LD (and Rawhide amigo) Jon speaks

Today we're fortunate enough to have Jon Good, BPL League Director and Rawhide Amigo join us in the Dojo teahouse.

DojoMojo Blog: Good afternoon Jon - hope you're enjoying the outlook over our wonderfully raked pebble garden. Now, while we're sitting here enjoying the view, perhaps you'd like to make a few comments about the game last night from your victorious perspective...

Were you surprised that Rawhide managed to so convincingly destroy DojoMojo last night?

Jon Good: Yes I was. We've had a change in direction at Rawhide this season and I thought it would take a lot longer to see the results. The timing of playing an under-strength Dojo was perfect for us, although clearly the result would have been different had we played under decent lighting!

DMB: You're right there - we hadn't counted on our black shirts being invisible to our throwers as well as your defenders... So, apart from this, what would you say was the decisive difference between the teams?

JG: The new look Rawhide has cut away most of our perennial throw away specialists (despite my best efforts to fill that void); even the most reliable of the kenshi seemed to partake in that art last night.

DMB: I'm sure you mean present company excluded, of course. We note that throwaway specialist from last night Stefan is mysteriously doing very well in our current MVP poll... So, just how did you manage to counter our fiendish camouflage strategy of black shirts against the night sky?

JG: By wearing our green shirts and staying low to the ground: the body cannot catch what the eye cannot see.

DMB: Hmmm - those are words worthy of a calligraphy scroll for the Tokonoma in our legendary Shoin-style room. But we're not finished here yet. Rawhide seemed to play with a strong sense of commitment and purpose last night. Is this something you've been actively developing as a team, or is it just happening naturally?

JG: Stu 'the million dollar man' Austin has taken control this season with a very clear sense of purpose. The whole team is now concentrating on throwing early to open receivers, or quickly recycling the disc. We kept to that plan well last night and I think that was the difference between the two teams. Of course, adding some new players to our roster who are under the age of 30 and run the hundred meters in under 3 minutes has also helped.

DMB: Yes - I don't think anyone would label this season's Rawhide team as slow (well, at least when Stew McGoo and JDR don't turn up). So, in terms of addressing one's shortcomings, do you think it would make a positive or negative difference if the Dojo actually warmed up before each game, and why?

JG: When you have that level of class in a team, why would you waste any of it with something as trivial as a warm up? Much like the Russians in the cold war, you never know what is actually happening behind the iron curtain that is the Dojo facade - this makes the opposition uncertain and nervous; who cares if it ends up with the occasional mishap?

Thanks for all those wide words, Good-san. No-one can deny that you are a most learned director of leagues and astute commentator of the game. We'll ponder those thoughts for some time, and with your encouragement will continue to neglect warming-up in favour of our famous ninja-style veil of mystery.