Why it Doesn't Matter

I certainly didn’t start writing a blog about this year to become some sort of point counter point with Angelica(www.the2ndrow.blogspot.com). He always has a very vocal view on what he thinks is right and wrong and no one will ever be able to stop him from making his thoughts heard loud and clear. Part of the beauty of this club is, we have the most awesomely ridiculous, cool, funny, somber, odd, freaky, sincere, etc personalities. I will leave the bitter vitriol to others.

I did, however, decide to write a blog about this year and the experience (good and bad) of playing in DII. Yes, there is some plagiarism here. I’m not that smart..

The idea of tradition is a funny thing. The word tradition comes from the Latin word traditio which means "to hand down" or "to hand over." It is used in a number of ways in the English language:

1. Beliefs or customs taught by one generation to the next, often orally. For example, we can speak of the tradition of sending birth announcements.
2. A set of customs or practices. For example, we can speak of Christmas traditions.
3. A broad religious movement made up of religious denominations or church bodies that have a common history, customs, culture, and, to some extent, body of teachings. For example, one can speak of Islam’s Sufi tradition or Christianity's Lutheran tradition.

However, on a more basic theoretical level, tradition(s) can be seen as information or composed of information. Traditions are often presumed to be ancient, unalterable, and deeply important, though they may sometimes be much less "natural" than is presumed. Some traditions were deliberately invented for one reason or another, often to highlight or enhance the importance of a certain institution.

Traditions may also be changed to suit the needs of the day, and the changes can become accepted as a part of the ancient tradition. A famous book on the subject is The Invention of Tradition, edited by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger.

The rejection of tradition is part of nature according to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche claims that people (or in our case the Team) that reinterpret the world (Traditions) again and again are strong. That way, sorrow and loss which is linked to trying to keep tradition can be avoided. Nietzsche wants his readers to open up and accept nature as it is in all its manyfold appearances. In order to be able to interpret nature it is mandatory to imagine. It is weak to claim that your imagination is the only truth. That could get you destroyed. A strong person is someone who is ready to change in order to avoid self-destruction.

So, with that rambling said, which of our PRFC traditions are improtant? Obviously the Jersy color seems to have struck a cord.What about the others. Is only drinking with our left hand a tradition that should be strictly observed? If you chose to NOT follow that tradition, what are you then? Should players be forced to Zulu (run naked) after their first try no matter the legal consiquence? It is a tradition!

By now I am sure you can figure out I am in the “get over it camp.” I also know that I will never change the minds of people that feel strongly. That was not my intent. I will ask, both sides, “what is this about?”

Oops,
Tanner

Player of the Month: October

You would never have known it, but prior to last year, Greg Smith had never played rugby. From the first moment he stepped onto the pitch, he had this “look” that was confident and reassuring, as if he had been playing for years. Greg has been an athlete most of his life. His first love is, of course, running. He began running with his mother while in elementary school to keep her company. Greg comes from an active family that enjoys anything outdoorsy. This includes surfing, camping, sailing and apparently their love of snake wrangling. More on that later.

Greg attended Claremont High School. He graduated and went to Cal Berkley and then to Whittier Law School. He now practices at the Public Counsel Law Center with a focus on representing homeless youth, so Colby has a lawyer once Rooney throws him out. He started playing Rugby when his roommate, or own Dean Damuth, dragged…drug…draggled… took him to a fitness practice. Greg had no intention of playing rugby, but enjoyed the fitness aspect. Eventually, he came to a practice, then another, then another. Next thing you know, he is our starting wing of the 2007 DIII So Cal Championship Team playing in South Carolina. His play earned him a spot on the DIII Blue Griffins where he took his game to a new level and added scrum half to his resume.

Over the past month, Greg has gone from a relatively new player to a leader on and off the pitch. When he decided to approach the coaches about wanting to be a scrum half, I am sure it was not a “off the cuff” decision. Greg is the type that makes thoughtful decisions, no doubt after drawing schematics, listing pros and cons and seeking advice from mentors. He has dedicated himself to learning the ways of the Jedi…and the life of a scrumhalf. He is becoming a real student of the game, no doubt he will soon drop all his clients calls to focus on surfing the web searching for “drop kick techniques, feeding the scrum and hair care products” and with life imitating art, become homeless himself.

Greg counts Frazier, Andy and Dean as his biggest mentors of the game. To his credit, he has been able to tune out all the forwards that have offered their constant advice (mine included) and listened, watched and learned form his mentors; taken their insight into the game and hopefully make himself into a force to be reckoned with. Hell, he was even praised by Angelica. That is like the Pope telling someone they say the Lord's Prayer real well.

