CLAWSON, MICHIGAN – I’ve given Coach Mike an unusual amount of shit this year. He bore the brunt of my jokes in the week 2 recap, including tagging him with the nickname “Aunt Millie Mike” when he became king of the bun runs. Coach would be the first to tell you he deserved all the ribbing, so I won’t apologize for it…plus, it was funny as hell. So funny that I’m linking that recap again.

https://legcornhole.com/2020-week-2-recap/

The truth is, Coach has struggled this year. Prior to this week he had a season average of 10.0 KPM, 56% accuracy, scored 3.4 gross points per round, and averaged 0.56 cornholes per round. All solid numbers on paper, yet something wasn’t clicking with Coach. His energy is typically the roaring fire that fuels him, and this year it was flickering, at best.

After week 6, Coach took a break from LEG. Week 7 came and went…no Coach Mike. And the same happened in week 8, and week 9. And again in week 10. He stepped away for a month and drifted off into oblivion, often avoiding responding to text messages.

The reasons for his leave of absence are only known to him, and they should stay that way. But one thing became clear – he needed that break.

How do I know? He returned this week with a renewed spirit. His energy was up, and he revealed a new, saucy, pancake throwing style (how many players are going to change their mechanics this year?!?!).

Before the games began, Dibble was touting the work Coach put in over the prior weeks, practicing this new style toss. And then in Game 1, we all witnessed the fruit of his labor. Coach led off the top of the first inning for his squad – his first throw of the night, BANG! Cornhole!

That was much needed validation for Coach. The pancake toss is officially in his tool belt.

RIP ta da back-handed taint tickler.

Actually, the back-handed taint tickler should stay in the arsenal, and Coach knows it. His pancake toss has a nice cut (left to right movement) on it, whereas his back-handed taint tickler draws (right to left movement) and can trickle over blockers.

Coach Mike has the looks of becoming the most versatile player in the league if he keeps sharpening both styles.

Coach has a lot of paybacks to give, and his revenge tour kicked off this week.

He played five games and won them all. His KPM reached 11.0. He shot 61% and averaged 0.60 cornholes per round and 3.6 gross points per round. Everyone he played, he blew out – one of his four wins was a 21-18 affair, but the next closest was 21-13.

In Game 1, he and Erik were en fuego, racing out to a 9-0 early lead and looked so dominant that JV hollered to his partner, Bob, and asked, “Hey Bob, what kind of underwear do you have on?”.

Coach and Erik couldn’t complete the bun run, but they did win in dominating fashion, 21-6. Coach led all scorers with 22 points and five cornholes while also clinching the game with a 3-2 advantage over Bob in the sixth inning.

PAYBACKS ARE A BITCH

Coach and Erik were a lethal partnership, as they demonstrated with a 21-6 whipping to open the night. They partnered again in Game 6 against Dibble and Bob, and once again pounced on their opponent from the jump.

The first inning was about feeling out the opponent, and they still collected two points in the process to take an early 2-0 lead.

Then in the second inning shit got real. Erik drained three cornholes and was fractions from earning his first four-bagger of the season. His 10-point round was a thing of beauty. He outscored Dibble 10-0 and gave his team a 12-0 lead, and even though his team needed nine more points to win the game, the 10-point round was the death knell for his opponent.

Coach Mike chipped in one more point in the bottom of the second inning to make it 13-0, and turned the bags back over to Erik to keep the bun run alive.

Dibble was rattled, you could see he was feeling the bun run pressure. Erik fired first in the top of the third inning and made cornhole. Dibble’s first bag missed long off the board.

Erik’s second bag settled on the board to give him an early 4-0 lead, then Dibble missed again. Pressure mounting.

Erik missed his third bag, and turned away in disgust, as he desperately wanted to bury Dibble’s scoring hopes. Dibble responded with a critical cornhole to make it 4-3 (advantage Erik) with one bag remaining.

Erik missed again with his fourth bag, which set the stage for Dibble to either wash the round with one point, or erase his team’s bagel on the scoreboard with a cornhole. He tossed his final bag and it fell short of the board, as if he threw a 20 pound bag.

14-0.

And then ol’ Aunt Millie Mike stepped to the plate, ready to stuff buns with hot Italian sausage.

First pancake bag, CORNHOLE!

Second pancake bag, CORNHOLE!

Third pancake bag, on the board for seven points in the bottom of the third inning.

Meanwhile, Bob missed each of his first three throws, which secured the 21-0 win. On Coach’s last bag, he got aggressive and aimed for a cornhole to pad his stats. He missed, but it didn’t matter.

Coach and Erik deep-dicked Dibble and Bob in just three innings, with Erik outscoring Dibble 19-8 (5-2 in cornholes) and Coach topping Bob 17-7 (4-2 in cornholes).

It was Dibble and Bob’s first career bun run, and how fitting that it was at the hands of the Bun Run King.

25.6

Huh? Let me explain – in KP’s first game of the night (Game 2) he partnered with JV to battle Dibble and Galz. JV and KP pulled out a thrilling, 21-20 win that was a finalist for Game of the Night.

But the real story here was KP. He scored 79 points, averaged 7.9 gross points per round, and shot a ludicrous 92.5%, scoring 37/40 throws, including 21 cornholes. He added two 12-point rounds to his resume, just in this game, including a 12-7 dagger over Dibble in the 10^th inning to win the game.

At the end of the game his KPM was 25.6, which is easily a LEG record. Erik was scorekeeper and later confirmed that KP’s KPM during the middle of the game had reached 36!

