"I love Gillis but the fields need repair. Especially the field with the backstop. Also, field lines are worth it."
You're right, they do need repair! Unfortunately the parks department has limited resources that can be directed toward neighborhood park maintenance beyond routine mowing and keeping the lights on, so it's time we took matters into our own hands. That's why next Sunday we're going to Make Gillis Great Again! If you're interested in helping improve the quality of our playing surface and home, please join us. CLUBWAKA will be providing soil and all the tools I have in my backyard, but shovels, rakes, and bodies are all needed.
"Don't force teams to move to the upper league unless they are really good." "Why have relegation/promotion? Have a council of refs/captains that decide if a team should or shouldn't be promoted."
Our conference system is something I've been tweaking since 2011, and the current format has provided by far the best parity we've ever had. Promotion/relegation combined with captains' rankings to determine those best suited to what conference protects against several natural tendencies of having competitive teams:
- A few teams establish themselves as a step ahead of the rest competitively.
- The gap gets bigger due to the most competitive players wanting to play on the teams most likely to win.
- Good teams that just have no shot drop down to the less competitive conference for a better chance at a 'ship.
- End result: 2-3 ultra competitive teams that nobody wants to play against, and a "fun" conference that actually has 5 really good teams that curb stomp newbies and turn everyone off to the game.
By promoting the Music conference champion and voting to fill any empty spots in the Capital conference, good teams sandbagging into a less competitive environment for a better chance to win is prevented and everyone in the Music conference has a better time. In the Capital conference, we have a broader range of teams and new faces every season that keeps things from getting stale and nasty. Relegation protects teams who are outclassed in Capital by ensuring them a trip to Music the following season. The system isn't perfect of course, but it's the best I've seen!
"We need a new bar! The same bar EVERY season is getting old. Let's switch it up, if possible." "Consider Toss Pizza for next bar sponsor."
You wanted it, I made it happen. You're welcome. Here are the DETAILS!
"Better bar games, bar games this season were mostly dumb."
This is a subjective assessment that many people may disagree with, but it brings up a really good question. Why don't we play beer pong? Flip cup? Quarters? The answer is pretty simple: the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission forbids it. I actually contacted them back in 2015 asking for clarification and was told that section 45.103 of the Texas Administrative Code (specifically article C 10) has been interpreted to disallow drinking games. This, of course, is a TOTALY HORSESHIT interpretation that they pulled out of their asses, but it doesn't change the fact that the TABC will go after the license holder if they permit drinking games to take place on the premises, which is why it's categorically disallowed by any establishment interested in not being fined / losing their license.
As to the party games that we do play, the silly minute-to-win-it style competitions are supposed to be dumb. They're ridiculous in order to loosen you up and get you out of your comfort zone and interacting with players from other teams, which is why they count for "social" points!
