Pros and IPods during tournaments

[sidewinder22]

^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

Haha...just wear a Darth Vader helmet, and if I ask you for the card count, you must be able to tell me at any given point in a Darth Vader voice.

 

[scarpfish]

We have fans?

 

[Spatula Cornroll]

Whatever you want to do on the course, as long as you aren't talking/jacking around while I am shooting. I couldn't care less.

 

[eegor]

I make it a point to enjoy the people around me and their quirks. Whatever melts their butter is OK with me...

 

[TxDiscGolfBoy]

It's disrespectful only when they pull out speakers (Not pros of course. I'm sure they wouldn't allow that.)

I don't like to hear others music while I'm playing. Some is very easily tollerable, but all music playing out loud causes some sort of destraction.

But headphone or earbuds or something?...perfectly fine. Why not jam out to your fav.s while you're playing a round, just keep the music to yourself.

 

[yearofrolling]

I guess I pity the iPoders a little; I love just going out and listening to the trees and birds and the scream-o/deth metal blasting out of the stereo/disc-bag boom-box of the group of highschool kids behind me... Ahhh, nature...

 

[LeewayeDiscGolf]

If I play by myself I'll take my music and throw my headphones in. If it's a tourney or I'm playing with anyone else I leave 'em in the car. As far as Pros go, as long as they take their headphones out long enough to give their score, then I don't see a problem except for one: Fore!, Heads Up!, Smack!, Taking out headphones asking " What just hit me?!"

 

[TxDiscGolfBoy]

I guess I pity the iPoders a little; I love just going out and listening to the trees and birds and the scream-o/deth metal blasting out of the stereo/disc-bag boom-box of the group of highschool kids behind me... Ahhh, nature...

Exactly. Definately one of the top reasons I enjoy the sport so much. "Being away from it all" and outside.

 

[Dave Walters]

WTF are you talking about disrespectful? this thread is pointless.

Pros playing during a round have nothing to do with the other guys or the "fans"
If you want to bug a pro while hes in a round then you are the disrespectful *******


Focus is everything at that level.
I caddied at worlds and was right in the middle of the action and focus was clutch.
A pro cant have any ole joe schmoe AM3 player trying to get an autograph during a round.
I would go ballistic.

 

[ThePatrick]

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: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.

You're really going to take it that far... it's the same as a poker player wearing sunglasses inside at most. Plain and simple. I like the way this thread is directed with a very one sided vote as well. So someone wants to focus on their round and not talk to you about whatever you can come up with to bs about during the round, sorry for you that they don't want to talk to you.

 

[#19325]

I have no problem with it.

#1 Courses. These guys are playing courses where tees and pins are close together. Many times holes play very close to one another. It's amazing how many distractions are going on around the course during a well attended disc golf event.

#2 Fans. I've watched the lead card at several events. It's amazing how many disc golfers lack proper spectating ettiquette.

#3 Competitors. It's amazing how many characters there are. I played with a pro that found out who was going to be on his card and went to his car and got his head phones so he did not have to listen to the craziness all morning. I wish I had done the same thing.

 

[DiscJunkie]

It's disrespectful only when they pull out speakers (Not pros of course. I'm sure they wouldn't allow that.)

I don't like to hear others music while I'm playing. Some is very easily tollerable, but all music playing out loud causes some sort of destraction.

But headphone or earbuds or something?...perfectly fine. Why not jam out to your fav.s while you're playing a round, just keep the music to yourself.

:hfive:
+1 to this^^^^

 

[RHINESEL]

WTF are you talking about disrespectful? this thread is pointless.

Pros playing during a round have nothing to do with the other guys or the "fans"
If you want to bug a pro while hes in a round then you are the disrespectful *******


Focus is everything at that level.
I caddied at worlds and was right in the middle of the action and focus was clutch.
A pro cant have any ole joe schmoe AM3 player trying to get an autograph during a round.
I would go ballistic.

Yeah, because all the other sports in the world have that same "F the fans" attitude too.

In my opinion (and I'm sure a lot may disagree) if Disc Golf wants to truly grow the sport and become more mainstream then it needs to clean up it's image. Like it or not we have a "drug loving, beer drinking, middle aged man and college hooligan" stigma surrounding us.

Having the touring Pros actually engage the crowd may bring some more people and excitement to the tournaments.

After all, why clap for a good shot when the Pro can't even hear it?

Note: I'm basically talking about NT events. Spectator style events.

 

[discgolfer_dave]

Personally i don't care either way. Its customary to ask the group your playing with to see if its all right to play some tunes but keep it at a respectful volume.

 

[BucketBonanza]

A pro cant have any ole joe schmoe AM3 player trying to get an autograph during a round.
I would go ballistic.

people want these guys' autographs? really? what for? that makes me laugh. when you see sponsored "pros" hocking discs for gas money in the parking lot of your local course it really takes the sheen off things. autographs...puhlease

 

[hipster]

invest in hearing aid stocks

I've ask some the earbud wearing perps what's playing every 5 minutes, most of the time (66%) they end up pocketing the ipod by the 7th hole and shoot poorly the rest of the round. It's maniacally cool to have that wee bit power.

 

[Smigles]

personaly : i enjoy communicating with my flight, i wouldnt use mp3 players. Sometimes i think it is a bit too much for the people in my flight though

for pros : i dont care. If it helps them, that is fine with me. They dont interact with the fans following the flight that much, anyway.



What bugged me though is some girl that sometimes plays a round with us on our practice field. She must realy be scared of social contact, she kept listening to music and hardly speaking to us at all. She didnt even want us to keep scores because that would mean talking to us... But i think the problem there isnt the Mp3 player, but the person.

 

[msudog_]

I would prefer if they were not used, but I understand why players would use them. I've only had 1 opportunity to follow a lead card in the pro division, so maybe what I experienced was not the norm. The whole time I followed it was a pretty icy atmosphere. Nothing was ever said that was not whispered among the players unless scores were read, and the spectators rarely said a word.

If most/all tournaments are like that and I was playing, I would probably wear headphones. I enjoy the relaxing feel of casual rounds. I wish it would have been a more relaxed, fun environment, but I can see where the intense focus can reduce interpersonal relationships.

 

[Dave Walters]

Yeah, because all the other sports in the world have that same "F the fans" attitude too.

In my opinion (and I'm sure a lot may disagree) if Disc Golf wants to truly grow the sport and become more mainstream then it needs to clean up it's image. Like it or not we have a "drug loving, beer drinking, middle aged man and college hooligan" stigma surrounding us.

Having the touring Pros actually engage the crowd may bring some more people and excitement to the tournaments.

After all, why clap for a good shot when the Pro can't even hear it?

Note: I'm basically talking about NT events. Spectator style events.

Have you ever been to worlds?

 

[agent_peebody]

Yeah, because all the other sports in the world have that same "F the fans" attitude too.

In my opinion (and I'm sure a lot may disagree) if Disc Golf wants to truly grow the sport and become more mainstream then it needs to clean up it's image. Like it or not we have a "drug loving, beer drinking, middle aged man and college hooligan" stigma surrounding us.

Having the touring Pros actually engage the crowd may bring some more people and excitement to the tournaments.

After all, why clap for a good shot when the Pro can't even hear it?

Note: I'm basically talking about NT events. Spectator style events.

you clearly don't wear headphones...at least new headphones. you can still hear clapping fine. i can hear people talking fine...and who cares if we are "drug loving, beer drinking hooligans"...break the stereotype and be different. prove people wrong.

next time i play, i'm bringing one of these, see if anyone has a problem with it.

and when you get pissed at me for playing it loudly, i'll happily put in my headphones and flip you the bird.