Sunday, February 15, 2004
The Extreme Cup VII
Final Results
Find below the results from Extreme Cup VII held on October 19th, 2003.
Record Pct. PF/PA +/-
1. D. Christofferson/R. Christofferson 7-1 .875 115-80 +35
2. Ciabattoni/Fincken 4-2 .667 81-59 +22
3. Allison/Avenmarg 4-2 .667 72-62 +10
4. Saunders/Swanson 3-2 .600 65-47 +18
5. C. Brisiel/P. Brisiel 3-2 .600 62-52 +10
6. Berger/A. D. Christofferson 2-2 .500 55-54 +1
7. J. Bovankovich/P. Bovankovich 2-2 .500 45-48 (3)
8. Cutrona/D. Martinez 2-2 .500 45-49 (4)
9. J. Christofferson/K. Ferrucci 2-2 .500 49-55 (6)
10. D’Allesandro/Reynolds 2-2 .500 39-51 (12)
11. Barillare/Rivera 1-2 .333 41-39 +2
12. M. Parsells/K. Sullivan 1-2 .333 42-44 (2)
12. McKinnon/Swiatek 1-2 .333 39-41 (2)
14. Cardillo/M. Ferrucci 1-2 .333 32-41 (9)
14. M. Ferrucci IV/Teloh 1-2 .333 35-44 (9)
16. Lee/Young 1-2 .333 30-40 (10)
17. S. Sullivan/Zoppi 0-2 .000 19-30 (11)
18. Tonderys/Twedt 0-2 .000 17-30 (13)
18. McDermott/Troiano 0-2 .000 17-30 (13)
Final Results
Find below the results from Extreme Cup VII held on October 19th, 2003.
Record Pct. PF/PA +/-
1. D. Christofferson/R. Christofferson 7-1 .875 115-80 +35
2. Ciabattoni/Fincken 4-2 .667 81-59 +22
3. Allison/Avenmarg 4-2 .667 72-62 +10
4. Saunders/Swanson 3-2 .600 65-47 +18
5. C. Brisiel/P. Brisiel 3-2 .600 62-52 +10
6. Berger/A. D. Christofferson 2-2 .500 55-54 +1
7. J. Bovankovich/P. Bovankovich 2-2 .500 45-48 (3)
8. Cutrona/D. Martinez 2-2 .500 45-49 (4)
9. J. Christofferson/K. Ferrucci 2-2 .500 49-55 (6)
10. D’Allesandro/Reynolds 2-2 .500 39-51 (12)
11. Barillare/Rivera 1-2 .333 41-39 +2
12. M. Parsells/K. Sullivan 1-2 .333 42-44 (2)
12. McKinnon/Swiatek 1-2 .333 39-41 (2)
14. Cardillo/M. Ferrucci 1-2 .333 32-41 (9)
14. M. Ferrucci IV/Teloh 1-2 .333 35-44 (9)
16. Lee/Young 1-2 .333 30-40 (10)
17. S. Sullivan/Zoppi 0-2 .000 19-30 (11)
18. Tonderys/Twedt 0-2 .000 17-30 (13)
18. McDermott/Troiano 0-2 .000 17-30 (13)
Find below the current Extreme bocce World Rankings through Extreme cup VII and Bocce King IV. (1/1/04)
Total Ranking Points
1. D. Christofferson 147
2. R. Christofferson 134
3. Fincken 83
4. Ciabattoni 63
5. P. Bovankovich 50
6. Swanson 49
7. M. Ferrucci 36
8. Saunders 35
9. M. Parsells 23
10. S. Sullivan 22
11. J. Bovankovich 21
12. Lee 20
13. D. Martinez 18
14. C. Brisiel 17
15. DeCarlo 16
16. Pitroli 14
17. Avenmarg 12
18. Haaf 12
19. Snyder 11
20. McKinnon 11
21. O’Toole 10
22. D. Parsells 10
23. Allison 10
24. P. Brisiel 9
25. McDermott 8
Total Ranking Points
1. D. Christofferson 147
2. R. Christofferson 134
3. Fincken 83
4. Ciabattoni 63
5. P. Bovankovich 50
6. Swanson 49
7. M. Ferrucci 36
8. Saunders 35
9. M. Parsells 23
10. S. Sullivan 22
11. J. Bovankovich 21
12. Lee 20
13. D. Martinez 18
14. C. Brisiel 17
15. DeCarlo 16
16. Pitroli 14
17. Avenmarg 12
18. Haaf 12
19. Snyder 11
20. McKinnon 11
21. O’Toole 10
22. D. Parsells 10
23. Allison 10
24. P. Brisiel 9
25. McDermott 8
The Extreme Cup
(A Narrative History)
The Origins of Bocce
There is a long-standing and frequently spirited debate among sport historical scholars about the origins of Bocce. What’s clear however is that Bocce has been with us for a very long time. Throwing balls toward a target is “probably the oldest game known to mankind” says Ken Dothie, former head of the United States Bocce Federation.
