clueless on Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:59 pm
All the teams had chances to get in, some performed, some didn't. Keep in mind, the hosting bids are remuneration for the work entailed in hosting. The theory is that the next club that hosts will get the same deal. No telling if any other club will even ever host at this point given the size/stability/interest of the other clubs.
With things like Pre Academy coming into the fold, the tournament needs to respond to the changes in competitiveness. Personally, I can't believe they are letting in as many non-Pre-A teams as they are, but, kudos to CCSAI for getting their bids. I would have thought 2 PA, 2 Classic and 1 Host.
I only know of one travesty involving a team not getting into the tournament, that being Solar '96. They were third in classic (top three were virtually equivalent), likely one of the best teams in the nation and could have won the entire tournament. I believe the host team taking their spot had 1 or 2 wins. Things like that happen, but regardless of anyone's views - the teams have to play to get into it.
Good Luck everyone - fun tournament. Wonder if California is going to waste the trip here again this year?
Having watched the season to date, I wouldn't bet on any game as there obviously are no upsets (makes for more interesting weekends).