My Callahan Talk

Now that most of the teams at Nationals have been figured out and the Callahan candidates have all been finalized, I thought now would be a good time to throw in my two cents as to who are the strongest candidates for the Callahan and who I think will finish 1 through 5.

Three Things

First I thought I would start off with my criteria for winning the Callahan in the first place. In order to win this award, you need 3 things: 1) Player Talent 2) Team Talent and 3) Hype. First and foremost you have to be an absolute baller which makes sense but you also have to play for a contending team. Over the last few years, most Callahan winners are playing in the Finals at Nationals (Safdie, Nord, Wiggins, Richter, Zipp, Gehret, Heijman) and I'm sorry to most elite players out there, but if you aren't on a top 1 or 2 team, you are lucky to just make top 5 in the voting. Lastly, hype. It would be nice if player and team talent were enough but a lot of the time you need to have a buzz associated with your Callahan nominee. Sometimes this takes years to establish but it is necessary because with the information gap the way it is, a lot of voters never see the people they are actually voting for. In any event, things like UltiVillage and mssui are changing that and hopefully in the future there will be universal exposure of all top teams across the country. In some cases, a lack of one criteria can be made up with an excess of another, such as Tim Gehret in 2006 and Dan Heijman last year where their team talent made up for the fact that no one knew who they were before their epic championship seasons.

Callahan Top 5 (in ascending order)

5) Stephen Pressley (Texas) - I had the privilege of seeing Franchise play in Austin and he is such a dominant offensive threat for Texas. If TUFF had more weapons on O his defensive ability would also be more prevalent but this guy made top 10 in the Callahan nomination last year and Texas is having a great year with a 36-7 record going into Nationals. They may have slipped at Sectionals but their Centex and Regionals performances are spectacular. They had the 2nd best record at Centex (7-1) and Franchise led a huge comeback against UNT avenged their sectional setback. In taking the region Texas will probably be at least a 5 seed at nationals this year. As far as my 3 criteria go, he has a lot of player talent and hype but not enough team talent. Texas is a consistent program that makes Nationals and quarters every year but that's about it. Players like Tank and Salad have come and gone and have had great careers but without at least a semifinals birth, you can't expect voters to put your candidate as #1. This isn't necessarily Texas' fault because they haven't (historically) had a lot of sectional/regional competition, but if teams like UNT, Kansas and Oklahoma can step up and challenge TUFF consistently, Texas could become an even bigger powerhouse in the future. As far as votes go, the bulk of Franchise's votes are probably going to come within his own region which is nice but it should also be assumed. He will have a tough time getting #1 votes in other regions, but he could get #2 or #3 honors from teams that have played against him in the Southwest, Central, and AC regions. In the end, he should hear his name called on Saturday and that is an honor in and of itself. He will continue his career with DW and will be an even better club player than college.

4) Joseph Kershner (Arizona) - The Cinderella team that everyone has been pulling for since the first NCUS tournament has been Sunburn, led by Joe. He has such an aura about him and in just watching him play one game, it is easy to see why people like playing with him. Arizona's romp in the desert jump started Arizona's season much the way Florida's was in 2006. Joe also has the luxury of being an extremely talented 5th year and his team has not let him down. Arizona has not faltered all year and despite not making a return to a tournament finals, they have not disappointed and have yet to have a bad tournament. Joe has also led Arizona to Nationals for the first time and everyone in the country has been pulling for Sunburn all year. In Joe's case, this kind of hype will definitely compensate for his team's lack of historic dominance and I think across the country, voters will be looking for "the pirate guy from Arizona" on their ballot. He has done a fantastic job and I think he deserves to break into the top 5. I have him as #4 over Franchise because Joe and Arizona's hype are intertwined and I think people will reward Sunburn's epic season with votes from every region. Franchise is limited by his team's reach but Joe will get votes up and down both coasts. If I am right, I think Joe owes a big thank you to Rob for putting together these three clips.

