First Hubby, Then Wife..

Holly McPeak, long time AVP player and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, threw in the Gatorade beach volleyball towel. After competing fairly well in her "farewell season" in 2008 w/ Angie Akers, she returned to compete with up-and-comer Jenny Kropp. Despite a helf-decent start, she quit the AVP in disgust at her performance, AND MORE LIKELY, because of her husband AVP CEO Leonard Armato's firing by the AVP last month. Rumors abound that she was getting tired of this unwanted limelight and being grilled by the press at the first few tour stops.

In any case, her presence will be missed on-tour. She indeed was a great spokesperson for the AVP and for beach volleyball, in general.

But don't count her out just yet, she may sometimes return to periodically compete - as other retired pros have done.

AVP - Fantasyland

The AVP has revived fantasy sports beach volleyball in April. After a hiatus last summer, the AVP has rekindled this fan favorite by partnering with Rotohog to create the “2009 AVP Fantasy Challenge”. . Fans can create their own line-ups and track how well their athletes are doing (aces, blocks, digs, hitting pct.) via the AVP web site. Prizes are planned to be awarded at season’s end. Once again, these are just plans – anything can happen! In 2007, the AVP fantasy league experienced its share of problems with some Fantasy winners never receiving their prizes! Yikes!

AVP CEO is HISTORY

The President and CEO of the AVP, Leonard Armato, has abrubtly left the AVP. After 8 years at the helm leading the AVP out of its bankruptcy in 2001 and likely into another calamity in 2009, Armato has left the organization. Rumors are rampant - was he fired or did he voluntarily step down? His long-time cronies at the top executive ranks started to jump ship in late 2007 and continued their exodus through last season, leaving him with very few supporters. Then, during the 2008 Olympic year, the internal tensions began to mount - leading to the hiring of C.O.O. Jason Hodell, by a new Board of Directors. Then, in the off-season, a number of top sponsors bailed with a vote of no-confidence in the AVP.

His departure is very suspicions, but not too surprising. In my book, "Order On The Court", I predicted that he would need to leave, in order for the AVP to have a fighting chance at survival. Stay tuned, as more news breaks. His wife and AVP player, Holly McPeak is likely to end her career as well.

AVP Baby Watch

As some of you may recall, Kerri Walsh and Rachel Wacholder became pregnant at the end of the season in September. Rachel even pulled-out of the Manhattan Beach tournament due to morning sickness. Both are expecting in the April/May time-frame. What is unique is that each of their husbands are AVP players (Casey Jennings and Sean Scott, respectively) who will likely take some time off this season too.

And what ‘bout Misty May-Treanor you ask? After all, she was to take off 2009 to start raising a family. However, her "Dancing With the Stars" achilles injury has cooled her pregnancy plans with husband, Matt Trainor – now a Detroit Tigers catcher. On a Yahoo Groups board, Misty recently replied about fans’ questions about her family plans, “It will happen when it happens. I’m just working out, therapy and spending time with Matt. It is great.”

AVP - Off-Season Antics

Let's hope that, despite the AVP's shaky start in Panama Beach last weekend, both the AVP and the pros have prepared well for a shortened, 16-stop tour in 2009. Here's a quick summary of the AVP action during the off-season.

Hot Winter Nights Tour

In its second season, the AVP held its second Hot Winter Nights Tour. Despite cancelling 3 of the 17 events, the 14-stop tour was a hit among the hit among the fans - approximately 1000 - 2000 fans per stop. Several men and women players competed in these exhibition-like matches. Gold-medalists Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers were highlights of the tour with fans scrambing for autographs on shirts, hats, and ticket stubs. After round-robin play in which the players traded partners in unisex round-robin play, a "final" was held. To heat-up this finale, the AVP switched the format of this contest to a mixed fours format where men and women competed together. Cool format and fun for fans.


AVP Goes Off the Record

The typically tight-lipped AVP management team has further distanced itself from the watchful and curious eye. On December 12, 2008, the AVP “deregistered its common stock” thereby ending the trading of its stock shares (hovering around the $1 mark) in the stock market. In a cost-cutting measure, the AVP will no longer need to regularly report its finances to the Securities Exchange Commission. In what will be a tightly-budgeted 2009 season, an approximated $500,000 in expenses can be avoided. And no longer will it need to report all its tournament and overhead expenses, as well as its sponsor and event revenue.

Throwing in the Gatorade Towel

During the off-season, a few top players decided not to put their bodies through the arduous pre-season training and marathon six-month outdoor season. Das Holdren, 5th place finisher at the Athens 2004 Olympics has called it quits. The fans will certainly miss his entertaining on-court arguments and stalling tactics. Fred Souza’s sizzling serves will not be missed by his competitors - he is sitting out this season and likely his entire career due to unsuccessful knee surgery. Mike Lambert’s nagging leg injuries, that prevented him from pursuing an Olympic bid in Beijing, have prompted his pull-out from the tour this year, and possibly forever. With these departures, new partnerships will emerge this season.

