New Side Event for HSNCT: Roger de Flor vs. the World

[Great Bustard]

It's high time to answer that age-old question that has plagued the world of quizbowl for the last four years. Does Roger de Flor (aka Collin Parks of DCC) really know more about the Byzantine Empire than the rest of high school quizbowl put together? To that end, I will be writing a standard NHBB Bowl format packet solely on Byzantine history. Roger will take on up to 9 other opponents, each of whom should be crack history players willing to pay $5 for the privilege. All entry fees will go towards a suitable prize for either Roger or his top scoring opponent if "the world" wins. We'll likely do this at HSNCT if we can find the time, otherwise, I reserve the right to hold this off to NSC, though HSNCT at a time that does not conflict with Geography monstrosity or Schindler's Lit is my preference. Post below if you want in, or email me. We (edit) will have a playoff to determine the remaining slots if more than 9 people want to do this.

Current Field

1. Roger de Flor
2. Tom Moore
3. Varun Wadhwa
4. Lawrence Simon
5. Mohan Malhotra
6. Pat LeBlanc
7. George Davies
8. Sameer Rai
9. Nathan Fredman
10. Naman Agrawal
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

[Sniper, No Sniping!]

I'm up, so as long there isn't a conflict with Schindler's Lit or rap.

[Kilroy Was Here]

I feel as if I should have been consulted before a side event dedicated to my pseudonym was made. Regardless, this sounds exciting and I will undoubtedly play this.

[Schmidt Sting Pain Index]

I am interested in playing.

[Lawrence Simon]

I am also very interested in participating in this.

[Lo, Marathon Ham!]

I am interested in playing this as well!

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

I half-seriously want to track down Peter Austin and host a college/open mirror of this.

[1992 in spaceflight]

How about we not have 3-4 side events scheduled for HSNCT weekend? That seems kind of excessive, since the other events have been announced/known about for months now.

[Insolvency law of Canada]

I'm interested in playing this. Also, what point are we using to delineate byzantine history as distinct from Roman? Founding of Constantinople, death of Theodosius, fall of Western Empire, reign of Heraclius, or something else?

[Lofty Volaterrae]

I would be willing. I like to imagine I know something about the Byzantines

[Great Bustard]

How about we not have 3-4 side events scheduled for HSNCT weekend? That seems kind of excessive, since the other events have been announced/known about for months now.

This will take all of 20 minutes, and far more people will be at HSNCT than NSC or NASAT. We'll find the time to get it in.

[1992 in spaceflight]

How about we not have 3-4 side events scheduled for HSNCT weekend? That seems kind of excessive, since the other events have been announced/known about for months now.

This will take all of 20 minutes, and far more people will be at HSNCT than NSC or NASAT. We'll find the time to get it in.

I didn't realize it was only going to be one packet. I think you could definitely find the time to get it in before Max's Lit Tournament starts again.

[Off To See The Lizard]

Put my teammate Nathan Fredman down for a spot

[speedboatswerve]

I would also like to play this.

[Adventure Temple Trail]

I hate to be That Guy yet again, but I find it really weird that you just up and scheduled a side event revolving around one high schooler without consulting that high schooler. More generally: I tend to believe that professional adults in the quizbowl community, particularly those who run their own organizations, have to treat high schoolers as impartial competitors rather than isolating specific ones as special friends. It just weirds me out when a post-college adult is organizing a full event to indulge a specific high school friend's in-joke or vanity specialty - seems to be on or over a social line.

I will probably not be playing this event.

[Great Bustard]

I hate to be That Guy yet again, but I find it really weird that you just up and scheduled a side event revolving around one high schooler without consulting that high schooler. More generally: I tend to believe that professional adults in the quizbowl community, particularly those who run their own organizations, have to treat high schoolers as impartial competitors rather than isolating specific ones as special friends. It just weirds me out when a post-college adult is organizing a full event to indulge a specific high school friend's in-joke or vanity specialty - seems to be on or over a social line.

I will probably not be playing this event.

