Friday, January 18, 2013

Craig Ferguson Learns about Ultimate Frisbee

Just like on NBC (Fallon, Leno) & TBS (Conan), Ultimate makes it on late night television. 

The Late Late Show on CBS featured an impromptu interview of two Ultimate players from Philadelphia who were in southern California for the Lei-Out Beach Tournament.
Screengrab from Jan 17 episode
This January 17th episode (Season 9; Episode 1649) starts with Craig Ferguson interviewing 2 females from Philadelphia. See below for the transcription of their conversation.
…[starting at 1:15]
Craig: What are you doing in L.A.?

ANSWER: We're out here for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Santa Monica.
[Crowd: Whoo! Whoo!! (clapping)]

CF: Really?! This Ultimate Frisbee tournament of which you speak. Can anyone take part?

A: Sure, sure.

CF: For example, my dogs?

A: Absolutely. Yeah, sure!

CF: Really? What do you do in Ultimate Frisbee? What's the difference between Ultimate Frisbee and just "Frisbee"?

A: It's way more intense. You throw the Frisbee and you have to score in the other endzone.

CF: I see (laughter)… So, what you've done is taken the lovely, innocent fun of Frisbee and added competition, and..? (laughter)

A: Yes. Yes.

CF: And, made it not so much fun. (laughter)

A: Except, way more fun.

CF: Is it way more fun? How do you get your way into Ultimate Frisbee? (laughter) do you start into Frisbee and then just work..Frisbee is the gateway thing to Ultimate Frisbee? Ultimate Frisbee is the crystal meth of Frisbee. (laughter) Are you a team? Is that what it is?

A: Yeah.

CF: You're a team. So, you play in…doubles?

A: There's 7 on your team, at a time.

CF: SEVEN?!...people…on…a…Frisbee team?!

A: There's more. But 7 on the field at a time.

CF: Seven on the field at a time. But there's more, like substitute Frisbee-ers?! (laughter)

A: There's a lot!

CF: Like 'Put me in coach! Put me in.' (laughter)

A: Yeah.

CF: There are VAST TRACTS of the world I know nothing about! (laughter) I thought Frisbee was just a thing stoners did in the park.

A: That could be true. That has not gone away.

CF: Well, how you guys doing? Have you started yet?

A: It's this weekend.

CF: Oh, this weekend.

A: Saturday & Sunday.

CF: I know what a "weekend" is.

A: Just wanted to clarify. (laughter)

CF: Well, we've got a treat. How many people are on your entire Frisbee team?

A: 15.

CF: Fifteen?! Well those fifteen people will be going to a restaurant… at the expense of the great CBS Corporation!

[h/t skyd mag]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least they called it "Ultimate FRISBEE" and not just Ultimate. Why didn't they just say: "Well, Craig, it's like football, only with a frisbee." Surely this was not the first time an ulty player attempted to explain the game to a newbie. It's a similar issue in the world of disc golf (DIS' golf? DAT golf?). It's FRISBEE golf: golf with frisbees. Instead of a hole in the ground you throw your frisbee into a basket. Simple is best in these all-too-rare PR moments... KRT ~ Lincoln, NE

Anonymous said...

I've tried explaining ultimate to newbies all the time, and it's not as simple as saying it's like football, because then they assume there is contact and play is stopped every 6 seconds to regroup and run another play. That doesn't happen at all. My favorite is saying it's like basketball but there's no dribbling and instead of trying to make a basket, you catch the disc in an endzone, similar to football. But there is no 'easy' way of describing the game, it's that unique and awesome!

These girls did a great job. Way to help make the sport grow!