The Blue Caller Rivalry Comes to an End

All season I have discussed Wisconsin and their dominance but I really did not understand their team dynamic until I had the chance to talk to some of these guys in person. Jim Foster, Muffin, Shane, Mahowald and the rest of Wisco are not only incredible players but they are actually a great bunch of guys and regardless of what people may think of the Hodags, this is great example of a TEAM and good one at that.

Weather

The weather in Boulder was really erratic. It was hot, windy, cold, rainy, the works. The showcase field was buried inside a collection of burms that really shielded it from the wind coming over the mountains and despite a really powerful crosswind, the game was not adversely affected.

Finals Analysis

Coming into the finals, Wisconsin was clearly the fan favorite. Despite haters throughout the year, most people were pulling for the ‘dags. Muffin had been heckled during the Colorado game but as for the finals, most people wanted to see him and his team do well. I think most people, or at least me, were surprised at how un-douchey Wisconsin was. They are as intense as it gets but like Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, etc… they are really friends first and teammates second. There is a lot of camaraderie among baby blue and it really helped them stick it out and succeed.

As could be expected, Wisconsin came in fired up. They started on offense and quickly asserted themselves as the aggressor. Before Florida could even get into any sort of rhythm, Wisconsin was up 4-1. Kurt was trying to send hucks deep to Brodie but Wisconsin was ready. Shane lined up well on #21 and was never caught out of position. Brodie is an amazing downfield weapon but Shane had the ability to get into position and despite the fact that Brodie reeled in a few huge skies, he also got D’d a fair amount. Putting pressure on him to make a huge play was effective and it kept Florida from scoring.

On the other side of the disc, Wisconsin’s offense was just more fluid. They didn’t rely on a ton of hucks but rather good disc movement between Rebholz, Animal and Muffin. They were very patient and did their best to convert on Florida miscues. In addition, Florida was not playing tight man D in the first half. Underneath cuts came left and right and with Wisconsin’s exceptional throwers and hands, a 70 yard field quickly became 10. Wisconsin had some difficulty on the goal line but their ability to put constant pressure on every Florida player allowed them to correct their mistakes when/if they turned it.

I would like to say that Lokke or Foster or Gaynor had a huge game deep but that just wasn’t the case. Wisconsin spread the disc around a ton and most scores weren’t exactly exciting. Florida converted on a few 50/50 tosses but much like the finals last year, Wisconsin just came out so fired up early and Florida was constantly playing catchup.

Wisconsin took half 8-4 and they knew they had Florida on the ropes. They came out furious in the second half and Florida’s lack of composure was evident right away with a silly turnover on the first throw, which resulted in another break for the Hodags. Florida stepped up on their defense and had huge incut bids from Brodie and Cyle and they tried to go with their zone when they pulled. There was a stretch of 2 points where Florida’s D was exceptional with two stall outs on back-to-back Wisconsin possessions. However, Florida had a few suspect marks from Cole Sullivan and they really did not help themselves by playing overly physical ultimate. It was evident that they were frustrated and couldn’t contain Wisconsin’s flow.

In the end, this game seemed to be textbook Wisconsin. They came out fast and hard in the first half and basically set the tone early. With such a lead to work with there was no pressure on their offense and considering that they were up against a team they absolutely hate, their focus was really an advantage. Florida could have played a great game but Wisconsin was not going to give them any chances. Their defense was top notch and their offense clicked allowing them to collect break after break. This facilitated their second half success because it was all on Florida to D up and get breaks back. Florida had a few hail marries late but at 12-9 Brodie tossed a questionable 50 yard hammer which resulted in another Wisconsin break. I don’t care who you are, at 13-9, the game is over. The last few points were just a formality and Wisconsin claimed their second title in as many years.

Wisconsin/Florida Final Thoughts

I talked with Foster after the game and he told me that intensity was definitely their game plan. Come out with passion and fire and try and put Florida down early. Apparently it was effective. Wisconsin wanted to bring the intensity start to finish and he told me that they kept focus by saying things like “another game to 3, another game to 3”. In looking at the game so few points at a time, Wisconsin’s ability to constantly demoralize Florida was really apparent leaving the Gators with no possibility for a comeback. I also asked Foster what they took from their Centex experience to which he simply replied “motivation”. I can remember thinking in Austin that a quarters exit was definitely better than another tournament win because Wisconsin has a tendency to slip when they aren’t paying attention. Lowly Stanford gave them their closest game of the tournament right out of the gate and considering that Wisconsin had to push right away, their focus never dwindled. A quarters exit in Texas was the reality check they needed and I am sure the Hodag Love movie Muffin and Mahowald are making will articulate that.

As for Florida, they absolutely rolled for most of the year, especially since Centex. Quarters and Semis at Centex were both close games against Wisconsin and Colorado (respectively) but the series was a cakewalk for them. Taking out Georgia in the regional finals 17-5 is not exactly a challenge and I think Florida’s inability to assess their weaknesses hurt them in the end. Their run at Nationals reminds me of Furious back in 2006 when they steam rolled through pool play, power pools, quarters and semis and got beat by Sockeye in the finals. Alternatively, Sockeye had a dogfight with Bravo in Semis giving them the ability to realize where they were vulnerable. I kind of feel bad for Kurt because I know how crushing this weekend was for him but he has a national title, 2 trips to the Finals and more exciting ultimate experience than most players in the country ever dream of. Remember Gators, 99% of the ultimate community sat and watched on Sunday and things could be a lot worse.

I think the epic story of the Blue Caller rivalry has finally reached its climax. In 2006 Wisconsin and Florida were both independent entities with 1 goal in mind, a national title. They met 3 times that year and by Memorial Day, they both knew that the golden disc was going to one or the other. The 2006 Final was one of the better finals I have seen and Florida’s highlight reel offense got the best of Wisconsin’s depth. Much the way Colorado was in 2004 with Beau, they just had a series of offensive weapons that no one knew how to handle.

In 2007 turmoil struck the Gators and Wisconsin took control of the ultimate scene in their slight dip in success. I think the development of Brodie and the return of Cyle really helped Florida get back on top in 2008 and as if it were scripted, these two teams would face off once again. With so many 5th year veterans looking to end their careers with another national title, everything was left on the field. Both sides really gave it all they had and I think Florida’s obvious offensive tendencies allowed Wisconsin to make the adjustments to take them down when it mattered the most. I would like to think that the take home message here is despite personal or the appearance of invincibility, good team ultimate can overcome just about any obstacle.

Completely peripheral to the results of this weekend, both of these teams were exceptional examples of talent and dedication. Whatever you think of these two high profile programs, you have to respect them. In 3 years these teams only have a handful of losses and more wins than any other college program has mustered in a 3 year period. It has been a privilege to see these two teams fight tooth and nail and we as ultimate fans are in their debt. Congratulations on a not only a great season but great careers as college flatballers. Enjoy the time off, you’ve earned it.

Closing Thoughts

As I have already said, 2008 has been such a fantastic season to witness. From Arizona to Michigan to Colorado to Stanford to Tufts to Florida there have been so many stories and it has been so much fun to write about these teams. I will have a second nationals post with some Callahan talk and personal thoughts on how Nationals and 2008 went down. Stay tuned.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Texas, Texas...YEE-HA!!!

A cheer for the Lone Star State, but uttered by the scaley boys from Florida after winning their first Centex, a goal that I am sure Gibson and the rest have had for quite some time.

Quarters

I tried to catch as much action as possible during quarters but I found myself spending most of my time watching Florida/Wisconsin and Michigan/Arizona. The weather was awesome on Saturday with slight winds and temperatures in the low 70s. However, Sunday was WINDY. More or less up wind/down wind and it was a little chilly. Lastly, because of Colorado's and Michigan's success, Stanford's struggles and Wisconsin's loss, the championship bracket was ridiculous. One half was Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin and Pitt (3 teams in semis last year) and the other was UNC, Michigan, Minnesota and Arizona (only 1 nationals team, UNC, that lost in pre-quarters to Carleton). Also, no Northwest representation. HOLY CRAP!!

Florida (14) vs Wisconsin (13)

Reid, who is a FANTASTIC TD by the way, had a great line during this game about Florida. He said playing ultimate at Florida is like High School cross country. If you are not in the top 7 you don't compete and the same is true for the Gators. I don't know how they do it, but for more or less the entire game, their 7 on the line is always the same. Kurt Gibson, Brodie Smith, Cyle Van Auken, Chris Gibson, and Cole Sullivan probably played 97% of the points on Sunday which translates into roughly 75 points after a Saturday of 5 games. My god!

