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Weekend of Quizbowl Goodness?
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:33 pm
by DumbJaques
I wanted to gauge interest in a high school quiz event DACQ might be trying to put together sometime in the coming year. Essentially, it will be modeled after the Chicago Open (in structure, not questions. . . yikes): There would be (certainly) a regular, academic tournament on Saturday. There would also be another tournament Sunday, which might be a different format, have slightly different eligibility rules, be trash (unlikely), or be a continuation of the Saturday event. Saturday evening would feature a special event, perhaps a singles tournament. Friday might also feature a similar evening event, if it works out for the majority of teams.
The goal of the weekend would be to draw a major field not usually seen pre-nationals. The date would be highly flexible to allow for the ideal field, so it could be anytime from November-April, though I'd be leaning toward before February. The event would be aimed at giving teams the maximum amount of games against like competition - at least one of the main tournaments would certainly feature a "nationals" and "cindarella" bracket a la Patriot Games. I'm also inclined to do a power-bracketed playoff structure, but that's another discussion. Essentially, this event would be the cure for the "X team hasn't really been seen against Y or Z teams" prognostications, and would give everyone a better picture of the amount of work that will need to be done by June (another reason I'd be inclined to hold it earlier rather than much later). Also, this tournament would like be held somewhere in the DC-Metro area, though just where is entirely up in the air.
What I'd like to know is:
-Would your team be interested, theoretically? Would your team be interested, practically? If no, what are the obstacles?
-Would teams from your region be interested, particularly the ones that don't read the board, and might they be persuaded to come?
-What kind of events would you like to see? This includes the exact nature of the Sunday tournament, and the 1-2 evening events we might have.
-Is the prospect of needing to be there Friday night and not leaving until Sunday afternoon prohibitive?
-(optional) What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Feel free to respond in to respond in the thread, and/or to email me at <
[email protected]>
PS
Sign up for a DACQ subscription today!
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:51 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
-Would your team be interested, theoretically?
Absolutely
Would your team be interested, practically?
Probably not if it is more than 250 out of Missouri
If no, what are the obstacles?
Missouri has a retarded rule saying we can't go more than 250 miles away from Missouri.
-Would teams from your region be interested, particularly the ones that don't read the board, and might they be persuaded to come?
Savannah and Liberty might, although I highly doubt they will be top caliber teams next year in terms of nationals.
-What kind of events would you like to see? This includes the exact nature of the Sunday tournament, and the 1-2 evening events we might have.
Trash on sunday, but let's make it amalgamous. As in, anyone can make any team. Subject area competitions that are solo or duo seem pretty cool for evening events.
-Is the prospect of needing to be there Friday night and not leaving until Sunday afternoon prohibitive?
Unless we drive, no it's not. If we do, we have to deal with the rule in Missouri that we can't miss more than 2 days (or partial days) for quiz bowl travel.
-(optional) What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Brie, all the way. It's like 50000 times better if you melt it, though.
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:15 pm
by aestheteboy
Sounds like a lot of fun. We'll definitely go to the regular tournament on Saturday. It's unlikely that we attend the other tournament/s as a team (because of Whipple) but I'll probably go if it's singles or doubles.
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:17 pm
by DumbJaques
Only two people posted in this thread, they both play for high school teams, and one of the voted the comedy "I'm not associated with high school qb" option. Die Chuckles.
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:23 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
Missed the poll
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:24 pm
by The Atom Strikes!
I'd enjoy it, but I don't know what my coach or the rest of my team thinks. What is the DACQ format like?
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:09 pm
by Gonzagapuma1
We definitely would be interested Chris and would probably go both days especially if it was at or near UMD.
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:16 pm
by DumbJaques
DACQ (check my signature for the website) normally sells 20/20 pyramidal packets as part of a subscription package as practice questions. Though we would be organizing, running, sponsoring, and editing packets for this event, we might use some amalgam of college junior birds (or maybe packet submission, but that's going to be optional if it manifests itself in any form) and other questions to make a challenging but high school-level tournament set of pyramidal tossup/bonus questions.
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:24 pm
by Howard
While I'm not familiar with the structure of the Chicago Open beyond the fact that I suspect it's standard 20 tu-bonus, we're interested in just about anything that's involves academic questions, use of a buzzer, and some sort of team element. I cannot imagine the tournament would not fit that bill. As for the alterative tournament on Sunday, I'd need to hear more about it. I can say that player availability varies, so we may not have the same players both days.
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 1:18 pm
by DumbJaques
To further clarify - everything would be pyramidal tossup-bonus, except for any singles or doubles events, which would likely be all tossups. When I said "Sunday may be a different format," that just meant that it's totally open to what people want to do: Different kinds of pyramidal questions (20/20, NAQT, PACE), a continuation of the Saturday tournament, a trash tournament, maybe an open high school event, doubles, who knows. I'll leave that up to the masses, but you can be sure the questions will be good.
