Dobyns Out of (RSD) Retirement

I've been so enjoying the unfolding drama of Kenny Dobyns coming out of rec.sport.disc retirement that I had to expand my previous "Kenneth44" post. Here are some highlights of how it has gone so far, as near as I can tell...

  1. KD returns after a three-year-or-so hiatus to criticise the new Ultimate History book.
  2. Jim Parinella notes KD's return, comments. KD notices, replies, defines "milk toast" vs. "milquetoast".
  3. Alex DeFrondeville also takes note, sets record straight on "The Call."
  4. As a bit of an aside, KD does a tongue-in-cheek comparison of the Ultimate History book and Ultimate Techniques & Tactics.
  5. Somewhere in there KD starts blogging.
  6. Meanwhile, back in the thread that started it all: two posts of note: Eric Zazlow's, and KD's reply.
  7. Which brings us, finally, to the post that prompted me to summarize all this in the first place, "it ain't easy being me". Lots of great stuff in there. A taste:
    so, why the pity party? why now? well, the recent reactions to my rsd posts have ranged from the "you're unnecessarily harsh," which i deserve, particularly as it relates to my post about jessi's research, to "you owe more to the game considering your stature and reputation," to which i say nonsense. after two hospital stays (one in intensive care), two knee surgeries, and countless cuts contusions, bumps and bruises, i owe this game nothing. it's one thing to say a professional athlete who has parlayed a playing career into a tidy living owes a bit of respect back to the people who lined his pockets, but all ultimate ever provided me was a place to compete. in return, i brought everything i had to the table every time i played. if you ask me we both kept up our end of the bargain. we're square.

I should end on that note, but I can't resist linking to this blast from the past. Trash talk, with almost everybody above making an appearance.

Oh, a better note to end on... KD's teacher journals are compelling. What a shame a happy ending is unlikely. I bet he's a great teacher.

Wed, Jan 4, 2006