Swearing on the course

[chiggins]

If you had an assignment to convince someone who had never tried DG to play a round, and you only had 1 second to do it, you would most likely fail.

With respect, if I had only one second to convince anyone of anything, I'd put my money on "fail" . But I hear what you're saying, and even agree, people who do not drop loud F-bombs make better ambassadors to the sport. But, I say this as someone who, embarassingly, dropped several on the last holes of a tournament recently (my game has many aspects that require work and improvement) .

People get emotional when they play sports, you'll hear many of those same words when walking by a basketball court, or a softball field. I mean, go to any Little League game and there's a change you'll see two parents goin' at it. And ball golf courses... in the words of a friend of mine, "you should see my uncle, from the first tee it's all swearing and yard sale, and that's at a country club." Not saying that's behavior to be emulated, just that that's the state of things.

I think you're right, that we should all strive for something that at least looks like equanimity to folks who might be interested in trying it, but we shouldn't be surprised when players can't live up to it all the time. (I do think it would have been a classier move on the original subject's part to apologize rather than laugh it off, but what do I know.)

Jackasses and potheads will flock to us no matter what, but they will not take our sport to the next level. We must attract a more mainstream demographic.

Again, I mostly agree with this, that the face of Disc Golf can certainly improve to the mainstream public. But, I gotta say, every time I hear this, I think about all the Jackasses and Stoners that worked with local and state parks department, hauled wood and concrete in wheelbarrows out to areas where trucks couldn't go, cleared poison ivy and poison oak, donated their time and abilities to provide us with beautiful and novel tee signs, held fundraisers to pay for baskets, and became TD's of events that we all enjoy playing in. And I think about underused multi-use areas that were once abandoned or crime ridden, that now see enough foot traffic to see criminal elements driven out by people who care enough to bend down and pick up even one single errant cigarette butt, all thanks to those Jackasses and Stoners.

Sometimes, those folks like to imbibe on the courses they built, many do it discreetly and without making asses of themselves, and I say good on 'em. I realize that's not always the case, and any public facility (especially ones that are free of charge) is going to get visited by folks who don't respect the sport, the club, the course, or other people using the area. But I sure hope that, in everyone's desire to take the sport to the next level, we don't just randomly castigate a lot of the people who got us this far.

 

[discspeed]

In my definition there is a difference b/w a pothead and a disc golfer who happens to partake. The disc golfer's #1 reason to be out there is to play/ promote the sport. If he sees cops/families around he can go without and still enjoy a game of DG. A pothead is there for something to do while getting high. If he sees a cop/families he leaves to go smoke somewhere else.

Same with jackasses...they are there for selfish entertainment and don't think about how their actions affect anyone's perceptions of DG. Be tough with the rules or outlaw drinking and the jackasses whine and go elsewhere.

 

[chiggins]

In my definition there is a difference b/w a pothead and a disc golfer who happens to partake... Same with jackasses...

Just so! No one I referred to above would put a beer or otherwise above the good of the game, their club, their course, or the considerations of others. They're more considerate and circumspect than that, and are capable of seeing bigger pictures.

I don't know what the state of things is around the country, but one of the things that drew me to the game initially in SoCal was the fact that the folks involved seemed to be a community of dedicated, kind, fun-loving people, in what seemed like higher percentages than the general population, and certainly by higher percentages than most sports. Maybe I just fell in with the right crowd.

But I wonder, when contemplating "the next level", ie when the game has attracted more mainstream attention and gains popularity with the wider populace, whether or not we're not giving enough credit to the level it's at now, and whether or not that mainstreaming isn't going to make us look back at the way it is now and wish we'd savored it a little more when it was at this point.

Someday it's possible that those partakers and jokers aren't gonna be around as much, because of the type-A's and crowds and the product endorsements and cable contracts and whatnot (or not, we still don't get into soccer or cycling like the rest of the world does heh). And I'm gonna miss 'em.

Quite a ramble, sorry about the threadjacking

 

[Jesse B 707]

As both a Jackass and Pothead i am offended sir :wink:

 

[PhattD]

I am surprised that people are so vehemently defending their right to swear in public. Is it really that hard to watch your language around kids? And don't forget that just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it is the right thing to do.

 

[J-Man]

Language is like a radio band, most folks can change the channel to fit the location and audience. Others simply don't care, to bad for them really, as caring is a 2 way street and you must show you care before others reciprocate.

 

[Aaron_D]

Of course there is middle ground here, but if someone is on the course sees people playing and overhears someone say a curse word, and that turns them off from playing dg forever...good riddance. It doesn't make me feel bad because Ive been personally responsible for spreading a lot of dg love. Im not going to sweat one tightwad who cant stand to hear a curse word in public. It's all about numbers .

Im close to going off about how parents are too concerned or even obsessed with their little love bundles, but since I will just be entirely discredited with the trite but true:

Spoken like someone who doesn't have kids

I'm sure overhearing profanity in a public place is the worst of your kid's problems.

Things besides dg that also attract pot smokers: music, art, relaxation. Disc golf could be in worse company. I wish people would stop denigrating people who smoke pot as being bad for this sport. They are obviously not. I bet the person shouting the profanity was not a pot head...I bet your favorite disc golfer is. I see just as much alcohol on the course as I do pot and it has a drastically more intensely negative effect.

