Footbaggers - arrogant?

mosher · Post by **mosher** » 11 May 2005 23:21

It really frustrates me when people are so quick to adopt the attitude that they could never do what we do.

When people say to me "Oh, I could never do that!" I know deep down that they should really have punctuated with "...yet!"

I wish some people were less self-defeatist and wasted less of their time away not achieving anything since they don't think anything can be achieved.

Everything is possible, footbag has shown me that.

Splint · Post by **Splint** » 11 May 2005 23:31

Jeremy wrote:Do you think this has a negative effect on your character - being told how good you are all the time. Do you think it makes you arrogant or elietist?

I'm not sure. I just think it's bound to have an impact - being told how good you are all the time.

A lot of times it depends on the comment made and how I'm feeling that day.

Last week I had two people come up to me on two sepeate occasions.

The first one was walking by and watching and he (like so many others) called me a "show off". My reply was "If you could do it, you would."

The second person was watching from a distance and when I left the circle he came up and said "Man how did you do that one trick?" After a few minutes we figured out he was talking about "osis". I was running late for class, but I stuck around for a few extra minutes and talked it up with the kid and gave him info on where to get more info and to get a hold of me to play.

So, yes there are times when I am somewhat arrogant, but usually in response to stupid comments. Other times, I'm pretty chill and open with anyone who shows the least bit of real interest.

Outsider · Post by **Outsider** » 12 May 2005 07:43

I think its really easy to stay humble in this little sport of ours. I mean, we're barely ever on television, we make virtually no money by playing the game, and even our primary footwear supplier doesn't care about us enough to sponsor our biggest events. Even the most prominent brand name of footbag, the brand name which is synonymous with our sport, doesn't care enough about what we do to show us some support.

On a more personal note, people tell me I'm good or awesome or great, but I'm never satisfied with my abilities. The image I have in my head of how I should be playing is always something much better than the reality. I think "yeah, I'm good, but not nearly good enough." Furthermore, no matter how good I am, I know that there is always somebody else playing now who's better. How am I supposed to be arrogant? When people tell me how good I am, I tell them "come out to my tournament in two weeks; there will be guys there that are better than me." They look at my with disbelief. I just hope they show up to see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, yeah, I'm pretty humble.
http://modified.ca/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=8598
In fact, I'm so humble its scary.
http://www.modified.ca/footbag/viewtopic.php?t=8476
I'm the most humble person I know. In a humble contest I can kick all your asses. I'm THE BEST at being humble!
(Shit, ShaggyHack changed their web-site; it used to say "Jon Schneider can skool anyone at footbag" and had a picture of me, and I was gonna link that too. Shit.)

Splint · Post by **Splint** » 12 May 2005 08:46

Outsider wrote: Even the most prominent brand name of footbag, the brand name which is synonymous with our sport, doesn't care enough about what we do to show us some support.

Well, if we'd all stop using our easier to kick, easier to stall, better quality, home made and far more superior footbags and start using the shitty ones they shove down the throat of the ususpecting and potentially awesome footbaggers out there, then they might see fit to sponsor us. Until then I think we'll have to make due.

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 12 May 2005 09:39

mosher wrote:When people say to me "Oh, I could never do that!" I know deep down that they should really have punctuated with "...yet!"

That's exactly what Joel Dion always says to any tricks that he HASN'T hit or a trick that someone else HASN'T hit

I think footbag has made me arrogant. I've come to expect a lot of the praise that I don't even really deserve. It feels really kind of paradoxical to admit to self arrogance.

footbinc · Post by **footbinc** » 12 May 2005 20:37

Is giving yourself props in a circle when you hit a new trick, then throw the bag on the ground arrogant?

What about arrogance "in" the community, the im too good for your circle attitude, or im too good for a game of pickup net?

tuomoruutufan · Post by **tuomoruutufan** » 13 May 2005 15:59

very interesting topic.

I am very new to this sport but im developing quickly do to alot of practice. I feel im good enough to play in public and try to pomote the sport.

I have been doing this at the local skate park and even at my beginner level i get the same reactions. partly to the fact of how weak the scene is in my area.

The best players in chicago is the CIC crew and i have yet to meet any one of them who look down on me cause im not guiltless or anything close to that attitude.

But on the other note i do have a freind who mildly shows some arrogance. I can tell hes glad that im around so that hes not the worst player in the CIC circle.

I think my favorite thing about this sport is that its a personal competition. I love this sport and i love challenging myself with learning how i want to learn. Schooling tricks that i like to hit. And then after all that work Showing the style of play im working at to my fellow CIC bad asses.

Thats the true greatness of this sport is the lack of teamsport negatives with alot of teamsport positives. It doesnt matter what level a footbager is as long as he loves it and is getting better it will inspire his fellow shreddors to do the same.

I was kicking with CIC Zeke and tom. They both tried hitting rip warrior and came so close then the bag is thrown to me and i go "i guess its time for me to step it up" now i cant do steping so i tried hitting ducking butterfly, some how some way i hit the trick smooth and clean and with a good set. Tom and zeke gave me such a hard high five my hand was in excrutiating pain but i had the biggest smile that could not hide.

Thats a really good example of how i picture the average freestyler to be its not how hard the trick is to you its how hard it was to the other person. We will know when arrogance reaches its all time high when we loose the tradition of the One bag one circle take turns format. as long as we pay attention to the person who is kicking and show support the arrogance i think will always been mostly non existent

I love this sport.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 14 May 2005 10:44

tuomoruutufan wrote:zeke gave me such a hard high five my hand was in excrutiating pain

Hehe, one of my trademarks. If it makes you feel any better I've gotten Dan, Reile, Tim, Tom and... well, just about everybody I've kicked with. There are some really good ones on video.

Splint wrote:A lot of times it depends on the comment made and how I'm feeling that day.

Word.

In a hack circle if I get called a show off, I really try to tone down by not doing tricks for the sake of simply doing tricks. But I still try to by be flashy AND pass it to the other players. It's a great compromise, I get to play expressively and everyone gets a chance to kick too. In a shred circle, I get annoyed with comments like "show off", "...too much time" and shit lke that. Generally I don't respond well to negativity when I'm playing. Footbag is what I do to have fun and relax, and when things get in the way of that I get really upset. Once I was shredding a bit in front of school and this older guy walking towards me said, "why don't you get a job!" and and tried to walk right through me. WTF?

I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Why don't you act your age and DIE!!!!!!!!!!!! "

I've also been known to jump spin kick dangerously close to (or even graze) the belligerent drunk, completely wasted stoner and the occasional 6 foot crossdresser who have been asked several times to not stand too close to the shredders.

It's my own personality that's made me arrogant, not footbag. If anything footbag has shown me that I really need curb my temper better, it's not exactly the image I want people to have of our sport.

On the other hand, I LOVE the the positive feedback. I love to play to the crowd. I love when people standing suddenly react to what I've done by jumping up and down and screaming. I love the pat on the back or the handshake with the accompanying, "That's really awesome! You're pretty good". Yesterday, at my old highschool this kid was asking if I still had some sandbags. After a sale he told me that everyone was tellin him to watch me cuz I was "...really good at hack" I must have had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face at that point. He actually stuck around just to watch me play 4 square! Ya gotta love it!

Guest_2 · Post by **Guest_2** » 14 May 2005 19:13

I am arrogant to begin with. Everytime I kick and hit a toestall someone applauds because the Minnesota suburban scene doesn't exist. I let them know I'm nowhere near good and they ought to check out flipsider. I'm cocky because I am, not because I can hit a Legover>Pixie

Footbaggers - arrogant?

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