So, here it is... with time stamps!
Intro: Corey is almost un-intelligibly quiet. A surprising change after last week...
:20 The book. And there was a segment on ESPN2's 'Cold Pizza' Program hawking the book, with the authors. Arnold Sanchez was the first guy ever kicked out of ultimate... he was in the background throwing in the segment... one of the people playing catch. Corey, former New Yorker that he is, points out that Arnold was only suspended.
:1:50 Arnold is mistaken for a High School kid. Do Adam Zagoria and Tony Leonardo look like Jim Belushi and Harold Ramis? You decide.
2:30 I just had to turn up the volume on Corey. When will the porridge be just right.
3:00 A reference to the good old days of no stall counts.
3:20 I mutilate some hotcake metaphors. Have I told you about my dream about Pancakes?
3:40 Discussion of publishing. Y’awn.
4:20 This brings us to the bash Alex DeFrondeville section.... and a segue to the Hall of Fame... Starting with Eric Simon. Yeah Eric.
5:40 Luke interrupts Jim. Rude kids. Questioning Joel Silver as founder and a discussion of Santa Claus’ origins. Kids, Earmuffs.
6:20 Ah yes, smallpox.
6:35 Am I in it? (Yes I am, as it turns out).
7:10 Strategery with Jim. MVP’s can throw.
8:30 Idris: Frisbee = Little League Football.
8:45 Luke: Frisbee = Madden 2006. Then blabs on... And monopolizing microphone, and stating the obvious, ‘the good defense is one that keeps the offense out of the endzone.’ You can tell I spent some time at state school... You know, I think that one reason the flat stack is so popular, is that it looks just like madden. JUST LIKE MADDEN
10:00 Idris agrees Offense is important, and Corey...za-zing, take that idris.
10:00 ish... Corey explores defensive strategy. There is some Confused silence from Jim and Idris, who are both uncomfortable and confused.
11:00, luke with another one liner...
11:15 Jim, damn him, with a concrete suggestion. The idea of using film to get better.
11:30 Back to ‘d’ guys can’t score...
12:00 Jim, Offense guys just have to be able to call people out-of-bounds to play d... good stuff...
13:40 Idris gives away the secret to his game...
14:20 the Shasta-meter or the Parinella Excite-o-meter... I couldn't find the reference, and I don't remember when idris talked about it. But Shasta (Phillips? I think) a fast bay area guy apparently referred to the level of excitement as a defining statistic. Turnovers, goals, assists, blocks. They are all hugely important, under the excite-o-meter... (which, I think, was jim's term).
14:50 Chris Sherwood’s campaign platform... Props to Chris, he took a lead role in rewriting the rules, or something... And was on a title winning furious team...
15:23 Jim says ‘Dog’ has not the sack to cut Jim...
15:51 Year in review? Furious is old at 30... They are not, infact that old. See, that's where we, at the podcast include you in our banter... see, a hearty guffaw as jim (40 something) calls mike grant (19 years old) old.
16:20 Idris wraps, editing out his brilliant recap of running down a ‘little person’ the first time he went snowboarding... This was a truly great story, well developed, and a huge punchline. Basic summary, Idris is snowboarding, in quasi-control, and runs down a small child, turns out that small child has beard, and whisky and cigarrette breath. Farrelly brothers inappropriate, perhaps, but funny.
17:20 Luke thanks sponsor deja news, which was bought out by google groups several years ago. Just to let you know how old school I am, I still type deja.com to get to google groups...
Thanks to our sponsors, skype, adidas, deja, and Deschutes Brewing!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
training...
lots and lots of skiing. i've been skating almost exclusively. skate skiing is on skiiny cross country skis, accross a trail that basically has had the same grooming as the ski area. it's flat, and fast. the movement is like ice skating, but you use poles.
i've done some classic skiing (looks like you are shuffling along: done properly, you transfer all your weight to one ski for part of the time. challenging, and rewarding) but not a ton as you have to wax for kick (the middle third of the ski receives a 'sticky' wax that interacts with the snow. it's called 'kick' because you kick your leg down, and slightly back to propel yourself forward)...
today, i finally rode my new telemark skis (After a 40 minute, approximately 8k skate)... and they rock. a little (4-6 inches) new snow... and while there was no deep powder... there was plenty of opportunity to explore shallow powder, ice, cut up snow... and these skis rock. you just let them run... awesome... of course, i ran into a couple of the local xc kids, who grew up on skis since age 2, and they are legitimate athletes (the 8th grader will likely run sub 17 next year, the 12th grader, a top 6 in state skiier, is the starting tailback, and likely div one baseball player).
i could ski with them... but not that moment when they all launched off this 6 foot high kicker that threw them 15 feet into the air... i just skied around that...
so, skiing for every day of the past week or so, more to come... life is good.
no weights though...
i've done some classic skiing (looks like you are shuffling along: done properly, you transfer all your weight to one ski for part of the time. challenging, and rewarding) but not a ton as you have to wax for kick (the middle third of the ski receives a 'sticky' wax that interacts with the snow. it's called 'kick' because you kick your leg down, and slightly back to propel yourself forward)...
today, i finally rode my new telemark skis (After a 40 minute, approximately 8k skate)... and they rock. a little (4-6 inches) new snow... and while there was no deep powder... there was plenty of opportunity to explore shallow powder, ice, cut up snow... and these skis rock. you just let them run... awesome... of course, i ran into a couple of the local xc kids, who grew up on skis since age 2, and they are legitimate athletes (the 8th grader will likely run sub 17 next year, the 12th grader, a top 6 in state skiier, is the starting tailback, and likely div one baseball player).
i could ski with them... but not that moment when they all launched off this 6 foot high kicker that threw them 15 feet into the air... i just skied around that...
so, skiing for every day of the past week or so, more to come... life is good.
no weights though...
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
best video i ever saw.
borrowed a video from JG once. Showed US (NYNY) vs Sweden (i think). It was a very close game. No KD. The US team was huddling and singing kum-bay--yah. The camera was a tower cam, from the top of a swivel above a flag pole or something. Great footage.
The climax: US has disc to score (and I think win). Calls timeout. There is an argument in huddle. JG is attempting to rally troops w/ kumbayah. Various players are just wandering out of huddle... tape... just... ends.
US went on to win, but it was also the end of NYNY. It was a metaphor, get it?
