Pros and IPods during tournaments

[RHINESEL]

I saw Ken Climo in a Vibram clip wearing an IPod and recently Jennifer Allen and Des Reading with earbuds in their ears while playing.

What's your opinion of the Pros doing this?

Disrespectful to the fans following them and the other players on the card?

Who cares, if it relaxes them then so be it?

What would you think if Tiger was listening to an IPod while he played in a tournament? Is this just a strange quirk of Disc Golf?

 

[gcr_russell]

Shawn White had his iPod on when he won his latest gold medals. Not a big deal, it just is something that allows them to further concentrate. I can't even consider an argument against this as being anything other than totally fine

 

[harr0140]

how about when you ask them for their score they never hear you, thats annoying, it usually takes 2 times for him to hear.

 

[BucketBonanza]

i wear ear buds without an ipod even hooked on just so i can ignore people. being able to phase people out and get in the zone is perfectly acceptable IMHO, but i am sort of a rude anti social type at times. i wonder what climo listens to. i am guessing jackyl...

 

[mpac]

I want a mariachi to follow me around next tourney!!!

f an ipod

can i actually play the tournament a day early? early before the course gets crowded?

 

[U_NICED_ME]

I've tried wearing my Ipod during tourney's, but the cords and arm thing holder get to be a hassle. I wind up taking it on and off and fast forward songs. Blah!

It's nice to have if you're playing somewhere with huge backups. For me, I don't always like hearing all the side conversations during a tourney because it can get distracting, sometimes they are meant to be. I don't like to wear one during a casual round tho b/c usually I want to have fun and cutup with my friends, but there are advantages to having one during events.

 

[mpac]

next solo round im going to give it a shot!!

i play music,have been in bands, listen to music in my truck, at home, at work, i go to shows, travel to see bands etc....

i guess i have always found some zen playing disc golf, kind of getting away from daily life a bit, taking in the sounds of the breeze, the leaves rustling, the birds singing, water flowing, you know, all that sissy crap. Disc golf is my break from the noise in life, music included.

But I am going to try it out when playing solo, see if I can gain focus. it is worth a shot, it helps me at work to stay on task and bust ass.

 

[Rip Van]

The only sport I've see with significant earbud use is snowboarding half-pipe. In disc golf, most seem to wear earbuds because it makes it easier for them to concentrate. Either that, or they hate the small talk that goes with this social sport. Who wants to say, "Oh, too bad about that drive" when you don't really give a rip?

Overall, I don't like it, since at this point we should be encouraging warmth, apple pie, and the accessibility of top players. Smiles and iPod-wearing seem to mutually exclusive. Maybe once the sport is big, we can have huge final-four frost-offs with iPods, wraparound shades and hats pulled way down low. Snidely Whiplash mustaches would be optional.

If everyone but me started wearing earbuds, that would be awesome. I wouldn't have to say a thing but could carry on a conversation with a passer-by if I wanted to.

 

[solomon.trenton]

i know some people that only have one in all the time and when it is their time to shoot the other one goes in. I have never hade an issue with them.

 

[mashnut]

I have no issue as long as it doesn't interfere with the round. If I have to yell to get someone's attention or ask multiple times to get a score it gets annoying, otherwise I don't really care.

 

[Fender088]

I just don't want to mess with anyone if they're in the zone. I support them doing whatever it takes to get into the zone. As long as there's not that annoying lull in between throwers because they aren't paying attention I don't see it as a real problem.

 

[Overpar]

Nothing wrong with it IMO

 

[JTacoma03]

I for one think it's a bad thing. Distractions and lack of focus are things that you should have to deal with. Here's my argument:

Let's for a second categorize "focus" as a part of a disc golfers' game - grade them on it just like we grade putting ability, driving ability, shot repitoire, etc. If someone has issues focusing in competition we'd mark that part of their game as low, therefore making them not the complete player as they have a fault.

In my opinion, using earbuds to actively block out things that would make you have to employ your focusing ability as a competitive athlete is an unfair advantage because something else (external to the athlete) is artificially inflating that focusing ability.

It is the same concept as PED use in other sports, namely baseball. Players weren't hitting as many HR's (again, categorize HR's as a gradable part of how we grade those athletes) so they found an external source to artificially inflate their strength to boost their average hit distance (therefore more balls = HR). In both cases, instead of practicing to up that section of your game, you use something external to the sport to enhance it - whether it be drugs or equipment foreign to the competition is a moot point.

Secondly, this is unfair because you penalize those with good focus by giving those with less this handicap. What if Shaq had the choice of where to shoot his free throw from when he got fouled? He'd dunk them, and be the best FT shooter in the league, and it'd be a penalty to those who spend hours practicing a legitimate part of the sport and attribute of a players game. On top of all this, you have to remember professional = playing for money. Even though DG isn't much at this point, it will grow.

I wouldn't play poker for money against someone who was allowed to card count with a scratch pad next to him. Your abilities should stand on their own merits during competition. I know Climo has proven himself, and so has Des Reading, but I'm speaking more on the principle of allowing earbuds/music during competition. I'm NOT blasting them - there's no rule against it, they didn't do anything illegal - but there should be a rule is my stance. They are elite level players, they will be imitated.

 

[giddyup]

if we're talking about pros, it's a tad unprofessional if you ask me. then again, it is disc golf. who cares.

 

[solomon.trenton]

I have no issue as long as it doesn't interfere with the round. If I have to yell to get someone's attention or ask multiple times to get a score it gets annoying, otherwise I don't really care.

it could also be a courtesy violation

 

[agent_peebody]

just put one ear bud in, or have it at a volume where you can hear people talking to you and you're fine

 

[sdervan]

as long as it doesn't affect anyone else as they play, who cares. it allows some to stay very tuned in to what they are doing. they can chat after the round.

 

[sidewinder22]

I don't really have a problem with it, as long as its not costing any time. Although if its an NT event, I think it looks bad. I don't know how people play with the cords/buds, I have to re-adjust after every throw which I find more distracting.

What does performance enhancing drugs have to do with headphones? I'd hate to see a Nascar driver on PEDs with headphones, oh the humanity! I don't understand the Shaq parallel either. I believe he sucks at free throws not from lack of practice, but because to him, its like you trying to shoot them with a tennis ball. A lot of poker pros also wear headphones, but I think it puts them at a disadvantage. They miss subtle audible clues. I have no problem playing poker for money against a headphone wearing, card-counting, note taker, what does card-counting have to do with poker? Michael Phelps always wears headphones before his races, does that give him an unfair advantage over everybody else?

 

[agent_peebody]

^we need to play hold em i'll bring my shades, cowboy hats, fluffy boa-scarfs, and headphones that cover my entire ear and head

 

[chuckdisc]

I don't care...if they do.