Ping Pong for Charity

Back in October of 2006, Summer Darling played a benefit show for the charity Invisible Children at the Alpha Gamma Omega house just off the USC campus. While we are the first ones to play for a great cause, the real reason we agreed that night was far more serious: Ping Pong.

Dan and I had been in a shit-talking ping pong battle since 2003 when we were rehearsing one night and the subject of ping pong came up. Dan nonchalantly said, "I'd destroy you at the ping pong table." To which I responded, "No way, man, I'd annihilate you. You wouldn't stand a snow ball's chance in hell." And so it began that any time the subject of ping pong came up, Dan and I would launch into our familiar repertiore. It became almost a party trick performed by Heather and Loop, as in, "Hey let's get this place jumping by inciting a mini word-war between Dan and Ben." Finally in Fresno in 2004 we happened to play a venue with a ping pong table. We battled a best of seven match in which I proved victorious, but the legend grew that I had somehow got lucky or cheated Dan out of a win. I denied these speculations and called them exactly what they were: cheap shots from a sore loser.

Two years late, we would settle the score. After playing our set, Dan, Heather, Loop, and I adjourned to the fraternity house's game patio and we battled again!

It was a fierce match!

Until finally it was over, and I, once again victorious, consoled the loser.

Now to be fair I will mention that this past fourth of July, Dan beat the pants off me in Palm Springs, but I will forever cry "Dehydration!" and "Drunkeness!" as the reasons for my defeat. History is written by winners, I don't see Dan with a blog anywhere. . .