AWESOME tape.
The climax: US has disc to score (and I think win). Calls timeout. There is an argument in huddle. JG is attempting to rally troops w/ kumbayah. Various players are just wandering out of huddle... tape... just... ends.
US went on to win, but it was also the end of NYNY. It was a metaphor, get it?
AWESOME tape.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
blah.
hmm.
some thoughts. so, against my better wishes, the 1st annual, summit reunion new years game is scheduled for jan 1 at 1 pm. The game's duration will be decided when we see the numbers, and the conditions. Right now, there is 1 foot of snow on the ground. There could be 1 foot, with freezing rain by then. But, i'm aware that this is one of those traditions I can get started NOW, while i'm in some semblance of abillity to start, that can continue without me after I can't do these things.
although, why I didn't start this last year, when it was 60...
oh, for you frisbee guys, if you're not going to comment on my frisbee posts, i'll assume you don't read them any more than you read my lame attempts at literary posts. therefore, luke's true bloggery continues unabated.
1) let's get a RSD moderated going. is that possible? Jim, Idris? Y'all are more saavy than me. Maybe you could simply host, and moderate a forum.
2) it's cold here.
3) tommorrow, I go to the meeting to set up our own ski league. the details are that the league head secretly (for real) gave himself a raise, and that he tried to kick out 2 of our skiers for receiving scholarships to participate in camps and races. Does anyone know the ins and outs of getting event liabillity coverage (every time i've done it, it was through the UPA).
4) got new skis. Fishcer RCS 610's. suffice to say, they are as sweet as it comes. Got them at uh... best price. Bought new boots. Top of the line... not because i'm infatuated w/ top of the line... the fact is, well, my feet could tell the difference. Has anyone out there had experience with RADICALLY different sizing for cleats/running shoes/ ski boots.? My cleats and running shoes are a 12. My ski boots are a 10.5 (w/ an expensive heat molded liner). Am I ignorantly trading comfort for performance? Or is this just an industry thing? I wear running shoes to work every day, so I only wear athletic shoes (run/ski)... What are dress shoes like?
5) Are you all aware about bovine growth hormone in your milk? Are you aware that fox news defeated a whistle blower by demonstrating to an appellate court (i think the 5th, florida) that news need not be truthful, for it is a free speech issue?
6) Watch the corporation and the control room. Great documentaries.
7) When is the next ultimate talk LIVE? Jim, I need 48 hours to make up what i think we might have would have said.
8) Training log? I don't remember when last I posted. I skied every day but friday. They groom at a local sport park (w/ lights)... Tommorrow, I ski my new gear for the first time. Presumably, with a hangover. But we'll see. 4 or 5 beers wrecks me these days. But the fact that I have to ski w/ a former national team member, who mistakenly construes me with an athlete, at best I'll be bugeyed. At worst I'll vomit. IN good news, I'm getting better at this, the most technical of disciplines (w/ apologies to swimmers -- i know that that is techy too). The issue w/ technical disciplines, which has a strong connection to frisbee: the better you get, the less excercise you get. Therefore, old OFFENSIVE players are good. They get open with less effort. They throw better. And when they turn it over, they get it back by forcing multiple throws.
9) ON driveway clearing. If you get after the snow while it's light, a push broom is ideal.
10) More thoughts about frisbee.
OK, We played a team that had a bunch of good athletes... but they ran this crazy short game three man. Lots of picks... like what jam used to be accused of. Brutally effective against high school teams (they don't call picks)... They had plays set up. All 6 cutters would run these elaborate patterns that only SORT of created picks: what is the role of a frisbee player. Do you have to decide ahead of time that the player you are covering is actually going to NOT run into the person right in front of you? How long do you have to decide? What if they jump out of the way, right as you decide the train wreck is coming? I mean, totally legal, right? The pick didn't actually occur? At the last minute, you were given the opportunity to run with your player?
11) Holiday stuff. AFter 9 years of college, 6 years in seattle, then 4 years of poverty jet set... I realized the other morning, after 2 weeks of low single digit bike riding... I'm really lucky. I live in a house... it's warm in every room. The pipes don't freeze. Pretty good. Similar for most frisbee players? Life is good.
12) Still stupidly plan on putting together another men's team for the fall. College kids and transients: Wanna spend the summer in paradise? Requirements: talent, athleticism, abillity to play a simple system (completions, conditioning, and what ever the c word is for playing multiple 'd's)... Housing can be arranged... employment... well, landscaping... or something. Construction? Park and rec?
Ringers welcome.
some thoughts. so, against my better wishes, the 1st annual, summit reunion new years game is scheduled for jan 1 at 1 pm. The game's duration will be decided when we see the numbers, and the conditions. Right now, there is 1 foot of snow on the ground. There could be 1 foot, with freezing rain by then. But, i'm aware that this is one of those traditions I can get started NOW, while i'm in some semblance of abillity to start, that can continue without me after I can't do these things.
although, why I didn't start this last year, when it was 60...
oh, for you frisbee guys, if you're not going to comment on my frisbee posts, i'll assume you don't read them any more than you read my lame attempts at literary posts. therefore, luke's true bloggery continues unabated.
1) let's get a RSD moderated going. is that possible? Jim, Idris? Y'all are more saavy than me. Maybe you could simply host, and moderate a forum.
2) it's cold here.
3) tommorrow, I go to the meeting to set up our own ski league. the details are that the league head secretly (for real) gave himself a raise, and that he tried to kick out 2 of our skiers for receiving scholarships to participate in camps and races. Does anyone know the ins and outs of getting event liabillity coverage (every time i've done it, it was through the UPA).
4) got new skis. Fishcer RCS 610's. suffice to say, they are as sweet as it comes. Got them at uh... best price. Bought new boots. Top of the line... not because i'm infatuated w/ top of the line... the fact is, well, my feet could tell the difference. Has anyone out there had experience with RADICALLY different sizing for cleats/running shoes/ ski boots.? My cleats and running shoes are a 12. My ski boots are a 10.5 (w/ an expensive heat molded liner). Am I ignorantly trading comfort for performance? Or is this just an industry thing? I wear running shoes to work every day, so I only wear athletic shoes (run/ski)... What are dress shoes like?