This game was as expected. TONS of calls, really poor spirit and for the most part, frustrating to watch. Muffin and Kurt are such similar entities on their respective teams. They both yell A LOT, they are both rarely happy, they both have spectacular flicks in the wind, and their spirit is so depressing. I think Wisconsin was extremely surprised at their record and were definitely rattled. They were very spiteful towards one another which isn't surprising given the fact that they are an intense team and intensity can turn on you at times. Florida started out on top going up 3-1 and given their recent success against the 'dags, many thought Florida had the game locked up. Wisconsin would rally however and take the lead in the second half. James Foster, who I don't talk about enough, is a great player for Wisconsin. He is tall and experienced and is really good at getting the disc deep after Kurt and Brodie were preoccupied with Shane and Will Lokke. Rebholz is also extremely patient and composed and his handling is a polar opposite from Muffin. The two work well together however and compliment one another well. Will Lokke also had a great game. I really hope he gets the callahan nomination for Wisconsin because he is having a great season. He gets epic layout scores like they were nothing and his defense is impervious top to bottom. His composure is almost scary at times. Wisconsin yells a lot, they are really amped but Will is silent. He comes out of nowhere to make great plays and his playing style is as cold as a Wisconsin winter. Shane also had a great defensive game which I expected, despite some goofy bobbled huck scores caught by a lucky as hell Brodie Smith. I asked him how he pulled in two D'd hucks and he just shrugged, "No idea. I looked down and it was in my hands".

As for Florida, wow, this team will be soo different in 2 years. Gibson's throws in the wind are unreal. His flick is so good, it is scary. He launches hammers full field, he has a 3/4 field up wind flick huck, and his back hand breaks are perfect at ~18 inches off the ground. As for defense, Florida basically stuck with their zone which is probably the best in the country. Like I said before, they really hang out at the double-team threshold and because their team is SO tall, their cup is basically a fortress. Cyle has a great mark and with Cole, Chris, and Brodie in the cup, it is a steel trap. Brodie is 6'4" and looks like an Andean Condor on the field. This forces handlers to go over the top and who better to pick off hammers than the best deep in the country, #20. Kurt's deep D is unreal. I don't know how he doesn't get tired or doesn't get hurt. He throws his body in the air with complete disregard and lands so hard on his hips and his sides that I wonder how he doesn't have internal bleeding.

With so much wind there were a fair amount of turns instead of D's and Wisconsin in this game was not as successful against a great Florida offense, as they were against Colorado in a windy final last May. They had the lead 13-11 (pulling), game to 14. Florida managed to get the down winder and would come back with an upwind break because of a poorly placed Wisconsin throw. On Sunday, an upwind break usually meant another down wind break was coming your way and that basically happened. They tied it at 13's with the upwind break and that was all they needed. They forced Wisconsin to work it up conservatively which is something they don't do well and Florida capitalized. Their game in the wind is really amazing because their offense is so comfortable. Cyle gets open for dump cuts, Kurt is a great handler with superb breaks, Brodie can get wayy up and everyone else just tries not to screw up.

Michigan (15) vs Arizona (10)

I didn't see as much of this game as I wanted, mainly because Michigan was well in control. It was really exciting to see Purcell and Kershner line up on one another. They are both work horses and are both smaller players. At one point Purcell had an awesome layout D only to be outdone by a follow up D by Kershner. Kellen Geselbracht is also a fantastic defender for Sunburn. On the offensive side, Erik Gafni had a great game. He might be the teams' best player. He is so valuable at every stage in the Arizona offense. He had a great hammer to Kershner who may have some of the best hands in the country. Erik also exhibited great leadership calling lines along with Benjamin Gray and did his best to keep Arizona focused. I also think that Arizona may have one of the best handler cores in the country. Chris Shepard is phenomenal. He is tall, he is confident, he has every throw in the book. He and Henry Scharf really do a great job of making Kershner and Gafni look good. I think they sometimes take a few too many chances but I think they have what it takes to make nationals this year.

As for Michigan, Will Neff is a class act. Tiina Booth told me that he made ARHS Varsity as a freshman and was a sophmore captain, unheard of. He also was a major part of the 2003 and 2004 world championship juniors team. I really like watching him play for Michigan. As an elite level player, he could have walked into Michigan and been a big leaguer, but he isn't. Apparently Mo-Hawks are in and he sported one along with every other Michigan player. He is also at the core of their cheering and really exemplifies a truly great leader both on and off the field. Ryan also played a great game. Because he is a lefty, his breaks are really powerful and it keeps teams on their toes. His defense is also top notch and he really is good at getting the disc back when the offense turns it. Another thing that was really awesome about this game is that as far as spirit goes, it was 180 degrees from Wisconsin/Florida. I know that SOTG kind of gets a bad wrap from some people because it appears to be a pansy element to the game. However, the reason spirit is so important is that it takes the place of refs (at least for now). Call after call after call is BORING to watch and it really affects the game in an adverse way. Good spirit allows great D's to NOT be called back, it prevents bogus travel calls from derailing great offensive flow, and it keeps competitors focused on their game instead of how much they hate their opponent. With refs, spirit is out the window for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. But for right now, seeing Will, Ryan and the rest of Michigan as well as Gafni, Kershner, and Arizona play good and clean ultimate is really a beautiful thing.

Semis

Florida (15) vs Colorado (13)

This game had fewer calls than Florida/Wisconsin which was nice. Florida jumped out to an early lead and took half 8-4 which would be all they needed. This game was more or less an up wind/down wind contest and an early up wind break by Florida would lead to a downwind break and Colorado struggled to get those back all game. Colorado's O-line looks good however. Jolian has been much quieter than I thought he would be but he does a good job of setting up Mac Taylor deep and vice versa. Once again, Wicus and Pebbles did a great job of handling the grunt work, especially in such high wind. Catt Wilson also impressed me at one point calling a play off a Florida turn in the endzone. Jolian picked up and instead of walking it up to the line, he just jacked it from inside his own endzone down wind to a streaking Mac Taylor who reeled in a 85 yard back hand bomb. Florida was not happy.

Florida played razor sharp though. Their ability to keep their same 7 on the field is something you don't see much, but if your players can do it, you're in good shape. I wonder what Florida will have once Gibson graduates though, yikes. I also talked to Brodie after the game and he had some interesting things to say. First off, I really like this guy. He is chill, funny, and friendly. He might make some calls or intentional fouls, but I like him off the field a lot. Apparently he had mono after Vegas and has not played since mid-February, which is one of the reasons Florida didn't go to Stanford. He was really stoked for high wind because he said he had no legs what so ever and would be able to rely on his height, jumping ability and throws, rather than speed. Martin Cochran, who is also a really great guy to talk to, covered him for most of this game, but like-wise, his broken foot has kept him from being in top shape. Towards the end of the game, Martin was getting tired and switched to covering Gibson because Kurt had handled mostly in this game. Brodie told me this was a golden opportunity for the gators and twice they switched the Kurt to Brodie flick bomb to Brodie to Kurt flick bomb and without stellar speed, you aren't going to catch Kurt going deep. This sealed the deal for Florida and put them in the Finals.

UNC (13) vs Michigan (12)

This game was a heart breaker to watch. Magnum was up the whole game but UNC was right there with them. An early break allowed Michigan to lead 9-7, but UNC kept going score for score for Michigan in the second half. In watching Michigan both in this game and the Arizona game, it appears their one weakness is weather. They have a huge indoor facility that they practice in so their offense is really good. I think this is why they had success against Wisconsin on Saturday consider the wind wasn't so bad. However, Sunday was not good for the boys in blue and yellow. They seemed to have poor throws in the wind and even Ryan and Will were floating passes. Many passes were caught at full arms length in the air and some would sail over heads and out of bounds. Early in the game, UNC couldn't capitalize on these turns, but later, they played better windy offense and punched in the 2 breaks they needed. Having the ability to practice outdoors seems to be good for Darkside and I think once Michigan is able to get outside, they will be able to improve this part of their game. In addition, I really think that Michigan's depth will be an issue. Like Florida they rely on a small core group of players and in poor weather a lot of their star offensive players have to play D because of turnovers. I think they can beat almost anyone in good weather but if the wind is bad come the series, they might get stuck being #2 behind Illinois out of the Great Lakes. I also wonder how the weather will be in Boulder if/when they make nationals.

As far as UNC goes, they really are not what I was expecting. They play chilly offensive and have athlete after athlete recording D's. I think they were a bit out matched by Stephen Presley (Texas) on Saturday which is why they lost in pool play, but their composed offense was better in the wind than Michigan down to the wire in semis. UNC definitely had a clutch offensive possession late in the game after they had taken the lead. At 12-11, Michigan gained a crucial upwind break and was now pulling on universe point with the wind at their back. They came zone and with Will Neff deep it was almost guaranteed that a turn would come. However, UNC sent a deep cutter to challenge Will and then came back in. Will took a few steps to follow him back in and as he was distracted a second cutter took off for the endzone and a perfectly placed backhand bomb was farther than Will could recover from and UNC reeled in the game winner. Great play on their part.

