The Upshot

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield discuss Chris Dickerson's move to Discraft, the big contracts' relative rarity, Prodigy's refocus on Kevin Jones, and more. Then they go Inside The Circle to discuss the World Games, the Paige Pierce documentary, Disc Golf Con's cancellation, and the end of "doubling up" courses at tour stops and Majors in the same season.

Welcome to the first episode of the new Upshot Interview series! No talk, just a once-weekly interview with a player, business person, industry insider, or another interesting person in disc golf.

Episode #1 features Dynamic Discs CEO & Founder Jeremy Rusco. He has developed Dynamic Discs into one of the larger disc brands in the sport over the last decade, moving the company into a brand new warehouse four times the size of their old one and signing big endorsement contracts with Ricky Wysocki and Kona Panis to start 2022. Hear from him about the changing nature of contracts, DD's growth path, the cost of a disc, and more.

Chapters
0:00 Introducing Jeremy Rusco
2:00 DD's 2022 Player Signings
6:10 Ricky & Kona's Contracts
11:10 Impact of Signings on Sales
18:15 Why go big this year?
19:50 Buyout on Ricky & Leaks
23:50 Statement on Corey Wiltz
26:15 The Role of Sponsors at Major Events
28:30 Outlook for the Next Decade

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield discuss Hailey King's new contract with Innova before interviewing Thomas Gilbert about his decision to come out publicly as gay. Then the guys discuss inclusion in disc golf, the diversity in political opinion in the sport, and more.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield discuss Chris Dickerson's departure from Prodigy, the shape of the offseason so far, and which players will do best (and worst) at adjusting to new plastic.

Then they go Inside The Circle to talk the DGPT Tour Card, Paul McBeth divesting from Foundation Disc Golf, and more. Plus: the first over/under of 2022.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield discuss Ricky Wysocki's four year, $4 million contract with Dynamic Discs and talk with Wysocki about the move. They also dive into DD's overhaul this offseason before discussing the 2023 Majors locations, the 2021 PDGA Awards, and more.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield do the first-ever Upshot emergency podcast to break down the latest disc golf player sponsorship news in a wild offseason. From Kona Panis $500K deal to shocking departures from multiple manufacturers, the guys catch up on a tumultuous three weeks.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield welcome in MVP-sponsored Sarah Hokom, Discraft Team Captain Paul Ulibarri, and USDGC Event Director and former Innova Team Manager Jonathan Poole for a discussion of the evolution of player sponsorships from manufacturers and the future of endorsement deals in the sport.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield welcome in Infinite Discs' Alan Barker, OTB Discs' Aaron Rowley and Danny Corbett, Birdie Disc Golf's Derek Fell, and Skybreed Discs' Justin Taylor for a wide-ranging conversation about the retail side of disc golf, the COVID boom, supply chain challenges, and a whole lot more. It's a fascinating look inside a key part of the disc golf economy.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield discuss the Disc Golf Pro Tour's Player of the Year awards and chat about Macie Velediaz's re-signing with Dynamic Discs.

Charlie Eisenhood and Josh Mansfield reflect on the DGPT selections for the Rookie of the Year and Most Improved players. Then they welcome in DGPT Media Director and DGN producer Mahmoud Bahrani to discuss the evolution of live disc golf broadcasting and what's coming in 2022.