Match Diesel

CT Constitution Combine's Top Performers

2012-01-23T10:13:00.002-05:00

Evaluation of the aforementioned NE/NY talent would not be possible without the efforts of Tim Morrill and his crew. Check out this video of the combine's top performers including Husayn Carnegie's 43.5 inch vert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abdiFrIem9k

CT Constitution Combine

2012-01-18T10:22:00.002-05:00

Thoughts and a few photos from the CT Constitution Combine

match diesel

Heating Up with Ollie Gordon

2012-01-13T12:19:00.001-05:00

In the second installment of Heating Up, we went old school and across the pond to talk with Great Britain’s finest, Ollie Gordon. Topics include GB Ultimate and their WUGC 2012 team selection process, Ollie’s thoughts on the NexGen Tour, and we answer the question on everyone’s mind, “What exactly is a Class 8 Violinist?” Put on your shades because we’re dancing in the flames tonight.

match diesel

Different Place, Different Platform

2011-11-28T09:09:00.001-05:00

Same Diesel

Out with a Bang

2011-10-03T07:30:00.008-04:00

If the Canadians are out next year, Furious definitely leaves on top. No they didn't win the region, but they bested their bitter rival in dramatic fashion and what better way to piece out?

For the first half of last decade, Furious was the class of the NW. Grant, Lugsdin, Shank, Nichols, Savage, Seraglia, Maley, and more comprised a team that seemed all but invincible. Three UPA titles, a world title, and any Canadian championship they wanted.

However, over the next 5 years father time hovered over Furious like an opportunistic vulture. First Shank and Nichols, then MG, Mauro, and Lugsdin. Fast forward to 2011 and the Monkey is a different beast altogether.

They weren't the only ones though. Their foes across the border went through a similar transition and what once seemed like an endless line of 6' CUTers and Callahan winners, was now a collection of youngsters and a blue eyed Great Laker.

And it seemed as if this New Look Salmon squad was the aggressor. A pair of national titles, an impressive performance in Prague. While not being the penciled in champion of yesteryear, they still were a force to be reckoned with.

As for Furious, 2007 was just the beginning. Aside from a spectacular gold medal win at home, it seemed as if Furious was headed out to pasture to join the Condors. The new junta was basically the products of Vancouver's ultimate system and what they could achieve sans Disc 4 was yet to be determined. No natties in '08 or '09 and a forgettable performance in '10. Add that to the fact that GOAT was not going away (see Colorado Cup results) and it seemed as if Furious was on it's last leg.

Given all this, there was a fair amount of uncertainty regarding who would represent Canada once the dust settled. GOAT had been on the outside for so long and considering the fact that these two Maple Leaf programs rarely play one another in meaningful games, Toronto seemed determined to not repeat their 8-15 performance of 2007. Further, considering CUPA's policy on out of province players, it is likely the best 6-8 players on either team would be on Team Canada anyway. I remember asking Morgan about this and despite admitting that a few guys were headed to Japan either way, Furious came to win.

To be honest I thought GOAT had a shot to upset Furious. They seemed to have met each other in the performance spectrum with comparable talent and series success so I figured the hungrier squad would prevail. However, that is omitting the notorious Monkey Bear Trap.

Now I do not know how intentional this is, but it seems like Furious' best weapon is playing opossum. In 2005 Seattle saw themselves as the cream of the NW crop. They were younger, faster, and more confident than Furious and were riding high after a 2004 title and a 3-0 record against Furious. Even after a semifinal surprise at Regionals, the Fish were unafraid and took out Furious in power pools at Nationals. But in the Finals, the trap was sprung. Right when Seattle thought the championship was theirs, Furious came alive and snatched their 3rd title in 4 years.

The same thing more or less happened in 2008. Furious gets whooped at Nationals in 2007 and go 0-4 to Sockeye teams coming into Worlds (not to mention a 6-15 stomping in finals of Sockeye Invite). The Fish see Japan as their biggest foe and entering Worlds, Canada seemed weak and feeble. We all know how that ended.

Fast forward 3 years and Furious is more or less in the same position as the previous one. Sockeye is 2-0 against them after Solstice, they lose to GOAT in Boulder. Hell, outside a 15-13 win over NexGen, their wasn't a lot to be confident with. One would think Furious was in the worst possible situation.

And that is exactly what they wanted GOAT thinking. "We got these guys. They are past their prime. Sure they picked up Gabe, but he has been out of the game since Worlds in Taipei. This is our time." Trap sprung!! It may not have been 15-8 in pouring rain, but Furious still got the W and will represent Canada yet again.

But surely they couldn't carry that success over to the US, right? In 2007 they looked good following Canadian Nationals with a solid performance at ECC and even a win over Sockeye at Regionals, but they would eventually sputter out finishing light years behind their legacy in Sarasota.

2008 was more of the same, but worse. After Worlds they missed Nationals for the first time this millennium and 2009 was the same story different verse. Taken a step further, considering the fact that the free agent tides had shifted a few hundred miles south to SF with Revolver being the new stud on the block, it appeared as if Furious was not only on their last leg, but approaching irrelevance. In 2010 with no Prague data and a 12th place finish at Nationals (thank you Jam for vanishing), it seemed as if Furious was just drifting on an iceberg waiting to melt.

Entering the series this year, that iceberg was down to a cube waiting to fall beneath the surface. Sure the Monkey won CUPA's, but with only 2 bids out of the NW they were going to have to get past at least Sockeye, a team that had just stomped them 15-7 at Sectionals.

Even after a first round surprise, the Fish were still in good position. I'm sure TK, Skip, and MC shrugged it off with a "No biggy, its who wins on Sunday that matters." And who could fault them? Furious beat them 15-12 on Saturday in 2007 only to get crushed 15-6 on Sunday.

Nevertheless, much like Worlds in 2008, Seattle had their sights set on a different threat (Revolver) and went punch for punch only to lose in the front door semis. Fear not say the Fish, this is where we eviscerate the Monkey like we have a million times. But over on the other fields the opossum was as fresh as Sockeye was weary. Trap sprung!!

I don't know how they do it, but much like the Jets ('10) and Giants ('07) against the Patriots, the Monkey knows when it really matters. Such discipline, to take jab after jab waiting for your spot and then WHAM, a single pulverizing uppercut. When Furious finally edged out Sockeye yesterday I couldn't help but think of Rounders, "I flopped a nut straight."

The ride may be over for Vancouver, but who cares? You will leave the better man. You won as a favorite and you won as a challenger. Your legacy will be the sting in Sockeye's mouth, not once, not twice, but thrice!! Worry not little fishies, like Wisconsin in 2006, this feeling will be your motivation. Unfortunately, Furious may not be there to satisfy your hunger.

Just my thoughts

Match Diesel, PhD

PS Thank you for not losing to Rhino, that would have made this post more of a challenge.

NexGen Thoughts Part 2

2011-07-11T10:54:00.004-04:00

After watching the Furious game and reading KW's thoughts on Sockeye, I have a few follow up thoughts on the NexGen tour.

Past

It looks like club teams are not bringing it the way I thought they would. In watching the Furious game, there were some notable players missing including Oscar, Gabe, and Andrew Brown. I'm not certain where in the game they would have improved things, but each has valuable assets and I think a break here or there could have been reeled in with them on the field.

The argument is even stronger with Sockeye. Only 11 players? Wow. One of the things that struck me from the Furious game is how shallow the NexGen roster is. On the sidelines there was so much more red than black, and considering the gambit NexGen is signed up for, I hope everyone stays healthy. Nevertheless, 11 vs 13 is pretty comparable, making Sockeye's 15-11 win appear more favorable for NexGen than it could have been.

Present

Regardless of how hard Furious or Sockeye fought against NexGen, I fully expect them to bring it to Rhino. The confidence and chemistry developed in these two games are significant not only becuase guys like Eric Johnson and Nick Lance have made huge plays, but they have come against what these kids believe are two of the best teams in the world. Egos were already huge on this roster and now they are only bigger.

Intangibles aside, I think NexGen's biggest weapon tonight will be their two Rhino members (Dylan Freechild and Cody Bjorklund). In addition to providing skill and scouting tips, their absence will be felt with Rhino. Portland had their heyday in '06-'07 but now that Seth is long gone and they haven't been to Nationals in a while, they really need all their standouts. Given the competition Rhino faces in the NW, a loss to NexGen won't be that big a deal. Portland has enough trouble and one more drop in the bucket shouldn't be that significant.

Future

Given NexGen's success against Furious and Sockeye (ie not getting blown out), I think their remaining opponents will be incredibly focused. I fully expected Revolver to crush NexGen and I am even more certain of that now. Don't suck Chicken ;)

However, of the games left, I am the most interested in NexGen vs Bravo. JB has quietly added Austen Gregersen and Joe Kershner, two of my favorite ultimate people. Austen was a stud for Sunburn and Barrio and Kershner hasn't come up for air since winning the Callahan. Unless I am mistaken, this NexGen game will be our first look at these two players together since (cue misty eyed Match) they captured our hearts back in 2008. Hopefully both play.

Closing Thoughts

I think NexGen's first two games have gone as good as one could hope. They have been close, expectations have been met and momentum has been built. Given the fact that July is typically a down month for elite club teams, I suspect NexGen will get past a few slumbering squads. This should be good for NexGen becuase it will validate the entire tour and teams caught sleeping will have a wake up call before the series.

Keep up the good work.

Match Diesel, PhD

NexGen Tour Thoughts

2011-07-05T09:08:00.009-04:00

It has been quite a while since I picked up the ultimate pen and while I still follow the game, real life has taken my focus. Since my last post I have finished my PhD, gotten engaged, and started my new career as a professional medical writer. However, of all the topics that have sparked even the slightest inspiration over the last 8 months or so, none has left the impact of NexGen.

Logistics

Lets start with praise. Unlike many ultimate ventures out there, NexGen is a fantastic product from both a macro and a micro perspective. At the 'big picture' level you have a spectacular platform to showcase some of the best up and coming talent in the sport. I do not know how this is being funded, but it rivals Dartmouth's Big Green Bus of the mid 2000s as far as ideas go and blows it out of the water from a competitive standpoint. The scheduling alone is a modern miracle and I think it is fairly safe to say that aside from WUGC 2012 chatter, NexGen will gobble up considerable attention this summer.

From a mico scale perspective, the execution of NexGen is pretty solid. Their website is a bit junky with drop downs that are blocked becuase of clutter, but the sheer definition of their pictures and interviews is unlike anything we have seen before. Much like the ESPN feel of college nationals highlights this past May, the HD-esk appearance of NexGen is a major leap forward in the marketability of ultimate. Pending SNAFU's with their execution (and considering that this is ultimate, nothing is garunteed), I think this experiment will compete with MLU, C1, ECU, Ultimate Peace etc.. as far as hype is concerned and considering the fact that success is solely expected within 2011 (as opposed to indefinitely), it will leave an exceedingly postive impression for future players/ultimate enthusiasts to emulate.

Competition

I don't know who or how this schedule was crafted, but it is incredible. It is not the first time we have seen a team showcase itself against the best teams in North America (Team USA 2005 and 2009, Team Australia 2008, etc..), but it is certainly the best thus far. Taken at a cursory glance, NexGen is scheduled to play Furious, Sockeye, Rhino and Revolver, a very respectable lineup, but NW heavy. However, if you open their full schedule, you'll see that they are playing just about everyone. Bravo, Chain, Ironside, GOAT, Truck Stop, Ring, not bad. I wish Doublewide and PoNY were on this list ahead of Oakland and either Madison/SubZero, but that is being nit picky at best. I think I speak for the bulk of the ultimate community when I say that I would gladly buy tickets to see one of these games if any were near New Haven, CT.

Now the bad news. As excited as I am to see this product come to fruition, I think the youngsters are going to get smoked. Given their youth and lack of experience as a unit, I think elite club level talent will tear them apart. It also doesn't help that their first game is up against one of the most experienced teams in the world, Furious George. On Friday, these kids are going to roll into UBC and faceoff against players that were in their place 5-6 years ago. Oscar, Morgan, Alex, Menzies, Gabe...these were the college superstars making club noise when NexGen was in middle school and they've already got a few rings and medals on their shelves. You have solid experience in guys like Stubbs, Kapinos, Arenson, and Murray, but it is peanuts relative to their competition, which raises some concerns about the roster in general.

Given my experience in actually putting together an ultimate product, I am aware of how hard it is to get people to sign on the dotted line, but I have to draw some attention to those not on this roster. First and foremost, I think Grant Lindsley, Christian Foster, and Hylke Sneider should all be on this list. I have no idea if they were asked and/or turned it down, but I think all three bring useful elements to the roster and could be invaluable to NexGen success.

Further, I am surprised that there is no Florida representation. Colorado, CUT and Wisconsin all have included personel and even more could be put forth (see above). Neverthless, their is one missing competitive piece and it deserves to be included. Cole Sullivan is a stud and just as 'Next Generation' as any of these other players. I would even argue that Brodie Smith and/or Chris Gibson should be on the roster given their relative youth and play making ability. Perhaps all were asked and each one turned NexGen down, but regardless, a +6-foot cocky superstar will be necessary against the likes of Morgan, Nord, Beau, Mac, Dylan, Jolian, Hassell, etc.

Closing Thoughts

Most folks know that I am a Furious homer, so favoring them comes as no surprise. Considering that Furious is well on their way to Condor/Ring status, I would not be surprised if NexGen made it interesting. However, FG is just the tip of the iceberg. Sockeye is absolutely vicious and will eat these kids alive. Take a look at what they have done to the Buzz Bullets in big games and they are 10x more experienced.

And it only gets worse. Revolver could switch their O-/D-line sets and cruise. Bravo, Chain, and GOAT would love to show that they are still relevant. Maybe NexGen gets past a crumbling Ironside, but by that point most of their best games will be behind them. I want to see these kids shine on the big stage, but I fear their lack of chemistry will turn into break after break for these cold blooded veterans.

Long story short, I'm pumped to see how this tour goes down, but my money is on CurrentGen.

Just my thoughts.

Match Diesel, PhD

Another Year...

2010-11-01T11:09:00.008-04:00

...another Fury Championship. I think Chelsea Putnam said it best during the mixed finals broadcast "Matty Sang, you are the best coach in ultimate". Truer words have never been spoken. For those like me that have heard about DoG's 6-peat for years but weren't around for it, insert Fury. Two years ago they lost one of the best individuals in the ultimate community, Gwen Ambler, and they haven't missed a beat. It may have been taken a 12 point comeback but the streak was still alive. Winning with new faces, a better test of a championship caliber team there is not. Congrats across the board.

Open

I was texting back and forth with my cousin Alex about Revolver and he seemed to think their performance was the most dominant in Club Nationals history. Now he is definitely a NW homer, and you can't blame him, but despite the hyperbole, there is some truth to his statement. Coming into this tournament the expectations on Revolver were probably the most a team has felt since Sockeye back in 2007. Three years ago the Fish were trying to repeat AND earn the chance to represent the USA and they delivered, albeit with two nail biters in semis and finals.

As for Revolver, everyone knew they were the team to beat. Some made a big deal out of Ironside's undefeated streak but every time it was brought up I thought to myself, "Really? What are you 12?" Within the US or not, they got whipped right in the middle of the season. Way to go ESPN/Favre and harp on a topic no one wants to talk about. You could totally see it on Will Neff's face during his post game interview that the streak was more of a liability than anything else. They may have been the 1 seed but the focus, talent, and experience of Revolver was as good as billed.

Going into the tournament I was curious to know if Revolver would underperform the way Bravo did in 2008 when they were easy favorites to win it all in a double peak year. However, after SF's win over Chain there was no doubt in my mind. ATL may have been in a down year, but when you avenge a crushing loss with a 15-6 power pool win, you are sending a message, to them and any 7 who dare stand 70 yards away. That game also reminded me of Bravo in 2008 when they avenged their Finals loss to Sockeye 15-14 in quarters, but in Revolver's case it was a stepping stone to Sunday glory and not Saturday exhaustion.

Revolver did face some stiff opposition in Doublewide and I think Austin should be very proud of their semifinal performance. They have had a few good seasons now and the youthful rejuvenation of Brodie et al seems to be just what the doctor ordered. Historically, DW seems to be in the same category as Furious and Ring in that they are a talented team, but struggle in the free agent department. Not in 2010 however. Hopefully the pipeline can stay alive.

And then there were two. I don't know what it is, but Ironside has really struggled in these games. In 2008 Ironside was easily the better team on paper going into the finals, especially considering their youth, Jam's lack thereof, and a pool play win over SF, but it didn't matter. Confidence was the limiting factor then and it was the limiting factor yesterday. Boston seemed gun shy against Revolver and the Bay Area capitalized. It seems a lack of depth in the NE is Ironside's downfall. I mean come on, you win your region with 4 victories? The closest of which was a 15-10 semifinal win over PoNY? Revolver has had to go through Sockeye, Furious, Jam, Rhino, etc.. since Day 1 so it is no wonder they brought swagger in buckets.

Ironside's D-line was legit though. Colin Mahoney made an amazing layout catch block on Beau late in the game and with a play like that, you could really tell the D-line came to win. Unfortunately the O-line did not. Oh well, much like Bravo in 2007, you were simply going up against a more focused, talented, and experienced opponent.

Mixed

Wow, I gotta tell ya, it was surreal seeing my CT buddies suit up on Sunday. Korber, Kendra, KG, Napoleon, Mazur, Kravitzes, X, etc.. I am so proud of all of you guys. First year in existence and you put together one of the most impressive seasons in any division and when faced with some major gut checks (i.e. two losses, one in pool play) you grind it out and make the finals.

Unfortunately, the buck stopped there and Polar Bears Ctrl C'd and V'd their Thursday success. Knowing 808 and the LPC crew a little bit, this win was not a surprise. For several years the 925 has been quite close and while this may have been their first year as Polar Bears, a Div III championship and some major college noise say otherwise. I have seen few teams as close as this group and when it comes to success in this game, especially on offense, a tight knit bunch is clutch. All season D5 dominated which basically means their D-line dominated. Going into the series CT knew their O-line was their weak spot and Polar Bears' zone D exposed them big time.

Plus PBs had this blur of a female named An-Chi Tsou. Holy crap! Could anyone stop this girl? It definitely says a lot when a woman busts out in a mixed game. I've always thought mixed is all about your females and when most say "its basically 4 on 4", this game was refreshing. Plus rather than hearing "(insert name) Smith", we got "(pause) An-Chi (pause) Tsou?" Hilarious Chelsea. Robot's play was also very impressive but not unexpected. Since almost my first day as a squid, I have known about this guy and his final goal was just another in a slew of spectacular plays I've seen out of him. He reminds me a lot of Kurt Gibson in that he has superb body control and makes exceedingly awkward, but athletic, plays as if they were nothing. Korber is easily the best player I have ever played with/against and to poster him like that at such a big moment was....I got nothing. Congratulations!

D5 wasn't without their own superstars however and Justin Segool really played well. I remember at tryouts being much more impressed with Brandon Redding, but Segool really asserted himself as D5's premier deep threat. Regrettably, the highlight reel plays that I'm sure D5 is used to seeing out of Korber, Morrone, Rafe, DJX, etc.. just weren't there yesterday. I remember the second point of the game, a long one where D5 couldn't punch in the upwind break despite two hucks to the endzone, being a moment of fear for me. In that instance, it just seemed like the big plays weren't coming and when your O-line is weak, small ball is not an option you want to have to rely on.

In the end D5 had a successful season by anyone's standards and I'm sure those that had their doubts in May/June about playing Mixed in New Haven were fully confident in their decision yesterday, even in defeat.

Closing Thoughts

In watching the feed I quickly realized why I decided to ease off on the whole journalism gig. While ultimate is exciting to watch and follow, the only word I can come up with to describe the way it is packaged is "unprofessional". From the sombreros to the neon green sunglasses, the game just looks hokie. No wonder no one takes us seriously. I also agree with most of the RSD criticism about the commentary and would just like to add that the lack of focus was really irritating. Getting the score wrong over and over, talking about high fives, bold/incorrect decisions over and over, come on. My girlfriend (not a frisbee person) overheard the broadcast and consistently was puzzled by the dialog. I subject her to quite a bit of ESPN and even she can tell the difference.

I am conflicted when criticizing the job UV does though. I've been there in the editing sessions and I know how hard they work. However, this is not the first year UV has done this, its the 3rd and its also not the first time some of the commentators have done this. However, rather than improve year to year, things seem stagnant. I fear for UV's grip when/if CBS comes into Sarasota because they could easily take Rob's gig. In all honesty, they do a way better job and if you claim they have more resources, I suggest charging for access to nationals video footage. Rob did it with UVTV.

I also miss Tom Styles. His voice over the WUGC Finals was incredible. No offense to the current commentators, but the first hurdle in broadcasting is having a good voice. Tom has one, the current crew does not. You can call foul, but its just like sports, if you're fat, slow, short, and/or clumsy, you probably don't belong on the field.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Back on the horse

2010-10-11T10:38:00.005-04:00

With the invitations finalized for Sarasota, I wanted to toss out some spittle.

Open - 1 Seeds

Ironside - Looking red hot this year after a less than dominant worlds. While their free agent heavy roster seems to have had chemistry issues in the past, it looks like they are finally clicking. However, I'm not convinced they are better than Revolver. ECC caught Revolver at their worst and since then Boston has only beaten up east coast teams and has yet to play DW.

Revolver - They are the world champs so it is tough to put them behind anyone. Their roster seems to be the best balance of talent and experience which seems to be the recipe for success in Florida. Plus a UPA title would scratch an itch a world title only seems to exacerbate.

Doublewide - There are few things I am more excited about this Fall than DW as a one seed. Pipelines are a funny thing and what was once CUT to Sockeye or Mamabord to Revolver, is now Florida to Doublewide. I doubt Kurt intended to have little bro and Brodie fly out to Austin to suit up with him again, but I am sure no one is complaining now.

Chain - I am not sure how Chain is feeling right now, but I am fairly certain it is similar to what Sean Payton and Drew Brees are drawing up in the locker room. Given the roster additions of Sammy CK, Jolian, and Kiran Thomas, Chain was the front runner to win Worlds (or at least make the finals) and cruise through the series. However, a 4th place finish in Prague and a backdoor entry to Sarasota are not what HotLanta had in mind. Much like the Saints, confidence is not what it once was.

The Rest of the Field

Furious - Yes!! Back at the show. While they remind of the Condors and/or Ring with the slip in competitive ability, at least the Monkey has returned.

PoNY - Way to match Bodhi's big win over GOAT by taking them down for the first time. PoNY always seems to be the perpetual 2004 USA Olympic Basketball team with more talent than success but they definitely earned some swagger this weekend.

Streetgang - Siiick. Way to stick it to the Condors when it really mattered. Pumba I'm still waiting for my long sleeve. Tell me where to send the check.

Madison Club - Natties or not, take a lesson from Benjamin Franklin: We must hang together or we will hang separately.

Truck Stop - WOOOO-Datch! I got nothing else.

Mixed

District 5 - Despite my connection to D5, I haven't written on this cinderella team. Drinking Korber's Kool-Aid but getting handed my hat was a tough pill to swallow, especially given my odd position in the ultimate community. Regardless, their run this year has been exceptional and I think they are the biggest story in the mixed scene this year. Their 3-0 record against Slow White during the regular season basically primed them for an ass kicking and given my conversation with Kendra, DJX, and KG a week ago, a 4-15 whipping wasn't a surprise. Either way, they are Natties bound and considering their success so far, they will be confident going to Sarasota. But a bigger target their is not in 2010.

Oh and for irony purposes, I'd like to respond to this comment form my original D5 post:

"In the end though, do you expect Connecticut to have competitive parity with Boston?"

Yes.

LA Metro - Great job taking the region. Once again I am so stoked for my buddy JAM. I think I need two hands to count how many 2nd place or worse finishes Metro/Pleasuretown had, so I'm sure taking out Barrio and 7 Figures was a touch of heaven.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Revisiting Henry Callahan

2010-09-09T13:24:00.002-04:00

Today I got an email from Jay Callahan, the surviving brother of Henry Callahan, informing me that Henry's killer, Robert Wieghard, is up for parole again on November 10th. For those interested in dismissing his parole request for another five years (maximum), please send letters to:

Colorado Parole Board

Attention: Chairman

1600 West 24th Street

Pueblo, CO 81003

Reference: WIEGHARD, ROBERT A. DOC# 45728

In addition to this request, I wanted to revisit Henry Callahan for the sole reason I wrote my initial story in the first place, to remember him. All of us know what a Callahan is, what the Callahan award is, and what the Callahan rules are, but fewer of us know the story of where this name comes from. For those unfamiliar, please read the following story. Then if you're motivated enough to send the Colorado Parole Board a letter, Jay would greatly appreciate it.

What do most folks think when they see something like this? Callahan right? Ok great, but where does that name come from? Who was "Callahan" and why is a catch block D in the endzone named after him? Why are the rules named after him? Why is the college ultimate MVP award named after him? Two years ago, I didn't know and I think most folks out there still don't.

First and foremost his name was Henry Pfau Callahan. He was born on December 11th, 1957, in Waukegan, Illinois. His mother and father were Joan and Harold Callahan. Henry was the youngest of 4 boys (Joe, Pete, Jay, and Henry) and he also had 1 older sister (Melissa) and 3 younger ones (Charlotte, Shelagh, and Amy). He attended Lake Forest Academy, in Lake Forest, Illinois for high school and graduated in 1975. Henry was a standout athlete in high school and loved basketball, long distance running, and golf. In addition to being very athletic, Henry was also extremely independent. His mother, Joan, lovingly referred to Henry as always being a "free spirit". Rather than attend the University of Illinois, as most of his family had, he headed westward and attended the University of Oregon, in Eugene. As a student at U of O, Henry studied Finance and was drawn to sports of all kinds. His competitive nature can easily be seen with his relationship to his older brother James. On a visit to Eugene, James lovingly goaded his brother that Henry had never beaten him in golf. In response, the never-quit Henry dragged his older brother to the course, day in and day out until Henry was finally victorious.

It is not exactly known how Henry was turned on to ultimate. Maybe he was shown disc golf and then ultimate and the idea of running AND playing frisbee appealed to him. With skills in basketball, golf and long distance running, it is no wonder he liked disc. It takes skill, patience, talent, endurance and athleticism, things Henry had stockpiled in his closet. In any event, at this point in the late 70's there was only 1 other college ultimate team in the Northwest, Washington State University. This was insufficient for Henry and he took it upon himself to start the first Ultimate Club at the University of Oregon. He pitched the idea to the club sports office at UO and on October 5th, 1978, the first Oregon Ultimate club was born and the team was given $300. The next task was to come up with a team name and Henry and his disc friends quickly settled on the "Low Flying Ducks". A name which Oregon loosely held onto until 2001 when they went from the Ducks to a name better suited for an elite but sophisticated group, the "Eugene Gentlemen's Organization" or EGO. In addition to this, Henry also made some pretty powerful friends and convinced a young entrepreneur in Phil Knight to donate $10,000 to this new team as a sponsor. EGO still wears this sponsor's logo today, you might recognize it as a NIKE swoosh.

It was after this formation of Oregon Ultimate that Henry really began to impact ultimate. He knew the potential for this game and he wanted to see it come to fruition. He had a vision of an intensely athletic, albeit spirited game that should be played in parks and college campuses throughout the country. He began to lobby the UPA to change the rules of the game to favor more athletic and fair play. At this point in time, things like a stall count were non-existent, or loosely followed at best and Henry wanted to accelerate the game and make it more challenging yet more fun. Another thing that was fantastic about Henry was his commitment to "spirit of the game", perhaps when SOTG wasn't even that well known. He was notorious for playing extremely intensely, yet he never contested fouls. His belief in the game was that "karma will play out here". Nearly 30 years later, I am sure that most ultimate players will agree that when it comes to poor calls, most of the time, the universe tends to unfold as it should.

In addition to lobbying the UPA, Henry also worked tirelessly to improve not only his own game (with daily 7 mile runs and more sprints than his team mates would have liked) but he also wanted to expand the sport around him. He started and taught ultimate PE courses at UO and these still exist today. He is also credited with starting the Darkstar Alliance, which has been an ultimate organization that has lasted for many years and is responsible for putting on tournaments in Eugene as well as competing in both open and coed club tournaments. One of my favorite things that I have read about Henry is that he thought that "the nature of the game brings out the cooperation in people". Even 30 years ago, folks competed against one another but they still wanted to "have a good time and meet new friends". Henry always encouraged his teammates as well as his opponents to go out for beers after games and really be friends as well as competitors. This camaraderie still exists today and most of the friends I have in the ultimate community have come from playing intense physical contests between opponents and then celebrating our mutual love for the game afterwards. I am not sure where this trend was begat but I am glad Henry perpetuated it.

After graduating from Oregon in 1980, Henry returned to his roots in Illinois but only as a pit stop. Henry was a free spirit and wanted a change of scenery. After a brief stint in Waukegan, Illinois, he headed back west towards California. In January of 1982, he stopped to visit his older brother James, in Boulder, Colorado. In addition to more golf matches between these two, Henry fell in love with Boulder. The urban yet small town feel and beautiful scenery probably rivaled Eugene and Henry found his calling. He decided to stay in Colorado and he took a job at Bennigan's Tavern. This was not his most lucrative option, seeing that he was offered a job at a more "upscale" restaurant (The Greenbriar). However, Henry was very light hearted and figured Bennigan's would "be more fun". Given his charismatic yet friendly nature, Henry quickly moved up the ranks and became Headwaiter. Not long afterwards, he had his sights set on entering Bennigan's manager training program.

However, fate would have other plans. On June 23rd, 1982, a heroin addict and career criminal, Robert Wieghard, robbed Bennigan's. Robert had been convicted for multiple crimes that included armed robbery, possession of narcotics, larceny, fraud, and breaking and entering. Henry, being the rock and headwaiter of Bennigan's, dealt with the criminal as he demanded money from the cash register. Robert got his money and without reason or cause decided to take the life of a man infinitely more evolved and honorable than himself. Henry was murdered while seated with his hands in the air. At arms length, Robert ended Henry's life with a solitary gunshot to the head. After committing this horrible atrocity, Robert left the restaurant only to be later arrested, tried and convicted. His criminal mind would not end there as he attempted to bribe a Jefferson County Jail inmate to travel to Michigan and kill the eyewitness waitress in the case for $3,500. Luckily, this never happened and Robert was sentenced to life in prison and was up for parole in 20 years.

One of the many sad things about this story was that at the time, sentences for crimes like this were relatively mild. If this crime had been comitted 3 years later the sentence would have been doubled. The family wanted the death penalty but the prosecutor (Alex Hunter) was "wimpy" and wouldn't push for it. He would later go on to air ball the JonBenét Ramsey murder case 15 years later. Robert came up for parole in 2005 at which time I first learned of this story when I read this post by Charles Kerr on RSD. In retrospect, I find it sad that there were only 9 responses. Hopefully Charles got the support he was looking for. In any event, Robert was denied parole which he is up for again in 2010. Recently he has applied for "community corrections halfway house placement" which would allow him to re-enter society on a limited basis. The Callahan family staunchly opposed this and he was denied but he can re-apply every 6 months.

