General Category => USBC Tournament => Topic started by: Dogtown on December 30, 2011, 03:41:23 AM
Title: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Dogtown on December 30, 2011, 03:41:23 AM
Got our confirmations for Baton Rouge this week. We got our 8pm team squad for Saturday, but they gave us the 11:30pm doubles/singles squad for Sunday night. I didn't realize they went that late. I'm pretty sure my best bowling doesn't come at 1am in the morning. WTF? Now I have to stay an extra day. Anyone else dealing with this BS? According to the tournament director, that's all they had available.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Bill Thomas on December 30, 2011, 03:19:50 PM
If you get your entry in earlier you would probably get better squad times.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: kidlost2000 on December 30, 2011, 04:04:52 PM
They took the entry last year. F#@K USBC, I'm bowling it once but must admit the squad times are retarded like the rest of the organization. 1130pm is probably going to be an awesome squad.
"1 of 1."
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: tjj300 on December 30, 2011, 08:05:01 PM
The S/D times are not assigned until the total entry fee has been paid. You might have put in your deposit early, but that only gives you your team slot. The late team slot goes with the S/D times from 11:40 AM and later. The morning squads are reserved for the 2:30 team slot. What you can try is ask if there are any slots available in the 9:20 or 7 AM squads.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: sport300 on December 30, 2011, 09:10:32 PM
if you pay in full right away. usually in march or early april(at the very latest) you will get the times you want. i also learned that the hard way a few years ago. no problems since.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: glssmn2001 on December 30, 2011, 10:16:27 PM
Suck it up and plan your day accordingly..........
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: TDC57 on December 30, 2011, 10:21:11 PM
What else are you going to do in Baton Rouge at 11:30 P.M. ? We got done in Reno one year at about 3:00A.M. after a delay in the shift before us.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Pat Patterson on December 31, 2011, 01:24:30 AM
We always pay early(at least 10-11 months in advance), in the past few years we have never gotten the Singles & Doubles time we have requested even after the entire entry had been paid upfront/in full. In 2009 we again paid early and in full, our team time was what we requested, but they gave us the bastard time of 11:30pm for Singles & Doubles. Even after sending emails, handwritten letters and calls and leaving messages (all unsuccessful by the way), USBC did not respond once to my requests.
Good Luck!
Pat Patterson
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: kidlost2000 on December 31, 2011, 06:19:13 AM
Asked for a different time, but that is all that is available. "allegidly"
I can tell you what else there is to do in Baton Rouge at 1130pm, not be there.
LA is a s#*t hole of a place with a crime level like that of a third world country.(google Hurricane Katrina then Haiti's and see if there is any difference. there isn't) So besides bowling this tournament I plan on getting the hell away as quickly as possible.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Gene J Kanak on December 31, 2011, 09:26:29 AM
I'm sorry you guys didn't get the time slot you desired, but keep in mind the number of teams bowling this event. Obviously, every team that comes through is going to want the "prime" squad assignments. No matter how you slice it, some groups are going to lose out and have to be bumped to the not-so-prime times. It's a simple numbers game, not some grandiose conspiracy by the USBC. I'm not telling you you have to be happy about it, but realize that it's just the way it works out with a tournament of that size. Good luck and good bowling to you and your team(s).
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Dave81644 on December 31, 2011, 09:58:50 AM
Think my group paid in full 2 weeks after it opened.
they always had the same squad and times for many years
got bumped to 8 pm team 1130 pm s/d
sat/sun
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Dogtown on December 31, 2011, 01:05:34 PM
In my opinion, there shouldn't be that late of a squad. Oh well, I guess we will suck it up & bowl. Still sucks.
Edited by Dogtown on 12/31/2011 at 4:48 PM
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Hoselrockets on January 01, 2012, 03:50:21 PM
We always pay as soon as possible and always get the times we want. The only year we didn't was the year we waited and that was the year we learned our lesson. Don't blame the USBC for you guys being late with sending in your cash. It's not there fault.
