The Week Ahead

Doubles Playoff Final:

In a Final For the Ages, It's Team Domination vs. The Wannabees and it's Anyone's Game

    Just a week ago, I wrote in this column that the doubles final would be Matvienko/Triana(12-1-1) vs. Chiofolo/Enright(10-3) and I couldn't have been more right. Now I'm saddled with the added pressure of picking the winner of the final.

     During the undefeated season of 2009, Vic and Dennis finished second behind Carlos and Jeff and would have needed to beat them three straight at the end of the season but couldn't even get the first one. Vic and Dennis have been in the hunt for the doubles each year since 2007 but have somehow come up short. For all the success and winning streaks of Carlos and Jeff, they have only one doubles title to their name. That, more than anything, shows the difficulty of securing a doubles title. Just like in the NFL, there is a window of opportunity to win it all in the Weekenders and with Dennis Enright growing older by the minute, that window is quickly closing for Team Bully.

     Team neatly ironed matching white pants has not lost since opening day and has navigated an up and down season by Carlos who has thrown some blowup rounds in along with a plethora of great ones that has seen him lower his handicap nearly five strokes. Jeff, meanwhile, has been consistantly mediocre. How do they do it? The battle is often won before it even takes place and their preparation and determination is the biggest factor.

    Carlos and Jeff would love me to pick against them and that I will. They love the underdog role. In the end, it will be a better than solid Vic leading the way with a suddenly heatingup Dennis that will make this an easy 4&3 victory for Chifolo and Enright.

It looks like a go for Vic and Dennis to excise the deamons and win their first doubles title.