Has the UK ever had a go at running a tournament with observers? Why go extreme with MLU when there's not even been a more UPA style event with observers run yet. Additionally while there are some positives to experimentation like this, this MLU idea has some pretty negative associations and some rather negative people associated with it in the USA where it was initially tried. With that in mind I do agree with the request to know who's behind it. Sending an email announcing it signed as essentially anonymous (mlu.uk) almost indicates an acknowledgement that the idea may invoke a negative response.
Do a little searching on rec.sport.disc and you can find lots of similar banter along with some history of MLU. You can start with this recent link (you might need a google account to read it) that came out before it was announced on britdisc. * WILL THE UK SURPASS THE USA IN THE PROGRESSION OF ULTIMATE. - http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.disc/t/fc7431c91c6834fd?hl=en This was written by a guy known as Toad or Ulticritic. He's a huge fan of the MLU. Search rec.sport.disc on him as well to get a good idea of his character. All that said, playing a tournament like this sounds like a blast as long is it isn't taking itself too seriously (which unfortunately almost by definition it seems to be). Steve 2009/1/13 Derryk Boyd <[email protected]>: > I personally welcome this experiment having moved back to playing more > football than ultimate due in part to several terrible self refereeing > experiences at Toms Tourney and WUGC last season. Some of the things I > experienced last season in ultimate have made me seriously consider my desire > to play the sport at the most competitive levels. > > While I think that Ultimate is a great sport and should be enjoyed by > millions of people, I think that only once you experience playing teams that > do not share the ideals of spirit of the game will you begin to question > ultimate's potential to grow beyond what it is at the minute as a competitive > sport. > > While MLU might not be the answer to this, I think it is good that people are > willing to try somthing new and I am very keen to experience it. I do not see > any reason why people who want to play ultimate cannot continue doing so and > people who want to try somthing different can do so also. So if this goes > ahead I will for sure be looking to get onto one of the lucky teams who get > to try it first. > > Derryk, > > Fusion # 6, Ireland # 9 > > --- On Mon, 12/1/09, MLU UK <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: MLU UK <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [BD] Major League Ultimate 2009 > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, 12 January, 2009, 11:38 PM > > First off, apologies for the error in the date suggested, it would be the > 18th and 19th. > At the moment this will be open division only. There is of course, potential > to open it up to womens in the future depending on how successful it is. > Invitations have not been issued, details about this will follow when they > are 100% finalised, but the way the teams will be selected will involve each > of the top 3-4 university teams from each region being allocated slots on > the team (for example, 1st gets 4 places, 2nd gets 3 etc). The university > core of each team will then select open players by invitation, or by > selection from requests. > Spectator-wise there have been no plans made as of yet, as it is the first > time the tournament is being run and therefore level of spectator interest > is so far unknown. > We will be using four referees, who will be selected out of availability for > regular, weekly trainings in manchester to practice the application of the > rules, and the use of a whistle in an Ultimate game. > > We would like to further re-iterate that this is in no way an attempt to > change the way ultimate is played generally in the UK. > __________________________________________________ > BritDisc mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.fysh.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/britdisc > Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/staying-informed > > > > > __________________________________________________ > BritDisc mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.fysh.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/britdisc > Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/staying-informed > -- ------------------ __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [email protected] http://www.fysh.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/staying-informed
