Mandatory AAU Basketball Fall 2023 Rant - Weekend #4

The final AAU weekend before schools open up formal practice time for basketball was a mixture of relief and excitement.   The twice-a-week drives downtown, interrupting other practices, the crapshoot of various fall tournaments, emphasis on the first syllable, the lack of correction at times are all thing I no longer have to worry about.  . The excitement?  Well, I'll save that for later. 

After all the trips down here over the years, it's a bit of a surprise that the Zero Gravity "Rumble for the Belt" was the only tournament we travelled down to the Spooky Nook complex outside of Manheim. When the schedule was released, I noticed it was a smaller co-ed tournament, as only 15 of the 30 courts were in use.

Of course, the biggest news looming over all of us was sudden passing of our star player, Molly's, dad, the week after the last tournament.  Practices were cancelled to let the girls could hang out with Molly and her family.  The memorial service for Matt was this past Thursday, fittingly filling up a community center gymnasium to capacity, as people from numerous communities and organizations paid their respects.  

With that horrible week finally behind them, they did benefit from a noon first game and drew an underpowered team from Central Jersey.  Any worry how Molly would play was quickly negated, but against such a team, there wasn't much fight, as they rolled over them 54-15.  

The afternoon game was against another Central Jersey, the quite competent Team Miller.  I Millie's team has won every encounter with them over the years, but they were always the kind of games you participant in travel.  Team Miller actually had the lead midway through the first half. 

And then Molly exploded.   

I don't have all the numbers, but between the last minutes of the first half, and the first six or seven minutes of the second, she went 7-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line, hitting a few shots that were closer to halfcourt than the arc.    The 59-42 final score was not even that close.  

Sunday drew an 8am game for every 7th grade girls team (but that you Daylight Savings falling back).  The play-in game was simply the A Pool #1 seed (Millie's) team versus a Team DAPA from somewhere in Philly.  They had height and over-aggressiveness on their side, but with Molly leading another great game, every girl had a moment to shine.  Even Millie (yes my daughter) had a mind-bending play where she lured the entire team to follow her dribble around the arc, until she cut in and made a completely uncontested lay-up.  

The noon championship would be the B-Pool #1, Sideline Cancer, out of Lancaster County.   They had some quite sizable girls, triple-teamed the magic out of Molly, and there was a stretch in the 2nd half where they didn't make a second-chance shot in the paint, because they were 11-for-11 on first attempts.  In reality, a 10-0 run in the first half sealed Millie's team's fate, losing 50-38.

Again, the post-game conversation wasn't about the refs (atrocious officials they recruited from Virginia apparently) or some significant adjustments that should have (but weren't) applied.  Rather it was the excitement of the effort from the team in the steals, the ball scrums, the fast reaction times that kept the game from getting further out of hand, and reminded us that school practices start Monday, and that these girls (plus 4 or 5 others) will simply dominant all other local 7th grade girls playing an hour in each direction.  Dunmore has twins, Hazleton plays an internal school district league that Molly and her teammate Anna will simply destroy, and Millie has her 6'1" friend Jordyn to dominate their schedule.  Everyone else will be their top dog on their team by a mile, and do their interpretation of Molly to help the team, and develop their school teammates.  

It's exciting times.  

The team had warm-up shirts made in memory of Matt.

And a proper pleas, if you will.  Very few deaths are expected,  but to pass away in your forties is an unexpected tragedy that few families have planned for.  A GoFundMe has been established to help out the family through this time, and implore those who enjoy my little basketball rants, to give something to help them out.

Onwards and forwards to winter school ball: from 7th grade all the way to potentially varsity for Maja and Millie...

A Talislanta: The Savage Lands Deal and D'oh!

 I had hemmed and hawed about going all-in for the Talislanta: The Savage Land Kickstarter, but in the end I simply pledged five bucks for the Talislanta OMNI system edition.    It was a great value, I enjoyed reading through it, but it's been hidden on my hard drive for quite some time.    

Fast forward to last month, and I was shocked to find an alleged hardcover copy of the book on eBay, for the ridiculous price of $19.99.    I set it to watch and continued on my way, only to get an offer of three dollars off and free shipping. With the price of 21st century Tal books being insane normally, I jumped on the opportunity, and it quickly arrived at my house. 

My good news:  It wasn't a bound, watermarked version someone printed off.  It was the real hardcover.  But after much perusing, I realized my due diligence was lacking, aI had purchased a copy of the Talislanta: The Savage Land for 5e!

