"I know, let's cheer 'Purple Nurple' on three!"
A. Mercier - Prior to first game of purple's undefeated run.
Although I didn't write down the scores, I thought I'd provide a brief recap of my memories of the holiday mixed tourny for your enjoyment. Obviously my purple team won (duh!). Afterall, it'd be impossible for us not to win when we were wearing purple.
Purple vs. White
We got off to a quick start in this game (5-0ish), and white was never able to come back. At best, they traded points with us for a while at the end. Strangely, even though I kinda feared white (mainly Bryce and Matt from Open), this was probably my best game. I got a couple of assists and a goal. My guess is that the final score was about 13-8.
Purple vs. Yellow
Yellow was a bit of an easier game, since they weren't stacked with Open players. I'd guess the final score was about 12-5. I remember Derek on Yellow made this ridiculous layout bid for a hammer when the game was out of reach. Also in this game, I made my own layout for a point on a misthrown backhand by Anne. This was also the first game I got skyed by an Open player in (final sky count: Open players 3, Nurple 0).
Purple vs. Black
Black had lots of Open players, which made for some fun match-ups. I got a nice high D during this game, but also got stalled down by Sharpe when he chose to mark me. This was probably the game when captain Colin started yelling me for not cutting in quick enough to open things up for our ladies (this was basically our strategy for the tournament - send the Stella ladies and Phil (Open) deep constantly).
Purple vs. Blue
Blue was a tough team since they had World Champ Jeff Sward and one of my personal Ottawa ulty heroes, John Haig. High-light of the game for me was definitely scoring while Haig was marking me. Granted, he wasn't putting in a tonne of effort at the time, but, still, I scored on one of the best players in Ottawa. We ran away with this game....14-5ish.
Purple vs. Red
We came back to tie Red after last point was called, and then won on universe 13-12. Red had a bunch of Open players, and PMo....who I'm admittedly not a fan of. The reason Red kept it close was that they had some great women (Deb, Love, Nat), BUT...our women were simply better. Plus, Colin played all game....for better or worse. My best chance for a sky was my only miss of the day. A Red Open player got a peice of a high huck from Colin, and my legs just didn't allow me to get up and get as much hand as I should on the throw
Lessons Learned
1. Open is definitely not for me. I'm amazed at their speed and aggressiveness, and give them huge props.
2. Sometimes, it's more fun to play, than to win. Although Colin seemed like a nice guy when talking to him one-on-one, he came off a bit...different on the pitch.
3. Quality women will always be the difference in mixed. We had some RIDICULOUS women on our team (Anne, Alex, and Sam).
4. Open guys mark overly aggressive...and I have to call that. There were multiple times last night I should have called disc space, and didn't.
5. I really need to get sports hernia surgery. I was in all kinds of pain after the 5 games in 4 hours last night.
Once upon a time, I wrote an entry about how during pick-up, comp players threw to comp players, intermediate players threw to intermediate players, and league players just picked up the scraps....yea...that still happens. Within the 'comp players' category, I can further break that down and say 'Open players throw to Open players, Stella players throw to Stella players, and Mixed players throw to Mixed players'. Honestly, I felt bad for the two non-comp. players on our team (who got yelled at), since I wasn't seeing the disc a bunch, I can only imagine that they weren't happy with the amount of touches (and PT in general). What was supposed to be a fun holiday tournament, just wasn't.
Have a safe and happy new year. Until next time (in 2009), happy hucking!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Week 5 Recap
"We (Threezerburn) just need one good handler to be a contender."
Steve ChowareyouonlySTILLa4inLeagueWonder - After losing to the Hammers
"I'll sit this one off since I'm still a bit oozy."
PN55 - After D-ing a disc with his face.
The last week of winter ulty before the holiday break was an eventful one. For some, it was the last chance to impress a Wednesday night coordinator in order to seal their fate the rest of the winter, for others (like yours truly), it was an opportunity to try Frisbees as an appetizer. On with the recap.
- With the F*&#ing bus strike still in full effect, the four Fish were unable to reunite for our typical workout early this week. With combined team records of 1(my team) win, 2 losses, and a tie, maybe not performing the torturous KJ routine impeded ulty performance?
- Wednesday's game against Steve and Threezerburn was quite enjoyable. While others were worried about impressing the Almighty Mahatma, I focused on shutting down Steve on D. Even though I wasn't totally successful, I'd like to think my defensive effort was somewhat helfpul in my team's 22-14 win.
- High-light of the game...ok, I'm going to pick three awesome events that had very little to do with me.
1. Unmarkable Hardenup had 2 Callahans in the same half!
2. Gym Rockin' Robinson made this ridiculous layout grab that earned him a pint from yours truly.
3. Rigid pulling off his cleat after the game and revealing his "lucky quarter" to me.
- Low-light of the game: Two throw-aways on hucks down the line. Apparently I've been over-feeding my pythons ;-)
- #25 and I talked eachother into attending Michelle's last fitness class of the year on Thursday. Although I was exhausted at the end of the hour, it felt great to finish the 3 circuits.
- Received the World Ulty Championships DVD I had ordered from Ultivillage on Friday night. Watched the Open championship game (yay Canada!) before my game later that night.
- Pre-game, exchanged Christmas gifts with #24 and #25. I'm now the proud owner of a 'Purple' purple t-shirt, and a PN55 embroidered hankerchief!
- Despite picking up a super-sub recently returned from Aussieland, Finishing Move couldn't overcome the top team in the league on Friday. In fact, it was our biggest defeat of the season in terms of point spread.
- If I had to pick a personal high-light, I'd go with an unsuccesful bid I made in hopes of catching a point later in the game. Even though I didn't come up with the disc, there was no "do you really want to lay-out on turf?" questioning going on inside my head...it was automatic :)
- Low-lights were numerous. D'ing a disc with my face on the first point of the game tore up my mouth which made it tough to get liquids down the rest of the night. Getting burnt on D repeatedly by Mike Howinthehellareyoua3inLeagueWonder from the Open program hurt the old ego. Not getting to huck one deep to the supersub was a tad disappointing. But....the lowest-low-light was: Losing it and tossing my hat late in the game.
