shoeless

Who are you talking about? I assume Roland but if I am in error please ignore the rest of this post. Roland doesn't need to be in Estoril to do what he does so well. Frankly I think being on-site could distract him from the task. I think what we need there is a top level vugraph 'operator' co-ordinator which is very much different than what Roland does - although I suspect he could handle it with aplumb. Herve, booze and mrdct are names that come to mind regarding the co-ordination of the technical aspects of on-site operation - there are probably others as well. Having said this - if you wish to send Roland to Estoril as a reward for his amazing contibution to the BBO vugraph over the past few years - then I will gladly contribute $100 to that cause. We could probably ask him to do some work while he is there - wouldn't want him goofing off now - would we? I am quite serious about this - count me in if this is the route you go.

And that begs a question - what would he call his tourney? Hitman, Nuking Whiners, Ah Shut Up!, Dirty Harry - (Make my day!), Welcome to the Electric Chair - if it was a pay tourney I would buy a years worth of entries - it would be a blast.

Interesting Wayne how you manage to organize your own individual bridge class every few days, with world class instructors. Very cool!

Ah Ben such wisdom - self-evaluation in all things is the most effective, often the most critical and clearly the least destructive form of evaluation. Nice suggestion. I believe this thread started with someone making a comment about hypercritical commentary. Good commentary by it's nature must include in some measure a critical analysis of bidding and play. A guideline that might be helpful is to be critical of an action not critical of the person who took the action. Separating the action from the person often is a simple as chosing appropriate language - as suggested by other contributors in this thread. There are many commentators who have this one down pat, unfortunately there a few who don't. But all in all I have no difficulty in saying that I believe BBO vugraph is fast becoming a superb bridge institution.

Think it was implied that was the case - goodness knows if it was intentional or drug induced. Still two wrongs don't make a right. I would report them both. Certainly empathetic to the partner of the crazed but abuse is still abuse and we have a mechanism for dealing with it and it needs our input for it to work most effectively.

Well sounds like you did the job that abuse would - coaching this guy to different behaviour. However, I think abuse is the appropriate channel even in this instance - filling the room chat with 'you are a fool' is flagrantly abusive and while you might judge his behaviour to be a one-time thing and duly provoked, I think it is still appropriate to let the record build if it will, but your incident will never show - you pre-empted the process. Because someone doesn't know how to play bridge doesn't make him a fool by the way. However, having said all this - you also have to live with yourself and you were there I wasn't. I would love to direct on BBO but these stories chill me - who needs this aggravation - hats off to you for your contribution to our enjoyment.

I think sometimes a culture is unwittingly created and people try and fit into that culture. Interestingly enough I believe each and every broadcast quickly develops it's own culture for the duration of the broadcast - it evolves from the particular chemistry and leadership in the commentating group. The resulting broadcast ranges from homey to hilarious to magnetic to inane to awesome to average to ..... What is happening at the table can play a big factor in what happens in the commentary. Watch sometime and correlate the two. After 12 commentating sessions over 3 days some commentators just run out of gas. On the whole I would rate the broadcasts very high in terms of quality. Clinch has offered a couple of things that I too think would be nice to have. I do have a suggestion for event organizers. Feed the commentating team with notes on event background and player information - give them something to work from in that area - they dont really have the time to dig it up on their own, as much as they might like to. It is impossible to please all spectators - our needs are different and our reasons for watching are different. I think the best a commentator can do is be themselves, but at the same time they remain conscious that they have a diverse audience. If there is one candle that I would recommend that each of them carry - it is the candle of respect for others.

Good point and a treatment I have never talked to anyone about - thanks for the education (cheque is in the mail) - guess thats why my claim to fame in bridge is as a caddy. Well argued Flytoox but I am still bidding - hot! first seat! sound player! - sorry run from pain or the possibility of it.

