In fact, in the last several months, I've been hearing sportsmanship stories far more compelling than anything that's happened in ultimate ever. Today in the Strib, there's a story of a girl whose opponents contributed to their own elimination of the playoffs by carrying her around the base pads after she hit her first career home run.
With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.Now that's a story.
But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.
She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.
Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count -- an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.
Anybody experienced anything like that at an ultimate tourney? I'm really curious.
3 comments:
Two ulty players are streaking deep for a huck. Defensive player makes up tons of yardage (blazing fast) and catches up to the offensive player, and then passes him. The defensive player is now looking to easily win the foot race to the huck and get the D, thanks to his tremendous athletic effort. However, the defensive player then starts to stumble and is probably about to fall down.
You are the offensive player - do you run past the stumbling guy and catch the score, or do you steady him to keep him from falling (knowing that if you do so you won't make the grab)?
Perfect analogy? No.
On the Ultimate example, if you are the offensive player, I think the right move is to go catch the disc. Part of getting the D is staying on your feet for the whole run, so steadying the defender isn't so much a sign of sportsmanship as it is a sign of roll-over-and-die syndrome, or something like that.
On the softball example, I'm not so sure the same is true. Whereas staying on your feet for the whole run in Ultimate is an integral part of making the play, I'm not sure that staying on your feet to round the bases is an integral part of a homer (again, I don't know enough about softball), so much as it is a ceremonial requirement post-amazing-play.
Then again, I don't know that much about softball.
I'll keep trying to think of a better analogy...
I´m too lazy to look it up but there is some iron man triatholon story like this. A woman was winning the race and completely fell apart with about 100 meters to go (130+ miles from the start). If any fans tried to help her finish she would be disqualified. One of the other racers stopped to help her up and carry her or limp with her to the finish.
i've been a tad disconcerted with general ultimate spirit in the last 2-3 years. it's gotten very... soccerish.
obviously i still love it, but it makes me sad to meet people who are so intense they take the love of the game out of it for everyone else. calm down punks, it's about the game, not you.
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