Re: ACF Regionals thoughts

Chris White <*cwhite2_at_benjaminthedonkey.yahoo.invalid*> · Mon, 16 Feb 2004 05:55:57 -0000

I thought that the tossups were mostly accessible, though I agree that
the boni were tougher than expected.  Our team's bonus conversion this
year was virtually the same as last year, even though we've improved
quite a bit since then.  It was frustrating for the first few rounds,
but then you just get used to it and know what to expect.

But, (and this is the main reason I'm replying), I really have to
disagree with your condemnation of tossup length; your Regional's late
running time was not the fault of the questions.  We played 12 rounds
at Rutgers and got to leave at 5:30, while it was still light out.  If
rounds last an hour, it's the fault of the moderator, not the
questions.  (Excellent job, Rutgers.  Probably the smoothest-run
tournament I've ever attended.) 

-Chris, speaking only for himself

--- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "quizbowllee" <charolee_at_h...> wrote:
> This was Athens State's first ACF Regional Tournament.  We captured 
> the Div. II title at the Southeastern Regionals at UTC, and had a 
> hell of a time doing it.  My teammates now hate ACF, whereas I still 
> love it.
> 
> The questions were HARD.  Really, really HARD.  We use ACF Regionals 
> packets exclusively in practice, and these were way tougher and more 
> obscure than any we had seen before.  Regardless of difficulty, I 
> think they were good.  Lately I have been going over ACF Nationals 
> packets, and I have to say that a few rounds this weekend were 
> bordering on ACF Nationals difficulty (Indiana's packet comes to 
> mind).
> 
> I have also noticed that since the turn of the century, the 
> questions at ACF Regionals seem to have grown an extra sentence or 
> two - or three (sometimes even four and five).  I know ACF is all 
> about pyramidal multi-sentence, multi-clue tossups, but couldn't 
> questions be just a bit shorter?  I think five lines in "10 font" 
> should be maximum.  Some of our rounds lasted nearly an hour!  We 
> didn't get out until nearly midnight.  Fourteen hours of quiz 
> bowl!!! It was fun, and I always prefer the full Round Robin, but 
> that was a LONG tournament.  
> 
> At any rate, despite my teammates complaining about not knowing any 
> tossups or bonuses (the bonuses were the most obscure I've ever 
> seen), it was a good tournament.  Also, despite knowing that we will 
> get slaughtered like never before, we plan to attend ACF Nationals 
> this year.  
> 
> Thanks to Charlie, Raj Bahn, and everyone else who had anything to 
> do with the tournament this year.  I hope to see a few other Div. II 
> teams at Maryland.
> 
> Lee Henry
> Athens State Quiz Bowl