Stephen "Franchise" Presley for Callahan

For any Ultimate writer, April 27th, 2009 was one of the juiciest days in our sport's history. Arizona's romp in Vegas last February was a big one, as was Furious' 0-3 showing at Nationals back in October of 2007 but from Oregon to Colorado to Minnesota to Texas to North Carolina, last Sunday proved to be one of the most compelling days of Ultimate that I can recall and I think we are all still feeling the after affects.

However, rather than being filled with elation and excitement, the Ultimate community seems to be wrapped up in a lot of negativity with feelings of rage and/or embarrassment. Oregon's disqualification has stunned us all, not only because of the amazing lack of judgement, but also because I think we are all curious to know what kind of ripple effect this will have. The last time I can recall a single Ultimate event making it on Deadspin was when Beau jumped over David "Runner" Flock at Southwest Regionals back in 2006 and we all know what kind of lasting impact that had. The pursuit of credibility in this game took a major hit this past weekend and what's worse is that Oregon is such a great program. Had this been a smaller school or a non-UPA sanctioned tournament, no biggy, but having such an established team do this...yikes, I don't need to say anymore.

And then there is Florida. I don't think I have ever seen such a hateful backlash on RSD, but in all honesty, Florida set themselves up for it. I'm sure they thought boner checks and taunting highlight clips were funny and what not, but now they will get no sympathy from the faceless masses. It is hard to feel sorry for a program with two National title game appearances, a National Championship and a Callahan award winner in the last 4 years, but I think the one thing to take from this is that it seems that outside a few incidents at Florida Warm Up and RSD, Florida actually isn't that bad. They may have asked for poor spirit scores at Nationals last year, but in all seriousness, their bark is much worse than their bite. I also liked what Dar had to say about the situation, especially "they are just college kids -- if it's the worst thing that ever happens in their lives, they're a very lucky bunch in my opinion".

Despite the fact that the two biggest stories in the sport right now are not what I would call "feel good", a lot of amazing things did happen this past weekend. Carleton has played as well as billed and de-throned Wisconsin from the Central Region after a three year term. Cornell continued with their stellar season by taking the Metro East and could earn a 1 seed in Columbus, especially with Florida and Oregon out of the picture (the bar has been set Middlebury). Virginia beating Florida was epic but the real story is the fact that they made Nationals for the first time ever, not to mention took the AC. As for the Southwest, Colorado took the Region again, but my squiddies are headed back to Nationals after a 2 year hiatus, hopefully I can make it out to Ohio for the festivities.

However, the story I am most interested in revolves around the South Region and Texas' Stephen "Franchise" Presley, hence the title. When all the events surrounding Florida and Oregon came out, not to mention other topics from the other Regions, I was immediately compelled to jot down my opinions. I was hesitant though, because almost everything that came to mind was either rooted in ridicule/shame or stuff that wouldn't be all that exciting to the masses.

That is except for Franchise. Much like the competitive field at College Nationals this year, the Callahan race seems to be wide open. Last year there were several names at the top of the list but realistically, the award was either going to Gibson's skill or Kershner's hype and we all know how that ended. However, in 2009, things seem to have gone back in time. Most Callahan campaigns this year have revolved around RSD threads and in-Region opinion because in the absence of Nation-wide chatter or media coverage, there isn't much else.

As it stands now, there are a variety of contenders that could get the top spot at the podium. Jimmy Foster from Wisconsin is easily a frontrunner, and with two National Championships and a formidable Club career with Sub-Zero, he makes a good case. He's also a class act and a damn fine Ultimate player. However, much like what happened with Mark Sherwood of Stanford last year, having your team gutted and slipping from the top spot in the Region does not help in the vote department.

Rusty Ingold Smith is also another popular candidate. He was one of the only male college players invited to Team USA tryouts, which is certainly an honor, and for the last two years or so, Rusty has brought considerable spotlight down upon UNC-Wilmington. However, the Seamen didn't even make a game to go and considering the fact that they didn't leave their time zone this season, I don't think Rusty can count on a ton of Nationwide support.

