Oregon ultimate frisbee captains
The University of Oregon’s ultimate team has had its season ended after members of the team played naked in an April 11 game against Oregon State. The decision was made by a five-member student board that governs club sports.
Team co-captain Dusty Becker apologized to the board, but wasn’t too apologetic.
“Speeding, drinking, nudity - they’re not bad things,” he said. “They’re things a big portion of the community doesn’t think are wrong.”
The team has been under scrutiny for previous complaints about drinking and excess partying and traveled with a chaperon.
Since being placed on probation, the team has traveled with chaperones, team co-captain Steve Kenton said. The adult chaperones were present on the Saturday afternoon at Oregon State, when the club’s A and B teams, scheduled to play each other, decided to play a naked point - a ritual in Ultimate where one team plays without shirts and the other plays without pants or underwear.
“To run around naked is just kind of a hippie, ultimate thing,” Becker said. “We didn’t think there was anything wrong at the time.”
A female trainer complained and this triggered an investigation by the student board. The team, which is a powerhouse in collegiate ultimate, is appealing the decision and it needs to be reinstated to play in a crucial regional tournament this weekend.
“If this had been an isolated incident we would have treated it much differently,” said Jeff Gibb, a member of the club sports executive committee. “I’m not sure I can say that I trust the judgment of the Ultimate team - that’s why it’s so hard for me to give you another chance.”
This decision strikes me as overkill. Anyone who knows about the sport knows that ultimate is freewheeling and draws people who are often free-spirited and non-conformist. In a player Q&A on the team’s site, one was asked to name 10 former presidents without looking it up. His answer? “Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Billy Bob Thornton, James Cromwell, Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Kline (twice), Harrison Ford, Jack Lemon, James Garner.”
In the absence of evidence that their actions harmed anyone, I say let them play. I loved this comment on the Seattle Times article about the suspension:
Aw, let the hippies have their fun. People who play Ultimate are usually in really good shape and therefore pretty easy on the eyes, even unclad.
Was the board’s decision the correct one, or was it too harsh?
Hat tip to Deadspin.
on Apr 28th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
This is Oregon for Christs sake. Where were the members of this student board from? I am ashamed of them. Corvallis is a pretty puckered up town when I had a faculty appt. there there 15-20 years ago. Near as I can tell it hasn’t improved either. That trainer was a classic prude. It’s a friggin’ club sport. I’d have loved to be a spectator at that one
Too bad the tourney wasn’t on the U of O home turf. If you can’t play drunken naked Ultimate in Eugene where can you play it? Oh, and that chaperon failed miserably LOL
Too harsh. Put them on double secret probation, let them play and kick some naked ass.
on Apr 28th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Sometimes you have to follow the rules. Play with your clothes on, be naked on your own time…
on Apr 28th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Let’s always follow every rule in life Chris. Won’t that be fun! Lighten up
on Apr 29th, 2009 at 12:22 am
After seeing their pictures on the Bios page, maybe clothing would be the better option.
on Apr 29th, 2009 at 9:58 am
As an ultimate player myself, this goes along with the free spirit of the sport. There are some teams over the years that play in kilts without underwear and you’d see them doing somesaults and headstands. It makes sense what the Student Board is enforcing based on code of conduct, but it is “ultimate” after all.
on Apr 29th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
If it becomes a problem, then they need to grow up. You sometimes have to take the opinions of other people into account.
on Apr 30th, 2009 at 12:15 am
let them play! its legal on their campus, they didnt know they were doing anything wrong. why ruin their chance of a national championship?
on Apr 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Several weeks ago, Eugene had a nude bicycle parade with an official Eugene Police escort. To make this decision and deny these kids this opportunity of a life time - that they have earned - is wrong. Other sports teams that bring in money would never be penalized in this manner. I hope people will encourage President Frohnmayer and Student Affairs VP, Ms. Holmes to send our team off to the nationals.
on Apr 30th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
In the State of Oregon it is not illegal to be publicly naked as long as it’s not a public distraction and for ones sexual arousal. It’s a form of protected free speech (no kidding) . Hence the nude beaches on State Parks land and the nudie bike rides that are common in Eugene and Portland. You always have to get a parade permit and the cops show up for crowd control type issues. Getting a little sun on your junk is good for you
OK, you don’t tan you rust in Oregon.