Enjoy the watching the flatball drop!
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
2016 in Review: Activism in Ultimate
In addition to the memorable moments in 2016, these movements taken up by the ultimate community are praiseworthy:
[April 2016] Austin Sol (AUDL) staged a peaceful rainbow wristband demonstration on their road trip to North Carolina.
[May 2016] College ultimate teams participated in an ANTI-HB2 protest and ANTI-HB2 advocacy while in North Carolina.
[April 2016] USA Ultimate's rainbow action against HB2 on Five Ultimate designed discs.
[September 2016] Gender Equity Action Group seeking to encourage USA Ultimate to require a policy of gender equity over equality in all future broadcasting partnerships, and to generate increased consciousness regarding gender related issues in our community.
[October 2016]: True Representation in Ultimate that Starts with Transparency (TRUST) seeks to increase the membership's approval of USAU, its decisions, and actions.
[October 2016] Seattle Riot wore BLM headbands and kneeling during national anthem to support Black Lives Matter at 2016 USAU Nationals. Other club teams also were seen kneeling in Rockford.
[November 2016] Boston University men's and women's Ultimate teams "I Need Feminism Because..." photo essay.
[December 2016] Equity in Mixed Ultimate Campaign, a hub for cultivating & sharing resources on gender equity in the mixed ultimate community.
Get involved. Stay informed.
[April 2016] Austin Sol (AUDL) staged a peaceful rainbow wristband demonstration on their road trip to North Carolina.
[May 2016] College ultimate teams participated in an ANTI-HB2 protest and ANTI-HB2 advocacy while in North Carolina.
[April 2016] USA Ultimate's rainbow action against HB2 on Five Ultimate designed discs.
[September 2016] Gender Equity Action Group seeking to encourage USA Ultimate to require a policy of gender equity over equality in all future broadcasting partnerships, and to generate increased consciousness regarding gender related issues in our community.
[October 2016] Seattle Riot wore BLM headbands and kneeling during national anthem to support Black Lives Matter at 2016 USAU Nationals. Other club teams also were seen kneeling in Rockford.
 |
| Seattle Riot [Brian Canniff Photography] |
[November 2016] Boston University men's and women's Ultimate teams "I Need Feminism Because..." photo essay.
"I need feminism because..." @BUladypilots share why gender equity matters to them in a moving photo campaign: https://t.co/YGOt1Sg5xa pic.twitter.com/Jt99sLqVOh— Boston University (@BU_Tweets) November 16, 2016
[December 2016] Equity in Mixed Ultimate Campaign, a hub for cultivating & sharing resources on gender equity in the mixed ultimate community.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
MLU's Swan Song
Major League Ultimate finally sent out communication this afternoon publicly confirming the semi-pro ultimate league will stop operating at the end of 2016.
Text from today's email with the subject "Thank You For Four Great Years!":
A FINAL THANK YOU FROM THE MLU
By now, many of you have heard that the MLU will be ceasing operations at the end of this year and will not be able to bring you a 5th season in 2017. This is very sad news for all of us, and we wish we didn't have to deliver it. Still, we are all very proud of what we have built, and you, the fans, should be proud as well. Without your support, none of this would have been possible.
It is hard to say goodbye after so much time, but know that none of us here will ever forget you. We can safely speak for all the players, volunteers, partners and staff when we say that the best part of putting this whole thing together was seeing fans in the stands, online and everywhere else we turned up. In the end, the reward for all the hard work was knowing that it was appreciated.
So, one last time, from all of us at Major League Ultimate and every one of our teams, THANK YOU!
[h/t C.H.]
Text from today's email with the subject "Thank You For Four Great Years!":
A FINAL THANK YOU FROM THE MLU
By now, many of you have heard that the MLU will be ceasing operations at the end of this year and will not be able to bring you a 5th season in 2017. This is very sad news for all of us, and we wish we didn't have to deliver it. Still, we are all very proud of what we have built, and you, the fans, should be proud as well. Without your support, none of this would have been possible.
It is hard to say goodbye after so much time, but know that none of us here will ever forget you. We can safely speak for all the players, volunteers, partners and staff when we say that the best part of putting this whole thing together was seeing fans in the stands, online and everywhere else we turned up. In the end, the reward for all the hard work was knowing that it was appreciated.
So, one last time, from all of us at Major League Ultimate and every one of our teams, THANK YOU!
[h/t C.H.]
Best Of in 2016
Time to air out our B.O....
What a year of ultimate! This blog published 450+ posts this year covering topics related to the sport of ultimate. Let's reflect on the year's most popular posts.
As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog.
