User:Eitch/Claremont Braineaters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Claremont Braineaters is the Claremont Colleges Consortium's men's ultimate Frisbee team based out of Claremont, California. The team was founded in 1979 by a freshman at Pitzer College, Jeff Landesman, who conceived the name with other teammates from a 1950's B-movie title of the same name, which they and no other Braineaters have ever seen to this day. The Braineaters climbed to their highest national ranking in the 2006 season-ranked 26th of 470 teams in the Ultimate Players Association rankings and fourth in the Southwest Region missing the national tournament by one game. 2007 marks the 28th year of the Claremont Braineaters. Historically, the Claremont Braineaters are best known for having strange traditions, but also for the satirical mockumentary I Bleed Orange made by Whit Scott during the spring 2001 season. The Claremont Colleges has a women's ultimate Frisbee called the Claremont Greenshirts who also compete in tournaments and take part in the UPA College Series.
Contents |
[edit] Early History
Jeff Landesman arrived at Pitzer College in the fall of 1979 for his undergraduate education. Having come from New York, he was exposed to ultimate Frisbee in its earliest of incarnations. Upon arriving at Pitzer Landesman met other students who knew of the relatively new activity, but there was no ultimate Frisbee team at the Claremont Colleges. The team was first the Pitzer Braineaters who played informal matches against a Pomona College intermural team. In 1980, the Braineaters teamed up with the players from Pomona to make one larger team. Later in the 1980s, players began to join from Claremont McKenna College and Harvey Mudd College. The Braineaters played their first games against teams from Occidental College and University of Redlands. Early teams were led be such famous Braineaters as Jeff Landesman and Howie Wein. The current captains are Joaquin 'Joa'quine' Nagle HMC '07 and Scott 'Wonderboy' Mahr HMC '07.
[edit] I Bleed Orange
In the early 2000s, The University of California, Santa Barbara Black Tide (the team with the most National Championship titles in College Ultimate History) released a trailer for their eventually released documentary I Bleed Black. The film was a serious look inside the team's hard-work and dedication to their goal of winning another National title. However, Whit Scott, the then captain of the Braineaters, decided to make a mockumentary called I Bleed Orange which almost identically parodied the Black Tide film. The film, which is only a trailer, was made before the release of I Bleed Black and published on the internet at http://www.Ibleedorange.com immediately. The film caught on quickly and spread to the world-wide ultimate community, being reported that ultimate players in Israel, Hawaii, Canada, and many European countries had seen it.
[edit] Traditions and Cheers
The Braineaters are steeped in many traditions, but the most humorous and unique are Grovelling to the Brain and The Box. These traditions are mostly done before matches and are passed down from generation to generation.
[edit] Grovelling to the Brain
Grovelling to the Brain is the Braineaters' pre-Game warm-up ceremony generally held at the beginning of every tournament. A jar is placed somewhere on a field and the Braineaters mimic zombies yelling expressions about brains running in a circle around it. Eventually the Braineaters lay-out in the middle of the circle and put one hand on the jar for unity. The Braineaters will chant until a yelling culmination. The jar is rumored to contain a sheep's brain from many years a ago along with two teeth of an alumni from the early 1990s.
[edit] The Brain
The Brain found the jar is a tradition on its own. The origin of the brain is unknown but it is estimated that it came from a course where sheep's brains were being dissected some time around 1990. The Brain is the center of the energy of the Braineaters and is passed on from the keeper of The Brain to another Braineater when the keeper graduates.
[edit] The Box
The Box is a Braineaters tradition that was started at the Presidents Day Qualifier tournament in San Diego, California during the spring 2003 season. The concept is simple, the Braineaters offer the opposing team a box before a game, if they accept the box, the Braineaters are given the rights to the pre-game decisions for an ultimate match (who starts on offense or defense and on what side), if the opponent refuses the box, then the opponent makes all the decisions. Inside boxes are usually movies, clothes, toys, video games and have included mince pies, a 2-gallon jar of relish, urine in a jug, a naked captain, an original Nintendo with games, alcohol, etc.
[edit] Unique Cheers
[edit] Ebo Lay-Lay
Ebo lay-lay, Meto lay, Bon soir, Za, Za x5 (Every line is led by one Braineater and echoed by the rest of the team in a huddle. Each refrain is louder than the last)
[edit] Smoke a Bowl
Doo do do doo, smoke a bowl, doo do do doo, smoke a bowl-owl-owl, doo do do doo, smoke a bowl, smoke a bowl-owl, a bowl-owl, a fatty fatty bowl-owl, BRAINS! (To the Indiana Jones theme)
[edit] Brianeaters
Give me a B (B!), give me an R (R!), give me a ... (Should be done 11 times, and after the R should come a multitude of different letters, numbers, or symbols such as theta)
[edit] The 2006 Season
[edit] Captains
-#31 Alex "Mom" Wells - Claremont McKenna College Class of 2006
-#29 Charles "Skippy" Nordstrom - Pomona College Class of 2006
[edit] Callahan Nomination
-#51 Michael "Stout" Stout - Pomona College Class of 2008
Each year, every team in college ultimate gets to nominate a most valuable player to be decided by vote of college players at the National Championship. For more Callahan Award Information visit the Callahan Most Valuable College Player Award Website
[edit] Ranking
Claremont is ranked 26th of 470 college teams in the nation and 4th in the Southwest Region.
[edit] Current Information
[edit] Captains
-#1 Joaquin "Joa'quine" Nagle - Harvey Mudd College Class of 2007
-#12 Scott "Wonderboy" Mahr - Harvey Mudd College Class of 2007
[edit] Ranking
For more information, visit the Official UPA top 25 Ranking
For complete tournament results visit the Braineaters UPA page
