Gods of Plastic

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Gods of Plastic (GOP) is a competitive inter-collegiate ultimate frisbee team.

History

GoP was born late one February night in 1995 in a room on 2nd Nourse. A group of seniors - motivated by their love of Frisbee and a desire for a level of play higher than intramurals, but looking for a commitment and attitude softer than those necessary to play for Carleton's official intercollegiate teams - conspired to form an alternative IC team founded on the concept that enjoyment of the game and a higher level of competitive play should not run screaming from each other, but walk hand-in-hand. They agreed to a style of play that would be considered by some to be undisciplined, but to them would embody the true spirit of the game, and from this discussion arose the lofty team name: Gods of Plastic.

While maintaining a premium on enthusiasm and attitude, the long-on-skills but short-on-stamina seniors wisely recruited a few younger players to give the team a sorely needed athletic boost in long, physical games. The inaugural GoP members were:

John Eaton '95 Bil 'Baby' Elsinger '95 Josh Galster '96 Craig 'Genius' Graddick '95 Chris Gutmann '95 Bill Kroeger '96 Kirk 'Quarters' McEwen '98 Tyson Nunemacher '95 David 'Sparky' Palomino '95 Bryn 'Traveler' Perkins '95 [co-captain] Robert Pickett '95 [co-captain] Ben Price '95 Will Stenzel '96 Max Stein '95 Ken Troop '95 Chris Welcker '95 [co-captain] Winky Winkleman '96 Jason 'Suede' Zimmerman '95

Riding a wave of enthusiasm and unity, and in an attempt to raise some badly needed funds, GoP commissioned and sold their own Frisbees graced with an ethereal figure reaching from the clouds to grab a disc. Team t-shirts worn for tournament play were slightly more intimidating, displaying a fierce Norse god brandishing a large hammer. Thrice-weekly practice rights were acquired for Pigeon Field after the snow melted, and the team slowly shed its winter lethargy. Capitalizing on the Republican flair of their name, the team even dubbed plays after prominent conservatives - calling for such maneuvers as the Quayle, the Gingrich, or the Dole when the proper field position presented itself.

The first real test for the young team was at the Big Ten Tournament in Madison, where a wet weekend turned the Frisbee fields into a sea of mud and water. The team retuned winless, but happy with their debut. Sectionals that spring were held at Carleton; GoP had its fair share of supporters in pool play wins over Winona State and CUT's B-team and losses to CUT and Macalester. In a rousing semi-final game played on Bell Field, the proud GoP team once again matched wits with its alter ego at the time, CUT. Cheering Carleton students lined the hill to root for the Gods, who managed to frustrate the determined CUT players on a series of thumb-hammers before falling to the professional team's more organized play. Faced with the threat of not advancing to Regionals, GoP rallied in its final game to come from behind and beat St. Olaf for the third qualifying spot.

In reaching the Regional tournament, GoP met its competitive goal for the season. On its return to Madison, the team made its mark in the Carleton Frisbee history books by becoming the first non-CUT/SYZYGY team to win at the Regional level with a late-day victory over Purdue. Off the field, at the tournament party, the team members bravely compensated for a poor turnout by the other teams by redeeming most of the unused refreshment coupons.

GoP's team philosophy - which placed an emphasis on a pure love of Ultimate, camaraderie, and a positive competitive spirit over the goals of national rankings and tournament wins - carried it successfully through its first season and ensured that the team would flourish for years to come.

GOP's second year was its most successful in terms of national ranking. GOP, perhaps at its most athletic, recruited a couple CUT players and many of the senior varity soccer players. It finished the season ranked 23rd in the country, and made it to Sunday of Regionals.