Will Neff is also a possible contender, and I say this because I've been saying it for a year or so. He is an exceptional player and team mate by anyone's standards but with the Cultimate schedule the way it is, a 12-2 record at Centex and Huck Finn didn't get them anywhere near a Finals appearance. Unlike a year ago when they handed Wisconsin their first loss at Centex, a ton of Nationwide hype isn't swirling around them. Plus, Notre Dame could snatch the Region away from Magnum and that won't help Will's campaign.

I hadn't heard of him until this weekend, but Robert Runner from Virginia has definitely gotten himself some ink. Florida lost to two other teams at AC Regionals, but I think Night Train deserves the most praise because no one expected them to dismantle the Gators 14-9, much less win the Region. However, I wonder if this National attention is a bit too late. With only a few weeks until College Nationals, I'm willing to bet most folks aren't ready to cast their ballots for such a new face on the National scene.

The next name on my list is Mac Taylor and with Colorado owning the Southwest Region the last 5 years and their tournament win at Centex, I think more than enough people are aware of #40. His leadership on CU is exceptional and his exposure with Bravo is also top notch. A seemingly impervious candidate, no?

Well, personally, I think what has made Mac strong as a player, makes him weak as a Callahan nominee. In 5 years, Mac has gone from newbie to superstar but in reality, I think it has less to do with him as a person and more that he is simply the product of an amazing system. His Buff of the Week article is a great piece on his abilities and progression from never playing Ultimate to the player he is now, but in my opinion, he is just another in a long line of Mamabird greats. Mickey, Parker, Richter, Chicken, Beau, Rabbit, Jolian, Martin....there has been, and probably always will be, someone amazing from Colorado every year and Mac is just next. In the 5 years he has been with Colorado, Mamabird has taken the Region every year, made the Finals in 2007 and made Semis in 2005, 2007, and 2008, not to mention having several top 5 Callahan vote getters. But what did Colorado do the year before he came to school? They won a National Championship and Richter won the Callahan. Does this sound like Mac has made Colorado the contender they are this year? Or does it sound like Colorado has made Mac the Callahan contender he is this year?

In my mind, I think despite Mac's hype and abilities, he is just not the best Callahan candidate. He may be very instrumental for Colorado this year and will undoubtedly have a great Club career but had he not been around the last 5 years, Mamabird would have found someone else to fill his shoes, CU is just that good. This isn't a knock on his abilities, but to me, he seems like Mark Sanchez or Graham Harrell, a reasonably talented athlete that benefits from a GREAT program.

When I think Callahan candidate, I think Josh Zipperstein or Tim Gehret, two players that were at the heart of their team's success. Without them, neither Brown nor Florida would have won Nationals in 2005 and 2006. One could make the same case for Richter in 2004 and Dan Heijmen in 2007, and there is no way Arizona beats Florida, has a chance against Wisconsin and makes Nationals without the 5 year effort that Joe Kershner put in.

With this in mind, I think it is more than obvious that Stephen "Franchise" Presley should be the Callahan winner this year. Over the past 5 years, no player has been as consistent and instrumental to his team's success than #22. In the last 5 seasons, Texas has taken the South Region 5 times. They are 24-0 in that stretch and have won the Finals in everything from 15-6 blowouts to Universe point finishes. This is insanely difficult because Regionals is easily the most emotion filled tournament of the year with so much on the line and so many rivalries running rampant. But with so much at stake, Franchise has never faltered. Sure Mac has been part of 5 consecutive Colorado Regional titles as well, but they've only had 1 close game in that stretch and they had two Team USA players on that roster.

The Callahan award is not about a single season because realistically, what can a single player do in a single season? If you walk onto a National contender, what have you really done? Florida's 2006 National title took years to build. Arizona's sole shot at Nationals took half a decade of training, recruitment and focus.

While it is true that Texas has had greats like Matt "Skip" Sewell, Michael "Tank" Natenberg, and David "Salad" Melancon, the Texas alums I know all tip their caps to Franchise. A prominent Texas player once told me that Franchise was born with a disc in his hand and as such has been a standout for TUFF since his freshman year. Unlike Colorado, Texas wasn't even at Nationals in 2004, but like Colorado, they haven't lost a game at Regionals since.

