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BGonline.org Forums
LA Calcutta -- Boycott? -- Did I Get the Last Laugh?
Posted By: Bill Riles
Date: Tuesday, 8 December 2009, at 6:41 p.m.
I don't know the circumstances but I think the situation was unfortunate.
Apparently, according to what I've been told, there was some sort of 'boycott' (organized or not) of the LA Calcutta. Reportedly, it involved some personal ill feelings among some of the participants.
As a result, the bidding was almost non-existent, the winning bids low, and the total Calcutta purse comparatively small.
Now, I don't know the circumstances but I find it unfortunate that the tournament itself and the tournament director are the only ones that suffer from such actions -- Patrick was apparently not the subject of the 'boycott'. The rake from the Calcutta does go toward the tournament expenses and if the pool was, perhaps, half of what it might normally have been, the bottom line of the tournament doubtlessly suffered.
I would hope if various parties have petty personal ill feelings toward others that they would settle it among themselves, or agree to disagree and never interact with each other. I don't think it appropriate or fair for the tourney to suffer as a result.
I was not aware of any planned boycott. I bought the first team in the Championship Division. It was a blind bid, I made an initial bid of $400, no others bids were entered and I won the bid. I selected the seeded Stick/MCG team. The next bid went for $290, another for $240, and most were under $200 in the Championship Division.
I'm a big boy and am not bitching for 'overpaying' -- I was glad to have the team. I often bid on a team early in a Calcutta to try and help establish some decent pricing precedents which typically impact the Calcutta as a whole -- and helps the tourney's take. I was glad to have the Stick/MCG (or should I say the MCG/Stick?) team.
They, I assume at least in part because of the high price I paid for the team in comparison to all others, declined to buy back. Again, I have absolutely no problem with that -- it is their right to do so or not. I didn't mind owning 100% of them in the Calcutta.
I caught a bit of good-natured flak from some for 'overpaying'. But, in the end, Stick and MCG met in the consolation final and my $400 investment returned $948 -- so, I'm more than happy.
My overall point, however, is that we've all discussed, here and elsewhere, how much we appreciate the directors and the jobs that they do, the risks they take, and how we might help them to continue to efficiently run the tournaments we all so much enjoy. I hate to see the tourneys suffer due to personal animosities among the players. So, guys/gals, let us be careful how and where we direct our grievances.
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