2016's Best-Of based on traffic
Top 20 Posts in '16
20. Advice on playing ultimate by Opi Payne
19. Health Benefits of Ultimate Frisbee
18. Ten Commandments of Frisbee
17. USA Ultimate Indicates Interest in Indoor Championship event
16. Interview with ESPN's Ian Toner
15. Redesigned Discraft UltraStar
14. Interview with (WUGC 2016 Champion) Team USA Boneyard
13. Madison Radicals <3 Aaron Rodgers
12. History of AUDL Championship logos
11. AUDL 2016 Road Trip
10. WUGC Medal Count & History
9. Interview with ESPN's Robyn Wiseman
8. WUGC Tournament Needs An Update
7. Celebratory Tweets by Team for Qualifying for Club Nationals: Men . Mixed . Women
6. Sportsbook for semi-pro ultimate leagues: AUDL . MLU
5. Compilation of Women's Division Highlights by Fulcrum
4. Montreal Royal Announce New Head Coach
3. SportsIllustrated disapproves of ultimate name
2. Trying to make sense of WFDF Kickstarter
1. Foul Call on The Economist's Use of Ultimate Frisbee
Past B-O's: 2015 .. 2014 .. 2013 .. 2012 .. 2011 .. 2010 .. 2009 .. 2008
Gots more? Post your favorite(s) in Comments.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Do Over: Ultimate in 2016
The 2016 calendar year was a busy 12 months! Here are some memorable moments: [in no particular order]
++++++
Greatest Trick Play Not Designed as a Trick Play: Philadelphia Spinners
Cricket's snag of a wobbly disc (tipped dump from Jeff Graham) an inch off the turf and then forehand assist.
++++++
Team of the year: USA's Ultimate Nationals Teams
Team USA was dominant with a (62-1) record in 2016 racking up 6 gold medals and 1 silver.
Honorable Mentions:
Boston - Slow White, Ironside & Brute Squad - club championship sweep.
2016 AUDL champion Dallas Roughnecks that went (17-0) in the season.
++++++
Jersey of the Year: Atlanta Hustle (AUDL) alternate jersey
For the 2016 season, the Hustle wore a purple top and a white top until its last regular season game. An alternate jersey - blood orange on top and black on the bottom with HUSTLE across the chest - was made and kept as a secret until a big game - a 1-point Atlanta victory in their season finale versus Jacksonville.
++++++
Best Experiment: @being_ulti twitter
A simple mission with a lots of personality which started in June 2016. It's a twitter account that gets taken over by a different person every week as a way to showcase those that play ultimate.
++++++
Neatest Innovation for the Ulti Community:
1) The Mixed Division Spirit Awards
The idea was inspired by Seattle Mixtape to recognize players from the mixed division who exhibited personal responsibility, integrity, and selfless contribution to Ultimate, combined with a high standard of playing ability - just like the annual awards given by USAU in the men's and women's divisions.
Winners:
Allysha Dixon (Philadelphia AMP) and David Protter (Love Tractor)
2) Team reference webpages by Ultiworld
3) Scoring/shot map chart by MLU/William Curb
4) USAU publishing post-tournament results with team seeding.
++++++
Coolest Infographics: openbracket(ultimate)
This uniform design company has been crafting WUGC tourney outcomes in an appealing manner.
Mixed Division: Assists + Goals
Spirit of the Game scores
& more
++++++
Trending: Ultimate players on Jeopardy.
Answer: Who is Doug Behrend?
Answer: Who is Cindy Stowell?
++++++
Best Exhibition Ultimate Games
[March 2016] "Futures" Game by Bama Secs in Atlanta
[Summer 2016] All-Star Ultimate Tour 2016
[October 2016] Off-season friendly between Iris vs Brute Squad
[April 2016] Women's All-Star Game in Cincinnati
[April 2016] Bay Area Women's Ultimate All-Star Game
[June 2016] Boston Area Women's All-Star Game
++++++
Best ultimate games: Seattle Riot vs San Francisco Fury
October 2016: An(other) "instant classic" between two storied club ultimate teams during the semi-final at 2016 USA Ultimate Nationals: Riot versus Fury.
May 2016: Team Canada vs Team USA tune-up at Torneo Eterna Primavera from Colombia finals. The game was streamed via Facebook by Beau Kittredge.
June 2016: The New York Empire-DC Breeze games during the American Ultimate Disc League regular season were all amazing. This double OT thriller from the summer stands out.
++++++
Best Roster Pic: Ross Ward (New York Empire)
++++++
Weirdest Victory: Washington D.C. Current & Boston Whitecaps (MLU)
D.C. Current went on the road to play a night game at Boston. The Current did not play their June 11th game against Boston Whitecaps; they never even made it to Boston. Yet both teams still managed to earn a win.
