Hodag Love

2011-08-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Hodags have become a premiere college team over the past decade. The team is now looking to amplify its impact on the sport that has allowed it to succeed and to remain an elite competitive presence for the foreseeable future. The team wishes to accelerate this impact on the ultimate community by soliciting the help of its strong Hodag heritage. We request from our dedicated alumni to play a larger role in the team and to protect the long-term vision of the program. A Hodag Alumni Board of Directors is being created in order to provide an opportunity for alumni to maintain involvement with the team and to play a valuable role in the sustainable success of the Hodags.

The Captains, Coaches, and Players are primarily focused on the immediate needs of being competitive in the season they are playing, and that means that some of the long term goals of the team fall by the wayside. We are looking to for this Board of Directors, consisting of alumni, to manage those long term interests of the team so that the current players can stay focused on the Series. The Board provides a voice to the entire Hodag community on how the program is run.

The board members will be voting and executing functions for the long term interest of the team such as:

- Selecting and Evaluating the performance of a Coach(s)

- Equipment that carries over from year to year

- Recruiting

- Sponsorships

- Budgeting

- Endowment

- Alumni presence/relations

- etc

We are looking for 4 Alumni to volunteer for this year. Two will serve 2-year terms and two will serve 1-year terms. Board Members are expected to have one meet per month and to spend the necessary time outside of board meetings to achieve the long-term strategic goals of the program.

Interested alumni should email Jake Smart so we can begin organizing the selection process. Board Members will be voted in by the Hodag community (both new and old). If there are any alumni not on this mailing list that you think would be interested, please forward this email along to them.

HL,

Jake Smart and Chris Scotto Divetta

2011-04-05T15:05:00.001-07:00

Potlatch -- THE BIG MUCKAMUCK

The Idea
What would happen if the best college programs from the past decade put together all-star teams and battled it out for College Ultimate supremacy?

We want to find out who is the the big boss -- the best of the past ten years.

When & Where
The right way to do this is a part of a huge celebration of Ultimate: Potlatch. We plan to play Muckamuck as a tournament-within-a-tournament-within-a-party, during the first two days of Potlatch 2011 (July 2nd and 3rd in Redmond, Washington). The Potlatch directors are on board with our ideas, and we think this is a unique environment for a one-time-only event.

The Format
The top Men's and Women's College All-star teams will organize during Spring of this year. They'll descend on Potlatch -- some with super-fun Potlatch teams, and some coming solely to play in competitive Muckamuck games.

Day 1 of competition will see the teams drawn into Power Pools. They will play three games to determine seedings for the championship bracket, and a likely Friday night Showcase game in each division.

Day 2 of competition will see quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals played, with the finals being Saturday night's showcase event.

Each team is guaranteed four games (three pool play games Saturday and a quarterfinal game Sunday).

Teams
Eligibility and seedings are based on Nationals performance between 2000 and 2010.

Open
1. Wisconsin
2. Colorado
3. Carleton
4. Florida
5. Brown
6. Stanford
7. Oregon
8. Texas

Giving us Power Pools of:
Pool A - Wisconsin, Florida, Brown, Texas
Pool B - Colorado, Carleton, Stanford, Oregon

Rosters
Teams will decide their own rosters and are encouraged to elect three captains to organize the selection process and make final decisions about roster composition. To be eligible to be selected to a roster, a player must have played the College Series during one season between 2000 and 2010.

This is a once in a lifetime tournament that we think no one should pass up. Get in touch with old teammates and fellow alums.

Hodags,
We’ve accepted the bid and are in the process of fielding a team.

It’s essentially an 8-Team College All-Star Tournament.

“Team of the Decade (2000-2010)” sort of competition. But there will be spots open to guys who graduated before 2000 and also for current or recent college grads, meaning guys who are graduating in 2011 or later. The event is being run in conjunction with Potlatch meaning that people could/should still compete in Potlatch games – but would play a few rounds a day with their college alum teams.

We agreed that the Hodags will compete. We want this to be open to any Hodag who has played a season with the team and who wants to be included. With that said we wanted to share a few things about the event and some items that we talked about.

#1 We are going to win. We want this event to represent the best of Hodag Ultimate, and when we are at our best – we win. Many of us have competed in Ice_Hole events, which are ridiculously fun, yet slightly lacking in the quality of play or an overall competitive mindset. If you decide to play you are saying that your priority is WINNING. Obviously fun will be had but once the games start it is time to Dominate and have a blast doing it.

#2 As said earlier, this tournament takes place in conjunction with Potlatch (July 2-4) and I imagine many of the guys reading this email already have vague plans of attending already. Everyone is free to join a team if they want – but would also be competing with the College Alum team and therefore would probably have to miss a few games with their Potlatch team.

#3 This is going to be seriously awesome. We don’t get the opportunity to play as Hodags very often and I know that I would absolutely love to wear that Baby Blue alongside all of you Hodags out there and kill some of our old rivals. Hodags who choose to compete are committing themselves to represent our Program with effort, grit, skill and balls. They are also committing to be physically and mentally ready to bring it against top-level competition.

Roster:
Dan Heijmen - Captain
Andrew Brown
Jim Foster

2010-05-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Do Work.

I just got back from a planning meeting for College Nationals. There are a couple roles that still need filling. As we were trying to think of people to fill the roles, I couldn't help but think some of the alumni would do a good job.

Comment with more nominations, or nomination acceptance.

Twitter point person

Hector

Bert

Dean

Alice

Announcer-Finals

Scallet

Brown

Burkly

Announcer-Showcase game (Central Region vs the World)

Shutkin

Riley

Shane

Pank

Jaydon (Bob Wilcox' suggestion)

2010-03-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

2010 Alumni Game and Party: April 24th

Likely UBay fields.
Young 'Dags talking shit already.
Also will be tethered to my 30th Birthday Party.
Guaranteed to be wilder than last year, which killed several handles of Jameson & Bailey's and a couple kegs of Guiness.

Get here to help ready the kids for Regionals in Carleton and Natties in Madison, and to preview the shitshow that will be College Championships: Madtown 'Oh Ten.

Contact me with questions, I guess.

Hh

2009-11-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

Alright so the plan is to get a little bit of a network in place for recruiting. Here is what everyone needs to provide me with ASAP (bryanparadise@hotmail.com):

1. Degrees earned and dates
2. Years as a Hodag (# and years played)
3. Current Location
4. Where you grew up
5. Current Profession/Job with Employer (if recognizable)-for example Burkley works for Lehman Brothers
6. If you are comfortable your family situation

We are going to try and basically put together a sweet graphic on the website to allow people to basically see where Hodags are now. Our focus in providing this information is two fold. One give kids a person they may reach out to in an area they live if they have questions. Two to give parents a sense of the fact that many Hodags are successful/normal people. Obviously this is voluntary, but we are specifically targeting those that are out of school a few years.

If you want to save me time put it in bio form as follows:

Bryan Paradise, was raised in a small town in Wisconsin. Having discovered Ultimate as a Junior, Bryan played Ultimate at Wisconsin from 1999-2003. Bryan graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2001 and then attended Law School and recieved a J.D. in 2004. After living and practicing in Milwaukee for 3 years he moved with his current wife to Minneapolis where he works as a staff legal attorney for Zurich. Bryan and his wife are expecting their first child in February, 2010.

2009-11-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

I just spent an hour catching up on ultimate. It appears as though:

Muffin is coaching Bella Dona
Hector is coaching the Hodags
Madison is hosting College Nationals

Although there are a million things rushing through my head as I consider these facts, the overwhelming feeling that this "sounds like a party" is on the marquee in my mind's eye.

My next question, regarding nationals in Madison, is: how can I contribute? Aside from dropping drinks in other drinks and dry heaving the next day? The answer, at least one of them, is to contact Kate Arnold, the TD. She wants to get in touch with alumni that are interested in helping host the tourney. Reach her at:

")">'KATE ELIZABETH ARNOLD' , or upa_college_td@upa.org.

I would be remiss to not invite you all to stay with me. Becasue I still live in Madison (for-ev-er), my house is open to any and all that want to stay with me and my family. Although our apartment is only a 1 bedroom, we do have sleeping space in the living room, and people can probably pitch tents in the back yard of our apartment complex. However, my house is no longer lawless--the days of Fossum stabbing the fridge with a chef's knife are behind us. Maybe. But I do have a child who is learning to speak, so plan your actions and vocabulary accordingly.

So I'll just say this in passing and we'll see what happens... Wisconsin Alumni vs Team USA?

Mufabot. Word.

Hodag Love, Freddy

2009-10-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

There is a new Hodag Documentary trailer on YouTube. It's called "The BluePrint Trailer 3".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Kx1hpZUNo

It focuses on more off the field content. There are some good segments of interviews, practices and a couple of great scenes from the pre season returner meeting. If you're interested in donating to this project you can paypal me at ksfriley@gmail.com or snail mail me at:

288 Prospect Park West #2

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Check it out the trailer and send me an email at the above address about what you think!

-Kevin Riley

2009-09-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Check out this newest Trailer for the Hodag Documentary - "The BluePrint" - that will be completed this fall. This features a good portion of footage from Trouble in Vegas '08.

for more info on how you can contribute to this project contact Kevin Riley at ksfriley@gmail.com.

Hodag Love

2009-08-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the trailer for "The Blueprint" - a documentary focusing on the 2007-2008 season! Please contact ksfriley@gmail.com for more information!!

2009-05-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

Alumni-

Here is our chance to make giving some support to the team over the course of the year even easier. PayPal allows you to subscribe for "recurring payments", which will automatically send a certain amount of money each month to the Hodag account. Below are three levels of donation that you can choose. If you have any questions, please send an email to Feldman.

Hodag Gold Donation Subscription - $25.00 per month
Hodag Silver Donation Subscription - $15.00 per month
Hodag Bronze Donation Subscription - $5.00 per month

2009-05-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

William C. Lokke Internal System Database Report - v.5.2.09

2PM - Hector claims unblastable. Fast forward 24 hours to the hodag house living room couch: compelling evidence to the contrary. Claim fucking defenestrated.

3:30PM - Dean decides that a car bomb must be done for every hodag tattoo present. Final count, 17 tats.

5:00PM – Kentucky Derby happens, upset is watched. Scallet is discovered to somehow harbor massive amounts of horse racing knowledge.

5:30PM - Best ham in the world consumed at a primal pace by beasts of the northwoods.

7:30PM – Rookies Simmons and Dan Park have their hands duct-taped to pitchers and make wagers with Shane and Lokke.

7:45PM - Both finish their pitchers of Guinness in 15 minutes or less, sending shots to both halves of Spainzilla.

7:46PM – Dan Park immediately sends the Guinness into the nearest bush.

8:16PM - Muffin uses the ‘wrong’ mustard bottle. “awww, guys, this mustard is gross”. Extra yellow variety, courtesy of Hohenstein productions.

9:41PM - Picnic table flipped over by Shane and Doede. Much laughter had.

9:57PM - Shane drop kicks Lokke in the face, Lokke slaps the fuck out of Shane

9:59PM - First ever tiki torch javelin event. No one impaled.

10:18PM – First freshman cornered by Riley in the pantry. No escape, no surrender. Heijmen’s laughs from the East coast, doesn’t know why.

10:48PM - Matt Crumb forgets that he’s a doctor and drops a rock on his head after slipping down the stairs. Apparently it’s not a good idea to carry boulders around over your head at parties.

11:05PM - Shane and lokke simultaneously pull the trigger behind gaynors house. Immediately rally for more car bombs.

11:11PM - Jfo detonates beer while sitting in the living room. One hit wonder, in the eyeball. Muffin screams “HEADSHOT”.

11:43PM - Seth in a drunken stupor, overheard arguing with the wall about fast counts and double teams.

11:49PM - Wiseman un’wise’ly passes out early and receives his punishment from an unforgiving tandem. Step one: peel the bananas. Step two: put bananas in boxers. Step three: smash and thank god you weren’t the one passing out early.

12:13AM - Freddy spotted doing pushups to failure; passes out from exhaustion immediately afterward.

12:30AM - Speaker spotted lurking around corners for next victim. Total body count estimated at 6.

1:35AM - Dean kicked out of Big Ten’s for being unable to reboot. System down. Black box still missing.

2:30AM - Open pantry guy freaks the fuck out, “I need the police, I can’t handle this” slamming the phone into the counter repeatedly and shouting at the top of his lungs, as the line of drunk people wonder what caused the tweak. Drew moves up two spots in line due to deserters fearing their lives.

3:30AM - Bert Kang just says no to couch, and yes to taxi. Why don’t they call it the Quadruple Tree?

2009-03-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

ALUMNI GAME
Date: May 2, 2009
Time: 2:00
Place: UBay, Madison, WI

email me if you plan to attend just so I can get
an idea of numbers: bryanparadise@hotmail.com
BP

UPDATE: 2:00PM, UBAY Fields. Blue/Black happening beforehand at Nat fields @ 11:00am

Saturday morning was sunny, beautiful and windy as O vs. D squared off in the Spring Blue-Black Scrimmage. The speed and veteran cutters of the Blue Offense were running wild as Foster, Gaynor, and Drews scored repeatedly. John Bergen called several bullshit fouls, leaving Manny speechless and mumbling as Blue took a quick lead 4-1. Davidman and Feldman continue to lay on the sideline, too sick to cheer as Cullen and Murda were also noticably absent. The Offense continued to roll, taking half 7-2. Jimmy Foster and Evan Klane moved the disc efficiently and the young gun Defense was helpless to slow the onslaught, as the game ended 13-4. It was the first time in 4 years that the Offense won the Spring Scrimmage and was a good sign for Nationals. There was only a short break before the Alumni showcase game at UBAY.

2009-03-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

MANCATION 2009

That's right! The annual trip involving drinking, dumb shit and a sick Kang is happening yet again.

Details:

When: June 13-15th
Where: Yosemite National Park, CA
What: Camping and white-water rafting

The current plan is to leave SF on Saturday for camping and hiking in Yosemite. On Sunday, we're going white-water rafting. Monday is return to SF and try to become at least 50% human - 50% caveman.

Here's the website for the rafting (Cost: $169):

http://www.whitewatervoyages.com/rivers/mercedriver-trips.html

Shoot me an email if you're in or even interested.

-Dean

2009-03-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

HODAG ALUM TOURNEY BRACKET

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=146115&P=hodags

Password: Hodags

Do it.

-Dean

2009-01-29T20:53:00.000-08:00

New Breed

Speaking of accomplishments, I found out my junk works.