5) Are you all aware about bovine growth hormone in your milk? Are you aware that fox news defeated a whistle blower by demonstrating to an appellate court (i think the 5th, florida) that news need not be truthful, for it is a free speech issue?
6) Watch the corporation and the control room. Great documentaries.
7) When is the next ultimate talk LIVE? Jim, I need 48 hours to make up what i think we might have would have said.
8) Training log? I don't remember when last I posted. I skied every day but friday. They groom at a local sport park (w/ lights)... Tommorrow, I ski my new gear for the first time. Presumably, with a hangover. But we'll see. 4 or 5 beers wrecks me these days. But the fact that I have to ski w/ a former national team member, who mistakenly construes me with an athlete, at best I'll be bugeyed. At worst I'll vomit. IN good news, I'm getting better at this, the most technical of disciplines (w/ apologies to swimmers -- i know that that is techy too). The issue w/ technical disciplines, which has a strong connection to frisbee: the better you get, the less excercise you get. Therefore, old OFFENSIVE players are good. They get open with less effort. They throw better. And when they turn it over, they get it back by forcing multiple throws.
9) ON driveway clearing. If you get after the snow while it's light, a push broom is ideal.
10) More thoughts about frisbee.
OK, We played a team that had a bunch of good athletes... but they ran this crazy short game three man. Lots of picks... like what jam used to be accused of. Brutally effective against high school teams (they don't call picks)... They had plays set up. All 6 cutters would run these elaborate patterns that only SORT of created picks: what is the role of a frisbee player. Do you have to decide ahead of time that the player you are covering is actually going to NOT run into the person right in front of you? How long do you have to decide? What if they jump out of the way, right as you decide the train wreck is coming? I mean, totally legal, right? The pick didn't actually occur? At the last minute, you were given the opportunity to run with your player?
11) Holiday stuff. AFter 9 years of college, 6 years in seattle, then 4 years of poverty jet set... I realized the other morning, after 2 weeks of low single digit bike riding... I'm really lucky. I live in a house... it's warm in every room. The pipes don't freeze. Pretty good. Similar for most frisbee players? Life is good.
12) Still stupidly plan on putting together another men's team for the fall. College kids and transients: Wanna spend the summer in paradise? Requirements: talent, athleticism, abillity to play a simple system (completions, conditioning, and what ever the c word is for playing multiple 'd's)... Housing can be arranged... employment... well, landscaping... or something. Construction? Park and rec?
Ringers welcome.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
tooday...
Idris. Save us all... Do you have the option to simply post a link to my NON frisbee posts... or must I continue to be called pancho by stadler, (jim) while I live on as Cervantes...
Lessee...
Saturday, my first 10 K race. It was actually a workout, and my splits were dead on... that's just excuse talk for I sucked. For although I ski all the time, nordic skiing is still new to this georgia boy.
Sunday, recovery day, 45 minute hike in my randonee gear... then one ski down. Kept my heart rate around 130... so, easy.
Monday, weights (patellar tendonitis, aching since running season was an issue) squats, hang cleans, chin ups, abs... then, a 45 minute skate ski, under the tutelage of Rich Gross, former US team member.
Tuesday, an hour skate ski... again, lots of pointers from a former olympian. That's why I ski. It's the hardest thing i've ever done... and i'm getting good pointers.
Wednesday. Oh wait. That was today.
Squats, shorter range of motion (to protect the achy knee). No problem. 3 sets of hang cleans with higher weight. Knee extensions (to work the quads, but not the joint), chin ups, bench, abs... then 1 hour of skating (there is skiing, in town, on the way home). Ran into Mike Heidenreich, another coach, who gave me great form training... and as a kinetic learnier, I'm actually incapable of learning from words... so I actually learned something, as it was using other words and another model....
In other news. Looks like Summit is splitting off from the OISRA (oregon ski something) and taking most of the teams with us. The league head apparently budgeted a pay raise in... and we are not happy.
The end.
PS. Ultimate. I agree with Idris (means sunshine, or something) that quality throwing is important. I do think, that JUST THROWING is also... very important...
In other news, my housemate / homeowner Lynn Ott, leaves tommorow to qualify for the olympic team (downhill dual slalom snowboarding).
Go Lynn.
Lessee...
Saturday, my first 10 K race. It was actually a workout, and my splits were dead on... that's just excuse talk for I sucked. For although I ski all the time, nordic skiing is still new to this georgia boy.
Sunday, recovery day, 45 minute hike in my randonee gear... then one ski down. Kept my heart rate around 130... so, easy.
Monday, weights (patellar tendonitis, aching since running season was an issue) squats, hang cleans, chin ups, abs... then, a 45 minute skate ski, under the tutelage of Rich Gross, former US team member.
Tuesday, an hour skate ski... again, lots of pointers from a former olympian. That's why I ski. It's the hardest thing i've ever done... and i'm getting good pointers.
Wednesday. Oh wait. That was today.
Squats, shorter range of motion (to protect the achy knee). No problem. 3 sets of hang cleans with higher weight. Knee extensions (to work the quads, but not the joint), chin ups, bench, abs... then 1 hour of skating (there is skiing, in town, on the way home). Ran into Mike Heidenreich, another coach, who gave me great form training... and as a kinetic learnier, I'm actually incapable of learning from words... so I actually learned something, as it was using other words and another model....
In other news. Looks like Summit is splitting off from the OISRA (oregon ski something) and taking most of the teams with us. The league head apparently budgeted a pay raise in... and we are not happy.
The end.
PS. Ultimate. I agree with Idris (means sunshine, or something) that quality throwing is important. I do think, that JUST THROWING is also... very important...
In other news, my housemate / homeowner Lynn Ott, leaves tommorow to qualify for the olympic team (downhill dual slalom snowboarding).
Go Lynn.
tidings...
most of my relatively humorous thoughts come not from within. where school is concerned, they often involve the kids.
here is some christmas humor.
I have 20 kids who come in and eat lunch in my room every day.
Every Day. Many of them are cross country runners who got run out of the math teachers room.. I don't mind the cacophany, the kids are a constant source of mirth, random thoughts, and most importantly...
food.
snacks galore.
Today, I was on my 'A' game teaching, which means I was awake, alert, and responsive. So at lunch, I set up a rochambo.
