Anyone feel like bragging? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Anyone feel like bragging?

I made 27 out of 30 free throws in Junior High during a gym class and only took the free throws because the gym teacher forced me to. Next round, several days later, I made 11 out of 30.

I am not an athlete and never was or never will be, and did not play any school sports.

But, my feat made it into the school newspaper with the admiration of some, and the ultimate surprise to myself.
 
During UConn spring finals, my dorm Trumbull House challenged Lafayette House to a softball game way back when both dorms were all male and the spot where the Towers student center stands now was a big open field where we played pick up sports. I’m totally right handed. We were killing them and I’d already had a few doubles. So next time up I batted lefty with the bases loaded and slugged a grand slam. A Ruthisn blast. A hard ground ball that got past the outfielders and kept rolling. In my mind it was 400 ft. bomb.
 
Matched Earl Kelley bong hit for bong hit one Thursday night, then proceeded to take down Larry Blucher at darts at Teds. I was at the top of my game that night.

Sad how that was amongst the things that prevented Earl from achieving his potential.
 
'78.

Which was same year I won the 2nd Annual South Campus Poker Tourney ($100 buy in, winner take all). One of the players was later officially ranked by whatever org ranks poker playing. Took about 15 hours.

Of course, it was a bit like the baseball World Series in that only three of the 16 or so South Campus dorms were represented, but still, a good take for a college kid.
One Saturday we had nothing to do and started a "floating" poker game in an elevator at Ellsworth. We had a keg, and were smoking cigars. Every time we stopped at a floor a cloud of smoke poured out of the elevator. People could ride so long and they didn't comment on the hands. After a few hours we "allowed" other guys to buy our seats at the table. I think we all ended up coming out ahead after the buy outs.
 
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When I was pitching for our office slowpitch team and won our only game late in our season. I have s softball signed by each player to show for it. A major achievement for a person who. when he was a teenager. was almost always the last to be chosen when we chose sides for baseball and often would not be accepted without the other side throwing in an extra player. Also I was nicknamed Speedy, because I was so slow running. :)
Love this. I always hated the selection process when we were kids.
 
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Love this. I always hated the selection process when we were kids.
Well, when I got selected last for a baseball game at the summer camp, it was for right field. Like, nobody ever hits there. But strangely, though I am a righty, when I batted and got a hit or hit the ball on a fly past the infield, it was often to right field .

I still cannot figure that one out.
 
My HS soccer team was filthy - Wethersfield HS. My junior and senior year, we went back to back state champs. Junior year, I scored the game winning goal in the state final. Senior year, I had the game winning assist in the state final.
 
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Played golf with Calhoun in a scramble. Needed to use at least two drives from each player. Used one of mine on a par 3 but with only two holes left I needed a decent drive. I hit one down the middle about a hundred yards. Calhoun drove the green. Calhoun obviously wanted to use his drive and who was I to disagree. On our last hole I hit about a 200 yard drive down the middle, my only decent drive in eighteen holes and said something to the effect of I needed the pressure to perform. Calhoun‘s drive was 50 yards beyond mine, he laughed and said “No Pressure”. We used my drive and won the tournament.
 
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During UConn spring finals, my dorm Trumbull House challenged Lafayette House to a softball game way back when both dorms were all male and the spot where the Towers student center stands now was a big open field where we played pick up sports. I’m totally right handed. We were killing them and I’d already had a few doubles. So next time up I batted lefty with the bases loaded and slugged a grand slam. A Ruthisn blast. A hard ground ball that got past the outfielders and kept rolling. In my mind it was 400 ft. bomb.
all-male small dorms like Lafayette were pseudo frat houses - good times, free meals if you waitered. played IM football on that field. got in many good licks playing line; disliked by the opponents, loved by my teammates.
 
Legit scored 4 TD’s in a hs football game. I was a senior, and the other RB was a junior. We played a triple option offense and I swear he had 75% of the yards in the game but the coaches would call plays to my side at the goal line and I always scored. He was so mad at me because he didn’t score at all, whining and swearing in the huddle on extra point while I just laughed away.
 
Legit scored 4 TD’s in a hs football game. I was a senior, and the other RB was a junior. We played a triple option offense and I swear he had 75% of the yards in the game but the coaches would call plays to my side at the goal line and I always scored. He was so mad at me because he didn’t score at all, whining and swearing in the huddle on extra point while I just laughed away.

Al Bundy over here.
 
9th grade pony league football. We did not have a freshman team. So you had 9th graders and some 10th graders who did not want to play high school yet. Championship game 0-0 game late in the 3rd Q I stepped in front of a swing pass as a DE and picked it off returning it for a TD tacked just as I crossed the goaline. We scored one more in the 4th Q and won 12-0.
Senior year in HS playing noseguard at Wednesday practice for defense I picked off a middle screen and one of our coaches said I would like to see you do that in the upcoming game. 4th Q of the game I pick off the middle screen and return it 48 yards for a TD. Prior to the play one of our starting D-ends had to go to the bench and the senior sub had lined up in the neutral zone. It did not count. Still ticks me off.
 
