Big crowd, no rain...

Submitted by Bill

With thunderstorms in the forecast when I came in yesterday, I decided to schedule a racquetball game with Ink & Visor instead. So of course, when some of the other whiny regulars shuffled in yesterday, notably Phil & Rodney, they wanted to know why we weren’t playing. And Rodney didn’t wait for an answer, he just called for a game. And as it turns out, it never rained at all yesterday and the 3 racquetball players came out for Ultimate anyway and we had 15! Or at least until Jason gimped off the field after pulling his calf. First game back after being gone at school. Hopefully not your last game before you leave J, that would be a lousy way to have to go. But it was good to see you out.

We also had a new player out yesterday. Everybody give a warm Buzzard welcome to KellyR from Rodney & Jorge’s shop. She got to experience the rumbling of Wings bearing down on her as she was getting ready to catch one. Hopefully that didn’t cause any PTUD (Post Traumatic Ultimate Disorder) and she’ll come back out.

Like most games when we have 7’s or more on either side, it was crowded and we had to find some passing lanes. Those were tough as I remember Conrad, Todd, Dennis, Phil & Eric all knocking discs out of the air in the endzone. Of course Conrad’s stellar defensive play went for naught as Tom & MattP were standing right there in the corner as the swatted disc fell in their collective hands. Bob also pulled in a deflection yesterday. Remember defense, hit them into the ground if you have the chance. With that many people any disc that stays up in the air probably has a good chance of landing in somebody’s hands. And if you hang around the end zone long enough…right Frank?...good things can happen (or bad depending on who’s team you’re on).

Okay folks, today is picture day!!!! Come on out at least for a team photo, even if you can’t play. If anybody is interested in taking some action shots during the game, that would be great. Maybe we’ll have enough where we can run a couple substitutes for each team and they can be the photographers.

Just a friendly reminder too about hydration. Yesterday was one of the first pretty humid days we’ve had out there. Please bring your water with you out on the field and don’t hesitate to call for a water break. We all need it and if you’re thinking it, then at least 3-4 other players are probably needing the break too. Or just run over to the sideline after a score if you don’t want to stop play. But please keep hydrated as we play…because you never know when the water won’t be there, like yesterday’s rain.

Who is the Ultimate Valentine?

Vincent Adolphus Valentine was a Jamaican cricket player, Stacy Valentine is a veteran of the adult film industry, Ryan Valentine is a Welsh soccer player, Josh Valentine is an Australian rugby player, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine was a professional wrestler, Howard Valentine ran the 800 meters for the U.S. in the 1904 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal, but the Ultimate Valentine is, of course, Saint Valentine. Turns out the guy is the patron saint of bee keepers. Hmmmm, that’s not quite as exciting as Cupid shooting arrows and all.

So, if you’re looking for that very unique Valentine’s present, get a jar of honey, explain the whole bee keeper thing and take a cue from one of Stacy’s old movie scenes…or…

Just come out and play some Ultimate today. The sun is out and we need a decent game to help one of our own, Visor, celebrate his birthday.

Rumor has it, that Coach Bob will be back out today as well. Haven’t seen him since before the holidays.

I think I’m taking a new nick name. I’d like to be called “Uno” in honor of the first Beagle to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show “Best in Show” award.

You go snoopy dog! By the way, Snoopy would have been a sick Ultimate player.

Super Fat Tuesday Game Day

Was it actually humid yesterday? Seems hard to believe but in the first week of February we were all in shorts and short sleeves and actually very warm yesterday during the game. Today is supposed to be even warmer.

While the temperature was great yesterday, the play was not…well at least not for the green team who, despite being a player up for the first part of the game, was getting beaten by gold’s quickness and accurate passing. Chasing Kash, Travis & Phil around is not ever easy but when you put me, Wings & MattC on the same team…well, we aren’t the fleetest of foot perhaps. Visor & Swinny were looking for spare parts.

So, it was a good turnout. CaptK & Conrad also joined us. Brook was a no-show…though he was careful to have an email waiting for me when I got back to the cube letting me know it was the first time he’d ever responded for a game and didn’t come out…and as far as I can remember, he’s right.

