RecapWinter 2022Marshall vs The Taco Walk

With no official game scheduled this week, Marshall decided to take their skills to the streets of echo park to face off against the best taco trucks and bars.  From the pre game warmup, it felt like Marshall came ready.  Egg white whiskey sours and Paloma’s were the first to go down, doing noticeable damage to Seth’s tequila and whiskey supply.  But the teamwork truly began as we passed an unopenable mason jar of cherries soaked in bourbon from teammate to teammate, each player trying mightily to open the jar.  After 10 attempts, we were on our last player with a still unopened jar.  Sideline calls of “tap it with a knife” and “bang it on the counter” were spoken, but ignored.  But Cam’s wife Annika came through in that final spot and wrenched it open after a quick left to right hand grip switch.  Cherries consumed, some 2005 footage watched, and our pregame warmup complete, it’s off to echo park for the game.

Turnout was low, but fortunately we had two spouses ready to bolster our numbers. Annika, who came up with the early save on the mason jar, and Pat who is a taco eating legend.  First up – El flamin tacos.  An opponent not to be taken lightly.  They thought they could slow our game by raising the prices by $.50 a taco- but we would not be deterred.  Most everyone started with a strong 4 taco assault, all attacking their most exposed player -The pastor spit with pineapple. We carved deep into their spit, while AJ pulled a highlight worthy dive into the nearby liquor store for a 6 pack of street beers.  We also managed to avoid their most dangerous player, the orange bits of habanero peppers mixed in with the must have pickled onions. 

Marshall off to a strong start after 40+ tacos.  Next up was the semi tropic, who tried the “we are too full inside to accommodate your party” move.  Marshall prefers the inside break, but we’ll take what our opponent gives us.  So we went with the around break to the patio and nestled ourselves amongst three heat lamps.  Quickly tapping out their sour monkey keg, we moved on to a variety of ipa’s and stouts.  (Including a stealth road beer poured by AJ under the table)

Marshall takes half.  All smiles.  Moderately toasty

Taco zone and their famed mulitas were nowhere to be found.  But it’s not the first time Marshall’s opponent failed to show up.  Back in 2000, in our second game of winter league- before we knew how to stack or force- we showed up in a light drizzle to the balboa fields.  In the dark days of LAout- no one told you know the game was cancelled.  You just were supposed to “know” from experience that you don’t play in the rain. So we stormed the nearby Jelte fields and played pickup against ourselves.  For while young, we would not be denied.  22 years later, that spirit lives on.  We’ll play anyone.  If taco zone doesn’t show up, fuck them.  We are here to play and we will not be stopped.  So we hit up the taco truck next to lassens.  And while most of us went for two-ish carnitas- Evan brought out a fiery late game move and crushed a burrito.  Cam went for Tripe & MER went Buche and lengua to show all of echo park how it’s done.

(Taco tangent- I suspect MER has played more points of winter league than anyone in LAout.  She’s played 18 years in the league, shown up to almost all of the games, and consistently played at least 1/2 the points.  Sometimes closer to 2/3 of the points. Absolute legend)

The Taix 321 lounge was closed to us for filming and Mohawk bend had its gate down, so we had to make a quick adjustment because of field availability.  Something LAout knows well.  We found an alternate venue and secured the win at bar bandini. They put up the toughest fight of the night with the bouncer escorting us out as soon as as we entered.  But with IDs and proof of vaccination- not even the handcuffs in his back pocket could stop us.  We grabbed 12 more tacos from el flamin to eat with our drinks.  Marshall after two losses, shows they still know how to ball with a Thursday night blowout victory.

All the remaining players piled into Greg’s truck- and unlike the last time we pulled that move at the SB classic, we were not stopped by the police. Everyone made it home safe. Solid winter league night. 

 

Stat line

Seth – 1 whiskey sour, 1 bourbon cherry, 3/4 of a monkey sour, 1 road beer, 2 milk stouts, 10 El flamin pastor, two carnitas w/ avocado. 

Erica- 1 gin drink, 1 beer, 3 tacos, 1 drunk guy hassling me while walking to my car, and 1 sick day to catch up on sleep- worth it

Cam- 1 whiskey sour, 1 bourbon cherry, 4 pastor, 1 shared spiked peach kombucha (RIP monkey sour keg:/) 2 carnitas, 1 buche mulitas, 1/2 tripe mulitas (defeat happened here)

Annika – 2 pastor and 2 carnitas and 1 shared spiked peach kombucha

AJ – 1 whiskey sour, 1 bourbon cherry, 3 pastor, 1 IPA, 1 hot toddy, 1/2 IPA, 2 carnitas tacos, 2/3 IPA, 1 tulip of “natural beer”, 3 pastor tacos, 1/2 milk stout, 2 huge glasses of water,  2 ibuprofen.

Casey – 5 pastor tacos, 2 carnitas tacos, 3 1/2 IPAs, 1 drink at Seth’s house, 1  bourbon cherry, 1/2 horchata.
Greg – 1 whiskey sour, 4 flaming tacos, 1 IPA (great idea AJ), 1 scotch on ice, 1/2 IPA, 2 carnitas tacos, 2 el pastor tacos, 2 Armageddon IPA, 1/2 chocolate milk stout for dessert. – feel perfect and satisfied. No day off for me.
Pat – 1 Seth Cocktail, 1 Horchata, 3 Beers, 5 Pastor tacos, 2 Carnitas tacos, 2 sore testicles
Evan – 2 Palomas, 1 deflated ego / 2 sore hands,1 bourbon cherry, 4 pastor tacos, 1 AJ road IPA, 1 monkey sour, 2 cabeza tacos, 1 asada burrito, 1 IPA, 1/5th of a truck’s backseat

MER- 1 bourbon on ice at seth’s. 2 Al pastor tacos   1/3 secret bottle beer AJ bought at the liquor store that I shared with Seth and Evan,1 milk stout 1 buche taco  1 lengua taco  1 lager, 1 Pilsner, one mystery taco that AJ and Seth ran out to buy and brought back to the bar .  I had to drive the f’ing carpool. Getting 4 teenagers to school at early o’ clock. Then I came home and crashed I just woke up!