3) Jolian Dahl (Colorado) - I had Jolian pegged to win this award back in February but MB's slow start really was a monkey wrench in that plan. For most of the year folks have been scratching their heads and wondering what has happened to the gold and black and despite winning the Southwest, Colorado really did not look as dominant as they have in the past. Peripheral to this, Jolian has never been nominated for the Callahan but he has been well known in elite circles for several years. He was on the 2004 Championship team and his exposure on Johnny Bravo only helps him in this race. However, Jolian is not your sterotypical Callahan nominee for 2 reasons. 1) He doesn't play all that much. Unlike Kershner, Pressley and some others I'll mention, he usually only comes onto the field for offense. Maybe he comes out on both sides of the disc late in games, but for the most part he is strictly O-line. This is not a criticism to him or Catt Wilson, their game plan is their game plan and it has worked this far. However, it just doesn't give Jolian as much of a chance to shine. 2) Jolian is not a highlight hog. He does a really good job of setting his team up for scores and D's and players like Pebbles, Wicus and Mac Taylor have had great years because Jolian has supported them throughout the year. I think this element of Jolian's game helps him get this high on the Callahan list, but not much further. I would be willing to bet that a lot of voters out there have not seen him make ridiculous plays, they just know that he is good and he is on an epic team. His hype helps him a lot here as does his team talent, but because Colorado has lost their historic handler core, his ability to exhibit his player talent has been reduced. In any event, I like him as #3 which is still an amazing accomplishment.

2) Mark Sherwood (Stanford) - Mark has been the superstar Stanford has always needed but now, they don't have their usual supporting cast. In every discussion of Stanford this year, Mark has been the answer to the "how's" and "why's" of Bloodthirsty's success, mainly at Stanford and Regionals. Sherwood is probably one of the best players to ever put on a Stanford jersey and he deserved the teams' nomination last year despite Robbie's success in the voting (Robbie was nominated by the NW RC). In any event, Mark has the talent and the hype to get him this far in the Callahan voting but his team talent and this guy Kurt Gibson, prevent him from getting much further. Unlike Jolian, Sherwood carries his team and unlike Pressley, Mark is known for his abilities on both sides of the disc. The only thing that has hurt Mark's chances is Stanford's lack of consistency. This isn't necessarily his fault, he just had the misfortune of being born a year after Nan Gao, Robbie Cahill and Will Chen. In any event the one thing that will allow Mark to make it this far is that Stanford made nationals. In beating UBC voters will see that despite Stanford's lackluster season, they still made the show. They peaked well, they battled back and got back to Nationals by beating the 1 seed out of the NW. If Stanford had failed, Mark's chances would have plummeted dramatically because his talents would be doubted simply because his team didn't make the show. In any event, flat ballers across the country will be putting him as #2 and this will get him near the top of the podium on Saturday night.

1) Kurt Gibson (Florida) - I don't even have to say anything about Kurt but I had some thoughts anyway. Yes, Kurt is by far the best player in the country. No one dominates the way he does and his ability to throw, jump and run is unparalleled at the college level. What makes him even more dangerous is that he never comes off the field. He is more or less the Kobe Bryant of ultimate, especially Kobe in the 4th quarter. Kurt wants the disc all the time and if he could pull, get the D, throw AND catch the score he would. This is nothing against his playing style, but it will attract haters, not to mention the fact that he isn't the friendliest player and he sports a glove when he plays. However, I think the negative feedback he gets only fuels him and despite verbal attacks from a variety of sources (including myself) there is no denying his talents. In addition he also has more than enough team talent and hype to get the award and nothing short of a Nationals Disqualification will prevent him from getting the Callahan this year. In watching Kurt play however, I do have one question. What happens to Florida next year? Kurt and Brodie are definitely the heart of this team's success but Kurt sets up Brodie like none other and Cyle, Chris Gibson, Cole Sullivan, and Alex Hill all benefit from easier matchups and Kurt's monster flick. When Kurt leaves, what will happen to their program? Kurt has gobbled up all responsibility on this team and I wonder, who will carry the load next year? Florida is definitely the #1 team in the country right now but so much of that depends on Kurt. More so than Colorado's dependence on Beau, Florida lives and dies with #20 and I sincerely hope their glory days don't leave with Kurt. But that doesn't matter now. In 2008, Gibson is the best and so is Florida. Good luck to Kurt and Florida at Nationals, you won't need it.