Finals - Florida (15) vs UNC (7)

The finals was probably the weakest game of the day that I saw and considering the difference in competition from each side of the bracket, a blow out final was eminent even before quarters were played. Florida's upwind offense and zone defense were much more than UNC could handle and despite miscues by Florida in the wind, their defense was suffocating. UNC challenged Kurt many times and every time he would reel in the hammer. I thought a lot about how Beau used to play deep in zone and I think Kurt is far superior. When Beau would play zone he would rely on his legs to get to the right spot. This worked a lot because he is incredibly fast, but sometimes, it just isn't possible with a well placed hammer. The disc is just moving too fast and you can't catch up. Kurt on the other hand plays excellent head as well as body deep D. He loves putting up the hammer when a cup comes his way and therefore is very good at knowing when and where a handler wants to place a hammer when he is playing D. His positioning down field is excellent and he always knows exactly where to be to make a play. He is also very good at knowing his limits and would routinely just barely sky a guy for a disc after a full out sprint to the spot.

This game also had a fair amount of calls and I spent most of it hanging out with my UCSD buddies. I am really jealous of their crowd, the team is so much fun and they have so much potential. I know they beat a burned out Oregon and didn't exactly dominate in their pool, but they look good for the future. Their young talent has yet to gain the experience they need to handle the best in the country but they have several coaches and good youngsters. They also took out Tide pulling upwind on universe and have yet to play Arizona this year. They have as good a chance as any in the shit show that is the Southwest, and I will look forward to seeing how regionals goes.

Closing Thoughts

Skippy runs a great tournament. A line that I heard that really rang true was that at Centex, the B-Bracket is better than most A-brackets out there and I really think Cultimate is the future of college ultimate. Not to say that Nationals isn't up to par, but for teams that want to work out kinks and get the most out of a tournament, there is nothing like Centex. Reid was all over the place with his iPhone and he really knew what he was doing both in tournament organization and getting information from the field to the score reporter. I also got the chance to hang out with Rob some and his contribution to the sport really translates to him in real life. He is really a great guy as is his co-camera man and good friend, Dale. Skizip and the rest of the Texas crowd really made this trip for me again, just like Kaimana. I got my Lone Star jersey which I am wearing as I write this, and I can not thank them enough for taking care of me and showing me a good time.

I also want to thank Ryan Purcell, Martin Cochran, and Brodie Smith for taking the time to talk to me. I really love to talk shop and I have no agenda what so ever. All three were very friendly and made my life easier, thank you so much. Hopefully I can get some more interviews at Nationals. Also, thanks to all the people that came up to me just to tell me they read this stuff. It really means a lot to me and if you ever recognize me at a tournament, don't hesitate to introduce yourself. I love making new friends and I really want to hear input on how to make this sort of ultimate information delivery better.

Lastly, I am really tempted to get some callahan talk out there but I will save that for a future post. I have a ton of thoughts on the subject and hopefully I can get the voters some credible and objective material this year before they vote. Good luck to all teams out there in the series. Stay tuned.

match diesel

Ending the Streak

So I am getting a little ancy because I haven't posted in a little while and my last post is more or less useless, thanks mother nature. In addition, I know I am going to be on posting overdrive in two days or so with Centex and all, but I am bored now.

After being a T-Wolves (Kevin Garnett) and Kentucky (Rajon Rondo) fan for a number of years (and moving to this god forsaken part of the country), I have become a Celtics fan and as such I watched them destroy the Rockets last night. Over the last few months I have come to realize that basketball and ultimate are very similar and in looking at one, you can make inferences on the other. When considering these things I thought I would share some thoughts.

Houston's/Ugmo's streak and it's end

First I thought I would talk about Houston's flare up and draw some parallels to ultimate. First off, they won 22 games in a row beginning back on January 29th and went from being 10th in the western conference to being 1st. They also have done this in large part without their center Yao Ming who broke his foot ending his season. In any event, Rafer Alston, Bobby Jackson, and Shane Battier have picked up the slack and their team as a whole has done well for the last month and a half. However, last night, they got torched by 20 points. Boston's defense was very effective in putting pressure on T-Mac to pass the ball instead of shoot and Alston was ice cold going 2-7 from 3pt landing, as opposed to 8-11 against the Lakers 2 days ago. In any event this streak had me thinking of 2 things 1) Cal's run back in 2004 and 2) Wisconsin's run this year.

Back in 2004, Cal was unstoppable. I could go into the whole Bart Watson acquisition, their run through Centex and the Series but you can just read my Cal write up if you want to know. The biggest event in that season however, was their finals performance where they got rocked 15-7 by Colorado. I took a look back at the Day 3 write up from nationals that year and it seems that the portion of the game where Colorado took advantage was the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half. Colorado was up 6-5 and took advantage of Cal's over anxious deep attempts to take half 8-5. They then came out using Richter, Parker, and Beau to open the game up to 10-5. That was more or less all they needed. They traded points to 12-7, but Cal collapsed in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and lost 15-7.

Boston did more or less the same thing last night. At the end of the first quarter Rafer Alston stole the ball from Cassell to take a 1 point lead at the end of the first. However, at the end of the second half, Alston got caught putting up a lazy pass and Boston scored 5 in a row to tie it at 40-40 going into the break. With the momentum shift, Boston put pressure on T-Mac and allowed Rondo to find his rhythm in running the offense in the third quarter. It was here that they outscored Houston 32-16, taking control of the game, and in the 4th they didn't need much, just sit back on D, and they cruised to a 20 point victory.

Wisconsin's first loss?

So where am I going with this? I suppose with all my writing and research one goal of mine is to find a way to beat Wisconsin. Nothing against them, they are spectacular but I don't want to see them make another murderous rampage through the competition at Nationals. If I were on a great team (which I never really have been) such as UBC, Carleton, Arizona, Florida (teams that have gotten close or beaten the Hodags) or a team TBD, this is what I would be thinking going into a game against Wisconsin:

1) Play your offense. Teams with great synergy and offense have done the best against Wisconsin. Colorado likes to play to their superstars and thats why I think they got rocked in the finals last year. They were predictable and just went Jolian to Beau a lot. Stanford was a patient team but they tried to rely on their handling resets to setup isolations (Sherwood and Cahill) which caught up with them. In order to succeed against Wisconsin, you need to have a good offense top to bottom. Going in, no one can be a clear front runner to record scores. With defenders like Lokke, Hohenstein and Mahowald, trying to go for your 1st or 2nd option consistently is going to get you in trouble. However, if you run your offense, whether it be a spread or Ho-stack or whatever, and get the disc to whomever is next in line/open, you can move the disc effectively and score. Trying to get an isolation with your main deep threat isn't going to work, going for a consistent bail out isn't going to work. Wisconsin is going to see it coming and take advantage of predictability. However, without a clear offensive threat, the Hodag defense is going to have to rely on their top to bottom defense and that is where the offense has the advantage. Covering everyone for 10 seconds is impossible, and if good decisions are made to open cutters as opposed to familiar faces, a team can score.

2) Remain composed. Ultimate is a game that relies on runs. It seems like teams are the most vulnerable to Wisconsin at the end of the first half. This is when a game is at 4s or 5s. It is when your offense has successfully relied on their primary or secondary option and the Hodags are trying to adjust. It is also when they are going to play their smartest. If they can shut you down and get a break or two going into half, lights out. If they take half 8-6 or 8-5, their second half intensity will do the rest. Teams have to remain patient but vigilant. Get the disc to open receivers but take opportunities when they come. Cutters cannot be timid or passive. Run your cuts the way you would against anyone else and let the handlers make the choices. If you run good cuts over and over, you will get open. Wisconsin may have legs for days, but the offense still has the advantage of knowing where the disc is going. Making good decision can make up for a drop off in athletic ability, and if decisions are good, and handlers are composed, scores will happen. Going into half close is vital as is keeping Wisconsin from being fired up.

3) Take advantage of Muffin's impatience, in fact take advantage of impatience in general. Wisconsin is an intense team and it shows on their defense, and offense. Muffin has a clear propensity to jack it, especially on the D-line. It's a relatively low risk situation. Wisconsin generates a turn, and Muffin picks it up as D-line handler and goes for the throat. However, a lot of these hucks do not connect. This is a teams' chance to NOT get broken. Take the CUT/Observer situation. On that point where the CUT guy threw it right into an observer for a turnover, Muffin threw a break throw away to Mahowald after the CUT turnover giving the disc back to Carleton. He also had a rushed goal line turnover previously on the same point. In these situations however, CUT made the same mistake and gave it back.

On the offensive side, it seems like Wisconsin's only weakness is themselves. Two huge turnovers that helped Arizona go from 8-5 to 11-10 in the Vegas finals were a poor backhand huck from Lokke to Gaynor and a rushed pass to Shane off a dead disc. Arizona was patient, played their offense, took opportunities that presented themselves and worked it in for the break. In addition Wisconsin put up a lazy pass that resulted in out of bounds turnover and they also had a poor dump throw turnover. In these cases however, Arizona went for hammers to un-open receivers which kept them from getting that last crucial break.

