Let’s seriously see what behind these lopsided polls. Is Tropical Park as a whole making a strong case against Miami Lakes? I guess we will find out when the league champs play each other on April 24. Right now until proven otherwise, the top-tiered veteran teams in Miami Lakes are hanging high on the poll as they grind it out against each other. This is highlighted by this week’s tie between top Miami Lakes teams New Kicks on the Block and Suck My Kick. Without a big upset, it’s going to be tough for Tropical Park to take back the poll against any of these top Miami Lakes teams. However, last season huge upsets in the playoffs would have taken the team now called Another Run to the top of a post-season poll had we released one.  Will any upsets this week help the Purple People Eaters or Another Run break into the top 3? Or will they fall into the tight grind at Tropical Park? Let’s also see how things are clearing up in Tropical Park’s previously 6 tied 2-2 teams and if anything is changing in the Big 3 at Miami Lakes.  This week’s poll was written by “The Kickball Expert”.

1. New Kicks on the Block – 3 first place votes.  30 points (previously 1st). Oh, have the mighty have fallen. A tie to Suck My Kick? Ok, just kidding. No one is perfect, right? Maybe the poll from a couple weeks back jinxed them. No… they still haven’t lost. No matter how close the games get, they are true competitors. A union of great players, men and women, on both sides of the fields. We are all mostly jealous of this team and really want to find a way to beat you. So don’t worry about what we write about you. And if you figure out your weakness let us know. New Kicks on the Block knows how to execute, and, until proven wrong, they remain the undisputed best team in K.O.A.L.A. Kickball and the favorite to win both leagues.
2. Gattaca!!! – 27 points (previously 2nd). Resilient, athletic, and consistent. No one looks forward to playing this team that will run up the score on you. If you doubt me on whether they run up the score, look at their +32 run differential, which is the highest run differential in K.O.A.L.A. Kickball. They were so close to a championship last year they could taste it. And the crickets you’ll here when they are on defense will let you know they are in it for the win. Don’t expect them to be distracted now that fantasy football season is over. Gattaca!!!
3. Suck My Kick – 24 points (previously 3rd). They were one run short of making a case for the belt and shaking these standings, but a higher vote now will be hard. It’s bad enough that the top teams in Tropical Park are still behind them. But for those hating, let me explain. The core of Suck my Kick has been one of the best teams in K.O.A.L.A Kickball from its start. They’ve been around longer than Gattaca!!!, although that is still a big game matchup to watch season for next week’s season finale. They are always winning and are consistent. They may be able to break through the playoff bracket at any time and lift the long standing curse off commissioner Lorenzo never winning a kickball championship (which he has accumulated over many years of playing kickball). But watch out below, they are poised to play the team that has hurt their reputation the most this very week, my very own Ballbarians. Now this must get confusing for non-Miami Lakers with the name changes, but my teams have constantly caused turmoil for Lorenzo’s team (somewhere out there, his coworker’s – Franco’s – coveted favorite teaching clipboard that was probably older than me is resting in peace after Lorenzo destroyed it during one of our games against each other).  The last two regular season match ups were decided by the lights and in both cases a respective team was robbed of a win while the other team scored or waited for certain victory in scoring position. They have faced each other in the playoffs the past two seasons and split that, too, with Ballbarians pulling off a 6 – 3 first round upset. This week Suck My Kick and Ballbarians face off, and Suck my Kick is thirsty for revenge. However close they were from breaking the top of this poll, if they drop another to Ballbarians this week, Tropical Park could be celebrating their higher poll rankings.  For now, top teams at Tropical Park, +18 run differential and a tie with New Kicks on the Block will keep you at bay.
4. Another Run – 20 points (previously 4th). Not sitting on the top of the standings at Tropical Park, but since they took all the prestige last season in the championship game, one regular season loss won’t be enough doubt to drop them in the rankings. They are consistent and their reputation precedes them so some commissioners (not mentioning any names) have them above our next team. They are knocking on the door of Miami Lakes and have a ticket secured from last season to face the league champions of Miami Lakes regardless of what happens this season. But we’ll see if they can keep things under control in Tropical Park where the competitiveness runs thick across the standings. Only in this league can the 10th team in the standings tie the 1st place team.
5. Purple People Eaters – 18 points (previously 5th). Back to back comeback wins from these invading Vikings from Miami Lakes. FYI: their pitcher, another one of their males, and their dangerous twins are Miami Lakes K.O.A.L.A. Kickball veterans. One thing is clear now through 5 weeks: they are a team that finds a way to win. They’ve sacked all three commissioners’ teams and will surely enjoy reminding us that the next few weeks. Regardless of how much we refuse to accept how this free agent conglomerate at the top of the standings has been kicking our behinds, the Purple People Eaters have been sitting high and tight at the top of the Tropical Park standings since week 2 and are one of two K.O.A.L.A. Kickball undefeated teams. They have my respect.