KP finished the night at 19.6, also a new record for a single night KPM. He was 4-2 overall, shooting 76%, averaging 6.1 gross points per round, and dropped four 12-point rounds and one 10-point round for the night.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Game 5 pitted Nick and JV against Galz and Paul. This was a game of runs – Nick and JV raced out to a 5-0 lead, only to see Galz and Paul go on an 11-0 run to take an 11-5 lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, JV stopped the bleeding with a 7-2 win over Paul, which pulled his team within 11-10. More importantly, his five points sparked an incredible 14-0 run, led by a monster seven point fourth inning by Nick (beat Galz 9-2).

It was 19-11, and Nick and JV appeared to be in complete control.

Galz found a way to eke out three points against Nick in the sixth inning – 19-14.

Paul’s been here too many times, especially against his nemesis, JV. He relished the opportunity to spoil a JV celebration. In the bottom of the sixth Paul drained two cornholes en route to a 7-2 win, which tied the game at 19-19. Paul’s final toss could have won the game had he knocked in another cornhole. Instead, he landed on the board to even the game.

Galz and Nick washed their half of the seventh inning, combining to go 8/8 and each scoring a cornhole.

The bags flipped back to Paul and JV. Could Paul spoil the celebration again, for the second consecutive inning?

First bag:

Paul – on the board for one point

JV – answered with one on the board

Second bag:

Paul – runs his bag up the middle of the board and into the hole for three!

JV – places another bag on the board

Third bag:

Paul – missed as his bag hit the front left of the board and continued off. That was an enormous missed opportunity for Paul, as he could’ve applied a lot of pressure with a scoring bag.

JV – his third toss landed in the middle of the board and took a big hop forward into the hole for three! He needed that shot, and gave himself a 5-4 advantage.

Fourth bag:

Paul – he played aggressively, trying to score three points, but settled for one on the board instead. That allowed him to draw even for the inning, 5-5. But, JV had one final bag.

JV – the guy performs bar tricks by counting the number of letters in a sentence within seconds of hearing a sentence. Do you really think he doesn’t know the situation and score? Of course he knew a cornhole would win the game, and against Paul? Ohhhhh daddy! Get your popcorn, folks.

He launched a rainbow that carried the other four bags on the board. His bag hit in the center of the board and curled into the hole for a game-winning cornhole!

JV was fired up, and celebrated a little harder knowing it would devastate Paul. A great game, and a great finish!

Galz led all scorers with 35 points and six cornholes, while Nick trailed just behind with 33 points and eight cornholes. JV scored 32 points and six cornholes, none bigger than the game-winner. Paul scored 27 points and five cornholes.

MUSHROOM STAMP MOMENT

This week’s Mushroom Stamp Moment was a game-clincher. In Game 7 Bob and KP were partners and quickly fell behind their opponent, JV and Paul, 7-0 after the first inning. KP and Bob rebounded with a 19-4 run to take a commanding 19-11 lead.

But then the tide started turning again when JV and Paul closed the gap to 19-15 in the fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, the match-up of Bob vs. Paul was critical because Paul has big-inning potential and could easily score the six points his team needed to pull a stunning comeback.

The two players exchanged misses and cornholes on their first two bags. Each player landed their third bag on the board, making the score 4-4 with one more toss remaining. Paul had an opportunity to cut his team’s deficit to 19-18 with a cornhole, and he threw first – off the board!

KP celebrated, knowing his partner couldn’t lose the inning.

As Bob prepared for his final bag, the tension of the moment didn’t seem to bother him. Maybe he’s too green to know any better? He launched, and immediately liked what he saw. The bag was tracking in the air, but was also carrying like it was launched out of a cannon. It carried, and carried, and then sailed through the hole for an airmail!

Bob with an airmail to cap a 7-4 round win and win the game, 21-15! He gets this week’s MSM, which isn’t easy given the array of incredible shots many players made this week.

Bob outscored Paul 29-19 and 6-3 in cornholes. He was the second leading scorer in the game, behind JV (30 points), and outscored his partner, KP (27 points).

NEWS AND NOTES

• JV posted a 14.1 KPM and 3-3 record while shooting 66% and draining 0.95 cornholes per round. His game-winner in the Game of the Night was incredible, but he also added two straight airmails during a nine point round in Game 9. He doesn’t flip the switch for every game on Thursday nights, but when he does turn it on, it’s must-see TV.
• Bob got better this week, building on his LEG debut in week 10. He had a 7.9 KPM and shot 43%. Though he was 1-4 overall, the one win was a special one for him because of his game-winning airmail that earned him the MSM.
• Dibble had an off-night, yet his numbers are still ridiculous. His KPM still ended up at 18.7, accuracy at 78%, and made 1.38 cornholes per round. Despite his off-night, he did enough to earn the #1 spot back in the Power Rankings. He also earns this week’s MVP for the spread he provided all of us. His smoked pig shots and armadillo eggs were fantastic! So was the sausage and mac and cheese. Dibble set the bar high as a host this week.
• Nick was excellent once again – 16.8 KPM, 74% shooting, and 3-3 record. He scored a 12-point round and three 10-point rounds. Somehow, he lost his one-week hold on the #1 spot in the Power Rankings despite those numbers. Regardless of Power Rankings, Nick is a handful and extremely difficult to beat.
• Erik jumped from #11 to #9 in the Power Rankings thanks to a 3-3 record and 11.5 KPM. He continues to prove how good he is, steadily producing ~11 KPM week after week.
• Paul had a solid night, posting a 10.5 KPM and delivered in the clutch several times. Unfortunately he was just 2-4 overall and dropped from #10 to #11 in the Power Rankings. He did add one foot snag against Galz, which was perfect timing because Galz had just popped a fresh Two-Hearted.
• Speaking of Galz, he solidified his #4 spot in the Power Rankings with his 16.1 KPM. He shot 72% and dropped 1.12 cornholes per round. His 3-4 record is not impressive, but two of his losses were heart-breakers – 21-20 and 21-19.