In the wake of Sean Taylor's murder, I realized that I did not know anything about Henry Callahan. I did not even know his first name. I knew that he was murdered, but aside from that I was ignorant. After asking a few friends if they knew anything about Henry, they sheepishly replied "not a thing". His legacy should and will live on. In 1983 at the World Flying Disc Championships in Santa Cruz, California six Oregon players stepped out on to the line. Henry would join them, however, and his remains were laid down in an urn on the field as the 7th player. These 6 Oregon players gave it there all and when they scored that first point they lovingly cheered "That one's for Henry".

The UPA has not forgotten Henry and in 1996 they named the college MVP award after him. Keith Monahan (Oregon State) and Val Kelly (UPenn) won the award that year and I am sure they both held their awards high in remembrance of Henry and all he has given to the sport. I am sure he would have been proud in 2003 when two Oregon players (Ben Wiggins and Chelsea Dengler) won the award. I like to think the sport has become what Henry would have wanted. Today there are over 500 college ultimate teams that travel all over the country to compete in a game that "Henry lived for". They embody not only the hard-core dedication to athleticism that Henry held near and dear to his heart, but also the spirit of the game, the friendship, the respect between players. I may not be the athlete that Henry or many other ultimate players are but I like to think I hold the mutual respect and love for my fellow ultimate players. The subculture that ultimate has developed over the last 40 years is amazing and spectacular in its own right. However, without people like Henry Callahan, the sport would not have grown to the strength and respect it has today. We are all in Henry's debt and hopefully his story and legacy will live on as our sport develops worldwide.

On a lighter note, Henry's niece Katie Callahan (who he never got to meet) plays soccer for the University of Tampa. Recently, they made the final four in the Div II NCAA college soccer tournament and beat Grand Valley St 2-1 in over time. This allowed Tampa to advance to the finals for the first time in the school's history. Katie and the rest of the Tampa Spartans played Franklin Pierce on Saturday December 1st and managed to win the NCAA Div II finals in a shootout earning the school's first DiV II women's soccer national championship. For more information click here

I would like to thank James (Jay) Callahan (Henry's brother) for his help on this article. He has been absolutely fantastic in giving me his own personal thoughts on such a difficult subject as well as share documents relevant to this story. Jay also helped me find some of Henry's old team mates (Steve Mace and Pete Crosby) who have been invaluable sources, both factually and emotionally.

Check out this article from 2003 for more information about Henry.

Lastly, today would have been Henry's 50th birthday. Please remember his story. Tell it to your rookies. Spread the word about Henry because as the years progress his memory can potentially fade. This is not the first article regarding his life and I hope it is not the last. I just wanted to remind everyone out there who a great man in ultimate was.

match diesel

PS sorry Chicken, nothing but love. At least you are playing in the finals at club nationals and Honda is just married and fat.

The Benefits of the Status Quo

2010-06-28T08:44:00.015-04:00

Now that the American World Cup fever has broken, we can all go back to our regular lives, pending any sort of international commitment. However, it would be a tragedy if we did not learn any lessons from the premier showcase of the world's game.

In watching a handful of matches, it seemed fairly obvious that much like baseball, the call for instant replay in soccer is growing. USA's offsides call in the Slovenia game was just the beginning and yesterday someone else besides the red, white, and blue had a reason to bitch. Nevertheless, FIFA seems content with blowing off any and everyone that questions their referee's calls and I am doubtful any major changes will occur. They have been running the World Cup for 80 years without it, why change things now? Once again the information age proves to be a mixed blessing with new data just showing us problems we've always had, just never really noticed.

Anyway, watching commentators, coaches, players, fans, etc... all talk about instant replay and officiating in soccer got me thinking about our little sport. Just a few years ago I could not have been more adamant that Ultimate needed referees, but now that I am a few years older and wiser, I am beginning to see things differently. Much like the children's story "If you give a mouse a cookie" introducing changes to the officiating system just opens the door for more. First its instant replay for goals, then offsides, then handballs and pretty soon the game looks completely different. Likewise with Ultimate. I cannot believe I am writing this but, once you have a more direct role for calls I can imagine more and more things slipping through the cracks (rather than being caught) and pretty soon the game that we once thought would be improved by impartial judges is now a mockery because of them.

The underlying assumption regarding officials in ultimate is that they will reduce the number of suspect calls. However, what if this is erroneous? What if they make matters worse? Forget the objective standpoint of, "If someone is watching, the foul/travel/pick/etc... will be called" because, as the World Cup has shown, even trained professionals at the highest levels in the most popular sport, get it wrong. That being said, I am beginning to believe that the status quo has more merit than I have historically thought. Perhaps this self-officiating system is worth while, not because of SOTG, but because there are more eyes in better position than without. And whats even more comforting is that our sport does have a reasonably sound system of checks and balances. The contest system is quite effective and one of my favorite moments in Ultimate is when I can look my opponent in the eye and say, "That's a good contest."

In any event, after 4 months of LSAT prep, I have learned the power and risk of assumptions and the World Cup has shown us that refs botch things quite often. Bottom line, much like Germany/England and Argentina/Mexico, the better team won. Even with USA/Slovenia, whatever issues the official created did not end up affecting the competition in the end. Rarely is it the case that poor officiating actually changes the course of a game and in that rare instance, our current system would have prevailed. Ultimately, Rule #76: No excuses, play like a champion.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Heros Get Remembered, but Legends Never Die

2010-06-02T23:34:00.006-04:00

Today marked the end of Ken Griffey Jr.'s career and for those that know me well, such a day brings a significant amount of emotion into the heart of an already emotional person.

To call me a Griffey fan is an understatement. Beginning at the age of 6, I became obsessed with everything Griffey. From his baseball cards to autographed balls and bats to jerseys to video games, posters, trips to Seattle, wearing a gold #24 around my own neck. I even used to sleep with his 1989 upper deck rookie card while it was in a bullet proof glass case.

Bottom line, for over 20 years the number 24 has been a mainstay in my life, so much in fact that I have even considered getting it tattooed on my body. My ultimate numbers have always been 24 and a few years ago, on my 24th birthday, my mother had an authentic Seattle Mariners jersey made for me with 24 and "Match" on the back. I will always remember it as one of the best gifts I have ever received.

However, the true greatness of Griffey cannot be explained with statistics, his picture perfect swing, his smile or even one of a hundred of his over the wall catches. In my opinion, his greatness is best understood in looking at his dark years from 2000 to today, the years plagued with injury and mediocrity. Why? In 50 years, hell in 5 years, the period that Griffey played in will always be known as the steroid era. Bonds, McGwire, Canseco, Palmeiro, A-Rod, Manny, Clemens, they all have had amazing careers that were boosted because of a pill or a needle. Some people, including myself, are even waiting for players like Pujols to get popped, because in all honesty, crushing home runs year after year draws skepticism these days.

But what of Griffey? See in my opinion, the late 90's marked a very crucial moment in two highly parallel careers. Griffey was riding some serious momentum after an MVP and even a few playoff appearances and Barry Bonds, while winning 3 MVPs by 1993, had to watch Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire break Maris' record and earn the praise he so longingly wanted. Both were fantastic players at the top of their careers, but it was at this point that the two athletes spiraled into two hugely different directions.

This is speculation, but the consensus seems to be that Bonds started hitting the juice around this time and before you know it he became a monster. Soon after he begins to put up insane numbers and only three years removed from Big Mac's 70, he hits 73. As for Griffey? Well there isn't much to tell. A broken wrist here, issues with a hamstring there. A failed stint with the Reds. Basically nothing. Why do we care? Because there is no better comparison between a player that used and a player that didn't.

Griffey will be a first ballot Hall of Famer for many reasons, the most compelling of which is the same reason Bonds won't be. He played the game honestly. I have no doubt temptation crossed his mind once or twice, but unlike many players that have ridiculous career spikes in odd places, Griffey's career is a testament to what professional baseball does to a person. No one, even the The Kid, is invincible to the wear and tear of 162 games, and in a time where so many athletes fail to represent the heroes we all hope they should be, Griffey's legacy will endure. Never have I been more proud to be a fan of #24.

In addition to Griffey's retirement, there is another layer of this Legends and Heroes post. Mike Grant. Much like Griffey, when anyone in ultimate hears that name, the word "excellence" can't help but come to mind. For the past 10 or 12 years MG has represented the absolute pinnacle of Ultimate performance and wherever you go, no matter who you ask, any knowledgeable ultimate enthusiast will say, "He's the best player in the world." And what is even more impressive is that no one, save maybe a few Fish, could ever dispute this. How do I know this? Because I threw with Chicken a few hours ago and he told me, without any sort of prompt, that in his prime, MG was the best to ever play the game.

However, much like Griffey, it appears that MG's career has come to an end. Off and on I've tried to approach my Furious contacts to write about his exit, but I can understand if it is a sore subject. Perhaps he feels three gold medals and three UPA club titles are enough. Perhaps Furious' dip in performance the last few years has compelled him to reassess his priorities. Whatever the reason may be, the fact still remains, the game has lost its best player. Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to meet and interview him directly after arguably the biggest win of his career, which for me was a moment that could only be eclipsed by three things, 1) my PhD defense, 2) my wedding day, or 3) the day my son/daughter is born.

With this in mind, I'm sure you can all guess why I have put Griffey and Grant in the same post. They are my heroes, they are simply why I care. At 6 it only took my older brother giving me a 1989 Donruss and at 19, only a little blurb in a UPA Magazine, but these two players changed my life and what's is even more important, is that they represent the best components of their respective games. They are, through and through, absolutely pristine examples of what little boys and girls should strive to be when they pick up a glove or a disc. Yes, there are other fantastic role models in each game, but I strongly believe that in looking at a career, bookend to bookend, you can't do much better than Griffey and Mike Grant.

In summation, peripheral to actual competition, these two athletes have compelled me to become the thinker, the writer, the scientist, the journalist, and most importantly, the man I am today. Thank you.

just my thoughts

match diesel

The Blue Print: The Road to the Repeat

2010-05-26T00:35:00.008-04:00

In many ways 2008 was one of the worst years of my life. My graduate work was in shambles, my personal relationships a train wreck and, worst of all, I suffered a Jones Fracture at the first practice of the club season and was sidelined during the best season Colt .45 ever had. However, despite these unfortunate circumstances, I will always remember 2008 as the most fantastic whirlwind of my young life.

For those that may have forgotten or were not around for it, 2008 began with a dozen or so college previews followed by tournament recaps and a few trips to places like Austin, Texas, Boulder, Colorado, Vancouver, Canada and Sarasota, Florida. Looking back I cannot help but wonder what could have compelled such behavior and in reflection I can think of one word, "passion". Fortunately for me, I was brave enough to let my passion get the better of me and in so doing found out who and what I truly am.

This journey was not one I traversed alone however and I owe a large debt of gratitude to many people and organizations. Of them, I think the most thrilling come from a handful of players and teams that made 2008 arguably the most exciting ultimate season the sport has ever seen. With characters like Joe Kershner, Will Neff, Kurt Gibson, Jolian Dahl and Mark Sherwood, I was never short of superstars to investigate and teams like Arizona, Dartmouth, Michigan, Florida, Colorado, Pitt, Georgia, and Carleton made every tournament feel like Memorial Day.

But there was one program that was heads and shoulders above all others. There was one collection of warriors that carried a confidence, a swagger, a sense of pride, and, most of all, a love for each other and for our game, that is likely to never be duplicated. The Wisconsin Hodags represented the absolute pinnacle of competitive achievement two years ago and I can say with no exaggeration that in covering them from wire-to-wire, they were one of the most epic teams to have ever played the game.

Beginning in May of 2006 this team was set on becoming the most dominant force ultimate had ever seen. Losing 15-12 to Florida in the sweltering heat of Columbus, Ohio left an aftertaste that only teams like the Buffalo Bills or Cleveland Cavaliers can understand. Because of this, each member of Baby Blue returned home with a focus and a dedication that few people in this world can understand.

A few short months later, Classic City Classic and the beginnings of a new season were upon them. In February of 2007 Wisconsin once again starred down the barrel of a focused Florida program and once again came up short. Such a loss only renewed their commitment to excellence and never again that season did they taste defeat. But they also never faced Florida again.

So into the offseason they returned, still burned by a defeat that in all seriousness should have been washed away with one of the most convincing National Titles ever earned. But these are no ordinary flatballers.

It may have taken over a year but finally, Wisconsin earned their re-match with Gibson's Gators on a windy Sunday morning in Austin, Texas. Emotion could not have been higher, especially considering Wisconsin's lackluster Saturday, a paltry 4-1 pool play performance. They had been 16-0 the previous two years.

However, much like Columbus and Vegas, Florida would be the victor. Once again Florida had snatched victory from the Hodag jaws and once again Wisconsin would return to Madison beaten and frustrated.

Through sectionals, regionals, and two days of Nationals both Florida and Wisconsin were perfect and on May 18th, 2008 the showdown of a lifetime was set. One could argue regional finals carry comparable emotion and history to this bout, but it would be a hopeless venture. This was a contest that had been brewing for the bulk of each competing players' careers and never before had a contest featured such competitive giants of College Ultimate against one another.

After nearly a decade of following College Ultimate, I have never seen a game carry as much significance as that day in Boulder, Colorado. For three years these juggernauts gave ultimate fans the most exhilarating ride in College Ultimate and as if it were written in the stars the once weary Hodags were victorious.

However, unlike some of the most historic seasons in College Ultimate history, this trilogy of championships has been carefully captured and archived. Fortunately for all of us the entire saga, each short coming, each success, each chapter of this story has been documented and is now ready to own.

The Blue Print: The Road to the Repeat is the story of Wisconsin's emergence as one of the most dominating forces in the history of ultimate and the tireless historians from Madison are ready to share their work that is now 5 years in the making.

With the help of UltiVillage this DVD will be available to any fan, player, or follower that wants to witness, understand, and, dare I say, repeat a bit of history. Our sport rarely archives greatness and considering how rare true greatness is, such an opportunity is something no ultimate purist could pass up.

This weekend at College Nationals will be the first opportunity to acquire pre-sale copies of the documentary. Be one of the first to earn your seat for a truly awe-inspiring performance.

Here is the official press release for the documentary:

"The BluePrint: The Road to the Repeat” is a feature length documentary that follows the full season of the 2008 Wisconsin Hodags. After two years in a row of making finals, losing and then winning once, the Hodags set out to bring the championship back to Madison for a third time in six years. This would be a trial of focus, dedication, and unity for a team beleaguered by a record snowfall winter, and a line up of bitter competitors waiting for their shot at the returning champs.

The film highlights the 2008 Hodag season through eight tournaments interspersed with scenes from grueling workouts and intense field practices. Feel the contrast of a team which thrives on the ideal of Hodag Love, but expects nothing less than perfection from itself. Catch all the action as rivalries with college Ultimate powerhouses like Florida, The Colorado Mama Bird, and The Carleton Ultimate Team unfold.

Pre Sales start this Memorial Day Weekend!

Click here for more information on Wisconsin Ultimate.

just my thoughts

match diesel

PED's in Ultimate

2010-05-11T10:43:00.008-04:00

Is it possible? Is it impossible? Is there a sport better suited for PED use?

After following the Cushing story for a little while, I can not help but consider the possibility that PED's are in our sport.

Ok, first off, lets re-visit the definition of Performance Enhancing Drugs. In glancing at Wikipedia's page on the topic, I couldn't help but notice that marijuana actually can be a PED in sports like archery to reduce jitters and to steady one's hand. Using this definition, PED's are definitely in our sport.

However, what about the good stuff like steroids and HGH? Is it possible that they exist in ultimate? I suppose those that have never thought about it, or come across anyone who has, these sorts of PEDs are not unlike hard drugs. I personally have only seen cocaine twice and have never seen heroin, PCP, Ecstasy, etc.. and would have no clue how to procure any of them, even if I wanted to. That does not mean that they do not exist though and given the fact that steroid use is prevalent in high schools across the US, I am inclined to believe a motivated adult could find whatever they thought would help.

This concept is even more alarming when considering the number of players in our sport. A quick glance at the college rankings site indicates that there are over 600 teams registered on the score reporter, in the open division alone. Now I do not claim that all are active teams, but that is a lot. If I could venture a guess as to how many people play ultimate, I suspect the number would fall in the 10s of 1,000s and with such a large sample size, I am skeptical that 100% are clean.

What's worse is that ultimate, like most professional sports, is ideal for PED abuse. Some say steroids or HGH can not help you hit a fastball, but they sure as shit can help you heal. That is the canonical use for steroids. Can you imagine how valuable such a substance would be in getting through an arduous 6 month season? What about overcoming an injury or giving you the boost you need to make the cut? Which brings me to my next point, who would consider using.

For most top shelf athletes, PED use in ultimate is likely unnecessary. If you are gifted physically, you likely have no interest in artificially boosting your body's ability and would likely feel unimaginable guilt and regret if you did so. But realistically, such athletes do not constitute a majority. They represent the small few that can walk onto a field and stun the masses simply by doing their thing. But what about the rest of us? How badly do you want to make the A team? What would you sacrifice? And are you even mature enough to understand the implications and consequences of your actions?

I suppose one could counter that because one's financial stability does not depend on their performance in ultimate, the temptation is not as prevalent as in professional sports. My response to this lies with availability. Yes, if sequestering steroids required knowing the right people, paying the right price, and/or venturing into some really dark places, steroid use would be a rough road for the recreational player to traverse. However, with websites like this and this, one just needs a credit card. Punch in a few numbers and your address and boom, welcome to 20 inch pythons. The ease of the internet once again shows that it comes with some drawbacks.

Considering the fact that abuse knows no age and the sport has grown into the same demographics that have already been shown to use PEDs (high school students) I am inclined to believe that somewhere, someone is using. That being said, my biggest question is "How does this affect spirit of the game?" Forget refs, forget muscling for position, travel calls, or double teaming. What about steroids?

Scary as it may sound, perhaps someone reads this and gets an idea. Hopefully it is an administrator looking to build some sort of testing infrastructure, but I suspect it could be a college kid who's a little scrawny, who loves the game, and simply HAS to make his/her A team. And to add to the temptation, who's going to stop him/her? What is in place to even address the issue? Once again, forget refs, what about PEDs?

I suppose this issue is a few years down the road, but only because no one has been busted yet. It took Black Tide getting booted from Nationals to get people to pay attention to years of eligibility. Then again, how would one currently even recognize or catch a PED user? Which is probably the scariest component to the argument. We simply can't.

just my thoughts

match diesel

The Importance of Stats

2010-05-06T12:19:00.007-04:00

Last night I caught "61*" on HBO and for those that have not seen it, the movie is a pretty sweet depiction of the homerun race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris in the summer of '61. Billy Crystal, a huge Mantle fan, articulates the struggles of both players as they try and break Babe Ruth's single season homerun record, "The most most respected record in all of sports". Being a sucker for emo-sports stories such as this, I was taken in by the flick nearly 10 years ago when it first aired, and once again, caught myself getting a little misty. Although in the wake of the steroid era, it is kind of hard to feel any positive emotion when Big Mac is on screen.

In any event, this movie got me thinking about ultimate and how we really don't have that many records. Yes there is DoG's epic run of 6 consecutive championships, but for me it draws similarities to ULCA's championship runs in the 60's and 70's. They were incredible and will never be forgotten, but the increase in parity makes duplicating such a result unlikely.

With the rise in fan appreciation for all sports, focus often falls on one record or another. From the '72 dolphins, to Cal Ripken, Wayne Gretzky, Joe DiMaggio, Wilt Chamberlain, etc... we can all think of records that command attention and inspire hope, even for those of us that will never see a professional playing field.

Some might say these records are irrelevant and that players don't pay any attention to them, but I would argue that most professional athletes cared at one point or another, if only as a child, and all would agree that records are an important part of sports. Can we say the same for ultimate? What records are there? I know Joe Seidler could probably name more than a few, but I get the feeling most folks would be left flat when asked what records are treasured in ultimate.

The only thing that really comes to mind is the perfect season, which to my knowledge has not been done, at least not recently (Perhaps an ex-NYNY player will correct me, but for arguments sake, lets say there has never been a team that has gone undefeated). Since I have played the game Stanford, Florida and Wisconsin have all come close with records of 37-1 (2002), 49-1 (2006), and 55-1 (2007), respectively, and I believe all three could claim to be the best college teams ever assembled. Now I am not here to claim that the perfect season is the ideal record, its just one that comes to mind. In reality, I think it is a goal that could prove to be counter productive. Considering the fact that all my "1-loss" teams are college programs, it is obvious that no one really cares about the perfect season in the club sphere.

However, what I am trying to claim is that ultimate could benefit from well known/accepted records and more importantly an improved system of keeping statistics, which is obviously where records come from. One of my favorite components of every UPA magazine that features recaps of Nationals (college or club) is the championship stat sheet where I can see who had good/poor games and how clean/sloppy the finals were. To my knowledge, no game has ever been turnover free, but I do sometimes find myself talking about the epic Furious/DoG semifinal from 2002, Kyle Weisbrod's #1 game of the decade, which seems to be the pinnacle of ultimate performance.

With this in mind, I am curious to know what records could manifest in ultimate. Given that our sport is prone to speciality positions at the highest level I doubt a triple crown of 1) Goals, 2) Assists and 3) D's would be possible. Perhaps single season records of each could be cool, but I wonder if lopsided teams would dominant such stats, thus making any sort of record irrelevant. Another route, much like goalie records in hockey, could be player completion percentage but I wonder if keeping track of passes would be overwhelmingly tedious. Regardless, I know that such stats where kept at least once at the 2005 World Games in Germany, and I can vividly remember combing through them that summer with a grin from ear to ear.

Then there are team records. I mentioned DoG's run of championships, and the "clean sheet", but what about football-esk records like average points against. I am sure Muffin, Mahowald, Hohenstein, and the rest of the '07 Hodags would love to be talked about the way the Steel Curtain is, especially considering the fact that offense has such a major advantage in our game.

Ultimately (ha! I always find it funny to use that word in ultimate articles) I don't really feel anything for any of these records which, given our sport, is not surprising. I respect total number of championships, but in all honesty, they are respectable almost to the point of boredom. Yes de Frondeville's got like 11 rings, I'm over it. Give me something a little more exciting to pay attention too.

Which brings me to my final point. In 2008 I had the time of my life covering ultimate and when I look back at all the seasons I have followed the most epic are always the ones I followed most closely. I think 2005 was the best college nationals in recent history, but it was also the first time I ever attended them. I think 2008 had the most compelling stories with Kershner, and Florida and Wisconsin, but then again I was at Centex, and Nationals, and followed every team with a magnifying glass. Since then I, and what looks like most of the ultimate community, have not been paying attention. I was approached to write the College Open Preview because somebody flaked and I struggled for talking points, especially with the Callahan. And it wasn't just me. Everyone I contacted sort of shrugged their shoulders and was like, "I dunno" and/or had some sort of heavy regional bias. All in all, I find the focus on ultimate, college or club, is pretty weak and has been for the past two years and I think statistics would make a difference. I mean come on, take a look at baseball. The game is nothing but numbers and I am sure more than a few of you out there care more about WHIP than you'd care to admit because of your fantasy team.

Anyway, long story short, I wish our sport kept better records. I have bitched numerous times that we don't archive our history well and now that we have a consistent score reporter, I now want statistics. Goals, assists, turnovers, D's. Think how much analysis of the game would change if we had such information. Who's the best? Who's the most consistent? Who's improved the most? With cold hard data, everything would change. High risk high reward players would be exposed for their carelessness and cool and steady flatballers would gain the credit they deserve. Strengths and weaknesses could be improved or taken advantage of with greater efficiency. Hell we might even get a record or two to chase when the dust settles.

I am sure I'm just yelling at the rain, but here is one way to make ultimate more like professional sports without talking about refs and SOTG, keep track of stats.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Another Monday

2010-03-01T10:55:00.008-05:00

Another UCSD Tourney Win.

Yep, they did it again. Santa Barbara could have been better, but since Pres Day the ol' squiddies are 14-0 with 2 tournament victories. There is some obvious redundancy regarding their victories (i.e. UCLA, SDSU, Davis and Cal), but much like a Boise State, TCU or Cincinnati, they are winning the games put in front of them and that is more than I can say for most teams.

In a year where their 0-3 (2007) and 0-4 (2008) Stanford Invite Pool Play performances finally caught up with them, UCSD delivered and that is commendable. Much like the NIT, qualifiers are a serious gut check for "elite teams" and unlike Kentucky or Florida, UCSD proved themselves and earned their shot at the posh Stanford Invite.

As for other Ultimate News, I get the feeling that this UPA ranking system is going over like a Led Zeppelin. A friend of mine from UConn was a bit perturbed that despite going to Florida, Vegas, and North Carolina (all before March 1st) they only have 3 official games recorded. He mentioned something about Gerics being suspended for a year, which sounds pretty lame given the fact that he isn't a player, but in all honesty, I think the only people being hurt are the players, which sucks. I am sure the UPA has methods for their madness and it may take a year or two for this idea to prove itself, but I really have no clue what I'm looking at. Regardless, I'm sure Florida, Colorado, Carleton, or Wisconsin will be in the winner's circle come May. In the mean time, everyone else give'em hell.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Return of the Squidi

2010-02-15T09:08:00.005-05:00

The year was 2005, the place was Baltimore Airport. I was hating life after a recruiting trip at Johns Hopkins. After taking down half a dozen Long Islands the previous night, I woke up on the floor of my hotel room. My groggy/drunk/confused perspective that morning was rocked when I realized my flight was taking off at that exact moment. I made it to BWI about an hour late and spent the next 10 hours missing flight after flight on stand bye. As for my hangover, I can only describe it as comparable to whatever Saints fans are gonna feel after Mardi Gras.

Regardless, I was in much better shape than my poor UCSD counterparts. See while I was hating life back east, Bamboo was making his proverbial deal with the devil sending the likes of Oregon, Texas, Colorado, UBC, (insert elite program here) all over the San Diego Area to compete in what was left of a rained out Pres Day. While having balls the size of Sean Payton's, Jake didn't make any friends with the local housing communities and got UCSD's Ultimate program suspended for 6 weeks and Pres Day banned until 2007. To this day, the ripple effect of this tourney transgression continues to be felt, but finally the wake has made a return trip and given the La Jolla crowd some positive energy.

With the Pres Day vacancy of 2006, Skip changed the face of Spring Ultimate and recruited everyone save Georgia to the first Trouble in Vegas. In the coming years, TiV's success grew like the Vegas strip with Arizona, Florida, and Wisconsin making ultimate headlines that are now stapled in Flatball History Books.

What of Pres Day? Well a few folks made the trek in 2007 but I believe it was rained out once again. The following year borrowed some Sunburn hype and a tourney win for Texas, but TiV still owned the spotlight.

But as I wrote last week, what the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Last year TiV was about as exciting as the most recent BCS title game in that the right teams were there but the experience left something to be desired. Folks were understanding, but the atrocious conditions left many players bitter. By this time, UCSD's sense of betrayal by Cultimate was in full swing and rather than make the 5hr drive to Vegas, they stayed home and made the finals of the tournament everyone used to attend.

Much like Obama, Cultimate's popularity has been in a steady downward spiral the last 12 months. From C1 to suspect tournament scheduling to another TiV debacle, the hits keep on coming. Considering the fact that Ultimate players are among the most frugal in the sports world, hitting the pocket book without tournament glory is going to draw some frowns. Like Obama, the promises made were well beyond the realm of possibility, but nobody, even myself, wanted to acknowledge it.

However, much like 2005/2006, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This past weekend was one for the ages for my beloved Squiddies and that previous feeling of inadequacy has now been replaced with sheer confidence. Confidence in knowing you're better than the cards you've been dealt, confidence in knowing Cultimate would get theirs, and confidence to run off 4 breaks in a row to beat a team that boat raced you 13-5 three weeks prior.

Congrats to my RIMAC warriors. Although my life has taken me farther away from my roots than I would like, I still keep a watchful eye on my alma matter and my ear to the Grind Stone. Even in the Honda and Bofa days where we actually beat Colorado once, were invited to Stanford and made Semis at Nationals, we still couldn't win Pres Day. Much like the Saints, 2010 is a year of redemption for UCSD. Peripheral to the Stanford Open/Invite, Centex, Regionals, Nationals, or whatever tournaments you guys do or do not make, Pres Day was a success and 2011 will assuredly bring a few more Cultimate converts. San Diego may not have the cling-cling-cling of Vegas but it has the beach, women, and burritos. Three things that any age group can enjoy and three things the Southland does better than anywhere else.

Glory favors the patient my friends and much like Sunburn's emotional win at Vegas, this year is yours for the taking. I have always been proud to be a squid and in an age where Florida, Carleton, Wisconsin, and Colorado box out most from the spotlight, moments like this are beyond words. The Hodags can have Mardi Gras, JoJah can have Queen City. We just won our own mother fucking tournament.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Who Dat?!?!

2010-02-08T13:43:00.008-05:00

Best NFL season of my young life and my team went 3-13. Yep, thats right, I'm a Bucs fan and thanks to Lane "famous for being famous" Kiffin, I had to find other ways to enjoy the football season this year. I went with conventional weapons and got into two Fantasy Leagues and thanks to Phillip Rivers, Dallas Clark, Ray Rice, and basically the Vikings Offense, I was in good shape.

But I still had a problem, the GF. We basically live together and getting >15hrs of sports coverage a week under her nose was not going to be easy. I'm a crafty SOB though and figured if I could get her emotionally invested in a team, ANY team, I'd make magic happen, and oh did it happen.

Being from Canada, the girl really digs on French stuff and by week 2 she showed signs of interest in the Saints logo. I knew they were easy front runners to go deep into the playoffs so I nurtured the shit of her kindling interest. By Christmas I had her in a custom Saints T-shirt with name/number and come the playoffs, all I needed was a little luck (i.e. Brett Favre late in the 4th quarter) and I could watch all the football I could handle.

She proved to be quite the student I might add and by Super Bowl Sunday, I had created a veritable monster that was telling her friends all about Archie Manning and the status of Dwight Freeney's ankle. In addition, I also managed to get some College hoops hooks in her by taking her to the Kentucky/Uconn game at MSG, which proved pivotal for bridging the weekly gap between MNF and College GameDay.

Anyway, by kickoff we had the Super Bowl Party in full swing with 5-6 friends chowing on veggies, nachos, and pizza, while watching the game on my "the picture is so good it'll make your dick hard" TV. For beverages the girl made Who Dat Mojitos.

At one point in the first quarter someone suggested that we do shots every time the Saints score and considering the fact that I had an unopened bottle of Wild Turkey collecting dust in the closet, I was quick to get some drinking momentum started. Plus I was a little nervous after NO's lackluster start, so I figured getting drunk was a good move. I also realized that I had never been shit-faced for the Super Bowl because I always had work on Monday. Eh, fuck it this time.

