Review: AUDL Detroit Mechanix

Next in the series evaluating the 8 AUDL team logos and nicknames.

Team: Detroit Mechanix // Website: http://detmechanix.com/

Colors: Burgundy, Black, Grey // Representation: City

Disc within logo?: No. // Ultimate element in team name?: No, not really; Yes, in an abstract way. (motion)

History/Research: Detroit, dubbed the Motor City, because of being the center of American automotive industry.

First impression(s): Though misspelled, team name has interesting double meaning: 1) those who fix autos [whom I generally distrust]; 2) physics (velocity, acceleration & momentum). Design resembles the Fling A Ring toy. No actual hurricane has ever been observed in Michigan under the true definition of a hurricane.

Jeremiah's Eval: "MECHANIX" appears to be on two different planes because the outside letters have a thicker outline than the inside letters. With the apparent auto theme, the gear seems to make sense, but the "hurricane" behind the gear seems a bit out of place. The outline on the gear is not connected on the top section, leaving artifacts that look like tiny spikes and are a sign of amateur work. The font used for "MECHANIX" appears to be from a tech company, in 1999.

Jeremiah's Grade: C

What are your thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?

Review: AUDL Columbus Cranes

Next in the series evaluating the 8 AUDL team logos and nicknames.

Team: Columbus Cranes // Website: http://www.columbuscranes.com/

Colors: Blue, White, Orange // Representation: City

Disc within logo?: Yes. //  Ultimate element in team name?: Yes. (flight)

History: The sandhill crane is an endangered species within the state of Ohio. Among the oldest living species of birds, dating back 2.5 million years. Perhaps the most unique characteristic of the sandhill crane is its tendency to dance. Although an integral part of their courtship, they can be seen dancing any time of the year.

First impression(s): A conservancy group for egrets. Stork delivery service of baby discs. Kinda like CRANE Plumbing logo...

Jeremiah's Eval: Using Arial as the typeface makes me think there was not much thought put into font choice in addition to the bad letter spacing. "AUDL" is placed on the disc so there is a sliver of color after the "L"... why not make it look centered on the disc with good spacing all around. Some of the lines in the wings of the crane are too scribbly to be read as feathers.

Jeremiah's Grade: C

What are your thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?

Review: AUDL Indy AlleyCats

Next in the series evaluating the 8 AUDL team logos and nicknames.

Team: Indianapolis AlleyCats // Website: http://myalleycats.com/

Colors: Green, Black, Red // Representation: City

Disc within logo?: Yes. Tho, looks like a hockey puck. //  Ultimate element in team name?: No.

History/Research: There was a CBA/ABA basketball team - Indiana Alley Cats. Further, stray & feral ("alley") cats are the greatest source of cat overpopulation. Indianapolis Animal Care and Control (IACC) can't save and support the overwhelming number of accidental litters, stray and family cats brought to the shelter doors everyday. Nearly 72% of the cats that enter government-run city shelters are killed due to lack of resource. There is a national advocacy group for Alley Cats (two words)...

First impression(s): Better a feline > canine so as to not feed into the stereotype that Ultimate includes dogs! Looks like a Cat Rescue League logo that uses large collars.

Jeremiah's Eval: Is it windy in Indy? Or maybe they are just prickly. Good illustration of the cat, it could be simplified for better reproduction, but it looks like it has a tire around its neck, I am not sure if that is supposed to be a disc, if it is maybe the cat just got decapitated. I am ambivalent about the font, nothing special. But the knockout between the two "L"s needs to be resolved, if the kerning is reduced the sliver of space between them is gone.

Jeremiah's Grade: B

What are your thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?

Review: AUDL Connecticut Constitution

First in the series evaluating the 8 AUDL team logos and nicknames.

Team: Connecticut Constitution // Website: http://www.ctconstitution.com/

Colors: Red, White, Blue // Representation: State

Disc within logo?: Yes. //  Ultimate element in team name?: No.

History: The original constitutions of Connecticut state influenced the US Constitution, as one of the leading authors was from New Haven (CT).

First impression(s): Could be a British army soldier (red coat) with a wicked inside-out throw; or, a patriotic reenactor who tosses vinyl records. The state name in and of itself relates to Ultimate more than the team name [Connect (when) I Cut]. Similar to old NE Patriots logo...

