A TOPIC VERY NEAR TO MY HEART BY GUS BONDI! (2005 07 25)

A TOPIC VERY NEAR TO MY HEART BY GUS BONDI!

It was great to hear from Larry Brown and his comments on where he thinks the game is going in the future……Larry is a firm believer that change is needed in the game soon or else we will not have a game to enjoy, a game with good but friendly tournaments!! He is absolutely right that if change doesn’t happen in the near future, you will see small groups get together on Mondays and have their own mini-tournament that will last….ONE DAY…. and the participants will be home for supper with their spouse and have Tuesday and Wednesday to practice and socialize with their spouse at night. It’s currently being done and it will grow in the future……The culprits are the price of gas, the price of motels, and too much time for the tournament away from home if you win and have to stay over.
I am not in favor of a shortened season to accommodate a select few people so they can make The Masters at the end of the year…….The Master’s should be renamed to ….The Monopoly……because that is exactly what it is…..a group of elite players that play together most of the year and then play against one another in The Master’s…….The 2005-2006 season hasn’t started yet, and I can predict right now 5 or maybe 6 players that will be playing in it because of the monopoly of elite players grouping together to help one another. So now you have a few hundred others fighting for the 6th, 7th, and 8th positions. The format of State Tournaments has to change, and very soon. To ensure survival, the very first change must be the introduction of DRAW TOURNAMENTS!! Is there anything unfair about “Equal Opportunity” for all participants?? Draw Tournaments prevent the elite grouping together and forming a monopoly unfair and illegal in business equally unfair in sport! If draw tournaments were implemented, some of the better players may NEVER make another Masters!! SO BE IT!!
When to 2005-2006 schedule came out, I asked a very dominant HOF’er for ONE tournament for the coming season. His answer to me was, “I’m booked for the next 4-5 years, I’m trying to get “so in so” into the HOF.” Now I ask you, “Is that helping the game or hurting the game?” It’s definitely hurting the game and such players ought to sit down in front of a mirror and have a talk with themselves. The word GREED is in the dictionary and they should look up the definition of what it means….excessive desire. Don’t forget also that we’re not dealing with 25-year-old professionals as in major sports trying to make the HOF. We’re dealing with 60-70 and 80-year-old sincere and real people trying to make the HOF. They go to a tournament and witness monopolization and soon become disgusted and eventually withdraw by staying home…..So who is hurting the game, you tell me…….Some very important people had better wake up and smell the roses because there is a big skunk out on the horizon waiting to kill the “sweet smell of the roses”!! Gus Bondi, 2005 07 25.
Stan’s Note: Gus expresses his opinion with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm!! Everyone who knows Gus agrees that no one has more love for shuffling!! Thank you Gus You just may get a response or two!!

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9 Responses to A TOPIC VERY NEAR TO MY HEART BY GUS BONDI! (2005 07 25)

stan bober says:

2020-05-02 at 15:58

Great article and I love your opinion on the present state of shuffleboard. As webmaster for the West Coast District, I hear the same complaints you’re voicing, over and over. The tournaments are too long, the same best players are partners and win all the time, too much time between matches, need more one day tournaments, etc. etc. I understand the better players liking the way it is and I understand the lower level players gripes. Draw tournaments solve many complaints as well as one day tournaments for the B Level players but the A Level players dislike the two mentioned above. I have found though that many A players understand the inequality and are OK with having a fair split making the B players happy and life has been better in the long run.

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Gus Bondi says:

2020-05-02 at 16:18

Thanks Stan for the posting

Sent from my iPad

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- stanistheman says:
  
  2020-05-02 at 16:22
  
  Thank You Gus, for the article!!! Stan
  
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Terry Rainwater says:

2020-05-02 at 17:00

I remember those days… I was always in 100% agreement with that article. Good hearing From Gus again!

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Sue Krynak says:

2020-05-02 at 17:47

I totally agree with Gus comments. What is the harm of one or two draw tournaments. The top players can still partner up for the rest of the season. New players might attend with the hope of drawing one of the top players. Maybe it would encourage them to attend more tournaments. We desperately need more attendance at tournaments.

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Joseph J. Kent says:

2020-05-02 at 18:34

It is very difficult to find partners that would give the lower pro levels a great tournament. The upper echelon of potentially H of F. Is limiting the games enjoy ability. Personally I just expect to only have a one day tournament. Sometimes I find that I am fortunate to qualify for next day. Then I look at my opponents, usually in the top 10 players. I travel 90 miles round trip to play. It has now demoralizing to return and play 1/2 hours lose and drive home which takes about a hour plus depending on traffic flow on the I-75…. Idid find a partner last year, who is not getting involved this year for the reasons that Gus has explained.

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Earl A Ball says:

2020-05-02 at 19:07

To think Gus wrote this 15 years ago and here we are!
Gus was right.
Earl

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Pat Batdorff says:

2020-05-02 at 21:53

You were right on, Gus. Thank you for this article. It is hard to believe you wrote this 15 years ago!

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gerdykman says:

2020-05-03 at 19:39

We love the game off shuffleboard we are going to many tournaments.
It would be nice to have some draw tournaments at the State tournaments.
Thanks Gus you right on not only15 years ago not much have changed.
Gerrit and Gerdien

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