I think we're all hoping to show off a little bit out there. Most of the 462 teams registered to play in Ballyhoop will be looking to show off, but a team that calls itself Players Club has a right to show off. I men's open division, the elite division in Ballyhoop. They're the team to beat, but I'm sure they'll have a lot of competition. I women's open division should be competitive as well.
Fierce competition combined with what is sure to be a scorching heat can lead to short tempers.
There will be a court monitor at all 40 courts trying to keep tempers at a moderate level. Saturday at 3 p.m. is about the worst. That's when the competition gets pretty fierce, because no one wants to go to the losers bracket and it's also the hottest part of the day. Some players will do whatever we let them get away with, so we have to be on the lookout. The court monitors might be able to limit the physical stuff, but they probably won't be able to stop a playground basketball trademark - trash talking.