The Grand American my view

The Grand American

After reading many posts on our trapshooting sites I want to post my views and feelings about our ATA Championships. First I don't believe that all the satellite Grands are a benefit to the Grand. Back in the years that we had huge Attendance at the Grand we didn't have almost a dozen satellites grands. In my opinion the biggest thing that the satellite grands do is to take away from the Grand being special and really being the crown Jewell of ATA trapshooting. Now with the availability of all these so called Grands why should a lot of shooters even make an effort to go to the real Grand?

Also while doing this I am looking at a 1954 Grand American program and for entry in the American Handicap Championship there is a $25.oo entry fee for any Amateur, of this $7.50 is for targets, ATA fee and trophies. Ford purses $2.50 and $15.00 to the purse. Professional entry fee was $7.50. The pros shot for trophies only. The Purse was paid out $1500 to 1st $1000 to second , $500 to 3rd, $400 to 4th, $300 to 5th, $200 to 6th, $100 to next 10 high guns, $75 to next 16 high guns $50 to next 26 high guns, $40 to next 50 high guns, #30 to next 70 high guns. Above purses are guaranteed. All surplus was paid out in$30 money's until surplus is exhausted. In those years normally about 87 or 88 x 100 would pay a $30 money. Also $100 was paid to high on each yardage. Not eligible for this $100 was winner an ties for the top 2 places. Other options were $1.00 on total paid one money. $3.00 on each 25 paid 50 - 30-20%. $5.00 one each 50 (2-50's) paid 40-30-20-10% and $10.00 on total 100 paid 1 money for each 5 entries.

In my opinion when the mandatory purse and the Ford purses were eliminated this started to turn the Grand away from what it was intended to be and what it had grown into. Besides the mandatory purse and Ford purses on the handicaps there were Ford purses on the doubles and a mandatory Lewis class on the singles.

This is just my thoughts on this subject and I am sure each of you have your own opinion. Most of our shooters now have no idea what the ATA Championships were intended to be when the organization was formed and was annually gaining participants. These were the years when the trophies were mainly silver. Now it is more of a everyone need's a ribbon and an All American point.

Thank you for reading.
Dave Berlet

 

Very interesting Dave. I have always thought rising target and ammo prices were driving shooters away from options. I was surprised by the results I got using your info and an inflation calculator. http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Based solely on inflation these were the results:

Paying $7.50 for target in 1954 is comparable to paying $68.25 today. The $15.00 mandatory purse would cost $136.50, and the total $25.00 entry fee would be $227.50!

Today, many do not pay any options at all, they just shoot for pins, points, or fun. This has arguably caused many who shot for money to leave the game. But, how many of the targets only guys would leave the game if mandatory entry was $227.50?

 

I have always felt that Championship Targets should have mandatory purses of something/ anything ( $10, 20, 25 $$$'s) , we are talking Championship here ... I always played the money at the grand because it was the thing to do, all in all ended up right at or close to even ... I enjoy handicap so anything else would not interest me so another $10, 20, 25 $$$$ would not stop me from shooting ... Championship targets deserve to be separated some way, some how ... The Elite Top guns could shoot for their own money, with the technical programs today it should not be problematic to separate them from the rest of the shooters and make winning worth while again ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Three good posts above..
What was, What is, and What could be.
Question is, what's in the future ?


Regards....Gerald

 

Gerald, If nothing changes soon, the death spiral will pick up speed, and the sport will be history. It will be reduced to small local contests, and no national competitions. The Grand may be eliminated and the satilites will be the new games. Then they can have a telephonic shoot with the champions from each satilite grand compete in his own area.
This will take away the need for a Sparta size location. Then the EC can just have an office to record score and collect money. Walla, very little overhead. Roger C.

 

To expand on Rogers comment (idea) about small local contests and National Competitions, the Champions of all of the telephonic shoots and local contests could all shoot it off at one of the clubs interested in hosting the event by submitting a bid (Champion of all Champions) ... The shoot offs would be of the qualifiers (only) so the need for a facility the size of Sparta would be eliminated ... The "Champion of all Champions event" could and should have mandatory purses to eliminate the average week end warrior or squirrel that finds a nut on occasion shooter ... This will never fly because it sounds like to good of an idea ... They (the members) can eliminate the president's free shot gun and expense account also ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

(COMMENTS WELCOME AND INVITED) ...

 

Interesting concept. There could be qualifiers at the every club level where lets say the top 2 scores at each club become eligible at the state level, top 5 at the state become eligible at the regional level and the top 10 or whatever at the region would become eligible at the national level. Entry fees would be mandatory and become progressively higher as you progress through the levels. Hold the nationals in Vegas and maybe with a little added sponsor monies thrown in it might bring back memories of the old jackpot shoots. Guess a lot of wrinkles would have to be ironed out but it sure would beat shooting for baubles and trinkets.

 

First and foremost you must show the ATA how they can make money on this venue. We well know they are men of vision. Roger C.