This is basically classic behavior though that frequently go hand in hand, the more hard lined on an issue someone is often indicates they themselves feel self conscious about it. you see this in politicians all the time
Lmao it's funny I now mess with my buddies when they make a good shot... "FoOt FaUlt" I forgot why I started but its because of a compilation of this guy calling foot fault when players on his card did it 🤣
Gotta say that I'm not a big Nikko fan, because of his attitude. Hes a fantastic player but thats completely overshadowed by his tantrums. I had some pretty bad anger problems and it hurt my game, made people not want to play with me and just made playing not fun. I took steps to rid myself of that attitude and now my game is completely changed for the positive. I hope he gets whatever help is required to turn his frown upsidedown too. Life is so much better without the anger baggage.
This is a generational problem. Entitled punks raised by mommies who would not set boundaries for their precious little Nikko. He will not learn until someone takes away all his toys gives him a good spanking!
It's a colossally bad take to say it's the ref's fault essentially for answering all of Nikko's questions, stepping away when Nikko, in a classic "bully who got called and is now desperately trying to look tough in front of everyone" move, very haltingly said to step away from him, and then not backing down when Nikko continued to try and get into his face after. Just because the ref wasn't intimidated does not mean that Nikko wasn't trying to intimidate him. Disc golf is one of the rare sports where you have almost no interaction with referees. Instead of just saying "Aw dammit ok", Nikko got the better of himself and he absolutely deserves everything that came from this. It's a shame because he's really friggin good, but every bit of that interaction with the ref was totally uncalled for. If that's how he acts to a ref, with cameras on him, then I can't imagine what it'd be like to be on his card and thinking of calling him on time or a foot fault, and that's by design. Nikko knows that you won't win because you called a time fault on him and he took a stroke, but you might lose because you can't get your heart rate down after the confrontation he's going to have with you, and it throws off the rest of your day. It's cheating, and it's asshole behavior. I hope he enjoys the time off.
@@Unknown-rb3ip You two make ME vomit! As OP pointed out, "Just because the ref wasn't intimidated does not mean that Nikko wasn't trying to intimidate him."! Nikko was VERY much trying to be intimidating and then to make matters worse HE approached the official AGAIN and AGAIN got in the officials face! I LOVE Nikko, he's good at disc golf, but when he falls, he falls FAR!!! Say what you want I think he got off easy with only a 9 month suspension! Hoping he actually gets himself together and doesn't get into trouble next year!
The fact that the Marshall didn't step back like he was intimidated is completely irrelevant. The attempt to intimidate was the problem. Too bad Nikko is like 5 feet tall and was dressed like teddy ruxpin.
It is sad to see someone struggle with their emotions this much. I know some people really hate Nikko but personally I hope he gets the help he needs and can overcome his insecurities to be a less explosive person. I help kids & teens who struggle with this. Heck, I struggled with this through my 20s, which is why I'm passionate about helping others. Maybe it'd do Nikko some good to get into more coaching clinics, idk. Whenever I've seen him on tour and in person he's been nothing but positive & personable. Dude just has to find healthier ways to take care of whatever demons are plaguing him.
I relate to what you said a lot - I’m looking for a healthier way to deal with my emotions and problems right now and i also really hope nikko can deal with that in a better way too
Nikko is about to turn 35. Emotionally stunted is understandable when you're a teen or a young adult. He's had years to deal with his issues and has repeatedly shown the same jackass behavior. Honestly, I feel like he'd have a hard time holding down a job that wasn't the DGPT. What other job can you repeatedly defy the rules and expect to continue being able to work there?
People have their real personality come out when they are facing some sort of adversity. A fan / player ineraction will 99% of the time never result in you actually seeing an athletes actual personality.
I hope Nikko never comes back to the pro circuit of discgolf. Seeing other players in the vast majority display full support of each other and create a great sport for comradery and entertainment has been one of the major differences of this sport as opposed to others. Giving each other shoutouts and high-fives on displays of great athleticism is so great to experience, then there is Nikko who has single handedly brought down morale for his cards and forced them to basically adapt to his constant rule breaking and childish antics. Great video my friend.
@@maxjenkins4199 it’s not passion, it’s immaturity. Considering you begin your comment by calling names shows you share that immaturity with Nikko, which is why you support his actions. Time to look in the mirror, be a man.
the argument of "the official didn't look intimidated" is completely irrelevant. Disagree with Paul big time... Nikko's actions were what was on trial. The attempt to stalk/bully the official to change the rule call was there. Nikko's tiny so of course not many people are intimidated by him, but he was out of line in that moment.
Exactly. Unless you personally know the official, you can't just assume he wasn't intimidated. He had every right to hold his ground the way he did. Maybe he was intimidated and maybe he wasn't. Nobody knows how another individual would act under those circumstances. That point is still irrelevant, as Nikko received an appropriate punishment for his actions. Paul is straight up wrong with his take.
The very definition of being a victim is how you respond to it. It's true that behavior is good or bad regardless of how one responds, but oppressive behavior by definition isn't oppressive if there isn't a victim. As a culture where we are so focused on victimology we've forgotten this. I'm by no means condoning bad behavior, but one can choose to respond as a victim or as a victor. Bad things happen to us all the time, that doesn't make us victims, unless we also respond badly.
Paul McBeth's take on Nikko is problematic in that it requires the victim to act a certain way for their abuse to be "valid". People naturally react in different ways when they experience stress/abuse/intimidation. Paul has been my favorite disc golf player since I first started watching, but I'm really disappointed with his messaging regarding this situation as it feels a lot like victim blaming.
Based on what I've seen, he will use those 9 months to line up a putt or two. He has a terrible sportsmanship and attitude towards other players. He can't control his emotions, they leak out in bad ways. Every player has these, showing their feeling in one or another way, but for nikko his reactions have been off for a longest time. This is not something we should get used to in our sports.
paul says that, but would FLIP out if someone got in Hannahs face if she was a TD. Life is simply about putting the shoe on the other foot and reversing the roles. Paul and everyone is who agrees with that logic is unable to do so genuinely.
Loved this breakdown and your style! Didn't realize this was such a small channel till after the video was finished. This deserves way more support! Keep going!
The fans built the sport, Jomez built the house, and now DGPT and DGN want to charge everyone to rent out the space. Innova and their paywall around the USDGC is in the same category. Good for some, sad for the rest of us. Keep supporting Jomez though their Patreon and make your feeling known to sponsors. Cheers, D.
Paul's take on the official not being "intimidated" completely misses the point. And his IG post actually downplays Nikkos part and almost tries to suggest that the official starts the hostility, when in reality Nikko steps into the officials face first in an attempt to be confrontational and intimidating. The ban is pretty harsh in my opinion, but his behavior needs addressing and it's not unreasonable to suspect that previous card-mates have complained and discussed his antics in a negative light which ultimately makes it's way back to the PDGA.
The official did stare him down. Name another sport or incident where the official makes the call, then follows a player around for the next 15 seconds in a stare. Make the call, give an answer…..then turn around and walk away. All I kept thinking was it looks like the official had a vendetta.
You know, we all have views on Nikko. The only person on this planet that can take responsibility for his actions, whether misrepresented or accurate is Nikko. I poured on Paul for his comments which I think were inaccurate. It really doesn't matter what Paul or anyone else thinks for that matter. Paul is a good man who is defending what he sees as an inaccurate portrayal of what trips a 9 month suspension. The bottom line is that Nikko has had issues on the course that has affected his playing partners. He is likely the last one to have an even hand assessment of his actions. Nikko has to pay his dues by complying to the penalty.
The marshall didn't step to Nikko, Nikko stepped to the marshall. The very act of demanding the marshall to step back afterwards is intimidation and the penalty more than justified.
Shoutout to my man Chandler Kramer, he's the blond guy with the A&M towel and the 500ft forehand. Absolute legend of the community at A&M, one of the coolest guys I know. He's the reason there was even a camera there to catch this, because he was playing white hot.
