Aegon Fall '09 Final Schedule Results

Aegon Fall '09 Final Standings

6Ft Over presented by Tailgators

That’s right folks 6 Ft Over has sold out and gone corporate! Otis’ Tailgators Sports Bar on Center Point Rd has secured exclusive naming rights by agreeing to sponsor the club in this winter’s YMCA league. The official Tailgators logo will now appear on all 6 Ft Over apparel and from now on the team must be referred to in print and in speech as “6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators”. The popularity of the blog and a recent winning streak have made 6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators a hot commodity.

It’s no coincidence that 6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators has started winning again after adding point guard of the future and present JR Russell. Russell has brought ball handling, speed and leadership to the floor. The team no longer has to rely on Reiners’ inconsistent jump shot, Shupert’s out of control drives or Justin’s forays into the paint for scoring. JR is able to create his own shot and good shots for teammates with relative ease. He also holds a position as a bartender at Tailgators that may or may not have had something to do with the sponsorship agreement.

Last night, armed with an actual athletic basketball player, 6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators defeated team “Winterns” with relative ease. “Winterns” featured 4 interns at Aegon who will soon surpass the combined salaries of Reiners and Hasenmiller upon their hire. They may be actuaries in the office, but on the floor they were a bit overmatched by a glorified telemarketer and a data entry clerk.

6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators has won 7 of 9 to finish the regular season but finds themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Only the top 4 seeds qualify and 6 Ft Over presented by Tailgators will finish no higher than 6th. A season that appeared to be lost was salvaged by the late season run. The team looks forward to next year and reminds you to check out Otis’ Tailgators Sports Bar for $3 tall boy Wednesdays and Lady’s drink free Thursday’s. This Friday a local CR band will be playing live! The music may sound like two steel trash can lids banging together and a man with a horse voice screaming into a microphone but come on down and enjoy your night at Tailgators Sports Bar!

6Ft Over Has Won 4 of Last 6

For the second straight week Player/Coach Jeff Reiners missed action. This week Reiners was a last minute scratch with an undisclosed illness. Since Reiners has been out of the lineup, 6Ft Over has gone 4 and 2. With Reiners in the lineup this year 6Ft Over has a abysmal 0 and 12 record. Fans have started to reconsider the once revered Reiners as the leader of their team. One fan shouted at Reiners as he was leaving a team lunch at McDonalds, “Why don’t you hit the gym instead of hitting those quarter pounders!”. Reiners seemed unfazed by the incident and told reporters that he was not concerned with his health or his ability to make big shots as long as he stayed away from soda pop. However, with this latest illness, fans are speculating even more that Reiners just refuses to take care of his body.

JR Russell continued his outstanding play as 6Ft Over’s new starting point guard. Easily blowing by his defender at any moment and creating great shots for himself and his teammates. Aaron Shupert can be credited for brining JR in and has proved to have exceptional recruiting ability. Over the last 2 seasons Shupert is responsible for bringing in all 10 former and current players for 6Ft Over.

6Ft Over core team member Dick D. Dengler also missed the games for the 3rd straight week on academic probation. He was replaced by the newest member of 6Ft Over, Chambers “The Bouncer”. Chambers is a current MMA star in the heavyweight division. In his spare time Chambers mans the door of Teaghans Club in downtown Cedar Rapids. Ironically, Chambers and Aaron Shupert have been involved in multiple disputes at the club that Shupert frequents. Shupert apologized before the game and Chambers acknowledged that the past was just “liquor under the bridge”. Chambers was just as big of a beast on the court as he is in the octagon, showing tremendous athletic ability for a big man.

Aaron Shupert had a very poor performance in the three games as he battled “flu-like” symptoms. Shupert barely managed to get up and down the court and sat most of the third game after he badly injured is right pointer finger. Blood was seen trickling down Shupert’s arm as he left the court for the locker room with the team doctor. Rumors have been flying around the Shupert was hung over from a weekend binge. Shupert firmly accepted these allegations. Hasenmiller played well as the team proved 6Ft Over was too much for Marshall. Hasenmiller and Russell picked and popped Marshall apart in the first two contests. In the third game Marshall somehow gained an early lead and with Shupert out, 6Ft Over let down as they had already established they were the superior squad.

6Ft Over is looking forward toward to their last three games of the regular season next week against lowly Vander Veen. If they can win all three it is possible that they will not be stuck with the last seed in the playoffs which begin the following week.

In other news, former 6Ft Over super-sub and current team statistician, Brock Ryan, was arrested Sunday night after a weekend bender with other 6Ft Over members. It was Ryan’s first DUI arrest in his drinking career but he still holds multiple records for times driving while intoxicated and beers consumed in succession.

6Ft Over Breaks Losing Streak, Wins 2 of 3

Newcomer JR Russell has helped 6Ft Over get back on track last week, winning 2 of their 3 games. Player/Coach Jeff Reiners was absent from the game with an emergency requiring his attention minutes before he was expected to make his arrival at the team training facility at the University of Kirkwood. Rumors have been circulating the Reiners has been leaving his woman of 2 years in the dark about his basketball activities and she eventually pulled the plug on his duties as team coach. Reiners refused comment on these latest allegations.

JR almost was not able to attend the game as well when the stadium security initially denied his entrance because he failed to bring the proper identification card with him. Luckily, JR only lives a mile from the stadium so he was able to retrieve his security clearance card and enter right before tip-off.

6Ft Over pounded The CR Side Cramps into submission even without having any subs to spell the often out-of-condition Shupert. JR led the way with fast breaks, superb defense and crisp passes to an often trailing Shupert. Hasenmiller killed The CR Side Cramps when he continued to drain wide open jumpers with little resistance from his defender. The 2 wins marked 6Ft Over’s first of the season and also gave The CR Side Cramps their first blemish as well.

The CR Side Cramps did have one major disadvantage in the game. They only had two players show up for the game and were forced to play 2 on 3 basketball for the duration of all three games. It was like 6Ft Over was on a constant power play as they pick and rolled against the undermanned team. The fact that The Side Cramps even were able to pull out one win is truly amazing seeing the huge disadvantage they were facing. At the end of the day both teams left feeling pretty good, 6Ft Over with their first two wins and The Side Cramps with an incredible act of courage against overwhelming odds. 6Ft Over player Aaron Shupert said after the game, “We will take ‘em anyway we can get ‘em…I don’t feel like we really had that big of advantage at all, those guys were good”. It remains to be seen if 6Ft Over can carry over these wins to next week when they take on Marshall.

Lost Season

Followers of 6 Ft Over may have noticed (but probably didn’t) the lack of a blog for last week’s humiliating series of defeats. The losing streak now is so long that it has become difficult to write about.

6 Ft Over was basically run off of the court last Monday by 4 ex college basketball players. Even though one of the ex college ballers was completely immobilized it didn’t create enough of advantage for 6 Ft Over to be competitive. To make matters worse the loss came at the hands of Team Dynasty and former teammate Nick Hach. Dynasty now is 7-0 historically against 6 Ft Over.

It doesn’t get any easier tonight. The opponent, CR Side Cramps, comes into the game with an unblemished 12-0 record. A third starter for the game has yet to be found. That position has been tough to fill this season as 6 Ft Over has been forced to rotate between drunken college students, Guatemalan’s and complete strangers met in the weight room before the game. Not the type of stability the already talentless squad needs.

Basketball Players Needed!

6 Ft Over, the fumbling mess that once was a basketball team now has lost 14 straight games. The squad that once tore through the Rec League now is 1 and 23 historically in the Competitive League. A move back down to the minor leagues is inevitable. A summer spent playing against the best CR had to offer actually caused the team to regress rather than improve. Jeff Reiners is embarrassed each day when the standings are published with a big zero in the win column.

Next week brings “Big Cock” Nick Hach and team “Dynasty”. The likelihood of the losing streak extending to 17 is high. A season that began with optimism and hope has disintegrated. 6 Ft Over players have yet to start pointing fingers but they did acknowledge being overmatched in every facet of the game last night.

News and Notes :

• Richard Dengler missed last night’s action with a sprained thumb. Richard claimed that he injured the thumb last week against the Premature Shooters. This was amazing given the fact that young Dengler informed the team prior to the game against the Premature Shooters that he was favoring his thumb. The team has decided to require that future excuses from Dengler actually make sense.

• Jeff Reiners was a late arrival because of his day job. He checked into the second game with it tied at 2 apiece. Reiners made his first shot attempt but promptly missed his next 12.

• Aaron Shupert took a tumble late in Game 3 that would have scored a 10.0 in the Summer Olympics. While running back on defense Shupert lost his balance but transitioned into a complete forward roll, then sprung to his feet, dropped into a backwards handstand and stuck the two footed landing.

• In place of Richard Dengler was G/F Michael Jandik who proved to be serviceable. Shupert had scouted and recruited Jandik for the game. Jandik was previously best known for commenting in Yellowbook’s Sweatshop locker room.

Dengler Out

Richard Dengler informed the media this weekend that he is out with ligament damage to his thumb for tonight’s contest against Never Back Down… "I might come and watch but I won't be able to suit up..." Dengler said during a phone interview. Dengler is wearing a splint on his thumb currently after receiving the team doctor's advice. He suffered the injury in the second game against Premature Shooters.

6Ft Over is currently looking for a replacement for Dengler to come off the bench.

Week 2 Standings

6Ft Over Drop 3 Straight to Premature Shooters

In lieu of a recap from last night’s debacle let’s take a look at some of the numbers. The first question that comes up when looking at the stats is what the hell was Jeff Reiners doing out there last night? 6 for 31 from the floor! That comes out to about 19% so Reiners was below the Mendoza line….in a basketball game. Piss poor. Reiners dished out 4 assists in Game 2 and was more than happy to point out to the crowd instead of playing defense.


