Prize money

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Does anyone think that fencing should have prize money? I mean like $200 for winning a tourney. Or maybe people should bet on fencers, like horse races.

[Delmont]

Would be hard to do, but you might get more people interested if prizes were awarded. I know it works in paintball, everyone was still helpful towards each other, offered points of advice and so forth. Hm.... Although you stand a better chance of getting people who don't really care about fencing, just winning money. But I like the idea. I don't think I'd actually win much, if any cash, but it might just draw more interest from people. But would probubly raise tourney fees... And that would be bad on poor college students like me....

[Army Fencer]

It's been done, to a degree of success. If you win a NAC, you get money. Some tournament also award pretty nice gifts for winning. Up at the Big Apple Open this past weekend, the winners got Tiffany Ice Buckets.

There have also been some attempts at starting profession fencing leagues. Thus far, all have failed. I'm sure you can do a search of some old posts and find discussions about them.

[Joan of Ark]

Entry fees might be higher if that was the case. I don't know, I really like the sport just the way it is.

[grphiw]

I suppose you could bet on fencers where it's legal, but remember how betting works. Unlike horse racing, where it's based on popularity odds, statistics, etc., fencing is based on points. Thus you need a point spread.

Skip this paragraph if you know what a point spread is. A point spread is where fencer a must score at least a certain amount of points more then b to have all bets on a win. This is to encourage bets on b, who may be a weaker fencer. However, if the difference is smaller then the necessary spread, then all bets on b win, even if b did not necessarily win the bout.

The problem of having a point spread with fencing pools is that what do you do the spread on? The indicators, the touches received, touches scored, etc. It gets really tricky. The easiest way would be indicators, but that would have to be standadized. DE's would be easier, as they have one clear winner. Place and Show would be given to 2nd and 3rd places (this is closer related to horse racing, as there is one clear winner).

Correct me if I have anything wrong here, I'm not a gambling expert on sports. Cards are so much easier.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

NCAA

[Inquartata]

Duel in the Desert.

[MikeHarm]

I have heard of one sort of prize money/gambling thats been done outside of Duel in the Desert. Its where clubs have their fencers each put like 5 bucks into a pot for the event they're competing in, and if one of them wins the event he's put in for he gets the pot but if none of their fencers win the gold it gets donated to their club funds.

[Tigerlily86]

i think just winning would be enough for me

[Joan of Ark]

Originally posted by grphiw
... DE's would be easier, as they have one clear winner. Place and Show would be given to 2nd and 3rd places (this is closer related to horse racing, as there is one clear winner).

Correct me if I have anything wrong here, I'm not a gambling expert on sports. Cards are so much easier.

Would this mean we'd have to have a tie breaker between third and third?

I agree with Tigerlily. If I could make it to the top 8 at an NAC, I'd be happy for a long time. Not to mention that there'd be a lot more stress and such at tournaments. People would be competing, not for the fencing expirience, but for whatever the prize is.

[MikeHarm]

People are competing for prizes already.. ratings/points is a sort of prize. I think the only difference if we had prize money is some folks at the high end would have more funds for paying for travelling and lessons and such.

[Inquartata]

Which would lessen the hold that the USFA has on competitors, their pursestrings being less important. Can't have that, though, so...

[Lee Yue Yang]

Originally posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!
Does anyone think that fencing should have prize money? I mean like $200 for winning a tourney. Or maybe people should bet on fencers, like horse races.

That would be great.Fencing equipment isn't cheap and prize money would help.But the entry fee would go up but I don't have to worry much about that now as my school pays for my competition fees!

[prototoast]

Originally posted by KShan5[PrFC]
NCAA

Dude, if I could actually get money to fence, I would gladly lose my NCAA eligibility!

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Depends on how much money. Plus, some people relly on fencing just to get them IN to the college. So that would prohibit them from fencing the NACs that give money to fencers.

[Disco Stu]

Yeah there should be some reward for winning a comp, but instead of money, maybe some equipment instead, like a fencing bag or a new foil. But i dont think there should be betting on fencing.

[Joan of Ark]

At an RYC I went to you got something for winning (other than a medal)...or was it being one of the 1st 25 to register?... I don't remember- it was a year or so ago...

[Event Horizon]

The Hawaii Open offers prize money.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

I was thinking something more akin to dogfighting. Where someone sponsors a fencer, you meet at a location, you duke it out, the winner gets the dough.

[shmagoogin77]

i think fencing is good how it is but if people want to bet on they are allowed