All I know is that basketball is a hell of a lot more fun to watch than pentanque. And this is from someone who doesn’t watch college basketball or the NBA. I live right behind the basketball courts and I’ve been known to come home from work or shopping and just linger by my car to watch the play. Always a different group, always intense.
The courts don’t drain on purpose. It’s called hydropetanque when played underwater. And since the players can’t see the balls (boules), it makes for much more difficult and exciting play. This a 21st century adaptation of the game, meant to create more heart-pounding action and adrenaline, because the sport was losing so many players and spectators to long naps.
In regard to mosquitoes, if a player tosses a boule on or near a mosquito larva (or other aquatic insect in some petanque-playing regions) during play, it is called a fly-boule and counts for double points.
@#2. I like it. Would the fight be to the death? If this works, maybe we can pit city council against Governor McDonnell and his ilk. I can see the headlines now: Virginia Politricks Cleaned Up through Sport: Petanque Naumachia Death Match
We need more non-draining petanque courts in this city!
Come to think of it, don’t they have a festering pool near the Capitol in DC? Dems against Repubs in a fight to the death. I bet that would motivate our ‘law makers’.
I get the feeling I’m going to get a visit by the NSA at any minute…or maybe they’ll just send a drone.
@#8. I don’t rate myself at all. I’m not even sure what part of my inconsequential posts you’re referring to.
It’s all tongue in cheek Dan. The entire thread is tongue in cheek. Don’t take it too seriously. Are you a petanque man? Maybe that explains your response.
Why do people persist in calling the cesspools by the basketball courts “pétanque courts”? Can we all now just finally admit that no one has ever actually played, nor will ever play, pétanque, in those two courts? Fill the damn things in, turn them into flower beds, and be done with this embarrassment.
You all are pathetic, so full of hate. If you don’t like it don’t play but leave the people alone. I guess its hard for you all to understand that its something they enjoy, when what you enjoy is sitting behind your computer and being rude.
Christy, you fail to understand that people don’t hate the petanque’ players. They just feel that two of the courts are underused (as in never) and that having 4 large and 2 small courts is a bit overkill. No hate. Just good questions being asked.
@15 completely agreed. If nobody uses the courts, and the basketball courts are pretty much in constant use, what was the point of all the petanque courts? i thought they needed the large number because they were going to host a tournament, but it seems that didn’t happen. If someone comes in and says the tournament is this fall, that’s fine.
Dan and Christy. I don’t have any hatred for the game, for the people who like to play it, nor to having a court or two. In fact I think it’s an excellent idea to have multiple uses for any park in Richmond and to appeal to a wide variety of people in the community. But four courts, which are underutilized, some of which fill with water when it rains heavily is not good use of the park real estate. The drainage issue has been a problem since the beginning, and there was talk of rectifying it, yet they still fill with water. The contractor or city department who constructed them should have been held accountable for such a poor execution of the plan. They’re unsightly in such a condition and standing water breeds mosquitoes. Do you, as a player or petanque fan, think that the courts filling with water is a good thing? They’re unuseable for any purpose until they drain.
If I offended with my comments, I apologize. I was mearly trying to make light of a bad situation.
It is such a pity that the old guard, ‘Whitworth and Co’ managed to bully the masses into thinking, through mis communication, that our community would require 4 full size petanque’ courts in a, realitively, small, multi purpose inner city park.The two courts adjacent to 29th street have never been utilized since constructed. Can anyone suggest, what needs to be done?
21 comments
I think I prefer the mixed-race, inter-generation crowd of basketball players and skateboarders to the mosquito breeding ponds.
Kathleen Sanders liked this on Facebook.
Brilliant! This could be the setting for a grand naumachia between the pro- and anti-Captain Buzzy gangs!
Pierce Mac Powell liked this on Facebook.