You can win by just throwing on one side. Backhand players have been proving this for years. Just ask James Conrad. And didn’t Eagle just win this tournament by throwing (basically) on one side? Shouldn’t make a difference if that one side is backhand or forehand. Of course, you only putt backhand :)
I have been a Nikko apologist in the past; saying he played with passion and wore his heart on his sleeve and just got too carried away sometimes. But I can't defend this whatsoever. Can't be having that happen, he had to go.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 how many times did you copy and paste this reply? I agree with the original comment. I’ve defended him too. This one was wayy too far. How in the world are you going to step up in somebody’s face then demand they get out of your face? And the official Still stepped back. Then Nikko came at him again. Inexcusable.
The very definition of being a victim is how you respond to it. It's true that behavior is good or bad regardless of how one responds, but oppressive behavior by definition isn't oppressive if there isn't a victim. As a culture where we are so focused on victimology we've forgotten this. I'm by no means condoning bad behavior, but one can choose to respond as a victim or as a victor. Bad things happen to us all the time, that doesn't make us victims, unless we also respond badly.
@@henningg.1687 Because being a victim is as much about our reaction as it is the circumstance. I can't help if tragedy happens to me, but I can determine my reaction to it. Tragedy and oppressive actions happen to everyone, but we're not all victims. Some people respond well and some don't. When bad things happen I am not a pawn, I am not a victim, I can choose to be a victor.
I count like 10 people standing there looking at their toes while this went on. What, disc golfers don’t have the balls to tell that bearded man child Nikko to sit down in a corner and stfu?
I agree, there's a couple perspectives on that. An offense that is going to affect a guy for 9 months is happening and people don't even pay attention? Do they not care, or are they just focused on their own thing? Are they used to Nikko's behavior? A lot a questions here.
@@spaaceman8908 Not responsible, but not indifferent either. If a crime is happening we are usually not indifferent to it. This offense by Nikko affects his career for 9 months and people don't even act like anything happened? That's fishy.
Man also Paul with the really bad take talking about the stare down from the official. I wouldn’t want turn my back on someone who had just become confrontational with me.
The only reason this took so long to happen is the nature of self regulated play. No one wanted to be seen as the asshole and Nikko has been in the sport long enough that people simply afforded him far too much grace. The actual solution here is a reform of disc golf regulatory management during competition. There needs to be a judge or official on each hole and all of these issues disappear. Basketball has a shot clock visible to the players during play and penalty is implemented immediately. Its high time for disc golf to grow the hell up.
Agreed. Playing pro tourneys the same way people play pickup games. Still new I guess. Has come along way even in the past 5 years (at least locally). Would love to see shot clock and an official on each hole for majors at least.
To be fair do you realize what that entails? Most tournaments can't even afford decent payout. Basketball all takes place in one court. Disc golf courses are very large like 20+ acres. But I do respect and understand your points for sure.
@@codymoreland4496 there are only two options, ether the players make these calls or an official does, we have seen in the past that players don't want to get involved in drama while in a tournament (understandably), basically the players wont make these calls unless the foul is blatant, so the 'players making the calls' option does not work. The only option is to have officials to make the calls, ether an official with every card or an official on every hole. I dont know where the money comes from to make this happen, but it needs to happen.
One reason why some of the players would not say anything to Nikko is because he pushes back, and makes it very unpleasant to be on his card. If a player makes a time call, all the other players need to back him against someone like Nikko. For self regulation to work all players have to buy in and participate. And it’s particularly players of status, like Paul, that needed to say something to him in the past. Also, players should have complained to the PDGA so they could have sent officials out to observe him and enforce the rules after a complaint. Having officials on every card or every hole is impractical at this point.
A prediction…Nikko will be good for a month or two at most, but will then regress into toddler mode. It will likely happen in small steps…a loud sigh, an under-the-breath curse, kicking up dirt after a missed shot, smacking at a low tree branch that deflected his disc. If no one pulls him aside at that point, he’ll believe that he hasn’t crossed the line, and will continue to push the boundary. By mid-June, the Nikko of old will be back in full form.
I dont understand how people can think the marshall was staring him down. If some angry guy comes up and threatens you, you don't ever turn your fu**ing back on them and you keep an eye on them. If you do turn away you're risking being struck from behind. Also Nico is literally acting like a little doggie that hasny been put in his place. This dude needs to be humbled. I watch dog training videos and he is the dog that never got told he cant behave like that or never had any reprocussion for his attitude. No one thinks it's cool raging like a child l
even as he was talking to him when they were walking away would make sense but the second he faced him down a 2nd time and said you wanna stare me down there was nothing to do but suspend him.
Mcbeth also didnt talk about how nikko continued this in the parking lot and also didnt bring up that he refused to talk to the pdga ambassador "for lack of better words". Hell that 2nd offense alone is a punishable one and nikko could have faced much harsher ban for the first offense. I personally would have given him a year but it can be shortend upon showing completion of anger management.
Thank you for the time and effort to show the human side of things, rather than posting another Nikko-bashing clickbait video that we didn't need. Made me very happy to see. It took me until about 50 before I really got a hold of my anger issues. Nikko is in his 30s folks. A lot of people showed me a lot of love and forgiveness along the way. Let's show Nikko the same love.
One high profile individual like him has the potential to destroy the sport, he has the responsibility of showing the example. Kids are watching and we don't want them to think it's OK to behave like this guy.
Maybe he had some horrific trauma in his childhood which has bedeviled him his whole life? Maybe his behavior is hard-wired into his brain in a way you don't even begin to understand? Maybe just not that easy, and he's put more effort into being a better person than you will ever know? Maybe allow for such possibilities.
@@evanredmon3877 To be a public figure, and to play a spectator sport for money, is no one's right. The presence of past issues - and I think speculation in either direction is not helpful - does not change the standard of behavior that all participants are held to. And past issues are not the providence of Nikko alone - what if he did this to someone with their own prior issues that he then exacerbated? His behavior is unacceptable regardless.
@@tyrithofmuse You don't think he knows everything you just said and then some? He's living in it every day. He apologized profusely, can't make a living at his profession for the better part of a year, lost all his sponsorships ... how much worse does he have to feel how and much more punishment must he endure before the disc golf police are satisfied? And are you SURE your emotions would never get the better of you on TV if you were good enough to play a pro sport - and if they did, would you hope people could forgive you?
Dude, good video. Best I have seen regarding Nikko’s suspension. I wish Nikko the best and I hope he can come back better with better outlook. Nikko could turn this into such a positive. Rooting for you Nikko.
What's weird to me is how I have heard many of the pro golfers say that off the course he is one of the nicest and well liked players ever on the tour but on the course he's different and no one wants to play with him. I think he needs to get with someone who can help him with his issues he obviously has. The game of disc golf is played on a 5" course - the distance between your ears.
I was saddened to hear Paul McBeth defend Nikko's actions. I can respect that others can have different viewpoints, but can't see the reasoning here. Just because someone stands their ground does not mean they're not intimidated. Paul's logic could be extended to seemingly justify bullying if someone stood up to the bully, all while summarily dismissing the harm caused to the bullied individual. It would be like an saying there is no crime when an attempted robbery is thwarted by someone telling the criminal no. Issue is it still happened.
Nikko stepped up to the official and then asked THE OFFICIAL to step away. Nikko then tracked him down and got in his face again, then acted like the official was getting in his face..... He's very lucky the PDGA was lenient and I hope the officials follow him around with a stopwatch for the first month he's back.
Paul's comment about the situation was bad for the sport imo. Rules are rules and should be followed. It does not matter if the judge "looked" intimidated. Some people don't like to confront people about these things. This was the first judge in literal YEARS that did it (even tho everyone knows that Nikko has gotten away from this rule for years) and his reaction is not fit to be in a compedition. This is not contact sport where you can get heated up. This is Discgolf for crying out load. Rules should be followed or changed. You can't have rules that some people can step over because of "popularity" or what ever you wanna call it.
Discqualified was enough of a penalty... Potentially 2 years suspension from pdga events?? LOLOL What are they on!? No harm was made, he just showed some anger issues but ALSO APOLOGIED, everyone makes mistakes!
I'm new to DISC but I'm loving it and watching lots. Nikko overstepped the bounds of what is essentially an entertaining and friendly sport. Maybe he should try baseball.
Great reporting on the facts. I'll start by typing that I want the best for Nikko and hope he falls back in love with the game and shows us all he can change, becoming a better example of what the sport of Disc Golf was, is and will become. In my opinion to be one of the only players consistently called for time violations, called out for behavior unbecoming of a professional player, and being one of the most feared players in the game, this was the right call by the PDGA. Again this is my opinion, and I welcome and celebrate those that have a different one. Discourse on this subject will only make the PDGA better in the future, and I hope we could all go out for a beer after a round after we discuss it.
