Top Pros Registering for NTs

[AndyJB]

Wysocki is on the wait list as well:
http://www.discgolfscene.com/tourna...p_presented_by_Discraft_PRO_2015/registration

If the PDGA ever wants to be taken seriously by the masses and the likes of ESPN, you can't have arguably the 2nd best (currently 6th ranked) player in the world on a wait list for a big tournament.

I'm getting sick of pointing this out, here and elsewhere, but I guess it's something the young bucks just don't get.

Disc Golf DID used to have mainstream exposure. It WAS on ESPN and Wide World of Sports, which was a bigger deal than a cable sports channel at the time. There's a million reasons for why all that went away, but who cares? It did go away, and it is very unlikely to return. The "sport" side of this GAME is very minimal in comparison to the game side. Things like this Memorial debacle, such as it is, really don't effect the bottom line of total people playing the game of disc golf nor does it effect the profits of the companies involved in both the game and the sport side. I.e. Discraft, who I assume is the big sponsor of the Memorial this year.

Ergo, until people other than a few very select players start losing serious money, things will not change on the drastic (drastic for disc golf, anyway) level that people are suggesting here.

Yes, it is a PDGA problem, but the event filled. The PDGA made their nut on the event, regardless of who got in and who didnt. Why.should they make a change? Of course this point of view is looking at it on a totally mercenary level. But even if you look at it from the overused and meaningless "grow the sport" level, how is allowing some players in before others growing anything? The current system isn't broken as far as growth on the sport AND game is concerned.

There are just so many facets to the argument, and there's truly no right or wrong answer here. The reason for that is because both sides are right. Should the top pros have been waiting, ready to register if it's that important to them? Yes. But should the event coordinators have ensured the top level of frisbee throwers got in to maximize what little spectators they could get? Absolutley.

So who's wrong? Everyone, I guess.

 

[Loomis]

I like how people fight here... It reminds me of kids on a bus trying to argue about which cartoon is funnier.

 

[optidiscic]

This reminds me of a cold night in Philadelphia around 1990 I sat out all night with about 10,000 people waiting for concert tickets. There were shoving matches and almost fights in the lines as we were cattleherded to the ticket window. Within 10 minutes of the ticket window opening an announcement was made that the show was sold out.
That was the beginning of the credit card ticket sales revolution.
No more waiting in line all night for me ever again or the other 9,000 who a out rioted that morning after 12 hrs of bull**** in the Philly winter

Why I bring this up

Times change and sometimes the powers that be have a responsibility to make a change even if it doesnt effect their bottom line

It wasnt right to let 10,000 people sit out in the cold for nothing

It also isnt right to just fill up tourneys with poop just because you can

 

[Loomis]

^^on a related note. I got into see the first showing of the movie which premiered at midnight. People camped out for months to get seats. They quit their jobs, ended relationships and endured more suffering than anyone should for anything...

I got off work at 11:30 and got into the same movie they did.

 

[optidiscic]

^^on a related note. I got into see the first showing of the movie which premiered at midnight. People camped out for months to get seats. They quit their jobs, ended relationships and endured more suffering than anyone should for anything...

I got off work at 11:30 and got into the same movie they did.

on a side note had u taken the time to watch that movie and the actors sucked, the special effects sucked, the editing sucked, and the musical score sucked due to Director deciding who gives a **** Loomis is dumb enough to pay for this movie.....would you return to the next movie by that director

 

[Three Putt]

In the same vein, my neighbors cat just got muddy footprints all over the hood of my car.

It seems to have as much to do with the subject of this thread as the last couple of posts. :|

 

[optidiscic]

if the cats name was Nikko its the cats fault

if the cats name is McBeth the car shouldnt have been parked there

Happy Now?

 

[Three Putt]

I'm a Generation X guy. I'm never happy. :|

 

[dukesilver]

... Things like this Memorial debacle, such as it is, really don't effect the bottom line of total people playing the game of disc golf nor does it effect the profits of the companies involved in both the game and the sport side. I.e. Discraft, who I assume is the big sponsor of the Memorial this year.
...

The short term effect is little to none, yes. But do you believe there would be no longer term consequences if top players are left out year over year? If the PDGA continues with current NT registration practices, do you agree that it'll only get harder for top players to get in?

If you were in charge of the PDGA would you be interested in not only ensuring your profits for the current year, but also in taking deliberate actions (however large or small) to increase those profits?

If the PDGA were to make changes to ensure that the top players can play in any NT, do you think that would eventually benefit the PDGA and it's sponsors by slowly growing spectators?

 

[optidiscic]

I think the point of all of this is that NTs need to treat themselves as NTs and not cash infused C tiers which imo they look like if the marquee names are treated like everyone else.

