Thoughts on NUMP

Florida- I hope everyone saw that highlight video from Stanford Invite
Carlton College- I think people just vote for them because of Grant Lindsley
Colorado- Mac Taylor for Callahan? Yes please
Wisconsin- YO HODAGS, I liked your jerseys last year more.
Oregon- Will Dusty Becker and crew underachive again this year?
Washington- Remember Vegas 2007 when we could have beat them but Schmidty turned it over 4 times on universe?
Michigan- Your basketball team is still inferior to ours no matter what happens
Cal Berkeley- UGMO, I almost bought one of your hats last year, almost.
Harvard- George Stubbs, I just said too much.
Notre Dame- What more can they do this season to gain respect? Beat magnUM.
Pittsburgh- Will they lose the regional title game again and mess up Nationals seedings AGAIN?
Stanford- This summer, I played a kid on this team, he was good, really good.
Cornell- You guys did not seem this good when you beat us 13-11 at Force Freedom.
Georgia- WTF happened at the Stanford Invite?
Texas- Franchise is back, will Texas be back at Nationals?
Iowa- C'MON man! Figure your shit out.
Virginia- BE A CONTENDER
Western Washington- Are two Sockeye players enough?
Minnesota- I am really into your dark jerseys.
UCSB- Live it up and grab that second spot to Natties.

Bust up line

Tired of being looked off when going upline? Sick of going back, losing 5 yards, and swinging the disc? I know the Raven isn't but that is only because he doesn't huck. Ideally, you will have around 8-13 yards to set up an upline cut. If all goes well and you don't have a rookie cutter trying to throw an upline pass (D line is a love hate relationship a lot of the time), you might be becoming the player you hope to become. Nothing is more satisfiing than roasting someone upline save a six pack of Oberon or giving your drunk enemy a "smokers cough" shot. A few times a game, you will see some jaw breaking upline cuts. Once upon a sectional final, I had one on Ryan Purcell but I was looked off FML. Since that moment, I have been committed to observing, testing, and asking everything about upline cuts in order to accommodate my throwers comfort level and my desire to obtain the disc.

Rule #1 If it's not happening, It's not happening. Accept this.

Every defender wants to take it away and the majority of the time, he will be giving you the back. Live to fight another day and punish him by swinging the disc effiecently. This will open up your offense more and slowly draw him back towards you more so that he is able to cut off the swing.

Rule #2 Know when to abandon ship

You go up, you go back, you go up, you go back, and you are still covered? WTF REALLY? Unless you are Chicken , CLEAR THE FUCK OUT. You are in most cases the dump, the stall is already high, the last thing you need to be doing is reliving the days when DDR used to rule high school basement parties. The sooner you clear out, the sooner Santa comes, sometimes with a swing around to you if you bust your hot sauce across the field. By you clearing out, options will open up like a public pool on memorial day weekend.

Rule #3 Even if you are wide open, some people suck and don't throw it sometimes just to piss you off.

I'll get you next time, what are you doing, why didn't you hit me, it slipped, all acceptable answers in bed with the slut from the bar. However, this is not my bedroom, we are on the field. Being looked off when open is very similar to getting blue balls especially when you look up and seeing a cutter busting deep knowing that you are going to put it. Bigger letdown than Hilary Duff after she left the Lizzie McGuire show, I did enjoy Cadet Kelly though. Bottom line, don't go upline for these people it will only end poorly. There is nothing worse than feeling someone throw a disc into your back.

Rule #4 The Morning After

Sometimes, you get some love in the morning. However, this really isn't much consolation because the damage is already done. When clearing back around, keep an eye open, sometimes the thrower may have a crafty little break throw that will hit you in stride. Not as cool as an upline but better than nothing especially if teammates downfield see it happening and react accordingly.

More to come.

Tally Classic

This weekend 23 of Michigan State's finest traveled down to Tallahassee. Florida for the 4th annual Tally Classic. We were in power pool A with Notre Dame, #1 seed overall, and Louisiana State. Our first game of the day was against LSU. Two cars consisting of many of our O line players arrived when the game had already started, down 2-1, due to a timing mistake. However, we would fight back but LSU took half 7-5. The wind started to pick up and our O was able to score upwind and downwind with ease but out D line offense was never able to close the gap. LSU 13-10 over MSU.
Our second game was against Notre Dame. This is the first time we have ever played Notre Dame in recent years. They are having a very good season and I would consider them the team to beat in the Great Lakes region at this point. Notre Dame came out running but the weeks of track workouts had us prepared. Both offenses held until we gave up a break right before half. They received the pull after half and went up 8-6. Our O line, who played great all weekend, held and put our D line on the field with a chance to tie it. Rookie Ryan Maruiow came up with a D and we were able to work the disc up the field but dropped a disc in the end-zone. Notre dame went on to score, then took advantage of a few of our mistakes, and finished the game. 13-8 Notre Dame.
After reseeding, we were slated to play North Park and Syracuse. The North Park game was very very close but we were able to get an upwind break early then we broke upwind again for half. Zach Albright threw a beautiful upwind flick to Mariouw for another break. We rolled through the rest of the game. 13-10 MSU.
This fall, we beat Syracuse on universe point at Force Freedom. We did not take this team lightly and the score showed. We started the game off really hot and went up 5-1 before dOOm even knew the game begun. Syracuse never found their footing and we rolled to a 13-4 victory.

