A New Vice , A New Reason To Love The Women of The AVP Tour ……….
Well the girlfriend decided it was time for her to venture south to see if she could drum support for her business as she’s a partner in an interior design firm . Coincidentally in joining her for the weekend she advised me that she wanted to take in the AVP Tour event taking place on Ft Lauderdale Beach . Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth as it would also give me the chance to work out of the Miami office of the firm I’m employed by . I thought it’d be mutually beneficial in me joining her for the weekend. Though my return back north won’t be until Wednesday, it gives me the chance to not only get some work done but also visit some old acquaintances and haunts.
Slideshow for your perusal
Though beach volleyball is but a niche sport it seems to pique everyone's interest once the Summer Olympics comes around . Though for myself this isn’t the first time I’ve come across the sport , having played on a regular basis when I use to reside in the South Florida area. Weekends after having hit the local Bally’s gym in North Miami was then but a mere scamper to Miami Beach to play few sets , ogle some very hot females all in the higher order of things on the evolutionary scale for any hot blooded heterosexual male. And it certainly didn’t hurt at the time that a number of the females were either amenable to playing either mixed doubles or in large it became a battle of the sexes.
Courtesy of AVP.com
May-Treanor /Branagh take Ft Lauderdale crown
Men’s final rained out Dalhausser/Rogers, Fuerbinger/Lucena share win
By Matt Landes
Misty May-Treanor and Nicole Branagh capped off their debut as teammates by winning the AVP NIVEA Tour Gatorade Fort Lauderdale Open on Sunday, while rain washed out a men’s final that would have put Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers against Matt Fuerbringer and Fort Lauderdale native Nick Lucena.
May-Treanor/Branagh swept sixth-seeded Angie Akers and Tyra Turner, 21-14, 21-17, to win the title without losing a game all weekend. The win was May-Treanor’s 106th, adding to her all-time record, and Branagh’s 17th. May-Treanor/Branagh are the first women’s duo to win their first event as teammates since 2002, when Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs won in Huntington Beach.
“We kept getting better,” May-Treanor said. “You could feel we started meshing a little more. I always saw us in the finals. It was a matter of us doing what we needed on our side to get there.”
“Good communication helped in the success of our new partnership,” Branagh added. “We are thrilled with our win.”
Akers/Turner had to win three matches Sunday to advance to the final out of the contender’s bracket. They knocked off Brooke Hanson and Lisa Rutledge and Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan then dominated second-seeded Jen Kessy and April Ross in a 23-21, 21-8 upset in the semifinals.
The cancelled men’s final marks only the fifth time in domestic history in which competition was not completed and the first time since 1996, when strong winds forced the cancellation of a tournament in Dallas.
Top-seeded Dalhausser/Rogers and sixth-seeded Fuerbringer/Lucena both went undefeated over the weekend and both earn credit for the win. Each team will split $17,500, the midway point between first- and second-place prize money. In Sunday’s semifinals, Dalhausser/Rogers beat John Hyden and Sean Scott; Fuerbringer/Lucena defeated Billy Allen and Braidy Halverson.
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The event held on Fort Lauderdale Beach was the AVP sanctioned Nivea Gatorade Fort Lauderdale Open , offering $200,000 in total prize money , in an event that had players coming from all over the world to compete. The event itself was televised by ESPN and no doubt given the game’s popularity in South America and the Pacific Basin , there was bound to be an international audience following the event as it unfolded. mongst those competing in the women’s event with a new doubles’ partner was Misty May-Treanor . May-Treanor along with Kerri Walsh are the two time Olympic champions in the event. But over the weekend at the Nivea Gatorad Ft Lauderdale Open she was partnered with Nicole Branagh an Olympic contestant in Beijing. Walsh on leave, having recently given birth to a child will be looking to re-team with her partner in so many of their professional triumphs over the years.
