Why I Like It

• From: Durham_Devil
• Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 13:38:07 -0700
• Message-ID: <000SF4ETF.000SF2836.12170551-quizbowl_at_...>

Here are the advantages as I see them. You may
not think they're advantages, in which case I'd love
to debate it:

* More teams are alive longer.
All 42 teams can go to bed Friday thinking they're
still alive. And 75% of the teams enter afternoon play
optimistic, as opposed to a mere 14%.

* An extra round
for everyone in the top 32. Each team that makes the
SE portion is guaranteed 16 and not 15 matches. The
lower teams are still guaranteed 15.

* A bonus
power match sacrifices a random match. This (as I said)
means more games against teams you match well
with.

* No formulas or such sort. You enter play knowing
EXACTLY how to have a shot to win it all -- i.e., finish
first or second on Friday night, or finish in the upper
portion of your Saturday morning bracket. The difference
between qualifying and not qualifying isn't a bye game or
a lucky draw -- it's actually winning or
losing.

* No meeting a team three times. Unless the two of
you make the final, the most you can do is a single
rematch -- and by then, you're probably even enough to
deserve the rematch.

Now, to pre-empt some
possible criticisms:

* If every bracket were ideal,
the cutoff would result in all teams 4-7 or better
still being alive. So you HAVE to earn your way
in.

* The winning team's minimal record is 10-8 --
still above .500.

* The fact that Friday matches
can mean a lot is compensated for by the fact that it
can only get you in -- not keep you out.

*
Single-elim does mean that one bad game can eliminate you.
However, judging from the amount of time it's been around
in the NCAA tournament and the results there, the
chances of a team wholly undeserving winning the
tournament are slim and none. Furthermore, this 32-team
single elim has been used by ASCN/Lake Forest at the
high school level for about 12 years, and the lowest
seed to make their final was an 11.

Anyway, I
hope this helps add to the debate. Discuss as you
will. I'm in favor of this system, and would be no
matter who proposed it, simply because I prefer more
teams rather than fewer being alive longer.

Andy
Goss