woh

Nice work with the camera

Still comps. I am going to Stanford (Ripon) though, Mom, Hannah will be there. I don't think anybody has failed comps (ever), so I would have to do a really poor job, right?

Good for a laugh:

Hodags at Vegas

Brilliant editing work.

HamDommered

Dome

trying to fill a crack in the dome

Captains

Kanner and Mammel

Dome practice last night, followed by some late night crack house antics. Jerome is not playing because of his shoulder, so he took some really avant-garde photos.

Stanford!!!...err Ripon!!!!!

YOUR TEAM’S SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS ::

Sat Rd 1 - BYE

Rd 2 - Arizona

Rd 3 - Las Positas

Rd 4 - Washington

Rd 5 - Wisconsin

Sun Rd 1 - BYE

Rd 2 - Washington University

Rd 3 - Georgia

comps

Ken Yeang's Bioclimactic skyscraper

Work all day, work all night. Boones night was a success. Kanner and I have a Score Ratio of .76, meaning that we score 76% of the time we are on the field together. The offensive handlers (Kinsey, Rob, myself) have a SR of .80, not bad, could be better

Handler Defense

Back of the '09 reds

Comps-ing all day and all night. Interesting developments in our Vegas statistics, will share overarching themes once I (evange too) figure it all out. Some thoughts about handler defense:

• Priority: do not get beat upline

With that as the bedrock of good handler defense, these follow:

• Take away the swing

Since I'm stopping the upline, I'm giving up the dump. But "giving up" has to be qualified. I need to be in a position where:

• I am able to contest a bad dump throw (high release, off target, etc).
  

Assuming they look dump after '4' in the stall count i can expect my marking teammate to shift and make the dump more difficult so that the throw is at least at a 45 degree angle backfield if not steeper.

• I see the dump in progress and (if I don't have a play on the disc) alter my course to stop the swing.

My first move is to cut off the around swing (Forehand force: I stop the backhand). My second move is top stop the inside swing. This is accomplished by me 'aeroplaning' in on the mark. I start further (up to 10 feet) away stopping the around swing and then 'aeroplane' in to stop the inside swing and at about stall 2-3 I am now in a normal marking position

Common Mistakes:

• Playing too close to your man. As a handler, I find it easy to beat my man just by faking if he is right up on me. if he chooses to bump me, I am able to put him on his heels and have my way.

• Playing too close to thrower (who will throw to my man). Often, I see a defender who is close enough on the upline cut, but his momentum is going up the field and a layout does nothing. If you can position yourself in such a way that you stop the upline cut by moving more horizontally, you have a better play on the upline throw because your movement is advantageous to a layout. So, position yourself the 'correct' horizontal distance from the thrower.

When things breakdown, I just want to give my teammates more time to adjust to the new placement on the field. In my mind I think "slow them down", I do whatever I can to slow down disc movement. I want the swing (I let off) to be angled backfield, or to airbounce, be off target, etc.

playing defense alone is never successful. You must communicate with teammates (especially in handler defense). I am constantly chattering to mark if I am on the immediate handler.

Jerzez

Back of the '09 white

Finished the designs for this year. Don't want to ruin the surprise though.

Houston Rockets

Mammel and Jerome pointed me towards this article in the NYTimes Magazine. An interesting piece on basketball statistics and some of the cutting edge ideas being implemented.

I remind myself of Shane Battier, mostly just his athletic ability (not his being an invaluable asset to the team, especially on defense) which is way above mine, but relative to the sports we play, I think we fall roughly into the same demographic.

Chris Puke

All over the page. Thanks to Tish Fagin for the pictures, check out more from our season here.

Friday

First time this has EVER happened

Favorite of the weekend. Kanner was in but called out by the shitty observer pictured. Jerome is muddy as hell.

Incomplete, but it looks nice huh?

CUT does Vegas 2009

haha

Thanks to DadBob (Sambob/Pbobs dad) for the sweet pics

Dome

Back to our winter numbers. Logan and Christian back to the east coast, Adam back to San Diego. Jerome, Adrian, Luke injured. 7 vs 7 at the dome.

Why Florida is Ruining Ultimate

Before people start touting Florida as the 2009 champions and back their claims up with Florida's results the last 3 years, please take a moment to think.

As a player: Florida is my least favorite team to play, in the history of my frisbee experience. I will also say that Wisconsin is my favorite team to play (and I have only beat them twice). When you play Florida you prepare yourself for defunct, frankensteinish hybrid of Ultimate Frisbee. You prepare yourself for the obnoxiously high amount of calls (partially your fault), you prepare to be frustrated at the pace of the game, you prepare yourself to play a frisbee game you have never played before. You know that maybe only 7 UF players will touch the disc all game, and maybe only 3 on offense. You know that athletic 6-whateverers will snag that bailout huck on stall 8 maybe 8 times. You know that 50 percent of Florida would rather be playing for UCF. I get little satisfaction beating Florida (3-3 lifetime). You know you won't run hard for an entire point, you know that you will either score easily or become bogged down in the stoppages. Flow does not exist for Florida or their oppenents.