As early as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of Bocce with polished rocks. Graphic representations of figures tossing a ball or polished stone have been recorded as early as 5200 B.C. Bocce artifacts have been found in many tombs from this time period.
Italians (not surprisingly) believed that the game was first played in the Italian Alps, early in the Christian period. We know that the Greeks (probably learned from the Egyptians) were playing the game as early as 800 B.C. In any event, Bocce was clearly a favorite pastime (though one of many) of Roman soldiers during the fall of that empire. It is thought that the Romans popularized the switch from stones to “balls”. In early times they used coconuts brought back from Africa and later used hard olivewood to carve out the Bocce balls.
Beginning with Emperor Augustus, Bocce became the sport of statesmen and rulers. From the early Greek physician Ipocrates to the great Italian Renaissance man Galieo, the early participants of Bocce have noted that the game’s athleticism and spirit of competition rejuvenates the body.
Many different types of Bocce have evolved from the early game. In France, the game was known as “Boules”, from the Classical Latin word for ball. A different form of the sport became known in England as “lawn bowls”. Bocce, also know as Boccia, derived its name from the Vulgar Latin word for ball, Bottia.
As the game enjoyed rapid growth throughout Europe, being the sport of nobility and peasants alike, it began to threaten the very health of nations. The popularity of the game was said to interfere with the security of the state because it took away from archery practice and military exercises. Consequently, Kings Carlos IV and V (both said to lack in any athletic skills) prohibited the playing of Bocce, and doctors from the University of Montpellier, France, tried to discredit the long held wisdom that playing Bocce had great therapeutic effect in curing rheumatism and increasing sexual drive.
In 1576, the Republic of Venice publicly condemned the sport, punishing those who played with fines, imprisonment, and in a few cases, public stoning with the very balls those Bocce players played their game with. Perhaps more grave was the condemnation by the Catholic Church, which deterred the laity and officially prohibited the clergy from playing the game by proclaiming Bocce a means of gambling.
Contrary to the rest of Europe, the great game of balls thrived in Great Britain. Such nobility as Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake were avid fans. According to legend, Sir Francis Drake refused to set out to defend England against the Spanish Armada until he finished a game. He proclaimed, “First we kick your butt, then we’ll deal with the Armada!”
The sport first came to America in the English version called bowlis from the French boule meaning “ball”. In part, the transfer of the game to American soil was in concert with the drive of Americans to escape religious and political persecution that they readily received in Europe. In accord with how the game was played in Britain, American players threw the ball not on stone dust but on close cropped grass which some say is the origin of the modern lawn. It has been noted by Jeane Huber, that one early American playing field was Bowling Green at the southern tip of Manhattan and that George Washington built a court at Mount Vernon in the 1780s.
Thanks to the many Italian immigrants at the turn of the century, Bocce has come to flourish in the United States. During its beginnings in the U.S., there were as many versions of the game as there were towns the immigrants had left. “The ‘right’ way to play was the way your dad played”; says Ken Dethian.
During the war a group of Norwegian immigrants from the fishing village of Bergen introduced a new form of Bocce that was to become the most popular version of the game in history. “Bocca Extrementie” or Extreme Bocce, where the traditional court game was set free of spatial limitations appealed to Americans with their legacy of wide-open spaces.
The most notable world-class tournament contested today is, of course, “The Extreme Cup” whose origins can be traced to Michigan State University during the mid to late 70s. It is said that Magic Johnson and other members of the Spartan’s 1979 national champion basketball team played frequently throughout the tournament that year.
In any event the Cup is contested at least once a year now and has at last found a permanent home at the Boccestade in Greenville, Delaware.
Extreme Cup I (The Policeman’s Ball)
The first Extreme Cup, if you look at the summary stats, might be viewed as a runaway by “RC and the Policeman” (David and Randy Christofferson). In fact, the early tournament was dominated by David Martinez and the “Brise”. These unknown rookies who played together in a famous rock & roll band, Know Grace, rampaged undefeated to the finals with four straight wins. One of those victories was a dramatic 15-12 triumph over the Christofferson brothers in the quarters. Martinez and Brise relied extensively on the long ball in winning that match.
The Christoffersons were not through however. The “C Boys” stormed back through the loser bracket and then in two consecutive final games against Brise and Martinez, they unveiled their (now) fabled “Policeman” strategy and crushed their rivals: 15-5 and 15-6. DC and RC tasted the sweet liquid from the cup while the rest of the Extreme Bocce world was left to ponder how to defeat the “Policeman” strategy.
Extreme Cup II (Killing the “Killing Fields” or No Squadra Here)
Extreme Cup II was contested on 9/19/98. The C Boys once again cruised through their first two rounds only to be upset in the third round. This time it was O’Toole and Snyder, in an astonishing 15-4 massacre of the defending champs, that created the dramatic tension now expected of an Extreme Cup tournament. In another shocker, Brise and Martinez could not find the magic of Cup I and went down with two consecutive defeats.
