Cats and kittens and Sharks and ‘dogs

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We begin this post with a huge congratulations to Militia OL/DL Big Cat (#95), who brought her little Kitten into the world last night. Kitten represents the first member of the 2011 Militia Baby Brigade, and we wish for her a life of health, laughter and kicking ass like her mama does. Welcome, Kitten!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled post:

So my old buddy Emory Hunt, the Czar of the Playbook, he of the Football Gameplan, posted his pregame analysis of tomorrow’s matchup between the Militia and the Sharks – link here, if you haven’t seen it. Bonus points for the Czar: #28’s last name sounded slightly more like her real last name than whatever he came up with last time. Woot!

The point, however, is that Mr. Hunt predicts a New York victory. And in the “Pick ‘Em – Week 3″ thread on the indescribably ridiculous Ning Women’s Football Forum (to which I plan to dedicate an entire post once I figure out how to describe how ridiculous it is), straw poll has three people picking the Sharks, two picking the Militia. (Interestingly, the Entirely Unscientific “WFA Fantasty Football Line” on the NY Sharks website still has the line as Militia by 0.5, but that deserves a whole OTHER post that I am hoping the Backseat Coach will write. HINT HINT, BSC.)

So yeah, despite my whole thing last week about being fine when my team’s up and fine when my team’s down ’cause that’s life and all, the fact of the matter is that no one wants to hear that other people expect their team to lose (unless you’re Margaret Whitton in Major League, which I’m pretty sure you’re not. And if you are: hi, Ms. Whitton! You should totally come to the game tomorrow).

It was actually bothering me more than I expected, until Schwartzie (#78) made this comment when posting the Football Gameplan video on Facebook:

I like being the underdogs, it gives us that much more motivation and makes the victory sweeter! GO MILITIA!!!!

And I thought, what a good freakin’ point! Man, we haven’t gotten to be the underdogs since, like, May of 2008. This is awesome! We’re David! We’re Butler! We’re the Newsies! We’re the 1980 US Hockey team with way better hair!

So I will be at the game tomorrow, rain or shine, there to support my scrappy little rag-tag underdog team of waifs, strays and hoodlums. And by that, of course, I mean the team that’s gone 26-4 since it started playing three years ago.

Just sayin’, y’all. Just sayin’.

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Meet Your Militia: Dot (a.k.a. the Bus) – #39

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Dot with the
2010 Superbowl trophy.
© Threepairs Photography

Once upon a time there was a NFL running back named Jerome Bettis, who earned the nickname “The Bus” due to his ability to carry the ball forward even with multiple defenders riding along on his back. This ability (and, thus, this nickname) also belong to Boston Militia running back Dot (#39), whom I have repeatedly watched push forward through seemingly impossible crowds of opposing team members to earn the Militia a first down in crucial situations.

This Bus has another kind of power behind her as well – I had the good fortune to be sitting near Dot’s mom during the Superbowl in Texas last year, and if I ever find myself in a similar situation with the Player to Be Named Later I can only hope to be a fraction of how awesomely and enthusiastically supportive she was. How many moms do YOU know who sing songs about their daughters’ plays on the football field as they happen? Not nearly enough, that’s how many.

Dot was generous enough to use some of her already-scarce free time to be this season’s first Meet Your Militia participant, for which I’m very appreciative. Thanks, Dot, and best of luck at the home opener on Saturday!

What's the point of a touchdown with no touchdown dance?
© Threepairs Photography
What’s the most difficult part of playing football, and what’s the most rewarding?

I think the most difficult part of playing football is the continuous grind. Working a full time job, the multiple facets of preparing for the game can take its toll in a long season. It adds another term to the equation for work/life balance – it becomes the work/football/life balance. For me all the work is worth the most rewarding part of football. Scoring is always great, making the leading block for a score is always great but the best is seeing the face of one of my teammates light up after doing those things. They are my family and the greatest reward is making my family proud.

What differences, if any, do you think will come from playing in the WFA this year instead of the IWFL?

In light of most of the top teams leaving the IWFL, I think the main difference will be the level of competition. We have an opportunity now to prove ourselves against the best teams every game. I also hope that from that comes more notoriety for women’s football.

You’re a seasoned Militia veteran, while a fair number of this year’s running backs are rookies. When you watch them play, can you see yourself when you first started? What are the major changes you can identify in yourself since then?