Out in the Cold

Wisconsin - In my opinion, the Hodags have made an interesting choice in selecting Rebholz for the Callahan. Matt is a 5th year captain who has been a composed handler and defender for baby blue for years. However, he has very little hype associated with him and I am willing to bet that most voters don't really have an opinion of him one way or another. Nothing against him, but there are several players on the 'dags that could get more votes, such as Will Lokke. Will has been the best thing about the Hodags all season. With Muffin and Shane being the up and down emotional entities that they are and Foster and Rebholz being the silent leadership of Wisconsin, Will has been the consistent work horse. When Wisconsin needs a D, he's there, when they need an epic score he's there, when they need someone to just save the day, he is there. Go back and watch the UVTV footage of Wisconsin vs Arizona from Vegas. Will gets the game saving hammer D that would have tied the game at 11's and given Arizona a crucial break. If you switch over to the Stanford Invite footage, in the DGP semi-final between Wisconsin and UBC, Will skies the crap out of 2 UBC defenders to bring down the game winner. A more clutch player on Wisconsin or any other team, there is not. Initially I thought the Callahan race within Wisconsin would be between Shane and Drew but with Mahowald breaking his knee, Will has really taken on the brunt of the Hodag work load. He is also extremely composed and is never mentioned in the Wisconsin hot head discussions. In any event, because of these circumstances, I think Wisconsin gets snubbed this year and doesn't get a nominee at the podium.

Dusty Becker (Oregon) - When Dusty is on, he is one of the best handlers in the country, but when it really mattered this year, his composure has really gotten the better of him. From what I have seen and heard about him, it seems that his intensity is his biggest strength and weakness and his decision making reflects Oregon's poor showing at Centex and Regionals. He is a phenomenal player and I think his talents are better suited for Club. He puts up a lot of difficult throws and with only a few really dominate cutters, it's tough to reel-in those throws. Another thing that also makes his life difficult is that for a handler, breaking into the Callahan voting requires a lot of team success, positive hype and defensive ability. Nothing against Dusty's talents on the defensive side of the disc, but without the dialog we saw back in 2003 for Wiggins and 2006 for Tim Gehret, it is really tough to get voters to put you #1 over players that are more composed and on better teams. In any event he has had an awesome college career and I hear he'll be back next year.

Greg Swanson/Peter Dempsey (Georgia) - There are two phenomenal players one Georgia that carry complimenting roles. Greg on offense and Peter on D. However, Georgia does not nominate a Callahan nominee unless there is a unanimous pick. Over the last few years that has been Dylan Tunnell but this year, I think Georgia's talent is spread across these two studs as well as Will McDonough, Ben Morrissey and too many other players for such a nomination to arise. Despite this, these two entities for Georgia have been amazing this year, when they are healthy. Greg Swanson is an awesome offensive threat and it was a pleasure to see him play at Centex. On the other side of the disc, Dempsey had a phenomenal Regional tournament with several layout D's against UNC. In any event, there is no clear front runner here but with Georgia's ability to make Nationals by finishing 2nd, you have to wonder if they have improved in Dylan's absence. I figured #78's departure would put more pressure on each player to carry their own water and it looks like it has worked out well for Georgia. Each one of these players deserves high honors for their efforts this year and I look forward to seeing JoJah and the ruckus they bring at Nationals.

In the Foyer

Danny Karlinksy (Santa Cruz) - Danny is a superb player and DLK has been a very prominent force on the on-line ultimate experience. However, I think that is where his hype begins and ends. He is a very talented handler and is an even better leader but I wonder if enough people know who he is on the field. Santa Cruz has done well down the stretch but it isn't enough for Callahan recognition, in my opinion. I know he doesn't have this, but with a year or two more to develop his reputation Danny would have a chance at the top 5 (including some consistency from Santa Cruz) but his playing hype just isn't where it needs to be. It would be nice if this didn't matter, but it does. Kids who play for teams like Swarthmore and Florida-B need to know who you are and unless you are making highlight reels for Rob and getting talked up for a huge sky or D on RSD, you just aren't in the running. He may be able to crack the top 10 because he is well known and liked among informed cirlces. Making the top 5 though, especially with people like Pressley and Purcell to compete with, is a tough pull. I will say that Danny appears to be the 2008 version of Ben Wiggins. He is a fiery handler with a lot of team pride and he has motivated his team to stiff arm the competition in one of the toughest regions in the country. However, Oregon in 2003 won a much harder NW region and was on their way to a finals appearance and Santa Cruz just isn't that good yet. Check out his NW regional write-up. His team history is really interesting and I bet it makes just as good a story as Muffin and Drew's Hodag Love. Congrats again Danny, I'll be rooting for you on the inside in Boulder, but heckling you just like everyone else.

