For good protein before games, check out Capitol Restaurant on Broadway. In terms of food, this past-era diner offers simple greasy spoon eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. But the Greek cook and the server (he might be the owner), the packaged pastries, the dusty, fake-red flowers, the faux-cracked marble mirrors, the general disrepair, and the expedience with which food arrives on tables make for a good, affordable breakfast joint (especially if you're hung over).

Indian Road Cafe is the closest restaurant to the fields and lets you see local families in action. They have classy—and pricey—brunch options, though from 9:30am to 3:30pm on weekends they offer unlimited mimosas (the effects of which were made famous by a certain MUD team). Converted from a bodega to a cafe, they serve selections of tea, coffee, artisanal sodas, and tasty house-made desserts in the cafe area, and have a full menu in the raised dining room. Pastries and cured meats from Arthur Ave in the Bronx are advertised, and they strive to use local and seasonal ingredients when available. Their food, though not overly imaginative, is good, but their extensive, ever-changing beer and wine lists, plus their vegan and vegetarian dining options makes it a nice place to gather.

For cheap suds and the self-proclaimed "best burger in town" try Piper's Kilt also on Broadway. Around holidays, the wooden walled pub is outrageously decorated from floor to ceiling. But no matter the date, here you can rub elbows with ancient locals and eat really yummy burgers. I recommend the Eastchester or turkey burger.

One of the prize gems of Northern Manhattan, Inwood Park has miles of hiking trails, rock shelters, the only natural salt marsh, and the largest glacial pothole in NYC. If you haven't already, take a break and walk up through the woods by the rock shelters, climb up the rock cliffs, and spy the hawks and hundred year old trees. You should also visit Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters. Perhaps one of the most romantic parks in Manhattan, Fort Tryon has a beautiful and vibrant heather garden and a Linden terrace that overlooks the Hudson River. It is home to the Cloisters museum, and to Bette Midler's delicious New Leaf Cafe.

This is, of course, just a small introduction to our lovely neighborhood. I'd love to hear other recommendations. --Jennifer

Week Seven: The Kuo Effect

18 July | MUD Newsdesk

Well, the chaperones of Barely Legal babysat their way to a league-worst streak of 7 losses in-a-row on Friday, but then they immediately turned around with a Sunday win against the fizzling Sky Fire. The BeeGees, however, strung together two more convincing wins, including a 15 to 9 defeat of Blueprint. Can BG surpass their currently-held, league-leading streak of +6? Who will step up to take down these smug punks? Three teams get a chance next week.

Team Heff is not one of those teams. But perhaps that's good for them. Heff really seems to be suffering the loss of one of their stars, Eric Kuo. However, Kuo is something of a perennial MUD jinx. We've had experts here at the newsclips try to analyze this curse and they just can't figure it out. Admittedly, he's a great player and certainly one of the most spirited, yet in 10 completed seasons of MUD he has not even played in a final. One of the three teams he has captained holds the worst overall losing streak at -11. And now he's injured and out for the rest of the season.

With this tragic injury, one would assume the curse is lifted, but instead a new dimension appears. Team Heff won the game in which Kuo hyperextended his knee. They haven't won any of their five games since. Next week they could tie Barely Legal's aforementioned, newly-acquired season lowlight. Teammate Mark DellAquila blames the recent losses on Kuo's absence. But in the face of history, it seems he'll have to admit you can't win without him, you can't win with him.

Young captain Heff has her morale-boosting work cut out for her. But they named the team after her, so she has their faith. Her secret weapon may be the charm of another MUD stalwart, John Kim, who has made it to six of the ten finals. However, it's going to take more than jinx-breaking and luck with existing threats like the BeeGees and especially Blueprint, whose captain Steve has led a team to the finals in all six of the last Spring and Summer seasons of MUD and who has won three of those six championships. Do it for Kuo, Heff. Do it for history.

Week Six: Get Games Going

11 July | MUD Newsdesk

Barely Legal spent the week losing and is just one more loss short of the season's worst slump (-7). Sky Fire, surprisingly, was one win short of tying the season's best streak (+6). However, their dominance was shut down—at universe point no less—by Blueprint, who didn't drop a game all week. The Dumps also put up only wins this week, which literally brings their record out of the dumps.

A couple of the Inwood games this weekend didn't quite make it to 15. Granted these games were hard fought, with defenses on all sides causing pressure and turnovers. But these two-hour game slots are getting capped and that seems ridiculous, especially considering both Barely Legal and Sky Fire surely could have come back and pulled off wins if games had gone all the way to 15, maybe.

The root of this problem is latecomers forcing late starts. Where are you people? By 2pm the mimosa's start getting bottoms, so don't even pretend you're still at brunch. It's way too early for the NFL, and you're definitely not watching baseball. Church? Yeah. Who's gonna believe that? This is ultimate, and we get to call ourselves MUD because we throw ourselves all over Manhattan. During the week, skip out of work early and let your boss see cleats dangling out of your bag. And for goodness sake, put down your cucumber sandwich this Sunday and get out to your games.

Week Five: Quick Recap

1 July | MUD Newsdesk

Short week five padded the records of our adolescent season's top three. In three days, they collectively managed 37 points with a +12 differential. Fireworks and vacations replace our weekend games this week. Oh, it'll be good for you. For once, enjoy something other than these competitive bouts that fling you to Manhattan's edges, charge your workdays with jittery anticipation, and give you an athlete's badge of sweat, spirit, and summer salvation, would ya?

Week Four: Player Profiles

27 June | MUD Newsdesk

Now that's how you honor a request, Goonies and Sky Fire. The first two days of week four brought two losses to the current first and third place teams. Then, unfortunately, the weather forced a rainout before Everybody Dumps could complete the hat trick on Blueprint. Riverside was so wet that Thursday and Friday were cancelled. But check the team pages for the thrilling scores on the more tolerant fields, and for Sunday.

On those team pages, you'll notice the rather static rosters on the lower right. We know you can't click on any of those names. What teams has John Kim actually played on? Have Kuo and Winston really played every season and never won a championship? The case against player profiles is a shameful one. It is full of the anxiety that people will discover we actually play this sport. Ok ok, that's just an excuse. Our lead programmers here at headquarters haven't found time to give MUD the kind of dynamic, account-driven website that many have been clamoring for.

But do we want that kind of exposure? There have been at least a few requests over the seasons to remove names from rosters since new jobs or relationships have started up. What's the stigma all about? You know ultimate was on TV recently? Let's get some volunteers to donate some code. Player profiles make things easier and more fun for all of us. After all, what's an internet site without a social network interface? That's your grandma's internet, baby.

P.S. Quit hogging the comments, whiny jp and bobo the windbag.