The no beer rule was an attempted yuppification of our beloved counterculturish sport by big goofballs within the PDGA leadership around 2003. Suddenly, you couldn't have a PDGA tournament and put luscious keg beer on the course to alleviate the pain of backups, mellow the nerves, and heighten the conversation. What is disc golf without a good dose of self-deprecation sprinkled with faux-philosophy? Beer brings that to the next level. Beer during a round of golf is the greatest thing in the world, especially if it's cold.

Granted, the no beer rule during big events makes sense for promotional and loud-obnoxiousness-while-people-are-playing-for-(semi)-big money reasons. But the PDGA could have it all. Serious events with no beer cause we're so serious we cant have fun events, and party events called C-Tiers, where "local" rules apply. How hard is that? Not hard. The PDGA should not discriminate against drunks, should not tell TDs like me to host a party where you can't drink from 10 to 1 and 2 to 4:30, namely, while you're playing. C'mon you're trying to get your friends to come!

If the PDGA said okay beer during rounds at C-Tiers why not, as long as it's otherwise legal and in accordance with park and private land rules, then more people would play PDGA tournaments, cause there'd be a whole mess more PDGA tournaments, at least in the Northeast. PDGA got the good stats up there in lights, not completely easy to find but there if you know where.

Brian Graham sure is an improvement. Nuff said. The list on the right of the hopepage here at PDGA.com is pretty relevant and up to date. The Turbo story only omits the important point of five of seven current board members gone wild voting non-procedurally via e-mail to rescind approval of the Turbo, which was juuuuuuust plain dummmmmmmm.

But if you're the PDGA you don't want to admit that. I mean, as an institution that cleverly abolished its own constitution, the one that said, "The PDGA will conduct all its affairs in the open," by springing it on the membership with full PDGA Borg -- yes, PDGA Borg -- endorsement, the PDGA has a pretty big public relations hill to climb for those who've been paying attention. Good thing not many people pay attention. So the duped membership votes out the old PDGA Constitution and replaces it with this non-profit-specific set of by-laws that don't address a whole slew of relevant points the old PDGA Constitution, rest its honest and abused soul, spelled out clearly.

The worst thing ever? The PDGA's current Mission Statement is a two-pager, a bulleted list on one, and a cryptic, pretending-to-be-saying-something matrix for page two. If you don't have a mission statement, you're a big piece of doggy doo...not to be judgmental.

For awhile the PDGA seemed to fit the funniest anniversary card my funniest friend gave his wife:

"Every day with you is better than the next."

Get it? It's really funny when you get it.

There are of course mixed feelings about the current PDGA, with Stepford Steve Dodge leading some sort of insane growth charge, and people not really listening quite yet. Big thinking being scary, and committees proving that a bunch of bright people, through compromise, make really dumb decisions, like choosing "Enthusiast" as a division. Why not "Newcomer?"

Basically it comes down to beer -- but not only beer -- a small Dixie cup of luke warm water serves as our non-alcoholic alternative, and it's in the attic. Beer and then, at the end of the second round, food. Gotta have food. Homemade food, preferably involving a grill or a fire or Vegan Ray's smoker. Why isn't this in the PDGA manual? Stoopid PDGA.

A lot of people should be banned here. Jeff LaGrassa should be banned as a moderator, if he already isn't. He's the best guy ever to be sitting at a computer at your tournament. Ask Bill Newman.

Mikey, evidently, is banned here. Whatever happened to free (ly abusive and personal and funny) attacks on individuals? Mikey is the funniest and most engaging poster ever. Of course the stoopid PDGA has to ban him here. They also banned all non-members awhile ago. Too many voices for that big chorus of sheep-bleating. Not a member? Don't want to hear your opinion. Bwaahhhh cough.

Bring it PDGA Moderator Goofballs. Figure it out and name the crime, and ban or warn or put me on probation. Oooooooooooooo. I�m on discussion page probation. Wait till I tell my friends to see how much they don�t care. Sort of looking forward to the new mag, though.

Plus, shouldn�t we test Chuck Kennedy for Asbergers Syndrome, and decide if we want him to continue to do our numbers while other, equally valid number systems are available for free and could be done inhouse at PDGA, if there weren't so much built-in nepotism and weenie worship. (Just let me touch it.)