- I remember three previous hat tosses that correspond to my worst two league games last summer, and my worst tournament game with Fish (vs. Practice). All these are excusable, since I have no leadership role to play on those teams. Seeing as how Fridays are my first captaining experiences, I can't be showing my team how frusterated I am with my own level of play. I might have to pin my hat on my head for the remainder of the season.
- Saturday was better as the Fish three got together for our last workout before the holildays. Mr. Two Pointer and Triple S came back to watch the Open championships at my place afterwards. On a sidenote, apparently my tv is too small and I have too many toothbrushes?
After having a couple of informal discussions with various ultmate peeps in the know, I think I'm going to be shuffled from my Wednesday team. Playing for a weaker team might be better for my development. As for Fridays, the schedule for our next three games all look winnable to me. I'll have to smarten up in terms of not letting my frusterations shine through on Friday nights though.
I'm definitely looking forward to the holiday break from ultimate. I'll probably be in town next weekend and might write a little recap of the holiday hat tournament. Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday, and a wonderful 2009. Until next time, happy (holiday) hucking!
Steve ChowareyouonlySTILLa4inLeagueWonder - After losing to the Hammers
"I'll sit this one off since I'm still a bit oozy."
PN55 - After D-ing a disc with his face.
The last week of winter ulty before the holiday break was an eventful one. For some, it was the last chance to impress a Wednesday night coordinator in order to seal their fate the rest of the winter, for others (like yours truly), it was an opportunity to try Frisbees as an appetizer. On with the recap.
- With the F*&#ing bus strike still in full effect, the four Fish were unable to reunite for our typical workout early this week. With combined team records of 1(my team) win, 2 losses, and a tie, maybe not performing the torturous KJ routine impeded ulty performance?
- Wednesday's game against Steve and Threezerburn was quite enjoyable. While others were worried about impressing the Almighty Mahatma, I focused on shutting down Steve on D. Even though I wasn't totally successful, I'd like to think my defensive effort was somewhat helfpul in my team's 22-14 win.
- High-light of the game...ok, I'm going to pick three awesome events that had very little to do with me.
1. Unmarkable Hardenup had 2 Callahans in the same half!
2. Gym Rockin' Robinson made this ridiculous layout grab that earned him a pint from yours truly.
3. Rigid pulling off his cleat after the game and revealing his "lucky quarter" to me.
- Low-light of the game: Two throw-aways on hucks down the line. Apparently I've been over-feeding my pythons ;-)
- #25 and I talked eachother into attending Michelle's last fitness class of the year on Thursday. Although I was exhausted at the end of the hour, it felt great to finish the 3 circuits.
- Received the World Ulty Championships DVD I had ordered from Ultivillage on Friday night. Watched the Open championship game (yay Canada!) before my game later that night.
- Pre-game, exchanged Christmas gifts with #24 and #25. I'm now the proud owner of a 'Purple' purple t-shirt, and a PN55 embroidered hankerchief!
- Despite picking up a super-sub recently returned from Aussieland, Finishing Move couldn't overcome the top team in the league on Friday. In fact, it was our biggest defeat of the season in terms of point spread.
- If I had to pick a personal high-light, I'd go with an unsuccesful bid I made in hopes of catching a point later in the game. Even though I didn't come up with the disc, there was no "do you really want to lay-out on turf?" questioning going on inside my head...it was automatic :)
- Low-lights were numerous. D'ing a disc with my face on the first point of the game tore up my mouth which made it tough to get liquids down the rest of the night. Getting burnt on D repeatedly by Mike Howinthehellareyoua3inLeagueWonder from the Open program hurt the old ego. Not getting to huck one deep to the supersub was a tad disappointing. But....the lowest-low-light was: Losing it and tossing my hat late in the game.
- I remember three previous hat tosses that correspond to my worst two league games last summer, and my worst tournament game with Fish (vs. Practice). All these are excusable, since I have no leadership role to play on those teams. Seeing as how Fridays are my first captaining experiences, I can't be showing my team how frusterated I am with my own level of play. I might have to pin my hat on my head for the remainder of the season.
- Saturday was better as the Fish three got together for our last workout before the holildays. Mr. Two Pointer and Triple S came back to watch the Open championships at my place afterwards. On a sidenote, apparently my tv is too small and I have too many toothbrushes?
After having a couple of informal discussions with various ultmate peeps in the know, I think I'm going to be shuffled from my Wednesday team. Playing for a weaker team might be better for my development. As for Fridays, the schedule for our next three games all look winnable to me. I'll have to smarten up in terms of not letting my frusterations shine through on Friday nights though.
I'm definitely looking forward to the holiday break from ultimate. I'll probably be in town next weekend and might write a little recap of the holiday hat tournament. Here's wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday, and a wonderful 2009. Until next time, happy (holiday) hucking!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Hammers Team Overview
"Give me a Hammers on 3
1...
2...
3...
HAMMERS!"
- Pre-game cheer of the third place team in IID.
Since we'll soon be demolished by the Almighty Mahatma, I thought it was an opportune time to provide the overview of my intermediate team. Of course, names have been changed to protect the less-than-innocent ;-)
Mama Fish (El Capitaine Numero Uno)
Strengths: solid handler, one handed grabs with her go-go-gadget arms, and patience with headcases like yours truly.
Weaknesses: speed, and not speaking up when something is going wrong.
Andrea Hardenup
Strengths: In-cuts, flick, and endurance.
Weaknesses: Backhand and height.
Lilyhammers and Tiesmen
Strengths: Athleticism, willing to experiment in different positions, and field sense.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced handling (but pretty solid), and bad knee.
Giddy-up
Strengths: Speed, striking ability, and willingness to play a position she excels at.
Weaknesses: Limited as a handler (although does have a solid flick), and she can't play every point (wish she could).
InVinceable EverYoung (El Capitain Doze)
Strengths: Lefty, able to break force consistently, and loads of experience.
Weaknesses: Playing with torn ACL, overly aggressive as a handler, and quiet as a captain.
DGo
Strengths: Pretty throws, uses dump effectively, and experienced handler.
Weaknesses: Mobility and defensive effort.
Mr. UnMarkable Hardenup
Strengths: Athleticism, speed, and willingness to lay his body on the line.