Jeremiah's Eval: Illustration is bad, although a good attempt for someone's first try at using Adobe Illustrator (I assume). Because of where the throwing hand is, it looks like the follow through for a flick, but the rough curved lines make it look like the "disc" was coming from across the front of the body indicating backhand. The whole design is very goofy. Whatever is being thrown is not a disc, especially not an Ultimate disc. I am trying to figure out what is going on with the malformed grey area inside the oval red shape. The typography leaves a lot to be desired.

Jeremiah's Grade: F-

What are your thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?

Eat More Beer

The first outing to MP was soooo intelligent, another opportunity to...EAT MORE  DRINK MORE BEER is scheduled.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 28. 7-10pm ET

WHERE: Meridian Pint
[3400 11th St NW; Washington, DC]

RSVP: To Joe

NOTE: Expect Trivia Night; and they do clean their pipes and tubes on Tues night/Weds morning so the beer will be fresh & clean!

AUDL "Curb Appeal"

Quite an evolution for the inaugural 8 AUDL teams since the pro ultimate league announcement. From selecting cities, organizing tryouts, selecting rosters, to selling tickets and merch. The first pull is April 14, 2012!

One of the more fascinating aspects of the AUDL is the team names. So important that "Ultimate - The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man" dedicates one chapter ['Choosing a Name for Your Ultimate Team'] on this subject.

Think about professional leagues and how certain team names would be received if released today...
White Sox! Really, Chicago? Lions! Why in Detroit? Wild! Most abstract, Minnesota. Jazz! Doesn't sound right Utah. Of course, history can explain team names, a relocation may influence given names, an update may occur based on the newest trendy color, marketing/branding advice may get in the way, etc...

Ultimate has an awesome opportunity to display itself as: 1) a top-level sport & 2) a professional sport with the American Ultimate Disc League. Knowing the importance of first impressions, I'd rather opinions be influenced by the display of on-field athleticism and competition; not by the team's image. So, COMING SOON...an insight/critique of nicknames & logos for the eight AUDL teams.

from the AUDL Webpage 'Teams'

Thanks in advance to the review panel: Sludge teammate RacHel, and Jeremiah Boncha [founder asteriskthreads.com + rimagives.org & also at bonchadotdiscs.tumblr.com].

RECAP of the 2012 AUDL logos.

Oops Positive

What happens by accident during the Ultimate game is something you may very well want to make happen again quite intentionally.

Week 2: Cancelled

Game cancelled due to inclement weather.

Ultimate Tragedy

Bruising News

Sludge doctors examined CHarlie's left knee that was bumped during another friendly weekend basketball game. They officially diagnosed him with a bruise behind the knee aggravating already worn-&-torn "leg elbows".

Bagged frozen vegetables are helping to reduce swelling. Crutches were used for the first few days to help with sympathy (& pending lawsuit). A full recovery is expected after 2 weeks of no ulti & no b'ball.

Resting, Defrosting, & Grading 

Ultimate Line Chart

Per the 11th Edition rules for playing Ultimate, IX. In- and Out-of-bounds, A. The entire playing field is in-bounds. The perimeter lines are not part of the playing field and are out-of-bounds.
REMEMBER: the end zone line is not part of the end zone.

Week 1: Game to 15?

Sludge's play started strong in the first half of the first spring game. Scores by Bucci, and then Steve gave a rare early lead; 2-0. Zone D showed its teeth with some goal line stances. Allowing drops/forcing turnovers keyed offense transitions – like the score flow of Andrew-to-Nigel-to-MicHael-to-Bucci-back to-MicHael-back to-Nigel , 5-1. Joe hucked, Jen & RacHel caught scores, and Sludge dictated pace to their favor, 8-6.

As teams do at half, sides were switched, but so did the sidelines due to a field shift to make room for another Ultimate game at Sligo.

Sludge worked hard for every second half point. David led a patient O point with a throw to Christy; 9-6. CHarlie threw a hanger to Bucci for a one point lead; 10-9. CHris remarked "[This game is] ours to lose."

Temperatures were heating up as Sludge’s offense was slightly cooling down. First and second throws happened early in the stall count, but successive cuts were lacking. Swung discs/break mark throws helped fuel brown; 12-9.

Points were longer and more contested; 12-10. Sludge turnovers increased; 12-11. A pull was not caught; 12-12. Points were not as easy to come by as felled acorns.

At 12-13, Sludge challenged Le Chomp's upfield throws, and led 15-14 in a capped game to 16. At universe point, brown maximized their playing time, yet could not sustain another flow into the end zone.
Loss 15-16.

