Re: RC: AERC National Championships

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 08/03/2000 7:39:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
bobmorris@rmci.net writes:

<< I find it quite reprehensible that every one is willing to extend their
 efforts to the utmost for the Tevis and completely ignore the AERC
 Championships. It shows that the interest is in the hype, not the
 competition. Perhaps we should just drop the championship rides and declare
 the winners of the OD and the Tevis as the National Champion East and
 National Champion West even though it might be the only ride they do.
  >>

These posts on National Championships come at an opportune moment, as related 
to a conversation I was having last night with a noted W region rider.  She 
felt, and I had to agree it made a lot of sense, that winning one ride wasn't 
really a very good indicator of being the best (champion).  Then I went back 
to the old idea that the BOD was entertaining some years ago....the rider 
does 6 of several designated 100 milers throughout the country, then takes 
the scores of the top 3, and whoever has the highest score is the National 
Champion.  She thought that was a GREAT idea.  I can't speak for the success, 
or lack of, in the current system.  All I realize is that very few of the 
memnbership in the country can remember, from year to year, who the National 
Champion is!  Part of the problem is due to so many weight divisions.  It 
sounds fair to divide competition up by weight divisions, but it dilutes the 
impact of the term Champion.  Food for thought.

Barbara