There is a box in my room. I'm not sure why. West (name) brought it in. It's about the size of a dog box. Reminded of the time, at a Chain/Ozone party in 1996 when we had a rochambo, get in the dog box and bark for 3 minutes, I established a roshambo, winner picks a victim for the cardboard box. There were 8 participants. I used this for a bye to the semis... (won)... and then we played it out. Annie Brinich won... But she felt self concious about picking a victim.
Lucky, because, sure enough, the kids on the frisbee team immediately started chanting SMITH SMITH SMITH as she walked out.
For some reason, not currently clear to me, Brandon (Brando) Roadman, entered the box. As an Aside, why is Brandon Steets nick name Brandice. Wouldn't Brando be better?
To summarize, HS kids, rock paper scissors, time in a cardboard box.
In other news of high school... I entered grades yesterday. I have the abillity to enter comments with a few key strokes.
(11) Good attitude.
(18) Participates.
(13) Leads discussion.
(25) Too talkative
(35) Class required for graduation.
There are literally dozens more. My AP government class requested comments. They also noted the comments they had received in the past.
Then the conversation degraded... to comments that were not on the list... but might be.
In bizzaro world. Comments like....
'Hot'
'Attractive'
Needless to say, we all laughed... some (me), more nervously than others....
But, I Did enter comments for all of them. For many, I used certain unusual, specific comments.
No, not 'hot' or 'attractive'.
I went with (39) 'fails to dress out for PE' and, a favorite for good kids, the combination of...
(19) Shows leadership... and
(42) Disruptive in class...
I then added in a series of 'espanol' comments, which you can do by just adding 100 to any comment...
So for the movie script... you get...
(132) Disruptivo... and
(199) Caliente
No, dork face, I did not enter Caliente.
here is some christmas humor.
I have 20 kids who come in and eat lunch in my room every day.
Every Day. Many of them are cross country runners who got run out of the math teachers room.. I don't mind the cacophany, the kids are a constant source of mirth, random thoughts, and most importantly...
food.
snacks galore.
Today, I was on my 'A' game teaching, which means I was awake, alert, and responsive. So at lunch, I set up a rochambo.
There is a box in my room. I'm not sure why. West (name) brought it in. It's about the size of a dog box. Reminded of the time, at a Chain/Ozone party in 1996 when we had a rochambo, get in the dog box and bark for 3 minutes, I established a roshambo, winner picks a victim for the cardboard box. There were 8 participants. I used this for a bye to the semis... (won)... and then we played it out. Annie Brinich won... But she felt self concious about picking a victim.
Lucky, because, sure enough, the kids on the frisbee team immediately started chanting SMITH SMITH SMITH as she walked out.
For some reason, not currently clear to me, Brandon (Brando) Roadman, entered the box. As an Aside, why is Brandon Steets nick name Brandice. Wouldn't Brando be better?
To summarize, HS kids, rock paper scissors, time in a cardboard box.
In other news of high school... I entered grades yesterday. I have the abillity to enter comments with a few key strokes.
(11) Good attitude.
(18) Participates.
(13) Leads discussion.
(25) Too talkative
(35) Class required for graduation.
There are literally dozens more. My AP government class requested comments. They also noted the comments they had received in the past.
Then the conversation degraded... to comments that were not on the list... but might be.
In bizzaro world. Comments like....
'Hot'
'Attractive'
Needless to say, we all laughed... some (me), more nervously than others....
But, I Did enter comments for all of them. For many, I used certain unusual, specific comments.
No, not 'hot' or 'attractive'.
I went with (39) 'fails to dress out for PE' and, a favorite for good kids, the combination of...
(19) Shows leadership... and
(42) Disruptive in class...
I then added in a series of 'espanol' comments, which you can do by just adding 100 to any comment...
So for the movie script... you get...
(132) Disruptivo... and
(199) Caliente
No, dork face, I did not enter Caliente.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
and another thing...... on strategery...
The Luke on Strategery (sorry Idris, I think I erased your comment. Please re-chap)
... scroll down for the continuation...
Following a day of being called Sancho Panza, Gleek, and being compared to Homer Simpson by Jim, I must post... But I'm late for practice... so here is a teaser trailer....
...Contrary to the musings of the self-described strategerists, I hold that it is a misnomer to discuss x's and o's as 'Strategy.' If you are truly interested in building an ultimate team, and establishing the best strategy, you don't start drawing up plays and calculating statistics... You start considering...
Recruiting...
Conditioning...
Focus...
Intensity...
Long term goal setting...
What wins games for Duke? Is it coach K on the sideline saying heave it to midcourt, then sink the halfcourt 3 pointer for the win? Not no but hell no. It's the focus, discipline, conditioning and belief in self that has Reddick in better condition than any Texas player and therefore able to go for 40 something... And has a team believing in his abillity, and not offended when he's putting it up...
So a team, especially a new team, that wants to be successful, needs to get the players in position, and then start conditioning... this doesn't have to mean ultimate 24 /7 , but the best teams have a season long plan, and are made up of a bunch of nerds who just generally like being fit... sure, once you get old, you can lounge for months at a time... but we'll get to that....
fitness precludes injury, builds confidence, and increases success as fatigue leads to mistakes... and then you build your team, etc...
And you have to practice... catch, throw, etc... pretty basic stuff... have we gotten to tactics yet? Not really, but it's common among better teams. They are full of tremendous nerds who are really big into frisbee. Most if not all the players have, at some critical juncture of their career, lived frisbee (travel, playing catch, staying fit) at the expense of all other past times... THIS, along w/ ability, is why they develop as individuals...
STRATEGICALLY, skills, fitness, and tournament touches are more important than tactics. Yes this is basically obvious, but how many teams, especially new ones, read too much into the offense of a elite team... and start trying to create plays, and run drills and do stuff that only a couple people on their team can do...
So again, most of what is being called strategery is tactics...
But now moving to tactics... well here are some tactical thoughts.
1) Make the defense deal with much more than you do. The most significant point of that NYTIMES article about Texas Tech (to me) was that their offense is actually really simple. They just set up in these different formations... Now granted, whether it's eurotrash/stack/ or the belgium clump, it's a safe bet alex is looking for jim... but for joe schmo team, whether or not the team you're playing knows you, you can line up Beau in a couple different places on the field... and have him run the same cut each time... but everytime you move his start position, the 'd's usual help positions are, well out of position...
yes it's more complicated... but it's a start...