My daughter, Hazel Zen Frederick, was born November 26th, 2008. My fiancee birthed Hazel in a birthing tub at our home. That’s right, with the placenta floating in there and everything. It was pretty sweet.

I just wanted you all to know the future of open ultimate is doing well.

2009-01-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

2009 Club Vegas

Just a quick note bragging that the Iceholes won Club Vegas for the second time in a row. That's $500 to the college team for the win.

Some highlights:

Coming back from down 8-6 at half to beat Pike '05 for the championship.
A creepy dude in a Porsche getting a blowjob while driving down the street around 3pm.
Jammin becoming Annen 2.0 and ruling a craps table for 2+ hours.
Lokke punching Riley in the back hard so I could pickpocket him.
Teddy getting a Clamato + Bud Light facial.
Countless tabletops for everyone.
Muffin threatening to kill / destroy everyone in sight and then taking out four or five people.
Riley destroying Heijmen in 500.
Rob taking a header after tripping on grass.
The SoCo circle after winning.

-Dean

William C. Lokke Central Command Center Security Database Status Updates:

Fri. Jan-23-09: 11:33pm - Kevin "Bucket" Riley spills airport drink on pants and tabletops Tom Annen for the mistake.
12:41am - Ted Tripoli claims "unblastable" - threatening Rodrigo's life several times.
1:55am - Bucket double-downs with 11 showing in Black Jack - hits Ace - loses $50 immediately, $200 total. Despair sets in.
2:46am - Tripoli starts pillow fight with Dan Heijmen - Scallet and Bobby tag-team dominate Tenacious Ted.
4:15am - Baller BK orders 12 Carbombs, 13 Coronas in Stratosphere Premium Lounge. Rodrigo falls asleep with mouth open and bets are placed.
7:05am - Power Saver On.
Sat. Jan-24-09: 9:11am - Awake in pile of stripper card's, Carl's Jr. wrappers, and casino chips.
9:24am - Depart for fields - first game in 6 minutes. Burkly currently at fields, running stringent drills.
9:46am - Rodrigo removes dress shoes and blazer to enter game for first time - score 9-1.
10:45am - Animal squats 300 pounds in between Mixed Games. William is impressed.
12:15pm - Muffin enters game with boot, gets poach D and throws turnover.
2:00pm - Fat Bill orders 2 Double-Double's, Animal Style Fries and Large Shake at "In n' Out Burger."
5:55pm - Muffin and Drew discuss finishing documentary
7:30pm - Begin attempts to find Frisbee Party.
7:33pm - Burkly vehemently vows to boycott party in place of gambling.
10:15pm - Colorado challenges Wisconsin to Margarita making contest - Skip Wins
10:45pm - Richter brags about making the World's team over Parker and Chicken
11:07pm - William asks for stiff drink and Xehten pours a brutal 3/4 rum and coke
11:15pm - Rodrigo eyes Chicken's exuberant suit and tie, clearly jealous
11:24pm - Riley tastes mixed drink and random approaches - challenging Rebholz with finger jab to the chest - "I challenge you to Ro-Sham-Bo Slam." The loser slams a drink of choice, which ironically, is Fat Bill's and dude gets nailed by the super hard drink.
11:36pm - Skip closes down the Frisbee Party
11:55pm - Animal mounts Stripper Pole on the Party Bus - a 175 of Jose in one hand and Manders in the other.
12:15am - Blackout! System Down!
2:25am - Bellagio Water Show squirts Animal in the eye
3:35am - William wins giant Superman Garfield at local Fat Man Festival.
5:57am - Bert found on floor with Giant Superman Garfield asleep in bed next to Rebholz.
Sun. Jan-25-09: 11:07am - First game has already started, minivan turns into Carl's Junior Drive Through.
11:40am - Drew and Muffin return from local liquor store with big smiles.
12:45pm - Animal returns from Mixed Fields injured - Foster texts that Animal shouldn't come back to Madison.
1:20pm - Jammin dominates tournament
1:25pm - Tripoli throws 90 yard hammer, drops swing pass
1:30pm - Detonator!
1:45pm - Wisconsin groans, must play Pike in finals?
2:40pm - Soco Waterfall ensues
9:30pm - Drew wins $400 in poker
11:55pm - Lokke scores big at massage parlor, Riley loses big, Drew orders 15th vodka red bull
Mon. Jan-26-09: 11:30am - Drew walks into hotel room announcing his plane leaves in 1 hour 20 minutes.

2009-01-29T07:11:00.000-08:00

2009 HODAG LOVE SCHOLARSHIP

Unfortunately, there was only one entry for the scholarship this year. So the alums weren't able to spend the Vegas weekend reading various accounts of what Hodag Love means to various team members. Fortunately, the one entry that was submitted was excellent. Congrats, Tom!

TOM MURRAY

This past season I had to battle with the semi-unknown financial burdens that were ahead. Additionally having never played high caliber Ultimate before my parents weren’t exactly gung-ho about my seemingly delusional commitment to a game they confused with my pot-smoking days on the disc-golf course. They questioned my life choices, as all parents do, and as a result made asking for money more difficult than it may be this year. Bringing home the golden nugget doesn’t hurt from a parental perspective; I like to think they have accepted my hobby. They are certainly not shy to drop the National Champion card as a conversation piece around just about anyone. Regardless, I don’t like asking for money. I wish I could pay for every cent of my existence. Not being able to pay for something makes me feel like I’m failing as a member of society, maybe everyone feels that way. So why am I still ranting about money? Well, some of my biggest Hodag Love moments sprouted from financial roots and like the rest of the world money has been on my mind as of late.

Last spring break I found myself sitting on a bench on the porch with Shane. It was remarkably peaceful given the debauchery taking place inside. The fact that I remember this whole situation speaks to the sobering effect of the words he shared with me. He told me about the hurdles that he surmounted in order to experience Hodag Love. Aside from what I was aware of, being admitted to the business school and devoting himself to eating children, Shane told me he struggled with finances and skeptical parents. It was something he had figured out we shared, and he wanted me to know that the Hodag Ultimate was worth it. I appreciated hearing his story and knowing that he understood the difficulties I was facing. Like Shane assured me, devoting myself to Wisconsin Ultimate over the past couple of years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’d trade it for nothing.

Looking back at last season I’m still not sure how I ended up at the Stanford Invite. When I got the spring schedule I quickly realized my girlfriend (Mary) was planning on coming to Madison (from Ecuador) for a mid-semester break smack dab in the middle of the Stanford Invite. On top of that I knew I didn’t have the money so I figured I wasn’t going to make the trip. As the semester rolled on Mary wasn’t enjoying the jungle and pulled the plug. I got a call from her in a Vegas parking garage Saturday evening thereby relieving my obligation to skip Stanford. The problem was I still didn’t have the cash to dole out for a plane ticket. Apparently I wasn’t aware of this but when you needed a Frisbee loan last year you were supposed to go to the bank of Rebholz. I was reluctant. I knew I wasn’t going to pay him back in any reasonable length of time (I actually still owe him a bit for the ticket) but he was so willing I couldn’t say no. I was amazed he was so quick to stick his neck out for me, as though I were his brother or son. That favor showed to me that our team truly is a family; I was going to Stanford. Of all the decisions I don’t regret, accepting help from Reb is on the top of my list. The Stanford Invite was where I really came into my own, the systems made sense and I could just play. I loved Ultimate before that weekend, but after that weekend I absolutely loved Hodag Ultimate.

Reb’s favor and Shane’s understanding are symptomatic of the strong bond this team seems to engender each year. We are competing in a sport that is little understood and we often need to look within our own ranks to validate our work and our successes. When I look at each Hodag there is a tacit agreement that every ounce of sweat squeezed from our bodies is worth its weight in gold. Each season we (re)learn what it takes to be a Hodag and we love each other for our commitment to success. Despite the great loss in personnel we’re facing this year, there is already a seemingly tangible bond between each of us. I can’t wait to hit the battlefield in Vegas with my new family.

All things considered, I feel I have sacrificed much and worked hard to don baby blue. I believe our work and sacrifice is what makes Hodag Love so special. Having to work really hard to be a part of this program makes each of us appreciate it that much more; the work we each put into this team allows for Hodag Love to be incredibly strong. For me it has been dealing with finances, convincing my parents I’m not wasting my resources, beating the shit out of my body year round, and staying determined that one day I’d wear baby blue. This year, being a part time student, money isn’t quite as tight. However, I love reflecting and writing about things that I truly care about, so I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to share my thoughts about this program. We each have a story, and I think you’ll find that the harder you work(ed) and the more you surmount(ed) to represent Hodag Ultimate, the stronger you feel Hodag Love.

2009-01-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST....

Congrats to Bryan Paradise for getting psuedo married this weekend in Cabo. Great time was had by all. Even Opie who managed to crash the wedding....

2008-12-02T08:28:00.001-08:00

HODAG LOVE SCHOLARSHIP 2009

Once again, it's time for the Hodag Love Scholarship for the new season. This annual scholarship is a $1,000 award open to anyone on the current team. In order to apply for the scholarship, you simply need to provide a story, video, joke, memento, etc. that shows what "Hodag Love" means to you or why you are proud to be a Hodag.

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS IS MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2008.

A few things are different than in years past. One, the alumni will decide on the winner at the Club Vegas tournament on January 24, 2009. I will be taking input from all alumni re: who should be this year's recipient. There is no set formula for choosing a winner, and in the case of dispute, I'm making the final call.

Two, the scholarship money has already been donated to the Hodag Trust Fund. In keeping with our new goal of setting up an endowment for the team, half of the money will be distributed to the winner and the other half will be kept in the fund. So the winner will get $500 to be used tourney fees, transportation, etc. Since this is coming out of the trust fund, receipts will be needed, and it has to be used for an ultimate-related purposed (No alcohol!).

Three, I know all of the alumni love reading and watching the various entries. No preference is given to years on the team, studs versus newbies, etc. So don't be discouraged from submitting an entry just because it's your first year on the team. (One caveat: Animal should be discouraged from submitting an entry because he's a tool.)

Four, all of the entries will be posted on the blog like in year's past. So if you can make it easy to post, I'd appreciate it.

If you guys have any questions, please let me know. If you want to look at last year's entries, just look at the older posts.

-Dean

2008-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

He did it! He finally did it! Bert helped Bruss overcome his suckiness through a consistent campaign of negative feedback. Congratulations Bert your efforts finally paid off after a decade of your persistence when Bruss achieved adequate status on the field during the 2008 Club Finals.

Hodags around the country can now triumphantly drop a drink in another drink in honor of Bert.

2008-10-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

CUltimate is arranging for a new "Conference 1", which essentially would replace the UPA's college series for some of the elite teams, including Wisconsin should they choose to be part of the system. Not sure what any of you think, read http://cultimate.com/conference1/ for details and you can go to rsd for additional perspectives and speculation. As this could significantly effect the program I think that we should at least provide some opinion to those that will be making the decision for the team possibly for the foreseeable future.
Bryan

2008-07-21T08:30:00.001-07:00

ADDRESSES

The Hodags are trying to compile a list of addresses and emails of all alumni. Jim Foster will be sending an email about this soon, but I figured a blog post would help as well.

So send a quick email to jcfoster at wisc dot edu.

-Dean

2008-06-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

Alumni, Hodags Need Help With Documentary!!!!!!!

(below is an email from Documentary producers Muffin and Mahowald)

I need some quick hard TRUE facts about the History of the Hodags.

- Year Started - '88?
- Commentary on goals of 1st Hodag teams
- When adopted Hodag name, why?
- History of very beginning - second coming in mid 90's, peaking towards late 90's, touch of history until 2002 finale
- Colorful insight - anything is welcome
- Anything that might be interesting for inclusion in a hodag history narrative
- Rivalry & History with Carleton and Regionals

250-500 word history needed - for the documentary
Different perspectives would be nice

We are thinking a picture slide show - please send any pictures you think would be valuable!

Thanks for the help
Muffin & Andrew - Back-to-Back National Champions

P.S. FYI - the documentary will need to buy rights to CBS footage, music rights, and other silly stuff like that -- so Drew and I will be most likely asking for some financial investment from our alums in the near future : )

Anyone that has any info could write it in the comments section and we'll be checking here as often as we can. Thanks for the help, you'll be happy with the finished product.

2008-05-19T13:09:00.001-07:00

Hodags repeat as National Champions. 15-9 over intense rivals Florida.

5 of 7 Finals appearances since 2002.

Three championships.

First repeat of the modern era.

Hodag Millenium. Call it a Dynasty.

2008-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Alumni Update:

Unfortunately due to weather and the rescheduling of sectionals we have had some difficulty rescheduling and I apologize for not updating the blog sooner. Anyway, the game is now scheduled to be played starting at about 11:40 am in Whitewater. Because there is no real good time for the Hodags in the coming weeks prior to Nationals we are playing during their bye round of sectionals.

Right now we have a pretty low numbers of people that actually committed to playing and obviously could use a few more bodies.

Anyway, if you can't make the game, but are in Madison and interested in grabbing a beer with your former teammates you can call me and hopefully I will have information on such things. 612-219-7009.

BP

2008-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

SHHHH EL DOZO
Shhhh El Dozo

El Inferno!Violencia! Armageddon!

Shhh El Doz0 No Disturbe, El Bruss-o-sucko

OperaMan Bye Bye!

2008-03-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

Alumni Game Update:

For those who have not been keeping track the Hodags are currently undefeated and have won three tournaments (Mardi Gras, Trouble in Vegas, and Standford Invite) and secured about $7,000 in prize money. The Hodags website contains write-ups by Muffin and some video footage as well. In other words they are in need of some serious competition and apparently not many college teams are up to the challenge. Thus in a joint effort to help them raise money and to humble them I have agreed to put together an alumni squad to face them on April 19, 2008. (Time still undetermined)

Here is the deal: As we have done in the past couple of years we will be attempting to put together a BBQ of sorts following the alumni game so we can teach the current squad about their illustrious heritage and their fore fathers. Obviously, the night will probably also involve the alumni seeking refuge at one of the local watering holes to celebrate a hard fought victory. All alumni are invited so spread the word. Please let me know if you plan to attend the game and or the BBQ so we can get some sort of head count.