I can definitely see glimpses of myself as a rookie in the rookie running backs we have this year. You see the will of wanting to perform well but the uncertainty in their movements. No matter how talented you are, it’s definitely a comedy of errors the first time you put on the pads and the helmet. Then it becomes about settling down and trusting in your ability, teammates and coaches. They have definitely come along very well. I’m excited to see them excel and I hope that I can help guide them and be someone for them to lean on.

The core of Dot's fan club: Momma & fiancée Jill.
What is something that’s made you feel supported as a Militia player?

I definitely think the best support anyone can have is that of their family and friends. I definitely have this – I call my mom before every game and she usually gives me a rhyme for the game along the lines of us winning and me running over someone. You have to listen to what momma says so it gets me in good spirits and pumped up for the game. Jill, my fiancée, comes to every home game and some of the away games as well. My co-workers come to games and they like to get updates on how the season is going. The company I work for has sponsored the team for the last four seasons including this one. At work, my desk is a stop on the “tour” of the office for potential clients – I’m introduced as a player for the Super Bowl champion Boston Militia. Our fan base and home crowd is growing each season and we definitely have great dedicated fans.

Click photo to enlarge for full effect. (Also, is the ref, like, having an emotional moment with that player in the background or what? Maybe he's blocking for us?)
© Threepairs Photography
What is something you’d like see happen that would make you feel more supported?

I hope that our fan base can spread to more communities. I believe we have really good coverage in Somerville thanks largely to the Somerville Scout and our home field being in Somerville. Our friends and family definitely spread the news of the team by word of mouth. It would be great if we could get scores reported in the Globe or the Herald and on the local news…possibly even short game summaries. If high school football can get in the news, why can’t we? There are a lot of people who don’t know that the Militia exist. The fact is that we have a winning program that goes unnoticed because people just don’t know about us. If winning games and championships and winning over critics doesn’t ignite interest and create a buzz I’m not really sure what can.

We hear that you recently got engaged (congrats!!). Inquiring minds want to know: will the reception feature Militia karaoke?

Thank you so much; we are definitely excited. I’m not so sure Militia karaoke will make an appearance at the wedding reception, but hopefully it will make an appearance at the bachelorette party!

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Overheard in DC x3, plus bonus visual

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Overheard: DC fan to other DC fan toward the end of the game, nodding towards us: “Wonder how they feel being here now?”

How did I feel? Well, mostly I was cold, because it was friggin’ cold. And I had to pee, because I’m eight months pregnant and I always have to pee. I don’t think that’s what they meant, though. I think they were wondering if we were embarrassed to be there in Militia colors, if we regretted traveling down the east coast to watch a game that didn’t go the way we wanted it to. And what I thought was this: if that’s really how you think I feel, you have a pathetic idea of what a real fan is.

Of course it’s great to be a fan when your team wins. That goes without saying. But if that’s all you experience, if that’s all you know and those are the only times you show up (and stay ’til the end), the wins don’t mean as much. I mean, I’m from Boston, ferchrissakes. The 2004 Sox season doesn’t mean that 2003 didn’t happen. They’re equal parts of the story, and the latter made the former that much better – that much more real.

If you can stand it, think for a moment about the last game of the 2009 season when DC scored that heartbreaking touchdown in the final seconds. OK, you can stop thinking about it now. Know what the Militia did after that? Won eleven freakin’ games in a row (including three against DC, ahem). And this is not me saying that that’s what I expect now – that would be ridiculous, especially from someone whose maximum physical contribution to the game is waddling from the car to her seat in the bleachers. But whatever does happen with the rest of the season, I fully intend to be there – in person when I can, and in spirit when I’m, y’know, giving birth and stuff.

So how did I feel being at the game last night? I’m the Militia Cheerleader, dude. I support my team at every single game. What on earth do I have to feel bad about?

Overheard in the Militia Fan Zone, fourth quarter:

Announcer: “Illegal shift, offense.”
Militia Fan: “Illegal…oh, now you’re just making shit up!”
Backseat Coach: (standing on bleacher seats) “I gotcher illegal shift right here, pal!”
Other Militia Fan: “Hey ref, you suck!”
Announcer: “Pass interference, defense.”
Assorted Militia fans: “Make-up call.” “Mm-hmm. Make-up call.” “We’ll take it.” [We all nod at each other.] Pause.
Militia Fan: “Hey ref, you still suck!”

