cross crusade prizes?

Dan Anderson

2016-08-18

Personally I don't think Cat 3/4/5 riders should get end-of-series prizes, for obvious reasons.    

From: Mike Murray via OBRA
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2016 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] cross crusade prizes?

One of the worst things about bike racing is that people think they should get prizes and that they deserve them. How many other sports pay beginners? The result is that race organizers often spend their limited energy on developing a prize list and the quality of their race production suffers. Paying prizes also feeds the already problematic elitist attitude by giving even lower category riders the idea that they are somehow "pros".

Mike Murray

> On Aug 17, 2016, at 09:03, via OBRA wrote:
>
> Or...using your logic....keep "almost" everything the same except women and lower cats do not pay as much to register.  More or less fair?  Maybe not as promoters and OBRA need fair pay.
> We humans can figure out ways to rationalize anything.  For the vast numbers of us racers, the only prizes we have a chance at are the beer from the last # call up or catching the black knight.  The real prize is being alive, giving the course a good effort and enjoying both the male and female racers and friends at the races.
> old man perspective Matt.
> ron
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Matt via OBRA
> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2016 10:57 PM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] cross crusade prizes?
>
>
>
> What's a fair way to distribute prizes?  50/50 male/female?  If men and women are equal, why are their separate mens and womens categories?
>
> Do you think it's fair that Cat A should get more prizes than Cat C, even though Cat C has more riders and contributes more money to the race budget?
>
> I just saying almost any system is "unfair" to someone and the cross crusade prize schedule looks pretty reasonable based on the distribution of riders (men are paying about 80% of the entry fees to fund the event) and the general principle that the highest category should get the biggest share, regardless of field size.
>
> It would be fun to see a "battle of the sexes" division and have the Top A women race some category B men or give the women a head start against the A men and then the first finisher wins and then we wouldn't have to split the prizes by sex, just give it to the winner.
>
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Mike Murray

2016-08-18

One of the worst things about bike racing is that people think they should get prizes and that they deserve them. How many other sports pay beginners? The result is that race organizers often spend their limited energy on developing a prize list and the quality of their race production suffers. Paying prizes also feeds the already problematic elitist attitude by giving even lower category riders the idea that they are somehow "pros".

Mike Murray

> On Aug 17, 2016, at 09:03, via OBRA wrote:
>
> Or...using your logic....keep "almost" everything the same except women and lower cats do not pay as much to register. More or less fair? Maybe not as promoters and OBRA need fair pay.
> We humans can figure out ways to rationalize anything. For the vast numbers of us racers, the only prizes we have a chance at are the beer from the last # call up or catching the black knight. The real prize is being alive, giving the course a good effort and enjoying both the male and female racers and friends at the races.
> old man perspective Matt.
> ron
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Matt via OBRA
> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2016 10:57 PM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] cross crusade prizes?
>
>
>
> What's a fair way to distribute prizes? 50/50 male/female? If men and women are equal, why are their separate mens and womens categories?
>
> Do you think it's fair that Cat A should get more prizes than Cat C, even though Cat C has more riders and contributes more money to the race budget?
>
> I just saying almost any system is "unfair" to someone and the cross crusade prize schedule looks pretty reasonable based on the distribution of riders (men are paying about 80% of the entry fees to fund the event) and the general principle that the highest category should get the biggest share, regardless of field size.
>
> It would be fun to see a "battle of the sexes" division and have the Top A women race some category B men or give the women a head start against the A men and then the first finisher wins and then we wouldn't have to split the prizes by sex, just give it to the winner.
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org


rond..@spiritone.com

2016-08-17

Or...using your logic....keep "almost" everything the same except women and
lower cats do not pay as much to register. More or less fair? Maybe not as
promoters and OBRA need fair pay.
We humans can figure out ways to rationalize anything. For the vast numbers
of us racers, the only prizes we have a chance at are the beer from the last
# call up or catching the black knight. The real prize is being alive,
giving the course a good effort and enjoying both the male and female racers
and friends at the races.
old man perspective Matt.
ron

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt via OBRA
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2016 10:57 PM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] cross crusade prizes?

What's a fair way to distribute prizes? 50/50 male/female? If men and
women are equal, why are their separate mens and womens categories?

Do you think it's fair that Cat A should get more prizes than Cat C, even
though Cat C has more riders and contributes more money to the race budget?

I just saying almost any system is "unfair" to someone and the cross crusade
prize schedule looks pretty reasonable based on the distribution of riders
(men are paying about 80% of the entry fees to fund the event) and the
general principle that the highest category should get the biggest share,
regardless of field size.

It would be fun to see a "battle of the sexes" division and have the Top A
women race some category B men or give the women a head start against the A
men and then the first finisher wins and then we wouldn't have to split the
prizes by sex, just give it to the winner.

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OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
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Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org


What's a fair way to distribute prizes? 50/50 male/female? If men and women are equal, why are their separate mens and womens categories?

Do you think it's fair that Cat A should get more prizes than Cat C, even though Cat C has more riders and contributes more money to the race budget?

I just saying almost any system is "unfair" to someone and the cross crusade prize schedule looks pretty reasonable based on the distribution of riders (men are paying about 80% of the entry fees to fund the event) and the general principle that the highest category should get the biggest share, regardless of field size.

It would be fun to see a "battle of the sexes" division and have the Top A women race some category B men or give the women a head start against the A men and then the first finisher wins and then we wouldn't have to split the prizes by sex, just give it to the winner.


Beth Hamon

2016-08-16

Disclaimer -- I have no skin in the game, having hung up my race togs a few seasons ago.
However, I remain a huge fan. So when I looked over the prize list and noted that in nearly every adult category, the men are competing for greater prize values than the women.
Huh. Really?
Am I the only one who noticed?
Discuss.
Happy riding -- Beth Hamon, forever Slow

Sent from my iPad


Just wondering if anyone received their prizes from the Cross Crusade series? Our team has a junior who won her category, but has not received anything. I know the end of series party(ies) were canceled, but I'd love to see her get some recognition and her prize!