@iDiscGolf
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- Dec 1, 2013
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Isnt that more impressive?
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Emac.
Another factor, historical, traditional, and financial, has been that Worlds have been a hybrid of World Championship and Convention. Separating out Open divisions for the first time this year, eases that just a bit. But still, we've tried to include as many people as possible.
In part, because we need the entry fees.
But this means we need to give these mobs of people a long time to plan their work schedules, vacations, etc. Unlike professional spectator sports, only a handful are full-time disc golfers, able to alter their life for a playout or championship. My understanding is that this is why the PDGA went to the annual points system, where points won in 2016 qualify for 2017 Worlds.
If we ever reached the point where we can hold a very small-field Worlds, with entry coveted and fought for, it'll be easier to place it at the end of the year.
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You could view this World Championship as really a late event for 2016, since that's when the qualifiers were. Instead of mid-season, it's sort of a championship that's held in the middle of the next season. Which is odd, too.
If we ever reached the point where we can hold a very small-field Worlds, with entry coveted and fought for, it'll be easier to place it at the end of the year.
So basically the USDGC?
I'm going to continue to argue that the USDGC is basically our actual World Championships. There are qualifications throughout the disc golf season, with a play-in opportunity right before the tournament, so it ticks the box for being a more exclusive and limited entry. It also has typically has drawn a more worldwide crowd than actual Worlds (as folks have mentioned over and over again, this is probably due to it being one course, at basically the same time every year, and therefore an easier tournament to plan for. Plus there's a hub airport literally right there in Charlotte). There is also a decent amount of $$ up for grabs thanks to Innova every year.
Hey, keep disc golf weird. We also seem to be the only sport where we all high five before the round is over (before teeing off on 18.) If I didnt want to be playing a quirky game Id go play pick-up basketball 5 to 6 times a week.
You lost me here on the basis that some of those state championships would be way harder competition than others due to unequal population. The tenth best player in one state might be better than the best one in another.If I were to start from scratch this is what I would do:
Take 50 winners from 50 official State Championships (February-July)
You lost me here on the basis that some of those state championships would be way harder competition than others due to unequal population. The tenth best player in one state might be better than the best one in another.
Especially with the new 2 course/4 round format, I can see the argument that Worlds is now just like a lot of other tournaments.
EMac 13th ranked in that field. Nate Doss was 9th in 2005 and Avery Jenkins 8th in 2009. Hard to know if any winner in the 80s prior to Climo's win streak might have had a lower initial ranking.Even EMAC wasn't that large of an upset. No one outside of the top 20 worlds rankings has ever won the worlds. EMAC is the lowest - not sure of his rankings but it was low - mid teens.
But I was actually thinking of something with a very limited field---say, 36 players. Which is probably only feasible in the dreamland where we become a spectator sport, and there is media and sponsorship money. With a small field like that, everyone would be at least enough of a dark horse that they'd be playing to win, not to be there, and whatever qualifier season you had would have real meaning for a lot of people.
Sponsors have made the world championship the elite event based on bonuses and signature events.
If a sponsor wanted to do the same for some random B tier, the players would flock to that event.
Would you travel to Smuggler's Notch and pay $200 for entry if it got you a 2018 Worlds Innova bag, some other cool stuff, and a chance to be a doubles partner with Ricky Wysocki?
One other thing that's being missed in relation to our sport and professional sporting events is that you have to pay a premium to be a spectator. Our galleries are players done with their rounds, friends, family, locals who want to check it out, etc.
If an event became a destination and charged for entry, that makes sustaining a smaller field more feasible. Now, what would it take to talk people into paying to watch Disc Golf in person as opposed to just waiting for YouTube round coverage? Well, that's a pretty interesting mental exercise.
Player's packs for spectators? Pre-event events like best-shot doubles rounds for prizes? Chances to play with the pros? Would you travel to Smuggler's Notch and pay $200 for entry if it got you a 2018 Worlds Innova bag, some other cool stuff, and a chance to be a doubles partner with Ricky Wysocki?
But, if (and that's a big IF) they did find a way to get that kind of money from hundreds of spectators as opposed to all the time and money and effort it takes to manage a player field that big....man that opens a lot of options for pro payouts, event format, etc.