Ryan Purcell (Michigan) - I am not sure how Ryan will do in the Callahan race. He has been the heart of Magnum for 5 years and he is one of the many reasons why Michigan will get a 1 seed in Boulder. His talent is incredible, both defense and offense, and it has really been awesome to see him lead his team from a 13 seed in 2005, to an 11 seed in 2006, not making nationals in 2007, and now probably the 4th seed this year. Late last night his name still didn't appear on Charles Kerr's list and considering that he was THE last person nominated, you can imagine why I almost missed him. Michigan, like Arizona, has been on a serious high, especially since Centex. Will Neff HAS panned out and players like Ollie Honderd (freshman) will keep Michigan at the top of the region for years to come. As far as Ryan's chances go, I have no idea, which is why I have him in "the lobby". I think he breaks into the top 10 but top 5? I dunno. He could leap frog Pressley because Michigan has done a little better than Texas this year but Franchise has been in Callahan discussions since last year and I think Ryan is new on the scene. He also doesn't have the luxury of 3 COTD's like Kershner does and he is a little guy who is more known for his breaks and in-cut defense which is the glue that holds a team together but it doesn't get you on the highlight reel as much. He is still a top notch player though and I really like watching him own. Hopefully they can take the Pool of (D)eath and have a shot at semis because the little south paw deserves it.

Closing Thoughts

I think the Callahan has been somewhat of a bogus award but it is improving. Historically, it has been extremely subjective because it relies on so many variables, some of which don't involve ultimate talent what so ever, and team politics like that of Carleton and Georgia. However, with the advent of ultivillage, mssui, quality bloggers, and an increased fan base, the ultimate knowledge of your average college player is expanding and that is a good thing. Maybe in a few years my criteria will go from 3 to 2, with hype being inconsequential because all players will get the exposure they need. However, like Baseball, Football and Basketball, you need to play on a playoff contender to get an MVP award. Hopefully Gerics sets up some sort of 1st/2nd team All-NUMP like back in 2005 because those lists will truly be an objective indication of who is the best in the country. Best of luck to these competitors at Nationals, NO ONE GET HURT.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Yo Mamabird

I thought I would wrap up my college previews with a team that everyone knows, fears, and likes to watch, Colorado Mamabird. I managed to get a few questions answered by 5th year Martin Cochran and I thought I would share some thoughts about MB's 2008 season.

Player Departures
I think everyone is waiting for Beau's eligibility to run out. However, if his freshman year was really back in 2004, he could theoretically be available for a 5th year in 2008. However, peripheral to Beau, the biggest loss to MB this year will be Justin "Rabbit" Salvia. This kid was unreal. I really enjoyed watching him play at college nationals last year. Despite only being 5'7" he is awesome and really earned his team's callahan nomination. This little guy ran harder than any player I saw and was never shown up. His video footage is also top notch and I really encourage anyone who wants to check out MB in action, to watch stuff like this. Justin is a phenomenal presence for Colorado both on MB and Bravo and his experience will be missed. However, like most MB alums, I am sure he won't go far.

2008 Playmakers
The fantasy all stars for Colorado this year will be many. They usually have one of the best starting 7's in the country and 2008 will be no different. First and foremost, Jolian Dahl. I am saying it right here: Jolian can, should, and will be the 2008 Callahan winner. This kid can do it all: send the huck, bring it down, sky you on D and layout past you. He has the same overall build as Beau and is comparably athletic. He has the throws and the offensive composure of Parker and Chicken, he is the ROCK and captain of one of the most exciting teams in the country, and he has more experience than any other player in college ultimate. As a Paideia Alum, a 5th year player for Mamabird and stellar standout on Johnny Bravo, there is no one in the country that can contain, control or take Jolian out of his game.

