a formal challenge arrives at aberdeen.

Wondering what exactly has been going on with the ninjas for the past week? Magoo provides us with a recap of the ninjas' first formal challenge by the Wicker Park High Tea and Dodgeball Association ... and the humorous feud that ensued.

Background

The Wicker Park High Tea and Dodgeball Association
A rag tag group of dodgeballers mostly based out of Wicker Park.

We continue the goals of the original game: getting right minded Chicagoans together for late night fun. Your bring your courage, we'll bring the balls, and we'll play until the cops throw us out. (Or we collapse from tiredness.) We welcome one and all, if your spirits are good. I've played with a gentleman named business man, dragged a belligerant drunk to the Blue Line by grabbing a limb (with the help of three other dodgeballers), fought a thief on Division St. with the help of Jimmy the Whino, had bottles thrown at my head, had a switchblade pulled on me by a drunken member of the Latin Kings, saw a friend tackle a man who pulled out a fake gun, and have had fantastic Thursday nights for nearly five years now.

You should join in the fun. It runs from 10:45 to as long as we can go every Thursday night at our secret dodgeball location.

The Challenge from High Tea

On August 7th, a formal challenge from High Tea's leadership (Scott) to Aberdeen was issued. This was very much out of the blue. While a few folks at Aberdeen had played with 'Midnight Dodgeball' (High Tea's former name several years ago) there was not much conversation between these groups until recently, thus this challenge catching Aberdeen by surprise. The note from High Tea was authored by their leadership, Scott, in with eloquent pseudo british flair, and asked for a response in great verbosity. Here it is:

More...

In regards to the Aberdeen Street Dodgeball Ninjas:

It has come to my attention that there is another dodgeball game within the fine city of Chicago - run by a group that calls themselves the Aberdeen Street Dodgeball Ninjas.

The Invasion and Response from ASDN

Aberdeen, being a unstructured and highly active social group, frequently plan and act on coordinated short term plans like this and quickly jumped to action. Almost immediately, a tactic known as 'social engineering' was used to approach High Tea's leadership. A fictional individual named 'Josh' was created to investigate Scott for their team's location.

The fake email:

From: josh matthews
Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Subject: dodgeball location
To: thedodgeballking@gmail.com

hi,

was just wondering where you all are playing tomorrow. i just moved back to chicago from portland, and i'd like to restart my dodgeball playing activities.

thanks,
josh

And the response:

From: scottini prizzini
Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: dodgeball location
To: josh matthews

Dear Josh:

Our "secret" dodgeball fortress is at the 5/3 bank parking lot on Bosworth St., just north of Division St., just west of Ashland ave.

We have tea at 10:30, and the games usually start by 11.

S. Montgomery Priz
President of the Wicker Park High Tea and Dodgeball Association
E.E.E.

Thus having the time and location for High Tea Dodgeball, Aberdeen planned an 'attack' where they would respond to this impulsive challenge by High Tea very quickly with an overwhelmingly well prepared response. Aberdeen gathered 'ninja masks' and a very large printed response letter, and delivered a response to this email in sneaky ninja fashion unexpectedly on the very next High Tea dodgeball night.


click to view video

Simply put - Aberdeen agreed to the challenge, and more importantly, set the bar for this urban 'feud'. Having information about High Tea's whereabouts allowed for a well prepared response and displayed great team cohesiveness to High Tea. This invasion communicated many subtle messages about the Aberdeen personality as a result.

High Tea's Proclamation

Aberdeen's appearance at High Tea Dodgeball occurred on a Thursday, making the following Tuesday the next venue for Aberdeen Dodgeball. Between these dates, however, Aberdeen did their homework on Scott (High Tea's Leadership) and found that he was blogging on his Facebook profile (open to the Chicago network) and also his LiveJournal. High Tea planned an appearance at Aberdeen's court on Tuesday to read another long and eloquent proclamation with the details of the challenge (while wearing tuxedos)

As you know, earlier this week I sent a message out to the so-called Aberdeen St. Dodgeball Ninjas challenging them to a proper Dodgeball War.

I am pleased to say - they have accepted my challenge.

Last night, the Wicker Park High Tea and Dodgeball Association was having it's weekly meeting at our secret dodgeball fortress.

In the middle of a good dodgeball game, an alarum rang out! Ninjas, approaching from south, creeping towards the fortress! Being proper Englishmen, the Association spotted them with ease, and we gathered our rubberized desctro-balls to prepare for an assault! I led a brief scouting expedition into their lines, and winged one of them with my trusty red dodgeball. I returned to center court, where our lines were formed, and awaited their response.

High Tea Invasion

Due to Aberdeen's foreknowledge of the invasion, Aberdeen had already prepared a written response, and had a camera crew waiting for any tuxedo wearing individuals to step out towards the court. After the arrival of High Tea, and the reading of the proclamation - Aberdeen surprised them with their pre-written response to their verbal proclamation, leaving High Tea with a burst bubble and a stack of printouts of the very proclamation they came to announce. Again - High Tea was met with Aberdeen preparedness due to a leak of information about their plans.


click to view video

Aberdeen however, took their proclamation in good faith and allowed them to speak their peace to the group - and a date was set. August 21st 2009 would mark the date that these two groups played to begin a annual feud between these two city dodgeball crews.

Until then - Aberdeen and High Tea took the opportunity to split up teams and play pickup dodgeball until they were too tired from "the awes of life" as one Aberdeen player announced at the end of the High Tea invasion.