The Good Guys returned for the new season in tact as a team, but with more scars than ever before. Still not over the loss of their manager, they were continuing to adjust to the new manager, Lee Sniderman. The team had a lethargic spring, playing only 500. Then, on opening day in Paradise, in front of 50,000 fans, the Mets shelled them, 10 to 2, with Hudson being driven from the mound in the 2nd inning, and leaving to a chorus of boos. The poor play continued, as they dropped 2 of 3 to the Mets, and got swept by Atlanta that weekend, for a 1-5 start. The boo birds were serenading them every day and every night, seemingly feeling that with a new season, they should be over Gardner's passing, and ready to play. In truth, the Paradise Islanders were fighting themselves and their own demons, as well as their other, off field passions. That year, the company that owned the Good Guys also started an expansion basketball team, called the Nassau Seas, which played at the new arena, Paradise Round Garden, across the parking lot from Good Guy Stadium. The company had asked the team to help promote the Seas with promotional appearances over the winter, and gave them free courtside tickets as compensation. The Seas had a very surprising first season, and in April, were in contention for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. The Good Guys now had to share the spotlight with the Seas, who were fast becoming Paradise Island's darlings. In truth, they loved basketball, and enjoyed watching the Seas play. By April, however, with baseball season starting, and the Good Guys off to a bad start, it became a bit embarrassing as the Good Guys would even find themselves being booed at Paradise Round Garden by the Seas fans, many of whom of course were fans of their own as well. It was a rough, rough spring. However, everyone reminded themselves that baseball was 162 games, and that the Good Guys could and probably would turn things around. On the first Saturday night of the year, the Good Guys and Seas got together to have a joint party. The tickling team was in a bad mood that night, having lost to Atlanta that afternoon by blowing the lead, and on a 9th inning homerun off Naomi. Clearly, it was tickle team in disarray, at least to begin. Due to all the work the Good Guys were doing for the Seas, the basketball team had no objection when the Good Guys asked one of their wives to be that evening's featured lee. The tall, beautiful 6 foot blonde was tied to the bed, as Russell, the 2nd baseman began the tickle on her neck with fingers as she began to squirm and writhe: Hehehehehehehehehehhehehehehehehehehe! Moving down, Russell tickled the beautiful blonde on her underarms and sides as she thrashed and bucked some more, and filled the room with more laughter: Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! NO! Then, there was the inner thigh tickle, causing bucking knees. Following that, Russell moved down, tickling the tall blonde beauty on her soles and toes with fingers, and then proceeding with the instrument tickle of feathers, ice, and the dreaded electric toothbrush. This drove the poor blonde beserk! She flexed, pointed, and wiggled her toes every which way as she filled the room with hysterical girlish laughter, and begged the tickling to stop: Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Please no! I give up! NO! NO! NO! Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Finally, the tickle stopped, and the deshelved blonde was untied, and fixed herself up. The party was over early that night, and the team went home to prepare for the next day's game. As it turned out, they were not very prepared. The following day, in Kate Hudson's second start, she got crushed again. The Good Guys fought back valiantly from a 5-0 deficit to take the lead, only to see Naomi spit it up again in the 9th, to a cascade of boos from the 30,000 plus in attendance on that Sunday afternoon. After the game, with tickle team off to a 1-5 start, Sniderman had a clubhouse meeting with his troubled team. Yes, it was early, but things were not going well. Would it turn around? What was the problem? Some suspected that the Good Guys passion of basketball, and their feeling that it was early in the season, meant that it didnt matter if they werent playing well. Their play was embarrassing, and their new manager was furious. Would tickle team pick it up? What would happen next? Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of the Tickle Team of Paradise Island.
The End
The End