Long story short, when Wisconsin coughs it up, take a deep breath and play YOUR offense, not theirs. Easy in-cuts, breaks, scoobers, whatever your team does best. Retaliatory hucks just play into their hands as do rushed hammers. This game is about role players. Handlers handle and cutters cut. Catch the disc and don't do anything stupid.

4) Take away a single option. It seems easy to think that defense in ultimate is like defense in football. Try and get the layout D, much like an interception, and get a break and win. However, the trouble comes with transferring that D to a win. Defense in ultimate is not about a single play like an interception. A lot of layout D's result in turnovers by the D-line and for every layout D your team gets, your opponent is probably going to get one. The trick is pressure. Defense in ultimate is like defense in basketball. You are never going to shut out a team, but if you can get them to score 80 points instead of 95, you can win. All you need to do is put pressure on them to fail 1 in 3 or something like that. In ultimate you can do this by taking away 1 option. Trying to shut down Wisconsin or any teams entire offense is going to be pretty hard. However, look for 1 thing that they like (and you should spend the first half looking for it) and use their propensity to go for that option as a weakness. Maybe it's Foster's break side flick huck, maybe it's their cavalier dump throws, maybe it's breakside to openside cuts. Whatever it is, be mindful of what their offense is doing and attack 1 option.

Closing Thoughts
Nothing exciting, just some thoughts. I have nothing against Wisconsin, I am just trying to figure them out. Then again, having never played them, I could be full of shit and probably am.

As far as this week/end goes, I will put up a Centex preview post either tomorrow or Friday depending on when I find out what pools look like. Hopefully I can get another post up Saturday night after watching pool/power play competition and then I'll have a recap next week, maybe Monday. Stay tuned.


just my thoughts

match diesel

It's a Hodag world...

and we are just living in it.

So this past weekend one of the most exciting and important ultimate tournaments of the college season transpired, Stanford Invite, and I thought I would share some thoughts on the event. My cousin Alex (pharohman) was there doing some field work for me so I actually have something to go off of as opposed to my usual rants.

Wisconsin

As Gerics put it, the race for second place has begun. Wisconsin looks nothing short of dominant but in looking at the stat sheet from the finals, I had some thoughts about Wisconsin. Their main strength is easily their depth but what does this mean exactly? It seems as though Wisconsin relies heavily on 2 things, 1) legs and 2) intensity. In a game where Wisconsin is fired up, there really is no stopping them unless you have an unreal offense. The one thing you don't see a lot of from Wisconsin is their O-line or as they call it, their O-face. They collect break after break because their man defense is incredible. With more than a hundred guys coming out in Fall, Wisconsin seems to groom their most athletic recruits into great defenders. This is not surprising considering the fact that in 2006 they lost to a team that was more conditioned, Florida. I would bet dollars to pesos that the Hodgas went back to the gym that summer with the sole purpose of being the most physically fit team in the country. Fast forward 2 years and you have a 25 man roster that plays better D than any other team in the country. Think about it, if you make an opponents cutters run and run and run while replacing great defender with great defender, their O-line will wear out, mistakes will happen, layout Ds, hand blocks, and throw aways will ensue and Wisconsin's D-line will collect break after break. This game plan is all well and good for college ultimate but it seems as if Wisconsin's only potential weakness are teams with finely tuned offensive strategies. Take the Arizona TiV final for example. Double helix scoobers, bladey hucks, more or less throws that are impossible to defend, gave Arizona a chance in that game. That and just don't throw to a guy that is covered because a Wisconsin defender at 100% is pretty much better than any cutter at 75-80%. It also appears that Wisconsin's favorite game plan is more or less a huck and D up approach. They pull, they generate a D, then Muffin picks up and a flick huck is coming. Wisconsin is fast and tall and they come down with just about everything. If Mahowald, Lokke, or Hohenstein don't get it, expect the D-line to get another D. If the D-line gets scored on, bring on the O-face for crisp offense. In any event, the only way that teams stand a chance against Wisconsin is to not turn it over. The UBC game went 14-13 and the only reason the Thunderbirds did so well was because they didn't cough up the disc. They took half 8-7, and only committed 1 turn over in the second half. Sadly, that was all the Hodags needed. However, in the Finals, Wisconsin's D-line committed upwards of a dozen turnovers, but Stanford just couldn't capitalize. Exhaustion probably played a role, but in any event, focus and precession in the face of extremely tough D seems to be the only workable strategy against the baby blue. I think this is why Florida has been a team that has done so well against them. Gibson, Brodie, Cyle and Windham run a very dynamic offense and are extremely hard to cover completely. They have the ability to put up break hucks, they rely on fluid disc movement to score, and they are devastatingly patient. Complex club-like offenses are tough to defend if run well (which is really hard) but making things tough on the D-line is the only way the Hodags are gonna go down. Then again, I haven't even mentioned how good the O-face is. I think they had 2 TOs in the finals.

And another thing, if anyone is curious to know why/how Wisconsin is so good, check out their blog/website. These guys care more about Hodag ultimate than anything else in the world. While it is true that this devotion may have most people scratching their heads, it is no wonder why this team is so dominant. If you want to win at football or soccer or basketball or water polo you have to eat, sleep, and live your sport. Ultimate is no different and everybody on the Hodags bleeds baby blue, no question about it. So if you are reading this and wondering how Wisconsin is so much better than your team, read some of their literature and see where your average player's dedication compares to theirs.

Stanford

This team is very good. Maybe not as good they were last year, but they are good. Santa Barbara Invite seemed like quite the anomaly and the only good thing to come out of it was the fact that UCSD's performance put them in Centex. With a prepared and full roster, Stanford is top shelf. I didn't expect them to beat Carleton but making the finals came as no surprise to me. They definitely rely on Sherwood though. He played all but 4 points in the finals and he played 13 of the first 15. I see this to be their biggest weakness. With an obvious go to player like this, developing a game plan gets easy. If you can effectively take away Sherwood's best option, either as a cutter, defender, or handler, you effectively take away Stanford's best option. Look for them to improve however. Their Centex results will give us an idea if making Nationals is even a question mark and the Series will let us know whether or not we can expect another semis appearance.

Texas

I was really impressed with Texas' results. Yes, people like me rely on legacy and history but only because it's the only evidence a sports writer has to rely on and taking a chance on a team that has never dominated is risky. I am sure they are getting tired of losing to Stanford (semis yesterday and quarters at Nationals) but losses like this give them the lessons they need to improve. The biggest challenge for Texas (both in club and college) is that there is no regional competition. Texas does not routinely play difficult teams in their area. They get their shot at Centex, maybe Vegas if they go. Mardi Gras is a little early in the season, but when the Central, Northwest, Southwest, and AC regions are all duking it out for that bid to nationals, Texas is steam rolling their way through the series. Maybe they make nationals every year, but a simple quarters exit is as far as they get. This is a huge tournament experience for them and a few more like this and they could break into semis.

UBC

I should probably do some field reporting on this team. I know nothing about them. If I had to guess, judging from their roster, it seems like the collection of freshman and sophmores that were under the guidance of Oscar and Morgan are now leading the charge. Like Arizona, the Thunderbirds have several (10) Grad students/5th years. However, teams like this can easily fall below radar over time. Hopefully they continue to recruit. The big question on my mind is where they stack up against Stanford. It seems like after a few tournaments, Stanford has reasserted itself as the team to beat in the NW (again). Cal, Santa Cruz, Oregon, Whitman, and LPC have all shown signs of greatness but Bloodthirsty and UBC were the only two that really looked like they belonged at the top of the region this weekend. Historically, in the series, Stanford has UBC's number, but perhaps with a veteran team and no clear superstar(s) to isolate, UBC may have what it takes to make a sophmore trip to nationals.

UNC-Wilmington

The rock in the NUMP's shoe. This is a team that no one has figured out and maybe thats their strategy. They are signed up for a TON of tournaments so they will know their strengths and weaknesses come the series. I wonder if their major strength is non-regional match-ups because very few west coast or even midwest teams have even played UNC-W recently. If this is a strength than perhaps everyone in the AC knows how to handle the Seamen and despite their success, will still struggle to make it out of the region. I am curious about this team regardless and I will definitely work to catch a few of their points in Austin.

Arizona

First things first, everybody's favorite new Pirate, Joe Kershner, didn't play a point this weekend because of a sprained ankle. Sunburn's performance in his absence shows 2 things: 1) They can make nationals without their best player and 2) Wow, with their best player? They handled Tide easily without Joe and I would guess that Colorado would be a closer game but the veteran desert squad will still win without their best player. An offense like this is why Arizona did so well against Wisconsin. Lots of able players, with lots of good eyes, throws and legs. I thought Carleton was the only team that could contest Wisconsin, but I think Arizona has a chance as well. Hopefully they meet again at Centex.

