EOI for BUML bloggers

This is an EOI for people keen on doing the BUML preview each week. Jangles is too busy mastering the game of Mahjong and I've moved to Townsville to escape the Brisbane winter chill.

Ideally we'd love to have a dedicated blogger for each division. Someone who knows a bit about each team and more importantly is able to make plenty of in jokes that people in the division will get. You can only read about Goose, Atlas, the Pete Allen Niceness Scale and Reece so much before it gets old. Well, maybe not Atlas, that guy is awesome.

So if you think you've got some form of analytical skills and can turn a phrase, comment on this post or contact myself or Jangles. Or maybe even write something in the FB group. Yeah.

#bloggingaboutblogging

Is this the Stodgy Brisbane Ultimate Blog Retirement Village Now?

So, new BPL overlord AdsB has spoken - he is setting up a BPL blog for *everyone*, as well as a dedicated tipping competition!

So now the venerable Brisbane Ultimate Blog feels like a well loved toy that's being tossed into a corner and left for the roaches. Is this the end? Have we been moved from the stately BUB mansion to the stodgy BUB retirement village?

Well, we'll always have the archives.

(ps just to be very clear - we're kidding. AdsB's work is a good thing. BPL has LONG needed its own official website (and this has been glaring since the buml.quda.org site got up), the tipping thing should be entertaining, and while we can't see how a BPL blog could possibly be better than this one, we don't imagine we know everything over here.)

We Like To Keep Our Balls Close To The Wire

As you can see, the shit really hit the fan in January, when the blog went on hiatus. Since dstrel invaded the mansion, it's been all fun and games. JdR's return has definitely helped us toward our all time peak. Jason has truely inserted his column "Up The BUML" into must-read blogging culture.

Of course, we're keeping all our eggs in one basket, hoping for nearly 400 views on the last day of the month to take us past the June 2010 all time high. Such a feat has not been seen since last Wednesday!

So here's your chance to tell us whats up? Have you loved the Carl/Mansauce bromance smack? Is it the uncanny resemblance to the UQ blog format? Want more dodgy photoshop pictures? Less JdR? Perhaps increased Diversity? Should we stir the pot like the good ol' days or what?

Foiled Again!!

The Vote to Impeach has been shot down at the last minute. That pesky John Doe character remains at large.

I suppose the main benefit of having anonymous posting options is to allow people who don't have accounts to comment. Another benefit may be for someone who has a position of leadership who wants to draw attention to something without making an official statement from their position.

With almost half of us voting against the anonymous post, I encourage those who post anonymously to consider putting their name at the end of the post. Some of the time, the veiling of your identity makes your comments seem more aggressive, snide and generally inflammatory. It's OK to have a bit of a controversial poke around here, but put your name on it so that we can understand where you are coming from. If you feel like your comment may offend, this blog is probably not the place to be airing your frustrations, and perhaps you could consider appropriate channels for working these things out.

Double The Posting Power!

With JdR stubbornly settling into his granny-flat like a bad smell that won't go away (ala my Heroes shirt), the need for autonomy has arisen. Like any good family, especially those with political influence (ala Gaddafi and his sons), we do not discuss our personal opinions with one another and congruency is often lacking and publicly misunderstood.

Being of Old Royal Stock, JdR insists on using the "royal we". This throws matters into further confusion, and it should be understood that by we, he means me (as in him). Get it? I didn't think so.

So while JdR will use the royal we to represent himself, I will most likely use some stupid phrase like "Your Emperor" or when I'm being really cocky "Your Humble Narrator" (ala A Clockwork Orange, YHN), with capitals and all to demonstrate my understanding of true humility.


End Post.

In Summery

It seems like centuries ago that the JdR (RIP) announced that nothing happens over summer. While those at the former not-so-stately BUB mansion crammed on to the gold-plated hovercraft and headed to the beach.. while the fun-loving Monday Nighters were hitting the liquid training hard (It rained all summer, right?), our most elite girls and boys were ramping up their campaign... hitting the deck, sweeping the streets, running up mountains, meditating and climbing stairs on their assent to

Nationals - Brisbane 2011.

BUDA president (all-hail) Matt Ryan and a host of volunteers have been spending countless hours in preparation for hosting this event.

