Sarcastic mea culpa is one of my strengths, though genuine mea culpa is up there as well. I'm glad you detected the sarcasm. Meanwhile, I can try to respond to some arguments.
I don't believe the basketball analogy is quite tight enough. First, because there's a distinct advantage to shooting over a defender and second, in the 'perfect' jump-shot, the ball is released at the height of the jump. However, regarding 'athleticism' and the 'evolution' of the sport, I have several observations.
I contend that in basketball, the generally more athletic style of play pioneered by black athletes parallels other 'social progress', music and art phenomena, but was primarily a marketing plan implemented by string-pullers in that sport. This more improvisational style came at the cost of a more liberal interpretation of the rules, with more 'judgement call' situations and is said to be more entertaining, but when officiating determines outcomes so frequently, I am not convinced that it is really a 'sport', rather it's 'showtime'. An extreme example of 'sports showtime' would be pro wrestling. Regarding disc golf, I see it moving in this direction, as the desires for personal enrichment sometimes take precedent over the game. Al Davis, former owner of the LA Raiders, has a famous quote which sums up that mentality quite well.
Really though, the spirit of game vs. the letter of the rules seems to be one of those irreducible 'open' questions, like nature vs. nurture. People will debate it until the end of time. Hopefully others realize that the purpose of debate is to sharpen ourselves against others, even when we disagree, resulting in improvement for all concerned. That being said, most people are not persuaded by facts, reason and logic. People, in general, are swayed by emotion, just as they are motivated by their drives, no matter how stoic they appear.
My experience in disc sports tells me that some will do anything to enrich themselves; this observation includes players at one time regarded as top professionals. It's merely human nature, but a true sportsman would never put himself above the game. His hierarchy of values prohibit it, as he is servant to the 'law'. That being said, we are all at differing points on the circle and we are all imperfect, so I leave 'judgement' to a higher power.
I suggest you learn more about the concept of gamesmanship - it is not a deliberate rule-breaking strategy, rather it is a deliberate use of the 'slop' areas in the rules to gain an 'unfair' advantage over one's opponents. Because rules are never actually broken, no infractions are called, but it reflects a disrespectful sleazy attitude on the part of practitioners, where they place themselves and their concerns first. Most people have played with fellows like this; the fellow who makes a noise at the critical moment - consistently, always seems to be standing in your peripheral vision, moving slightly, during a putt, trash-talkers, etc. In fact, I believe that's the reason some players use headphones nowadays, to eliminate or reduce some of these distractions. So no, people should NOT use ANY method that's within the rules that is advantageous. That being said, not every round one plays is a serious competitive round; lots of things are acceptable in casual rounds with friends you are familiar with - serious competition is not the only reason we play.
My experience in sports started with the normal team sports most boys play. Baseball was my favorite. In high school, I played ultimate and disc golf, gradually developing into an overall frisbee player, with an emphasis on golf, but DDC is still my favorite disc sport. I also worked in the 'real' golf industry for many years. fwiw.