CLAWSON, MICHIGAN – It ain’t easy being right. I’ve often put my neck on the line, making predictions about winners of upcoming tournaments or breakout performances by various members of the league. A few examples of my work are as follows:

• Prior to the 2018 Preseason Kick-Off I predicted Barker would breakthrough and win a tournament title. Days later he partnered with JV and indeed won The Cup in that tournament. (evidenced here: https://legcornhole.com/2018-preseason-kick-off-tournament-preview/)
• Days before the 2019 Preseason Kick-Off I wrote about Galz building upon his stellar 2018 rookie campaign and expected he’d win the 2019 Preseason Kick-Off title. Once again, my forecast was accurate and Galz hoisted The Cup. (evidenced here: https://legcornhole.com/2019-preseason-kick-off-tournament-preview-the-road-to-the-cup-starts-here/)
• In 2019 I wrote several times about the potential I saw in Erik, and that it was only a matter of time before he broke through to become one of the better players in the league. This year he’s climbed to a 10.5 KPM, up from 7.5 and 7.3 in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Granted, I did lay an egg with my 2019 Singles Tournament prediction where I expected JV to take home the title, instead Dibble won (evidenced here: https://legcornhole.com/2019-singles-tournament-preview-aint-nothin-but-a-white-trash-party/). But my track record is so good I’m tempted to call myself Nostradamus, though all of you would argue “Nostradumbass” is better.

Call me what you want, my point in all of this is that I’ve struck gold yet again. Last week I wrote this about Jimmy in the “News and Notes” section (pay special attention to the bolded, italicized, and underlined text):

“All rookies struggle, but most rookies don’t look to overhaul their throwing mechanics in the middle of their first season like Jimmy is doing. Keep chopping wood, Jimmy. It will pay off and the tree will eventually fall. You don’t have to look any further than Erik for proof of that. In his rookie campaign (2018) he had a cumulative KPM of 7.3, accuracy of 43%, and a 14-35 record (or 29% winning percentage). A lot of those numbers are like you looking in the mirror – 6.6 KPM, 41% accuracy, and 27% winning percentage.”

One week later, there’s Jimmy posting a 10.5 KPM and using his new pancake toss to shoot 61% for the night and drop 0.52 cornholes per round (coming into this week he had a 6.6 KPM, 41% accuracy and 0.29 cornholes per round). He also finished the night 2-2 and was directly responsible for his team’s Game 9 victory – he partnered with Erik to battle Turley and Galz.

Jimmy and Erik won the game, 21-10. When I give credit to Jimmy for being “directly responsible” for the victory, it’s because he won his head-to-head match-up with Turley, 41-29 (including a 6-3 edge in cornholes), while Erik and Galz battled to a draw, 41-41 (by the way, there’s Erik again, playing the #3 ranked player to a draw).

With the score 17-10, Jimmy drained two cornholes and added two more bags on the board, good for an 8-3 advantage and clinched the game, 21-10.

In Jimmy’s three other games, he held firm in his head-to-head matches against Paul (lost 35-30, but averaged 3.75 gross points per round) and JV (lost 30-28 and 20-16).

I’ll reiterate, watch out for Jimmy.

A NEW #1?

Dibble burst onto the LEG scene in week 5 of 2019, posted a 14.6 KPM, and has been #1 in the Power Rankings every week since.

For the first time in more than one year, we have a new #1 player. This week Nick overthrew Dibble for #1, jumping to 15.6 and narrowly topping Dibble, who resides at 15.5. Dibble lost his top spot partly due to not playing this week. But let’s give credit where credit is due – Nick has been on a tear lately, using a three-week run from weeks 8 – 10 to elevate his KPM from 14.6 to 15.6. During that three-week stretch he’s posted mind-boggling KPMs of 19.1, 17.9, and 17.8.

He’s earned the #1 ranking because of how exceptional he’s played lately. The question is, can he hold on to that ranking?

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

JV is a lot to handle. Being his friend is easy because there is always an escape. Being married to him is probably a chore, and he’d admit that. Being his neighbor probably makes one want to hide their kids, hide their wife, lock all doors and windows, and soundproof the house.

Life was peaceful and quiet on Bob’s lovely Clawson street. Then JV arrived in July. Poor Bob didn’t have a choice. He’s had to shield his family from many things, including our dipshittery on Thursday nights when JV decides to host. Until this week…

For some reason Bob felt compelled to join LEG. He was giddy and smiling as he hopped the fence and entered the lion’s den. Many of us actually felt bad for him, like he was the slowest gazelle in the herd just waiting to get pounced by the king of the jungle.

But then we realized Bob *NEEDED* this! Occasionally he escapes to his garage for beers, puzzles, and serenity. He loves his family, but every man needs his haven.

Bob wasn’t the prey. He was the predator. You see, he’s been hunting us for weeks; watching out his window, salivating at the opportunity to join us.  And finally, he did.

Bob performed like almost all rookies not named Dibble – he was inconsistent, struggling to find his accuracy for much of the evening. His individual numbers won’t blow you away – 6.0 KPM, 30% accuracy, 0.38 cornholes per round, and 2.0 gross points per round. However, he was wise enough to identify some of the better players and make sure he partnered with them when he played. For that reason he finished the night with a 2-2 record.

Listen, there is no doubt Bob will get better. We can use countless examples as proof of that, one of which we covered in the opening of this recap. More importantly, LEG added a hell of a guy and we’re happy to have him in the league.

Welcome to LEG, Bob!