Misty & Kerri - Another Streak Bites the Dust

On a post-Olympic gold medal high and riding a media frenzy wave, Misty and Kerri rolled into Cincy hoping to extend their 100+ match win streak. After winning their first four matches, they faced their Olympic counterpar team and arch rival on the AVP tour in the final. In a closely contested three-game match, these golden goddesses fell to Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh (5th place in Beijing) in a lengthy match that came close to setting a record. What are the reasons for their surprising loss:

a) After realizing their long sought after dream of a second gold medal, this AVP event was anticlimactic
b) Misty was distracted by practicing with her professional dance partner for the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars!
c) Both have visions of leaving the AVP tour to start families in 2009
d) All of the above!

For more details about these players and their life and times on the AVP Pro Beach Tour, check out www.orderonthecourt.com

USA Sweeps Beach Volleyball

Just got back from Beijing and enjoyed these Olympic Games - my fifth since Atlanta in 1996 when beach volleyball was first introduced to the Olympic slate.

Had the wonderful opportunity to see both the women's and men's gold medal beach volleyball finals in Beijing's Chayong Park. In back to back competitions, USA stood atop the podium. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh swept their Chinese opponents; whereas Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser needed to go the full three games to upend their Brazillian competitors.

Seeing the teams on top of the medals podium, with the USA flag being raised, and the national anthem playing was a memory I'll always treasure.

Beijing Baby!

Just arrived in Beijing after a 24-hours of travel from the East Coast. As of this moment, 3 U.S. teams are still in contention. Although Gibb & Rosenthal have a tough matchup against a top Brazillian team. Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh bowed to the top Chinese team to settle for a fifth, unfortunately. Still precdicting Gold Medal wins for Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh as well as Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser.

"Uniformity" in Beach Volleyball at the Olympics

As the AVP pro beach volleyball tour takes a hiatus as eight of its players compete in Beijing, let's take a moment to look at the uniforms the players must wear when competing.

For the men, unlike in the AVP where the guys can go shirtless, they must wear jerseys in Olympic competition. Todd Rogers, one-half of the 2007 World Championship team and a Gold Medal contender, is all for playing bare-backed. In reply to a question a reported raised about having a petition signed to relax the tank top rule, Todd said, "I'm in. I'll sign. It's more comfortable anyway in this heat." he said. (Reuters 8/7/08)

Whereas for the women, they can either wear one-piece swimsuits or bikiins - with many fans preferring the latter. DUH! According to the Olympic regulations, bikini bottoms should be no more than 2.75 inches (7 cm.) across the hip - kinda skimpy compared to what the fencers and formal equestrians wear!

And you never know, to increase greater interest in the sport, the International Olympic Committte may allow the women to soon compete in thongs - as some players do in the anything goes beaches in Brazil. Time will tell....

Look-Ahead to Beijing

Four U.S. beach volleyball teams will be leaving for Beijing in a few days. The teams of May-Treanor/Walsh, Rogers/Dalhausser, Rosenthal/Gibb, and Youngs/Branagh all have high seeds and are expected to do well in the first round of extended pool play, before the single eliminations start. Despite their #1 Olympic qualifiaction ranking and 2007 World Championship status, the first two pairs have been assigned a #2 seed for the Olympics. Why do you ask? Well, there's a unique rule in Olympics beach volleyball that allows the home country a #1 seed - as long as its team ranked in the top six. And in the case of the top two men's and women's Chinese teams, each has earned the #1 seed. Incredible? - Yes! Unfair - Yes?

PS - To my knowledge, no other Olympic sport affords this advantage.

Inside Pro Beach Volleyball

With 2008 an Olympic year, all eyes are on the sport of beach volleyball due to its popularity on the worldwide stage. Although NBC has stated that the sport is the "hottest ticket" at the upcoming Beijing Olympics and will be seen by viewers in the hundreds of millions, the U.S. pro beach volleyball tour is sruggling to survive. For the past several years, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) tour has suffered financially, and this 2008 summer season is "make or break".

To understand why, grab a copy of "Order On The Court" - the first book of its kind to explore the sport, complete with its successes and failures, its fun times and sad times. (www.orderonthecourt.com)

Yet, there are so many untold stories that this benchmark book could not reveal, and each and every day more drama unfolds. So, keep checking back here to catch the latest news and gossip about the players who compete in a sport they love within a tour on the edge.

And of course, your opinion is always most welcome.