crashsdaddy wrote:AlwaysImprove wrote:For me, PGF favors teams, specifically competitive teams. This includes competitive teams across the nation. From the FC, Socal A' to the Jersey Intensity, East Cobb Bullets, Team North Florida, Washington Ladyhawks.
ASA more favors umpires, and the umpires desire for a free samwich.
Both hand out invites. PGF is just a more competitive field, and more optimized for teams. ASA is more optimized for umpires and dragging you to a remote location where they can maximize cash extraction.
All organizations with great reputations but not all of their teams are great. Some teams are getting in based in jersey logos, not quality of play. Invites were handed out to organizations that picked a team to represent at PGF.
Also, are you saying the PGF umps buy their own meals? Pay their own way in hotels costs? If so, how do they get the good umps? Good will? Though I don't know for a fact, I'd bet the reality is that PGF does just as much for their umps as ASA does.
Ah, now see you have hit upon it. PGF treats their umpires just fine. They pay them. They probably even give them lunch.
Honestly, I don't know, and don't quite frankly care. I want the ump to show up and do their job, call balls and strikes, apply the rules of the game, and get paid a decent wage to do it. That does not mean you have to optimize a tournament completely around umpires. Which then frees you up to do the right things for teams and players and their families.
Where ASA broke down was having umpires run the tournaments, then run the organization. Actually that was not totally bad.
When it really broke down as when two cities woke up about 15 years ago and realized that ASA is a weak political structure, and can be easily manipulated. Those cities were Johnson City TN, and Midland TX.
Those cities realized they was an $$ opportunity in ASA. The parks and rec managers for these cities moved in to ASA voting positions. They gamed the ASA bidding and tournament selection process. They then cut pacts between themselves and usually third entity, like Montgomery Alabama, or Soux City IA. Through this process they were able to steer ASA tournament selections to their towns.
The reason Johnson City and Midland were so strong in this process was their Convention and Visitors bureau's in those two cities control 98% of the hotel rooms. So they are able to control pricing on hotel rooms, and it is many hours round trip to the next bunch of hotel inventory. You are in a 150 a night hotel room that would normally go for 75, and at 75 would be 20% occupied that time of the year.
Now they have you locked in a completely price controlled environment. Then they work ASA to maximize the number of team room nights. The hotels provide ASA with free, and upgraded rooms, free meeting rooms, beer and samwiches. All paid for by your jacking the prices and number of days to stay in your room.
Umpires don't care, as they like the longer vacation and free beer and samwiches. ASA don't care because it is a 'political' system. Only the teams get the downside. That was why PGF was formed.