Most of you commenting here probably haven't been around Disc Golf for 41 years like I have. Nikko's reputation for this type of behavior has been around since he started on tour (approximately 17 years ago). He was young and had a temper like many young men. The problem is he never grew out of it. The reason it is a much bigger problem now is live coverage, paying fans, and the sport is probably 4 times the size it was in 2019. His type of behavior for professional players has to be quelled as much as possible. Nikko's actions don't overshadow Eagle's win for me. Nikko is yesterday's news for me.
You're putting out some of the best and most well put together content available. Major success is bound to be coming your way, keep up the good work brother! The Marshall should try to stand his ground and not act intimidated, that's part of the job. I don't know what Paul was watching, but if Bradley got 18 months for a shoulder check, Nikko should have the same. I get Bradley made physical contact, but to me Nikko's offense was worse
I dont follow disc golf and stumbled on to the original story about Nikko intimidating the official. After seeing his behavior I’d have to say he deserves whatever punishment he gets.
Nikko needs to be checked before he steps up to someone that won’t be as nice as the official was, I’m happy with the decision from the board. It was super unprofessional and like you stated in your video this completely overshadowed an otherwise awesome event.
"No one was really focused on that", that really close final round battle between Eagle and McBeth huh? An overly dramatic way to put it, don't you think?
after watching nikko for over a decade my personal opinion is he throws officials and card-mates off their game with toxic negative energy as a tactic, and it often works. seems he pushed his luck this time and it didn’t play out the way he expected. i will miss seeing his approach shots, and his flare. best of luck
Nicely done. Objective and even-handed. The only thing that has surprised me about this entire incident is Paul McBeth‘s excuse-making. That was seriously disappointing.
Here's my take, Nikko is a good player, not a top player but he is a good player. He's been on tour for many years and he KNOWS he can't do what he did. I think Nikko deserves this break, to fall back in love with disc golf and come back a better player, and a better man. My favourite example of something similar is how Myles Garret bounced back after being suspended from the NFL for assaulting the stealers kicker, Myles ended up winning NFL man of the year the next year and re-built the reputation that he had earned. I hope to see Nikko follow a similar path into the league
the 50 somethings I play with, we have been playing and inviting players in for years, we wouldn't stand for Nikko if he pulled this crap. We have fought for less because we recognize a biatch when we see one.
Decent video, but you are missing a major part to whole story. Go watch the recap on SmashboxxTv. Nikko should be out at least a year of not more and it's because of the part they didn't show. They mention on SmashboxxTv what happened after Nikko finished the 18th hole and it's on video, just wasn't shown on air. He went after the Marshall again and sounds like his caddy stepped in.
I have not been following pro disc golf long. What happened with Bradley Williams? I've heard this situation be compared to that one but cannot find anything regarding the circumstances of Williams suspension. A video on that would be much appreciated
A video yes agree A very short and outta the look version is… he was already on probation and he shoulder bumped , either another player or an official.
Pdga needs more staff and stop having the players enforce the rules. Everyone should be playing by them but it would reduce the "who are you" attitude when being told/corrected of a violation.
I don't like Nikko, never have, but, I get his passion and emotions....I'm far from a Pro disc golfer and have found myself reacting on the course in some of the same fashions as I have seen Nikko react. That said.....c'mon dude, you can't try to intimidate an official, walk him down and do it again. I want to like Nikko because of the passion and emotion he shows on the course....I have no problem with someone getting ticked off and venting their frustration after a bad shot or bad series of shots, but this was very much over the line. I hope he addresses these issues and comes back with a better mindset, because he is a very good disc golfer.
I would argue that he could have been looking at two consecutive 24 month suspensions. One for the “step back” incident and a second for the chase down/stare down incident. Disgraceful. I hope he gets some help.
I’m sorry but apology not accepted. This is the highest level of professional disc golf. The highest level means you are held to the absolute highest standards. This type of unsportsmanship is absolutely unacceptable and I could care less about how “bad” he feels. Of course he’ll apologize after his idiotic actions. if you were sorry you never would have acted this way in the first place. If you were a real professional, you would have shown respect and humility at all times. Good riddance. Hope he never plays professionally again.
the disc golf world would be WAY better off without Nikko. He has ALWAYS been a huge embarrassement to the sport of disc golf. we need to see him gone from disc golf.
Nikko is one of the most talented players out there and especially for someone of his size, his game is really impressive. If he is able to deal with his emotions better and slowly distance himself from outbursts and rash decisions, he will continue to do pretty well and he will be able to be a big benefit to the sport rather than one of its issues.
He ain’t sorry. He’s only “ sorry” cuz it’s gonna cut into his wallet. He acts like a child with temper tantrums. He won’t come back any better. Should’ve got the full 2 year suspension. Let it be an example for any future idiots, that if u play stupid games, you’ll win stupid prizes.
I side with Nikko. If you invite Nikko to an event then you get Nikko. Did they invite Nikko and expect to get Thomas Gilbert? He is a known quantity. He has always been a known quantity. The penalty will not change him and no one should expect him to change, nor demand it. He knows who he is and he cannot control it. Neither will any outsider.
In this situation it's not a pre attack indicator. He was trying to *BE* threatening while giving himself plausible deniability of acting violent. "See look, I wasn't threatening him, my hands were behind my back. It's not like I put my hands on him."
Great video! I agree with the advice at the end. As the sport grows more and more, people are going to gravitate to the whole drama side of things. If Nikko can prove to be a better ambassador of the sport, I think more people will find themselves back on his side than initially expected.
I often wonder why he's so angry. I get that everyone has a different personality and I'm no professional psychologist or whatever but he's got to have some underlying problems stemming from childhood that cause him to be triggered so easily. Every player is passionate about their game so that's not an excuse. Was he bullied at a young age? Treated poorly by parents? Abused? Etc.. I don't hate the dude but I seriously hope he can resolve whatever is going on with him mentally because he is undeniably a skilled Disc Golfer. Prayers up!
Best one yet ! I see same thing. Who's he really mad at. Its always there. Its definitely a family member to me. From past friends that resemble nikko triggers. He could've been same place paul is. But he took a different road, that several elders warned him of. Nobody hangs around people u have to walk on eggs around.
Because he's such a talented player, he was allowed to behave like a toddler for far too long. If he had been properly disciplined earlier in his career this may have been avoided. As far as I'm concerned, this falls on Nikko alone, though his sponsors and fellow players, as well as the sport's authorities, can all benefit from some introspection as to their coddling of the little brat. I don't honestly care whether Nikko can or will ever be a "better ambassador to the game of disc golf". I just want him to stop being such a goddamned embarrassment.
I think 9 months suspension + 15 months probation was pretty harsh, especially when you compare it to other professional sports, but I will admit that the anger stuff that he has struggled with in his recent career makes him look pretty bad to the PDGA.
I've never been a fan of niko. His childish tantrums, short temper & blatant negativity affects all those around. Especially in such a chill sport. The last thing any fan of disc golf wants is for there to be such an ugly stain to over shine the rest of League. Its not right nor fair for his tantrums to outshine what would've been an awesome tournament. Unfortunately when the 2022 European event is brought up in conversation this incident is what will be talked about.
Tired of the word passion. When someone is an asshole they say they are just passionate. No, dudes just an asshole. Be a better person and you get better results in all aspects of life. Don't need therapy to figure this out.
I played on a public course on St Louis, MO years ago with my friends. Some guy who was not playing with us threw a temper tantrum at another group, I guess they were not playing fast enough for his liking. The guy screamed full volume at the other group and called them "amateurs" which got a big laugh...my friend informed me that guy was a professional disc golfer, I didn't remember the guys name if he told me. Seeing this video I thought Nikko seemed familiar....I google him and guess where he's from -- St Louis, MO lol...I think it was him! 😂
I will always tip my hat to Nikko for the interview he did while watching Paul and Ricky gunning it out at Masters.Cup a few years ago. He briefly said something about his round and quickly put the focus on the action going on. Classy. So hope the great.personality he has when not playing buffers his competitive side while playing going forward. He is a very good person while not playing.