Black Betty and Firestorm started their campaign in November, with a short break over Christmas before coming back strong to shake off any notions of Christmas contentment. Both squads have successfully put two teams through Regionals,

Firestorm attending the most competitive Northern Regional Tournament in recent memory, with Slam Town (Gold Coast) and Villains (Townsville) vying for 3 spots. (report to come)

Women's Northern Regionals was held in Brisbane with a massive turnout from women across Brisbane, gaining a Wildcard for their second team.
(report to come).

--------------
Recruiting has been big this summer. A lot of rookies have stepped up to train for nationals, school and uni programs have started up again (Sunshine Coast and UQ in particular) and BPL clubs Buggers and Heroes opened up their selection process to those interested.

Blogging has also continued sporadically, and Julian Asange has been channeled with some mildly entertaining "Ultileaks".
----------------
BPL

Another new era begins under the reign of another Bugger, Graham "Special" Prickett. Team numbers remain at 6, but lists seem small and carefully manicured. UQ fades into oblivion (for now) with Los Banditos taking the young guys and the other guys making it onto MBB and Dojo lists (the latter, only if you are over 6'). Speaking of 6', SlamTown have adopted a Collingwood style line-up, boasting a lot of firepower from the men under 6'. Cobras will continue, but their line-up is heavily veiled at this point.

---------------
WUFL

Women's league will start again in April, after Nationals. All of the women involved have been encouraged to participate in the Black Betty machine.
-------------

BUML

After a year of maintaining the status quo, John & Co finally made moves to shake things up again. Games are being played across 3/4 venues (ASJC, Griffith, UQ/Oakman) and in slightly different time slots. The big difference this year is that the games are longer and you have to choose your division. While we here at the Imperial BUB Palace had concerns about what this means for recruiting, it doesn't seem to be an issue with the league ballooning out to 20 teams. There seems to be very few teams interested in playing Div 1, with UQ again disappearing, Super Heroes spreading out over Div 2 and Chimis disbanding after their mestizo leader chose to discard the fancy shorts for a pair of orange ones. Who will join Wuxi and Scougery at the top? It seems like Dyspnoeics will make a push for it. Are Poachers going that way too? Discheads will no doubt be under close watch, after taking out the premiership in Div 2 last season.
--------------------

It seems like the times, they are a'changin... and we here at the Imperial BUB Palace are not so foolish to come to the cross-roads without our noccs. While looking ahead, we foresee an unusual time of change, we have aligned our take-over with the changing-of-the-guard, while observing the skies and consulting Eddie the Elephant (whose trunk was surely up) we strongly believe that it is safe to declare: The horizon looks glorious for ultimate in SEQ!

The King Is Dead!!

With ambitions of a Murdoch-like coup, a band of rebels gathered outside the not-so-stately BUB mansion. Fed-up with the aloof monarchy and being left in the dark (ages) regarding ultimate news, inspired by our Arab brothers... we were ready for a blood bath. Upon storming the mansion, we found it surprisingly...

........

.......

empty. The disappointment that filled our souls was immense. The take-over was too easy, and completely non-hostile. It seems that the King, in his insanity, has been put out to greener pastures, seeking a quieter life.

Rumour has it that JdR is scheming away in a cave somewhere... plotting his siege on the Halibut Trophy, after coming so agonizingly close in 2010. We wish to quash all notions of a return to this terrifying regime, and declare:

THE KING IS DEAD!!

In place of the Monarchy, we will form a Democratic Republic... HA! Not so... we are ushering in another era of cruel Imperialism, more evil and terrifying than ever seen before!! (excluding the reign of JdR, which is unspeakable).

So aside from strutting our stuff and hooning around in our gold-plated hovercraft, we've made a few changes around here. We've ripped up the festy carpet, removed the peeling wall paper, and the la trine.... *shudder*

the toilet had been rendered uninhabitable, even to the most foul bacteria (giving wind to a popular ultileak). The loo has been replaced with a GLORIOUS NEW THUNDERBOX!!! Complete with blogosphere control, because we know that most of our posts will be full of crap. We have also installed a very Smart piece of technology, the Cone of Silence. This is quite ingenious, and our plans for its usage will keep you amused and hence adequately sedated.

