Is it just me, or...

Juker · Post by **Juker** » 11 Apr 2005 10:51

Ok, so I know that footbag getting to be big is something that most of you aspire too, and don't get me wrong, it would be neat to see a lot more of it. At the same time though, to me, I like the fact that it's small. I like how it's unique and how if I want a footbag that is hand stitched I can order one from a person and get one soon after. It won't be from a machine, and it won't take a year. When I go to a park and play, people stop and watch because they have never seen footbag like this before. Getting footbag "out there" is a good thing, in fact, my most respected player is Ellis Piltz. Probably for this reason, and what he's done with flipsider.com. I was wondering if anyone else shared a similar belief to this also, liking the idea that footbag is small? The downside to this is of course, the lack of availability, and respect for what you do. Most people just think it's some hobby. Any thoughts?

delakong · Post by **delakong** » 11 Apr 2005 11:05

I don't want it to be big for the same reasons. I like that you can call freedomfootbags and talk to Mr. Genz. I like that we can talk to champs and newbs. I don't know of any other sport with this kinda community. If the sport gets bigger, we'll probably lose that. But it'd still be cool to be able to watch tournies on TV. And we'd have more people to kick with.

peanutbuterboy · Post by **peanutbuterboy** » 11 Apr 2005 11:52

I dont want to sound selfish...but dont you like it when you can show off to other people. I love showing off and if everyone has seen vasek play then I look bad

Juker · Post by **Juker** » 11 Apr 2005 12:05

Yeah totally. In fact, I was gonna put the thing about talking to Mr. Genz myself, because I did recently. I just forgot to fit it in. Hehe, yeah, showing off is pretty fun sometimes, even if you deny it, you still do it and it feels good. =)

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 11 Apr 2005 13:59

peanutbuterboy wrote:I dont want to sound selfish...but dont you like it when you can show off to other people. I love showing off and if everyone has seen vasek play then I look bad

Sometimes I hang out with kindergarteners, and I do multiplications. it blows their minds!

Sucker!

Juker · Post by **Juker** » 11 Apr 2005 19:34

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 11 Apr 2005 21:38

CIC flurry wrote:
peanutbuterboy wrote:I dont want to sound selfish...but dont you like it when you can show off to other people. I love showing off and if everyone has seen vasek play then I look bad
Sometimes I hang out with kindergarteners, and I do multiplications. it blows their minds!

Sucker!

ROFL. Sorry, this post has no purpose but to say thats the funniest thing i've heard tody.

FootbagginBum · Post by **FootbagginBum** » 13 Apr 2005 07:44

From my experience with my old school hacky slacker generation teachers, it seems that everyone who really enjoyed simple hacking wants it to stay small. I never did, I always wanted to be better, or even the best when I thought that kicking 100 and doing cool stalls and dragonfly's was top notch.

Now here's why it has to be big, and its a simple reason: (And I guess this kinda goes along with me not knowing you guys who are posting for small)

For all of us who truly love the sport and all aspects of it, and have traveled and put hella effort in, we cannot get appreciation for the devotion and time we put in without recognition, and we will always be looking for people to play with.

If everyone in the range of skill of strong guiltless and above were a basketball player, we would all be getting paid 1 million+ dollars. Vasek would be a world idol, and (I don't know if this means anything to you) Wicked Eric Windsor and Ryan the Regulator Mulroney would not have quit.

Small is good only for small reasons (like your ego), big is good for everyone, and since we all feel footbag is worth devoting too much time to when we don't even get recognized, lets try to show everyone how worthwhile and terrific it is, and if we do a good enough job, we will get recognition soon enough.

Think BIG. Help grow the sport.
Peace,
Bum

Oh, and don't complain that your nothing compared to Vasek, just catch him

I'll get there eventually, so can you. Look at people like Dave Clavens and Jorden; if they can do it, why can't you?

Juker · Post by **Juker** » 13 Apr 2005 11:16

Yes, I fully understand this. The thing with me is, when something that I really like starts to get really big, then everyone starts talking about it, I usually end up getting sick of it. Plus if you really like the sport, who cares about the money? On the other hang I can totally see what you're saying.

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 13 Apr 2005 20:51

I think when Bum was typing above, he was wrong. And I'm gunna post why below:

he said:
"For all of us who truly love the sport and all aspects of it, and have traveled and put hella effort in, we cannot get appreciation for the devotion and time we put in . . ."

I love the sport. I contend that if you didnt get out of footbag what you wanted you would stop playing becuase the return would be less than your efforts. this clearly is not the case, as you continue to get better

Bum also said:
"If everyone in the range of skill of strong guiltless and above were a basketball player, we would all be getting paid 1 million+ dollars."

Not true. How many B-ball players earn a million dollars? As many as are in the NBA, maybe 1,000. But how many BBall players are there? Millions. To equate this to footbag only the most elite players would earn the big bucks. I'd say about 3-5 would earn millions. the rest would struggle on the fringe if they tried to make livings from footbag alone. And come on, about 20% of the freestyle footbag players are guiltless! but 20% of bball players in the world dont make millions.

" . . .and (I don't know if this means anything to you) Wicked Eric Windsor and Ryan the Regulator Mulroney would not have quit"

Uh . . . Ricky Williams anyone?

Small means accessible, friendly, no money.
Big means out of our control, non-personal, some/lots of money.

Being big would take away the best aspects of the game of footbag. People would be out for the money and would care about it more than the people who played. This would be sad.

I'd like to help the sport grow but i definitely see the deliterious (bad) effects of our sport being taken over by corporations, our players being corrupted by money, and friendships raveling merely due to competition.