2) there is no 2 for now.... more to follow.
Idris' comment... was that Reddick might suck in the NBA, since Duke guys are usually not UNC guys, when it comes to the pros... Brand is good, I don't know about Battier... we shall see...
(revised 12/14)...
Just got done skiing, day 15, lifted some weights. Thought of the day. 'It's freezing' is becoming a hated, overused trite expression. A coworker, walks in from their car, a late model car, in a down parka, drinking coffee after a 50 foot walk accross the parking lot. How you doing, I ask. 'It's freezing' they reply.
A 20 minute bikeride, in negative weather, on shitty, permafrost roads. Yes, for you fans in europe and canada, thats farenheit negative, aka, effin cold.
Today, more of a tactical thought... but still within the overall concept of simplicity as a strategy. Back to the Frisbee...
OK. You've picked three letters out of the scrabble bag at random, and you've decided to run the X, the H and the O stack. (I exaggerate, I assume you are learning the Horizontal, and the Vertical, but maybe you are more or less of an experimenter). You also know in your heart of hearts, that your offense, in key situations is going to run through the same few guys, and your transition offense is going to probably work on some basic principles (huck it or you are nobody (west coast) or tap tap tap it in (DoG)). Or maybe dog is more risk prone on D. I'd ask Jim or Alex, but I'm not sure they'd no who I'm talking about.
The D team. Drawing a blank? Those guys, at practice, who can't usually afford their own beer after? Those college kids you keep making Barrett have to talk to... You know he actually had a perfect GRE? Really. And he's 36. Yeah. Yes... the guy you keep calling young un... Still drawing a blank? The D team. Never mind.
So here's how you run the same drill for both stacks.
What really goes on in a game is this: you've got your 3 guys, and you are really just letting them react to the situation, because they are bestest and smartest, except for your '4' guy, who's just this amazing athlete you don't ACTUALLY throw to unless he's in the endzone... So instead of just drawing all these x's and o's that try to recreate experience and talent (i.e. having your non huckers chucking it wildly around frustrating the talent) set up drills, that teach success, and SLOWLY work sparky into actually winging one...
Here's an example. Before practice, show what you want to work on that day. It's one play, a one pass throw that assumes that you are the '2' throwing to the three. Show how 1 threw it to 2 on the dry erase board. Show on the dry erase board, what your next cutters two options are. Do not show the fills. Do not show 5 other zig zag lines and specific clear routes. Show the players starting positions, then show the areas they need to get the hell away from. How to do so will come later. Takes 1 minute.
Disc in hand, loose, or non existent mark your next cutter comes, from some particular point that relates to your stack... So having established the areas you want to primarily attack (i.e., Mike might do a bunch of stuff, but a lot of the time, he's using his size and speed to make you give him what he wants underneath)... then you run through it. Disc in middle of field, cutter works with a move (maybe two) and comes under or goes deep. Cutters decision should be based on who the thrower is... and their abilities...
Why even have players do drills/cuts/throws they are not going to do in the game? Well learning to cut like bill kill will not turn you into bill, but you will understand what the good players like to do, improve your game, and improve your teams game by anticipating what they do, the better to learn to clear space... That's how drills can teach field sense... And there is always a place to implement these skills, whether it's in a scrimmage (a mid/low level team can therefore be reasonably expected to have a higher practice TO%: game TO% than a high level team), or in league play (Corporate!)... or er, co-ed.
Then, next time you run said drill, you MIGHT throw one player in there to key off of, anticipate, and clear for the cutter (before moving into cutting role)...
But the Beauty is, a cut from the middle of the stack, with the option of coming in or going deep, is the same whether you line up in the middle of the of the horizontal, or the middle of a vertical. The clears are a little different. LIkewise, a cut from the far side of the field to the throwers side, is 'cross' whether it's run from a vertical or horizontal... clears or a little different... and from the same position, the deep break is the same thing, but the help positions are different, depending on your stack...
Still with me? Questions? Comments? Concerns? I'll edit this later. So sorry for, and thanks in advance (or in hindsight) for wading through this.
Oh yes, after practice, take 2 minutes to show the starting positions again (here is where the disc was, it is assumed they had just received it from an imaginary player here (which you can add, if you like), and here are the two areas we attacked. Then redraw your H stack ghosts. Show where the heck they should have gone for the under (not everyone has to have a job, so mention active engagement, or buy jim's book)... and the deep --- then THEN! AHA! Erase the H stack ghosts, and draw in the vertical stack ghosts, and showhow they should have moved (which usually involves clearing the deep, and some rudimentary stack management, and again, small movements to engage your player)...
Then, you sit around for 2 hours, talking about that shit till none of your non ultimate friends exist... Then you go to a tournament, and learn it for real... and talk about it ad nauseum... watching players do it right, etc... then you revise your tactics...
to be continued. Should I do this as a separate post?
... scroll down for the continuation...
Following a day of being called Sancho Panza, Gleek, and being compared to Homer Simpson by Jim, I must post... But I'm late for practice... so here is a teaser trailer....
...Contrary to the musings of the self-described strategerists, I hold that it is a misnomer to discuss x's and o's as 'Strategy.' If you are truly interested in building an ultimate team, and establishing the best strategy, you don't start drawing up plays and calculating statistics... You start considering...
Recruiting...
Conditioning...
Focus...
Intensity...
Long term goal setting...
What wins games for Duke? Is it coach K on the sideline saying heave it to midcourt, then sink the halfcourt 3 pointer for the win? Not no but hell no. It's the focus, discipline, conditioning and belief in self that has Reddick in better condition than any Texas player and therefore able to go for 40 something... And has a team believing in his abillity, and not offended when he's putting it up...
So a team, especially a new team, that wants to be successful, needs to get the players in position, and then start conditioning... this doesn't have to mean ultimate 24 /7 , but the best teams have a season long plan, and are made up of a bunch of nerds who just generally like being fit... sure, once you get old, you can lounge for months at a time... but we'll get to that....
fitness precludes injury, builds confidence, and increases success as fatigue leads to mistakes... and then you build your team, etc...
And you have to practice... catch, throw, etc... pretty basic stuff... have we gotten to tactics yet? Not really, but it's common among better teams. They are full of tremendous nerds who are really big into frisbee. Most if not all the players have, at some critical juncture of their career, lived frisbee (travel, playing catch, staying fit) at the expense of all other past times... THIS, along w/ ability, is why they develop as individuals...