So go forth, Ultimately, and we will go forth with our.... MIND CONTROL!!

End Post.

The Brisbane Ultimate Blog Goes Into Hiatus

Just a short post to confirm the Brisbane Ultimate Blog is going into extended hiatus.

There is loads of Ultimate and associated fun happening in Brisbane, but you'll have to look elsewhere for the info. Try all those links down the side there.

If you think you have the enthusiasm, commitment, skill, contacts and knowledge to take over this blog, please get in touch.

We'll be leaving the blog here in its current state indefinitely, as the archives hopefully remain useful, at the least as a snapshop of Brisbane Ultimate 2007-2010.

Thanks again to everyone for their support. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers,

JdR

Announcing the Unannounced + Quick Summer Summary

So regular readers will have noticed we have stepped back from daily updates to zero updates.

Here at stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion, there’s a lot of not Brisbane Ultimate community stuff going on (although the admin stuff continues as usual). So blogging will be sporadic at best for a bit while we see if the blogging batteries can be recharged.

Don’t forget we’re always looking to post your material or even offer you a room here at the stately mansion yourself, complete with access to the gold plated hovercraft and the private indoor disc golf complex. You just need to be able to write relatively coherently (sorry Carl).

As this post may be at the top of the blog for a while, for those new to town or seeking some news on the Brisbane Ultimate, here’s a quick summary.

Brisbane Ultimate generally has its off-season over December-January, with Mixed, Women’s and Open Leagues restarting in early February. Get onto the BUDA email list (link on the right there) to get up to date. The top level Open and Women’s Clubs Firestorm and Black Betty are training through these months as preparation for Nationals, which will be held here in Brisbane on 1-4 April 2011. There is also some Wednesday night pickup (open to new players) at Oakman Park over the Summer, but you’ll need to be on the BUDA list to keep up with rain closures and the like.

Local tournament-wise, people are keeping their eyes open for the Australia Day Beach Ultimate Championships in late January, as well as booking their flights to the Queensland Open State Championships (aka Northern Regionals) to be held in Townsville on 19-20 February.

About the Brisbane Ultimate Blog

We've had a spike in readership over the last month, including it seems people who are coming back for more. so we figure its worth bringing everyone up to speed. This might get posted every once in a while.

The Brisbane Ultimate Blog was initially started by Rueben Berg back in early 2006 to enable Brisbane people to discuss all things Ultimate Disc.

In May 2007 Jason 'JdR' de Rooy wondered if he had what it takes to generate content for a blog on a near-daily basis, and he’s been doing that reasonably consistently ever since (with occasional BPL-focused help from Liam ‘Wetnose’ Gillions).

In 2010 the blog hit 1,000 posts, and has inspired several other related blogs. We generally average between 40 and 150 hits per day, and around 800 unique visitors a month. We encourage you to have a look around the archives as we think there's some interesting stuff there.

We have many regular readers and commenters whom we love and try to serve, but we’re also aware that at any time we could have a brand new Brisbane Ultimate player, or any member of the general public, reading along. Let us know what you like, or would rather we do.

While Jason posts the most, the Brisbane Ultimate Blog is not intended to be a personal one. Jason wears lots of other hats within the Ultimate community. We try and reduce confusion with those other hats by blogging in the impersonal “royal we”, style, or referencing "the stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion" to add an element of suspension of belief and a reminder that we do this for FUN.

On the other hand, the content can’t help but reflect the spare time, experience and interests of the writers and we put our names on what we post. We tolerate anonymous comments that are respectful and engaging, but we encourage members of our community to identify themselves, particularly if they don't want their comment ignored.

We’re constantly on the look-out for people who want to blog with us and can expand and improve our voice. We don’t know everything and everyone, and would happily increase the flow of information and opinion.

We aim to promote Ultimate and Brisbane in all its forms, but we also aim to be interesting and put our own flavour when we repeat information available elsewhere.

We seek to engage with our readers, share knowledge and encourage them to consider new ideas as ideas worth consideration, even if the end up being bad ideas.

We endeavour to be balanced and positive in our posts, while still encouraging people to express their passion for Brisbane Ultimate, and to support improvements in our sport.

We aim to be exceptionally supportive of the volunteers who are the lifeblood of Ultimate administration, particularly by promoting their activities and recognising their good work.