Matt, yeah, please do stop being that guy. You've been a pain in my side all year when the only thing I've ever done that's really impacted you directly in quizbowl is bailing you out by bringing loads of buzzers you needed at the 11th hour to a tournament you ran at Yale back in 2011. And again, if you think that somehow organizing side events or horribile dictu, issuing a (rather accurate, as it turned out) transparent seeding of teams so as to prevent insinuations of bias somehow impacts my ability to run a fair tournament, then you are completely mistaken. No one has ever shown me the slightest shred of evidence that NHBB favors anyone in an unfair way over someone else on purpose, and no one ever will because I put the highest priority on running fair competitions. Please stop bringing up red herrings of bias where none exist - that does more harm than anything.
Beyond that, I do not have "special friends" in the high school community any more than a lot of people who run tournaments do (full disclosure: I've never interacted with Collin outside of a quizbowl setting), and even beyond that, Collin is officially done with his high school NHBB career at this point anyway! Part of my thinking in offering this was done with that in mind. I would not in fact do this for a student who still had NHBB high school eligibility left, did you ever think of that? Nor do I think that allowing high school juniors and below to compete in this (especially when it's clearly open to all) is a problem either or in the least bit unprecedented.
Should I have asked Collin in advance about this? Well, maybe, but on the other hand, I couldn't conceive of him objecting to it, and he does seem eager to play it. Mea culpa if that's really a problem, but in the meantime, I kindly suggest that there are more productive ways to advance the development of quizbowl than being that guy.

[Cheynem]

I am not accusing NHBB of showing any bias, but I'm not really sure how Matt Jackson has been a "pain in your side." I mean he's obviously not posting these things because he personally dislikes you; he's trying to help the company's public image so that it can continue to prosper. I don't really care about this side event and it probably won't have a negative impact, but to the outside observer...this comes off as kind of weird. I certainly don't think you have a personal bias, yet I do think you might have just rephrased your announcement to be "Here is a Byzantine history packet."

[Kilroy Was Here]

this comes off as kind of weird. I certainly don't think you have a personal bias, yet I do think you might have just rephrased your announcement to be "Here is a Byzantine history packet."

This.

I would have been the first person to sign up for this, and would have willing to play it in the current format if Dave came up to me later and asked if I'd be willing to play this me vs. all. Not being asked before Dave made this is off-putting.

However, my finding how this was announcened to be very weird and my excitement about playing a Byzantine side event are not mutually exclusive.

[The King's Flight to the Scots]

I hate to be That Guy yet again, but I find it really weird that you just up and scheduled a side event revolving around one high schooler without consulting that high schooler. More generally: I tend to believe that professional adults in the quizbowl community, particularly those who run their own organizations, have to treat high schoolers as impartial competitors rather than isolating specific ones as special friends. It just weirds me out when a post-college adult is organizing a full event to indulge a specific high school friend's in-joke or vanity specialty - seems to be on or over a social line.

I will probably not be playing this event.

Matt, yeah, please do stop being that guy. You've been a pain in my side all year when the only thing I've ever done that's really impacted you directly in quizbowl is bailing you out by bringing loads of buzzers you needed at the 11th hour to a tournament you ran at Yale back in 2011. And again, if you think that somehow organizing side events or horribile dictu, issuing a (rather accurate, as it turned out) transparent seeding of teams so as to prevent insinuations of bias somehow impacts my ability to run a fair tournament, then you are completely mistaken. No one has ever shown me the slightest shred of evidence that NHBB favors anyone in an unfair way over someone else on purpose, and no one ever will because I put the highest priority on running fair competitions. Please stop bringing up red herrings of bias where none exist - that does more harm than anything.
Beyond that, I do not have "special friends" in the high school community any more than a lot of people who run tournaments do (full disclosure: I've never interacted with Collin outside of a quizbowl setting), and even beyond that, Collin is officially done with his high school NHBB career at this point anyway! Part of my thinking in offering this was done with that in mind. I would not in fact do this for a student who still had NHBB high school eligibility left, did you ever think of that? Nor do I think that allowing high school juniors and below to compete in this (especially when it's clearly open to all) is a problem either or in the least bit unprecedented.
Should I have asked Collin in advance about this? Well, maybe, but on the other hand, I couldn't conceive of him objecting to it, and he does seem eager to play it. Mea culpa if that's really a problem, but in the meantime, I kindly suggest that there are more productive ways to advance the development of quizbowl than being that guy.