I thought the same thing until I saw the way he acted in the gk pro skins match where, I forget his name, but the wrestler gets the 10,000 dollar ace and Nikko just runs around flaunting the 7,000 dollar bet they made just to make sure that he got his money. After that my mind was pretty clear on the personality that he has
I love Nikko. I've met him on the course a few times and he was super cool. As soon as I saw the the incident, I was extremely disappointed (but not surprised).
I feel like we all have done way worse than this at least once a month Nikko did better than most of us would when we are angry and upset and we all have gotten upset over stupid things so dont act like youre above nikko
Frankly, he needed this sort of intervention. He's been pushing the line for years. Between outbursts, footfalls, arguments, and time violations. Hope he comes back more humble and appreciative that he's not the center of the sport. Also, it's not cool to act like "little man syndrome"
You were on to something until you started suggesting that he thinks he's the center of the sport (he doesn't) or that he has "little man syndrome" (not actually a thing). He's just a fiery Italian. When a short fiery Italian gets uppity, it always looks ridiculous. My guess is, for various psychological reasons, he ties his personal happiness to his success on the course, so when he fails on the course, he feels like he fails in life, and he explodes. It's not ok, but it's also not how he wants to be, and he's clearly trying to change.
@diveunder Yeah I mean on some level he's got to know that there's a limit to people's patience. I guess I just feel for the guy, being an angry guy myself for a long time. It still hits me, always will a little probably. When you see someone like that, there's something going on beneath the surface that you don't see, something from childhood or what have you that the average person just doesn't have to deal with, and doesn't understand, and dismisses as someone making excuses. It's a shame to be that misunderstood for that long, and I bet Nikko has been working on his anger issues more than you or anyone knows. You think you've got a hold on them, and they rear their ugly head at the worst possible time. I've been there. I hope he grows from this, and I hope ability to make a living isn't totally gone. Seems like a harsh punishment.
He reminds me a lot of myself when I played Little League I know that sounds rude but it’s kind of meant to be honestly I was a very good player play the best of my district but I had an extreme anger issue and would add like a two year-old instead of the 10 year old I was and as I got older I got more mature and now I’m a D1 baseball player that coaches little league the difference between me and Nico is he never grew up and he’s still a little baby, he’s just a small insecure little man
Nikko will eventually cross some scrawny looking player or official that is anything but. Nikko doesn't obviously live on the South Side of any City. These actions, similar to a John McEnroe blow ups comes from a place of entitlement/anger? A dose of suspension is probably the most affective at maybe saying, enough is enough Nikko. Kick a bag, slam a basket, swear at the Gods but when you start ramping up your attitude at officials who are doing their job, you will get your just desserts.
I mean he's been this way for a decade. It just happened to come out at a huge event with live coverage on him. This is nothing new. He's been a tool forever.
It is not the last of Nikko, dude is going to come back with a vengeance that’s for sure. But Paul mcbeth saying the official didn’t look intimidated to him 😂 the guy doesn’t have to be intimidated for what nikko did to be intimidation tactics. Idiots
Anger management offers proven techniques for learning to stop, breathe, bring yourself to ground and then practice, practice--not only on the course, but in every facet of your life. It turns lives around for those willing to find the right program, commit to it and follow through with forgiveness and self awareness and mindful living. Not rocket science, but the only way out and up.
I love Pauly Mac, but he's dead wrong here. I think the PDGA got it exactly right, for a first-time suspendee. If he does it again, it should go up dramatically, minimally to or beyond the initial Class A suspension.
No official should ever be subjected to this kind of intimidation, he was just doing his job. I enjoy watching Nikko play but I'm a bigger fan of the action that the PDGA and his sponsors have taken.
Lol if that's real intimidation to you I'm gonna assume you're a snowflake out on the playground. Hands behind his back, never touched him or threatened him. Definitely a heated situation though.
To McBeth's comment about the Marshall not stepping back as someone who is intimidated, what matters is that Nikko ATTEMPTED to intimidate. His pathetic attempt didn't work, but he tried. Glad he's gone for a while. Discgolf doesn't need pros like him representing the sport.
My issue with Nikko is that he was never afraid to call out other players breaking the rules, yet players were almost scared to call him out.
This is basically classic behavior though that frequently go hand in hand, the more hard lined on an issue someone is often indicates they themselves feel self conscious about it. you see this in politicians all the time
I have no idea why anyone would be scared of a 5’7 135lb dude with a quick trigger?
Lmao it's funny I now mess with my buddies when they make a good shot... "FoOt FaUlt" I forgot why I started but its because of a compilation of this guy calling foot fault when players on his card did it 🤣
@@ryanbaker716 idk why i came back to this video but you're right - if someone like Ezra Aderhold socked him he could injure him permanently 😆
Bro childish a grown ass man acting like that in public
Gotta say that I'm not a big Nikko fan, because of his attitude. Hes a fantastic player but thats completely overshadowed by his tantrums. I had some pretty bad anger problems and it hurt my game, made people not want to play with me and just made playing not fun. I took steps to rid myself of that attitude and now my game is completely changed for the positive. I hope he gets whatever help is required to turn his frown upsidedown too. Life is so much better without the anger baggage.
This might be the most well rounded comment on the thread. I’m with you 100%
There are a lot of players that act like him sadly but they aren't the top 20% of players so you don't see them on coverage
Nobody cares dork
It’s almost like I wrote this. I feel the exact same way
This is a generational problem. Entitled punks raised by mommies who would not set boundaries for their precious little Nikko. He will not learn until someone takes away all his toys gives him a good spanking!
It's a colossally bad take to say it's the ref's fault essentially for answering all of Nikko's questions, stepping away when Nikko, in a classic "bully who got called and is now desperately trying to look tough in front of everyone" move, very haltingly said to step away from him, and then not backing down when Nikko continued to try and get into his face after. Just because the ref wasn't intimidated does not mean that Nikko wasn't trying to intimidate him. Disc golf is one of the rare sports where you have almost no interaction with referees. Instead of just saying "Aw dammit ok", Nikko got the better of himself and he absolutely deserves everything that came from this. It's a shame because he's really friggin good, but every bit of that interaction with the ref was totally uncalled for. If that's how he acts to a ref, with cameras on him, then I can't imagine what it'd be like to be on his card and thinking of calling him on time or a foot fault, and that's by design. Nikko knows that you won't win because you called a time fault on him and he took a stroke, but you might lose because you can't get your heart rate down after the confrontation he's going to have with you, and it throws off the rest of your day. It's cheating, and it's asshole behavior. I hope he enjoys the time off.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
@@Unknown-rb3ip You two make ME vomit! As OP pointed out, "Just because the ref wasn't intimidated does not mean that Nikko wasn't trying to intimidate him."! Nikko was VERY much trying to be intimidating and then to make matters worse HE approached the official AGAIN and AGAIN got in the officials face!
I LOVE Nikko, he's good at disc golf, but when he falls, he falls FAR!!! Say what you want I think he got off easy with only a 9 month suspension! Hoping he actually gets himself together and doesn't get into trouble next year!
@@Unknown-rb3ip this is far from a snowflake situation. Stop using that word wrong.
@@Unknown-rb3ip lol you have some issues. I'm guessing dad stuff. Sort it out.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 You didn't address any of the points that the OP made, but still accused him of being worthless. lol ok
The fact that the Marshall didn't step back like he was intimidated is completely irrelevant. The attempt to intimidate was the problem. Too bad Nikko is like 5 feet tall and was dressed like teddy ruxpin.
Teddy Ruxpin!! lol. Im dying over here
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Severe case of wee man complex. Little people and fat people, always either angry or jolly.
Shame you wouldn’t say anything to his face. You make fun of his height? How very manly of you…
He would choke you out in under a minute.
The Marshall is Finnish. If he’s not intimidated by Russia, he’s not intimidated by Nikko
It is sad to see someone struggle with their emotions this much. I know some people really hate Nikko but personally I hope he gets the help he needs and can overcome his insecurities to be a less explosive person. I help kids & teens who struggle with this. Heck, I struggled with this through my 20s, which is why I'm passionate about helping others. Maybe it'd do Nikko some good to get into more coaching clinics, idk. Whenever I've seen him on tour and in person he's been nothing but positive & personable. Dude just has to find healthier ways to take care of whatever demons are plaguing him.
