Re: What's up with NAQT ICT Invitations

• From: mattweiner_vcu <mattweiner_vcu_at_mattweiner_vcu.yahoo.invalid>
• Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 23:55:22 -0000
• Message-ID: <dt5npa+anao_at_...>

--- In quizbowl_at_yahoogroups.com, "Solter, John A" <john_solter_at_...> wrote:
>
>> I resent the message that it is not enough to beat all the
Undergrad teams, I also have to beat teams composed of doctoral
candidates and 40-year-olds in order to get to the ICT.

In addition to directing you to take heed of the point about the NAQT
rules on undergrad qualification, which have been publicly available
and unchanged for some time, I'd like to ask you this.

How well do you expect to do at a national tournament if you can't
handle playing competitive local teams? I resent your implication that
certain players being older is some sort of unfair advantage. No one
gets a magic book with all the quizbowl answers in it when he enters
grad school or turns 25. People who are willing to put in a lot of
work and learn things tend to stick with quizbowl longer because they
like to exercise that knowledge. People who spend all their time
throwing fits and demanding that teams who are superior to their own
be kicked out of the field don't learn anything, don't have fun, and
quickly forget what the point of their continued participation is.

And I can think of only one person over age 40 in the entire country
who played sectionals, so unless I'm missing something, your reference
to multiple "teams" with multiple "40 year olds" on them is totally
dishonest.

-MLW