I remember the first time I saw the video pop up on my YouTube feed …
The title read as follows: “James Conrad’s Top 3 Disc Golf Rages and Meltdowns”
Of course, my favorite part was the *asterisked* word of caution that accompanied the title: “Warning – Graphic Content, Not Safe for Work.” If the aforementioned headline and warning label piqued your interest as much as they did mine, breath easy – here’s the clip in question:
Much like you just did, I quickly clicked on the video – after all, I was curious. Could it be that there was a darker, more Ron Artest-esque side to Conrad I was unaware of? Or, would this prove to be an amusing, tongue-in-cheek homage to the guy’s unflappable demeanor?
You already know: It was the latter.
Within the disc golf community, James’ milquetoast temperament is a joke we’re all in on. Heck, even Jeremy Koling joined in on the gag when commentating during JomezPro’s coverage of the 2022 Dynamic Disc Open. Just outside the circle, Conrad missed a putt. Afterwards, he gently swiped at the air in frustration – after a long pause, BigJerm deadpanned the following:
“James losing his temper a little bit there … Only kidding.”
See (and hear) for yourself:
This sport-wide joke should have a long shelf-life – fingers crossed.
James was asked about his “rage issues” at the DGPT press conference before the OTB Open – his answer caught my attention. He acknowledged the humor of the ongoing gag, but said this:
“I have a unique perspective, cause I obviously do feel frustration, and I’ll get somewhat angry. But I try to make it a point to, you know, not make that terribly obvious to people who might be watching or people on my card. I think it’s not really fair to my competitors if I’m out there making a huge scene. One person’s energy can kind of bring down the energy of the whole card.”
James was asked a light-hearted, somewhat prodding question. Like a boss, he then went 100% “Aristotle” on his interviewer, beautifully pointing out one of the more unique facets of disc golf:
Unlike other individual sports, at its best, disc golf creates a culture of:
- USP No. 1 – Joy
- USP No. 2 – Unity
- USP No. 3 – Camaraderie
* Note: For those unaware, USP stands for “unique selling proposition.”
Since its origin, the sport has been the athletic embodiment of “chill.”
For many recreational players, disc golf can be enjoyed without fear of results. It’s a journey to be savored – not a shiny object to bum-rush. Think about it: Even at the highest levels of disc golf, the basic logic of the game remains the same – it’s ALWAYS you vs. the course …
Yes, you’re technically competing against your cardmates, but if everybody attacks the course with the same mentality, you’re more like-minded teammates than enemies to be conquered.
James Conrad turned a clever question into a soulful sermon on the greatness of the game …
Kumbaya to the max.
Upon seeing this DGPT clip, one fan retweeted Conrad’s comments with this brief remark:
The Dude abides.. https://t.co/akQ7BtwNj7
— StuDiscus (@stu_discus) May 20, 2022
This is a reference to the film “The Big Lebowski.”
There’s a scene where Sam Elliot (The Stranger) looks into the camera and says this:
“The Dude abides. I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there – the Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.”
Take comfort, disc golfers: James Conrad is out there taking it easy for all us sinners. The next time you see Conrad sheepishly flick a doily, blow out a dandelion or tickle a woodland critter out of anger, know he’s gracefully pointing us to the good news of The Gospel of Disc Golf.
Yea, verily.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
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