I relate to what you said a lot - I’m looking for a healthier way to deal with my emotions and problems right now and i also really hope nikko can deal with that in a better way too
Nikko is about to turn 35. Emotionally stunted is understandable when you're a teen or a young adult. He's had years to deal with his issues and has repeatedly shown the same jackass behavior. Honestly, I feel like he'd have a hard time holding down a job that wasn't the DGPT. What other job can you repeatedly defy the rules and expect to continue being able to work there?
The punishment he just got will definitely help him and others.
He needs a knife on his throat to control himself.
@@CroppedCross3 To be fair a lot of jobs would when you're the top
People have their real personality come out when they are facing some sort of adversity. A fan / player ineraction will 99% of the time never result in you actually seeing an athletes actual personality.
I hope Nikko never comes back to the pro circuit of discgolf. Seeing other players in the vast majority display full support of each other and create a great sport for comradery and entertainment has been one of the major differences of this sport as opposed to others. Giving each other shoutouts and high-fives on displays of great athleticism is so great to experience, then there is Nikko who has single handedly brought down morale for his cards and forced them to basically adapt to his constant rule breaking and childish antics. Great video my friend.
A little over dramatic.
Couldn't agree more. Unless he can come back and demonstrate etiquette and true comradery then we are better off without him on the tour.
Grow up Peter Pan… he shouldn’t of been suspended that long let alone forever… . A professional passionate about the sport he plays… smh. ..
@@maxjenkins4199 it’s not passion, it’s immaturity. Considering you begin your comment by calling names shows you share that immaturity with Nikko, which is why you support his actions. Time to look in the mirror, be a man.
@@stephene1157.. have u ever played competitive sports?…
the argument of "the official didn't look intimidated" is completely irrelevant. Disagree with Paul big time... Nikko's actions were what was on trial. The attempt to stalk/bully the official to change the rule call was there. Nikko's tiny so of course not many people are intimidated by him, but he was out of line in that moment.
Exactly. Unless you personally know the official, you can't just assume he wasn't intimidated. He had every right to hold his ground the way he did. Maybe he was intimidated and maybe he wasn't. Nobody knows how another individual would act under those circumstances. That point is still irrelevant, as Nikko received an appropriate punishment for his actions. Paul is straight up wrong with his take.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
The very definition of being a victim is how you respond to it. It's true that behavior is good or bad regardless of how one responds, but oppressive behavior by definition isn't oppressive if there isn't a victim. As a culture where we are so focused on victimology we've forgotten this. I'm by no means condoning bad behavior, but one can choose to respond as a victim or as a victor. Bad things happen to us all the time, that doesn't make us victims, unless we also respond badly.
@@bradberger3093 And it doesnot matter wether he was intimidated or not. The offense is the act of trying to intimidate
Paul McBeth's take on Nikko is problematic in that it requires the victim to act a certain way for their abuse to be "valid". People naturally react in different ways when they experience stress/abuse/intimidation. Paul has been my favorite disc golf player since I first started watching, but I'm really disappointed with his messaging regarding this situation as it feels a lot like victim blaming.
Seriously though. It has nothing to do with how the marshal reacted and entirely how Nikko acted. Paul's take is pretty blatantly wrong
'victim, abuse, intimidation'. We still talking about disc golf? Did I miss something or was it just a man acting irrationally toward another man?
Paul's an idiot for that take.
@@throwler yeah shows off that toxic masculinity. Alphas only!
I love that Paul isn’t scared to have an opposing view. The easiest thing for him to do would be completely quiet or say Nikko is way out of line.
Based on what I've seen, he will use those 9 months to line up a putt or two.
He has a terrible sportsmanship and attitude towards other players. He can't control his emotions, they leak out in bad ways. Every player has these, showing their feeling in one or another way, but for nikko his reactions have been off for a longest time. This is not something we should get used to in our sports.
'He didn't look intimidated', is one of the most irrational defenses I've heard.
exactly. Just because someone isn't affected by you doesn't mean you weren't attempting to intimidate them
@@applesaucemouse6987 I was surprised that was used as all. Some young minds out there.
paul says that, but would FLIP out if someone got in Hannahs face if she was a TD. Life is simply about putting the shoe on the other foot and reversing the roles. Paul and everyone is who agrees with that logic is unable to do so genuinely.
Well I expect a answer like that from Paul being from California.
@@davidbradford2063 I'm from California and don't share that perspective. In fact, no one I know in California share it.
Loved this breakdown and your style! Didn't realize this was such a small channel till after the video was finished. This deserves way more support! Keep going!
My biggest take away from European open was the DGPT paywalling the post produced coverage.
At least its not 150$ to watch HALF your season like outdoor motocross. Disc golf Coverage is a fuckin godsend compared to motocross/supercross.
The fans built the sport, Jomez built the house, and now DGPT and DGN want to charge everyone to rent out the space. Innova and their paywall around the USDGC is in the same category. Good for some, sad for the rest of us. Keep supporting Jomez though their Patreon and make your feeling known to sponsors. Cheers, D.
Ya most people dont have time to watch 10 hours of live coverage its dumb af. rather watch hour to hour n a half of post produced no matter what
@@fodank give jomez money, no thanks
🤣
Such an angry little elf
Paul's take on the official not being "intimidated" completely misses the point. And his IG post actually downplays Nikkos part and almost tries to suggest that the official starts the hostility, when in reality Nikko steps into the officials face first in an attempt to be confrontational and intimidating. The ban is pretty harsh in my opinion, but his behavior needs addressing and it's not unreasonable to suspect that previous card-mates have complained and discussed his antics in a negative light which ultimately makes it's way back to the PDGA.
The official did stare him down.
Name another sport or incident where the official makes the call, then follows a player around for the next 15 seconds in a stare.
Make the call, give an answer…..then turn around and walk away.
All I kept thinking was it looks like the official had a vendetta.
@@kevins.6971 i agree with you, nik- i mean kevin
You know, we all have views on Nikko. The only person on this planet that can take responsibility for his actions, whether misrepresented or accurate is Nikko. I poured on Paul for his comments which I think were inaccurate. It really doesn't matter what Paul or anyone else thinks for that matter. Paul is a good man who is defending what he sees as an inaccurate portrayal of what trips a 9 month suspension. The bottom line is that Nikko has had issues on the course that has affected his playing partners. He is likely the last one to have an even hand assessment of his actions. Nikko has to pay his dues by complying to the penalty.
The marshall didn't step to Nikko, Nikko stepped to the marshall. The very act of demanding the marshall to step back afterwards is intimidation and the penalty more than justified.
This disgraced player should retire now.
Lol “Bob” HAS TO BE the actual Marshal
@@modofatak no. Just a player with common sense and dignity
Shoutout to my man Chandler Kramer, he's the blond guy with the A&M towel and the 500ft forehand. Absolute legend of the community at A&M, one of the coolest guys I know. He's the reason there was even a camera there to catch this, because he was playing white hot.
It’s actually crazy how he is forehand dominant and honestly finished strong for European open. Big ups
Big Chan 🤘
@@dylancooper725 Then you haven't played a round with him. The main course here is fairly rhbh-biased, and I think he's aced almost every par 3.
You can win by just throwing on one side. Backhand players have been proving this for years. Just ask James Conrad. And didn’t Eagle just win this tournament by throwing (basically) on one side? Shouldn’t make a difference if that one side is backhand or forehand. Of course, you only putt backhand :)
I have been a Nikko apologist in the past; saying he played with passion and wore his heart on his sleeve and just got too carried away sometimes. But I can't defend this whatsoever. Can't be having that happen, he had to go.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 whatever
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 how many times did you copy and paste this reply? I agree with the original comment. I’ve defended him too. This one was wayy too far. How in the world are you going to step up in somebody’s face then demand they get out of your face? And the official Still stepped back. Then Nikko came at him again. Inexcusable.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 my man copy pasta on every comment
@@MuddyPuttersDG this was the mildest "altercation". I was at least expecting a takedown but this was just a waste of time.
I haven't seen one person on Nikko's side and it restores some faith in humanity.
Paul McBeth stood up for him and said he thought the punishment was too severe.
@@kurtw176 I did hear about paul not agreeing with it but this dude acted insane in the moment.