Is the 1000 rating already too ingrained? It is, isn�t it? �Shot a 1000-rated round,� something most of us say with a swagger. Pretenders like Mitch affect disappointment. Freakin Chuck and his numbers sucked us all in, forever. I�ve been trying to get people to give him the Klingon shunning, but skeptics abound. �Chuck Kennedy is evil, � I implore them. �He must be stopped!�

�Ooooookaaaaayyyyyy,� they say, blankly, sipping from a 12-ounce can, half of a blow-up sex doll waving its still inflated � and inverted -- legs back and forth scarily out of the still running garbage disposal sucking and mutilating it downward and drainward. People think we don�t have fun but once everyone�s had a six pack we feel like characters in Blue Velvet, and not the nice, neutral, filler characters either. Remember Pabst Blue Ribbon? Maybe you�re too young.

Holy crap funniest post EVER. Two thumbs up. Beer for C tiers!!! The drift was great. You missed your mini and made my day, I love it. :D:D:D

The PDGA really has not banned beer at C-tiers. The penalty for violating the no-beer rule is disqualification. But only the TD can disqualify anyone. Moreover, at C-tiers the TD has the discretion to issue a warning.

So if a TD were going to host a C-tier at a venue that has a liquor license, like, oh, for instance, a golf course, he could find subtle ways to let his players know that anyone turned in for drinking beer purchased on the premises would be likely to get a warning because in the past the tournament was unsanctioned and people might be understably confused about the no-beer thing.

For instance. :D

Sorry I pointed out the beer part. This post was awesome without that. Chuck Kennedy is the John Madden of disc golf.. that is gold I tell you.

Lick is the Thomas Paine of disc golf.
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/timeline/flash/assets/asset_upload_file629_11827.jpg

i have been saying beer for C tiers for 3 years. The pdga has lost allot of members with the no beer rule but they think amnesty will bring them back. yea right :D

Yeah that line was stolen directly from seewhere sorry about that.

i have been saying beer for C tiers for 3 years. The pdga has lost allot of members with the no beer rule but they think amnesty will bring them back. yea right :D



Guys, I tried to get beer for C-Tiers legal (under certain conditions.....all laws are being followed...etc..) when I was on the BoD. Unfortunately, that was yet another 6-1 vote I was on the wrong side of. This BoD might be more accomodating....hard to say.

Chap

thanks Chap for trying it would have got allot more players to renew that is for shizle

It really wouldn't even require them to change the text of the rule. Right now the rule reads:

804.05 (4) Activities which are in violation of the law or park regulation or disc golf course rule, including the illegal consumption of drugs or alcohol.

If I'm a lawyer (I'm not, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last tourney...) that rule reads that I can not violate any laws, park regulations, or course rules.

I can consume drugs that are legal...
If I'm of age and the park allows alcohol consumption... I'm not violating any of the things prohibited by the rules.

There is this thing under "Professional Conduct" in the Competition manual that bans alcohol. But I'm not a professional. I'm an amatuer. :D

Perhaps a way to deal with this might be to allow alcohol consumption at venues where it's legal but only at Am only C-tiers? With the new Expert division, even pros under 975 could play in Expert when just the Am divisions play on Saturday, but not when only the pro divisions play on Sunday, that is if pro divisions are included in the event at all. That would maintain the professional guidelines the PDGA is striving for with just a little higher standards for professional competitions.

Perhaps a way to deal with this might be to allow alcohol consumption at venues where it's legal but only at Am only C-tiers? With the new Expert division, even pros under 975 could play in Expert when just the Am divisions play on Saturday, but not when only the pro divisions play on Sunday, that is if pro divisions are included in the event at all. That would maintain the professional guidelines the PDGA is striving for with just a little higher standards for professional competitions.



That sounds better, were you drunk when you came up with that?


j/k

Not much of a drinker, but thinker. ;)

I guess seewhere and I have found our grail.

Except for the fact he plays pro.

people might be understably confused about the no-beer thing.




I was understably confused in a tournament once when I threw a Sidewinder by mistake - it was the same color as my Orc. And beer had nothing to do with it.

Lick.....

Does it need to be all one way? Isn't there room for PDGA constitutions, rules, boards, tiers, and all that feels constraining, while at the same time room for the free-wheeling, unfettered, liberal, no-rules, anything goes kind of events many of us in the Northeast enjoy?