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Game 5 featured JV and Nick against Barker and KP. JV wasted no time taking the action to his former championship partner, Barker, dropping a 10-point teabag on his forehead in the second inning (10-5 inning win), giving his squad an early 6-3 lead.

Barker thought their bond was thicker than that, but quickly realized JV takes no prisoners. So in the third inning, Barker was ready for vengeance.

JV threw first and sank a cornhole. Barker answered with a cornhole on his first throw.

JV’s second bag also found the bottom of the hole for three points. Barker was dialed in, refusing to get embarrassed by his former partner. He used his second toss to score three points, evening things at 6-6 after two bags.

JV’s third toss looked like a rocket launching, but landed softly upon return to earth, nestling in front of the hole.

Barker fired his third bag, a high floater that carried JV’s blocker and swished through the hole for his third consecutive cornhole!

Down to his final bag of the inning and trailing 9-7, JV decided to play aggressively and aim for an airmail. He threw high, attempting to carry his blocker. The toss was on line, but flew too long as it missed the board long.

Barker’s fourth toss was his patented Joe Dumars rainbow, and like Joe D., Barker hit for three points with a second consecutive airmail! Barker capped an incredible 12-point inning with two beautiful airmails, closing his team’s deficit to just 9-8.

Barker’s four-bag inning initiated a 17-3 run that saw his team go from down 9-3 to up 20-12. Barker scored 16 of his team’s 17 points during the run, and the cherry on top was another near 12-point inning in the bottom of the sixth. He settled for a 10-point round, and won the inning 10-3 over JV.

JV and Nick scored two points in the seventh inning to keep hope alive, down 20-14. JV caused his opponents’ buttholes to pucker when he closed the score to 20-19 with an 8-3 advantage in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth Nick applied immediate pressure by making a cornhole with his first toss. KP responded with a cornhole.

Nick’s next three bags peppered the hole, but none of them fell in for three points. Meanwhile, KP’s second toss was also a cornhole, yet he missed his third throw wide of the board.

KP was down to his final bag. The inning score was tied 6-6, so he needed just one point to clinch the game. It seemed easy, but Nick had three bags on the board so KP had to be careful not to carry his toss too far, risking a bad bounce or ricochet off any of Nick’s blockers.

KP’s final bag was at the heart of the board, landing gently before sliding into one of Nick’s bags. It was safe, and accomplished it’s mission – score one point to win the game!

What a seesaw battle. Each player scored a 10-point round in this game, and Barker added a 12. The game totaled 49 cornholes and 210 gross points:

• JV scored 44 points and 9 cornholes, averaging 5.5 gross points per round on 81% shooting
• Nick scored 60 points and 15 cornholes, averaging 6.7 gross points per round on 83% shooting
• Barker scored 51 points and 12 cornholes, averaging 6.4 gross points per round on 84% shooting
• KP scored 55 points and 13 cornholes, averaging 6.1 gross points per round on 81% shooting

MUSHROOM STAMP MOMENT

The week 10 Mushroom Stamp Moment (“MSM”) occurred in Game 8. Barker and JV kissed and made up, partnering again against Nick and Bob. After six innings Barker and JV held a slight lead, 14-13.

In the top of the seventh, it happened. JV blew the doors off with three straight cornholes. His fourth toss didn’t find the mark. Though he was disappointed by not scoring a 12-point round, his 9-1 seventh inning was enough to win the game, 21-13, and earn this week’s MSM.

Bob was the recipient of JV’s 9-pointer. Rumor is Bob had a hard time explaining the mushroom imprint on his forehead when his wife questioned him Friday morning.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Barker was incredible with a 12-point round and three more 10-point rounds. He added a third airmail of the night in the seventh inning of Game 11 – he was down to his final bag and held a 4-3 advantage over Nick in the inning, but his team was down 20-7. He calculated the math in his head and said, “So I can’t lose this round, right?” before firing an airmail on his final toss. It was yet another display of his ridiculous skills. Unfortunately his team lost that game, 21-11. Barker still finished with a 3-2 record and he posted a 14.8 KPM on 68% shooting. The most impressive stat this week was his 1.0 cornholes per round. It is clear Barker is surging as championship season fast approaches.
• As mentioned, Nick’s 17.8 KPM this week helped him jump to #1 in the Power Rankings. He was 2-2 overall and shot 78% while scoring 1.26 cornholes per round.
• Big Guuuuuuurl (Turley) had a loud sixth inning in Game 1 when he scored a 10-point round thanks to an airmail on his final toss. That big inning gave his team a 19-13 lead (game was previously tied 13-13), and Turley closed the game, 21-13, in the very next inning. He dominated Erik in that game, outscoring him 32-20. Unfortunately that was Mike’s only win of the night, finishing 1-3. He did have a solid individual evening, recording a 9.8 KPM and shooting 58%. He stayed at #8 in the Power Rankings with a 10.7 KPM for the season.
• Erik dropped from #9 in the Power Rankings to #11. He didn’t play bad, it’s just that Paul played a bit better and Bushie moved up by not playing this week. Life is hard in the middle of the Power Rankings, where #8 – #11 are separated by just 0.2 KPM points (Turley is #8 with 10.7, while Erik is #11 at 10.5). Erik’s 3-3 record this week is good, as is his 57% accuracy. He just didn’t make enough cornholes (only 0.48 per round).
• Paul is one of the four players clustered between #8 – #11, coming in at #10 this week. He had a great performance this week with a 12.2 KPM, 3-2 record, 60% shooting, and 0.78 cornholes per round. He was also the reason Barker’s third airmail was all for naught in Game 11 – Paul had a Freddie Couples-like rhythm in the second inning when he drained four straight cornholes for a 12-point round. He beat Bob 12-1, and that 11-point advantage in the second inning was essentially the difference in the game since Paul and Nick won, 21-11.
• JV had a great performance with a 12.4 KPM, and supplemented it with a handful of his usual killer-instinct moments (refer to his 10-point round over Barker and MSM on Bob). He knocked in 0.77 cornholes per round while shooting 62%, both of which helped him go 2-2 for the night. He’s firmly at #7 in the Power Rankings, leading #8 by 1.1 KPM points and trailing #6 by 0.8 KPM points.
• Galz had a stunningly bad night, going 0-4 and posting an 11.0 KPM, which is low for his standards. His accuracy was good (64%), but the main driver of his “low” KPM was 0.54 cornholes per round, which was almost half his season average of 1.0 cornholes per round. Despite the off night, he’s still at #4 in the Power Rankings.
• KP was in the midst of a several-week slump. He seemed to begin climbing out of that this week, going 4-0 and scoring a 16.7 KPM. His 77% accuracy and 1.13 cornholes per round are positive signs, but he needs to string together several good weeks before we can claim he’s conquered the slump.