To my surprise, rather than let Peyton carve us up like a Thanksgiving Turkey, we actually made a game of it. Not converting on 4th and goal was a little disheartening (I don't know why they didn't give it to Kardashian) but thankfully Hartley's leg saved us some face and we were only down 4 going into half. I actually missed the onside kick on a food run but in retrospect I'm glad I did so. I can be a bit volatile at times and considering that this was the gutsiest play in Super Bowl history I may have gotten myself evicted had I been there. Thankfully, we were off to the races by the time I returned and before I knew it, we were up 13-10 off Pierre Thomas' 16-yd TD. BTW, did you guys see the 2 blocks on that play? Sick!

And with another TD, came another shot. This is when things start to get a little blurry, especially for the GF, but as our BAL's increased, so did the excitement, go figure. A TD from Addai and another 40+ yd field goal from Hartley and we were at 16-17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. At this point in time I remembered the squares pool I was in and that I had Saints 6/Colts 7. Dialed!!

The only thing we needed now was the lead and thankfully Brees and Shockey hooked us up for another shot of Bourbon. I actually managed to sucker a friend into a second shot after he jumped the gun before the 2-pt conversion. "If we win the challenge, you gotta do another" BOOM! I felt like I was back in college getting freshman wasted.

Next thing I know we are up 7 with about 5 min to go and Peyton's driving, shit! The 4th and 2 conversion was tough to watch but it set up the second most exciting Pick 6 I have ever seen, the first being Rhonde Barber's in the 2003 NFC title game. I about had a heart attack and despite shaking the foundation of the 7th floor, we managed to collect ourselves and kill the bottle of whiskey. Enter all the hoopla and post game interviews.

By the time the dust settled most folks had left and my beloved was passed out on the floor. I had been giving her a foot massage and she slid off the couch in comfort. As I gazed down at her beautiful face, decorated with eye black, I thought to myself, "this is one of the happiest moments of my life". It was tough to articulate this moment to her this morning but when I drew the mental picture of a tuckered out 3 year old holding up the pennant of his favorite/winning team while asleep on the couch after all the action, she got the picture.

In reflection of this NFL season, I must call it my favorite. I made the finals in both my fantasy leagues, going 1-1. I won the free league and lost the money league but still managed to get 1/2 the pot. My Bucs sucked but I was able to bring a new sports fan into the world. I think the victory meant more to me than it did to her, but she's now got a special place in her heart for Brees (who doesn't) and will hopefully be a Na'Lens fan for life. With the money from the pool I'm going to get her some "Saints are Champions" schwag and I also plan to make good on her, "Lets go down to Tampa for Saints/Bucs" request. She digs the pirate ship and canon at Raymond James....girls.

A Little Spittle

As for our beloved flatball, things looked like they could have gone better this weekend. I find it terribly ironic that the circumstances that helped birth TiV (rained out PresDay '05) have reared their ugly head in the most unexpected place, the desert. What the Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Good luck getting another 70+ teams out next year when they can go somewhere a little more under 21 friendly.

Or not, I hear the Yale guys spent 6 hrs at a strip club. That sounds like expensive fun, something Ivy Leaguers love.

And I also couldn't help but comment on this thread on RSD. It looks like someone out there in cyber space is doing a little yelling at the rain. I've been there myself and despite all the data, little will be done. It will make Oregon a more focused team in the future, but in all honesty, the best strategy is to learn how suck it up and do it again.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Lets get to 200,000 hits

2010-01-15T12:26:00.006-05:00

I wish I had a fantastically passionate article to write, but, sadly, I only have jaded opinions brought on by years of grandstanding. However, I would like to get up and over 200,000 hits so here are a few talking points to get 1,000 more or so.

Beware-O

I managed to sneak into Beware-O this past year. I tried to fly under the radar by introducing myself as "Mike" to my new teammates but having 808 on the team steadily unraveled that plan. This tournament experience was actually quite amazing because it was only the second time I have ever played with my cousin, Alex Seber, in a tournament setting and like the first, (Wild Wood) we won the tournament. This came as a huge surprise to me because I had just been on a 3 day bender in San Francisco with Alex and I failed to get any sleep the night before the tournament thanks to a horribly audible salt water fish tank in Al's living room. Nonetheless, we won the thing which is weird because I remember feeling so inadequate in 2003 when I played Beware-O last. We didn't go undefeated, losing our last pool play game, but we performed steadily in bracket play and despite being down 10-6 in the finals, we came back and beat Robot's team 13-11.

Which brings me to my next topic, this Robot character. For those that do not know this guy, he is an LPC legend who has been hyped since at least my junior year at UCSD, which was in 2003/04. His ora and the way people talk about him reminds me of the way Roger Williams sweated Teddy. I have only played against Robot twice, once in 2004 when I was captaining Squid Lite (we won) and in the finals of Beware-O. Now, as I mentioned before, 808 was on my team and like Robot, the two have this silent majesty about them. Unlike myself, they prove themselves on the field and let everyone else do the talking. This made for an interesting final with two similar, yet drastically different, players (both LPC alums) going at it. We all know 808 made the popularity game back at Potlatch, but in all honesty, I thought he won the battle against Robot. He played endlessly tight man defense. Was consistent and executed well on offense and did everything I now know he is capable of. Hats off to 808, you sort of already had my respect (I don't really know why) but it was reaffirmed.

Match-stradamus

Another thing that has been entertaining for me the last few months has been watching events go down in the Ultimate community more or less how I predicted. It kinda makes me feel like Nostradamus but don't tell my girlfriend, she'll vomit from the self ego padding.

What do I mean? Well, I wrote this 8 months ago, and what do I see in the UPA magazine this time around? "Free Agency in Ultimate". That was entertaining. I was on the other side of the discussion, but either way, I saw it coming. Plus I saw this article and happened to LOVE IT.

Then there was Gibson's Story. Heijmen was actually very nice and sent me an email giving me props before it was published in the UPA magazine, but I kind of like that I got the story first. The UPA has character limits up the ying-yang so I didn't really want to even pursue magazine publication. I mean come on, that story in less than 500 words, forget it.

Lastly, my Back Behind Closed Doors article. This was one I wrote around the same time as District 5, and while some disagreed with my opinions, I think I hit the nail on the head. What's funny is that a critic of mine seems to have fallen victim to the same fate as I, yet he unknowingly benefitted from me "taking some responsibility". As further validation, I got an email from a National Champion asking me to get back on the writing horse to motivate him and his teammates towards a repeat. HA! I rule.

And who could forget this one. I like how no one even tried to talk shit about this self-aggrandizing.

Some Side Spittle

I love how a major theme we have received from Hector over the last year is that Muffin is as psychotic as everyone fears he is. Are we going to see one of these in the future?

Getting back to player emails, I think I managed to patch things up with BLW. I hated that guy for the longest time, but I guess it just goes to show that time heals all wounds.

Where is he now?

I'd like to say I am excited about the college season this year, but I'm really not. Carleton, Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin...same shit different day. I'm more stoked for the NFL playoffs and the college basketball season than anything else, especially now that UK is finally dominating the way we should. Everybody is sweating John Wall, and he is great, but Bledsoe and Cousins are right there. Not to mention Patrick fucking Patterson....guy's a champ.

I sort of want to get on Twitter to showcase just how bad ass my life is, but in all honesty, it's pretty boring. Rather than continue as the Ultimate Professional that I was, I used my blogging experience to get me two part time writing gigs that actually make a difference, and money. I mentioned this to 808 and he said, "With UltiVillage?" and I said, "No, with a mother of an autistic child and a forensic psychologist." I thought that was funny. The Ultimate community and sub-culture is great, but I'm over it. Kaimana, Wild Wood, Lei Out, Potlatch, Nationals, etc.. were all great, but its just a game and I've got more important things to do.

Plus, becoming "The best story teller in the Ultimate Community" (not my words) was fun but I'm onto bigger challenges like having a career and making lots of money. I grew up and, hopefully, most of you out there will as well.

just my thoughts

match diesel

I love this game...

2009-11-02T10:16:00.020-05:00

...and in situations like this I really miss writing about our sport the way I used to. After countless texts and "ahh, you're not here" phone calls (thanks Shep), I just gotta talk shop.

Finals

Congrats to Rob and the Ultivillage crew for putting together a great show. I can't speak for the NW, because I heard poor things, but the live feed was a success in my neck of the woods despite several hiccups. Lucky for the Open division they were last to play because I think by then, everything was sorted out. I had my laptop rigged to the projector in my lab conference room and caught the finals on a 70" screen, it was spectacular.

As for the game itself, I was thoroughly entertained, but surprised. Going in, I was expecting a 17-16 barn burner much the way Sockeye and Jam duked it out back in 2004. That game had two great teams that had never been champs and I thought Revolver vs Chain would prove to be a truly emotional game where both teams gave everything they had, culminating in a Universe finish. Oh well, a writer can dream.

Instead, we saw the perfect example of what happens when the best Club team plays the best College team. What do I mean? As any elite club team knows, you have to rely on depth and assignments in this game and Chain did exactly that. Rob Barrett, Josh Markette, Joel Wooten, Asa Wilson, Zip, Peter Dempsey, Dylan, etc... all did their one or two jobs and successfully scored 15 points. What about Revolver? Well they did what a lot of college programs do, put their best 3 guys out there and hope for the best.

Many will say that the crucial turning point in this game happened right after the first half when Chain came out and scored on O and then rattled off 3 breaks to go up 12-7. However, in this writer's opinion, this turn around was brewing since 1-0, Revolver.

The first point of the game Revolver received and their glory line of Mac, Beau, and Cahill moved the disc effortlessly and scored the opening point. What happened after that? They stayed on the field. Chain received and put up an ill advised huck which Robbie D'd. Did Revolver convert? Nope. Chain gets it back works it up to 1-1. What about Robbie, Mac, and Beau? They stayed on the field and worked it up nicely, but after they scored, what happened? They stayed on the field.

As I was watching, I kept thinking to myself, "Umm, so we're just going to abandon our O/D assignments? Mike Payne is really going to go with the hype and ride his All-Stars the whole game?" And that is more or less what happened. Revolver moved things nicely for the first half, but sooner or later they were going to run into chemistry issues, mainly because no one else was playing. Halverson? Cochran? Grant? Revolver is known for their depth and after 15 first half points I barely saw any of the veterans that have actually been through a Sarasota with Revolver.

What is ironic is that in his half time interview (previously recorded) Mike Payne made a point to mention that every player was going to play a role in the Finals and in reality that was complete BS.

How did Chain capitalize? They did a great job of utilizing role players. Take Joel Wooten. Joel is known as the 2nd fastest man in Ultimate behind Kittridge and what do you think his job was? D Beau once. All you have to do is D Beau one time and you send a huge message to the other sideline. And that is exactly what he did. A huck goes up to Beau, Wooten gets a hand on it early and next thing you know Revolver is thinking to themselves, "Shit, that wasn't supposed to happen". And what does Joel have to do on the turn around? Nothing. Maybe he gets the disc once or twice, but screw it, he did his job. Let Lokke or Dempsey or Runner convert the break and they did, like 5 out of 6 times because that's their job.

It's funny, when Beau first came out, I used to describe him as the "Michael Vick" of the sport and what's funny is that he has (d)-evolved into exactly that. You have a player who has incredible speed and athleticism, but if a team builds a strategy around just that, they are screwed. Much like what the Bucs used to do to Vick back in the early 2000's, smart and athletic teams will adjust. Beau is the biggest scouting liability on the planet and Revolver just played into Chain's hands.

Which also got me thinking about Bravo. How did they use Beau? Back in 2007, their best year, rather than rest the entire offense and defense on his shoulders, they put him squarely on D and then used this incredible pick up named David Popiel to run off their deep scores. No one knew anything about Popes because they were paying too much attention to #50 and before they knew it, Popes had 5 goals and Beau got Bravo 5 crucial Ds. Brilliant!!

Anyway, Beau is an incredible player and has evolved immensely since I first saw him at SW Regionals back in 2004. However, Revolver did not need to put so much emphasis on him and Mac (the second biggest scouting liability on the planet). Eric Halverson is a gargantuan threat and he never saw the field. Same with Martin Cochran.

In any event, by the time the second half came around, I think Revolver's game plan was completely compromised. All the chemistry and synergy that had been developed over the last 6 months was out the window and what happened? They completely broke down. Miscue after miscue after miscue and before you know it, you're down three or four breaks late. Much like the College National Finals this year, I don't think Chain wanted to win this way, but when you have a team completely collapse, they were probably stoked to have the pressure off. I was very disappointed with Revolver's approach and I think it is a lesson to stick to the game plan. Much the way Sockeye abandoned their assignments when they lost to Furious at Worlds, Revolver sacrificed their confidence when they forgot what got them there in the first place.

I will say there were a lot of high points in this game however. I have seen it a lot but the way Mac uses his length and upper body strength to work the break side is incredible. He had a gorgeous up wind huck that looked like it was thrown indoors. Robbie also had a great game anchoring Revolver's O-line and he had as many great D's as picture perfect hucks. Beau also showcased his usual talents with an amazing sky-catch D over Dylan and a few deep sores.

But Chain was simply spectacular. I loved NOT seeing a single player take over because that is how you win at this level. Everybody wanted to see Zip reel in 10 layout Ds, but aside from his amazing layout score off a macked disc by Wiseman, he was relatively quiet. I already mentioned Wooten's D on Beau and another great D was Dempsey's almost callahan. You could see the frustration on his face as if he just dropped a disc on offense and I kind of chuckled to myself knowing what kind of athlete/competitor Dempsey is in real life.

I was also thrilled to see Asa Wilson finally show the Club World how great he really his. Back in college he was Black Tide's offense and at UCSD we used to always scratch our heads trying to figure out how to stop him. It was a shame to see him dodge Club Open for so long, but I was excited to see him suit up for Chain last year and I think he was Chain's best goal scorer in the Finals. He is also a class act, much the way Franchise is, and despite the fact that he played for Tide, it was tough to dislike him.

Because of Chain's run to start the second half, the game really lost a significant amount of steam so I focused on other factors, like Sammy CK and Jolian. Apparently they are both going to be in Atlanta next year and I don't even need to point out how powerful that could be. Unlike Revolver (and probably Ironside) Chain did a great job of utilizing their pick ups but not to a fault. They managed to find a balance between fresh and established talent and I think 2010 will be more of the same. Yikes.

And going in that direction, how awesome is it to see a team NOT from the Northwest win a championship? You've gotta go back to 2001 with the Condors winning their second title to see that and what's even better is that this is the first Club Title for a Southern Team, unless you count Tunas (St Louis '84). Great for Chain, I hope they do it again next year.

Team Thoughts

Streetgang - I think seeing SG beat Ironside was my personal high point for Nationals. I was actually in a Bloodborne Pathogens Safety Course when it happened but when they won, I got about a dozen texts, one from an SDSG player, and my boredom was immediately replaced with absolute elation. Too bad I couldn't show it. They had another great win over GOAT later in the tournament and I was really happy to see them get a few wins after going 0-7 the last time out. I think their slip up against Pike highlights their "newness" to the National scene. Nationals is a brutal tournament and relying on Wormser and Dollar is nice, but it won't last in a 4 day tournament. Oh well, at least they beat Pike the 2nd time around.

Doublewide - I know that Doublewide had their sights sent on Semis this year but seeing them finish 5th gave me a lot of personal joy. For starters, Kurt was suited up, limping, but suited up, and in writing my cancer article about him I learned how strong a man he is and seeing him out there was really amazing. I was texting with him back and forth on Friday night and he seemed a little disappointed with his performance which isn't surprising but it just echos his intensity and commitment to excellence. I also loved seeing Dub battle it out and take 5th because that might give them a shot at Worlds which I hope to attend with Mexico in Prague next year. If everything works out I'll get to party with my Austin Bro's like Matteo and Matty C again and maybe even meet Kurt in person.

Ironside - Much like Revolver I think Ironside's lack of success at Nationals was because they depended too much on their new personnel, but I think this was more out of necessity. In watching them at Regionals, I realized that six players on their O-line (Jimmy Foster, Peter Prial, Matt Rebholz, Jeff Graham, Ryan Todd, and Trey Katzenbach) never played for DoG, which just goes to show that this team has a lot of work to do and the loss of Forch cannot be overstated. Because Forch's heyday was before Ultivillage and because he only played in the NE, his noteriety doesn't reach as far as someone like Chase or Beau, but I firmly believe he is one of the most mentally tough players in the history of the sport. I think the best parallel example for him is Kobe Bryant. Both came out young and won championships with established teams and over the years battled with mediocrity while still being the best in the game. When time is running out and a clutch play is needed, like Kobe, Forch has ice water in his veins and he makes a huge play like its nothing. Also, like Kobe, Forch returned to greatness once team personnel issues improved, but had Forch stuck around for '09, I think Ironside would have lasted a little longer and he might have gotten another ring. It looked like Jeff Graham was his replacement this year, being the athletic underneath cutter that sent big hucks to Foster, but realistically, the swagger that Forch had will never be replaced. When he took the field he had the confidence of a man that had won the NE 10+ times not to mention a few MVP and National championships. Jeff has only won it twice and has done so only by joining DoG, not beating them. But they still have one of the deepest teams in the country and will be back next year.

Sockeye - It used to be that having a top to bottom program all but guaranteed you success in this game, but I'm beginning to think that talent transplants are giving Juniors/Feeder Teams a run for their money. Sockeye is an institution in Seattle, but I wonder if having home grown talent is enough to win. When the Fish took the Ultimate world by storm '04-'07 they did so on the back of some major pick ups and despite the fact that guys like Castine, Sharkness, and Rehder have developed well in their program, the talent flow is moving away from Seattle and I think thats the rub. Tim Gehret moving to Emerald City to win a ring was one of the last big pickups Sockeye had and as long as people like Sammy CK, Chase, and Kubalanza take off, no farm system in the world is going to get them back to the Finals. Free Agents bring playing experience that local talent cannot muster simply because they are local. Playing elsewhere gives a player so many intangible weapons and while I think Sockeye has depth for days, they are going to need something else to get back to the Finals.

GOAT - I think calling GOAT's performance at Nationals poor is an understatement and I think Toronto is doing some serious gut checking. GOAT rose to contender status in steady year to year increments but back-to-back quarters play-in games is not what a contender should be doing. Hassell's BPiG status (Best Player in the Game) is a few championships early and I think until he wins the NE Region and/or makes the Finals, that title still belongs to MG. I don't know if they simply looked past teams like Truck Stop and Street Gang, but with pick ups like Sam Kennedy and Derek Alexander, it is almost inexcusable. Hopefully they sort it out but right now they are in the same position as Bravo wondering, "What happened to us and what the hell are we going to do?"

Bodhi - 6th times a charm.

Johnny Bravo - Much the way talent pickups can help teams, losing talent has an equal and opposite affect. However, of all the teams to underperform this year, I think Bravo is in the best position. Losing Beau, Mac, Popes, Whitaker, Deaver, Chicken, etc.. is huge but to challenge Revolver the way they did and still contend sends a great message. They seem to struggle at the power pool level with back-to-back 0-2 showings and quarters play-in situations but I think that ties in with losing so many veterans. This was Hylke and Pebbles' first year with Bravo and I think with the continued success of Mama Bird, they'll be fine.

Fury - Jesus H Christ. For the generation before me, it was DoG, before them it was NYNY. However, for the current generation, there is no team better than Fury. They have 6 titles since 1999 and this was their 4th in a row. Everyone thought this was Riot's year but Matt Tsang and the rest of the Bay Area crew had other plans. Their performance yesterday speaks for itself and I do believe that their success has yet to peak.

Axis of Chase Ville - I've got mixed feelings about the mixed results. I think the husband/wife story of Chase and Anna was cute but I did not want to see the hype come to fruition. Seeing a single player make such a huge impact on a team is exciting but I think it compromises the legitimacy of the division. Whether or not Chase was actually that big of a factor is irrelevant because this championship will always be remembered with him in mind. I kind of like that Beyondors couldn't pull the same move in Masters and I think this example shows that from a competitive standpoint, Mixed is the lagging division with the least amount of parity.

Shout Outs

I've got a few shout outs to give. Congrats to my dear friend Jonny Miles for making Natties this year with LA Metro. He along with several other former Pleasuretown players have come up empty many times at Regionals and now they've got some Sarasota experience under their belts. Congrats again, I wish I could have been there to party with you guys.

I've also gotta give some love to Jeff Wodatch who left the confines of Colt 45 to play for Truck Stop this year. Congrats on taking out Ring at Regionals and good work making Power Pools and finishing 9th.

And to Korber, did you have fun at Nationals? Can you come back to us now?

I hope everyone had a great season and is somewhat healthy. Congrats to all the champions. Hopefully my broke ass can make it to Santa Monica in January for Lei Out.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Cancer in the Clubhouse

2009-09-17T08:33:00.012-04:00

The real kind.

When I used to hear the word impervious, I would think of someone like Kurt Gibson. Back in 2006, Florida took the Ultimate World by storm and Kurt, along with Tim Gehret, Jon Windham, Cyle Van Auken, Bill MacQueen, Brodie Smith, and Gray Kirkmeyer, redefined the term "Tournament Shape". They played close to every point of every game in the sweltering heat of Columbus, Ohio, and when the heat index sucked the life out of most flatballers, they played harder and smarter.

However, when I think of Kurt Gibson now, different words come to mind. Tenacious, unflappable, admirable, and positive are just a few and despite their meaning, these words only paint the faintest picture of the man Kurt Gibson has become.

I can remember vividly the last time Kurt was in the spot light. It was about 16 months ago at the 2008 UPA College National Championships in Boulder, Colorado. Unlike 2006, Wisconsin would come away that Sunday with the National Title, but Kurt was at the top of his game. In his college career Kurt won a National Title, played in 2 National Finals, 3 Semi-Finals, finished top 3 in the Callahan voting twice ('07 and '08), was AC Freshman of the Year in 2004, and made All-Region 3 times ('06-'08). His success also extended into the club sphere with appearances at Club Nationals with Florida's Vicious Cycle ('05 and '06) and Boston Ultimate ('07), not to mention his dominance at Potlatch in 2006 with the MLU experiment where he and fellow Florida teammate Tim Gehret lead all participants in Fantasy Points.

But what most do not know is that despite his talents and physical prowess, inside Kurt's body was an oncogenic time bomb waiting to go off. Ironically, the very genetics that helped him break into the Ultimate Elite, also dealt him a mortal wild card, a high propensity for cancer. See in Kurt's family, cancer is not a word, it is a mainstay. On his maternal side, Kurt has lost his grandfather and two of his Aunt's to cancer and what coursed through their veins was ready and waiting in his.

After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Economics, Kurt took a job in Dallas, Texas with IBM as a Client Representative and was responsible for selling the IBM portfolio to his Michigan territory. However, in addition to moving to a new place, fitting into a new work environment and trying to prepare for another Club Season, Kurt was strapped with something few 23 year olds have to deal with, Colon Cancer.

In early August of 2008 Kurt found himself visiting one doctor after another trying to figure out why he had blood in his stools and excessive fatigue. Eventually, a colonoscopy revealed, and later tests confirmed, Stage 3 Colon Cancer. Further, given Kurt's genetic background, the likelihood that this could be fatal, if left untreated, was 100%. At this point, surgery was imperative and with it the impossibility of competing in the 2008 UPA Club Championships.

Despite this, Kurt took advantage of his last competitive opportunity and attended the 2008 Chesapeake Open, where his team, Boston Ironside, went 7-1 making the Finals against Atlanta's Chain Lightning. However, their success on Saturday against Chain Lightning would not be duplicated, and they lost 15-11. Peripheral to the tournament outcome, after this game, Ultimate was relegated to 'rear view mirror' status and instead of returning to Dallas, Kurt got a ride up to New York with his Ironside teammates to await his September 10th surgery.

Because cancer is well known in Kurt's family, he had access to a great deal of experience regarding where and how to deal with the disease. Luckily for Kurt, one of the World's premier cancer institutes was in the back yard of his beloved Aunt Ana, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and Kurt went to stay with her in Westport, CT. This was a fitting home for Kurt, not only during his surgery, but later during his chemotherapy treatments, because he had spent many a summer at Aunt Ana's, and her home provided the perfect support structure he would need to overcome such a deadly obstacle.

Due to the severity of his diagnosis and family history, it was decided that Kurt's entire colon was to be removed. The surgery would require a 7 day stay in the hospital and kept him from eating for 2-3 weeks. This resulted in a loss of 25 pounds, bringing the weight of his 6'2" frame under 150 pounds. To make matters worse, doctors found cancer cells in 2 lymphnodes adjacent the colon, which is frightfully close to a death sentence for any cancer patient. This left Kurt with only one option, chemotherapy. Despite this terrible news, Kurt was determined to remain independent and decided to undertake his chemo treatments back in Dallas.

Beginning in mid October of 2008, Kurt went through a barrage of chemotherapy treatments that included Oxaliplatin, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin. Briefly, these treatments occurred bi-monthly and consisted of a 6-8hr administration on Day 1 followed by a slow drip over the next two days. To carry out these treatments, Kurt had a mediport installed right above his heart which allowed him to avoid continual needle injections in his arm.

At first Kurt seemed to handle things well and was able to work during this process and side effects of the chemo treatments were minimal, mainly fatigue. However, as the treatments wore on, Kurt found it harder and harder to handle the duress alone. What is also worth mentioning is that not only was Kurt battling his own demons with Colon Cancer, but his other Aunt, Vivan, was in the final stages of her 3rd bout with cancer, a fight she ultimately lost in November of 2008. Eventually, after 7 treatments, the physical and emotional strain, coupled with the fact that Kurt was all alone in Dallas, broke him and he ultimately followed the advice of friends and family and moved back to Connecticut in January of 2009.

At this point, chemotherapy side effects worsened to not only fatigue, but a loss of sensitivity in the extremities, making daily activities, such as dressing one's self, immensely difficult. He also developed cold sensitivity in his hands, forcing him to wear gloves constantly. In addition, he also experienced constant flu like symptoms and vomiting, leaving him weak and vulnerable. In speaking with his Aunt Ana regarding this experience, she told me that these moments were the toughest to witness because Kurt seemed very aloof and distant. The wear and tear on his body left him quiet and inactive, and all she could do was remind him that this was the treatment not the disease. It also goes without saying that as an athlete, being in such a state was more than a little disheartening to both his pride and his self-confidence.

However, if Kurt were to beat this beast, he would have to will himself. Focusing on the pain, the odds, or the anguish would have meant certain death, and in order to remain alive, Kurt would have to keep his spirits up and stay motivated. Moving to Connecticut allowed Kurt to surround himself with those that loved him, but love and support come in different forms and Kurt would need a voice in his head that would not be afraid to point out his weaknesses and force him to overcome them.

To fill this particular role, Kurt turned to his college coach and mentor, Kurt Dahlenberg. Dahlenberg is an Ultimate legend in the Southeast and has been a part of the Miami Refugees since their inception back in 1984. As a player he had the opportunity to represent his country at the 2004 World Ultimate and Guts Championships in Turku, Finland by winning the 2003 UPA Club National Championships (Masters). Dahlenberg also coached some of our sports finest in Jacob Goldstein (CUT, SubZero, Ironside), Jasper Hoitsma (Ozone Pilots, Slow White, Ironside), Colin Mahoney (Brownian Motion, DoG, Tandem, Ironside) and Neale Mahoney (Brownian Motion, DoG, Bloodthirsty) while they were at Northfield Mount Hermon. He also had a brief coaching stint with Carleton in 2005.

In 2006, Tim Gehret approached Dahelnberg about coaching Florida and despite driving 5 hrs each way from Miami to Gainsville, Dahlenberg led UF to a National Title, 2 Finals appearances, and 3 Semi-Final births in just three years. Apart from developing some of the first zone defenses ever seen in Ultimate, I believe Dahelnberg's legacy resides with the fact that it was his training regiment that prepared Florida for their romp in 2006 and his 128-7 record with Florida marks one of the most incredible runs in College Ultimate History.

However, aside from all of his Ultimate accolades and achievements, two of Dahlenberg's most important attributes were: 1) He himself was a cancer survivor (Melanoma) and 2) He knew what Gibson needed. Dahlenberg is not known for his subtleties and despite the fact that many would object to his methods, he knows how to get the job done, on and/or off the field. In speaking with Dahlenberg for this article, I realized quickly that he is exceptionally vigilant and perceptive, yet painfully direct and blunt. No one likes to have their weaknesses highlighted, especially when they are relevant, but both Kurts knew that if progress was going to be made, if Gibson were to ever see the field again, he would have to push himself, perhaps harder than he ever had before.

Six days a week Dahlenberg was on the phone with Gibson, probing and prodding, forcing Gibson to talk when he wanted to do anything but. Tough love is not easy for anyone but Gibson became like a son to Dahlenberg and he knew that if he could use Gibson's competitive nature to keep him motivated and positive, there would be no stopping #20.

And there was no stopping to be had. After 6 months and 12 rounds of radical chemotherapy treatments, Kurt maintained his positive attitude and finally beat back his cancer. As he articulates on his cancer blog, keeping a positive attitude was what kept him alive. In discussing his experience with him, Kurt told me that his success was simply "mind over matter" and that battling cancer and surviving chemotherapy is "all mental". His Aunt Ana also reinforced this message, telling me that throughout the process, Kurt's unwavering positive attitude was incredible to witness, especially in spite of the odds and the loss of his own flesh and blood. Perhaps 'impervious' is not the wrong word to describe him.

From his initial surgery on September 10th, 2008 up until his final chemo treatment at the end of March 2009, Kurt lost excessive weight, became brittle and weak, and lost a family member to the same disease. In spite of all of this, his mind set never wavered and he ultimately succeeded. However, because he had been inactive for more than half a year and his body was all but striped of life, a new battle was just beginning.

When I asked Kurt to describe his playing shape before and after his cancer battle, he could only chuckle and say, "frustrating". Here you have a player that once ran unrelentingly from Round 1 on Saturday through the hard cap of the Finals on Sunday afternoon. At this point however, running even a single mile was an incredibly arduous task. Much like his struggle with cancer, this fight against himself was going to require painstaking diligence and an inexorable positive attitude.

It was at this juncture that Dahlenberg's presence was possibly the most valuable. In trying to regain his playing form, Gibson began taking walks with his Aunt Ana and slowly worked his way up to jogging. However, because of the immense drop off in strength and endurance, Kurt would need outside help to keep him motivated and on track. Because Dahlenberg had been so instrumental in preparing Kurt for competitive play, he naturally assumed the role of coach and mentor during this new battle against himself. Dahlenberg would offer target mile times and stretching routines on a weekly/daily basis, not to mention a few choice words of 'encouragement' when needed. Dahlenber's rigorous Football-esque approach to Ultimate would become invaluable in this latest endeavor and despite the fact that it may have been strenuous and demanding, it kept Kurt's hopes alive.

Another lesson Dahlenberg had to offer was that of friendship. When Dahlenberg told me about his melanoma case, he articulated that the relationships he had developed in the Ultimate community were his rock. Despite the fact that many of his supporters in time of need were former competitors, Dahlenberg felt that keeping his spirits up depended to a large degree on these flatball friends.