Hasenmiller hoisted 33 shots in the 3 games and made 30% of his field goal attempts. Now that is pretty good for a baseball game but we’re looking for 40 to 50% on the hardwood. Justin continues to lead 6 Ft Over in rebounding despite being the only player under 6 feet tall. He pulled down 14 total including 7 in the Game 3 loss.

Aaron Shupert and Hasenmiller each had 10 made field goals to lead the team last night. Shupert also managed to avoid injury despite being matched against a 280lb behemoth who called fouls whenever he missed a shot in the paint.

Richard Dengler was given the green light before the game by his coach and was told to shoot 15 shots per game. Dengler responded by jacking up 3 shots in the 1st game before steadily increasing his output in Games 2 and 3.

“I just don’t feel comfortable man, this is outside of my range,” Dengler said as he stood 5 feet from the basket.

Dengler did set the a single game 6 Ft Over record with 4 steals in Game 3. The team converted 0 of those turnovers into points but a record is a record.

….In other news around the league former 6 Ft Over center Nich Hach reported that team “Dynasty” dropped 3 straight games to the “CR Side Cramps” dropping them to 3 and 3. Hach would not consider a return to 6 Ft Over this season.

Click below for full box score:

6Ft Over vs. Team Barta Box Score

As promised, 6Ft over vs. Team Barta is now available here:

6Ft Over Now Losers of 8 Straight

The losing streak hit 8 last night as 6 Ft Over was swept in their opening night triple header by the “Danny Tanners”. A summer playing in the YMCA league prepared 6 Ft Over for the competition of the Aegon league but preparation alone wasn’t enough. In the first game of the post-Hach era 6 Ft Over struggled to score easy buckets and the offense became completely bogged down for long stretches.

Reiners kept his club in Game 1 by dropping 5 long distance bombs. It wasn’t enough though because in the end 6 Ft Over was a 15-12 loser. After revealing his sole offensive weapon Reiners then was locked down completely for the remaining 2 games. The opposition unfortunately realized how easy it was to shut Jeff down by exploiting his stunning lack of quickness.

Justin Hasenmiller and Richard Dengler led all scorers on the night with 12 apiece. Hasenmiller also yanked down 12 rebounds in the Game 2 loss which makes you wonder what his 6 Ft and over teammates were doing on the defensive glass.

Dengler filled in admirably for a banged up Aaron Shupert who managed to injure himself on three separate occasions during the game, breaking the single game record for the most times injured. Shupert did return in Game 3 and sparked a minor comeback. It wasn’t enough as the “Danny Tanners” escaped 17-16 in OT and survived 6 points 5 rebounds and 4 assists by young Richard Dengler.

Dengler cursed himself as he exited the gym last night but unfortunately none of his teammates could make out exactly what he was saying other than it involved some reference to a “m’ effin Troy Eaves”.

Ex 6 Ft Over bench warmer Brock Ryan was in attendance Monday night. He denied rumors that he would resign with the team only adding that he was contemplating retirement from pick-up basketball and he was there only in support of his ex teammates.

Click here for full box score:

6Ft Over Doin Dirty Work

Last night members of 6Ft Over were seen at Riverside Casino and Golf Resort for a charity event before their home opener tonight at 5:30. Reiners and Shupert were seen palling it up with former SNL star Norm Macdonald at the roulette table after his stand-up comedy show he performed there earlier that evening.


“Its all for the kids”, Reiners said, he promised that all of his losing’s would go to a local charity of Riverside’s choice. Norm was seen double fisting coffee after a long night that must have been exhausting. Shupert was really taking it to the casino when he went on a 6 for 7 streak at the roulette table winning big on Michael Jordan’s 23. “I cant wait to hit that buffet with all this money I won, I need to refuel for the game tonight.” Shupert said

Former 6Ft Over super-sub Brock Ryan was scheduled to attend the event but was unable due to an "undisclosed illness".

6Ft Over Sharp as they Break Camp

Gallons of sweat has hit the floor. Muscles strained and backs have ached. A coach has threatened to “blow his top”. It will all be worth it for 6 Ft Over players when the Competitive League season tips off October 26th.

Over the course of the brutal 5 day camp 6 Ft Over has seen their veteran players commit to training camp as if they were rookies again. It is that new found dedication that has raised expectations for the team.

“We spent the summer getting run off of the court by some of the best players in the city. It’s was the competition that we needed to prepare for the Aegon League,” said player/coach Jeff Reiners before the last day of camp.

Aaron Shupert arrived for day 5 of camp appearing a bit hung over. League bloggers reported seeing Shupert out on the town consuming copious amounts of alcohol with free agent guard Brock Ryan.

After a slow start to camp both 6 year veterans have looked sharp and in top condition during recent training sessions. Shupert credits his new cross training regimen that involves multiple sports for his success.

“If it’s not soccer it’s boxing, if not boxing it’s tae kwan doe, ya dig?” Shupert stated.

Justin Hasenmiller, who has been excused from camp, briefly spoke with reporters this morning regarding the upcoming season.

“Individually the players in the Aegon league may be better. I bet you we won’t encounter any teams that have played together for 20 years and haven’t missed a jump shot since the 80’s.”

The roster is intact with the core members of 6 Ft Over. Reiners, Shupert, Hasenmiller and Dengler are back for another go around. Gone is center Nick "Big Cock" Hach. Hach has re joined his usual club team after a summer on loan to 6 Ft Over.

The sprints have been run. The jump shots sharpened. Threats have been made and a player has shown up still intoxicated. Just another training camp for 6 Ft Over.

6Ft Over Fall '09 Schedule Released

10/26/2009 5:30PM 6Ft Over vs. The Danny Tanners

11/02/2009 7:30PM 6Ft Over vs. Premature Shooters

11/09/2009 5:30PM 6Ft Over @ Never Back Down

11/16/2009 5:30PM 6Ft Over vs. The Dynasty*

11/23/2009 7:30PM 6Ft Over @ The CR Side Cramps

11/30/2009 5:30PM 6Ft Over @ Marshall

12/07/2009 7:30PM 6Ft Over vs. Vander Veen


*Premium Game

Ryan Sounds Off to Local Media

Disgruntled ex-teammate Brock Ryan sounded off to local media today during his lunch hour. "I've been running and shooting baskets at the Edgewood gym this week (read:one day) hoping I can latch on with someone midseason for the veterans minimum. You guys will be sorry you released me.", Ryan said.

Ryan still is very upset about the way 6Ft Over management treated him in the days before his release. He went on to say, "I think I could be a real asset during the stretch run for the playoffs, like PJ Brown or Kurt Thomas. Except much worse and a lot whiter."

Obviously Ryan is not over what some have called a lapse in judgment by his former team. No contact was made with 6Ft Over officials in connection with this story.

Reiners Sans Shoes on 2nd Day of Camp

Guard/Coach Jeff Reiners arrived at training facilities again today with only socks on. Rumors circulated yesterday that Reiners behavior is a subliminal message to management that he is unhappy with his contract. Reiners is not speaking to the media but was overheard shouting to fans as he arrived for the 2nd day of camp.

“Maybe add a zero to my contract and I’ll have Shoop run me out to my car before practice so I can grab my J’s!” Reiners was heard saying.

Early Season Preview (Captains)

1. David Duggan- Works in New Business operations just like me so he’s probably overworked and underpaid.

2. Matthew Vasquez- Isn’t it Julio Caesar?

3. Chris Gehrls- Team named Dynasty that features a particularly large former 6 Ft Over Center.

4. Josh Reaktenwalt- Our favorite captain from the team that ended the 17 game winning streak.

5. Jeffrey Reiners- Does he really think 6 Ft Over belongs in the competitive league?

6. Jon Fortune- I recognize this captains name. His team probably plastered us in year 1.

7. Klint Davis- Answer’s the phone for AIT. Probable computer geek can’t be good at basketball…right?

8. Roger Clark- The Wizard is advancing in age. We’ll see if he can regain his MVP form from 2008.

9. Terry Siberger- Another new business worker. This guy has 5 people that work for him though. Important are we?

10. Travis Welsch- Works at the Edgewood building. Will enjoy home court advantage.

11. Jeremy Rannals- Another name I recognize. Unfortunately it’s not the off the ball foul guy. I still want revenge on his fat ass.

12. Marshall Wald- Another burned out Life Insurance New Business Rep that makes 30k a year for 60 hours a week.

13. Justin Gerdes- Wow a “Financial Reporter” in the bball league. Hopefully he plays like Will Pattison.

14. Josh Misener- Can he take time out of his rock star lifestyle to play a little hoops on Mondays?

15. Derek Vander Veen – Come on Derek just pick one last name you work in “Special Servicing” after all.

Reiners Shows up to Training Camp without Gear, Fines Looming

In a strange turn of events today, Jeffrey Reiners showed up to the first day of training camp without any shoes. The same training camp that Reiners himself had actually placed mandatory attendance for other team members. "He obviously didn’t feel it was necessary to be serious about it himself.", Aaron Shupert said to a reporter. As other members of 6Ft Over pounded the mill, Reiners was seen leisurely walking around the gym barefoot, pretending to stretch. Reiners is now officially being called a training camp hold out as rumors surfaced that he left his shoes at home to make a statement that he is unhappy with his contract. Reiners and Brandon Marshall share the same agent so it would not be a surprise if this was a tactic employed by Reiners from his agents advice.

Team officials are waiting to see what Reiners’ work ethic is like on the second day of camp before they officially suspend the shooting guard for the remainder of camp. A hefty fine is sure to come Reiners way after this blatant disregard for team policy.

6Ft Over Opens Camp

Rookies and Veterans must report to the Sweatshop by 1pm today. Richard Dengler is a rumored hold out. Hasenmiller has been granted a Veteran waiver for camp. The first training session will be preceded by media day.

Shupert Signs Extension

In an amazing turn of fortune former All League Forward Aaron Shupert has signed a long term extension with 6 Ft Over.