BEVERLY HILLS, MICHIGAN – The anticipation for week 9 has been building for almost one month thanks to finally implementing Galz’s idea from 2019, which is to have a monthly “Belt Challenge.”

Let me explain. Every season we have three “majors” in the form of tournaments: 1) Preseason Kick-Off Tournament, 2) Singles Tournament at Midseason, and 3) Postseason Tournament. The beginning and ending tournaments are traditional doubles format, while the midseason singles is exactly as it sounds, a one-on-one tournament.

The doubles tournaments are played for The Cup, while the singles tournament is played for The Belt. The reigning Singles Champ is Dibble, and implementation of the “Belt Challenge” means Dibble will have to ward off the top challenger.

Galz’s idea was to have a monthly “Belt Challenge” to begin each season, and we’ve been slow to capitalize on this great idea until now. The challengers were determined by the top two KPMs from weeks 7 and 8 combined. Players had to play both weeks to be eligible, and that list included:

• Nick
• KP
• JV
• Turley
• Erik

Galz, Barker, Paul and Jack were not eligible because they only played in one of either week 7 or 8.

The top challengers were Nick and KP, who averaged KPMs of 16.0 and 14.1, respectively, across weeks 7 and 8. The two guys would play a one-on-one match this week with the winner advancing to play Dibble for The Belt.

With the 2020 Singles Tournament just around the corner on Labor Day weekend, this was an opportunity for the belt to switch hands before it’s back up for grabs to crown the 2020 champion.

THE BELT DRAMA

If tonight’s singles matches are any indication of what to expect Labor Day weekend, it should be an ultra-competitive tournament.

In the challenger match, Nick and KP squared off yet again. Nick has not played anyone more than he has KP during the 2020 season, with the two of them facing one another head-to-head in nine games. Things couldn’t get much more even between the two of them with Nick’s teams owning a 5-4 record during those games, including winning the last four games. On the other hand, KP owns the head-to-head scoring advantage against Nick, 286 – 275, and is the only player this season who has cumulatively outscored Nick head-to-head.

KP started the challenger match on fire, jumping out to a quick 14-5 lead. But KP knows how explosive Nick is, which means he’s never really out of a match.

KP continued to throw well, consistently posting rounds of 5, 6, and 8 points after his hot start. But Nick shifted into overdrive and began throwing rounds of 7, 8 and 10. In the blink of an eye Nick erased the nine point deficit and went on a 16-0 run to comeback and beat KP, 21-14.

With the late surge Nick earned the opportunity to challenge Dibble for the belt, which is fitting considering these two men are the only Singles Champions in LEG history (Nick in 2018, Dibble in 2019).

The championship match had a similar feel to the challenger match. Nick’s hot hand continued as he pounced on Dibble early, taking an 11-2 advantage. Dibble looked rattled because he had never faced that large of a deficit in his brief one-on-one career.

But then Nick lost his touch, leaving the door cracked. The big bad wolf (Dibble) didn’t have to huff and puff to blow the house down. He walked right through the front door with a four-bagger, registering an enormous 12-2 round to take a 12-11 lead.

Things were never the same after that. Suddenly Nick was shaken and couldn’t regain the focus needed to hang with Dibble. Dibble successfully defended his belt, finishing the game on a 19-0 run that was assisted by his 12-point round. He knocked Nick off, 21-11, and strapped the belt around his waist one more time.

Dibble will roll into the Singles Tournament in three weeks with an opportunity to repeat as Singles Champion.

PINCH ME, I MUST BE DREAMING

Speaking of big, bad wolves, Erik Wolfe continues to ascend toward the top of the LEG animal kingdom. He jumped one spot in the Power Rankings this week, rising to #9 overall. But more importantly, he raised his cumulative KPM by half a point!

He jumped from 10.2 to 10.7 after posting a 16.1 KPM this week! Only four other players have exceeded the 16.0 KPM mark in a given week – Dibble, Galz, Nick, and KP. Erik becomes the fifth player, joining exceptional company.

He solidified his KPM by going 3-0, which included team and head-to-head victories over Nick and Dibble. He outscored Nick head-to-head in Game 8, 26-25 (including 7-5 in cornholes), and outscored Dibble in Game 10, 43-40 (kept pace on cornholes, losing just 10-8).

Erik shot a blistering 76% while *also* dropping 1.06 cornholes per round. He added a 10-point round to his night, and continues to improve at a rapid rate.