I did not notice the little "5e" hiding in the fog and shadows. 

Needless to say, I gave positive feedback, because it was listed in the description and the correct picture were posted.  I may even mine it for ideas if I go ahead and do a "best of " convention games for Mepacon in the spring.  "The Crystle Dungeon" needs some rewrites from over 30 years ago. 

Falling Headwards Into Fall-In! 2023

By the time all the gentle blog followers are reading this, I should already be in  Lancaster for Fall-In 2023.

Over the last twenty years, Fall-In! has always been my least favorite of the HMGS Big Three conventions, and with the cancellation of Cold Wars '24, and everything else going on with my life, I may run many sessions with great fervor this weekend, but inside there's an apathy gnawing at me.  

This time, I feel more like the frog...

As has been the case for the last two years, post-COVD, my girls' AAU schedule conflicts with the con.  Despite some scheduling snafus, I don't think there will be too many conflicts, but that because of another cloud hanging over everyone's head. 

Last week, we learned that the father of Millie's teammate, Molly, died unexpectedly at his home.  He was only 44.  Matt, the dad, was a beacon of positivity and completely dedicated to anything and everything for Molly, and her twin brother, Max.    

And to be a selfish parent, he was the fun basketball dad to hang around during the game, whether our girls were on the same team, or trying to tear each other apart.

In light of this tragedy, a GoFundMe has been set up for the family, to get them through this difficult time and beyond.  I encourage anyone who enjoys my usually basketball posts with the names scrubbed off to donate what they can at this time.  

(Kickstarter) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness by Palladium Books

 Sometimes you stare into the fire, other times you fall into it.  Let's start one of those experiments, shall we?

In a month where all the cool properties seemed to be getting crowdfunding, Palladium Books takes the cake with a remastered, full-color edition of their 1985 classic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, with the full licensure from Nickelodeon and the blessings of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. 

The old man in me that yelling at clouds winces at the $50 price tag.   But if the dear reader remembers that TMNT was a $9.95 for a thin, black & white book, and this is a remastered, full color, 256-page edition, with added material, taking inflation into consideration, it's not too bad.  

I believe I'll take the nearly year-long journey to fulfillment with the main book, as well as the remastered Transdimensional Adventures, for $100 total (S&H not included).  From years of experience (and a healthy memory of their Robotech debacle, which I did NOT participate it,  pledging for the core books will make you happier in the end, than all the exotic special art covers, the dice, or the other accessories.  

(Kickstarter) Dungeon Dwellers RPG by Reaper Miniatures

Reaper Miniatures is taking a head-first dive into the world of role-playing games with their Kickstarter for the Dungeon Dwellers RPG.

Named after one of their early fantasy lead miniature lines, and a newer line made our of Bones, their vision of a FRPG seems to be slimmed down rules with an OSR tilt, but still residing in three hardcover books. 

But fear not, true believers, for Reaper isn't focusing on games entirely with this campaign.  Not only will their be new minis for the Dungeon Dwellers Collectors Box, but the there is a completely separate miniature-only pledge which appears to have it's own "miniature" stretch goals.  It should be noted, however, that the same growing stretch goals for the $50 minis-only pledge is also included in the $99 Collectors Box with three rulebooks.

(Kickstarter) Steam Pulp from Pulp Figures

Bob Murch with Pulp Figures has launched a new Kickstarter to provide a healthy start to his new Steam Pulp line of figures.

There are a wide variety of British figures coming out, ready to fight the Zulus, or any other corner of the Empire that needs saving.

The existing Pulp Figures Zulus minis are also available as add-ons.

Alternative Armies Christmas Miniature Range Expands!

 Halloween is over, Thanksgiving has been celebrated in at least Canada, so it might be safe to make a Christmas-related post. 

And if not Christmas, how about Cryptmass, the holiday in the world of Flintloque and Slaughterloo, where the dead come to visit, and all the races is an annual event for the all the fantasy races in the world.

It's also a great time to review Alternate Armies Christmas line of minis, including the 28mm Goblin Cryptmass House (see below):

The one thing I haven't seen much of that they have?  15mm Christmas figures, for those of you who barely have space for a tree, much less a massive game table.

This also corresponds well with their current WINTER MEGA SALE, where 20% is automatically taken off through sometime on December 6th.  Check the link above for details.