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BGonline.org Forums
Bill Davis and a matter of due respect....(too long)
Posted By: Bill Finneran
Date: Tuesday, 12 March 2013, at 7:51 p.m.
I attended the CSI tournament last weekend for the first time. I had been to the Midwest Backgammon Championships 2 or 3 times previously and thoroughly enjoyed the way Bill and his capable staff run things. Bill will go down in backgammon history as the father of not only the American Backgammon Tour but of the concept of backgammon tours worldwide. As that, he deserves all our respect and support to his annual event no matter what the format, dress code, clock rules, drawsheet anomalies, etc. The pro golf world's stars flock to tournaments started and /or hosted by the likes of Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, etc.. They come to honor the achievements, dedication to the game, etc. of those men. We, the backgammon community need to do the same for Bill Davis!!!
I hate to wear ties, yet I was willing to do that for Bill with or without his $ incentive. Just like after many fights with my father about ties at family events, I eventually came around as I got older and somewhat wiser ( I hope anyway ).
I prefer clocked matches in big events rather than non-clocked. But Bill has his way and he handled the slow play of one of my opponents in a forceful diplomatic way on Saturday. He closely monitored the end of our match. We both got clocked in our next matches. But he did not yell at both of us. Perhaps he could have clocked our match from the start since apparently my opponent has a rep for being a deliberate player. As the player not at fault, I totally appreciated his approach.
Bill, Amy, Mary Ann, etc.... Always put on a top to bottom professionally run, entertaining event. It must be why Chicago has been (and continues to be) the center of American Backgammon for the last quarter century. Without Bill Davis, backgammon clubs as we know them might not exist. Our local clubs depend on the ABT for recognition and excitement. We have depended on ChicagoPoint.com since the internet began essentially, long before bgonline, maybe before Stick was born. The younger guys like Rory Pascar, Stick and organizations like the USBGF are a big part of our present and may be our future but we must honor our past as well. There is no reason that Bill's flagship ABT event should ever not have a full field in the main events or jackpots, along with robust overflow divisions with late deciders.
I will be back for Bill's event no matter what the rules (perhaps not every year since it requires a flight)....but he must keep the Crystal Beaver event because I still lust to have it on display in my man den!!!
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