Well, it's about fricking time. The AVP Crocs Tour has FINALLY announced their 25th season . Again the Gods and Goddesses will be taking it to the beach for an 18 stop and Olympics enhanced season.

Wait... there's more!

Again the Olympic committee is recognizing it as the sport! Pro-Beach Volleyball is relatively new to the Olympics. Why? It is a subtle form of discrimination-- because we're hot. The atheletes, the fans and, especially, us bloggers are SOOO smoking, sizzlin, snacky eye candy, the Olympic Committee simply couldn't handle our radness quotient. In their defense, the Olympics have never been so much into the hip. Can you believe that women were not allowed to run in the marathon until 1984?

MISTY MAY and KERRI WALSH-- Obviously the front runners, but over the last season I saw a bit of the magic fading. During last year's  Huntington Beach open, Misty joined Annette Davis and Jenny Jordan-Johnson in some freestyle dance numbers on the beach. Kerri merely passed right by,  laser focused on what was happening in the Main Arena. Over the years, it really seems as if Kerri has lost her sense of fun surrounding the game. I've often heard they don't hang out or train together much anymore. This is their Achilles Heel, they have become complacent. If one of the following can exploit that we will have new champions this year.

ELAINE YOUNGS and NICOLE BRANAGH-- These are the women that want it the most. I understand they have spent much of the off-season training in Durango, Colorado together. EY's (then partnered with Holly McPeak) Olympic bronze in 2004 was bullshyte, mostly do to a bracket system that didn't allow the two top teams to compete. EY's fire will ignite and create the upset. That is, if she can remain healthy. With a few extremely painful injuries last year and looking 40 straight in the face, this might be her last chance summer dance. Branagh is definitely the future of the sport but the 2005 Rookie of the Year doesn't quite have the smooveness the comes with experience. The two have a real hardcore chemistry that lacked with EY's previous partners. This is where they will make up the difference.

RACHEL WACHOLDER and TYRA TURNER-- While both excellent diggers in their own right, last year this team just didn't jell. Regrettably, Rachel dumped partner Jen Boss at the beginning of last year for Tyra and they just weren't able to get it together, often suffering at the hand of EY and Branagh. On paper they are a great team.  Mentally, I still think Boss was a better pairing for Rachel. However, now the two have a spent a year together and who knows what can happen. The publicity and fan shy duo need to ratchet up a fan base in order  to take a few more tournies and that second spot inthe Olympic games.

Boss Ross: THE team to watch

-- By far my pick for most exciting team to watch this year and have earned CRACKPOT PRESS' dubious title of TEAM CRACKPOT (for underdogs and spoilers).   With a lot of talent, some scores to settle  and nothing to lose I expect to Boss and Ross to gum up the brackets several times this year. After being tossed out by Rachel last year, Boss has bounced back into action picking up the 2006 Rookie of the year, April Ross.  During the pre-season tournie, Hot Winter Nights, Ross solidified her gameplay and is looking a bit more polished than Nicole Branagh. After a succession of consecutive victories, she was  eventually knocked off by a well rested Branagh.  WIth EY's health in question I  think Boss will be the stronger veteran. Going back to the chemistry these two women have it. Watch for several upsets this year. How can they improve? For starters get some better pictures that I can swipe from their My Space. This team will be needing them.

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