Okay, listen.
I love this sport. I love how quirky a lot of it is, I like that it's not perfect, and I like that we still have lots of room to figure it out/change it/experiment.
But as I nestle in to my understanding of leagues and championships, I am beginning to get a nagging feeling that the confusion I have around the whole derned process isn't just because I'm not very smart. I think--maybe--this whole qualification system is a bit off.
WHY DOES IATC QUALIFICATION FOR ROUND 2 IT ALL COME DOWN TO ONE DAY OF THROWING?
I still get a thrill out of qualifying for round 1. It's fun! It's an achievement! It's a chance to throw a whole bunch! But taking a step back from that, it doesn't make a whole lotta sense.
Reader note: I don't want any of you to think that I have a grand treatise to lay out, here, on why the Round 1 qualification system is nonsense. I don't. I am figuring out my thoughts as I'm writing. It's an adventure we're going on together. Ms. Frizzle style. Also I recognize that there are some ways that people can qualify for round 2 outside of round 1 throwing. I get it. Slow your roll.
Like, why does the entirety of our year's throwing come down to a single day of non-standard throwing? How is that the measurement? What if I simply had an off day during Round 1? Or I broke my throwing hand? Or if that's the day I get activated as a sleeper agent for WATL? It just seems to put a lot of pressure on a single moment in time rather than my cumulative performance over a year (which, I reckon, is a hell of a better measurement on my ability as a thrower than anything else).
But lo, what is this I hear? Why, it's the "you didn't think of this, did yah, buddy" shouting of Clutchy, the voice of the people!
Well, I get your point. There is the issue of a few powerful axe houses having really impressive throwers.
NOTE TO FUTURE SELF: WRITE DUNE FAN FICTION BUT WITH AXE HOUSES INSTEAD OF NOBLE HOUSES. CLUTCHSATZ TOUCHERACH.
But hear me out: chances are if you're in the top 100 of our sport, you're gonna do just fine in Round 1. BUT LET'S SAY YOU ARE A TOP 100 THROWER AND YOU DON'T DO JUST FINE. Now you've had a year where you dominated your leagues, and you're just out of luck? I mean, being a mediocre thrower myself, that doesn't bother me so much, but still--probably be pretty upsetting for a skilled person.
Actually, let me just say it plain: I'm not considering top throwers at all. They are gonna do fine no matter how qualifications change. I'm talking about the rest of us. Not those elites with their gold-plated PBR cans and their designer chalk bags.
I feel like having everything come down to 75 throws (+15 big axe throws) kinda cheapens the value of a year's worth of work and improvement.
I mean. You got me there. I guess IF we did some sort of overall average or something instead of round 1, it would favor someone who only threw enough to qualify and had a high average, or someone who could afford to do all the axing and thereby built up a strong average, theoretically. Shut up, Clutchy.
I don't have an answer here (surprise), but I do think it's an odd way to go about it, and I'd love to know the benefits from a big-brain stance. Because, friend, I don't have that big brain thinking.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE STATES > REGIONALS > NATIONALS > WORLDS
Again, I haven't thought through this more than typing that subhead, but here's me arguing with myself:
Pros:
A clear line from year start to championship
More people get to compete overall
Less confusing process that doesn't hinge on a single day of throwing
Cons:
People probably don't have time to attend 4 bigtime tourneys - or at least not everyone could manage that.
Seems expensive.
No real proof this would allow more people to get involved in anything, as high-performing axe houses could wipe out every other axe house in their state/region.
Okay, I talked myself out of that being the only solution. But man I'd really like for this to be the case. If only because I think it'd be fun.
MAYBE THIS IS WHERE WE COULD USE COLLINS RATINGS?
I'm just kidding. I only use my Collins rating to impress people who have no idea what it means.
Anyway, I guess I'm really just pleading for someone to explain to me why the current setup for IATC makes the most sense out of every possible qualification/world championship path. And I don't mean that as a challenge. I honest-to-god don't get it, and I want to.
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