When you've been criticized for demonstrating a lack of professionalism, this is not the way to respond.

[shrayo]

I would really like to play this.

[Rococo A Go Go]

I kindly suggest that there are more productive ways to advance the development of quizbowl than being that guy.

Fortunately for the quizbowl community, Matt is able to be that guy and still find time to advance the development of quizbowl in numerous ways. His past criticism of NHBB, which honestly seems like constructive tips to improve your organization and nothing more, is irrelevant. You may have a problem with the messenger, but the message is clear: there are plenty of people who think it's weird that you wrote a side event specifically for Collin Parks without even asking him.

[Kouign Amann]

When you've been criticized for demonstrating a lack of professionalism, this is not the way to respond.

This certainly wouldn't be the first time Dave Madden blew up at someone offering him constructive criticism. Maybe he'll even ask to have his post deleted again.

[Auroni]

For all the people signing up for this ridiculous event: Have you thought that most of you won't know any more than 3 or 4 answerlines unless Madden pulls a Bruce Arthur and writes eight distinct tossups with the answerline "Constantinople?"

[AKKOLADE]

You've been a pain in my side all year

Starring Sir Stewart Wallace as Himself

[merv1618]

For all the people signing up for this ridiculous event: Have you thought that most of you won't know any more than 3 or 4 answerlines unless Madden pulls a Bruce Arthur and writes eight distinct tossups with the answerline "Constantinople?"

I wonder how many Protobowl-induced firstline negs of "Belisarius" and "Theodora" will occur...

[Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)]

I was ready to make a post praising the fact that NHBB seemed to have finally run a high quality national championship and saying that if in a year it runs well again I will gladly get on board with promoting history bowl, but the ridiculousness of this thread derailed that for now. Do you have the barest notion of professionalism? Because heads up, being a 30 something guy who makes up stuff like this themed around a single high school competitor at your events is about as far from it as possible. Sorry you don't like it that Matt Jackson keeps it real with you, but everything he's said has been coming from a place of wanting you to be able to control your bizarre, destructive impulses and help get your events to a place where people, rather than being put off by you, would want to work to promote your efforts.

[Rufous-capped Thornbill]

For all the people signing up for this ridiculous event: Have you thought that most of you won't know any more than 3 or 4 answerlines unless Madden pulls a Bruce Arthur and writes eight distinct tossups with the answerline "Constantinople?"

_Constantinople_

_Constantine the Great_

_Constantine XI_

_Fall_ of _Constantinople_

_Sieges_ of _Constantinople_

The _Walls_ of _Constantinople_

The _Sack_ of _Constantinople_ during the _4th Crusade_

Civil War Between _Constantine II_ and _Constans_

_Constantine VIII's Soups_ [prompt on "soups"]

[i never see pigeons in wheeling]

They_Might_Be_Giants

[Great Bustard]

Update:
1. This will happen.
2. Be at the base of the escalator on the lowest level at 6:55. We'll start play in an adjacent room by 7:05. It should take no more than 20 minutes - we will certainly be done in time for Schindler's Lit.
3. I'm waiving the entry fee, though the prize may be correspondingly less illustrious.
4. This will look like a history bowl nationals prelim packet, so 8 tossups in the first, second, and fourth quarters. As I have 18 hours of driving ahead of me in the next two days, there will only be 2 categories in the 60 second round to pick from - sorry.
5. This is open to anyone, even if you haven't signed up, but those on the list get first shot. Within reason a few extra people could play slap bowl if we're at about 11-13.
6. I will convey the above to those signed up late tonight via email - my cell is 201 661 3524 if people need to reach me tomorrow (esp. if they're trying to find us).