The story of the early part of the tournament was 14th seed Mike Haaf and Mark Parsells who stormed unscathed to the finals. Meanwhile, in workman like fashion, the C Boys (again) unleashed the Policeman and won 3 straight contests to once again reach the finals from the loser bracket. The key match was a 15-10 semi-final revenge against O’Toole and Snyder that was won with late dramatics after it looked like the C Boys would be closed out.
Haaf and Parsells tried to drive the match to the “Killing Fields” and employ their feared “Squadra Diabolico” chant to intimidate the Christoffersons in the final. In fact, Haaf and Parsells were the first to introduce both psychological warfare and coordinated dress to the Extreme Cup—a trend that grew dramatically in Cup III and beyond. However, the C’s soon controlled the polinia, went to the Policeman and once again cruised to a championship with 15-7 and 15-4 triumphs.
Extreme Cup III (Physical Bocce and the fall from grace)
E3 was contested on a beautiful October 16th, 1999. RC and DC entered as prohibitive favorites to “three-peat”. However, this Cup contest proved to be the most competitive and memorable in early Cup history. The C’s won their first three including a 15-11 beating of the Parsell brothers (the Other Brothers). However, Fincken and Ciabattoni soundly beat the Cs in the first semi and once again RC and DC went to the loser’s bracket.
Meanwhile, down in the loser’s bracket, new comers Ferrucci and Adams (a.k.a. “#1 Guys”) where staging a dramatic Cup debut. Employing in-your-face verbiage, “Physical Bocce” and a new innovation—the Ferrucci Overhead, they stormed into the second semi-final. The most memorable victory was a 15-11 triumph over the Other Brothers. The C Boys continued to struggle, needing to come from behind for a 15-14 victory over a resurgent Dave Martinez and his new partner Pitroli.
The semi-final turned out to be another classic. The #1 Guys stormed to a 8-0 lead, talking serious trash to the defending champions, but the C’s stormed back to tie it at 8 and eventually again at 14. A controversial deciding point ensued leading to a Cup first “do-over”. Ultimately, the C’s reached their 3rd consecutive final in a triumph of the Policeman over Physical Bocce.
The Final looked to be a barnburner. The C’s pumped after two consecutive 15-14 triumphs stormed to an 8-0 lead over Fincken and Ciabattoni. However, this proved to be short lived as Dave and Scott utilized the ultra-long bush strategy to end the dynasty with a 15-12 triumph.
Extreme Cup IV (Young Guns and the Asterisk)
Extreme Cup IV commenced as potentially the most wide-open contest in Bocce history. A new defending champ reigned. The C Boys and Other Brothers were in the house. The Martinez’ (“The Other, Other Brothers”) were on the scene. Prior year rookie star, Mick Ferrucci, was trying to displace the old Bocce adage that no husband and wife teams could ever play well in Extreme Bocce, by dumping Jimmy Adams and picking up (once again) his wife Kay as a partner. With the added distraction of a simultaneous singles tournament, “Bocce King I”, all bets were off as to the outcome of this tournament.
The first round was relatively free of fireworks, as most favorites triumphed. The C Boys served notice that they meant it, with a 15-1 first round triumph. One notable upset, was 14th seeded, Tim Teloh and Anders Christofferson’s (T2 and A-Train) 15-13 defeat on the “Other (Parsells) Brothers”.
The second round preceded much as the first with the 1 and 2 seeds easily winning, but once again T2/A-Train delivered an upset—moving on to the third round. Additionally, another unheralded team, Sullivan and Lee stormed unscathed into the third round.
In the quarters, the most astonishing upset in Extreme Cup history took place as T2/A-Train came from behind for a 15-14 upset of the C-Boys. Then, major weirdness began to unfold as Anders left for his “Lacrosse School”. “Pete-the Captain-never- won-a-game-with-the-Lieutenant-already-eliminated-Bovankovich” was selected to leave the keg area and take over as T2’s partner. They proceeded to demolish the defending champs and jump into the championship series.
Meanwhile, in the losers bracket, newbies Sullivan and Lee beat the C Boys (among others) to reach the championship round. There, in what must have been one of the sloppiest matches of all time, T2/A-Train/The Captain (aka as “Kid Shield”) persevered as the e-IV champions. The Extreme Bocce World was left in a state of shock as to what this meant for future tournaments.
Bocce King I (A Family Affair)
The first Singles, single elimination Extreme Bocce tournament also took place at the Greenville Boccestade on June 17th, 2000—commensurate with the Extreme Cup IV. First seeds in the four brackets were Randy and Dave Christofferson, Scott Ciabattoni and Dave Fincken. As it turned out, 3 of these 4 reached the final four.
RC dominated to reach the final four with 15-6, 15-3, 15-3 triumphs. Fincken cruised 15-5 and 15-2 until surviving a 15-14 cliffhanger with Cup vet O’Toole in the quarters. DC repeatedly came from behind to advance to the semis posting 15-11, 15-9, and 15-12 victories. The big surprise was Kay Ferrucci’s rookie run to the semis.
