<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><br><div><div>On Jun 1, 2017, at 10:24 AM, Raymond Miller <<a href="mailto:raysmiller@gmail.com">raysmiller@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">I am one of the passionate small core group that loves the BAM. However , as a board member, it is not my job to support an event that is clearly losing interest. Those attendance figures tell a big story, and I can only see them dropping further after this weekend. I have talked with many players, some of whom did not attend the event on Monday, specifically because it was board-a-match. The general consensus I have been hearing, is "we would have played Swiss". <div><br></div><div>So I conclude that this event has run its course. I can't think of any good reasons to continue it for now. I will support retiring the event and putting the Swiss back in place. To quote one member of the unit "A tournament without a 2 session Swiss is unacceptable". </div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div>As for Fast Pairs, as an alternative for people who don't want to play Swiss, maybe. but can we really support to events? As a replacement for Swiss, I think this would be highly unpopular. The 2 session Swiss is an event that many expect to see on our schedule. </div></div></blockquote><div><br></div>This makes sense to me. My only question is why are there 2 single-session 0-200 Swiss instead of a 2-session event?</div><div><br></div><div>I agree that the start times for Saturday and Sunday should have been earlier, perhaps even morning/afternoon rather than afternoon/evening as there are many people who don't like driving after dark.</div><div><br></div><div>I don't like leaving out the 0-200 pairs game, folding them into the 0-750. A stratified 0-200 game gives the newcomer a better chance of getting some Masterpoints, and perhaps not feeling intimidated playing against stronger players. My wife was very happy to win the 0-5 bracket of an I/N game at the last Atlanta NABC getting a section top trophy. About 45% of the Unit members are in the 0-200 bracket, 25% in the 200-750, and 30% over 750. I don't know how this breaks out for members who play in Sectionals now, but I would guess that fewer of the 0-200 players are playing tournaments. I do know that the Friday morning games at Eastside, the 0-200 section is usually larger then the Open (thanks Alan Tesler :-).</div><div><img apple-inline="yes" id="01B69398-01F5-4617-9203-119C633DB825" height="345" width="631" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:94D1B217-7BAC-4FEC-B8C6-0E229D514B33@mi.celestial.com"></div><br></body></html>