Coffinmaker,
I took no real offense from you comments.
I won't lie either, way back when in the 90's and early 2000's I did have an opinion about the competitiveness changes of this sport and I did voice them, to a limited audience. I did not like what I was seeing happening.
My thinking was --- what other sport combined the 'profesional / desired professional' against the general amatuer? My argument was when this sport started anyone was invited to come and play and shoot, even at EOT. I never could make it to EOT but I had a strong desire to see it. But as the competition set in rather than general fun, I was definitely certain I would never want to attend or if I did I would be drummed out or disqualified at every turn.
The logic to my opinion was -- you don't put professionals or would be professional on the same field or up against rank amatuer. Golf professionals would never play on general public courses because they expect higher standards and rate of play, right. You don't see race cars driving there track speeds -- in and amongst regular city drivers, because it is dangerous. You don't see professional baseball or football players playing against lower level players, right "What would be the entertainment factor?" Therefore in this shooting sport these would be professionals should have had their own venues and the promoters should not have still enticed general shooters like me, to still come. The big shoots should have been by invitation only(but then the money intake would not be there), then the playing field would have been 'level', as the argument went, and those guys could have had and used all their 'tricks'. The shoots at the range level should not have allow the tricks and competitors to control the general public ranges.
These were just my opinions and beliefs and they mean nothing, now. I never formulated how anyone 'would transition' from amatuer to professional going from local range shoots to being to the one person with a TITLE. Now, I have no interests in these political matters, anymore. I just what to shoot what I have, when I can, as safe as I can.
Thanks, this was not to be a speech for desired change... just the way I approached my CAS shooting. I have no irons in the fire as the saying goes.