In a tremendous back and forth match, DC eliminated Dave Fincken 15-12 to back up his overall number two ranking. In the other semi, RC stubbornly stuck with his short game strategy until falling behind 9-2 to Kay. Then, upon winning the Polinia, opted to go “real long” and ran the table to set up the classic final between the two brothers.
And what a classic it was. Probably, the best Extreme Cup match of all time. Every roll. Every Point. Inches determining the winner. And near the end RC emerged with a 14-9 lead and an (almost) certain victory. But then, DC rolled a “5iver” with a trip plus a kiss and it all came down to one last throw. DC’s first shot, at a 27-foot polinia, was within 4 inches. RC’s next shot was 9 inches out. All the rest were in between and DC produced the greatest (yet) Extreme Cup comeback and achieved the first BK championship.
Extreme Cup V (Return of the Kings)
The fifth Extreme Cup world doubles Bocce Championships were competed on June 2nd, 2001. The pre-championship buzz revolved around three themes: 1. Are the defending champs, A-Train and T-squared the real deal or were they one-hit wonders?; 2. Is the mini-dynasty over—after a two year drought, did RC and the Policeman still have it?; and 3. Which team would be this year’s break-through story?
The first question was answered quickly as the defending champs quickly lost their first two contests. The first round demonstrated the growing parity in the field as 10 of the 16 first round games saw the losing team scoring in double digits.
The number one ranked team of RC and the Policeman were seemingly on the brink throughout the tournament. After a competitive 15-10 first round victory against Rivera/Hines, they were pushed to the limit with a 15-13 second round victory against Kay Ferrucci and Judy Christofferson. And then miraculously, they stormed back from a 14-10 deficit to the #1 Boys and perhaps forever defeated “Physical Bocce” with a 15-14 triumph to move on to the semis.
Lee and Sullivan produced early fireworks by beating Cup veterans D. Martinez/Cutrona, Fincken/Ciabottoni, and Bovankovich/Carnahan to advance to the semis as well. Number two-rated Fincken/Ciabottoni did not survive the loser bracket as they lost to cup rookies Swanson and Saunders. If fact, Swanson and Saunders emerged as the clear Rookies of the Year as they steadily marched through the loser’s bracket to reach the finals.
RC and the Policeman avenged eIV’s heartbreak and convincingly defeated Lee/Sullivan to reach the final with no losses. In a stirring final, the world’s number one team added their third Extreme Cup with a 15-13 victory over Swanson and Sullivan. RC and the Policeman swept to a 5-0 cup victory but only enjoyed a +14 for the tournament (as compared to +71 in eI)—a real testament to the growing competitiveness of the tournament.
Bocce King II (And Then There Were Three)
The second edition of the World Extreme Bocce Singles Championships commenced with the promise of a rematch between DC (#1) and RC (#2) but it was not to be as Cup veteran Jeff DeCarlo convincingly defeated RC in the second round 15-10.
Meanwhile, DC continued his high-wire act with a pair of 15-14 victories and a 15-11 defeat of Mick Ferrucci to once again reach the finals. Cup rookie Bill Christofferson looked strong early but lost a tough front-yard match to Fincken in the quarters. Fincken also dominated DeCarlo in the front to move on to a great final between #1 and #3.
And what a final it was. DC and Fincken competing in the short, medium and ultra-long game. It ultimately came down to 3 consecutive long-balls (a Fincken specialty) and Fincken stormed back to win the second Bocce King title 15-13. Not only did Fincken claim the second bk Cup, he clearly established himself as one of the top three Extreme Cup players in the World and as the man to beat in 2002.
Extreme Cup VI (Thieves in the Night)
The 6th installment of this venerable tournament took place at the Bocce Stade on October 6th 2002. An unprecedented field of 18 teams lined up at the start—and all the heavy hitters were present. The clear favorites and defending champs, the C boys, were back looking to make it 4 of 6. Ciabattoni and Fincken, the top two Bocce players in the world (not named Christofferson) were seeded second. Saunders and Swanson were back looking to close the deal and avenge the heartbreak of ecV. The Parsell Brothers Had returned looking to recapture past glories. Further, the lower seeds contained many teams capable of pulling off an upset and going deep in the tournament.
The tournament started with a bang as the defending champs were upset in the first round by the journeyman duo of Rivera/Hines who had to win a qualifying match just to make the tournament. J. Christofferson and K. Ferrucci (aka the Bocce Divas) knocked off the Parsell Brothers in the second round, but most of the higher seeds moved on. In the winners bracket, the new duo of Bovankovich/Bovankovich was showing that all the brother/brother teams were not doomed to failure. They played strong steady Bocce and in the fourth round knocked off superstars Ciabattoni/Fincken to advance unscathed to the finals.
