Disc Golf Pro Tour

[Aim For The Chains]

LOL....possibly true....this being the internet, anyone's admission of possibly making a mistake catches my attention. I'm usually so astonished that I assume they're sincere.

bottom line is well.. the bottom line in DG and we know it is not surviving due to all these wonderful touring pros' It might make some manufactures $ but as a sport on the whole these guys at the top honest have it so twisted.

You do not rely on an association to make you successful. I will just leave it at that but there is a whole lot more to be said. I don't think many of these top pros have any idea what is like to deal with a real world association vs their niche BS.

 

[ru4por]

In the meantime, I just noticed this exchange on the DGPT page:

Cooper Harkins:

September 14, 2016 at 1:58 am

Not only do I agree that cooperation should be number one when trying to bring together a sport that has the potential to keep its momentous expansion in current years. That being said, I am not sure such a hasty move is the best move. Unless you are trying to coax action from the other side to remedy the situation. Its a bold move and its sad that something like this has to come at such a crucial turning point in disc golf.


Steven Dodge:

September 14, 2016 at 11:13 pm

I agree entirely. My action was taken too hastily and hopefully the PDGA will be able understand the aggravation that I have been experiencing. Having said that, the talking points should be addressed and discussed so we can build a long lasting bridge.

Reply


Is this the first sign that cooler heads may yet prevail?

This is crazy. I'm lost. This guy is heading up a business proposition. Is life now just a series of knee jerk interwebz statements. This is beyond my life experience. Can you imagine Bill Ford announcing a handful of plant closures, thousands of layoffs and later simply stating it is all a mistake and apologizing for a really stressful week.

 

[klmdg]

This is crazy. I'm lost. This guy is heading up a business proposition. Is life now just a series of knee jerk interwebz statements. This is beyond my life experience. Can you imagine Bill Ford announcing a handful of plant closures, thousands of layoffs and later simply stating it is all a mistake and apologizing for a really stressful week.

New Netflix series: The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Steve Dodge

David Cross confirmed to play Dodge.

 

[zj1002]

bottom line is well.. the bottom line in DG and we know it is not surviving due to all these wonderful touring pros' It might make some manufactures $ but as a sport on the whole these guys at the top honest have it so twisted.

You do not rely on an association to make you successful. I will just leave it at that but there is a whole lot more to be said. I don't think many of these top pros have any idea what is like to deal with a real world association vs their niche BS.

Why can't someone dream big? We as a society wouldn't deny someone acting like this any other field.

 

[discRabbit]

Yes, Dodge is finding individuals who are onboard to push the upward growth of the sport. Money talks. The PDGA has not brought in outside money through the NT, hopefully the DGPT approach will have better results.

I can't wait until there'$ more MONEY coming into this $port.

WWWOOOOOO!!! BIG BUCK$$, gonna make so many dollars. Can't wait :|

 

[DavidSauls]

This is crazy. I'm lost. This guy is heading up a business proposition. Is life now just a series of knee jerk interwebz statements. This is beyond my life experience. Can you imagine Bill Ford announcing a handful of plant closures, thousands of layoffs and later simply stating it is all a mistake and apologizing for a really stressful week.

My thoughts are a little more charitable---he's doing or trying to do big things, bigger than I've ever attempted, though perhaps not as big as he imagines. Though it does strike a contrast between a board-run organization that may be wrong, but deliberates before making mistakes, and a one-man operation that can make mistakes very quickly.

But I wouldn't characterize this hasty mistake as all he's doing.

 

[UP Mountain Man]

I didn't see larger crowds of spectators than normal at the two DGPT events I attended. No events have charged for spectating or online viewing yet. So other than continuing to tap different host sites each year, we haven't seen a sustainable financial model start to emerge yet. The side games were a good idea and fun but I'm not sure if they drew enough money for the effort. But maybe if more spectators show up, they will at least give them something else to do that's interactive besides just watching.

I attended The Majestic, and The Silver Cup this year, Chuck. Great bumping into you at The Majestic!

IMO, I thought there were more spectators than usual at these events? The parking lots were overflowing.

Also, I considered the spectators to be true spectators, not just the AM side of the tournaments viewing the Pros playing.

 

[DavidSauls]

And in defense of Steve Dodge in this case, I quote Teddy Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

 

[prerube]

This has been a major blunter. Steve Dodge is a great ambassador of the sport, but this will not be the moment he is remembered for.
I am glad he has stepped back and started thinking with a cooler head, but going off so quickly powered by emotion put his actions under a microscope. We all saw DGPT is no better at transparency or discipline.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Why can't someone dream big? We as a society wouldn't deny someone acting like this any other field.

Dodge has been dreaming for a minute. Jussi came up with a WT so he whipped up the PT.

Big dreams? Sure... But dont act like a 5 yr old when trying to execute the dream lol.

