The Year 2222 Promotion/Relegation

[Wayne23]

11/20: 2-0 start. Sam Mays, our C, is getting 26.0 and 11.0.

All 3 recruits sign but we’re hoping to land 4 more. We NEED to land at least 2 more.

11/25: At the Alaskan Tourney. We’re #5 seed, play #4 ST Joe, 3-0.

96-90. 25, 14 for Mays. 12 or more for each of the other starters. +13 RBs. 3rd best PPG, 347th best D against PPG.

#1 seed, #12 ranked Wake Forest in the semis. They’re VERY good inside.

11/26: 67-83. Mays played well, 19,8, but they beat us up inside.

12/11: 6-3, RPI #67. Sam Mays gets 26.6 and 10.4.

1/1/2227: We end pre-conf. play at 9-3, RPI #22. +8.2 PPG, +11.1 RBs, +0.8 TOs. Mays gets 25.8, 10.3.

The in-home VR chambers hit the market last week and EVERYBODY wants one. They can’t make enough of them to keep up with the demand. Seems to me they should have anticipated this. Again, we live in a money free society. Yes, people have that credit card type thing that tracks their “purchases” and doesn’t allow them to be overly greedy. But there are items that are “green lined.” In other words, there are items that it is considered all right for everyone to have. The VR chambers are in that category, so as soon as enough are manufactured, everyone will have one in their home. There will be limits on how many disks people can get for the chambers. I think it’s 5 to start, and 1 or 2 a month after that for the first year, 1 a month after that. We don’t allow anyone to accumulate to much in the way of possessions- any possessions.

[Wayne23]

1/15: 13-3, 4-0, RPI #28. We’re scoring a LOT of points- #4 in the nation, and we’re cleaning the glass- #2 in the nation. Mays continues to lead us, with 24.4, 10.5. Guard Yves Houl gets 15.8. We got 60 RBs in a recent game. I’ve never seen 60 RBs before.

1/29: 16-4, 7-1, RPI #14. +10.3 PPG, +11.1 RBs, +0.1 TOs.

2/5: 18-4, 9-1, RANKED! #21, RPI #12. 2 game lead in Conf. F.

2/12: 19-5, 10-2. 4 of our last 6 are on the road. We split 2 road games this week. #19, RPI #15. 2 teams 1 game back.

2/26: Awful end to the regular season. Lost our last 2 games. Still finished 1st in F though. +9.3 PPG, +10.5 RBs, +0.4 TOs. #22, RPI #24.

Home VR chambers have been around for a couple of months and everyone who wants one has one now. People are clamoring to get more of the disks.
I’ve never seen such lobbying. The word is that the “techies” are pirating disks for themselves and their friends. Given the way our economy works they only do it for friends because since we don’t use money, and since we all have pretty much everything we need, there’s no monetary incentive. Still, the society as a whole does not like this sort of thing. There’s talk of opening up the disk “market” for a limited time so that people can get a greater number. No final decision yet.

[Wayne23]

3/6: We play #8 seed Air Force, 17-11, 9-7, in the 1/4 finals. We won by only 4 there.

3/7: 73-75. They led early. We came back and led for a lot of the 2nd half. Then they scored in the last minute to tie. We came down, got the shot we wanted, and missed. They got the RB, came down, and hit a shot off a screen, and that was that. We hit only 11-20 from the line. That’s terrible. Make the free throws and we win. 25 for SF Boo Huck, 14, 10 for Mays. +9 RBs. Tough loss. #2 and #3 finishers in F also lost so we may still move up to E. We’ll see.

21-8, 12-4, RPI #29.

3/12: #11 East. Disappointed; I expected an 8 or a 9. We play #6 seed George Washington, 24-7. It won’t be easy.

3/16: 66-89. Awful end to a good season. We lost our last 4 games. And we’re losing 4 starters and our 6th man.

4/3: #2 Indiana wins it all.

4/4: Awards: Junior C Sam Mays is Conf. F POY and 1st team. That’s it.

4/9: Would I move? For the right offer, yes. Nothing.

4/23: I ask for a budget increase. Got $10,500. NEEDED that!

21-9, 12-4. Won the regular season F title. Overall, 110-50, .688.

[Wayne23]

Forgot to talk about my society last time. The “powers that be” decided that each home would be allotted 12 extra VR chamber disks. They can order them any time within the next month. The hope is that this will end most of the pirating. I mean how many disks can a person use in a given time!