In reflecting on this and the overall support he received from his friends and family, Kurt knew that he would need local support if he ever wanted to play Ultimate again. It was for this reason that he decided to play with Doublewide in Austin, despite the tempting offer to play with Tim Gehret again on Seattle's Sockeye. He told me he just wanted friends and teammates nearby and that is exactly what he got.

Doublewide is the most elite Ultimate Team in the state of Texas, and despite its base in Austin, Dub has a strong Dallas contingent, mainly made up of former players from the University of North Texas, which is in nearby Denton, Texas. In describing his experience with his new teammates, Kurt told me that "the Doublewide guys are great" and given my own experience with the Texas crowd, I am inclined to agree with him.

The challenge of getting oneself into shape after the off-season is common to most of us, but given the Fall and Winter that Kurt had to endure, such a battle is more difficult than I can articulate here. Suffice it to say that everything from sprinting to jumping to overall endurance had to be re-attained day by day and each day Kurt's positive attitude would be tested against the frustration of playing eons behind his usual self.

In researching Kurt's comeback, I contacted Mike "Tank" Natenberg, one of the captains of Doublewide, and asked him what it was like to witness Kurt's resurgence. For starters, Tank told me that "We quickly learned that Kurt is an ubber-competitive dude. It's interesting because it doesn't come out until you see him at practice and in the huddle. He only knows winning, and doesn't believe losing is an option." This doesn't come as much of a surprise and it is fairly obvious that the persistence he exhibited during his cancer battle would be put to work on the field and at the track.

A turning point that Kurt shared with me came in May of 2009 when he told me he had his roommate drop him off 3 miles from their home. At this point, running such a distance was quite a daunting task, but Kurt knew he had no other option than to succeed, lest he sleep where he stood. During this run he began to shout at himself, demanding success. Kurt described the situation as a "football coach yelling at his players" and although he may have looked crazy, he got himself home.

The following month Kurt took advantage of an offer to play with Sockeye at Cal States, even though he was nowhere near 100%. This playing opportunity was the first he had since Chesapeake the previous August and although his physique was not what it once was, it was a chance to shake off the cobwebs and continue the journey back to his glory days. At this point Dahlenberg warned Gibson to be wary of his groin and hamstrings because of his inactivity and unfortunately for Kurt, his hamstring would become just another problem in a series of setbacks.

Be that as it may, rather than try to be an out of state player and continue with Sockeye, Kurt committed himself to Doublewide. I was curious to know what Kurt's assignment on the field was for Doublewide and this is what Tank had to say about it:

The past 3 seasons Doublewide has switched to a definitive O and D line with a few players that can play both ways if there are chemistry or slump issues. We initially thought Kurt would play on the O line and help out the D line when good match ups came up. At CoCup, Kurt's first tourney with the team, he was more comfortable playing D. At CoCup we utilized him on the D team in the first half and then mostly O in the second. It seemed to work pretty well.

From the looks of things, Doublewide has certainly asserted themselves as a contender this year. A year ago they went 2-5 at Colorado Cup with 3 DGP losses (Revolver, Bravo, and Truck Stop) and were 0-6 at Labor Day with 2 more DGP losses (Sockeye and Pony). However, in 2009 they have reached the finals at both Colorado Cup and Labor Day and are 18-3 going into the series with big wins against Revolver, SubZero, Furious, PoNY, Bravo, Jam, Madison, etc...

When I asked Tank what Doublewide's goals were for the series, he told me "to develop and maintain strong team chemistry in order to play our best friz at the end of the season". The consensus seems to be that this Doublewide team is the best in its history. What exactly that means, however, is anyone's guess. When I asked Kurt the same question, he felt at least quarters, and perhaps semifinals, was a strong possibility.

But life has a way of kicking us when we're down and unfortunately for Kurt, his hamstring would not be the last of his comeback injuries and he was thrown another challenge at Labor Day. In Doublewide's 13-8 victory over Vancouver's Furious George, he was coming back on a huck and when he jumped to grab it, he came down badly and broke his fibula. I cannot begin, nor will I try, to understand the frustration he must have felt but given his track record, I am sure he will find a way to overcome this obstacle. The tough love that Dahlenberg exhibited throughout Kurt's progression once again manifested itself and he told me that he has a "pink pair of shorts for Kurt if he wasn't playing at Nationals".

Regardless of whether or not he can suit up for Nationals, I do know that his presence alone has benefitted Doublewide. Tank told me "[Kurt] has shown me a whole other level of competitiveness and confidence. The energy and swagger he brings to the field rubs off on his teammates in a positive way". Perhaps the impression he has left on his teammates will help Doublewide repeat their success over Chain at Regionals next month.

One last question that I had for Tank regarding Kurt was "What is something about Kurt on and/or off the field that most folks probably do not know?". This question was rooted in my own personal interest in Kurt, not only as a player but as a person, and Tank's response did not disappoint:

I think when the ulty community sees great athletic ulty players we are sometimes quick to assume that they are just naturally talented. In Kurt's case, he is definitely talented but a lot of his success is based on the training and preparation he does before the tournaments. He is the last one stretching at our practices. He is running his track workouts at 5:30 in the morning with teammates to avoid the texas heat and get the most out of his body. In other words...he has a great work ethic and expects it from his teammates as well.

and he's pretty good at flip-cup although he has never beaten a team I've been on. :-)

In putting this project together, I have been amazed with the people I have come across. As Tank alludes to, before I talked with Kurt, I just assumed that he was on another level when it came to physical talents and abilities. However, his real talent lies within his mental strength, which we all have within us, and I think any/everyone can appreciate and take something from Kurt's example. I was also touched by the interaction I had with Kurt's Aunt Ana. The losses she has had to endure are beyond words and the energy and positivity she exudes in the face of such misfortune are astounding. Moreover, even one of the photographers I utilized for my pictures is waging his own war with Chemotherapy (Hodgkins Lymphoma) and yet he still manages to work and contribute to the Ultimate community.

I want to thank all those who contributed to this piece, especially Kurt Gibson. This topic is immensely sensitive and I appreciate the opportunity to cover such a story with the grace, emotion, and professionalism it deserves. Our sport almost lost one of its stars, but luckily (for Doublewide at least), he has once again returned to the field.

I haven't written much this past year but I decided to come out of my slumber for this piece because cancer is a very important issue. Despite it's severity, however, it is likely overlooked in the Ultimate community. Most of us are young, well to do, healthy people that think we are invincible, especially against something like cancer. However, as any ultimate player will understand, we are not exempt from such a disease and actually are more than likely to cross paths with something like skin cancer because of the massive amount of time we spend in the sun. In discussing Dahlenberg's own cancer story with him, he told me all of his friends went and got checked out in light of his ordeal and I hope this article resonates the same way.

I asked Kurt's Aunt Ana if she had a message for those lucky enough not to have dealt with cancer and she told me "Never overlook a symptom. Get yourself checked out if there is something amiss. Early detection can and will save your life." In addition, I think Kurt's example of positive thinking sends a great message, not only for battling cancer, but in dealing with life's challenges as well.

Lastly, my main reason for putting this together is because of the unfortunate story of my friend Protik Mia. Earlier this year he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and at this moment is dealing with some of the harshest treatments and prognoses cancer has to offer. Peripheral to the fact that he gave me the opportunity to play at Kaimana last year and babysat me while I was there, he is an amazing person and has been a powerful force in every ultimate community he has been a part of. He and his wife Becky have been updating his condition on Pro's Blog.

In following his story, the only thing more powerful than the cancer that is threatening his life, is the courage and dignity with which he has carried himself. I was fortunate enough to spend a few special days with Pro, Becky and their two beautiful children and this blog post is for him.

just my thoughts

match diesel

It's like I know what I'm talking about

2009-05-25T14:18:00.006-04:00

Carleton wins Nationals, Florida doesn't make the show and Will Neff wins the Callahan....check.

Other Comments:

Texas - Sorry Franchise, I did what I could. At least the Quarters monkey is gone.

Stanford - Welcome back.

Colorado - Central Crossing Stadium is not your venue.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Stephen "Franchise" Presley for Callahan

2009-04-30T11:32:00.004-04:00

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

District 5

2009-04-22T18:01:00.002-04:00

Remember The Mighty Ducks? District 5 Pee Wee Hockey? Gordon Bombay gets a DUI and has to take care of a bunch of misfits that aren't the best hockey players. At one point in the movie he raises a stink because the best team's superstar, Adam Banks of the Hawks, doesn't actually live in the district he plays for. Adam actually lives in District 5 and should be a Duck instead of a Hawk and Gordon wants his talent. Coach Bombay gets fired over it, but he gets the superstar and along with some financial help, turns the Mighty Ducks into Champions.

Sound like anything in Ultimate? Well, probably not because this isn't exactly a requirement in Ultimate. I'm not sure how many people actually have to deal with this, but recently, the frustration of having in-house players not play in-house reared it's ugly head in my little corner of the Universe.

Let me explain what I mean. Let's say you live in a city that is trying to start a club team and we'll call that city Hartford, CT. You are in the Metro New York Section but you neighbor a high quality section, East New England, mainly Boston area teams. You are doing your best to make it as a program, but as I'm sure most understand, this is really challenging, especially in a non-Ultimate hub. You don't have a ton of college talent with which to draw from, but you do your best and make due with what you have. You hit the track, you train, you take a cerebral approach to the game, and hope for the best.

The first year of your existence you are a laughing stock. In the first round of the series you get rocked 11-3 by the best team in the section, you don't make the next round, and you more or less feel like every other short lived club team. But the following year, you pick up a few committed players, one amazing All-Star and sure enough you improve. You make regionals by climbing out of the backdoor bracket on Sunday at sectionals and you're stoked that you made it to the next round.

In your third year you develop some synergy and give the #1 team in the section a close call, 14-16, and take second. Now that's what I call progress. You go to regionals and even win a few games. Wow, what about year 4?

Well that's a problem. See Ultimate is not exactly a sport, it's more of a hobby because there are no contracts or money associated with the game and loyalty is conditional. You can commit as much or as little time as you want to it and you can also make whatever choices you want, regardless of what others might think/do. In essence you are only bound by your passion and likewise, are free to go where your passion takes you.

What am I getting at? See the issue with having a city like Boston near, but not in, your Section is that it has a tendency to magnetize talent. I'm not confident everyone will appreciate this, but sometimes a player finds that their talents could land them on a better team and if they are comfortable driving 2-3hrs or more to practice, talent pools can start to drain. I'm not going to get into particulars but lets just say about a half dozen or so players that have and/or could really help us out this year are all headed out of state and I can't help but feel a little frustrated.

I don't blame these athletes for playing elsewhere, they have a lot to gain by heading to Boston. Some have a chance to win Nationals this year, not to mention earn a spot at Worlds in Prague next year, and most, if not all, will be headed to Sarasota. If I were in their shoes, I'd probably do the same thing. However, I can't help but question whether or not this is good for the sport and I feel that this "out of Section" play should not be an option for players.

Connecticut has this problem in both the Open and Women's divisions but this is not the only example of significant talent playing out of Section, or even out of Region. Chase Sparling-Beckley lived in Oregon while he played for Sockeye, Kurt Gibson lived in Dallas while he played for Boston, and Gwen Ambler and Robbie Cahill are in Seattle but play for San Francisco teams.

What's also interesting is that a lot of these players leave town to play for programs that don't really need them anyway, or at least would be very competitive without them. Chase is/was amazing but Sockeye already has three Callahan winners. Ironside has two college MVP's themselves not to mention all of Boston to draw from. Fury has won Nationals the last 3 years and Worlds, in addition to having San Francisco as a talent pool. It's fairly obvious that each out of Section/Region player probably wants to suit for a great team, but I wonder if their individual gain is worth the performance hit they leave behind. Rhino misses Nationals. Doublewide continually struggles to make it to/past quarters. Riot collapses in the Club National Finals, at the hands of Gwen no less.

Still not convinced this is a problem? Not only does this situation hurt for the obvious reasons, but when amazing talent plays elsewhere, local teams develop an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. It establishes an inferior state of mind that infects current players and potential tryouts. Current players feel incredibly disillusioned because as soon as they start to succeed, they feel like it is only a matter of time before the rug gets pulled out from underneath them. In addition, they can't help but feel like a AAA baseball team because their best players take off as soon as they have the confidence to tryout for a more estbalished contender. But this isn't baseball, we are not a farm system. We are a sovereign program that gets nothing from the teams that siphon talent away from us. Ultimately, we are left feeling as though our efforts and passion for the game are simply misplaced and we are be better off hanging up our competitive cleats, switching to mixed or simply jumping ship as well.

As for potential players, the propensity to pass up said team, or half ass the process, is through the roof because they think "hell if (such and such) won't play for them, then why should I" and who's to call them out? It's not like struggling teams have a bargaining chip. In the end, the level of play suffers, frustration runs rampant, and we become spectators watching our neighbors head off to Nationals and tear it up on Ultivillage. And this completely omits the downstream affect this has on the community as a whole, ie seasonal leagues, youth programs, etc... I feel like the situation is fairly easy to understand but for those needing further clarification, read up on the Gentrification phenomenon of poor urban cities and affluent suburbs.

The UPA does recognize the propensity for players to abuse Sectional/Regional lines, however, and in 2002 laid out series guidelines with regard to this topic. As it stands now, 50% of a team's players must live in the competing Section and 75% must be in the Region. But I wonder if this is sufficient. Our sport has moved by leaps and bounds in the last 7 years and I believe much like College Eligibility requirements, Club Eligibility needs to be more heavily scrutinized.

This topic is prevalent in mainstream sports in the form of a salary cap. Some sports do things better than others, but at least there is a system in place for most American sports, ie baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. In each case, the overall idea is to keep talent form aggregating via superior economic power and thereby maintain parity. This doesn't always work because in basketball and baseball, there is simply a luxury tax to punish teams that go over the cap, but punishing a wealthy owner by making them pay more isn't exactly an ideal system.

However, in the NFL, the salary cap is a big deal. If you go over it, owners face severe penalties and contracts can be canceled. I personally believe the NFL has the most parity, but with the Steelers winning yet another Superbowl and the Phillies winning the World Series for the first time in a long time, one could make strong counter arguments. Be that as it may, all governing bodies recognize the ability for teams to horde talent and try to prevent it in one form or another.

So what am I clamoring for? What is the improvement I seek? In my mind there are two possible solutions. The first option would be to go the Mighty Ducks route and require that players live in the Section they compete in. This rule may seem simplistically fair but it would reflect the real talent distribution across the country and peripheral to a few select outliers, I am uncertain how it hurts players. However, I am very aware of my own personal bias and the controversy associated with this type of idea, or maybe just the level of talent it would affect.

The second option could be the development of a promotion and relegation system where teams move between competitive tiers depending on series results. I believe that this system would be complicated to establish but it seems to fall in line with the Farm System/Combine examples that are showing up in places like Boston and Seattle with Ironside/Sons of Liberty and Sockeye/Voodoo respectively.

Each system has their own sets of pros and cons and are each equally interesting, complicated, and un/likely to come to fruition, but I want to discuss them anyway. Lets start with in-Section requirements. First off, I believe this to be the easier of the two because it utilizes existing infrastructure, and could possibly be a stepping stone towards a promotion/relegation system. According to the UPA:

"The purpose of the UPA Championship Series is to provide UPA members a framework for quality competition for locally-based teams and to serve as a vehicle for the promotion and support of the sport of ultimate. All levels of the Series share certain principles, but the focus changes as the series progresses from one of participation and inclusiveness to the crowning of a champion and the showcasing of the sport at its best.”

In my mind, the existing system has been utilized to establish the competitive backbone we currently utilize as Club players, but I believe in order to continue this mission, more needs to be done. As it stands now, many elite players have a loose interpretation of what it means to play for a "locally-based" team and limitations associated with "the promotion and support of the sport of ultimate" are very significant. Rather than enrich and develop Sectional programs, stagnant Regional powerhouses seem to maintain their stronghold and the competitive growth of the sport is limited.

A 50% in-Section requirement is/was a good start, but it is not good enough anymore. Hubs like Seattle, Boston, and San Francisco have some of the deepest talent pools in the country, but when they need to take players away from up and coming Sections/Regions to compete, there is something wrong. I believe in this instance, the second half of the UPA Club Series mission statement conflicts with the first in that "showcasing the sport at it's best" means sacrificing "locally based teams". Personally, when a team wins or contends for a National title with players that do not live locally, I feel immense sorrow for the teams that are left behind. I can only imagine the frustration/humiliation of facing off against "should be" team mates and when it comes to these sorts of players representing my country, well....

As for promotion/relegation, I think it is time for the UPA to come to grips with the ceiling that most club teams have to deal with. In the last 10 years, the 40 teams that have played a semifinal game in the Open and Women's division are only represented by 11 teams: Open - Jam, Bravo, Chain, Boston, Sockeye, Furious, GOAT, Condors, Pike, Ring, and Sub-Zero Women's: Fury, Riot, Ozone, Lady Godiva, Brute Squad, Traffic, Rare Air, Backhoe, Prime, Schwa, Women on the Verge. Does anyone else think that this is too tight a circle? For a parity comparison, in Football and Baseball, 40 semifinal teams in the last 10 years are represented by 21 different teams in each sport. Regardless of whether or not players are required to play in their own Section, it is fairly obvious that most teams have no shot at winning a National title and it is almost foolish to try.

Much like Div III College Nationals, creating separate competitive spheres for teams of similar abilities might be optimal, for the elite and the not so elite. Pointless sectional games will potentially be eliminated and all programs will have attainable goals to shoot for. If you have what it takes to compete at the next level, your team can be eligible for promotion and if you can't cut it in the division you are in, relegation. At the very least, more than a handful of teams will get the chance to end their season with a win and more programs will be able to play at the National level.

In the end, much like most of my ramblings, the sport needs to mature in order to maintain fairness and parity. Each policy, each regulation, each rule is in place because at some point, some one abused it and things were adjusted accordingly. Everything from picks to college eligibility to alcohol at the fields had to be taken advantage of for a rule or policy to be put into place and now I think it is time for out of Section play to be addressed. Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen or so players that this sort of policy would adversely affect, but in reality, I think it would help a thousand players I will never know and those are the ones that really matter.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Back Behind Closed Doors

2009-04-06T10:37:00.008-04:00

I'm not certain how the rest of you out there feel, but for me, 2009 seems to be very different than years past for College Ultimate. This doesn't really come as a surprise considering how much has changed in the last year. The economy has been rocked, Cultimate has drastically changed their tournament organization and my investigative efforts in this game have more or less ceased. With this in mind, I believe that the information with respect to College Ultimate is now, sadly, back behind closed doors.

Closed doors? No, I don't believe College Ultimate is the subject of a conspiracy but I do believe that the information pipeline has dried up. Because our sport only flirts with professionalism, a solid information pipeline is a luxury not a right. If we want pictures, stories, scores, or information from a tournament, we either need to be there ourselves or have a friend hook us up. For the last few years, people like Rob, Matt Lane, Scobel Wiggins, Alex Peters, Chad Borer, Gwen Ambler, Hector, the Count, Parinella, myself, etc.. have attempted to capture the tournament experience in our own little way and bring it to the masses. For the participants, much of this information isn't necessary because "they were there" but for the bulk of the Ultimate community, UvTv, Ultimatetalk.com, and RSD are the only sources of data, true or otherwise. However, considering the level of difficulty associated with this kind of hobby/work, maintaining the media pipeline is not a given.

With that in mind, I feel like the game has taken a step backwards this year, as far as media exposure and fanfare are concerned. With Cultimate more or less controlling the entire regular season, it seems like the bulk of information regarding the sport is only held by a select few. Schedules and scores are only known by participating teams and organizers, and while they may be the only ones that matter, I have found it incredibly difficult to formulate any solid opinions or predictions this year.

This isn't to say that anyone is being malicious or deceitful, it's just that it seems that very little information is making it past the parking lot at major tournaments this year. Skip asked me to write about Stanford Invite a while back and I declined because I didn't really know what to say. The schedules seem to involve a lot of thought but they don't follow any sort of historical algorithm and without well orchestrated score reporter updates, those of us at home are at the whim of RSD, something I'm sure none of us enjoys. Bottom line, we are not as informed as we once were, which goes to show you that we can't take information for granted.

It was only a few years ago that Rob attempted Fantasy Ultimate at Centex and with seedings and pools posted a week or so before tournaments, discussions spread like wild fire on blogs and RSD. Vegas was always a bit weird, but pool play predictions and point differentials were discussed in great lengths, but only because the information was available.

However, without said information making the score reporter, a lot of the data associated with our sport seems to be behind closed doors, a situation that eerily resembles Ultimate of yesteryear. When I first got started, keeping up with teams was impossible. You were lucky if you caught a top 25 from the UPA every other month or so and if a tournament was on the score reporter you stared passionately at the screen until the bracket results were burned into your brain. At the time, many college players were of the opinion, "if you weren't playing, then why do you care?" but I cared and I get the feeling a lot of you out there do as well.

I'm not entirely sure how the players feel about this year, but I doubt Kansas enjoyed watching Florida bagel St. Louis. From what I've read on UCSD's tournament blog, it looks like they are ok with things thus far, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed with the level of discussion this year. It just seems like there is not a whole lot to talk about.

I mean lets take a look at a major talking point every year, the Callahan. Can anyone give me a clear candidate? Has anyone been talked about much this year? Last year Joe Kershner's hype lasted from February to May, not to mention guys like Jolian Dahl, Kurt Gibson, Mark Sherwood, and Stephen Pressley. Mac Taylor has been talked about off and on the last few months, but Colorado has been anything but consistent and with a clear drop off in discussion this year, a bunch of red on your score reporter page does not help in the voting process.

Personally, I think Brodie Smith is easily the front runner. I mean who else is playing better than Florida? And better yet, who is known to be playing better? I thought Will Neff would runaway with the award this year but I get the feeling people are a bit indifferent at the moment. Rob doesn't seem to be as active as he once was and Cultimate TD's haven't done the best job articulating their tournament structure to the masses, so it is hard to even know who the best teams are, and this is coming from a NUMP member.

A year ago, I was at Centex balls deep in the game but everything I saw and discussed made it online faster than I could sober up and jot down my drivel. I can remember Reid Koss with his iPhone updating scores and Dale, Skizip and Rob scrambling around trying to get round by round coverage online for UvTv.

However, this year has come and gone and I've only got a handful of talking points. Hector had a nice little piece about two Wisconsin Women (Courtney Kiesow and Georgia Bosscher) but active player/writers like Ryan Thompson have been anything but vocal. I mean The Pulse hasn't been updated in almost a year. Michigan has gotten on the blogsphere as have a few others but consolidated discussion seems a bit absent. I suppose this just goes to show you how difficult it is to stay active as a writer in this sport. Passion will get you far but it does run out once the cleats are off. It just gets hard to stay motivated when winning isn't on the table.

I can't help but think that the economy has something to do with the situation. Last year I bought plane ticket after plane ticket and now I look back and scratch my head thinking "How did I afford that?". I had some help from some supportive family members, but I can't help but feel like the game has suffered from tough times.

Bottom line, all of this has me a little scared. I really enjoyed following the game, not only for my own personal interest, but because it kept people paying attention. With constant dialog and discussion, whether it be rooted in 100% objective fact or just rumors, we pay attention and where there is attention there is scrutiny. This year's Nationals will have two huge changes (potentially) and I wonder how a lack of discussion will affect things. Four more teams will be at The Show but without a lot of chatter this year, I feel like no one even really knows/cares who is on the bubble.

In addition, the whole Active Observer idea is a great one, but I wonder if it will come to fruition. I know that Florida is a big fan of them but having Virginia and Middlebury decline observers in the Finals at Easterns shook my confidence that AO will be voted for this May. These two teams are not what I would call Nationals powerhouses, but having teams make these types of choices is a little disheartening. I'm not certain why they went this way, but I wonder if other programs would have done the same. Active Observes seem to be an important form of scrutiny but with a clear drop off in 3rd party analysis this year, I wonder if AO will disappear the way fanfare has this season.

For those that followed things last year and for the last few years, I think it is pretty obvious how inconsistent exposure in this game is. With this in mind, I now appreciate how unoriginal people like myself are. At Club Nationals I met this old school Ultimate guy that was brought on as a videographer for Rob. He was telling me about how he filmed Club Nationals back in the Ken Dobyns' days and he was telling me that they had announcers/commentators. This came as somewhat of a surprise to me because I thought live commentary for Ultimate was a relatively new concept, but apparently it has come and gone and come again, as has tournament discussion, online magazines, and general media exposure. I know that the UPA was looking for a permanent media director which would be nice but with the volatility of UPA positions, I wonder if this is just a pipe dream. In any event, a stable media entity would undoubtedly be helpful.

Ultimately, I get the feeling that fanfare in this sport is a little bit like the "1" from the Matrix. There is a steady progression of people interested in following the sport and hype/media exposure picks up momentum. We reach a pinnacle of interest but such an emotional high cannot be sustained indefinitely. Once this moment comes and goes, things cool off and because college players turn over so fast, the proverbial "reset" button gets hit. I'm as guilty as any for not fully appreciating our sport's past, but with transient "historians" instead of permanent media personnel, it's very difficult to remain informed. The information just isn't passed on particularly well, or at least not for long. After a while in the information doldrums, someone is inspired to get back on the media horse and bring the game to the latest population of college masses. He/she may believe they are conducting groundbreaking work, but in all seriousness, it's all been done before.

I get the feeling the reason behind this is simply the sport vs hobby nature of Ultimate. There seems to be a faceless, yet extremely powerful, force keeping Ultimate from becoming mainstream and while there is significant sacrifice in becoming a full fledged sport, we are currently nothing but gold fish. We see our present as something new and fantastic but in reality, it is nothing new at all. Few talking points are unique, very little is remembered for more than a few years and history undoubtedly repeats itself over and over and over.

just my thoughts

match diesel

My Second Take on Team USA

2009-03-13T10:02:00.005-04:00

Now that team USA has been announced, I thought I would discuss some opinions on each player, but first I would like to congratulate each on such an accomplishment. We appreciate your efforts and look forward to seeing you defend our title.

Gwen Ambler - Excellent!! So glad she made the team. Lets just hope she doesn't get relegated to alternate status again. I don't watch too much women's ultimate, but one image that does pop into my head when I think of it is Gwen in the Club National Finals last year against Riot. This game will remain in infamy long after I stop paying attention to the sport (sorry Miranda), and Gwen was definitely very instrumental in the victory. I know from interviewing her that she has played every position for Fury, but as a deep in their zone, she completely turned the tables on Riot and took away their long game. Gwen is also a sterling role model for all players in this sport, myself included, and I'm really happy for her.

Sammy C-K - Another great selection by Greg and the rest of the crew. Sammy is such an amazing player but I also think that he is perfect to represent the red, white and blue. My first exposure to Sammy was back in 2003 at Beware-O, a hat tournament in San Mateo, CA. He was on my team, along with Greenough, and he made a play that I still can remember vividly. A game winning trailing edge layout chest high hammer goal from Josh. I was a naive young Squid at the time and didn't really know what I was witnessing, but the guy is just plain good. He, like Gwen, is a great role model in our sport. A veteran leader for Sockeye and never the source of any sort of controversy or poor sportsmanship. I really wanted MC on the team, but I think Sammy CK is a great choice.

Cara Crouch - I know of Cara because I have a few Texas friends and they all speak very fondly of her and Tank. Apparently, the consensus seems to be that they will produce the most talented Ultimate offspring ever. I for one don't really date women in Ultimate, but I am glad that some folks are going to produce some 2nd generation talent. I also like that Texas got some love when so many players were from Atlanta, Boulder, San Francisco or Seattle.

Deb Cussen - Now that the selections have been made, I need to start getting comfortable with previous Team USA members on the 2009 team. To make me feel better, I need to remember that winning Gold is the bottom line and considering the fact that Team Canada should be a considerable challenge, we really need the best from the USA and Deb is one of them. Her experience in Germany will be very important because she is a veteran handler and generating a consistent offensive game plan will be a major challenge. She saw the field more than any other female 4 years ago, playing in 94 out of 132 possible points. She also caught 3 goals and threw for one in the 15-14 Australia pool play game and got two more goals in the Gold medal game against the Aussies. She will be quite an asset.

Jolian Dahl - From what I hear, Jolian was the best tryout in Sarasota and from watching him over the last few years, I am not surprised. He seems to be a freak athlete with the fundamentals of a much squirrlier player. I'm not sure what kind of role he will fill on USA because he was a very solid leader for Mamabird, yet seemed like a role player for Bravo. He is one of 4 Bravo Team USA members and I'm sure like every JB-er from 2007, representing the US after missing the opportunity a few years back is something each will cherish.

Kathy Dobson - I'm not too familiar with Kathy but I do know that she has been a standout for Brutesquad for the last few years as well as the coach of BU's Ozone Pilots. In college she was All Region the first 3 years they had the award (her Junior, Senior, and 1st year Grad) and she made the Finals of College Nationals in 2003 with MIT. She has also helped Gwen out with iculimate.com. I was really surprised to see only 1 Boston Area player on Team USA, so she definitely has a lot of pressure on her to represent, but I get the feeling it'll just be another day at the office.

Liz Duffy - Once again, I wasn't too familiar with Liz before she was chosen, but in doing a little research, I am glad to see her on this very short list. For starters, she is a PhD-er like myself in Marine Biology at the University of Washington, not to mention a veteran Captain for Riot. Peripheral to Team USA, she is also representing the Red, White and Blue as a part of Ultimate Peace this April in Israel. Definitely a standout Ultimate player that will represent our country well, on and off the field.

Cate Foster - Another women's player I don't know a whole lot about but one thing I do really like about Cate is that she built herself a program at College of Charleston. One of the things I have noticed a lot among many elite players is that they have no idea what it is like to be in the trenches and don't appreciate how frustrating/hard it is to work with low numbers and shallow talent pools. Many criticize lack of organization and commitment, but they underestimate the challenges of building infrastructure. Her personality also seems to be a bonus and I look forward to seeing her do well in the coming months.

Cree Howard - Cree definitely has a lot of pressure on her with this selection because she is the only active college player on the team. I remember when Zip made the team in 2005 and he blew everyone away, both in the College sphere and at World's. I think this has the capacity to spring board her towards a possible Callahan opportunity, but Cal has only been so-so this year, which might not be enough to get her the award. Regardless, Cree is one of those privileged youths like Oscar Pottinger, who will have a full trophy case well before she is even old enough to buy a house to put it in. I am always wary how such a combination of youth and success can lead to ego issues, but considering the pool of sharks she is swimming in, staying humble this summer will not be tough.

Jared Inselman - My first exposure to Jared was at the College All-Star game in 2007. Before Nationals that year I totally thought the West would pwn because they had two Callahan winners (Richter and Miranda), Ted Tripoli and Ray Illian. However, to my surprise, the East wanted it more. I remember TG and Jason Simpson played well, but I also remember the guy with "UPenn" on his back having a great game. In reading up on him I also came across a write up about an amazing display of sprit in a hotly contested game against Sockeye at Club Nationals back in 2004. I loved reading Miller's Bill Braski-esk post on RSD about him and now with his Team USA selection, we are all curious to know if Mike's accounts are accurate. I'm hoping to see him wipe his butt with a live elk.

