ESPI 4 in Boston last weekend. (with video)

http://vimeo.com/4504424

Check out Seabass scoring the winning goal!

Also check the goal at 8 minutes in...

More here and here.

Some photo from Kev here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kev_walsh/sets/72157617734125526/detail/

thats awesome
seabass must be really exited
shit that I cant watch the vid on my computer
its being all jumpy

This ESPI had the same top four as the Worlds last year (slightly different order).

1. East Van
   
2. Milwaukee
   
3. NYC
   
4. Madison
   

I think the worlds was:

1. East Van
   
2. NYC
   
3. MKE
   
4. Madison
   

11 minute final - that's quick! That goal-keeper take out at 8minutes is outrageous, plenty of booing from the crowd.

11 minute final - that's quick! That goal-keeper take out at 8minutes is outrageous, plenty of booing from the crowd.

Yea, but you can hear a guy next to the camera agreeing with the play. Since it's at the far end (and there's never proper footage of these things!) you can't tell how the play was executed. If done as decently as possible it's ok. The goalie had plenty of time to expect and anticipate it. And where were the goalies other teammates to make sure the second guy didn't get there?
If the second guy just rammed the goalie, no good. That's just uncalled for.
The taken out goalie could have accidentally blocked the shot so it's a risky move anyways...

That was JoeMKE who took out the goalie. He's tough, but generally clean. It's hard to tell from this angle. It did look a bit questionable.

I have to say, however, that if I'm in the finals and losing while you're team has 4 points, you'd better watch out for me when you're in goal. There is never justification for a T-Bone, etc, but I'd take out the keeper's mallet for sure and might give him/her a solid shoulder at that point.

I hate shitty one angle only videos of polo matches

yeeeeah... seaweed!

finally saw the vid
shitty video angle does make it hard to say if it was a kunts move or not
its definetly a bit less obviously wrong than the madison t bone
made me angry but Im biased

but regardless they still lost so ...
and by some awesome bike skills as well
so far as I'm concerned if you can ride your bike well and play good
dirty moves are unessessary
(so far Im stuck with playing dirty)

bike polo is a full contact sport.

I think the worlds was:

1. East Van
   
2. NYC
   
3. MKE
   
4. Madison
   
   

1st: NYC (Doug/Paul/Zach)
2nd: East Van (Martin/Rory/Pieter)
3rd: TIE. Madison (Kev/Jonny/Ben) and MKE (Jake/Joe/Eric) (3rd place game didn't happen due to thunder and lightning)

NYC had the same team at the ESPIs, East Van had Seabass subbing for Martin, Madison had Jon A subbing for Ben, and MKE had Joe, Brian, and Kremin.

its definetly a bit less obviously wrong than the madison t bone

The "Madison t bone" was a joke move pulled by Ben against NYC, at a tournament called "NYC (i.e. new year's championship) in Madison" named that way as a joke because of the rivalry between those two teams, who have played physically against each other and are also good friends. Everyone on the court was laughing at the audacity of ben's move, including the goalie who got taken out, and me as i swept up the loose ends and scored. We still lost that game, so it's irrelevant. But damn straight it was illegal.

That said, "taking out the goalie" was quite common, and allowed, at the ESPIs, and will likely remain at N.A. tourneys until it gets outlawed--if it gets outlawed. It can involve, in order of intensity:

1. Pulling the goalie's mallet
   
2. Hacking the goalie's mallet
   
3. Shoulder checking the goalie when the ball is nearby (this is what i consider happened in the video here)
   
4. Shoulder checking the goalie when the ball is not nearby
   
5. Bike on bike, aka "t-boning" the goalie (if anyone in London can explain the difference to me i'd love to hear it), like Ben did in January in Madison.
   
   

My guess is that 1, 2 and 3 will remain legal, but i dunno, maybe only 1 and 2. I wish mallet hacking would be made illegal. In any case, I hope this rule gets clarified at some point soon.

fair play
when you don't know anyone involved it just seams fucking full on
but explained in context ...
dunno I guess you had to be there and be a part of the joke

hacking mallets is just annoying because it can damage them
but you can preemp it and avoid the hack if your paying attention

not that rules from other sports should apply
but is there another sport where it is cool to just attack the goalie as a tactic of getting them out of the way

and what where the scores in the final games just out of curiosity

I didn't know Martin had graduated to the East Van A team.

I maintain:

Don't be a dick, don't be a pussy.

Plus Madison are assholes.

I Don't be a dick, don't be a pussy.

+1
I just love the gender balance of this statement