Wednesday, September 28, 2005

 

Sisyphus

This is a team that is destined to crush your soul, I think.

It's not that Brett Tomko, in the biggest game of his Giants career, flamed out. It's that he's now just another name in a long list of similar flameouts. Salomon Torres in the last game of 1993. Sean Estes on Barry's big night in 2001. Livan Hernandez in Game Seven. Jim Brower vs. Steve Finely in 2004.

It's not that J.T. Snow, normally as sure-handed a defender as there is, coughed up on a routine play that ended up costing the Giants the game. It's that he's now just another name in a growing list of similar brain spasms. Cody Ransom in 2004. Jose Cruz Jr. in the 2003 playoffs.

It's not that the Giants have somehow come so close, only to stumble. It's that this team will likely share that distinction with the teams from 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. (Not to mention 1962, 1971, 1989...)

I'm telling ya. Before long, we're all going to be just like Red Sox fans were before their miracle. On the other hand, that beats being like Devil Rays fans, doesn't it?

Jefferson 12:28 PM

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Sunday, September 11, 2005

 

Orcs and Wargs and Gamers at Conquest SF

(Note: It's been over six months since I posted about miniatures wargaming. For those of you who have started reading since then, do not be alarmed. Baseball blogging will return eventually, and perhaps sooner than I indicated in my last post.)

Every Labor Day weekend for the last quarter century or so, a thousand or more gamers have gathered at a pre-arranged place, and performed geeky rituals that, when performed publicly, freak the hell out of relatively normal people. We're talking about Dungeons and Dragons. We're talking about boardgames from Europe that you have never seen at Toys R Us. Most of all, and closest to my heart, we're talking about miniatures wargaming. "Miniatures wargaming" is what we call it; the rest of you may continue to call it "grownups still playing with toy soldiers." Really, I don't mind.

This year, the Labor Day convention was Conquest, held at the San Francisco Airport Marriott. I spent most of it playing Lord of the Rings wargames. I refereed one battle on the first night. This was my "Meaning of Haste" scenario, for those of you who remember my posts from last winter. (And really, it's okay if you don't--you won't win any bar bets by remembering Skaldheim posts, trust me.) For four hours, the forces of the Kingdom of Rohan faced the Uruk-Hai and Wargs of Saruman the White. The forces of evil were commanded by a couple of gentlemen named Wyn and Ray. The Rohirrim were in the hands of gallant young men named Suchol and Eric. I was the referee, and I wielded a brand new Sony digital camera.

I was dangerous.

It was a tight battle, ending in a draw. I may describe it in more detail in another post. For now, I wanted to share my sheer ineptitude with digital photography. I really should read the freaking manual for my new camera, or something. So be warned that these photos are a bit off, but they'll give you some idea of what kind of toy soldiers grownups play with. (Click on the images to see the full-sized ones.)



The Riders of Rohan charge...



...opposed by the fighting Uruk-Hai...



...and eventually, all hell breaks loose.

Next post: pictures from Wyn's very interesting Battle for Dwarrowdelf event.

For now: Outside of baseball, what's your favorite geeky or "guilty pleasure" hobby?

Jefferson 1:55 PM

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