Claremont

These guys have gotten so good and people need to take notice. True they are kinda weird, at least they were when I used to play against them, but they are still good. They win the qualifier and finish ahead of at least 12 other teams. Am I the only one that thinks they should have gotten an invite? I suppose it's tough offering another SoCal team a bid but I think UCSD is going to have to sit out on Stanford again. It did us good back in 2005 and I think right now, the squids aren't cutting the mustard. The brain eaters are though. Despite being from a miniscule school and facing mountains of sectional and regional competition, Claremont has really shown themselves to be a resilient program. Good luck making nationals. This maybe the one year you can catch Colorado napping, giving you two chances to get to nationals instead of one.

Las Positas

Despite a history of shady roster issues, LPC is legit in 2008, both on the field and on paper. Eligibility status aside, they are basically a club team meaning their offense is razor sharp and as long as they stay in shape, they can handle good/great college teams. Hopefully they get to play at Div 1 nationals again instead of Div 3.

Carleton

CUT came in as the 2nd seed and that was a spot they deserved. They are probably going to lose their #2 spot in the NUMP but I think one reason why they struggled this weekend was because 3 of their players (Grant Lindsley, Patrick Roberts, and Alex Evangelides) were all in Seattle trying out for the Junior Worlds. While these are basically just 3 freshman, Grant and Patrick were Junior all-stars from Paidea and Amherst and see a ton of playing time. I think it's weird that Grant is trying out for Junior Worlds again, he already has a gold medal.

Colorado

MB is falling like a shit from heaven (to borrow from "Thank you for Smoking"). I took a guess that LPC would beat them but I was still surprised when it happened. I am curious to know what the Texas game did to Colorado before hand. I suppose every giant needs to faulter and I have no pity for Colorado. I think they are an exciting team to watch but they have won the SW region every year I have played ultimate. I hope they get smoked this Spring, it will have 2 consequences: 1) Someone else will get to go to the show 2) it will give Colorado the motivation to recruit and improve. I think their biggest weakness, and this is no secret, is their handling core. Right now Jolian has to throw to Mac and that sucks. Martin will hopefully be back by Centex, but even then, you have 3 6+ footers that are fast and can jump but those seemingly endless handlers circa Parker, JV, Chicken, and Rabbit are all gone. The apex of Colorado's offense is MIA and without a confident handler to carry the torch, they are going to struggle.

Closing Thoughts

There are a lot more things I could say but I would rather not. One thing I keep wondering is how exciting this year in ultimate would be if Wisconsin was non-existent. Their is no clear cut 2nd best team, so instead of an unknown national champ, we just have an unknown Finals Runner-Up. Like I said awhile back, whoever wins Stanford Invite is going to win Nationals and that still stands. I think Wisconsin will take Centex as well but they don't have to. I know that they are focusing on not letting the hype get to them and for all intents and purposes they are doing a fine job, albeit with 2 close calls. I think the only thing that will make this murderous rampage worth watching is if they actually do go undefeated. I think the worst case scenario would be if they lost a game between now and nationals but won nationals. I hope they win every game up until sunday at Nationals and either bring home the golden disc after an unscathed season or return home broken hearted with their Patriots 2007-esk season fully documented on their website.

Oh and one more thing. How exciting was this 20 team tournament format. Come on, who would have picked the teams in semis? In quarters? Only 1 team went 4-0 on saturday and only 2 teams went 0-4 in pool play. Anybody want to see these kinds of results at nationals? I know I do.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Thats why they play the game

I am going be honest. I had almost an entire write up done going into the finals. I started researching Queen City and had updates about TiV through semifinals. I was ready to go, I knew it was gonna be Wisconsin vs Arizona (shocking, I know but I was ready) but I figured the Hodags would take Sunburn 13-6 or something. However, I am getting text updates from my cousin, 5-3 Wisconsin, 10-8 Wisconsin, what the fuck? How is Arizona scoring? Sunburn lost to Claremont in quarters at regionals last year, what the hell am I missing? I dunno whats going on in the desert, but I am gonna find out. I want to write more, but I will save that for later. I will say, though, that like the Patriots, no team is invincible. Go Arizona, please talk to me.

Here is my original writeup. More to follow:

So Trouble in Vegas has come and gone, as has Queen City Tune Up. There were a lot of big winners in Vegas, not mention a few broken hearts. Charlotte also housed the biggest barn burner East of the Mississippi and my NUMP ballot looks like the floor of a Pedro Martinez sponsored cock fight. Here are my thoughts on each tourney.

Trouble In Vegas

First lets start off with the Cultimate extravaganza that has been dubbed the best and worst idea in the history of ultimate. I hear the weather was actually good this year which is nice considering the last two years were like Wyoming in November.

Wisconsin: I thought the 'dags were gonna steam roll folks but they definitely had their pulses raised en route to winning their 2nd tournament. They had close games against CUT (11-9) in semis and Arizona (12-11) in a capped finals that ended with a Sunburn score. I want to draw some conclusions, but like the 6-5 Wisconsin loss to CUT and Texas beating Colorado back in 2006, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Arizona: I get a text Saturday night, "Arizona beats Florida". I know that Sunburn has a few winter wins for the ages. They knocked off the Squids at Santa Barbara a few years back but Florida?!?! They managed to do something that no one has EVER done, beat the Gators in Vegas. The next thing I know Arizona beats Cal and faces Harvard in semis, semis?!?! Ok, Vegas is weird, Arizona wins, good luck against Wisconsin. 23 points later Arizona scores it's 11th goal to end a capped game. 11 on Wisconsin? Oregon got 9 on the Hodags at nationals and a team that has never made nationals gets 11? Are you serious? I have no idea what this result means, but I will say that no one has gotten this close to Wisconsin this year and this really shows that Arizona could be significantly better than just a quarters/semis team at Regionals. My sources say the finals were exceptionally well played on both sides. I think I am one of many that is blown away with this performance and I really hope to see more of Sunburn this year. The Southwest royalty could shift significantly this year and if Arizona can keep it up, they may have a chance to finally play in a game-to-go. I wish I had more information on them, but I'm on it.

CUT: When I asked my buddy JAM (who was there) what he thought of Carleton, he had one word, "Fast". The crafty boys from Minesooota are definitely experienced, polished and on track to challenge the best in the country. It's too bad they got all this World's talent right around the time Wisconsin was on their way to an unprescedented, and un-possible, undefeated season. Tough draw in semis but they really belong this year. Their biggest advantage, their Junior World's talent, is actually 2-fold in the sense that not only are these kids spectacular, but they have all already played together and in analogous systems (ARHS and Paideia). If they can overcome the size barrier by playing crisp, mistake-free ultimate, they can challenge Wisconsin when it matters. Unlike the rest of the country, CUT is unafraid of the baby blue and if they can capitalize on Wisconsin's raw intensity with composed ultimate, they maybe the NY Giants against the NE Patriots this May.

Whitman: I am really glad someone from Washington reads my blog. Here is what Joe's Brother had to say about the Walla Walla Sweets:

Somewhat off the radar, but maybe worth keeping on eye on in 2008 is that the best high school player in the country last year, Jeremy Norden, went to Whitman and claimed a lot of other Juniors players had interest in going there as well. Plus, he said the club gets an enormous amount of support (financially and otherwise) from the school and community. He's good enough by himself to propel a team into the mix. And the RSD chatter supports the rumor that there are other solid HS standouts on the freshman line. No word on their bureaucratic recruiting (they had a paperwork related DQ last year), but if their papers are in order, this team could be THE team on the rise.

They're at TiV this weekend, so by Monday we should have a little more info on them.

Turning heads and making quarters (over Ego no less) was definitely not what I was expecting from this Pool F second seed. They have their work cut out for them and are going to need to keep it up to get out of the Northwest.

Haavard: Aside from the Ivy rivalry, I am really impressed with these these guys. They are the new Brown. Making semis by beating two hot teams in Whitman and Illinois is impressive considering what teams usually make it this far in the desert. Most NE teams play their best in the spring and seeing that Redline is getting big wins (but not against the squids, HA) when they can't even practice outside says a lot. They have stellar freshmen with Andrew Vogt and George Stubbs (injured), but Zirui Song, Dave Roebuck, and Dave Lipson are all superstars. I had the pleasure (sarcasm) of playing against them this past summer/fall when they suited up for New Noise and like Cal, their club experience is really paying off for their program. However, NE teams have a tendency to shuffle around a lot come the series. Harvard definitely has their work cut out for them in a region with the most teams fighting for a spot at nationals (Williams, Brown, Dartmouth, and Harvard) with no clear front runner.