We have in jokes and heckles, but we try to make it clear to the casual reader that they’re not missing anything and to those involved that no harm is meant.

We sometimes get things wrong, and we encourage people to call us out on them and aim to be quick to correct our mistakes. We believe its better to say something interesting and get it wrong, and have everyone learn from that, than to stay silent and miss the opportunity to be corrected. Trying to be perfectly correct on everything all the time would lead to a drastic decline in the quantity of content on the blog.

We hope that when you visit us here in the stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion, you enjoy yourself.

Perils of Blogging Ahead

Sometimes its just like when Bill Murray's character tried to record the weather report a day ahead of time in the movie Groundhog Day, only to find it come back and bit him in the ass.

We've had the chance to get ahead in the posting this week and have been trying to schedule posts to automatically come up when the time comes.

But alas, we've cocked it up and they've come out in a funny order ahead of time. Things must be confusing if you're following us via email updates. Oh well, better luck next time.

Anyway, we'll sort them out and leave them up here for your consideration, and rest assured the staff have been beaten.

Normal Service Will Resume Next Week

We're on holiday, but we'll catch up on the Australian u19's efforts, plus more Halibut cleanup (you've all read the Mayor's write up over at the Gold Coast blog eh?) plus all new content soon.

A Big Round Number

Can you believe that this is the one thousandth post on the Brisbane Ultimate Blog?

I (slipping out of the proprietal "we" for this post) can barely believe it either, but there it is. One … thousand … posts.

One, followed by three zeroes.

1,000.

1,000!

Whew!

There were thoughts about doing something really big to celebrate this big round number. But things remain busy here at the stately mansion. So we'll do something quick.

I have to put out three big acknowledgements.

Most importantly to the multi-talented and always-smartly-dressed Wetnose, who came aboard to do the heavy lifting of the twice (or more) weekly Brisbane Premier League posts plus tracking the tipping comp. Nearly two years later (!) and he's still labouring down in the sweatshopsaltmines over the numbers and the little team icons and stuff, and, as on the field, dropping in the occasional moment of brilliance and of course, managing to find the time to manage and play lots of Ultimate and of course get married. THANKS LIAM YOU'RE GREAT! Now get back to work.

Almost as important is of course the original originator of this thingee, the outrageously useful and charming-with-the-ladies Rubes, who created this blog back in January 2006 and eventually gave us his baby to a crazed blogging madman, yours truly, on or around May 2007 and at the height of the loldisc internet meme (make sure you continue through all 33) which we keep meaning to get back into but just don't seem to have the time for.

Finally, we have to thank you, the readers, especially those who leave us comments or email us ideas. The last three months have actually been a bit of a Renaissance for the Brisbane Ultimate Blog, as the stats show us consistently taking over 100 hits a day through March, April and May 2010, up from around 60-70 or so through most of last year.

My goal over the past three years or so has been to see if we can post something interesting most days, and provide a Brisbane Ultimate vibe. There's still heaps to do ... but it's back to work for now.

Why not take some time and dig through the archives? There's a thousand posts of joy, right there! And don't forget to tell us what you'd like more of over the next thousand.

Just to Cleanse

After that last post, we figured you'd prefer some content from elsewhere:

Check out Simmo’s new website - http://forcesideline.com/

Black Betty celebrate the end of the season - http://blackbetty.quda.org/?p=494

The Heroes are trying to name their mascot - http://heroesultimate.blogspot.com/2010/05/its-all-in-name.html

Maximum Power!

Much like Servelan when she took control of the Liberator back in the early '80s, we here at stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion have been busy flexing our muscles and maintaining our bullying dominance over the Australian Ultimate blogosphere.

And so it is time for our He-Man-like axe to fall. The poll results are in:

What's been interesting of course is that since the poll started, the Canberra Ultimate blog has gone from no posts for many months, to three in the last week. Coincidence? Hardly - its just a demonstration of the awesome power of this fully operational Brisbane Ultimate Blog battlestation, and of course of its associated readers (that's you) and their magnificent voting power! Muhahaha! (Although before we go too nuts, Simmo and Alex/Tiger haven't done much - not even at this time of Regionals and Nationals).

