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BGonline.org Forums
Semifactual Ray
Posted By: Joe Russell
Date: Tuesday, 16 December 2008, at 12:57 a.m.
I, Stick, posted this for Joe. He's having problems posting so not knowing for sure where he wanted it I started a new thread and will hopefully align it how he wishes.... on to his post -
This is an email I sent a friend regarding Ray's postings on this forum:
I will respond to Ray's posting should I decide to dignify it, but in the meantime I will tell you what really happened.
The first part of the story is accurate concerning the spilled drink, Norm's kindness, the joke, etc. What Ray leaves out is that I noticed Norm's clock was running and stopped it and pointed it out to Norm and called for Pat to come over and adjust it. Pat was busy dealing with something else and did not hear me. Norm suggested, so as not to wait for Pat, that I just center the clock for a while after my plays and I agreed. After some time, about one game, I asked him if it was okay to start using the clock again and he said okay. I thought that the time had been made up for, since Pat uses no delay on the clocks in that tournament. Also, my time lead was little more than a minute as it had been before the incident.
With Norm ahead 4-2 Crawford, his clock expired. I called Pat over and explained what happened earlier, saying that I thought we had fairly compensated for the time but that it I would be okay with Pat adding 30 to 60 seconds to Norm's clock, so as to make sure Norm was happy. Pat decided to add 30 seconds. Norm was not too happy with the amount of time he received. I thought it was fair, since I thought we had fairly compensated earlier. His clock later expired and he was penalized a point and given more time, I don't remember how much but I think 3 minutes. The score was now 4-3 instead of 4-2, but unless I gammoned him, which at that point in the game was very unlikely, the penalty was rather small-he was only losing his free drop. Later, in the same long game, which involved me trying to contain one man several times without a strong board, his clock ran out again and he was penalized another point and given more time, another 3 minutes, I believe, As the hitting and escaping continued, I started to get in real trouble with my time as well as it wound down to under a minute. This happened because of the long, long game and because I was now competing with 15 minutes against Norm's 21. After Norm's move was complete, I began to pick the dice up and roll as quickly as possible, without shaking. We were using precision dice and lipped cups and my main focus was trying not to let my clock expire. At the point when I had seven seconds left and 6 checkers on the lower 3 points, it was gin and the game was over. Norm was gracious but unhappy and weeks later told me that he did not think he had received fair treatment. I disagreed and still do. I actually think I went out of my way to be fair. The only part of my behavior that I now question was not shaking the dice, but I didn't at the time. I am not sure what you should do there,
I believe these problems can be alleviated in the future by using a delay and fewer minutes on the clock. Also, in the future ,I will insist that the tournament director adjust the time, if something like this occurs, before the match continues.A few weeks later I drew Ray in the first round of the Super 32. Leading 12-7 Crawford, I lost a regular game but scored it and announced it to be 12-9. Ray said nothing. The next game Ray doubled with a slight early advantage and thinking I had a free drop, I centered my clock and started to score the game. I wrote down the 12 for my score and then noticed the scoring error from the game before and said, I do not drop, I take. Ray said no you dropped already. I asked for a ruling from Pat. He asked if I had intended to drop when I centered the clock and I said yes but that it was due to a scoring error, that I had announced the incorrect score and not been corrected, and that the time that elapsed between my centering the clock and saying I take was only about three seconds. I never said pass, the position remained, and I never completed the scoring, but I did imply I was dropping by centering the clock and starting the scoring process. Pat ruled that I had passed. I asked for a committee ruling and was told that was not an option. I believe this to have been a fair ruling, although the rules state that in the spirit of fairness the tournamnet director has the leeway to not follow the strict letter of the law. I felt this might have been such a situation, but I certainly see both sides. I felt a little uncomfortable with the fact that Ray may have intentionally not corrected my announced score before the game with the hope of this happening, but I can not presume to know wheteher he was paying attention to me when I announced the score. He did not say anything, (p)When I had called Pat over, Ray before Pat arrived, started saying that I had taken a shot at Norm weeks earlier, and was now taking one at him. After Pat left, Ray said that I stood around and laughed at what happened to Norm the night it happened, which is a lie. I actually felt very bad for Norm, who, in my opinion, had lost because of his physical problems and because of there being no delay on the clocks. I told Ray that I did not apprecaite his impugning my character and that he was a lying about my laughing at Norm. He then challenged me to 'go outside'.
After Ray won the match. He said he was sorry he got mad.
Ray later told a friend of mine that I had taken a 'shot' at him.
I could get involved in back and forth with Ray, but I sure it is not worth my energy.
This letter is confidential and if you want to share it with select individuals please ask me first. Otherwise, I will be involved in dealing with someone I would rather not think about unless required.
Joe
I have now decided to make it public.
Concerning Ray's latest assertion that he rolled a 6 to start the next game, I never saw it. As far as saying I had rolled as well, that is a bold faced lie.
I have been playing backgammon for over 30 years and have never had my intergity questioned. I have never been barred from any tournament or chouette. Ray continues to have controversies wherever he goes. Please consider the source and realize that there are two sides to every story before making any judgements.
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