Thoughts after Cal States

So Cal States came and went this weekend and it is nice to see that some elite teams are starting to beat the crap out of each other. I don't think that these results are completely indicative of what we can expect for the series, but they are interesting none the less.

Revolver
First off, congratulations to the Palo Alto crowd. This is a team with one of the better pipelines in the country (Stanford) as well as one of the best ultimate minds, Mike Payne. They missed out on Nationals last year by being on the wrong side of the NW Regional 4/5th place debacle that happened last fall. However, at least out of the gate, they came out red hot. This isn't too surprising for me because players like Nan Gao and Robbie Cahill, who were both 5th year Stanford players, have now had some time off and I'm sure it has done them well. I know that Robbie is in Seattle now and despite offers from the Fish, he has decided to stick with his college buddies, good for him. In addition, I hear that Seth Wiggins has moved down to the Bay Area and is now suiting up for these guys. In any event, with their existing talent, their pipeline and some new talent, they will definitely give Jam, Sockeye, Furious and Rhino a challenge for a bid to Sarasota. Next chance we'll see of these guys will be Summer Solstice in Oregon, but I think one of the more exciting challenges they will have will be the Seattle Invite, which seems to be an early version of ECC. This tournament has some, but not all of the NW juggernauts, and it will be nice to see where Revolver stacks up later in the season. Congratulations again on a great first tourney and I like that they came back and beat Sockeye Y after a DGP loss to them in pool play.

Sockeye X/Y

I'm not surprised about which Sockeye team won this tournament. I was lucky enough to get the rosters of both and it seems that X definitely has more pure tryouts and Y has some old faces that are back. I want to get into the roster status of Sockeye and other teams but I'm planning on doing some formal writeups like I did for college, so hopefully most teams will talk to me. In any event, Sockeye, like Jam, seems to have more talent than they know what do with. Considering that the team is still fairly young and Fish veterans have been in the system for a long time, their team strategy should be as figured out as it's going to get. However, I do know of some serious roster shake ups that will affect the club series, not World's, so while I do believe Sockeye is in good shape to take gold, I think other squads like Bravo and Jam are in line to win it all in Sarasota. In any event, like Revolver, the next chance we'll see for some real Fish action will be the Seattle Invite and hopefully with one team we'll know who's who in the NW.

Furious George
I like seeing my monkeys come out firing early in the year. Historically, they always seem to start slow but despite 15-6 losses to Sockeye and whomever else in early summer, they still bring it in the Fall. However, with World's happening in August, I think Furious will have to push themselves harder earlier which will be awesome for us fans. Seattle Invite will definitely be the weekend to watch because it will be one of the last times we see the Vancouver boys before the big show. I was a little surprised that they didn't split up do their Furious and George team that they usually do this time of year (maybe thats just for Flowerbowl), but I can imagine that figuring out that many roster issues would be ill advised considering the fact that they need their system sorted out earlier this year. In any event, they played a decent tourney. They had 3 losses total which were only to the two teams in the Finals, so not too bad. I can imagine the TD being a bit frustrated that 3 of the 4 teams in semis came from the same pool but I suppose thats the way it goes with small tournaments.

Jam
I was fairly surprised on Saturday when I found out Jam lost to the Condors, but considering their 15-10 win over them on Sunday, I'm not too worried. The issue with Jam is definitely not their personal because their team is more or less the same as last year. I spoke with Idris and he told me that their roster won't change much in 2008. This helps out Jam early in the year because guys like Kevin Cissna, Jeff Estham, Damien Scott, Idris Nolan, Greg Husak, and Mike Namkung have been in the system for quite some time and I can't imagine anything new on the white board. I will say that it seems like the ripple from Justice League is still in effect. Jam learned in 2006 that nothing was guaranteed and in 2007 they were definitely more fired up and took the NW region. However, this team is still developing their synergy. After the 2006 shake up, the roster is still working to develop team chemistry that squads like Sockeye and Furious have stock piled. Much like Boston, their success has very little to do with talent and everything to do with continuing to develop as a team. The 3 year mark is definitely a good chunk of time because after 3 seasons, their really shouldn't be anything terribly new. I see Jam coming out hot early with success at Colorado Cup but even if they do dominate early, they still will have to deal with elite teams that peak well. Win or lose in July and August, I really hope this very experienced team has what it takes to compete with younger teams in the series but barring any major setbacks, they are definitely Finals contenders once again.