As far as contributions go, there is no doubt that the Hodags have benefitted from the recent rash of tournaments offering prize money, but the goal of the program and the alumni is to make sure that even in less successful years the Hodags are able to supplement the cost of players and even attract players to the program by allowing them to play for little or no personal expense. In order to do this a few hard working alumni (mostly Dean Bolton) have done the leg work to establish an endowment fund for the program through the University of Wisconsin. This means there is a tax benefit to giving to the Hodags and as Dean would say essentially you can give twice as much and not really be losing anymore money then you would have given otherwise. (Not tax advice) The end goal as daunting as it may be is to have many of the programs costs funded by interest of the endowment fund. I believe the short term goal (2 years) is to have $10,000 and hopefully in ten years to have the fund be self sustaining. Obviously, this seems daunting to some that may only be able to give $20 or $50, but every year we gain alumni and I believe that most of us would put a much higher value on our experiences with the Hodags. Hopefully Dean will chime in to tell you what to do if you would like to contibute and I will try to follow up with him.

BP (bryanparadise@hotmail.com)

2008-01-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

2008 HODAG LOVE SCHOLARSHIP ENTRIES

(in alphabetical order)

TOM "ANIMAL" ANNEN

I love playing Ultimate.
I love playing Wisconsin Ultimate.
I love beating the shit out of teams.
I love winning.
I love winning tournaments.
I am a National champion.
I am going to do everything in my power to repeat as a national champion.
I will work hard.
I will teach the younger players everything I can that I will soon have to rely on if i want to continue the hodag tradition of domination.
I will always know that the team is nothing without everybody working hard together which is harder than any other team in the country.
And I understand that we are good because of the players we have now and have had in the past.
I love all of my teammates.
I love all of you hodag alumni.

Thanks
hodag love forever
Tom Animal Annen

P.S. Dean Sucks!

ZACH "TURTLE" EHLER

T- for Teamwork. This is what Hodag Love is all about. We workout together, we party together, we play together, we WIN together.
U- for Ultimate. What more do I have to say!
R- for Respect. If Teamwork is what Hodag Love is all about then Respect is the foundation. There may be bickering and fighting at times, but when it comes down to the wire every Hodag can trust and respect his teammates to make the game changing play.
T- for Training. We work harder than any other team out there. We do this so that at the end of the season we know that there is no team in the nation that can out run us, out jump us, or out play us.
L- for Layouts. As a Hodag you have to love the feeling of flying through the air putting your body on the line in order to get the D. When a Hodag makes layout it shows that he is willing to put his body on the line for his teammates. That is true Hodag Love.
E- for Eliminate. This is what we love to do on Sunday. We love to knock teams out on our way to the championship game especially if it’s Carleton.

SHANE HOHENSTEIN

My name is Shane Hohenstein, I am a 5^th year senior and 3^rd year Hodag. I wanted to write this essay because the Hodags have become the most important thing in my life and wanted to share that passion with anyone who has a chance to read this. A little over three years ago I decided to transfer from Winona State University. I wanted to transfer for a number of reasons but there is no coincidence that the two schools I applied to were recent national champions in ultimate (Wisconsin and Colorado). I visited both schools, and was in contact with members of both frisbee teams. I was weighing out the pros and cons of each school in my head until it became obvious to me. The clear decision stood out after I visited a Hodags practice and met many members of the team. After watching the way the 2005 Hodags worked and how they interacted together I knew immediately that there was something special about the Hodags; something that I wanted to be a part of. I practically made my decision that day. My transfer to the University of Wisconsin is the best thing I have ever done for myself, and the reason is because of my experience I have had as a Hodag.

I was recently talking with a high school friend about my college career and what we are going to remember the most. I told her that, when I think of my college career, all I think about is being a Hodag. It is how I define myself and it is the most meaningful part of my college career. I wanted to right this essay to attempt to explain why this is.

So it is extremely hard to put into words what it means, to me, to be a Hodag. When I sat down to write this essay I had a hard time trying to organize my hurricane of thoughts and emotions I want to express. There are three pictures, however, that I think demonstrate at least a bit of what it means, to me, to be a Hodag.

In this picture I see pure determination. This was after a goal I caught in the semi-finals of the 2007 college nationals in Columbus, Ohio. I look into the eyes of myself and Miller and I see purpose, intensity, and will. When I think of what it means to be a Hodag I think of all these characteristics. To me, the Hodags are group of guys, past and present, that create a family that is dedicated to common goals. What is most important is that each Hodag takes it upon himself to work as hard as possible to achieve these goals as a single unit. Each Hodag pushes the other and picks each other up when we are down. I have never met a group of people more passionate and determined to make their dreams come true than the Hodags. To be a Hodag means that you work as hard as you physically can to make you and your team better. Hodags sweat, bleed, and cry together as they work as one to achieve their goals. I love this about the Hodags, and I see this aspect of determination in the above photo.

I look at this next picture and laugh my ass off. It is ridiculous, haggard, stupid, and maybe embarrassing. Nevertheless, this picture is amazing, and I think it shows another important part of what it means to be a Hodag. This picture was taken at the end of a 'Cowboy and Indian' themed party. The above victims include myself, Dan Heijmen, and Brian Frederick. The reason I included this picture is because I want to emphasize the fact that Hodags are best friends. I know a lot of people, from a lot of different walks of life, and with many different personalities, but I will always consider my teammates as my best friends. The reason is that through strife, success, hard work, and hilarity my teammates have become my friends on a level of friendship that no others will understand. I included this picture because I love surrounding my self with other Hodags and as best friends we have more fun with each other than imaginable. All Hodags know this from any spring break they have been on with their teammates. This picture, to me, embodies the hilarity that best friends are able to have with each other and how much I love spending my time with Hodags on and off the field.

Hodag Love is the most important aspect of being a Hodag. The determination, passion, friendship, hard work, success, and everything else I have described up to this point is done through Hodag Love. This is a special connection that is what makes me cry with my teammates as pictured above with Matt Scallet, Dan Miller, and I after 2007 national finals. With huge grins on our faces, we cried like babies, after we achieved our ultimate goal last year. We embraced each other for minutes in triumph and in love. It is Hodag Love that gives a special relationship between past and present Hodags that is exhibited at every Alumni game and night spent together. I feel instantly close to every Alumnus I met simply through the common understanding of Hodag Love and what it means to be a part of the greatest ultimate team in the world.

I could claim that the Hodags are the greatest ultimate team for a plethora of reasons, but the reason that resonates with me the most is the culture we embody and the relationship that past, present, and future Hodags will always have with each other through Hodag Love. I love this team as I love my family and it is the most important thing in my life right now. What I have come to learn that is truly incredible is the fact that being a Hodag, like a family, is permanent. It goes well beyond one's college career, and it is a family for a lifetime. I have learned that as I have felt the love and common respect for every Hodag I have ever met. It is this family, friends, and Love for one another that I am eternally grateful for. It is these things that are, to me, Hodag Love.

ANDREW MAHOWALD / BRANDON "MUFFIN" MALECEK

THOMAS "MURDA" MURPHY

On October 24^th of this past year, I received the most gratifying phone call of my life. Matt Rebholz’s familiar tone of voice caused what had now become a Pavlovian acid reflux in my gut. This was the third such phone call I’d received from Matt Rebholz in my ultimate career. The prior two had resulted in a short period of depression, my ultimate career or year’s tryout flashing before my eyes, and a big gulp of pride. Fuck…it was familiar territory for me having been disappointed with hockey and soccer during high school. I guess I’m just an ‘on the bubble’ type of athlete. But, I always seem to persevere. Before that phone call on October the 24^th I had been planning on weaseling my way into a graduate school the following year somewhere without the name Madison or Wisconsin or Hodag in it, at the same time knowing that every fast-twitch muscle in my body wanted a two-year tenure with the Hodags. And then it happened… ‘you made the team, you’re a hodag.’ I smiled.
Though it has only been a short time since I first slipped on a baby blue knit, I have been aware of the existence of Hodag Love for a few years. I have, as many B-teamers and probably many other ultimate players, learned frisbee and ultimate work ethic in the shadow of the Hodag. The Hodags have been my pinnacle, my ultimate bible, my scary older brother. They have defined what it means to play defense, what it means to get in shape, what it means to win. It is wholly gratifying to now be apart of my only view of how frisbee can be played. To be a Hodag for me is to be an ultimate Goliath, it is an opportunity for me to succeed. Making the team is exactly that—an opportunity; for I am hardly a Hodag yet…but not to worry, I’ve got Hodag Love on my side.
For me, Hodag Love is the catalyst for creating an ultimate player out of raw athleticism and heart. It is the collective passion for passing on mad skills and work ethic and the will to eat babies to every Wisconsin student who shows a ravenous need for touching plastic. It is the lofty feeling I got during CCC when I stood on the line with my comrades at my flanks. Looking down at the Hodag on my jersey knowing the chump 70 yards away is wincing like an abused puppy. The confidence in my fellow brethren and myself transcends the present; our confidence is derived from every great player who has ever worn baby blue. The other teams shake because of our history, our reputation. No player would shake because I am marking them; they shake because a Hodag is marking them. Every time a n00b is built into a baby-eating machine it adds to the prestige of the baby blue knits. We are a treasury of greatness compounding with every offensive flow and sick d, every OATBAG, every line of the story. Hodag Love is our fuel. It is derived from each individual Hodag committed to becoming part of the faceless army. Hodag Love is setting the bar so high that no other team can even see it. And it’s fucking tasty.

Please vote in the poll below

The poll will be open until Sunday, January 28th.

2008-01-09T23:05:00.001-08:00

Alumni Reunion-Mancation

Double down, ante up and push all in, because the Hodags are going to Vegas. Following a litany of complaints that last year's mancation was planned mere weeks before the event in a location some didn't like, this year's trip is being announced months in advance in a place everyone loves (or at least has a healthy bit of respect for). Same rules as last year apply. Your girlfriend, wife and sense of decency are not invited, your liver and sense of humor are. People will be getting in on Thursday March 27 and if they survive long enough, likely leaving on Sunday the 30th. Dean is looking into rooms as we speak and if you are planning on coming you should let him know: dbolton991@yahoo.com

Who's going to be there (other than half the hot strippers in America and a bunch of black jack dealers from Buffalo, NY)? The four founding fathers of Mancation (Dean, Dise, Tyler and Pankratz), rumor has it Zach and LA Rob will also be there. Not even a full year of marriage and Bruss is reportedly looking for excuses to get out of the house and if our Hello Kitty scholarship funding goes through, Kang. Who are some of the dark horse contenders to make an appearance? Is Frederick willing to risk throwing away a promising medical career before it even gets started? Does Hector ever go on vacation if it doesn't involve speaking spanish or playing frisbee? Is Anderson's cougar hunting license valid in Nevada? Is Ley a minister yet? and if so does that mean he'll want to go to cub scout meetings instead of strip clubs? Will Flounder's company let him use the company jet? Can Tyson take time off from his busy duties as captain of the Widowmaker? Only time will tell, but I hope everyone can make it. Please help spread the word to all the former Hodags.

Pankratz

2008-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Alumni Reunion (Sans ULTIMATE) Mulligan

I was just kidding about March 22 and 23 the Reunion in Vegas is happening the next weekend. Anyway stay tuned for Pankratz's plea.
BP

2008-01-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

ALUMNI REUNION (SANS ULTIMATE)

Pankratz is going to be posting soon with compelling reasons why you will want to attend, but the details are as follows: Vegas on the weekend of March 22nd and 23rd. Some may arrive prior to the weekend to take full advantage of the weekend. Right now I have gotten at least waffling commitments from Pank, Tyler, Dean, Bruss (via Bryn) and Bert. Being close to LA I'm assuming that LA Rob and Zach are practically guarantees (with this notice) and with the cancellation of TIV I imagine others may now be more interested. Check back frequently for Pank's post.

BP

2007-11-20T06:50:00.000-08:00

2008 HODAG JERSEYS

Drew put up at post on the Hodag blog about non-numbered jerseys. Take a look:

http://hodagultimate.blogspot.com/2007/11/get-2008-hodag-jersey.html

This is one of the team's fund-raising efforts for the year, so forward this to anyone who might be interested. I heard they are trying to sell 300 jerseys this year.

-Dean

2007-11-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

HODAG JERSEYS

Courtesy of Ben Feldman

The deadline for orders is Friday, November 16th.

Hodag jerseys this year are going to have two gold embroidered stars on the left sleeve to signify our two national championships. In addition, it will have "Wisconsin" above the numbers on the back, and as usual a our logo on the front center. If you are interested in ordering this type of jersey (with your number on it), now is your chance to do so.

2007-2008 Competition Jersey for Alumni: $30.00

Normal player jerseys (without the stars) are available. You are able to put your number on these as well.

Short Sleeve Normal Player Jerseys: $26.00

Long Sleeve Normal Player Jerseys: $27.00

Both types are available in Blue, Black and White.

HOW TO SEND BEN AN ORDER FOR JERSEYS. PLEASE READ!:

Ben is now be accepting emails with jersey orders. What he needs from you is a somewhat organized list of what you would like to order. Here is an example of what you should send Ben.

For Alumni: (Cut and paste what is below in an email to Ben (http://www.wisc.edu/directories/?name=Ben%20Feldman), title it "My name Jersey Orders - Alumni", and modify as needed)

Name: Dan Heijmen

Jersey Number: 2

Current Address: 69 Callahan Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 12345

Phone Number: 612-222-2222

Competition Jersey Orders:

1 Black Short Sleeve X-Small

1 Blue Short Sleeve X-Small

Normal Player Jersey Orders (With numbers, but no stars):

3 Blue Short Sleeve X-Small

1 White Long Sleeve Small

1 Blue Short Sleeve X-Large

This year we will be selling basic jerseys to the public as a fundraiser (no numbers, just the logo on front, and "Wisconsin" on the back). These are going to be around $21.00 for Short Sleeve, and $22.00 for Long Sleeve (Blue, Black and White). These are NOT available for sale right now, so please do not include any of these type jerseys in your order.

If you have any more questions, please contact Ben.

The deadline for orders is Friday, November 16th.

HL,

Ben Feldman

2007-10-16T09:38:00.001-07:00

MANCATION 2008!!!

So this is a general invite to those who need a break from their mundane lives to escape for a long weekend to enjoy some sun, basketball games and drinks. The weekend (to be set as the annual weekend for the mancation) is the first weekend of March Madness, which I believe is March 13-March 16 this coming year. No destination has been determined although possibilities are Miami, Vegas, and San Diego to name a few. Last year there were some concerns that the date and location were announced too late for most to commit outside those in the deciding loop so in an effort to get a higher turnout this year we decided that we should just set the date early and make it an annual date so people can ask off work, etc. While we (Pank, Tyler, Dean, Bert and myself) are open to suggestions for places or pro/con arguments for each proposed place, which may entice more to join in the fun, in order to avoid the messiness of trying to get 20+ people to try to agree on something we will try to decide the place by January 1, 2008 of course taking into account the feelings of others and the commitment level expressed.

