|
In This Issue:
|
Vol. I, Issue 41 - October 28, 2002
|
 |
The Joy of Bocce Weekly
The FREE weekly Ezine for bocce aficionados everywhere
Volume #1, Issue #41 October 28, 2002
Publisher: Mario Pagnoni Copyright 2002 http://www.joyofbocce.com
Come visit us often at www.joyofbocce.com. We have bocce info, merchandise, links to other great bocce sites, and the best selling bocce instructional book in the USA.
Order Now @ $12.95 by clicking on the bookcover to the right.
I hope you will like this electronic newsletter. To be deleted from my list, you can Unsubscribe at the end of this issue. One of our enthusiastic readers suggested that “…bocce and unsubscribe are mutually exclusive terms.”
If you know others who would enjoy and benefit from this Ezine, encourage them to sign up. You could forward this issue to them so they can decide for themselves if they want to "opt in". I promise that I will never be in the business of selling or trading your email address or other personal information.
A word about ads: Like any entrepreneurial type, I'd love to turn a profit from something I really enjoy. For now, I have decided not to accept paid advertisements. If I pitch a product here, it is something I have examined and tested and deem it beneficial to our readers.
Disclaimer: Hey, I don’t claim to be a bocce pro. Heck, I’m not even a very good player – but no one loves the sport more than I do. My contribution to the game is in having interviewed many of the top players and then assembling the information into a concise, easy-to-read book. What I’ve created is comparable to what others have done for basketball, soccer, and other sports.
PLEASE – we are always looking for bocce photos and feedback from all over the USA. We want to connect bocce fans everywhere. You can email (author@joyofbocce.com) or snail mail (Mario Pagnoni, P.O. Box 608, Methuen, MA 01844).
|
|
|
|
|
{Publisher’s comments in brackets}
Dr. Cordano writes to comment on last week’s issue on International Bocce Rules at the North American Bocce Championship.
“Just had the JOY of reading it and looks like you have played with the international rules all along and have enjoyed the "new" game you have discovered.
There were many wonderful and high quality bocce games and you saw in action many of the best players in North America. We know that there must be many other good players out there that can play with these rules and we invite them to join the NATIONALS in Chicago in 2003. The winners will be going to ITALY to play the world team competition with the same three modalities you have seen.
{By the same three modalities Dr. C. refers to Punto, Raffa, Volo competition}
We discussed in Chicago about the pointing and the last game was living proof that a high quality pointer can turn around a game and win a championship when the shooter or "hitter" misses a couple of shooting attempts. It was evident too, that you need more than one player playing very well in a team competition in order to win.
{Most of the top players seem to agree that a quality pointer is more important than an excellent hitter. Indeed, the Canadian team entered a solid pointer as a substitute when they fell behind in the final series, and he helped turn the game around.}
With your help and that of all the others interested in our future Olympic sport I'm sure that bocce will be at an even higher level of popularity, as well as becoming a force at the world level.
{Amen!}
**********************************************
From Pete Rabito of the Long Island Bocce Club…
“Your last ezine was fantastic! I would love to have been there. This is why I sent you the question a couple of weeks ago, for those of us who can’t experience Bocce on a "professional" level. Some of the players must have been a pleasure to watch. I was very interested in the rules. Sounds complicated but I guess like everything else, you get used to it.
Are the matches very long? If the referee marks every ball and replaces them when hit inadvertently, it seems that the match can go on forever. Is there more then one referee?”
{Thanks, Pete…yes, the players were a pleasure to watch. It was interesting to note that so many high level players could have such varying styles, especially in pointing. Some stepped forward as they rolled, some planted their feet, some delivered from directly in front of their body, others slightly to the side. Dr. Cordano told me “There is only one rule in pointing. Leave the ball in front of the pallino.”
The matches can tend to be long. Sometimes they set a time limit. But skilled players tell me that experienced referees know how to manage the pace and keep the game moving so that the length of matches is nearly comparable to that of open rules matches. These games had only one referee, but you could use one for watching the foul lines and another marking the balls and measuring points.}
*******************************************
Tom McNutt who is the originator of a bocce scoreboard t-shirt is working on an updated version that will use Velcro or some other method other than pins. Here is an update…
“Just returned from our first family bocce tournament. My wife and I teamed up with some American bowling friends and entered the Festa Seattle Tourney. There were 24 teams the first day. We were 5th of 24 and were proud to be a part. The shirt was highly praised by all although the "pins were again brought up...I am working on Velcro but so far price is a problem so I am considering many options. Should be something out before Christmas.”
{Anxiously awaiting this clever t-shirt idea – check Tom’s web site at boccemon.com}
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