Beau Kittredge - So Beau made the team eh? That's interesting.

Chelsea Dengler Putnam - I first heard of Chelsea back in 2003 when she and Ben Wiggins took the Ultimate world by storm earning the Callahan Awards for Oregon. However, after finishing up school we haven't heard much from her. This isn't meant as a criticism, but more of a sign of respect because she has stuck it out with Schwa the last few years, despite a less than stellar performance at Club Nationals in 2005 (11th) and no return trips to Sarasota. She could have easily played for other programs out of state like Fury or Riot, as Chase-Sparingly Beckley and Gwen Ambler have done, but she has stayed with Portland and I respect that. I'm glad that she has this chance to showcase her talents at the World's level and I bet she is as hungry as any to earn gold for her country.

Jonathan Remucal - It's funny, I know of several players from the CUT class of '98, Roger Crafts, Sam Rosenthal and Mike Caldwell, but Jon Remucal never came up on the radar. I assumed that most Bay Area talent was either Cal, Davis, Santa Cruz or Stanford and it was a nice little bit of information. Regardless, this must be an amazing year for Jon. He started playing with Jam in 2005 and despite the fact that guys like Bart, Gabe, Idris, Safdie, Jeff Eastham, Kevin Cissna, and Damien Scott get a lot of attention, I'm sure Jon has done his part to finally earn a ring. Getting an additional opportunity like this must be a great feeling and I'm sure the honor is one he will take with great humility and respect.

Steven Roussie - I don't know a ton about Rouisse but I do know that he has been involved with Boulder ultimate for a decade. He was Mamabird's Callahan nominee back in 2001 and had 6 fantasy points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the National Finals against CUT that year. He is also from Amherst, MA and was a guest Counselor at NUTC back in 2004. I find it interesting that such a veteran was chosen over younger Bravo standouts like Richter, Tripoli, and Mac Taylor, but I suppose that is just a testament to his abilities. If I had to guess, he will probably fill the leadership role that guys like Namking, Deaver, and Kubalanza did four years ago.

Gabe Saunkeah - I remember when Gabe was an undergrad at Cal and since 2005 he has been a solid handler for Jam. However, one of the most striking examples of his abilities came to me during a game he wasn't even playing in. Last year in Sarasota, Gabe went down with some sort of injury, in Semifinals against Bravo I believe, and was unable to play in the Finals. During the Finals, I was in the crow's nest watching the game and reading off emails that were being sent in during the live broadcast. On more than one occasion, players like Nick Menzies and Oscar Pottinger (both from Furious), emailed in asking about Gabe's playing status. Given the fact that Jam has so much talent to pay attention to, I overlooked his absence, but apparently Furious' D-line didn't, a clear sign of well deserved respect.

Adam "Chicken" Simon - After playing pickup with/against Chicken the last month or so, I'm not surprised at all that he made Team USA. His skill sets are very diverse and there isn't much he can't do on the field. He can cut, play D, handle, the works and I think it will be very easy for Greg to integrate him into the Team USA game plan, not to mention the other team he coaches.

Dylan Tunnell - In taking a look at the roster, it is pretty obvious that Team USA is going to be hugtastic and Dylan is no exception. He is such a moose and much like Sammy-CK, Beau, Jolian, Jared and Seth Wiggins, he will be a tough matchup. I'm not surprised Dylan made the squad and given the effort he has put into Georgia and Chain Lightning (not to mention NUTC), it is nice to see him get this opportunity. However, I have two concerns with respect to the big guys on Team USA. 1) Will all of them make the team? You can't have an entire team of downfield players can you? I wonder if Bart, Jon, Chicken, Gabe, and Steve benefit or suffer from being a bit smaller than these guys and I wonder who's official spots on Team USA are safer. 2) Can this collection of monster athletes be sewn together just right? Team Canada's men are all over the place with smaller scrappy players guys like Oscar Pottinger and Alex Hughes as well as guys like Hassell and Ouchterlony who are taller and more graceful (well Hassel, anyway). I'm sure Team USA will be no different in the end, but it will make the alternate selections all the more interesting.

Bart Watson - Like Deb Cussen, I was a bit put-off by having former members on Team USA, but Bart is a very good choice. As far as I know, he is the only college player to make it to the College Finals with two different teams (Stanford 2002, Cal 2004) winning in 2002. In addition, he has been a staple for Jam since at least 2003 and his most recent title is just an indication of the determination and commitment he has as a player. Off the field he is equally respectable as a PhD student in Political Science at Cal. He made a fine US representative in 2005 and 2009 will be no different.

Alicia White - I was stoked to see Alicia White on the tryout list, not to mention the "made it" list for the same reason I liked seeing her win Gold in Vancouver, she's a fellow UCSD alum. Her last year as a Psycho was my first year as a Squid and I remember very clearly that she was heads and shoulders above everyone else. Now that she has a few rings/medals, it makes the awe I felt back then all the more real and I am really proud of her. Plus, she was always nice to me and let me into the RIMAC gym when I'd forget my ID.

Seth Wiggins - Like Sammy CK, my first exposure to Seth was at Beware-O in '03 and it wasn't pretty. I remember Greenough warning us about his antics before the game and in looking over at the sideline, I got the impression that he was just another cocky jock. However, over the last few months, my opinion of Seth has changed dramatically. He has been very friendly the few times I've met him and despite being on the other side of the Furious/Sockeye rivalry, was very reasonable and objective when we've discussed the finer points of the game. Like the Boulder group, it is interesting to see who made it from the Team USA/Sockeye crowd, and I'm sure he is ready for another shot at Gold.

Closing Thoughts

The next step in the process for Team USA is the selection of the 13 players that will go to Worlds and the 7 that will not. I know it sucks being an "alternate" but I suppose the main thing to keep in mind is that out of the hundreds of applicants and 80 tryouts, you were chosen. Such an accolade is something each of these players will carry with them the rest of their careers and while it might not get them a medal or a ring, there are literally thousands of players that would gladly be so lucky. As I have stated before, this honor should be met with a great deal of humility and respect and I think we will get nothing less. The selection process has been so intense this time around and everyone involved knows what is at stake.

Yeah and Yale won High Tide....siiiiick.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Baseball and Ultimate, Steroids and SOTG

2009-03-05T12:17:00.002-05:00

Several times on this blog I have discussed how Ultimate and Basketball are similar but this time I would like to draw some parallels to Baseball.

For a few years now there has been a lot of discussion regarding spirit of the game, referees, observers, etc.. and despite the fact that this topic has inherent worth, things have gotten fairly diluted and now every time I see a SOTG or Refserver titled post on RSD, I just role my eyes. With that in mind I thought I'd try to put a slightly different spin on the topic as well as discuss Ultimate in a way I haven't before.

One of the ways I like to analyze Ultimate is to correlate it with sports that have much more scrutiny associated with them and recently I discovered a parallel between the steroid issues in Baseball and SOTG/Ref issues in Ultimate. I read this article on CNN.com and not only did it reinforce some opinions regarding the Great American Pastime, but some connections to Ultimate began to emerge. The opinion I am referring to is this "self-righteous/above the influence" thought process that some people in some sports have. In essence, the idea that a person can perform or compete in a sport and not fall victim to the temptations and short comings that "lesser" sportsmen succumb too in the absence of rigorous rule enforcement. Despite what many may believe is true, in my opinion, this is a complete fallacy. We are all human and given the opportunity and lack of vigilant authority we can and will buckle under pressure, it is just a matter of circumstance.

Baseball and Ultimate
In my mind, SOTG abuse in Ultimate and steroid abuse in Baseball are quite analogous. In the case of steroids and Baseball, the issue first began to surface when some very suspect characters came forward or were accused/tested positive for performance enhancing substances. Not surprisingly, the stereotypes associated with muscle bound roid-raged jocks was prominent with some of the first steroid casualties. Players like Jose Cansaeco, Ken Caminiti, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were the first to be scrutinized because they were either too big, too good, too shady or some combination of each. In this case, the steroid debate was easy to articulate but sadly, one could stuff it in a drawer because these characters represented extreme cases of substance abuse and most people assumed they were outliers.

Much like this, abuse with regard to SOTG in Ultimate was very easy to identify and write off early on. I'm not going to name names, but I'm sure over the years we can all think of opponents or fellow team mates that had suspect or sloppy playing practices and despite the fact that we either hated what they did and/or wouldn't play in a similar manner, we could disregard them as being poor sportsmen. Perhaps they were inexperienced players or bitter old "has beens", but in either case, their transgressions were ignored because they either didn't matter as players or would snap out of it eventually. We were comfortable with the system and assumed the general body of competitive players weren't abusing the rules.

However, in Baseball, as home run records were being eclipsed and free agency became more and more prominent, the expectations and money associated with players drastically increased. Players were breaking records and signing $252 million dollar contracts, but such things came at a price, one's integrity. Steroid use started to show up (or always was) amongst Baseball's most treasured players and because the business is so valuable, pharmaceuticals like Balco began generating/distributing performance enhancing substances that didn't have obvious side effects and/or weren't easily detectable, such as HGH. Then, because there wasn't a rigorous system of testing, the temptation to exploit the system was massive. Pressure came from all sides: fans, competitors, owners, the press etc... and even players like Alex Rodriguez, Rafeal Palmero, Miguel Tejada, and Andy Pettite were abusing. These weren't jacked out monsters or ego maniacs. They were just ball players trying to compete, but just like Canseaco, Bonds, Caminiti, and Clemens, they broke the rules.

I'd like to say that Ultimate is different, but it isn't. There was once a day when the game moved at a snail's pace relative to today and with a fraction of the teams and commitment level, SOTG was probably all that was necessary to keep the game clean. There may have been a few outliers here and there that took a few liberties in order to win, but they were in the margins, at least I hope so. But just like Baseball, things change. With constant pressure to expand and expand, the number of teams competing has ballooned to several hundred in every division, a number that dwarfs team totals as recently as my first year playing.

In addition, with things like Ultivillage and Cultimate, the importance of the game has exploded. Not only are players hitting the gym 5-7 times a week and competing year round, but we as followers are watching highlight clips and discussing the game world wide. A sport that had a small following of hippies some 30 years ago has now become a lifestyle and everyone from students to professionals to families are involved.

But just like free agency and money, these kinds of benefits come at a cost. With so many people emotionally invested in this game, with so much pride and glory on the line, the level of scrutiny has not kept up and it is now clear (to me at least) that liberties are being taken at the highest levels by the best players. Maybe this comes as no surprise, but much like the steroid issue, the integrity of the game is at stake. With players sacrificing so much to succeed in a game that has become so competitive, rule enforcement is of the utmost importance. However, despite our efforts to maintain a self-officiated systems, National Champions, Gold Medalists, and Callahan winners are getting away with rule breaking and much like steroids in Baseball, continued neglect of this issue is the worst possible insult to the game.

An Ugly Realization

Before I went to Boulder last year I wanted to re-watch the College Finals from 2006 because I figured Florida and Wisconsin would meet again in the Finals and I wanted to see the '06 game again. This was a great contest between two of the best teams in the history of our sport but the piece of footage that jumped out at me had little to do with the actual rivalry between Wisconsin and Florida, and more to do with just how apparent rule breaking in this game is.

For those of you without the patience to sit through the 45 minute video, take a look at the final goal of the game, or better yet the replay at 42:10. Tim Gehret hits Kurt Gibson with a beautiful 30 yard hammer in the back of the endzone for the game winner. The Cinderella Story is complete, Florida is a first time National champ and not only are they National champs, they went something like 55-1 and Tim Gehret got himself the Callahan Award in the process.

But hold the phone, take a closer look at TG's feet. Look at his pivot foot, travel! Such an infraction may seem trivial but given the stakes of this particular game and the fact that this was the game winning assist, I couldn't help but think, "What if Ben Rothlisberger had stepped over the line of scrimmage when he hit Santonio Holmes in the Super Bowl?" Maybe it doesn't affect Ben's throw but I bet you anything a yellow flag comes out and voids the touchdown. The same could be said for Tim's hammer, but it wasn't because it really wasn't anyone's job to look.

The biggest goal of the entire year and he traveled and not only did he travel, he took a huge step to get a difficult throw off, i.e. the travel DID affect the play. To make matters worse, he was the best player on the best team and he broke the rules and got away with it. Maybe not on purpose, maybe he would have had no problem taking it back or apologizing or admitting it, but he did it none the less and reaped the benefits. But because our system of self-officiating has holes in it, much like the steroid policy (or lack thereof) in Baseball, players can and will take advantage.

Now one could make the argument that Wisconsin simply blew the call, but blaming the Hodags for missing this does not give me any solace and it just highlights the idea that future abuse like this can, and probably will, occur. I actually commend Wisconsin's defensive focus and given the gruelling conditions in Columbus that day, asking a player to play and remain so vigilant at the same time is unfair. A foul call, a strip, a stall count, these are situations where players interact directly and therefore spirit plays a factor, but in a situation like this, the simple lack of observation is abused and I believe the integrity of the game suffers.

In addition, one could also argue that steroid abuse in Baseball is an active choice and it appears that Tim's travel was unintentional, making him the source of unfair criticism. However, it is a slippery slope to plead ignorance and I believe Tim's culpability lies with the fact that he was attempting such a difficult throw. A breakside hammer is devastating in a man to man defense setting and keeping a sturdy pivot foot is one of the only restrictions a player must follow in a windless situation. Tim benefitted from sloppy execution and rather than being taken back, the goal was recorded and the game was over. Perhaps if it had been a slight toe drag on a back/forehand huck or not an assist (much less a game winning assist), the situation would be different. Never the less, the circumstances of the play speak for themselves and at a moment where scrutiny should have been at its peak, the integrity of the game was tarnished. What's funny is that despite the fact that this may seem like a meticulous critique, I am confident that a player of Tim Gehret's caliber would rather have had a whistle blown and had to score legitimately than win because of a lack of vigilance.

And what is paramount regarding this play is that this was the game that made it to TV. This was the game we used to showcase Ultimate to the rest of the World and the last play, the game winner, was a text book example of just how antiquated self-officiating in Ultimate is. How can we inspire people to pick up a disc when the very best that play it are able to take advantage of a flawed system? This wasn't a pickup game or a contest involving inexperienced players. This was one of the biggest games in our sport's history with two of the best college teams ever, facing off in the National Finals. Yet when the stakes were this high, when so many people were watching, when so much was on the line, the rules were broken and what's worse is that no one even noticed. When I saw this, I was embarassed to be an Ultimate player.

What is also worth mentioning is that I do not blame Tim Gehret or anyone else that commits a violation here or there, nor do I blame players for making suspect calls in tense game situations, I am guilty of both. Actions like these are simply an affirmation of one's humanity, their lack of perfection, it would be unreasonable for me to expect anything else. However, what I can expect, for both Baseball and Ultimate, is a rigorous system of rule enforcement that keeps a watchful eye on all of it's participants. What is the point of a rule if record breakers, MVP's, and National Champions break it? What kind of example, as a country that invented each sport, are we setting by tip toeing around such a blatantly obvious problem? MLB and the UPA have their work cut out for them, and it is up to the leadership of each sport to fortify the integrity of each game.

Action Taken

To address the steroid situation, MLB investigated performance enhancement abuse in Baseball with the Mitchell Report. Much to their dismay, not only were steroids abused in Baseball, the problem was everywhere. More players were using than anyone could have imagined and what was even more alarming was that if you could get a player to answer a question honestly, they'd tell you that steroid abuse wasn't all that rare or uncommon. What a black eye for the sport.

The equivalent to the Mitchell Report in Ultimate seems to be the Ultimate Revolution, a rigorous investigation on the UPA’s part with the purpose of evaluating the game and seeing where it could be improved. Topics from regional lines, to College Nationals bid allocation, to a more active role for observers, were discussed and there are plans through 2012 to utilize the information uncovered. I’ve already discussed a 20 team College Nationals format on this blog and am more interested in active observers.

To begin the implementation process, the UPA scheduled several experimental tournaments that will allow players to get a feel for what active travel and up/down calls from an observer will be like. Ultimately, there will be a vote sometime before Nationals involving qualified teams to determine whether or not they want this sort of role for observer at College Nationals. The vote will require a 60% supermajority, which could prove to be a sizeable percentage, leaving me with the fear that despite all the information available, there is still a chance that nothing will be done with regard to these sorts of rule abuses.

Much like with steroids in Baseball, despite the evidence and work being done, the power of the data has yet to actually be utilized. Alex Rodriguez has tested positive for steroids and self-officiating has been abused by the game's best, but neither MLB nor the UPA has proven to their constituents that one day things like this will not occur, or at least given us any confidence that such a goal is even possible. A vote seems like another bureaucratic hurdle against a more fair and strict system, but hopefully, the UPA members that are privileged enough to vote on this matter will see things my way.

With this in mind, I am posting this article on the eve of The Stanford Invite, one of the the most prestigious tournaments in our sport, and one of the tournaments on the experimental schedule. Considering the fact that most, if not all, of the 2009 National Qualifiers will be at this tournament, this is one of the most important weekends of the year. Their exposure to the possibility of active observers can and should give them the knowledge they will need in a few months when voting on this issue occurs. I for one hope each and every player is paying attention, because much like the Conference 1 issue, this is a vastly important decision that will be made by some of our sports youngest and most inexperienced participants.

Personally, I think, much like the instant replay issue in Baseball, a vote is simply unneeded, just implement active observers. Democracy is a great system but it isn't always necessary and can sometimes be inhibitory, especially when the voting population doesn't have the best interest of the sport in mind. Perhaps some, even most players (Ultimate and Baseball) want change, but I get the feeling that some may not. I doubt most players want to be guinea pigs and while they care about the sport at large, they care more about their own personal agenda. Once again, this is simply an articulation of their humanity and self-interest but such things present problems when objective and enlightened decisions need to be made. Luckily for us flatballers, the opinion regarding active observers seems generally favorable so I am optimistic about this vote and unlike baseball, I believe change can and will happen.

Closing Thoughts

I have a lot more to say with regard to this topic but it is difficult to articulate objectively and in a professional way. What I will say is that on practice fields and sports complexes across the country and world, we teach and play a game that is self-officiated. We all see the difficulties associated with this sort of approach, but we try and work around them. However, the paradox of our sport continues to rear it's ugly head. We cannot ignore the fact that this game has evolved into a lifestyle and as such we need to modulate our way of playing it. Without strict rules, abuse will occur and neglecting it just shows a complete lack of respect for the game. Our situation is no different than the issues with Steroids in Baseball, or even the current economic crisis. When so much is on the line, when there is so much to be won or lost, 3rd party observation and regulation is imperative, otherwise how can we trust the end result? How can we be sure our reality is strong and stable? Anyone's illegitimate success will ultimately lead to everyone's legitimate sacrifice.

I also believe that as we move in this direction, the distance between self-officiating and just plain officiating continues to shrink. It appears that the dam maintaining Ultimate's historic roots, preventing it from becoming mainstream, springs a leak once in a while and the bottle neck pressure has shifted once again. I remember a time when eligibility was a huge concern and now it is active observers. What will be next? And despite all our intelligence is there any way we can make progress without sacrifice or struggle? Probably not, but hey, remember it's just a game.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Some Actual Ultimate Discussion

2009-02-17T23:15:00.004-05:00

I can't help it, I gotta talk some college disc. Here are some region to region discussions.

Northwest
Holy Cal! Wow, I suppose my Cal writeup came a year early. They are red hot right now with back to back tournament wins at Santa Barbara and Pres Day. I don't know what happened against Black Tide at Santa Barbara but their encore performance at Pres Day is very impressive. Way to go Choon. They came out this hot a few years back when they made Finals in '04 and I think they are #1 in the Northwest right now.

Outside Cal, Orgeon seems to be the other major NW contender. Their performance at TiV was very impressive but great Vegas performances have a tendency to matter a lot more in February than they do in May. I think Oregon is tired of being out of the Nationals discussion and I think Dusty is ready to end his career with Ego with a trip back to Columbus. Hopefully they get a shot against Cal at Stanford or Centex.

Stanford, eshk, these guys have been quite the wild card the last year or so. This year they turned a few heads by making the trek to Vegas and Ryan Thompson told me they did so because they wanted another tournament under their belt. Given the conditions and the fact that this was their first non-Kaimana February tournament since I've been paying attention, I'm not surprised they got worked. They did make Finals in Goleta, big surprise, and in doing so, proved that they've got the chops to compete in the Northwest, but also that Cal is legit in '09. They always seem to play well at home regardless of previous tournament performances, but then again Stanford Invite has 48 teams this year, so yeah, no idea whats gonna happen.

Outside these three, I've got nothing. LPC seems to make some noise at every tournament save Regionals, so I'm not surprised they've got a few big W's. UBC had a decent Vegas but they always seem to suck when the weather warms up. Hopefully they ditch the shants this year. Santa Cruz...I've gotta see it to believe it. Do something interesting at Stanford or you are going to be left out of any major Nationals discussion this year. More of the same with Davis. Decent SBI, decent Vegas, but not too many great wins to boast. I hope they get a chance to secure a few big wins at Stanford and potentially confirm who's who in the NW. Lastly, Washington... had Wisconsin played a little better, that W might have meant more, but oh well, the Sundogers, like everyone else, will have their chance to catch malaria, I mean earn W's, in Bum F$%@, Egypt next month.

Southwest
Big surprise, Colorado is good. Mac Taylor, Brian "Kibbles" Clarkson, Ted Phillips, Martin "Duke" Freeman, and Hylke Snieder are all ballers and will be the veterans that continue to dominate the SW region. They are going back to Stanford, which I like, but given the fact that the tourney is 48 teams this year, I have no idea what to expect. Most of the best teams will be in attendance, but predicting mactchups is impossible and given the question marks associated with the Hodags, who knows who will give Colorado a challenge? Carleton? Florida? Georgia? Regardless, I can't imagine anything less than another Regional title and trip to semis or better.

The rest of the Southwest is pretty tight with UCSB looking ok, when they actually compete as UCSB. Personally, I think outside the Fall, the whole UCSB-X thing is pretty weak, especially if their isn't a UCSB-Y. They handed Cal their only loss of the year which is commendable and they were one of the few SW teams to do well in Vegas. I'm getting tired of saying this, but Stanford will be a toss up, so I'm waiting until after Centex to make any sense of these gargantuan tournaments.

My squiddies are actually looking pretty stellar thus far, don't screw it up! Big wins over Claremot (loved that score) and Arizona, so they are no longer the pee-ons they have been the last 2 years. They got a big confidence win over UCLA but have yet to play SDSU so I think they still have a chance to slip. They also lost their only game against Black Tide this year but so far they are 9-0 in power/pool play so that's pretty sweet. Probably came out flat Sunday morning at SBI, so here's hoping they keep the Saturday night shenanigans to a minimum in the future. Regardless, with 3 bids out of the SW a return to Nationals for the first time since 2006 is definitely in the cards, but I'm sure they'd like to stick it to Tide in the Series and maybe even get a shot at Mamabird at some point this year.

Arizona, yikes, I was afraid they'd have some trouble without some of their 5th years. I don't think Austin Gregersen is on the team this year leaving just Erik Gafni as their primary threat and despite his talent (and enthusiasm) I think Sunburn's in for some trouble. They'll have their chances to rebound at Stanford and Centex, but I'm guessing Stanford will be another shit show and Centex will be brutal to a team that has lost a lot of it's depth.

South
Yeah, I'm still waiting for Texas to make an appearance. They'll be at Mardi Gras and Stanford so check back in a few weeks. North Texas, Texas State, still waiting for some clarity, sorry.

Central
Wow, Wisconsin feeling the fear a little bit eh? I had a feeling the 'Dags were in for some L's and now I'm waiting to see what they do in the face of some adversity. Animal and Foster are a great set of captains and I'm sure having Gaynor back for another year will help them remain confident. However, guys like Feldman and Geppert have never been in this situation with Wisconsin and a lot of people are interested to see how they handle it. I don't think Vegas is as indicative as some would like, because I get the feeling they opened their bench up in the face of some uber bad weather, but if they suck again at Stanford, the fear they once instilled in their opponents will be long gone.

Alright Carleton, way to not screw up my predictions. With only one loss against Colorado and the only team to beat Florida at Vegas, CUT is looking like this could be their year. They'll be another in the 8-10 bad asses at Stanford trying to solidify some sort of hierarchy and considering the fact that CUT usually peaks late, I'm sure we haven't seen the best the Northfield flatballers have to offer. Given the fact that they were ehh at Centex last year but still made Semis in Boulder, I'm not sure we'll know just how good CUT is until they potentially take the region back in May.

Considering the fact that the CN gets 20% of the teams at Nationals this year, the door is really wide open for a lot of teams. I was stoked to see Iowa take Warm Up and given last year's Universe finish against Wisconsin in Semis at Regionals, I will be paying close attention to IHUC.

Minnesota seems to be the only other team to jump out at me from the Central Region. They had a decent year last year with a great Centex, but so far they haven't done much. Hopefully they get a chance against Wisconsin at Mardi Gras and given the fact that the Hodags usually own Baton Rouge, a win over baby blue could be huge. Likewise, Mardi Gras will be Wisco's chance to get their demons sorted out before the wolves come-a-callin at Stanford.

Great Lakes
This region is going to be exciting. I've been a big Magnum fan since 2005 and with Will Neff as my pick for Callahan, UM will be a team to watch this spring. However, Notre Dame is hands down the team to beat in the Great Lakes. They had a great Fall and made the Finals at Queen's City Tune Up, while Magnum lost in quarters after taking their pool. Both Papal Rage (sort of) and Magnum will be in Louisiana this weekend so we'll have an idea of who's who in a week or so. Notre Dame doesn't have the rep to get into Centex or Stanford just yet, so they'll have to hope for some great games at Huck Finn, which is surprisingly loaded this year with Colorado, Wisconsin, Georgia and Michigan all coming out of the wood work. I suppose Fools Fest in Kansas wasn't good enough.

Anyway, I think Michigan has got the schedule to really test their squad and given their late-ish peak last year, it might be just the gauntlet they need to prepare for Regionals. Likewise, I think Notre Dame has a rough road ahead of them because they've got all season to lose their steam and they'll need to play as well in the Series as they are now if they want a crack at Columbus. Meanwhile, Ohio State is still very much a contender and after their experience at Nationals at home in 2007, I'm sure they are fired up for another shot at being the home town heroes in May. Bottom line, Great Lakes Regionals is gonna be sweeeeet.

Atlantic Coast
God damn it Florida, you were supposed to suck this year. What am I supposed to do with a 15-13 loss to Georgia but a tournament win at Vegas? I get the feeling like Stanford at Stanford, Florida just doesn't lose in Vegas. They've won the tourney 3 of the 4 years it has been in existence so who knows? I do know that Brodie seems to think that '09 is the new '06 which could mean another Stanford title, and given the fact it's not in Palo Alto this year (like 2006), he could have his senior year end up like freahman year. Anyway, I was very impressed with the way they finished out Vegas and hopefully we see another game against CUT at Stanford or Centex to see who's actually better. I'm not sure what kind of rotation they are using now that Cycle, Windham, and Gibson are gone, but success early is something Florida seems to be good at the last few years. Stanford Invite probably won't give us the answers we want, unless they win it all, so we'll have to wait until after Centex to see if they are title bound once again.

Alright JoJah!! My Athens boys are kicking ass this year and I love it. Maybe they came out flat against Iowa in the Warm Up Finals, but a split squad Mudbowl win and a dominating performance at QCTU is just what the doctor ordered. They took out Florida in their only meeting this year, which is actually a big deal because last year Florida had their foot on Georgia's throat wire to wire. I don't like that they aren't going to Centex (at least according to the score reporter), but considering the fact that they are on the Huck Finn badwagon, I'm sure we'll get an idea of whether or not Georgia is ready to pull a 2005 move and take back the AC by April. Regardless, I'm hoping for a Colorado/Georgia game in bracket play at some point (Stanford or Huck Finn) because fireworks always seem to fly between gold and red.

As for Virginia and Tennessee, ask me after Centex. Viriginia got a bid to the battle in Austin and Tennessee has a guarunteed game against Wisconsin in Baton Rouge, so the AC could have a few new faces this year. However, I still have no idea what to make of the NC crowd, and given the fact that things were fairly ambiguous up until Carolina Sectionals last year, I have no idea what to expect from NC State, UNC-Wilmington and UNC.

Metro East
Cornell is looking good early this year, especially with a close game against a juggernaut like Colorado. Pitt got themselves a few quality wins in Vegas as well with W's over Stanford and Santa Barbara. Delaware had a rough weekend in North Carolina and Maryland could be a contender, despite coming and going historically. However, despite all of this, things are still wayyy to early to tell in a region as volatile as the Metro East.

Huck of the Irish will be the first real opportunity we'll have to see most of the ME duke it out (save Pitt) and my guess is that Delaware will squeeze in between some of these teams, if not take them all by storm. Because the Centex team list isn't complete yet, I'm not certain which of these squads will be in Austin but I'm guessing most. Hopefully they all show because this region is usually quite the spectacle and I'd love more fuel for the Regional Prediction fire.

North East
Like the Metro East, much of the North East still has yet to come out of hibernation. Harvard had a great Vegas once again and Middlebury went 9-2 which is impressive but they never seem to make any noise when it matters. Tufts didn't do as well in the desert as they did a year ago but I'm sure A-Hole has got them focused for whatever tournaments they decide to go to. I like that Dartmouth is going down to Mardi Gras which should be all the competition they need to get the dust off the cleats. Perhaps they will do as well as Brown did at Warm Up and give some non-Regional teams a scare. My dark horse for the region is UConn because they have really come around as a program and even won a Fall Tournament (Coffee Cup). They have never made Regionals but this year could be one for the books. I'm sure Brown is unafraid though, considering the fact that they've taken the South NE Section every year since the beginning of time, but who knows? Everybody loves an upset.

Closing Thoughts
The main thing on my mind after looking at all this is that I really hope tournaments don't all become 50-80 teams. I mean having Vegas as the one early season tournament with a million teams is fine, but 48 at Stanford and Centex?! Not sure how I feel about this. As a NUMP voter, it gets hard to make sense out of a bunch of 9-6 scores and what not. It seems like 5-6 years ago players wanted to face off against teams across the country before Nationals but I wonder if it is beginning to be too much of a good thing. I like the 16-24 team tournament format with 3-5 pool play games, pre/quarters, semis, finals. When the bracket takes 30 minutes to even begin to understand, I lose interest quickly.

