1998 Nationals

[Commentary by Joe Seidler]

I was up at 4:00am to catch my 6:05am flight to Florida, but I wasn’t tired. In fact, I felt fine. All I could think about was the Condors and Nationals. Jason started his mission over 11 years ago. He reached the first plateau in 1996 when the Black Tide won the National Championship. Then they did it again in 1997. Now he was on the verge of the 2nd plateau – winning club Nationals. And I was going to be there.

I met Richard Crews at the airport, and we boarded our plane. For the next 4 days, we would be the 2 dads on the sideline. I really looked forward to having another parent share Nationals with me. The flight went smoothly, we arrived at the motel around 5:30pm, and we were visiting with the guys by 6:00pm. A few had not eaten yet, so I joined them for dinner. All was well the night before Nationals.

Day 1: Pool Play (Thursday) –

The team was leaving at 7:30am to get to the fields by 8:00am. First game started at 9:00am. Richard and I were also ready to go at 7:30am and one player rode with us. We were on our way. It was cloudy and cool and windy. The Condors tent was set up and the guys were warming up. The first game was against the Miami Refugees who were seeded below the Condors. I hoped it would be an easy game.

The game started and the Condors looked solid from the start. Usually they need at least a half of playing before they really get going. But the one hour warmup had helped. The Refugees were not doing as well. They were making unforced errors and the Condors were taking advantage of it. By half-time, the Condors were winning 9-1. The second half started and the score went to 10-1. Then the planets became unaligned and the Refugees began scoring and the Condors did not. The score went to 10-6, then it was 12-10, and then to 13-10 when the game was capped at 15. Final scoring was 13-11, 14-11, 14-12 and 15-12 for a Condors win.

It’s great to win, but after being up by 9 points and only winning by 3, the team was not happy with itself. It would test their maturity to put it behind them when they played their next game. They had a bye before playing the Red Tide from Portland, Maine. The Red Tide was not seeded high, but they had a few all star players on their team. It was a close game in the beginning with the score going to 4-4. Then the Condors turned it on. They scored 13 straight points without allowing the Red Tide to score. Final score: Condors winning 17-4.

It was a good start. The Condors were 2-0 after the first day, but the tough teams were still to come. No one was taking notice of the Condors at this point, but I knew a secret.


Game scores for Thursday:

Day 1, Round 1
Death or Glory vs. Red Tide 17-3
Condors vs. Refugees 15-12
Furious George vs. Rage 17-7

Day 1, Round 2
Death or Glory vs.Refugees 17-7
Rage vs. Red Tide 17-11
Furious George vs. Sub Zero 17-15

Day 1, Round 3
Death or Glory vs. Furious George 16-9
Condors vs. Red Tide 17-4
Sub Zero vs. Refugees 17-9


Standings at the end of the first day:

Pool A................. Pool B
DoG 3-0 ............ JAM 2-1
Furious 2-1 ........ Ring of Fire 3-0
Condors 2-0 ...... Houndz 2-0
Sub Zero 1-1 ..... WSL Allstars 1-1
Rage 1-1 ............ Z 0-3
Refugees 0-3 ...... Los Guapos 1-1
Red Tide 0-3 ...... PH5 0-3

Day 2: Pool Play (Friday) –

We all left at 7:30am again. The team started its warmups, but it was too windy to put up the tent. The first game was against the Vancouver Furious George team. They were favored to make it to the semifinals and had won the World Championship a few months earlier. This was perhaps the most important pool play game for the Condors. If they won, they had a good chance to get to the semis. If they lost, they would have to beat the Boston DoG team later in the day who hadn’t lost a game at Nationals in 4 years.

The Condors looked calm and ready. And their play reflected it. They pulled ahead by a few points and were up at the half by 9-8. And then they got tough. The score went to 10-8, 11-8, 11-9 with the game capped at 13. Then 12-9 and 13-9 for the win. The Condors pretty much shut down Furious in the second half. It was very windy, but the Condors know how to play in the wind. It is their friend.

The next game was against the Rage from Philly. They had some good players but were not too deep. The Condors went up by 4 early and were winning 9-4 at the half. And they just kept going. The score was 14-7 when the game was capped at 16. Then 14-8, 15-8, 15-9 and 16-9 for the win. The Condors were now 4-0 for the tournament.