Condors
I'm not sure what to make of the Santa Barbara crowd. This team has benefited from the spectacular abilities and leadership of Steve Dugan for so long but their 2001 National title is now 7 years old. With players hopping all over the country to play for teams, the Condors are having interesting issues to deal with. Jimmy Chu is now back in Seattle and was playing with Sockeye Y and key Santa Barbara players like Rory Orloff were also trying out for Sockeye. To compensate for this, I hear that the best in the South Land, ie Los Angeles, are heading up to Goleta to try out for the birds. They have plucked a few guys from UCLA, which I'm sure frustrates Monster, but I also think that the redistribution of players will hurt the Condors. Not that these players aren't legit, but now instead of having the Black Tide pipeline where synergy was developed in college and used in club, now the Condors are having to continually recruit and develop players like every other team out there. They do have a great team system that has worked for over a decade so I'm sure they have their affairs in order. They have taken the Southern California section for god knows how long but I wonder if teams like San Diego United with gobs of college buddies playing together again will have a chance at the Condors late in the year.

YR, San Diego United, Last Call, and Monster
It's funny, for the 4 teams at this tournament where I actually know the most people, I have the least to say. YR took the "coveted" 7th spot at this tournament and their 15-11 win over SDU is a good one. These LPC guys have a lot of experience playing with one another and I'm not surprised at their early season success. However, I wonder what will happen when their competition gets better. Summer Solstice should be a good opportunity for them to reaffirm their talents and potentially turn some heads.

As for SDU and Last Call, it really breaks my heart to see these two teams separated. When I was in San Diego, it was just PBR but when the dust cleared after their civil war it was more or less the UCSD crowd (SDU) and everyone else who lived in San Diego and loved ultimate (Last Call). I'm happy to say that I have good friends on both teams but it sucks that the talent is divided. This is definitely something that favors the Condors in their control over the Southern California section and I wish folks could just consolidate talent and ditch egos and personal bull shit.

However, despite these issues, I am glad to see that SDU is on top of Monster again. Nothing against LA crowd, but I have my San Diego bias and after Monster took the 3rd spot to Natties in 2006, I haven't been much of a Monster fan. Success is the only data that matters however, and if they can get their offense and conditioning taken care of, they will give SDU, Last Call and anyone else a run for their money. Best of luck this year.

Closing Thoughts
A month ago I wasn't too fired up about the club season but now that college is out of the way, I'm happy to say that this club season is going to be exciting. With the world's curve ball this August and with a significant amount of roster rearrangements across the country, there should be some good stories this summer. I am going to try and put together some team writeups and I've got contacts with Sockeye, Jam, Chain, Boston, and Bravo. I still need some help with Revolver, SubZero, Furious, Rhino and GOAT, but I'm on it. Hopefully I still have some readers out there now that college is over and hopefully I'll have the material to keep you all stimulated and unproductive at work.

just my thoughts

match diesel

The Buzz and The Fish

So I was watching the Buzz Bullets/Sockeye Dream Cup Final and I had some thoughts.

Strengths - Buzz Bullets

It is pretty obvious that the BB are a collection of extremely fast players. If they get separation from their defender and the throw is good, there is no catching them. Their cutting ability is unreal and with one 5'10" speedster after another, it is only a matter of time before one of them gets open down field for a bomb. They aren't exactly a short team but their average center of gravity is very low, not unlike your run of the mill asian handler here in the states, and their ability to change direction is something that cannot be stopped, just hopefully contained.

I think their focus is another asset. It is very obvious that this game matters more than anything to these players. Having been to Japan myself, I can say that the Japanese love to work. These people love doing whatever they do with the utmost commitment and effort and it shows with their playing ability. There is no question that this team is motivated and with a year to prepare, I have no doubt that they will be fast and furious come Vancouver.

Lastly, their down-field defense. This is something that was more evident in the ECC footage (because I think Sockeye wasn't as prepared as they were for Dream Cup) but their ability to win battles in the air was amazing. They have the speed to get into position quickly and potentially box out a bigger opponent and with great closing speed, they have the ability to leap for a D when their opponent is waiting for the disc to come down.

Strengths - Sockeye

It seems like the biggest advantage Sockeye is going to have is experience. It is was very evident that they just have more tricks up their sleeves. Their marking tactics, calling tactics, poach D, heads up plays, the works. These veterans are the best at what they do and with years of club experience under their belt, there is nothing that the Fish have not seen and cannot handle.