6. Kickaine Cowboys – 14 points (previously 6th). So if you’re above .500 in Tropical Park you make the poll, and may even be looking down at some of your buddies. This team is dedicated to victory, and in the roller coaster that is Tropical Park, it is emerging as a talented and consistent threat. A +10 differential secures the 6th poll spot as the Kickaine Cowboys wiggled themselves out of the league wide ties in wins and losses plaguing the league to neutrality and complicating the voting of this poll. It’s nice to breath at third in the standings. It’s also nice to see last season last seeded team making a mark. Now stay up there.
7. Pitch You Don’t Know Me – 13 points (previously 8th). Wait a second, we know you. You beat Suck My Kick and tied those Ballbarians who were sitting halfway up this poll. Now, you are also above .500 in winning percentage. Pitch You Don’t Know Me started the season with a tough schedule, and as we go down the stretch they are closing the gap with the top teams in Miami Lakes. But right now as they close this season, run differential is the biggest thing that is holding this team back in the polls and the standings. It is also something that seems to be changing. This team will not be an easy draw for anyone in the playoffs. Going through the rest of this season and into the next one I suspect that this team has a chance to bring back the chaos in Miami Lakes we saw last postseason.
8. The Only Tenn’s They’ll See – 10 points (previously 9th). Oh wait, there is still a three-way tie at 3 – 2 at Tropical. So who are these oddballs, why are they fourth in the Tropical standings, and what exactly does the team name mean? Forgive me if I was a step behind on this one, but the Tennessee (Tenn’s) theme is aimed not just to mock your University of Florida fans, but also because they are also cocky about their good looks (10’s). One thing is for sure – their third baseman is a ten on the field, and if you haven’t seen that, you will when you bunt it his way. I don’t care if you don’t believe me. Some of these guys have more kickball experience under their belt than you want to know, and together they execute. We can’t forget how they almost beat the Purple People Eaters, and they just got the best of the Misfits (formerly Nerd Ninjas and a top contender on this poll)! They are very much in the Tropical Park mix.
9. Blue Mountain Kicks – 4 points (previously unranked). Nine happens to be my lucky number. A few weeks ago I voted in a team at ninth and said they would shake things up in Miami Lakes. They did and are now sitting 7 on this poll. Now I’m calling out the Blue Mountain Kicks. Third baseman Tony is an 11, and I know that at least right field is a no fly zone. Talent will not allow this team to sit low on the poll and in the standings. As the new players settle in under the leadership of Captain Carlos, the competitive nature of this team is poised to shake things up. There is Prestige running at the core of this team; let’s not forget how high that team was in the Commissioner Polls last season. Still, Tropical Park will be a grind for this team.
10. TIED FOR 10th:
    • Alcohooligans – 2 points (previously unranked). A big chunk of Prestige and K.O.A.L.A. Kickball experience lies in these Alcohooligans, as well, as the Alcohooligans have a few players who started their kickball campaigns battling for a championship in the first season of Tropical Park along with the Blue Mountain Kicks. They are talented on all sides of the field, and if I could pick a team of the best girls to play on my team, I would take half of my girls from this team. This is why Tropical Park is a grind. The last two teams on this poll are going to play good kickball and have a shot to make their marks in the playoffs.
    • Ballbarians – 2 points (previously 7th). They are hanging on by less than a thread on this poll after a loss to a rejuvenated Primetime. It will take another upset against Suck My Kick to keep them on board the poll next week. But they played the top two teams on this poll with toughness and have shown that they can compete. Their biggest problem is not bringing that kind of play against all their opponents. Their fate lies on consistency and a little luck. They could give Tropical Park a ticket into the upper echelons of this poll if they can finally pull out some wins, or just fade into the history books.

K.O.A.L.A. Kickball has emerged not only as funnest place to hang out with your friends during the week, but the competitiveness, skill, and – yes – kickball tactics have been at impressive levels this season. No joke. New teams are learning that the hard way but even they have a few tricks up their sleeves. As you can see can see, anyone can beat anyone.

Quick Reminder on How the Poll Works: Once both leagues have played at least 2 games each, the Commissioners each cast an anonymous ballot for the teams that they think are the top 10 in K.O.A.L.A. Kickball across our Miami Lakes and Tropical Park Leagues. The first ranked team in each ballot gets 10 points, the second ranked team in each ballot gets 9 points, and so forth all the way to the tenth ranked team in each ballot, which gets 1 point. The points that each team gets from each ballot are added up, and then the 10 teams with the highest total number of points are declared the Top 10 in the Commissioner’s Poll. Remember that this poll does not affect standings or playoff seeding in any way; it’s only for fun!