Disc Golf and it's Professional Legitimacy

[Halcón]

Just the diet restrictions of a body builder would drive me insane.

 

[bradharris]

Bodybuilding? Don't you actually have to do something to be considered a sport? Is going hard at the gym the sport part?

Frisbee golf? Don't you actually have to be athletic to be considered a sport? Is throwing frisbees in the park the sport part?

 

[teemkey]

Another way to look at this is that the problem is the injection of prize money. If there's massive money at stake, then massive popularity will follow. Who predicted competitive poker to be on TV?

So maybe, just maybe, the nascent marijuana industry will provide that prize money. It's a thought ...

 

[brian j]

lame.

body building hasn't hit it big because it's not a sport any more than beauty pageants are sports. drugs aren't what's holding the sport back.

 

[Halcón]

Ball Golf is boring to watch as well. With the proper editing you can make Disc Golf exciting to watch. Ball golf has cameras at every angle of the course and a team of people editing shots together to make it exciting to view at home. If Ball Golf had 1 camera on only the lead card all day no one would watch at home.

On film, yes. But who's gonna pay the thousands of spectators that we need to pay for all those cameras. We need butts on the course, so to speak. And it's just not gonna happen.

Not without something drawing them in besides the disc golf.

 

[The Hammer]

I'll keep my "sucking at a sport" exclusively to disc golf so I'll just give up and recognize Bodybuilding as a sport. :hfive:

lol....FWIW, I had the same opinion until I started training, and talking with some of those guys. The level of dedication, and work is completely insane.

 

[bradharris]

Not without something drawing them in besides the disc golf.

Drugs and alcohol might work!

 

[The Hammer]

lame.

body building hasn't hit it big because it's not a sport any more than beauty pageants are sports. drugs aren't what's holding the sport back.

Hasn't hit it big?!?! Seriously? What qualifies as "hitting it big"? The big competitions are televised, a ton of money is involved, sponsors galore, what is it missing?

 

[bobmcnelly]

Drugs and alcohol have nothing to do with DG not being popular. I'm pretty sure the NBA and NFL didn't suddenly see a rise in popularity because they decided to start drug testing.

 

[optidiscic]

I have seen plenty of college womens and mens sports on TV with more people playing than in the stands....you don't need people watching at the live event.....you need them watching from home where the commercials can be shoved down your throat.

Currently even the most popular youtube videos of actual dg events hover around only 10,000 viewers of which many are repeat views

Sadly I think some pop culture icon needs to be the one who makes dg mainstream

I frankly could care less and don't understand why we need to be accepted by soccer moms

 

[bradharris]

I have seen plenty of college womens and mens sports on TV with more people playing than in the stands....you don't need people watching at the live event.....you need them watching from home where the commercials can be shoved down your throat.

A lot of that is because of the nature of the TV contracts. I've been to a D1 college basketball game that was televised and had attendance of less than 1,000. It's because the TV network signed a deal with the conference. The big money drivers (at the time) were the schools like George Mason, VCU and Old Dominion which did draw a big fan-base. But the tradeoff was that the network would also have to broadcast games at places like Northeastern, where attendance is regularly counted in the hundreds.

 

[gdub58]

It's simple

One of the big issues is that there is very little money to be made off of disc golf.

Sure, there's a lunatic fringe (I should know - I attend the meetings) who spends decent money on discs and the occasional bag, but it isn't sustainable. Bodybuilding is a whole lifestyle that must be maintained - the nutrition, the workout equipment, etc. Other fringe sports have expensive equipment to sell, and the "latest and greatest" piece of equipment has much more appeal than it does in disc golf. I know disc golfers who spend virtually nothing on the game - they play for free with 5-10 year old discs and a ratty bag - and they are not seen as sad or unusual.

And look at the large group of participants who play with 1-2 discs that they probably found or at most spent $20 on - they're set for years. Heck, the primary reason many serious disc golfers would tolerate a pay-for-play system is to not have to play with these newbs (as long as it's not more than a few dollars).

We are growing and that translates into more courses and more people with whom we can share the game, but don't for a minute think there's a magic bullet that would be so transformative.

 

[SteezeOG]

I think people should do what they want but the PDGA has every right to restrict whatever they want at their events. That's really all there is to it. I didn't really really read all of the post or thread I just wanted to say at the woman's global event I played a B tier and there was a lady there who pounded about three beers in the 30 mins before the player meeting. She was finishing her last one when she went to pick up her card but her husband(caddy) yelled at her to finish the beer and throw it away first before she got disqualified. I thought it was pretty funny. She probably needs help if she feels the need to pound as many beers at 9am as she can.

 

[turbosteve]

The WFDF got recognized by the IOC last year and the PDGA rejoined this year. In other countries disc golf is going to be televised live this summer and the Swiss Olympic Committee is supporting this years European Disc Golf Championships.

 

[Zimmy]

I wonder if bocce ball fans sit around and wonder why their tournaments aren't on ESPN?

It's all about the spectator demand. There are a ton of "sports" that people do because they're fun. Disc golf is one of them. So is wind surfing, kite flying, RC racing, bocce ball, badminton, racket ball....

 

[tampora]

Frisbee golf? Don't you actually have to be athletic to be considered a sport? Is throwing frisbees in the park the sport part?

sport - noun
1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Bodybuilders don't bulk up and have flex-offs for entertainment's sake.

 

[erock216]

Drugs and alcohol have nothing to do with DG not being popular. I'm pretty sure the NBA and NFL didn't suddenly see a rise in popularity because they decided to start drug testing.

The nba doesnt even test for marijuana. It has been reported that 60 to 70 percent of the nba smokes. Put that in your pipe and smoke it op.

 

[DiscJunkie]

I have seen plenty of college womens and mens sports on TV with more people playing than in the stands....you don't need people watching at the live event.....you need them watching from home where the commercials can be shoved down your throat.

Currently even the most popular youtube videos of actual dg events hover around only 10,000 viewers of which many are repeat views

Sadly I think some pop culture icon needs to be the one who makes dg mainstream

I frankly could care less and don't understand why we need to be accepted by soccer moms

QTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Points I totally agree with:
1. DG will not be a money sport because it is difficult and boring to cover on film and TV. No TV, no big money.
2. As much as DGer's enjoy the DG videos that get produced by the dedicated individuals that do these videos, they do not "capture" the attention of the non-DG public.
3. Kristen Stewart gets more attention for throwing disc golf in a park on some random weekend than the Pro Tour gets all year - and its not close.
4. Why do I want DG to be popular? Is it some contest?? As long as I can still play free in my local DG park, why do I want the attention? I am all in favor of keeping it small and fun.

 

[erock216]

Who is gonna pay for the drug testing? You do realize that it costs money right?

 

[The Hammer]

The nba doesnt even test for marijuana. It has been reported that 60 to 70 percent of the nba smokes. Put that in your pipe and smoke it op.

I heard that 90% of all statistics are fabricated.