If Beau comes back, he will obviously be a standout for MB. He and Jolian were both freshman when Colorado won their last national championship and like Dan Heijman, I am sure they want to end their careers the same way they began. I will say that having him back as a handler was really lame to see last year and I sincerely hope they have him down field where he belongs. I have also heard from a few sources that he is training harder than ever and with some top notch help. Yikes.

Another standout for MB is Martin Cochran. This grad student was also on the 2004 team but missed most of nationals in 2005 when he punctured his lung in Corvalis. He has always been a great defensive force on Colorado's D line and has the experience to run a decent offense once a turn is generated. Martin is also another, in Colorado's army, of 6+ footers and depending on a foot injury, could be a veteran standout for Colorado. Another MB veteran and Johnny Bravo crossover is Mac Taylor. He is a vicious underneath as well as deep cutter/defender for MB and has the experience to plug himself anywhere in Colorado's explosive offense. Lastly, veteran Kevin "Pebbles" Schipper, will look to have a big year with spectacular quickness underneath and great vision on both sides of the disc.

Young Guns
In addition to scores of veterans, there will also be some new faces getting points for Mamabird this year. One name that will generate some Ds will be Junior Tom Higginbotham. He is a 6' moose of a player and can handle just about any teams major deep threat. Andrew "Stitches" Graham (junior) will also get some PT as a staunch defender and will help generate the breaks that MB's O-line will need to secure W's. Freshman Hylke Sneider is another up and comer that could really make plays. He was on the cover (courtesy of Jason Mechler) of the Fall 2006 issue of Ultimate News, not to mention the 2006 Fall League player of the year in Colorado. With his 6'2" stature and club experience playing for Sack Lunch, I am sure he will be making life hard for whomever lines up against him.

Tournament Schedule

Probably the most exciting thing about Colorado this year is their tournament schedule. They start off the same as they did last year, with Trouble in Vegas. They usually do OK (meaning quarters/semis) at this tournament but the wind combined with the fact that its the first tournament, usually exacerbates the weaknesses in Colorado's grip and rip style of offense. Teams that have more composure and patience usually do a bit better, which is why I think Florida has done so well in the desert, despite being evenly matched talent wise.

After TiV, Colorado heads out to Stanford Invite, something they have not done since I have played ultimate. This year Stanford Invite will probably rival Centex as far as competition goes with Colorado, Wisconsin, and Florida all in attendance (but no Georgia, which is weird because they won it last year). Centex is a grueling tournament where teams have had to play 5 pool play games on saturday, not to mention quarters, semis and finals on sunday. For those folks that think less is more, the 7 "games to champ" schedule of the 20 team Stanford Invite might give a better indication of who is the best. Either way, I wish I was headed to Palo Alto in early March.

Towards the end of March Colorado heads to Centex as usual. They have made the finals there twice ('04 and '05) winning it all in 2005 but have yet to break past semis since then. Unlike most teams that do not play an additional tournament between Centex and the series, Colorado will make their usual trip to Lawrence, KA for Fools Fest where they have won a number of times in a row. The series will be uneventful for Colorado, as usual. They will get to play sectionals and nationals at home, while only having to travel to regionals which will most likely be in Arizona again (accoriding to mamabird's website).

Goals and Challenges

It is tough to say what Colorado's goals for 2008 would be. They were in the finals last year as well as in '04 and '05. How can you hope to improve? I will say that Colorado can definitely be better than they are. They seem to do a few things that hurt their performance against equally talented teams such as Wisconsin. First, it seems that Colorado really clings to their O and D line sets. Last year I saw a lot of Jolian, Beau, Rabitt, and Mac Taylor on one side of the disc and then once they scored, they switched out for players like Cochran, Pebbles, and Andrew Graham. This is good if you have stellar defenders but this is college and unlike club, generating the score is not guaranteed. I have seen it so many times where Colorado generates a great D but can't turn it into a score against a good team because their best offensive personnel is not on the field. Without the ability to generate breaks, Beau, Rabbit, and Jolian ended up having to do double time and they ran out of gas late in games. I think that this is what allowed Georgia to beat them in quarters back in 2006.

