Major League Ultimate's Rule Changes

The baseball purists have been out in full swing this year, crying out about the addition of instant replay and the Posey Rule. Even Football purists, though fewer, have been vocal about their displeasure with a change to the extra point. But there are another group of purists out there that are joining the ranks. Ultimate fans.

Ultimate is a sport with a great deal of unwritten rules. The concept is simple enough. Throw the disc, catch the disc, don't walk with the disc, and catch the disc in the end zone. Call your own fouls on the honor system with observers. Simple! Just a few unwritten rules, until the game went professional and the rules got written down.

My Children's Game

The year was 1876. Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for a little invention he called the "telephone". Johns Hopkins University opened in Baltimore, Maryland. And Heinz Tomato Ketchup was introduced to the public. The nation was only a baby at one hundred years old, but so many great people were causing great things to happen. Greater than all of these events and all these Men, however,  was a greater celebration. In this year, the great Walter Camp was at the Massasoit Convention, drafting the first rules of American Football.

A Double Play Double Standard

As I watched last nights Phillies vs. Marlins game, I was hoping for the same thing many in the city of Philadelphia were. A sweep of the Marlins. It wouldn't have meant much. The Marlins have taken a sharp nose dive since they were competing for the division lead. The Phils' whomped them the night before scoring the most runs they have all season. But we haven't been able to close on a sweep for some time since the four game stand against the same team in mid June. I'm not complaining. You have to go a week back before that to find a series they've lost.

The sweep would have been nice but that's not the subject of this post. It's more something that could have caused the sweep. Let me take you through my night of watching the game.