I understand the game on Monday featured new or returning players. Welcome BrianT & Chris. In fact I got emails from newer or resuming players yesterday saying Monday’s game needed recovery time before they could come back out.

Today should test your throwing skills if you venture out. The wind is supposed to be near 20mph. Don’t be intimidated though…that’s why Ultimate is played with that 175 grams of plastic…it can be done. So grab a friend or co-worker and come on out today. We’ll be missing a few regulars so we need some of you other, less frequent, or better yet new players, to come join us.

Happy belated Fat Tuesday Buzzards and readers…it was a Super Tuesday as well and while I’ll probably try and refrain from making any obviously partisan political comments here from time to time I may appeal to your social conscience as a citizen. For those of you that call the metro area home, the Maryland, D.C. & Virginia primaries are next week…get to your polls.

The Mud Bowl

~ first guest blog account...from Rodney.

Friday, January 11th, 2008

Once the solicitation email went out on a rainy Friday immediate responses were received to my surprise. We had Visor (which came in handy with the rain), Mallard, Phil, Kash, Rodney, Scott, Matt, and Travis.

The walk to the field was what I consider to be the longest walk yet. I figured by the time we got to the field the rain would stop and all would be well, but I think it only got harder.

The field was set and the teams were good to go. Play commenced and so did the mud! I must say that the field was worse than I thought it would be. 5 out of the 8 of us had cleats and the poor 3 that didn’t were all over the place. Travis and Mallard were slipping and sliding like they were trying out for the Olympic Figure Skating team.

Phil threw a short pass to Mallard about 6 inches behind his impressive reach and there went Mallard sliding on his shoes like a barefoot water skier would on a sunny day in FL. Then as impressive was his skiing so was the crash on to the muddy field.

Needless to say when the game was finished so was the field. The players had more mud than clean spots and not a dry piece of clothing existed.

All in all it was a great game. A rainy, muddy day on the Ultimate field is better than a dry good day in the cube!!!!

Today’s Forecast: Around 40 degrees, light breeze at 8 mph, steady rain and mud…. perfect. Game on!

Winter Fashions

The wind subsided a bit today which was nice. But it was pretty chilly out and Buzzards were ready for it. By the way, winter Ultimate makes for lousy fashion. You could see the all the necessary winter articles in the locker room, jeans, sweats, tights, watch caps, thermals, a down jacket , and a thong….a what? Yea, a pretty little silver thing that we wanted to all sign with a Sharpie and send back to its rightful owner…assuming of course the person who found it in their clothes wasn’t the rightful owner which brings to mind a bad visual and I’m feeling my lunch make an encore appearance…Also, there was some discussion as to whether or not all our signatures would fit, and well….we decided this was a conversation better had in the Impala.

So we trekked out to play in our winter garb. Football was also on today and at least 3 of our players had defected to play that. Hey Bob, how you liking that decision now? Twang!

We let Kash set up the field today and it may have been as wide as it was long which made for some interesting “field awareness” moments… “Hey Visor! You’re out of the end zone!”…Phil, just throw your arms out in front of you and jump…it’s called “laying out” and it won’t hurt on this nice tall grass before the field freezes over for the winter so do it….Now!!!!!

Finally somebody besides me got hit in the head. MattC aka Coach Brackett (very obscure movie reference) took the disc upside the bridge of his nose…minor blood…actually no more than was on the pennie that I had on which apparently served as the bandage to Kevin’s fingernail removal last week.

Seeing our even numbers, a new player appeared out of the trees…okay, he says it was a trailer over on McNair and Eliot (?) joined us for his first game with the Buzzards and made sure we again were playing with odd numbers. Embarrassingly enough, it didn’t really matter for a while and the 4 player team held its own with the 5 player team while Mallard cursed himself every other time down the field

We finished up in time to walk by the football game still in progress…and got to see Bob aka Defector….bounce one to his receiver…hmmmm, that doesn’t work in this sport either does it Bob? Enjoy your 3-day weekend and we’ll expect you to heal up and be back on the Ultimate field next week.

Pull!