But as Wetnose regularly implores his Cobra colleagues, we're not going to let this go to our heads. So just like Reece, we're going to give them a second chance.

That is, except for Chump Ultimate. You're cut like a second string Firestormer, bud!

Don't forget to check out our new poll!

Clubbin' the Squeals

Since blogging about blogging about Ultimate seems to be the top topic at the moment, we figure this is a timely time to get the chrome-plated fully-automatic whacking stick ("Oh whacking day, oh whacking day") from above the front door here at stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion, and take a look through the blog-roll that we cheerfully maintain down the right side of this here blog.

To help guide this periodic cull, we're even setting a poll over there on the top right too! Imagine the baby-seal eyes of Tiger or Simmo looking up at you as you vote and metaphorically bring the club down.

No, we're not power mad and overwhelmed with our own awesomeness at all!

Comments as always are welcome.

Full Hand

So with the relatively recent launch of the Heroes Ultimate Blog, we seem to have a full hand of BPL Clubs now blogging and covering the season (assuming you're feeling generous about the UQ Blog).

So the natural thing to do here at the stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion, of course is start the fantasy blogging reviewing competition thingee.

Basically, we're going to go up and down the blogging street and bang on the doors and rate whatever shambles out onto the footpath. Here we go!!!!

Moreton Bay Buggers
Key Bloggers: Mike, occasionally MatR and Wetnose used to as well.
Posts over last seven days: 1. Generally a few posts per season.
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 1.
Layout: Currently seems to be getting a makeover, as its been stripped back to nothing.
Content: Does what is says on the can. Excellent sense of history and competition. One the one hand, we sometimes feel the need to get the red pen out on Mike for his atrocious spelling in the occasional title (we all fail in the body of course). He's a teacher! On the other hand, we know he's busy, keeping the kids off the street and all, so we forgive. We forgive!
Humour/Heckle Mix: No strained chuckles here, as the focus is on love of the game and the people. Matches the Bugger worldview. Straight up hard yakka.
Quote: "I love the start of a BPL season. The potential, the new tactics, the new team list, the fear and excitement and this league the new teams."
Name Dropping: Very rare. Possibly a tactic to prevent opponents gathering intel.
Appropriate Recognition of the Brisbane Ultimate Blog: Nil, although pointing elsewhere is not the nature of the Bugger Blog.
Final Comment: This is a blog that's more about the timeless historical record than weekly entertainment. Simple, straight-forward and a cornerstone of the BPL blogging scene. Still, we'd love to see more.

UQ Ultimate
Key Bloggers: Natman, Gref, Kaitlin
Posts over last seven days: 1
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 0 The only commentless blog under review.
Layout: Header seems to be busted again, which is a pity as the Unicorn logo remains a good one. The switch to pink on black last year at least makes this one distinctive.
Content: Surprisingly and sadly, for the best club in Queensland three year's running, and one that's full of students with IT skills and no doubt heaps of time on their hands, there's nothing there about the UQ BPL teams Passion and Lovers. Indeed, what is there is fairly brief.
Humour/Heckle Mix: Flat.
Quote: "Wednesday 03-03-2010 Rain has made UQ Sport closed the fields.... so we can't have our fun tonight."
Name Dropping: Zippo, which is surprising. You'd think this thing would be like chat roulette or something.
Appropriate Recognition of the Brisbane Ultimate Blog: We make their blogroll.
Final Comment: *sigh*

Gold Coast Ultimate
Key Bloggers: Squishy aka Stef
Posts over last seven days: 3. Not bad, but then they're covering a whole city ...
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 4. Not bad.
Layout: Ow. Much like Stef, the Slamtown blog hurts my eyes and general sensibilities, but then its a good match for the team and scene. There's great Slamtown and Gold Coast logos out there, but they're not to be seen as yet. Has tried to use a few pictures which is to be applauded.
Content: Match reports and general Coast stuff, although the new BPL Power Rankings are a welcome addition to the overall scene. Will be interesting to see if they can keep this up and entertaining over a long season. Reports from GC League have been strong in the past, and give a real sense of the competition.
Humour/Heckle Mix: Usually confined to the comments, I guess mindful of the blog representing the entire Gold Coast, rather than just some sort of fruity BPL team. Features a link to the Kenny Dobbins blog which is awesome - the linking I mean, although the blog has its moments too if you're interested. The adoption of the Mayoral voice could prove interesting and give some life to it.
Quote: "The plethora of memorable qoutes in addition to the hard work on the pitch, and a good night on the town will have this Regional tournament going down as a groundbreaker for the SFC. It will be used as a stepping stone in pursuit of our ultimate goal at this tournament. The Mayoral Assent has summoned for a Changing of the Guard."
Name Dropping: Frankly, most of us are still in the dark as to who's on this team, and indeed, who Gold Coast Ultimate really is.
Appropriate Recognition of the Brisbane Ultimate Blog: Appreciates what the BUB has done to build their readership. We get so little appreciation here sometimes.
Final Comment: Good stuff entertaining and informing a wide audience.