Sockeye's understanding of the game is most evident with their defense. There were quite a few plays where defenders were just more aware than BB cutters, Mike Caldwell especially. He had two heads up D's (one called back) because he played the disc better than his man. He was focused and got to the spot more effectively despite comparable speed.

Another strength of Sockeye is their air game. BB played very well in the air at ECC and Dream Cup but as far as who ruled the skies, Ray Illian and Alex Nord are unreal. I think a 17-16 DGP ECC final woke Sockeye up and both Ray and Alex were unstoppable in the air. Ray had an incredible game and if he continues to dominate both as a down field cutter and defender, Sockeye's chances at a world title are very good. More of the same with Nord. I had thought Nord had lost a step but his vert and speed seem right where they need to be. In piles (that don't include Ray) he will come down with it. There is no one out there that does it like Nord and when you are 6'5" with his experience, playing the disc and pulling it down is something he just doesn't screw up.

Weaknesses - Buzz Bullets

If you only watch a point or two of footage, it is pretty obvious that Japan is really dependent on their flicks. They love their outside in flick puts and with very fast cutters it makes sense. With a little separation, an outside in flick huck is almost impossible to defend. However any strength can potentially be a weakness. If a team can isolate this weapon and potentially take it away or make it less effective with a back hand force, junk zone defense, or just tighter on the mark, the BB will have their hands full. I am also curious to know what kind of game the BB have in poor weather because then, their offense will have to rely on good decision making and their speed and throws won't be enough to get threw good man/zone defenses.

I think Sockeye recognized this propensity and tried to force backhand later in the game. However, I think their marks could have been better because a fair amount of flick breaks still got off. Not to say they were lazy but they either were more straight up or bit too much on the backhand side which opened up the flick break. This break around is really easy in this situation and when this flick is a break throw, it is all the more dangerous. I think Sockeye should focus on this one attribute of the BB offense and try and get Japan to throw backhand more often, not to mention tighten their mark and use their size to intimidate/rattle these crafty japanese players. A perfect example of this was early in the game when a physical defender in Sammy-CK forced a turfed throw by Kenji Hamda (#31). They do have backhand puts, but they are straight and flat more often than not. Without the advantage of the OI, the success of down field defenders like Skip, Ray, Seth, Flemming and Sammy-CK drastically goes up.

Another weakness of the BB seems to be the strength that Sockeye has as far as experience goes. I have found that the more ways you know how to meddle with ultimate "trends" the more success you'll have. Unconventional throws, cuts, defense, offensive strategy, marking etc... are all advantages that American teams have because we have learned to break away from conventional ultimate. I don't think Japan has quite the arsenal of these weapons, 1) because it is tough to think outside the box when you are not challenged and 2) these players don't have the experience that the Americans do. Things like drawing a foul as a thrower, poach D's, fakes, and endzone offense are all things that allow veterans to use their creativity and experience to beat their opponent. I think because the BB don't have much National competition, they are not as seasoned as Sockeye will be and the Fish's ability to out think their opponent will help out Team USA.

Weaknesses - Sockeye

I think one of the biggest advantages of Sockeye is also a potential weakness and that is their size. Nord, Chase, Ray, Sammy, Seth, etc.. are all on the order of 6' or taller. This allows them to have good top speed but their ability to cut and change direction is not nearly as good as BB. I think players like Andrew Fleming, Idaho, Nate Castine, Mike Jaeger and Tim Gehret have the ability to bring Sockeye's agility up but with only some of your players capable of keeping up with every cutter, there are going to mismatches at some point, it is just up to the BB to find them. This isn't to say that Sockeye can't handle it, but their best defenders will also have to play stellar offense if they want to convert on possible breaks.

Patience. Like with any ultimate team, your ability to be patient with the disc is your saving grace. Teams like DoG taught us that you need to use your advantages wisely by taking what the defense gives you. In addition, it is also up to you to take advantage of opportunities that your opponent's O-line gives you. In a lot of situations, Sockeye plays to their size and tries to muscle their way to a goal. These could be hucks, hammers or difficult break throws that might not be the best option at the time. With a team that has such a razor sharp offense (BB), you need to take advantage of every opportunity your defense gives you. With so much experience and talent, a turnover by the D-line is almost inexcusable. Maybe you get D'd but the average size of Sockeye gives them a distinct offensive advantage (just cuz they can reach farther) and it seems that most good decisions were rewarded with continuations of play. This is especially evident with high break throws where players like Chase can get up huge and pull the disc down despite good man D. In any event, their experienced handlers need to take control when a break opportunity presents itself and their biggest fear should be giving the disc back.

