Odd suggestion in the ATA minutes?

Maybe some of you can shed some light on this issue cuz it doesn’t make any sense to me. The quote below is from the official minutes of ATA Executive Committee meeting from July/ August 2023. I freely admit that I don’t know all the ins and outs of the All American points system. I find it difficult to believe that point chasers are leaving the Grand American tournament early to get to other shoots that don’t start until days after the Grand is over. Doesn’t the Grand offer the highest points of any shoot? Why would a points chaser leave the highest point shoot to get to a lower point shoot that hasn’t even started yet?


From the official ATA minutes:

“President Wehking introduced Dale Stockdale to talk about his Heartland Grand satellite contract. He stated that this is the 17th Heartland Grand and not the 16th Heartland Grand as shown in his contract. The theme of his tournament year will be like a cruise ship. On Monday of this shoot, you will look forward to the cruise and not the destination. Executive Director Gipson asked Mr. Stockdale what should be done to keep the crowd at the Grand American here instead of leaving early. He stated that All American points should end for the target year on the last day of the Grand American. President Wehking stated that the aforesaid proposal would probably hurt the attendance at his shoot as well as the one at the Cardinal Center after the Grand.”

 

That's one of the dumber things I've ever heard. Let me get this straight....shooters are skipping the singles, doubles and handicap CHAMPIONSHIPS to make sure they don't miss the first day of the Heartland two weeks later???? Wow...

 

Even stranger still is this: The final four events at the Grand (singles and doubles championships, preliminary and GA handicap) had the highest number of entries per like event. Exactly what “crowd” of shooters does Gipson think is leaving early? The premise of Gipson’s question is false which begs the question, what was he really trying to accomplish?

 

Maybe those leaving early are hoping to be competing against less competition? Doesn’t sound like a true All-American attitude but honestly I’m not surprised.

 

I would guess he is talking about leaving before shootoffs.

 

And exactly how would changing the All American points at shoots held after the Grand serve to keep the “crowd” from leaving before shoot offs?

 

If this reply is to me I never said anything about changing points.

 

Rn3,

Gipson asked Stockdale what should be done to keep the crowd at the Grand instead of leaving early. Stockdale’s answer was to change the All American points rules so that any shoot held after the Grand but before the end of the target year wouldn’t count for the current year.

You felt Gipson was talking about the crowd leaving before the shoot offs. So I’ll ask you once again, how would Stockdale’s recommendation to change the A.A. points rules encourage the crowd to stay at the Grand for shoot offs?