US Open Championships

This "US Open" is not tennis-related; instead USO is ALL ABOUT ULTIMATE.

U.S. Open Ultimate Championships
More than just a tournament, the U.S. Open event by USA Ultimate is a celebration of Character, Community, and Competition. The goal is to feature a major international competition (tournament games) as well as an Ultimate Convention (similar to the Organizers' Conference) for athletes, fans, and organizers from around the world.

Dates: July 4-8, 2012

Location: Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

View the Schedule of Activities/Plan your trip.

Women's League in DC

Awesome enrichment for Ultimate proliferation in DC.  

Spring Women's Ultimate League [WAFC]

Info: Open to female players of all skills & experience levels, this league is geared towards the learning and development of women's Ultimate in the DC metro area. Weekly skills clinics (at 8pm) will precede league play (at 9pm). From April 5 thru May 10, 2012 on Thursday evenings from 8-10pm.

Cost: $25 / player -- Online Registration.

Unreasonable Request

If you're following doctor's orders, then knock it down 25% - 50%.

Unseasonably warm weather can bring problems [wtop. 3.16.12]

Forecasters say it's going to be a gorgeous weekend and many may decide to enjoy the warm weather by going out for a jog or another form of exercise (e.g. Ultimate).

But with unseasonable warmth can come unseasonable problems. That's because people aren't used to the warmer weather.

"That's a set-up for danger," says Dr. Gary Little, medical director at George Washington University Hospital. "Whatever you're used to doing, scale it back, maybe do 50 to 75 percent of what you normally do."

Another word of caution: Don't forget to hydrate.

Aisle 28

"Sports is the toy department
of human life."
-- Howard Cosell (1918-1995)

Sludge continues playing on Saturday - their 28th season!

Elbow Swing

The pictured forehand uses a full body motion. Looks more like a contortionist performance with a very flexible elbow + wrist, than an Ultimate player.

Queensland Open Championships (March 2012, Australia) [WhattheTim]

Some Signs of a Player not using their Elbow when Throwing a Forehand [ThinkUlti]

• The disc turns over in flight (too much outside in)
• The player thrusts their hips forward and shoulders back as they throw a forehand.
• The elbow remains close to the waist before or after the throw.
• The player cannot throw a wide forehand.
• The player is using a split finger grip (so they can hold the disc out horizontally, without it flopping down). Holding the disc vertically removes this need...

Practice a forehand throwing motion several times & then throw, emphasizing 2 things:
1. Rolling your wrist under, not over, so it finishes palm up
2. Moving your elbow through

AUDL Ticket Sales

The opening pull of the American Ultimate Disc League is one month away - April 14! You already know the best vantage point, so all you need now is tickets.

Four of the 8 AUDL teams are currently selling tickets online; kudos to Mechanix, Alley Cats, Revolution & Constitution! Four, two, one, zero teams still to go...

Screen shots of websites

Spring 2012 Schedule

Spring 2012
Week# : Date : Time : @ Location [updated 05/15/2012]
-->Find fields

Week 1: March 17: 9am @ Sligo #1A

Week 2: March 24: 2pm @ Montgomery Hills #2

Week 3: March 31: 2pm @ Montgomery Hills #1

Week 4: April 7: 2pm @ Anacostia #2

Week 5: April 14: 2pm @ Anacostia #2

Week 6: April 21: 10am @ Key #1

Week 7: April 28: 10am @ Key #1

Week 8: May 5: 4pm @ Sligo #2A

:Pool Play:
May 19: 10am, 12pm, 2pm @ Polo Fields


:Tournament:
June 3: TBD

Obvious Answer

Well, of course!!!
This web-isode of '7 Minutes in Heaven' features Tracy Morgan.
[At 1:18] Question: Please finish this sentence.
The one non-food item that I wish could eat...


Tracy Morgan: Frisbee.

Frisbee Rush at your Fingertips

Knowing the comparisons of handheld devices and a frisbee, why not virtually combine them? Phone + Frisbee = PHrisbee.

Frisbee Rush from unit9 is a mobile controlled Desktop/TV arcade game, allowing for anyone to use their Smartphone to throw Frisbees into a game environment on their Desktop or TV. Player(s) can choose to use real throw gestures or flick the Frisbee on the mobile screen to slice through and destroy anything on the big screen. The aim is to fend off invading alien monsters in a 3D city with your disc throwing skills.

The player is confronted with a cityscape being invaded by alien monsters, prepared to save the human population of the alien threat, the player will soon relies that the monsters have not come to the city to destroy it, but are instead here to defend it! The longer you can survive, the further you will progress in the game and gradually discover new and harder game levels.

