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CLOCKtroversy 1
Posted By: Coolrey
Date: Sunday, 14 December 2008, at 6:23 p.m.
I bought a new truck last month. I negotiated with the dealership 87 miles away, on Tuesday which is backgammon night in Burbank. I thought I might kill two birds with one stone and play after negotiating. Negotiations broke down and I left and went to the club another 20 miles away. We ate dinner, and the tournament had not started yet, scheduled for 6 pm. I got a call from the dealership which had changed it's position in my favor. I went to pick up the new truck and missed the tournament as a result.
It was 8:30 pm or something when I returned to find author Norm Wiggins vs. World Class Expert, (a former world and ABT champion), playing. Norm wins game 1 after taking a 4 cube from WCE, which WCE found fault with. It is a 5 point match, being clocked without time delay feature, and at one point I noticed that WCE had 12 minutes and Norm had 11.
This was understandable because Norm is the Larry Liebster of the West Coast. Norm is faster and better than Larry at making his decisions, but perhaps slower in making his moves because his hands shake involuntarily. Norm is also a World Class player, and he recently celebrated his 78th birthday, but few people know of him other than us on the West Coast because he seldom travels further than Vegas to play. He is also a consummate gentleman OTB, and very unassuming. Like mild mannered Clark Kent, who becomes superbackgammonman or something like that.
At the end of the 4 cube game someone, perhaps the TD, wanted to see my new red truck. We went outside and when I returned... Norm was not in his seat. He was hailing, with little luck, a waitress to get a rag to clean up a mess at his table. WCE is sitting there with a tall drink glass in his hand... with very little left in it, and there is ice all over the bench seat next to him. It is obvious that WCE has knocked his drink over, and Norm, (Mr. nice guy), has gotten up to help his misfortunate commrade. Nevermind that it was his turn when he got up, and he forgot to pause his clock because he was thinking first and foremost of his clumsy opponent's best interests. Norm didn't want the guy to have to slide through his own ice and water mess to get help. That tells you something about Norm, probably all you need to know.
WCE has a big smile on his face as he sits waiting to be "serviced", and he states something to the effect of: "Well, Norm, if you had been more careful"... Making a joke that would lead you to believe that it was Norm who spilled the drink, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. It was a light moment and harmless fun but it will play a part in CLOCKtroversy 2 later.
When order is restored, Norm sits down and WCE "notices" that Norms clock has been running and is now down to 8 minutes and something. Somewhere between 2.5 and 3 minutes have elapsed. No adjustment is made except for the magnanimus gesture on the part of WCE who now pauses the clock when it is Norm's turn which has the effect of only allowing WCE's time to be decremented. This goes on for the rest of one game or so until WCE starts hitting his clock again.
I am called away to play a game against Steve Sax the resident pro, for $$. While playing that game, Norm's clock expires... and he loses that game. A discussion about the previous mishap ensues and WCE offers an additional 30 seconds to be put on Norm's clock. Norm wasn't comfortable with it, but did not complain, he tries hard never to cause any controversy. Pat gave Norm 30 seconds and the match resumed.
In the last game, Norm led 4-2 holding a 2 cube. His time ran out when WCE, who was not shaking his dice between turns, had 7 seconds left on HIS clock. Norm had the same amount of time at his last turn but he fumbled a checker in the bearoff and his time expired. A ruling was made that Norm could not now win the match... which was a money round or quarterfinal match. WCE excused himself to go to the bathroom... I told Norm it was his own fault because he allowed himself to be taken advantage of... It should be noted that despite his handicap, Norm made an honest effort to pick up his dice, shake them and then roll as the rules state. WCE on the other hand scooped the dice as Norm was making his bearoff moves, held his cup horizontally over the bar, put the dice in and dumped them onto the playing surface with nary a shake between turns.
I think, because I was not there, that WCE took advantage of Norm's good nature twice. Once at not correcting the injustice in the first place, and at the end in suggesting a time adjustment with the full knowlege of the remaining time on BOTH clocks. Thus he could appear to be fair minded, knowing full well that he would never run out of time before it septagenarian opponent. When the clocks were reset I was told firmly and politely by TD Gibson that this issue could be handled without my help. (I had asked how much time was being put back on the clock or something of that sort).
As the principal forum in FAVOR of clocks, what was the correct action (s) that should have been taken in this sticky situation?
Was Norm a victim of his own selflessness, or taken advantage of by WCE?
Did Norm deserve to lose?
Dic WCE deserve to win?
Did you lose respect for either of them, as I did?
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