What can I say? We’re from Boston.

Overheard from cheerleaders WAY cuter than me: Two little girls sitting near us for the first half of the game, there in support of – I believe – Aunt Patty. These girls had it going on:

Go, Patty! Go, Patty!
Don’t get hurt! Don’t get hurt!
Do the best you can! Do the best you can!
Score a whole goal! Score a whole goal!

This was in somewhat stark contrast to Backseat Coach’s own form of gametime feedback (“Hey, Ref! If you had one more eye, you’d be a Cyclops!”). But I suppose they’re equally valid forms of support, each in their own way. (I totally plan to co-opt the girls’ cheers for the rest of the season, however. Yeah, Militia! Score a whole goal!)

Promised bonus visual: My game uniform from yesterday. Click for full effect. Then don’t say I never did nothin’ for ya.

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Ch-ch-ch-changes

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Adios, IWFL! ‘Sup, WFA? As most people reading this know, the Militia (along with a whole bunch of other teams) jumped ship from the Independent Women’s Football League and are now affiliated with the Women’s Football Alliance, the other major existing women’s tackle football league besides the IWFL.

Your Militia Cheerleader doesn’t know anything about the backstory of this upheaval besides what she has read on the internet and made up in discussions with your Backseat Coach, but that said, I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all. I am nervous about the WFA’s ability to support a gigantic league – esp. given that I don’t think there are tiers involved? But I was never happy with the IWFL’s utter and repeated lack of current game and player stats on their website, which to me seems like a pretty basic thing for a league to be on top of…there’s more stuff, too, but it’s kind of neither here nor there for now; I am just looking forward to seeing if the WFA has its shit together a little bit more.

However, because I am a total selfish elitist, I am sad that there are still not enough resources to support a smaller “top tier” league. (Best of the best of the best, sir! With honors.[sws_css_tooltip position=”center” colorscheme=”rosewood” width=”232″ makeOverflowVisible=”1″ url=”javascript:void(0);” trigger=”*” fontSize=”10″]Sorry, watched “Men in Black” yesterday. [/sws_css_tooltip]) In my perfect world, this league exists & has the finances to actually fly teams to play each other according to divisions and schedules that make sense and are based on the best interests of the game of football, not on travel budget constraints. These would be routinely kick-ass competitive games which would have a greater chance of attracting media attention and potentially major corporate sponsorship…but hey, that’s just my perfect world. Someday, maybe.

Moving on and switching topics, I ask you this: who in the holy hell thought it was a good idea to have four of the first five games of the season be away games when I will be EIGHT AND NINE MONTHS PREGNANT? I mean, we scheduled our friggin’ childbirth education classes around the game schedule, ferchrissake.[sws_css_tooltip position=”center” colorscheme=”rosewood” width=”232″ makeOverflowVisible=”1″ url=”javascript:void(0);” trigger=”*” fontSize=”10″]That’s completely true, by the way. [/sws_css_tooltip] How ’bout a little courtesy? Danbury at 37 weeks, my ass.

On a related note: for some reason there does not seem to be a large market in cheerleader-style skirts for pregnant women. However, anyone who thinks I’m not totally researching how to cut & hem long pleated maternity skirts does not know me very well AT ALL.

p.s. As it turns out, Tiny Rookie (or the Player to Be Named Later, which is a MUCH better nickname that Schwartzie came up with) is, with relative certainty, a little Backseat Coach and not a little Militia Cheerleader – and no, he does not have a name yet, so Schwartzie’s nickname is still completely accurate. We’re open to suggestions, although I will tell you now that I am not naming my son Ernie Boch Junior Junior. Sorry.

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Meet Your Militia: Schwartzie (#78)

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Schwartzie (#78) is a two-year O-line player who proves her bad-assery not only on the field but on the dance floor as well. She was also kind enough to be the Pre-Bling-Day Meet Your Militia subject, although if you are Schwartzie (or, apparently, the Backseat Coach), every day is Bling Day.

1. What surprised you the most – or what didn’t you expect – about playing for the Militia (or playing football in general)?