Cobras
Key Bloggers: Reece and Wetnose
Posts over last seven days: 1. Acceptable if it can be sustained.
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 2. Not bad.
Layout: Needs its own header (flowers? wtf?). Don't like the ads.
Content: Detailed match reports. Some big chunks of text will scare off the Gen Ys though. Makes use of the wonders of the internet by including links too!
Humour/Heckle Mix: Ambitious but still needs work. That said, Wetnose loves the smack when he can, although this is most often in the comments of other blogs.
Quote: "Never fear devoted reader's and bored 9-5 workers. I will cover every single game I play. No need to worry about taking back previous comments (Hi Sensei). I won't let my blog's quality or quantity falter (Hi Sensei)."
Name dropping: Reasonable. Folks from home and away teams get mentions.
Appropriate Recognition of Brisbane Ultimate Blog: Ok (as Wetnose also helps run the BUB) and we're on the link list, but could step up. I mean, last Thursday JdR scored an awesome goal off a diamond cut from the front of the stack, but didn't get a mention (of course, this was against Neil's outrageous layout score).
Final Comment: A solid setup, so unlike everything else to do with the Cobras - I mean, there's no caps lock at all ....

Dojo Mojo
Key Bloggers: Sensei aka Steve
Posts over last seven days: 2. Not bad. Usually once a week.
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 15. Selection of a firey hot topic for a second post of the week has been very popular. Few people miss a chance to check the Dojo Blog.
Layout: Matches the team's aesthetic. Lots of detail and a sense of history. Dojo TV brings a certain uniqueness (although seems to be sadly missing this season) and occasional 'holy crap Japanese TV yeah?' moment.
Content: Fairly one eyed match reports, but isn't that the Dojo way as we in the West have come to understand it? Frequent mention of the garden and grounds gives the blog a sense of place (up the street from stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion). Occasional diversions into wider matters are high quality and worth reading. Good use of popular culture.
Humour/Heckle Mix: Oh so dry. It's easy to get the Dojo voice into your head. Might be time for the tinfoil beanie if you can't enjoy this stuff.
Quote: "Where's my quote?????"
Name dropping: Tends to only drop the big names and people they're desperately trying to get the attention of. Bit like Molly Meldrum.
Appropriate Recognition of Brisbane Ultimate Blog: Very good. Its clear Sensei and the Dojo appreciate the work and lead guitar of the BUB (to the Sensei's occasional drum solo of course).
Final comment: Highly recommended.

Heroes Ultimate Blog
Key Bloggers: Carl and Dan (thankfully no Jangles in sight)
Posts over last seven days: 3. Not bad. Let's see where this goes ....
Following (aka number of comments over last seven days): 2. Not bad.
Layout: Clean and nicely logoed.
Content: Presently heavy on the BUML match reports, light on the philosophy. A good place to establish a new blog with.
Humour/Heckle Mix: Gentle and generous, much like the Heroes themselves.
Quote: "Well last night saw the Heroes take on the Cougars. I liked our chances coming up against what seemed to be a very unfit team of teachers, however I did not take into account the crazy skills of their incredible player Mike. An impressive display of skill took the cougars to an early lead of 2-0 over the heroes. We were somewhat in awe of Mikes efforts, Laura was quoted during the game to say "WOW, he's good""
Name Dropping: Pretty good - lots of Heroes and friends rating a mention. Match reports attract the attention of other teams.
Appropriate Recognition of Brisbane Ultimate Blog: Good - they link to us, and post emails from JdR for general gratification. Sadly, the Cobras blog is inexplicably the first on their list.
Final Comment: Patiently awaiting some BPL commentary - particularly for the many old Thursday night hands, it'd be great to read the views from a newer BPL team.


