My Last APA Post

[Desperado]

The biggest problem besides rank ratings increased is rule change.

Riddle me this batman.....

if you play a game of 9 ball and break the rack and only 2 balls hit a rail and you scratch. and the LO rules that it is a re-rack and the other player gets to break.

the very next day the same situation arises and the LO now says the rule is its a re-rack and the same player gets to break. the game play is stopped and it is questioned to LO why the rule is now different and the responce is "i try to be consistant but this is how it is going to be".


is this not showing that something is up? acording to the rules not even a LO bylaw can change game play rules. but yet it happened.

seems like something is wrong here to just change the way the game is played on the fly

 

[APA Operator]

How about we admit that the rules are ridiculous? That is the fourth option. There need to be cut and dry, black and white, plain as day rules set by one main entity, and those are the rules that need to be adhered to by everyone. EVERYONE. No by-laws, no LO discretion on skill level changes, no nonsense. No "I felt like he was a 6, not a 4, so I upped him right before he was supposed to go to Vegas, now he can't go" kind of crap.

There's a reason everyone is complaining. Because it's not working.

My APA Operator, whose name is 9BallMarksman, completely turns a blind eye to the blatant sandbagging that's going on in his league. He is so corrupt it's a joke. All he cares about is the money - as long as you pay him, you can cheat as much as you want.

 

[APA Operator]

How about we admit that the rules are ridiculous? That is the fourth option. There need to be cut and dry, black and white, plain as day rules set by one main entity, and those are the rules that need to be adhered to by everyone. EVERYONE. No by-laws, no LO discretion on skill level changes, no nonsense. No "I felt like he was a 6, not a 4, so I upped him right before he was supposed to go to Vegas, now he can't go" kind of crap.

There's a reason everyone is complaining. Because it's not working.

By the way, that was option 1 in my earlier post - do nothing. Let people play way above their heads in the tournament. Still looking for option 4...

 

[Mike in MN]

By the way, that was option 1 in my earlier post - do nothing. Let people play way above their heads in the tournament. Still looking for option 4...

Option 4 was admitting that the rules are bogus, and LO's should have NO power over an individual's score. All scores should be calculated using standards set forth by the APA, and that is that. It's black and white. If someone wants to lose on purpose to keep their rating low, then so be it. Better than everyone losing on purpose AND accusing their LO's of being corrupt. At least this way eliminates one of the problems.

 

[APA Operator]

Option 4 was admitting that the rules are bogus, and LO's should have NO power over an individual's score. All scores should be calculated using standards set forth by the APA, and that is that. It's black and white. If someone wants to lose on purpose to keep their rating low, then so be it. Better than everyone losing on purpose AND accusing their LO's of being corrupt. At least this way eliminates one of the problems.

You don't get it, do you? Neither of the problems would be eliminated. The sandbagging will be blamed on the LO / APA, whether he (they) can do anything about it or not.

Are you saying that the LO having the authority to RAISE skill levels (but not LOWER them, we can't override the computer that direction) is bogus? I GUARANTEE you that we would be much worse off without that authority, and I GUARANTEE you that you would be in here yapping it up about how bogus it is that the LO is powerless to stop the sandbagging.

Your Option 4 and my Option 1 are one and the same. Do nothing. Yours is required and mine is by choice.

 

[Mike in MN]

You don't get it, do you? Neither of the problems would be eliminated. The sandbagging will be blamed on the LO / APA, whether he (they) can do anything about it or not.

Are you saying that the LO having the authority to RAISE skill levels (but not LOWER them, we can't override the computer that direction) is bogus? I GUARANTEE you that we would be much worse off without that authority, and I GUARANTEE you that you would be in here yapping it up about how bogus it is that the LO is powerless to stop the sandbagging.

Your Option 4 and my Option 1 are one and the same. Do nothing. Yours is required and mine is by choice.

It's clear to basically everyone that it's a flawed system, and by your own admission there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. So what, then? Drop a bomb on APA headquarters? Or you could just do like I do and avoid it like herpes.

 

[Desperado]

the system may be flawed and that i can live with. it is when the ethics of someone in charge is skewed and uses the flaws to help others and create a more flawed system.

 

[Snapshot9]

Lol

Notice how the handicaps can jump up, but never go down, no matter how you shoot!

It wasn't the APA but: I am an old money player, so many times in leagues, I get locked into a handicap because of it. The league operator simply says Scott you will never be below a 10 or 11? I can be above it, but never below it no matter how I actually shoot.

Well 14 years ago, I broke off an engagement to a woman that I loved a great deal and had went with for 2 years, and I shot like sh*t for a whole year after that. Nothing I could do could pull me out of the 'slump'!
But I still had my old handicap for when I had shot better before breaking up with her, the LO refused to lower my handicap.

Now, I am getting older, and not quite shooting the speed I used to play at, but somehow I never get rated lower than when I was playing my best years ago. Is that fair?

Anyone else ever have things like this happen to you?

 

[APA Operator]

It's clear to basically everyone that it's a flawed system, and by your own admission there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it. So what, then? Drop a bomb on APA headquarters? Or you could just do like I do and avoid it like herpes.

Wow, is that your version of "You're a lousy stinking softball player, Jack"?

I'm glad you agree that your suggestion changes nothing. Even more interesting is that you didn't dispute a thing from my previous post, but instead went straight to flawed system, drop a bomb, herpes.

Now, about that fourth option...

 

[APA Operator]

the system may be flawed and that i can live with. it is when the ethics of someone in charge is skewed and uses the flaws to help others and create a more flawed system.

Yeah, it does suck when those in charge have no integrity. APA franchisees can become ex-franchisees for doing stuff like that.

 

[justadub]

Notice how the handicaps can jump up, but never go down, no matter how you shoot!

Just to clarify, in the APA your handicap can go down, the point being made is that an LO cannot bring it down, they can only raise handicaps without the system doing it.

Admittedly, I haven't heard of any higher-level handicapped players "going down" once they get their higher handicap. (For 8-ball, being an SL6 or SL7) Below that level, players handicaps do seem to fluctuate both directions, at least around here.

But as I understand it, anyones handicap can go down as a result of continued poor results. I assume one of the LO's that post here will come on in and clarify that part of the argument.

 

[daphish1]

The biggest problem with the flucuations with handicaps is that I can have a really bad game and my handicap won't change (talking APA 9ball).

I have one really good game, and I'm now raised up a skill level. There's no evaluation that the opponent gave me ball in hand 6 times during the match, so really because of my opponents bad play, I get raised up in skill level.

 

[justadub]

The biggest problem with the flucuations with handicaps is that I can have a really bad game and my handicap won't change (talking APA 9ball).

I have one really good game, and I'm now raised up a skill level. There's no evaluation that the opponent gave me ball in hand 6 times during the match, so really because of my opponents bad play, I get raised up in skill level.

You know, that is a good point. I don't know why they couldn't have a column BIH, for Ball In Hand, and use that in their calculations as well. It really wouldn't add any burden to score keeping, it's black & white and shouldn't happen all that often.

I'm sure it has been considered in the past, so I'm curious why it hasn't been utilized.