What to Watch For

BB Play Makers
It seems like the best offensive weapon the BB have is Masahiro Matsuno (#10). This guy is unreal. He can torch the best Sockeye defenders deep and pull down ridiculous grabs not to mention run a sophisticated offense with great throws and decision making. His speed and game sense also gives him great defensive ability and if given the opportunity, he will snatch a possession away from any opponent. However, his biggest contribution to his team is the fact that he is left handed. With a team that relies on bladey flick hucks, a transition to an effective backhand mark is something Sockeye and anyother team will try and do. However, because Matsuno is a South Paw he always has the inverse advantage. His backhand is perfect because he has to throw to the same side of the field as his flick heavy team mates do, but given the chance, he will shatter any mark and present major problems for a defense trying to slow down such speedy cutters.

Another huge asset for BB is #4 Satoshi Senda. Despite the fact that this guy is only 5'6", his speed and ups are up there with the best I've seen. He routinely owned his defender both at ECC and Dream Cup and it is very evident that he is always on and has as much play making ability as any player in the world. His throws are also amazing and he, on several occasions, broke defenders like Skip and Andrew Fleming for big yard gains/scores. Another thing that makes him so valuable is the defender he draws. With his down-filed ability he could be covered by a Ray Illian or Seth Wiggins, but his speed really puts him a step above slower/bigger players. If he is allowed underneath cuts, his fakes/breaks will slash through a defense and he can be as effective with the disc as he is pulling it down.

Lastly, Yohei Kichikawa (#12) is a fantastic all around player. He plays great down field defense and can put himself anywhere in the offense. He was the #1 scorer for Japan at WUCC in Perth with 59 total points (11 goals and 48 assists) and because he will draw the best defender on the field he will have the ability to set up his team mates not to mention get points on the board and D's for break opportunities.

Sockeye/BB Rivalry

The fun is now over. In the Dream Cup game it was clear that even the most spirited players like Chase, would not hesitate to make calls. Fouls and travels were called all over the place in Fuji City, both by Japan and USA. In addition, a lot of discs were hotly contested with many strip calls, especially made by Japan against intense USA defenders. With that in mind, I think the pleasantries are over. The BB were flown out to ECC, and Sockeye to Dream Cup and now the gloves are off. Much like Furious and Sockeye have been the last few years, each team will leave nothing on the field. Physical jump discs, suspect marks, and advantageous calls will all probably show up in Vancouver because each team will be ready and each team wants to win.

Closing Thoughts

I think Sockeye is still in a class all their own. In watching the Dream Cup finals, it looked like Team USA beat themselves. Seth called a time out and had a stupid turnover and there were definitely a few suspect throwing decisions. This isn't to say that Sockeye is weak, it just means they need to focus and peak right, much like what we saw in 2006 against Furious in the Club National Finals. In that game Sockeye was flawless (not to mention lucky) and just didn't screw up. Their decision making was the best it's been and since then they have picked up studs like Tim Gehret and Ron Kublanza. They have all the tools and it is up to them to put the necessary pieces in place to get the best out of the Red, White and Blue.

Conversely, I think the BB will have issues peaking when the time is right. They have never competed in a forum like this and while Sockeye gets conditioned with tournaments like Solstice and Cal States, BB will only have scrimmage after scrimmage and spotting weaknesses will be tough. I think their game is as good as it is going to get and with two DGP finals against Sockeye, they definitely have the tools to push Sockeye to the limit. However, they haven't seen Sarasota Sockeye and that is the team we'll see in August. The Fish will be peaking right when they want to be and it will be hard to get past a team with 3 US titles and more talent than you can shake a stick at.

The one thing that I think helps the BB is that Vancouver weather should be top notch and their OI flick game plan should run without a hitch. Playing defense in great weather is really hard especially when your opponents can run you into the ground. I hope they have a few tricks up their sleeves and considering that they have done well in the US, Australia, and at home, there will be no game day jitters and they will be ready to take gold.

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?

match diesel

Congrats to Sockeye, Shazaam, DoG, and Fury

Wow, this was an exciting Club Nationals and I was 1,500 miles away. I had some friends there in Sarasota feeding me information and given the results and the energy, I can only imagine what it would have been like to be there. I know that there will be lots of talk about how teams won or lost, but I just wanted to contribute some thoughts.

