Here are the standings so far and a link to the Youtube Video from Magic City Day 1 (Saturday 12-05-20). Day 2 will be Sunday 12-06-2020.
Matches feature some of our NJAA roster (RickB as Bernard II)(Anthony as ANT)(Scott King as King)(Brodie as Barracuda)(Paul Kubala w/Kyle as Paul&Kubala)(Cachin as Cachin47)(Belota as Belota) and also some Connecticut Stars including Matt, Monte, Beach and more.
Another short, two-month season is in store for Miami Jai-alai – but this one has a twist. Former star players Goiko and Lopez return to the “Yankee Stadium” of jai-alai, but joining them are six players from the Dania fronton including Erik, Ladutxe, Amigorena and Foronda. Those players likely will join the roster in mid- December, when the Dania season goes on break. The season opens Wednesday, December 2nd.
There will be 3 performances a day with new hours – 11am, 1:30pm and 4:30pm. There will be 8 games scheduled for each performance and all games are singles – at this point. There will be 8 post positions (again at this point) and betting should be available on Watch & Wager.
Being able to watch Goiko (recognized as the best player in the world) vs. Erik (Dania’s top player for years) should bring some excitement back to the sport. All games will offer quinella, perfecta and trifecta wagering with a superfecta in game 4. The Pelota Press will be there covering the event and be sure to look for updates on Friday.
Here is the complete Miami roster:
– 15,Frank,front court. height 6’1, weight 190. born August 12, 1977. Nationality Mexico – 16,Julen,front court. height 5″8, weight 160. born October 16, 1995. Nationality AMERICAN – 17,Carlos,back court. height 6’1″, weight 185. born February 16, 1981. Nationality USA – 18,Foronda,front court. height 6’00, weight 168. born May 15, 1981. Nationality SPAIN – 19,Cisneros,back court. height 5″10, weight 183. born January 26, 1979. Nationality MEXICO – 20,Crizz,back court. height 6″3, weight 265. born December 3, 1995. Nationality USA – 22,Aratz,back court. height 5’7, weight 180. born February 25, 1989. Nationality USA – 23,Anndy,front court. height 5″10, weight 170. born October 4, 1983. Nationality Cuba – 24,Sierra I,front court. height 5’6, weight 170. born December 21, 1981. Nationality Mexican – 25,Lopez,back court. height 6.4, weight 220. born March 4, 2001. Nationality Spain – 27,Alex,front court. height 5″10, weight 180. born November 28, 1993. Nationality USA – 36,Aritz,front court. height 6’0″, weight 184. born June 9, 1987. Nationality Spanish Basque – 41,Alejandro,back court. height 5″9, weight 200. born September 20, 1969. Nationality Mexico – 42,Toto,front court. height 5’6, weight 180. born July 1, 1976. Nationality Mexican – 43,Goiko,front court. height 6″4, weight 250. born March 4, 1981. Nationality Zumaya, Spain – 48,Erik,front court. height 5″11, weight 180 . Nationality Spain – 56,Ladutxe,back court. height 6′, weight 200. born September 19, 1987. Nationality France – 57,Amigorena,back court. height 6′, weight 190. born September 1, 1961. Nationality Spain – 59,Gallo,back court. height 6′, weight 199. born August 28, 1982. Nationality American – 60,Manuel,back court. height 5’10”, weight 180. born March 2, 1980. Nationality Mexican – 62,Vega,back court. height 5″7, weight 175. born January 12, 1989. Nationality Cuba – 63,Troy,front court. height 5’6, weight 185. born January 27, 1975. Nationality American
The big tournament coming up at the Magic City jai-alai fronton is heating up and so are the lineups.
Here is a partial listing of some of the team playing I the first round in both singles and doubles that involve current Dania and Miami jai-alai players.
(Subject to change given the circumstances of travel plans of players due to COVID-19)
As you can see, there are some interesting singles games and teams featuring star players from Dania jai-alai, Miami jai-alai, Magic City, Connecticut Amateur Jai-alai, N Miami and Tampa Bay amateur courts. For example, Connecticut Amateur cancha owner “Matt” DiDomizio is scheduled to play “Minte” from Danai jai-alai in the first round of singles. NJAA’s top amateur player “Anthony” Sutton is teaming up with Belota (Orlando, Ft. Pierce, Calder, NJAA) to play Angel and Ikeda in the first round of doubles.