When groups of people get together to share a common activity in a very informal setting it's fun. When that same group of people starts to produce activity off-spring and the activity becomes bigger and bigger and competiton and reward and the urge to attract outside financial intervention and publicity starts to become an urge, that fun little activity starts to have a need to have rules and formality and a governing body for the sake of consistency, making sure everyone plays by a standardized set of rules, and to cater to those outside the community that we are trying to attract. The activity in many ways doesn't feel as fun as it once was because who the heck wants rules and a big brother to tell us what is right and what is wrong.

I think it is extremely difficult to walk that fine line. My gut feeling is that everyone that has served on the PDGA board or on a PDGA committee has done so because they love this little activity, which is not life itself but hopefully a diversion from more serious life matters. In almost all cases their time and energy and contribtuion comes with little tangible reward. In those dark little conspiratory back-rooms my gut tells me their intention is to make make the best decisions for the sport after considering all the data and information and attempting to balance a ridiculous number of conflicting variables, perspectives, agendas, and issues.

My suggestion to all that feel a need to bash decisions, criticize the board and the PDGA, and to publicly ridicule or insult those contributors in a non-jestful manner is for you to volunteer your time for these positions.

My guess is that if you were to ask the decision-makers off to the side in an off-the-record discussion if they enjoyed having a beer while playing disc golf almost everyone would answer "of course i do". But my guess is that they deemed that it was unacceptable for a Professional Disc Golf Association event to allow beer because of other outside issues / perspectives.

One can certainly argue about the definition of "Professional". There are countless other threads on this website about this topic. But there aren't a lot of sports where an event sanctioned by their professional governing body makes it OK for its competitors to consume alcohol during competition.

Our sport is in its relative infancy. We're continuing to make inroads in terms of getting national media coverage and forming corporate relationships. When we're working it from the top down and from the bottom up (i.e. the grassroots level) we'll really see some great things happen. I believe both approaches working together is the best way to see our sport grow.

Fondling plastic has been a constant in my life for 33 years. I guess i love it. I want to turn as many people onto disc sports as i can. There's room for recreational rounds with coolers full of alcohol and professional events with limited alcohol and PDGA events with no-alcohol rules. I think for the sake of attracting attention in the top-down approach it is important to make our PDGA events as professional as possible. I have absolutely no problem with prohibiting alcohol at those events. On the other hand if you have a great course and a great volunteer staff and crazy amenities like I hear you have at your annual Lick-A-Thon then celebrate life and our plastic fondling and insist on having beer at your event.

Go for grins....Fondle Plastic....Play well with others...Use your opposite hand occasionally.....

dandoyle

i'm sorry. i can't make the leap from "no beer" to "professional." wish i could add more, but i'm watching the professional dart association on tv right now.

dan, you make a great point about the need for all approaches. are you saying one organization can effectively serve the full range of interests, or that events like the LickAThon are great but should remain unaffiliated with the PDGA?

who is making the leap from no beer to professional?

i'm not at all suggesting that prohibiting beer at pdga events implies professionality in and of itself. that's why i referenced prior threads that address our definitions of "professional".

i don't care what the organization is. i find it hard to believe an organization of more than 1 person can totally serve the interests of all members. can an organization effectively serve the full range? probably. is the PDGA? that's up to each member to decide. i doubt if the PDGA is serving too many members 100% to their liking. that is almost an impossibility. i see flaws too. but i need to go elsewhere if i'm looking for the pdga to address all of my needs just as i want them addressed. that would be somewhat selfish.

i haven't attended a Lick-A-Thon. but speaking with past attendeees almost to a man/woman it is acclaimed as one of everyone's favorite events. so yes, there is absolutely a call for a Lick-A-thon and other unique events. it's up to Lick and those TD's if they want PDGA affiliation. that's not my call. no one is forced to run a PDGA event. other than the attendees not getting rated rounds i'm not sure what the downside is to running an unsanctioned event.

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/01/beerForDogs.jpg
mmmmhhh beer :Deven dogs drink it ;)

and i am not at all saying that you're saying that beer drinking implies professionalism in and of itself. so there.

am I the only one smelling a hot tub and feet that can ruin even anti-microbial crocs?

If you are going to call me an "enthusiast" at least let me have a brew to deal with the embarassment!

enthusiast as a division is pretty funny though

Beer isn't illegal... you just can't drink during the round. Pre-load if you can only play with a buzz.

I think a major issue is the PDGA event insurance and the insurance company's feeling that allowing alcohol during a round will increase the risk of injury.