The objectives of the weekend include: relaxing by a pool/ocean, eating a few decent meals, watching some basketball, ogling/hitting on/making out with/going home with beautiful women depending on your personal circumstances, and of course drinking, catching-up, making fun of those too lame to show up, or the current lameness of individuals who did show up. Playing ultimate is not on the agenda. If you are interested please feel free to post to this blog your commitment, suggestion for a destination, what will or won't get you to commit to going (like say the exclusion of Bert), and anything else you feel deserves attention.

Last year it was Dean, Tyler, Pank and myself in Miami. As far as expenses go I think I probably dropped between $800-$1000 for the four days, which included the $350 flight. Outside the flight I think alcohol was the biggest expense in the range of I'm guessing $80-$120 per day. Anyway, there it is for all who are interested.

BP

2007-09-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

EXIT 69

To all Hodags (former and current) in the Madison, Minneapolis and surrounding areas. One Jim Foster (aka "The Hurricane" aka "Don't leave your car anywhere near him") is organizing a team for Exit 69 in Northfield, MN the weekend of October 12-13.

Feel like shaking off the rust and playing with some of the young 'uns, contact J-Fo and let him know that you too would like to beat the crap out of CUT again.

-Dean

2007-08-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

A review of Hot Rod from Rolling Stone magazine. The important part is highlighted.

Andy Samberg is cool beans. At least he is on SNL, where he rocked that "Dick in a Box" video with Justin Timberlake. But his screen debut is out of the Will Ferrell reject pile. Just when you want Hot Rod to rev, it stalls.
Samberg plays Rod Kimble, a wanna-be stunt man with no talent for the game. Though his suburban mom (Sissy Spacek, underused) gets him, his stepdad, Frank (Ian McShane, overqualified), thinks Rod is dead wood. So why does Rod try to raise fifty grand for Frank's heart operation by doing a motorcycle jump over fifteen school buses? So he can kick Frank's ass. The joke is repeated so often that all humor evaporates. And Wedding Crashers live wire Isla Fisher is drained of personality as Rod's dream girl.
Samberg and his Lonely Island buds from SNL (director Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Raccone as Rod's brother) do have a knack for sight gags, such as Rod's punch dance and his extended fall down a hill. But the film's low-key Wayne's World vibe takes it only so far. I laughed, then I wished it was funnier, then I just wished it would end.
PETER TRAVERS

Mother fucker is stealing PUNCH DANCE!!!!!!!!

2007-06-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

COOLER CLASSIC (AUGUST 18 & 19)

Dates for Cooler have been announced so start booking your flights and hotel rooms. I will front the entrance fee and submit a bid. Obviously, the more alumni we have the better. Contact me at bryanparadise@hotmail.com to let me know if you are in. If we have enough numbers will go with alumni and some hodags not on club teams only, if we don't we will open it up to friends of Hodags so that no one dies of exhaustion.

BP

2007-05-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

BRUSS/MARTYNA WEDDING WRITEUP:

VERSION OPIE

So while the Hodags were winning Nationals in dominating fashion, many of us were in attendance of the wedding of the centur...meh of the May 25th, 2007. So whilst we await Muffin's sweet write up of the Hodags sick play, here is a recap of the Bruss Martyna wedding from Opie's perspective. Or at least my guess of what Opie's perspective is.

Wow. Here I am in Santa Cruz eating some sweet mexican food with Pank. I better get on the phone and try to find some sort of ride to the airport at 4:30AM on Sunday morning because I am really good at planning trips and booking sweet ass flight times.

Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you gonna get. I'm most likely going to get whipped with those 3 foot licorice whips in Pank's lap.

Mmm this food is pretty good. That was a great ceremony. I'll have a little food now and then maybe discuss some world events over a glass of wine.

Huh? What are you talking about? Who has a wedgie? I just like my pants to show my contures baby.

Hey dudes look! I'm drinking this bottle of champagne by myself. What a great idea that in no way will lead to bad things later. I love you guys. Plus I definitely think my head is as big as Bert's. And it's all red and gingery.

Yes finally made it to the bar. I'll just sit here and hug Zach's girlfriend. I'd hug Bert's girl too but he'd probably beat me to a pulp...hmmm...he hasn't hit me but the room seems to be spinning. That's odd.....

zzzz.....I'll just rest my eyes for a seco...zzzzzzzz... hey what the... am I enjoying this? Hector's hands do seem to know their way about my breastesiss area...

Well... I mean, I haven't peed myself or anything. That's pretty good right?

Man this must be contagious like yawning. Pank looks sleepy too. Who wants to take a man nap!

Bruss "Heeeeeeeeeeey wahas happenining over hurrr? Is this a basketball?"

Bruss "No it's Opie! Yay group photo. Everybody smile big. Opie you didn't smile... You're ruining my Wedding!"

Huh.?? Wait what's going on. huh...man I don't feel good I hope I don't puke whoops there I go.

What the...how did I get in this position? There must be a logical reason....

Ohhh I guess that makes sense. At least I made it outside before I started yakking...what? I didn't? I puked in the bar you say?... how about that...

Huh...oh ok Jake one picture then I gotta you know get some sleep or something. I gotta wake up early. At least I got all my puke out earlier right? What do you mean I just vomited all over the bus?...I gotta catch a flight.

2007-05-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Congrats to the Hodags for a dominating performance this weekend on their way to the National Title. Also congrats to Dan Heijmen, the first of many Hodag Callahan winners.

2007-05-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't been paying attention.

2007 Nationals
Friday Pool Play

(1)Hodags over (12)Pitt 15-4
(1)Hodags over (13)Kansas 15-5
(1)Hodags over (8)UNC 15-6

hl

2007-05-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

To the current Hodags: Remember what this is really about

When I was a freshman at the UW, in 1998, during a three-year streak in which the team didn’t even make nationals, UC Santa Barbara won their third title in a row (and sixth overall). Talk about dominant.

Before Santa Barbara’s three-peat, ECU (East Carolina), had won two in a row despite coming out of an outrageously difficult Atlantic Coast region. Another utterly vicious team.

Upon arriving at the UW, I quickly learned from Jammin, Rez, Simon, etc. that everyone knew these teams. They kicked ass and won titles, so naturally all the other teams followed them and tried to figure out how to replicate their dominance. Other teams also, for the most part, disliked them. Partly this was because of jealousy – people tend to bitch about whomever is at the top – but partly it was because both Santa Barbara and ECU were cheaters and assholes. They rammed cutters, intentionally hacked throwers and screamed at opponents all the time. Particularly ECU.

The first time I played either of these teams was when I was a sophomore and we played ECU in South Carolina. Our team was in good physical shape but was very low on throwers, particularly those that could throw forehands. ECU decided they would front the open side and not allow us to attempt a break throw. In the first half, every time we pivoted over there, they hacked, the stall went to zero, and they called us pussies. We called lots of fouls, but in the second half they started bitching more, we stopped calling fouls and they just trampled us. They bullied us out of a fair game, even though they were better than us, and we felt cheated. They didn’t care because they were big dogs with a high seed.

A decade later, the Hodags are the big dogs with a high seed. The pride that this brings me, a former player on the team, is tremendous. Knowing how bad and disorganized we were then, and how unbelievably good the team has become recently, compiling outstanding numbers of victories and tournament wins, really makes alumni feel as though they were part of building something special, even if they had no direct hand in any of the games (i.e. we give ourselves too much credit). We keep tabs on the team, we root you on, and if we can, we come to nationals to cheer. Some of us have Hodag tattoos (and would consider more if we won more titles). One particularly generous alumnus is even setting up a foundation for the team, for god’s sake. You make us very, very proud.

What doesn’t make me proud is the idea that Wisconsin ultimate handles the spotlight of being a top team the same way Santa Barbara and ECU did. There is a big difference between truly expecting that you will win and believing that you are pre-ordained to win. Let me be clear about something: You are not god’s gift to ultimate. You didn’t invent it and it will be going on long after you are done with it.

I don’t pretend to know if any of the many rumors about the Hodags being a bunch of cheating egomaniacs on the field are true or not, and it doesn’t matter. For one, there is always more jealous criticism of the big dogs. And moreover, what really matters is that you feel – that you really believe – that you are treating the game and your opponents with respect. And as you sit atop the competition, I hope you consider this even more than we did when we toiled away in obscurity.

We have all played with bad spirit. I played a point against some terrible team at college sectionals with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my hand. My teammates like to joke about it – and it is funny – but I would undo it if I could. I have in one way or another, bullied teams that we were better than to let them know we were going to win. Would I undo those transgressions now for whatever advantage our team gained? Absolutely. It's not something to cry over, but I would undo them if I could.

My point is when you’re at the top you need to be particularly concerned with being stewards of the sport. Strangers come to watch you play. Probably, even, people who have never seen ultimate before come to your games. Acting like a dick is never good, but it’s particularly harmful to the game and to the Hodag name when you do it at the top level. Remember Joe DiMaggio’s quote about why he played so hard every game? "I always thought there was at least one person in the stands who had never seen me play, and I didn't want to let him down."

I read the post about Dan Heijmen for Callahan on the Hodag web site. Sounds like an awesome player. But given that a third of the award has to do with sportsmanship – something you mention nothing of in a 1,000-plus word write-up – someone who really cares about the game is unlikely to vote for him. And if that’s the way the team he leads acts and portrays itself, in my book he shouldn’t win. Simple as that.

Just remember that as you (hopefully) blaze your way to glory this weekend, how much it will mean to the sport – and to alumni – when you do it with class, and with a smile on your face. Imagine the tremendous good step you take for the game and the Hodag name when you resist making a ticky-tack call or – can you imagine? – take back a bad call on the biggest stage in ultimate. Shaking an opponent’s hand after a good play is also excellent, though it is certainly not required.

I promise that it will make all the memories and friendships far warmer. And you will still dominate.

HL

opie

2007-05-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

HODAG TRUST FUND

After discussing this for a few years, some of the alums finally got around to investigating getting an official charitable fund set up for the team. There are a couple of advantages to doing it this way. One, the alums can now contribute to a charitable organization and get a tax deduction for all donations. Two, the fund is professionally managed so no one has to worry about handling the finances and taxes. Three, since it's tax deductible, the alums should be able to donate a little more, which will help out the team.

However, there is still one issue on which I could use some input. There are basically two ways to have the fund set up. One, everything that is donated within the year is distributed that same year, much like we do now. Two, we spend a couple years building up the principal, and then only the interest is distributed to the team each year.

For option two, you can assume that 4.5 - 5% interest will be distributed to the team every year after we reach the initial level of $10,000. The UW Foundation estimates that they will get a return of approximately 10% every year. Of that, 1% goes to their maintenance costs. The remaining 4% is reinvested in the fund to battle inflation. So after we meet the initial amount, the fund becomes essentially self-sustaining. Of course, the principal has to grow to a rather large amount before it really becomes a benefit to the team. And if we never get the principal up to a large amount, we can convert it to the full annual distribution at any point.

I created the poll below to get a sense of what people think will be the best option. The poll is open for the next week.

2007-05-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Any alums from the DC area going to nationals this year? I've already arranged for time off of work (less than a week into my new job), but I don't have a way to get there. I'm working in the Patuxent national wildlife refuge.
Nate

2007-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

MEMOIRS OF A CUT BOY

As Told By: SEBBY

So when I was on CUT, we were the kindler, gentler, but still socially awkward team. By which I mean that we didn't hang out with any other team and/or care to do so. For the most part all I remember about the Hodags is the mass of baby blue running after me. Although I do have two specific stories that may be interesting.

Firstoff, at the Kansas Fools Fest in 1998 and the very first Ultimate tournament I had ever played in, I was guarding Ben Jammin for onepoint. He made a dump cut and caught the throw, even though I laid out and missed the bid. And then for the next 7-8 seconds he just held the frisbee in front of my face and talked shit as I was getting up and stalling him, not even glancing upfield. Then he threw (and I think completed) a stall 9 hammer. So you might say that he was the reason I always liked beating Madison.

Second, and I think this was Sectionals in 1998 at St. Olaf. Madison was playing and destroying CUT B, but we were on the sideline watching. On one point, the Hodags pulled and sent Opie screaming down for the mark of a 1-3-3. Al Licup caught the first throw off the pull, and then threw up a big forehand fake right as Opie sprinted up to mark him. As Al faked, Opie threw out a leg to try and footblock him while still moving forward. After the fake, Al pivoted over to throw a backhand, and as he did so he caught Opie square in his junk with the disc on the way across and then completed the throw. I've never seen a man crumple as fast as Opie did that day, and he remained in the fetal position for a good 10 minutes before moving.

2007-05-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

2007-04-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

ALUMNI GAME UPDATE

Game has been pushed back to a 2pm start time to accomodate the blue v. black game before hand. BBQ will be held at 1117 Delplaine Ct. in Madison, which you can mapquest for directions (by Merriter Hospital...Park/Regent intersection)

Rec Sports is going to be at the fields so there is NO ALCOHOL allowed on the fields. I can't stress this enough. If you need to drink before hand feel free to go to a bar or Hooters or anywhere but the fields. If you need to drink during then drink in your car. Otherwise wait until after the game. Obviously it would be horrible to put their season in jeopardy.

For those of you who are curious about playing time, I will not be trying to call lines, however you should try to play according to your strengths, i.e. if you are completely out of shape and out of practice play defense. I have no idea what our numbers are going to be. There are a number of adopted Hodags living in Madison that will surely aid us if we need numbers, but obviously we will try to play only as alumni if people so desire. See you all Saturday.

2007-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

MANCATION RECAP

First, everyone mark your calendars. Mancation 2008 will be Thursday, March 20, 2008 through Sunday, March 23, 2008 in beautiful Lake Havasu, AZ. Well, it will be as long as some actually figures out a way for us to get on a boat somewhere.

THURSDAY

Anyway, on to the long-awaited recap of Mancation 2007. (Note: some parts of the story are a little fuzzy due to massive alcohol consumption. BP, Tyler or Pank might be able to fill in some of the gaps.)

Pank and I arrived in Miami on Thursday night around 10:30pm. Tyler was arriving in Ft. Lauderdale around 11pm, and Paradise was getting into Miami around midnight as he was too lazy to switch planes onto the flight with Pank and myself. So the executive decision was made to temporarily abandon those guys and head to South Beach.

After locating a place that sold imported beers for $3 a bottle and purchasing plenty, we got to people watching on Lincoln Road. Within five minutes, we saw multiple instances of pretty, young girls on the arms of dirty, old men. The term "Retard Punchout" was born to describe any situation where there was a vast difference in talent such as the hot girl / old guy or Mike Tyson in the ring with a retard or anyone versus Bruss in all fantasy sports.