In addition, Colorado has always had a grip and rip style of play. With so much height, speed and experience, they can usually pull anything down and therefore come at teams with brut force. However, with adverse weather (college finals last year) or teams with equal ability in the air (Florida and Wisconsin), 50/50 hucks and hammers can potentially put them in a hole they can't get out of. They are then forced to play underneath ultimate, something that they are not used to. If I were Catt Wilson, I would work on narrowing the talent gap between my players. Beau and Mac Taylor are great deep threats, Mike Davidson and Rabbit were great around the disc, Jolian does everything, but I think it can be hard for the 4-7 players on Colorado to be effective. Like Florida back in 2006, they seemed to just want to isolate their best players and make easy scores, rather than take what the defense gives you and spread it around. However, with injuries, exhaustion and crafty opponents, this can really limit the ability of the rest of your team to make plays. I think this is what allowed Brown to come back and win nationals in 2005.

Basically, I think Colorado should open and mix up their rotation in order to get all of their talent comfortable with each other and themselves. In college the best players are the ones that are confident doing it all. If you focus just on defense or just on offense, it is tough to be good at anything else. I think they should focus on developing chemistry between all players. Sometimes you get yourself in a situation where legs are the most important thing and if every player is good with every other player, your 7 on the line is always ready to go. I also think this helps because everyone knows Beau is gonna burn you deep and Jolian is going to get the disc every other throw. Teams have been paying attention and they will have a game plan ready and waiting. If you come out with a different set of threats or just have a highly dynamic and fluid offense, one that the defense can't adjust to, you will see better results. With better all around talent, it will be easier to find those mis-matches and get scores to the "Wes Welkers" out there. I am just ranting though. I am sure the coaching staff for MB has the situation well in hand. I mean come on, they have made nationals 10 years in a row, they haven't lost a pool play game at nationals since 2003, and they have made the finals 3 out of the last 4 years.

Closing Thoughts

I want to say that with players like Rabbit, Jolian and Beau at the end of their careers, MB is in trouble. But for people that have been watching Colorado for years, they know that another superstar will emerge. Before Chicken it was Parker, before Jolian it was Richter and JV, before Beau, it was Mickey. MB seems to always get and/or develop the best players in the country with their sterling reputation and program. With that being said, many other teams are getting better, and I think Colorado is going to have to sharpen their game to remain on top. Subtle things like breaking the mark more often, unconventional cutting, a more "faceless army" feel are all things that Colorado could benefit from. Their brut force offense and athletic D won't always work anymore. Brown's conservative and crafty tactics worked in 2005 and Georgia's depth worked in 2006. Wisconsin was untouchable in 2007, but I think the most important factors for Colorado this year will be the players I have failed to mention here. We all know that Colorado's top 7 can do it all, but games are played to 15 and if Colorado wants to win it all again, they will need their 8-21.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Sockeye/Bravo Finals Thoughts

Now that Rob has posted the Sockeye/Bravo finals, I had a chance to take a peak and I had some thoughts about it.

First off, I think the weather must have been an issue. A friend of mine was there and he said it was really windy. I also heard that Sunday was the first really bad day of wind and teams had potentially not adjusted yet and this game would be not as crisp as previous ones. With that being said I am sure that playing top shelf disc in said weather is difficult, especially offense. However, this is club nationals, this is Sarasota, its always this windy in the finals and these teams are the best. However, considering that they are the best in the world, I don’t think they played like it. This game looked much more like a college finals than anything else, I mean Bravo was down 5-3 and then went on a 4-0 run? Took half 8-6, but lost 15-13? That doesn't happen in the finals at Club Nationals. I wouldn’t call it sloppy but it definitely was not what I was expecting. Now, this is very presumptuous of me to say seeing that I am about 2 or 3 light years from this playing ability but I still have some observations.

