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From: "Rich Hims" <scs0rrh@LUCS-03.NOVELL.LEEDS.AC.UK>
Organization: University of Leeds
To: "sarah gibbons" <nakedultimate@hotmail.com>, britdisc@csv.warwick.ac.uk
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 12:48:37 -0000
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Subject: Re: Tough on drugs, tough on the causes of drugs
Reply-to: rich8@mail.com
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Initial disclaimer: Please don't come back to me with the "it was a
light-hearted way of voicing my criticism" argument - we've all heard
that before, and this kind of attitude does nothing to further the kind
of sensible debate that is needed on either the current issue of
drugs, or any of the other important debates that BritDisc is used
for.
Ben's post about "bringing the game into disrepute" boils down
quite sensibly to the fact that the sport is self-refereeing. He quite
clearly implies that he wouldn't want to police what should really be
common sense to most people.
Ben works damn hard [along with others who have received this
type of unnecessary and hurtful criticism in the past] to keep
Ultimate in this country alive and well. He is acting in the sport's
best interests to ensure that we don't suffer horrendously from
adverse publicity. Whilst I'm sure he'd welcome intelligent
discussion on the issue, quoting "anonymous protestors" in a
banal and immature post like yours is a long way from either
intelligent or discussion.
Although I'm loathe to enter the ranks of the "we've all had smoked
at some time in the past, but we have a public image to consider"
brigade [it's a very half-hearted response, in my opinion], the fact
remains that we _do_ have a public image to consider. Surely
we're all aware that the representation of the truth is often more
important than the truth itself. If we want Ultimate to be a serious,
competitive, enjoyable sport that continues to grow in the country,
then we all need to take an adult attitude towards our part in that
sport and how we choose to represent ourselves as a community.
As Ben suggested, if Ultimate could be seen as a self-refereeing
sport both on and off the pitch, it would do us the world of good.
I dislike having to repeat what others have said many times in the
past, but when we get the same kind of ill-considered and unhelpful
comments on Britdisc, it appears that people do need reminding
that sensible discussion will bring us all nearer a golden mean, but
that jibes and insults and puerile sarcasm gets us nowhere and
instead only serves to irritate those who do so much for the game
that we all claim to love.
Final Disclaimer: I realise that at time this e-mail meanders a little,
but to make it more concise would involved tying in the thread of
"let's all talk about where we want Ultimate to be in 10 years time",
and that's a debate that I don't want to claim responsibility for
starting yet again.
On 5 Mar 2001, at 9:49, sarah gibbons wrote:
> Tough on Drugs, Tough on the causes of Drugs!
> BUF secretary Ben Ravilious unveiled his tough new stance on drug
> abuse within the ultimate community today. At a press conference held
> at his local shop in Leicester, Mr Ravilious claimed that he was
> prepared to take "draconian measures" against any athletes who
> wilfully "bring the game into disrepute."
>
> "Quite frankly, some of these things that ultimate players get up to
> at tournaments is outrageous! I once saw a player leaving an
> off-licence with four whole cans of Stella! This is a serious sport
> for serious people, we'll have no trouble!" Mr Ravilious exclaimed,
> before resuming his online game of Connect-4 with his Peruvian penpal.
>
> Some of the more radical members of the community are shocked by the
> BUF hardman's tough stance. "It's an open cry of fascism," decried one
> anonymous protestor, from an unknown location in Nottingham. "Who the
> f*ck to the BUF think they f**king are? Ann F**cking Widdecombe?"
>
> The Society for the Promotion of Naked Ultimate also expressed some
> concerns. In an official statement to the press, a representative
> stated that while they had no problems with certain restrictions on
> prizes, they had reservations about some of the more broad-reaching
> measures. "Indeed, last year, at a tournament we hosted, we were going
> to present each team with a king-size dildo. But after careful
> consideration, we realised that we might offend the highly active
> ultimate-playing Eunuch community, and some of britain's male players
> with deeper psychological insecurities."
>
> The restrictions imposed upon any game of naked ultimate by a British
> citizen are explicit. All nude players are now required apply for a
> permit 6 months before the game takes place. Permits will not be
> granted to anyone with a criminal record or with an unduly large
> member (size to be decided by two-thirds majority of a committee of
> Druid players with no less than 20 years playing experience each)
> Similar limitations are to be applied to anyone wishing to roll a
> spliff in a discraft 175.
--
Rich, Jedi
rich8@mail.com Tel: 07968 248529
www.leedsjedi.com