First off, ahh, Furious, you broke my heart. Eshk, maybe it was the new jerseys. Couldn't really get a good look at what they were sporting from the UvTv footage, but my sources say they looked cool. I suppose it’s a nice switch from their usual white. I don't think there is anything I can say about their performance considering I have no idea what it takes to win at such a high level for so long. Maybe it was CUC, ECC, Labor Day, Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals all happening within 2.5 months. This team is stellar but this team is also getting older. Mike Grant turned 30 this summer, Lugsdin is 38, Shank and Savage are both 33. They have been at the top for nearly a decade and most of their talent could easily qualify for masters (34). Not to say that Furious is out of it forever, but they need to get some new talent. Oscar is an absolute gem considering his game experience and the fact that he is only 24(?). However, at this level, Furious has to reload and pull talent the way the likes of Sockeye, Boston, Chain, and Bravo are doing. I have spoken with folks close to Furious and it seems like this has been a problem for a long time and I think it just finally caught up with them. I will say that they did battle back and win all other games earning them 9th place. I think that they will need to get more kids like Sean Boyle, Oscar, Morgan, etc... if they are going to get back to the top in the future.

Bravo Johnny Bravo. I know they lost in a close game, but this team made a HUGE leap into their ultimate future. If you look at Bravo's performance over the last few years they have been sooo close to making the finals and now they have done it. I think that Bravo now is what sockeye was 5 years ago. You have a rich crop of young talent that is getting experience at every series tournament. With additions like Popiel and a farm system like Mama Bird, it is only a matter of time before this team wins titles. I really think that playing a team like Sockeye in the finals is really a tough draw. Had Jam beat Sockeye in semis Bravo would have easily won nationals. However, this was the first time Bravo was ever in the finals at nationals. This was Sockeye's 4th trip in a row. I can't even imagine what kind of pressure that was and I think a 15-13 game is really admirable given the circumstances. If you look at Cal in 2004, it’s a similar story. You have a team that truly dominated all year but had never made the finals, at least not recently, and they couldn't handle a fired up and charged Mama Bird and they got rolled. However, in this instance, it was a 15-13 game, not 15-7. I think Bravo is only gonna get better and they have all the pieces to win it all in 2008. I also think that their win against Jam 15-9 in power pools is their biggest win of the season. Bravo comes in under seeded at 3rd (wow, underseeded at 3rd?!? But its true) and takes down the 1 seed as effectively as they had anyone else all weekend. Good for them. I also think however that it’s a curse to not be challenged until the finals. Before the finals Bravo had not played a close game taking out the likes of GOAT, Jam, Boston, Condors, all of them by at least 4. At no point was their offense really put to the test. Their defense always earned them the breaks they needed to win. However, when you get paired with a perfect team like Sockeye, not only does your D need to get you breaks, but your offense has to be perfect and that just didn't happen. If Bravo had faced a loss or even a double game point situation they would have the motivation to make the changes they needed in their offense, but like Furious last year, they just had no real challenge until it was too late. This is not the end though, be afraid Seattle.

Phew, Sockeye, way to make it exciting. Here you have a team that could have made worlds every year in between 2004 and now. They won it all in 2004, made the finals against Furious in 2005, losing, but they still woulda made World's. They win it all last year, so they would have been in, but in 2007, pulses were raised. You have a late season loss to Furious resulting in a 2 seed at nationals and you have to play a RED HOT and peaking Bravo not to mention an elite and experienced San Francisco Jam. I suppose it was lucky Furious wasn't at their best, because I cannot imagine how Sockeye could persevere through another challenge. They did however, This team is at dynasty status. I think they should be mentioned with DoG and NYNY. They might only have 3 titles but talent is more distributed now than it was in the 90s. There are better athletes, more youngsters and more teams. Sockeye is second to none and I am really glad to see them make it to Vancouver. They are the best team and I am proud to have them represent the USA next year. I was however kind of looking forward to writing of a Bravo/Sockeye upset that would have put Bravo in Vancouver instead of the Fish. That would have been a money blog entry, but alas, the Seattle boys are clutch and Sam O'Brien is a lucky (albeit extremely talented) SOB. Good luck next year.

Jam, way to battle back. This team really showed that they are not out of it. They deserve to be at the top. It goes to show you that at this level, it’s not all about personnel. You can't just throw together the best in the game and expect to win. You have to have a team dynamic and Jam has now earned that, either that or it’s all Damien Scott. I am sure disappointment is a total understatement when talking about Justice League, but as bad as Kevin Cissna, and Idris, and Bart must have felt, they must feel considerably better now then a year ago. They have completely redeemed themselves and have set the tone for their program in the future. Recruiting, reputation, all of that is now taken care of and this program will be the elite for years to come. My only criticism, the jerseys, come on, really? Could they have been any uglier.