THB
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: kidlost2000 on January 01, 2012, 04:24:30 PM
I blame USBC for having sh*tty squad times. Late squads friday or saturday is fine but most people plan on getting the f#@k out of there on sunday or first thing monday morning. So no matter when I send my money its terrible time to have people bowling.
"1 of 1."
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Bill Thomas on January 01, 2012, 07:59:42 PM
Why don't you offer a workable schedule that would give USBC your preference for squad times that would stll accomodate the number of entries within the time available? Would be willing to bet you can't do it. But if they continue the frequent trips to Reno the entries may go down to the point where you can get any squad time you want.
I have 20 tournaments in and had the same squad times for the last 14 years in a row. I get my money for team in in March. and follow up with the minor event money in Sept. If you go every year you are afforded the opportunity to ask for squad times and then renew them yearly unless you live within 200 miles of the tournament site.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Dogtown on January 02, 2012, 09:35:38 AM
Bill, you are right. I spent some time looking at the squad times and I understand the 11:30pm squad time. The reason is, the other option would be a 7am squad. That would draw more complaints because you would bowl team at 8:30pm then have to turn around and bowl S/D on just a few hours of sleep.
We were guilty of not getting our total money turned in as quickly as in years past. I don't personally handle the entries for our team, so I was ignorant of all the details. It makes since now. Thank goodness for 5-hour Energy and Monster!!
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Crash7189 on January 03, 2012, 05:59:23 PM
I have been going for over 10 years and always had the same Day & time until this year. Our money was never extra early. this year we had our days and time bumped to later in the week. I would bet the big named teams and the friends and co-workers of the USBC people get the days and times they want. If it wasn't for the ave bowler who goes to the Nationals year after year there would be no money for the Big shooters to win.
Just my .02
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Hoselrockets on January 04, 2012, 05:10:43 AM
This is a very big Assumtion your making here...I can see some teams getting bumped because of the venue being smaller this year but to assume "friends with benefits" is a little out there. But hey your entitled to your opinion...
THB
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: dmonroe814 on January 04, 2012, 05:24:04 AM
I agree about the smaller venue. Also, many teams pay for next year when they sign in this year. That is how they get the same date/time as they got last year. Waiting for this long just makes your team a fill in for the squad. As far as the "Big Names", most of them do not set up their team. Usually someone will have a good date/time paid for, then beg one of the Big Names to bowl with them.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: riggs on January 04, 2012, 08:38:46 AM
The day I get the entry info, I fill it out and send in ALL OF THE ENTRY FEE $$ with requests for team and minors teams.
When it was by mail, it went in the mailbox the next morning. I think last year the online system was used and I did that the same day.
I know a very good team that got bumped off of the squad they had been on for years because they didn't get their money in early enough.
Remember this year is going from 78 lanes to 48!
The No. 1 source for bowling news, analysis and opinion is my blog, The 11th Frame, which is here: http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: storm making it rain on January 04, 2012, 08:47:03 AM
have to agree with Riggs here.
if you get the info in as soon as possible they are usually pretty good with staying on the same days. we've been going for 10+ years on the same dates and squad times. although this past year they bumped us from 9:20am minors to 11:20am for some reason even though there were 8-10 open lanes during the earlier squad.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Impending Doom on January 04, 2012, 11:02:17 AM
I'm pretty sure that when I bowled in Reno one year, we bowled s/d at like 6:30 am. Getting there at 545 for checkin stunk. Everyone was half asleep, nothing fit because honestly, who bowls before the sun is up...
The No. 1 source for bowling news, analysis and opinion is my blog, The 11th Frame, which is here: http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: jaydee on January 12, 2012, 01:20:06 PM
Riggs,
I guess I'd have to hear more about your idea of higher payments for prime spots, lower for non-prime. I assume the average would still have to be $150 per person. Would the highest priced slots go up to $200, and the lowest down to $100, or would the disparity be greater than that? Are weekdays in May/June prime, or just weekends?