“We always wanted to resign and make sure Aaron finished his career with this club,” said Shupert’s DUI lawyer.

Less than 5 minutes ago it seemed certain Shupert would not suit up for 6 Ft Over ever again. The threat of sitting out the entire season is “water under the bridge” Shupert commented.

Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed. It is believed to be a back loaded contract with half of the money guaranteed.

Shupert vs. 6 Ft Over: "A Tale of Disharmony".

It was just under a year ago when the off season drama began. Aaron Shupert had decided to undergo a major eye operation just prior to the start of the Spring season. His decision to postpone surgery until the last possible moment put his season in jeopardy which did not thrill 6 Ft Over ownership.

“I got hurt on company time so I’ll heal on company time,” Shupert said in the days following his surgery.

After some testy exchanges with his Head Coach Shupert relented and ended up missing no games. His early season play may have been affected by his goggles despite Shupert’s denials. Rumor had it that upper management felt Shupert had lost confidence and no longer drove to the hole with reckless abandon following the surgery.

Another off season of turmoil has preceded the ’09 Fall League. It was discovered recently that Shupert has participated in an unauthorized charity “Soccer” match with African immigrants. Participation in any non-basketball related event is a blatant violation of Shupert’s contract. After hearing of the “Soccer” match 6 Ft Over took a hard line in contract negotiations and indicated they will slap Shupert with the Franchise tag when he becomes a restricted free agent this winter.

Shupert’s agent/lawyer, who had defended him in multiple public intoxication cases, had this to say.

“Aaron is prepared to sit out the rest of next season if deemed necessary. We will not sign or negotiate another contract with 6 Ft Over.”

Brock Ryan Released

It is the end of a legendary era for 6 Ft Over. One time 4th Man of the Year candidate Brock Ryan has been granted his release from 6ft Over ending a spectacular if not inconsistent career. With training camp set to open this week for the 2009 Fall AEGON Competitive League Brock Ryan had asked to be traded to a contender.

Unable to find a buyer Ryan on the open market 6 Ft Over has decided to let the old warhorse go.

“If anybody needs a player that will show up once a year and exhaust himself within minutes of entering the game Ryan is their guy,” said an emotional Coach Reiners at the farewell press conference.

Reiners was then asked about the chances of Ryan being resigned for the veterans minimum.

“I don’t know, I just don’t know if he has it anymore,” he said as he wiped away tears.

Ryan’s career with 6 Ft Over is remembered mostly by DNP’s and the various predicaments that caused them. There was the legendary time when Ryan left his teammates shorthanded after becoming occupied by hot wings. Then there was the incident where Ryan was forced to miss action because a scheduled game coincided with the release of a Will Ferrell movie on DVD.

When Ryan did play the results were often hilarious. “The pass” is still widely discussed amongst AEGON Rec League followers. It was that play in which Ryan suddenly turned into White Chocolate and delivered an on the money behind the back pass to a streaking Richard Dengler who promptly blew the layup.

After sitting out the entire year after “the pass” Ryan returned to action the next season and logged a grueling 40 minutes against Team Yellowbook. His 40.0 minute per game average led the league during the ’09 Early Summer YMCA League. It was in that game against Yellowbook when Ryan hit a go ahead layup while everyone in the gym watched in horror as he took the big shot.

Officially Ryan tallied 15 career points to go with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. His 36 DNP’s are a 6 Ft Over career record.

6Ft Over vs. Team Barta Highlights

As promised video highlights from the game on Tuesday 9/22/2009 are now here!

Full box score coming soon. Thanks to Morgan for the footage.

Post Game Comments from 6 Ft Over's Loss to Team ACE Tuesday Night

Justin Hasenmiller - Well, Ace had a few new guys because the cherry picker from last time was in an arm cast, plus the crybaby, the slow white guy, and the athletic 6 footer who guarded Hach last time. We had Shup, Hach, the Mt Mercy 3 point guy, a guy from integrated services, and me. Mt Mercy was drilling 3’s in the first half and we played ok. They cried about every call we made and complained about every loose ball that went out of bounds, but we still led 51-42. Then, in the 2nd half we couldn’t hit any shots and the complaining got out of control. To add insult, the guy from integrated services and the athletic six footer went for loose ball by the curtain and our guy crumpled. He hurt his knee and was in a lot of pain. They had to wheel him out on an office chair. All in all, a terrible end to the season.

Oh, before that though, the A league game scheduled before us was also a fiasco. It went to overtime and there was so much complaining the 3 minute overtime took 18 minutes to complete.

Just a complete cluster.

Nick "Big Cock" Hach- We were up big on them right away, then they cut the lead to a few points. They were huge punks all day, especially that one guy that was last game. Brad Reed ended up screwing his knee up real bad and I had to take him to the hospital. They think it's only a sprain, which would be good news. We ended up losing by 6 or so.

He(Reed) yelled loud and it made a big popping noise. I won't play that team again..that's not fun basketball. I don't play ghetto ball anymore...I've done it for too many years

Olsen can't stand that guy and was furious after the game. I've played against that guy several times and he's a huge db every single time. When it's a really competitive game it's beyond ridiculous.

Aaron Shupert- Oh dude it was crazy. I can’t even talk about it. We won that game. They easily cheated us out of a dozen points just by complaining about everything. Every call the game got stopped so they could b****. That one dude (the crybaby) was jawing the whole game. To make things worse, Hach’s other friend (Reed) hurt his knee on one play. He got taken out in a wheel chair screaming and everything. These fools had the nerve to take a point away from us because Reed was on the other end of the floor screaming so they claimed they stopped playing. All the guys on the sideline and the scorekeeper were talking trash the whole time. The score keeper straight got up and left during the middle of the game. It was like being at a road game where everyone was against you and we knew we couldn’t win.

2009 Summer Season Award Winners

League MVP- The Marion Cop

We don’t know his real name, heck we don’t even know if he really is a Marion cop. What we do know is this shooting guard is an assassin from mid range and he assassinates for two different teams every Tuesday night. In 4 matchups against 6 Ft Over this summer the “Marion Cop” shot 75% from the field and averaged 29.3 points per game. Unguardable, indefensible and unconscious are expressions that come to mind with the “Marion Cop”.

Defensive Player of the Year- “Tom”

We’d love to have given this award to Richard “Dick” Dengler but the 6 Ft Over swingman didn’t play in enough games to qualify. The award goes to “Tom” from Team No D/Barta. “Tom” was a force in the paint this summer. He is athletic and long which allows him to change many of his man’s shots. While guarding 6 Ft Over Center Nick Hach “Tom” is able to block shots and only foul 90% of the time.

Coach of the Year- “Uncle Fester”

Uncle Fester had to both play for and coach the band of goons that make up Team Josiah. A supporting cast that featured un-coachable and talentless players forced Fester to elevate his game and his coaching. Fester has yet to lead Josiah to a win from the bench or the court but wins aren’t required to claim this award. A funny appearance will do.

Mismatch of the Year- 6 Ft Over vs. Hello Kitty

The fact that 6 Ft Over players thought they might have a chance because of experience makes this one more laughable. Four 16 year old boys (all without shirts) pounded 6 Ft Over mercilessly one lonely August evening. Hello Kitty only won by 50 some points and would have won by a 100 or more if 6 Ft Over hadn’t signed a Kirkwood player out of the crowd right before tipoff.

Game of the Year- No D vs. Team Barta

Since both teams have players that play for both teams what happens when they play each other? The “Marion Cop” probably plays offense for both sides and never misses a shot.

Sportsmanship Award- The Rotund Guy from Team Josiah

“You do that again with your elbow and I’ll lay you out,” the obese forward said to Aaron Shupert. Mr. Rotund had simply been the victim of Shupert’s patented swinging hook move. Why such a violent threat?

1st Team All YMCA

C. Nick Hach – Led league in dunks, times fouled and foul arguments.
F. Uncle Fester – Smooth lefty who can dominate from inside or out. Odd looking fellow.
F. Jeff Gordon- Jeff rolls into the gym sporting NASCAR gear but when he gets on the court he’s lights out.
G. The Marion Cop- What more needs to be said? The guy doesn’t miss and he’s always moving to get open.
G. 16 Year Old Boy- This kid was tall and fast. Good combo for a baller. Able to finish at the rim with either hand.

2nd Team All YMCA

C. “Tom”- Blocks shots, scores and bitches with the best of them.
F. King Kong Bundy- Size. Easily could have played lineman in the NFL. Chooses to shot 30 footers and fadeaways.
F. Jim Carey- If you can look past the headband and goggles he is a solid post player.
G. Elias Abodely- He’s slow. He’s fat. He smells bad. He’ll put 20 points on your ass.
G. Walt Frazier- Cool throwback gear, laidback game. Walt dribbles up the floor and launches bad 3’s. Every time.

6 Ft Over Prepares for Rubbermatch

Team Ace and 6 Ft Over have developed a rivalry in the YCMA league this summer. Team Ace is still bitter over the crushing loss handed to them by the undermanned 6 Ft Over back in June. So bitter was Team Ace that they refused to show up for the rematch during the late summer season. It was that night, you may recall, that 6 Ft Over stunned the YMCA All-Stars on their home court.

On September 1st Team Ace finally showed up for a rematch and won the game fairly easily. It was apparent during the contest the Team Ace didn’t like 6 Ft Over and 6 Ft Over didn’t like Team Ace. The rubbermatch should take place tomorrow evening at the Helen G Nassif YMCA in beautiful downtown Cedar Rapids. The 8:30 start concerns 6 Ft Over management for 2 reasons. A few unnamed players have struggled to resist using intoxicants between the end of the work day and the start of the game. Reason #2 is that Team Ace has several parolees on their squad who may not be allowed out of the house by their PO after 8 pm. That may explain their no show back in July. If everyone shows as scheduled expect to see a competitive game.