Weaknesses: Unpolished game leads him to run a lot (but LOADS of potential).
Rigid
Strengths: Hammers, hucks, and experience handling.
Weaknesses: Athleticism and slaggability ;-)
Big Jean Stud
Strengths: Speed, decision making, and defensive effort.
Weaknesses: Height and confidence in his game (he should have more than he does).
Gym Rockin' Robinson
Strengths: Height, great hands, and willingness to lay-out.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced handling and doesn't strike as often as he should.
K. Bringiton
Strengths: Solid throws, solid cuts, and solid defensively.
Weaknesses: Attendance and endurance.
Nurple
Strengths: Writing ultimate parody songs, associating with superior ultimate players, and stlyin' ultimate gear.
Weaknesses: Unrelenting, unwarranted confidence in his forehand hucks, playing defense at the cadence of "a walk in the park", and being broken as consistently as Paris Hilton's headboard.
There you have my brief assessment of my IID team. Hands down the third best team in the league, but, as mentioned above, not for long. Wonder how the holiday shuffle will impact the Hammers??? Until next time, happy hucking!
1...
2...
3...
HAMMERS!"
- Pre-game cheer of the third place team in IID.
Since we'll soon be demolished by the Almighty Mahatma, I thought it was an opportune time to provide the overview of my intermediate team. Of course, names have been changed to protect the less-than-innocent ;-)
Mama Fish (El Capitaine Numero Uno)
Strengths: solid handler, one handed grabs with her go-go-gadget arms, and patience with headcases like yours truly.
Weaknesses: speed, and not speaking up when something is going wrong.
Andrea Hardenup
Strengths: In-cuts, flick, and endurance.
Weaknesses: Backhand and height.
Lilyhammers and Tiesmen
Strengths: Athleticism, willing to experiment in different positions, and field sense.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced handling (but pretty solid), and bad knee.
Giddy-up
Strengths: Speed, striking ability, and willingness to play a position she excels at.
Weaknesses: Limited as a handler (although does have a solid flick), and she can't play every point (wish she could).
InVinceable EverYoung (El Capitain Doze)
Strengths: Lefty, able to break force consistently, and loads of experience.
Weaknesses: Playing with torn ACL, overly aggressive as a handler, and quiet as a captain.
DGo
Strengths: Pretty throws, uses dump effectively, and experienced handler.
Weaknesses: Mobility and defensive effort.
Mr. UnMarkable Hardenup
Strengths: Athleticism, speed, and willingness to lay his body on the line.
Weaknesses: Unpolished game leads him to run a lot (but LOADS of potential).
Rigid
Strengths: Hammers, hucks, and experience handling.
Weaknesses: Athleticism and slaggability ;-)
Big Jean Stud
Strengths: Speed, decision making, and defensive effort.
Weaknesses: Height and confidence in his game (he should have more than he does).
Gym Rockin' Robinson
Strengths: Height, great hands, and willingness to lay-out.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced handling and doesn't strike as often as he should.
K. Bringiton
Strengths: Solid throws, solid cuts, and solid defensively.
Weaknesses: Attendance and endurance.
Nurple
Strengths: Writing ultimate parody songs, associating with superior ultimate players, and stlyin' ultimate gear.
Weaknesses: Unrelenting, unwarranted confidence in his forehand hucks, playing defense at the cadence of "a walk in the park", and being broken as consistently as Paris Hilton's headboard.
There you have my brief assessment of my IID team. Hands down the third best team in the league, but, as mentioned above, not for long. Wonder how the holiday shuffle will impact the Hammers??? Until next time, happy hucking!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Week 5 Picks
"It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."
REM - End of the World
The Almighty Mahatma decided to create "even" match-ups this week, which will affectionately be known as "The end of IID as we know it". I'm curious to see how the league changes after the holidays, since, at the risk of making some (more?) enemies, there aren't a lot of stand out players beside Pistol Pete and the juniors on the Children of the Corn, ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder, and Mr. and Mrs. Bush. While I'm being controversial, I wouldn't mind getting shuffled to Grey (I miss Stu and Cory's lessons of the week) or Threezerburn (the fun I'd have hucking on that team). Although I think the Hammers have talent to burn, we lack synergy and chemistry *sigh*. This week's theme for picks will be the holidays.
Children of the Corn vs. Ocho
Since the Great Kamasutra expects this to be a close game, and because I find amusement in arguing with his sailor-suited majesty, I predict a blow out for Children of the Corn. The reason is relatively simple: the Children will be pumped up for the holidays (some still believe in Santa Claus) and will run Ocho to the point where all their feet will be as red as Rudolph's nose. Furthermore, Pistol Pete is rumored to be consuming a breakfast of champions on Wednesday of pancakes, syrup, and…peanut butter?!?! The carb/protein mix will provide him with sufficient energy to hand out early gifts to his team-mates by assisting on a bunch of scores.
Grey vs. 4 Girls One Cup
This game promises to be a holiday bundle-fest (think of elves trying to play Guitar Hero with their frozen little fingers). The two teams that will benefit most by way of post-holiday shuffle are relatively evenly matched. Grey has got three things working in their favor:
1) Awesome coaches
2) A radiant red-head who can distract one of 4 Girls 1 Cups' captains by whispering a certain finishing move.
3) Black shirts!
Yes loyal readers, since my predicting continues to hover around 50% this year, I've decided to go back to my 'black shirts are superior' prognosticating philosophy. Grey to win in an ugly, but hotly contested game.
Threezerburn vs. Hammers
ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder and Matt "Suicide Running" Larose promise to keep my cheeks a festive red as they'll be sprinting laps around me all game. The striker formerly known as Delongchamps has informed me that all she wants for Christmas is to score repeatedly *gasp*. At the top of the Hammers' collective holiday wishlist is a certain lanky, hat-wearing hucker to stop gift wrapping his long passes to the other team. Mama Fish has made a simple request that we refrain from consuming "holiday spirit(s)" until after the game. As much as I'd love to go into the holiday break with a win, the Hammers will have to K. Bringiton all game long if we are to have a chance. My prediction is for the Hammers to win…the food drive*!