We will keep you posted with much more information over the next week.
Jai-alai aficionado Jesus Olivera and his wife became the first to attend the remodeled the JLaca Museum earlier this month. The museum added most of the artifacts from the Mark K collection in late March to greatly enhance the overall jai-alai experience, but the Corona virus has kept the doors locked to the public since.
Completing the jai-alai weekend, Jesus made his third appearance at America’s first and only public court in St. Pete, competing against several former pros in an action-packed 2 ½ hour performance.
Jesus was actually introduced to jai-alai by his wife, who in 1982 purchased a cesta at a flea market for him, and he’s never put it down since!
You can view the J Laca collection on this website by clicking on the link. The museum and their popular gambling parties will likely resume later this spring as the vaccines make it safer.
The USNJAC – better known as Magic City’s national jai-alai tournament – is still on and scheduled for the weekend of December 5-6th . This is the 4th date the highly anticipated event has been scheduled because of issues arising from the Corona virus. The event will go on unless closures are re-implemented in Miami-Dade County. With cases skyrocketing across the country – anything could happen – but with Donald Trump still residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Ron DeSantis still the governor of Florida, don’t expect any drastic changes until at least January 20th when “Sleepy Joe” takes over.
The revised tournament now has less than half the amount of players as compared to the original date set in April due to scheduling and virus issues. When players show up, they will be required to submit to an on-site rapid test and must test negative. This is the same test required for all Magic City employees. The casino claims the reliability has been good, but many on-site testing facilities have been “shaky” at best. False “positives” at on-site testing facilities have been questionable with further, more reliable testing coming back “negative”. Players showing up to play risk this happening and will be have to leave.
Once a “negative” test has been established, players will enter the fronton and will be assigned to socially-distanced changing station – the same procedure required by the current roster. Players are required to wear a mask at all times except when playing.
No spectators are allowed into the fronton to watch the event live and only 4 guests/family members of the players will be permitted to view the event on YouTube in the sports club.
The huge jackpots for the winners reman in place and the event should be exciting to watch. Just wished there were better circumstances surrounding it. Magic City management is doing the best job possible given the cards dealt to them.
The house that jai-alai built. That’s how Tampa Bay tabloid Creative Loafing reported it.
And now it’s for sale.
Cigar City Brewing founder Joey Redner has put his South Tampa waterfront mansion up for sale. The 7,379 square-foot home was built in 1925 and has 6 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms along with a detached guesthouse. The house features 170 feet of waterfront, a pool & spa, an outdoor kitchen, a treehouse and more.
Joey Redner, son of Joe Redner (owner of the most famous strip club in the world – Mons Venus) was a Tampa jai-alai fan and named one of his beers after the sport in what has become one of the top craft beers in America. He founded Cigar City Brewing in 2007 after holding a sales position with Florida’s oldest microbrewery – Dunedin brewery. He hired Wayne Wambles as his brewmaster in 2008 and the pair brewed the first batch of Cigar City Beer. Shortly afterwards, Jai-alai IPA was released and was an immediate hit with craft beer critics. Today, the brewery produces over 170,000 barrels annually with distribution in 39 states.
Redner sold a controlling stake of the company to Colorado-based Oskar Blues for about $60 million in March of 2016, where is remains an active partner with.
His house is on the market for $7,495,000. He paid $6.4 million for it in July of 2016.
The Pelota Press has confirmed – with 100% accuracy (barring Visa and COVID-19 issues)- that several of the top players in the world are playing at Miami Jai-alai this December and January.
Star players Goiko, Lopez and Erkiaga are confirmed to play at America’s oldest fronton in Miami. This is huge news for jai-alai fans. New ownership is said to not have any interest in jai-alai, but this incredible news clearly overrides that motion – at least for now.
We will have additional news on who is on the roster soon.