When I saw that Bravo made the finals, I was really stoked. They made semis last year, a really good bunch of players, very experienced, very athletic, and so on. However, this was their first finals appearance and it was for the ability to play at World’s. That is a ton of pressure and I think it got to them. You have really stellar play from a lot of great players but there were also some HUGE mental mistakes like easy throw aways and hasty decisions. I don’t want to knit pick a team that just made the finals, but it just did not look like they played their best offense. I mean you have a team throw a callahan AND drop a pull. You look at just those two things, no way you predict Sockeye to win the game. That should be 2 easy breaks, which should be all you need at this level. However, Bravo tossed up some poor spittle and Sockeye made them pay.

This is by no means the end of the world for Bravo and I feel like this sort of loss has to happen for a team to improve. It has got to be damn near impossible to just swoop into the finals and win the first time, especially against a team that is playing in like their 5th finals, their 4th in a row. This is not dissimilar to the GOAT/Boston regional final I keep talking about. A great team has to learn to be great and situations like this teach them. It would be nice if these lessons can be learned verbally but I think that Chicken will be a better handler now that he has had a tough loss like this. I am sure every dump throw he tosses will be perfect from now on and a cutter going up the line better be DAMN open and NOT covered by Mike Caldwell for him to toss that outside in flick. I have had some really poor moments in my career and I can say that events like this really precipitate improvement, they haunt you forever but they make you better. That is how experience is earned and I will say that I think Bravo is going to be the team to beat next year. Sockeye will have to peak twice to win it all next year, something that hasn’t been done by the previous 2 world title holders. I think Jam or whoever else will give Bravo a game next year but the boys from Colorado will have all the tools to win it all in 2008, experience, athletes, and the memory of 13-15 silver medal.

Ok, Bravo lost, way to kick them while they are down Match, dick! Now for Sockeye. This is a weird team. There is so much footage of them so folks like myself have seen them play a lot, despite the 3,000 mile separation. However, they sometimes seem to play to their opponents, not their own game. Take last year for example. The 2006 finals was an extremely well played game. I remember watching the score reporter in lab and seeing that Sockeye had taken half 8-6. At that point I knew Furious was screwed and they were, down a few breaks to a team like Sockeye and your chances of victory are pretty slim. Elite Open ultimate is all about possession, ie not turning it over. These elite squads have the ability to play games with less than 10 turnovers, it is almost expected at this point. With that in mind I think Sockeye really wanted to beat Furious last year, a team that had sprung their proverbial bear trap on the Fish in the past. They played patiently, their cutters were on fire and they took advantage of a few Furious mistakes, not to mention 2 HUGE breaks in a world greatest and the Skippy hammer incident. However this year, not unlike 3 years ago, Sockeye was not playing Furious in the finals and they played less composed and more aggressive. There were many big plays, skies and hucks, but there were also A LOT of turnovers and layout Ds. Layout Ds are really nice, and in college they happen a lot because handlers are not as good. They see a guy and think he is open and a defender either makes up some serious ground or comes out of nowhere. In club though, these handlers are conditioned by years of mistakes so they know when to throw and when not to. In this game however, there were so many layout Ds, I mean watch last years finals and you will see some HUGE bids, but most folks came up empty. Valdivia, Beau, Jolian, Caldwell, JD all made great plays (although technically not a layout D by JD). But the throws that allow these Ds should not have been tossed in the first place. I suppose playing in the North East has made me slightly more conservative and it just amazes me that at this level, a game like this happened. Also, like the Sockeye/Jam finals there were a lot of turnovers, especially on game point. Double game point in 2004, I think each team had 2 chances to score. Last weekend, Sockeye needed 3 possessions at 14-13 to seal the game, and that is 2 too many. I mean Tim's outside in flick to Seth with Beau covering him? Really? On game point? However, considering the composure status of Bravo, its not surprising that they got it back and won the game.

Aside from being an ass, my main reason for articulating this point is that I think Sockeye has their work cut out for them at World’s. Japan is a really good team and they are going to take advantage of miscues like the ones Sockeye made on Sunday at nationals. Their defenders are top notch and if Sockeye thinks they can just play their deep game and hope to generate Ds here and there, they have another thing coming. I think they have the personnel, the time, and the motivation to be the best in the world but it is by no means a guarantee. There were a few points in that ECC final where the Buzz Bullets got pretty close to sealing that game and they will be hungrier than ever before next August. With that being said, I think Sockeye will be ready because they know what Japan is capable of. Wiggins exhibited an amazing amount of class and respect when he spoke with Rob after the ECC final regarding Japan. The Fish know their competition, and I wonder what their game plan will be.