As a spectator: Florida is my least favorite team to watch. The worst game of mens ultimate I've ever seen - 2008 college finals. People say frisbee is a players sport, I disagree, but watching Florida play, I see where they are coming from. There is no excitment in watching 3 UF players throw "the dad" backhand, back and forth for 5 yards until the downfield defense is lulled into sleep and a huck goes up (Usually a good throw so not even an exciting catch). Nobody on Florida makes spectacular plays, unless you are a diehard 500 fan. 1 of their players simply jogs from the handler set, stands in the endzone, and calls for it, standing for as long as it takes. And don't get me started on the way certain UF players conduct themselves in the public eye (RSD).

If I were a highschool kid introduced to Ultimate at a Florida game, I would never - ever - want to play frisbee. There is no sense of team, no sense of commraderie, no fun, no sportsmanship. People will say, "Well, Florida wins so quit your whinning", but I will continue to protest. Florida is ruining the sport I love.

Vegas

Pigeon in the airport

Fun weekend. It was awesome to see the AK crowd. Spent three days straight with Hannah (2nd time in 6 months), Bill really made things happen Sunday night, I hope Cale made his flight Monday.

We went undefeated Friday and Saturday:

• Win against WWU 13-5
• Win against Stanford 8-5
• Win against Colorado 7-5
• Win against Tufts
• Win against UBC 13-11
  
• Win against Florida 11-9

Then Sunday came around

• Win against UCSanta Cruz 13-5
• Win against Pittsburgh 15-6

LOSE to COLORADO 9-10

Vegas, a farewell

2006 - Vegas Virgins

2008 - NYNY

Joe Kershner - Callahan 2008

CUT 2008 - HardRock

2008 - Shotgunning on the strip

Hannah and Adog - 2008

Jerome and injured Mammel - 2007

2008 - Bellagio


2006 - Vegas romance

Caesar's Palace - 2008

This will be my 4th and final year at college vegas. Some great memories surround this tournament.

• 2006 - Finals, of my first college tournament, though we got crushed by Florida, eventually champions
• 2007 - Did not fair so well, ended up like 19th losing to UBC in our last game 6-4
• 2008 - Semis loss to Madison, our 2nd of the tournament
• 2009 - ?????
  

I'll make sure to go out with a bang (looking at you - Bill, Cale, Hannah). On the same note, I don't think I have EVER seen a police officer in vegas... weird. If our house has the internet I will post daily updates, nothing too serious til I get back though.

MOre Flavor

An interesting post on Cultimate about statistics in frisbee. My thoughts:

I've always struggled with ultimate statistics. You have your obvious stats: Assists, Goals, Turns, D's, Points played. But, like you say, so much of ultimate is unquantifiable.

On D, my man never touches the disc, but I don't get a D, this shows up nowhere. The assist to the assist, I throw the swing that sets up the open breakside goal.

Stats I think could really tell something: Touches on offense, Second assists (hockey), Touches against you on D, Pulling percentages (In, distance, Hangtime). Avg stall count per team/player. Time to score. Any other ideas?

Ultimate is comparably a young sport. Baseball, one of the oldest, with the most statistically data, has had time to evolve. I think one day, Frisbee will put a greater emphasis on statistics. But, like soccer, so much of what 'good frisbee' is, will not appear on the stat sheet.

Vegas schedule has probably changed. Stupid Cultimate, you think they would try to keep us updated.

Sandy, don't post obscene comments.

Sippingonsumsyzurp

Flavor Tripping

Buckling down, trying to get some work done before this weekend. Flavor tripping, experience. A protein in the Miracle Fruit, from North Africa, alters your 'sour' taste buds and turns them sweet. My best explanation. Read the NYtimes article for more. Disclaimer: Miracle Fruit may make it easier to throwback strongislandicedteas.

We tried:

• Lemons
• Grapefruit
• Tomatoes
• Pita bread
• Cheese
• Beer/lemon (Milwaukee Special Reserve Ice)
  
• Water/lemon *amazing*

Last shots from Florence

So long ago

I feel exhausted. Workouts have been grueling, Weekends relentless. Hopefully I get my legs before Friday. If I/we play poorly we'll have something to work for, if we play well, We'll know we can play better. Either way


Thanks Tasha

so 25 things huh...

• One time I ate a tube of bubblegum toothpaste and opened all the xmas presents early
• I like cream in my coffee, but I never add it
• If I could choose another profession I would pick hacker.
• People not on CUT have asked to be added to the email list. I dont
• I think it would be cool to have the same skills, but be on a women's frizbee team
• People really like technology, but we can't get over the essence of hand made
  
• Ceilings are ugly, hung ceilings not so much
• I own 12 green sweaters/pullovers/hoodies/etc. and no Red/Blue ones (just realized this)
• My hip flexors cramp when I bench press
• I first kissed a girl 4th grade playing truth or dare at indoor recces
• In 5th grade my teacher wouldn't let me hang out with girls anymore
• I ate 10 pieces of dog food for $10 once. I was going to a movie and didn't have money

That's 12