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:27 pm
by Youse Da Force
DumbJaques wrote:I'll leave that up to the masses, but you can be sure the questions will be good.
This could be interesting. I'd like to see you make good OAC questions. Only Mr. Bindis and Bob have done it.
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:26 am
by Gonzagapuma1
Dude this tournament's gonna own. Two full days of good questions???? plus really good teams. if anyone is thinking of coming up to a dc event this would be it.
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:33 am
by DumbJaques
I'm hearing birds say that February is a good prospective month to hold such an event (specifically, maybe like the second week). If this sounds good/bad to you, please let me know.
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:32 am
by BobGHHS
We definitely could not do February. There is just about a tournament every weekend in Ohio in February.
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:31 am
by MahoningQuizBowler
Including a two-day, Presidents Day Weekend NAQT/PACE event in Solon (near Cleveland).
Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:44 pm
by brownboy79
Those are some smart birds.
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:27 pm
by DumbJaques
At the moment, we have numerous ideas (and are still taking suggestions) for the structure of the weekend. As for dates, we are looking at the following:
January 19-20
February 16-17
March 8-9
I am interested in maximizing the quality field. Specifically, I'd like out of town (and local) teams who would be interested in the top-level competition I expect this tournament to draw to email me at
[email protected] and, if possible, give availability feedback for each of the dates. Other date suggestions (nothing is fixed at all yet) or other suggestions/questions are also welcome.
Again, some possible ideas for the weekend are:
-NAQT Tournament/Pace or college-style (hs questions, of course) tournament on Saturday/Sunday respectively.
-One continuous college-style tournament, over a two day period.
-One standard academic tournament, another completely crazy tournament involving open teams (can be composed of any combination of people), or trash tournament (don't vote for trash).
-Evening singles tournament
-Evening trash tournament
-Another subject area-specific evening tournament
Anyone who emails me is encouraged to offer opinions on this, as well.
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:46 pm
by geekjohnson
Whatever the choice is, UA would be very interested in hosting a mirror of said event.
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:22 pm
by DumbJaques
I am undecided on mirrors for this tournament. For one, my goal is to draw as many top teams as possible to a central event to allow everyone the best picture of where they are/where they want to be come nationals. Second, it may or may not involve culling questions from other collegiate sets, which makes mirrors quite confusing. I'll let you know when we have a better idea of the details, but one main purpose would be to draw teams that otherwise wouldn't get to play each other and give them the maximum number of games against each other. I think that's what the top teams want.
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:35 pm
by BuzzerZen
I imagine Academic Initiative would be happy to sell you the PACE set we're going to be writing for 2008 for this.
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:45 pm
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
But it's a Chris Ray production!!
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:49 am
by Byko
BuzzerZen wrote:I imagine Academic Initiative would be happy to sell you the PACE set we're going to be writing for 2008 for this.
It would be a possibility, but it's almost certain that Gonzaga will be using our PACE set in February. But I do like the business plug, Evan!
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:17 pm
by BuzzerZen
Always happy to do some marketing, Dave.
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:00 am
by Matthew D
If you have a mirror at U of A, then Scottsboro would be interested. The other might not be possible for us due to out of state travel..
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 5:53 pm
by Blackboard Monitor Vimes
MLWGS would probably be interested in attending; Dr. Barnes announced that the team itself will be more active in choosing which tournaments we go to. We've gone to overnights before, so it probably wouldn't be too much of a problem. And I'm sure Quint probably misses you.
-Sarah Angelo
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:45 pm
by aestheteboy
MLWGS-Gir wrote:And I'm sure Quint probably misses you.
I didn't know Quint was like that . . .
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:31 pm
by The Toad to Wigan Pier
aestheteboy wrote:MLWGS-Gir wrote:And I'm sure Quint probably misses you.
I didn't know Quint was like that . . .
One night at PACE, all of us went in the girls' room to watch a movie. During which one of Annalisa's younger sisters called the room and at the same time Quint was talking. The sister hearing Quint in the background, asks, "Is there a man in the room?", to which Annalisa replies, "It's not a man, it's Quint!"
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:09 pm
by DumbJaques
Here are the updates on this:
It will definitely be going down. As for dates, it's going to be in either February or March (emails from interested teams noting which of those 8ish weekends are doable/not doable are appreciated). Whatever gives this weekend the best field, that's what we'll go with. It will likely be somewhere in the state of Maryland, perhaps the University of Maryland.
It will definitely feature divisions based on whether or not teams have qualified for nationals. Requests to move up/down based on issues like lineups, a weird confluence of factors leading to a team not qualifying, etc., will be entertained, though our purpose in the divisions is to give teams a high number of games versus like competition, which tends to be the best kind of game experience.