There was beauty in the distilled talent at Stanford and Centex because teams that were "in" felt a sense of pride and teams on the outside had a reason to play their hearts out in January. You know, the qualifier days? In addition, with the best teams heading off to their own special tournies, other events such as Southerns, Terminus, and Ultimax had their own 20-40 team showdowns and it was fun for all. Now with 48 teams at Stanford and Centex, I wonder if something is lost. Oh well, the new Stanford and Centex haven't even happened yet and maybe at the end of March I will be singing a different tune. Best of luck to all the teams and NO ONE GET HURT!!

just my thoughts

match diesel

My Take on Team USA

2009-02-13T15:05:00.004-05:00

This Winter/Spring we will see one of the biggest events in our sport, the selection and preparation of Team USA for World Games in Taipei. I'm really interested in this series of events because I've been around long enough to see a few Worlds come and go and I also remember when Team USA had their fun back in 2005. From the looks of things, 2009 will be considerably different than a few years ago but the excitement and anticipation is ready and waiting.

Worlds?
So I've written about this a number of times, but it never loses it's importance. Worlds? Didn't we just have that last August? Yes but there are also 3 kinds of Worlds, each happening once every 4 years so there is a Worlds event 3 out of every 4 years.

WUGC ('00, '04, '08)- World Ultimate and Guts Championships is the World Cup of Ultimate. Each country is responsible for selecting one team to represent it's Nation. Some countries pick the winner of their country's National title (USA, Canada, and Japan) and others select an All-Star team to represent their Nation (UK and Australia). Either way, this is usually the best tournament from a team perspective. It has every division, Open, Women, Mixed, Masters, and Juniors (boys and girls) and there are usually a fair amount of teams competing. In Vancouver, there were 18 in Open, 15 Women, 12 Mixed, 10 Masters, 8 Junior Boys, 7 Junior girls for a total of 70 teams. I also think the team rivalries are the strongest here with USA (Sockeye) vs Canada (Furious), USA vs Japan (Open and Women), Australia vs Great Britain, etc...

World Games ('01, '05, '09)- This is a tournament that is more or less all the games that aren't in the Olympics, at least that is how it was explained to me. Each sport is given a certain number of players that can be present which drastically limits the number of competitors and the number of divisions. Also, Ultimate is only a small part of this Worlds event, unlike WUGC and WUCC, and because each sport is limited by participants, the Ultimate is Mixed. This tournament is probably the best from a player's perspective because it is such an honor to be selected. In the US there were hundreds of applicants for less than 20 final spots. The selection of the team is almost like American Idol, in that the hype and preparation for the tournament is probably more exciting than the tournament itself (or in the case of AI, their music career). Another major restriction for this tournament is that only 6 teams get to play in it, the top 5 finishers at WUGC and the host country. It is for this reason that the 5th place game at WUGC between Australia and Sweeden was such a big deal. Because the Aussies won 16-14 they get to go to World Games along with the other 4 semifinalists (Canada, USA, Japan, and UK) and Taipei.

WUCC ('02, '06, '10)- World Ultimate Club Championships is a bit weird. Some Nations send several teams, some Nations send one team and other Nations are only represented in some divisions or not at all. This tournament seems to be the most fun for players because the people that really want to be there are usually in greater numbers than people that should be there. For whatever reason, it does not have the draw of WUGC, so a lot of the best teams pass on the tournament (Furious, Sockeye, Fury, Riot, Jam, Boston, etc..) giving other teams an opportunity. This tournament will be in Prauge in 2010 and despite the fact that there is probably some sort of selection process, I do not know what it is.

Here is a website that discusses this in greater detail.

2005 vs 2009
In 2005, things were fairly different from this year. 4 years ago, the only selection criteria was an application process (no tryouts) which resulted in some interesting choices. For starters, without a tryout process, it seemed like the UPA wanted to give Open, Women's and Mixed representation. This made sense, but it was easy to see right off the bat that the team selection was going to be a bit more political, as opposed to strictly talent based. In addition, it seemed like service to the game was a big part of the selection process, which is fine, it just highlighted the idea that this particular Team USA had diplomatic goals in mind as opposed to just winning Gold.

Some of the roster choices in 2005 were easy to see and some not so much. Chase Sparling-Beckley and Josh Ziperstein made the team which seemed very appropriate because Chase had just won a club title with Sockeye and Zip the Callahan and College Title (Brown). Mike Namkung was the veteran captain which was also understandable given his experience with Black Tide, the Condors and Team USA (WUGC 2004). Will Deaver was/is a Bravo standout and given his role as Championship Director, it looked like he was a good choice for diplomatic reasons.

As for the woman, they were as strong as the men with Miranda Roth ('05 Callahan Winner), Deb Cussen (Riot, Club Champion '04), Angela Lin (Ozone), and Gwen Ambler (Stanford and Fury) but with Gwen came alternate issues. She, like Alex Nord, was an alternate for Team USA which at the time didn't make a lot of sense to me because few players in the game were as talented/decorated as Nord or Gambler. I don't think anyone including the participants were certain what alternates, if any, would make the Final team but in the end Nord and Gambler didn't go to Germany, which was more evidence that the team selection was fairly subjective.

Now many people will will quickly say that Ron Kubalanza or Dominque Fontenette deserved their spot on Team USA (and I even forget now who was on the team and who were alternates) but my only point is to just show that there were all kinds of players that were and were not on the team and this completely omits all the players that had their applications rejected.

With this background, I think the UPA is now more interested in selecting a team based not only on their on-paper accolades, but their full speed capabilities as well, hence the two tryouts. This is a huge step forward in the selection process of Team USA and is a major reason why 2009 will be so exciting as well as more objective.

The first round has already taken place with offers to 80 players or so and despite the fact that I know a few players that should be on this list and are not, I think the chosen few are fantastic and the whole process will be an experience each participant will never forget. The first tryout will be for West Coast applicants February 21st and 22nd at Cal State Northridge. The other will be the following weekend at the Polo Fields in Sarasota for the East Coast participants.

Former Members

In looking at the list, my first concern is that several players from the 2005 team are trying out again and that doesn't really seem fair to me. Considering the fact that only a select few can even tryout, seeing people like Jeff Eastham, Bart Watson, Mike Namkung, Miranda Roth, and Dominique Fontenette on this this list makes me kind of cringe. Players like Adam "Wormser" Bunn didn't even get a chance to tryout so in my opinion, giving spots to former Team USA representatives and not up and comers is a bit bogus.

I discussed the same argument when I wrote about Junior Worlds because there were several players from the Boys team in Vancouver that were on the Gold medal team in 2006. George Stubbs and Grant Lindsley had two chances to win Gold and I don't really think that is right, given the level of talent that was rejected and the fact that their closest game in Vancouver was 17-7. Because the 2009 Team USA will only have 15-20 players, it seems a bit unfair to give a roster spot to a person that has already filled the seat much less a tryout opportunity. Given the quality of players on the list, I think a Gold medal team could be selected without choosing any former members and I hope in the future there are restrictions on being selected more than once.

Who I want to see in Taipei

With that being said, I am kinda going back on my last point with this next one because the first person on my list for this team is Gwen Ambler. Seeing her as an alternate in 2005 sucked because I thought she deserved to go to Germany and despite the fact that I hoped she'd get a roster spot come tourney time, it didn't happen. She did just win a Gold medal in Vancouver but Taipei is more or less about being chosen by the UPA and there is no one that has put more into this sport than Gwen (male or female).

Another name that jumped out at me was Mike Caldwell. Mike represents the core of Seattle Sockeye's success the last 5-6 years and MC has been a fundamental part of the best team in the world for nearly a decade. Sockeye's example as a program has raised the bar in the Club sphere the way Wisconsin has in the College scene. Mike's role as Fish Captain, in my opinion, makes him a front runner to make Team USA and be chosen as one of the veteran leaders. Plus, I also think he got a raw deal in Vancouver because his wife gave birth the night before the Gold medal game with Furious. Now I know that this is a miracle of life and I am sure he loves his new child as much as his first, but I think his performance in the Gold medal game suffered because of it. I think a second opportunity to represent his country would be fitting and well received. Plus it'd make a great story.

Team Representation

Another issue that has come up with respect to Team USA is the number of tryouts that come from the same team. Johnny Bravo has quite a few, as does Sockeye, Jam, and Ironside. This makes sense though because they represent the best Open teams over the last few years and using Club experience as a major selection criteria is pretty objective and fair. The same could be said for San Francisco Fury, which makes even more sense because they are the most dominant team since the glory days of DoG.

However, the issue then becomes, who do you pick from these teams? Greg Connelly and whomever else is picking this squad, cannot pick 3 players from Bravo and zero from Ironside, or at least I don't think they will, so the question becomes, who gets chosen? Who do you pick from Sammy CK, Ben Wiggins, Mike Caldwell, and Seth Wiggins? I think the tryout process will streamline things but it will be a real challenge to figure out who you want handling, cutting, D-ing up, etc... If you pick a Bravo handler like Parker Krugg, can you pick a JB cutter like Mac Taylor? If you go for Dylan Tunnell does that mean Greg Swanson doesn't have a chance. I think this is the scariest case. Teams like Bravo, Ironside and Jam have made semis and finals but Chain has just made semis and isn't in the hightest tier of elite teams yet. Does that mean they can only hope for 1 player on Team USA and not 2? Once again, the tryout process will definitely help but it is still a dicey issue.

Along this Chain Lightning point, the issue of regional representation gets interesting. Ultimate hubs are in places like Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, and Denver, but what about guys like Tank and Muffin? Do you try and get players out of the South, Central, or Southwest (excluding Colorado)? Is that a selection criteria? Again, I think a tryout process streamlines things, but it will be really tough to pick 5 or 6 players (out of 20) from one region and completely pass up another one.

And what about Mixed? You have National champion players (or close to it) in the Smith brothers (Mischief), Kendra Frederick (Slow White), Mike Miller (Slow White) and Rusty Ingold-Smith (Slow White). Do they stand a chance? I am glad to see that a few tryout spots were offered to Mixed players and I wonder if their experience will help them in a tryout process that will require great skill across sexes.

With all of this to consider, the drama associated with Team USA is through the roof. The tryout event will definitely be a sight to witness/participate in because it will be one of the best showcases of talent since MLU back in 2006 and it will represent both Men and Women. The next round of selections, like the first, will say a lot about the players on the next list and more importantly, what kind of team the UPA wants representing the Red, White and Blue.

Closing Thoughts
The last thing to consider when looking at potential tryouts is their diplomatic skill and players like Ben Wiggins, BVH, and Gwen Ambler have a huge advantage because of their contributions as coaches and media sources. I'm not certain this will be a major selection criteria but it has me wondering. Players like Muffin, Seth Wiggins, and Tucker all have distinct personalities and I wonder how that will factor into player selection. I'm sure each tryout is humbled by this honor and will be on their best behavior but balancing personalities is a big part of building a team and will be important in defending our title.

In the end, this process is just exciting. Pretty soon we'll have an idea of who will be selected to the top 20 and following them through their preparation will be exhilarating. I remember when Team USA won Poultry Days 4 years ago and I was there when they beat Team Canada at Potlatch but lost in Semis to Vagabonds. However, they won Gold over Australia in 2005 and there is no reason why Team USA can't do it again in 2009.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Ultimate Peace

2009-01-28T15:05:00.004-05:00

“Peace in the Middle East”. I think I first heard this saying when I was in second grade right around the time of our first venture into Iraq back in 1991. However, unlike cars, computers, house prices, minimum wage, and more or less everything else, not much has changed in the last 18 years. The cultural conflicts that have claimed hundreds and thousands of lives over the last two decades (at the very least) has remained terrifyingly constant and all we are left with is the lingering feeling that despite our advances as a species, there will always be violence.

However, recently there has been a collection of Ultimate players that have decided to take it upon themselves to take a proverbial stab at this conflict with a movement called Ultimate Peace, an Ultimate based humanitarian effort in the West Bank. I was touched by this act of good will and I thought I would discuss my take on the situation and why I think this idea is so important.

The hostility that has persisted in the West Bank has been terrible not only for the Jewish, Islamic, Israeli and Palestinian communities but for those of us that do not fall under any of these labels. For all parties, those entrenched in the conflict and those left watching on CNN, this persistent situation is exceedingly dismal and frustrating. Continual bombings, terrorist attacks and general violence are a constant source of remorse, pain, and fear regarding the future and what horrors wait in the winds, for what is a quandary that endlessly endures? It is like a ruthless hang nail with no finger nail clippers. A seemingly small problem without a foreseeable solution that manages to steal all of your focus. You go primitive with some picking and scratching but before you know it, it's worse than before. Ultimately you are driven insane because all you want is a solution, an end, a resolution, something other than continued pain and irritation, or in this case, violence and cultural warfare. However, without a change in strategy, nothing will improve.

But such a successful strategy in the West Bank is anything but straightforward. In moving from one extreme of this country to another, I’ve learned that my perspective of the world is a direct product of my surroundings. I am fortunate in the sense that I have had constructive exposure to the opinions and beliefs of chill Southern Californianis, liberal Northwesterners, high strung Northeasterners, gregarious Mid-Westerners, friendly Southerners, cultured foreigners and just about everything in between. Such exposure is vital in understanding the extraordinary complexity this world has to offer because without it, one cannot appreciate the beauty of how and why people are so different. This type of contact enlightens the mind so that one can begin to see why something can be evil to some, but common to others. Why something can be fantastic to one group but absolutely detested by another. Why an honor to one person is a tragedy to someone else.

Nevertheless, this sort of enlightenment requires a link, a common bond. Two opposite groups of people will not spontaneously understand one another without some sort of union. This may seem impossible, but if we are clever enough, there can always be a connection to find. People from Modesto, CA to Virginia, MN, to Newark, DE, to Statesboro, GA, to the United Arab Emirates can all unite under one umbrella, if we are smart enough to come up with a common theme. Maybe it’s a shared interest in The Big Lebowski, or being a product of a divorced family, or a mutual love for candy corn. The specifics are irrelevant but what is relevant is that when such a topic emerges, regardless of the differences we may have on the outside, we find an emotional connection. If only for an instant, we find a moment where we realize that “I”, so seemingly different from “you”, am actually not that different at all.

With this in mind, I’ve always been wary of the word “diversity” because it is such a dicey subject. It usually comes up when one demographic is trying to attract attention, resources, or opportunities away from a more dominant one. However, differences are not always good and when they are highlighted over and over, tension seems to materialize. When people are constantly reminded of how different they are from one another, it is no surprise that fear, aggression and distaste begin to surface. So I ask, is this the best solution? Is focusing on what makes us different the best strategy?

So with this background, I decided to write a little bit regarding Ultimate Peace, a very basic Ultimate clinic and tournament in Tel Aviv, Israel April 1st-5th. From what I can gather, it is more or less your garden variety Ultimate event, in a location that is anything but garden variety. The goal? To use the power of Ultimate to teach cooperation and understanding between under privileged youths and adults that are more or less sworn enemies at birth.

I find this idea to be compelling for many reasons. First off, unlike a lot of ideas, it is a short term project with long term goals. Not unlike starting a college ultimate team, making progress in this region will take time and effort and it all begins with simple, short term goals with a long term objective in mind. Rather than be short sighted and attempt to bring entrenched people together with cultural advocacy, legislation or played-out humanitarian action, Ultimate Peace is trying to turn future enemies into current friends. It won’t make every Israeli and Palestinian Facebook friends, it won’t end violence and suffering in the Middle East but it’s a start, it’s progressive. It is an action to bring enlightenment to a tortured group of people that need it. Perhaps in 20 years, a participant will sit in on a discussion regarding his supposed adversary and say “No wait! I played pickup with them and they're alright”.

Why is this important? Israelis are never going to convince Palestinians to forget their cause and vice versa. However, if an emotional connection between these two groups can arise, if only a handful of teenagers chasing a disc, the propensity to resort to violence lessens. If a stranger tosses me a flick while I’m walking through the quad, I am filled with curiosity regarding this new acquaintance and I don’t even know their name yet. Where did they play? Do they read RSD? How did they pick up a flick? And before I know it I’m asking “Wanna get a beer?”. Even if they are a Harvard grad, a right wing conservative, or a liberal extremist, I’m genuinely interested in getting to know them, and all because of a 175g piece of plastic.

And what is even better is that the bigger the difference between two people, the more satisfying this realization becomes. If I’m on Tybee Island and I see a 5Ultimate bracelet on a fellow bar patron’s wrist, no big surprise, I’m over it. But what if I saw that same bracelet on a Coliseum tour guide in Rome or a Sushi chef in Fukoka, Japan? WOW, would I be surprised and fired up to start asking some questions. The same could be said for any two groups of differing people, such as Jews and Muslims. But laying the ground work for this sort of connection takes time and intelligent investment, the likes of which Ultimate Peace is aiming for.

Another reason why this is such a good idea, is that it’s just plain fun. Ultimate is a good time. When I had turmoil in my life, 2 hours of practice on RIMAC field was just what I needed. I’m sure I’m not alone in this regard and who needs this sort of distraction more than conflicted youths in the West Bank? No seminar or history class or depressing TV program can deliver this kind of relief and the more a person needs it, the more they will hold on to it. This sort of activity has such lasting power because nothing drives a person more than the memory of a good time. I have countless friends and teammates that had their Ultimate fires lit because of a single week at NUTC and my personal interest in flatball hit warp speed after a few days in Corvalis back in May of 2005.

But a lot of us are privileged Westerners. Most of us knew we were bound for college and if we came across a game of pick up and liked what we saw, we were hooked. The same could be said for people who took up things like Rugby, Model UN, or Hashing. In college, opportunities to find a weird sub-culture were everywhere and most people picked up something they really enjoyed. But what about those that don’t have this chance? What about people that spend day after day just trying to stay alive? Can you imagine what kind of impact something “just plain fun” could have? It probably wouldn’t even matter what it was, it could be a bunch of people chasing around a piece of plastic. Wait, that’s exactly what it is. If it worked for soccer, why can’t it work for Ultimate?

So what’s the catch? None of this comes free and this organization needs help. Their goal is to raise $80,000 for the event and while this seems like quite a sum, I am reminded of Obama’s campaign and how much small on-line contributions helped him win the election. With paypal as a resource, the ease of donating far outweighs any excuse one can put forth for not helping out. 2008 was a tough year for most of us, including myself, but I put down my $25 and I did it while on a plane from JFK to LAX en route to Lei Out. If that doesn’t prove how easy it is to help, I don’t know what can. Come on flatballers, pull out your iPhones and use them for the best reason yet.

Now I hate evangelism and I get the same fundraising/donation chills that everyone else gets, but Ultimate Peace is not out to convert the world and they’re not asking for your life savings. All they want to do is spread the wealth, the wealth that is passion for this little game of ours. Odds are you’re a passionate Ultimate player like me, otherwise, why would you be reading this? And if so, take 3 minutes and help a cause worth helping. You’ll be in good company. The best from Sockeye, Riot, the Condors, Brute Squad, heck even former UPA President Mike Payne is involved. The very best people are not the ones that can, but the ones that can and do.

just my thoughts

match diesel

If Lei Out and Wild Wood were bars...

2009-01-20T16:32:00.010-05:00

...Lei Out would be the micro brew joint with good looking women, $11 burgers and clean bathrooms while Wild Wood would be the underage dive joint with cheap food, cheaper beer, and more character than you can shake a stick at.

I recently hit the west coast for the Santa Monica Beach Bash and while I've grown accustom to the 12 degree weather and bitterness of the North East, I still had a banging good time in my old stomping ground. Now that I have been to 2 of the best beach ultimate tournaments, I thought I would toss out a few opinions and share some of the spittle I managed to remember after a weekend with some of our sport's finest.

Lei Out vs Wild Wood

First off, I wanted to say that comparing these tournaments is really tough because they happen at exactly opposite ends of the year. Lei Out seems to be around MLK weekend and WW is at the end of July, so a lot of comparisons are inherently biased or flawed.

With that in mind, I definitely believe that the competition at Lei Out is considerably better. Considering that Wild Wood is in the middle of the club season, many elite players seem to avoid a binge-fest in the cesspool to end all cesspools. I've seen guys like Holzer, Teddy, and Jasper (Ironside) in Southern Jersey but the level of competition seems to drop off considerably outside a few select teams. To make matters worse, if you just go for the ultimate (which some people do for Lei Out and dodge the party), there really isn't much to do outside some major vicing in Wild Wood so I can imagine a lot of focused flat ballers passing it up.

However, because Lei Out is in the middle of winter (well sort of, if you call 80 degrees and a cloudless sky, winter) not only do you have a ton of west coast talent come out, but many east coast players make the trip out to Los Angeles. Without even trying, I spotted a few recent National Champs like Damien Scott, Mark Humphrey and Mike Namkung, not to mention a slew of other talented flatballers in Seth Wiggins and Keith Monahan and those were just the west coast guys. Texas was there in full force, not to mention my Sunburn buddies and a bunch of east coasters like BVH, Kendra, and Chicken.

Despite the level of competition, Wild Wood does seem bigger than it's west coast counter part. When walking up to the fields in Jersey, the amount of teams playing seems absolutely staggering not to mention the fact that there are something like six different divisions, unlike Lei Out which only has two. Perhaps Wild Wood seems bigger because it straddles the pier in NJ, and Lei Out was just on the North side, but I got the feeling I'd seen a bigger beach tournament on the East Coast.

Another huge element to consider when discussing these two tournaments are the costs. I want to say that one is definitely cheaper than the other, but when I think about it a little more, it's a draw. Santa Monica's bar district is definitely not cheap (as evidenced by the $240 I dropped the first night) but the hotels by the beach are many and they don't shoot up their prices like the shaddy spots in Wild Wood do. In addition, despite being in a relatively cheap spot in New Jersey with respect to booze and food, Wild Wood isn't near much else and traveling to and from is exceedingly difficult unless you are one of the "lucky" locals. On the other hand, Santa Monica is right near LAX so getting into the city (regardless of where you are coming from) and getting to your hotel isn't tough, provided you dodge some MAJOR traffic. But then again, a lot of folks have to fly into Lei Out which probably doubles your costs and driving seems to be the mode of transportation for most when going to the Wood.

As for the party, I think it's a matter of opinion. The free Colt 45 was money at the Lei Out party (as was the fact that I was wearing my Colt 45 team jersey which got me a few more questions than I would have liked, but it's my own fault), but the bar was really crowded. Maybe its because everybody goes and it is tough to fit 1,000+ people into one bar, but I don't recall Wild Wood being that densely packed at whatever that 2 story place is called. In addition, I think the grungier feel of the Wood makes it easier to take it to the streets and I can think of more than one story regarding carnival game shenanigans and under the pier activities. I heard that the Lei Out party was previously on the pier, but not this year, so I think the party debate is another toss up.

In the end, I think it would benefit all parties (east and west coast) to hit both tournaments. I have a few friends that have done both and I think the consensus is that both are great in their own way. Drawing conclusions the way one could between Santa Barbara vs Stanford Invite, TiV vs Pres Day, or Centex vs Southerns, isn't really possible with the Wood and Lei Out, so I think the best strategy is to just go to both.

Finals Week Hurricane

The name of my team was Finals Week Hurricane because when I was an undergrad we used to get hjammered after finals and hurricane around campus, ie drink and sing at people who were trying to study for their remaining tests. It was always something I looked forward to and it was something that highlighted how much fun, yet how smart, we were at UCSD. Well, at least I was.

Because I missed out on Potlatch (broken foot) I really wanted another shot at playing with my fellow squids/psychos. I had to have jerseys made as well and despite 2 months of stressing over adobe illustrator files and failed attempts with 5Ultimate (damn you NW snow), I managed to get them printed through the tournament and everybody liked them.

In addition to trying to win as much as possible (which we did, 5-1) I wanted to have as much fun as possible such that all the other UCSDers that were scattered across other teams would wish they were on my team. Outside maybe Bofa (Car Bomb) and Wormser (Mischief), I think I was successful.

Friday

I got into LAX around 530p and after some major traffic and dinner with Pajohesh, I found myself at a bar called "Q's". Because it was in Brentwood it was pretty UCLA heavy, not to mention expensive. After Kief, Boont, Duffy, Dibs, Amy, Katie, and Miles got to the bar, I proceeded to go agro. One kamikazes turned into 4 rounds of them not to mention more car and Yeager bombs than I could remember. I vaguely remember going with Kief and JAM to Mickey D's around the corner, but I definitely remember getting the $200 bill. Yikes, good thing the bar keep was hot.

Anyway, after some lip singing "Red, Red Wine" into the lounge mirror for some added entertainment, we headed back to JAM's place and despite starting out clothed on his couch, I ended up wearing my Texas Lone Star Alum jersey for a pair of pants in Jonny's bed. Oh well, he wasn't in it.

Saturday

After waking up a little dazed, I quickly realized I was in LA about to play a beach tournament with some of my better friends. This got the blood flowing quickly as did the grande Americano and sausage P-diddy at the Bucks, thank god for the 10am start time.

Once we got to the beach, all I could think about were the jerseys and despite feelings of apprehension for any number of reasons, I got to frisbee central, they had received my check and they didn't screw up the threads. SICK!!! Now all I had to do was play ultimate.

Like most folks, this was also a time of "Oh hey (insert ultimate name here)!!! Great to see you." I quickly realized TUFF was in the house, not to mention my blood (Alex) who was playing for DTB, *wiping a tear away*. I also got a chance to meet up with my team mates who didn't make it to the bar and before I knew it, game time was upon us.

Our first game was against Keith Monahan's team and it was probably a good thing that I was the only one that knew he was a national champ, because we played like they were any other team. We all got the blood flowing and before long, we won something like 11-6.

After the game, I was handed a nice little pastry and despite the fact that I probably should have been a bit more conservative, I decided, what the hell? This would prove to be calories that would cost me a few turnovers later in the day, but hey, it was tasty.

Second game was against a Santa Cruz alum team, and sorry Slugs, I really wanted to beat you guys. We lost to UCSC wayy back at the Stanford Qualifier in '04 and UCSD lost to them at Vegas on DGP last year so I really wanted to win this game. They took half and were up like 8-5 but we turned it around and beat them off an Elroy sky (one of many) 11-9 or so. SICK!! 2-0.

Next game was a bit of a blur for obvious reasons, but we won easy, 11-4 I think. In this game I still had this conception that I could cut but after dropping a bullet I decided I would wait for April to try and bust out of my handler role. Anyway, my focus was returning by this point so I was ready for the final game of the day, which was against some Tufts alums, one of whom I knew from CT.

This game was fun because I was actually consistent. They wanted to go to 13 because we had daylight, so we obliged. I was a bit frustrated with the fact that I hadn't gotten a layout D yet so I was happy to take on a few more points to give myself another shot, and it paid off.

We pulled with a 12-4ish lead and I was covering some asian guy I think. After a few cuts, TJ got the disc and sent a huck to my guy and we were both off to the races. I was trailing by a little bit, but when the disc came, I sort of did a run/jump and macked the disc. Now we all know what happens when you mack a disc on D in the endzone so I kept at it and made a nice little bid and grabbed my second effort in my opponents endzone. I then popped up and sent a flick put the other way to Elroy for the game winner. Going 4-0 is awesome.

Saturday Night

After leaving the fields we headed back and got some fish tacos. I miss Rubio's. After we each took showers, I pulled out the '08 WUGC DVD that I had brought and we watched the gold medal game I commentated on. I said "phenomenal" wayyyy to much, but hey, I was excited. The interviews were also cool and when watching my interview with Mike Grant, I couldn't help but think of Old School where Will Farrell does that debate thing and doesn't remember any of it. I don't even remember talking to MG, I was so nervous/excited. Maybe it's because all the blood in my head was elsewhere. Oh well, it's on tape so I can remember it forever.

After dilly dallying for a while we finally made it to the tournament hotels/party. I met up with my blood, Natali, Bjorn and a few others before hitting up the party and despite really wanting an alcohol alternative, I was denied. God Damn it Natali! They tried to pass off some Sparks Plus to me but I wasn't having it. Sparks yes, Plus no.

But we made the party and picked up our free Colt 45's. This party was definitely different than I was expecting because instead of dancing and drinking, I spent most of the night going booth to booth seeing who I could find. I sat down with Chic from San Diego for awhile and before I knew it I was being whisked here and there by one Ultimate friend or another.

I met Seth Wiggins in the bathroom line (yeah, a line for the Men's room, not cool). I wasn't sure if he'd squash me (cuz he's huge) but instead he gave me some love and before I knew it we were tossing back some spittle while relieving ourselves. I recall him talking about the #24 because we are both partial to it and I was wearing my colt jersey but all I can remember clearly was his ridiculously bushy goatee. Oh well, it was fun.

Then I headed upstairs to meet up with some squiddies and in standing beside a booth I had a nice little interaction with Skip. He walked up to me from the VIP lunge and proceeded to sock me directly in the arm, for one of many good reasons I'm sure. Then I looked at him and said, "You know I'm gonna get you back". He kinda brushed me off and we partied jovially, but I would have the last laugh.

About a half hour later, I was walking up the stairs as he was walking down. I was walking with a friend and made sure to look like I was conversing with them as Skip walked past and then FWAP!! a nice little love tap to the jewels. He dropped quickly and said "Ahh, why there?" and I said "Because it hurts...I told you I'd get you back". Now I should say that I don't mind being made a spectacle of, but I should warn folks that I rarely forget such things and I love getting even to the point where you will think twice before going down that road again. I also remember Biggins giving me some props after taking down Skip, but I could be mistaken.

At some point in the night the dude from our first game found me again and handed me desert which I should have turned down, but instead I split it with Proden while we were talking about the new merge of SDU and Last Call, sweeeet!! By the time I got up I definitely felt a bit heavier, but oh well, what else was I there to do.

I then remember hitting the head again, finding a well dressed dapper young man, who couldn't have been anyone else but Mr. Simon. I quickly gave Chicken shit for his attire but then we talked about how small a world this Ultimate world is and relished in the fact that we've got a lifetime of credibility to look forward to.

Things then start to get a little blurry but I do remember coming across Gaf from Arizona/Barrio and let me tell you, this kid is a handful. First off, he's about as giddy as a virgin in a whore house (at least when he's partying it up) and second, yikes he's jacked. Apparently being an Israeli/Asian combo and a personal trainer makes you strong as an Ox, who knew? He then proceeded to tell me that Arizona was not going away and after grabbing me on either side of my head and telling me I was going to TiV, I began to wonder if I would escape in one piece. Oh well, he's a great, and smart kid, phew!

I should also say I met 808 for the first time and rather than talk about blogging, WEAK, all I wanted to do was hear about my blood on DTB. Apparently his buttery flick worked out well, so proud. Oh and I also remember talking to Bjorn at the bar as he watched the two worst teams play his favorite game. I suppose that's commitment. It's cool, the guy sells Uranium for a living. Yeah and Heltzer was there as well making sure I knew what he was on the prowl for and he had me tell the Beer Mile story to another D-Mouth alum, who promptly didn't believe it.

There are probably other party details that escape me, but by this time, the bar started to light up and I figured it was time to head back to JAM's. This time I remained clothed and in one place, but Sunday morning would not bring the excitement Saturday morning did.

Sunday

Yikes, after avoiding alcohol and other party elements for a few months, Friday and Saturday night caught up with me big time. Oh well, there was disc to be played and after another Americano and some yogurt, we were back at it.