*Sidenote: I don't believe I've ever asked my readers for anything, but, if you're playing Wednesday night, I beg you to bring some food for the Ottawa Food Bank. Anyone who can afford to play indoor ultimate, can afford to bring a bag of food for the less fortunate.
2 x 12 vs. Army of Darkness
As much as the Great Kamasutra thinks Corn/Ocho will be the match of the night, this game promises to be the most entertaining. There are so many interesting storylines at work in this contest, many of them involving my choice for pre-holidays IID MVP (most virile playa): RPAlex. Young RP will be facing his ultimate mentor Salmon in what will be a classic teacher/student contest. If that's not enough, the man-child they call Bush will be matching up against the only other IID player to have committed the 11th edition rules to memory: Forum Frequenter Steve. If the man with the golden notebook survives those first two match-ups, he will face fellow fall Fireburp PS player El Diablo Mackalacka. My money is on young Alex to run the gauntlet and lead his team to victory. If he needs help, beside the Toronto-bound, Bonzai-lovin' prognosticator (who will light it up in his last game of IID), there will be a purple-lovin', Downtown Dave Brown huck chasin', Hammer ready to sub on a moment's notice.
Predicted Quote of the Week:
From one of the many gorgeous ladies at the dome on Wednesday to one of the many excitable male ultimate playas:
"Is that a candy cane in your man tights or are you happy to see me?"
On that note, I'm off to catch a few z's since this damn bus strike isn't resolved. In case this weekend is crazy, I wish you all happy holidays. Hope to see some of you at the holiday mixed tournament. Until next time, happy hucking!
REM - End of the World
The Almighty Mahatma decided to create "even" match-ups this week, which will affectionately be known as "The end of IID as we know it". I'm curious to see how the league changes after the holidays, since, at the risk of making some (more?) enemies, there aren't a lot of stand out players beside Pistol Pete and the juniors on the Children of the Corn, ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder, and Mr. and Mrs. Bush. While I'm being controversial, I wouldn't mind getting shuffled to Grey (I miss Stu and Cory's lessons of the week) or Threezerburn (the fun I'd have hucking on that team). Although I think the Hammers have talent to burn, we lack synergy and chemistry *sigh*. This week's theme for picks will be the holidays.
Children of the Corn vs. Ocho
Since the Great Kamasutra expects this to be a close game, and because I find amusement in arguing with his sailor-suited majesty, I predict a blow out for Children of the Corn. The reason is relatively simple: the Children will be pumped up for the holidays (some still believe in Santa Claus) and will run Ocho to the point where all their feet will be as red as Rudolph's nose. Furthermore, Pistol Pete is rumored to be consuming a breakfast of champions on Wednesday of pancakes, syrup, and…peanut butter?!?! The carb/protein mix will provide him with sufficient energy to hand out early gifts to his team-mates by assisting on a bunch of scores.
Grey vs. 4 Girls One Cup
This game promises to be a holiday bundle-fest (think of elves trying to play Guitar Hero with their frozen little fingers). The two teams that will benefit most by way of post-holiday shuffle are relatively evenly matched. Grey has got three things working in their favor:
1) Awesome coaches
2) A radiant red-head who can distract one of 4 Girls 1 Cups' captains by whispering a certain finishing move.
3) Black shirts!
Yes loyal readers, since my predicting continues to hover around 50% this year, I've decided to go back to my 'black shirts are superior' prognosticating philosophy. Grey to win in an ugly, but hotly contested game.
Threezerburn vs. Hammers
ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder and Matt "Suicide Running" Larose promise to keep my cheeks a festive red as they'll be sprinting laps around me all game. The striker formerly known as Delongchamps has informed me that all she wants for Christmas is to score repeatedly *gasp*. At the top of the Hammers' collective holiday wishlist is a certain lanky, hat-wearing hucker to stop gift wrapping his long passes to the other team. Mama Fish has made a simple request that we refrain from consuming "holiday spirit(s)" until after the game. As much as I'd love to go into the holiday break with a win, the Hammers will have to K. Bringiton all game long if we are to have a chance. My prediction is for the Hammers to win…the food drive*!
*Sidenote: I don't believe I've ever asked my readers for anything, but, if you're playing Wednesday night, I beg you to bring some food for the Ottawa Food Bank. Anyone who can afford to play indoor ultimate, can afford to bring a bag of food for the less fortunate.
2 x 12 vs. Army of Darkness
As much as the Great Kamasutra thinks Corn/Ocho will be the match of the night, this game promises to be the most entertaining. There are so many interesting storylines at work in this contest, many of them involving my choice for pre-holidays IID MVP (most virile playa): RPAlex. Young RP will be facing his ultimate mentor Salmon in what will be a classic teacher/student contest. If that's not enough, the man-child they call Bush will be matching up against the only other IID player to have committed the 11th edition rules to memory: Forum Frequenter Steve. If the man with the golden notebook survives those first two match-ups, he will face fellow fall Fireburp PS player El Diablo Mackalacka. My money is on young Alex to run the gauntlet and lead his team to victory. If he needs help, beside the Toronto-bound, Bonzai-lovin' prognosticator (who will light it up in his last game of IID), there will be a purple-lovin', Downtown Dave Brown huck chasin', Hammer ready to sub on a moment's notice.
Predicted Quote of the Week:
From one of the many gorgeous ladies at the dome on Wednesday to one of the many excitable male ultimate playas:
"Is that a candy cane in your man tights or are you happy to see me?"
On that note, I'm off to catch a few z's since this damn bus strike isn't resolved. In case this weekend is crazy, I wish you all happy holidays. Hope to see some of you at the holiday mixed tournament. Until next time, happy hucking!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Week 4 Wrap-Up
"I'm coming back... what do you want to discuss?"
- Sports Management Steve
I've mentioned in the past how much I enjoy reading Steve's superior blog, so I'm very happy to see he's finally back from his honeymoon and blogging again. With the OC Transpo strike, and work being crazy, it's nice to have some interesting posts to read outside of the Gelato- Star's entries. As for what I've been up to in the last week, see below...
- Tuesday, pre-bus-strike, the week day Fish four decided we'd henceforth change our workouts to Monday so as to allow for maximum recovery before Wednesday games. With that decision being made, a couple of us still managed to get through three super sets of KJ's new workout routine on Tuesday.