Hmm, what surprised me the most? Perhaps the close friendships that I developed over the past two years – well, that might be what I didn’t expect. I think what surprised me the most was how far I could push myself to become a member of the Boston Militia. As Smash likes to quote me, I was an overweight, out-of-shape 38-year-old who had never played tackle football and now I’m playing with some people literally half my age.

Schwartzie vs. the New England Intensity
Game Face, followed immediately by Post-Game Face

2. You are part of the undefeated 11-0 World Champion 2010 Boston Militia team, and tomorrow you’ll be receiving a Superbowl ring. Can you articulate what that means to you? (Also, do you plan to wear the ring, like, 24/7?)

It’s very surreal and there are times when I still don’t believe it’s true. For me, it’s a great accomplishment; I haven’t come in first for anything since 2nd grade Field Day. To be a part of a Championship team is something that is extremely special and very few people get to experience. I am so going to wear my ring everyday, but I’ll give it a rest at night…don’t need to retain fluid in my fingers.

3. July 10, 2010 marked two memorable occasions: it was the day you guys shut out the D.C. Divas in a massively-anticipated ECC rematch and it was also your 40th birthday. Is there one moment that was the highlight of that day for you?

The highlight of the day was when I saw my Dad in the stands and he was wearing my number (78). But the entire day was awesome: birthday wishes from teammates, walking into the locker room and getting a gameday hug from Cahill, beating the Divas, AND Chocolate Cake shots with the O-line at the afterparty.

Schwartzie signals victory over the NY Sharks in the 2010 Divisional Playoffs.
4. What is something that’s made you feel supported as a Militia player?

I think all the support that Ernie Boch, Jr. has given us has been tremendous. He supports the team with advertising, transportation and outfitting us so we can look professional. Would love to see a little more merchandising, but it’s getting better as the fan base is increasing. My co-workers are always asking about the team, how we’re doing and when the next game is. The residents of Somerville are great by coming to our games. I love it when the kids ask for my autograph. The best was when my friend Sug made a sign and I was in her FAB 5. I like the occasional media events that happen with various radio stations, but I wish they would take it a little more seriously and not ask us about the Lingerie League.

5. What is something you’d like see happen that would make you feel more supported?

I would love to see some sort of blurb in the Sunday papers with at least our score instead of a one-off article at the beginning or end of the season. After hearing that the Kansas City Tribe got to go to Arrow Head Stadium and get announced at one of the Chiefs pre-season games as the 2009 IWFL Champs, I had fantasies about going to Gillette and rubbing elbows with the Patriots O-line, but I’ll settle for more coverage in the mainstream media, both print and broadcast. I would love a cable channel to broadcast the games, that’d be sweet.

Schwartzie the Birthday Girl gettin' down to 'Dancing Queen' after helping to defeat the DC Divas in the Eastern Conference Championship game.
6. Care to defend your apparent addiction to ABBA?

Who doesn’t like ABBA?! It’s such great music; you can’t help but feel happy after you listen to ABBA. Infectious, bubble gum pop with catchy hooks and it’s great to dance to. Yes, I have seen Mamma Mia! the musical six times, but where else can you see ABBA music performed live? I could blame this one on my parents; we grew up with an 8-track (yeah, I’m dating myself) in my Mom’s car, my parents joined Columbia House (really dating myself) and we had four ABBA 8-tracks that we’d listen to constantly. It was better than listening to Nat King Cole and Herb Albert over and over (although, I’m fans of them too).

Coda: We would be remiss in our duties if we featured Schwartzie without also featuring her BAMF tattoo, emphasis on the BA. For reals, yo.

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Pre-bling countdown!

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As the much-anticipated Awarding-of-the-Bling Ceremony approaches, I just wanted to let everyone know that Backseat Coach and I are indeed planning to attend (although “crash” may be a more accurate verb since technically we are not arriving as anyone’s One Designated Allotted Guest). I cannot guarantee that we will be able to rock the whole night away, however, and sadly I have to turn down the numerous very kind offers of drink-buying, since our own off-season news is that your Militia Cheerleader and Backseat Coach are in fact expecting a new addition to their family. Estimated arrival is mid-May, which means that – should everything go well – your Militia Cheerleader will be approximately the size of a small planet when the season begins next spring. (Bring on the Militia maternity wear!)