MYSTERY MACHINE

Paul also had a great night, going 2-2 with a 12.3 KPM and 63% shooting. The highlight of his night was leading Jimmy to a win over Dibble and Turley in Game 1. He dominated the head-to-head with Turley, winning it 41-23 and dropping more cornholes, 10-6. Paul was brilliant down the stretch of that game.

Heading into the fifth inning the score was 12-11, advantage to Paul and Jimmy. Paul won his half of the fifth inning, 8-3, by using his final toss to push one of his other bags into the hole for three points, giving his team a 17-11 lead.

Turley answered right back in the top of the sixth inning with an 8-point round himself (winning 8-4) to cut the lead to 17-15.

Jimmy chipped in three more points against Dibble in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 20-15, and then Paul locked it down with a 9-4 seventh inning to win the game, 21-15.

Paul was inches from a 12-point round to close things out. He made his first two bags. His third bag was on target, hitting just before the hole and hopping over it before dribbling off the back of the board. He recovered nicely by sinking his last bag of the round.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

The week 9 Game of the Night pitted Nick and Bushie against Galz and Dibble in Game 7. Nick started the game blazing, posting rounds of 8-5 and 10-4 against Galz, helping his team to a 10-4 advantage after two innings.

In the third inning Bushie dominated Dibble by sinking three cornholes on his way to a 9-0 win, upping his team’s lead to 19-5.

Nick and Galz had a hard-fought top of the fourth inning with each player dropping two cornholes, but Nick ultimately outworked Galz, 8-7, for one point. He put his team on the doorstep of victory, leading 20-5.

Dibble began chipping away at the deficit, scoring a 10-point round in the bottom of the fourth inning. As impressive as his round was, he only managed three points because Bushie knocked in two cornholes and scored seven points. It was now 20-8.

Galz earned one point in the top of the fifth, followed by another great round by Dibble that produced three points (he beat Bushie, 8-5). It was now 20-12.

In the top of the sixth Galz and Nick played to a draw, while Dibble continued to hit the accelerator and gave his team five more points (he beat Bushie, 8-3). Dibble’s fourth, fifth, and sixth innings were awesome, scoring 10, 8, and 8 net points and 11 total gross points to get his team back in the game. It was now 20-17.

In the top of the seventh, both Nick and Galz were determined to deliver the dagger against one another. Galz threw first and drained a cornhole! Nick followed with a cornhole of his own to even things up.

Galz’s second throw also found the bottom of the hole for three points, while Nick’s second toss settled on the board just in front of the hole.

Galz fired a bully bag on his third toss and pushed Nick’s blocker out of the way enough to allow Galz’s third bag to fall into the hole for three!

Nick, facing a 9-4 deficit, needed to make a cornhole. He used his third bag to attempt a push shot, trying to push his second bag into the hole while also making cornhole with the other bag. He threw hard, but not hard enough, and his third bag piled on top of his second bag, both just short of the hole.

Everyone knew what Galz was going to do. He had a 12-point round on the line, so he pushed all his chips to the center of the table and splashed the f*cking pot by drilling a fourth consecutive cornhole on his final throw! What a four-bagger!

Nick had one more attempt to continue the game, but he was down 12-5 and needed to somehow make two cornholes on his final toss to extend the game. Good news for him was that he had two bags piled in front of the hole that were pushable (yes, I made that word up).

Once again, he threw hard hoping to blast into the blockers and take any combination of two bags into the hole. Unfortunately for Nick his toss was not hard enough and his two blockers held firm against his final bag. A three bag pile up and six points was not enough to offset Galz’s incredible 12-point Mushroom Stamp Moment!

Spoiler Alert: Galz wins this week’s MSM with his 12-point round, which capped his team’s 16-0 run to overcome a 20-5 deficit and claim victory, 21-20.

For those paying attention at home, that is indeed a “choke” for Bushie and Nick, their second of the season as partners and third of the season overall for each player. Galz and Dibble earned an incredible “comeback,” which was Galz’s first of the season and Dibble’s second.

Galz’s 12-point MSM was the perfect feather in his cap on an incredible night. He went H.A.M. with a 5-1 record and 17.0 KPM, shooting 74% and averaging 1.21 cornholes per round.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Nick added a third choke to his 2020 resume and lost his bid for The Belt. But he really was incredible, posting a 17.9 KPM as an encore to his 19.1 KPM in week 8. Those are numbers never seen in the history of LEG. He’s playing at an all-time level right now. The silver lining for the rest of the league is that his teams aren’t untouchable, despite the fact he’s playing at a historical level – this week he went 1-2. That said, all championship roads (The Belt and The Cup) will likely pass through Nick.
• Jimmy began tinkering with his throw, trying to work on the spinning pancake technique. He had some bright moments with it, including besting Dibble head-to-head in a pivotal round of Game 1. His KPM was just 5.7 this week, but the real disappointment was his inaccuracy – only 30% shooting. For the season he’s at 41%, and was at 44% for the year coming into this week. All rookies struggle, but most rookies don’t look to overhaul their throwing mechanics in the middle of their first season like Jimmy is doing. Keep chopping wood, Jimmy. It will pay off and the tree will eventually fall. You don’t have to look any further than Erik for proof of that. In his rookie campaign (2018) he had a cumulative KPM of 7.3, accuracy of 43%, and a 14-35 record (or 29% winning percentage). A lot of those numbers are like you looking in the mirror – 6.6 KPM, 41% accuracy, and 27% winning percentage.
• Turley has become steady Eddie lately, and this week was another “ho hum” 10.9 KPM, 2-2 record, and 53% shooting. Very solid night overall for Turley, and he maintains his #8 spot in the Power Rankings with a 10.9 overall KPM.
• Dibble retained his belt, had a thrilling comeback victory in the Game of the Night, and posted a 16.3 KPM. He finished with a 2-3 record and led all players with 1.29 cornholes per round.
• KP has been in a slump for several weeks. He started to crawl out of it this week with a 16.7 KPM and 2-3 record. His accuracy (68%) still isn’t where it needs to be, and he blew a golden opportunity in the challenger match for the belt. He has a lot of work to do if he’s going to get his game where it needs to be for the homestretch of the season.

