Should NFL National Tournament use bids like TOC?

[IE4N6FAN]

There has been a bit of discussion of how the National Tournament excludes a lot of good Interpers from very strong districts while including many poorer Interpers from weak districts. This discussion got me to thinking that perhaps the NFL could incorporate a bid system for the National Tournament similar to the TOC for debate. The NFL could keep its current district qualifying system, but add an extra qualifying mechanism by giving bids to top finishers at selected national tournaments; two bids would automatically qualify a kid for Nats. Bid qualifiers would not be counted against their teams district tournament limit or against the Districts entry limit. This would achieve a number of positive outcomes:
1) Reward top performers for excellence throughout the season- not just at one district contest.
2) Allow schools/districts with more quality performers than district slots to send more kids to Nats.
3) Guarantee that the best performers qualify for Nats each year.

[Ryan]

I wholeheartedly agree that such a system should be put into place. The NFL Districts in Boston and South Florida are two of the hardest in the nation and such a system would ensure that champions of nationally-reknown tournaments get to nationals.

[SniffyGuy]

i second that. it one of the problems with only being able to qual at districts is that it takes all the importanceo out of local meets (at least it does in new jersey where all you need to do is break once to qualify for state). Plus, if you're in a murderously impossible district, a single judge can decide whether or not you go to nationals. I got screwed last year and was first alternate. It sucks. Yay for National bids.

[HSTDeb8erGrl]

If the NFL were to employ a system similar to that used in the determination of TOC qualifiers, it would in my eyes create a great deal of trouble, because it would make NFLs like TOC rather than NFL. While there are quite a few districts with a large number of extremely talented performers, we still can not discriminate against lesser known, or rather less compettetive districts. It's very simple the best 2 or 3 from each district deserve to qualify, not everyone who happens to do well at national circuit tournaments. Besides if we were to do so, NFLs would become much larger and much larger means much more of a hassle for tournament directors.

[chrispac]

It would not prevent the best of the lesser districts to qual.

I say its a good idea, although she is right about making it a bigger hassle (just makes it more prestigious too!)

[HSTDeb8erGrl]

I say its a good idea, although she is right about making it a bigger hassle (just makes it more prestigious too!)

That does not nesecarily follow, because U Penn was a **** of a hassle, and it's not very prestigious.

[IE4N6FAN]

The prestige is there already. It is the NFL National Tournament. A few more competitors will add negligably to the hassle factor. To add another 20-30 competitors per event through bids is not going to shake things up alot - 4 or 5 more brackets per event for prelims. Actually it would probably have a bigger impact on the debate side since many debaters view the TOC as more prestigious than the NFL Nationals and don't even send their best teams to districts.

[HSTDeb8erGrl]

To add another 20-30 competitors per event through bids is not going to shake things up alot - 4 or 5 more brackets per event for prelims.

Have you ever run a tournament that large to think that 20-30 more competitors per event would'nt make a difference? 20-30 compettitors in per event is enough people for a medium sized tournament. Thats roughly 240-360 more compettitors.

[IE4N6FAN]

Is it all about an easy tab room or about getting the best competition?

[chrispac]

Getting the best competition

[SniffyGuy]

strangely, you would seem to eliminate the worst competition, as well as the tab room problems, with the current method of qualification.
yet, even more strangely, many people who quite obviously should get to nationals do not, due to either a single judge screwing them over at the district tourney or simply not having a good day (john mageziner is a prime example; he gets third at harvard and doesn't qual). the toc bid qualifying method eliminates the chance of getting screwed, because it gives you many chances and many judges. And so what if nationals is extended just a little because there are more people. Nationals should be open to more people.