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BGonline.org Forums
Subj of reply
Posted By: TheWheel
Date: Friday, 27 August 2010, at 2:13 p.m.
This posting was intended to be in reply to a message posted 12 June 2009 by chris knapp which reads as follows -
HI All: This would be referring to the GammonZone Online group and Joe Ekert (nic TheWheel) a director at Gammon Zone. He has played a number of ABT events in the advanced division and also was this years Open Doubles winner with Neil Garvie in Pittsburgh. Susan (AZMom) is the current Head director/Overlord at GZ and has attended the occasional ABT events, mostly regionally in Vegas and LA. Gammon Zone has 10+ years in existence and got its roots as (arguably) the biggest BG group on the old MSN Gaming Zone. There are a quite a number of ABT and worldwide open/championship players that started and/or played online at GZ over the years. Furthermore there currently is still a very significant number of “advanced” players at “every” ABT event that are GZ players. I have played online there over 5 years and been a very ardent supporter of GZ. Including a glowing dedication to this group in my ABT article on ChicagoPoint. However, since the shutdown of MSN Gaming Zone to clubs, their migration to another site, and changes in support staff, there has been a number occurrences that give me pause on whether we want this particular group entrusted with the keeping and recording of the ABT’s data. To wit: in 2008 “EU_IT_Juventus” their reigning “Master Cup” champion, and in their “top 5” player ratings for a number of years, during their “Gold Medallion” was branded a cheat and banned on “Joe’s” recommendation, without any objective “mathematical or collaboratory evidence, other than he consistently has to low an “GNU Error Rate” in his play. One GZ director challenged and refuted the finding as unfounded and that he was that good and his ER was verifiable though live play, this “live” evidence/record was ignored. FYI, Juventus is Fernando Braconi of Italy, (2008: WBF European Championship Masters AND Super Jackpot winner, 2nd PGT Partouche Open, Cannes France, 3 top 2 finishes in EBGT Doubles events AND 2nd in the WSOB Nations Cup for Italy) The 2008 Florida ABT Event had a very special get together of 14 GZ players that traveled in to attend this ABT event. We had a photo submitted of our group by NUMEROUS sources to “Susan”. However, since the event was sponsored by the above director that had already challenged the establishment, and was on the outs, it was never posted on the GZ site. (Ironically, it is posted in my “ABT” article on the ChicagoPoint site) Most recently, in regards to Patty Geoffroy, (online nic Ladysally) a long time ABT player (affectionately known most recently as the ABT Calcutta queen and without argument has been the biggest supporter to bring GZ players to ABT live events) who has been involved with GZ since the beginning, including nomination as Life/Honorary Member (Citation reads: 2003 - LadySally - Director of Tournament Operations, Medallion host, and the heart, soul, and backbone of GammonZone) was dismissed as a tournament host for alleged “Bye Manipulation”. The “evidence” has/is being reviewed by two renowned ABT tour players expert in Statistical Analysis and Mathematics, and is in the very least considered shoddy and/or unfounded. Furthermore, no external disclosure of records that were used as a comparison basis for the finding has been made available for analysis. Bottom line: Despite a 5 years association and what I have printed in public previously, including “rooming” with Joe at a few ABT events, at this point in time, after shaking hands with either of these two people, I’m checking to see if I still have my wrist watch! I would be very uncomfortable in believing that given all our information and records, that for some mundane reason, we would not only lose access to our records, but once given to them, we wouldn’t be frivolously sued for wanting to recover or use OUR information to our benefit. DOUBLE/PASS
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