Reading the recap of the Final game against Kansas was exciting but the performance from Franchise is more or less expected. In watching him the last few years with Texas and Doublewide I, and others, have come to expect nothing but greatness from him. His fundamentals, form, athleticism, and leadership are second to none and 2009 is his year.

He had his own little thread on RSD like every other Callahan nominee, and I won't waste your time discussing his talents because odds are, they are not too dissimilar from many other nominees. However, what is different is Franchise's body of work. He has been Texas' Callahan nominee for the last 3 years, he was FOTY in 2005 as well as South All Region '06-'08 and he is the only returning player from the top 5 Callahan MVP list last year.

He has also been part of Doublewide for as long as he's been with TUFF. Much like Oscar Pottinger and Dylan Tunnell, Franchise was right there with his local Club team after his first college series. With the exception of Will Neff (Twisted Metal) Franchise is the only Open College player I can think of that was at Club Nationals back in 2005, but unlike Will, Franchise hasn't missed a Club season yet. Aside from 2006, Franchise has made Nationals every year in both the College and Club divisions, meaning he has qualified for a total of 8 National tournaments in 9 opportunities, 7 of which were Regional victories. Are you kidding me?!?

However, much like any player, Franchise is not without weakness. One talking point with respect to Texas that comes up often is that they never seem to make it past quarters. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 they finished tied for 5th, losing in quarters to UCSD, Florida, and Stanford, respectively.

None the less, I think this a foolish approach to determining the merit of a team or player. For years I used to poke fun at Stanford for making Semifinals and no further, but in retrospect, I completely underestimated the value of such an accomplishment. Aside from 4 other teams in the Nation, no one else gets any further than quarters and I seemed to forget how amazingly difficult it is just to get to Nationals. We all witnessed Arizona's rise to stardom and with just one trip to quarters Kershner earned the Callahan, why can't 3 do the same for Franchise?

What is also paramount, but horribly cliche, is that unlike most of the nominees I have discussed, Franchise is not your stereotypical 6'2" COTD highlight machine. He is a 5'8" work horse who's defining moment is not the epic sky he had in the first half, but the overall tournament performance he puts together. In those god awful 5th round 17-16 scorchers with major heat, wind, and/or exhaustion going against you, Franchise hits his stride. When most college players lose focus and fail to complete their 100th break throw or stay with their man through his 11th cut of a point at 13-12, Franchise's true character reveals itself as he digs deep to execute when it matters the most. Sustained performance under such grueling conditions is the truest test of an Ultimate player's ability and when Texas has to fight Universe point after Universe point, Franchise never waivers.

And come on, the guy is on the cover of the latest UPA Magazine. A better Callahan nominee there isn't.

I remember very vividly last year when Joe Kershner was announced for the Callahan. Once Jolian, Kurt, Sherwood and Franchise had been called up, everybody knew who was #1. At that moment, the entire field in Boulder swelled with emotion and everybody, including the 4 runners up, were happy for Joe. No one was upset to see him win because everybody understood what he meant to his team and most of all to his sport.

I had the privilege of talking with Joe after he won the award and I can say with no hesitation that he was the perfect player to win the award. He was speechless, his heart filled with emotion and joy. Much like when Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, there was no expectation on Joe's part, just sheer shock. The trip to Nationals was all the reward he needed, but the Callahan was just icing on the cake.

I'm here to tell you that Franchise is that player. No one who plays the game can deny his contribution to every team he has played for over the last 5 years and you will never find a better poster child for the sport. However, despite all his talent and success he is as humble as it gets and would receive the award with as much awe and respect as one could hope for. Unlike many elite players, Franchise doesn't really like the spotlight but rather simply enjoys the opportunity to compete.

As I write this, I can already envision the applauding crowd and feel the emotion at the fields the evening of May 23rd when his name is called. Perhaps some teams at Nationals will have a faster or a taller or a flashier player on their roster, but when Franchise wins the award, everyone's heart will swell. Every player in attendance will close their eyes and whisper to themselves, "He deserves it".

There is no better candidate than Stephen "Franchise" Presley and I sincerely hope I will be there to shake his hand when he wins.

just my thoughts

match diesel