In which we wonder about the timing

I always thought that they released the September rezzes on 8/15 because that was close to when a lot of schools started (although not in the northeast). This year they’re releasing a week earlier. Theoretically this gives camps that are still in session a pretty good head start on things. I don’t know if this is good or bad. In the olden days, the stuff people brought back from camps was almost immediately discarded in the face of reality, but I think camps are more tactically capable these days. Whatever. No skin off my nose, one way or the other. I’m curious why they’re releasing early, though. I’ll have to go seek out an answer.

Preparations are beginning to bubble for Rather Large Bronx. Kirby and Robert are in the mix once again, and I think most of the usual suspects will be back in tab. I know Sheryl will be there, and of course JV and Catholic Charlie and the NY folks will do their bit on the speech side. The Bronxwegians have been talking about some schedule adjustments, including possibly single-flighting the thing, since they have enough rooms. Real rooms, not “Left Corner Stall on the 3rd Floor Faculty Men’s Room” rooms. We’ve tabbed plenty of single-flighters over the years, but always with another wrinkle, like Scarsdale’s V/Nov split, or endless other divisions at Newark. Sounds like a bit of a lark, to tell you the truth, except that the days are pretty long, since they’ll be alternating LD and PF in the same rooms. Plenty of time to pair rounds, in other words, but an endless slog at the same time. Whatever. Keeping Bronx as a top tournament has been important to the region, and it’s happened. Everything else now is just polishing the silverware. At least partial judging obligations will go away. As Apple Valley puts it, single flighting already means that you have half an obligation, compared to double flighting, even if you judge every round. But we’ll make sure there are plenty of rounds off, even for the highly preffed. I mean, judges don’t go to tournaments to judge. Heaven forbid! There’s doughnuts there. And bagels. And debate ziti. Can’t turn your back on all that just to go watch some kids yabbering at one another. Jeesh.