5/1: We move up to Conf. E. #24 recruiting class. Can’t afford any reports.

We have 3 guards on the squad, and 2 are pretty awful. Either we get one or two decent walk ons or we’re in trouble; we’ll need to go with a one guard offense.

6/5: Looking at transfers.

6/12: One we liked but we didn’t get him.

6/26: 6 scholarships. 3 and 3 or 4 guards.

8/21: We offer to 3 PGs, a PF, 2 Cs.

9/18: Got a PG, #69.

Hawaiian Shootout vs. Colorado.

9/25: Got another PG, #148.

10/2: Got a C, #58, and another PG, #362.

1st day of practice. Picked 4th in E.

10/9: Got a C, #144. 1 to go!

11/6: 7 man rotation:

Frosh Son Evan starts at PG. Frosh Cy Yoer starts at SG, subs at PG.

Frosh Neil Wils starts at SF. Senior Bip Pers subs at SG and SF.

Senior Ben Hick starts at PF subs at C. Junior Joe Wams subs at PF.

Senior Sam Mays is back at C.

“The powers that be.” I used that phrase a little while ago. We don’t really have government as such. Each community of 10,000 has a Council that rules on problems within the community. They decide when to call up the law enforcement that I spoke of earlier, how to provide housing if needed by people, who’s abusing or trying to abuse the system, food and other material delivery, clean up, things like that… We’re divided up into 10,000 (not always exactly 10,000) for the essentials. It’s really NOT a government. The Council is elected, but there’s no big campaign or political season or anything like that. When a problem comes up that involves multiple communities it goes to the National Council, which is made up of one member from each community Council. They meet virtually. This VR disk issue is a good example of the kind of thing they deal with.

[Wayne23]

11/17: 90-70 in our opener. Now we travel to the Hawaiian Shootout where we’re the #5 seed. We play #4 Colorado.

11/18: 77-68. We led for the last 39 minutes. C Sam Mays had 16 and 14. 15 for SG Cy Yoer. 13 each for PF Ben Hick and 6th man SG/SF Bip Pers. +12 RBs.

#1 seed Michigan, 2-0, in the semis. Won’t be easy.

11/19: 82-94. We were up 15 early, and 9 at the half, but they scored 59 in the 2nd. 26, 6 for Mays, 12, 12 for Hicks, 19, 5,5 for PG Son Evan, but we can’t give up 94 points.

11/20: All 5 recruits signed. Still chasing a big guy.

12/4: Mega-pissed. We lost to freaking Lipscomb! 4-3, RPI #98.

12/11: 5-4. We can’t win on the road. Lost to Brown- BROWN!!! Looking at the lineup, but I don’t think there’s a lot we can do. Trying Lew Crum at SF.

12/25: We go to Conf. E play 7-4, RPI #173. +5.7 PPG, +8.9 RBs, +1.1 TOs. 2-0 with Crum starting, 1 of them on the road. Sam Mays is our player, 24.5 PPG, 10.5 RBs.
Guard Son Evan gets 13.5, and PF Ben Hick gets 12.2 and 8.5. PG Cy Yoer is good with the ball, 5.6 assists per game, and only 1.5 TOs.

The pirating of VR disks seems to have slowed down to no more than a slow crawl. Give the people what they want.

So, what do people do when they work very few hours a week? Well, there are lots of answers to that question. Some simply use the VR chambers, especially now that they are available in home. Some pursue hobbies, old and new- gardening, cooking, sailing- you name it. Many continue their education, most of them one or two courses at a time. Given our 120 year life span a person can learn a great deal about a topic, or more than one topic, over time.

But the VR chambers get a tremendous amount of work. A person (or persons, since VR chambers can accommodate up to 4 “real” people at a time) can safely pursue even the most challenging and dangerous activities in a chamber, or simply do something enjoyable in a controlled environment. People do mountain climb, and race cars, and run the rapids in a canoe or raft, but they also play bridge or poker, or garden in the chamber. Lonely people create virtual friends, and do whatever they choose to do with those friends. Truly, the possibilities are without limit if you have the right VR disks.

[Wayne23]

1/8/2228: 9-5, 1-1. We’re not good on the road… at all.

1/15: 10-6, 2-2, RPI 149. We split a pair of road games this week.

1/29: 13-7, 5-3, RPI #93. Tied for 5th, 1 back of 3rd. +4.2 PPG, +8.5 RBs, +0.3 TOs. Mays leads us with 22.6, 11.1.

2/12: 16-8, 8-4, RPI #73. Tied for 3rd.