Santa Cruz: Finally, they show up. Despite a slow start they battle back from starting 0-2, and go through UCSD to make quarters. DLK gives me far too many shout outs, but I will say the slugs finally showed why they are in contention to win the Bay Area section and come out of the NW. Vegas is cool because there are 3 days of good ultimate and several teams get a chance to do well. Illinois owned day 1, Santa Cruz had their time to shine on Saturday, and Arizona owned the Lord's day. They beat my Squids (by 1) making quarters, but got stuck with the ravenous wolves (Wisconsin). It would have been cool to see them play any other team because they might have stood a chance. Regardless, they brought themselves back to their status post Sean Ryan and have the knowledge that they can bring it to Stanford and Cal. I feel sorry for LPC because they will have to play one of these teams while the other two duke it out in semis come sectionals.

Illinois: For a team that wanted to break into the elite, they definitely did not disappoint. They managed to knock off 2 juggernaut teams in Oregon and Colorado, on the first day no less. Folks have been talking them up a lot on RSD as of late and I continually understand why. They lost in pre-quarters to Haavard, but this kooky format with 10-8 scores and 80 teams really doesn't blemish Illinois' hopes. They showed that they are #1 in the Great Lakes and have given Ryan Purcell and Will Neff an enemy to fear.

Colorado: I wanted to mention a few words about Mamabird's seemingly poor weekend. It looks like Beau is no longer wearing black and gold considering that he wasn't in Vegas for the first time in 3 years. Martin Cochran was also not in attendance but a broken foot has sidelined him only until March and if he heals alright, #17 and the rest of Colorado will be back for the series. I will say that without Beau their offense is going to have to make some serious adjustments. Jolian can't throw to himself and with Mac Taylor streaking deep as well, their handling responsibilities are going to fall on veterans like Chris Wicus.

Closing Thoughts

TiV is just as crazy as Vegas itself. Arizona 11-10 over Florida, Santa Cruz 11-10 over UCSD, Whitman 10-9 over Ego, Carleton 11-9 over Colorado, all of these scores are close/exciting, but suspect and do not paint a clear picture. There are many more positive things to take away from this than negative, though. Arizona and Harvard need confidence, and their results help them. Florida and Colorado need to know that they have weaknesses and their results help them. Whitman and Santa Cruz need to prove they belong and their results help them. UCSD and Oregon need to know that they can win but also know that they can lose and their results help them. CUT needs to know that they have got the talent and Wisconsin needs to know they can't intimidate their way to another national title and their results help them out.

Queen City Tune Up

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, UNC, Georgia, NC State, and Michigan had to go and screw it all up.

NC State: The biggest winner is obviously the winner. But damn it, where the hell did they come from?!?! They weren't at Warm Up. I didn't write about them. What the hell?!?! They played spectacular and hats off to them. They really have dropped below radar since finishing 5/8 at nationals in 2004 but they could be back in black...and red. If I had to guess, i think that they took advantage of a gassed UNC team, twice. They played them in the last round on saturday after UNC barely beat Michigan 9-8. They then played them in the finals after a 15-14 semifinal game with Georgia. I wonder if they can handle UNC at 100% and I also wonder if UNC has the depth to make it to out of the AC.

UNC: I am not sure what to say about Darkside. At 100% it looks like they are the real deal but I wonder about their legs. They made the finals but they lost to the same team twice after winning double game point matches. I think their depth has got to be an issue and this problem will not fix itself considering that Georgia is very deep and Florida has more star power. They took 2nd in the region last year so they have history on their side and I hope they can keep it up against the AC's best in Florida, Georgia and now NC State.

Georgia: Ahh, I wish you guys were going to Stanford. They sweep their pool, they dismantle Edinboro and Georgia Tech, and then WHAM, get taken out by UNC. I think behind NC State, Georgia gained the most from this tournament. The funny thing about ultimate is that unless you are challenged, you really can't see your weaknesses. I remember Furious at nationals in 2006. They raped everyone, including Chain Lightning 15-7 in semis, but their offense really wasn't tested and Sockeye took advantage in the finals. What's cool is that this is just QCTU. Georgia now knows that UNC, as well as Florida, can take them down and they will take this knowledge into practice the next 3 months. Hopefully Swanson stays healthy, but he is lucky that he plays for a very deep team.

Pitt: Delaware won the region last year but after this weekend, Pitt is definitely the aggressor. Pitt has some phenomenal talent in sophmores Chris Brenenborg (team USA) and Eddie Peters (Pike), not to mention a lot of veterans with nationals experience. They were definitely the best Metro East team in Charlotte. They beat Penn and finished ahead of Delaware, not to mention taking NC State to 12-10 in semis. However, this is just February. Keep the engines burning boys, you'll need it if you want to earn big wins for yourself and your region in May.

Michigan: Will is a great pick up but like I said, I think Michigan's performance will improve tournament to tournament. Their offense is going to have to adjust to #1 and it is no wonder that playing outside for the first time in '08 was not kind to Magnum. However, they did play UNC 8-9 (what kind of score is that) and dismantled a national caliber Delaware team 13-3. They did lose to Penn when it mattered though, but I have a feeling they may have looked past them considering they had beaten Georgia Tech 10-6 and Penn lost to Virginia in the last round on Saturday. Needless to say, I am sure they have a lot to think about back in Ann Arbor and hopefully they have the tools to put together a fight against a fired up Illinois team that had a great weekend in Vegas.

I want to reiterate how amazing NC State and Arizona played this weekend. I was expecting Wisconsin/CUT and Georgia/UNC but like Berman says, "thats why they play the game".

In the next few weeks we have two prez day tournaments, Kaimana, Hellfish Bonanza and Mudbowl. I will be watching Stanford this weekend in Hawaii and I wonder what Mike Payne has done with Bloodthirsty after they got rocked in Santa Barbara. Stay tuned, this year is just getting started.

Just my thoughts

match diesel

What to watch for in 2008

So after doing a fair amount of research and now that some tournaments have been played (and some big ones are coming up) I thought I would talk about a few things that I think will make this year interesting.

Trouble in Vegas

One of the reasons I wanted to post this right before TiV this weekend was that I wanted to give folks a few things to consider. A big change is that Wisconsin has already been outside. They destroyed teams as usual at Mardi Gras and have had a chance to get some grass stains. I think this gives them a new advantage in Vegas and considering that the weather is supposed to be good this year, I would expect them to dominant. Colorado will also draw some attention because now we get to see who they are going to bring in 2008. Will Beau saddle up again? Regardless of how Mamabird does this weekend, if their roster is more or less 2007 (minus Rabbit) they will be playing a lot on Sundays this spring. Florida will also be ready and the hype that they have received concerning this tournament can and should give them the fear of being publicly toppled. This will give them more focus, playing one game at a time and hopefully they can do well. The biggest question mark for me is Carleton. TiV will be the first chance CUT has to show that they belong. They beat Colorado last year at TiV with a healthy Jacob Goldstein. If the wind is bad, CUT will have an advantage with scores of seasoned throwers. However, weather.com has picnic weather planned for Vegas this weekend and that will favor the taller/faster teams. Also watch UCSD for their encore performance. They played great at Santa Barbara, winning the tournament for the first time since I have played disc. My undergrad buddies tell me that their roster depth isn't spectacular though and the grueling nature of Vegas may hurt them in the long run. Oregon will also look to make a name for themselves. So far most of the NW talk has hovered around Cal, and for good reason. Dusty and the rest of EGO will look to pop their 2008 cherry and their results will begin to paint a picture for NW regionals in the spring. UBC is also in this mix and I am curious to know what 2008 will bring for the Thunderbirds now that Oscar Pottinger and Morgan Hibbert are long gone. Also watch for Santa Barbara, Central Florida, Illinois, and North Texas. They have all had their ups and downs this year and are hungry for blood. Tide managed to beat everyone save the Squids in Goleta but they usually do well in Vegas. Hopefully their depth and experience will give them an edge. Central Florida had early season W's last year but dwindled as the season wore on. Hopefully they can repeat their success from a year ago and keep the steam through the series. Illinois and North Texas took turns earning big wins at Mardi Gras but both need to develop considerably before they can begin to dominate their respective regions. This is the time for them to gain the experience to challenge the best in the Great Lakes (Michigan and Ohio State) and South (Texas). Look for surprise wins from UCLA and Claremont. They both got screwed out of Santa Barbara and will look to show why they should have been in the slop. They are each trying to show that they are contenders in the Southwest and now is their time to either put up or shut up.

Will Neff's Transfer

One thing that I think will be really interesting and I haven't heard much discussion about, is Will Neff's transfer to Michigan. Will has been a stand out on every team he has played on including the 2004 WFDF Junior USA Team, Twisted Metal, and Northeastern. I can only speculate as to why Will decided to transfer, but coming from a large program (UCSD) to a smaller one (Yale) I can imagine his potential frustration. I hope Camden Kittredge (yes, Beau's brother) will forgive this transgression, while he is left to play without his 2006 FOTY teamate. I will say that Michigan has been a consistent program for many years but has yet to really break past the pre/quarters threshold. Ryan Purcell represents the core of this team and despite being a devastating defender, cutter, handler, and all around south paw iron man, he could still benefit from some added star power. I think Will's arrival will be like Nash and Stoudemire pairing up together. I have watched Ryan for a few years now and I think his heart and commitment will be rewarded in his fifth and final year for Magnum.