BEVERLY HILLS, MICHIGAN – Seven points. SEVEN POINTS!!!

Entering this week, KP was ranked #2 in the LEG Power Rankings with a 14.9 KPM. But that ranking and shiny KPM ring hallow after witnessing Game 5 this week.

KP partnered with JV in a 21-10 loss to Turley and Erik, in which KP managed to score a dreadful SEVEN POINTS in this five inning match. He didn’t make a single cornhole, pathetically shot 35%, and averaged 1.4 gross points per round.

Think about that for a moment – 1.4 gross points per round. By comparison, the lowest player in the Power Rankings is Jimmy, a rookie, and he’s averaging 2.3 gross points per round this season. No disrespect to Jimmy; rather, it’s a simple point that KP was almost a full point less than that.

Diving deeper, in the history of LEG we’ve never had a player average that few gross points per round.

• 2017 – Joe Viviano averaged 1.5
• 2018 – Joe Viviano averaged 2.0
• 2019 – Joe Viviano averaged 2.0

Note: We didn’t have detailed statistics in the 2016 season.

Also, only one player has scored fewer than seven points in a game during the 2020 season and that was in week 2 (Game 6) when Coach Mike scored six points in a three round game. But, at least he averaged 2.0 gross points per round.

In other words, KP was historically bad in Game 5. Trash. Embarrassing. Awful.

Turley bent him over, shoved a dry thumb up his @ss, and went to pound town. Turley outscored him 26-7, and was directly responsible for leading his team to victory.

Things didn’t end there for KP. He didn’t have another individual game that was as bad as Game 5, but he won only two games tonight (finished 2-5 overall) and was part of an “unofficial” choke in Game 7 – he and Barker jumped out to a 13-3 lead over Nick and Turley, then gave up an 18-0 run to lose the game 21-13. The stat sheet won’t officially show a “choke” or “comeback” in this game because the algorithm can only recognize a 10-point lead at the end of an inning when calculating “choke” or “comeback.” This 13-3 lead was after the top of the third inning and therefore doesn’t officially count. Yet, it does. You cannot give up an 18-0 run, especially when you have a 10-point lead.

The 18-0 run only spanned two innings, and during that stretch KP was outscored by Nick in rounds of 7-0 and 10-4. In other words, KP allowed 13 of the 18 points, proving *he* choked (not his team).

KP finished with a 14.3 KPM this week, but shot a horrific 57% (he’s typically near 70%), and deservedly fell from #2 to #4 in the Power Rankings.

The 3-9 record he has posted the last two weeks is another indictment on how pitiful he’s been. He’s been more useless than a limp dick in a gangbang.

RUNNING SHIT AS IF HE’S THE MAYOR

The antithesis of KP is Nick. The most decorated player in LEG history is on a tear this season, and week 8 was no different. He posted an all-time single week KPM with 19.1 this week. You read that right – 19.1!

He was untouchable, posting a +9.5 scoring differential on his way to a 4-0 record. His 71% accuracy was unbelievable considering nobody else was above 58%, and he knocked in a ridiculous 1.54 cornholes per round.

He closed games better than Mariano Rivera, delivering knockout blows in Game 8 (9-0 to close over JV) and Game 9 (7-2 to close over KP). Don’t forget his 13 points that were instrumental in leading his team on an 18-0 run during their Game 7 comeback win. Nick jumped from #4 to #2 in the Power Rankings after this week’s dominating performance.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Game 6 pitted Nick and JV against Barker and Erik. Some may look at that matchup and think it’s a mismatch, but those people need to remember that Erik is establishing himself as a heavyweight in this league.

Nick delivered a monster first inning, beating Barker 8-2 to give his squad an early 6-0 lead. But after that early outburst, the rest of the match had the feel of a heavyweight title match.

Erik scored his team’s first six points to keep them within striking distance, down just 7-6. The third inning belonged to Erik and Barker, combining for five points and taking an 11-7 lead.

Barker upped the lead to 14-7 after outscoring Nick, 7-4, in the top of the fourth inning. But then the playlist flipped to death metal, JV threw in a fat dip, and the pep came back to JV’s step. In the bottom of the fourth he drained two cornholes, besting Erik, 7-1, and drawing his team within 14-13.

In the fifth he added two more points and Nick chipped in with one point as they took a 16-14 lead. Barker sensed things were spiraling out of control, so he delivered a much-needed 10-point round for his team in the sixth inning. He outscored Nick, 10-6, and his team nabbed the lead back, 18-16.

Death metal blasting? JV surging? Erik DGAF. In the bottom of the sixth he mastered the chess match with JV, smartly piling up blockers in front of the hole and in JV’s preferred throwing lanes. He upped his team’s lead to 20-16 in the process, handing the bags back to Barker for a close-out.

In the seventh, Barker and Nick exchanged cornholes on their first two throws. Barker dropped his third toss on the board for a 7-6 lead, then Nick missed the board with his third bag!

Barker had given his team a 21-16 lead with each player having one toss remaining. A cornhole would clinch the game, one bag on the board would require Nick to sink a cornhole with his last bag to extend the game.

Barker launched his final bag, and immediately looked away in disgust. He had pulled it left, and it didn’t have a chance from the moment it left his hand. Nick threw his fourth bag aggressively, trying to make a cornhole. He missed the cornhole, but his bag settled on the board for one point and a 7-7 draw for the inning.