First game was against....I have no idea. We won. I had a pretty sweet layout score that I didn't think I was going to get. One of those, "Man, why do I have a bunch of pictures of me doing nothing on the field and not something like that".

At this point, I figured we were going to hit a brick wall because going undefeated only lasts for so long, that is unless you win the tourney, which we didn't. I was afraid the whole tourney that we'd get rolled by some elite team but when we finally lost it was no biggy. Some Bay Area team that dropped down from the A-pool. We lost 11-9 and the game could have gone either way. Maybe if Kief hadn't left us for Phoenix to watch the NFC Championship game and see his Eagles lose, we would have won. Oh and I think shortly after this game I got most of the team and the other UCSD team with the goat. HA!! How many kicks is that?

Instead of getting another game, we were officially done which sucked because my bro and pops were on their way over to the fields to watch me play for the first time. They were in Santa Monica for brunch at the JC so I scrambled to find another team to play. I convinced the other UCSD team to play a short game with us. The game was pretty sloppy, but my family didn't know the difference. No biggy, it was fun.

After a few prolonged good byes, we all finally parted ways. It was a great time and if I could comeback in a year and play with my fellow squids, I would. I went back to JAM's for a shower and then had my mom pick me up for dinner at El Torito.

I wish I wasn't as tired as I was because I was basically worthless at dinner. But hey, we watched the AFC Championship game while eating enchiladas so it could have been worse. I then went back to LAX for my red eye back to JFK and JAM proved his worth as a friend by bringing me my winter coat that I had left at his place.

The last cool thing to happen in LA was right before I got on the plane. I was waiting in a nearby gate where a flight from Miami was just getting in around 9pm and who do I see coming out of the jetway first? None other than Jason Statham. He was walking with some woman who didn't look nearly as hot as Turkish could get, but who knows, maybe they were HS sweet hearts.

I got on my 930pm flight and crashed quickly, only to wake up in JFK at 530am and then had to high tail up to the Have for my 9am lab meeting. It's cool. I hit the Bucks before hand and was in lab just in time to show off my successful cloning data that I had generated right before I left.

Lei Out...check.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Ending the Streak...again

2008-12-27T14:51:00.005-05:00

This morning I woke up after a little family rager at my brother's place and while watching some Lost (season 2) and drinking my coffee, he told me that the Celtics had lost again to the Warriors. This immediately reminded me of a post I put up earlier this year about how the Rockets had their streak ended and I compared it to how teams could potentially beat Wisconsin.

Anyway, my post was before Centex so I didn't have any idea they would lose to Michigan and then Florida and Pitt but in seeing that go down and seeing the Celtics lose to the Lakers and now the Warriors, I couldn't help but draw some parallels.

First off, I've said this before and I'll say it again, of all the major sports, I think Ultimate is the most like Basketball. Getting breaks and establishing offensive consistency are analogous as are hucks and three point shooting.

But the parallel I wanted to bring up is the emotional status of players. I talk a lot about confidence but it is really important in our game because confidence allows you to execute under pressure. If Peyton throws 2 TD's or Manny hits 40% its amazing, but in Basketball you've gotta score 40-50 times a game and in Ultimate you've gotta complete >90% of your passes or you get your ass kicked. With that in mind, the emotion that runs rampant in players can really be an asset/problem when trying to execute an offense. In my opinion, the Celtics had no chance Christmas Day. The Lakers wanted that game a TON and they played with intensity that Boston could not match. Just like Michigan at Centex, the Lakers were ready, confident and unafraid. They took it to the Celtics, the way Magnum beat the Hodags and ended the streak.

To the Hodags shagrin, they fell to Florida and then Pitt and ended up going 4-3 at Centex, LOSERS...jk. In my opinion, I think they had their cages rattled a little bit and the confidence they relied on was not what it could have been. I think after a big loss to the Lakers, Boston had the same sort of problem. The Lakers knocked them down a peg and their offensive execution was not what it could have been in the second half. Maybe they came out firing and let up late in the game, maybe Ray Allen was just off, who knows? I like that Doc Rivers recognized that a 39% first half shooting percentage from the Warriors was just a number and if they got hot, they'd stay that way.

In any event, this had me thinking about a few things. For starters, like Basketball, I think Ultimate needs to be played in a game of series' in the playoffs. There is so much pressure to execute in this game as opposed to just preventing your opponent from executing (Football) and things only get worse in April/May. You have to score so many times and like Basketball and Tennis and Golf, it is hard to be great all the time. Everyone has off days and the emotional state of players/teams can really be a problem. With that in mind, I think giving teams multiple chances to prove their worth would be nice. I think Wisconsin still wins Nationals against Florida if they go best of 3, games to 7 or whatever, but I think we can all think of games where a DGP finish ended up with the "better" team not winning. I'm sure folks have their issues with this, but I think a single game to 15 is a flaw in Ultimate game theory because it neglects the huge impact of emotion with regard to offensive execution. If I were running things, we'd go with Wild Wood rules, games to 5, best 2 out of 3.

Secondly, it's December and like Centex, the #1 team may have lost, but it is all for the best. Wisconsin needed their emotional state challenged and that is exactly what the Celtics got last night. They needed to be knocked down a few pegs if only to allow themselves to pick up the momentum they'll need to dominate as they did a year ago. I think they are in line for another title because another year of Garnett/Pierce/Allen/Rondo, not to mention their stellar D, will only yield better results. Plus I think the Lakers and the Cavs lack the style points that teams like the Spurs have had and the Celtics have now. Kobe is doing a great job and Pau Gasol is developing as a scoring threat, but I think Boston's confidence in execution is still much better across the board. Likewise with Lebron in Clevland, he's amazing but in a 7 game series, he'll have an off night and then what?

In addition, like Ultimate, I think sports writers effect the game somewhat in that people tend to get their emotions caught up with expectations. Everyone wants to see another 72-10 season like the Bulls in 95-96 but that just isn't realistic and more importantly, it is not what these players are paid to do. They are paid to win Championships and while winning ~88% of your games helps, it isn't the overall goal.

With that in mind, I think the Celtics are just fine and will have their focus returned in the next few games, much like Wisconsin after Centex. Maybe these games came a bit early in the year because June is a long ways off, but you never know. I hope to go to the Celtics/Lakers game on February 5th, and we'll see if they are as good as last year.

On a side note, I took a look at Hector's post about Chicken. It's nice to see a fellow man crusher at work because I've got my fair share. I think it is funny that his departure from Colorado is coupled with his arrival in my hood. I look forward to some high intensity winter league with him in a few weeks. I can definitely attest to Chicken's fashion sense because he is undoubtedly the most well dressed cat at the Med School, but he has his swagger and that's all that matters. I think his quest to be different is not unlike my own and hopefully he gets as much out of the Y-bomb experience as I have.

Have a fun and safe New Years.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Relax, it's all BS

2008-12-17T10:05:00.007-05:00

So recently I wrote an article discussing some thoughts about the college 2009 season and one of the players that I wrote about contacted me regarding some of the things I said. He was a bit surprised by some of my talking points and wanted to give me his take on the situation.

First, I want to say that I welcome any input on what I write and I'm always open to new ideas and topics. Please send me emails at airmatch24@gmail.com if you want to discuss something.

Secondly, I wanted to mention that a lot of what I write, and this goes for most sports writers, is nothing but fluff. I recently was inspired to bring up this topic after seeing the most recent Terrell Owens debacle go down.

One of the reasons why sports are as popular as they are in America is because sports writers debate topics and get fans interested in the stories that revolve around the players they follow. Tony Romo mentioned this in his Cowboys/Giants post game interview. However, because it's a business, writers have to continually re-invent themselves and come up with story after story. While it would be nice if we always had a great story to write, epic sagas like Michael Phelps, Joe Kershner, the '07-'08 Boston Celtics, Michael Vick, or Conference 1 only come along once in awhile. Deadlines are deadlines however, and we need something for Monday's column.

This doesn't necessarily mean that journalists manifest news, but it does mean that they sift through sports data with a magnifying glass and when they come across a detail that can be spun into a story, it will be. Whether or not this story actually has any merit or importance in the locker room is not guaranteed but what is guaranteed is that folks at home/work will read it and be entertained. I've been guilty of this on more than one occasion and on more than one occasion I've received a concerned email from a pertinent party. I'm not complaining, it's the price I pay for having an audience. Elite players that get written about have the same problem. I call it "pretty girl tax". Pretty girls get eye balled, harassed, and judged based on their appearance, and despite their issues with it, they don't wish they were ugly (or at least don't do anything about it). You want to be pretty? You want to be great at Ultimate? You want a major audience? You're going to have to deal with these sorts of things. Most folks aren't as lucky and fail to draw the same attention. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

However, the take home message is to try and not let it get to you. What I write, like what Bill Simmons or Tim Kurkjian writes, should not affect the game itself and if it does, players need to NOT read it. These stories shouldn't actually matter, because winning is the only thing that matters. I get the feeling though, that in developing somewhat of a journalism niche, I have introduced a new set of emotions in some ultimate players. I got into this business because I wanted every player in the country (college and club) to realize just how awesome our sport is and to pay attention to it the way they pay attention to the NFL, MLB, NBA, etc... However, I'm guessing that some players I write about aren't exactly ready to be the LeBron James or Peyton Manning of Ultimate. But, because they are the best at our modest little sport, they get the throne, or the dog house, depending on the story.

So to those lucky few players (because believe me, you are lucky), I have this to say: It's all fluff. Don't take what I or anyone else says too seriously. This is all just a game and games are supposed to be fun. If you have taken offense to something I wrote, don't waste your time getting angry. You'll be one of a 1,000 that hates my guts and you're better off remaining happy that you are significant enough to be written about. If I were making money off trash talking, that would be one thing, but believe me, my trips to Texas, Colorado, Vancouver, etc.. aren't free and I am wayyy in the minus when it comes to ultimate expenses. However, like the players I write about, I love this game and am willing to make sacrifices for what I love.

And just to re-enforce my initial point, nothing that comes out of my blog is definitive law, it's just my opinion. If I am off base, incorrect, or misinformed, don't waste your time getting all steamed up about it. I try not to shoot my mouth off senselessly, but I ruffle feathers some times and I really should not. Maybe it's because ultimate players are all nerds at heart and it is easy to mentally perturb them. If you are a dumb jock, you aren't smart enough to be mentally agitated, but if you are an MIT grad, the mental momentum associated with stuff like this is pretty significant. A brilliant friend of mine once told me that it's because of our intelligence that ultimate players have trouble executing under pressure. We are just too smart to block out the pressure and for those that are lucky enough to have this skill, F@#$ You!!! I kid...but seriously, go to hell.

Anyway, it's all a game and even if I could grow a mustache, I wouldn't be twisting it while hatching up a scheme to piss off poor elite players. I've got better things to do with my time, like generate this sick RNAi western blot:

Happy Holidays folks.

just my thoughts

match diesel

2009 College Preview

2008-12-01T09:27:00.012-05:00

The Hodag repeat, Arizona, Will Neff's transfer to Michigan, Martin's broken foot, these were the big stories of 2008. However, with the velocity of the internet, last year's college season almost seems like ancient history. Since Memorial Day, we have seen Canada win gold, Furious miss out on Nationals, Sockeye and Bravo both miss out on the Finals, and the crowning of a new champion in San Francisco Jam. We've also seen the coming and going of Conference 1 and a highly controversial UPA/Cultimate summit that has left us all a bit curious as to how the 2009 College Season will unfold.

A mere 12 months ago folks were talking about Santa Cruz's success at Sean Ryan and things like Sunburn's romp in Vegas was still months away. With that being said, this is a very interesting time in our sport because we can speculate all we want in the hopes of trying to predict the big stories of 2009. In following the crazy stories in Pro as well as College football, I couldn't help but toss out some ideas in the hopes of getting some momentum started for the upcoming season.

I wanted to start with some discussions regarding the semifinal teams, then some Callahan talk, followed by some UPA/Cultimate dialog and then some closing thoughts.

Carleton

Of all the semifinal teams from last year, I think CUT is the favorite going into the regular season. With Colorado, Florida, and Wisconsin all having to deal with major departures, Carleton could re-take control of the Central Region and perhaps make a run at the Finals.

However, that isn't to say that success 2009 is assured because they definitely have their fair share of challenges. First off, the size issue. For a few years now, people have speculated as to whether or not Carleton can compete against some of the bigger teams in the country. In the old days, CUT routinely had hugtastic players like Nord and Chase, but since their title run in 2001, the juniors influx has brought in a ton of squirrley little flatballers and guys like Jacob Goldstein and Patrick Baylis have become the latest trend in CUT talent. In my opinion, despite being exceptionally well trained, they tend to have issues with talented teams that are bigger than they are. Take the 3 other teams in semifinals, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Florida. They lost to Wisconsin 13-10 at Regionals, 15-8 to Colorado in Pool Play and 15-6 to Florida in Semifinals. Not a good record.

Aside from hitting the HGH, there are a variety of ways that Carleton could tackle this issue and I think they all revolve around season long strategical planning. This would mean setting productive goals at the tournament, day to day, and in-game levels. At the tournament level, Carleton could attempt to establish a linear team progression from Vegas to Stanford to Centex to the Series. This doesn't necessarily mean focusing on Win/Loss record, but simply achieving specific goals tournament to tournament, whether they be integrating younger players, experimenting with a different zone defense or establishing their primary/secondary/etc.. offense. They typically come out hot at Vegas but their Stanford and Centex performances last year leaved something to be desired. It will be important for Carleton to keep the series in mind when competing at these tournaments and while they historically peak very well, it will be important to set productive goals tournament to tournament.

At the day to day level, I think it would be a good idea to focus on coming out strong on both Saturday and Sunday. I remember them coming out hot early at Stanford without much of a follow up performance. Likewise, it will be important for them to stay within themselves at Centex, a grueling tournament that could produce major injuries if they redline it too much. I feel like an intelligent approach to every day of competition will be good. The captains should ask themselves, "what is our goal for today and how can we get there?". The answer should be complex, but it will take some critical thinking for CUT to get back to the Finals. Things don't always boil down to win or lose and I think an enlightened approach to the season, much like the way Colorado usually operates, will be a good strategy. I remember talking to Greg Connelly about Ironside at Club Nationals and after taking the pool and coming out of power pools #2, he simply said "we have a plan" and I liked hearing that. Carleton should be very careful about their season, because now is the time.

Lastly, the in-game strategical approach will be very important for CUT and I think this is where they could handle the size issue the best. Because college handlers are still incredibly fallible (even at the elite level) putting pressure on throwers, rather than receivers, will be a good strategy. They can accomplish this with varying marks (flat, FM, FA, etc..) as well as junky zone defenses that will produce poach D's and easy turns. Likewise exploiting underneath matchups will be a good way to take advantage of mobility disparities and I think Carleton will do well if they stick to their own offense as opposed to matching other teams huck for huck. In addition, it will be important to adjust to teams effectively and potentially do things like come out of second halves with a different approach than the first.

With their talent and previous success, Carleton reminds me a little bit of Stanford back in '04-'07 in the sense that they are good enough for semis, but still need to figure something out to get back to the Finals. Stanford made semis 4 years in a row only to lose to the eventual champions (Colorado, Brown, Florida, Wisconsin) which despite being a major accomplishment, does not bode well for CUT. Bloodthirsty seemed to rely on their depth and their coaching and while Carleton has comparable depth this year, they are historically un-coached. This could be a problem at every level in their strategical approach, but especially in the in-game strategy. They really never did much to adjust to Florida in semis and if they want to take it to the next level, they will need to use the lump that is 3 feet above their ass.

Despite these challenges, I think Carleton is in good shape. They might not have won MLC, but they only lost 11-9 to Colorado (tournament winner) and 11-10 to Wisconsin (Finalist). In addition to their depth, they also have unreal club experience with players in a very successful local club team (SubZero), and others throughout the Nation, Bodhi/Northeast and Revolver/Northwest. Such a background is unparalleled at the college level and I think the experience that Adam Fagin (Revolver), Christian Foster and Patrick Roberts (Bodhi), not to mention Sam Kanner and Grant Lindsley (SubZero), will bring into the huddle will be awesome.

They also have a ton of young talent that is right in the meat of their college ultimate careers. The 5 players I just mentioned are either juniors or sophomores and that kind of depth with 2-3 year left in a college career is insane. Hopefully Carleton can build on their big game experiences of the last college and club season and either take it all in 2009 or at least set themselves up for a title shot in 2010.

Lastly, to round out their talent and defensive approach, I think Carleton can and should rely on offensive efficiency. The internal chemistry that this team has, not to mention exceptional skill across the board, will allow CUT to maintain possession of the disc when/if over eager teams give it up. Every program will cough the disc up and if Carleton can just not give it back, they will succeed. This might even be a more prominent solution to the size issue than any sort of defensive approach. I am very curious to know if CUT can take advantage of college miscues and considering that Wisconsin has been gutted, I would not be surprised to see them take back the Central Region, on the back of some majorly chilly offense and crafty D.

Wisconsin

Unlike 2008, I do not think the Hodags have nearly as much pressure on them. After an unbelievable 2007 season, Wisconsin came back and won Nationals with nearly the same intensity as a year before. However, in 2009, I'm not sure that Wisconsin will be as hot and I think another 56-3 record or whatever is a bit unrealistic. I say this mainly because the team is going to very different than it has been the last few years.

First off, they are losing an unreal crop of 5th years. Muffin, Shane Hohenstein, Will Lokke, Drew Mahowald, and Matt Rebholz are all out the door and I believe that outside Arizona, Wisconsin is getting hit the hardest with team departures. They are getting hit not only on the defensive side of the disc, but offense as well and I am really curious to know how the Hodags handle this. Depth has been their main strategy thus far and I'm curious to know who will step up to the plate now that the bulk of their '06-'08 stalwarts are gone.

To complicate matters, the caveat to being as successful as Wisconsin has been the last 3 years, is that the bulk of the current roster has no idea what it is like to lose. Guys like Cullen Geppert and Ben Feldman are great players, but all they know is success. When/if things get dicey this season, are they gonna know how to handle it? You have to go all the way back to 2005 to see a Wisconsin team that didn't make the Finals and I wonder if expectations will be a bit too high.

However, Wisconsin's leadership is phenomenal. Jim Foster and Tom "Animal" Annen are both exceptional players and each offers great complimentary skill sets. Foster is a composed downfield O-line option, who has the focus and consistency they will need and I feel like Animal is the intense defense minded handler that Muffin was and his presence will maintain the tenacity that Wisconsin has exhibited the lat few years.

In addition, the Hodags are being coached for the first time (at least since I've been watching) by Muffin. His work ethic and commitment to Wisconsin will ensure that the Hodags are as in shape and intense as ever. However, I wonder if Muffin took any lessons away from another trip to Sarasota. Wisconsin has been notorious for intense D and depth, but when it comes to offensive composure and consistency, they leave something to be desired. In Florida, SubZero played a similar game plan, but in the winds of Sarasota, they struggled against patient teams like GOAT. I wonder if this experience will precipitate changes in Wisconsin's offensive approach, which could be instrumental given the personal shuffling that is now going on.

Regardless, the Hodags know how to win and with their "program" nature and previous success, they should have the confidence to take out anyone. They lost to Colorado at MLC which is no big deal, but any dip in performance this year will hurt the intimidation factor they have boasted for so long. If they can maintain the same level of skill, a regular season W/L record won't matter, but I think teams will not be as scared of baby blue as they have been in the past.

Colorado

This is a team I am really excited to see in 2009. Unlike Florida, this team does not rely on their star power as much as some people may think. Yes, they have had unreal personal in Jolian, Beau, Chicken, Richter, and Parker, but in reality, their depth is really their strong suit. In my opinion, I think they are one of the strongest teams at the 4-7 position, and despite hype for their superstar players, they have similar depth to Wisconsin, which explains why they have had almost as much success over the years.

That isn't to say that they are without major departures and considering that Jolian Dahl, Martin Cochran, Chris Wicus, and Kevin "Pebbles" Schipper are all gone, Mamabird could be in for some trouble. However, I think this will be the perfect time for them to show just how good they are despite less hyped personal. Plus, I think their Martin-less experience last winter will prove to be valuable in that the pressure that players put on themselves last year in Martin's absence will prove itself to have been a nice warmup to his actual departure.

Colorado will have major star power, however, mainly in Mac Taylor. Over the years Mac has established himself as an incredibly composed and consistent offensive threat for MB. He doubles as a primary cutter for Bravo and his ice cold demeanor is insane for a player his age. Not only is he exceptional at bringing in huge skies and launching major hucks, but he also plays great D and is as good at setting up his team mates as they do him. I think the pressure to lead will fall squarely on him but I think his confidence and experience will be extremely valuable and I imagine that he will be just fine.

Another stand out for Colorado this year could be Hylke Sneider, that juniors phenom from Denver that graced the cover of the UPA magazine a while back. Hylke is in an interesting position because he falls under the Yankee's-esk numbering system that Colorado exhibits. For the NY Yankees, Billy Martin was #1, Derek Jeter #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Joe DiMaggio #5, and Mickey Mantle #6/7. For Colorado, Chicken was #10, Richter #20, Hylke #30, Mac Taylor #40, Beau #50, and Jolian #60. Whether or not this is intentional is anyone's guess, but I think now is the time where Hylke's potential will be tested. For years he has had the luxury of playing behind MB's greats but now he needs to take center stage. With Martin gone, I think Hylke's size and presence could be great for Colorado's D-line and with Mac anchoring the O-line, I think this will be a nice warmup for 2010. His background should give him all the skills he needs to dominate at the college level but I wonder if he has picked up enough experience at the club level. Unlike other Colorado up and comers, Hylke does not play for Bravo, but for Ballerdo and I wonder if that is an advantage he has missed out on. Either way, I'm sure as a junior he will perform as expected and given Colorado's history, I'm sure he is up for the challenge.

Ultimately, I think Colorado's depth will be the major weapon they use this year. I wish I had more to say about them, but I suppose that is how faceless depth works. Colorado has taken the Southwest 5 of the 6 years I've been watching ultimate and won a National title (oddly enough the one year they didn't take the region, sort of). With Arizona's departures and the uncertainty of UCSB, UCSD, UCLA, and Claremont, I don't think it will be hard for Colorado to stay on top of their region. In addition, they have a new coach in Jim Schoettler and I'm sure his background with Stanford, Jam, and now Johnny Bravo will be quite advantageous in preparing Colorado for battle. Mamabird seems to never go away and I think 2009 will be another year of continued Colorado success.

Florida

Now this is a team I am worried about. Florida is in a similar situation to Wisconsin in the sense that their younger players are going to have to earn it. For the last 3 years, all Florida has done is win, but they have done it with a really tight rotation, and now most of them are gone. In 2006, Tim Gehret lead an amazing squad of flatballers but despite the fact that guys like Cyle Van Auken, Jon Wyndam (I think), and Kurt Gibson have kept the team at the top for a few more years, they are all finally gone. They still have Brodie Smith who should continue to dominate but the bulk of their starting 7 is not what it once was. This might be a time where they decide to open their rotation, or they could continue to depend on a small number of players.

They definitely have remaining talent in addition to Brodie with guys like Chris Gibson, Cole Sullivan and Alex Hill, but I wonder if it is enough. 2009 could be the year that Florida's lack of depth is taken advantage of and if they are not careful, they could miss out on Nationals, a feat that seems almost unheard of but as recently as 2005, Florida was no where near Nationals.

In reading Grant's CCC write up, it looks like Florida is still depending on Brodie deep, which is ok, but it won't work forever. In 2008, Brodie had the luxury of Kurt Gibson who would either draw an opponent's best defender or huck it to him deep despite any sort of pressure or weather. However, without him, Brodie will have to depend a ton on his supporting cast which is now below him in experience and talent rather than above. This sort of challenge is one he has never had to deal with because he walked onto the team and won a National title in 2006. Now, 4 years later, he is just about all that is left of that team and I wonder if it will be enough.

They already have interesting losses to Michigan and Minnesota which is not a good sign. For the last few years, because Florida's roster is so tight, they tend to play the same at Vegas, Centex, and the Series. With only 7 or so players getting points, peaking occurs really early on. However, now that things are different, I am not surprised to see Florida struggle early on. I wonder how they will follow up their CCC performance at Warm Up next month and considering their dominance at this tournament the last few years, anything short of perfection will raise a lot of speculation regarding Florida and other AC teams that have been beaten up by Florida the last few years will be licking their chops.

However, Florida does have a few strengths to draw from. In addition to a great starting 7 the last few years they are very well coached by Kurt Dahlenberg, who has been an ultimate legend in the Miami/Florida area with the Refugees. He has been instrumental in preparing Florida the last few years and will continue to do so. In addition, Florida also has a ton of "jock" recruiting potential and I can't imagine their army of +6-footers getting any smaller. They will certainly have their work cut out for them this year, however, and it will be up to them to continue to train and focus. I would not be surprised to see them struggle early on this season but if they can keep it together, there is no reason why they shouldn't finish the season strong.

Callahan Talk

First I wanted to start off with a disclaimer. In my opinion, the Callahan award selects someone with the best combination of player talent, team talent and hype. This may or may not reflect the intentions of the award and it most undoubtedly leaves out deserving players.

Stephen "Franchise" Pressley - Texas

The first person on my discussion list is Stephen "Franchise" Pressley from Texas because he is the only one of the 5 finalists from last year who will participate in 2009. Franchise is an exceptional player with fantastic disc skills, brilliant heads up D, and razor sharp cuts. However, like former TUFF Callahan nominees, he has an uphill battle. Texas has routinely struggled to attract the hype necessary to earn this award and while both Tank and Salad were close to the top in the past, they were passed up by more popular nominees. Perhaps TUFF can poach some steam from Doublewide's convincing victory over Sockeye at Club Nationals, but I think the only way Texas can pick up the momentum to get Franchise the award will be a major tournament victory such as TiV or Centex. Best of luck, I'd love to see it.

Will Neff - Michigan

My top pick for the Callahan nominee in 2009, not surprisingly, is Will Neff. Ever since his transfer from Northeastern to Michigan, he has set himself up to make major noise on the college scene. For starters, he helped get Magnum back to Nationals in 2008 (as a 1 seed) after UM missed out on the show in 2007. In addition, he has had sustained hype from his juniors experience with Amherst and Finland (2004 gold medal), his Twisted Metal days, and now with his D-line presence on Ironside (2008 Club Nationals Finalist). To top it all off, he has zero negative hype.

However, he isn't without challenges. The Great Lakes region has never produced a Callahan winner and because Michigan doesn't usually go to Vegas or Stanford, Neff will miss out on the UltiVillage exposure that Joe Kershner benefitted from. With this in mind, Michigan has to win their region in order for voters to have confidence in Will. If they take the GL again, there should be nothing in Will's way. But if they slip, speculation regarding his abilities will run rampant. I don't think this is too much of a concern however, considering that Michigan still has a ton of talent outside Will in guys like Dave Fumo and Ollie Hondred and their biggest threat, Illinois, graduated their best player, Joel Koehneman. Anyway, I think Will is a lock, but I thought Jolian was last year and look what happened.

Mac Taylor - Colorado

Mamabird seems to always have a major vote getter and I don't think 2009 will be any different. Mac is not only a great college player but his club experience will give him massive amounts of hype. However, Mac does have issues. Colorado seemed to be one of the first teams to run O/D-line sets and because Mac is a solid O-line player, I think he will miss out on play making opportunities that other nominees have because they play both sides. In addition, Mac seems to be a very solemn player and does not draw a ton of attention to himself. He is just that lanky dude with the backwards hat. Maybe this won't have much of an impact, but he doesn't really have the intense presence that Jolian or Richter had. I think both his O-line assignment and composed nature make him a fantastic player and while this combination of talents is probably perfect for Mamabird as a team, it might hurt him in the popularity contest. No matter, like most Callahan nominees out of Colorado, I'm sure Mac values his team success over his own popularity and I'm sure he would trade the Callahan for a National title any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Brodie Smith - Florida

Brodie is easily the most visible player out of the AC and with his success the last few years, many folks already know what he can do. However, despite having as much talent as one needs for this award, Brodie does have a ton of issues. First off, his very public support for Conference 1. Now I'm not claiming that he shouldn't have supported Skip's campaign, but the bulk of the Callahan voters do not play for a top 25 team and those will be the votes Brodie cannot depend on. Likewise, Florida's nature doesn't precipitate much jubilation from competitors and with things like their low spirit score requests at Nationals and what not, I don't think Brodie will do well in the popularity contest.

Greg Swanson - Georgia

I toss out Greg here mainly because I think JoJah is the only other team out of the AC that can make any noise as far as the Callahan goes. Greg is a great contributor for not only JoJah but Chain Lightning as well but I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia did not nominate him. Historically, Georgia only nominates a Callahan if the vote is unanimous and with a great defender in Peter Dempsey on the team, he might not get such an honor. Because of this, Georgia routinely does not submit a nominee as can be seen with the fact that in 12 years of voting, they have only nominated 4 players (Dylan Tunnell, Jay Hammond, Shippey Crawford, and Will Deaver). Outside Georgia and Florida, there really isn't a whole lot of hype surrounding players in the AC and while teams like NC State, UNC, and UNC-W are all talented, they will need a ton of help to get a nominee in the lime light.

George Stubbs - Harvard

Now considering George is only a sophomore, he might not get Redline's nomination, but I totally see this kid winning the Callahan in the future. He had a rocky freshman year because of a torn PCL, but his performance in Boulder, as well as Worlds (Juniors-Team USA) and Ironside, is reason enough to vote for him. His background, like Grant Lindsley's, is insane and all he needs to do is play his game and he will succeed. With Andrew Vogt (Juniors-Team Canada) on Redline as well, these two are one of the best 1-2 punches in the college game and if Harvard can get on top of a very volitile NE region, he's in good shape. In my opinion, if George can bring it in the college sphere, he could get the Callahan as early as 2010.

Central Region?

I think the CN region, despite producing 2 major contenders, will not make much Callahan noise. I think Dan Heijmen, like Tim Gehret, benefitted from some major team hype, and got his MVP award in 2007 but I think folks have wised up. Since then, I get the feeling folks are a little tired of Wisconsin. They respect them, but voting for their MVP candidate is not something that seems to be happening. Neither Rebholz nor Muffin could get enough votes to finish top 5 and while I think Jim Foster or whoever they nominate would be fantastic, I don't see Wisconsin producing much of a candidate. In addition, Carleton probably won't nominate someone as usual and outside these two, there really isn't much to speak of, as far as Callahan hype, in the CN region

NW Region?

The NW is not what it once was in the college scene and believe it or not, folks outside NorCal, Oregon and WA/BC like seeing the Northwest struggle. Long gone are the glory days of Stanford, Oregon, and Cal and with as much turmoil as there has been in this region, a clear candidate for the MVP is not prevalent. Mark Sherwood (Stanford) was easily the best player I have seen come out the NW the last few years and if he couldn't get the award, no one else in this region has a prayer. Dusty Becker (Oregon) has some hype but just getting Ego back to Nationals will be hard enough. They do have other talent in guys like Nate Castine (Western Washington and Sockeye) but without regional success, getting voters on board will be tough.