Greg has had a rash of injuries that make him look like a real warrior if he were to list them at an after party. He has broken his arm, ankle, nose, 3 fingers, 2 toes and his hand. He dislocated his knee and a finger and separated his shoulder. He also had three concussions and found himself with a 2-½ inch framing nail in his hand…oh and almost had to have his arm amputated. I am pretty sure 98% of those have a funny “Dean story” involved and only his finger may have been a rugby injury?

While praise has been frequent and his play stellar, he still has a lot to learn. Scrumhalf is a position that requires knowledge, guts and leadership. Veterans around the pitch feel that if he continues to work on his passing and “field vision” he will truly become a special player. IF he rests on his Laurels…he is at risk for becoming just another PRFC experiment gone awry. For now, he is May Player of the Month.

Oops,Tanner

did you think I would just let the snake story go? So here is Greg, our ever confident and uber smart prepubescent, not yet a Lawyer, out for a walk hike with his family. Nature was a way of life for the Smith family, so when they ran across a baby rattlesnake, they stopped to observe it. Like all completely normal families, they all walked away, laving young Greg to study the venomous snake. Did he try to grab it? No. Well then...from out of nowhere... a guy on a bike shows up? "hey kid...wanna touch my snake?" Greg argues with this odd ball about the dangers of such behavior, no doubt listing consequences for actions taken and not taken and wondering when the NBC cameras would get there.

Yes, his family is still walking away.

Now, this douche on a bike grabs a stick, picks up the snake and lunges it at our young Greg! Yep. Bit him. Greg was rushed to the hospital where he was given anti-venom. As the venom and anti-venom battle inside his body, his arm swells up to the size of, well a rugby ball. They had to cut incisions in his arm to relieve pressure and he nearly lost his arm. The police canvased the area looking for a snake wielding pedo, but he was never found.

that's an awesome story!

Souther California Griffin Awards

The night started off simply enough, at Coach’s house. Being a forward, I was not smart enough to read the entire invitation (at least it wasn’t an e-vite) and did not bring a sports coat. Shoes…check. Pants…. check. Tie…check. Coat… negative. Doc escorted me to his Sport coat closet (think Imelda Marcos) where I selected his finest dinner jacket.

Knowing that the open bar was from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, Pasadena’s troublemakers checked in at 6:01. The excitement was palpable. Jerry Collins, the All Black Flanker would be on hand, we were all excited to hear what he had to Say. Keegan was the most excited and he almost missed it. eating hurriedly so he wouldn't miss anything, he started choking on a piece of Brie and I had to do a Kiwi maneuver on him. Jerry finally arrived just in time for dinner, but he didn’t seem to be that hungry as he by passed most of the buffet line, skipping the French fries, French toast and asked if he could get a Kaiser role to replace the Baguette? Odd. Just before the festivities began, Alexis showed up. He was all decked out and even sported an All Blacks tie. Unfortunately, he had to remove it after about 75 minutes as it started choking him.

As you have undoubtedly read by now, Pasadena RFC pretty much “ran the table” Saturday night, taking home 5 of the 6 awards they were nominated for. We were, I am told, 2 votes away from also receiving the Team of the Year Award as well. That award went to Belmont Shore who had an “OK” year. Keegan and I will be digging shallow graves for those CIPP’ed players that didn’t vote. Below you will find our winners.

Division III Most Valuable Player: Matt Hettermann
Coach of the Year: Michael Bryant
Distinguished Service Award: Jim Ciampa
Player's Player Award: Keegan Hornbeck
Sportsperson of the Year: Michael Bryant

I enjoyed seeing Eagle Rock’s table look utterly defeated each time a Pasadena player was announced. I am sure they are still trying to figure out why they weren’t somehow winning awards. I think there were more than a few people VERY surprised by the Pasadena onslaught of victories. But what did our table think?

Recognition is a weird thing. Not one person from PRFC expected to win. They all had an, “I am sure _____ will win cause he deserves it more” attitude. Can you blame Coach for thinking that the Southern California Men’s Griffin Coach would win? Who can blame Keegan for thinking that Henry Bloomfield (an Eagle that just retuned from playing in the World Cup) might be chosen? Can you blame Matt for thinking Frazier would win? Or Ciampa for thinking the ex-President of the Union would get the nod? Surely they all deserved their award, but I am always impressed with the “I am no better than anyone else” mentality that our team has. There is no place for ego…I do love a good Eggo though.