InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Wag the dog"

Desmond "Parseltongue" Parkin (partandparsel) wrote in neeps,
@ 2017-12-04 21:33:00

Entry tags:

! journal, desmond parkin

On one hand, it's somewhat impressive to see a tied match. On the other, it feels like a waste of three and a half hours. Oh well, at least Tutshill didn't win.

The Wasps match, though. Very effective and enjoyable slaughter. Congratulations to Portree. And on the party as well, which had no illicit fires and only minor breakages from what I could tell.

[Percy Weasley]
Status report on your investigation, if you don't mind. Or have you and your group been too busy of late?

[Morven]
Can't stop thinking about the continued refusal of the Irish to take any kind of stand on the BIL. We've Scots aplenty (ah, our people), various assorted Muggleborns, even a Welsh or two, and of course the English feel the need to speak on occasion. But not a single Irish player of any sex or blood has given a yea or nay. The Irish staying silent in the first place beggars belief, but given the districts it's coming from, this is entirely too coincidental.

Kavanaugh herself's a dead end, of course. Can't get blood from a stone. But we might still be able to get at Rowan or Eoghan if we go at them slantwise. What contacts do you have with the McDonnells and McGillicuddys? Come see me tomorrow when you've written up the chess crisis, I'll be meeting with the racing committee in the afternoon but they'll be only too happy to continue without me.

(Post a new comment)

	yaxels 2017-12-05 05:15 am UTC (link)
	Wimboure v Portree had enough breakage on the pitch, I think. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	partandparsel 2017-12-05 06:19 am UTC (link)
	To a certain kind of fan, there's no such thing as enough breakage. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaxels 2017-12-05 06:22 am UTC (link)
	I'm not one of those kinds of fans. The costs are too high. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	partandparsel 2017-12-06 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	You're hardly the only one to feel that way, and I can't say I disagree myself. Though there will, I expect, always be a level of breakage involved in Quidditch. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	yaxels 2017-12-06 08:39 pm UTC (link)
	I think we all know that. And I think we all know the difference between bad luck and viciousness, not to mention the difference between a player who's been rested long enough after an injury and one who hasn't. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

partandparsel
2017-12-07 06:25 am UTC (link)

"All" is an extreme term when we still receive the occasional owl about the barbarism of the sport, and even rarer owls along Tragedy of Trakai lines. Despite the popularity of Quidditch, one still comes across varying opinions from time to time.

However, it's true that there's a difference, and it takes surprisingly little sense to see through a slippery slope argument and right oneself.

Personally, I think it would do a world of good to have more reserves. Wouldn't change the level of violence, but it would make it easier for injured players to rest. But then, unless things have changed drastically since my time, Quidditchers are rarely willing to rest, and if someone refuses to give themselves time to heal, who's to blame if they make it worse?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

yaxels
2017-12-07 04:19 pm UTC (link)

All of us who actually like quidditch. If you dislike the game on some principle, real or imagined, I can't help you.

A full team of reserves would also solve the problem of scrimmaging when everyone was at full health. And yes, Quidditchers are bad about taking care of themselves, but I was thinking more of the sort of arguments you see between coaches and medics. If the coach benches you, you're not playing. Injuries aren't the coach's fault but theres's a duty of care to avoid re-injuring. And if you have to put it in money terms, there's no point in spending out on a player and not preserving their play value for future games. It's cold, but some people don't see the human side of the argument and only answer to the financial ledger.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

partandparsel
2017-12-11 05:11 am UTC (link)

It would make the question of who moves up to starter trickier for some positions, but I see no problem with a little healthy competition among reserves and as you say, it could be helpful for training as well.

Wimbourne was a bit that way in my time with them. Hear they've improved since, though it'd be more of a shock if they didn't after 30 years. The real problem as I see it is that when a coach plays someone not fit for it, I've yet to see a player argue to be benched. The coach (or owner) that doesn't see their players as human can take enormous advantage of a Quidditcher's tendency to see themselves as superhuman.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

yaxels
2017-12-11 05:40 am UTC (link)

Should've considered implementing it this year. It's the year for big changes.

The downside of adding three additional players is the money's got to come from somewhere and it would represent a significant additional outlay on the part of the team owners. The extra expenditure would have to be made up in part if not completely by increased ticket prices or some other form of income, or everyone would have to accept less money. And we know that's not happening.

As far as mixing it up goes, I've been liking what McGonagall has been doing with the Montrose chasers, but he's also got a very strong reserve in Angus Campbell. Usually the strength isn't spread so evenly in a group, and I imagine it would be moreso if you had six chasers instead of four.

I don't think I've ever seen a player argue in favour of being benched either. Even when they should know better.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	wrecktify 2017-12-05 06:22 am UTC (link)
	(Reply to this) (Parent)

	wrecktify 2017-12-05 05:17 am UTC (link)
	Only legitimate fires at Pride 'dos, thank you very much. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	partandparsel 2017-12-05 06:21 am UTC (link)
	No fire at all would be expecting too much. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wrecktify 2017-12-05 06:23 am UTC (link)
	No fire at all would be expecting a Montrose party. That is to say, boring. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	partandparsel 2017-12-06 07:24 pm UTC (link)
	I suspect Portree would just take it as a challenge even if Montrose were to have fire in their parties. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wrecktify 2017-12-06 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	They've got spirit, what else can I say? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	partandparsel 2017-12-06 07:27 pm UTC (link)
	They've got more than that. They have MacFustys. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	wrecktify 2017-12-06 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	Potayto, potahto. (Reply to this) (Parent)