STRATEGICALLY, skills, fitness, and tournament touches are more important than tactics. Yes this is basically obvious, but how many teams, especially new ones, read too much into the offense of a elite team... and start trying to create plays, and run drills and do stuff that only a couple people on their team can do...
So again, most of what is being called strategery is tactics...
But now moving to tactics... well here are some tactical thoughts.
1) Make the defense deal with much more than you do. The most significant point of that NYTIMES article about Texas Tech (to me) was that their offense is actually really simple. They just set up in these different formations... Now granted, whether it's eurotrash/stack/ or the belgium clump, it's a safe bet alex is looking for jim... but for joe schmo team, whether or not the team you're playing knows you, you can line up Beau in a couple different places on the field... and have him run the same cut each time... but everytime you move his start position, the 'd's usual help positions are, well out of position...
yes it's more complicated... but it's a start...
2) there is no 2 for now.... more to follow.
Idris' comment... was that Reddick might suck in the NBA, since Duke guys are usually not UNC guys, when it comes to the pros... Brand is good, I don't know about Battier... we shall see...
(revised 12/14)...
Just got done skiing, day 15, lifted some weights. Thought of the day. 'It's freezing' is becoming a hated, overused trite expression. A coworker, walks in from their car, a late model car, in a down parka, drinking coffee after a 50 foot walk accross the parking lot. How you doing, I ask. 'It's freezing' they reply.
A 20 minute bikeride, in negative weather, on shitty, permafrost roads. Yes, for you fans in europe and canada, thats farenheit negative, aka, effin cold.
Today, more of a tactical thought... but still within the overall concept of simplicity as a strategy. Back to the Frisbee...
OK. You've picked three letters out of the scrabble bag at random, and you've decided to run the X, the H and the O stack. (I exaggerate, I assume you are learning the Horizontal, and the Vertical, but maybe you are more or less of an experimenter). You also know in your heart of hearts, that your offense, in key situations is going to run through the same few guys, and your transition offense is going to probably work on some basic principles (huck it or you are nobody (west coast) or tap tap tap it in (DoG)). Or maybe dog is more risk prone on D. I'd ask Jim or Alex, but I'm not sure they'd no who I'm talking about.
The D team. Drawing a blank? Those guys, at practice, who can't usually afford their own beer after? Those college kids you keep making Barrett have to talk to... You know he actually had a perfect GRE? Really. And he's 36. Yeah. Yes... the guy you keep calling young un... Still drawing a blank? The D team. Never mind.
So here's how you run the same drill for both stacks.
What really goes on in a game is this: you've got your 3 guys, and you are really just letting them react to the situation, because they are bestest and smartest, except for your '4' guy, who's just this amazing athlete you don't ACTUALLY throw to unless he's in the endzone... So instead of just drawing all these x's and o's that try to recreate experience and talent (i.e. having your non huckers chucking it wildly around frustrating the talent) set up drills, that teach success, and SLOWLY work sparky into actually winging one...
Here's an example. Before practice, show what you want to work on that day. It's one play, a one pass throw that assumes that you are the '2' throwing to the three. Show how 1 threw it to 2 on the dry erase board. Show on the dry erase board, what your next cutters two options are. Do not show the fills. Do not show 5 other zig zag lines and specific clear routes. Show the players starting positions, then show the areas they need to get the hell away from. How to do so will come later. Takes 1 minute.
Disc in hand, loose, or non existent mark your next cutter comes, from some particular point that relates to your stack... So having established the areas you want to primarily attack (i.e., Mike might do a bunch of stuff, but a lot of the time, he's using his size and speed to make you give him what he wants underneath)... then you run through it. Disc in middle of field, cutter works with a move (maybe two) and comes under or goes deep. Cutters decision should be based on who the thrower is... and their abilities...
Why even have players do drills/cuts/throws they are not going to do in the game? Well learning to cut like bill kill will not turn you into bill, but you will understand what the good players like to do, improve your game, and improve your teams game by anticipating what they do, the better to learn to clear space... That's how drills can teach field sense... And there is always a place to implement these skills, whether it's in a scrimmage (a mid/low level team can therefore be reasonably expected to have a higher practice TO%: game TO% than a high level team), or in league play (Corporate!)... or er, co-ed.
Then, next time you run said drill, you MIGHT throw one player in there to key off of, anticipate, and clear for the cutter (before moving into cutting role)...
But the Beauty is, a cut from the middle of the stack, with the option of coming in or going deep, is the same whether you line up in the middle of the of the horizontal, or the middle of a vertical. The clears are a little different. LIkewise, a cut from the far side of the field to the throwers side, is 'cross' whether it's run from a vertical or horizontal... clears or a little different... and from the same position, the deep break is the same thing, but the help positions are different, depending on your stack...
Still with me? Questions? Comments? Concerns? I'll edit this later. So sorry for, and thanks in advance (or in hindsight) for wading through this.
Oh yes, after practice, take 2 minutes to show the starting positions again (here is where the disc was, it is assumed they had just received it from an imaginary player here (which you can add, if you like), and here are the two areas we attacked. Then redraw your H stack ghosts. Show where the heck they should have gone for the under (not everyone has to have a job, so mention active engagement, or buy jim's book)... and the deep --- then THEN! AHA! Erase the H stack ghosts, and draw in the vertical stack ghosts, and showhow they should have moved (which usually involves clearing the deep, and some rudimentary stack management, and again, small movements to engage your player)...
Then, you sit around for 2 hours, talking about that shit till none of your non ultimate friends exist... Then you go to a tournament, and learn it for real... and talk about it ad nauseum... watching players do it right, etc... then you revise your tactics...
to be continued. Should I do this as a separate post?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Did you know that...
...if you play the podcast, and the wizard of oz....
First, right when the lion roars... start this commentary...
Corey is unconvinced anyone will listen to the commentary... he also thinks all boston players are hacks... especially, Paul Greff, aka, TGPITGBF (the greatest player in the game, by far)... Luke Mumbles in there about Courtney (Corey's real name is Courtney. Before Idris learned to operate the microphones, there was some witty banter)...
Luke "Rsd died when Gerics left" (Do I need to tell you what/who RSD and Mike Gerics is/are?)
