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Online now: 2 members: Steehler7, TABLE SETTER 11; 193 anonymousDiscussion: Expectations
| Posted | Discussion |
| Oct. 1, 2009 DRob 34 posts | Expectations I've cooled down, more or less, from the treatment we recieved from SPA at Dalton. I've read all the posts and have posted under the thread titled "They can't do that" and I appreciate the comments, pro and con, posted there. I've also given a lot of thought to the issue. I've been on teams which went to senior national tournaments for 13 years now. I've never gone to a tournament I didn't think we could win but have not had the pleasure of capturing a national championship. Not whining here, just setting the stage. I think the large majority of the teams who go to a national, believe they have a chance to win it, if they play well. And, make no mistake, you'd better play consistently well if you want to be national champs in any age group/division/association. That's as it should be. However, many of the teams who attend these tournaments not only need to play well, thay also need somebody else to not play well. There are always teams who stand out and there are always teams playing in any given division who are rated in a higher division. Whether this is because websites are not updated (unexcusable) or they are simply allowed to play down for some mysterious reason, who knows? It's been so rampant that I believe everybody has come to expect it. Which brings me to my topic, "expectations". What should we expect when we go to a national championship tournament. History tells us we can expect a few things as "givens": 1. We'll usually get to play 5 games. 2. We'll usually have decent umpires and decent playing conditions. 3. We'll play some serious competition. 4. We'll enjoy the comraderie on and off the field. 5. Most of us will go home disappointed that we didn't do better. I don't think we ask for anything unreasonable in return for our entry fee but we should also expect the following: 1. Every team in our division should be publicly rated the same as we are, at least by the association who accepted our entry fee. If the association can't handle that, they have problems. 2. Appropriate awards should be presented at the conclusion of the tournament. Not for sale. Not mailed out a week or two later. If you want to make rings, watches, whatever available for purchase, that's great but put something in the champions' hands beside directions to your next tournament. If the tournament directors can't handle that, they have problems. 3. When you have a controversy of major proportion, man-up, face the people involved, and DON'T LIE TO THEM! An association who fails on all counts of # 3 has problems. Particularly when the incident involves a decision made by the head of the association! The first set of "expectations" has been met in tournaments we played this year. The latter set have all been failures I witnessed this year. I don't care who's to blame. I just think it's a sad state of affairs and we, as teams, are being taken for granted. Somebody needs to pay attention! |
| Oct. 1, 2009 lemons Men's 65 323 posts | Amen! As long as teams put up with the numerous inadequacies demonstrated by almost all "organizations" they will continue. Can you say mutiny? |
| Oct. 2, 2009 Dirty Men's 50 1371 posts | lemons, can you say PT Barnum is still correct? |
| Oct. 2, 2009 DRob 34 posts | PT didn't say this but it's worth a thought. Get me once, shame on you! Get me twice, shame on me! |