On the men’s side you you had Phil Dalhausser , Todd Rogers , Matt Fuerbringer , Nick Lucena and other amongst the prominent competitors competing . And as alluded to earlier with a total of $200,000 in prize money there for the taking. This wasn’t being viewed as a penny ante tournament on the AVP Circuit. The next scheduled tournament will be the AVP/Nivea Santa Barbara Open (April 29th -2ns May 2010) , Santa Barbara, California . The tournament is being ran in conjunction with the Susan G Komen Foundation . Proceeds of which , will go towards research with regard to finding a cure for breast cancer. A more than noteworthy cause.
Now for my girlfriend who’s an avid fan of the sport and who played volleyball in college. For her this was just another way of getting to see a sport that she’s come to enjoy a great deal. And having been often paired together when we have fun playing alongside friends on our all too infrequent beach sojourns . This for Mae-Lin was something whereby we both had a great deal of fun. For myself, it was most definitely for the mos obvious of reasons. I mean where else can a guy go whereby he’ll get to ogle a bevy of females on the beach all dressed in two pieced swimsuits and knowing full well that you’re not about to come under suspicion ? Life is good ! But for this weekend on Fort Lauderdale Beach , ” life was damn near perfect” ! I’m not ashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself along with the festive events in tow.
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Picture gallery
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Alan Parkins aka tophatal
tophatal's blog 
This is one sport that I’ve truly come to appreciate a great deal more than others !
And it’s not just simply because of the women but more the grit and determination needed to be the best at the sport as is possible !
Alan Parkins
Sounds like a great weekend Al. Beach volleyball always reminds me of my younger days when my friends and I would get together on the weekends with a keg of beer and play volleyball all day.
Good times my friend, damn good times.
aero
What’s not to like ? Hot chics’ all the alcoholic beverages one can withstand and at the same time other than Sunday’s squall . A good time was to be had by one and all. The girlfriend headed back home as of last night.
And I’ll be heading back up to Central Polk County as of Wednesday afternoon evening.
My God do you think that the Rays had the Red Sox’s number in the series at Fenway Park ? They beat them like the “wicked step-child” they now appear to be ! LOL,LOL,LOL,LOL !!!!
Like Pedro says ….” who’s your daddy now bitc_hes ? These are the size of Mr Epstein’s balls ! Funny eh” ?
I think that the Red Sox faithful miss Manny more than they’re willing to let on !
Alan Parkins
I think the Rays are a team on a mission. They know their days together are numbered.
aero
If the Rays can maintain their present level of consistency. Then it would make it extremely hard to now not to view them at best as a wildcard entrant for the postseason. At best a divisional winner.
Maddon and the coaching staff has the team believing in themselves and capabilities
What’s this stupidity from the league office stating that Maddon can’t wear a hoodie underneath his uniform ? Haven’t Selig and “clowns” got far more important fish to fry ?
Alan Parkins
Ah….why didn’t Ben go down and see this instead of bar hopping….oh right…these chicks woulda kicked his arse!
al clements
Ben isn’t that bright to begin with ! He probably barely scored more than a 12> on his NFL wonderlic test . And case you forgot he went to Miami of Ohio rather than Miami (Hurricanes) , Florida. But then again that’s not saying much concerning either educational establishments from the get-go. As neither are truly known as bastions of educational excellence to begin with !
Alan Parkins
Personally I’m surprised she let you anywhere near there.
How was Mango’s?
Chris Humpherys
I am man and a lion, hear me roar ! LOL,LOL,LOL !!!!
It was at her behest that I went to watch the tournament. She’s an avid player and played in college . I played but only when I came out of the Bally’s health club there in N Miami Beach. I use to work there also on a part-time basis as a fitness instructor. Upon leaving there, we’d use to hit the beach for a couple of sets each Sunday afternoon and then on to a local bar where we’d just sit outside and ogle the “chics”.
I didn’t go to Mango’s and mightn’t get the chance to, as I leave as of tomorrow afternoon to head home. But I did hit the Mynt. That joint was poppin’ all night long and I loved it !
Alan Parkins