1997 OP-ED PIECE ON THE STATE OF MEDIA RELATIONS

What does the 'Mass Media' think of Ultimate? What do we want it to think of us?

I think the answer is partially obvious. There are too many sports out there already, and the disdain Ultimate has shown the media community has not encouraged them to take interest in our sport. On both sides of the coin there is an amount of egotism involved that prevents the two from forming a happy marriage, or at least a second date.

The mainstream sports media is composed of educated and cocksure men and women who keep their focus on events that reveal the depth of the human character. Often they feel that they themselves must extract this human condition through their coverage, and only with this illumination can the nature of the sport itself be known. In other words, if it wasn't covered [as an event] then it wasn't worth it.

There is no doubt that Ultimate is a wonderful sport that strikes the heart of competition and deserves a place in the archives of International Sports. But the veneer that we as Ultimate players maintain is merely haughty, goofy, and lacking in perspective. It is this image that clouds the glare of the media and prevents us from opening up our sport.

I think that too often Ultimate trys too much to live up to its namesake. We first must realize that it is a sport like any other, and belongs wholly to the whim of sport itself. Once we acknowledge this and "get off our high horse", as one player has commented, then we can focus on the truly unique and exciting aspects of Ultimate that make it such a great addititive to daily life.

But we shouldn't be chastised for our behavior, nor encourage "selling out". Rather we need to erect a more dedicated and competent platform for our sport. From there we can project a truer image of Ultimate without allowing the microscopic gaze of sensationalist media hogs from trampling our fields and our spirit. The platform of Ultimate can instead rise above the media and project to them our own images.

We need to acknowledge our position as a sport and not as a lifestyle. All sports are lifestyles, ours is no different. We need to let the sport itself grow and mutate without imposing reactionary rules and knee-jerk reactions [like the sudden abandonment of Cuervo tournaments and Bic sponsorship in the early 90's]. All sports grow, ours is no different. The Ultimate that most of us enjoy we never go away. Now think about that a second - we all love different aspects of Ultimate, do we not? We need to give all of them more breathing room.

A radical idea that makes a lot of sense? Why doesn't the UPA work with the NUA? It is absurd to think that one will survive while the other does not. The UPA should support the NUA with money. In turn the NUA with its interests in advertising and capitalism could serve as the promotional arm of Ultimate that the UPA so desperately lacks. I am not suggesting that they unite as one, but it is clear that we are only damaging the freedom of the sport itself by continuing to hamper its growth in new directions.

We as a community have been taking some steps in the right direction (i.e. the direction most of us seem to be drifting towards). Whether we like it or not, we will soon be faced with a very real media interest in Ultimate. Again, it is the sport itself that will come to the forefront.

So let's start yee-hawing and yippee-kay-yaying because it's time we grow up and start cavorting with the opposite sex (the media). Everyone soak yer frisbees in gin and swing yer partner round and round. Last one still standing on the dance floor with disc in hand wins!

This was published in the UPA Newsletter. Hey, I was only 24 at the time.

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