- Wednesday was tough. Not only did the OC Transpo strike start, we played the second best team in IID on a day where I had zero energy. Although I've promised to provide an overview of my IID team, I still don't feel comfortable doing that. What's super frusterating is that I feel we're the second most talented team in the league...and yet...we haven't meshed at all. This was obvious when we lost to Ocho 21 - 15.
- On the plus side, we proved we could hang with a top team, having tied the game at 15s with ten minutes to go.
- On the negative side, we imploed in those last 10 minutes. Personally, I threw away two passes, and got burned on D in that critical period of the game. Up until that point, although I didn't play perfectly, I was pleased with my decisions and execution (especially with the Almighty Mahatma on the sideline). Those last ten minutes were almost enough to make me cry...(I sound so emo *lol*).
- Thursday....got a great email from one of my Wednesday team-mates. We're both frustrated with how things are going, but have no plans to go into the holiday break with a loss to ChowareyouonlySTILLa4inLeagueWonder's team next week.
- Friday....*sigh*...locked my one set of car keys in my trunk 2 hours before game night. Was supposed to go downtown to a welcome back shin dig for a former Fish....but...I'm an idiot.
- After arriving to the dome flustered on Friday night, it was nice to have my co-captain take care of the sub situation, and all the captaining duties. All I wanted to do was run off my frustrations :)
- We lost to the coordinator's team 18-17. We're so close to securing our first win, but just can't seem to get over the hump. On the flip side, everyone seems to be having a blast...and isn't bummed about going winless in our first 4 games.
- Personally, I threw too many passes away (6ish) and had 3 drops.
- On the plus side, I ran my frustrations away....and felt great afterwards :)
Before I forget, I had a good time at two ultimate parties last weekend. Not being a big party animal, it was cool chilling at the parties with like-minded ultimate peeps.
On that note, I'm off to bed so I get up in time for my freaking car pool tomorrow. If anyone wants to know what I'm wishing for this Christmas, it's that the City of Ottawa and the ATU work out this damn transit strike. Until next time, happy hucking!
- Sports Management Steve
I've mentioned in the past how much I enjoy reading Steve's superior blog, so I'm very happy to see he's finally back from his honeymoon and blogging again. With the OC Transpo strike, and work being crazy, it's nice to have some interesting posts to read outside of the Gelato- Star's entries. As for what I've been up to in the last week, see below...
- Tuesday, pre-bus-strike, the week day Fish four decided we'd henceforth change our workouts to Monday so as to allow for maximum recovery before Wednesday games. With that decision being made, a couple of us still managed to get through three super sets of KJ's new workout routine on Tuesday.
- Wednesday was tough. Not only did the OC Transpo strike start, we played the second best team in IID on a day where I had zero energy. Although I've promised to provide an overview of my IID team, I still don't feel comfortable doing that. What's super frusterating is that I feel we're the second most talented team in the league...and yet...we haven't meshed at all. This was obvious when we lost to Ocho 21 - 15.
- On the plus side, we proved we could hang with a top team, having tied the game at 15s with ten minutes to go.
- On the negative side, we imploed in those last 10 minutes. Personally, I threw away two passes, and got burned on D in that critical period of the game. Up until that point, although I didn't play perfectly, I was pleased with my decisions and execution (especially with the Almighty Mahatma on the sideline). Those last ten minutes were almost enough to make me cry...(I sound so emo *lol*).
- Thursday....got a great email from one of my Wednesday team-mates. We're both frustrated with how things are going, but have no plans to go into the holiday break with a loss to ChowareyouonlySTILLa4inLeagueWonder's team next week.
- Friday....*sigh*...locked my one set of car keys in my trunk 2 hours before game night. Was supposed to go downtown to a welcome back shin dig for a former Fish....but...I'm an idiot.
- After arriving to the dome flustered on Friday night, it was nice to have my co-captain take care of the sub situation, and all the captaining duties. All I wanted to do was run off my frustrations :)
- We lost to the coordinator's team 18-17. We're so close to securing our first win, but just can't seem to get over the hump. On the flip side, everyone seems to be having a blast...and isn't bummed about going winless in our first 4 games.
- Personally, I threw too many passes away (6ish) and had 3 drops.
- On the plus side, I ran my frustrations away....and felt great afterwards :)
Before I forget, I had a good time at two ultimate parties last weekend. Not being a big party animal, it was cool chilling at the parties with like-minded ultimate peeps.
On that note, I'm off to bed so I get up in time for my freaking car pool tomorrow. If anyone wants to know what I'm wishing for this Christmas, it's that the City of Ottawa and the ATU work out this damn transit strike. Until next time, happy hucking!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Week 4 Picks
"I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside
I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside
This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."
Frank Loesser - Baby It's Cold Outside
Not only is it cold outside, but OC Transpo buses are poised to stop running due to a strike as of 12:01 Wednesday morning. How will this impact tomorrow's IID games? Glad you asked ;-)
Army of Darkness vs. Threezerburn
If I have to walk home tomorrow night, I'm tempted to stop by FCS and check out what promises to be an exciting game. ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder assures me he's getting healthier each week, BUT his team-mates on Threezerburn are obviously suspectible to the cold weather. Since many of them will probably have to walk to the the Dome tomorrow, I'm expecting the Army of Darkness to operate well without the bus headlights disturbing their triumphant march. Plus, the Army's star handler, "Downtown" Dave Brown won't have too far to walk to the dome. I'll take Army's hot offense to toast Threezerburn's ice cold D.
4 Girls 1 Cup vs. 2 x 12s
There's no snow, cold weather, or striking bus drivers in hell...and that's why I'm expecting a huge game from El-Diabolo Mackalacka as 2 x 12s prevail over 4 Girls 1 Cup. Furthermore, even if 2 x 12s offense did cool off, they have 2 12s to get that Molson Canadian fire back in their bellies. An interesting sidenote about this game - I'm relatively sure that I ended up at a party last weekend at one of the team's players. It was rather 4 Girls 1 Cup's Flyin' Ryan Benson or 2 x 12s' Benson Go4broke. Either way, they had a keg and a comfy couch, which makes both Bensons cool with me.