I ****ing live it so all good here. Difference in living jn reality vs dreamland. We all can do big things some just actually get done.

 

[1978]

After all the hooplah, Yesterday I was one of 94 watching the first round live broadcast. What would that score in neilson ratings? I feel like we are all getting ahead of ourselves.

 

[tbird888]

Why can't someone dream big? We as a society wouldn't deny someone acting like this any other field.

It tends to happen that those that dream big only succeed with deep pockets which no one in disc golf (except Osmo, of course :\) has. I applaud the dreamers, and I do think Dodge has the best tour out there. He's kept it like a family when Jussi has gone for the dollars only (I really detest that too as he's pissing on the foundation of what makes this sport so great for the sake of "making it big" which essentially just means making himself and his investors money.). I will be interested to see how things progress, but I fear that DGWT will prevail and kill what I love most about the game.

After all the hooplah, Yesterday I was one of 94 watching the first round live broadcast. What would that score in neilson ratings? I feel like we are all getting ahead of ourselves.

Well said.

 

[biscoe]

After all the hooplah, Yesterday I was one of 94 watching the first round live broadcast. What would that score in neilson ratings? I feel like we are all getting ahead of ourselves.

no more clicks on that site from me.

 

[Darkgreen]

Dodge has been dreaming for a minute. Jussi came up with a WT so he whipped up the PT.

Dodge had been working on making a pro tour for years. He approached the PDGA about it in previous years.

 

[Three Putt]

Dodge has been dreaming for a minute. Jussi came up with a WT so he whipped up the PT.

Big dreams? Sure... But dont act like a 5 yr old when trying to execute the dream lol.

I ****ing live it so all good here. Difference in living jn reality vs dreamland. We all can do big things some just actually get done.

Dodge had been making pitches to the PDGA for a couple of years to do something. At one point is was a new pro tour and at another point it was taking over the NT, but at any rate he has been working on something for a number of years. That it turned out to be the DGPT and started now may have been Jussi forcing his hand, who knows?

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Yes. That is what i said?

 

[zj1002]

After all the hooplah, Yesterday I was one of 94 watching the first round live broadcast. What would that score in neilson ratings? I feel like we are all getting ahead of ourselves.

Yeah I think one of the biggest disconnects with all this going on is that the only people advertising the DGPT events is the tour itself. You don't see the PDGA(for obvious reasons now), manufacturers, or retailers being worked with to send out news/email blasts about this. You really only find out about it on Facebook right now. I don't see signs advertising how to watch it at local stores. Lots of cheap things you can do to get the disc golfers attention.

 

[Whippetgood]

I listened to the Smashboxx Podcast today. Heard Steve Dodge talk about the rigorous vetting process that the DGPT (read -- Steve Dodge) goes through to choose which events will make the cut.

That made me curious to see which of the elite events were chosen for his 2017 tour.

I recognized Vibram, Ledgestone, Memorial, and Green Mountain. Most impressive. I wasn't sure about the Nick Hyde, but remembered it to be a cool event at the Rockwall, TX course; Harry Myers.

The rest were a bit new. Discovered that the Utah Open was a Non PDGA event. 2 rounds in 2015 and 3 in 2016. Interesting? Uhh.... yep.

I could find no info on the events called the Jonesboro Open or the Idlewild Open. Are these first time events? Hmmm...

The Waco Charity Event seems to be an annual neat little B tier fundraiser (with a great history BTW) But, still another Hmmm?

I admit to being very confused. The podcast led me to believe that the DGPT was the new disc golf version of the PGA and that that their way of doing a PRO TOUR would slowly pull all of the pros away from the PDGA.

Nothing against any TD or group who puts on an event. Ever. But, I am finding Steve's Rigorous Vetting Process and some parts of the tour to be a bit incongruous.

Did I miss something?

Thanks
Ron Pittman

Ron,

I know that Steve has been very thorough in his vetting of the Utah Open. He has visited the course a few times and has had several meetings with the TD. He also met with several of the touring pros that made it out in years past. There is list of requirements for added cash, spectators, ability to be streamed live (and etc...) that you agree to when signing on to the pro tour.

I am pretty sure that the same process has been followed with each of the events. Hopefully the grade school drama will work itself out by 2017 and we will get to watch some good golf next year.

Give the Utah Open a chance. The course is really difficult (Big Jerm won with a -17 for 3 rounds last year). The cell signal is great and there is wireless through out the course so it will stream pretty well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnMfqRgVxM

 

[Cgkdisc]

I'm curious what the requirements are for spectators if you can share?

 

[bwgort]

I'm curious what the requirements are for spectators if you can share?

The pro tour lays out the requirements here. I imagine their due diligence consists of evaluating whether a potential venue will meet the criteria displayed on their site.