Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Family Feud

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.

4 comments:

Tarr said...

Seems we may end up adding Denver/Boulder to the list of metropolitan areas that have shot themselves in the foot by breaking up their top open/women's talent. I'm sure Boston and the Bay area were getting lonely.

Anonymous said...

foxes, bears, yak punch, donnie pavo*, collie, papabird, lowdogs:

sounds like el instigador is stirrin' the pot for some lively discussion.

personally, i have loads to say about what other teams are doing wrong. for example, the choice of periwinkle blue? i woulda gone with cornflower.

but, it's more fun to argue in real time, no? hh said he'd open a hh (happy hour) tab in boulder on friday to facilitate discussion.

hazy frog? fountain hun? where you kids hanging out these days?

retired: goodbye crap, hello nap!,
d

* a very large terrestrial southeast Asian pheasant often raised as an ornamental bird

Anonymous said...

Seems you can take Boston off that list. Hello Twisted Puppy

Tarr said...

Unless Twisted Puppy is joined by brutish lady, I won't be crossing anything off.