A big missed opportunity for Barker, but he had confidence in his partner to close it out. Erik threw first and missed short of the board – a sign that he was feeling pressure.

JV applied an anvil when his first toss went in for three!

Erik needed to answer, but couldn’t. Again, he missed the board with his second shot, this time wide right. JV’s second bag drew from right to left and skipped up just short of the hole. He turned away, amazed the bag didn’t have momentum to carry into the hole. It was still good enough to give him a 4-0 lead midway through his side of the inning.

Battling tons of pressure, Erik delivered a bag on the board with his third shot and breathed a sigh of relief afterward.

JV has a flare for the dramatic, and to nobody’s surprise he went for a push shot with his third bag. He overthrew it, though, and missed the board entirely.

Motorhead screamed through the speakers, forcing Erik to throw his final bag like a QB trying to convert a key third down pass on the road in a hostile environment. He couldn’t convert, missing the board for the third time this inning, and Motorhead roared louder, like a crowd forcing a punt.

And then, JV took the punt return TO THE HOUSE! As he prepared to throw his final bag, he winked at KP, confirming the strategy KP anticipated – he was again going for the push, which would give his team the win.

He reminded himself not to overthrow the shot, and then he fired the bag at a lower trajectory than normal. It landed directly on the back of his bag sitting just shy of the hole, and this time it had all the momentum necessary to push the bag in for a cornhole and his final bag continued into the black abyss as well. Two cornholes on his final bag to post a 9-1 win in the inning, giving his team a thrilling 21-20 victory!

Erik had controlled the head-to-head with JV prior to that round, leading it 19-17 and held a 4-3 advantage in cornholes. But he succumbed to the heaviness of the moment, and JV capitalized like a shark with chum in the water. Because he’s a killer and delivered a 9-piece to win the game in electrifying fashion, JV gets this week’s Mushroom Stamp Moment!

“THE DRIBBLER”

Barker has started experimenting with his toss mechanics, adding more versatility to his game by changing launch angles in an effort to make more cornholes. He already has the high, feathery rainbow in his arsenal, which is great for accuracy and placing blockers on the board. But he believes his cornhole rate is unsatisfactory using that style toss. He’s mastered it, so now is the perfect time to add layers to his game.

The experiment worked this week, helping him to a 12.4 KPM. More importantly, he scored 0.84 cornholes per round this week, which is higher than his season average of 0.54 coming into this week.

As Bill Cosby would say, the proof is in the puddin’. Barker put the “O” in cornhole all night, including when he outscored Nick during their head-to-head match-up in the Game of the Night (40-38, including dropping 10 cornholes in seven innings).

In the fifth inning of Game 8 he was head-to-head with Erik, and was down 6-2 in the inning with one bag remaining. Erik had piled the board with three bags blocking the hole, causing Barker to consult his partner before throwing his final bag, “Is a cornhole available?” JV confirmed cornhole was available, though JV has never seen a hole he couldn’t hit.

Barker threw a low line-drive that hit the board early, dribbled over Erik’s blockers and into the hole. It was a hell of a shot, one that he is now capable of executing.

Barker, normally very humble, was so impressed by his shot-making skills that he turned to KP and nicknamed himself, “You can call me ‘The Dribbler’ after that shit!”

It’s a perfect moniker. “The Dribbler” started the night 3-0, then lost his last five games to finish 3-5. However, two of his five losses came as partners with KP and another loss was the 21-20 heartbreaker in the Game of the Night. He played exceptionally well despite the record, and is on pace to reinvent his game so that he can compete for championships again.

DROP ‘EM, BOYS

For the first time since week 2, we had a bun run! In Game 2 KP and Barker partnered to face JV and Turley.

Barker and KP sprinted to an 18-0 lead after the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Barker and Turley were tied, 4-4, and Turley had one final bag. Anything on the board would break the bun run, and he knew it.

His toss was a hard cut, moving right to left. It needed to hang on, but as it hit the board it spun harder left and fell off the board. “Are you fucking kidding me!” Turley yelled as he ripped his hat off and fired it into the bushes.

Barker laughed. KP laughed. JV winced and began pulling at his groin, fluffing himself.

KP delivered the knockout blow (shockingly) in the top of the fifth inning, sinking two cornholes and outscoring JV, 7-3, to complete the 21-0 victory.

This was JV’s second bun run of the season and third of his career. Meanwhile, it was Turley’s first bun run of the season, while he also has three for his career.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Despite the bun run, Turley played great this week. He finished 5-2 overall with a 12.9 KPM on 54% shooting. He added a 10-point round, and started paying rent in KP’s @ss because he spent so much time there – he outscored KP in both head-to-head match-ups this week, 41-32 and 26-7. He also had great games outscoring Barker (26-18 in Game 7) and Erik (25-18 in Game 3).
• JV finished 4-4 overall with a 13.1 KPM, and added two foot snags to his resume. Most impressive was his 0.95 cornholes per round. Similar to Barker, JV typically has a higher trajectory on his toss, which sometimes makes it difficult to hit cornholes. JV is also tweaking his throw, attempting to become more versatile. Scoring 0.95 cornholes per round and posting a 13.1 KPM while tinkering with your mechanics is impressive.
• Erik climbed into the top 10 of the Power Rankings this week thanks to his 11.0 KPM. He shot 50% and knocked in 0.75 cornholes per round while going 2-3 overall. Had the Game of the Night swung his way, he’d have found himself on the right side of .500 and feeling even better about his night. Nonetheless, he did a lot of great things, including foot snagging two bags tonight.