Miami Nice?
The 3rd (of 4) rated leagues I play in, WAKA, has decided to change its format for the playoffs this season and it's rather odd. And it all ends in Miami in the summer!
Every single team in WAKA can now play in the regional playoffs - all of them. As long as you slap down an unknown (somewhere between $100 and $500) deposit and register by the end of May. The deposit is to insure that teams will show up, which I guess is good. But if you are worried about teams showing up, why allow just anyone to enter in the first place?
My many kickball years have taught me that the teams that show up, with a good number of people all season, are generally the serious ones and the ones who want to win. Years past in WAKA these teams have been rewarded for showing up and playing well each week by being granted a coveted division champs or wild card spot in the regional playoffs. Now, there is nothing special about getting in, is there?
It's good that all teams in a division or conference or whatever (depending on which league you play in) makes the playoffs within their sphere of influence. This keeps everyone coming out to the games and bar and socializing, but it really makes no sense to do it on a national level. Why not just do away with seasons altogether and have a whole two or three months of just teams barnstorming and playing each other? The season's seem useless (like the NHL and NBA) now. I know if my team wins the division and gets beaten by some 0-7 team that decided to be in the Regionals I'll be less than happy. It's no longer a reward for accomplishment to me if anyone can get in.
Then, to make matters worse, the championship rounds are in Miami in JULY! WTF?! I understand wanting to promote a growing kickball area, but the base of operations and something like 45 of 80 divisions are in the DC area, why move all of these teams to Florida? And who can pay for this? I don't begrudge WAKA making money, but making players pay what would be an easy $200-700 to play for the President's Cup is a bit too much (even for a kickball dork). I'm sure there is some money involved for WAKA which is why this move was made, but can the teams get a little help? How about a stipend for at least the division champs out of the $60-65 dues we pay so the team can go to Miami to play? I wouldn't hold my breath for that.
I know the argument from Miami 'ballers about them having to come here, but this is where it all started and where most of the teams are. Anyway, I think a better strategy would be to just have state or regional champs anyway, it's not like being the "World Kickball Champions" means anything really (although this is trademarked by WAKA). I brought this up to another WAKA player who retorted that while that's true, the MLB champs are not really the world champs either but they are called that and move around for their championship game. Okay, if I can get paid $1-2,000,000 a year to play kickball, I'll head to Miami without whining. Until then, this stinks.
Luckily, the other leagues are here for all of their games, so I guess I'll have to settle for that. Just don't follow WAKA's lead on this guys, PLEASE!
I'm out...
PS Thanks to BOTH NAKID and DC Kickball for the links on your sites.
Every single team in WAKA can now play in the regional playoffs - all of them. As long as you slap down an unknown (somewhere between $100 and $500) deposit and register by the end of May. The deposit is to insure that teams will show up, which I guess is good. But if you are worried about teams showing up, why allow just anyone to enter in the first place?
My many kickball years have taught me that the teams that show up, with a good number of people all season, are generally the serious ones and the ones who want to win. Years past in WAKA these teams have been rewarded for showing up and playing well each week by being granted a coveted division champs or wild card spot in the regional playoffs. Now, there is nothing special about getting in, is there?
It's good that all teams in a division or conference or whatever (depending on which league you play in) makes the playoffs within their sphere of influence. This keeps everyone coming out to the games and bar and socializing, but it really makes no sense to do it on a national level. Why not just do away with seasons altogether and have a whole two or three months of just teams barnstorming and playing each other? The season's seem useless (like the NHL and NBA) now. I know if my team wins the division and gets beaten by some 0-7 team that decided to be in the Regionals I'll be less than happy. It's no longer a reward for accomplishment to me if anyone can get in.
Then, to make matters worse, the championship rounds are in Miami in JULY! WTF?! I understand wanting to promote a growing kickball area, but the base of operations and something like 45 of 80 divisions are in the DC area, why move all of these teams to Florida? And who can pay for this? I don't begrudge WAKA making money, but making players pay what would be an easy $200-700 to play for the President's Cup is a bit too much (even for a kickball dork). I'm sure there is some money involved for WAKA which is why this move was made, but can the teams get a little help? How about a stipend for at least the division champs out of the $60-65 dues we pay so the team can go to Miami to play? I wouldn't hold my breath for that.
I know the argument from Miami 'ballers about them having to come here, but this is where it all started and where most of the teams are. Anyway, I think a better strategy would be to just have state or regional champs anyway, it's not like being the "World Kickball Champions" means anything really (although this is trademarked by WAKA). I brought this up to another WAKA player who retorted that while that's true, the MLB champs are not really the world champs either but they are called that and move around for their championship game. Okay, if I can get paid $1-2,000,000 a year to play kickball, I'll head to Miami without whining. Until then, this stinks.
Luckily, the other leagues are here for all of their games, so I guess I'll have to settle for that. Just don't follow WAKA's lead on this guys, PLEASE!
I'm out...
PS Thanks to BOTH NAKID and DC Kickball for the links on your sites.
posted by Kickball Homer at
5/12/2006 06:04:00 PM
2 Comments:
amen. it's even worse that teams have only a month or less to prepare for the trip -- i know waka has a travel agency that they recommend teams work with. but i am skeptical a good deal will come from that.
will more of the very limited division funds go to help your team pay its way to the finals? will the divisions of my left foot and kick asphault have their parties limited because of helping their winning teams fly to florida for a weekend? it really sucks for the guys and gals in those divsions who play kickball for the beer.
By
Anonymous, at 6:36 PM
A flipside argument from the West Coast:
Based on my count of the WAKA regions on the Web site, it's more like 55 out of 140 Divisions are based in the DC/VA/MD area. Which still means that the vast majority of Divisions are outside of that area. WAKA Kickball might have started out as a regional thing, but it's now national - and that's certainly the way that WAKA sells it to prospective players.
There are two "World Championships" a year (which goes against anything I've ever heard, but I digress), so why not spread the love and keep one tournament in DC and move another one to different places around the country - hopefully, so it's easier for people in the West Coast or Midwest to attend?
Of course, being WAKA, they managed to screw even that up by moving the Founders Cup to Miami, which is actually more inconvenient for teams on the West Coast.
My understanding is that GameTime Management is actually plugged into the same network as Orbitz/Expedia/etc., so you aren't getting any more of a discount on airfare than you would doing it youself. They do reserve blocks of hotel rooms in advance, to avoid sell-outs, and you can somehow put your trip on layaway, but a) the system is so confusing I don't know how that works and b) I can't imagine a scenario where putting a trip on layaway doesn't make a $500 trip cost $1,000, and somehow WAKA isn't benefiting from this.
Grumble grumble grumble...
If anyone wants to come out to Los Angeles for a non-WAKA tournament, we're glad to host.
By
The Duke of Everything, at 4:54 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home