Boston, way to really revamp while still keeping your competition at an impeccable level. Folks, if you want to start your own team, take notes. You have a team like Justice League, which basically did the same thing last year, only did not make it out of NW regionals when there were 4 bids. Boston however, not only in the face of intense competition in New England (and believe me the gap between regional champ and 3rd place is A LOT closer than anywhere else I have played), you also have to play against your former team mates. Forch, Sam Rosenthal, and Danny Clark had to make it to nationals when BVH and Bailey were suited up with other teams. They didn’t have to play each other in the finals at regionals but they sure as hell had to face them at Boston Invite not to mention know that during the series their former best was now trying to take their bid to nationals. But they did it. They looked opposition in the face, they totally revamped and recruited a whole new team with non-Boston Open players in Teddy, Goldstein, Gibson, and Jasper. Not to mention the fact that they still won NE regionals AGAIN. Forch still lead his team to greatness despite immense pressure from every angle (myself included). Hats off and you truly are one of the best programs this game has ever seen.

GOAT, holy crap, who ever thought this team was going to make semis? I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. There is this Canadian team that is making a run at the finals and it’s NOT Furious? They AREN’T from the northwest? How is this possible? Take a team that no one knows about, they have been there before, but 55-4 going into nationals? They won Boston Invite? Who are these guys? I think Hassell did a great job taking this team to a new level and I am so glad that the North East is opening up its talent pool. I think Boston is a great team but come on, they have won the region like 12 years in a row. A sectionals streak that long, fine, but regionals? It is nice to know that Boston has a challenge and these guys are only gonna get better. A turfed game winner will not happen next year. Forch’s layout D may get them the disc back on double game point, but only if GOAT gives up 4 breaks again. This team should strike fear in the hearts of Boston, but that will only make them better. That will give Boston the fire and the motivation to revamp and keep themselves honest. Its not Metal where you have a team of pseudo-Boston wannabes, you have a new program that plays in a different country that doesn’t play your brand of disc. It’s good for all parties and I am really proud of GOAT and am sooo glad they have off-centered jerseys, cuz my club team does to and GOAT is the reason why.

Sub Zero, yikes, boy was I wrong about this team. I hope folks see Sub Zero’s results and realize how good Wisconsin really is. Ok, they were a 5 seed and were expected to make quarters, but come on, how many national champs USED to play for Sub Zero. Nord, Chase, Sam O’Brien, and I am sure there are more. Plus you lose a player like Goldstein and your whole program is basically Madison college kids. They came off a national championship, but I have always thought that a club team cannot win if all their talent and experience comes from college kids. That was Bravo’s problem in years past. You have JV and Chicken and Richter all in their early 20s leading a team against players that have been playing since they were in Junior High. I think Sub Zero really showed themselves to be a young yet legit organization. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to recruit players to go to Minnesota but they do it or at least win with what they have. I am impressed and these guys, if they keep it up, are really gonna make/keep a name for themselves.

Chain, way to snap out of it. I have been watching Chain really closely this year because I had really high expectations. They were a semis team last year and they picked up ZIpp. How is that not a recipe for success? However, all year they had forgettable performances. They got owned at ECC, they were a 13 seed, they didn’t even win their region. They lost out to Double Wide who wasn’t even at nationals last year. I don’t know how but they got it done. Hammond and Simpson and Dylan all played their cards right and almost made it back to semis despite criticism (at least from me). Good work.

Condors, I liked seeing their results this year. I know that they didn’t exactly dominate but they did well. They have nothing to regret and they have really showed that they are not down and out. After 2005 and 2006 I was really wondering what it was gonna take to get these guys to win again. I feel like ultimate teams move in cycles and I hope Furious takes a lesson from Santa Barbara. The Condors were 1-5 in pool pay over the last 2 years yet they managed to go 2-1 this year. I suppose Jimmy Chu is quite the pick up, must be the Ninja Leggings he wears. I think this team will be able to recruit the best from a great UCSB team and hold on to talent that they have lost to co-ed and other teams.

Truck Stop. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know anything about this team. I know they are from DC but they did have a HUGE win that will never be forgotten in ultimate. They come out on Thursday and take down Furious in pool play as the 12 seed (3rd in their pool). Since 2002 (cuz that’s as far back as I could find) Furious is undefeated in pool play, that’s 15 straight wins on Thursday. I suppose that sort of win really propels a team and it did to the quarters play-in where they actually won, something that has not happened since 2005. Good for them and hopefully they can build the personnel to challenge Ring for that regional championship.

