Process of Illumination

The Atlantic Coast has three bids to nationals. NC State is ineligible for the Series, having missed the roster deadline because of undisclosed problems with the registrar. That's gotta suck. I don't even know what to say about this other than: sorry dudes. I feel ya.

One bid for the Southwest Region. One. Neither Colorado nor San Diego able to move beyond quarters, and with the team density lighter than Nicole Richie eliminating any hope for a size bid, two very good teams will lose out for the single spot, then hit up Score-O-Matic Memorial Day weekend to follow the Northeast #2 team's exciting results. Or poke an eye.

BTW, how is Penn State doing these days? Colorado Kali picked up a grad student from their shamed program, and though her feisty play tagged her for a broken arm two weeks before Regionals while playing at some worthless East Coast tourney, she'll probably pop a couple morphine and play anyways. But, seriously, how is Penn State? For all they had to suffer through, I hope the punishment wasn't enough to extinguish their drive to exist and compete. Isis, if I recall, was very good the year they were suspended.

Oberlin College didn't make Regionals this year. The Flying Horsecows, despite their sweet logo, did not bring it to Sectionals. Horsecows alumni look on with furrowed brows and disapproving glares.

My hair is short. That doesn't hurt. It feels very nice.

Rumor has it the treasurer has been kicked off the Florida team for being unable to explain the disappearance of team funds, or embezzlement in French. I am shocked, shocked I tell you, to hear it was an old acquaintance of mine. A significant handler on last year's championship team, he might fancy himself. A fellow writer of ultimate musings, though perhaps lacking editing skills and, it seems, any love for his teammates.

Seems the team found out about this a bit ago, and finally decided on their course of action. And now people are beginning to talk.

Yo, dog, you.
Yeah, you.

The one I'm talking about here. Remember when we were under the shelter at Potlatch during the dance party and you started getting all douchebag aggro with me regarding Wisconsin and Florida? I thought the whole thing might be a persona you take on, as many do, within this world of disc. It's weird to think it was actually real.

And, as to the team that has to deal with this: fuck. It's the last thing one needs to focus on as the Series gets underway, but I'm sure they're big enough to get past it, as other teams in the past have been.

This all reminds me of the other dodes in the Ultimate Hall of Infamy, the players on Minnesota and Santa Barbara that got their teams kicked out of the Series. Which makes me wonder: who is the bigger dode, the one who takes money from his team or the one who gets their team kicked out the series? I'm still not quite sure on this, but I'm leaning towards the DQ'ers.

Here's an interesting post that sheds some light on it. Ah well. It's like we're back in the stone age (1982?).

I have friends on two women's club teams. Let's call these teams Fox Munch and Bear Hair. I love individuals on both teams. They're good people.

Now this year is a watershed year for both teams. One was created as a thumb-biting gesture to the other: the miscreants who were cut and unhappy and wanted to prove that they, too, are worthy. The other, a team with a story and tradition that had, by many accounts, carried the same weathered philosophy and thinking for far too long. They'd been rivals since the former's creation and had always had a big sister/little sister relationship.

But here, this year, was an opportunity for some unity, a forward and new philosophy, and maybe some reconciliation. Fox was returning only 8 players from last year; Bear was returning only 7. Members from either team began talking: there was talk of combining, joining powers Captain Planet-style and creating something new in Colorado women's ultimate. It sounded like a great idea.

But like most things that look great on paper and then disappoint, the union never happened. At the off-season meetings they voted to remain apart. And so, one with 8 players and the other with 7, they set themselves with eyes on Nationals, but with many questions left unanswered.

It's been the talk of the town here lately, and many people are weighing in, with or without knowledge of what's happening. I don't know any more than the next person, but I've listened to what many people on both sides have to say, and I know that were I on either team, I'd have voted to unite and combine efforts and talent.

Now, it's said that Bear told Fox that any combination of teams would involve foxes trying out to be bears, and there would no changing of Bear's team name. In a year when both teams, combined, are returning 15 players total, it seems like a bit of stretch to claim the upper hand and ask the other team to absorb themselves into your fold. It would seem like the perfect time to bury hatchets and unite the clans.

But it's not to be, and they head in opposite directions. There is more here that I don't feel at liberty to discuss yet, but tryouts for both teams are going to be interesting. How it all shakes out in the end remains to be seen, but for now, for me anyway, it doesn't seem like there are any winners.