2011 NHC - Club of the Year - The BN Army

[MikeB]

I think the AHA tried to get around the stacked deck situation, by instituting the Gambrinus Club Award, where the number of entries from each club is factored in. (See below) I don't think this solves the argument, but at least the little guys have a chance at this one...

Gambrinus Club Award

Named for King Gambrinus the (unofficial) patron saint of beer, this award is given to the club having the most Final Round points per the number of entries from the club in the National Homebrew Competition. To be eligible, clubs must have a minimum of 5 club members entering the First Round, and a minimum of 2 club members advancing to and at least one entry placing in the Final Round of the competition. Six points are awarded for a first place, four points for a second place and two points for a third place.

2010 MECA Brewers, Shelbyville, IN
2009 Tampa Bay BEERS, Tampa, FL

[JohnF]

The problem with that award is that it getting a high percentage of wins requires entering a relatively small number and letting variance carry you.

I have a problem with saying that a club with a local presence can have arbitrarily many brewers with no geographical and perhaps marginal other ties to the club but that TBN can't compete with them.

So you can require that people live within a radius of the club's meeting location or you could limit the amount of entries that count towards club of the year to perhaps 250 per club.

Or you could keep the rules the same. TBN won't win forever anymore than Sonoma Beerocrats or QUAFF did. Both of those clubs had their share of haters while they were winning, BTW. Nothing here is new.

[JohnF]

If TBN knocks out a few in a row, some other club will figure out how to beat them.

I think the Club Of The Year awards will become a meaningless long before the BN "knocks out a few in a row".

A lot of people probably thought it was meaningless when it became a "competition focused club with an out of region Ninkasi contender" contest.

I'm all for changing the rules to keep it competitive but the rules have to be fair and apply to other clubs. So come up with something other than a "no TBN" rule and I would probably go along with it.

[JohnF]

Just to be clear, I would love to have some rational limits on this thing that would allow my club to try to win again. What I am having a problem with is ten years of escalating the gamesmanship involved and then TBN comes along and, unintentionally, games the rules better than anyone before and no everyone wants to take the ball and go home.

Strict geographical limits, I am fine with. That means Sacremento isn't in San Diego, for example. I would also be fine with people being required to choose one club affiliation for all of their AHA/BJCP sanctioned entries throughout a year. You'll find that a lot of people have multiple allegiances and switch to the one most likely to do well for NHC.

[CRBrewHound]

If TBN knocks out a few in a row, some other club will figure out how to beat them.

I think the Club Of The Year awards will become a meaningless long before the BN "knocks out a few in a row".

A lot of people probably thought it was meaningless when it became a "competition focused club with an out of region Ninkasi contender" contest.

I'm all for changing the rules to keep it competitive but the rules have to be fair and apply to other clubs. So come up with something other than a "no TBN" rule and I would probably go along with it.

Well the TBN could have a presense, however, the members entering under the TBN, should be made to be within a defined geographical location to Pachinko (sorry if I murdered name). So they do constitute a local club in that instance that are confined by a georgraphical location just as other clubs are.

Also, just want to point out that I am not trying to offend anyone here, just spouting off my personal opinions and feelings on the topic. I realize not all are going to agree with me and that is fine.

[snowcapt]

All I have to say is:"Who fucking cares?"

[JohnF]

Well the TBN could have a presense, however, the members entering under the TBN, should be made to be within a defined geographical location to Pachinko (sorry if I murdered name). So they do constitute a local club in that instance that are confined by a georgraphical location just as other clubs are.

Also, just want to point out that I am not trying to offend anyone here, just spouting off my personal opinions and feelings on the topic. I realize not all are going to agree with me and that is fine.

Other clubs dont have geographical restrictions. If they did, most of the club of the year awards in the last ten years would have been different. My opinion is dont try to create a restriction on the BN unless you do it for the other clubs too. One set of rules.

[Field]

Club of the Year has generally not been a local club award for decades. One of SPHBC's remote members got some points in Dallas this year(the only region for which I have seen results).

Everybody likes gamesmanship until someone does it better.

Exactly, there are hundreds of homebrew clubs and what maybe 4 or 5 that have a realistic shot of winning? They had members entering in different regions when 1st round sites were limited to locals. Bet your ass they planned out having people enter as many 1st round sites as possible now that you can choose your 1st round site. When it happens with the BN it's natural.