My cousin Liz, who is a sophomore at Florida State was able to house 8 of us in her very nice Villa de Lago apartment. Holler, thanks for that. She was also a great fan.

Sunday

We faced Auburn in the pre-quarters. Playing on a shorter than normal field, we were able to keep our momentum from Saturday and have it carry over to Sunday. I credit this directly to Heff and Dingo who did a fantastic job of captaining all weekend and really kept up the intensity with their words and play. Auburn had no chance as we broke early and often. Highlight of this game was Fergie's greatest to a Heff layout. Fergie was called out but most Auburn players were so amazed that many of them were chanting "Just give it to them! That was Amazing!". Burning Couch 13- 6

Rematch with LSU in the quarters. No words were needed to get us ready for this game. We walked over to see LSU sitting down waiting for us, not even warming up. Easy O point, their O turned it over, we convert upwind, and complete the cycle. LSU could never recover and we never let up breaking more and taking half 7-2. Opened up the rotation some and closed the game just as strong as we started. 13-5 Burning Couch gets its revenge

North Carolina-Wilmington, #17 in the National Ultimate Media Poll (heck I even put them as high as #13 at one point in the season), was our semi-final opponent. They always have a strong program and we were committed to come out early and show that we would not be intimidated. Starting on O, we ran a German, I broke it to Dingo, Fergie wide open for the continue, two more touches and we were in the end-zone. D line comes out and gets a D using the special sauce and we break upwind. Things get out of control quickly and before you know it, we are up 4-1. Timeout UNCW. This is the first time in which I have seen our team play with such a killer instinct. We never let up, yes we were tired and it was really hot out, but we proved to ourselves that we are slowly becoming the team that we have the potential to be. We traded a point or two with UNCW then broke three straight times for the win. The sauce was a big part of us winning this game. Rusty Ingold-Smith and this crew were unable to figure it out. This was a very big win for our team. 13-6 MSU!

FInals - Notre Dame vs. MSU
Great Lakes Final- only two strength bids? CMON man

Eighth game of the weekend, everyone was tired but we were really fired up. Notre Dame is a very good fundamentally solid team with a fairly large rotation. We had been playing the same 11 guys all weekend and were running on low. I am not going to use this as an excuse but just the reality that good teams have depth. Notre Dame came out really fired up and we were not able to match that energy. For most of us, this was the first time we had ever played in the finals of anything, it could have been that or our legs, but we simply did not play our game. Notre Dame 13-7 and taking home the $700 prize.



Check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtEgrWZImvk&feature=PlayList&p=B01D1C0E9B67E49F&index=0&playnext=1

NUMP Poll

1. Colorado
2. Wisconsin
3. Florida
4. Carlton College
5. Pitt
6. Iowa
7. North Carolina
8. Georgia
9. Stanford
10. California
11. Virginia
12. Georgia
13. NC State
14. Tufts
15. Minnesota
16. North Carolna Wilmington
17. Illinois
18. Oregon
19. Ohio State
20. Minnesota Duluth

Virginia (ACC Championship), Iowa (Florida Warm-Up), and California (Santa Barbara Invite) all moved up in the rankings because of tournament wins.

Who to watch in 2009 in the Great Lakes and Central Regions

Great Lakes
David Vuckovich (Ohio State)
Will Neff (Michigan)
Aaron Zigler (Michigan State)
Luke Johnson (North Park)
David Fumo (Michigan)
Craig Poeppelman (Ohio State)
Daniel Reimer (Notre Dame)

Nationals Frontrunners (2 bids): Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame

Central
Ben Feldman (Wisconsin)
Tom "The Animal" Annen {Wisconsin}
Grant Lindsley (Carleton College)
Sam Kanner (Carlton College)
Alex Versackes (Iowa)
Michael Arenson (Minnesota)
Adam Fagin (Carlton College)

Nationals Frontrunners (4 bids): Wisconsin, Carlton College, Minnesota, Luther and Iowa

NUMP Poll

I was recently named to the Panel of the National Ultimate Media Poll. What this means, each week I have to submit a ballot with the 20 top teams in the country, men and women.

Here are my pre-season top 20 for the open division;

1. Wisconsin
2. Carlton College
3. Colorado
4. Florida
5. Notre Dame
6. Pitt
7. Minnesota
8. Stanford
9. North Carolina
10. Texas
11. Michigan
12. Harvard
13. Georgia
14. Tufts
15. Iowa
16. North Carolina Wilmington
17. Illinois
18. Oregon
19. Minnesota Duluth
20. Ohio State

Here is a video of Iowa at Missouri Loves Company. Look for me, I am in it quite a bit (bad).

Sheep's tip of the Week

Before tournaments or games, get into a ritual. It could be having a power bar, not tying your shoes until the first drill, keeping a shirt on over your jersey, stretching with your favorite rookie on the team, whatever it is, get in the habit. It will help you prepare for each game and help develop the same mindset before games.