Hmmmmmm. Where to begin.
When it comes to the girls at the regional level who bought into the apparent bull-poo that the WPBA outlined for them who have since been screwed over, the WPBA definitely went FULL RETARD! WOW! I will never understand it. Talk about ignorant.
WHAT A JOKE!!!
Now, about the other stuff.
I feel that true double elimination is a good thing.
When they started that redraw crap, so they could have a varied assortment of winners, it effectively stopped Allison's dominance.
I wonder how many times since it was implemented, that a player with no losses, lost to someone with a loss.
It was a stupid gimmick, glad they did away with it.
With the field being dropped to 48, i would assume that the top 16 will be getting byes again, and that the WPBA will not have to go down the list of regional tour rankings, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc etc till they FINALLY get someone willing to show up just so the chart is filled.
It's probably better for their overall product.
As for the qualification process.
I kind of think that the top regional tour player is an ok idea. Couple of things though. Not every tour is of the same strength, so a #1 ranked player on this tour, might be a TOMATO CAN that blows at pool on a different tour.
In that sense, the RTC was a good idea because it strived to eliminate the filler that might show up and they could duke it out and let the cream rise to the top.
BUUTTT, the problem with that is that the RTC is a one time deal.
It doesn't allow for the bum match or luck, and basically is asking for everyone to show up and give it their best shot, when that isn't what the final rankings of the regional tours represent.
The final rankings of regional tours represents a much longer period of time, where someone could have a crappy tournament, and still manage to keep their rank overall. When you put everyones chips into one tournament, if someone has a bad tournament, or fate is decidedly against them with the rolls, there is no way to recover. Game over.
Ideally, if one wanted to do an RTC, it should be a season of tournaments, with just the top ranked girls from each tour participating, to see what pecking order is established, but that is just completely unrealistic in todays world.
I will also say that i think it's a good thing that they went back to individual spots for specific events.
Gives the girl who might want to qualify for a tournament she knows she can make or wants to play in, a chance to win her entry without the hassle of having to play all year long to maintain a rank.
Only problem at the regional level is if the regional tour allows pros.
With the individual spots, and with the overall ranking, the principle is the same.
It has been discussed several times over the years, but if you are allowing pros to slaughter the non pros in regional tours, you aren't really allowing for those girls to determine their individual ranking/pecking order.
Their ranking, and those individual spots that would be earned, are determined more so by the luck of the draw, then someone's ability.
I'm sure that someone will argue that tours like that toughen the girls up, which is TRUE, but that has no bearing on the outcome, when some great player, gets knocked to the one loss side in the first round by a world champ, EVERY TOURNAMENT.
Think i covered it all.
My condolences to the regional tour players that got pooped on by the WPBA.
They definitely need an explanation that isn't a total load of garbage.
If i were the WPBA at the very least, they could hold a RTC and invite everyone they were originally going to, and only give away the number of spots as there are regional tours. (which would be the same number as if they took each #1)
That way, they are at least giving them a shot at it, and not just stepping on them like someone putting out a cigarette.
