The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
It was a gorgeous Sunday in Santa Barbara this past weekend. Everything looked great for polo. Looking and actual mood, however, are not the same Why? The decision on Friday, by whichever tournament committee seems to be getting the most blame, but USPA refs. did the game. Steve Lane was on site and I am not sure who all else was involved, but it was a tournament game to continue in 15 minutes and it has not even happened yet. It has been about 90 hours or at least 3 days and it was a decision which completely ruined the draw as now everyone has to scramble to a new venue. We are at that time on the fourth day, with all playing 3 games and one 4 games. So why the problem? We all know it was a bad wreck as there was a drone and at least two live videos. To say Jeff Hall was going to go crazy is stupid. He is a pro and has been for a while ….like 18 years. That is why we have professional umpires. Or at least sometimes, sort of. What is their job? I agree with many of the complaints today that it was a wrong decision. It made the draw disappear from Friday on and it created tension and caused tempers. A struggling Club may even be worse off now and it is in the best place in the world to play polo this time of the year. I hear the bs that Obergon did it deliberately, that is stupid. Look at this family. There must be 10 of them in polo and very seldom is a bad word said against them. Maybe he made a bad choice, but say he meant to do it is well just stupid in my opinion. However, even if they felt that way, why suspend the game to make such a big mess of the remaining games? It is not like officials are not paid like most of the ruling party. Which is to me a bit silly now that “supposedly” we have money to use to grow. Forget volunteer officials. Companies are not run by volunteers, nor should the USPA. We will build from professional people doing this job and if volunteers want to be figure heads fine, but this is no longer a hobby.
A couple of nights ago, at a party, a big time bridge player who used to play polo was telling me he could not believe what happened. I was bit surprised and said “what does Bridge have to do with Polo?” He said “we hire pros just like polo and pros to officiate it.” Well maybe we should look up their rules?
ABOUT polo today, 8 – 23, fourth round (sort of ). In the 11 am it was Farmers and Merchants on their last leg with the suspended game on Friday. They were taking on Wildcats with another new team. It is a bit old, so not so new. MEMO, SANTI TROTZ, RYAN GILBERTSON AND PEPE “THE CHILEAN MISSLE.” F&M substituted Obregon with Julio Gracida, who did a great job once he got up to speed. The Wildcats controlled the game for the first half up at 1/2 time. It was 6 to 4 and that was with missing 2 open goals and 2 #4’s. It looked to be fine, but F&M was not fine with it. They roared back in the 4th and won the chukkar 3 to 1. They were down by 1 and went ahead in the 5th winning 3 to 0. They were then up by 2 and finished it in the 6th to take the silver for the day. Most important, they stayed in the mix to the semis. Wildcats now done at 2 – 2. FMB 1-2 with one to go.
In game two, which now has many more variables with the suspended game, it was Lucchese taking on Alegria/ Valiente. They are 2 and 1 at the start and do not know how they have to go as Lucchese is part of the suspended game. Now they have to win as they only have 1 win on their side and a makeup game to go. Now that F&M won and they did, JH and Badiola’s replacement Facundo Obergon played like they were headed to the promised land. They blitzed the Young Guns, who never got out of the camper today. In the 5th chukkar there was an amazing play. It happened on condo end of the field. Santi tried to make a play at speed, JH beat him and literally did a Secretariat on him. In 260 yards by 30 lengths for the goal that finished it. In my opinion it broke their momentum and the game was Lucchese’s, who finished up by 3. Now Lucchese is 2 & 1 …BUT HAVE TO FINISH THE MAKEUP GAME. IF THEY LOSE, THERE WILL BE A SHOOTOUT AS ALL 5 TEAMS WILL BE 2 AND 2.
see ya at the semis