 | | Captains Corner |
| with David Buhr |
Most of us have or have had dreams of making it big in some venue somewhere, whether it be sports, music, or television, we would like to have either the fame or the fortune, or both! Why? Because we're selfish, vain, egotistical human beings. As such, we also would love to have our story told by a famous journalist. Sure, I am neither famous nor am I wealthy, but I am here now to feed that egotistical nature, to ask questions about you, not just as a wiffleball player, but as a person as well.
Every couple of weeks I will be interviewing a player, starting with the captains of each team. The first to be interviewed are none other than your co-commissioners and co-captains of the Squirrels, Carl Coffee and Brandon Corbett.
Name: Carl Coffee Jr.
Birthdate: December 18, 1982
Height: Possibly 6 feet
Weight: I like food
1. What gave you the idea to start a Wiffleball League?
It was the only way I could get people to play with me. It's all here -
http://wiffleinsemitheskinny.blogspot.com/2011/01/getting-wiffleball-in-palm-of-hand.html
2. How were you able to find people?
God Bless the Internet.
3. How did you come up with the name for your team?
Searched Minor League names, Flying Squirrels stood out.
4. What was your favorite sport growing up?
Baseball with Basketball a close 2nd
5. Favorite Hobby?
Throwing pennies away, SNES, claymation.
6. Were you ever given any cool or weird nicknames?
Triple C, Crazy Carl, Coff, Randy, Doug, The German Giraffe.
7. Ideally, where would you like to see WSEM in 5 years?
I hope it is in good hands. I have two years left in me to stay on as Commish, but hope to captain a team until my legs fall off. I also really hope we can be a top 5 league in the NWLA.
8. Have you ever had any unusual injuries?
You can't hurt me.
9. Since wiffleball is really a smaller scale baseball game, I'd like to ask you who is your favorite MLB player of all time?
90's- Cecil Fielder
00's- Pudge
10's- Cabrera
10. How do you feel about the trash talk that goes on in our league? Do you feel that it's good for the league? Or would you like it to be toned down some?
I hate when people get personal, i.e. making fun of someones appearance, grammar, etc. Trash talk in the field is awesome though!
Name: Brandon Reginald Barclay Corbett, Esq.
Birthdate: The near future
Height: Less than tall
Weight: 40 lb less than my license says
1. What gave you the idea to start a Wiffleball League?
I'm pretty sure I was hoodwinked into it... It wasn't so much wanting to start a Wiffleball league, but more just not wanting Carl to hurt himself. Having done it, though, I have to say the escapism and God-complex in crafting this surreal little nook of the world is pretty fantastic. Oh, and some of the guys are pretty classy dudes, too.
2. How were you able to find people?
It still amazes me that any people came out, and still come out. Early on it was a lot of high school friends, then slowly guys interested in Wiffle, like you and Chad, found us online; Carl's the one who has done almost all of the work when it comes to bringing in new people, but I do know that kidnapping has been very effective.
3. How did you come up with the name for your team?
Well, the London (OH) Tournament that got us started playing this game required teams to have MLB or MiLB team names, and Carl always brought the name back with him. First it was Lugnuts, then Jammers (Jamestown), and finally Flying Squirrels (Richmond). We always just looked for a silly kind of name for this silly kind of game. Squirrels seems to have stuck, though I am subtly trying to replace "Flying" with the abbreviated "F'ing" - you know, for class.
4. What was your favorite sport growing up?
Neighborhood-wide squirt gun fight / tag / capture the flag. More sportingly: lacrosse; nobody knew anything about it. It had mythical qualities.
5. Favorite Hobby?
Does making websites for silly things and going way over the top with them count as a hobby?
6. Were you ever given any cool or weird nicknames?
I wish. My compadres never got past the hockey nickname scheme: Corbs, Corby, etc. Want to bestow one on me now? ... Please?
7. Ideally, where would you like to see WSEM in 5 years?
Sixty strange guys in Chad's backyard having a barbecue. I'd be elated with that.
8. Have you ever had any unusual injuries?
I'm unbreakable, which is shocking since I hate milk.
9. Since wiffleball is really a smaller scale baseball game, I'd like to ask you who is your favorite MLB player of all time?
This is a hard one for me. I root more for the team than the guy in the jersey. I don't really care about the "old-timers" either; no personal investment in any of them. So, it comes down to guys who I just like (or liked) watching play. It has to be Rick "the Wild Thing" Vaughn.
10. How do you feel about the trash talk that goes on in our league? Do you feel that it's good for the league? Or would you like it to be toned down some?
As long as it is kept in a context related to the game it can be cool. Maybe throw in some "yo mama" jokes. When it spills over into personal lifestyle, means, etc. it becomes a problem. Two guys going back and forth ripping on each other's play or hair in the heat of the game can definitely add something to the competitive atmosphere. Obviously, not all sixty of us are going to be "tight bros," but we are all in this silly, little Wiffle community together. I'll steal GSWL's slogan, "a kid's game taken way too far," because I think it says it best; what we're doing out here really is reliving a childhood game and the excitement and fun that goes along with it by going over the top with things like a website, ridiculous articles and a podcast. None of us are world-beaters; we're going back to when baseball was larger than life for us, and we're trying our best to realize Wiffle in that larger than life way now.
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