Bo Ortiz man

That knuckle ball was legit.

They had the dumonds, symkowicz, Alex Hurley (who always an absolute monster despite being about 5’4)

Plus they had future UConn lb Dana deleston who’s dirty and spiked our 3B on the NECK stealing 3b.

And they had an endless supply of pithing

dery, capella, Natalie, it was like a never ending door of good solid arms.
 
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all-male small dorms like Lafayette were pseudo frat houses - good times, free meals if you waitered. played IM football on that field. got in many good licks playing line; disliked by the opponents, loved by my teammates.
It’s was like a frat without pledging bs. In fairness, I was placed in Trumbull as one of 6 freshman that UConn was doing in the Towers dorms and had I been in the Jungle like most frosh males at the time I probably would’ve gone Greek. the Greeks were in older dorms, not real frat houses, the Towers dorms were the same size as in the Frats, we had independent kitchens and live band parties. Why go Greek? And you were a d-ck on the football field.
 
Legit scored 4 TD’s in a hs football game. I was a senior, and the other RB was a junior. We played a triple option offense and I swear he had 75% of the yards in the game but the coaches would call plays to my side at the goal line and I always scored. He was so mad at me because he didn’t score at all, whining and swearing in the huddle on extra point while I just laughed away.
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Member of two State Champs teams in Cross Country in CT. Twice all-state as well. Played basketball and soccer as well. Lots of good memories…camaraderie with teammates was the best
 
The first time I broke 80.
the most recent .
I needed to par a decent length 18th par 5 for a 79
I thought I hit a decent drive but it ended up in a long shallow trap on the right side of the fairway. If you play my old home course you can’t let sand intimidate you.
I was forced to go club up instead of 3 wood I opted for a 4 hybrid to insure I cleared the lip.
I nailed it but pulled it left into a brutal deep bunker 100 yards from the green. This green is surrounded by two deep bunkers That are death.
I then hit a pitching wedge 10 feet from the cup and and just missed a double sandy birdie which I tapped in for a par. I was amazed how composed I was.
I was in my early 70’s playing a 6700 yard course.
 
Church league basketball, 5’ 8”, not quick but long arms and can defend. In late 70’s played against Rich Semo who was 2xCT all state HS player from BPT central. I played 1/2 the game. My teammate covering him was getting torched. I subbed in and decided the only way to stop Semo was to not let him get the ball. I kept between him and the ball the entire time I was in. I was a real pest and he was not happy. I kept him scoreless while I was in. (Sorry Rich if you are out there).
rich semo? that's sum hilltopper royalty right thar. as i understand it, among bport's boomer crowd, that name is spoken of in tones of reverence.
 
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Well, when I got selected last for a baseball game at the summer camp, it was for right field. Like, nobody ever hits there. But strangely, though I am a righty, when I batted and got a hit or hit the ball on a fly past the infield, it was often to right field .

I still cannot figure that one out.
you and derek jeter, and me. as mostly a righty, once i figgered out that it was sooo much easier to cut down my swing length, and just shoot the ball that way, i was hooked, and had crazy high averages going forward. not many hr's, but i didn't care, i just wanted, each and every time, to get a hit. good bat, sketchy fielder in the infield, decent outfielder cuz i can run and catch balls in the air.
the inability of pros today to hit it where they ain't in the shift, is pathetic.
 
Made to the Class M state finals and lost.

Rod Foster dropped 30 on us.
Would that be 1979 the year my NW Catholic Indians lost to Wilbur Cross? We lost by a point at CCSU. Game was on CPTV. Norman Bailey and Marcus Brown were incredible that year. Norman was a bit of a jerk but Marcus is the nicest guy you'd ever meet. Even now when I run into Marcus he still says what's up. And I was just a skinny little Sophomore then.
 
rich semo? that's sum hilltopper royalty right thar. as i understand it, among bport's boomer crowd, that name is spoken of in tones of reverence.
I was shaking in my converses guarding him. Much respect to him.
 
Won a conference and state championship in the 500m. Missed going to to New England’s by 1 place….turns out one of the guys I ran against at the state open went on to win a gold at the olympics In the 4x400….and then get stripped of the Gold medal and banned for life for PEDs.
 
you and derek jeter, and me. as mostly a righty, once i figgered out that it was sooo much easier to cut down my swing length, and just shoot the ball that way, i was hooked, and had crazy high averages going forward. not many hr's, but i didn't care, i just wanted, each and every time, to get a hit. good bat, sketchy fielder in the infield, decent outfielder cuz i can run and catch balls in the air.
the inability of pros today to hit it where they ain't in the shift, is pathetic.
Maybe, subliminally, that is how I reacted. I don't think I intentionally swung over to right. Maybe it was too hard to take a full swing so my "half" swing was enough to hit it to right. That was of course, when I did not strike out.

Yes, when I hit the ball, I always appreciated an infielder who bobbled the ball so that I could get on base.

Long time ago.

I rarely swung and missed when I played wall ball where I hit a tennis ball against a wall and it came back to me.
 
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