To that end, we're probably going with the following structure:
Saturday: Tournament will feature at least 10 games in mACF style (20 tossups/bonuses, though they'll likely have powers). What set this comes from is still up in the air - I'm waiting to hear back from Brown about using EFT, but there are lots of juniorbirds out there for first or second year college questions that would be easily appropriate.
Saturday Evening: Singles event, likely using the same questions as Saturday. If there's a significant demand, we can always make this an open doubles (can form a team of two with anyone), so I'll leave that up to the masses.
Sunday: Most likely an event structured like Saturday, though probably using NAQT questions to make sure the weekend is a prep for both nationals (note: just assume you already made the joke about using Chip/Panasonic/whatever questions and skip the post).
Teams that have expressed interest:
Governor's
Richard Montgomery
Gonzaga
Thomas Jefferson (well, not directly, but come on, like they wouldn't come, it's in MD)
MLK
State College
Walter Johnson
Garfield Heights
"North Kansas City United Quizbowl Association"
Hunter
East Lansing
Whitman
Wayzata
Culver Academies
Eden Prairie
New Trier
Dunbar (IM SORRY PAPA PLEASE FORGIVE ME)
Chattahoochee
Dorman
Wilmington Charter
Stuyvesant
Several others as well. If your team is interested, please email me/post in this thread (if you email me, please give me some date info). Once I get the questions lined up and get a good date idea, we'll formally announce the tournament.
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:17 pm
by jonah
Speaking in no way on behalf of my team (New Trier), I'd love to go if it's possible. I'm just about to email Reinstein to ask. Unless he's reading this, in which case, Reinstein, whatcha think?
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:29 am
by aestheteboy
I think a lot of the participants would like to see a subject tournament happen on the friday evening. If anyone can write a subject tournament for this weekend, it'd be great.
However, if there is sufficient interest but no one steps up to write, I am willing to try and write a lit tournament. Hopefully, someone who has more experience will help me edit so that the packets won't suck.
So, can anyone write for this event? And would the likely participants be able to play on the friday evening?
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:41 am
by BuzzerZen
I can try to write an art since 1900 tournament, but I have no idea who would be liable to pay for such a thing. I might save it for CO or something.
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:58 am
by Gonzagapuma1
I would pay.
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:05 am
by DumbJaques
There will be a 0/0 "awful modern artists that only evan likes" distribution at this tournament.
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:56 pm
by gonzagaeagleahy
DumbJaques wrote:There will be a 0/0 "awful modern artists that only evan likes" distribution at this tournament.
Yay
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:56 pm
by RSido
this sounds interesting, to be sure.
New National?
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:48 am
by Zip Zap Rap Pants
DumbJaques wrote:
Governor's
Richard Montgomery
Gonzaga
Thomas Jefferson (well, not directly, but come on, like they wouldn't come, it's in MD)
MLK
State College
Walter Johnson
Garfield Heights
"North Kansas City United Quizbowl Association"
Hunter
East Lansing
Whitman
Wayzata
Culver Academies
Eden Prairie
New Trier
Several others as well.
This just in, Panasonic has decided to drop its sponsorship of the PAC and the Polk County School Board, instead becoming a DACQ sponsor. Also,
has mysteriously vanished, leaving behind a letter covered in tears in which he admits to fudging games, points shaving (with guidance from Tim Donaghy), whoring himself out to Texaco, paying for cheap imported vodka/women, seducing Brad Rutter, sponsoring an inferior "championship" to get a buzz, and general dickery, concluding that reading about this weekend of quizbowl goodness is what finally broke him down and that this is the only possible legitimate national championship besides HSNCT and NSC, and goodbye, cruel world!
Seriously though, for gathering such an impressive field for a regular season multi-day tournament, Chris Ray deserves some sort of quizbowl peace prize medal. Or at least a future donation of one of the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year awards the Orioles' Chris Ray is bound to win one day...
(OH SNAP I JUST FOUND OUT
THAT CHRIS RAY WENT TO WILLIAM & MARY!!!111
) ...ok it's not that cool but at least it provided for gleeful, FTW-type surprise.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:06 am
by aestheteboy
He said teams that have expressed interest, and not teams who have already paid the airfare . . . but yeah, if the field is any where near that, the weekend would be really awesome.
Also, I probably am going to write a lit singles event, unless someone has a better idea than "art since 1900."
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:09 pm
by BuzzerZen
DumbJaques wrote:What set this comes from is still up in the air - I'm waiting to hear back from Brown about using EFT, but there are lots of juniorbirds out there for first or second year college questions that would be easily appropriate.