The point of the NT is to promote the best players in the world to travel n compete

Why allow them to be frozen out

Not sure what the Gen X reference was all about you silly hippy

 

[onemilemore]

IMHO.... this IS a PDGA problem. When you offer up prize money to those who make a living at the sport based on finishes at the elite events, then you MUST protect their ability to play in the events.

2015 PDGA Tour Series Champion

So it is the PDGA's responsibility to fund these pros, who choose this lifestyle?

Remember, these guys could go and work day jobs like the majority of us on here. They just choose not to, inherent risks and all. This is simply one of the risks associated with that choice.

 

[optidiscic]

So it is the PDGA's responsibility to fund these pros, who choose this lifestyle?

Remember, these guys could go and work day jobs like the majority of us on here. They just choose not to, inherent risks and all. This is simply one of the risks associated with that choice.

The PDGA created the NT, which encourages the better players to travel and chase cash so in a way they are responsible for at least cultivating the culture of the touring pro

 

[onemilemore]

The PDGA created the NT, which encourages the better players to travel and chase cash so in a way they are responsible for at least cultivating the culture of the touring pro

I will give you that. But the touring pro should know the risks inherent with being a touring pro, and should plan accordingly. If Nikko knew he was gonna be in the woods when the Memorial registration came up, why not line up someone else to do it for him? It's like when I go visit my folks and am out playing disc golf with my dad when it's time to check in for my flight. I have my mom do it for me. Problem solved.

 

[Three Putt]

It's simple really. If you are going to have NT's and try to promote this series as your "professional" tour then the "professional" players need to play in them. This isn't like a guy who qualifies for USDGC and forgets to send in the registration by the deadline. This is everybody regardless of rating standing in the same line to register. The demand has gotten too great and these event fill up too fast for that. Making a guy who is a touring pro and is the guy these events are intended for fight with me for a registration spot that I might get becasue my Internet connection is better seems...unprofessional?

If this is going to be the deal, why have an NT? Just call them all A tiers and go about your day.

 

[optidiscic]

I dont think logistical arguments apply

A lot of top players have got frozen out this year of A tiers and NT alike thus far

This year imo is the threshold year with the abundance of smart phones, online registration options, growth of the sport and of course social media making everyone want to play these events all coming together in a perfectly unmanageable storm.

I predict a real mess for Pittsburgh Worlds if this is not somehow addressed

 

[Chainsgoching]

BOOM:clap:

The PDGA could learn a lot from the PGA

 

[Chainsgoching]

It's simple really. If you are going to have NT's and try to promote this series as your "professional" tour then the "professional" players need to play in them. This isn't like a guy who qualifies for USDGC and forgets to send in the registration by the deadline. This is everybody regardless of rating standing in the same line to register. The demand has gotten too great and these event fill up too fast for that. Making a guy who is a touring pro and is the guy these events are intended for fight with me for a registration spot that I might get becasue my Internet connection is better seems...unprofessional?

If this is going to be the deal, why have an NT? Just call them all A tiers and go about your day.

^BOOM:clap:

The PDGA could learn a lot from the PGA

 

[Three Putt]

I will give you that. But the touring pro should know the risks inherent with being a touring pro, and should plan accordingly. If Nikko knew he was gonna be in the woods when the Memorial registration came up, why not line up someone else to do it for him? It's like when I go visit my folks and am out playing disc golf with my dad when it's time to check in for my flight. I have my mom do it for me. Problem solved.

Here is the thing IMO...if these events are for the best players, then why make it that hard for the best players to get registered? Wouldn't it be easier just to give the top X-number players first crack at them in a way where they wouldn't have to jump through flaming hoops if they happened to have a camping trip planned?

By not doing that the PDGA is de facto saying that they don't care if the touring pros get into the NT's. That seems like a pretty dumb stance for the Professional Disc Golf Association to have.

 

[EricW]

Was this mentioned elsewhere?

Accept signups but not process the fees for a certain period (say 1 week). At the end of that week, fill the spots from the top rating down until full. A week is more than enough, and you're using a method to get the best field of players. Plus, lower rated players have something to work toward.

 

[optidiscic]

It's simple really. If you are going to have NT's and try to promote this series as your "professional" tour then the "professional" players need to play in them. This isn't like a guy who qualifies for USDGC and forgets to send in the registration by the deadline. This is everybody regardless of rating standing in the same line to register. The demand has gotten too great and these event fill up too fast for that. Making a guy who is a touring pro and is the guy these events are intended for fight with me for a registration spot that I might get becasue my Internet connection is better seems...unprofessional?

If this is going to be the deal, why have an NT? Just call them all A tiers and go about your day.

well said
The NT is a joke

I have been a proponent of regional events/qualifiers to earn your way to worlds
not just earning pts by playing every weekend