Spoilers Warning: Dozen Weekly Recap

CoachDay
May 20
4 min read

Another week closer to the playoffs with so much left unanswered in the Dozen Trivia League. The DTL gave us 3 amazing and drama-filled matches, with some teams keeping themselves out of the play-in conversation in both good and bad ways. Now, as it looks like most teams will only have one match left in the regular season, it's time to leave it all on the trivia court, as they say.

Ziti Overcooks, as Minihane Wins in OT

This matchup was everything we expected, and somehow even more. Ziti and Minihane proved yet again they are top-5 teams in this league with legitimate shots to become the first two-time team champions this playoffs. Though in the back-and-forth affair, it was Minihane who took it in overtime with a 14–13 win. Both teams must feel great about their chances in June. For Minihane, the experience in big games like this for Klemmer will prove to pay off. Of course, Kirk and Robbie know all about that, as I've said before they’re former champions. With all three of these dudes clicking, and it being a double-elimination tournament, it’s going to be tough to count these guys out.

As for Ziti, the defending champions, though they fell short the Snack Boys led by reigning MVP Eddie looked sharp. It’s a loss, but being in OT, it should not (and will not) hurt them one bit. Now they’re left with one more huge one for seeding against the Frankettes. If you count these two season-enders, it’s going to be one hell of a gauntlet for Ziti to get back to the playoffs, and as we know, there will be no gimmes in the tournament. I’ll say this: I think the league is somehow even deeper than last year, so I think Captain Dave Portnoy may have to give a little more to help his Snack Boys out!

Ice Dogs Freeze Out Gen XYZ From Playoffs

In the shocker of the week, the lowly Ice Dogs finally finished a game by defeating Gen XYZ 13–12, which may have pushed XYZ out of the playoffs… or at least left them needing a miracle. First off, though, it was nice to see the Dogs break through after some major blunders in close matches this season. Every league needs these types of teams, entertaining but not going to win any titles soon. The effort and grit to compete is there, so maybe this offseason the boys, David Andrews and Yands, hit the bar trivia scene to study up for Year 3.

As for Gen XYZ, this season continued its “just not quite enough” motto. Large and Vibbs went out and grabbed Big Ev, who has been a great addition, but this is a scenario where they need to get on the same page more often. Maybe some three-man weave action on the court or something to work together and build team chemistry. Now, the season isn’t over, they still have a chance to make it into the play-ins or a tie to play in for the play-ins.

Experts Pull Away Late Over Uptown Balls

Uptown Balls gave everything they had, looking to take the regular-season crown from the Experts late in the season, but couldn’t close it out as they fell 17–13 in a high-scoring affair. For the Experts, it was business as usual, except for the niche round, where Brandon Walker was left shocked by Jeff D. Lowe bringing out PFT’s niche. Now, why is this a big deal? Walker is in the scoring title and MVP race very closely with Uptown Balls’ Tommy Smokes, who scored a match-high 13 points. Walker, of course, is still a top-3 scorer and is leading his team to the regular-season title, both big for the MVP résumé. His outburst, though, may cost him a few votes.

As for Uptown Balls, this was a huge missed chance to get the one-seed, of course. Now it gets worse, as they’re in the scary zone of the play-ins. I personally think the 6th seed is about right, they’re clearly ahead of the play-in teams. But a lot is still on the table, with everyone in the hunt expected to get one more match. Balls has an MVP candidate and also a championship under their belt, so wherever they end up, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.

Sooooo also outside of the weekly updates and matches, we also have the bracketology, of course. But in historical Dozen news, Jeff D. Lowe teased that possibly the record books may be changing, with wins being rescinded from past matches. It does not sound like it will affect this season’s rankings, but still, this could create somewhat of a shake-up in the league. This will be discussed in the last week of the season. With only a couple weeks left until playoffs, let’s check where the league sits and what we have in store this week.