The dogs came to the alley today prepared to prove the rumors about them were false. Statements like "the dogs are has beens" and "it's time for them to retire" have been murmured from the fire escape. Once we even heard "we ought to bring the rats back". Tired of the abuse over the last 2 weeks, the plan was to squelch the bad talk once and for all. You had only to see the way the dogs paraded proudly into the alley to know something was up. As each pooch entered, they carried a flower to the center of the loading dock and placed it where their beloved Big Dog usually sat. Word had spread quickly that Kennel_Ha2 could not be there today. It seems he got his collar caught on the leg of a slot machine in some far away city. There was confusion in the report as to the name of the city being either Sodom or Vegas - not sure which one. Everyone was assured that he was safe and under the watchful eye of RyderPuppy so we should all relax. A banner was tacked up along the face of the dock which read "Win one for the Big Dog". Dittny, the heroine of last week, tried to sneak across the alley and tear it down, but was spotted by secret agent Pob who had switched sides once again.

The dogs welcomed newcomers Jjwren and Windsorlll as well as the return of the team of RedRover and Opensesamenow. They made a new friend as well in a little dog called Pet_Peeve_for_Cats (kept saying Woo Woo instead of Woof Woof, but appeared to be very happy anyway). Macmarine had recovered from jet lag and was paired again with Lorainew. Things were looking bright on the dog side of the alley.

The cats were confident on their side too. They welcomed home their beloved Cathugo, who despite constant brainwashing was able to find her way back to her loving family. They also welcomed a stranger - Garfy_loves_Odie who turned out to be IMDJ1 in disguise. Rumor has it that he was trying not to be recognized because he will be taking over the running of the Ryder for the next month (Nice try Iain). The cats were glad to see Melkor Vala and Roblyn who came back to help stomp out the dogs.

Some famous celebrities were there for both teams. Pomfretd, fresh from his victory in the Late Sunday Championship game, was there with super-sub Borderline. Dittny, Champion of the Early Sunday Tournament, was there with her partner Errikos.

There was no shortage of confidence on either side. Both cats and dogs were bragging, boasting and baiting as the time grew nearer. The first round was announced and the fur started to fly. The dogs took 8 of the 11 matches in round one and stepped back to gloat over the pile of crumpled bodies in the middle of the alley. Even the seemingly unbeatable Nuageman (who has a record of 9-0 as a cat) and partner Debb26_ca had fallen. As the cats crawled back to their side to prepare for round 2, a little kitten on the fire escape was heard to say "mommy, are they going to be ok?". With my heartstrings tugged to the maximum, I braced myself for the next round. Brave and proud cats limped to the center for the second round only to be beaten again 8 to 3. This couldn't be happening! The disgrace of it all. To be beaten is one thing, but to be humiliated like this was another. The kitten was whisked away by her mother. Even a novice puppy on the fire escape whimpered as he saw a brave MeowmixJin drag Francylou from under a large crate. The taunting between rounds wasn't as heavy this time. You could see some mercy in the eyes of some of the dogs. I think I even saw a tear in Orla's eye as she watched her friend DonKiwi fall by the dumpster. The beating was hard to watch, but you couldn't blame the dogs for delighting in the turn-around. They had been the ones to suffer for the last two weeks. Pom_Two and Kippers tried hard to keep the dogs focused for the next round. They told tales of days when the cats came back scratching. That's one thing about these alley fights - It's not over till it's over, and even then we are sometimes not sure. Round three was not quite so bad. The cats managed to save some pride and win 5 matches in the last round. At least they avoided the worst defeat in Ryder history. Final score was Dogs 28 Cats 16.

Felden and I will be taking a break till Mid-July. Iain (IMDJ1) will be taking the reins while we are gone. Please help him keep his sanity by remembering a few simple "rules". Be sure he sees your registrations and results by getting a confirmation. When he is making announcements in CAPS, keep the chatter to a minimum so he gets a chance to see what is on the screen before it flies by. Try to help when others ask questions - answer them via IM so Iain can concentrate on what he's doing. Keep your eyes open for posts/registrations that might not get acknowledged and be sure Iain has them. Thanks to everyone for helping out - maybe Joyce and I can find time to come and play some Saturday.

Perfect 3-0 rounds were played by: Kippers/Pom_Two; Sandrajoy_uk/Jamesgreywolf; Jjwren/Windsorlll; RedRover/Opensesamenow

Slams were bid and made by: DPMann007/ScorpioKirsten - 6H; Debb26_ca/Nuageman - 7NT

The dogs were: Billsgirl/Alanbolt; Jjwren/Windsorlll; Kippers/Pom_Two; Psspill/Pollyvw; RedRover/Opensesamenow; Deltagayl/Twisster; Pob/Orla; Petpeeve_4_cats/RyderPuppy; Pomfretd/Borderline; Sandrajoy_uk/Jamesgreywolf; Macmarine/Lorainew

The cats were: Nuageman/Debb26_ca; Harlequin Smiles/Rwcarol; Garfy_Loves_Odie/DonKiwi; Dpmann007/Scorpiokirsten; Cathugo/Poppeye; Bobmt/Shmilyone; Anna/Felden; Wyatt/Jean; Melkor_Vala/Roblyn; Francylou/MeowMixJin; Dittny/Erikkos