If you are not a fencer or an official, please step out of the fencing area...

[Catal]

Hey, loser- whoever you are, the next time someone doesn't "get it," and won't leave the fencing area, get an official to escort that person out, instead of making yourself and us fencers look like morons in front of the hundreds of people who were watching. Do you have any idea how unprofessional you were being? Jesus christ, how difficult would it have been for you to get someone to remove the guy for you? I'm sure so many people were impressed with your incessant nagging over the PA system.

[darius]

in front of the hundreds of people who were watching.

Hyperbole?

darius

[sallearmourer]

The person making the call was the Bout Committe chairman
because you idiots where interfeing with the smooth running of the event.


TIm

[Catal]

Originally posted by sallearmourer
The person making the call was the Bout Committe chairman
because you idiots where interfeing with the smooth running of the event.


TIm

Coming from someone who had to be told to keep the doors by their table closed, mayhaps ye be keepin' thy cake-hole battened down.

Hmm, but I can see how you might have interpreted my statement to mean that I was one of those idiots. I was refering to us fencers as a whole unit; we all look stupid when our chairman does what he did at San Diego.

This idiot was fencing on the other side of the arena, and not only did my strip stop fencing, but so did a few others next to me. Even the judges were embarrased, c'mon.

[BugabooX]

Yeah! You're all idiot moron loser wussies! Go home! We don't want you here!

(I have no idea what's going on -- I just wanted to insult someone. This fun! ... ummmm, which side am I on?)

My dog has more common sense than you! My cat could handle herself better at a competition than that! Here's a quarter ::toss coin:: buy a clue. You doofus weasel brain-dead jerks!

[Catal]

Originally posted by BugabooX
Yeah! You're all idiot moron loser wussies! Go home! We don't want you here!

[MikeHarm]

I thought the usual procedure was ask to leave, then contact police to have removed for trespassing if they refused with this sort of thing.

[Craig]

Anyone care to provide a non-invective laced report on the events for those of us who didn't make the trip?

[Catal]

Originally posted by webmaster
Anyone care to provide a non-invective laced report on the events for those of us who didn't make the trip?

Well, from the beginning of the event, everyone was told nicely, to please stay behind the colored rails if they were not fencing. This was for their safety, and at first, everyone abided by those rules.

As the event went on, coaches would step in and then friends of the fencers started sitting inside the barriers. At first, nothing much was said. One or two officials would shoo people away, but that's all.

Then, starting around the DE's, the commitee officials noticed people inside the barriers near their table. I was on the other side of the building and could see people leaving after the chairman starting ordering people out of the area over the PA system. At first, he was polite and professional, however someone just would not leave. I don't know the circumstances, but the chairman kept repeating, "If you are not a fencer or an official, please step out of the fencing area." He kept this is up for 20 seconds. Then, said "I will keep saying this until everyone who is not fencing leaves the fencing area," at which point he continued his message. He later changed his message to include, "If you know someone who is in the fencing area, and they should not be in the fencing area, please tell that person to leave the fencing area." Two strips had already stopped fencing, and a number of people were laughing, some were visibily irritated. Progressively, the chairman started sounding more and more forceful. I didn't see who it was that was holding things up, but the person finally left the area, and that was it. The whole situation about one minute.

[The0ne]

wow,
thats pretty sad. . .

[veeco]

I must concur that it was pretty annoying, and I wasn't even fencing when that happened.

However, if people listened to what is being said and followed the all too evident rule (I mean if there are barricades, they must be here for a reason no?) then it would not have been needed.

I guess people in general, and fencers in particular don't learn and disobediance is part of our gene pool ;-)

[135711]

"Two strips had already stopped fencing, and a number of people were laughing, some were visibily irritated"

The laughing part was because eveyone was embarrassed and hoping it wasnt' anyone they knew, and visibly irritated, because, obviously people weren't listening. - my analysis.

Solution: why not find basketball courts with bleachers so people can watch the fencing without sitting in areas that are off limits.

[swordsen]

Same thing happened last summer at the Nationals. but after about 3 days they quit worrying about it and people just got in around the strips in the "usual" manner.

[Spanky]

Try fencing in this country, where everyone *knows* they are right. bout commitee, shmout commitee, everyone is boss.

Frankly, its a mess.

[Inquartata]

If the layout was at all like that at Orlando, I can understand the "trespassing"---something like 80% of all available space was inside the barricades, and outside of them it was like a sardine can. ( Well, except for upstairs. ) You have to give the spectators somewhere plausible to go, not just tell them where they can't...

[sallearmourer]

Consider the fact that half of the time it was someone else leaving the door open wasn't my fault. I stuck a piece of board in it when I went out.


That was minor consider the fact that someone stole two reels from the USFA which now as to be replace at the cost of 700.00 which could have gone toward some new strips maybe.

Tim

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Originally posted by webmaster
Anyone care to provide a non-invective laced report on the events for those of us who didn't make the trip?

Craig: it was George K. at his finest. He does this nearly every NAC...but particularly at Summer Nationals. He'll see someone giving lessons or fencing in shorts, and get on the PA to let them know it's not allowed. When it continues, he gets more and more shrill about it.

At San Diego, it was spectators and non-fencing fencers inside the barriers that set him off. He kept repeating the "if you're not a fencer..." over and over...at one point saying he was going to keep repeating it until everyone complied. This went on for quite some time.

What he should have done--like he did at Austin and Sacramento was single out the people he was talking about. As in..."You, there in the black hat on strip 6...yes, you...get behind the barrier please." When he's done that before, it works like a charm, and people find it harder to ignore him.

However, I will say that if I was a spectator unfamiliar with George and NACs, I'd probably come away with an unfavorable impression of his announcements...they sometimes border on unprofessional.

[Catal]

If it's such an issue, he can hire someone to patrol the arena who will make sure that no one steps inside the barriers- it'd be the professional thing to do.

[veeco]

Originally posted by Catal
If it's such an issue, he can hire someone to patrol the arena who will make sure that no one steps inside the barriers- it'd be the professional thing to do.

Hire = Having to pay someone.

I don't want the fees for NACs to raise every year because some people are undisciplined enough to go inside barriers!

I mean barriers people! What could they be here for? Just to piss people off? No! If there are barriers, it means that some group of people is allowed to go inside, and others are not! Amazingly enough, it was only fencers and officials in that case.

If you have no reason to go inside the barriers, why would you? It probably means that it's not your place.

However, I have one thing I would like to complain about this NAC:

1- The venue was too cold
2- There weren't enough chairs

There, I have started complaining too.

[epeemike81]

Originally posted by Catal
If it's such an issue, he can hire someone to patrol the arena who will make sure that no one steps inside the barriers- it'd be the professional thing to do.

Yeah, but you'd have to pay that person. George K.'s willing to be obnoxious for free!!

-m