EFT probably wouldn't be a good idea, as William and Mary's EFT mirror is planning on having a high school division.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:18 pm
by Frater Taciturnus
BuzzerZen wrote:DumbJaques wrote:What set this comes from is still up in the air - I'm waiting to hear back from Brown about using EFT, but there are lots of juniorbirds out there for first or second year college questions that would be easily appropriate.
EFT probably wouldn't be a good idea, as William and Mary's EFT mirror is planning on having a high school division.
That's only if enough HS teams sign up to make it worth having one. If gov and/or TJ are the only ones who come, They'll probably just get lumped in with everyone else.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:23 pm
by Mike Bentley
I'd think that ACF Fall would probably be a good question set to use. As far as I know there aren't high school teams playing in any of those tournaments (especially because the local sites haven't been announced yet).
Of course you'd have to okay it with ACF first.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:41 pm
by Zip Zap Rap Pants
dsfcaptains2005 wrote:BuzzerZen wrote:DumbJaques wrote:What set this comes from is still up in the air - I'm waiting to hear back from Brown about using EFT, but there are lots of juniorbirds out there for first or second year college questions that would be easily appropriate.
EFT probably wouldn't be a good idea, as William and Mary's EFT mirror is planning on having a high school division.
That's only if enough HS teams sign up to make it worth having one. If gov and/or TJ are the only ones who come, They'll probably just get lumped in with everyone else.
George is right, the HS division is in jeopardy of not existing because of the big SAT date (and the previous weekend of 9/29 was impossible since we'd have almost no staffers available, it's family weekend). Sophomores and Freshmen wouldn't be affected by SAT's, but then teams might be hesitant to send the newbies to a tournament using college questions, unless it's MLW or TJ, as you said. So far I've gotten interest from about 3 schools, and one of them only later realized it's an SAT date so that one probably won't come. We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out in September, but I hope we have enough for a HS division.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:12 pm
by brownboy79
Chris. I am insulted that you haven't put Dunbar on the list. Just for that, we're not coming. Please add my email address to all of this conversation about the dates. Thanks. Loserface.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:07 pm
by grapesmoker
BuzzerZen wrote:EFT probably wouldn't be a good idea, as William and Mary's EFT mirror is planning on having a high school division.
It also may not be such a hot idea because it's a tournament that's happening in September and is going to be available afterwards.
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:09 am
by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
Yeah plus some player from the North Kansas City United Quizbowl Association told me they were considering dropping in one of the EFT mirrors maybe.
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:34 pm
by DumbJaques
Perhaps another set then. Off the top of my head, I'd say most juniorbirds and ACF fall would be appropriate. My emails to
[email protected] bounced back, who should I email about that?
Any other tournament recommendations are appreciated. Also, please keep emailing me with date information.
As for the literature tournament, Ted Gioia has expressed a desire to run the event. Currently, the only slot that's really open is Friday night. I know this would work for local teams and probably for teams flying in, but those driving might not be able to make it. If this is prohibitive for you, let me know. There will be other chances to run a literature tournament, but I'd like to fit it in here if we can.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:04 am
by DumbJaques
Dates we are considering:
Feb 2
Feb 16 - Could Solon confirm if their tournament is on this date?
Feb 23 (if VHSL states causes this to be a conflict for you please let me know)
March 8 (Raleigh Charter's tournament, I believe. . . )
March 15
March 22
March 29
If any of those dates have conflicts, please let me know.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:15 am
by DrakeRQB
February 2 is the Robinson Invitational near Charlotte.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:10 pm
by Gautam
Eden Prairie HS, MN is going to host a Pop-culture (trash) tournament on the 23rd of February. A formal announcement will be made soon, but we are extending our invitation to out of state teams this year. We don't really know what kind of crowd we're going to expect, since it's only the second year we're doing it.
<shameless advertising>
So, if teams from around the midwest (or anywhere, really) are interested in a trash tournament, keep your eyes and ears open for that announcement.
</shameless advertising>
But yeah, if a lot of people are interested in that, you might want a different date, i s'pose.
Thanks,
Gautam Kandlikar
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:23 pm
by Mike Bentley
If it was on March 29th there would be a possibility of combining this tournament with the Maryland Spring Classic Tournament, thereby creating questions for this tournament.
Any earlier and it probably wouldn't be doable.
By the way, I think that it's pretty likely that NAQT Sectionals will be in the middle of February, so you have to keep that in mind if you're looking to find people to staff the tournament.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:35 pm
by aestheteboy
Steroid McBlooddoper wrote:If it was on March 29th there would be a possibility of combining this tournament with the Maryland Spring Classic Tournament, thereby creating questions for this tournament.
I always prefer two tournaments to one . . .
You probably won't be able to accomodate everyone in the country. WJ usually has a tournament around this time, but to make things easy for you, we'll pick a date after you choose the most convenient one.