Metro East?

Good luck. Teams like Pitt and Delaware are going to need Kershner type hype to get Callahan attention and despite tons of Juniors talent coming out of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, I don't see anyone making noise out of this region. I could be wayy off however and I hope I am. It'd make a great story.

UPA/Cultimate

I don't have too much to say on this topic that hasn't already been stated. First off, I feel really bad for Skip. He is such a trendsetter and his tournaments are really exceptional. However, his Conference 1 campaign was McCain/Palin-esk in the sense that it was entertaining to follow but didn't inspire much confidence.

In any event, I hope the lesson here is professionalism. Using ultimate as a revenue source is very complicated and everyone from Rob to Skip to 5Ultimate to folks like myself, it is really important to separate passion from judgement. Emotion will keep you motivated but one still has to make good decisions and patience is definitely a virtue.

Now that all of this NCUA and Conference 1 talk has more or less come and gone, I think the idea of a regular season is still on the table and I really hope that cooperation between Skip and the UPA happens. It only makes sense. The regular season that so many players are clamoring for is more or less the Cultimate tournament schedule and with the backing of the UPA, it won't be too difficult to solidify.

More importantly, I think the first and most pressing issue that can be sorted out by the UPA is to announce Nationals. When this announcement is made, a solid date and location for the culmination of the series will be known and some confidence in the 2009 season will be restored. I also think that once this occurs players will be able to look 4-5 months into the future as opposed to just focusing on the first few tournaments of the year. I think this mental security will be ideal for young players that have had their cages rattled.

In addition, I am also really curious to know if CSTV will be undertaking broadcasting responsibilities and how much involvement Rob and UltiVillage will have. With his work at Centex, College Nationals, Worlds and Club Nationals this past year, I think Rob can make a solid case for live broadcasting of the tournament, or at least more than CSTV has historically done.

Anyway, hopefully Nationals is on the East Coast again. It hasn't been anywhere near ultimate hubs like Boston, North Carolina or Atlanta since 2001 and has mainly been a midwest/west coast event with places like Spokane (2002), Austin (2003), Seattle (2004), Corvalis (2005), Colombus (2006/7), and Boulder (2008). Now I don't think this is anyone's fault, I just want an easier trip to Nationals for once.

Closing Thoughts

I wanted to end with a little bit about injuries. Young teams out there, take a lesson from the Tom Brady, Osi Umenyiroa, Carson Palmer, Brady Quinn, Tony Romo incidents. You never know when a player is going to get hurt, so 1) don't be stupid with your bodies and 2) don't be shallow. I know at the college level it is easy to depend on your superstar(s) but for a few of those teams out there, he/she is going to go down and hopefully you can bounce back the way the Giants and Patriots have. You lose a defensive or offensive star and you don't miss a beat. It is quite the challenge to develop this sort of depth but in all seriousness, it is better to constantly integrate players throughout the season and work on developing as a team than just try and get wins. I think the impulse in college is to put your stars on the field to try and win as many games as possible but it will only be a matter of time before they burn out, graduate or get hurt, and then what? Do yourselves a favor and sacrifice short term gains for long term success.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Open Finals Thoughts

2008-11-04T22:28:00.010-05:00

I suppose in my write up I didn't actually say much about the Open final. It aired at like 6am for some folks so potentially a lot of you didn't actually see the game. Here are some thoughts.

Ironside is a really young team relative to Jam. Guys like Doug Moore, Forch, Rosenthal, and McCarthy were fairly established with DoG and guys like Seigs and C-Mo have been there for awhile as well, despite only being 25 or so, but a lot of Ironside's talent is still really new.

Will Neff anchors their D-line and Jasper was a fundamental component of their offense. Kurt Gibson was not in attendance and despite rumors I've heard, I really do not know the answer to why he wasn't there. In any event, Ironside's performance in the finals did not resemble the patient and conservative Boston ultimate I was expecting. Recently Jeff Graham has established himself as a dominat deep threat for Forch and they really went for the throat down wind.

However, despite connecting on a few occasions, it was just a matter of time before Jeff could not make a play and it came on this huck. Forch had already launched two huge backhand bombs and third time was not a charm. Jam scooped up the turn and I think this was when they took another break and led 13-10 or so.

In any event, this sequence seemed to sum up the Finals. Boston seemed to exhibit their youth and while that gets you amazing plays, it also brings bitter consequences. Jam, alternatively, relied on endless chemistry between their established roster. Recently, in this game, O-line and D-line assignments have become really popular. However, Jam did not rely on such set lines. Jeff Eastham is a great defender but at times he played O. Bart Watson is one of their best handlers but at times he plays defense. Likewise, Steets is a great cutter because of his vertical presence and size, but he also will find himself in zone D situations and man defense. Namkung and Husak bounce a round a little bit and of any team at Nationals, Jam was probably the most inconsistent when it came to O/D-line assignments, in my opinion.

With this in mind, they seemed to really rely on cohesion. Every player on the team knows everyone else and in conditions as unpredictable as Sarasota with very high winds, they were seamless. The wind almost seemed like an 8th defender and they handled it very well. In addition, I want to say that this team could have beaten anyone Sunday, but I believe that Jam got a lucky draw in Boston. Coming into the Finals, Jam was clearly the front runner when it came to experience. Only two of Boston's players had played in a game of this magnitude and many had come and gone since their last semifinals appearance so Finals was definitely a new experience, even for veterans like Forseter.

However, Jam has been there in semis almost every year of this millennium. Guys like Watson, Damien Scott, Idris, Jon Zalisk, Safdie, and Dan Hodges were all there in 2004 when they made Finals last (lost on Universe to Sockeye) and it is no surprise that they were ready for the Finals. They were more or less the Boston Celtics of Ultimate this year and the drop off in Sockeye and Furious was like the Pistons and the Spurs crumbling. This was Jam's time to shine. They have such a ridiculously talented roster and like Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, they just needed the stars to align to give them a shot at a ring. I'm not saying they couldn't take out Sockeye, Furious or Bravo consistently but I definitely think Jam benefited from shifts in power. It's kind of like Obama's election today. He is a fantastic candidate (and Jam is a great team) but the republicans (Sockeye and Furious) digging themselves a ditch doesn't hurt.

I mean come on, they lose to Boston in Pool Play 15-12 and Sockeye gets ahead and wins out 15-13 in power pools. In pool play, Jam's experience was not enough because there was little pressure on Ironside. The depth of their roster was good coming into the third game of the day on Thursday but with only 1 game to play, the pressure must have been tough for a young Ironside team. I think Boston's best days are ahead of them however. Guys like Stubbs and Brent Anderson need time with Boston as do a slew of their other stalwarts like Trey Katzenbach and Dan Patiestas. They will continue to improve in the near future and with the recent visibility of GOAT, Boston has a legitimate regional challenge that is not in their own state. Toronto's improvement is the best thing for Boston in the sense that it will keep their fires lit. The Canadians are nipping at their heels and they play a totally different ball game.

As for Jam's performance against Sockeye, I think Seattle's intensity coupled with experience in Sarasota put them at a distinct advantage. They have the athletes to challenge Jam's O-line and their defensive efficiency (when focused) was enough to collect the breaks to keep victory out of Jam's hands. Sockeye's D-line is almost as experienced as their O-line and if they are on, they can score as effectively as anyone else. But they had their own demons with Bravo so Jam didn't have to face them.

And as for Bravo, I know for a fact that Jam is not seen as much of a challenge. They owned Jam last year and in their only contest in '08 they won 13-8. I think Bravo took too much weight off their shoulders after beating Sockeye in Quarters and Jam was pissed off enough to get their intensity level up, probably more so than the Finals. In watching Bravo beat out such a dominant adversary it is not surprising that they looked past Jam.

In any event, Jam's chemistry produced one of the best offensive threats in Sarasota and they handled the wind so amazingly well. On Saturday they rolled Revolver 15-9 in Quarters and after that game I really began to see that Jam knew what the hell they were doing. When they went up 6-2 on Bravo I thought to myself, they might just win this whole thing. I over estimated Boston's poise going into the Finals, but looking back I definitely realize that Jam was playing the best Ultimate of anyone on Saturday and Sunday.

Congratulations to San Francisco. Of anyone at Nationals they deserved a title more than anyone. Few teams have put in the years that guys like Idris have and it was nice to witness their glory. I was talking to Husak at the party and we brought up the fact that he and Namkung were the only male worlds players to win Nationals and gold. Congrats again.

just some more of my thoughts

match diesel

Sarasota Recap

2008-11-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

Phew…what a weekend. I am so exhausted. It was really cool going to a tournament as an employee because 1) the trip was free and 2) I was not entirely responsible for everything. At Centex, Worlds, and College Nationals, I was on my own and I sort of just did what I wanted. However, taking orders from Rob was pretty sweet because I wasn’t nearly as stressed out as I usually get.

However, that isn’t to say the weekend was a cakewalk. I feel like so few people really understand what it takes to put together media. It’s like trying to run a tournament. It is so much behind the scenes work and for the most part, the viewers/participants have no concept of how hard it is. What sucks is that ultimate players are so smart (or at least they think they are) and they are skeptical as hell and have a tough time with blind faith.

I was talking with Will Deaver during the women’s final and he was telling me about how he couldn’t understand why people think of the UPA as a big bad wolf. He was very quick to point out how small time it really is and he seemed comically frustrated when people thought he was anything more than a regular guy/player just like everyone else.

Anyway, I get the feeling he, and I and a lot of other folks in the business, would appreciate a little more faith. We’re not out to screw people over or hoard money. We’re not out to satisfy crazy selfish egos (well maybe I am a little bit) and it would be nice if folks just appreciated the work and kept the bitching to a minimum. I tend to poke fun at religion sometimes but on some occasions it is nice when there aren’t any questions and people just accept what they don’t understand.

Back to the tournament.

Thursday

Pool play was sweet because things went pretty close to what I predicted. Aside from Sockeye losing to Doublewide I was pretty close to perfect. I figured Chain would upset SubZero and they did and I was hoping Bodhi would take it to the Condors and they did.

I didn’t get to watch nearly as much disc as I would have liked but I did catch the Jam vs Bodhi game and it was really interesting in the sense that it is so obvious when teams are confident and when they are not. Athletic ability and fundamentals are nice, but the only way you win is if you really believe you will. That is why Furious has been so successful. Guys like MG and Lugsdin are certain they will win and then they go out and do it. I feel so bad for my SD buddies who can’t seem to get past the Condors, and in watching elite teams I am coming to understand how important it is to be unafraid.

As for Bodhi, they were just intimidated. They started out OK but Jam took advantage of their inexperience and things like hand blocks and dropped passes showed up. They did make a few big plays however, and I remember seeing Alex Kapinos make a great sky grab for a goal once or twice. I was talking with Miles after their game and I was telling him that I was glad that they took some deep shots late in the game because at the very least getting a huge sky over a guy like Bart Watson or Brandon Steets is something you’re always going to keep with you and those kinds of plays are how you get the confidence to beat established teams.

After the Bodhi game I headed over to the Doublewide/Sockeye game and I witnessed the tail end of the upset. I want to say that Doublewide was the better team, but it just looked like Sockeye was over confident. They were careless on offense and when/if they generated a turn on D they weren’t careful enough to turn it into a break. Doublewide however executed their game beautifully and for a team that needs a few confidence jolts, they definitely did well for themselves.

However, just like the Delaware vs Florida upset, Doublewide didn’t follow up their performance with anything spectacular. Folks, if you ever upset a team huge, you have to come out and at least score in the follow up game or you’ll get killed on point differential and that is what happened to Doublewide.

Anyway, Doublewide still got stuck in the lower pools (just like Chewbacca Defense, the Austin mixed team) and had to eek their way out to get into the quarters play in.

The other thing worth mentioning about pool play was Bravo. They did not look like they were ready to win Nationals. They seemed really impatient in the sense that they just wanted to be in the Finals already and couldn’t be bothered with the 7 games leading up to them. SubZero almost beat them late in the day and for a team that was a Finals frontrunner, they really did not resemble the team they were a year ago.

Friday

Now Power Pools were nuts. The second day of competition totally screwed up my bracket and things were as crazy in Sarasota as they appeared on the score reporter. I only watched the Sockeye vs Jam game because I haven’t seen much of Jam and I wanted to know more about them. They hung with Sockeye for a while but Sockeye’s depth on defense was insane. They are like the next level up from Wisconsin. They bring so much pressure and considering that Friday was by far the windiest day, Jam just could not maintain the composure to score 15 goals. As a side note, Jim Parinella walked by and asked me about the game and he said “Ok match, in 25 words or less”. I loved it.

As for Bravo, I only heard things second hand and Bret Matzuka from Ring who was telling me they just couldn’t play in the wind and that doesn’t surprise me. Bravo’s strength has always been their size. Popes, Big Jim, Beau, all their guys are massive and they love to use them. However, when you have 30 mph wind, it gets hard for guys like Parker to hit their targets with the required precision.

The other interesting game in Power Pools was Ironside vs Sockeye and despite the fact that I was hoping Boston could get the upset, they seemed very ok with losing. They were in the game close but towards the end Sockeye just outlasted them. It was funny, Goldstein had a drop late in the game but after he realized that Sockeye now had to play Bravo in Quarters and Ironside had an easier game against Ring, I heard he said something to the tune of, “Best drop I have ever had”.

So with Bravo’s two losses they faced Doublewide in the play in game and Texas never had a chance. I wanted to see them in quarters but that kind of opponent in pre-quarters is just unfair and Bravo rolled. The other play in game between GOAT and SubZero was pretty sweet though. I got some well-deserved criticism awhile back for not knowing enough about Toronto and I was glad to have the opportunity to pay close attention to them in.

Inian Morrthy played a phenomenal tournament and he was amazing for GOAT. His deep cuts were spectacular and with a guy like John Hassell on the field, he was catching goals left and right. As for Hassell, I was talking with some folks about John and the consensus seemed to be that his poise on the field is staggering. On offense, he just seems so comfortable to the point where he appears NOT be trying when he cuts. I wish GOAT had a bit more of that confidence top to bottom however, because like I said before, if they want to win, they have to know they can first. They had a line in the tournament pamphlet that said “They win Canadian Nationals when Furious doesn’t show up” and that kind of thinking is exactly what will keep them second to Furious.

SubZero had moments of brilliance however and they kept the game interesting. I was amazed to see Muffin playing because I figured he’d be out for the season, but there he was launching his famous “Sonic Boom”. It was just unfortunate that it wasn’t caught more often. Another player I couldn’t help but feel bad for was Grant Lindsley. This kid, like Stubbs, has had a hell of a summer with appearances at College Nationals, Worlds and Club Nationals. However because he has the Paidea and Chain background, not to mention the talent to compete with anyone, there is a lot of expectation on him and I don’t think he handles the pressure well yet. I’ve seen him go deep many times for SubZero and many times he just couldn’t make the catch. I’m not sure I see him as a great deep threat because he is so small, but if he wants to succeed he is going to have to exhibit a lot more composure down field. I think putting him center stage on Sub’s O-line was a mistake, especially when you have an experienced cutter like Jim Foster who does have the composure to get it done in that sort of situation. In my opinion it comes down to experience and from watching guys like Heijmen snatch goals with such authority, it looks like Grant still has a ways to go.

Another thing that I couldn’t help notice about Wisconsin is how they organize their Carleton/Wisconsin talent. I think I remember it as Shane, Muffin, and Lokke on the D line and Kanner and Lindsley for O, which makes sense. The intensity of Wisconsin’s defense is quite the asset and the poise and commitment to fundamentals that Carleton seems to emulate is valuable on offense. Jack Marsh, Foster and Heijmen play on Sub’s O-line, but I get the feeling they are a bit different from the testosterone heavy Hodag norm. In addition to being really nice guys, Heijmen, Foster, and Jack seem a bit more even keel and that is valuable. I think if SubZero wants to succeed in the future, they are going to have to work on harnessing their intensity because the brute force that gets them championships in College will not work in Club. Teams are not going to be intimidated by raw intensity and unless you can match their level of execution, they’ll cut you to ribbons.

Saturday

Quarters was pretty awesome and the Bravo vs Sockeye game was every bit as exciting as one would hope. Bravo came to Nationals to play this game, it was just too bad it wasn’t a day later. The game started off on serve and despite Skip Sewell’s dominate defense on Will Deaver, Sockeye could not get the breaks they needed in the first half. At one point Skip’s intensity got the better of him and Sockeye got slapped with a 3rd TMF and had to start in their own endzone. This was weird to see. I mean come on, Will Deaver vs Skip Sewell, the UPA vs Cultimate and you get a TMF in the game you play against one another?! A better set of circumstances doesn’t exist for a writer like myself.

In the end I think the key to Bravo’s success was a lack of focus on Sockeye’s part. I think Seattle was really frustrated that they had to play Bravo this early in the tournament and I don’t think they were prepared. They made poor mistakes on offense and couldn’t score on D. I will say that Nate Castine is a straight up baller though. He seems to have the confidence on D that a guy like Grant Lindsley needs to develop and he played great. It looks like Sockeye always puts Nate on the other team’s best player and he does a great job. He took out Mike Grant for a little while in the gold medal game and he was on Forch and Beau this weekend.

Unfortunately for Sockeye, Beau is Beau. He took over in the Sockeye game and without Chase or Seth, Sockeye really didn’t have an answer. Despite trying to match his speed with a fast guy like Nate or his height with a tall guy like Thomas Sebby, they just couldn’t take him out of the game. The fact that this game was at 9am also helped Bravo because there was little or no wind that early in the day and Bravo got to use the weapons they are so comfortable with. This was easily may favorite game of the weekend and it was really nice to see Beau run up and down the field the way he did back in ’04. As an aside, I think Nord broke his wrist making a layout grab so he was unavailable to cover Beau.

However, despite Bravo finally getting past Sockeye, they really did not get up for semis. I think Bravo knew they were good enough to beat anyone, but having their focus change to a team like Jam or Ironside once they got past Sockeye was a challenge. They usually do very well against Jam and I think that hurt them in semis. They got what they wanted in quarters but Jam was dying to make it out of semis and Bravo phoned it in. San Francisco took an early 6-2 lead and Bravo just couldn’t make up the difference. Despite looking 50, Just Safdie played a great tournament and all of Jam’s talent played to their abilities. Watson, Damien, Gabe, Husak, Cascino, Steets, etc.. were all superb and they were not going to lose. I was talking with Alex Hughes from Furious and he was telling me that when you have all start talent like that, the game all depends on your best players to be one and for everyone else to stay out of the way. He was telling me that if Mike Grant, Lugsdin, Oscar, Kirk and Mauro have a good game, Furious will win, if not, they lose and the same was true for Jam. I was a bit skeptical that they would handle the wind well because I’ve always thought Bart pulls out the flick blade a bit too much but he played very conservatively both in this game and the finals and his ability to navigate through the elements was awesome to watch.

I wanted to watch more of the other semis but I had to go commentate the Masters Final. From what I saw early, it looked like this game was going to come down to the wire with Boston and Atlanta tied at 7s and 8s but after I left, Ironside pulled away. I really like hyping up the Forch/Zip matchup and at one point they argued over a foul call and I thought it was cute. Anyway, Boston seemed to have the composure in the wind to get past Chain and they advanced to the finals for the first time in a decade.

The big surprise in the Masters division was the fact that DoG had been knocked out pretty handily in semis and now the two teams facing off were relatively unknown, at least to myself. Rob asked me to do the commentary with Alex and while I think I can make just about anything entertaining, I really did not know enough about these teams. This would prove to be an additional issue in the Mixed final. For what it’s worth, people really underestimate the work load associated with putting stuff like this on and while it could easily be fixed by having more people involved, it is very hard to get people to come all the way to Florida to work on something that hasn’t been done before. To complicate matters, volunteer turnover is very high and just like anything, it gets really hard to find good help. In the end, the fact that the stream made it on the web without any glitches and there were commentators at all was a big victory. Maybe things will change in a few years, and it was nice that most of the criticisms on RSD were relatively understandable and fixable in the near future.

As for the actual Masters game, it was ok. Surly really worked the whole field well and Mileage had a tough time with the wind. In watching the game, I really noticed that having a good pivot is so important in getting through difficult wind. If you can go backhand/forehand/backhand/forehand quickly and effectively, getting a swing across the field is a lot easier. Surly managed to set up break side dumps with good pivot movement and got the disc off the downwind sideline. Mileage was not as effective with this and Surly’s zone ate them up and they cruised to victory.

By Saturday night, I was really exhausted and doing voice overs for the video highlights became increasingly difficult. I am really glad Rob gave me this opportunity and I really enjoyed the experience but when you have to watch highlight after highlight, write a script and then record it at all hours of the night, you tend to miss things. At one point I kept mixing up Jon Zalisk and Taylor Cascino for Jam and I ended up having to record a few segments 3 or 4 times which kept us up till about 1:30am for the third night in a row. Oh well, my bad. Rob didn’t seem to mind too much.

Sunday

The final day of the tournament came at just the right moment. Dale, one of Rob’s editors and best friend, had worked his hands to the bone editing film footage and I was pretty beat from watching all of it day in and day out. However, Sunday was all live, no editing, just streaming and commentating. We all enjoyed the lighter work load.

As for the Finals commentary, things were a bit hectic at first. I really wanted to do the open final for obvious reasons but the UPA paid for the broadcast and they wanted Kyle Weisbrod. I was a bit put off at first but after watching he and Alex run things, I was very impressed. They worked well together and I think the sport was articulated beautifully in my opinion. I am not sure what kind of a job I would have done, but I think Kyle and Alex did the sport justice and it made me wonder if I am cut out for commentating. I am a very passionate person and I think my intensity can sometimes get the better of me. Commentating the Mixed finals was much easier because I didn’t really care who won or lost, but my knowledge of the teams was pathetic relative to what I know about teams like Ironside and Jam. But it is a double edged sword because knowing enough about the teams to do a decent job takes a ton of work and it is hard for me to research a team well when I have no interest in how they perform. Oh well, maybe I just need more practice.

As for the Mixed finals, I really wasn’t all that prepared. I didn’t know what game I was going to be doing going into Sunday and considering the fact that we don’t have the broadcasting power of FOX or ESPN, the garage-esk nature of things seemed understandable. To complicate matters, getting the information required to do a good job is really hard especially considering the fact that we don’t know who is going to be in the finals until the day before and finding said information is no easy task. I’ve spent the last 5 years researching open teams and I still struggle.

Something that really surprised me over the weekend was that one of our camera men had done work with broadcasting in the past for Ultimate and he was telling me that they had done the same sort of production for the ’92 UPA Club Ultimate Championships. I really wish things had continued to blossom. In any event, in order to really package the game well, given our infrastructure, doing things live is impossible. One of my frustrations with CSTV is despite the fact that it is put together well, it doesn’t find it’s way to viewers until weeks or even months after the event. Given the circumstances, we’re just going to have to take what we can get.

As for the Women’s final, yikes, this was a weird 2 hours. I spent the first half of the game talking with Will Deaver, which was really cool. I remember getting yelled at by Will in Columbus in 2006 for having Natty Light on the side line of a UCSD game but I’m glad that he has given me the chance to mature over the last few years. He is really a great guy and absolutely perfect for the position of Championship Director. It was really cool giving him my two cents on issues like the Ultimate Revolution and Conference 1 and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

As for the game, when I started paying attention, Riot was already up 5-0. At first I immediately started throwing out things like double peaking issues because up until this point every team that had competed at Worlds had struggled at some point during Nationals. However, in the second half Fury’s switch to zone really proved to be the determining factor. I have heard that Matt Tsang is a good coach but I never really understood it until this game.

He really kept Fury’s spirits up and allowed them to focus on getting the job done despite being in a monstrous hole. At 11-2 or so I was really looking forward to congratulating Miranda because I like her a lot and know how much she wanted this game but as Fury kept getting closer and closer, I could feel my heart sink in my chest. I am guessing Riot had similar feelings and when I was taking down the scaffolding, I could see folks like Val Dion in tears and it really broke my heart.

In any event, one thing that struck me during all of the Finals was just how difficult it is to play in Sarasota. A lot of people want the opportunity to just make Nationals but not only is it incredibly hard to make the tournament, it is incredibly hard to compete in it. The wind is really astronomical and in watching games being played I was glad I didn’t have to suit up. I understand now how much veteran experience helps you in a tournament like this because only after years of work can one have the patience to execute in conditions that are so frustrating.

After all of the games we packed things up and headed back to the hotel for some celebratory activities. I wanted to give up alcohol for 6 months but I decided to give myself a break for the last night of competition. All of us on the UV crew as well as the employees and volunteers for the UPA worked our butts off and sitting down with a few brews was pretty understandable.

At this point we all got the chance to loosen up and the spittle really showed up. Two of the guys filming for Rob were from Savannah, GA and they were two of the more interesting characters I have come across at ultimate tournaments. One of them, William, was a player from Savannah who had played the game at a decent level for a number of years. One of his claims to fame was that Sterling and Shannon Sharpe had graced their pickup scene with a cameo and he had played ultimate with two hall of fame athletes. He also made sure to mention that each Sharpe thought Ultimate was the hardest sport they had ever played.

William’s other stand out attribute was that he had broken his finger in competition a while back and rather than leave the game, he cracked it back into place, taped it up and continued to compete. Now however, he has about a ¾ inch bulge perpendicular to his left middle finger and I was doing double and triple takes at dinner when he was showing it to me.

The other Savannah gentleman was a good ol boy in ultimate from years past. His name was JR and he had played/covered the sport back in the days of Kenny Dobyns and he was also a character. His most standout attribute was that he walked around with an eye patch and only after a few brews did I have the courage to ask him about it. Apparently he has a brain tumor of sorts in his head and he had lost most of the use of his left ear and eye. It didn’t seem to stop him however because he was as lively as any of us and I enjoyed his company.

To make matters even more hilarious, he also had participated in a play in Savannah as a pirate, big surprise, for a number of years and he decided to sport a cane for the evening’s festivities. Not only was he fully prepared to act out his lines on cue, but he also managed to manifest a blade out of his cane, a prop he had borrowed, and by this time nothing was surprising me. I loved it.

So we headed out to the infamous Siesta Key and we managed to find the bulk of the ultimate partiers at the Daiquiri Deck. I grew up in Southern California so these beach settings aren’t all that exciting for me, but it was cool to see a bunch of elite players getting blitzed. I managed to come across Damien Scott in the bathroom and I congratulated him on a much deserved National title as we both were relieving ourselves.

I also caught Gwen Ambler and despite the fact that I was pulling for Miranda I gave Gwen my congratulations. She is such a baller both on and off the field and if anyone could get away with a come from behind like that against an underdog, she can.

After many rounds of daiquiris and whiskey shots with the Barrio/Arizona guys (great to see them by the way), I wandered around the party scene to see who I could bump into. I caught up with Dan Heijmen and after I commented on his lack of bushy facial hair (he had shaved his monstrous beard after SubZero was eliminated) we ended up talking about something, not sure what it was now.

I caught Idris Nolan's attention for the briefest of moments and all I had to say was "Thanks for jump starting my blogging career and congratulations" to which he sort of chuckled and tipped his glass.

I also had a few Sockeye players introduced to me, Blaine Robbins in particular. Cyle Van Auken is well aware of my WA/BC section loyalties and I think he was curious to know what would happen if I came face to face with the enemy after a few drinks. To be completely honest, I have no animosity towards individual Sockeye players what so ever. I actually have the utmost respect for them and would welcome any to go play for the Monkey. One thing I remembered from the interaction was that my first comment to Blaine was to ask what name he had on the back of his Sockeye jersey because it was not Robbins and in his sprinting up and down the field I really could not make out what the name was. He told me that it was his wife’s last name and I thought that was a truly amazing gesture. She is a lucky woman.

So after a few hours of partying, things really started to get blurry. I left the main bar briefly with the Barrio guys but my first thought was that I did not want to get left 45 minutes from my bed so I returned quickly to my UV compatriots. It was really cool to party with Shep again though, that guy is just money and David Husid is also a fun little pit bull. Brandon Palmer also asked me for some advice now that he is Arizona’s captain and I tried to muster up some words of wisdom and I think I heard something to the tune of, “I’ve haven’t heard that before, thanks” so I may or may not have done my part to help Sunburn out.

Monday

So I awoke Monday morning early with this horrible hangover, something I do not miss. I managed to get my stuff together and get on the road but getting all the way up to Tampa for my noon flight proved to be quite the challenge. I didn’t want to put gas in the rent-a-car until I was close to the airport but for anyone that has been to that part of the country will tell you, there just isn’t anywhere to stop for miles and miles. After going about 20 miles or so with the gas light on I was really afraid I was going to run out of gas in the Florida outskirts, but I managed to luck out in St Petersburg, phew.

Anyway, I caught my flight and I got home despite a few more hiccups, which included me pulling the trigger in flight. But I finally managed to embrace my girl friend, who I had missed ever so much, and we watched this show about ghost hunters with my roommate until about 11pm before we both passed out.

Closing Thoughts

Wow what a year. I don’t want to go into too much detail because this thing is already too long but I had a few things I wanted to say.

First, for anyone that has a serious interest in ultimate, please attend some of the tournaments that you follow on the score reporter. Even if you cannot compete at Nationals or Centex or whatever, witnessing some of these events in real life will have a profound impact on you and increasing one’s level of understanding is really enhanced by just being there. I know my first trip to Nationals in Corvalis changed me and I’m still picking things up 4 years later.

Secondly, I want to toss out some thanks. First to Rob and Dale. They were so much fun to work with and I am so glad that I have been able to get close to a set of professionals that have allowed me to understand and appreciate my sport. In addition, Skip Hobbie. Skip is one of my favorite people and the fact that he is buddy buddy with my little brother makes me like him even more. His career as a wild life videographer is so incredibly exciting to hear about and considering the fact that we both like to get into the same sorts of trouble, he is always fun to be around. Neva was also a cool chick to hang out with. I tend to be a bit blunt, which doesn’t score me points with most women, but she seemed to loosen up relatively quickly and we had a good time. She was also very helpful during the Mixed finals because she knew the names and pronunciations that Alex and I struggled with.

It was also really awesome to hang out with Alex Hughes from Furious all weekend. I don’t need to highlight what it meant to me to hang out with a player on my favorite team, but I’ll just say that this interaction alone made the long trip to Sarasota worth it. The best thing about it was that after the 10-15 min awkward phase where he realized just how big a Furious fan I am, we ended up tossing spittle back and forth like any other set of friends would. At one point I realized that he resembles Daniel Day Lewis a lot from “There will be Blood” so for Sunday night we kept tossing lines back and forth like “If I have a milk shake” and “I’ve abandoned my child” in as good an Oscar winner impersonation as we could muster. It was pretty cool to have this kind of interaction and considering the fact that he enjoyed my stories and I his, I look forward to more spittle sessions in the future.

So I’ve wasted enough of your time already so I will end things here. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the show. I look forward to more in the future.

just my thoughts

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