I should also give props to Shazaam, I think their dominance was only questioned twice this year. A loss to Brass at Labor Day and a pool play loss to Rival. However, much like Stanford Bloodthirsty did in 2002 when they lost to Davis in pool play at Davis, Bestock and the rest of the Seattle crew came back with a vengeance and macheted their way through bracket play. I also find it interesting that Bestock went from a national champ open player to a national champ co-ed player. I don’t know many folks that have done that. Jimmy went from Shazaam to Sockeye but I find this reverse migration interesting.

I also have to give it up for Parinella and the DoG guys. I find it really cool that after their exodus from Boston they immediately showed that they are still really really good with stellar, composed play in every game, 4 of which were within 2 points. I also think that its funny that they ditched the team name “Big Ego” and just went back to their roots with “DoG”. I am really glad I got the chance to play against this team, and sorry Parinella, I am also glad Korber tossed that world’s greatest to Linneman and we won at WMO.

As far as women go, it would be nice to see more parity. Not to take anything away from Fury or Riot, they are fantastic teams, but not many folks want to keep seeing a NW/NW final. Fury is amazing though. I remember when I was an undergrad with Alicia White and she was UCSD Psycho’s go to woman. I never thought I would see her get this far. I suppose I just didn’t know what I was around at the time. Good work.

I would love to write more about more teams, I just don’t have the information. Great work all around to teams like Slow White, AMP, Barrio, Lady Godiva, Machine, Rival, you all played very well in your respective divisions and I am really glad I know some players out there on these teams, great job and enjoy the winter break.

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Late Summer Elite Disc

So the regular season is pretty much over with and sectional tournaments are gonna start popping up everywhere. I thought I would talk about some teams and some things that I think are interesting.

Elite Open

Furious (start off with my team) - One can never really get a feel for this team until regionals. Seems like they always have a less than stellar showing through sectionals and then wham! they win regionals and make the finals at natties. Some things to think about. 1) I think Furious at CUC is the furious we'll see at Regionals. Everyone was there, and everyone wanted to win. From the ECC footage I saw it didn't look like MG was there and who knows who decided to make it down to Santa Cruz for their 3rd tournament in a row. I think they are resting up their heavy hitters and are preparing for the series. 2) Furious, to me, seems like they are getting older, at least with their head liners. Alot of their guys, Lugsdin, Savage, Shank, MG, AL Bob, Seragalia, have been with the team for almost a decade. Now this is great, lots of chemistry, experience, etc... but they do not have the young college recruits that some other teams like Sockeye and Bravo have. Its been a while since an "Oscar" has popped up in Vancover and with guys like Kubalanza going over to Sockeye, its gonna be tough for them to compete with the likes of Tim Gehret, Ray Illian, Seth, etc.. on Sockeye not to mention other teams like Chain, Boston, Condors, Bravo and Revolver who are all picking up young college/club studs like Zipp, Kurt Gibson, Jacob Goldstein, Jimmy Chu, and the mama bird/hodag crowd (respectively). Now I think Furious can compete now, but in 2-3 years, without some new blood, its gonna be tough to match the athleticism that some of these teams are gonna have. I for one think they'll find a way, I mean come on, 3 UPA championships and a world title in the last 6 years.

Sockeye - These guys are interesting. It seems like they can win at will, but only at will. It looks like they know that they are the most talented team in the country and they let some teams creep up on them. I mean they won ECC but letting Boston get the better of them in pool play? I dunno. I do however know that they are the best team in the country. if they are focused and wanna win, they are going to. Their handler core is too good with Sam O'brian, TG, and Wiggins. Their deep game, when they want it to be, is unparalled with Nord, Chase and Ray, and their middle cutters like Sammy CK, Seth, and Moses can't be covered. Not to mention they have some of the best defenders in Skippy and Roger Crafts. So I think that their performance against the buzz bullets (both times) is pretty indicative. labor day not so much. I think they'll take sectionals 15-8 over Furious and then maybe 15-11 over Furious or JAM at regionals.