After Tyler and BP made it down to South Beach, we found a few other watering holes before calling it a relatively early evening around 3am. Some people needed their beauty sleep before the impending debauchery.

FRIDAY (aka Get-Reamed-By-Miami-Prices Day)

After a hearty breakfast where Pank, Tyler and BP combined to eat half a cow and an entire pig while laughing at me for ordering fruit, we decided to check out an all day party at Nikki Beach. At 2pm, it was $40 to get in, but for $60, you got VIP seating and the ability to return at any point until the club reached capacity. And it was cash only.

Now for some reason, nothing in that seemed strange to us, so we shelled out the money. That might have been a mistake. First, this "seating" that we were entitled to apparently consisted of the sand on the beach. Or maybe we bought the privilege of buying $300 bottle service along with every other chump in the place. Regardless, we never found the seating and got kicked out of multiple sections. Two, I'm pretty sure the capacity of the place was 37 people. Or at least, that's the number of people that showed up. The damn place could hold a good 500+ people, but they roped off 90% of it so that all 37 were crammed into the same 10' x 10' space. But more on that in a second.

After an afternoon round of drinks that cost approximately $100, we decided to do a little planning. We left Nikki Beach, bought a few cases of beer and headed to South Beach to drink and play some pick-up ultimate. The ultimate consisted of Tyler dominating the game, me dropping everything except for my beer and Pank and BP not coming anywhere near the field. We also tried a short game on stand next to the naked chick on the beach and take a photo. BP stood pretty damn far away.

Upon our return to the hotel for a quick change, we were walking down the hall when Paradise announced that he heard a bunch of women screaming "Shots" from one of the rooms. Apparently being engaged or married means that you can't even investigate the potential of fun as BP and Tyler continued walking past the door. Thankfully, I haven't succumbed to that illness, and I knocked on the door expecting a few average looking women to answer.

Well, the door was opened by some very attractive ladies from the University of Delaware, including two girls who worked as Bud Light models or something like that. I managed not to trip over my tongue and get invited in for shots; however, I did forget about the others until they knocked on the door to invite themselves in as well. The girls needed help testing out their theory that drinking brandy at night prevents a hangover in the morning, and we were willing test subjects. Unfortunately, they had plans to go to Coconut Grove with some friends, which made no sense because the hottest guys in Miami told them they would be at Nikki Beach that evening. Yeah, no dice.

So the evening was spent drinking further at Nikki Beach while checking out all of the hotties in skimpy outfits. Tyler managed to pass out at the club, but then he topped that by apparently pissing and vomitting simultaneously on the way out. (To be fair, he did make it to the bathroom, which was impressive). Oh yeah, BK showed up as well, but we only saw him for a minute. Weird.

SATURDAY

Saturday was spent at the beach. Tyler and BP wanted to lay out and get some sun. Pank and I decided to walk the beach mainly to avoid the screams of little children when BP took off his shirt. Note to everyone, the sun in Miami is much more intense that the sun in Appleton. Please remember this to avoid burning yourself, and you may want to remind Tyler of this as well.

While walking Ocean Drive, the UDel girls spotted us, and we made plans for the nightly hotel pre-party. Being true Hodags, there was only one drink that could be served by our room: carbombs. So we purchased the needed supplies and proceeded to do rounds of carbombs with a few rounds of brandy mixed in. (BTW, there might be something to that brandy = no hangover thing as we all felt pretty good the next morning.)

After clubbing the previous night, we decided to hit up a lounge instead. So we headed down to the Delano where we found out that I'm fucking retarded. Even though it's 1000 degrees in Miami, you need pants, not shorts, to get into the upscale places. So while BP, Pank and Tyler breezed right in, I had to talk my way past the bouncer, which might have worked had I not been drunk. Let me put it this way. I'm not Troy Smith. Troy Smith was not staying at the Delano. And Troy Smith's girlfriend (whose name I couldn't even make up) wasn't staying at the Delano either. So I just walked to the back and hopped the fence to get into the club.

The club was pretty sweet with everything being completely open-air and plenty of nice scenery around. Tyler and I got schooled in pool as I couldn't make a shot for shit. BP and Pank managed to talk up some ladies, but that fizzled. All I've got to say is that if this is your wingman, go solo. Trust me.

After grabbing some late-night food and heading back to the hotel, we ran into some of the UDel girls again. You would think that 3am drinks would lead to a good story or something, but no, it just lead to 3am drinks. WTF? I'm blaming Paradise for the bad luck with the UDel girls. With a fiance, house, job, white-picket fence and all other other bs, he was actually (gasp) happy. I think they could tell something was not right with the universe.

SUNDAY

Sunday was actually a pretty low-key day. Breakfast was eaten. Tyler laughed so hard that he had to stop eating and actually started crying. Then BP started crying because Tyler was crying. It was strange, but there are photos. Basketball was watched. We hit up the Clevelander for our last night. I was hammered. Pankratz channeled the spirit of black Michael Jackson. People slept for a few hours to avoid missing flights.

Total spent of drinks during four days in Miami: $950
Total spent on hotel during four days in Miami: $0 (don't ask, we don't even know how it happened)
Total hookups: 0 (that we can mention without breaking up a marriage)
Number of fake breasts seen on the beach: lost count after 40
Number of retard punchouts: 18
Number of drunk calls from Bruss in AZ: 1

Mancation 2007: PRICELESS

(Oh yeah, there are more pictures. Check out: Tyler's Page and Dean's Page)

2007-04-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Billy-Whoa whoa whoa, Miss Lippy. The part of the story I don't like is that the little boy gave up looking for Happy after an hour. He didn't put posters up or anything, he just sat on the porch like a goon and waited. That little boy's gotta think 'You got a pet. You got a responsibility.' If your dog is lost you don't look for an hour then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find that fucking dog.

Fucking A right Billy. Indeed some puppies have lost their way and the Hodags, “society”, didn’t know where to find them. Oh sure maybe we looked with a Guinness in one hand and a shot glass of Baileys and Jamo in the other, but were we really checking that church for our missing puppy or just peeing on it? Some of the big names of the drinking game have tapped their last Essen Haus boot, for the comfort of no longer having to smell decent or perform well in bed. We’ve lost some good ones before, but these gentlemen have been true masters of their craft. In Hectoresque manner a quick stock review.

DISCLAIMER: Ladies if you read this its all fun jokes… and I’m still coming to the weddings whether my invite is revoked or not.

MATT BRUSS

OVERVIEW:
On the day the bottom fell out on the Spindler market there was no foretelling that one day the kid who rolled out of the minivan, got nailed in the head with a car door by Carrington, and then crawled to the median to puke would ever make it to puberty much less stay awake long enough to get laid. Prevailing assumptions were that the only way this one would end was a common law relationship celebrated with a Nati Ice and a high five. But a late day announcement was made to the world with an email postulating the question, “hey, do you guys like super awesome times?”. Indeed super awesome times are well enjoyed but how will they change the market value of this highly rated stock?

PRE: Rated a strong sell by the Zach Morrison Investment Group, Bruss Inc Co. has been known to fluctuate wildly in value. Overall aggregate value has become a highly disputed topic amongst investment analysts. Some believe Bruss Inc Co. has retained a nominal high value and should deserve a strong buy rating. Those deeply invested in HyperFrisbeeMegaNet are known to hold Bruss Inc Co. in high regard. But market insiders with knowledge of Bruss Inc Co.’s new penchant for knitting warm wooly socks have deemed this a high risk stock with minimal yield. A poll believed to originate from Gessert.com, but actually just made up, shows a marked drop in most corporate ties and Bruss Inc Co barely holding value below YahooFantasyBaseball, a subsidiary of SucksMyAss Global. The lack of an overall consensus value amongst key industries makes this possible top performer an uncertain commodity.
RATING: Strong Hold

POST: The merger with Martyna Megacorp should not create any major shake ups for Bruss Inc Co. Previous partnerships between these two well respected corporations have shown a high level of synergy with very little downside to lead any to suspect a downward trend in value. However, a major lack of tech savvy especially in the area of communication could ultimately lead to the demise of this once unblastable stock.
RATING: Weak Hold

Next to be reviewed: WannaSeeMyJunk Industries

2007-04-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Alumni Game

I have recieved word that the game is scheduled for people to show up at (12:00) noon with the game hopefully starting after a little warm-up. The Hodags will then have a blue v. black scrimmage following the alumni game. Game to 15. blah, blah, blah.

A BBQ will be taking place with cooking starting at 6pm (still no location, but I'm working on it). Keep in mind this is a great time to write a donation to the Hodags. In addition, Dean can hopefully enlighten us on how we are attempting to get a tax deduction for the donations.

Without knowing who is attending from the alumni side or the weather, the line is currently Hodags -6 v. Alumni.

2007-04-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

For those not in the know: Alumni Game will be April 28 at UBay starting sometime between 12 and 2. It will be followed by a BBQ, location TBD, and possibly some drinking. I will try to post an update with additional info as soon as I get a chance to talk with Dan. Some sweet write-ups on the hodags website regarding Centex and you can look forward to a blog entry from Pank regarding the first annual Mancation-where life lessons were learned including "E&J Brandy at night=no hangover in the morning"

BP

2007-03-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently the rumors are true. Jesus has returned. Although I do not have direct access to Jesus, I was lucky to meet one of his apostles: Walker, Texas Ranger. As a reporter, I'm here to cover the story.

According to Walker, Jesus is here to correct some misconceptions. In addition, there are rumors that God is not happy with any of his children and has created a new "chosen people".

These new chosen people are called "Hodags".

I asked Walker why God chose the Hodags. "Apparenlty he likes the cheese-cheer", noted Walker. "You know, He does act in mysterious ways".

For more coverage on Walker, Texas Ranger, visit:

www.myspace.com/a678

2007-03-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

REC SPORT LOVE

The Wisconsin rec sports page has a pic of the Hodags.

http://www.wisc.edu/studentLife/recreation.php

Just in case this image rotates, I added it as well. Is that Opie about to turf the disc while being guarded by one Wei Lu?

2007-03-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

MARCH MADNESS

Join the fun with the Yahoo! Tourney Pick 'Em. Just go to:

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men/

Group Id: 30560
Password: hodag

Winner gets the usual bragging rights.

-Dean

2007-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

HODAG LOVE SCHOLARSHIP

The 2007 scholarship has been decided. Below are all of the submissions (in no particular order). Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.

TOM ANNEN

Part I

What it means to be a Hodag:

My name Tom Annen, aka Animal. I am a junior at the University of Wisconsin and this is my third of five years that I will be on the team. As of right now, the Hodag team is probably the most important thing in my life. I love the team and if it wasn't for the team I would probably transfer elsewhere because I am not a big fan of the cold weather. Plus I have lived my whole life in Madison and never got a chance to go any where else. Anyways, to play for this team is a privilege. Since I have been on it we have been one of the top five maybe top three best teams in the country every year throughout or at some point and time during the year. I don't believe there are many other teams around the country that can say the same thing. I personally love playing with the team, partying with the team, and in general being around the team. We are a family. Every single one of us is working toward the same goal, to win College Nationals. In order to achieve this goal we all put in 15 plus hours a week doing team workouts, lifting with our buddies, or training on our own. It is a huge commitment, but it has a phenomenal pay-back from being apart of the baby blue.

Part II

Las Vegas 2007

Even though the ending result of the frisbee tourney was not exactly what we wanted. The heart we played with to come back from a big deficit was the most important thing we took from that game. Since we did not win the new and hilarious story came friday night when some 10-12 Hodags found themselves walking out of the casino New York New York like it was the end of an Ocean's 12 movie.

It starts with Jack Marsh addiction to gambling and Animal's desire to bitch Vegas on the craps table. Not knowing how to play Craps, Animal followed Jack to whatever casino he was going to in order to learn how to play. The 12 or so hodags that ended up at New York new York were they by fate. At the casino we all got split up very quickly with the flashy lights, free drinks, and Vegas bitches at our finger tips.

Not too long after Jack and Animal find the craps tables but the minimum be is $10 and we were looking for a five dollar table to lose our money at and learn the game so we sat there and watched and learned. Within 20 minutes the 12 guys were around the craps table all annoying the craps workers by not playing but looming over the table asking dumb questions. Not to mention breaking every rule about where to have your drink as to not spill it all over the table. I am pretty sure anyone who played this weekend got yelled at at least once for holding the dice and their beer at the same time.

After long consideration, Animal decides that he needs to figure this game out even if he only buys in with 20 dollars (2 bets). Which, he does and turns into 50 or so. Soon all the hodags are throwing small amounts of cash, at most 50 dollars on the table to see how fast they can loose it buy betting on their favorite number. So as the dice moved around the other side of the table, the hodags learned how to play a little and some won money others lost money. Then the show started off with Scallet rolling the dice for a good 5-10 minutes winning people money but since he was the first to go the hodags must have been a little slow on the bets because there was not too much gain with his rolling. The dice moved through the next 6 hodags pretty quickly causing most everyone to lose a good portion of money. As a note Heijmen was on his last bet 10 or 20 dollars when the dice came into Animal's hands. This is where the loud screams came that attracted the big spenders on the other side to throw benjamins all over the able betting on Animal's rolls. As Animal seemed to continually roll for some 15 minutes hitting every number and the hodags were betting on. Especially the number 8. Every Hodag had 12 bucks on 8 during the whole time there was not a moment where the number was not filled with bets. Animal hit the 8 somewhere around 5 or 6 times before craping out making everyone 15 bucks each time. Even when someone asked for a 4 or a ten to be rolled within a couple rolls it would be rolled giving out even more money. Finally after craping out and the applause from the other side of the table was done we all walked away with 100 dollars chips in hand to go cash in. Who knows how much money Animals made for the other side of the table but for the Hodags who were there it was a good 1000 dollars and a damn good story to tell.

Some notable facts. Matt Scallet walked away from the table with 250 dollars, marsh walked away with 350 dollars making back the 200 dollars he lost the night before, heijmen turning his 10 dollars left into 100 plus dollars.

MATT REBHOLZ

I just have a few small stories about what hodag love means to me. The first story might already have been said, but last year the night before finals the whole team got together in a big circle outside of the finals field and one by one we went around and said anything we wanted. I started the circle and one of the things I said was that being a part of the hodags is being a part of a family. I also said that being a Hodag defines me, and has made me who I am today. After I went, there were an overwhelming amount of people that said the exact same thing, that Hodag Love is a love for family, and it was at this point that I realized how much everyone on the team cared for one another and how much time and effort everyone had put in for each other to accomplish one common goal, winning the national championship. It was at that moment that I realized just how much hodag love meant to me.