Meanwhile, down in the losers bracket, the C boys were awakened and playing like the three time champs that they are. They beat Brisel/DeCarlo 15-10. Knocked off a weak D’Alesandro/Reynolds team 15-6 and thrashed M. Ferrucci/B. Hurst 15-4. Next they destroyed the third seeded Saunders/Swanson 15-6 and convincingly defeated the number 2s Ciabattoni/Fincken 15-11 to reach the final.
It looked like a classic final with the C boys on a roll and the Bovank Bros yet to lose a match. At first, it looked certain that experience would win out as the C boys put on a demonstration of world class Bocce to win the first 15-6 and force a one game, winner take all final. Darkness began to set in and the older C Boys seemed to be unable to adjust to the difficult light and the new Champions spirited the Cup away with a convincing 15-3 triumph. The Captain, P. Bovankovich showed that the asterisk victory in ecIV was no fluke and that the Bovank Bros. were sure to be another team to be reckoned with in future Cups.
Bocce King III (Winning One for the Mother Country)
Bocce King (aka the World Extreme Bocce Singles Championship) will always, by its very nature, be the harder to predict of the two World Championships. The fundamental essence of Bocce—winner take all, first one to 15—lends itself to the occasional upset. In the Extreme Cup, with its double elimination format, these “one-time” events tend to get smoothed over, and the crème tends to rise to the top. In the bk singles format however, whoever gets hot during the tourney tends to win. Of course, a certain pre-requisite of excellence is required just to be in the hunt.
As such, we expect the unexpected in the Bocce King singles tournament. This year did not disappoint. Both Fincken and RC (#s 2 and 3) went down in the first round. J Christofferson took out hubby and world number 2 and impressively stormed to the quarters where she lost. Dr. Saunders built on his rookie year ec excellence by advancing to the semis with a series of convincing victories. Sweater boy DeCarlo took out world number 1 DC in the quarters to reach the round of four. Meanwhile, the first natural Italian competitor to achieve any semblance of success, the Godfather, Mick Ferrucci, stormed to the semis as well.
The semis and finals were relatively devoid of drama as the Godfather crushed McKinnon 15-6 and DeCarlo stopped Dr. Saunders 15-9 to advance to the final. There, the father of Physical Bocce, and a recent convert to the Short Game, Ferrucci crushed sweater boy 15-3 to become the first (natural) Italian to win a world championship event.
(A Narrative History)
The Origins of Bocce
There is a long-standing and frequently spirited debate among sport historical scholars about the origins of Bocce. What’s clear however is that Bocce has been with us for a very long time. Throwing balls toward a target is “probably the oldest game known to mankind” says Ken Dothie, former head of the United States Bocce Federation.
As early as 5000 B.C. the Egyptians played a form of Bocce with polished rocks. Graphic representations of figures tossing a ball or polished stone have been recorded as early as 5200 B.C. Bocce artifacts have been found in many tombs from this time period.
Italians (not surprisingly) believed that the game was first played in the Italian Alps, early in the Christian period. We know that the Greeks (probably learned from the Egyptians) were playing the game as early as 800 B.C. In any event, Bocce was clearly a favorite pastime (though one of many) of Roman soldiers during the fall of that empire. It is thought that the Romans popularized the switch from stones to “balls”. In early times they used coconuts brought back from Africa and later used hard olivewood to carve out the Bocce balls.
Beginning with Emperor Augustus, Bocce became the sport of statesmen and rulers. From the early Greek physician Ipocrates to the great Italian Renaissance man Galieo, the early participants of Bocce have noted that the game’s athleticism and spirit of competition rejuvenates the body.
Many different types of Bocce have evolved from the early game. In France, the game was known as “Boules”, from the Classical Latin word for ball. A different form of the sport became known in England as “lawn bowls”. Bocce, also know as Boccia, derived its name from the Vulgar Latin word for ball, Bottia.
As the game enjoyed rapid growth throughout Europe, being the sport of nobility and peasants alike, it began to threaten the very health of nations. The popularity of the game was said to interfere with the security of the state because it took away from archery practice and military exercises. Consequently, Kings Carlos IV and V (both said to lack in any athletic skills) prohibited the playing of Bocce, and doctors from the University of Montpellier, France, tried to discredit the long held wisdom that playing Bocce had great therapeutic effect in curing rheumatism and increasing sexual drive.
In 1576, the Republic of Venice publicly condemned the sport, punishing those who played with fines, imprisonment, and in a few cases, public stoning with the very balls those Bocce players played their game with. Perhaps more grave was the condemnation by the Catholic Church, which deterred the laity and officially prohibited the clergy from playing the game by proclaiming Bocce a means of gambling.
Contrary to the rest of Europe, the great game of balls thrived in Great Britain. Such nobility as Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake were avid fans. According to legend, Sir Francis Drake refused to set out to defend England against the Spanish Armada until he finished a game. He proclaimed, “First we kick your butt, then we’ll deal with the Armada!”