JAM - Despite hideous uniforms, these kids are good. JAM is having a fantastic year coming off "chokefest '06". It looks like they got Damien Scott back, and anyone who has played near this guy will tell you he is the balls. really impressive showings at Colorado, ECC and Labor Day. I think they'll play well at regionals (finish 2nd/3rd). I would love to see them upset Sockeye, but I don't see JAM breaking out of the clutch-less cage they have been in for awhile. In any event, they seem like they have the fire, which might be all it takes. Should sweep sectionals and if they don't they are screwed.

Bravo - This is a team I want to see in the finals. These guys are so good and work so well with eachother and they deserve to break out of the semi-finals and make it on Sunday at natties. Their young guys are soo good and are basically the legs and the leaders on this team. Their handlers are so good with Chicken and Parker, their deeps are so good with Jolian and Beau (notice how I put Jolian first, guy is sooooo good and doesn't get the press he deserves), fired up cutters like Richter, rabbit, and JV can play both sides of the disc and they still have a whole troop of veterans in Willy D, Valdavia, Tripoli, etc.... Their height is pretty polar though with tall guys playing really tall and not so tall guys, yeah not so tall. However, their chemistry is top notch and I think they will do well.

Revolver - These fellas are so up and down. They are a good squad but I think some of the Stanford guys might need a break from elite disc. I'd be surprised if Sherwood, Robbie, and Nan are fired up about playing another elite level season after playing another semi-finals loss in Columbus. Who knows though? Those are my guys, I'd love to see them take down JAM at sectionals. The good news is that they have had a few great late season wins with W's over Rhino, Furious and Condors. Hopefully they bring it this weekend in Santa Cruz.

Boston - I am gonna do some serious word eating if Boston gets lucky in the series. I am so impressed with them and they have done far better than I expected. Huge wins at ECC over Sockeye and Bravo. A less than stellar showing at Chesapeake, but thats their 3rd tourney in 4 weekends, so I'm not too worried. It looks like Kurt and Goldstein are doing well for the Boston crowd. Somewhere Vicious Cycle is crying after losing their top 2 players. I would like to see them do well at Nationals but they have a lot of guys that haven't been there for open, ie Teddy and Jasper, and hopefully they will continue to play as they have. I think they have a shot at quarters but beyond that, it is gonna take somer serious luck.

Condors - Now these guys have been off the radar for about 2 years now. After losing Namkung and Steets (both I think play for JAM) they have seen their success dip at nationals. However, now they have Jimmy Chu, who I believe is one of the best D line handlers in the country. Great showings at Colorado and Labor Day. Not getting into ECC must have sucked but I am sure they want to return to the glory days of '00 and '01. I think they'll make power pools at natties but they'll probably have to fight in the "play-in game" for quarters.

Rhino - I wish I knew more about this team. I know that Seth used to play on it and there were rumors that Chase was going to. All I know is that they are basically an Ego squad (correct me if I am wrong) but according to most, they are legit. maybe a bit young but defintely talented. Have the ability to catch anyone sleeping and I hope they do. I think if they bring whatever they had at Solstice they'll do well but making nationals with a fired up JAM and Revolver fighting for spots 3 and 4 and Sockeye and Furious for spots 1 and 2, its gonna be tough.

Chain Lighting - Now this is a team that I think is having a rough year. Made semis last year and they picked up Zipp. They have dylan, Jason Simpson, and John Hammond so they have the talent to do well. I dunno if they are gonna have any competition until nationals. Maybe with Double Wide at regionals. Hopefully they get it together and do well.

Elite Co-ed (I have gotten into Co-ed recently because of some friends, so here are my thoughts)

Shazaam - Watch out. These guys are on a tear. They have won every tourney they have gone to and are my favorites to take the region. i watched them at Boston and they looked wayyy to complete to be stopped by any other co-ed team. With them, Brass Monkey and Mischef, NW co-ed regionals could be almost as good as natties.

Mischef - the current champs are having a decent year despite not making it into Potlatch. They had such an interesting showing at nationals last year with close win after close win, so who knows with them. The smith brothers really know their stuff and can dominate most teams. However, their grip and rip style could be a little more conservative and might get them into turn over trouble against pateint teams. They managed to win it all last year and they have picked up some new/better players, so who knows.

Slow White - The only team that really draws water in the NE deserves to make at least semis at nationals this year. Really close to winning it all last year but fell short. Their guys are top notch and their girls, if used better, are some of the best i have seen in Co-ed. Don't know how they are gonna do without Jasper or Teddy but they do have Miles and a few other new players that can ball. Heavy weights should be a good tournament and they should sweep that and the series in NE. Hopefully they get a nice little confidence boost to carry them to the promise land.


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