Missing the "adult" in Adult Kickball

People are always fascinating to me. Any time they are grouped together certain personalities tend to stand out. Others just get swallowed up by the group. Then there are those who want desperately to be more important than they actually are. Even in kickball, when why the hell would it matter?

On the NAKID message board today I read with amusement an exchange between one of the players in the league and one of the people in charge. A little background: the player is on a team that was caught soliciting non-registered players to play because they were going to be short girls last week. This is a big no-no in all of the leagues I play in (though people routinely do it in WAKA). The team was called out for it. Their opponents this past week beat them, and I guess they are bitter about losing and being called out. One of the captains posted this:

So I seem to remember when I first signed up for NAKID, that there was a checkbox I had to check that made sure I read something that went like this...In signing up for NAKID, you agree to have fun, not take the kickball games too seriously, and drink like it's going out of style. This is meant to be a FUN league (not like WAKA) and any aggression, rule dropping, BITTERNESS, bringing the rule book to the game (um... the current one, not the SPRING '06 one! LOL!) are strictly prohibited! To agree, check here: So, in keeping with the agreement, we haven't bitched about rules, we've taken certain creative license (deny, deny, deny), and we've played in fun with all of the teams in the league... even the intense ones from last season!... and have all had a great time. All was well and good in the land of NAKIDness until all hell broke loose last Sunday and rule books came out, someone brought their bitchy side to the field (along with an outdated rule book), and unfortunately, no class was exhibited, illustrated by the fact that the pitcher didn't want to pitch to the last batter because it wouldn't have mattered in the outcome of the game. They were winning by an insurmountable lead. Oh wait, I'm forgetting the TWO cherries on the top of this bitter, bitter cake...The captain RAPED Joe's ear at the conclusion of the game... AND, the team never even showed to the bar. I saw one light blue shirt and it was from last season! This is just a public service announcement to all you kickballers out there... Don't forget why we play for NAKID, and don't forget that everyone pays their dues and wants the pleasure of playing the WHOLE game and having fun doing it... no matter how bad they are losing. Oh, and if you win, shouldn't you be smiling at the end, not scowling???I'm beginning to think this league is full of people that secretly work for the IRS!Fun people... FUN! Remember what that means? I offered a solution because we aren't the only team that needs to recruit more people that will show... I have reffed a few "automatic outs/runs down" games lately and it's disappointing to both teams. Let teams recruit league wide so the games would be played out with the requisite number of players. This gives us all the chance to play a full game as well as introducing people that want to play next season to the league. Hey Joe! That means more $$$$, more free beer, and more extracurricular activities. Let me ask you this. If you paid your dues and came out to play and the other team had to forfeit because they didn't have enough players, or played but presented no challenge because they couldn't cover the field... wouldn't you feel a little cheated? You might as well have just gone to the bar. That's not what we signed up for. So if a team brings the enough people to present good competition even though some aren't on the original roster, so what? Prorate the dues and everyone will be happy. But... we will all have a better time playing (why we signed up in the first place) if the teams show with enough people (and girls).P.S. There is one team now that must start every game now one point down because a team member's brother was in town and wanted to enjoy the experience. Seriously folks! Give me a break... See, here's the thing. No one approached us and said, that will be $20-$30 for each new player to finish out the season (3 games), which would have been fine. We hadn't even made it to game on Sunday with new recruits. If we are allowed to recruit and have them pay to play the rest of the season, then why were we met with such bitterness and consternation after advertising that we needed girls? It's not illegal to add girls to the team apparently, as long as they pay to play the rest of the season. I'll throw this out there too... If someone on the Alcobolics team has a brother, sister, cousin, mom or dad, etc. that would like to enjoy our game this coming Sunday, please feel free to bring them. We won't say a word... Looking forward to the game!!!

This post was deleted a few times because apparently someone on the "light blue team" was offended, but the guy kept reposting so it was left there. Then he kept posting subsequent emails from on of the guys who runs the league. One announced he was kicked off as captain for inviting a team to break rules. Just lots of crap like that.

Part of this what makes it so funny is that no team in NAKID has had to forfeit this season, and in fact they make it so there are no forfeits so this guy is waaaaay off base. Also, part of the draw to play in NAKID is that they have rosters that are flexible so you can kick those no-shows off the team and replace them. I don't know how a captain wouldn't know this. Further, he states in another post that other leagues have teams pay a lump sum and then have players come and go as the please - registered or not. Maybe in some other area, but I have played in all of them here and that certainly is not the case.
Hi, I'm ready for kickball
Anyway, I tried to figure out what this guy's point is. You flame the team you played, try to get other teams to break the rules, and act like an ass in general and for what? No one on the message board seems to be on the guy's side. See, the thing is when you go off like a baby missing it's pacifier and you are over the age of 2, you better be right. Or at least have point. This guy has neither.

Sometimes I wonder if there really is any "adult" in adult kickball. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy acting like an idiot on a Booze Bus trip or dressing up for the playoffs - but this stuff is just stupid.

Just imagine if he was getting responses from the DC Kickball guy. What an Inferiority Complex Convention that would be. And note to the guy: if you felt unimportant or whatever before, imagine how you are going to feel now.

The shirt for dumbass kickballers