Well, Kenny, I'm not going to call you any names, but you're just wrong. It has been my opinion (shared by most on the circuit, I believe) for several years that CBCI questions, even NCT-level ones, are lousy at separating the good teams from the medicore, let alone the good from the great. They're fine for beginners, but are certainly no way to determine any national champion. Matches at CBI RCT are essentially reflex tests, and between two even semi-competent teams are often little better than coin flips. The increasing paucity of strong teams in the CBI NCT field is a result of many factors, frustration with the above conditions being only one of them. Other factors include money issues and irritation with CBI's NCT personnel and/or bureaucratic requirements. The majority of the field this year at CBI NCT would likely finish below .500 at an average invitational, even if CBI questions were used at that invitational and if CBI's restrictions on team composition were used. (And this would probably hold true even if the many upsets of circuit teams by once-a-year schools in several RCTs did not happen.) Of the academic national championships, CBI, even if it may be the most sought after over time, most historic, and best known to the outside world, is in this community clearly the least valid and least impressive. I apologize for my pessimisim and general curmudgeonness (sp?). But I am angry that any quizbowler would publicly declare that it is unreasonable and/or ignorant for me to consider the CBI championship to be anything other than the lowest of the national championships. Kenny Peskin
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