There’s a bad boy in any sport. If there weren’t one , one would be appointed. Niko was an easy target.
Just because someone doesn’t act intimidated doesn’t mean the person wasn’t being intimidated by him
Exactly. I thought that statement by Paul was just dumb. I kinda lost a little respect for him because of it.
The very definition of being a victim is how you respond to it. It's true that behavior is good or bad regardless of how one responds, but oppressive behavior by definition isn't oppressive if there isn't a victim. As a culture where we are so focused on victimology we've forgotten this. I'm by no means condoning bad behavior, but one can choose to respond as a victim or as a victor. Bad things happen to us all the time, that doesn't make us victims, unless we also respond badly.
@@konroh2 If you don't mean to condone bad behavior, why are you putting the blame on victims instead of holding people who behave badly accountable?
@@henningg.1687 Because being a victim is as much about our reaction as it is the circumstance. I can't help if tragedy happens to me, but I can determine my reaction to it. Tragedy and oppressive actions happen to everyone, but we're not all victims. Some people respond well and some don't. When bad things happen I am not a pawn, I am not a victim, I can choose to be a victor.
I count like 10 people standing there looking at their toes while this went on. What, disc golfers don’t have the balls to tell that bearded man child Nikko to sit down in a corner and stfu?
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
I agree, there's a couple perspectives on that. An offense that is going to affect a guy for 9 months is happening and people don't even pay attention? Do they not care, or are they just focused on their own thing? Are they used to Nikko's behavior? A lot a questions here.
People these days are too timid
Why should the other people be responsible for him. That makes no sense.
@@spaaceman8908 Not responsible, but not indifferent either. If a crime is happening we are usually not indifferent to it. This offense by Nikko affects his career for 9 months and people don't even act like anything happened? That's fishy.
Man also Paul with the really bad take talking about the stare down from the official. I wouldn’t want turn my back on someone who had just become confrontational with me.
The only reason this took so long to happen is the nature of self regulated play. No one wanted to be seen as the asshole and Nikko has been in the sport long enough that people simply afforded him far too much grace. The actual solution here is a reform of disc golf regulatory management during competition. There needs to be a judge or official on each hole and all of these issues disappear. Basketball has a shot clock visible to the players during play and penalty is implemented immediately. Its high time for disc golf to grow the hell up.
Agreed. Playing pro tourneys the same way people play pickup games. Still new I guess. Has come along way even in the past 5 years (at least locally). Would love to see shot clock and an official on each hole for majors at least.
To be fair do you realize what that entails? Most tournaments can't even afford decent payout. Basketball all takes place in one court. Disc golf courses are very large like 20+ acres. But I do respect and understand your points for sure.
@@codymoreland4496 there are only two options, ether the players make these calls or an official does, we have seen in the past that players don't want to get involved in drama while in a tournament (understandably), basically the players wont make these calls unless the foul is blatant, so the 'players making the calls' option does not work. The only option is to have officials to make the calls, ether an official with every card or an official on every hole.
I dont know where the money comes from to make this happen, but it needs to happen.
One reason why some of the players would not say anything to Nikko is because he pushes back, and makes it very unpleasant to be on his card. If a player makes a time call, all the other players need to back him against someone like Nikko. For self regulation to work all players have to buy in and participate. And it’s particularly players of status, like Paul, that needed to say something to him in the past. Also, players should have complained to the PDGA so they could have sent officials out to observe him and enforce the rules after a complaint. Having officials on every card or every hole is impractical at this point.
@@karleeshayne Very true 👍
A prediction…Nikko will be good for a month or two at most, but will then regress into toddler mode. It will likely happen in small steps…a loud sigh, an under-the-breath curse, kicking up dirt after a missed shot, smacking at a low tree branch that deflected his disc. If no one pulls him aside at that point, he’ll believe that he hasn’t crossed the line, and will continue to push the boundary. By mid-June, the Nikko of old will be back in full form.
Probably, but Nikko-of-old is a silly label. You mean he’ll continue to be himself?! Of course he will. It’s not like he actually hurt someone.
@@modofatak who said anything about him hurting someone? So as long as you don’t assault anyone then anything goes? Geez
No His punishment is harsh. He will be well behaved going forward.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
I dont understand how people can think the marshall was staring him down. If some angry guy comes up and threatens you, you don't ever turn your fu**ing back on them and you keep an eye on them. If you do turn away you're risking being struck from behind. Also Nico is literally acting like a little doggie that hasny been put in his place. This dude needs to be humbled. I watch dog training videos and he is the dog that never got told he cant behave like that or never had any reprocussion for his attitude. No one thinks it's cool raging like a child l
Make him the example; most of us have been waiting a long time to see him held accountable for his meathead disposition and toxicity
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 you really big league’d that one with factual reference and insight
@@oniongummy8969 He'll paste the same comment 10x and then not respond to anyone, probably is all like "f the haters!"
even as he was talking to him when they were walking away would make sense but the second he faced him down a 2nd time and said you wanna stare me down there was nothing to do but suspend him.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
Mcbeth also didnt talk about how nikko continued this in the parking lot and also didnt bring up that he refused to talk to the pdga ambassador "for lack of better words". Hell that 2nd offense alone is a punishable one and nikko could have faced much harsher ban for the first offense. I personally would have given him a year but it can be shortend upon showing completion of anger management.
Thank you for the time and effort to show the human side of things, rather than posting another Nikko-bashing clickbait video that we didn't need. Made me very happy to see. It took me until about 50 before I really got a hold of my anger issues. Nikko is in his 30s folks. A lot of people showed me a lot of love and forgiveness along the way. Let's show Nikko the same love.
One high profile individual like him has the potential to destroy the sport, he has the responsibility of showing the example. Kids are watching and we don't want them to think it's OK to behave like this guy.
no, it doesnt affect the future at all.
if that was the case no sports would exist.
Maybe he had some horrific trauma in his childhood which has bedeviled him his whole life? Maybe his behavior is hard-wired into his brain in a way you don't even begin to understand? Maybe just not that easy, and he's put more effort into being a better person than you will ever know? Maybe allow for such possibilities.
@@evanredmon3877 To be a public figure, and to play a spectator sport for money, is no one's right. The presence of past issues - and I think speculation in either direction is not helpful - does not change the standard of behavior that all participants are held to. And past issues are not the providence of Nikko alone - what if he did this to someone with their own prior issues that he then exacerbated? His behavior is unacceptable regardless.
@@tyrithofmuse You don't think he knows everything you just said and then some? He's living in it every day. He apologized profusely, can't make a living at his profession for the better part of a year, lost all his sponsorships ... how much worse does he have to feel how and much more punishment must he endure before the disc golf police are satisfied? And are you SURE your emotions would never get the better of you on TV if you were good enough to play a pro sport - and if they did, would you hope people could forgive you?
Have you not watched other professional sports?! That’s an absurd take.
Dude, good video. Best I have seen regarding Nikko’s suspension. I wish Nikko the best and I hope he can come back better with better outlook. Nikko could turn this into such a positive. Rooting for you Nikko.
What's weird to me is how I have heard many of the pro golfers say that off the course he is one of the nicest and well liked players ever on the tour but on the course he's different and no one wants to play with him. I think he needs to get with someone who can help him with his issues he obviously has. The game of disc golf is played on a 5" course - the distance between your ears.
Gateway wouldn’t drop him because he has family ties, he will be picked back up when he is permitted to play again
💯
I was absolutely focused on who was going to win, and the fact Eagle did was incredible. Not sure why you thought the need to downplay that.
I wasn't watching much at the time of this event so I can't comment on where the focus was or wasn't!
The video wasn't about the tournament... It was about Nikko acting like a spoiled brat
I was saddened to hear Paul McBeth defend Nikko's actions. I can respect that others can have different viewpoints, but can't see the reasoning here. Just because someone stands their ground does not mean they're not intimidated. Paul's logic could be extended to seemingly justify bullying if someone stood up to the bully, all while summarily dismissing the harm caused to the bullied individual. It would be like an saying there is no crime when an attempted robbery is thwarted by someone telling the criminal no. Issue is it still happened.
Nikko stepped up to the official and then asked THE OFFICIAL to step away. Nikko then tracked him down and got in his face again, then acted like the official was getting in his face..... He's very lucky the PDGA was lenient and I hope the officials follow him around with a stopwatch for the first month he's back.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
@@vincentccummingsiii9696 think pretty highly of yourself do ya mr. troll? why dont you go back and watch the footage again.