It appears the highly anticipated father-son team of Benny and Chris Bueno are out of the USNJAC tournament which is now set for December 5-6th at Magic City. The event, expected to garner a huge national “jai-alai” audience – not only in attendance but on YouTube’s Jai-alai Channel has been rescheduled with its 4th date now set in stone unless county officials stop it due to increased COVID-19 cases. Dania player manager and former Miami star player Benny was originally scheduled to appear with his son Chris, whose been making amazing progress in his second season at Magic City. Chris is now scheduled to play with Magic City’s top player “Douglas” in the tournament. Douglas was originally scheduled to play with another sophomore player – Kubala – who will now in turn play with his father Paul Kubala. Paul was the main force in getting the first public jai-alai court ever built in the United States back in 2007. His son Kyle practically grew up with a jai-alai basket in his hand at the public jai-alai court two blocks from their home. But he pursued golf since his high school days and was on the golf team in college, before Magic City caught his interest with a very respectable salary and bonus structure.
We will keep you posted with details on this event which is rapidly approaching us.
Miami Jai-alai will likely be reopening this season – December 1st as the target date. The season is expected to run for two months, during the months of December and January.
The plans are for about a 20-man roster with all the games being played at singles. The roster is expected to be rather strong, with Mendi as the players manager. We do not have an idea whose on the roster as no contracts as being handed out as of now.
The historic fronton, once known as the “Yankee Stadium of jai-alai”, now resembles more as the “Tropicana Field of Jai-alai”. However, we understand improvements have been ongoing. There were plans to turn the auditorium into a Cirque Du Soleil but with Corona still peaking in Miami, it is unknown what the long term plans are.
The highly anticipated Magic City tournament is still trying to pull off their national event which would feature 60 players – both amateurs and professionals – with a walloping $20,000 in prize money up for grabs.
With COVID-19 causing problems more than Donald Trump could imagine, the event, originally scheduled for April 25-26 was been postponed three times already. The event was then rescheduled to June 27-28, then pushed back to July 25-26 when it was postponed again. Now organizers are trying to hold it during the weekend of December 5-6th. This new date is also during the time when Dania will be in the last couple weeks of their season, and during the first week of the Miami Jai-alai season (see related story on Pelotapress.com). A few of their players were registered to play in this event, but promoters will try to work around the conflict of this event and their regular jobs as players.
Who could have registered?
The USNJAC was open to any amateur and professional jai-alai that is a US Citizen, 18 years of age or older. The players have until Wednesday, October 7, 2020 to inform MC if they are still interested in participating. If they get enough positive responses, the event will go on – with some restrictions.
The original scoring format
This is a double elimination, head-to-head format. First to 6 points in First Round First to 5 points in Double Elimination Round First to 7 points in Second Round through Semi-Finals First to 9 points in Finals
Singles Play
Limited to 60 entries in Singles. The 30 players eliminated in the First Round will have a second chance Double Elimination Round with 2 players advancing back into the competition.
Doubles Play
Limited to 28 teams in Doubles. 14 teams eliminated in the First Round will have a second chance Double Elimination Round with 2 players advancing back into the competition.
Prize Money
$20,000 in prize money will be awarded throughout the Championship.
Singles 1st Place $7,500 Singles 2nd Place $2,500 Doubles 1st Place $7,500 Doubles 2nd Place $2,500
Rules and Requirements
You must be a USA citizen and a photocopy of passport or birth certificate is required with Entry Form. Players must be at least 18 years old. Video required of you playing if not known to the Selection Committee. Selection Committee has final determination of entrants should the entry field exceed the available playing slots. You must wear an approved helmet.
The Venue
Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida. Glass walls at the front and back walls. The court is 120 foot long by 40 foot width. The ceiling is low and makes this a difficult court to play on compared to others.
Other original worthy notes
There will be a 1-minute warm-up before each match. Practice time will be available on the Friday before the event which is held on a Saturday and Sunday.
The latest restrictions
At this time, it is unknown if spectators will be allowed in the fronton. If they aren’t, they will have to watch the event on a large screen TV in the Sports Club at Magic City. If there is a limited number of spectators allowed, guests of the players will have priority over the general public. A large capacity crowd was likely to have happened when it was first scheduled. No news on the Friday night party which would have featured the players and their guests.