Video Recap Comming Soon!

For the first time ever 6Ft Over has gone digital. Stay tuned for the video recap of the startling showdown between team Barta and 6Ft Over last night at the Stoney Point gymnasium.

Reiners 'Probable" Against Team Barta

Saying that his injured hamstring now is at 85% Reiners assured teammates that he will be suited and booted come Tuesday night.

When asked how the hamstring was injured Reiners at first declined to elaborate other than saying it was “non-basketball” related. When pushed further Reiners admitted that the tightness in his left hamstring was caused by some late night dancing. The fancy moves apparently involved crouching incredibly low to the ground while simulating the rolling of dice. The movements can place incredible strain on ones lower body.

Reiners refused comment on whether or not alcohol fueled his decision making Saturday night. He simply declared that dancing is not a violation of his 6 Ft Over contract and that we will play his normal average floor game Tuesday night.

6 Ft Over Chokes Again

6 Ft Over suffered a humiliating defeat at the Helen G. Nassif YMCA Tuesday evening. Rarely does 6 Ft Over matchup against a less talented squad but that was the case against Team Rush. Somehow Team Rush was able to pull out a 3 point win despite trailing by double digits in the 1st half.

Tuesday’s defeat was particularly demoralizing because Team Rush spent most of the game throwing wild, cross court baseball passes that were easily intercepted by 6 Ft Over defenders. Despite a huge advantage in the turnover battle 6 Ft Over converted on very few scoring opportunities.

Nick Hach posted the majority of his team’s points in the contest. He watched from the low block helplessly as his teammates shot a woeful 17% from the floor.

“I’m looking forward to the Aegon competitive league when I can play against instead of with these fools,” the frustrated post-man commented.

Hach also provided the game’s shining moment in the 2nd half. While steaming down the middle of the lane like a locomotive he caught a brave defender in the eye with his elbow. After the bucket was scored and play moved towards the other end that brave defender staggered up the court with blood pouring out of a gash above his left eye.

The bloodied defender took it all in stride and proved that he was as tough as his MMA “Tapout” shirt suggested he was. His teammates then rallied behind him while he had his eye tended to. A massive player on the opposing team who resembled King Kong Bundy started draining 3’s and fade-away jumpers and suddenly Team Rush led late in the game.

Despite the piss poor performance 6 Ft Over was in the game down to the last minute. Reiners left a wide open 3 short that would have put his team up 1. After regaining possession Hach missed a 3 that would have tied the game. Hasenmiller then took his turn and missed a 3 to tie before the clock ran out.

Next week expect 6 Ft Over to be pasted by Team Barta by 25 ½ points. The season has turned ugly.

Around the League......

Team Yellowbook took another beating last night at the hands of Team Ace. The bumbling group of phone book salesmen were no match for the unskilled laborers of Team Ace. Yellowbook, as usual, was paced by their 5’6 shooting guard who received little help from his legion of sales people. The muscle bound phone book broker again showed why he belongs out in the field hawking ad space to plumbing companies. He now leads the league in missed layups and foul complaints after Tuesdays contest. Yellowbook’s defensive performance last night was just as poor as their sales numbers were last quarter. Team Ace had a field day in the open court and ran away to an easy 30 point victory.

Team Yellowbook’s season is in shambles and the chances of a turnaround are dim. There are rumors circulating around the league that ownership is applying pressure on the squad to start winning. A source speaking on a condition of anonymity stated there is a strong possibility that Yellowbook will have their $200 sponsorship fee revoked if they don’t pull out at least one victory.

“They better start selling more phonebooks if they want to cover their entry fee next year,” the unnamed source commented.

6 Ft Over Covers Spread

6 Ft Over entered Tuesday’s game as 35 ½ point underdogs to Team No D. The last time the teams met in June the old men of No D soundly beat the twenty something’s of 6 Ft Over. Nothing was supposed to be different last night but 6 Ft Over had a few tricks up their sleeve.

Richard “Dick” Dengler had his academic suspension lifted early Tuesday. Rich walked into the gym with a beaming smile much to the surprise of his adoring cheering section. It wasn’t exactly Willis Reed coming back for Game 7 of the NBA Finals but Dengler did spark 6 Ft Over with offensive rebounding and tough defense.

The mysterious “Charlie” made his season debut and contributed to the teams hot start. Charlie said little to his new teammates but did participate in the game’s only argument when he called a white haired opponent a “bitch” for complaining about moving screens.

The extra bodies helped 6 Ft Over start out red hot from the floor. The youngsters jumped out to a quick 15 point lead and Team No D seemed to be cracking as they called each other out for defensive shortcomings.

Hach worked his mustachioed opponent under the glass, Hasenmiller drained a few 3’s and Shupert briefly thought he was playing one on one Volleyball against Dengler during one early sequence.

I was looking good until late in the 1st half when No D again became unconscious from the field and sunk 6 or 7 straight buckets to close the gap to 3 at halftime.

As 6 Ft Over has grown in popularity so has its cheering section. Tuesday’s game drew a whopping 3 fans breaking the previous mark of 2 fans set last season. Nick Hach used halftime as an opportunity to socialize with the ever expanding fan club.

“It’s weird not seeing you in a bar,” Hach said with a wink and a smile to a female fan.

As the 2nd half wore on Team No D meticulously wrestled the lead away from 6 Ft Over. Back in June, No D’s remarkably accurate outside shooting allowed them to pull away to a 50 point victory. Last night the shooting wasn’t as accurate, but it still was enough to provide them with a small cushion.

6 Ft Over managed to close the gap to 3 with about two minutes to go. Option A, B and C then became Hach in the post, wait for the defense to collapse and then shoot a 3. On a key late game possession Hach threw up a wild hook shot but managed to tip the ball back to Hasenmiller behind the arc. Justin lined up an open shot but it fell short.

“I jumped too f***** high,” Justin said in regards to his 8 inch vertical.

No D then salted away their 5 point victory by making 8 out of 10 free throws down the stretch.

Dengler discussed his comeback and future with the team in the parking lot after the game.

“I’ll tell you what man as long as that game is early I’ll be here in Cedar Rapids ready to go. I’ve got this online class I have to attend from 9 to 10 on Tuesdays though ,so the late games are no good.”

Neither Justin, Shoop nor Reiners had ever heard of online classes that require weekly attendance and glanced at each other curiously while they listened to the reinstated swingman.

Next week is a brand new opponent Team Rush. 6 Ft Over has a long history of being throttled by new opponents and that is a trend they hope to change next week

6 Ft Over Winning Streak Ends at 1

6 Ft Over came into their game against Team Ace with a great deal of confidence. They were winners of 1 straight and had beaten Team Ace on opening night last season with only 4 players. They even added another ex-college basketball player to the squad and fielded a full team for the first time in recent memory.

Charlie was expected to join the team to replace Dengler but was unavailable. Hach delivered a replacement in the form of Mt. Mercy basketball legend Adam Olson. The honorary 6 Ft Over member came to the squad with high credentials. Nick Hach informed that Adam was Mt. Mercy’s single season record holder for 3 point field goal percentage. After a 3-22 shooting performance Tuesday he now holds a 6 Ft Over career record for lowest field goal percentage at 13%.

Nick Hach paced 6 Ft Over throughout the contest and even managed to get into only two arguments over fouls. During one sequence it appeared that Team Ace called an offensive foul on Nick which was unusual given that it was a pickup basketball game. Hach did come into the game slightly distracted. The late start gave him time to take in a few pre-game beers and even allowed him to dump his girlfriend prior to tip off.

Team Ace shot a high percentage of lay ups and led comfortably throughout the 1st half. Their guards were cherry picking at half court most of the game and exploited their quickness advantage in one on one situations.

6 Ft Over caught fire in the 2nd half and cut the lead down to 4 at one point. Shupert suddenly became Ben Gordon and helped erase the double digit deficit. His man repeatedly allowed him the lineup wide open 3 pointers and shoot over him in the post. Shoop obliged and during one stretch hit for 11 straight points.

The league didn’t send its best score keepers to the 8:30 contest. It seemed that during large stretches of the 1st half the score keeper wasn’t paying attention to the game and instead chose to holler at various girls that were in the gym. When a Team Ace player threw down a dunk with still a minute to go the two score keepers abandoned their duties and ran onto the court screaming like zoo animals let out of a cage.

In the end 6 Ft Over suffered a somewhat bitter defeat in a winnable game. Next week’s opponent is Team No D. Last season No D put a 45 point whipping on 6 Ft Over. In early betting No D opened as a 38 ½ point favorite.

6 Ft Over Drops Yellowbook

6 Ft Over notched their 2nd win of the season over Team Yellowbook Tuesday night at Stony Point. In a game marred by excessive fouling 6 Ft Over pulled away in the 2nd half to a fairly easy victory.

Tuesdays game was the second straight played without former starting swing man Richard “Dick” Dengler.
Richard has determined that pursuing a degree in child development that will send him right to the end of the unemployment line, is more important than Tuesday night recreational basketball.

Dengler’s defensive presence was missed in the 1st half as Yellowbook stayed close due to the play of their bald guard Don Carlson. Carlson deftly sliced through 6 Ft Over’s defense and dropped in multiple long range bombs that kept Yellowbook within a point or two the entire 1st half.

An unfortunate trend has developed during recent 6 Ft Over contests. Some of the lesser skilled teams that can’t match 6 Ft Over’s below average athleticism and size, have resorted to committing an unusually high amount of fouls. Nick Hach usually bears the brunt of the contact as he is routinely mauled by 3 or 4 players at a time who all expressive extreme frustration when fouls are called. One particularly humorous strategy deployed Tuesday was to match an overweight 5’6 guy wearing a worn out Jordan Wizards jersey against the taller Hach. Play was stopped several possessions in a row as Yellowbook intentionally fouled play after play.