Corey thinks Gerics and Garrett Dyer are the Same... Garrett Dyer is another NC or state Guy. I think he's an NC state GUy...
Jim brings up mixed Gender...
Luke on the Hernia...
Corey wants entertainment...
Luke = no hernia...
Idris brings up blogs...
Jim discusses. He is, infact pro blog. Just b/c his is worth 12000 dollars. As estimated by some website I believe he holds stock in...
Idris discusses the golden years of blogging, when it was just him, and the etch-a-sketch...
Luke: First Frank (Billy Berrou Referencs). Banter insues. Frank would be a good guest. He often has some interesting things to say, albeit... stridently...
Ahh yes... car wreck and train wreck...
Corey enters into discussion of Condor's collapse... and Jim with the Zinger...
Somewhere in here, 20 minutes of Condor's collapse is discussed... and Deleted by Idris...
Discussion of East Coast players I'm supposed to know...
And Jim talks of the golden days of no Stalling. I'm pretty clear that you can hear his rocking chair creaking in the back ground... In fact there was no stalling in the good old days. Then a 15 second stall count. Which, if I understand Jim correctly, was seldom enforced, except, I assume, by elitist assholes...
Luke threatens to link to DiscHoop(TM)... and he delivers...
Ultimate Talk is worldwide... clever references to spam, and an early post in which Idris' name, that means sunshine, or something, ellicited many emails from the middle east...
Luke Jabs at Zaz for bailing after a loss at regionalss... Eric Zaslow co wrote the book with Jim...
Luke does not infact ski moguls or tricks, AND
...that brings us to a little Co-Ed bashing... Corey goes on record as the first basher of Co-ed... Jim points out that Corey is now a beach co-edder...
The Tea Party likes to talk about corporate league, and Idris takes a jab at them...
And then we all pile on Alex...
Luke notes that Dan Cogan has these video teaching sites... using film in a multiple frames to teach ultimate... I couldn't open it...
Eric Zazlow, former national champ, is credited with a gratuitous layout bid in his book, co-written by Jim...
Billy Layden, Double, EPig... legend, and brief blogger...
Shit. I owe Ben Wiggins a T-Shirt. You pay shipping...
Threats of special guests...
First, right when the lion roars... start this commentary...
Corey is unconvinced anyone will listen to the commentary... he also thinks all boston players are hacks... especially, Paul Greff, aka, TGPITGBF (the greatest player in the game, by far)... Luke Mumbles in there about Courtney (Corey's real name is Courtney. Before Idris learned to operate the microphones, there was some witty banter)...
Luke "Rsd died when Gerics left" (Do I need to tell you what/who RSD and Mike Gerics is/are?)
Corey thinks Gerics and Garrett Dyer are the Same... Garrett Dyer is another NC or state Guy. I think he's an NC state GUy...
Jim brings up mixed Gender...
Luke on the Hernia...
Corey wants entertainment...
Luke = no hernia...
Idris brings up blogs...
Jim discusses. He is, infact pro blog. Just b/c his is worth 12000 dollars. As estimated by some website I believe he holds stock in...
Idris discusses the golden years of blogging, when it was just him, and the etch-a-sketch...
Luke: First Frank (Billy Berrou Referencs). Banter insues. Frank would be a good guest. He often has some interesting things to say, albeit... stridently...
Ahh yes... car wreck and train wreck...
Corey enters into discussion of Condor's collapse... and Jim with the Zinger...
Somewhere in here, 20 minutes of Condor's collapse is discussed... and Deleted by Idris...
Discussion of East Coast players I'm supposed to know...
And Jim talks of the golden days of no Stalling. I'm pretty clear that you can hear his rocking chair creaking in the back ground... In fact there was no stalling in the good old days. Then a 15 second stall count. Which, if I understand Jim correctly, was seldom enforced, except, I assume, by elitist assholes...
Luke threatens to link to DiscHoop(TM)... and he delivers...
Ultimate Talk is worldwide... clever references to spam, and an early post in which Idris' name, that means sunshine, or something, ellicited many emails from the middle east...
Luke Jabs at Zaz for bailing after a loss at regionalss... Eric Zaslow co wrote the book with Jim...
Luke does not infact ski moguls or tricks, AND
...that brings us to a little Co-Ed bashing... Corey goes on record as the first basher of Co-ed... Jim points out that Corey is now a beach co-edder...
The Tea Party likes to talk about corporate league, and Idris takes a jab at them...
And then we all pile on Alex...
Luke notes that Dan Cogan has these video teaching sites... using film in a multiple frames to teach ultimate... I couldn't open it...
Eric Zazlow, former national champ, is credited with a gratuitous layout bid in his book, co-written by Jim...
Billy Layden, Double, EPig... legend, and brief blogger...
Shit. I owe Ben Wiggins a T-Shirt. You pay shipping...
Threats of special guests...
Friday, December 09, 2005
podcast
well the reviews are hardly pouring in... but the first podcast was fun to do at least.
some thoughts. the cordless phone gives by far the lowest quality... either that, or Corey is just... loud...
a little structure would be good... maybe a round table format...
the main thing, is it just needs some editing...
some thoughts. the cordless phone gives by far the lowest quality... either that, or Corey is just... loud...
a little structure would be good... maybe a round table format...
the main thing, is it just needs some editing...
Thursday, December 08, 2005
thurs
just got off the conference call with the cognoscenti of ultimate... i will link to the new podcasts of frisbee asap.
sick today, so took my first sick day in 2 years. the fact that the roads were covered in a slick layer of snow and ice made the decision easier. that is, yes, if the roads had been good, i'd have gone to work, alternatively, if my ethical/moral standards were lower and i was feeling better, i'd of skied.
because the conditions were marvelous...
so, this year, 14 ski days (4 of those days were daily doubles of nordic skiing, but i can't bring myself to call it 18 ski days).
daily ride 7 miles (more if i take the longer, safer route due to snow conditions)
weights 1/2 times per week.
frisbee, none for a week... crazy. i'm going to start having skills and drills in the gym on sunday evening (only time available) for the high school team, and of course, because i like to throw.
the purchase of my new skis has served in an anti - car wash makes it rain capacity. no new snow fall for the forseable future... so i'll concentrate on the cross country...
