Phil_D
Drawmaster
Registered: May 2014
Location: Joliet, IL
Posts: 629 |
Champions Cup Date, Move To Next Season?
I like the idea of the Champions Cup. I think it's cool to have an event where you have to win to get in, including some spots going to teams that might not otherwise be playing in a GSOC event.
Obviously I'm not a sponsor or organizer, and I know there is a lot that goes into the dates picked for these events. It's not nearly as simple as it may seem. That being said, I think this event is too late in the season, and honestly would be better off starting off the following season, for three big reasons:
1. The exhaustion factor, or lack thereof. The Players' Championship is already late in the season as it is, with many teams running on fumes or close to it at that event, let alone this one 9 days later. On the flipside, several teams haven't played an event for months, which could be too long of a layoff. Obviously this happens with other events, and in the future teams may be better prepared, but it's worth noting.
2. Declined invites. Several teams have declined their invites to this event, for various reasons. The event has been on the schedule since last year, but given the selection process and the lateness of the date I would imagine that many teams don't have themselves penciled in as attending when they plan their season schedule. I'm sure that funding, vacation time, work/family conflicts played a part in teams declining their invites. In some cases the time between qualifying and the event itself is very short. For example, what if Denmark had defeated Canada at Men's Worlds? They would have had a little more than two weeks to plan for this event. All the teams in the event has to win an event to participate, and it's not necessarily an issue, but it is a shame that the winners of several high-profile events declined their invites and will not be participating. Again, I know that most of the GSOC events don't finalize their fields until a month or so beforehand, but I think any teams that may be on the bubble for qualifying can generally predict what events they expect to qualify for.
3. Late in the calendar. Hockey playoffs are in full swing in May, not to mention baseball and golf and what not. Obviously there are other times where there are conflicts, but generally by that time of the year curling is not on a lot of people's minds.
Anyway, given what I've outlined above I think it would make more sense to have the event at the start of the following season. Relating to my points specifically:
1. With the event being early in the season, exhaustion theoretically wouldn't come into play. Granted, on the flip side teams may be a bit rusty or what not, but I think that is easier to deal with than being burnt out from a long, grueling season. If nothing else, it puts the teams on a more equal footing in that regard.
2. I think you would get significantly fewer declined invites. Teams would have several months, in some cases almost a year, to plan for this event. Instead of a question mark, teams would know for sure and be able to plan and budget accordingly.
3. It would be a really cool way to start off the season.
Anyway, like I said I know there is a lot that goes into these events when it comes to timing and scheduling, and there very well could be some good reasons why what I've outlined isn't feasible. Besides that, declined invites could be due to a multitude of reasons, some (or several) of which may not be ameliorated by simply moving the date of the event. Just something I was thinking about.
What does anyone else think? Am I way off base here?
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Recreational curler & resident armchair curler at Windy City Curling Club.
Co-host of the NerdCurl podcast & occasional blogger.
http://www.nerdcurl.com
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