Per the MLU: "The game will not be re-scheduled, and both teams will award a win instead, moving the Whitecaps to 7-2 and the D.C. Current to 3-5 on the season."
++++++
Most Athletic Feat: Khalif El-Salaam
Running from sideline to sideline (40 yards)...on his knees. My knees have threatened to go on strike if I ever pull a stunt like this.
++++++
Best in-print forms of Ultimate
Ultimate Outsider novel by Alexander Rummelhart
"Skyd" (magazine) by Skyd Magazine
Fast Count! children's book by Hechter/Neugeboren
++++++
Best Films on Ultimate: All-Star Tour Documentary
All-Star Ultimate Tour: The Documentary by Alex Axworthy covers the inaugural 2015 tour and its effect on the players and the tour's impact in the ultimate community.
Honorable Mentions:
Bad Lip Reading by Chicago Machine
Fulcrum's coverage of Women's Division at Club Nationals
Flatball - a History of Ultimate Frisbee
++++++
Persons to be given a round of applause that crescendos into a standing ovation.
Qxhna Titcomb
As the founder and creator of the successful All-Star Ultimate Tour, Qxhna is a charismatic leader. She's someone whose passion, energy and intelligence are poured into every project she is involved with. The ulti community is better because of her work on and off the ultimate field.
Isaac Saul
Isaac is a reporter and journalist who covers politics (an important job I would never want). Isaac played on Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (AUDL) and New York PoNY in the 2016 seasons. He's known for his o-line knack on the ultimate field while showing deft skills in his career. His A Plus posts are a refreshing take on the world, while his Twitter account is a public arena where he regularly defends facts, his opinions, his profession, his background, and - when necessary - the sport of ultimate.
##
++++++
Greatest Trick Play Not Designed as a Trick Play: Philadelphia Spinners
First weekend of the 2016 MLU season (April 11) and the highlight of the year occurred. Lots of people took notice, too! The stat book would simply report Nick Hirannet to Himalaya Mehta for the goal, but soooo much more happened.
Runner up: Joel Schlachet (Team USA @ 2016 Worlds)
++++++
Ultimate Highlights to Watch Again & Again:
Jenny Wei (All-Star Ultimate Tour)
Callahan video submission
Josh Markette (Boston Ironside)Runner up: Joel Schlachet (Team USA @ 2016 Worlds)
++++++
Ultimate Highlights to Watch Again & Again:
Jenny Wei (All-Star Ultimate Tour)
Marisa Rafter (UC Berkeley Pie Queens )Jenny Wei was critical in the All-Star Ultimate Tour's comeback against @furyultimate. Can you say BOOKENDS? pic.twitter.com/1MWMH1Akvj— All-Star Ulti (@allstarulti) July 28, 2016
Callahan video submission
Cricket's snag of a wobbly disc (tipped dump from Jeff Graham) an inch off the turf and then forehand assist.
Team of the year: USA's Ultimate Nationals Teams
Team USA was dominant with a (62-1) record in 2016 racking up 6 gold medals and 1 silver.
Honorable Mentions:
Boston - Slow White, Ironside & Brute Squad - club championship sweep.
2016 AUDL champion Dallas Roughnecks that went (17-0) in the season.
++++++
Jersey of the Year: Atlanta Hustle (AUDL) alternate jersey
For the 2016 season, the Hustle wore a purple top and a white top until its last regular season game. An alternate jersey - blood orange on top and black on the bottom with HUSTLE across the chest - was made and kept as a secret until a big game - a 1-point Atlanta victory in their season finale versus Jacksonville.
 |
| ATL's "ALT jersey (right) |
++++++
Best Experiment: @being_ulti twitter
A simple mission with a lots of personality which started in June 2016. It's a twitter account that gets taken over by a different person every week as a way to showcase those that play ultimate.
++++++
Neatest Innovation for the Ulti Community:
1) The Mixed Division Spirit Awards
The idea was inspired by Seattle Mixtape to recognize players from the mixed division who exhibited personal responsibility, integrity, and selfless contribution to Ultimate, combined with a high standard of playing ability - just like the annual awards given by USAU in the men's and women's divisions.
Winners:
Allysha Dixon (Philadelphia AMP) and David Protter (Love Tractor)
2) Team reference webpages by Ultiworld
3) Scoring/shot map chart by MLU/William Curb
4) USAU publishing post-tournament results with team seeding.
++++++
Coolest Infographics: openbracket(ultimate)
This uniform design company has been crafting WUGC tourney outcomes in an appealing manner.