One other story came from last year's spring break. A bunch of us were wasted running to the beach at night. Shane and I were together and all of a sudden Shane face planted into the sand. He had tripped on an enormous log, probably 8 ft long and 2 ft wide. Without hesitation I ran over and started burying it to show it who was boss, and shane jumped in yelling something like "take that mother fuckin skank ass tree, you cant fuck with the hodags." This is prime example of what you get facing the Hodags, players on the team currently and alumni. Once a hodag, always a hodag. If anyone fucks with one, you got everyone else behind you ten times more fired up ready to go to war for you. After we buried the tree we got back with the group and started vowing as loud as we could that CUT would not stop us from going to nationals, "look to the person on your left, and the person on your right, you cant fuck with the hodags," a drunk Mike Ottum yelled at least 25 times. Ottum, the guy from Carleton, who was thinking about not playing his final year becasue of the time commitment, but came back because he saw how much everyone cared and loved each other after a quarterfinal loss to Colorado the year before.

Finally, to prove to you how much Hodag love means to me, I have just signed and returned my "intent to enroll letter" for Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am graduating this spring because there was no real way to stretch my undergraduate studies to get that 5th year of eligibilty. Instead of getting a job and starting my working life and career as I probably should or going to graduate school at a different school as every professor, advisor, and friend outside of frisbee has told me, I have decided to go to graduate school at UW-Madison for the sole purpose of playing and captaining for the Hodags for my 5th year. I never even thought about any other option because they all envolved one less year with the Hodags. The only reason I am going to graduate school is to win a championship with the Hodags, and I could really use the money to help alieviate a little bit of the expenses I have brought upon myself.

DAN SHMIDT

I first developed a desire to be a Hodag as a senior in high school. While I was applying for colleges I heard what a great Frisbee team Madison had. I wanted to be a part of that because Ultimate was a major part of my life. What I did not know was the profound impact being a Hodag would have on me. The first time I heard of “Hodag love” was after the first practice when we did the cheer as a group. At that time I had no idea what it meant. Even after I had made the team and attended the first few practices, I still did not fully grasp the idea. I understood the phrase to represent the bond between teammates as in any other sport. The true meaning was something much deeper.

Through the winter training season it was hard for me to love going to practice. I missed a lot due to sickness and injuries, and I did not think it was that big of a deal. Later that season, captain Dan Heijmen confronted me about missing too many practices and what it means to the other players. That is the point at which I truly began to understand the meaning of Hodag love. It was not simply a representation of something that could be experienced by any sports team, Hodag love is specific to this Ultimate Frisbee team. At that time I understood Hodag love to be a willingness to work for everyone else on the team. As it turns out this will is only a byproduct of Hodag love, not Hodag love itself. Some people ask why the Hodags do not have a coach, and the truth of the matter is that Hodag love is our coach. I would work harder and longer for my teammates than any coach telling me what to do. A year ago I would not have responded that way, but after truly experiencing Hodag love, I can now say that with certainty.

A story that shows my true understanding of Hodag love culminated after regional finals. I have certain morals about drinking, swearing and smoking that I still hold. However, after winning that game against CUT I realized the true bond that ties the team together. Even though I didn’t play a single point, I felt more a part of the Hodags than anything I had ever before been a part of. I knew that every single player on that field cheering and screaming would do anything for me, and I realized that I loved them and would do anything for them as well. It was at this point that I took a shot of the Bush Mills to show my commitment to the team and what everyone on that team meant to me.

When I meet older players on the club level and they ask where I play, I respond proudly that I play for Madison. In every situation, I have experienced their immediate acceptance and respect. I have also seen in many situations intense jealously from some of these same players. They know and have seen what Hodag love means, and either they wish they could have had it, or they wish they could have it again. To define Hodag love in one sentence, Hodag love is the intense, undying love one Hodag has for another that gives them complete trust in each other; and this trust between Hodags is paramount in our success as a team.

EVAN KLANE

As a first year hodag, it became clear very quickly how hard the hodags work. Off the field we are in the gym nearly everyday practicing and working out to improve our bodies for the team. On the field, we pride ourselves on winning by outworking every team we play, regardless of the fact that we may be faster, more athletic, or more experienced. Sometimes, all of the work we put in can overwhelm our bodies and cause us to fail, despite our desire to continue. This situation happened to me this year at Mardi Gras. The first day of the tournament after having spent 16 of the last 24 hours in the car the exhaustion and dehydration of traveling caught up to me.

Nearing the end of a solid victory versus Texas A&M, who we would later defeat in the finals, I started to have blurred peripheral vision. Thinking little of it, I continued to play hard for my team. After sitting down one point, I began to get an intense headache which only seemed to worsen the more I drank and sat. Soon I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to play at all the next game, or for the rest of the day. I tried to combat my headache with a nalgene of water and the electrolytes from a banana, but to no avail. All of a sudden, I was overcome with the explosive need to purge myself of all the contents in my stomach. I expelled it all into a trash can water, banana, and pieces of beef jerky I had eaten earlier.

Unfortunately, my misery was nowhere near over as this same story repeated itself another four times and I was out for the remainder of the day. Sitting on the sideline during a game that you could play in is a pretty unpleasant feeling. What did make it better though was the comfort and support my teammates gave me as I sitting on the sideline trying to hold down any liquid. Just about every member of the team came over to see how I was doing. They all offered to bring me water and had kind words to say to me. Everyone’s concern and effort really meant a lot to me when I was feeling at my worst. Later in the day I began to feel a lot better after getting some water into my system. People still continued to ask about how I was feeling and had good advice for me so I could play again the next day.

Hodags take care of their own, and that is not something you can say for any other ultimate team. Even just this week when one of our newest hodags, Ryan “Jesse” Ingersoll, severely broke his ankle everyone made an attempt to go visit him in the hospital. Hodags do more than just support each other and work hard for the team, we love each other. Even when I’m at my lowest, I know that I can count on the team to be there for me and give me a hand. Through the pain of work and the joy of the victory, Hodag Love.

BRANDON MALECEK

My first year on the team, I did not quite understand exactly what it meant. Having played team sports in high school, I understood the team dynamic and such, but I never actually loved my teammates to the point that I would do anything for them. However, I recall the exact moment when I realized just how much my teammates mattered to me. It was at College Nationals 2005. We had beaten Carleton in pre-quarters and were set to play defending champions Colorado in quarterfinals. All season long we thought it would be our year. In the very last few points of the game, we were edged out. The looks on the faces of the players who had finished their eligibility were too much to handle. As a sophomore on the team, I cried. I did not cry because we lost, but I cried for those players on the team who would never have another chance to play college ultimate. Deep down in my heart I felt the pain of Carrington, Jimmy Mac and especially my roommate Grant, because they would never get that opportunity again. They would never get to play college ultimate and have the chance to bond with a group of 20 something guys who really actually loved each other.

This is when I realized what Hodag Love really meant. It was the once in a lifetime opportunity to compete at the highest levels with your best friends to dominate the rest of the country. It is not about a single person or a single game. It is about a team of individuals growing, working, and learning together. It is about making life long connections and becoming a man. Hodag Love has made me into who I am today. Hodag Love is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I hope to pass that meaning along.

DREW MAHOWALD

2/12/07

3:54am. Here I sit in seat 11C on the Midwest express next to Kevin “bucket” Riley. I have just undergone the most dramatic, intense, mind racking experience of my life. No, I am not exaggerating.

Trouble in Vegas 2007 has just been concluded, and the #1 Hodags have fallen short in the finals, losing 12-11 on universe point to the ufuct (god I hate those guys). All of the sudden however, it was somehow pushed to the back of my find after reaching the end of a mad scramble to catch my flight home. This short story gives a good example of one side of hodag love to me

For my essay/story/example/thoughts on what Hodag love is to me I’m going to “double down” and give two. The first will be this most recent story and the second, a more melancholy one from recent memory. Here, I will try to convey what exactly Hodag Love really means to me.

Hodag Love: Part I

To begin, I will repeat: I may have just undergone the most intense series of events in my life. A flight full of Hodags, bellas and roughly 150 people was held up for a few minutes due to a particularly bad case of routine Frisbee tardiness. Though, in my personal 15 minutes of hell trying to make this flight, I was not alone.

The rental car I was in for the weekend in vegas consisted of Hodag rookies Cullen Gephert, Jack Marsh, and the roommates Riley and Muffin. After a long, eventful, exciting weekend, finals had just ended and we had lost in dramatic fashion (yet again) to the arch nemesis Florida UFUCT. (quick overview: Pulling the game back to 11-11 and overcoming a 10-6 deficit, Wisconsin made a heart-filled run to reach universe point. It was not enough. Three extra months of practice outdoors have given florida a head start in training, and it was enough to overcome the determined Hodags for the championship. Looking around the huddle into the teammates eyes after the game I saw determination in every face to do anything necessary to prepare so this loss would be the season’s last, including the college series.)

Team dinner was had, laughter had seen a steady flow, and casino games were played. The more responsible feeling cars decided to leave around 10pm or so for the airport to catch the 11:59pm flight to home base, Madison Wisconsin. Our car had different plans. We had fallen victim, in the midst of flashy lights and free (or maybe $50, if you count the money I lost) drinks, to a terrible case of group lethargy and procrastination. I mean, the airport was only ten minutes away after all, right? Thus the mad scramble to catch our flight home had begun.

Through gassing up, taking a few wrong turns, returning the rental car, waiting for the shuttle, and finally reaching the airport, we had spent nearly 45 minutes. What more could go wrong? Well, upon sprinting into the airport after hopping off the Enterprise shuttle we quickly discovered, to our dismay, that the Midwest check-in desk somehow had closed at 11pm. What the fuck, closed an hour before departure? Well, true we were there at 11:30 but still. There is absolutely no way we are making this flight. Alright, time to problem solve.

Fast forward 20 minutes. I’m standing in the terminal, bags at my sides and choking my neck, I’m minus two nalgenes, a can of coke, and a half-finished powerade, but I’m through security! However, now I’m somehow alone. The others must have gone and ran ahead because they weren’t stopped. Game plan: ok, quick, check the gate number. 11C, ok. Hmmm that means I have to change terminals, that’s funny. Go through a gate, hop on the tram to C terminal, and try to catch up.

Ring ring. Enter partner in crime Kevin Riley and a tragic realization. The plane is being held up at gate D22, repeat, D22, not 11C. I tell Kevin where I am and double my efforts, retracing my steps and eventually getting on the tram to the right terminal. 10 minutes, another wrong turn, and about 100 phone calls from (I swear) everyone on the team plus some Bellas, I’m dripping with sweat but I see gate D22! Barely able to notice the cheering crowd of onlookers at the adjacent gate upon my arrival, I pump a fist high in the air to acknowledge them and present my boarding pass to the attendant. A quick jog down the tunnel to the plane and one more round of applause later upon boarding, I find myself in seat 11C sitting next Kevin; safe, sound, and going home.

But why, you may ask, is this story of irresponsibility and sheer stupidity an example of hodag love to me, let alone one I’d feel as worthy of admission to the community of hodag alums?

Little did I know, the whole time I was alone on my frenzied scramble to get on the flight, Kevin Riley was taking action. He had been the first of our car to reach the gate, but yet the only one who would not set foot on the plane until just moments before I did. Pleading with the numerous flight attendants at the gate long after most people would have given in, Kevin had put himself fully on the line for me when it mattered most, buying me precious minutes with no guarantees I was even near. Where most people would have given up and admitted defeat, he thought quickly and did what it took for his teammate, friend, and brother to not be left behind alone.

So, although this example of hodag love took place far away from the Frisbee fields, in my eyes it provides a perfect reflection of what a hodag bond should be; on the field or off. A willingness to put one’s own self on the line when a fellow hodag needs you most. Pure, unadulterated, hodag love.

2/20/2007

Hodag Love: Part II

For the second part of my submission I’d like to take a slightly different angle. I’m going to recount something that has been buried deep, deep down inside of me since the end of May last year. Anyone who was a current hodag at that time will know what I’m referring to without exception. However, regardless of how moving the experience was, the specific subject has been almost completely taboo ever since then. I’d like to share the untold story of where the hodags were the night before the 2006 upa college national finals.

We had just completed the most dominant Saturday of nationals of any hodag squad in history. The San Diego “Air Squids” came and went, seeing unheard of score margins of 8-1 at half and 15-5 after all was said and done. Next was the Georgia “Jojah” who didn’t fare much better, experiencing the shorter end of an 8-3 halftime margin and a lopsided 15-7 final.

The experience was so unlike that of the previous year’s nationals for me, which was filled with underachieving, lead squandering, frustration, and ultimately pain, culminating with an emotional 15-12 loss to our then archrival Colorado Mamabird. I can still hear Jimmy Mac’s trembling, yet persevering, emotion-filled voice speaking in the huddle after the game. I can still see the faces of those hodags who knew that it was the last game of their careers, those who suddenly realized what they’d be missing; Grant Zukowski, Ryan Carrington, Joseph Dombrow, Brian Hackbarth, and Jimmy McMurray. Experiencing a nationals season-ending defeat for the first time changed the way I looked at everything.

But the year was 2006 and everything was different. Exacting revenge on our previous year’s oppressors, our record was now a staggering 48-2. College national finals now seemed so mortal, so real; so completely different from the untouchable façade I saw the year before. It literally seemed as if God himself couldn’t keep us out of that final game. Call it fate; the team we would face was none other than the much hated Florida squad, the only team to legitimately challenge us throughout the course of the entire season (aside from CUT, who more than anyone had been the bane of our mental game). Of course, Florida had the athletes, the drive, and the skills to compete, we knew, but our hearts told us nothing could, or would stop us.

After cleaning up from the day’s battle wounds we had the customary team meal at a random Italian place. We had some laughs, some stories about the sickest and nastiest plays of the day, and even passed the local paper around to see their egregiously incorrect captioning jobs (I mean, Mike Lang as Will Lokke?!). It was then announced that we’d be having a team meeting later that night in addition to a trip to the stadium to check out the fields and mentally prepare for the final showdown.

Before I know it we’re cruising out to the fields. There is excitement and energy in the air. Everyone is eager to see where exactly the hodags will etch their names into history as the last team standing in 2006; as national champions. Upon arrival it is discovered that the gates were locked. We would not be setting foot on this grass until tomorrow morning. Peering over the top, clinging to the cold steel, was as close as we’d get. A brief feeling of uncertainty entered the air as each of us looked to each other to discern what would happen next. Do we just call it a night and head back to the hotels now?