Yellowbook’s best player Carlson left at halftime to attend a bachelor party and his team quickly fell apart. Without Carlson Yellowbook’s offense became completely bogged down and shots they were making in the 1st half started falling short. Their defense could not stop back cutting in the 2nd half as Hasenmiller and Shupert routinely beat their man back door for easy lay ups. As the flood gates opened Nick Hach found time to throw down 4 monster dunks in the 2nd half over his talentless muscle bound defender.

6 Ft Over found themselves in an unusual position when they chose to milk the clock in the closing minutes. Yellowbook threw in a few garbage time buckets that made the final score a respectable 84-70.

NOTES : 6 Ft Over made a quick roster move Tuesday night when they added a free agent who goes by the name “Charlie”. Charlie will replace Richard Dengler in the lineup starting next week. Not much is known about Charlie except he isn’t good enough to play on Hach’s “other” pickup basketball team.

Dengler Out for Season

Richard Dengler confirmed over the lunch hour that he will be out for the remainder of the season. It has been rumored since Dengler’s bizarre disappearance last week that he would not be back with 6 Ft Over this season. The internet has been buzzing since Dengler’s surprise announcement.

All 6 Ft Over management can confirm at this time is that Dengler’s scholarship will remain in force until the start of the Aegon Fall League and will be re-evaluated at that time. Management stated they are in the process of recruiting a replacement.

Rumors have circulated that Dengler may have checked into a clinic that treats obsessive bill cancelling disease, a disorder that effects 1 in 5,000 Americans.

Teammate Jeff Reiners suggested to the AP that Dengler has become disillusioned with basketball after his poor shot selection almost cost his team a game 3 weeks ago.

A source speaking on a condition of anonymity informed that Dengler may have been suspended for the year. The source went on to state that team officials were baffled last week when Dengler claimed to have been at school all day when classes at the University of Iowa didn’t begin until yesterday.

What Dengler really was doing?

The AP conducted an investigation into Richard's whereabouts Tuesday night. He was no where to be found at the YMCA and claimed that he was doing homework all day which caused him to forget about the basketball game. AP sources said that regular classes don't start at the University of Iowa until Tuesday, August 25th.

It has been said before, "With no school or full time job, it is hard to imagine what exactly makes Rich so busy."

Here are some theories of what Rich may have actually been doing Tuesday night.

1.) Reading his textbooks prior to class starting to get a head start on his peers.

2.) Studying Aeronautics to gauge a potential change in majors.

3.) Calling to cancel more bills that are registered to homes on 47th Street.

4.) Shoveling girls into his car after a night at Brothers.

5.) Volunteering down at the local shelter feeding soup to the homeless.

6.) Mapping out the number of steps from his class rooms to the Airliner.

7.) Calling Aliant Energy to make sure they shut of electricity in his IC apartment the day before he moves out next year.

8.) Stuffing his face with a Baconator extra large value meal with a side of large chili and frosty

9.) Spending hundreds of dollars a month on getting a buzz cut that he could probably do himself.

10.) Being a great role model for underprivileged kids by dressing up in a Snow White gown.

6 Ft Over Demolished 133-80

6 Ft Over's summer season is truly in disarray after the whipping handed to them by Team "Hello Kitty" Tuesday night. The 8:30 start created attendance problems for two key contributors, Nich Hach and Richard Dengler. For Hach, 8:30 was past his bedtime. Dengler's excuse was that he was working on school work all day and forgot about the game. This was interesting when you take into consideration that classes at Iowa don't start until next week. What exactly was the young Dengler working on one must wonder.

Truth be told it wouldn't have mattered if the full squad showed up as the game was a total mismatch. Hello Kitty trotted out a starting lineup of 4 shirtless 16 year old kids who were all 6'5 and above and had obviously all played organized basketball together for a long time. Every single one of the kids was lengthy and quick, two traits not possessed by Reiners, Hasenmiller or Shupert.

When it came time to play and 6 Ft Over had only 3 "live" bodies Shupert went into the crowd and recruited a athletic PG that said he "was in shape and played at Kirkwood." That sounded good enough to qualify as a honorary member of 6 Ft Over. As the game started it was obvious "K-Wood" was on a completely different level than any of his teammates. He gladly launched 6 Ft Over's first dozen shots and made most of them. After a competitive start, Hello Kitty's huge advantages at 3 of the 4 positions became apparent and they jumped out to a 20 or 30 point lead.

Next weeks 6:30 start hopefully will draw the entire squad. The opponent will be Team "Yellow Book" which beat 6 Ft Over last season with a buzzer beater.

6 Ft Over Prevails in OT Thriller

Uncle Fester popped another 3 and sent Team Josiah's home crown into wild celebration as his team pulled away Tuesday night. 6 Ft over saw it slipping away and defeat was imminent. The worst team in the league, led by Fester and his band of goons, had their first victory in sight.

Team Josiah was thoroughly embarrassed by 6 Ft Over in a previous match up and came to play with a tough, physical and borderline dirty style. Everyone expected Uncle Fester to play physically and foul out within the games first 6 minutes and Fester provided no surprises. It was a surprise that a few of Josiah's new acquisitions were real bangers. There was a big bodied man with "Ibanez" on his shirt that knocked everyone down that got in his way. His tough play was surprising given that when he spoke he sounded like Mike Tyson's daughter. There was another rotund post player who easily was 300+ that threatened to "lay out" Aaron Shupert if he dared to bounce an elbow off any of his jelly rolls.

The physical nature of the contest created a testy atmosphere especially when 6 Ft Over players called fouls on consecutive possessions. Team Josiah's complaining reached the ridiculous level when Nick Hach was close lined on a fast break. The opposition expressed surprise that the game was stopped for fouling as the 6'6 Hach picked himself off of the ground.

The endgame of Tuesday's contest was a roller coaster. Neither team could put the other away. Uncle Fester was on fire from downtown and hit a big 3 pointer with a minute and a half to go. Team Josiah's players all brought their wives, girlfriends, kids, friends kids, aunts and uncles to the game and they were really into the action which made it seem like a real game. A clutch Hasenmiller 3 pointer silenced the crowd and tied the game with a minute to go.

Fester scored again in the paint, 6 Ft Over was thwarted on offense and was forced to foul down 2. The winless Team Josiah then demonstrated why they were winless by missing two free throws and giving 6 Ft Over another chance. Nick Hach tied it with a bank shot from the baseline and then 6 Ft Over got another stop with 30 seconds to go and a chance at the last shot. Richard Dengler admitted that his head wasn't entirely in the game because of the release of this photograph prior to tip off.



The embarrassment caused him to lift a cringe inducing 16 footer with 30 seconds still left on the clock in the tie ball game. Dengler's shot missed but 6 Ft Over clamped down on D and forced another Team Josiah miscue.

With three seconds to go 6 Ft Over setup a play which called for Jeff Reiners to run his man off of two baseline screens for a catch and shoot. Reiners received the pass and instantly handed the pressure of taking the last shot back to Hasenmiller. Justin got a good look, but just missed it off to the side. It was time for some OT.

YMCA officials were scrambling to find a rule book when the score remained tied at the end of regulation. It was the first overtime game the YMCA scorekeeper had seen in years. At first it appeared that the YMCA was making up the overtime rules as they went along, but apparently the rule book calls for a 2 minute period to decide a winner.

The OT period quickly turned into a free throw shooting contest which ultimately favored 6 Ft Over. Dengler easily made up for his earlier shot selection by clamping down on D and hitting the offensive glass. Shupert tapped a late missed free throw back to Dengler who made an easy lay up that essentially ended the game. The home crowd left bitterly as it had appeared Team Josiah had their first victory.

Next weeks match up is at 8:30 against Team "Hello Kitty".

6 Ft Over Drops 2nd Straight

6 Ft Over is off to another slow start in the YMCA Summer League. All 5 members of the team showed up for last nights showdown which was a remarkable achievement. Of course the opposition came to Stoney Point with 8 fresh bodies that were all adept at cutting without the ball and fouling Nick Hach when he went to work in the post.

The employees out at the Stoney Point Y like to keep the temperature in their gym hovering around a cool 120 degrees on summer evenings. Last night they dropped the temperature to a chilly 105 degrees and the difference was very apparent.

The Wisconsin Badgers blitzed 6 Ft Over from the onset and led comfortably throughout the first half. The Badgers maintained a double digit lead due to their hot outside shooting and the play of their biracial Center who was outfitted like Jim Carey was during the basketball scene in "The Cable Guy."

Hasenmiller hit a few open 3 pointers in the 1st half when his man left to double team Hach and had a few of his layup attempts blocked when he drove in amongst the trees. Shupert also struggled to get his shot off under the basket against "The Cable Guy", but did show off a surprising touch from outside.

Dengler hit the offensive glass hard and guarded the oppositions best shooter well. The young forward did not look for his shot when he had the ball and opted to dribble around the perimeter in an unpredictable manner.

Reiners was his normal streaky self from outside and was only motivated when matched against the Wisconsin Badger that sported a Ohio State Buckeye shirt. The Buckeye/Badger would stare his defender down in the eye as he dribbled implying that he was a baller that could go wherever he wanted to with the rock. The only problem was that he wasn't that good of a ball handler and was easily thwarted by the slow footed Reiners.

Nick Hach dropped a bucket in at the 1st half buzzer which narrowed the deficit to 11. 6 Ft Over then made their typical 2nd half push and when Aaron Shupert dropped in a rainbow 3 the lead was down to 6.

"You guys have got the magic," Richard Dengler said from the bench as the lead dwindled.

It was not to be, however, as the Badgers used their energy and off the ball movement to free themselves for several easy buckets that closed out 6 Ft Over.

Next week brings Team Josiah who 6 Ft Over easily defeated during the last session.