But now they played DoG from Boston. DoG had won the National Championship the past 4 years in a row and had never lost a game at Nationals during that time. People were beginning to whisper about the Condors since they beat Furious George, and they were interested in seeing how they would do against DoG. It was time.

The game started and the sidelines were jammed. It seemed everyone wanted to see if these surprising Santa Barbara players could possibly give DoG their first loss at Nationals. The Condors didn’t disappoint anyone. They came out playing their game and played awesome D. The wind was gusting and the Condors used it to their advantage. Bam… Taro got a D on the first DoG possession, and the Condors scored. The first half was solid Condors style Ultimate. The score went Condors 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 5-3, 6-3, 6-4, 7-4, 7-5, 8-5, 8-6, and 9-6 at the half.

The sidelines were even more crowded now. The word was spreading… DoG is being beat. Who are these Condors? Didn’t they used to be great in the ‘70s?

The second half started and the Condors continued to play awesome Ultimate. But DoG is a great team with experience and maturity. They don’t get psyched. So the score went 9-7, 10-7, 10-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-10, 11-11, 12-11, 12-12, 13-12, 13-13, 14-13, 14-14, 15-14 and the game was capped at 18 (to the boos of the crowd). The war continued… 16-14, 16-15, 16-16, 17-16, 17-17. At this point the Condors had the disc going downwind. And to the screams of the crowd Steve Dugan threw it to Andy Crews for the score. But while everyone was yelling, DoG was complaining that Andy was out of bounds. After a few minutes of discussion, the play was taken over. Dugan took a timeout and the teams took the field again. Dugan again threw it into the endzone, but it was blocked. DoG worked it upwind and scored to win the game.

(No hard feelings, but the video I took of the game shows Andy was in bounds.)

Standings at the end of the second day:

Pool A:................. Pool B:
DoG 5-0 ............. Ring of Fire 5-0
Condors 4-1 ....... Houndz 4-1
Sub-Zero 3-2 ..... JAM 3-2
Furious 2-3 ........ WSL Allstars 3-2
Refugees 2-3 ...... Z 2-3
Rage 1-4 ............ Los Guapos 1-4
Red Tide 1-4 ..... PH5 0-5

Day 3: Final Pool Play (Saturday morning) –

Again everyone left the house at 7:30am and were warming up by 8:00am. The tent went up and the team was ready. This game would determine who went to the semifinals in our pool. The Condors were playing Sub Zero from Minneapolis; the winner would go on to semis and the loser was done.

The game started and almost from the start the Condors dominated. It was like they just were too determined to make it to semis for anyone to beat them. The score was 9-2 at the half. Every player was putting out his most and no one let up. Memories of their first game must have been still fresh in their minds. So the second half continued to be all Condors. They kept scoring and scoring until they won 17-6.

Standings at the end of Pool Play:

Pool A....................... Pool B
DoG 6-0 ............... Ring of Fire 6-0
Condors 5-1 ......... JAM 4-2
Furious G. 3-3 ...... Houndz 4-2
Sub Zero 3-3 ....... WSL Allstars 4-2
Refugees 2-4 ........ Z 2-4
Rage 1-5 .............. Los Guapos 1-5
Red Tide 1-5 ....... PH5 0-6

Day 3: Semifinals (Saturday afternoon) -

Game time. Sunny and still windy. The sidelines were packed again. People wanted to see who would win this battle. I was sitting near the DoG players who were watching to see who would play them in the finals the next day. They thought Ring of Fire would probably win.

The first half was a very close game. The Condors were up, then behind, and back up 9-8 at the half. The second half was when the Condors opened things up a bit. They scored 3 unanswered points to start the second half to go ahead 12-8. But Ring of Fire came back to within one at 14-13. The Condors kept their cool and scored 3 more unanswered points to win 17-13. It was a magnificent game and win.