The sport first came to America in the English version called bowlis from the French boule meaning “ball”. In part, the transfer of the game to American soil was in concert with the drive of Americans to escape religious and political persecution that they readily received in Europe. In accord with how the game was played in Britain, American players threw the ball not on stone dust but on close cropped grass which some say is the origin of the modern lawn. It has been noted by Jeane Huber, that one early American playing field was Bowling Green at the southern tip of Manhattan and that George Washington built a court at Mount Vernon in the 1780s.
Thanks to the many Italian immigrants at the turn of the century, Bocce has come to flourish in the United States. During its beginnings in the U.S., there were as many versions of the game as there were towns the immigrants had left. “The ‘right’ way to play was the way your dad played”; says Ken Dethian.
During the war a group of Norwegian immigrants from the fishing village of Bergen introduced a new form of Bocce that was to become the most popular version of the game in history. “Bocca Extrementie” or Extreme Bocce, where the traditional court game was set free of spatial limitations appealed to Americans with their legacy of wide-open spaces.
The most notable world-class tournament contested today is, of course, “The Extreme Cup” whose origins can be traced to Michigan State University during the mid to late 70s. It is said that Magic Johnson and other members of the Spartan’s 1979 national champion basketball team played frequently throughout the tournament that year.
In any event the Cup is contested at least once a year now and has at last found a permanent home at the Boccestade in Greenville, Delaware.
Extreme Cup I (The Policeman’s Ball)
The first Extreme Cup, if you look at the summary stats, might be viewed as a runaway by “RC and the Policeman” (David and Randy Christofferson). In fact, the early tournament was dominated by David Martinez and the “Brise”. These unknown rookies who played together in a famous rock & roll band, Know Grace, rampaged undefeated to the finals with four straight wins. One of those victories was a dramatic 15-12 triumph over the Christofferson brothers in the quarters. Martinez and Brise relied extensively on the long ball in winning that match.
The Christoffersons were not through however. The “C Boys” stormed back through the loser bracket and then in two consecutive final games against Brise and Martinez, they unveiled their (now) fabled “Policeman” strategy and crushed their rivals: 15-5 and 15-6. DC and RC tasted the sweet liquid from the cup while the rest of the Extreme Bocce world was left to ponder how to defeat the “Policeman” strategy.
Extreme Cup II (Killing the “Killing Fields” or No Squadra Here)
Extreme Cup II was contested on 9/19/98. The C Boys once again cruised through their first two rounds only to be upset in the third round. This time it was O’Toole and Snyder, in an astonishing 15-4 massacre of the defending champs, that created the dramatic tension now expected of an Extreme Cup tournament. In another shocker, Brise and Martinez could not find the magic of Cup I and went down with two consecutive defeats.
The story of the early part of the tournament was 14th seed Mike Haaf and Mark Parsells who stormed unscathed to the finals. Meanwhile, in workman like fashion, the C Boys (again) unleashed the Policeman and won 3 straight contests to once again reach the finals from the loser bracket. The key match was a 15-10 semi-final revenge against O’Toole and Snyder that was won with late dramatics after it looked like the C Boys would be closed out.
Haaf and Parsells tried to drive the match to the “Killing Fields” and employ their feared “Squadra Diabolico” chant to intimidate the Christoffersons in the final. In fact, Haaf and Parsells were the first to introduce both psychological warfare and coordinated dress to the Extreme Cup—a trend that grew dramatically in Cup III and beyond. However, the C’s soon controlled the polinia, went to the Policeman and once again cruised to a championship with 15-7 and 15-4 triumphs.
Extreme Cup III (Physical Bocce and the fall from grace)
E3 was contested on a beautiful October 16th, 1999. RC and DC entered as prohibitive favorites to “three-peat”. However, this Cup contest proved to be the most competitive and memorable in early Cup history. The C’s won their first three including a 15-11 beating of the Parsell brothers (the Other Brothers). However, Fincken and Ciabattoni soundly beat the Cs in the first semi and once again RC and DC went to the loser’s bracket.
Meanwhile, down in the loser’s bracket, new comers Ferrucci and Adams (a.k.a. “#1 Guys”) where staging a dramatic Cup debut. Employing in-your-face verbiage, “Physical Bocce” and a new innovation—the Ferrucci Overhead, they stormed into the second semi-final. The most memorable victory was a 15-11 triumph over the Other Brothers. The C Boys continued to struggle, needing to come from behind for a 15-14 victory over a resurgent Dave Martinez and his new partner Pitroli.
The semi-final turned out to be another classic. The #1 Guys stormed to a 8-0 lead, talking serious trash to the defending champions, but the C’s stormed back to tie it at 8 and eventually again at 14. A controversial deciding point ensued leading to a Cup first “do-over”. Ultimately, the C’s reached their 3rd consecutive final in a triumph of the Policeman over Physical Bocce.
The Final looked to be a barnburner. The C’s pumped after two consecutive 15-14 triumphs stormed to an 8-0 lead over Fincken and Ciabattoni. However, this proved to be short lived as Dave and Scott utilized the ultra-long bush strategy to end the dynasty with a 15-12 triumph.