Let’s think about it. The 2006 season was filled with many memories: stinging early season defeats followed by several thrilling victories, long, grueling workouts spent endlessly chasing Tripoli and Hurst, early spring practices with slushy fields and numb fingers, the extraordinarily debaucherous spring break in Georgia, overcoming CUT’s regional stranglehold, dealing with untimely end of the season injuries, traditional hodag camaraderie, and a rollercoaster ride of 36 consecutive victories leading up to finals.

So, do we go back or not? No, let’s stay for a bit and see what happens.

The idea was thrown out that we could sit and go around the circle telling each other some goals we had for finals, but after the first person began speaking it quickly morphed into something more profound. There are few times in life when you can experience something so purely and so full of honest emotion that nothing else seems to matter at that moment. There is nothing except you and the people experiencing along with you.

As we sat there in the circle that night, yards away from where we would suffer our most painful defeat just hours later, it became clear to me just how much exactly this team meant to each, and every, one of us. One teammate described what it meant to him to know that he would be willing to forever his imprint his skin with the mark of the hodags. Another spoke of how his decision to come to Madison was based on playing for the hodags but how he never expected to find a team with the unity that we had. A veteran spoke of the hodag legacy and how they will forever consider themselves a part of this team, long after the conclusion of finals. Everyone spoke, everyone had their turn, and everyone listened.

What we did that night would have seemed almost poetic if we had won the championship the next day; it would have been the perfect happy ending. The team that was bonded so close and tightly together that they could prevail in the face of any enemy, any challenge. The team whose love for one another could never be stifled. But we lost. And losing that day was something I was completely unprepared for.

As the tears erupted from my eyes against my futile and eventual lack of effort to stop them, I could feel everything I put into that season come pouring back out of me in a matter of seconds. All the work, all the commitment, all the good times and all the bad; it was all over. The only comfort to be found in that moment was through the firm embrace of another hodag, leaning on one another just to keep from collapsing in, feeling the warm tears streaming down into the baby blue fabric that had not only separated us individually, but created a connection so strong that only those who’d ever worn it before could truly understand the extent of its power.

Dog Floyd Patterson once said, “It’s easy to do anything in victory. It’s in defeat that a man reveals himself.” The passion I saw in my teammate’s faces that day I wouldn’t trade for the world.

DAN MILLER

I would like to apologize in advance for the possible length of how long this could get. Also I’m not really sure what you guys want for this thing but I would like to say that it will probably be less of something about what HL means to me/ why I’m proud to be a Hodag and more about how fortunate I feel to be a Hodag and grateful that I will forever be a part of this team…

I will begin by saying that I can remember playing for winona state after I graduated from high school and thinking that it sucked ass that my high school team could beat my college team. I remember my frustrations after loosing in sectionals to go to regionals. The next year I played for Sub Zero and was super excited to be able to compete at a high level. I remember at one of the first practices after I made the team Charlie Rez talking about how happy he was that the Hodags had just won their first national championship and I remember seeing how happy he was throughout the practice and remember being slightly confused about how unbelievably happy he could really be just because he was an alumni and his team had won it all (little did I know that one day I would too know the pride of being a Hodag alum). I am actually kinda of happy that I was not on the Hodags the year they won nationals when I was a freshman. The first reason I am happy for it is the fact that it has been a driving for me to want to win nationals and the second more important reason is the fact that it makes me realize how lucky I am to be a part of a team like this even if it was only for 2.5 years. Shane and I say frequently how happy we are that we are not stuck on our former team at winona and I have talked to several people that have been on the team since they were a freshman and how they say they can’t imagine playing for a team, too which I always reply ‘I assure you, it sucks’

The following year came and winona made it to regionals I remember Sunday morning being by the food/tent and striking up a conversation with Carrington when he asked me when I was planning to transfer to Madison and me replying (semi-jokeingly) “whenever I get accepted.” I watched them loose to Carleton for the #1 seed. I remembered after the game how happy I was that the college season was finally over and I could go back for the summer and start playing competitive ultimate with Sub again. It is weird to think about how glad I used to be when the college season was over and now instead how very sad I am when the college season ends. And how much more fun it is to play competitive college ultimate compared to club competitive ultimate. I think the reason for this is because its like the difference between NBA basketball and college basketball where people know in college that there is only a limited amount of time that they have the opportunity to play college ball.

I remember how excited I was in the fall when I got my letter of acceptance for Madison and although there were a few people that I was going to miss I was very excited to be able to play at the highest level in college ultimate. I am also very thankful that the person that I was going to miss the most was also able to transfer to Madison (shaner). I also remember right after transferring lying to the people about the reason why I had tranfered usually responding to their question with, “bigger school, bigger town etc”. When I knew the real reason which I wanted to tell them was -“ultimate”.

I remember soon after I transferred between semesters and being curious about the term ‘Hodag love’ and what it meant and whether I liked the term. I also remember being very thankful that every time I came to practice Heijman Carrington and Mcmurray would always go out of there way to make sure they invited me to either go out or hang out and make sure I was being included in shit like partys and hanging out in an attempt to bring me closer to the team. –this to me is a big part about what HL means to me. People going out of there way to make the team closer together.

I have attached a few pictures. The first one is a picture of us and CUT before regional finals ’06. I think that pretty much any Hodag (past or present) will be envoked with a similar feeling of HL when they see this picture because of the rivalry between us. That game meant so much for us and I would not trade it for the world.

The second picture was taken right after we scored the final goal upwind against CUT and the first thing I notice is how happy Charlie is for us as a team and at the same time how happy he was that CUT lost. Only a team like the Hodags could have alumni feel so much pride and happiness just by witnessing their team win regional finals and secure the only bid from the central region. A similar sense of feeling can be seen in the 3^rd picture when looking at the faces of several Alumni like Carrington Mcmurry and hector among others in the background.

All of these reasons and many more are reasons why I love being a Hodag and am thankful for HL. I can’t wait for this season to pan out before me but am extremely nervous to know that this is my last seasons already. HODAG LOVE…

And the winner of the 2007 Hodag Love Scholarship is:

CHRIS DOEDE

Over the last several months I’ve had plenty of time to think about College Nationals. To think about losing to Florida, to think about not being there for my teammates when I was needed most, to think about how Gigo’s, Tripoli’s, Freddy’s, Lang’s, Ottum’s, Berkley’s careers all ended in a loss, to think about what might have been if I’d been able to do my part on Sunday. The only thing that really prevents me from drifting into a dark hole is something that occurred on the Friday of nationals, something that’s taken me these long months to fully understand.

On the cloudy, stormy day that was Friday of nationals I was standing on the sideline crutches under my arms, my sprained ankle swollen to the point that my toes were unrecognizable as something that should have been attached to my body. As I stood and cheered on my teammates as they dominated one team after another I couldn’t help be feel slightly sad and disappointed. As thrilled as I was with their success, I felt as though I should be out there, that by standing ineffectual on the sidelines I was in some way abandoning my teammates, my friends when they needed me on the field. At one point I was standing next to Mike Lang and happened to look down at his feet as he was cleating up and noticed a 25 in permanent marker on both legs. When I asked him why my number was embossing his legs he replied that this was his way of making sure that I was on the field with him, that I was on the field with our teammates. For me that completely changed everything that I felt about this team. Sure it had been fun, I loved hanging out with the team, loved the competition, loved working out, but from that moment on I had a deeper more fundamental sense of what it meant to be a Hodag. I was determined to do everything I could to not betray what that baby blue meant to my friends. I iced all night, went to the trainer in the morning got taped up, downed some painkillers and walked, crutches over my shoulder, to our quarter-finals match up determined at the very least to let my teammates know that I was no longer going to stand on the sidelines and simply cheer.That if they needed me I would answer and once again stand on the line with them, and do my best to make them proud.

What Mike did for me was to put into material terms what any member of this team will someday learn: that every time we take the field we do so with the memory and spirit of those who came before us, those who are on the sideline, and those who have yet to come. We take the field as a family stretching backward and forward into time; no man is forgotten, all are represented. The Hodags are not a team that runs 24 deep, but 240 deep. That’s what it means when we cheer “Hodag Love”, when we sign our emails with “hl”, when we sweat and bleed, and endure pain for what some consider barely a sport. We do these things for each other. We do these things in homage to those who blazed our history before us. We do these things as an example to those lucky few who will some day wear the baby blue. We do these things for our family.

From finally making an attempt at articulating what I’ve felt for so long I’ve gained something much more than any tangible reward. I’ve gained purpose, determination, desire. For those of you who read this know that I will never let my family down again. Few people have an opportunity to do something truly great in the minds of others. Even fewer people seize that opportunity. I hope that I will be blessed with a second opportunity, for this time I will not falter, and I will be there for those I care for most.

2007-02-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

Former Hodags,

Remember that spring break when Bruss and Rob nearly set our beach house a blaze with a grease fire? or when Franz got us kicked out of Charleston for peeing on a church? How about when I threw up on Matty D? or Tyson put a shark head in Hector's bed? As much fun as all of those spring break trips were, there was always one thing holding us back from having more fun: Playing Frisbee. Time that could have been invested in extra innings of World Series Quarters or elaborate wiffle ball drafts was instead squandered on the Frisbee field. When we were younger we could afford to waste time like this, but now we're busy, life counseling meth addicts, stalking George Clooney, building jet packs for the military or convincing our fiance not to have a pre-nup. The fun we have now has to be boiled down and condensed to just the grease fires and shark heads. As a result, I present to you, the Ultimate Mancation.

It's been discussed for years (mostly during torrential downpours in 40 degree weather at Fools Fest or first round games in Tempe or Vegas), but now it's actually happening. The Ultimate Mancation is occurring March 22-26 in Miami. Who's going to be there you ask? Well, thanks to a prolonged legal battle likely the corpse of Anna Nicole Smith. Rex Grossman will probably still be wandering around fat and unshaven like Will Ferrell in Anchorman. Shaq. Dean, Tyler, Dise and me. I know what you're thinking, "Tyler's going to be there? Sick! How do I get in on this?" It's easy, just come to Miami that weekend. Dean is looking into rooms and we can get more depending on how big the group is, just let us know you're coming. Now you're thinking "Hey Florida is nice and warm I wonder if my girlfriend/wife would like to go?" Let me save you the time, No, she doesn't want to come. Now you're thinking, "I can't go, it will be expensive and I'd have to get off work, I'll just go next year". Wrong. This is going to be an event that you have to attend every year. You have to attend every year because 1) Something ridiculous is going to happen every year that you're going to want to see in person 2) There is always going to be the outside chance that someone is going to die or get incarcerated for a very long time as a result of this weekend. Do you really want to miss what could be your last opportunity to see Opie or Hector?

Right now all of us are flying in Thursday night and leaving Monday morning. Shaq lives there.

Pankratz

2007-02-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED.....

WHO IS WEI LU?

Wei Lu is an Assistant Professor for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Michigan

He received B.S. in physics from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 1996, and M.A. and Ph.D. in physics from Rice University, Houston, TX in 1999 and 2003, respectively. After that, he worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. He joined the faculty of EECS at the University of Michigan in August, 2005.

Wei Lu is an Assistant Professor for the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Michigan.

His interests include:Modeling and simulation of nano/microstructure evolution; mechanics in nano/micro systems; mechanical properties and performance of advanced materials and the relation to their microstructures.

Wei Lu is a Ph.D. student in the Indiana University Department of Computer Science.

He has been motivated to improve the performance of the Web Service and XML processing, particularly for those scientific applications. The approaches he has explored includes Schema specific XML compiler , Steam XML message processing and Binary XML encoding scheme. Recently, he has been focusing on how to leverage the multi-core resource to accelerate the XML and web service stack processing. One of his current approaches is the Parallel XML Processing, including Parallel XML Parsing and Parallel XPath Query.

Wei Lu is an actor, writer, and director! His acting credits include "Feng liu can jian xue wu hen", "Xue rou mo fang", and the 1972 classic "Kuai huo lin" (maybe better known by its Cantonese title "Fai wood lam"). He also directed the epic "Xixia lutiaotiao" in 1997.

Wei Lu is a graduate student in computer science with the Singapore-MIT Alliance.

His current interests include: Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics, Chinese Natural Language Processing.

I hope this clears up any questions you may have had on, who is wei lu.

2007-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

Man-cation Update

So man-cation is on March 23rd - 25th in Miami. Unless your name rhymes with Tang. Then it's still on the other dates and don't be concerned if you don't see us. We'll be there eventually.

We had to reschedule because BP has this thing called a "job" that he actually care about. I guess they made him do some "lawyering," which sounds like it really interferes with drinking time. So the man-cation got pushed back a weekend. More details on hotels in a week or so.

2007-01-02T05:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say happy holidays to you guys, Dean, Tyler, Pank and I are definitely going to Miami March 15/16-18 to watch some March Madness, scantily clad women and generally enjoy the Miami beach/night life, Tyler is currently booking a hotel room/suite for us so if you need info on the place and can get a room together you should definitely join us. The idea is that this will become an annual retreat for Hodags or to use the parlance of today an annual "mancation."

In addition, I have a new favorite player on the Hodags who I've never met. This email made me laugh and I'm really looking forward to another spring of vicarious living (knowing that the Hodags are strong and still running CUT into the ground), and without further ado the email of Jeremiah (I believe a freshman):

So today I got up and called a few friends that I used to run and train withback on the east coast in little old Amherst. I was feeling really motivated and wanted to get a really hard workout in. So, ofcourse I called Muffin and cleared up some questions about that first track workout we did with the 200 400 400 600 800ladder and abs. Within this little workout group there were 3 seniors from the high school, one of their brothers, myself, andSam Kanner (for those of you who don't know, my captain at Amherst, Feldman's captain at worlds, and a new freshman for CUT). I fucking kicked his ass. He couldn't even finish the first 600 on the way up. The other guy I was with in my group wasfaster than me and made me work that much harder. I felt bad for sam and didn't want him to feel so shitty but at thesame time I was using his failure to fuel me to train and work harder than anyone else. I love sam to death, but right now he is theenemy. When ever I train I like to have a goal, or imagine training against someone to push me farther. Because ourschool are rivals, and he made the worlds team, and he pretty good, I train against him.I hope everyone is having a great break and eating a lot of awsome food. I justwanted to share this workout with you guys maybe to pump you up, maybe to make you laugh, maybe motivate you to go outthere in the cold and train when nobody else will. I want to totally dominate every single team this year by training thehardest and wanting it the most. You guys are amazing and I can't wait to come back and train with you boys. Happy Holidays!Hodag Love from the east coast,Jeremiah

2006-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

2006 CCC Champions

In case you were unaware, the Hodags successfully defended their CCC crown recently. A write-up can be found at www.hodags.org
Although I don't recognize some of the names or know what the nicknames mean or their origin it is quite entertaining.