Semifinals Results:

DoG vs WSL Allstars 17-13
Condors vs Ring of Fire 17-13

Day 4: Finals (Sunday) –

Before the game:

Comparing Condors vs DoG Game Scores Against Their Common Opponents:

Condors..... Opponent ....... DoG
13-9 ....... Furious George .. 16-9
17-6 ........... Sub Zero ....... 17-12
15-12 ......... Refugees ....... 17-7
16-9 ............. Rage ........... 17-9
17-4 .......... Red Tide ........ 17-3
------- .... ------------ ..... -------
78-40 ...... TOTALS ........ 84-40


I remember from last year thinking the two teams playing in the finals were the most awesome Ultimate teams I had ever seen. I always thought the Black Tide were the very best, and they were in the college league. But these club teams are a level above. And the teams that make it to the finals are a few levels above that. And now the Condors were among these rare teams. The best of the best.

I believed they could win, and I believed they would win. And the crowd around the field were for the most part rooting for them. This was the time. No one had given the Condors a chance for making it to the finals, but we knew the secret. The Condors were ready to win it all; and they had the talent and mental stuff to do it.

The game starts:

The game started and the Condors looked like a true champion. No jitters, just great disc handling. DoG received the disc first and scored. Then the Condors scored. It went 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 6-4, 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, 7-7, 7-8, 7-9, 8-9, and 8-10 at the half. On the last point before halftime, Taro pulled with a hammer that went out of their endzone (the crowd loved it).

The beginning of the second half went poorly for the Condors. DoG went up 10-14. It was beginning to look like DoG would run away with it. But again the Condors kept their poise and battled back: 11-14, 12-14, 13-14, 14-14. It was a great run of 4 unanswered points for the Condors. It was clear that these two teams were very evenly matched, and they both never quit. DoG scored and the game was capped at 17. DoG scored again, then the Condors scored to make it 15-16. DoG had the disc going downwind – they worked it slowly down field – the Condors needed a turnover to have a chance. But DoG was careful, and they scored. End of game. DoG was No. 1 and the Condors were No. 2 in the nation this year.

Just after the game, the Condors huddled in their tent for quite a while. They were not satisfied with second place. They felt a great let-down. The crowd was not disappointed though. Everyone was talking about how great a game it had been. And how the Condors were the only team in the past 5 years to give DoG a run for their money. But the Condors were sad. There is no way around it – the Condors lost two games to DoG by a total of 3 points. They would have to wait until next year to win their goal of being the champion.

About 20 minutes after the game ended, a few Condors players walked over to the DoG players and chatted. Then a few of them traded jerseys. For the next hour a few DoG players were wearing Condors jerseys and a few Condors were wearing DoG jerseys. It struck me as an amazing show of respect for each other.

Marcia and Stephen surprised everyone by taking a redeye Saturday night into Tampa and driving down to Sarasota. Their last minute decision to personally support the Condors at the finals was a wonderful testament to their deep feelings for the team and their son and brother. I loved them for it.

Thank You from Joe

Many thanks to Richard Crews, Andy’s dad, for his companionship at this tournament. He also deserves the credit for keeping a detailed score of each game and sending the wonderful emails everyday to our cyber-supporters. Thanks Richard.

Commentary from Joe

It’s now been 4 days since the finals. And I’ve been thinking a lot about the tournament and that final game. I want to find a way to describe my feelings about it. It’s like I can’t let it go until I am able to express myself. Here’s the best I can do so far:

I wanted two things from the tournament: happiness and pride.

Happiness would come if they won. They didn’t.

Pride would come if they played with dignity, skill and never quit. I can’t contain how proud I am.

I got the results of the finals on the UPA site. Although I was disappointed, and I know all of you are too, I am thoughtful of and thankful for all that you have achieved this year, all the good times and causes for celebration you have had, and all the enjoyment I have had watching you compete this year.

You are a great team; you record in Florida proves it and those DoG's from Boston OBVIOUSLY know it. Knowing you guys, you probably won't find this acceptable....you want to be the BEST. After such a long wait to go to Nationals, you have made a rapid rise to the top, and you're just a step away from going over the top. Well, rest up. The next season will be here soon. Now that you have seen the target I am confident that next time you have the target in your sights you will D(as in Death and Dog)estroy the target.

