Thursday, May 05, 2005

dead horse

So I've got to post my thoughts here, rather than in replies only.

I think that the appeal of co-ed, leaguer, spirit spouting, no-ref frisbee players is that it's a secret club for them. Despite the fact that I throw every day, and am a massive frisbee nerd, I do actually have non-frisbee playing friends. And the feedback I get from the community as a whole, is that frisbee players are pompous self-absorbed arrogant pricks.

True.

I think it stems from this.

Oh, you play frisbee. Like with a dog.
(frisbee player immediately huffs)
No, it's fast, it's like a combination of all the best things about soccer, hockey, team handball, football, quidditch and nascar. But the best thing is that there are no refs. We play by the spirit of the game.

(What listener hears is. We're better than other people, and if you don't share my vision, you're a loser).

What about, 'it's like keep away, on a really big field. and we got observers, like 'refs' only for the big games. it's fun'

Or am I hung up that SI runs a huge article about Lacrosse, and ultimate is still the butt of jokes on Sports Center.

I'd really like to see the game on TV. But it's not going to happen as long as it's hackey sack. The common perception is that it's a stoner sport. Guess what. NBA basketball is reportedly a 'Stoner Sport' but the commish and the players have the sense to keep it under wraps.

Yes, 2 portland trailblazers doing 90 in a hummer w/ 2 pounds of pot in the back smoking dope out of can is keeping it under wraps.

I recently played a tournament-- Big news for me these days. I played a club co-ed tournament w/ my co-ed HS team. I played right handed (broken good hand), so I was smarter, but my throws were so-so.

I actually don't remember seeing any men in dresses. Maybe i've blocked it. But there were all sorts of 'theme attire' and stuff. These people don't WANT the sport to be 'mainstream'. They want it to be the sport for iconoclasts...

Another subset of people playing like to have a beer, or smoke some dope when they play. This goes on at city softball games and stuff, although people outside the insular world of ultimate frisbee tend to be a little more circumspect about illegal behavior. You know, consideration for other peoples views on illegal behavior etc...(an aside, for i don't actually care what other people do at a tournament, or anywhere for that matter, but nude beaches are nude beaches and not nude malls for a reason)

A final interesting group, that i think makes up the overlap of the two previously listed groups, combines 'ostensibly not being serious' w/ 'a lack of knowledge of the rules' into the worst type of ultimate player.

A team dressed in matching skirts, unable to get anything done, mildly inebriated, making bad call after bad call, complaining about elitist behavior.

Any way. It's league night. So I'm just getting pumped up for the fans tonight.

Next week: Frisbee Players. Buy a watch.

4 comments:

Idris said...

In my life, I've never told any a single person I play ultimate (who didn't bring it up first.. or read about on idris.org). they only find out through other people. The exception being a couple high school friends wondering why I was never available on weekends to go on trips with them... during college and after.. I had to explain it to them. Of course these guys all played real sports in college, D1 football and basketball, so they just thought I was some type of fag... literally. Kinda sad I guess. But I have no interest in talking about hacky sack.

On flights to tournaments chatting with passangers is always about me "going to visit friends".

The only time this caused an issue was going to flower bowl the first year. The customs official asked what I was doing in vancouver. "Visiting friends" to him was code for "doing a bunch of bad shit in Canada". "Who and where do they live?" he asked. I couldn't think of MG's and Marc's address. so I offered to call them for the customs official. he let me go.

Don't ever ask me to be a spokesperson for frisbee. I'm too ashamed of it.

Idris said...

let me whip this horse a bit more...

people don't seem to understand the difference between elite level, nationals level competion and tournaments, and pick up ulty.

most ultimate is on par with your basic pick up game.

the NBA does not change or adjust the game because of what is happening in streetball, co-ed pick up games.

there are different rules played in a pick up game, a youth league, high school, college, and the nba. they range from calling your own fouls, not being as harsh with traveling, offensive fouls, to having more or less fouls per game or half.

ultimate at its grass roots level does not need to change to allow the game at its highest level change. the hippies can keep playing pick-up and call it a real game.

Luke said...

the hippies can keep playing pick-up and call it a real game. yeah, i just wish pickup hackysack didn't get any press.

never told a SINGLE person?
that is an unmatchable stat.

parinella said...

never told a SINGLE person?
that is an unmatchable stat.

Actually, you could deny that you play when someone asks.

Nice entry, Luke. Keep it up, and maybe, just maybe, I'll add a link.