BP

2006-10-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Dr. Charles Rez
Did anybody notice that our esteemed colleague, Charlie is presenting something about drug use and abuse in Ultimate at some coaching conference? I knew someday our collective binge drinking might someday help others.
BP

2006-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hey kids,

Bert has repeatedly threatened me if I do not post my life story on this blog, so here goes.

I left America in 2000, and lived in Canadia for 3 years, then London for 3 years and now I'm back in Vancouver. During that time, I had 4 knee surgeries, 3 on the right and one on the left (thanks ultimate -- oh yeah, and thanks Will), but I can still walk. Now I do west coast things like play golf and do yoga.

I have a 13-month old son, who I am training to defend me from Bert. He can walk, point, clap, and usually doesn't cry when he bangs his head. After watching the World Cup final, he headbutted a one-year old girl, but other than that he is fairly nonviolent as long as he gets enough food.

Bert also told me to say that this blog is a good idea, and other people should post on it more. I also think that Charlie should post his starting drinking starting seven, since it will include Daddy Wags, who might be the greatest ever. Sadly, his final year as a Hodag was just before my first, so I can't tell the stories firsthand and I only saw him at a party naked with his frisbee mask on once.

2006-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

MEMORIES OF: MATT LEY

Maybe it's sectionals up in Minnesota somewhere. Bunch of A and B team guys staying at the home of Scott and Doug Rassier. Their parents were always great hosts. Anyways, sitting around the table after another great meal and eating some good desserts. Probably first time I ever talked to Matt. He being this kinda portly fella on the B team. His story goes, yeah, one time I got mono and I was really pissed at myself. So as punishment to my body for getting sick I drank a 24 pack of pepsi and ate like 12 candy bars a day. I don't know if I got the numbers right but I was definitely thinking this guy is hilarious.

2006-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Per Charles' Question. The Hodag Drinking 7

So I just read Charlie' s post about who would be the Hodag starting 7. He offered no thoughts so I guess he is waiting for someone else to send down their feelings before disputing them with his own starting line up. So the choices I am making in no way reflect the long list of players who have worn the Hodag uniform. My pool of candidates comes from those I know or know of and whose many exploits have made their way to my ears. So I'm sure guys like Stacy or fucking Huggett have stories to tell but i don't know them. If you feel someone has been excluded or that you deserve to be included in my list well go fuck yourself. Make your own fucking list jerkface.

A few noteable people who did not make the list but should be recognized for one reason or another.
Erik Gessert - Little man, drinks a lot, never seen him drunk
Erich Wolff - Passing out in a bush next to the state capitol and being hauled to the drunk tank
Jimmy McMurray - Being too drunk to remember he didn't live in Madison anymore. Walking into his old place, calling the current resident nerds, and passing out on their couch.
Matt Pankratz - Doesn't make the drunk list because he does the same things when he's sober
Bryan Paradise - So drunk at College Nationals this year that he assumably got up to use the bathroom, turned around and pissed on the bed, which he was sharing with Dean, then laid down, noticing it was all of a sudden wet, not caring, and going back to sleep.
Doug Rassier - Much like Pankratz. Still nutty when sober.
LA Rob Wagner - Being pushed into the pool at nationals naked and in a wheelchair. Also pulling out his junk at Mondays.
Bob Kolstad - Puking all over the indoor patio of the hotel at Nationals.
Jaime Moore - At Highlander games he tried to pick up a 100 lb cement block, keeled over backwards, and had it bounce off his chest. So drunk he didn't feel it. Also so drunk he passed out at UBay fields and a car had to be called to pick him up. Couldn't figure out why his chest hurt the next day.

So I'm sure there are a lot of others of worth but I can't remember or was never told. So on to it.

MY DRINKING STARTING SEVEN

The descriptions brief as each of these guys should already be known for quite a few things.

Jamin

Vitals: Loves carbombs and shotgunning.

Most spoken phrases: What's a Carbomb?
I've never heard of shotgunning. What's a boat race? Where are the boats? Let's rosham for it.

Impressive Stats: I hate to go soft on the first description but I don't know which things might get him in trouble with his girlfriend or the police. I think that fact alone speaks volumes for this guys drunkitude. Rest assured he deserves to lead off the discussion. Jamin, if you want me to add stuff let me know and it can always be revised.

Nate

Much like Jamin all of Nate's redeeming qualities can not be discussed in a public forum. But a few notable qualities included:

Removing garments for unprotected cameras
Unsolicited lapdances to It's Raining Men
Unwelcome in Charleston, SC
Removing garments on stage along with Noah

Freddy

Everyone I think knows this guys exploits. Unrelenting bodily functions along with leaving Fossum to fend for himself passed out behind a van are just a few of the things that make this guy a standout.

...

OPIE

Intimate encounters in Nate's bathroom, shiny pants, a drinking ticket a half hour before turning 21, and shorting out my truck with vomit. What else can I say. Plenty.

Riley

A suprise member of the drinking team. But lets face it. This guy is a huge assface when drunk. Flinging full beer cans at Duck Xing this year gets him major street cred. Although if he does it again I swear we'll light firecrackers up his pooper.

Bruss

Never has unblastable been called so many times and ended with the person passed out in a pile of puke. The king of power hour and the winner of a well used Swank magazine has shown us many times over why drinking in excess may not be such a good idea. And yet he never gave up hope that the next beer would lead to nirvana and not just the porcelain god.

Kubalanza

The door bursts open, in flys Ron, the first words out of his mouth "IAN FUCKING ZIERING!". 14 hours of drinking, losing money, winning it back, and blackjack next to Ian Fucking Ziering and he's still ready to go. The energy level is hi as he runs around the room calling everyone pussies and forcing Worm to run for his life else be beaten to a pulp. We all needed to step up our game to his level else be left behind. Then silence....as Ron passed out and would not rejoin the living for another eleven hours.

2006-09-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hey guys... I don't have anything to add to the recollection of Cooler except that I enjoyed playing with some of you again. And I wish there was more drinking. And that Matt Anderson is a real cock - that guy is mean. Once in the middle of a point against Liquid Assets, he donkey punched his defender, scored, then ran back and spiked the disc in his mouth as he lay there unconscious.

Also, in classic Hodag spirit - we attempted to deceive Surely (former Swank guys) by gathering a few actual club players on our team... but the babies came over and cried. And my conscious got the better of me and said we intended to forfeit the entire time. Chumps.

For those that are wondering - I am waiting to play Masters - where you really don't have to practice to play. The reason for this is that I am getting fat. The reason for that is my 2 year old kid.. and the fact that I eat more and run less.

Anyhow, I wanted to post some pictures from Cooler. Enjoy.

The picture above would have made great Bruss for Callahan P.R.
Remember the pansy Soccer jerseys we got? These are from '98, the year before Hodags went baby blue... Maybe next year's Hodags can wear these for a retro tournament.

2006-09-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

First DayO Work

So I had my first day orientation at work today. Hours and hours of stuff that should be boring, but as I grow older hey, that 70% medical coverage on the select plan sounds great! Fantastic. In any case the day ends with a guided tour of all the facilities. The gym, all the eaterys, the probably 10 starbucks onsite. I got a venti coffee frap. excellent. So they are taking us past the sound stages where Oceans 13 is in production. And who should be the first famous guy I see but Mr George Clooney. Now the aisles/roads between the stages are not free of junk. There are all sorts of props and trailers and what not strewn throughout creating the need to keep your head up. On all the corners of the trailers tennis balls have been stuck. And Mr Clooney showed us why. As he passed he flipped his collar up and put his head down in a pretty mediocre attempt at not being noticed. However, with his vision lowered, he became prey to whatever protrusion might block his path. Head down and collar up he walked straight into the corner of a trailer which was thankfully covered with a tennis ball. I laughed inside........ oh yeah, also saw Clint Eastwood.

2006-08-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hey all. Sorry that I couldn't help out at Cooler, although given my inactive state I'm not sure how much I would have conbributed other than drinking on the sidelines. I had a reason though as I was trying to finish writing my thesis. That's done now. I successfully defended my thesis yesterday, so I suppose this means I have to stop being a student. I won't be leaving UW quite yet though. I'm taking at postdoc here for a year while Catherine finishes up. Then, who knows where I'll end up. It's hard to leave Madison though...

2006-08-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here’s my non-playing thoughts on the Cooler weekend.

1) John Sokolowski was there. Holly shit, major pleasant surprise for me. During half time of our first game he wrestled and killed a mountain lion with a plastic spoon, then assembled an AK-47 blindfolded using only his feet. He had to leave early to go to a Packer game, which is of course code for “bungee jump out of helicopter to implant a microchip into the brain of a South American dictator”.

2) Midway through the day I’m informed that Dean had sex with a 40+, recent divorce in Paradise’s bed the night previous. Nice work.

3) Dean, Dise and I go out in Milwaukee (other alumni are busy being hippy campers, or spending time with their “wives”). During the course of the night we meet one of Paradise’s fellow attorneys. Dean gets her to buy us shots (which she doesn’t have enough cash to pay for). I accuse her of trying to hit on us, she points out her husband and I immediately start questioning her about swinging. No word yet on how that situation is working out for Dise around the office. The next morning Dise and Dean are talking about girls they know from Milwaukee who they saw out the night before. I become incredulous and ask why I wasn’t introduced. Paradise informs me that he did introduce me and that less than one minute latter the girls told Paradise that they were going to a different part of the bar and that he was welcome, but that they didn’t want to talk to me anymore. No word yet on what the offending comments were.

2006-08-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

That girl could pitch

That girl had an absolutely sick slider. No one could have hit it.

Sounds like we did great at Cooler. I was a little disappointed in the fact that all of the updates revolved around what happened ON the field. Those details seem rather unimportant to me. I want stories, damn it, stories. I mean, I live in Connecticut for God's sake, where Miller Lite costs $4.00 and the local undergrads (at Yale) think wearing your navy sportcoat to the party instead of the black one is c-r-a-z-y. Help me out.

2006-08-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Those Poor Red Sox

After seeing the Red Sox flounder in a 5 game series against the Yankees, I was immediately reminded of another poor showing by Boston's finest.

The year was uh.. maybe last year. The place, New York City. A few intrepid souls had made the drive north to revel in one of Opie's last weekends as an individual....well, as an individual in the eyes of the law. Of course those who know him were well aware that he hadn't been an individual for some time before that.

A quick morning stop at Kmart and a short subway ride later, the group was ready to test each others skills in a highly contested wiffle ball home run derby. As the day progressed Opie emerged as one of the front runners to take home the crown. His skills honed from watching many games of craptastic Red Sox baseball, he would walk away from the game victorious, although with an asterick as he received an extra at bat.

Hubris at an all time high, he recklessly took on all comers. Reality would be force fed to him in the form of a high school girl. A three pitch strike out in an impromptu wiffle ball game, at the hands of a well made up teenage girl, would bring Opie's reign at the top back to where all New Englanders belong. Drinking a beer complaining about the supernatural forces that conspire to keep them from winning.

Now you may think that he possibly missed on purpose to let the young lady feel good about herself. But this close up picture clearly shows a face of trepidation as his manhood disappeared in a swing of the bat.

2006-08-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Cooler Classic ReCap:
Hodag Alumni Team with no more than 10 guys at anytime went 1-5. We lost our three pool play games 13-4 to Sub-Zero, 13-10 to Madison (after leading 7-5 at half) and 13-9 to Liquid Assets. We were forced to play Surly in the cross over, but instead decided that we would allow some recent alumns like Gigo play and forfeit. The Alumni Zone (1-4-2) was used extensively throughout the tournament. There were many flashes of brillance from the alumns, but the inability to run and low numbers hurt us. We hope that next year more will join in the fun as a few more bodies likely pushes up a notch.

Cooler has been the third weekend in August forever so you can basically mark your calendar.

2006-08-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, thanks for putting this together Wei and Bert.

I was reminiscing about the my time with the Hodags and the question struck me: who would be our starting seven at a party? Who brings more mayhem to a party than anyone else?

Who is on your list and why?

My list is sealed in an impenetrable vault and heavily guarded... OK, who am I kidding, "up my ass" is hardly an "impenetrable vault".

Hodag love, Charlie R

2006-08-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Who's next on the list?

I thank Wei for thinking up this blog idea.
I thank my friend Debra for getting me a new job so I have all this free time right now
I thank some inventor for creating the camera phone.
And I thank god for making me asian which means that I have to have the new technology when it comes out and I love taking pictures

So when all these forces have combined what could possibly be the outcome? Possibly pictures like these.

2006-08-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first time writing on a blog. The second nerdiest thing I've done in "cyberspace" is add some of our team shit to the hodag entry on Wikipedia. I will be going to my first badger game since vs. San Diego St. Sept. 24. Who is in?

2006-08-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tyson isn't the only Hodag under the weather

This rare archival footage of Paradise was taken just seconds after I revealed the shocking details of my “twin incident”.

It’s nice to see Wei’s efforts to do something nice to help us all remain close friends being used for its true purpose, mocking each other.

Chances are if you’re an alumni of a Hodag team from more than a few years ago you know how I’m doing if you’ve come back to Madison, because I’m the only one still fucking here. (oops, forgot Pete’s still here too. I’m the only one still here who will go out and get wasted with you and let you puke on my floor).

If you haven’t been back to Madison in a long time feel free to come crash at my place.

You can puke on the floor.

Pankratz
Hodag 1997-2002
pankratz@Waisman.Wisc.Edu

2006-08-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

So Wei Lu came up with this idea mostly out of boredom due to the lack of activity on Billy Layden's blog. No offense to that guy cuz he rocks but you can only leave so many fake comments before you get tired of checking.... although I think my fake Nate Franz comment is most entertaining. Nate, if you haven't seen that yet well, uh... I thought it was funny. Anyways, Wei begged me to post something to get his idear off the ground. After he finished crying I finally caved in but needed something to write aboot. Since this is a Hodag blog this is what came to mind.

As some of you guys know I am moving to L.A. in about 2 weeks. I have been working the same shitty job at Georgetown for nearly 5 years and have accumulated a lot of junk on my hard drive. I have been spending the day going through trying to save personal stuff and pitch what is unncessary. So I came across this picture all the way back from 2003 that I had added a new caption for. Thus starts the Hodag Blog.