Re: Research Project

> 1) Would ultimate work as a mainstream (NCAA/Pro, on TV, pay to
> attend) sport in America?

I feel that ultimate is a sport that through time can be on TV or in
the NCAA.  To have something  on TV or in college, first there must be
all sorts of numbers of people playing at the grassroots level.  On
Saturday morning you don't see 6-17  year olds playing ultimate, they
are playing soccer.  So soccer has been growing despite corporate
America not allowing it to.  I feel this is because of simply
advertisement time.  It could very well be a mainstream sport in about
70 years or so, just by simple exponential growth.  Look at how many
schools had a team 20 years ago compared to now.  Lacrosse might be
something you could compare to.

The only real applicable position I believe to hold true is, ultimate
as a sport could be mainstream, but will take a while as long as
mainstream  media tells us what to watch.


 
>  If Yes: 2) Would the players/rules(especially
> observers/refs)/anything be different than it is today.
>          3) What kind of influence would major sports fans bring?

I think Americans love violence.  However, there are plenty of
American's who would love to support something that was pure sport. 
How many American's simply don't watch baseball because they are
babies going on strike, while a teacher can't even change school
districts and maintain the same salary?  How many MORE people would
watch every football game if they didn't have to deal with the
advertisement's and how many people watch a soccer game because they
simply know that at least there won't, for the most part, be any
stoppage of play.  Same thing with Rugby.

Major sports fans I feel would actually make the sport grow.  Not only
because we all play  harder when someone  is watching but, "suddenly
someone is recognizing it as a legitimate sport" according to a 10
year old and he sees this and might actually give it a try.  You might
argue in your research that aproximately the same proprtion of what is
shown on TV is played, excluding some extremes of course.  ie- 14% of
TV is football so aprox %14 of young adults play football.  Same for
tennis hockey etc.  But what comes first the chicken or the egg?  TV
sparks youth or youth sparks TV?

>    
>  If No:  2) Why not?
>          3) What changes would need to be made to make it work?

I think a well versed ultimate announcer could make the sport work
better than an observer.  TV might like the 70 seconds between points,
 otherwise, make it 24 seconds between plays.

> 
> 4) If it did happen and ultimate became a major sport in America,
> would you still take as large a part in it as you do now?

Just the same for me.  But when that pro leage starts up think of how
hard every college player will play because they know they got a shot
at making it as a pro ultimate player which sounds like a job anyone
who stuck around and read all of this would really want.  Hope this
rambling helped.

Fetch
http://www.chicoultimate.org/
I'm the waisted one kissing my teamate