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BGonline.org Forums
Peoria time default and summary of issues
Posted By: Chuck Bower In Response To: Peoria time default and summary of issues (David Rockwell)
Date: Thursday, 16 October 2008, at 8:04 p.m.
Thanks for the details of the "Liebster Affair".
One nice thing (hopefully offsets the naughty things) with online forums is they allow one to let off some steam. Looks like you've joined some of us in that exercise. Also looks like you might see the value of a face-to-face forum with both directors and non-directors so that both sides can air their concerns.
One thing I'm always in favor of is fair and equal treatment. Personally I don't like 'selective' use of clocks, whether by directors or players. Directors are wise; they're just not infallible. Why have the potential of bias (even unintended bias) when it's not necessary? This "we know who the slow players are" is something I disagree with. But if clocks are used indiscriminately (e.g. every match is clocked) then knowing who the slow players are is irrelevant.
Neil made a compromise (IMO) suggestion which is to make ABT events "clocks optional" and have those clocks be provided by the players. Add the requirement (don't know whether he said this or not) that those players who supply/instigate the clocks be the ones to set them. Then the directors are burdened by neither the costs of clocks nor the extra staff time to set them.
Directors don't supply boards, dice, or dicecups; the players do. Directors don't set up the board, keep score, and most of the time don't even make the rulings. The players do. The players can bring the clocks and the players can set them.
Show me a player (or director) who doesn't mind several hour delays to play matches, or worse, having to play early into the morning and then having to get up with less than 7 hours sleep (and no time for breakfast) as his reward for winning the late match. Will clock usage guarantee that this won't happen? No. Will it make it very much less likely than now? Yes. For those not sick of my relay of my first round experience Saturday, I asked my opp after he said he'd never play with a clock if he had ever been delayed for a long time to start a match or to have been in a long, dragged out match and he answered 'yes' to both and then related a story or two. I didn't need to ask him if he enjoyed those experiences.
One of the problems here in the US is that there isn't a National Organization. That might have helped this situation years ago; who knows. I don't like to think of US Backgammon as us (players) vs. them (directors). But we shouldn't be expected to keep our mouths shut and do what we're told. I think a face-to-face forum with panelists equally chosen from directors and non-directing players at either LV (preferably for the reason Bill R. gives -- earlier the better) or Pitt would go a long way in at least getting everyone's feelings on the table.
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