 

[DigIt]

I am surprised that people are so vehemently defending their right to swear in public. Is it really that hard to watch your language around kids? And don't forget that just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it is the right thing to do.

I think our point is that it's not swearing, it's irresponsible people that are the problem. Some of us respect free speech (read as know when and when not to use it) and don't think the world needs to shut down just because you and your kids want to walk by.

 

[DiscGolfTeeSigns.com]

freedom of speech + common f'kin decency

sucks to be the guy who doesn't have both

i win thread!

 

[DigIt]

I'll share this because it is relevant. I have only had one ace and it was on hole #4 at Badlands. I will never get the chance to say to my buddy, "Hey this is the hole I aced on." That hole doesn't exist as it once did because the tee happened to be next to this guys back porch. He got sick of the yelling and profanity and threatened to go further but Ronnie just moved the course around and that one hole I got my ace on is no longer.

Is that guy a tight wad? Maybe. Are the people that insist on screaming profanity at the top of their lungs and drink/reef right next to this guys porch douche bags? For sure.

Problem is they are both right in my opinion.

 

[PhattD]

freedom of speech + common f'kin decency

sucks to be the guy who doesn't have both

i win thread!

Damn I wanted to win :lol:

But I agree. You don't want to be the tight ass that freaks everytime their kid is exposed to "colorful" language. You also need to understand that screaming a string of profanities next to a playground or right off of someones back porch is a real dickheaded thing to do.

 

[mzuleger]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the first amendment yet.

I'm not saying you can't curse in front of children... but if you do it around me don't be surprised if I come up to you and discretely utilize my 1st amendment right as well. :wink:

 

[DigIt]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the first amendment yet.

I'm not saying you can't curse in front of children... but if you do it around me don't be surprised if I come up to you and discretely utilize my 1st amendment right as well. :wink:

And that's all I ask!

 

[chiggins]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the first amendment yet.

I'm kinda surprised no one has mentioned the 21st.

 

[emiller3]

Im close to going off about how parents are too concerned or even obsessed with their little love bundles, but since I will just be entirely discredited with the trite but true:

Spoken like someone who doesn't have kids

I'm sure overhearing profanity in a public place is the worst of your kid's problems.

So you're going to swear in front of my kids just to teach *me* a lesson...that I'm too uptight, and too obsessed with what my kid's are exposed to? And you're "close to going off" about how people are too uptight about what their kids are exposed to? Why this vendetta against parents that care? There are a lot worse familial situations you could rant against than parents who care "too much" about their kids.

Just so you know, yes, overhearing profanity in a public place *is* the worst of my kid's problems, they are only 1 1/2 and 3. It just came up when I took them to the disc golf course last week.

I play basketball and softball in both tournament and rec settings, and this issue is not nearly as big a problem as it is on the disc golf course. In fact, you get one warning and then you get kicked out for swearing in city-sanctioned leagues and tournaments, and if you yell it particularly loud, or you direct it at an umpire/ref, you get kicked out the first time. Fortunately almost everyone, disc golf included, apologizes for swearing in front of my kids when they turn around and see them. I've never once had to ask someone to stop swearing. Most people respect the fact that they are not there to teach me, or my kids, any lessons, and would just prefer to take their language somewhere else rather than lecture me about being too uptight with my kids.

 

[sunspot]

I think common sense should tell a person that they should not cuss if there are children around. Of course, a lot of people are missing common sense now-days.

 

[NotACoolName]

When I was little, my grandparents always told me only stupid people swear. That the only people that swear have a low vocabulary.

I think they're right, but in this day and time, it is different as follows:

The people that swear in front of children are stupid and have a low vocabulary.





edit: And I'm sick of this website forum calling me a "noob" to the left there!

 

[Jesse B 707]

Noob's opinion's don't count :wink:

 

[NotACoolName]

Noob's opinion's don't count :wink:

I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you, and your little dog too.

But for me, if the person swearing is a friend of mine around the same age as me, I just try to stay away from them and not play a round with them until they grow up or someone "puts them in their place". I don't want to put them in their place because I don't want to ruin a potential friendship.

 

[masterbeato]

in the eyes of the people that never played they just think of it as throwing a Frisbee rather than ball golf where it is a serious sport in their eyes and very established and has hundreds of years of American history and is very respected throughout the entire world.

they see DG as throwing a Frisbee at their dog in their backyard or at a picnic with a friend or at a beach and does not be taken seriously and is a cheap way to have fun and keep entertained until dinner is ready. seeing someone swear at a picnic throwing a Frisbee at each other is how they interpret it. in ball golf it is a courtesy violation to swear and you get warned, stroked or even kicked out of the tournament!

the point is, is that people would understand more if you missed a shot in Golf and swore, but they have less understanding why you swear if you missed a shot in DG. it is also how you say it too, you can swear lightly while you laugh because it shows that you are having fun with the game, but swearing and throwing your bag and just screaming on the top of your lungs is how DG looses its value everyday and courses actually get taken out because of it.

walkers have 100% the right of way and you must have courtesy for other people as human beings that get hurt feelings and show them that Disc Golf is not just a game you play waiting for dinner to be ready.