Re: 2011 Steel Safari Match Annuncement
Todd,
We would have loved to have you at our match this year and I'm sorry you didn't make it in. Having talented shooters such as yourself at the match increases the level of competition and is good for everyone.
Even last year,
the match sold out on Thursday. Given that, expecting Thursday or Friday delivery to work <span style="font-style: italic">this year</span> was just wishful thinking, nothing more.
The winning tactic to get in this year was to ensure next-day delivery - regardless of your location. People who realized that got in, and people who didn't, didn't. Given that <span style="font-style: italic">the match sold out in three days last year</span> and there was more interest this year, overnighting one's app clearly gave the best chance of getting a slot. Yes, even people in the Denver metro area used services like FedEx, Express Mail, and USPS Express to ensure next-day delivery.
I really can't put it any more plainly than this: everyone had the same information, and everyone had the same opportunity to overnight their application. From 2008 through 2011, we've had the exact same process for registration. It is published here and on the SS web site ahead of time, and nobody who cares about getting into the match has any excuse to not know exactly what the process is and how it works. Registration was fair to everyone in 2008-2010, and it was fair to everyone for 2011.
The only thing that changed was that the demand was higher and we reached our cap sooner. That sucks because it means more people who wanted to shoot couldn't get a slot, but it's simply untrue to claim it wasn't a fair process. If the only thing that changed was the level of demand, then by definition, that is the source of people being upset, not the 4th iteration of a fair signup process.
The two people who have complained about registration being unfair are: 1 from someone who didn't even send in an application, and 2 from someone whose app arrived on Friday. Friday delivery would have gotten you on the wait list last year also. These criticisms hold no water. By the way, nobody has called my phone to complain.
Boltripper,
I'd love for other people to put on great field matches like the SS - then I could shoot them as a competitor. Go for it!
We didn't start this match, and we only took it over reluctantly when it was going to be canceled after 2007. I think we'd all rather shoot it than have to run it, but we decided the match was "too good to die" and "took one for the team."
The SS isn't a unique match concept. I believe both the SS and the ITRC came from a match concept that preceded them. What the SS has is a great venue and enough staff to make it happen. When resources, venue, and staff come together with a good concept, a great match can result. I would honestly love for there to be more matches like the SS out there so I could go out and compete.
As a general comment, like I said before, we will be changing signup, and possibly other aspects, for future matches. Although we had a clean "cut line" this year for the shooting slots vs. wait list, that won't happen next year when we get 100 overnighted apps on the same day. Our goal is to maintain a fair sign up process, and provide a match that is fair to all competitors-- and if we can figure out how to get more shooters through or provide more SS shooting opportunities, then we will.