So far Michigan has looked good. They have had close games against Wisconsin and Carleton, not to mention winning their indoor tournament, beating Ohio State in the finals. Will's defensive presence will be felt right away but I know that it will take time from Ryan and the rest of Magnum's offense to adjust to him. With that being said, I would imagine that their results will improve tournament to tournament. Since the departure of Craig "Polar Bear" Forshee, Tom Worsfold and others, Michigan State has really dropped below radar. Michigan had a forgettable season last year, failing to qualify for nationals. However, Indiana and Ohio State have quickly stepped past these two motor state power houses by going #1 and #2 at Great Lakes Regionals last year. However, I think if Will can fit in with Magnum, they will have a 1-2 punch that cannot be stopped in the Great Lakes region.

The first chance we will get to see this Magnum team truly in action will be at Queen City Tune Up, which is an alternative to going to TiV. Notable teams that Magnum could use to prove their abilities include Georgia, UNC, Pitt, and THE Ohio State. I'm excited.

Queen City Tune Up

There is another big tournament this weekend outside the Cultimate umbrella in Charlotte, NC. Some of the leaders in the AC chose the shorter trek north instead of west and this is where the Great Lakes and Metro East powerhouses chose to go. Georgia and North Carolina are definitely the favorites to make the finals. Unlike Warm Up, North Carolina will be in attendance and could give us fans a chance to see where they stack up against Georgia. There might only be 2 bids out the AC this year and 1 of these 2 teams will attempt to knock off the other this spring as well as challenge Florida for that trip to Boulder. I have already talked about Michigan, but they must continue to show dominance over Ohio State and prove that they can beat them both indoors and out. The Leadbelly boys got the better of Michigan last year and made nationals. They will have the experience of knowing they are better, but they will need the heart and motivation to back it up. Delaware and Pitt will both be in attendance and each has shown success in the Metro East. Who will take the region? Delaware took the region last year and beat Florida lat natties but Pitt has made nationals the last 3 years. Hopefully they play each other or at least some common opponents to give us an idea. Lastly, UNC-Wilmington and Georgia Tech. They both did well at Warm Up but in deciding to go to Tune Up over Vegas, they are going to have to show that they can hold their own and need to make a good showing in bracket play if they want to contest the rest of the AC.

Wisconsin's Callahan Selection

This is probably going to be one of the tougher choices for the Hodags this year. When I asked James Foster about this he told me to look for Muffin, Shane, Drew Mahowald, Will Lokke, and Rebholz. Muffin is absolutely the face of Wisconsin. He writes more than I do on his blog and I think he definitely can make a case for the team's MVP nomination. However, despite his superb athleticism, his impact seems to revolve around his handling and his flick, which to me isn't enough to earn you the award. I personally think Shane is their best player. He can shut anyone down and has more consistency and dominance than most college players. 2008 will only be his second year on the team, however, and I can't imagine him getting the team's nomination this early in his Hodag career, despite his obvious talents. Mahowald is definitely a top notch player. It is too bad he plays with a slew of superstars because he would be a callahan nominee anywhere else. I didn't know his name at nationals but I kept thinking to myself, "that dude with FBI hat is ridiculous". Will definitely gives a good name to red heads in ultimate and I think he is a superstar. However, what he has seems to be almost the standard on Wisconsin and I don't see him really breaking away from Shane and Mahowald. Rebholz is one of the team captains and has some Heijman qualities. A silent killer with the fundamentals and skill to really punish his opponents while making his teamates look good. If I had to guess, the team will nominate him and if not Reholz than Muffin. The reason I bring this up is that I think Hohenstein deserves a Regional Coordinator nomination and I want whoever that RC is to be ready to look out for #19. I think the voters should decide this one and in the event Shane gets/accepts an RC nomination, I think he might sneak past a teamate on his way to getting a top 5 finish.

I am interested in this because Wisconsin has two major issues to deal with when it comes to the callahan. 1) They are on everyone's radar, meaning their candidate can win. Some sophmore who plays in the NW or the South or wherever, will be encouraged to vote for the callahan this spring and when he does, he will vote his team's candidate #3 but for #1 and #2 he will go with the guy from the team he knows. That will either be Jolian, Kurt, or whoever Wisconsin has. That is how Heijman won the callahan last year (I think) and considering that the talent distribution on Wisconsin is more or less the same as it was in 2007, the same thing could happen again. 2) They have a lot of potential candidates. They could easily nominate any of the 5 players I have named here, which would leave 4 remaining. However, like Heijman said when he got his callahan, he felt he was only the 4th or 5th best player on his team. Those 3 or 4 better guys are still there and I think an RC nomination could put them up there with Nord (RC nominated Callahan winner). Bottom line, folks pay attention, this is a good story.

Junior Ultimate Players

I am not the biggest fan of juniors ultimate (although I am trying), mainly because I never played it, nor really had that many teamates that played it. However, junior players are continuing to make a name for themselves and I think they deserve a vigilant eye. I have already talked about this a lot here, but keep an eye on Sam Kanner and Grant Lindsley for Carleton. Chirstian Foster is also part of the Carleton College Juniors elite. I hope he manages to play to his potential, despite attitude problems that hurt him and his teamates at Connecticut College. I hate to keep hounding this poor kid but when you are the #1 scorer for team USA yet can't get a long with your teammates, people are going to notice. A name that sometimes gets left out, but who I think is the real deal is Tufts Captain, Andrew Hollingworth, who opted to stay in Boston after winning gold and currently captains Tufts. He will definitely spend time covering his former teamate George Stubbs, who is now a freshman at Harvard (eh, fuck him). Bottom line, it has been two years now since team USA won gold and I think that their players are really going to start impacting teams throughout the country. I think CUT is in the best position because they arguably have the largest influx of talent that can and will impact their team right away. I believe this to be their main weapon against Wisconsin in the hopes of getting back on top of the CN region. Aside from CUT, Colorado and Florida both have spectacular freshman pick ups in Hylke Snieder and Alex Hill (actually they were both teamates on Sack Lunch).

Stanford Invite

This tournament is going to be incredible this year. If you are an ultimate fan and live within an hour of Palo Alto, do yourself a favor and go to this thing and watch. The #1 seeds are probably going to be Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, and maybe Stanford, sound familiar? This is the closest we will get to a true carbon copy of what waits in Boulder. Hopefully the weather is decent because this tournament is going to set the tone for Centex and the series. I almost wish I were going to this Cultimate tournament instead of Centex, but hey, they will all be at Centex, as will Georgia, so I can't complain.

Coaching Impact

Today's college teams are benefitting from years of complex strategy and development. Now that more and more teams are being led by former college greats and current club all stars, teams that may have had trouble breaking out of their performance level, may begin to earn some crucial W's. Most notably are Stanford and Cal. Cal is coached this year by Ryo Kawaoka and Stanford is being coached by UPA president Mike Payne. Other teams like Georiga, Colorado, and Brown also benefit from stellar coaches and I think coach-less teams are now going to have to wonder if they should hire their own Morris Buttermaker. I for one am very curious to know if the right coach can get Stanford in the finals or Cal to Boulder. Believe me, if a coach can do that, I think most teams will consider hiring.

College Nationals

I suppose this is a no brainer, but I am curious to know if there are going to be any tragic stories about players that can't make nationals for whatever school related reason. Maybe there are issues every year with Memorial Day, but I doubt it. Hopefully we will be talking about how great the CSTV exposure was and how awesome the Boulder facilities are. I will be there and come Monday the 19th, I will have an article letting you guys know what I think for whatever its worth.

I suppose I am just trying to convert some college players out there into fans of this great game and hopefully give you guys a few interesting things to keep in mind. Hopefully one of these stories actually comes to fruition. Stay tuned folks, should be a good year.

just my thoughts

match diesel

Hungry Hungry Hodags

I thought I would get the college discussion ball rolling with a little bit about Wisconsin. One of the captains of the Hodags (James Foster) was kind enough to answer some questions and I thought I would share some initial thoughts about their 2008 season.

Player Departures

The first thing on my mind for the upcoming year is who are they losing. Now I know that there are some obvious players like Callahan winner Dan Heijman who just finished his 5th year at Wisconsin and Jack Marsh is out of eligibility. Another really huge name that isn’t coming back is Dan Miller. I have been blinded by this kids nuclear hair color for a few years and his defense and all around intensity will be missed. Bobby Lau and Matt Scallet are also done but aside from these, Wisconsin is still returning a ton of experience.