Extreme Cup IV (Young Guns and the Asterisk)
Extreme Cup IV commenced as potentially the most wide-open contest in Bocce history. A new defending champ reigned. The C Boys and Other Brothers were in the house. The Martinez’ (“The Other, Other Brothers”) were on the scene. Prior year rookie star, Mick Ferrucci, was trying to displace the old Bocce adage that no husband and wife teams could ever play well in Extreme Bocce, by dumping Jimmy Adams and picking up (once again) his wife Kay as a partner. With the added distraction of a simultaneous singles tournament, “Bocce King I”, all bets were off as to the outcome of this tournament.
The first round was relatively free of fireworks, as most favorites triumphed. The C Boys served notice that they meant it, with a 15-1 first round triumph. One notable upset, was 14th seeded, Tim Teloh and Anders Christofferson’s (T2 and A-Train) 15-13 defeat on the “Other (Parsells) Brothers”.
The second round preceded much as the first with the 1 and 2 seeds easily winning, but once again T2/A-Train delivered an upset—moving on to the third round. Additionally, another unheralded team, Sullivan and Lee stormed unscathed into the third round.
In the quarters, the most astonishing upset in Extreme Cup history took place as T2/A-Train came from behind for a 15-14 upset of the C-Boys. Then, major weirdness began to unfold as Anders left for his “Lacrosse School”. “Pete-the Captain-never- won-a-game-with-the-Lieutenant-already-eliminated-Bovankovich” was selected to leave the keg area and take over as T2’s partner. They proceeded to demolish the defending champs and jump into the championship series.
Meanwhile, in the losers bracket, newbies Sullivan and Lee beat the C Boys (among others) to reach the championship round. There, in what must have been one of the sloppiest matches of all time, T2/A-Train/The Captain (aka as “Kid Shield”) persevered as the e-IV champions. The Extreme Bocce World was left in a state of shock as to what this meant for future tournaments.
Bocce King I (A Family Affair)
The first Singles, single elimination Extreme Bocce tournament also took place at the Greenville Boccestade on June 17th, 2000—commensurate with the Extreme Cup IV. First seeds in the four brackets were Randy and Dave Christofferson, Scott Ciabattoni and Dave Fincken. As it turned out, 3 of these 4 reached the final four.
RC dominated to reach the final four with 15-6, 15-3, 15-3 triumphs. Fincken cruised 15-5 and 15-2 until surviving a 15-14 cliffhanger with Cup vet O’Toole in the quarters. DC repeatedly came from behind to advance to the semis posting 15-11, 15-9, and 15-12 victories. The big surprise was Kay Ferrucci’s rookie run to the semis.
In a tremendous back and forth match, DC eliminated Dave Fincken 15-12 to back up his overall number two ranking. In the other semi, RC stubbornly stuck with his short game strategy until falling behind 9-2 to Kay. Then, upon winning the Polinia, opted to go “real long” and ran the table to set up the classic final between the two brothers.
And what a classic it was. Probably, the best Extreme Cup match of all time. Every roll. Every Point. Inches determining the winner. And near the end RC emerged with a 14-9 lead and an (almost) certain victory. But then, DC rolled a “5iver” with a trip plus a kiss and it all came down to one last throw. DC’s first shot, at a 27-foot polinia, was within 4 inches. RC’s next shot was 9 inches out. All the rest were in between and DC produced the greatest (yet) Extreme Cup comeback and achieved the first BK championship.
Extreme Cup V (Return of the Kings)
The fifth Extreme Cup world doubles Bocce Championships were competed on June 2nd, 2001. The pre-championship buzz revolved around three themes: 1. Are the defending champs, A-Train and T-squared the real deal or were they one-hit wonders?; 2. Is the mini-dynasty over—after a two year drought, did RC and the Policeman still have it?; and 3. Which team would be this year’s break-through story?
The first question was answered quickly as the defending champs quickly lost their first two contests. The first round demonstrated the growing parity in the field as 10 of the 16 first round games saw the losing team scoring in double digits.
The number one ranked team of RC and the Policeman were seemingly on the brink throughout the tournament. After a competitive 15-10 first round victory against Rivera/Hines, they were pushed to the limit with a 15-13 second round victory against Kay Ferrucci and Judy Christofferson. And then miraculously, they stormed back from a 14-10 deficit to the #1 Boys and perhaps forever defeated “Physical Bocce” with a 15-14 triumph to move on to the semis.
Lee and Sullivan produced early fireworks by beating Cup veterans D. Martinez/Cutrona, Fincken/Ciabottoni, and Bovankovich/Carnahan to advance to the semis as well. Number two-rated Fincken/Ciabottoni did not survive the loser bracket as they lost to cup rookies Swanson and Saunders. If fact, Swanson and Saunders emerged as the clear Rookies of the Year as they steadily marched through the loser’s bracket to reach the finals.
RC and the Policeman avenged eIV’s heartbreak and convincingly defeated Lee/Sullivan to reach the final with no losses. In a stirring final, the world’s number one team added their third Extreme Cup with a 15-13 victory over Swanson and Sullivan. RC and the Policeman swept to a 5-0 cup victory but only enjoyed a +14 for the tournament (as compared to +71 in eI)—a real testament to the growing competitiveness of the tournament.