2/26: We end the regular season at 18-10, 10-6, RPI #80. In a 3 way tie for 3rd, but the #5 seed.

The home VR chambers have been in homes for 13-14 months now, and there have been some major changes in society. For one, people are staying home a lot more.

Participation in every kind of group, sport, club, and social activity is significantly down. For another, people are moving out of shared living space and moving into individual housing units at a record breaking pace. The latter can only mean that many people are leaving relationships with real people and moving toward relationships with virtual people.

Surveys show that people are saying that they can design their partner or partners to their own personal specifications, and they like this. They find that this controlled relationship is far more stress free, and far more satisfying on many levels.

The psychologists say this will not last. We interviewed Wilhelm Adler, who said, “People will find this virtual business satisfying in the short term, but eventually they will return to having relationships with real people, despite the arguments, differences, tugs of war, territorial disputes, and so on. Getting one’s way every single time will become boring, in time.”

We’ll see!

[Wayne23]

3/5: We play #12 seed Bonnie, 9-18, 6-10. They won by 17 there.

3/6: 90-79. We led by as many as 21. 18, 17 for Mays, 17, 5, 6 for SG Son Evan. 46 RBs, 11 TOs.

#4 seed Miami, 19-10, 10-6, in the 1/4 finals. We didn’t play them this season. On paper it’s a tough game for us.

3/7: 78-103. Ouch! 19, 14 for Mays, 19 for SF Len Crum, but 23 TOs. Ugh.

Miami won the Conf. E title.

19-11, 10-6. RPI #77.

3/12: NIT, #2 Midwest. We play #7 Penn, 18-13, from Conf. I. We need this for a 20 win season.

3/13: 86-67. 25 for Crum, 17, 9, 6 for Evan, 13, 13, 5 for Mays. 40 RBs, 10 TOs.

#3 seed Houston, 19-11, from B. Not gonna be easy.

3/15: 77-62! 20, 12 for Mays, 19, 6 for Crum,, 12, 8 for Evan. +21 RBs.

#5 seed Eastern Illinois, 24-8, Conf. Q, in the round of 8. On paper it’s a toss up. We’re hoping Mays makes the difference.

3/20: 76-70. 26, 10 for Mays, who DID make the difference. 18 for 6th man Bip Pers. +12 RBs.

We’re in the NIT Final Four for the 2nd time in three years! We play #4 seed Auburn from here in E. We split a pair with them this season. They’re strong outside. We need our guards to play solid D, and we need our big man Mays to play well.

3/28: 74-85. We gave up 17 threes, and that did us in. 24, 6 for Crum, 12, 6 for Mays, in his last college game.

4/3: #1 UConn is the champ.

4/4: Awards: Sam Mays is Conf. E POY, and 1st team. Son Evan is Frosh OY.

4/9: Would I move? I’d love to!

Some interesting offers but nothing is jumping out at me. Seriously considering NC ST and Tulsa… No, I’m staying.

4/23: I ask for $. No.

22-12, 10-6. Overall, 132-62, .680.

The Councils seem to think this phenomenon of people finding virtual partners and ditching their live ones is a good thing. It will lessen the clamor for new babies, and it will lower the incidence of STDs. Oh, as an added bonus, people who really do want babies can have them virtually. A virtual baby would, of course, live in the VR chamber, and it would not be “real,” but as long as the parent or parent was in the chamber, the baby would be, in every sense, as real as they are. We live in interesting times.

And that thing I mentioned earlier about sex crimes of all sorts. The Council has stats to show that since the advent of in house VR chambers the numbers of those sex crimes seems to be way, WAY down. There’s only one explanation- the obvious one. As creepy as that is, it has to be seen as a good thing. Fewer human victims is always a good thing. I wonder if serial killings will lessen as well. We have very few of those, but one is too many.

[Wayne23]

5/1: #21 recruiting class. Still can’t afford to buy any reports.

6/5: 2 guys bail out, including guard Cy Yoer, who we were counting on.

No luck in the transfer pool.

6/26: 4 scholarships.

8/21: We offer to 2 PGs, 2 Cs.

9/18: Got a PG, #264.

Golden ST Classic vs. East Carolina. Soft schedule again. Wins are wins.

9/25: Got a C, #99.

10/2: Got a C, #87. Lost the PG. We need a guard.

We’re picked 3rd in E. I think we’re better than last year, or will be in time.