I thought for a while about how to refer to the aforementioned new addition on this site; the simplest thing to do would be to combine our own names but “Militia Coach” is simply inaccurate and frankly, “Backseat Cheerleader” doesn’t necessarily conjure up images one wants associated with one’s firstborn. So we’re gonna go with “Tiny Rookie,” although the accuracy of that is iffy too since a) we do not know TR’s gender yet and b) I have no intention of letting any child of mine actually play football. Are you kidding me? People get HURT playing football. Jesus H. What the hell’s the matter with you.

The far more relevant off-season news, however, is of course the sudden exodus of the Militia and a number of other teams away from the IWFL. Your Militia Cheerleader knows nothing about this other than what’s she read on the Militia website and seen in Google Alerts; I’m not even sure what league they’re playing for now. It’s like the kind-of-WFA? WFA II Electric Boogaloo? I did see it referred to once as “the WFA-associated supergroup”, which you have to admit is pretty awesome.

I’m really hoping more details come out at some point, since the Militia Tactical Assault Team does in fact have a lot of ideas re: promotion in the off-season but it’s difficult to promote a team playing in a league with no name against unknown opponents in an undetermined division, y’know?

But the bottom line is that whatever league the Militia are in, they will rock it (all night long) because that’s just how they roll. Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow night (or tonight, by the time you read this) and cheer up a storm, at least until I fall asleep on Backseat Coach’s shoulder as I have been doing every night at about 8:30 pm.

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Best league evah!!

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Tragically, when I clicked on the link to the whole answer, there was already just a notice that the it had been deleted according to[sws_css_tooltip position=”center” colorscheme=”rosewood” width=”210″ makeOverflowVisible=”1″ url=”javascript:void(0);” trigger=”*” fontSize=”12″]I think they mean “in accordance with”, but whatever.[/sws_css_tooltip] their “Community Guidelines”.

Hey Yahoo: why don’t you want us to know about the Linguine League, huh? Whatcha hiding, huh??

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So when’s the parade?

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WHAT’S UP 2010 IWFL SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS.

HOLY EFF.

ALL NIGHT LONG.

So your Militia Cheerleader got back from the airport at about one a.m. and had to work six hours later so she is not able to write recaps, post pics or hate on major media outlets until tonight – but rest assured that it will happen, as even in the wee hours of the night, Backseat Coach and I were still waking each other up to talk about the game:

BSC: It’s amazing that they held them scoreless for that long!
Me: I know!
BSC: I mean, most of the time, when that happens, it’s because the other team can’t advance the ball. But that wasn’t what was going on! They were moving it down the field all the time! It’s just that, each time –
Me & BSC in unison: – they just couldn’t get it done!
Cats: OMG, they came back crazy.

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Notes from the Road

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(In no order and with no coherent transitions, because I have been up since 3 am.)

Backseat Coach and I got up so early for our 5 am flight and were so spacey that we accidentally attempted to rob a Dunkin’ Donuts when we both walked out assuming the other had paid. (We were quickly apprehended in the parking lot but laughed so hard when confronted that we were released on our own recognizance after coughing up the six bucks we owed them.)

***

Travel Advisory: if you wear a cowboy hat in Texas, people assume you know where you’re going.

***

Overheard at Enterprise Rental Car in the Austin airport:

Rental car guy: Let’s see…you’re getting a Ford Explorer…
BSC: Yup.
Rental car guy: Do you want a black one or a silver one?
BSC: Uh, silver, I guess.
Me: What?!
BSC: Oh – did you want the black one?
Me: TEAM COLORS. HELLO.
Rental car guy: Oh! Are you here for the Boston Militia?
BSC & Me: Um, yeah, we are.
Rental car guy: Yeah! They were all here yesterday. They got some big vehicles. [pause] They were big. [pause] And their bags were bigger.

***

My shining moment of the day came when BSC and I had boarded the plane that would take us from Boston to Houston (en route to Austin), and as we were pulling away from the gate, BSC was showing me the very cool Twitter app he uses on his iPhone, which I apparently chose to express my excitement about by yelling “OH MY GOD, THAT’S THE BOMB!”

***

You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl

Me: Whoa! I just saw a guy wearing a checkered shirt and a cowboy hat and he wasn’t even kidding!
BSC: I know, baby. He does that every day.
Me: Every day?
BSC: Every day.
Me: Whoaaaaaaa.

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