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BGonline.org Forums
How I wish I had more time to rant in general
Posted By: David Rockwell In Response To: How I wish I had more time to rant in general (Stick)
Date: Sunday, 5 December 2010, at 4:01 p.m.
Backgammon attendence is down and it isn't generally understood why. Bill has an opinion and he is putting his (own) money where his mouth is. I think this debate is healthy and I'm glad Bill started it. I am not inclined to agree, but I haven't dismissed his ideas either.
Slow play is a terrible problem for Backgammon. This issue has been front and center for so long that I can't remember when it wasn't an issue. I think Nack was talking about it circa 1990. I have always been more concerned with eliminating slow play than I have with introducing clocks. To me, clocks are a tool for solving a problem, not the embodiment of the solution itself. For those directors who are NOT going to allow clocks on request, I want to know what they are going to do to minimize slow play. If the answer is nothing, then we know what we can expect.
It may or may not be that some new players are scared away by technology at a tournament. I would like to suggest that a new player is much more likely to give up tournament Backgammon because of slow play than an experienced player. If a new player had to play well after midnight like Paul Weaver and my wife did earlier this year, I doubt they would play again. Paul and Linda will, even though they may think twice about which tournaments to enter.
Clocks have become a lightning rod for debate. I would ask all to retain a focus on reducing slow play whether you want clocks or not. If you don't want clocks, let's hear your ideas. The status quo is hurting the game.
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