6ft Collapse

Another disappointing loss for 6ft Over capped a Tuesday that was full of turmoil. The AP had reported earlier that day that the infamous Guatemalan Gunner, Marco de Leon, had been signed on loan from the Guatemalan National team to play with 6ft Over for their season opener. As it turned out in a strange twist of events, Enrique Sanchez Vicario, The Guatemalan coach, decided to cancel the transfer at the last minute, leaving 6ft Over up a river and without a paddle.

6ft Over had one last hope for a sub that day and that hope rested in the hands of a notorious Cedar Rapids thug, T-Money. T-Money had previously contacted 6ft Over in an attempt to secure his spot in the YMCA league drug trafficking arena. T-Money wanted to make sure that anyone that was participating was getting their dope from him. A 6’5” lanky black man, T-Money promised that he would dunk on anyone who stood in his way if given the shot to play for 6ft Over. However, T-Money also was unable to attend the game due to a outpour of gang violence that erupted on Cedar Rapids Southeast side.

So with Nick Hach tending to his kitchen and the Ryan brothers safely nuzzled up with their blankets at home, 6ft Over was forced to start another contest with no substitutes. As it turned out this spelled disaster to the once proud franchise. 6ft Over jumped out to a comfortable lead in the first half using their size advantage with Shupert in the post. However, once fatigue started to set in they fell to a 15-0 run and never saw the light of day again. The 100+ degree temperature inside the Stoney Point gym did not help things as 6ft Over found themselves gasping for air and staggering up and down the court. Late in the second half they found one last run in them where they cut the lead to 7 points. This didn’t last though as Hasenmiller and Reiners were unable to capture previous magic and went 0-10 down the stretch. Shupert started getting so frustrated he decided to just run through picks as hard as possible in attempt to injure the other team. In the end 6ft Over started playing the foul game but it was futile as they could not convert a shot at the other end.

After the game, Dick Dengler noted that he thought something might have been physically wrong with him as he was not able to shoot, dribble, or pass the ball. It is more likely that another weekend of heavy drug use and alcohol consumption did Dick in.

In other news not previously reported, 6ft Over went 1-3 against 4 make shift squads filled with athletic downtown locals in their preseason debut last weak. No further details were given.

6 Ft Over Signs Guatemalan Gunner

Marco de Leon has decided to take a break from his obligations to the Guatemalan National Team to join 6 Ft Over. De Leon has not suited up for his North American squad in well over a year. It is not known how well he will adjust to the American game after playing for Guatemala for so long.

The coach of the Guatemalan national team Enrique Sanchez Vicario stated that de Leon will simply be loaned to 6 Ft Over on a game by game basis.

de Leon shot 2-9 dished out 1 assist and grabbed 2 rebounds, to go along with 6 turnovers, in his last appearance for 6 Ft Over.

6 Ft Over Stuns "A" Leaguers

Richard Dengler took one look at last nights nights substitute opponent and immediately conceded defeat.

"The YMCA All-Stars? Oh man I don't know, the baseball all star game is on. I'd rather watch that than be embarrassed," the young Dengler declared.

Richard was eventually talked into sticking around for the game and was able to participate in the greatest victory in team history.

6 Ft Over was schedule to take on team "Ace" in a rematch of their Week 1 victory. "Ace" was nowhere to be found at tip-off so the director of the YMCA league held a quick expansion draft and came up with our opponent. He selected himself and three 6'5 players from the "A" league" One player chosen, Trent Gaines, sported a Prime Time League jersey which I assume he had because he played in the Prime Time League. Slightly intimidating but as they say that's why we play the games.

Things started slowly for 6 Ft Over as they tried to cope with their disadvantages. Size, speed, ballhandling and athleticism were amongst the advantages that belonged to the "YMCA All-Stars". 6 Ft Over did show off some cohesiveness as they consistently beat their opponents with back cuts and quick secondary fast breaks that resulted in open looks. At the half the all-stars seemed a bit amused that their opponents were hanging with them as they led by only single digits.

The 2nd half turned into the Justin Hasenmiller show as he put on his best Steve Kerr impression while knocking down a career high 6 three pointers. Richard Dengler had the unfortunate experience of being guarded by Gaines, the Prime Time Leaguer, who was so much quicker than him it was impossible to dribble the basketball. Dengler did a decent job however, in limiting his man's effectiveness on offensive. Reiners took a turn guarding Gaines and during one sequence was so faked out that he ended up getting a steal because he had yet to move from the 1st fake and was still in the same position when he was hit with the 2nd spin.

Somehow the ball kept bouncing 6 Ft Over's way and they held a small lead with under 2 minutes to go. The "YMCA All-Stars" decided to turn the game into a free throw shooting contest which turned out to be an intelligent choice. Reiners stepped to the line and made 1 of 2. Hassenmiller bricked a few. Dengler missed a pair. Hach dropped in 1 of 2. Not exactly clutch free throw shooting but 6 Ft Over still clung to a 2 point lead with 2 seconds left. The all-stars drew up a quick play, dropped the ball into the post, threw up a wild shot and called a questionable foul with 0.0 on the clock. In a turn of cheaters luck, their free throw shooter barely caught rim and the upset was complete.

ACE a no show, Dengler cowers at sight of replacement squad

Shoop- “Hey, the other team is a no show so the guy who runs it is just gonna have those guys play us over there.”

Rich- “Who, those black guys?”

Shoop- “Yep, he’s rounding ‘em up now.”

Rich- “What? Awww nawwww the YMCA All-Stars??? Man…. I don’t know….the YMCA All-Stars!!!”

Shoop- “What it will be fine, we can hold our own.”

Rich- “Man, you know that All-Star game is on right now, I think I would rather just go home and watch that then play these guys and get beat down..”

Shoop- “Man, what is you problem, it’s a good work out, we will be fine.”

Rich- “Man.. I don’t know..” (Leaves with tail tucked between legs to get a drink)

6 Ft Over additional notes....

Morgan and Dante Ryan attended last nights beat down giving 6 Ft Over their first official in game fans.

6 Ft Over Receives Drubbing

6 Ft Over took a shellacking last night at the hands of Team Barta. The final tally was 76-51 and there was not a lot of good, or funny news to report. The "lack of a sub" handicap that has gripped the squad during this summer season once again reared its ugly head. Brock Ryan was temporarily suspended for one game due to academic issues. New addition Nick Hach was unable to give it a go because he was still hung over on Tuesday night from a weekend bender.

That left the usual starting 4 who all played well below their "abilities" on Tuesday. Reiners started the contest by missing his first 7 shots from the floor and was embarrassingly scored upon once by a 5'8 shirtless man who took him to the post. Hasenmiller's airball to made shot ratio was about 1:1. Shupert shot 3 of 14 in the paint but did avoid injury. Richard briefly found an advantage while posting up his smaller defender but struggled when for the first time in his young life, he was double and triple teamed.

A Marion cop with an excellent jump shot torched 6 Ft Over for the second time this season (he apparently plays for 2 separate teams). Other than the cop Team Barta had two other solid guards that scored at will from the perimeter.

Next week is a rematch of the Week 1 instant classic against Team Ace. 6 Ft Over fans may recall that Week 1 game in which 6 Ft Over, without a sub, erased a 10 point deficit in the final minutes and held of a late rally to win by 1. Remember, following the close loss a member of Team Ace commented "How did we lose to these guys?" 6 Ft Over will be out to prove the Week 1 upset was no fluke.

6 Feet Over Discovers Winning Way

Losers in 4 straight games 6 Ft Over has been forced to make some changes from the top down. In an effort to stockpile bodies 6 Ft Over has added depth to its bench. Enter Nick Hach a 6'5 rebounding machine with nifty post moves. Brock Ryan also has been able to recover from his weekend benders in time to play in 2 of the last 3 ball games.

With 6 fresh bodies the squad matched up well against team "Josiah" who featured 3 middle aged men shaped like bowling balls and one Adams Family reject with a pretty nice lefty hook shot.

Hach went to work early on Uncle Fester as 6 Ft Over jumped out to the lead. Hasenmiller and Reiners were shocked to find that they were actually quicker than the men that were guarding them and easily drove to the paint for a couple buckets.

Despite their athletic advantages 6 Ft Over found themselves leading by only a point at intermission. It was at halftime that defensive specialist Richard Dengler decided to make a strategic change.

"I want to guard #1," Dengler proclaimed, eager to take on the defensive challenge.

As his teammates glanced at the opposition it was noticed that every single player on team "Josiah" wore a #1 on their back. It was unclear who Dengler intended to guard in the second half.

The game remained close for much of the 2nd half as Hach struggled to get a shot off without being hammered by the 40 something lefty that scored over half of team "Josiah's" points.

Dengler provided an offensive spark with a jumper and a breakaway layup for a 4 point lead. Super sub Brock Ryan checked in and drained a 3 to provide a comfortable 7 point cushion.

The contest never got much closer from then on as 6 Ft Over recorded their first win since week one, 62-47. Up next is Team Barta which most certainly will contain more than one player with a hint of basketball talent.

6ft Over Drops to 1 and 4, Hopes Still Alive to Reach .500

6ft Over entered Tuesday nights contest completely outmanned for the 4th time this season. Despite his promise to fulfill 6ft Over’s need for a sub, Trent Ryan was last seen passed out on the couch before the game. Richard Dengler had this to say, “Man, when I left he was passed out in his boxers with his head buried in the couch, there was no hope for me to get him up.”

Coach Reiners was also a no-show for the game sighting a “family emergency” as his reason for absence. Apparently little Avery would have been unable to care for herself while her mother was working. Reiners weak attempts at finding a babysitter failed and he was forced to stay home and break his team record for consecutive games played. Shupert now holds the record despite a team high in injuries. Shupert started the game with a knee stabilizer, an ankle brace, and a bruised ego from last weeks loss.

