CUFF...ugh

Two weeks late. I would blame this on me falling disastrously ill immediately following the tournament, but I honestly just didn't want to write about it that much.

Left Durham on Friday to make the five-plus hour drive North to Maryland. The tournament would be at the same fields as Roll Call the previous year, but unlike Princeton's visit there, we had no surplus of members who made their home in the DC-metropolitan area. Then again, Comfort Suites is disgustingly nice for a frisbee team.

Highlight of the drive: Stopping for almost an hour at a weird rest stop in VA, complete with Wendy's, weird quarter gambling machine, crazy knit hats (purchased by Tommy) and a low-rent iTrip that never was made to successfully work.

Second highlight: Driving through Richmond at 8 and listening to the Hot 5 at 8 (back in my day it was the top 8 at 8, standards have really gone down...). First two songs were both political remixes. The best was the remix of Pop Champagne entitled Barack Campaign which goes: "We voted for a change and now we made it, no disrespect to McCain and Palin, we rocked the vote now we celebratin', President Barack and VP Biden...we pop champagne for Barack campaign". Unfortunately, the remainder of the songs were women lamenting about their men. Odds that Joe Biden thought he'd be mentioned in a hip-hop song, VERY LOW.

Saturday:

Rolled up to the fields to discover that it was kind of windy. The fields were set up different than Roll Call and we ended up pretty much upwind-downwind for our first game against Maryland alumni. Princeton was two fields away and I got to say hi to the kids that made the trip (I'm looking at Tomi and Matt Cheng...). As we got ready to start, the Alums had already started drinking. I did enjoy their "Eagle Sucks" hats.

Maryland Alums, 10-9

We broke twice to start the game and then gave them back, but got the last break to take half up one, 7-6. After half we got two breaks to go up 9-6, then gave back three straight to tie at 9s, double game point. We worked it down after a turnover and put it in to win.

The guys were fun and would have been a better team (probably better than us) had they a) not all been at least two drinks in and b) not been out of frisbee for 2-4 years. Cuneo threw sick shit as per normal. Hempstead also played baller. I missed a sick layout D at shoulder height, only to realize that my man had caught the disc even though I trucked him.

UPenn, 7-9

Apparently, Duke lost to these guys last year badly. This year started better with us going up two breaks early 3-1. Then we gave them back and got broken again. We trailed at half 7-5. The wind really picked up from about halftime of the Maryland Alums game to this game and it was solid upwind-downwind. We traded the rest of the way, although we had a couple of chances to convert, in particular at least two turns within five yards of the upwind endzone. Just unacceptable offense.

Spent a good portion of my D points playing on Aman Nalavade, who played for Pike this year. Real fast kid who I would love to play under more normal conditions. Missed a layout D on him to save the game. I knew he'd stutter-step the cut to the cone (it's the Pike endzone cut), but I thought I could bait it a little. We'd get a rematch against this team, but this loss was still really unsatisfying.

Maryland X, 8-5

By far the strangest game of the tournament. Game opened up with the weather starting to get even worse. Wind got gusty and a little bit of rain started falling. Our play got much worse for some reason including some poor decisions by the O-line (this was kind of a theme, but I can't say the D-line strategy was any better) and Maryland went up 5-1. We scored and got the turn and then...the heavens opened. Seriously, sideways rain, hail and lightning.

Horns start sounding for all of us to get the fuck out of dodge. Teams on the far field apparently didn't hear, so while most of us were huddling freezing in the pavillion some teams kept playing and a couple Maryland kids went streaking. When the weather finally broke (about twenty minutes later), we were given the okay to restart.

And lo and behold the weather was clear. A little bit of mist, but absolutely NO WIND. So we restarted the game and either Maryland forgot how to play in normal weather or we're just that badass. Either way we scored six straight to win the game. Guarded Freddy Tsai (ME FoTY last year) who is quick. Scored on him to win the game. Another guy I would like to play again in better weather/situations.

The crossover game was cancelled so we finished 2-1 and second in our pool. The schedule would've had us play GW Alums, but Reuben hooked me up and rearranged the schedule for Duke to play Princeton on Sunday.

That evening we made a really inept caravan into the city to watch Quantum of Solace. I saw Jackie Bello, who was in DC for a funeral (weird coincidence). After a big dinner in the food court (yey enchiladas), we hit up the theatre which was comically overpriced and left the team with mixed feelings. I enjoyed it. When we returned, ice baths ensued for Berendes and Hagan. I pussed out after about five minutes. Ah well.

Sunday:

Weather got a lot colder. Seriously, barely above freezing. Add in 15 mph winds going crossfield and the weather was worse than Saturday, where it had been shitty.

Princeton, 11-6

Playing the old team was weird. Really weird. I knew everyone on the team and so match-ups were kind of fun. Berendes on Petums was entertaining, although Berendes left the game thinking my old team thought he was a dick. Overall, the game was pretty calm and uneventful. I got skyed by Brain and point-blocked by Michael Gibbs. Also scored the game winner (I think).

Old team looked much-improved from last year, although they could really use the old seniors. Isaiah and Bergman in particular really stepped up. Also, Isaiah's "Which Nut?" skills have improved tremendously. He totally tooled me in our impromptu game. Just you wait for better weather and my new secret twist.

Queens-Kingston, 11-13

I've never liked the Canadians and this game got a little heated with calls. Also demonstrated how terrible the weather was in relation to the quality of the ultimate. We got a couple breaks early and then gave a lot of them back as they threw a very aggressive zone. They took half 8-4.

After half, we decided to respond with a zone of our own, which worked to run off six straight to take the lead 10-8. They started to break our zone and scored twice to tie. We scored and then they replied to tie at 11s, game to 13. We then threw a Callahan and dropped an easy pass, which lead to an easy score, for them to take the game.

They ended up winning the tournament, but I think we would have the upper hand on a less windy day. They had some decent handlers and some decent cutters, but I was unimpressed with any one of their players in both areas. We got a good number of turns playing tight defense on their handlers and I think that would be just as doable in better weather.

UPenn, 13-8

Some of their players weren't suited up for the game and we were all freezing. We took the lead with five or six straight points and then both teams started playing a lot of their rookies. I only played two points in the second half, both guarding Aman again, in which both of us managed to do...nothing. Seriously, I want a rematch with better weather.

After the game, both GW and our team were frozen to the core, so we hit up the cars and got going. Stopped after an hour to eat some strip mall food (low-rent Chinese...yum!) and then booked it home. I went to sleep expecting to wake up ready to die and I did. Ended up sleeping for 36 of the next 48 hours and skipped two days of school. Decent tournament (ended up tied for 5th), but the weather was so awful I'm not sure we learned much other than how to play zone in shitty weather.

I'm done for the fall now, although I should be bringing reports in January (ACC tournament), February (Vegas, hopefully) and beyond. Also, some stuff regarding C1 might be discussed and I may or may not die from law school exams.

Pictures may be posted if anyone was stupid enough to have their hands exposed to the elements for that long.