And now for the no doubt highly controversial (we point you to the comments section to vent) and totally subjective (its Ultimate after all) scores!



So that's it - as a big picture, its outrageously awesome! So many people writing about the BPL this season. Views from every angle! So keep up the blogging and the commenting, people!

ps for those who have been asking about "the world outside Brisbane Ultimate" (well, Megs anyway), this week's bit of the internet we point you (and by you, we mean specifically Rob and Jon) to is "the taste of pain".

Blogging About Blogging Is A Sin, But Only If Its Auto-Blogging About Blogging

*can't quite pull thoughts together to blog effectively today ... Regionals, QUDA AGM, BPL, BUML, recruitment, all sorts of stuff milling around in mind ...*

Hey everyone, check out the latest posts on the Gold Coast, Buggers and Dojo blogs! Plus the UQ website. And Reece said he was going to put something on the Cobras blog too, so keep your eye out. And surely the Firestorm blog is soon to be updated ....

*points down and to the right to the blogroll, then hides in cupboard for some auto-blogging*

Has Ultimate Blogging in Australia Jumped the Shark?

… assuming the phrase jumping the shark hasn’t actually jumped the shark.

After a booming 2008, Ultimate blogging in Australia seems to be in a bit of a decline. If you look at nothing but the numbers, you'd think that even the venerable Brisbane Ultimate Blog staff have been slacking off a bit (this is nothing to do with Hugh Hefner's efforts to purchase the stately mansion). But maybe instead of quantity we're moving towards quality?

Anyway, since its practically the end of the year, we figured we'd best get to saluting our comrades out in the blogosphere, or at least those amongst the big 4 (yes, there's a few other blogs out there that we haven't mentioned ... perhaps those quieter blogs are perhaps the best examples of shark jumping)

Sif
Tiger and Semfel had an uneven year on the blogging front. It could just be those hormones getting out of control again. But for the perspective of some dog-soldier buck-private Ultimate players facing up to the realities of injury and training for big events, this is the blog to read (leaving aside occasional divergences into poker and general chest beating). Posting was very quiet in 2009 relative to 2008, but still they kept them rolling.

Best Tiger Post: http://sifultimate.blogspot.com/2009/10/eiyuji.html
Best Semfel Post: http://sifultimate.blogspot.com/2009/06/diversification.html

This Things I Believe
Rubes had a third regular year of blogging – roughly a post a month, same as 2008 and 2007. 2009 on the page was dominated by events – Regionals/Nationals, World Games, and then the Tribe of Tiny Horses’ unfortunately dead-end path to World Clubs in Prague (sadly, the successful teams don't go much for blogging). Every post of Rueben’s is worth reading, so go read the lot, and like us, keep bugging him to post more.

Best Rueben Post – we’ll give the hype to this one, just because of the true history involved: http://rjhberg-disc.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-layout-callahan.html

Thinkulti
Owen’s adventures in Columbian Ultimate have dominated his blog this year, and for most ‘English-reading’ Ultimate players, this has been a bit of an eye opener for us. Remains essential reading.

Best Owen Post – we have to give it to this one for its insight: http://thinkulti.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-sidelines-unselected.html

Ballarat Ultimate
The annual AUGs build up and follow up and the annual Nationals build up and follow up continue to make Simmo essential reading, but its all the other thoughts and insights that make for the full blogging package. That Simmo does all this of course means that we here at the Brisbane Ultimate Blog can just snipe at the sidelines, or more accurately, from home because we didn’t get our lives together in a format that supports going to Nationals or attending Uni any more. Nonetheless, Ballarat Ultimate remains the gold standard for Australian Ultimate Blogging.

But we’ll have to suggest if you only read one post, you go for this one, just because of the long term service this will provide the Ultimate community: http://ballaratultimate.blogspot.com/2009/08/games-to-kill-time-at-tournaments.html


Hmm, so in sum, all this endeavour I think goes to show that there's still life in the old bloggers yet!