On a brighter note, 6ft Over signed former Colligate basketball star Nick Hach prior to the game. Nick provided a low post presence that 6ft Over has never really had. However, because Nick was new to the squad and didn’t have any time to warm up before the game, team chemistry was thrown off in the first half. 6ft Over was stuck at 10 points for at least 6 minutes while the Wisconsin Badgers went on a 20-0 run. “Nicolas Cage” from the Badgers was raining threes ala Ben Gordon the entire game. It didn’t matter if he was guarded, fading away or 4 feet behind the 3 point line, Nick Cage was stroking his shots.

At half time 6ft Over made some defensive adjustments and Hach carried the team to rally to within 9 points. Several drives, and ones, post moves, ally oops, and one monster fast break slam dunk and Hach had 6 ft Over feeling good when they took a timeout with 6 minutes left down by 11. By this time the Wisconsin Badgers realized that they needed to double down on Hach and 6ft Over failed to take advantage by continuing to miss wide open 15 foot jumpers. Player Coach Jeff Reiners would have been a real asset in this game, the one player on 6ft Over that has a semi-consistent jump shot could have made the Badgers pay and the game could have been a different story. At the end of the game 6ft Over only managed to put up 71 points and lost by 12.

After the game Shupert amazingly walked away without further injuring himself. Hasenmiller suggested having a team practice once a week where 6ft Over could work on their shooting a chemistry. Richard Dengler promptly shot this idea down saying, “Man, I would but I’m busy man, I got stuff going on all the time.” One would wonder what Dengler is really doing, he has already denied getting f**ked or s**ked and with no school or serious career, it's hard to fathom what keeps him so busy.

Reiners Signs Hach to 10 Day Contract

6 Ft Over Drops Heartbreaker

Prior to making his 1st appearance in almost 2 full seasons Brock Ryan had no reason to believe he would instantly become the league leader in minutes played per game. With a bench as inconsistent as 6 Ft Over's it shouldn't have been a surprise that Ryan logged a grueling 40 minutes in last nights action.

For the 2nd consecutive week 6 Ft Over took on a formidable opponent with only 4 somewhat bodies. Usual starter Justin Hasenmiller was excused from Tuesdays game for reasons not disclosed. That left Reiners, Dengler, a banged up Shupert and Brock Ryan fresh from his academic suspension.

Things started well for the team as Shupert and Dengler hit the glass hard and Ryan dropped in a couple of long distance bombs. Fatigue began to set in once the team reached 20 points at the 11 minute mark of the 1st half. For the last 11 minutes of that half 6 Ft Over would score only 5 points and trailed 29-20 heading into the 2nd.

Team Yellowbook went to work in the post to begin the 2nd half. One of the strangest players ever encountered in any of these contests dominated 6 Ft Over for long stretches last night. Think Stan Van Gundy in his early 30's, compacted into a 5-7 body, wearing a brand new authentic Derrick Rose jersey and stinking of bad body odor. Despite his appearance lil Stan had slippery hesitation post moves a la Pau Gasol and a running left handed sky hook that he used very effectively.

Shupert suffered a myriad of injuries last night to go along with his already sprained right ankle. Add strained MCL and a hyper extended finger to the injury list. Despite the physical difficulties Shupert paced 6 Ft Over in the 2nd half and played a key part in one of the games defining plays.

Trailing by 1 point with 20 seconds left 6 Ft Over was forced to foul the aforementioned lil Stan sending him to the line for 2 shots. He promptly missed both shots and Shupert secured the rebound. While dribbling up the court Shupert was stripped from behind by his defender who secured to loose ball and proceeded to throw a pass directly to Reiners. Reiners intercepted the pass and threw it down court Shupert. In the most awkward game changing shot in the history of basketball Shupert tosses a lob to Brock Ryan who catches the pass, his feet off of the ground by a good 6 inches, and tosses in a bank shot to put 6 Ft Over up 1 with 6 seconds to go. 6 seconds turned out to be too much time as the opposition called timeout setup a play, isolated their best ball handler at the top of the key and dropped in a shot at the buzzer to win it by 1. Disappointing loss, great game for the fans. If 6 Ft Over can secure 1 or 2 subs for any of the remaining game they should be able to turn this season around.

Shorthanded 6 Ft Over Downed by Old Men

At one point yesterday afternoon 6 Ft Over appeared to have a 7 man rotation going into Tuesday nights game. That would be too many 6 Ft Over management said. Someone would have to stay home. The problem was that none of the subs showed up for the game. We had 3 subs, dismissed 1 and got 0 come game time.

Imagine Phil Jackson having this problem. Minutes before tip off and Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton are missing. Sorry Phil you're going with the starting five all 48 minutes tonight buddy.

Despite the short bench 6 Ft Over had a decent offensive game scoring a season high 70 points. Defensively it was another story as they surrendered 91. It is difficult to describe the shooting performance that team "No D" put on last night. They were absolutely unconscious from mid-range and beyond. 3 of their 5 players could knock down jump shots from everywhere regardless of how well they were defended. Their unofficial team field goal percentage realistically would be between 70 and 80%.

"We're 1 and 2. It's not time to hang our heads," Aaron Shupert said to reporters.

Shupert may have suffered a serious ankle injury in last nights contest and will undergo a MRI this afternoon to determine the extent of the damage.

On a brighter note team equipment manager Morgan Ryan delivered 6 Ft Over's new look grey jerseys just prior to game time. Replica 6 Ft Over jerseys go on sale today if fans are interested.

6 Ft Over Arrives Late, Leaves Early

June 2nd 2009

Helen G. Nassif YMCA


Things started late and ended early for 6 Ft Over during their 2nd week of YMCA league action. Coach Shupert was forced to start recent signee Beau Laughridge due to the late arrival of normal starting forward Richard Dengler. Coach Shupert was none pleased with the behavior of his young forward and announced an immediate punishment.

"Richard Dengler didn't start tonight nor will he start next Tuesday," an irritated Shupert declared to the press.

Dengler himself did not comment except to deny the accusation that he was fucking or getting sucked by a bitch, causing him to be late.

"Man if I were (fucking) I'd tell you guys," Dengler stated.

Despite Beau's surprise start 6 Ft Over stayed close to team Fast Break in the first half. Helped by a few line drive jumpshots by the aforementioned Laughridge the team only trailed by a small margin going into half time.

Little to 6 Ft Over's knowledge their opposition on this night included a Tyler Hansborough look-a-like and an asian kid who looked like he belonged in a local chess tournament yet had the ability to sink jump shots from all over the floor.

Despite their opponents advantages 6 Ft Over grabbed a modest lead early in the 2nd half. Things looked good when Tyler Hansborough Jr. headed to the mens room to take a shit with 7:35 to go.

Hansborough Jr. never returned from the crapper but his team didn't need him. Fast Breaks's other players decided to make a few lay-ups and 6 Ft Over shot 0-17 to close out the contest.

The loss leaves 6 Ft Over's season looking cloudy. Yes their are teams in this league that contain 5-9 35 year olds with beer bellies but it also contains teams with 6-6 Division 1 Basketball players that you would recognize from ESPN.

Despite the increase in competition 6 Ft Over remains confident and looks forward to beating on the old men and getting beat on by the 6-6 brothers that dunk from where ever they want.

6 Ft Over's Finest Hour

6 Ft Over refused to lose Tuesday night and posted a riveting come from behind victory that left Team "Ace" in disbelief. Down by as many as 10 points for the entire game 6 Ft Over took their 1st lead with 1:30 to go and barely held on to win their YMCA league debut.

The YMCA league features a running clock consisting of 2 20 minutes halves. This rule made the comeback last night possible. Team "Ace" lead comfortably throughout the 1st half as 6 Ft Over missed a half dozen layups and carelessly turned over the ball.

Early in the 2nd half 6 Ft Over tied the game at 34 apiece on a Richard Dengler hook shot. Playing without subs began to take its toll on the starters and their quick footed opposition went on a 10-0 run to make it 44-34.

Rathering than wilting under the pressure 6 Ft Over took advantage of another great YMCA league rule….the timeout. With their strategic use of two 2nd half timeouts 6 Ft Over was able to catch a 2nd wind and began the run that ultimately won the contest.

It started on a Justin Hasenmiller 3 that cut the lead to 7 with 5 minutes to go. Hasenmiller and Shupert were remarkably accurate last night from downtown each hitting several key bombs that kept the squad in the game (3's count in this league as well).

Dengler picked up the pace from there and played the closing minutes of the game with a mean streak. Who ever told Dengler that the Cavs trailed by 19 at halftime last night deserves the game ball because that inaccurate information pushed Dengler to a fury that he unleashed on his poor defender down the stretch. (Cavs led by 8 or 9 at halftime)

Rich scored on a hook shot, Shupert mixed in a layup and Rich scored again after clearing out his man with a blatant offensive foul. Suddenly it was a 1 point game with 2 minutes to go.

After throwing in wild shot after wild shot in the 1st half Team "Ace" could not buy a basket down the stretch. Reiners, who was held in check all night, finally got a good look with 1:30 left and drained a long 2 over a 6-6 ogre.

With 6 Ft Over now up by 1 the game became very tense. The author must admit the sequence of plays is somewhat of a blur but I recall a wild scramble for a loose ball and the other team yelling at each other.

Team Ace burned a timeout with 11 seconds to go and setup a play. To their credit the play worked perfectly and they set up their ogre for a easy lay up which he promptly missed. Hasemiller secured the rebound and was sent to the line via an intentional foul. Justin calmly sunk both free throws putting 6 Ft Over up 3 with 2 seconds remaining.
After another timeout Team Ace setup another play to free a 3 point shooter but he threw up an airball as the horn sounded. 6 Ft Over had literally stolen the win. They led only for 1 minute and 30 seconds of the 40 minute contest. The important thing was they led at 0:00 which was the only time it mattered.