Well there are guidelines for behaviour on BBO - and in all areas of life there are the black, the white and the gray interpretations. Frankly Solomon would be challenged to effectively apply justice here. Fred, Sheri and Uday have brilliantly created and launched something special - unfortunately what always is attendant in institutions are management headaches (abusive customers in this case) that are not always easy to resolve for diverse and complex reasons. I, for one, think going gently on this issue would be respectful. Sometimes when I read Uday's and Fred's responses to some of these posts, what I feel I hear between the lines is: "Geez, cut us some slack here - the alligators are up to our butts and we can't find the plug that will drain the swamp." One thing I do admire here is that BBO has provided forums for folks to air their views and frustrations. Kudos!! It is up to us whether we use them to be critical or helpful and supportive. It has been my long held view that strong language comes from weakness and soft language comes from strength.

Well when all is said and done - BBO vugraph is a heck of a show. To steal a slogan from the PGA website - "These guys are good!" (reference to commentators here) I have wish. I would love to see a BBO documentary of a week in the life of Roland Wald that was filmed during a week like he just had. To rephrase a stolen slogan: "This guy is good!" Roland did a very small thing on a broadcast last night that simply resonated with quality. Roland and I are cats of a very different stripe, but he has my unconditional respect.

In case there is confusion about my post - 3NT as described here was made by the defense.

bleck!! I hate this hand. I am with Justin - pass isn't much of an option. However I think 2Nt then 3H might imply a spade stopper (maybe have it but dubious) so I am going to bail with 3H indicating the best about my hand and let pard sort things out from there.

Peter, your post raises some issues that I have long reflected on about the BBO vugraph broadcasts. I have no answers, just questions: 1. What do vugraph spectators want from commentators? 2. Should there be a formal BBO feedback channel that allows spectators to commend excellence in commentary and make comments on what they deem to be the reverse? Remembering of course that commentators volunteer their time - just as players are essentially volunteers to the broadcast as well. 3. Should there be a code of conduct for commentators? 4. In many sports broadcasts there are expert commentators and color commentators - would this be appropriate for BBO? 5. Is there a difference between critical review and criticism? Etc, etc, etc Cheers

I'm confused as to why the score was adjusted - 3nt did make.

Liked your post Mike, very thoughtful. The stuff on table presence reminded me of a couple of quotes that rattle around in my brain. "He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law." "Your visions are the blueprints of your ultimate achievements."

To Candybar - "Sorry, there is a lack of evidence to support your request - no adjustment." To Pigpenz - I agree with your approach to running tournaments - you certainly wont be in a position to have to decide on something like this as the hand would be played out. However, Candybar choses to use the clock to end the round - just the way it is - next!

Intuitively I pass - if I think about it I will likely do something really stupid.

What would be interesting for me to hear people talk about is not the psychology of the game but the possibility that men and women need to prepare differently psychologically for brige competition.

Thanks - actually due to a personal bias about chess I think I cover the psycology of it in the course on masochism. Sorry just being stupid. I think I will track it down as I am doing some work in this area with a bridge team, might provide some useful insights.

Hope you publish a book on the results of this query - would love to use it as a textbook in a sports psychology I teach. I want to upgrade the course material particularly as it applies to mindsports. My intuition says the question about intuition will be answer intuitively by women and men will analyse the heck out of it.

Don't think there was one - just the poll

Don't get me wrong - I am all for free tourneys when and how people want to give of their time. Frankly if the system could make it happen a time board for starting tourney every minute would be cool - if a time slot is free - click on it and claim it - let the chips fall where they may. I think those that feel slighted now by start ups close to their tourney might not feel so strongly with this type of system. Grab your time a week ahead if you like. Can't imagine that we would hit more than 60 free tourneys an hour in the forseeable future. However not something i would rush out to program.

heh - sorry, was just thinking about MBC not tournments. Apologize for not reading the thread more thoroughly.

Nope not right Justin - not beneficial to the other tourney director. I think people interpret ethics in different ways depending on their culture and perspective. Westerns stand in line and join the line at the back normally - asians don't, and because they dont see a line they go to the front. My only suggestion would be if there is a tourney coming up shortly and then a gap maybe slot yours just after theirs starts and not before - might avoid some conflict.

Ben, without you here doing what you do BBO would lose something substantial. And know what? It isn't that the other 99% of us don't care - when you don't get it you don't know if you care or not.