson crew joined forces once again for the first ever Davidson Cup - a series of events that pitted half of us against the other. We farkled months ago for teams. I lost to Macon Stokes over the phone, so I was on Team Black. Team Red was made up of the winners.

However, as it played out...I'm getting ahead of myself. We unfortunately had some last minute cancellations. Those who made the trip to Athens, GA were Will "the commish" Baldwin (the host), Team Red: Pat "It's all about the closing speed" Fernando, Qilai "smoke 'em if you got 'em" Shen, Rick "beware the chicken wing" Apgar, and Rix "I only sink the hard putts" Threadgill, vs. Team Black: Hayes "Mr. Davidson, Mr. Denver, Mr. Pretty Much Wherever" Trotter, Clyde "I bike Heartbreak Hill for breakfast" Wright, Brian "Never Underestimate the Goose" Luskey, and Me.

Round One Friday night was Poker. Head to Head. The chips were against us. Hayes and Clyde had never played before. I bluff as good as I can dunk. It wasn't going to be pretty. Somehow we eeked out a tie. Part of the game was to decide who got to sleep where. I slept on the family futon, so you know where I measured up.

Saturday, we started the lawn game portion of the competition, Bocce and Croquet. Hayes and I had a strong lead in Bocce before Apgar remembered that he played college baseball and deadeyed the jack ten rounds in a row. We lost 21-17. I wasn't planning on losing in croquet before the bocce debacle, but I was definitely not going to lose croquet now. Hayes and I put on a demonstration. It was off to Frisbee Golf. Skins format. Split in pairs Team Black was in the black for both rounds. Hayes and Clyde blanked their opponents; Goose and I won 15-3. Our only slip happened when Rix sunk this prayer putt from the bottom of a ravine, and I missed from ten feet. After a little football watching over adult beverages we entered the arcade potion of the Cup. We played some frozen tundra putt putt, then pop-a-shot, to finish up with air hockey. Despite Fernando's dagger shots during pop-a-shot, Team Black by the end of the night had an insurmountable lead going into the final day.

Sunday had three events: paintball, kickball, and Scrabble. I've only paintballed once in my life. I didn't do it again because I didn't like it. The thing is I didn't like me. Nothing against the paint or the balls. But you put a gun in my hand, and I turn into something I don't like. Case in point. First round. Fernando was coming at my bunker to "knock" me out of the game. I shot him in the head. Then after he stopped, I shot him again in the groin. And then again in the groin. And so on. I think I shot him six times in the groin before I got a hold of myself. Kickball was less violent. But Scrabble was a no holds barred death match. In the end. Team Black was victorious.

Great fun was had by all. Again, no camera, no pictures. But Hayes and Will did take some video. The DVD is forthcoming. Davidson Cup II will be in the fall of 2014. Clyde is in charge. Destination TBA.