Mixed Division: Assists + Goals
Spirit of the Game scores
& more
++++++
Trending: Ultimate players on Jeopardy.
Answer: Who is Doug Behrend?
Answer: Who is Cindy Stowell?
++++++
Best Exhibition Ultimate Games
[March 2016] "Futures" Game by Bama Secs in Atlanta
[Summer 2016] All-Star Ultimate Tour 2016
[October 2016] Off-season friendly between Iris vs Brute Squad
[April 2016] Women's All-Star Game in Cincinnati
[April 2016] Bay Area Women's Ultimate All-Star Game
[June 2016] Boston Area Women's All-Star Game
++++++
Best ultimate games: Seattle Riot vs San Francisco Fury
October 2016: An(other) "instant classic" between two storied club ultimate teams during the semi-final at 2016 USA Ultimate Nationals: Riot versus Fury.
May 2016: Team Canada vs Team USA tune-up at Torneo Eterna Primavera from Colombia finals. The game was streamed via Facebook by Beau Kittredge.
June 2016: The New York Empire-DC Breeze games during the American Ultimate Disc League regular season were all amazing. This double OT thriller from the summer stands out.
++++++
Best Roster Pic: Ross Ward (New York Empire)
++++++
Weirdest Victory: Washington D.C. Current & Boston Whitecaps (MLU)
D.C. Current went on the road to play a night game at Boston. The Current did not play their June 11th game against Boston Whitecaps; they never even made it to Boston. Yet both teams still managed to earn a win.
Per the MLU: "The game will not be re-scheduled, and both teams will award a win instead, moving the Whitecaps to 7-2 and the D.C. Current to 3-5 on the season."
++++++
Most Athletic Feat: Khalif El-Salaam
Running from sideline to sideline (40 yards)...on his knees. My knees have threatened to go on strike if I ever pull a stunt like this.
Oh, did you mean this video? @PhillyAMP @bamasecs @sludgebrown @SinTheFields @khalifygreens pic.twitter.com/LTYftFw0Zb— Christopher Mazur (@chrismazur) December 21, 2016
++++++
Best in-print forms of Ultimate
Ultimate Outsider novel by Alexander Rummelhart
"Skyd" (magazine) by Skyd Magazine
Fast Count! children's book by Hechter/Neugeboren
++++++
Best Films on Ultimate: All-Star Tour Documentary
All-Star Ultimate Tour: The Documentary by Alex Axworthy covers the inaugural 2015 tour and its effect on the players and the tour's impact in the ultimate community.
Honorable Mentions:
Bad Lip Reading by Chicago Machine
Fulcrum's coverage of Women's Division at Club Nationals
Flatball - a History of Ultimate Frisbee
++++++
Persons to be given a round of applause that crescendos into a standing ovation.
Qxhna Titcomb
As the founder and creator of the successful All-Star Ultimate Tour, Qxhna is a charismatic leader. She's someone whose passion, energy and intelligence are poured into every project she is involved with. The ulti community is better because of her work on and off the ultimate field.
Isaac Saul
Isaac is a reporter and journalist who covers politics (an important job I would never want). Isaac played on Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (AUDL) and New York PoNY in the 2016 seasons. He's known for his o-line knack on the ultimate field while showing deft skills in his career. His A Plus posts are a refreshing take on the world, while his Twitter account is a public arena where he regularly defends facts, his opinions, his profession, his background, and - when necessary - the sport of ultimate.
##
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
@USAUltimateLive Walks into a Bar
During USA Ultimate's 2016 D-I College Championships, USAU's Twitter account for live event tweeting was on fire. Relive the glory of @USAUltimateLive:
#d1natties So who here likes playing indoor ultimate? pic.twitter.com/kpk2I1k9vJ— USA Ultimate Live (@USAUltimateLive) May 30, 2016
#d1natties To the person who (accidentally) ran off with the cleats of observer @mgdmitch, please return them. #youcantfillhisshoes— USA Ultimate Live (@USAUltimateLive) May 29, 2016
#d1natties #funfact 2009 was the last time that @ATLchain had such an impact on a national championship.— USA Ultimate Live (@USAUltimateLive) May 30, 2016
#d1natties #WMN semi: Shofner is listed as 8'5" in the event guide. #weseewhatyoudidthere pic.twitter.com/l4yYpnhgX0— USA Ultimate Live (@USAUltimateLive) May 29, 2016
#d1natties Thanks for putting up with that live tweeting experiment. Was worth a try, but felt too much like this: pic.twitter.com/RVMsPDWpSR— USA Ultimate Live (@USAUltimateLive) May 28, 2016
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