2008 Play Makers

Two major players from last year that will definitely be striking fear into the hearts of opponents are Brandon “Muffin” Malecek and Shane Hohenstein. I feel like Muffin is like the Barry Bonds of ultimate (just physically, not all that lying stuff). I have seen some pictures of him from a few years ago and he looks like a completely different person. Then he had non-descript hair, he was slimmer, and generally not all that scary looking. In 2006 he sported the cornrows, and he still has the Oakley shades, and the Hodag headband. That and he is freaking jacked. Guy definitely did his ultimate homework and is committed to absolutely dominating on all sides of the disc, more power to him. Shane is also a scary mofo. I mistakenly thought Heijman got 3 layout Ds against Stanford in the semis at college nationals, but it was actually Hohenstein. I was far away and they both wear head bands, but after really watching Wisconsin and Sub Zero footage, I can definitely say, this guy is one of the scariest defenders I have ever seen. He literally killed Stanford in the semis all by himself. His man defense is through the roof. I will say that there are usually 2 kinds of good college defenders out there. There are the really fast guys and then there are the crafty ones. The best defenders are both and Shane definitely is and he brings the hurt, just watch the Fall tounrey footage from the Classic City Classic. I asked Foster who he thought were going to be the big play makers for Wisconsin this year and this is what he told me:

“Matt Rebholz and Kevin Riley will be holding down the O Line, breaking the mark at will and sending it deep to our athletic cutters like Will Lokke and Tim Pearce. Muffin (Brandon Malecek) and Tom Annen will be anchoring the D Line throwing to some of the best defenders in the country in Chris Doede, Andrew Mahowald, and Shane Hohenstein.”

What I think makes Wisconsin so good is that they are the poster team for athleticism as well as commitment to the game. Because Wisconsin is a state school they have such a large population to draw from and the chance of finding an all-state soccer player (Dan Heijman-Connecticut) or some Winona State transfer students with disc experience (Hohenstein and Miller) are much better than a small school like Carleton. With these kinds of athletes coming into town, your odds of finding one that likes ultimate and will work at it are much higher. It also probably helps that a top 8 team at Club Nationals is based out of Minneapolis. I wonder how many Sub Zero teammates are bitter Wisconsin/CUT rivals?

Young Guns

Another thing that I was interested to know about Wisco this year was who their next crop of all-stars is going to be. I remember the days of Tyler Spindler, Grant Zukowski, the Valdivias, and Tripoli. Now it's Heijman, Miller, Muffin and Shane, but I wonder who will be the next big leaguers? When I asked James this question he told me “Cullen Geppert and Ben Feldman will certainly be noticed this year by playing great defense and then cutting people up after a turn.” Ben was a member of the Junior Worlds team in 2006 and Cullen was a very solid defender for Wisconsin during the series last year. Hopefully they will carry the torch well.

Goals and Challenges

Another thing that I find interesting are Wisconsin’s goals for the year. When I think of the Hodags outside of college nationals, the first big goal I think of would be to win Trouble in Vegas. This team has been absolutely dominant the last two years and has lost only in bracket play or the finals of the first tournament of the year. In 2006 they lost to Carleton 6-5 (what kind of a score is that?) and last year 12-11 to Florida in the finals. They then went on to sweep the rest of the season in 2007 and lost only once more on Sunday at nationals in 2006. One thing that I think really helps Wisconsin this year is the fact that for whatever reason, Mardi Gras will be before TiV. Wisconsin usually kills people at this 60+ team tournament and gets cash in the process. I dunno how they travel so much but they have won Mardi Gras a few years running and only have a few teams like Texas and Kansas in their way. If they can get the dust off early and warm up in Louisiana, they might be able to work out the kinks and get fluidity in their offense to handle the high winds in Vegas. However, despite my focus on TiV as a goal, James said that “Our main goal for this season is the same as it always is: Win the Central Region.“ This I think is really interesting because it shows how much tension and history is in this region. This is not the AC or the NE where the teams on top routinely shuffle around. This is the Central Region, which is a lot like the SW. Wisconsin and CUT have been beating each other up in this region for like 20 years. For the majority of that, CUT has absolutely dominated with routine classes like Roger Crafts and Mike Caldwell in the late 90's followed by the Nord era, then Chase, Jimmy Chu and Sam O’Brien. However, it is without question that the last few years, Wisconsin has really showed themselves to be the big bad wolf in the upper mid west. However, despite a recent college national championship (their 2nd in 5 years) and 4 trips to the finals this millennium, they still focus on winning the central region. I love it.

I was also curious to know what sorts of challenges Wisconsin has. What does a team that is something like 110-3 over the last 2 years fear? Is there anything that can rattle a team like this? Apparently the main concern is “to stay focused as a team and not let any of the hype effect how we perform or how we go about accomplishing the goals we have set as a team.” How very Belichick of James. Their focus, again, is not to win TiV or repeat at Centex, not even to win another national championship, but rather earn “the right to play CUT in the Finals of Regionals.” What an epic saga CUT and Wisconsin have. It must be nice to have to struggle so hard with a team in your own region and know that in prepping to just make it to nationals you are beating a team that could beat half the teams in Boulder next May. I suppose this is an advantage to teams like Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Stanford, Oregon, etc.. because they have to work so hard to get out of their region that they end up getting better competition in the regional finals than in pool play at nationals. I don’t know how Zipp and Brown did it in 2005. I guess that just shows you how good the Amherst→Brown→DoG ultimate program is.

Callahan Watch

One thing that I wanted to know but was very doubtful to get a straight answer about, was who the Callahan nominee for Wisconsin is going to be this year. I understand not wanting to name a specific person because they probably don’t know yet and I totally respect that. But I also want to say that whoever Wisconsin nominates will be in the top 3 Callahan finishers if not THE winner. If you look back over the last 5 years, whoever wins nationals or is close, usually wins the Callahan. Wiggins in 2003 was the last Callahan winner to not win a national championship but he still played in the finals. Since then it was Richter (champion ‘04), Zipp (champion ‘05), Tim Gehret (champion ‘06) and Dan Heijman (champion ’07). Callahan voters are not smart, they vote for the guy that is nominated by the best team. Players like Dylan Tunnell, Tank Natenberg, Oscar Pottinger, and Seth Wiggins are great, great players, but if you aren’t going to make the Finals, you aren’t going to win the MVP. Nothing against people that vote, but the information gap is so huge (which is why I write this stuff) that no one knows anybody outside their region so they just vote for the players from the best teams. In any event, I just want to say that whoever Wisconsin does nominate, has a good chance of winning. One thing that I really liked about Heijman when he won was the he told Rob that he thought he was only the 4th or 5th best player on Wisconsin. If you watched them play, Heijman was definitely a source of assists, scores, Ds and ZERO turnovers, but the Hodags had a lot of other guys reeling in the fantasy points and a lot of them are still on the team. They still have a ton of talent left and if something like the Robbie Cahill/Mark Sherwood thing happens again, you might see 2 Callahan nominees getting votes. Regardless, James told me to start prepping my ballot for “Matt Rebholz, Muffin Malecek, Shane Hohenstein, Andrew Mahowald and Will Lokke”. What a PC and respectful answer. I am sure he is a great captain.

Tournament Schedule

This year Wisconsin is playing in Mardi Gras, Vegas, Stanford, and Centex. This is definitely a different schedule from last year where Wisconsin went to Terminus in Georgia and Easterns in North Carolina. I like that they are going back to Stanford. Once again I don’t know how they fly to all these tournaments. Colorado usually doesn’t go to a lot of tournaments like Stanford (until this year) and Santa Barbara because it is too much to fly but I am glad Wisconsin is going back to Palo Alto. It is one of the most elite tournaments in the country and Wisconsin has a tradition of doing very well at it.

College Nationals Thoughts

One thing that has been an extremely controversial issue is the college nationals debate. Since they are changing the weekend it is this year, as well as piggy backing with CSTV, there have been a lot of contrasting opinions concerning it. I heard that the UPA surveyed teams that were at nationals in Columbus but I will say that this is what the captain of the current national champions had to say:

“I am extremely upset about the schedule change this year. I do not like to look ahead that far but we have players that are scheduled to take finals during bracket play at nationals. If we are successful at Regionals it is going to be very difficult for our entire team to make it to Colorado in time to play on Friday and getting there a day early to practice is almost entirely out of the question.”

Closing thoughts

I think Wisconsin is the real deal again. I think they were as good in 2006 as they were in 2007 (Florida was just better). I think this year will be no different. I think CUT is definitely better this year (that will be another blog article-tune in tomorrow) and there will be some great teams out there, but if Wisconsin can stay focused, you will see baby blue play on May 18th. When I asked James if there was anything he wanted the rest of the country to know about Wisconsin in the new year he said “The Hodags are still hungry.“

Just my thoughts

Match Diesel