Paul's comment about the situation was bad for the sport imo.
Rules are rules and should be followed.
It does not matter if the judge "looked" intimidated.
Some people don't like to confront people about these things. This was the first judge in literal YEARS that did it (even tho everyone knows that Nikko has gotten away from this rule for years) and his reaction is not fit to be in a compedition. This is not contact sport where you can get heated up. This is Discgolf for crying out load.
Rules should be followed or changed. You can't have rules that some people can step over because of "popularity" or what ever you wanna call it.
Discqualified was enough of a penalty... Potentially 2 years suspension from pdga events?? LOLOL What are they on!? No harm was made, he just showed some anger issues but ALSO APOLOGIED, everyone makes mistakes!
@@awwitsHurts lol. He apologized BECAUSE he got DQ'd.
@@awwitsHurts If that was a work space he would have gotten fired.
@@awwitsHurts That apology was about as sincere as a corrupt politician
@@berliemc7082 I wonder what penalty if same situation but Nico hit him or screamed at him, how many years suspension for each bad word XD
I kinda want to know what happened for Kristopher Junga to earn an indefinite suspension. Great breakdown of the events that played out.
Online it says he is still a current member. I couldn’t find any info
@@tuckerschultz3014 I believe E is administrative, so it couldn't have been good to be suspended indefinitely.
I'm new to DISC but I'm loving it and watching lots. Nikko overstepped the bounds of what is essentially an entertaining and friendly sport. Maybe he should try baseball.
Great reporting on the facts. I'll start by typing that I want the best for Nikko and hope he falls back in love with the game and shows us all he can change, becoming a better example of what the sport of Disc Golf was, is and will become. In my opinion to be one of the only players consistently called for time violations, called out for behavior unbecoming of a professional player, and being one of the most feared players in the game, this was the right call by the PDGA. Again this is my opinion, and I welcome and celebrate those that have a different one. Discourse on this subject will only make the PDGA better in the future, and I hope we could all go out for a beer after a round after we discuss it.
Most of you commenting here probably haven't been around Disc Golf for 41 years like I have. Nikko's reputation for this type of behavior has been around since he started on tour (approximately 17 years ago). He was young and had a temper like many young men. The problem is he never grew out of it. The reason it is a much bigger problem now is live coverage, paying fans, and the sport is probably 4 times the size it was in 2019. His type of behavior for professional players has to be quelled as much as possible. Nikko's actions don't overshadow Eagle's win for me. Nikko is yesterday's news for me.
You're putting out some of the best and most well put together content available. Major success is bound to be coming your way, keep up the good work brother!
The Marshall should try to stand his ground and not act intimidated, that's part of the job. I don't know what Paul was watching, but if Bradley got 18 months for a shoulder check, Nikko should have the same. I get Bradley made physical contact, but to me Nikko's offense was worse
I dont follow disc golf and stumbled on to the original story about Nikko intimidating the official. After seeing his behavior I’d have to say he deserves whatever punishment he gets.
Nikko needs to be checked before he steps up to someone that won’t be as nice as the official was, I’m happy with the decision from the board. It was super unprofessional and like you stated in your video this completely overshadowed an otherwise awesome event.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
"No one was really focused on that", that really close final round battle between Eagle and McBeth huh? An overly dramatic way to put it, don't you think?
after watching nikko for over a decade my personal opinion is he throws officials and card-mates off their game with toxic negative energy as a tactic, and it often works. seems he pushed his luck this time and it didn’t play out the way he expected. i will miss seeing his approach shots, and his flare. best of luck
Nicely done. Objective and even-handed. The only thing that has surprised me about this entire incident is Paul McBeth‘s excuse-making. That was seriously disappointing.
right? i was almost more disappointed in paul LOL
Here's my take, Nikko is a good player, not a top player but he is a good player. He's been on tour for many years and he KNOWS he can't do what he did. I think Nikko deserves this break, to fall back in love with disc golf and come back a better player, and a better man. My favourite example of something similar is how Myles Garret bounced back after being suspended from the NFL for assaulting the stealers kicker, Myles ended up winning NFL man of the year the next year and re-built the reputation that he had earned. I hope to see Nikko follow a similar path into the league
the 50 somethings I play with, we have been playing and inviting players in for years, we wouldn't stand for Nikko if he pulled this crap. We have fought for less because we recognize a biatch when we see one.
Decent video, but you are missing a major part to whole story. Go watch the recap on SmashboxxTv. Nikko should be out at least a year of not more and it's because of the part they didn't show. They mention on SmashboxxTv what happened after Nikko finished the 18th hole and it's on video, just wasn't shown on air. He went after the Marshall again and sounds like his caddy stepped in.
I agree with Paul McBeth, he was actually there.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
He’s always been a head case. His emotional lack of control has held him back his entire career. He should have been banned years ago.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
I have not been following pro disc golf long. What happened with Bradley Williams? I've heard this situation be compared to that one but cannot find anything regarding the circumstances of Williams suspension. A video on that would be much appreciated
A video yes agree
A very short and outta the look version is… he was already on probation and he shoulder bumped , either another player or an official.
I did a google search and it was the first search result. Easy. Did you pay your "Google bill" last month?
@@maxjenkins4199 thank you for the info. I appreciate that. 🙏
Loving these "documentary" type of videos!
Pdga needs more staff and stop having the players enforce the rules. Everyone should be playing by them but it would reduce the "who are you" attitude when being told/corrected of a violation.
Bullies don't belong in disc golf.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
great video man! love the breakdown
I don't like Nikko, never have, but, I get his passion and emotions....I'm far from a Pro disc golfer and have found myself reacting on the course in some of the same fashions as I have seen Nikko react. That said.....c'mon dude, you can't try to intimidate an official, walk him down and do it again. I want to like Nikko because of the passion and emotion he shows on the course....I have no problem with someone getting ticked off and venting their frustration after a bad shot or bad series of shots, but this was very much over the line. I hope he addresses these issues and comes back with a better mindset, because he is a very good disc golfer.
I would argue that he could have been looking at two consecutive 24 month suspensions. One for the “step back” incident and a second for the chase down/stare down incident. Disgraceful. I hope he gets some help.
overdramatic cry baby, no better than Nikko
Great video. I like the documentary style of it and the use of B-roll. Also great breakdown of the actual events that happened.
I’m sorry but apology not accepted. This is the highest level of professional disc golf. The highest level means you are held to the absolute highest standards. This type of unsportsmanship is absolutely unacceptable and I could care less about how “bad” he feels. Of course he’ll apologize after his idiotic actions. if you were sorry you never would have acted this way in the first place. If you were a real professional, you would have shown respect and humility at all times. Good riddance. Hope he never plays professionally again.
Paul got this wrong. Niko’s actions were intimidating. I would like to see Paul face a player acting like Niko. He would have a different attitude.
the disc golf world would be WAY better off without Nikko. He has ALWAYS been a huge embarrassement to the sport of disc golf. we need to see him gone from disc golf.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
I heard Nikko is using this downtime to line up his next putt.
Nikko acts like a spoiled child and now he was held accountable for his immature actions. In my opinion he needs to find another line of work.
Nikko is one of the most talented players out there and especially for someone of his size, his game is really impressive. If he is able to deal with his emotions better and slowly distance himself from outbursts and rash decisions, he will continue to do pretty well and he will be able to be a big benefit to the sport rather than one of its issues.
The only 10 minute Nikko video I want to watch.
He ain’t sorry. He’s only “ sorry” cuz it’s gonna cut into his wallet. He acts like a child with temper tantrums. He won’t come back any better. Should’ve got the full 2 year suspension. Let it be an example for any future idiots, that if u play stupid games, you’ll win stupid prizes.
Nikko needs to go..... Buh Bye
I side with Nikko. If you invite Nikko to an event then you get Nikko. Did they invite Nikko and expect to get Thomas Gilbert? He is a known quantity. He has always been a known quantity. The penalty will not change him and no one should expect him to change, nor demand it. He knows who he is and he cannot control it. Neither will any outsider.
Hands behind back is a classic pre attack indicator. People who don’t know this taking the body language all wrong.