Have a safe trip home. Thanks again for all the good times,
Phil Studarus

Hey condors -
Congrats on a hell of a season. It was awesome watching you guys play together.
You guys are still my fuckin' heroes.

Schneider

It was a long, close, hard-fought battle between the Condors and DoG (Boston), the two best teams in the country. DoG had beaten the Condors by a single, doubly contested point two days earlier--and that was the Condor's only loss in the tournament. And DoG had not lost a single match at Nationals for five years--they were the long-time reigning champion.

After a seesaw contest, the score was tied at 14-14 when the officials put a 17-point cap on the game. DoG scored a point; the Condors scored a point. Then DoG scored twice. They beat the Condors 17-15.

It was a tough loss--with all the sacrifices and hundreds of hours of arduous practice and strict team and personal discipline behind them—after the high-fives and congratulations to the other team, the Condors gathered under their tent. They sat there for a long time. There were a few quiet comments to one another. Mostly silence--trying to get their heads and their hearts around what had just happened. They had come a long way since their middling showing at Nationals last year. They had given the long-standing champions a tough, tough run for their money.

But it wasn't enough.

None of the Condors had the heart to walk half-way across the field to accept the beautiful runner-up trophy. The officials finally brought it over to the tent. It was a magnificent piece--and a moment of heroic triumph--but the bitterness of defeat after all they had been through together was just too much to bear.

Their success was near miraculous. Sure, they'll try again next year--and they won't just try--they'll try even harder, if that is humanly possible.

Speak to your young Condors warrior. Tell him you know how hard they worked, how much they wanted it, and how well they did--and how close they came.

Next year. Next year . . . in . . . San Diego. The DoG gets a taste of their own medicine.

From the field, in Sarasota,
Joe Seidler and Richard Crews signing off.

You are our CHAMPION ! Participants never accept second (2nd) best. But observers can say " My Grandson along with his fellow Condors are the Best". Life will move on regardless. Memories will linger. Your body will strain a bit further.
Hope to see you during Thanksgiving. Hope you saved me a battle Frisbee.

Love, Grandma and Pop Seidler

Ahgoff wrote:

You guys played with great spirit and heart all weekend, and I will look forward to you winning it all real soon!!!!

Adam
- Z

Yo-
Just wanted to pass on my congratulations to you guys on not only making the finals of Nats, but making a game of it for the first time in a long time. Although I am sure you are all bummed you didn't win it, you should be psyched especially because you have such a young team. You are definitely next in line for the national title.

Flash
Nektar

To the Condors and Friends,

As some of you might have expected, after I heard that the Condors made it to the finals, Stephen and I hopped on a plane to Florida and arrived there at 6:30 am. There was no way that we could miss watching those guys play in a National finals game against a team that has been undefeated for 4 years. The Condors have worked too hard for us to miss this BIG ONE.

The warm reception we received when we stopped by their house to wish them luck was worth flying all night. This is an exceptional group of men, and I'm proud to be a close part of their family.

We knew that "this Condor team" was an exceptional team... And did we ever see some great Ultimate!!!!!!!!. Although they lost, it was a thrilling, skilled, tense and tough game. They made us all proud, and the amount of effort that they have put into the team this year really showed on the field. But, losing is very hard, especially when they work so hard and they were so evenly matched with their opponent. Unless you've played Ultimate, you don't realize how much work it takes to become a great player and a great team.

And now, the Condors are the team to Beat. I overheard one of the team members from DoG say that this was the best finals game they ever played. Most teams crumble under them, but not the Condors. They stayed tough during the whole match.

The history records will show that they came in number 2, but for those of us lucky enough to watch them play, we know how close a match it was and know how a burst of wind can change the outcome of an equally matched game. Thanks for giving us such an exciting season of Ultimate. We are the lucky ones who got to watch you play all season.

Congratulations and Cheers to your great strength and spirit. Mourn your loss, but then you deserve to CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE A GREAT YEAR AND GREAT VICTORY... NUMBER TWO IN THE NATION.

Condors you will always be NUMBER 1 with me.

LOVE TO ALL, Marcia (mama Seidler)

Parting thoughts:
I feel like we have all been to a level of play from which we never need to lower ourselves again.
Andy

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