The Ocho vs. So You Think You Can Hammer?
Here's what I know about the Ocho:
1. The Almighty Mahatma considers them to be one of the two strongest teams in the league (along with Children of the Corn).
2. They have a cool name
3. They're going down tomorrow night.
Yea, you heard me, I've decided to talk trash and let my talented team-mates back me up ;-) Think of me as the idiot union head, who doesn't think twice before blurting out outrageous statements! Seriously, it'll probably be a close game, but I don't see how a bunch of players I haven't even heard of can beat us. It'll be a privledge handing Ocho their first loss of the season...by ocho points.
Children of the Corn vs. Grey
Grey's Deefense CanWaite had an awesome quote last Friday night before our two team's squared off: "I didn't show up for Grey's first two games, and we got hammerred. I showed up for our last game, and we tore it up!" Having caught a couple points of what was a painful game to watch, Deefense CanWaite did in fact tear it up last week, but it also helped that the awesome Grey player I mentioned in my last set of predictions played more at their natural position. Having said all that great stuff, my money is on Pistol Pete and his merry band of OJs and soon-to-be-Open stars to win by a landslide. Why you may ask? Grey will be concentrating on the grey side of the transit strike...and won't know what happenned until Low-Release Goodkey skubers a white and red frisbee over their helpless heads into the endzone for yet another point quicker than an OC Transpo bus pulling away from the curve leaving riders stranded in a snow storm.
Predicted Quote of the Week:
From more than one IID player after getting burned on D: "I can't run. I just spent the last hour walking...damn OC Transpo!"
On that note, I'm off to catch a couple Z's before a relatively early morning tomorrow. Although I have a drive lined up, I'm still worried about the crappiness of the weather, and the nightmare parking downtown. Until next time, happy hucking!
I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside
This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."
Frank Loesser - Baby It's Cold Outside
Not only is it cold outside, but OC Transpo buses are poised to stop running due to a strike as of 12:01 Wednesday morning. How will this impact tomorrow's IID games? Glad you asked ;-)
Army of Darkness vs. Threezerburn
If I have to walk home tomorrow night, I'm tempted to stop by FCS and check out what promises to be an exciting game. ChowareyouSTILLonlya4inLeagueWonder assures me he's getting healthier each week, BUT his team-mates on Threezerburn are obviously suspectible to the cold weather. Since many of them will probably have to walk to the the Dome tomorrow, I'm expecting the Army of Darkness to operate well without the bus headlights disturbing their triumphant march. Plus, the Army's star handler, "Downtown" Dave Brown won't have too far to walk to the dome. I'll take Army's hot offense to toast Threezerburn's ice cold D.
4 Girls 1 Cup vs. 2 x 12s
There's no snow, cold weather, or striking bus drivers in hell...and that's why I'm expecting a huge game from El-Diabolo Mackalacka as 2 x 12s prevail over 4 Girls 1 Cup. Furthermore, even if 2 x 12s offense did cool off, they have 2 12s to get that Molson Canadian fire back in their bellies. An interesting sidenote about this game - I'm relatively sure that I ended up at a party last weekend at one of the team's players. It was rather 4 Girls 1 Cup's Flyin' Ryan Benson or 2 x 12s' Benson Go4broke. Either way, they had a keg and a comfy couch, which makes both Bensons cool with me.
The Ocho vs. So You Think You Can Hammer?
Here's what I know about the Ocho:
1. The Almighty Mahatma considers them to be one of the two strongest teams in the league (along with Children of the Corn).
2. They have a cool name
3. They're going down tomorrow night.
Yea, you heard me, I've decided to talk trash and let my talented team-mates back me up ;-) Think of me as the idiot union head, who doesn't think twice before blurting out outrageous statements! Seriously, it'll probably be a close game, but I don't see how a bunch of players I haven't even heard of can beat us. It'll be a privledge handing Ocho their first loss of the season...by ocho points.
Children of the Corn vs. Grey
Grey's Deefense CanWaite had an awesome quote last Friday night before our two team's squared off: "I didn't show up for Grey's first two games, and we got hammerred. I showed up for our last game, and we tore it up!" Having caught a couple points of what was a painful game to watch, Deefense CanWaite did in fact tear it up last week, but it also helped that the awesome Grey player I mentioned in my last set of predictions played more at their natural position. Having said all that great stuff, my money is on Pistol Pete and his merry band of OJs and soon-to-be-Open stars to win by a landslide. Why you may ask? Grey will be concentrating on the grey side of the transit strike...and won't know what happenned until Low-Release Goodkey skubers a white and red frisbee over their helpless heads into the endzone for yet another point quicker than an OC Transpo bus pulling away from the curve leaving riders stranded in a snow storm.
Predicted Quote of the Week:
From more than one IID player after getting burned on D: "I can't run. I just spent the last hour walking...damn OC Transpo!"
On that note, I'm off to catch a couple Z's before a relatively early morning tomorrow. Although I have a drive lined up, I'm still worried about the crappiness of the weather, and the nightmare parking downtown. Until next time, happy hucking!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Winter Ulty - Week #3 Recap
"Some day you will find me,
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky."
Oasis - Champage Supernova
As winter progresses, I'm starting to really enjoy both my Wednesday and Friday teams. The sad thing is that neither will probably stay together in their entirety. Ah well, such is the reality of winter semi-hat teams. On with recap.
- After taking last weekend "off", hitting the gym felt great Monday night. When I'm not doing KJ's suggested workout, I'm working more on legs than I have in the past.
- Tuesday was fun since one of my fellow Fish and I went to KJ to get a new workout plan. We've moved from base building, to a strength building phase. Just when I was comfortable with the five exercises that our previous routine consisted of, KJ gave us six different activities that should prove challenging over the next couple months.
- Since part of getting a new routine is doing enough reps to get a feel for the correct form, I was a tad sore for my Wednesday night game. However, the soreness went away after a few points, and as predicted "So You Think You Can Hammer" (I'm not a huge fan of our team name) prevailed over 4 girls 1 Cup by a score of 21-16.
- On a positive note, I bounced back pretty strong after my embarassing performance the week before. I caught and threw plenty of points, and played a tonne considering we had 7 guys.