11/6: The lineup is FAR from settled. 8 man rotation, but really, only PG and C are set. But that’s good; lots of talent battling it out:

Soph Son Evan is solid at PG. Frosh Aron Huse starts at SG. Frosh Tal Yonn subs at both guard spots.

Juco junior Ham Wilk starts at SF but senior John Kain gets equal time there.

Soph Cris Vick starts at PF, subs at C. Frosh Lon Hill gets equal time at PF.

Frosh Del Herd is solid at C.

The home VR chamber thing still has the country and the world in thrall. Every other form of entertainment or free time activity is taking a big time hit. This too shall pass?

I’m a little guilty myself. I don’t have a lot of spare time but I do love the challenge of the more serious hikes in VR land. I also have always loved being on the water, and I have my VR program that built me a small yacht, which I spend a lot of time in. When we’re not on the road I usually sleep on the yacht. There’s something about the motion that makes me sleep wonderfully well. I add in a soft rain, and it’s about perfect. I also do a lot of my cooking in there. Why? The cooking is the same, but there’s no clean up!

I’m interested in lots of other programs, but I just don’t have the time, even in the off season.

[Wayne23]

11/20: 2-0 start. All 8 guys are playing well. They want their minutes.

All 3 recruits sign.

12/4: 6-0. Ranked #25. Ridiculous. We’ve played 6 awful teams, 5 of them at our place. Still, we’ll take it.

The lineup has taken shape. Lon Hill is starting at SF. He, Aron Huse, and Cris Vick have all earned max minutes. John Kain, up front, and Tal Yonn, in the backcourt, are our subs.

12/8: 7-0. Heading for the Golden State Tourney. We’re the #2 seed. We play 3-4 East Carolina 1st.

12/9: 86-84. Whew! We were down 15 early in the 2nd half. 15, 10 for C Del Herd, 14, 7 for PF Cris Vick. 15 for SG Aron Huse. We were horrible from the line, 18-38, and that almost beat us.

#6 seed Eastern KY, 5-2 from Conf. J, won in an upset. We get them in the semis. Their SG and PF do the damage.

12/10: 79-76 in OT. Another nail biter! SG Aron Huse hit his only three to get us to OT, and PG Son Evan had a three for the win. 21, 6 for Huse, 17, 9, 7 for Evan, 15 for Herd. +11 RBs.

It’s #4 seed Texas Cretin, 6-3, from I, for the title. They’re an inside team.

12/11: 84-67 and the title! 45-26 at the half. 18, 10 for Herd, 14, 3, 6, 2, 4 for Evan, 16 for Huse, 9, 14 for PF Cris Vick, and 12, 8 for SF Lon Hill. +17 RBs.

1/1/2229: 13-0 headed for Conf. E play. #20, RPI #36. It’s going to get a lot harder now. C Del Herd gets 15.4, 7.2. 10.2, 9.0 for PF Cris Vick. 12.9 for PG Son Evan. 12.5 for SG Aron Huse.

I don’t think I’ve said much about 23rd century communications. They’re instantaneous and they’re everywhere. Shortly after birth all of us have a device implanted under our skin, just above our right wrist. Everything we need in the way of communication is included in this device. We can bring up a calendar, a phone, an address book, access the web, go to any of our web locations, play games… The image floats freely, in the air above the wrist, and we can focus it so that it is perfectly readable. It truly does everything. Most of us have other devices in our homes and in public places, but this one really does it all.

[Wayne23]

1/15: 15-2, 2-2. Had a feeling it would get tougher. We lost our first road conf. game by 5 to Tennessee, and before that we at home, but in OT. Got demolished in our 2nd conf. road game by #16 Fresno ST. We’re going to need to step up our game.

1/29: 19-2, 6-2, #15, RPI #18. In a 3 way tie for 1st in Conf. E. +9.7 PPG, +12.6 RBs, E on TOs. Del Herd gets 16.1, 8.1. But 5 of our last 8 are on the road.

2/12: 21-4, 8-4, #15, RPI #21. In a 2 way tie for 2nd, 1 back of 1st.

2/26: We end the regular season at 23-6, 10-6, #16, RPI #17, tied for 4th, 1 back of 1st.

Just between you and me, I’ve done it. I created a virtual girlfriend. I’m 51 years old, and I’m just too busy to meet women. I can’t afford the time involved in trying to meet someone, and developing the relationship. I’ve been frustrated by that for a long time. While I like living alone, I need companionship, and need someone to care about, who cares about me. I’ll describe Angela as we go along.