All I know is that basketball is a hell of a lot more fun to watch than pentanque. And this is from someone who doesn’t watch college basketball or the NBA. I live right behind the basketball courts and I’ve been known to come home from work or shopping and just linger by my car to watch the play. Always a different group, always intense.
The courts don’t drain on purpose. It’s called hydropetanque when played underwater. And since the players can’t see the balls (boules), it makes for much more difficult and exciting play. This a 21st century adaptation of the game, meant to create more heart-pounding action and adrenaline, because the sport was losing so many players and spectators to long naps.
In regard to mosquitoes, if a player tosses a boule on or near a mosquito larva (or other aquatic insect in some petanque-playing regions) during play, it is called a fly-boule and counts for double points.
Is the “may” in the title necessary? I’d say the picture is pretty definitive.
@#2. I like it. Would the fight be to the death? If this works, maybe we can pit city council against Governor McDonnell and his ilk. I can see the headlines now:
Virginia Politricks Cleaned Up through Sport: Petanque Naumachia Death Match
We need more non-draining petanque courts in this city!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naumachia
Come to think of it, don’t they have a festering pool near the Capitol in DC? Dems against Repubs in a fight to the death. I bet that would motivate our ‘law makers’.
I get the feeling I’m going to get a visit by the NSA at any minute…or maybe they’ll just send a drone.
I have been wishing for so very long for a swimming pool nearby …
@#6 you really over rate yourself. I’m waiting for something scathing to come back otherwisw, what would chpn be about?
@#8. I don’t rate myself at all. I’m not even sure what part of my inconsequential posts you’re referring to.
It’s all tongue in cheek Dan. The entire thread is tongue in cheek. Don’t take it too seriously. Are you a petanque man? Maybe that explains your response.
Why do people persist in calling the cesspools by the basketball courts “pétanque courts”? Can we all now just finally admit that no one has ever actually played, nor will ever play, pétanque, in those two courts? Fill the damn things in, turn them into flower beds, and be done with this embarrassment.
Please pave over them and return the black top to the kids!!!!
5 bags of quikrete mixed in that standing water would solve the problem once and for all…
You all are pathetic, so full of hate. If you don’t like it don’t play but leave the people alone. I guess its hard for you all to understand that its something they enjoy, when what you enjoy is sitting behind your computer and being rude.
That particular court has been utilzed… maybe once in 2 years……what ever happened to the need for 4 full size courts?
Christy, you fail to understand that people don’t hate the petanque’ players. They just feel that two of the courts are underused (as in never) and that having 4 large and 2 small courts is a bit overkill. No hate. Just good questions being asked.
@15 completely agreed. If nobody uses the courts, and the basketball courts are pretty much in constant use, what was the point of all the petanque courts? i thought they needed the large number because they were going to host a tournament, but it seems that didn’t happen. If someone comes in and says the tournament is this fall, that’s fine.
Dan and Christy. I don’t have any hatred for the game, for the people who like to play it, nor to having a court or two. In fact I think it’s an excellent idea to have multiple uses for any park in Richmond and to appeal to a wide variety of people in the community. But four courts, which are underutilized, some of which fill with water when it rains heavily is not good use of the park real estate. The drainage issue has been a problem since the beginning, and there was talk of rectifying it, yet they still fill with water. The contractor or city department who constructed them should have been held accountable for such a poor execution of the plan. They’re unsightly in such a condition and standing water breeds mosquitoes. Do you, as a player or petanque fan, think that the courts filling with water is a good thing? They’re unuseable for any purpose until they drain.
If I offended with my comments, I apologize. I was mearly trying to make light of a bad situation.
It is such a pity that the old guard, ‘Whitworth and Co’ managed to bully the masses into thinking, through mis communication, that our community would require 4 full size petanque’ courts in a, realitively, small, multi purpose inner city park.The two courts adjacent to 29th street have never been utilized since constructed. Can anyone suggest, what needs to be done?
Careful out there petanquers.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2013/09/09/elephant-kills-elderly-man-in-paris.html