weights: i'm adding olympic style lifting under the tutelage of the summit track asst (who has a history of high level coaching) which has amazing reported benefits in explosion... we shall see... i'm hesitant to do plyos right now (especially with strength shoes) because i'm still dealing with occasion tendon issues from my late model speed tds (still looking for nice low cleats -- speak up!)
so for the past couple weeks...
sun -- frisbee (40 min bike)
mon -- 40 min run, weights (40min bike)
tues -- skate (20 min bike)
wed -- skate (20 min bike)
thurs -- snow day (tele'd) (3 mile walk)
friday -- rest (40 min bike)
saturday -- 10 k skate
sunday -- 4 hours tele skiing
monday -- 10 min bike/squats/chinups/ (20 minute bike commute)
tuesday -- skate (50 minute bike commute)
wednesday -- 5 minute bike/squats/chins/bench/abs/hang cleans (20 min commute)
thurs rest
sorry for redundancy... coming up... hmm... did i ever tell you about the time, at worlds, where i found the secret door, and was for a brief time the king of scotland?
ps: why do i train? at 36 am i just sensing mortality, spitting into the wind? it's not like i still play for a touring team (exclusive of the fighting otters...) oh well...
sick today, so took my first sick day in 2 years. the fact that the roads were covered in a slick layer of snow and ice made the decision easier. that is, yes, if the roads had been good, i'd have gone to work, alternatively, if my ethical/moral standards were lower and i was feeling better, i'd of skied.
because the conditions were marvelous...
so, this year, 14 ski days (4 of those days were daily doubles of nordic skiing, but i can't bring myself to call it 18 ski days).
daily ride 7 miles (more if i take the longer, safer route due to snow conditions)
weights 1/2 times per week.
frisbee, none for a week... crazy. i'm going to start having skills and drills in the gym on sunday evening (only time available) for the high school team, and of course, because i like to throw.
the purchase of my new skis has served in an anti - car wash makes it rain capacity. no new snow fall for the forseable future... so i'll concentrate on the cross country...
weights: i'm adding olympic style lifting under the tutelage of the summit track asst (who has a history of high level coaching) which has amazing reported benefits in explosion... we shall see... i'm hesitant to do plyos right now (especially with strength shoes) because i'm still dealing with occasion tendon issues from my late model speed tds (still looking for nice low cleats -- speak up!)
so for the past couple weeks...
sun -- frisbee (40 min bike)
mon -- 40 min run, weights (40min bike)
tues -- skate (20 min bike)
wed -- skate (20 min bike)
thurs -- snow day (tele'd) (3 mile walk)
friday -- rest (40 min bike)
saturday -- 10 k skate
sunday -- 4 hours tele skiing
monday -- 10 min bike/squats/chinups/ (20 minute bike commute)
tuesday -- skate (50 minute bike commute)
wednesday -- 5 minute bike/squats/chins/bench/abs/hang cleans (20 min commute)
thurs rest
sorry for redundancy... coming up... hmm... did i ever tell you about the time, at worlds, where i found the secret door, and was for a brief time the king of scotland?
ps: why do i train? at 36 am i just sensing mortality, spitting into the wind? it's not like i still play for a touring team (exclusive of the fighting otters...) oh well...
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
it all just runs together.
Last sunday, played a little short field 3 on 3, mostly kids, couple adults... 45, sunny... then the bottom dropped out. Heavy snowfall has made skiing a joy, and biking to work... well, i'm graying and balding, in one week.
Last week, lifted on monday (squats, chinups, abs), skied, tues, wed, thurs (skate, skate, skate) and then skied saturday (skate). See the pattern?
Sunday, an absolutely gorgeous day, still air, 8 degrees. Perfect. So instead of skinning up (back country touring faq here), I elected to ride the chairlifts instead. Just... amazing. But my sore knees made me realize I needed new skis. So, last night, I bought new skis. Atomic TMX's. Yippee. No bindings yet...
And speaking of 8 degrees, amazing how 8 degrees for skiing, perfect, 8 degrees, biking to work with skis on your back, as drivers challenge you for road space, with some kind of magical amalgam of snow/grease/chemicals turning the road into a combination of bumps that are somehow slick...
Today, we'll skate (i'm not really sure why we've not been classic skiing, but I don't really care), probably do drills for 20 minutes, then a nice easy ski... for those who like numbers... i'm finally getting my technique down enough to skate skiuphills and keep my heartrange towards the easy aerobic range and out of the garbage range. (The garbage range is 70-80%) of your max, which does nothing more for you than 60-70%, and requires more recovery...
Frisbee talk... er... treasurer. Worst job in ultimate. Period.
Ok, seriously? Uh, shoot man, like, I'll get back to you. Uh, more? Why aren't there more frisbee players in central oregon?
More? OK, it's all about the GOOD HONEST HARD MARK, (GHHM), not cheating. Finally, what is it about DoG that turned Moses' hair gray at 17 years of age?
Last week, lifted on monday (squats, chinups, abs), skied, tues, wed, thurs (skate, skate, skate) and then skied saturday (skate). See the pattern?
Sunday, an absolutely gorgeous day, still air, 8 degrees. Perfect. So instead of skinning up (back country touring faq here), I elected to ride the chairlifts instead. Just... amazing. But my sore knees made me realize I needed new skis. So, last night, I bought new skis. Atomic TMX's. Yippee. No bindings yet...
And speaking of 8 degrees, amazing how 8 degrees for skiing, perfect, 8 degrees, biking to work with skis on your back, as drivers challenge you for road space, with some kind of magical amalgam of snow/grease/chemicals turning the road into a combination of bumps that are somehow slick...
Today, we'll skate (i'm not really sure why we've not been classic skiing, but I don't really care), probably do drills for 20 minutes, then a nice easy ski... for those who like numbers... i'm finally getting my technique down enough to skate skiuphills and keep my heartrange towards the easy aerobic range and out of the garbage range. (The garbage range is 70-80%) of your max, which does nothing more for you than 60-70%, and requires more recovery...
Frisbee talk... er... treasurer. Worst job in ultimate. Period.
Ok, seriously? Uh, shoot man, like, I'll get back to you. Uh, more? Why aren't there more frisbee players in central oregon?
More? OK, it's all about the GOOD HONEST HARD MARK, (GHHM), not cheating. Finally, what is it about DoG that turned Moses' hair gray at 17 years of age?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)