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2011 USDGC Format To Change To Handcap + Stroke Scoring
- Thread starter sthomas128
- Start date
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
There's something brewing on that possibility but the details haven't been worked out.
kinfolkfan
Birdie Member
Not that my opinion counts but this sound like a way to not help our sport grow. Who wants to see a handicapped round, when we are supposed to see the best players in the world. I vote no.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
Few spectators attend anyway and online coverage still loses money so those reasons aren't compelling.
I'm not sure he meant "see" in the literal sense. No one really wants to view the USDGC in this handicapped way. It's somewhat beneath it or at least I liked to think that it was.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
I don't think it's the best move to keep the same name but I understand why they decided to keep it. They have been bankrolling it for 12 years or so.
Redneck Machismo
Newbie
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 5
This is an absolute travesty that sets the game back years. The only reason Innova is doing this is because their profit margin is higher on an Am tournament. Why they can't run both events is beyond me? It is also a shame they did this to Jonathan Poole who has worked so tirelessly promoting and running this event for so long. There is effectively no US championship any longer as this joke tournament does not take its place and please don't make the mistake of capitulating and saying "it's better than nothing" because it isn't. Perhaps the saddest fact are the number of top players who sold the sport out by remaining silent. The only player man enough to say anything at the awards this year was Paul Ulibarri. On top of that many good players that stand to possibly benefit the most, short-term, didn't even sign the petition against it started by Nate Doss. Notable exceptions who care about the sport and have done the right thing by signing include Avery Jenkins, Brian Schweberger, Valarie Jenkins, Justin Jernigan, Greg Hosfeld and Nikko Locastro. So in short everyone else who didn't sign including Climo and Feldberg sold out. I wonder what they are afraid of? The loss of this tournament puts them a lot closer to joining the real world and actually working for a living so you would think they would be the most vocally against it. We should all stop throwing Innova products and boycott them in as many ways as possible. Tournament directors should get their tournament discs from Discraft or someone else. This entire situation is nothing more than corruption and abuse of big business on a micro scale. As many disc golfers as there are that are left leaning politically I would think more would understand that.
kinfolkfan
Birdie Member
Very well written post. Damn the man!
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
Have you actually talked to Jonathon about it? I did today. No one can really make the case why this change is bad for the sport when growth has always come from the bottom, not the top. Some of the top players who didn't sign the petition are Innova sponsored players who understand the big picture and it's still not driven by top player events but grassroots events. If enough spectators came and paid to watch and enough people paid enough to watch online, the USDGC would likely have continued without change. But no pro event has really demonstrated a sustainable financial model without being significantly propped up by friendly manufacturers. Innova has done much more propping than any company over the years with Vibram the 'new kid' now giving it a shot. Corruption? Abuse? Laughable.
biscoe
* Ace Member *
good to know that possession of banners trumps the integrity of the "national championship"- maybe we can get the bcs to administer the whole deal...
biscoe
* Ace Member *
^^^wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every day.
Star Shark
* Ace Member *
I think that keeping the name cheapens the original tournament. I understand Innova wanting to cater to Ams as they're 90+% of the market but create a new tournament for that instead of screwing up the best tournament in the sport.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
For example, they pay several thousand each year to have official metal signs (like historical marker signs) on the interstate for the month during the Championship. It took years to get that permission thru the state bureaucracy. But the sponsor connections are the most important and significantly fund or support the event. No Winthrop U, no tournament.
Using this logic "throw and distance" shouldn't have been used at this year's USDGC since it wasn't used during the qualifying events.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
I agree. And it's even more of a problem with handicapping.
But it's no longer the US Championships, no matter how many signs and banners say so. Adding strokes for good players and subtracting them for bad players can be interesting, but it's no basis for a championship. Once the sponsors realize the nature of the event they're supporting, the repercussions for the sport will be worse than if the whole thing had just been canceled. Please change the name. Maybe we can all chip in a few bucks for some whiteout.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
You'll have to persuade Harold. I'd like to see the name changed but it's not our wallets paying for it.
jcf5083
Double Eagle Member
You know what sucks? This format.
Yep, it's a business decision and it's his business.
But you know, if it were changed to the US Disc Golf Open (which is a more accurate name), we could just change each "C" in the USDGC signs to be USDGO.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
I think the USGA was involved back in the late 90s and objected to both words "U.S." and "Open" in the name of a disc golf event.
