Pumped up from clinching the championship in the Saucony Summer Office League in Boston, the guys and gals at Sonicbids have kept the fun going this fall by starting their own Circle Rules Football team! Check out the nose dives and doggy interference here.

Sun set over the Boston Common like a beacon - calling Sonicbids towards victory and an undefeated season. As dusk fell, the Circle Rules Football pitch held the pale glow of destiny. The Sonicbids team stood poised and ready to etch their story in the history books.

The whistle blew; the team was a mere 30 minutes away. Jim Schultz was a man possessed. Diving and dribbling from underneath his trademark haircut (or lack thereof), fighting on blindly even when his glasses tumbled to the field. David Ellis fought on through early penalties, proving that playing by the rules is not a part of his personal brand.

Benjy Kantor was a ringer. Week in and week out he’s applied the type of athletic prowess that can only be gained at Jewish summer camp, where the toilsome training never stops and the competition is fierce. Steve Canfield placed his own personal wellbeing on the line to score a handful of goals, proving that he takes things like this way too seriously. Jeff Goodman came at the opposing side like a spider monkey. James Laurenti’s defense was impregnable. Pending additional research, Matt Gillette might be the Pistol Pete of Circle Rules Football.

And then there was Heidi Lasker. Drawing comparisons to some combination between Michael Jordan (circa 1982), Pele, Moonlight Graham, Pete Rose (not gambling), that kid in the Mighty Ducks with the knuckle puck, Johnny Damon (pre-haircut), Rudy, and Sparky Anderson. Yeah, she threw down… hard.

Shoebuy was the most formidable opponent the team had seen. Sweat poured. Goals were scored. Hearts pounded. Canfield made a damn fool of himself. And yet:

Five minutes left. 6-1 Sonicbids Cue Music: The Final Countdown, Europe

Final whistle. 7-1 Sonicbids Cue Music: We are the Champions

Forget about the start of the NFL season, first we gotta celebrate the finals of the Saucony O’s Office League with Circle Rules Football in Boston! Our Boston league leaders Shoebuy.com’s Shoebizzle and Sonicbids’ team Off in the Shower (really guys? that’s your team name!?) face off tomorrow night at Boston Common where Circle Rules Football inventor and coach and ref and buffalo wings eater Greg Manley will be leading the teams in this obscure sport. Part soccer, part football and part yoga, this game will be a fun one to watch. Especially with these two lovable and competitive teams. Come join us — 7pm at Boston Common!

The team you see pictured below narrowly defeated Shoe-Buy in the game of SPUD.

Highlights included:

• Matt Gillette making his league debut.
• Benjy reflecting on his JCC championship SPUD trophy’s. I overheard him asking Mum to ship the trophies up to Boston.
• Steve writing emails while playing.
• We keep the Pig for another week

till next time…

(–ed note: this blog post was actually crafted by the lovely Ryan Bailey, our Boston game manager! Props to Ryan for the detailed play-by-play.)

Seven p.m. on a nice breezy Tuesday night in Boston. The perfect time for a little barbeque, a walk by the Charles, or, for these thirty or forty adventurous souls, a takeover of Boston Common for an exciting game of Steal the Bacon.

Although most of the group were rookie bacon stealers, everyone quickly got the hang of the game.  Some players chose to run their fastest and just go for it, while others were more strategic.  We had some intense moments when two rivals would circle the pig, each waiting for the other to make his move (strangely reminiscent of Sumo Wrestling.)  Other moments more closely paralleled a basketball game, such as when Tim from Schwartz played his aggressive defense - his hands and arms everywhere in order to keep his opponent back from the pig.  It got really interesting when two from each team were called at once.  Then teamwork developed and some interesting plays came about.  Players passing the pig, dodging, and running in crazy circles drew the attention of many passers-by.

Game One was Mimoco versus Sonic Bids.  These two teams were the brave guinea pigs (not pigs) in our first attempt at Steal the Bacon.  The Mimoco players seemed a little daunted when they saw how far back they had to stand, and how much running would be involved!  However they gained confidence when one of their own overtook Kimberly from Sonic Bids.  The Mimoco player was chain smoking at the time but he didn’t let that slow him down. After that, Sonic Bids decided they had to step up their game and they finished strong: 13-6.

Game Two was Schwartz versus Shoebuy playing nine on nine.  It was an extremely competitive game with the teams neck and neck the whole time.  Schwartz brought some super strong players to the game, including many fast runners and their secret weapon, Andrew “Screech” Law.  Ultimately they beat out Shoebuy by a hair. (*see blog title above) Final score was 12 to 11.

For Game Three we brought back up Sonic Bids and Mimoco and it wasn’t as much of a competition this time. Perhaps the Mimoco crew already had convenience store subs on the brain, or were dreading their late night return to the office.  This paved the way to a smooth victory for Sonic Bids, who won the round 7 to 2.

Game Four was the rematch of two strong teams: Schwartz and Shoebuy.  Again and again these two teams continued to tie it up until the score was 6 to 6.  The final point was scored by Shoebuy!   Looks like a tie breaker would be in order . ..

The two teams had a few moments to catch their breath during which Schwartz requested a re-pacing of the distance. After the distance was paced out again, in an extremely scientific manner, both teams agreed it was fair and the competition resumed as the sun set in the background. The last round was fast and furious, with players increasingly motivated by their desire to finish the game and move on to the bar.  A couple of solid victories in a row for Shoebuy led to their triumph – they took the round 7 to 4.

We headed to McGreevey’s for a great wrapup to the night with drinks, food, and even a bunch of free appetizers.  The manager, Don, and our waitress, Dana, were very attentive and the atmosphere was great too. Shoebuy and Sonic Bids may have brought home the bacon this time but everyone had fun and all are looking forward to the next one.