6 Ft Over Shows Rust in Pre-Season Opener

6 Ft Over got spanked like little boys last night at the Stoney Point YMCA. Facing a team of 6-7 animals led by a lightning quick point guard the out of shape members of 6 Ft Over dragged themselves through 2 straight losses. The good thing is that these were only pre-season games.

6 Ft Over had a few major problems. The first problem was the team they faced had two players who were unable to miss shots regardless of how well they were defended. Forwards Aaron Shupert and Jeff Reiners decided pre game to employ a "Shane Battier" style defense meaning that rather than try to block a jump shot they would stick their hand right in the shooters face. Bottom line was that strategy didn't work. They were able to drain 20 footers with a hand literally right in the face obscuring vision completely.

The second major issue was the other team featured a 6-9 player who played college basketball at Cornell. He basically did what ever he wanted to against a front line composed of a couple of binge drinkers. His performance included a rim rattling 2 handed dunk and a vicious swat of a Justin Hassemiller lay-up attempt.

"He made me feel a step behind man," said Richard Dengler.

"That was because he (Dengler) was a step behind," Shupert said after hearing Denglers comment.

This was only pre-season but it looks like 6 Ft Over may be in for a long summer.

Week 9 – 6 Ft Over Gets Vindication

6 Ft Over played fantastic basketball to close out the season and enacted revenge on the only team to beat them last year.

"We circled this game on our calendar early and knew we had to be ready to play," said Jeff Reiners who sported a bruised and scratched eye following the physical contest.

6 Ft Over came out with defensive intensity seldom seen during the 8 week season. Learning a lesson from last seasons defeat Coach Reiners assigned defensive stopper Richard Dengler to reigning league MVP Roger "The Wizard" Clark. The result was spectacular. Dengler stuck to the MVP like glue and was not scored upon. Clark acknowledged after the game that he struggled while being guarded by the young drug addict.

"They put the lanky guy on me and I just couldn't get going," Clark said.

Professional cage fighter Beau Laughridge was signed to a 10 day contract just hours before tip off and proved to be a great addition to the team. Auditioning for a big money free agent deal in the off season Laughridge had several key plays including a game winning jumper to end Game 1.

Tony Nieland scored a career high 2 points last night including a jaw dropping 20 foot jump shot.

"Come on there wasn't anyone within 10 feet of me," Tony said explaining his shot selection.

Aaron Shupert came into the game with his own personal vendetta. Badly outplayed in last seasons loss to Cobra Kai Shupert vowed to improve in the off season and get even with his tormenter "Porky Pig". Pork was the 300 pounder with an attitude and a smooth left handed jump shot that burned 6 Ft Over badly last season. Shupert was not outplayed on this night and ended Pork's season in one the most satisfying ways possible. With possession of the ball and one point away from victory Shupert took a pass on the baseline from Reiners. He put a quick pump fake on the Pork, got him off balance, took one hard dribble towards the basket and put his shoulder into Porks massive chest. As the Pork flew backwards whining for an offensive foul in a pickup basketball game Shupert drained the game winning 8 footer.

Week 8 – St. Patties Day Massacre

6 Ft Over put a good old fashion holiday beat down on "Sales Prevention" beating them by a combined score of 26-3. Shupert and Reiners showed no effects of the St. Patties Day Specials consumed prior to the game as they combined for over half of the teams points. Team "Sales Prevention" was murdered on the glass. Rarely did a ball carom off of the rim that didn't end up in the hands of Dengler, Nieland or Shupert. 6 Ft Over ran a clinic of fast break, back cutting basketball as "Sales Prevention" stood around perplexed by off the ball movement.

6 Ft Over admitted to looking towards next weeks showdown prior to the end of the Week 7 "competition". In the match up prior to theirs, 6 Ft Over witnessed reigning league MVP Roger Clark sink a jumper in double overtime to take down the previously undefeated "Only If". Clark, and his team "Cobra Kai", go into the week 8 battle on an all-time high. Last season "Cobra Kai" handed 6 Ft Over their only blemish. Revenge has been on the teams mind ever since. Bad blood still exists between Shupert and the entire front line of "Cobra Kai". Shupert, obviously still irked by "Cobra Kai's" intentional fouling in last seasons contest, promises to dominate come March 24th.

Week 7 – 6 Ft Over Back to Winning Ways

Losers in 3 of their past 4 games 6 Ft Over has looked nothing like the team that breezed to a 13-1 record last season. Team "Team Guys" were just what 6 Ft Over needed to get back that winning feeling. Last year, if you recall, 6 Ft Over dominated Them Guys in 4 consecutive wins. Them Guys made some improvements in the off season by dumping that immobile, impossibly slow 345lb Hawaiian guy for a sweet shooting tattooed guard named Julio Caesar Vasquez.

Richard Dengler, who during warm ups bellowed at anyone that would listen that he was "shooting all night tonight boys," showed off his new found touch from outside in Game 1. Again powered by his AI shooting sleeve Aaron Shupert showed flashes of his old 1st Team All Rec League self, dominating the paint and blocking weak shot attempts by 5'6 45 year old men.

Shupert credits his new warm-up routine for his improved play. Shuperts strange, but effective pre-game warm-up now involves light weight lifting, a full out sprint on a treadmill and jump roping. All of this is done with West Coast funk blaring in his headphones, a Chicago Bulls warm-up suit on his back and wet spiked hair.

Them Guys came out with a passion in Game 2 and played like they were tired of getting beat down by 6 Ft Over. The aforementioned Vasquez was red hot draining pull up jumpers over Dengler and Shupert 4 or 5 times in a row. The problem was no one else could do anything as Game 2 turned into 6 Ft Over vs. Vasquez. He eventually cooled off and 6 Ft Over walked away the winners 13-10.

The match up with last seasons lone conqueror Cobra Kai is two weeks away but the squad promises not to look past "Sales Prevention" next week.

Week 6 – 6 Ft Over Stumbles in Split

6 Ft Over has hit a skid not seen since the days of the competitive league. Losers in 3 of their past 4 games 6 Ft Over again struggled to get stops. Team "Crafty" scorched 6 Ft Over in Game 2 easily shooting above 70% from the field.

"They were just a bad match up for us", guard Justin Hasenmiller mumbled to the press following the loss.

It appeared as if 6 Ft Over had a distinct advantage in talent while they breezed through team "Crafty" 13-8 in the opener. Aaron Shupert led the way in Game 1 as he demonstrated a surprisingly soft touch from the outside. Shupert sported a Allen Iverson like black shooting sleeve on his right arm and credited it for his improved accuracy from beyond 3 feet.

Game 2 was a different story. Team "Crafty" scored on 6 straight possessions to take a commanding 9-2 lead before 6 Ft Over knew what had hit them. The squad mounted a minor comeback to make things interesting. A Jeff Reiners jumper closed the gap to 12-10 but that was as close as it got.

The local press is circulating a rumor that a few members of 6 Ft Over may be on the trading block ahead of the Week 7 trade deadline. Reiners dismissed the rumors as "ridiculous" but a source close to the situation reported that there is an offer on the table involving 3 teams, cash considerations and a rack of new basketballs.

Week 5 – 6 Ft Over Defeated

Team "Only If" outlasted 6 Ft Over in a highly competitive showdown between the undefeated titans. 6 Ft Over couldn't take advantage of several opportunities to close out Game 1 and fell in overtime 14-12. "Only If" was lead by their vocal leader who had an odd habit off screaming motivational phrases to his teammates during the game as if he were trying out for the last spot on the JV Basketball team. Game 2 was ugly as 6 Ft Over was handled by a team that played much harder and smarter. The pair off losses were the first for 6 Ft Over in the last 17 games. Coach Reiners hopes the team will turn the corner from here,

"We haven't played consistently all season. This is the wakeup call we needed."


There were several injuries to report from last nights contest:

Reiners (Toe)
Shupert (Thumb)
Hasenmiller (Eye)
Dengler (Pride)

Week 4 – 6 Ft Over Grinds Out 17th in a row.

In a physical, gritty showdown against a team made up of their athletic peers 6 Ft Over showed why they are still the Rec League Champions. Dengler was on the verge of vomiting and Hasenmiller was left bleeding when all was said and done.

It was obvious from the start that this one wouldn't be easy. "Slam Deductions" had a 7 man rotation and at least half of their players had a moderate skill level. 6 Ft Over, like it has so many times before, took advantage of their championship experience and size to grind out the first game 13-9. Things got testy towards the end of Game 1 when the 270lb Tony Nieland slapped on the one man full court press on a midget sporting a "UNI" T-shirt. "UNI" seemed to take offense to the pressure and responded by dropping a shoulder into Tony's massive chest. The scowl that Tony sent towards the midget convinced him and his teammates that Tony wasn't the one they wanted to pick on.

6 Ft Over again fell into their habit of performing poorly at the start of the 2nd game. The winning streak was in serious jeopardy when Slam Deductions took a 7-5 lead and 6 Ft Over appeared to have hit the wall. Again, like the first 2 weeks, the 2nd game hit a lull of 12 to 15 straight possessions where neither team could score. Hasenmiller summed up that period of the game in his post game comments,

"I figured if we threw enough garbage up at the rim something would fall eventually."

The team survived the lull by falling back into their familiar roles. Reiners shooting, and last night missing, jump shots. Shupert manning the block. Hasenmiller handling the rock. Nieland sucking down rebounds and not shooting. Dengler, who has embraced the role of defensive stopper a la Bruce Bowen, was pivotal in the victory.

"I felt like smashing a basketball in someone's face," Dengler said following the game not mentioning anyone in particular.

6 Ft Over put the game away 13-8 after a jumps hot by Hasenmiller, a driving lay-in from Dengler, a 16 footer from Reiners and a baseline jumper from Shupert.

Next week is "Only If" who along with 6 Ft Over is undefeated. Word around the Aegon Rec League is that members of "Only If" have been gloating about going undefeated the entire season.

"That's hilarious," said Dengler.