- On a negative note, my decision making continues to be suspect. Having thrown away approximately 5 passes, I need to get that number down to 2 or less.
- Thursday was basically a write-off since I got my flu shot. My left shoulder was so sore that there was no way I was attempting Michelle's class.
- On a crazy note, this fitness instructor at work, who's class I went to once, talks my colleagues into guilting me into coming back to her class! lol I thoroughly enjoyed her class, but my French lessons are scheduled at the same time, and with Michelle's class Thursday nights, my attending her class just isn't in the cards.
- Speaking of work, thanks to those who wished me luck in my interview. It went well, and I should know the results the week after next.
- Friday night ultimate was a new experience: my first time as a solo-captain. That being said, with former coach GinnandJuice and his talented partner Sue subbing for us, they provided some help (along with the silver medalist from Mule) on the captaining / coaching front. Even though I had a blast, our team came up just a tad short losing 21-20 to a talented squad.
- After hearing I'm too hard on myself in this blog a record four times this week, I'll brag and say that the entire game, with the exception of the last five minutes, was pretty damn strong for me. With the exception of the last five minutes, I didn't turn the disc over, was quite productive on offense, and got multiple D's.
- But damn those last five minutes *sigh* Three hucks thrown away....while Stu joked about it on the sidelines, I felt like I blew our chances of tying or winning the game.
- On another positive, one of my winter team-mates from last year paid me a touching comment at the A&L. When quality players notice big improvements in your game, you must be doing something right :)
I mentioned that both of my winter teams would probably get reshuffled. For Friday night league, we have a captains meeting this Monday at the A&L. Since I beleive we're the only winless team (0-2-1), this will probably mean that we'll pick up a decent player or two from the league's only undefeated team. On one hand, this sucks, since I genuinely like all of our players, and see lots of potential for our team. On the flip side, the undefeated team is slightly stacked, and if there's a remote possibility that we could pick up the one open program guy from their squad, well....that would definitely be a huge lift for our squad, and be beneficial for me personally.
Ah well, we'll see what happens. I'm on my way to a party with a bunch of other Fishes, that should be interesting. As some of you probably know, I'm not exactly a party animal, but....it's important to put yourself out there and be a little outside of your comfort zone. Plus, it'll be nice to see some Fish team-mates before the holidays. Until next time, happy hucking!
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky."
Oasis - Champage Supernova
As winter progresses, I'm starting to really enjoy both my Wednesday and Friday teams. The sad thing is that neither will probably stay together in their entirety. Ah well, such is the reality of winter semi-hat teams. On with recap.
- After taking last weekend "off", hitting the gym felt great Monday night. When I'm not doing KJ's suggested workout, I'm working more on legs than I have in the past.
- Tuesday was fun since one of my fellow Fish and I went to KJ to get a new workout plan. We've moved from base building, to a strength building phase. Just when I was comfortable with the five exercises that our previous routine consisted of, KJ gave us six different activities that should prove challenging over the next couple months.
- Since part of getting a new routine is doing enough reps to get a feel for the correct form, I was a tad sore for my Wednesday night game. However, the soreness went away after a few points, and as predicted "So You Think You Can Hammer" (I'm not a huge fan of our team name) prevailed over 4 girls 1 Cup by a score of 21-16.
- On a positive note, I bounced back pretty strong after my embarassing performance the week before. I caught and threw plenty of points, and played a tonne considering we had 7 guys.
- On a negative note, my decision making continues to be suspect. Having thrown away approximately 5 passes, I need to get that number down to 2 or less.
- Thursday was basically a write-off since I got my flu shot. My left shoulder was so sore that there was no way I was attempting Michelle's class.
- On a crazy note, this fitness instructor at work, who's class I went to once, talks my colleagues into guilting me into coming back to her class! lol I thoroughly enjoyed her class, but my French lessons are scheduled at the same time, and with Michelle's class Thursday nights, my attending her class just isn't in the cards.
- Speaking of work, thanks to those who wished me luck in my interview. It went well, and I should know the results the week after next.
- Friday night ultimate was a new experience: my first time as a solo-captain. That being said, with former coach GinnandJuice and his talented partner Sue subbing for us, they provided some help (along with the silver medalist from Mule) on the captaining / coaching front. Even though I had a blast, our team came up just a tad short losing 21-20 to a talented squad.
- After hearing I'm too hard on myself in this blog a record four times this week, I'll brag and say that the entire game, with the exception of the last five minutes, was pretty damn strong for me. With the exception of the last five minutes, I didn't turn the disc over, was quite productive on offense, and got multiple D's.
- But damn those last five minutes *sigh* Three hucks thrown away....while Stu joked about it on the sidelines, I felt like I blew our chances of tying or winning the game.
- On another positive, one of my winter team-mates from last year paid me a touching comment at the A&L. When quality players notice big improvements in your game, you must be doing something right :)
I mentioned that both of my winter teams would probably get reshuffled. For Friday night league, we have a captains meeting this Monday at the A&L. Since I beleive we're the only winless team (0-2-1), this will probably mean that we'll pick up a decent player or two from the league's only undefeated team. On one hand, this sucks, since I genuinely like all of our players, and see lots of potential for our team. On the flip side, the undefeated team is slightly stacked, and if there's a remote possibility that we could pick up the one open program guy from their squad, well....that would definitely be a huge lift for our squad, and be beneficial for me personally.
Ah well, we'll see what happens. I'm on my way to a party with a bunch of other Fishes, that should be interesting. As some of you probably know, I'm not exactly a party animal, but....it's important to put yourself out there and be a little outside of your comfort zone. Plus, it'll be nice to see some Fish team-mates before the holidays. Until next time, happy hucking!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Week 3 Picks
"Purple is the new black in fashion."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08278/916291-463.stm
As for the above article, let me be the first to say "I told you so!" Onto this weeks' games.
