Hey, guys,
I gotta tell you, I haven't had this much entertainment all summer. This
thread has given me more laughs in the past couple of days. Seriously...I
feel sort of responsible for this (in a twisted way) because apparently it
was my husband who started this whole thing, and in a way that's my fault,
because he wouldn't even be online if I didn't have this Mac affliction.
But I digress.
Excuse me, but JUST EXACTLY WHAT IS THE POINT????? All the rhetoric (and
insults and other guy stuff) aside, what is the point of this discussion?
Do we want to ban single-car classes, or just series trophies for
single-car classes?
Maybe we need to do away with trophies altogether, since they're causing
such a problem. Just blow the trophy budget on a great party. In fact, who
needs timers and all that hassle? Why are we keeping score? You know, in
tot soccer they've done just that, done away with scorekeeping, cuz it
harms the little ones' self esteem to be called losers. Everybody plays,
everybody wins, nobody loses, since no one keeps score. Of course, the tots
grow up to find out that--prepare yourself--life's not fair--and have to
spend the next 20 years in therapy.
My win is worth more than your win because I beat more people than you and
by a greater margin. PULEEZZ!!! Tell me, what is the difference if I get a
trophy for a single car series class, or if I outdrive 12 people in my same
class by so much that they may as well have stayed at home in bed? Either
way, there's no real competition. You can't penalize the competitors
because they happen to have a car in a poorly-subscribed class. That's like
making different rules for everyone. I'd really hate to see us cheap out to
the point where we begrudge open class "singles" a lousy trophy.
I'd look more kindly on eliminating those tenth place trophies. I know we
have that rule, half plus one, for trophy placement, but I don't think
anyone really wants to display proudly on the mantle a sixth place car on a
stick, or wear a shirt that proudly proclaims "Seventh Place." Seventh may
be a personal goal for a nationals finish, but not for a regional event. My
vote is to cut the trophies off at third for anything other than maybe
novice classes, and reduce the size/cost of the novice awards below third
place. Invent a few special regional trophies, like "most improved driver",
something to give recogntion for real effort and dedication to the sport.
It is, after all, the intangibles that keep people coming back. The rewards
that make loyal autocrossers aren't trophies, it's some weird combination
of self gratification and masochism. I don't think I'll take that thought
any further.
Regards,
Marilyn Rohn
Speakin' only for myself; I'm married to him, we didn't mind-meld.
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