If you're going to create a tiered pricing scheme, I think it would be better served to base it off of proximity to venue then anything else. Maybe something like $200 per person to anyone within 150 miles, $175 for people 150-500 miles away, $150 for 500-1000 miles away, $125 for 1000-2000 miles and $100 for >2000 miles. You can add an additional $30 or so if you're farther away, but live within 50 miles of a major hub that flies directly to that host city. That's very simplified, there's all sorts of ways you can figure out average travel cost, the idea obviously is to balance out the cost/convenience of travel and entry fee more fairly. Especially now that it's clear that Reno is going to be the main host city for a very long time.
But that doesn't have anything to do with sqaud time availability, totally different issue. Maybe I'm just biased because since 1992, there's only been two host cities within 1200 miles of NY...
As far as the topic at hand: Frankly, it feels like a slap in the face for USBC to offer a discount to local teams to come bowl in the Nationals while non-local teams bear a much greater burden in travel cost and have to pay a higher entry fee.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: Andyman3333 on January 12, 2012, 03:46:11 PM
Personally, I think first squad choice should go to the team travelling the farthest from home to the tournament site. And the last squad choice should go to those that live in the general vicinity.
I.E., Those from Alaska would always get the premium squad times.
But I could be a little biased in this since it's most likely going to cost me the most cash to travel to the tournament. If anyone should be getting discounts, it's the people that have to fly over or drive through another country to get to the National tournament. Just sayin. lol.
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Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: riggs on January 13, 2012, 06:57:46 AM
Variable pricing is about charging more for that which is in great demand (popular squad times) and less for that which is in low demand (less popular squad times).
There is nothing that logically ties that to how far you travel to the tournament - totally separate issue.
It makes sense that those of us that want to bowl at the most popular times (weekends, prime months like April and May) would pay more than those who would settle for bowling on a weeknight in February.
This is the sort of thing used by tons of industries/businesses.
It's how you even out demand.
I have no idea what kind of pricing differential might be used.
I like this idea for fairness and because it might be a way to sort of have a price increase without making it across the board -- sort of a voluntary system. Our teams want to bowl Fri-Sat in May so we pay $175 per team. Those who bowl in February stay at $150, for example.
Airlines have the most sophisticated systems for this.
The No. 1 source for bowling news, analysis and opinion is my blog, The 11th Frame, which is here: http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/
Edited by riggs on 1/13/2012 at 8:00 AM
Edited by riggs on 1/13/2012 at 8:01 AM
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: sport300 on January 13, 2012, 07:29:27 AM
i don't agree with it at all. get your full payment in as soon as they start taking them & you will get the times you want because not that many do that. i realize that is a difficult task if your searching for bowlers & can't front all the money yourself, but first come first serve. if thinking like this catches on, will i have to pay more for my lunch because i showed up @ noon versus 2pm when they're less busy? otherwise all of your local tournaments would do the same thing because the final weeks or squads are usually the busiest as well. everybody pays the same.
we as participants can't help it that winter travel is unreliable & more people would rather travel when it start's to get warmer & more reliable to travel.
Title: Re: Rediculous Squad times
Post by: jaydee on January 13, 2012, 12:50:00 PM
Understood. Supply and demand also applies in the scenario I laid out as well. It is often similar in price to fly from Buffalo to Houston as it is to fly from Buffalo to NYC. Obviously airlines make more profit off the shorter flight. I'm willing to bet that there are more teams from Texas, Alabama, Lousiana coming to Baton Rouge for '12 Nats, than to Reno for in '13 because there is a higher demand. I don't know if that information is public or not.
I'd be willing to pay a higher entry fee to drive to Syracuse, than to fly to Reno. In the past this really didn't matter because the Nationals was truly "National" in that it went all over the country, different places every year. It largely evened out in the long term. Having it out west at least 2/3's of the time over the long term presents a different scenario. I think you're going to see a decrease in demand for east coast people going to Reno year after year and price variation could change that. As it stands now, I'm only planning on going once for every two consecutive years that Nats are in Reno. Reducing the price isn't the only thing that can change that (I've detailed other ideas in previous threads), but it would definitely play a part.