In this situation it's not a pre attack indicator. He was trying to *BE* threatening while giving himself plausible deniability of acting violent. "See look, I wasn't threatening him, my hands were behind my back. It's not like I put my hands on him."
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
Great video! I agree with the advice at the end. As the sport grows more and more, people are going to gravitate to the whole drama side of things. If Nikko can prove to be a better ambassador of the sport, I think more people will find themselves back on his side than initially expected.
Been loving your content lately, this is great. Nice SHIT
Nico is going to do this to the wrong person and get knock the fuck out.
Then maybe he will start to think twice.
I often wonder why he's so angry. I get that everyone has a different personality and I'm no professional psychologist or whatever but he's got to have some underlying problems stemming from childhood that cause him to be triggered so easily. Every player is passionate about their game so that's not an excuse. Was he bullied at a young age? Treated poorly by parents? Abused? Etc..
I don't hate the dude but I seriously hope he can resolve whatever is going on with him mentally because he is undeniably a skilled Disc Golfer. Prayers up!
Best one yet !
I see same thing.
Who's he really mad at.
Its always there.
Its definitely a family member to me.
From past friends that resemble nikko triggers.
He could've been same place paul is.
But he took a different road, that several elders warned him of. Nobody hangs around people u have to walk on eggs around.
People love to hate the villain but they also love a good comeback.
Because he's such a talented player, he was allowed to behave like a toddler for far too long. If he had been properly disciplined earlier in his career this may have been avoided. As far as I'm concerned, this falls on Nikko alone, though his sponsors and fellow players, as well as the sport's authorities, can all benefit from some introspection as to their coddling of the little brat. I don't honestly care whether Nikko can or will ever be a "better ambassador to the game of disc golf". I just want him to stop being such a goddamned embarrassment.
Very well said. I would put some of the blame on the PDGA for not disciplining him sooner too, though.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
I think 9 months suspension + 15 months probation was pretty harsh, especially when you compare it to other professional sports, but I will admit that the anger stuff that he has struggled with in his recent career makes him look pretty bad to the PDGA.
I've never been a fan of niko. His childish tantrums, short temper & blatant negativity affects all those around. Especially in such a chill sport. The last thing any fan of disc golf wants is for there to be such an ugly stain to over shine the rest of League. Its not right nor fair for his tantrums to outshine what would've been an awesome tournament. Unfortunately when the 2022 European event is brought up in conversation this incident is what will be talked about.
Nobody cares what you think.
Tired of the word passion. When someone is an asshole they say they are just passionate. No, dudes just an asshole. Be a better person and you get better results in all aspects of life. Don't need therapy to figure this out.
I played on a public course on St Louis, MO years ago with my friends. Some guy who was not playing with us threw a temper tantrum at another group, I guess they were not playing fast enough for his liking. The guy screamed full volume at the other group and called them "amateurs" which got a big laugh...my friend informed me that guy was a professional disc golfer, I didn't remember the guys name if he told me. Seeing this video I thought Nikko seemed familiar....I google him and guess where he's from -- St Louis, MO lol...I think it was him! 😂
I, for one, was focused on Eagle's win.
Really good coverage. Youve earned my sub
I will always tip my hat to Nikko for the interview he did while watching Paul and Ricky gunning it out at Masters.Cup a few years ago. He briefly said something about his round and quickly put the focus on the action going on. Classy. So hope the great.personality he has when not playing buffers his competitive side while playing going forward. He is a very good person while not playing.
I thought the same thing until I saw the way he acted in the gk pro skins match where, I forget his name, but the wrestler gets the 10,000 dollar ace and Nikko just runs around flaunting the 7,000 dollar bet they made just to make sure that he got his money. After that my mind was pretty clear on the personality that he has
I love Nikko. I've met him on the course a few times and he was super cool. As soon as I saw the the incident, I was extremely disappointed (but not surprised).
I’ve met him too on a clinic.
Grate person but very self focused.
Not a good teacher.
I feel like we all have done way worse than this at least once a month Nikko did better than most of us would when we are angry and upset and we all have gotten upset over stupid things so dont act like youre above nikko
Frankly, he needed this sort of intervention. He's been pushing the line for years. Between outbursts, footfalls, arguments, and time violations. Hope he comes back more humble and appreciative that he's not the center of the sport. Also, it's not cool to act like "little man syndrome"
You were on to something until you started suggesting that he thinks he's the center of the sport (he doesn't) or that he has "little man syndrome" (not actually a thing). He's just a fiery Italian. When a short fiery Italian gets uppity, it always looks ridiculous. My guess is, for various psychological reasons, he ties his personal happiness to his success on the course, so when he fails on the course, he feels like he fails in life, and he explodes. It's not ok, but it's also not how he wants to be, and he's clearly trying to change.
@diveunder Yeah I mean on some level he's got to know that there's a limit to people's patience. I guess I just feel for the guy, being an angry guy myself for a long time. It still hits me, always will a little probably. When you see someone like that, there's something going on beneath the surface that you don't see, something from childhood or what have you that the average person just doesn't have to deal with, and doesn't understand, and dismisses as someone making excuses. It's a shame to be that misunderstood for that long, and I bet Nikko has been working on his anger issues more than you or anyone knows. You think you've got a hold on them, and they rear their ugly head at the worst possible time. I've been there. I hope he grows from this, and I hope ability to make a living isn't totally gone. Seems like a harsh punishment.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
It took nearly ten years to come to grips with my anger. What we are is not who we have to be.
great video, id love to see one on bradley williams and from how we went from being hated to being a likely figure
I agree with Paul. Class A is 24 months upper end for physical violence, surely this counts as very lower end of class A?
He reminds me a lot of myself when I played Little League I know that sounds rude but it’s kind of meant to be honestly I was a very good player play the best of my district but I had an extreme anger issue and would add like a two year-old instead of the 10 year old I was and as I got older I got more mature and now I’m a D1 baseball player that coaches little league the difference between me and Nico is he never grew up and he’s still a little baby, he’s just a small insecure little man
Nikko will eventually cross some scrawny looking player or official that is anything but. Nikko doesn't obviously live on the South Side of any City. These actions, similar to a John McEnroe blow ups comes from a place of entitlement/anger? A dose of suspension is probably the most affective at maybe saying, enough is enough Nikko. Kick a bag, slam a basket, swear at the Gods but when you start ramping up your attitude at officials who are doing their job, you will get your just desserts.
I mean he's been this way for a decade. It just happened to come out at a huge event with live coverage on him. This is nothing new. He's been a tool forever.
I agree with Paul McBeth.
Most of the people commenting against Nikko are worthless at pretty much everything in life.
It is not the last of Nikko, dude is going to come back with a vengeance that’s for sure. But Paul mcbeth saying the official didn’t look intimidated to him 😂 the guy doesn’t have to be intimidated for what nikko did to be intimidation tactics. Idiots
Is there any footage of what happened after he asks for stare down.
Anger management offers proven techniques for learning to stop, breathe, bring yourself to ground and then practice, practice--not only on the course, but in every facet of your life. It turns lives around for those willing to find the right program, commit to it and follow through with forgiveness and self awareness and mindful living. Not rocket science, but the only way out and up.
I love Pauly Mac, but he's dead wrong here. I think the PDGA got it exactly right, for a first-time suspendee. If he does it again, it should go up dramatically, minimally to or beyond the initial Class A suspension.
No official should ever be subjected to this kind of intimidation, he was just doing his job. I enjoy watching Nikko play but I'm a bigger fan of the action that the PDGA and his sponsors have taken.
Lol if that's real intimidation to you I'm gonna assume you're a snowflake out on the playground. Hands behind his back, never touched him or threatened him. Definitely a heated situation though.
@@williemahlan2342 thank you for highlighting my inadequacies sir. Could you recommend a prison where I could go to harden up please?
@@63off just the streets
RM disc golf seems an opportunist that is most interested in growing their channel. Let’s move on to to the next already.
To McBeth's comment about the Marshall not stepping back as someone who is intimidated, what matters is that Nikko ATTEMPTED to intimidate. His pathetic attempt didn't work, but he tried. Glad he's gone for a while. Discgolf doesn't need pros like him representing the sport.
Just wanted to pop in and say: you're doing good work man. It's nice to have these kind of researched, narrated UA-cam videos on disc golf.