Frisbee/Frizbee Rush plans to be available in Spring 2012 in the App Store, Android Market, Chrome Web Store & compatible with Google TV.


Frisbee Rush from unit9 on Vimeo.

View a demo here:

Spring Forward

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday morning at 2am.

At which time, you lose one hour of sleep forward your clock one hour ahead. Alternatively, you may also set your clocks ahead prior to slumber time. Your choice on how to obey the ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 (an act to ensure jobs for our future with secure, affordable, and reliable energy).

Comparison: iPad3 vs Frisbee

How the updated iPad3/iPad HD/iPad iOS 5.1 compares to the ever popular frisbee:
Green text = Denotes update from iPad2.

Price: $499-$829 // ~$10

Weight (lbs): 1.44 lbs // 0.385808 lbs

Weight (grams): 652 g // 175 g

Height: 9.5 inches // 10.75 inches

Width: 7.31 inches // 10.75 inches

Depth: 0.37 inches // 1.25 inches

Corners: Rounded // None

Display: 2048 x 1536 pixels // 70 x 40 x 25 yards

Finger-operated: Yes // Yes

Processor: 1 GHz quad-core // Bi-ped human

Accessibility: Universal // Universal

Color: Black or White // Rainbow assortment

Weatherproof: No // Yes

Battery-life: 9-10 hours // Endless

Drop-test: Fail // Pass

Available: March 2012 // Since 1950's

View a past comparison: Angry Birds & Ultimate

ultimate Outdoor Game

Less dangerous than this frisbee, but more humane than this game.

Fling A Ring (FAR)

Info: FAR claims to be the new "ultimate" outdoor backyard game. From horseshoes to washers, ladders to frisbee golf, it captures the skill set of them all! The unique locking features assist in the disc catching and locking to the opposite post for points. It is a cross between horseshoes (except light and safe), disc golf (without needing a course), & the good old fashion “Jarts” (minus the sharp points and lawsuits).

4 total disks (2 blue; 2 red) + 2 posts.

How to Play:
1 point if the throwing ring is within a disc length of the post.
2 points if the disc hits the any part of the opposite post.
3 points if the disc is within the finger locking features of the disc.
4 points if the disc is locked in the small circle on the disc.
The game is to 21 and you must win by 2 points.

Price: $39.95

Dangerous Disk

From "FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin" (1970's)

Dangerous Disk: A harmless toy, commonly referred to as a "frisbee," can be converted into an usual weapon, as recently discovered by the Cincinnati, Ohio Police Department (See above photograph.) When embedded with razor blades, this toy could cause serious injury or possible death when thrown at an unsuspecting victim, It was confiscated from a 4th degree black belt karate expert, who claimed it to be part of his arsenal of self defense...
[found by Crap Archivist]

Ultimate Habit

CUE: Time to register for the Ultimate frisbee league.

ROUTINE: Play Ultimate.

REWARD: Joy. Camaraderie. Fun.

Repeat next season. Again & again...

beautifULTIMATE

Ultimate has turned a corner! Athleticism is an important tenet of understanding Ultimate (frisbee)...

Highlighting

The comic captures what happens in many of the great highlights from women on the Ultimate field.

SOURCE: HA-TO Images

Read All About It: ultimATHLETE

Don't let the title fool you - this is a full-body fitness handbook designed specifically for Ultimate players. More than just lunges and crunches!  

The Ultimate Athlete Handbook [Skyd Store] 

Info: The Ultimate Athlete Handbook - a guide forging optimal fitness specifically for the sport of Ultimate. The e-book includes sample workouts, training explanations, & video demos, plus  super action photos from UltiPhotos.com. Fantastic for all levels to developing a more serious training foundation for the sport. Also, an excellent resource for more serious athletes to augment their training regimen. By Melissa Witmer [UltimateResults].

Best Line: But, isn't chasing plastic a lot more fun when you are the one making the big plays, staying healthy & winning? -- Tim Morrill (Morrill Performance)

Format: PDF e-book (50 pages / 17.6 MB)

Price: $15.00 ($1 of sales donated to Ultimate Peace.)

Do Over: February 2012

Catch up on last month's noteworthy posts you may have missed...

Reducing "Down in Front!"

Hey caLiforniA Beaches, a Frisbee is not a ball.

Arab Spring Uprising

Who said 'This is the ultimate game'?