COPPA DI PRIMAVERA Rumpus Room 4/6/10
I Favoriti (favorites)
EBMB – Let’s see …Current holder of the Hammer, current 2010 leader, 9-1 singles … Hmmm. Add in 4 singles wins at the Rumpus and the fact that nearly one third of losses this year have come at Vendetta on a table that has begun to earn a troubled asterisk. Mix it all up and what have you got? The man with a target on his back. Given that pedigree, it would certainly be surprising not to see him in the final. All money bet against the Snipper is truly speculative.

SA – Go on. Say he’s slumping. Say he’s lost his edge. He’ll be sure to feed those words back to you in a Coppa. Underestimate the Silent Assassin and you’ll wake up under the river. So, go on. Keep talking. The only words he’ll chose are the two he whispers in your dying ear: “You Lose”.

Contendenti (contenders)
Chairman -Chairman’s recent run of excellent play brings questions to mind: “Changed man or a fortunate beneficiary?”; “Has Liza found his chorus line kick?”; or, more simply, “Contendah or Pretendah?” Truly, it is difficult to tell. What better time to test his skills in singles? Should we view his chances conservatively, factoring in his 1-6 singles record as well as a 4-10 overall record at the Rumpus? Or, should we dismiss those marks as rough drafts for the brilliant pieces now starting to emerge? A bracket busting first round win in the Coppa would be quite an answer.

Statty– Well, it seems the Weatherman has weathered the storm. After fitting himself with concrete boots to start the season, he has done the heavy lifting to emerge from the mire. It has been a tale of two, twenty-game chunks. 5-15 over the first 20 games, 14-6 over the last 20. But, as always with Stats, one never knows what this all means. He could build on recent success and win or he could crash out early and gaze longingly from an orange booth. If all else fails, he can at least pick a fight.

The Good King – All right, gentlemen, in this deal, everything plays straight, except the Good King is wild. Look out for Lebold here. He will be at long odds to sustain his play well enough to push all the way through, but Kong has the skills to surprise. Despite going 2-4 last week at Hal’s, Kong is playing his weights with inspiration and accuracy. The match against Fosbury promises to be the cracker of the first round match-ups. The winner of that game could be the bracket spoiler.

Fosbury – Pay no attention to the recent run of play. Foz is, and always will be, a deadly draw in singles. While the Brunette has been a bit of a nemesis in the past, look for the Foz to show up razor sharp for this one. As stated above, the first round match-up could be the defining moment.

Cavalli Buio (dark horses)
Zulu – Zulu is like a bag of old, unmarked seeds in a cupboard. You toss them into the soil and see if anything will take. Sometimes, beautiful blooms emerge. Other times, you are left with a pile of mud. Whether its mud or flowers, he doesn’t really seem to mind. More scattered success is likely what’s in store, but there is a chance he will approach this test with a more discerning approach. Heck, he might even have fresh seeds in his back pocket.

Ellsmore– Let me go on record to say that if Lester’s More wins the Coppa, I’ll pour ice down the front of my pants. This not to say that he isn’t going to compete in this tournament, but with no history on this table and little TFC shuffling experience, a win would be a surprise. A refreshing surprise, mind you. Like ice down the front of the pants.