2 x 12s vs. IID 4
I feel sorry for team 2 x 12s. After being thoroughly crushed by team 4 last week, I can’t see them losing any time soon. Between the ex-OJs, Pistol Pete, and Bo (who knows smart ultimate), this team will continue to win until they are destroyed by promotions and Mahatma’s annual redistribution of assets. Even with captain Salmon scouting his opponents, 2 x 12s chances of keeping this close are slim. Maybe forum frequenter Steve can use his vast rules knowledge to uncover a mercy rule when the lead gets past 15?!? My only advice to team 2 x 12s is to consider bringing a couple 12 packs, or even 24s to the game….to drown your post-game blues.
IID 5 vs. Ocho
This should be the closest game of the week. If “Downtown” Dave Brown has finished his work on one of the best ultimate magazines ever (and I’m not just saying that since I’m a blurry speck in a picture), he should lead his troops to a narrow defeat at the hands of Ocho. Yes, that’s right, I’m finally giving Ocho the respect they deserve. After two convincing wins, it seems that Josh the bearded Mormon has his squad playing an exciting, fast-paced brand of ulty. Or it could be that Josh’s co-captain “Iron” Rob Tyson intimidates the men on opposing squads with his facial tattoo? Team 5’s bright spot will be the bonsai-loving prognosticator who will be leaving nothing on the field before heading off to Hogtown for a new job in January.
IID 3 vs. Grey
Having caught a bit of Grey’s second consecutive loss, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for them. Not only due to their lack of height, but…at the risk of being a tad controversial… their best “player” is handling as opposed to cutting. Don’t get me wrong, IID is about developing skills, but, it kind of sucks that this individual isn’t dominating the way they could as a striker. After watching a bit of team 3’s game last week, they appear to be underachieving in an effort so as not to be blown apart by the great Kamasutra ;-) Seriously, team 3 is missing a couple handlers, and will prove deadly if the post-holiday shuffle adds (lanky *hopefully*) handlers to their squad. Look for team 3 to dominate Grey unless a naturally born cutter / striker performs this vital role.
So You Think You Can Hammer? vs. 4 Girls, 1 Cup
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of our name. It could very well encourage me to throw hammers! Although 4 Girls, 1 Cup is probably better than I've been giving them credit for, I still think this will be a relatively easy win for my team. Mama Fish has promised us plays before Wednesdays game, and the team will be fired up after last week's crapfest. Also relevant is Daryl Go-Go-Gordon's yearning to prove his handling dominance against Michael "Stop Calling Me Brian(…James)" O'Hare. Giddy-up will be off to the races against such formidable foes as CHo and Laurie Snookstobeyou. Just so I can break out a cool nickname, I'll predict huge things from Iam Ketchupson on the opposing team. Here's a uni-ballsy prediction: we'll take this game by double digits!
Predicted Quote of the Week: From any (or possibly many) team-mate(s) on So You Think You Can Hammer? – “You played better this week.”
Since my mind isn't on ultimate right now, but instead a job interview that I'm studying for, these picks could prove to be less than accurate. Having said that, I'm planning to have some fun Wednesday night in the "Rat's Ass" timeslot, and contributing to a win for my team. Until next time, happy hucking!
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08278/916291-463.stm
As for the above article, let me be the first to say "I told you so!" Onto this weeks' games.
2 x 12s vs. IID 4
I feel sorry for team 2 x 12s. After being thoroughly crushed by team 4 last week, I can’t see them losing any time soon. Between the ex-OJs, Pistol Pete, and Bo (who knows smart ultimate), this team will continue to win until they are destroyed by promotions and Mahatma’s annual redistribution of assets. Even with captain Salmon scouting his opponents, 2 x 12s chances of keeping this close are slim. Maybe forum frequenter Steve can use his vast rules knowledge to uncover a mercy rule when the lead gets past 15?!? My only advice to team 2 x 12s is to consider bringing a couple 12 packs, or even 24s to the game….to drown your post-game blues.
IID 5 vs. Ocho
This should be the closest game of the week. If “Downtown” Dave Brown has finished his work on one of the best ultimate magazines ever (and I’m not just saying that since I’m a blurry speck in a picture), he should lead his troops to a narrow defeat at the hands of Ocho. Yes, that’s right, I’m finally giving Ocho the respect they deserve. After two convincing wins, it seems that Josh the bearded Mormon has his squad playing an exciting, fast-paced brand of ulty. Or it could be that Josh’s co-captain “Iron” Rob Tyson intimidates the men on opposing squads with his facial tattoo? Team 5’s bright spot will be the bonsai-loving prognosticator who will be leaving nothing on the field before heading off to Hogtown for a new job in January.
IID 3 vs. Grey
Having caught a bit of Grey’s second consecutive loss, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for them. Not only due to their lack of height, but…at the risk of being a tad controversial… their best “player” is handling as opposed to cutting. Don’t get me wrong, IID is about developing skills, but, it kind of sucks that this individual isn’t dominating the way they could as a striker. After watching a bit of team 3’s game last week, they appear to be underachieving in an effort so as not to be blown apart by the great Kamasutra ;-) Seriously, team 3 is missing a couple handlers, and will prove deadly if the post-holiday shuffle adds (lanky *hopefully*) handlers to their squad. Look for team 3 to dominate Grey unless a naturally born cutter / striker performs this vital role.
So You Think You Can Hammer? vs. 4 Girls, 1 Cup
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of our name. It could very well encourage me to throw hammers! Although 4 Girls, 1 Cup is probably better than I've been giving them credit for, I still think this will be a relatively easy win for my team. Mama Fish has promised us plays before Wednesdays game, and the team will be fired up after last week's crapfest. Also relevant is Daryl Go-Go-Gordon's yearning to prove his handling dominance against Michael "Stop Calling Me Brian(…James)" O'Hare. Giddy-up will be off to the races against such formidable foes as CHo and Laurie Snookstobeyou. Just so I can break out a cool nickname, I'll predict huge things from Iam Ketchupson on the opposing team. Here's a uni-ballsy prediction: we'll take this game by double digits!
Predicted Quote of the Week: From any (or possibly many) team-mate(s) on So You Think You Can Hammer? – “You played better this week.”
Since my mind isn't on ultimate right now, but instead a job interview that I'm studying for, these picks could prove to be less than accurate. Having said that, I'm planning to have some fun Wednesday night in the "Rat's Ass" timeslot, and contributing to a win for my team. Until next time, happy hucking!
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