Bocce King II (And Then There Were Three)
The second edition of the World Extreme Bocce Singles Championships commenced with the promise of a rematch between DC (#1) and RC (#2) but it was not to be as Cup veteran Jeff DeCarlo convincingly defeated RC in the second round 15-10.
Meanwhile, DC continued his high-wire act with a pair of 15-14 victories and a 15-11 defeat of Mick Ferrucci to once again reach the finals. Cup rookie Bill Christofferson looked strong early but lost a tough front-yard match to Fincken in the quarters. Fincken also dominated DeCarlo in the front to move on to a great final between #1 and #3.
And what a final it was. DC and Fincken competing in the short, medium and ultra-long game. It ultimately came down to 3 consecutive long-balls (a Fincken specialty) and Fincken stormed back to win the second Bocce King title 15-13. Not only did Fincken claim the second bk Cup, he clearly established himself as one of the top three Extreme Cup players in the World and as the man to beat in 2002.
Extreme Cup VI (Thieves in the Night)
The 6th installment of this venerable tournament took place at the Bocce Stade on October 6th 2002. An unprecedented field of 18 teams lined up at the start—and all the heavy hitters were present. The clear favorites and defending champs, the C boys, were back looking to make it 4 of 6. Ciabattoni and Fincken, the top two Bocce players in the world (not named Christofferson) were seeded second. Saunders and Swanson were back looking to close the deal and avenge the heartbreak of ecV. The Parsell Brothers Had returned looking to recapture past glories. Further, the lower seeds contained many teams capable of pulling off an upset and going deep in the tournament.
The tournament started with a bang as the defending champs were upset in the first round by the journeyman duo of Rivera/Hines who had to win a qualifying match just to make the tournament. J. Christofferson and K. Ferrucci (aka the Bocce Divas) knocked off the Parsell Brothers in the second round, but most of the higher seeds moved on. In the winners bracket, the new duo of Bovankovich/Bovankovich was showing that all the brother/brother teams were not doomed to failure. They played strong steady Bocce and in the fourth round knocked off superstars Ciabattoni/Fincken to advance unscathed to the finals.
Meanwhile, down in the losers bracket, the C boys were awakened and playing like the three time champs that they are. They beat Brisel/DeCarlo 15-10. Knocked off a weak D’Alesandro/Reynolds team 15-6 and thrashed M. Ferrucci/B. Hurst 15-4. Next they destroyed the third seeded Saunders/Swanson 15-6 and convincingly defeated the number 2s Ciabattoni/Fincken 15-11 to reach the final.
It looked like a classic final with the C boys on a roll and the Bovank Bros yet to lose a match. At first, it looked certain that experience would win out as the C boys put on a demonstration of world class Bocce to win the first 15-6 and force a one game, winner take all final. Darkness began to set in and the older C Boys seemed to be unable to adjust to the difficult light and the new Champions spirited the Cup away with a convincing 15-3 triumph. The Captain, P. Bovankovich showed that the asterisk victory in ecIV was no fluke and that the Bovank Bros. were sure to be another team to be reckoned with in future Cups.
Bocce King III (Winning One for the Mother Country)
Bocce King (aka the World Extreme Bocce Singles Championship) will always, by its very nature, be the harder to predict of the two World Championships. The fundamental essence of Bocce—winner take all, first one to 15—lends itself to the occasional upset. In the Extreme Cup, with its double elimination format, these “one-time” events tend to get smoothed over, and the crème tends to rise to the top. In the bk singles format however, whoever gets hot during the tourney tends to win. Of course, a certain pre-requisite of excellence is required just to be in the hunt.
As such, we expect the unexpected in the Bocce King singles tournament. This year did not disappoint. Both Fincken and RC (#s 2 and 3) went down in the first round. J Christofferson took out hubby and world number 2 and impressively stormed to the quarters where she lost. Dr. Saunders built on his rookie year ec excellence by advancing to the semis with a series of convincing victories. Sweater boy DeCarlo took out world number 1 DC in the quarters to reach the round of four. Meanwhile, the first natural Italian competitor to achieve any semblance of success, the Godfather, Mick Ferrucci, stormed to the semis as well.
The semis and finals were relatively devoid of drama as the Godfather crushed McKinnon 15-6 and DeCarlo stopped Dr. Saunders 15-9 to advance to the final. There, the father of Physical Bocce, and a recent convert to the Short Game, Ferrucci crushed sweater boy 15-3 to become the first (natural) Italian to win a world championship event.
Read here about the Extreme Bocce World Championships which for the last seven years have been contested in Greenville, Delaware. The World championships are contested in both a doubles (The Extreme Cup) and a singles (Bocce King) format. Defending champions are: Dave and Randy Christofferson (Extreme Cup VII) and Matt Swanson (Bocce King IV).