Ok, way to bash the two best teams in the world, how about some positive points.

First, I was really impressed with Nord, he had a really great game, something like 2 goals and 3 assists. Over the last 2 years or so I wasn't sure if Nord was playing his best. He is so big, I mean the guy is like 6'5" and he is lanky as all get out. Chase is also tall but he is built like Brian Urlacher and Nord is more like Nowitski. Going into this tournament, I was curious to know if his size was becoming an issue and if he could move the way he used to. I mean if you watch the finals from last year, he just doesn't really make that many plays, which is fine, he was probably covered very well. However, this year, it seemed like he was back to his 2005 status when he had huge performances at regionals and nationals. He made so many great plays in the air and downfield, not to mention that he was just really heads up the whole game. Come on, that snatch and quick toss for a score? Someone was paying attention. I am glad to be proven wrong and it was really nice to see Nord dominant again. Hope that thumb isn’t too badly injured.

Another fantasy allstar in this game was Hector Valdivia. Wow this guy played well, on both sides of the disc. His quick huck score to Beau off a turn was absolutely beautiful, as was his SICK layout D at 9-8. I also like his scoop score from Popiel to take half. I really didn't know who he was before this tournament but I know who he is now. I also like seeing guys that can play all sides of the disc. I think he finished with 3 goals and 2 assists.

Another player that I think had a great game was Mike Caldwell. Over the years the only real thing I can say about Mike is that he isn't Roger Crafts. It seems like they look a lot alike, what with the shaved heads and facial hair. Plus Crafts is #2 and Mike is #20. However, this guy played awesome. He had a great catch to tie the game at 10s (his 2nd goal) not to mention his biggest play, which was saving Sam O'brien's ass getting an EPIC layout D after the dropped pull. I also know for a fact that Caldwell is an insane athlete (watch the celebration after Sockeye won it all last year and you will see him jump like 3 feet in the air) and it is nice to see him kick ass. I wonder if his son will be as good a player as Dad.

I think Chase had an interesting game. Most folks (myself) consider him a deep cutter because of his size but he was putting up hucks left and right. I also like the hammer he tossed to Nord (who skied Seth, his own team mate) for a goal. Interesting to see him throw the hammers in the finals instead of catching them.

I also like seeing Jolian Dahl and Ray Illian play well. I think both have tough situations to deal with in ultimate. Ray was a stud at Washington but didn't really have much of a supporting cast plus he had to compete with all the talent in the NW so he was overshadowed a lot. I think he is a great player and I don't think enough people know that. He had a great game with some great scores, skies and defensive efforts. Jolian is similar in that he has played with Beau for so long and they appear to be similar players, except that Beau jumped over a guy once. I will say that Jolian is straight up filthy. He is a GREAT player who carried Colorado at college nationals and seeing him get that hugtastic layout D on Sammy was really cool.

There were also just a lot of really cool plays to see in this game. Parker's out side in flick score to Whitaker (actually I think he meant to throw it to Beau) was awesome. Chicken's callahan was pretty cool. I didn't think TG would toss something up like that. It also should serve as a lesson to kids to work on their pulls. A back corner starting spot is not fun to work with. Richter had a nice layout score followed up by his patented head spike (I tried to get him to do it at the college nationals showcase game, but he wouldn't). I also like how Sammy quietly threw 4 scores. I also laughed a little bit when Parker claimed a disc was up when it literally bounced off the ground.

All in all this was a really entertaining game. I think many lessons were learned on both teams and I really think that Bravo is taking the steps to really become a giant in elite disc. And can I also say that none of my writing would be possible without Ultivillage. Thanks a lot Rob, you are doing a fantastic job. Aside from buying every UvTv subscription, your DVDs, and plugging you weekly in my blog entries, is there anything else I can do to support your company?

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